Are you as caffeinated as I am? If so, then it must be time for the Friday Fix! As we tiptoe into 2015, we are gradually getting away from the content marketing palm readers who forecast what’s coming up in the New Year. Rather, this week, we get back to the grind focusing on the issues. While there are a few items of import (like have you done your editorial content calendar yet? No? See me after class.), the real subject on everyone’s minds this week is social media. Are you doing it right? What’s missing? Are you trustworthy or a total goon? We handle those tough issues in this Fix, so grab a coffee and read on.
The History of Content Marketing
This week, Brad Kuenn explores the history of content marketing. If you’re doing content marketing and have no idea how it came into being, then this article is for you. Let’s put it this way, I’ve cooked gumbo for years; my grandma cooked gumbo, and my husband’s grandma cooked gumbo. I had to write about gumbo, which prompted me to research the history of gumbo. I’m not saying your content marketing will go the same way, but I made the best gumbo of my life once I understood where it came from. That thought in mind, isn’t it high time you learned content marketing’s story?
Creating Your 2015 Editorial Content Calendar
If you haven’t gotten your editorial calendar together yet (or if you have no idea what an editorial calendar is), fear not; Arnie Kuenn breaks down everything you need to factor in to organize and prepare for the year ahead. Not only will you be able to forecast with better focus, you’ll also be able to reflect on past content marketing approaches and make determinations about what worked and what didn’t (also, you avoid repeating yourself). I’m not saying an editorial calendar is the most effective tool in your box, but I definitely wouldn’t let my content marketing get stranded on a desert island without one.
7 Reasons DIY May Not Work for Social Media Marketing
You may think that you won’t have any problem handling your own social media marketing, but until you start trying (or your read the breakdown of how it really is by Lauren Donovan), you may soon realize that you’re way in over your head. Even if you have the know-how to run your social media campaign, that doesn’t mean that you’ll have the time to devote to getting it right.
Here’s a Tactic Every Business is Missing in Social Media
Once you read what Michael Price has to say about partnerships being the missing link in social media, you’ll probably do one of those comical forehead slaps and say, “Of course! Marty, we’ve got to get you back to the future!” Then you’ll dump a can of garbage on your Prius and wonder why it’s not taking you back to 1985. I’m kidding. In all seriousness, Michael makes some very savvy points about the virtues of social media partnerships.
8 Ways to Build Trust on Social Media
In past Fixes, we’ve talked about how important it is to have a relationship with the audience. This week, we’re heavy hitting on social media. Building trust and relationships on social media is kind of like trying to fit in with the cool kids; they can tell if you’re not being yourself or if you’re being disingenuous. According to Jayson DeMers, building trust on social media takes time, patience, and originality. It’s easier said than done, but hey, at least it can be done.
How to Hire Top Content Marketers
While we’re talking about outsourcing, Brianne Rush has a few words to the wise on what to look for when hiring content marketers. Like she says, there’s (currently) no degree for content marketing, so you’re really going to be looking for a unique individual with a hodgepodge of the right skills and the right personality traits. Things to look for: writing skills, personality, dedication to learning; things to avoid: grammar mistakes, firm belief that this Internet thing is just a fad, etc.
10 Things I Learned Reading 70 Digital Marketing Trends Articles for 2015 (So You Don’t Have To)
Did you ever have someone pass along the answers to the homework when you neglected to do the reading? Okay…me neither. Ryan J. Davis fulfills that lost childhood dream by having read 70 digital marketing trends articles for 2015 (I cannot imagine how much coffee he consumed) and synthesized those lessons into 10 common ideas / themes. Unsurprisingly, things we’ve mentioned in prior fixes like social media, a local presence, and mobile content make the front page. Curious to see what else is universally agreed to trend for 2015? Check out the article.
Are You Missing This Critical Element in Your Content Marketing Initiative?
Content marketing encompasses so many components that you might feel either overwhelmed or like you’re just checking off boxes to ensure you get it right. Usually what ends up happening is that people focus too heavily on one (often content) or the other. Jayson DeMers’ focus in this piece is how the marketing part of content marketing often gets lost in the shuffle of trying to hit the content nails on the head. Here, he advises on not losing focus, so if you’ve got content down, make sure you’re handling your marketing (actually, you know what? Just read this anyway…it’s really good advice).
Scene-Stealing Video from the Best Content Marketing Brands
Previously, in a past Friday Fix, we discussed how incredibly important video marketing is and is going to continue to be. In this post, Anna Washenko examines some big brands whose videos exceled with flying colors whether it was for tone for quality or for something else. If you’re doing video, I cannot slow motion dive in front of your iPhone fast enough (please don’t use iPhone videos) if you’re not doing everything in your power to make it quality professional-grade content.
Naceweb.org
Why the Future of Content Marketing Lies with the Millennials
I’m not sure why, but what Geoff Gower astutely points out in this article is like something I’ve been trying to avoid. Perhaps it’s because I sometimes look at the younger generation (you know, those people who have no idea who Paul McCartney is) and think, “The children are our future? We’re doomed.” My thoughts aside, Geoff is correct in his observation that for millennials, content marketing is second nature…it’s what they do anyway (no batteries or special training required). See what Geoff has to say to determine how you can embrace what’s working with the youth culture.
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.
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