If this sounds familiar, don’t worry—the digital marketing experts at DOM have proven strategies to help you increase conversions on your website.

Table of Contents

• Meet Your Audience Where They Are
• Awareness Stage
• Consideration Stage
• Decision Stage
• Craft Compelling Headlines
• Focus on Value-Driven Content
• Optimize for Search Engines and User Experience
• Use Clear Calls to Action
• Leverage Social Proof
• Experiment and Iterate
• Drive More Leads To Your Website With A Digital Marketing Partner
• Key Takeaways for Content that Converts

Meet Your Audience Where They Are

You must understand your audience before you can message to them in a way that will compel them to take action. 

Knowing their pain points, desires, and questions is key to creating content that resonates. You can get a grasp on your audience by diving into website analytics, customer feedback, and social media interactions. These sources will help you get a clearer picture of what your audience needs.

At Direct Online Marketing (DOM), we’ve driven leads for our clients by helping them develop content in three distinct buckets: awareness, consideration, and decision.

Each visitor to your website is in a different place; you need to craft messaging that speaks to the various points they might be at along the way to purchasing from your business. They’re searching for information, solutions, and ultimately, the best partner to help them achieve their goals.

Awareness Stage

Imagine someone experiencing a problem. They’re likely searching for information and answers. To cater to people in the awareness stage, your content should focus on educating and building trust (not a hard sales push). 

Blog posts, articles, and videos are a great way to provide valuable insights that establish your brand as a thought leader. Give people in the awareness stage plenty of material to peruse that shows a broad swath of the quality goods and services you provide. 

Lay out your wares. Let people take a look at their leisure. (Don’t ask them to take action yet.)

Consideration Stage

The consideration stage refers to people who are intently seeking solutions to a problem but aren’t quite ready to pull the trigger. They’re comparing options and researching potential providers. 

This is where content that positions your business as the ideal solution comes into play. Robust resources—such as, case studies, testimonials, and side-by-side comparisons—can demonstrate your expertise and value proposition.

Decision Stage

This is the final stage where prospects are ready to make a purchase, the decision stage. Your content should now focus on removing any remaining doubts as to why your business is best-suited to meet the user’s needs. 

Demos and whitepapers, free trials and webinars are the meaty kinds of content that often compel people to take action. 

We do this kind of thing with our own website. Check out our free guide to content marketing as an example. 

By the decision stage, you’ve provided information for people to look at in their own time, you’ve backed that up with forceful presentations of your unique value proposition, and now you’re encouraging them to convert.  

Craft Compelling Headlines

Headlines must grab people’s attention. 

Face it—people don’t read online word-for-word. They skim. 

You’ve probably jumped around a bit in this very blog. Likely you’ve dived in at the point that seems most potent in driving more leads to your business. 

Your headline is often the first thing a potential lead sees. (It might also be the only thing if it sucks.)  

So it needs to be attention-grabbing and relevant. A strong headline should spark curiosity and clearly indicate the value that the content offers.

For example:

• Tips for Better Marketing 
• 5 Proven Strategies to Drive More Leads to Your Business.

The second headline is specific, promises actionable insights, and directly speaks to the reader’s goal of generating leads.

Dig deeper with our 7 Tips to Craft Compelling Headlines.

Focus on Value-Driven Content

Provide advice in your content that your audience can implement immediately. That’s value-driven content. 

Some of the ways that we help our clients at DOM deliver this kind of content to drive more leads is in the form of how-to guides, case studies, and actionable lists.

And you don’t have to start from scratch. 

Try taking a list of features about your goods and services and turning that into a narrative about how those features come together to solve problems. The subtle shift from features to benefits (time saved, increased budget efficiency, greater client buy-in) helps people feel the tangible value of choosing your business. 

Optimize for Search Engines and User Experience

Balancing SEO with user experience is crucial for driving more leads to your website. 

Low-hanging fruit on this front is commonly to incorporate relevant keywords naturally into content; to write meta descriptions that signal to search engines the main theme of a page; and to make your website easy to navigate with intuitive menus and dropdowns.

You get more leads from a website that’s SEO optimized and user-friendly. We’ve seen this time and again at DOM. 

Read about the impact of user experience on SEO.

Use Clear Calls to Action

A well-crafted CTA can significantly increase conversions on your website. 

CTAs that are precise and action-oriented, while also being aligned with the content’s message, tend to yield the best results. Instead of a generic “Click Here,” try something like, “Download Your Free Guide to Increase Conversions.”

Experiment with placement and wording to find what works best. For instance, placing a CTA at the end of a blog post that provides valuable insights can encourage readers to take the next step in their journey toward converting with your business.

In light of the discussion of user-engagement stages above, CTAs are best employed in the final, decision stage. You can’t ask much of people online, so when you do entice them to take action, take your best shot. 

Leverage Social Proof

By social proof we mean testimonials, reviews, case studies, quotes from satisfied clients, and star-ratings from review sites. These are signals of trust; they build credibility in the user’s mind. 

See a sample results page with case studies here. 

As we’ve seen over the years for our clients at DOM, prospective leads are more likely to convert when they see that others have had positive experiences with your business. 

People don’t buy from websites. They buy from people. 

The social signals that your business has garnered from good service in the past may be the most potent tool you have in closing deals and driving more leads. 

Experiment and Iterate

If you set-it-and-forget-it, well, you can probably forget about increasing conversions on your website. 

Content strategy requires continual iteration. Test different approaches to see what resonates most with your audience. Use tools like A/B testing and heat mapping to compare the performance of headlines, CTAs, and content formats.

A simple split test you might conduct is to compare two versions of a landing page: one with a video; one with a static image. 

Learn more about the power of videos to drive conversions on your site: 

• Short, Snappy, Successful Video Content That Wins

Let the test run long enough to attain statistical significance as to which version drives more conversions. 

With the results in hand, you can quickly update other pages on your site with your learnings. 

Then create a new hypothesis. Rinse. And repeat. You’ll incrementally improve the conversion rate of your website by applying the learnings from multiple, easy A/B tests. 

Drive More Leads To Your Website With A Digital Marketing Partner

Creating compelling content is the foundation of increasing conversions on your website. 

Check out our digital marketing resources for expert advice from the DOM team through webinars and guides, checklists and podcasts.

Further, by really understanding what people need, crafting compelling headlines, offering valuable insights, optimizing for SEO & user experience, and leveraging social proof, you can create a holistic experience on your website. You can create a unified, rich experience for users wherein each element is nudging them to convert. 

That is, your website can function as a helpful guide on the conversion journey—never yelling, always gently suggesting a bit of useful information or an easy way to sign up. 

You can turn various elements of your online presence into powerful lead-generation tools. See the range of services we provide at DOM. 

Drive more leads and sales with our full-service internet marketing agency, where we manage all digital marketing services and advertising channels, unifying your message across each platform.

