Blog - FILAMENT CONTENT

27 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Content Specialist Posted in CONTENT MARKETING With No Comments Permalink

The Impact of Mobile on Content

Sticky Post By Filament Content Specialist On July 27, 2015 With No Comments

There are currently about two billion smartphone users on the planet. These users check their tiny screens anywhere from 100 to 150 times each day. Smartphones aren’t the only mobile devices on the tech horizon, either. We’ve got to consider tablets and wearables, too. With this in mind, it’s clear that the impact of mobile on content definitely changes the ways we plan, create and distribute information.

First of all, mobile use changes how your customers find you. It changes the paths users take to discover content. It used to be that your homepage was the main point of entry for potential leads. However, discoverability is now largely driven by social media and search engines, which makes your social media connections, mobile optimization and location-aware services key.

Second, mobile changes how people consume content. More and more people are accessing content on mobile devices. They’re looking at the same content on multiple kinds of devices. And they’re using mobile content in tandem with physical experiences, which means mobile isn’t an endpoint. In truth, it needs to be part of a seamless omnichannel experience that merges the physical and digital selling worlds, giving you more opportunity to create connections with your customers.

For example, according to retail marketing firm inReality’s 2015 Reality of Retail Report, 75% of store shoppers use their mobile devices in stores. Retailers can take advantage of this user behavior by combining the best of the digital experience with the best of the brick-and-mortar experience. They might create how-to videos and product information, including comparison tools, available via mobile sites and mobile apps to make the information users want available at their fingertips. Beacons could play a role as well. Mobile content has the capacity to build relationships with in-store customers even when retailers are unable to have enough salespeople on the floor.

Since customers use content differently on mobile devices, mobile marketers must shape content to those uses. What really matters is user experience. Readers don’t want to pinch, scroll or strain their eyes to view your content. You have less room, so you need to be more succinct. Focus on information your users need to help them make that next click or tap decision. Put the most important info in the first sentence or two. Craft your content around main points that are easy to scan for users who don’t want to read the entire page.

If you’re using responsive design, remember that your customers could be reading your content on a desktop, tablet or smartphone. If you have a separate site for mobile, you have a little more leeway to create mobile-focused content.

Mobile content also needs to teach users how to engage with you on newer mobile channels. According to ExactTarget’s 2014 Mobile Behavior Report, twenty-eight percent of surveyed consumers said they didn’t know how to scan a QR code or use a print-to-smartphone coupon or they didn’t have the app to do so. Customers may need assistance setting up and using the newer mobile technologies you offer, and it’s your job to provide that instruction.

Mobile marketing requires us to be adaptable and forward thinking, keeping our eye on the golden ring: user experience. What future trends do you see making the biggest impact on your content marketing strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Need help putting together a mobile strategy? Contact Filament to get started today.

24 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Social Media Marketing Specialist Posted in SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING With No Comments Permalink

Mobile Social Media Marketing

Sticky Post By Filament Social Media Marketing Specialist On July 24, 2015 With No Comments

Mobile use has grown to the point that it’s no longer just a consideration in our marketing strategies – mobile social media marketing has to be a priority.

Every brand has different marketing goals. When it comes to social media marketing, it’s important that your marketing goals fit your various social media channels as well.

Once you’ve determined which social media platforms are most effective for your brand, you have to decide how your brand’s voice fits best within those platforms.

Then, you have to make it all mobile-friendly so it works well for mobile customers.

Consider first whether you’re selling a product or service. Product marketing tends to be more visual – featuring more pictures, whereas service marketing is generally more conversational – using more words. However, when it comes to mobile marketing, both pictures and words have to be served up in “bite sized” portions. Mobile users expect quick, easy information that’s easily accessible on-the-go.

Here are some key elements that will make your social media strategies more “responsive” for mobile use.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

First of all, remember that content and keywords are still very important when it comes to mobile marketing. The difference is that you need to focus on hyperlocal keywords and content since mobile users often search for places and information within 10 miles of their home.

Consider providing opt-ins for your customers so they can be notified when you have special offers in their area, and/or so they can plan to take advantage of your offers when they’re travelling through your neighborhood.

MAKE IT EASY

The “Contact Us” tab on your mobile site is a given. (Right?) Aside from being easy to find, this tab should include all of the information — phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, additional website addresses, and even contact names — that people expect to find here.

