Marketing Basics

Review: 3 Project Management Software Programs

Project management software programs help managers and their teams stay organized, and multi-phased projects stay on track. This review takes a look at three top project management software programs: Trello, Asana, and Monday. You’ll find out their advantages and disadvantages, along with the pricing packages offered.

Popular Project Management Software Reviews

Trello

Advantages

Trello is an excellent choice when looking for a simple project management software solution. It is user-friendly, and you can have it up and running for your team in minutes. This project management software option is straightforward enough that even new team members can use it quickly. 

Automation Tools

Trello comes with an automation bot called Butler, making setting up your desired actions within a project easy. Butler asks a few questions and, based on your answers, configures the steps for you. These include setting up due dates, notifying your team members, and moving cards to the appropriate column. 

Butler also looks after administrative tasks like moving a card from one list to another and automatically assigns it to a new team member when an action is marked complete. You don't have to worry about a task "falling through the cracks" because a team member forgot to tag the next person. 

Collaboration Features

Trello gives you several collaboration tools, including document sharing, notifications, and @mentions to teammates. Users can comment on cards, tag each other, and keep their conversations about tasks in one location. Each user can configure Trello to receive notifications by e-mail or desktop. 

Disadvantages

The disadvantage of choosing Trello is that it may not be the right option for running large projects. It doesn't allow users to attach tasks to subtasks or see how a delayed job will affect others down the line in a project. 

Trello doesn't provide reporting and analytics to managers right out of the box. This feature is available with a Trello Power-Up. It is not the same as buying project management software with reports built-in.

Pricing

Trello is affordable. The company offers a US $0 plan with unlimited cards and up to 10 boards per workspace with unlimited storage (10MB/file). Some businesses find this plan meets their needs and never upgrade to the Standard plan.

The Standard plan costs US $5 per month per user. You get 1,000 Workspace command runs per month, single-board guests, and saved searches with this option. It includes unlimited boards, custom fields, and unlimited storage (250MB/file). 

The Premium plan at US $10 per month per user is a good choice for teams of up to 100 users. It has all the features included in the Standard option. You also receive Timeline view, Calendar view, Map view, priority support, and more.

The Enterprise plan costs US $17.50 per month per user. It includes everything in the Premium plan, plus unlimited workspaces, public board management, organization visible boards, multi-board guests, and more.

Asana

Asana is an excellent project management software plan. It is easy to use, has multiple features, and takes very little time to get the software running. This software option is reasonably priced and offers a lot of flexibility.

Advantages

Automation Tools

Asana sets up repetitive tasks, processes, and workflows that impact other business tools. Its graphical workflow builder makes organizing customized rules and actions an easy process. 

Use it to set up the following types of basic automation:

• Alerting the team in Slack when a task is completed
• Assigning a task to the next team member on the project
• Cascading due dates
• Checking a box

Asana can handle these automated tasks even with large teams using multiple tools and projects. Automating processes means team members get repetitive tasks accomplished more efficiently. Team members have more time to spend on more interesting and rewarding activities. 

Collaboration Features

Asana really hits the mark with its collaboration features. This project management software allows users to share Google Docs, along with PDF and JPG files. 

Users can:

• Assign specific tasks to team members (including priorities)
• Set specific due dates
• Adjust due dates
• Send messages to each other

These features can take place within one card to keep communications organized in one place. 

In Asana's Calendar view, team members can plan due dates and other events around each other's availability. This feature allows the team to update each other on changes and the project's progress without relying on sending e-mail messages to the group. Project discussions and task lists can easily be managed directly in the software. 

Disadvantages

This software doesn't allow for tasks to be assigned to multiple team members. To add more than one team member to a particular job, you would have to add a task collaborator or create subtasks. Another option would be to make copies of tasks for the other team members. This is a lot of extra work to track on a large project.

Asana offers a free app (Android and iOS) for each plan level. It can be challenging to use, and the software is much easier to use on a desktop computer screen. You can use the app to check something quickly. It is not meant for doing productive work, though.

Pricing

The Basic plan is free. It comes with three project views, basic workflows, and basic reporting for 15 users. This plan has a limit of 1,000 tasks per team. Customers who choose this option get unlimited essentials (projects, tasks, activity log, storage, and comments). It's possible to stay with the Basic option indefinitely.

