Proliferation

Mar 08
0

The Holy Trinity of Content Marketing: Channels, Strategies and Tactics

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It’s well-known that content is an integral part of marketing; however, the million dollar question on every organization’s mind is: how does content marketing fit in? While it’s not exactly its own channel, like, say social media or search engine optimization, marketing companies from Utah through the Midwest are relying heavily upon the incorporation of content marketing into these channels for successful advertising campaigns. So where, exactly, does content marketing fit in?

Perhaps the primary focus of content marketing is to relay a message or story to your target audience. It doesn’t matter if you’re targeting an audience in Utah or a consumer base on the East Coast; content plays the critical role of conveying your brand’s story to your audience. Choosing how the audience receives the content comes second to the primary goal of conveying the brand relevance and personality via well-written content.

Strategic Content Through Brand Stories

In the same way that any type of marketing campaign, whether content-centric or not, needs an outlet to reach new target audiences, it also needs a solid strategy to be successful. And while content can’t be purely categorized into one sole “strategy,” it certainly can be designed to fit an effective marketing strategy.

The theme that your content intends to express to audiences is the core strategy of any marketing campaign, whether you’re targeting an outdoorsy audience in Utah or preppy Ivy League schools on the East Coast. Your content strategy should consist of a successful relationship between the channels that you use and your overarching theme.

Pinpoint Focus, Then Employ Tactics

The tactics behind content marketing consist primarily of how, when and where you choose to broadcast content. For example, a successful content marketing tactic might involve steady, organic link building through 100 percent unique articles, blogs and infographics. Before deciding on a particular tactic, however, analyze what your end goal is. Is it brand awareness, higher SEO rankings or more on-page conversions? Once you’ve pinpointed your primary focus, you can utilize the most resourceful content tactics possible.

Mar 02
0

Content Marketing: Fact Vs. Fiction

By | advertising, content marketing, digital marketing, marketing | No Comments

Content marketing is easy, right? All you have to do is write a couple of blog posts, choose a few stock photos and call it a day, right? Wrong. From Utah through the Midwest, there are a plethora of myths surrounding how content marketing works. Some of the key attributes of this niche marketing genre require client to consumer trust, strategic brand investment and a healthy relationship with social media outlets.

Whether you’re believe old wives’ tales about re-spinning content or buying into the idea that marketing and advertising are one and the same, here’s the real scoop on fact, fiction and theory when it comes to content marketing.

Content-Marketing-Fact-Fiction

Mar 01
0

Inside the Beautiful Mind of a Content Marketer

By | advertising, content marketing, digital marketing, marketing | No Comments


The occupation of content marketing is uniquely different from other marketing occupations. Throughout Utah to the Midwest, the creative job description of a professional content marketer requires the mind of an artist coupled with the writing style of a reporter. By perpetually trying to think outside of the box, the content marketer must not only possess a keen sense of wit, but he or she must simultaneously be mentally organized and innovative.

As artists who are as passionate about AP Style as they are about the Oxford Comma (or lack thereof), finding a great content writer requires a unique simulation of particularly-curated character qualities. Here’s the breakdown on what makes or breaks a good content marketer.

fusion_contentbrain

Feb 26
0

A Guide to Guest Blogging

By | advertising, content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Uncategorized | No Comments

Although the term “guest blogging” might seem like an axiomatic statement, in reality, there’s quite a bit to it. Before you attempt to reach out to a blog with the hopes of guest blogging, it’s essential that you find out how guest blogging can benefit your content marketing campaign, whether you’re in Utah or the Midwest. Spend some time getting to know the blog and the blog’s content — this will give you the most accurate feel for audience and tone.

After you’ve successfully determined the tone of your target audience, you’re ready to craft a post. Here’s the rundown on everything you need to know about creating a stellar guest blog post.

fusion_guestblog

Feb 25
0

Landing Page Essentials

By | advertising, content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, web development | No Comments

The landing page of your website is so much more than just a place where end users go to learn more about your products and services — it’s also where they make a first impression of your company or business. There’s a specific science behind what makes a successful landing page and what might cause people to bounce from your site faster than a fifth-grade game of dodgeball. If you’re attempting to pursue any type of content marketing campaign — whether you’re in Utah or the Midwest — there are a few key components you should know about landing page content and layout.

