Contently’s VP of content Sam Slaughter was joined on the panel by Mary Ellen Slayter, founder of Reputation Capital Media, and Leslie C. Reiser, head of Midsize Insider, a website and content marketing arm of IBM. The panel was moderated by Michelle Rafter, an ASJA member and founder of the blog WordCount: Freelancing in the Digital Age.

The average age of newspaper readers is 57 years old, Reiser said, explaining how companies like IBM are exploring new ways to remain relevant by becoming publishers.

For example, beyond people visiting the IBM homepage, by pushing content outward through a variety of channels, the brand can reach consumers as a trusted source of quality information. As such, one of IBM’s content arms, the website MidsizeInsider.com, recently became a Google News provider. That means it’s a recognized news entity, not an advertorial or promotional site — an important distinction that journalists are beginning to recognize.

Companies and corporations of all sizes are using similar strategies to engage, entertain, and capture an audience. Slaughter said he attributes this rise in content marketing budgets to the fact that banner ads and SEO-driven content are less effective, especially as Google continues to tweak its algorithm in favor of stories with substance and shareability.

Slayter agreed, which is why she used her background in traditional journalism as a foundation to create her company, Reputation Capital Media, which creates premium B2B content for companies. “There’s a move away from buying other people’s audiences,” she said. Many of her clients are small to mid-sized businesses, so it’s not just the Coca-Colas of the world that are employing content marketing strategies, she noted.

Also trying to gain a competitive advantage are the journalists who are aiming to bring on content marketing clients as a key part of their business mix, such as was the case for many of those attending the ASJA session.

If you’re an aspiring content writer, here are some of the tips that were shared to keep in mind when exploring this area of the writing business:

Think outside of your media comfort zone.

Writers who are used to pitching editors for work should go to industry conferences and make connections with directors of marketing, said Slayter. “That’s your client,” she said. You can do this virtually by joining industry discussions and groups on LinkedIn, too, she suggested.

Be an influencer.

Do this and you’ll get noticed, said Reiser. Those who blog on their own, have a specific expertise, and have a good social media following are highly coveted by her team. If you are more of a generalist, however, don’t fret. It’s really the journalistic skills of accurate reporting and writing talent that are most in demand.

Forget the myth about going to “the dark side.”

The traditional separation between journalism and PR or advertising should not scare writers away from work, the panelists agreed. The lines have been blurred between traditional publishers and brands. As long as you disclose any affiliations that might pose a conflict of interest at the onset of a writing project, taking on content marketing work will not mean the end of your journalism career.

On the contrary, content marketing is providing a glimmer of hope to journalists who have been battered by a tough publishing industry.

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

In keeping with the spirit of its Real Beauty campaign, Dove commissioned a FBI-trained sketch artist to draw women based on how they see themselves; he then drew the same women again based on the description of others.

The big reveal takes place when the side-by-side sketches are shown to the subjects. Women are clearly their own harshest critics, hence the tagline, “you’re more beautiful than you think.”

The heart string-tugging video, created by Ogilvy & Mathers Brazil, has social and mainstream media buzzing. Here’s why brand content creators should be paying attention:

Dove is selling a consistent message

Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign began nearly a decade ago, and it’s been selling that powerful message over and over again in various ways, said Dan Hilbert, senior vice president of client engagement at TBA Global, a creative events marketing agency.

“There’s nothing more powerful than a brand really owning an emotional benefit.”

He worked on the original Dove Real Beauty campaign in his former role as director of integrated marketing for Unilever, Dove’s parent company. “If you can represent a powerful idea that is relevant to the consumer, you will win and always get the sales volume,” he said.

As such, he’s not surprised to see that Dove has capitalized on this idea once again. “There’s nothing more powerful than a brand really owning an emotional benefit,” he says. “Unilever’s support and consistency is amazing. That’s a unique concept in today’s world of changing brand leadership and marketing schizophrenia.”

