Instead of reading about our experiences with humor in marketing, let’s look at some other industry pros and what they’ve said about this all-too-important and often over-looked digital marketing approach:

Bryan Kramer has a great post on this subject and he kicks it off with important stats:

“According to a recent marketing study by the textbook rental service Chegg, almost 80 % of college-age kids remembers ads that make them laugh. And this phenomenon is not limited to just millennials, as Nielsen recently ranked some of the most memorable Super Bowls in the past four years.” See Bryan’s post right here.

Steve Olenski’s post in Forbes reminds us that:

“Humor breaks down walls, shows personality a.k.a. shows a brand’s human side.”

Emily Gaudette references Dr. James Barry, a humorist, professor at Nova Southeastern University by writing:

“Barry told me that infusing content with humor has a lot of potential for B2C and B2B companies alike, provided that they avoid re-inventing the wheel. “Seriously, humor works very well in B2B spaces,” he said. “As long as the creator knows exactly what type of humor strategy they’re using. Why wouldn’t CEOs want to be entertained? They’re just like anyone else.””

See the above post on Contently.

Do we practice what we preach? Well, we try! We have a handful of humor-based videos that promote our digital marketing training program that we would love to get your feedback on — check them out below:

Be Your Own Boss – Digital Marketing Training Classes

Digital Marketing Training – Be Your Own Boss (Isn’t It Time?)

Digital Marketing Training – Don’t Be Ned

Well, did we at least make you chuckle? Break a smile? How will you use humor in your marketing efforts?

99 Blog Post Ideas We Want You To Steal: Social Media Marketing Edition

One of the most common questions those new to digital marketing ask (especially when it comes to content): “How will I come up with topics and ideas for blog content?”

While there are a ton of tactics and strategies (many based on actual data), we thought we’d give you a head start and list 99 click-worthy blog post titles. Today’s subject? Social Media Marketing.

Are you drawing a blank every time you sit down to write? It may be easy to simply write a product feature or fluff up a sales pitch, but it’s important to remember that the point of your blogs is to provide value to your audience, not to sell to them. Take a look at your buyer personas and their pain points or problems, and assemble them into categories. These categories and their relevant personas will focus your writing and guide your use of keywords to optimize the SEO boost that the post provides. From here, you can begin to address some general topics.

Content (not copy) is King

Getting the copy down is one thing, but your blog will be as dry as a bone without engaging content to supplement that copy. The content that your copy supports, more than anything, is what sets your blog apart from your competitors and drives the solution to your readership’s problem.

You Can Pick Your Friends & You Can Pick Your Topics

You just can’t pick your friend’s topics. Unless DMTG is your friend! Steal (or remix) as many of the topics as you’d like, below!

99 (Steal these!) Blog Post Topics for Social Media Marketing Blog Posts:

