Google’s latest edition to the new AdWords experience is integration with Optimize, the company’s visual editor for landing pages.
The post Google Brings ‘Optimize’ Integration to New AdWords Experience by @MattGSouthern appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Stop churning out content for the sake of it. Here's how to create content that can increase your website traffic.
The post How to Explode Traffic with the Right Content by @seo_travel appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
The definitive guide to augmented reality marketing, including AR campaign case studies from companies who did it right.
The post Augmented Reality Marketing: Moving From Gimmick to Strategy by @jes_scholz appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Data shows the Internet is less mobile friendly in 2018 than in 2017. This could be good news for you.
The post Web Less Mobile Friendly in 2018 than 2017 by @martinibuster appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Google My Business appears to have stopped counting anonymous reviews toward a business’s overall rating.
The post Google My Business Reportedly Removes Anonymous Reviews by @MattGSouthern appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
These metrics will tell you if your digital marketing efforts are successful and where to make adjustments.
The post Digital Marketing ROI: 11 Metrics You Must Understand by @stoneyd appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Learn the top 16 reasons why your website might be deindexed by Google and how to prevent them.
The post 16 Ways to Get Deindexed by Google by @MaddyOsman appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here are actionable strategies on how to leverage Facebook Messenger using chatbots.
The post Why You Should Use Chatbots for Facebook Messenger Marketing by @brentcsutoras appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Marketers know that quality content and smart SEO are essential for driving toward their marketing goals, but that doesn’t mean success is easy to come by. With 53% of B2B marketers reporting their content marketing is only moderately successful, and another 23% reporting it as not at all or minimally successful, it appears that the majority of B2B marketers are struggling to see noteworthy results. So, how can marketers improve their content marketing and achieve success? The answer is in the data. More specifically, it’s in the insights you can glean from your data, especially SEO-related data. Every marketer has access to this data. And it’s time to take that data, analyze it, and use it to inform your content strategy to create customized, relevant, and insightful content that is more valuable to your target audience. But knowing where to start on your data-informed and insight-driven content marketing journey isn’t always clear. To start creating more insight-driven content, search data can offer a gold mine of insights. Below we offer six SEO insights you can use to drive your strategy and results.
The post How to Inform Your Content Strategy Using SEO Insights appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Good, reliable web hosting matters. Here are the five key features that define an SEO-friendly hosting company.
The post SEO-Friendly Hosting: 5 Things to Look For in a Hosting Company by @amelioratethis appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Measuring your SEO performance is essential. Find out which metrics you should be tracking to understand what's working.
The post 4 Key Areas You Should Measure for SEO by @jennyhalasz appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Six takeaways about PDF files in a mobile first Internet. Considered obsolete by some Internet marketers, others offer reasons why it's still useful.
The post Is PDF Obsolete for the Mobile First Internet? by @martinibuster appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
PRESS START.
These two words, which routinely appear on the title screens of video games, present both a prompt and a promise. You won’t advance until completing this simple command, but once you do, a world of adventure awaits.
You can “press start” on a brand new CMWorld experience by scrolling down and clicking into our Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing. Prepare to explore new stages and levels with a host of top players in the content marketing game as we unlock the secrets to success in 2018 and beyond.
When the going gets tough, gamers can navigate to the options menu and turn down the difficulty level. How convenient!
Marketers, of course, don’t have that luxury, which is unfortunate because right now we face steeper challenges than ever in a crowded and rapidly changing environment.
Consider these statistics, from the 2018 B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report (the B2B version includes largely similar numbers):
Needless to say, there is no shortage of pitfalls along the way to reaching our goals. That’s why we enlisted some of the field’s foremost leaders and experts to help provide guidance. You’ll find plenty in our new guide, which features exclusive tips and tricks from a diverse range of perspectives.
With the help of this guide, you’ll learn how to craft a content strategy that fits together like Tetris blocks falling perfectly into place. You’ll rattle through your objectives like Pac-Man gobbling dots. And your reach will grow like Mario with a mushroom power-up.
