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Guest Post: Content Marketing: 7 Simple Steps to Get Started
| Guest post by: Jeff Ogden |
Article Overview: We’re delighted to present this guest post by Jep Castelein, of LeadSloth ”Smart Ideas for Lazy Marketers.” Jep’s now with Marketo. Thanks for this great insight on content marketing, Jep. A top B2B demand generation expert once said to me. “Jeff, if you look at a company’s website and find no good customer-focused content, they are NOT doing lead nurturing.” Sound advice, I think. That’s how important content marketing really is. ____ Jep Castelein Contributing Blogger
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Free Download - Marketing Made Simple TV is looking for a few good sponsors By Jeff Ogden |
Guest Post: Content Marketing: 7 Simple Steps to Get Started
Content marketing is about creating and distributing valuable content to attract a clearly defined target audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action. Key points are "clearly defined target audience", "valuable content" and "profitable". You need to know as much as possible about your target audience to be able to create relevant and compelling content. The ultimate goal is to attract more customers, so that's how you will measure your strategy. For more detailed definitions, see Wikipedia and Junta42.
1. DEVELOP BUYER PERSONAS
Personas contain a detailed description of your target group. Developing a persona helps understand who you are marketing to, and therefore what content will be valuable to them. If you don't know who you're writing for, content marketing won't be effective.
2. FOCUS
It's hard to stand out with content because so much information is already freely available on the Internet. To be successful you should focus on a niche that interests your personas: you can provide your unique view on the market and attract a dedicated audience.
3. CREATE VALUE
If you want people to read your content it should be about them, not about you. If the content provides value to the reader, they will continue to read it and recommend it to others. If it reads like an advertisement they will leave and not come back. Use yourpersonas to find out what is interesting, and what is not.
4. AVOID "GOBBLEDYGOOK"
"Gobbledygook" is a term invented by David Meerman Scott to highlight examples of bad writing. Examples of "Gobbledygook" are powerful, flexible, seamless and easy. These words mean very little and they sound like advertising. For effective Content Marketing, use simple and authentic writing.
5. KEEP CONTENT FRESH
Unfortunately Content Marketing is not a one-time effort. It requires a constant flow of new content. You can refine the content based on feedback from the readers. This does not only build a loyal audience, but also creates lots of long tail keywords for search engine optimization.
6. SHARE INFORMATION AND LINK TO OTHERS
In this broader community there are lots of great ideas and the best part about social media and bloggers is they are open for comment, dialogue and sharing of information. Take advantage of it. It's more than ok (as long as you attribute the source!) to expand on others insights.
7. INVEST IN SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
And finally, a content strategy really pays off when search engines are rating your content highly. This will drive lots of people to your site, at no additional cost. However, for this to happen you need to optimize your site, choose your topics wisely, and promote your articles (see also my SEO Optimization 101 post).
FURTHER READING
For more information you might check out the Essential Marketing Automation Handbook: A How-To Guide for B2B Marketers. Part Two, Content Mapped to Buying Stages, is available as a free download. For those who would like to register you can download the entire handbook by clicking here.
Jeff Ogden (@fearlesscomp) is President of the B2B lead generation consultancy, Find New Customers. Find New Customers helps midsized companies (150 to 5,000 employees) to rapidly grow revenue by transforming how they attract, engage and win new customers. Contact Find New Customers by calling (516) 495-9350 or by emailing sales at findnewcustomers.com
"Find New Customers can certainly help your business dramatically improve the flow of sales-ready leads to salespeople." Paul Dunay, Buzz Marketing for Technology.
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About the Author: Jeff Ogden RSS for Jeff's articles - Visit Jeff's website With 8 out of 10 companies saying the lack of quality sales leads is their biggest problem, they need help. SiriusDecisions also found that fewer than 1 out of 10 companies that implement lead management software went beyond the basics. They need help. We help companies implement world class lead generation programs. Companies need quality sales leads, so they need sales lead generation programs including social media marketing. They need to implement lead nurturing programs. We are considered one of the best leads generation companies in business today. Click here to visit Jeff's website   7 Keys to Lead Nurturing 7 Keys to B2B Marketing Succes How to Find New Customers Definitive Guide Making Quota |
Related Forum Posts
What makes you keep coming back for more?
- I am researching on personal preferences that keeps the visitors coming back to a web site. What would be great is if people would list out their preferences of what keeps them interested to keep visiting a website in order or importance.
For me it is:-
1. Content – Value, Depth and Recency of Information provided
2. User Friendliness – Easy Navigation, Simple graphic design etc.
3. Service – download time, contactability etc.
Re: The Best Websites to Publish Your Articles
- I think we should not forget to say about Guest Posting here. Guest posting in popular blogs are always the best place to publish your articles. Though article submission sites are there at one side, doing a guest post in a popular blog gives you the immediate results. That definitely redirects you new readers from that guest blog to yours, if you have a related blog then it works great. Of course, guest posting builds good relationship with other marketers and experts. This helps you to achieve a growth for the long term.
Thanks.
Re: Meta Tags
- [quote="ChrisH":tzc1bohg]I'm just curious what you all think -- -
How important do you think meta tags are? If the content is keyword optimized and they are being used correctly (as per Google's current instructions) how important are meta tags??
Chris[/quote:tzc1bohg]
Metatags were very important 10 years ago. Now, search engines are smarter...
There are 2 very important things on your page:
1/ Page title: make sure to place some keywords in your title (avoid title like "welcome to my website, great information resource". You are wasting prime keyword real estate.
2/ Content. Content. Content. Content. Content. Oh, did I mention content?? Your content as to mention your main keywords several times.
3/ <h> and <b> tags are very important too. They tell search engines you emphasize these keywords.
Re: What or Who Sparks Your Business Interest
- Hi
This is really a great thread. For me it was always wanting to be responsible for myself
without anyone have the power to make my decisions for me.
I have also done many different things in my life. Started as a hairdresser and did that
for 20 years, some of them working from home (which was good when my children were
young and needed me around). Then worked as a bookkeeper and then a credit manager
in a video distribution company for 18 years. Loved the job but hated having to answer to
a boss.
In between joined an MLM company selling health and weight loss products and then became
a bookkeeper again but working for myself with my own clients.
Started internet marketing and this I truly love. I can work the hours that suit me and it's
totally up to me to do the work if I want to succeed.
MichelleJ
Re: Best looking social networking site?
- Hi Kevin
[quote:3h76yt08]With so many social networking sites to pick and choose from, what influences your decision to join a particilar site? Is it just your friends, the content, people using it or looks??[/quote:3h76yt08]
For me, the most essential criteria in selecting a Social Networking Site is its Content followed closely by popularity- in terms of daily visitors. Then comes the Content followed by the Friends and looks.
Most of do social networking to attract traffic to their website(s) and as such the Content and Popularity of the site are important.
btw, the list doesn't have digg or netscape or del.is.us which are the top social media sites.
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