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Content Marketing is a blanket term for Internet marketing that incorporates high-quality, value enriched content that generates profitable customer action. Additional benefits include building consumer trust, brand loyalty, as well as customer expansion and retention. The content shared in websites, blogs, social media sites and advertising links has the potential to influence the consumer decision-making process. Content quality can literally make or break an online presence.

Adapting the literary checklist of the Five W’s (and one H) of Who, What, Where, When, Why and How to the process of creating quality content, serves to establish guidelines for modern day marketers. The alignment of these guidelines with the marketing goals, as well as target market interests, helps to insure that the content created will drive the actions desired.

1.) WHO – Who is the target market that the content is trying to influence? As with public speaking, formulating content around a thorough analysis of the target audience is essential to eliciting a positive response.

2.) WHAT – What are the key needs, influences and motivations of the target audience in relation to the information that the Internet Marketing company is capable of offering? The information being shared is in essence an offer; the most effective offers are those that directly fulfill a specific need. Choosing topics that meet the needs of the target audience will serve as a guide for content development.

3.) WHERE – Where is the most relevant information found? Beyond an extensive analysis of the target audience, taking stock of the content offered in the marketplace, especially from acknowledged success stories in the same industry, is a worthwhile next step. This will help to ascertain the hot topic issues being addressed and more importantly, what is not being addressed that can serve as a basis for your own content development.

4.) WHEN – When is the best time to consider content marketing strategies? A good indicator is when there is the time and resources available to engage in expanding the consumer base through a variety of online channels. A diversified marketing approach, whether traditional or online, has proven to yield greater returns than a solitary strategy. Online marketing has grown as a result of the number of internet opportunities available for employing action-generating content. These include websites, blogs, social media sites, advertising links, videos and audio-image presentations.

5.) WHY – Why does the target market need or want this information? This is a critical question to ask when developing content. The answers will help to shape the content, as well as the format in which the content will be offered. Why is an important interrogatory in recognizing any gaps in relevant information, as well as preventing a glut of content on topics that have been overly addressed.

6.) HOW- How do I draw the target audience to the content? A diversified advertising approach should be planned within the content marketing strategy. Quality content can draw and keep an audience, but should not be relied upon solely for the most effective results. Promotion begins with notifying the current customer base and requesting they share the content with their own networks. Paid advertising should be incorporated, as well as notifying the traditional and online media via press releases.

So often, success can be as simple as merely asking the right questions.

You are invited to comment on this post. Do you have any suggestions for content development?

Boost Your Small Business with Strategic Blogging

Blogging is not just for ranters anymore. More than a soapbox, when properly utilized, blogs become a powerful marketing tool. They can drive traffic to your site, develop leads and contacts, and establish a sense of rapport and community with readers who them become customers. Here are some ways to get the most out of your business blogging.

The personal stuff

1. Establish a blogosphere presence. Gain credibility. Read related blogs and make insightful comments. Become a part of the community by spurring and participating in discussions. The more you post insightful (as opposed to self-promoting) comments, the more aware of you and your blog both the authors and readers become. With your consistency, they will identify you as a voice of authority in your chosen niche. Most importantly, do so with character. Be positive. Be respectful. Never berate another person or use profanity. Both are unprofessional and reek of immaturity. Rudeness is a sure-fire way to send readers running the opposite direction. Nothing turns off another reader faster than anger and insult. It’s okay to disagree, but do so in a way that invites discussion, rather than the reverse.

2. New discoveries are good. Your discoveries are good. Be excited about them. No matter the subject you choose, be brave enough to write original content. Don’t talk about ‘what’s out there’. Write from your own particular viewpoint. Share things you have learned personally. However, remember you are writing a business blog, so keep out the clutter of your day-to-day. Think to yourself, “If someone asked me how my day went, what would I share?”

3. Reveal your own personality. The business is not writing the blog. Neither is the computer. You are. Allow your personal voice to sound in the readers’ heads. It amazes me how intensely readers come to not only identify with but also feel a sense of ownership to compelling, genuine bloggers. Those are who they follow, whose blogs they must check every day with their morning coffee, whose comments sections they delve into and add to repeatedly. These are the blogs they share on Facebook and Twitter. These are the blogs they personally endorse. Whether you’re writing about marketing strategies, use instructions, or the best way to utilize a particular product or service, be yourself. Know what you’re talking about, but don’t sound like a technical manual. Who actually reads technical manuals anyway?

4. Sound intelligent. Take the time to edit and re-write. All writers live for the times when the words simply flow from their fingertips, as if they are taking dictation. However, I have found that when this happens with me, what comes out is not always coherent. I need to to proof the grammar, spelling and content for it to make sense. What you have to say is important. Do not distract your readers from your ideas with bad spelling and poor sentence structure. Proof your work, and your message will take center stage.

