Tips

7 Essential Marketing Tips for Authors

You did it.

You finally finished that book that you’ve been working on and you’re ready to get it out there for the entire world to read.

But advertising your book and getting sales or downloads haven’t gone as well as you’d hoped. And you’re slowly starting to feel as though you wrote this book for your eyes only.

How do I successfully market my book to a large audience? What are some marketing tips and tricks that I can use to push my book and get it noticed by more people?

If you’re asking yourself those kinds of question, wonder no longer, because we’re here to help!

In this article, we’ll tell you about 7 tips that you can use when marketing a book. 

Now then, let’s get started!

1. Create an Eye-Catching Book Cover

Even though we’ve been told not to judge a book by its cover all of our life, most of us still very much do. That’s why it’s wise to invest some money and get a nice, eye-catching cover made for your book.

Keep in mind that your book cover is going to be very small on most digital devices, so it needs to be something that’s legible as an icon. 

2. Start a Blog

The idea of starting a blog may sound a bit cliche, but it actually works, if you keep up with it consistently.

Creating a blog not only gives you an outlet to plug your book, but you also can create a connection with potential readers. Doing so will increase the chances of them actually reading your book, and any other books you may write down the line.

3. Get on Every Ebook Platform

Obviously, it’s a good idea to get your book in front of as many eyeballs as possible, to increase the chances of a sale.

So take the time to get your book on every single Ebook platform you can find. This is going to take a bit of work, and may even cost some money, but will be worth it in the long run.

4. Utilize Email Marketing

Email marketing is still one of the best digital marketing techniques available today. Using something like a blog, or social media, to gather a list of individuals who want to keep up with your latest work is a great way to advertise your book.

5. Get on Social Media

Social media is a huge platform that any author should be utilizing to get their name (and book) in front of thousands of eyeballs. Like a blog, this will give you a chance to develop a connection with your audience and a place to plug your book regularly. 

Also, one viral tweet could lead to your book completely taking off, which is absolutely a possibility. 

6. Do Some Podcasts

Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who have podcasts that are relevant to your book’s niche and ask if they’d be interested in having you on their show.

This can get you, and your book, in front of an audience that would more than likely be interested in reading your work, which is obviously a good thing.

7. Reach out to Book Reviewers

While you’re reaching out to podcast hosts, ask a few book reviewers if they’d be interested in reviewing your book. A positive review from a critic with a large following could go a long way in the success of your book.

Use These Tips to Help with Marketing a Book

Well, there you have it! Those are 7 marketing tips you can utilize when marketing a book. 

Remember, start with your cover first, then figure out a few fun and creative ways to plug your book online.

Looking for more digital marketing tips and tricks? Check out our blog!

7 Fool-Proof Email Marketing Tips

According to estimates, an astonishing 281 billion emails are sent each day.

Even when you divide that among the over 3.8 billion people who have at least one email account, this figure can make for a pretty messy inbox.

To make sure your emails don’t end up in the dreaded spam folder, you’ll need to craft a clever, compelling campaign that grabs your audience’s attention.

Here are seven email marketing tips to help you knock your next email marketing campaign out of the park.

1. Remember Why Customers Love Email

Despite what some experts like to claim, email marketing is far from dead. In fact, it’s actually thriving more than ever.

But before you craft your next great campaign, make sure you understand what makes email marketing so effective in the first place.

People like email because it’s quick, convenient, and is a great way to connect with their favorite brands. Through an email, a subscriber can learn about deals, product updates, and more.

In short: email is useful, even if it’s asynchronous. If you’re still not convinced, you can learn more here about the engagement potential.

2. Create a Template

Since marketing emails are here to stay, you can rest assured that you’ll end up sending more in the future.

To save yourself time, create a few templates so all you have to do is fill in the blanks with your great content.

3. Personalize The Subject Line

Since we receive so many emails in a given day, most of us will just skim through our inbox clicking ‘Read’ on almost everything.

To combat this trend, some marketers recommend personalizing the subject line with the user’s name. Though it’ll take a bit of extra time, your effort isn’t in vain.

Studies found that personalized subject lines increased open rates by between 50% and 58%.

4. Demand Your Audience’s Attention

A name isn’t always enough to catch audience attention, though. You’ll still need to be smart about coming up with compelling subject lines.

A good subject line encourages the reader to take immediate action or inspires them to open the email based on puzzling or humorous phrasing.

If you’re not quite sure how your subject lines stack up, it’s always possible to test them before blasting your message to your subscribers.

5. Preview Before Publishing

Always, always, always double-check your draft before publishing!

From an embarrassing typo to formatting errors to missing images, there’s a lot that can go wrong. And you might not always catch it when you’re creating the email.

Avoid losing your credibility by running your copy through a spellchecker. Then, make sure the email’s formatting is correct (and works on mobile devices).

6. Less is More

Be careful about sending too many emails. Remember, subscribers’ inboxes are already inundated with too much content.

Spamming them is only going to drive them to click ‘unsubscribe’.

7. Don’t Forget Your Call-To-Action

Last but not least, make sure each email ends with a compelling call-to-action that inspires the reader to take action.

It doesn’t need to be complicated. Something like telling a reader to reach out to your business or linking to a piece of content is more than sufficient.