In addition, effectively providing contact information for mobile users means serving up that information on a silver platter. Making it easy for mobile users to reach your business in multiple ways is key.

Remember: Mobile customers don’t want to have to work too hard to reach you or find you.

Your phone number should be quick and easy to find, and linked so mobile users can just tap their screens to call you.

If you have your physical address in your website’s footer, you may want to consider some additional options. Provide links to maps and location finders, so mobile users are just a screen tap away from finding you.

CREATE CALLS TO ACTION – And Then Some

Mobile users are likely to share your information on the fly, but they’ll do so even more if you tell them to do it – and then show them how.

Create alerts that remind mobile users to share and tell their friends, sign up for future notices, etc. If you count on your visitors signing up and sharing on their own, you’re won’t get very high conversion rates.

• Make sure you have text-friendly links that mobile users can send to friends.

• Encourage check-ins and inviting friends to meet at your location.

• Provide share buttons for various social media channels so mobile users can quickly share your information.

Social media and mobile users go hand-in-hand (literally). It’s up to you to make it easier for them to find you and take advantage of your offers.

If you’d like some help creating mobile strategies that lead customers to your door via social media, just call Filament!

21 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament SEO Specialist Posted in SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION With 2 Comments Permalink

Mobile SEO Basics

Sticky Post By Filament SEO Specialist On July 21, 2015 With 2 Comments

If you’re an avid Filament Blog reader then you know about the differences between, and benefits of, mobile and traditional websites. We’ve also discussed whether or not you need to have a responsive website to handle your mobile customers.

Wait, don’t get all excited! We know that Google made a push toward responsive and mobile websites. But, it isn’t actually required. In some situations it’s better to keep them separate (and Google agrees). While that isn’t our topic here, it’s important to keep in mind.

Do you have a responsive website that works well for both stationary and mobile users, or are you using two different websites to better serve your audience?

If you’ve made the switch and your website is now mobile-friendly, mobile, or responsive, it may still not be optimized with best search engine optimization (SEO) practices. All of those adjectives above really just mean that a mobile user can manipulate the navigation and features to find the information they want. But it does not give you the organic search boost that you need. In fact, mobile websites need to better integrate their SEO, social media, and web design to bring the content, the buzz, and the needed reach all together.

If you’ve done your due diligence and have great SEO for your “regular” website – and it’s now mobile – you’re covered, right? Nope. Not completely, anyway.

The mobile user traditionally has hyper-local concerns. You need to optimize for those concerns so you can accommodate them appropriately.

Compare the mobile user looking for a retail business versus Wikipedia. On the retail side of the spectrum that mobile user is really concerned with location, local competition and coupons, and your website must be optimized to respond to their needs. Wikipedia or other information based websites really don’t have a local element, so mobile optimization isn’t as vital for them.

Consider where your website falls in this spectrum and how much tweaking/optimizing you really need, and then go from there.

If you feel your website needs a little reworking to incorporate mobile SEO now that you’ve become responsive, contact Filament to reach your key audience and boost your ROI.

15 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Email Marketing Specialist Posted in EMAIL MARKETING With No Comments Permalink

How To Optimize Email Marketing for Mobile Users

Sticky Post By Filament Email Marketing Specialist On July 15, 2015 With No Comments

Mobile is the most popular environment for a subscriber’s first interaction with an email. At the same time, subscribers consume email differently on mobile devices. These two facts necessitate a mobile strategy that accounts for how and where users interact with your emails. In this post, we’ll break this behavior down by the general data available to us today and then look at the email marketing strategies that can help engage and optimize email marketing for mobile users.

48% of email opens happen on mobile devices.¹

Mobile users by and large use their mobile devices to check their email. More emails are opened on mobile devices than in desktop or webmail clients. Plus, nearly 91% of mobile users report using their smartphone to check email—most before they’ve even had breakfast.² As a result, these users need to be able to view your emails on their mobile device.

What does this mean for you? You need to make responsive design a priority. If you’re not optimizing for mobile, you’re losing nearly half of your subscribers. You need responsive design in order to give your email subscribers the best possible user experience.

And there’s also the fact that the first link in a responsive design email on mobile has a 30% higher click rate than non-responsive design.³ If that isn’t enough to get you motivated to switch to responsive design, we don’t know what will.

