Best practices for lead generation, marketing automation and revenue generation topics.

Lead Liaison

The Art & Skill of Successful Content Creation

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The Art & Skill of Successful Content CreationCreating successful content is an art form that requires substantial marketing skills. Not every great writer can execute a content marketing campaign that generates worthwhile results. They need to understand the target audience, the brand’s image, and how to connect the two in a meaningful way.

The Creation of a Lead Profile

Successful content creation starts by identifying lead segments, their characteristics, and their current stage in the buying process. Savvy content creation experts will use marketing automation software to monitor and track the online behavior of potential leads. This information is used to create a lead profile and then segment leads into groups with similar needs. Content creation should be catered to each specific group.

The Creation of Perceived Value

Crafty content writers will focus on the potential consumers’ needs and wants, rather than the product itself. They will use the profile generated by the marketing automation software to determine what the lead is actually looking for from the product.

For example, if you are promoting an alarm company, the content should be directed at ways to keep your family safe. Recommending a reliable alarm company can be one of the points you mention, but it should also suggest other effective security measures. This will give the reader added value and show your sincere expertise and guidance.

The Creation of Buzz-worthy Content

Successful content creation should grab a reader’s interest using only the title. Most people won’t read past the title if it doesn’t resonate with them. The art of content creation involves creating unique and compelling titles that inspire people to keep reading. The title has to offer a solution to their problems or clearly demonstrate expertise on a relevant subject.

The Creation of Lasting Relationships

High-quality content is the most effective way to build real relationships with potential leads. Your followers will begin to count on your blogs and content articles for solutions to their problems. If they believe in your expertise prior to making a purchase, they will be more likely to stay loyal once they are a customer.

Content writing is an art form and a skill. Successful content creation requires constant fine-tuning and training, especially since online marketing strategies are constantly changing. I am always looking for new ways to enhance the power of the content I create and promote for my clients. During my recent research I found this fantastic article on; 88 Content Creation Ideas for Better Business Blog, Posts, Images, or Videos. It will give you even more ideas on how to create successful content.

There should be no doubt that your business needs powerful content to communicate with potential leads. Successful content creation can be achieved by first creating lead profiles and lead segments. That priceless information will then be used to create content that builds lasting relationships by offering value that is customized for each segment. These are the necessary marketing skills of all successful content creators. Making it compelling and inspiring a reaction is what makes it an art form.

Lead Liaison

Why B2B Marketers Need to Use Content Marketing

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Why B2B Marketers Need to Use Content MarketingContent is the most important tool a business has to communicate with B2B buyers. Buyers for big businesses know they can hop on the internet and research anything they want to know about a product or service from the comfort of their home or office. They would rather read a helpful article that suggests a variety of solutions to their most recent purchasing needs than listen to a lengthy sales pitch from an eager vendor. That is why B2B marketers need to use content marketing.

Content Marketing Provides Answers

B2B marketers must answer potential consumer questions and offer viable solutions to their concerns on their website pages and various social media platforms. These are usually the only places B2B buyers are looking for information. In fact, a recent CMI and Marketing Profs study proved that 93% of B2B marketers use content marketing.

Content marketing is focused on providing followers with a free and helpful online resource using a variety of different marketing channels. Content creation that includes specific questions and answers will have a better chance of appearing at the top of their search results. Content that is effectively marketed using social media, blogs, and lead nurturing campaigns will also make it easier for B2B buyers to find the answers your company wants them read.

Content Marketing Creates Trust

B2B buyers are too smart to be fooled by online scams and untrustworthy business facades. They will do the necessary research to make sure a company is a legitimate resource. Creating insightful and informative content and then promoting it on relevant blogs and social media sites will strengthen your online reputation. A strong online presence and credible content will build trust with potential clients.

Content Marketing Attracts Followers

Powerful and compelling content will be shared and re-tweeted outside of your business’ current community. B2B marketers should use catchy headline and social media networks to expand your upon your existing audience. Experienced content marketers will ensure every article gets a positive and worthwhile reaction.

Content Marketing Prequalifies Leads

One of the greatest benefits to B2B marketers is the fact that content marketing naturally prequalifies leads. The articles that are posted and promoted will be relevant to your business’ services and products. Leads that show sincere interest in the content are more likely to follow through and make a purchase.

Successful Content Marketing Strategies

Creating informative and relevant information is critical, but it also must be effectively marketed. Successful content marketing strategies must include regular updates on blogs, social media networks, and the use of marketing automation software for lead nurturing campaigns.