The Premium plan costs $10.99 per user, per month. New customers can try it for free. It includes unlimited essentials (see above), four project views, automated workflows, and reporting. Timeline view is one of the Premium plan's most impressive tools. You can use it to see how specific tasks and deadlines are connected. Project managers can tell at a glance where potential problems are likely to come up and find solutions before they happen. 

The Business plan is available for $24.99 per user per month. New users can also check it out for free. This option includes unlimited essentials, along with project and portfolio views, advanced workflows, and advanced reporting. This package comes with a workload management tool. It allows managers to determine which team members may be overwhelmed with work and have extra bandwidth to help. 

The Enterprise option is available to customers who need more capacity. The company asks that customers contact the Sales Department to request a quote. Customers receive unlimited essentials, project and portfolio views, advanced workflows, and advanced reporting at this price point.

If you aren't sure which Asana plan is right for your business, you can sign up for the Basic plan and run it at no cost. This is a risk-free choice. You may never need to upgrade to a paid option if you have a small team. You also have the choice to sign up for a paid plan immediately; Asana offers a free, 30-day trial. This option gives you the chance to make sure the software is right for your team before you have to start paying. 

Teams with 15 users or more will need to sign up for Asana Premium, Asana Business, or Enterprise. Suppose you have fewer than 15 users on your team. In that case, you may want to take advantage of the extra features and benefits you get with the Asana Premium plan. The Enterprise plan was developed for large companies requiring scalable project management software. 

Monday

Monday.com comes equipped with several well-designed features. It is a flexible project management software option suitable for independent freelance contractors, large enterprise companies, and every type of business in between. 

It's easy for your team to learn and use without investing in professional training sessions. You and your team can access hundreds of video tutorials to learn the software and troubleshoot any issues you may experience. Additionally, a support team is available 24/7 via chat.  

Advantages

Automation Tools

Many businesses choose project management software to automate repetitive tasks and increase efficiency. Monday.com delivers in that respect and takes automation even further by allowing you to customize automation. 

Here's one example:

• You move a task from the first step to the next one.
• Assign the job to the next team member.
• The next team member receives a notification by e-mail or through Slack.

These steps can be performed automatically without a team member manually performing them. The automation builder within the software is quite intuitive. This feature makes it user-friendly, even if this feature is new for you and your team.

Monday.com also comes with built-in time tracking. Users have the option of turning the time-tracking feature on or off with a simple click depending on whether they want to use it. They can keep track of their time using the mobile app as well. 

Collaboration Features

This project management software option gives you several customizable templates, which saves you from setting them up personally. They save you time and the headaches that come from determining the content of a template for the following:

• Campaign planning
• Contact management
• Customer onboarding
• Event planning
• Help desk tickets
• Portfolio tracking
• Product roadmaps
• Project planning
• Team tasks

Monday.com's numerous free templates are available to meet your needs, no matter what type of project you want to launch. 

This project management software also has customizable dashboards that allow managers to view essential data, such as budgets and project statuses. There are several pre-built widgets to build dashboards, such as managing workloads and capacity planning. Users can also create public and private dashboards. 

Disadvantages

Monday.com requires that all tasks include dates, and this dependency limits the software's functionality somewhat. A dependent task won't start until the first task is finished, and this feature ensures that tasks are completed correctly. Still, it doesn't leave any room for customization within a project. Dependencies are not available to customers who choose one of the lower-priced options.

To take advantage of features such as calendar views and Gantt charts, customers have to commit to one of the more expensive packages. These are not available until a customer upgrades to the third-level price point. 

Pricing

The Basic plan is for small teams that may not be familiar with project management software. Pricing starts at US $8 per user per month (billed annually). Users can create a dashboard based on one board, embedded documents, whiteboard collaboration, custom notifications, and shareable forms at this price point. Customers get unlimited boards, unlimited free viewers, and more than 200 templates. 

The Standard plan is the most popular option. You can create a dashboard with the data pulled from five boards with this option. The Standard plan supports guest (Read-Only) access. Four guests are billed as a single seat, which allows you to bring users from outside your company on board to manage projects. This option costs US $10 per user per month (billed annually). 

