So, content drives everything. Online that is even more evident. It’s relatively easy to figure out just what kind of content is important to individuals or to small groups of people. There still might be a wide range of different content likes and dislikes, but they can be gathered in, quantified, and then addressed according to that need.

The Internet however, forces us to communicate in every way possible. In business, this creates some serious problems. It’s virtually impossible for most businesses to communicate with every type of person in every type of way that is best for that person and for the company also. It’s a lot of work and, more often than not, resource limitations stop folks from being all things to all people.

What I will be concentrating on over the next few posts has to do with the intent of your content. Even if you can’t put your message in all the formats available (written word, social media outlets, video, podcast, etc.), you can control the intent of your communication. I started thinking about this a while ago at my blog and I want to expand on the idea here.

We need to decide what we are trying to accomplish with content. Once the intent is known, then the message and placement will follow more easily. I have identified six areas to look into to help define the intent of one’s content.

1. Content to inform
2. Content to educate
3. Content to entertain
4. Content to validate
5. Content to re-create
6. Content to populate

Now that I have introduced the concept as a whole, let’s jump right in and look at areas to consider for content that is intended to inform.

First, you have to decide what it is that you want to inform people about. Many times people will have so much to say (I am guilty here as well) that they will cram everything into one newsletter, e-mail update, or blog post, thinking they have accomplished something. That’s not informing someone. That’s annoying them and confusing them.

Now, you can inform people about anything, so for clarity I am going to stick to one area. It’s the idea that companies need to inform their customers and prospects alike of just what is going on within the company. This is a tricky kind of content approach, though, because if it looks like you are just trying to create content for content’s sake by updating on every little activity of your business then you will lose people. Remember, people are smarter than you think and they are in control of their experience with your content, not you. As a result, they can vote “no” on your business with a click if you have overstayed your welcome.

So what are the most important areas to inform your customers about, so that they feel that they are “in the know”?

Product updates – These are common and oftentimes far too technical. Try to make your product updates more conversational and concentrate on the benefit to the customer rather than the wizardry of the technology or process. People want to know “What’s in it for me?” so tell them. If someone wants more details, they’ll ask.

Management changes – Customers hate to be surprised just like the rest of us. If there has been a personnel change at your business that warrants communication with your customers, then do it sooner than later. Some initial pain or discomfort will far outweigh trying to explain why it was kept under wraps.

Community interest – If your company is involved in some kind of a community activity, tell the story without bragging. People like to be associated with people and organizations that pitch in.

Industry recognition – If you have received any industry accolades, tell your customers. It will make them feel good about doing business with you.

Employee highlights – The last thing people want to deal with is a big, faceless organization. When people get attention, your readers take notice. Why? Because they are people too and would love to see the same thing happen at their business.

There are more and I would love to get your comments but for now that’s enough to consider.

So, just how do you do this kind of intentional content creation? Blogs, newsletters, e-mail updates, Web site notifications and more are all viable options. Find a place, though, where this kind of information best fits in the context of what appears with it.

For example, a newsletter that is focused on what the company does in the community is not the place for product updates. Create a place where people will know that they will get this kind of information consistently and they don’t have to hunt it down or weed through other unrelated areas to get to it.

So, keep your customers informed and they will feel like they have a relationship with you and your brand. That relationship is important capital that can be stored up for use in times where it may come in handy .

Comments

The upside to blogging with an iPad is that it’s portable and you can easily log your thoughts on a screen that is a lot more convenient than typing into an iPhone or other smartphone. Also, there are a number of apps to make it fairly easy.

The downside is that even though typing is easier on a much larger screen, typing on a screen vs. a tactile keyboard still takes some getting used to, even if you’re an iPhone owner. I also found some issues with copy/paste and for web based tools, anything that uses Flash is a no-go.

Here are several tips and tools that you can use to become productive more quickly when blogging using an iPad. Each icon links to the app store and this post was written entirely on an iPad.

WordPress App – The free app for WordPress is handy and is of course a very limited version of the web based version. The advantage of using the app is a simplified view and larger editing area. Basic functions like create, edit and delete of pages, comments and posts is available. If the limited nature of the app doesn’t work for you, the web based version works well too, albeit with smaller text and work area.

