Our Blog

If you are running a successful content plan for your brand, you are most likely working according to an editorial calendar that determines the timeline involved in generating and distributing each piece of content. Typically, each piece of content is distributed as part of a campaign or theme through your chosen media channels and is […]

For content marketing to be sustainably successful you constantly need to create fresh and engaging content. Data can play a powerful part in the content mix if it is used in a creative and engaging way but it still is very much underutilised in the content development process. Left or right-brained? Some people find comfort […]

Did you know that 1 in 3 internet users worldwide is a brand advocate? Why is this important? Brand advocates tend to be vocal, trusted and are well-networked. They tend to have a strong presence on social networks and are highly regarded. This enables them to influence products and brands. The internet gives those communicative […]

Your blog needs to tick a few important boxes to be maximised. We cover some important aspects to be considered for your blog to evolve into a successful branded content platform.

What is the difference between writing website content or content for print media?

Travelling is such a romantic and personal experience, and our individual requirements and tastes are as varied as a Moroccan spice souk. It fulfils our desire for new, enriching and captivating delights in lesser known and unknown (for the brave) explored destinations. The reality is that the smartphone has become a very reliable partner in our travel […]

Have you ever wondered why we are so addicted to watching TV series? What makes certain series so addictive and how can we leverage this information to create addictive content for our brands? A Time magazine article highlighted some reasons for this TV series addiction and in this blog, we will attempt to translate this […]

Brands want less lead time, more sales and more loyalty. Consumers want more convenience, more simplicity and less frustration. It is only when we think about our consumers’ journey that brands can hope to meet their needs, exceeds their expectations and builds loyalty. This can be done by optimising the consumer experience through removing unnecessary […]

In this blog, Contentum reviews content by dynamic off-plan property development company, BLOK.

Blogging is a cost-effective channel to build your brand and showcase your differentiation in an authentic manner that connects your brand story to potential customers. The concept of blogging is based on publishing regular content pieces that inspires your followers’ (and potential customers) or solves their (business) problems. However, many businesses start out inspired with […]

Every consumer-facing business and most B2B companies should have a blog. It is true that it can become a time-consuming endeavour but with a small amount of planning and organising, you can create a strong and valuable voice for your brand that will deepen your customer relationships and brand loyalty in a way that few […]

Content marketing is a discipline that requires commitment, staying power and perseverance. This discipline requires for all brands, regardless of their size, to create relevant, targeted and engaging content to connect with their customers to tell their unique brand stories. However, once the content has been created, is that it? Does a round of high […]

Are you winning online visitors to your website daily or weekly? Can you afford not to direct some of the search queries to your website if your business can give them what they are looking for? In other words, is your business switched off to online leads or sales? Since Google is the number one […]

It is important for marketers to recognise that various marketing channels such as email marketing, social media, search, banner advertising and websites each play a unique role in the purchasing process.

Words are processed by our short term memory while images settle in our long term memory; so, unless the words that we publish as marketers are linked to an image, it will probably not be retained in our long term memory.

Your website’s home page is like a hotel’s reception desk. You want your guest to see a friendly face and to feel welcome from the minute they arrive. The check-in process should be easy and smooth, and there should be sufficient assistance available from the porter or directional signage to make finding your room simple […]

A common mistake is to associate long sentences and big words with good writing. Simple writing is often seen as ‘dumbed down’ language or ‘talking down to your reader’. This is simply not true.

Email was adopted by 57% of South Africans before 2000, and it is the preferred medium for business and personal communication.

It amazes me how many accomplished brands still take the ‘sales brochure’ approach to their website content, i.e. product and price.

From Panda to Penguin and now Hummingbird – we take a closer look at Google’s search updates?

There is a huge difference between content that gets read (and shared) and content that doesn’t. Assuming that the same piece of content is being used, the differentiating factor is design.

We often speak to clients who still think about content marketing as a nice-to-have, an add-on to their other advertising and marketing efforts.

If you are planning a mobile strategy, you are probably contemplating the best mobile platform for your customers. There are a few options available to you.

The content (what we say) and tone (how we say it) on social media platforms should be different from the content published on your company website.

The traditional brand decision-making purchase funnel is being rapidly replaced by an open flight journey with several connected stops.

