Brian Solis and Vocus just released a research report about what marketing executives think of online influence. When asked what the single most important action a brand can take to increase their influence online, 50% of marketers answered – create and share compelling content. This research is...

At a recent presentation I gave, a gentleman in the audience asked how he could develop content for his business website. A plumber by trade, he and his partner had already optimized and “tricked out” their site for Google Places. I began rattling off ideas . . . but it wasn’t until a few days later...

Contrary to current thinking, the press release is alive and supports marketing and communications objectives. As keyword-rich content supporting search optimization, the press release—especially in its social media format—is a very effective marketing tool for attracting mainstream and trade media,...

We recently released new research on B2B Content Marketing. The report is chock full of great insights into what content marketers are doing and where they are struggling (check it out to see how you compare). The research also identified a number of places where content marketers could use guidance...

It never fails. Almost all the businesses we come in contact with continue to look for ways to promote their blog. Here is a handy list of common and some uncommon ways to market your blog. Promote it on your website. It’s surprising the number of small and large companies that actually have a...

When we think of mobile and content these days, the conversation usually goes to publishing content for mobile devices such as iPhones, Blackberries and Android phones.  While the mobile platform is interesting – and something other CMI contributors have covered – by “mobile” I actually mean...

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...

What is the biggest problem you face in your content marketing strategy? In the B2B Content Marketing: 2010 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends study published last week, 66% of respondents identified a challenge with the production of the content. Split between three areas, content marketers admitted to...

I caught Paul Gillin’s column in B2B magazine yesterday on how curation is the new creation. This quote hit home: “…humans face a problem our species has never confronted before: We have too much information. Our challenge has shifted from finding what we need to filtering out what...

If there is one thing I hear time and time again, it’s that content marketing takes a substantial amount of time to do well. I agree wholeheartedly, but there are some things you can do to reduce the time you spend – while delivering better content to your audience.Continue reading

If you think a FAQ page is where readers find handy information about their needs or a place where customers go to look for answers to frequently asked questions, think again. In an informal survey  I conducted,  occasional to frequent Internet users generally agreed that FAQ pages were of little use...

We content marketers take a lot of pride in writing material that engages, inspires and motivates our customers. We talk about having a crystal clear focus on key messages that are relevant to our audience. We spout platitudes about “adding value” with “thought leadership.” Our Holy Grail is the perfect...