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The president and the comedian: Tips on effective video content 0

On the surface, the premise appears a bit ridiculous: The president of the United States sitting down to discuss the health care law with a comedian best known for “The Hangover” movies.

But Zach Galifianakis’ “Between Two Ferns” sitdown with Barack Obama got everyone

talking about the Affordable Care Act this week. Website traffic to HealthCare.gov, the federally sponsored insurance exchange, jumped 40 percent after some 13 million people watched the “Funny or Die” online segment.

Content marketing professionals can learn something from this. Whether it is video, text or images, good and relevant content will draw in those interested in your message. They’re even willing to be sold on the brand, product or message if the content is compelling enough.

The “Between Two Ferns” segment was not focused exclusively on the Affordable Care Act. There’s plenty of humorous and satirical banter between Galifianakis and Obama. But the White House saw an opening to pitch the Affordable Care Act to a target audience segment of young adults receptive to the message, and the administration took advantage of it.

Companies looking to reel in a target audience with video content may want to consider these tips:

  • Be unique in your content. Make it something that has not been seen before.
  • Be professional. The more polished, well edited and complete the video is, the more receptive the audience will be.
  • Be promotional. Get the video out to the right people who will put it before the target audience.

Content writing for the small screen 0

Longer can sometimes be better when it comes to writing digital content, unless the content is for a mobile device.

When it comes to content that appears on the smartphone or tablet, there are differences of opinion as to the ideal written length. A blog post of, say, 1,500 words may be okay to leisurely digest on a laptop, or even on an iPad, but is less than optimal for a smartphone.

Producing quality marketing content takes time and effort, not to mention the right keywords.

These general tips can help in writing more effective content for the small screen:

 

  • Headlines are the first words someone sees. Make them strong and eye-catching to draw interest to the content.
  • Be concise. Pare down the word count as much as possible.
  • Write for your audience. Jargon is dull, whether for a corporate CEO or someone who comes across the content while surfing the Web. Don’t dumb down the content, but keep it interesting and lively, without superfluous text.
  • Make it easy to scan. Mobile device users with other tasks on their minds are likely to give the article a quick read before deciding if it is worth their time. Short sentences make the scanning easy.

Writing for the mobile device can be a challenge, but one that can be met. Effective written content is an easy way to give your corporate brand a digital boost.

Finding the right content balance 0

Content marketing is being taken seriously enough that companies are projected to set aside more money to get the best results.

The industry is expected to grow in 2014, according to a study conducted by content curation software company Curata Inc., which projects more than 70 percent of marketers will increase their investment in content marketing.

As we’ve posted earlier, more than 1.2 billion people access articles, images and video through mobile devices. This makes engaging content in great demand as a marketing tool.

But Curata also says companies will find that it takes more than an increased budget to be successful in content marketing.

One of the challenges they will face is how to consistently develop a steady stream of solid, relevant digital content with its own personnel.

The task of coming up with 100-percent researched and original content can be daunting to companies, which are being advised to balance its content production that allows 25 percent of it to be curated content, and 10 percent to come from Web syndicated sources like RSS feeds, with original content making up the balance.

Finding the right balance is important for those developing a content marketing strategy, even as more financial resources are being allocated to creating the right content that brings customers in and enhances brand awareness.

Google turns attention to Android-powered wearables 0

Google is preparing to release a software development kit for wearable technology, enabling developers to build wearable technology for Android devices.

googleglass_artThe company already has a presence in the wearable tech market with the launch of Google Glass. The eyeglass device that enables users to access the Web, take photos and video and share them on social media, is still in the hands of brand ambassadors and is expected to be released to the general public later this year.

The Verge.com reports that the company’s senior vice president of product management, Sundar Pichai, made the announcement over the weekend at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. The development kit is expected to come out in the next few weeks, according to Computerworld.

This opens the field for developers looking to enter the wearable technology market by building devices like smartwatches — which Google is reportedly exploring — that can run on a platform with an extensive user base.

Customers value good custom content 0

Good content to establish a corporate presence or brand is not only important, it’s essential to a business.

mobilemarketingThe Custom Content Council says six in 10 consumers value custom content enough that they feel better about a company that delivers the content, and they are also more likely to buy from that company. Seven in 10 consumers say they prefer to learn about a company through a collection of articles rather than in an ad, according to the council.

It is one of the interesting statistics about content marketing to keep in mind.

