by Erika Trautman | Nov 2, 2016 | Industry Insights
This article was originally published in Learning Solutions Magazine on Nov. 1, 2016.
U.S. companies invest a significant amount of money, time, and resources into training their employees. In fact, Gallup estimates that disengaged employees cost U.S. businesses up to $550 billion annually in lost productivity. A new approach to learning and training should be at the top of employers’ to-do list. Yet many companies are still using stale, one-size-fits-all materials that do little to inspire retention or performance.
It’s often hard to know how much of that information is actually being effectively retained and put to use. You may have insight into training compliance, but there are few means of measuring absorption. And according to a host of new data, if companies want to identify the source of profitability bleeding, it lies with lack of retention.
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by Erika Trautman | Oct 6, 2016 | Industry Insights
This story was originally published by the Huffington Post on Sept. 21, 2016.
Why aren’t businesses courting their employees? I’ve frequently asked myself this question in my interactions with leaders in marketing, human resources and internal communications.
In business, potential customers are pursued with enthusiastic zeal, and talented job candidates are aggressively recruited. The smartest companies are investing significant time and resources into maintaining the happiness of their existing customer base. But what are we doing to excite our employees?
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by Erika Trautman | Jun 16, 2016 | Industry Insights
Anyone working in digital media today—particularly content marketing—will tell you that creative output is not where the job ends. On the contrary, the way the content performs is just as important as any other part of the process—something that’s been urgently highlighted since the social media boom.
With traditional, more interruptive digital advertising falling by the wayside, more and more strategists are turning to content marketing to bring their brand’s message to the masses. The whole point of such content, of course, is to stand out from the pack, drive deeper engagement, and ultimately convert your audience into a brand-loyal community.
There’s just one problem: An overwhelming number of creatives aren’t linking performance data with content creation, translating to a giant missed opportunity for brands. After all, if you can’t prove content ROI in the end how do you know if it’s really doing its job?
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by Erika Trautman | Mar 25, 2016 | In the Media, Industry Insights
This article was originally published on Marketing Land on March 24, 2016.
When it comes to creating engaging video content and optimizing the connection with your target demographic, brands need to have a clear video marketing strategy in place from the get-go.
Goals must be defined, and your audience needs to be identified. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be clarified beforehand, with a call to action front and center.
But there’s more to successful video marketing than just these basic guidelines. There are also moving parts at play that can greatly affect your video’s ability to deliver for your brand.
Here are seven common pitfalls for marketers developing their video content — and how to sidestep them…
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by Erika Trautman | Mar 16, 2016 | In the Media, Industry Insights
This article was originally published on Business2Community on March 10, 2016.
Interactive video is an innovative approach to marketing that can increase audience engagement, especially among millennials. Major brands like Toyota, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Deloitte are beginning to catch on, dipping their toes into the sea of possibilities this technology represents.
Still, many in marketing and advertising remain in the dark about the opportunities interactive offers and how to best leverage its capabilities, including data and customer insights. Although interactive video is getting easier to create, marketers and advertisers still struggle to understand how it works and how they can leverage it for their brands.
Should interactive video be part of your strategy this year? And if so, what do you need to know to reach your goals? Here’s a guide to what marketers and advertisers need to know about interactive video trends in order to take the plunge.
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