As people who have learned a lot at Werkshop’s DIGs, we were very pleased to be able to return the favor and share a little of what we know about Content Marketing at the 3/22 and 3/23 DIGs in Bowling Green and Nashville.

The presenters were my partner in Alphanumeric Group, Dave Green; Bob Duthie of Bytes of Knowledge and me.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing has emerged as an important branch of marketing in just the past three years. It’s growing because the Internet is playing such a central role in helping people – especially business people – make buying decisions. The rise of the social web is also contributing. People want to communicate friend-to-friend and peer-to-peer. The salesy monologues that characterized marketing communication for decades are passé.

In our presentation, we define content marketing as “the use of content – primarily online content, such as website content, blogs, white papers, videos and webinars – to demonstrate your company’s expertise, boost search engine rankings, obtain and nurture leads, build relationships and make sales.

Gear your content to the buying cycle

Focusing on the customer buying cycle, we showed what kinds of content are most relevant at each stage (the Awareness stage, the Consideration stage and the Decision stage), and what key metrics let you gauge content marketing success.

For example, at the Consideration Stage, when you’re building the prospects’ knowledge of your company and their trust in you, important content tools include (besides your website) email, enewsletters, white papers, ebooks, case studies, video and webinars. Metrics to gauge the progress you’re making with prospects in this stage include email and enewsletter opens, downloads and numbers of webinar attendees.

Our 12 Step program to make content marketing work for your company

Most companies are addicted to content that is full of sales hype. In the presentation, we talked about our 12 steps to creating a marketing program around informational content that’s fanatically focused on the needs, the interests, the pain points and the problems of your customers and prospects. They are all outlined in the slide show you can view below.

Our clients are getting some great results. One example is FDR Safety, a consulting firm whose principals are former safety heads at FedEx and General Motors and the former No. 2 at OSHA. They saw web traffic rise 1200% in 18 months – all because of content marketing. They started the program in 2009, and it helped make 2009 and 2010 – not standout years for most American businesses – their best ever!

Apps as a Marketing Tool

Special Guest Speaker:
Brian Cauble of Appsolute Genius
with Holly Grenvicz of Werkshop Marketing

With the rise of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android phones, “apps” have become a hot topic and an emerging marketing tool. As the cool factor wears off marketers are beginning to take the possibilities of making an app part of their marketing strategy very seriously.  If you’ve ever wondered where to start, how an app is created, what types of apps are possible, or how to leverage them to engage your brand’s audience don’t miss this DIG! Werkshop’s very own Holly Grenvicz will be joined by Brian Cauble of Appsolute Genius to lead this session.

Wednesday, October 13
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Register for FREE at http://nashvilleoctoberdig.eventbrite.com

Where? RJ Young
809 Division Street
Nashville, TN 37203

Light breakfast will be served. Compliments of First Tennessee.

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About Our Special Guest Speaker:

Brian Cauble
Appsolute Genius

Brian is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Appsolute Genius, developers of smart phone applications. He has been living in Birmingham, AL for most of his life where he has worked in software development for the last nine years. In his career, he was the lead developer for a forestry GIS system used to manage the conservation lands of the largest forestry conservation organization in the US. He also managed a development team responsible for maintenance of the largest Factoring management system in the world and the creation of a new financial management system for Asset Based Lending institutions. Brian graduated in 2000 with a BS in Electrical and Computer engineering, and in 2008, he completed a master’s degree in Information and Engineering management, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He still lives in Birmingham, AL where he recently started Birmingham Entrepreneur to focus on encouraging growth in the local entrepreneurship community.

Brainstorming Methods

Tuesday, October 19
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Register for FREE at http://bgoctoberdig.eventbrite.com

Where? Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street

Light breakfast will be served. Compliments of Citizens First.

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Brainstorming. The daunting task of revving up those creative juices to come up with unique and amazing solutions. No pressure right? So how do you get from point A to point B in this process? While there is no standardized handbook to guide you through there certainly are different techniques to get there. We have handpicked some creatives who certainly have done their share of brainstorming for clients and we’ll be gathering for a panel discussion on the topic. Please join us and share your brainstorming techniques as well.

Panelists include: Steve Chandler – ChandlerThinks, John Oldham - Oldham Design Group, Dr. Jennifer Mize-Smith – WKU Dept. of Communication

Moderator: Tim Earnhart, Werkshop Marketing

Please post any questions you have about brainstorming on our Facebook page here. We will include them in our discussion at the DIG.

Social Media:
All Risk and No Reward?

The importance of developing sound policies and practices concerning
use of social media as an employer and preventing employee misuse.

