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Why mediocre content suggests a mediocre product or service

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Alex Ionides, Managing Director at Silx, tells TMN what he thinks about mediocre content and why it suggests a mediocre product or service…

“Writing involves a lot of work. Getting your message across with the impact you want means lots of time researching, re-reading, tweaking, reordering, cutting – and sometimes starting over because, well, that idea just didn’t work.”

In the age of content marketing, where informative, journalistic content makes up the vast majority of your overall content production, it is important for you to know what makes for great writing – whether you personally contribute to the writing efforts or not.

There is a ton of digital marketing content out there that is pretty low in quality, partly due to the rush to get it out without having the infrastructure in place to do it properly. Many companies rely on senior staff to contribute articles alongside their regular job, with the result that a good deal of the content produced lacks focus and depth and reads like an afterthought that was knocked out in a hurry – which it often is.

This is a problem because the association between your content and your company offering is direct. If you’re producing content that is of mediocre quality, your audience may subconsciously come to the conclusion that your products and services must also be mediocre.

The converse, however, gives us plenty to smile about. Good content is good for your sales and for your personal reputation. So how can you make sure your digital marketing is delivering great content every time?

Here are five hallmarks of a great content that you have to keep in mind:

It is relevant to your audience

For B2B in particular, relevance comes from producing content that will help your audience do their job better, reduce costs for their company, increase revenue, improve efficiencies and so on. So to ensure your content is consistently relevant, you need to have the right frameworks in place for generating strong content ideas. At Silx we use a few different frameworks during our content idea generation workshops, including problem-solution, sales cycle and past content review.

It illuminates

There is a difference between simply passing on information and illuminating it in a way that readers understand. Good writers anticipate what information their readers want and what questions they are likely to ask. As you write, you introduce concepts that may prompt more questions ­— make sure you give that complete story by ensuring all the essential questions are answered.

It is well-researched

In the digital age we have incredible resources at our disposal, some of them more reliable than others. Once you become familiar with your subject area you will know which sources to trust and which to approach with caution. Whatever the length of the article, your work should be grounded in strong intelligence and data.

It is logical

A good piece of content presents its argument in a way that flows and builds. To ensure this logical flow, there is usually a lot of restructuring and cutting. Think about the order in which you present your concepts and the flow of logic from one point to the next. The entire article should move from title to last word in a manner that takes the reader on a clear journey.

It is a great read

This is something that is often overlooked. You can put all the facts, stats and logic into your piece but if it’s dull to read then it won’t hit home. The ability to hold an audience develops with practice but it is also governed by your attitude. Allow your personality to show through, offer personal insights and opinion, but always make sure that any claims are accurate.

It is a collective effort

While the writing process may seem like a one-person show, that is far from the truth when it comes to content marketing. Finding good writers who can cover your industry topics at an expert level is just the start. Add to that an infrastructure of content planners/strategists as well as editors who together ensure each piece is on message and contributes to your overall content marketing strategy.

Cutting corners on any part of the writing process will weaken the final article. Yes, it is a lot of work and sometimes underappreciated by others inside the company — but if your focus is on giving your audience the quality they deserve, your satisfaction will come directly from them in the form of positive feedback and the money they ultimately spend on your products and services.

MENA Effie Award winners announced

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Winners of the MENA Effie Awards has been announced following the conclusion of its ninth edition of the awards on November 15, 2017. Held at the Armani/Pavilion, Armani Hotel Dubai, the awards focused on establishing a gold standard of creative marketing brilliance across the region. The event saw major wins for FP7/CAI winning the Grand Prix, while other winners include PHD Dubai for Most Effective Media Office of the Year and FP7/DXB for Most Effective Agency Network of the Year.

“2017 saw tighter budgets, increasing pressure to deliver revenue and growing competition in the industry, but despite this high-pressure environment, marketing professionals have upped the ante with new levels of innovation, creativity and resourcefulness,” says Alexandre Hawari, Co-CEO, Mediaquest. “This is what we look for in our award-winners, who have all successfully faced the challenges by finding ever more strategic and targeted ways to reach audiences and deliver a solid return on investment.”

