CONTENT MARKETING SUCCESS

A content strategy needs to include more than just one type of content. It includes:

Research and idea generation

Idea validation

Production

PromotionConversion

It's easy to dive straight into brainstorming and idea generation, and sometimes, that can work. However, I'd always recommend a period of research into an industry prior to this so that you can get a feel for what's been done before, what has worked, and what hasn't. This can mean that you go into a brainstorming section far better equipped to generate ideas that may work.

One thing to point out at this stage is that you shouldn't put yourself under pressure to come up with a completely new idea. It's great if you can, but the reality is that it's unlikely that something has never, ever been done before in some form or another. So you shouldn't put this pressure on yourself. The following quote is an apt one:

"An idea is nothing more or less than a new combination of old elements."

I think you'd agree that over 75 years later, this quote is even more true now!

Therefore, a big part of the thinking behind our process is looking for inspiration in what others have done and asking ourselves if we can do it a little bit better or a bit differently.

I'm certainly not saying you shouldn't try to come up with brand new ideas, but don't let an idea fall by the wayside just because it has been done before.

The most successful* content that you find will come down to at least one of three things:

The story – If something has a strong story or hook behind it, it's more likely to grab attention and be picked up by mainstream news websites and publishers.

The data – Often tied into the story but not always explicitly, if you have unique data or data that has been sliced/interpreted differently, it can be of more interest to someone.

The production – Sometimes a piece of content may just look visually stunning, and that is enough to generate links and shares.

There is one more which I want to point out, but it's been deliberately left out of the list above. The one other thing that can make a piece of content successful is an existing audience to market that audience to. 

* Successful, in the context of this post, means generating links and social shares that drive quality traffic. Success can mean many things to different businesses, so I just wanted to remind you of this. 

SHOULD YOUR BUSINESS HAVE SINGLE OR MULTIPLE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

Whether or not to attempt multiple accounts on one social network is a big question. The answer: It depends. Some companies, have a corporate Twitter account, while many of their stores have their own accounts. This allows them to communicate rather specific and relevant information to regional followers, while maintaining their corporate account for overarching news, promotions, and announcements.

Other companies have found it helpful to segment their accounts by product, such as Google, GoogleAPIs, Blogger, and so on. In this case, it makes sense based on their offerings to divide the conversations up by audience and product rather than geography. 

The most important thing to consider when deciding if it makes sense to segment your profiles on these networks is whether or not you're better able to add value to the customer and the conversation.

Are you better able to address your customer needs on one account, or are there regional considerations that may make that more difficult?

Additionally, you should carefully consider your ability to manage multiple accounts.

Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and SocialEngage make it easier than ever to manage multiple accounts from one dashboard, but remember—there's nothing sadder than an abandoned social account. It doesn't send a good message about your brand and its ability to follow through.
Once you get going in social, it's easy to get distracted. There are new apps, tools, and networks that pop up on an almost-daily basis, and you could easily spend your entire day just checking them all out. The idea, though, is to strike a balance between tools-obsessed marketing and being an ostrich with its head in the sand. It's better to do fewer things effectively than many things ineffectively. But you should also keep your eyes and ears open for the up-and-coming social trends; there will be a time when it makes sense for you to jump in. Here are some things to consider:

Look for platform functionalities that work with your product offering or market space. For example, clothing retailers are well positioned for the image sharing social networks that have become popular, like Instagram and Pinterest.

Emerging technologies and/or functionality that allow you to communicate and share with your community in new ways.

Additionally, keep an eye out for technologies and sites that have the potential to reach new demographics that fall within your target audience or their influencers.

When all else fails, keep your eye on your goals, but don’t be afraid to dip your toes in the water and test, test, test. Invest enough energy so you can get a meaningful response, and use this as your guiding light on whether or not you should go deeper.

SHOULD YOUR BUSINESS HAVE SINGLE OR MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS

Whether or not to attempt multiple accounts on one social network is a big question. The answer: It depends. Some companies, have a corporate Twitter account, while many of their stores have their own accounts. This allows them to communicate rather specific and relevant information to regional followers, while maintaining their corporate account for overarching news, promotions, and announcements.

Other companies have found it helpful to segment their accounts by product, such as Google, GoogleAPIs, Blogger, and so on. In this case, it makes sense based on their offerings to divide the conversations up by audience and product rather than geography. 

