Generating new and exciting content is essential to any social media strategy, but it’s no small feat. Brands spend a good chunk of their marketing budget on copywriters, agencies and influencers to build a library of rich, dynamic content that captures and captivates their audience’s attention. At Hilton, we’ve built a similar tribe of content […]

It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If this is true—and even this writer, editor and lifelong lover of long-form prose is squarely in the camp of believers—then you could argue that video and other multimedia content are worth millions. This is especially the case in the very crowded brand journalism […]

If I had to pick one thought to summarize this week’s sold-out Social Shake-Up Show, it would be this: The lines between content and marketing are blurring so rapidly, the phrase “content marketing” is starting to become redundant. Words such as authenticity, experiential, immersive and storytelling were heard often during panel sessions and networking breaks […]

In just a few weeks, hundreds of social media-savvy professionals will descend upon the W Atlanta-Midtown hotel for The Social Shake-Up Show. Three years ago, I road-tripped to the Shake-Up, and although I recall that each session I attended was valuable, it was my direct interaction—or lack thereof—with three attendees that altered the course of […]

Instagram now has over 1 billion monthly active users, making it the fastest growing social media platform of the moment. Given that swelling volume of activity, the marketing opportunities on Instagram abound, so your brand needs to put its best foot forward. Making the most of your brand’s presence on the platform all starts with […]

A salesperson, a PR manager and a marketer walk into a bar…or so your bottom line wishes. As organizations finally recognize that social media is beyond just another “do we really need this?” marketing channel and proving to be a true catalyst for transformation, a new set of challenges is arising from (or perhaps made more […]

What enables some customer communities to be financially productive while others remain a cost center? In the latest research study conducted by my firm Leader Networks, “The Business Impact of Online Communities,” we found that almost half (49%) of community leaders report revenue gains from their online community. This is an exciting proof-point but it […]

Rob Rakowitz, the global director of media at Mars, has done some compelling content marketing for varied consumer brands like Snickers, the cat food Whiskas and Uncle Ben’s. So what can the man from Mars tell us about his content marketing strategy? Well, among other things, “keep it simple.” In his view, the more you […]

Social media sites are popular targets when it comes to hacking. LinkedIn was targeted last year, with details of over 100 million users put up for sale on the dark web. Even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had his accounts compromised. In fact, almost two-thirds of U.S. adults believe their social media accounts have been hacked, […]

Data-driven marketing is not just a buzz term, it’s a real business need for those who want to stay competitive. Closed-loop attribution is still the elusive Holy Grail that each marketer dreams to achieve. But data analysis requires human intervention and it’s easy to mistakenly select metrics that are not delivering the full picture or are […]