DigitalMarketingForDummies®

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LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016957570

ISBN:978-1-119-23559-0

ISBN978-1-119-23561-3(ebk);ISBNePDF978-1-119-23565-1(ebk)

DigitalMarketingForDummies®Toviewthisbook'sCheatSheet,simplygotowww.dummies.comandsearchfor“DigitalMarketingForDummiesCheatSheet”intheSearchbox.

TableofContentsCoverIntroduction

AboutThisBook

FoolishAssumptions

IconsUsedinThisBook

BeyondtheBook

WheretoGofromHere

Part1:GettingStartedwithDigitalMarketingChapter1:UnderstandingtheCustomerJourney

CreatingaCustomerAvatar

GettingClearontheValueYouProvide

KnowingtheStagesoftheCustomerJourney

PreparingYourCustomerJourneyRoadMap

Chapter2:ChoosingtheRightMarketingCampaignEstablishingMarketingObjectives

DefiningaDigitalMarketingCampaign

UnderstandingtheThreeMajorTypesofCampaigns

BalancingYourMarketingCampaignCalendar

ChoosingtheCampaignYouNeedNow

ViewingYourDigitalMarketingthroughtheCampaignLens

Chapter3:CraftingWinningOffersOfferingValueinAdvance

DesigninganUngatedOffer

DesigningaGatedOffer

DesigningDeep-DiscountOffers

MaximizingProfit

Part2:UsingContenttoGenerateFans,Followers,andCustomers

Chapter4:PursuingContentMarketingPerfectionKnowingtheDynamicsofContentMarketing

FindingYourPathtoPerfectContentMarketing

ExecutingPerfectContentMarketing

DistributingContenttoAttractanAudience

Chapter5:BloggingforBusinessEstablishingaBlogPublishingProcess

ApplyingBlogHeadlineFormulas

AuditingaBlogPost

Chapter6:TakingStockof57BlogPostIdeasDefeatingWriter’sBlock

CreatingStellarContentwithoutAlltheFuss

Part3:GeneratingWebsiteTrafficChapter7:BuildingHigh-ConvertingLandingPages

ExploringtheTypesofLandingPages

CreatingaLeadCapturePage

CreatingaSalesPage

GradingaLandingPage

Chapter8:CapturingTrafficwithSearchMarketingKnowingtheThreeKeyPlayersinSearchMarketing

TargetingSearchQueries

OptimizingYourAssetsforSpecificChannels

EarningLinks

Chapter9:LeveragingtheSocialWebTheSocialSuccessCycle

ListeningtotheSocialWeb

InfluencingandBuildingBrandAuthority

NetworkingThatMovestheNeedle

SellingonSocialChannels

AvoidingSocialMediaMistakes

KnowingWhentoAutomate

Chapter10:TappingintoPaidTrafficVisitingtheTrafficStore

UnderstandingTrafficTemperature

ChoosingtheRightTrafficPlatform

SettingupBoomerangTraffic

TroubleshootingPaidTrafficCampaigns

Chapter11:FollowingUpwithEmailMarketingUnderstandingMarketingEmails

SendingBroadcastandTriggeredEmails

BuildingaPromotionalCalendar

CreatingEmailCampaigns

WritingandDesigningEffectiveEmails

CuingtheClick

GettingMoreClicksandOpens

EnsuringEmailDeliverability

Part4:Measuring,Analyzing,andOptimizingCampaignsChapter12:CrunchingNumbers:RunningaData-DrivenBusiness

LeveragingtheFiveGoogleAnalyticsReportSuites

UnderstandingWhereYourTrafficIsComingFrom

TrackingtheOriginsofSiteVisitors

CreatingGoalstoSeeWho’sTakingAction

SegmentingYourAudiencewithGoogleAnalytics

HoningInonYourAudience

PuttingItAllTogether

Chapter13:OptimizingYourCampaignsforMaximumROIUnderstandingSplitTesting

SelectingPageElementstoOptimize

GettingReadytoTest

PreparingtoLaunch

CallingaTest

KnowingHowaTestPerformed

AnalyzingtheTest

Part5:ThePartofTensChapter14:TheTenMostCommonDigitalMarketingMistakes

FocusingonEyeballsInsteadofOffers

FailingtoTalkaboutYourCustomers(andTheirProblems)

AskingProspectsforTooMuch,TooSoon

BeingUnwillingtoPayforTraffic

BeingProductCentric

TrackingtheWrongMetrics

BuildingAssetsonOtherPeople’sLand

FocusingonYourContent’sQuantityInsteadofQuality

NotAligningMarketingGoalswithSalesGoals

Allowing“ShinyObjects”toDistractYou

Chapter15:TenTrendingDigitalMarketingSkillstoAddtoYourResume

ContentMarketing

MediaBuyingandTrafficAcquisition

SearchMarketing

SocialMediaMarketing

CommunityManagement

VideoMarketingandProduction

WebDesignandDevelopment

EmailMarketing

DataAnalysis

TestingandOptimization

Chapter16:TenEssentialToolsforDigitalMarketingSuccessBuildingaWebsite

HostingaWebsite

ChoosingEmailMarketingSoftware

ConsideringCustomerRelationshipManagement(CRM)Software

AddingaPaymentSolution

UsingLandingPageSoftware

SourcingandEditingImages

ManagingSocialMedia

MeasuringYourPerformance:DataandAnalytics

OptimizingYourMarketing

AbouttheAuthorsAdvertisementPageConnectwithDummiesEndUserLicenseAgreement

IntroductionCongratulations!Withthepurchaseofthisbook,you’vetakenabigsteptowardgeneratingengagement,leads,andsalesforyourcompanybyusingdigitalmarketing.

Thisbookisfullofinsightsandstrategytipsforanyonestartinganewbusinessorhopingtotakeanexistingbusinessonline.Orifyou’rejustlookingtohoneyourcurrentdigitalmarketingskillsandgetuptospeedonthelatestindigitalmarketingtacticsandresources,thisbookisforyouaswell.

Theonlinemarketingscenemovesfast,noquestionaboutit.Toolsandapplicationsrise(andfall)everymonth.Blogsdeclareamarketingtactichotoneweekanddeadthenext.Sohowdoesabookaboutdigitalmarketingavoidbecomingoutdatedbeforetheinkisdry?Simple.Today,digitalmarketingislessaboutdigitalandmoreaboutmarketing.

Sure,theInternethasdisruptedeveryindustry,fromretailclothingtotaxiservices—but,overtime,fundamentaldisciplineshaveemergedasthestaplesofmarketinganyorganizationinadigitalworld.Asyouseeinthisbook,thesetimelessfundamentalsofdigitalmarketingremainpertinent,regardlessofthetool,tactic,orapplication.

AboutThisBookThere’snothingmagicalortrickyaboutproperlyexecuteddigitalmarketing,andyoudon’tneedtobeoverlytechnicaltosucceedatit.Ifyouofferaproductorservicethatthemarketdesires,youcanfindsuccessonlinebyapplyingthetechniquesthatyoulearninthisbook.

DigitalMarketingForDummiesdoesn’tpresenthypeaboutthelatestflashytacticsinmarketing,digitalorotherwise.Instead,thebookcoversfoundationaldisciplinessuchascontentmarketing,socialmediamarketing,andemailmarketing,alwaysinthecontextofthegoalsthatbusinessescareabout.Thesegoalsincludeacquiringnewleadsandcustomers,monetizingtheleadsandcustomersyoualreadyhave,andcreatingcommunitiesofbrandadvocatesandpromoters.

Tohelpyouabsorbtheconcepts,thisbookusesthefollowingconventions:

Textthatyou’remeanttotypejustasitappearsinthebookisinbold.Ifweprovideanexampleofhowtosaysomething,weuseitalicstoindicateaplaceholder,asinyourcompanyname,whichmeansthatyouneedtoreplacetheitalicswithyourowninformation.Wealsouseitalicsfortermsthatwedefine.Webaddressesappearinmonofont.Ifyou’rereadingadigitalversionofthisbookonadeviceconnectedtotheInternet,youcanclickthelivelinktovisitawebsite,likethis:http://www.dummies.com.

FoolishAssumptionsWemadeafewassumptionsaboutyouaswewrotethisbook:

Youhaveagreatproduct:Rememberthateventhemostbrilliantmarketercan’tsellapoorproductorserviceoverthelongrun.Thiscaveatisparticularlytrueinadigitallandscape,wherewordofmouthcanspreadtothefourcornersoftheearthintheblinkofaneye.Youaren’toverlytechnical:Digitalmarketingcanbeastechnicalasyouwanttomakeit.IfyouwanttolearnhowawebserverworksorhowtowriteinPHPcode,feelfree.However,tosucceedinthemarketingfield,youneedtounderstandmarketing,notcode.Feelfreetoleavethetechnicalsidetosomeonewhounderstandscode,butnotmarketing.You’rewillingtoimplementandadjust:Togetresults,youneedtoactontheknowledgeyougain.Incontrasttoprint,television,andradiomarketing,digitalmarketingcangofromideatoexecutioninamatterofminutes.Andbecauseyourmarketingcampaignsliveinadigitalformat,youcanchangevirtuallyeverythingyoudoonthefly.

IconsUsedinThisBookThisbookwouldn’tbeaForDummiesbookwithoutthefamiliariconsinthemarginofthebook.Keepasharpeyeoutfortheseiconsalertingyoutoimportantinformation:

TheTipiconmarkstips(duh!)andshortcutsthatwillputyouonthefasttracktodigitalmarketingsuccess.

Thisiconpointsoutthefundamentalsofdigitalmarketing.Iffoundationalprinciplesarewhatyou’reafter,skimeachchapterlookingforthisicon.

Avoidthesedigitalmarketingmistakestostayonthepathtodigitalmarketingsuccess.

BeyondtheBookWehavewrittenalotofextracontentthatyouwon’tfindinthisbook.Goonlinetofindthefollowing:

CustomerAvatarWorksheet:Downloadandcompletethisworksheettodeterminewhoyouridealcustomersare,wheretheyare,andwhatthey’relikelytobuy.Usewhatyoulearnaboutyouridealcustomertodriveeverythingfromyourcontentandsearchmarketingtoyourdigitaladsandemailpromotions.ThecustomeravataristrulytheSwissArmyKnifeofmarketingtools.CustomerJourneyWorksheet:Downloadandcompletethecustomerjourneyworksheettoclarifythepathyourcustomerswillfollowinmovingfromtotalunawarenessofyourbusinesstobeinganavidpromoterofyourbrand,products,andservices.TheCheatSheet:TheCheatSheetcontainsadditionalat-a-glanceguidanceondevelopingandexecutingsuccessfuldigitalmarketingcampaigns.Tofindthisbook’sCheatSheet,gotowww.dummies.comandsearchforDigitalMarketingForDummiesCheatSheet.

Updatestothisbook,ifwehaveany,areatwww.dummies.com

WheretoGofromHereIntrueForDummiesfashion,youdon’thavetostartthisbookatChapter1andreaditallinorder.Eachpartofthisbookstandsonitsown,sokeepitwithinarm’sreachandreferenceitoftenasyouexecuteyourdigitalmarketingcampaigns.Thatsaid,however,ifyouhavethetime,we’dlikenothingmorethanforyoutoreaditfromcovertocover.

Ifyou’restrugglingtogetresultsfromyourdigitalmarketingefforts,oryou’renewtodigitalmarketing,usePart1toensurethatthemarketingtacticsyouusepositivelyimpactyourbusinessgoals.InPart2,weexplorecontentmarketing,afundamentaldisciplinethataffectseverydigitalmarketingcampaignyouexecute.Ifgeneratingmorewebsitetrafficiswhatyou’reafter,fliptoPart3forinsightsonsearchandsocialmediamarketing,emailmarketing,anddigitaladvertising.InPart4,youlearntotacklethemeasurementandoptimizationofyourdigitalmarketingcampaigns.InPart5,weshowyouhowtoavoidthetenmostcommonmistakesindigitalmarketingsoyoucanstayonthepathtosuccess.Youalsolearnaboutthehottestskillsindigitalmarketing,andthetoolsyouneedtoexecutedigitalmarketingcampaigns.

Ifyouhaveaspecificissue,browsethroughtheTableofContentsandIndextopinpointthesectionthatcansolveyourproblem.

Here’stoyourdigitalmarketingsuccess!

Part1

GettingStartedwithDigitalMarketing

INTHISPART…Becomefamiliarwiththeroleofdigitalmarketingandgetclearonthevalueyoubringtothemarket.Getlaser-focusedonwhoyourcustomersareandthestepstheytaketogoinaprocessknownasthecustomerjourney.

Learnthesixcommondigitalmarketinggoalsandhowtoemploythethreemostimportanttypesofdigitalmarketingcampaigns.

