Successful Blog

Make Content Marketing a Leading Strategy

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Child scratching head with question mark on blackboard concept fContent marketing has been around for hundreds of years, but only recently has it been getting a lot of attention.

Essentially, content marketing is the process of advertising without advertising. This is to say that content marketing provides valuable content to consumers without overtly advertising, all while slyly incorporating a brand’s products or services.

A good example of this may be where a pest control service provides 10 essential pest control tips on Facebook with the hook that, if these tips fail, contact XYZ Pest Control.

The objective, getting the brand out there, is achieved by providing real-world tips that are valuable to the potential customer.
What Qualifies as “Valuable Content”?

Before you begin a content marketing campaign, stop and think … what would be valuable to me if I were a consumer?

While it’s easy to get lost in the world of industry jargon and technicalities, the consumer will, by and large, not understand what you mean. Therefore, try to think in simplistic terms.

What does the potential customer hope to get out of your company? What are the fears holding them back from doing business? What makes your company unique from the competition while ensuring that you can provide all that the consumer needs?

Consider all of these questions when crafting your business’ content.
Content Marketing is Great at Generating Leads

One of the biggest advantages to using content marketing is that it generates not only web traffic, which can boost search engine ranking, but it also boosts leads. The more valuable the content, the more likely people are to share this content.

In the article, “How to Generate More Leads Than Ever in 2015 With Content Marketing“, it’s pointed out that leads need to be nurtured through content.

Basically, you need an overarching theme to your brand message that transcends the content at hand.

You’ll want to form a full-force brand message about your new or existing product or service that implements value through your company’s website, social media channels, and traditional advertising in order to gain traction.
Don’t Just Throw It All at the Wall

Finally, one of the worst mistakes you can make is to generate content, throw it at the wall and see what sticks.

While it’s true that you need to monitor metrics in order to see what works and what doesn’t, taking a shotgun approach can prove to be disastrous.

Many business owners try to offer up valuable content from across a very wide spectrum of their offerings, only to find out that they lose business as a result.

Instead, plan out a strategy, determine which content marketing channels are the best bets, and then focus on target audiences in order to achieve success.

Valuable content isn’t valuable if you aren’t reaching the right people.

About the Author: Andrew Rusnak is an author who writes on topics that include content marketing and social media.

Book Your Small Business for Success in 2016 and Beyond

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Diversity Business People Seminar Presentation Team ConceptThe right trade show can do wonders for your small business, especially for those business owners who are just starting out and are in need of getting their names out there.

All across the country, small business owners are attending trade shows to help boost their brand presence and so can you.

Here are just a few of the many trade shows worth attending in 2016:

The Small Business Expo

If you’re looking for a trade show that features a diverse number of networking opportunities, then look no further than the Small Business Expo.

This massive trade show covers consulting, start-ups, finance, insurance, real estate, non-profit, education, marketing, advertising, technology, ecommerce, and a number of other small businesses.

In terms of an all-in-one trade show, the Small Business Expo focuses on a variety of industries, which can really help you increase exposure for your brand.

Another benefit of this trade show is it takes place throughout the year in 14 major cities including New York, Chicago, Houston, San Diego, and Atlanta just to name a few.

ASD Market Week

The retail and consumer goods industry is competitive and if you’re in the retail business, then you already know the importance of brand presence. The ASD Market Week trade show in Las Vegas can help you hone your retail sales skills and stay ahead of the competition.

This trade show invites both small businesses and distributors, which creates an effective networking atmosphere.

As the following article looks at, along with the 2 philosophies that ensure tradeshow booth success is taking advantage of future distribution.

ASD Market Week, which takes place in late February and early March each year, segments attendees based on the products they sell.

This makes it even easier for distributors to seek out your small business during the trade show.

Pubcon

If your small business needs a hand with marketing and SEO, then Pubcon is an absolute must.

Part trade show and part conference, Pubcon brings together online marketers, social media experts, and SEO masterminds for the benefit of your small business.

At this trade show, you can improve your own marketing tactics while increasing the visibility of your brand through networking and workshops. Pubcon takes place in Las Vegas and Austin, Texas every October.

CES International

Consumer technology is one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

Whether your small business builds smart devices or improves technology that’s already on the market, the CES International trade show can help you build a strong following for your brand.

CES International takes place every January in Las Vegas and features small tech companies and innovators from all across the globe.

If you’re looking for a trade show where you can market your consumer tech innovation while networking with distributors and investors, then this trade show is a must.

America’s Small Business Summit

Having a relationship with your local chamber of commerce is an important part of running a small business.

America’s Small Business Summit connects business owners with state chamber executives in order to help build lasting business relationships. The summit takes place each June in Washington, D.C. and features discussion panels from chamber policy experts.

If you’re ready to book your small business for success in 2016, then consider some of the trade shows mentioned above.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including trade shows and small business.

