Inbound & Digital Marketing Blog

Content is king - a simple yet profound sentence for business owners and online marketers. Generating content that educates, empowers and informs - while promoting it to the right audience, will ultimately help your business grow online.

Content marketing is the art form of attracting and engaging your customers and prospects with content (like blog posts, videos or e-books) that paves the way to stronger relationships between marketers and their audience.

Oftentimes, small businesses don’t have enough time or resources to launch successful content marketing campaigns. This type of “education-based marketing” involves consistent effort, and content creation budgets that some small business owners just doesn’t have. So how do you make content marketing easier for you?

Consider creating content in ways that allow you to present something of incredibly high value to your audience - without spending as much time. You can attend conferences and post your notes, have someone interview you and transcribe the conversation or you could create a poll and write about the results. Don’t overlook the fact, that you can also repurpose older content and giving them new value. Looking for more tips? Try these three…

• Always make your content relevant to your brand and to what your business or company upholds. Make sure that your content reflects what your brand is truly about.
• Make sure your content is shareable. Have share buttons for social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, to make your information sharable to your reader’s network with the click of a button.
• Consider telling it from a story point of view. A real human experience will attract greater attention and is more relatable for your audience. People will want to read about something that they can connect with as a similar experience.

If you’re a business owner, don’t overlook the fact that your employees are knowledgeable and have a unique perspective of their industry. They will have certain insights from customer interactions that can be used for educational content. If you stay creative, and think with an open mind – you can come up with a large variety of resources from which to pull from!

Whatever source you use to pull resourceful education from, make sure it’s a high value to your audience, and something helps them see why you are the right company they should trust. Content marketing takes a continual effort, and will work for you when you remain consistent.

Image Credit: Eric D. Wheeler

Because of the advances in mobile apps and more web integration with social communities, (and faster internet for almost everyone), marketers have a unique advantage to more quickly and easily reach their target prospects.

Just because we’re “more connected” with our target market of prospective buyers, doesn’t mean that they’re seeing what you’re posting, or anxiously anticipating your next blog or article. With the overflowing growth of content online, many of your consumers are getting overwhelmed with information, and sometimes see the same info repeated in multiple websites or posts. It isn’t a matter of merely providing information anymore for your consumers, but remembering to educate to empower their buying decision. And when done correctly, they will be armed with buying knowledge to make the intelligent purchasing decision from you - because you taught them how to buy.

The challenge for business owners, executives and marketing managers, is to provide the kind of content that repositions you out front of your competitors. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Understand your buyers:  insight into the knowledge level of your buyers is best obtained from third party buyer research.  My point of view: do not skimp here.
2. Develop a strategy: only 38% of businesses have a content strategy.  My point of view: take time to formulate a content strategy based on buyer research – do not make it up.
3. Put structure in place: be purposeful by creating an Internal Content Marketing Agency.  My point of view: do not make content marketing an orphan child.
4. Acquire talent: get the right content creation talent with the right skills.  Do the proper talent assessment.  My point of view: adding a line to an existing job description role and calling someone a content marketer will not work.

The ability to consume, discern, assimilate and make use of content on the part of buyers is doubling every year. Is your content marketing keeping pace with your customers?

Your content marketing strategies will make or break your business. No matter what strategy you plan to use, it always boils down to what you can offer the consumers. Buyers don’t want to be fooled by irrelevant and unnecessary information. Instead, anticipate what your target wants, and educate them by giving them what they need.

For any business to be successful, you must focus completely on your targeted audience. After all, the success of your business is determined by how well you connect, communicate and nurture your audience. But in the world of marketing, where change is always constant, how do you attract your audience and maintain any level of relationship with them - especially with ever-changing technology, the distraction of social media and still gain word of mouth influence? Here are three suggestions:

Start with the most basic but equally important factor, appearance. You might be tempted to think that looks may not be important, but keep in mind that it does matter (a lot). Your company’s website or blog should be professional-looking and uncluttered to your potential customers and clients. In order to capture their attention, the look of your website or blogs should present professionalism, be easy to read and capture their attention - visually.

Draw their attention with your content. You will immerse your targeted audience in reading your company’s site or blogs when you publish content that is relevant, informative and even entertaining. Your educational content should be something that your customers and prospects actually need, and find helpful. Write content that is useful and purposive for them – something worth sharing.

Engage and interact with your targeted audience. Your company’s website and blogs should provide an open forum for discussion between you and your prospects and customers. This will enable you to get to know them better, and their feedback and suggestions regarding your products and services will also help improve your company. Remember that keeping an open mind for suggestions and improvement will empower your network to propel your success.

