Has Google changed the email content marketing game for good? In just under two months, it certainly has achieved its fair share of buzz amongst marketers who either lament or agree with (ok, mostly lament) its new Gmail tabs — with most citing concerns over visibility, open rates, and (of course) ultimately sales.

By auto-organizing a Gmail user’s inbox into three tabs (Primary, Social, and Promotions), with the option to add two more tabs — Updates and Forums — Google started quite a heated battle.Continue Reading

As content marketers, we rely on research and data to help shape our current and upcoming programs: It’s what helps us benchmark, and set a budget. That’s why most marketers I know are data nerds (it’s OK to admit it; we’re all in the same boat, here). We salivate over the new Facebook Insights rollout,  and crack open the latest Budgets, Benchmarks and Trends reports with more gusto than the latest Dan Brown novel.

Content marketers are also very good at sharing. We send charts or research reports to our colleagues with the simple subject line, “Read this” or “compelling content here.” We sit on panels together, happily sharing stories of our own successes and challenges. But are we equally good at listening?Continue Reading

Recently, I walked into a conference room and saw a simple tin can labeled “Assumptions.” The “swear jar” equivalent was empty, but the intent behind it was quite weighted by the question, How often do we, in our day-to-day roles, rely on assumptions to make decisions?

For example, how often do you find yourself referring to the marketing personas you built several years ago — buyer personas that were based on assumptions you once made about your audience and its buying habits? Now think about whether your company has the same goals, challenges, and position in the industry as you did then? The answer is most likely no.

Whether your content marketing program is targeted to B2B or B2C audiences, one thing will ring true when it comes to old assumptions: Your audience, like your strategy, could be undergoing its own continual shifts, evolutions, and transformations, as well. This can certainly affect the buy personas you have created in the past.

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In a recent consumer research report, “The New Multi-screen World: Understanding Cross-platform Consumer Behavior,” Google (in partnership with Sterling Brands and Ipsos) set out to uncover and understand how consumers are interacting with media in their everyday lives. Their findings are quite enlightening for content marketers, who are continuously looking for new ways to “break through the clutter” and grab the attention of their target customers — people who are constantly distracted by TV, social media, online content, and more, often all at once.Continue Reading

In a recent report by the Altimeter Group, “The Converged Media Imperative: How Brands Must Combine Paid, Owned and Earned Media,” there was a strong rallying cry for what many companies know they should be doing, but very few know how or where to start: media convergence.Continue Reading

This year’s Buyersphere Report, from Base One and B2B Marketing, takes all the guesswork out of what B2B decision makers really want by going directly to the source: the buyers themselves. In this year’s report, the survey compiles responses from 800 participants with the intent of uncovering what all marketers want to know: How do buyers find information that will help them identify the right suppliers for their business?Continue Reading

Summertime is finally here, and much to the excitement of kids everywhere (and fear for many parents) that means vacation time! Airlines, hotels, travel websites and cities are stocking up for what’s likely to be a busy — and hot — tourist season, and one of the best ways they can ensure they’re on a family’s “go-to” list is by creating content that fulfills every step of their travel needs.Continue Reading

Anyone who runs a local food and beverage company (from restaurants to groceries to bodegas) knows how hard it is to keep up with their finances, inventory and customers, let alone content. Not only is this industry fast-paced, but it’s also highly competitive and constantly changing, which means you need to establish your presence — and fast.

One of the fastest ways to become the “go-to” food spot for your local community is by creating meaningful, tailored, and unique content. If you service your local communities 24/7, here are a few content marketing best practices just for you.Continue Reading