Content marketing and digital PR strategists

The starting point of any good content marketing campaign is to know both your positioning and your relevance to the 'conversation'.

In his book "Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands" Marty Neumeier talks about a differentiation statement for Hooters chain of restaurants (they make great chicken wings by the way), that, in my opinion, does it all.

Auckland, New Zealand: Content Marketing Tactics – Not so long ago my daughter was selected to play on the wing for her high school hockey team. A few games went by and she didn't score any goals, so I offered her a GHD hair straightener if she scored a goal… the result was not what I expected.

Photo courtesy Tina Phillips.

One in five marketing emails are blocked by spam filters, and probably others are filed in the "to read later" box or deleted out of hand… so how do you get your message across when people, frankly, don't give a damn?

According to the ‘Australia and New Zealand Email Intelligence Report’, by email intelligence firm Return Path, reaching the inbox is tough enough for Australians, and its even tougher for Kiwis:

"Australian email marketers scored 74 out of 100 on Return Path’s rating system, performing well against key reputation measures of complaints, unknown users and spam traps. By comparison, New Zealand marketers scored 40."

I’m not a huge fan of adverts – though I believe they have their place – but I just spotted a clever advert from Mammoth, Modern Insulation, on the New Zealand Herald website (see graphics below).

Auckland, New Zealand - Brand Journalism and Content Marketing: For some time I have despaired at the mounting junk pile of content on the Internet. The main culprits are so-called search engine optimisation specialists focussed on link building, with no thought to the actual role of content and the frustration customers (who are looking for real solutions) will feel when they come across this 'junk content'.

Expect company websites to become the centre of an organisation's marketing efforts in 2013, as content marketing increases its share of the marketing budget. More conventional marketing campaigns - including television, radio and print media advertising – will focus on driving traffic to the organization's website.

New Zealand companies keen to implement an effective online content marketing programme should be wary of confusing strategy with process. By this I mean the act of having 'articles on your website, perhaps having a blog, being 'on' Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn… is not strategy, it's merely process.

It's mercenary, egotistical, misguided and not real… Let me explain.

I've had a couple of follows on Twitter recently, particularly from some SEO specialists and 'social media gurus' -- if there is such a thing -- here in Auckland. I thought, naively, they were following me because they're interested in content marketing and good copy, or in engaging in some way...

A key message is public relations tool defined as: “A short, concise and memorable sentence used to convey an important message during an interview”.

Key messages however have far broader application in a marketing context.

I have read many definitions of content marketing but, whenever somebody asks the question: "What is content marketing?" none of those definitions really get the message across.

I've put together three definitions which I think are more succinct, if a bit similar.

Which one do you think is best? Your comments would be most welcome...

And if you have a better one, let's here it. Click through to post your comment.

Thank you!

Best wishes

Colin

Marketing is all about visibility. The more visibility you have, the more business you will do.

People like to do business with people they know, like and trust and, in the words of entrepreneur Jack Daly:

“Selling is the transfer of trust. People do business with people they trust, and they get to trust the people the get to know… and they get to know the people the SEE more frequently”.

So even Jack agrees… be seen, be heard – with your existing customers and your target market.

Here's how you do it...

Photo By Graeme Weatherston

Three tips for establishing a good online reputation

Two out of three New Zealanders will Google a person before meeting with them for the first time. Which begs the question, what are your potential clients and business associates finding when they Google your name?

If you are not actively managing your online reputation, it will be developing organically which, it goes without saying, is a dangerous state to find yourself in. Image by jannoon028

Intellectual Property, Auckland, New Zealand: Securing a trademark in countries like Australia, the United States, China and the United Kingdom will in future be exponentially cheaper and easier for New Zealand companies, following the Government’s decision to adopt the Madrid Protocol in September.

Intellectual property expert, Theodore Doucas of Zone IP (an intellectual property management consultancy in Wellington), said that the Trademarks Amendment Act is a major coup for the export industry.

As a signatory to the Madrid Protocol, New Zealand companies will only have to file one trademark application to secure trademark protection in more than 80 countries.

The volume of rubbish content on the World Wide Web is increasing and I believe it is mostly the fault of SEO consultants, and DIY marketers.

Not all DIYers and SEO experts of course, but there are a number of practitioners who are producing content simply as a vehicle to get their keywords and backlinks out there – regardless of the quality of the content.

As a result we are inundated with millions of pieces of junk writing that are cluttering the World Wide Web, a bit like the millions of plastic bags in the ocean.
Image by PopSci Blog

‘Because Y’s a crooked letter and neither you nor I can straighten it’. Remember that expression? 'Why' is a very powerful device for content marketing and copy writing. Here's why...
_{Photo by renjith krishnan}

Did you know that reliance on search engines is changing the way we think? Perhaps even, our ability to think at all...

And what does this mean for marketing?

According to a study by Betsy Sparrow at Columbia University, we are re-organising the way we remember things.

Photo by Pixomar

You already know that the Internet is a very powerful marketing medium.

After all, 93% of New Zealanders will research their buying decisions online
(that counts for business to business too).

You may also know that some companies are making a bundle of sales off their
Internet traffic, while others are getting nothing – not a sausage. Zip.

Which one are you, or are you in the middle? And, why are some companies so successful and others so dismal?

Photo By Stuart Miles

If you need to drum up business fast you have to take marketing and sales action now. However, while your choice of methodology will depend on elements like target markets and budget, there is just one effective strategy that gets results fast.

Photo By Ambro

Do not be seduced by the multitude of marketing evangelists out there, or the hype around a particular channel like social media because – while all are valid and powerful – they must be used in the right context.

There are many different disciplines in marketing – SEO, content marketing, public relations, advertising, social media, loyalty programmes, direct mail etc. – and all have their evangelists and their merits, but it is critical to remember that they are all really just channels… to building a relationship with your customer.

The type of relationship depends on whether your business is with the general public (consumers) or business-to-business. While those channels we use to reach both sets of customers are the same, the way we use them differs.

Let me explain. There are two types of relationship and here's how to decide what's most appropriate...

Photo by Photostock

Today’s customers – both consumers and b2b decision makers – like to research their buying decisions… and those companies that provide them with good quality, objective information which helps them better their lives or business, are the companies they are most likely to buy from.

How has the Internet has changed human behaviour?

Photo by Africa