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Where do B2B Marketing and PR Pros Stand with AI?

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Embracing AI in Marketing: A Mindfull Marketing + PR Perspective

As pioneers in the digital space, our agency has always been at the forefront of adopting and mastering new technologies, testing and vetting their efficacy for our clients. From our early days of steering social media for business (we had a lot of clients to convince!), we’ve recognized the power of innovative tools in transforming marketing and communications. The recent discussion by MarketingProfs on the conundrum of using AI in marketing and PR, especially regarding ChatGPT’s role in B2B communications, resonates deeply with our approach to continual technological advancement in our agency and our professional industry.

AI technology, like ChatGPT, while fast-growing and impressive in its capabilities, presents a new, slightly intimidating, frontier for B2B marketers and communicators. It raises essential questions about the future of our industry and how we can best leverage these tools to enhance our strategies without losing the authenticity that defines impactful marketing and communications.

Our Journey with AI

Just as we did with social media, Mindfull Marketing + PR has embraced AI in marketing, not as a replacement for human creativity but as a complement to it. We use AI to supplement design, content, and writing, improving efficiency and allowing our team to focus on delivering authentic, creative solutions that resonate with audiences. But we are still the strategists, the ones who understand what will resonate with key audiences and how to tug on emotion to create action. This approach aligns with our belief that while AI learns from humans, it cannot replace the need for original human creativity. If we stop creating, what will AI have to pull from? We shudder to imagine.

Analyzing the AI Conundrum

The MarketingProfs article highlights a divided landscape, with some communicators eager to integrate AI into their workflows, while others approach it with caution. This division is reminiscent of the early days of social media when businesses were trying to understand its impact and how best to utilize it. Our take? Experimentation is key to mastery. By diving into AI with an open mind and a willingness to learn, we can uncover new ways to enhance our marketing efforts while keeping our strategic focus sharp.

Embracing AI with a Human Touch

The danger, as highlighted by the article and echoed in our philosophy, lies in overreliance on AI. Faux marketers and communicators relying solely on AI to execute the job risk diluting the authenticity and quality of marketing, potentially setting a new, lower standard for what people expect from B2B communications. We don’t want to see this become a trend, so we will continue the irreplaceable value of the human touch in all our endeavors.

Looking Forward

As we look to the future, Mindfull Marketing + PR remains committed to exploring and integrating AI into our marketing toolkit, always with a critical eye toward maintaining the creativity, intentionality, and authenticity that define our work. Our advice to clients is clear: view AI as an augmentation to the experienced human team, not a replacement.

Just as we embraced social media early on, we’re now engaging with AI, recognizing its potential while advocating for a balanced, thoughtful approach. (And we are shocked by the MarketingProfs report that ChatGPGT has just 0.03% paid visitor traffic!) As an agency, we will continue to experiment, learn, and lead in this new era of digital marketing and communication, ensuring that even as we utilize AI in marketing, we keep the essence of genuine human connection at the heart of our strategies. How is your marketing or PR team working with this new, fast-growing tech?

Put Some Spring Into Your Marketing

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Happy Spring! It’s hard to believe we’re already rounding the corner to Q2. Here are a few quick tips to breathe new growth into your marketing:

1) LISTEN to your customers – what value are they seeing? What else could you offer to them? What do they need in 2019?

2) ENGAGE – beyond promotion of your own content, how is your brand talking with – not just at – key audiences?

3) EDUCATE – certainly your team has a wide array of knowledge across a variety of business or industry topics. Share resourceful content with your audience that educates or helps them – vs just sharing your own branded content about your business.

4) ANALYZE – measure what’s worked well in Q1 so far. Are your images and messaging aligned? Do traffic and leads indicate your marketing content is working? Has the buyer’s journey changed at all? Pivot accordingly.

Join Us: Digital Marketing & Tech Summit

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On March 28, our CEO, Christine Perkett, will be speaking at the Cape & Plymouth Business Digital Marketing & Tech Summit – a great event on Cape Cod focused on helping businesses run more efficiently and reach new customers across different marketing channels. Get the solutions and real-world strategies you need to choose the right technology platforms and control what digital platforms make the most sense for your digital marketing programs.