For larger teams that want to access all the features and benefits of Monday.com, the 250 actions per month available with the Standard plan may not be enough. 

The Pro plan is the right option for large teams and those that need to manage complex projects. It gives you 25,000 actions per month, which most organizations won't need. The Pro plan also gives you a chart view, team workload with real-time data about your team's bandwidth, private boards, and unlimited guests. This option costs US $16 per user per month (billed annually). 

Get Expert Project Management Advice from Seven Oaks Consulting

Many successful companies prefer to hire the project management services they need on a contract basis. Our team will manage your editorial calendar, create style guides, and edit your documents. We will develop editorial processes for quality control of all your written materials. You can count on the experts at Seven Oaks Consulting for all your content needs too. We will create original content to educate and motivate your audience to take action. Contact us today to learn more or request a custom quote. 

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by Jeanne Grunert

Project Managers Responsibilities

5 Things Successful Project Managers Do Differently

Project managers' responsibilities include communication, deadline management, and more. Successful ones do several things to effectively manage their teams and keep projects on track. 

Project Managers' responsibilities - what successful project managers do differently

1. They communicate clearly.

Good project managers are comfortable speaking with their team members and clients about difficult topics. Project managers understand that it’s essential to keep lines of communication open constantly but that not all team members prefer to communicate the same way. Some people like to send text or e-mail messages, while others prefer to use the phone. The manager needs to be honest, clear, and concise when dealing with all team members.

2. They manage the project’s deadlines.

A successful project manager holds regular status meetings to keep track of the project’s progress over time. These meetings help the manager understand the next steps, action items, and project risks.

The client will also appreciate regular reports about the project details. These reports can be in writing or by phone to reassure the client that the project is progressing as agreed. It’s also an excellent way to build a relationship with the client. 

3. They schedule enough time for tasks.

Every project should have a well-defined scope of work. If the guidelines are clear, the team has guidelines and expectations about what it needs to deliver. 

The project manager should sit down with the team and the client at the start of the project to review its scope. During this meeting, the manager will review the time required for the different tasks to ensure enough time is devoted to each scheduled task. If necessary, deadlines can be adjusted to reflect the time required to complete the tasks. 

4. They know when to contact an expert.

There will be times when the team has questions, and the project manager should check whether the answer is in the project brief. If it is not covered there, it’s time to pull in a subject matter expert to get some guidance. 

Good managers ask their team members to clarify their questions. They take detailed notes and find someone with the right expertise to help.

5. They support their team members.

To be successful, a team needs someone who supports their efforts and encourages them to keep working toward completing the project. The manager keeps everyone in sync and motivated. They are responsible for meeting deadlines while inspiring the team members to give each task their best effort throughout the process. 

A successful project manager offers praise for good work when appropriate. They are not afraid to ask a team member whether they have considered something that the employee should have included in their work. When requesting additions or revisions, a good project manager focuses on the task and never attacks the team member’s dignity. 

Seven Oaks Consulting Offers Marketing Project Management Services You Can Count On

We know that many successful businesses prefer to hire the services they need on a contract basis, and that includes project managers' responsibilities. We’ll manage your editorial calendar, create style guides, edit your documents, and develop editorial processes for quality control of all your written materials. You can count on the experts at Seven Oaks Consulting for all your content needs too. We create original content to educate and motivate your audience to take action. Contact us today to learn more or request a detailed quote. 

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by Jeanne Grunert

An Introduction to Marketing Project Management

Marketing project management encompasses the tasks required to organize, develop, and administer a marketing campaign. It increases productivity in your business by ensuring each team member can focus on their specific tasks. The team meets the requirements for a successful marketing campaign as it finishes the tasks correctly and on schedule. 

1. What Is a Marketing Project Manager?

The marketing project manager is the person who ensures that all the people and elements involved with completing a project are working in sync. They are part juggler, part coach, and part diplomat in their work. A marketing project manager ensures that all tasks are completed on time, under budget, and by the appropriate people, often coordinating multiple timelines to ensure that deliverables are met.

These managers often work with various departments to complete projects. This can be challenging as each team has different, sometimes competing, demands on their time. The marketing project manager may need to be very diplomatic as they negotiate for other departments’ time to work on a project. 

