Repurpose Your Content: Five Easy Ways that Don’t Require Moving Furniture

Posted on July 10, 2012 by admin

The rise of visual-heavy platforms like Pinterest has brought new life to the concept of “repurposing,” with millions of subscribers frantically redecorating, reusing, and shifting around their home environments.  Taking this concept even further, you can achieve great value for your content creation strategies by reusing your material across multiple arenas.

Not only does repurposing and reusing your content save you time and money, this strategy can help build an even stronger and more loyal band of followers for your organization.

Here are five easy ways to make your content creation efforts go even further, part of recent tips from author and consultant Kivi Leroux:

  1. Look at your blogs, news postings and other areas to see if you can reword it for a new crowd … such as vendors, partners and investors, extending the content outward from a sole focus on customers.
  2. Put that great blog into a great new piece for a newsletter, or even a whitepaper to publish on your website. Of course, you’ll want to attract attention to your whitepaper as part of your content strategy by giving the link to select social media subscribers.
  3. Turn things into videos. The use of tags and the extreme ease and popularity of YouTube has made video a top content creation tool. Turn your blog into a quick video by using the talents of a volunteer, a board member or a few fellow employees. Video doesn’t have to be a full-out stage production; make it short, engaging and to-the-point – and always include tags so your new production can be found online and shared.
  4. Give a quote, a testimonial or a social media post new life as a header for a blog or a short article.  A related tip:  Got a survey through Survey Monkey? Turn those questions and comments into new blog or article material.
  5. Put it on Pinterest. Put your enewsletter as a pdf onto Pinterest; even your printed pieces can be posted this way on a Pinboard. Give your blogs a photo, and then add these to another Pinboard. Don’t overlook Pinterest as a content creation tool – it’s generating impressive numbers and valuable leads for many organizations.



Keep in mind, however you repurpose your content, that it all begins (and ends) with great quality writing that gives your readers something valuable as part of an overall content creation strategy.  It’s much more effective and simpler to repurpose something that’s well-written and valuable from the start.

The team at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions is one that we are proud of. We have quality writers that can be a great asset to your content marketing strategy. Contact us today if you are ready to learn how to “repurpose” your content. We would love to get  involved in your creative process. 

Posted in Blog Writing, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Newsletter Marketing, Pinterest Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Teamwork, Video Marketing, White Paper Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Monday Morning Coffee with Family Guidance

Posted on July 9, 2012 by admin

Welcome back to our Monday Morning Coffee segment. You’ll have to forgive me for the later  post. I spent the last week working with my son’s youth group on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Globe, Arizona. It was exhausting work, but exciting to see the work ethic and excitement of our youth and what they can do when given a challenge.

At SJC, our challenge this week was to focus in on a company or organization making a mark in their industry. We opted to focus in on an organization that has taken the social media bull by the horns and run with it – enjoying the subsequent benefits. This week, we look at Family Guidance Center and the momentum they are creating online.

In the non-profit sector, there is often a misconception that the same tools that benefit the enterprise are out of reach due to financial or knowledge-based restraints. It is often assumed, for instance, that social media activity or a powerful website is only available to those organizations with deep pockets. The reality, however, is that any organization can make great use of the tools available. With the right strategy in place, they can even demonstrate a powerful ROI.

Family Guidance Center is learning just how powerful a strong online and social media presence can be for both clients and potential partners. The organization started with a new website and built out a strong blogging platform with the same look and feel. Topics of focus on the blog center on real issues that families and individuals are facing on a daily basis: addiction, drug abuse, mental illness, ADHD, childhood mental illness and so much more.

These topics are then shared through social media platforms through a strategy where followers are gained on a daily basis. The organization is not only pushing out information, they are also getting into the conversation and demonstrating their leadership role in the industry as an authority on behavioral health.

Perhaps the most daunting task Family Guidance Center has in front of them is changing the stigma associated with mental illness. Too often, society views this as something of an embarrassment, something to hide or ignore, and something that only affects those in poverty or the less educated. In reality, no one is immune the mental illness and the damage it can do if untreated.