This is the event’s fourth year and is sure to be another great one, sending attendees away with actionable tips for improving digital marketing strategy and execution. What would you like to learn?

We hope to see you there!

Persuasive Picks – Week of November 30, 2015

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As we close out the year, we are now turning our attention to strategies for 2016. In a piece for Entrepreneur, contributor Sujan Patel takes on this topic as it relates to marketing strategies for small businesses. This article called “5 Marketing Changes Small Businesses Need to Make in 2016” emphasizes the importance of relationship and mobile marketing.

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In an article as part of the MarTech Landscape Series, we look at B2B marketing automation software and what it is.  This article called “MarTech Landscape: What Is Marketing Automation Software?”, we learn about what marketers need to understand before adopting a marketing automation platform.

Digital fundraising is the topic of NPR’s piece called “A Click Too Far: Why Using Social Media Isn’t That Great For Fundraising“. This piece, authored by Alina Selyukh, references some of the great social media fundraising campaigns such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, but goes on to discuss how most campaigns aren’t proven to be all that effective.  Only 3 percent of fundraising referrals came from social media.

 

 

Persuasive Picks – Week of July 6, 2015

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Forbes writer, Nicole Narea, discusses the latest PR nightmare for Subway in “Lessons For Brands From Subway’s Jared PR Nightmare: Act Fast, Be Transparent” . She takes a look back at other PR blunders by brands such as Best Buy and Urban Outfitters and reviews the lessons we have learned from them.

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AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
What is a social media influencer and why should you care? CIO contributor, Lauren Broussell, takes an in-depth look at the pros and cons associated with marketing to “internet influencers” and whether it is worth the effort. In this article called “Inside the murky world of ‘social media influencers’”. She also discusses “affiliate networks” and their importance to marketers.

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Photo credit: ThinkStock

“The data-driven marketing revolution” authored by David Benady covers why brands are investing heavily in the latest digital technology. This very thorough Guardian report includes viewpoints from data technologists, website marketers and digital leaders.

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Getty Photograph: John Lund/Getty

Our Ode To KNOWvember

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This month, we thought a lot about what we as a team are thankful for when it comes to our careers in digital marketing and PR. We are, of course, always thankful for our clients, industry colleagues and teammates. But we thought we’d also share what we’re grateful to have learned during our years in the industry – thus, what we know and what we know to say no to as marketers. Click on the infographic to read the details.

Happy KNOWvember!

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Persuasive Picks For Week Of 9/23/13

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Social-Media-DoodlesNewsmakers in social marketing tend to be large companies, with big ad spends. Small and midsize companies can sometimes feel as though they’re at a relative disadvantage. MarketingProfs‘ Kerry O’Shea Gorgone speaks with IBM’s Ed Abrams on SMB Social Strategy and Content Marketing who explains the changing landscape, and offers tips for SMBs on social strategy, content marketing, and running a social business.

You have a great product, idea or service. You’ve invested in putting together a solid website. Social media marketing is important, so you have Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts – maybe even a Tumblr account too. You know social sharing is a key element of success online, but you want the results of your efforts to improve. Luke Chitwood of TheNextWeb says just follow The 10 commandments of social sharing and driving traffic to your website and you’ll engage with customers and draw traffic like never before.

alltwitter-klout-logoEveryone has influence, and Klout has made it their mission to tell each of us what that is. They accomplish this by using data from your social networks to gauge your Klout Score. And as your score increases, it becomes exponentially harder to increase your Klout. But there are things you can do to proactively boost your score and, more importantly, keep it as high as possible. AllTwitter Co-editor Shea Bennett posts a visual guide to help boost your score – 4 Tips To Increase Your Klout Score [INFOGRAPHIC].

As a small business, you may think it’s impossible to get the word out about what you do. Marketing doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective. Eric V. Holtzclaw, author and founder and CEO of Laddering Works, pens 10 Simple Marketing Tips for Small Businesses on Inc. to help get the word out about your business and watch it grow.