Bonus tip: Another handy blogging tool for iPad is BlogPress, which now supports updating Twitter & Facebook as well as upload & embedding of YouTube videos.

Dragon Dictation – One very handy workaround awkward typing on the iPad is to use speech to text. I had pretty low expectations of Dragon speech to text software but it’s pretty easy to use. You just speak into the microphone on the iPad and then copy the text from Dragon software over into WordPress or wherever it is that you’re blogging with. There might be a few small edits to make, but I found it to be pretty efficient and pretty accurate. Speech to text saves a lot of time and it’s something you can do when typing isn’t convenient. In fact, most of this post was done with Dragon.

PhotoPad & Built-In Screen Capture – With many blog posts, I capture images as screen grabs and then do some editing to customize for a particular blog post. iPhones and iPads can easily take a picture of whatever is displayed on your screen by holding down the top and bottom buttons at the same time. The image is automatically stored to your images folder.

Then I use the free PhotoPad app to open the image and do basic editing. Upload the image using WordPress and you’re all set. Editing options are very limited and I would love to get other recommendations.

Disqus Pro App – We use Disqus to manage comments on Online Marketing Blog, so moderation duties can be handled in part with this app that is made for iPhone, but usable on the iPad.

Echofon Pro – What good is writing a great blog post (or dictating one as in our case here) if no one knows you’ve published it? That’s where tools for Twitter and/or Facebook come in. I use Echofon for my Tweeting activities on my iPhone 4 and the iPad. In regards to blog promotion, it’s a quick way to share links to your best posts. There is a Tweetdeck app for iPad too, but I’ve had little luck getting it to work.

Analytics App – If you need a quick fix for top level web stats for your blog and you use Google Analytics, then this app comes in handy. Like the other apps on this list, it’s limited, but can offer you info on the go.

Will the iPad server as a replacement device for blogging over the laptop?  For now I would say no. The limited features of the iPad apps over their web counterparts means too much switching back and forth between app and browser. However, I do see the iPad providing more convenient access to blogging than a cell phone. If you’re like me and manage a large number of draft posts at any given time, being able to finish off a post in between watching streaming movies on Netflix or HuluPro can add a slice of productivity to an otherwise all-entertainment device.

There are many other apps for iPad and if you have found some that are particularly useful for blogging, please share in the comments.

Comments

As search becomes ever more interconnected, and websites begin to routinely change dynamically based on your search and browser history, your ability to create and optimize individualized pieces of content (blog post, photo, video, tweet, status update, podcast, PDF, presentation) reaches critical importance. If someone is looking for “chocolate ice cream” you need to have content pieces to show up on that radar. If someone is looking for “ice cream sandwiches” you have to cover that base – as well as possibly hundres of other keyword combinations.

There are two strategic ramifications for this new era of content marketing.

First, elaborate but narrow ideas and executions need to take a back seat to simpler but widespread initiatives. One podcast with very high production values is less important than ten podcasts (about different topics) with reduced production values. (There is of course a limit to this logic. Crap is still crap). Also, if you are a larger, well-known brand that relies less upon prospective customers finding you via search or discovering you via social chatter, this principle of breadth trumping depth is not as iron-clad. But, it’s still important. Sure, people probably know how to find Toyota online. But, shouldn’t they also be using content marketing to be in the debate around vehicle safety, reliability, ethics, and an array of other topics?

Second, if you’re going to commit to creating content to fit a large number of customer queries, you can’t waste bullets. You cannot just show up to the party and create your 10 podcasts, and not think about what keywords apply, what the psychology of the people using those keywords is, and how your company can fulfill those needs. Way too much content is being created today with a mindset that goes no deeper than “well, we’re creating and uploading content, so that’s a good thing.”

There’s a Method to the Content Madness

Content without strategy is a colossal waste of time and money. You can do better than that, and you need to, as we’re entering an era where low-hanging fruit is an anachronism. When every single one of your competitors has a content marketing program, the advantage will go to whomever has the best understanding of WHY certain content is successful.