The most important thing to consider when deciding if it makes sense to segment your profiles on these networks is whether or not you're better able to add value to the customer and the conversation.

Are you better able to address your customer needs on one account, or are there regional considerations that may make that more difficult?

Additionally, you should carefully consider your ability to manage multiple accounts.

Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and SocialEngage make it easier than ever to manage multiple accounts from one dashboard, but remember—there's nothing sadder than an abandoned social account. It doesn't send a good message about your brand and its ability to follow through.
Once you get going in social, it's easy to get distracted. There are new apps, tools, and networks that pop up on an almost-daily basis, and you could easily spend your entire day just checking them all out. The idea, though, is to strike a balance between tools-obsessed marketing and being an ostrich with its head in the sand. It's better to do fewer things effectively than many things ineffectively. But you should also keep your eyes and ears open for the up-and-coming social trends; there will be a time when it makes sense for you to jump in. Here are some things to consider:

Look for platform functionalities that work with your product offering or market space. For example, clothing retailers are well positioned for the image sharing social networks that have become popular, like Instagram and Pinterest.

Emerging technologies and/or functionality that allow you to communicate and share with your community in new ways.

Additionally, keep an eye out for technologies and sites that have the potential to reach new demographics that fall within your target audience or their influencers.

When all else fails, keep your eye on your goals, but don’t be afraid to dip your toes in the water and test, test, test. Invest enough energy so you can get a meaningful response, and use this as your guiding light on whether or not you should go deeper.

FINDING THE RIGHT SOCIAL NETWORK FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Deciding where to focus your social media energy can be a confusing process, as time is short and resources are limited. It's easy to get distracted by the buzz and articles touting the next big thing that brands "must do." As with any marketing channel, though, the more thought and strategy you put into your implementation plans, the greater your chance of success. You can avoid being overwhelmed by stepping back and starting with your own business objectives, product offerings, and target consumers.

What are the different types of social channels?

Not all social media sites and platforms are created equal, and each social channel won't always work the same way in helping users reach their goals. In looking across the online environment, it helps to organize your social options into categories. By looking at groups of channels with common themes, it is easier to frame your decisions about when, where, who, and how best to engage with your community online.

The easiest way to break up the categories is to think of them as owned, rented, and occupied. Here's how each of those categories breaks down:

Owned properties

Owned properties may include blogs, forums, or homegrown social networks, and they can be internal or external. The main difference with this category is that you literally own the channel rather than occupying a page on a platform that is owned by someone else. It may be on your primary site or on another domain, but it is fully under your control.

Rented properties

Much like renting an apartment, a user occupies a portion of a channel with the permission of the owner. Sometimes there is a cost involved, but in the world of social media, that doesn't happen often. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr fall into this category. Facebook owns its site, and you're simply managing a presence on it. You may have official claim to the page, but you have no claim to the platform itself or a say in how it may change.

Occupied properties

This category is the most removed from your control. Your company might have an official representative who interacts and engages in an occupied property, but there is no ownership of any kind, and these channels can be changed at any time. Reddit is probably the most popular example. Employees of a company will frequently participate in forums or community sites in either an official or unofficial capacity, but always on behalf of the company.

Consumer conversations take place across all three of these social channel categories, but before you dive into any of them, it's important to take some time and think through your channel management plans and participation strategies. For example, smaller brands with limited resources might select one site based on the high mileage they can get from their consumer base before needing to branch out into multiple channels. As a representative of your brand, you have the opportunity to add unique perspective and value to whatever channel will work best for your organization.

LEVERAGE LINKEDIN AS A BUSINESS-BUILDING TOOL

Think of your LinkedIn profile as an interactive resume – on steroids. In addition, to information about your work experience and education, LinkedIn allows you to enhance your profile with the following Web 2.0 capabilities to showcase your expertise:

Status Updates: One of the best ways to keep your connections informed about your happenings is by posting ‘status updates.’ Status updates are brief statements that you feel your connections will find useful. In addition, they can include links to related content on your Website or third-party Websites. To appear active in the LinkedIn community, post useful and actionable status updates on a regular basis.

Blog Posts: LinkedIn allows you to easily syndicate your Blog posts to your profile. As you post to your blog on your Website, your LinkedIn profile will be automatically updated with your posts’ title, abstract and link to the full post on your Website.