Follow These Email Marketing Tips For a Successful Campaign

Creating a quality email marketing campaign requires some trial and error. If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Pay attention to your metrics and keep these email marketing tips in mind — you’ll grow your subscriber base in no time.

We love helping businesses reach their full potential, and we’d like to help yours! Get in touch today and learn how our marketing services can help you reach the top.

The Hobby Hustle: 10 Tips on How to Make Money in Your Spare Time

37 percent of Americans have a side hustle. That means almost 4 in 10 people are making money in their spare time.

If you’ve been thinking of making some side cash, now is the time.

There are dozens of different ways to increase your income. Why quit your day job when you can make money 9-5 and after? If you can find the right side hustle for you, the money could be lucrative.

Some side hustles take hours of preparation. Others you can do while you watch TV before bed. Keep reading to learn how to make money in your spare time.

1. Thrift and Flip

Do you enjoy thrift store shopping? Put that passion and skill to the test by reselling your finds.

Keep an eye out for pieces that have a high resale value. Research which brands sell well and the condition they should be in.

Buy items from your local thrift store and make money on the markup. Use sites like eBay, Poshmark, and ThredUp. Create a neutral and appealing backdrop to take pictures of the items in front of.

The higher the quality of the item, the more you can earn. It may take some research to know what to buy. Once you get the hang of it, reselling can be a lucrative source of extra cash.

2. Dog Walking

If you go for a walk every day after dinner, why not making money doing it? Dog walking won’t compare to your full-time job’s pay, but it can add up.

Most dog walkers charge per dog, per half hour. If you walk two dogs a night for an hour each, that’s a significant chunk of change per week.

You can advertise your dog walking services on sites like Rover. There, you can also advertise doggy daycare and boarding services.

3. Sell Your Stuff

Take inventory of your belongings. What kinds of items are sitting unused in the garage? Some of your items could be worth a pretty penny.

Decide which items you don’t use or want anymore. Look up their secondhand value on eBay and local selling sites like Craigslist. Quality matters, the newer the better.

Collectibles are often good items to sell, like comic books. Read more about the specific ways to effectively sell your comic books.

4. Photography

Did you know that the photo gallery on your phone is worth money? Stock photo sites like Shutterstock and DepositPhotos will pay you for your photos.

There are some criteria the photos have to meet. They must be top quality and featuring places or things they need more images of.

As people download your image on the site, you get paid. Cha-ching!

5. Editing and Proofreading

How do you feel about Oxford commas? What about sentence length and SEO? If these are things you care about, consider starting a proofreading side hustle.

Businesses post online written content all the time. If there are spelling mistakes, they lose credibility. You can offer your editing services on sites like Upwork and Fiverr.

SEO is a hugely profitable skill as well. If you can make their digital content more searchable, you’ll be bringing home the bacon.

6. Online Shopping

Do you love to shop online? You can do it while watching the kids, a movie, or when you’re bored.

You can earn cash back on your online purchases with Ibotta. This app pays you to shop at certain stores and sites. These sites include clothing department stores, grocery stores, and hardware stores.  

Anything you need for your house and family can earn you money. Just buy them through the Ibotta app. It’s not really work if you’re getting paid for something you enjoy!

7. Video Creation

If you’re skilled with videography and editing, you can profit from those skills. Businesses often need promotional videos made of their company.

As a freelance videographer and editor, you can undercut the competition.

You could also create videos for weddings, corporate events, and the government. Promote your services on Upwork and other freelance service sites.

8. Handcrafted Goods

People have been selling their handmade goods for centuries. Today, with the internet, the consumer base is massive.

Whether you make jewelry, home décor, or beauty products, there’s a market for you. Consumers today are more conscious of their purchasing power. They may be more inclined to buy from an independent business owner.

It doesn’t have to take much of your time, either. Make the goods, promote them, and ship them out.   

9. Monetize Your Instagram

How many followers do you have on Instagram? If it’s 1000 or more, you could be making money off your account.

Consider looking into affiliate marketing, blogging, and sponsorships. Brands will pay you to promote their products to your audience.

You may never have thought of your personal Instagram as a side hustle. But, the money is there if you’re willing to work for it. You were going to post that selfie anyways, why not earn some cash for it?

10. Drive for Dollars

Companies like Uber and Lyft have made it easy to make extra money on the side. All you need is a car, a license, and spare time.

Driving is an awesome side hustle because you choose when you want to work. Keep working your 9-5 during the week. Weekend nights, hop in the car and drive people around your city.

If you have an extra large vehicle, you can drive more people and make more. Or, if you have a luxury vehicle, rent it out as an experience. Car aficionados could pay per hour to drive your super cool car.

Want to Learn More About How to Make Money in Your Spare Time

When you start a side hustle, you have the chance to significantly increase your income. There are plenty of ways to make that extra cash.

Side hustles can vary from dog walking to driving to digital marketing. Writing is a potentially lucrative side gig to consider.  

Now that you know how to make money in your spare time, it’s time to get started. Read here to find freelance writing jobs and start your side hustle. Let the money start flowing!

A Healthy Website: Keyword Strategy Tips for Healthcare SEO

Are you a healthcare provider trying to keep up with SEO?

