The growing popularity of ad-free social networks has shown the public’s weariness of Facebook ads. How can marketers create content on Facebook that’s still engaging and effective? While Facebook is still the nation’s most popular social network, it’s no longer the central hub for all social media interaction online. Investment bank Piper Jaffray surveyed more… Continue reading What Facebook’s Decline in Popularity Means for Content Marketers
Year: 2014
Do Companies Make the Most of Their Employer Brand?
Branding goes beyond messaging and includes a company’s products and services as well. The same goes for employer branding. Does YouTube accept video applications? Do Glassdoor employees rate their experiences on Glassdoor? Can you drop your resumé into a Dropbox to apply for their jobs? Can you apply for a job at Twitter with a… Continue reading Do Companies Make the Most of Their Employer Brand?
Marketing to “Generation Me”
The 80s may have been the “Me Decade,” but Millennials are clearly the “Me Generation.” This group, and Generation Z behind them, has unique views on popularity, celebrity, and privacy. These perspectives are sharply illustrated in Matthew Frost’s “Aspirational,” starring Kirsten Dunst. The two-and-a-half-minute film gives a critical but honest look at how Millennials think… Continue reading Marketing to “Generation Me”
3 Things NOT to Say with Your Employer Branding
I’m ready to retire some employer branding clichés. I’ve given presentations and written articles on best practices for employer branding. But it’s also helpful to look at this important recruiting strategy from the other direction, to see what “worst practices” to avoid. If you’re using or considering any of these techniques to improve your recruiting,… Continue reading 3 Things NOT to Say with Your Employer Branding
Social Media PR Disasters: When Silence is More Social
While it’s important for brands to stay timely and topical on social media, that doesn’t mean they have to mention every national holiday or event. Here are three brands that failed to understand when silence can be golden. Yoga studio uses Sept. 11 to promote a discount The incident: September 11 is a difficult day… Continue reading Social Media PR Disasters: When Silence is More Social
3 Reasons Snapchat Is Better Than Facebook for Marketers
Marketers spend millions of dollars on Facebook, the country’s largest social network. But a little-known messaging service, Snapchat, has been quietly adding new features, passionate users, and forward-thinking brands, and is now poised as a more cost-effective platform than its giant rival. Here’s how Snapchat might actually be better than Facebook at engaging customers, fans,… Continue reading 3 Reasons Snapchat Is Better Than Facebook for Marketers
Employee Engagement Games
I’ve been talking about the value of gamification for over a year now. Adding game elements can help in all aspects of HR: Motivating employees, onboarding new hires, increasing referrals, improving wellness, and finding the best job candidates. Still not convinced? Here are some of the latest, most ingenious ways organizations are using gaming to engages… Continue reading Employee Engagement Games
Why the US Coast Guard is a Social Media Recruiting Superstar
According to the Social Recruitment Monitor, the US Coast Guard has the top recruiting page in all of Facebook. Last week, with just eight posts, the USCG attracted almost 800 comments and spurred 1,600 shares. The Monitor also rates the Coast Guard as the #10 recruiter on YouTube, with 46 videos and more than 314,000… Continue reading Why the US Coast Guard is a Social Media Recruiting Superstar
Responding to the Latest Design Trends
Websites. PowerPoints. Banner ads. We think we know how they’re supposed to look and what they’re supposed to do. But just like technology, design is marching on and changing the way we consume content. Our creative team has mastered the latest trends and can share the most important ones with you. Responsive Design People are… Continue reading Responding to the Latest Design Trends
How Careers Websites Have Evolved — And Are Still Evolving
The idea of a discrete website solely for recruiting goes back only about 15 years, but a lot of innovation has taken place in that time. By making their own advances and following the latest technology, smart recruiters have created compelling destinations for job-seekers. Here’s a quick look at how careers websites have evolved and… Continue reading How Careers Websites Have Evolved — And Are Still Evolving
Best Practices for Engaging Fans on Pinterest and Instagram
You want to move beyond posting words to your social media followers…but you’re not quite ready to produce videos. That means it’s time to get involved in visual social content, which includes photos, images, and infographics. This kind of content is very compelling and shareable, and will open up your online marketing, branding, or recruiting… Continue reading Best Practices for Engaging Fans on Pinterest and Instagram
Aiming at Generation Y? You May Miss Generation Z
Many experts have examined the challenges of marketing to and recruiting Millennials, or Generation Y; people born between about 1981 and 1998. But coming right behind them is Generation Z — and they have the capacity to turn decades of strategy upside-down. For years, professionals in marketing, branding, and recruiting have used to Facebook to… Continue reading Aiming at Generation Y? You May Miss Generation Z
