Tag Archives: conversation marketing
Internet Marketing Blog Posts Kyle Eliason // 21 Jun, 2017
6 Ways to Build Blockbuster-worthy Marketing Personas
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, before I was a digital marketer, I was a screenwriter. It was a period of endless coffee, erratic pay checks, and afternoons that inexplicably turned into early mornings. I learned many valuable skills as a writer that I still use to this day. For example,… Read More
Content Strategy Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 7 Jan, 2016
Need to Crush Content Promotion? Love Your Dealers
I talk about dealers in this post. When I had some friends edit it, they accused me of writing yet another Breaking Bad comparison post. Let me point out that there are many other kinds of dealer networks: Cars. Games. Chocolate. Bootlegged copies of Asia’s 1983 world tour. “Dealer” is just the right word for… Read More
Social Media Blog Posts Portent Team // 27 Mar, 2014
How Not to be an #EPIC Social Media Fail
Alright, we all know which brands are nailing it when it comes to social media. I’m lookin’ at you Uber, BuzzFeed, Seattle PrideFest, Oreo, Nike, NO H8, and Coca Cola. These names represent a variety of businesses, brands and events. But despite their differences, every one of these companies has achieved great success by being… Read More
Featured Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 23 Aug, 2013
The Humungous Guide to Content Strategy
I went a little nuts here. I started writing a short ‘how-to’ post on content audits. Then it turned into a longer post on content strategy. Then it became a mini-infographic. It ended up being a top-to-bottom guide on how we do content strategies at Portent. We put it into a custom format so it’s… Read More
Copywriting Blog Posts Portent Staff // 8 Aug, 2013
Portent’s Kitten Moodinator: When Content Isn’t Words
For a highly visual medium, the Internet has been slow to attract marketers with a graphic bent. Perhaps due to proliferation of search engine optimization, or web browsers originating as text-based applications, many of us have focused on the word, not the image, video, or application. But words aren’t attracting the attention they used to. … Read More
Social Media Blog Posts Portent Team // 17 Sep, 2012
Why I Hate the Twitter Follow Limit
We wanted to flip the tables on internet marketing this week and take a look at one of the limitations of Twitter from a user perspective. You may not know this yet, but there is a limit to how many of your fellow tweeters you can follow. I found out the hard way. As a… Read More
Random Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 3 Apr, 2012
4 ways clients are like cats
First off, I’m a cat person. I want to make that perfectly clear. It’s a high honor if I compare you to a cat. So saying a marketing agency’s clients are like cats is very favorable. In Portent’s proposals I compare my employees to rats. So really, clients are coming out way ahead. A quick… Read More
Random Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 28 Mar, 2012
Tomorrow’s free webinar: “Advanced” link building
Tomorrow I’ll be talking about ‘advanced’ link building. The term drives me insane, since most folks use ‘advanced’ to mean ‘I give you lots of advice, but I do not add any links.’ So, I’ll go over real-life advice for building links, including some fairly geeky stuff, like: Log file analysis Using Google Webmaster Tools… Read More
Ian Lurie // 26 Mar, 2012
Information vs. Knowledge, Part 2
It’s a lot harder to impart knowledge than to pass information. But it’s also worth it, because knowledge sticks. Why does application teach better than rote memorization? Hmmm let’s think. Oh yeah—because application creates knowledge, which quickly remaps neural pathways. Memorization sends us into an information-overload daze, which leads to sad, lonely little neurons. If… Read More
Featured Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 22 Mar, 2012
Information is free. Knowledge is not.
In business, everyone keeps confusing information with knowledge. They’re different. Even the dictionary says so: Information: Facts provided or learned about something or someone. Knowledge: Information and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. Information is ones and zeros. It’s raw data, or a list of facts. It’s… Read More
Random Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 14 Mar, 2012
10 ways to make me delete your comment
My post yesterday really stirred some people up. This is a big blind spot for me. I believe anything worth discussion is worth discussing in a civil manner. BUT, I had to delete a lot of comments. So I figured I’d better explain what’ll make me delete your comment (or Wall post, by the way):… Read More
Featured Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 13 Mar, 2012
My problem(s) with ‘inbound marketing’
I want to emphasize that this is a friendly discussion between Rand and I—we’re colleagues and friends, plus our companies are close enough together that he could bring his much more numerous minions to Portent and wipe us out in one afternoon of horrifying nerd slap-fighting. I’ve received a few comments I deleted because they… Read More
Random Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 12 Mar, 2012
Where I’m speaking
Folks sometimes ask where I’m going to be speaking next. Here’s a quick list: In meatspace (live and in person, for non-geeks) How I’ve managed to only get speaking gigs in Seattle this year, I’ll never know. Don’t think I’m a travelphobe—I’m sure I’ll go to a few out of town gigs, too. SocialTech 2012:… Read More
Internet Marketing Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 8 Mar, 2012
12 questions to ask before you build an app
Rick Santorum throws up at JFK speeches. I throw up when someone says “We want to build an i[whatever] app!” I have one question. Why? Have you really, really considered why you’re building your app? Here’s 10 questions to help you decide: Can I afford it? I’m sorry, but you can’t build a quality mobile… Read More
Internet Marketing Blog Posts Ian Lurie // 7 Mar, 2012
Marketing hubris will get you killed
Marketing hubris will get you killed. Especially in search. I hate it when someone asks me “Have you worked with other companies like ours?” If I have, I consider it a vulnerability, not a strength, because I’ve got the a-word: Assumptions. Anyone starting a marketing campaign with assumptions is one step from failure. Why? Because… Read More