Top 10 Luxury Publications Targeting The Affluent American
While a significant section of the publishing industry has moved in a digital direction, those who target affluent Americans continue to create luxurious, sophisticated printed magazines for their consumers. These luxury publications cater to a specific group of elite readers and operate with the unique goal of exuding opulence with every turn of the page. These publications are not only written to engage today’s affluent American, but to offer a stunning piece of art work readers can hold right in their hands, and use as their personal gateway into the world of elite living.
These high-end lifestyle magazines have become a lasting staple in the world of luxury branding, and continue to successfully engage elite consumers. This prevalence in the market has made these publications a popular communication for luxury brands who want to advertise directly to their target consumers. Here are ten of the most influential luxury lifestyle publications available on the market today.
Robb Report
This monthly magazine has been in publication for over three decades and displays products and services from the world’s leading luxury brands. With themed editions that include their annual “Best of the Best” issue, this magazine has a longstanding following of dedicated readers.
Upscale Living Magazine
Known as the “portal of luxury goods” this upscale magazine is an exclusive publication that touches on everything from yachts and private jets, to real estate and fine jewelry.
Modern Luxury CS
As one of the most popular magazines in the Modern Luxury collection of publications, CS has a readership of more than 270,000. Twelve issues a year are circulated to events, luxury hotels and those who have paying subscriptions.
Niche Media
As one of the most popular Niche Media publications, LA Confidential offers readers with an inside guide on how to live like the rich and famous.
Departure
This high end American Express magazine is distributed only to the company’s Platinum and Centurion card members. Seven issues a year focus on the globe’s leading luxury brands.
Black Ink
This invitation only magazine is offered only to the highest level of American Express cardholders, and is associated with the brand’s infamous Black Card. Four issues a year focus on single topics that cater to the affluent reader.
Global Living Magazine
The tagline for this magazine is “living luxuriously worldwide,” and it focuses on offering six yearly insights to the most high-end travel destinations across the globe.
Afar Magazine
Voted as the top travel magazine in the world, this publication offers seasoned, affluent travelers with insight into the globe’s most luxurious destinations.
Travel and Leisure
This monthly magazine has been around since the 1930s. Now owned by American Express Publishing, Travel and Leisure focuses on offering monthly articles and travel photography of the world’s most upscale environments.
Elite Traveler
Six issues of this publication are released every year to readers who have an average household income of $5.3 million. The publication is aimed at the ‘elite affluent’ and more than 90% of the distribution of these magazines are inside private jets and first class airline lounges.
Did we miss your favorite luxury publications targeting the affluent American? If so, add your favorite print magazine in our comments.
Blogger Spotlight: Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge Of Byrosenvinge.com
Behind every great luxury blog, you will find a great story. Luxury bloggers are real people, not machines, and to successfully work with them, we recommend you get to know them a little better. Through our years at LuxeInACity, we have talked, collaborated and exchanged ideas with dozens of great bloggers from around the world.
Since bloggers rarely talk about themselves - they tend to talk about everyone else instead - we hope to showcase their skills, expertises and opinions in this blog series.
Get to know them, learn from them and hopefully you will find an innovative way to collaborate with them.
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Today's blogger is Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge of Byrosenvinge.com, a Danish luxury blog with a focus on travel, beauty and of course, lifestyle. Apart from being a successful luxury blogger, Regitse expresses her creativity by creating lovely jewelry. A girl with many talents. Read below to get a few tips from the woman behind Byrosenvinge.com.
Like most successful bloggers, you probably receive hundreds of emails per month from luxury brands who want you to share their story. What makes you decide to work with a brand over the other?
It’s very important for me to stay true to myself and the theme of my blog, so yes, I’m quite choosy when it comes to promotion of brands and services. When I choose to write an article or a review about something, it’s because it has a little more to offer than other related products or services. I work with hotels quite a lot, and here it’s important that the hotel stands out with exquisite facilities, customer service, cuisine or whatever it might be. The reader needs to feel that this is pure luxury for all senses and not just an average review of something next door.
What would make you choose to work with a brand on a giveaway campaign on your site?
