Most companies are so used to segmenting their departments that they miss a lot of opportunities to reach consumers. Your strengths as a company don’t begin or end with your marketing department. Leading with your strengths often means tapping into hidden or overlooked resources.
The PMA Conference I had the pleasure of spending two days in San Antonio with the Parenting Media Association (PMA). If you’re unfamiliar with the PMA all you have to do is wander around town looking for a local parenting … Continued
Publishers constantly ask me how they can convince a traditional advertiser to underwrite the generation of high-quality, relevant, frequently delivered content. It was no different this week at the Niche Magazine Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. In a digital world where focusing … Continued
We all want our customers and clients reviewing our products (or services) when they’re most engaged and (hopefully) enthused about them, that means, we need the barrier to entry for a product review to be as low as possible. Maybe we need to think about encouraging and capturing real time reviews.
The way we search is changing. Whether you’ve noticed or not more and more people are using content-specifc alternatives to searching Google. Why? What does this mean to those of us trying to reach our audience? Google is the comfort … Continued
I’ll be honest, it’s not always easy to convince VPs and CMOs that digital content marketing is much more effective than mass reach ad spends. It can be daunting to reverse the course of traditional thinking. However, if you’re armed with real-world examples, you’ll probably be more successful.
Lessons the publishing industry can learn from Google, the Aalsmeer Flower Show, and Seth Godin.
After this weekend’s fourth season premiere of the show “Mad Men”, I was thinking about what I could write about, and came up with the hypothetical question, how would Don Draper handle the internet?
Recently, we’ve been exploring the notion of Media Modality — the idea that different media entail different ways of reading and processing information. Any reader or processor of information is going to approach various media with different expectations. They will also think differently about the information they process.
In order to market in a medium you need to speak its lingo. Below, I’ve broken learning the lingo down into 5 easy-to-follow steps.
The democratization of knowledge is a real phenomenon — thanks to the internet. Your company should be playing on this field in a big way. You should be mining your entire workforce for content and promotion. Don’t close your employees off from social media, empower them to do social media right.
Social Media has changed the game of Journalism for good. The impact of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have allowed several important changes to the way articles are written, displayed, and shared today. Tippingpoint Labs sat down with social media journalist and trainer Jeff Cutler to elaborate on these adaptions.
The recent merger between Tippingpoint Labs and Beehive Media has well positioned us to become a new media agency that helps clients and brands fill their desire for content about their products and verticals by creating it and distributing it themselves.
The explosive growth of social media networks and the paradigm shift in consumer consumption habits have fueled the need for companies to create meaningful branded stories. TPL transforms and grows businesses by developing valuable and complex content-centric relationships that drive revenue or reduce costs.
How do you create the right portfolio of support channels and platforms to create an transparent and honest approach to solving consumer challenges in a rapid and scalable way without ignoring social media channels? Here’s our take on delivering a content-based online support system…
The Influence Pyramid is designed to show how any brand should start dissecting and defining their online universe. Last night, I had a wonderful conversation with Dan Blank about the Influence Pyramid. Dan, and others, have pointed out that the pyramid doesn’t account for the two-way nature of today’s online universe and they are absolutely right.
The Influence Pyramid is a conceptual framework for building outreach strategies to communities online and off. It helps you define a methodology and an architecture to target your content and media efforts.
There is an overriding lack of confidence in Boston about its place in the world of innovation and business. Why is this? What is the solution for it? Is this a real issue or just a perception? Should it matter? I would argue that this is purely perception and that, therefore, Boston has a content problem.
We Have a History of Innovation…
Boston has an undeniable history of innovation dating back to colonial times. This city (well, let’s talk about Massachusetts more broadly) is responsible for Thanksgiving, the American Revolution, the typewriter, sewing machines, frozen food, Fig Newtons, microwave ovens, mutual funds, email and thousands of other innovations that affect everyone’s daily life. Some even claim Yoga was invented here (though not clearly an April Fools’ joke, we couldn’t find much evidence to support this one.)
…And We’re Disgruntled
Despite this irrefutable tradition of changing history, innovating in technology, medicine, education, religion and probably every other discipline, Boston seems to have a perpetual chip on its shoulder. This stems from a variety contributing factors, of which here are a few:
* Boston lost its position as the hub for business in America (to New York) by the 19th century
* The near endless dominance of the New York Yankees over the Red Sox since a fateful trade in 1918 until 2004
* Boston led (or tied for the lead) the world in technology and then lost that position to Silicon Valley
Boston spent a long time wondering “What happened?” In fact, we spent 86 years annually fretting about our Red Sox until one fine October when we were finally able to imagine a new story. Maybe that’s the spark we needed to start thinking that we’re worthy of excelling in other areas again too? It’s high time we allowed ourselves to be convinced that we are as capable of leading innovation, building great companies, and driving the future as we have historically been able to be. What we need is to elevate Boston – both to the world, as well as to ourselves.
