Do You Need To Reevaluate Your SEO Strategy?

Posted on August 30, 2013 by admin

21362077_mFrom time to time your SEO will need to take a new direction. Every business goes through changes and making decisions that mean switching your focus isn’t easy. But if you know your SEO isn’t working then you need to get going. This article talks about how you can get started in redirecting your current SEO.

You already know that SEO results can take several months. The sooner you get started transitioning the better. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. When developing a new SEO strategy you need to lay the foundation. It is possible to simply redirect pages depending on domain changes or maintenance but a brand new strategy would involve some redirection and starting from scratch.

Here are 3 easy steps to get started:

  1. Have a clear picture of what works and what doesn’t. Make a list of pros and cons and try to include every aspect of your SEO strategy. Don’t exclude anything. A list in the waiting can help eliminate stress down the road if you come to the problem again.
  2. Get everybody on the same page. Creating a brand new SEO is not something you should do alone. Talk to whomever is working on your SEO. It is important to bring them in on the early stages to address any concern of theirs as well as gather their insight.
  3. Do your homework. There are SEO experts out there and it might be worth your while to research your options and see what they have to say. Remember, your company is unique and your SEO strategy should be customized to meet your business goals. 

Once you have developed a new SEO strategy, it’s time to put it in action. You should begin by readdressing your business goals and go from there. Focus on your business needs during implementation.

Secondly, you should not launch your new plan without talking to someone outside your company first. Make sure an SEO expert has looked over your plan. If your first attempt failed, there is a reason. Don’t make the same mistake twice.

Lastly, take advantage of Google Analytics to measure the SEO results from the redirection. For social media success and link building, look at tools for these specific tactics.

Taking on a new SEO direction can be very complex. There are experts at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions that can help you develop the best plan possible and assist you in implementing whatever strategy you are looking at executing. Contact us to get you started.

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Does Your Brand Strategy Have a Good Story?

Posted on August 29, 2013 by admin

11885495_sWhen creating your brand strategy it is important to move away from those hard sales messages or marketing blurbs. Instead, you need to be focusing on telling your story. Small business and nonprofit websites and blogs should lean toward more storytelling. You should let readers in on the stories about not only yourself as the owner or manager but about your employees, clients, and customers. 

Consider revamping your brand strategy and tell your story.  Focusing on seven key ways to share your brand’s story will make your brand personal to readers.

  1. People process information easier in narrative form with stories. Did you ever wonder why we are so fixated on watching television or going to the movies? By nature, we yearn for tension, drama, characters, tension, and an end resolution. It’s comparative to our own lives. We are all made up of short stories filled with humor, sadness, and discretion.
  2. We become vulnerable as we share our stories. Remember, when you are storytelling you are writing non-fiction and with the truth comes transparency. Don’t be afraid to share the downside to your business.
  3. The truth is not boring. Well, to some people it may be, but telling the truth can be an exciting part of any book or movie. Your story has the ability to move your blog readers. Incorporate a good story with a range of emotions into your brand strategy.
  4. Combining brand strategy and storytelling should offer some context. Each web page, photo, status update, blog post, and video gives a glimpse into the puzzle as a whole. How has your company changed throughout the years? Why did you start your business? How has your business model changed to meet changing needs of customers?
  5. Connect with your stories. People will always remember a good story. Keep this in mind when developing your brand strategy. Help your readers to identify with you, your employees and even the business itself. If you are a veteran, talk about it. If you are a minority, share a story of hardship and success.
  6. Don’t forget where you came from. The written word has helped people share their stories throughout history. A good brand strategy can incorporate storytelling so that we can always know the journey that got us where we are. Our stories keep us on track and continually focused on the objective and mission.

It’s all a good marketing. Not only do our stories become a great brand strategy but a perfect form of marketing. That quick 30-second commercial is essentially telling a story. While a majority of us will turn the channel when a commercial comes on there are those rare times when a commercial looks appealing. YouTube, for example, is riddled with commercials that tend to go viral. Why? Because they are good stories.

If you need help getting your brand strategy and marketing plan started, contact us. We can help you put together a narrative that best illustrates where you and your company have come from and where you are going.

Posted in branding strategies, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What Social Media Platform Is Best for You?

Posted on August 28, 2013 by admin

18459566_s (1)It can be easy to just assume that you need to be on all the major social media platforms. However, it is best to go where your target audience is hanging out. As one would assume, you wouldn’t want to place an ad about the upcoming ballet in a hunting magazine. With social media being a great place to begin marketing your business, it’s necessary to still get the message directly to your target audience.

