Shari Thurow says, “Back in 1997, I created my 5 Fundamental Rules of Web Design. These website design rules are very simple, but critical, for a positive user experience. My rules state that a website should be: Easy to read Easy to navigate Easy to find Consistent and clear in layout, design, and labeling Quick to download Some of these guidelines seem so obvious. In fact, some people sincerely believe that they are stupid. “OF COURSE my website is easy to read!” some developers have exclaimed to me, rolling their eyes. “I can read it!””. How To Make User-Friendly (And... [...]

Entrepreneur team says, “For many good reasons, blogging is likely the heart of your content marketing strategy. Recent industry statistics are astounding: 77 percent of Internet users read blogs, 52 percent of consumers make purchasing decisions after reading a blog’s advice, and 57 percent of marketers have acquired new customers via their blogs. With so much of the focus on how to create compelling blog content, other effective methods for getting out your messages are often overshadowed. Whether you have reached a stalemate in traffic numbers or you’re ready to take your website... [...]

Jonathan Blank says, “As we flip the calendar from 2014 to 2015, you probably have an increased budget for content marketing. Well, at least 58% of us have a higher budget according to theContent Marketing Institute. Job well done in making the business case. Now we have to get to know our customers better to get an adequate return on that budget. Why must we get to know our customers better than we did in 2014? The most basic difference between content marketing and traditional advertising is an acute focus on our customers’ needs. Obviously, we have to find an overlap between our customers’... [...]

Lee Oden says, “Do you attend industry conferences? Would you like to create a greater diversity of content on a regular basis without a big jump in budget? Imagine these two scenarios: Dan looks forward to industry conferences because they provide time away from the office and give him a chance to be inspired by industry thought leaders. He also gets to network amongst peers in the industry and depending on the event city and venue, maybe he has a little fun too. Sandy plans her conference attendance according to topics and speakers. She identifies specific speaker presentations to attend... [...]

Gina Broom says, “Content creation is such a huge slice of the Internet marketing pie. Ever had someone cut a piece of a pie, and then joke that the rest of it is their piece? When content creation does that, it’s not joking. Google updates its algorithms all the time, This isn’t news, but the changes aren’t complicated to understand, either. Basically, it’s all about providing value to site visitors. And what do site visitors want? Quality content. BAM! Just like that, you understand it”. Video Content: Super Fun! Super Effective Mark Ling’s  ’Affilorama’... [...]

Baer says, “At Convince & Convert we’ve been doing a lot of content marketing strategy work for B2B companies lately, and while every client circumstance is different (which is what makes consulting an interesting endeavor), I’ve definitely found some common themes and typical areas for improvement. Here are 25 of the questions I’ve been asking to B2B companies about content marketing. Maybe some of these will make you think about your own content marketing program and opportunities to expand, enhance, and optimize it. I sprinkled throughout some of the tools we often use and recommend.... [...]

The ‘Business 2 Community’ team says, “Although a growing number of marketers and entrepreneurs are turning to content marketing to acquire users and increase their conversions, many have a hard time creating the type of content that truly engages and converts their audience. Join Jason Miller, global content marketing leader at Linkedin, as he shows how to create content that is guaranteed to raise your brand awareness, build trust, and ultimately drive revenue in 2015. Key Takeaways During this webcast, you will discover: How to find out what types of content will appeal the most... [...]

The ‘Business 2 Community’ team says, “There’s no denying that content marketing is hot and here to stay. But despite the buzz, many businesses still don’t have the framework they need to build a successful content marketing engine. Join Hana Abaza, VP of Marketing at Uberflip, as she discusses how you can develop the right “content infrastructure” to succeed in order to drive growth for your business. Key Takeaways A three-step process to optimize your content plan for growth Best content creation and distribution tactics to try in 2015 Tools that will make creation, distribution... [...]

Jason Stewart says, “In the recent ANNUITAS B2B Enterprise Demand Generation Study, only 20.9% of the respondents indicated that they are confident that have been effective in their use of marketing automation — which isn’t exactly a new insight, as there has been a lot of coverage of the challenges associated with effective use of marketing automation solutions (MAS). A successful MAS instance has a lot of moving parts to consider – from the process-oriented questions of lead management and the handoff to sales, data quality and data management questions associated with new lead records... [...]

Rebecca Lieb says, “Fundamentally, content has become bigger than marketing; it spans across the enterprise, particularly in public-facing divisions such as sales, customer care, recruiting, PR and product groups. All these constituencies have the capability to create and to distribute content, to contribute to the overall content pool, and to become part of the content circulatory system. But how does an organization foster a culture of content (CoC)? We identified the following seven success criteria. 1. Customer Obsession Guides Content An obsession with understanding customer wants,... [...]