Category: Marketing

Why You Need A Good Video Marketing Strategy

The internet is a competitive place, congested with all sorts of content vying for consumers’ eyes and ears. Nowadays, the consumer is savvier, and they know when they are being sold to. Sales-y content is often overlooked. The ‘real stuff’, that’s what’s in, and it’s likely here to stay. It’s all about humanizing your brand, and the best way to do that is with a video content marketing strategy. 

Why Video Marketing Is Important To Every Industry

No matter what industry you’re in, there’s a market for your videos. Just as podcasting is growing, so is video marketing. Here are some main points to persuade you to start a video campaign of your own. 

Draw in your audience: Video is the preferred method of content delivery. If done right, you will draw in your target audience with captivating messaging. This makes them more willing to perform your call-to-action task. 

Content ideas become endless: One blog post can become a series of videos. You can create lists, testimonials, how-to’s, 30-second elevator pitches, and the list goes on. 

Video IS Social Media: If content is king, then video is the crown jewel. One video can be published across all social platforms because that is what’s expected. And, you can easily shoot these videos using your phone’s front-facing camera.

Watching is the new reading: Attention spans are shorter, and audiences demand entertainment. Viewers want to consume content in video form with the option to have it on mute. So, be sure to include subtitles. 

Results are measurable: It’s easy to see how well your video is performing. Analytics reveal how long a video is watched, what links were clicked, if it was shared, and if any of your call-to-actions were performed.

Conversions and conversation increase: Video marketing influences your user’s behavior. You’ll see better conversions along with increased conversations through your videos. It’s all about humanizing your brand. 

Types of Video Content That’s Easy To Make

There are so many different pieces of content you can create through video. Here is a shortlist of video content ideas to try.

  • Pillar content: Use your blog posts to create a series of videos using the H2s as titles for a series. Using this article, for example. One video would be “Why Video Is So Important To Every Industry”, another would be “Types of Videos you could easily produce”, and so on. 
  • Expert interviews: Hit up your network and do a series of video interviews with industry experts, clients, coworkers, and whoever can make helpful content.
  • Industry advice: Providing insight in a succinct way not only helps simplify a complex industry, but it also will resonate more with your target audience. 
  • Bring on the drones: Drone footage is all the rage and is growing in popularity as drones become more affordable. 
  • Recaps: Summarize important bullet points of the previous week or month’s content.
  • Incentives: If you’re running specials, talk about the benefits of what you’re offering. 
  • How-to videos: How-to content has been popular across every industry. It gives your audience the information needed to try it at home. Most likely, they’ll realize it needs to be done by professionals. By making these types of videos, you’re cementing yourself as a thought leader and establishing trust with potential customers. 
  • Goodwill content: Offer tips and tricks to help your audience without asking for anything in return. 
  • Local happenings: Introduce local activities, businesses, and events. This grows your community and increases referrals. 
  • Promo videos: Explainer videos that talk about your product and why it is beneficial to your audience. These are your ‘brag’ moments. 

Speaking of video marketing, check out this article about TikTok

Seeing Is Believing

Initiating a video campaign into your marketing strategy is a great way to give your brand that necessary human element. It’s human nature to want to relate to something, even a product. And, by putting a face behind it, the brand becomes a person. A trusted friend. As a result, you turn your users into fans that become spokespeople for your brand. This creates social proof plus word-of-mouth marketing, and those are two elements unparalleled when it comes to success.

Additionally, one piece of video content can be used in many different ways across your platforms. You can embed it into a related blog post, or use it for your paid marketing campaign to list a couple of ideas. 

Finally, videos aren’t exactly a new concept, but it’s a growing element of an overarching campaign. And, it’s one you will need to consider if you don’t want your brand to be left in the dust.

How To Build Your Personal Brand

Personal branding is my thing. 

It’s something I innately understood from the beginning of my professional career. 

But, I do realize it doesn’t come naturally for everyone. And, since it’s such an essential process in building your leadership and credibility, I wanted to dedicate an entire article to growing your personal brand. 

If you’re looking for a promotion, considering transitioning to a different career, or searching for a new job, having a strong personal brand can catapult you toward your goals. 

No matter where you are in your career, having a well defined personal brand is important. It’s something you have complete control over and will differentiate you from the rest of those in your space. 

It’s your story, and only you have the experience to tell it.

What Is A Personal Brand?

“Personal branding” is a term thrown around a lot on sites like Linkedin. But what does it mean?

You are your own company, your own brand. You have a unique set of values and skills that define you and advertise what you have to offer. By sharing your story across platforms like a blog or social media, you show potential partnerships, clients, and employers what you bring to the table. The more effectively you’re able to translate who you are, the more successful you’ll be. It doesn’t matter if you’re an employee, a freelancer, or a CEO; you need a personal brand. 

Here’s the thing, there are a bajillion people online. And, they’re all trying to be seen and heard. It’s a bit noisy. 

