It’s mid-July and blazing saddles hot outside, which means you have our permission to take a break for an iced latte and the Friday Fix, our fantastic weekly run-down of the past seven days in the world of content marketing. This week, we zero in on what might be going wrong with your business blog, why direct response marketing is here to stay, how to use visuals for impactful content marketing, and examples from awesome digital marketing storytellers among other things (like how to improve your content marketing). So, kick back and get yourself a helping of our Friday Fixings.
How to Leverage Visuals for Powerful Content Marketing
Humans are sensual beings…we just are. Look at how many of us eat with our eyes? Admit it…you’re following at least one chef on Instagram for the food porn (or you’re that one weird person who legitimately hates pictures of food). Well, in this article, Karen Taylor digs into why images are so evocative; she explores how and why they’re memorable, emotional, and tell stories (among other things). She also makes suggestions for how you can use images for visual storytelling and to punch up your content marketing.
Are you Sitting Comfortably? Use Cases from Great Digital Marketing Storytellers
There’s nothing quite as useful as picking apart the working pieces of a successful brand story. How’s it told? What’s working? Why is it working? How can I implement that into my storytelling? In this piece, Chris Middleton takes it straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth by talking to digital marketing leaders and getting their insights and breakdowns on what makes their stories successful.
Why Storytelling is So Important for Successful Content Marketing
smallbusinesspr.com
There are plenty of pundits who talk about why storytelling is integral for successful content marketing, and here Amy Cowen puts her spin on it. The reality is that stories are memorable. Chances are, some of your earliest memories involve being told stories or pertain to stories that excited you as a wee one. Thus, Amy explains why storytelling should be the base for every content marketing strategy. Why? Stories are real, they’re relatable, they make us feel, they hold our attention, and they’re memorable.
5 Content Marketing Ideas for August 2016
Still working on your content calendar for this August? Let Armando Roggio inspire you with a little FYI on what’s trending (aside from Pokemon Go). First, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio will take place this August. What else happens in August? Oh, yeah…back to school. If you think about it, you can still remember what your school smelled like that first week of school. Other happenings? August 20 is National Honeybee Day as well as World Mosquito Day (shudder). Another suggestion? Create interest by talking about and relating to historical happenings for the month of August (like Jesse Owens winning the long jump in Berlin in August 1936).
Why Direct Response Marketing Will Always Have a Place in Business Copywriting
Small business marketers, take notes…Chelsea Baldwin is onto something with her points that direct response marketing still plays a role in business copywriting. Why? Because at the end of the day, the goal is still to make sales, right? As a small business, you don’t have the manpower to pull off ad campaigns like Coca-Cola or similar. With direct response marketing, you’re addressing specific problems and adding value, which audience’s respond to.
Can Content Marketing Replace Advertising?
In this piece, John Ring begs the question that is surely on the minds of many (at least every so often), and certainly the tides seem to be turning in that direction, do they not? Well, yes and no. John analyzes the current field and upon close analysis comes up with a conclusion that indicates that advertising still has a role.
How Thinking Like a Lawyer Made Me a Better Content Marketer
Though the idea of thinking of a lawyer might spawn stereotypical thoughts of thinking like an unfeeling shark, Shayla Price reveals that thinking like a lawyer (not a stereotypical one, though) might be exactly what your content marketing strategy needs. How so? Use your inner lawyer to create compelling stories, aim to solve real problems, stick to schedules, provide multiple solutions, and adhere to a code of ethics.
5 Reasons Every Company Should be Using Content Marketing
adworld.ie
If you’ve heard about content marketing but haven’t been swayed by the idea of it (after all, where does selling and making money come in, right?), then let AJ Agrawal’s five reasons every company should be using content marketing compel you toward the light. As AJ points out, sharable content is trending…this increased traffic builds attention for your business…and that attention can translate into sales. Content marketing helps audiences get to know you; without that perception, you’re just another stucco (or website) façade, and who wants to do business with a façade? Content marketing also encourages action among other things.
The Dos and Don’ts of Content Marketing
If you spend enough time embroiled in content marketing, most of these dos and don’ts will become common sense or second-nature; however, just in case you’re wondering if you’re doing it right, let John Foley Jr. spell it out. He tells you how to do the dos like: finding your target audience, being original, and keeping it short and sweet while he also breaks down avoiding the don’ts, which include: pushing your product, promoting ads, copying the competition, and being self-centered. Good advice.
What You Need to Know to Improve Your Content Marketing
This week’s lean toward improving your content marketing concludes with Michael Noice’s article on ways to improve your content marketing. Consider implementing new approaches that you hadn’t previously used. For example, a monthly newsletter might be just what your business needs to boost engagement. On the other hand, you might want to look at more frequent interaction through a different vehicle. The point is, there’s no one-size-fits all approach to content marketing, which is why you want insight on your options and on what might work best for your business.
Business Blogging: What You Are Probably Doing Wrong
thestorytelleragency.com
You know that your business needs a blog, and you may have already started one; however, it’s not garnering much attention, which makes you wonder if the blog’s even necessary. To answer your unasked question, yes, it is. A blog can do wonders for your business if it’s done right and by that we mean posting on a steady schedule, doing keyword research, focusing on your target audience, incorporating visual content, and investing in content writing.
Are you looking to improve your reach but aren’t sure how to do it? If so, The Storyteller Agency can help. Contact us and let our experts show you how to improve your content marketing or to establish your brand’s voice, to build a better blog, to tell your story, and more.