Thank you to all of our experts for sharing their top tips for helping marketers win the content marketing game. Inside, you’ll gain insights from marketers including:
Robert Rose, Nichole Kelly, Tim Washer, Ellie Mirman, Peter Krmpotic, Tamsen Webster, Amanda Todorovich, Courtney Cox, Eli Schwartz, Jay Acunzo, Carla Johnson, Heather Pemberton Levy, Zari Venhaus, Andy Crestodina, Ann Handley, Melanie Deziel, J.P. Medved, Mitch Joel, Michelle Park Lazette, Pam Didner, Dave Charest, Ian Cleary, Lee Odden, Vishal Khanna, Juntae DeLane, Doug Kessler, Joe Pulizzi, Justin Levy, Heidi Cohen, Christopher Penn, Mathew Sweezey, Michael Brenner, Michael Pratt, Ron Tite and Matt Heinz.
Let’s have some fun. Press start and enjoy:
Have a favorite content marketing game tip from one of our talented speakers? Below are a sample of what you’ll find inside the guide. Feel free to share any of these insights to get individuals within your network in the game!
Flip your strategy from being the on-demand creator of content to the proactive editorial strategist. @Robert_Rose
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Understand where the white space exists in your industry to create content that stands out in an otherwise crowded content marketing landscape. @ellieeille
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Think about ways to expose data in the content marketing process, so that the data can be acted on. @peterkrmpotic
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Sophisticated content planning requires historical analysis, an understanding of what’s changed and currently happening around your audience. @amandatodo
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Marketing needs to slow down and think about substance and context. @annhandley
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Give yourself permission to really focus on building great, helpful, informative, authoritative content first. It's much easier to monetize it later. @rizzlejpizzle
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The content creation / promotion imbalance is a big problem for marketers trying to win the content marketing game. @leeodden
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Content distribution for distribution’s sake is a waste of time. @joepulizzi
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Look past engagement metrics, to really dig into if the content is moving people towards the next stage in the buying cycle. @msweezey
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If you’re ready to find out what awaits at the 2018 Content Marketing World conference, click here to check out the agenda.
You can also keep up on the all the latest developments by tracking the #CMWorld hashtag and following CMI on Twitter.
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2018. | Press Start and Get in the Game with the Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing | http://www.toprankblog.com
The post Press Start and Get in the Game with the Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Pardon me for telling the same old story once again ... Storytelling is a fundamental staple of content marketing. This isn’t news. It has become a central talking point throughout the business world, and one we’ve discussed quite frequently here on the TopRank Marketing Blog. Compelling narrative is impactful for fairly obvious reasons: it captivates a reader, keeps them engaged, and tends to leave a lasting impression. The psychological power of storytelling has endured from ancient times, and outweighs any new technology or tactic that comes along. But one of the less-discussed benefits of storytelling might be among the most important in today’s context: it builds trust with your customers and prospects. Today, we’ll examine how this dynamic works and why every marketer should be on board.
“Four score and seven years ago…” With these six words, Abraham Lincoln launched the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history. He set up a persuasive argument in favor of human equality by calling to mind the nation’s origins, and the principles that formed its foundation. Last year at Quartz, Dacher Keltner wrote about how good leaders tell stories that make people trust them with power, citing Lincoln as a prime example. Keltner suggested that the 16th president’s “ability to shape moving narratives about the Civil War and the organizing principles of the United States was … crucial to navigating the fractious politics of his presidency.” Modern marketers are not tasked with bridging a divided country, but we do face an uphill battle in this crowded, fractured digital setting. And with trust toward media, organizations and institutions diminishing, stories present an underrated vehicle for fostering connections and establishing credibility. Lisa Saffran, who teaches Storytelling in Public Health at the University of Missouri, explains that storytelling injects an element of humanity, which might be particularly helpful for B2B companies:
“Human beings are primed to tell stories but also to listen for the person behind a story being told. Storytelling, whether it’s reporting the news or writing a memoir, involves the active selection and ordering of some information and the omission of other information. Principles of selection inform what questions we ask and which answers we might receive. This directing, ordering and selecting reflects a human consciousness at work, a person with beliefs, assumptions and suspicions.”Everywhere you look, the tactic is becoming more ingrained. [bctt tweet="With trust toward media, organizations and institutions diminishing, stories present an underrated vehicle for fostering connections and establishing credibility. - NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]
“Our brains are insanely greedy for stories. We spend about a third of our lives daydreaming–our minds are constantly looking for distractions — and the only time we stop flitting from daydream to daydream is when we have a good story in front of us.”We can satiate this appetite by putting a good story in front of the people we want to reach. But it’s not that simple. When it comes to building influence through storytelling, there are a few considerations worth keeping front-and-center. [bctt tweet="Tying multiple pieces of info together in a coherent, chronological, & relatable way makes the message far more affecting. The content suddenly becomes experiential instead of merely educational. - @NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]
“A great story is true. Not true because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. Consumers are too good at sniffing out inconsistencies for a marketer to get away with a story that’s just slapped on.”[bctt tweet="A great story is true. Not true because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. - @ThisIsSethsBlog #ContentMarketing #Storytelling " username="toprank"]
The post Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Here are 12 things you should take into consideration when choosing your domain name.
