social media marketing

January 16, 2014 by Marc Hausman

Lovin’ Jimmy Kimmel on Accenture

When speaking with a client about how to craft a compelling and engaging content strategy that will attract high value readers, I often refer to the three-part methodology employed by late night talk show hosts.

1. Be timely

2. Be creative

3. Interview celebrity guests

Celebrity needs a bit of context. For Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) business-to-business and government-focused clients, we interview subject matter experts, customers, partners and influencers (i.e. analysts, policy-makers, trade group execs, etc.). That is who holds celebrity status.

Here’s an example from our work on Juniper Networks’ The Modern Network program.

The aspects of timeliness and creativity are consistent though. Like the TV host on the hunt for ratings, companies must offer readers a unique, educational and entertaining experience.

Recently, the spheres of B2B and TV talk shows intersected when Accenture was selected to take the lead on the troubled HealthCare.gov program.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel produced a laugh out loud faux commercial for the global consultancy.

While Accenture itself couldn’t stray this far down the creative path, the take-away is clear. Engage the market with unique and unexpected content, and you’ll attract a community of high value readers.

January 9, 2014 by Marc Hausman

The Perils and Pearls of Thought Leadership

Oracle’s Ellison defines thought leadership. (Photo source: Wikipedia)

Thought leaders have thoughts. It’s this predictive, engaging and often provoking insight that is the foundation of a successful content marketing program.

That’s straightforward, right?

So, why is it such a challenge for executives at many organizations to articulate a unique opinion?

The equally straightforward answer is a single word: risk.

Risk in thought leadership is typically served in two flavors. The first is the daunting prospect of disagreement from respected voices in the industry, which could include customers, analysts, bloggers and other influencers.

People shy from conflict and disagreement – in life and in business.

The second brand of risk in thought leadership is the prospect of ultimately being proven wrong. A projection that falls short or flames out could sabotage executive credibility…or so the thinking goes.

Stand tall, I say, and embrace the hazards associated with thought leadership. Oracle’s Larry Ellison has braved this path time and time again.

Remember his bold claims nearly two decades ago about push technology? Ellison projected this emerging capability as the future of his company’s software development strategy.

Salesforce’s Marc Benioff is the most recent executive to pivot from a once steadfast prediction. At Dreamforce 2011, he hailed the rise of the “social enterprise” and self-anointed his company as uniquely qualified to help an organization realize its potential.

Salesforce’s Benioff missed with the social enterprise. (Photo source: BusinessInsider.com)

“Our social enterprise vision fundamentally changes how companies collaborate, share and manage information,” Benioff proclaimed in a company announcement. “By creating social customer profiles, employee social networks, customer social networks and product social networks, companies can delight their customers in entirely new ways.”

Jump forward to late 2013 and Benioff acknowledged to investors the “social enterprise” never quite took hold.

Salesforce reps took the social enterprise mantra to customers, but couldn’t find the buyers, he said. Benioff also admitted that his own company didn’t exactly understand what it meant.

Although the size, strength and success of Oracle and Salesforce shield Ellison and Benioff from the full brunt of flawed thinking, it’s also their willingness to recognize the misstep and change course that preserves their reputation as visionaries.

That flexibility is something any credible executive can emulate.

And, of course, Benioff has jump started conversations among technology buyers with his latest projection: “Internet of Customers.”

Behold the beauty of thought leadership.

December 20, 2013 by Marc Hausman

Very Best Of: 5 Most Popular Reads in 2013

I recently visited with my 99-year-old grandfather and asked him if it had been a good year. His reply, “I’m still here, feeling good and looking forward to the big one hundred.”

Inspiring words indeed and I share his positive outlook for the future. Enthusiasm permeates the market. Innovation is celebrated. And most organizations are invested in growth.

Today, I pulled up the analytics from my “Strategic Guy” blog to identify the five most popular posts of 2013 in terms of readership and engagement. Each focuses on best practices to align content marketing with sales enablement:

5 Best Practices to Rev Up Lead Generation: straight forward tactics to identify high value prospects who may be on the path to buy.

“Intelli-gize” Sales to Ramp Up Lead Quality and Revenue: gleaning intelligence from Web analytics to help the sales team craft prospect-specific messaging.