VICE Arabia launches operations

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Global media brand, VICE Arabia has launched operations across the region. Headquartered in the UAE, vice.com./ar provides a mix of locally and internationally produced video programming, as well as editorial and social content targeted at the region’s youth population.

Islam Alrayyes takes on the role of Editor-in-Chief and brings a wealth of experience in the Middle East media industry, having previously worked as Editor-in-chief at Sport360 and Head of Digital Content at admcsport.com, part of Abu Dhabi Media. In his new role, he will lead the team of writers, editors, directors and producers to launch its digital operations across the region.

VICE Arabia’s Managing Director, Jason Leavy will handle broader operations and comes with over 20 years of media, communications, publishing and marketing experience. Jason most recently worked with Edelman DABO as Managing Director and will now work alongside the editorial, content and commercial teams. He will be responsible for VICE Arabia’s creative and strategic development across all mediums as a part of the brand’s expansion plan across the region.

Reporting to Jason Leavy is Firas Breais – Head of Sales, Ciaran Bonass – Creative Director and Anas Al Hakim – Senior Creative.

Also joining the new team from its UK office is Aws Al-Jezairy who holds the role of Managing Editor, having helped launch VICE News in the UK. Emma Hill is Head of Production, Badar Salem and Wael Mamdouh are Online Editors, Ameer Daou is Social Editor and Majd Abi Ali is Audience Development Manager.

“VICE Arabia will bring together pan-Arab youth and stand out as the platform for them to tell their own stories and talk about what matters to them,” says Islam Alrayyes, Editor-in-Chief, VICE Arabia. “In a region woven in a rich cultural fabric and with increasingly prominent new voices and talent – from innovators to artists – VICE will showcase the work of those making an impact.”

 

In The Hot Seat – Dariush Kamyab

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We chat with Dariush Kamyab, Managing Director of LMTD, who talks about his current role and offers his thoughts on the advertising and marketing industry in the Middle East…

Name: Dariush Kamyab

Age: 30

Nationality: British

Current Job Title: Managing Director, LMTD

When did you first arrive in Dubai?

The day I was born!

Where did you work prior?

I previously worked with Polar Bear Creative as Account Manager from 2011 – 2012 and later co-founded a social media start-up called Kindai Media in 2012, which consulted to various governmental organisations across the MENA region. I joined LMTD in 2015 as a Strategist and most recently held the role of Head of Strategy.

What were your first impressions of the advertising industry in the Middle East?

When I started out, we were in the midst of the global financial crisis. Marketers had to be smart to make the most of client budgets as they were counting every penny – we had to adapt to this and think creatively.  

Has your opinion changed much?

The region is increasingly attracting top talent from across the world – this means we have a more global, tech-savvy audience to advertise to, resulting in smarter campaigns. Budgets have gone up, but clients are increasingly more aware of where their Dollars are being spent.

Tell us about your current role…

As Managing Director at LMTD, I essentially perform two roles: I ensure that our team has the best possible work environment for them to thrive in and also commit to having our clients receive the best possible work that we can do. I recently worked on expanding our client base outside of the region to South Korea. This was an extremely exciting development for the whole team as we continue to grow our global client portfolio and as a result, our capabilities.

What challenges do you face?

Working with clients from across the globe with a team of 30 means that we all have to multitask quite regularly, whether it’s on video, social, digital or creative projects. No two days are ever the same and we frequently find ourselves on call late into the night. The results though, can be incredibly satisfying.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Watching people really grow in their roles and being able to coach them through this. Our first ever office administrator arrived straight out of university and is now an integral part of our account servicing team for one of our largest clients. It’s stories like this that make my job worthwhile.

How would you rather be contacted at work?

Anyway works! I’ve had prospective clients even reach out through Twitter.

