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Driving Interest in the Digital Age: Blogging for Your Business

220 — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:21:30 +0000

By Kyle O.

Whether you’re an online marketing pro or have just begun to learn about the many ways an internet presence can help grow your business, blogging is a proven tactic to consider. Blogs are pieces of original content written by experts in a given field about a certain topic and published online for public consumption. Blogging for your business is a way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your trade to local clients and interested people across the world. Great blog content with search-engine optimization (SEO) also improves the way Google and other search engines view your site, which in turn boosts your visibility to potential customers. Developing a blogging strategy, adhering to a schedule, and delivering customized, SEO-rich content can create excitement and growth for your company.

What Are the Key Elements of a Strong Blog?

There are a several characteristics that make a blog stand out among the endless content on the internet and, most importantly, translate that interest into real returns for your business.

Content is King

First, a great blog will have custom-written content. Google and other search engines give negative marks to websites with duplicate or “canned” blog content. Whether you write your blogs yourself or hire a company to write them for you, it’s important that they write about fresh, interesting ideas or write about common themes in your world of business in a fresh, new way.

Improve Your Standing with Search Engines

Search engines are an increasingly popular way for clients of all ages to find products and services in their local area. Online searchers rarely look past the first one or two pages of a search engine results page (SERP). Quality blogs written using SEO best practices will incorporate key words, elements and locations that help search engines recognize your content as valuable and improve its ranking on SERPs. The more valuable pages of content on your site – including blogs – the more influence it has and the higher your site will rank in general.

Answer Your Clients’ Questions

As a leader in your respective market, you want to be a resource and thought leader among would-be clients. Your blog posts can not only improve your visibility for clients looking for products and services; they can give them answers and improve your value in their eyes. Your blogs should feature concise, easily digestible content that helps clients see you as an expert and friend in an area where they have little experience. When clients read content that they can understand and relate to, they’re more likely to trust your expertise when it comes time to use your service or product.

A Digital Presence to Create Real Returns

A forward-thinking digital marketing strategy that incorporates SEO-optimized blog posts, rich with expert insight for your clients, can boost your online presence and translate to tangible ROI. A strong digital presence provides a gateway for new clients, a pathway that can be easily tracked using analytics tools available online. Blogging is a valuable opportunity to generate quality site traffic that no business should pass up.

The post Driving Interest in the Digital Age: Blogging for Your Business appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

Critical Checklist for Integrated Marketing

220 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:11:29 +0000

Having a successful inbound marketing strategy requires having many different avenues out there to get peoples information. From Blogging to social media and email campaigns, there is so much to keep track of that most people don’t have a cohesive plan that fits all aspects together into one place. Because there is so much going on, it would be beneficial to your overall marketing strategy to integrate all of your campaigns into one place.
Publicizing the same campaign through several different channels will not only give you exposure to more potential clients, it will provide a way for you to give a boost to the powerful promotion you already have going. Here are 8 tips to give your marketing campaigns the enhancement it needs while integrating tactics you are already using

1. Email and Social Media

Because most lead generation campaigns collect email addresses, email campaigns are one of the strongest tools available to any person running a marketing campaign. With new developments, it is now

possible to build upon the already powerful database with email addresses, and reach even more potential clients than those on your list. This can be done through Social Media.

Adding Social Media share icons to the emails that you are already sending out will help promote the work you are doing on your social media sites with minimal effort. Adding icons for Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc to your email footer will provide a way for people to join your networks with the click of the button. Additionally, it’s crucial to make sure you are advertising all of your social media sites on anything that contains your business name. Add a “join our community” bar on your website or other social media sites.

2. Email and Blogging/Social Media/PPC

All of the time that you spent writing that amazing new eBook will go to waste if no one reads it. Posting an excerpt from the book with a call to action to download the full book on the same day you are

Creating a dedicated PPC campaign promoting your new product or offer will help drive traffic and increase the number of people who respond to your offer. emailing the book will make sure the eBook is shared. Including links to download the book on your social media sites will also make your information more accessible.