Having a strong personal brand sort of propels you closer to the top of the heap. Because not all of those bajillion people are working on their personal brand, with just a little effort, you’re leaps and bounds ahead of half a bajillion of those in your space. 

When you establish your personal brand, you carve out a well-suited space for yourself.

Read: Humanizing Your Brand

Flat lay of a laptop with a stay nasty sticker, white iphone, black t-shirt with a skeleton giving the peace sign, and a person with white tennis shoes.

How To Build Your Personal Brand

“Find your voice! Avoid chasing shiny objects that aren’t on-brand for you. While there are best practices, the most important part of personal branding is to find what makes you YOU, the value you bring to your life and work, and how that translates to your network.” –Jenny Calvert, Senior Manager Brand Services, Hermann 

You want to create a personal brand that will not only attract a specific targeted audience but will be a standout against your competition. It might sound easy enough, and it can be.

With your branding, your goal is to establish authority in your space. And trust.

Who Are You?

So, what’s your superpower? Writing, sales, code? Then dig deeper. What do you specialize in within that space? There. That’s your superpower. Grab a pen and notebook, or open a new document. Create a list of your skills and experiences. What are your likes and dislikes? What type of work ignites your flame, and what snuffs it out. How would others describe you? Lastly, what kind of work do you want to focus on? All this information can be formatted into a well thought out bio you can use on your social profiles and your websites ‘About’ page.

What Do You Want To Be Known For?

It’s human nature to want to be acknowledged and appreciated. What is it that you want to be recognized and appreciated for, both in work and life? What vision do you have for yourself and your personal brand?

Group of white daisies with a card with the quote "Let nothing dim the light that shines from within," by Maya Angelou.

Read: Using Linkedin To Promote Your Brand

Who Is Your Audience?

“Become intentional about how you spend your time and who you connect with. Consider the value you’re able to offer someone by adding them to your network and vice versa. Especially when it comes to social media. We only have a limited amount of time, energy, and resources. So, you want to be mindful of how you spend yours to be as impactful as possible.” Chantelle Marcelle, Senior Marketing and Customer Acquisition Manager, Hermann

Do you have an idea of which industry you’re best suited for? Or, if you’re going after contract/freelance work, who are you targeting? Are you trying to get noticed by recruiters? CEOs? Thought leaders? Once you have that piece nailed down, you’ll find it’s easier to create how you’ll need to tell your story.

Building your personal brand isn’t just about knowing who you are; it’s also about understanding who the audience is that you’re looking to connect with. And, that target depends on what you’re trying to achieve. 

Knowing who you’re going to be talking to will help frame your messaging with every piece of content you publish. 

Who Is Already Doing Well In A Similar Space?

Brands need to do competitive analysis, and your personal brand is no different. Find out who your competition is, and what they’re doing.

Also, lean on those considered to be industry experts. Connect and learn from what they are doing. Many are always teaching how they’ve achieved success.

Network and Connect

A lot of your career opportunities will come from your network. Which means, you must build one—both online and in person. Linkedin is an excellent place to network, as are local in-person networking events. 

“Things I’ve learned: quality and quantity together will supercharge your growth. Diversify your content formats or types/topics of posts, so your posting always feels fresh. Focus on growing engagement, not followers. Followers will come. Engage with people if you want others to engage with you. People forget the golden rule, and you’ll gain way more by being interested in people than gaming the algorithm to gain followers.” James Gerber, Vice President Account Services, Crackle PR

In-person networking means you need cards to hand out. You can get some made that are moderately priced through sites like Moo cards or Vistaprint.

Make arrangements to meet people for coffee or schedule phone calls. Stats show that over 85% of jobs come through someone met due to networking.

low-angle photography of metal structure

Be Present Online

In today’s internet climate, if you’re not online already, you’ve missed many opportunities. Have profiles on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook. Anywhere your industry is, you need to be. Don’t just have a stagnant account. Take a little time, every single day, and work it. Share relevant 3rd party content, as well as your own—tag people in your posts. And make sure to strike up conversations in the comment sections.

Word of advice: have a personal website with an ‘About Us/Me’ page, ‘Services/Resume’, and an email capture or a way to be contacted.

Revisit And Refine As You Grow Your Personal Brand

Over time, you’ll add new skills and experiences. Make sure to keep all your information up to date. Having excellent branding isn’t just for companies; it’s for you, too. 

Nurture your personal brand, and watch as opportunities grow!

How To Define Your Target Audience In Your Target Market

There are over 7 billion people in the world. And as of July 2020,  more than 4.5 billion of all humans are online. And, they spend at a bare minimum, an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes per day on the internet.

Not all at once, of course. 

But, between working and scrolling, people are present online all hours of the day and night.

This means that now, more than ever, brands must also be online if they want to establish connections with their target market and audience. 

