Digital Marketing & Branding | Katie McCaskey

Archive for the ‘Digital Marketing & Branding’ Category

Content Strategy for a Sculptor

Sculpture by Liz Beavers

How can content strategy and content marketing be applied to arts and crafts sales?

This was my challenge a few weeks ago when I was hired by a reptile, amphibian, and dinosaur sculptor, Liz Beavers.

Liz, a working artist for over a decade, never had a website. Here’s a peek into a portion of the strategic web communication process we developed, and the immediate results.

Challenges

Another “Liz Beavers” is a prolific writer, a byline which could squeeze our sculptor out of first-page name search results.
Although a sales site, Liz needed to be respectful of her existing retail outlets (galleries, stores) so not to undercut them.
Liz also needed to leverage her existing social circles, many of whom are just joining social media such as Facebook.

Content and Marketing Strategies

Strategy 1: Blogging Filled with Keywords & Phrases.
We first focused on creating content that references ten highly targeted, and competitive, keywords and phrases relating to the kind of sculpture produced by Liz Beavers.

Content Strategy response: Since my client is a good writer and understood the challenge we made her blog the central feature of her website. Her posts contain reference to her work and to the key words/phrases she wants to “own”. Frequent updates make the blog relevant to search results, pushing down competing “Liz Beavers”.

Content Marketing response: Liz’s blog allows her audience to get to know her personally and connect with the thought and process behind making her sculpture. This, in turn, underscores the unique character behind every clay dinosaur, frog, or other highly personalized creature.

Strategy 2: Simple User Interface.
Visitors to Liz’s site should be able to find the information they seek in two clicks or less. We mapped out paths for the top three audiences: those seeking artist biography and background; those browsing available sculpture inventory; and those interested in purchasing off-line in galleries and stores.

Content Strategy response. Content is clearly communicated so navigation is a snap.

Content Marketing response. Liz can effectively speak to all three audiences while maintaining positive relations with her gallery representatives.

Strategy 3: Establish Professional Facebook Profile
Most of Liz’s current patrons tend to be older – which is fine, because this represents the fastest-growing demographic of Facebook adopters. Her Facebook profile automatically updates with the latest entries in her “Studio Journal” blog.

Content Strategy response. Integrating a professional social media profile allows patrons and collectors to connect with Liz on a daily basis via Facebook.

Content Marketing response. By being active on Facebook Liz provides social proof that her work is appreciated, and collected, by others.

Results

We “soft launched” the website to coincide with local newspaper coverage – resulting in first sale traced to website.
Liz now has first page Google search results in half of our highly targeted key phrases in less than four weeks. Additionally, she has also pushed down competing “Liz Beavers” entries.
She now has a 24/7, strategic marketing piece.
Most importantly, Liz has online sales capability for the first time.

My only regret? That Liz charges so little for her unique clay sculpture. I’ve recommended she raise the prices in 2011.

Posted by katiemccaskey in content strategy, Digital Marketing & Branding, Portfolio Samples

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Recent Work: Odd Staunton

: Image by catchesthelight via Flickr

My friends at Deena Warner Design have hired me for an interesting, albeit, “odd” project: being the voice of their pet project, “Odd Staunton” – the “Officially Unofficial Guide to Staunton, Virginia.”

Matt and Deena started the blog as a hobby when they moved to Staunton from Northern Virginia in 2005. They are quirky, creative types (my highest compliments) and their view on the city reflects that. In fact, finding the “Odd Staunton” blog is how we met and became friends.

I’ll be writing a regular feature for “Odd Staunton” that highlights weird and wonderful things in the area. (I mean, what other cities greet you with a large watering can sculpture, seen here?) The first is a profile on Montgomery Hall Park.

Strategy-wise, this project has several objectives:

showcasing the city’s unique personality
using seo techniques to build on existing web traffic
highlighting cool things, people, and events around the city

I think the Warners’ project provides a great community service, and, has already resulted in convincing another set of friends to relocate to the area.

