Content Marketing

Integrated Digital Marketing – Video, Social, Blog, & Email

CTA : ISP – We can help announce your community, build trust, credibility and authority

In today’s ever-changing world if you are serious about growing your business, it is critical to have a clear understanding of the different types of content that make up your content strategy. Not all content is equal, for example, social media content usually caters to a more general audience, while content on a blog or videos tend to be more specialized to a central topic. Finding your audience where they already are, and then providing valuable content in different formats will help you attract your ideal target market.

Not all content is equal, for example, social media content usually caters to a more general audience, while content on a blog or videos tend to be more specialized to a central topic. Click To Tweet

4 Types of Content To Build Your Brand & Attract Your Tribe

1.) Social Media Content Creates Awareness

Once someone hears about your business from a friend, and they find value in your content, they will seek to view more of your content through your social channels. This is why it is imperative that you actively participate and engage in various social media channels.

Again, the goal is to start conversations, build awareness around what your business is about, and then invite your followers to your site. Social media creates awareness through social proof and tells people “these people believe me and like me.” – Maybe you will too! Sharing links to your high quality and informative content on social channels “invites” people to look closer into topics they are already interested in.

Sharing links to your high quality and informative content on social channels “invites” people to look closer into topics they are already interested in. Click To Tweet

While social media is important in assisting you in your efforts to build your brand and community, keep in mind that it is not a good idea to solely build your community on a social media platform. Starting a Facebook group or LinkedIn group community is a great strategy, but your purpose should always be to guide group members to your blog or site.

Social media networks often change the rules, update privacy policies, and the changes could threaten the existence of your community. Also, as reliable and dominant as some may seem today, who knows what the most popular network will be 5 years from now? Therefore, it’s important to start in social, but not stay there.

2.) Blog Content Creates Trust

You need to consistently create and publish value-driven content that gives your tribe a compelling reason to visit your website and stay on it long enough to create an impact, and convince them to come back later to check out what is new. This is the most important part of your content strategy for your blog that you need to focus on, to create content consistently, and build trust.

This is the most important part of your content strategy for your blog that you need to focus on, to create content consistently, and build trust. Click To Tweet

The design, content, and interaction on your website will either say ” I am an expert, and I know exactly what I am talking about,” or not. Give people a reason to stop everything else they are doing online and listen to what you have to share with them.

This is a low commitment step that you are asking them to take, once they read your content, they make they will either decide to read more, and subscribe, or go somewhere else. Be aware that once someone leaves your blog or website without subscribing to ongoing content, the chances that they will return later on their own, are close to none.

It’s a great practice to have various types of content on your blog, like evergreen content that is always relevant, personal stories, new trends, industry news, and how-to guides. This will keep users engaged, and seeing a variety of content may spike their curiosity and keep them on your blog for longer periods of time.

This will keep users engaged, and seeing a variety of content may spike their curiosity and keep them on your blog for longer periods of time. Click To Tweet

Pay attention to topics that people engage with a lot, and tend to share more, and write more content like it. Listen to what your readers are asking and saying, and give them the information that they are already interested in, no need to reinvent the wheel.

This is also where SEO comes into play and allows you to laser target your audience by choosing the right keywords, tags, phrases, and other related content that could spark more interest and conversations. No matter what your frequency is for blogging, daily, weekly, or monthly, over time, this content will help you build trust and enrich your relationship over time.

3.) Video & Audio Content Create Loyalty

Video and audio are powerful channels to build a relationship with your community. Sharing valuable content through live video streams, podcasts, and YouTube, or other major video platform builds your brand and loyalty. People love video and audio because it is personal, and more personal and engaging than other types of media. Audio and video are surefire ways to grow your followership at lightning speeds, since nobody else has your personality and voice, you stand out from the crowd.

