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Are your opinions negatively affecting your content marketing?

Amy Robinson — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:24:07 +0000

When developing a content marketing strategy, the most important thing (which I’ve already covered) is that you should know your audience. Know them well. There really isn’t too much research you can do. And while you can have an opinion, you need to recognize that it is just that—an opinion—and quite possibly not the one shared by the very people you are aiming to reach.

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You might be wasting your time developing a mobile app

Shane Keller — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:41 +0000

“Look for our ad on TV!” is to the ‘70s what “download our mobile app” is to this decade. The television ads you were supposed to watch for were usually annoying and self-serving, and unfortunately, many mobile apps today suffer the same fate. Thousands of companies have spent a lot of money to develop mobile apps that effectively serve little to no purpose. The problem lies in the fact that the same laws that govern traditional marketing hold sway in the mobile world as well.

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Friday Five: the NBA’s new social media awards

Jessica Fritsche — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:43:24 +0000

Read about the NBA's latest social media campaign, plus the viral backlash against Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO, Oreo's new animated campaign, an app that lets you boycott manufacturers you don't support, and how Carnival used Spotify to connect with millenials in this week's Friday Five.

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Add to your content strategy through cause marketing

Guest Contributor — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:20:44 +0000

Brands like Nike, Dove, Chipotle, and Aeropostale are partnering with nonprofits to harness the power of cause marketing. Research shows people are more likely to support brands with a purpose. Cause marketing can help or hurt your brand, depending on how effectively it’s used. There’s a right way and a wrong way to support a cause and increase brand loyalty in the process. Here are some dos and don’ts for your marketing team to help you utilize cause marketing as a part of your overall content marketing strategy.

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Friday Five: YouTube launches paid channels

Guest Contributor — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:55:55 +0000

Read about YouTube’s new paid channels, plus the rise of brand storytelling, how to improve your webinar hosting skills, the importance of testing in content marketing, and how brands celebrated Star Wars Day in this week’s Friday Five.

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What our interns learned about content marketing

Jessica Fritsche — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:53:31 +0000

We had a pretty amazing group of interns this spring. From blogging, editing, and social media to brainstorming, designing, and researching, they’ve pitched in on pretty much everything that we do at D Custom. They were a font of enthusiasm and fresh ideas, and they contributed some great content. Some of them are moving on to [...]

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Vine is here, and the social media game is changing (again)

Guest Contributor — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:32:49 +0000

Vine presents a great opportunity to share content and connect with your fans, letting them add to your brand’s story.

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How not to tank your brand like Martha Stewart

Amy Robinson — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:30:51 +0000

Martha Stewart. The name conjures many thoughts, no? Successful entrepreneur. Multimedia magnate. Federal prisoner. After her 2004-2005 prison imprisonment for insider trading, Stewart had an epic comeback. But as of late, her brand has been so damaged that it is difficult to recognize what is actually a product of her company and what isn’t.

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Friday Five: YouTube and the rise of user-generated content

Guest Contributor — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:03:43 +0000

Read about YouTube’s dramatic impact on content marketing after 8 years, get tips on how to strengthen your content by making it more specific, read 10 terrifying advertising stats that will get you thinking, become inspired with 28 ideas for your blog, and learn about the problem between Gen Y and LinkedIn in this week’s Friday Five.

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Content marketing minus the unicorn

Jessica Fritsche — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:38:58 +0000

In a perfect marketing world, all social media services would play nicely together to allow brands to seamlessly promote their original, first-rate content via a variety of mediums. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. would all be part of a big social media marketing group hug, every follower you acquire would automatically become a customer, your CEO would always agree with every idea, your marketing budget would be never-ending, and you’d ride to work every day on a unicorn through a meadow of gold.

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Make your content business casual

Callie Leahy — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:03:43 +0000

Traditional business dress codes are quickly becoming a thing of the past—at many companies you’re no longer expected to come to work in a three-piece suit or pantyhose with heels. Business communications are following suit, with casual approaches like social media and blogging becoming a high priority in marketing.

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Respect your audience’s direct feedback (and don’t be a jerk)

Shane Keller — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:30:42 +0000

Direct feedback, especially from your constituents, customers, and peers is the golden currency of content marketing. But it only takes one tweet to prove that even the smartest people do stupid things.

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Friday Five: The rise of TNN – Twitter News Network

Guest Contributor — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:15:39 +0000

Read about how social media played a key role in keeping people aware during the tragedy in Boston, plus the importance of context for your content, how iPads are actually accelerating the publishing business, experimenting with colors to push your brand forward, and how American’s access to smartphones can actually hurt your brand in this week’s Friday Five.