From an attention-grabbing headline to straightforward design basics, here are a few tricks and tips to help you achieve a landing page that simultaneously attracts positive attention while decreasing your bounce rate.

fusion_landingpg

Feb 25
0

You Know You Work at an Ad Agency When…

By | advertising, content marketing, digital marketing, marketing | No Comments

The workplace is full of stereotypes; however, nothing quite defines typical marketing agencies like the quirky copywriter, music-geek art director or the frantic accountant. Walking into an ad agency is a bit like playing Russian roulette — depending on the day, you might either be met with a cranky, coffee-deprived crew or you might be applauded by a group of interns playing a competitive game of ping pong. One thing is for certain — you can never be sure of what happens behind the creative doors of a marketing agency. Depending on the type of day the team has had, you might be walking into Rivendell or you might be strolling into Mordor.

From the Justice League-certified programmer to the moleskin-clad copywriter, here are a few of the stereotypical people you might meet at your local ad agency.

Work-in-Ad-Agency

Feb 25
0

These Content Marketing Statistics Are Changing the Game

By | content marketing | No Comments

Content Marketing and SEO

Close to 70 percent of all marketing companies lack a steady, cohesive and effective content marketing plan. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Utah or in the Midwest — not having an effective content marketing strategy dates your company considerably. There is a compelling collection of statistics regarding this field that shed a substantial amount of light on the current state of content within the marketing hemisphere. While navigating the highly competitive nature of this field, here are some of the major stats you should be aware of.

Trade Secrets of Effective Content Marketers

Thinking about skipping that weekly content meeting? You might want to stick around. Approximately 61 percent of the most effective content marketing companies in Utah and around the country meet on either a daily or a weekly basis to brainstorm and collaborate. Additionally, the most successful B2B (business-to-business) content marketers dedicate nearly 42 percent of their entire budget almost exclusively to this area. Statistics don’t lie — the right verbiage is an integral part of any successful advertising strategy.

The Cohabitation of Content and Color

Although black and white color schemes have made a notable comeback in certain modern realms, recent research confirms that a vibrant color scheme can increase consumers’ willingness to engage with a written piece by 80 percent. If adding a little color to your layout can propel someone to read your content by this large of a margin, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be analyzing color schemes for your site right now.

Pairing Images and Content for Long-Term Impressions

If an 80 percent increase in content readership isn’t convincing enough, the next statistic might shock you. On average, people only remember 10 percent of information they hear when asked about it a couple of days later (approximately three days). However, if that same information is presented with a corresponding image, people retain close to 65 percent of the information. Whether you’re targeting audiences in Utah or on the East Coast, don’t underestimate the potential of pairing visuals with your content marketing strategy — it’s a critical combination that can make or break your online presence.

Feb 24
0

Dissecting the User-Generated Content Revolution

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Numerous Hands Using Mobile Devices

User-generated content, or UGC, is the hot new marketing buzzword of the day. Yet what is UGC, and how does it work? And not only that, but how well does it work? Content marketing companies from Utah to the Midwest are using UGC tactics for authentic, effective campaigns.

Research Shows Millennials Favor UGC

UGC is any type of content (such as blogs, videos, tweets and advertisements) that is uniquely created and shared by the end users of an online business or website. On average, 64 percent of millennials everywhere want more choices when it comes to sharing their beliefs regarding their favorite brands. These statistics show an overwhelming partiality towards UGC — so much so that content marketing firms from Utah to the East Coast are readjusting their marketing campaigns to focus specifically on UGC.

Marketing Agencies Increase Digital UGC Campaigns

Research shows that UGC is 35 percent more memorable and 50 percent more trusted than other kinds of content. So what does this look like for digital marketing from a practical standpoint? In lieu of creating content — although content is still as always a critical aspect of digital marketing — agencies are providing more opportunities for outside content development. Content marketing agencies from Utah to the Midwest are actively inviting their audience to participate in digital campaigns by challenging them to document fragments of their lives.

