Watch this quick video to hear Stephen talk about his vision for enterprise content management, ideas around how to measure content marketing initiatives and also how his team and other groups at Microsoft leverage Content Cloud to programmatically deliver amazing customer experiences.

The post Thismoment in Content Marketing with Microsoft’s Stephen Bury appeared first on Thismoment Content Marketing Blog.

The recent news regarding Facebook’s offer to acquire teen-savvy messaging app Snapchat for 3 billion dollars is an important reminder of how quickly the social media landscape can change and how quickly brands need to respond.

For marketers seeking to reach the youth audience, understanding and reacting nimbly to shifts in consumers’ online habits is critical to success. Case in point: Levi’s #501 campaign launched earlier this year to re-introduce the 140-year old 501 Jean brand to the youth audience.

In partnership with their agency Wunderman and leveraging Thismoment’s technology, Levi’s successfully created a beautiful, interactive experience that showcased users’ interpretation of the 501 jean by asking them to create and share photos via Instagram and Twitter. Low barriers to entry, such as Twitter and Instagram hashtags and media partnerships, helped drive awareness for the #501 campaign and ultimately re-connect youth to the storied brand with massive social engagement.

For more information on the #501 campaign watch the video below. Bonus: download the Levi’s #501 case study here.

Consider these top learnings from the Levi’s case study:

• The where and the how – the key here is to understand which channels are most frequented by the target audience and how that behavior can be leveraged for your digital campaign.
• Create the optimal viewing experience – make it easy for users to interact and participate in your campaign across all display sizes and device types. Don’t discriminate based on the size of the screen!
• Lower the barrier entry – ensure that you leverage hashtags that allow users to submit content via channels that they’re already using (Instagram, Twitter, or Vine) without the need to log in to an additional social network.
• Don’t send people to an empty room – remember to populate your brand experience with content that will help seed social conversations and participation.

The post Levi’s 501: Reconnecting Youth With A Storied Brand appeared first on Thismoment Content Marketing Blog.

Growing a small business is tough enough without the specter of a difficult economy looming overhead. So, in response to seeing many small businesses struggling in late 2012, Intuit set out to give $5,000 grants to 15 lucky proprietors who created multimedia content for the “Love Our Local Business” campaign.

Love Our Local Business was an overwhelming success, yielding thousands of entries and hundreds of votes per entry. The turnout prompted Intuit to double down and grant an additional 15 “wishes” to customers. How did they achieve such triumphant results?

Download the Intuit “Love Our Local Business” Case Study here.

This video explains the campaign (continue reading below for more success factors):

• Targeted design. Intuit designed the campaign to target their core customer base. Based on their research, they knew that the prize (a $5,000 grant) was perfectly suited to small businesses in need of a cash infusion. And, the prize was offered against the backdrop of challenging economic environment, which added extra incentive for business owners to engage.

• Collaborative promotion. Intuit reached out to customers on Facebook – which many small businesses use as a substitute for a company website. They also enlisted local chambers of commerce and business associations to help spread the word about Love Our Local Business. The key: promoting through channels that resonated with their audience.

• Viral reach. The businesses themselves helped promote the campaign. Winners were chosen based on votes from the general public, which motivated small businesses to spread the word within their communities. This generated tons of good karma for the small businesses and awareness for the Intuit brand.

• Easy entry. The barrier to entry was initially as low as possible. The only requirement to enter the first phase of the contest was to submit a short description of how the business would use $5,000. They also offered the option for users to differentiate their written entry by uploading a photo of themselves or their business through any device (desktop, mobile and tablet). Subsequent phases of the contest required photo and video submissions. The key learning here is to make it as easy as possible for audiences to participate in your campaign, but also find ways they can easily personalize and be creative with their entry.

• Make it personal. The campaign didn’t just change a business’ prospects, it changed peoples’ lives. Small business owners don’t just invest time and money into their ventures, they put their heart and soul into what is in many cases their life’s work. Intuit tapped into this personal connection by aiming to change not only businesses’ bottom lines, but to also positively affect loves.

There were many factors that contributed to this campaign’s success, but it all started with Intuit’s vision to help the little guy.

“The ‘Love Our Local Business’ campaign has really had a significant impact on our business,” said Betsy Eshoei, Senior Marketing Manager at Intuit. “It has allowed Intuit to give back to the small businesses that have always been so important to us—while also engaging the local communities that support them. We’ve received a lot of very appreciative feedback, and importantly, the results for our business have just been phenomenal.”

Gain more insights into how Intuit and Thismoment worked together on this user-generated content campaign — and how you can boost your brand with similar programs — in the above video and case study linked below.

Download the Intuit “Love Our Local Business” Case Study here.

The post How Intuit Made Dreams Come True By Turning Customers Into Content Creators appeared first on Thismoment Content Marketing Blog.