Social media is no longer an optional marketing channel -- it's a necessary one.
But that doesn't mean results are a given. When it comes to social
media, you'll either have a lot of success interacting with your
customers, or you'll see little results -- and that depends on the level
of effort you put into it.
Few brands do social media really well, and those who do, see great
things come from it. But for everyone who does social media well, there
are hundreds of others seemingly spinning their social wheels with no
tangible results.
For many, social media is simply a place to post links to content
they've created in hopes that thousands will see it, click through, and
share with their followers. So they have profiles on every network, and
every network looks exactly the same; line after line of self-promotion.
This is not going to bring results. In fact, Facebook's algorithm now
penalizes link-based content, and Instagram has made it
all-but-impossible to share a link.
Half-heartedly sharing your content on social media is not social media marketing. It's spamming.
Social marketing is a lot of work, and it takes time listening and
responding. After all, it's social, and anything social takes an
investment of effort and skill.
To hone these skills, check out these resources that will help you develop the skills needed to be effective on social media. (You may want to bookmark this post so you can easily refer to it again later.)
How to Learn Social Media Marketing: 30 Free Resources
Blogs About Social Media
Social marketing is a science involving special communication skills. And the landscape changes constantly.
One of the best ways to develop your social media prowess and to stay
up-to-date is to follow experts in the field. These blogs are always
fresh with actionable information you can use to improve your marketing:
SME is both a strategic services agency and a blog with a bevy of
social media and marketing experts. The SME blog is consistently
considered one of the most insightful in the industry, and several of
its authors have written popular books on several aspects of digital and
social marketing.
Monty is a marketing guru who covers a ton of subjects. However, his
social media articles are always eye-opening. If you haven't heard of
him yet, check out his "this week in digital" posts -- these will keep
you up-to-date with all the news on social, and every other aspect of
digital marketing as well.
Not to be confused with Social Media Explorer, the Examiner is one of
the top blogs in the world for social media. Its social media reports
are filled with all the important data social marketers want, and the
blog posts are filled with valuable tips, as well. If I had to pick just
one social media blog to follow, this is the one I would choose.
Right here on the HubSpot Marketing Blog, you can find breaking news
and actionable how-to guides on every social network there is.
Ebooks About Social Media
These ebooks will provide deeper information on specific networks and topics.
This step-by-step guide explains the reasons to create a business
Instagram account and how to execute on Instagram to drive results.
If you're building a company page for the first time,
or trying to upgrade your page, this guide will show you exactly how to
do everything from crafting an engaging company description to creating
an eye-catching banner image.
This multi-page ebook will show you how to use Facebook to drive real business results for your organization.
HubSpot partnered with the experts at Twitter to provide actionable
tips for social media managers starting new accounts to build a
following, and fast.
Last, but definitely not least, is this amazing guide from Moz. The
12 chapters in this book are filled with valuable information that every
marketer absolutely needs to know. Bookmark this guide, you'll refer to
it more than once.
Videos About Social Media
Videos are my second favorite medium to learn, behind books. Being
able to glean from the brightest minds on any subject as if you're
face-to-face is powerful. These videos will give you valuable insights,
just how to do social media, but you'll get insights into the why and what as well.
You can't talk about social media without talking about the speaker,
author, and social expert Gary Vaynerchuk. On the Gary Vee Show, he
takes questions from his audience and answers them as only he can. If
you have a burning question on social media marketing, send it to him.
If you aren't in love with TED, you might want to check your pulse.
This is a playlist of videos from TED Talks on social media. There may
not be that much actionable advice in these videos, but if you want to
become an expert on social media, these videos will give you insight
into the deeper subject like "the hidden influence of social networks."
If you're really new to social media, and you want to learn through a
structured lesson experience, consider Lynda's massive library on
social marketing classes.
Podcasts on Social Media
If you like to learn while you chill, work out, or commute to and
from work, podcasts are one of the best ways to do it. And these
podcasts will help you develop your social media expertise.
Michael Stelzner, from Social Media Examiner, brings you success
stories and expert interviews from leading social media marketing pros.
Rather than deep dives, the SME Show gives you small, bite-sized
content for social media every day. This is a great podcast to get
actionable quick-tips on a daily basis. It'll keep you motivated while
you develop your skills.
If you like to stay up-to-date on digital tools, apps, and software for social media marketing, this is the podcast for you.
Every episode of the Social Pros Podcast shines the light on real
pros doing real work for real companies. You'll get insights from Jay
Baer of Convince and Convert when you tune in.
Slideshows and Infographics About Social Media
If you're a visual learner, these slide decks and infographics provide great ways to learn social media.
This SlideShare walks you through the channels and tools you'll need
to be most effective at B2B social media marketing. Sometimes, success
can be found by using the right tools and channels for the right
audience.
Timing is very important when it comes to social media. Post it the
wrong time, and your update can go completely unnoticed because of the
flood of updates in your audience's feeds. Being able to master the
timing of social media is critical to effective marketing.
This slideshow is from the folks at Content Marketing Institute. This
deck shows the proper methods for promoting your content over social
media. This is a must-read for any social marketer who wants to use
those channels to promote content.
Again, timing is everything. This infographic lays out the best and
worst times to post on each major network. You should save this
infographic for referencing when you schedule your social media posts.
Books About Social Media
Books are my favorite way to learn. Many experts agree that if you
read a book a week, on your area of expertise, for 5 years, you will
have the equivalent of a Ph.D. on the subject. That may or may not be
true, but reading books from the experts definitely doesn't make you a worse marketer. Here are some books to get you started.
