Digital Disruption from EX²

The term "content management" is difficult to pin down. There are many differences between content types and management purposes, which in turn has spawned different terminologies that muddy the water for marketers in terms of which to use and how to use it.  

EX Squared Solutions invites you to visit us at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival -- we’ll be at trade show Booth 420 (two aisles from the NextStage). This annual gathering of new ideas and educational panels highlights the world’s newest emerging technologies, and gives industry professionals an opportunity to network and build relationships. Located in the heart of downtown, SXSW Interactive transforms the Austin Convention Center into a marketplace of technology ideas for visitors from across the globe, showcasing what’s next in the tech industry. We’re joining the festival once again to showcase our expertise creating state-of-the-art technology solutions to transform your business.

The enterprise content management industry saw many significant changes during 2016. Acquisitions, mergers and rebranding abounded. For example, OpenText announced plans to acquire Documentum and the rest of Dell's enterprise content division, while Apex Technology acquired Lexmark and rebranded the enterprise software group as Kofax. The year even saw a change in the very definition of enterprise content management; Gartner's Magic Quadrant emphasized the need for a highly personalized, more flexible approach that is context-based rather than simply a means to manage unstructured content.

For years, marketing gurus have been proclaiming that content is king. That three-word phrase returns almost 3 million results when entered into a search engine although not every site returned supports the concept. Nevertheless, it appears that marketers have ta
ken the message to heart; according to one source, enough content is produced during every 48-hour period to equal all of the content produced since the dawn of time. Wading through the sea of available content is a bit like thumbing through a 500-page novel to locate a single line that you vaguely remember but want to quote in its entirety. Most of what you are reading is so irrelevant to your current mission that you become annoyed and frustrated — much like your customers if you present them with a mountain of content that is not relevant to their current needs.

A notable Hebrew quote considers “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” Unfortunately, many businesses take this literally, devoting a great deal of budgetary and staff resources to tooting their horns. However, this function can be accomplished far more efficiently (and often for free) by satisfied customers.

Every day you move heaven and earth to be there for your customers, to understand their needs and to satisfy them. Your IT and marketing teams make mighty efforts to crack the secrets of your customers’ needs, wants and hidden desires. 

Marketing professionals need to offer engaging customer experiences across all channels. They also need an understanding of the impact their marketing investments are making.

Marketing used to be easier. At the time, all you had to do was place a few print ads, buy a couple spots on radio or television, put up some billboards, or mail out flyers addressed to "Occupant." Then you could relax and wait for the orders to arrive, and in a few weeks or months, you could calculate your return on your advertising investment.

Those days are gone even if you still incorporate some of the "old-school" methods in your marketing strategy. Today, you are competing in a global economy. Your competition — and your customers — have embraced the digital world, and you have little choice but to follow suit.

It should come as no surprise to seasoned marketers that the best results are achieved if they deliver messages when, where and how their audience will be most receptive. Today, your customers are taking to social media sites in ever-increasing numbers. They expect to find that your brand has an active social presence, and they want to connect with your brand on these channels.