An example of this could be a customer relationship management (CRM) software to be selected, chosen, installed, and set up at a company. While marketing may lead the project, the IT department has to be intimately involved in the selection and installation portion of the project. This may lead to competing demands on the implementation team’s time. A marketing PM may need to work with an IT PM or others to ensure sufficient time is allocated and schedules are reasonable. 

2. What is the marketing project manager's role in the company?

It is not always easy to define the marketing project manager's role. In basic terms, it involves managing projects involving customer experience. The marketing project manager works with the business owner and technical experts to understand the requirements for success in a campaign. 

Marketing project managers may work on specific marketing campaigns involving a company's product or service offered to customers. They may also ensure that the company's customer service department is communicating with callers effectively. Marketing project managers may also work with outside agencies as required to promote the company's products and services. 

Anyone working as a marketing project manager needs to have specific skills to succeed in this role. The following list includes the most important ones.

3. What skills do marketing project managers need?

Time Management

This skill is arguably the most important since the projects they are working on have deadlines. The team must complete several tasks on a specific schedule. A project manager in marketing must see the big picture and track the smaller tasks that make up the marketing campaign. 

Organizational Skills

A marketing campaign comprises many tasks, and team members can work on them simultaneously. Other jobs depend on task completion before they start, much like you can't start painting the interior of a house before wall construction. In a marketing project, the manager would be responsible for tracking deadlines, managing schedules, and ensuring the project stays on budget. 

Outstanding Communication Ability

Communication is not just about sharing information with others. It’s also (and possibly more importantly) about listening effectively. The marketing project manager will need to lead a meeting with their team. They need to keep the marketing director updated on the project's status. 

Part of the marketing project manager's duties may include being the contact point for the client on the project. In this role, they need to understand the client's needs and then convey them to the team transparently. Suppose a team member is having difficulty with part of the project. In that case, the manager must listen empathetically and then work with the team member to find a solution. 

Goal Management Skills

When talking about goal management skills, we refer to several abilities connected to goals. These include:

• Setting goals
• Identifying objectives that can help in meeting goals 
• Developing plans for meeting goals

Goal management skills are valuable to someone working as a marketing project manager. There will be several opportunities to set goals during the project to ensure the campaign is successful. 

For example, a marketing campaign goal might be to attract a certain number of new customers to sign up for the company's e-mailing list during a set period. 

Task Delegation

Task delegation is when tasks are defined and divided among team members. The project manager must give the team clear deadlines and a delivery method.

The marketing project manager will need to choose the best team member for each task. Their decision will affect the project's outcome.

Problem Solving Abilities

Unfortunately, no project ever runs smoothly. There are always some bumps in the road, which means the manager should have good problem-solving abilities. 

When these issues arise, the project manager in charge of marketing stays calm. They need to focus on understanding the problem thoroughly and then deciding on a solution. 

4. Responsibilities and Talents

What types of responsibilities does a marketing project manager take on in their career? What talents would they draw on in their work? Continue reading to learn more.

Negotiation Skills

All marketing project managers deal with deadlines and work with their teams. The project manager also needs to be mindful of deadlines when communicating with the client and external vendors. If the scope of the project changes, deadlines are adjusted accordingly and communicated to the team members. 

Relationship Building

The marketing project manager works with people from many different backgrounds. They act as the client lead and the advocate for the internal team. It takes special relationship-building skills to work with creative and talented team members and clients who want to see their vision translated into a successful marketing campaign. 

Familiarity with marketing Project Management Software

Marketing project management software is a valuable tool to manage projects through their entire lifecycle. Each project is unique in its exact needs and complexity. A software package like Trello or Basecamp helps all team members keep track of their tasks and deadlines. 

The software tracks the tasks assigned to each team member and their deadlines, and the software also registers task completion. The software also allows the team members to communicate with each other and the project manager if they have questions or need help. 

Positive Outlook

The marketing project manager plays a crucial role in their successful marketing campaigns. They are the person in charge of keeping everything on track, after all. 

When things go well, the project manager can share the accolades for a job well done with the rest of their team. If a campaign does not go as expected, it is their job to analyze how to do things better next time. 

Give Your Team Members Clear Objectives

When giving your team members instructions, be clear about how they need to perform the task. If another team member's work depends on the first task's completion, let the first person know so that the work continues to flow smoothly.  