I recently attended one of many conferences where a key topic of conversation on panels as well as during networking breaks centered around the questions:
1. “How can we make Boston a great center of entrepreneurship again?”
2. “How can we build and keep innovative companies in Boston?”
3. “How can we compete with Silicon Vallley?”
That last question is sometimes unstated but it’s always right beneath the surface, even when it’s not said out loud.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking at American Business Media’s Annual Conference yesterday and during a fast-paced, hour-long luncheon session I promised to deliver ten things I would start doing today if I was an executive at a publishing company. So, as promised, here’s what I’d start doing today.
When you iterate with your development, you are actually helping your clients evolve and go with the flow, following the way the web actually works. Trying to perfect things leaves would leave them exposed and static in a moving tide. But iteration itself is a chance for education in the mindset they’ll need to compete in the new web atmosphere.
I’m here to tell you that Magento ROCKS! I’ve been in the ecommerce trenches for many years and have had the opportunity to explore many open and closed source ecommerce platforms. Here at Tippingpoint Labs we highly recommend Magento for all your ecommerce needs and here’s why:
I’ve been an advocate of Agile Development and SCRUM for a long time. SCRUM is all about iterative development and maintaining forward momentum. I’ve also found that it keeps everyone involved, and on the same-page in the least intrusive way possible.
Here at Tippingpoint Labs, we’ve embraced SCRUM for both engineering and non-engineering projects alike. We are working on a hybrid model that best matches our abilities and resource while doing our best not to get bogged down with process issues.
After speaking at the New England Mail Order Association Spring Conference and having conversations over lunch and dinner with talented marketers from brands like Sony, Hyatt, Gardeners Supply, Home Shopping Network Interactive, Stony Creek and L.L. Bean, I pondered the future of the printed catalog. Print catalogs will not die, but they must evolve.
Media Modality
We’ve been working on a concept called ‘media modality.’ Our hypothesis is basically this: people consume content in a variety of modes often defined by the medium used to deliver the media. So, if you use the right medium with the right kind of content you’ll capture the consumer (audience.)
In the age of transparency, marketing is not about crafting artificial or half-true brand stories for consumer audiences. Marketing is about uncovering, fostering, sharing, and engaging with employees and consumers around the true stories that make your brand unique. Let’s take a look at how a few of the departments in your organization are the real marketing departments.
The first step in product-tizing your website is a site audit. Ask yourself what you want your users to do. Do you want them to come away with a feel for your corporate culture? Do you want them to buy something? Do you want them to create content? Boil it down to one sentence, then ask yourself if your site accommodates that now. If not, it’s time for a re-do.
Nothing like a good dose of history repeating itself, because it’s nothing new. Before there was the AJAX libraries of Web 2.0, there was Flash sliding interfaces, pop-up dialogues and multiple clicks. Seems like we’ve landed right back on the same old Flash paradigms of the turn-of-the-century. No need to have history repeat itself, let’s make 2010 the year of common sense user experience.
A more strategic approach to digital marketing is required this year – but often a firm’s ability to acknowledge this necessary change occurs only after months of failure, pain, and anguish. To the exhausted and bloodied, there is indeed a better way. And to the ones just getting into the ring, learn from those who have fought before you …
2010 will see the idea of tactical engagement and “I need to get on [INSERT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE DU JOUR HERE] now!” change into higher-level and thoughtful questions like, “What can I provide to new media channels?” This kind of thought makes your web marketing more future proof. When Twitter falls from favor, but all of your social media “experts” turn out to be “Twitter experts,” those with strategies defined by clear goals will be ready and able to distribute and promote the right kind of content on any platform to any audience.
If clients are more inclined to “date their agencies” throughout the life of the relationship, at what point should the agency start hinting at a ring? Do project based arrangements have any benefit to clients or agencies.
Madison Avenue is infamous for generating expensive, overwrought creative presentations that hijack agency resources and time for days (if not weeks). Under this model, when responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP) generated by the potential client, agencies compete and the winner is rewarded with a long-term retainer that justifies the energy expended on the pitch.
We thought a lot about the future this year at Tippingpoint Labs. Here are some of our favorites.
If you’re launching a web-based promo campaign, success won’t be found in the traffic peaks, rather, the valleys. Holding the audience is where real value is generated.
Anyone can create a web traffic spike at launch. However, to extract maximum value, you need to prepare for the follow-through.
How much of your methodology and business insight should you give away? As much as you can. Someone’s always willing to pay for a little bit more … just like the bikini.
We were recently asked how we would craft an online content strategy if we only had 40 hours a month to do it. It’s an interesting idea. The most important thing is identify, identify, identify.
One of our driving philosophies here at the Tippingpoint Labs is that, for brands, your website is not the center of your web universe anymore. Conventional (read: outdated) thinking holds that your homepage should be the starting and ending point … Continued
Successful web content doesn’t promote your brand or product. It promotes the themes and subjects that surround them. It prompts discussion or adds to it.
