Content Marketing is a blanket term used to describe a vast array of newer marketing techniques that are used in today’s constantly changing digital world.  But what really constitutes Content Marketing?  How does it differ from traditional marketing and how is it best put into practice?

It is a common assumption that Content Marketing is synonymous with copywriting, and whilst sharp writing is certainly a key component of effective Content Marketing, it is a much more meaningful way to communicate with consumers.  When trying to determine the various aspects of Content Marketing, keep in mind these three areas:

Convey valuable information

• Content Marketing involves the creation and sharing of content in order to engage current and potential consumer bases through a variety of media outlets.  By creating a valued source of information, existing and potential consumers gain insight into your company – viewing you as experts in the field – which in turn builds trust and creates customer loyalty.  The motivation behind content marketing is the belief that educating the customer results in the brand’s recognition as a thought leader and industry expert.

Be creative and engaging

• By tapping into the media platforms your customers enjoy consulting, Content Marketing allows your messages to be viewed as valued sources of help and not advertisements.  Content Marketing platforms should be entertaining and informative to your customer, allowing the education process to be engaging and something your audience can get involved in.  Content Marketing products frequently take the form of custom magazines, print or online newsletters, digital content, websites, micro-sites, white  papers, webcasts/webinars, podcasts, video portals or series, round tables, emails or events.

Be consistent and up to date

• In order to reap the benefits of an effective Content Marketing campaign, information cannot remain stagnant.  One of the main reasons Content Marketing is so effective is that it continuously inspires the audience to return to the source of information thereby retaining reader attention and driving profitable consumer action.  By including industry news, updated data, informative stories about emerging developments and examples of successfully executed projects in the industry, your Content Marketing platform will establish your company as trusted experts and create a loyal following.

An effective content marketing program can take some time to produce, but the results will be beneficial; helping you to secure new business, drive sales and improve customer retention.  If you are interested in exploring how content marketing can work for your business, then let us share the burden and build a custom content marketing program for your company.

Just like many of the hundreds of thousands of anonymous Valentine’s dropping into mailboxes this morning, the real St. Valentine is a man of mystery too. The most likely candidate is a Roman priest, martyred in AD 269, who performed marriages in secret for young lovers during the time when Pope Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men, believing it made them weak soldiers.  Whilst imprisoned for his crimes, St. Valentine cured the blind daughter of his jailer and before his execution he is said to have written her a farewell letter, signing it ‘from your Valentine’. Centuries later, as Christianity spread throughout Europe, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 the feast day of St.Valentine, neatly falling during the Roman festival of fertility, Lupercalia.

It was until Geoffrey Chaucer’s 1382 piece Parlement of Foules, that we find the first modern day reference to Valentine’s Day.  Even Shakespeare’s Ophelia in Hamlet talks of the day.  ’Fancy’ Valentines made with real lace and ribbons, containing self-composed romantic verse, became popular in the UK from the early 1800s.  As postage rates dropped, the popularity of sending Valentine’s soared and factories began mass producing Valentines with paper lace and printed verse.  The fashion quickly crossed the Atlantic; Esther Howland sold and distributed the first paper lace Valentine’s in the US in 1847 from her father’s stationery store.

Fast forward more than 150 years, and today’s retailers and restaurateurs have been quick to add chocolates, roses, diamonds and candlelit dinners to the list of Valentines must-haves.

So what would you prefer; a handmade back-to-basics card with an original piece of romantic verse, or flowers delivered to your door and dinner à deux at the fanciest spot in town? What’s the best Valentine’s Day you have had? We’d love to hear.

The concepts of engagement marketing have been in place for many years, but due to the extensive shift in how the consumer learns, evaluates and connects to a brand; the core elements of engagement marketing have become more important than ever.

Engagement marketing, also referred to as experiential, event, live, or participation marketing, is a strategy that directly engages consumers; inviting and encouraging them to participate in the evolution of a brand. Rather than looking at consumers as passive receivers of messages, engagement marketing actively involves the consumer in the production and co-creation of marketing programs and works to develop a long-term relationship between the consumer and the brand.

