Content Marketing: Why Headlines Are So Important
In an age of content overload, your headline is one of your biggest opportunities to grab audience attention. It’s likely to make the difference between someone clicking through to your content/website or not. It’s of equal importance to SEO too – Google will be ranking you by headlines. Follow a few basics and you’ll get the right results. Tips For Writing Headlines Be sure your headline is authentic. Don’t over promise or trick the reader with the headline. It won’t help in the long run – your customer will feel... Read The Rest →
Creating a social media marketing strategy from scratch: the what, part 1
You’re sold on the potential benefits of social media marketing but you’re apprehensive. What should you be posting? When? How? Who should you be trying to talk to? What if you run out things to say? What if something unexpected happens? Whilst social media marketing is certainly not easy (to do well anyways), there’s no need to enter into a state of blind panic when faced with all the things there are to think of! Below we’ve outlined the first 5 of key areas for you to think around as... Read The Rest →
There’s no such thing as bad PR – is there?
The challenge to those creating publicity stunts is creating something that augments the brand message rather than burying it. It is not easy. So what does make a good stunt? What can you get out of it? And the classic debate: is there such a thing as bad PR? If you’re looking for a high impact way to get your brand, product or message out into the world and in front of your audience, then PR stunts fit the bill. Here are some successes: Animals ‘let loose’ to promote zoo opening... Read The Rest →
What kind of PR stunt should your brand pull next?
It’s planning season… have you considered including a PR stunt in your activity for next year? Need some inspiration? Here are some examples from the past few years of 6 different kinds of PR stunts. From flash mobs to Richard Branson crossing the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle, good PR can do amazing things. The ice bucket challenge exploded onto Facebook back in July and August raising millions for the ALS Association. The clever stunt saw donations leap from $1.7m between 29 July and 17 August last year to... Read The Rest →
Content Marketing: Make it Visual
In a world of high-speed information overload, visual impact has become a vital part of cutting through clutter and grabbing audience attention. Words only play a part in creating successful content. Their power coming into full effect once the audience is attracted and actively engaged in the content – drawn in by visual element such as images, graphic treatments and headlines. Brain Power This is largely because the brain can process visual content 60,000 faster than it can written content. Humans are programmed to process the visual before the written.... Read The Rest →
When did you last review your member publication?
Evaluating if your own publication is in great shape can be a challenge. So we’ve created this quick health check to provide structure and objectivity. The Core Elements: Having launched or revitalised 100s of publications we have identified the core elements of success, and guide you through them here. Simply read the statements below and decide if you agree, feel neutral, or disagree. Findings In A Few Minutes: By the end you will have a clear sense of whether your publication is great or not, and what your strengths and... Read The Rest →
Is your members’ magazine working hard enough?
If there’s one thing a members’ organisation needs to do well it’s communicate with its members to provide a voice for them and nurture a sense of common-purpose. Members of an association, federation, institute or club will be like-minded professionals, hobbyists or activists; their organisation exists only to support and further their interests and very often the only tangible evidence that it is achieving its objectives will be the members’ magazine. Get it right and the publication will be one of the key benefits of membership, and an effective marketing... Read The Rest →
Leave your social media in safe hands this summer
Everyone deserves a holiday – social media managers included! And by holiday we don’t just mean time away from the office, we mean time away from doing, checking, or even thinking about work. Speaking from previous experience, it can be hard to switch off after handing your accounts over to a colleague or colleagues for safekeeping whilst you’re away. It’s not that you’re a workaholic or don’t trust your colleagues to follow instructions (although sometimes there is an element of this); it’s more that you’re worried that circumstances will arise... Read The Rest →
Content Marketing Trends
Content strategy and technology is always evolving, but the central ethos remains the same: content marketing is a methodology that creates and distributes valuable and relevant content to attract and engage with a defined audience; with the aim of nurturing a profitable customer action. So here we take a quick look at some current trends, one of which may surprise you – print is making a comeback! 1. Growth of Content Strategists Rather than marketers with broad but shallow experience, we are seeing more marketers with distinct specialisms and greater... Read The Rest →
Learning about content marketing
Whilst interning at CW I’ve become fully immersed in the world of content marketing. I’ve realised that despite it only becoming a widely used term in the last few years, ‘content marketing’ actually isn’t anything new. Brands have been producing content that tells their brand stories for a very long time. It’s just channels and audiences that have changed. Whereas once the majority of ‘content marketing’ took the form of printed magazines and journals, now the majority of material is delivered via digital titles and social media platforms. As technology has... Read The Rest →