Open S.E.S.M.E(Search Engine, Social Media, & Email)

3 Keys to Unlocking the Power of Content Marketing

Social Media

“Social media changes the relationship between companies and customers from

master and servant, to peer to peer.”

Pair your content with images that will sell it. Draw readers in with an unbelievably appealing photo, a colorful or humorous quote, or an explanatory image with large overlapping text. Most importantly, these captivating images must always be relevant.

Social Media: Visuals

Share content directly with highly-connected, well-liked users by tagging them in the social post, sending the content to them in a direct message, or even mentioning them in the context of the piece. Once again, as long as it’s relevant to them, they might just share it.

Social Media: Its All About Who You Know

Even if your content doesn’t cover pop-culture or jack the news, you can use trending topics in social media to market your content. If something relevant to your content and your followers is trending, use those keywords when you share your blog post on Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media: News & Trends

Content Marketing Using Search

"It is no coincidence that the increasing focus on content marketing closely follows the significant Google

algorithmic changes aiming to give users a better search experience." ~ Jim Yu, CEO, BrightEdge

How Much Should I Focus on Search?

Find out whether to focus on search as your primary mode of content marketing by doing keyword research to discover how many people are actually searching for your product:

● Google’s Keyword Planner: https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner

● SEM Rush ($70/mo)● WordTracker ($70/mo)

Search: Who’s Looking, and How?

The buzzword in content nowadays is, in fact, CONTENT.

● Shady, less-than-awesome content no longer flies.

● Instead, create targeted, intelligent pieces that provide value and enough entertainment to inspire Likes, Shares, and Visits to your home page.

Create high-quality, detailed, unique, specialized, nobody-does-it-better content!

Who is your user, anyway? Ask this “imaginary” him or her the following questions to get an idea of who to address in your articles and graphics and what that person’s interests, needs, likes and dislikes, as well as attention span, might be:

● Who am I?● Where do I live?● How old am I?● What are my interests (hobbies, favorite movies, tv shows, foods)

Get to Know Your User with Endorser Profiling

Influencers are journalists, bloggers, consultants, or industry analysts who have an influence on your customers’ choices.By identifying who your content influencers are, you can begin to develop relationships with them that will help to build the credibility of your brand. These relationships can yield creative and profitable fruit, including:● Content collaborations: Exclusive quotes in or even written

introductions to longer pieces of content.● Endorsement from industry leaders: Social media and blog mentions

all contribute to building your brand in the eyes of your target users.● Guest content contributions to your blog that raise awareness for your

brand and its relevance to your customers.

Tap the Power of Influencers

Engage your influencers:● Use relevant keywords, Twitter, LinkedIn, and PR tools like Cision and Vocus to seek out

influencers in your industry. ● Engage in small ways first: Once you have a focused group of influencers in mind, begin to

engage with simple but meaningful actions. Comment on a blog post or follow them on Twitter and reply to a tweet. Share or retweet content, with a mention. Space out your small touch points to build the relationship slowly.

● Reach out directly: After building initial contact, send a direct email explaining your services in detail and pitching a collaboration. Be sure to include what’s in it for them.

● Make the collaboration easy: If you request an introduction to your book or a piece of content for your blog, why not send your influencer a draft that they can fine-tune, rather than asking them to start from scratch? The easier it is for them, the more willing they will be to work with you in future.

● Follow up appropriately: Be sure to follow up with an email thanking your influencer and asking him or her to share the content you created together. If the piece performs well or if there are comments requiring her response, reach out and let her know.

How to Build Relationships with Influencers

Long-tail keywords are phrases that a searcher is likely to type into Google, Bing, or any search engine to obtain services like yours. Flex that psychology muscle and consider:● Questions your user might ask.● The location of your service and how a user might enter it, including

city, state, and abbreviations of each.● Your business keywords and how they fit into sentences.● The needs of a user at the “aha moment” when they realize they need

your services (when a plumbing pipe bursts or they find out they have diabetes due to excess weight).

Once you have a handful of these, work them naturally into your content.

Long-Tail Keywords

Using Email To Drive Traffic

- The most powerful aspect of email marketing is that you have a captive audience.

- Unless you are buying lists, they are already interested in what you have to offer.

Build Your List, Build Your Business

What’s a good open rate? It depends on your industry:● Manufacturing (48.1%)● Religion (48.6%)● Non-profit (46.7%)

Work (B2B) and personal passions seem to be a theme

● Supplements (26.5%)● Gambling (25.1%)● Games (21.6%)

More likely to go to spam or be perceived as spam.Open rate studies are all over the place. As you’ll see in the next study.

How to Increase Email Open Rate and Click Throughs

Write a Great Subject Line● Shorter is better (under 50 characters)● A study by MailerMailer found 4-15 character had the highest open

rate (15.2%)● Tell, don’t sell (Even being perceived as spam, people will think it is).

So avoid words like “free”

ABT (Always Be Testing)● Segment your emails to tailor content to different audiences.● Non-local companies: Use time zone segmentation● A/B test subject lines. Look for trends not just one instance.

Increase Email Open Rate and Click Throughs (Cont)

● Remember open rates refer to opening the email, click-through rate is clicking the link to your website.

● Make sure what you say in the subject line is immediately visible when they open the email.

● Include social sharing buttons. 55% higher click-through rates when using social sharing in the email message

They Open Your Email, Now What?

● It’s usually not one thing that sends you to a spam folder. It’s based on a point system, so you reach a threshold based on your score.

● GOOD NEWS! Services like MailChimp come with a spam checker to help. So you can test subject lines before you send email.

How Spam Filters Work