The Missing Piece In Digital Marketing – Please Don’t Stop The Music?

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In all the talk today about the importance of content, it’s occurred to me that one area digital marketers are overlooking is music. Specifically, the valuable role a great (or hated) jingle can play. Some may make you want to tear your hair out, but you have to admit, sometimes the worst ones are the most memorable.

With the rising popularity of brief videos like 6 seconds on Vine, or 15 seconds on Instagram, we continue to focus on visual aspects – but music has always played an important role in helping folks recall your brand. Like other traditional advertising, digital marketers don’t have to spend big to incorporate music into our their content efforts. Even in the earlier days of social media, companies like Animoto understood this and made music a crucial element in its tool, allowing users to combine original or royalty-free music with slideshows to create cool videos. Yet even they don’t mention “make a jingle” as one of their suggested Top 5 Ways to Use Video for Business. Of course, nobody likes elevator music, so grab an intern with a guitar or an executive who sings on the side (you never know – one of our old clients is now a blues singing sensation!), write some funny lyrics and try adding them to your next video. I mean if the Hoff can sell “Thirsty for your Love” you can sell “I got the customer service blues,” right?!

And for inspiration, here are – for better or worse – some of the most memorable ad jingles our staff shared with me. What would you add to the list?

Empire Carpet

 
F-R-E-E Credit Report

 
Kay Jewelers 

 
Luna Flooring

 
1-800-54 Giant

 
Geico, who believe so strongly in the power of jingles that they feature “Music From Our Commercials” on their site.

http://www.geico.com/about/commercials/music/

 

“Influencers Who Inspire” Our Latest Interview with Rebecca Lieb of the Altimeter Group

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Rebecca’s experiences as an editor, marketer and analyst with the Altimeter Group, make her a perfect expert resource for our Influencers Who Inspire series.  She is also the author of The Truth About Search Engine Optimization and most recently, Content Marketing.

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What is your favorite outdoor activity in the summer and where do you recommend going to do it?

Hot weather and I are not the best of friends. Aquatic is my way to deal. Swimming laps, bodysurfing in the ocean, or scuba diving (a longtime passion) – if it’s summer, look for me near the water!

You have spent parts of your career as an analyst, an editor and an author; which of these positions is/was the most rewarding? If you can’t pick one, what are/were the highlights of all three?

I really view all these positions as a continuum. I’ve spent my career exclusively in media, first film, then television, then digital – with a bunch of print experience sprinkled throughout (periodical and book publishing). My job has always been to scrutinize the media landscape, chart its growth, and how to connect with consumers. I also have substantial experience as a marketer (I don’t just tell them what to do – I’ve done it, too!). Admittedly, my marketing experience is confined to media as well: film and television. So basically, it’s been all media, all the time.

The most rewarding part is easy. It’s been being there as one of the most important developments in the history of media and communications has taken place and taken shape. Undoubtedly, the most exhilarating part of my career has been experiencing and watching the rise of digital channels: the opportunities, the pitfalls, the disruption and the possibilities are endlessly fascinating. Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time, right?

As an editor and analyst you regularly hear from PR representatives pitching you for meetings. What makes a pitch or briefing request stand out to you and /or prompts you to respond quickly?

Easy – the ones that indicate the person pitching has done their job. They know who I am, what I cover, and they tailor the pitch accordingly. You would not believe how many pitches I get about a new hotel opening in Tulsa, or executive hires in the meatpacking industry. My contact information is ‘out there’ in lists sold to the types of spray-and-pray PR firms that give the industry a bad name. The concept of “know your audience” isn’t a new one, but it’s what matters most. It’s also critical to differentiate “pitch” from “press release.” Digital changed the press release. Once the news in on the wire, it’s out there. Don’t ask me [journalist hat on now] to cover it. You broke your own story.

Digital marketers want to know — with the masses of new social marketing tools, platforms, buzzwords and best practices — how do you manage to stay current?