Dove knows its consumers

While it may seem an easy formula – create something inspiring and align it with your brand – finding something that resonates so strongly and comes across as genuine is like capturing lightening in a bottle.

“It serves as evidence for truly understanding the perspectives and mentalities of consumers, as well as the benefit in taking a courageous stance to better peoples lives beyond the direct product or service,” said Chad Kaszer, communications strategist at experience design and innovation practice, Sub Rosa.

More important, Dove has latched on to an important facet of the female consumer in particular.

“Women often select brands that they ‘believe’ in,” said Nora Miller, co-founder of Anderson Miller PR. “Advertising a clear brand mission shows customers that the brand believes in its customers’ well-being, and builds trust.”

Dove is not simply selling a bar of soap, she notes — they are selling the notion of how to feel beautiful and comfortable in your own skin.

Dove is leveraging a well thought out media mix.

The campaign goes beyond the YouTube clip. It’s been shared on Facebook thousands of times, and users — including major women’s media brands — are tweeting about it or using the #wearebeautiful hashtag on Twitter. Not to mention all of those in-person conversations that can’t be captured online or quantified.

“Women are sharing, liking, commenting, writing blog posts, and response videos with their personal experience with the video’s message, and how they learned from the campaign,” Miller said. “They are watching it with their daughters, and even playing the video in class It’s viral affect shows that it’s a win.”

Backlash happens, and that’s OK

As with any national conversation that people care about, there is bound to be criticism, such as this Tumblr post that’s generated a lot of attention for its critique of the ad, saying the campaign equates beauty with happiness and defines ideal beauty as thin, pale, blonde-haired and blue-eyed.

Even if Dove missed an opportunity to reach a multicultural audience, the majority of the engagement has been positive. “I think if you try to predict or anticipate criticism, you might never move forward with anything,” said Paul Donaher, president and COO of New York-based creative agency Laird + Partners. “That is not to say that sensitivity to certain issues isn’t important, but trying to avoid criticism is just an impossibility in today’s world.”

Either way, despite criticism, people are talking about it, said Miller. “The larger the discussion, the more people see it.”

What will Dove do next?

It’s now up to Dove to leverage all the buzz and brand goodwill that they’ve generated to drive sales of their products.

“As a result of this effort, I would expect that consumers would be more likely to listen to what Dove has to say next,” said Kaszer, ” to give the brand a few more seconds of their time, and to entertain what we in marketing all hope for. a real relationship between consumer and brand.”

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

He took a chance and decided to make podcasting his full-time gig. That’s how EntrepreneurOnFire was born.

“Having been in real estate, I was often in my car a lot and became a huge fan of podcasting. I just knew there were people like me who were spending a lot of time in these situations where they could only be consuming audio content,” says Dumas.

EntrepreneurOnFire is downloaded over 120,000 unique times every month in over 100 countries, with Dumas signing up 30 to 40 new subscribers per day. Recent interviewees have included Barbara Corcoran from TV’s “Shark Tank,” as well as social media gurus Gary Vaynerchuck and Seth Godin.

“With podcasting, people are not looking for the morning shock-jock sound or even a radio voice. In fact, they are likely trying to get away from that.”

Think your content would work well in audio form, too? Launching a successful podcast is a commitment, but it’s not as difficult as you’d think. Here’s why and how to get started:

Why podcasting?

While you might not want to commit to podcasting five times per week, since it’s still a relatively untapped source of content, it’s worth a shot, says Dumas.

“Literally just five years ago, no one saw YouTube as a search engine; now it’s the number two search engine in the world,” he says. “iTunes is on that same trajectory. People are going there to search free [podcast] content. You need to be there.”

In fact, many media companies and publishers from ESPN and The New York Times to Martha Stewart and Random House have incorporated podcasts into their media mix. While brands outside of the publishing space have been a little slower to adapt, companies like Etsy, NASCAR, Vanguard, and — yes – Apple, offer how-to and informational podcast content for their customers.

For those representing a lesser-known brand or who want to promote a new book or product, podcasting is a fairly low-cost way to spread some awareness and build an audience, without having to compete with big name brands right out of the gate.