If I feel the brand can add a spark of luxury to my site or if it’s a unique product that could make a difference in the life of either myself or my readers. I’m a fan of everyday luxury, so i’m definitely keen on luxury services or products that can add value to the everyday life.
If a brand wants to reach you, what channel should they use? Do you prefer email, social media or another means of communication?
I’d prefer to communicate through e-mail, but we’re very active on the social media platforms as well.
What is the coolest gift you have received from a luxury brand in a blogger outreach program?
On the account of my blog I’ve travelled a lot through all parts of Europe. So far the most extraordinary experience has been a long weekend in Piemonte in Italy, where I went to visit several vineyards and follow the procedure from grape to finished product. We went to eat a Michelin-restaurants and I experienced true Italian culture. I couldn't help but fall even more in love with Italy!
In your opinion, what does it take to become successful on social media?
I believe it’s important to stay updated all the time and commit to social medias as it’s part of your everyday job. Don’t spam – nobody likes to receive news all the time, but select and post relevant stories and info.
What is the main reason you blog on a daily basis? Is it for pleasure, for business or for both?
Apart from Byrosenvinge.com I run a jewellery company as well, Regitse Rosenvinge Jewellery, so unfortunately I don’t get to spend as much time with my blog as I’d like, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s a very personal thing to me. I literally care about my blog and we’ve come a long way since the beginning. So yes – it’s for pleasure and I don’t believe one could do it if only interested in business. It shines through very quickly.
Apart from blogging, do you offer additional services to luxury brands who choose to work with you?
Yes. We offer multiple services to companies who wish to work with us. It’s all part of the experience and sometimes it’s even necessary to offer more than just an article about a brand. Especially if we have to commit to a longer collaboration and truly get to know the brand. For example, we offer advertorial space and coverage through our social medias.
Do you manage more than one blog? If so, which ones?
I used to manage a beauty blog as well, but now it’s all about luxury lifestyle at Byrosenvinge.com. Plus my jewellery webshop: www.regitserosenvinge.com.
What would you say is the best thing about being a luxury blogger?
I’ve always loved to surround myself with beautiful things and I love to be able to work with my true hobby and passion; travelling and hotels. I think luxury bloggers are a growing segment and they should stick together in order to maintain good quality content and beautiful layouts.
Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous through your work as a luxury blogger?
Not in particular famous, but let’s just say that things are going in the right direction. It was never a goal for me to meet famous people, I just want to do what I love the most. But every now and then fun things happen and it’s all part of the game.
If you had to mentor a new blogger, what is your go-to advice to become successful?
Stay focused, be passionate, work hard, strive for the stars.
Don't hesitate to reach out to Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge of Byrosenvinge.com on Facebook, Twitter, or if you want an introduction, reach out to us.
Blogger Spotlight: Doron Levy Of TheTopTier.net
Behind every great luxury blog, you will find a great story. Luxury bloggers are real people, not machines. To successfully work with them, we recommend you get to know them a little better. Through our years at LuxeInACity, we have talked, collaborated and exchanged ideas with dozens if not hundreds of great bloggers from around the world.
Since bloggers rarely talk about themselves - they tend to talk about everyone else instead - we hope to showcase their skills, expertise and opinions in this blog series.
Get to know these luxury bloggers, learn from them and hopefully you will find an innovative way to collaborate with them.
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Today's blogger is Doron Levy of TheTopTier.net, a luxury lifestyle blog that aims to curate the best in luxury and affluence. Doron lives in Toronto, a great Canadian city that never sleeps. If you took the time to chat with Doron on the phone, you would soon realize how passionate he is about his blog. As you will read below, Doron stumbled into the world of luxury blogging after working in retail for several years. Since then, his blog has been a great source of information for those who love luxury. Read below to get to know the man behind TheTopTier.net.
Every blogger has a different story on how they got started blogging. What is yours?