The Difference Between Target Audience and Target Market

Not every single one of the 4.5 billion internet users is going to be right for your brand. So, you need to figure out how to capture the attention of those people most likely to buy into your product or service. 

You do this by setting up a target market and target audience persona. 

But, before you start, you should understand the difference between the two. 

They are very close, actually. 

A target market is an entire large scale group of people your brand wants to sell to. Whereas, the target audience is broken down into those from the target market who you predict will actually take action.

For example, your target market might be “pet owners in Michigan”. But, your target audience might be “apartment dwelling pet owners age 25-35 in metro Detroit”. Messaging would be completely different when you break your audience down into segments. 

Why You Need To Define Your Target Audience and Market

You know your brand isn’t right for everyone. By not establishing your audience, you’re going to seem very…hm…generic. 

Once you identify who your market is, you’ll be able to refine your branding and marketing to better appeal to that demographic. 

Using the pet owners as our example, you now know who you’re going to be ‘speaking to’. This knowledge will guide you into crafting visuals and messaging that appeals to pet owners in your target audience. 

Create your target audience by:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Income
  • Location
  • Profession
  • Marital status
  • Lifestyle
  • Values
  • Beliefs
  • Behavior (spending habits and brand interactions)

Through various platforms like Google Analytics, and native social media channel analytics, you can learn what days and times you’re most likely to reach the largest portion of your audience. 

Why It’s So Important

You’ve worked hard to get this product or service launched. And, you know success rests in how you market it. 

You now have to make sure your message is showing up in front of the right eyeballs. 

That is why targeting is an essential part of marketing, and your audience needs to be identified immediately. 

36% of people will read something if it speaks to them and mirrors their views. Even further, most people would prefer to have repeat information on things they already know and agree with. 

This means your brand needs to play in the same sandbox as your prospective customer. 

The right targeting and the right messaging will allow you to: 

  • Speak directly to those who want to hear what you have to say.
  • Earn high quality leads willing to complete your call-to-action.
  • Carve out a space that sets you apart from your competitors. 

How To Hit Those Targets

Hopefully, you have a basic grasp of your target audience. Once you have an idea of who you’ll be talking to, it’s time to:

  • Identify and analyze your competitors to get an idea of what’s working for them. 
  • Create a customer persona based on the target audience bullet points listed above.
  • Address your audience’s pain points and show them how your product or service can solve their problems. 
  • Be present on social media. Now, you don’t have to be active on every single platform. Pick two or three and work those. 
  • Encourage interaction and user-generated content. 
  • Build brand loyalty by nurturing relationships.
  • Refine your brand based on what’s working and what isn’t.
  • Also, make improvements to your product or services from the feedback of your loyal fans.

Just like all other aspects of marketing, there will be constant monitoring and refinement involved because of how fast things evolve on the internet. 

At the end of the day, just knowing who your audience is and where they are, allows you to spend some time hanging out with them. 

And that is what ends up being most important to your success.

Your Guide To Pillar Content And Topic Clusters

Search engine algorithms are in a constant state of evolution and are becoming more ‘human’ in the way they understand and respond. 

This is largely due to the way humans are now using search.

We are getting more specific and conversational in our search queries, especially with the increased use of voice search. 

Learn more about topic clusters and pillar content by reading on. 

So, What’s This Really All About?

We aren’t simply querying “shoes”? But, “White shoes with pink stripes” would be more likely, and we demand that search engines understand our long-tail keyword searches (4 or more words in a search).

Not only do search engines now understand long-tail searches, but they’re also more proficient at bringing up results specifically relating to the user’s inquiry. 

What does all of that information mean to copywriters, content marketers, SEO teams, and the like? 

It’s our mission to make sure the content we provide our users takes into account every possible angle they would 

a) Use in a search 

b) Have questions they want answered

Our user’s search is becoming more specific, and it’s our job to keep up with it in order to provide the most meaningful content.

We do this by creating pillar content around topic clusters. 

Read: How To Write A Blog Post Built To Convert

What Topic Clusters and Pillar Content Pages Mean

Topic clusters are all types of narrower topics relating to a larger-or primary- topic–your pillar content. 

Each subtopic (topic cluster) is covered in great detail. For example, your broad topic is “cameras”. Each topic cluster would be related to anything about cameras. Your content calendar would have ideas to keep you busy for days with subjects around camera lenses, focus, posing, lighting, etc. 

The goal is to have posts relating to every single topic your target audience would care about as it relates to your pillar content, “cameras”.

Each of those blog posts would link to each other, and also link to the pillar content topic page. 

Your pillar pages are going to be extremely in-depth and detailed. It will link to all the topic cluster articles, which you’ll link to and from this very long-form article.  

Long story short, your pillar page is the wheel, and the topic clusters are the spokes. And they work together to increase traffic to your site through SEO. 

The Benefits Of Pillar Content

Once upon a time, pillar content had a different name. It was called cornerstone content. But somewhere along the way, the term changed. That’s fine, they’re one and the same, with the same type of benefits. 