Make Materials Accessible to Your Team

Create a folder with photos, videos, and other documents your team can access readily. Mark the folder and upload it to your project management software.

Set Up Automated Notifications

Program your project management software to let team members know when someone completes a task. This option keeps the entire team in the loop about the project's status.

5. Marketing Project Manager Success Tips

Consider the following tips to help you be successful as a project manager for marketing.

When giving your team members instructions, be clear about how they need to perform the task. If another team member's work depends on the first task's completion, let the first person know so that the work continues to flow smoothly.  

project management from seven oaks consulting: quality, customized, affordable

Your business may not have a full-time marketing project manager, or your project managers may have their hands full already. That’s where Seven Oaks Consulting comes in. 

When you work with the team from Seven Oaks Consulting, you are hiring experts in content marketing management. We will prepare a customized plan for your business that fits your vision, your voice, and works with your budget. Our content is designed to attract your audience’s attention and encourage them to take action. 

Contact us today to learn more about our marketing project management services or to request a detailed quote. 

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by Jeanne Grunert

Marketing Education Without a Degree

Nothing substitutes for a marketing education or a marketing degree. It’s invaluable, especially when seeking full-time employment as a marketing manager. 

However, I became a marketing manager without a formal marketing education. Here are the steps I took to learn to be a marketing professional without a marketing degree.

My Story - from Executive Assistant to Marketing Manager

I majored in English literature at Molloy College, a small Catholic college in New York state. My goal was to be a novelist. I wanted to write classic works of literature, including science fiction and fantasy. 

Yet I had to make a living. The occasional magazine stories I sold didn’t pay for much! I worked first as an advertising copywriter, then took a job as an Executive Assistant to the president of a nursery and landscaping company on Long Island’s North Shore.

His company included both a bustling garden center that catered to the rich, famous and wealthy, as well as a landscape design firm. It was one of the few large garden center businesses to have its own marketing manager, and I worked with her extensively. When she was let go in July 1995, the president asked me to take over the role since I wrote well and had worked alongside her.

It was my first marketing gig and I knew nothing! I messed up so many things it’s amazing I lasted the next two years. But last I did, and I ended up creating some fantastic advertising that one customer actually scrawled a message on and brought in to show his appreciation for the ad. I still have a copy of that ad.

After leaving the nursery in 1997, I went on to lead marketing for a financial services company and then for a series of education testing, professional development, and publishing companies before founding my own content marketing agency. Along the way, I did return to school, and completed a master of science in direct and digital marketing at New York University, earning not only a degree “with distinction”, the university’s highest honor, but also two national direct marketing awards.

5 Ways to Learn Marketing Without a Marketing Education

Here’s how I ensured my own marketing education despite starting in the profession without a marketing degree.

1. Learn from a colleague.

One of the first things I did when working at the nursery was study what the current marketing manager was doing. I followed her original blueprint for my first year in my new role as marketing manager, using her example to maintain marketing continuity. At each job, I was able to observe either what the previous marketing manager had done by reviewing her plans or by working alongside a more seasoned marketer. You can learn a lot from your colleagues. Here at Seven Oaks Consulting, we feature an unusual model of taking on a lot of college students and recent graduates as part of our content team. It’s not that we prefer junior marketers on the team, but we love to help them grow. It’s paying the profession forward -- helping to build the stellar marketers we hope to see someday in the field. To do that, they need to learn from seasoned professionals as I was able to do so long ago.

2. Read books by the experts.

In every field or endeavor, there are known experts. In content marketing, Joe Pulizzi comes to mind, along with Ann Handley. Both are true experts in content marketing. My former NYU professor of direct marketing finances, Heidi Cohen, is also known as a content marketing and digital marketing expert. Read their books and learn marketing from people who don’t just talk about it but actually do it!

3. Keep up with the news.

Another way in which I learned the marketing profession as a junior marketing manager was to read industry news. I’d take along Direct Marketing News to read on the train during my commute or I’d read Advertising Age the Wall Street Journal. This continued my education by exposing me to current marketing trends and campaign examples.

