In today’s day and age, social media involvement, at least from a marketing standpoint for agencies, is a must. Truthfully, whether it be here in Utah or elsewhere, people don’t only love social media because of its widespread networking capabilities, but because of the image-sharing power of the interactive platform.
Whether it be Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or Instagram, using images is of paramount importance when it comes to attracting shares, likes, favorites and retweets. That being said, oftentimes it can be difficult to know which image sizes work best for specific social outlets. Ever been confused? Well, here’s a helpful cheat sheet to make the matter a bit easier:
Believe it or not, the world of search engine optimization (SEO) is an exciting one. The industry is constantly changing with new discoveries and techniques being made and implemented every week. Truthfully, with so much going on, it can be easy to get lost in the haze of information that’s being produced at such a rapid rate.
For years, SEO specialists have placed a great deal of emphasis on link building. While still important, the best, most accomplished SEO agencies guide their respective clients to digital success through much more than a just a handful of strategically embedded links. For them, there a few tricks of the trade which keep their reputations growing in a positive direction, helping to bring in bigger and better clients with each passing year:
1) Maintain a Strict Editorial Calendar
Think about it: when you’re searching for information on Google, Bing or any other reputable search engine, you want only the best that the Internet has to offer. Content that’s fresh, up-to-date and accurate is the stuff that’s being pursued. Well, if you’re to join the the powerhouses of your specific industry on Google’s first page, you’ll need to produce a similar content type. Though hard work, the reward is well worth the editorial headache.
2)Relationships Are Always More Important Than Links
With the passage of time, it seems that public relations has managed to infiltrate most subsections of digital marketing and SEO is no different. As previously mentioned, link building is vital for SEO success; however, quality links come from valuable relationships, not mind-numbing public relations pitches. As industry-influencers develop professional friendships with your brand, the invaluable links will come.
3) Make Long-Tail Search a Real Focus
Long gone are the days when people conducted simple keyword searches to find desired information. In today’s day and age, search engines are much more advanced and can give people exactly what they want in just one search. For this reason, long-tail search is currently of the utmost importance. Says TheNextWeb.com of the matter, “Search engine experiences are becoming increasingly personalized. That’s why it’s important for businesses to focus on long-tail and location-based keywords—so that audiences can find your company based on the exact value and service that you provide.”
4) Focus On the Customers, Not Only On the Keywords
Nobody is claiming that keyword research isn’t important. That being said, there are other endeavors which, in their own right, are worthy of a bit of research. As is the case with nearly everything entrepreneurial, the customer is always a prime focus. Instead of spending countless hours and hundreds of dollars on SEO software, devote time to composing helpful blog posts, how-to articles and industry-specific tutorials for customers to learn and grow. They want immediate answers and your website needs to become the exact place for them to obtain them.
Stay tuned: what we’ve presently come to associate with SEO today, more than likely, in the coming years, will no longer be relevant. With that in mind, however, the aforementioned tips promise to make SEO-related successes a regularly occurring feature for years to come when put into practice.
These days, the importance of video production simply can’t be understated. Regardless of industry, people prefer to view videos about information that interests them, as opposed to consuming written text. Through video production, things as mundane as employee biographies, emails and testimonials can quickly turn into client-led conversations.
Basically, when video production is combined with both social media and proper website design and development, potential customers begin to pay more attention. Why? Well, as a direct byproduct of any and all published content videos, people have a better idea of who a brand really is and what it stands for. In a roundabout way, it’s a direct reflection of where a customer’s hard-earned dollars might be going.
If you’re still not convinced, the following two reasons should help to better solidify the importance of video production in today’s digital age of advertising, marketing and public relations:
1) People Love Good Storytelling
When was the last time that a friend or family member told you about a particular person of interest? The individual in question could’ve been a stranger, friend, coworker or someone of romantic involvement. Whatever the case, as the listener in such a scenario, it can be difficult to hear little more than description. Adjectives don’t properly paint the proverbial picture of a person’s character and all is quickly forgotten.
