The Gong Blog

Topic: Owned Content

#AskJon: What makes video content marketing a great tool for business, big or small?

First of all, it’s a lot less expensive and time intensive than it used to be. For example, we’re shooting this with about an initial investment of two to three thousand dollars worth of equipment that we don’t have to keep on buying over and over again. Plus, even if you’re looking at an outside videographer, those costs are a lot less expensive than it used to be. I’m shooting this video today, but we’re also shooting three or four other videos that you’ll see…

#AskJon: How can PR specialists use brand journalism?

So, I’m talking to all you fellow PR folks out there when I say, you know and I know that at the heart of it were all storytellers. In the good old days, we told that story through the media. When there were tons of media to pitch, and there were tons of outlets out there. Well, there are fewer media to pitch and much fewer outlets out there, and it’s becoming harder for us. But, technology has enabled us to become our own publishers….

Crystal Ball: Video trends to keep an eye on in 2018

As I write this, I have to question if you’ll even read anything after this sentence. At best, you may skim the subheads, seeing if there is anything that jumps out at you. But if not, I’ve lost you – maybe for good, most likely because you’ve got to read this and not just watch. Cisco projects that video traffic will account for 82 percent of all consumer Internet traffic by 2021. Content consumers just aren’t reading anymore and marketers like us will have to…

#AskJon: Is brand journalism only for big brands?

The short answer to that question is no. Small brands and small organizations can be really good brand journalists, but you do have to ask yourself a couple of questions. Number one, do you have the time? Number two, do you have the content? And number three, do you have the manpower? It is a step beyond blogging or driving traffic to a website, or your website. It’s more creating an ongoing relationship with people and your potential customers to talk about brand and what…

#AskJon: What is the difference between content marketing and brand journalism?

Marketers throw around phrases like brand journalism and content marketing almost interchangeably these days, but there is a definite difference between the two of them. Content marketing was born more in the b2b space, and it’s more about folks and companies giving out information, primarily custom information, like white papers or reports or offers. And those are designed to drive you to a landing page ask you to give them custom information about yourself, like email addresses and your job title. And, in exchange, you…

#AskJon: How can I make the business case for blogging to leadership? [VIDEO]

The value of the blog question. That’s something we get asked every day. Everybody is so fixated on their websites and their web copy, and that’s important, but remember, at the end of the day, the website is static. What a blog allows you to do is change your content on a regular basis, and then promote it as a way to get people to come to your website. So, the most important thing about the blog is not to be shy about sharing information…

Why “social” is now “broadcast”

Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and now … Facebook. Yes, the news is out that Facebook is the latest to solicit Hollywood and other sources for original “TV” programming for the binge-watching crowd. This should not shock anyone. Video, both live and entertainment, is the future for all these platforms as they battle to become what the TV networks were to Americans in the late 20th century. While the over-the-top (OTT) providers like Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and others lead with programming first to generate community, the social channels…

#AskJon: What’s one common content mistake you see companies make? [VIDEO]

So we’ve been talking a lot about this at the Hodges Partnership, because we’re doing a lot of content, at various different levels, for clients. And one of the things that we see that stops up the content drain, so to speak, is the quest for perfection. So, I’m not saying that quality and quantity should be at odds. I’m not saying just pump it out for the sake of pumping it out. But, if you’re trying to be too perfect with your content, odds…

Putting a human face on a technology product launch

Product launches are the stuff marketing campaign dreams are made of. There are your typical campaign tactics—advertising, media relations and maybe even a tour du jour, as we like to call it at Hodges, where you take your product on the road for a series of launch events. But for a recent product launch, our client wanted to take a more educational, behind-the-scenes approach, one that leveraged the advantage of an owned platform to push out messaging. Tridium, a B2B IoT software technology company, was…

#AskJon: When is the right time to contact a prospect that’s in your funnel? [VIDEO]

So, hooray, you’re starting to get emails in your email database, right? You have posted premium content behind a gate, you ask for names and email addresses, you’re so excited. So, of course, the first thing you’re going to do is send them an email and ask them for something. Wrong. What you really want to do is put together an entire strategy of once you get that email address what are you going to do after that. Can you put together a series of…

April the Giraffe: Live video meets viral marketing meets cute overload

My affinity for live, streaming videos of baby animals began in 2013. It was a big year for babies. Bao Bao the Giant Panda debuted at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Lana, a cheetah at Richmond Metro Zoo, had a litter of five cubs. These live cams helped generate an awareness for the populations of these endangered species (and the zoos that care for them). Fast-forward to 2017 and the latest live-streamed animal phenomenon is April the Giraffe, the 15-year-old leggy lady at Animal…

Live Video: You Win Some, You Lose Some

Millennials apparently have the same attention span as a…ooh, look at this cute video of cats dinging bells to get a treat! Adweek talked a bit about the longevity of live video viewing, and it looks like it’s here to stay – for now. In the article, Adweek mentions that Facebook users are 10x more likely to comment on a live video than on a static one. Not only is video important, but live in-the-moment video is what people are drawn to. I’m currently waiting…

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