Through strategic blogging and social media posts, Family Guidance Center is focused on changing that stigma and reaching those who need help and don’t know where to turn. We tip our hats to their efforts and look forward to tracking their success.

If you are looking to drive the same success in your organization, we can help. Contact Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions to learn how to build a strategy that works in your field and for your business and we can execute accordingly. Give us a call to learn more.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Do You Know Where You’re Going?

Posted on July 6, 2012 by admin

You’ve marketed your business or product, but you’re just not seeing the revenues to back it up. Have you evaluated your marketing plan? If not, now may be a good time to do so.

According to a marketing article, simply sending out a few press releases or putting a few posts on social media alone won’t do your business justice. It takes a holistic approach in your efforts.

A concise, planned out strategy for where you want your business to go needs to be developed, and then the action plan of how to get there incorporating marketing is part of that process. Once you’ve established that, then get your team onboard speaking the same language, so they can convey that message to your target market.

As you work through the planning process, remember you can’t be everything to everyone, so no need to try. Often the idea is that if you throw out all possible opportunities for sales, then you’re bound to get lucky. Why risk maybe being lucky when there is a higher probability that you will actually be successful by knowing who you are more likely to gain as customers.

Know your target market and who you want to reach and market to those potential consumers. Your efforts and money will be utilized more effectively in this approach.

Know who you are and who you want to be. If you cannot answer these basic questions, then putting together a successful marketing plan will be extremely difficult. That old saying, you have to know where you’re going in order to get there rings true.

Set some goals for your business, establish a road map on how you’ll get there and once you get there, evaluate how you like where you are. This will help you determine if your marketing efforts have paid off and what you need to do to continue moving your business to the next level.

Marketing is an ever changing concept based on the marketplace, but you have to have the basic foundation in place to customize everything you do to continue to position yourself in the best light for your business.

At Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions we can assist you in developing a marketing strategy that will help you achieve your business goals. Contact us if you know where you want to go and we will help you get there.

Posted in Brand, Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Collaborating for New Content Ideas = Better Listening

Posted on July 5, 2012 by admin

Today, we can do it all. We can utilize journalistic skills, create video, write well-read blogs and start social media campaigns … giving you distinct pathways to reach your audience and creating a fusion like you’ve never had before.

The keyword here is “we.” Collaborating on new content ideas has never been this exciting. New arenas like “seek or shout” from Cision are revving up the productivity level and value of content in an environment that resonates community and sharing. You can use sites like this to post your new content, follow others who share your thought streams and get useful, innovative articles for your constant content stream. Create a profile to receive exactly the types of articles you’re looking for, or delve into reviews to save precious time. As part of a content sharing community, you give some and find some.

Collaborating on new content ideas gives us all a forum to share reviews, stories and strategies in distinct areas – and even to ask for help for meeting a deadline or new inspiration for a proposal. Even more, collaborating gives every organization a chance to publish material and contributes to the value and effectiveness of social media as a whole because it extends all of our great content ideas even further.

After all, great content is still about great listening; it’s about having meaningful conversations with your audience and learning what they need aside from all the new tools that continually enter the scene. Through content collaboration, we can hone our listening skills even further.

At Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions we are ready to listen and we would love to be a part of your collaborative team. We can help you create a distinct impression through meaningful content and social media campaigns. Contact us today if you are ready to start  reaching your customers in new and innovative ways.

Posted in Consistent Customer Communications, Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Happy Independence Day

Posted on July 4, 2012 by admin

The Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions team would like to wish you a safe and happy 4th of July!

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”  ~Erma Bombeck

 

Posted in Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Teamwork | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Leveraging Content Can Aid Sales Efforts

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

We’ve all heard the expression that content is king. Good content marketing can serve several functions.  Certainly it helps with search engine optimization and aids sites in attracting attention. It can also be useful in improving social networking efforts. An often overlooked role of content marketing, however, is how it translates to sales.

The purpose of driving continuous and fresh content to a site is really about building a relationship with followers. And when you build a relationship, a certain amount of trust develops. It’s similar to a dance in that it is a two-way exchange. Putting out information that is relevant and interesting for potential customers intrigues them into taking one step closer.

