Make Content Marketing Work for Your Company

Posted on December 14, 2011 by admin

Getting started with content marketing can be a risky and scary process. A lot of business owners automatically look at the negative side of things that could possibly happen: people posting negative comments or the thought that people wouldn’t hire them because they are already handing out free advice.

In reality, there are many positives to content marketing that you should consider:

  • Look at your company from a buyer’s perspective. Are your products newer then your last advertising release? If this is the case, use your content marketing as not only a tool to reach potential customers, but also as a reminder for you so that you can keep your most current product on the front burner.
  • Don’t just sell your product or service, tell your story. This is easy with content marketing because it can become a forum of discussion with customers or potential customers. The flow of conversation can come more naturally than trying to push and sell a product.
  • Engage in the conversations that are taking place on your content marketing pages. Don’t just watch people discuss your product or company, join in the talk with them. This brings you on a more one on one level with them so that they can get to know you and what your company is all about.
  • Take control of your content marketing and use all of the available tools you can. Blog posting, videos, webinars, etc. are all there for you to use to market your product or service. Don’t limit yourself to just one as you may miss some key customers along the way.

Staying involved in your content marketing is the key to success. Don’t just post something and forget about it. Keep your ideas and marketing strategies fresh so that you don’t lose the interest of the customers you are trying to gain.

If you’re ready to get started and need a little help along the way, contact Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions. Our team knows content marketing and can get you on the right track.

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How Important is Social Media?

Posted on December 12, 2011 by admin
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Why Editorial Calendars Work

Posted on December 9, 2011 by admin

Probably one of the easiest ways for a content marketer to think like a publisher, is to create an editorial calendar, according to this Content Marketing Institute report. Many magazines already publish editorial calendars but very few, if any, content marketers have taken hold of the trend.

In order for you to keep your publishing content consistent, it’s very important to utilize the editorial calendar. Not only will it allow you to keep your content relevant, but it will also keep your entire writing team on the same page with their work.

Creating your editorial calendar to fit your specific needs is the key to success with this tool. Depending on what type of content you produce will set the tone for the type of editorial calendar you will use.

Keeping a master editorial calendar allows you to see everything that will be published each day and week. In conjunction with that, you should also keep an editorial calendar that has a more specific breakdown of your work.

Some companies use the Google calendar and some use Excel or other programs, it all depends on how detailed you want your calendar to be. If you choose Excel, you can break your calendar down into specific tabs such as:

  • Author
  • Date the piece is posted
  • Titles
  • Key words that must be used
  • Specific categories

Another way to use your editorial calendar is to track the ideas of things you may want your business to post about at a later date. Some of those options would include:

  • Specific content ideas regarding information already on your website
  • Content ideas you can repurpose to make your own
  • Ideas for a new content piece on a unique topic

Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to attract and keep traffic on your sites. Want to know more, or just need assistance with producing your content? That’s what we do best at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions. In fact, when we write – you shine!

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Is Email Marketing Part of Your New Year’s Resolutions? It Should Be.

Posted on December 6, 2011 by admin

To-Do in 2012:  Get in shape. Relax more. Take another look at the power of email marketing toward gaining new customers and strengthening my brand power. In a communications world that seems dominated by tools like Facebook and blogging, email marketing lives. This focused, strategic communication tool is unique in many ways from its social media cousins, but one aspect certainly stands out: you get to send the precise stories, offers or information that a precise audience wants.

Even better, this audience is actually asking you for information. Begging for it (Well, maybe they’re not begging, but they’re certainly opening the door to learn more about your products and services. After all, they have subscribed to your email marketing offerings).

Even with new customer-focused tools, the basics of email marketing haven’t changed. Begin with getting readers’ permission to include them in your email marketing updates. Your email marketing campaign can include simple half-page updates alongside a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter. Allow each message to be a call to action. Add several links to your blog and your web site in each email message, as well as easy links to your social media pages. Use a catchy, short subject line that entices them to take a look.

