Creative Marketing Channel

SEO for PA, MD and beyond.

Sharks circle when food is nearby and small businesses who vaguely grasp SEO are good food.  Perhaps your business has received a call like this, “Hi this is James Walker, data service provider for Google, Yahoo, and Bing.  Hey listen wanted to give you guys a call, we’ve got a really good opportunity there in your marketplace, uh, we’ve got openings on the first page of the search engines specifically for your your industry, um so when you get in, give me a call … Essentially what this does is that anybody in your area that’s looking for the products or services that you offer, uh, it’s guaranteed your your website, your business  will come up on the first page of the search engines, um, so call me when you get it, huge huge opportunity…”

SEO is optimizing digital assets (website, blog, videos etc…) for search.

SEO definitely offers your businesses a “huge, huge opportunity.” At least that much is true about the cold call script above.  Fact is, more than any other marketing strategy, SEO has the greatest impact on lead generation. Therefore; small business owner, you’re on track when you say you need SEO.

What’s the worry?  SEO is SEO right?

Not all SEO is good SEO. I love this statement from Hubspot’s Corey Eridon’s  7 Sure-Fire Signs Your SEO Sucks,  “There are lots of things from the 90s that are still quite magical … alternative music, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, boy band choreography. 90s SEO is not on that list. That means if you are trying to reach an arbitrary keyword density percentage, creating keyword dense doorway pages that redirect to another destination, freaking out over your meta keywords and keyword stuffing your meta description field, or engaging in link buying, link farming, or link exchanges, your SEO is way out of date. Not only will these black hat tactics not help your SEO, but they will also fiercely harm it. Google Panda has made sure of that.”

How to protect your business from the 90′s SEO specialist.

Here is your armor. The only SEO that offers a huge, huge opportunity is the written word.  Those paragraphs on your website – they matter a whole lot. A real SEO specialist is a content marketer who will optimize your website (and other digital assets) based on your business goals and research findings.  She/he will create useful, compelling, optimized content around longtail keyword phrases. We’re talking about pages of the written word both visitors and search engines  read.  Optimized content will answer visitor queries, draw the reader in, and inspire comments and social sharing.  For deeper understanding read “Your Content Marketing Core Matters”  which details how to optimize a website.  Small business takeaway – SEO  is about content.

2012 SEO is Content Marketing.

Google continues to weed out  B.S. on the web by penalizing all of the black hat tactics listed above as well as weak content, redundant content, copied content, poor visitor engagement, shoddy backlinks and too many ads on a website.  Google rewards websites and other digital assets for fresh, relevant content that answers visitor queries,  encourages visitor engagement and inspires visitor actions – especially social sharing on Google+.

Call or email the Creative Marketing Channel

Improve your Google rank, deepen visitor experiences, and increase brand awareness, leads, and conversions through proven SEO strategies – call or email us at 717-586-8386 or cl@oz2designs.com.   Connect with us on YouTube, Linkedin, Twitter, Google+and Facebook.  The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC – a small, flexible, full service digital marketing agency.

Learn more about SEO here:

Your Content Marketing Core Matters

Six Content Marketing Myths – Digital Marketing Wisdom for Businesses

6 SEO Ripoff Dead GiveAways: Don’t let that Marketer Make a Clown out of You

Corporate Content Marketing for Best in Class Results

Content Marketing: What it is and Why it Works

Best in class companies utilize content marketing for brand awareness, customer acquisition, lead generation, and customer retention. It’s no surprise more than 60% of ALL companies plan to substantially increase their content marketing efforts in 2012.  Why is content marketing so popular? What content marketing tactics do best in class companies employ? Here, in part six of my six part content marketing series, I answer these questions and more.

Why is corporate content marketing so popular?  Great content ranks well in search and a good search ranking leads to more traffic, leads, and conversions. Google’s Panda update in 2011 changed SEO forever declaring content the primary force responsible for best rankings.

What kind of corporate content does Google like best? According to Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz, Google rewards interesting, unique content because this type of content fosters visitor happiness. Yes, Google actually looks at visitor happiness now. Is your content engaging? Do visitors spend time reading it? Does your content answer visitor queries? Does it motivate visitors to perform an action? Does it inspire them to return to your site (your content core)? If you answered yes to these questions then Google is already giving your content and your search rank a big thumbs up. “Think more broadly about on page optimization – not just keywords,” explains Fishkin. Compelling images and creative content encourages a deeper experience for your visitors. (From Advanced On-Page Optimization – Whiteboard Friday by SEOmoz). Big takeaway: More relevant, unique and interesting content directly correlates with higher rankings and a deeper visitor experiences.