People love video and audio because it is personal, and more personal and engaging than other types of media. Click To Tweet

Video is the fastest growing medium of online content consumption. Over time it has become so much easier to create and share, and it will continue to be a dominant factor in the upcoming years. As more users have access to smart phones and access to tools that make creating and sharing videos fun and easy, it will continue to be a key player in online marketing. Having a strategy around video, and what content you will share through video, will help you find more ways to grow you brand and build your business.

Alternatively, if you completely dislike the idea of being on video, podcasts are great alternatives that provide many of the same benefits as video, with less technical knowledge required. Podcasts are increasingly becoming more popular, and producing a podcast is a great alternative for those who wish to share their expertise, but not necessarily interested in being on video. More and more people tune in to podcasts on a weekly basis, and studies show that people who tune in to podcasts are highly educated, have relatively high disposable incomes and tune in for one hour or more. Podcasts are often overlooked, and are a great medium to become a well known expert, without the need to get in front of the camera.

Podcasts are often overlooked, and are a great medium to become a well known expert, without the need to get in front of the camera. Click To Tweet

4.) Email Content Nurtures & Strengthens Relationships

After reading the content on your blog, and seeing that you are active on social networks, the next level of commitment would be to ask your visitors to sign up for your newsletter / updates. They are already aware of your business, they already like and trust you, now they are ready for a more one-on-one connection.

E-mail marketing is that one-on-one personal touch, that makes your readers feel like you are just talking to them directly. Nurturing and strengthening your relationships for long-term business sustainability is possible through e-mail. That is why capturing names and emails, and building your email list is where the money is at. People are much more likely to buy something from you after 7 touch-points, and this is easy to achieve, through email marketing.

People are much more likely to buy something from you after 7 touch-points, and this is easy to achieve, through email marketing. Click To Tweet

The golden rule here is to always provide highly valuable content that is relevant and helpful to them in some way. Over time, after they like you and trust you more, then you can recommend products or services that are meant to help them or guide them in their goals. It is always important to keep their best interest in mind, not just yours. As soon as people subscribe it is not a good idea to start sending them emails with sales and offers right away.

Just as easy as it was to subscribe to you, it takes visitors only one click for them to unsubscribe. Another thing to be cautious about is frequency, it’s usually not good practice to send an email every single day, people will easily get turned off and annoyed. Every industry is different but once a week or twice a week can be subtle, and efficient at the same time. Staying top of mind is easy and can be automated with email marketing. Make sure your email marketing content is clear, concise, and relevant to what you promised when they signed up for your list.

Make sure your email marketing content is clear, concise, and relevant to what you promised when they signed up for your list. Click To Tweet

Having people’s contact information is a privilege, and if you abuse it, it will take you much more time and effort to grow your community. Focus on delivering value, and contributing to their lives, always give before you ask for something in return. Keeping in touch with your subscribers consistently, and answering their burning questions is a tried and true way to strengthen your bond and grow your business.

Consciously And Actively Tuning In To Your Audience

Make it a point to stop and listen before speaking!

There’s a tried and true saying that reads ” there is a reason why we have one mouth and two ears.” It is because we need to listen twice as much as we talk, and more importantly, we need to tune in to our audience before we begin to talk, and engage with them. Getting clarity on who our specific audience is and what type of content we need to create for them is key. It’s important to remember to focus on delivering value and connecting effectively to create continual business growth. Being in business means that we have a specific problem we are trying to help others solve, but listening first makes us better helpers, and better solution providers.

Being in business means that we have a specific problem we are trying to help others solve, but listening first makes us better helpers, and better solution providers. Click To Tweet

First and foremost, it is important to discover who your target market is, why, and where they hang out. Then focus on learning more about their pain points, questions, and possible objections they could have to your products or services. Listening before you suggest a solution will ensure that you’re not just taking shots in the dark, but that you are genuinely interested in helping them. The very best way to do this is to show interest in them as individuals, have compassion and fully understand the problems they are having, and why they are so invasive in their lives. Over time, intuitively, you will come to know the most common reasons why people are interested in the solution you provide. The best way to develop this “knowing” on what they want is to truly listen without judgment, and without trying to get something from them right away.