Discoverthetypesofoffersyoucanmaketoprospects,newcustomers,andreturningcustomersaswellasthepropersequenceforpresentingtheseoffers.

Chapter1

UnderstandingtheCustomerJourneyINTHISCHAPTER

GettingclearonyouridealcustomerUnderstandingthevalueyoubringtothemarketplaceLearningtotakeaprospectfromawarenesstoravingfan

Thinkaboutthelastimportantpurchaseyoumade.Perhapsyouboughtacar,hiredababysitter,orswitchedcoffeesuppliersatyouroffice.Chancesare,youconsultedtheInternettoreadreviews,getrecommendationsfromfriendsandfamilyonsocialsiteslikeFacebook,andboneduponthefeatures,options,andpriceoftheproductorservicebeforeyoumadeyourchoice.Today,purchasesandpurchasingdecisionsareincreasinglymadeonline.Therefore,regardlessofwhatyousell,anonlinepresenceisnecessarytocapitalizeonthistrend.

Thisnewdigitallandscapeisimpactingorganizationsinmorethanjusttheleadandsalesgenerationdepartments,though.SavvycompaniesusetheInternettodriveawarenessandinterestinwhattheyoffer,butalsotoconvertcasualbuyersintobrandadvocateswhobuymoreandencouragemembersoftheirnetworktodothesame.

Inmanyways,nothinginmarketinghaschanged.Marketingisstillaboutdevelopingamutuallybeneficialrelationshipwithprospects,leads,andcustomers.Wecallthedevelopmentofthisrelationshipthecustomerjourney.Inthischapter,youlearntocreateacustomerjourneyforyourorganizationandtheroledigitalmarketingplaysinthatjourney.Therestofthisbookhelpsyoutocreateandexecuteoffersandmarketingcampaignsthatintentionallymovecustomersthroughthestagesofthiscustomerjourney.

Theroleofyourdigitalmarketingistoassistinmovingaprospect,lead,orcustomerfromonestageofthecustomerjourneytothenext.

CreatingaCustomerAvatarBecausetheroleofyourmarketingistomovepeoplethroughaseriesofstagesfromcoldprospectstorabidfansandpromoters,youmustfirstattainclarityonthecharacteristicsofyouridealcustomers.Youwanttogetclearontheirgoals,thechallengestheyfacemeetingthosegoals,andwheretheyspendtimeconsuminginformationandentertainment.Creatingacustomeravatarwillgiveyouthisclarity.Othertermsforcustomeravatararebuyerpersona,marketingpersona,andtargetaudience,butcustomeravataristhetermweusethroughoutthisbook.

Acustomeravataristhefictional,generalizedrepresentationofyouridealcustomer.Realistically,unlessyourproductorservicefitswithinanarrowniche,youwillhavemultiplecustomeravatarsforeachcampaign.Peoplearesomuchmorethantheirage,gender,ethnicity,religiousbackground,profession,andsoon.Peopledon’tfitneatlyintoboxes,whichiswhybroad,genericmarketingcampaignsgenerallydon’tconvertwell;theydon’tresonatewithyouraudience.Itisabsolutelycrucialthatyouunderstandandmakeyourcustomeravatarasspecificaspossiblesothatyoucancraftpersonalizedcontent,offers,andmarketingcampaignsthatinterestmembersofyouraudienceorsolvetheirproblems.Infact,theexerciseofcreatingacustomeravatarimpactsvirtuallyeveryaspectofyourmarketing,including:

Contentmarketing:Whatblogposts,videos,podcasts,andsoonshouldyoucreatetoattractandconvertyouravatar?Searchmarketing:WhatsolutionsisyouravatarsearchingforonsearchengineslikeGoogle,YouTube(yes,YouTubeisasearchengine),andBing?Socialmediamarketing:Whatsocialmediasitesisyouravatarspendingtimeon?Whattopicsdoesyouravatarliketodiscuss?Emailmarketing:Whichavatarshouldreceiveaspecificemailmarketingcampaign?Paidtraffic:Whichadplatformsshouldyoubuytrafficfromandhowwillyoutargetyouravatar?Productcreation:Whatproblemsisyouravatartryingtosolve?Copywriting:Howshouldyoudescribeoffersinyouremailmarketing,ads,andsaleslettersinawaythatcompelsyouravatartobuy?

Anypartofthemarketingandsalesprocessthattouchesthecustomer(whichisprettymucheverything)improveswhenyougetclearonyourcustomeravatar.Afterall,you’reaimingtowardarealperson—onewhobuysyourproductsandservices.Itpaystogetclearonthecharacteristicsofthatpersonsothatyoucanfindandpresenthimorherwithamessagethatmovesthispersontoaction.

Whattoincludeinyourcustomeravatar

Thecustomeravatarpossessesfivemajorcomponents:

Goalsandvalues:Determinewhattheavataristryingtoachieve.Whatvaluesdoesheorsheholddear?Sourcesofinformation:Figureoutwhatbooks,magazines,blogs,newsstations,andotherresourcestheavatarreferencesforinformation.Demographics:Establishtheage,gender,maritalstatus,ethnicity,income,employmentstatus,nationality,andpoliticalpreferenceoftheavatar.Challengesandpainpoints:Whatisholdingtheavatarbackfromachievinghisorhergoals?Objections:Whywouldtheavatarchoosenottobuyyourproductorservice?

Insomecases,youneedtosurveyorhaveconversationswithexistingcustomerstoaccuratelyfleshoutyourcustomeravatar.Inothercases,youmayalreadybeintimatelyfamiliarwiththecharacteristicsofyouridealcustomer.Inanycase,moveforward.Don’twaitforsurveysorinterviewstobeconductedtocreateyourfirstdraftofanavatar.Instead,goaheadandmakeassumptionsdespitehavingnodataorfeedback,andputcompletingyourresearchonyourshortlistofto-do’s.Inthemeantime,youcanbeginbenefitingfromtheavataryou’vecreated.

Givingacustomeravataranactualnameassistsinbringingthisfictionalcharactertolife.Inaddition,yourteammembershaveawaytorefertoeachavataramongthemselves.

Usingthefiveelementsdescribedinthissection,wecreatedaworksheetthatwecompleteeachtimewecreateanewcustomeravatar.Theworksheethelpsyouhoneinontheidealcustomerandpairhimorherwiththerightmessage.Inthefollowingsections,wegointomoredetailaboutthisworksheetsothatyoucanuseitinyourownbusiness.

IntroducingAgencyEric:AcustomeravatarexampleInApril2015,DigitalMarketerintroducedanewoffer.Webegansellinganewtypeofdigitalmarketingtrainingproduct:CertificationClasses.Thesenewtrainingsincludeexams,certificates,andbadges,andtheyappealtoanewidealcustomer.Ofcourse,havinganewidealcustomermeansthatanewcustomeravatarmustbebuilt.

Asaresult,wedefinedfourdistinctbuyerpersonaswhowouldbeinterestedincertificationsandtrainingfromourcompany:

Themarketingfreelancer:Wantstodistinguishherselffromtheotherfreelancerssheiscompetingwithinthemarketplace.

Themarketingagencyowner:Wantstoaddtotheserviceshecanofferhisclientsandtosharpenthemarketingskillsofhisemployees.Theemployee:Wantstodistinguishhimselfathisplaceofemploymentortosecureanewjoborpromotionwithinhisexistingjob.Thebusinessowner:Wantstosharpenherownmarketingskillsandtheskillsofherinternalmarketingteammembers.

Fromthebuyerpersonas,fournewcustomeravatarswereborn.Wecalloneofthesenewavatars,picturedinFigure1-1,AgencyEric.

FIGURE1-1:AgencyEricisacustomeravatarwhopurchasesthecertificationproductfromDigitalMarketer.

Thenextsectiondescribestheapproachtofillingouteachsectionofthecustomeravatarworksheetsothatyoucandefineyourcustomeravatars.

GettingclearongoalsandvaluesThecustomeravatarcreationprocessbeginswithidentifyingthegoalsandvaluesofoneofyouridealcustomers.Makenoteofthegoalsandvaluesthatarerelevanttotheproductsandservicesyouoffer.

Beingawareofyourcustomeravatar ’sgoalsandvaluesdrivesdecisionsthatyoumakeabout

Productcreation:Whatproductsorservicescanyoudeveloptoassisttheavatarinmeetinghisorhergoals?

Advertising:Howcanyoudescribetheseoffersinyouradsandsalescopy?Contentmarketing:Whatblogposts,podcasts,newsletters,andothercontentvehiclesmightyouravatarrespondto?Emailmarketing:Howcanyoutailoryouremailsubjectlinesandbodycopytobeconsistentwiththeavatar ’sgoals?

AtDigitalMarketer,ourAgencyEricavatarownsadigitalmarketingagencyandmanagesateamofmarketersprovidingservicestoclients.OneofAgencyEric’sgoals(showninFigure1-2)istoincreasethecapabilitiesofhisteam.AgencyEricknowsthatamorecapableteamwillresultinsatisfiedcustomers.

FIGURE1-2:Understandingthegoalsandvaluesofyouravatarisimportant.

BecauseAgencyErichasthisgoal,heislikelytoopenandrespondtoanemailthatpromotesourcompany’sContentMarketingCertificationwiththefollowingsubjectline:

NeedContentMarketingtraining?

FindingsourcesofinformationandentertainmentThissectionofthecustomeravatarworksheetiscriticaltodeterminingwhereyourcustomeravatarisspendinghistimeonandoffline.Whatbooksdoesheread?Whatcelebritiesdoeshefollow?Whatblogsdoesheread?Thisisvitalinformationwhenconsideringwhereyouwilladvertiseandhowyouwilltargetthoseadvertisements.WecoverdigitaladvertisingandadtargetinginChapter10ofthisbook.

Thekeytotrulyunderstandingwhereyourcustomerisgettinginformationandentertainmentisinidentifyingnichesources.Identifyingthesenichesisfairlysimpleusingthe“ButNoOneElseWould”Trick.Tousethistrick,yousimplycompletesentenceslike:

Myidealcustomerwouldread[book],butnooneelsewould.Myidealcustomerwouldsubscribeto[magazine],butnooneelsewould.Myidealcustomerwouldattend[conference],butnooneelsewould.

Theideaistofindthenichebooks,magazines,blogs,conferences,celebrities,andotherintereststhatyouridealcustomerwouldbeattractedto—butnooneelsewould.Forexample,ifyousellgolfproducts,youwouldn’tassignTigerWoodsasacelebrity.TigerWoodsisacelebrityyourcustomeravatarwouldfollow,butalargepercentageofpeopleinterestedinTigerWoodsarenotgolfersandaren’tlikelytobuyyourgolfproducts.

Instead,choosingamorenichegolferlikeRoryMcIlroyallowsyoutohoneinonyouridealcustomerandexcludepeoplewhowouldn’tfindvalueinyourproduct.IfyoufindthesenicheswhenbuyingtrafficfromadplatformslikeFacebook(coveredinChapter10),youcanoftenlaser-targetyouraudiencebyfocusingonprospectswhohavethesenicheinterests,whileexcludingless-than-idealprospects.

HoninginondemographicsApplyingdemographicinformationbringsyourcustomeravatartolife.Inthissection,youaddinformationtoyouravatarsuchasage,gender,maritalstatus,andlocation.

Althoughtheusualdemographicsarecritical,theexerciseoffillinginthe“Quote”field(showninFigure1-3)canbeparticularlyhelpfultogetinsidetheheadofyouridealcustomer.TheQuotefieldishowthisavatarmightdefinehimselforherselfinonesentence,orit’sthemottotheavatarlivesby.Forinstance,ourquoteforAgencyEricis“IsurroundmyselfwithpeoplesmarterthanI.”Thissentencesaysalotaboutthisavatar ’scharacterandmotivationtopurchaseourmarketingtrainingproducts.Brainstormideasforyouravatar ’squotewithyourteamorsomeonewhoknowsyourbusinesswell.

FIGURE1-3:Demographicsbringthecustomeravatartolife.

DemographicinformationforyourcustomeravatarisalsousefulforchoosingtargetingoptionsinadplatformslikeFacebook.Bringyouravatarto“life”asmuchaspossible,evenbyvisualizingthepersonifyoucan,becausewhenyou’rewritingcontent,email,orsalescopy,itcanbebeneficialtowriteasthoughyouravatarweresittingacrossthetablefromyou.Demographicinformationlikeage,gender,andlocationgivesyourpersonaalookandfeel.