Pillar content helps with: 

  • Longer page dwell time
  • Shorter website bounce rate
  • Social shares and backlinks
  • Evergreen content
  • Search engines like pillar content
  • Increasing website traffic
  • Higher quality content establishes thought leadership
  • Did we mention, it’s great SEO?!

How To Create Those Pieces Of Pillar Content

Whatever niche or industry you’re in, chances are you have, at the very least, a general idea of your target customer persona. But, you have no idea how to create this the content we’re talking about. 

Here is an outline look at how it all works: 

  • Figure out the topic you want to rank for
  • Determine the keywords you’ll focus on
  • Create your pillar content page
  • Write your outline–your H2s are super important here
  • Find gaps in your topic and write about those
  • The content can be as long as 16,000+ words
  • Each H2 section should be as long as it takes to fully cover that particular topic
  • Edit for flow, grammar, spelling, and layout
  • Have your web designer come up with a stellar template

Read: Organic Content Is Your Kingdom

What To Do With It When It’s Done

When it comes down to it, the main purpose of pillar content is how it can be used. Think about it. You have created this huge document that fully covers a topic. Once it’s completed, there are so many different ways to generate more content from that once piece that it’s ridiculous. 

If you follow Gary V, you know he’s a huge believer in pillar content. He shared a deck listing all the different ways to use that one article. 

Here are some examples of ways to use your pillar content:

  • Pull out different sentences or paragraphs and share them on your social channel. Always link to the full article. 
  • Create images with a quote from the article
  • Make a downloadable ebook
  • Link future and past blogs to applicable areas 
  • Create newsletters
  • Make a slide deck
  • Design an infographic
  • Write a video script
  • Remarketing ads
  • Answer questions on sites like Quora and link back to the main article
  • Try influencer marketing, reach out to your connections to ask them to share across their social platforms

This Article Is Not Pillar Content

At all. We noticed all these super detailed, in-depth breakdown articles about pillar content. So, we decided to break the mold and explain the topic in shorter terms. 

Hopefully, this simplifies the process and helps you with your pillar content strategy. 

References:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-a-pillar-page

https://neilpatel.com/blog/pillar-pages-explained/

Growing Your Instagram From Scratch For Your Business

Getting Instagram followers seems like it should be easy. Especially if you’re sharing great photos. Yet, growing your Instagram can prove to be a bit slow, and not quite steady. 

There are over 1 billion active Instagram users every month, which means it’s busier than a Los Angeles highway during rush hour. Helping your brand cut through the clutter to compete with other popular brands is doable. But, you need a plan in place. We’re going to teach you how to organically grow your Instagram from scratch. 

Rule One: Brand Your Brand

Whether you offer a product or service, growing your Instagram means your page has to reflect what you’re offering. But, you need to do it in a way that attracts followers. Your messaging and aesthetics need to not only represent your brand, but they also need to be up to Instagram users’ standards. They demand aesthetically pleasing images with sweet or interesting messaging. Not to mention, they must align with their Insta-beliefs. 

  • Choose a branded color scheme
  • Choose images that correspond with those colors

Rule Two: Refine Your Targeting

Having a target audience is essential, and that goes for all social platforms. First, you must have a clear vision of who your brand is trying to attract. Then create posts with messaging targeted to that audience. You want to hang out with people who want to hang out with you, too. It needs to be a mutual thing, or your Instagram account will fall flat. 

  • Research the demographics of your followers, and the type of client or customer you want to attract.
  • Pay attention to your competitors and who their followers are and if they are relevant to your own brand.

Rule Three: Hashtags Are Key

Instagram is all about hashtags. The more popular the hashtag, the more cluttered the feed. Best practice dictates using a variety of hashtags, from the high volume ones to the low volume. Using all 30 that Instagram allows isn’t necessary. 

  • Place 7-15 hashtags placed at the bottom of the post or in the first comment
  • Opt for hashtags that are in your niche, along with one’s closely related

Rule Four: Influencer Collaboration

Whether you’re a brand, product, or service, there are influencers out there looking to work together. You can first look into who is the most active of your followers, and reach out to them. A mention on an account other than your own is worth a thousand words. The influencer may expect a product in exchange, money, or a shout out on your own Instagram. 

  • There are 3rd party influencer platforms available that can help you create an influencer campaign. ApexDrop is one of many. 
  • Have a campaign budget available if you plan on working with influencers.

Insta-success isn’t a thing. It takes consistent posting, using the right hashtags, and reaching the right audience to grow your Instagram account organically. But, if you do it the right way, you’ll watch those numbers grow, both on Instagram and in your brands’ bottom line. 

The Viral Power Of Word Of Mouth Marketing

There is nothing more ‘sticky’ or powerful as a trusted opinion. 

Think about it. 

You need a new mattress, right? 

