Check out this workshop on all things content marketing!
Content Jam: The Secrets of Content Marketing is a workshop in Chicago that will help you craft best practices for telling great stories, understanding content management, helping readers find you, and measuring success. Featuring industry experts sharing stories and ideas in a fun and casual environment, you will walk away from this interactive event with a solid understanding of how to create, manage, promote, share, and measure your content marketing efforts.
Good content marketing is all about telling compelling stories. In this one-hour session, Jill Pollack (@jillwritergrrl) will use storytelling techniques to unlock your inner writer and tap into your own creative spirit (while remaining true to corporate philosophy and marketing goals). Whether you write blog posts, website articles, or old-fashioned emails and print collateral, this session will teach you the secrets of interacting with your reader and beginning a profitable conversation.
In this session you will learn:
The importance of developing a strong “voice” and finding the right details
Writing for the web versus other media: what works, what doesn’t
Telling a good story that drives engagement in 500 words or less
Bulleted lists, calls-to-action, and other ways to complement your storytelling with interaction
Think of this session as creative writing with a sprinkle of call-to-action and a dose of marketing message. Through brief writing exercises and discussion, you will learn to use details, images, narrative arc, and more.
Since your content marketing materials will lead people back to your primary digital presence—your website—you need to match what’s “out there” with what’s “in here.” In this session content strategist Hilary Marsh (@hilarymarsh) will share how to create a cohesive editorial calendar—prioritizing topics, coordinating all digital efforts, and developing the right mix for your key audience(s)—so that people who are drawn to you through your marketing efforts can learn more and start interacting with you.
In this session you will learn:
Creation versus curation: pros and cons
How to create an editorial calendar
How to define content types and allocate resources
How to research search volumes and trending topics
In this session, Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) covers some of the most effective tactics for creating and promoting online content.
In this session you will learn:
Keyphrase research for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Structuring the perfect post with targeted headers, titles, and other content elements
Targeted sharing in social media
Link building for SEO through guest blogging, news releases, videos, etc.
This session covers the fastest, cheapest and most effective web marketing tactics available. Real world examples and impact on Analytics will be discussed throughout. Andy will share his template for content marketing (and links to all the resources) with attendees.
Good content marketing efforts are for naught if you can’t measure their effectiveness and plan accordingly. In this session Tim Frick (@timfrick) will share an in-depth look at measuring the metrics that define online success for your business or organization. Learn how to measure website visitor interactions, track how social media and content sharing efforts affect site performance, and make informed decisions regarding where to focus efforts moving forward.
In this session you will learn:
Important metrics versus ‘fluff’ metrics for content marketing
How to track social media and content sharing performance
How to connect email campaigns to website performance
How to create actionable insights that drive content marketing efforts over time
In this session you will go beyond mere reporting of data by pulling actionable insights that can have significant impact on reaching marketing goals.
Sessions will take place in dedicated rooms four times over the course of the afternoon. Attendees can attend sessions in any order they wish.
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Networking and lunch for those who arrive early 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.: Welcome, introductions, panel discussion of basic terms 12:45 to 1:45 p.m.: Session one 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.: Session two 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.: Session three 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.: Session four 5:45 to 6:00 p.m.: Action items: tomorrow’s to do list 6:00 p.m.: Field trip to The Long Room (two-block walk from conference)
Space is limited for this event. Reserve your seat now.
Date, Time, Place, Cost
Content Jam: The Secrets of Content Marketing Date: Thursday, June 14, 2012 Time: 11am to 6pm Place: 4043 N. Ravenswood, Chicago Cost: $195.00 per person
Networking: There will be an after-event soiree at The Long Room on Irving Park immediately following the conference.
Mightybytes’ new web application for Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture streamlines process for matching visitors with local volunteers to encourage city exploration.
New process significantly reduces workflow and volunteer response times and offers improved convenience.
(CHICAGO) March 7, 2012 – Mightybytes’ new web application streamlines the process for booking visits on Chicago Greeter, a free service provided by the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC). The site allows visitors to explore the city by matching them with friendly and insightful local volunteers who know the area. These visits can be customized to a specific neighborhood, language, or special interest and can vary from historic landmarks to unique shops and places to dine.
The existing website was friendly, but cumbersome because it used an outdated data tool in tandem with emails and faxes to match visitors and volunteers. After researching user demographics, Mightybytes streamlined and refocused the site around all three sets of users and developed an intuitive three-phased web application for COTC staff, volunteers, and Chicago visitors.
