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Guest Posting: How & Why You Should Be Doing It

Guest posting has risen to become one of the best Search Engine Optimization practices for any website, from everyday bloggers to large corporations. One of the biggest challenges for an online business is getting your messages to your potential leads, and though a solid social media strategy will always be beneficial, it can take a while to see the fruits of your labor. This is where guest posting can come in. Below you’ll learn how guest posting can help your bottom line, and how to do it the right way.

First, it’s important that we answer the question, “What is guest posting?” According to newbreedmarketing.com:

Guest blogging, also called “guest posting,” is the act of writing content for another company’s website. Generally, guest bloggers write for similar blogs within their industry in order to: Attract traffic back to their website.

It may seem counterproductive to spend time writing articles for other sites (that you may even look at as competitors no less), when you could be using that time to create content for your own site. But the opportunities that guest posting can offer you can be monumental for your SEO and sales goals. Here are some of the things that guest posting can do for your site.

INTRODUCE YOU TO A NEW CROWD 

Writing blog posts for other blogs allows you to get in front of their audience, thus raising your brand awareness to potential prospects who may be unfamiliar with your brand.

INCREASE YOUR BRAND TRUST 

If your brand provides quality content, people will come back for more. It’s really as simple as that. Building authority in your industry goes hand in hand with building customer trust. Guest posting on other related sites allows you to display your depth of knowledge in your field.

HELP YOU PULL IN MORE SITE VISITS 

A website without traffic is a website without profits. When your article goes live on another site, this can supply you with months and years of traffic, depending on the popularity of the site that it’s posted on and how helpful your post is.

One last advantage of guest posting is that it allows you to get a backlink to your website, which is a major factor in SEO ranking. Why? Because backlinks are the lifeblood of SEO, and typically the more backlinks a website has, the higher Google will rank it in search results.

QUICK TIPS FOR OUTREACH 

  • Start by making a list of anywhere from 10-50 sites that you’d like to guest post for.
  • Determine whether or not the site accepts accept guest posts first. 
  • Bypass your competition and instead look for related blogs to write for.
  • Shoot for sites that are bigger than yours, but not so much that you’ll likely get ignored.
  • Don’t forget to continuously do keyword research to find new opportunities. 

GETTING YOUR PITCHES READ 

When you’ve discovered the sites you’re going to write for, you now have to figure out how to produce an astonishing pitch that is sure to make the blogger you’re reaching state yes without fail. Here are a few ways to do this.

BE A “PEACOCK”

How can you make your ideas stand out from the rest? Try to think of unique angles to subjects that have been discussed recently, or consider re-hashing an old post and spinning it with new ideas and updates. Be sure to create a title that is attention-grabbing and memorable, and don’t be afraid to include links to other noteworthy pieces that you’ve published. It’s OK to show off a little bit.

CUSTOMIZE EACH OUTREACH EMAIL 

Your content strategy can’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Don’t send the same template email to every site you pitch. Make sure to tailor all of your pitch emails to the specific person (and site). Also, be sure to include the person’s name (and the name of the site) as well as a reason why your pitch should be considered.

BE GENUINE 

Attempt to make an actual connection with whoever you’re contacting. Keep in mind, there is a human behind that site as much as there is behind yours, and regardless of whether their blog is bigger than yours, we’re all human at the end of the day. Be yourself and be clear about what you want from them. When it comes to effective outreach, people are more receptive than you may think.

Lastly, don’t spam your prospects. Create a spreadsheet or other tracking document and note all of your follow-ups. Try following up once or twice, and if they don’t respond then simply cross them off your list.

Guest posting can offer a great way to meet and share with other bloggers, introduce your content to new audiences, and get valuable SEO backlinks. Remember to be personable, direct, and unique when conducting your outreach. It’s really just a numbers game at the end of the day.

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How To Develop A Content Strategy Plan

How to Develop a Content Strategy Plan for Your Small Business: A Start-to-Finish Guide

Content strategy involves a lot more than writing blogs and articles and posting them somewhere online. It takes more than just a grammar checker and some cursory research to create content that will help make your company more successful.

Instead, you need to develop a complete content strategy that addresses all aspects of what it takes for content to generate traffic and revenue for your business. We’ve created a brief start to finish guide so you can create a killer content strategy that will help your business flourish.

DEFINE YOUR GOALS

If you’re going to reach your goals, you will first need to understand exactly what your goals are. Before you begin any content strategy plan, you should always clearly define what you aim to achieve from your campaign. For example, if you’re a financial services company looking to get more people enquiring about a particular product, defining that goal will help you craft your content in a way that helps you to reach your desired objectives.

If you don’t clearly define your goals then you could easily find yourself aimlessly creating content without a specific purpose in mind. Clearly defining your goals will also make it easier for you to identify when your goals are not being achieved, and what you need to do to get your campaign headed in the right direction. With a goal clearly defined, you will know just what metrics you need to be following to see whether or not your campaign is going well.

DEFINE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Whenever you are creating content, it’s important to keep your target in mind. In order to tailor your content to a particular audience, you first need to determine who the audience is:

  • Which age group does your audience belong to?
  • What are their income groups and their professional backgrounds?
  • What are their pain points, their objections, and what are their wants and needs?

All these questions and more are important in helping you define just who your audience is, and how to create content aimed at them.

Defining your audience will also help you to know which type of language you should use. Should it be fun and outgoing, or maybe more reserved and formal? Using the right words at the right time can make all the difference and help you push the right buttons and resonate with your audience.

DEFINE WHICH PROBLEMS YOU ARE SOLVING

Your content should be created with solving your potential customers’ problems in mind. To do this, you first need to define what their problems are. With your audiences’ problems defined, it is then easier for you to make sure your content gets the attention of people who may be interested in what you are selling.

