Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Content Marketing Blog Help: Increasing Your Online Exposure by Merv Stevens

Content marketing blog articles is necessary if you are looking to increase your online exposure. An effective content marketing blog strategy can help you acquire the target audience and improve search engine optimization, or SEO. In fact, content marketing is often overlooked by many new bloggers looking to SEO their content.

Content promotion is the foremost contributor to off-page SEO. As you can see, marketing quality content is beneficial to your blog in multiple ways. Let's take a look at how you can increase you blog's exposure via this strategy.

Creating Quality Content Matters

Before you can begin the distribution process of content marketing blog articles, there is an often overlooked step you must perform initially. Far too often, especially among those who are solely looking for SEO juice, bloggers overlook the importance of creating valuable content.

Content marketing is essentially the process of getting to your targeted audience without selling them anything. This is done by providing relevant, informative, and attractive content. Creating high quality content is half the battle with this type of marketing.

Social Media Platforms

As you are probably aware, social media platforms are among the busiest websites online today. Countless users access these websites daily to interact with friends, access news, and entertain themselves. By creating high quality sharable content, you are on your way to effectively marketing content via social media.

While creating sharable content is a great way to increase exposure by potentially going viral, it is necessary to learn to target your audience. In other words, your content marketing strategy is not going to be useful if you simply create a profile and start posting. You need to target people with certain interests and relevant fan pages and groups.

It should also be noted that social media marketing can be a very time-consuming process. Luckily there are social media marketing automation tools that can alleviate the stress of this process. By using various programs, you can schedule your social media posts and focus your marketing efforts elsewhere.

High PR Article Directories

Article directories such are potent sources for article marketing for multiple reasons. These article directories essentially serve as blogging communities in which authors and readers alike read and share content relevant to their interests or niche. This alone is reason enough to start posting high quality content on article directory websites.

In addition, posting content in these article directories can help your blog's SEO efforts. While there are a seemingly limitless number of article directories online today, not all of them are created equal. Among this hoard of directories are high PR article directories.

What does this mean for SEO?

When posting content in high PR article directories, authors are allowed to include backlinks to their blog or another article they've written. Google considers these high PR backlinks to be very valuable. By consistently posting articles in high PR article directories, you are dramatically increasing an article chance of being found on an initial Google search results page. While these are not the only content marketing blog strategies, they are among the most effective.

About the Author

Merv Stevens works in Internet and Network Marketing. For further tips and advice and to learn more about a content marketing blog go to his blog: Wealth Success Ventures. Act now and discover how to earn 100% commissions online by using a simple 3-step process that anyone can do... and it takes only a few minutes a day.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Blogging For Your Home Business
Copyright © Rahimah Sultan

Set a Routine

Set a schedule and stick to it. Decide what days you’re going to publish articles for your home business and get them out on those days. If you’re new to blogging and unable to write articles daily, then do it two or three times a week. Regular posting can enable you to move up in search engine ranking, and it keeps you in front of your audience.

If blogging is only one aspect of your home business, and you’re not in a position to outsource work, you may not have the time to post articles several times a week. In that case, there are many sources for published articles that allow you to republish, as long as you keep the article intact and the author’s resource box.

Be Flexible

Don’t overthink every single detail. Pick a subject you know something about, that’s related to your blog/home business and write about it. Just choose a basic outline and fill in the details, like writing a 350-word school paper for a language class. You make an outline and fill in the details. It can be 250 words. You decide. It’s your blog.

Be Open and Aware

There’s inspiration all around you. Something is happening all the time. Make notes and figure out how to use them for articles. For instance, you read a blog article by another person. Notice how they make their points and tie things together. Check out emails that you get from lists you’re on. See how the titles grab your attention and pull you in to read the information.

So, you set your routine and stick with your schedule. If you can only post once a week, do so but at least that until you’re able to post more often. That should be your absolute minimum goal. You’ll at least stay in practice and in front of an audience.

Don’t over think your articles, but do make the material relevant to your blog and/or home business and informative. And, keep a notebook for jotting down ideas for future articles.

Rahimah Sultan
http://www.rahimahsultan.com
https://www.facebook.com/rahimah.sultan

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Debunking Three Social Marketing Myths Author: Vince Ginsburg

Social marketing is important; enough has been said on the matter. Executing that marketing however is a more nuanced affair. It isn't simply a matter of "doing it," there has to be a clear goal in mind, with an overarching ethos and objectives that align with that.