Presentations: If you post PowerPoint presentations to SlideShare or Google Docs, you can display these presentations in your LinkedIn profile.

Events: Are you speaking at an event or sponsoring a training session? You can post a LinkedIn Event to help promote and generate interest in your event.

Tweets: If you are an active participant in Twitter, you can integrate your LinkedIn Status Updates with your Twitter Tweets to keep your connections and followers informed.

Recommendations: LinkedIn makes it easy for you to request recommendations from your connections. A collection of glowing recommendations that underscore your expertise and experience will significantly enhance your profile.

Reading Lists: If you want to share your reading interests with your LinkedIn connections, you can link you profile with Reading Lists by Amazon to display the books you are reading.

Polls: LinkedIn Polls are a market research tool that allows you to collect actionable data from your connections and the professional audience on LinkedIn.

Creative Portfolios: If you have a creative portfolio you want to display, post your portfolio of creative work to the Behance Network. Once posted, LinkedIn allows you to showcase your work in your profile.

Huddle Workspaces: Huddle gives you private, secure online workspace packed with simple yet powerful project collaboration and sharing tools for working with your LinkedIn connections.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LINKEDIN COMMUNITY FEATURES

In addition to your profile, LinkedIn provides a number of community features that allow you to communicate and collaborate with other LinkedIn users, including:

Groups: LinkedIn Groups help you stay informed and keep in touch with people that share your interests. You can create your own LinkedIn groups or join any number of groups that focus on your area of interest or expertise. Participating in LinkedIn Groups by adding value to the discussion is a great way to expand your circle of influence.

Answers: LinkedIn Answers is a great way to share business knowledge and connect with like-minded colleagues. You can ask pressing questions and get fast, accurate answers from your network and other experts worldwide. In addition, you can showcase your knowledge, expertise, and interests by answering questions.

Company Pages: Company Pages are a powerful research tool that you can use to find companies to do business with or research competitors. In addition, you can create a Page for your company to showcase your expertise. You can publish your company’s description, headquarters address and Website address. To further your company page’s value, you can post targeted jobs, recruitment videos, information about products and services and company images.

LinkedIn can be a valuable business tool to help you grow your business and catapult your career. The following strategies will help you use this resource to produce results:

Brand Your LinkedIn Address: When you create a LinkedIn profile, it will create a LinkedIn Web address that will appear like a collection of odd letters and addresses. LinkedIn will let you customize this address to create a branded LinkedIn address with your name.

Become an Recognized Expert: By answering LinkedIn questions and actively participating in LinkedIn group discussions, you have an opportunity to establish yourself as an expert and thought leader.‘Warm Call’ with Sales Prospects: If you’re in sales, you can use LinkedIn as a ‘warm calling’ tool. If there is a prospect you want to reach, you can easily find them on LinkedIn and see how you are connected to them. If you have an active list of LinkedIn connections, you are most likely only two or three connections away from the prospect. Use LinkedIn’s introduction features to ask one of your connections for an introduction.

Find Rock Star Employees: Successful business people are always looking to find valuable employees that will ensure their future success. LinkedIn provides you with an easy place to find them. You’ll have access to a pool of talented individuals within your LinkedIn groups. You can also post a job directly on LinkedIn to attract a talented set of candidates.

Keep Your Connections Current: Whenever you meet someone, connect with them on LinkedIn. It’s a great way to expand your influence and keep connections up to speed on your accomplishments.

WHY GOOGLE PLUS IS RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

1. You're On Google+ Already -- and Don't Even Know It

Do you have a Gmail account? Then you're on Google+.

When you set up a Gmail account, you automatically set up a Google+ profile, too.

To get to Google+, log into your Gmail account. In the upper right corner you'll see your name (or the name that you used to set up the account) with a + sign in front of it. Click it to be taken to your Google+ profile.

It's very important to at least add a good head shot & fill in your profile "About" info.

How should you fill out your profile? Here's an excellent explanation:

2. Local Google Listings Connect to Google+

For a local business, a Google Places listing is one of the most important online listings you can have. Google gives preference to the Places listing when a city is entered into the search bar.

But, what many businesses don't realize is that Google integrated the Places listings with Google+ a while back.