I worked my way through the retail industry for most of my life and I was always impressed at the resilience of the luxury category. It is truly a category where the normal rules of economics don’t apply. The more exclusive an item is the more desirable it becomes. I found the whole category interesting and decided to feature content and write original work about luxury. And as an admitted gear head and watch lover, covering and writing about these subjects is truly enjoyable
Like most successful bloggers, you probably receive hundreds of emails per month from luxury brands who want you to share their story. What makes you decide to work with a brand over the other?
I look at several factors. The product itself is important. How it’s made, price and reputation all come into play. The biggest factors though are the company and brand itself. I like to learn about the history and roots of any brand that approaches us. True luxury is not just adding jewelry to an iPhone. There has to be a degree of exclusivity and equity when considering a brand to feature.
What is your take on press releases? Do you like receiving them or do you simply discard them?
We use press-releases as they come depending on the subject and time of year. Most recently was the Geneva Motor Show; so you would see a high frequency of PR coming from manufacturers during the show. While I find most press releases sterile and too wordsy, I like to add my own introduction and analysis to any press release we receive.
What would make you choose to work with a brand on a giveaway campaign on your site?
It depends on the brand, the giveaway and how they are promoting it. Ultra high net worth individuals don’t really subscribe to giveaways or contests; so we like to focus on the information they want.
If a brand wants to reach you, what channel should they use? Do you prefer email, social media or another means of communication?
I believe in being fully connected and staying connected as we work with people all over the world. We can be reached via email, Facebook, DM through twitter, SMS, Skype and will even answer smoke signals. I have to admit, I do miss having phone calls… (I have to agree).
In your mind, what makes a successful blogger outreach program? Is it the incentive, the brand itself or the relationship you already have with the brand?
It’s all about the relationship. While the incentive may be a nice perk, a solid partnership is way more valuable to me.
Of all the social media channels you engage on, which one do you prefer and why?
I really like the rapidity of twitter and the ability to reach a large group of interested people in short amount time but it can be a day to day situation where one channel is more popular than the other. During the Sochi Olympics, twitter was really the place to be but when engaging with content that is of a more creative nature, Facebook and LinkedIn become my preferred outlets.
Which social media channels does your audience interact with the most?
A lot of incoming traffic comes from Facebook and LinkedIn. The groups at LinkedIn are an invaluable source of readers as you are engaging people specifically looking for your content (as long as you post work in the appropriate groups).
In your opinion, what does it take to become successful on social media?
Someone who is adaptable and is not afraid of change! All social media outlets now have a bottom line to worry about so what was doable in social media 2 months ago will not work today. Your content will be mixed in with paid ads and sponsored articles. The key to success is constantly engaging your followers and friends with content they are interested in. You want to stand out in feeds and not be washed out by an onslaught of paid ads.
Do you monitor your Klout score on a daily/weekly basis? Do you think this social ranking is of any real value to luxury brands?
I do not but I am on their email list so I am updated when my score changes. There have been some big debates about Klout and its worthiness. My Klout score has remained constant for the last year but I have seen my hits, twitter and Facebook engagement all increasing so I’m not 100 percent sure what metrics they go by. We don’t include Klout in any of our marketing materials.
What is the main reason you blog on a daily basis? Is it for pleasure, for business or for both?
I can fully admit that it’s both. I enjoy the writing and covering the luxury category and it does provide a means to connect with organizations and individuals who would be interested in our services.
Do you sometime receive compensation from luxury brands, whether it’s in the form of cash or incentives, to blog about them?
Third party marketers will offer a small payment for a link in a sponsored post. Yes, we do offer sponsored posts just like all the big guys do. (We agree - it's common practice. RG)
Apart from blogging, do you offer additional services to luxury brands who choose to work with you?
Yes, through our ControlMedia.ca unit, we offer marketing, social media campaign setup, web design and our favorite, media creation.
Do you think luxury brands should understand that blogging is also a business for some?
I think luxury brands are starting to understand that point as blogging is becoming a vital part of their marketing campaigns. Luxury brands benefit from the ‘bespoke’ attention that bloggers can give them. Detailed reviews, real world experiences and commentary makes for more engagement with potential clients.
Do you manage more than one blog? If so, which ones?