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Building buyer personas

Jessica Fritsche — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:55:47 +0000

Our friends over at MarketingProfs posted a great article today about the importance of creating buyer personas. We've said it time and time again, and MarketingProfs says it here too—just using demographics isn't enough when you're trying to really get to know your audience.

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Which social media sites does your audience use?

Jessica Fritsche — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:25:59 +0000

A new study from Pew Research Center reveals new insight into the demographics of social media—specifically broken down by age, sex, income, education level, and more. Your buyer persona research should tell you that your audience is more than its demographic data, but Pew's study is a window into baseline preferences and usage patterns.

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How to build your audience through social media hijacking

Guest Contributor — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:44:08 +0000

In a world dominated by social media, marketers are eager to utilize the platforms to get any attention they can for their content. While pushing out messages to your audience via your own social media channels is always the first option, there are other methods. You've heard of newsjacking, but what about social media hijacking?

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When tragedy strikes, be human

Jessica Fritsche — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:57:24 +0000

The news is no longer limited to television and radio. The first details of any event now unfold on Twitter and Facebook, sometimes much more quickly than what we see via news organizations. In moments like yesterday's Boston Marathon attacks, social media is one of the quickest ways that people can reach out to tell stories or touch base. That's why it's so important for marketers to pay attention. Don't track current events just for newsjacking. Track them because you respect your audience.

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Friday Five: McDonald’s Canada gets transparent with content marketing

Guest Contributor — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:30:28 +0000

Read about McDonald's Canada and their content marketing campaign, plus why HTC may be pulling some of your favorite brands down, how mobile devices have just begun making waves in the world, how to make your small business’ blog make a big business impression, and the data from March Madness hashtag use in this week’s Friday Five.

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When does a marketing trend work for your brand?

Guest Contributor — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:45:35 +0000

Fashion is always changing. In one moment, the most unexpected trend is covered in every magazine; seemingly moments later, it becomes a morbid faux pas. In fashion, you must know what trends you can and can’t pull off given your skin tone, your shape, or the season. The problems with B2B and B2C marketing trends parallel the problems we see on the runway. We must know when identify a trend on its way out, spot a trend that’s picking up speed, and most importantly, we must decipher if the trend is appropriate for our brand, our audience, and the promotional occasion. There will always be trends and new technologies, but that doesn’t mean they are right for every brand.

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The perks and perils of spontaneous content

Guest Contributor — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:30:11 +0000

Recent waves of spontaneous content have shown us the perks of on-the-fly marketing, but it’s just as important to put your best foot forward in messaging or risk falling flat on your face.

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Your unorthodox content could be museum-worthy

Guest Contributor — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:30:42 +0000

Sometimes the best approach is one that’s never been done before. Exterminator and cockroach curator Michael Bohdan found an innovative solution to this problem that earned him a spot in the Smithsonian Museum. His unorthodox approach to marketing could be exactly what your strategy is lacking.

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Friday Five: Is social media able to create social change?

Guest Contributor — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:30:39 +0000

Read about the effects of HRC's viral social media campaign for marriage equality, plus a peek into why millenials aren't so interested in McDonald's, what you can take from Taylor Swift when it comes to content marketing, how to make your Pinterest pins easy to search for, and Google and YouTube's history of April Fool's pranks in this week’s Friday Five.

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Infographic: Why video is vital

Jessica Fritsche — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:23:18 +0000

Video isn't just one of the most popular content mediums around — it's also vital to your marketing plan. Here's why video should be a part of your content strategy.

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The anatomy of a good B2B blog post

Callie Leahy — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:16:44 +0000

Executives are always busy; when they do sit down for a moment to catch up on blogs and news, they have a limited amount of time to read, process, and even share content. That's why it’s important to structure your custom content in a way that makes it easy for them to digest while you have their attention. Is your content set up for success?

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Executives don’t hate your video — they just can’t play it.

Elise Anthony — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:15:13 +0000

When clients ask us about the prospect of delivering 100+ premium tablets pre-loaded with content to the C-suite, we ask: Is this the right investment? It’s not that this is a bad idea at all; it’s just that there may be a more effective means to do the same thing, or the plan may not be vetted against the realities that C-suite executives face.

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Friday Five: being social vs. social media

Guest Contributor — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:30:05 +0000

Read about Phoenix politician Justin Johnson's simply savvy campaign, the consumer tech trends for 2013, how to integrate your company’s culture into its content, how Facebook will begin to utilize the hashtag, and Flipboard's newest features in this week’s Friday Five! Happy Easter!