However, when a story or interaction is presented—the more shocking, the better—every last detail is remembered. Truthfully, depending on the entertainment value of what’s been shared, you might actually take things a step further and tell that same story to another person with whom you converse on a regular basis. This, when all is said and done, is the innate value of storytelling. Video production does more than just force-feed information; it tells a story, while also adding to the experience through visual enhancement.
2) The Social Impact of Video Production
Once brand videos have been created, it’s time to share; more specifically, it’s time to share through social media. Be it Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, social media—in recent years—has greatly facilitated the digital marketing game. The real genius behind social media is the exponential potential behind every post, tweet or pin. Says Anne Jones, a blogger with TacomaJones.com, “Once you’ve made a video and showed your authentic self, the great part is it’s not a one-shot deal. Content, if done right, can work for you around the clock.”
For example, once a video were to go live on YouTube or any other similar site, it will be there infinitely. Those who engage with the video can go back and view it whenever they like. If all goes well and a video production project is shared, retweeted or repinned at an alarming, uncontrollable rate, it’s said that said video has gone “liquid.” At that point, the digital marketing takes care of itself and all that’s left for you to do is sit back and watch.
In the this, the digital age of communication, people want to consume as much information as possible in very little time. What was once a battle between brand journalists has now become one for graphic designers and video production specialists. If you and your business are looking to get involved, there’s nothing quite as effective as Internet videos to make the pushing of a certain product or service a complete and total success.
As a sound digital presence becomes more important for businesses hoping to extend their respective market reaches, the value of search engine optimization (SEO) continues to grow. That being said, few are the people who actually have a thorough grasp on what SEO is and what it can do for a brand hoping to find more marketplace success. For far too many, SEO is little more than an unethical link building practice which, due to recent algorithm updates at Google, has become increasingly more difficult.
While the debate as to whether link building is a viable SEO strategy will most assuredly continue onward, what’s for certain is the importance using SEO in its entirety and not only as a means of building rapport with the world’s largest search engines. The following are four of the most vital SEO strategies which, contrary to what some may opine, are crucial for entrepreneurial success out on the World Wide Web:
1) Helpful, Informative Content
Truthfully, half of the issue that traditional marketers have with SEO is found in the content that many inexperienced SEO agencies produce for their clients. Needless to say, complete and total filth—from a content standpoint, at least—is never going to earn algorithmic approval.
If you or a company that you represent have a website, it needs to contain nothing but authoritative, up-to-date content for visitors. All the basics of a site’s written and visual content must be covered, without exception: homepage, about page and contact page. Furthermore, it’s become increasingly important that a blog be actively kept to better establish digital credibility. By so doing, rank is bound to increase.
2) Proper Site Navigability
There’s nothing more frustrating than discovering a promising website, only to get confused by the site’s interface and navigability. Remember: if your site is confusing and easy to get lost in, visitors will simply take to Google to find another one that isn’t.
Believe it or not, Google actually rewards sites that help users find what they’re looking for in a matter of two or three clicks. If handling the SEO needs of your brand or those of another, optimize your navigation so that anything can quickly be located. Use descriptive core headings with drop-down page lists and search bars to lead guests to their digital destinations as soon as possible.
3) A Robust Social Presence
These days it seems that all businesses have a Facebook page and a Twitter profile. Realistically, at least from a true social perspective, that means little. For starters, if you do have a Facebook page and Twitter profile, be active on them. Profiles do little good if fresh content and meaningful interactions aren’t being made on a daily basis.
Social media can’t be a passive thing. Take action and claim your business’ profile on as many social platforms as possible. While Facebook and Twitter are great, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram work wonders for brands looking to build relationships with industry influencers and potential clients. The more impressive your social thumbprint, the more favorably google will look upon your company.
4) Mobile Optimization
There’s a reason that mobile optimization is last on this list; it’s the most important of the bunch. Google’s recent “Mobilegeddon” gave many SEO agencies the gentle nudge they needed to get the mobile ball rolling. Presently, there’s no excuse for not having a mobile-compatible site.
If possible, optimize your site for both speed and responsiveness from a mobile device. This will allow for easy access and use, regardless of the device being used to access a webpage. Basically, without mobile optimization, a site is destined to struggle in the ways of search visibility. If not changed, a site’s PageRank will most assuredly plummet.
