Content
August 23, 2008 by marywy2 · Comments Off
The Power of Content
Content is one of the two most important success factors for businesses of all sizes. The other is community. If you want to expand your influence you need both.
What
- Integrated WordPress system design and development for solo and creative professionals.
- Coaching and facilitation to create and align content with objectives, brand, marketing and social business objectives, best practices and most importantly: authentic self-expression.
- Content review, development and editing for search engine optimization (SEO).
Why?
- Your analytics indicate that your content is not correctly optimized and your landing pages are not meeting visitor expectations.
- Your existing web site feels dated, static and mis-aligned with your desired social business and content marketing direction.
- Your separate web site, blog and social pages are increasingly difficult to manage or present an integrated view of your brand.
- You don’t have the required resources to organize, categorize, manage and share online, your significant and sizable content assets.
Content created for social media and social business is nothing like traditional marketing, advertising, corporate or public relations campaign content because it doesn’t sell. It shares, serves and supports. For many businesses this means starting content initiatives from scratch. It requires acceptance of the ongoing and relentless:
- Shift of power from sellers to buyers.
- Shift of control of knowledge and information from management to end users.
It also requires great writing.
“Easy reading is damned hard writing.”
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
Although beautiful design and graphics are valuable for making an immediate visual impression, they’re not what build relationships and community and they’re not what keep prospective clients and customers coming back. They’re not your message. Your story is your message.
The content bar is raised with social community and the shift to social business. Many businesses of all sizes are failing to meet the challenge or are getting bogged down in the content planning process and related change issues. But to ignore, delay or attempt to short-cut the path to content-marketing, now considered the most effective form, creates a serious long-term disadvantage.
The RedShift metaphor for deep and collaborative content development is the holon. Its an integral content strategy. All your content reflects how you and your organization show up in your communities: your differentiated brand, your message and voice, and the unique value that you provide.
Creative Program Fees: Fixed-Price, Fixed-Time Options
Short Program – 20 Hours – 2 Week Period – $2500
Long Program – 40 Hours – 4 Week Period – $4000
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Research
August 15, 2008 by marywy2 · Comments Off
RedShift Research Program: The Power of Knowledge Awareness
RESEARCH: Knowledge zone awareness as change leadership success factor
Information overload? Not enough time or resources? User-unfriendly systems? Unsure how to approach social networks? These are some typical reasons for not knowing what you don’t know, and for not sharing.
But the cost of not having and not sharing knowledge and learning in real-time is a disadvantage as your competitors shift to more social business models and as your customers expect open and transparent relationships.
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
- Epictetus
What
Customized industry, competitive and market trends information products to support: knowledge sharing, thought-leader positioning, increased participation and collaboration, change initiatives, decision making and problem solving.
Coaching and facilitated strategy sessions to address:
- What are the right questions to ask when developing shared learning systems.
- What are the beliefs and assumptions directing strategy, objectives and culture.
- How to align and measure desired learning system results with overall business objectives.
- How to respond to resistance to change.
Why?
- Directors: Inability to keep up with, and share with those who need it most, emerging industry trends, convergence, disruption and change negatively impacts all decision making, problem solving, product and program development, and client services.
- Executives: Confusion and concern about both the positive and negative potential and impact of social networks for your organization, reputation and brand has resulted in avoiding or postponing social business initiatives.
- Marketing Directors: Reliance on traditional market research and focus groups is no longer sufficient or timely for anticipating and serving your empowered customer needs.
- Teams: Lack of contextual shared knowledge is causing confusion, inefficiency, exclusion, barriers to collaboration and cooperation and an internally focused culture.
- Field: Inability to access current or real-time industry and competitive knowledge, learning and tribal wisdom, limits effectiveness and ability to engage prospects, service customers and close sales.
A commitment to shared learning could mean new skills, systems change, acceptance of power and control shifts, and some culture shock. Respond to those change challenges with commitment to empowering your people and conversing with your community. Start with a program that’s simple so people will want to use it, relevant so they have a reason to participate and aligned with individual and collective beliefs and purpose.
Consulting Program Fees: Fixed-Price, Fixed-Time Options
Short Program – 20 Hours – 2 Week Period – $2500
Long Program – 40 Hours – 4 Week Period – $4000
Order
Special Topics
Marketing
August 15, 2008 by marywy2 · Comments Off
RedShift Marketing Program
What
- Consulting services (combined with coaching, and facilitation if required) to develop market and industry differentiation and expert positioning.
- Social business strategy, plan and content development aligned with business objectives.
- SEO analysis, recommendations and proprietary subscription-based SEO solution.
- Success target(s) measurement and tracking system.
“You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only one who can do what you do.”
- Jerry Garcia
Why?
- High-customer value, localized product and service firms: Your customers and clients are increasingly using the web, diminishing the return on your traditional marketing efforts and increasing the importance of first page search results.
- Small Business: You want to focus more of your efforts on the best clients and customers, so there can be no doubt in their minds that you are uniquely qualified to best serve them.
- Manufacturing and Industrial firms: New competitors are making inroads in your niche or target market. You don’t want to cut prices to attract or retain customers but have been unable to effectively communicate the service, support, customization or knowledge value that sets your business apart from others. You need a business generalist with a manufacturing background who can design and implement an integrated marketing strategy providing a success path for your firm to the connected, Web 2.0 world.
- Program Directors: Your project involves significant content and structural upgrades to your enterprise (internal and external) web site(s) to take advantage of Web 2.0. To be sure your project tracks with business objectives and desired success metrics, you need a framework for evaluating the myriad decisions related to end user and channel partner needs, internal communications and education, and search engine optimization.
- Solo Professionals: You’re trying to establish your practice but you’re conflicted about how you stand out in a sea of competitors, and how you communicate and market your particular combination of skills, talents and experience. You don’t want your size to limit your reach in a global marketplace. You need creative ideas, hands-on help, feedback and support from an experienced, independent professional who knows both the challenges and the potential of the direction you are taking.
Measurable Success Targets
- Raise market and brand awareness to increase traffic, inquiries and referrals.
- Build trust to increase page views/time, conversions, repeat customer business and loyalty savings.
- Accelerate response time for testing new markets and social business models and technologies.
Consulting Program Fees: Fixed-Price, Fixed-Time Options
Short Program – 20 Hours – 2 Week Period – $2500
Long Program – 40 Hours – 4 Week Period – $4000
Order
Special Topics
Differentiation
Social Business
SEO
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Why No Comments
The RedShift Web Site Pages and the corresponding Blog: Creating Natural Influence, do not enable comments. I'm more comfortable getting feedback on social sites than here, where the work is so close to who I am, where I've been and where I'm going. If you have a comment or question, or would like to suggest a topic for an upcoming blog article, please contact me. Thank you.