Creative Marketing Channel

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.

Content marketing for Philadelphia, PA and beyond – Part IV of a Six Part Series.

In the last five years video has transformed itself into a non-negotiable content marketing asset. Video viewing, now part of nearly everyone’s online behavior, is proven to directly influence online buying.   If you haven’t jumped into video yet, here are compelling reasons you should.

Millions watch billions of online videos every day.
101 million people in the U.S. are going to watch 1.3 billion videos TODAY.  “178 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content in June (2011) for an average of 16.8 hours per viewer. The total U.S. Internet audience engaged in more than 6.2 billion viewing sessions during the course of the month … ”  Online video is a significant part of our online lives with a 706% growth in the last five years. Today,  84% of all people aged 12-65+ consume online video. Although both men and women equally likely to watch online video, men watch 1.7 times more than women. (From comScore Releases June 2011 U.S. Online Video Rankings and comScore’s Online Video by the Numbers)

Online video influences C-Suite behavior.
26% of US executives view work related videos daily, 20% view them several times a week and 20% view them several times a month. What’s most interesting is C-Suite behavior after they’ve viewed an online video.  64 – 66% of the time they visit the video vendor’s website and  53% of them conduct a search for more information. Of the executives who view videos daily, 51% of them make a business related purchase after watching a work related video. (from eStrategy after hours Executives and Online Video Charts based on Forbes Insights data.)

Sharing video is a popular past time.
People not only like to watch videos, they like to share them with others. One in three online video viewers will leave a comment, two in five viewers upload videos themselves, and one in two viewers regularly shares videos with others. More than half of all viewers watch online videos with others as well. (from comScore “Online Video by the Numbers”)

Create a video marketing plan before you start.

Put together a video action plan with discrete goals (plan from comScore “Online Video by the Numbers”)

Is your goal to…
Increase website/microsite visits?
Improve brand opinion?
Introduce a brand message to a larger audience or a more niche audience?
Drive direct online or offline purchase behavior?
The technology infrastructure of the Internet affords these opportunities to you.

Determine where and how your target audience is consuming video

Keep your mind open to using the new opportunities online video affords:
Using a YouTube Partner as a brand advocate
Developing branded content that spurs conversation
Cross pollinating your social media campaigns with video
Use the many resources and measurement companies available to determine if your goals have been met
Most any goal can be easily and discretely measured

Does your business need to integrate video into a smart content marketing strategy? The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC, Pennsylvania and Maryland’s first choice for video animation and special effects, website design, 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@oz2designs.com and stay tuned for part 5 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 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 »

If you think you are, then you have a problem. Why? Because social media is all about having a voice.  People tend to view social media platforms as free societies, a paradigm that renders strong arm business tactics helpless. Want to fail on Linkedin?  Simply adopt one of these 6 communication styles and you too can be the King… of Nothing. Read the rest of this entry »

Image from NationalGeographic.com

Cell phone service. We take it for granted until there is an emergency and we can’t text or call our loved ones.  This is what happened to me and thousands of others after Tuesday’s earthquake. A Linkedin post by Bill Leachman from the Linked Locals Adams York group aptly describes how many were feeling:

“…my daughter was at home and she was scared to death. With the cell phones being down, she was not able to get in touch with me for about an hour, until she was able to get in touch with me at my office. My father could not get in touch with me, either. He lives in Louisiana and he wanted to know how we were doing. I can understand how difficult and helpless someone must feel because they can not get in contact with a loved one.”

The good news is social media platforms and their smartphone applications provide a much needed safety net.

Facebook assurance
My 13 year old niece lives in VA and as soon as I heard about the 5.8 earthquake I tried to text her. Fail. I tried to call her. Fail.  Then, I started to worry. It took me a few seconds to remember she (like many teenage girls) loves Facebook. I visited her profile and was happy to see her status update which read, “Earthquake!!!!!”  She and her friends were commenting on it,  stream of consciousness style.  It was a relief to know she was  O.K. Consider downloading Facebook’s app for Android or iPhone if you’re connected to loved ones on Facebook.

Google+ gets a win
One half hour after the quake I was scheduled to make a  45 minute drive. I was a little nervous because I’m used to the comfort of  cell phone service when on the road.  Thankfully, my Google+ phone application  saved the day.  One of its best features is speed; messaging through Google+ is practically instantaneous and it was a relief to be able to communicate quickly and easily.  Consider joining Google+ when it’s out of beta. Their smartphone application is amazing.

Social media  for emergencies
With hurricane Irene on the way, I’m grateful  for social media platforms and their accompanying smartphone applications.  Emergencies look less threatening to me when I can stay in contact with family and friends.  Has social media ever helped you in an emergency? If so, please tell your story here so we can all learn from your experience.

About The Creative Marketing Channel
The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC – a small, flexible, full service digital marketing agency.  Connect with us on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook. Email us at cl@oz2designs.com.

Social media marketing, part of digital marketing, is a great way to build relationships and grow your business. It’s no surprise Linkedin recently ranked as the second most popular social media platform in the world. If you’re not making the most of your Linkedin account, here are 7 steps to grow your business on Linkedin.