Where Will Social Media Marketing Be 1 Year From Now?
13 Things About Social Media Marketing You May Not Have Known
15 Things Your Boss Wishes You Knew About Social Media Marketing
The Biggest Problem With Social Media Marketing, And How You Can Fix It
20 Up-and-Comers to Watch in the Social Media Marketing Industry
What NOT to Do in the Social Media Marketing Industry
14 Savvy Ways to Spend Leftover Social Media Marketing Budget
How to Sell Social Media Marketing to a Skeptic
12 Reasons You Shouldn’t Invest in Social Media Marketing
7 Little Changes That’ll Make a Big Difference With Your Social Media Marketing
Meet the Steve Jobs of the Social Media Marketing Industry
What’s Holding Back the Social Media Marketing Industry?
14 Common Misconceptions About Social Media Marketing
16 Must-Follow Facebook Pages for Social Media Marketing Marketers
5 Cliches About Social Media Marketing You Should Avoid
10 Undeniable Reasons People Hate Social Media Marketing
Will Social Media Marketing Ever Rule the World?
10 Things We All Hate About Social Media Marketing
20 Resources That’ll Make You Better at Social Media Marketing
30 of the Punniest Social Media Marketing Puns You Can Find
Ask Me Anything: 10 Answers to Your Questions About Social Media Marketing
The 17 Most Misunderstood Facts About Social Media Marketing
10 Best Mobile Apps for Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing Poll of the Day
7 Horrible Mistakes You’re Making With Social Media Marketing
24 Hours to Improving Social Media Marketing
Why Nobody Cares About Social Media Marketing
How to Get Hired in the Social Media Marketing Industry
15 Secretly Funny People Working in Social Media Marketing
15 Undeniable Reasons to Love Social Media Marketing
Think You’re Cut Out for Doing Social Media Marketing? Take This Quiz
10 Compelling Reasons Why You Need Social Media Marketing
Addicted to Social Media Marketing? Us Too. 6 Reasons We Just Can’t Stop
7 Things About Social Media Marketing Your Boss Wants to Know
The Anatomy of a Great Social Media Marketing
10 Startups That’ll Change the Social Media Marketing Industry for the Better
5 Laws Anyone Working in Social Media Marketing Should Know
How to Create an Awesome Instagram Video About Social Media Marketing
How to Win Big in the Social Media Marketing Industry
Responsible for a Social Media Marketing Budget? 12 Top Notch Ways to Spend Your Money
Why It’s Easier to Succeed With Social Media Marketing Than You Might Think
Why We Love Social Media Marketing (And You Should, Too!)
5 Real-Life Lessons About Social Media Marketing
11 Ways to Completely Revamp Your Social Media Marketing
Become an Expert on Social Media Marketing by Watching These 5 Videos
10 Things Everyone Hates About Social Media Marketing
9 Signs You Need Help With Social Media Marketing
15 Best Twitter Accounts to Learn About Social Media Marketing
Forget Social Media Marketing: 3 Replacements You Need to Jump On
The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Social Media Marketing
Why You Should Forget About Improving Your Social Media Marketing
7 Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Social Media Marketing
20 Myths About Social Media Marketing: Busted
10 Things Your Competitors Can Teach You About Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing: What No One Is Talking About
20 Insightful Quotes About Social Media Marketing
8 Go-To Resources About Social Media Marketing
15 Hilarious Videos About Social Media Marketing
15 Surprising Stats About Social Media Marketing
Why You Should Spend More Time Thinking About Social Media Marketing
12 Steps to Finding the Perfect Social Media Marketing
10 Pinterest Accounts to Follow About Social Media Marketing
20 Fun Facts About Social Media Marketing
11 Ways to Completely Sabotage Your Social Media Marketing
7 Simple Secrets to Totally Rocking Your Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
12 Do’s and Don’ts for a Successful Social Media Marketing
10 Principles of Psychology You Can Use to Improve Your Social Media Marketing
The Next Big Thing in Social Media Marketing
17 Signs You Work With Social Media Marketing
No Time? No Money? No Problem! How You Can Get Social Media Marketing With a Zero-Dollar Budget
Watch Out: How Social Media Marketing Is Taking Over and What to Do About It
Social Media Marketing: It’s Not as Difficult as You Think
How Technology Is Changing How We Treat Social Media Marketing
5 Qualities the Best People in the Social Media Marketing Industry Tend to Have
10 Signs You Should Invest in Social Media Marketing
How to Solve Issues With Social Media Marketing
10 Things You Learned in Kindergarden That’ll Help You With Social Media Marketing
10 Things Most People Don’t Know About Social Media Marketing
The Biggest Trends in Social Media Marketing We’ve Seen This Year
9 Signs You’re a Social Media Marketing Expert
Don’t Make This Silly Mistake With Your Social Media Marketing
15 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Social Media Marketing
The No. 1 Question Everyone Working in Social Media Marketing Should Know How to Answer
15 Best Social Media Marketing Bloggers You Need to Follow
15 Best Pinterest Boards of All Time About Social Media Marketing
The Most Innovative Things Happening With Social Media Marketing
What Will Social Media Marketing Be Like in 100 Years?
17 Superstars We’d Love to Recruit for Our Social Media Marketing Team
An Introduction to Social Media Marketing
How Much Should You Be Spending on Social Media Marketing?
Social Media Marketing: Expectations vs. Reality
15 Up-and-Coming Trends About Social Media Marketing
20 Things You Should Know About Social Media Marketing
11 “Faux Pas” That Are Actually Okay to Make With Your Social Media Marketing
The Worst Videos of All Time About Social Media Marketing
The Worst Advice We’ve Ever Heard About Social Media Marketing
10 Things Steve Jobs Can Teach Us About Social Media Marketing
12 Companies Leading the Way in Social Media Marketing
How to Explain Social Media Marketing to Your Mom
5 Lessons About Social Media Marketing You Can Learn From Superheroes
What Freud Can Teach Us About Social Media Marketing
7 Trends You May Have Missed About Social Media Marketing
6 Online Communities About Social Media Marketing You Should Join
Buzzwords, De-buzzed: 10 Other Ways to Say Social Media Marketing
What Sports Can Teach Us About Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing: 11 Thing You’re Forgetting to Do
The Top Reasons People Succeed in the Social Media Marketing Industry
A Beginner’s Guide to Social Media Marketing
11 Creative Ways to Write About Social Media Marketing
The Most Influential People in the Social Media Marketing Industry and Their Celebrity Dopplegangers
The Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing
How Successful People Make the Most of Their Social Media Marketing
The Most Common Social Media Marketing Debate Isn’t as Black and White as You Might Think
Your Worst Nightmare About Social Media Marketing Come to Life
5 Tools Everyone in the Social Media Marketing Industry Should Be Using
Why the Biggest “Myths” About Social Media Marketing May Actually Be Right
30 Inspirational Quotes About Social Media Marketing
The 3 Greatest Moments in Social Media Marketing History
How to Get More Results Out of Your Social Media Marketing
10 Secrets About Social Media Marketing You Can Learn From TV
The Advanced Guide to Social Media Marketing
Undeniable Proof That You Need Social Media Marketing
12 Stats About Social Media Marketing to Make You Look Smart Around the Water Cooler
Social Media Marketing: All the Stats, Facts, and Data You’ll Ever Need to Know
Social Media Marketing: A Simple Definition
What I Wish I Knew a Year Ago About Social Media Marketing