You do the research but get super confused by all the different types of mattresses out there, and all the conflicting reviews associated with each brand you look into. 

So, what do you do? 

You go to your social network.

 You post a question on Facebook. You text family and friends. 

Most likely, you will make your decision based on the answers you receive. The mattress with the most thumbs up from your trusted network is the one you end up purchasing.

That. Is Word Of Mouth Marketing. 

But, What Is Word Of Mouth Marketing?

Ok, so you want the actual definition of Word of Mouth Marketing? Fine. 

According to our non-biased source, Business Dictionary: Word of mouth marketing is “an oral or written recommendation by a satisfied customer to the prospective customers of a good or service. Considered to be the most effective form of promotion, it is called word of mouth advertising, which is incorrect because, by definition, advertising is a paid and non-personal communication.” 

In other words, if someone likes your product or service, they’re going to tell friends who will tell friends and so on. 

Consider this Fabrege Organics Shampoo commercial from the early 1980s starring Heather Locklear. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcskckuosxQ

That, right there, is exactly what Word of Mouth marketing means. You try and love (or hate) a product and tell a friend, who tells their friends, and so on and so on and so on. 

In effect, depending on how far-reaching a consumer’s network goes, they have the possibility of making or breaking the success of your product or service. 

The Effectiveness of Word Of Mouth And Consumer Behavior

Research shows word of mouth marketing is the most powerful tool. Especially when it’s working in your favor. 

The mattress scenario from earlier in this article illustrates how word of mouth operates. Telling a friend, and so on. But, why does that work so well? 

Because we trust our friends. And, due to the fact that we know our friends aren’t going to steer us wrong, we are more likely to base purchase decisions on their recommendations. 

The positives of WOMM: 

  • You don’t have to spend a penny, your consumers are doing the marketing for you
  • A community grows around your product or service
  • Brand loyalty expands exponentially
  • Built-in trust value 

To truly understand word of mouth marketing, you need to understand the psychology behind it: Decisions are motivated by the people around us. 

Picking a mattress, where to go to dinner, and even what to order from the menu, all actions are based on choices and recommendations from others. Sort of a herd mentality, or as it’s called on social platforms, Sheeple. A herd of sheep-people, helping to inform or sway opinion. 

Are There Disadvantages To Word Of Mouth Marketing?

Like the yin to the yang, there is negative in all positive. 

Negative words spread just as rapidly, if not more so, than the positive. One bad experience from the right person can cause a major brand crisis. 

It can take time and concerted effort to combat the loss of sales and damaged reputation if word of mouth goes awry. 

The good news is, even though the internet makes messages immortal, you can make a comeback from problems associated with the negative word of mouth issue. 

  • Find the original source of the negative review
  • Contact the person and take the complaints offline. Redirect the messaging to email or through direct messaging. 
  • Learn about the problem
  • Work with the customer to make it right

Through compassion and customer service, it’s possible to gain the person back as a customer and brand ambassador. 

Keep in mind, there isn’t always going to be a happy ending. But, try for a ‘happy for now’ finale. 

Think outside of the box written on a chalkboard over the drawing of a square for the Adapt Studios blog on word of mouth marketing.

Creating A WOMM Strategy

The competition is fierce for pretty much any given product or service. Even though WOMM can result in about 5Xs more sales, only about 33% of businesses try to amplify their message through a WOMM campaign. 

If you know that 90% of all consumers make a purchase decision based on trust, then doesn’t it make sense to earn the trust of more consumers?

  • Encourage and empower your employees to talk about you in their network
  • Generate an emotional response through powerful storytelling 
  • Always be a part of the conversations
  • Have a referral rewards program or an affiliate program
  • Create an influencer marketing campaign
  • Encourage user-generated content
  • Highlight positive reviews
  • Respond to both positive and negative reviews 

Whether you’re looking to establish your product or service, expand your reach, build your brand awareness, or any other motive, having a word of mouth marketing campaign is your most effective tool. 

And, since so many of your competitors aren’t engaging in this practice, you’ll have the edge. Grab that opportunity and start spreading the word!

References:

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/psychology-behind-word-mouth-marketing

https://jonahberger.com/is-word-of-mouth-better-than-advertising/

How To Promote Your Blog Posts

You’ve just published a blog post on your company website. It’s fabulous and sure to climb the pages of Google quickly. But, you’re not sure how to get views to this written masterpiece. Lean in, friends. It’s not hard to promote your blog posts. It just takes a little time. Learn how to promote your blog post and increase website traffic and leads. 

Elements of a Blog Post

Before pushing your blog post out into the world, you need to have it properly structured and edited for accuracy and brevity. 

The right format should look a little something like:

  • Great headline
  • SEO optimized H2s and keywords
  • Body paragraphs of information
  • Bullet points
  • Easily scannable for quick reading

Once your masterpiece is pretty darn flawless, it’s time to release the beast. 