AddingchallengesandpainpointsThissectionoftheworksheetcanhelpdrivenewproductorservicedevelopment.Itcanalsohelpinspirethecopyandadcreativeyouwillusetocompelyouridealcustomertoaction.Copyisanywrittenwordthatmakesupyourad,email,webpage,socialmediapost,orblogpost.Adcreativeisanobjectthatcommunicatesinformationinvisualform,suchasanimage,aGIF(graphicsinterchangeformat),avideo,aninfographic,ameme,oranotherformofartworkthatyouusetoconveyyourmessage.Youusecopyandadcreativestocallouttoyouraudience,capturepeople’sattention,andaddresshowyourproductorserviceaddsvaluetotheirlivesbysolvingapainpointorachallengetheyface.

WhensellingcertificationstoAgencyEric,forexample,ourcompanywoulddowelltobuildsolutionstohischallengesandpainpointsanduselanguagethataddressestheminourmarketingmessages.Forexample,thisavatarwouldrespondtosalescopylikethefollowing:

Areyoutiredoflosingproposalssimplybecauseyoudon’toffercontentmarketingservicestoyourclients?CertifyyourteamwithDigitalMarketer’sContentMarketingMasteryCourseandCertification.

CopylikethisreceivesaresponsefromAgencyEricbecauseitisspecifictooneofhispainpoints,whichisthefearoflosingbusinesstocompetitors(seeFigure1-4).

FIGURE1-4:Understandingthechallengesandpainpointsofyourcustomerinformsyourmarketingefforts.

PreparingforobjectionsInthefinalsectionofthecustomeravatarworksheet,answerwhyyourcustomeravatarmightchoosetodeclinetheoffertobuyyourproductorservice.Thereasonsyouravatardoesn’tbuyarecalledobjections,andyoumustaddresstheminyourmarketing.Forexample,ifweknowthatAgencyEricisconcernedwiththeamountoftimehisteammemberswillbeoutoftheofficeorunabletoworkwhilegettingtrained,wecansendanemailthatovercomesthatobjectionwithasubjectlinelikethis:

GetContentMarketingCertified(inonebusinessday).

YoucanprepareyourowncustomeravataraswediscusswiththehelpofaresourcefromDigitalMarketer.Finditatwww.digitalmarketer.com/customer-avatar.

GettingClearontheValueYouProvideAnimportantpartofplanningfordigitalmarketingsuccessisunderstandingthevalueyourorganizationbringstothemarketplace.Thevalueyourcompanyprovidesisfargreaterthantheproductsorservicesitsells.Infact,peopledon’tbuyproductsorservicesatall;instead,theybuyoutcomes.

Imagineagroupofpeoplewhoarediscontentforonereasonoranother.Thisgroupofpeopleareinwhatwecallthe“Before”state(seeFigure1-5).Nomatterwhatyou’reselling,you’retryingtoreachagroupofprospectivecustomerswhoareinthisBeforestate.Togainsomeinsight,writetheadjectivesthatdescribeyourprospectivecustomerbeforeshehasexperiencedyourproductorservice.Isshesad?Outofshape?Bored?

Source:https://www.digitalmarketer.com/customer-value-optimization/FIGURE1-5:Businessesprovidevaluebymovingprospectsfroma“Before”statetoan“After”state.

Now,leapforwardintothefuture,tothepointafteryourprospectivecustomerhasexperiencedyourproductorservice.Whatisher“After”state?Howhasthispersonchanged?InthesameplacewhereyoutooknotesaboutherBeforestate,describeherAfterstate.Isshehappier?Healthier?Moreexcited?

TheshiftfromtheBeforestatetotheAfterstateiswhatyourcustomerisbuying.Thisshift(oroutcome)isthevaluethatyourbusinessbringstothemarketplace.Furthermore,theroleofyourmarketingistoarticulatethismovefromtheBeforestatetotheAfterstate.

TheunderstandingofthistransitionfromBeforetoAfteriswhatallowsyoutocraftwhatiscalledaStatementofValue.Thisstatementisimportantbecauseitsumsupthevalueofyourproductorservice.TocraftyourStatementofValue,simplyfillintheblanksonthesentenceshowninFigure1-6.

Source:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/launching-a-business/FIGURE1-6:FillintheblanksonyourStatementofValue.

Theroleofyourmarketingistoassistinmovingaprospect,lead,orcustomerfromonestageofthecustomerjourneytothenext.Atthebeginningofthisjourney,yourcustomerisintheBeforestate.Bytheend,youwillhavetakenyourcustomeronajourneytothatcustomer ’sidealAfterstate.

KnowingtheStagesoftheCustomerJourneyIfyourbusinesshasacquiredevenasinglecustomer,somekindofcustomerjourneyisinplace.Perhapsthiscustomerjourneywasnotcreatedintentionally,butitdoesexist.Orperhapsyoucallitsomethingelseinyourorganization,suchasamarketingorsalespipeline.

Regardlessofwhatyoucallit,becomingintentionalaboutthemovementofcoldprospects,leads,andexistingcustomersthroughthestagesofthisjourneyisthepurposeofyourmarketing.Whenyou’veproperlychartedyouridealcustomerjourney,youquicklyfindthebottlenecksthatarerestrictingtheflowofprospecttolead,leadtocustomer,andcustomertoravingfan.

Wecan’toverstatetheimportanceofsequenceinmarketing,andparticularlyindigitalmarketing.Movingcoldprospectsfromonestageofthecustomerjourneytothenextmustbedoneseamlesslyandsubtly.You’renotlikelytoconvertacompletestrangerintoabrandadvocateovernight.Butyoucangraduallymovetheprospectfromonestageoftherelationshiptothenext.Tomovepeoplethroughthestagesofthecustomerjourney,gothroughthefollowingeightsteps.Aworksheet,Figure1-12,thatvisualizesthestepsofthecustomerjourneyisprovidedinthefinalsectionofthischapter.

Step1:GeneratingawarenessEveryrepeatcustomerandravingfanofyourbusinesswas,atonetime,acompletestrangertoyourcompany.Shehadnoideawhatproblemyousolve,whatproductsyousell,orwhatyourbrandstandsfor.Thefirststeponherjourneyfromcoldprospecttoravingfanisawareness.Wegointomoredetailabouttacticslaterinthisbook,butifawarenessisyourissue,youshouldemploythefollowingdigitalmarketingtactics:

Advertising:Advertising,bothonlineandoffline,isareliableandeffectivemethodofraisingawareness.Socialmediamarketing:BillionsofpeopleaccesssocialmediasitessuchasFacebook,Twitter,andLinkedIneveryday.Socialmediamarketingisaninexpensivemethodofraisingawareness.Searchmarketing:BillionsofwebsearchesonsitessuchasGoogleandBingareprocessedeveryday.Basicsearchmarketingtechniquesdirectsomeofthattraffictoyourwebsite.

Figure1-7showsanawarenesscampaignfromTransferWise,acompanythatwascreatedbythesamepeoplewhobuiltSkype.TransferWiseisarelativelynewcompanyinthe

moneytransferbusiness,anditusestheFacebookadvertisingplatformtoraiseawarenessoftheservice.NoticehowthelanguageusedinthisadfocusesonteachingwhatTransferWiseisandhowyoubenefitfromusingtheservice.

Source:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/launching-a-business/FIGURE1-7:AFacebookadvertisementfocusedonthegoalofawareness.

Step2:DrivingengagementIt’snotenoughtosimplymakeacoldprospectawareofyourbusiness,products,andbrand.Youmustengineeryourmarketingtocapturetheattentionofyourprospectandengagehim.Foradigitalmarketer,thatengagementalmostalwaystakestheformofvaluablecontentmadefreelyavailableintheformof

BlogpostsPodcastsOnlinevideos

Forexample,thegrocerystoreWholeFoodspridesitselfinsellingfresh,organicfoodsfromitshundredsofbrick-and-mortarlocations.Thesupermarketchain’sonlinestrategyincludesitsWholeStoryblog,whichengagesitsidealcustomerwithcontentrelevantto

theproductsthecompanysells.Blogarticleswithtitlessuchas“9RefreshingSummerDrinksYouNeedtoTryRightNow”(seeFigure1-8)showexistingandprospectivecustomershowtousetheproductssoldatWholeFoods.

Source:https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/9-refreshing-summer-drinks-you-need-try-right-nowFIGURE1-8:AnengagingblogpostfromtheWholeFoodsblog.

Aprospect,lead,orcustomermayspendanywherefromafewminutestoafewyearsatanyoneofthestagesinthiscustomerjourney.Forexample,aprospectmightbecomeawareofyourblogandengagewithitforayearormorebeforemovingtothenextphaseofthejourney.Otherswillsprintthroughmultiplestagesofthejourneyinthespaceofafewminutes.Ahealthybusinesshasgroupsofpeopleatallstagesofthejourneyatalltimes.

Step3:BuildingsubscribersThenextstepinthecustomerjourneyistograduateaprospectfromthe“merelyawareandengaged”stageintothestageofbeingasubscriberorlead.Asubscriberisanyonewhohasgivenyoupermissiontohaveaconversationwithhim.SavvydigitalmarketerscreatelistsofsubscribersbybuildingsocialmediaconnectionsonsitessuchasFacebookandTwitter,attractingpodcastsubscribersonservicessuchasiTunesandStitcher,or

generatingsubscribersfromwebinarregistrations.

Offlinecompaniesmightbuildsubscriptiononlinebyofferingawareandengagedprospectstheabilitytoreceivephysicalmailorrequestaconsultativesalescallorproductdemo.

ButtheHolyGrailofleadgenerationinthedigitalmarketingrealmisemailsubscription.Emailis,byfar,thecheapestandhighest-convertingmethodofmovingaprospectthroughtherestofthestagesofthiscustomerjourney.WetellyoumoreaboutemailmarketinginChapter11,butfornow,takealookatanexampleofaneffectiveemailmarketingcampaignfromoneoftheworld’slargestfurnitureretailers,IKEA.

IKEAbuildssocialmediasubscribersonFacebook,Twitter,Pinterest,andmore,butacquiringemailsubscribersisclearlythefocalpointofIKEA’sdigitalmarketingefforts.UponvisitingtheIKEAwebsite,you’reaskedinmultiplelocationstojoinIKEA’semaillist.Figure1-9showsanemailopt-informfromtheIKEAwebsite.

Source:http://www.ikea.com/us/en/FIGURE1-9:AnemailsubscriptionofferfromfurnitureretailerIKEA.

Step4:IncreasingconversionsAtthisstage,thegoalistoelevatethecommitmentleveloftheprospectbyaskinghimorhertogiveyouasmallamountoftimeormoney.Low-dollarproductsorservices,webinars,andproductdemosareallgoodofferstomakeduringthisstage.

Uptothispoint,therelationshipwiththisprospectthroughthefirstthreestagesofthecustomerjourneyhasbeenpassive.ThegoalofStage4isnotprofitability,butratheranincreasedlevelofconnectionbetweentheprospectandyourbusiness.Onecompanythat

achievesthisincreasedconnectionisGoDaddy,whichallowsyouto,amongotherthings,registeradomainnameforawebsiteaswellashostanddesignoneforyourbusiness.GoDaddyusesalow-dollardomainregistrationofferwithatwo-yearpurchase(seeFigure1-10)toacquirecustomersandrampupthecommitmentlevel.

Source:https://www.godaddy.com/?isc=gofd2001sa&ci=FIGURE1-10:Alow-dollarofferfromdomainregistrationcompanyGoDaddy.

Step5:BuildingexcitementYourmarketingshouldintentionallyencourageyourcustomertousetheofferthatyourleadorcustomeracceptedinStep4.Thebusinesstermforgettingyourprospecttotakeadvantageofanofferiscustomeronboarding.RegardlessofwhethertheconversioninStep4wasacommitmentoftimeormoney,therelationshipwiththiscustomerorprospecthasamuchgreaterchanceofsuccessifshereceivedvaluefromthetransaction.

AtDigitalMarketer,wehaveacommunitycalledDigitalMarketerLabmadeupofthousandsofentrepreneurs,freelancers,andsmallbusinessowners.EachnewDigitalMarketerLabmemberreceivesanonboardingpacket(seeFigure1-11)fromourcompanythroughpostmailthatteachesLabmembershowtogetthemostoutoftheirnewpurchase.Thispacketbuildsexcitementbyexplainingallthebenefitsofbeingamember,anditshowsmembersexactlyhowtogetstartedreceivingthosebenefits.Bybuildingexcitementandteachingourcustomerstobesuccessful,we’veseendramaticallylowercancellationrates.

FIGURE1-11:Thisonboardingpacketbuildsexcitementandteachesthecustomerhowtobesuccessfulwithourproduct.