20 Trailblazers Leading the Way in Social Media Marketing
How to Save Money on Social Media Marketing
How Did We Get Here? The History of Social Media Marketing Told Through Tweets
How to Explain Social Media Marketing to Your Grandparents
Getting Tired of Social Media Marketing? 10 Sources of Inspiration That’ll Rekindle Your Love
15 Up-and-Coming Social Media Marketing Bloggers You Need to Watch
10 Apps to Help You Manage Your Social Media Marketing
14 Businesses Doing a Great Job at Social Media Marketing
This Is Your Brain on Social Media Marketing
The Social Media Marketing Case Study You’ll Never Forget
17 Reasons Why You Should Ignore Social Media Marketing
What the Best Social Media Marketing Pros Do (and You Should Too)
A Productive Rant About Social Media Marketing
20 Gifts You Can Give Your Boss if They Love Social Media Marketing
The 12 Worst Types Social Media Marketing Accounts You Follow on Twitter
Will Social Media Marketing Ever Die?
Forget Social Media Marketing: 10 Reasons Why You No Longer Need It
From Around the Web: 20 Fabulous Infographics About Social Media Marketing
A Look Into the Future: What Will the Social Media Marketing Industry Look Like in 10 Years?
The Social Media Marketing Awards: The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Things We’ve Seen
The Most Underrated Companies to Follow in the Social Media Marketing Industry
The 12 Best Social Media Marketing Accounts to Follow on Twitter
12 Helpful Tips For Doing Social Media Marketing
10 Facebook Pages to Follow About Social Media Marketing
5 Bad Habits That People in the Social Media Marketing Industry Need to Quit
9 Signs You Sell Social Media Marketing for a Living
10 Meetups About Social Media Marketing You Should Attend
6 Books About Social Media Marketing You Should Read
10 Fundamentals About Social Media Marketing You Didn’t Learn in School
The 13 Best Pinterest Boards for Learning About Social Media Marketing
9 TED Talks That Anyone Working in Social Media Marketing Should Watch
3 Reasons Your Social Media Marketing Is Broken (And How to Fix It)
What Hollywood Can Teach Us About Social Media Marketing
15 Weird Hobbies That’ll Make You Better at Social Media Marketing
15 Best Blogs to Follow About Social Media Marketing
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Social Media Marketing
Don’t Buy Into These “Trends” About Social Media Marketing
10 Sites to Help You Become an Expert in Social Media Marketing
10 Facts About Social Media Marketing That Will Instantly Put You in a Good Mood
8 Videos About Social Media Marketing That’ll Make You Cry
How to Explain Social Media Marketing to Your Boss
Responsible for a Social Media Marketing Budget? 10 Terrible Ways to Spend Your Money
11 Embarrassing Social Media Marketing Faux Pas You Better Not Make
What Would the World Look Like Without Social Media Marketing?
Does Your Social Media Marketing Pass The Test? 7 Things You Can Improve On Today
15 Terms Everyone in the Social Media Marketing Industry Should Know
Enough Already! 15 Things About Social Media Marketing We’re Tired of Hearing
How to Explain Social Media Marketing to a Five-Year-Old
The Most Common Complaints About Social Media Marketing, and Why They’re Bunk
The History of Social Media Marketing
10 Inspirational Graphics About Social Media Marketing
How to Master Social Media Marketing in 6 Simple Steps
3 Common Reasons Why Your Social Media Marketing Isn’t Working (And How To Fix It)
Is Tech Making Social Media Marketing Better or Worse?
A Social Media Marketing Success Story You’ll Never Believe
10 Quick Tips About Social Media Marketing
7 Things About Social Media Marketing You’ll Kick Yourself for Not Knowing
This Week’s Top Stories About Social Media Marketing
Why You Should Focus on Improving Social Media Marketing
When Professionals Run Into Problems With Social Media Marketing, This Is What They Do
10 No-Fuss Ways to Figuring Out Your Social Media Marketing
5 Laws That’ll Help the Social Media Marketing Industry
The Ugly Truth About Social Media Marketing
Why You’re Failing at Social Media Marketing
How to Outsmart Your Boss on Social Media Marketing
15 Tips About Social Media Marketing From Industry Experts
10 Best Facebook Pages of All Time About Social Media Marketing
Where to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities on Social Media Marketing
11 Ways to Completely Ruin Your Social Media Marketing
10 Wrong Answers to Common Social Media Marketing Questions: Do You Know the Right Ones?
A Step-by-Step Guide to Social Media Marketing
What the Oxford English Dictionary Doesn’t Tell You About Social Media Marketing
20 Best Tweets of All Time About Social Media Marketing
15 Gifts for the Social Media Marketing Lover in Your Life
The Urban Dictionary of Social Media Marketing
15 Most Underrated Skills That’ll Make You a Rockstar in the Social Media Marketing Industry
The Intermediate Guide to Social Media Marketing
The Ultimate Glossary of Terms About Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing Explained in Instagram Photos
The Most Hilarious Complaints We’ve Heard About Social Media Marketing
The 3 Biggest Disasters in Social Media Marketing History
Social Media Marketing Explained in Fewer than 140 Characters
Why People Love to Hate Social Media Marketing
14 Cartoons About Social Media Marketing That’ll Brighten Your Day
A Trip Back in Time: How People Talked About Social Media Marketing 20 Years Ago
How to Outsmart Your Peers on Social Media Marketing
The Worst Advice You Could Ever Get About Social Media Marketing
25 Surprising Facts About Social Media Marketing
10 Things You Learned in Preschool That’ll Help You With Social Media Marketing
The Best Kept Secrets About Social Media Marketing
5 Killer Quora Answers on Social Media Marketing
The Most Pervasive Problems in Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing: 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier
10 Tips for Making a Good Social Media Marketing Even Better
20 Reasons You Need to Stop Stressing About Social Media Marketing
15 People You Oughta Know in the Social Media Marketing Industry
So You’ve Bought Social Media Marketing … Now What?
10 Celebrities Who Should Consider a Career in Social Media Marketing
How the 10 Worst Social Media Marketing Fails of All Time Could Have Been Prevented
From Around the Web: 20 Awesome Photos of Social Media Marketing
The Best Advice You Could Ever Get About Social Media Marketing
5 Vines About Social Media Marketing That You Need to See
What the Heck Is Social Media Marketing?
10 Misconceptions Your Boss Has About Social Media Marketing
The Most Common Mistakes People Make With Social Media Marketing
The Most Influential People in the Social Media Marketing Industry
What’s the Current Job Market for Social Media Marketing Professionals Like?
Sage Advice About Social Media Marketing From a Five-Year-Old
The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing
Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Social Media Marketing?
4 Dirty Little Secrets About the Social Media Marketing Industry
The Evolution of Social Media Marketing
8 Effective Social Media Marketing Elevator Pitches
10 Tell-Tale Signs You Need to Get a New Social Media Marketing
5 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Social Media Marketing
10 Situations When You’ll Need to Know About Social Media Marketing
20 Questions You Should Always Ask About Social Media Marketing Before Buying It
14 Questions You Might Be Afraid to Ask About Social Media Marketing
The 10 Scariest Things About Social Media Marketing
10 Great Social Media Marketing Public Speakers
9 Things Your Parents Taught You About Social Media Marketing
7 Things You Should Not Do With Social Media Marketing