These are just some basic things you can do to attract your targeted audience and maintain their loyalty to your brand. To learn what not to do, Stephanie Sammons wrote an article about things marketers do that will drive your audience  away in: “7 Ways to Turn Off Your Online Audience”. What would you add to this list?

Today’s consumers are becoming more aware and wiser when searching for, and choosing products and services they want. The last thing you want to do is run them off and have them shop with your competition. Most times, you’re making obvious mistakes that can be easily fixed. Understand these ways to keep your audience engaged, so that you keep them coming back for more.

With the rapid change in technology and the social changes it brings, there can be an uncertainty to the stability of your business. After all, big changes are hard to keep up with, especially when you don’t have a business strategy.  To be successful, you sometimes have to take risks in new technologies or mediums. After all, as an entrepreneur, sometimes we’re called upon to take calculated risks in order to take your business to the next level.

Technology can be so overwhelming nowadays with everyone having access to mobile smartphone and tablet devices, while maintaining conversations and communications in social media. It is no surprise that most businesses now engage in online marketing to keep up or to get ahead of the competition. In order for your business not to get left behind, you should continue to make wise investments in your online marketing strategies. To be a part of the future of marketing, here are three marketing “must-haves” that your company should invest in:

Social Media.  Both the young and old are connecting and engaging in social networking. Everyone wants to be part of a community, so the best place for your business to be, is in relevant social media websites. Social media can help your business in so many ways, such as making your business more sharable and accessible to your audience and business prospects. It also promotes brand awareness, and can help you build a stronger relationship with your loyal customers and potential clients. It can also be a platform for you to interact and engage with people from communities and forums to gather feedback and suggestions that could help improve the quality of your products and services. Social media can also be a great platform to educate people about your brand, how you fir into their world and help them make smart buying decisions.

Content Marketing. Content is essential for your business to grow online. Through helpful and informative content, you can drive traffic to your website, generate leads and earn profits. The content you publish in your company’s site and blogs can help determine your success. Your content reflects your business, so keep in mind to always keep your information relevant, educating, resourceful and even entertaining. One important goal is to engage your audience and captivate their attention through your content.

Mobile. Most all of us indulge in the benefits that mobile devices bring in our lives every day.  Because mobile devises have changed the way we send and receive communication, it would be wise for your business to invest in mobile website technology. By having a mobile site, you will reach a much broader audience, and your prospects will be able to easily access your business anytime - and anywhere - with just push of a button.

To find out more about the benefits of these marketing investments for your business, I recommend reading, “3 Must-Have Marketing Investments”, a very helpful article from Mashable. Share your thoughts with us, by leaving your comments and questions.

Technology changes faster than most anyone can keep up with. As a business owner or marketing professional, it’s your job to adapt and move as the market demands. If you don’t keep up with the ever-changing technological and social demands of your customers – your competition will.

The birth of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest has opened doors for communication, connecting and expression for online marketers. These communities allow a level playing ground for discussions with marketers and prospects to interact and engage with each other. These forums give business owners and marketing professionals the opportunity to promote their brands by educating their prospects about their products and services - while potential and current customers can offer their suggestions and opinions for a better marketing experience.

Many businesses use social media incorrectly and ineffectively, and ultimately fail to gain successful and strategic marketing and sales campaigns for their businesses. Jim Klossner wrote an article mentioning the common mistakes businesses make in using social media, such as:

• Their Communication and Posts Are Too Formal - Tone is an important part of communication, and it can set the stage for your online relationships. For a B2B social media account, the social media managers in charge might be tempted to keep a corporate tone. After all, shouldn't you be professional when you're talking to other professionals?
• They Participate in Too Many Channels - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest; there are many social media platforms for B2B companies to choose. In social media, however, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Unless you have a full team of social media managers to handle all these platforms, it's nearly impossible to be effective in every channel.
• They Start Using Social Media without a Plan - The same company leaders who wouldn't dream of starting a business without having a plan in place will jump into social media with both feet without so much as researching what the competition is doing. The "it's the thing to do" mentality leads to stagnant accounts, inconsistent tone, and sloppy brand presence.

These are just a few of the things mentioned in his article. Check out “5 Social Media Practices that Can Hurt Your Marketing Efforts”, to find out what you shouldn’t do when you use social media for your business. Learn what to do, and apply these practices directly and immediately into your social media marketing strategy.

Social media can be one of the best ways to champion your business, as long as you know how to use it for your business’ advantage. As with any other aspect of marketing, there are rules to follow for success, so learn from others that have gone before you to save you time, energy and other resources. Above all, be sure you maintain a strong relationship with your current and potential customers by continuously interacting with them.