Is traditional marketing still efficient in the UAE today?

Depends on the type. Print media maybe less, so than out of home and television – but it’s usually quite efficient in satisfying clients as they appreciate the tangible aspect of this kind of media.

How has consumer behaviour in today’s digital community influenced the advertising industry?

Today’s generation is spoiled for choice. Digital media can give you whatever you want, whenever you want. When it comes to content, advertisers are not just competing with competitors, but content from multiple sources, vendors and platforms on the same screen. Advertisers are having to battle to create compelling content to stand out from cluttered news feeds and timelines.  

Has user-generated content taken over brand promotion and marketing campaigns in the Middle East?

A lot of industries, especially retail and F&B have been realising that it’s becoming more and more effective to have their customers talk about them rather than have marketers talk at them. Encouraging customers to post content around a brand or campaign hashtag is definitely a trend in vogue at the moment and when done correctly, can have really cool results. The worry is that brands may attempt this and be unprepared for negative feedback and then be turned off from attempting similar drives in the future.

How has social media in the region evolved over the years to become an integrated part of the advertising and marketing industry?

I remember when huge regional social media accounts were run by a group of three freelancers sitting around a desk. It was easy to create content and post, back then, whereas nowadays the quality of social content has evolved massively. Social media marketers are often required to be ‘Swiss Army knives’ — in their role you need to be content creators, analysts and strategists at the same time.

What role does social media play in building a brand’s reputation today?

With the right strategy, social media can not only build a brand’s reputation, but define it. If you don’t approach the medium properly it can swallow you as a whole. One false move in a tweet or Instagram post can be picked up by millions in an instant and spread around the world in seconds. What other form of media can do that?

What are the most common digital marketing mistakes companies make?

Treating social media like an add-on rather than a core is part of their customer-facing strategy. Too often are social media managers, whether inexperienced, or IT managers are given access to the company’s Twitter account – I’ve seen this happen with global multinationals. It’s often assumed that if you work in tech, you can work in social. That’s like asking a print shop to write the content of the books they print out!

Describe yourself in five words

Approachable, knowledgeable, eager to learn.

Who inspires you?

Definitely the leadership of the UAE and specifically HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Growing up in Dubai has really allowed me to witness his incredibly ambitious impact on the city.

What’s your most overused saying?

Probably ‘you never know’. Business in Dubai, and this city in general – always ends up surprising you.

Five things you can’t live without?

My iPhone, good cologne, creamy espresso, football and my family

What’s the most exciting thing that has happened to you in your career?

Definitely joining LMTD and working with such a multicultural team that is more of a family than a group of colleagues. Our potential as a unit is boundless.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?

I thoroughly enjoyed lecturing and presenting seminars on social media a few years back. I would definitely start that up again.

What’s your favourite form of media?

Social! You really have to be on top of your game at all times. It’s fast-paced, targeted and ever-changing. It keeps us thinking and continually flexible.

How do you see the advertising and marketing industry changing in the Middle East in the coming years?

Smartphone usage across the region is booming and is set to grow further. The attention span of the next generation will be shorter than ever. It will be up to intelligent digital and social media campaigns combined with effective data mining to hook customers into your brand or service, otherwise, you’ll lose them in a flash to a smarter competitor.

 

 

Hopscotch reveals survey on Global Women in PR

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Hopscotch has revealed the results of its survey by PR and communications body, Global Women in PR (GWPR). The survey which aimed to show the status of women in the workplace and the industry as a whole, highlighted flexible hours as an advantage that has lead to efficiency while, the lack of confidence to demand pay rise being a major cause for gender pay gap. The study was conducted with a sample size of 757 respondents working in the PR industry from across 19 countries. Following the research findings, Hopscotch also launches new monthly series, Career Clinics to increase skills and provide a platform for women to network.