These days, though, it is difficult to gather customer information. With so many spammers out there, people are protective of what information they give out and to whom. Developing rapport with your followers helps them let their guard down and share more information. Just as in a real dialogue, we tend to divulge more about ourselves when we feel more at ease.

This information can help with sales because it allows for a customized, customer-centered approach. While it’s normal to try and get the most information as possible right off the bat, a smarter approach may be to use a marketing plan that lets the customer take the lead and engage when they feel most comfortable.

By structuring content to reach potential customers early in the buying cycle, you have a better shot of gaining their attention. Qualified leads can then be delivered to the sales team. When customers are information shopping, for instance, it’s your sales team’s job to demonstrate how your product or service can help meet a need. Creating great content can help attract followers with certain aims that your sales team is able to fulfill, essentially bringing warm sales leads directly to you.

Developing quality content is what we do at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions. Let our experienced staff show you how utilize content marketing to gain sales and maximize your return on investment.

Posted in Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy, SEO, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monday Morning Coffee with CAP St. Joseph

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

Social media has long been a powerful tool in the marketing strategy – when you consider long in terms of technology. While five years ago most of us really didn’t have any idea what Facebook was and Pinterest didn’t even exist, the race to promote your business more effectively than the competition is heating up.

In Northwest Missouri, one non-profit organization is making waves in the social media realm. Community Action Partnership, also known as CAP, has little funds to expend on any type of marketing activity. What it does have, however, is a creative mind in the way of Melissa Chesnut.

As the Director of Development and Marketing for CAP (a position once held by our very own Rachel McCoy), Melissa has embraced the opportunities that exist in using social media to spread the word, engage in conversations and share relevant content. In fact, at a recent Pinterest Marketing Lunch and Learn we hosted at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, Melissa shared her insight and we all learned a few “tips from the field”.

When asked about her take on social media, Melissa said, “Social media has allowed CAP St. Joe to reach to community leaders and potential volunteers and donors by engaging them in conversations about our programs and news, sharing data on poverty in the area and best practices when looking for quality nonprofits to invest in.”

“We have seen a significant increase over the last year of people commenting, asking questions and sharing our news on their social mediums. It’s a very effective, low-cost tool to give the community a sense of a connection to CAP St. Joe and its individuals and families helped by the agency,” Melissa added.

An increase in commitment and volunteerism is something that can help the organization’s Breakfast Club initiative. Since its inception more than two years ago, the Breakfast Club has served as an opportunity to bring community leaders and Head Start children together.

For just one hour, a community leader (which is really any professional willing to take the time) is given a tour of the Head Start center, is invited to sit down with the children and enjoy breakfast together, and then is asked to read a book together.

According to Melissa, “Breakfast Club allows Head Start children to have a chance to spend time with leaders in our community. The program also means children have an opportunity to be exposed to a range of professions.”

If you are interested in getting involved with the Breakfast Club, please contact Melissa Chesnut at 816-233-8281 or mchesnut@endpov.com.

Posted in Consistent Customer Communications, Marketing Strategy, Monday Morning Coffee, Social Media Marketing, Teamwork | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’m Retail – Do I Need a Blog?

Posted on June 29, 2012 by admin

To blog or not to blog – that is the question. Blogging is not just for certain types of businesses. Blogging can provide benefits for most any business, and it’s a great way to learn more about your customer and what they have to say about your brand and products.

The posting of regular blogs is fast becoming a mainstream marketing channel. Traditional advertising campaigns may cost millions and still not yield desired results. Blogging is a cheap, effective way to interact with your customers to help foster loyalty and interest. And if you aren’t doing it, you’d better start, because your competition is.

Blogging can be a great way to feature a key product or service or just build brand recognition. By embedding links that revert back to your site, your business can also highlight sales or key events that the customer may find of interest. Because of the social media frenzy, many people use the Internet and sites like Facebook to get product reviews and recommendations from “friends.” Choosing not to blog means passing up an important opportunity to generate referrals from fans that would otherwise follow and promote your business.

Blogging keeps you relevant and allows you some control over what sort of image is put out there about your company, its products, and services. People are going to be sharing their personal experiences and opinions regardless, and blogging will help you get your two cents in.