3. Email…and Other Email
Many people combine all of their email efforts into one category even though the objective is very different. Some people you are in contact with are on weekly or monthly schedules to receive the same email as several others, while some people receive targeted emails from you about specific information you know is relevant to them. Most of the time, several different people may be managing each of these campaigns which means there is no common thread and your email tactics may be a big mess.

Integrating your email efforts will result in a well-oiled machine. Creating a master email campaign tracker will ease the headache you may face when trying to combine everything. If multiple people are sending out emails, you can share this spreadsheet as a Google document to make sure everyone is on the same page and schedule. This will help ensure the same clients aren’t getting bombarded with multiple emails in a short period of time.

Taking this a step further, you can separate your databases based on demographics and behaviors so that you can send the most relevant emails to each client.

4. Social Media and Blogging

Social Media and Blogging are a match made in heaven. Social media icons are a great way to share the information you are putting on your blog with others in your social media family. Blog posts also make it easier to post unique content on your social media sites every day as you can post a preview of your blog, and link users to go check out the full article.

Adding “share” or “+1” codes on each blog post will make it easier for your readers to share your information. It’s also worth looking into automated applications that will automatically post your blog posts to your social media sites.

5. SEO and Blogging

Blogging is a great way to fuel your Search Engine Optimization results, but just blogging isn’t going to cut it.

Matching your blogging content to the keywords your website is ranking high for will help push you up even further. If you are trying to gain rank with a certain term, make sure your blog content reflects the terms you are trying to improve upon. For example, if you are a real estate agent and all of your SEO focus on your site is going towards “first-time homebuyers” you should have phrases in your blog that target this as well. Offering a series of tips for first-time homebuyers with a new blog to cover each bullet point will help you accomplish this.

6. Online and Offline Events and Social Media

Using social media during live online and offline events can make any meeting more enjoyable. If you are hosting an online webinar or in office conference, integrating social media into the meeting can create buzz before and after your meeting.

If you create a hashtag for your event, you can have people send in questions or feedback via Twitter while your conference is in progress. Make sure people know about the hashtag so they can participate in the meeting and during a post-event meeting.

7. Mobile and Everything

People rely on their phone so much right now, every business needs to adapt to this in order to be successful. Making sure your site is mobile friendly is one very important marketing aspect so that you can ensure your site is accessible to everyone who wants to see it.

If your website is already mobile friendly, it is really easy to take your mobile marketing to the next level. Creating QR codes that go to a dedicated landing page for your campaign is a great idea. You can put these codes on flyers or other marketing pieces to send people to a place where they can access your promotion. You can also offer incentives through Foursquare and Facebook for clients who check in at your place of business.

8. Analytics and Everything

Analytics isn’t its own stand-alone campaign that you have to put out there, but it is a very important aspect of your marketing campaign. Analytics should be integrated into every marketing avenue you have going because it can give you a good read on what sites are giving you the most traffic. This information can tell you how certain campaigns are doing and how each campaign is helping each other.

When integrating a tracking device, you should find a product that tracts all aspects and gives you a clear idea of what is driving traffic to your site and providing your customers. It’s very important to regularly track the information and pay attention to what is providing you the best results so that you can focus your energy on the most successful campaigns.

220 Marketing specializes in Online Marketing and Management for industries such as Insurance Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, and Mortgage Marketing.

The post Critical Checklist for Integrated Marketing appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

7 Tips to Ensure Your Blog is Shared

220 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:41:16 +0000

Writing blogs is a good way to get exposure for your company, but hitting the submit button on just any article isn’t enough to make sure your blog is read. In order to create a blog that is going to get seen by others, you have to include share-worthy content. Writing content that your readers will share is a great way to ensure that your blog gets exposure and climbs up in the ranks on the search engines.

In order to identify what type of content you should be putting in your blog, you will first need to identify what is preventing people from sharing your current content. Below you will find seven answers as to why no one is sharing your blog.

