3 Keys to Create Engaging Content for More Customers and Sales

One of the most exciting fields for startups right now is content marketing. This engaging way to spread the word about your business has continued to grow as different forms of content gain popularity. Though it all started with the typical blog, companies are now using various forms of content marketing like podcasts to drive more traffic.

This form of marketing is hard to master and with the dozens of verticals involved, it’s rare to come across a valid informational source. That is why Jason Quey started the Content Promotion Summit, an online event that is bringing together over 60 of the world’s best content marketers.

This free event that started July 25, was aimed at teaching the ins and outs of blogging, podcasts, public relations and more. If you’re looking to start with the basics, below are three keys to creating engaging content to get more customers:

1. Develop a strategy.

Every house needs a foundation. The same goes for your content marketing. Entrepreneurs creating a blog need to lay out a strategy that focuses on their goals.

As an example, Drift, a messaging app that helps you grow your business, utilizes their blog to create a voice around sales, marketing and customer acquisition. In under eight months, their blog has grown to over 30,000 monthly visitors without a budget, making their company a thought leader in messaging apps.

To develop your strategy, I suggest reading the Grow and Convert blog where Benji Hyam details the Google Suggested Search hack. This basically involves long tail search terms focused on how-to questions, comparisons, and questions.

2. Gain credibility.

You have the right foundation for your content strategy. Now you will want to know how to create the content to execute on that strategy.

There are different ways to establish credibility and some ways are better than others. Getting press attention, interviewing influencers in your industry, blogging on other company blogs and answering questions online are all ways to gain credibility.

As an example, at my startup Sourcify where we help entrepreneurs find the right manufacturer in minutes, we like answering specific questions on Quora that address the pain point we are solving. This not only gets us traffic but also boosts credibility as people upvote our answers.

3. Utilize social media.

Social media is one of the best ways to share your content. With that said, social media is all about engagement and far too many companies overlook this fact. Companies today post on social like they’re talking to a brick wall.

Hillel Fuld, one of the world’s top tech bloggers and co-founder ofZCast recently told me a story of when Gary Vaynerchuck explained the return on investment of social media. He described social media as being your mom. Mothers are always there to compliment their children and instill confidence. Social media is there to do the same for your customers.

Though content marketing may not show immediate results or returns, it is a must in today’s world of online marketing. By growing your blog or starting a podcast, you’ll see long term growth and gains that you wouldn’t have imagined possible. You could be invited to speak at major events or write for major publications, but if you don’t start now, who knows where your content could lead you.

 Source : http://entm.ag/2bC8CqZ

Be curious

More about me go to : www.patrick-osinski.com

Quote of the day

Automate social media

There are a few tools and strategies I've found that help automate social media so I can focus on growing my business. If that sounds like a plan, then give these seven techniques a try.

1. Social media automation software and apps

The easiest way to automate social media is by using automation software and apps. These include Hootsuite, Buffer, SproutSocial, HubSpot, Social Oomph and Social Flow. Each tool may have unique features of their own, but essentially they all allow you to schedule social media posts in advance and monitor your accounts when someone mentions your brand or leaves a comment.

If you’re just starting out, select just one tool and experiment with it by scheduling a couple of updates. I personally use Buffer and really like it. Most of the tools above have apps so that you can stay up-to-date with your social media accounts while on the go.

I also like using Brand24 to find out who is talking about my company online. This is a social listening tool that shows me every person that mentions my brand both on social media or a blog post. They don't do any social posting but the social listening feature is amazing. You can then acknowledge these mentions and thank people publicly.

2. Fill in the gaps

Automation tools like Hootsuite can be a real timesaver. But, you can take that automation to the next level by using tools like Zapier and IFTTT. Basically, these resources make it possible for apps, systems and websites to talk to each other. For example, you could create a "zap" that automatically posts new WordPress posts into your Facebook page.

IFTTT gives you the ability to create "recipes" so that you can sync your online profiles or Google Calendar with social media so that you never forget a birthday. The possibilities are endless. Check out this Buffer post to help you get started with IFTTT.

3. Sync your blog

You’ve worked pretty hard on that blog post or creating that infographic. Why not ensure that it’s going to be seen by your friends and followers on social media? If you use WordPress, this is pretty easy to do since there are more than enough plugins that allow you to add social share buttons onto your page or automatically post on social media whenever you publish a new article.