The strategy stuff

1. Redefine your perceptions of blogs. Give blogging grown-up status in your marketing tool kit. Blogs are accessible 24/7/365. They do not intrude on your customer’s time or blare white noise which is easily tuned out. However, they do provide an excellent means of disseminating information. Again, referring to popular keywords, set a content calendar. List different ways each category means something to your business or product and write about it. Set aside time to research and write your blog, rather than ‘when I get around to it’. Add compelling calls to action.

2. Identify your blog’s purpose. Is your blog meant to drive traffic to your business website? Use traffic data to determine the best keywords and content to use in your blog. Are you blogging to generate leads and conversions? Blog about products and services and include links to forms and other calls to action. What about community? Do you want your business or product to get talked about? Write blogs that invite discussion. Be friendly. Ask for comments. Get people believing in you and they will share with their friends. Social Media Examiner delves deeper into this subject.

3. Use captivating headlines. Keep it short, concise, and snappy. Some bloggers take an irreverent approach. If that suits your personality and your target demographic, go for it. However, establish a line you won’t cross and stick with it. Know your audience. Show off your expertise. Don’t call your (or your company’s) maturity into question. Be fun, but not foolish.

4. Get the word out. Use social bookmarking to bring readers to your blog. Every time you post, submit that information to social bookmarking sites, such as Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and Furl. Remember Twitter and Facebook as high-traffic sites. Include a short but compelling description and the URL.

5. Increase your exposure through guest blogging. Contact bloggers in the same niche and invite them to post on your blog. Ask to write posts for theirs. Make sure links to your blog are included on their page to drive traffic to your site and vice versa. You can find out more about guest blogging etiquette here. Guest blogging can be a win-win situation, but make sure that you choose bloggers of like mind. Again, it goes back to character. In the information age, once data gets out there, there is no calling it back, and it can stick around for a very, very long time. Research your counterpart before you to commit to a blog you will later come to regret. It’s your and your business’s reputation. Protect it.

To sum up

Believe in your business and say it through blogging. Share your excitement by using the mediums both familiar and comfortable to your clients. More and more customers research their decisions, so put your product information at their fingertips. Use keywords and popular content to get grabbed by the search engines, but find new and innovative ways to go about it. Tell the world something it doesn’t know. Remember, your viewpoints are unique, and that is something no other blogger can provide.

Inherent within human communication is the need for a response. This is no less true for thousands of bloggers who write to share information, as well as evoke comments from their readers. However, what is a blogger to do when blog readers are not forthcoming with their responses? For the concerned blogger, here are some suggestions that will help encourage blog readers to post their comments.

1. Know Your Audience – The most effective human interaction occurs between a speaker who knows how to best communicate to a particular listener. In blogging, writing content that is irresistible to a specific audience will compel the audience to respond. Blog content, regardless of the topic, should address the Who, What, Where, When and Why of its readers.

2. Understand The Emotional Quotient – Standing ovations are the product of an audience being emotionally affected by what has been communicated from the stage. This physiological response is directly tied to our Emotional Quotient or investment in a particular topic. Politics and sports are prime examples of high EQ topics. If the subject matter of a blog holds a high EQ for the blogger, there is a greater likelihood of drawing a readership with similar EQ levels, who will then respond accordingly.

3. Create New and Innovative Content – There is little impetus for blog readers to comment on material that has already been churned on a number of other blog sites. This does not mean that every blog has to reinvent the wheel on a particular topic. It does mean, however, that the topic needs to be written in order to add value to a targeted readership. The same social media information that is written for a blog directed toward Accountants should be very different from how it is written for Online Marketers.

4. Simplify The Comment Process – Eliminating barriers to a quick response will result in a greater number of comments. Instead of requiring a log-in, consider a post comment pop-up with an invitation to join the blog community. In addition, offer fill-in comment fields after every article and not just at the end.

5. Personalize Content and Comments – If the ultimate purpose of the blog is to create a community around a particular subject matter, then employ personal pronouns in both the content and blogger responses. This will be more conducive to building a relationship with the blog readers and make them more comfortable in posting their comments.

6. Make The Request- Somewhere in an opening boilerplate statement, invite your blog readers to post their comments. Women in particular offer their opinions more readily when first asked to do so. An invitation will offer some assurance that comments are indeed most welcome.

7. Respond Promptly -The need for a response is a two-way street. Reward your blog readers who comment with a response, even if it is only a Thank You. People like to be acknowledged for their efforts and will continue to comment as a result.