How do best in class companies create all of their great content? Producing enough engaging content continues to challenge most companies to some degree. One way they meet this challenge is outsource their content marketing to businesses like mine. Take a look at the percentage of companies who outsourced content marketing in 2010 and 2011:

(Data from MarketingProfs B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends).  Since 60% of all companies intend to increase their content marketing in 2012, I predict outsourcing percentages will grow as well.

What content marketing tactics do best in class companies employ? According to the MarketingProfs /The Content Marketing Institute’s report ” B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks report, Budgets & Trends,”  best in class companies share 7 content marketing practices:
1. They invest 31% of their marketing budget into content marketing.
2. They segment their content based on the buying cycle.
3. Content marketing is C-Suite supported.
4. They plan to increase their content marketing over the next 12 months.
5. They use at least nine content marketing tactics.
6. They outpace less effective companies adopting blogs, articles, videos, eBooks, social media, and mobile content.
7. They have an effective distribution network using at least 3 – 4 social channels at a higher rate than their peers.

The Creative Marketing Channel specializes in optimized corporate content marketing and distribution. Improve your Google rank, deepen visitor experiences, and increase brand awareness, leads, and conversions when you hire The Creative Marketing Channel to create your company’s content.  Connect with us on YouTube, Linkedin, Twitter, Google+and Facebook. Email us at cl@2designs.com.

SEO for PA and MD and beyond. Part 5 of a 6 part content marketing series.

This week I realized I’m surrounded by a plethora of SEO marketing clowns who relentlessly call and knock on my clients’ doors. They weasel their way in, these filthy clowns, and dazzle my clients with false data and poor methodology. Yet twice in the last month, these same clowns have collected over over $8,000.00 from two of my customers, promising big results in a very short time span.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here since those of you reading my blog are equipped to make smart digital marketing decisions. But, just in case one of my crazed, high rolling local customers is reading this post, here are 6 dead giveaways you’re going to be ripped off by a marketer.

1. A door to door or phone salesman is trying to sell you internet marketing. Think about this for minute. You probably use the internet – haven’t seen this company on the internet – yet that is what this salesclown is trying to sell you. Internet visibility from a company with an invisible internet presence. Hmmm.

2. They’re going to give you a “bigger listing” and a video on THEIR platform and then drive traffic to your listing all for a contract and a thousand dollars a month. They may even throw in some PPC ads. Heads up everyone. Why on earth would you want to drive traffic to any place but your website? As renowned digital marketing blogger Adam Singer says, you must be your own media company. When you put money into pushing leads onto someone else’s platform then you are depriving yourself of the long term, permanent benefits of a solid SEO/content marketing strategy.

3. Their online reviews are awful and bloggers have taken the time to write about their unethical business practices. Take Yellowbook for example. A quick search and it’s easy to see to find all kinds of negative reviews, complaints, and videos. Yet, Yellowbook is the salesclown who sold one of my clients – that’s right – first by phone and then person to person. And, the greatest irony of all is they found my client after I backlinked them to this online phone book. Ouch! Bet you can guess where I’ll never be backlinking again.

4. They have a horrible website grade. I’m a big fan of grader.com – a free tool which looks at your site’s basic SEO and makes SEO recommendations. Bottom line is anyone who claims to be competent in SEO should have an A grade. Yet, a local “SEO specialist” who bamboozled my second client has an F. Here’s a copy of his report (I crossed out his name…this time.)

5. They don’t blog regularly.  This first hit me when I read “7 Signs You Shouldn’t Hire *That* SEO Agency.”    Since content marketing is SEO then an empty blog or no blog indicates lack of knowledge about the industry. If they aren’t doing what they need to do for their own company, it’s not realistic to think they will work miracles for you.

6. They think SEO, content creation, web design, and social media marketing are separate entities and are to be created separately.  None of these are created in silos anymore. This is yet another reason a qualified digital marketing company is a far better choice than a partitioned “specialist.”  Search engines  look for everything from solid architecture and quick download speed to metadata and unique content. What do the search engines value? Take a look at my new company video and find out.

My company won’t call you repeatedly or knock on your door to bedazzle you with false data and pushy marketing.   Yes, it’s a lot less interesting to learn your business needs to consistently add original, optimized content to your blog and website in order to grow your digital footprint. Nevertheless, this is a necessary part of every smart digital marketing plan.  Results will not be instantaneous but they will definitely be long-lasting and cumulative.  You can easily find my company on Google’s first page of organic listings – the same place you want to be found. Simply type in “PA digital marketing” or “MD digital marketing” and there we are.

