Some things simply don’t fit. We know instinctively they’re not going to fit, yet we spend time and effort trying to make them work. Recently, my wife and I purchased a new car for our growing family. We looked around and found the perfect vehicle in terms of style, comfort and ride, but one key feature was just not right: the boot size (or ‘trunk space’, as my North American buddies like to call it). Instinctively, we knew our decision just wouldn’t work, but we were in love with the car so we decided to buy it anyhow and put down a deposit.

That night was a sleepless one for us: boot space was in the back of our minds and we both knew we’d made a mistake. So the next day, we took some items to put in the boot to see if we could make it work. It didn’t: our stroller didn’t fit. As a result we pulled out of the purchase and luckily, got our deposit back. We now have a car with a huge boot.

What’s the point of this story? It’s simply to know what’s most important and ensure you start from that point.

When it comes to marketing, it’s a similar story. Edge firmly believes that the most important aspect of marketing is your content and that devising a sound content strategy is your most effective starting point.

In the digital world, too, businesses often jump straight into the design and build of their web properties without considering content. Retrospectively, they try to fit the content in, and what they end up with is a confused solution with no clear directive.

Content strategy should be the first port of call for your digital campaign. Without such a strategy, you simply cannot execute a successful marketing campaign. Content is how people engage with brands, find connections with them and feel valued as consumers – but it doesn’t stop there. With the mass of content now available online, consumers seek out brands that have found unique and innovative ways to deliver content.

Recently, we were brought into a project late in the piece and found that content, clearly, had been an afterthought. Now, we’re finding issues with the chosen platform’s inability to serve specific content, and with a design that failed to take into account the amount of content the site will need to serve. As a result, the user experience is significantly weakened and the site makes a poor first impression. This would not have occurred if the company had devised a clear content marketing strategy at the outset.

I got my deposit back for the car – but how often do you get your money back from a failed marketing campaign? My guess is never. You may think at the start that you’ll save money by skimping on content strategy creation but in the long term, you run the risk of wasting your entire marketing spend.

So for you next marketing initiative, take a step back and think about content. If it’s important to you, then implement a content strategy – come and have a chat with us…

This week I attended the first day of the iStrategy Global Digital Media conference in Sydney.

Unfortunately, other than a brief appearance by Claire Díaz Ortis, head of social innovation, philanthropy and cause marketing at Twitter Inc., the conference was notably missing international keynote speakers.

Is this a problem? Yes, I believe so.

We heard from some great Australian speakers from brands including News Corporation, Fairfax Media, Google and IBM. We heard about their experiences integrating social media into their businesses, their plans for mobile, and how they are adapting to the ever-changing technological landscape.

They spoke about very similar concepts and applications, and I left feeling underwhelmed.

One of the challenges that arises when we operate in a relatively small market is that we know the players; we’ve seen examples of their work in action and we are reasonably close to the results. So when we attend a conference of this nature, the presentations reinforce what we already know rather than inspiring and challenging us with new news and fresh ideas.

I thought back to the Chief Marketing Officer conference I attended in September last year. Again, most of the presentations were off the shelf with the exception of a Skype presentation from Seth Godin – king of marketing. He CAPTIVATED the audience with anecdotes, analogies and examples, none of which I had heard before. He gave us ammunition to use in our businesses and inspired us to think about marketing differently. He was with us remotely, but was closer to our needs than any presenter I’ve experienced.

His greatest lesson was just to give things a go and not fear failure, reminding us, “The person who invented the ship also invented the shipwreck”.

No slides – just great ideas.

So, instead of offering great insights into digital strategy gleaned from the iStrategy conference, I thought I’d provide some pointers on preparing a great conference presentation: take them or leave them!

1. Think about your audience.
If you are presenting to senior marketers or agencies, pitch at an appropriate level.

2. Tell us something we don’t know!
Think about your point of difference and draw out key facts that the audience may not have considered. Play to your strengths and your niche.

3. Give examples.
Provide case studies with real results that help marketers and agencies understand how to implement your recommendations. It’s OK to reference international examples – if they worked and you can share the results. Or bring international spokespeople with you to share their learnings firsthand.

4. Have an opinion.
There’s nothing worse than a ‘vanilla’ presentation. Have an opinion and voice it. If people disagree, that’s great! Let’s have a discussion…

5. Tell a story.
Part of your job is to entertain as well as inform, so harness the art of storytelling with an imaginative beginning, an informative middle and a great ending.

6. You know the next one
… cut down on the slides! It’s not fun for anyone.

Good luck and happy presenting.