Outperform Big Brands With Content Marketing: Small Business Edition

“Big brands have an advantage…they have the brand awareness, the huge audiences talking about them online, hundreds, of not thousands of reviews. How in the world can my small business compete?”

Great question young marketing grasshopper. Let’s master this concept, shall we?

Let us ask you a question:

Why do avid cyclists go to smaller specialty bike shops instead of a big box store that offers bikes?

Simple: Because of the level of knowledge and expertise that the smaller shop offers is something that cannot be easily replicated by the bigger box/brand stores.

Publishing valuable content will lead consumers to discover your business and product offerings as they search for solutions to the problem they are facing. By making content available to consumers, your business will communicate an awareness of consumer needs, humanizing your brand with a personality that is friendly and helpful, as well as creating the opportunity for customers to form a relationship with you.

Content Marketing Breeds Brand Equity

Content that is relevant to the needs of consumers and offers them a valuable solution establishes your business as a thought leader in your industry, which helps build a trusting relationship with consumers. Attaining this level of credibility will lead consumers to prefer your goods and services over alternative solutions, since they are aware of the unique value proposition offered by your business: that you are the knowledgeable experts in your field.

The Speciality Bike Shop (above) is an example similar to how content marketing can work to increase thought leadership and brand equity for your business. By sharing your expertise in the form of content (with consistency, frequency, and recency), you will easily boost your credibility with customers. They know that they can come to you for solid advice because you have provided them with relevant, helpful information in the past.

Content marketing, also referred to as inbound marketing, involves the creation and distribution of relevant content that provides value to your business’s target audience. Content marketing can be shared with consumers in numerous forms: infographics, ebooks, white papers, case studies, how-to guides, etc. The main purpose of content marketing is to offer consumers value by presenting a solution to their needs, thus influencing the buying cycle.

Effective Long-term Results With Stellar Content

If the content your business releases is designed to be a mix of time-sensitive and evergreen pieces, your business’s content library will still be relevant to consumers as time passes. High-traffic content will also improve search engine rankings, and the consistent release of content can serve as a continuous source of interested consumers.

Content Marketing: The Main Sell

Content marketing is an effective strategy to interact with consumers and introduce them to your business’s brand. By providing consumers with value before they even visit your store, you are building positive relationships and connections to your brand, resulting in long-lasting customer loyalty and brand equity for your business.

Introduction

Creating content that will capture the attention of people in a short period of time

You may have great content on your web pages, but perhaps at the same time, few, if any, get to see it. This is quite pointless as the content will be of no value if no one gets to consume the content — but startups, entrepreneurs, and even small business owners have one thing in common — that is the scarcity of time. 