Are You Up for a Content Audit?

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Start Now Thumbs UpYour website is the front door to your virtual store.

The content you offer on your site is akin to the fixtures, services and products that you would have in a brick and mortar store.

Just as you would want to make sure your customers have a positive experience inside your store, you should make sure your customers enjoy visiting your website content.

Website content consists of anything and everything on your website.

That includes the written word, pictures, infographics and navigation menus. Making sure that all of your website content is optimized is critical to the success of your business.

One way to ensure that your website is working the way you want it to is to have a content audit. A content audit is a third-party, objective review of your site’s content.

When you subscribe to a content audit, you will receive a detailed, thorough report of all the things that are wrong – or right – about your website content.

Visitors are Fickle

If you’re wondering why you should invest in a content audit, consider this.

Recent studies report that most site visitors give your website no longer than 15 seconds before deciding if they are going to leave or if they are going to stay. That’s only a quarter of a minute.

As the following article looks at, if you wondered why your website needs a content audit, that should firmly answer your question.

Type of Content Matters

Some things that a content audit will uncover include problems with the content itself.

Google’s constant updates require more and better written content. Those site owners who think they are pulling one over on the Google Panda update by regurgitating old website copy are penalized with low page rankings.

Unique, engaging written content will get your website up front and in front of the competition.

Effect of Images on Your Site

Another aspect of your site that a content audit will uncover is if you have too many or too few images on your site.

For better or worse, many people who browse the Internet need images to help retain their interest.

Without pictures, many visitors will feel overwhelmed with content that appears boring or bland. Images help break up content, but at the same time, there can be too many images and not enough of the written word.

That’s where the content auditor comes in.

Through experience and analysis, a content auditor can arrive at the exact number of images your site should have in relation to the number of pages on the site, and the rest of the content.

Don’t fear a content audit. No matter what they turn up, the solution is an easy one.

You’ll either have to have a complete site redesign, or simply have to adjust a few things on the site.

Whatever the results of the audit, the answers are within your control.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kate Supino writes extensively about best business practices.

The Proper Business of Text Messaging

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young business people group have meeting and working in modern bYou’ve got all of the right social media tools to help your small business out, a Facebook page, Instagram feed, Pinterest boards and a Twitter handle. Now what?

What else is your marketing calling out for? Are you working on text messaging to your client base?

If not, this is something you should consider as it’s a huge market to reach clients and increase their loyalty and longevity.

Mobility is Key

Because so many people have mobile devices these days, and keep these devices with them at virtually all times, mobile marketing has become a great platform to reach customers.

You won’t want to miss out on this market, and with a text messaging service, it’s all the easier. It’s just a matter of choosing the right one to fit your needs.

As the article, “How to choose the right text messaging service for your business” looks at, keep these ideas in mind:

  • Do some research – Find out the different services that providers offer, and decide what options you are looking for. Do you want it all, or will you be happy with a basic text messaging service? Check out how fees are calculated while you are doing this, because your budget is something to consider when choosing options.
  • Look at client support – You don’t want to get stuck with text messages going out willy-nilly, or encounter other issues with no help or support. Read some reviews and find out how the different services manage a problem and how much support they offer. You’re paying for a service; you should be able to count on support.
  • Compatibility – Make sure the text messaging service is compatible with the mobile service providers in your area. You want to be able to reach the major providers and if you have some smaller ones in your client base, those, too.
  • Look for someone willing to work with you and your needs – You want to be able to trust your text messaging service, just like you want your customers to trust you. Not only do you want support if there’s a problem, but you should also be able to look to your service for advice on what’s best for you. At the very least, you don’t want them pushing something you don’t need.
  • Talk to colleagues and other small business owners – Whether in person or via social media, reach out to similar business and see who they are using and if they are happy. You know how important work of mouth is, tap into it.

Any new endeavor is exciting and a little nervy.

Check into some different text messaging services; see what they offer and how each fits your needs.

Soon your customers will look forward to that weekly text from you, and your business may increase before your very eyes.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Heather Legg is an independent writer covering topics related to small business, social media and working from home.

Managers Need to Formulate a Strategy

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Chess SuccessBusy managers are like busy mothers.

They get it from the top (spouses, in-laws, and teachers) and they get it from the bottom (kids).

Just like time-strapped mothers, busy managers are ground zero for everybody’s problems, including supervisors, owners, employees and even customers.

Think about it. No irate customer ever says to a surly employee, “I want to speak to your colleague!”

Moms Have All the Answers

Well, moms may not have all the answers, but they have all the answers to a busy manager’s problems.

If busy managers want to stay focused and in control amid all their responsibilities, taking cues from busy moms is a good place to start.

Let Them Eat Cake

When the kids are inconsolable after a loss of a big game, moms know just what to do.