This year I’m undertaking the mammoth task of renovating an old weatherboard cottage in beautiful Coffs Harbour. The property is in desperate need of attention and is, almost literally, falling apart.

Being a creative director, my imagination tends to run wild when it comes to the many things I’d love to do to the house. Where others see a crumbling heap of mouldy boards and rusty nails, I see a crumbling heap of mouldy boards and rusty nails – but also loads of potential. As I gather ideas and mull over concepts for ‘the master plan’, the renovation process has certainly begun.

Friends who have done quite well for themselves in property development have warned me against what they call overcapitalisation. This would mean the unfortunate result of spending too much money and/or time on the project and not getting the funds back in increased property value and rental return.

But how much is too much?

Doing your research and knowing your market is crucial.

It’s not dissimilar in the world of custom publishing. Here, there are five key points to consider if you’re to achieve maximum engagement and not overcapitalise on the design aspect of your projects.

Revenue. How much will be brought to the agency/business? Does the level of design reflect this? Ensure you set a realistic budget, considering the scope of the project.

Resources. How long will it take to design, who will be designing it (how much do they charge) and when will you need it?

Realism. ‘Keep it simple, stupid’ is a solid design principle, worth its weight in gold. If design doesn’t need to be complicated, don’t let it become that way. Be realistic about the ways in which your content is presented, and always consider your target audience.

Research. This is a crucial part of any new design project, but only do as much as your budget allows for – time, after all, is money.

Reiteration. If a ‘refresh’ of your content is needed, ensure a clear design brief is created and signed off by all parties. This way, everyone is on the same page with respect to costs, expectations and deliverables.

So, just as I do with content that has the potential to be ‘pimped out’ but needs to stay within budget, I think I’ll go back to the drawing board with my renovation plans. Perhaps a simple flat-pack kitchen, a fresh coat of paint and some inexpensive but inoffensive white tiles will suffice.

We’re only two months into 2012 and already the content marketing space is the talk of the town. And we’re not just talking locally either. Forever on the lookout for best-practice content marketing stories, we think it’s essential to keep abreast of innovative content approaches being launched around the globe.

There’s no better place to look at some best-practice examples than in the hottest destination of 2012. Yep, you got it: London! So, here’s just a snapshot of two new magazine launches in the Olympic city. Interestingly enough, they’re both in the food publishing space.

For little foodies…

What little girl isn’t slightly obsessed with Nickelodeon’s animated TV series, Dora the Explorer? Content agency John Brown has been building a relationship with the Nickelodeon brand for some time now; the specialist content creators have published four Dora the Explorer magazine collections, the latest of which was launched earlier this month and is called Little Cooks Collection.

Published on behalf of Eaglemoss Collections, the fortnightly Little Cooks Collection features nutritious recipes monitored by Nickelodeon’s Nicktritionist, puzzles, stories and activity ideas. It’s interactive too, which is perhaps the most brilliant part. Each issue comes with a bakeware item, plastic tableware or picnic goods. John Brown is certainly taking the concept of kids’  cooking to a whole new level.

For big foodies…

With series eight of Britain’s MasterChef well underway, news that River has been awarded the contract for The Co-operative Food magazine has come at the perfect time. The bi-monthly magazine will be available free to shoppers in large Co-operative Food stores and will feature easy-to-make, affordable recipes. River will also deliver a multi-channel approach for The Co-operative. In order to ensure the content has a maximum reach the agency is set to launch a bi-monthly digital magazine component next month.

Food content is obviously the pick of the crop these days; The Co-operative magazine will be yet another customer publication for a big-name supermarket store, mirroring the likes of other in-store magazines such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

We can certainly learn a thing or two from our British peers, so watch this space for more best-practice examples from afar.

With ‘content’ more of a buzzword than ever, differing understanding of what content marketing is, and a growing list of companies vying for your content spend, it’s hard for marketers to know with whom to place their trust when it comes to developing a new initiative.

Along with creativity and measurability, there needs to be the knowledge your partner will meet deadlines, deliver to budget and not cause you too many headaches along the way. So for all the marketers out there currently facing this challenge, here’s a short checklist that I developed recently, based on a set of criteria proposed by the Content Marketing Institute. Hope it helps!

Industry content expertise
How well does the agency understand your customers and your niche industry? You might ask them to list the content creators on their team that have specific knowledge of your industry and/or request content samples that specifically target your customer base.

Audience development expertise
Does the agency have a background in acquiring and retaining an audience? Do they have specific team members with proven experience in audience development. Creating the content in a particular format is one thing, but figuring out the methods to get people to actively engage in the content is another issue entirely.