Read this: How To Write A Blog Post Built To Convert

Ways To Promote Your Blog Post

Equally important to the writing of a new blog post is the promotion of it. The worldwide web is your oyster. There are so many different ways and means to broadcast the release of your new blog post, so little time. OK, that’s not true. You have all the time in the world. 

Let’s explore a few effective ways to promote that blog!

Emails

If you have an email list, you have a captive audience. When you publish a blog post, then your email subscribers should be alerted. 

If you don’t have many email subscribers, consider pushing web visitors toward signing up for emails by using a website plugin. 

  • Newsletter: If you release a new blog post, or you’re trying to get more eyeballs on an older updated one, add it to your weekly newsletter. With a clear call to action, your fans and followers work their magic by promoting it on their social channels. 
  • Notifications: Every time a new blog post is published, send an email letting your subscribers know they should check it out. Include a teaser sentence or two.
  • Social Sharing: Make sure to include social share buttons in your emails
  • Links: Always include links to your blog, blog post, and/or website in your signature line

For best results, schedule all your emails to deliver during the recommended best times. Carriers like MailChimp let you know those. 

Read this: Creating An Awesome Email Campaign

Social Media

Your online friends wait in anticipation of new content (this might be wishful thinking, but let’s go with it). They check your social channels obsessively (still going with that idea here), and the moment you create a new social post they click like and share. 

If they aren’t doing the above scenario, then you need to be clearer in your call to action so your fans know what they’re supposed to do. 

To set up a social campaign so you’re ready to go every time you publish a new blog post:

  • Create a series of social posts for each channel you’re active on
  • Have custom graphics on standby
  • Tag people in your posts that have actively engaged with your past posts
  • Throw some money into boosting those posts
  • Share the post often, only changing the text in your social post. Coschedule suggests sharing upon posting, the following day, 3 days later, a week later, and 2 weeks later. 
  • Include social sharing buttons in your article to make it easy for readers to share to their social accounts
  • Include your blog’s link on all of your social profiles

Read this: How To Create A Social Media Strategy

Website

Your website hosts your blog. All your pages should include social share buttons, this allows users to easily share your information on their social pages. 

The more shares your article gets, the more eyeballs on your blog post. 

Reciprocal Sharing Groups

Reciprocal sharing groups are an interesting tactic. Within every industry and niche, you’ll easily find these types of groups. Conversation threads are dedicated to articles of the day, and the point to this is everyone within that thread shares each article to their social accounts. It may seem silly but what it does is increase the following of each of these individuals. 

The more eyeballs you bring to your new blog post means more name recognition and leads for your brand. Which, at the end of the day, is what your blog posts are for. 

The Benefits Of Guest Blogging

What Is Guest Blogging 

Guest blogging is also known as guest posting. The concept is simple, your articles are posted on another company’s website, usually within a relevant industry to either yours or the content of your article. 

There are two options, be the guest poster or the recipient of the guest post. 

The Benefits Of Guest Posts

  • Expands your network: If your blog post is well received, new readers will become new fans of your brand.
  • Builds relationships: By nurturing those new fans, you’ll establish trusting relationships.
  • Establishes thought leadership: Article placement on reputable websites will grow your subject matter authority. 
  • SEO: Links placed on those reputable websites give search engines the message that you’re legit, and it helps with your SEO.  
  • Fresh content: You’ll have new material to present to your established audience 
  • Consistent content: Accepting guest posts is an efficient and easy way to always have fresh content

If you need a little blog post writing guidance, check out this article: How To Write A Blog Post Built To Convert

Know Your Goals

Before you start submitting posts to websites across the internet, have a goal-driven purpose in mind. What is it you’re hoping to achieve with all these guest posts? And conversely, why is your website going to accept submissions for guest posts? 

Some of your goals could be:

  • Making a name for yourself in your industry
  • Increasing online exposure
  • You need to get backlinks for better SEO

Whatever your goals, have them defined prior to starting your guest posting efforts. 

Do Your Research

Before sending off those well-written articles that took you hours to write, do some digging into who is deserving of them. There are a ton of sites that accept guest post submissions, but not all of them are the right fit. Some are even total scams. 

This article, Guest Post In 2020 hosts an extensive, well-researched list broken up into industries. It’s a great resource and guide to help you define which websites to submit guest posts to. 

The same holds true if you’re a website openly accepting guest blog posts. For every submission you receive, check the validity of the author and the links included in the post. There is just too much spam and scammers out there. You don’t want to take the chance of Google penalizing your website, getting a bad reputation, or having plagiarized work.

Things to check for:

  • Inspect the author or websites social profiles
  • The type of social media fans and followers they have
  • How they present themselves online
  • What is their website like
  • How would the author or receiving website help your credibility or authority

Writing Guidelines

If you are going to be doing any type of guest blogging or accepting them for your blog, writing guidelines are crucial. There’s no doubt, having guest posters can help grow your audience. And, being a guest blogger for a high-authority website can help grow your personal brand. 

