Proliferation

Jun 02
0

How to Keep People Coming Back to Your Blog

By | Blogging, content marketing | No Comments

So you’ve been busting out content like a madman. You’re stoked because you’ve pushed out content every day this week and you’re positive your content marketing strategy is on lock.Trouble is, your blog traffic stinks. Maybe you have a decent number of unique visits, but nobody seems to be coming back except that one sad soul in his mom’s basement in Utah. You’re getting visitors, but you’re not establishing connections — you’re not building an audience. What should you do? How do you promote more regular readership and get a bigger audience?

Dig Your Hooks in

You need content that hooks readers and gets them wanting more. If you notice a lot of engagement on a particular post, whether it’s questions, comments, or shares, you’re doing something right. If your subject or copy just isn’t compelling for readers, you may need to switch things up in terms of your tone of voice, or the subjects themselves. If your content marketing gives people what they want, they’ll come back.

A niche focus can be your friend as well. There might be a dozen blogs about the life and times of Norwegian black metal flutists, but what about Norwegian black metal fluting in Utah?

Send Direct

If you’re not giving people an opportunity to receive regular email updates from your blog, you’re giving people just enough time to forget you exist. You want more readers than just the Utah basement guy? Get them hooked on your content, but add a regular newsletter send to your content marketing mix. Give readers an easy path to return to you and give them the content they like and you’re golden.

Sharing is Caring

Give your readers an easy way to share things through social buttons and sharing options. And don’t forget that you can’t expect people to find your content in a vacuum (with the exception of our Utah basement fellow). Instead, get on social media and share your stuff there so you can give people every opportunity to spread your message for you.

If you’re churning out lots of content, you’re doing one thing most businesses aren’t. All it takes is a few small tweaks to your promotion strategy to start really ramping up engagement and earning new readers by the minute. With some hard work, your content marketing strategy will start showing the results you desire.

May 19
0

Personalization: A Call for Deeper Content Marketing Metrics

By | content marketing | No Comments

Content marketing is all about making things personal. It’s about providing the information consumers need in a way that helps them see the benefits of your goods and services. It’s about reaching both an advertising executive in Utah and a mommy blogger on the West Coast.  It takes a lot of work, and after all your time and effort is put into personalizing and optimizing content marketing strategies, how do you know if any of it is paying off?

What’s the Deal With Metrics?

Content marketing metrics allow marketers from Utah and around the world to quantify and visualize the success of each piece of content. There’s just one glitch. A recent McKinsey survey shows that only a third of marketers report they really are able to quantitatively show how effective their marketing is.

How to Dive Deeper Into Analytics

This dilemma is creating an industry-wide call for deeper content marketing metrics. These forms of deep analytics don’t just show return on investment. Deep analytics enable marketers to improve future content. In order to get this type of information, marketers must invest in emergent content technologies that turn consumers into active participants by delivering each consumer a custom, interactive experience.

How does this differ from traditional content marketing approaches? Well, most content marketers work under a distribution point model, meaning they try to collect consumer data when the content is delivered to the user, like selecting ads based on search history. This is all good, but too many marketers stop there. There’s limited personalization, so you get limited engagement and limited insights into the consumer.

We’ll Say It Again: Give the Customers What They Want

To continue to improve and develop, content marketing professionals need to bridge the gap between creating personal content and improving data analysis and collection. This means investing in a personalized customer experience, or simply put, giving the customer the content they actually want. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Utah or in the Big Apple. Increasing personalization means more insights into each customer and deeper metrics overall.

Apr 11
0

Mobile Content Marketing Mistakes You Might Be Making

By | content marketing, Utah | No Comments

Creating a good mobile content marketing strategy is crucial for any business, whether you’re based in Utah or on the East Coast. People don’t walk around carrying laptops — you see people walking around Utah on their mobile phones. People are glued to their phones twenty-four-seven, so having your website optimized for mobile is essential.

It may seem simple enough to make a mobile site, but crafting a good mobile content strategy requires skill and finesse. Here are some things content marketing agencies should watch out for when implementing a mobile strategy.

Fit the Mobile Marketing Strategy

Your website may already be mobile-friendly, but you can use certain types of graphics and designs to really get the most out of your mobile content marketing game. One popular content phenomenon is the infographic. An infographic is typically designed by a graphic designer, and works as a visual tool to get your message across.

Unfortunately, infographics can often be lacking in the mobile-friendly department. You have to zoom in on them, scroll up and down, etc. It’s a lot easier to view them on a computer, where you can view the entire graphic with one glance. If you are planning to use infographics for your company in Utah or elsewhere, try using a HTML5 landing page that can share the information. This will ensure engagement with consumers remains high in the long run.