It can be difficult to understand the significance of optimization as a healthcare provider. Once you’ve made your way through the rigors of medical school, it seems unfair to have to educate yourself in the ways of digital marketing.

Unfortunately for you, SEO makes the internet world go ’round and if you aren’t privy to it, you can easily fall behind your better-prepared competition. But, it’s never too late to learn.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at SEO keyword strategy; tips and tricks to survive in the digital world. You don’t have to be a doctor to get your SEO in tip-top shape, but you do have to be diligent and stay on top of trends as they morph and change on a seemingly week-to-week basis.

Don’t be afraid, it’s only SEO. Let’s get started.

Why SEO Is Important to You

First, let’s talk about the importance of SEO for your practice’s website. It used to be that you would just go to the nearest healthcare provider when something felt wrong. You either have a family practitioner or you go to the walk-in. That’s all changed.

Now, when illness strikes, the first thing someone is going to do is hop on Google and search for what their symptoms mean. Once Web MD’s convinced them that they’ll die if they don’t see a doctor, they’ll google healthcare providers near them.

If you’ve posted up in a smaller town where you’re one of only a few healthcare providers, then maybe you can rely less on your web presence. If you’re in a larger place, your web presence means everything.

Think about what we talked about earlier. The potential patient is going to Google which healthcare providers are near them. This is where your website’s SEO comes in. Knowing which keywords to use to optimize your site is what will bring the patient to you instead of another provider.

SEO Keyword Strategy For Your Practice

The keywords that you use will act as the bait for the new patients. If you treat these potential patients as customers, then you’ll realize that SEO for your healthcare office is similar to SEO for any other kind of young company.

When someone uses a search engine to find out where they should seek help, they might type in what their symptoms are, their location, and what they’re looking to find. You, as the healthcare provider, need to appeal to these search terms by answering the questions before the searcher asks them. 

By using keywords that tell Google where you’re located and what your specialty is, you’ll rise up the search rankings. If you’re a chiropractor in Denver and someone types “back pain Denver” into Google, you want to be on the first page of results. Use appropriate keywords on all of your landing pages to satisfy the search terms.

Local SEO

Local SEO is a relatively new concept. In the last few years, especially with the rise and continued development of smartphones, we’ve seen more people use localized search terms on their phones to conduct map-based searches for things that are near them. 

Local SEO Keywords

To optimize your local SEO, you need to focus as much on the location part as you do on the keywords that bring in traditional users. Your keywords should include your location down to the intersection, your contact information, your hours, and what you do.

These keywords should always appear in your link title and the meta description of your link. The meta description is essentially a free advertisement that Google provides you to appeal directly to the user on the SERP.

Other Local SEO Help

Using Google My Business will help you appear on map-based searches. Fill out all of the required fields stating your information (business name, business type, location, etc.) and your business will always show up when someone’s looking for a healthcare provider with their map app.

Appearing in local search directories will help out your local SEO as well. If you rank highly on online review listings, then you’ll rise up the ranks on the SERP. Directories like Yelp go a long way with bringing in customers, so try to maintain a good rating and promote your positive reviews.

Content Creation

You can really grow your healthcare business by creating and linking to engaging content relating to the healthcare field. This is a great way to use relevant keywords to draw in future patients. Once they arrive at your blog, then you can direct them to book an appointment at your practice.

Blogging continues to be one of the best ways to improve traffic on all sites, healthcare-focused ones included. They allow you to display your personality and establish yourself as an authority on the subjects that you have expertise in.

Researching appropriate keywords with an online keyword tool will help you out, especially in the beginning when you’re still figuring things out. Keyword tools let you know the average number of times that keywords are searched and how many other sites are using them on their blogs. 

It’s good to mix in a healthy amount of buzzworthy keywords in with some more unique phrases. Bring people in with your keyword usage and keep them there with the useful info in your engaging articles.

You don’t want to get in the habit of “overstuffing” your articles with keywords. These are still humans that are reading them, so you should focus on writing creative and helpful content.

Get More Patients Today

Getting your website in good standing should be a high priority for your healthcare practice. If you’d rather stay out of the digital marketing side of things, then you should hire a professional to take care of it for you.

Always consider the fact that many patients are searching online for medical help before they contact a healthcare provider. Having a good keyword strategy for your SEO is super important, as is mastering location-based searches and having a content-driven blog. 

Once you’re seeing more and more patients coming in your doors, you’ll be happy that you sorted all of this out.

Sign up with us for help with digital marketing and writing or visit our blog for more articles on the importance of SEO.

Trading Up: 10 Tips for Success in Your Trade Show Booth Presentation

Is your trade show technique working for your business?

If you’re struggling to make it a success you may wonder if trade shows are worth the hype. Well, according to statistics, they are.

About 80% of visitors buy a product or service they interacted with at a trade show. Why? Because the samples or demonstration motivated them to do so.

Some businesses seem to have a secret recipe to success when it comes to their exhibition booth. But what’s the secret?

Read on for ten trade show tips that will expose all the secrets of a successful presentation.

1. The 30 Second Window

Did you know that we only have a 30-second window to make a good first impression? Whether it’s the beginning of your presentation or how you set up your exhibition booth, you’ve got to catch the attention of your audience.