In the beginning nobody really knew what content to publish on their websites, everyone followed someone – and that someone used their website as a product brochure.

We continue with a few pointers to make your furniture website ‘work harder’ and how to be more relevant.

Content Marketing for Furniture Brands (part 1) As a category, furniture brands lend themselves to a wide variety of creative marketing options. So when it comes to content marketing, small changes can have a really big effect on brand perception and even on your bottom line. Here are a few pointers to make your furniture […]

When we think about the internet, we immediately think about websites. Therefore, your website is your business card – 24/7! It does not sleep, it works over weekends, after hours and does not mind what computer, operating system or mobile device you have. Therefore your website has to put your best foot forward, as first […]

No.5 The Film was a 2004 production for Chanel by the brilliant and creative Baz Luhrman. It was post the success of Moulin Rouge and in the starring role, none other than his beautiful and talented muse, Nicole Kidman. Watching it now is kind of like watching a 1970’s James Bond film and expecting it […]

Luxury car brand, Jaguar, recently launched a branded content film named ‘Desire’  and it made me contemplate the potential of branded film-making. Ridley Scott was involved in the filming and production of this film and ‘Homeland’ actor, Damian Lewis, performed in the leading role. These are big names lending their credibility to big brands at […]

“Content is everything in search and social. Without content, search engines and social networks do not exist. Content connects a business and its audience, and in the age of the always-on consumer, brands need to know how content travels in real time.” Rob Garner, VP of Strategy, iCrossing Consumer It starts with the consumer or […]

What stock content (long form articles) can do for your brand? Consumers want to be engaged, so tell them your brand STORY Consumers want a reason to support your brand, so tell them WHY you do what you do Consumers want relevant information, so deliver the RIGHT message at the RIGHT time to the RIGHT […]

What is “stock” content? It is a term given to “long form” or “static” content, i.e. longer articles that reads a bit like a feature article It can be found on “owned media” such as on a company or brand’s website or mobile site By definition these “owned media” channels are controlled by the company […]

Content marketing presents an opportunity for cost effective marketing efforts that can be quantified by tracing the performance of your website and social media platforms over time. Through measuring consumer interaction with your platforms and the number of visitors to your website (plus how many pages they tend to visit), you can easily track the […]

Ideally, you want everyone who lands on your website to visit again. Even though the displayed content might be useful, if it is presented in a copy-dense and bland manner, visitors will leave almost immediately. The bottom line is that most websites (platforms) and accompanying content does not work hard enough. It’s not enough that […]

A good way to begin to describe what content marketing really is would be to say that it is the ‘commercialisation of the words you publish to tell your brand story’. What most marketers don’t realise is that to build successful digital communities, you need to have the follow basics on your website: 1. Firstly, […]

Search engines, blogs and social media sites give the customer direct access to your brand, whether it is products or services, or how other customers have experienced them. Therefore the reputation of your brand is in the hands of your customers! It is out of your control but you can lead and influence it. To […]

….In the second universe (based on the Sliding Doors movie) Joanne decides to change her advertising tactics: She employs a content marketing business and they make the following easy suggestions: Instead of only uploading photographs on the website, she starts posting short video clips to show and explain the unique features of each house.  Now people […]

Did you ever see the movie ‘Sliding Doors’? After the main character (Gwyneth Paltrow) misses her train on the London Underground, the plot splits in two parallel universes illustrating the separate path her life would have taken if she boarded the train. With the idea of parallel universes in mind, let’s consider the story of […]

Hard sell is dying. Consumers no longer relate to intrusive messaging via different media platforms, every minute of every day. The era of interruption marketing is OVER. Consumers filter, avoid and at best, only selectively pay attention to messages they actually want to receive. Marketers need to be far more subtle and serve useful, relevant […]

There will always be a few thought leaders whom we admire. Their beliefs and passion inspire us to be creative and be motivated individuals. “Be the ASPIRIN not the vitamin. Identify a business problem and find simple solutions.” – David Duarte Organisations typically go through an annual business review and budgeting cycle, where business problems […]

This is Contentum’s first blog post! We tell brand stories. This basically means that we produce engaging and synergistic content across all client communication platforms to tell a uniform and interesting story about the brand. One of my favourite stories ever is by Ernest Hemingway. The eccentric writer once wrote this story in response to […]