87% of clicks will happen when a reader opens an email for the first time, but only 78% of clicks on mobile devices happen on the first open.⁴

Okay, what does this mean? Though most opens are on mobile devices, it’s becoming more difficult to turn those opens into clicks. Instead, subscribers open your email for the first time on their mobile device and then come back to it for a second look on their mobile device or on a desktop.

If you want your subscribers to come back for that second look, you need to create the Best. Content. Ever. That is—compelling, relevant and shareable content that will hold your subscriber’s interest enough to get them to return and engage with your email, preferably on their desktop since, as we’ll see in our next point, that’s where most of the clicks and conversions happen.

A related note: Before you jump into content creation, you’ll want to look at your email analytics to find out where your subscribers are opening your emails and then optimize your content—subject lines, preheaders, etc.—for those devices.

Mobile readers who open emails a second time from their computer are 65% more likely to click through.⁵

Email consumption behavior like this points to the necessity for a seamless user experience across channels. Once you create that relevant content that inspires your subscribers to take a second look, you need to ensure your content is also optimized for desktop in order to get those conversions.

Mobile users migrate from one channel to another, and they expect your mobile-friendly email to link to a mobile-friendly website. (Check out Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to find out if your page is mobile friendly or not.)

Mobile users care most about having easy access to content across all of their devices. Companies delivering on that content demand will win more conversions.

A note on data:
As always, we suggest that you look at the data for your own subscribers. Take a look at your email analytics to see where your emails are opened and where you’re getting clicks. Use your customer’s tracking mobile behavior to create a better mobile strategy for your business and a better email experience for your mobile users.

What are some of the ways that you’ve seen mobile use impact email marketing? Share your observations in the comments section below.

Interested in making mobile-friendly emails part of your mobile content strategy? Get a little help from your friends at Filament.

1. Litmus. “2015 State of Email Report.” 2015.
2. ibid.
3. Litmus and MailChimp. “The Science of Email Clicks: The Impact of Responsive Design & Inbox Testing.” December 2014.
4. Campaign Monitor. “Email trends report: mobile vs. desktop.” May 2014.
5. ibid.

13 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Content Specialist Posted in CONTENT MARKETING With 2 Comments Permalink

Separate vs Integrated Mobile Sites: What’s the Difference?

Sticky Post By Filament Content Specialist On July 13, 2015 With 2 Comments

We can all agree that it’s important to have a mobile optimized site. According to a 2012 survey done by Google of 1,088 smartphone users in the US, 75% said they prefer a mobile-friendly site, and 67% said they were more likely to buy a site’s product and services if it was mobile friendly. It’s not surprising that mobile users actively look for and prefer to engage with mobile-friendly sites.

Having a mobile site that’s easy to use is also invaluable. 61% of respondents in Google’s survey said if they couldn’t find what they were looking for right away on a mobile site, they would quickly move on to another site—that is, your competitor’s site.

How do you ensure your mobile site is easy to use? How do you create a great mobile experience for your users to keep them coming back again and again—as well as sharing your content with others? To start, you’ll want to consider which type of mobile site will work best for your company and your target audience. Here we’ll share some differences and considerations about separate vs integrated mobile sites to help you decide which option is right for you.

Separate Mobile Sites

You have a different site for mobile and for desktop—in fact, a different version for each device users will access your site on: desktop, mobile, tablet. Separate mobile sites are most often hosted on distinct subdomains: m.domain.com for smartphones and t.domain.com for tablets.

The downside of separate mobile sites is that when you make updates to your desktop site, you have to go in and make those same updates across all of your sites. It can cost a lot of money to build separate sites and maintain them all. At the same time, building separate mobile sites has the potential to lead to a better user experience. Your content always looks the way you want it to on all devices you develop a site for, and you can tailor your content to users on different devices.

Creating an m-dot (or t-dot) site can be useful when you need a quick fix right away to create a mobile site for users now—while working on a more time-consuming integrated mobile site. It can also help you create a focused user experience while helping you get out of the habit of designing for desktop.

In addition, if you already have a website with a lot of complexity, including advanced search features, Rich UI, dashboards and complex step-by-step forms, it can be costly and difficult to convert your site to an integrated design. I this case, having a separate mobile site might be your best bet.

A separate mobile site can also be the right choice if you want your users to convert differently on your mobile site than on your desktop site. Or if mobile users are using very different search terms than desktop users, you’ll want to use different content on your mobile site to optimize for them.