Getting started

With user-friendly technologies available, the barrier to producing a podcast is low, Dumas says. “You literally can start by using the microphone in your computer,” he says. Better still is investing in an inexpensive USB or stand-alone microphone that you can speak into (good ones will run you less than $50).

Then you can record and edit your podcast using programs like GarageBand on Mac or Audacity on PC. All that’s left to do is upload your file, and submit the RSS feed to a host (iTunes being the most popular option). Dumas’ podcast spent eight weeks as the number one ranked podcast in iTunes “New and Noteworthy ” section when he started out, which turned out to be a great launching pad for him.

Here’s what’s great: “It’s an even playing field, whether you are podcasting for a brand, or a mom who wants to talk about how she makes cookies while her kids are in school,” says Dumas.

“You want to make getting into the iTunes store a top priority,” agrees Ray Ortega, founder of The Podcasters’ Studio, a site offering advice and services for podcasters. Other important places your podcast should be submitted include Windows Phone (formally Zune Marketplace), Miro, BlackBerry, and Stitcher, he says. “Start with the biggest ‘podcatchers’ listed here, and then move on to others as you grow.”

“You want to make getting into the iTunes store a top priority.”

Another option is to join a host site that handles all of the technology for you, as Laurie Leiker does on her BlogTalkRadio.com podcast.

“There are several websites that will not only provide all the technology you need, but will also walk you through the process with very easy-to-use instructions,” says Leiker, also known as the Lonely Gourmet, and host of the Friday Radio Feast podcast. “It’s free, each show is automatically uploaded to iTunes and is also archived on the BTR site,” she says.

The elements of a great podcast

While there’s no secret formula for creating a successful podcast, it really comes down to two major elements:

Your voice
Yes, your voice, the one that you hate the sound of. “With podcasting, people are not looking for the morning shock-jock sound or even a radio voice,” assures Ortega. “In fact, they are likely trying to get away from that. People are not so much listening to your voice as they are listening to what you have to say.”

Quality content
“Always value your listener’s time,” advised Dumas. Your goal with every podcast, just as it is with every blog post, is to make your content extremely valuable and direct.

Dumas aims for 25-35 minute-long podcasts because his typical listener is tuning in during their commute or during a workout at the gym. But, he points out, many popular podcasts are just five minutes long for listeners who like to pick up a quick tip and get out. The key is to go just long enough to get your message out and keep your listeners engaged.

So, what are you waiting for? Get a good microphone, choose to use your own domain or another media host, properly set up your RSS feed, and you’re on your way to putting your audio content online to a worldwide audience.

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

With nearly 600,000 Facebook fans, over 45,000 Twitter followers, a super active Pinterest and Instagram audience, and a lively blog, there’s no doubting that Chobani, the number one Greek yogurt maker in America, has positioned itself as a lifestyle brand.

In fact, until very recently, Chobani didn’t even use traditional advertising as it climbed to the top of its category. Instead, it cultivated a community of passionate fans using content marketing and social media smarts.

That’s been the plan since the beginning, said Emily Schildt, director of consumer engagement for Chobani.

“We’re  a small company with a start-up culture, so as we grew, our community grew,” she said.

Schildt and her small team (which has grown to several staffers over the past year) began by sharing behind-the-scenes snippets on the Chobani blog.

That included photos taken from the CHOmobile’s travels (thus taking the company’s field marketing efforts to the online community).

“We’ve always had a lot to share about our business story,” she said. ”Our founder set out to make a natural delicious product. That dream and passion and dedication inspires people so we want to make sure we share that, too.”

The Chobani lifestyle

Over time, Chobani has learned a lot about its consumers.

“They are active and healthy, and they trust us,” Schildt said. ”They see us as being honest and real and human.”

Because of that, Chobani offers content outside of the scope of yogurt flavors.

Schildt said: ”We’re educating users about cooking with yogurt, as an additive, as a substitute, as a grocery staple. We talk about living an active healthy lifestyle. And of course, having fun.”