This book covers the specific application of social marketing to B2B
companies, to leverage social media to drive leads and revenue.
You've got to read this book by the legendary former Chief Evangelist
of Apple, Guy Kawasaki. He's one of the pioneers of social and content
marketing, and this book is filled with expert advice from one of the
best.
This book is supposed to be for busy marketers who need to get the
basics of Twitter down quickly. It shows you how to connect and start
creating meaningful connections in less than two hours.
Facebook is one of the most effective advertising and PPC platforms
available. You can target a plethora of metrics, allowing you to drill
down and advertise to a very specific audience. This book will show you
how to optimize your Facebook ads.
Gary Vaynerchuk gives insight into how he uses a conversational,
reactionary approach to engaging his audience. He gives concrete, visual
examples of great social marketing, as well as not-so-great ones.
David Meerman Scott's book on digital marketing is an international
bestseller, and worth every penny. Some argue that it should be required
reading for any marketer -- and in this marketer's opinion, "Just read
it."
Dave Kerpen claims the secret to viral social marketing is to be
likable. When someone likes you, they'll recommend you. But being
likable on social networks is easier said than done. This book will help
you crack that code.
One of my mentors taught me to read children's books on a subject if I
just couldn't grasp a concept. That principle gave way to movements
like "Explain It Like I'm 5." And, sometimes you just need it broken
down like you're, well, less than an expert on the topic, to put it
gently. If that's you, this book is valuable. Go ahead and buy it -- we
won't call you dummy.
This book by Jonah Berger provides a strong foundation to understand
how content goes viral -- and how to create ideas on social media that
are so catchy, your audience won't be able to help but click them.
The Secret to Social Media Success
No matter how many social networks you set out to master, or how long
you work in the social marketing field, there is one secret that will
ensure you're successful: Never stop learning.
This list is massive, I know, and there's no way to consume all these
resources in the next week. But if you set yourself to learning every
day, every week, every month, every year, you'll eventually be the one
writing the books that help others learn social marketing.
It all begins with learning.
10 Things I've Learned About Social Media:
- Social marketing requires listening.
- Conversations should be the goal of social marketing.
- Team #Followback is a waste of time.
- Social marketing isn't broadcasting, it's communicating.
- Never auto-post your content to your social profiles.
- Never copy/paste the same message into every social profile.
- Social marketing requires time. It's relationship-building on a massive scale.
- Be helpful. Period.
- Social support is faster than live chat, email, or phone calls. Embrace it.
- You don't have to be on every network. Go where your customers are.
Source
Many articles you read about email marketing will tell you how to convert a casual blog reader into a customer. Sounds like a natural progression, right? After stumbling upon your blog a couple times and reading some posts at random, a reader will have enough information to know what you’re about, trust that you’re an authority in your industry, and hit that Buy button.
The reality of that happening is actually highly unlikely. All those posts you were previously reading about the transition from reader to customer are missing one really important step– email subscriber.
The true progression of a reader looks something like this:
There's a level of trust you have to build with a reader before they'll be willing to become a customer, and that can’t be done correctly when you’re just hoping and waiting for them to keep stumbling on your site. In fact, it’s a widespread misconception that readers are going to start buying your products after just reading posts on your blog.
Don’t fall into this same bucket of misguided bloggers. It’s time to stop expecting your readers to sing your praises and buy your products without first creating trust and authority. It’s only through this work that you can create loyal and dedicated followers (aka profitable customers). And to do this, you need to focus on that sometimes overlooked Subscriber stage.
The importance of an email subscriber
You could have thousands of views on your site, but those views don’t necessarily translate into money or progress toward your goals. A subscriber, however, represents a certain level of commitment from a reader. It means they’re invested in your brand, interested in what else you have to say and teach, and are more likely to buy a product you’ve created.
Building an email list to keep track of those subscribers as soon as you start out is your most valuable asset as a blogger. When a reader gives you their email address, they’re also giving you permission to show up in their inbox.
Email is the most direct, personal, strategic, and constant form of communication between blogger and reader. Unlike social media, you have complete control over your email list. Once you have an email address, you have an open invitation to write directly to that person and a greater likelihood of turning that individual human into one of your life-long raving fans.
Through your email list, you’re able to build trust and create a relationship that feels personal to your audience, which in turn sets you up for pitching and selling your products and services. And while your job is always to serve your audience, the end goal has to be to make money, right? Making a living with your online business is the only way to earn the privilege to keep doing this work.
You’re a blogger because you want to make a living by teaching what you love. To do that you probably create products or offer services to help your audience reach their goals through your teaching. So to get readers to buy your products, you really do need them to move from casual reader into the Subscriber stage.
The big problem here is that so many people often get stuck in the Reader stage. Without any reason to stick around on your site, they’ll move to another site that offers similar information and will probably keep blog hopping from there.
Readers are looking to be drawn in. They need targeted content that sounds like it was created just for them. If that’s true, the solution to move readers into the Subscriber stage is to create material that provides incredible value for your readers and offer it in exchange for their email address.
Four ways to add value with incentives
There are a lot of aspects of your site you can control that help keep a reader sticking around. A well-designed homepage, valuable content, and interesting images and graphics are the bright shiny objects that initially grab a reader’s attention. Once you have them with that, it’s time to offer up a little extra incentive.