5 “Go To” Approaches for Content Creation: a proven methodology for constructing a content marketing program that attracts the attention of customers, prospects and partners.

Priorities of the Modern Chief Marketing Officer: key skill sets and attributes of the person who owns the marketing function at a growth oriented organization.

Sharknado’s Brilliance: 3 Lessons for Corporate Marketers: the Syfy Channel’s hit movie teaches us plenty about effective corporate and field marketing programs.

Have a wonderful holiday season and best of success in 2014!

Lessons learned from the SyFy’s Sharknado scored a top read in this blog.

December 11, 2013 by Marc Hausman

5 Best Practices to Rev Up Lead Generation

Each holiday season I express my appreciation to family and friends for the many joyous and wonderful aspects of my life – personal and professional.

This year I’m particularly thankful for three things: 1) the improving basketball skills of my two sons; 2) toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (seriously, give one a try); and 3) The Pulse Network.

Why Pulse?

Simply put, they are an exceptional corporate partner of ours. Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) sponsored Pulse’s Inbound Marketing Summit in San Francisco and Boston which delivered visibility to a group of senior corporate marketers and technology vendors.

As part of this sponsorship, I was afforded an opportunity to present on stage at both events. Here’s a 10 minute clip of my keynote in Boston entitled “Be Heard in a Crowd: How the Right Content and Social Strategy Will Drive Sales.”

Earlier today I was the featured guest on The Pulse Network’s Web-based news program called Content Marketing 360. Themed “Revving Up Your Lead Generation Programs in 2014,” I shared five best practices a marketer can employ to drive more success from their investment in demand generation.

1. Target prospects based on propensity and profitability. Many organizations squander resources by pursuing business with prospects who have no intention of ever buying or (worse) represent unprofitable business.

2. Follow the rule of three when it comes to messaging. Keep your company’s value proposition clear and concise, and limited to three core messages.

3. Focus on content distribution, as much as creation. Exceptional content is irrelevant if you don’t put it in the hands of customers and prospects. That’s why it is imperative to fund a multi-channel content distribution program.

4. Collaborate with sales from day one. Sales reps are in frequent dialogue with prospects and can help you more quickly identify the needs and requirements of the market.

5. Cherish the data. Analytics serve as a barometer of interest and opportunity because prospects tell us what they think by how they engage with content.

My stand up comedy experience served me well at IMS San Francisco.

November 27, 2013 by Marc Hausman

Finding Sanity in a Spammy World

During the past week I have received 6,329 comments to this blog. Now that’s reader engagement!

Yet, even a cursory review of these missives reveals they are the diabolical result of spam bots. These bits of code prowl the Web with the sole intent of squirreling away traffic from legitimate content creators to a soup of offshore gambling, drug and adult themed sites.

So…with a few minutes of downtime on the day before Thanksgiving I decided to glance at these comments to see if I could find a semblance of sanity in this spammy world. As it turns out, the junk easily segments into a couple of categories. (Note: I have removed all Web links from the comments.)

Category 1: Legitimate companies employing desperate measures

Tata Communications’ depth and breadth of reach in emerging marketplaces contains leadership in Indian enterprise data products, leadership in global worldwide voice, and strategic investments in South Africa (Neotel), Sri Lanka (Tata Communications Lanka Minimal) and Nepal (United Telecom Limited).

Category 2: Faux compliments with ego appeal

I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your website. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Fantastic work!

You are actually a good webmaster. The web site loading pace is incredible. It kind of feels that you’re doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve performed a magnificent process on this matter!

Category 3: Nonsensical and irrelevant

But Liverpool’s squad are evidently savoring them selves at Melwood and therefore are all possessing a go when described as up for the workforce.

Reflecting on his new function, Mr. Tusar says: “Sourcing liquidity in today’s marketplaces demands a deep comprehension of both equally market framework and technologies. Consumers need to have associates who’re with the forefront of market place trends and who even have the scale and complex prowess to deliver wise, reliable methods. KCG can be described as new type of monetary companies organization expressly created to respond to this increasing demand in the monetary products and services sector.”

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