Integrated Mobile Sites

An integrated mobile site has just one URL, and the site automatically adjusts its content and layout to whichever device the user is using.

Integrated mobile sites can create better SEO since Google won’t have to crawl multiple domains thereby ranking your inbound links and authority in multiple places, which spreads out the SEO links and authority you’re optimizing for. However, integrated mobile sites don’t allow for a different writing style that might be better suited for mobile devices. And they won’t let you alter the information architecture and simply resizing images isn’t always enough.

Among integrated mobile sites, there are again different options to choose from: responsive or adaptive (aka device-specific dynamic serving). Nick Davison has created a great website to help showcase the difference visually.

Responsive can be a great, cheap way of creating a mobile-optimized site. If you don’t have many resources, look for a CMS that can automatically creates a responsive mobile site. In addition, Google recommends responsive sites, potentially making them better for SEO. (However, Google has also clearly stated that all three mobile site types—responsive, dynamic serving (adaptive) and separate sites—are fully viable options.)

Another option beyond mobile websites is creating a mobile app. A native app can be a good choice for your business if you have the resources and know-how to create one and if you have a very specific purpose that can’t be accomplished with a regular mobile site. A few examples:

You’re developing an interactive game (Example: Candy Crush)
You want your users to be able to use your site in a personalized way on a regular basis. (Example: Evernote)
Your users need to be able to take data and make charts or complicated calculations. (Example: your bank’s mobile app)
You need to access a user’s camera. (Example: Instagram)
You want to provide offline access to content and/or perform functions without a wireless or network connection. (Example: MyFitnessPal)

The truth is that the right choice of mobile configuration for your business depends on a variety of factors: your website content, your technological capabilities, your budget and resources, your industry, your business goals, your conversion points and your visitors’ expectations. Which option will generate the best return on investment for your business? Do a cost-benefit analysis to see if it would be more profitable to stick with one site rather than building separate sites. However, if developing a separate mobile site is cost-effective and makes sense for your business goals, go for it.

What are some other advantages and disadvantages of separate and integrated mobile sites? Share your thoughts below in the content section.

If you’re ready to get started building a mobile website or multiple versions of your website, talk to Filament about creating valuable content with great SEO and then marketing it on social media and via email to drive traffic to your site.

10 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Social Media Marketing Specialist Posted in SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING With 1 Comment Permalink

Mobile Impact on Social Media

Sticky Post By Filament Social Media Marketing Specialist On July 10, 2015 With 1 Comment

We don’t really need long-term academic studies or high-level research teams to know that mobile use is everywhere and it touches just about everything.

We often jest about how we existed before the cell phones we all know and love came to be. Yet, if we stop to think about it, we know that today’s cell phones and the apps, accessories, practices, and “Wow!” factors that come with them are changing at lightning speed. Tomorrow, we’ll need to upgrade our devices, download updates, and completely relearn once-familiar activities on our beloved cellular companions. Why do we put ourselves through such torture?

Convenience. And, the “need” to know now. And, let’s not overlook the fact that our cell phones provide a lot of entertainment and access to people and places like we’ve never known before.

We used to have to get dressed, get in our car, and schlep into a store (or multiple stores) to purchase the things we wanted. Now, we hold the store in the palm of our hand. Banking, buying, instructions, travel, research, hours, locations, menus… We can now get the information we need in the blink of an eye. As such, all the “hassles” of cell phone upgrades and downloads seem worth it in the grand scheme of things.

Gone are the days of mass mailings and waiting for customers to respond to traditional advertising. Now, a mere Facebook post can bring dozens (or hundreds, or even thousands) of cell phone-wielding customers to our door.

We now know that people use cell phones more often than their desktop computers to find information.

Anyone who thought social media wouldn’t last and/or that smart social media marketing isn’t vital to their brand’s success may need to think again.

And the whole “mobilegeddon” thing anticipated with Google’s big mobile-friendly push earlier in 2015? Some say that was just the beginning.

What does mobile impact on social media mean for your brand? A lot!

Knowing that people aren’t always/necessarily sitting in front of their home computers in their bathrobes and fuzzy slippers at night means brand managers need to be smarter about sharing their information.

We know we need to think about what we’re selling and who we’re selling to. But with mobile’s increased use, we also need to consider when our buyers want to buy, and where they are when they want what we have to offer.

Just because we build it doesn’t mean they’ll come. Now, we need to show them how to get there and what to do once they’ve arrived.