Depending on the SEO specialist with whom you speak, you’ll hear a wide variety of opinions on link building. Regardless of your thoughts and feelings on the matter, the aforementioned SEO-driven tactics are both tried and proven; if implemented, SEO success is eminent.
Regardless of whether you’re a video production specialist with years of experience or merely a few months of practice, it’s important that all digital content be uploaded to a place where maximum exposure can occur. Most of the time, this sort of desire leads people to publish their videos through YouTube.
While there’s certainly little wrong with YouTube, the World Wide Web does present a number of other options for those looking to branch out. The following are three of the best places to share video content—outside of YouTube—which promise to bring success:
1) Veoh
Veoh, much like YouTube or any other video hosting site, is an Internet television station of sorts which focuses on two different types of user content: independent productions and user-generated videos. With a Veoh account, a user can upload videos of any length. Once uploaded, they can be pulled from Veoh and easily posted on an individual’s personal website or blog.
What separates Veoh from it’s competitors is its extensive community. From fashion and sports to cooking tutorials and video game reviews, there’s a community for everyone to rate, comment and view interest-specific videos.
2) Metacafe
Though YouTube is clearly the king of jaw-dropping user statistics, Metacafe is more than able to hold its own. Each month, the site lays claim to over 40 million unique visitors. Like most video hosting websites, Metacafe offers users a wide variety of video categories. However, what’s most attractive is the site’s special ranking algorithm which, in the words of FreeMake.com, “ensures that the uploaded videos are of the highest quality.”
Even more impressive is the fact that Metacafe refuses to host duplicate videos. Lastly, if you’re videos do at least moderately well, Metacafe is willing to fork over a bit of cash. Once 20,000 views are reached, Metacafe will gladly pay $5 for every 1,000 views. Though not much, it’s certainly an added incentive.
3) Vimeo
Vimeo, more than just about any other video hosting site, has managed to rival YouTube in the ways of traffic. Though the view counts are nothing short of impressive, what’s most important for the founders of Vimeo is that true video production quality be put on full display for all of the site’s visitors to enjoy.
Whereas YouTube is loaded with hundreds of dead and duplicate videos, Vimeo allows for only professional-grade visual projects to be published. Free video creation and hosting is allowed on Vimeo; however, if your specific video production projects involve professional filming and editing, a premium account might be more alluring.
Whatever your specific video production needs might be, it’s never a bad idea to think outside the box and explore other publishing mediums. Yes, YouTube is clearly the best video publishing platform that the Internet has to offer. That being said, with other up-and-coming sites, it’s necessary to explore additional outlets. Who knows? In only a matter of time, YouTube may become nothing more than a thing of the past.
For both small, up-and-coming businesses and individuals alike, building a website is key to determining marketplace success. In most cases, WordPress is the solution, seeing as how the platform stands at the head of the proverbial website design pack as an industry leader. However, there are other options available for consumers.
For the commoner, each and every web building program appears the same: confusing. Conversely, for those with a bit more experience with website design, a lack of options or add-ons can be frustrating. Regardless of your level of experience or website needs, you deserve what will not only satisfy your creative desires, but will also impress a target audience or demographic.
Instead of tackling the painstaking task of unending research, we’ve performed the dirty work for you, unearthing the pros and cons of three of America’s top, do-it-yourself web development programs.
Wix: The Good
Founded in 2006, Wix provides a cloud-based web development outlet for users to build their own HTML5 web and mobiles sites. Since its initial emergence onto the scene of website design, Wix has seen nothing but success. What users enjoy most about Wix is the site’s impressively large selection of professional-grade templates which come complete with an interface built upon intuitive drag-and-drop capabilities, rivaling those of all other industry players.
Additionally, for those first-time web developers, Wix has created an intricate web of on-site help buttons at nearly every digital intersection to make website production as simple as possible.
Wix: The Bad
As is the case with most things, however, there’s some bad to go along with the good. For starters, Wix’s free design plan comes with the baggage of painfully large interface ads. Simply put, there’s no getting around them if you’re looking for an option free of charge. Furthermore, after having chosen a working template, users are unable to change it, should future adaptations need to be made. Lastly, and perhaps most frustrating for customers hoping to make a profit off of their respective websites, this publisher isn’t designed to manage complicated e-commerce demands, making the management of digitally-transferred funds a troublesome dilemma.
