Social media managers wear many hats. They serve as community managers, customer service support, marketers, data scientists and content creators, among many other roles. But content creation can be the toughest of all. Anyone who has put together an editorial content calendar for social media knows just how time-consuming and daunting it can be. “Is this post funny? Is it relevant? On brand? Is this image compelling enough to get someone to pause mid-scroll?” These are just a few of the thoughts that cross a…
Read MoreChances are, digital marketers reading any industry news in the last couple of months, are aware that data privacy is getting tighter – here in Virginia and around the world. On the heels of a recent AMA Richmond conversation, we wanted to share a couple of data privacy and marketing-related items that have us shaking in our cleats. Virginia adds data privacy law Surely GDPR is something you’ve heard about, and you’re probably popping aspirin daily for the headache it causes if your organization has…
Read More1. It gets right to the point. None of the tangential bombast or sentimentality that too often characterizes my blog openings. 2. The headline is intriguing. I mean, you couldn’t resist, and now it’s too late. 3. You like lists. They’re easy to read, digest and remember. 4. It’s topical. And we love tips. 5. It’s short. You don’t have time, and well, there are only five. While there’s a meta aspect to this post, it also conforms from what our data tells us about…
Read MoreJosh Dare is always about five years ahead of the times. He is also the “kinder, gentler” of the two founders of this agency. Ok, some background. As an agency The Hodges Partnership has always had nonprofit clients on its roster. Working with nonprofits is part of our DNA not only as an agency but as volunteers and board members. Josh has always led that charge. It was about six years ago that THP expanded it capabilities into content marketing. One successful project was the creating…
Read MoreI think I speak for most of the world when I say that COVID-19 kicked us into a realm of massive uncertainty, leaving control-freaks like me longing for the pre-pandemic halcyon days when things were, how do you say, normal. These days, owned content is one of the few places where you can still achieve complete and utter control. When it comes to developing original content, you’re in the driver’s seat. Chances are, if you have a content marketing strategy in place, you are already…
Read MoreThere’s no doubt that the global pandemic has caused a lot of our fellow marketing and public relations comrades to pivot from their planned strategies and tactics. In fact, what we’ve been seeing is an increased interest in remote marketing, even if it’s as simple as amping up digital efforts that may already be in place. As Jon points out in his post linked above, a lot of this involves refining and refreshing your digital marketing building blocks, including revisiting and updating your personas, cleaning…
Read MoreIn these virtual times, do you ever feel like you’re producing dozens of pieces of content, throwing them out there but getting nothing in return? If you’re not seeing a return on the time you’re investing, it’s possible you need to refine your digital marketing strategy. Consider hitting the pause button on your inbound content marketing strategy and starting back at Step 1: revisiting your marketing personas. What are personas? Marketing or buyer personas are semi-fictional representations of your ideal customer based on general demographic…
Read MoreSoliciting user-generated content has been an arrow in the content quivers of many marketing and PR teams. Previously, user-generated content had been used mainly as an activation tool to get audiences to engage with a brand on social and/or as a way for brands to fill their own content pipelines when creative resources were low. The rise of user-generated content in 2020 With the rise of COVID-19, we’ve seen a resurgence of user-generated content, but the impetus for the ask is much different than it…
Read MoreAs summer starts turning to fall, it is clear we’re heading into the long haul of the COVID-19 crisis for marketers. The summer allowed most to get used to working remotely, pivot their business models and gauge who their (new?) customers are. As we roll towards Labor Day and realize the regular touch-points (meetings, conventions, sales calls, etc.) still won’t exist for at least several months, the challenge now is how to find, gauge interest, connect and sell. Most marketers are naturally turning to “digital,”…
Read MoreThree months ago, I would have just assumed everyone would have thrown their hands up and gone on total hiatus when it came to their normal operations, content creation, communications and broader public relations efforts. Maybe that was naivety, or maybe a reflection of what I wanted to do in the beginning – but, as the adage goes, “the show must go on.” None of the companies below are essential, but they have found ways to keep running and relevant at the same, perhaps even…
Read MoreIs it possible for a month to go by fast and slow all at the same time? April had that vibe for sure, but we were still able to collect some stellar Plays of the Month across the agency. We’re still hard at work on COVID-19 and other crisis-related work, but a few other initiatives help round out this month’s list. Content Marketing We’re long-time partners of Virginia’s Community Colleges, and as higher education has pivoted towards serving students in a safer way, Casey helped…
Read MoreWithout question, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned virtually every aspect of our professional and personal lives upside down. Many PR and marketing professionals have been tirelessly working for weeks now helping guide their organizations and clients through challenges usually reserved for the most severe section of a crisis communications manual. Like many of you, we at The Hodges Partnership have been wondering more and more, “How will COVID-19 impact PR and marketing in the months and years ahead?” To help get some broad sense of…
Read More