Despite an array of content topics and a presence on many different platforms, Chobani’s content strategy is strategic, and rarely misses an opportunity to connect with people who love the product.

“The team is dedicated to acknowledging every Chobani mention online, and building relationships with those people,” Schildt said. “Once you get a response back, you create an instant connection. When you put up a great piece of content that people find useful or entertaining, you can create an emotional connection.”

Thinking like the consumer

As with many companies that harness the power of content marketing, Schildt said it’s tough to quantify success in terms of dollars and sense.

“People feel an emotional connection to us, but how do you turn that into an ROI?” she asked. What she can quantify, though, is the continued growth and quality of the engagement that happens within its community. Schildt said, ”We hold a lot of value to that.”

So what type of content works for Chobani? While Schildt says it depends on the platform, in general, simplicity is key: ”Any way we can simplify our content and make it easier to consume has been successful. If visuals also have text on them, that limits the work that users have to do [to share the content].”

In addition, Chobani regularly rewards brand loyalty with weekly contests on both Instagram and Twitter to win a free case of yogurt, among other campaigns.

Photo content brings the deepest engagement on Pinterest and Instagram.

“We posted a photo of strawberry frozen yogurt drops, and literally, soon after we saw people with photos of themselves in their kitchen making them,” Schildt said. “They’re joining in with us.”

“Chobaniacs” apparently consider themselves part of something, and are eager to share how and why they love Chobani.

For instance, Chobani’s Twitter hashtag for the Olympics — #chobanipowered — is still going strong, as people continue to share how Chobani powers them throughout the day.

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

Step 1: Accept that the audience must drive your content

Identifying the target audience isn’t just important — it’s essential, says Michelle Lowery, content strategy manager for Outspoken Media, a digital marketing solutions firm.

And it’s not only essential because readers are the consumers, they are also potential advocates.

“The current audience definitely has to like and identify with the content so they feel an affinity for the brand, which can perpetuate their brand loyalty,” she says. ”But brands also rely on their audiences to share that content, thereby extending the brand’s reach and possibly bringing in more customers.”

By really knowing your audience, brands can design products and services and develop content that suits them specifically, says Mary Haugh, vice president of strategy and account management and Joe Cecere, president and chief creative officer of Little & Company, a Minneapolis-based design firm, whose client list includes Target, Microsoft and Wells Fargo.

The overall goal is to create a connection with your audience by engaging in a conversation based on what their interests are, they say.

They said their firm treats content as “a dialogue; it’s personal and on-going.”

Step 2: Identify the audience

Target audiences can be defined by both demographics (age, household income)
 and psychographics (behaviors, attitudes, motivations, goals, purpose, 
interests, shared impact, etc.).

But determining which categories of readership fits a brand might not always be clear-cut, says Lowery, which is why some initial conversations and ongoing research is key.

“For a new brand, content is usually produced with the goal of building an initial audience, and for that, the client usually has a specific demographic in mind that they want to target,” she said. ”Whereas, for more established brands, it’s about keeping the existing audience engaged and interested, while also expanding it and bringing new people into the community.”

One of Outspoken Media’s clients offers language-learning courses on CD. While most people think of travel as the top reason for wanting to learn a new language, Lowery’s team worked with the brand to dig deeper to identify a new segment of their core target audience.

“We simply asked the question, ‘Who else would need or want to learn a second language?’” she said. ”We did some research, and found that homeschooling is on the rise, and it can sometimes be difficult for homeschooling parents to include language instruction if they don’t speak another language themselves.”

The goal then was to build an extensive resource section on the brand’s site that caters to homeschooling parents and teachers, with the angle that learning a language can be an activity parents can do along with their kids.

Step 3: Focus and tweak your message

Ultimately, keeping your audience engaged is all about listening.

“Smart marketers always keep tabs on their core consumer base,” say Cecere and Haugh of Little & Company. “Those
 who take note and evolve with consumers will never have to play catch-up 
or, worse, shutter the doors.”

