A Handy Guide to Content Marketing. Plus—Employer Branding in a Nutshell
March 17, 2010
I hadn’t thought that much about the definition of “content marketing” until I visited the Junta42 site for another reason, and realized that I wasn’t sure exactly how they were using the term. While scouting around for clues, I found an abolute gem buried in one of the many (many) layers and offshoots of the site.
Junta42 is a content-marketing matchmaker (projects-to-vendors), and their site is super-rich in content about content. But there is such a thing as too much abundance! Luckily, though, I did discover the Content Marketing Playbook and recommend it very highly. Subtitled “42 Ways to Connect with Customers,” this nifty ebook has a page for every imaginable kind of content, from white papers to webinars. And! Each page has a brief case study that links right to a relevant example of the content type. So if you’re not completely clear on what an “Online Media Site” might be (Item 31), you can click right over to an example at Proctor & Gamble’s HomeMadeSimple.com.
For every content type there’s a handy cheat sheet, explaining what it is, who/what it’s good for, who/what it’s not good for–and ending with three quick tips. A cruise through this book provides a great refresher on content forms that are already familiar (blogging, newsletters, podcasts, etc.) and should also offer every reader at least a few new ideas. Get up to speed on magalogs, wikis, widgets, and more.
Suggestions: (1) Open/download the PDF version. You can page through the book via the website, but there’s a lot of visual distraction. (2) While visiting Junta42, bookmark their guide to the “Top 42″ blogs about content marketing. (The list is also an example of Playbook Item 11, the “Industry Ranking System.”)
Speaking of cheat sheets—there is an exceptionally concise summary of employer branding on the website of Singapore-based Human Resources magazine. It’s smart, short, simple, and clear. Here’s a highlight:
Generally, companies can focus on four types of employer branding messages:
Focus on offers: “At our company, you get more than what you get elsewhere. (E.g. benefits, culture, and career opportunities)”
Focus on personality: “You can find people who are similar to you in our company.”
Focus on values: “Values are important to us. If you share the same values, you can live according to what’s important to you here.”
Focus on tasks: “At our company, you will get the chance to do what excites you and you will love it here.”
This article provides a nice refresher for those already engaged with employer branding, and a useful starting point for those new to the topic.
All in all–two free reads that offer a lot of value.
(Thanks to Arnero for the . . . illustration. Wondering what it is? Me too. By title, a “Combustor with guide vanes.” No idea what that means, but it’s really cool to look at!)
Undercover Employee
March 15, 2010
I haven’t seen the new television show Undercover Boss—but the idea seems almost irresistible. Who wouldn’t want to see executives slogging around in the trenches?
However, I have done several stints as an undercover employee. Way back when I wanted to get out of academia and learn about the business world, I found it was easy to get temp jobs because I could type really (really) fast. So I got to snoop around a dozen or so companies, seeing how they were organized, how people behaved, and so on. The companies were in different industries, and the work cultures were superficially different. But what I learned in my adventure was that they all had the same problems.
Fast forward to today. I’m currently undercover again, this time because I wanted an inside view of a very famous employer brand. The “undercoverness” is not that no one knows my real identity–it’s that no one has the least interest in who I am. My role is to get X amount of stuff done in Y amount of time, and enter my hours into the appropriate project slots. As long as I do that, no one will pay any attention to me. I am a worker bee.
But I do get to see (or at least hear) how things run in one group. I won’t reveal my “findings” until I’ve finished the project and departed the company. For now, I just want to share this observation . . .
Probably nothing would be more help in improving the employer brand than finding out what new employees actually experience as they go through the hiring process, go through the onboarding process, try to do some work, and try to find their place in the group structure. How many companies substantively interview new hires and actively utilize feedback?
Come to that: How many companies provide ongoing support and resources for new hires? How many managers have the time, skills, or inclination to effectively integrate new employees? And how many Careers sites talk about the hiring and onboarding processes, or include interviews with newly hired workers as well as career employees?
Last question. How many corporate recruiters actually know what becomes of candidates after they get hired?
When you think about it—every new employee is “undercover.” Secretly observing, forming opinions, drawing conclusions. And those early observations will shape the relationship between employee and employer for a long time.
Check out the fantastic (seriously) New Hires site at Stanford University for some ideas. Especially impressive: a series of Manager Checklists that cover the first days, weeks, and months on the job.
(Thanks to Eric E. Castro for the original “Shhh!” photograph. It’s been reworked a bit here.)
The "New" Fortune List: Part 2
March 12, 2010
More observations on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, 2010 . . .
A Lesson from the List: Right-sizing the Corporate Careers Site
Given the fabulous workplace at SAS (see Part 1 for details!), we can surmise that the main challenge for their recruiters really is tracking down those perfect passive candidates and luring top talent through the gates of paradise. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the SAS Careers site is truly minimal—just a (long) list of benefits and some job search tools. That’s all. No videos, testimonials, day in the life, social media. Just the opportunity to apply.