If you fall in this category, then you may realize that you may not have any time to concentrate on white papers, videos, blogs, as well as other content types. Remember, having great content ends up increasing your traffic, authority, and trust —  and in turn, conversion rates.

You should apply some strategies that can help you to have a connection with readers so that they can remain engaged and encourage them to share your content with others. Having some working strategies allows you to know where you stand and exactly what needs to be done so that you can be more successful with your content efforts. 

Know Your Audience

You need to think about your target audience. What makes them tick?

When you are dealing with formal papers such as press releases and white papers, then you may apply third person style of writing so it may be more effective.

You should always strive to offer people the right kind of information — based on their needs, goals, and intent. It is also important to inform them exactly how the information can be used to their advantage (think: benefits). Conversions are usually much easier to achieve when you appeal to people on a ‘value-based’ perspective — don’t be the ‘barking dog’ and yell from the rooftops about how great your products and services are.

Time Is Of The Essence

Time must always be respected. You cannot know the situation of each and every reader who visits your site — but one thing is for sure, consuming your content has to be worth the readers’ time. Create shorter, more concise paragraphs and use subheadings to keep them intrigued — while the content is ‘scannable’. Stick to a particular topic and stay on task — avoid being lofty. If you stray, not many people will not stick around, won’t convert, and they quite possibly won’t be as willing to return to consume new content.

Your Header Matters!

You need to take your time on the header. This should be compelling, but also be a great summary of what to expect in the paragraphs that follow. Don’t use misleading headlines — use headlines that are not meant to be click bait.

A magnetic header can improve time on page, share rates, and traffic in general.

Use Images

You should add meaningful photos and graphics to your content. on your website. A well-done video can add a great deal of value to your content. 

There are many tools that can be utilized online today so that you can come up with a better design, video, and image that will help you keep the audience occupied. Even when you are adding videos and photos, you have to ensure that they are related to the messaging in your content. Don’t simply add image content for the sake of doing so — each image (just like each word) should add to the conversation, not distract from it. E

Great Content Isn’t Easy!

The hardest part is creating content that people can actually relate to. It needs to be relevant at all times; otherwise, people will simply lose interest before you capture their attention fully.

After creating content that you feel is worth attention, you need to let people know about it. You should promote yourself in every platform that is available to you (but platforms that make sense to your desired audience).

When you have a well-thought-out strategy for content marketing that is designed for success, you can expect benefits that can change your business completely.

Good Content Has Purpose

First, you need to come up with content that is purposeful. When you have a strategy, you will have content that can contribute directly towards the goals of the business. When you create something without any strategy, you risk failing miserably.

Are you The Expert or Another Fish in the Sea?

You also need to create content that shows that you are an expert in your industry/niche — this creates immediate credibility and authority. Consumers seek credibility and authority in their ‘customer journey’. For this to happen, the consumers need to believe that you are confident about the things you are doing, your product/service has desired benefits, and that your company cares about the customers’ needs.

Meet a Need or Don’t Bother

For your content to be useful, it is to be pre-planned and researched. Aim at meeting the consumer needs and show them that you are knowledgeable about the industry while offering know-how, education, and/or alternative uses for your product/service.

Planning content is essential. You need to plan the ideas well to meet the audience and support the goals that you had already set. You will need a calendar to organize your time and track measurement later. You should aim at coming up with diverse content formats such as: video, white papers, blogs, and articles. In addition, audience segments are important because your audience could be at different stages of the customer journey (think: new customer and acquisition vs. current customer retention). People love different approaches and different types of content. You should also include different types of content approaches, such as: evergreen articles, thought leadership, and news round ups. It’s important to try to figure out exactly how the pieces fit together to create the big picture for customers in all categories of the journey. Let your audience have a clear plan of action of what they are supposed to do once they read/consume the content.

Your Brand Descriptors Rely on the Quality of Content

You need to know that there is a cross relationship between your brand and content. You need a strategy that will help you to come up with content that is consistent with the brand and how you want your customers to think of your brand (i.e. helpful, useful rather than inconsistent and boring). This will ensure that you always have a regular and steady supply of content that can be shared with your followers, email subscribers, and brand advocates.

Stand Out — Don’t Just Fit In

With content marketing, you have no choice but to stand out — not just fit in. Businesses are making great investments in delivering the best content. This means that there is no way you can compete if you do not have a content strategy that is competitive. The strategy needs to also evaluate what other businesses like yours are doing. You need to come up with content that is both exceptional, valuable, and that which is worth the readers’ time.

Set Goals & Measure

When you want a strategy that will hold water, you need to have actionable/measurable goals. Having a clear picture of exactly how content can help you to achieve business goals helps you to broaden your thinking and expectations. It’s good to know what kind of effect you are trying to achieve. Do you want more customers? Are you trying to create awareness about the business? Are you trying to retain customers and strengthen relations? The above questions can help you determine the formats that you should use as well as the tone of the content.

When the goals are all set, you need to choose a way that can help you measure success. You will need to lay out a criterion about what is considered as success and what is not. You may base it on how many people end up finding the page and the conversions that you receive. It is important to have targets and measurements to get feedback on the impact of the content as they relate to your goals.