I’m happy to be a part of it.

UPDATE:
More posts for “Odd Staunton”…
Cannon You Believe It?
Swannanoa Palace, or, Why You Cannot Die!

Posted by katiemccaskey in content strategy, Digital Marketing & Branding, Portfolio Samples, SEO

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Welcome, Rich Women

: Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

Hey, Rich Women!

Thanks for dropping in. I’m pleased to be the latest woman profiled on Kim Kiyosaki‘s site “Rich Woman“. (Thanks, Sara Korn!)

If you are curious about real estate, you can see my Victorian restoration project for sale here.

Questions? Happy to discuss my content marketing and commercial writing business (this website). Or, if you want to discuss the challenges and joy of running a business with your life partner, I’m happy to do that, too. As the profile mentions, my husband and I jointly own and operate George Bowers Grocery, an independent specialty grocery based in Staunton, Virginia.

Thanks for stopping by – hope to hear from you about your creative projects, too.

Sincerely,

Katie
@KatieMcCaskey

Posted by katiemccaskey in small business

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Embrace Conflict in Your Content

Embrace conflict in your content

Safe content is boring content.

Conflict is beneficial. It engages your customer and firmly establishes your point of view.

As the saying goes, “you can’t please everyone, so why try?”

Inserting conflict into your content isn’t a free pass to be nasty. Rather, adding conflict is an opportunity to rise above the slush of the quickly forgotten, and painfully predictable, content found practically everywhere online.

One of the best examples I’ve found on the topic of using conflict in business writing is by David Meerman Scott. He tells the (humorous) story of working as a male model in Japan in the 1980s. Read it yourself here.

Choose a side. If you have the stamina, and the nerve, avoid being boring — it’s a life lesson as well as content strategy.

This scares a lot of people because choosing a side means you’ll inevitably find those that disagree.

Here’s a perfect example: an excerpt of a love letter Jerri (jerrieee@aol.com) sent me for Valentine’s Day regarding an article I wrote for AOL. It left me tickled pink:

“KATIE MC CASKEY, author of this crap, seriously needs a ARROGANCE EXTRACTION. This is the most effin’ snobby article I’ve ever read. [...] Her comments [...] are outrageous, and I’d suggest her bosses give her some time off for the attitude check. [...] Perhaps her focus is usually “hauteur,” but she doesn’t belong in a publication that the “unwashed masses” will read. I’m going to remember this author’s name and deliberately NEVER read anything by her again. [...] Was she born to royalty? I’m not a big Hoff fan, but right now, I like him much better than Katie McCaskey. Send her to Snob Rehab. [...] P.S. I wonder if McCaskey’s store, George Bowers Grocery , which she’s evidently a co-owner of, sells only “hauteur groceries?”

Clearly, Jerri — in all seriousness — was mighty p-o’d that I dared to criticize the interior design choices of actor David Hasselhoff.

I’d like to thank Jerri for such a colorful description and coveted search engine optimization for both my businesses. What a doll.

I don’t have an ax to grind with David Hasselhoff. He is about as relevant to my life as I am to his — with one exception.

I would be genuinely surprised if he were anything less than happy about the debate my article stirred. Had I written something bland and boring who would have cared? Why would anyone have wanted to look at his home for themselves and state their opinion on it, unless there was conflict from the get go? (David: You’re welcome. Hope the house sells quickly.)

Embrace this kind of reaction to any of your content, too. It means they’re paying attention.

Posted by katiemccaskey in Digital Marketing & Branding

2 Comments

Keep Reading →

FAQs

Great copy sells most anything

Never hired a writer? Wondering about the process and how it can help you? Here are answers to frequently-asked questions.

What are the benefits of hiring a commercial writer?
As Nathaniel Hawthorne explained, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” Hiring a commercial writer makes your life easier, whether or not you personally enjoy writing.