4. Attend conferences.

I learned so much at the old Direct Marketing Days New York and the New York City Direct Marketing Club meetings. The guest speakers, the trade show booths, the small group sessions....I’d leave with copious notes and ideas about what to incorporate into my own marketing plans. Some of the contacts I made at those trade shows remain good friends. If you can, attend marketing conferences live or online as much as possible.

5. Ask a lot of questions.

Vendors want to share their knowledge with you. Ask questions of everyone! I went on press with my printing vendor to learn more about catalog production and eventually became a known expert in the field of traditional direct marketing thanks to my deep understanding of both mailing houses and printing. Marketing vendors were keen to help me understand new techniques and ideas. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions.

Now...If I Had to Learn Marketing Without a Degree

How things have changed since I was a young college graduate studying marketing on my own!

The internet has opened up tremendous potential learning opportunities for marketing managers. You can watch YouTube videos, subscribe to podcasts, download tons of books thanks to Amazon Kindle and Google Play, and so much more. 

Hubspot free marketing courses enable any junior marketing manager to learn from the comfort of their own homes. Need to learn marketing software such as MailChimp or ConvertKit? The software vendors themselves provide training!

Many of the old newspapers like Direct Marketing News have gone digital. Gone are the days when the only way to learn about new techniques and marketing research was by attending a conference or seminar. But the opportunities unfolding daily on the internet have made it easier than ever for someone motivated to learn to find the information they need.

A marketing education remains, to me, a priority for anyone interested in a full-time career in marketing. I wouldn’t trade my New York University degree for anything. It was an amazing experience to learn in a workshop environment, to go to the offices of some of the best creative agencies in the world and watch as they planned campaigns, to learn marketing finances and accounting from people who were actually working in the profession. 

But if you aren’t blessed or lucky enough to be able to earn a marketing degree, you can still ensure your marketing education with these ideas. 

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by Jeanne Grunert

Print Media in Content Marketing

I admit that when I chose the topic of The Use of Print Media in Content Marketing, I did so because I love printed media. When I first entered the marketing profession, print media was still the way to go. Catalogs, direct mail postcards, brochures for checkout line racks, you name it, I produced it. Heck, even ad a print advertisement I created that was published in the New York Times generated such a response that a customer wrote a note to the owner of the garden center where I worked and dropped off the ad for him to see!

But if you Google the phrase “is print dead” you’ll return over 189,000,000 results, far over and above what Joe Pulizzi returned when he searched this phrase back in 2019. In his article, Print Magazines Dead? Bite Your Tongue, Joe states emphatically that print is most certainly not dead. It’s just changing. 

I’m with Joe. Print marketing, whether it’s a custom-created magazine, a flyer, or a rack insert, offers an outstanding opportunity for many companies to promote ideas, the heart of content marketing. Don’t forget that content marketing started with print -- the John Deere magazine, The Furrow, which offered a magazine filled with ideas for mechanizing the farm. And it just happened that John Deere sold those products from tractors to combines that mechanized the farm. 

 

Print Media Statistics

From Marketing Profs: print-a-tangible-way-to-invigorate-your-marketing-strategy-infographic

• In a crowded marketplace, print gives you an edge.
• 92% of 18-32 year olds state that print is easier to read
• When making purchasing decisions, consumers trust print 34% more than search engines
• Postcards have a 4.25% response rate compared to .1% for email marketing
• 70% of people recall more from reading a print ad than a digital ad
• Print is better for perceived value, memory and recall of an ad, and emotional response

Up Close and Personal: An Interview with Content Marketer Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi is the Amazon bestselling author of Killing Marketing, Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. His latest book is The Will to Die, his debut novel.

He has founded three companies, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), and has launched dozens of events, including Content Marketing World. In 2014, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council. His podcast series, This Old Marketing with CMI's Robert Rose, has generated millions of downloads from over 150 countries. He is also the author of The Random Newsletter, delivered to thousands every two weeks. His Foundation, The Orange Effect, delivers speech therapy and technology services to children in over 30 states.

My Take on Joe’s Book, Content, Inc.

If you haven’t heard of Joe, I invite you to get to know him through his outstanding book, Content, Inc., which was recently revised and reissued. I purchased my own company from Amazon and devoured it over vacation. It helped me rethink many aspects of content marketing. It’s a great book because it doesn’t just explain what content marketing is, but what a content-first business model looks like and how to create one -- and then, how to leverage it as a business model.