Project management capability
Project management is the unsung hero in any content marketing program. A full-service content agency needs to provide you with a dedicated client contact that understands all aspects of being your publishing agency.

Design/user experience
Will the design talent match your story and brand requirement? Can the designers understand how the content integrates with design to motivate the proper behaviours that will in turn drive the program?

Technological integration
Content and technology go hand in hand with any successful content marketing program. Does the content marketing agency have technological understanding, from social media to content syndication to database marketing techniques that will ensure the success of your content? Can they also integrate with the technology you use in your organisation?

Tactical expertise
Many content marketing agencies may only have expertise with online tactics. Others, only print. Be sure to choose an agency that understands how to deliver content using both print and digital (and don’t forget mobile) so they can offer whichever platform will meet your objectives.

Measurement
Thinking about measurement starts at the beginning of the process. Your content marketing agency should have a plan for how you will ultimately show your team what impact the initiative will have for your business.

Strategic planning
Do they focus not only on execution but on actually creating the content strategy that integrates with an overall marketing program? Many custom publishers/content agencies are great at execution, but the plan is often the client’s, not theirs.

Cultural fit
Don’t overlook this important area. Your content marketing agency is going to be working with you closer that any of your other agencies. They’ll need to understand your story and your customers’ story, working with all levels of your organisation throughout the storytelling process.

Content marketing really is an art form and no two agencies are the same. I hope these criteria help you in finding one to represent your brand.

Check out our case studies to see how we’ve worked with brands in Australia.

I’ve been thinking a fair bit lately about structure. Here at Edge, it’s no secret that over the last 12 months or so, we’ve added significantly to our client portfolio, our internal teams and our publishing capabilities.

It’s actually been a series of radical transformations and it is fair to say that we’ve managed it all pretty well. We’re a vastly different operation today than we were when I started here just 18 months ago (give or take).

Which is, of course, terrific – stagnation doesn’t help anybody. But I’ve worked before at companies that have failed to manage their growth and they’ve all paid a price for it.

Which brings me, in a roundabout way, to my point, which is this: in business, as in life, if you want to be creative it pays to do it within the right structure.

Acting in a completely unstructured way won’t get you far at all. In fact, in the case of written work, it’s impossible to produce meaning without the structure of a language. Similarly for design: there are certain perceptual structures within the brain that make some things (such as having two similar hues contrast) physically impossible.

Your creativity may be boundless but you can’t just come into the office and ‘create’; you have to create something – in the most basic sense of some ‘thing’. And that means structure, just to make your work comprehensible.

(Side note: The Sistine Chapel was work for hire, done to a brief; Michelangelo didn’t just wander into the church and decide to start creating – but I digress…)

The greatest improvisational artists I know of (in the sense of responding freely to their inspirations and ‘creating’) are jazz musicians – specifically, the beboppers. Bebop grew out of players’ frustration with their day jobs playing in big bands, swing orchestras and the like. In response to this daily tedium, they created a new way of playing that gave them the freedom to express themselves in hitherto (literally) unheard-of ways.

There had been soloists and improvisers before, of course, but the boppers took it further: They explored the structure of music itself and played with melodies, chords and rhythms in new and unexpected ways. But these explorations took place within the confines of a ‘song’ and the rhythm section would keep it all together (apologies to any musicologists for my crude explanation!).

The result? Some of the most memorable, incredible music ever created.

(Free jazz, which emphasised complete freedom from structure, was far less successful and, frankly, far less pleasurable to the ear.)

Of course, you have to understand a structure before you can start messing with it. Picasso was a naturalistic painter before he charted his own path. Dizzy Gillespie learned his scales and paid his dues before helping give birth to bebop. And you and I need to know our trade before we start breaking the rules.

So why am I rattling on about jazz and improvisation? Because we all want to be creative, whether we’re designing pages, cutting deals or writing stories. Enabling creativity is a key part of any manager’s job, but creative output can also be fostered by putting in place the structures – organisational, professional and otherwise – that help make it happen.

The other key element in bebop and improvisation? Listening to the players around you and making sure you’re all responding to each other so that together, you create extraordinary music, not cacophony.

But that’s a story for another day.

Onboard a rickety old train that slowly wound its way west across the Indian sub-continent, I had a lot of time to think about the issues closest to my heart. Around every bend there was an abundance of humanity, poverty and endless beauty. My journey to India was a visual feast that shocked, delighted, inspired and surprised – all in ways I never thought possible.

