This document provides 21 tips for digital content marketing to build a business or personal brand online. Some of the key tips include always analyzing website and social media analytics to understand audience and improve content, using images more than words as images engage audiences better, repurposing content across different online platforms, taking advantage of video and social media platforms like Pinterest to share content, and consistently creating and sharing new content focused on specific topics or themes. The overall message is that analyzing audience and engagement, creating visual and shareable content, and posting regularly are important for successful digital content marketing.

1. 21 Useful Tips for
Digital Content
Marketing to Build
Your Business and
Personal Brand
1

2. 2
Chris Vaughn
Director of Marketing
DigitalSherpa
@ChrisHVaughn
Online and Market Editor
New England Home
Lynda Simonton
@LyndaSimonton
Lynda Simonton

3. 3
Follow Along At:
http://slideshare.net/DigitalSherpa

4. 365 Posts: 10 lessons
learned
One Year. One Website.
4

5. Tip 1: Always Be
Analyzing
5

6. The Lightbulb
Problem
The blog post with
over 1,000 visitors
but no readers
6

7. While Exploring Google
Analytics…
7

8. No Shares? No Comments?!?
http://garden-bloggers-conference.com 8

9. “Light Bulb” Related Keyword
Visits in Google Analytics
http://garden-bloggers-conference.com 9

10. http://garden-bloggers-conference.com 10

11. Tip 2: - Be Thorough

13. Tip 3: Think About Conversion

16. Tip 4: Measure Your
Results

18. Tip 5: Test, Test and
Then Test Some More

19. Call To Action

21. Tip 6: Take Advantage Of
Free Online Tools

23. Google analytics

24. Google keyword planner

25. Tip 7: Never Stop
Optimizing

27. Measure All Visitors and Leads

28. Tip 8: Using Content To
Target Specific Markets

29. GEO-TARGETED CONTENT
• Create content geo-targeted to your key
markets that will help prospects in that area
• Find key prospects asking questions or seeking
help in the markets you’ve targeted
• Create conversion opportunities by send blog
or website readers to that market’s listing
page from within your geo-targeted content

32. #multifamilysms2014
Tip 9: Analyze Opportunity

33. OPPORTUNITY
• Over 100,000 people seek help or express design
frustrations on social media networks a month
• 4 of 5 consumer inquiries on social networks go
unanswered (As of October 2013)
• This is more pronounced in Real Estate, where only
15% of consumer inquiries are answered, with an
average response time of 13 hours*
*Statistics courtesy of Sprout
Social

34. #multifamilysms2014
Tip 10: Get In The Mix

36. ENGAGEMENT TIPS
• DO ask leading and help-oriented questions like
“How can we help” or “What city are you looking
for an apartment in?”
• DON’T spam with a link immediately. Social
consumers are SMART and will tune you out
• DO show personality and have fun. Social
consumers like to know they are dealing with real
people

38. ENGAGEMENT TIPS
• DO have resources for the consumer ready quickly
when they engage. Social users have short
attention spans
• DON’T reply without a link to content or a listing.
This conversation is now in a selling stage
• DO ask a follow-up question with the link you
provide such as “What are your requirements for
the perfect apartment?”

41. ENGAGEMENT TIPS
• DO follow up with the consumer after an
appropriate amount of time to close the service
loop
• DON’T keep sending them messages until they
reply.
• DO use success stories like this as case studies to
show consumers how much easier your brand can
make the process of apartment hunting

43. Visual storytelling 101
43

44. Tip 11: Define Your Voice &
Visuals
• What does your brand sound like?
• “Tone” and personality
• Key messages
• What does your brand look like?
• Logos, colors, etc.
• Optimize your profile for each social network
44

45. Visual Branding: The Home
Depot
45

46. Visual Branding: The Home
Depot
46

47. Tip 12: Images > Words
• Create a visual content strategy
• Share photos that are relevant to
your brand
• Use images to tell your stories
• Photograph your work
47
Image via iStockphoto, AleksandarNakic

48. Images Engage on Facebook
• Photo posts get 39%
more interaction
• 93% of the most
engaging posts on FB
• 53% more likes
• 104% more comments
• 84% more click-
throughs
48

49. Tip 13: Think Themes
• Before & After
• How-To
• Inspiration Boards
• Behind the Scenes
• Holidays / Seasons
• Pop Culture
49
Images via Lifescape Associates and Digital Sherpa

50. Tip 14: Repurpose Content
• Cascade content across
platforms
• Shoot once, use thrice
• Create photo collages
• Tools: Pic Stitch, Diptic,
Pixlr
50

51. Tip 15: Take Advantage of
Video
• Video marketing is a powerful way to communicate
with your audience
– Share brand culture/values
– Showcase products/services
– Share DIY/how-to tips
– Highlight happy customers
51

52. Tip 16: Leverage Analytics
• Track engagement
• Demographics
• Popular content
• Best times to post
• Tools:
• Facebook Insights
• BlitzMetrics
• Google Analytics
52
Screenshot via BlitzMetrics

53. Putting it all into action
Ready? Let’s Do This!
53

54. 54
Over 2,000,000 photos have been uploaded to Houzz and there are
over 14,000,000 users every month.

55. Tip 17: Change the
Conversation
Thomas Pheasant 55

56. Client’s Serene Bedroom
Betsy Johnson 56

57. Listen and Learn
57

58. Tip 18: Raise Your Ranking
58

59. Get Reviews
59

60. Under the Hood: Houzz
Optimization
60

61. 61
Pinterest generates more referral traffic to business websites
than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn COMBINED!

62. Tip 19: Create a Business
Account
62

63. Under the Hood: Pinterest
Analytics
63

64. 64
130 million people enjoy this photo sharing app

65. Tip 20: Share a Variety of
Content or Stick to a Clear
Theme
65

66. Tip 21: Tag People You Know
66

67. Bonus Tip: Be a Good Community
Member
• Share valuable information
• Interact and help
• Give credit where credit is due!
67

68. • Pick up the DigitalSherpa Houzz eBook in the Blog
Clinic
• Download our presentation here:
http://slideshare.net/DigitalSherpa
• Connect with us!
• Chris Vaughn – chris@digitalsherpa.com
• Lynda Simonton – lsimonton@nehomemag.com
68