It might sound haughty, especially compared to actual real-life social interaction. But compare "making friends" with "business networking." One is done casually and on a whim, the other is far more determined and precise.

The problem is despite the social nature of social marketing too many SMM approaches think it is just about making friends. Let's address that misconception.

Myth 1: Update Constantly

A social channel with nothing on it is a dead one, and nobody will want to pay attention to it. So nobody will. It's the same as a Friend on Facebook who never posts anything; all they do is lurk. With nothing to contribute, there is no participation in the social community, so there is no reciprocation.

You could fill your company's Facebook Page with loads of updates every minute of every day. And it would all be for naught. Too many updates often drown out your own posts. If your feed is filling so fast that nobody can get the opportunity to see a particular post then it might has well never have been posted.

Also, not all content is created equal. A lot of stuff on your social channel does not necessarily mean there is a lot of content. Content is relevant, engaging, and sharable. General updates are just filler, they could possess nothing that makes them noteworthy. An update is a self-announcement to the world for its own sake; and people may or may not listen.

Do you pay much attention to that "friend" who always posts about how bored they are, how they went to the grocery store, and what they're making for dinner? Not really, because none of those updates pertain to you or engage you in any meaningful way. It's not informative or amusing to your interests, it doesn't affect you.

But content should. Content is news, jokes, information, entertainment.

Likewise, do not be tempted to merely repost or reblog. Doing nothing but reposting other people's content is easy and quick, but there needs to be an element of originality. At the very least, make sure your repostings are unique and come from a diverse and reputable selection; become a content curator. Your originality can come from your selection.

But really, nothing beats material that comes from your own mouth first and can't be found anywhere else.

The Truth: Make relevant content, not just filler updates.

Myth 2: Amass Followers

The measures of success on social channels are Likes, Shares, Subscribes, Mentions, Retweeks, and Followers. These are numbers tallied from a single user performing a single task, usually hitting a button.

Having a hundred-thousand Likes sure looks impressive, but what does it really mean? Are there truly one hundred-thousand loyal fans out there, waiting on your every word and press release? Or have a bunch of people just hit a button one hundred-thousand times.

Answer: It's the latter.

Likes and such are a quick-and-dirty measurement, but really they don't hold up to actual conversions. You don't need Likes just as you don't need tallies on a chalkboard, because that is really all Likes are.

You need an audience base and a way to track them; and more importantly an audience that will follow through on your prompts (conversions). You need people to carry out your calls-to-action, or to help spread the campaign.

You don't want drooling masses following you like hungry dogs gazing after the meat in your hands. You want keenly aware, self-motivated and ambitious minions to take your cues and move themselves forward.

The more time spent coddling followers, the less time spent developing and advancing yourself. Let your audience participate, and in doing so carry some of the workload. Let them spread the campaign, persuade others through recommendations on your behalf, and provide feedback on your products.

Your audience should be doing a task, even if that task is simply to buy into your product. If all they're doing is hitting a thumbs-up button, then they're not doing anything truly meaningful for you.

The Truth: Develop an army of individual assets, not just mindless admirers.

Myth 3: Launch New Advertising

If you want to gain the attention of people on social media you must promote yourselves to them. Use targeted ads relevant to interests, topical events/holidays/events, and saturate their exposure with your presence.

Sounds simple enough. Yet if you follow this to the letter, you'll find yourself completed ignored.

If you see ads for Christmas during Labor Day do you immediately think to start your Christmas shopping when you haven't even gotten your Halloween costume ready? Do political ads at every corner only make you sick and tired of the whole election affair entirely?

These are not effective marketing strategies. Like Myth 1, this is a wasteful overexposure. You don't need fluff, and such launches are just that. A true campaign does not consist of relentless promotion all at once.

A true campaign is designed to win over people who can be assets, not just followers. A campaign gets people to redistribute for you, uses strategies and contests and polls to engage, and employs follow-ups like email marketing to continue keeping the audience in the loop. A proper campaign leads into itself and segues neatly into the next; it is not just one block of commercials brusquely followed by another set.

