Samantha Shannon says, “If you are currently running a content marketing campaign, I’m sure that you have written and published a good amount of blogs. But are they bringing in traffic? You can publish a great piece of content, but if no one ever reads it your time and energy will have been for nothing. So what can you do about it? Get that post to rank well organically! Before I get ahead of myself, not every post will have the potential to rank well. That’s why the first step to boosting a blog to the top of page 1, is to decide which blogs have the chance to succeed. So which... (Read More ...)

Jim Joseph says, “Content marketing is the business buzzword du jour. Every brand, big and small, is trying to determine its content marketing strategy as a pathway to building better relationships with customers. That’s hardly a surprise, because when it’s done right, content marketing actually works. By its very nature, content marketing is inherently centered on your customers because it provides information that adds value to their lives. The value is in the eyes of the beholder and should be consistent with what the brand offers and stands for. Value can take the form... (Read More ...)

Jeff Rajeck says, “To many, marketing now is all about data. In our 2016 Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing, more than half (53%) of marketers surveyed said ‘data-driven marketing’ was their top priority this year. Nine out of ten put it in their first three, more than any other topic. But what are marketers actually doing with their data? What tips can professionals give for those who may be just starting out with data-driven marketing? To find out, Econsultancy recently held roundtable discussions at our fifth annual Digital Cream Sydney”. Seven ways to supercharge... (Read More ...)

Brian Clark says, “Of all the components of a holistic online marketing strategy, search engine optimization (“SEO”) seems to mystify many the most. And it’s true that years back, the key to ranking well in Google was a form of dark art. That’s changed in recent years. Google’s algorithm has gotten smarter, and is more distinctly tuned in to what the audience thinks is relevant and valuable for a given search term, rather than what we as marketers would prefer to rank well”. SEO that Grows Your Business with John Jantsch Copyblogger  (Read More ...)

Thomas Smale says, “Your ecommerce store is up and running, and you’re getting some sales. Congratulations! But, if you thought you could squeeze every bit of profit out of your business without optimizing your store and using the right strategies to engage customers, you thought wrong. Generating new business is one way to increase your ecommerce sales, but there’s a good chance you could be doing more with the customer base you already have. Here are five ways to increase your online sales. 1. Upsell and cross-sell products. You buy a brand new guitar, but within a few short years,... (Read More ...)

David Moth says, “Disruption is one of the buzzwords that gets used ad nauseam these days. All startups hope they’ll be the ones to shake up their industry, but true disruption is hard to find. We know that all too well having set ourselves the challenge of identifying 100 brands that can be defined as innovators in their field. Along with Marketing Week and Salesforce, we scoured the globe looking for exciting companies that offer something different. Having tracked them down and produced a rather lovely Top 100 Disruptors 2016 report, we’ve asked a few of the founders for their opinions... (Read More ...)

Stefanie Flaxman says, “Last week, when I wrote about how to become a writer, I forgot to mention something about why you’d want to be a writer. Writers are communicators. If you’re proud of your ideas, you want to be able to communicate them clearly and precisely. Headlines are your first opportunity to present your message to the audience you want to reach. The language you use should appeal to those people and make them want to find out more. To review the next headline you write from the perspective of an editor who is focused on audience engagement, here are three simple questions... (Read More ...)

Sujan Patel says, “Q: How do you suggest getting started in a career in digital marketing? A: Digital marketing is a moving target that is constantly evolving, making it more and more difficult for new comers to learn the art. It’s this challenge that actually excites me about digital marketing, as you have to work hard to just keep up, as new marketing channels are constantly emerging. Social advertising (Snapchat, Facebook ads, etc.) and content marketing are amongst the hottest new channels of digital marketing. Here are four steps to you get started in digital marketing (and stay ahead... (Read More ...)

John Donnelly says, “Not long ago, when you needed a ride in your city, you’d call a cab — completely unaware the market could offer another option. When you were booking a place to stay for an upcoming trip, your mind probably wouldn’t wander beyond the idea of a hotel. Today, however, the sharing economy is so deeply entrenched in major industries and consumers’ lifestyles that it’s almost hard to remember life before Uber and Airbnb. Multiple factors played a role in this cultural takeover: the reasons why mainstream consumers engage with sharing-economy businesses, how different... (Read More ...)

Ryan Skinner says, “Native advertising corresponds to many types of advertising, from paid search and social ads to the sponsored editorial offerings from media companies. Put simply, it’s confusing as hell to understand. Success at native means both the user of a media site or app and the advertiser explicitly get value out of the experience. To understand if a particular kind of native advertising is going to be successful, marketers should assess four criteria: Format, reach, context, and identification. The seven core types of native advertising** all function to varying degrees against... (Read More ...)