However, you can also sync your blog content and social media updates in advance with a tool like CoSchedule. This handy service lets you plan out your editorial calendar in conjunction with the social media channel that you want the content to be shared on. Remember, not all types of content will work on all social media channels. Share content on the channels where you know your fans will see it. I find that the content that does super well on Twitter doesn't do as well on Facebook for my audience. My Google+ audience likes more in depth articles while my Twitter likes short nuggets of advice. Test out and see what your audience likes and then automate it as much as possible.

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4. Recycle evergreen content

Unless you literally started a blog last week, there’s a very good chance that you have some old blog posts in your archives. While it wouldn’t make much sense to share an article that discussed the hottest marketing trends of 2010, you could share evergreen content.

Evergreen content is timeless content that is still relevant. You could go through your archives, or you could also use a WordPress plugin like Revive Old Posts to simplify the process. There is also a killer tool that I use called MeetEdgar that allows you to publish a post and then automatically recycle your top posts several times on a schedule.

5. Tweet multiple times

While you don’t want to be the person who is flooding your fans' feeds with the same link to a recently published article, there’s also no rule saying that you can’t post that multiple times. In fact, the most effective Twitter users tweet 3 times per day. Even if you only send out the same content, you’re increasing your chances of it getting noticed by a different audience.

If you look at your audience and get to know them you'll find that they are from all over the world. This means that whenever you tweet, you'll have followers online. I like to setup a schedule for tweeting several times a day at specific times. I then go online and find the best content (mainly motivational quotes as they do super well as you can see from my Twitter stream) and schedule them out over the coming months. This allows me to spend two to three hours once every three months finding good quotes. Keep in mind that you can always post something important to social media whenever you want. This is just scheduling out so when you get busy, you don't look inactive.

6. Curate content

Social media isn’t just about sharing content that you’ve created. It’s also about sharing other people’s content. Thankfully, curating is easier than ever with the help of those automation tools that you’ve been using. For example, Hootsuite gives you the option to discover suggested content that you’re interested in based on keywords. Buffer allows you to create a posting schedule based on updates from within your network.

Newsfeeds like Feedly, dlvr.it and Scoop.it can also be used to curate and share relevant content. But, if you need a more robust content curation tool, there’s no better option than Curata.

7. Focus on one task when you have down time

Finally, you have to realize that you can’t automate 100% of your social media activity and have it be exactly what a dream account would look like. If you want to have a huge strong following, automation won't ensure this. There needs to be moments when you have an actual interaction with customers, fans or followers. And, trust me, people can easily notice when an account is basically a robot. Instead of getting overwhelmed, focus on accomplishing one task whenever you have some down time.

This could be anything from responding to or leaving comments, personally sharing updates or refreshing your profile. You don’t necessarily have to do this every 30 minutes, but try finding a little bit of time each day or each week to give your account a human touch. I find that the more personal touch I give my account the more real I am to my followers. This gains their trust and with their trust you can make a more powerful impact online.

Source ; http://on.mash.to/1PqKt3x

Top Trends in Marketing for This Year

At the start of every year, many inbound marketers like to take a glimpse into what the future holds. It’s exciting to see what new software, hardware, and strategies are at the forefront, and make predictions about what will become the next best thing … and what will fizzle out.

The marketing trends for this year will not disappoint, so here’s a look at what to expect and how to plan for what’s ahead.

Video and images are essential.

Much like the last two years, imagery will continue to drive traffic, generate leads, and convert sales. However, some marketers are still getting on board to use video and images, so you’ll be competing with many more companies for customer attention. Plus, Google is now incorporating in-SERP video ads, giving your content much more exposure.

Virtual reality and 3D are the next major shift.

Video and images will continue to be essential–even more so as developers launch products enabling virtual reality and 3D technology for marketing. While the market will generally focus on gaming, there are opportunities marketers must seize. Integration with social media and video channels will lead to more direct messaging for users.

Make sure you’re optimized for mobile.

Users of portable devices will become even more reliant on mobile usage as compared to desktops, so your pages must be developed accordingly. Use responsive design techniques or create a separate app for users to ensure smooth, glitch-free navigation.

Marketers must embrace the omnichannel approach.

Marketing has always been about reaching your potential customers in the places they’re hanging out. In 2016, they’ll be all over and expect you to be there with them. An integrated approach to the customer experience is important–one that blends interactions for a seamless encounter, instead of a series of connections through your website, social media, and app separately.

This is especially important for businesses with a brick-and-mortar location in addition to online marketplace. If there’s a disconnect between the two experiences, there will be a disruption in your messaging.

Social media is a channel, not a strategy.

For years, marketers have used social media as a strategy for reaching customers. However, these platforms aren’t an approach on their own; rather, your social media profile is a part of your comprehensive marketing strategy–it’s a channel for messaging, not a separate tactic. Think of it as a microphone that supplements and amplifies your content.

Wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT) will dominate.

Wearable technology means your customers are never without their smart device; the IoT is turning everyday objects into network connections. These solutions gained some traction in 2015 and you can expect them to boom in the coming months. The landscape of local marketing will see the most impact as the lines between online and traditional marketing become blurred.

The 2016 Outlook

If there’s one common theme tying together all of these sales and marketing trends, it’s that marketers must focus on the customer experience in their efforts. Your content must meet the desires of demanding customers, delivering relevance and context through the channels they want. They have high expectations and limited patience, so your strategies must meet their needs and expectations to get a leg up over the competition.

Source : http://bit.ly/1PIPq7o

3 Reasons Why Thought Leadership Matters

Thought leadership has been at the forefront of digital transformation and continues to expand the idea revolution that started with the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press. It has become a key driver for innovation and creating new opportunities as ideas are shared and distributed beyond traditional sources and across social platforms that were unimaginable a decade ago.

The term “thought leadership” means different things to different people. It is used and practiced both in personal and professional spaces. Some take place on large stages; others unfold in small corners that are hidden from the limelight. But no matter the size or shape, they all share a common DNA. In its simplest form, it creates an opportunity to become a trusted source on topics we are passionate about by delivering different perspectives on all questions—new and old.

As the name suggests, it requires two things:

• Thought. Ask every possible question and ignite the critical-thinking process, which is a prerequisite for asking the right questions.
• Leadership. Write with passion as an informed opinion leader to become the go-to-person in an area of interest or expertise.

Thought leadership is a pursuit that is more about growth, innovation, and creating opportunities.  It starts when an idea is kindled, and it doesn’t stop when the fruits of that idea is delivered.

Thought leadership is about growth

When we set out to develop a perspective, the process gives us a chance to experiment freely with different ideas while escaping the disciplined and demanding rigor that may be otherwise required in certain roles, functions, and disciplines. Neither the process nor growth happens in random circles with loose ends. For those who follow and stay committed, the process of molding these ideas can sometimes be as intense and focused as the development of new products and services.

Thought leadership helps us grow not only as an individual, but also as an organization to learn more about our purpose, which is a reflection of both our passions and imperfections. More important, it’s a journey that sheds light on our path–allowing us to seek what is yet to be discovered through our natural talent and creativity.

Thought leadership is about curiosity and innovation

How do we innovate with thought leadership? If innovation is how we create new things, whether they are completely new solutions or improvements over existing ones, then thought leadership is the spark that recoils the energy needed to deliver these ideas and harness unrealized value.I often talk about curiosity to achieve this forward-thinking motion because neither innovation nor thought leadership can endure without it. I see it as a gift that we’re given as a child to explore what surrounds us and risk losing as we get older. We innovate because we are not satisfied with the status quo. In the same vein, thought leadership is about a keen desire to extend accepted models of thinking to amplify opportunities.

Thought leadership is about creating opportunities and engagement

Thought leadership is neither a magic formula nor one that can be rushed or done in a vacuum. One of the main ingredients is a relationship—albeit virtual in many cases—that is built (sometimes from scratch) between thought leaders, organizations, and their audiences. This invisible process by its nature takes time. And to use an analogy from cooking: Cranking up the heat doesn’t necessarily reduce cooking time.

Consistent delivery of quality content that engages our audiences begins the process of building trust—a crucial component of this journey. Topics and ideas that are explored in these thought leadership pieces echo the core values of those, who harvest these ideas. Each piece we present serves as a building block that will later become the foundation from which we will all lead and create new opportunities.

Why thought leadership matters

Generating excitement about topics that are relevant and timely—not just in one business, industry, or niche, but across the entire ecosystem—provides inspiration and intellectual stimulation to get the process started.

Finding viewpoints and relating them to real-life stories with a new angle—even if they represent a small window for discussion or engagement—gives birth to new opportunities never-before imagined.

Thought leadership matters because stretching old ideas beyond their traditional boundaries creates new perspectives. 

More important, it can serve as a foundation for others to expand and innovate, inspiring conversations that would have been otherwise lost or never started.

Source : http://onforb.es/1RERekb

The 4 attributes of a great marketing hire.

When I’m looking for the next great marketing mind or business development genius, I’m not looking for just an employee. I’m looking for a partner. Being smart and having a great college pedigree is carrying less and less weight these days. Bottom line: Your education is not going to make my clients ecstatic about the work we do or put my company on the front end of innovation. What companies need in today’s world is talent with the ability to think, do, and execute in any circumstance – without anyone holding their hand.

