Writing like this.
The sort of thing that keeps us in business
January 23rd, 2012, Posted by Lee
What *is* content marketing anyway?
January 23rd, 2012, Posted by Lisa
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is something most marketers have done for years without ever knowing that it had a name. I don’t remember learning about it in journalism school, yet I’ve provided content marketing to my clients since my first day at my first marketing job. The only difference is that now, I’m sharing it online.
Content marketing is defined as “using informative or entertaining content to attract and retain customers and position your business as a trusted resource in your industry.”
Instead of aggressive and persistent outgoing messages designed to attract attention, content marketing provides useful information that can be quietly appreciated and uniquely valued by clients and prospects alike. The sales message from you is subtle—almost to the point of subliminal.
If you’ve ever read your alma mater’s alumni magazine, you’ve read content marketing. If you have spoken at a Chamber of Commerce or other networking event, you’ve provided content marketing. Recipes on the back of cans from food companies, realtor articles in the local paper, customer newsletters – these are all considered content marketing.
The bottom line is that content marketing is never a direct sales pitch. “Content marketing is engaging with your community around an idea instead of a product. What it is is to try to serve the community first, and sharing information, ideas and experiences that benefit others without directly asking for anything in return. What it isn’t is just a veil in front of a sales pitch,” says Dan Blank of We Grow Media.
Here are some examples of content marketing you may already be doing:
- Free workshops, seminars or webinars
- A regular newsletter that educates (not sells)
- A well-written, regularly updated blog
- A customer newsletter or magazine that educates – not sells
- Articles you write for trade magazines or journals
- Video tutorials
- Detailed case studies
- White papers
Share valuable info on your website, social sites and blog, and you will be employing a great age-old marketing tool that also helps to educate consumers on the products and services you sell (and they need). As long as your content gives them something they need or want for free, they will likely seek out and share your future content marketing because you have demonstrated trust, authority, and influence.
Does your little one have a digital trust fund?
December 22nd, 2011, Posted by Emily
Hmmm. A digital trust fund. Is that like Monopoly money? Didn’t we get better checks and balances on our financial systems recently, you ask?
A digital trust fund is not monetary. To the contrary, it takes little more than your time to set up. It’s a way to claim and safeguard certain accounts for your child; for instance their name as a Gmail address, domain, Twitter handle and personalized Facebook url.
I first heard this idea from Tess Vigeland on Marketplace Money. Here’s a link to the podcast if you’re interested.
When I mentioned the idea to our very own Amy Kramer, she confirmed that she had her childrens’ names as urls. Being the president of a digital marketing company, this came as no surprise. But then I started thinking about all the ways this made sense. It would be helpful to have these digital addresses in place to:
- beat out any other kids who could possibly have the same name as your child
- prevent anyone from posing as your child and ruining their reputation – especially if they want to be a politician when they grow up
- could potentially boost their SEO rankings due to their longstanding accounts
Will all this really matter in 12-15 years when your little bundle of joy is taking their first steps into the digital world? Here is where I start to think this could be a time waster. I love Facebook, but will it really be around for that long? I’m dubious. But I’ve also been wrong before. What do you think?
How to run a winning Facebook contest
December 21st, 2011, Posted by LisaA recent study by Exact Target showed that the main reason people “Like” a business’s Facebook Page is to get special offers and promotions.
Facebook contests offer many benefits. They can increase Likes and fan engagement on your page; secure relevant and targeted fans; add to your e-mail list; increase traffic on your website; and more. Is it time you held a Facebook contest? Here are some tips:
1. Plan ahead
Running an online contest takes planning. What are your social media goals? Do you want more fans or more engagement? Are you running a contest or a sweepstakes? Who will fulfill the prizes? Be sure to have a detailed plan before beginning any promotion.
2. Consider your target demographics
Do you want to microtarget your fans or not? If you’re strictly B2B, how can you ensure that you get businesspeople rather than stay-at-home moms to enter? (Offering an iPad is great, but everyone wants one.) Think ahead and target only the entrants you want.
3. Follow Facebook’s rules
We see promotions daily that are being run in violation of Facebook’s terms. Be sure to read and understand the rules here before beginning any type of promotion. Note that votes and entries can’t be made on the wall without a third-party app like the one we made for our client Hotel Amarano.
4. Promote, promote, promote
Just holding a contest doesn’t mean that droves of people will enter. You need to promote your contest via advertising and online posting as your budget permits. Unless you plan to give away loads of cash, you need to continue to spread the word throughout the contest.
5. Make it easy to enter
Scavenger hunts, point-accruing games, essay contests and other multistep contests are too hard and turn people away. Make it easy to enter and even easier to win, and you’ll get more participants. Of course, collecting emails must be part of the process.
6. Reward participation
Keep in mind that people are taking the time from their busy lives to help promote your company. Respond to all questions and comments and continue to engage with your community. Thank each entrant and perhaps even give a token gift for every entry. We saw bumper stickers (cost: under a buck) fly out the door for a contest we ran recently; for another, we gave every entrant a surprise discount code.
7. Follow up
Make sure prizes are awarded and sent in a timely manner. Ask the winner to send photos with the prize to share with your Page, and send out press or social media posts. Participants want to see that a real person won. Be sure to use the emails you collect from participants to send follow-up messaging.
If you want to get more qualified leads easily, and want to run a contest on Facebook to help, call us at 818-848-1700. We’ll help you do it right.
There’s no such thing as a free (plane) ride and other Facebook rumors
December 13th, 2011, Posted by LisaIt’s hard to believe that my Facebook friends–mostly college-educated–are so gullible. The same people that teach their children not to take candy from strangers are the very ones who are propagating the most ridiculous rumors on Facebook, without even checking their facts. Just to be clear:
1. Costco is not giving away $1000 gift certificates to all of their Facebook fans–or $100 ones. Nor are Cheesecake Factory or Walmart.