1. Your Headline Leaves Something to Be Desired.

The headline of your blog is the most important element, as it is the first things your reader is going to see. If they get a list of featured blogs for the day or a list of search engine results, you want to write something that will grab their attention and make sure the blog is read. Try writing a big, bold headline that will give people a sense of urgency and make them click on that link. Sometimes writing funny or barbed headlines will not only make people chuckle, but it will make them more interested in what you have to say in the rest of your blog.

2. Your Timing Is Off

According to most studies, blogs that are posted in the morning get the most views, especially when targeting women. Doing a little research to find out when your target audience is most likely to go online and look for blogs will help you tremendously in the long run. This can be done by sending out a survey of current readers to find out more, or reading off your analytics report to see what times you generated the most clicks. Finding out when to post is important, but staying organized and planning ahead will also make things easier. Create a sharing calendar and stick with it so you know that you have that time blocked out to put your content online and have the best chance of having it read.

3. You Don’t Have Regular Readers

If you have regulars that read your blog, you will consistently have people visiting and talking about your content to others. Writing posts that ask for the feedback of your readers and responding to those comments will help them feel like they are a part of your blog. If people know that their opinion is wanted and actually listened to, they will be more likely to come back and also pass your name and information on to others.

4. You Write About Yourself

People who are close to you may think that your company and your knowledge is interesting, but that may be where the interest stops and they may not be your target audience. Writing how-to articles that show your knowledge and make people interested in the information you are providing will help you have a greater chance that people will keep coming back for more. Instead of writing about what your company can do for them, provide general tips that everyone can use whether they are paying for your services or not. Addressing topics that people learn about will peak their interest more than hearing about how great you are, so always keep this in mind when reading what you just wrote before you post it.

5. Your Posts are too similar

Providing the same content or format over and over again is a sure fire way to lose people’s interest. Switching it up and providing graphics or videos to illustrate your information will keep them coming back to see what you are going to come up with next. Keep it fresh and keep them guessing and they will be back!

6. You Ramble

You may be great at filling in space with unnecessary words when writing thanks to minimum page requirements in school, but putting lengthy paragraphs and superfluous language will lose your readers from the start. Draft out what points you want to make, and keep your content simple. When reading blogs, people want to go in and get the information they are looking for without too many obstacles getting in the way. Before hitting submit, look through and see if there is any content that is not needed and remove it. This will help keep the interest of your readers and let them know that they will be able to find what they are looking for easily every time the comeback.

7. You Make it Difficult to Share

Having a social sharing button on your blog is MANDATORY in order to make it really easy to share, and with so many quick tools available to generate these tools, there is no excuse to not having one. When setting up your blog, it’s a great idea to go with a simple design and not get caught up in having fancy backgrounds. The main thing you should focus on is having a quick way for your clients to subscribe to your blog and share it on social media, then you can put a little more effort into making your blog attractive to look at.

220 Marketing specializes in Online Marketing and Management for industries such as Insurance Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, and Mortgage Marketing.

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Converting YouTube Videos into Clicks

220 — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:48:17 +0000

Looking to turn more watchers into clickers? There is no question about it; YouTube is one of the most popular websites on the Internet and should not be ignored by any marketer. YouTube generates three billion visits a day and is the second largest search engine behind Google.

Think of each video as your own personal website. With YouTube’s search feature, your content can easily be found on YouTube itself. Also, by adding videos to YouTube your content has the potential to get indexed on Google and other search engine results pages and shared across some of the most popular social networking platforms.

Videos should be used to build brand awareness and drive traffic to your website. You do not need the world’s funniest video or millions of views to get results. Your YouTube videos need to build rapport with your viewers so that once they are on your website they are ready to convert. It should be more about the quality of your visitors rather than the quantity.

