Kevin Lee says, “There is a shift happening away from long-form blog articles in favor of social media postings. But is this really the best strategy? This past week, the Content Marketing Institute released a new study on how B2B marketers are using content marketing. Among the study’s interesting findings is a small but measurable tactical shift away from long-form blog articles in favor of social media postings. According to the report, 93 percent of B2B marketers use social media in content marketing (up from 87 percent in 2013), whereas the use of blog/website-based articles has declined... [...]

Travis Bliffen says, “Most Web professionals have heard of the potential SEO benefits of including a blog on their websites and updating it regularly. After talking with countless business owners though, it became apparent that many of them do not understand why blogging helps with SEO and with that, why it fails sometimes as well. Why Do Blogs Help SEO? Whenever you add a blog post to your website, you are really just creating another page. As with any page on your website, attracting inbound links will improve the authority of that page and, through internal linking, will improve other... [...]

Jawad Khan says, “If you hire an online marketing consultant, chances are that starting a business blog will be one of his first recommendations. After all, some 79% of companies that have a blog report a positive ROI for their inbound marketing. Moreover, a well-managed blog builds not only credibility for a company but also brand loyalty and awareness. Although blogging is an effective marketing, branding, and sales channel, businesses don’t make effective and efficient use of it. In fact, most corporate blogs add little real business value. As a content marketing consultant, I’ve... [...]

Graham Charlton says, “Ever since Matt Cutts declared it dead (for SEO purposes), there seems to have been less interest in guest blogging.  I’ve seen it here, with fewer approaches from writers, while smart SEOs will never suggest this to clients as a link building tactic. This reduced volume of requests is a good thing, but I still think there’s a lot of value in it for publishers and writers alike. Here, I’ll look at what makes a good guest contributor and how they should approach sites. Google and guest blogging  Like any SEO tactic which can be automated or carried out... [...]

Jawad Khan says, “Irrespective of your revenue model, if you plan to make money from your blog you need to build a sizeable email list. With subscribers on your list, you can build relationships, deliver value, establish trust and make sales. However, because there are so many spammers out there, internet users have increasingly become reluctant to join email lists. But even if you’re not sending junk or sharing their email with others, you’re still going to have to convince visitors to convert into subscribers. But there’s a way you can reverse this process. Instead of going... [...]

Ann Smarty says, “A good introduction hooks a reader’s interest. The content of a blog post keeps them interested as you present the information or entertainment they came for. Most bloggers are focusing very much on these two specific parts of the whole, and they are leaving one out: the conclusion. Since it is ending the blog post, it is easy to discount how important that conclusion really is. When you are trying to create the ultimate content, it is crucial that you get the sign off right. It might not be what is keeping the reader engrossed, but it may very well be the line that gets... [...]

Lindsay Kolowich says, “There are lots of things you need to do to have a successful blog. Not only do your posts need to be well-written, helpful, and relevant to your target audience, but you’ve also got to make sure you’re promoting them correctly so they get in front of people who could become your fans — and maybe even your customers. Luckily, you have many creative options when it comes to promoting your blog content. In the infographic below from ReferralCandy, we hear from over 40 marketing experts about their favorite blog promotion tactics — everything... [...]

Will Blunt says, “Conducting research is an essential part of writing quality blog content. To be a credible industry expert, you need facts, stats, figures, and examples at your disposal — all external validation that shows you know your stuff. But doing research can be very time consuming if you’re not sure what you should be looking for and how to look for it. In this post I will take you through a four-step process for researching your blog posts. This process will help you validate your blog ideas, fill your posts with interesting and relevant content, and increase the... [...]

Jessica Lorenz says, “So, you have low blog engagement or a handful of loyal followers that you were expecting to blossom into a world-wide audience — but it’s just not happening. I’m not an expert content writer or blog wiz. However, working at MarketingSherpa has given me insights that I would not have otherwise about what can make certain pieces of content successful while others flop. Here are three common mistakes to keep in mind as you structure your individual blog posts and also determine your blogging strategy: 1. It’s all about you The biggest mistake that content creators... [...]

Amanda Disilvestro says, “Do you know how to leverage the value of your blog? It’s true that popularity is great for your content because it shows people are interested in your brand and shared content increases your visibility. However, it’s important that your blog transcends popularity and actually contributes to your overall goal – profitability. While it stands to reason that if your content is popular it is more likely to be profitable, there are things you can do to focus specifically on profitability to make sure your content is offering all it possibly can to your business... [...]