Key Takeaways for Content that Converts

• Understand Your Audience
  Tailor your content to different stages of the buyer’s journey (awareness, consideration, decision) by addressing their specific needs and concerns at each stage.
• Craft Compelling Content
  Focus on providing valuable insights and showcasing benefits. Use storytelling to engage your audience.
• Optimize for Conversions
  Improve search engine visibility through keyword optimization. Enhance user experience with clear navigation and formatting. Plus use strong calls to action to guide visitors towards desired actions.
• Leverage Social Proof
  Build trust and credibility by incorporating testimonials, reviews, and case studies that demonstrate exceptional customer experiences.
• Test & Iterate
  Regularly test and analyze your content to identify areas for improvement. A/B tests and heat maps are key ways to surface actionable insights. 

The post Struggling to Create Content That Converts? Try These Tips appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

Table of Contents

• Good Website Content Serves the Reader and the Writer
• Good Website Copy Has a Clear Goal
• Start with a Specific Goal
  • Informational Ad Copy
  • Transactional Ad Copy
  • Information & Transactional Ad Copy
• Knowing the Audience Is Key to Writing Good Website Copy
• Write Website Copy That’s Simple (But Not Simplistic)
• Make Your Website Content Scannable
• Follow the Guidance from Google’s Helpful Content Update
• What Is Google’s Helpful Content Update
• Align Website Copy With Google’s Helpful Content Update
• Demonstrate Authority and Use AI Wisely in Website Content
  • AI-writing DON’Ts
  • AI-writing DOs
• Good Website Content Is Attainable
• Key Takeaways

Good Website Content Serves the Reader and the Writer

You know your brand. You believe you offer something of value to your clients. You need to get this message out there to share that value with others and to grow your business. 

Your website is a conduit to reaching thousands upon thousands of people every day. The copy on your website is crucial. These words are the appeal to website visitors to buy from you; they are also scrutinized by search engines like Google when the algorithm serves up search results. 

Fundamentally, you need to write pages that are useful to people. And immediately after that, you need to consider how those pages can be optimized for search engines because if your site is never seen, it’s not serving the reader, nor is it helping your business drive more sales.

Good Website Copy Has a Clear Goal

As we’re seeing, there are multiple priorities to manage with your website copy. You’ve got to keep in mind user interest, business objectives, and search engine visibility. 

The best way to satisfy these priorities is often to focus on a specific goal with each piece of content or page you create. With a variety of kinds of content across your website, you can meet the needs of visitors, business, and SEO in different ways in different places—rather than grinding to a halt trying to do all three at once. 

Broadly speaking, you can think of website copy as informational and transactional. Quality website copy answers questions and it compels purchases. And it does each of these things to a different extent depending upon the particular type of page that it will live on.

Start with a Specific Goal

Informational Ad Copy

An about us page is largely informational. This is a page where an organization lays out its reason for being and often communicates the broad strokes of the company’s history. An about us page usually sets for the unique value proposition of a company, but it does so plainly and briefly, without making a forceful, transactional push for a user to take action. 

Transactional Ad Copy

On the other end of the spectrum is, for instance, a checkout page. You’ve already got a person who’s highly interested in your product because they have clicked through to the checkout page. Now you need to get the sale over the finish line with compelling copy that presents an irresistible argument for why the person should complete their purchase. 

Information & Transactional Ad Copy

Most of the pages on a website live somewhere in the middle. A blog post (like this once) has a dual identity: it seeks to give expert information to interested users, and it seeks to subtly suggest to readers that they consider doing business with the company. 

Knowing the Audience Is Key to Writing Good Website Copy

Writing into the void isn’t much use. Writing to the whole world also isn’t likely to be effective. Good website content aims at an audience, a particular demographic of people that would be best served by your content. 

• What questions are people asking? 
• How old are they? 
• What concerns do they have? 
• Why do they care about the things they do? 
• What economic bracket do they reside in? 
• What challenges do they face day to day that your organization might help them with? 
• Where do they live? 
• How much do they already know about your company?
• Are there other solutions available besides the one you provide?

Ask yourself these questions within your business to get a sense for your audience. Then you’ll have a core set of concerns to write copy toward. You’ll have a feel for what life is like for your audience, so you can speak to them in familiar language that demonstrates your value to their individual circumstances. 

Write Website Copy That’s Simple (But Not Simplistic)

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with someone who uses complex words just to sound smart? It doesn’t work—it confuses and alienates people. The same applies to writing for your website. 

It’s not that you need to dumb down, just keep it clear and to the point. Use short sentences and common words to make your ideas easy to grasp. Don’t use an abstruse twenty-dollar word when a hard-working one-dollar word is readily available and familiar to all. 

Make Your Website Content Scannable

People don’t read online—they scan. They skim. They skip around. They jump to the bottom and then jump back up. Rarely does text get read word-for-word on any website.  

So help people out. Break your content into digestible chunks, use subheadings, and highlight key points with bullets or numbered lists. Big blocks of text can feel like an insurmountable wall to scale. Instead, you want your readers to feel like they’re strolling through a garden, able to stop and admire any flower that catches their eye. 

Make sure the key points and main themes of the page are represented in headings. Use your H1s, H2s, and H3s to create an outline for the page. The message of the page should be clear from reading just the headings.

Follow the Guidance from Google’s Helpful Content Update

The copy that you painstakingly write for your website can only do its work if people can actually find it online. Hopefully you’ve crafted messaging that answers questions and suggests why your company provides a worthwhile solution. It’s especially import that you do so if you want to be found on Google since the search giant rolled out its Helpful Content Update in September 2023.

What Is Google’s Helpful Content Update

In September 2023, Google changed its search algorithm to deliver more human-made content in the midst of the proliferation of AI-generated content. 

With the rise of AI writing abilities in platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, millions of webpages have been published that contain primarily AI-generated text. Many of these pages merely re-worded and re-organized text that was available from authoritative sources across the internet, which Google frowns on, and so Google has been downranking sites that feature such content. 

In extreme cases, Google has stopped showing offending websites in its search results altogether.

Align Website Copy With Google’s Helpful Content Update

To stay on Google’s good side and maintain healthy rankings, you merely have to employ what we’ve already been discussing here as good practice in your content writing. 

This takes hard work. But it doesn’t mean you have to revolutionize the way you create content. Ultimately the Google’s Helpful Content Update should prove a boon to reputable organizations—because with Google cracking down on unscrupulous sites that merely steal and re-package content, honest attempts to present valuable information will rise higher in the SERPs.  

Demonstrate Authority and Use AI Wisely in Website Content

The power of AI tools being what they are, no site owner is likely to write all their copy from scratch anymore. The amount of content and the frequency with which AI can help is astounding. 

AI tools are a good place to start in brainstorming topics for new content; they are a poor place to finish and merely publish exactly what is generated.   

The surest path to better and sustained search rankings is to follow the principles of E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. And AI can help you follow that path more quickly as a writing assistant. 

