Help A Reporter Out (HARO): A Guide To Getting Free Press
What would it do for your business’ publicity if you were quoted in a news story in Forbes, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or some other top-tier publication? For many business owners, getting press is a game-changer. It can help you attract potential customers, get more leads and make sales. But how do you get press? If you’re not actively pursuing it, it will probably not hop into your lap and allow you to stroke it like a furry cat. There are a lot of strategies to get some press, but one of the most effective (and easiest) is to simply Help A Reporter Out. Want to know how that works? Well, let’s take a look, What is Help a Reporter Out? Help a Reporter Out, or HARO is a service that connects journalists with news sources who can provide expert information and quotes for stories. Journalists post queries on the HARO website, and sources who have relevant expertise can respond to the query with a quote or comment. If the journalist chooses to use your quote in their story, they will typically include your name and professional description. Plus, they’ll often add a back-link to your website. In addition, you may also be able to link to the story from your website or blog. It’s a great way to get your name and your work in the news, and if used consistently, it’s an effective method of building relationships with journalists. For example, suppose a reporter is writing a story about social media marketing, and you’re a social media expert. In that case, you can respond to their query with a quote or helpful tips. Next time they need a source for a story along similar lines, they’re more likely to think of you and might reach out to you first. Why do Reporters Use HARO? That’s a very interesting question, isn’t it? Reporters, after all, are very good at research and should be able to find experts on their own, right? Well, that’s true. But the thing is, reporters are often on deadlines and frequently juggle many different balls. So while they may know how to find who they need to talk to, they don’t always have the time to track those people down. That’s only a part of it, though. Sometimes, reporters use HARO because they’re looking for a fresh take or a new angle on a story. And let’s face it, even the most seasoned reporter can get burned out sometimes and could use some help generating new ideas. Or, it could just be that the journalist wants to hear from people directly impacted by the topic they’re writing about. Whatever the reason, if you can help a reporter solve a problem, there’s a good chance they’ll want to hear from you. And if you can get some press in the process? Well, that’s what we’re after here, isn’t it? What’s In It for You? If you’re thinking that helping out a reporter sounds like a lot of work with no guarantee of anything in return, you’re not wrong. It can be a lot of work, and there is no guarantee that the reporter will use your quote or mention you in their article. However, if you do get chosen, it’s free publicity for you and your business. Sure, it’s a great feeling to see your name in the news. But there’s more to it, though. In addition to getting your name and website in front of potential new customers, the press can also help expert sources build credibility in your field. People will start to see you as an authority if you’re regularly quoted in the news. They’ll be more likely to visit your website, sign up for your email list, and do business with you. Plus, the SEO rewards down the line can be quite useful. Quality links from HARO can be extremely beneficial for link-building efforts, resulting in increased traffic and higher search engine rankings. In addition, quality links can also lead to more do-follow links, which are links that allow search engines to follow them and count them as votes for your website. This can further improve your website’s authority and reach. Finally, quality links can also help build relationships with other websites and businesses, which can lead to additional opportunities down the road How To Set Up An HARO Account If you’re ready to get started with HARO, the first thing you need to do is set up an account. You can sign up for a free account or a paid subscription. There’s no harm in starting with a free account to see how it goes. If you find that you’re getting good results, you can upgrade to a paid subscription later. To sign up, go to helpareporter.com and input your details. Once you’ve signed up, all you’ve got to do is check your email. You’ll start receiving emails containing anything from 10-100 queries three times at 5:45 AM, 12:45 PM, and 5:45 AM (EST) every day, Monday-Friday. So it’s a good idea to set up a separate email account just for HARO queries so that you don’t miss any and your regular inbox doesn’t get overwhelmed. Alternatively, you can set up a filter in your regular email account so that all the HARO emails go into a separate folder. How To Find Opportunities Now that you’re all signed up and receiving query emails, it’s time to start looking for opportunities. When you open one of the emails, you’ll see a list of queries from reporters. Take some time to read through the queries and see if any of them are a good match for your expertise. If you see one that is great! Go ahead and respond. If not, no worries. Just close the email and move on to the next one. Remember, you don’t have to respond to every query you receive. Just the ones that are a good match for you. One way to narrow
35 Free Content Marketing Tools That Will Propel Your Business [+Free Template]
There are so many content marketing tools out there that it can take time to know which ones to use. And once you do find a tool or two, it can be tough to keep up with all the new features and updates. It gets even more complicated when you are on a budget, especially if you are just starting as a content marketer or running a small business. Subscriptions for content marketing tools can add up quickly and cut into your budget. We have done the research and here are the best free content marketing tools out there to help you save time and improve your content strategy. These tools have got you covered, from keyword research to social media scheduling. We have grouped these tools into nine categories: research, SEO, creation, curation, graphics design, organization, publishing, analytics/content tracking, and promotion to make it even easier for you to find the perfect tool for your needs. Let’s dive in! Tools for Generating Ideas and Keyword Research 1. WordStream Free Keyword Tool The WordStream Free Keyword Tool is a quick and easy way to find the right keywords for your content. All you need to do is to enter a word or phrase into the tool and get results in seconds. You can use the keyword tool to find new ideas for blog posts, articles, and other types of content. Aside from being completely free, what makes WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool a must-have for content marketers is that it provides keyword suggestions based on the words you have entered. This means you can quickly find related terms and save time from researching them manually. 2. Answer the Public This tool generates questions about your chosen keyword, giving you ideas for FAQs or blog post titles. This tool will be useful for creating content that directly speaks to your audience’s needs and interests. The program is owned by Neil Patel Digital, which offers a Pro version with additional features for $99/month. You can enjoy the free version with up to five hundred thousand searches monthly! 