Providing value can come in many different avenues. You could create a weekly or monthly newsletter to keep up with your updates. That works, but it’s also pretty boring. If you really want to add value and show your readers that you care about them, creating a true incentive is key.
Incentives are the easiest way to turn readers into email subscribers because you’re giving them something valuable in return. As long as your audience sees that value, they are more likely to want to see what else you have to offer and will give you their email address to stay in touch.
Here are four examples of incentives that your readers are look for to entice them into becoming email subscribers:
Content upgrades
Content upgrades are an incredible way to increase your conversion rate. In fact, Brian Dean increased his site-wide conversions from .54% to 4.82% in just one day with content upgrades
The upgrades can take many forms depending on your content and the needs of your audience. Whether you’re creating a checklist, how-to guides, templates, eBooks, or other bonus downloads, creating something extra for your reader shows an extra level of care. You can learn more about these incentives with our Complete Guide to Content Upgrades.
Email Courses
If your main product is a course and you’re trying to get new traction, giving away a part of that course through an email is a great idea. Learn more about email courses and how to set up an email course using ConvertKit with Zen Courses.
Webinars
Hosting a special webinar where you focus on teaching instead of selling shows your readers that you care about helping them reach their goals. It’s also an important way to get face-to-face time with your readers to help you build trust and authority. Learn more about hosting your own webinars with the Run Webinars Like a Pro Toolkit.
Exclusive offers
Everyone loves a limited time offer or to know that you’ve created something just for them (maybe in a community or group). Your offer could be anything from a discount on a product/service (this works especially well with physical products) to a personal 1×1 consulting service.
Exclusive offer incentives are also smart to add to any guest posts you have coming up. Catching a new readership’s attention with an exclusive offer they can’t refuse will guide them to your site and into your email list with ease.
How to promote and deliver content upgrades and other incentives
To promote content upgrades on your site, you’ll need to use forms. These are the boxes you see at the end of a post or on the side bar that ask for an email address. Normally it’s a simple “Sign up for my newsletter” situation, but now you can create exciting content that readers won’t hesitate to trade in their email address for.
Delivering on your promised content is easy to do with ConvertKit's incentive email. The incentive email is what is sent immediately after someone subscribes to your list through your email form on your site. You may know it better as the confirmation email or the double opt-in process. We call it an incentive email because we deliver your signup incentive while also asking for confirmation, turning a two-step process into just one.
Want to watch a video of how to deliver an incentive? Check out Megan Minns’ post, “How To Deliver A Free Download Using ConvertKit.”
Ready to turn your blog readers into email subscribers?
Now that you know the benefit of an email list and how to give your readers more value, what will be your first incentive that you create? Share your ideas in the comments as well as any questions you might have about creating incentives to turn readers into email subscribers.
Source
Email marketing requires huge amounts of time to do right. Time spent writing emails, coming up with strategy, and testing, testing, testing.
However, none of the above is possible without a list of folks who are ready to receive your marketing messages. So, before you spend an afternoon crafting the perfect subject line, let’s talk about your list. Or, more specifically, how you can build your list using lead magnets.
What’s a Lead Magnet?
Lead magnets are possibly the single easiest way to begin adding interested, qualified leads to your email list. They’re typically bitesized, snackable pieces of content that your readers can access (for free) in exchange for their email address.
Most web users won’t think twice about handing over their email if it means they get free content as a result— especially if that content is interesting, useful, and relevant to their interests. This makes them extremely powerful when done correctly. Keep reading, and we’ll talk about 7 of the best lead magnets you can begin putting together today!
If you have a blog, creating a one-page checklist or worksheet is a great way to turn any of your blog posts into a list-building machine! For example, let’s say you run a men’s fashion blog and have just finished a post about choosing a good pair of shoes. At the bottom of the article, you could create an opt-in box that gives away a free gift, “The Gentleman’s Shoe-Buying Checklist”.
This is a piece of content that will help your readers choose a sharp pair of shoes in exchange for their emails. And, because you’ve included it within the context of the footwear article, you know they’ll be interested in shoe-related marketing emails later on.
Make sense? Here’s a few real-world examples to help you wrap your head around the concept.
On The Social Butterfly Gal, author Christina Jochoa has put together a good article about creating opt-in content for your readers. At the end of the article, she’s added this short form:
This offer fits in neatly with her target audience (entrepreneurs who are new to blogging/social media marketing). It also compliments the content of the article and makes sense within its context.
In another example, an article about creating a resume by The Interview Guys offers, “The Perfect Resume Checklist” to anyone willing to enter their email address:
Again, this is a perfect marriage of lead magnet and content. When creating your own lead magnets, make sure the offer is relevant to your readers and the kind of content they expect from you.
White papers, Reports, eBooks, or Case Studies
Offering new information to your readers is another great way to get them to hand over their email address and join your list. Try compiling reports, white papers, or case studies that are relevant to your audience.
For example, if you’re a driving school trying to drum up business using the web, you could add leads by giving away, “FREE Report: Driver’s Training Can Add Up To Five Years to Your Life”.
Again, just like with the checklists we mentioned above, this kind of lead magnet is sure to draw attention from folks who are interested in what you have to offer (driver’s training). Otherwise, why would they waste their time reading about its benefits? In your own business, think about what kind of data, facts, and statistics are important to your audience. Then, either collect the data yourself or compile it from other sources.
Want to see a great example of an email marketing lead magnet?
