Blog Writing is All About Content. Nothing More. Nothing Less.

Posted on September 27, 2013 by admin

Blog 8Good blog writing depends on content, plain and simple. But what defines “good content” is semantics really. What may be good content for you may not work for someone else and there starts the debate. Yet I think we call agree that content is key and every other aspect of blog writing can be second and on down the list.

So what makes for good content? Well, there lies the argument. Not only will each individual business have their own idea of posts that address personalities, topics, ethics, and needs but blog writing has to marry these concepts with the opinions and perceptions of readers as well. There are so many elements to creating good content that blog writing has become a true art form of creativity and finding that balance.

Here are some of the key elements that make blog posting reach an approving audience and how to effectively manage it:

Insightful and Original. You must always keep in mind when you are blog writing for your readers. Content must be for them. If it’s not then you’re not doing your job. Remember that it’s all about the customer, so any good marketing professional knows it’s all about the customer. Bloggers should keep this in mind when creating content as well.

Blog Writing That Makes an Impact. While everyone is different, there are six basic concepts to delivering good content: entertainment, education, information, debate, news, and community. While this is the condensed version of a broader list of ideas, it hits on the critical concepts that will reach a majority of readers.

Know Your Audience. This is nothing you don’t already know. But are you doing it? If you are currently blog writing, interact with your readers and get their feedback. This can be good information to develop what good content you have delivered in the past and where you’re coming up short.

It’s also important to do a little research, too. Look closely at industry-related forums and communities to see what others are talking about. This can help gauge your content and make your blog writing much more effective.

Be Original. This is a huge challenge. There are thousands upon thousands of other bloggers out there and half of them are writing about the same things you are. They too are trying to develop original content that will reach a target audience and drive traffic to their sites. It’s a tough race but one that, with the right information, you can easily compete.

Be a Standout. If you haven’t started blog writing yet, good. Before you begin, take a look around you and see what your competitors are doing. You’ll soon find that they are all delivering similar content in a similar way. This is a great opportunity to be a standout and break through as something different.

Blog writing is a tricky business. Let the professionals at Susan J. Campbell give you some fresh perspective.

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Support Youth Alliance

Posted on September 26, 2013 by admin

Come out and support Youth Alliance with another fun trivia night!

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Do You Get Excited About Social Media?

Posted on September 25, 2013 by admin

Social Media 1Social media. Some hear this and get a little happy and excited about the overall prospect of things to come. Others hear this and the cringe that accompanies the grumblings begin. Despite the occasional negative response to social media, the numbers are telling a different story.

The dawn of Twitter came in 2006, and just three years later the number of users rose by 125 percent. Facebook began  in 2004 and gathered just around 1 million users by the end of the first year. If we look at the numbers from March of 2013, we can see the numbers are closer to the 1.1 billion mark.

We can all sit and wonder, is this going to pass or are we going to continue seeing the numbers increase – or at least remain about the same? Sure, we have read several articles regarding the fact that Facebook is losing the younger demographic. However, that is only one social media platform. We can see that across the board, individuals of all ages are enjoying Vine, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms. In fact, across the board, social media has seen a growth of 80 percent in 8 years, as highlighted in a recent Social Media Today article.

Basically, we are saying that social media isn’t going anywhere. We have moved from one form of communication to another and social media is here to stay.

The beauty of social media, however, is that before now the consumer was merely along for the ride; now the consumer is directing this cruise. It is up to us as marketers to keep the consumers engaged. That also means listening to their feedback and responding.

Always remember to keep track of what’s going on in the social media world. Be aware of where clients are and what they are up to. This is an ongoing process and will forever be a goal, since social media has changed the face of customer interaction.

Don’t forget, though, that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. We now have the opportunity to listen to what our customers want from us. While it might sound unrealistic, this ultimately gives us the chance to provide better customer service.

So, if you groan at the thought of social media and how to interact with customers, be sure to contact Susan J. Campbell. We love getting to interact and engage with a variety of people on social media and can help you with a social media marketing strategy that will help you maximize your engagement across social media platforms.

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Are You Creating Content That’s Going No Where?

Posted on September 24, 2013 by admin

Content Marketing 5Did you ever stop and wonder why the wheel was created? Probably not. It seems like almost overnight we’ve understood the importance of tweeting and posting to social media. Most of us have even become experts at creating content that delivers information to our audiences but do any of us really understand why?