A Lack of Typography in Mobility

Don’t be afraid of typography — when it comes to content marketing, typography is something that you’ll want to understand. According to Content Standard, typography “is the art and technique of composing all the visual components that make up the look and feel of your copy.” Yes, your choice of font can make a big difference in your mobile content marketing. Keep in mind that your chosen font, point size, line length and spacing will affect how comfortable your consumer is when using your website.

Too Many Words

In Utah and elsewhere, people are using their phones on the go. People are looking for apps that give them what they want — and quickly. Potential consumers don’t want to have to read through pages and pages of information to find an answer. Make sure that your website is “skimmable,” meaning that your consumers can easily find what they are looking for, all on one page.

Too Slow

How fast your mobile site runs doesn’t really have anything to do with your design — or does it? Make sure that your design can be loaded quickly onto any device. Test your marketing content on different devices, and check to see how long it takes to load on each browser. It’s important to find that middle ground, so that your website can work at its best across all mobile devices.

Too Bad, So Sad

Have you even taken a chance to look at your own mobile website? Do you use it often? Being the owner of a website may make you feel as though you don’t need to see or use it. In fact, using your own mobile site regularly may help you build empathy for your users in Utah. If you can walk in the same shoes as your customers, you’re going to know exactly what they want from your website.

Mar 26
0

Millennials & Content Marketing Go Hand-in-Hand

By | content marketing, Millennials | No Comments

As the baby boomer generation ages, getting on into their social security years, Millennials are quickly taking over as the largest single adult age group in the United States. And yet, as the millennial generation grows in purchasing power, marketing companies from the East Coast to Utah are wringing their hands in worry.

Why, you ask? Well, millennials simply aren’t going for the old marketing tactics — such as billboards along the I-15 in Utah — that worked for previous generations. Instead, millennials are looking for something more authentic. Content marketing was made for millennials. Content marketing is about storytelling and bringing consumers to your brand of their own accord — concepts the millennial generation holds near and dear.

In 2016, the results are clear: To successfully reach the lucrative millennial generation, content marketing is the way to go.

What makes content marketing so enticing for millennials? For one thing, content marketing doesn’t interrupt people. By skipping the invasive pop-up ads and flashing neon widgets, content marketing doesn’t keep people from doing what they’re doing. Instead, good content marketing listens to the demands of the target audience, providing content that is both relevant and useful. In this way, content marketing brings the target audience to you — not the other way around.

Millennials love a good visual as much as the next generation, but they also love technology. Content marketing is extremely flexible in its application, with content in mediums such as video, text, graphics, mobile, social media and many more. And it doesn’t take a huge firm in the Big Apple to do it; even small businesses in Utah can take advantage of content marketing’s multi-media approach — all you really need a smartphone.

Finally, content marketing breeds engagement. Good content marketing gives millennials the opportunity and the incentive to contribute their own user-generated content — which is then repurposed in order to add authenticity to the brand and bring in more user-generated content in a glorious, self-fulfilling cycle.

With a plethora of original, relatable content, even the newest start-up business in Utah can take advantage of content marketing to reach out to the millennial market. So what are you waiting for? Stop interrupting millennials, and start listening to them instead.

Mar 25
0

The World of Content Marketing Is Oversaturated — What to Do to Stand Out

By | content marketing | No Comments

By this point in 2016, pretty much everyone and his mother is using content marketing. Eighty-eight percent of business-to-business marketers currently utilize content marketing; that number is expected to eclipse 90 percent in the near future.

At this point, content marketing isn’t anything new. Amid the onslaught of articles, lists and stories that abound on the Internet, how can a small content marketer in Utah garner the short-lived attention of his chosen audience? Let’s think about this closely.

Most of today’s content marketers in Utah and elsewhere know that content with images garners more engagement and more shares. Visual content is more than 40 times more likely to be shared on social media, and Facebook posts with images experience 2.3 times more engagement than posts without images.

But that featured image at the top of the article isn’t enough — did you know articles than feature an image every 75–100 words are shared twice as often as articles with fewer words? Consumers can’t get enough of images; so go Shutterstock shopping and build up that relevant image library.

Speaking of social shares, did you know that long-form content is actually significantly more likely to be shared than short-form content? On social media, content with 3,000–10,000 words is almost twice as likely to be shared as content with 0–1,000 words.

