Can you believe that this time next week, it will be March and that we will already have completed two months of 2015? I guess what they say is true…time flies when you’re creating content. Be that the case as it may, how about we slow things down for a little bit and kick it with the Friday Fix, yeah? If you’re new to the Friday Fix, what we do here is curate fantastic content marketing pieces from the previous week, so it’s a great excuse for you to grab a cup of coffee and kick back like you’re reading the paper (like you did back when the paper was actually on paper). What’s making front pages this week? We have more on audiences (oh, those Millennials!) and the video takeover, as well as some nice advice for those new to content marketing.
The Beginner’s Guide to Podcasts
From their origins to where they are today to best practices, Brad Kuenn covers the bases for understanding, creating, and using Podcasts in your marketing. For example, while many times when we talk about creating video content, we can’t emphasize enough the importance of having a quality professional product; while you definitely want to have a great quality video podcast, it’s okay if there’s room for improvement. Also, you might find that your podcasts will appeal to a different type of audience than your other content. The helpful information aside, this trivia about the length of Joe Rogan’s podcasts make this article well worth the read.
4 Things Brands Must Do to Ensure Their Content Marketing Remains Relevant
One of the biggest mistakes brands can make is “slapping on” their content in terms of quality, distribution, and audience outreach. Consumers can tell, and they don’t like it. For example, have you ever told someone about a problem only to have them start telling a story about themselves? Don’t you check out at that point? Well, as Diane Charton explains, you content can have the same effect; however, she provides four smart, easy ways to be relevant and not oblivious.
Mobile Apps and Content Marketing – A Match Made in Heaven
The amount of time people spent using mobile apps is steadily increasing. We’ve posted before on how important mobile devices and web apps are for content marketing, and Lin Pophal’s article drives it home. On thing Lin makes sure to point out is that mobile apps aren’t just for short-form content; they’re a perfect place for long-term content as well. For example, have you ever been at the doctor’s office and idled the time away reading on your phone? Lin illustrates this as well as several other astute points relative to bringing content marketing and mobile apps together.
What You Don’t Know about Millennials and Content Marketing
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the Millennials and the challenges many find they are having in reaching out to them. Shafqat Islam explains the predicament nicely pointing out that Millennials are smart; they’re savvy, and tricks don’t work for them; there’s been too much exposure. So, you’re not going to get them by trying in a formula and hitting ‘go’. What should you do? Start by checking of Shafqat’s article and getting to know your audience a little better.
Porter Proves that Clever Content Marketing is Still in Vogue
Every so often, it’s fun to conduct a little brand analysis and to see who is doing what and how what they are doing it (or isn’t) working. In this case, everything Net-a-Porter / Porter Magazine is doing is so right it hurts (competitors). Essentially, Porter allows users to access and purchase the fashion they see in a seamless capacity (get out of my dreams and into my iPad). Though it’s targeted toward a higher-income luxury consuming market, article author Michael Temprano points out that the strategies employed –consistency, service, quality, etc. are things anyone can do.
Content Marketing Personalization: Build Relationships at Scale
If you’re in content marketing, then there’s a chance that Michael Brenner’s article reads like the story of your life, so you may or may not be shouting, “Yes!” so loudly by the time you finish reading it (I’ll have what he’s having). I won’t go into details because this is one of those articles you just need to read, but I will say that Michael Brenner makes the key point that several pundits have made this week and lately, which is that there is (and must be) a major shift from product to audience in terms of content marketing.
How to Structure a Killer Content Marketing Campaign
As we have said before and as author Sean Smith points out, content marketing is easier said than done, plain and simple. When you start to add up all of the components –audience, story, quality, authenticity, outreach, optimization, assessment, you start to realize that it’s a harder shot than Luke had with the Death Star (I mean, anyone can bullseye a womp rat, Luke). Starting with a focused, goal-oriented approach, Sean walks you through the steps for (at least getting started on) becoming a content Jedi (just maybe not overnight).
Video is the Future of Content Marketing
John Huber shares Cisco’s statistic that in two years, 69% of Internet traffic will be video. While that might seem unrealistic, the evidence is stacking up; as noted in other posts in this week’s Fix, podcasts are almost exclusively video now and the second most popular app on mobile devices is Facebook. If you’re still reluctant to ride the video wave, read John’s article for five more reasons why your business needs video.
10 Content Marketing Benefits, Challenges, and Tips
Small business owners, this one is for you. While many tips and insights on content marketing definitely apply to anyone willing to play ball, there are some things that aren’t as feasible for you simply due to budget constraints if nothing else. Hence, Debra Murphy provides a total of 30 benefits, challenges, and tips applicable to small businesses relative to content marketing.
Getting Started with Content Marketing
When I started in grant writing, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, and there was so much that I needed to learn in a short period that the crunch was overwhelming. I expect that’s how folks new to content marketing feel as well. Gyles Seward throws out a lifeline with this article on getting started with creating a content marketing plan. It’s a well-organized stepping-stone that will have you blasting womp rats with confidence in no time (that’ll make sense if you read the entire Fix).
Amy Delcambre is a freelance content and travel writer from Mobile, Alabama with a Master's in Creative Writing. When she's not painting the page with nouns, verbs, and adverbs, she's slaying grammar beasts as a freelance editor and saving the world one sentence fragment at a time teaching university writing classes. In her free time, Amy enjoys cooking, traveling, and testing which plant species best survive prolonged neglect.
Connect with Amy: LinkedIn