Thevalueoftheoffersyoumakeshouldfaroutweighthepricepaidbyyourcustomer.Delivergreatproductsandservicesandcreatemarketingcampaignsthatencouragetheuseofthoseproductsandservices.Afterall,yourcustomersaren’tlikelytocontinuebuyingorpromotingyourbrandtoothersiftheyaren’tusingtheproductorservicethemselves.

Step6:MakingthecoreoffersaleandmoreAtthisstage,prospectshavedevelopedarelationshipwithyourbrand.Theymayhaveinvestedabitoftimeormoneywithyou.Peoplewhodevelopthisrapportwithyourcompanyaremuchmorelikelytobuyamorecomplex,expensive,orriskyproductorservicefromyou.Wecallthisjumpfrompassiveprospecttobuyerascension.

Unfortunately,thisiswheremostbusinessesstartandendtheirmarketing.Someaskcoldprospectstomakeriskyinvestmentsoftimeandmoneywithacompanytheyknownothingabout.Thisistheequivalentofproposingmarriagetosomeoneonafirstdate:Thesuccess

rateislow.Otherbrandsstopmarketingtoacustomerafterthatparticularcustomerhasconverted(madeapurchase)insteadofstayingintouchwithandconvertingthatpersonintoarepeatbuyer.

Intheascensionstage,customersorprospectspurchasehigh-ticketproductsorservices,signupforsubscriptionsthatbillthemmonthly,orbecomeloyal,repeatbuyers.AssumingthatyouhavedonethehardworkinStages1–5ofthecustomerjourney,youshouldfindthatsomeofyourleadsandcustomersarereadytobuymore,andbuyrepeatedly.That’sbecauseyou’vebuiltarelationshipwiththemandeffectivelycommunicatedthevalueyoucanbringtotheirlives.Whenyoumarkettoyourcustomersinthissequence,they’reonthepathtobecomingbrandadvocatesandpromoters(seetheupcomingsectionsaboutSteps7and8).WediscussdifferentstrategiesforsellingmoretoyourexistingcustomersinChapter3whenwecoverprofitmaximizers.

Step7:DevelopingbrandadvocatesBrandadvocatesgiveyoutestimonialsaboutthefabulousexperiencethey’vehadwithyourbrand.Theyarefansofyourcompanyanddefendyourbrandonsocialmediachannelsand,ifasked,leavegreatreviewsforyourproductsorservicesonsitessuchasYelporAmazon.

Yourabilitytocreatebrandadvocatesdependsontherelationshipyouhavewiththeseleadsandbuyers.Whenyou’vereachedthisstep,yourcustomerandyourcompanyarelikeclosefriendsinthesensethatdevelopingtherelationshiptothisleveltooktimeandeffort,andmaintainingthatrelationship—onethatismutuallybeneficialtobothparties—willtaketimeandeffortalso.

Youbuildthisrelationshipbyaddingvalue,deliveringonthepromiseofyourproduct(meaningthatitactuallydoeswhatyouclaimitwilldo),andwithresponsivecustomerservice.Byconsistentlydeliveringqualityproductsandservices,youcanturnpeopleintobrandadvocatesandultimatelymovethemintothefinalstep:brandpromoter.

Step8:GrowingbrandpromotersBrandpromotersgobeyondadvocacyanddoeverythingfromtattooingyourlogoacrosstheirchest(thinkHarleyDavidson)todedicatinghoursoftheirfreetimebloggingandusingsocialmediatospreadtheirloveofyourbrandonline.Thedifferencebetweenanadvocate(Step7)andabrandpromoteristhatthepromoteractivelyspreadsthewordaboutyourbusiness,whereastheadvocateismorepassive.

Forbrandpromoters,yourcompanyhasbecomepartoftheirlife.Theyknowthatyourbrandisonethattheycantrustanddependon.Brandpromotersbelieveinyoubecauseyourbrandandyourproductshavedeliveredexceptionalvalueagainandagain.Theyhavecommittednotonlytheirmoneybutalsotheirtimetoyou.

PreparingYourCustomerJourneyRoadMapForsuccessfulbusinesses,thecustomerjourneydoesn’thappenbyaccident.Smartdigitalmarketersengineermarketingcampaignsthatintentionallymoveprospects,leads,andcustomersfromonestagetothenext.Afteryoubecomeawareofyouridealcustomerjourney,thetactics(taughtintheremainingchaptersofthisbook)thatshouldbeemployedbecomeclear.

Forexample,ifyoudeterminethatyouhaveanissuebuildingsubscribers(Step3ofthecustomerjourney),youwanttodeploytacticsthatgenerateemailleads(coveredinChapters3and11)andsocialmediaconnections(discussedinChapter9)tomovecustomersthroughthispartofthecustomerjourney.

Creatingacustomerjourneyroadmapthatclearlydelineatestheeightstagesthatwecoverintheprevioussectionofthischapter(seeFigure1-12forjustsucharoadmap)isafantasticwaytoplanandvisualizethepaththatanidealcustomerwilltakefromcoldprospecttobrandpromoter.Gatherthestakeholdersinyourcompanyandcompleteacustomerjourneyroadmapforatleastoneofyourmajorproductsorservices.Brainstormwhichcampaignsandoffers(coveredinChapters2and3)touseateachstepofthecustomerjourneytomakepeopleawareofyourproductandmovethemfromawarenesstotheirdesired“After”stateontothepathofabrandpromoter.

FIGURE1-12:Createacustomerjourneyroadmapforatleastoneofyourcoreoffers.

YoucancreateyourowncustomerjourneyroadmapwitharesourcefromDigitalMarketerbygoingtowww.digitalmarkter.com/customer-journey.

Chapter2

ChoosingtheRightMarketingCampaignINTHISCHAPTER

DefiningthegoalsofyourdigitalmarketingUtilizingthethreemaindigitalmarketingcampaignsLearningwhichdigitalmarketingcampaignsyoushouldemploy,andwhen

DigitalmarketingisabroadtermthatcanmeananythingfrompostinganimageofyourproductonFacebooktocraftinganemailsubjectlinetooptimizingablogpostforsearchenginetraffic.Digitalmarketinginvolvesmanyseeminglydisconnectedtactics,andthat’swhatmakesthischaptersoimportant.

Thischapterhelpsyouunderstandwhatamarketingcampaignis.Weexplainthethreedifferenttypesofcampaignsandhowandwhentousethemsothatyoucanusethesestrategieseffectivelyinyourdigitalmarketingcampaigns.

Everybusinessisinterestedingeneratingleads,makingsales,retainingthecustomerstheyhave,andsellingthemmoreofthecompany’sproductsorservices.Achievingeachofthesegoalsrequiresadifferentapproach,however.Inthischapter,wehelpyoudecidewhatyouwantyourdigitalmarketingtoaccomplishbyidentifyingyourbusinessobjectives,becausethoseobjectivesarewhatshoulddictatethecampaignsyouconstructand,ultimately,thetacticsyouemploy.

EstablishingMarketingObjectivesBeforeyoustartablog,openaPinterestaccount,orstartgatheringemailaddresses,youneedtochooseyourbusinessgoals.Whenyouknowwhatyouwanttoaccomplish,you’llbeabletodirectyourenergyintotherightmarketingcampaignsandemploymarketingtacticsthatmovetheneedleontherightbusinessmetrics.

Herearesixcommongoalsthatyourdigitalmarketingstrategycanaffect:

Increasingproblemandsolutionawareness:Youronlinemarketingcanhelpprospectivecustomersbecomeawareofsomethingtheyneed,aneffectcalledproblemawareness.Yourmarketingcanalsomakeprospectivecustomersawarethatyourcompanyprovidesasolutiontoaproblem—calledsolutionawareness.Yourobjectiveistohelppeoplerealizethatyoucantakethemfromthe“Before”state,inwhichtheyhaveaproblem,tothedesired“After”state,inwhichtheyhaveobtainedapositivesolution.(WecoverthisideaingreaterdetailinChapter1.)Acquiringnewleadsandcustomers:Gainingmoreleadsandcustomersisaprimaryobjectiveofmostbusinesses.Withoutgeneratingnewleadsandcustomers,yourbusinesswillnevergrowbeyondwhatitisnow.Youneedtobringinnewbloodinordertoscaleyourbusiness.Activatingleadsandcustomers:Ifyou’vebeeninbusinessformorethanafewmonths,youlikelyhaveleadsandcustomerswhohaveyettobuyorhaven’tboughtinawhile.Youcanuseyourdigitalmarketingcampaignstoencouragepeopletobuyfromyouforthefirsttime,aswellastoremindpastcustomerswhohaven’tpurchasedfromyoulatelyofthevalueyoubringandwhytheyshouldbuyfromyouagain.Yourdigitalmarketingcampaignscanactivatethesedormantleadsandcustomersandhelpkeepyourbusinessinmind.Monetizingexistingleadsandcustomers:Acquiringnewleadsandcustomersisexpensiveandtimeconsuming.Don’tforgettocreatedigitalcampaignsintendedtosellmoreproductsandservicestothosenewleadsandcustomers.Monetizationcampaignsmakeupsell,cross-sell,andothertypesofofferstosellmoretoyourbestleadsandcustomersOnboardingnewleadsandcustomers:Newleadsandcustomersdeservespecialtreatmentsimplybecausetheyarenew.Theyneedtobetaughtwhoyouareandhowtobesuccessfulwithwhatthey’vepurchased.Toachievethisgoal,createcontentsuchaswelcomeemailsorwelcomepacketsthattellpeoplehowtouseyourproductorservice,whattheycanexpect,andwheretheycangoiftheyneedhelpwiththeirpurchase.Buildingcommunityandadvocacy:Tomoveprospects,leads,andcustomersbeyondashallow,transactionalrelationship,youneedtobuildcampaignsthatcreatecommunitiesofadvocatesandbrandpromoters.Oneofthemosteffectivewaysto

achievethisadvocacyisthroughsocialmedia,suchasthroughaFacebookgrouporaTwitterpage.Here,peoplecanreachoutiftheyhavepraisefororquestionsaboutyourproductorservice.Bycreatinganoutlet,youhelptocultivateasenseofcommunityforyourcustomerbase,whichleadstoincreasedsatisfactionandloyalty.FindmoreonsocialmediatacticsinChapter9.

DefiningaDigitalMarketingCampaignMeetingyourbusinessobjectivesandmovingacustomerthroughthecustomerjourney(discussedinChapter1)fromice-coldprospecttoravingfanrequiresactions.Thoseactions,ifcoordinatedproperly,arecalledcampaigns.Digitalmarketingcampaigns,aswedefinetheminthisbook,haveasetofspecificcharacteristics.Digitalmarketingcampaignsare

Objectivebased:Digitalmarketingcampaignsarecoordinatedactionsintendedtoachieveaspecificbusinessgoal.Multiparted:Everydigitalmarketingcampaignrequiresassetslikecontentandlandingpages,aswellastoolslikeemailsoftwareorwebforms.Butthoseassetsaren’tenoughtoensurethesuccessofyourcampaign;youneedtheabilitytomakethoseassetsvisible.Inotherwords,youneedtraffic.Yetanotherpartofeverycampaignisthemeasurementsyoutracksothatyoucandeterminehowitisperforming.Seamlessandsubtle:It’sworthpointingoutthatthesemultistep,multipartcampaignsaremostsuccessfulifyouwalktheprospectgraduallythroughthecustomerjourney(formoreaboutthecustomerjourney,seeChapter1).Tohelpmovepeoplethroughthecustomerjourney,youneedtoincludeacalltoaction(CTA)withinyourcampaign.ACTAisaninstructiontoyouraudiencedesignedtoprovokeanimmediateresponse.Usually,aCTAincludesanimperativeverbtoconveyurgency,suchas“buynow,”“clickhere,”“shoptoday,”“watchthisvideo,”“giveusacall,”or“visitastorenearyou.”Next,awell-oiledmarketingcampaignremovesthefrictionbetweentheprospectandtheactionyouwantthatprospecttotake.Anextremeexampleistoaskanice-coldprospecttobuya$10,000productorservice.Suchatacticwouldbeneitherseamlessnorsubtle.Inthecomingchapters,youfindouthowtostructureyourcampaignsinawaythatmovesyourcoldprospectstobecomerepeatbuyersandpurchasersofhigh-ticketitems.Influx:Thewordcampaignoftenreferstoaninitiativewithashortlifespan,butasitisdefinedinthisbook,acampaigncanbesomethingyourbusinessrunsforaslittleasadayoraslongasseveralyears.Theadvantageofdigitalcampaignsoverphysicalones(suchasdirect-mailcampaigns)isthatsmalltweaksandevenwholesalepivotsaremuchsimplerinadigitalenvironment.Asaresult,youcanoptimizedigitalmarketingcampaignsontheflytoachievethebestresults.

