Blogging is no longer a personal publication medium that allows bloggers to write about anything that takes their fancy. Its is a flexible and influential marketing tool that software companies should be using as part of their marketing and communication mix. The Technorati ‘State of the Blogsphere’ survey showed that there are now more than 133 million blogs out there, emphasising how important blogging is if you needed any convincing.
In today’s web savvy world, the first stage of the software buying process often starts on search engines. It is therefore essential that potential clients can find you quickly and easily online. Blogging provides an excellent opportunity for your organisation to be found more easily.
As a business owner, you want more visitors to come to your site—and ideally, visitors who want to buy. To do that, especially in an inbound marketing way, you need to create remarkable content… valuable content… “I need to forward this to [fill in your co-worker’s name] now” content.
One of the most powerful and effective ways to create content that will attract visitors like a magnet is to partner with influencers in your industry. When done correctly, their clout within your market will both increase your traffic and your own influence in the minds and hearts of the people you want to reach.
And when done using the five simple steps below, everyone involved will benefit: the influencers, your site visitors, and you!
B2B marketers believe the key to effective content lies in powerful storytelling. This is one of the major takeaways from B2B Content Marketing Trends 2012 – an industry survey conducted within the B2B Technology Marketing Community on LinkedIn.
81% of the respondents identified compelling storytelling as the most effective content tactic, followed by originality (52%), customized content (52%) and professional writing (39%). In terms of the content formats used, case studies, white papers and e-books lead the way, with infographics picking up speed as the fastest growing content type. (more…)
If you are a content marketer or a copywriter, you know that the written word is a fickle thing! Do you sometimes feel the well of creativity is running dry and you can see the bottom of the once-full reservoir of ideas? You’re not the only one. It’s more than natural to find yourself stuck in a rut, especially when you are in the temperamental business of producing content. After all, there’s only so much one can write about _______ (fill in the blank with whatever applies to you). (more…)
From blogging about the latest technology trends to repinning visually appealing infographics, digital marketers have come to extol the virtues of content for the brand-strengthening opportunities it creates. “Content is king” has become such a truism in the marketing world that it’s fast turning into a stale cliché.
But the sheer amount of data spouted out into the digital space seems to be too much for consumers to digest, causing a consumer backlash against the information overload, according to market research specialists. (more…)
Content might have been crowned king but is more shrouded in contention than ever. What exactly is content marketing; is there such a thing and, if yes, where does it fit in with the plethora of marketings (plural intentional) that already exist in the overcrowded B2B space?
Content marketing has turned into such a buzz word, the online space seethes with folk chasing the concept with metaphorical forks in a race to make the best stab at defining it. But it seems to evade even the most consistent pursuers. And the more you delve into the definition, the more confusing it gets. Are content strategy and content creation not part of the overall marketing mix, whatever the label? Isn’t content, in all its manifestations, at the core of digital marketing, B2B marketing, inbound marketing, permission-based marketing, and any other marketing under the sun?
We’re not a gluttonous bunch at Brightfire but we like to think of the content we produce in culinary terms. Why? Well, firstly, because we realise that a varied, healthy diet is essential to our existence. And secondly, let’s not forget that food can be a very delightful experience, indeed.
So our bloggers work tirelessly to make sure our audience (you!) are getting a balanced content diet exactly when you need it. But let’s have a peek inside Brightfire’s online content kitchen.
As we all know, people have different tastes – one may have a sweet tooth while another may be fonder of savoury flavours. Likewise, you may fancy a muffin to go with your morning coffee one day but other days a heavy English breakfast may be the first thing on your mind. Preferences vary not only from person to person but between days, too.
Today’s guest blog is by Jillian Ney, a social media doctoral researcher at the University of Strathclyde. As a digital evangelist and frequent blog writer for social media sites, Jillian has remarkable industry insight with a strong research background, making her writing both intuitive and compelling. Jillian offers her advice on creating a successful social media content strategy.
Virtually every brand, business, and professional is attempting to create a successful social media strategy. The problem is that social media success is hard to come by, turbulent, and ultimately dependent on your customers, fans and followers. While some brands, such as, Converse claim they follow a ‘do nothing’ strategy others have to work a little harder.
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Creating high quality content will drive traffic to your website, increasing your online reach and opportunity to generate valuable leads. This task lies with your blog and content copywriting team, whether inhouse or outsourced, to continually produce compelling content to keep existing readers captivated and new ones curious. Avoid content-writers’ block by adopting the following tips to get your content machine moving.
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