3. Google Trends Google Trends shows how often particular terms are searched for on the internet. This can be useful for understanding what topics resonate with people at any given time, allowing you to adjust your content strategy accordingly and boost your digital marketing. Google Trends is completely free to use, meaning you can save money on other content marketing tools. 4. Portent’s Content Idea Generator This fun tool generates content ideas based on the keyword you input. Simply enter a keyword, and the program will generate a title for a blog post, article, or even an infographic. The idea generator is free, but Portent offers a range of content marketing tools starting at $49/month. Content Marketing Tools for SEO 5. Uber Suggest Uber Suggest is a free keyword research tool created by Neil Patel. This program will generate hundreds of keywords related to your topic based on searches, helping you find the most popular phrases used in your industry. On Uber Suggest, you can also access keyword difficulty to ensure you target keywords with enough search volume but not too much competition. 6. Yoast SEO This plugin is a staple for WordPress users, and it’s free! Yoast SEO helps you optimize your content for the most popular search engine optimization strategies. It also offers an analysis of your content, letting you know what you need to do to make it more SEO-friendly or perform better on search engines. With over five million installations, Yoast SEO is the go-to SEO tool for anyone looking to improve their website’s visibility in search results. 7. Ahrefs This program is renowned for its keyword research capabilities, but it also offers other SEO features like backlink analysis and website audits. Ahrefs has a free version with limited features, but you can upgrade to the paid plan for more advanced tools starting with as low as $20/month. What distinguishes Ahrefs from other SEO tools is its extensive keyword database, which helps you find the best keywords for your content strategy. 8. Backlinko This website is run by Brian Dean, an SEO expert who offers comprehensive advice on all things related to search engine optimization. He shares his knowledge through blog posts and videos, which are free to access. While Backlinko doesn’t offer any tools itself, the information provided can help you understand how to optimize your content for better search engine rankings. 9. Screaming Frog Don’t think frogs can help with content marketing? Think again! This program is a must-have for any SEO strategy – it crawls your website to identify technical issues and provides useful data like broken links, duplicate content, keyword information, missing meta tags, and more. The basic version is free, but if you want access to all the features, you’ll have to sign up for the paid plan at $209/year. Writing and Editing Tools (Content Creation) 10. Hemingway App Hemingway has acquired a fine reputation as one of the best content-creation tools. This tool helps make your writing clear, concise, and easy to read by highlighting unnecessary adverbs, complex phrases, and passive voice. It also gives a readability score to ensure your content is accessible to all audiences. The app uses colors to highlight problem areas and has a desktop version available for purchase at a one time payment of $19.99. 11. Grammarly Grammarly goes beyond your basic spell checker to catch grammar mistakes and spelling errors while offering suggestions for alternative word choices and sentence structure. The free version is available as a browser extension and can be used on various platforms, including Microsoft Word. They also offer a premium version with advanced features for $11.66/month. 12. Google Docs This free word-processing software from Google has many of the same features as Microsoft Word and is accessible from any internet-connected device. Google Docs also makes it easy to collaborate with others in real time, which is perfect for content creation. The many free add-ons available
SEO Writing: How to Engage People and Rank Top on Search Engines
Are you looking to skyrocket your SEO rankings, draw in more visitors, and boost conversions? If so, then writing optimized copy is a crucial piece of the puzzle. At its core, SEO writing is all about creating content that’s tailored to rank high in search engines and capture your target reader’s attention. Through the use of relevant keywords and interesting, informative content, you can make your website stand out from the competition and get more search engine traffic. This comprehensive guide will teach you the techniques and best practices you need to become an SEO writing pro. You will learn how to research and optimize your content effectively, and write compelling copy that draws in readers, boosts your rankings, and maximizes the success of your website. What is SEO Writing? Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) is the practice of increasing both the quality and quantity of website traffic by improving rankings in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). When you then combine SEO with writing, you’re creating content that not only engages readers but also has the potential to rank at the top of search engine results. By definition, SEO writing is a specialized form of web content writing that helps your website rank higher on search engines like Google and Bing. To do this, SEO copywriters use targeted keywords (words and phrases commonly searched by people looking for specific products or services) to optimize website content for search engines. In other words, SEO writing improves visibility and organic search results. This shouldn’t seem surprising to content creators. With the digitization of content, more and more businesses are turning to SEO writing to generate traffic and improve their online presence. So, SEO is vital for driving organic traffic as it has a chance of ranking in Google without you having to pay for ads. Interestingly, SEO generates 1000 times more website traffic than organic social media traffic. As a result, SEO content writing is one of the most important digital marketing skills you should prioritize for your business growth. Differentiating SEO Writing from Content Writing One of the common problems content writers face is needing to understand the difference between SEO writing and content writing. It is essential to distinguish the two because they require different approaches and serve distinct purposes. Content writing primarily focuses on creating valuable and informative content for the audience. You should, however, note that not all content writing necessarily includes SEO tactics. SEO writing specifically focuses on incorporating targeted keywords and phrases to improve search engine rankings without compromising the quality of the writing. In other words, SEO writing is a subset of content writing and should always prioritize providing value to the reader first and foremost. Summarily, both involve writing for a website. The main difference is that SEO content writing considers search engine algorithms and optimization to improve a website’s search rankings. But content writing focuses more on the quality and substance of the writing itself. Also, content writing includes content for other platforms, including social media while SEO writing is mostly used for websites, including web copies and blog posts, and usually involves the usage of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools. For example, content writers may write a tweet or Facebook post, while SEO writers typically create content for websites. Why is SEO Writing Important for Businesses? The internet is becoming increasingly competitive for businesses. To stand out from the rest, your content needs to be top-notch. Also, google and other search engines are constantly changing their algorithms, so you must continually