Your exhibition booth should be unique but matching your brand. You should design your booth to catch the eyes of passersby.

For example, Polaroid created a summer camp-style exhibition booth. It had a treehouse with chimpanzee figures hanging around. It certainly drew in the crowds.

Your actual presentation should also draw the crowds in. Start with a video, music or a bold statement to grab attention. You’ve got to stand out, or you’ll get lost in the crowds.

2. Trade Show Presentation Ready

To make your presentation great, you need to set up your presenting area in a professional way. Here are some of the things you will need:

• A small stage area
• A podium for your iPad or notes
• A large screen or projector and high-quality speakers
• A preplanned slideshow or digital presentation
• Spotlight (the oldest trick in the book)

If you’ve got the right set-up, your presentation will come across as professional. Customers will be more likely to take you seriously.

3. An Experience to Remember

Instead of taking the stage and lecturing your audience, create an experience instead.

For example, Charity Water is an organization that helps remote communities around the world to have a clean water supply. As part of their presentation, they invite their audience to carry two 40lb buckets of water across a 50-yard platform. This helps the audience to understand the struggles some go through to have clean water.

Can you offer some kind of experience to make your brand seem engaging? This will create a buzz of excitement around your trade booth.

4. Mix It Up

To hold the attention of your audience, you need to mix up your presentation. It should include a variety of techniques. For example:

• Lecture (up to 5 minutes)
• Slideshows
• Charts (facts and figures)
• Animations and videos
• Audience participation
• Q&A

This will keep your presentation entertaining. Potential customers will feel motivated to stay throughout the performance. Instead of getting bored and leaving halfway.

5. Practice Makes Perfect

One of the most important trade show tips for your presentation is to practice. But don’t over practice as you don’t want to sound rigid or scripted. A natural, relaxed style will be appealing to your audience.

You can practice by writing out a script (but not word for word). Rehearse your presentation out loud, and make adjustments to the script accordingly.

Don’t forget to add humor! Adding humor to your presentation can create a relaxed vibe that will put the audience at ease.

6. Repeat Your Presentation

Remember to repeat your presentation throughout the day. Give it at set times during the trade show and have a schedule posted in your exhibition booth so that potential customers know when to come back.

This will help you to get your message out to a wider audience.

7. Be Generous

Give your guests a warm welcome. Not only in your manner, but also in how you set up your exhibition booth. Make it your aim to help your guests feel comfy and relaxed.

For example, have comfy chairs or beanbags. Give out free coffee and tea or try luring them with freshly baked cookies. Some businesses have created a zen den in their trade show booth (which is a place to meditate but also connects with the brand).

And don’t forget the freebies!

Promotional giveaways are like walking advertisements. Hand out wearables, stickers or anything that draws attention to your brand.

But make sure to give them their swag bags at the end of the presentation. Or they may be more interested with what’s in the bag than what you’re saying.

8. Don’t Forget Your VIP’s

It’s always easier to get a previous customer to buy again than it is to find a new customer. If your best clients aren’t going to the trade show, why not encourage them to do so?

You could even buy them a ticket as your VIP. Or hold a social media competition beforehand where the winner gets a free ticket to the event.

It might sound expensive, but you have a big chance of getting a return on investment.

9. Get Social

Don’t limit your audience to who are in attendance. Add an online avenue to your trade show presentation. This may extend your audience across oceans.

Assign someone to keep social media updates running throughout the day. You should post some portions live, such as one of your presentations.

Interact with online visitors to keep the connection. For example, during your presentation, you may hold a Q&A. Let online visitors ask questions too.

10. Reach Out

You may have stolen the show at the exhibition. But what’s next?

You must follow up with leads ASAP! The longer you hang around, the more likely they will forget about you. You weren’t the only business they interacted with after all.

Don’t be afraid to reach out quickly. Try to get in touch within a few days. This will keep the fire burning, and you’ll be more likely to make a sale.

Do Your Homework

Of course, these ten trade show tips only scratching the surface. If you want to make your next trade show a marketing goldmine, you need a killer strategy.

Do your homework and read more about these strategies. Trade shows are a huge investment, after all. You’ve got to make it worth your while, and you can only do that if you prepare thoroughly.

Steal the Show

As you can see, the key to trade show success is to prepare. Make it engaging, draw people in, and be unique to your brand. Give it everything you’ve got; you might just steal the show!

Are you trying to make a success of your business? Check out these amazing marketing ideas that will put your business on the map.

Bite Into Better Business: 9 Masterful Dental Marketing Tips

Let’s face it. Nobody likes visiting the dentist.

In fact, worldwide, 1 in 5 people are afraid of going to the dreaded dentist! 

Because of this stigma, more than any other field, dentists need to market their practice well. If they don’t, potential patients may look for somewhere that seems more up to date. Or they may avoid going to the dentist altogether.

Dental marketing is more than just sending an appointment checkup postcard and having an ad in the local newspaper. But what are the latest dentist marketing ideas for 2019? We’ve done all the research, so you don’t have too.

Brace yourselves, it’s time to bring your dental practice into the 21st century.

1. Begin with a Brand

Before you start creating a marketing strategy, you need to define your brand. A brand is like a trademark. It will run throughout your entire marketing venture both now and in the future.