I often wondered how a country of over 1 billion people could co-exist and also love one another with such open hearts.

Life’s questions began to manifest within the shadows of my mind’s darkest corners as I explored the deep and meaningful matters that most fail to find time, or are too afraid to contemplate.

I decided that given India is a becoming a very powerful country even from the depths of its poverty, they must have something that we do not. I believe this is the mindset that life is all about relationships. Maybe this is why the majority of the population is just so damn happy!

It’s not news that we can apply this important manifesto to business. When we come together, ideas are shared, people are inspired and minds become open. We discover new things and fresh ways to do them. We learn that while it is impossible to get anywhere on our own, creative partnerships and collectives are a force to be reckoned with.

Australia is not just rich in mineral assets; we now house some of the world’s most creative minds. Sweden built an economy around it, so why can’t we?

I strongly believe that this country has the potential to be the world leader for design and thought leadership. But first, we must learn to unite and come together as an industry so we can grow and develop, one new relationship at a time.

As Gary Smalley once said, “Life is relationships; the rest is just details.”

If you ever doubted the effectiveness of content marketing, think again. New research from Publishers Australia has revealed that custom magazines are engaging, relevant and powerful tools of communication for brands and organisations. The research, conducted by McNair Ingenuity in The Australian Custom Magazines Report, is the first of its kind to be undertaken in Australia and Edge was one of the custom publishers that invested in the research.

The findings show that an increasing number of valued relationships are being built between consumer and brands due to the high levels of reader engagement brands are providing in their custom magazines. Take for example one of the most impressive stats that came out of the report: 87 per cent of custom magazine receivers find the content relevant to them as a reader.

Although 91 per cent of readers are fully aware that a custom magazine is a promotional tool, the research also found that the magazines create greater affinity and loyalty with brands: 80 per cent of people said they’d be willing to recommend the magazine to a friend.

Conducted among 975 readers in five industry sectors – lifestyle, retail, automotive, real estate and B2B – the survey set out to assess how important content is in driving brand interaction and whether consumers are able to tell the difference between different types of content.

If these results aren’t enough to get your creative content mind racing we don’t know what is! Check out the summary of the report here for more insight.

Anyone and everyone can be a blogger in this day and age. Free publishing platforms such as WordPress equip users with the tools and software they need to create their own blogs and websites, while social networking sites like Twitter empower consumers with the ability to Tweet on whatever subject matter they desire. As a result, consumers are playing an increasingly rapid role in content creation, making it ever more imperative for content marketers to step up, stand out and make their content heard.

The key factor to take into account, however, is that there’s no one ‘way’ of delivering this message. There is now a multitude of media channels open to marketers and those who want to succeed in 2012 will be doing their best to develop an integrated content marketing strategy that encompasses them all: from print products and video content to technology trends in web, smart phone, tablet, social media and app usage.

At last year’s APA International Content Summit, a big part of the agenda looked ahead to 2012 and how marketers can successfully approach the future of content. According to Nigel Cameron, President and CEO of C-PET and a Washington futurologist, three of the top things marketers need to consider include the following:

• Everything is moving up – it’s an exponential curve;
• Think for the long-term;
• Have a troublemaker in your team who questions everything.

If you integrate these elements into your overarching content marketing strategy while keeping up to date on the trends that matter, you’ll no doubt be better equipped to deliver highly effective and engaging content that consumers will be able to trust, enjoy and savour in the long term. For more insight into the future of content, click here.

Want to reach a greater audience with your brand and increase sales? Of course you do. The answer is simple really – engage with your fans better. Engaging content is at the heart of any successful marketing strategy and for marketers today that strategy should include an active presence on Facebook.

But recent research has shown that simply having a Facebook Page isn’t enough. According to a comScore report, fans are 40 to 150 times more likely to consume branded material in their news feeds than on the fan page itself. But what if a fan ‘likes’ 250 pages? Who decides what content gets pushed onto the fan’s news feed? The consumer does.

By liking, photo tagging, and sharing posts, comments and page mentions the user shapes their branded news feed environment. This activity is then analysed by a Facebook algorithm in a bid to ensure each user receives content that is relevant to them.

So, for marketers the question here is: ‘how can you make your content more compelling, engaging and interactive in a bid to ensure your content is considered relevant?’

Try turning to Facebook’s ‘Page Insights’ for starters. ‘Page Insights’ aim to assist marketers by helping them understand how to reach and acquire new customers. The social media site has recently expanded its ‘Page Insights’ to include new metrics and analytics to even better assist marketers to improve their brand-promotion skills. Click here for more information on the metrics.