Here’s what I look for when I hire people. It’s not exactly traditional HR wisdom. But I’m not looking for traditional. I’m looking for great.

1. I want someone who has failed. If you’ve failed, it means you got out there and did something big. Maybe this job candidate tried to start a company and went down in a blaze of glory. Maybe they tried to build a product or launch a marketing plan with no idea what they were doing, and it failed. That’s actually good. That I can work with — way more than someone who swallowed the business school textbook. Because if the candidate has been through failure, it means they tried something big. It means they had the wherewithal to get some power, the curiosity to go somewhere with that power, the leadership to get people invested in the project, and the chutzpah to try something crazy.

When you hire a candidate with at least one big, messy failure behind them, you know that person has at least one use case for what didn’t work. It’s much more productive to learn from a project that failed than get narcissistic about one that succeeded. To borrow from Thomas Edison, I want a candidate who can tell me about the 10,000 ways you can’t make a light bulb. That’s much more interesting than if a candidate just shows me a perfectly-made candle.

2. I hire people who got out of the classroom. Full disclosure: I was a marketing major myself. And, yes, it was helpful to learn the basics of the field, but that was far from the most valuable experience I had in college. My best learning experience was when I came in, totally green, and ran a marketing department for a company that had absolutely no budget. They didn’t have anything to lose, so I had free rein to try whatever I wanted – with the catch that I also had no resources. Everything I wanted to implement was on me to make happen. I had to go door-to-door with fliers, stay up all night to make the photocopies myself, and scrounge for anything I could do free, cheap, or stolen.

Was it dignified? No. Was it great experience that’s still informing my business today? You better believe it. There’s no better lesson in cost per lead than when it has to be zero. I want people on my team who have actually gone out there and done things.

3. I need to see references that aren’t professors. Here’s the thing: Textbook learning is at best third-hand. The visionaries who had the idea to pull off the impressive campaigns almost never become professors themselves. They’re out there, having bigger and better ideas. I want to hire someone who has learned from the visionary directly – or is one herself.

There’s no right answer in business. That lesson is different if you read about it in a book than if you’re on the team that actually failed. Brilliant people make terrible investments, successful companies make bad calls, and Windows Vista is somehow a thing someone thought was a good idea. I don’t want to work with people who think they hold all the cards. That’s why I hire people who have mentors from outside the schoolyard.

4. I’m going to hire someone who doesn’t need me to tell them how great they are. There may have been a time when validation from your company or your boss was healthy and productive. But those days are over. A great professional is not going to work at your company for 20 years – and frankly, you shouldn’t hire someone you think is going to do that. That’s what makes people stagnant, stuck in old methods, and unwilling to innovate.

I’m looking to hire someone who’s good enough to leave any minute to go solo or even found their own company. A good performance review is nice for them, but approval from me isn’t their be-all end-all. This person is building something bigger than the company they work for or the person leading the team.

Today’s truly successful professional is a brand all their own. They’re a thought leader, an innovator, a creator that has big ideas and isn’t afraid to share their opinions. They have a network and social properties that stand alone from their title within a business. When I look to hire someone, I don’t spend much time mulling over their resume. I look at their LinkedIn and Twitter, what they’ve been sharing and writing. Who are they connecting with? Do they have any influence?

I don’t want to hire someone who can make a perfect candle. I want someone who’s going to help me invent the light bulb, even if it takes 10,000 tries.

Source : http://bit.ly/1O3iJGb

5 Pinterest Demographics Facts Marketers Should Know

Last week Pinterest announced that they have reached a whopping 100 million monthly active users. To put that into perspective these are the most recent user stats for other popular social media networks:

While Pinterest may not be the most popular social network , it is amongst the top 5 in the world. Pinterest is also the biggest social site being predominantly used by women.

Some marketers ignore its importance because their business is not targeted toward the female demographic. This is a big mistake. The social network has grown in popularity amongst other demographics, and is proving a valuable resource in many industries.

Here are 5 reasons to monitor Pinterest demographics so you can make an educated decision on whether Pinterest data is important for your market research:

Fact #1: Men Are Now Pinterest’s Fastest-Growing Demographic

In November 2014 Pinterest announced that men were their fastest-growing demographic. In fact, in emerging markets sign ups are an even gender split of 50% men and 50% women. (Techcrunch)

Fact #2: Pinterest Attracts Users From All Income Levels

In 2014 there was a significant increase in Pinterest users whose income levels were below $30,000 and above $75,000. The easy-to-use social media platform caters to people of all income levels. (PEW Research Center)

Fact #3: Pinterest User Numbers Have Doubled Since 2012

We  Pinterest had hit a 100 million user milestone. But did you know that in 2013 they had only 70 million? Alongside Instagram, Pinterest has doubled its usage since 2012, and now counts 31% of online adults amongst its user base.