Now, when a Google Places listing is clicked it links to what's called a "Google+ Local Page". This page must be filled out by the business. Many haven't been & some even link to the wrong Google Places page.

An easy way to find out which Google+ Local page links to your Google Places is to type the name of your business in the search engine. Find the Places listing (it should look like the below example) and click "Google+ Page."

If you've properly set up your Google+ page & linked it to your Places listing, it should contain a profile picture, cover photo, about information, links, etc.

Here's an example of what not to do:

 

3. It's Easy to Connect with Potential Clients & Influencers

Other social networks have become so big & noisy that it's hard to actually have meaningful conversations. That’s where Google+ excels.

People on Google+ take their time to converse.

For a major social network, Google+ is still small. It's not as crowded as Facebook, which makes it a lot easier to chat with others.

4. It Helps Your SEO

The people you have in your Google+ circles & interaction you receive on Google+ posts can affect how you & your business appear in Google search results.

In other words, Google+ IS Google. Need I say more?!

Using Google+ can improve your SEO!

Your Google+ posts are indexed by Google & can appear in search results. And what business doesn’t want to be found on page one of Google?

Below is an example of a Google+ post that was indexed on page one of the search results.

5. Hangouts On Air Are AWESOME!

If the first 4 reasons in this article don't attract you to Google+, the Hangouts On Air feature should because it's a game changer!

All businesses should use video to build rapport with clients & potential customers. But you used to need lots of equipment & it took lots of time & energy to create videos.

Not anymore!

Now you just need a smartphone & Hangouts On Air.

Google explained Hangouts On Air like this:

With Hangouts On Air, you can broadcast live discussions & performances to the world through your Google+ home page & YouTube channel. You can also edit & share a copy of the broadcast.

The possibilities are endless. Here are just a few of the powerful ways you can use Hangouts On Air:

Meeting / ConsultationVideoInterviewClient TestimonialShow -- Video or Podcast

Hangouts are automatically recorded right to your YouTube channel. When you're done recording, you can edit right inside YouTube OR download, edit & upload.

Be sure to add keywords in the title, body & tags to give you a better chance of getting indexed by the search engine. Since Google has given preference to Hangouts On Air over other videos uploaded to YouTube, your chances of front page results are even greater with a Hangout!

I edited this Hangout with a few keywords & within minutes, these were the results:

 

Conclusion

Unfortunately, bad press gave Google+ a bad rap -- and undeservedly so!

Small business owners are afraid of Google+... and that fear must end. Google+ gets better every day.

If your business cares about how Google & video affect your results & sales, then I think it's best to look deeper into what this platform can do for you.

IDEAS FOR WHAT TO POST ON INSTAGRAM

1. Your Products in Use

A powerful way to tell your company's story is through photos of people using your products or services in the real world.

2. Behind-the-Scenes

More & more businesses share photos taken behind the scenes.

These images work great for providing an authentic voice for your brand.

And don't forget to add the best Instagram hashtags for your industry.

3. Selfies

Selfies are pretty much taking over social media -- especially Instagram!

Don’t believe me?

Check Instagram right now & tell me what you see.

4. Quotes

When you're out of ideas, share a popular, funny or inspiring quote.

Quotes get some of the strongest engagement on Instagram!

But again, don't forget to addInstagram hashtags like #quote or #quotes.

5. Memes

Your Instagram account will feel fun & light-hearted when you sprinkle in a few memes.

Sometimes you can even create a meme about your business or product.

6. Video

You're allowed to post 15-second videos on Instagram -- just enough time to provide fans an intimate peek at your company.

7. Hyperlapse

The new Instagram Hyperlapse app lets you capture impressive, time-lapse video with the push of a button.

You can imagine how useful this feature is for a business marketing itself on Instagram.

8. Throwback Thursday or #TBT

Thursdays are when Instagram users share images from the past. They could be photos from when your company was just starting out, or images from fun company parties of yesteryear.

On #TBT, the possibilities are endless!

9. Funny Photos

Funny pics help lighten the mood & will portray your business as a company with heart -- and a sense of humor!

Make someone laugh & they will Like or comment on your pic.

10. Daily Life

Photograph what you see on your way to work or when you’re at the park... then share those images with your friends.

11. Something Different Each Day

Take this 30-day photography challenge when you're really feeling frisky: