Eric Enge says, “When you first start in content marketing, you usually have little to no audience of your own for your content. If you’re a major brand, you may be able to develop this quickly, but it’s still extremely helpful to get visibility on third-party sites to grow your reputation and visibility as a producer of fantastic content, and to also net links to your site.This can come in the form of third parties linking to content on your site, or getting guest posting or columnist opportunities on those sites. A key stage in that process is creating a pitch to the site... [...]

Rainmaker team says, “If you’re a fan of one or more of our shows (or products), you can now follow the hosts, writers, and developers of Rainmaker Digital as they travel further out onto the Internet to be interviewed by other smart people.Tune in as Brian Clark sits down with Zac Johnson to chat about creating powerful content that resonates with an audience.In this 39-minute episode, Brian Clark and Zac Johnson discuss:Brian’s total lack of interest in working 9-5Using online marketing to build offline businessThe creation of Copyblogger and how it grew over timeSolving problems... [...]

Josh Johnson says, “It isn’t enough for companies to have great products or services. Investors need to know the people behind the business and why they’re worth big investments. Executive branding through thought leadership speaks to a company’s sophistication, credibility and marketability — and content plays a critical role in developing the kind of authority that attracts investors.Thought-leadership content can help turn savvy companies into influential ones. Rand Fishkin, founder and former CEO of Moz, opened many doors for his company through thought leadership. Fishkin... [...]

Peter Daisyme says, “Content comes in all shapes, sizes, and topics. The best content is interesting, informative and awe inspiring, the rest you wonder how it ever got published. It’s easy to look at the work others have done and judge it, saying, “that’s great,” or “that’s horrible,” but, it’s another thing to have to create your own content.You want people to like your content enough that they share it and trust your your product or service. Sounds great. Here’s five ways to do it.1. Dream up a challenge or contest.The desire to compete seems to be... [...]

Beki Winchel says, “GIFs aren’t only for powerhouse social media users anymore. Employing looping visuals lets PR pros and marketers say a thousand words — or more –in shorthand. When used wisely, GIFs are a great way to connect with your audience, increase views and make your brand more relatable to consumers.Here are five ways you can jump on the GIF bandwagon:1. Add a touch of sass to consumer interactions.As Internet culture becomes more pervasive, brand managers are embracing new ways of reaching out to online audiences. In April, Ikea replied to consumers entirely... [...]

James E. Hein says, “Gone are the days when search engine optimization was enough to land your website onto Google’s good graces.Now you must to add content marketing to your arsenal of digital marketing tool if you want to gain search engines’ approval and ultimately win the heart of online users.Given the important role content marketing now plays in the success of online business, it’s time that SEO ties the knot with content marketing.The two digital marketing tools that were once viewed as separate entities are now an inseparable couple, promising to inch businesses... [...]

Ben Harper says, “Content marketing is not typically aligned with lean production – a scientific method of eliminating waste within a manufacturing system – but thinking lean has strategic advantages for content marketers. Lean methodology, formalized in the book The Lean Startup by Eric Reis, applies to organizations of all sizes and all levels of sophistication. The only requirement is the will to innovate and improve.How can brands apply this theory to their content marketing efforts in the context of their need for more interactive, responsive, and unique content? Read on! In this... [...]

Megan Hannay says, “Brand storytelling is an ongoing conversation between a company and its customers. Brand backstory, on the other hand, is a foundation. It’s the tale of what came before the hit blog or product. It’s the story of why the company is what it is today.Compelling backstories are the roots from which brand lore grows – a lesson I’ve learned as my (formerly pure SEO) team branches out into PR and content marketing projects. Some of our first non-link-building clients have been … exactly who you’d imagine first clients to be. They’re not sexy at first glance –... [...]

Alex Bashinsky says, “Let’s face it. Your primary purpose in writing blog posts is not to capture Facebook “likes” or get ranked. You’re writing a blog for strategic business purposes. You want the content to achieve something. You want to increase your conversions – to put a direct value on the time invested in blogging.Writing blog posts for conversions requires an approach subtly different than writing to provide fun or to educate. Consider the following path to boost your blog ROI:Planning phaseStructuring your business blog posts for conversions begins before you put pen... [...]

Aaron Agius says, “The amount of content created and shared on the internet these days is huge.And by huge, I mean mind-bogglingly huge.Every single minute, more than 200 million emails are sent, more than 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube, and more than 220,000 photos are shared on Instagram. Not to mention the 2.5 million pieces of content that are shared on Facebook.That’s a lot of content.Businesses and individuals are creating more content — more often — in a bid to attract new customers to their website.As an individual content marketer, I can’t possibly... [...]