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Keep up to date with the latest content marketing tips and news.

25/May/2018
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Tailoring content for search terms is vital for driving clicks and engagement, so it is no surprise that brands went to great lengths to tap into the excitement of the royal wedding to amplify the power of their articles, videos and messages across the web in the run-up to the big day last weekend.

Analytics expert Adthena has analysed a raft of organic and paid searches conducted before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married on 19 May with the aim of determining the winners and losers for the week. Total spending on search ads is set to soar to $95bn (£71bn) this year and represents 42% of digital investment, so this feedback should help brands ahead of other trending events this summer, such as the World Cup.

The big winners were those that referenced the potential designers of Markle’s wedding dress. Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store in New York City, and Matches Fashion both used the keyword “Erdem” to boost their click share significantly. Erdem is a fashion brand and one of Markle’s favourite designers.

Stella McCartney eventually got the honour of making the dress, and several fashion sites battled it out over the use of a “Stella McCartney Wedding Dress” keyword. This increased click-share for fashion site MyTheresa from 45% to 85%. However, Farfetch had the lion’s share of ad clicks on the actual wedding day, with a 72% share.

Adthena’s analysis shows how brands can optimise content campaigns around popular events with the view to driving engagement through click share. The royal wedding was a particularly attractive event for brands, as it was popular across the globe and especially in the US. In contrast to fashion sites, news outlets focused on the drama surrounding Markle’s father to improve their ranking in SERPs.

In other news, a new study from the CMO Council has highlighted the importance of brand storytelling and putting the consumer at the centre of marketing campaigns. New customer acquisition is a prime growth driver for 68% of marketing leaders, and they will need to improve end-user experience and serve up compelling and engaging content to achieve their aims.

“What we hear from our CMO clients is that they are attempting to tackle some of their organizations’ toughest challenges, sometimes losing sight of keeping the customer at the center of it all,” said Sheryl Jackson, a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP and CMO Customer Transformation Leader. “For the CMO to be effective, they have to keep the customer at the center of every conversation and figure out solutions that will drive growth. But then translate the strategy into the languages of their c-suite peers.”

A separate study by the CMO Council has also found that engaging visual content is central to any marketers’ aim to differentiate their brands in increasingly competitive e-commerce marketplaces. Brands are turning to content to offer something different to the likes of Amazon and eBay, which are yet to realise the power of engaging creative content.


08/Jan/2018
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Brands need to have a “real desire” for “value exchange” when planning their content marketing campaigns in 2018, according to creative expert and acclaimed movie director, Otto Bell, who claims the biggest companies in the world are now focused on delivering excellent branded experiences regularly.

Bell, who is Chief Creative Officer at CNN, has produced content for many clients, including Nike and Volvo, and has offered his views on the importance of videos, infographics, ads and other formats as marketers attempt to cut through the noise to connect and engage with audiences across a variety of platforms during the next 12 months.

In terms of storytelling — a contemporary content trend — Bell believes the inclusion of a brand must elevate and enhance the story rather than detract from it in some way. He asks: “Is it harder to tell that story when you remove the brand?” If the answer is yes to that question, he claims that he then knows that he is “onto something” and that the content will be more likely to resonate with end users.

While everything points to content being a major activity for driving a host of positive business outcomes in 2018, he warned that good branded content cannot be considered a “silver bullet” and that brands must work hard to deliver something that can really impact customers and improve their wellbeing in some form.

He asks: “Are you going to deepen my understanding of something? Are you going to provide me with some kind of utility? Are you going to make me laugh?”

He also believes there is a growing desire among audiences for brands to take moral stands and show what they believe in. Bell says: “Look no further than the Super Bowl last year [and Budweiser’s tribute to its German immigrant founder]. Consumers want to know what brands stand for, where their profits are going, and how they are participating in the world.”

Creatives may be a little overwhelmed by the sheer scale of content formats, mediums and platforms available now, but Bell insists that this breadth of variety is beneficial for brands and that they must mix and match these options for each campaign to reach the right audiences, at the right time.

He adds: “I can be a little bit channel agnostic in terms of coming up with the right answer, so what a brand needs to meet its objectives might be a short film of an event or a social media takeover — or all of those things working in concert.”

Bell concludes by stating that agencies and brands must work together to get the very best from creative as a “back seat” outlook from either party can be disadvantageous to a campaign. “Open briefs” with a broad list of objectives can often be the best as it allows both parties to move forward and talk through ideas together. “These brands spend years and years and millions of dollars, shaping and honing their brand image. If you are going to ask them to loosen the reins, you’ve got to talk through that,” he says.


20/Nov/2017
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Thought leadership is now considered to be an essential marketing activity by the world’s largest asset management enterprises. A new whitepaper published by BackBay Communications found nine out of ten asset managers are using a diverse mix of content mediums, platforms and strategies to reach, inform and engage with target audiences.

Entitled Feeding the Beast: Content marketing nearly ubiquitous among world’s largest asset managers, the study shines a light on the emphasis that leading corporations across the globe are now placing on creative content as they look to showcase their expertise within a specific sector using news, videos, infographics and in-depth articles.

The benefits of content marketing campaigns have been known for some time, but the latest study suggests thought leadership and the desire to inspire clients and customers with innovative ideas is now pervasive in modern business. A sizeable 88% of asset managers at the 200 largest asset firms are now integrating content into PR and communications programs.

In addition to the main takeaway that content marketing is now near ubiquitous, the study also noted that engaging written content with regular insights and video are the two most popular mediums currently employed. The majority also said they are publishing new content every week.

In terms of distributing this content, social media is now a primary platform — 95% have a presence on at least one social site, while 74% are juggling content commitments on four or more of these channels. BackBay Communications President and CEO Bill Haynes believes the digital content landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.