It is important to come up with a strategy that is effective and easy to implement. As for distribution, make use of paid, earned, and owned content distribution to have a wider reach.

Every website hopes to drive traffic; but not just traffic, the right traffic. But once your audience is on the the site, how do you make the experience worthy of their time? Certainly, a great user experience is important, but that is a broad subject that could be entire series of posts.

For this post, however, let’s look at anchor text and how a site owner can make use of it to make the experience valued; while also lending some of its value to your SEO efforts.

Wait, What Is Anchor Text?

Good question. Quite simply, links on the Internet come in many shapes and sizes. For example, there are images, that when clicked, load a new page or new section of content (sometimes an entire new website). Anchor text, therefore, is the actual text (and words used) in a link that your audience clicks to load new content.

This is an example of anchor text (see the different styling of the words?).

The Dynamics of Anchor Text

Many business owners and marketers tend to miss the boat by sidelining anchor text; however, it is a dynamic element in boosting the brand and company on the Internet as part of the link displayed on the browser for quicker access to another piece of content or another website all together. It is a vibrant factor in the optimal application of on-page and off-page optimization in the SEO marketing approach — but it is also super helpful to the user, when implemented correctly.

The Types of Anchor Text

There are many specific features which anchor text could prove dynamic and vibrant in an online marketing strategy.

• Exact match: A successful online search refers to the exact keyword phrase chosen to match the title of contents in a webpage or site; this would generate a higher ranking for the content piece.
• Partial match: Anchor text that contains part of the keyword phrase selected may find more choices for the preferred information with a moderate ranking.
• Branded: Such anchor text has the brand name included to give a clear focus of the brand and its offerings.
• Generic: The anchor text comprises a general phrase that may not have any targeted keyword identified. This could relate to the general theme of the desired contents which makes it more challenging for website visitors to confirm the success of their search.
• Naked anchor links: This anchor text includes links that direct web visitors to the site using the available URL. This proves a dynamic way to bring in web traffic to the website where deeper online interaction could be fostered with frequent engagements by web users.
• LSI keywords: Such anchor text refers to the synonym(s) of targeted keywords which make it easier for site visitors to find what they want more precisely.

The best anchor text must have relevant features that would have it function as identified to benefit brand building and company growth.

1) Real and Versatile

According to the tough requirements of Google, every section of a website must offer true value to all of its users; this includes links and anchor text which web visitors may click on. Links should be positioned in the right places, in the best format, to ensure that site visitors are able to find them and click easily for further information that would benefit the user.

Good links must provide relevant and up-to-date information that would keep attracting site visitors to the site. Such links must be created without repetitive keywords; where relevant pages would be quickly directed to help website visitors make their favorable decision on the brand or company.

2) Avoid Over-Optimization

Google does not favor excessively optimized anchor text or any keyword-based anchor text that is overused in any page or post. An overwhelming amount of anchor text could result in red flags for Google; it is better to spread anchor text across the site in appropriate proportion and need. This would make the presence of anchor text more natural and relevant to attract the attention of website visitors for better reading and a better experience.

3) Relevant Anchors

It is the objective of top search engines, like Google, to want only the best of online user experience for website visitors at any site they visit. Therefore, it is preferred that anchor text links are placed where appropriate and they should be relevant (to bring more useful information to the site’s visitors).

Non-relevant anchors tend to be avoided or sidelined by search engines, particularly those with irrelevant or out-dated links. Relevant anchor text in any content tends to lend to a better user experience – and the major search engines look for that for your users.

4) Tracking Anchor Texts

The best SEO happens when noticeable attention is placed on actionable anchor text. This involves planning and implementing relevant backlinks that could direct targeted web visitors to the web page. Such links should be updated regularly to avoid website visitors from being directed to outdated content.

5) Good Anchor Distribution

Anchor text needs to be well-distributed on the website to ensure a fair proportion that captures the attention of site visitors, but also adds to the conversation. It can be overwhelming for website visitors to be bombarded with anchor text at every paragraph in every article in every sentence. Over-stuffing of keywords in the content should be avoided to allow visitors a valued experience; for better understanding and consumption of the message.

Today our topic is Small Business Facebook pages and it’s the second blog in our social media for small business series. Love it or hate it, Facebook is here and utilizing it as part of your marketing strategy is important. First of all, Facebook can be a valuable asset in not only building your audience but also then engaging with that audience. This social platform is a fantastic source of social proof for your business and if you don’t have one you are really doing your business a disservice.

Small Business Facebook 101

Started way back in 2004 as a social networking site created by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and some friends in the dorm. It eventually spread to most college universities in the US and Canada, before opening to everyone with an email address over the age of 13 in 2006.

Not convinced you need a Facebook for your business?

• In 2018 Facebook now has 2.19 billion monthly active users.
• 5 new Facebook profiles are created every second.
• 58.3 million U.S. Facebook users were between 25 and 34 years old.
• 72% of adult internet users use Facebook.
• Facebook has the most engaged users:
  • 70% log on daily, including 43% who do so several times a day.