adapt your SEO strategy to stay ahead of the curve. “No matter how niche or mainstream your market is, great content remains a significant focus for SEO.” – Kristopher Jones, Founder of LSEO. Generally, SEO writing is vital to help achieve the following: Improves Website’s Ranking on Search Engine Results Pages The main objective of why businesses invest in SEO content is to improve their website’s search engine rankings. With more visibility on SERPs, people are more likely to click and visit your website, increasing your chances of turning them into customers. According to recent data, Google processes over 99,000 searches every single second. This makes a total of more than 8.5 billion google searches per day. What this means with effective SEO writing is that there is a massive opportunity for your website to appear as one of the top search results if you’re optimizing content with the targeted keyword phrase. Here, the idea is to create content with the highest probability of being clicked on and appearing at the top of search results. This can be achieved by using targeted keywords, creating valuable and informative content, and incorporating other SEO best practices. In the long run, investing in SEO writing can bring a steady stream of qualified leads to your website. Drives Website Traffic What’s more? SEO writing also increases your website’s traffic. This means more people visiting and potentially engaging with your content, products, or services. As a result, it can potentially increase your conversions and sales. The interesting thing to note is that the top result on Google’s first page receives nearly 33% of search traffic – meaning that if your website appears in this coveted spot, you can expect a significant amount of traffic. But it’s not just about appearing on the first page; SEO writing can also help increase the click-through rate (i.e., the percentage of people who click on your website after seeing it in search results) of your website. By including compelling titles and meta descriptions (the summary that appears in search results), you can entice internet users to click on your website over the competition. A recent 2022 research shows that opting for higher rankings on Google will increase website traffic. This is because 68.1% of all clicks go to the top three search results. Opting for SEO writing is, therefore, more important than ever if you want your website to be successful. Similarly, by creating engaging content, you can encourage
How to Succeed with Affiliate Content Marketing: The Ultimate Guide
Recently, it would seem that everywhere on the internet, there is something about affiliate marketing and how somebody somewhere has made a few thousand dollars from affiliate marketing. This is not so surprising; the global value of the affiliate marketing industry is up to $17 billion. Affiliate marketing can be a great way to make some extra money on the side or even turn it into a full-time career. However, affiliate marketing is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. You need to do many things correctly to be successful with affiliate marketing, the chief of which is your content. In this guide, you will learn about affiliate marketing basics and how to create effective affiliate marketing content. How Affiliate Content Marketing Works Affiliate content marketing is a form of online marketing where you promote other people’s products or services in return for commissions. This can be done by creating your own content, such as blog posts, how-to articles, emails, videos, or social media updates, that include affiliate links to the products or services you’re promoting. When someone clicks on one of your affiliate links and makes a purchase, you earn a commission from the sale. Affiliate content marketing is a great way to make money online because it’s relatively easy to start, and you don’t need your products or services to promote. Affiliate marketing is also a very effective way to generate leads and sales for businesses. Affiliate content marketing works as a marketing and advertising model used to generate traffic and affiliate marketing sales from marketing efforts by an affiliate marketer. The business that offers the product and service compensates the marketer with a commission-based fee. Affiliate content marketing involves sharing the responsibility of marketing a product or service between a merchant and a publisher (affiliate). It is a three-way or four-way relationship that involves the product merchant, the affiliate, sometimes an affiliate network, and the consumer. The product merchant is the business that creates and sells the products or services. The affiliate is the middleman, and the consumer is the end user. The Product Merchant The Product merchant or seller can either be a large enterprise, an SME, or a solo entrepreneur owning the product or service to be marketed. It could either be a physical good or a service or SaaS (Software as a Service). The merchant sets up the affiliate marketing program but is not involved in the affiliate’s content marketing strategy. The merchant is at liberty to determine the terms and structure of their affiliate program and can reserve certain rights for themselves. The Affiliate Marketer The affiliate marketer agrees to promote the products or services of the merchant in exchange for a commission on each sale they generate. The affiliate is responsible for finding customers and driving traffic to the merchant’s website or landing page. The affiliate uses various marketing channels to promote the merchant’s products or services, such as email marketing, social media, paid advertising, and organic search. The affiliate is typically compensated based on a performance-based model, such as pay-per-click (PPC), pay-per-lead (CPL), or pay-per-sale (CPS). The Consumer The consumer is the end-user of the product or service. The consumer completes the chain of affiliate marketing. They are the ones who will ultimately be making a purchase from the merchant. The consumer is the one who interacts with your blog posts, social media posts, or emails. If they like what you’re promoting, they can use your affiliate link to buy it and earn a commission for the affiliate marketer. However, as a way of regulating the affiliate marketing industry and protecting consumers, the Federal Trade Commission makes it obligatory for affiliate marketers to include a disclaimer that would put the consumer on notice and allow them to make an informed choice. Types of Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing can be broken down into three main types: Unattached Affiliate Marketing In this type of affiliate marketing, the affiliate has no connection with the goods or services they promote. They also have no skills or expertise that would make them an authority to review or recommend a product or service. This absolves them of the duty to recommend. Unattached affiliates generally provide unbiased reviews of a group or type of products and then urge consumers to choose based on the perceived special features of each. Involved Affiliate Marketing In related affiliate marketing, the affiliate promotes products they have used before and are familiar with. The affiliate has personal experience with the product or service and can provide an honest review of it. Involved affiliate marketers generally provide more in-depth content than unattached affiliates because they want to build trust with their audience by providing valuable information. Their reputation is also directly tied to the product; hence, it is usually easier for consumers to trust their opinions. Related Affiliate Marketing Here, the affiliate marketer has some connection with the product or service in that they are familiar with the industry or operate in the same niche. For example, a project manager can be a related affiliate marketer for a project management software since they know the features and how they can make the work of a project manager easier. Affiliate Marketing Concepts Affiliate Network Marketing In affiliate network marketing, the affiliate marketer joins an affiliate network. The affiliate network is a platform that provides various affiliate programs from different merchants. The affiliate marketer selects the program(s) they want to promote and signs up for the corresponding affiliate link. The affiliate marketer earns a commission when someone clicks on the affiliate link and makes a purchase. Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and Refersion are some of the top affiliate networks available. Affiliate Marketing Management Affiliate marketing management involves keeping the entire affiliate marketing program running efficiently. Affiliate marketing managers are responsible for finding and signing affiliate partners, tracking affiliate activity, and issuing payments. Affiliate marketing managers perform the following functions: Affiliate marketing managers also support affiliates and help them grow their businesses. Affiliate marketing
How to Create a Content Marketing Budget That Works For Your Business
Content marketing is a necessary evil! Okay, necessary? Yes. Evil? Not necessarily —provided you take the proper precautions. Content marketing is the lifeblood of your online presence, but it can also be a massive drain on your resources if you’re not careful. That’s why creating a content marketing budget will allow you to produce the unique content your audience demands without breaking the bank. Roughly two-thirds of small businesses in the US don’t have a formal budget, and many of those that do are not allocating enough resources to their efforts. This is often because business owners don’t understand how to create a budget that will suit their needs. Consequently, companies spend money on digital marketing initiatives and miss out on opportunities to connect with their target audience. Creating it is not as difficult as it may seem. Following a few simple steps, you can develop a budget to help your business achieve its goals. This article will provide a step-by-step guide to creating a budget that works for your business. What Is a Content Marketing Budget? A content marketing budget is the money a company or organisation spends to create and distribute content for marketing purposes. The budget may include hiring writers and designers, paying for distribution platforms, and purchasing advertising. The size of a budget will vary depending on the goals and resources of the company or organisation. A small business with limited marketing resources may have a budget of just a few thousand dollars, while a large corporation may have a multimillion-dollar budget. Content marketing budgets are often part of larger overall marketing budgets. For example, a company with an annual marketing budget of $100 million might allocate $10 million to content marketing efforts. Why Do You Need a Content Marketing Budget? There are several reasons why it’s essential to set aside money for content marketing. First, content marketing can be an effective way to reach your target audience. Creating and distributing content can engage potential customers and build relationships with them. Second, a well-executed content marketing strategy can help you save money on other marketing efforts. For example, building a strong online presence through content marketing can lead to increased organic search traffic and reduce the need for paid advertising. Third, a budget can help you measure the results of your efforts. By tracking how much money you spend on content marketing and comparing it to your results can help you determine if your efforts are paying off and make adjustments as necessary. Finally, a budget can help you plan for the future. By setting aside money for content creation and distribution, you can ensure that your business continues to have a strong online presence and connect with customers. How to Create a Content Marketing Budget Now that you understand the importance of creating a budget, let’s discuss how actually to create one four steps you can follow: Determine Your Content Marketing Goals The first step in creating a content marketing budget is determining your goals. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Generate leads? Your budget should be aligned with your overall marketing strategies. For example, if you’re trying to increase brand awareness, you’ll need to create a lot of content and distribute it widely. On the other hand, if you’re focused on generating leads, you’ll need to create targeted content and ensure it’s distributed to the right people. Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your efforts. This will help you track your progress and determine whether your budget is well spent. Decide How Much Money You’re Willing to Spend The next step is to decide how much money you’re willing to spend on content marketing. This will depend on your goals, resources, and marketing budget. You may need to get creative with your efforts if you have a limited budget. For example, you could create blog posts instead of videos or host a webinar instead of an in-person event. On the other hand, if you have a larger budget, you can afford to be more aggressive with your basic content strategy. You could hire a team of writers and designers to create original content. Choose the Right Mix of Content Marketing Activities Once you’ve determined your budget, it’s time to choose the right mix of content marketing activities. You can create many different types of content, so selecting the ones that will best help you achieve your goals is essential. Some of the most popular types of content marketing include blog posts, infographics, ebooks, webinars, and videos. Once you’ve selected the type of content you want to create, you’ll need to decide how you’re going to distribute it. It’s also important to consider the format of your content strategy. For example, if you’re creating a blog post, should it be text-based or include images? What kind of data should you include if you’re creating an infographic? Once you’ve selected the right mix of content marketing activities, you can start to allocate your budget. Be sure to leave room in your budget for experimentation so you can try new things and see what works best for your business. Track Your Results and Adjust Your Budget Accordingly Finally, tracking your results and adjusting your budget accordingly is crucial. This will help you determine whether your efforts are paying off and make necessary changes to ensure you’re getting the most out of your budget. You can track several metrics, but some of the most important ones include website traffic, generated leads, and deals closed. Be sure to track these metrics regularly and adjust your budget accordingly. If you do not see the desired results, don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of content or change up your distribution strategy. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find what works best for your business. Creating a budget may seem daunting, but it’s essential for any business that wants to use content to achieve its marketing goals. Following
How to Dominate Your Industry With Content Marketing: A Roadmap
