Posted by Beth Hrusch
If you’re creating web content for your business, you may sometimes wonder about how much content you should be putting out there. Are you overdoing it? Saturating the Internet and turning off your customer base? Deciding when and how much to post is part of your content marketing strategy. And, the resources (both human and financial) needed to develop web content are determined by how much of it you want/need. So, the question also affects your bottom line.
A content marketing strategy requires you to do some research into your target market, define the buyer, etc. It also relies heavily on the regular posting of fresh content. The question is, just how much content? And, how often?
There are a lot of opinions on this out there. Unfortunately, there is precious little definitive information. You don’t want to appear spammy, and you don’t want to produce so little and so infrequently that people forget about you.
While there is no final word on the subject, and each company is different in their approach, I think a good way to determine frequency of posting web content is to determine the quality of the content. Good, authoritative content can be posted constantly—the more the better. There is almost no limit to how often good content can be introduced, because it won’t be considered spam.
Weed out anything that doesn’t add value, help your brand or add to the conversation. For example, good directory articles are valuable, and can be submitted almost constantly—even more than once a day. Bad, fluffy articles can only hurt you with readers and search engines. Likewise, the company blog (usually considered a prime piece of content that establishes authority) can be posted daily without danger of overdoing it, as long as the posts are useful to readers.
To help you keep on track with the quantity (and quality) of your web content, put yourself on a schedule. Have your articles automatically submitted. Make sure your blog writers submit fresh content regularly and post on the same days each week. Remember that certain content types are considered premium pieces, so they can be submitted less frequently because more time goes into them. Examples would be ebooks and white papers. Take your time and submit these regularly, but only as often as you have time to create pieces of exceptional quality.
In my opinion, press releases should not be posted until you have real news to share. The advent of news release services such as PRWeb has made it so easy to distribute press releases that some companies are treating them like vehicles to announce every little thing that happens. Some news just isn’t news, so be judicious in their use and they’ll be more effective for you.
I’ve heard it said that when you generate a schedule for yourself, it’s harder to walk away from it or set it to the side in order to do other things. This can apply to your content marketing strategy. Try this:
1. Determine how much web content you can generate given your resources.
2. Make sure you can produce high quality content. Hire an SEO firm, if necessary.
3. Set up a realistic schedule. You can always increase the number of posts later—focus on the quality first. This means that if you can only create quality content twice a week, then only post twice a week.
So, with content marketing, can you ever have too much of a good thing? Not if it’s a good thing. In fact, good web content will almost always have your readers looking for more, not less.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
Commenting on blogs can be a good way to increase traffic to your site-- if you go into it with the right frame of mind. Commenting just to get your link out there, or to be the first one on the list of comments, usually doesn't help. Why? Mainly because people can recognize the kind of spammy commenting that doesn't really say anything or contribute to the conversation.
Blog comments are content just like any other form of content. And, they can either help you or hurt you, just like any other kind of content. Worthwhile commentary, combined with links that are worth clicking on, help raise your credibility in much the same way as a series of well-written articles, blogs or website content.
Every comment is another piece of content that can get readers interested in you. You should make each one count. As a general rule of thumb, only comment on blogs that you're truly interested in. If you have some specific knowledge about the topic or want to learn more, if a blog intrigues you and you'd like to add to it, or even if you disagree with the points being made-- these are all legitimate reasons to comment.
If you regularly comment on other people's blogs with thoughtful, interesting feedback, thoughts and opinions, you will start to become recognized as a valuable member of the blogosphere. Will this affect your click-throughs? Absolutely. Blog commentary can be part of a linking strategy that connects you with other bloggers and establishes your authority with them.
Remember that even today's thought leaders in the world of content marketing started out as unknowns, trying to get the word out about their ideas. One of the ways they did it was to create and comment on blogs on a regular basis. For many of them, comments became part of their weekly content marketing strategy.
Blog commentary is fresh, updated content, linked to your site, which gives readers insight into your expertise. It also lets others in your field of interest know who you are. It can be a networking tool and way to market your business. Or, it can be a way to get yourself banned from people's forums and comment lists.
It's all in how you use it.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
SEO content has a lot of little worker bees out there, steadily producing paragraph after paragraph of sales copy, some of it quite good, some not. Day after day, week after week, the Internet is flooded with new information, all of it trying desperately to make their sites rank better. The consumer is asked to “please read me!” a thousand times a day.
