content marketing

Wednesday Webs: I AM AIGA

Adunate is a proud sustaining member of AIGA

I just renewed my annual AIGA membership. This is a big expense for me, a solo entrepreneur, but it’s a statement I’m willing to make. I support the joining together of creative professionals, both newcomers and seasoned professionals.

On that note, among others, here’s an interesting article on AIGA’s opinion of the logo for Tokyo’s Olympics 2020:

Adunate Now Offers Social Media Marketing

Forward Mutual Insurance Company social media marketing

You know you should be doing social media marketing. But maybe you don’t quite know how? Maybe you don’t have time? Or maybe you just don’t have an interest?

Here’s something to think about.

The days of passive consumerism are over. Impersonal advertising, like television, radio and newspaper, no longer holds the all-influencing power it used to have. Now we consumers seek connection, communication and information. With all our cool tech devices, we pursue these desires whenever we want, wherever we want. Given that, social media has become the primary marketing venue for reaching today’s consumers.

Forward Mutual takes on social media marketing

Mutual insurance companies generally are not frontrunners in online marketing, yet, last spring when Forward Mutual updated its website, we discussed the idea of social media marketing. President and CEO Lois Wiedenhoeft wanted to reach out to its younger target market in the way they communicate. She also wanted to answer their insurance questions and offer helpful ownership advice. Social media was just the tool to do that, plus it would increase Forward Mutual’s exposure and build credibility.

Last month we got the ball rolling!

Once a week, Forward Mutual and Adunate work together to post on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. We’re also doing regular blog posts in the form of News. Contracting Adunate to manage its social media marketing allows the staff at Forward Mutual time to do what they’re committed to doing best—serving home and farm owners throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

So check out Forward Mutual’s new presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Be sure to “Like” the pages and follow this innovative mutual as it reaches out to its market!

Oh, and by the way, if you’re on the fence about social media marketing for your business, check out this little infographic I put together. Based on statistics from Statista, it’s easy to see your business is hiding in a hole if it’s not active online.

If you’d like help with your social media marketing, be sure to give me a call.

Social media marketing infographic by Adunate

A New Word for the New Year

Lagniappe: A little something extra

Lagniappe. Isn’t that an interesting word? I learned it today and think it’s cool. Lagniappe. Lagniappe. Lagniappe.

Lagniappe is the little something extra you give as a gift. Like, if you’re a furniture salesman and you throw in extra pillows with the purchase of a couch. Customers just love when that happens.

So content marketing is sort of a lagniappe. When customers check out your website and find you’ve offered them some useful information, boy, do they love that. It’s a little something extra that establishes relationships, builds credibility and, ultimately, increases sales.

Content marketing was the big “little something extra” last year. You can bet it will be again in 2014.

Here’s why lagniappe should be one of your new words—lagniappe, as in content marketing:

According to an annual survey done by Brightcove, CMI and MarketingProfs (be sure to check out their cool infographic here), 93 percent of B2B organizations and 90 percent of B2C organizations are now using content marketing to promote their brand. On average, B2B and B2C organizations use 27 percent of their marketing budget for content marketing, and 59 percent of them plan to increase this amount in 2014.

What are you doing to keep up?

Here are six content marketing tactics your competitors may already be using. Implementing just one or two of these could be the extra something that adds to your bottom line.

Blogs
Together with social media, blogs are the workhorse of content marketing. Yes, they’re a commitment. But if you can dedicate time for consistent writing or pay someone to do it for you, blogs are still the number one way to repeatedly keep your name in Google search engines.

Case Studies
People love to read about cause and effect. Case studies allow your customers to identify with a challenge and see the results of your positive solution. Use case studies on your website, blog, or industry-related magazines.

Email Newsletters
Still one of the most effective ways to stay in front of your audience, research indicates more people are now reading eNewsletters from their mobile devices. Responsive layout means single-column, large text, buttons and well-spaced links.

Press Releases
There’s no better press than free press, and that’s just what a press release is. Every organization has newsworthy events. Sometimes all it takes is a little creative thinking and capturing the editor’s eye.

Print Magazines
Think print is dead? Think again. These days a hardcopy in hand carries distinction. Running a client’s success story in industry-related magazines is a sure way to boost your product’s awareness and credibility.

White Papers
Is yours an expensive product? Then white papers should be the king of your content. They’re educative and persuasive essays that use facts and logic to promote a product, service or solution. Use them on your website, as emails to clients, or as a sweet lagniappe when people subscribe to your eNewsletter.

Need help with any of these? You’ve come to the right place!

 

Wednesday Webs: History Repeats Itself with Content Marketing

SniteArtMuseumI

When it comes to strategic business practices, content marketing is arguably the most essential out there today. Sure, it’s story-telling at its core, and that we know is as relic as marketing gets. But nowadays we’re telling stories in all new ways. Interestingly, the payoff is proving greater than any other advertising effort.

Need help with your content marketing? Adunate writes attention-getting content for B2B and B2C businesses. Contact me today!