Yes, we currently have 4 in our portfolio, TheTopTier.net, Vacayster.com, EmptyLegCentral.net and TradersNetwork.biz.
Have you rub shoulders with the rich and famous through your work as a luxury blogger?
Through our affiliation with Seven Star Global Luxury Awards, we recently landed exclusive interviews with prominent Greek and Turkish media personalities.
If you had to mentor a new blogger, what is your go-to advice to become successful?
Use a CMS that is easy to use and update such as Wordpress and maintain fresh content daily. That is the tried and true method in building an audience and SEO presence.
Don't hesitate to reach out to Doron Levy on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, by email (info {@} thetoptier.net) or if you want an introduction, reach out to us.
How Link Building Is All About Relationships
It is commonly accepted that social media is all about building relationships with those who share similar interests. The success of your own content, whether it's a blog post, a YouTube video or a simple tweet, lies in the hands of those who share it with their fans. You might create great content but if no one pays attention to your updates, you will inevitably be at a loss.
To achieve social success, you must therefore nurture relationships with fans and other key influencers in your industry. This takes time, commitment, and above all, an honest approach.
The same is true for link building. Once overflowing with shady practices, SEO is now all about relationships and a more genuine and authentic blogger outreach program. You might be able to purchase a list of industry bloggers and send them your weekly press release, but you will quickly notice that the results yielded are lower than expected. Don't blame the bloggers, blame your approach.
Bloggers are individuals, not machines. They pride themselves on curating and creating the very best content and they tend to dedicate a lot of time to their fans. Bloggers, like social media influencers, ultimately need to know, and love, you to be willing to work with you.
So, how do you make them fall in love with you or your brand? Start by being real. Don't expect anything from them; don't push them with countless emails; and don't annoy them on social media. Reach out to them on a one-on-one basis; tell them why you have chosen them for your blogger outreach program; and be honest on whether or not you can offer them something in return. While some bloggers will only accept payments in exchange of sponsored posts, most will be more than happy to help out if asked politely.
If you need more advice on how to successfully reach a luxury blogger, read our recent post, or to plan your next blogger outreach program, reach out to us.
10 Creative Ideas To Show Off Your Content Marketing Skills
We all know that great content is king, but to truly engage your audience, your content must be creatively appealing. If you are a luxury brand, you will be judged by your digital output even more so than a traditional brand. Therefore, every piece of content you produce should reflect your brand's true essence. It is important to promote uniformity across your branding, social media channels and overall digital presence.
So, instead of pushing content out as fast as possible, give a little regard to design. Nothing beats a great image to start a conversation with your audience. To get you started with your content marketing efforts, here are 10 creative ideas to show off your content marketing skills in 2014.
1. Infographic
Whether you have done your own research or you are using statistics from outside resources, an infographic is great to showcase original or trending data in a visually-appealing and engaging way. A brand can truly have fun with its infographics using bold design ideas or it can stay true to its branding with an elegant design. Here is an infographic designed for MY Starfire, a 178' Benetti superyacht available for charter. We kept the look elegant to cater to the superyacht community.
2. Slide Shows
If you have mastered the art of using PowerPoint for in-house presentation, consider sharing some with your audience on Slideshare.net. Building your presence on SlideShare is a great way to generate new leads for your brand.
If you have been creating amazing templates, turn them into lead generating tools by offering them in exchange for an email signup.
3. Prezi
What is Prezi? Well Prezi is the cooler, younger alternative to PowerPoint. One can create visually engaging storyboard that take you through a 3D visualization of a subject or timeline. With a Prezi, you can use a combination of images, words and videos to lead your prospects on a path to discovery.
4. Tutorials
If your company sells a product or service that might require a real-life demonstration, think about creating a stand-alone or a series of tutorials that will guide the user through common problems of installation or utilisation. Tutorials can come in the form of a how-to-document, a short video or a slideshow but the most effective means of communication is by far the short video shared on YouTube.
5. How-to-Video
A How-to-Video is best used to answer commonly asked FAQ questions in a quick and effective manner. Create a short 15-30 second video shot with step-by-step segments and add narration to give your viewers additional helpful information about your product.