Click here to receive our free eBook, Inbox Better and learn how to maximize email open rates, engagement, and CTR.
In this example, Clear Story Data offers a whitepaper that promises to teach readers why Data Intelligence is, “the new way”. If you were a business intelligence professional, this might be right up your alley.
In another example, Kindle publisher Steve Scott offers a free eBook aimed towards anyone looking to dip their toes in the Kindle publishing industry (Steve’s target market). This is a fantastic example of marketing done right— notice how Steve is offering this lead magnet on his 404 page! So instead of losing leads when they arrive at a dead end, he’s turned his 404 page into yet another lead-generating page.
And, once you click that big, tempting, please-just-click-me button, you’re hit with this pop up:
Now, Steve can collect email addresses from anyone interested in Kindle publishing. In one-click, they’ll be added to his list.
The last two lead magnet ideas require you to create your own content. This can take a lot of time, especially if you’re putting together entire eBooks or white papers. If you’d like to put something together quickly, try giving away a toolkit.
A toolkit is a collection of resources software and other tools that you feel will be useful to your readers. For example, if you owned an authority site about women’s fitness, you could put together a list of helpful apps to help folks track their exercise and workouts. This takes very little original content creation, as it is simply a curated list of great tools.
What would look like? Here’s a few examples to inspire you.
Here, Hero Health Room is offering a similar lead magnet to the hypothetical toolkit we discussed above. By entering your email, you’ll get immediate access to tools, checklists, and resources to help you get in shape. In return, they’ll add you to their list and begin marketing to you:
In the marketing world, WPBeginner offers its visitors “The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit”. Again, this is simply a collection of tools, plugins, and resources that first-time WordPress users might find helpful.
Us humans, we love a good quiz (just check out Buzzfeed if you need proof). Your readers are no different. By putting together a quick, easy quiz (and sending the results via email), you can both collect data about your audience and build your list.
For example, check out Jean Paul Zogby’s quiz that promises to tell you how fast time runs in your mind— once you’ve given him your email of course.
After you’ve taken the quiz, Zogby follows up with your results and a subtle CTA promoting his book (also related to time perception). It’s an easy way for him to build his list while still providing value to his audience.
Webinars and Video Training
Video lead magnets can be particularly great for building your list. Why? Video feels valuable. It requires more effort, more commitment, and (hopefully) will provide more value to your audience than a 10-point checklist. If you’ve noticed that your competitors are all beginning to offer eBooks and text-based content to attract new leads, try mixing it up by creating video lead magnets.
Script Magazine offers a free webinar to readers who are interested in learning to write screenplays (their target audience). This gives them an opportunity to connect with their audience, position themselves as an authority in the space, and—their ultimate goal—build their list with qualified, interested leads.
In an entirely different industry, travel blogger and digital nomad, Stephanie Holland, offers free travel advice for anyone willing to enter their email. This is a particularly good example as she’s created a dedicated landing page for this lead magnet. It’s really well-designed page, and worth using as inspiration if you’re looking to do something similar.
Oh, and if you’re wondering where she’s collecting emails, it’s all hidden behind that purple, “Watch Now »” button. Once clicked, you’ll see the following pop up:
Ah, the free quote. This is perhaps the oldest lead magnet ever thought up. Car salesmen, insurance agents, real estate tycoons, marketing agencies— in just about every industry, the free quote has been a reliable way to gather information from interested prospects.
This kind of lead magnet may take a little more “backend” work than the rest. You’ll need some sort of tool that takes your users’ information and outputs a personalized quote. However, the benefit of this lead magnet is that it specifically talks about money. It’s a lot easier to move prospects from a quote to a sale than it would be to take them from a free report to a final purchase. If you do decide to build a free quote lead magnet, use the following examples to inspire you:
The website, lowestrates.ca uses a very powerful quote building system that allows visitors to easily get a ballpark price for insurance. However, the system also allows them to follow up through email once someone completes their forms.
At Plato Web Design, visitors can quickly get an automatic quote built for them using the web form. This is a much simpler version than the insurance quote above, but is still a fantastic way for Plato to collect emails.
If you’re an ecommerce guy or gal, this lead magnet is for you. Offer your readers a small discount in exchange for their email address. You’ll then be able to continue sending them marketing messages related to their interests.
In this example, big box retailer, H&M is offering 20% off any item when visitors join their email list. This will allow them to continue marketing to their customers long after they’ve used their discount code:
We would have preferred to see H&M advertise this offer with a pop up. As it is, users can only access this deal by clicking the small text, “SIGN UP FOR EMAILS” in the site’s header. Notice how in the example below, Austin Kayak uses a pop up to get their lead magnet in front of visitors and drive sign ups:
The Real Secret of High-Conversion Lead Magnets
So you’ve decided on a lead magnet, you’ve built it, and you’re ready to start building your list by exchanging it for email addresses. Great! Now what? As we’ve said again and again on this blog— you should always be testing. Keep designing and deploying new lead magnets for your audience and measure which kinds of content generate the most emails. Your first idea will likely not be your best idea.
So once you’ve finished creating your first lead magnet, start thinking (immediately) about the next. And, if you want more ideas, inspiration, and top email marketing tips, click here to join our newsletter.
Listen. If you are even remotely connected to the business,
marketing, and advertising world, then you’ve probably heard the phrase “content marketing.”
