Tony Messer says, “Since blogging has become so common, far too many people have fallen into the trap of thinking that it’s easy. This can be a huge mistake, especially for businesses. The simple fact is that your blog can be one of the most important marketing channels you have at your fingertips. The most successful brands use their blogs to drive traffic, increase conversions and build authority, all crucial to the success of a brand. At the end of the day, blogging works. As long as you avoid certain pitfalls. Here, we’ll cover seven huge sins that many business blogs make. If you’re... [...]

Pamela Wilson says, “We talk about the lives of professional writers and content marketers a lot on these pages. And we’ve done our fair share of interviews with well-known writers and top-notch content marketers. But what about those writers whose names you may not know, but who have discovered the secrets to running profitable freelance writing businesses? We thought it was time to shine the light on these folks so you could learn from their journeys. And to find them, we didn’t have to go far: our Certified Content Marketer page is full of them. Welcome to our Certified Stories series,... [...]

Sean Zinsmeister says, “As big data increasingly becomes more accessible, marketers are looking for ways to make it more scalable and actionable in order to better target prospects in various stages of the buyer journey. Intent data is synonymous with this topic, but it understandably causes a great deal of perplexity for many marketers. It can be difficult to sift through all the terminology: It’s variously referred to as activity, behavioral, internal intent data, or external intent data. Pairing intent data with other customer signals — like those housed within a company’s marketing... [...]

Ellen Bartolino says, “Every brand has a story, but great brands that know how to tell that story well. Whether you’re selling coffee, bookcases, or enterprise software, the reality is that the competition is higher than ever before. Having a compelling brand story is key, but remember: your story is more complicated than just words. Your brand story is communicated through visual identity, tone of voice, PR, and social media channels. Sure is a lot to keep up with, huh? While churning out endless content hoping something hits the mark may feel like the solution, it’s definitely... [...]

Ben Davis says, “The Entertainer, the UK’s largest high street toy retailer with 120 stores, replatformed a year ago, choosing a new email and personalisation platform for its ecommerce business. With an increased ability to test and learn, the retailer has increased email revenue by 300% since the change. Rob Wood, Head of Online, explains that these gains are all about creative and segmentation. There hasn’t been big growth of the database, the team has simply sent “better messages to the same people and got a better result”. Recommendations Previously, only 14% of... [...]

Marina Hoffmeier says, ““Grow an email list,” they said. “It will be easy,” they said. Growing an email list isn’t rocket science, but it does take some work. Not just work, but strategy. And part of that strategy should include social media. The number of active social media users in the United States is at an all-time high of 78 percent and that doesn’t include the billions of other users worldwide. Promotions, polls, sweepstakes, contests and quizzes help you grow your email list by providing a personal experience and an interactive way to connect with users. If you’re part... [...]

Tim Brown says, “The world wide web has been crowding our screens since its birth in 1989; a mere 26 years ago. While older generations have gotten the hang of living logged in, the ones who were raised in a virtual world are the Millennials. Millennials: A term thrown around to describe presumably young people, but what does this category really encompass? Whitehouse.gov states that anyone born between 1980 and the mid-2000s falls into the Millennial namesake, meaning the oldest members of this generation are already in their early thirties. If that’s older than you imagined, you’re... [...]

Amit Kapue & Amit Singh says, “Common sales wisdom dictates thoughts such as “does your product solve a problem” or “do you add value to a customer’s life”. In today’s competitive world, and abundance of social interactions, most entrepreneurs would have engineered their product or service around these questions and prototyped to a stage where they could confidently claim that their products do, indeed solve problems and add value. The next stage in the entrepreneur’s life cycle emerges when she goes to the market to “sell” her offering. Decidedly, the commitment and... [...]

Today is the day when Origin Builder is launched. This is the most up-to-date automated web page builder. There’s a brand new video on the sales page that shows you the power of Origin Builder. Here are some of the highlights of the video 0:48 – witness the drag n’ drop editor with “NO SECOND DELAY” Technology 1:15 -Watch as page construction starts 1:52 – See the live front end editor 4:18 – feel the responsiveness as you make additions or changes 4:48 – Demonstration that it works on any theme 5:17 – all the extra features (the icing on... [...]

Joe Pulizzi says, “Small screens, big screens. Screens. Screens. Screens. Oh, how many screens you’ve seen! Few people know about Dr. Seuss’ The Screen Book, sequel to The Foot Book. OK, he never wrote The Screen Book, but had he lived a few more decades, he might have. Electronic devices today are as numerous, diverse, and move-around-able as the world’s feet. Mobile — our umbrella term for today’s portable computing devices and the plugged-in-yet-untethered lifestyle they have engendered — has taken over. What’s a content professional to do? Greg Verdino, managing partner... [...]