Snack Attack

Traditionalists complain that Americans' addiction to "content snacking" signals the death of long-form communication.

But content snacking only means marketers must embrace "lateral media distribution," says PR consultant Angelo Fernando in the current edition of IABC's CW Magazine.

While many Americans still crave the long form, their preference for content snacks presents a tasty opportunity to deliver stories in new and interesting ways.

"Instead of treating each medium as a source of a complete message, we can now treat different media channels as being tethered together, letting a message hop across from one to the other, laterally," Fernando writes.

When the most popular interfaces are smartphones, iPads and e-book readers, inspiring audiences demands a whole new way of thinking about your content.

How are you delivering your story?

The Vision Thing

A friend of mine, Dan Bailes, has launched The Vision Thing, a blog devoted to "innovation, creativity and vision."

Dan's particular interest is the visual arts.

Dan has been blogging on the visual arts for many months, on behalf of his employer, a Washington, DC-based video production firm.

Now he's blogging on his own.

I can't recommend his posts enough.  The topics Dan chooses—and the wholly original ways in which he explores them—will open your eyes to the creative process.

Take a look!

Roll Out Your Experts

PR firm Edelman just released its annual Trust Barometer.

With it, Edelman recommends that organizations begin now to broadcast the opinions of in-house experts.

That's because social media "over-friending" has triggered a falloff in trust of peers.

With the rise of social networks, trust in peers has fallen 21 points on the Trust Barometer during the past five years.

In 2006, 68% of people said they trusted peers.  Today, 47% say they do.

But trust in experts has increased 8 points during the same period.

In 2006, 62% of people said they trusted experts.  Today, 70% say they do.

"To stand out in a very cluttered media world, organizations must increasingly activate their internal subject matter experts as thought leaders," says Steve Rubel, director of insights for Edelman Digital.

Capitalizing on in-house experts isn't easy.  For tips, see my special report, Path of Persuasion.

Event Organizers: Playtime's Over

Playtime's over for event organizers, warns author and speaker David Nour in this month's edition of Convene.

It's time to get serious about social media marketing.

That means accepting "a core shift in buyer behavior" brought about by Web 2.0, Nour says. 

"In the past, meeting organizers educated these buyers with the medium—and at the time—of the organizer's choosing, piquing buyers' interest with a 'save-the-date' e-mail or direct-mail piece.  The search engine, however, has enabled buyers to call the shots."

Before ever hitting your Website, today's buyers have already vetted your organization, events, topics and speakers.  

As a result, when they finally do land on your Website, "you don't know if they are interested or available, let alone engaged," Nour says.

To cater to today's buyers, event organizers need to knuckle down:

1. Start to use LinkedIn to develop buyer personas and create a brand that actually appeals to your target audience.
2. Use social media to communicate a steady stream of benefits to buyers.
3. Engage all the "influentials" before your event.
4. Use real content to promote your event.
5. "Stir the pot" on social networks.

Basics First

While you toy with the bright and shiny, don't forget the tried and true.

Writing in USA Today, strategist Rhonda Abrams reminds business owners it's essential to cover the basics before investing in trendy, new "marketing options." Owners should be sure to:

• Attend industry conferences and join organizations;
• Set up free business pages on line;
• Contact your top 10 prospects every month;
• Build your brand with a logo, colors and typefaces;
• Repeat, repeat, repeat your message;
• Tell people what they get, not what you do;
• Publish an e-newsletter;
• Develop a tagline and use it;
• Exhibit at trade shows;
• Build a Website and learn social media; and
• Install a contact management system.

"Most important, make marketing a priority," Abrams adds.