He said: “The results of this study show a considerable shift in the attitudes of asset managers globally as it relates to marketing and how they engage with key constituencies. The nearly universal embrace of content and social media not only demonstrates the evolving digital landscape and new willingness of asset managers to connect with audiences online, but also speaks to the role of thought leadership to connect with clients in an authentic way and develop trusted relationships and, ultimately, a strong brand.”

Another interesting takeaway is that the largest firms in terms of total value of market assets are producing twice as much content compared to smaller enterprises. They are also using the full repertoire of content types and mediums to achieve their goals and objectives. Overall, 57% of asset managers said they are utilising at least five different mediums.

BackBay Communications Head of Content Development Ken MacFadyen said the goal of the study was to determine the extent to which asset managers are utilising content while teasing out certain best practices for the year ahead. He added: “What became clear is that content, today, sits at the center of an integrated communications strategy. The very best use it to inform and teach, rather than promote. In these cases, thought leadership can serve as the basis for a meaningful dialogue with clients that both builds trust and underscores the firm’s value proposition.”

 


06/Nov/2017
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Snapchat’s rollout of a new Pixel tracking tool is indicative of a wider push by the industry’s major players to deliver more relevant metrics to marketers and make content campaigns more transparent and appropriate for both brands and end users.

A study published last month by social analytics enterprise Simply Measure found that measuring return on investment is the biggest challenge for social marketers. There is also growing pressure on social media platforms and tech giants such as Google, Facebook and others, to do more to provide meaningful metrics, cut down on fake news and improve brand safety.

Snapchat has not been a major force in the ad industry until now. Indeed, the social media platform only recently made the decision to monetise its content. However, it revealed earlier this week that its Pixel tool, which certain advertisers have recently trialled, is now set for a more comprehensive rollout to help brands improve their ad and content campaigns.

Snap Pixel works by creating code on websites that tracks the actions of a viewer or reader after they have consumed a piece of content online. This feature is hugely beneficial for brands, as it allows them to get a better perspective on how their creative is driving positive customer actions rather than having to rely on guesswork.

Facebook and Google offer similar features for advertisers, but Snapchat had previously appeared lukewarm on this sort of sophisticated targeting for ads, with CEO Evan Spiegel stating they were “creepy” because they allowed extensive tracking of consumer habits. However, the platform’s desire to match the heavyweights of digital advertising alongside the aspiration to flesh out its analytic and measurement capabilities means the feature is now going live to its users.

More specifically, Pixel will allow brands to access more in-depth stats and data about how content performs across various channels, as they will be able to link together insights for mobile apps and websites. The tool will be limited to measurement at launch, but Snapchat has said that retargeting options will follow before the end of the year. This practice will increase its usefulness further, as it will empower marketers to target audiences and consumers with whom they have already engaged more effectively.

“It lets marketers measure the revenue, performance, growth and acquisition driven by Snapchat — such as website visits, purchases, and sign-ups — across devices,” Snapchat said in a statement on Wednesday. “Over the coming months, we’ll release additional features beyond measurement — such as custom audience creation and real-time optimization — designed to help businesses drive the most meaningful user actions for them.”

TechStyle Fashion Group is among the brands that have already benefited from the new tool. Senior Vice President of Media Laura Joukovski said they expect to get more value from Pixel in the coming months. “It’s still pretty early days so there are some things that we’re testing and learning on, but we want to get as much data as we can. The pixel gives us a whole new and better way of seeing what’s going on and a new opportunity to harvest direct-response signals beyond the click.”


07/Nov/2016
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Content continues to be king, with brands that make the right investments into content – video, blogging, articles or other PR work – continuing to do well. However, it is essential to have a thorough and well-conceived strategy, so that content creation follows a pre-determined plan. Failing to do so can result in an ad-hoc and unfocussed approach to content marketing, which often ends up costing firms much more.

One of the main reasons for drawing up a content marketing strategy is to achieve cohesiveness. In an era where there are multiple content platforms and various forms of content media, it can be easy to lose control. Spreading content across social media, blog posts and video content is positive, as long as it is cohesive and doesn’t confuse audiences. To prevent this confusion and to make sure content stays on track, a strategy is required.

Content strategies also help firms develop a strong brand identity that will resonate with their target audiences. Effective branding is extremely important in the modern day, with hyper-saturated markets and short attention spans making it more difficult to find consumers than ever. Those wanting to establish a strong brand, should create content that will set a certain tone, style and overall approach. For example, a company wanting to seem relaxed and flexible might piggyback their content onto the latest humorous viral trend.

There are other benefits of using a strategy. Productivity, for example, can be increased when there is a clear goal and strategy in place. Clear production outlines not only ensure that creators don’t flounder, but can also help boost inspiration and focus, as one idea may spark another. Pattern analysis also becomes easier when strategies call for continuous content curation. The best success is often achieved when marketing is perpetually tweaked and tinkered with. In addition, when you have a clear plan, it’s easier to see what went right, and to collect data and identify patterns.

Finally, strategies also help maximise return on investment (ROI). Data shows that content marketing not only produces up to three times the leads of traditional marketing, but it is also 62 per cent less expensive. It can level the playing field between small firms and giant corporations, especially if strategies are well thought out. And these strategies will increase productivity whilst decreasing waste, which ultimately leads to better ROI.

Overall, any content marketing strategist must be able to identify why and how any project succeeded or failed if they’re to make future campaigns successful. This is a lot easier when a carefully considered strategy has formed the initial starting point for content curation. It is far easier to gain tangible results from this, and it can save a lot of time and frustration, especially if marketers have to work backwards from a result. Therefore, any brands considering turning to content as a way to increase brand presence, leads or sales must look to develop the right strategy from the start.