Email Dialogue is Real (Unlike Many New Years’ Resolutions) …
Today’s email marketing strategies are more guided by exact customer preferences and customer-segmented research than ever before. By collaborating with social media tools, the opportunities for creating real and meaningful dialogue with your buyers (or donors) are out there for the taking.

Also note this about email marketing:  it has power to help you regain the interest and loyalty of previous buyers who may have drifted away, as explored in a recent post from Marketing Sherpa highlighting the year’s marketing insights.

The Quality of Your Email Marketing Content is Still King
Above all, hold fast to quality with your email marketing strategies. This includes not over-doing it on how many messages you send, but instead, planning your messages strategically. Focus on useful, pertinent information that truly answers readers’ questions about you. The quality of your email marketing strategies will keep users interested and coming back to you, far more often than quantity.

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Some Fun Facts & Figures of Social Media

Posted on December 3, 2011 by admin
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Social Media can Make You or Break You

Posted on December 1, 2011 by admin
If handled in the proper way, social media can be your best friend. Social media has the power to advertise like no other way, spread the name of your company quicker than any other method, and unfortunately, ruin your company’s name in the blink of an eye.Is it worth the risk to take the chance on destroying the company you have worked so hard to form? Of course it is. If social media is handled correctly, it can soon become your “right hand man,” so to speak. Social media has become one of the most widely used tools over the past few years and there is no reason your company can’t jump on board as well.

According to this recent article, there are basically four key elements to understanding the proper way to use social media: Listen, Prioritize, Engage and Integrate.

First you must listen and understand what your customers have to say about your company or your product. Then you must prioritize the actions that should be taken from those of the greatest importance down to the least. Engage in conversation with your customers so that they know you care and value their opinions. And finally, integrate some of their ideas in your marketing strategy. After all, if your consumer feels they have a hand in the product, they are probably more likely to buy.

Finding the best way to integrate social media into your company may take some thought and strategy. Depending on what your product or service is that you offer may make a difference as to what type of social media tools you wish to use. Keep in mind that even if you don’t have a social media presence, clients are still talking about your company and your brand. Wouldn’t you rather drive that conversation?

Not sure how to get started? SJC Copywriting can help you determine the right social media strategy and help you launch into this powerful marketing world. Contact us today to learn more.

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Texting: More Popular than you Think

Posted on November 21, 2011 by admin

Do you know anyone who doesn’t text? If so the numbers are probably few and far between. Texting has become one of the easiest ways to stay in contact with people and now it is even being used to promote companies like yours.

More than 203 million Americans are active “texters,” which means that 72 percent of cell phone users have text capabilities on their phones. According to the 2010 Mobile marketing Association meeting, there are 4.5 billion Americans who own cell phones and only 4.2 billion Americans who own a toothbrush; what does that say about technology today?

The median age for the “texters” is 38 years, which means that you could be missing out on your target market if you don’t take advantage of the service.

Research from the firm Ovum suggested that the text messaging craze will soon become the choice of communication for companies to advertise their business. If companies fail to utilize this outlet, they could actually lose out on effective marketing strategies.

Sending out a mass text message to all of your consumers is probably not the best way to start your texting campaign; take time to discover the basic rules for texting before you decide on your texting strategy.

One advantage to texting your current and potential consumers is you can personalize the message and they opt in to receive your updates. If you take the time to text them, they can read it at their leisure and will more than likely take time to see what it says before they act on it. Plus, it stays on their mobile device until they delete it.

Text messaging is a fun way to communicate with your clients. Need help selecting a provider and building your messaging strategy? Contact SJC Copywriting today and we can help you get started.

 

 

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Email Marketing: Are You Leveraging this Simple Tool?

Posted on November 19, 2011 by admin

As so much of business is conducted “on the go,” it can be difficult to reach your entire target market when it comes to your advertising activities. Email marketing companies were created to help with this dilemma so that you can create desired results with each marketing strategy.

