Ann Smarty says, “A lead magnet is a piece of content aimed at motivating consumers to take an action. At the top of your conversion channels, lead magnets spur interest and tie a visitor to your brand but don’t necessarily drive a direct sale (e.g., provide contact information, sign up for a newsletter, join a free trial.) Creating a solid lead magnet is hard work: You invest hours of brainstorming and research, creation, and design. The good news is you should be able to further your investment by converting them into attractive assets on third-party sites, which in turn could strengthen... [...]

Joe Pulizzi says, “This week, Robert and I discuss The New York Times’ business model – and why its future could be very bright. We also explain how the fake news crisis could be creating an amazing opportunity for brands, and prepare for some big media company acquisitions by brands. Rants and raves include a Pixar training course on storytelling; then we close with an example of the week on John Yocum Beaty. 1.    Notable news and upcoming trends How is The New York Times really doing? (10:23): The Gray Lady’s struggle to transition into a digital-first publication has been the... [...]

Michele Linn says, “While you can use the data from Google Analytics in infinite ways, you need to understand the four most helpful reports for your content marketing – traffic, navigation summary, traffic from organic search, and conversions. Once you understand what this data is and how to track it, you’ll be able to mix and match insights to take advantage of opportunities with your web-based content, driving more traffic to your website and (more importantly) doing more with the traffic you have. Traffic Why this report is useful: The traffic report (referred to as Pages report in... [...]

Melissa Eggleston says, “In 2009, whether you were a golfer or not, you likely heard about Tiger Woods. It started with a drama-filled Thanksgiving night with his wife. It ended with a public apology the following February. The superstar’s wholesome image unraveled publicly as one mistress after another came forth. Soon his marriage was lost, sponsorships gone, and fans bewildered. We were left wondering: Who was the real Tiger Woods anyway? Was everything we thought about him just a sham? Woods didn’t need a consultant to help him with his brand. He needed a therapist. He stated this... [...]

Joseph Kalinowaki says, “I was trying to help a friend. His association needed a new logo. Now, creative directors, designers, and everybody else who works in the visual arts have a term that we usually dread hearing – design-by-committee. Sometimes this isn’t a bad thing. In this case, after a couple rounds – with plenty of input from the committee – I came up with a logo that seemed to encompass all of the suggestions. Weeks passed and I didn’t hear a word. Then, I saw an email from the association using a new logo. It wasn’t the one I designed based on feedback from the stakeholders.... [...]

Michele Linn says, “When Michael Jr., a Content Marketing World keynote presenter, took the stage, he admitted, “This is not my audience at all.” While this may sound like an inauspicious beginning, within a few minutes, there was a palpable shift in the room as the audience truly focused its attention – and turned off devices – to hear what he had to say next. One of the key messages from Michael Jr.’s act is a simple statement: “When you understand your ‘why,’ your ‘what’ has more purpose.” By that he means, when you understand why you’re telling a particular story... [...]

Bill Widmer says, “Have you ever seen a blog post and thought, “Wow, this looks really nice”? On the flip side, have you seen a post with a wall of text and no images, and thought, “Wow, this looks really ugly”? Did you even read the second one? Your posts’ text needs to engage your readers to keep them coming back, but first your posts need to be visually appealing to attract those readers. An attractive blog post will: – Increase reader engagement (e.g., time on page, comments, shares, CTA clicks) – Drive backlinks from top-ranking blogs”. Beauty Matters: 3 Tips... [...]

Joe Pulizzi says, “This week, Robert and I discuss Apple’s launch into the content creation business. We also explain why we feel publishers are still too focused on their channel strategies, and explore how Spotify’s launch into original podcasts could set it up to be purchased by Amazon in the near future. Our rants and raves include the future of print and the failure of advertising tech; then we close with an example of the week from a company that refused to go extinct”. Apple and Amazon Race to Content Dominance Content Marketing Institute  [...]

Marcia Riefer Johnston says, “Content technologies. Can’t live with ’em; can’t live without ’em. How can marketers take advantage of the promises while avoiding the pitfalls – or at least tip the scales in favor of the promises? We recently put that question to the folks speaking at the Intelligent Content Conference March 28–30 in Las Vegas. One warning came up over and over: Don’t expect technology itself to solve your problems. As Marketoonist Tom Fishburne recently said, “Trying to make an organization ‘customer-centric’ through technology alone is relying on pixie... [...]

Joe Pulizzi says, “A few months after every Content Marketing World, I review each and every survey response about the event. In 2016, about 800 of the 3,600 attendees completed the survey. I always start with the good stuff – what did you like best, who was your favorite speaker. It’s like watching a video with both babies and puppies at one time. Then, I find a quiet place to go through all the constructive feedback. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing all the ways that we can improve or where we didn’t quite hit the mark. But I have to say, it does sting a bit. When you put everything... [...]