April 18, 2013 in Content Marketing, Marketing, Media Relations, Public Relations by Mike Drago
RANT: Vague Language is the Scourge of Marketing and Public Relations

shutterstock_121137493“We the human capital of the United States, in order to facilitate a cutting-edge, best-of-breed convergence of revenue-generating entities, actualize Justice, insure scalable domestic Tranquility, provide for the interdependent interfacing of defensive capabilities, promote mutually beneficial functionality in the North American market space, and secure the Blessings of harmonized, re-engineered culture to ourselves and our Posterity, do conceptualize and cultivate this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Let us bow our heads and give thanks that Gouverneur Morris, the Founding Father credited with writing the preamble to the United States Constitution, was a far better writer than many of today’s marketers. Otherwise, millions upon millions of children would never have been able to memorize the preamble in grade school – much less understand it – and the Union might never had held together.

A Confession and a Theory

I have a confession: Vague language drives me bonkers. And ever since I made the jump to Internet marketing firms after a long career in newspapers, I have puzzled on this question: Why is so much business writing mind-numbingly obtuse? I developed an armchair theory. Vague language is high art in business because a negotiation is a courtship of adversaries, and ambiguity is necessary to avoid driving off the other party before you have time to draw him in. We marketers have simply gotten lazy and adopted it.

Continue Reading

 
2
March 5, 2013 in Content Marketing, Marketing by Mike Drago
ADVICE: In Marketing and Movies, Audience Engagement Is the Goal

shutterstock_127731035My favorite part of John Hughes’ buddy comedy “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” comes when the Steve Martin character finally reaches his wits’ end with the annoyingly chatty travel companion played by John Candy. Not only is the scene an example of great writing, but it also offers valuable reminders about great writing that our Dallas marketing firm applies as it works to engage audiences.

In the scene, the Martin character, Neal Page, berates hapless Del Griffith for his “boring stories” about himself, full of pointless and irrelevant anecdotes. “Didn’t you notice on the plane when you started talking, eventually I started reading the vomit bag?” Neal screams. “Didn’t that give you some sort of clue, like maybe this guy is not enjoying it? Y’know, not everything is an anecdote. You have to discriminate! You choose things that are funny or mildly amusing! You’re a miracle! Your stories have none of that! They’re not even amusing accidentally!”

Then comes the final, humiliating kick in the gut for poor Del: “And, you know, when you’re telling these little stories, here’s a good idea: Have a point! It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!”

Continue Reading

 
0
February 15, 2013 in Content Marketing, Marketing, Media Orchard, Social Media Marketing by Scott Baradell
ADVICE: Don’t Be a Digital Sharecropper

Digital Sharecroppers Inbound MarketingSince Media Orchard has evolved over the years from my personal blog into a forum representing our agency as a whole, I decided last month to start a second blog, “Media Orchard Too,” where I could rant and rave with relative impunity.

My latest rants are on the subject of “digital sharecropping” — the practice of focusing your online marketing efforts on third-party social media sites rather than your own web presence.

While folks from the traditional advertising world might characterize this third-party focus as simply the latest iteration of media buying, that comparison doesn’t hold up very well when it comes to content-based marketing. The better comparison is to 19th-century subsistence farmers from Mississippi — and you don’t want to be like them, do you? You can learn more here.

 
0
February 1, 2013 in Content Marketing, Marketing by Clay Zeigler
HEADS UP: Idea Grove’s Scott Baradell to Speak on Audience-Building at PRSA Program

Scott Baradell 1Idea Grove President Scott Baradell will discuss how to build and engage online audiences during an upcoming professional development program of the PRSA’s Greater Fort Worth chapter. Audience-building has been key to making Idea Grove a leading player among Dallas marketing firms.

In promising to discuss practical ways to build and engage online audiences that convert, Scott asks, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, does it make a sound?  What about your blog, social media postings and other content — is it being heard?  If you are not systematically building an audience of subscribers and customers, your program is likely not helping you meet your organization’s marketing objectives.”

The program is set for Wednesday, February 13, at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.  The morning program begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. Further details are at www.fortworthprsa.org.

Continue Reading

 
0
January 21, 2013 in Content Marketing, Marketing by Mike Drago
RANT: Let’s Get Rid of ‘Content Marketing’

contentchalkboardWhat am I doing? I’ve been asked the question dozens of times since I made the jump to our Dallas marketing firm from a 20-some-year career reporting and editing for major news outlets. (Yes, I was the MSM, and I swear there is no such thing as a media conspiracy.) Now I work in content marketing, which is not a new concept; and nine out of 10 companies are doing it in some form. But after winding through explanations of content marketing with neighbors, family members and business contacts, I’ve concluded that what we do is not well understood. I think content marketing needs a better name.

Like a lot of business terms, content marketing can glaze a listener’s eyes. Rather than enlighten and inform, the name obscures. Not “marketing,” so much. Everyone understands marketing, more or less. No, I’ve decided, the problem is content. The word in and of itself is, well, boring and vague. I hated the word when the newsroom adopted it years ago to mean “news delivered by any means.” I hate it even more now, because I think it devalues the work Internet marketing firms do for clients and their noble goal of developing closer relationships with their customers and prospects.

Continue Reading

 
1