Information has to be “bite-sized” so it can be seen, understood and acted upon quickly.
Images and content need to load quickly and direct users to the information they’re looking for within seconds.
Offers must be crafted to stand out from the competition, and they must be enticing enough to get people to use them when it’s convenient for them to do so.
The more sharable our messages are the larger audience we’ll reach. (People love to share “mobile” news and deals with friends.)
We also need to consider influences such as time of day (i.e., lunchtime or rush hour), days of the week (Monday versus Saturday), as well as time of year (i.e., national, local, and personal holidays).

We might consider offering special deals to mobile customers so to track the impact they have over other forms of marketing.

And let’s not forget that social avenues are not created equally! Messages and calls to action (“CTA’s”) are different on Facebook than they are on Twitter. Some venues attract more passive customers while others appeal more to on-the-go types.

The mobile impact on social media is definitely big, and it’s only going to get bigger. Digital marketers just have to figure out how to keep up with it.

If you’re looking for ways to make a bigger social media impact through mobile, click here!

07 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament SEO Specialist Posted in SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION With 2 Comments Permalink

Mobile Use and SEO: Why User Experience Is Key

Sticky Post By Filament SEO Specialist On July 7, 2015 With 2 Comments

If you were caught up in the mobile frenzy in early 2015, then you’re aware of how important Google believes mobile and responsive web design is. There’s no question that this is true, but Google tells us repeatedly that they should be more concerned with the user experience. So what does that mean?

To determine what this means you need to think like your intended audience. This is not always easy to do and can sometimes require the objective eye of an outside party.

Determine what your audience wants when they visit your website and label that their end goal. It’s important to get pretty specific in figuring out the end goal. Information is not an end goal, but price point, location, descriptions, user reviews, etc., are. Think about the end goal of a mobile user versus a stationary user. Compare the two columns of goals and note if there is a marked difference. If there is a difference, then making your “regular” website mobile and responsive might not be the best option for you. In this situation you may need to create a second webpage designed just for the mobile user.

Let’s use an example to further illustrate the point. Let’s say your business is a restaurant. Off the top of your head you can see that a mobile user’s primary end goal could easily be location and then perhaps reviews, menus, prices, etc. Now these are also considerations that a desktop user might have but location could easily be lower on their end goal list than perhaps coupons, reviews and pictures of the food would be.

Consider what a user’s experience might include when looking for a restaurant on the go. Location information would be pretty high to an on-the-go user, right? In that case, location information should be the first thing a mobile user sees. While at home you’re most likely browsing and planning and have a little time on your hands to compare restaurants. Location will not be as important, so it doesn’t have to be front and center. This is a situation where two websites may be better than one and your main website does not need to be responsive.

Now back to our topic. How does this affect search engine optimization (SEO)? The same old, reliable rules apply. You want to tailor each page to answer the questions your audience wants with well thought out copy, back end structure, titles, images and video, and more. The real shift (at this point) is really in the approach of your audience, be it mobile or stationary.

For help with your mobile SEO and website content, contact Filament for that professional outside eye that means so much.

01 Jul 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Email Marketing Specialist Posted in EMAIL MARKETING With 2 Comments Permalink

Mobile Friendly Email Marketing Basics

Sticky Post By Filament Email Marketing Specialist On July 1, 2015 With 2 Comments

We all know the frustration of clicking on an email we’d really like to read only to find that the text way too small. Or maybe it’s big enough to read, but the links are so close together we keep tapping the wrong one. Grrr.

“Grrr” is not what you want your subscribers to feel when they interact with your emails.

You’re not alone in your frustration. According to 2015 research by LiveClicker and The Relevancy Group, people’s biggest issues with mobile emails are as follows: receiving too many (44%), irrelevance (37%), too small to read and interact with (32%), website and landing pages aren’t mobile optimized (26%) and not formatted for mobile phones (21%).

You might be thinking, hey, wait a second, does mobile friendly email marketing really matter? Most definitely. It matters because 45% of email opens happen on mobile devices, as opposed to 36% on desktop and 19% in a webmail client. Plus, more and more, folks are using their mobile devices for email triage. They check an email out on their mobile device to decide if they want to delete it right away or take a second look on their desktop.

As we embark on our month-long exploration of mobile marketing, we’ll start with several basics that will help you keep your subscribers happily tapping and clicking away.

