These days, we’re all marketers. The opportunities to position yourself as an industry expert and increase your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) value are unlimited.
However, with those opportunities come the relentless pressure to consistently craft brilliant blog posts, social media posts and snappy newsletters to remind your clients that you’re still out there.
Trying to make it all work on top of your other responsibilities can be overwhelming.
Let’s make this easy for you: it starts with a blog
Content marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It starts with a blog — make this the workhorse of your content marketing program.
Your blog accomplishes two objectives:
• It provides fresh content for your website, helping it rank in search engines, increasing your SEO value.
• You’re sharing your expertise, positioning yourself as a thought leader.
Your weekly blog drives your content marketing program
Post your blog to social media with a link back to your website to drive traffic.
Extract excerpts and post to social media sites along with images to keep them lively.
Repurpose your blogposts to your newsletter and post to Linkedin and Blogger to reach new audiences.
Blogging is a commitment, and many people are defeated before they begin.
But you may be trying too hard.
You’re not trying to do something really difficult like get a bill through Congress or bring peace to the Middle East.
• Talk about something you know — tell a story that positions you as a problem-solver.
• Be funny and use humor as a tool. Everyone loves to laugh.
• Showcase a client, an employee, a colleague, a community event or something you learned at a webinar or workshop.
• Subscribe to industry publications and scan these for topics. Take someone else’s ideas and expand upon them or disagree and explain why.
• Stay on top of industry news and discuss emerging ideas. Share your opinions.
• For additional inspiration: Use amalgamator sites like SlideShare or Buzzsumo; key in your industry and pull up presentations and article.
• Identify a time every week to write and post your blog and own it.
• Do create a voice and tone and brand yourself with your writing. Don’t be afraid of your opinions. Those who love you will love you even more. Those who don’t, well . . .
• A blog should have substance, at least 300 words to rank well in search engines.
• It should be informative — not a promotion, but something that will help people do their jobs.
• Subject lines are, well, everything. You need to be clever to attract the attention of your audience. Be mindful of character limits — with mobile devices these days, stay within 50 characters.
• Make blogging part of your life. Think up blog topics when you’re exercising, stuck in traffic, during commercials.
The benefits? Content marketing works
The key is consistent delivery of quality content.
It doesn’t happen overnight, but people begin seeing your name, reading your articles, then looking forward to reading them.
When they need your services or know somebody who does, they will contact you.
Janet Peischel is a writer, Internet marketing expert and the owner of Top of Mind Marketing. Contact Janet at 510-292-1843 or jpeischel@top-mindmarketing.com.