Is Radio Dead? Marketers Changing Media Mix
Nothing can bring about more bad karma than squashing the hopes of the hopeful. That’s why I kept my mouth closed when a friend ebulliently shared his excitement about his new opportunity with a popular major market radio station. Just kidding. I actually said “Radio? Do people still listen to radio?” With Playlists, Grooveshark, Pandora,… Continue reading Is Radio Dead? Marketers Changing Media Mix
Nothing Engages Audiences Like Video Content
Integrated marketing success hinges on having a great website. And consistent, relevant social media. And consumable content across responsive media. But the crucial element to bringing it all to life is video. Validated in the latest surveys and best-practice case studies, it’s evident that video is truly changing the way we brand, market, inspire, and… Continue reading Nothing Engages Audiences Like Video Content
How a Company You Never Heard of Gained More Followers Than Disney
Park Place Career has the distinction of being the most popular careers account on all of Twitter. Its 106,000 followers exceeds its nearest competitor, The Walt Disney Company by 27,000 followers. How does the Dallas-area car dealership franchise do it? #TeamFollowBack One way to get 106,000 followers? Follow 107,000 people. It may not be “cool”… Continue reading How a Company You Never Heard of Gained More Followers Than Disney
Mobile is the Future of…Everything
Mobile really is the future of the internet. A survey by InMobi finds that Americans and Britons consume 70 minutes of online content via their desktop or laptop, but 134 minutes via their tablet device and phone combined. In addition, mobile devices have impacted marketing, recruiting, and even employee communications. Here are the latest trends.… Continue reading Mobile is the Future of…Everything
Employer Branding Beats Consumer Branding For Young Job-Seekers
Two studies recently came out that provide interesting perspectives on how a brand is viewed by the general public and by young workers looking to start their careers. These surveys illustrate both the connection and disconnection between branding and employer branding. The first study was conducted by CoreBrand, which annually surveys more than 10,000 business decision-makers… Continue reading Employer Branding Beats Consumer Branding For Young Job-Seekers
Social Media PR Disasters: Think Before You Post
A raft of small-scale disasters have shaken social media over the past few days, and they all have one thing in common: poor judgment. There’s something about the immediacy and brevity of Twitter and Instagram that leads brands to post with little thought to the consequences. Learn from their recent mistakes. Adam Richman bites off… Continue reading Social Media PR Disasters: Think Before You Post
Employer Branding Global Trends and Surveys
Employer Brand International just released its 2014 Employer Branding Global Trends Study Report, a survey of more than 1,100 leaders from around the world. The goal was to discover how their organizations use employer branding to attract, engage, and retain talent talent, and their plans for their employer brand’s future. Here are the survey’s most… Continue reading Employer Branding Global Trends and Surveys
Branding Lessons from Cannes Lions
Don’t speak French? Expired passport? No six-figure travel budget? Don’t worry, even if you’re a nobody, a non-profit, or an underfunded start-up, you can still take away some key lessons in branding and marketing from the winners of the 2014 Cannes Lions. Coca-Cola increases the happiness of a whole country. The people behind Coke’s Peruvian… Continue reading Branding Lessons from Cannes Lions
The Latest and Best in Social Media Brand Voices
Adding social media to your communications can be liberating, since you can easily share photos, videos, and infographics. But it can also be limiting, since Twitter only allows for 140 characters, and Instagram and Vine have strict time restraints for videos. Last week, I showed you how to create a compelling brand voice, uniting your… Continue reading The Latest and Best in Social Media Brand Voices
5 Steps to a Consistent, Compelling Brand Voice
How can you effectively communicate with internal and external audiences? How do you communicate after a complete corporate rebranding? How do you train the leadership, the marketing department, and internal communications to present a united front? The answer to the questions lies in your brand voice. Your brand voice is the tone of your communications,… Continue reading 5 Steps to a Consistent, Compelling Brand Voice
Making Customer Experience Your Competitive Advantage
I facilitate customer experience (CX) focus groups for organizations all around the country. When I ask people to share stories about their most memorable customer experiences, the same names keep coming up. What do these brands know that others don’t? How can marketers tap into customer experience as a part of branding — and how… Continue reading Making Customer Experience Your Competitive Advantage
Social Recruitment Engagement – How do You Measure Success?
Last week, I highlighted some of my favorite social media recruiting tools that help you reach and engage your ideal candidates. But how do you measure that “reach” and “engagement”? Which metrics mean success in terms of finding high-quality hires and justifying your spend? This week, I help you find the ROI of social recruiting.… Continue reading Social Recruitment Engagement – How do You Measure Success?