Themostimportanttakeawayfromthissectionisthatacampaignisaprocess,notasingleeventthatismadeupofnumerousstepsandparts.Digitalmarketingcampaignsmightseemcomplicatedtoyounow,butrestassuredthatcampaignscanbeextremelysimple,andwecovereverythingfromassetcreationtotrafficandmeasurementinthisbook.

PUTTINGTOGETHERAGOOD-LOOKINGDIGITALMARKETINGCAMPAIGN

ConsiderthedigitalmarketingcampaignofacompanylikeLasikPlus,whichofferstheLasikcorrectivesurgeryforeyesight.Asaremostcompanies,LasikPlusisinterestedinacquiringnewleadsandcustomersfortheprocedure.

Inthiscompany’smarketingcampaign,aprospectmightfirstencounteranadvertisement,suchasthebanneradshowninthefollowingfigure.

Source:http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/boyfriend-voice?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=Social&utm_term=593110700&utm_campaign=Men%27s%20Health

Clickingtheadshowninthefirstfiguretakestheprospectivecustomertoalandingpage,showninthenextfigure,thatexplainsthebenefitsofdoingbusinesswithLasikPlusandmakesacalltoactiontoscheduleaconsultation.

Source:http://www.lasikplus.com/lasik-affordable-250_quiz

SelectingthecalltoactiontoscheduleanappointmenttakestheprospecttoapagewheretheprospectchoosesthemostconvenientLasikPluslocationforhisorherconsultation.Afterthatlocationischosen,theprospectistakentoacalendarpagewhereatimefortheconsultationcanbechosen,asshowninthefinalfigureinthissidebar.Thelaststepinsettingtheappointmentistheenteringofname,email,phonenumber,andbirthdatetoconfirmtheappointment.

Source:https://www.lasikplus.com/am/#/Austin/schedule?latitude=30.352204&longitude=-97.7504

Butitdoesn’tstopthere.TheLasikPluscampaigncontinuesviaemail.Separateemailsaresenttoconfirmtheconsultationappointment,teachtheprospectiveLasikcandidateabitabouttheprocedure,andtoremindtheprospectofhisupcomingappointment.Also,noticethatLasikPlusgraduatestheprospectfromacoldleadtoaconsultationratherthanaskingthepersontopayfortheprocedureimmediatelyafterseeingthead.Thiscampaignmovestheprospectseamlesslyandsubtlytowardtheconversion.

UnderstandingtheThreeMajorTypesofCampaigns

Althoughyoumayhavemanybusinessgoalsthatyouwanttoaffectthroughyourdigitalmarketing,you’llfindthatyoucanmeetmostobjectiveswiththreebroadcategoriesofdigitalmarketingcampaign:Acquisition,Monetization,andEngagement.

Eachofthesetypesofdigitalmarketingcampaignhasaveryspecificroletoplayinyourbusiness,asfollows:

Acquisitioncampaignsacquirenewprospectsandcustomers.Monetizationcampaignsgeneraterevenuefromexistingleadsandcustomers.Engagementcampaignscreatecommunitiesofbrandadvocatesandpromoters.

Thefollowingsectionsexplainthesetypesofcampaignsinmuchmoredetail.

CampaignsthatgeneratenewleadsandcustomersIfyourgoalistoraiseawarenessfortheproblemsyousolveorthesolutionsyouprovide,orifyou’rejustlookingtoacquirenewleadsandcustomers,youneedanAcquisitioncampaign.

Theroleofyourmarketingistohelpmoveaprospect,lead,orcustomerfromtheawarenessstageofthecustomerjourneytobrandpromoter.YoudeployAcquisitioncampaignstodotheworkonthefrontendofthisjourney,takingtheprospectfromAwaretoConverted(seeFigure2-1).

FIGURE2-1:AcquisitioncampaignsmoveprospectsfromtheAwaretoConvertedstages.

ThestagesofthecustomerjourneythatAcquisitioncampaignscompletearethefollowing:

MakeAware:Tobringinnewleadsandcustomers,youneedtoreachouttowhatamountstocompletestrangers.YoushouldstructureAcquisitioncampaignstoreach

prospectswhoarecompletelyunawareoftheproblemyousolveorthesolutionsyouprovide.Engage:ThemovementfromMakeAwaretoEngageisoftenaccomplishedbyprovidingvaluetotheprospect,usuallyintheformofentertainment,inspiration,oreducationalcontent,beforeaskinghertobuysomethingorcommitasignificantamountoftime.Thisisknownascontentmarketing,astrategicmarketingmethodfocusedoncreatinganddistributingvaluable,relevant,andconsistentmaterialdesignedtoattract,retain,andultimatelydriveacustomertoaprofitableaction.Contentmarketingconsistsofabroadspectrumofactivitiesandtypesofcontent,includingblogging,videos,socialmediaupdates,images,andmore.WecovercontentmarketinginmoredetailinChapter4.Subscribe:Atthisstage,theprospecthasgivenyoupermissiontomarkettohim.Attheveryleast,hehasconnectedwithyouonsocialchannels(Facebook,LinkedIn,andothers)or,ideally,hasbecomeanemailsubscriber.TheSubscribestateisacriticalstagetoreachintherelationshipbecauseyoucannowcontinuetheconversationwithmorecontentandoffers.Convert:ThetransformationofaprospectfrombeingmerelyinterestedandsubscribedtoconvertedisthefinalstageofanAcquisitioncampaign.Atthispoint,theprospecthasplacedtrustinyourorganizationbygivingyoueithermoneyorasignificantamountofhertime.Don’tforgetthatyourmarketingshouldbegradualandseamless,particularlyonline,whereyoumustoftenbuildtrustwithsomeoneyou’veneveractuallymet.IfthisfinalstageofyourAcquisitioncampaigninvolvesasale,itshouldn’tbearisky(thinkexpensiveorcomplex)purchase.Thegoalhereistosimplytransformtherelationshipfromprospecttocustomer.

NotethatAcquisitioncampaignsarenotaboutprofit.AlthoughyoumightbemakingsalesattheConvertstage,thegoalofthosesalesisnotreturnoninvestment(ROI)butonacquiringleadsandbuyers.Thisideacanseemcounterintuitive,butkeepinmindthatcustomerandleadacquisitionisdifferentfrommonetization.Thesetwocampaigntypeshavedifferentgoals,tactics,andmetrics.

Mostofthecampaignsthatyoucreatetoacquirenewleadsandcustomerscanalsoworktoactivateleadsandbuyerswhohaveneverpurchasedfromyou,orhaven’tpurchasedfromyouinawhile.WerefertocampaignslikethisasActivationcampaigns.Ahealthybusinesshasalargenumberofrecentand,ifapplicable,frequentbuyers.Deployingcampaignstoactivatedormantsubscribersandbuyersisagooduseoftimeandeffort.WetellyoumoreaboutthetypesofoffersthatcanactivatetheseleadsandbuyersinChapter3.

CampaignsthatmonetizeexistingleadsandcustomersIfyourbusinessobjectiveistosellmoretothecustomersyoualreadyhaveortosellhigh-dollar,morecomplexproductsandservicesandprofitmaximizers(asdescribedinChapter3),youneedaMonetizationcampaign.Inshort,thegoalofaMonetizationcampaignistomakeprofitablesalesofferstotheleadsandcustomersyouacquiredwithyourAcquisitioncampaigns.

Don’tbuildaMonetizationcampaignfirstifyourbusinesshasnoleads,subscribers,orexistingcustomers.Monetizationcampaignsaremeanttosellmore,ormoreoften,tothosewhoalreadyknow,like,andtrustyourbusiness.

ThestagesofthecustomerjourneycompletedbyMonetizationcampaignsandshowninFigure2-2arethefollowing:

Excite:YoutargetMonetizationcampaignsatcustomerswhohavealreadyspenttimelearningsomethingfromyou,orhavealreadypurchasedsomethingfromyourbusiness.Savvydigitalmarketersbuildcampaignsthatencourageprospectsorcustomerstogetvaluefromtheinteractionsthey’vealreadyhadwithyourbusiness.Causecustomerstoascend:Foreverygroupofpeoplewhopurchasesomething,somepercentageofthemwouldhaveboughtmore,ormoreoften,ifgiventhechance.Forexample,foreverybuyerofaRolexwatch,somepercentagewouldbuyasecond(orthirdorfourth!)watch,orwouldbuythemostexpensiveRolexwatchifpresentedwiththeopportunity.Thisconceptiscriticalnotonlytodigitalmarketingbutalsotoyourbusinessgoals.YourMonetizationcampaignsshouldcapitalizeonthisconceptbymakingoffersthatincreasethevalueofyourexistingleadsandcustomers.

FIGURE2-2:Monetizationcampaignscreateexcitementandcauseexistingleadsandcustomerstoascendtoahigherlevelofpurchasing.

CampaignsthatbuildengagementIfyourbusinessobjectiveistosuccessfullygetnewcustomersonboardandmovenewleadsandcustomersfrombeingprospectstofansofyourbrand,ortobuildacommunityaroundyourcompany,brand,oroffers,youneedanEngagementcampaign.Themostbelovedcompaniescreateonlineopportunitiesforcustomersandprospectstointeractwitheachotherandwiththebrand.Companiesthatbuildengagementintotheirmarketingenjoythebenefitsofcustomerinteractionsthatgobeyondthesimpletransactionofbuyinggoodsandservices.

ThestagesofthecustomerjourneycompletedbyEngagementcampaignsandshowninFigure2-3arethefollowing:

Advocate:Youcancreatemarketingcampaignstogiveyourbestcustomerstheabilitytorecommendyourbusinessthroughtestimonialsandcustomerstories.Theseadvocatesdefendyourbrandonsocialmediaandrecommendyourproductsandservicestotheirfriendsandfamilywhenprompted.Promote:Customerswhoactivelyseektopromoteyourbusinessareworththeirweightingold.ThesearethecustomerswhocreateblogsandYouTubevideosaboutyourproductsandservices.Theytellthestoryofyourbrandandtheirsuccesswithitonsocialchannels,anddoeverythingtheycantospreadthegoodwordaboutthevalueyouprovide.Thesepeopleareyourbrandadvocates.

FIGURE2-3:Engagementcampaignscreatebrandadvocatesandbrandpromoters.

Creatingbrandadvocatesandpromotersbeginswithhavingasuperiorproductor

service,coupledwithacustomerserviceexperiencetomatch.Wordtravelsfastinthedigitalworld,andifyouaren’tprovidingvalue,youfindthatyourmarketingcreatestheexactoppositeofadvocatesandpromoters.Instead,yourmarketingonlyspeedsthespreadofinformationaboutthepoorexperiencesyourcustomershavehad.Beforeattemptingtobuildengagementandcommunity,optimizetheamountofvalueyoubringtoyourcustomer.

Whendoneright,Acquisition,Monetization,andEngagementcampaignsseamlesslymovepeoplethroughthecustomerjourney.Thesethreestrategieshelppeoplegofromtheir“Before”stateinwhichtheyhaveaproblemtotheirdesired“After”stateofhavinggainedapositiveoutcomethroughyourproductorservice.(WediscussthecustomerjourneyingreaterdetailinChapter1.)Figure2-4showsallthestagesapersongoesthrough,ideally,inthecustomerjourney.UsetheAcquisition,Monetization,andEngagementtacticsdiscussedinthischaptertohelpmovepeopledownthispath.

FIGURE2-4:UseAcquisition,Monetization,andEngagementcampaignstomovepeoplethroughthecustomerjourney.

BalancingYourMarketingCampaignCalendar

Youmaybethinking,“WhichcampaignshouldIbeusinginmybusiness?”Thisisthewrongquestion,however.Therightquestionis,“WhichcampaignshouldIbeusinginmybusinessrightnow?”Everybusinessshoulddeployeachcampaigntypeatdifferenttimestodifferentpeople.Soconsiderafewquestions:

Doyouwantmoreleadsandcustomersforyourbusiness?Doyouwanttosellmoretothecustomersyouhaveoractivatecustomersandleadswhohaven’tpurchasedinawhile?Doyouwanttoturncustomersintoravingfanswillingtobuyanythingyouoffer,andgiveyoutestimonialsandreferrals?

Theanswer,ofcourse,isyesonallaccounts.

Butthispointiscriticaltounderstand:Onecampaigncan’treplaceordothejobofanother.AnAcquisitioncampaigncan’tdothejobofaMonetizationcampaign.Likewise,aMonetizationcampaigncan’tdothejobofanEngagementcampaign.Eachcampaignexcelsatmeetingoneparticulargoal.Tomaintainahealthy,sustainablebusiness,youneedtoallocatetimeonyourcalendarforallthreemajorcampaigntypes.

