By Alexandra Reid
As a regular feature, we provide our readers with a roundup of the best articles we have read in the past week. On the podium this week are Read Write Web, The Globe and Mail, All Things D, Small Business Trends, Social Media Examiner and ClickZ.
Why venture capital no longer defines innovation
Today’s venture capital deal flow to innovative new companies looks a lot like a fat man trying to squeeze into a slim Italian suit — it just doesn’t fit. The new shape of innovation is a lot more inclusive of new approaches and sources of startup funding. Author Michael Tchong explains what that might look like.
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By Leo Valiquette
Have you seen that commercial for a teeth-whitening toothpaste that features two “sisters,” one of whom says, “as a professional photographer …” but as she speaks, a disclaimer pops up on the screen that states this is not a photographer, but an actress?
Read zero on the credibility meter.
As Alex blogged about earlier this week in her inbound marketing post, more traditional outbound marketing, in which specific messages are pushed upon a target audience in a one-way flow of information, remains an important part of the marketing mix. The good old boob tube is the best place to see examples of it done right and done horribly, horribly wrong.
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This is the eighth article in a continuing monthly series chronicling the growth path of Screach, a startup based in Newcastle upon Tyne in England’s North East. Screach is an interactive digital media platform that allows users to create real-time, two-way interactive experiences between a smart device (through the Screach app) and any content, on any screen or just within the mobile device itself. We invite your feedback.
By Alexandra Reid
When we last caught up with Screach, then called Screenreach Interactive, the startup was in the process of hiring a PR firm to promote its existing platform and to give the world an idea of the diverse projects that it was helping to create.
But just two months after beginning its relationship with a London-based firm, Screach decided to try a different approach to garner the attention of media, the general public and prospective customers.
“We couldn’t have been happier with the overall support we got from (the PR firm), and we’re definitely open to working with them in the future,” said chief strategy officer David Weinfeld. “However, the decision came down to the whole idea of how we were going to promote ourselves as a startup in a crowded market.”
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By Alexandra Reid
Hubspot’s Brian Halligan coined the term “inbound marketing” to distinguish marketing activities that focus on the consumer experience from traditional outbound marketing tactics.
Inbound marketing is about earning the attention of prospective customers, media and other market influencers. This approach is different from traditional outbound marketing tactics which push messaging on target audiences.
While outbound marketing tactics still hold an important place in a company’s marketing mix, inbound marketing is gaining steam because of a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour. With new technology at their fingertips, people are more in control of what information they receive and how they receive it. As reported by Hubspot, people are skipping over TV advertisements, unsubscribing from company emails, and leaving websites because they aren’t providing them with information they value. Businesses are realizing that they have to communicate on their interest groups’ terms to earn their attention, trust and loyalty.
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By Alexandra Reid
As a regular feature, we provide our readers with a roundup of the best articles we have read in the past week. On the podium this week are the Financial Post, Harvard Business Review, MarketingProfs, Business2Community, and Fast Company.
To effectively measure ROI, think strategically
SMBs face some unique challenges on the marketing front. Most lack the resources or budget to effectively promote their product or service. Even when they do set money aside to market, their initiatives tend to be short-lived. To ensure marketing dollars are spent wisely, decide on your objective, draft a concise plan outlining how it can be executed, who’s responsible for each step and what success will look like at each stage.
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Unleash your inner consultant
August 16, 2012 by Caroline Kealey
One of the things that often drives communicators crazy about their jobs is the Superhero Consultant syndrome. You’ve been advocating for months — maybe even years — in favour of a course of action your organization should take to step up its communications. […]
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The buck has to stop with whoever owns the byline
August 15, 2012 by Leo Valiquette
Quality writing, whether it is for journalistic, marketing or public relations purposes, is too often viewed as a commodity service. For those of us who have experience with the community newspaper business, where editorial content (to quote a colleague of mine) has often been viewed by publishers as […]
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Five common content marketing mistakes
August 14, 2012 by Alexandra Reid
Getting noticed online today requires more effort than ever before, as many businesses are getting more skillful at producing content and sharing it in interesting ways to engage their audiences […]
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Secrets of bulletproof marketing implementation
August 13, 2012 by Rob Woyzbun
You’ve spent hours to design what you thought was a perfect, logical, competitive, customer-focused, go-to-market marketing plan. Despite all that effort, the results are underwhelming, revenue nowhere near target, and members of your team […]
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The worst marketing sin
August 10, 2012 by Francis Moran
Imagine you want to go to New York. And New York is a five-hour drive away. You start out on a certain route but after two hours, you haven’t reached New York yet. So you conclude that the route you’re on isn’t the right one and you change routes […]
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How to get the media’s attention with your dignity and reputation intact
August 09, 2012 by Leo Valiquette
Last week I talked about how any media coverage can be good media coverage if it provides an opportunity to establish rapport with a journalist. Of course, this statement comes with the big fat caveat –it’s only true if said journalist is not on a witch hunt […]
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5 tips content marketers should take from journalists
August 08, 2012 by Alexandra Reid
As companies increasingly opt to bypass the traditional press in favour of content marketing, journalists are being increasingly sought after to tell company stories, communicate with their audiences, and deliver information that is valuable to their marketplaces […]
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Don Drummond on productivity
August 07, 2012 by Denzil Doyle
Productivity is a topic that attracts a great deal of attention at both the federal and provincial levels of government in Canada. Most observers paint a grim picture of Canadian productivity across all sectors […]
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By Alexandra Reid
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Traditional Marketing is Dead – Long Live Bikini Waxer Marketing | Scalexl : [...] pointed out by Alexandra Reid on the Francis Moran website content marketing is becoming more and more like journalism. So, it is not just about the content, [...]
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