They say marketers must ask themselves the following hard question constantly: Is the intended message clearly getting through to the brand’s target audience? And if not, how can your content plan change?

Little & Company was hired by RedBrick Health to help garner partnerships with major employers and their employees to promote healthier, more productive workforces. But research showed that RedBrick was often confused as the actual health insurance provider.

“Our challenge was to better define the target audience and their needs, and articulate RedBrick’s business model and benefit in the marketplace in a way that was relatable,” said Haugh and Cecere.

They identified a group they termed ”Healthy Planners,” those with a health-readiness mindset but showed the greatest opportunity for health improvement — for example, those who engaged in poor health behaviors, were high risk and middle-aged.

“We then created a strong position that defines the company as one who helps employees actively manage their health choices and, when necessary, navigate the complex healthcare system – carving out a niche for the brand,” they said.

Step 4: Build upon what works to grow your audience

One of the most important things brands can do when creating content is not just cater to the audience they already have, but produce content for the audience they want, says Lowery.

Haugh and Cecere also recommend thinking beyond just the end user. As such, they say it’s beneficial to aim content in three directions:

• toward your internal brand ambassadors;
• at your external consumers who directly affect your bottom line;
• and for the community influencers who can help propel your brand.

Over the course of the last three global Microsoft Office product launches, Little & Company had to develop messaging frameworks to three separate target audiences: home users, students, and small business owners.

But, all three content plans had to have the end goal of introducing the new features and benefits while maintaining one Microsoft Office brand voice.

“As a solution, we identified unique ways to present the product content on a global scale to each audience segment by identifying unique user scenarios for each audience, and keeping the story emotional, relevant and competitive,” say Haugh and Cecere.

In short, says Lowery, to produce content without both your current and potential audience in mind is, in a word, “pointless.”

Image courtesy of maxstockphoto/Shutterstock.com, Alfonso de Tomas/Shutterstock, timlewisnm/flickr

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

 The Content Strategist was on site for days two and three of the convention held at the Jacob Javitz Center, June 5-7.

The Theme: “Do something 10 percent better than the rest of the world, and the world is going to think you’re awesome.” –Peter Shankman

Shankman opened the morning sessions on June 6 with his talk entitled, “When It Gets Real: What Happens When Your Fun Little Personal Brand Has to Grow Up.” On the web, everyone’s goal should be to have better customer service, captivate an engaged audience, and to write well.

And those points, no matter the panel, comprised a common theme for the conference, at least within the content-focused panels I attended.

There were also tracks geared specifically for those who cover podcasting, mobile, and TV, as well as a premium track called the Social Media Business Summit.

Trends: “Brands will dominate online publishing.” – Shane Snow, Contently.com

Contently Co-Founder Shane Snow’s presentation, with Andraz Tori of Zemanta.com, gave attendees a glimpse into how content marketing became the buzzword over the past year or so, and what it will mean in the near future.

Snow said the slow death of the banner ad is expected to continue as more brands focus on quality content that develops relationships with readers.

The days of SEO writing, gaming Digg, and linkbaiting may be on the decline. Welcome to the age of the personal brand and content creation from non-media companies.

Inspiration: You can beat blogger’s block and write epic content!

Rich Brooks of Flyte New Media provided 50 brainstorming ideas for when you’re all blogged out. From Google trends and reading blog comments to using StumbleUpon and SocialMention.com, there’s a wealth of information to help spark some inspiration.

In one of the highlights of the conference, Corbett Barr donned a plastic gold-colored crown to mock the clichéd “content is king” phrase. His presentation was aimed at helping those in attendance learn how to create “epic content” that keeps readers coming back for more.

Some ways to do that is to take lots of chances, give yourself time and cut yourself some slack as you get over the learning curve, and borrow formats that work elsewhere and make them work for you.

Social Media Strategy: Leverage LinkedIn and Facebook to amp up your content marketing.

