Proliferation

Nov 16
0

5 Great Ways to Lose Blogging Credibility

By | Blogging | No Comments

Blogging is no longer seen as a way for bored, stay-at-home moms to entertain themselves during naptime; moreover, it’s now a viable way to build rapport with consumers and, when all is said and done, bring in additional cash. Seriously, marketing agencies are now blogging both for themselves and their clients more than ever before.

Honestly, when taken at face value, none of this should seem too difficult. All that’s needed is a solid platform from which to blog and a few posts here and there, right?

Wrong. It’s much more than that.

In fact, if you and your brand begin blogging with the mentality that it’s a “Set It and Forget It” sort of endeavor, you’re in for a world of hurt. Simply put, if you want to avoid looking like a complete and total newb, there are a few mistakes you’ll need to avoid at all costs:

1) Forgetting to Think Long-Term About a Name

Blogging is a journey. Just as you wouldn’t start a cross-country trip in an old, beat-up automobile, so too should you not lack the foresight to look beyond what you’re currently writing about when choosing a domain name for your new blog.

Sure, now you’re writing about marketing agencies and how they can bring more clients onboard, but if you choose a domain name that’s heavily linked to such a finite topic, you’re setting yourself up for real disappointment once the creative juices start flowing in a handful of weeks or months.

Obviously, your blog’s title should have a great deal to do with your niche, but keep your options open. Case in point—don’t treat the naming of your blog as you did choosing an email address when you were in middle school.

2) Painful Self-Promotion

Marketing agencies know a thing or two about this. No audience wants to subscribe to a blog that does little more than toot its own horn.

Listen, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of strategic backlinking or the sharing of personal experiences or stories, but things should be kept to a minimum. Unique ideas are what draw people to blogs, not your name.

By the way, as your blog begins to grow and you start to allow for guest post activity—should you opt for such a course of action—make certain that your community of writers takes seriously your stance on editorial arrogance.

Your audience—be it through social media, a post’s comments section or the size of your email list—will most assuredly thank you for your consideration. Successful marketing agencies recognize these kinds of indicators and have, because of them, have perfected the art of blogging.

3) Not Giving Headlines the Attention They Deserve

America’s finest content marketing agencies will be more than willing to talk your ear off about the importance of headlines. Why? Well, they play an important role in earning invaluable clicks.

Believe it or not, back in the day, major publications such as The New York Times and Chicago Tribune actually had on-staff writers whose sole purpose was to produce engaging headlines for the articles their journalists had written.

Furthermore, the little kid on a stool shouting for people to take note and buy his towering stack of papers isn’t only a scene made for the movies, but something that actually happened in real life. In today’s day and age, according to experienced marketing agencies, your headline is the best promotional tactic you’ll ever use.

The basic editorial makeup of the current publishing world is somewhat different than it was a few decades back, but the need for awesome headlines hasn’t changed one bit. A simple Google search on how to write an effective headline will provide you with all you need to know to do just that.

4) Brick-Like Paragraphs

When in college, remember being assigned a disgusting amount of reading before the next class? Regardless of how studious you were, the subsequent dread that was felt could’t be avoided.

Similarly, after having opted to click on an intriguing headline, should the first thing a reader see be a page filled with brick after brick of written text, you can count on said reader never visiting your site again.

Long paragraphs are intimidating and tough to glean for the most relevant of desired information. Yes, you’re a great writer or are employed by one of the world’s most jaw-dropping marketing agencies, but in a world filled with competing distractions, the readability of your posts needs to be a real focus of yours while posts are being created.

5) Bypassing Social Media

Let’s face it—most blog posts, whether they be a product of one of America’s many marketing agencies or an individual organization—are read by few people outside of close friends and family members.

Yeah, your blog’s content might rival that of the Huffington Post, but if people don’t know about it, they can’t come to that conclusion for themselves. Help them help you and get busy with social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter are awesome for building digital audiences and should be used on a daily basis.

That said, it’s not necessary to be active on all of them. Choose what best serves your marketing needs, but stay consistent with it. In time, the readers will come.