Weebly: The Good
Since bursting into the world of web-hosting in 2012, Weebly has done nothing but turn heads. Even those with years of website design experience under their belts are impressed with what the system—touted as the best drag-and-drop website builder—can do for its clients. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company currently hosts over 20 million sites and lays claim to upwards of 1 million unique visitors every month.
More than anything, it’s Weebly’s ease of web-building excellence through simplicity which keeps people coming back for more. There aren’t an excessive number of tools; moreover, those that are offered are extremely simple and straightforward in usability. Also, for those looking for free website design, Weebly is probably your best bet. Even without a startup or monthly payment, the broad range of flexible, modifiable templates is made readily available for all people.
Weebly: The Bad
Unfortunately, Weebly isn’t the perfect solution. There are areas of concern. First and foremost, like Wix, Weebly isn’t capable of handling complex e-commerce needs. Also, though still offering much in the ways of templates, few are those which would quality as being of a “designer-caliber.” Finally, for the mountain of beginner website design enthusiasts, Weebly’s Free and Starter plans are severely handicapped by cumbersome page count restrictions.
Squarespace: The Good
Of the three website builders presented here, Squarespace—pegged as an SaaS-based content management system—is by far the most recognizable. More than likely, you’ve seen the commercials on television and are already more than aware of the blogging and hosting services that are also offered by the company. Based in New York City, Squarespace has built enough rapport with buyers to aggressively compete with the likes of WordPress and GoDaddy.
In large part, the service’s positive reputation has been formed by its beautiful, mobile-responsive templates. Likewise, with respect to Squarespace’s impeccable arsenal of templates, digital responsiveness and adaptability have yet to have been matched by lower-lying competitors. When all is said and done, however, what are quite possibly the system’s biggest selling points are the extensively impressive styling options which are provided for all page builders.
Squarespace: The Bad
Though currently engaged in blazing a designer trail of sorts on the World Wide Web, Squarespace has encountered its own series of flaws and blunders. Take for example the editor and preview screens; they are separate and can’t be viewed at the same time to allow for ease of editing.
Oddly enough, while still considered an industry leader, if you’ve spent any time researching page-building programs, then you already know that Squarespace is infamous for having lag-ridden, drag-and-drop features. As a final word of caution—which for many might be seen as a blessing, more than anything—this channel’s Style Editor is thorough to the max, causing many to find themselves slightly overwhelmed.
Whatever your web building project might entail, odds are that you’ll be content with any one of the aforementioned website builders. That being said, in order to be completely and totally happy with your site, it’s important to pay attention to the subtle details. With the specifics having been presented here, the power is now yours to make great things happen out on the ever-expanding Internet.
In today’s day and age, more information is being consumed than ever before. With social media, smartphone apps and improvements in the ways of personal technology making the world an increasingly smaller place, the need to grab people’s attention through marketing is of the utmost importance.
These days, with so many surrounding distractions, gaining and keeping the attention of the masses—especially in the digital realm of communication and marketing—has never been more difficult. That being said, with a well-written headline in place, an audience is much more likely to listen. The tricky part, however, comes with creating the very headline that will not only get people to slow down and click, but to actually ingest your brand’s information.
The Importance of Headlines
Believe it or not, in decades past, larger publications such as the New York Times and Wallstreet Journal had people on staff whose only job was to pump out gripping headlines. While many traditionalistic publication entities have been replaced by booming websites, blogs and content marketing agencies, the need for alluring headlines remains. Presently, eight out of every 10 people will read a headline in its entirety. Unfortunately, when it comes to reading the very piece that’s being promoted, only two out of every 10 people will finish what they’ve started.