Implementing E-E-A-T means acting like the expert you are about your business. It means writing original, engaging content that details your history of success and clearly explains your value proposition to prospective clients. 

Following these AI-writing DOs and avoiding the DON’Ts will put you on the right track. You’ll be implementing best practices that satisfy the E-E-A-T principles that matter to human readers and to Google (especially after the Helpful Content update of September 2023).  

AI-writing DON’Ts

• Don’t post verbatim what an AI tool generates.
  • You may be putting out false information. The large language models behind AI tools are trained on text from all over the internet, not all of which is true. Plus, if you blindly post what AI gives you, you may be committing plagiarism. AI frequently provides factual information taken directly from authoritative sources, but it often does so without citing the source.
• Don’t keyword stuff.
  • You shouldn’t merely inject a particular word many times throughout your content in an attempt to get a page to rank for that word. Google’s algorithm is good at recognizing this tactic and will ding the page accordingly. 
• Don’t let AI flatten your voice.
  • You have a unique voice. Your content should reflect that. Merely posting what AI produces can lead to bland content that doesn’t entice people to take action. 

AI-writing DOs

• Polish each sentence with human input.
  • Revise, edit, rephrase, change punctuation—do something to change each sentence so that you don’t publish anything to your site that is just a regurgitation of an AI tool. 
• Regularly publish content.
  • Build a reputation in the mind of your clients (and in the view of Google’s search algorithm) that your site is an active, continual fountain of useful information. 
• Include an author bio.
  • Attribute content on your website to the person who wrote it and demonstrate their expertise. The goal is to get your people recognized by name in Google’s mind as experts. So avoid putting a byline of just contributor or company name.

Good Website Content Is Attainable

With some elbow grease and a bit of help from AI, generating quality copy for your website on a consistent basis is well within reach. 

Good content is content that people want to read. It’s content that is informative, engaging, and persuasive. It’s content that helps people solve problems, answer questions, or make decisions.

At Direct Online Marketing, we’ve helped hundreds of clients expand their footprint online with content marketing and SEO services. We’ve learned from the best (and the less than stellar) examples of web content.  

To get our thoughts on how to grow your marketing success in light of Google’s Helpful Content Update, contact DOM for a free strategic audit of your website content.

Key Takeaways

• Good website content serves both the reader’s needs and the business’s objectives, ensuring information is useful and persuasive.
• Writing with a specific goal in mind for each page helps balance user interest, business objectives, and search engine optimization.
• Understanding your audience allows you to tailor content that speaks directly to their questions, concerns, and circumstances.
• Clear, scannable, and simple website copy helps users quickly find the information they need while keeping them engaged.
• Aligning your content with Google’s Helpful Content Update by demonstrating expertise and using AI carefully ensures better search rankings and reader trust.

The post What Is Good Website Content? appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

• How and Why to Use Video in Your Digital Ads
• Where Can I Use Video in My Digital Ads?
• Pre-Production: Laying the Groundwork
• Capture Attention in the First Seconds
• Keep It Concise and Powerful
• The Irresistible Call-To-Action (CTA)
• Optimization and Testing
• The DOM Difference With Ads That Get Results

It might have started in 2015, but in a lot of ways, the pivot to video that started in the halcyon days of Vine and Snapchat is still happening, albeit in slightly different ways. Instead of extolling the virtues of video for news sharing and social engagement, we’re going to look at it from a slightly different angle: using video for digital ads.

How and Why to Use Video in Your Digital Ads

Video is an indispensable tool in the digital marketer’s arsenal, and for good reason. Let’s explore some of the compelling ways video supercharges your advertising efforts along with how those tactics can be implemented:

• Increased Engagement: Video content is simply more captivating than static text or images. It naturally commands attention and encourages interaction, fostering stronger connections with your audience.
• Boosting Brand Recall: The combination of visuals, sound, and potential for storytelling make video highly memorable. A well-crafted video ad will linger in viewers’ minds long after they’ve scrolled past a text-based advertisement.
• Improved Conversions: Engaging videos can effectively guide viewers through the marketing funnel, from awareness to purchase. By demonstrating your product in action, addressing common concerns, or showcasing customer testimonials, videos make a strong case for taking the desired action.
• Enhanced SEO: Search engines favor websites with video content. Embedding relevant videos on your site can boost your search rankings, increasing visibility and driving more organic traffic.

Where Can I Use Video in My Digital Ads?

The variety of platforms and placements offers fantastic flexibility for your video ad campaigns. Let’s break down some of the most prevalent options:

• Social Media Platforms: Nearly all major social networks embrace video. Take advantage of these channels:
  • Instagram: Integrate video ads into Stories, Reels, or the main feed.
  • Facebook: Target your ideal audience with in-feed video ads or captivating Stories.
  • TikTok Embrace the platform’s unique style for quick, snappy, trend-driven content.
  • LinkedIn: Reach a professional audience with informative or thought leadership videos.
  • Pinterest: Create eye-catching video Pins that subtly promote your products or services.
• YouTube: Leverage the power of the world’s second-largest search engine with options like:
  • Pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll ads: Short ads interspersed within longer YouTube content.
  • Discovery ads: Promote your video in YouTube search results and on related video pages.
• Display Networks: Reach potential customers on a wide range of websites with banner ads that prominently feature your video content.
• Over-the-Top (OTT) Platforms: Consider integrating your video ads within popular streaming services like Hulu, Roku, or connected TV platforms.

Important note: The best platforms for your video ads will depend heavily on your target audience and campaign goals. Experiment and monitor results to determine where your videos perform best. At DOM, we are always A/B testing. You probably should be, too. 

Pre-Production: Laying the Groundwork

Before launching your dazzling ad campaign, it’s time to dig into the less glamorous – but essential – work of pre-production. Here are three aspects you absolutely cannot overlook:

• Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach with your video ad? Generic content gets lost in the shuffle. Get specific about your ideal viewer’s demographics, interests, and the problems they need solved. The better you understand your audience, the more likely you can create a video that truly connects.
• Message: What’s the one thing you want viewers to take away from your ad? Resist the urge to cram in too much information. Stay focused on a single, compelling message, whether it’s demonstrating a product’s benefits, solving a common problem, or simply establishing brand recognition.
• Platform: Where will your video ad live? Tailor the style and length to the platform. Snappy, visually focused Reels perform well on Instagram, whereas YouTube might give you space for a slightly longer, more informative ad.

Capture Attention in the First Seconds

In the lightning-fast world of digital attention spans, those initial seconds of your video ad are make-or-break.  Let’s explore how to hook viewers and keep them engaged right from the start.

Start with a bang! 

Whether it’s a stunning visual, a dynamic sequence, or an eye-opening close-up, your opening image needs to grab interest immediately.  Simultaneously, address a problem or desire of your target audience. Highlight a frustration they experience or illustrate how your product can simplify their lives. 

Doing any of these things shows potential customers that you understand their struggles and are here to offer a solution.