When researching your audience, you want to do it from the perspective of a friend, someone who actually cares, and isn't just trying to get something from them. Click To Tweet

Find your target market in their environment

Get up close and personal with your audience, and blend in with their environment, where they are already at. Get to know them, here are some questions that could help you research your target market with more curiosity.

What language do they use to describe their problem?
What frustrations are they are experiencing?
What do they need advice on or help with?
What human need are they looking to meet?
How invasive is the problem they are having?
What is their urgency to solve the problem?
Which things have they already tried and failed at?
How long have they had this problem?

Tune in to what they are not saying

When researching your audience, you want to do it from the perspective of a friend, someone who actually cares, and isn’t just trying to get something from them. This approach will give you space to learn what their hot buttons are and to talk to them directly. Remember that your marketing efforts need to be tailored and directed towards your specific audience and not just sound like a canned sales letter that came from a how-to template.

When you listen close enough you will also hear the things that they are not saying directly. What they are NOT saying is very important to listen for. They may not express their direct need, but through their behavior and language you could discover things about them that they didn’t even know about themselves! This kind of information will help you stand out from the crowd and make your content seem more credible and trustworthy. This is also how you can uncover needs that people didn’t even know they had, giving you a competitive edge over people who just sell and don’t listen first.

The more you listen, the more you grow

The more time that you spend listening, the easier it will be to create content, products, and services, catered specifically to their specific needs. Listening will give you more content ideas and make it easier to find topics to cover, that really speak to them. You will discover certain patterns and trends over time, and learn easier, faster, and better ways to serve them. It is imperative to not stop listening, as most people do once they already have a following. Forgetting to listen, and getting too product or service oriented is a big mistake. By not listening, engaging, and conversing, you will see less engagement from your followers, as well as take more time to build trust, relationships, and sales.

The more time that you spend listening, the easier it will be to create content, products, and services, catered specifically to their specific needs. Click To Tweet

Here is a list of the top ways you can listen to your audience. This will vary widely by industry but overall these resources and ideas will be easy to find online and are completely free for you to use.

Where do they hang out?

Google Hangouts
industry specific forums
YouTube videos / channels
Places they go to for fun
Places they shop
LinkedIn Groups related to your topic / industry
Facebook groups and events
Twitter lists
Meet-Ups

Who is already influencing them?

Friends
Books
Podcasts
Competitors
Colleagues
Events
Movies

For this particular phase of researching your market, forums are a great resource because people feel more open sharing with other people in their same field or with their same interests. Often forums feel like more tight communities than other mainstream social media networks.

Often forums feel like more tight communities than other mainstream social media networks. Click To Tweet

Finding your client in their natural environment and simply stopping to listen will enable you to deliver greater value and connect with them easier and on a deeper level. Knowing what inspires them and how to get them to take action is golden. This will help you easily grow a sustainable business that is focused on innovation and profitability, through staying attentive and flexible.

Domain Name Best Practices For Personal or Business Branding

Being Instantly Recognized Online

A key aspect of building your personal or business brand online is being instantly recognizable through your business name or brand. This is why it is imperative for you to have a clear and unique business name, and register your matching domain name as soon as you can. Your business name and domain name, are ideally the same thing. This will help you build your brand and create consistency across your site and various online platforms. Even if you are not ready to start a website, registering your domain name right away, ensures that once you are prepared to move forward with a site, you will have that part already taken care of.

A key aspect of building your personal or business brand online is being instantly recognizable through your business name or brand. Click To Tweet

It is wise to buy your business name as a domain, as it will be how people find your business online, and tell you apart from others who may have similar offerings. You could look at your domain name as your online phone number. Through this unique string of characters people will easily and quickly find you on the internet, without having to rely on Google or other sources to find you. Not having a domain name is like not having a direct line to reach you, and that could hinder the growth and credibility of your business. The easier you make it for people to find you, the better results you will see in the long run. Purchasing and registering your domain name is one of the very first steps for getting your business online exposure through the creation of a blog or website.