Which is why it’s so hard to get people’s attention. There’s no magic bullet for this problem. In fact, I was just talking to one of our resellers today about how the heck do you get your content to rank better for certain keywords. What’s the answer?
There’s probably way more than one answer. Some keywords are quite competitive, blogs take time to develop, etc. But, I do know that this is not an overnight process (unless your content achieves the Holy Grail of SEO—viral status). For most of us, though, it’s a slog. It’s relationship-building over time. The question you need to ask yourself is, does your content have purpose. If so, what is it? Exactly what are you trying to achieve with it?
If your answer is “Why, to rank, of course!”, I would like to caution you. Ranking is an end result of naturally well-written and useful content, promoted well and updated frequently. It should not be the purpose of your content in and of itself. The purpose of your content should be to educate, entertain, inform, engage, etc. Not sell, not rank.
Valeria Maltoni once said that “Education, entertainment, and engagement lead to purchase. Only if they bring the reader along.” Fair enough. So, what are you doing with your content to help your readers deal with their challenges and seek out more of your advice? What are you doing to bring your readers along?
The purest purpose for content is to help people answer their questions, solve their problems and show that you know how to help them with these things. If you stick with this formula, your content will rank naturally, based on both search engine and human factors.
If you’re a business owner, start investing in content just as you would any other marketing tool. But, if you’re going to do it, do it right from the beginning. Have the correct mindset. Remember that content is not an end in itself, it's a beginning. When you start a relationship with your customers through content, you'll be able to glean information about what resonates and what doesn't. Content will draw you and your customers to each other naturally.
That is its purpose.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
Web sites rely heavily on their rankings, and many have worked 
long and hard to achieve impressive visibility with the search engines. Of course, it’s a mistake to rest on your proverbial laurels, especially since Google is constantly changing its algorithms to reflect the latest realities of search.
In a video, Matt Cutts explained the long tail search changes that were recently implemented. This helps to illustrate why businesses have to stay up-to-date with their content, and on top of the changes. Still, there are many ways that a site can hurt itself when it comes to search engine ranking. Most of the time, business owners don’t even know they’re doing damage to their rankings. Here are 5 errors you may be committing and not even know it:
1. You’ve redesigned your website.
It seems like a good idea. Your old site design is getting stale and boring, you’ve got great idea about a fresh new look, improved navigation, etc. But, if you’re making significant changes to your content, your internal linking or want to start using Flash, Ajax or other navigation tools, think twice. Search engines look at the links between your site pages and take a snapshot of them. If you change what they see, the new version may not register as well because it doesn’t contain the links and content that have made you visible in the past.
2. You’re changing your CMS.
Along the lines with a new website design, changing content management systems can create a lot of confusion for search engines. You may recognize that your original CMS no longer serves your needs. However, be aware that a change in the CMS means a change in the templates that format web pages, navigation and the URL structure of pages. Any major changes in content are included with new website software, and that can confuse the search engines. Ditto URL changes.
3. You’ve lost your inbound links.
There are many reasons that you might lose your inbound links. It may be as simple as going offline temporarily. It may be caused by one of the above issues. Links are an essential way for search engines to discover pages and rank them. Companies that can acquire links organically generally fare pretty well regardless of disruptions in the site. But, you can lose links if you change your URL format (for example, .asp to .aspx), or if you aren’t getting links organically (i.e. buying them from other sites). In these cases, the search engines may devalue your site and bump you down in the rankings.
4. You have duplicate content issues.
Duplicate content can occur in several ways. Regardless of how it happens, it confuses the search engines and forces them to make a judgment about which content came first. This sets up a possible scenario wherein you don’t get credit for your own original content. If searches display lists that can be reached in multiple ways, or content is lifted off of another site, you can have duplicate content issues. Anything your website does to make the process of indexing content confusing or inefficient can result in poor search performance for your web site.
5. You’re trying too hard to compete.
By this, I mean that you’re starting to resort to tactics that may get you penalized by the search engines. It’s best not to slip into bad habits when it comes to trying to rank. Regardless of what you see other sites doing to rank, resist the urge. The long slog to the top, using organic methods, is the only sustainable, long term method of ranking. Yes, competition is tough out there, but hiding keywords, redirecting pages to fool the search engines and spamming the web with disposable sites built for monetizing are not the way you want to go. Mainly because there’s no credibility in it (and, by the way, the search engines are onto it.)
