Dear Reader,
Realtors say, “Location, location, location!”
And marketers get this since “place” is one of the 4 Ps of Marketing.
Monday was Patriots Day in Massachusetts. It commemorates the first battles of the American Revolutionary war in Lexington and Concord. During non-COVID times, it it’s the date of the Boston Marathon.
Like a good business professional, in 1798, Paul Revere documented his famous ride from the start of the Revolutionary War.
He wrote his letter in response to a request for a complete account from Jeremy Belknap of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
On April 18th and 19th, 1775, Revere:
- Rode to Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams;
- Arranged with a few other Patriots to signal the movements of the British troops by placing lanterns in the steeple of Old North Church;
- Left Boston from the “North part of the Town”; and
- Borrowed a horse to begin his ride after friends rowed him across the Charles River.
Many Americans know about these 2 battles because they were immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, Paul Revere’s Ride.
BUT, what they don’t know is that Longfellow wrote this poem in the fall of 1860 with the intention of a great content marketer.
What Can You Learn From Longfellow’s Telling of Paul Revere’s Ride?
Why is Longfellow’s poem, Paul Revere’s Ride, content marketing?
Because he wanted to encourage American readers to create a “more perfect union” as stated in the US Constitution. He believed in a society free from the evils of slavery.
When John Brown was hanged on December 2, 1859 for attempting to arm slaves with weapons from the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Longfellow decided that it was time for a “New Revolution”.
To put the power of Longfellow’s poetry into context:
In the 1800s, reading poetry was the equivalent of watching television today.
Translation:
Poetry was easy-to-consume content people liked to read for entertainment.
Longfellow showed strong marketing instincts when he transformed Revere from the FedEx man of his time into a renowned patriotic hero.
Paul Revere was an express rider in 1774 and 1775 taking news, messages and important documents as far south as New York and Philadelphia.
The poem Paul Revere’s Ride was first published in the January 1861 issue of The Atlantic; it appeared on newsstands in Boston on December 20, 1860, the day South Carolina seceded from the Union. At the time, it was viewed as a call to arms for Northerners.
Actionable Content Marketing Tips:
- Know your audience. Longfellow knew that the topic of freeing slaves was politically and economically charged. So to reach more readers including southerners, Longfellow softened his message.
- Serve a higher social objective. According to New York’s Evening Post in 1863, Longfellow foresaw “the inevitable result of that institution of American slavery which was the black spot on the escutcheon of our republican government.”
- Reimagine stories related to your business, brand, people and community. Follow Longfellow’s example. He focused on Revere, a member of the local community who had historic importance. Look for stories associated with your brand and/or business.
Did You Celebrate World Voice Day 2021?
Did you even know that April 16th was World Voice Day 2021?
World Voice Day exists because otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons and other voice health professionals worldwide want to encourage you to take care of your voices.
This video celebrating World Voice Day 2021 highlights the 2021 theme, “One World Many Voices.”
As consumers and businesses continue to adopt and find new uses for AI-driven voice technology, expect the visibility of World Voice Day to increase.
Beyond the use of voice-enabled devices, consider how the explosive growth of social audio, most notably Clubhouse, will change the marketing landscape. Since the big boys like Twitter and Facebook are rolling out similar functionality.
On World Voice Day, Michael Brito published his 5-step approach to analyze and measure social audio. As with any form of marketing, the ability to track your marketing efforts to profitable sales is critical.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Actionable Social Media Tips:
- Get onto social audio to understand how to use it and what type of potential it has for your brand. After you get access to one or more social audio platforms, invest time to understand how the platform works and how other marketers are using it. (Note: Clubhouse access requires an invitation.)
- Test how to use social audio for marketing. After being active on social audio, assess how you can use it to support your other marketing. For example, Voicebot’s Bret Kinsella announces his Clubhouse conversations on Twitter to extend the reach of his voice content. (So follow @BretKinsella on Twitter to be in the know!)
- Add social audio to your existing social media marketing strategy. Create a marketing plan for the time you spend on social audio. At a minimum, schedule your participation on these platforms and set basic objectives. Otherwise, your social audio activity is just personal entertainment.
RECOMMENDED READING:
What Else Can You Do to Improve Your Voice Marketing?
Since COVID erased the digital age divide in 2020, consumer use of voice-enabled devices, platforms, interfaces and functionality continues to explode.
What does this mean for your marketing?
At a minimum, get up to speed on the breadth of the voice-enabled marketplace and related ecosystems.
Want to know the best part of diving into voice marketing?
Most of the regular voice events take place on Zoom or Crowdcast. As a result, you can see other attendees (who turn on their cameras) and participate in the chat.
In addition to providing diverse points of view from around the world, the participants are welcoming and friendly. For them, no question or clarification is considered too small to answer.
So please join me at these regular voice events:
- #VoiceLunch. Started in March 2020, Michał Stanisławek and Karol Stryja have created an amazing community. Sign up for the Voice Lunch email alerts to get the Zoom schedule and links. There are Zoom meetings every weekday.BTW, I’m a regular at the Global Voice Lunch on Tuesdays at noon and the US Voice Lunch on Fridays at 1pm EDT consisting of generous voice smarties.
- Voice Den Run by Dr. Teri Fisher. The Voice Den is the voice community’s answer to reality television. Teri invites 3-5 voice influencers to be in the “hot seat” to answer questions that are asked and voted on by the attendees. It’s the 3rd Wednesday of each month and starts at 8:00 pm EDT. Additionally, Teri hosts a Daily Happy Hour on Clubhouse!
RECOMMENDED READING:
Welcome new subscribers: Kema, Amy, Kris, Gideon, Fred, Avinash and Sneha.
Please stay healthy and safe.
If you enjoy reading the AMG Newsletter, I would appreciate it if you forwarded it to your friends and colleagues.
Happy Marketing,
Heidi
P.S.: Want Heidi Cohen to contribute a quote or other commentary to your next article, presentation, video, research and/or book? Then hit reply to this email and ask.
P.P.S: Did you miss last week’s AMG Newsletter?
Previous newsletters can be found in the AMG Newsletter Archive.
FEATURED ARTICLE: 3 Reasons You Need Sustainable Content Marketing
In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, make sure that your content marketing is sustainable for the long term. Because, like the earth’s natural resources, your marketing resources are limited.
This article explains how to get the most from your content overtime to keep it visible and viable.
FEATURED ARTICLE: The ABCs of Voice Marketing
Get the inside scoop on the 3 main elements of voice marketing
Use this data and marketing tips to create a plan to add voice to your marketing
RELATED READING:
FEATURED ARTICLE: Content Marketing Spring Cleaning: How To Improve Your Results
Use your first quarter results to guide you to improve the performance of your most important content.
So it continues to spark joy for your audience, employees, customers and you.
RELATED READING:
Welcome Mat Photo via Mabel Amber – https://www.pexels.com/photo/jetty-feet-sign-wooden-128299/ cc zero
The fine print
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Unless noted otherwise, all photos are ©2021 by Heidi Cohen
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