For every piece of content you create, regardless of format, you should develop a Content Rationale Report that includes these pieces of information (as an example, I’ve included prospective answers for a social media metrics chart I’m developing)

• Format of Content: Downloadable chart and glossary (PDF). Companion blog post.
• Description of Content: This chart and glossary will show businesses how to select the most appropriate social media success metrics, based on their business goals and availability of specific data.
• Budget, Including Labor: $300 + 5 hours of Convince & Convert time
• Who Will Be Interested in This Content: Small and medium-sized businesses (with an emphasis on agencies) that need to figure out social media success on a regular basis. Targeted at marketing directors.
• What Questions Does This Content Answer for Them: What social media success metrics should I be paying attention to, and why?
• What Keywords Will Be Used to Find It: Social media ROI, social media statistics, measuring social media
• What Do We Want Them to Do After Consuming It (Call-to-Action): Subscribe to C&C blog, contact C&C about training their teams on this metrics selection process, share the chart with colleagues
• 3 Success Metrics: Social sharing, RSS subscriptions, inbound leads

Here’s the worksheet in downloadable form:

This is functionally similar to the Creative Brief that ad agencies have been using for decades to help copywriters and artists understand the psychology of the customer, and what needs to be included in the advertisement. It’s a tremendous tool for keeping your marketing strategically on target, and now the Content Rationale Report repurposes the creative brief for this new era of search-driven, socially-enabled communication.

You can’t just fire content bullets randomly into the air. You have to know why you’re making it, for whom you’re making it, how they’re going to find it, and how each and every piece of content will contribute to your business success.

That’s the future of content marketing. Are you ready for it?

Comments

Consider the recent example of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, whose digital doppelganger created false identities spanning a range of social media sites and even claimed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer. ESPN advised in its NFL Rumor Central, “Not real, folks. In fact, if you see an athlete with a Twitter, you should assume — at least at first — that it’s fake. Assume it’s a Twitter twerp.”

What happens to celebrities happens to brands too. Identity hijacking is prevalent in social media largely because it’s easy to set up accounts and find an audience. The potential for the reach is enough of a lure. When I recently asked Facebook’s Chris Pan who Facebook’s audience is, he said something to the effect of, “Pretty soon it’ll be everyone.” He’s not that far off.

Major brands have increasing recourses in taking charge of their social identities online. If you’re in this elite group, you have a shot at pleading your case to sympathetic ears at various digital properties. MySpace has always restricted brand pages to paying marketers, Facebook is now aggressively cracking down on branded Pages not owned by someone affiliated with the brand, and Twitter will often turn over parked accounts to the rightful tweeter upon request.

Still, this strategy doesn’t solve two issues. One is that a reactive approach could occur after squatters have already damaged a marketer or brand. The other is that for the vast majority of businesses and brands, there’s no clear rightful owner. For instance, when I think of Sal’s Pizza, it’s the Sal’s Pizza on Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck, N.Y., with the best Sicilian slices I’ve ever eaten. But there are Sal’s Pizzas in Dallas, Boston, New Holland, Pa., and Little Neck, N.Y.; the last one even owns  myspace.com/salspizza. On Twitter,  @salspizza belongs to a restaurateur in Limerick, Ireland. I know the real Sal’s isn’t in Ireland – come on! – but it would be hard for Mamaroneck’s Sal to make a case, no matter how many of my old high school buddies sign a petition.

So, what’s a marketer to do? Here are ten steps to follow:

1) Run an audit of where your brands are. Note the usernames you use. If you have one flagship brand that’s also your company name, then it’s easy. If you have a stable of brands, this could be a long list.

2) Prioritize the usernames. In the Sal’s example, the business may be Sal’s Ristorante but it’s known as Sal’s Pizza, so salspizza (which is also easier to spell and type) would be the preferred name.

3) Use a site such as usernamecheck.com or knowem.com to enter see if your usernames are taken across scores of sites. Also check for other brand terms. Prioritize usernames that are both memorable and widely available — that’s the sweet spot.

4) For any sites that you know are priorities, register your key usernames. If you’re not sure which sites to prioritize, start with the ones you’ve heard of.

5) Eliminate any sites that are only for consumers and are off-limits for marketers or brands. For this and the next steps, call on the most social-media-savvy person you know, ideally someone you work with closely in your company, at an agency, or elsewhere.