Work with your SEO agency and your website developer to avoid these ranking-killers. The first step is to be aware of the possibility that you could be hurting yourself by making major changes to your site. The next step is to make smart changes that will only help you.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
If you own a local business, you may be inclined to think that most of your business comes from word-of-mouth or foot traffic. In the past, this was certainly the case. After all, before the Internet came along, local businesses put out ads in local papers and relied on their names getting passed along by happy customers.
Of course, Internet marketing has changed the rules somewhat. Consider this: according to eMarketer, 54% of Americans use the Internet instead of the phone book to find local services, and over 40% of all searches are for local businesses and services. What does this mean for you? It means that your marketing focus should be on online search, and a content marketing strategy that helps you attract and retain customers.
The first page in search results has become valuable real estate for local business owners, so they need to use every tool at their disposal in order to claim their piece of this shrinking turf. Here are some ways to improve your ranking in local search results:
1. Localize your search terms
Add your city or geographical area to your keywords. It's basic SEO, but it bears repeating. This is the difference between "Heating & cooling" and "Cleveland Ohio heating & cooling". To keep your content from sounding unnatural or forced, only insert the term once every 100 words or so. Also, put your localized keyword in your titles as often as possible, and bold them. Titles carry more weight with search engines.
Tip: Consider adding content to sites like Flickr, YouTube, and Slideshare and adding localized tags, descriptions, links and file names.
2. Localize your pages
Google's Matt Cutts recently suggested that local businesses create individual pages
for each community they serve. These pages should feature unique content and be optimized for local search. You could also add a sidebar on these pages that includes local events and happenings with neighborhood, school and not-for-profit organizations.
3. Create a profile page on social media
Take advantage of any opportunity to get exposure through local and nationwide social media sites. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are great places to start, but don't dismiss local sites such as business portals and community niche sites. Your local Chamber of Commerce may be able to help you find ways to advertise locally. Check out Google Places to purchase tags that will highlight your business and allow you to post coupons and live updates.
4. Directory citations
Local businesses should get listed in business directories. These could be local, or nationwide. For just $30 a year, you can get a Universal Business Listing that sends your information to several high profile sites, including the major search engines, online Yellow Pages and CitySearch.
5. Network for backlinks
Networking is a time-honored way to gain exposure. In online marketing, blogging and social media are two powerful networking tools for local business owners. Use them to connect with other bloggers, guest post for them, and share information. Develop relationships and let them spread the word for you. Join groups and associations through your social media account in order to find others who are interested in your business. This is how you develop valuable backlinks to your site.
Above all, keep creating fresh content for your site, your blogs and your social media accounts. Content gives local business owners a way to tap into their target markets, and demonstrate to their customers what they know. This builds trust, relationships, and the kind of word-of-mouth recommendations that are hard to get with foot traffic.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
One might say that content marketing feeds consumers hungry for information. 
Sometimes, it gives them something to drink.
Have you ever Googled in a term and couldn't find anything informational about it? Sure, you'll find plenty of sites selling the thing, but precious little pure information that can help you learn more about it. That's a royal pain, isn't it?
So, when a site comes along that actually gives you more than you were expecting, it's refreshing. Much like a bottle of delicious wine. If you are interested in wine, or perhaps are a wine connoisseur, check out WineAccess. I came across this resource through a coupon site (a topic for a future post!), and was impressed with how well it uses content to help customers learn more about its wines, and about wine in general.
So what happened to the Napa Valley wine market? What's the story behind the bottle you're interested in? WineAccess tells you about the winemakers, the histories of their vintages, and features certain brands. It links you to wine-related resources, monthly publications and expert advice about wine. It's delightful to be able to learn something before you make a purchase, I think.
I don't even drink wine, but I read the stories anyway. Do they know that they are engaging in, well, engagement? I don't know, but it works for me.
Are you more likely to buy from a site that uses content to offer useful information? We think so, but don't take our word for it. Go test it out for yourself. Over the next couple of weeks, keep track of the sites you go to, and whether they are using content marketing to attract visitors. You'll know them when you see them. They are the sites with articles, blogs, stories and interesting information scattered throughout. Consider your reaction to these sites. Do you keep coming back to them? Reference them to others?
Many times, when I'm writing for clients, I find myself returning to certain sites over and over again for information because they are obviously "authority sites". What makes them so? They know what they're talking about, they share their knowledge freely, they don't try to sell and they stay updated with new good stuff.
