In building your business, are you always feeling behind? Like you can never live up to the countless stories of success? Maybe it’s time to stop setting impossible standards. Here’s one small change in perspective that can shorten your goal horizon.
How to Make Your Content More Shareable
Time for a gut check. You’re producing content, you’re sharing on social. But stop and ask yourself as objectively as you can: Is your content good enough that YOU would share it (if it wasn’t your own)? Let’s look at why and how people share, so that it can inform your content strategy.
How to Syndicate Content Safely on Medium
Have you been reposting your blog content on Medium? It’s a great way to extend your reach, and with Medium’s new “Import a Story” feature, it’s incredibly easy – and 100% safe for SEO. In this week’s episode, I give a quick overview of how to incorporate this into your content strategy.
Content Syndication: Safe SEO Practices for Your Blog
Duplicate content is bad for SEO – or is it? Content syndication, done properly, is not only safe – but encouraged. There are 4 methods for syndicating content, two of which I endorse for a clean and effective content strategy.
The Four Principles of Teaching Your Customers
Do you like to be sold to? I don’t. “Push marketing” can only generate awareness. While awareness is important, it’s only Step 1. Trust comes when you try to teach your customers instead – bring some value to them instead of just pushing product on them.
Producing Content to Educate Your Customers
When you educate your customers, you can lead them to a better, more informed purchasing decision. One that they feel good about – and one that sticks. That means that you are an educator. In running your content strategy, can you think like a teacher?
The Social Media Strategy Series: Wrap-Up
Social media for business is more than just Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In the season finale of “Marketing Without the Marketing,” I give a top-level blueprint of a cohesive social media strategy that maximizes impact and efficiency.
Live Training – Content Marketing for Creative Entrepreneurs
Content Marketing for Creatives This week we are holding live training on how to build and connect with an audience around your creative work. If you want recognition for your work, or to attract industry partners or create income from your creative passions and pursuits, then this LIVE Master Class is for you. We’re going to break down […]
Know Your Customer: Using Data-Driven Marketing
Data-driven marketing is becoming a must-have, even for small businesses. Here’s a brief case study of the Starbucks Star Rewards Program – and how to apply the lessons to your own business.
LinkedIn Pulse for Business: Baseline Strategies for Personal Branding
While LinkedIn Pulse is a low-commitment way to get started with blogging for business, you really need a strategy to get the most out of it. Here are two distinct game plans for you to consider: Which one is worth the time investment?
You Only Have to Tell Me One Lie
In your marketing, does what you say about yourself match what your customers say about you? If it doesn’t, you may have a trust problem – and you may not get a second chance to repair the damage.
Periscope for Business: Using Live Video as a Marketing Strategy
Have you tried using Periscope for business – or any other live video app? There are a lot of advantages for brands, and companies are getting really creative with it. Let’s have a look at whether or not live video will be a good strategy for you and your business.
Facebook Groups for Business: A New Approach to Marketing
With organic reach down to 9% or lower, Facebook has become purely a pay-to-play platform for businesses. Facebook Groups are the exception, and may be one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Here’s my strategy for how to build and nurture an audience of super-fans.
Twitter Ads for Business: An Underrated Marketing Strategy
Social media is a great starting point to drive awareness of your business, but let’s face it – there’s a ton of noise out there. One strategy that can help: Twitter Ads. If you haven’t tried ads yet as a part of your content strategy, here’s a quick guide to getting started.
Hope Is Not a Marketing Plan
There are no shortcuts in building a business. That’s why those insidious “instant success” stories are dangerous to real, working businesses. Here is one of those stories – and my reaction to it.
Medium for Business: The Benefits of Social Blogging
Medium has a ready-made audience and a algorithmic feed mechanism to get you in front of an audience that’s different than your own blog. Here’s how to coordinate the two – your blog and Medium – into a coordinated and effective strategy.
Facebook Ads for Business: Taking Your Social Strategy to the Next Level
A lot of businesses are using Facebook – but not a lot of them are using Facebook Ads. With the right strategy, you can get a huge awareness boost for your product or service, targeted to the right audience. Listen to the episode for some starter strategies and other considerations.
Pinterest for Business: Are You Missing an Opportunity?
Pinterest is still one of the most popular social media platforms, and it has been evolving into a great marketing tool for small businesses. Here’s a “starter strategy” to get you up and running and taking advantage of their new business-friendly features.
Using Social Media for Business: Strategies for Long-Term Success
How would you rate your use of social media for business? Has it been successful, or a waste of time? Whether you are just getting started with social media – or you’re in need of a reboot – here’s a collection of resources to help you focus your strategy and make better connections with your customers and prospects.
Instagram Stories vs. Snapchat for Business (Episode 62)
Part 8 of The Social Media Strategy Series A couple weeks ago, Instagram launched a new feature called Instagram Stories. It's a direct copy of Snapchat Stories. The differences in feature set are incredibly minute, but the differences in context are potentially very meaningful. There's been a lot written about this move by Zuckerberg & […]