Considering most people in the content marketing business focus on pumping out a large quantity of short-form pieces, long-form content represents a serious area of opportunity for online marketers in Utah and elsewhere.

In terms of written content, additional length and image usage can go a long way. But that’s not all — research shows viewers don’t interact with all parts of a written piece equally. Across numerous sites analyzed by Web analytics company Chartbeat, 65.7 percent of viewer engagement on written pieces occurred below the fold, and most of that engagement is with the beginning of a piece.

What does that mean for content marketing professionals? Don’t save the most interesting part of the article for last — no one will ever read it. Instead, make sure the first couple of paragraphs are composed of rock-solid, share-able material. Your business partners in Utah will thank you later.

Mar 23
0

Content Marketing in the Pre-Internet Era

By | advertising, content marketing | No Comments

Content marketing is the new big thing in online marketing — from billboards to in-your-face pop-up advertising, content marketing is like a breath of fresh air that brings consumers to your business the natural way.

Yet while content marketing is a buzzword currently trendy among businesses from the East Coast to Utah, content marketing has been around longer than you’d think. Let’s take a look at some examples.

John Deere

Back in 1895, agricultural manufacturer John Deere launched its own consumer magazine, known as “The Furrow.” Originally published quarterly in Clarinda, Iowa, “The Furrow” is now available in 12 different languages and 40 different countries around the world, with a consumer reach of 1.5 million people.

Michelin

A mere five years after John Deere’s “The Furrow,” in 1900 tire manufacturer Michelin came out with it’s “The Michelin Guides,” a series of comprehensive guides to automobile maintenance, travel and local restaurants and hotels. Originally distributed for free in France, “The Michelin Guides” expanded into annual releases that covered various different countries.

Jell-O

The next big foray into content marketing in the 20th century came from American gelatin company Jell-O in 1904. Facing low sales, the Jell-O company began door-to-door distribution of free copies of its Jell-O recipe book, featuring creative uses for the gelatin dessert. The recipe book was a smash hit throughout the Midwest and Utah, reaching $1 million in sales by 1906.

Procter & Gamble Co.

Without the Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) approach to content marketing in the 1930s, we wouldn’t have today’s classic soap operas such as “Days of Our Lives” and “The Young and the Restless.” The P & G company, purveyor of all things household goods, needed a new way to appeal to stay-at-home housewives in Utah and elsewhere. Through the creation of dramatic storylines full of mystery and intrigue, the classic soap opera was born.

Hasbro & Marvel

In 1982, comic book legend Marvel and toy company Hasbro teamed up to create the iconic G.I. Joe comic book. Through cross-channel promotion via both comic books and a television series, G.I. Joe became a household name — and sold an unprecedented amount of merchandise.

While content marketing has come a long way since the turn of the century, the core concepts remain the same. Tailor your branded content in a way that is both relevant for consumers and beneficial for your brand, and people from the East Coast to Utah will be clamoring for your products. For a strategy that has stood the test of time, content marketing is it.

Mar 17
0

Content Marketing for Any Budget

By | content marketing | No Comments

In 2016, we can safely say that most people in the marketing world know by now that content marketing is kind of a big deal. Eighty-eight percent of B2B marketers in Utah and across the country currently use content marketing techniques, and even more are considering implementing content marketing in the near future.

As any good marketer knows, advertising can get pricey. Content marketing is no exception — however, even Utah-area businesses on the tightest of budgets can reap the benefits of content marketing.

For the Smallest Budgets

For businesses looking to get into content marketing but don’t yet have the funds to do so, we recommend getting a head start by repurposing the content you may already have.

Do you have some consumer reviews lying around, or do you keep getting the same questions in your inbox? Turn customer reviews into a social media campaign, and reoccurring questions into an F.A.Q. master post. Any video produced should be used for blog posts, and pen lists of various facts & stats about your company.

For a Mid-Sized Budget

Once you’ve gotten your content marketing strategy off the ground — and finagled something for a budget — it’s time to diversify your content. Don’t just focus on blog posts and social: move on to infographics, slideshows, podcasts, animations, etc.

Above all, marketers on medium-sized budgets should start to allocate more resources into video. In the age of the iPhone, shooting video has never been easier; and by 2017, video content is expected to account for 69 percent of all consumer Internet traffic.

For the Fortune 500 Companies

If you’re a fortune 500 company in Utah or the Big Apple, chances are your budget for content marketing is insane. At this level, you’re talking the most diverse pool of content — everything from your average articles to calculated social media campaigns and tailored content for every minor holiday you’ve never even heard of (national pancake day, anyone?).