The most effective strategy for generating traffic to your website from YouTube is having a compelling call to action. Your videos need to clearly explain where to find your website, how to get to your website, and most importantly why to visit your website. You have to provide your viewers with a clearly labeled reason to leave YouTube and visit your website. Your offer should be as compelling as possible. For example: Use our FREE quick and easy website doctor to help you determine whether or not your website has what it takes for your business to achieve success online at 220marketing.com.

Clearly communicate your compelling call to action at the end of every video telling visitors exactly how to get to your website along with the benefits of doing so. Also, with every video uploaded you have the opportunity to provide a short description of the video’s content. Why would you not take advantage of this space? Within the video’s description add your call to action with a link to your website.

If you have something that people want, they will take the next step to work with you!

220 Marketing specializes in Online Marketing and Management for industries such as Insurance Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, and Mortgage Marketing.

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Incorporating QR Codes into Your Marketing Plan

220 — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:24:22 +0000

A QR code, which stands for Quick Response, is a two-dimensional code that can easily be scanned by smartphones to automatically generate text, photos, videos, music, and URLs. QR codes provide marketers an easy and mobile-friendly way to direct people to their website and other online resources.

QR codes are a way for your company to provide consumers with detailed information about your products/services without taking up a lot of space.

The following sources can be used to generate your own QR codes:

Kaywa – This website provides an easy QR code generator for a URL, text, phone number, or SMS. Select your preferences and click “Generate.” Save the code to use elsewhere or grab the HTML code to embed it online.

iCandy – This website allows you to not only generate a QR code, it allows you to track scans and look at the analytics for your QR code as well.

Stickybits – This website makes it simple to create stickers for your QR codes.

There are tons of websites out there to generate your own barcodes for free. Try doing a quick Google search for “QR code generator”

How to Incorporate QR Codes into your Marketing Plan:

Below are a few ways for you to implement QR codes into your marketing plan.

Business Cards – QR codes should be placed on business cards to help new and existing contacts to find your business faster. You can direct traffic to an online resume, Facebook business page, or your website.

Offline Marketing Materials – QR codes should be placed on any offline marketing materials provided by your business such as flyers, brochures, handouts, envelopes, bills, and countless other materials. Use QR codes on these resources to direct viewers to a particular how-to video, follow your business on Facebook or Twitter, or point them to a landing page promoting a particular campaign.

Incentives – One of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your business is a giveaway. Reward those who scan a particular QR code by providing a coupon or a discount. Provide your scanners with a small reward to thank them for their patronage.

In House- Place QR codes in the waiting area of your office and in storefront windows. You can use QR codes in your office to encourage Facebook check-ins.

Although QR codes are certainly growing in popularity it is important to remember that QR codes are still foreign to some people. Never assume your customers know how to use a QR code.

Has your business started to use QR codes?

220 Marketing specializes in Online Marketing and Management for industries such as Insurance Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, and Mortgage Marketing.

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Website’s Using Google’s +1 Button Generate 3.5x More Google+ Visits

220 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:51:01 +0000

Google+ is one of the newest social networking platforms to hit the Internet and its standing strong against the big boys in the market. Google+ is growing faster than Twitter and Facebook each did in the same timeframe. HubSpot recently conducted a study, comparing referral traffic from websites that have a Google’s +1 button installed to websites that do not. According to HubSpot’s results, “websites that use Google’s +1 button generated 3.5 times more traffic from Google+ than websites that do not have the button installed.”

The value of social sharing buttons should not be overlooked. Social sharing buttons allow your content to quickly be shared on the most visited social media platforms with just a click of a button. You can not expect your website’s visitors to share your content without having some type of a call to action. Social sharing buttons act as a call to action for your website’s visitors, reminding each individual to share your message with their online connections.

If you do not have a Google +1 button on your website, waste no time, its time to start getting connected. You can generate a +1 button for your website today by going to google.com/+1button. Have you seen an increase in traffic to your website since adding Google’s +1 button?

220 Marketing specializes in Online Marketing and Management for industries such as Insurance Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, and Mortgage Marketing.

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