What do these statistics mean for you and your business? Facebook offers up many opportunities for your business, if you take advantage of them.

Things to keep in mind when using Facebook for your business:

• Facebook is image heavy, try to use video and images to entice viewers
• Facebook is predominantly for entertainment and value. People look to a company’s profile before making a purchase or reaching out to them.
• Facebook is “share” heavy.
• Content that resonates with the audience is more likely to be shared.
• You can target relevant audiences on Facebook

Examples

To make it easier let’s look at a examples of a small business killing it on Facebook.

Caskade Bar & Grill

Caskade Kitchen & Bar have hit the mark for having a standout Facebook page. Why does their page stand out? It:

• Has a header image and a profile image. 
• The images are not blown out or pixelated.
• Labeled as a restaurant.
• Has the about us section is filled out, including the contact information.
• The review section is utilized on the page. 
• Posts have images to quickly grab attention.

Diving into the engagement and reviews on the page offers up more insights:

Here we see comments.

Caskade Kitchen & Bar ENGAGES with their comments and reviews! If they don’t leave a comment, they make sure to like the comment so that they are above all, still engaging with the audience.

When they post they:

• Use Images!
  • Images are bright and clear, catching attention and drawing engagement to the post.On posts with questions, they RESPOND to the question or statement.
• Use Hashtags!
  • Hashtags used are relevant to the post – the name of the establishment, location and what the image is off.
• Again the image draws in engagement – likes, comments and shares, and the business makes a point to respond and like the comments – building community!

Not Up to Snuff

Now it’s time to flip it and review a small business not taking advantage of everything that Facebook has to offer.

Baja Chops Surf Grub have completely missed mark for a page with many missed opportunities on this page.

• This is an unofficial business page, meaning no one is running it and the small business is not utilizing this social media platform.
• The about is empty as the page is unofficial offering no way of contact for this business.
• Reviews are relatively old between 1-4 years old and offer again no interaction from the business.
• A quick Google search shows that this page is the only online real estate for this company.

Treating social this way gives an air of disregard, as though you don’t care enough to open up this channel of communication for your customers. This lack of social proof can hurt a company since more and more potential customers look to a company and their social platforms before moving forward.

Facebook for small business is a useful tool and a platform that you can’t afford to lose out on. Hopefully these best practices will allow you to form your own habits and help you build an engaging audience today. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us at (518) 694-4044.

To do content marketing successfully, you have to pump out a great deal of content. You have to become a ‘content creation machine,’ producing original, interesting, and relevant content that’s valuable to your readers on a steady basis. You can become a high-volume content producer with the right mindset, practice, and a bit of hard work.

Once you get into the flow, creating content is easy.

And remember, “We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.” ~ Craig Davis, former Chief Creative Officer at J. Walter Thompson. (That’s a bit-sized quote that is packed with power and insight! I suggest you check out some other great content marketing quotes right here).

Daily Practice: Flex Those Content Marketing Muscles!

Creating content, especially writing, is something you should get into a daily habit of doing. When you set aside some time to write each day, it gets much easier and feels more natural.

A Content Creation Schedules Will Save Time and Headaches

Create a regular schedule for your content creation and publishing, and then put this into your daily routine. Decide how many posts, articles, videos, etc. you’ll make each week and then set aside the time on your calendar to do it.

Start an Idea Bank To Deposit and Withdraw Inspiration From

Create an idea bank. This is a list of ideas that you can refer to for inspiration. You can keep your idea bank on your PC, but it’s good to take a notepad with you wherever you go in case an idea strikes you (a mobile device can serve this purpose as well). Many content creators swear by Evernote, while others feel most comfortable recording their ideas in their Moleskine notebooks.

Start a Template Bank

You may not realize this, but most articles follow basic patterns. Writers use templates that they plug their ideas into to create articles. For example, one template is the ‘Wrong Way vs. Right Way’ template. This type of article discusses how people commonly do something wrong and then tells the reader how to do it right.

Using templates such as this, you can simply plug your ideas in and create content much more quickly. You can also use templates to repurpose content by taking the same ideas and plugging them into different templates to create totally original articles.

Try saving articles you’ve written or seen in a “templates” folder in your computer. You can do the same with videos or other content that follows a specific structure, such as infographics or email series. Any time you create or see a type of content you like, save it so that you can go back and find it again.

Mix up Your Content: Diversify!

Don’t limit yourself to creating just one kind of content. Rather than sticking to articles and blog posts only, try making images, producing videos, creating infographics, compiling resource guides, and so on. Your audience will enjoy the variety.

Seek Feedback & Evolve With It

Get friends, colleagues, and other content creators to review your work and offer advice. Especially with writing, it helps to have more experienced writers offer tips. Use this advice to sharpen your writing skills.

Check Out the Competition: Be More Clever

Take a look at other content in your niche. You can compare your content to others and find ways to make improvements. Checking out the competition can also give you ideas on how to set yourself apart from others.