Who hires you?
I work on a variety of projects. Yet, all clients have one thing in common: a desire to stand out, be noticed, and inspire action through clear, compelling communication. Partial client list here.

How can you improve my profit margin (or impress my boss)?
By improving your image! Are you coming across as appealing or appalling? Are you communicating clearly and effectively…or do you have the equivalent of “writing b.o.?” You may “stink” if your spelling, grammar, and punctuation aren’t accurate or appropriate.

What happens when I hire you?
Two fundamental things: I listen and I target. Listen, so that your copy accurately speaks using the correct tone. Target, so that the content and its strategy motivate your audience. Oh, and of course: I write.

How do you quote a project?
Easy. Call me for a free ten-minute critique of your existing marketing copy and/or a free estimate.

How do you charge?
A flat rate, per project.

What are your terms?
Once you’ve signed off on the project I will send you an electronic invoice. You can pay online or by mail.

How can I get started?
Call or email me to discuss your project: 540-466-4141 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST)

Wait – didn’t you say something about “the truth about the two-headed space alien shot by farmer?”
Yes, I did. The truth is this: attention grabbing headlines – and great copy – have power. See for yourself here.

Posted by katiemccaskey in Digital Marketing & Branding

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks

: Image by Intersection Consulting via Flickr

Turns out: your friend’s friend’s friend can make you fat.

Yes. It’s true, and one of several concepts explored in a very unusual book about the power of social connections and the spread of influence and information.

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks by social scientists Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler does for average people who use Facebook what the book Freakanomics did for people who thought studying economic behavior might be boring. The book shines a light on everyday events and makes you reconsider how the world works.

It’s hard to remember that just a few years ago we couldn’t so easily see our social connections. Since reading Connected, I’ve been looking at the map of my social connections with renewed interest. One of the things the book stresses is your relative position within a particular social network and how this position affects you. Do most of your friends know one another, or do you orbit outside many cliques?

Just yesterday, The New York Times did a story about small businesses using Facebook.

In the context of small business (my writing services, or our grocery), leveraging your social network makes perfect sense. One topic Connected discusses is the power of your “weaker” social connections. Weaker connections are defined as those people you know casually, and with whom you share few, if any, mutual friends. These can be the best source of leads, customers, and clients.

It makes sense: your close friends and family already know you, your skills, or your products. Your weaker connections may also be familiar, but here’s the key: your weak social connections know people who don’t know you, and those people know even more people who don’t know you. So to effectively put out the word you need to access your weak connections.

Personally, I immediately recall two examples of “major” gigs found via “minor” friends.

Lesson? Businesses of all sizes and descriptions need to focus on crafting the right message, and, communicating that message to the weakest of your social connections.

Posted by katiemccaskey in Digital Marketing & Branding

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Six Pixels of Separation

: Image by Christopher S. Penn via Flickr

I’ll say, emphatically, that I love the book Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel.

The premise of the book is neatly summed up in the secondary title: “Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone.”

(Perfect example: to the right you’ll see Chris Penn of the Financial Aid Podcast, who is profiled in Six Pixels of Separation. I met Chris while at the financial start-up, Geezeo.com.)

Six Pixels of Separation is an important book for anyone starting or running a business today. In particular, Six Pixels of Separation should be read by people who do not come from a digital media or marketing background. Why? Well, the book summarizes a variety of practical tools for digital marketing and branding. It also explores current technological trends and how they may impact small business in the near future. The entire book is easy-to-understand and sure to be thought-provoking.

Those who work in digital media and social marketing take these principals for granted. Yet, they are still remarkably new to the general public and many small business owners. My experience talking to other local entrepreneurs here in Staunton (a rural city in Virginia, for anyone unfamiliar) is that some, but very few, are using these tools.