You’ve at least been exposed to it through:
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Search engine optimization
- Email autoresponders
- White papers
- Copywriting
- Social media
- Landing pages
But what exactly is content marketing? Glad you asked, because I’ve
got answers for you. One short answer, and one really long. Here’s our
official definition:
Content marketing means creating and sharing valuable
content to attract and convert prospects into customers, and customers
into repeat buyers. The type of content you share is closely related to
what you sell; in other words, you’re educating people so that they
know, like, and trust you enough to do business with you.
Which brings us to another question: how do you actually use content marketing?
Well, even if you consider yourself a seasoned practitioner or you’re
a fresh-out-of-the-box beginner, this handy, systematic, and exhaustive
guide — loaded with 100 articles that cover content marketing
essentials for building a viable money-making platform — is at your
finger tips.
How to use this content marketing reference library
Content marketing can be simplified into the convergence of three
spheres: your audience’s interests, your brand story, and your unique
perspective or content medium. Combine these three to achieve content
greatness.
The 100-article list below reaches back to November 2008 and goes all the way up to the present. It contains 10 categories:
- Content essentials
- Content strategy
- Content research
- Idea creation
- Content creation
- Content promotion
- Traffic generation
- Content marketing case studies
- Content auditing
- Content business building
Yes, I read all 100 articles. It took me 15 hours over six days. I
recommend you do the same — but work through it at a pace that’s right
for you!
First, bookmark it. That way, it’ll be easy to find when you need to
answer a question or reference one of our articles in your own content.
Then, you could:
- Study one of the 10 categories each week, creating your own 10-week content marketing course
- Read one-to-three articles each day
- Identify the categories you need to brush up on the most, and make a
note on your calendar to review them when you have free time
Side note: This list makes for perfect
Twitter content … drip out just one article each day to your followers
over a 100-day period, and you’ll look like a content marketing genius.
😉
This guide will fill in the gaps in your knowledge. It will help you become a content marketing expert in your industry or company.
And with that, I give you Copyblogger’s Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing.
Content marketing essentials
The Future of Content Marketing
New York City should have been destroyed 33 years ago. Because of
massive amounts of horse manure. Here’s the lesson you can draw about
the future of content marketing from that failed prognosis.
What’s the Difference Between a Professional Writer and a Content Marketer?
Five elements that separate high-quality content marketing from material
that’s well-written but might not deliver the same business value.
What’s the Difference Between Content Marketing and Digital Commerce?
We’ve been talking a lot lately about “digital commerce.” This article
for is anyone who’s wondered: “I thought content marketing was digital
commerce: what’s the difference?”
The 3-Step Journey of a Remarkable Piece of Content
Remarkable content takes a three-step journey. If we keep this journey
in mind, we can craft a profound experience for our readers. Pamela
Wilson walks you through you each step.
Agile Content Marketing: How to Attract an Audience That Builds Your Business
How do you create a content marketing strategy that actually works? The first step is to get your head right.
The First Rule of Copyblogger
Great content marketing begins here. Those who obey this rule share
content that’s worth reading with an audience who is hungry for it.
Long-term gains in traffic, leads, and profits follow. Those who break
this rule might experience short bursts of traffic, leads, and profits —
but not for long.
What’s the Difference between Content Marketing and Copywriting?
When you combine great content with great copywriting, you end up with a
powerful marketing platform that can launch you into the realm of the
world’s greatest content producers.
The Three Essentials of Breakthrough Content Marketing
The glut of content on the web means that the market is crowded and
cluttered. Your content needs to rise above that confusion. Here’s how
to do it.
Why Content Marketing Doesn’t Suck
As the saying goes, “Haters will hate.” Don’t let them talk you out of
the benefits that content marketing can deliver over a long period of
time. This episode of The Lede (when it was still hosted by Robert
Bruce) will show you what Procter & Gamble, soap operas, and content
marketing have in common. And then some.
The Two Vital Attributes of Quality Content
Ever wondered what makes some blog posts funny, vigorous, and
meaningful? You know, the types of blog posts you not only share — but
save. Print out. Study. Wonder no more.
Everything You Need to Know About Creating Killer Content in 3 Simple Words
Try this sticky formula — one that basically consolidates what every
guru, expert, and pundit has been saying about persuasion, usability,
and web marketing — that will make creating compelling copy easy.
Content marketing strategy
Content Marketing: A Truly Winning Difference
A simple lesson about learning how to accentuate the positives in your
marketing from a little story about Claude Hopkins and Schlitz beer.
10 Content Marketing Goals worth Pursuing
What do you want your content to accomplish? You do have goals, right? If not, start with these 10.
How to Build an Agile Content Marketing Team
Eric Enge provides nine tips on how to build an agile content marketing
team in a way that might just make the size of the task a lot more
manageable.
A Content Marketing Innovation Cheat Sheet
Successful content marketers often have deceptively simple cheats for
churning out effective online publishing on a regular basis. Let’s take a
look.
Digital Sharecropping: The Most Dangerous Threat to Your Content Marketing Strategy
We’re professional content marketers — not subsistence farmers — and our
work doesn’t involve 12-hour days in grueling conditions. So, is
sharecropping still dangerous? Yes.
A Simple Content Marketing Strategy for Creative Folks
How do you display your work while making it easy for prospective clients to learn about who you are? The conclusion is simple.
A Quick-Start Guide to Measuring Your Content Marketing Efforts
Your job as a content marketer is to show your boss the money — not traffic, not links — mon-naay. Mike King talks about how to get started effectively measuring your content marketing efforts.