It all begins with a logo and design palette that is unique to your dental practice. This design should run throughout your website, merchandise, printouts, clinic decor, and more. When a person sees your branding, they should be able to recognize your practice without needing a double take.

2. Picture Perfect Printouts

Although many of these dentist marketing ideas are online, printed handouts still have their place. Nothing can replace the convenience of sticking an appointment card to the fridge, after all.

Send postcards to new potential clients in the area. Or remind existing patients of their appointments. You could also send announcements of new procedures or services available.

You can also use business cards, flyers, and other printed items to market your brand. It is always beneficial to have a few printed items for older customers who may not be online savvy too.

3. Straight to Their Inbox

Another dental marketing idea is emailing. Emailing is a great (and cheap) way to keep in contact with current and potential patients.

Send out a monthly e-newsletter. But don’t make it all about you. Add dental tips, new technologies, research, discounts, and funny dental jokes. 

Emails sent in this way work as gentle reminders without being overly pushy.

4. Get Your SEO On

Have you ever wondered why your website isn’t coming up high on Google search engines? It’s probably because your website isn’t SEO friendly.

SEO (search engine optimization) is content that drives people to your website by listing your page in search engines. To get noticed, make sure your website is full of SEO content.

For example, when searching for a dentist many will type “Dentist in (location)” into Google. If they see your website listed on the first page, they will be more likely to choose your clinic. But how high you feature in Google depends on your SEO score.

5. A Killer Website

One of the most vital dental marketing tips is to have a killer website.

Your website is the online version of your customer lobby. If it looks dated, disorganized, and unwelcoming, the customer will walk right out. The same applies to your website.

Setting up a website isn’t as easy as you might think. As mentioned, there is SEO to think about. There are also keywords, blogs, mobile optimization, bots, and more.

Can you handle all that?

It’s always best to hire a dental marketing specialist to create your website. Marketing firms, like Somnowell Marketing, are experts in creating websites for dental practices. They can help you to stay ahead of the game and not get left behind.

6. More Than Words

More than reading, people love watching videos. Bring your dental practice down to earth by using videos featuring real people. Here are a few trending video ideas:

• Patient testimonials (a powerful word of mouth method)
• Dentist answers commonly asked questions
• How-to videos
• Behind the scenes
• Meet the team (make it real)

This is one of the best dental marketing ideas that can help you develop a personal connection with your clients. This personal relationship will then lead to trust, recommendations, and loyal patients.

7. Go Viral

No dental marketing plan is complete without using social media to the full. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, and more. There are so many different ways to use social media to grab attention.

Here are a few dental marketing ideas you can use on social media:

• Behind the scenes snapshots
• Update patients about events, deals, and more
• Dental quotes, puns, and jokes
• Create a printed Instagram-sized frame so your patients can have a photo after their session.
• Social media contest with a cool prize. For example, a “best smile selfie” contest.
• Facebook Ads (targeted towards specific audiences)

Social media is a cost-effective approach to market your dental practice. It’s one of the best ways to engage with old patients and new.

8. Word of Mouth

Every customer that walks into your dental clinic is a potential marketing opportunity. People love to talk and recommend places (or warn them where not to go).

And it works. 92% of consumers believe recommendations from people they know over other forms of advertising. Make sure to encourage those recommendations!

You can do that by giving referral bonuses. For every referral that makes an appointment through their recommendation give the patient a bonus. This could be a discount or a gift.

The benefits are two-fold. As you’ll have new patients flocking in and old patients staying engaged and connected with the clinic.

9. Online Reviews

Online reviews are another dental marketing idea that plays on word of mouth. Encourage your clients to write online reviews. This will build up your online reputation, and you may also find areas to improve.

There are many online tools that can help you manage reviews. But sometimes the patient can forget to review when they get back home. Try a kiosk feature in the customer lobby so that they can fill in an immediate review before they leave the practice.

Don’t Get Left Behind: Follow these Dental Marketing Tips

It’s clear to see that dental marketing has jumped headfirst into the 21st century. To make sure your practice doesn’t get left behind make sure to follow these 9 dentist marketing ideas. If you do, you’ll have new patients lining up at the door.

Now you know the drill with marketing, what’s next? An important step is getting yourself up and running on social media. Check out this article to find out how to start a killer social media campaign.

Tips for Success: How to Create a B2B Content Strategy that Attracts New Clients

89% of B2B marketers report that content marketing is their most effective way of bringing in new leads and sales. Which is why a strong B2B content strategy should be the backbone of any marketing campaign.

Not sure where to start? Read out tips below on setting up a successful content plan. 

What Is B2B content strategy?

Chances are, by now you’ve heard about how important a strong content strategy is. However, unless you’ve spent some time focusing on marketing efforts in the past you may not know what B2B content is.

Basically, B2B content is offering valuable information through various mediums to other businesses to mark yourself as an authority in the industry. Not only does this lead to increased traffic and higher Google rankings, but it also increases the number leads your business will bring in.

Know Who You’re Creating Content For

There’s an old marketing adage that states “if you’re talking to no one everyone you’re talking to no one”. The saying still rings true today, which is why it’s so important to know exactly who your content will be geared to.

While target market research is very helpful, we suggest creating an ideal target avatar. This means crafting a fictional character that matches someone that would fall into your demographic.

Give your avatar a name and get detailed. What do they do for a living? How many children do they have? How far did they get in their education?

Then go even deeper. Think about what keeps your avatar up at night. What parts of their day can be made better? Who do they admire? This information should be at the center of all of your content.

What Problem Will You be Solving?

Out of the questions listed above, the most important is what problem will you be solving? Is it a problem that your avatar even knows they have? Do you need to let them know that it’s a problem? Most importantly, how will you educate them on how your product or service fixes the problem?

Another valuable asset in marketing is letting your audience know just how affected they are by this problem. For example, everyone knows that a lack of sleep leaves you with low energy throughout the day, but do they know that not sleeping also increases your risk of heart attack? This is educating your audience on the realities of the problem you’re helping to solve.

Highlighting What Makes You Unique

Unless you’ve landed on an entirely original product, you’re going to have some competitors. Even if your idea is entirely unique, it won’t be long until the copied ideas start popping up. So it’s important to learn how to highlight what sets you apart from similar products and services.

Even subtle differences can give you an advantage over the competition. For example, your product may be more eco-friendly, safer for children, or perhaps a portion of your proceeds goes to a cause your avatar is passionate about. Highlight these differences and incorporate them into your content.

Know Content Type

Not all B2B content lands the same. It’s important to know what type of content your audience is most responsive too. Often these media choices will depend on the industry, for example, fast pace industries may respond better to a short infographic than an in-depth blog.

You may find that your audience responds to a blend of content, like a short blog paired with a video that gives more information on the subject. See where the engagement lies and follow that.

And Where to Publish It

Today there are countless social media platforms and media outlets where you can meet your audience, and trying to get your content on all of them will quickly dry up your marketing budget.

Instead, focus on 2-3 platforms that have been known to attract your type of audience. Don’t just limit yourself to social media either. White label blogging through other sites and media sources is also a great way to get your content in front of the right audience.

Set Clear Goals

And by clear goals, we mean realistic goals. Many businesses expect to start producing content and have the traffic rolling in within weeks. The truth is between audience research, content production, and engagement you’re looking at 4-6 months before you start seeing real results.

Which is why consistency is key in any content marketing campaign. Set a clear and realistic goal on where you would like to be in terms of traffic and engagement in the next 6 months, then an additional marker for a year from now.

Stay on Top of Management

Many businesses start off with a strong content campaign that tends to taper off as time goes on. We get it, your business takes enough time and energy without having to come up with fresh content on a regular basis.

This is where you have a couple of options. You can use a content platform that allows you to create your content in bulk and then slowly leak it out to the public. While this will ensure your content is consistent, it also requires you to invest a high number of hours up front.

Your other option is to hire a content agency that both creates and distributes the content on your behalf. This offers a higher ROI as getting the right kind of content engagement is what these businesses are all about.

Track and Regroup

While we would love to say that most businesses hit their content campaign out the park on the first try, this often isn’t the case. Fortunately, there are a number of analytics tools available to offer insight on which content is performing well and which isn’t.

Once a month take a look at your analytics and try to spot trends. Is your audience responding more to a specific type of content? Is one platform bringing in more leads than another?

Take this information and use it to restructure your content. Remember, your audience will change and it’s up to you to change with them.

Taking the Right Steps Today

The more you know about creating a B2B content strategy, the more successful your content campaign will be.

If you’re ready to start putting some action behind your content, we suggest starting with our article on 4 Actionable Content Marketing Tips.

7 Blog Design Tips That’ll Make Your Site Look Professional

The number of websites online is quickly approaching 2 billion. Yes, I said billion, with a B! Wow!

How do you possibly compete with those billion other people that want your customer’s attention? It seems impossible, right?

Well, I have good news for you. Many of those websites are not good at all. Their blog design is – let’s say, not so great?

If you want to get the respect and attention you deserve online, you need to have a professional blog. You need to make sure your brand is on point and representing you in a way that is going to get the right kind of attention. The good kind that is.

To learn more about how to make your blog look professional, continue reading this article.

Boost Your Blog Design to the Next Level

As you’re looking over the latest web design trends, it is easy to get distracted. You aren’t sure what you need to do first. Maybe you start one thing and then another and another.

Before long, you’re left with a bunch of half-finished projects, and your website is looking a little neglected. Knowing how important the design of your blog is, you’ve come here. And you’ve come to the right place.

1. Plan Out Your Design

If you throw your design together on a whim, everyone is about to tell. Instead of piecing your design together element by element, make a plan before you even get started.

As with your content marketing strategy, you need to have a strategy when you want your blog to look professional and well organized.

2. Watch Your Grammar

The fastest way to negate from a beautifully designed site is to riddle it with terrifying grammar mistakes. You don’t want to make your readers gasp and shake their head when reading through your information.

While grammar isn’t a design element, it will kill all of your chances of credibility, so we wanted to throw it in here for you.

3. Don’t Sacrifice Too Much for Conversions

We’ve all been to that website. You know the one. The one with three different pop-ups, a scroll over and an abandonment opt-in form. 

Sigh.