6. Webinars
A webinar addresses common questions and hot topics in your industry in a video conference setting. Each participant logins and listens to the internet class using the web or a telephone bridge line. Once the conference is over, you can record it and serve it on-demand as a lead generating source.
7. Create a Screencast
Through a short video that incorporates live motion computer screens, you can easily show the user what steps to take as well as explain a few extra details with the help of a narration track. If your product is web-based, using a screencast is the most efficient way to explain the ins and outs to your prospects and clients.
8. Web Comics
If you dare, create a comic strip as a fun and shareable addition to your content marketing efforts. If you make it a recurring item in your strategy, be sure to offer a special subscription to gain valuable email addresses. If you don't have a cartoonist on your team, find one on Fiverr.com. Check our personal avatar, created with just a few clicks on a button.
9. Co-Branded Offers
Find a sister company that offers compatible products and services to yours and start creating content together in the form of eBooks, webinars or infographics. Another way to create synergy is to write on each other's blog redirecting traffic from one website to the other and vice versa.
If you suddenly have a brilliant idea for content marketing but lack the necessary resources to make it happen, reach out to us for a complimentary consultation. With over 2000 blog posts, dozens of eBooks and infographics under our belt, our team has become a leader in luxury and luxury travel content creation.
Ten Tips For Reaching A Luxury Blogger
After sending dozens or even hundreds of press releases to bloggers who are online influencers in your niche, you might wonder why you have received so few replies. Could it be that your pitch went into every one of these bloggers spam folder? Or could it be that you didn’t send anything of value to the bloggers? Wouldn’t it be nice if bloggers took the time to tell you why?
At LuxeInACity, our digital showroom, we have received thousands of press releases by luxury and luxury travel brands that hope to get exposure on our blog and social media channels. Yet we have worked with only a handful. Why? Because we felt that these PR pitches were simply not addressed to us.
To help you reach us and other bloggers like us, stand out from the mass by applying the recommendations below.
1. Don’t spam
This is probably the most important thing to remember: Never ever send a message or press release to a mass distribution list. Why? Because no one likes spam. There is absolutely no difference between receiving an unwanted press release from an agency and receiving a sales pitch by a random email marketer trying to sell you fake goods. We treat them the same. Unless you are LVMH and have major news to tell, your mass message will most likely be ignored by all. It’s just too easy to overlook. And if you keep sending weekly emails without ever actually trying to connect with us, you might just make us mad. If we have talked over the phone and you still send me emails via your distribution list, you just lost some hard-earned privileges. Simply don’t spam.
2. Engage 2-3 months in advance
Yes, you read it right. Don’t expect to build a relationship with a blogger in two days or worse in two hours. They need time to get to know you. Bloggers receive hundreds of emails a week and barely have time to reply to the most important ones. Take us for example, we are a boutique luxury agency with real life clients who want us to build their brand’s image, to create engaging content for marketing, social media and SEO and who expect us to work on tight deadlines. If you send us a press release but we don’t know who you are, what do you think we will do? That’s right; we will most likely simply skip over the request and continue working on our paying gigs. But if you are our friend, we will most likely make a last minute exception and work with you.
3. Introduce yourself or your PR/SEO agency.
Before you start talking about how great a brand, product or event is, start by telling us who you are. Makes sense doesn’t it? How can we establish your credentials if we have never heard of you? Don’t be shy to tell us about your agency and share your personal profiles on LinkedIn and Twitter. You don’t need to write a full paragraph about yourself but do give a little insight, something other than what’s in your signature.
4. Pitch to a real-life person not a robot
I never thought I would say this, but consider talking and getting to know us a little before you reach out to us. Use our name in the email instead of “dear blogger” and remember to spell the name correctly. My partner/sister’s name is Maxine yet we get so many emails written for Maxime. If you start with dear blogger or a simple hello, you tell the blogger that you don’t care about them enough to find out their name. We have even posted our names and linked our LinkedIn profile on our homepage yet few refer to us by our names or take the time to connect. No name equals no replies.
