What would you do with more time? 

While many of us desperately wish for exactly that, finding time is more a myth than reality. While discussing the upcoming “Leap Day,” the HB team brainstormed the concept of a “leap list.” What would you do with an extra day? What if you could focus on what your marketing needs to do instead of what you need to move off your to-do list?

That’s what we’re offering: a one-day event on Leap Day, February 29, designed to help companies in and around our Boston headquarters and San Antonio office address their business challenges and how marketing can help with members of the HB team.

On February 29, HB will provide free, half hour marketing consultations for any company, in-person or via phone, helping them with their marketing and communications challenges, mapping out next steps for growth through marketing and generating creative ideas for influencing their audiences.

To participate, simply connect with HB via this blog, by phone or by our Leap Day email address and schedule time to share with our team.

What’s on your “leap list?” Feel free to spread the word about HB Agency’s complimentary services on February 29th. If you want to schedule time, drop us a note at leapday@hbagency.com, or call us at 781.893.0053 and we’ll see you on Leap Day.

Also, watch this space for more information on HB’s Leap Day schedule, including Google+ Hangouts on integrating video and interactive into your marketing program.

Spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #xtradaytheHBway, and follow HB on Twitter at @hb_agency.

When I was a wee Justin, my friends’ summer camp offered incredible games of ultimate Frisbee. One of the Frisbee commandments stated, “you gotta go backwards before you can go forwards.”

The reasoning: often, you had to pass the Frisbee to someone behind you before you could pass it down the field for a score.

Passing the new business Frisbee

So how does this apply to new business development? Often, we struggle to offer free consulting to our prospects. It doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. Why should we invest hours, creative development, and travel into a company who pays us nothing?

In business development, we sometimes have to go backwards. The reward could result in a much larger payoff… but how can we know?

The right time and the wrong time

This is where we rely on our instincts. Which prospects deserve a small, medium, or large up-front investment? Should we throw our Frisbee backwards for the possibility of a larger score?

In the end, an up-front investment makes sense where the prospect’s goals and our skill set creates a good match.

How do you use your new business Frisbee?

Chances are you left a comment on Facebook or retweeted on Twitter today. If you’re fancy, you may have done the same on newer social sites Pinterest and Path.

Are we leaving blogs out in the cold?

Home base

Your business calls its web site and blog its home. Branded messages and campaigns may live on several (or several thousand, through AdWords) other web sites.

But your home page – and your blog – houses your customer community. A comment left on a blog comes from a true “subscriber,” someone who chooses to read your work or receive the latest updates through a news feed.

Design and media

Even better, the visual experience of a blog post far surpasses that of Facebook, Twitter, or other social offerings. As an author, you can work with your creative team to include video, photo galleries, infographics, or type treatments to call out specific parts of your post.

The main course

Sure – your Facebook page and Twitter might offer your customers the “sweets.” Giveaways, campaigns, and discussion can take on a life of their own.

But your blog – rich of nutrients and vitamins – is the main course. Treat it well and it will do the same for your community.

Last week, I overheard a conversation between our PR team and a representative from a prominent wire service.

“When I started, we concentrated solely on media. We differentiated ourselves from our competitors through speed – as soon as you faxed something to us, we had two people proof it as soon as possible.”

That was only 10 or so years ago.

Then, media strategy stressed control. An agency suggested key messages – and that would be the only thing you heard from a business.

Lack of control

And then the internet happened. Through the birth – and rapid explosion – of social networks, companies soon learned a then-awful truth: they no longer controlled their messages and stories.

The customers had a new playground to express their opinions. Gasp!

Embrace uncontrollability

As companies learned to harness their networks over the last few years, the power of the customer grew exponentially. Companies now interacted directly with customers… and often, the customers drove business decisions. What a novel concept!

The shift to continuation

More recently, companies’ social strategies matured into something Gary Varynerchuk called “continuing the story.” Instead of fearing the uncontrollable, businesses began crafting their own story… and extending it online with a microsite, hashtag, or Facebook URL.

Customers are now characters, taking the beginning of an idea and crafting it into a story of their own, providing ample opportunities for brands to re-engage.

Now that’s continuing the story.

We recently celebrated one year in our new office in Newton, a space strategically designed to draw people into one, central meeting space for planned discussions, and to several other collaborative spaces where impromptu meetings occur.

Despite our efforts, we are constantly reminded by folks like Jason Fried that meetings and discussions may not lead to optimal productivity. He argues the opposite is true – developing an environment where folks can work without interruption may be better.

The power of conversation

Is he right? At HB, we often say that “nothing beats a conversation.” We believe that issues can be efficiently solved with candid talk.

Similarly (as shared in the his biography), Steve Jobs believed the best work occurs when all parties sit together and hash out a problem – even if this results in screaming matches.

Less or more?

There are certainly times where some “alone time” can allow for incredibly efficient development. However, at HB, we pride ourselves on solving problems together with the client’s best intentions in mind. It’s that flexibility that offers a strong working environment.

So, how do you work?

Where does that leave books?

Going digital

eBooks exploded over the past couple of years – first, with the development of Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes n Noble’s Nook. Now, the iPad has taken the market to new heights. In fact, the move has destroyed some businesses – most notably, Borders.

Publishers and authors can decide to release a book… without printing. Via Amazon, Barnes n Noble, or the iTunes Store, users can purchase directly from a publishing house.