As can clearly be seen, both marketing agencies and individual bloggers have much to do in order to keep themselves relevant out in the “blogosphere.” While much of blogging excellence is learned through experience, set yourself up for success by making a conscious effort to avoid the most common blogging mistakes.

Nov 16
0

The Surprising Link Between Content Marketing and Comedy

By | content marketing | No Comments

If you’ve read an article or two about content marketing and the whole idea of “engaging content,” you’re not alone. As content marketers, we’re often in need of a bit of help, and guess what? The Internet is often the best place to turn.

That said, the problem with many of the aforementioned marketing article types is that rarely do they provide an real, concrete answers as to how engaging content is to be created. Well, in order to make the process a more relatable one, let’s take a closer look at something just about everybody loves to do: laugh.

Seriously, can anyone withhold a smile when something genuinely funny takes place or is said? Of course not. Believe it or not, when such a response is brought about, what’s actually happening is real-time audience engagement.

Even better, it’s purely positive. So, if we’re to improve the very marketing-driven content we’re sharing out on the World Wide Web, we have a great deal to learn from the very people responsible for producing highly responsive content—observational comics.

Understanding Observational Comedy

Ever heard a standup routine or two by Jerry Seinfeld? If you have, you’ve witnessed observational comedy at its finest.

Basically, observational comedy looks to hone in on the everyday aspects of life and poke fun at them. The workplace, family life, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), pop culture, the airport—it’s all fair game.

Though something might not come off as innately funny, when looked at through the eyes of  Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Wright, Billy Connelly or Eddie Izzard, it’s rip-roaringly hysterical.

Examples to Get Your Brain’s Wheels Turning

Still haven’t made a connection? No problem. We’ve got you covered. Seeing as how we first referenced the ingenious hilarity that is Jerry Seinfeld, let’s toss a bit more love his way.

Said Seinfeld himself in numerous routines, “Just what is the handicapped parking situation at the Special Olympics? Is it still just the two spaces?”

Or maybe some of Bill Connelly’s wit will do the trick for your marketing savvy: “When people say, ‘It’s always the last place you look.’ Of course it is! Why would you keep looking after you’ve found it.”

Lastly, as if you’re not already chuckling, said who many consider to be the creator of observational comedy, George Carlin, “If it’s true that our species is alone in the universe, then I’d have to say the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.”

Content Marketing and Comedy

Alright, so we’ve finally come to understand more of what observational comedy is and the type of content its pioneering talents produce. Still, what on earth does this have to do with content marketing and the production of the ever-elusive “engaging content”?

Well, let’s get the ball rolling with Martha Spelman’s take on the matter in a piece she wrote for Business2Community: “Comedians specializing in observational humor look around and see what’s funny. And it’s funny because the audience can relate. An observational comedy bit often starts with, ‘Have you ever noticed?’ You can use a similar approach to discover content for your content marketing strategy.”

The biggest takeaway here comes from an observational comic’s focus on an audience. Similarly, when a content marketer focuses on the needs, interests and idiosyncratic propensities of a particular target demographic, the efficiency of said content skyrockets.

Why? It’s simple—both a logical and emotional connection have been made.

Becoming an Observational Content Marketer

Being an awesome standup comedian isn’t a nine-to-five gig; moreover, it’s a career path that requires wholeheartedly dedicating oneself to becoming a top-tier comedian at all times. Believe it or not, the best content marketing gurus view their craft in the same way.

Honestly, it’s more of a mindset than anything else. Instead of  just producing mind-numbing content, take a step back and look around you. Now, start writing. When done correctly, “engaging content” is always the end result.

Nov 16
0

Advertisers: Stop Interrupting Millennials and Tell Them a Story

By | content marketing | No Comments

To the surprise of few, marketing has changed a great deal in recent years. It’s always been this way. What once worked five or six years ago, couldn’t be less effective in today’s day and age.

Seeing as how marketing is a game of trends, it’s time to hone in on the very movement—or demographic, in this particular case—that has advertising agencies from all over the United States upping their respective games: millennials.

When they were younger, advertising was merely a matter of force-fed content. The idea was to hook younger generations, build loyalty and then subsequently wait for the money to come pouring in.