The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC, Pennsylvania and Maryland’s first choice for 3D animation, SEO, SEM,  website design, social media, content marketing, print design, email marketing, and all things interactive and digital.  Inquire about hiring us here. Connect with us on YouTube, Linkedin, Twitter, Google+and Facebook. Email us at cl@2designs.com and stay tuned for part 6 of this 6 part content marketing series.

Content Marketing for Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Camp Hill, PA and beyond – Part III of a Six Part Series.

The biggest trade show in the world is happening right now and it’s hard to miss those businesses participating.  That’s because the show is online and active participants know how to show up on search.  Read the rest of this entry »

Content Marketing for Baltimore, Maryland and beyond – Part II of a Six Part Series
Businesses around the globe know content marketing brings traffic, leads, and conversions. From social media to webinars there are a multitude of content marketing assets. Yet, each and every content marketing strategy must begin – and end – with your website. When constructed using a solid content marketing strategy most websites make a a bold appearance in organic search.  Below I share what constitutes an effective content marketing core.

Creation of a Fierce Digital Contender
Google looks for relevant, original, optimized content and solid website construction which is why search engine friendly websites feature smart content marketing. Here, I’ll briefly share how my company creates a fierce digital contender.  First, (after we qualify a client) we learn all we can about his/her business and business goals. Our Objective: Create a a drilled down list of categories with future expansion in mind.  We create our list through a demographic and keyword evaluation process.  This means we ask A LOT of questions, review a lot of materials and do research.  After our list is approved, we move to the construction, design, and content creation phases.  The end result: A stunning website complete with a solid content marketing strategy for maximum ROI.

A Solid Content Marketing Core Example
Janney Painting Inc., an East Coast commercial and industrial painting company in Manchester, Maryland hired my company to create their new website. Take a look at it:

Rather than the traditional “Contact Us” and “Services” buttons you see something far more detailed and specific.

Search Results Tell a Story

Now, take a look at their organic Google search results – keep in mind their new site was loaded to the internet September 7th 2011.

More noted Google search results:

Quarry Painting Company #8
Asphalt Plant Painting – #7
Grain Elevator Painting Contractor #5

A Strong Core for Long Term ROI
The results my company achieved for Janney Painting Inc. in less than two months are impressive. Janney Industrial Painting’s ROI to date is an astounding 524%.   My company recently created their brand new blog and their first article. Over time, Janney Painting Inc.’s organic rank for a multitude of relevant keywords and phrases will continually increase inspiring even more traffic, leads, and conversions.   As a marketing tactic, SEO’s ROI for both products and services is an astounding 68% or higher. To survive and thrive in today’s digital world, every B2B and B2C business needs a strong content marketing core.

About The Creative Marketing Channel
Do potential customers find your website on search? If not then your business needs a strong content marketing strategy from a qualified digital marketing agency.  The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC, Pennsylvania and Maryland’s first choice for SEO,  SEM, animation, website design, content marketing, print design, email marketing, and all things interactive and digital. Inquire about hiring us here.   Connect with us on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook. Email us at cl@oz2designs.com and stay tuned for Part 3 of this 6 part content marketing series.

Content Marketing for PA and MD businesses – Part I of a Six Part Series.

A marketing and PR phenomenon has exploded online and its name is content marketing. Businesses of all sizes know content marketing brings active participants more traffic, leads, and conversions.  Data shows the more content you have, whether it be website pages, blog articles, or landing pages, the better your results. Read the rest of this entry »

The best diplomat I know is a fully-loaded phaser bank – Montgomery “Scotty” Scott
A fully loaded digital marketing plan is a great diplomat too.  So great, actually, that nearly 75% of all businesses are increasing their digital marketing over the next 12 months, according to Adobe Systems (from Mediapost Research Brief, “Digital Marketing Planning”). Their goal – to enhance the customer’s experience. Optimizing websites using analytics data is this year’s most deployed tactic. This optimization comes in the form of geo-targeted site content, content marketing, blogging, and rich media.   Top predicted investments for 2011 include 3D visualization, multi-media product viewing and interactive experiences.  In addition, businesses crave creative design and branded social community pages.  Both Spock and Kirk would be proud.  Why? Because real digital marketing requires strategy, analysis, and creativity.