Special Guest Speakers:
Jennifer Rusie & Jonathan Harris of Ogletree Deakins

Thursday, September 23
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Bowling Green

Register for Free at http://bgseptemberdig.eventbrite.com/

Sponsored by Citizens First
& Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Where?
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street
Light breakfast will be served. Compliments of Citizens First.
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About Our Special Guests:

Jennifer Rusie joined the Nashville, Tennessee office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart in October 2006. Prior to her arrival at Ogletree Deakins, Ms. Rusie concentrated her practice on general commercial litigation. Ms. Rusie now focuses her practice primarily in the areas of labor and employment law. Ms. Rusie has experience representing management in all types of employment matters before, federal and state trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies including representing and counseling clients regarding discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, breach of employment contracts, public policy claims and wage and hour issues. She also has experience working on traditional labor law matters including union election campaigns, NLRB hearings, labor arbitrations and unfair labor practice.
Ms. Rusie graduated from New York University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University, with a BA in American Studies.

Jonathan Harris joined Ogletree Deakins in July 2003 and concentrates his practice in employment litigation. Mr. Harris has acted as the responsible attorney in numerous cases under Title VII, the ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, THRA, and other state and federal employment laws. He represents employers in single plaintiff claims as well as in class action litigation. Mr. Harris handles litigation at both the trial level and on appeal.
Mr. Harris enjoys speaking on employment issues and works with clients on preventive strategies to avoid discrimination, retaliation and other employment claims. From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Harris served as a law clerk for the Honorable E. Richard Webber, a United States District Judge in the Eastern District of Missouri.

Photoshop 101

Thursday, July 15
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Register for FREE at http://nashvillejulydig.eventbrite.com

Where? First Tennessee Corporate Offices
2525 West End Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203
Parking will be validated. Light breakfast will be served.

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This DIG will be an introduction to Photoshop – what it is, what it’s used for
and what it’s basic functions are. The topics covered will be:

What is Photoshop?
Who should use it and why?
Capabilities
Best Practices

We will also show demonstrations of the following:

THE TOOLS/PALETTES
- Introduction to the tool bar (brief descriptions of different tools)
- Introduction to palettes (brief descriptions of major palettes)

DEMO (LEVEL 1)
- Opening a file in Photoshop (compatible file types)
- Resizing the image
- Cropping the image
- Using filters
- Saving a document for print (save vs. save as)

DEMO (LEVEL 2)
- Opening a file in Photoshop (compatible file types)
- Adjusting the colors in the image/balance
- Using retouching tools
- Adding & editing type (including a brief introduction to layers)
- Settings (color mode, resolution, web vs. print)
- Saving a document for web

**Everyone is welcome to bring their computers. However, it is not necessary, and computers will not be provided. If you do wish to bring your computer, you can download a trial version of Photoshop CS5 here.

**Topic Change** Photoshop 101
(The Consumer Behavior DIG has been moved to Tuesday, August 31.)

**Date Change** Thursday, July 29
(Orignial date was Tuesday, July 27)
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Sponsored by Citizens First & Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Register for FREE at http://bgjulydig.eventbrite.com.

Where? Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street
Light breakfast will be served. Compliments of Citizens First.

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This DIG will be an introduction to Photoshop – what it is, what it’s used for
and what it’s basic functions are. The topics covered will be:

What is Photoshop?
Who should use it and why?
Capabilities
Best Practices

We will also show demonstrations of the following:

THE TOOLS/PALETTES
- Introduction to the tool bar (brief descriptions of different tools)
- Introduction to palettes (brief descriptions of major palettes)

DEMO (LEVEL 1)
- Opening a file in Photoshop (compatible file types)
- Resizing the image
- Cropping the image
- Using filters
- Saving a document for print (save vs. save as)

DEMO (LEVEL 2)
- Opening a file in Photoshop (compatible file types)
- Adjusting the colors in the image/balance
- Using retouching tools
- Adding & editing type (including a brief introduction to layers)
- Settings (color mode, resolution, web vs. print)
- Saving a document for web

**Everyone is welcome to bring their computers. However, it is not necessary, and computers will not be provided. If you do wish to bring your computer, you can download a trial version of Photoshop CS5 here.

PR 101

Special Guest Speaker:
David Green
Principal, David Green Communications

Thursday, June 17
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Register for FREE at http://nashvillejunedig.eventbrite.com

Where? First Tennessee Corporate Offices
2525 West End Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203
Parking will be validated. Light breakfast will be served.

Designing A Website to Integrate with Social Media

Special Guest Speaker:
Rob Blackford
Owner, Design(615)

Tuesday, June 29
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Sponsored by Citizens First & Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Register for FREE at http://bgjunedig.eventbrite.com.

Where? Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street
Light breakfast will be served. Compliments of Citizens First.

Social Media Refresh

Guest Speaker:
Holly Grenvicz
Chief Strategist, Werkshop Marketing

Thursday, May 20
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Register for FREE at http://nashvillemaydig.eventbrite.com

Where? First Tennessee Corporate Offices
2525 West End Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203
Parking will be validated. Light breakfast will be served.

PR 101

Special Guest Speaker:
Dave Green
Owner, David Green Communications

Thursday, May 27
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Sponsored by Citizens First & Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Register for FREE at http://bgmaydig.eventbrite.com.

Where? Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street
Light breakfast will be served. Compliments of Citizens First.