Gaining visibility for your business in today’s competitive world is not easy. Most of us understand the importance of a website and have come to accept that some level of social media activity is expected. But, once you have a handle on these basics, how do you attract a relevant audience?
This is what content marketing is intended to address. In this post, I will explain what content marketing is and how you can use it to attract the right audience for your business.
When was the last time you got a lead through Twitter?
Perhaps I should rephrase that . . . Have you ever gotten a lead through Twitter?
If you are reading this post, you’re probably becoming disillusioned with this particular social network. It requires a tremendous amount of time and you have yet to see a payoff for your efforts. Trust me, I know how frustrating this can be.
But, you cannot expect to find leads if the only thing you are doing is posting company updates and curated articles. While this is certainly an essential part of the equation and you may occasionally get lucky, for true lead generation you must be intentional about engagement.
When I start working with a new client, I quickly remember how overwhelming the world of digital marketing can be. Terms like content, optimization, inbound, traffic and organic are thrown around casually and used interchangeably as if everyone knows what they mean.
My clients tend to be incredibly smart people who know that they need to step up their online game, but either don’t have the time or desire to do it themselves. They also want someone who can help them understand the big picture. Only then can we identify what they already have in place, how well it meets with current expectations and what we need to address next.
Below is a high level view of the components involved in building an online presence with a brief description of the level of sophistication that is currently expected.
Do you remember when you decided to cancel your landline in favor of your cell phone? That amazing device had transcended its image as a luxury to become an essential tool. Out with the old, in with the new.
Compare this to social media for business, which has gone from a novel experiment (mostly for interns) to a strategic weapon when managed by seasoned professionals. As business participation on social platforms continues to grow and the platforms themselves offer more capabilities, some have begun to ask, “Is it time to dump our website in favor of a robust presence on social media?”
Do you catch up on industry news on the go? Don’t you hate it when you click on a juicy headline only to encounter a slow loading or poorly formatted (for mobile) website? If you’re like most of us, you have no patience for this and will quickly move on to the next piece of news.
Business owners, take note. This kind of user experience is the kiss of death for your website content. Google announced last year that mobile had overtaken desktop as the primary way people search online and if you use social media to promote your business the statistics are even worse. Facebook’s Q4 2015 report shows that 90% of its daily active users access Facebook via mobile device.
So, you’ve heard about the usefulness of buyer personas and have decided to roll up your sleeves and knock one out. I mean, really, how hard can it be? But, as you stare at the blank screen you realize that aside from capturing basic demographic information, you don’t know the first place to start.
Buyer personas are highly customized, written documents that describe fictional people who represent the target market for a business. They are based on as much real data and market research as possible. Naturally, the more information you can gather, the better.
Active participation in Twitter can be a bit like riding a wild bull. It is fast paced, unpredictable and it requires a LOT of attention. This is the nature of Twitter and if you are using it for business it is also one of the reasons why you might question whether it is a good investment of your time.
“Where are the leads?” you might ask. “Where is the ROI?”