Email marketing companies focus on hits, clicks and leads. This system allows them to build a databank for your specific company so that you can generate leads as easily as possible. By knowing what companies you are targeting as potential clients you will be able to personalize the email and know what is in it and how it is designed.

As social media has become such a popular tool in marketing today, it’s an effective platform to link directly to email. In fact, 90 percent of social media users today check their email on a daily basis (minimum of once per day). Nearly 40 percent of these social media users check their email four times per day, which means your emails will be seen on a more regular basis.

One study showed that for every $1 you spend on email marketing companies, you have the ability to generate a $44 return on that dollar. This means that email marketing companies can be considered one of the most cost effective and profitable methods to advertise your business.

When considering what to include in your email, remember that the more links you include the better advertising you drive for your company. Keep subject lines simple and consider personalizing them for your target market.

Need assistance setting up your email marketing strategy? The SJC Copywriting team is ready to help you launch and implement a strategy for consistent communication with your target audience. Contact us today for more information.

 

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Does Anybody Want to Read My Blogs? Will They Make a Difference?

Posted on November 10, 2011 by admin

Blogs, and more blogs. What was once a somewhat obscure or personal form of communication has become one of the most common platforms your colleagues and customers are using to find information about products, read reviews and form an opinion about your organization. A recent post from TekkBuzz addresses a key question you may be pondering: If I start blogging regularly, will anyone tune in and read what I write? Will it make a difference to my brand strength and ability to connect with my customers?

You bet your blog it will.

Blog platform sites like WordPress and Serendipity – most of them free and user-friendly – have brought the art of blogging into a simple environment that can truly increase your SEO and page rankings. Nearly everyone can write and publish a blog on platforms like WordPress, and the platform also offers publicizing and tracking features that you can use to explore how many people are reading your blog and what they’re clicking on.

There may be plenty of competition for blogs on similar topics that you’ll be blogging about, but there’s still room for you to mix it up and establish yourself as an expert. Try different angles, like a historical snapshot or a “we tried it so you don’t have to” perspective. Think about the core themes and concepts that you can uniquely write about, and topics that you can guide people toward further knowledge. Be sure to incorporate keywords to ensure maximum mileage across social media platforms and to drive traffic right back to your Web site.
Now, get out there and start blogging. Aim for around 200 words and incorporate useful, informative information, even though you’re using a conversational voice. Even if a handful of readers are taking in your pieces at first, the number will surely grow as you match your blogging with other content marketing strategies. The Internet is a huge place indeed, but with unique angles and consistent posting, you’ll claim your share of prime blog-readers’ real estate.

Need some help with your blogging? SJC Copywriting Solutions produces quality content to drive readers to your site. For more information, contact us today!

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Using Video Marketing to Build Your Site Traffic: Part 3

Posted on November 9, 2011 by admin

This post is part three in our series of blogs on using video to market your website to a broader audience. Access part 1 and part 2 if you missed the first installments.

Once your Web Video is Complete, It’s Time to Build your Site Traffic
There are a number of methods you can use to build the site traffic for your website and your web video, but the list here includes the most widely used and have been proven to work very well.

  • TubeMogul – this allows you to upload your video to multiple sharing sites
  • Allow Sharing – let others share your video so that they can do the leg work for you
  • Watermark – add your website’s URL to your web video this way others can see it and visit it if they want to see more
  • Quality – quality is important in your video’s; good quality video’s will have more hits than those that were just thrown together for a quick production
  • Promote – promote your video on pages where people visit a lot; Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • Tag Yourself – tag yourself in your video so that you can easily be found later
  • Produce more than One – don’t just put one video on the web and expect millions of followers; publish more than one video so that people see different angles of your work.

Don’t forget that one of the most important things to have in place before you worry about video is quality content – if visitors to your site don’t find something they like, they’ll quickly leave with no hope of returning. Want to know how you can maximize your online presence? Contact SJC Copywriting today!

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