Having a clearer understanding as to why creating content is so important can possibly drive more people to us than simply solving the how dilemma. Do you know why they started following you in the first place? Go back to the beginning of your social media campaigns and find out if there were an deals or promises that drove the most traffic to your site. Continue through your posts and look for exclusivity, deals, promotions or any other reason that caught a complete stranger’s attention. Are you delivering those things that first attracted them?

Is there anything about your industry that you are not touching on? This can be a big let down for some followers who may have been drawn to you for this reason alone. If you are a pet company then you should be creating content that focuses on all things pets, right? You’d be surprised how often businesses owners lose sight of that simple focus as time goes on and the world of social media becomes a bit foggy.

There is a psychological need for people to take action when there is a subconscious yearning for fulfillment. Creating content with this idea in mind is key to connecting with your communities. If you take a personal and emotional approach to interacting with your follows you can tap into an entirely new market. Empower them. Show them your business’s innovation and the best way to use your products and services.

In order to do this well you will need to understand your audience and the best way to do this is to cross reference demographic data and research. Individual personas can easily represent the important members of your community so creating content that focuses on each of these is key.

Would any your followers think of you when they aren’t logged in? Companies don’t make their money in social media networking but by social media networking. Money is made outside of Twitter and Facebook so it’s critical to develop a brand that stands out. A social presence is important by creating content that keeps them connected so if you are that pet company, know that people are coming to you because they just lost a pet, love their pet or saw a neighbor walking a pet that looks like one they had. There are all sorts of reasons that drive traffic.

This is why creating content is so important to connect and establish relationships with your audience. We have the experts to guide you. If you are that pet company, we can help you develop help for those grieving over a lost pet and maybe some options for how to bury a furry friend or develop content that can help them find sources to adopting or purchasing a new pet. Contact us to develop a plan to get you reconnected.

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Monday Morning Coffee with Our Military

Posted on September 23, 2013 by admin

Flag 1Teamwork is an important part of any successful work environment. It’s doing your best with what you’ve been tasked, but it’s also appreciating and supporting the contributions of others. SJC’s Alisha Corbet understands the power of teamwork. Her husband Aaron is part of one of our nation’s best examples of teamwork – the U.S. Army.

As a Sargent in the Army Reserves, Aaron has experienced firsthand the strong bond that is forged between fellow servicemen and women. After two years of service Aaron remains motivated and excited about what he does in uniform. As a Human Resources Specialist Aaron helps connect soldiers with needed resources and he enjoys helping fellow soldiers get ‘squared away’. In his job, individual success is measured by how well the many are served.

There’s a strong sense of camaraderie and connection that comes from knowing that your service is benefitting the service of others. Working together, dressing alike and sharing goals larger than themselves builds fraternity – a kinship that soldiers share irrespective of generation. Soldiers young and old, active duty and retired, understand and appreciate one another.

Aaron refers to the Army as a good organization filled with many good people. As citizens of the U.S. we can be thankful that our military is that kind of team. A team of good men and women willing to work hard and sacrifice for things bigger than themselves. We can be grateful that men and women continue to volunteer for the hard things and the hidden things which need to get done in order for us to remain a great nation.

You see these men and women everywhere. Sometimes they are in uniform, sometimes in civilian garb – but always they are standing straight and ready to lend a hand. You don’t have to look far in the world to see that every country is not equally blessed. This week join the team at SJC in saluting and personally thanking members of the military.

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Do You Make Your Blog Posts Resonate With Readers?

Posted on September 20, 2013 by admin

Blog 7It can be difficult to make your blog one that not only attracts readers but keeps them coming back. One the biggest trick is staying abreast on hot topics and social media is one of the best way to do this.

Here are four ways to capture your target audience with information that will resonate with them.

Look for social channels that are performing and monitor them. Even industry leaders can have fluctuating results. You will just need to look at the articles that catch a reader’s eye with strong headlines and convey meaning. Make your blog posts influential and attractive for topics that area clearly doing well in other areas.

For example, if a particular product or service gets 2,000 more likes than another that is a good indicator that you should make your blog posts lean that direction.