Frustrating, I know. You don’t want to be that guy or gal. When you’re going for conversions, make sure you keep the user experience in mind.

If you sacrifice the user experience to increase your opt-in rate too much, you may lose a high percentage of your visitors. And you’ll definitely upset more than a few.

When you have too many pop-ups, pop-overs, lightboxes and such, it doesn’t look professional. It looks cluttered and unattractive.

4. Thinking in Colors

When you’re building your brand, you need to create your brand color palette. Your business cards, website, and other marketing materials should all work with those same colors.

People associate you with colors, and it makes it easier for them to remember you. You want people to remember you and your brand so don’t forget your color scheme when you’re designing your blog.

A professionally put together color scheme compliments the other colors in the scheme and makes people enjoy browsing through your website more. Avoid flashy and clashing colors as they may hurt the eyes and be a turn-off.

5. Branding Your Graphics

Honestly, people are going to hi-jack your graphics. We know it, but if we’re prepared, we can get some exposure out of it, at least. Put your logo in your graphics so if someone takes them from your site, they will still know who made them.

Not only will branding your graphics help you keep your name in front of people looking at your content, but it will also make you look more professional. When you brand your graphics in a classy manner, it shows you know how to take care of business.

6. Bye Bye Clutter

Remember when I said early about all of the pop-ups, pop-unders and other opt-in forms? Well, those aren’t the only kinds of clutter that make a blog look unprofessional. 

Think about some blogs you’ve visited. Maybe you’ve seen a blog with a tag cloud with random phrases. If you click one of those phrases in the tag cloud it takes you to a blog post that is tagged with that keyword. 

People very rarely use tag clouds and it looks tacky. You can either get rid of the tag cloud or put another type of more useful navigation in its place.

7. Hello White Space

Whoa. You’ve got a lot of stuff going on there.

Just like you wouldn’t want your date to show up wearing a striped suit with a checkered necktie and bowling shoes, your website shouldn’t have too much going on either.

Leave plenty of white space, so people’s eyes get an opportunity to rest. When you leave white space on your blog, you allow users to focus on the most important part of your website. Use whitespace to direct attention instead of feeling like it is a waste of blog space.

Bonus Tip – Your Content Needs to Be Easy to Scan

When you write your blog posts, make sure to break your content into easy to scan pieces. If people don’t want to read a specific part, they should be able to skip to the next header to get into the next important part of the post.

When you structure your content this way, it is put together thoughtfully. Thoughtfully and well-structured content is valuable to your visitors and shows your level of professionalism.

Creating a Content Marketing Strategy for the Win

Now that you’re a blog design ninja and you know how to give your users an amazing experience, it’s time to level up. Learning how to make your blog look amazing is great, but now you need eyeballs on the blog.

We’ve created amazing content for you so you can learn how to promote your blog and get more traffic. Read our content marketing strategy articles today and learn how to grow your traffic.

4 Interview Tips and Tricks To Help You Land That Amazing Job

Do you have an interview coming up?

First off, thumbs up. Considering that the average job opening attracts over 250 applicants and only 4 to 6 people get invited for an interview, you’ve done well so far.

However, you aren’t there yet. You still need to excel in the interview if you’re to stand any chance of beating other candidates to the job.

To help you make the best preparations, we’re sharing top interview tips and tricks. Keep reading to learn how to ace your interview.

1. Research the Organization

Before you applied for this job, you probably did some background research on the company. After all, a whopping 69 percent of job seekers consider things like brand reputation before making an application.

Now that you’ve got the nod for an interview, it’s time to go deeper with your research.

For instance, try to establish how the company conducts its recruitment process. Do candidates go through a multiple-step interview process or they just one shot to impress?

A good way to find this information is to scour through company review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed. Smart Circle reviews on Indeed is a good example of how you can use online reviews to know more about a company’s hiring process.

2. Understand the Role

During the application process, you no doubt reviewed the job’s description, including qualification requirements and roles and responsibilities.

However, it’s not uncommon for advertised positions to carry generic descriptions.

With this in mind, it’s important to research the role you’re interviewing for and know the specifics. If you know someone (or someone who knows someone) in the company, reach out to them and gather some information on the position’s everyday duties.

3. Comb Through Your Resume – Again

Your recruiters or interviewers already have your resume. They have combed through it, looking for, among other things, gaps and inconsistencies.

Before showing up for the interview, go through your resume again. If there are inconsistencies, this is not the time to correct. Right now your focus should be on figuring out how to explain them, just in case an interviewer picks them out.

You also need to remember crucial details in your resume without referring to it. Off the top of your head, you should be able to say when you earned your degrees or started on previous jobs.

4. It’s Not Just About the Actual Interview

A common mistake interviewees make is thinking only the actual interview matters.

In truth, every interaction you have with your potential employer counts.

If you didn’t reply to the email inviting you for an interview, for example, or replied with a bland message like “will be there,” you’ve likely already shot yourself in the foot. If you show up during the interview day looking unbothered – perhaps you decide to plug in your earphones and listen to some music before your turn – you won’t be sending an impressive picture.

In short, treat the interview like a process that starts from the day of your invitation right to your first day on the job – and even longer if the job has a probationary period.