IfyourunnothingbutAcquisitioncampaigns,you’llneverbeprofitable.IfyourunnothingbutMonetizationcampaigns,you’llneveraddnewleadsandcustomersand,asaresult,youwon’tgrow.IfyourunnothingbutEngagementcampaigns,you’llhavealoyalaudience,butyou’llneverconvertyouraudienceintocustomers.

Ifyouhavenosalesbutdohaveamassivefollowingonsocialmedia,apopularblog,orpodcastwithlotsofsubscribersordownloads,youhavemasteredtheartofcreatingEngagementcampaigns.Thegoodnewsisthatyouhaveaccomplishedoneofthemostdifficulttasksindigitalmarketing:buildinganaudience.ByaddingAcquisitionandMonetizationcampaignstoyourmarketingmix,youcantransformthataudienceintoaprofitablebusiness.

ChoosingtheCampaignYouNeedNowInthischapter,wemakethepointthatyourbusinessneedsallthreecampaigntypes:Acquisition,Monetization,andEngagement.Torunasustainable,healthybusiness,youneedtobeacquiringnewleadsandcustomers,monetizingthem,andengagingcustomerswhoadvocateandpromoteyourbrand.Thatsaid,ifyou’renewtocreatingdigitalmarketingcampaigns,youshouldfocusonbuildingasinglecampaignfirst:

Ifyou’restartingabrandnewbusinessorhavenoexistingleadsorsubscribers,buildanAcquisitioncampaign.Ifyouhaveexistingleadsandcustomers,buttheyaren’tbuyingasmuchasyouwouldlike,buildaMonetizationcampaign.Ifyou’rehappywiththenumberofleadsandsubscribersandthemonetizationofthoseleadsandcustomers,buildanEngagementcampaign.

Ifyousimplydon’tknowwheretostart,beginbybuildinganAcquisitioncampaign,becauseeverybusinessneedstounderstandhowtoacquirefreshleadsandconvertnewbuyers.Inthesubsequentchaptersofthisbook,weofferanumberofwaystodevelopawarenessforyourbrand,products,andservicesandconvertthatawarenessintoleadsandcustomers.

ViewingYourDigitalMarketingthroughtheCampaignLens

Fromthispointforward,planyourdigitalmarketingstrategyandtacticsbyaligningthemwiththegoalsofthethreemajortypesofcampaigns:Acquisition,Monetization,andEngagement.Neveragainwillyoudecidetoopenanewsocialmediaaccountwithoutknowingtheultimategoalbehindit.Mostentrepreneursandmarketerswhoarefrustratedbydigitalmarketingdon’tseethebigpicture.

Frustrateddigitalmarketersdon’tunderstand,forexample,thatbloggingisanoutstandingtacticforgrowingawarenessbututterlyuselessformonetization.Theydon’trealizethatpostingandcommunicatingwithcustomersonabusinessFacebookpagecancreateanengagedcommunity,butbetter,moreeffectivewaystogenerateleadsandcustomersareavailable.

Aswecoverspecificdigitalmarketingtacticsthroughtheremainderofthisbook,wefrequentlyreturntotheideaofkeepingyourbusinessobjectives,andthecampaignsthatmeetthoseobjectives,inmind.Asyoucontinueonyourquesttomastertheartandscienceofdigitalmarketing,stayfocusedonwhatreallymatters:growingthebusiness.

Chapter3

CraftingWinningOffersINTHISCHAPTER

GainingmoreleadsbydeployingthegatedofferTurningleadsintocustomersFillingoutcheckliststoensurehighopt-insandconversionsIncreasingyourbottomline

Whetheryou’reaskingpeopletobuysomething,giveyoutheircontactinformation,orspendtimereadingyourblog,you’remakinganoffer.Thewayinwhichyoumakeyouroffers—andperhapsmoreimportant,thesequenceinwhichyoumakethem—willmakeorbreakyouonline.

Youshouldthinkofcreatingandnurturingrelationshipswithyourcustomersinthesamewaythatyoudeveloprelationshipswithyourfriendsandfamily.Yourbusinessmightsellbusinesstobusiness(B2B)orbusinesstoconsumer(B2C),butallbusinessessellhumantohuman(H2H).Real,individualpeoplearebuyingyourproductsandservices.

Considerhowperfectstrangersbecomeamarriedcouple.Themarriageproposalisanofferthatismadeafterasequenceofotheroffersaremadeanddeemedsuccessfulbybothparties.Sure,theoccasionalmarriageproposalonthefirstdateoccurs,butmostrelationshipsbeginwithaseriesofpositiveinteractionsoveraperiodoftime.

Althoughmostpeoplearen’tlikelytoproposemarriageonafirstdate,manybusinessesdotheequivalentofthatwiththeirprospects.Theyaskcoldprospectstobuyhigh-ticket,complex,andotherwiseriskyproductsandservicesbeforetherelationshipisreadyforthatoffer.Ontheotherhand,acustomerwhohasreceivedtremendousvaluefromyourcompanyoveraperiodoftimeismuchmorelikelytomakeahigh-dollar,complex,orotherwiseriskypurchase.

Inthischapter,weunpackthedifferenttypesofoffersyoucanmake,thegoalsofthoseoffers,andtheorderinwhichyoushouldpresentthemtoprospective,new,andloyalcustomers.TheoffersexplainedinthischapterfocusonAcquisitionandMonetizationcampaigns(discussedinChapter2).

OfferingValueinAdvanceDoingbusinessonlineisdifferentfromdoingbusinessinpersonorevenoverthephone.Inmanycases,theprospectivecustomerhasnofurtherinformationaboutyourbusinessthanwhatispresentedtoheronline.Toacquirenewleadsandcustomers,youneedtobuildtrustandleadwithvaluetobuildarelationshipwithyourprospectsorcustomers.

Asuccessfulrelationshipisatwo-waystreet.Bothsidesoftherelationshipmustbenefitfromtherelationship,andbecauseyourcompanywantstobeginthisnewrelationshipwithaprospect,itmakessenseforyoutoprovidevaluefirst.Prospectswon’tbecomeloyalcustomersifyoudon’tfirstprovidesomevaluethatbuildstrustinadvanceofaskingthemtobuy.Thegoodnewsisthatyoucanprovidethisvaluewithsomethingassimpleasaninsightful,informativeblogpostorpodcastthathelpsthemsolveaproblem.Youofferthisvalueforfreeandwithnostringsattachedtobeginahealthyandmutuallybeneficialrelationship.

Wecallacquisitionoffersthatleadwithvalueentrypointoffers,orEPOs.AnEPOinadatingrelationshipequatestoofferingtobuysomeoneacupofcoffee.Thiscoffeeoffer,whichhasbegunmanyhealthydatingrelationships,isarelativelyrisk-freepropositionthatprovidesvalueupfront.Whenyourgoalistoacquireacustomer(andnotaspouse),theEPOisawayofallowinglargeamountsofprospectivecustomerstogettoknow,like,andtrustyourbusinesswithoutmuchrisk.

TherearethreetypesofEPOs:

Ungated:Youusuallypresentthistypeofofferintheformofablogpost,video,orpodcast,anditdoesnotrequirecontactinformationorapurchasetogetvalue.Gated:Agatedofferrequirescontactinformation(name,emailaddress,andsoon)togetvalue.Deepdiscount:Thisofferrequiresapurchasebutatanextremediscount,usually50percentorgreater.

Itpaystoprovidetremendousvaluetoyourprospectivecustomerswhenyou’retryingtogaintheirtrust.Thisideacanseemcounterintuitivetosomepeoplebecausetheydon’tseetheimmediatereturnonthisinvestment.

Thegoalofyourmarketingistotransformpeoplefrombeingcompletelyunawareofyourproductsorservicestobeingravingfanswhopromoteyourproductsandservicestoanyonewhowilllisten.Thefoundationoftherelationships

youbuildwithyourcustomersisbuiltonoffersthatprovidevalueinadvanceofthepurchase.

DesigninganUngatedOfferOffersthatrequirenoriskonthepartofprospectivecustomersarethemostpowerfulwaytobegintocultivatestrongrelationshipswithcustomers.Anungatedoffersuchasaninformativearticle,video,orpodcastgivesvaluewithoutaskingforcontactinformationorapurchase.Thatsaid,thesearestilloffers.Youareofferingvaluetoprospectsinexchangefortheirtime.Andformanypeople,nootherresourceismorepreciousthantime.

Thevalueprovidedbythebusinessisgenerallymadeavailabletoprospectsusingcontentsuchasblogposts,socialmediaupdates,orvideos.Successfuldigitalmarketersmakefreecontentavailablethatprovidesoneofthefollowingvalues:

Entertainment:Peoplepayalotofmoneytobeentertained,andcontentthatmakesapersonlaughiscontentthatislikelytoberemembered.It’swhycommercialstrytomakeyoulaugh(thinkthegeckofromGeicoorFlofromProgressive);theyhaveonly30to60secondstocutthroughallthenoiseandgetyoutoremembertheirproductorservice.Poo-Pourri’svideoadvertisementsonYouTubeandFriskies’andBuzzfeed’s“DearKitten”campaignsareprimeexamplesofmarketersprovidingentertainingcontentthatgetstheirmessageacross.Inspiration:Peoplearehighlymovedbycontentthatmakesthemfeelsomething.Thesportsandfitnessindustrytapsintothissentimentwithtaglineslike“Justdoit,”byNike,orFitbitcampaignsshowingeverydaypeople(asopposedtocelebritiesandprofessionalathletes)achievingtheirgoalsusingFitbit.Weight-lossbusinessesalsouseinspirationalcontentbyusingsuccessfulcustomertestimonialsand“before”and“after”images.Education:EvergotoYouTubetowatchahow-tovideo?FromDIYprojectstohowtorebuildacarengine,youcaneasilyfindeducationalcontentonline.Peoplewantknowledge,andprovidingithelpsbuildtrust.Entireblogs,sites,YouTubechannels,andbusinessesarebuiltaroundeducatingpeople,togreatsuccess.That’swhyWikipediagetsroughly16billionpageviewsamonth.

Thefirsttwovaluepropositions(entertainmentandinspiration)canbedifficulttoexecute.Butthethirdiswithinthegraspofeverycompany.InChapters4and5,wegointomoredetailabouttheformandfunctionofthevarioustypesofungatedcontentthatcanbeproduced.

Theproductionofcontentbybrandsisatanall-timehigh.Anabsoluteglutofcontentisproducedonblogs,YouTubechannels,andsocialmediasiteseveryday.Thatsaid,aninsatiabledemandstillexistsforgreatungatedcontent.Don’tmakethe

mistakeofthinkingthatbecausethiscontentisfree,itdoesnotdeservethetimeandenergyofyourotheroffers.Anungatedofferis,inmanycases,thefirsttransactionthataprospectivecustomerwillhavewithyourcompany,andyoushouldmakeitasuccessfulone.

DesigningaGatedOfferTograduatesomeonefromthestageofprospecttolead,youneedagatedofferthatrequiresprospectstosubmittheircontactinformationtoreceivevalue.Agatedofferprovidesasmallchunkofvaluethatsolvesaspecificproblemforaspecificmarketandisofferedinexchangefortheprospects’contactinformation.Thatcontactinformationistypicallyanemailaddress,ataminimum.Returningtothedatingrelationshipanalogyearlierinthechapter,agatedofferistheequivalentofafirstdate.Agatedoffermighttaketheformofawhitepaper,acasestudy,orawebinar.Forexample,Figure3-1showshowOpenMarketmakesvaluableinformationavailableintheformofawhitepaperthatrequirescontactinformation.

Source:http://www.openmarket.com/download/idc-mobile-security/FIGURE3-1:OpenMarketasksforcontactinformationinexchangeforthiswhitepaper.

Agatedofferisanexchangeinvalue.Nomoneychangeshands;instead,youprovideyournewleadsomethingofvalueinexchangefortherighttocontacttheleadinthefuture.Gatedoffersarefree,andacommonnotionamongdigitalmarketersisthatbecausethey’regivingthegatedofferawayforfree,theproductorserviceoffereddoesn’thavetobeofhighquality.That’samistake.Freedoesnotmeanlowquality.Whensomeoneexchangeshiscontactinformationandgivesyoupermissiontofollowupwithhim,hehasgivenyouvalue,andatransactionhastakenplace.Thisprospecthasgivenyousomethingthat’stypicallyprivate,aswellassomeofhistimeandattention.Youneedtoreturnthatvalueifyouhopetobuildtherelationshipthatisrequiredforlifelongcustomers.Theendgoalofagatedofferistogainleadssothatyoucannurturethemintocustomersovertime.