The post How to Choose a Domain Name That Will Stand the Test of Time by @Web_Vibes appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here are 11 ideas to help you create content that is useful, engaging, relevant, and link-worthy.
The post Want Links? Here’s How to Create Link-Worthy Content by @annaleacrowe appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here's why you should care about branding, support branding efforts, and understand their objectives.
The post Why SEO Pros Should Care About Branding by @tonynwright appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Social Media Marketing Update: Preferred Platforms and Content Types in 2018
A multitude of the latest trends in social media marketing have been detailed in a new report from Social Media Examiner, revealing that Instagram has surpassed a declining Twitter in overall popularity, while B2B marketers continue to prefer LinkedIn. MarketingCharts
Study: Millennial travelers’ Instagram use has grown 375% since 2013
U.S. millennial travelers have turned to Instagram 375 percent more than they did in 2013, according to new research on social media usage among travelers, while Google stayed the top overall travel site. Marketing Dive
Facebook Releases Latest ‘Topics to Watch’ Report, Highlighting Key Trends
U.S. marketers now have access to Facebook’s latest list of topics to watch, as the social media giant released its “Topics to Watch” list for April, 2018, including the fastest-growing conversation topics on the platform. Social Media Today
A leaked look at Facebook’s search engine for influencer marketing
A glimpse inside Facebook’s possible future influencer marketing search engine plans has been published, including a branded content marketing tool. TechCrunch
The Best Days and Times to Post on Social Media [Infographic]
The most successful times and days for posting social media content have been examined in new study data from Unmetric, showing differing posting sweet spots for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. MarketingProfs
Instagram Officially Launches Ability to Re-Share User Posts in Stories
All Instagram accounts have been given the ability to re-share public user posts to Instagram Stories, with a new “Create a story with this post” feature, the company recently announced. Social Media Today
2018: The year of influencer marketing for B2B brands
B2B influencer marketing has come into its own so far in 2018, and is expected to play significantly in predicted total brand spending of $101 billion by 2020, which Michael Brito explores. Marketing Land
What Blockchain Could Mean for Marketing
Digital marketers could benefit from learning how blockchain technology is making waves in the marketing world, and Harvard Business Review has examined the expected forthcoming data-driven boom. Harvard Business Review
Facebook updates Ads Reporting & introduces new ‘creative reporting’
Facebook has introduced expanded ad and creative reporting options, rolling out to all advertisers over the next month. Marketing Land
Adobe Buys Magento for $1.68 Billion to Target E-Commerce
Adobe has agreed to purchase Magento in a $1.68 billion deal aimed at boosting Adobe’s e-commerce market share, the firm announced Monday. Bloomberg
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:
A lighthearted look at being agile, by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist
Try Not to Laugh: 7 Hilarious Ways to Use Humor in Your Emails — Sleeknote
MoonPie’s Social Media Strategy Has a Secret Ingredient: Character — Skyword
TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:
Please join us once again next week, when we’ll have a new array of the latest digital marketing news, and in the meantime you can follow us at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news. Also, don’t miss the full video summary on our TopRank Marketing TV YouTube Channel.