Fact #4: Half of Pinterest’s Users Are International

According to an article published by Venture Beat, 45% of Pinterest users come from outside of the United States.

Fact #5: Popularity Boom Amongst Older Generation

Pinterest is extremely popular amongst young people. 34% of online 18-29 year olds, and 28% of 30-49 year olds use Pinterest. But it is the older generation of internet users who have most recently taken to using Pinterest. Between 2013 and 2014 Pinterest saw a growth of 14% in users aged 50-64. This places Pinterest behind just Facebook and LinkedIn for social media usage within the 50-64 year age group.

Want to know more about Pinterest?

Knowing Pinterest demographics gives you the power to target the right market during advertising campaigns. 

Source : http://bit.ly/1FLrNwo

Forget the Internet of Things – the Internet of Data is where it's really at

Everyone's getting in a fuss about the Internet of Things, whether it's excitement about smart appliances like Nest, Belkin WeMo, smart bulbs and smart TVs, self-quantification fitness trackers, or about new genres of connected gadgets like smartwatches, Google Glass and the spread of Bluetooth beacons in stores.

Everyone's getting in a fuss about the Internet of Things, whether it's excitement about smart appliances like Nest, Belkin WeMo, smart bulbs and smart TVs, self-quantification fitness trackers, or about new genres of connected gadgets like smartwatches, Google Glass and the spread of Bluetooth beacons in stores. Oh, and the smartphone...

What all of these Internet of Things (IoT) devices - as many as 50 billion of them by 2020 - have in common is that they create detailed data about their users, and lots of it. From transactions and customer profiles to usage patterns and even location, the Internet of Things is really an Internet of Data that is begging to be cross-referenced and analysed. It exists not to help people per se, but as a new tool for collecting valuable business intelligence.

We asked a few business intelligence experts for their views on the Internet of Data - what it is, how it's organised and how organisations should best make intelligent, but ethical, use of it.

Data from smart devices

"By storing and analysing this data, companies have the opportunity to gain valuable business insight from IoT," says Matt Pfeil, Chief Customer Officer and Co-founder at big data applications company DataStax, who gives an example of a device that is being internet-enabled - the thermostat.

"Now you get a clear picture of how much energy is being used, when it is being used, and can compare this to other energy users," he says. "Link this up to other account data, and the company can observe patterns to save energy - for example, setting the default temperature a degree cooler at installation." It may seem a trivial amount, but across millions of devices it adds up to a huge amount of savings for customers.

"As more devices connect to the internet, the data they create can be linked together, and if you don't have that record over time, you can't get value from it," says Pfeil. "Time-series data provides the potential for insight around how we live and interact with our homes, our jobs and our cities."

The Internet of Data equals business intelligence

Companies are collecting data from all quarters to gain insight, but it's not just about understanding customers' 'buying journeys'."Operations and supply chain data would not normally be looked at alongside sales data, as they are viewed as separate departments within the business," says Southard Jones, Vice President of Product Strategy at business intelligence and analytics company Birst. "However, using analytics, you can see if there are common patterns in the customer base - are customers that spend more on service levels or speed of delivery more profitable than those that focus on price alone?"

This analysis then allows marketeers to target potential customers based on their favourable patterns of behaviour, whether that be the time and location they use an app, how and when they heat their homes, or - in the near future - when and where they drive their car.

Is money being wasted on collecting useless data?

With Markets and Markets predicting that the big data market will hit $46 billion (around 30 billion, AU$65 billion) in value by 2018, there has been much investment going on.

Existing systems and software are creating a lot of the data that companies collect. "A lot of money is being invested for potentially minimal short-term return," says Fletcher, who thinks that the potential of big data is in the interconnections and interrelationships it will reveal, not the volume of it collected. "Realising the benefits of big data in the sense of interconnectedness will inevitably take time and investment," he adds.

Since the cost of storage has plummeted, this is at little cost to businesses. "When storage costs peanuts, it becomes more economically viable to store data that you can create value from over time," says Pfeil. "Each transaction that a customer takes part in can create more value for the future, improving the service or providing further opportunities - the opportunity cost of not storing that data is less than the investment required to keep it."Source : http://bit.ly/1KNy6BE