Marketing automation software is also necessary for lead generation. It will capture and retain every lead that crosses paths with your website. Once they are captured, compelling and informative content will strengthen the relationship and improve the chances of conversion. That is why B2B marketers need to use content marketing.

Lead Liaison

Six Simple Steps for Creating a Content Marketing Strategy

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Six Simple Steps for Creating a Content Marketing StrategyEvery company needs an effective content marketing strategy to stay competitive. The popularity of search engines and social media networking has completely changed the way consumers research their buying decisions. Over 90% of American adults now use the internet to find information and research their purchases.

Since most consumers are searching online for solutions to their problems, businesses must provide them with useful answers to their inquiries. Relevant and informative content is now an essential component for every online marketing strategy. A company must establish themselves as a credible expert in their field to encourage followers and build relationships.

Here are six simple steps for creating a content marketing strategy:

 

1.       Research Target Audience

The first step in any content marketing strategy should be extensive research. Marketing automation software will allow you to track and profile your existing customers and potential leads. This information is necessary for both content development and content marketing.

2.       Find Your Editorial Voice

Online followers will expect an unbiased and articulate editorial voice that offers them real value and consistency. If you are not a talented content writer, it is best to outsource it to one particular person. Try to find someone who has experience writing in your field whenever possible, although most skilled freelance writers can adapt their talent to any industry.

3.       Answer Leads Questions

Use the content as an opportunity to answer the questions that your leads would typically ask. For example, if you sell an herbal weight loss supplement, write several different articles addressing a variety of ways to losing weight. You can mention your herbal supplement as one of the suggested weight loss solutions. Target the message towards solving the lead’s need, not necessarily your particular solution to their problem.

4.       Create a Content Distribution Strategy

There are countless different websites and social networks where you can promote and post your content for free. It is essential that you know which sites your specific target audience is visiting and which content strategies will work best on those sites. A specific article may attract attention on Google+, but it could be completed ignored on Facebook. If you are not social media savvy, you can either research and learn from successful competitor’s social media sites or consult a social media expert for guidance.

5.       Build Relationships in Your Field

It is important to connect and build relationships with as many online authorities in your industry as possible. You can cross-promote each other’s content, which will help both your SEO and content marketing strategies.

6.       Mix Up Content with Images & Videos

Your content marketing strategy should contain more than just informative articles and compelling statuses. It needs something to make people stop in their tracks. A powerful image or an entertaining video are both great ways to get noticed.

All it takes is these six simple steps to success and you can create a content marketing strategy that is guaranteed to generate results. If you are unsure how to get the most from these strategies, please ask the experts at Lead Liaison for help. They will create a comprehensive, customized online marketing strategy geared towards optimal exposure and superior results.

Lead Liaison

5 Tips for More Effective Content Marketing

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5 Tips for More Effective Content MarketingBillions of people use the internet daily to research new products and services. They enter their need or question into a search engine and scan through the top few results to see which one interests them the most. A company’s online content has the ability to boost your website to the top of the rankings and entice new users to click on your link. Effectively marketing that content is critical to your success.

Here are five tips for more effective content marketing:

1.       Create a Content Marketing Strategy

Randomly posting statuses and tweets is not a content marketing strategy. An effective content marketing strategy begins with understanding your leads’ needs, developing content that is catered specifically to their needs, and then the creation of an editorial schedule based on when their target audience is most likely to be listening. Make sure to outline a plan of action and adjust it as you learn more about your potential leads.

2.       Know Your Target Audience

Content is more powerful when it is created specifically towards your average consumer’s needs and interest. There are a lot of different factors to consider when you are creating a content marketing strategy, which is when marketing automation and content marketing software are so necessary for success. Marketing automation specialist will help by streamlining the lead profiling, lead nurturing, and content marketing process. It uses website visitor tracking technology to show you exactly what your lead is doing online.

3.       Promote Content on Social Media Sites

Once you have a comprehensive content marketing strategy, the next step is enticing readers using a strategic variety of social media sites. Social network channels like Facebook and Twitter are great for developing a sincere fan base. Make sure to also include YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn in your content marketing strategy, since these are quickly gaining in popularity.

4.       Cross-Promote Related Content

Businesses can help promote each other’s content by referencing and linking helpful articles that are related to your own business. Look for other companies in your field (not direct competitors) that already have a strong following. Repost their content on your site and then see if they are interested in promoting your content.