Revisitthedefinitionofagatedoffer(“agatedofferprovidesasmallchunkofvaluethat

solvesaspecificproblemforaspecificmarketandisofferedinexchangeforprospects’contactinformation”)—andpayparticularattentiontothe“specific”parts.Specificityisthekeytoasuccessfulgatedofferbecauseitmakesyouroffermorerelevanttoyouraudience.Aleadformthatsimplystates“Subscribetoournewsletter”isnotagatedofferthatwillgetyouhighconversionsbecauseitdoesnotsolveaspecificproblem.Inthenextsectionofthischapter,wediscusshowtomakeyourgatedofferconvertprospectsbymakingitspecificintermsofproblem-solving,whichwillmakeyourgatedoffermorerelevanttoyouraudience.

ZeroinginonwhatmattersIntheprevioussection,weestablishtheideathataspecificandrelevantgatedofferworksbestforgeneratinghighopt-ins.Butwhatdoesmakingtheofferspecificandrelevantentail?High-convertinggatedoffersincludeone,oracombination,ofthefollowingfiveaspects,inaspecificform:

ApromiseAnexampleAshortcutAsolutionAdiscount

Includingatleastoneofthesefiveitemswillhelpyourconversionrates.Thefollowingsectionstakealookateachoftheseitems.

MakingaspecificpromiseMakingaspecificpromiseisoneofthesimplestthingsyoucandotoincreasethenumberofleadsyoureceivefromagatedoffer.Lookattheofferthatyou’redeliveringandthinkabouthowyoucanmakethebenefitoftheoffermoreevident.Considerhowyoucanspeaktothespecificdesiredendresultofyourprospect.

Craftaclearpromiseandthenmakesurethatyourpromiseisinthetitleofyourgatedoffer.Genericorclevertitlesgenerallydecreasetheconversionsonyourgatedoffer.Manymarketersareguiltyofcomingupwithcutesytitlesorusingindustryjargoninthetitlethatyourmarketmaynotunderstand.Inyourgatedoffer ’stitle,talklessaboutyourproductandmoreaboutyourtargetaudience.Specificallycommunicate,inthegatedoffer ’stitle,thebenefitthegatedofferwillprovidethattargetaudience.Speaktotheconversationthatisgoingoninsidethemindofyourcustomer,nottheonethatyou’rehavingaroundthebusinesstable.Askyourself,whatareyourtargetaudience’sconcerns,fears,ordesires?Thinkofthedesiredendresultthatyourcustomerisseeking,andputthatinthetitle.ThegatedoffershowninFigure3-2deliversaspecificpromisethatresonateswithitsmarket.

Source:http://my.copyblogger.com/free-membership/FIGURE3-2:Copyblogger’sgatedofferclearlystateswhatpeoplecanexpectwhentheyinputtheircontactinformation.

GivingaspecificexampleInourexperience,thebestwaytogiveaspecificexampleinyourgatedofferistodeliveritintheformofacasestudy.Ifyouhaveexamplesofrealcustomersandprospectswhohaveovercomeproblemswithyourproductorservice,thesecanworkwellasgatedoffers.

Forinstance,ifyourcompanysellssurveillancecamerastouniversities,youmightcreateacasestudyentitled“HowStateUniversityReducedCampusCrimeby73Percent”thatdetailshowtheuniversityusedsurveillancecameratechnologytoreduceactsofcrimeontheStatecampus.Thisheadlineclearlystatesthebenefitandusesanexampletoaddspecificitytothegatedoffer.

OfferingaspecificshortcutAgatedofferthatcansaveapersontimeisappealingandoftenconvertswell.Forexample,agatedofferthatdeliversalistofhealthysnacksapersoncaneatthroughoutthedayisausefulshortcutforsomeonelookingtoeatamorenutritiousdiet.

AnsweringaspecificquestionThefourthwayyoucanmakeyourgatedoffermorespecificisbyraisingandansweringaspecificquestion.Iftheanswertothequestionisvaluable,yourprospectsoptintogettheanswertothatspecificquestion,andafteryou’veansweredthequestion,youwillhavedeliveredonyourpromiseandhelpedtoestablishyourselfasanauthorityonthesubject,

whichinturnhelpsbuildtrustandmovestheprospectclosertobecomingacustomer.

DeliveringaspecificdiscountPricediscountscanbeagreatwaytospursales,andmanycompaniesoffercouponsthatslashpricesinthehopeofcreatingabuyingfrenzy.Butinsteadofhandingoutdiscounts,consideraskingaprospecttooptintoreceivethediscount.Forinstance,yourgatedoffermightsay,“JoinourDiscountClubandreceive10%offanyorder.”Thiswordingiseffectivebecauseitspecificallytellstheprospecthowmuchshe’llsave.

GeneratingleadswitheducationalcontentInthissection,wediscussfiveformsthatyourgatedoffercantake.Thesegatedoffersoffervaluebyeducatingtheleadonaparticulartopicrelatedtoyourbrandwhilealsohighlightingfeaturesofasolution,product,orserviceyouprovide.

YourgatedofferdoesnothavetobethelengthofaTolstoynovel.Besidesbeingultraspecific,gatedoffersshouldbeeasytoconsume—theyshouldnotbea14-daycourseora300-pagebook.Rapidconsumptionofthegatedofferisimportantbecauseyouwanttoprovidevaluetoyourleadasquicklyaspossible.Thefasteryourgatedofferprovidesvalue,thequickeraleadcanbecomeapayingcustomer.Becausemostgatedofferscanbesentdigitally,theycanbedeliveredinstantly,whichallowstheleadtoreceivethevalueofthegatedofferquickly.Ideally,prospectsreceivevaluefromyourgatedofferwithinminutesofgivingyoutheircontactinformation.Speedilydeliveringvaluehelpstobuildapositiverelationshipwithleads,aswellastoquicklymovethemthroughthecustomerjourney.(TurntoChapter1formoreinformationonthecustomerjourney.)

FreereportsReports(alsocalledguides)areamongthemostcommontypesofgatedoffersandareusuallymostlytextandimages.Reportsusuallyofferfacts,news,andbestpracticesthatarerelevanttoyourindustryandyourtargetmarket.Ifyouuseareportasyourgatedoffer,however,becareful.Reportscanbelengthyandcomplex,thustheyoftentakemoretimetobeconsumed,whichmeansthatthereportwilltakelongertodeliveronitsvalue.Therefore,wheneverpossible,keepyourreportsassuccinctandspecificaspossiblesothattheycanquicklydelivertheirvalueandhelptoestablishorreinforceapositiverelationshipwithyourleadorcustomer.

WhitepapersAsistrueofareport,awhitepaperisanauthoritativeguidethatconciselyinformsreadersaboutacomplexissueandaimstohelpleadsunderstandanissue,solveaproblem,ormakeadecision.Althoughthewhitepaperhelpstoeducateyourprospects,italsohelpstopromoteyourbusiness’sproductsorservices.Whitepaperscanoftenbeveryeffectiveat

generatingbusiness-to-business(B2B)leads.

PrimaryresearchPrimaryresearchisresearchthatyouoryourbusinesscollects.Itcanincludeinterviewsandobservations.Whenyoutakethetimetocreatenewresearch,you’reprovidingaserviceandsavingothersfromhavingtodotheirownprimaryresearch,whichiswhypeopleoptintoagatedofferofthisnature.

WebinartrainingIfyou’reanexpertinyourfield,orcanpartnerwithone,youcanhostanonlinetrainingviaawebinarthatteachesordemonstratesatopicthatisrelevanttobothyourbrandandtoyourtargetaudience.Youcreateagatedofferthatrequiresprospectstofilloutaregistrationformforthewebinar,thuscapturingprospects’contactinformationandallowingyoutofollowupwiththemafterthewebinartakesplace.

SalesmaterialInsomecases,themostdesiredpiecesofinformationforyourmarketarepricinganddescriptionsofyourproductsorservices.Thisinformationhelpspeoplewhoareinterestedinbuyingyourproductorservicemakeinformeddecisions.Thesalesmaterialgatedoffertendstobelonger,intextandcontentexamplessuchasimagesorcustomertestimonialvideos,thantheotherexamplesinthischaptersofar.However,thislengthisnecessarybecauseapersongenerallyneedsmoreinformationbeforemakingapurchase,especiallyifabig-ticketitemisinvolved.However,thisalsomeansthatanyonewhooptsinismorelikelytobeaqualifiedlead.Aqualifiedleadissomeonewhoisactivelyseekingmoreinformationaboutyourproductsorservicesbecauseheorsheisinterestedinbuyingfromyou.(Anunqualifiedleadmaynothavebeennurturedenoughtomakeapurchaseyet,orisn’tsureofwhatyourcompanydoesorevenwhatsolutionheorsheseeks.)

IKEAprovidesawonderfulexampleofthesalesmaterialgatedoffer.TheScandinavianchaincollectscontactinformationinexchangeforitscatalog,whichlistsallitsproducts.Figure3-3demonstratesIKEA’sgatedoffer,andbecauseIKEAcandeliveritscatalogdigitally,itspeedsupthedeliveryofvaluetothenewlead.

Source:https://info.ikea-usa.com/signupFIGURE3-3:IKEA’ssalescatalogisanidealexampleofasalesmaterialgatedoffer.

GeneratingleadswithtoolsToolsmakepowerfulgatedoffersbecausetheyoftendelivervaluemuchfasterthantheeducationalgatedoffersdiscussedintheprevioussection.Althoughwhitepapers,reports,andcasestudiesrequiresomeonetoinvesttimeinordertoreceivevalue,atoolisoftenimmediatelyuseful.

HandoutorcheatsheetThoughsimilartoafreereport,bothhandoutsandcheatsheetsprovideadifferentvaluetoprospects.Ahandoutorcheatsheetisgenerallyshort(onepageorso)andcutsstraighttoanultraspecificpoint,makingtheinformationeasilydigestible.Youcandeliverhandoutsandcheatsheetsaschecklists,mindmaps,or“blueprints,”tonameafewexamples.Figure3-4showsanexampleofahandoutasagatedoffer.

Source:https://www.leadpages.net/blog/blogging-for-businesses-should-you-blog/FIGURE3-4:Ahandoutisaprimeexampleofusefulcontentthatcanbegated.

ResourcelistIfpeoplearelearningtodosomethingthatyou’reanexpertin,chancesarethey’llwanttoknowwhattoolsyou’reusingtogetitdone.Thistypeofgatedoffermakesalistoftoolsorresources(beitofapps,physicalproducts,hardware,orotheritems)availabletothenewleadorprospect.Thetoolkitorresourceaggregatesthelistsothattheleaddoesn’thavetokeepsearchingformoreinformation.

TemplateAtemplateistheperfectexampleofaproven,well-testedshortcuttobetterresultsandcanmakeatremendousgatedoffer.Atemplatecontainsaprovenpatternforsuccessthatrequireslessworkonthepartofthepersonusingit.Itmightcomeintheformofaspreadsheetpreconfiguredtocalculatebusinessexpenses.Oritcanbealayoutfordesigningacustomhome.Templatesmakepowerfulgatedoffersbecausetheprospectcanputthetooltoimmediateuse.

SoftwareSoftwarecanworkwellasagatedoffer.Youmight,forexample,offerfullaccesstoafreesoftwaretoolthatyoudevelopedorafreetrial(thatlastsfor14days,perhaps)ofyoursoftwareinexchangeforanemailaddress.Softwarecompaniesoftenofferafreetrialoftheirsoftwareasagatedoffer.Asoftwaregatedoffercanturnaleadwhoisonthefenceaboutpurchasingtheproductwitharisk-freemeansofacquiringit,whilealsoprovidingthecompanyawaytofollowupwiththatlead.

DiscountandcouponclubsDiscountandcouponclubsofferexclusivesavingsandearlyaccesstosales.Thisisaneffectivetypeofofferthatacquirescontactinformationandallowsyoutocontinuetheconversationbyremindingmembersofspecialsandrewardsavailabletothem.

QuizzesandsurveysQuizzesandsurveysarefunandengagingforpeopletotakeandcanbeagreatwaytogeneratenewleads.Forinstance,abeautycompanymightoffera“What’sYourSkinType”quiz.Thesetypesofcontentareintriguingtomembersofyourmarketbecausetheywanttoknowtheresultsofthequizorsurvey.Toobtaintheresultsofthequizorsurvey,theprospectmustfirstoptinbyenteringanemailaddress.Ifthequizorsurveyresultsprovidevaluetoyourmarket,thistypeofgatedoffercanbepowerful.

AssessmentYoucandevelopagatedofferthatassessesortestsprospectsonaparticularsubject.Attheendoftheassessment,offerprospectsagradeandinformationonactionstheycantaketoimprovetheirgrade,whichwouldlikelybeatoolorservicethatyouprovide.Forexample,thisassessmentcanserveasarubricforgradingablogpost.Figure3-5showsanassessmentofferthathasbeengeneratingleadsforHubSpot,acompanythatsellsmarketingsoftware,foryears.LeadscanusetheassessmentfromHubSpottogradetheirmarketingandmakeitbetter.