All she’s got isn’t good enough! - James T. Kirk
If you believe your digital marketing agency isn’t good enough, you’re not alone. The sorry truth is, “only 44% of marketers are truly happy with their primary agency…” and there are two chief reasons why: The agency isn’t creative and/or the agency isn’t strategic (from Mediapost Research Brief, “Primary Agencies in Jeopardy if Reviewed”). Many agencies lack both. Google’s Panda update (or algorithm change) was a big wake up call to businesses who now see anemic, unoriginal content and boilerplate design for what it is – ineffective.   Today, businesses require their agency to be a “strategic partner who can help their business versus just an ‘idea shop.’”

You know, back home we have a saying: “If you wanna ride in the Kentucky Derby, you don’t leave your prized stallion in the stable. - Leonard “Bones”  McCoy
And your prized stallion is your media channel. Businesses no longer need to purchase expensive time and space on someone else’s channel. Instead, your business is media. Your website, mobile website, and blog are your marketing hub from which your agency shares all of your drilled down updates, videos, posts, whitepapers, webinars, enewsletters, coupons, mobile apps, etc. via branded social media.  If you haven’t become media yourself or have yet to fully leverage your media channels then you’re leaving your prized stallion in the stable.

Boldly go so your business can live long and prosper.
This is your voyage – your mission.  We are in the midst of a digital renaissance filled with new life and new civilizations.  Find a digital marketing agency with both Kirk and Spock in command and you too can break through the noise with relevant, amazing content and design. It’s no longer about perfection – it’s about experimentation.   A real digital marketing agency isn’t afraid to try numerous approaches, styles or tools.   Look for an agency that is flexible, strategic, and creative.  Businesses who do their due diligence experience the amazing ROI only digital marketing can give.

About The Creative Marketing Channel
The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC – a small, flexible, full service digital marketing agency.  Providing a broad range of interactive marketing services to U.S. businesses, oz 2 designs LLC is known for custom website and blog design, mobile website design, and compelling content (or social media) marketing. oz 2 designs LLC is pleased to feature an award winning animator known for excellence in 3D modeling, visualization, and animation as well as a nationally published content marketer.  To contact us email cl@oz2designs.com.

Data proves blogging is one of the most effective ways to grow your business. But what about those businesses who don’t intend to blog. What is their digital marketing solution?

The answer
Digital marketing success is still possible for non-blogging businesses. The answer: View your website through a new lens.  The internet’s ever changing landscape craves new information and search engines reward compelling, useful content. Did you know there are over 10.5 billion searches a month? For outstanding results, transform your website from a static online brochure into your very own dynamic information hub.  Here is how my company helps clients increase traffic, publicity, and conversions.

Start with analytics
Your website’s anayltics tell a story. They tell you which pages are most popular, which keywords your customers use to search for you, the number of unique visitors to your website and so much more. Evaluate your analytics to learn what your website visitors want from you.  Then, move forward and create new website content.

How to create new website content
Did you know the search engines treat each web page like an individual website? Search engines look for proper construction, relevant keyword use, title and description tags, alt tags, H1 and H2 tags and useful, relevant content. They also look for relevant and authoritative backlinks.

My company does a lot of website update work.  We start the process with a thorough evaluation of our client’s analytics and current site construction. Next, we interview our client. Here are just a few questions we ask before creating new web pages:

• What is your specialty?
• What is it people ask you about your industry?
• What makes your business or product unique?
• What stories can you tell about your business or product?
• What stories have your customers shared with you about your business or product?

Next, we brainstorm with our client and drill down from general product and service categories to specific phrases or subcategories. We choose one subcategory or phrase to write about and do keyword research. Then, we come up with an angle or an interesting way to present the new content.  Last, we write, design, and load up the new web page.  Each new properly constructed and well written website page is a search engine magnet resulting in more visibility and clicks.

Transform your brochure style website into a dynamic information hub.
As your website becomes a resource, a wealth of useful information to potential customers, you’ll see more visits and more business.   The monthly cost to add a couple new pages to your site every month costs less than newspaper advertising and gives back so much more.  As a marketing tactic, SEO’s ROI for both products and services is an astounding 68% or higher.  If you would like to transform your website  into a dynamic information hub and enjoy ROI of 68%,  contact o2 designs LLC at cl@oz2designs.com.

The heart and soul of social media and the foundation for influential business marketing is blogging. Don’t have a blog yet? Then you’re missing out on your chance to leave your indelible footprint in digital space.  A blog is your company’s media channel where your brand is created, expanded upon and recreated.  Every other form of social media points to a blog post somewhere.   Here’s what you need to do to launch a blog that inspires conversations, comments, and followers: Read the rest of this entry »