5 Steps to Revising Your Content Marketing Strategy to Attract and Retain Future Customers
Whether you already have a product or are just getting started, here are
five steps you need to take now to attract and retain future customers
of your product or service.
How to Use Customer Experience Maps to Develop a Winning Content Marketing Strategy
Eighty percent of businesses say they are delivering an excellent
customer experience. But only eight percent of customers believe these
companies were actually delivering. That’s a huge discrepancy. Why such a
big gap?
13 Simple Questions to Help You Draft a Winning Content Strategy
Square away an afternoon, ask yourself these questions, and document the
answers in a notebook, on a whiteboard, in Evernote, or in the handy
PDF we’ve created for you.
How to Create a Visual Brand and Fight the Dark Forces
What can we learn about building a visual brand from Star Wars? Grab these top visual branding tips from Rainmaker Digitals’s Lead Designer Rafal Tomal.
The 5 Keys to Content Marketing Mastery
If you’re happy being an average content marketer, then you can ignore
this post. But if you want to be a content marketing master, tap into
these five strategies of “deliberate practice.”
The Old-School Content Marketing Strategy that Scores Freelance Writing Clients
While the Internet is more effective and efficient in many ways, you
won’t want to throw this approach to getting more freelance clients in
the marketing dustbin — it still works. And marvelously.
Content marketing research
Research Ain’t Easy (But it’s Necessary)
What good research does for you and your readers. The first article in a three-part series by Beth Hayden.
A 6-Step Content Marketing Research Process
What should your research process look like? What steps can you take to
gather the best possible data on your target audience? Beth Hayden
answers those questions.
Become a Content Marketing Secret Agent with Competitive Intelligence
Using slick online snooping techniques and a little sweat equity, we can
all find out what our competitors are doing well, what they could be
doing better, and how we can adapt their best techniques to improve our
own businesses.
A 3-Step Process for Painless Keyword Research
How to stay focused when doing your research and how to avoid getting
bogged down in the stuff that doesn’t matter. Because you will.
How to Find the Keywords that Work for Your Content Marketing Goals
Accurate keyword research helps you optimize your website for the search
engines, and it also allows you to shape your content strategy. So it’s
vitally important that you use smart tactics to help you do your
research in a fast, efficient way.
5 Ways Listening to Community Data Can Expand Your Content Marketing Strategy
When talking about content marketing, discussions often focus on
decisions about topics, headlines, platforms, and distribution. But how
much do you consider the data that supports these decisions?
Why Content Marketing is a Long Game (and How to Play It)
Whether or not you know it, you’re playing a long game with content.
Let’s take a look at just a few ways to improve your online strategy.
How to Determine the Potential Size of Your Content Marketing Opportunity
Are readers already displaying a passion for your space? Are they
looking for the type of content you’re producing or want to produce? Are
they sharing it? Eric Enge explains
Don’t Create Your Content Strategy Until You Research These 6 Things
Here are six areas you should research to avoid a content strategy
that’s DOA (Dead on Arrival), so your content marketing gets — and holds
— your audience’s attention.
Empathy Maps: A Complete Guide to Crawling Inside Your Customer’s Head
The media you create can attract an audience. As that audience grows,
you must learn their needs, wants, hopes, and fears. That information
helps you learn about a customer’s worldview.
Tap Into This Psychological Driver to Create the Ultimate Message
Want to overcome content shock? Then you need to understand your audience’s outlook. In other words, you need to tap into their worldviews.
Idea creation
Surviving “Content Shock” and the Impending Content Marketing Collapse
You and I both know that there is a hell of a lot of content out there. Here’s why Sonia Simone is not worried about it.
Conquer Content Shock with Illegitimate Ideas
An illegitimate idea is one that is unnatural — a mongrel. We don’t know
its origins. It comes out of left field and is so surprising and
disruptive that we halt and pay attention to it.
49 Creative Ways You Can Profit From Content Marketing
Build a membership website. Yellow page ads that look like a blog post.
Address popular objections. And 46 more ideas to help stoke your content
creativity.
How to Use Content to Find Customers
What do birthday cakes and content marketing have in common? More than you think.
The 10-Step Content Marketing Checklist
Sonia calls this blog post a “checklist” for building a solid content
marketing platform. I prefer “law” or “commandment” because if you break
one of these rules, you’ll pay.
The Powerful Resource You’ve Always Wanted When Presented with Creative Challenges
Avoid producing copycat content and discover how to create not-to-miss,
valuable, unique online content that helps you achieve your business
goals
Zen and the Art of Content Marketing
Content marketing in the 21st century might seem like an endless
high-speed car chase. But it doesn’t have to be. Not when you apply the
simple principles of quality used by this world-renowned Japanese sushi
chef.
Why Content Marketing Is the New Branding
Your content defines you. And it becomes the vehicle in which you
communicate promises and expectations to your customers. Check out the
nifty infographic from PRWeb on different options for sharing your brand
online.
How to Brainstorm Brilliant Ideas for Your Blog
You probably know what brainstorming is. But do you know how to do it
correctly? Do you know what you need to do before, during, and after the
event to make it actually successful? I didn’t. Not until I read this
article.
How to Write 16 Knockout Articles When You Only Have One Wimpy Idea
Are you struggling to write articles for your blog? It’s time to get
creative. Stefanie Flaxman describes 16 different types of blog posts
that you can apply to any niche.
Content creation
Is Content Marketing a Hamster Wheel You Can’t Escape?