To dominate your industry, you need more than a great product or dream to sell. You also need an effective content marketing strategy. Every business wants to be the thought leader in its field, and content marketing can make all the difference. Content marketing can be the ace that takes your business from obscure to becoming a dark horse. In business, visibility is vital. The more people know about your company and its services, the more likely they will use your products or services. By making and sharing high-quality content, businesses can build thought leadership, establish themselves as experts in their field, and attract new customers and clients. However, simply producing content is not enough – you must also have wholesome strategies to distribute and promote your own content to maximize its impact. This post will discuss the roadmap to success for content marketing. It will go over everything from creating a content strategy, tools, and resources to promoting your content. Using the tips, you can develop your own strategy. What Is Marketing? Marketing is any action or process that aims to get people interested in the products and services you offer. This process includes advertising, selling, and delivering products or services to customers or clients. It is also essential to understand that marketing is not just about selling things but more. Marketing is a broader concept than sales. Marketing takes a keen interest in the psychology of the potential consumer. It helps them realize a need they did not know they had or, in some cases, creates demand for the product. Marketing involves creating a demand for what you are selling and then providing a solution to that problem. It’s about understanding your audience and developing strategic marketing approach-focused content that appeals to them. The marketing field is vast, with myriad innovative ways to get products to the target audience. There is a legion to choose from, from the more natural, organic, and subtle marketing strategies to the disruptive, shocking marketing. What Is Content Marketing? Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract, persuade, inform, educate, inspire and retain a clearly-defined audience—and, ultimately, drive profitable customer action. For example, a company that makes electric cars could have a content marketing mission statement or a blog post about electric vehicles rather than writing a sales pitch for their cars. This way, they position themselves as a reliable option for information, control the narrative and create brand awareness. Content marketing is an effective way to build thought leadership, establish yourself as an expert in your field, and attract new customers and clients. However, content marketing is often confused with other marketing efforts, such as traditional advertising or public relations. But content marketing is different in that it focuses on consistently creating valuable content rather than interrupting customers with messages they don’t want to see. In other words, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling. It is non-interruptive, providing information that your target audience is actively seeking out. And it’s an ongoing process, not a one-time effort. The ultimate goal of marketing is to convert to sales. Content marketing attempts to do this while also creating value for the audience. Recent approaches to content marketing focus on delivering content that feels natural to the audience through organic searches. It creates value and subtly draws in the consumer, referred to as inbound marketing. It is a gradual approach with higher conversion rates and a tendency to build a community of fiercely loyal consumers. Why Is Content Marketing Strategy So Important? Figures don’t lie. The data on content marketing shows proven benefits over other forms of marketing. This has led to a shift in marketing, with 36% of enterprise marketers saying they’ve shifted paid advertising budget dollars to content marketing. Content marketing is different from traditional marketing in that it is based on creating value. It aims to attract consumers with valuable information rather than sell the product to them in an interruptive manner. The customer actively looks for the value you offer while positioning your brand so it can be found. Here are some benefits of content marketing: Education Information is critical, prospective clients need information, and content marketing is a way to get it across that is most appealing to the target audience. It also helps show potential and existing customers how your products and services can solve their issues. Long-lasting Relationships Aside from selling your product eventually, a content marketing strategy allows you to build relationships with current and potential consumers of your product. Such relationships based on having received value from the brand usually attract a sense of loyalty, which is handy in retaining clients. Conversion Content marketing has been found to have better conversion rates than traditional marketing strategies. According to the Content Marketing Institute B2B content marketing report, 72% of the most successful marketers say that content marketing generates leads, with 57% claiming that content marketing has directly increased business sales. Community It builds a community around the brand. This, more often than not, translates to more significant sales. Every business needs its own “fan base”. That is, a group of people who are not just customers but also advocates of the brand. Good content marketing can help you achieve that. Types of Content Marketing Content marketing is not a one-size-fits-all for brands. It requires proper curation of the content and content positioning. Ultimately, the marketing strategy a brand adopts is tailored to its audience and the motives behind the plan. Interestingly, the different marketing types are not mutually exclusive; a single strategy can embody more than one type of content marketing. For example, a brand’s content marketing strategy can include infographics, videos, and text-based content marketing on social media. Some of the types of content marketing, include: Infographics Content Marketing Infographics are an all-time favorite, especially with difficult-to-understand concepts. It involves using text and pictures in a graphic format to dispense information. It
How a Content Management System Can Transform Your Business
In today’s business world, a website is essential. It’s a way to reach customers, market products or services, and connect with potential new customers or partners. But creating and maintaining a website can be expensive and time-consuming, especially if you don’t have the right tools. That’s where a Content Management System (CMS) becomes a lifesaver. As businesses continue to move online, a CMS can save you time and money by simplifying the process of creating and maintaining a website. In this article, we’ll discuss what a content management system is, how it can help your business, and provide tips on choosing the right CMS for your needs. How Did CMS come to be? The History of CMS Content Management System (CMS) can be traced back to the first website in history, created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1990. This original website was modeled on an internet-based hypertext system known as HTML. At this time, HTML only represented text and links. It was later developed as a tool to help manage their clients’ websites more efficiently. A few years later, CMS was being marketed as a way for non-technical users to manage their websites. This marked the beginning of the CMS industry, with many other companies soon following suit and releasing their own CMS solutions. CMS became even more popular in the 2000s with the rise of open-source CMS options such as WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal, allowing anyone to use and customize these tools for free. Today, countless CMS options are available to businesses