Joe is honest throughout the book that content marketing isn’t a fast route to sales, and he’s right. It takes time, sometimes too long for our clients’ comfort levels, to generate the kind of impact they need to make. That’s okay. Not every marketing tactic is right for every client, and I get that. 

But like Joe, I’ve seen content marketing produce outstanding results. When it works, it works exceptionally well to build brand loyalty, elicit and emotional response, and create a memorable impression on customers that no amount of hype creates.

Joe took time out of his busy schedule to respond to my questions. Thank you, Joe.

The Use of Print Media in Content Marketing

Seven Oaks Consulting (7Oaks): What is your experience using content marketing for your company or your clients?

Joe Pulizzi (JP) I've been in the content marketing industry for over 20 years. Originally, I worked at Penton Media's Custom Media Division working on print magazines for companies like HP, Autodesk, and American Red Cross. I left Penton in 2007 to start Content Marketing Institute, the leading educational organization for content marketing.

7Oaks: Do you use print media, such as niche-focused magazines or other printed materials, as part of your content marketing program?

JP: Not presently. While at CMI, we launched Chief Content Officer magazine in 2011 targeted to 30,000 senior-level marketing executives (I left CMI in 2018).

7Oaks:  How many do you send? How is it distributed and to whom?

JP: Quarterly

7Oaks: What was your ROI?

JP: It was generally break even (subsidized with partner advertising)…but expenses approximately $30,000 per issue. For ROI, we found that those highest-yielding customers of CMI were also subscribers to the magazine. 

7Oaks: Why do you think print is effective?

JP: There are many  reasons why print is effective. First, it grabs attention. Because so few brands are doing it these days, it stands out. Next, if you already have an audience, such as a customer list, you’ve got a good chunk of the work out of the way -- you have an audience who might like to hear from you and who may respond positively to your print piece. Third, and this may be a little out there, but I do think print is ready for a Renaissance. Everyone talks about it being dead, but TV didn’t die when cable and on-demand movies came out, and radio thrives even though we have more choices than ever. There’s still room for print in a media manager’s marketing mix if it fits the strategy.

7Oaks:  Do you think print media is effective for specific industries or all industries? 

JP: I believe print can be effective in any industry.

7Oaks:  Is it better for acquisition or retention marketing?

JP: I think it’s better for retention and building loyalty, but yet, it can work for acquisition marketing. It’s just harder to measure when usingi it for acquisition. 

7Oaks:  Do you think printed materials have a place in the future of content marketing? Why or why not?

JP:  Absolutely. With limited competition it's very easy for a high-quality publication to stand out. Also, people are much more willing to voluntarily give data information for a quality magazine.

Thank you, Joe. You can find his books on Amazon or check out his blog at joepulizzi.com

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by Jeanne Grunert

How Brand Storytelling Increased ROI by 2,700%

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by Jeanne Grunert

Cause Marketing Considerations

You may not be familiar with the term cause marketing, but you're probably familiar with brands of all sorts touting the Black Lives Matter hashtag or a similar cause they believe in. Brand have participated in cause marketing since 1974 when 7-11 convenience stores issued collectible cups to commemorate the 1973 Endangered Species Act. Since then, many brands seem compelled to align themselves with a cause.

When the cause is chosen with care and aligns with the company's brand positioning, mission, and vision, it can be a great boost for the company.

However, just because a cause is popular doesn't mean it's right for every brand. Before you append that hashtag, add a frame to your company's profile picture, or drape your website in blue/pink/green/black/or rainbow colors, think carefully. There are many considerations to weigh to ensure that cause marketing supports rather than detracts from your brand.

What Is Cause Marketing?

The original meaning of cause marketing was to align a for-profit brand with a non-profit to support the missions of both. The purpose of cause marketing is to showcase a brand's corporate social responsibility while simultaneously generating positive feelings in the general public.

There are several benefits that brands receive when they participate in cause-related marketing campaigns.

What Are the Benefits of Cause-Related Marketing?