Listening to your community is a simple way to make your blog a hit. Topics that are influencing your readers are key. Ask them what they’d like to see and make your blog posts reflect that. Don’t start the conversation with a general question like, “What would you like to read next?” Be more specific, very specific.

And don’t forget to further engage your audience by encouraging them to provide feedback at the end. Then, make you blog posts a response to their feedback. This alone could provide quite a few posts that will garner quite a bit of response with likes and shares.

Research your own Facebook page. More often than not you can find an abundance of relative topics at the top of your feed. This is an obvious place to search for material to make your blog posts all about your followers.

You can take this a step further by looking to see if there are any common threads among comments to garner more topics. When you make your blog all about your readers you not only gain followers but become an industry leader and a valuable source for information.

Find out if your Tweets are marketable. Use a simple Twitter tool like Sprout Social to measure which of your Tweets are getting the most attention. This is another obvious way to find topics for another series of blogs.

These are great places to start but contact us to make your blog have a sense of purpose and create a plan to continue you down a path of success.

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Twinkies and Social Branding

Posted on September 19, 2013 by admin

Social Branding 1Really, we shouldn’t be a bit surprised by the fact that Twinkies can provide us with a lesson in branding.

Saying that America has been in love with Twinkies since the 1930’s, when Twinkies were introduced to the world, might be a stretch. However, to say that we were all shocked by the thought of Twinkies no longer being around – some might have curled into the fetal position and ate, what they thought would be, the last box of Twinkies they would ever consume. Now that’s what we would call an iconic brand.

In a Forbes article, Michael Stone talked about Twinkie’s impressive comeback and said that, “… nostalgia can be a very powerful marketing tool.” This was extremely beneficial during the great comeback of this brand. There wasn’t anything new to talk about, the same Twinkies were coming back, no improvements, no story… Except the comeback!

So how can Hostess make sure that these branding efforts don’t fade? Eventually, the excitement of the soon-to-be-infamous Twinkie Comeback of 2013 will disappear, turning into a great story that we will tell our grandchildren. Not only that, Hostess has to battle the ever increasing health-aware trend, as they don’t exactly provide products that coincide with this trend.

Erich Joachimsthaler, a former Harvard professor and author on a large number of articles about branding, states that the key to the success of the branding efforts by Hostess and Twinkies will require more than just simple social branding.

What is social branding, exactly? It has always been about applying traditional branding principles to social causes; attempting to form a cultural bond surrounding a brand. Joachimsthaler tells us that “social branding is all about social business.”

Consumer behaviors will change and it is necessary to take advantage this. We live in a society where preferences, perceptions, and opinions change all the time. Companies need to always be on the look-out for how to keep up with these changes. At the same time, these changes need to be done carefully, with a strategic plan still in place.

Social Media Today suggests three things to think about when considering these changes in order to keep up with customers:

1. Focus on the end goal. Remember your reason for the business and work back from there.
2. Dream big. Take small steps. Move quickly. Big dreams don’t equate big money. Start with small steps, this will keep costs down. The small steps still get companies momentum when it comes to branding, especially.
3. Real-time information. Keeping information up to date helps companies ensure that they are not overwhelmed or providing numbers that are misleading.

Branding can be a tough thing to tackle. Getting into the consumer’s mind and keeping up with their ever changing perceptions can be overwhelming no matter how long you have been in the game. Contact Susan J. Campbell today and let us help you with your social branding.

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Top Tips to Grow Your Social Media Strategy

Posted on September 18, 2013 by admin

11304978_mThe best social media strategy is one that brings a good deal and trustworthy endorsements together. Customers look to their friends for feedback on where to find the best deals, especially around the holidays. Coupon campaigns that earn that extra push on social media will not only get more exposure but higher redemption rates.

Here are top tips using couponing campaigns within your social media strategy:

People will share if there’s an incentive. There is no greater gift to a company than that of gab. Word-of-mouth is still the most powerful tool out there. Encourage your fans to share a good deal by posting coupons on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, asking them to refer their friends.

Once codes are redeemed, the original person gets an even better deal. Do you see how that works?

Become exclusive. A good social media strategy must include ways to reach your social audiences all year long. When a customer likes or follows you, give them a coupon. This will initially give you a solid fan base but their “like” will generate another story which will attract more fans.

People like to feel special. Come up with individual promo codes for every user to invoke some exclusivity. Not only are you protected come checkout time but it ensures customers will turn into fans to claim their code. Think about the audience you just created for the next campaign.

Add some mobility. You can’t expect to keep customers if the only way to redeem a coupon is to print it. Mobility should be at the top of your social media strategy. Experts predict more than 10 billion mobile coupons will be circulated in the next year, and continue to grow. Give your fans different options and incorporate some mobile redemption during your campaigns.

The staff at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions can develop a social media strategy that gives your fans access to your coupons and increase your redemption rates. Contact us to get started right away!

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Top Questions to Help Develop Your Next Content Marketing Strategy

Posted on September 17, 2013 by admin

Marketing Strategy 5Every once in a while you will need to breathe new life into your content marketing strategy. Content is one of the most important aspects of any successful business plan. Recently Social Media Today talked about top aspects of refreshing your content marketing strategy to get you back on track.

You should ask yourself these basic questions:

Who is my target audience? Content should be directed toward your clients. Even if you already have a basic content marketing strategy in place it needs to be reviewed on a regular basis. Look at whether or not you are still providing solutions for your clients and does your current content match this.

Am I being too general? If your content isn’t being customized to fit the many different clients you have, you are missing a big opportunity. It’s quite simply to tailor content to meet each audience.

What questions are customers asking? Do you get frequent questions about products and services? Use this as an opportunity to answer those questions within your revamped content marketing strategy.

What keywords are bringing people to my website? Create content that matches with the most popular keywords that are driving traffic to your website. People are obviously looking for something specific so give them content that will keep them visiting your site regularly.

What is popular? Take a look through your past content to see what got a lot of attention. That blog that got more than 2,000 shares last year could be something to write about again. Not all content has a shelf life while some can be one-hit wonders. Make a list of both as part of your content marketing plan.

What’s new with me? While it is always important to provide content about your company’s news as far as products and services go, don’t forget about other relevant news. In order to establish yourself as an industry leader you will have to develop a content marketing plan that encompasses your entire industry. Stay abreast on industry topics and create knowledgeable content for your readers.

How am I different from my competitors? Your content always needs to make you stand out. If you clearly understand what makes you different than the other guys, it will be that much easier to illustrate that in your content.

Am I engaging my prospects? Remember that content is the beginning of a conversation. Your content marketing plan should always include opportunities to engage target audiences.

What are you asking of your clients? You may have provided the best content in the world but you need to have a call to action at the end of every single post. Don’t leave it up to the reader to assume what they should do next. Encourage them to download more information or reach out to you.

If you aren’t sure how to answer some of these questions, contact us to help develop a solution for your next content marketing plan. We can help you brainstorm to create a manageable and productive strategy.

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Monday Morning Coffee from Our SJC Retreat

Posted on September 16, 2013 by admin

SJC.TeamWhen someone utters the words “team building activity,” the images of outdoor trust falls gone wrong often pop into our heads, and some of us may wonder a) how we have time for a retreat and b) what activities we can do together that don’t involve bodily injury, or a forest, to help us bond together as a team. However, team building events can definitely be done right! (Indoors).

Starting on Sunday, we left for a mini-retreat and team-building event complete with fun games, good food, and a whole lot of laughter. It all began with a simple exercise with post-it notes and grew into a good discussion about what we can learn about different ways to handle the high-paced environment that goes hand-in-hand with our industry. We had to race to put together puzzles and struggled through the adversity that hit us. (Here is the SJC Tip of the Day: Puzzles on carpet don’t work that well. Also, when your boss switches a few pieces, it leaves you slightly confused!)

Throughout the night, there were several games and questions that involved us finding out more about each other. We were asked questions like, “What did you always want to be when you grew up?,” which gave us insight into various dreams and goals that we all have as individuals. It’s amazing to see just how enlightening a few simple questions can be – and how our skills and desires make us a strong, savvy and well-balanced mix, qualities to look for in any type of marketing service team.

Our next challenge is to take what we learned from all our conversations last night and buy a gift for someone on our team. Check out our Instagram and Facebook for some fun pictures of our team in action! Today, SJC recommends that you embark on even a mini-retreat with your team. You may be surprised what you learn, and it will be time well-spent even in the midst of ongoing deadlines.

How does your team draw closer together? Share some thoughts with us.

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