5.       Use Software to Monitor Success

It is important to evaluate the success of each content marketing campaign. Content marketing software allows you to track your content’s online responses and conversion rates. Content marketing software is 100% necessary, since there are too many elements to track without it.

Effective content marketing involves creating a strategy, understanding your audience, promoting content on social media sites, cross-promoting related content, and using software to monitor your success. These five tips will ensure your valuable content is being read. If you want to learn more about content marketing, please check out Forbes article on The Top 7 Content Marketing Trends that will Dominate 2014.

Lead Liaison

How Important is SEO Blogging?

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SEO Blogging for B2B MarketersIf you’re not serious about SEO blogging, you could be losing a prime opportunity to compete in your vertical. Google made two significant changes to their algorithm just within the past six months, so it’s definitely time for businesses to check into their own SEO strategy and see how it’s stacking up against those changes. If it’s not stacking up at all, it might be time to rethink things and start developing a strategy.

Taking the Right Steps

SEO blogging is an important way to build keyword leverage, but that won’t do your company any good if you don’t know what keywords you’d like to market with. To find out what keywords are best for your business, consider first putting emphasis on what customers type in to find you. If you don’t know this information, Lead Liaison offers a suite of products that can help you identify those search queries. If you know customers are typing in a certain keyword to get to you, it makes sense to try to best your competitors on those keywords until you have top positioning.

You could also use tools like Google Trends (trends.google.com) and the Google Keyword Planner (attached to your Adwords account, if you have one). These tools will give you an idea of how you’re being found and can serve as a basis for your SEO blogging content.

Once you’ve determined the proper keywords for your business, make sure to put them into your social media profiles as well as any content you’re writing. It’s important to make sure you get as much visibility on those keywords as possible.

SEO Blogging for Your Business

The number one problem many business owners have with content creation is lack of time. If you’re busy running a business, managing a sales team and looking for ways to improve your business, sitting down to write a blog of any length is going to be difficult. This is why it’s beneficial to have an SEO blogging team that can help you.

You should be blogging 1-2 times a week minimum, with relevant blog topics that revolve around your chosen keywords. Keyword frequency without overstuffing, keyword placement and compelling content are important. Many business owners find this placement strategy and even the ability to create content are something they’re not good at. If you’re in this boat, why not get help from a qualified pro?

Lead Liaison is happy to announce the inclusion of content writers who can help with SEO blogging of any length or topic. Our SEO blogging staff members are seasoned pros who can provide quick and easy content of your topical choice right in your Lead Liaison dashboard. Sound too good to be true? Take the Lead Liaison team’s content portal for a spin and save a ton of time and money hiring expensive copywriters or doing your SEO blogging yourself.

Lead Liaison

Is Press Release Marketing Worth the Investment?

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Is Press Release Marketing Worth the Investment?Press release marketing isn’t something that many companies are doing consistently, but it can lead to qualified traffic for your website. If you experience major shifts in your company – from adding a new team lead to releasing a new product –  these are valuable opportunities for content you could use to run any kind of content marketing for your business.

Companies like PR Newswire make press release marketing easy, right? Well, not necessarily. If you don’t have the tools in place to create a great press release, you could actually damage your company’s reputation. Anything piece of content you put out there with your company’s name on it is a reflection of your professionalism and your message. You wouldn’t want that to be compromised due to bad writing or an unclear marketing message.

Is Press Release Marketing Necessary?

There are ample ways to create content that links back to your site. Press release marketing requires the creation of one piece of content, then release on a wire. Paying a wire service to release your content can be relatively inexpensive and easy to do. You’ll also find your press release was posted to a variety of different sites, creating valuable SEO backlinks that can increase your positioning in Google rankings.

It’s likely your release could end up on Google News due to its placement on certain sites. This can bring you more traffic and, again, create a valuable backlink for your company’s website, increasing your SEO positioning.

Should I Do My Own Press Release Marketing?

Creating a press release isn’t always something a company pro should try to take on personally. Press release writing isn’t like creating and submitting an article out in the blogosphere. Press releases require a certain formatting, verbiage that reflects your piece of news is as important as any other news story as well as the use of well-placed, quality keywords and marketing messaging.

It’s important to create a press release that will preserve your professionalism as well as get new users engaged. A press release professional knows how to contract content, subject lines and press release bylines that make your news story seem more compelling – leading to more click through on your article.