Interview Tips and Tricks to Get You Hired

Interviews make most people nervous.

The best way to get over your nervousness is to prepare yourself adequately. With these interview tips and tricks, you’re now in a better position to transform yourself into a compelling candidate for the job.

May the force be with you and don’t forget to explore our blog more career tips and insights.

10 SEO Tips You Need to Know for 2019

Google indexes 30 trillion web pages to serve its users the most relevant information. Each of those pages is vying to be the top result for a myriad of different search terms. You’re no different.

When you start developing your SEO strategy, you should design it like you are competing against 30 trillion other pages. Every keyword counts, and so does every backlink. You need to stay updated with the latest SEO tips and strategies to keep your rank, at the very least.

And that’s no different in 2019 than in any other year. This year, there are new technologies that you must design your SEO strategy around. You also need to focus on building a recognizable brand with your content, to drive social media shares.

Keep reading to learn how you can stay ahead of Google’s 30 trillion pages in 2019, and start top-ranking your business!

1. Keywords In The Headers And Title

The basics of content marketing won’t change in 2019, and they’re not likely to ever change. When Google indexes a webpage, it reads the header and title tags to learn what the content is about. You should strategize your header keywords to make the most of this opportunity to start ranking higher.

Make sure you don’t just repeat your keywords, though. Include words that are related to your keyword to dropping ranks in case Google suspects you’re keyword stuffing. By including similar keywords, you may also start ranking for tangential searches, which will help drive traffic to your website.

2. Be Extreme With XML

Most professional web designers have embraced XML as a way to let Google find content faster. With XML, you can create a sitemap which Google can then use to crawl through your website faster. It’ll find your content quicker than websites that don’t have an XML sitemap, which will result in a higher ranking.

Just make sure your robots.txt matches your XML document! If it doesn’t match, Google will take more time to find your content, and may rank you lower since it may not fully trust your website.

3. Voice Your Mind

New Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri supported technologies are changing how people gather information from the web. Rather than directly typing in a keyword, people are casually asking robots questions, as they would any other person.

That means your most effective keywords will begin to change. Spoken language is much more informal than written, so you will need to design your keywords accordingly. Don’t make them fully informal, but include a few to attract voice-assistant users.

4. Content Needs To Be The Right Length

Just like any other year, your content needs to actually have content. Google considers the length of a document before giving it to its users, as a way to ensure it contains what they’re looking for. If your content is too short or too long, Google will not rank it highly.

Try to gauge the right length for your content, depending on the subject matter. Between 500 and 2000 words is usually the sweet spot.

5. Focus On Building Backlinks

Backlinks are still crucial for any successful SEO strategy. With them, Google can quickly trust your website and will assume that it contains good content. If a large crowd of people is linking to your content, it must be worth reading.

There are only two ways to get backlinks: create good content, and share it. There are websites you can use, like this reliable website, which will help drive backlinks to your content. But at the end of the day, backlinks come from sharing good content.

If it isn’t good, people won’t link to it.

6. Get Social With Social Media

Social media users are becoming the guardians of information. They determine what Google picks up, as well as news media and what the average user sees when they go online. Appeal to social media users to build a reputation for yourself and get traffic to your website.

By focusing your SEO strategy on social media, you’ll also take the first steps towards building a brand. This is crucial for your overall marketing strategy, not just your SEO one.

7. Sharing Is Caring

Nobody likes a backlink hog. If you’re getting backlinks without sharing other people’s content, you’re doing a disservice to other content creators. By sharing other people’s content, Google will also be more likely to rank you higher.

Sharing other content and linking to other pages will show that you’re an active member of your niche. It’ll show you care, and Google takes that into consideration when deciding where you rank.

8. Make Sure Others Can Share Your Content Too

If you’re not getting the backlinks you expect for your content, you should check to make sure it’s sharable. Encouraging people to copy the URL isn’t enough to drive the backlinks you need to be successful. Instead, you should include buttons to share your posts on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media.

There should also be a button to copy the URL directly to a user’s clipboard, to make sharing even more seamless.

9. Gotta Go Fast

Your website needs to be quick to keep users on it. If your website takes too long to load, people will leave and your retention rate will plummet. Invest in a faster server or more bandwidth to handle larger volumes of traffic.

It’ll help you rank higher as Google notices more people going to your website, and staying there longer.

10. Stay Updated On SEO Tips

The world of SEO changes just as quickly as the internet does. To stay ahead throughout the year, you need to stay updated on the latest trends. Make reading news about SEO and Google a part of your daily routine.

That way, you’ll know when a major change happens, and you’ll be able to act quickly. 

Your SEO Strategy Is Everything

When people look for information online, they go to Google. The company facilitates the way people can find other people, organizations, and companies. If you don’t rank highly on Google or any other search engine, it’s easy for people to never realize you exist.

If you people don’t know about you or the services you provide, then your entire marketing plan is moot. For example, your brand doesn’t matter if nobody ever sees it, and neither does the work you put into it. Every marketing plan should start with its SEO strategy since, without a good ranking, there’s no point to anything else.

And for SEO tips that will help you climb the ranks, just keep reading here. Our website is always updated with the latest news about the industry. You’ll be the first to know when the industry changes, and how you can get a better ranking!