Stephanie Sammons’ panel shared lots of ways to improve LinkedIn activity in order to stand out and keep on everyone’s radar. In her estimation, just 15 minutes spent making updates three times per week and/or answering LinkedIn questions can make a huge difference in your visibility and help drive traffic back to whatever you’re promoting. Other tips include getting involved in groups, commenting on others’ updates, and making every post robust.

To get people to see your content, Amy Porterfield’s Facebook strategies are definitely worth trying. From how to manipulate your cover photo and customize tabs to experimenting with promoted posts and how to get friends to follow through on a call to action, there were so many great ideas crammed into her hour.

ATwitter search for #BWENY will help you gain access to some presenters’ slideshows and recaps, though you’ll have to slog through a lot of justified complaining about the poor WiFi and fluctuating temperatures at the Javitz… sorry.

(Side note: Beginning with the next conference in Las Vegas next January, BlogWorld will be known just as New Media Expo #NMX).

In the meantime, here are some terrific recaps from fellow attendees that will get you thinking and clicking:

7 Deadly Social Sins by Profnet’s Maria Perez - She overviews Scott Stratten’s insightful keynote with some smart interjections of her own.

BlogWorld Recap: Social Media and Blogging Lessons from the Pros by Shareaholic’s Ginny Soskey - Complete with video interviews, this post offers a nice summary of insights from some of the presenters.

Top 10 Lessons Learned at BlogWorld by Julia Cantor - A nice collection of lessons learned for both bloggers and marketers, with great link outs.

Next image courtesy of Pavel Ignatov/shutterstock

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

That’s the idea behind ReadrBoard, a new social tool that lets readers react to anything online – an article, a photo, a video, even a specific snippet from a page.

“Our high level goal to make it simple for people to express themselves in a way that’s satisfying,” says Porter Bayne, co-founder of ReadrBoard along with Eric Chaves and Michael Shaw.

From a business model standpoint, Bayne says ReadrBoard is a tool for online publishers frustrated with the user engagement tools they’re using.

How it works

ReadrBoard’s service is two fold: For the publisher, and for the everyday content consumer.

On the publisher side, a simple line of code can be added to a page to activate the feedback mechanism that captures what readers react to, ultimately helping to drive future editorial decisions.

Publishers can customize their reactions buttons to be anything from “LOL” or “Seriously?!,” to “Must-Read!” or “Meh” — the idea is to match their tone and style. Once users choose the appropriate reaction button, they are provided with the opportunity to add their own commentary, and share it with others.

Beyond giving more interactivity to their readers, publishers are given valuable data and analytics reporting from ReadrBoard, which shows what content is being reacted to, commented on, and shared, and by whom.

“Over time, it will evolve substantially,” says Bayne.

For individual users, Readrboard’s “React Button” goes in the browser toolbar, and allows you to select specific things of interest on a page — you can clip out one quote if you want — and share your reaction to it with your network, similar to the “Pin It” button, only with more functionality.

Company advisor, Alexis Ohanian, best known in the industry as the co-founder of Reddit, pushed for this end user component of Readrboard.

“We met with him in April demoing our suite of tools,” says Bayne. “He convinced us to make the button.”

The challenges

Of course, there’s more to the back-end technology than a few call-to-action buttons.

“Our biggest challenge is design because we’re trying to make something that’s really complex that’s push-button easy,” says Bayne.

In fact, the idea for ReadrBoard sprung from a former start-up venture of Bayne’s called Ameritocracy that never quite reached its potential because, he said, of its complexity and design flaws. Over the last almost two years, the technology and design has evolved.

“It’s definitely more complicated than a ‘like’ button,” he says.

Now that the ReadrBoard team is satisfied with the development of the product, pitching the concept to publishers — even getting in to see them — is the next obstacle. Because there are so many ideas out there, some of the reaction has been, “Another tool? Why would I use this? How is it different from Pinterest?”

Bayne says a quick demonstration illustrates what sets ReadrBoard apart.

