Robert Katai of Content Marketing Institute has posted an article showing importance of visual content. Visual content enables the marketers to give an emotional touch to the marketing efforts. UX/UI designer, web designer, graphic designer, creative director, visual content creator and art director play vital role in the development fo the visual content that leads to successful marketing. Katai says, “If you think creating a lot of content will bring you the results you want, well my friend, let me tell you that you are wrong. Creating a lot of content, articles, videos, and social media... [...]

Michael Guta says, “Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) recently suggested more steps toward eliminating duplicate content across the web. And website owners, including small business owners, may want to pay attention considering the search engine has a history of eventually penalizing sites for not taking heed. Google Noindex Advice Specifically, websites currently republishing content sourced from original authors are now encouraged to “noindex” that content. This Google noindex advice is something most content creators are unlikely to follow. In a fight to rank on the top page of Google, specifically... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “Before we get started — just a reminder that if you’ve been thinking about moving your site to StudioPress Sites, this is a fantastic week to do it. Not only will you get your first month free, we’ll even migrate your existing WordPress site for you. Also for free. Hooray for free, my favorite amount. StudioPress Sites lets you keep the power and flexibility of WordPress … without the hassles. The special deal ends a week from today, on April 28, 2017, so go check it out now before you forget. On to the content! On Monday, Jerod Morris explained how he’s leveraging... [...]

Gretchen de Guzman says, “Back in 2014, Peg Fitzpatrick and Guy Kawasaki penned a post for the HubSpot Marketing Blog that approached the topic of visual marketing as the “next big thing.” But since then, it’s gone to “here to stay.” After all, articles with an image once every 75-100 words tend to get 2X social shares than articles with fewer images. But in the previous article, Kawasaki — chief evangelist for Canva, a remarkably simple online platform for graphic design — stressed the importance of including shareable images in blog posts, and regularly creating... [...]

Kelsey Meyer says, “If you’re fortunate enough to work at an agency full of brilliant individuals, you’ve probably experienced the following: You’re in a leadership meeting debating different approaches to solving a problem, and a lot of ideas are on the table. Suddenly, someone’s voice cuts through the noise, and what she shares is so inspirational and well thought out that you find yourself scrambling for a pen and paper to write it all down. She’s one of your agency’s subject matter experts. She understands the industry, your clients, and your company so well that ideas and... [...]

Daniel Dipizza says, “In Los Angeles, where I live, I constantly see billboards for popular YouTubers…which tells me that Google (who owns them) is investing a lot of money into helping popular brands succeed. More and more frequently, we are seeing popular YouTubers transcend the internet and move into more traditional media and movies, knocking down the gatekeepers that held the old guard in place. Guess what? It’s still free to start making this type of content. All you need is a laptop with a webcam and a free YouTube account. You can record the videos on your computer and upload... [...]

Juan Mendez says, “Few people buy on a first look. Way before they take money out of their pockets, people are looking for a solution to a problem. When they become aware of something that may solve that problem, they need to consider which solution is better. Finally, they need to choose wisely among providers that solve the same problem but in different (faster, cheaper, better) ways. How do you create engaging content to boost each step of the customer journey and help prospects get through your sales funnel? Video is an ideal tool, especially to explain the most complex ideas and concepts.... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “So, Copyblogger has been running for about 11 years now. And in all that time, we’ve never written a post about Arnold Schwarzenegger, unless you count that one time I compared long-form sales pages to the Terminator. Until this week. Entirely independently, Brian Clark and I both used the Governator to illustrate two different points about smart content creation. On Monday, Brian broke down persuasive analogies — citing a particularly effective analogy Schwarzenegger used to make an environmental point. On Tuesday, Stefanie brought a little relief by making some excellent... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “A few weeks ago, I recorded a podcast episode about Jonah Sachs’s book Winning the Story Wars. He had a particularly useful observation about three story elements that pull in audience attention. He calls them Freaks, Cheats, and Familiars. Sachs explains how these elements can be deployed, like the Hero’s Journey, to make stories much more memorable and engaging. As I was reading Story Wars, it struck me that there’s a well-known figure who illustrates all three of these elements in one person: legendary bodybuilder, action star, two-term California Governor, and... [...]

Ashley Lockridge says, “By now you’ve all seen the headlines about the burgeoning success of eCommerce compared to the relatively drastic decline in transactions for brick-and-mortar stores during the holiday season. ComScore data showed desktop online sales in the last two months of 2016 rose 12%, and are expected to rise to 16-19% once the mobile commerce numbers are tallied. This steady downward trend for brick-and-mortars has been caused by a variety of factors. Amazon has carved out a desire for free, fast shipping and one-stop shopping. The rise of “fast-fashion” pushes consumers... [...]