For example, launching new ads just prior to the holiday season is a slam to the face, meanwhile advertising way too soon only spoils the point of the endeavor. It takes timing.

A campaign is not just a cost, but an investment. It should return multiple values, not just sales. It should bring in leads, new sub-audiences, more accurate demographics, and more people assets.

The Truth: Don't just launch new ads, create a campaign that caters to the bigger picture.

Mythbusted

These myths really are just traditional marketing techniques as they apply to existing mediums. But on the Social Web people tend to act, and think, a bit differently. Not in the complete sense, but their priorities change, and often.

Appealing to them less as consumers and more as participants gives them the benefit of living out an experience, which serves to build social bonds. It interacts with the audience on a personal level, which is what social networking is all about. And from a business standpoint it is the most cost-effective, as a properly executed social marketing strategy transfers some of the work onto the audiences themselves.

Correcting these myths is less about going against traditional marketing strategies, because they really don't. But it is imperative that they be followed with this new mindset behind them.

What other "marketing myths" don't quite apply in the social world, or just need a new perspective?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/debunking-three-social-marketing-myths-6299854.html

About the Author

Resident writer and techno-philosopher, Vince likes to look at the state of the Web and online technologies to see where everything is going. Read more of his articles on the Corsair Media Services blog.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

3 Ways to Put Fresh Spins on Old Marketing Concepts
 Michele PW Pariza Wacek

Are you struggling to find a new twist for your advertising or marketing campaigns? Tired of sounding like everyone else and want something new and fresh? Never fear. Here are 3 ways to get those creative juices (and new ideas) flowing.

But before I get to those, there are a few things you should do to prime the pump, so to speak. What this does is clear your "conscious" mind so your muse will have an easier time sending messages to it.

First, review all the information about your product or service. Then, write down all the benefits (why customers would buy those products or services).

Now write down all the concepts you have used before or you've seen other people use before. This is an important step. You need to move the old stuff out of the way to make room for the new. Writing those concepts down helps do this.

Okay, now you're ready to start generating some fresh ideas.

1. Take another look at testimonials. Testimonials are always great selling tools, but that's not why I want you to do this. Customers may come up with a key benefit you never thought about before, and that may become the foundation for a new campaign. Scour every testimonial you can get your hands on and see if you can find something new. You might want to even try calling a few customers for quick interviews. (Don't have testimonials? Now might be a good time to solicit some.)

2. Study other ads. Flip through a magazine or turn on the television -- except this time focus on the ads and not the content. (I know, I know, this is counter to what you usually do.) Which ads do you like? Why do you like them? Are those ads doing something you can modify for your own campaign?

The key word is modify, not copy. I don't want anyone committing copyright infringement. What I'm talking about is using an existing ad to jump-start your own ideas. Maybe you really like the use of an evocative photo with a single caption. Or the use of repetition in Mastercard's "Priceless" campaign. Or the idea of turning the "money can't buy everything" on its head (which is essence of that campaign). Can you use that concept in your campaign?

Another resource for great ads is Communication Arts Magazine. Each issue showcases some of the most creative and beautiful ads found anywhere.

3. Check out what a completely different industry is doing. For instance, let's say you sell software products to computer professionals. Techy market, right? So, pick up a yoga magazine. See how that industry communicates with its audience. Now try selling your product using the same language and concepts. Take it a step further and brainstorm ways your software product is similar to doing yoga.

Why this works: One definition of creativity is taking two everyday ideas and combing them so they become something original.

This is a very powerful way to jolt your own thinking and start your muse down a completely different path, one you might never have discovered before.

A variation on this idea is to force a connection with a random object rather than an entire industry. You ask yourself, how is your software program similar to a stuffed dog? Write down everything you can think of, no matter how silly or foolish. Sometimes the foolish ideas are the ones that lead to the great ones.

A final note: If at all possible, don't rush this process. Give your muse some time to ponder and play with these techniques. I know it often seems like ideas pop out into your head out of thin airFree Reprint Articles, but usually that only happens because you've given your muse the necessary tools and "incubation time" to make it happen.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a premiere direct response copywriting and marketing company that helps entrepreneurs attract more clients, sell more products and services and boost their business. To grab your FREE "Ka-Ching! Business Kit" with a FREE CD visit http://www.MichelePW.com/freecd