“On launching Hopscotch 18 months ago, we quickly realised that sourcing flexible work for women was only half the battle,” says Helen McGuire, Co-Founder, Hopscotch. “Ensuring women follow a path to senior management and building confidence is key to reducing the gap, but we need those women in the workforce in the first place and in the UAE, the employment rate of women is less than half the global average.”

Smartly.io launches first Middle East office

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Finnish-based Facebook marketing platform, Smartly.io, has launched its first Middle East office in Dubai. The marketing platform provides Facebook and Instagram advertising optimisation tools for leading advertisers in the region. The new office will help brands create and optimise campaigns with first-to-market solutions and features. Tegan Kerr, who previously worked with Effective Measure, takes on the role of Head of MENA along with the new MENA Customers Lead, Valtteri Virtanen, who previously worked in Finland with Dingle. Both will work together to oversee the operations of Smartly.io across the region.

“The explosion of e-commerce and locally-built startups in the Middle East has driven ever-increasing investment in Facebook as a channel, which reaches over 42 million people in the GCC alone,” says Tegan Kerr, Head of MENA, Smartly.io. “Our clients are looking for a partner, not just a tool, that gives them the ultimate competitive edge. They’re looking for significant performance improvements and automation across what can often be large-scale and complex campaigns.”

Joe Nicolas promoted to Regional Managing Director

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MENA-based creative media agency, UM MENA has promoted Joe Nicolas to the role of Regional Managing Director. Having joined UM MENA in 2009 as Regional Director of Communications Planning and most recently, holding the position of Head of Strategy and Integration, Joe has built teams and contributed to the agency’s client success, and helped develop UM Egypt during times of economic instabilities. In his new role, he will work on the agency’s client relations and oversee its business development across the MENA region.

“I am excited to be taking over this role at one of the largest agencies in the region,” says Joe. “At a time where our region is undergoing a transformation, we have the right team, the right company culture and the right portfolio of clients to enable us to deliver great work and set new standards. I look forward to playing a major role in this and the continuing success and development of the agency in the coming years.”

Spotlight Productions launches in the UAE

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New production company, Spotlight Productions launches in the UAE. Spotlight Productions aims to offer videography and photography services to meet the requirements of clients and help communicate their message in an engaging manner as well as creating captivating content to bring their stories and announcements into the spotlight. The new company will see its co-founders Abdul Karim Hanif with broadcast journalism experience take on the role of Managing Partner and Producer, Melville Picardo with TV production experience as Head of Post Production and Muhammad Adnan having worked in the television industry as Production Manager. The new team will work towards partnering with communications and PR companies by bringing the news team’s support to produce video news releases for press conferences and events.

“Video content has become a crucial element to take a press release forward an extra mile, particularly with the rise of social media influencers,” says Abdul Karim Hanif, Managing Partner and Producer, Spotlight Productions. “We aim to bring our TV production knowledge to create that appealing content together with the interviews of our clients. Over the years we have developed strong relationships with PR firms in our network and we would now like to enhance those ties further by providing them with the support they require for their written content.”

Let’s Talk Cairo agenda revealed

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Dubai-based PR, marketing and communications agency, Fekra Communications has revealed the agenda for the Cairo edition of its industry event series, Let’s Talk Crisis Communications Forum. The conference will take place from November 6 -7, 2017 at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza, Cairo, Egypt and host several leading communication and media experts from Egypt and across the region to come together and shed light on one of the industry’s most important topics. The forum will feature speakers from a diverse group of industries including international organisations, government, tourism, media, telecom and FMCGs to share their insights and best practice on how to protect an organisation’s reputation. The full list of speakers can be found on letstalkevent.com.

“With the continuing evolution of communication platforms, news and word of mouth spread faster and even wilder than it used to a decade ago,” says Mohammed El Batta, Managing Director, Fekra Communications. “Today we live in a world where both government and corporate reputations are more fragile and where crises seem to be occurring more frequently. One of the biggest challenges for communication professionals is the early recognition of crisis and how to successfully manage it using effective communication techniques.”