If your blog allows guest posters, here are some tips to consider:

  • What type of content has the author written and for what kinds of sites?
  • Is the content being offered to my website all original, and never published before?
  • Do you have first rights to the content being offered?
  • Is the piece something you could be proud to share across your network, and does it represent who your brand is? 

If you’re a guest poster, some things to consider are:

  • Are you willing to give away first rights to your written piece?
  • Does the site represent who you are as a professional?
  • Have you carefully read the guest posting guidelines?
  • What type of promoting do the owners of the site do?

If done carefully and correctly, guest posts are beneficial to both parties. It can be labor-intensive depending on volume, but so worth it in the end. 

References:
https://www.newbreedmarketing.com/blog/what-is-guest-blogging
https://neilpatel.com/blog/guide-to-guest-blogging/

LinkedIn Hacks For Increased Visibility

It’s no secret that Linkedin is one of the best B2B platforms for networking. Whether you’re there to learn from great minds, expand your connection base, or sell your services, Linkedin could be one of the most beneficial social media platforms for you. Over there, it’s all about post engagement–both on your own and on others, if you want to gain any traction. How is it done, you ask? Well, let’s explore different LinkedIn hacks you can do to gain better visibility. 

First Of All

If you’re just starting out, or you’re just starting to take Linkedin more seriously, there are some things you’ll need to do.

  • Establish your space. What niche/industry are you going to focus on? Best practice dictates you write what you know. It’s okay to stray from your industry, though.
  • The stuff you share should entertain, inform, inspire, and educate. But, not necessarily all at once. 
  • Be approachable and relatable. 
  • Create a consistent publishing cadence. Decide what works best for you, and stick to that schedule. It could be once per week, or once per day. Totally up to you. 
  • Be social. After all, Linkedin is a social platform. And, it could be arguably the most social out of all of the social platforms. This is the most obvious of LinkedIn hacks.
  • Don’t forget to set up and optimize your personal profile. Add a banner image, your avatar, and fill in all your “about you” information. 

Leverage The Linkedin Algorithm

Your post is most vulnerable within the first 30 to 90 minutes after you’ve hit publish. The more eyeballs it gets, and the more comments and likes, the better Linkedin will show it some love. That means Linkedin will allow your post to be seen by people outside of your first tier of connections. 

Also read: How To Become A LinkedIn Thought Leader

Avoid 3rd Party Links

Well, don’t put the 3rd-party links in the body of your post, at least. You can, however, put a link in the first comment. Linkedin prioritizes Linkedin posts. They want you to stay on their site, and clicking a link means you’re potentially straying away. 

Pay Attention To Hashtags

There’s a section on your homepage dedicated to trending hashtags. Click on one, see what is being said, and form your own post. Jump on that bandwagon and ride it. Why not? That’s what it’s there for. It’s also a perfect place to join conversations. Which, in turn, could create new connections. 

Comment Like You Mean It

If all you can come up with is “Great post”, then fine. But, add why you think it’s a great post. By adding some more meaningful words to your comments, you add value to another member’s post. That has the potential to boost up your network, especially when what you say resonates with that user’s connections. 

Also, always respond to comments left on your own posts. If you can’t figure out how to continue a conversation based on what was said, just thank the person for stopping by and leaving their thoughts. 

Play Devil’s Advocate

It’s okay to be a little controversial on a hot topic. Sure, there will be trolls and haters popping in to tell you how awful you are, but that can be a bit fun. However, only take a stand when you believe in the stand you’re taking. Don’t sell out just to gain some attention. 

Join A Tribe

There are groups on Facebook and Linkedin dedicated to reciprocal liking and commenting on posts. This is a way to have guaranteed engagement on your posts, especially in the first 30-90 minutes of it going live. These pods will give your post that quick boost it needs. 

Hashtag The Heck Out Of Posts

Find a few hashtags that are related to what you’re saying in your post. And, choose hashtags relevant to your industry. Five is a good number. You could use more or even less. Just use them. You could find one or more of your posts trending in those hashtags, which is not only a great feeling but it’s also good for increasing visibility. 

Hey Look At Me

Well, not really. I’m a mess right now. But, when you’re publishing a post on Linkedin, tag some people in your network that you’d think would like or comment on it. LinkedIn hacks like this pushes your post into the timeline of their friends and followers. It definitely gets you seen by people who wouldn’t have otherwise seen you. 

Give Shout Outs

People love being seen and heard. They also get a little thrill seeing their name mentioned by someone else, especially if it’s in a positive light. So, on occasion, spread some love to people you appreciate.

You can do this in the form of a “Must Follow” post, and tag some of the people you enjoy following. Or, you can congratulate or give kudos to coworkers. Or just randomly tag people whose attention you’re looking to get. 