5. Pitch to a blogger not a journalist
Remember, bloggers write about what they want to, not what they have to. They don’t have to cover the news or tell your story. They do as they please and write because they are passionate about their niche. Here at LuxeInACity, we love luxury and especially luxury travel, we have writers who roam the globe, so invite us for a drink or a snack and get to know us a little. If there is no possibility for a rendezvous, show us how your brand would appeal to our audience instead of simply summarizing the content in a press release. If you are a hotel and have a new killer summer menu, invite one of our fans for a complimentary meal. Remember, we are in a new media era and our fans want us to interact with them, so we need to be able to interact with you.
6. Don’t copy/paste
Please, never do this again. You can attach the press release and all related images, .pdf and videos in a Dropbox folder but don’t include everything in the email. If you are like me, you have a smartphone linked to your emails. You get a ping and you instantly check the message. If I see that it’s a copy/paste of a press release, I simply click delete. If I see that it is a personal message with an outline of the pitch, I will keep it for a further review. Also, if you get my personal email from a reply, don’t take it as an “I want to subscribe to your mailing list for all ongoing press release distribution” sign. Unless I personally sign up to your mailing list, don’t sign me up.
7. Make it easy
Time is money and a blogger has little time to run around trying to get images to promote your brand. So make it easy for them and provide everything in a convenient Dropbox folder. Also, make yourself accessible to the blogger for questions or additional resources as needed. Bloggers have editorial calendars and if they tell you they hope to publish your article on a specific date, don’t make them chase after you! Remember that they are working for you and you want them to be on your side.
8. Don’t ask for stats
Again, do your research. If you find a blogger and have taken the time to reach out to them, it’s probably because you believe their audience is a good fit for your brand. So why do they have to prove to you that they are online influencers? If the blog ranks under 500 000 on Alexa, has thousands of social media fans, you should know they have all the influence you need.
9. Make it Win-Win
Not every blogger hopes to make money from their blog but do respect bloggers who write for a living. When you ask a blogger to write about your brand, you ask them to do the work for you. If you are a PR agency, your clients pay you to try to generate some media exposure for them. So, why is it so hard for PR reps to understand that bloggers with huge followings should get compensated for their hard work? Try getting thousands of fans to read your blog and follow your social media channels and you will see why bloggers should be compensated. It’s not easy and it is very time consuming. Think of a blog as a business because that is in fact what it is. If a brand has money to pay a PR firm to find bloggers, then they should also put money aside to pay the bloggers to actually promote them to their desired clientele. Would you work for free? I don’t think so, so explain to your clients that bloggers shouldn’t have to either.
10. Say Thank you.
So many PR reps forget to send out a simple thank you email. Everyone appreciates recognition for work well done. If you forget to thank a blogger, don’t even think of reaching out to them in the future with another pitch. If you have joined the social wave, keep in touch and join them in any interesting discussion. A little love will go a long way for your next pitch. Trust us on this.
After reading this post, try sending us your pitch at LuxeInACity and hope for a quick reply. If you get one, it means you have mastered the art of pitching to bloggers.
After reading this post, try sending us your pitch at LuxeInACity and hope for a quick reply. If you get one, it means you have mastered the art of pitching to bloggers.
8 Content Marketing Ideas To Become A Thought Leader
Nowadays, it is not only important to be great at what you do but it is also important to share the knowledge with fellow industry leaders and peers. Becoming a thought leader takes time, hard-work but among all it takes commitment and dedication to provide great content for your industry.
To help you get started, here is a list of 8 Content Marketing Ideas to Become a Thought Leader and help you showcase your knowledge and skills to your community.
1. Have an Engaging Blog
Whatever your industry or whatever the size of your company, you MUST have a blog. Why? How else will customers engage with your website? Gone are the days of beautiful Flash-based websites that have little or no editorial value. Nowadays, customers want to get to know you before they buy from you. There is no better way to share your expertise and knowledge then by maintaining an engaging blog.