1.  Professional profiles only
Have you ever Googled your name? Nine times out of ten the very first thing you’ll see is your Linkedin profile. Linkedin has some powerful SEO mojo so think of your profile as your resume to the world.  Be sure it touts a decent photo of you, at least 5 glowing recommendations from others, and links to your professional websites.  Use keywords in your summary, link to your Twitter account if you have one, and link your business name to your Linkedin company profile listing.

2.  Regularly Share an update
Sharing an update is one of Linkedin’s best networking features. If you’re not using it, you’re missing out.   Why? Because every time you share an update your connections are notified via email as well as on Linkedin’s home page.  My recent update states, ” Training two PA and one MD company to blog using search engine optimized content.” In just a few words I let my connections know details about several services my company provides without the hard sell.  Social media is all about pull, not push marketing.

3.  Comment on an update
Respond to updates from others and show them you’re not always thinking about yourself.   Connecting with others is why Linkedin is social media. Remember, your comments mean something to the person who posted. Everyone loves to be noticed.

4.  Use a Linkedin app or two
For profile wow effect, as well as to better explain what you do, employ one or several Linkedin apps. If you have a Powerpoint presentation, load it to Slideshare and use the Slideshare app. If you blog, use the WordPress app.  Linkedin offers a variety of useful apps to choose from -  explore them and determine which best reflect you and your business.

5.  Join groups and interact appropriately
Although it’s a business oriented platform, Linkedin groups span both personal and professional interests.  A few of my favorite groups are Linked Locals Adams York, Martial Artists Black Belts, and Digital Marketing.  How does joining groups benefit you? Each group gives you the opportunity to meet new people who share your interests.  Often, group members pose discussion questions or post articles of interest. If moved, you should comment on group discussion posts as well as create discussion posts of your own. Avoid spamming, arrogance, or the hard sell. Social media doesn’t approve of these behaviors. Special bonus: After you comment on a discussion, Linkedin allows you to invite discussion participants to connect with you.  I’ve made a lot of interesting friends this way.

6.  Share blog posts with your groups
I consider this my best kept secret (until now). If you’re a blogger, share your blog posts with some or all of your Linkedin groups.  A notable one quarter of my blog traffic comes directly from Linkedin.

How do you use Linkedin to grow your business?
Linkedin is not a simple platform; rather, it is complex with many options and so I ask my readers this question:  How do you use Linkedin to grow your business?  Sharing your answers here is good for everyone, including you. 

About The Creative Marketing Channel
The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC – a small, flexible, full service digital marketing agency.  Inquire about hiring us. Connect with us on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook. Email us at cl@oz2designs.com.

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.

Sorry bottom feeders, but Google says your time has come. An intense, new algorithmic adjustment arrived the other day and it doesn’t tolerate your kind.  Projected to influence almost 10.5 billion search results every month, this adjustment lowers the rank of scraper sites, link farms, and other useless sites while increasing the rank of quality sites.  What motivated this change? Google’s post,  Finding more high quality sites in search explains,  “Google depends on the high-quality content created by wonderful websites around the world, and we do have a responsibility to encourage a healthy web ecosystem. Therefore, it is important for high-quality sites to be rewarded, and that’s exactly what this change does.”

Quality means increased visibility
If there was ever a justification for content marketing this is it.  From now on, Google rewards websites with “original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis…” with higher search rankings amplifying the strong bond between search, social, and SEO.  Want to boost your brand’s visibility on search? Fill your website and blog with compelling content.  As TopRank’s Lee Odden says, ” If Social Media and SEO fit together like peanut butter and jelly then content is the bread that holds them together.”  Add social engagement from authoritative users into the mix and I predict powerful results. Google says this recent algorithm adjustment is just a beginning and they plan to present us with more changes in the future.

They were warned.
The developers and SEO companies whose sites are being penalized for poor quality have known all along what Google considers the high road.  My guess is they ignored Google’s quality guidelines because their black hat strategies were working for them.  Doesn’t look like they’ll work anymore. Take a look at Google’s quality expectations:

Quality guidelines – basic principles

• Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines. Don’t deceive your users or present different content to search engines than you display to users, which is commonly referred to as “cloaking.”




• Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings. A good rule of thumb is whether you’d feel comfortable explaining what you’ve done to a website that competes with you. Another useful test is to ask, “Does this help my users? Would I do this if search engines didn’t exist?”




• Don’t participate in link schemes designed to increase your site’s ranking or PageRank. In particular, avoid links to web spammers or “bad neighborhoods” on the web, as your own ranking may be affected adversely by those links.




• Don’t use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate our Terms of Service. Google does not recommend the use of products such as WebPosition Gold™ that send automatic or programmatic queries to Google.

Breaking News 2/28/11:

The data is in and the story is huge. According to search engine land, associated content is taking a big hit. Here is a brief look.  Top losers:  ezinearticles.com, associatedcontent.com, suite101.com, hubpages.com and buzzle.com.  Top winners: youtube.com, ebay.com, facebook.com, and instructables.com.   Biggest surprise to me -  slideshare.com and tehnorati.com are on the losers list.  “Number Crunchers: Who Lost in Google’s ‘Farmer’ Algorithm Change” by Danny Sullivan is a MUST READ. Take a moment and review Sullivan’s compelling data and share your thoughts here.

If you would like to hire oz 2 designs LLC to handle your digital marketing and design, email cl@oz2designs.com or call 717-586-8386.