and individuals, ranging from simple one-person operations to large enterprise-level solutions. What is a Content Management System? Basically, it is a software application that helps users create, manage, store, publish, and edit web content. Content in this context refers to digital assets such as text, images, and multimedia files, as well as the structure or organization of this content, such as web pages and menus. You can use it to power any type of website, from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce site. Businesses often use it instead of hiring a web developer or designer to make and manage their website. According to estimates, more than “73 million websites have been built with CMS”, making it one of the most popular types of web software. There are two crucial components of CMS: Common features of a CMS include tracking who created or edited what content when it was created or edited and an approval workflow for publishing changes. Another important feature of a CMS is its ability to support multiple users and roles. It allows different people within an organization to be responsible for different parts of the site’s content while still maintaining a consistent overall look and feel. How Does a Content Management System Help Your Business? A CMS (content management system) is used to create and manage digital content for your website. Here are just the most important reasons: 1. It is both Time and Cost Efficient Creating and maintaining a website can be costly and time-consuming, especially if you don’t have the right tools. A CMS can help by providing an easy-to-use platform for creating and managing your content. It can save you time and money in the long run, as you won’t need to hire expensive web developers or designers to make updates to your site. 2. It can help you reach more Visitors A CMS helps improve not only your website’s design but also its ability to draw in visitors and keep them engaged. With a CMS, you can quickly and easily create new pages or blog posts, add images or videos, and make your site more engaging and user-friendly. A CMS can also make sharing your content with social media networks easy, which can help increase your reach even further. 3. It can make it easy to create and update content A CMS can make it easy to create and update content. If you don’t know HTML or other programming languages, a CMS can make adding and updating content on your website much easier. You can also use a CMS to manage your website’s content in one place, making it easier to keep track of everything. 4. It can help you manage your business more effectively A CMS can also help you manage your business more effectively. With a CMS, you can centralize all your content in one place. This makes it easy to find and update information as needed. In addition, a CMS can help you track site activity and analyze visitor data. You can use this information to improve your marketing efforts and make better business decisions. 5. It can scale as your business grows As your business grows, a CMS can grow with you. Most CMS platforms offer a variety of features and plugins that you can use to add new functionality to your site. As your business expands, you won’t need to start from scratch. Many content management systems are created to be scalable to manage high traffic volume and data storage. Interestingly, a CMS can be a valuable tool for businesses of all forms. If you’re looking for a way to save time and money, reach more customers, or improve your business operations, a CMS may be the right end-to-end solution for you. Heedless vs. Legacy Content Management Systems In the past, many companies used legacy content management systems (Microsoft SharePoint or Lotus Notes) that were more expensive and technically challenging to use. These traditional CMS systems often require extensive training and ongoing maintenance. However, with the rise of cloud-based CMS options, there is now a new option for businesses: heedless content management systems. These platforms are user-friendly and require minimal technical expertise, i.e., coding. Examples include WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal – which provide customizable features and the ability to scale higher as your business grows. So, which option is better for your business? It depends on your specific needs and resources. Legacy CMS systems may offer more advanced features but can also be costly
20 Content Marketing Examples From Brands That Get It Right
Lately, it seems like everyone is talking about content marketing. That’s because more and more businesses realize how important compelling content is to draw in new customers and keep the ones they have. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the term “content marketing,” you’ve almost certainly been exposed to it. And there’s a good chance you’ve even consumed some content created by a company trying to sell you something without realizing it. Content marketing is beautiful when executed well and doesn’t feel like marketing. Instead, good content marketing provides readers with valuable information that entertains, educates, or inspires them. If you’re still not convinced of the power of content marketing, consider these examples to see how some of the best brands in the world are using it to drive actual results. What Is Content Marketing? Content marketing involves multiple formats of creating and sharing online material (such as videos, blog posts, long-form articles, visual content, white papers, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services. Many businesses use it to build rapport with their audience segments and create a more personal connection with potential and existing customers. When done correctly, it can be an extremely effective way to drive leads and sales and perform well in search engines. Some of the most popular content formats include: If you’re looking to get started with content marketing, it’s essential to understand the basics and how they can be used to achieve your business goals. Let’s take a more in-depth look at some of the most compelling examples. 20 Examples of Successful Content Marketing Content marketing is a popular and effective way for businesses to attract and engage with customers. Here are 20 examples of successful campaigns from various industries. Canva’s Design School One of the most famous examples is Canva’s Design School. The company, which offers a graphic design platform, has a robust blog post full of design tips and tutorials. This provides valuable content for their audience and positions Canva as a thought leader in the design space. Graphic design platform Canva launched its weekly “design challenge” series on Instagram. They encourage their followers to recreate a featured design with their software and share it for a chance to be featured on Canva’s Instagram page. This creates user-generated content while also demonstrating the capabilities of the Canva platform. Key Takeaways MailChimp’s All in a Day’s Work Series MailChimp, a popular email marketing platform, launched its “All in a Day’s Work” series to showcase how small businesses use their platform in unique and creative ways. Each episode highlights a different business, delving into its day-to-day operations and how they utilize MailChimp for its marketing efforts. This campaign educates potential customers about the platform and highlights the success of real businesses using MailChimp. This is a fantastic way for the company to showcase its product in action and establish thought leadership within the industry. Key Takeaways Spotify Wrapped Frequently, content marketing campaigns can feel gimmicky or inauthentic. However, Spotify’s annual “Wrapped” campaign is a