The Tendo View

Insights and analysis for your strategic communications

First Person archive

  • 4 common content development mistakes

    1/23/12 • (0)

    I came across a useful post on the Content Marketing Institute blog entitled “The 5 Types of Content That Grab Attention.” The author, Carl Friesen, lists five content types that he believes are great at engaging people’s attention, providing audiences with useful information and helping businesses promote their brand in the process. That got me… Continue reading

  • A content marketing book worth reading

    1/06/12 • (2)

    Like many authors writing about content marketing today, Rebecca Lieb asks her readers to shift their mindset. Content marketing is a strategy, not a tactic, she says in her new book, Content Marketing: Think Like a Publisher—How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media. That’s a commonly heard refrain, yet there are… Continue reading

  • Content marketing: Beyond the buzzword

    12/06/11 • (1)

    It looks like the term “content marketing” has officially joined the marketing lexicon. In the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen it gain traction as creative and PR agencies now offer it as a discrete service, the catalog of books devoted to the subject continues to grow, and Google Insights shows a definite rise… Continue reading

  • The Netflix mea culpa: Did it work?

    10/10/11 • (1)

    You can learn a lot about someone by how they apologize. The same is true of CEOs trying to save face.

    Case in point: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’ recent letter and video to customers apologizing for how his company botched its service and pricing changes. Looking at the nearly 30,000 searing comments on Netflix’s… Continue reading

  • Your customers and social media: How do you handle privacy?

    9/12/11 • (0)

    There is no doubt that the Internet and social media have made public the mundane parts of our lives that our grandparents kept anonymous. We tell our online friends when we take the first sip of our morning coffee; we announce to the world that we picked up an egg salad sandwich at the deli… Continue reading

  • Small messaging failures add up

    9/01/11 • (0)

    Amazon nearly lost an already completed sale by following it up with a free gift. How do you turn “free bonus” into “cancel”? Really bad messaging.

    I ordered an inexpensive DVD from Amazon recently and received an apparent confirmation email, which told me “The following item was ordered” … “Video on Demand.” Thinking I’d… Continue reading

  • Own your damned profanity

    8/12/11 • (1)

    Businesses trying to reach a younger/edgier/contemporary audience often use a little shock value—we’ve been talking around the office about humor and the way that can push the envelope, for instance. Recently I saw some more extreme examples of envelope-pushing that gave me pause on two well-established marketing blogs.

    The first was on Michael Fleischner’s… Continue reading

  • 5 ways to avoid social media blunders

    8/09/11 • (1)

    Recent Twitter activities over at Microsoft (regarding Amy Winehouse) and Entenmann’s (regarding the company’s #notguilty blunder) are serving as a big reminder to marketers that they need to step out of their cubes once in a while and talk to real customers.

    Market research and stats are all well and good, but smart marketers… Continue reading

  • Spelling mistakes ruin corporate websites

    7/26/11 • (3)

    A recent tweet from someone I follow caught my eye: “All my best copyediting work is done after I hit ’send.’”

    I can relate. After spending what seems like hours drafting important emails, it’s Murphy’s Law that I’ll spot a typo after I’ve hit the “send” button.

    Readers may be willing to overlook… Continue reading

  • One size does not fit all

    6/30/11 • (1)

    Zappos.com, the online retailer selling shoes, clothing and accessories, recently sent me an email. “One year ago you ordered silver metallic Ralph Lauren heels,” the message reminded me.  “We wanted to let you know that right now, your size is still available from Zappos.com.  You can order the same product again by visiting this link.”… Continue reading

  • How much freedom do you give your online communities?

    6/23/11 • (0)

    Organizations are increasingly creating “independent” communities or editorial platforms to discuss trends and issues about their industries. Some run content written by freelance contributors (journalists or independent bloggers) as well as company executives. These forward-thinking companies understand that it’s a great way to increase their share of conversation—the degree to which a brand is associated… Continue reading

  • Getting naked with corporate blogging

    4/06/11 • (1)

    Many organizations have successfully launched blogging personalities—executives who are great at drawing audiences through their entertaining and educational blogs. The better personalities are able to give their opinions without overtly selling the company’s products or services (read my earlier post, “Traits of an engaging blogger”). But as a good marketer, you are conscious that your… Continue reading

  • Groupon and the world of Web marketing content

    1/03/11 • (0)

    You’ve probably heard of Groupon by now—the local deals company that spurned Google’s $6 billion marriage proposal. When a start-up is apparently worth so much money, you’ve  got to wonder how it became so successful. As a content gal, I was interested to learn that a team of journalism school graduates write Groupon’s witty commentary accompanying each… Continue reading