Content strategy is to branding as cover is to a book. And yes, people will judge books by their cover and they will judge your brand by the content you produce. Just like your business needs to have a strategic vision, your content also needs to serve a greater purpose.
In five years from now your marketing team will be obsolete. Technology is evolving rapidly and in its wake altering communication behaviours and demands and your organization has to be agile and responsive like never before. Traditional marketing roles favoured specialization and seclusion. They are already having a hard time fitting in with the new social and digital landscape. It’s time for your organization to evolve, and here’s how. [infographic]
Are you playing roulette with your marketing dollars? With so many media choices competing for less and less consumer attention, choosing the right marketing channels is pretty much like gambling. To cover their bases, some businesses will attempt to “be everywhere”, stretching themselves too thin and others will attempt to solve the problem by throwing money at it – running ineffective contests or ads. To make sure your effort and marketing dollars are invested wisely into the right marketing mix, you have to think strategically.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already familiar with some of the obstacles non-profit and NGO organizations are facing today. There is a consistent push towards social innovation, social enterprise and alternative fundraising methods – coming from all corners of the stakeholder universe. While their definitions are still firming up, one thing is clear: Funding is a consistent challenge for many organizations today.
Touted as a game-changer by pundits, the idea of crowd-funding has created a wave of disruption across industries. For this article, I’d like us to explore how to utilize these platforms intelligently in a non-profit environment.
Why, exactly, are you on Twitter? What is it, exactly, that you’re trying to accomplish on YouTube? Or Pinterest. Or Instagram? Or on any new platform that pops up in the next year? – Can you answer these questions clearly and specifically, without resorting to empty platitudes such as “engage the audience” or “join the conversation“? (BTW, nobody wants to join a conversation about paper towels, or banking, or deli meats…)
Rather then muddling our way through, let’s figure out exactly how these social or digital platforms will help you get where you want to go. Oh yeah, it’s also in 3.5 pretty easy steps with examples! There is even a video at the end.
Just before stepping on stage to light up the audience at FP Reach 2012, GaryVee spent a few minutes candidly (read NSFW) sharing his thoughts on changes in the marketplace and what to keep an eye on in the coming years. Video is only 7 minutes long, but you’ll get a ton of valuable insights you can apply to your business immediately:
Some of my takeaways were:
Considered a pioneer of marketing, John Wanamaker was a US merchant who famously stated: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.“ That statement still rings true today. Even with all the analytics and digital metrics you can muster – chances are pretty good that you’re bleeding customers and marketing dollars all over the place.
Yesterday, after leaving the beautiful and sunny San Diego I tried to drown my sorrows in a fresh issue of The Wall Street Journal. Flipping through the pages, I came across an article on Silicon Valley’s Stock Funk. In it, the authors interviewed a few employees of Facebook, Instagram and Zynga – and some of their comments just struck me as everything that is wrong with hiring these days.
In the 60s, 70s and even today, Braun was a powerhouse of forward design. They made products which were beautiful, easy-to-use, practical and timeless. Many of their products are considered pieces of art and you can find them in places such as MoMa in New York and Suntory Museum in Osaka. The Braun development team was lead by Dieter Rams. He pioneered an approach to design which emphasized simplicity and elegance. He developed a manifesto for this approach in his 10 rules of good design. It boils down to a simple but incredibly powerful statement: “Weniger, aber besser” which translates to Less, But Better.
In 2006, when Brains on Fire worked with Fiskars on a massive re-ignition of their brand, they found out that most of the people buying Fiskars products were scrapbookers and crafters. They came up with an idea to build an online crafting community that would connect the Fiskars brand to its true fans. Fiskateers was started by hand-selecting four women from across the US, who were then flown to the Fiskars factory, given a tour and introduced to the leadership team. They were then given the keys to the vacant online community Brains on Fire had built and a responsibility to develop, maintain and evangelize it to other crafters. The entire project was started with four people and it is now more then 9,000 members strong and growing, representing 20 countries.
I'm Ernest - Digital Marketer and Professional Speaker. I help leaders and organizations improve marketing performance.
Find out more...