The self-author

More recently, authors are foregoing the business model all together. Rather than work with a publisher to determine cost, shipments, and logistics, forward-thinking creators can work with Amazon’s Domino Project to offer free, short-form books. A good example: Julien Smith, who previously wrote (and distributed in the traditional fashion) “Trust Agents,” released a book through Amazon with a free digital download.

Beyond reading

Apple’s latest investment goes beyond the printed word. Their iBooks Author program provides content creators another distribution stream… but with interactive content.

Authors can create books that feature animations, photos, and videos for use on the iPad. And they can be sold for as little as $0.

Opportunities abound

So we’ve gone from the printed word, to eBooks, to interactive offerings (all within a few years). Needless to say, the creation of free eBooks or iBooks should be a part of many companies’ future content marketing plans.

This is not my father.

“I need something in my hands!” my father decrees, sharing how he reads news via the print edition of The Boston Globe.

He’s not alone.

Traditionally, humans learned of the latest news developments from their regional news publication – a literal newspaper. Needless to say, the medium changed.

The fear of customized news

I recall reading an article 10-15 years ago about the possibilities of receiving a “custom newspaper” in your inbox. This was considered a big problem – would readers ignore hard news for entertainment and sports coverage? The horror!

Today, that “horror” materializes as “options.” Readers use several strategies to digest news, including:

• A paid digital subscription, like The New York Times or The Boston Globe,
• A news reader application that pulls information from several sites simultaneously, or
• Social media applications.

Experiential news

Another marked changed comes via the delivery mechanism. Readers who rely solely on the internet for news read on a desktop, mobile phone, or tablet – and can view additional content beyond the printed word with color photos, videos, and interactive graphics that serve up content not available in my father’s newspaper.

One new trend across the web, responsive design, allows readers to digest news at the same web site, independent of their device. The Boston Globe does a great job of this at thebostonglobe.com.

The news cycle

Perhaps the biggest shift comes from the new interpretation of the word “journalist.” Quite often, readers receive news via sharing. I might hear about the latest news development from a Twitter follower whom I’ve never met. Or, learn of a new technology trend from a video blog.

The new news

Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite and The New York Times, early edition. Here to stay are varying delivery methods for all types of news. How long will newspapers last?

“You don’t even know what the thing is yet.” – Sean Parker, “The Social Network”

Much like Justin Timberlake’s line from the 2010 film, “The Social Network,” this Google+ “thing” has yet to find an identity since its launch in June of last year – and that’s okay.

The platform offers some of the same things as other major players Twitter and Facebook:

• follow other users’ news streams,
• share interesting content via text, links, photos, and videos, and
• comment on others’ posts.

However, there are two unique offerings that help separate Google+ as its own platform.

The power of search

As we all know, Google dominates the search market. Google+ offers users and businesses the added bonus of search traffic to their accounts. Now, your bio, content, and posts are all searchable content. In fact, Google created controversy with their recent announcement regarding Google+ content appearing in Google searches.

Businesses can heighten their brand awareness efforts with engaging content on their Google+ pages that will accompany searches about their brand, product, or service.

Let’s hang out

The second unique feature comes from Google’s take on video chats. They’re called Hangouts, or impromptu video chats with dozens of people.

With a few simple clicks, you can invite certain people to private chats for collaboration and communication, or offer a public forum for topical discussion. I see great potential in Hangouts for businesses. Companies can offer previously impossible direct contact with their customers to provide support and recommendations in the hopes of extending the customer’s relationship with a brand.

Only six months into its life, Google+ sits in prime position to grow in 2012. Will you grow with it?

During the recent AFC Championship game (go Pats!), Dr. Pepper ran an ad for its “I’m a…” campaign. At the end of the commercial, the logo was accompanied not by a tag line or web site, but by a Twitter hashtag (#ImA).

In a few short years, Twitter (and other social media outlets) drastically shifted strategy in the world of advertising. Ads, both print and digital, now push consumers to Facebook profiles, Twitter handles, Google+ pages… or even Twitter hashtags! Dr. Pepper wants users to contribute to a discussion that may or may not have anything to do with their brand… but more importantly, continues the story.

Shifting directly to consumers

Dr. Pepper kicked off their campaign with a major investment in a 60-second commercial. However, their consumers will help them build the rest of the campaign through their own words. If they’re smart, the beverage company will:

• keep a constant eye on the #ImA hashtag in the coming weeks and highlight specific tweets on their other social media outlets,
• engage with these select tweets and re-introduce their products as free giveaways, and
• let their customers do the heavy lifting.

In short, that’s content marketing – repurposing content for additional opportunities to engage with consumers.

Social capital

In the end, Dr. Pepper’s advertising/social media/content marketing experiment results in true consumer research. The company learns of their customers’ creativity, drive, and buying potential.

Consumer research goes mainstream.

Since we’re storytellers at HB, we recognize that individual pieces of content – video, landing page, white paper, print piece, even this blog entry – mean nothing if not delivered within the context of

• recognition of client marketing and business goals, and
• an engaging way to use content to reach those goals.

Oh, and the content needs to be creative, repeatable, shareable, interesting and honest.

Mark O’Toole, our new managing director of public relations and content marketing, penned this article for Boston.com, sharing his forecast on content trends for 2012. Mark touches upon the controversial, like who “owns” the content strategy, the rise of curation and the decline of TV, the rejuvenation of print marketing and more. Give it a read.

And let us know your thinking on content marketing. Did Mark miss trends? Hit the nail on the head? What’s working in your organization?

We’d love to know.