In fact, many editorial, social media and content marketing experts have gone as far as claiming that a writer should spend half the time it takes to write a persuasive article on the piece’s headline alone. If you’re struggling to keep up with your competitors in the ways of of social shareability and click-through rates, seek to improve your headlines through a few quick and simple tips:
1) Short, Sweet and Succinct
Headlines that drag on for nearly an entire sentence do little to quickly captivate readers. If anything, the faulty practice gives off a sense of desperation. Furthermore, from an SEO perspective, lengthy headlines do more bad than good, seeing as how Google’s algorithm will only account for the first 65 characters of a headline.
As if Google’s refusal to churn long-winded headlines through its famous algorithm wasn’t enough to turn you and your marketing agency off to headline wordiness, studies have shown that, as headlines are scanned, audiences only notice the first and last three words. With less to take in, audience retention skyrockets as short, engaging headlines are read. Ideally, a headline shouldn’t go over 6 words in length.
2) The Power of Words and Numbers
Obviously, the building blocks of a good title are words. Reverting back to the days of elementary English, it’s easy to see that adjectives—authoritative adjectives, to be exact—are the stuff of compelling captions. Mighty adjectives raise intrigue with a target demographic and are essential to driving traffic to any digital destination. Additionally, use negative words as a way of tapping into an audience’s insecurities.
Even numbers have their proper place in headlines. Numbers bolster a piece’s efficiency and necessity. Statistically, the larger the number in a headline, the more social interaction a pushed piece is pegged to receive. Lastly, for ease of interpretation, always use digits rather than words.
3) A Formula for Success
Oftentimes, in order to increase a task’s simplicity, formulas are required. Producing attractive headlines is no different. Courtesy of Quick Sprout, the following formula was produced for the benefit of journalists, public relations specialists and content marketing firms everywhere:
NUMBER OF TRIGGER WORD + ADJECTIVE + KEYWORD + PROMISE = HEADLINE
Take for example this mediocre headline: “How to Content Market.” After being drug through Quick Sprout’s useful formula, a better result is formed and ready for publication: “5 Top-Tier Ways to Content Market Through Pinterest.”
Finally, serving as nothing more than a friendly reminder, know that manipulative headlines are unethical and should never be used. Regardless of industry, professional position or level of editorial experience, if you’re an active writer, your relationship with headlines should be a strong one. By simply implementing the strategies presented here on a consistent basis, you’ll be more than pleased as to what your headlines will accomplish for both you and your content’s reputation on the World Wide Web.
Believe it or not, on social media, there’s a strikingly sensitive balance between being pleasantly informative and coming off as painfully annoying. Unfortunately, many digital marketing agencies are completely oblivious to this and have their clients paying top dollar to bombard their respective social audiences with posts which—though useful—are a bit cumbersome when forced.
Your brand may have found and produced incredible content for a specific target demographic, but unless people are pleased with the amount of information being pushed to them on their precious feeds, the result promises to be less than positive. Seeing as how many marketing agencies are struggling to find a healthy equilibrium with social posting, the question begs to be asked: How much scheduled social posting is too much?
Facebook
On Facebook, it’s especially key that fresh, intriguing content be published. Simply put, if what you’ve scheduled to publish isn’t of the highest quality, you’re doing both yourself and your client few favors. Recently, SocialBakers.com studied three months’ worth of Facebook content from a few of America’s leading brands and discovered that each of them is publishing posts through Facebook, on average, about once a day.
Furthermore, the aforementioned group also found that when companies and marketing agencies post only once a week, audience connection is lost. However, when posting more than twice a day, consumer displeasure increases. As a general rule of thumb, posting three times per week should be considered a floor, whereas 10 posts a week should be viewed as a ceiling of sorts.
Twitter
As far as Twitter is concerned, the more the merrier—tweets that is. Twitter is arguably the Internet’s greatest social tool for joining any one of a specific community’s numerous conversations. Almost single-handedly through Twitter, many brands have solidified themselves as industry leaders.
Research shows that when at least three to five tweets a day are pushed to a group of followers—regardless of size—the proverbial ball of user engagement beings to roll. That being said, logically, the more you tweet, the more opportunities your fans have to interact with you and your company. If you’ve got a robust social team with the time and energy to tweet and interact, the sky’s the limit. For smaller, up-and-coming businesses, however, focus on hitting that three to five tweet sweet spot in order to develop a real, reputable Twitter presence which can easily transfer into something more prosperous in the near future.
