Stephan Marais
Being a decent content marketer is about matching your strengths with what actually gets results. For some, that may mean creating the next cat-riding-a-sneezing-panda-to-K pop viral sensation, but for me it's often about using data to create powerful stories that influence social heavyweights.
It started as a simple gag designed to target what I assumed (at the time) to be a very niche set of potential readers and influencers. I wasn't expecting much more out of the prank beyond a few chuckles from those who were already within our modest sphere of influence.
The web's most recent viral success - the Harlem Shake video - was notable for the way companies in all industries jumped on board with their own variations on this funny meme. But while these businesses certainly experienced a temporary boost in their overall traffic levels, the process of jumping on an internet meme is one that companies shouldn't undertake lightly.
There is a war going on but you maybe haven't noticed. It is a battle for eyeballs and Google attention. It is a content war where the best rises to the top. So what type of content do you create and how do you find the ideas and inspiration?
We all want attention and coverage from ‘real life media’ because they not only have the most attention themselves (and thus can give you visitors), but also provide the best links. But how to get their attention?
If you attend conferences and seminars regularly, you may notice that many presentations seem hastily put together. Rather than the presentation telling a story, it seems to tell bits and pieces of stories... like a visual version of MadLibs. If only those presenters would have storyboarded their presentations first!
In this two-part article, I'll explain what it really means and why its lead generation potential is causing a stir. In a nutshell, inbound marketing uses a 'pull' approach to attract potential customers, when they are actively searching for products and services.
Rocky Balboa. Susan "I Dreamed a Dream" Boyle. The 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team. What I'm trying to say is ... no one can resist an underdog. Small businesses with limited marketing budgets have always been at a disadvantage against big-name competitors.
Looking back on my greenhorn Outreach days, I was a bright-eyed and spiky-haired marketer who learned as I went. In my last two posts, The Scouting Report for Link Building Rookies and Think Beyond the Link - The Right Way to Conduct Reviews for Outreach, I shared some insights I've picked up along the way.
Every company investing in content should ask themselves frequently "How can I become the go-to authority for (insert vertical here)?" Content marketing is all the rage in internet marketing circles today. Many publishers are saying. "But we've been doing content forever! In fact, we're content companies at our core."