That said, millennials are different. Instead of a mere in-and-out approach (great burgers, by the way), today’s millennials are looking to initiate, build and maintain long-term relationships—even with brands.

For marketers, competition is fierce, but there’s a way to get a leg up on your fiercest rivals—content marketing. The term’s almost become a bit of a buzzword in recent years, but there’s a reason for that—it’s working with millennials.

Content Marketing to the Rescue

If you know anything about those of generation Y, it’s that they’re always—can’t emphasize this enough—on some sort of electronic device. Be it a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, they’re constantly online.

Because of this, it’s imperative that content marketers be in the right place at the right time to access the product- and service-pushing powers of the millennial market.

Millennials Are Open to Brand Interaction

Recently, a NewsCred-led study surveyed roughly 500 American millennials and found that 47 percent of them are open to some kind of corporate communication on a regular basis.

Simply put, millennials are listening. They’re receptive. Though the stereotype surrounding the aforementioned group paints a picture of arrogance, entitlement and self-indulgence, the reality of the situation—at least as far as content marketing experts are concerned—couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Furthermore, the study revealed that upwards of 62 percent of millennials readily interact with any and all content they discover online. Even more intriguing, when they do just that, they admittedly feel more connected and loyal to a brand.

Articles, blogs, websites or social media posts—it’s all fair game for content marketing gurus looking to have an impact.

Sure, millennials are willing to engage with you and your brand, but that doesn’t mean that just any old tactic will do the trick.

Speaking more of how this is to be done, says Michael Brenner in a piece written for Entrepreneur, “Ensuring that your content marketing meets millennials with speed and scale at the moment it counts the most guarantees a long and healthy relationship.”

Basically, if you’re not consistent in the production of high-quality, top-tier content, another company will be, and they’ll most assuredly claim what’s deservedly theirs—millennial loyalty.

Speak to the Individual, Not the Masses

In spite of what many chop-shop content marketing agencies might claim, treating millennials as the individual consumers they very much are is the best way to target them. Yes, it’s time-consuming. It’s tiresome. It’s difficult. But most importantly? It works.

Once again, referencing NewsCred’s study, 64 percent of surveyed millennials said they they respond more positively to a brand message when said message is tailored to their specific interests—music, sports, entertainment, etc.

Additionally, 62 percent of young participants say they feel similarly when given messages that help them solve their everyday issues. And here’s the best part—when content is cared about, 50 percent of the time, its then shared on social media.

Are millennials a tricky demographic to deal with? Yes, but it’s by no means their own fault. Their wants are genuine and, to be completely honest, what consumer wants to feel like he or she is communicating with an old-school used car salesman while online? That’s right—nobody.

Be natural. Be authentic. Be real. While not the most convenient of advertorial tactics, content marketing is here for the long haul. It’s time you adjust. Give it some time. The results will come.

Nov 16
0

8 of The Best Social Media Listening Devices

By | Social Media | No Comments

The online marketing world continues to diverge and expand. Today is far more complicated than yesterday and tomorrow will probably be even worse. With so much data available, content marketing companies often need help to gather, collate and interpret their statistics. Additionally, with the advent of the social media revolution, most companies need to keep track of multiple business accounts.

Fortunately, dozens of paid and free services are available to help businesses manage online data and social media accounts. These listening tools can do everything from allowing multiple administrators post on a single account to counting every mention of your business across the social media spectrum.

Fusion 360 - 8 of the Best Social Media Listening Devices (Fusion 360 Agency)

Nov 16
0

How To Become an Effective Storyteller

By | content marketing | No Comments

No, storytelling isn’t just for Disneyland and tired parents who can’t get their children to bed at a decent hour. In fact, in today’s digital age, it’s also for marketing agencies set on developing and sharing a message with their respective target audiences. By so doing, real brand engagement can come about.

That said, how is a story with an advertorial epicenter to be told to consumers without coming off as pushy or overly sales-driven? Simply put, the secret is to stay close to the very principles which have always governed great storytelling. Confused? The following infographic explains things in a clear and concise fashion:

Fusion 360 - How to Become an Effective Storyteller (Fusion 360 Agency)

Nov 16
0

How to Get Way More Blog Subscribers

By | Blogging | No Comments

Marketing agencies understand the power of the corporate blog. People want to be informed, and when your company publishes content relevant to your business, your credibility goes up. But how do you get people to subscribe? Blog subscription might seem like a thing of the past for some, but thousands of people use RSS feeds daily.