So, if you're looking for a direction for your site, if you're designing or redesigning your site, keep this in mind-- people want to know what you know, they want to share in your experiences, they want you to tell them stories, they want you to talk to them. There is no industry or field that can't benefit from content marketing. Even the most mundane topic can be turned into something sexy (or at least interesting) with a little bit of creativity
and some awesome content.
For more examples of how well-done content marketing makes businesses look cool, check out Joe Pulizzi's book "Get Content, Get Customers". Quite a few chapters are devoted to some enterprising sites that get CM, and are using it kill their competition.
Do you know of any sites that use content to inform and engage? Let us know! Better yet, recommend them to friends, family and colleagues. These sites deserve to get their business.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
I read an article the other day that caught my attention. It was titled "Why Artists and Creatives Have an Unfair Advantage at Internet Marketing". Now, when was the last time you heard someone say that creative people had any kind of advantage in the business world? Usually they are relegated to the low end of the totem pole, put to work doing graphic design for the brochures or drawing pretty pictures for the marketing campaign.
The author, Mark McGuinness, has a site that focuses on creative people in marketing, and it's an interesting topic. From the days when we were told to "stop daydreaming and get to work", we've been under the impression that creativity is impractical and that we'd never be able to make a living from it. So, how can it be that creatives have an actual advantage in the quite practical field of Internet marketing?
Well, the long and short of it is this-- in content marketing, the key to selling is to not make it seem as if you are selling. The days of the blatant pitch are maybe not gone, but fading fast. Who is best suited to writing in such a way that the copy doesn't seem like marketing copy? It takes a creative mind and artistic talent to turn marketing content into content that is interesting to read, engaging for consumers and even entertaining enough to hold their interest.
I think Mark put it in a nutshell when he said "The less your media content looks like advertising, the more effective it will be as advertising". I could not have said it better myself. In fact, I wish I'd said it first, though I have hinted at it.
Creative people don't already have a mindset of sell, sell, sell. They don't need to reprogram themselves the way that traditional marketers do-- you know, going from sell, sell, sell to engage, inform, entertain. These poor guys and gals don't know what to do when confronted with content marketing, because they aren't equipped to be subtle, to build relationships through engagement. They have been taught to push.
But, creative people are so equipped, inherently. Do you love to write? Illustrate? Compose poetry? Can you tell stories and are willing to share your own experiences with others? Check out the suggestions in this article for using your natural creative and artistic talents in the field of Internet marketing, and content marketing in particular. Content marketing lends itself to creativity, and people are making money doing it.
Like any business, building your creative empire takes time. But then again, everything worthwhile does.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
We call it "content marketing" which implies that it's content written specifically to sell something. I think it's time, however, to clarify what that means. Those interested in content marketing may be getting mixed messages about how to write effective marketing content. I can understand why. We talk about how to make content visible for both humans and search engines, but many people still find it difficult to optimize their content without sounding over-optimized and salesy.
I guess part of the problem is the fact that they tend to think that every piece of content they write should have a direct marketing function. So, they give in to the temptation to shove a little marketing message in there. Usually, despite the clever attempt to disguise it as useful content, readers almost always see through it.
Not so terrible, except that the marketing tidbit may have just destroyed the credibility of the rest of the content, and caused the reader to think that he was fooled into reading what is essentially a sales pitch. This damages your reputation and, well, it doesn't exactly establish trust with your target market.
So, given the fact that the "marketing" part of your content may, in fact, be hurting you, you want to start thinking of your content in terms of a reader engagement tool rather than a marketing tool. Content marketing has as its ultimate goal the selling of products and services, but the path to sales is not always a direct one. It goes through the human channel, which as we know is tied into the nurturing of relationships.
If you can make a direct and instant sale through content marketing, that's great. But think of that as a bonus, and write accordingly. This means that you should always just write your content as pure information. The sales pitch is embedded in your authority, your expertise, and your willingness to share what you know.
In other words, you don't need to include marketing messages when your content is so good that people will naturally be drawn to it, trust it, link to it and eventually connect with you as a buyer. This is the way that content works for you as your marketing tool, and how it pays for itself. Not through overt sales pitches or overly optimized text.
Content and marketing don't have to be in conflict! In fact, good content markets quite effectively for you without interference from marketing messages.
Forget "return on investment". Think "return on engagement". After all, you'll ultimately make more money from interested, engaged readers than from disappointed ones.