1. Viewable subject lines & preheaders.

Mobile devices have cutoffs for the number of characters that will appear in the subject line and preheader—that preview text that appears after the subject line in some email apps on mobile devices. Follow the character counts below to make sure your subscribers get to read the entirety of that eye-catching subject line you wrote.

Since different devices has different character counts, you’ll want to find out which clients your subscribers are using to open their emails. These are the top 5 mobile clients used across all mobile opens according to Litmus:

Apple iPhone – 28%

Gmail – 16%

Apple iPad – 11%

Outlook – 8%

Apple Mail – 8%

And here are the average number of characters displayed for the subject line and preheader on different mobile devices:

	Subject Line	Preheader
iPhone 6	63	90
iPhone 5 (or earlier)	40	90
iPad	39	90
Android	33	40
Windows Phone	38	40
Outlook	60	35

Gmail shows about 100 characters for subject line and preheader text altogether, so your joint character count would ideally stay below that.

While it can be tough to keep lengthy promos under 35 characters, that’s a good rule of thumb to work by. At the very least, be sure to put the most important part of your message at the beginning of your subject line and preheader in case it does get cut off.

2. Single-Column Design

Most subscribers won’t take the time to zoom in or scroll from side to side to read multiple columns or sidebars. As a result, you’ll want to lay out your email in one nice long column that reads cleanly with simple vertical scrolling. This single-column design will make your emails compatible across mobile devices. Plus, it creates a streamlined look and a natural hierarchy for your content.

3. Large font size.

Make your text big enough for subscribers to read it right off the bat without zooming in and moving it around. Nobody wants to zoom in on an email. Who has the time? Unless your content is extremely relevant, text that’s too small will more often than not get your email sent directly to the trash. A good general guideline follows:

Body copy: 14

Headlines: 22

Plus, be sure to give your readers plenty of white space to give their eyes a break and make reading your emails easier.

Line height: 1.3, 1.5 or more

4. Small Images.

A lot of mobile users still use slower connections or they’re reading your email on the go. Make their life (and yours) easier by keeping your images on the small side so they’ll load faster. Plus, smaller images don’t require side-to-side scrolling.

You can compress images to reduce the image size without sacrificing quality. Or, ideally, you’ll use responsive coding to load smaller images on mobile devices and larger ones on other devices.

5. Big buttons with clear, concise CTAs.

Scale up your buttons to make them easy to tap, even fore those of us with fat fingers. Buttons should be at least at least 44 pixels square. Then, provide enough spacing around them for tapping. And while you’re at it, fill it with a clear and concise call-to-action that provides value to your subscriber and inspires them to immediate action. And wherever that button leads, make sure that page is optimized for mobile devices, too.

What mobile-friendly email basics do you recommend? What have you seen make or break your email campaigns? Share your success stories in the comments section below.

Check back with us in a few days for more useful tips on mobile marketing. Or give Filament a call to get started creating mobile-ready email campaigns today.

29 Jun 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Content Specialist Posted in CONTENT MARKETING With No Comments Permalink

5 Content Hacks Your Content Marketing Needs Right Now

Sticky Post By Filament Content Specialist On June 29, 2015 With No Comments

Everybody knows that content is king. And not just any content—useful, relevant, targeted content is what you need. Okay, now what? How do you get ahead of your competitors if you’re all following the same strategy of creating killer content? Read on for five effective means to drive bottom-line results.

1. Analyze the data.

When you’re looking to create content, there are several important questions you need to address:

Where should my content appear?
What form should it take?
How should it be presented to focus on inbound business?

The answers to these three questions lie in your consumer data. For example, by looking at the consumer data available via digital channels, you can find out where your most engaged audiences are spending time on the Web. (Hint, hint: That’s where your content needs to be.)

2. Create mapped content.

Using the data we mentioned above, create mapped content that aligns with your customer’s journey. Certain types of content will be more relevant at different point in the sales funnel. Thus, you want to ensure that you get the right type of content to your leads at the right time by looking at which content converts where and when in their journey.

You’ll also want to look for where along the customer’s journey product offers and calls to action have the greatest effect.

3. Use long-tail keywords.

You can find easy long-tail keywords by entering a competitive search term that users enter to find your business into Google and then scrolling down to the related search terms it gives below the search results. These long-tail keywords are not as competitive as the main keyword you entered, but they are actual keywords that users enter into Google. Sprinkle them throughout your copy in different variations in order to appeal to humans as well as Google. You’ll end up ranking higher for both the long-tail keywords and the original keyword. You should do this with your archived content, too.