2. Create a White Paper
If you want to become a thought-leader in your industry, you might want to consider putting together an in-depth report or guide that helps your readers understand an issue, solve a problem or make a better-informed decision. Sounds too serious? What about creating a guide on travel trends to your country or city; a study on the best SUV to travel with pets; or a paper on how to source local produce for your kitchen? Remember, the goal is to engage your audience; therefore, you should create a white paper that has impact, preventing it from simply being downloaded, browsed over, then forgotten.
3. Design an EBook
Meant to be read digitally on a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, an eBook should be born digitally and not be a mere reformatting of a print edition. An eBook can become a great visual representation of your brand or of your products and services. They can be enhanced with great images and include links to relevant websites. Check out a few eBooks we created for MY Starfire, a charter superyacht whose captain is Carl Sputh.
4. Publish Original Research
If you have recently surveyed your customers or peers on a particular subject, why not create a report for your industry? Find a niche that hasn’t been covered by your peers and create an interesting survey. Sharing the acquired knowledge will greatly enhance your expertise while giving valuable information to your audience. And remember, the content can then be re-purposed to design infographics, blog posts, white papers, eBooks and more.
5. Compile Data
Every industry needs someone to collect and organize data and statistics, so consider doing some of the legwork yourself. Create an eBook or white paper filled with statistics and data relating to your industry, and then share it with others. If you plan to do your own research, create your survey questions by keeping this content strategy in mind.
6. Resource Round-Up
You are most-likely already doing the research for yourself, so why not put it through a basic design process to turn it into a great content offer. Round-up the best industry publications, blogs, websites, Twitter feeds, Facebook pages or Pinterest boards and present them in a visually compelling eBook, slide share or whitepaper.
7. Glossaries
Like any industry, yours probably has dozens of buzzwords, jargon and lingo that can leave your prospects feeling out of the loop. Help them become familiar with your industry’s vocabulary by creating an easy to understand glossary of terms. Keep it short and simple and consider regrouping terms by subjects or products.
8. Case Studies
Demonstrate how your products and services solved actual problems for specific clients by highlighting your accomplishments. Explain the initial problem, demonstrate the methods and tactics used and then share your results. Case studies are a great way to generate new leads for your company.
If you want to become a thought leader but need help with the curation and creation of appealing content, reach out to us for a complimentary consultation. With over 1000 blog posts, dozens of eBooks and infographics under our belt, our team has become a leader in luxury and luxury travel content creation.
What content marketing strategy will you take to generate new leads in 2014?
Content Marketing Fuels Social Media
It won’t come as a surprise if we tell you that long gone are the days of newspapers and TV dominance where the start of a day meant drinking coffee over a daily newspaper and the end of a night meant watching TV over popcorn. Now it’s all about checking emails, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and reading our daily newsfeed of blog posts. Let’s face it, we should have the internet hooked up to our blood stream so we don’t miss a beat.
So, if the internet and its myriad of social networks and bloggers have become the star of our daily life and the prime means of all our communications, why do brands still concentrate a large portion of their effort into traditional PR and marketing tactics? Is it because they don’t understand that social media linked to great content marketing is the new and best way to reach their desired clientele? Most likely. As a matter of fact, most agencies have yet to embrace content marketing and social media in their own efforts to acquire new clients; so, how can they transfer this knowledge to their current clients.
What you need to know is simple. Your digital agency must first identify then connect with key influencers in your niche industry. Getting your brand on a world-class news site might actually be far less successful then getting it in front of the very attentive fans following ten influential industry bloggers. Why? Because these major news outlets have a very broad and mixed audience while the blogger’s audience is extremely targeted to your needs.
Secondly, your digital agency must curate and create valuable content such as infographics, white papers, eBooks and imageries to reach out to these bloggers in the hope of getting some coverage. In our time as luxury bloggers at LuxeInACity, we have never ever received anything else then a press release from an agency. Imagine our surprise if a luxury hotel sent us a cool infographic on the Top 10 sightseeing activities in their city or if a boutique fashion brand sent an eBook on the must-have fashion items for the next season. We would not hesitate for a second. It would be published, posted on Facebook, tweeted several times, shared on LinkedIn, etc. My team would have a field day with such great content. We would probably pass it along to our fellow bloggers (yes, we are all friends and send each other random tips) in hopes of getting it to go viral.