Whip out the cake mix. Nothing makes a kid smile faster than a waft of chocolate cake baking in the oven.

Beleaguered managers trying to placate dissatisfied customers so they can get on with their day need to adopt the same strategy.

Pull out the treats and lay on the icing. Everybody likes “free.”

Simply commiserating with the customer’s trouble and quickly opening up the candy jar (of free products, services, etc.) will oftentimes turn an unhappy customer into one willing to take the treat and run.

Given that every business deals with unhappy customers from time to time, the manager can head-off minor issues before they become major problems. In order to be in control of your business situation, check out the article “7 Tips for Busy Managers.”

Teach Them to Fish

Even busy moms secretly love to be needed.

The sweet sound of, “Honey, where’s my tie?” or “Mom, have you seen my hamster?” is enough to melt a mom’s heart.

But she’s also smart enough to give her needy family enough tools so she can hide in the tub with a juicy novel when necessary. Show me a mom with a new bottle of bath bubbles and I’ll show you a kid with a new hamster cage.

Busy managers need to empower their staff to make decisions independently when the manager is not around or can’t be disturbed.

Teaching decision-making skills to underlings not only frees up the manager’s time so they aren’t pestered by small nuisances, but it helps to bolster employees’ morale and sense of worth in the workplace.

(This sense of worth, by the way, has been scientifically proven to enhance employee engagement in the workplace.) This is not delegation.

This is empowerment on a deep and meaningful scale that can lead to higher productivity levels in the department for which the manager can take partial credit, along with their staff.

Give Away the Answers

Busy moms are masters of organization and communication. Busy moms receive a white board as part of their initiation into motherhood, which are hung where everywhere will see it, right next to the refrigerator.

The white board contains all the info the family needs.

What needs to be bought on the next grocery store trip, what time mom will be back home, when the baseball try-outs are, and how many days are left until Christmas.

Busy managers can give away the answers by keeping their bosses in on the loop. Instead of waiting for a request for a status report, email weekly updates to the boss.

Rather than being called in to a long meeting for a short 5-minute presentation, print out a 5-slide PowerPoint presentation with the information and ask the secretary to hand it out in your absence. Giving away the answers ahead of time saves busy managers from losing ground during a hectic work day.

It could be argued that moms invented the skill of managing.

It’s not a stretch to see how managers can benefit from the lessons of mom.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kate Supino writes extensively about best business practices.

Should You Be Prone to Hiring Big Data-Skilled Workers?

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Keyboard With Key LearnShould you be hiring candidates with big data skills?

As big data becomes a big part of many businesses’ operations, there are more candidates out there who have gained big data skills either through their job, or by specializing in big data during their studies.

If you’re considering taking on candidates with big data skills, what can those skills do for your business?

Big Data and Business

Big data has a wide variety of uses for your business. Sometimes the difficulty is deciding what to focus on first.

You can use big data to analyze your customers’ behavior.

This could include anything from purchasing trends to how they interact with your website. You can gain insights into who these individuals are, where they are, what they want and how they interact with you.

You can use big data to track your business processes and finances.

From tracking the way sales ebb and flow throughout the year to analyzing data from different departments, big data can give you insights into the way your business works.

You can use big data to keep your social media game on top form.

From figuring out which posts are getting the most customer engagement, to finding out what customers are  saying about you, big data gives you insights via social media.

Where to Find Your Big Data Candidates

So just where can you find your big data candidates?

There are two main ways:

Hiring a candidate who recently studied big data, or looking for someone with experience. Both have their advantages.

With more schools offering big data courses these days, you can find candidates who have been taught an in depth knowledge of big data.

As the article “Hiring Smart: The 5 Best Schools Cranking Out Big Data Job Candidates” says, big data students will have learned while training on real data sets, giving them the skills your business needs.

You can also hire candidates who already have experience in the field.

With more businesses making use of big data, so more professionals are learning big data skills and applying them in their roles.

Whether you hire a dedicated data scientist, or a skilled multi-tasker with big data smarts, experienced candidates will bring expertise to their role.

Big Data Can Be Applied In Many Roles

With so many uses for big data, there is the potential for you to make use of big data skills across departments.

Candidates with big data skills will bring an in-depth knowledge of how big data works, and how to make the most of it. Those skills can provide a real boost to your business; giving you candidates who can undertake in depth analysis and use the insights they gain to drive your business forward.

From analyzing data about your business processes, to streamlining your marketing efforts, candidates who can handle big data can do a lot for your business.

As well as hiring someone specifically for the role of data specialist, you will also benefit from looking for big data skills in any candidate who will be in a position to use data to gain insights.

There’s no doubt that big data is here to stay.

By hiring candidates who are confident handling big data, you will be providing your business with valuable skills that will benefit you in the long term.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn is an author who writes on a range of topics including social media, SEO that works, and how to make big data work for your business.