All research, all the time. Really. I subscribe to over 200 RSS feeds and scour them all day long. I stay in the traffic. Every week I have dozens of meetings and briefings with people and companies in the industry. It’s a full time job, and then some, and it requires a lot of focus. In other words, you have to concentrate on what matters to your area of coverage. I don’t look at ALL of social media, for example. My arena is the marketing and media aspect of those channels. I leave deep dives on other aspects to my very capable colleagues.

How do you filter the news? What news sites or influencers do you visit/follow as your go to resources for news content to share each morning? (Do you have a news outlet as your homepage or do you search Twitter for keywords that are meaningful to you?)

As I mentioned above, my RSS feeds are my homepage. When Google folds Reader, it will feel as if the internet is broken for a while. I’m currently experimenting with replacements such as Reeder and Feedly. There are also people I follow very closely on Twitter and Facebook to stay abreast.

In your upcoming keynote at the Banff Media Festival you will talk about Content Marketing in the form of the Paid+Owned+Earned Media Ecosystem. With content lines blurring more and more, who do you see as the ultimate keeper of the content within an organization?

Funny you should ask, because after I completed a research report (co-authored with my colleague Jeremiah Owyang) on the convergence of paid, owned and earned media, I worked on a just-published piece of research entitled “Organizing for Content.” This research deals exactly with the question, “where should content live in the org chart?” Precious few companies have a an actual content division, yet marketing, PR, communications, community, social media and a myriad of other company components are invested in finding, creating and disseminating content. I invite your readers to download the report, which outlines six frameworks for enterprise content orchestration.

In your opinion, what has been the most important change in SEO tactics over the last few years? How do those changes impact the way we should think about content marketing today?

When it comes to SEO, the fundamental things apply. Good content, well-written, keyword-conscious, and don’t spam or be blackhat.  I was fascinated last year when I conducted research into WHY major brands engage in content marketing. In 57 interviews with really major companies (e.g. Coke, IBM, ToysRUs, Adobe, etc.) only one single brand (Nestlé) mentioned SEO as a reason behind content marketing. My instinct is this isn’t because SEO is unimportant – au contraire – but because it’s no longer channel du jour. Like email (which, by the way, not one single brand mentioned – and what’s in an email if not content?), SEO is becoming a background channel. Like wallpaper – there, but no one’s really talking about it anymore. They’re looking at mobile, social, video. That’s fine – but beware Bright Shiny Object Syndrome, which can cause you to ignore basics and fundamentals.

What one piece of advice (perhaps from your most recent book on the topic) would you offer to a marketer starting a content marketing campaign today?

Strategy before tactics! We’ve seen this occur again and again. A new technology or channel is launched and someone says, “Hey! We need a [Facebook page, YouTube channel, Twitter presence, etc.]. A smart marketer counters with “Why?” What’s the goal? What are the required resources? The budget? How will we achieve it? Produce it? Measure it? Who’s the audience?

On a lighter note, we noticed that you tweeted the tongue and cheek Onion post, the other day, about how much people “love” being sold by sponsored content like videos on publications’ websites. Just for fun, can you share with us your favorite example of sponsored content gone wrong?

Wow – you just reminded me of something that goes way back in my career, back in the 90s when I ran global marketing for a major cable TV network. I came into the office on a Monday morning following the weekend when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. A rival network was sponsoring a touring exhibit of her gowns. Across the back cover of a major magazine was splashed their ad, with the banner headline: A Dress to Di For!

Lastly, when you venture out of NYC for business travel what is the one thing you take with you, the one thing you can’t wait to leave behind and the one thing you can’t wait to come home to?

1. Laptop

2. Hmmm…maybe my MTA Metrocard?

3. It’s a tie: the cats and the boyfriend

Interested in learning more? Please leave any questions or comments for Rebecca below.  You can also catch up with her at the Altimeter Group website or follow her on Twitter.

PerkettPR’s “Influencers Who Inspire” Series Continues with Jason Falls

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This week’s “Influencer Who Inspires” is Jason Falls of Social Media Explorer.  We admire Jason for his honest approach to social media and we are avid readers of his very popular site, Social Media Explorer.  Jason, who resides in Louisville, KY,  is an author, keynote speaker and CEO of Social Media Explorer.  He continues to be a name that surfaces at or near the top of conversations and lists of thought leaders and top thinkers in the emerging world of social media marketing.

