I don’t want to alarm anyone, but it’s the last Friday Fix before Thanksgiving. In a week, it will be Black Friday (is your content ready for this?), and we’ll all be fat and happy and napping excessively. Anyway, enough about my plans; we’ve got bigger turkeys to fry here. So, let’s talk about the buzz in content marketing this week. We examine content measurement matters while also analyzing where some content marketing strategies go wrong. We also take a closer look at how one company is winning at life while another is Tweeting their apologies for a PR uh oh, one that is most likely worth at least three lumps of coal in their holiday stocking (maybe hang that one in the garage).
Biz Tip of the Week: Finding Topics for Content Marketing
We all know that horrifying feeling when it’s like the idea well has simply run dry and every word feels forced and pedestrian. We agree with Diane Diamond that staying on top of trending topics by keeping up with the news or what Twitter hashtags are trending is essential for a content marketing strategy; further, being in the know will help keep your idea mill flowing smoothly, so the well will never run dry. #stayinspired
The Missing Ingredient in Your Content Marketing: LinkedIn Discussions?
I so wish Amanda Clark had titled this “The Missing Link” since we’re talking about LinkedIn, but the smart points she makes more than makes up for her not indulging my need for random puns. So, about LinkedIn –why is it important to your content marketing strategy? Well, it keeps you relevant as an authority among other things, which are listed in the article. Additionally, Amanda provides three great tips for engaging on the professional social media site; it looks like she’s found the missing link.
Why It’s Critical to Solve the Measurement Problem in Content Marketing
Earlier this month, the question was raised was whether or not content marketing faced a confidence issue; the result of that discussion was that no, it doesn’t, but there are concerns in the ability to measure content marketing. Now, as David Dodd points out, these concerns translate into the confidence the marketers themselves have in their content marketing abilities (see the difference)? So, at the risk of sounding like a 90s deodorant commercial, raise your hand if you’re among the 9.4% who are sure of their content marketing strategy; click this to read more if you’re unsure.
How Do You Measure the ROI of Content Marketing?
So, common sense if nothing else dictates that return on investment (ROI) is pretty important in nearly all of our endeavors. It’s certainly important to content marketing, but how do you establish a functional matrices for measuring all of the indicators of content marketing success (especially those that tend to be more subjective)? After outlining what constitutes success, Brad Kuenn explains how to assess traffic and time to measure ROI.
Typography Matters: A Font of Content Marketing Inspiration
First, I have to say, thank you, Dana Chen, for punning in your title. Now, let’s get down to business. Using images to illustrate her points, Dana Chen explains not only how important font choices are (you know because they either facilitate or hinder our ability to communicate), she also breaks down the three principles of type as well as how to create typography that will rock your content marketing.
Five Key Elements to Create a Global Content Marketing Plan
If your content marketing plan is ready for the next level (global domination), Pam Didner says not so fast. There are a few things you need to do before you blaze trails to content marketing victory. Essentially, you should treat your global marketing plan like you would if you were the general of an army of allied forces: get everything organized, make sure everyone is on the same page, and know what everyone’s priorities are. If going global is on the horizon for you, this is a very important read because now is the time to start strategizing.
SEO for Content Marketers: 3 Basics You Must Understand
Whether you’re new to content marketing (welcome to the fold) or pretty experienced, it never hurts to get back to basics because the fundamentals are sometimes easy to lose focus on when you’re busy trying to tell an engaging, relevant, authentic story, for example. So, if you don’t know the rules relative to key terms, copy length, and link building, or just want a refresher, this easy read by Chloe Basterfield is a great one.
Why No One’s Reading Your Marketing Content
You know things have gotten bad when even your mom is no longer reading your content. The thing is, as Jayson DeMers points out, it may not even be you or rather, it may not even be your creative process (i.e., the writing); it could very easily be that there’s no follow-up after the content is “out there.” You’ve got to have a smart distribution model (mom, please come back); Jayson DeMers explains how you can go about getting it done.
Stop Wasting Time & Money on Your Content Marketing
I know, from the title alone, it sounds like Arnie Kuenn is contradicting every bit of advice you’ve ever been given about content marketing, but listen to what the man has to say. He’s not encouraging you to shut down your content marketing and go back to campy TV ads; he’s just advising on how to avoid wasting time and money on content marketing strategies that may not be right for you. Like, if you’re a little fish in a big pond, and you’re trying to “go big or go home”, chances are that sooner than later, you’re going home. So, check out the eight mistakes you could be making.
9GAG’s Ray Chan on Content Marketing
For those who don’t know, 9GAG is a social media sharing site where users can upload entertaining materials to share. Apple Lam tells us that since its founding, the site has gone global reaching more than 80 million people each month –it’s the kind of success most content marketers don’t even try to dream of. So, what does co-founder Ray Chan have to say about content marketing and how exactly is content marketing like a (costly) marathon? Check out his words of wisdom to find out.
Lessons from Uber Senior VP’s “Off the Record” Rant”
So while things are kittens, sunshine, and rainbows over at 9GAG, they’re the seventh circle of Hell for Uber who recently made the news in a less-than-glorious fashion for some off the record comments made during a dinner recently (#thatwasthewinetalking). So, Apple Lam brings us the scoop on how they are using social media and other tactics to escape the kind of thing that I assume only nightmares are made of.
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