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2018. | Digital Marketing News: Preferred Platform Study, B2B Influencers & Blockchain For Marketers, & Travelers Turn To Instagram | http://www.toprankblog.com
The post Digital Marketing News: Preferred Platform Study, B2B Influencers & Blockchain For Marketers, & Travelers Turn To Instagram appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Read an easy to understand summary of four important research papers about CTR and rankings.
The post Four Research Papers About CTR and Ranking by @martinibuster appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Google AdWords introduced parallel tracking earlier this year, and all accounts will be required to use it starting October 30th.
The post Google AdWords Requires All Accounts to Use Parallel Tracking, As of October 2018 by @MattGSouthern appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
You need to get these 11 important parts of SEO right to win clients, conversions, and sales.
The post The 11 Most Important Parts of SEO You Need to Get Right by @BrianHarnish appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here are the most common types of terrible content that manage to rank well on Page 1 of the SERPs.
The post 5 Examples of Terrible Content That Ranks Remarkably Well by @alextachalova appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Discover an effective SEO framework that you can employ to generate high-quality B2B leads.
The post How to Use B2B SEO to Generate High-Quality Leads by @alexanderkesler appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here are 10 common misunderstandings about Google and SEO and why they’re wrong.
The post 10 Facts You Think You Know About SEO That Are Actually Myths by @sam_marsden appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here are 15 mistakes commonly made by new ecommerce sites that you need to avoid.
The post 15 Mistakes New Ecommerce Sites Make All Too Often by @Manish_Analyst appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here are the things you need to consider when choosing a TLD for international SEO.
The post Top-Level Domain & Other Restrictions for International SEO by @motokohunt appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Influencer marketing is booming with B2B and B2C brands big and small dipping their toes in the water. And it’s certainly not hard to see why. From declining consumer trust to content overload to near-dead organic reach on social channels, working with influencers enables brands to build credibility, authority with existing and new audiences, as well as connect with thoughtful industry experts.
And, of course, partnering with influencers can help drive marketing results. In fact, according to a Linqia survey, 94% of marketers who use influencer marketing find it an effective practice that can generate up to 11-times the ROI of traditional advertising.
But in order to keep your influencer partners interested, as well as drive results, thoughtful engagement is paramount. It’s all about building relationships — which is an art form, and an area where your sales team can be incredibly helpful. And I should know. I’m a recovering salesperson who’s now embedded in the influencer marketing world.
Below I share seven sales-industry strategies and ideas that can be used to boost and inspire your influencer relations activities.
Any successful salesperson will tell you that sales is really about making friends. And you can’t make friends if you don’t know who you’re contacting.
Sales teams are often well-versed in scouring and researching on LinkedIn and other online tools, looking for clues, connections and topics to discuss with their prospects or existing customers.
When it comes to researching influencers you’d like to work with, that research and understanding is not only important to learn if they’re a good fit for your brand, but also the kind of topics they’re talking about, the people they follow and engage with, and even their personality. And all this can inform how you should with them before, during, and after the first time your work together.
I know salespeople who have a big Excel spreadsheet they use to keep track of their prospects and contacts. But as their list grows, managing contacts and relationships becomes cumbersome and inefficient. That’s why most sales teams use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to keep track of who their prospects and customers are, track their interactions and measure the likelihood the prospect will close.
The same best practice should be applied to influencer relations and marketing. You need a tool or a set of tools to keep track of prospective and current influencer contacts. This will not only help you be efficient (and preserve your sanity), but also help you properly nurture the relationship through informed communication. Some of these helpful tools include Onalytica and Traackr.
My advice, don’t go it alone. Use a tool.
Nobody likes to be cold called. Eighty percent of decision makers won’t buy from a cold call and only 2% actually result in a meeting being scheduled. So, when I discovered social selling, I jumped in with both feet. I’d get to know my prospects on social media. Then, when I decided to reach out to them, they already knew me. It wasn’t a cold call, anymore.
Getting to know your influencers works the same way. As touched on above, through social media, you can understand what they like to share, start to build a connection, and then interact with them before you make an ask.