2. Facebook is NOT shutting down on March 15th. Probably not ever.
3. Southwest Airlines is NOT giving away two free air travel tickets to those who follow a special online link. The only thing you’ll get from that link is a virus and a headache.
Actually, about the only free thing you can get on Facebook right now is Facebook itself. (Hoax #4 solved-Facebook is not planning on charging a fee). That, and my sage advice: Don’t pass on links you know nothing about just because your neighbor’s second cousin posted it on his wall. Trying to take back a stupidly shared rumor is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. Messy and ultimately impossible.
Counterintuity wins 10th major award of 2011
November 18th, 2011, Posted by Lisa
Counterintuity LLC, a Burbank-based marketing, website design and social media company, has won yet another major industry award, this time from the Davey Awards. This brings to 10 the significant awards Counterintuity has won in 2011, including “California Small Business of the Year” for Assembly District 43 and 2011 Small Business Award from the United Chambers of Commerce, San Fernando Valley & Region.
Counterintuity was awarded a Davey Award in November for Transportation Website Design for www.BraggCrane.com, shortly after receiving three W3 awards, which were announced in October. The Davey Awards honors the finest creative work from the best small firms, agencies and companies worldwide.
The company won three W3 Awards: Both General Construction Website and Visual Appeal for www.BraggCrane.com; and Online Film and Video – Political/Commentary for “Where Will You Go?,” made for client “Yes on 21” Committee, Californians for State Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
The W3 Awards honors creative excellence on the Web, and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind award winning Websites, Web Video and Online Marketing programs. W3 is the first major Web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between.
“All of these awards highlight the out-of-the box thinking and creative execution that exemplify what Counterintuity is all about,” said Lee Wochner, Counterintuity’s CEO. “We are honored to be recognized for being at the forefront of our industry, pushing the limits in creativity and design.”
Both awards programs are judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 200+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Current IAVA membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including: Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Yahoo!, Estee Lauder, Wired, Insight Interactive, The Webby Awards, Bath & Body Works, Brandweek, Polo Ralph Lauren, ADWEEK, Alloy, Coach, iNDELIBLE, MTV, Victoria’s Secret, HBO, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Myspace.com, and many others. See www.iavisarts.org for more information.
Why fonts matter
November 9th, 2011, Posted by Lisa
Google+ has launched business pages!
November 8th, 2011, Posted by Lisa
Counterintuity's Google+ page
We wanted to be sure you knew that Google+ launched Business Pages yesterday. Here are some questions we thought you might have:
What does this mean?
Google now allows business and brands to join Google+, Google’s social network. Facebook has had business pages for a while and we were all waiting for Google to join the party.
Why should I care?
- This is Google, the king of search. Google+ will impact your search rankings. If not today, then probably tomorrow.
- Now you can tie in all of Google’s features – Google Places, Google Search, AdWords, YouTube… you get the picture.
- This is Google, the king of search.
How do I create mine?
Go here: https://plus.google.com/pages/create or call us at 818-848-1700.
Priorities
October 25th, 2011, Posted by LeeLast week, I was supposed to post here. But I didn’t.
I had even put a reminder into my schedule. There was even an alarm attached to that reminder. It went off on my laptop and on my iPhone. But I still didn’t write a post.
Now, we need posts written. As a social media firm, we know the impact that regular posting makes on traffic, on awareness, on SEO, and more. But I didn’t do it.
So why not?
Here’s one tip: over the past two weeks, we’ve notched record sales. We’ve gone after projects that we wanted, and we’ve booked them. So it looks like I was doing something else, something that had another quantifiable impact.
Yesterday at a private lunch meeting with board members of a foundation, our attorney confessed that he kept his old, limited, cellphone, and stayed away from Facebook and Twitter, because he was afraid of getting sucked in. I said, “What you’re really talking about is priorities. Focus will take you far. We tell clients all the time, ‘You don’t need to do everything. Decide what you want to achieve, and do what you need to do to accomplish that.’”
And that’s why, for the past week, even though they’re all useful tools, I’ve spent far more time with Salesforce than Facebook or WordPress. And why now, with last week’s priority achieved, I’m writing this blog post. Because like everyone else in business, we have objectives we’re working to meet, and my priorities have to flex to meet those objectives. It’s good to define your goals, and how you’re going to reach them. Focus takes you far.
And as for our attorney: He seriously needs an upgrade.
We’re on the awards path!
October 18th, 2011, Posted by LisaCounterintuity is proud to have added to our expanding trophy case with three new awards from W3, honoring creative excellence on the web, and recognizing the creative and marketing professionals behind award winning sites, marketing programs, and video work created for the web.
Less than 10% of all W3 entries (3,000 in all) were selected as Gold Winners, and we are thrilled to announce our website for Bragg Crane took home the gold in the construction category.
In determining winners, entries are judged based on a standard of excellence as determined by the IAVA, according to the category entered. To uphold a high standard of excellence, a category may have multiple winners, or may have no winners at all. Entries are scored on a ten point scale by the judges. Outstanding entries are are awarded Silver Winners, and we’re happy to claim two of these: Bragg Crane website for Visual Appeal, and our political satire video “Where Will You Go?” created for a 2010 state ballot initiative.
“This year’s W3 Winners demonstrate the out-of-the box thinking and creative execution that exemplifies what the Web is all about” said Linda Day, the Executive Director of the IAVA. “On behalf of the entire Academy, congratulations to this year’s W3 Award entrants and winners for their dedication to pushing the limits and finding new ways to raise the bar in Web Creativity.”
