MarketingProfs team says, “Getting your content noticed online can be hard enough, but trying to inspire people to take action on it and share it with others can seem impossible. With visual content rapidly growing in popularity, it is key to know how to use attention-grabbing visuals to drive traffic and get results. This shift to visual social media has resulted in every social platform becoming more image-centric—from Instagram and Pinterest to Facebook and Google+—and generating impressive results. In this PRO seminar, we’ll cover the principles of using visual content and how... [...]

Jerod Morris says, “Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise. After we published the third installment of our three-part series on content strategy, Brian Clark informed me that he had the perfect follow-up topic for the next episode. Sure, Mr. Clark, I think we can make room for you in the schedule. Consider this a bonus fourth episode in the content strategy series — and it goes next-level. Empathy is essential because it allows you to feel what your audience members feel, but what if you could get inside their hearts and walk a few steps in their shoes as well?”. Interview with... [...]

Ash Kumar says, “This year mobile use in the US finally surpassed desktop use, with 60% of total digital media time spent on smartphones and tablets, up 10% from the previous year. The US has finally caught up with global trends, and the mobile screen has become the primary screen. That fact will define not just the mobile landscape but also all digital media strategy in 2015. With that in mind, my team and I conducted research and interviews with industry leaders, along with vigorous debate and internal discussion, to arrive at the following predictions and some major themes we expect to... [...]

Tom Pick says, “The 2014 B2B Content Marketing Report is out, and no doubt will spur a number of blog posts. As usual, this year’s findings are a mix of the obvious (lead generation is the top goal of content marketing – as it has been for the last 10,000 years or so) and the somewhat surprising. For example, having a documented strategy makes companies much more successful–but only 30% of firms have a formally documented content strategy. And content marketing ROI remains difficult to measure. Here are more than a dozen noteworthy findings from the report. 1. Current customers may be... [...]

Baer says, “What do you want from social media today? I’ll answer this question for you: When you post something on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ you want tons of people to click and read it. Right? Oh yes, you’ve spent hours on writing your masterpiece, finding a perfect image for it. And social media is a great way to promote your work and attract people to it. But, (yes, there is always a “but”) as far as you understand, you can’t just throw the link to your content out there and wait for thousands of likes and shares at once. If you want your content succeed, you should remember... [...]

Verónica Maria Jarski says, “What does the next year hold for B2B content marketing? The following Uberflip infographic offers a glimpse at B2B content marketing’s future. The infographic is based on MarketingProfs’ and Content Marketing Institute’s B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. A whopping “70% of content marketers are creating more content than they did one year,” states the report. Unfortunately, only 21% say they are successful at tracking ROI. The top five organizational goals for B2B content marketing are... [...]

Vanessa Green says, “When I graduated from journalism school seven years ago, I never imagined I’d end up with a career in marketing. But after working as an editor for four years, I was motivated to start writing content that wasn’t just ‘the stuff between the ads’.  I liked the idea of using language to educate and convince, and to see how it worked inside of a bigger sales process. Having been in marketing now for three years, I’m constantly surprised at how much my experience as a journalist has informed my role as a content marketer”. 3 Journalism Techniques to Help... [...]

Amanda Gallucci says, “The first thing most people think when they hear “influencers” is promotion. Important people with an engaged following can amplify the reach of whatever idea, content or brand they choose to share. If you only weave influencers into your content strategy when your finished product is ready to be promoted, however, you’re missing out on the full potential of having respected experts on your team. Knowing when and how they can best be engaged at different stages is critical to moving these leaders from outside influencers to brand partners”. How... [...]

Verónica Maria Jarski says, “Content marketing is all the rage, but it has a dark side that businesses must acknowledge. One horrifying fact: Though 27 million pieces of content are shared daily and 86% of B2B organizations use content marketing, only 21% of marketers think they’re successful at measuring the ROI of their content, according to studies that Scripted cites in the following infographic. Worse still, 48% of marketers don’t have a documented content marketing strategy. And worst of all, that lack of vision affects how consumers feel about those companies: “74%... [...]

Dan Stasiewski says, “Data. Good marketers have already utilized it for email segmentation and automation. Providing that relevant, data-backed communication to users is what keeps open and click rates up and helps convert more leads to sales. But what about your website? Today, three-quarters of internet users say they get frustrated when website content has nothing to do with their interests. And who wouldn’t be? When users share their information with you, the quid pro quo isn’t just the ebook they downloaded; it’s making sure all future offers are as relevant to that user as possible.... [...]