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How HBO gets social with Game of Thrones

Shane Keller — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:30:20 +0000

Count many of us here at D Custom as loyal fans of HBO’s hit show “Game of Thrones.” Nearly two weeks before the network premiere, a handful of our crew attended a screening at a nearby theater. This was more than a run of the mill pre-screening, thanks to an Internet-enabled photo booth, hors d’oeuvres, themed cocktails, and swag, but surprisingly typical of HBO promotional events. Why so much pomp and circumstance? What is HBO’s payoff?

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Marketing’s indirect ROI

Jarrett Rush — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:33:34 +0000

It’s the balance sheet. It’s always the balance sheet. Money going out should mean more money coming in. It’s ROI, and, for most businesses, it’s the number that drives a lot of decisions. But should it?

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Friday Five: Oh My Disney’s digital takeover

Guest Contributor — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:38:56 +0000

Check out Disney's new content curation site Oh My Disney, plus striking the right balance in social media, upcoming new Twitter features, Google's new search-related infographic, and how you can interact on social media with your favorite tv shows in this week's Friday Five.

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Congratulations to Insigniam!

Jessica Fritsche — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:09:46 +0000

Insigniam Quarterly is a brand new thought leadership magazine from D Custom's client Insigniam, an international management consulting firm. The magazine launched today online and the print version will arrive in homes this week.

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The most expensive mistake most CMOs make

Elise Anthony — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:23:23 +0000

A marketing campaign can move the needle. It may even go viral. But it’s only temporary. One of the most expensive mistakes I see every day in the content marketing industry is that one-off projects and campaigns are executed without a content blueprint.

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The art of the infographic

Kyle Phelps — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:39:50 +0000

Infographics might be data-centric, but their creation is more of an art than a science. There are several guidelines to follow to make sure that you're highlighting your content well and making the biggest impact on your audience.

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The great divide: marketing vs. IT

Pedro Armstrong — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:30:03 +0000

While IT departments are adept at enterprise-wide systems, hardware/software implementation, and large scale infrastructure, the ability to rapidly embrace new technology for emerging marketing channels is becoming a common pain point in many companies. In essence, marketing has become an "in the moment" practice; thus, trying and implementing emerging tools have also become a rapid response process.

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D Custom partners with the Dallas Regional Chamber on a new campaign

Gordon Locke — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:30:53 +0000

D Custom was selected as the Dallas Regional Chamber's content marketing agency to drive their 2013 economic development campaign. The campaign is designed to attract companies to the DRC's compelling story of why national and global companies find this region so attractive for corporate headquarters relocations and large regional operations offices.

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Friday Five: Boost your content marketing click-through rate

Guest Contributor — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:30:05 +0000

Discover ways to increase your brand’s CTR, learn how to take a scientific approach to copy writing, read about the benefits of Facebook Exchange, understand how your website’s poor design could be keeping consumers away, and how the words “what if” could change your marketing strategy forever in this week’s Friday Five!

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Cultivating the next generation of marketers through internships

Guest Contributor — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:18:59 +0000

Who will you be hiring in two years? Five years? What about ten years? If you aren’t cultivating great future employees through internships, then you’re missing out on the next generation of your company.

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Turn your employees into your biggest brand advocates

Guest Contributor — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:46:11 +0000

By Rachel Elmalawany Brands often get caught up in their B2B or B2C content marketing efforts. Who is their audience? What’s their brand message? It’s important to have a good outward face on the brand, but those at the helm of the corporate culture sometimes forget that employees could be their best or worst brand advocates. [...]

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Content doesn’t have to be complicated

Jessica Fritsche — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:51:01 +0000

Content doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be meaningful and tell a story in an authentic way.

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Friday Five: The Oscars spark real-time marketing opportunities

Guest Contributor — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:50:00 +0000

See and read about the top 10 real-time marketing efforts of the Oscars, how to prepare content marketing for Facebook’s graph search, ways that you can utilize SlideShare to promote your brand, the benefits of mobile responsive design, and how to improve your YouTube channel’s search optimization in this week’s Friday Five.

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Futuristic thoughts from Freeman+Leonard

Gordon Locke — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:30:01 +0000

I recently had lunch with Kathy Leonard, the dazzling and uber-smart president of Freeman+Leonard, a strategic marketing agency in Dallas. Kathy has previously been the president of Integer and Tracey Locke (Omnicom). Kathy and I discussed the need for more actionable and real marketing strategy content for marketing practitioners.

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