Lessons on Injecting Yourself into the Online Conversation

During the MarketingProfs Digital Marketing World Virtual Conference on Sept. 17, Tina Brown, author and founder of TheDailyBeast.com, gave the keynote address, “Engaging with Customers Where they Are, with Content they Value.” In addition to discussing her transition from the print to the blog world, she talked about what makes one blog’s content more valued than another’s. Here are highlights from her session.

Fast, Cheap, and Under Control

At the AEP Summit 2009, Tim Frick, Owner of Mightybytes, led the workshop “Fast, Cheap, and Under Control,” where he discussed tools that can help publishers easily create dynamic, content-rich blogs. The workshop included a hands-on demonstration of how to create a blog but also featured a discussion about blog strategies. Here are highlights from his session.

• Don’t skip the first stage: developing your blog strategy. Ask yourself why you are creating a blog: Who do you want to reach? Why are you trying to reach them? This should guide your content creation and help save time when you are determining what to post.
• Also, think about what resources you have–and not just in terms of money. Updating blogs and commenting on social networking sites take time. Understand the commitment you are making with a blog and use your time wisely.

What cost-effective marketing strategies might my company use in these challenging economic times?

In this new blog series from AEP, “What’s Keeping You Up At Night?, experts offer their advice on the most pressing issues facing the educational publishing industry. AEP members may sign up for a free half-hour consultation with the experts for 30 days after their entry is posted.

The following question was posed to our current featured expert, Gerry Bogatz of MarketingWorks, Inc.

Q. What cost-effective marketing strategies might my company use in these challenging economic times?

A. The tendency of many companies in and out of the education sector is to pull back on marketing when times are tough.  After all, isn’t marketing one of the few areas of a budget that can be reigned in without hurting the bottom line “too much?”  While this may be true in the short run, sales a few months from now can be hurt significantly if a company isn’t putting itself in front of its prospective customers continually.

Here are just a few of the cost-effective ways that a company can market its products in tough times.

How do you get your content discovered once you create an e-strategy and deliver your content online?

In this new blog series from AEP, “What’s Keeping You Up At Night?, experts offer their advice on the most pressing issues facing the educational publishing industry. AEP members may sign up for a free half-hour consultation with the experts for 30 days after their entry is posted.

The following question was posed to our current featured expert, Sameer Shariff of Impelsys Inc.

Q. How do you get your content discovered once you create an e-strategy and deliver your content online?

A. In the electronic space where more and more people are reading online, viral marketing tools like widgets and book previews provide good opportunities for publishers to market their titles across the web. Here are few ways you can use widgets and book previews to get your content discovered online.