Using a personal name or company name for your domain name?

Your domain name plays a crucial role in your overall branding strategy, so it is important to select your domain name based on your business goals and long term vision. A good tip is to double check that your chosen domain name is available as a twitter handle and Facebook page. This keeps your personal or business brand consistent across all networks and makes it easy for people to identify who you are. It is best practice to run your business under a business name, other than your personal name. This will set you up for future growth. If you intend on hiring people, and eventually having a team, it is easier to do when you have a business name that is not your personal name.

Your domain name plays a crucial role in your overall branding strategy, so it is important to select your domain name based on your business goals and long term vision. Click To Tweet

However, If you also want to register your own name and it is available I would highly recommend buying it as well. A good practice is to own your first and last name as a domain and point it back to your main company website to start out. This gives you the flexibility in case five years down the road you decide to change your mind about the direction or vision of your business. In going this route, you also have the advantage of building your business around your personal brand, which is a great idea for coaches, authors or speakers. This is not always the best route for other less personal, and more serious types of businesses.

Keep it simple and don’t make people think!

Domain names should be short, easy to spell, and easy to remember. I highly recommend .com’s or .nets and if neither is available .co can be a good alternative. Usually when people see a website with dashes in the name like social-media-today.com they instantly come off as less serious and less professional than domain names without dashes. Usually having symbols like dashes, or other non-letter characters can create confusion or frustration, as it is easier to misspell or mistype.

When the domain you want is already taken you can try to add words like : my, online, guide, or blog. If you are wanting a domain like simplewidget.com, and it is not available you can also try to look for plural alternatives like simplewidgets.com. Usually domain names that are clear and don’t need an explanation, will give you the best results. It’s good practice to keep it simple, and don’t make people think too much.

Usually domain names that are clear and don’t need an explanation, will give you the best results. Click To Tweet

There have been instances where people use cre8tive in their domain name for example, and that is not easy to read off over the phone. While this may seem fun, creative, and different, it can create confusion when you are explaining to someone, “ we are a creative agency, but creative is spelled with an 8 . . . ” that can potentially start you off in the wrong foot with a potential client. Simplicity pays off in the long run, so keep this in mind when buying and register your business domain name.

If you are having trouble finding a good one …

If you are just starting your business and you can’t find a domain name that you want, there are online resources that can help you find something that may otherwise show up as taken. Sometimes people register domains but are not using them and they may be thinking about letting them expire, or people could be open to selling domains they don’t use or need.

Godaddy has a database of domain names that have recently expired and are available to purchase, but they may not show up as available in the main search results. Check out godaddy’s domain auctions, but beware that some domain names could be considered “premium” and cost much more than a standard domain name that is available

There are some benefits of buying expired domain names that could potentially help your business. It is widely known that Google looks at the age of your domain for ranking purposes, as well as many other factors. If your domain has been registered for 7 years, it will carry more weight than a website with similar content that has only been registered for 2 years. Usually the domain name with the most age and backlinks will rank higher than newly registered domain names.

When you register a brand new domain name or an aged domain, it is recommend that you register your business domain name for at least 3 – 5 years. Again, Google tends to favor websites with domains that are registered for a long period of time, even if they were just purchased yesterday.

When you register a brand new domain name or an aged domain, it is recommend that you register your business domain name for at least 3 – 5 Click To Tweet

Another thing to keep in mind is if you want a private registration or a public one. Going with a public one means that your name, address, and e-mail can be published for people to find out who the domain name belongs to. If you are concerned about privacy, it would be best to go with a private registration.

When you register your business domain never pay the full price! Try to Google “ ( current month ) Godaddy promo code” and you will more than likely find promo codes where you can buy a domain name for $2.49 or less.

