INBOUND ACCELERATOR

For most businesses — especially B2B brands — it is no longer enough for marketing content to sell. Marketing content needs to solve problems for customers.

Successfully placing contributed articles — also called bylined articles or thought leadership — in industry publications isn’t always an easy task. It requires developing article ideas or abstracts that publishers find attractive, pitching to the right publications, and finally, crafting a high-quality piece that meets publication guidelines and earns you a reputation for submitting great work.

When you share your business Facebook page with someone, what does the URL look like?

Is it a random jumble of letters and numbers, which may have been assigned by the platform when you first created your page, or is it clear that this Facebook page belongs to you?

If a Clutch survey of small businesses is correct, within the next year more than 85 percent of businesses with 500 or fewer employees, which includes everything from retail boutiques and med spas to home builders, independent accounts and financial advisers, will be using social media. I agree with that prediction, as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and others have changed the landscape of how we connect with one another and share information, for both personal and commercial reasons.

Business blogs have the potential to increase website traffic, build trust and thought leadership within your industry and drive online lead generation. But before they can accomplish those goals, business blogs must attract and keep readers.

Quick question: When did you create your business Facebook page, Twitter account or Instagram page? Last week? Last year? 2010?

More importantly, when did you last update it?

Nearly everything you write as a marketer, and most public relations content as well, is intended to inspire the reader to do SOMETHING. Maybe that something is just to visit your website, maybe it is to sign up for a newsletter or download a webinar. Or maybe you want them to click “Buy Now” on your latest product.

Regardless of which action you want the reader to take, the rules for writing copy that converts remain largely the same.

Social media is no longer an optional piece of any small business marketing strategy. It must be there, in some form. But for small businesses with limits on both how much money and how much time is available to commit to social media, the options can seem overwhelming.

Should you focus on creating ads for Facebook and paying a per-click fee for the opportunity to get your business in front of more eyes, or spend more time on creating organic content (posts, links, videos, etc.) to increase engagement with the followers you already have?

How are you using video in your marketing strategies? Live on social media? Webinars? Or dipping your toes into virtual reality?

The possibilities are continually expanding, and with video expected to make up more than 80 percent of all internet traffic by 2021, now is the time to find ways to work it into your marketing plan. (Source)

Do you ever wish you had a blueprint that could guide you through the most important steps in creating a great business blog post? Something with some specs to refer to as you build from an idea out?

Luckily, Business2Community has drawn up plans for us, which fit well with what I’ve shared before (so I’ll link to more resources below the infographic).