Don’t forget to pique their curiosity with an irresistible hook. Ask a provocative question, share an intriguing statistic, or reveal a surprising fact related to your product or service. Leave your viewers wanting to know more and eager to watch the rest of your ad.

Keep It Concise and Powerful

The temptation to say everything about your product or service in a single ad is real, but resist it! Viewers have limited patience, so make every second count.  Emphasize one clear, easily digestible message. 

Whether it’s introducing a core feature, highlighting a customer benefit, or establishing brand recognition,  focus helps avoid dilution and maintains a stronger impact.

A streamlined video doesn’t need to sacrifice storytelling. A short narrative featuring a relatable character overcoming a challenge with your product or service can make your video deeply memorable. Consider incorporating user-generated content, such as videos of customer testimonials, to make a persuasive case. 

Your overall video strategy should leave the viewer informed and, above all, inspired to act.

The Irresistible Call-To-Action (CTA)

A captivating video ad with no next steps is a missed opportunity. Your call to action should be simple, direct, and compelling, telling the viewer exactly what you want them to do. Think “Visit our website,” “Download the free guide,” or “Schedule a consultation.” 

Avoid vague or wordy CTAs that detract from the message.

To optimize your success,  connect your CTA directly to the problem or desire you highlighted at the start of the video. This shows them a clear path to resolving their frustration or achieving their goal.  

Finally, create a sense of urgency without sounding pushy. Phrases like “Limited time offer,” “Exclusive access,” or “Act now” can motivate viewers to take action.

Optimization and Testing

Creating a stellar video ad is a brilliant start, but the work doesn’t end at launch. Use these elements to ensure you hit the mark with your next ads.

Think of your video’s thumbnail like a book cover— it needs to instantly pique someone’s interest. Design custom thumbnails, using eye-catching images and short, punchy text to encourage clicks. Consider experimenting with different thumbnails to identify what resonates best with viewers.

A/B testing is your secret weapon! Run small variations of your ad, changing elements like the title, thumbnail, or CTA. This data-driven approach empowers you to fine-tune your video ads for maximum engagement and conversions.  

Be sure to pay attention to your video analytics — metrics like watch time, completion rate, and click-through rates offer invaluable insights into audience behavior. Identify where viewers drop off, test adjustments, and iterate on those successes.

The DOM Difference With Ads That Get Results

In the whirlwind of digital marketing, short, well-crafted videos are undeniably powerful tools for cutting through the noise and delivering results. Focus on your audience, hook them with captivating visuals, deliver a concise message, guide them with a strong CTA, and use data to drive constant improvement.

Video can sometimes feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Embrace it as a way to connect authentically with your audience, enhance brand awareness, and boost those all-important conversions. 

Let Direct Online Marketing become your video ad partner. Our skilled team is ready to strategize and execute exceptional video ad campaigns that support your unique marketing goals. Contact us today to get started!

Key Takeaways

• Video is a marketing powerhouse: Embrace video as a highly engaging, memorable, and conversion-driving format.
• Know your audience: Target your video content to your specific audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points.
• Focus on a single message: Craft a clear, compelling message that won’t overwhelm or confuse viewers.
• Grab attention immediately: Capture viewer interest within the first few seconds using powerful visuals, relatable problems, and intriguing hooks.
• Optimize with a strong CTA: Provide a simple, direct call to action that aligns with your desired outcome.
• Test and refine: Track video analytics, A/B test different elements, and use data to constantly improve your video ads.
• Partner with experienced professionals: Consider working with a skilled team like Direct Online Marketing for the strategic video ad campaigns that get results.

The post Short, Snappy, Successful Video Content That Wins appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

In the world of artificial intelligence, the “singularity” is when the AI becomes indistinguishable from human thinking. There have been countless science fiction books and movies written about this premise.

The Matrix, Terminator, Bladerunner.

Side note re: Bladerunner – the good one, NOT that one with Ryan Gosling. How did that movie even get made?

All these movies captured the imagination by positing the idea that A.I. might one day overtake us in the very cognitive abilities that make us human. 

So it’s not too much of a surprise that the news of Unbounce’s acquisition of Snazzy.ai in 2021 caused a ripple throughout our offices. Our content people in particular could be seen wiping sweat from their brows when they thought nobody was looking. 

When asked about it, they responded with platitudes about the human mind’s irreplaceable capacity for creative thought and so on. However, privately they worried at their desks and imagined a future where all writing was automatically generated by an electronic super mind that was totally incapable of making errors. 

For a lot of businesses and marketing professionals, such a thing would be the most welcome innovation since on-page SEO tools. Imagine having an endless source of instantly generated content to drive your marketing efforts!

Let’s take a look at this leading AI copy generator and get to the bottom of just how worried our flesh and blood content writers need to be in the face of this new technology. 

Unbounce Smart Copy: The AI Copy Generator Formerly Known As “Snazzy AI”

Snazzy.ai was a name that was heavily featured in marketing news circuits for a while, and with good reason. The AI copy generator had been used extensively by marketing professionals for things like email copy, Google Ad copy, social media posts, etc. The acquisition by Unbounce in 2021 simply elevated the buzz around its capabilities. 

Today, Unbounce Smart Copy gives users an extensive array of options for content types. Having trouble coming up with a blog idea? Unbounce Smart Copy can do that.

Need a mission statement for your brand? No problemo.

Running into a wall generating meta descriptions for your pages? Unbounce Smart Copy has you covered. 

Unbounce Smart Copy In Action

For this exercise, we’ve invented a fake company called Binko’s Space Robots. Binko’s specializes in creating hulking, gigantic Gundam-style space robots for everything from asteroid mining to intergalactic combat. 

We’re planning on running a Google Ads campaign for Binko’s, but our team is busy and doesn’t have the bandwidth to devote to writing the copy, so we’ll have to rely on Snazzy.ai’s expertise to whip something up. 

So right off the bat, we have to make a new Snazzy account. When you create an account, you fill in your company’s information. Everything you do with the tool from there is based on this initial information, so it’s not really possible to use an account to generate content for other businesses (in the free version, at least). 

For instance, upon account setup you’re asked to fill in your company description, the audience, and some brand keywords. 

For Binko’s Space Robots, we entered the description as worded above, “creating hulking, gigantic space robots etc.” For our audience, we entered space pirates, asteroid miners, space heroes and villains, and starship pilots. 

Our brand keywords are “asteroid mining,” “giant robots,” “space robots,” and “giant robot battles in space.” 

After a popup with introductory information, we’re given the full array of content creation options. Our goal was to create a Google Ads campaign, so let’s start with that. 

Here are the top three Google Ads that were generated for Binko’s Space Robots:

Binko’s Space Robots – All Hands On Deck – Join Our Space Combat League – Locally-owned Giant RobotsAsteroid Mining. Planetary Domination. Intergalactic Combat. Massive Robots. Huge Giant Robots for Sale. Our Robots Can Do It All. Grab An Asteroid and Mine it to Smithereens. Crush Your Enemies! The only company to mine for gold in space. Asteroid Mining Giant Robots

Binko’s Space Robots – Giant Robotic Mining Platforms – Asteroid Mining Robots – Welcome to the FutureSpace Robots. Giant Robots. Giant Robot Battles in Space. The Best Space Robots Available. Huge selection of space robots. Fully Modular, Customizable Robots. Battles and Mining in Deep Space. The Ultimate Asteroid Mining Game. Blast, Hover & Boost Your Way to Riches.

Binko’s Space Robots – Taming the Galaxy – Battle Intergalactic Villains – Binko’s Space RobotsOne Giant Robot, Two Giant Robots, Three Giant Robots, Four Asteroid Mining Robots. Giant Robot Battles. Planet Destroying Weapons. Binko’s Space Robots – Massive, Hulking Robots for Asteroid Mining. The Leader in Space Robot Technology.

As you can see, Smart Copy by Unbounce filled in some blanks beyond the information that we fed it. For instance, we never said anything about planetary domination, but there it is in the copy of the first ad. 

Also, each of the three ads is focusing on a different audience. The first ad seems to use language that would appeal to villains. The second is more mining focused, and the third is focused on the space hero demographic. 

Are these great ads? We think they’re pretty good. However there is the question of accuracy. In the second ad, the copy mentions that the robots are fully modular and customizable. We did not mention anything about those features, but the AI just included them. 

This is a cautionary example that shows you can’t simply plug and play with Smart Copy’s generator. Some of the results may contain inaccurate or misleading information, so they have to be studied before use. Not only can they lead to unhappy potential customers, but they can get your ads disapproved. 

In general, though, we’re really impressed by these ads. The power to generate copy in the blink of an eye is something to behold. 

The pricing structure is, well, maybe a little less impressive. 

Unbounce Smart Copy’s Pricing

Unbounce Smart Copy has a free option. The way this works is you’re given 40 credits upon account creation. Every time you generate content, you’re using a credit. Every week that you log into the account, you’re given 10 credits. 

For the most part, this freemium model is going to get you what you need without a lot of hassle, assuming you’re okay with what you get on the first or second round of content generation. 

In the Google Ads example from above, it generated 5 total ads the first time we ran it. We could run it as many times as we wanted, but every time we click that “create” button, it burns another credit. 

Additionally, the “Customize” option is locked behind the paid subscription. What this means is your topic for any generated content is going to be related to your initial profile information by default. If you want to make content focused on a related topic that isn’t exactly what you’ve filled in for your profile, you have to pay up. 

Paying up here isn’t anything to sneeze at either. By default, membership costs about $19 per month. There is an option to pay annually for only $96 a year, which works out to be $8 a month. However, if you want to take advantage of the 14-day free trial offer, it seems you’re then forced to pay the more expensive $50 monthly rate. 

Is it worth it? That depends. As a business expense, the cost is relatively light. In return, you’re saving your marketing people a lot of potential hours by letting the platform do the heavy lifting. 

If you’re an individual, however, that’s a large chunk of change any way you slice it. $300 could be anywhere from 20 to 30 pizzas you’re giving up for a more convenient content solution. More if you pay the monthly rate. 

Should You Be Worried About Unbounce Smart Copy?

We’re going to answer this one without any suspense. No, human writers shouldn’t be afraid of AI copywriting. In fact, they should be ecstatic. 

That singularity we talked about at the beginning of this article has yet to be reached. There are no cybernetic organisms from the future that are assimilating into our society on the hunt for the future leader of the human rebellion. AI is still artificial, a bare facsimile of humanity. 

What AI can provide is suggestions for long-form content based on data that can then be used to whip up amazing blog copy and product descriptions. This makes the job of a content writer easier rather than obsolete. 

We asked one of our writers and contributor to this blog, to add his thoughts, which he did:

“Chris is absolutely right. Automation is coming for all of us, eventually. The PPC side already knows what it’s like to compete with algorithms that claim to do their jobs better than they do. I think what we’ll start seeing in content marketing is a more personalized stamp, like the old days of blogging, when we would do it for fun, not SEO. Also, would an AI just randomly insert a fun Star Wars reference if you didn’t tell it to? Never tell me the odds, but I don’t think it’s very likely.”

—Jim Foreman, Senior Content Specialist

While short-form copy like Google Ads and social media ads can be generated to hit on all the relevant keywords, there’s still nothing that can replace the skills of a great writer when it comes to creating engaging content that people will read. 

If you’re looking for great content for humans to give your business a boost, Direct Online Marketing has the tools to get the job done. Our experienced team of SEO and PPC professionals will help you reach your goals. Contact us today for a free consultation.  

As a bonus, here are some Unbounce Smart Copy auto-generated DOM taglines.

DOM. We cause things to happen. 

DOM. Break the rules. Be different. 

DOM. Dominate everywhere you go.  

The post Will AI Replace Copywriters? (Our Review Of Unbounce Smart Copy) appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

While I personally haven’t been a member of the PRSA since 2008 (!!), clicking around their website the last few days made one thing abundantly clear to me:

that they back up their claim as “the preeminent learning organization for PR and communication professionals.”

Why? Because there is a wide variety of events, programs and webinars they provide to those in the profession yearround.

Speaking of which, coming up this December, PRSA is hosting a brand-new, three-session virtual workshop titled “Making SEO Work For You.” The host of the event is pretty obvious, but the featured speakers include our founder and President, Justin Seibert, along with the founder of Cortado Group, Dan Bernoske.

Here’s the important information you need to know:

• Who: The PRSA with Justin Seibert and Dan Bernoske
• What: Hosting a virtual workshop titled “Make SEO Work For You”
• When: December 6, 8, and 13 from 12 PM to 3 PM EST each day
• Where: Virtually on PRSA.org
• Why: To help digital communications professionals understand how Google can be leveraged in your communications plans while also equipping them to establish KPIs that are measurable and aligned with relevant organizational objectives.

Interested in registering? Click here.

Want to learn more about what’s going to be covered in these PRSA workshops before you sign up? Learn more below.

What Will Be Covered In This PRSA Workshop?

This workshop will explain the fundamentals of search engine optimization (SEO) in a digestible format, then provide a framework for how you can build a strategic digital communications plan that supports your organization’s goals and objectives.

Led by Justin Seibert, president of Direct Online Marketing, this highly interactive workshop will cover topics such as buyer persona creation, keyword conceptualization and research, content optimization, how to build time and cost budgets, and how to gain insights into your competition.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify how Google can be leveraged in digital communications.
• Create an initial, workable plan that sets measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and objectives tied to organizational goals.

What Is The Schedule Of This PRSA Workshop?

Below is the currently proposed schedule for the workshop as of posting.