Companies at this level can afford to splurge for the best of the best. Not only is content marketing about quantity, it’s also about quality. The best content marketers are master of storytelling, forming meaningful relationships between a brand and its consumers. Adept at incorporating user-generated content, top-tier content marketers can bring consumers in from any angle.

From the smallest company in Utah to the biggest players, content marketing matters. No matter your level, incorporate content marketing into the mix and stay one step ahead of the game.

Mar 17
0

How to Use Video in Email

By | Video | No Comments

Email is — to little surprise — the most efficient form of online communication due to its simplicity, ease of use and effectiveness. Videos are an essential aspect of content marketing; however, how many companies in Utah and surrounding states are actually using videos in email correctly for the most engagement and response? If you don’t know the answer to that question, then you’re probably missing the mark when it comes to video marketing and email. Here’s a brief (but comprehensive) look into how to effectively use videos within email campaigns for the most engagement.

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Mar 11
0

The Facebook Emojis We Wish We Had

By | content marketing, digital marketing | No Comments

Ever since the introduction of the “like” back in February 2009, Facebook users have been clamoring for a new way to react to friends’ posts, photos and status updates. For seven years, the Facebook “like” was the only way to react to someone’s post (without actually writing a comment), which left many users conflicted over the ethics of “liking” that status about grandma’s death or little Timmy’s broken arm.

That all changed on Feb. 24, 2016 when Facebook rolled out with a slew of new emoji digital reactions. The five new emojis — “love,” “haha,” “wow,” “sad” and “angry” — give Facebook users and digital marketing companies alike something to celebrate; in addition to giving users more freedom of expression, the emojis give Facebook & affiliates rather detailed information about user likes and dislikes.

Not everyone is happy about Facebook’s new emojis, however. The very day the update went live, comic artist Matthew Inman — better known for his page The Oatmeal — had already come up with a list of satirical new emojis for the social network, with reactions ranging from “meh” to “I just threw up in my mouth” and “I read this while pooping.”

In an interesting turn of events — or clever marketing ploy — anonymous programmers have come up with browser extensions intended to change the innocuous emojis into Pokémon or various images of spray-tanned American tycoon Donald Trump.

These so-called Reaction Packs open the lid to a Pandora’s box full of possibilities: from Studio Ghibli’s Soot Sprite reactions (which are already available) to Disney characters or SpongeBob reactions, the opportunities are endless.

This is good news for both digital marketing companies and trademarked character enthusiasts alike; not only can marketing companies gather data from the use of Facebook’s existing emojis, they may be able to incorporate brand-specific Facebook emojis to accompany a movie or product campaign, a la Twitter’s current hashtag emoji options.

Facebook’s new emoji reactions have only been live for a couple of weeks, and their future is as of yet uncertain. One thing’s for sure, though: there will never, ever be a Facebook “dislike” button. Sorry guys.

Mar 11
0

Choosing the Right KPIs for Your Content Marketing Strategy

By | content marketing | No Comments

For content marketing professionals from Utah to New England, being able to accurately measure your marketing performance is absolutely essential. Many marketers have a tendency to focus too much on buzzworthy keywords and conversion rate optimization (CRO) and could potentially miss out on other key performance indicators, or KPIs.

According to a survey from the 2016 Content Marketing Benchmark Study, only 30 percent of marketers find their content marketing programs effective, down from 38 percent last year. While organizations from the East Coast to Utah are spending more on content marketing than ever, they aren’t finding the campaigns as effective.

Content marketers’ campaigns may seem less effective because they’re using the wrong KPIs to rate performance. Typical effective KPIs include return on investment (ROI), profit margin, sales figures, website visitors, conversions and customer complaints.

Content marketing professionals are in a unique position to track some of these key metrics — in particular website visitors, engagement and conversions — merely by nature of the industry. Social media makes tracking consumer engagement easy, and Google Analytics can tell you everything you need to know about traffic to your website.

For content marketers, though, it’s important not to miss the forest for the trees. Just because you can measure everything doesn’t mean you should. For example, if a lot of people visit your website but not very many are converting, you should focus less on the Web traffic and more on how visitors are actually interacting with the website.

Big data is high for content marketing, but marketers should be sure to use both quantitative and qualitative KPIs. While quantitative KPIs can tell you how prevalent something is, quantitative KPIs can tell you why.

For content marketers and other business owners alike, KPIs should accurately represent the overall goals of the company. Whether your business is located in the Big Apple or in sunny Utah, you should pick an attainable, measurable goal and focus on the indicators that will lead you directly to that goal.