Posted by Beth Hrusch
Is all content created equal? Obviously not. But, you may assume that, just because you're writing copy for your site using SEO and content marketing principles, your content is actually helping to market your site. But is it? After all, there's content, and then there's content that produces results.
We've talked about writing well and not making critical mistakes with your marketing copy. But all the advice in the world can't help you if you don't know how to reach your audience. Content that engages the reader produces results. Everything else, however technically sound, is just a lot of words on the page.
So, think about how to make your readers interested in you and what you have to offer. Stay away from generic messages and lean toward a more personal angle. Give an example from your own life, if it's relevant. Share other people's stories. Offer examples of how your products or services have made lives better in some concrete way. A great way to do this is to create a short video, or a printed transcript, of interviews with customers or users.
Don't be afraid to show your personality in your content, either. My very first blog ever talked about this, and is a good example of how, even though you might look back later and cringe at the lack of "sophistication", believe me, your customers will sense that your voice is authentic and will appreciate it. They might even remember you and your company when it comes time to buy, even though they've looked at dozens of other options.
So don't be forgettable. Use your personality to engage with readers. What else makes for content that produces results? Here are some tips:
- Don't be afraid of a little controversy- Not everyone has to agree with you, and standing up regardless of possible opposition shows your strength, and it's cool.
- Speak directly to your target market-In other words, know who you're writing for. This will allow you to research what matters to those people and come up with better, more interesting content for them.
- Let your expertise show-Your knowledge is your currency with potential customers-it's the thing of value that you offer, the give to their take. When the time comes they will give back, in the form of leads and sales.
Remember, people will only share and pass on the stuff that they feel is interesting
and/or enlightening. If your content is generic, bland and non-engaging, if it talks at people instead of to them, then they are not likely to share it. Your content will most likely languish in obscurity, refusing to pull its weight.
There's content, and then there's the kind of content that sells. Make your content count!
Posted by Beth Hrusch
Well, not the book. Let's say, we wrote a book. When it comes to content marketing as a marketing strategy, there's a lot to say, and many different angles one can take. Our new ebook "Content Marketing: How Search Engines and Social Media Have Outdated Your Old Marketing Strategy" is our humble effort to explain what content marketing is, and why it's important to start using it to improve your traffic and sales.
Yes, there are a lot of marketing professionals out there balking at the concept of creating content that isn't sales copy. After all, it's a lot to ask of people trained to sell, sell , sell that they back off and try instead to build relationships. And, they are still not used to the idea of being publishers, or content creators. They are still thinking in terms of pitching a product. So, a shift in mindset is necessary in order for these people to see how valuable good content can be to them, and understand that the results are worth the investment of time and human resources.
Even if you're an old school marketer, comfortable with traditional marketing methods such as cold calling, direct mail, print media and TV ads, using content to sell will fit into your plan. There's no need to switch entirely to online advertising methods. The flexibility of content marketing allows you to ease into a content plan that can supplement your existing marketing strategy. This can be done in a few ways:
- Trade some of your marketing executives for writers (editors, journalists, SEO copywriters). Your content is your marketing tool, and it should be written by those who know how to do it properly.
- Assign a project manager. This can be someone from inside your organization or an outside hire. This person oversees content development and ensures that your content plan (creation and distribution) is implemented.
- Consider creating a social media administrator position within your company. He or she will maintain your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). This task entails posting all comments and tweets, linking to your articles and blogs, communicating with your groups and tracking results.
- Start organizing your existing company content for the purpose of, well, repurposing. Anything that is educational and/or interesting will do-it can be internal documents, technical manuals, notes from meetings, slideshow content or interviews done at a trade show. Your writers can turn this content into videos, articles, blogs and ebooks to be distributed throughout the Web.
- Give some thought to how you can engage your customers. Business blogging is a great way to do this. In fact, many CEOs and owners are now writing their own blogs as a way to connect more directly with their markets. Have your employees blog on a daily or weekly basis, or hire an outside firm to do it for you. Allow comments and you'll get a lot of valuable feedback.
Content gives you a way to always know what's going on with your customers. Often, you can get feedback in real time, through your social media accounts and blog commentary. You can more easily manage your reputation, and react swiftly to anything being said about your company. 
Content also establishes trust with your market by showcasing your expertise. Oh, and it also helps you rank higher in the search engines.
Is there anything it can't do?