A recent analyses done by Social Barrel highlights the audiences that frequent the most popular social media platforms. This information will help you discover if you’re using the correct platforms for your business and target market. Additionally, the information helps determine which types of media – text, article link, photo, video – works best for the different social media platforms. Before we dive into the information, it’s important to note that the ten social media platforms highlighted in this analysis are as follows:

  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Google+

  • LinkedIn

  • YouTube

  • Pinterest

  • Reddit

  • Slideshare

  • StumbleUpon

  • Instagram

When it comes to the most suitable media type for the different platforms, Facebook rises to the top.  Facebook and YouTube are by far the channels with the most potential reach; Twitter and Google+ are the next two in line. However, don’t forget that the amount of people you are reaching isn’t always the most important thing to focus on. The quality of the interaction is also important when it comes to your business. Keep in mind that not all of the social media platforms promote customer engagement.

Some of the more shocking statistics came when you scrolled down far enough to see the breakdown in age. Facebook saw the majority of users are between 45-54 years of age with more males than females. Google+ has the largest group of 25-34 year olds. LinkedIn captures the attention of male, 35-44 year olds while Twitter, on the other hand, is used by more females than males.

The infographic provides much more information about social media platforms and those who use them. It can seem rather overwhelming to keep up with all that information, Susan J. Campbell is here to help make it less overwhelming. Our team is ready to keep track of social media trends and make sure that your business is on the right social media platform, reaching the right target audience for your business.

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Are You Creating Content That Will Get You Lead Conversion?

Posted on August 27, 2013 by admin

19798675_sAt the end of the day you need to do what it takes to draw customers and get them to buy from you. To do this you have to establish good relationships and sometimes the best way is creating content for lead conversion.

You need to keep in mind that customers don’t just want a sales pitch. In fact, today’s consumer can smell a phony sales message a mile away. Instead, consumers have unlimited online and offline resources so creating content that answers their questions and gives them power to make better buying decisions. Don’t give them just product information or bogus marketing messages. Instead, give them a tangible solution that answers a real-world problem.

Creating content that builds trust among customer communities makes buying a lot easier. Here are six ways your company can translate content for lead conversion.

  1. You know what your business goals are. They are usually aligned with a solid marketing strategy. In order to have any success, despite creating content, you need to have a way to measure it. While content to lead conversion is a growing trend, you shouldn’t invest in creating content because of its popularity. Discuss openly what you want to accomplish with your content and focus on one or two measurable and obtainable goals.
  2. Identifying with the customer is the most important part of the content process. If you don’t know exactly what potential customers are looking for then creating content will be not only more difficult but pointless.
  3. Lead conversion comes from a variety of content: white papers, print newsletters, pod casts, email newsletters, magazines, websites, and even more. Your budget will most likely dictate which type of content you go with but you do need to consider your customers’ needs and what platform they will utilize most.
  4. If you don’t incorporate some version of a call to action when creating content you are missing the bus. More often than not, customers need to be told what they should do after taking in information. Do you want them to call you? Email you? Place an online order?
  5. Reach out to the professionals. You’re probably like most companies in that you are driven by your products and services. It can be tough to look beyond marketing your company and creating content the way a publisher would. It’s a separate set of skills that you may need to look at outsourcing.
  6. Don’t start creating content without a plan on measuring its success. Measuring in the short term will mean greater success for the long term. If you’re not hitting your sales goals in a preset amount of time it might be time to reevaluate your content strategy. 

Companies can struggle with creating content to achieve marketing success. We have a team of professionals that can make this next step in your business plan a hit. Contact us to get started.

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Your Marketing Plan Should Include an Email Strategy

Posted on August 23, 2013 by admin

21362170_sA good email strategy can make or break any marketing campaign. However, even the best marketers face challenges in optimizing their company’s brand using email. There are email strategies and trends to look at that can help launch your marketing campaign into a successful one.

Did you know that consumers that receive an email via marketing campaigns spend about 138 percent more than customers who don’t get the emails? An astonishing 93 percent of online customers are seen interacting with company brands using email. That’s higher than any other platform.

These are hard numbers to deny. Yet the trouble is that nearly 30 percent of people will change their emails each year. Another 17 percent do so every six months. So it’s important to take advantage of an email strategy that can bring about the results you need.

