In the Media

2024 was a turning point for social media. Audiences are more disparate and divided than ever—across ideologies, platforms, and even geography. Where users go, inevitably brands must follow. But when should you make an allowance for these new platforms in your channel strategy? I’d argue, it’s now inescapable. 

With so many options, here are 5 social media content management tools to consider

Social content management should be at the forefront of any social marketer’s mind - the tool or platform you choose impacts the effectiveness of your brand’s social media presence. Social media management tools are software solutions that allow you to manage multiple social media accounts from one place. They do a lot, but are most commonly used to help with content scheduling and publishing, monitoring, engagement and performance tracking.In this blog we will discuss some of the different tools available and how to create and map your social media strategy to the platform that will best support your organization.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the crème de la crème of advertising industry events, bringing together top brands to showcase and discuss new trends, products, and innovation. This year’s festival was no exception, catalyzing key industry conversations for the rest of 2024.

I read an Inc.com article headlined: “Influencer Marketing Is Out. Creator Marketing Is In.” This idea — built off of a need for deep trust between brands and creators — was one of the overarching themes surfaced during a discussion I moderated back in December 2023: “Unlocking the Potential: Influencer Marketing Today and Tomorrow.” Our expert panelists Richard Brewer-Hay, Leslie Douglas , Pierre-Loïc Assayag , Ayanna Anderson, MPS, MS and influencer Cy Nyugen all offered authentic and personal perspectives on what’s needed for successful brand-creator partnerships.

If you’re doing it right, your content should attract a variety of audiences at various stages of the marketing funnel — from people who've never heard of your company before to those who are already engaged with your sales team, with all manner of readers in between. 

Dan Tyre is indefatigable. The HubSpot executive has so much joie de vivre and speaks with such enthusiasm that he feels obliged to remind you that he is 61, lest you mistake him for a much younger man. He sprinkles his conversations with exclamations of “Boom” and “Yessss!”, and every so often he’ll throw his hands above his head as if he can’t believe how much fun he’s having.

I started my career in Public Relations during the dot.com boom of the 1990’s, when a single headline in Business Week or Forbes Magazine was enough to catapult a company from seemingly out of nowhere to a valuation worth a billion dollars or more. This was years before Blogger and LiveJournal arrived on the scene and gave companies a way to speak directly to their prospects and customers, so the only way for a business to get its message across was through the press. 

Businesses are cranking out a tremendous amount of content these days. But the more content you publish, the greater the risk that inconsistencies in voice, usage and style could confuse readers — and even tarnish your brand.

That’s why many companies develop a content style guide: a document that lays out all of the organization’s standards and policies for any published content. But content style guides do more than just keep contributors all on the same page; they are also invaluable planning tools to ensure that all content serves its intended purpose and accurately expresses the brand. 

Let’s look at a few of the essential questions your company’s content style guide should answer: 

Good writing skills are crucial for just about any job these days. Whether you're crafting a research report, a blog post or an email to your boss explaining why you deserve a promotion, the ability to communicate effectively through writing opens doors to new opportunities and enhances your career prospects. In this blog post, we will explore eight valuable tips to help you become a better writer and master the art of effective communication.

Writing is a creative act, and as such it is inherently messy and imperfect. It can be frustrating and difficult or it can come naturally and easily. While some people seem to have a preternatural gift for writing, us mere mortals must develop our skills over time through years of practice. 

As a content marketer, you understand the importance of creating valuable, engaging content for your audience. However, despite your best efforts, you may find that your content isn't driving the results you want. Here are the top five reasons why your content strategy may be falling short, and what you can do to improve it.

From software programs to advertising platforms and marketing methods, there’s always something new to learn or measure in content marketing. That last one — marketing methods — is a top concern for marketers everywhere. Most important? Learning the innovative strategies that appeal to and engage today’s audiences.

The pressure is palpable. You feel it in your chest, squeezing your lungs until you can barely breathe, causing that voice in your head to doubt yourself, to question everything you have learned to this point, to question, even, whether you’re cut out for the role that you’re in. 

And that’s just writing the intro to a normal blog post. Imagine the pressure of writing the intro for a blog post about writing intros to blog posts! 

Debilitating. 