The way you measure success of your web marketing efforts has changed. Traffic goals are poor metrics. You need to be measuring quality traffic and quality leads that actually lead to conversion. Don’t sell cars at a boat show.
When a cable company in South Carolina pointed a camera at a fish tank, they thought they were just filling a gap. Instead, they struck niche content gold.
Word-of-mouth Marketing can be much more powerful than TV ads. But making it work isn’t as simple as buying air time. The Tippingpoint Labs Online Brand Value chain demonstrates how brands can produce and distribute content online that reaches their audience better.
Let me start by saying something very important. We like Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas’s The Conversation Prism. It provides a very comprehensive view of the web content distribution world. It was developed to address a number of issues that … Continued
Social media sites are growing. Content is being created, and consumed, at an incredible rate. Attention spans are short, and if the beast doesn’t like what’s on offer, it will move on. Only the best content will be remembered. How do you give it what it wants?
Allow me to smack you upside your head with some Tuesday afternoon obvious: There are a lot of conversations happening on the internet. It’s all about participation … maybe You probably don’t need to be told about the importance of … Continued
Paid search will draw traffic to your website. Shady SEO practices will draw traffic to your site. But it won’t last forever. Search Engines are incredibly powerful and really, really important to your business. How you “appeal” to them can … Continued
The online discussion space is a consumer’s paradise and favors their influence over the producer’s. The only way to extract value from the endless conversation that is the internet is to openly and honestly interact with it.
Budget Strategy and ROI (Part 5 of 6) This series asks the tough questions about evolving marketing strategies and the benefits and returns you should expect and plan for. Who’s in charge here? When I speak to potential clients about … Continued
Budget Strategy and ROI (Part 4 of 6) This series asks the tough questions about evolving marketing strategies and the benefits and returns you should expect and plan for. Re-defining marketing success Marketing in the online space requires a change … Continued
Ask these five questions as you consider working with any social media ‘expert’ — the answers will give you the necessary insight to judge any social media strategy.
Today’s social media strategies are heavy on the social and light on the media. It’s mostly about getting on a site and getting followers. Or responding to every mention of your company. It’s only a fraction of the overall picture of what social media ought to be.
Budget Strategy and ROI (Part 2 of 6) This series asks the tough questions about evolving marketing strategies and the benefits and returns you should expect and plan for. If somebody told you that you could reach nearly every potential … Continued
Budget Strategy and ROI (Part 1 of 6) By Andrew Davis and Scott Loring This series asks the tough questions about evolving marketing strategies and the benefits and returns you should plan for and expect. Step right up and place … Continued
The Galilean Model is a conceptual framework for understanding your brand’s place in the internet as a whole. Search is at the center of the web and you have to participate outside of your dotcom to engage consumers.
By creating something that will resonate with your consumer-base, you hook them in. By enabling and making it easy for them to share it, you build links and drive traffic. This is the process that SEO attempts to mimic.
If you are spending money on SEM/SEO and focused on traffic targets rather than conversion rates — STOP. Gone are the days when you could expect to drive hordes of traffic to a landing page and hope that something would happen. No matter how you look at it, if you want sales to increase, you have to get rolling with content experimentation.
There is value in SEO and SEM as part of a larger strategy to drive the right traffic to high-quality content. But if these last two components are left as afterthoughts in a “traffic strategy,” then you are wasting your efforts. Concentrate on driving quality traffic through increasing the quality of your aggregated reach.
Eighty percent of you business is going to come from twenty percent of your customers. So concentrate on quality traffic. Don’t invest in attracting everybody to your site with SEM or affiliate marketing, invest in cultivating lower volumes with higher engagement.
Newspapers need to forget about charging for access to content. Here’s the shuffle: as you share access to content, guard access to your content creators. Having become experts in their respective niches, branded journalists have developed a path-dependent competitive advantage resulting in a very powerful position within the news value chain. To solve the monetization problem, we examine the brand dollars flowing through this value chain.
Journalists who build their own strong brands will ultimately attract the most readers. This very simple reality is key to keeping the news industry alive.
What Newspapers are doing right and what they can do better. The reality is that newspaper’s daily hard copy is yesterday’s news, not what’s happening right now.
This is the first entry in a four-part series that address the rebirth of the newspaper industry. The second entry will focus on what Newspapers are doing right, why hyper-local will be a lifeline for some, and ultimately highlight some success stories in elevating online content beyond just shoveling your offline content online
Today, at the Custom Publishing Conference focusing on the future of branded content, I was lucky to be part of an intimate audience where I saw a few wonderful market leaders present some of their success stories, their theories on … Continued
Yesterday, I wrote about what we believe to be the future of online content distribution. I’ve also written about Tippingpoint Labs’ New Media Life Cycle Analysis in which I demonstrated the idea that comprehensive trend analysis can help determine where … Continued
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