The resulting site accomplishes several tasks:
Establishes Chicago Greeter as a helpful resource for visitors to connect with city volunteers who are knowledgeable and excited about their favorite local destinations.
Provides an easy tool for volunteers to manage bookings.
Helps Greeter staff service volunteers and visitors with a more fluid and professional flow of information.
In order to help the Chicago Greeter team make site updates and more efficiently manage data, Mightybytes focused on streamlining workflow steps across all parts of the booking and administration process and then created simple interfaces to support each step in that process.
”Usability was the most important factor in redesigning interfaces for Chicago Greeter,” Mightybytes Art Director Joy Burke said. “Our lightweight design paired well with a strong visual hierarchy and easy-to-understand workflows to achieve a very user-friendly system.”
Users of the site agree, noting that the site is not only intuitive but also saves time as well.
“Because of the improvements that Mightybytes implemented, our workflow time has been significantly reduced and our volunteers are responding to visitor requests far more quickly than ever before,” said Katie Law, Manager, Chicago Greeter. “It is so convenient to be able to access our database from any computer—even from a mobile phone.”
The site’s creators see where a solution like Chicago Greeter could be applied to many different scenarios both in and out of the travel and tourism industry.
“Chicago Greeter is great for those travelers who are looking for recommendations or historical background from people who know their neighborhood best,” said Mightybytes owner Tim Frick. “The product could also be easily extended to other cities or to organizations interested in matching up volunteers with those who need services.”
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture markets Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers; provides innovative visitor programs and services; and familiarizes visitors and residents with the city’s vibrant neighborhoods, cultural attractions and creative industries. The Chicago visitor industry serves 40 million visitors annually, generates $11 billion in direct spending and $616 million in taxes, and sustains 124,000 jobs. For more information, visit www.ExploreChicago.org.
Mightybytes is a triple bottom line-friendly creative firm that executes design-driven marketing communications and online interactive solutions. The company employs smart design and clever storytelling as the underlying forces that drive its process while its technical expertise cuts across media formats and platforms to set it apart. Mightybytes works primarily with cause-driven clients, helping them prosper, grow, and achieve measurable business results. For more information, visit www.mightybytes.com.
For more info, check out the Chicago Greeter entry in our portfolio: View the Project
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a trendy term bandied about these days by everyone from Molson to Method, from Tyson to Timberland. Corporations large and small have hopped on the CSR bandwagon in efforts to drive sales and prove to customers the value of their conscientious efforts. But what companies say and how they operate day-to-day can be worlds apart. How do you differentiate the lip service from companies who build socially responsible practices into the core of their business models?
Join us for a lively discussion of what it takes to solve social and environmental problems using the power of business. Tim Frick and Nancy Goldstein of CompassX Strategy will separate the serious from the superficial using case studies and examples of responsible marketing done right . . . and wrong.
Tim and Nancy will also cover B Corporations, a new kind of socially responsible business structure, legislation for which is currently being reviewed by Illinois Senate and Illinois House Judiciary committees. Mightybytes and CompassX Strategy are two of only a handful of Illinois B Corporations. Find out what being a B Corporation means both personally and professionally, as well as how to become one.
Informative slides! Thought-provoking videos! Tag team song-n-dance routines by two fun presenters! Really, how can you pass this up?
This event is free and open to the public, so bring your friends!
Date: Wednesday, March 14th Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Place: Columbia College’s Hokin Hall, 623 South Wabash, Chicago
The challenges of marketing a socially responsible business will be covered during this panel discussion at the UIC Innovation Center, February 10th.
UIC’s Liautaud Graduate Marketing Association and Net Impact will present a panel on conscious communication, which will cover best marketing practices for sustainable and socially responsible businesses. The panel will discuss challenges that accompany marketing a socially responsible business or organization and the unique set of skills and demands necessary in the always evolving field of marketing. Topics pertaining to the following will be addressed:
non-profit work
sustainable organizations
green companies
marketing content strategy and analytics
social media effectiveness
trends in industry resources and tools
In addition to Tim showing out for Mightybytes, representatives from the following organizations will also be on the panel:
Panelists will answer questions posed by UIC professor Cheryl Nakata relating to trends, resources, tools and strategies used to raise awareness for their respective businesses and organizations.
Event Information
Conscious Communication Marketing for Non-Profit and Sustainable Organizations
UIC Innovation Center
1200 W. Harrison St., Chicago
Friday, February 10th
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
This event is free to UIC students, faculty, and staff. Non UIC-affiliated guests: $5.00.
Light refreshments, beer, and wine will be served. (ID’s will be checked)