In business, it is always good to know what you are up against since many changes in the marketplace can interfere with your best plans, knocking you off course! According to the latest content marketing study of Marketing Profs and Content Marketing Institute, B2B marketers are spending more, using more tactics and distributing their content on more social networks than they have in the past years.

Since content is essential for your marketing and sales strategies, the study shows that B2B marketers are spending 33% of their marketing budgets on content marketing, which has increased from 26% last year - while 54% plan to boost content marketing spending next year. Content tactics are more commonly used today than they were a year ago, mostly due to the help of research reports, videos, and mobile. But the study also indicated that B2B entrepreneurs, marketing executives and content marketers this year are challenged with producing enough content. Previous findings showed that the top challenge was producing engaging content.

Social media communities such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, now play a more dominate role in B2B marketing. The study shows they are the most popular content marketing resource for information, while “producing enough content" is the biggest burden for many B2B content marketers. In addition to that, those needing educational and resourceful content typically use up to five social networking sites, with LinkedIn as the most popular. This is a big change, as Twitter had previously been the choice for content for the two previous years.

The full survey is available for you here: “2013 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends” Let us know what your thoughts are regarding the research found, and how this impacts – or will impact – your business.

Marketers often fail to launch a successful marketing strategy because it doesn’t begin with careful planning. Understand and anticipate the trends with case study, research and statistics, and use them as guidelines for strategizing and planning your marketing campaigns.

Over the years, online entrepreneurs have indulged in the benefits of content marketing to promote their businesses online. But with the overflowing amount of data and content on the internet, it can be difficult for your readers to segregate useful and relevant information for their research needs.

Roger Parker is a coach, speaker and author and mentions that content marketers commonly experience difficulties with complexity, increased responsibilities and information overload in their content marketing strategies - but with the help of mind mapping, content marketers can overcome these challenges.

Mind mapping is a content productivity tool used to visually outline information centering on a specific topic and category. It helps content marketers gain a fresh perspective, sparking new ideas, encouraging collaboration and breaking complex projects into manageable tasks, according to Mr. Parker. There are many mind mapping tools online, here are just a few:

• Mindjet MindManager 2012 which is used by over 500 companies. It is easy to use and has amazing features, allowing you to integrate with Microsoft Office and Sharepoint.
• MindMeister has simple but well-designed functions which allow you to work simultaneously with colleagues on the same project. It is also cost-efficient and accessible on your mobile phone, which is very ideal if you want to access your work even while on the go.
• MindMaple lets you organize multiple threads of ideas creatively. It has arrows and callouts to show interactions between different sections of your maps. It is also ideal for planning of presentations or meetings.

Regardless of the mind mapping tool or software you plan to use, you can view as much (or as little) information you desire, plus with the ability to export your work. Through mind maps, you can analyze and track your competition, create buyer personas, plan editorial calendars, brainstorm article and blog topics and organize complex projects.

In the article written by Roger Parker entitled, "Top 10 Mind Mapping Productivity Tips for Content Marketing Success", he mentioned some tips on how to use your mind mapping tools to its full potential.

With the increasing prevalence of information overload online, mind mapping will definitely help you reduce the clutter for your prospects and customers. Remember that it doesn’t really matter what mind mapping tool or software you use, what truly matters is how you use it.

Because your business website is the representation of your company, it should convey the image your company wants to portray to your prospects, the principles you uphold and the quality of service your consumers expect.

Appearance and first impressions are brief but lasting reminders. Surely you wouldn’t want to give the wrong perception to your prospects by having unnecessary and irrelevant items on your company’s website. Either take responsibility, (or delegate / outsource the responsibility) to constantly update your business website to make sure that everything is  relevant and useful for your marketing strategies.

In an article written by Randy Milanovic, he mentioned a number of things that shouldn’t be seen on your website anymore. Here are a few examples:

1. Old bios, images and product descriptions
   
   These include everything from executive bios for members of the company who have moved on to product shots from the ’70s. If who you are and what you sell isn't accurately reflected on your website, what does that tell your buyers?
   
   You have to make sure that the data you post on your website is accurate. From the bios of your executives and staff, to the details of each product and every service  your company offers.
   
   
2. Prices that aren’t accurate anymore
   
   Besides the fact that incorrect pricing can lead to all kinds of legal liabilities, lost sales and hits to your profit margin - having the wrong prices for your products or services also put you at a disadvantage with your competitors.
   
   Your customers and clients surely wouldn’t want to think they’ve been fooled with incorrect pricing. The price certainly plays a big part in the whole buying process, so be sure to reflect the correct price of your products and services.
   
   
3. Products or services that are no longer being offered
   
   It's a bad idea to have pages for things you no longer sell, since it inevitably leads to requests that can’t be honored. That in turn, is one of the surest ways to negative reviews and a poor online reputation.
   