LinkedIn
By and large, LinkedIn is viewed as a low volume/high value social network. Originally, LinkedIn was created as a platform through which individuals could network with industry-specific employees and businesses to identify advantageous professional opportunities. While still true in today’s day and age, the site has become a channel for brands and marketing agencies to launch a masked—though positive—advertorial voice through content marketing.
To get the most out of LinkedIn, it’s recommended that a minimum of two posts per week be produced. Conversely, no more than 5 posts per week should be published. Once again, on a top-tier site like LinkedIn, it’s imperative that you be promoting only insider business savvy, interesting facts and tips for industrial prowess.
Pinterest
Most people associate Pinterest with the female, do-it-yourself crowd; however, in recent years, Pinterest has made a name for itself as a timely avenue for marketing agencies to visually bolster organic content.
With fields of interest like fitness, technical gadgetry and fashion leading the way as Pinterest’s top pinning topics, companies from all sorts of backgrounds have seen success through this interactive outlet. For those who’ve seen great success through Pinterest, anywhere between five and 30 large, high-resolution images are being pinned each day. Statistically, Saturdays, afternoons and evenings are the best times for tapping into audiences for communal interaction.
Whatever experience you’ve had with social media, it’s vital to remember the following: each represented industry brings with it a series of social challenges for marketing agencies which must be met with a series of strategic adaptations. Needless to say, as social media scheduling is mastered, digital reputation and market reach are guaranteed to improve.
From here in Utah to the most booming of metropolitan locations out on the East Coast, content marketing specialists are constantly pitching clients about the production of the exact same thing: quality content.
While the benefits of the aforementioned content type are well known—search engine rapport, a more spacious market reach and a reputation as an industry-leader—many are the content marketing “experts” who are left scratching their respective heads asking, “What is quality content?”
If you or a fellow content marketer has ever asked that very question, we’ve prepared a list of the top 10 filtration points to help properly determine if what’s being produced is of great value to consumers or just another advertorial annoyance.
1) Write for an Audience, Not for Search Engines
Believe it or not, this is a huge issue for content marketers. You’d think that for professional marketing writers, making certain to direct all written content towards a specific audience would be easy. That being said, it’s not. If your target audience is a group of industry professionals, don’t speak down to them. However, if your body of readers is new to a particular field, be simple and concise without demeaning the very eyes which keep you employed.
2) Content Accuracy and Relevancy Is Key
This goes without saying, but quality content is build upon a foundation of accurate information. Even if you’ve already proofread your piece one or two times, it’s never a bad idea to go back and check just to make certain that all sources are properly cited and given due credit. Furthermore, be sure to only use data—everyone loves quantitative information—that’s still relevant in today’s day and age. Nothing is more frustrating than a piece on social media marketing with statistics from 2007.
3) Inspiration, Education or Entertainment
Any written piece should do at least one of three things: inspire, educate or entertain. If you’ve written something that does little more than bore, interrupt and annoy, you should probably consider a swift revision of what’s been created. Also, it’s impossible to spend too much time on titles and headers. Seriously, they set a reader up for what’s to come next and build the very kind of intrigue that’s needed to transform content into a liquid marketing state.
4) Be Direct In Helping a Reader Accomplish a Particular Task
There’s a reason for why eHow and WikiHow attract digital masses so easily: they provide something of value. It’s not that every article or story has to be a “how to” piece, but everything should help a reader accomplish a particular task.
5) Unique Value for Readers to Learn From
Unbeknownst to many working in the field of content marketing, there’s a great difference between “unique content” and “unique value.” The ideal here is to publish only the later. Says Nate Dame, founder of Propecta, in a piece he wrote for SearchEngineLand.com, “Any good writer can rearrange words on a page to create content that doesn’t technically appear anywhere else on the Internet. But good content offers a unique value by providing readers with insights and actionable takeaways that no one else does.”
6) Socially Shareable
Remember, if it’s not something that you’d feel confident sharing with both friends and colleagues on Twitter and Facebook, you shouldn’t expect that others to do so. While informativecontent is inherently important, social shareability is often determined by the title of what’s being pushed. Write strong titles that balance creativity with concision and purpose.