And yet, you have to begin somewhere. And like most beginnings, it must serve a point: to grab the attention and interest of your readers. It’s often been said that the point of every line of copy is to get readers to move onto the next line. And if that is true, then the opening paragraph must capture their imagination so that they want to keep reading. 

The team here at Highwire has written thousands of introductions between us, and here we’ve compiled some of our tried and trusted practices (with examples) in order to help you write introductions you can be proud of. Let’s dive in! ƒv

Generative A.I. is transforming marketing and PR worldwide. The use of A.I. supports marketing and PR professionals in generating content quickly and easily, leading to improved efficiency, customization and creativity. eBay's CMO says they use it to support personalized subject lines for emails and for banner ad copy, with plans to expand.

Executive visibility impacts nearly every aspect of business, including employee retention and talent attraction, customer trust and loyalty, investor assurance and more. LinkedIn reports that roughly 56% of business professionals say their purchase choices are swayed by the social media presence of CEO. Furthermore, of those who follow a company's top executi​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ve online, 66% are more likely to give a brand endorsement. 

This morning Highwire announced the acquisition of Candor Content, bringing two highly-complimentary teams together to turbo-charge our digital marketing capabilities and offer our clients expanded capabilities across SEO, lead generation, brand journalism and more. 

Good storytelling is at the heart of every great novel, play or movie. Why not marketing campaigns as well?

Meet the influencers modernizing the diffusion of healthcare information

Health is a key component to overall happiness and fulfillment, but healthcare costs and gaps in medical knowledge present significant barriers. It doesn’t help that the US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, with spending reaching $4.3 trillion in 2021. Alongside that, a 2019 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that only 48% of respondents knew what their medical doctors do. 

Meet the trailblazers shaping the A.I. landscape

The future of digital technology holds immense power that could reshape the world in unforeseen ways. In 2021 alone a massive $1.5 trillion was spent on digital transformation globally and is expected to reach $6.8 trillion by the end of 2023. With the rapid advancements in emerging areas like artificial intelligence (A.I.), machine learning (ML), virtual reality and more – it's clear that we’re entering a new era of the digital age.

We predicted 2023 would be a wild ride for social media, and as December comes to a close, it seems we were right.  

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Want to craft messages that resonate with your audience? Consider journalistic writing.

At Highwire, we understand the value of writing that compels attention, engages emotion, and inspires action. 

That's why we recommend that marketing writers occasionally put their marketing caps to one side and try on a journalist's hat. You don't need to have an old-fashioned fedora with a card that says PRESS in it to create writing that commands attention and evokes strong reactions.

If you're crafting copy aimed at elevating the profile and credibility of a brand or executive, try thinking more like a journalist. This strategy could help you become a better marketing storyteller. 

Here is how (and why) to shift out of marketing mode and take advantage of a more journalistic approach to writing. 

As the dust settles on Generative AI’s record-breaking debut, the lawsuits and investigations have begun, the academic studies are trickling in and many PR professionals are still asking themselves: Should I be using AI to get my work done? 

 

It’s easy to say that in-house creative teams know your brand best. After all, they set the brand's creative direction overall. However, an in-house-only approach is not necessarily faster, cheaper or more productive. This is where creative agencies step in. When these two teams are in lockstep, the chemistry can create beautiful work. But to combine in-house and agency resources to supercharge your brand you need the right relationships. 

The AIDA model: What is it, and how can you use it for social media?

Want to write the best social copy ever? Ah, that got your attention.

Why influencers are the ultimate connector of integrated communications

We are thrilled to announce that Highwire has been awarded the coveted title of Digital Agency of the Year in the 2023 SABRE Awards from PRovoke Media.

When choosing and working with a marketing and PR agency, bigger is not always better.

Many companies struggle when trying to choose the marketing and PR agency best suited to their needs. There are any number of choices, all with their own pros and cons. For some brands a global presence and reach might be deemed most important. For others, it may be industry experience and expertise. There is no one size fits all approach. With that in mind, using independent PR and marketing agencies can offer several benefits to a business. This blog will explore those benefits, their importance and the value they bring to brands. 

There are endless ways brands can connect with customers, and for every one of those communications channels, there is a host of vendors and agencies to help you reach them. Juggling multiple agency partners while trying to keep up with business demands leaves marketers feeling fatigued and overwhelmed. We see this struggle all the time.