Curate Content: Not Just Because You’re Short of Ideas!
Finally, you don’t have to create all of your content from scratch. You can curate content, which means sharing the content of others and offering your own ideas and opinions. For example, you might share a news story and then write your own summary and commentary. Curating content well makes you the go-to source of information in your niche for your readers.

At this point we’re all aware that we need content to build out a marketing strategy behind. Besides, without content, what good is the Internet? If you’re confused or unsure of how to create and develop content, don’t be. We have a quick rundown of the basics of content marketing that you can run with and find new successes with.

First of All, What is Content Marketing?

Simply put, content marketing is the creation and distribution of content that is consistent, relevant, and valuable to your target audience. There are many different types of content that you can create such as:

• Blog Posts: a piece of writing posted on a blog
• Case Studies: a record of research detailing the development of an individual, group, or situation
• Infographics: a visual, such as a chart or diagram, used to represent information or data
• Videos: a recording of visual images
• eBooks: an electronic version of a book that can be read on a computer
• Podcasts: a digital audio file that is downloaded to a computer or mobile device
• Webinars: a seminar conducted over the internet

Content marketing has a focus on the long-term opposed to the short-term. The objective of creating engaging content is to inform and gradually pull in clientele not to push them to purchasing a product or service immediately.

Why is Content Marketing Important?

As the unsung hero of your marketing campaign, content marketing works as a means to not only portray your company’s message but to inform and educate your target audience.

In today’s digital age, content marketing is outperforming outbound marketing in terms of lead generation as well as cost. The statistics don’t lie:

• 70% of customers prefer to get information about a company from content rather than ads.
• Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing.
• Clicks from shared content are 5x more likely to result in a purchase.
• 72% of marketers think that branded content is more effective than advertising in a magazine.

How to Develop an Effective Content Marketing Strategy

There are many ways to develop an effective content marketing strategy. We’ve compiled our favorite strategy in a quick and easy breakdown for you below!

• Define your Objective. In order to become an authoritative voice within your industry you must first analyze your competitors and play to the competitive advantages that your business offers. At this stage, you must also develop your brand’s values, your voice, and tone in order to develop your brand.
• Identify Your Target Audience. The core focus of any content marketing campaign is offering a benefit to a targeted clientele. Your key focus is to drive clicks, increase retention, and ultimately lead to conversions; the way to do this is by building a brand and educating prospective clientele with free, high-quality content.
• Content Creation: You can’t have a content marketing campaign without content! At this point, it’s time to develop content that is informative to your audience – a key to content creation is choosing which type(s) of content will resonate best with you demographic.
• Content Distribution: Now it’s time to execute. Distribute your content to social media platforms, your company blog page, and any relevant publications that would benefit by sharing your content. This stage in the process is where clicks will increase, engagement will ramp up, and conversions will begin to trickle in.
• Analyze the Metrics: After sticking to a consistent campaign, make sure to analyze the data regarding your content: distinguish what worked best and what underperformed and adjust your campaign to perform even better over time.

Do you have any tips or tricks for pulling together a killer content marketing strategy? Leave it below in the comments. Interested in learning how Digital Marketing Training Group can help you become your own boss? Give us a call at 518-694-4044.

You can’t escape the need for a blog on your website anymore. Prospects expect that you will draw them in with creative, engaging, original content that they can’t pass up reading, and if you’re like most people, that can be daunting. Don’t let the act of writing a blog fill you with dread and anxiety. We’ve compiled a few tips to help you fill the page with valuable content, rather than stare at the page and hope words materialize.

• • Audience is everything. As a marketer you should already be cognizant of who your audience is. Write for the person you know is out there, typing furiously into the search bar, hoping to find your blog. If you’ve read our blog How to Create Your Ideal Client Profile, you can use that persona as your jump off. Hopefully you’ve created profiles for all your prospective audience members and you can use the profiles to help you understand your blog’s audience as well. Knowing the audience helps you to craft your content in a more conversational tone for the millennial, then turn around and write a solid technical piece for the more advanced reader.
  • Pick your topic. Staring at a blank screen is bad for your eyes and bad for your moral. Sometimes you know right away the topic you want to cover, while other times your topic eludes you. It doesn’t hurt to keep a notebook with you and write any topic ideas as they come to you. It’s also important to keep the following in mind:
    • Don’t write about a broad topic – narrow your focus to make the read more valuable. Not sure how to narrow the focus? Ask yourself the one thing you want individuals to take away from your blog, then focus on it.
    • Create an outline and fill it in as you research your topic. There are countless ways to create an outline. You just have to make sure you’ve included all the important parts: a beginning, middle and end. Be sure to have an introduction, and an ending (with a call to action), as well as a body that really explains the topic you are writing about.

• Write. It’s important to realize that it’s ok to not like what you’ve written. Write out your first draft, keeping in mind that you want to connect with your audience. Take a break and then come back and review your copy. As you edit it, try to tighten your language and make sure you’ve stayed on topic. Ask a friend or coworker to review it and then make the corrections. Get that copy on your site and start blasting it through your social networks.

The more you write, the better you’ll become at it and there are countless resources out there to help you hone your skills. Do you have any tips to help overcome writer’s block or writing nerves? Share them in the comments.