Being active for 1-3 hours per day is the last of the LinkedIn hacks. But, if your network grows and earns you new business or employment, then wasn’t it all worth it?

Your Guide To Marketing Basics

Marketing is a multi-tiered effort, and it can be daunting when you’re unfamiliar with the basics. Never fear, we’re here to help. We’ve broken down some of the important marketing pieces and made them easy to understand. So, if you need a crash course in marketing basics, then you’ve come to the right place. Please read on!

What Is Marketing

The American Marketing Association defines marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large”. 

Essentially, marketing is how a brand, whether it’s an individual or a company, connects with and sells to the end-user. In this instance, sells is a multi-faceted word. It could be a product, an idea, a service, or anything of value imparted from the giver to the receiver. 

Marketing, as a verb, is done through a variety of ways and across multiple channels. The intent is to use a strategic marketing plan to drive the customer into action. 

The 4 Ps of Marketing Basics

There are four primary components of marketing called the 4 Ps.

While your marketing strategy, along with variables within that strategy may change, these four principles will always remain the same. 

  • Product: The goods or services your company is selling.
  • Price: The cost of your goods or service.
  • Place: Where your goods or service can be found, whether online or in a store. 
  • Promotion: How the news of your product or service is going to be effectively distributed.

Key Elements Of A Marketing Strategy

There are many different pieces that come together to make a complete marketing strategy. Not all of these will be right for every brand. 

  • Content: Content marketing helps break down a problem your potential client is having and shows them how to work toward a solution. It aids in growing your audience while establishing authority in your industry. If done compellingly, it will lead to sales.
  • Social media: Social media marketing will build brand awareness. It will enable you to find an audience where you wouldn’t otherwise find one. Meaning, new eyeballs on your product or service. 
  • Email: Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing pieces. You’re delivering your vital information directly into your audience’s inbox. There’s no better real estate than that. 
  • Video: Video has become the most consumed form of content. YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine next to Google. Having a video marketing strategy is becoming increasingly more important.
  • SEO: Using relevant keywords will increase your chances of being found in your target users’ search. In fact, when done right, SEO is the driving force behind website traffic.
  • Paid ads: With ads/PPC, you’re seen at the top of the search engine results. When a user is searching for the type of product or service you offer, you’re now in a better position to sell them what they’re looking for. 
  • Influencer: What’s a better sales tactic than having a popular personality promote your product? Influencer marketing allows you to leverage your influencer’s audience, getting your service or product in front of more potential users. 
  • Public Relations (PR): Public relations is a more traditional form of marketing. PR is about positive perception through relationship building. 

Also read: What Is TikTok And How Can Brands Use It?

Man writing a marketing strategy on a white board.

How To Create A Marketing Strategy

A strategy is important to marketing success. It’s the roadmap that guides your direction and helps you to obtain your goals. 

  • First, you need to determine who your audience is.
  • Next, you’ll have to decide your call-to-action (CTA) for each step of your strategy.
  • Then, you’ll need to understand where in the marketing funnel they are: 
    • Top of the funnel is when the potential customer has no idea who you are.
    • Middle of the funnel means the customer is searching for a product that you have.
    • Bottom of the funnel means the customer has the money and is ready to make a purchase.
  • How are you going to hit your goal? This is where you’re going to determine which of the above elements of marketing are the right ones for you. 
  • Recognizing Your Audience
    • Who is the perfect customer/client?
    • Which platforms are they on?
    • How are you reaching them?
    • What are you going to do in order to be found easily?

Figuring out the “who” will help you determine the “how”. If that sounds confusing, please feel free to reach out to Adapt Studios. We’re happy to help!

Also read: How To Write A Blog Post Built To Convert

Marketing Tools You’ll Need

To aid you in both your marketing strategy and execution, you’ll need some handy dandy tools to keep you on track. 

  • Social platform scheduling: Look at Hootsuite, it is very user friendly and allows you to schedule posts on most social networks. Facebook has one built into the platform, and Twitter is introducing a native scheduler, as well. 
  • Project management: Trello, Asana, Monday, Airtable and so much more are available. It just depends on your specific needs. 
  • Editorial Calendars: You can make one using a Google sheet, or use the project management tool with editorial calendar capabilities like Monday. 
  • Email: We love Mailchimp, but Hubspot has a nice email campaign platform, as does Constant Contact. 
  • SEO: There are so many different tools available for this. We like Answer the Public, Google’s Search Console, and Moz.

You may go through a bunch of different tools until you find the ones that work best for you and your team. 

Also read: Humanizing Your Brand

There are so many things to keep track of and understand when initiating your marketing strategy. You’ll constantly learn and refine, which is perfectly normal, you’re just starting with marketing basics.

Always remember, there’s no perfect way, so stay positive and keep on marketing!

More resources:

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/guides/small-business-marketing-101/

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/step-by-step-guide-to-the-fundamentals-of-marketing-2295834