User-Generated Content Improves Marketing Think Tanks

Engaging in a UGC campaign serves a dual purpose: not only does it shed significant light on the thinking patterns, behaviors and preferences of a company’s consumers, it also creates a special interest in the product — usually in the form of a creative challenge. Instead of engaging in traditional “think tanks,” marketing teams are accessing the preferences of their target audiences via UGC campaigns.

Popular social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are providing a dynamic stage for marketers to curate multi-faceted UGC campaigns. And due to consumers’ overwhelmingly high approval rate for UGC campaigns, it seems this strategy is here to stay.

Feb 19
0

How to Get Through a Content Marketing Slump

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So you’ve started using content marketing to advertise your business. Things are going well: you’re producing good, high-quality content and seeing sizeable increases in both traffic and conversions. Then all of a sudden the numbers start to level off — social media interactions stop increasing, traffic stagnates, and returns come to a plateau. What can you do?

Slow growth levels in your content marketing strategy can be more frustrating than trying to get a martini in Utah. If your content marketing plan is no longer bringing in the double-digit results you’d hoped for, it may be time to switch things up.

Increasing the amount of content you produce is probably the easiest way to break out of a content marketing slump; just be sure not to sacrifice quality in the face of quantity. Increase your social media presence by sharing content more than once a day, or bump up blog posts from a weekly affair to a multi-weekly one.

Already producing a fair amount of content? Try introducing more variation in the formats and mediums you use. Invite prominent guest bloggers in your field to contribute a guest post or two. Include news roundups, video roundups and valuable tips from industry insiders. Offer long-form pieces in addition to short-form listicles, and don’t forget to take advantage of visual media.

Give videos a try. While an elaborate video can bring in serious traffic, you don’t have to report live from the top of a mountain in Utah to get views. Even a short video of you speaking in front of a blank backdrop can significantly boost numbers.

If all else fails, you may simply be focusing your content marketing efforts on the wrong audience. If you’re a local business in Utah, reaching out to consumers in the Midwest is probably a waste of time and money. Reevaluate your priorities and make sure your content is successfully reaching the kind of people who will follow through—they’re the customers who matter most.

Feb 16
0

Crafting User-Friendly Titles for Content Marketing

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On average, people only read about 50 percent of the content that they encounter while browsing online. Let’s face it — with so much information readily available at our fingertips, it’s inevitable that most people aren’t going to digest the majority of what’s written in a lengthy article, no matter how informative or interesting it is. If you want to increase your presence in content marketing in Utah or elsewhere, this means that you have to create fully-enveloping, diverse and dynamic titles to both capture and maintain your audience.

Online Readers Scan for Prominent Headlines

Readers may not devote their undivided attention to reading an entire article. What they will do, however, is scan. Perhaps the first thing that a reader does while browsing online articles is scan through the prominent headlines before deciding to spend the time and energy to actual read what’s written therein. This means that you only have a limited number of words to capture the attention of your reader. This is where content marketing comes into play — whether you’re in Utah or on the East Coast, it’s critical that you make every word count.

Titles Should Reflect a Consistent Dialogue

Content marketing, whether it’s done in Utah or the Midwest, is only effective if the audience believes that you are a reliable, trustworthy expert in your field. Every title and headline should be specifically reflective of the ideas and verbiage that follow. A reader will feel misled if you propose an unrelated topic or question in your title, and then go on to discuss a completely different topic within the content.

First Appeal to Readers, Then Focus on SEO

Although the use of keywords in titles and headlines is important, readability is more important. Your target audience should be first in mind when crafting the perfect title — and if your preferred keywords fit within this framework, count it as an additional bonus. A few ways to write titles with your target audience in mind can include posing a question, employing humor, commenting (tastefully) on controversial issues and using well-placed power words. First appeal to the reader — and once you’ve done this, focus on the SEO aspects.