6) Now you need to review all the other sites and prioritize further. If you’re at a total loss, use Compete or Quantcast’s free tools to see how much traffic the sites get, and pick a threshold. 7) For any of these sites, if you don’t plan on using them right away, fill in the minimal information required, post a link back to your homepage or the hub of your social marketing program, and adjust the privacy settings (where possible) so that’s they’re visible to the smallest audience. You don’t want to set false expectations for engaging consumers, and you don’t want to publicize a brand presence that falls short of your standards.

Check where competitors are. One easy way to do so is look for their most obvious usernames and visit those accounts to see if they’re really competitors or squatters. If you can’t find much, run some basic searches. Consider whether it’s worth joining competitors on those sites if you haven’t signed up already.

9) Share the list of registered usernames and passwords with a few trusted colleagues so you’re not the only one with the information.

10) Don’t be a jerk. You’ll find opportunities to undermine competitors throughout this process. Be one of the good guys. Try believing in karma.

Ideally, marketers will have clear-cut strategies for where they want to be and how they’ll develop their digital and social brand identities. But there are two problems with this approach. First, for many marketers, that’s just not the case. Second, if marketers think too hard about their strategy, they may never get around to covering some of the basic steps. If you don’t have a Twitter strategy, for instance, go ahead and register the most relevant usernames you can, make the profiles private, and then return to them when you know what you’re doing.

People will still impersonate celebrities and brands. It’s a price to pay for popularity, or notoriety if that’s the case. But if you’re in these arenas for real, it takes a lot of the fun off others trying to claim they’re you.

Comments

The Background: I’m not a coder. I know just enough HTML to fix a blog post, but not enough to code a blog or do whatever developers do. Whatever I was going to do was going to be on a TypePad template.

The First Step: Thanks to Andy, I found out about a great feature on TypePad that helps you enter HTML code. Already, I had cleaned up my blog a bit because of this. All you do is pick your blog, go to Design, go to Content, and scroll down the Modules tab and hit Custom HTML, and then add that module. Save the blog, as you’ll need to edit this a bit later. You can put multiple blocks of code in there. For instance, I have my code for Google Analytics in that box.

Googling Google Friend Connect: This was a ‘duh’ step. I went in Google and Googled “Google Friend Connect,” which not so amazingly took me to the GFC site. There’s a big button that says “set up a new site.” Click it. Click GFC for standard sites and enter your site name.

Create Pages: Now you have to start getting crafty. But again, you don’t have to get too technical. You’re supposed to download two pages from Google and upload those pages. The catch is that you can’t just upload files like this to your blog and have them in the right place. I turned to Google again, querying “google friend connect typepad blog.” I went to the third link and it showed me a great workaround. The gist: you create Pages on TypePad (instead of blog posts or uploading files).

For each of the files Google gives you, download them, open them in your browser, view the source, copy the code, and paste the code into the “edit html” part of the TypePad Page you’re creating. Name the page after the file name (in the title, but “canvas” for the Google “canvas.html” file, for example). The only change I had to make to the HTML was that somewhere in canvas.html, you need to change “site name” to whatever name the name of your site is.

By the end of this process, you’ve got two new pages on your site that have the same names as the Google files you need.

Check, Please: Go back to Google Friend Connect and test the code works. Then you can design it. You need to set the right width. I wasn’t sure the width of my right-hand bar so I went to my own profile photo on the right, right-clicked, hit “Properties,” checked the width, and used that as the width for Google Friend Connect on my blog.

Come Full Circle: Now take the code Google gives you and put it in that Custom HTML module you have on your blog.

Two me, there were only two catches:

1) I couldn’t control where GFC appeared on my blog. Not a huge deal.

2) It’s a little narrow the way it works on my blog. It would be nice if I had more room. But nto a huge deal. You can also expand the window.

What I Like about Goo: Now I’ve got a community on my blog. It’s not a very big one. But if I go to GFC or the expanded page on my site, I can connect with other readers of the blog. And more importantly, they can connect with each other. We can share information and get to know each other. All of it’s without a separate log-in. I like viewing this blog as a community rather than a sounding board. Sounds cool, eh? It’s not much, but given that it took me five times as long to write this post as it took me to implement a community on my blog, I’ll take it.

Comments