• Positive public relations. Consider the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, which almost always generates lots of positive publicity for brand. Photos of women of all sizes, shapes, colors and ages walking in solidarity to raise money for their sisters suffering from breast cancer is a powerful image and seen throughout October as walks continue across the nation. This form of cause marketing raises over $115 million annually for breast cancer research.
• Increased visibility. Along with the positive public relations comes increased visibility, which also boosts the company's brand awareness among their target consumers.
• Additional marketing opportunities. How many companies participate in awareness campaigns? Supermarkets are "pink washed" in October as breast cancer awareness month and the subsequent alignment of brands ranging from yogurt to frozen meals takes front and center. Affixing the cause's pink ribbon, special color, or other visual identifier to a company's public advertising and marketing helps it stand out and may lead to additional marketing opportunities.
• Increased sales. Some people prefer doing business with companies that align themselves with specific causes. Goya Foods voices its support for President Trump, and while liberals predicted a slump in sales, the brand experienced a temporary boost as supporters poured into markets and bought canned Goya foods. PetSmart gives local animal shelters space to show pictures (or the actual pets, as in the case of cats) in their stores. If people adopt the pet, they certainly need food, toys, and other equipment for their new family members. Supporting the cause ends up supporting the brand and increasing sales.

Drawbacks to Cause-Focused Marketing Campaigns

There are also several drawbacks to cause-based campaigns.

• Skepticism: Given how many brands rushed to declare themselves woke, equitable, and fair to all colors/creeds/sexual preferences in 2020 in the wake of the riots and other racial unrest in the United States, it's no wonder that the public can be skeptical. If a brand's values and attitudes do not align with the cause, consumers can spot it a mile away. A line of inexpensive clothing produced in Pakistan that suddenly declares itself against the exploitation of workers may get hoots of laughter instead of support because clearly, to produce a $5 t-shirt they aren't coddling their workers. Similarly, a company known for its antipathy to female workers that suddenly calls itself equitable or voices support for more women on boards of directors is also opening itself to criticism.
• Money: Consumers also want to know exactly how much money a company does indeed give to support a cause. If they choose a more expensive brand because it supports a cause they believe in, how much of their purchase goes towards the charity?
• Oversaturation: Too many brands leaping into cause marketing has led to consumers feeling jaded by all the colorful ribbons, slogans, and hashtags. They are overly saturated with messages about problems and how brands support, solve, or stand strong with whatever. It leads to message numbness in the marketplace.

Choose Your Cause Carefully

Given the pros and cons of cause marketing, brand would be wise to choose their causes carefully.

When I worked for Martin Viette Nurseries, one of the top nursery and garden centers in the nation, their specific 'cause' was the local Mental Health Association. The company donated the beautiful location on Long Island to host an annual gala.

Now, there is nothing wrong with supporting this charity or another health-related charity if you're a garden center. It certainly was a great cause. But it did absolutely nothing to support the brand. A charity gala is just one step. To successfully convert the event into a cause marketing campaign, other relationships could have been developed.

• The garden center may have hosted workshops on how gardening improves mental health, with speakers from the mental health association
• They may have donated gardening tools, supplies, or landscape design to the local mental health hospital
• They may have put signs around the nursery during mental health months etc.

Just hosting the gala was one way to align with a cause but not an effective form of brand marketing.

Should You Jump on the Latest Social Cause?

As I mentioned before, many companies leaped before they looked at the cause marketing scene in 2020. They pinned hashtags to their posts, demanded that their employees forswear allegiance to organizations, and promoted their own version of social justice warriorhood to their employees and customers.

There are several problems with this (lack of) strategy, however:

• Before trumpeting support for any cause through your corporate communications channels and aligning your brand with a cause directly or indirectly, make sure you are completely aware of all of the connotations and denotations of the cause.
• Ask yourself: Is this cause something that my avatar or target customer would support? You'll lessen the risk of brand/cause mismatch by taking the time to understand who your target customers are and what they care about (hint: it's not what YOU care about that matters).
• Does this cause align with my brand's mission and vision? If you don't have a stated brand mission and vision, work on that first before declaring your undying love of a cause.

Alignment Is the Key to Cause Marketing Success

Cause marketing is a powerful way to boost both a for-profit and a non-profit by aligning both together to share a value-driven message. It goes awry when there's a mismatch and it thrives when both resonate with the target customer. Consider carefully this alignment before jumping on the cause campaign train.

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by Jeanne Grunert