The Latest and Greatest Social Media Tools for Recruiting
Recently, I showed you how Jobvite’s latest survey revealed that recruiting via social media is increasing. 10% of respondents said they found their “favorite or best” job through Facebook; 6% found it through LinkedIn and 5% through Twitter. As for recruiters, 94% of them are on LinkedIn and 65% are active on Facebook — and,… Continue reading The Latest and Greatest Social Media Tools for Recruiting
Why Oreo is a Social Media Superstar
I’m always looking for brands that are doing exciting, unconventional things on social media, whether in marketing, branding, or recruiting, and designated them “Superstars.” Past honorees have included Chitpotle and State Farm. Today, I’m recognizing a brand whose every piece of content is injected with fun and whimsy: Oreo. Everyone knows they won a Clio and… Continue reading Why Oreo is a Social Media Superstar
Connecting the Dots from Culture to Talent Management
Every organization has values. Curating the stories about the behaviors and decisions that employees make, based on company values, is also part of employer branding. The HR department and, in particular, its internal communications component, shapes those stories. What does it mean to be a values-based organization — and why should you strive for it?… Continue reading Connecting the Dots from Culture to Talent Management
Inside the Agency Secrets: Integrated Content Marketing
With content-on-demand, the disappearance of prime time, and fragmented audiences accessing information from phones, phablets, and glasses (to name a few), it takes a holistic marketing approach to reach and disrupt in today’s world. The best campaigns are those that find the balance between scintillating content and 360 marketing. Today, we bring you behind the curtain… Continue reading Inside the Agency Secrets: Integrated Content Marketing
Branding – The Holy Grail of ROI
You might expect a bias towards branding over marketing from an agency named Brandemix, but we believe they’re all connected. That said, there’s a definite hierarchy. It’s simple: marketing and recruiting would be almost impossible without branding. There’s an old joke that marketing is like a man approaching a woman in a bar and saying, “I… Continue reading Branding – The Holy Grail of ROI
An Internal Communications Guidebook Will Save Your Culture
Internal communications can be challenging for large organizations. It’s sometimes difficult to speak with one voice and reflect the organization’s mission, vision, and values when corporate communications are created by many different people, sometimes in locations scattered around the world. Internal communications reinforce the business strategy to all employees, enhancing and reflecting the culture, so… Continue reading An Internal Communications Guidebook Will Save Your Culture
Social Media PR Disaster: Black Milk Clothing Breaks a Commandment
Every so often, a brand botches a social media interaction. Sometimes their response to that mistake is even worse. When that happens, it becomes one of Brandemix’s official Social Media PR Disasters, and provides a valuable lesson for the rest of us. The Brand Black Milk Clothing 629,000 Facebook likes 42,100 Twitter followers 869,000 Instagram… Continue reading Social Media PR Disaster: Black Milk Clothing Breaks a Commandment
Why Chipotle Careers is a Social Media Recruiting Superstar
Jobvite just released its 2014 Job-Seeker Survey, speaking to more than 2,000 people both in and out of the workforce. It found that social recruiting is on the rise: 85% of job-seekers are active on Facebook and 40% are active on Twitter. LinkedIn came in at just 36%, meaning that smart companies have to look… Continue reading Why Chipotle Careers is a Social Media Recruiting Superstar
How 25 Years of the Internet Has Re-Shaped HR
The internet is celebrating its 25th birthday this week. 1989 was also the year the Berlin Wall came down, protests rocked China’s Tiananmen Square, “The Simpsons” debuted on TV…and HR was changed forever. The internet has transformed employer branding, internal communications, and talent acquisition in ways we hardly imagined in 1989. Many of the changes —… Continue reading How 25 Years of the Internet Has Re-Shaped HR
Social Media Lessons from the Oscars
You’ve already heard about the Coke logo snafu, but the 2014 Academy Awards provided other useful social media lessons for those of us in the branding, marketing, or recruiting fields. From the meticulously planned to the completely unexpected, a few Oscar moments had enormous effects on Twitter, driven by brands and the public. Planned Product… Continue reading Social Media Lessons from the Oscars
How to Avoid a Social Media PR Disaster
Since 2011, I’ve covered social media PR disasters. It’s surprising how many big brands, with decades of competent public relations, have stumbled in the new world of two-way online communications — whether it’s allowing customers to make their own satirical commercials or driving a musician to write three songs of revenge. In each case, I’ve… Continue reading How to Avoid a Social Media PR Disaster
New Social Media Channels: How Can Your Brand Use Them?
Just when you think the world has enough social networks, another emerges that changes the entire landscape: Facebook supplanted MySpace. Google launched Google Plus. Foursquare became more like Yelp. And visual sharing evolved from Instagram to Pinterest to Snapchat. More social channels are on the horizon. While they all aim to be fun and useful,… Continue reading New Social Media Channels: How Can Your Brand Use Them?
How Augmented Reality Will Change Mobile Marketing and Recruiting
I’ve written a lot about the future of marketing and recruiting, from gamification to short-form videos. But there’s one development that I think will truly revolutionize communication: augmented reality. Many mobile devices now have apps, made by various third parties, that “augment” reality by superimposing images, animations, or data on top of a “normal” view.… Continue reading How Augmented Reality Will Change Mobile Marketing and Recruiting
Social Recruiting: Too Important for Interns
Earlier this month, I advised organizations on adding social media to their 2014 talent acquisition efforts. Since then, I’ve heard from many organizations who told me, “We’ve assigned our intern to handle that.” I think that’s a mistake. Here’s why. Social media is “social” because of the interaction between the poster and the audience. In… Continue reading Social Recruiting: Too Important for Interns
Winning the Competition for Content Marketing
According to a study by KPCB, the amount of content that people are sharing globally is around two trillion gigabytes. So, whether you’re a content marketer or a social media recruiter, you’re up against a lot of competition. What sort of content should you create? And where should you post it to have the best… Continue reading Winning the Competition for Content Marketing