Here is a technique that — in exchange for some bursts of intense hard
work — will bring you long breaks from the content creation hamster
wheel.
The Unstoppable Rise of the Digital Content Creator
Software and digital content creators have become a powerful pair.
3 Components of a Content Marketing Editorial Calendar that Works
Are you strategic about your content creation? Or do you wing it,
publishing content with a short-term view? One will help you be
successful for the long-term. The other will stunt your growth.
A Simple Plan for Writing One Powerful Piece of Online Content per Week
Want a beautiful four-step procedure for creating a drop-dead gorgeous
blog post each week? One that draws out the process leisurely over four
days? And lets you do it in your slippers? Read on.
58 Ways to Create Persuasive Content Your Audience Will Love
You want to be a great writer. Seduce readers. Climb above the
competition. If that’s you, then start with this step-by-step guide to
creating ridiculously good content. Henneke doesn’t disappoint.
The Copyblogger “Secret” to Creating Better Content
Content marketers use content to advertise a product, service, or idea.
You want to attract attention. Create desire. Stoke interest. But you
also want readers to actually do something. Here’s how.
22 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue
It happens to the best bloggers and content marketers. Idea dry spells.
After dipping into the well every day for months … you come up empty.
This infographic is a fast and helpful tool that jump-starts the content
creation process.
A Crash Course in Marketing With Stories
Stories are easily the most powerful tool in the content marketer’s
arsenal. People love good stories. Stories communicate complex ideas
simply. And stories stick in people’s minds. But if you don’t know how
to write a good story, then they won’t help you.
How to Constantly Create Compelling Content
Where are you supposed to get all your ideas for content? The answer can
be found in a little-known intersection that artists, scientists, and
songwriters have been crossing for centuries.
The Simple 5-Step Formula for Effective Online Content
Effective content marketing comes down to two things: education and
personality. The right combination of these two elements will lead to
leaps in traffic, subscribers and — ultimately — customers.
The 3-Step Cure for Boring, Useless Content
If your business could benefit from content marketing, the worse thing
you could do is avoid it. The second worst thing is to create lame
content. Geoff Livingston tells you how to make sure that never happens.
The 7 Essential Steps to Creating Your Content Masterpiece
Johann Sebastian Bach — one of the greatest composers who ever lived —
had one of the most grueling production schedules one could imagine. And
that, my friends, is one of the reasons he cranked out so many
masterpieces. Mark McGuinness explains.
How to Craft a Marketing Story that People Embrace and Share
Storytelling isn’t limited to a blog post or a sales page. Storytelling
works for your overall position in a market. So, how do you write a
story? Use these three steps.
Master This Storytelling Technique to Create an Irresistible Content Series
Since your competitors are likely writing about similar topics,
storyboarding is a technique you can use to craft a special experience
readers won’t find anywhere else. Check out this storyboarding tutorial.
Content marketing promotion
The 7 Essential Elements of Effective Social Media Marketing
Here are the seven essentials that will turn your social media marketing
from an annoying time-waster to an effective bottom-line booster.
Launching a New Product? These 5 Tips Will Get You the Testimonials You Need
If your content, product, or service is new, then you’re likely
wondering how to get testimonials. I show you a smart way to gather
proof with these five tips.
Content Marketing Is Easier When You (Partially) Delegate These 12 Tasks
These are partial delegation workflows you can assign to someone else
that will either give you back the most time or help you with activities
you’ve been meaning to do but don’t get to.
How to Create an Agile Content Marketing Strategy (and Stay Sane Doing It)
Pamela Wilson admits: “I spent so much time this past year creating
content that I didn’t make enough time to read. And reading is important
when you’re a content creator.”
The Proper Way to Automate Your Social Media Activities (and 5 Other Best Practices)
Automating some of your content may be beneficial for both you and your
audience. Keep these six automation tips in mind as you set your social
media strategy.
Why Content and Social Media are a Powerful Match
It’s not enough to create jaw-dropping content. You need to take that
content to your audience members, who are sitting around those digital
campfires (think social media). They’re waiting for you.
The Must-Have Social Media Tool Every Content Marketer Needs
Introducing the ultra-powerful, infinitely flexible social media tool
that allows you to publish effective content without holding you to any
arbitrary rules. It’s not what you think. Promise.
Are You Someone’s User-Generated Content?
The dangers of failing to build a digital asset that you own are real. Casualties abound.
Traffic generation
The Right Way to Think About Google
Google is going to shift. Sometimes abruptly. You don’t need to go along
for the ride. Develop a sustainable approach, and leave the panic
attacks behind.
5 Ways to Get More Traffic with Content Marketing
We all want it: more traffic. But how do we get it? It’s the most common
question new bloggers ask. And it’s the question seasoned bloggers
never stop asking. Try these five strategies for solid, proven results.
No Blog Traffic? Here’s a Simple Strategy to Seduce Readers and Win Clients
Do you have the right building blocks in place to seduce readers and win
clients? If you want to create a simple blog plan that will help you
win more readers, fans, and clients, answer the five critical questions
in this post.
How to Make Winning Infographics Without Risk
Research suggests that publishers who use infographics grow in traffic
12 percent more than those who don’t. This is because an infographic,
unless it’s completely awful (and they exist), will more than likely go
viral. Discover the best ways to create them for your content marketing.