Here are some key elements to look for as your brand embraces engagement marketing;

Create a two way dialogue

• Classic advertising and marketing is one-way dialogue between the brand to the buyer.  Consumers are more educated on a vast array of products and are keenly aware that an abundance of information is available to them at all times.  Today, powerful brands are built by the buyers themselves through innumerable conversations in both online and offline communities.   Repeated exposure to the same content via traditional media is no longer a strong influencer to the consumer.  Instead, purchasing decisions are built on information, education and influential communities.

Listen as much as you speak

• Engagement marketing is a collaborative platform that requires the brand to listen, if not more, than it speaks.  Ultimately, the goal of engagement marketing is to ensure that the consumer benefits as much as the brand.  Consumer feedback is critical as consumers are indifferent to brands that are indifferent to them.  By giving your audience the chance to respond to and interact with your company, you’ll build brand loyalty, and allow your company to not only monitor, but participate in the brand conversations taking place in influential communities.

Diversity touch-points

• In today’s world, initiating a two-way dialogue with the consumer means communicating with them through every touch-point and channel that exists.  With the expansion of user generated content, consumers can learn everything they need to know about your brand and don’t necessarily need your website or brochure to acquire this information.  Blogs, social networking sites, webcasts and email campaigns are common online tools utilized to interact with the consumer allowing feedback, conversation and sharing.  Marketing databases used for email can also be used to personalize messages through a variety of channels to customers and prospects.  Information can flow into these databases from other applications – yielding truly engaging messages that drive brand influence and revenue in new and powerful ways.

Using strong customer engagement to compliment traditional advertising can increase your marketing potential and deliver increased ROI through a stronger, more valuable customer relationship. Is engagement marketing part of your existing marketing strategy?  Ask me how to initiate a conversation with your customers today.

When your business is ready to engage a third party marketing firm, there are several questions which need to be asked in order to find the best fit for your company, your budget and your specific corporate requirements.

Like many companies, marketing firms come in all shapes, sizes and specialties.  Your marketing voice is an important arm of your business, and requires a solid partnership to deliver on your corporate objectives.  When investigating collaborations with a third party marketing firm, here are some points to consider.

Financial Commitment

• Before engaging in discussions around program development and execution, ensure that you have a solid idea of budget available from an annual and quarterly perspective.  Most marketing firms can execute a vast array of campaigns ranging from grass roots to national or international exposure, but each element comes at a cost.  When comparing potential partnerships, it is best to present the same information to each candidate – including fiscal commitment – and evaluate what each firm is willing and able to do within the budget and parameters.  Identify hidden costs up front and look for the inclusion of regular program maintenance, strategy and development costs, technical support, data distribution and analysis, program review and billable meeting hours.

Corporate Expertise

• The tenure of a company isn’t necessarily reflective of the expertise of those executing your programs.  Ask specific questions about the people who would be directly involved in your relationship, in particular those building your marketing program and formulating your strategies.  Ask for information about their past initiatives, experience with businesses of similar size, insight and experience into your industry, ideas on how to ensure your brand stands out from your competitors, contact lists associated with your business prospects, insight into new developments in the marketing world and knowledge of your target demographic.

Is there measurable return?

• A tenured marketing firm should provide measurable results indicating their past successes, and present solid numbers on which programs they recommend for your business and the potential return on those investments.  Depending on your corporate goals, this information could be both qualitative and quantitative.  Confirm how results are tracked and measured for the proposed marketing plan, how often results are reviewed and any technical platforms required for your company to analyze or receive these results.    Enquire about past programs that didn’t provide the expected return – how were these results captured and analyzed? What measures were put in place to mitigate future failure?

A sales or a strategic partnership?

• One of the most important elements of any corporate relationship is moving past the ‘sales’ cycle and ensuring that you are hiring a strategic partner who is invested in your business and your corporate success.  Beyond execution of programs, the true value in a marketing firm is creating a robust, comprehensive, strategically sound marketing plan to maximize your corporate reach and support future growth.   Look for a marketing firm that provides a holistic approach to your brand presence, incorporates methods to integrate new and traditional marketing platforms, has an eye on present day deliverables and future initiatives, and is flexible in their ability to implement long term strategies as well as turn-around effective programs on tight time frames.

Are you ready to take your company to the next level by partnering with an external marketing firm? Contact us at melanie@imaginismarketing.com