Over the last several weeks, we’ve had a chance to get recommendations on a lot of aspects of the content marketing process — from ways to find great content creators (both internally and externally), to the latest tools and techniques for executing on and measuring the impact of a content marketing strategy, to ways to infuse content with a higher purpose.

But successful content marketing doesn’t just involve writing and technology decisions. The images that go along with a story work just as hard to convey your business’s value and message. In fact, as videos, infographics, and photo-centric social networks like Instagram and Pinterest continue to gain favor, visual content is increasingly being leveraged to engage and inform an audience in uniquely compelling ways.Continue Reading

By now, you’re likely familiar with the statistics: Over 93 percent of B2B marketers use content marketing; yet, only 42 percent of them feel that they are being successful at it, according to CMI’s 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report. It’s a troubling disparity — and one that CMI is highly motivated to help close the gap on.

However, plenty of businesses are achieving great success through their content creation efforts, and their triumphs serve as encouraging proof that storytelling can be a powerful means of engaging customers and driving them to take action. Organizations, like Red Bull, American Express, and Coca Cola certainly lead the charge, but there are plenty of others that are taking the content marketing ball and running with it in exciting directions — though perhaps more quietly than some of their higher-profile business brethren.

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These days, everyone is a brand evangelist. Consumers express their love of Vans on Instagram; Sephora supporters can show off their favorite looks on the brand’s Pinterest page; and Facebook is practically rebuilding its business model around connecting fans with the companies they “like” by initiating compelling conversations. 

Inspirations and opportunities abound for your loyal customers to express their brand devotion — and to express their personalities through the brands they choose to champion. But what about your own workforce? Is your business doing enough to engage your employees in your content creation efforts, regardless of their level of experience or the functional role they play in your organization?Continue Reading

According to CMI’s 2014 B2B Content Marketing research report, 55 percent of B2B businesses are challenged with producing enough content, and 47 percent are struggling to produce the kind of content that engages.

While many considerations factor into meeting these challenges, it’s a safe assumption that the need for skilled writers is near the top of the requirements list. In fact, 64 of the B2B organizations surveyed are already outsourcing content creation to stay in step with consumers’ voracious appetite for relevant news, information, and advice. And, one topic that came up repeatedly during CMI’s Executive Forum was the challenge that content marketing leaders had with finding great writers to create original content or translate ideas from subject matter experts.Continue Reading

As brands and agencies become increasingly interested in reaping the benefits of content marketing, more of these businesses are exploring what it takes to incorporate its tools and techniques into their overall business operations. It’s no easy task, as content marketing often requires a radical shift in how organizations produce and deliver information to their audience. But for those with the vision and flexibility to become true content publishers, the results can be well worth the effort.

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Looking for help with your biggest content marketing challenges? We’ve invited some of the experts who spoke at this year’s Content Marketing World to share what they’ve learned from their experience in the industry.

At Content Marketing World 2013, one of the most popular topics of conversation was Big Data — in particular, how to make it actionable without letting it overwhelm your other priorities and strategic content marketing goals. But does the Big Data feeding frenzy require equally big changes to existing content marketing processes, or does it all boil down to an overhyped term for a consideration that is already part and parcel to any successful content strategy? Continue Reading

Looking for help with your biggest content marketing challenges? We’ve invited some of the experts who spoke at this year’s Content Marketing World to share what they’ve learned from their experience in the industry.

Two weeks ago, our panel of sharp content marketing minds talked about what it takes to make content engaging, useful, and easily accessible on mobile devices. But today, we are diving a bit deeper into the engagement pool to explore one of content marketing’s most powerful assets: visual content media, including photos, videos, infographics, and other storytelling devices that connect with consumers by grabbing their “eyeshare.” Continue Reading

Looking for help with your biggest content marketing challenges? We’ve invited some of the experts who will be speaking at this year’s Content Marketing World to share what they’ve learned from their experience in the industry.

Last week, our panel of sharp content marketing minds passed along advice they received from their own mentors on what it takes to succeed in a content marketing job. But for today’s post, they share some of their own insight on an issue that businesses are increasingly facing — how to create a content plan that will engage audiences on the mobile channel. Continue Reading