Rebekah Iliff says, “Content is all the rage these days, as marketing, public relations, social media and advertising continue to converge, cross-pollinate and ultimately collaborate to cut through the noise.As a result, the question isn’t: “Do we need to be thinking about a content strategy?” But, rather: “How do we strategically create content that we can then measure, evaluate and use to empower our brand?”According to one of my favorite compatriots, analyst Rebecca Lieb, “measuring content effectiveness remains the single most daunting task facing content marketers.”... [...]

Aaron Agius says, “Influencer outreach is critical for any content marketing campaign, because influencers expose your brand to a larger audience, and because your audience values endorsements from third parties — often more than they value your word alone.According to Zuberance, 92 percent of consumers trust brand advocates. Further, Visual.ly found that content shared by influencers receives 16 times more engagement than paid advertisements or content presented by a brand itself. Despite its importance, influencer outreach is often one of those to-do list items that marketers... [...]

Demian Farnworth says, “Cornerstone content is the foundation of your content marketing plan.It will help you establish a clear picture of the specific problems you can solve for potential customers.As I said in Your Cornerstone Content Blueprint: Answers to 9 Common Questions, it can also help you achieve some even bigger goals, including:Getting links to your websiteFinding new readersAttracting subscribersRanking in search engines for competitive keywordsHighlighting archived materialAccordingly, cornerstone content is vital for both seasoned bloggers and anyone launching a... [...]

Mackenzie Fogelson says, “In 1989, I was conquering the eighth grade with a pair of Hammer pants, big bangs, and a stockpile of Aqua Net hairspray. During class, notes would be passed so friends could arrange to drink Dr. Pepper, eat Skor Bars, and play Debbie Gibson’s Electric Youth album on a ghetto blaster after school. On a real good day, there’d be a message from the guy I was “going with” on the answering machine when I got home.Luckily for us, since the late 80s, the pace at which technology has evolved is astounding. If I want, I can get fashion advice from people all over... [...]

Quinn Whissen says, “Content marketing strategies can be intense.After all, there’s a lot riding on the plans that will guide all your efforts ranging from who to target, what type of content to create, what KPIs to measure, where to promote, how to distribute, how to segment your list, what numbers to hit… OK, STOP!Let’s take a big deep breath together for a second… and start over.Content marketing strategies can be intense.But they don’t have to be stressful.What you really need is a little good old-fashioned teamwork, a checklist, some thoughtful conversations and 60 minutes... [...]

Jonathan Long says, “Content marketing has evolved from a buzzword into a major component of marketing strategies for companies of all sizes. Thirty-seven percent of business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers have a documented content marketing strategy, and 61 percent of the most-effective business-to-business (B2B) marketers meet daily or weekly with their content marketing team.Content marketing can produce amazing results when done correctly, and with 2016 right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to make sure your strategy is mapped out. While you plan and adjust, consider these points.1.... [...]

Jon Nastor says, “Creating effective content is hard. I don’t want to deter you from crafting content for your business, but you need to set goals for everything you create.Whether you produce content that is timely or evergreen, audio or text, knowing your goals will ensure you maximize the return on your time and resources invested in content marketing.Each piece of content needs to be placed into one of two categories: wide or deep.And each category has one specific goal:Wide content attracts new audience members.Deep content strengthens relationships with your existing audience... [...]

Jack Simpson says, “We recently published a round-up of all the biggest content marketing trends of 2015, according to our panel of experts. Now we’ve asked those same experts to go all Mystic Meg on us and predict what 2016 will bring, although I’m sure their approach was much more scientific than hers.Let’s take a look at some content predictions for 2016.Brands will become content curatorsAlex Ayling, Head of BBC Worldwide Digital Studios I think that as the world of content continues its massive expansion online, with existing platforms getting bigger and new ones launching... [...]

Stefanie Flaxman says, “Let’s say you own a yoga studio in a town of yoga enthusiasts. It’s called Om Depot.You currently offer an equal number of Level 1, 2, and 3 classes every day.Monday through Thursday, your Level 2 and 3 classes sell out and you have to turn people away, but your Level 1 classes only have a few students.On Fridays, however, a yoga group for beginners visits your studio. Your Level 1 classes sell out and you have to turn people away, but there is plenty of space in your Level 2 and 3 classes because advanced students take private classes at a different yoga studio... [...]

Peter O’Neill says, “At Forrester, Research Directors do many things around the research process. We help analysts to establish a research agenda and keep them current for the next 12 months – we negotiate the report outlines, edit the drafts, and share the research and reports around other parts of Forrester to ensure consistency. Then, we often create or edit “blurb” text for promotional efforts (tweets, blogs, newsletters). I was sent a proposed blurb (written by our own marketing group) announcing our new report “Make Sales Conversations An Integral Part Of Your Content... [...]