Look at your domain name, and website, it as a business investment, and branding tool that will help you build a sustainable business.

7 Proven Facts to build WordPress Websites that Work & Convert

Creating a WordPress website is not as easy as using a free theme, uploading some pictures and text, and then sitting around to wait for the sales to come in. As technology advances, web visitors have become more savvy and have a high expectations about who they do business with. If your WordPress website doesn’t follow these 7 guidelines, it could be the reason that you are not seeing significant traffic or sales.

Build your credibility using social proof

Building your credibility using social media can be very easy. Make sure that you are an active member of Facebook/ twitter/ meet-up or some other online community that your readers like and trust. For example if your WordPress website is about social media, make sure that you show buttons of how many people follow you on twitter and Facebook. If your target market is local, I would recommend using Meet-Up.com to build a local audience, and post your events on you WordPress website.

Don’t make people THINK!

As soon as visitors land on your website, if they don’t know what to do they will leave! So the message here is to be as clear as possible and keep your website clutter-free and ad free so that it is easy for your visitors to focus on your main offering. One big thing is to make sure that your website loads fast, visit http://tools.pingdom.com/fpt/ to check your website’s load time. Also make sure that your navigation is easy to read and follow, and use plenty of white space. The more that you make your visitors think, the less likely that they will stay on your website. Make it as simple as possible, remember KISS! Keep it simple silly!

Tell them what their pain is and how you can solve it

The simple fact that your visitor found your website means that they are looking for what you have, or a trusted friend sent them there. Now that they are there make sure that you connect with them and speak in their words. Tell them that you understand their pain, and that they are not alone, and how you can solve it. Remember to use emotion and explain what is in it for them.

Use the proper SEO to make your site visible

No matter how amazing and beautiful your website is, if nobody can find it, that does not do you or your target market any good. Make sure that you use the proper WordPress Plug-ins, as well as the right H1 tags, titles, keywords and tags to label your pages and posts. The All-In-One SEO pack and Platinum SEO plug-ins are both great to make sure that you use good SEO on each page. Using a good theme is also key because Google loves clean code and this single thing can boost your SEO. Also if you use images or videos make sure that they also have proper SEO settings.

Make your site EASY to share

One of the best things about WordPress is the huge community of people that are constantly reading and sharing content. Make sure that your website is easy to share using many social networks. I recommend using the “Share This” plugin to allow people to share your content on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn and more. Make sure that you pick the “classic” widget as this allows people to share your content without ever having to leave your page. The easier you make it for people to share, the more likely that you will get social shares and more visibility you will get.

Show your face and personality Remember people buy things from people that they LIKE and TRUST, so don’t hide yourself behind an e-mail address. Show them your face, and that you are a real human being. Make it easy to contact you by letting them know that you are available to help them in more than one way. People have different comfort levels with varying communication channels, so let them know that they can reach you in more than one way.

Make the mobile experience seamless Keep in mind that not everyone that comes to your website will be using a desktop. It is good practice to use a responsive WordPress theme to allow viewers with tablets or smartphones to see your website. Keep the pages to a minimum and post the most important information on your first page. If you are a local business publish your map and phone number where it is easy to click and call or click and get directions.

Part 2: Contagious Content in 6 Simple STEPPS

3 More juicy ways to make your content more enticing and contagious : )

In part I we covered the first 3 STEPPS of creating contagious content, today we will be focused on the last 3 parts that make this a great formula that will help you create content that had contrast and weight!

4.) Public : Built to show and grow

When you are aiming to create contagious content, make sure that it is built to show and grow. Make it as easy as possible to share your content and don’t require many extra steps in order to do so. A good tip is to use social sharing buttons on your website, and accompany your content with interesting videos or graphics that make it more appealing. When people see that there’s a significant number of other people in their industry sharing your content, and being socially rewarded, they are also very likely to share it. The easier you make it, the better your results. Don’t make them think! Make it so easy that a 5 year old could do it. A good example of this in practice is Mashable, since they are a trusted source, and they have plenty of social proof, a lot of their content goes viral. It also helps that they consistently publish content from well-know authors and influential bloggers across many industries. Their platform is ever-growing, and they continuously stay top of mind by releasing fresh content daily.