If you’re interested in how press release marketing can attract traffic to your website, why not try hiring a pro to write a press release for you? Better yet, take a look at Lead Liaison’s press release marketing services. Content creation services are built right into our marketing automation dashboard, giving you access to over 2000 qualified writers who can place an original, quality press release right in your dashboard. Visit us to find out more today!

Lead Liaison

Can You Get Content Creation and Marketing Automation Together? Yes!

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Get Content Creation and Marketing Automation TogetherIt has long been the cry of B2B marketers (well, “long” is relative in the digital age): “We’ve automated our marketing – but we need CONTENT!” We’ve got your content creation and marketing automation together in one!

Recent statistics support the need for third-party content creation:

  • 71% of Marketers use content marketing for lead generation
  • 82% of B2B Marketers are increasing content production in the next 12 months
  • 93% of B2B Marketers create content from scratch
  • 56% of B2B content is created by corporate marketing
  • 47% of B2B content is created by product marketing
  • 55% of B2B Marketers say their biggest challenge is having the time or bandwidth to create content

Now, consider this:

  • 37% of B2B Marketers use marketing automation for lead generation
  • 36% of B2B Marketers use marketing automation for lead nurturing
  • 39% of B2B Marketers don’t use marketing automation at all

Do those numbers look like there might be a need for marketing automation and content creation combined? Content and automation both drive traffic, conversions, and sales. When combined, they form a potent marketing strategy. Until now there has been no integrated answer for combining content with marketing automation.

We’ve got the answer.

With a few clicks you can order audience-centric content such as blog posts, white papers, press releases, website pages, social posts, and more. Once approved, content can be entered into your automated campaigns easily.

Once you have combined marketing automation and content creation, your corporate and product marketers will have bandwidth to devote to campaign development and execution, among other tasks. Learn more about our groundbreaking new feature.

A disturbing fact: Only 25% of B2B Marketers use content marketing for customer retention. This is unfortunate as it distinguishes a customer from a prospect. Keep in mind: a customer was once a prospect. In today’s multimedia environment, can a company afford to withdraw a customer from its content stream?

Lead Liaison

Effective B2B Content Marketing Tactics

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Effective B2B Content Marketing TacticsBest practices for B2B marketing have changed drastically in the last few years. The introduction of the internet, ecommerce, and social media networking has created brand new marketing needs. Consumers also now have an endless supply of choices, which has create a desire for real engagement between online retailers and potential customers. That is why there is now a greater emphasis on B2B content marketing.

Online content is a company’s best opportunity to communicate directly with potential leads. Millions of people use the internet every day in search of solutions to their biggest problems. A company’s tutorials, newsletters, articles, webpages, and blogs are all valuable reference sources that can turn potential leads into consumers. If you are still not convinced you need content marketing, you can read my earlier blog; Five Reasons Why Content Marketing is Not a Waste of Time before proceeding with this article on how to actually use it to your advantage.

B2B Content Marketing Tactics

Creating relevant and informative content is necessary for success, but it has to be effectively marketed or it will never be read. Social media is the most popular content marketing tactic because of its vast reach and frequency of use. Over 80% of B2B marketers use social media to promote their content.

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are the most commonly used social sites for content marketing, although YouTube and Google+ are also used by a high percentage of B2B marketers.

Content Marketing worth Sharing

Crafty B2B content marketers will develop articles and content that social media users actually want to share. The information must be compelling, informative, or humorous to insight a strong reaction. B2B marketers will also use contests and giveaways as an incentive for reposting or sharing particular content.

Content Marketing SEO Strategies

Search engine optimization is another powerful content marketing strategy. Most people start their product research using a search engine. If your articles and website are not appearing in the first few pages of the search results, they won’t be seen. Strategically-placed keywords and meta-tags, along with genuine link-building are needed to drive your content to the top of the rankings.

Market Content on Forums and Discussion Boards

Another B2B marketing tactic is spreading word of your article all over the internet by posting snippets of it on forums and discussion boards. Make sure to use boards that are related to your industry or target market. You also need to include your website and authorship, so readers and web crawlers can reference it back to your original blog.

Content Marketing with Marketing Automation

There are countless ways to gain exposure for your content and most of which will be enhance when it is incorporated with a marketing automation strategy. Marketing automation software streamlines the process without distracting from the customer engagement. It profiles your typical website audience and then develops content that taps into their needs and interests.