 

How would you describe what you do for a living?

I do one primary thing in about three different ways. SME Digital, my agency, helps companies develop digital and social marketing strategies, execute them and measure/optimize results to drive business (unit sales, revenue or costs). My information products add the other two components: Explore Events helps anyone who wants to attend a two-day, intensive digital marketing strategy event and The Conversation Report analyzes online conversations and reports insights around specific industries (or clients for custom reports) to help businesses make smarter decisions about their social marketing.  In a nutshell, – Agency – Events – Research – is what I do.

 

You recently tweeted to PR folks about how they approach you and that you are “one of them” – what prompted that and how do you handle being on both sides of the PR equation?

It was likely prompted by me being critical of public relations professionals, then having them attack me for it. Those that are easily put on the defensive about the PR craft tend to point fingers at me and infer that I don’t know PR, that I’m just a “social media consultant.” But I spent 20 years as a PR and journalism professional before social media marketing ever happened. So I was probably saying, “I am one. Thus, I’m qualified to point the finger a bit.” The way I handle it is by just trying to coach and teach and perhaps lead by example. ‘Lots of public relations professionals still assume that “spray and pray” and spamming people works best. I only hope to educate them that there might be a better way to approach outreach. Quality outreach is far better than quantity, and you can sleep at night knowing you’re not a spammer.

 

What’s next in PR now that social media is a given?

I think PR is the new journalism. With all the noise out there in the media world and declining numbers in usage and revenues in traditional mediums, public relations professionals (and current journalists who will become them) have the opportunity to become the media. Those that do so in compelling ways will have better public relations programs because they’ll become a direct conduit to their publics.

 

What’s the best social media campaign you’ve seen (besides your own) in 2012?

H&R Block’s Stache Act is by far the most compelling. To have a stoic, conservative brand like H&R Block get behind a silly tax incentive for mustached Americans and stage a Million Mustache March on Washington, etc., just gave the brand personality and showed that they could reach beyond the tried and true “Let us do your taxes” messaging, in order to reach a new audience.

That, and Charmin‘s Twitter account. Holy cripes, they’re funny.

 

How did you initially get your “feet wet” in social media?

I spent 8-10 years blogging and exploring social networks and forums for personal entertainment. My old humor blog actually gained a bit of traction when I moved it to MySpace in about 2003. I learned how to build an audience, promote my content and connect influencers to what I was doing. Then in 2006, I started from scratch with an arsenal of experience in the business segment rather than the one focused on telling dirty jokes and made up tales of drunken debauchery. Heh.

 

Can you tell us a bit about your book “No Bullshit Social Media” and why someone would want to purchase it?

Aside from the crafty title, the book’s real appeal is that it’s a blueprint for social media strategy. We walk you through the seven reasons (goals) your business might implement social media tactics and coach you through the process of developing a sound, strategic approach to using social that will drive measurable results.

 

As the Founder and CEO of Social Media Explorer, your approach with SME Digital involves Full Frontal ROI methodolgy, can you explain how this is unique to the industry?

The Full Frontal ROI methodology, which was developed by my partner, Nichole Kelly, essentially places social media marketing squarely in the crosshairs of business strategy. Everything we do is focused on real business metrics — unit sales, revenues and costs — rather than soft metrics. Sure, we can help you drive more fans and followers, but we know we’re ultimately judged on your bottom line and how social media and digital marketing contribute to it. So that’s what we focus on. It’s unique to the industry because most other social media agencies or digital marketing shops focus on the fluff metrics and Kumbaya of social media. We know it’s about business or it’s a hobby. And how many business owners out there consider what they spend time and money on to be a hobby?

 

What is next for you for the remainder of the year heading into 2013?

Two more Explore events (Orange County, Calif., this week; Portland (Ore.) in November), another The Conversation Report, this one on the restaurant industry, and continuing to help our clients kick ass. And I fully expect 2013 will be much of the same. That’s what we do.