Tuesday, December 6

• Digital communications tactical tool kit.
  • Identifying tactics for short-term and long-term results.
• How to set measurable KPIs and objectives tied to organizational goals, and how to measure them.
  • A primer on Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and what you need to know ahead of Google turning off Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023.
  • How to benchmark the competition.
• How to select and build target audience personas.

Thursday, December 8

• Fundamentals of SEO
• A keyword research framework for determining content focus.
• How to optimize content for desired keywords.
  • Including blog posts, press releases, and web pages.
• Leveraging press coverage.

Tuesday, December 13

• How to brainstorm content to meet your goals, speak to your audience and position for Google visibility.
• Resource map creation to highlight needs including skill set, headcount, and budget.
• Advertising options to kick-start learnings and results.
• Geographic targeting options for local, national, and international.

Know Someone Who Has An APR Accreditation?

You may want to share the link to these PRSA workshops with them. Accredited PR pros who attend this workshop can earn 1.5 renewal continuing education units towards their annual requirements.

Have questions about this workshop you think only our team can answer? Drop us a note and we will get back to you in about one business day.

Hope to see you there!

The post Make SEO Work For You: Join Justin For This PRSA Virtual Workshop In December! appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

According to a recent survey published by State of Inbound, content creation is a top priority for 53% of marketers. Therefore, it is safe to say that content marketing is now the make-or-break point for many businesses regarding marketing efficiency.

Instead of searching for different solutions for each content marketing service you need, C-leveled provides a wide array of services that will help you build a robust and credible online presence while directly engaging your target audience.

Look at our services below.

CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGIES

According to a study in early 2019, over 60% of businesses do not have a concrete content marketing plan.

Our team at C-leveled is comprised of content marketing professionals with decades of experience, trained in everything from social media marketing, brand development to marketing planning and strategy development.

CONTENT MARKETING FOR SEO

Content marketing can raise your Google ranking if done correctly. That said, did you know that long-form content, such as optimized blog articles, is one of the keys to success? These substantial content pieces focus on your brand keywords regularly so your company can rank higher on search engines. Our content creators have decades of experience in SEO-focused content marketing. We will plan your content by finding you the most accurate and competitive keywords and handle everything from creation to distribution.

E-BOOKS, WHITE PAPERS, AND CASE STUDIES

Showcase your success stories and expertise through an elaborate eBook, white paper, or case study, all the while filling up your pipeline. According to a recent study, 80% of users are willing to share their email address for an eBook or whitepaper they consider valuable. With a team of copywriting experts and graphic designers, C-leveled promises to deliver the highest quality work that accurately reflects your knowledge, experience, and capabilities in serving your clients.

NEWSLETTERS, EMAILS, AND DRIP CAMPAIGNS

Filling up your pipeline is only step one. Practical content marketing will walk your prospects through their customer journey seamlessly. C-leveled has a team of creative copywriters who will take care of lead warm-up for you with newsletters, direct outreach emails, and drip campaign sequences. Our content marketing strategy covers every stage of the customer journey so we can keep your leads engaged and interested the moment they enter your pipeline.

LANDING PAGES AND WEBSITE COPY

The number one goal of content marketing is cultivation and conversion. Therefore, intriguing, encouraging, and relevant content online is vital to your growth. At C-leveled, content creation is in our genes. With both emotional efficiency and SEO relevance in mind, we will create landing pages and web copy that is favored by algorithms and your audience to drive high-intent traffic to your pages.

Don’t have a site yet? Take a look at our highly-regarded website development service instead. Let us bring your vision to reality.

BRANDED CONTENT

Content marketing without a brand identity is like an orchestra lacking a conductor. C-leveled will use your brand voice as a guideline with design and visual identity in mind to develop content that is visually and contextually in-line with your company’s image. Get a head start over your competitors with professional content marketing and tell your company’s story in many compelling ways.

Need more insight into your brand image? Learn more about our brand development process and our branding and rebranding services.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT CREATION

This is the age of social media. Wouldn’t you agree? That’s why C-leveled uses a unique content marketing strategy by combining your regular content with social media marketing to create a consistent and intriguing brand voice across all platforms. Our social media experts understand the algorithm as much as the demographics of each channel.

Our content creators do more than just write captions. We will research, design, and plan your content as well.

VIDEO CREATION

Nothing tells a better story than an engaging video, whether it’s a showcase highlighting the people in your company or an informational video explaining something in a fun and understandable way. With an experienced team of professional videographers and editors, C-leveled will bring your visual storytelling to a new level.

MEASURABLE CONTENT MARKETING ROI

One of the biggest challenges with content marketing is the difficulty in tracking ROI. Well, that story ends right here.

C-leveled employs the latest technologies and analytics tools to guarantee the transparency and measurability of your content marketing efforts. We track a few critical components to ensure your ROI:

• Cost of creation
• Cost of distribution
• Conversion rate
• Lead quality
• Traffic generated and onsite engagement
• SEO improvement
• Social media ROI

We understand that you are investing in your company’s future, and we want to be your investment advisor. C-leveled is more than a content marketing agency. We want to be your long-term growth partner who genuinely cares about your results.

WHY CONTENT MARKETING IS IMPORTANT

Why is content marketing important? Companies have asked this question way too many times yet received too few quality answers. Another question frequently asked is whether content marketing works.

The answer is yes. Content marketing has become the most efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective way to retain customers while filling up your sales pipeline with fresh, high-intent leads.

Content marketing is important because it answers your audience’s questions and ever-changing pain points. The content evolves as the market and the audience changes. It is the most versatile, responsive, and engaging way of marketing while giving consumers plenty of autonomy to decide what to read and consume.

Instead of advertising to your audience using sales skills, content marketing focuses on building authentic, lasting, and respectful relationships with your audience. The communications happen more naturally and allow your audience to progress through the customer journey without feeling forced.

THE C-LEVELED CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY

Consistent, high-quality, and relevant content is one of the most impactful techniques used to encourage audiences to decide and convert.

With the C-leveled approach, your content marketing strategy will serve as the guideline for everything we create. That way, we ensure your content is in line with your company’s vision and values.

Below are a few advantages of our content marketing plans:

INCREASED RETENTION AND CONVERSION RATE

We create content that will reach your audience across different platforms, so you stay present and visible. The audience who consistently receives content updates is more likely to convert and become a returned customer

STRONGER SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

With a focus on social media marketing, we will keep you relevant to all the latest discussions your audience is having. In return, you build a more substantial presence on social media and attract more followers.

OPTIMIZED FOR SEARCH ENGINES

C-leveled optimizes all content created for ranking purposes, and we write with SEO in mind so you can build authority and search engine optimization at the same time. Want to go deeper into SEO? Talk to our web development team and see how you may benefit from our technical SEO services.

LEAD GENERATION

We will turn your long-form content into lead generation campaigns with our unique approach to content marketing. Our campaigns will attract high-intention leads and follow-up with them through each stage of the customer journey.