   It is a waste of space to have pages dedicated to products and services that you can no longer provide your consumers. Not only will that irritate your prospects, it will also send a signal of being incompetent that you can’t maintain a functional website.

You can find out more about things that shouldn’t be on your business website when you read his full article entitled, “What is on Your Business Website That Shouldn't be?”

Remember, you don’t want to give your prospects the wrong impression, so keep in mind to always update your business website. It should be a continuous process to ensure your website conveys what you intend to reflect and communicate to your prospects and to your customers.

Marketing has become an art form that continues to be perfected over time, and your business’ success depends on how creatively you position yourself in the marketplace. The success of your marketing messages is dependent upon how relevant, interesting and appealing you can make them connect with your audience.

You may know that blogging can be one of the best ways to promote your business, but are you actively and consistently doing so? Business blogs can open doors for communication and interaction between you and your potential customers and/or clients. Though your blogs, you can engage in forums and join community discussions to understand the wants and needs of your prospects and at the same time, offer them knowledge and information regarding your offered products and services. This helps promote brand awareness and will make you a trusted brand by understanding your potential customers and clients’ desires.

More importantly, a relevant, interesting and creative blog can help boost more traffic to your website and help you generate more leads by engaging prospects looking for answers and information.

An established online presence can also be accomplished with the help of blogging. If you post content that is relevant and purposive for your audience, you can capture their interest, which can lead to a considerable amount of followers. The more popular your blogs become, the more they will be shared, and the more they will be “relevant” to Google – thus helping more people to be aware of your business and your brand. This can help you be seen as a trusted brand and a company that can surely address their problems and needs.

Here are four basic points to remember if you want to blog effectively for your business:

1. Be creative. Think of topics that are relatable to your business and make them interesting and entertaining for readers to actually want to read them. When an idea pops into your head, make sure you write it down so you can eventually write about it later. You can use online tools such as Evernote or Google Docs to help you accomplish this. Keep in mind that creativity is the key, and an epiphany can happen when you least expect it, so when you have an idea, make sure to write it down.
2. Be punctual. Always write in a schedule. You don’t have to write a 600 word blog in one sitting, just be certain that you take time for just an hour or two a day. This will help stimulate your mind so that you will feel inspired and ideas will eventually keep flowing.
3. Be open-minded. The best thing about blogs is the interaction you can generate from them. Encourage comments, questions and suggestions so that you’ll have a point of view on what your prospects and clients need, want and desire.
4. Be consistent. Your efforts won’t bear fruits over-night so be patient. Blogging is a continuous effort, so be unrelenting in your strategies for blog topics, and consistent in your campaigns if you want to be successful.

With great content that informs, educates and empowers and with the help of social media and other online tools, your business blogs can reach your targeted buyers across multiple platforms and begin a lead generation process for your business.

Photo Credit: Flickr

As you know, content is an essential part of your inbound marketing strategy, and with great content, you can position your company’s website or blog to success. Fortunately for you, there are many online tools that can help you in your content marketing research.

The quality of your content will determine the success of your marketing campaigns, so to get the attention of your targeted prospects, your content should be useful, relevant, educating and interesting for them.
To achieve this, you’ll need creativity and a little research. You’ll want to utilize the resources you have available online at your disposal to come up with the topics, concepts and intriguing content for your marketing that is appealing for your prospects while maintaining  the brand  your company embodies. There are many online tools that can help with your content marketing research such as Google AdWords, Keyword Tool, LinkedIn, Yahoo Answers and Bottlenose.

Since all searches begin with keywords, Google AdWords is the best tool to help you determine what keywords are more searched than others. Google AdWords can also be useful in the optimization of your content marketing strategies.

With 175 million members, LinkedIn is the largest networking community for business professionals, making it the best place for discussions and forums for people of all industries and all backgrounds. These forums and discussions are very helpful for ideas with your content marketing research.

Yahoo Answers is one of the largest online answer sites with millions of questions and answers from people all over the world. All topics are categorized and ranked according to what’s best for the users.

As you can imagine, social media has had a major impact on today’s content marketing campaigns. If you want to search for trending articles and social commentaries, Bottlenose is the best tool for you. It allows users to view social media information in clearer and simpler ways.

Arnie Kuenn wrote an article, “12 Content Research Tools You Should Be Using”, which contains important tools that can help in your content marketing research. Use them to your advantage and save yourself time by being smarter and not working harder.

Use these research tools as guides to help you get to the right starting point for your content topic or message. Having these tools to immediately find the questions to what your prospects are asking, is an efficient way to build your content marketing strategy.