prime example of successful, engaging content marketing. Each year, the streaming platform compiles personalized data for each user, including their top listened-to artists and songs and their total minutes streamed over the past year. This campaign encourages users to continue using the platform and sparks conversation and interaction amongst friends as they compare and contrast their Wrapped statistics. In addition, Spotify utilizes user-generated content by allowing users to share their Wrapped results on social media, further expanding the campaign’s reach. Key Takeaways Duolingo’s Tiktok Account Sitting at over 4.5 million followers, Duolingo’s TikTok account is a premium example of successful content marketing. The language-learning app uses its platform to showcase the unique and entertaining ways its product can be used, such as learning sign language or speaking in a foreign accent. Their videos also often feature clever animation and catchy music, making them visually appealing and highly shareable. Additionally, Duolingo smartly includes a call-to-action as a link to their app in the video description. Overall, Duolingo’s TikTok presence successfully showcases the benefits and fun aspects of its product engagingly, ultimately driving more users to download the app. Key Takeaways You Suck at Cooking Starting as a funny YouTube channel, You Suck at Cooking has grown into a successful channel with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. The host, Bryan, uses humor and relatable cooking blunders to connect with his audience and make cooking approachable for the everyday person. Bryan’s ability to consistently create new and engaging content sets this channel apart from others, from recipe videos to tutorials to product reviews. He also promotes products and brands naturally and authentically, making him an attractive partner for companies looking to reach his audience. Key Takeaways Slack’s Frontier Conference Hailing as one of the top business communication platforms, Slack used its Frontier Conference to showcase the value and power of its platform by bringing together thought leaders and industry experts to share insights on team collaboration and productivity. The conference provided attendees with valuable information and allowed Slack to position itself as a go-to resource for companies looking to streamline their communication and improve their overall performance. The videos of the forums are also published on the company’s YouTube channel, allowing a broader audience to access and benefit from the content. This not only strengthens Slack’s brand as a thought leader in the industry but also drives traffic to its website and potentially converts viewers into customers. Key Takeaways Warby Parker Email Marketing Founded in 2010, Warby Parker disrupted the eyewear industry by offering high-quality prescription glasses at a fraction of the price. One of their key strategies for success has been their email marketing campaigns. From clever subject lines to personalized recommendations, their emails consistently drive customers back to their website. Additionally, they offer exclusive promotions and deals to email subscribers, creating a sense of exclusivity and boosting customer loyalty. Key Takeaways Design Personality by Airbnb Airbnb’s
The Ultimate Guide on Repurposing Content for Businesses
Are you looking for ways to get more mileage out of your content? If you’re like most business owners, you’re probably always on the lookout for ways to get more bang for your buck – repurposing content is a great way to do that. Reusing and repurposing old content can save time and money while still delivering fresh, relevant, and engaging content to your audience. This guide will show you how to repurpose content for maximum impact. We’ll cover everything from how to choose the right pieces of content to the different ways you can go about doing it. What is Repurposing Content? Repurposing content simply means taking an old piece of content and using it in a new way. This could mean turning a blog post into an infographic or a video, or converting an ebook into a series of blog posts. By repackaging your content in different formats, you can reach a new audience, generate more leads, and achieve other marketing goals. There are endless possibilities when it comes to repurposing content. The key is finding creative ways to reuse your existing material to resonate with your audience in a new and different way. For instance, blog content can be easily repurposed into a video or a guest post for another blog or made into your blog. In the same way, you can create social media posts Youtube videos, or other video content. Sometimes, all it takes is to look at your content from a different perspective to come up with new ideas for how to repurpose it. Other times, you may need to do some research to find a suitable format for your audience. The important thing is that you take the time to consider all of your options before settling on a particular approach. Whichever, make sure the final product still contains your original message. It not only gives you a better chance of success but also helps you avoid any potential pitfalls. Why Repurpose Content? There are many reasons why business owners choose to repurpose their content. In most cases, it boils down to the following objectives: Get More Mileage Out of Your Content: Repurposing content allows you to get more mileage out of your existing content. Instead of creating all new content, you can reuse old material in a new way that still adds value for your audience. For example, let’s say you have a blog post that performed well, with many shares and comments. Repurposing this content into an infographic or video can help you reach even more people and drive further engagement. That way, you don’t have to create new content; instead, you can focus on repackaging and promoting your best-performing pieces. It is like hitting two birds with one stone. Saving Time and Money You would agree that creating high-quality content takes a lot of time and effort, especially when you’re doing so from scratch. If you’re only going to use that content once, you’re not getting the most out of it. Why? Because once you’ve published a piece of content, it doesn’t just disappear into thin air. It remains on your website (or wherever else you published it) and can continue to generate leads and traffic long after you hit the publish button. By repurposing old content, you can get more mileage out of it without having to start from scratch every time you want to publish something new. This saves you time and money – because you’re able to get more use out of the content you’ve already created. Reaching a New Audience When you create new content, it’s crucial to think about how you can reach a new audience with it. For example, if you have an entire blog post that’s doing well with your target audience, you can turn it into an infographic and share it on social media. This allows you to reach people who may not be familiar with your brand but who are interested in the topic you’re discussing. Generating More Leads One of the main goals of content marketing is to generate leads – repurposing content can help you do that. A good example is that you can turn an engaging ebook into a series of actionable blog posts and use it as a lead generation tool. By including a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of each post, you can encourage people to download your ebook and become leads. Building Relationships with Customers and Prospects Another goal of content marketing is to build relationships with customers and prospects. And one of the best ways to do that is by creating helpful and informative content. If