Here are a few more from InboundWriter.com’s blog:

  • When it comes to custom Web content, 90 percent of consumers find it useful.
  • Business-to-business companies with blogs generate 67 percent more leads per month on average.
  • Interesting content is one of the main reasons people follow brands on social media, which reach eight out of 10 people who are on the Web and account for 23 percent of all time spent online.

Well developed, researched and created content that can expand a brand’s reach and hit the target audience is more essential than ever to a business. It’s why more are embracing content marketing as a strategy.

Writing for people on the move 0

Writing content for the mobile user comes down to a few key points: keep it lean, focus on simple, emphasize organization, make it effective.

mobilecontentMore than 1.2 billion people access articles, images and video through mobile devices. This makes content, such as written and researched articles, in great demand as a marketing tool, but guidelines to follow are also in order. What works for the desktop screen can be too wordy and cumbersome for a smartphone or tablet.

Organization is essential when it comes to writing content appearing on mobile device screens. The most essential information, the main points, goes on the first screen.

Users don’t want to spend time on filler, the in-depth background for people with more time on their hands but not to those with shorter attention spans. Defer this secondary content to the next screens.

This is content for people on the move, so it’s best to bear that in mind. Keep it lean and simple, organized and effective for mobile.

Study: Smartphones an essential tool for shoppers 0

If you’re a smart shopper, you’re likely using a smartphone to do this.

A recent survey of smartphone users finds that a majority of users believe the mobile device is essential when it comes to the shopping experience. Framingham, Mass.-based IDC’s research done during last year’s holiday shopping season reveals that 70 percent plan to use their smartphone more to help their shopping experience in 2014, while 69 percent say their smartphone is critical to a better shopping experience.

They’re researching deals, checking prices and reviews, and exchanging information on social media.

They’re also posing challenges to retailers trying to stay ahead of the digital wave. According to IDC, online retailers are capturing a larger share of the market from smartphone shoppers.

Online giants Amazon, eBay and Groupon attract the most shoppers, far more so than bricks-and-mortar retailers like Walmart and Target. And, according to the IDC, one in five smartphone users shoppers buy from a competitor while in the store they’re shopping in.

Read IDC’s infographic here for more

Facebook Paper’s content marketing potential 0

Facebook Paper looms as a game changer for content marketers.

The social media giant’s recently launched media delivery app puts an emphasis on quality images and solid content for the user. Users can select sections featuring content created from news sources for their optimal and personalized media experience.

They’ll look for unique and compelling images, attention-grabbing headlines and blog postings that feature original, well-written and researched material.

This poses a challenge to companies when it comes to creating the brand content that Paper users will be drawn to.

Business2community.com has a few tips for those that want to create high-impact content for Facebook’s Paper:

  • It’s okay to write longer content.
  • More words are effective.
  • Use better, higher quality photos.

You can read more about this here.

Samsung’s marketing money well spent at Oscars 0

How much is Samsung willing to commit to overcome Apple in smartphone sales? According to the Wall Street Journal, a lot.

The Korean electronics manufacturer spent an estimated $20 million on ads during the Academy Awards ceremonies Sunday. But the company’s biggest promotional coup came from Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres during the show itself.

It was with a Galaxy Note 3 that DeGeneres took the “selfie” seen round the world. The smartphone-generated photo of DeGeneres with Hollywood A-list talent is the most shared item on Twitter ever. It was retweeted nearly 3 million times since Sunday night.

Samsung ensured its product placement during the Oscars, according to the Journal, going so far as plugging its product during the red carpet entrance. ABC, the network broadcasting the Oscars, ran a clip of six aspiring filmmakers, equipped with Samsung devices, touring Disney Studios.

The lengths that Samsung went for marketing visibility – high-profile product placement supplementing its ad buy – is indicative of the steps companies are willing to take to promote its product.

Urturn users crash the Oscar ‘selfie’ party 0

Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres broke new ground in social media when her star-studded smartphone “selfie” at Sunday’s ceremonies became the most retweeted item on Twitter ever.

Now, there’s an app that puts you in the picture.

Members of Urturn, which calls itself “a social platform for self-expression,” are joining the party by plugging their own selfies into the Oscars night image and sharing the results on urturn.com’s “My Best Celebrity Selfie Ever” page as well as to Facebook and Twitter.

While Urturn’s followers can only hope to duplicate DeGeneres’ Twitter results – it was retweeted more than 1 million times since Sunday night, crashing Twitter in the process — it’s all an exercise in fun for the users of the site.

Urturn’s app is downloadable for iOS.