Feedly, one of the most popular readers has about 50,000 paid subscribers alone today. People crave news. They want to be updated, and you can help them stay in the know. By following these tips, you can build your blog subscription and become an authoritative voice in your industry.

Fusion 360 - How to Get Way More Blog Subscribers (Fusion 360 Agency)

Nov 16
0

Your Business Can Dominate Instagram With These 8 Tips

By | Social Media | No Comments

Instagram isn’t just for self-absorbed millennials obsessed with the documentation of each and every minute detail of the typical day’s events. Nope, believe it or not, the booming social platform can actually be used for a great deal of good, as far as America’s biggest social media marketing agencies are concerned.

So, if you own a business and have always had an affinity for the image- and video-sharing network, consider pushing your service or good though the medium, as well. Looking for a bit more guidance? No issue. Take a moment or two to hop on down to the following infographic. We’ve already provided you with everything you’ll need to get started.

Fusion 360 - Your Business Can Dominate Instagram With These 8 Tips (Fusion 360 Agency)

Nov 11
0

3 Tips for Improving Social Media Engagement

By | Social Media | No Comments

When it comes to building a successful digital marketing strategy, it seems that social media is one thing that most companies understand they can’t do without. From major national brands to small mom-and-pop stores, it seems that almost every company at least has a presence on Facebook (and in many cases, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms as well).

But as many marketing agencies know quite well, there’s more to successfully utilizing social media than simply setting up an online profile. To generate a true return on investment, your social media efforts need to be generating sales leads and actual sales. And to get to that point, companies big and small need to find ways to increase overall engagement rates for their social media content.

The following are three important tips for you to make sure that marketing agencies aren’t the only ones who are able to get a good return on investment from social media.

Write Well

It may sound overly simple, but the basis of any kind of success in the social media world is writing. After all, if your posts have the grammatical coherence of a first-grader, it’s unlikely that anyone will want to pay much attention to anything you have to say (which is probably why so many companies turn to marketing agencies for help in the first place).

But there’s more to writing for social media than having a keen eye for grammar and spelling. Web users are looking for easily digestible bits of content that are informative, entertaining or both. In general, shorter social media posts are more likely to perform well than lengthy, wordy posts. Using hashtags can also connect your post to a larger digital conversation, allowing others to connect and engage with your post.

As marketing agencies nationwide could attest, visuals also play an important role in capturing the attention of an audience—and social media is no different. Moz reports that “posts with photos get, on average, 39 percent more engagement”—a significant advantage over text-only posts.

Varying the content provided via social media is another important element of keeping your audience interested and engaged. For example, maintaining a blog is another key part of content marketing, and while sharing your blog posts on Facebook and Twitter is a great way to increase traffic to your blog, that shouldn’t be the only type of content that you share—otherwise, the audience will eventually begin to lose interest, even if you are producing great blog content. Shake things up with video posts, shares of industry news, sales announcements and even memes or infographics to keep the audience interested.

Timing is Everything

Of course, you could have entertaining, insightful posts but still not get any engagement if your posting strategy is off the mark. Marketing agencies recommend different posting times for different social media platforms, but early afternoon seems to be a prime time for many platforms.

For example, Facebook posts generally garner more clicks when posted around 3 pm, while shares are more likely to occur on posts that go live around 1 pm. Posting closer to the weekend (ie. Thursday and Friday) is also likely to generate higher engagement levels than posting earlier in the week.

Of course, with these posting times being relatively common knowledge among marketing agencies, there is also a risk that your post could become lost in a sea of other posts that are going live around the same time. Thankfully, Facebook’s Insights tools allow page owners to see at what time of day more followers are online so businesses can adjust their posting strategy accordingly.

Sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter also tend to receive better engagement during business hours—apparently, social media is a popular way to slack off at work. Twitter’s highest click-through rates come at noon and 6 pm, and even Pinterest can generate good click-through rates on Friday afternoons (though Pinterest is also a popular choice for weekends and evenings—when people have time to cook, craft, etc).