Over at Publix Super Markets, on the other hand, where many prospective employees can expect to work long hours stocking shelves or filling prescriptions, the Careers site has every conceivable bell and whistle. Publix has almost 140,000 employees compared with not quite 6,000 (U.S.) positions at SAS, and as of January 2010 they were looking for 1300 new employees, while SAS was in search of 52.
Point: In considering what is “best practice” for a corporate Careers site, we really need to look at the context. Arguably, SAS doesn’t need a state-of-the-art web presence. Publix does.
A Question about the List: Is It Still Relevant?
A few years ago, the Fortune List seemed to be investigative and informative. It offered examples of what worked in the workplace, and showed off companies that had built solid employer brands. Getting on the list was a valuable achievement, and falling off would presumably be a disgrace.
When you look at that set-up, it becomes obvious that the list is not likely to change much. There are only 100 spots, and once you’ve identified 100 companies that meet the criteria, the quota is full. New places will only open up when a listee messes up seriously, goes out of business, or gets bought up. So by now the news is not who’s on the list, but whether they rise and fall in relative rankings.
This year SAS vaulted from a respectable Twenty all the way to Numero Uno. Why? No way of knowing. Fortune doesn’t explain its rankings. But some suspect that companies figure out the secret of improving their rank and deliberately work their way up. I.e., they study the test.
This year I spotted five newcomers: McCormick, FactSet, Mercedes-Benz, LifeBridge Health Care, and DPR Construction. There are probably more, as I didn’t make an exhaustive comparison—but I’m pretty sure I recognize 90% of the companies as perennials. Given that 353 companies competed . . . the apparent conclusion would be that at least 248 competitors (2/3 of the set) fell short of whatever it would take to dislodge an incumbent.
Point: Maybe it’s time for Fortune to shake up this drill. What about categories for small, medium and large enterprises, to establish a more level playing field? What about special recognitions for innovators and most improved companies? What about breaking out the citations for listees in terms of (a) tangibles like pay and perks, and (b) intangibles like respect, fun, loyalty, etc. And what about adding a new point of view, so the Great Place to Work Institute is not the sole arbiter?
Just some thoughts . . .
The Positive Effects of Corporate Media Blogging
March 11, 2010
Corporate blogging is a technique and marketing tool that is slowly but most assuredly catching on in the corporate mainstream. Corporations are starting to see the inherent value of a solid blog that speaks directly to their audience. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of corporate blogs that address everything from media relations to social responsibility. This is a very good thing, and a sign that corporations are making concerted efforts to decentralize and universalize their communications target markets.
Social Media Contact
Corporations that give attention to the merits of social media are undoubtedly paying off. One such example is the case of the Jet Blue Airlines from a few years ago. With the help of seasoned writer and blogger, Debbie Weil, something that could have been potentially harmful for the company worked out very well.
Debbie’s book on professional blogging and social media outreach offered insight to the company about the need for them to make a corporate statement and the need for them to take advantage of social media.
By doing so, the company accomplished several things:
- A new presence in the world of social media and blogging. Debbie’s book was a welcomed tool for the company and they used her suggested practices right away, resulting in positive desired effects.
- Being proactive in offsetting any potential ill-feelings that consumers would have had about their service. This went a long way in ensuring repeat business from some of those same customers.
- Understanding the importance of establishing themselves in the online social world. Once they recognized the impact that social networking had on their business, they began to utilize the service more to their advantage.
- Implementing a dedicated department to handle social media issues. This is important when social networking is at the crux of any business. In order for that phase of the business to thrive, it needs dedicated manpower to ensure that the resource is being fully implemented.
Implementing Campaign Strategies
Corporations are starting to embrace the valuable merits of social media and networking. They see it as an alliance to the marketing efforts that are already in place, and are using it to its maximum capacity to work productively for their company. What are some things that your corporation can do to enhance its corporate media relations campaign? Here are a few suggestions:
- Realize the importance of interacting with readers. Almost everything written on blogs is done in real time, therefore readers are updated almost instantly on news, developments and changes within a corporate structure.
- Dedicate the time that is necessary to make the campaign productive. Invest both time, money and manpower to ensure that the campaign has what it needs to operate effectively.
- Be realistic in your expectations. Your corporate blog may not attract readers right away, nor will it appear as if it is even being read. But take heart; be diligent in growing the blog by being consistent, factual and interacting with the readers at every available opportunity.
Corporate blogging and social media efforts definitely have their place in the corporate structure. With a well-devised strategy plan and a commitment to watching it grow, corporations can become just as involved as social media individuals and garner the attention they seek for their online business.
Image Source: sxc.hu
Transparency and the Sustainability Agenda | FTSE 100 Website Reviews
March 10, 2010
General Industrials is one of those catch all phrases within the London Stock Exchange. It’s not quite an “and everything else” hold all, but neither is it particularly specific about what the companies do. They just do industry.. generally.
There are only two General Industrial companies within the FTSE 100: Smiths Group, and Rexam.
Smiths focuses upon threat & contraband detection, medical devices, energy, communications and engineered components, while Rexam is the world’s second largest consumer packaging group and a leading global beverage can maker.
There’s no particular reason for them to be in competition with each other, other than the fact they both fit into this “other” category. Read more
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