If You Think Your Audience Is an Algorithm, You’re Doing it Wrong

Google-Hummingbird-Algorithm-Update2One of the first things I learned in journalism school, and later honed in my PR career, was the concept of knowing one’s audience. For example, when writing for the general “newspaper-reading” public, you need to make sure your text is crafted at no more than an eleventh-grade reading level. And while writing an article in a journalism class, if you throw-in a bunch of heavy-duty words, you’ll get crucified by the professor. In the business world, if you don’t understand your audience, you can develop marketing material that goes over your audience’s collective head, or worse, insults them. Remember, your audience comprises people who you want to educate, connect with, and persuade.Read More

Crank-Up the Content in ‘14

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Saw my first “perfect gift for Dad” holiday commercial this week.  For the man who has everything, you can buy “super-grip” pliers that serve a multitude of macho functions including, this was my favorite, “safely hold materials when you weld and grind.”  Does it get manlier than that?

I figure if they can start advertising the holiday season before Thanksgiving (and, alas, even before Halloween), then we can begin discussing marketing for 2014 now.  Here are a few things to think about as you plan for ‘14:Read More