Think subject line, visuals, and content.

Focus on keeping your subject line to under 50 characters. You should tease a bit here. Offer an incentive in the subject line which can increase your open rate by 50 percent. Nearly 85 percent of subjects will choose to open their emails based on what is in the subject line so you need to start off strong right out of the gate.

Using visuals, such as your logo, and less text will draw your target audience’s eyes to the real information, your call to action. You may have a lot to say but don’t overwhelm them. Limit your content to only relevant information that will make them keep reading and want to do business with you.

Once you’ve figured out how to get them to open your email another part of your email strategy should be “how” you’re reaching them. There are 70 million Americans checking their email on a mobile device. This means mobile optimization is key.

Be persistent but not annoying. Keep in touch by regularly emailing but don’t overdo it. At least 47 percent of people will opt-out of emails with feelings of being pestered.

If you aren’t sure where to start with an email campaign, let us create an email strategy that will work with your current marketing needs.

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Customer Engagement Using LinkedIn

Posted on August 22, 2013 by admin

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LinkedIn engagement can be tricky. A recent study done by LinkedIn discovered half of those who follow and engage with organizations on LinkedIn are more likely to purchase the product or service offered. This goes to show you that an active LinkedIn page will help to grow your business, but it will require a little work to improve your engagement.

Here are four ways to enhance customer engagement using LinkedIn:

  1. LinkedIn Groups Provide Great Content for Followers

Spend some time looking through groups where your followers are communicating it is necessary to find out what interests them. Analyze and read over the things that are catching your target market. LinkedIn is great because they have made it possible to quickly search for specific topics in specific groups.

Additionally, LinkedIn provides “group statistics” data which gives you the ability to find the most engaging topics on a month-to-month basis. This is found under the More tab in the group, select Group Statistics, and then click on the Activity link provided to see the trends within that group.

  1. Status Updates Should Happen Often

For LinkedIn, status updates are the most effective in the morning. While the morning seems to be the best time, posting throughout the day is helpful since it will catch those who log in later in the day.

It can be extremely beneficial to begin a log that keeps track of days and times of posts, the topic of the post, the amount of engagement occurring, and impression counts. This will give you a better idea of what works best for you and your audience.

  1. Pictures, Files, Questions, Links, etc.

Test out the use of pictures, files, and links. There’s a reason the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Images help your status update stand out among the crowd and sometimes it says more than a text-filled update ever could. There are some other great ideas for ways to use pictures, questions, and contests on LinkedIn in order to generate engagement.

  1. Other Ways to Promote Your LinkedIn Company Page

    Promote your LinkedIn Company Page on your website, email signature, and even other social media channels. This will direct people to your LinkedIn profile and provide the opportunity to establish a relationship with more followers and generate even more credibility for your company.

By following these steps consistently, you should see an increase in engagement with your audience. Susan J. Campbell is always here to help generate even more engagement for you and your company through LinkedIn and other social media channels.

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Three Tricks For Using Pinterest to Boost Your SEO Ranking

Posted on August 21, 2013 by admin

20300646_sWho would have thought that those hashtags on Pinterest would pay off? Well they do. You’ve probably found that there is a lot of competition out there when trying to rank organically in certain popular markets. Not only are you up against the best of the best that know their stuff but then there’s the other group of inexperienced SEO users with their optimization tactics. This is why turning to Pinterest is a great idea.

There are a few different ways you can utilize Pinterest to increase your rankings.

First you will need to identify a keyword or phrase that you’re looking to target. Don’t push it with three or four. Stick with one and be realistic. Remember there is a lot of competition out there so be selective and don’t choose a keyword that you won’t stand a chance in ranking.

Once you’ve established your keyword or phrase, you’ll need somewhere to keep everything. Pinterest has pinboards and you will need to create one. Your pinboard should be relevant to your keyword. Use your keyword or your phrase in the title but then also search for any visual elements to pin on your board, too.

Now you are ready for the hashtags. Everything you pin to your board should have hashtags. For those of you who are new to this, it’s the pound sign. If you are using multiple words, for a phrase, place a dash between the words. For example, Midwest collection agency would look like #Midwest-collection-agency. Be careful to not write in a way that resembles spam and keep keywords to a two or three word minimum.

Pinterest and hashtags can be amazing for your rankings as long as your selected keyword or phrase is in each name and description throughout your pinboard.

