How to Create Engaging Content for Marketers - #WCPHX

How to CreateEngaging Content for Marketers @joemanna | #wcphx

About meLove my 98 Camaro almostmore than life itselfCommunity Manager atInfusionsoftGenerates hundreds of qualityleads from blogging(Getting paid to) blog since 06

The problem with mostbusiness’ blogs?

They suck.(Or, they are boring, uninteresting, pitchy, unhelpful, or waste the visitors time.)

They lack a purpose.

Generate Leads & Sales Gain Brand Awareness Build Thought Leadership Provide Customer Service Share Company Culture Attract Business Development Acquire Top Talent Respond to CriticismEvery business blog should have a purpose.

Blog Metrics Conversions Conversion Rate Inbound Mentions & Comments

Pace yourself, then race yourself.

What is engaging content?

MOAR CONTENT? No.

Better content. Happy visitors. Less work; more play.

Goals for your content Establish Trust Build Conﬁdence Drive Action Deliver on Expectations

Content for the Buying Process

Awareness•  Blog about topics in the industry•  Outline a problem and a solution•  The solution is not always you•  Address real concerns from buyers –  Not sure? Ask your sales team.

Interest•  Make it easy to learn about you. –  Opt-in for email or text from company –  Make the opt-in valuable. Put a real campaign behind it.•  Let great content stand out with a relevant lead-generation oﬀer.

Research•  Provide data, stats and product comparisons.•  Craft content that targets “alternative” search intent.•  Seek out damaging content and address it thoughtfully.

Social Validation•  People look for content that is proven from others•  Testimonials à Customer Highlights•  Use real photos of people

Purchase•  Provide consistent and clear pricing•  Address concerns over service –  Discuss guarantees/warranties –  Share use-case examples –  Show oﬀ rockstar customer service

Don’t just talk about yourself.

Six #WinningBlog Post Tips

Use a Powerful Headline•  Numbers perform better•  Aim for search intent – not search terms•  Being direct works wellExamples: –  25 Ways to do … –  7 Proven Techniques to […] –  How to do […] with […]! –  6 Mistakes Every […] Makes and How to Avoid Them –  The Ultimate Guide to […]

Have a Point of View•  Blog audiences tend to form around a personable voice.•  Express emotion. Get pissed. Get happy.Examples: –  We say NO to #SOPA! (Namecheap) –  A Secret No More: Eloqua on Salesforce’s Acqusition of Radian6 (Eloqua)

Use Multimedia•  Text won’t always satisfy visitor’s needs•  Use original images, graphs, charts, etc.Examples: –  MintLife uses infographics frequently –  SEOMoz uses whiteboard videos to demystify SEO –  Kikolani uses lists to aggregate tons of content

Make Content Skimmable•  Assume people will skim your content•  Make it easy to read with a clean design.Examples: –  Use lists, bullets and bold for emphasis. –  Use images that support content intent –  Break lengthy blog topics into a series

Have a Call to Action•  If you don’t ask, they won’t buy•  Doesn’t have to always be about you.Examples: –  Consider asking for reader input –  Ask the reader to take action by doing something –  Encourage readers to share your content

Establish A Rhythm•  Aim for a couple great blog posts weekly•  Stick to a few key topics (beats)Examples: –  Utilize an Editorial calendar to stay focused –  Mind-map your top 4 ideas and 4 posts on each –  Get help from a peer to contribute

6 must-have content creation tools

Topsy•  Ability to search live & trending topics•  Useful to get blog ideas and see conversations around a topic•  topsy.com

Pinterest•  Ability to visualize recommended content•  Oﬀers more than just cupcakes and dresses•  Most images are linked to their sources•  pinterest.com

InboundWriter•  Suggests tips to make well-rounded articles.•  Intended for SEO- friendly content, but it has good advice packed in it.•  inboundwriter.com

Google Suggest•  Suggest feature based on queries and clicks (user demand)•  Great tool for creating competitive content•  google.com

Buffer•  Scheduling updates for Twitter and Facebook.•  Vary blog headlines to see the impact•  Makes it eﬀortless with browser addons to use•  buﬀerapp.com

Embedded Tweets•  Useful for inserting Tweets into posts•  Allows users to engage with the Tweet.•  twitter.com

Put this into ContextEducate your industry, market, prospects and customers Drive business value with your blog What isn’t measured, can’t be improved Write for people - not search engines

Thank you! Questions? @joemannajoemanna@gmail.com

Photo Creditshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/nirak/4030158041http://www.flickr.com/photos/mik2/1388666338http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajie/3134305491http://www.flickr.com/photos/petergorges/4061480793http://www.flickr.com/photos/shriekingtree/5225613954http://www.flickr.com/photos/differentview/3732017901http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylemay/2078979917http://topsy.comhttp://pinterest.comhttp://www.inboundwriter.comhttp://google.comhttp://bufferapp.comhttps://dev.twitter.com/docs/embedded-tweets

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How to Create Engaging Content for Marketers - #WCPHX

by Joseph Manna on Feb 25, 2012

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