5 Dumb Design Mistakes That Crush Copy (And How to Fix Them)

Great piece by Pamela Wilson from one of our favorite sites, www.copyblogger. Content is king, but it has to be in context and in a well designed environment. Read more here in this fun and very constructive piece.

The 4 Pillars of Online Marketing Success

The smart people at copyblogger.com, a blog we read every day and recommend have come up a great read. The article covers 4 simple points to consider to maximize your chances of marketing success online. I know you may have seen and read them before, but the question is - Are you continuing to do them? ...and a picture of Bob Dylan? Because he is a VERY smart guy and we love Dylan! Read it here

Content Needs a Strategy

A good, to the point, piece about content strategy by Kristina Knight at BizReport.com on the need to ensure your content has a strategy. IMO, it's gaining acceptance that greater planning is required, but we have a ways to go before marketing departments start with content strategy, rather than the sexier ad creation and hanging out with the madmen!
Kristina says "It always comes back to the strategy behind the content. Before launching a new content widget, social fan page or updating email formats think about what you want the content or buzz to do for the brand" Read more here

Why Content Marketing Matters More Than Ever

Reading the blogs last night we came across this short, but thoughtful piece by David Dodd on Content Marketing and its relevance in todays market. You can read it here

5 Steps to Building Social Experiences

There are more and more articles being written about social media and the "content experience". We are avid readers of this information and whenever we come across an outstanding piece about content, social networking and custom content we will share it with you. Here's a terrific piece by Erin Malone who concludes that there is a great deal more to it than just posting any old nonsense up on twiiter and facebook and expecting solid measurable results. It requires first class thought, strategy, planning and execution. You can read it here.

A New Content Experience is Coming

A great piece by Peter Kafka on website, All Things Digital about impending content on the iPAD. It remains a mystery why in the excellent video the Creative Director is so damn miserable! You can read it here. The iPAD won't run Flash, so Adobe's involvement is another mystery in the development until the product actually comes out.

Walt Mossberg on the iPAD

Here is a terrific discussion featuring Walt Mossberg, the most believable tech guru in the marketplace. It's a 20 minute piece on The Charlie Rose Show and is worth the time to watch and listen to the prognostications. See it here. What all the panelists agree on is how important content is to success of the product.

Content Strategy and why you need it...now

Content Strategy is fast becoming the watchword for all things related to the words and pictures created by marketers. In a professional context it describes the roles, work products, knowledge, methodology, and perspectives of content strategists. Okay, that's the theory, but what does it all mean?

As more and more delivery methods become available, companies need to know which are appropriate delivery channels for their messaging. These messages could be communicated through print ads, the old fashioned 30 second spot, blog, facebook entry, tweet or many, many others. With the advent of the personal communication device in your pocket, just what does a company do to break through the clutter and get their message through to the consumer so that the consumer takes action.

At MacDuff we produce high quality content for companies. As our business grows we are increasingly being asked by our clients how to get the messages delivered effectively? What is the best format? How do you measure the results? Do we need multiple messages across different platforms? All great questions and just a sample of the number of questions that comprise the new discipline of Content Strategy. The content is critical, but so is the strategy that will allow this content to achieve its goals.

iPAD v. Kindle. No Contest

This is going to get ugly for Amazon and quickly. I mean, look at these two pieces of hardwear. Is there anyone on the planet who prefers the one at the top of the page. White plastic with a black and white screen or a slick black and silver beauty with a color screen, mmm let me think about that. And the Apple iPAD is only $200 more with full web access and 140,000 plus apps to choose from.
It wasn't long ago that the Kindle looked cool - that was before Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive, Apple's Chief Designer, delivered the iPAD to the world. Get ready for the media and public scrum outside of every Apple Retail store across the world in 50 days.

The question all companies should be asking themselves now? What content should we be producing that works on iPAD and the copycat tablets that will follow. Strategy my friends, content strategy. Without one you are just blogging, tweeting and facebooking into cyberspace. More to follow tomorrow

Success in Content Marketing - A Great Top 10

Much has been written on this subject and at MacDuff we are now more involved than ever in these strategic conversations as companies start planning their content strategy, much as they plan their ad campaign. This is a terrific piece by Adam Singer from his Content Marketing Blog. Read more here.