You can look at this as smart influencer engagement. TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden calls this the “Confluence Romance,” a framework for making and maintaining influencer relationships.
“Organic influencer engagement is all about warming the relationship,” he says. “And there’s no more efficient or effective way to do that than showing interest and care through social channels.”
Organic #InfluencerEngagement is all about warming the relationship & there's no more efficient or effective way to do that than showing interest & care through social channels. - @leeodden
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Did you know you can see a smile through the phone? It comes out in they way you write, too. I learned this in a sales class, and I’ve tested it. It really makes a difference if you smile through your interactions. People will be more likely to want to interact with you.
When it comes to your interactions with influencers, aim to delight people and show them you genuinely care by:
And, don’t forget. Let your smile come through in all your interactions.
More than ever, consumers and buyers want a personalized touch during their interactions with brands and salespeople — especially when it comes to email marketing, something that HubSpot spotlights in its article 18 Habits of Incredibly Successful Salespeople.
Just as forward-thinking salespeople work to create a personalized experience for their customers and buyers, marketers should do the same when reaching out to influencers.
It’s easy to send the same message to everyone you’re hoping to work with on a curated piece, larger asset, or ongoing campaign. But, a little personalization goes a long way. Consider mentioning a tweet or blog post you found interesting, or a previous conversation to show that you are not a bot.
And, there are tools to help. You might consider a tool like Crystal Knows, which will help you understand the personality of your influencer prospect.
Influencers expect and deserve a personal ask, so make the effort.
Influencers expect & deserve a personal ask, so make the effort. - @dfriez #InfluencerRelations #InfluencerMarketing
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Salespeople are taught to find the best time to ask for “the close.” It may be a presumptive close, but the overall idea is to lead prospects to the outcome that includes “money being exchanged.”
Here’s where you want to stop me and say: “I’m a marketer. I’m not selling anything.”
Marketers, you’re selling your brand, the relationship, and the idea that working together will be mutually beneficial. You’re also trying to entice influencers take an action on a range of “offerings,” such as sharing a quote for an eBook or sharing something on social. You need to lead that influencer to an outcome that helps achieve your overall goal of solving a problem.
How do you shape the close for an influencer? As I’ve mentioned a few times, look to create a mutually beneficial relationship. Consider the influencer may want to promote their book, spotlight their thought leadership or help the greater community. So, frame the close in a way that speaks to what they’ll get out of it.
The hardest lesson a salesperson can learn is to accept “no” for answer. It’s a really hard lesson. After a “no,” the best think you can do is to access the sale process, and learn how you can do better the next time.
Sometimes, influencers say “no,” too. You ask them to attend an event, but they may have a prior commitment. Or, maybe they don’t feel like the subject matter matches their expertise.
When they say “no”, be gracious and ask follow-up questions to gain insight into why they made their decision. You might learn they have availability in two weeks, so your timing was just off. It is important to always be looking for the “next sale.” It is all a part of the process.
At the end of the day, sales teams aren’t looking to close one-off deals. They’re looking to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with their customers.
Marketers need to strive to do the same with influencers. It takes time and dedication, but it’s worth it for both you and your influencers.
So, consider taking a cue from the land of sales to help you create a great relationships utilizing research, personalization, tools, social media, and a great attitude. You might find you’re getting fewer nos.
Are you ready to go make some positive influencer interactions? You don’t need to go it alone. If you want help with an influencer marketing campaign, contact TopRank Marketing.
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2018. | Building Better Influencer Relationships: 7 Cues Marketers Can Take from Sales | http://www.toprankblog.com
The post Building Better Influencer Relationships: 7 Cues Marketers Can Take from Sales appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Adobe Systems Inc has agreed to acquire e-commerce services provider Magento Commerce for $1.68 billion in cash.
The post Adobe Acquires Magento Commerce for $1.68 Billion in Cash by @MattGSouthern appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Here are 10 awesome WordPress SEO plugins that will help you quickly optimize your site.
The post 10 Awesome WordPress SEO Plugins to Optimize Your Site by @jonleeclark appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