Need a refresher on keyword basics? Check out our post here.

4. Write more.

Overall, longer posts—1500 words and above—perform better than short posts. Per SEO, the more content you have, the more of it that gets indexed. And the more content that gets indexed, the better it performs in search results. In longer content, we tend to use a greater variety of related keywords, which usually means more long-tail keywords. Plus, longer content gets more link-backs. More link-backs again mean better SEO, which in turn leads to more traffic, more conversions and more revenue.

Longer content also tends to get more shares, so integrate your content marketing and your social media by providing long, information-rich content that customers and influencers can share and curate for their followers.

5. Give old content new life.

Speaking of shares, you’ll drive more traffic to your site by promoting and amplifying your existing content via social media, email and other channels. But don’t just promote your content willy-nilly. Per #1 above, look at what types on content perform best on which platforms and then promote those types of content from your archives on the right platform.

You can repurpose old content, too. And don’t forget to link back to older content in your new blog posts.

These five tips give you straightforward ways to focus on offering value where it matters most, making deeper connections with your costumers and providing excellent customer service. In the ends, these lead to the beginning of a loyal costumer base that in turn acts as advocates for your brand.

Content marketing is a valuable tool for driving deeper brand engagement and building better relationships with consumers. With everyone jumping on the content marketing bandwagon, you need to find a way to differentiate yourself. Have you found other ways that work well in addition to those we’ve shared above? Please share what works for you in the comments section.

If you need a little help getting or you’re looking for more growth hacks to skyrocket your content marketing, call Filament. We’d love to help your business and your brand get noticed online.

26 Jun 2015

Sticky Post By Filament Social Media Marketing Specialist Posted in SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING With No Comments Permalink

How To Avoid Killing Your Social Media Strategy

Sticky Post By Filament Social Media Marketing Specialist On June 26, 2015 With No Comments

If we had a dollar for every ‘How To’ recommendation for best social media practices that we’ve seen, we’d be able to buy our own private island in the south pacific.

The truth is, there are no one-size-fits-all social solutions. We all know that deep down, but yet, we’re drawn to articles and recommendations that suggest they hold the keys to unlocking our social marketing strategies. And that’s O.K.! We only learn if we keep pushing ourselves to do so, and there are always helpful take-aways to be found, right?

Well, we aren’t going to make any lofty promises here. In fact, we’re suggesting re-evaluations of classic strategies that we’ve all probably mapped out a hundred times before. We owe it to ourselves to see if the latest and greatest tips and tricks will benefit our play books, even if it means setting tried-and-true strategies aside on occasion. The important thing is that we find – and keep coming back to – what works.

Think about New Year’s Resolutions for a minute. (We’re totally not here to judge if you still have some yet-unturned leaves from last January 1^st, but there IS a correlation!)

Now think about your Social Media Strategy. If your social practices and strategies wane just as quickly as your New Year’s Resolutions sometimes do, we have good news on both fronts:

It’s never too late to start again!

In fact, each time we start again we do so with new understanding, and that alone guarantees new experiences and outcomes!

We’re always looking for ways to add more people to our communities, but as we learned in Marketing 101, it’s smart to invest in our existing communities first.

Here are some sure-fire ways to avoid killing your social media strategy so you can keep your fans and followers coming back for more!

KNOW YOUR STUFF

Know your audience. Know what they want and when they want it. Don’t pontificate about your brand with overly-formal boardroom terminology intended to impress shareholders. Your customers and social media audiences want to see what else you’ve got. They want to be informed and entertained. They want to know more. They want to feel “in the know.”

Know which social channels work best for your brand, and know how to interact appropriately on the channels you maintain. Trying to “jack” every single social media avenue ensures that you’ll master none, and that just means wasted time and resources.

CONNECT YOUR INTERNAL COMMUNITIES

Silos are great on farms, but they don’t belong on your marketing and social media management teams. If your internal teams aren’t connected, your marketing efforts won’t be cohesive. That means your external messaging may be confusing to your customers. Connect the dots on all levels – and make sure they stay connected – so your brand presents as a whole.