The Show

It's that time of the year again. The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is only a few days away. I have been going to O Town for "The Show" since 1988 and that's a mighty long time to be going to anything or anywhere! Once again we will be inundated with crazy golf widgets, golf ball cleaners, mad training aids and all manner of other paraphernalia that real golfers wouldn't be seen dead with. Still, that's part of the fun of The Show.
It's a time for a good solid pair of shoes to walk the 8 miles of aisles and pace yourself for the meeting frenzy. 2010 is going to be an interesting year in the golf world and The Show provides plenty of opportunities to talk about the business prospects for the year. Let's hope 2010 is the year the golf business finally wakes up and recognizes that content marketing really is a legitimate part of the 21st Century Marketing Mix.

Best iPhone apps - More Customized Content

Most people have apps on their phone, be it an iPhone or one of the other "not quite as good as an IPhone" phones! The next generation of apps is coming for computers, TVs, even for those weird electronic picture frames. Really, I'm ok just having a frame with one picture in it.

Everyone’s iPhone is customizable - you put on what you want to use and take off what you don't. Genius that Steve Jobs. Here are my top 5 aps for January.

1. BBC News - the news as it really is. No Fox misinterpretation, no Hollywood entertainment. Just the news. Simple
2. Shazam - hear a song, but don't know what it is - hold your iPhone to the speaker and through the miracle of all those 0s and 1s it tells you - 99.9% of the time - is hasn't worked out classical music yet?
3. Starbucks - I know there is one around here somewhere. Just open the ap and little green pins appear everywhere. Don't do this in Manhattan or the entire island will turn green!
4. Yowza - this is terrific! It works out where you are and provides a list of stores with special offers so you can finally forget about leaving your coupons at home and still get a deal. The big names like Sears, Crate & Barrel and The Container Store are on the list.
5. CNBC RT - still the best in the business world and a great site for keeping up to date in real time with new and views on the global markets.

What all of these have in common is quality, whether it is the content or the engineering that works flawlessly. That's what it takes in the world of the Ap, where content is still king.

30 Content Marketing Truths

30 great content "truths" from friend and Content Guru, Joe Pulizzi at Junta 42




That the content is more important than the offer.
That a customer relationship doesn't end with the payment.
That printed marketing doesn't stop with the full-page advertisement.
That "being the content" is more important than "surrounding the content".
That interruption isn't valued, but engagement is.
That a blog can be and should be a core part of communicating with and marketing to your customers.
That internal marketing always takes precedence over external marketing.
That a brand is a relationship, not a tag line.
That focusing on what the customer wants is more important than what you have to sell.
That readers are old school, customers are new school.
That the competition can copy everything you have, except your brand. Communications is the differentiator.
That a news release isn't meant to be picked up by the press, but to help customers find your great content on the web.
That communicating directly with customers is the best choice.
That marketers can and should be publishers.
That today's traditional publishers are scared of marketers.
That without content, community is improbable, if not impossible.
That the marketing brochure should be stricken from all strategic marketing plans.
That content without design doesn't look appetizing (or deliver on marketing goals).
That lead generation is only one small part of the marketing picture.
That hiring an editor is not a want, but a must, for the organization.
That, no matter the medium or the provider, someone is always selling something.
That the long tail of search engine optimization is driven by consistent content on your corporate blog or website.
That 90% of all corporate websites talk about how great the company or product is and forgets about the customer.
That 90% of all corporate websites suck.
That the blogging community will be more important than traditional media (if not already).
That in the next five to seven years the majority of content consumers engage in will be corporate media (if not already).
That buyers are in control, the traditional sales process has changed, and that relevant content lets organizations into the buying process.
That long-form branded content can be created anywhere your customers work, live or play.
That the Chief Content Officer is the CMO of the future.
That customers want to be inspired. Be the inspiration!