Baer says, “With Google+ Collections, you are now able to collect content into themes. While not exactly like Pinterest boards, they are probably the closest comparison we can make. Think of Collections as interactive magazines which not only feature content but also facilitate conversations with people passionate about a subject. It may be the biggest release on Google+ for the past two years or so. And for many, it is putting to rest that Google is sitting on its laurels when it comes to social. How to Make a Collection Either from a Profile or a Page (in the case of businesses),... [...]

John Hall says, “American Express’ OPEN Forum stands out as a content marketing success story. By enlisting professional writers and focusing on quality, the OPEN Forum team turned its platform into a widely read site that has become one of the best client sources for American Express. American Express followed the lead of traditional publishers – something all marketers could stand to learn. The best traditional publications are consumer-oriented, while brands often publish with a “me” mentality. When a business becomes so focused on sales numbers, it can quickly turn off audiences... [...]

David Moth says, “Content marketing is currently one of the most important trends in digital, and it’s one that presents a huge challenge for Western brands hoping to expand into the Asia-Pacific region. It’s tempting to view the region as one entity for marketing campaigns, but language and cultural barriers mean that really isn’t the case. To find out more about how to approach content marketing in APAC, I spoke to Julia Tan from Mynewsdesk in Singapore. For more on digital marketing in Asia-Pacific, you can also check out our other interviews in this series: How Jetstar moved to... [...]

Jay Acunzo says, “One of my favorite analogies I use to describe great content marketing involves the movie The Matrix. (Don’t worry, I mean the first one – not the so-so second or the can’t-believe-I-paid-for-this-crap third.) Throughout the film, Neo gets pushed and poked and prodded to do great things by Morpheus. At first, however, Neo can’t do much of anything. Although he tries his best, he just ends up looking confused, scared, and generally despondent … which, if we’re being honest with ourselves, is a pretty accurate description of many of us when faced with the breakneck... [...]

Carly Stec says, “Imagine that a couple of your friends convince you to give speed dating a try. “It’ll be fun,” they insist. The next thing you know, you’re sweating your way through a seemingly never-ending carousel of two-minute dates. And when the hour finally winds down, you find yourself left with two options — accept a dinner invitation from the person who wouldn’t let you get a word in edgewise or the person with whom you had a good back and forth. The answer seems obvious, right? Aware that the one-sided approach is less than desirable, why... [...]

Martin Beck says, “Based on HubSpot’s “State of Inbound 2014–2015” report, the companies with the highest ROI focus on blogging, organic search, and content amplification. As the need for these three revenue-generating tactics has grown, Google Trends shows interest in content marketing and native advertising mirrors the growth of interest in these areas. The lifeblood of the most talented content marketing agencies is the ability to create data-driven campaigns that naturally earn high-authority press. Now, these same high-authority publishers are beginning to offer their own content... [...]

Aaron Agius says, “We all know content marketing is today’s de facto digital promotional strategy, but do you know just how big it is? According to a 2012 study from AOL and Nielsen, 27 million pieces of content are shared every day, and this volume is only expected to continue growing as more brands recognize its value. However, while content is a very valuable component of any marketing campaign — online or otherwise — many brands have discovered that increasing quantity isn’t always an effective way to improve results. KISSmetrics, Skyword and other content marketing... [...]

Jodi Harris says, “Content creation can be a challenging endeavor in many respects. With so many techniques, formats, and channels for your content efforts, it’s easy to become paralyzed by indecision when it comes to executing your carefully constructed content marketing strategies. On the other hand, even if you know exactly what types of content you want to create, you may find it difficult to distinguish your brand and ensure that your efforts are heard above all the noise in a crowded landscape“. 7 Tips We Learned Analyzing 75 Content Marketing Examples Content Marketing Institute  [...]

Baer says, “85% of social media marketers are missing out on a fantastic opportunity. Th 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, released this week by Social Media Examiner found that usage of Slideshare increases steadily in lock step with with the experience of the social media marketer. In my estimation, the reason why more experienced social media marketers gravitate toward Slideshare is that they eventually recognize that social media is about actions, not eyeballs. The “reach” offered by the larger consumer-oriented platforms is seductive, but if only a tiny percentage of your... [...]

Brad Dodge says, “The only expression more irritating than “we need it yesterday” is “ready, fire—aim!” In my experience, nothing good ever came from rushing. In content marketing, if you pull the trigger before you’ve taken aim at your target, you’ll most likely shoot yourself in the foot. As content marketing’s share of budget increases, so does the importance of having a sound strategy for how to employ it. That’s especially true because of the large variety of content and the wide range of communication channels: newsletters, blogs, direct... [...]