Ted Rubin – THE SOCIAL CMO Blog

Two New Yorkers Collaborate to be the Voice for Restless Brands

August 29, 2016 by Ted Rubin

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Anyone who knows me knows I am all about the power of relationships. Every once in a while, something unexpected happens that seems almost too good to be true.

So two months and 53,000 YouTube views ago, I had no idea something this unpredictable would happen….

Over the course of 5 episodes, we’ve:

trampled on a Chipotle campaign,
discussed when to (and when NOT to) use humor in branding and how James Corden gets it right
clarified the liability of cliches and a closely guarded branding secret
crystallized how a new retail brand is crushing it (with $225 million in sales) in a $40 billion category, and
unveiled how GEICO, Oreo and Old Spice use 2 rules that help convert commodities into a must-have brands.

I am talking about this new collaboration I am super pumped over: The David and Ted Talk Show.

How to Increase Blog Traffic…

September 14, 2014December 20, 2014 by Ted Rubin

For me it is not about tools, but about strategy, and execution. Here are a few things to consider in addition to just posting articles and working the SEO angle…

1. User-Friendly Navigation: Keeping your blog easy to navigate with intuitive category labels will help people find the information they seek much faster. Also, make it easy for readers to leave comments and share your posts on various channels that will help lead others back to you.

2. Look for Holes in Your Competition: Take a look at your competition’s blogs and websites. Are there content holes they’ve missed that you can take advantage of? Ways to add value not already available and help you stand out. Those consistently provide lots of content have a bigger chance of attracting people who are actively looking for information.

3. Don’t Close Your Comments: Don’t close the door for people to leave comments on your blog; doing so leaves the impression that you only care about what you have to say and are not willing to be responsive to others. Seth Godin can do it, and it sure works for him, but until you are playing in that league, don’t go there.

4. Commenting on Other Blogs: Look for other blogs in your industry that have a good amount of traffic and comments, and contribute a comment, but only if you think you can add value to the conversation. Be careful not to promote your blog here; just add some insight, and do it on a regular basis. Make seeking out and commenting on other blogs a part of your daily activities. The more you contribute to the conversation happening around you, the more you’ll be seen as a thought-leader (and people will click on your link to check you out).

5. Syndicate, syndicate, syndicate… share your content via all social channels always including Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn, which also makes it easy for others to share. And don’t be afraid to do it more than once periodically sharing old posts via your social channels, especially those that were well received. Also let others freely repost your content with a link back to the original post.

Welcome to the ‘Age of Influence,’ where anyone can build an audience and effect change, advocate brands, build relationships and make a difference.

So Glad I Met the @InfoGraphicTeam

May 6, 2014December 20, 2014 by Ted Rubin

Infographics are a great way to convey information and data visually to a broad audience and make your content easily shareable. As part of an overall branding, marketing and, syndication strategy, infographics are a great tool. The infographic helps to simplify your message through visuals, making it easier to understand, and empowers others to share and interact with the content very often much more so than the blog post itself.

Develop an Acute Ability to Listen

April 10, 2014December 20, 2014 by Ted Rubin

What if your point of difference was an acute ability to listen?

What would that look like?

It always amazes me how many people cut me off mid-sentence, and don’t even let me get my answer out, after they ask me a direct question.

Yes, I recognize listening alone may not set you apart from the competition. From my experience, you may win more business using your ears and eyes than with any other marketing strategy. That’s because, with listening, you can understand your prospect, and that understanding will help you win new business.

Forget B2B or B2C and Focus on BwB or BwC Instead ~guest post via @BLichtenwalner

March 15, 2014December 20, 2014 by Ted Rubin

The terms “Business to Business” (B2B) and “Business to Consumer” (B2C) are outdated. These terms imply your business is doing something to a customer. That may be how business was conducted decades ago, but it’s always been better – and is now necessary – to conduct business with your customer. Business to a customer is a transaction. Business with a customer is a relationship.Whether your customer is a business or a consumer, they prefer a relationship over a transaction.

Should Social Media Outsourcing be Illegal? ~guest post via @BLichtenwalner

February 8, 2014December 20, 2014 by Ted Rubin

Many companies completely outsource social media management. These companies may have good reasons for this decision. Yet, when outsourced, social media communications misrepresent reality. In fact, is it possible that completely outsourcing your social media accounts should be outlawed? Below are a couple issues to consider:

Gallaghers Steakhouse (@Gallaghers_NYC), A New York City Institution, Reopening…

January 26, 2014December 20, 2014 by Ted Rubin

Gallaghers was acquired in January 2013 by Central Park Boathouse operator Dean Poll, a good personal friend who has shown me time and time again that Return on Relationship is part of his DNA. Dean is a native Long Islander who grew up in the restaurant industry. Traveling to Brooklyn on weekends with his father to work at the family owned Pappas Restaurant, Dean learned the business from the ground up… literally. From sweeping floors to cleaning shrimp; no job was too menial for this 8 year old.

Dean closed the restaurant on July 9th for renovation and rejuvenation. I visited a couple of weeks ago and got a sneak peak. The photos here do not do it justice and I am anxiously awaiting the reopening which is expected to be February 4th. Please come and check it out as soon as it reopens. I assure you the experience and ambiance will be second to none.

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Ted Rubin & Paul Jones (Mary Kay Inc) at Brand Innovators Austin