Our content marketing strategy is backed by massive research and effective communication. By deploying content catered and optimized for each platform, we make sure you can capture your audience the moment the intention forms. We will plan your content by focusing on your unique value proposition and your brand message because we know consistency is what creates effective content.

CONTENT MARKETING FOR MANUFACTURERS, IT, AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES

Tech and manufacturing content marketing doesn’t have to be dry and difficult. C-leveled has a specialization in industrial content marketing, and our team knows how to convert highly technical topics into digestible content that’s friendly for general readers.

Our methods are simple yet efficient.

1. AN IDENTITY-DRIVEN CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY

We will discuss how your brand should sound to the general audience based on the value you bring to the world. We then customize a strategy focusing on presenting you as trustworthy and approachable.

2. MULTI-MEDIA CONTENT CREATION

The tech and industrial world needs to use a wide range of content formats to keep their audience engaged and entertained. Visual content is vital as it simplifies highly technical content for quicker digestion.

3.  IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT

We then implement the strategy, distribute the content, and use our unique ROI supervision model mentioned above to guarantee the results you see.

Your Full Guide To Content Marketing

The post Content Marketing Guide: A New Approach to Content Marketing appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

The recent update on Instagram and Amazon brought Livestream, most specifically, live commerce, into the spotlight. According to Cisco, video traffic will account for 80% of global consumer Internet traffic. Meanwhile, four out of five people would rather watch a brand’s videos than reading a blog.

Consumers tend to hop onto a live stream without any reluctance because real-time interaction triggers their curiosities. They also trust live streaming more because the spontaneity makes live videos more credible than other video content. It is no wonder, then, that companies are jumping on to the live streaming trends to boost their content marketing efficiency.

The Benefits of Marketing With Live Stream

Many algorithms favor live streaming over other types of content because it has a higher bar. It allows you to create real-time engagement and peak consumer interest. If you’ve had experience with influencer marketing in the eCommerce world, then you know there is no more engaging content than a live streaming event.

Overall, live streaming has the following benefits that promote your content marketing ROI:

• Live streaming keeps the audience more engaged
• Allows instant feedback and real-time interaction
• Creates more relevance because live streaming allows you to share slices of your life outside a business setting
• Allows you to communicate with your audience and understand their pain points directly

Creating a Live Stream Strategy

Live stream marketing is growing with social media development

As we mentioned before, having a documented content marketing strategy is vital to creating higher ROI. Similar to your regular content strategy, make sure you cover the following points in your live stream strategy:

• Goals and format. Understand what you are trying to accomplish with live streaming. Find the best platform and structure according to your needs and your target audience is the first step to success.

• Build a schedule. Streaming with a schedule allows you to understand your consumers’ behavior and engage them with other content during peak hours.

• Allow spontaneity. Allow mini streaming sessions outside of your regular schedule will help you reach new audiences and keep the excitement level up.

• Keep track. Save playback videos and combine them into your regular content marketing strategy. Make your live streams work for you even after the broadcast is over.

Of course, always follow your comprehensive content marketing strategy so that the live stream can play into the bigger picture.

How Live Streaming Helps With Industrial Content Marketing

Unlike what was once commonly believed, businesses today have realized that companies in the industrial world can gain massive benefits from content marketing.

However, most businesses, such as manufacturers and industrial subcontractors, have not ventured into the live streaming world, whereas streaming has many significant advantages compared to other content formats:

• Streaming is more approachable. It is much easier to explain a difficult industrial content than writing a 4,000-word article about it and hoping your audience will read and understand.

• Live videos are more fun and personal. Meanwhile, outsiders tend to regard the industrial world as dull and dry. Streaming will help you break that stereotype and engage your audience on a personal level.
• Put your products and services in a real-world setting. Regardless of B2B or B2C, your target audience wants to see your product or service put into practice. They will form a much stronger impression of your company via a live stream interaction than looking at prototype images.

Finding the Right Partner

Video content consumption is only going up as technologies develop. Simply imagine when you can watch live streams in a Virtual or Augmented Reality (VR/AR) setting. What would be the reason to go back to reading long-form blog posts?

Therefore, it is vital to partner with a credible content marketing agency with high video production capacities. C-leveled has partnered with many leading manufacturers and promising tech startups to help build comprehensive content marketing campaigns.

To learn more about our video production and content marketing capabilities, give us a call at 412-434-6934 and schedule a free consultation today.

The post How to Use Live Streaming to Advance Your Content Marketing appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

However, content marketing has proven to be one of the most impactful game-changers in the industrial world. Over 56% of manufacturing marketers believe their organization’s content marketing was somewhat more successful than what they did a year ago.

Thought Leadership Is a Game Changer

Suppose the company’s culture neglects the importance and effectiveness of quality content. In that case, the content created is less likely to be relevant to consumers, and thus the ROI of content marketing will decrease further. Therefore, building thought leadership that values building a long-term relationship with the audience is mandatory to boost your content marketing return.

For example, craft unique content for prospects at each stage of their customer journey. Create a well-balanced mixture of easy-to-read top-of-the-funnel content and bottom-of-the-funnel materials that focuses on building customer loyalty.

Build a Comprehensive Content Marketing Strategy

Having a documented strategy is vital to boosting your ROI. An increasing number of businesses in the industrial world are starting to build a systematic approach to their content marketing efforts.

Back in 2019, only 21% of manufacturers had a documented content marketing strategy. The number nearly doubled and reached an impressive 41% in 2020 — the highest ever since 2016.

As one of the leading content marketing agencies specializing in the manufacturing niche, C-leveled has put the strategic planning process into a few simple steps you can follow:

• Decide your goal
• Find your mission statement and unique value proposition.
• Find out what topics your audience cares about
• Decide on format and distribution plan.
• Establish a means to track KPIs
• Build a content score system for quality assurance

Design Content For Multi-Level Decision Makers

Now that you have a strategy written out, it’s time to venture into the content creation world. Designing content for multi-level decision-makers will significantly increase your content marketing ROI. This means your content needs to suit the consumption behaviors of individuals with different positions.

Bite-sized content leads in weekly consumption for the industrial niches

According to a recent survey on content marketing efficiency, the industrial audience, regardless of their seniority level, consume short-formed articles and social media posts most frequently. Other popular formats include:

• Long-form articles for SEO purposes
• Video, webinars, and live streams
• White papers, eBooks, and case studies

The idea is to create an organic content system where each component supports one another, so your content resonates with individuals from different organization levels.

Build an Outsourcing Partnership

As of 2020, content creation remains the most-outsourced task by manufacturing companies, accounting for 87% of outsourcing. The next on the list were content distribution, content technology, and KPI measurement.

Content creation remains the most outsourced content marketing task in the manufacturing industry

While you may know the most about your industry, it’s a different story with marketing. As an agency, C-leveled customizes content marketing services to respond to our client’s individual needs. This will save you time and money spent, and therefore increase your ROI.

