Google Media Tools gives journalists the power to better connect with their audiences. It's a gateway to specific tools that can help support the storytelling process from end to end. Learn how to use the suite to support your organization's content marketing efforts.

The last time you heard from me on CMI was just before Content Marketing World in Cleveland. Since then, I’ve changed gears a bit, moving from the entrepreneurial life of an independent social business consultant to the team-focused corporate environment at Bob Evans Restaurants. It’s been an interesting move for me, especially in terms of building out our own content marketing department. In the process of doing this, I’ve forced myself to step back and really try to drill down on what I feel are the most important principles in content marketing that will guide my own decisions now and going forward. My hope is that by sharing some of these principles, I’ll be able to help you guide your decisions when doing the same for your company.Continue reading

In 2010, we started to talk about QR codes … a little. This year, QR codes are on the rise, popping up at every interactive conference, in magazines and books and anywhere you can print the fancy little squares. You’ll find some interesting statistics on consumer adoption of QR codes in this fascinating presentation by Austin & Williams.Continue reading

If you’ve been on the web in the last few weeks, you are well aware of the buzz surrounding Google’s new social network: Google Plus. Forward-thinking efforts of companies like Ford and Mashable jumped into early company adoption and use of the network. Though Google has announced brand pages are coming soon, it’s discouraging the use of personal Google+ profiles as branded company pages. So what are we to do? How can content marketers like you and I apply this new social network in our everyday business practices?Continue reading

As a CMI reader, you probably don’t need to be sold on the benefits of blogging as a hub in your content marketing mix, but you’re probably looking for ways to be more effective. As blogging has become more common, certain post styles have become popular because they get attention and interactions from readers: “How to” posts Narrative story posts Sectioned posts that use a series sub headers The monologue-style video posts often used for book reviews or Q&A But one of the most popular types of post is a list. While this style may seem straightforward, there are a few forms it takes, and a number of ways to make it more effective in your content marketing. Continue reading

For most businesses working to integrate online content into their marketing mix, it’s essential to produce high-quality video and image content. If you don’t have a background in media production, it can be a daunting challenge.  While having a solid strategy for your media production efforts is important, so are the tools you choose.Continue reading

As a CMI reader, your business is probably considering building out a  Facebook fan page. Although Forrester Research predicts 2011 will be the year when marketers will begin to “think outside the Facebox,” C-suite business leaders and content marketers alike can’t deny the attractiveness of establishing a presence inside the social behemoth that is now an online home to more than a half-billion people.Continue reading

We’re nearing the end of 2010, and I think the buzz around content marketing and social media is starting to get more practical. It’s not surprising that more  companies are wising up to the opportunities to engage with existing and potential customers on platforms like Twitter, Facebook and across the many facets of LinkedIn.  And, there’s a lot of traction that can come from paying attention to the conversations that happen inside of more niche-focused networks like DailyMile or even FohBoh. But with all the hype around listening and the need to participate, the question still remains: how exactly do corporate human business teams join in the conversations with customers?Continue reading

Content marketing can take a good deal of collaboration and teamwork. And, oftentimes,  getting and keeping everyone on the same page can take some time. One of my favorite tools for this is Yammer. Read on to see what this tool is and how it works. Continue reading

For most companies, adopting the mindset of content marketing is going to require some level of a cultural shift within the organization. That can be a daunting task, especially for larger organizations with hundreds or even thousands of employees. For organizations where policies and procedures that govern certain behaviors are the norm, change towards a content marketing mindset can be scary. Good content marketing promotes transparency across all levels of the organization, both internally and externally. Here are three key strategies to help you to begin to move your company towards a content marketing-friendly culture.Continue reading

Content marketing is hot! Companies everywhere are exploring how they can adopt content marketing strategies into their marketing mix. And that makes sense. What better way to reach the massive amounts of potential customers who spend time online? For middle managers leading the charge towards content marketing, harsh reality doesn’t take long to set in. Corporate roadblocks are everywhere, and these barriers to adoption will need to be addressed before content marketing can ever become a sustained business solution. From our experience at Social Business Strategies in working with mid-sized and large companies, we’ve learned that it’s important to consider some of the tough questions before making the final pitch for content marketing adoption.Continue reading

For years, marketing departments of all shapes and sizes have built teams of individuals charged with the task of reaching audiences. But the tasks of marketing have changed in recent years. To reference the Cluetrain Manifesto, the markets themselves have become conversations. So the question is this: How do marketing teams need to change to listen to, respond to and use those conversations to create meaningful connections with customers?Continue reading