If you ask me, there’s no better fix than the Friday Fix (of course, it’s much better when paired with your morning caffeine fix, so why not go ahead and make that happen?). Today’s fabulous Fix features all kinds of fall funsies (now say that five times fast). We have tips on creating Instagram video, how and why brand storytelling should be an emotional journey, why you should be podcasting, and much, much more. So, without further ado, the time has come to get your Friday Fix on!
Unwrapping a Brand Storytelling Journey
Steph Ferrell hits the nail on the head as she launches into this piece: people love the story of humanity or how we journey through this weird thing we call life. It’s beyond relatable. Case and point: that Extra Gum brand storytelling video featuring Sarah and Juan. Steph reveals that the video earned over 74 million views in the first week alone. As one who watched it with the sound off because I didn’t want my toddler to catch me hiding in the bathroom, I can attest that it wasn’t the phenomenal soundtrack Steph brags on that makes this nugget of brand storytelling brilliance so charming; it’s the story of the journey. Ready to embark on your own venture? Read Steph’s article for a closer look at how to give your brand storytelling that little something “Extra”.
The Brand Benefits of Places like the Guinness Storehouse
postadvertising.com
I know you’re thinking that you don’t have a Guinness Storehouse, a Heineken Experience, or a World of Coca-Cola to boost customer engagement and brand loyalty; however, the point of Christian Lachel’s article isn’t that you need one. Rather, it’s that at the core of all of the fanfare, these brands all have one thing in common, and that thing is storytelling. They’re all able to take guests on a journey and to create a lasting emotional experience that yields consumer affinity and loyalty.
5 Reasons Why You Should be Podcasting
For how awesome it is, podcasting doesn’t get enough attention. We covered it a short while back; now Steve Olenski is addressing podcasting and five reasons why you should be doing it (if you’re not already). Aside from the fact that the number of folks who are listening to podcasts is increasing, podcasts are also economical, recyclable, and fabulous for mobile marketing. Steve explains how along with two other key reasons to podcast in this article.
8 Ways Marketers are Being Heard in 2015
business2community.com
Sure, we’re already projecting what’s coming up in 2016, but that’s no reason to cancel your subscription to 2015. In this article, Steve Olenski breaks down and explores key strategies that are meriting results in 2015. It should be no surprise that many of these like visual storytelling or going mobile promise to continue turning heads in 2016. There are a few things you may not have thought of or have let collect a little dust like blogs, social media marketing, and automation. This article is a great read if you want to make sure that you’re doing or have tried doing everything in your power to be seen and heard this year.
How to be a Good Storyteller: Understand Emotion
I’m not sure why the title of Brett Henley’s piece conjured Mariah Carey’s “Emotions”, but I’m going to go with it. In this article, Brett reiterates research that (in case you missed it) reveals that there’s a significant relationship between emotions and storytelling and how stories can influence us (I know this to be true based on how many real-life moments I relate to Harry Potter (all of them; I relate all of them.). Brett goes further in his analysis in this piece by relating how you can become the good storyteller you need to be to reach people on a deeper level.
How to Use LinkedIn to Boost Your Content Marketing Campaign
prnewsonline.com
LinkedIn, as Jayson DeMers points out, is more than just a snazzy professional networking site; it’s also a great vehicle for “increasing your connections, traffic, and influence.” We’ve also riffed on how you can use LinkedIn to your advantage, but in case you missed it, Jayson makes critical points pertinent to making the most of LinkedIn for content marketing purposes including using LinkedIn Groups, LinkedIn Pulse, and paying for sponsored updates.
3 Mistakes You Didn’t Know Were Hurting Your Content Marketing
You know how if you were pronouncing a word wrong, you’d want someone to tell you? Well, in this case, pundit Michael Peggs is letting you know if you’re doing your content marketing wrong (more or less). There seem to be many strategies out there for achieving red-carpet worthy content marketing success (or so it seems), but there are equally as many pitfalls for sabotaging your well-spotted efforts. Don’t let things like a slow site, lack of planning and strategy, or wasting instead of repurposing content hold you back. See what Michael says on how these things could be hurting you and how to work past them.
What Patagonia Learned So Far from Mixing Content Strategy and Activism
keepitwild.ca
It’s always good stuff to see what major companies are doing in the wonderful world of content marketing and storytelling. In this piece, Jeff Beer gets with campaigns and advocacy director of outdoor product brand Patagonia to get the insider scoop on the doc Jumbo Wild and the evolution of the New Localism strategy. In a nutshell, Jumbo Wild highlights a 24-year effort to salvage British Columbia’s Jumbo Valley from resort development. In this piece, Jeff Beer gets the insider scoop on how this blended content strategy and activism are paying off.
Inside Forbes: A Rallying Cry for Our Times –‘Go Mobile or Go Home’
Lewis DVorkin’s article starts with a cautionary tale of AOLers refusing to listen to a word about the looming takeover of broadband, but they dismissed it because “dial-up subscriptions were strong”. (Fun fact: I teach college students who don’t even remember dial-up because they were still in Pampers when that was phased out. Let that sink in.) The broadband takeover story should thus be a lesson as Lewis suggests. Thus, when it’s suggested we’re in the “mobile era” where perhaps all of an audience can go mobile, what are the plans for accommodating mobile stories told in the format of bursts of information? Well, if you’re curious to see what Forbes staffers enthusiastically suggested for going mobile (instead of going home), then check out Lewis’ article.
Why Start-Ups Need Content Marketing
clickz.com
I have a love / hate relationship with starting something new because while there’s all the promise of possibility, there’s also the reality that I’m at the bottom of the mountain. While there’s only one way to go (up), and I don’t mind getting messy on the climb, I always appreciate boosts like this one from Alan Cutter. If you’re a start-up (or any business, really), then let Alan give you a hand as he explains why you need content marketing. If you’re just getting into “the biz” and are just learning about content marketing, start here and work your way up in understanding just how powerful content marketing can be for your start-up.
Instagram Video: 7 Tips & Tricks
Instagram as I’m sure you know is a site intended for more than sharing adorable kid and pet photos and images of food porn. It dark horsed its way into being a social media force, and then it added video and the crowd went wild. Truly, Instagram’s video feature is something that we fully endorse optimizing, which is why we provide 7 tips and tricks for being an Instagram video genius. For example, elevate your video story with hashtags, punch it up with music, and don’t be afraid to try out the time-lapse feature.
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