Agencies also have more knowledge regarding the technical side of content marketing, such as how to increase your SEO efficiency. Therefore, working with the right agency partner may be the last piece you’re missing to double your content marketing ROI.

The post Four Ways to Double Your Manufacturing Content Marketing ROI appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

People love brands that connect with them and show a genuine interest in knowing them. And, consumers want businesses to capitalize on this– 92% of people want brands to come up with advertisements that feel like a story.

Writing a compelling brand story is an excellent opportunity to win over customers, showcase your journey, and stay true to your mission and values.

Content marketing is, by far, the best tool to share your brand story. Effective content marketing enables businesses to connect with their audience, spending more time with them to appeal to their human nature.

People are naturally more driven to buy from brands that have an emotional appeal. Research shows that emotions drive decisions with humans, and use rationale to justify their instincts. Successful brands such as Apple and Coca-Cola know the power of emotions, and they actively seek to touch people’s lives in meaningful ways.

Content marketing happens across multiple platforms in many different formats: 

• Articles
• Infographics
• Case studies
• E-books
• Video
• Explainer videos
• White papers
• Motion graphics
• Microcontent

These communication tools are versatile and adaptable, giving your brand the power to command your audience’s attention, according to their content wants and needs.

Remember, you want your brand content to provide consumers with useful content, instead of forcing your brand messages in intrusive ways. This is how you’ll be able to trigger emotional responses from them. Each piece of content that you create for your audience should support your brand story, whether it is a tweet, a blog post, a whitepaper, or another form of content. 

Be sure to keep the following in mind when you’re creating your engaging brand story. 

Make Your Audience the Priority 

You have to know what your audience wants to read and experience from your brand. Then you need to tell your story in a way that makes it easy for them to relate to it.  

Use research to find and leverage essential insights gained about their content consumption patterns, their daily life problems and pain points, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and more. 

This will help you gain a comprehensive understanding of your customers so that you can use your content to showcase how you’ll solve their problems more effectively.

Present Your Story in the Right Format

Every piece of content you create, and how you push it out must have a purpose behind it. 

Don’t lose your way in trying to produce flashy content if that’s not where your audience is. For example, if you know that a majority of your prospects and customers use Twitter, then creating trendy Facebook posts won’t pay off. In that case, you’ll be better off trying to convert your story into a micro-content that your fans are more likely to respond.

Remember, your audience is the ultimate authority in deciding whether they like your content marketing efforts or not. Show that you value their time, attention, and brand buy-in by purposely presenting your content in the right formats. 

Incorporate Visual Content

Research shows that people are less likely to remember things they hear–only 10% of that information can be recalled three days later. In contrast, when an image is linked with information, people will remember 65% of that information two and three days later.

People process images faster than regular text, so visual content holds more appeal for your readers. It keeps your readers engaged and also gives your content a fresh look.  

Images, infographics, illustrations, and interactive videos keep visitors on your page and increase their time engaging with your content.

Be Authentic

As the digital marketing space becomes crowded, brands are working harder than ever to stand out and be heard. Their content may fade into the background among thousands of other marketing messages that are reaching out to customers.

Authenticity is the only way forward for brands that want to be worthy of attention. Authenticity in brand storytelling is all about sending messages to your audiences that show who you really are and what you really stand for. 

It’s critical to ensure that everything your brand is pushing out and projecting is genuinely aligned with an authentic voice. If you are sending conflicting signals about your brand, your customers might become confused and disengage.

Consider Adding Video in Your Content Marketing

If you want your site’s visitors to engage with your brand, try using videos to tell your story. Video content is well-worth your while– the average user will spend 88% more time on a website that shows them videos. These could be simple explainer videos, how-to guides, live videos, event, and behind-the-scenes features, and other short and attention-grabbing video content.

Brands are transforming their stories into colorful and creative content that shows the brand journey in a captivating manner.   Brand storytelling is one of the best ways to tell and show your consumers that you are more than a business – and that you want to connect with them on a more personal level instead of focusing on profits only. When content marketing is done right, your brand story will leave a lasting impression on your customers, so they will feel more connected to you and want to buy-in to the experience and what you’re selling.

The post How To Tell Your Brand Story With Content Marketing appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

The only actionable way to ensure that your online presence grows and gets you leads is by combining the power of SEO and content marketing. The two are great on their own, but they have a lot in common and aim to achieve very similar goals. SEO is what inspired marketers to produce well-thought-out content that tells and supports brand stories and engages readers, changing the way we approach online marketing strategies. 

SEO & Content Marketing Enhance User Experiences

No matter the niche or the industry, SEO helps set up websites up for success by requiring content that is optimized and organized.

Optimized content has to be useful, engaging, and easy-to-digest because customers will not respond to something that does not add any value to their lives, or that addresses their needs. 

One thing is for sure – even if you aren’t using content marketing, your competition surely is. 91% of B2B marketers use it to reach their customers, so if you aren’t employing content marketing, or using it effectively, you’re missing out. 

Content marketing works because good content leads to a great user experience, which not only makes websites rank higher, but it also attracts more people to your site. This strategy means driving more leads for growing your business – and if you do it right, and follow up on those leads, it can drive more conversions as well.

While high-quality content drives traffic to your website, SEO gives it a technical boost by requiring clear-cut titles, headers, categories, and more.

SEO & Content Marketing Help You Understand Your Audiences

Understanding and applying the who, what, when, why, and how behind your target markets can be complicated. SEO and content marketing can help you understand your audiences, what they need, and help you deliver.

Your content should answer questions, address popular trends, and offer advice that is optimized for the readers. Good optimization practices naturally push you to create content that has the purpose of solving a specific problem that your key audiences and customers have. With content, consistency and quality are key: Keep doing this over and over again, and you will build a substantial audience and good traffic in no time.

SEO & Content Marketing Combine to Create Quality Content

Clear and concise content isn’t always easy to create. When SEO and content marketing are working together, they can help you avoid the pitfalls associated with a site that only has general information.

If you have a great blog post, but it’s not optimized for search, poor SEO means your blog post will get lost in a sea of content that no one will ever visit or read. On the other hand, you have a poorly-written blog post that doesn’t provide any value to the reader, but the technical SEO, meaning alt tags, meta description, keywords, and headers, are all optimized, there still isn’t a chance that this post will get any traffic because it doesn’t have any authority on search.

Only strong content paired with proper SEO can help you provide your audiences with something that they will want to read and appreciate–boosting your site to the top of the search results.

Blog posts, articles, web copy – no matter the type of content, SEO is a must if you want to reach top billing in search results and your audiences’ minds.

Together, SEO and content marketing can help businesses establish a powerful online presence where they are respected as thought leaders and influencers while leading to increased levels of engagement, customer loyalty, and attention from potential buyers.

Ready for a content marketing strategy that compels your target buyers to buy-in to your brand? Let’s talk. 

The post SEO and Content Marketing: A Perfect Match appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.