When my husband and I started our corner grocery store last year we immediately embarked on a digitally-based, targeted marketing campaign. Nothing fancy: an email invitation to the store’s opening, a website, and a Facebook presence. This was met with great enthusiasm. We quickly met the handful of other small businesses in town using social media (e.g. Pufferbellies Toys & Books) and enjoy exchanging tips.

Not surprisingly, we also received perplexed, downright indignation from some corners of local traditional media advertising. (What do you mean you don’t want to paper the town with fliers? Why don’t you want to spend money on the radio or Little League jackets?)

It wasn’t that we felt we were better than these outlets. We just knew we were on a strict budget. Like anyone else, we wanted to reach our target audience as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Personally-speaking I was really impressed with Joel’s chapter regarding online reputation. I think it’s interesting to observe what some might call the “over-share shift”. How is it defined, and how is your reputation (as business or individual) managed?

Based on our experience marketing the grocery exclusively via social media, I believe Six Pixels of Separation should be required reading for anyone starting and marketing a business.

Posted by katiemccaskey in Digital Marketing & Branding

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

In Cheap (Groceries) We Trust

In Cheap We Trust

I’ve just finished In Cheap We Trust by Lauren Weber.

It’s a fascinating look at what most of us have probably felt at one time or another: a vexing pull between the extremes of thrift and consumer consumption.

It is particularly compelling as frugality and so-called “Recession Chic” are edging into the mainstream again. The book discusses why some groups are maligned as “cheap” and how the term itself has evolved.

I read it with an eye towards what the concept of “cheap” means for our small business (a “Mom-and-Pop” neighborhood grocery) and other independent retailers.

Our grocery store will celebrate its 1st year next month. We’ll make that milestone thanks to some decisions that directly relate to the concept of “cheap”. We made some of these decisions intuitively and some after great thought and focus.

For example, we realized early on that we couldn’t compete with grocery chains on price. We couldn’t “race to the bottom” with discounts. You simply cannot compete with volume and deep pockets of big box stores.

Nor did we want to attract the kinds of customers who were loyal only to price.

So, we don’t compete on price. We compete on value.

We define “value” a few ways. Service is paramount. Our store is modeled on one that existed in 1881. We strive to recreate a vital hub in the community and an experience. We know our core customers by name and know their dietary preferences. People come for the conversation. In modern life where do you find that kind of service?

Could we use improvement? Of course.

We are aggressively moving our product assortment to specialty food items unavailable elsewhere in the local market. These are premium food products with premium prices. But, unlike a hectic trip to a mega-retailer our customers are paying for quality food and value in the form of service and experience. For many, they are also paying for the walkable convenience.

I would caution other small retailers from trying to “compete with cheap”. It is a losing battle for two reasons. First, you’re competing with bigger companies with greater sales volume. Secondly, you compete against yourself. What does your customer do when you tell them you’ve stopped your special buy-one-get-one-free promotion? If they are price-only shoppers you’ll never see them again.

After reading In Cheap We Trust I felt really satisfied with our rule that nothing in our grocery is ever “on sale”. It’s not because I’m uninterested in getting a “bargain” (who isn’t trained to think this way?). Rather, it is because I agree with Weber’s words in the conclusion when she asks, “what kind of customer do I want to be?”

Personally, I’d like to be one who chooses to spend carefully, and with the greatest positive benefit to my community and world.

Posted by katiemccaskey in small business

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Thank You

Thank you for enrolling in one or more of my classes or digital products.

You will receive email confirmation detailing next steps (if applicable). If you have questions, please email me or call me at 540-466-4141

I look forward to helping you grow your business as well as expand your digital literacy.

Sincerely,

Katie McCaskey

Posted by katiemccaskey in Digital Marketing & Branding

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

← Previous Next →

Katie McCaskey

Archive for the ‘Digital Marketing & Branding’ Category

Recent Work: Odd Staunton

Welcome, Rich Women

Embrace Conflict in Your Content

FAQs

Six Pixels of Separation

Thank You

Connect on Google+

Most Read

Free Content Marketing Tips!

This site