Author: Derek Miller

Content has quickly become one of the most popular marketing tools for companies to invest in. An effective content strategy can generate better search rankings, higher traffic and onsite engagement and ultimately, more sales.

The main issue now, is that many companies are throwing money into content without proper research, a clear strategy and measurable expectations. So how can you use content to generate more sales? These four tips will help you get on the right track.

Before we start looking at how to use content to increase sales, we need to understand the landscape of sales in today’s society. Sales professional, Dr. Shane Smith says:

“There is a focus now more on the customer and their needs as opposed to the old style of trying to sell everything to everyone. This new thinking encourages the company to learn what the customer wants/needs first and then produce and deliver it to them.”

Essentially, we have moved from a brand-centric sales environment to a customer-centric one, that requires clear understanding of customer needs. This is a critical first step. Before you can ever begin a content strategy, you need to first collect information from your customers. Here are four questions that you should consider before moving on to developing your content strategy. Keep in mind, the more research you invest on the front-end, the better chance your strategy has at succeeding.

 

Read More at entrepreneur.com

Author: spoonagency.com

Thirty percent of US marketing professionals who use content marketing consider it ineffective. That’s a frightening figure. At the same time it is easy to identify – and repair – the errors they are making.

Those who have flicked through the Content Marketing Institute’s latest report, “B2B Content Marketing: 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends – North America”, have reason to be worried. Some of the figures presented there are troubling. Among other points, 30 per cent of the surveyed marketers said that their investment in content marketing is not effective. This would be possible to take as proof that content marketing is not working. Yet if you read a little more closely, you understand that is not the case.

How to succeed with Content Marketing

In the 2014 report by the Content Marketing Institute, 38 per cent of respondents said that they were effective in their work with Content Marketing. The figure this year has fallen to 30 per cent. This year’s report clearly shows why this is so. Who is it that considers their work to be ineffective, and what errors are they making? The report presents several areas where successful marketers differ dramatically from those who fail. Here are three points that make you more effective.

 

Read More at spoonagency.com

Author: Justin Wise

Are you looking for creative ways to spread the word about your Facebook page?

Your fan page can be one of your organization’s richest sources of interaction, R&D; and lead generation. The only problem is making people aware of it!

Unless you have a built-in audience like big-boy brands Coke or Red Bull, you’ll need to educate your fan base on how to find you on Facebook.

To help you out, I’ve put together a list of 20 different ways to promote your Facebook page. Even if you only put a few of these ideas into action, you’ll start seeing growth and increased conversation on your fan page.

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

#1: Put your fan page URL in your email signature

How many emails do you send per day? Now imagine each email you send is a chance for someone new to find out about your awesome fan page!

This URL goes out on every email I send! Talk about free publicity!

#2: Write a blog post about your new fan page

Give your readers five compelling reasons why they should join your fan page. Don’t beg; just give reasons they’ll benefit.

 

Read More at socialmediaexaminer.com

Author: Ashley Taylor Anderson On Google Plus

When you think about your favorite brands, what comes to mind? An image? A person? A story?

The most powerful brands ingrain themselves into our lives with great content. Historically, this content has been limited to ads and commercials. Today, brands are creating content for a variety of channels, showing different facets of their personality with articles, videos, music, and microsites.

There are hundreds of brands with excellent content marketing programs. However, that’s not very helpful if you’re trying to find specific brands to rely on for inspiration and guidance.

In this article, we’ll take a look at content marketing examples from 10 top brands and dive into what’s so great about each one. By the time we’re done, you should have some ideas and inspiration to take away and use in your own content marketing program.

Coca-Cola has long been a frontrunner when it comes to brand content creation. In recent years, they’re really upped the ante with their online magazine, Coca-Cola Journey.

A few specific things that I love about their content marketing approach:

 

Read More at business2community.com

Author: firstround.com

Most new tech companies simply would not work without consumer trust. People wouldn’t get into an Uber, list their home on Airbnb, or even buy shoes on Zappos if they didn’t trust those companies to deliver a high quality, secure service. UrbanSitter sets the bar even higher: It connects families with babysitters on the Internet. There are few things that require more faith.

“In many ways, we’re tackling the service that requires the most trust in someone’s life,” says UrbanSitter CEO Lynn Perkins. “If companies can replicate what we’ve done in other sectors, they’ll knock it out of the park.”

So how did UrbanSitter pull this off? How did they build a product that convinces parents that strangers can safely watch their children? Perkins has become an expert in this area, pointing to a combination of product features, logistics, and customer service efforts that have allowed them to become a reliable solution for hundreds of thousands of households nationwide. In this exclusive interview, she shares how UrbanSitter has approached trust-building and how other companies can do the same to grow fast.

 

Read More at firstround.com