Always keep in mind that your content has to be as strong as your B2B content marketing tactics, otherwise readers will be disappointed and less likely to follow you in the future. Business buyers are savvy consumers and it is important to create and promote content they truly want to read.

Lead Liaison

Email Open Rate: What Are Your Clients Seeing?

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Email Open RatesIf you’re familiar with email marketing, you know the average email open rate for any standard campaign is between 12-20%. This rate varies by industry – a real estate company newsletter may not do as well as a coupon retailer, for instance. It’s important to have a firm grasp on how your client base uses your content and continually provide them with what they want to see.

How do you find out what your users want? First, try asking them. As simple as it sounds, engaging your users via social media and incentive-based surveys can get them talking to you. Once you’ve shown that you’re interested and you’re paying attention, people have a tendency to start talking. It is in this engagement that you’ll be able to ask for feedback and opinions, and tailor your marketing efforts to best suit your audience.

Email Open Rate – What About Mobile?

Over the past year or so, smartphone email opens boosted at about 80%. This means it’s especially important to ensure that your emails and other content can be viewed by your readers in the format they prefer.  You might be amazed at how many small businesses don’t take the time to discover how their readers would like to receive content.

The best way to get an idea of how delivery can affect your email open rate is to view your email on different devices. Try to make it a point to open the emails you’re sending on a PC, tablet and a smartphone as well as using different email programs. Most email service providers give you a preview of what different email messages look like in different formats.

Make Sure You’re Looking

Don’t just open your emails in several different places- use email metrics tracking to get an idea of how your clients are opening them. Even if your emails are beautiful, you’re still wasting time if your emails go to a smartphone where your click through links aren’t visible on different browsers. This can cause your email open rate to plummet – once a potential client knows he or she can’t open an email from you a smartphone, they’re probably not going to give you the benefit of waiting to get in front of a computer to open your content. They’ll most likely delete your email.

It’s important to determine how your users are translating your content into something that supplements their lives – even if it’s only during the minute or two they take to open and read your email. To determine how clients are using your email marketing based on all your other marketing efforts, it’s a good idea to look into marketing automation and determine the value of your campaigns per client. The Lead Liaison team can help you do this. Contact us today for an assessment of your advertising assets so we can determine how to help you!

We also recommend Search Engine Land’s Free SEO Primer. And remember: Email open rate is important, but understanding how your users access and read your content can make all the difference!

Lead Liaison

Marketing Automation & Reputation Management Go Hand In Hand

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Marketing Automation & Reputation Management Go Hand In HandIt’s never fun or easy talking about what will happen to your business if your products or services are panned on the web somewhere – i.e., if your reputation management is on high alert because of a bad review. Let’s take Yelp reviews, for instance. If you’re a fan of the popular US version of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, you know how resistant some business owners can be to change.

Ramsay’s latest airings show him confronting “stuck” business owners with negative Yelp ratings. Many owners, rather than taking their customers’ complaints seriously, would rather tell themselves that “not everyone likes the food” rather than changing things they know don’t work about their businesses.

Are You Watching?

Some of us watch programs like these and think, What morons! How can these people not see their own business failings! Truthfully, even a business that’s turning a profit has failings, and reputation management is often a stumbling block for many business owners.

If you’re not watching Google, social media outlets and the news, you might be missing customer complaints. Just one unresolved customer complaint can turn into a reputation management fiasco for a company.  So, given the complexity of your current marketing campaigns and what little time we all have in a day, how can you make sure your reputation is being managed properly?

How Marketing Automation Affects Reputation Management

To succeed in today’s competitive business place – particularly if you’re monitoring your reputation – your marketing message has to be socialized. This means that the core points that make your product compelling should be laid out as part of your social media strategy. This also means you need to be watching your customers.

When you use marketing automation to maintain your brand, you have the ability to pinpoint specific users who spend time on your website. If they’re coming from a bad Yelp review by the droves, you’ll be able to set up an alert that gives you this information immediately. Social signals translate to users spending time on your site. If a customer needs to be taken care of via Facebook or Twitter, you can use socialized marketing automation tools to stay on top of resolving your customers’ complaints.

Consumers are using social media to air their grievances with business. Good reputation management is all about using the tools available to you to connect with customers and solve difficulties – sometimes even before they happen. Marketing automation can help you keep track of specific customers and integrate your marketing efforts in a way that no other marketing concepts can.

To find out more about socialized marketing tools and how reputation management is informed by marketing automation, contact Lead Liaison for a free consultation today!