7) Thematic Organization By Way of Subsections
Apart from keeping content tight and well-written, it’s critical to make sure that everything is well-organized. Truthfully, written transitions can be difficult to produce for the writer and hard to follow for the reader. When themes are organized by way of subsections and bullet points, it’s much easier for information to be digested at a rapid rate.
8) Be Leery of Keyword Stuffing
Obviously, keyword stuffing has never been a good SEO or content marketing strategy. Still, even those who are wholeheartedly committed to white hat SEO practices are prone to a accidentally overuse a primary keyword. After a piece’s rough draft is completed, it’s always a good idea to use your computer’s Command+F or Ctr+F term search options to make sure that keywords aren’t being used in abundance. If they are, take a few minutes to replace a handful of them with appropriate synonyms.
9) Include Links to Helpful Sources
This really should come as a bit of a no-brainer to any active content marketer or SEO professional, but—when writing—include links to good sources that will help build your piece’s credibility. These links should only lead readers to other reputable, high-quality site’s where further information can be obtained.
10) Proofread Like Your Life Depends On It
There’s a reason that this point comes in as a final placeholder on this list: every single time, it’s the last thing that should be done before a piece is published. Realistically, it doesn’t matter how incredible a written article, “how to” piece or blog post is, if there are blatant grammatical errors present, nobody will take you or the brand that you represent seriously.
Regardless of industry, as awesome content is produced, awesome results will most assuredly ensue. Take the necessary time to make quality content marketing a conscious focus and both you and your clients will be more than satisfied with what’s to come.
If you were to go up to just about anybody on the street and ask them to speak of the differences between marketing and public relations, odds are that you’d find yourself hunting for the answer for quite some time. Though subtle, the differences between the two advertorial fields are gargantuan enough that, in recent months, some of the world’s largest and most successful marketing agencies have opened their own PR divisions.
In December of 2014, for example, Havas Worldwide Johannesburg made way for Havas PR to come into full effect. Likewise, just this month, the Black Snow Group decided to take the PR plunge. Could the biggest of PR’s pillars and marketing differentiators—relationship/reputation maintenance, networking and procurement of owned media—really be enough to push the globe’s biggest powerhouses of marketing into full-fledged PR involvement? Apparently, many certainly feel so. Here’s why:
1) The Field of Communications Is Changing
Simply put, traditional marketing no longer works and marketing agencies have taken notice. Yes, there are a few industries that might still benefit from a radio advertisement or highway billboard, but they are few and far between. What was once television commercials and flyers is now sponsored tweets and link-driven articles. No longer do consumers—regardless of industry—want to feel that they’ve been sold.
Instead, they’re demanding transparency and quality with the information that’s being given them. For that very reason, social media and SEO-driven article integration have taken the marketing world by storm. In the near future, in order for complex marketing solutions to be both developed and implemented, public relations will need to play an important role.
2) From a Business Standpoint, PR Is a Necessity
While marketing and advertising certainly fall under the canopy of “professional communications,” public relations, when combined with the aforementioned disciplines, ensures that all communicative channels are efficiently addressed. Long gone are the days when funds devoted to public relations where considered expendable.
Says Chris Verrijdt, Head of Havas PR, “These days, with information being consumed at the rate and across the channels it is, it would be naïve to keep PR out of the mix. Earned and owned media are integral to the conversation our clients have with their customers. Real time and right time communication is a necessity rather than a luxury.”
3) Through PR, the Client Always Comes Out On Top
Truthfully, it’s nearly impossible that a client fail to benefit from the services offered by a reputable PR team. Marketing agencies—specifically content marketing agencies—from all over the world can agree on one thing: “content is king.”
At this point, it’s the biggest buzz-centric phrase that the realm of professional communications has to offer, but it’s true. Public relations places a great deal of emphasis on content and, through content, the solidifying of a specific brand as an industry leader.
By creating helpful, informative content, not only is reputation enhanced, but leaders, potential clients and investors are drawn to a business. Needless to say, whatever your specific company’s marketing needs may be, public relations can help.