NO SHORTCUTS

Buying Likes, Friends and Followers is just wrong. The numbers may seem impressive initially, but fake followers don’t interact. They have absolutely no marketable value. In fact, they may negatively impact your brand’s social standing in the long run because it will appear less popular in social systems due to these inactive followers. So, guess what happens to your “reach” after you pay big bucks for empty followers… Yep. It tanks.

Get followers the old fashioned way, by attracting and interacting. It’s more work, but it’ll pay off in the long run. The best thing about real, live fans is that they’ll help spread the word about your brand. Recommendations from existing customers are marketing gold that’s very worth your time to mine!

POST THOUGHFULLY

If you want to stand out in the sea of social competition, you’ve got to be genuine and you’ve got to be present.

People gravitate to socially-interesting brands. No one wants to follow a brand page that offers nothing but long strings of abbreviated “anti-social” links.

Scheduling every post and/or “blind posting” with no engagement whatsoever is a dead end strategy. Do your own audits. Pull up your Twitter feed, for example, and note what you see.

Is it interesting?
Does it include a good mix of quality links, relevant hashtags and compelling images?
What kind of engagement is happening?
How many impressions and re-Tweets have your most recent posts received?
Are your posts frequently favorited?
Have you gained or lost followers recently, and can you attribute this to anything specific?

(Hint: Not to be critical, but if you haven’t even looked at your Twitter feed for a while, and don’t even know what it consists of anymore… It’s time to give the social scheduling tools a rest and re-engage!)

OFFER VARIETY

Posting the same kinds of things all the time is a drag. You need to find the right mix of information and entertainment. Let your community know what they can expect, but throw in some pleasant surprises, too. Being consistent doesn’t mean you have to be totally predictable. Just make sure your surprises are on-point and consistent with your brand’s voice.

SOFT SELL

If everything you post has to do with selling your products and services, you’re on the road to social nowhere.

Yes, your social media presence is intended to market your brand. And, yes, marketing your brand is intended to sell your products and services in the end. But social media is not supposed to be one big advertisement after another. Social media is where you build relationships with your customers.

BE SOCIAL

Social media should be social! (Can we get an A-men?!) That means your brand actually has to interact with followers and other brands out there in social media land. A lot. Period.

INTERACT

Social media pages are not self-serve. Just like we expect interaction when we visit a brick and mortar storefront, we expect some kind of interaction when we arrive at a brand’s web and social storefronts.

Not interacting with followers on your pages is like having a permanent “Closed” sign on your door. Eventually, people will just stop coming.

When they comment, they like it when you to respond. If they complain, they expect you to address their concerns. And don’t think you can just provide canned, cut-and-paste responses – that’s almost worse than no response at all. People can spot “robotic” replies a mile away. They’re underwhelming, and frankly, insulting.

Respond and interact for real and do so within a reasonable time period. Responding to a comment or complaint from a month or two ago will earn unsatisfactory grades from those reading a tardy reply.

LISTEN

Practice social listening. If you’re posting and interacting thoughtfully and truly being social, you’ll learn a lot about your business from your followers. You’ll hear what they’re saying and see how they’re responding to your posts. All the analytical tools in the world can’t give you the information that can be derived by truly looking at what’s taking place on your social media pages.

BLAZE YOUR OWN TRAILS

Following someone else’s ideal of the perfect social media strategy will never work. The best times to post for one brand will be the worst times to post for another. Frequency, style and voice are all very unique elements that can only really be determined through time and tracking.

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Experiment (strategically) with timing, frequency, voice and variety. Define what works for your brand by trying new things and building on the most successful strategies.

“Consistent” posting doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to post 10 times a day. It doesn’t even mean that you have to post EVERY day. You have to define what consistency is with regard to your posting strategy. Posting the same number of times, at the same time of day, on the same days of the week may actually work against you because it’s too predictable (read, “scheduled”). Shake things up a bit.

Here’s the hard truth: Your followers aren’t as aware of your brand as you are. It’s easy to think that they’ll see it just because you put it out there. The fact is, you have to lead people to your door in new and different ways – they won’t always just show up on their own.

Social media strategy is a work in progress. It takes commitment. You have to look at what you’ve done in the past, what you’re doing now, and how you want to change or improve what you’re doing in the future.

So you see, social media strategy and New Year’s Resolutions are a lot alike. They both start out one way and usually end up being very different. They can both die on the vine if we don’t commit to carrying them through. They both require time and attention. And in both cases, thankfully, it’s never too late to start again.