Not only do you need to define which problems you’re solving but also how you’re solving them. You need to be able to explain to potential customers how you have the solution that makes their life easier. This gives you a focus on value selling that makes it a lot easier for your potential customers to see that your product is a good deal for them.

DO YOUR KEYWORD RESEARCH

You need to make sure your content reaches the right people, and this means keyword research. Find out what search terms your audience is using to find solutions to their problems. Not only will keyword research help ensure your content is seen, but it will also give you more insights into what your audience is looking for, and why.

Fortunately, keyword research is very easy to do, and free tools like Google Keyword Planner will allow you to see what people are looking for. These keywords will also help you create your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy as well as your other marketing strategies.

CHECK OUT THE COMPETITION

Have a look at what your competitors are doing.

  • What types of content are they creating that get a lot of traffic, and what hasn’t been so successful for them?
  • What keywords are they using?
  • Where and how are they advertising?

There is a wide selection of tools available that will give you insights into your competitors’ campaigns that could help you steer your own campaign.

Not only should you look at what they are doing, but also look for what they are not doing. You may be able to identify a gap that is open to be exploited, helping you fill that gap with little or no competition.

CHOOSE YOUR PUBLISHING CHANNELS

Decide where you are going to publish your content, and how people will find it. Two of the most likely options are SEO and pay-per-click (PPC). SEO can be very powerful at driving large volumes of high-quality traffic your way, but it can take months before you begin to see results. Can you wait that long?

Another option is PPC marketing, which can help you get results quickly, but it doesn’t have the longevity that SEO does. Which one works best for you depends on your requirements, and you could consider using both.

CREATE AN EDITORIAL CALENDAR

It’s important to make sure that your content is published at a consistent and steady pace. With this in mind, you should create an editorial calendar. An editorial calendar will help you plan out your content publishing in advance so you know you are publishing at the right rate and in the right places.

Even better – content publishing software is available that helps you schedule the automatic publication of your content at given times and over a variety of channels.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The above guide is just a brief outline of what it takes to create a winning content strategy, but it covers the basics that will help set you in the right direction. Remember that you need your content to be created with a purpose in mind, and it should be aimed toward the right people. Define who your audience is, what their problems are, and how your solution will solve their problems. Also, do your research into the competition and plan out how and when you are going to publish your content.

A well-planned content strategy could make a considerable positive difference to your bottom line, so it’s good to invest time and effort in getting yours just right.

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7 Content Creation Trends Marketers Should Implement In 2021

Springtime is a sign of new growth and beginnings, making it the ideal time to revamp your marketing strategy. While you may have your own ideas about what will make your campaigns successful, there are some trends in content marketing that are sure to change your results during 2021. Industry experts have given their input on what to expect and what new things should be attempted, and these are tips you should incorporate for the coming year.

1. USE LIVE WEBINARS AND VIDEO

The in-person restrictions of 2020 spurred the growth of live content connections, but this a trend that is expected to continue. Video is a medium of communication that is both quick and effective, helping educate audiences about your message and brand. Consumers often prefer instant delivery of information, and going live presents an engaging way to fulfill this need.

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2. DEVELOP A CONTENT COMMUNITY

Communication platforms, like Slack, have increased in popularity across different industries, placing a spotlight on the need for using content marketing to develop an online community. These allow for a more open and diverse sharing of content, creating an environment that encourages open communication with other marketers and clients. By having all communications happen on one platform, content marketers can invest in fewer resources and can perform the day-to-day relations more efficiently.

3. OVERHAUL THE CONTENT EXPERIENCE

One of the content marketing trends that is sure to continue is the move to improve the content experience. There will be increased attention to the way users interact with content instead of just focusing on keywords and rankings. Content will be directed toward a total package presentation. Every aspect of the user experience will be considered in website content, including its first impression, ease of use, and ability to close a purchase. Many web pages will expand beyond text and work with webinars, podcasts, and several call-to-action segments.

4. INCLUDE AI-POWERED CONTENT

For many, the idea of using artificial intelligence sounds scary and intimidating. However, the use of AI has been in the works for years and will revolutionize your content marketing effort. Through specialized tools, AI will be able to deliver full blogs, captions and summaries that are sourced in data and grounded in consumer demand. There isn’t a fear of removing human involvement in the content process, as this tool still needs a lot of development and will need editing.

5. REALIGN THE FOCUS OF CONTENT

Depending on the extent of the marketing budget or the resources available, generalized content might be all that you plan to offer the public. However, presenting a stronger focus on actual services and products within pieces of content will drive up interest and potential purchases. By targeting the content to these more specific areas, businesses can stay lean and conserve resources. Work on content that attracts your key buyers, focusing on several fundamental topics for your services or industry. Product launches, updates or user integrations are key ways to enhance the return on investment for content efforts.

6. DON’T IGNORE SEO

A key aspect of content creation is understanding and implementing an effective SEO strategy. There is a lot of movement in the SEO realm, and it can be difficult to keep up with major updates that change how your content is ranked. And it takes some ingenuity to compete with large marketing companies that have may have the budget and expertise to steal your thunder. You may have to play a long game with SEO, consistently optimizing your content to make it to the top of the results page, but the results are worth it if this new visibility you can increase traffic and make more sales.

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7. REPURPOSE CONTENT

In order to conserve resources but still make waves in the area of content, repurpose your engaging, high-quality content rather than starting over. You don’t have to write a blog about a topic when a webinar already exists. Make mention of the existing content in new channels and on social media marketing by using content highlights, quotes, or other snippets of long-form content. Don’t get bogged down with new content each time a topic or an idea arises. Make it easier for consumers to follow your content trail across your platforms by keeping it consistent.