8 Incredibly Simple Ways to Get More People to Read Your Content
Most content marketers are fighting a losing battle with obscurity. They
write, publish, and promote — and get nothing out of it. That’s
painful. To make matters worse, this goes on day in, day out. Follow
Pamela Wilson’s advice and that will change.
Should Your Content Aim for Traffic or Conversion?
Cosmopolitan and The New Yorker approach content
marketing in two entirely different ways. Both approaches are
super-successful. And anybody can combine and use these approaches to
create killer results.
Content marketing case studies
Our monthly Hero’s Journey feature
taps the collective wisdom of our community members to bring you
reports from the front lines of the content marketing world. Here are
five inspiring case studies:
What The New Yorker Magazine Can Teach You About Content Marketing that Works
In a few moments, you’ll know how to not only write content that engages
but that also positions you as an authority in your space and dominates
in the search engines.
How Chris Brogan Built His Content Platform
Look at Mr. Brogan now and you might think he’s a “master of
social media.” He rules over one of the most recognizable independent
content publishing empires. But life was not always easy for him. In
fact, he struggled for eight years to get 100 subscribers. Here’s his
story.
5 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn from a Weird “Real World” Business
Ideas are good. They are even better when they actually work. Here’s a
content marketing case study of a business that creates high-end beauty
products — for dogs. Weird, but true.
What to Do When You Absolutely, Positively Must Know if Your Content Will Rock
Predicting what content will resonate with readers is tough — if not
impossible. You simply cannot know unless you do this one thing. Indie
band Wilco did and discovered the truth. So will you.
The Grateful Dead 4-Step Guide to the Magical Influence of Content Marketing
I can hear you now: “Are you serious? An elderly, endlessly touring
hippie band can teach me something about effective content marketing?”
Yes, they can. Jerry Garcia was a genius. Or should I say “guru?”
Content auditing
5 Powerful Ways to Keep Building Authority Once Your Content Has Matured
In order to keep the early momentum of your blog launch and deepen that
influence, you’ve got to adjust your content strategy to reflect the new
demands of your audience.
8 Conversion-Boosting Ways to Personalize Your Content
People love to get personalized content. Sadly, that message doesn’t seem to be getting through to marketers fast enough.
4 Ways to Identify Site Visitors (and Why It Matters)
“With adaptive content we are supposed to deliver the right content to
the right person at the right time. But how do you even know who is on
your site?” I asked. In his exquisite English accent he said, “You could
start with cookies.”
A Brief Guide to Fixing Your Old, Neglected, and Broken Content
There are a number of good reasons why you shouldn’t ignore old, broken,
and neglected sections of your website. Here are three benefits of
attending to expired content.
Is Content Marketing Worth the Effort?
Let me be frank with you: content marketing is work. It is hard work.
Hard work like laying bricks or teaching middle school children. But for
the practitioner who loves the work? It’s a turn on.
Why Nobody Cares about Your Content (and What to Do About It)
Glen Allsopp of ViperChill explains how to build your personal brand and
authority by giving your readers everything they want — and never once
talking about yourself.
Are You Creating Meaningful Content?
Ever think to yourself, “What does this content mean? Does it even
matter? Is it significant? Do my readers care?” Those are good questions
to ask yourself. And here’s the five-step framework to help you answer
them.
How to Beat “Invisible Content” Syndrome
I’ve got some bad news for you: every new blog is born with a disease.
Professionals call it Invisible Content Syndrome — or ICS. Others call
it obscurity. The good news is you can conquer it. Here’s how.
The Foolproof Cure for Weak Content: 4 Ways to Get Some Perspective
You have a sweet idea for a blog post. You pop out of bed and hammer out
the first draft. When you are finished, you read what you wrote and
think that sucks. Don’t worry. That happens to all of us. And there are four great ways to fix it.
The Force that Powers Persuasive Content (And 3 Ways to Intensify It)
Bet you didn’t know this, but character building and content marketing
go hand in hand. There’s a person behind every piece of content. Is that
person honest, credible, and an authority? If not, then here are three
ways to improve those essential components.
Content business building
How to Build a Business Using Paid and Free Content
Sonia will tell you how to raise your content marketing game by creating a platinum version of your content.
How to Decide Which Content to Sell and What to Give Away for Free
Not sure how much you should give away for free? Chris Garrett helps you
find the line between freely available content and content that is
locked behind a paywall.
The Key to Innovative Business Ideas: Cross-Pollination
No content marketer is an island. We all know this. But we don’t always
take the initiative to strategically collaborate to generate the best
content marketing ideas. Pamela Wilson reveals how you can get started.
Why Content is No Longer King (And Who’s Taking His Place)
Why would a novelist claim that content is not king? I mean, come one,
this guy makes his living off of huge chunks of content. Check out his
surprisingly good argument.
How to Use Ebooks Strategically and Reach Your Content Marketing Goals
Have you written an ebook yet? Some of the most respected content marketers have embraced ebooks for marketing their businesses and as a source of income.
Educate to Dominate Your Competition
Want to spark the buying process in your readers without resorting to a
hyped-message? Dream of making your products so irresistible that
customers hardly notice your sales offers? Then use the six
psychological shortcuts of influence.
How to Succeed at Content Marketing Even if Your Content Skills Suck
Still a little weak in the knees about this whole content marketing
thing because, well, you just don’t have any confidence in your skills?
No sweat. Half the battle is doing this one thing.
Your ultimate guide to content marketing
Remember to bookmark this post and keep it as a resource to answer all of your content marketing questions!
