Expert Marketing Blog - Page 71

I work in a very busy marketing agency.

Like mechanics who never fix their cars, we as marketers, are the last to market ourselves. As the owner and founder of Marketing Eye, I am the only person who makes time to ensure that our brand is somewhat visible and I do this in the most time efficient way possible.

In the background, my television was screening the news. I was half listening while typing away on my keyboard a hundred words per minute trying to finalize some last minute communications with my team.

Then I heard a voice. It was familiar. Manly. Strong. Thoughtful. Original.

I looked up.

We have all stumbled upon a myriad of marketing and social media latest phases and without hesitation either jumped in and had a go, or stood back and watched what our competitors have achieved before investing valuable cash and resources to the latest, hottest marketing platform.

In Atlanta, particularly, there is so much to consider when it comes to marketing but the reality is simple: content marketing driving sales through a better understanding of clients and prospects. I say, in Atlanta because every region is different and the demographics from one city in America to another is inherently different. Marketers that take the same course of action that they would in NY, LA or Chicago will find that their content marketing strategy is not effective and will not draw the results that your management team is looking for.

There has been one consistent marketing platform that has been more central to a marketing strategy in the past couple of years, than any other marketing activity bar social media.

Content Marketing

If you have been hearing this buzz word for some time, and haven't done anything about it, then you are in a minority. Unlike the phases of social media platforms and apps popping up into our strategies then quickly falling to the way-side, content marketing underpins all online marketing strategies, whether we like it or not.

Happy people are more successful, just ask Shawn Achor, the author of The Happiness Advantage.

"People who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of a challenge and in every area of your business, you will show improvement if your brain is positive" said Achor at a recent speech to 800 global entrepreneurs.

In fact, sales people who were happy outsell their less positive colleagues by more than 37 per cent and positive people in organisations are not only happier, they perform better and live longer, healthier lives.

As an ex-journalist, interviewing people of all backgrounds and walks of life is second nature to me. I've interviewed police officers, politicians and met the Prime Minister, but have never been asked to have a sit-down interview with my former news organisation's owner (who would be Rupert Murdoch himself - eep!).

Today, I'm on day two in the marketing industry and have been given the chance to pick the brain of Marketing Eye founder, Mellissah Smith – it’s a slightly daunting ask, especially when you consider that she was little older than I was when she first branched out and went solo in her first agency.

“I’ve been in marketing for 20-odd years and was 25 when I started my first agency – what inspired me to start was an account opportunity falling in my lap,” Mellissah said.