Posting at the right (or wrong) time could make all the difference between your posts getting clicks, shares and other engagements or going completely unnoticed.

Take Advantage of Analytics

Some marketing agencies have the tendency to treat each social media profile the same. But the audience for the lawnmower repair shop down the street is not necessarily the same as the audience for that local underground punk rock music venue. And so while writing well and posting at the right times are key to achieving social media success, it is important to constantly analyze the results of your social media efforts to make sure they are achieving the desired results.

Facebook and Twitter both offer great analytics tools that break down the number of views, clicks, shares, etc that each post receives. And as any marketing agencies worth their salt could tell you, in order to ensure continued social media success, it is important to take full advantage of these resources.

For example, take a closer look at your most and least successful social media posts. Are there any similarities between the posts that are performing poorly? Perhaps an issue with wording or the time of day the post went live, or maybe some posts didn’t have any images? Taking a closer look at what works and what doesn’t for your unique audience will allow you to make the needed changes that ensure only the most engaging posts are created.

With these tips in place, your social media marketing efforts can engage your audience and in turn generate more leads and sales—something agencies worldwide love to accomplish.

Nov 11
0

3 Ways Social Media Should Influence Your Website Design

By | Social Media, web development | No Comments

It’s no secret that social media has radically altered the world. From the way we communicate with friends to the way businesses attempt to sell their products and services, social media has had a significant impact on the digital landscape. And while much of the world’s attention has been on social media’s societal impact, there’s no denying that social media has also had an influence on website design.

A recent article from Upstart Business Journal noted that social media’s storytelling methods have also influenced what consumers value in a website design, citing innovations such as responsive Web design and user-generated content as being directly influenced by social media practices. And while these tools have certainly had an impact, it’s certainly not every business that is looking to have user-generated content populating its site.

However, there are several other lessons from social media that can be applied to a company’s website design as well. Here are a few important ones to be aware of.

Visual Storytelling

As mentioned in the article from Upstart Business Journal, social media’s prominence has made the Web a much more visually-oriented place. One needs only take a look at popular social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat (which are completely built around images), as well as the popularity of sharing photos on Facebook to see that visual storytelling is more important than ever in the digital space.

When it comes to website design, companies are no longer well served by simply presenting visitors with page after page of thick text. While it is important for companies to still provide valuable information through text, if there aren’t engaging images to bring the company’s story to life, it is unlikely to garner much attention from consumers.

In addition to making Web content more interesting to site visitors, images can also be used to present information in a more shareable format. Infographics, in particular, can serve as a more engaging method of providing pertinent information while also contributing an interesting piece of content that is more likely to be shared on social media.

Transparency

Social media has also led customers to expect a higher degree of transparency from companies, political groups and other organizations. While you should be making an effort to be transparent in your social media efforts (such as responding to complaints and other feedback), a company website is another great place to showcase a company’s commitment to transparency.

It doesn’t take much to include background facts about your company, or even information about some of the people that work there, but these snippets of information can be quite important—especially for business-to-business companies. Many professionals wish to get a more firm understanding of the background of a company and its leaders when deciding whether or not to work with it. Including this information when planning your website design makes it easier for potential clients to make an informed decision.

Brief bios for company leaders (or even a brief overview of a company’s history) also provides a great opportunity to showcase your expertise and success. For example, if your CEO has received several industry awards, including this information in a bio page can increase customer confidence and trust, especially when it comes to making a business-to-business purchase.

New Content

It can be very tempting when creating a website to simply slap up a design that contains some basic information and a contact form, but social media has trained users to expect regular updates from friends and companies alike. After all, a social media profile that never posts might as well not exist at all.

And in some ways, this attitude has also affected modern websites. It seems that almost every new site—regardless of industry—incorporates some type of blog. And this is for good reason. Blogs have been found to be highly effective, in some cases increasing lead growth for small businesses by 126 percent when compared to companies that don’t have a blog.