Some of the notable publishers that have incorporated ReadrBoard onto their sites include the Iowa Gazette, Racialicious.com, and HyperVocal.com.

“The op-ed section of the Iowa Gazette just called last week that they were frustrated with comments in general,” Bayne said. ”What they liked is that they see more activity and engagement with ReadrBoard, but also a higher quality of participation. That’s been true about most of our publishers.”

What’s next

As offered now, Readrboard is a free tool for users and publishers.

“Premium services will be offered over time,” Bayne said. ”For sites with 1 to 20 million users – that’s a lot of data, there will be cost involved.”

Over the next few months, the goal is simply to get the word out and get more publishers and users on board. Further on into the future, Bayne says they’re counting on the fact that companies will look for quality-oriented metrics to grow their businesses. So not just the number page impressions, but what people really thought about the content presented on that page will become increasingly important.

“We’re hopeful that our data will help publishers say users respond to this type of content,” he said.

In a sea of widgets, browser toolbar add-ons, comment plug-ins, and social media profiles, anything new is a tough sell. Bayne and his team are hoping their social savviness and quirky style (the website promises “we’ve got some analytics for you that will make you swoon”) will be a welcome addition to online communities everywhere.

Maybe people will even “like” it.

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

American Express has been a major player in the credit card game for decades, and when it comes to Twitter, it’s the clear-cut winner.

Since 2009, the main corporate handle, @AmericanExpress, has grown to over 437,000 subscribers (by comparison, @MasterCard has a little over 23,000 followers).

With that impressive number, it’s no surprise that Amex was recently ranked number one out of 90 top financial services that use social media in a report titled “Social Media Leaders” conducted by a New York research firm, Corporate Insights.

“Our mission is to be everywhere our cardmembers and merchants are – to engage with them, service them, deliver unique value that’s shareable, and create seamless digital experiences that surprise and delight,” says Mona L. Hamouly, one of two social media coordinators (Matt Burton is the other) that tweet for the @AmericanExpress handle.

“When we do a deep integration with a social media platform, we aim to bring unparalleled value to cardmembers, merchants, and the partner,” she says. And so far, the formula has been working.

Extra Credit for Cool Campaigns

One recent campaign in particular that has been garnering media attention is American Express’ new Sync service, which allows cardmembers to earn discounts by syncing their card to their Twitter accounts and using specific hashtags.

The merchant partners include Best Buy, Whole Foods, and McDonalds. Amex announced the launch of Sync at SXSW 2012 by giving out Jay-Z concert tickets to those who completed the sign-up process.

That’s just the latest example in a long line of Amex Twitter-centric initiatives aimed at keeping users engaged and feeling privileged, in the spirit of its ”membership has its privileges” motto.

“We’ve launched a number of campaigns and contests via our Twitter page,” Hamouly says. ”Everything from surprising followers with tickets to the US Open to Tweet-to-enter sweeps for prizes including trips to NBA All Star weekend, vacation pages, membership rewards prize bundles (comprised of popular items in the program), etc.”

Customer Service, Just a Tweet Away

Of course, behind all of the fun contests and rewards programs, the heart of American Express’ twitter strategy has everything to do with customer service.

A quick scan of its tweet stream shows that the majority of tweets are @replies, some of which urge cardmembers to connect with @AskAmex to handle their inquiry.

“The @AskAmex handle is purely focused on servicing cardmemebers and consumers who reach out to us via Twitter – that includes tweets directed to @askamex and/or @americanexpress or tweets that mention American Express that the team finds as they monitor the Twitterverse for chatter related to Amex,” explains Hamouly.

Notice that they monitor for mentions? That’s one of the vital ways that Amex keeps up with the conversation, says thanks when praised, and quickly addresses the concerns of unhappy customers to resolve their problems in a timely way.

The @AskAmex handle, which has 18,600+ followers of its own, is facilitated by five tweeters, whose collective goal is to help customers get assistance to questions, concerns, and issues.

All in all, Hamouly says American Express’ most important social media tactic is to pay close attention.