Lastly, your digital agency should participate socially and share the efforts put forward by these generous bloggers. This is a step that is often forgotten by agencies. We publish an article for them and they forget about us. Bloggers write for different reasons, some for money, some for fame and some for passion, but they all want the same attention. Why else would they pour out their souls on the web? So, make sure your digital agency gives plenty of love before, during and after a blogger has promoted your brand. Remember that you will most likely want to work with them again in the future regardless of the digital agency you choose, so give a favorable lasting impression. And why not send them a personal thank you note and establish contact with them directly. A little love always goes a long way, especially in the blogging world.
So, if you feel like giving us some love, tweet to us at @luxeinacity or connect with us on Facebook.
Tell Me: What Is Content Marketing?
In a world where we can skip ads on TV, listen to commercial-free radio and surf the internet without ever noticing banners or those infamous "buy now" buttons (making them completely irrelevant), brands must find new innovative ways to reach their targeted audience. Instead of trying to push your brand in front of an audience that is simply disinterested by your glitzy, high-cost, non-substantial marketing campaigns, might we suggest trying content marketing.
Content marketing is no longer a trend or a craze, it is simply the future of marketing. In fact, 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing and 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing. (Content Marketing Institute).
So, what is Content Marketing? The best definition probably comes from Joe Pulizzi, the founder of the Content Marketing Institute, in his must-have book Get Content, Get Customers (co-authored by Newt Barrett).
Why is content marketing so popular?
It's simple. It works.
Consumers who surf the web are more likely to engage with compelling content such as blog posts, infographics, eBooks, videos or white papers than with any type of traditional ads. The arrival of the internet has completely changed the way consumers interact with brands by providing a myriad of creative and interactive alternatives to age-old marketing techniques. In fact, to reach your audience nowadays , you must create content that compels them and answers their informational needs while still simultaneously serving your underlying marketing objectives.
A hard challenge? Not really. Think of it this way. Any brand that deems to call themselves a brand cares about their clients. They try to create the best products and services possible in hopes of truly satisfying their needs. Content marketing seeks to achieve the same. By giving them the sought-after information in a innovative way, content marketing acts as a relationship-building tool that builds brand awareness, increases customer engagement and retains interest throughout the sales conversion process.
Ready to jump in but don't know where to start? Like with any good plan, you first have to determine your goals and target the right audience. Need help with your plan? Reach out to us.
Go Niche With Your Press Releases
We all know that PR agencies have limited time and resources to get their client's brand, product, event or campaign on as many media outlets as possible, but when they try to shoot for the mass, they might end up with little or no results. The days of creating a media list and sending a mass email with a copy/paste version of a press release are over; and yet over 90% of PR agencies who try to reach us at LuxeInACity still use this tactic. We have to say to them: STOP! It doesn't work!
Ok, they might get a few bloggers and journalists to republish their client's press release (we have done so ourselves in the past) but ask yourself what the true outcome of using such tactics will be? Will these dry copy/paste type press release articles be shared virally on social media? Nope. Will they reach the client's target audience and make a lasting impression on them? Nope. Will it result in more social fans, website traffic or an increase in sales? Probably not. So why are most PR agencies still using tactics that have not worked since the web has gone social? Why haven't they adapted to the new web etiquette and joined the social wave?
So if sending generic press releases doesn't work, how should a brand get their message out to bloggers? It's actually fairly simple. First pinpoint a short list of bloggers that have real influence in your market. Start interacting with them on social media as a fan or peer but always keep it real, non commercial. Then connect by email with a short, personable and once-again real message. If the blogger decides to work with you, great, but don't harass them every day with requests. Also, if they help you, don't forget to send them a thank you email and help them promote the article with your own social media channels. Finally, stay in touch sporadically in the following months. There is nothing worse than a "fake friend" who only calls out to you when they need something.
So if you have something to send us at LuxeInACity, please-oh-please, don't send us another generic press release! Become our friend, get acquainted and then give us valuable content to work with.