What do you get when you cross a zebra and an elephant?

Recently I came across one of the strangest conference logos I've ever seen. The logo, for a substance abuse prevention summit, features an elephant with zebra stripes with its tusk harpooning a neon green apple. A quick review of the site doesn't provide much insight into the design, although it certainly plays into the conference's tag line to "Stand up stand out." As much as I find the logo puzzling, I admit that it does have a "viral" quality to it--I'm talking about it and sharing it with you, after all. In fact, the logo is so memorable, albeit odd, that the design just might be a stroke of genius. I wouldn't recommend most organizations take a similar approach, but I am very curious if the buzz surrounding the design just might pay off. 

Sponsored content: Ethical considerations

NPR's On the Media recently had a fascinating discussion on ethical considerations for sponsored content.


My key takeaways:

• Sponsored content can provide valuable information to readers/listeners/viewers
• Publishers and vendors must clearly identify, upfront, that content is sponsored
• A clear line between editorial and marketing is key
• The wisest, and most successful, vendors understand the importance of properly placed and vendor-neutral sponsored content

Content curation--you don't have to reinvent the wheel

Lead generation must be a component of an integrated marketing program. Yet once those leads are in-house they must be nurtured. After all, information technology systems are not bought after a phone call. Referral decisions are not made immediately after a clinician requests information. The sales cycle in the behavioral healthcare market is long, and engaging prospects with relevant and timely information builds trust, establishes credibility, and eventually leads to conversions.

Generating hyper-relevant content is time consuming. Original content is preferable, as it allows your organization to directly demonstrate its thought leadership. Lead nurturing, however, should not be limited to just in-house content. Content curation is another avenue for grooming your prospects.

Content curation involves sharing information that other sources have produced. Jon Miller at Marketo has an excellent blog post on this concept. Although you should periodically demonstrate your team’s expertise through, for example, issuing a white paper addressing hot pain points in the industry, plenty of content creators do this on a daily basis. Addiction Professional and Behavioral Healthcare produce content that you should be sharing with your prospects.

Say you are trying to attract referrals from eating disorder professionals. When Addiction Professional publishes an article on this topic, you could send a message to your prospects sharing this content. The information is relevant, and the e-mail demonstrates that you are interested in more than just “selling” your program. You are a helpful and useful resource for your clients and their patients.  

Stand out at your next conference

Standing out at a conference is a challenge. Most exhibitors opt for a standard size booth, a couple banner stands, a literature table, and a (hopefully) friendly rep at attention to answer attendees’ questions. Yet with many shows in this field having more than 100 booths, a wise conference planner will use other techniques to capture weary and hungry attendees’ interest.

Some solutions are quite simple. For example, have a noticeable prop at your booth. If you are marketing a cloud-based information technology solution, having a server rack with a sign that says “Are these taking up too much space in your office?” will likely grab attention, particularly since server racks are large.

Most conferences provide multiple opportunities to stand out in the hall. Floor clings provide visual cues leading to your booth. “Island” booths, which surprisingly are extremely uncommon at addiction treatment shows, create destination and gathering centers at aisle crossroads. Adjacent power or massage stations usually lead to lines, giving you an opportunity to interact with attendees as they await their turn.

The Qualifacts Blue Guy created a buzz at the National Council conference in Vegas in April 2013. Photo courtesy of Kimberly Lexow

The point of all of this is to give a hesitant attendee an incentive or cue to stop and begin a conversation. The good news is that exhibits in our field are quite pedestrian. In other areas of healthcare, two- or three-story booths with large data displays and cars being raffled are the norm. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to stand out at a behavioral healthcare conference. And, if in doubt, find a way to simply stand above the competition, as Qualifacts demonstrated at the National Council conference in April.

More on infographics

A great infographic on...infographics.

Source: What Is An Infographic? via Infographic File: Infographics and Data Visualization

Less text, more infographics, please

Infographics are one of my favorite forms of content marketing. They provide relevant and interesting information in an easily digestible format, but at the same time an effective infographic requires that a reader "slow down" to absorb the information. I recently came across an infographic that explains the changes in online B2B and B2C marketing. While I could share the same information in paragraph format, I believe you'll find the visual presentation much more useful--and fun.



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Content marketing via video

Videos are one of my favorite forms of content marketing, as they can convey so much information very quickly. Well-produced videos demonstrate thought leadership while sharing the brand message. A video I recently came across accomplishes both beautifully. What I especially like about this video is the unexpected—and memorable—connection to the beached whales. The brand identification is saved until the end, which provides credibility for the overall message, and the content focuses on educating and motivating the viewer instead of selling treatment services. By taking this approach, The Florida House Experience is building trust and engaging its audience.