If you’re not sure which keyword to choose, or which ones are too competitive, contact us to develop some great ideas on utilizing keywords in the most effective way using Pinterest as your tool.

Posted in Pinterest Content Marketing, SEO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Three Tips To Creative Blog Writing When You’re Out of Ideas

Posted on August 20, 2013 by admin

20412903_sSo you’ve been writing your blogs regularly and they are gaining in popularity. Unfortunately, all bloggers come to a crossroads when their ideas for new posts seem to run dry.  Don’t worry. Everyone runs out of things to blog about from time to time. Here are three easy tips to creative blog writing that will get you back in the game.

You know those boring looking magazines at the doctor’s office or on the coffee table at the in-laws? Next time you see one, pick it up. If it looks like something you would never, not even in a million years, read, then grab that one. The thing to note is that magazines about fly fishing, quilting, and muscle cars are very specific. The content is usually generated by real enthusiasts and can help you understand a variety of different interests. Unlike Wikipedia, these magazines will offer some insight into industry jargon that you may not otherwise pick up on.  You can also check out the library. Not only do they carry numerous magazines but often times have old copies ready for the recycling bin.

Remember that you don’t live in a bubble. Check out the latest headlines.  Look for some of the big news items of the day. Take the good, the bad, and the ugly and turn it into a creative blog writing element from your point of view. Find that common thread between what you blog about and that current event.

Sometimes we take refuge in our home offices and don’t get out much. Unfortunately, your blogs aren’t going to write themselves so get out there and get some experiences under your belt, then write about them.  Take the time to go to the park, check out the mall, or go on a camping trip. The world around you is an exciting place and full of creative blog writing ideas. Get out there and take advantage of the wealth of possibilities and don’t forget to share them with your readers. Contact us if you’re looking for an experienced writing team to help connect you and your readers.

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Monday Morning Coffee with Schweizer Orchards

Posted on August 19, 2013 by admin

orchardIt’s the first day of school for most kids, and the official beginning of fall. Some of us can’t wait for those brisk mornings, the color of the leaves changing, and getting to curl up on the weekends with a good book (or the SJC blog) and some hot coffee.

Another tradition of fall is certainly apple picking, and locally-owned Schweizer Orchards is a true gem among apple orchards and as a family businesses in our region.

In fact, Schweizer Orchards has been a family-owned and operated business since the early 1900’s. Due to weather conditions and other land troubles, the orchard has moved around from Amazonia to Savannah and has now settled in the southeast part of St. Joseph. The current orchard is run by the third generation of Schweizers – Steve and Becky, along with sons and daughter-in-law, Nick, Cory and Allison. It’s a U-Pick orchard that grows blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pumpkins and apples.

What helps the orchard stay successful? Keeping it simple, offering the produce and the experience customers want to come back for season after season. They know they can expect beautiful arrangements of what’s available for that time of year, plus friendly service. They know they can bring the whole family for a consistently high-quality experience that feels like visiting a friend’s family farm.

One notable aspect of the brand experience at Schweizer’s is a variety of jams and jellies, honey, nuts and candies, salsas and relishes, and so much more offered indoors. This allows shoppers to linger inside (or outside on their porch) while they browse for unique groceries and gifts and visit with the staff. They also sell their garden produce and the fruits that are in season. Since it still feels like summer, they offer apple or cherry cider slushes to cool you off, but when it gets chilly, there are a number of flavored ciders to choose from as well. You won’t regret heading up and spending a day with the Schweizer family.

Right now, they’re offering ripe peaches to be picked, along with home-grown sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and many other local produce offerings. Because Schweizer Orchards connects the farm experience to customers in a very real way, utilizing u-pick produce, fall hayrides, a great children’s play area and special family events, visitors feel like this place is a little bit theirs, too.

In addition to their various adventures with fruits and veggies, they also provide a Choose and Cut Christmas Tree farm. Keep this in mind while counting down the days to Christmas! They provide fields for you to choose, either pre-cut, or you can take the whole family and cut your own. They’ll shake, wrap, drill, and load your tree while you sit back with some hot apple cider or hot chocolate to warm up. It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas, right?

Susan J. Campbell wants to recognize Schweizer Orchards for their hard work and dedication to producing fruits, veggies, and even Christmas for the northwest Missouri area. Perhaps even more importantly are the family memories and traditions they offer year after year in a hands-on, friendly atmosphere. Thanks, Schweizer Orchards!

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