you have just one blog post that’s doing well with your target audience, you can turn it into an email course and use it to nurture prospects and build customer relationships. By sending people valuable information regularly, you can keep them engaged with your brand and build a rapport with them. Increase Your Visibility Repurposing content can also help you increase your visibility and get more eyes on your brand. When you create new content, be sure to promote it across your social media channels, email list, and other marketing channels. You can also submit it to directories and aggregators such as Alltop and the like. The more places your content is, the more likely people are to find it and learn about your business. Boosting SEO Rankings Finally, repurposing content can also help you boost your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings. When you publish new content, it gives you the opportunity to include relevant keywords and phrases that people are searching for. Optimizing your content for search engines can improve your chances of ranking higher in the search results. Not only that, but republishing old content also allows you to attract new readers and keep your existing readers coming back for more. Types of Content That You Can Repurpose Almost any type of content can be repurposed, including: How Best to Repurpose Content Now that you
An Ultimate Guide to Successful Inbound Marketing
Digital marketing can be overwhelming, with a constant stream of new tactics and technologies to keep up with. But at the end of the day, all inbound marketing comes down to making good content and connecting with your audience in a tangible way. Customers don’t want to be bombarded with sales messages – they want valuable content that speaks to their needs and interests. And that’s where inbound marketing comes in. Building real relationships seems to be a lost art these days, but it’s an integral part of successful inbound marketing. Yet, building connections can be done by throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks- it’s about creating a strategy that works for your business and then following through with consistent execution. So, how can you make sure your inbound marketing efforts are successful? In this ultimate guide, we’ll cover everything from creating a buyer persona to measuring your ROI. Let’s dive in. What is Inbound Marketing? Inbound marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on creating and distributing valuable content to attract, convert, close, and delight customers. It simply shows you the process of bringing customers to you instead of you going out and finding them. It serves the goal of attracting strangers and turning them into happy customers. What’s more? Inbound marketing is holistic and consumer-centric. This means that it goes beyond just getting your business name out there. NO! It’s more about building relationships and creating a positive brand image that will last long after the sale. When you offer such an exceptional customer experience, it’s pretty easy for them to do business with you again and recommend you to others. What Are The Benefits of Inbound Marketing? Several benefits come with using inbound marketing to attract and convert customers. Some of these benefits include: Inbound Marketing & Outbound Marketing Inbound marketing and outbound marketing are two sides of the same coin. Outbound marketing is the traditional form of marketing that involves interruption tactics like cold-calling, TV commercials, and pop-up ads. Inbound marketing, on the other hand, Inbound marketing focuses on building customer relationships by giving them helpful content. The main difference between the two is that inbound marketing takes time and outbound marketing gives you results right away. However, in the long run, inbound marketing is more effective because it builds trust and credibility with the customer, which leads to more conversions. Outbound marketing is usually less effective than inbound marketing because it is more disruptive and can be expensive. Inbound marketing is generally more effective because it’s more targeted and efficient. Inbound Marketing & Content Marketing Inbound marketing and content marketing are often used interchangeably, but they are two different things. Inbound marketing is a more holistic approach that covers all aspects of the customer journey, while content marketing is just one piece of the puzzle. This means that inbound marketing and content marketing are that inbound marketing covers the entire customer journey from awareness to purchase. In contrast, content marketing focuses on the relationship between a business and its customers. Be that as it may, inbound marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on attracting customers to your business. On the other hand, you can use content marketing to support your overall marketing goals. It involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and retain customers – blog posts, ebooks, infographics, etc. Although content marketing is often used as part of an inbound marketing strategy, you can use it independently. Why is Inbound Marketing Important? Inbound marketing has become increasingly important as the world of marketing has changed. Outbound marketing tactics like cold-calling, TV commercials, and interruptive ads were the norm in the past. Today, that has completely changed! Potential customers are much more likely to do their research online before ever contacting a company. Why? Because they can. The internet has enabled customers to find the information they need without talking to a salesperson. Interestingly, they often don’t even have to leave their living room to do it. That’s why inbound marketing is so important. It’s a way to reach your target audience where they are – online. So, inbound marketing is crucial because it helps you: Whatever your product or service, inbound marketing can help you attract strangers and turn them into customers. If you’re not using inbound marketing, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business. How Can You Use Inbound Marketing? There are several ways you can use inbound marketing to attract and convert customers. Some common methods include: Blog Posts Blogs are a great way to reach your target audience and show that you are an expert in your field. You can do this by regularly creating, publishing, and distributing relevant content in different forms, such as articles, infographics, videos, and others. SEO “SEO” stands for “search engine optimization.” It is an excellent way to get search engines to notice your website and the content you post. When you optimize the content on your website, you can reach your target market once they search for information related to your business. In other words, SEO makes your content appear higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). By doing this, your website may increase in search results, leading to more traffic. To effectively achieve this, you have to choose the right keywords, create an engaging title/headline and make the format of your content easy to read. Social Media Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are excellent ways to share your blog posts and other pieces of content with a broader audience. Recent statistics show that While 91 percent of companies use some kind of social media for marketing, 96 percent of people who discuss brands online follow and interact with those brands. Social media provide that platform for building relationships with potential and current customers and promoting your business. You can also build relationships with current and potential customers by answering their questions and concerns through social media.