According to the Technorati writing community, there are more than 345 million people following blogs these days. Shouldn’t one of those be yours?

If you’d like to get started but aren’t sure how to join the blogging train, give us a call. It’s one of the easiest, most cost-effective things to do to help promote your business and encourage word of mouth. Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions has a team of writers that specialize in writing blogs and we’d love to help you get on board!

Posted in Blog Writing, Brand, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Teamwork | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Keeping Your Business Front and Center with Blogging

Posted on June 28, 2012 by admin

Blogging is a relatively new concept in marketing and promoting your business, but it provides a great way to connect with your current and future customers.

According to a Blog Marketing article, there are a few things you can do to enhance your “blog-ability” and effectiveness of what you do.

It doesn’t make much sense to simply write something, post it on your website and move on. It takes consistent follow up and interaction. That’s the beauty of the Internet and all that it offers. You can stay connected to those whom you most want to reach, share your knowledge and garner more information from them to help you do a better job with your business. What better way to stay in contact with your customers, not to mention cost-effective.

Develop an email list and use it. This is the source of making sure the message gets to a recipient on the other end who is familiar with what you do and how you do it. You want that list to grow, which means you’re improving your reach and potential for generating new customers.

When it comes to sharing information, you want it to get to your appropriate target audience. The power of linking is significant. It can take your blog and push it to the top of the visibility list simply by including links to educate your clients. The more you link the more you’ll be noticed by potential customers – but be careful not to link too often, or it just looks like spam. Four to five links in your blog is a healthy number.

Blogging is a way for you to be the information source of all things related to your business. You will be viewed as the expert in your field by positioning yourself in such a way that your message is always the first to get noticed.

If you have positioned yourself in this capacity, then the business will come. Just don’t forget to stay connected! In other words, once you get readers, keep blogging; if you get comments, respond; and if you receive requests for guest bloggers to contribute to your site, take them up on it and request that you do the same on their domain.

Once you’re ready to move into the realm of blogging for interaction and to drive traffic and subsequent revenue for your business, that’s a great time to call Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions. Writing is our first love and we combine that with our expert knowledge of the Internet and how blogging can drive traffic. To get started, contact us today.

Posted in Blog Writing, Content Marketing, Email Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Giving Back – Why It Matters

Posted on June 27, 2012 by admin

There once was a couple whose approach to parenting was so skewed from the norm that they locked their children in the basement while they left town. Another couple struggled with a drug addiction so engrained in their psyche, they forgot they had children to feed and clothe. Another family neglected to protect their daughter from an uncle with an unhealthy bent toward little girls.

All of these acts resulted in making an impact the children involved. In each situation, a child is scared for life, left to struggle with the effects of their circumstances. For some, the abuse and/or neglect demanded the focus of a social worker and a legal system that rendered foster care the better option. For others, remaining in the biological home was preferred by the state and the children were at risk of abuse and neglect once again.

The challenges are heartbreaking and seem insurmountable. For the social workers manning the cases, that could easily be the reality. For a week in June, however, the challenges are set aside for a week of fun at Royal Family Kids Camp. Completely free of charge for these kids, RFKC offers a week of refuge, a place where kids can just be kids. Staffed with special friends, aunts, uncles and grandparents made up of volunteers recruited to create a “family”, RFKC is a camp like no other.

2012 marks the 20th year of RFKC in Northwest Missouri. The 6th camp established by RFKC, it has been a continuous success under the tutelage of Sandy Hamlin and her husband, Coach Ken. The two have spent the last 20 years dedicating their time, love, finances and energies to providing abused and neglected children in Buchanan, Clinton, Dekalb and Andrew counties an opportunity to spend a week at camp, focused not on their situation, but instead on how to be a kid.

For Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions, this camp is an opportunity to get involved and make a difference for these kids. Each year, our team travels out to RFKC to provide meals, interact with the kids and provide any other help to staffers seeking to make this camp a success. It’s our way of giving back, working together as a team to see the impact we can make. It not only improves our performance as a team, it reinforces our belief that success is nothing if you don’t pay it forward.

To learn more about this wonderful organization, visit www.rfkc.org.

Posted in Teamwork, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments