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Quality and value are the golden rules of content. Sales is the golden rule of business. Must the two be perpetually at odds? Quality and value are the golden rules of content marketing. Sales, on the other hand, is the golden rule of business. For some reason, the two seem to be perpetually at odds. Beat people over the head with a sales message, and they’ll instantly run away. Ignore sales to focus on content only, and the business will implode. Surely, a balance exists. But what exactly is it?... [Three case studies show why great content is critical - JD]
This year's Buyersphere report learned that buyers are crazy for content. And it sees social media as the word of mouth of the future. This year’s Buyersphere Report, from Base One and B2B Marketing, takes all the guesswork out of what B2B decision makers really want by going directly to the source: the buyers themselves. In this year’s report, the survey compiles responses from 800 participants with the intent of uncovering what all marketers want to know: How do buyers find information that will help them identify the right suppliers for their business? It’s no surprise that content tops the list. But what was most revealing in this year’s study was how much content is being absorbed, the channels through which the content is being consumed, and the consumption behaviors of the different generations of consumers. While the assumption may be that social media is climbing to the top of preferred content consumption channels, think again. What we’ll uncover in this research is how social media usage has actually dipped this year, but why we don’t think it will be for long....
To make sure your published content is always at its error-free best, keep this 13-point content marketing checklist on hand. And use it! What content creator hasn’t hit “submit” without taking that extra couple of minutes to check over what is about to publish? While it’s understandable (particularly when you are under the gun with a looming deadline), luck often dictates that the one time you don’t stop to give your piece the once-over will be the time it contains a glaring error. To make sure your published content is always at its error-free best, keep this 13-point checklist on hand at all times. (And for tips on how to promote your content after you publish, check out Brody Dorland’s 12 Things to Do After You Write Your Blog Post.) [Heidi Cohen shares 13 valuable tips for content marketers, bloggers and PR pros -- JD]
Every reporter should be a frequent user of Twitter’s advanced search function. I spent some time on the phone recently with a veteran reporter wanting some help in using Twitter effectively ... Every reporter should be a frequent user of Twitter’s advanced search function. I’ve published lots of Twitter tips for journalists before and compiled resources for journalists using Twitter. Those extensive lists might be a little overwhelming, though, if you’re just getting started in Twitter and lacking confidence. I’m going to take a different approach now, explaining one Twitter tip at a time, suggesting that reporters master a different tool or technique each week (or so; no promise that I’ll be able to hold to a weekly schedule).
To keep an audience captivated, marketers need to create and repurpose content that resonates. If content doesn’t provide value for audiences, they will have no reason to follow. Content creation may seem like a daunting task, and the first step can be the most difficult. When creating content for the first time, think of content that is most universally appealing. Scott Aughtmon of Content Marketing Institute created a list of 21 types of content audiences love to consume.... [This is a really valuable list for content marketing, PR, bloggers, writers, curators and marketers in an effective infographic - JD]
Depending on how you want to utilize the platform, this guide will help you move from a Tumblr novice to power blogger. Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform that churns out more than 64 million posts daily. There are 57.5 million blogs on Tumblr, which might seem intimidating to anyone not already using it. Tumblr could be useful to you for many reasons, depending on what you’re looking to get out of it, for example, inspiration, scrapbooking, communication or a portfolio. The site is a mix of bloggers, brands and tastemakers. But to keep it simple, there are essentially two types of bloggers on Tumblr: those who create original content and those who curate, or re-blog posts. Depending on how you want to utilize the platform, this guide will help you move from a Tumblr novice to power blogger.... [One of the best intro guides I've seen - JD]
Companies that execute their social media marketing tactics poorly often conclude the channel doesn’t work. A good example is the “corporate blogging is dying” story which contrasts with a study that shows blogging is the second most effective B2B lead generation tactic.... If I were only to give 5 content marketing tips to a company that wanted to get the most for and from its customers through blogging, here are the tips I’d give...
Google and SEO may make you cringe, but the combo matters in search. Here are SEO examples from news outlets that range from bad to best. [Great examples for bloggers and PR pros - JD]
A lesson in knowing your audience... We essentially have to start treating our audiences like our friends. As much as we know about our friends, new things come up all the time. And in order to properly engage, we need a constant stream of relevant information. We have to listen to our audiences and do our research in finding out their current whereabouts and interests, just like we do with our friends. Timeliness is key here. Once we find out where they are, we have to consider whether or not we meet up with them. With the meteoric rise of Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram and others, we’re beginning to see a shift in how consumers distribute their time. Although Facebook and Twitter will continue their reign as beauty queens of the great channel selection show, we’re beginning to see a healthy crop of new faces. Recent use cases from both B2C and B2B companies have shown how a careful understanding of one’s audience leads to creative and effective campaigns....
What’s your biggest content marketing challenge? For one out of five marketers it’s producing sufficient content and for another one out of five marketers, it’s having enough budget to cover the cost of content marketing according to Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs’ September 2011 research. So what’s a marketer to do? In short term you may be able the shift budget and resources from other marketing and communications, but chances are that you’ll still need more content and budget. This is essential since content marketing thrives on being constantly refreshed....
We all know everyone’s been talking about Pinterest – that it’s the fastest growing site on the Internet, that it sends more referral traffic to websites than Twitter now, and, of course, how it’s been storming the social media world. Are there good reasons why you as business bloggers should be paying attention? Below are 5 great reasons why...
Does your blog feel lifeless? Does blogging fall to the bottom of your to do list? Does emptying the garbage (or any other chore) seem more exciting? The problem may be your blog, not you! Here are twenty-one ways you can give your blog new life and regain the excitement that got you blogging in the first place....
Today I’m going to bring you 50 successful blogs of all sizes and in a huge variety of topics, to prove once and for all that blogging can be used to build an audience in nearly every topic imaginable.... [Great post and analysis of successful "everyday" blogs from Greg Ciotti - JD]
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Blogs provide a publishing platform for businesses (including B2C, B2B, Not-For-Profits and Solopreneurs) and individuals to create content their readers seek, socialize it and make it findable. To get your blog on track to succeed, here’s what’s needed for nine major elements of a blog plan....
Discover how to amplify your content using the top visual social channels like Pinterest, YouTube, and Facebook. Give your content a viral shot in the arm with this super social slide deck. Content is evolving. No longer are white papers and webinars the secret to inbound marketing success, visual is becoming the norm. Get ready to kick the tires and light the fires around your content strategy as we show you how to effectively utilize visual content like infographics, video, visual note-taking, memes, and even Instagrams into your marketing campaigns.... [Marketo delivers a superb presentation that's well worth reading by content producers, marketing and PR pros - JD]
Blogging tools: Here are hot blogging tools used today by 22 social media pros. Do you blog? Looking for exciting new tools to simplify the blogging experience? If so, keep reading. We decided to get the scoop on today’s hottest blogging tools. We asked 22 pros to share their favorite new finds. Here they are… [Awesome list. Enjoy! - JD]
Is there such a thing as a “perfect blog post?” The answer is “YES!” There are 9 essential elements of what I call “the perfect blog post” and each element serves a specific purpose. [Useful blogging advice from Derek Halpern - JD]
Simple writing is essential, but there are certain digital resources and tools that can help you create exceptional content without going crazy.
Content marketing is not a one-time affair. Constantly publishing content on your website, as well as on other websites, is an integral part of contemporary online marketing strategy. And it’s not just about writing content and publishing it, it’s also about keeping your thought process focused, your productivity optimized, sticking to your editorial guidelines, coming across and creating compelling writing ideas, and creating the most apt content for your target audience. Presented below are eight such tools and resources. All of them might not be specifically writing related, but they can certainly help you organize your content writing effort and make it more fruitful....
Sooner or later, every blogger faces a blank computer screen with no idea of what to say. The key is to have a sure-fire mechanism for generating fresh blog post ideas to keep your writing demons away. What shall I blog about?
To ensure you’ve always got something to write about, forget what you learned about writing in elementary school. Keep a working list of ideas and titles to get you through your dry spells. Here are twenty-one blog post suggestions to help get your creative juices flowing. [Great tips to get your blogging mojo working - JD]
Content repurposing can be a great way to work smarter, not harder. See the results of our repackaging of a blog post into an infographic. ...The infographic craze is in full swing, so I was perusing my content archives looking for something that I could turn into a good visual. I quickly recalled many CMI comments talking about how they had printed out the text-based checklist and had it pinned to their cube wall. BINGO! The rest is history…in the making. Introducing “Your Blog Post Promotion Checklist”...
Optimizing your blog content is a challenge every blogger faces. While optimization is a word most frequently associated with search, when it comes to blog content, it extends to getting your content found on social media and other content platforms as well. Here are eleven tactics to optimize your blog content....
Tumblr is becoming an increasingly popular blogging platform, but is it a good fit for your brand? Use these Tumblr pros and cons to help you decide. There’s no denying that Tumblr continues to become an increasingly popular blogging platform. Recent statistics indicate that Tumblr has nearly doubled in size since last fall and now has 50 million blogs (and 20 billion posts). Founded four years ago, Tumblr, microblogging platform, is becoming a more popular option for both personal and business blogging. Of course, that begs the million-dollar question: is Tumblr right for your brand or business? To make a decision, you’ll need to not only think about your brand’s content strategy, but also familiarize yourself with Tumblr and understand how it would work as an additional tool in your content marketing arsenal. Let’s talk—then you can decide....
Twitter is more than just a place to post a constant stream of minimally worded updates and links for your friends. ...But if you want to know about regular chats already being held on Twitter, check out these websites and their schedules. Each is specifically aimed at bloggers, and offer advice on how to create a blog, increase popularity, keep posts fresh and more....
If you’re a CEO and your organisation has not got a blog (or at least a ‘socialised’ online newsroom): why on earth not? ...As the leader of an organisation with multiple stakeholders, you could be using a blog as an interactive platform to: drive discussion around important issues,
establish industry thought-leadership,
educate customers, and
help provide solutions to their problems (relevant to your business).
This is before the potential benefits of increased SEO are taken into account....
Learn what the qualities of the best list posts are so you can replicate it for your business blog. In an online world where the quality of your blog content is only increasing in importance, the fabled 'list' post commonly gets a bad rap. It's unfortunate, but definitely understandable. You can easily drown in a sea of particularly low-quality, low-value lists posts. But hey -- not all list posts have to suck! While there are definitely some pretty awful ones out there, you can also find quite a few very valuable, high-quality list posts floating around the internet. So let's not judge a list post by its title. I'm a firm believer that the list post does have a place in the world of high quality blog content. And to no surprise, this post about lists posts is largely a list post itself. You can be the judge of its quality, but I stand by my beliefs....
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