Okay, so it’s almost the end of August, and I’m already getting powerful hankerings for crisp autumn breezes and apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice scents to compliment the upcoming season. At least we’re one glorious Friday Fix closer to all of that fall freshness, right? Speaking of Friday Fixes, happy Friday Fix Day! So, in this week’s Friday’s Fix, we look at SEO and how to achieve it, how thinking small and outside of the box is your best bet, and what you could and should be doing in 2015 to have a winning rest of the year. So, get cozy, kick back, and get ready to get Fixed, Friday style!
Content Marketing: Let Hemingway Help
While the title of this article immediately transported me to thoughts of my favorite Ernest Hemingway novels, what Armando Roggio actually advises is using Hemingway Editor that helps you emulate the clear prosaic style of the famous author. What the editor does is highlights areas that you could potential rewrite for simplification.
Controlled Innovation: The Best Ideas are Born at Home
etsy.com
As much as I hoped this was a ringing endorsement for literally working from home in various state of dishevelment as I so thoroughly enjoy doing, John Montesi’s article –like all of his articles, is smarter than that. What he’s actually saying is that bringing in outside brains (preferably with the human still attached) isn’t always the best solution to perpetuate innovation. Rather, John suggests both starting small and going big and going home. Save yourself the guesswork and check out the article; these are inspired approaches.
Today’s Secret to Viral Marketing? One Clever Real-World Idea
In this article, Lauren Johnson brings “five tips for building global buzz from out-of-home ads”. Perhaps going against what many would assume “works”, Lauren advises starting and thinking small and getting outside. Take risks and be simple, she says. If you’re looking for ways to think outside of the box, this piece is for you.
8 Ways Marketers are Being Heard in 2015
rudebaguette.com
I’d like to offer Steve Olenski a huge word of thanks for compiling a list of what’s working in 2015. We talk about it all of the time, but he’s boiled all down into one handy-dandy list that you can use to determine if you’re doing everything in your power to be seen and heard (because nobody puts Baby in the corner). Are you going Mobile? Engaging in visual storytelling? Blogging? Social media marketing? Yes? No? Either way, check out this read to see what the other ways of being heard are and to read the details on how to make each of these approaches give you a face and a voice.
The Only 6 Content Marketing Steps You Need this Year
Now that the year has had a chance to show us what it’s made of, we’re able to get a clearer picture of what’s essential and what’s clutter. In Jonha Revesencio’s article, he lays out the only six steps you’ll need for content marketing this year like documenting your strategy, investing in visual marketing, and curating. If you’ve ever wished you were rich and had someone planning your meals, I feel Jonha’s list kind of does that for your content marketing…just feed it these things and it will look fabulous and have the whitest teeth ever.
What You Need to Know about Digital Marketing Trends!
business2community.com
Rosalind Henshell keeps you in the know this week with her relevant piece on what you need to know about digital marketing trends. This flows nicely from Steve’s article as they both mention some of the same things (Automation! Going Mobile!), and Rosalind makes an important point, which is that digital marketing trends change constantly, so what worked six months ago might not be so great now. Are you evolving?
12 Sensational Content Marketing Ideas for Boring Industries
Okay, I’m sure Matt Janaway doesn’t mean you’re boring, but let’s be honest…some things are way less stimulating than others, right (until people need them obviously)? For example, Matt says that carpet cleaning just doesn’t jiggle his chain until his dog leaves muddy footprints all over the carpet and then suddenly, carpet cleaning just got a lot more interesting. So, if you’re one of these “boring” industries who people don’t frequently actively seek, how can you dazzle with your content marketing? Well, Matt suggests knowing your customers, tell an awesome brand story, use pictures and videos, and more (he also advises as to how, making this piece a worthy read).
Are Crazy ROI Metrics Destroying Branding and Storytelling?
patrickpowers.net
And, did video really kill the radio star!? (Yes, yes it did. And then Jersey Shore killed video.) I digress. In this piece, John Hall poses an important question. He acquiesces that while –yes, numbers are important, telling an honest brand story and building strategy around long term metrics ranks right up there with the numbers. Additionally, John notes while his ROI wasn’t reflective of much success, their conversion rates increased by a staggering 151%, so there really is something to not putting all of your stock in numbers and focusing on the truth behind who you are.
NASA: The First Content Marketers?
I’m a sucker for articles like this one by Adam Hayes. I love the little dose of history tied in with the correlation to content marketing especially when it’s not obvious from the outset. Sure, we’ve all seen how vintage Disney and John Deere were inadvertent content marketing pioneers, but NASA? That’s new…go on. In this article, Adam highlights lessons and influences content marketers can take away from NASA’s lengthy timeline.
SEO for Content Marketing: Beyond What’s on the Page
Andrew Schulkind explores the world beyond your website that impacts your SEO success rates. You also have to factor in social, mobile, and security matters. Also, as Andrew points out, you can no longer deceive search engines into giving your site a higher rank. Honestly, this is for the best because now high SEO is achieved through developing a trusting rapport with your audience through authentic methods (like storytelling).
Blogging for SEO: How to Achieve High Search Rankings with Your Blog Posts
So, you’ve checked one box and you’ve got a blog going (good for you!), but right now it’s kind of lazy and just sits there; it doesn’t do anything it promised when you decided to start one –like achieving high search rankings, but how do you whip your flabby blog into shape? Easy! Just like whipping one’s own floppy bum into shape, blogs need regular updates (workouts in your bum’s case). Blog posts need to use targeted key words (just like doing targeted exercises); however, just like squats and crunches, too much of a good thing is a bad thing, so you have to strike a balance during your nice, long blog post (also, the blog looks like its on steroids if it’s over-stuffed with key words). There are a few other ways help your blog, so if you promise to check out this article, I’ll promise to stop with the gym metaphor.
Amy Delcambre is a freelance content and travel writer from Mobile, Alabama with a Master's in Creative Writing. When she's not painting the page with nouns, verbs, and adverbs, she's slaying grammar beasts as a freelance editor and saving the world one sentence fragment at a time teaching university writing classes. In her free time, Amy enjoys cooking, traveling, and testing which plant species best survive prolonged neglect.
Connect with Amy: LinkedIn