The more people that share their content, the more credibility and reach they build over time. We live in a “monkey see monkey do society” so if it’s easy to share, people will have a natural tendency to do so. Convince them that they will look good, keep it simple, and the rest will take care of itself. Making your content publicly available, and easy to share through your platform will help you reach a wider audience and build up your readership over time. The good part is that you don’t have to be Mashable in order to be successful, there is plenty of opportunity to be the authority without necessarily being the big fish in the pond.

5.) Practical Value: Keep it relevant Your content is much more likely to be shared or liked, commented, shared, and get significant interaction when it truly delivers value to the end-user. For example using lists, or creating infographics and how-to videos that educate, entertain, or inform is a great idea. In order to do this, you need to really know your audience and what type of questions they have, as well as where they hang out and where they go to seek advice. Make your content something that end-users can easily or quickly apply, and keep it short by delivering bite-size information, then leading them to a place where they can get further help. If you create content that inspires them to take action, try it themselves, and see results quickly, it will have higher value and be shared more.

This is why it’s a good idea to offer white papers, guides, how-to videos, audio files, books, PowerPoint’s, checklists, printables, and other type of content that will somehow make life easier. Being relevant and helpful will never go out of style, and people will reward your generosity through engagement and shares. An example of this at play was when I recently shared a blot post on Facebook and said “This is the only dating advice you will ever need.” Since a lot of my friends are single, they found the information useful and relevant. They also shared it on their walls, and the piece got significant exposure because it was real-world advice that was well written, valuable, and entertaining. The post was a very interesting read, the guy shared great advice for men and women, so it was easier to spread.

6.) Stories : Create a conversation A story creates conversation, gives us something to talk about, and something to remember. Mr. Berger’s advice encourages us to stop selling and to start storytelling in order to craft our message in a unique way that makes our message memorable and easy to share. Give people a reason to share the story while looking good. Make them the hero of the story, not your company, and they are much more likely to actually share it. It’s very important to use tie-ins to make your product or service a key detail of the story without actually making it seem like everything is built around it. This may take special skill and a little bit of strategizing but overall if you can craft a story that makes them the hero through the use of your product or service and creates deep emotions, it’s much more likely that they’re going to be sharing the story with their social circle.

Yup, Proof that peanuts can be be the center of an interesting story A good example of this is a company that sells peanuts. At first peanuts may seem plain, kind of boring, and you may ask “How do I make peanuts interesting?” Well my friend I have quick story that may illustrate this for you. When Barbara and Ben were 20, they met at a new year’s party. Ben playfully gave Barbara a handful of peanuts and said “I wish these were pearls.” They dated, got to know each other, and went on to get married and have 2 kids. After they were happily married for 60 years, and Ben was on his death bed, he gave Barbara a handful of pearls and said “I wish these were peanuts.” “Me too!” she said. The End. Bam!

Did you see how peanuts instantly became much more interesting to you after reading that story? This part is where you can have fun, be creative, and find uncommon ways to tie in your offer while making it easy to remember. Whew! So those are the 6 steps to crafting contagious content. Here are some more resources in case you want to read more examples, and find out what other people are saying, and how they are leveraging this for their content and marketing efforts. Useful further Reading and Information : ) 1.) Here’s a quick video of Marie Forleo interviewing Mr.Berger, a quick watch and fast to digest about viral marketing. 2.) If you’re an avid Lynda.com user check out this course titled Viral Marketing : Crafting Shareable Content, it’s about an hour long, but totally worth it. 3.) If you are a book worm and would really like to dig in much deeper and further strengthen your content marketing skills I encourage you to buy Jonah Berger’s Book : Contagious : Why Things Catch On]]>