“Our social media strategy of listening closely, using a test-and-learn approach, and aligning programming to what resonates with our online audience and cardmembers helped us build an active community of cardmembers and prospects engaged in the brand experience,” she says.

And that community grows each day.

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently

If you’re a blogger — especially one who’s working within the confines of a tight budget, and still has to turn around great content quickly — you know that finding the perfect images for a post can be a challenge.

When you’re in that position, you just don’t have the budget or lead time to hire a professional photographer, so you turn to stock photos. While that might not be the ideal solution, you can make it work by following a few basic guidelines.

Here are our best practices for rocking beautiful stock photos on your blog.

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

If you’re blogging, you should already know that you can’t just pull a Google image and plop it into your post.

Before you use an image, make sure you understand the licensing agreement and attribute accordingly.

Here at The Content Strategist, we’re fans of Creative Commons licenses, a set of easy-to-understand licenses that come in six forms.

Creative Commons licenses easily detail if any limitations — some are for editorial use only, or cannot be manipulated, for example. You can search Creative Commons images across a variety of sites by using Creative Commons Search.

If you’re using other sites to find stock photos, photos are generally royalty-free, and each will specify how you’re allowed to use them, so read the fine print. And always give credit where it’s due.

Don’t Use Cliché Photos

How many times have you seen the handshake, the shot featuring a bunch of young executives in suits in a huddle, a closeup of hands holding a globe, the perfectly multicultural business meeting?

If you can help it, refrain from subjecting your readers to these stock photo cliches on your blog. “The fact that it is stock photography, it can often come across as contrived or staged,” says Jessica Carlson, social media manager at Phoenix-based ad agency Off Madison Ave. “And not to mention the fact that a variety of companies and users (and maybe even your competitors) could be utilizing the exact same photo elsewhere.”

In other words, think about how images can set your blog apart, instead of making it look like everyone else’s.

Scroll through Search Results

Often a stock image website will show you the most popular images first, says Raj Ramdya, director of software solution provider ROI Software Solutions.

So, don’t stop on the first page of search results when looking for a stock photo. Do a little digging. “Ideally, you’ll want to find an image that isn’t used by a lot of people,” Ramdya says.

Change It Up

“In general when using stock photography, you should try to use it in a way that helps to make it your own,” suggests Stephanie Stafford, creative director of Off Madison Ave. “Cropping it, making it black and white, a filter — anything of that sort will at least help, so that it isn’t the same one that everyone else is using.”

If you plan to alter an image, though, make sure the owner allows alterations through his or her license.

Watch Out for Photos That Disconnect From the Content

Is your photo helping you tell your story? If it doesn’t seem like it belongs or adds value in some way, it’s probably not the best choice.

You want your readers to stay engaged. Causing them to scratch their heads and wonder what your image has to do with your topic may lose them.

Think Beyond the Headshot

Stock photo sites are notorious for turning up pages and pages of the same model in slightly different poses. Portraits and staged scenarios, however, ooze with cheesiness.

As an alternative, your post may be better served by incorporating a chart, graph, or illustration. Think about scouring for images from sources beyond stock sites when possible.

If you’re interviewing an expert, for example, you could ask him or her to share a photo, for instance. But try to discourage cheesy headshot photos — ask for photos of your interviewee in natural settings, such as at his or her desk.

Consider Your Brand’s Image

Think about the buzzwords that surround your brand. Is it hip and modern, professional and academic? Once you consider the overall corporate culture, you should include photos that will resonate accordingly.

“For example, if your brand wants to be positioned as irreverent, using stock imagery with avant-garde subjects, unique angles or vintage filters could help you convey that,” says Carlson.

Stock photos can be a time saver and enhance your work, or they could detract from the message you want to get across. In other words, a picture is worth 1,000 words, so watch what you’re saying when you use stock photos for your blog.

Images courtesy of Flickr, aftab, gozalewis, aturkus

The Content Strategist is a daily magazine for forward-thinking publishers and content marketers, sponsored and created by Contently