8. Set Changeover Schedule – Let the readership know when they can expect new content and stick to a predetermined schedule. Blog readers become easily bored and will move their attention to another site without hesitation. Energized readers are more likely to comment as well.

9. Survey Your Readers – Trends change quickly, even for blogs. As a result, it is very important to stay ahead of any shifts in blog readership. Periodically offering a short survey will help to determine if the blog is keeping up with blog reader interests.

10. Track and Analyze Comments – Noticing changes in the tone and frequency of blog comments can help determine whether the blog is directly meeting the needs of its readers. As EQ levels fall, so too will the comments, as well as the readership.

You are invited to offer your comments on this post! What are YOUR reasons for commenting or not commenting on a blog?

A lot of people have trouble writing tiny ads for their   AdWords campaign. They can’t succinctly give searchers a reason to click on their ads and do business with them. Or even worse, they don’t give much thought to their AdWords copy, cranking out generic copy that just doesn’t get results.

Simply put, most AdWords copy I see sucks. Why? Here are 7 AdWords copy mistakes.

1.    It doesn’t include keywords at all—You need to   include keywords in your ad’s headline, copy, and display url. These keywords will be bolded in the search results, causing your ad to stand out a little more. It also lets searchers know that you have what they’re looking for.

2.    There isn’t a call to action—A strong call to action can snap searchers out of their passivity and give them direction for when they visit your website. Keep your call to action simple. “Get a free quote today” or “Call for your free consultation” are examples of clear, effective calls to action.
3.    Where are the benefits?—Customers are selfish. They want to know how they’ll benefit by doing business with you. Highlight your main benefits in your ads. Will they lose weight fast? Increase their income? Save more money? Clearly explain the benefits of your product or service in your ad.
4.    The copy is boring—You need to use powerful words in your AdWords copy. Words like “free”, “guaranteed”, “new”, and “save” can grab searchers’ attention and motivate them to click on your ad. Ditch the jargon. Use strong words. It’s that easy.
5.    You aren’t testing different ads—The worst thing you can do is to pick a single ad and stick with it. You have to constantly test different versions of your ads to see which ones perform best. By making minor tweaks, you can clearly see which changes boost your click through rate.
6.    There isn’t a USP—There are 10 organic search results and several paid search results on each page. Why should someone click on your ad instead of any of the other results? Your ad needs to let people know what makes you different. Follow these tips for creating a strong USP.
7.    Ignoring your display URL—Every little aspect of your ad has an impact on your click through rate. I’ve seen many cases where changing the display URL has helped the ad earn far more clicks. Try placing the target keyword in your display URL as this can help your ad stand out a little more and catch the searcher’s eye.

What other AdWords copywriting mistakes would you add to this list?

Post by Eric Brantner

At its best, copywriting is a way to connect with your target audience and to motivate them to take action. At its worst, it’s a way to alienate potential customers and to severely damage your brand. How can you be sure your copy doesn’t fall into the latter category? You can start by avoiding these highly overused and annoying techniques.

• Ellipses—I see this most often in email marketing messages. The copy will go something like this: “We’re your all in one shop…for everything you need…from bicycles to watermelons…and everything in between…all at low prices…all guaranteed to satisfy…so you have nothing to lose…and everything to gain…conveniently located…so you can get in and out…come shop with us today!” Do you see how annoying this is? I understand the point of ellipses is to insert pauses, making the content more conversational, in theory. But when I read through a paragraph full of these, I often lose track of what the main point is, and I forget what I read by the time I reach the end. There’s nothing wrong with using ellipses, just don’t overdo it.

• Quotation Marks—Everybody hates the guy who does air quotes, right? Just as “annoying” as him is the “writer” who does the same thing when he “over-quotes”, like, “everything.” See what I did there? Yeah, it’s annoying, and more importantly, it distracts readers from the main message of your content.

• Strikethroughs—We get it, you’re an annoying pain in the @$$ clever and oh-so-snarky.

• Bolded Text–By now, we all know online readers tend to scan content rather than read it word for word. As a copywriter, I’m all for making content easier to scan. One way to do this is by using bolded text to highlight the main points of the copy. Unfortunately, this is another technique that’s very easy to fall in love with and to overdo. Look, if every other sentence has a bolded phrase, it defeats the purpose. Bold sparingly, my friends.

*Bonus: This isn’t really a copywriting technique, but it’s still a word that gets overused.

• The word “that”—The word “that” can almost always be eliminated from a sentence without changing the meaning. It typically improves the flow of the copy as well. Here’s an example: “The keywords that you choose that will earn you the top search placement that you want.” Get rid of the three uses of “that” and the sentence will be fine as is.

What copywriting (or just writing in general) techniques bother you most? Share them in the replies.

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