And much like on social media, it’s not just any random update that will do. Taking the time and effort to craft well-researched, quality blog posts not only gives site visitors stronger incentive to continue browsing, but it also sends signals to Google and other search engines that your site is an authoritative source for industry information. As a result, a regularly updated and well-maintained blog not only improves customer relations, but it also can provide a solid SEO boost.

Conclusion

There should be little doubt that social media will continue to influence website design and other digital media best practices. Businesses large and small would do well to adopt these trends to ensure continued digital success.

Nov 09
0

Content Marketing or Targeted Ads—Which is Best?

By | content marketing | No Comments

When it comes to the world of digital marketing, there are a wide variety of methods that advertisers use in an attempt to reach potential consumers. And for Internet marketing, there are perhaps few methods that have become more engrained than using content marketing and targeted ads. And while each method offers advantages that companies should be aware of, a more thorough investigation makes it quite clear that content marketing is the better choice for those looking to generate a top-notch return on investment.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is unique from other forms of advertising because it doesn’t necessarily go for the direct sale. Rather than interrupting a Web user’s experience (think of those oh-so-hated pop-up ads), content marketing seeks to add to the Web experience by providing useful information or decent entertainment related to a company’s product or industry.

So how does content marketing really make a difference? First and foremost, quality content marketing efforts that also utilize best SEO practices can help provide a serious boost to a company’s rankings in Google search results. For example, if your company’s blog consistently provides quality, informative articles, search engines pick up that information and use it as an indicator that your company is an authoritative source of industry information. And that in turn will help a website move up in the search rankings.

Content Marketing Institute also notes that customers are much more trusting of content marketing materials than traditional advertising, citing reports from Nielsen and TMG Custom Media that indicate the majority of potential customers are more likely to buy a new product from a company that provides customized articles and other forms of content (especially those not-always-easy-to-reach Millennials). After all, which seems more reliable—a banner ad telling you to “buy now” or an article that offers an in-depth explanation as to why a particular product or service is a worthwhile investment?

This can also pay off when it comes to social media efforts. In today’s digital landscape, social media should be part of each company’s content marketing strategy—and rather than simply pushing the latest sale or product through a company’s Facebook page, companies (and their content) are more likely to get quality engagement by promoting blogs, articles and other pieces of useful information through social media channels.

Targeted Advertising

While there is certainly some value to be gained from targeted ads, studies indicate that this digital marketing method is not as effective as content marketing for providing an SEO boost, gaining trust of customers, or even in generating sales leads.

Targeted advertising takes advantage of Web data to deliver advertisements to the consumers most likely to be interested in a particular product or service. This is typically determined based on past Web browsing history and other online activities. While this may narrow the number of Web users who see a particular advertisement, these ads are much more likely to be reaching the consumers that are interested in the associated product or service, making them more effective than non-targeted ad placements.

However, this process is far from perfect. As Forbes notes, 54 percent of American companies still claim that identifying the right groups to target remains a major challenge. While a company may know who its desired target audience is, correctly identifying these individuals online—even with the help of algorithms and big data—is far from an exact science.

These targeting methods also cannot change the fact that targeted banner ads and videos—while still able to reach a more relevant audience—are still advertisements that interrupt a user experience, rather than contribute to it, as content marketing does. As a result, many online users are distrustful of targeted ads in general, and these methods are not always effective, even when reaching the target audience—in fact, some studies have reported display advertising click-through rates to be as low as 0.1 percent.

The Comparison

While both content marketing and targeted digital ads can play a role in boosting online leads and sales, studies comparing the effectiveness of the two practices have made it clear that content marketing has a distinct advantage. A study published on Moz reports that “the companies with the highest [digital advertising] ROI focus on blogging, organic search, and content amplification.”

Blogs, organic search, content amplification—these are all terms that are extremely relevant to content marketing. Be it through creating a quality blog, publishing in-depth articles on third-party sites or further promoting such efforts through social media, these content marketing tactics not only increase consumer trust, but also provide a needed boost for SEO—results that generate sales and leads in a way that more traditional methods of advertising—targeted or not—simply cannot achieve.

So when it comes time to decide how your company’s advertising budget will be spent, choose wisely. Targeted ads may seem like the easier option, but an investment in content marketing will typically yield better results, making it well worth the investment.