Source:https://website.grader.com/FIGURE3-5:HubSpotgeneratesleadswithitsgatedofferofits“WebsiteGrader”assessment.

FillingoutthegatedofferchecklistAtourcompany,we’vetestedgatedoffersinalotofdifferentnichesanddevelopedaneight-pointchecklistoffactorsthatcanimproveyouroveralllevelofsuccessbymakingmoreeffectivegatedoffers.Youdon’thavetobeabletocheckoffeveryoneofthefactorsinthechecklist,butifyoufindthatyourgatedoffermeetsveryfewofthesecriteria,you

havereasontobeconcerned.

Wetellyouabouteachofthefactorsonthechecklistinthefollowingsections.

Point1:Isyourofferultraspecific?Themorespecificthepromiseofyourgatedofferis,thebetteritwillperformafteryouprovidethatpromise.Bydeliveringonyourpromise,youhavegivenvalue.This,ofcourse,assumesthatthepromiseyouaremakingiscompellingtothemarketyou’reapproaching.Makesurethatyourgatedofferisn’tvagueandthatitoffersanultraspecificsolutiontoanultraspecificmarket.

Point2:Areyouofferingtoomuch?Believeitornot,yourgatedofferwillperformbetterifitdeliverson“onebigthing”ratherthananumberofthings.Weliveinamultitaskingworld,soyouwanttobesurethatyourgatedofferfocusesononetopicorthemeandprovidesonepathforyourleadtotake.Ifyouincludetoomanypathsoroffers,yourleadscangetdistractedandgooffcourseastheytrytofollowalltheideaspresentedinyourgatedoffer,therebycausingthemtonotoptin.Ifpossible,offerasinglesolutiontoasingleproblemratherthannumeroussolutionstonumerousproblems.

Point3:Doestheofferspeaktoadesiredendresult?Themembersofyourmarketaresearchingforsolutions.Whatdoesyourmarketreallywant?Ifyoucancraftagatedofferthatpromisesthatsolution,prospectswillgladlygiveyoutheircontactinformation(andtheirattention)inreturn.

Point4:Doestheofferdeliverimmediategratification?Yourmarketwantsasolutionandwantsitnow.Establishandcommunicatehowlongitwilltakeyourleadstoconsumeandderivevaluefromyourgatedoffersothattheyknowwhattoexpect.Ifittakesdaysorweeks,yourgatedofferisnotdeliveringimmediategratification—notbyalongshot.

Point5:Doestheoffershifttherelationship?Thebestgatedoffersdomorethaninform;theyactuallychangethestateandmind-setofyourprospectssothatthey’reprimedtoengageinbusinesswithyourcompany.Afteryourleadshavetakenadvantageofyouroffer,determinewhetherthevalueitprovideswillactuallyteachtheleadshowandwhytheyshouldtrustandbuyfromyou.Forexample,ifyousellgardeningtoolsandsupplies,achecklistentitled“15ToolsYouNeedtoCreateaSuccessfulContainerGarden”educatesprospectsonthetoolstheyneedwhilesimultaneouslymovingthemclosertopurchasingtheproductsyousell.

Point6:Doestheofferhaveahighperceivedvalue?Justbecauseyourgatedofferisfreedoesn’tmeanthatitshouldlookfree.Usegooddesignthroughtheuseofprofessionalgraphicsandimagerytocreateagatedofferofhighperceivedvalueinthemindofyourlead.

Point7:Doestheofferhaveahighactualvalue?Therightinformationattherighttimecanbepriceless.Thegatedofferthatdeliverssomethingpricelesswillenjoyveryhighconversionrates,butifyou’repromisingvalue,youhavetodeliveronit.Agatedofferhashighactualvaluewhenitlivesuptoitspromiseanddeliversthegoods.

Point8:Doestheofferallowforrapidconsumption?Youdon’twantyourgatedoffertobearoadblockinthecustomer ’sjourneytowardbecomingacustomer.Beforecustomersbuyfromyou,theywanttoreceivevaluefromyourgatedoffer.Youwantthegatedoffertohelpmovetheleadtothenextstep,soideallythegatedoffershoulddelivervalueimmediately.Inotherwords,avoidlonge-booksorcoursesthattakedaysormonthstodelivertheirvalue.

Whydowekeepinsistingthatyourgatedofferbequicklyandeasilyconsumable?Becauseafteryourgatedofferhasbeenconsumed,youwanttomakethenextofferwheneverpossible.Thereis(usually)nobettertimetomakeanofferthandirectlyaftersomeonehastakenaprioroffer.However,fewwillbuyfromyouiftheyhavenotreceivedthevaluefromthelastofferyoumade—yourgatedoffer.Sobesurethatyourgatedofferquicklydeliversvalue,allowingyoutothenmakeanoffertopurchasesomething,whichwediscussinthenextsection.

DesigningDeep-DiscountOffersAcquiringleadsisthegoalofthegatedofferdiscussedintheprevioussection,buthowdoyouacquirebuyers?Rememberthatthekeytosuccessonlineisthesequenceoftheoffersyoumaketonewleadsandcustomers.Thebestwaytoacquirebuyersisbymakinganofferatsuchadeepdiscountthatitisdifficulttorefuse.Adeep-discountofferisanirresistible,low-ticketoffermadetoconvertleadsandcoldprospectsintobuyers.

Thegoalofadeep-discountofferisnotprofit.Infact,sellingdeep-discountoffersmaycomeatanetlosstoyourcompany.Offeringdeepdiscountsmaythereforeseemcounterintuitive,butthegoalofthistypeofofferistoacquirebuyers.Deep-discountofferschangerelationships;theyturnaprospectintoacustomer,andthat’sabigdeal.Afteraprospectmakesasuccessfulpurchasewithyourcompany,sheisfarmorelikelytobuyfromyouagain.Deep-discountoffersbringyouonestepclosertoachievingyourgoalofconvertingaprospecttoarepeatbuyerandpossiblyevenaravingfan.

Inthefollowingsections,wediscussthesixdifferenttypesofdeep-discountoffersyoucanemploy.

UsingphysicalpremiumsAsthenamesuggests,physicalpremiumsarephysicalproducts.Offersomethingthatyourmarketdesiresanddiscountitdeeply.DIYReady,acompanyintheDIYandhomedécorspace,offersa$19braceletkitforfree.Thenewcustomerneedonlyenterhisorhercreditcardtopayforshippingandhandlingtoreceivethebraceletkit.Thisisaphysicalproductthatdo-it-yourselfersfindhighlydesirable.Figure3-6demonstrateswhatthisphysicalpremiumofferfromDIYReadylookslike.

Source:https://nationalcraftssociety.org/products/1sc/best-diy-beaded-bracelet-kit/FIGURE3-6:A“Free+Shipping”offerisatypicaldeep-discountoffer.

EmployingabookAphysicalbookcanmakeanexcellentdeep-discountoffer.Bookshaveanextremelyhighperceivedandactualvalue.Ifyouneedtoestablishauthorityandtrustwithyourmarketbeforemakingmorecomplexorhigher-ticketoffers,thebookisagreatdeep-discountoffertoemploy.Considerofferingthebookatasteepdiscount,orfreeplusshippingandhandling.Althoughwedon’trecommendaphysicalordigitalbookforgeneratingleads,it’sahighlyeffectivewaytoconvertprospectsandleadsintocustomers.Remember,theobjectiveofadeep-discountofferistochangetherelationshipwithaleadorprospectandturnthepersonintoacustomer.

LeveragingthewebinarWebinarsareoneofthemostversatileoffersavailabletodigitalmarketers.Youcanconductfreewebinarstogenerateleads,plusyoucanofferawebinarasaproduct.Rememberthatwhenyou’rechargingforanythingandparticularlyawebinar,youshoulddelivervaluebeyondwhatyou’vechargedtoattend.

Whenemployingawebinartoserveasadeep-discountoffer,youmaynotwanttousethetermwebinarinyouroffer.Peoplegenerallyassociatethattermwithsomethingfree.Considercallingyourdeep-discount-offerwebinarateleclass,onlinetraining,orbootcampinstead,anditcanbeprerecordedorheldlive.

SellingsoftwareSoftwareandapplicationplug-insareeffectivedeep-discountoffersbecausesoftwaresavespeopletimeandenergy,sothesearehighlysought-aftercommodities.Whenyouusesoftwareasadeep-discountoffer,thedeepdiscountpriceislikelytocausea“buyingfrenzy,”resultinginahighlysuccessfulacquisitioncampaign.

SplinteringaserviceIfyourbusinesshasahigh-dollarproductorservice,youcantakeasmallpieceofthatproduct,alsoknownasasplinter,andsellitàlacarte.Thekeyistoofferapieceofyourservicethatcanstandaloneatanincrediblylowprice.

AnexampleofacompanythatusesthisapproachisFiverr,anonlinemarketplacethatofferstasksandservicesstartingat$5.Figure3-7showsoneoftheseFiverrservices,whichincludecreatingbusinesslogos.Thisisanexcellentexampleofofferingpartofahighlysought-afterserviceatadeepdiscountthatwillhelpturnaleadintoacustomerandcanultimatelyleadtomoresales.Afterapersonhasboughtfromyou,he’slikelytobuyfromyouagain.

Source:https://www.fiverr.com/gfx_expert2/create-retro-vintage-logoFIGURE3-7:ThroughFiverr,largerservicescanbesplinteredintosmaller,singleprojects.

Becauseyou’rebreakingoutapartorsplinterofyourservice,youdon’thavetocreateanewservice.Instead,you’reofferingaportionofanexistingproductorservice.

Brainstorming“littlevictories”toofferyourleadsBecausedeep-discountoffersarelowpriced,lowrisk,andhighlydesirable,theyhelpyourleadsovercomedoubtaboutyourbusinessorproduct.Lessmonetaryriskisinvolvedfortheleads,sothey’rewillingtotakeachanceandbecomecustomers.However,itcanbe

harderforamarketerorabusinessownertoovercometheself-doubtthatleadsmayhaveaboutthemselvesortheirabilitytoreachthe“After”statethatyourproductorservicepromisestotakethemto.That’swhythebestdeep-discountoffersleadthecustomertoa“littlevictory.”

A“littlevictory”issomethingthathelpsinspireyourleadsandgivesthemconfidencethattheycanaccomplishwhateversolutionorgoalyou’reoffering,aswellastheconfidencethatyourproductorservicewillhelptogetthemthere.Alittlevictorygivesyourprospectshopeandatasteofachievingthewholething—ofmakingittotheothersideofthetunnel,sotospeak.Keepinmindthatlittlevictoriesareusuallyquicktoachieveandhelpdelivervaluetoyourcustomer.

Forinstance,ifyou’reinthefitnessworld,youcanofferyourseven-dayjuicecleanseatadeepdiscountasadeep-discountoffer.Whendescribingtheoffertopotentialbuyers,youstatethatcompletingthisjuicecleanseisthehardestpartofyourprogram—becausegettingstartedisoftenthehardestpart.Iftheycangetthroughyourseven-daycleanse,they’llknowthatthetoughestpartisbehindthem.

Asyougothroughyourproductsandservicestodeterminewhichwillmakethebestdeep-discountoffer,askyourselfwhatlittlevictorythisproductorservicecanprovideyourcustomers.Brainstormhowitwillgivethemhope,howitwillhelptogetthemoverthehumpofself-doubt.Helpingyourcustomersseethatsuccessispossiblenotonlyforthesmilingcustomersinyourtestimonialsbutalsoforthem,personally,willhelpmakeyouroffermorepotentandenableyoutobuildpositiverelationshipswithyournewlyacquiredcustomers.

Fillingoutthedeep-discountofferchecklistPrevioussectionstalkaboutthevariousformsyourdeep-discountofferscouldtakeandtheimportanceoflittlevictories.Next,lookoverthefive-pointdeep-discountofferchecklist,presentedinthefollowingsections,sothatyoucanensurethatyouroffercanconvertleadsandprospectsintobuyers.

Point1:Doesitlowerthebarriertoentry?Tostart,yourdeep-discountoffershouldbelowrisk.Theoffershouldn’tbeexpensive,timeconsuming,ordifficulttounderstand.Thebestoffersatthisstageareoftenimpulsebuys,likethepackofgumyougrabwhileyouwaitinlineatthesupermarket.Thepriceofyourofferdependsonyourmarket.Leadsshouldn’thavetopausetoconsiderwhethertheycanaffordyourdeep-discountoffer;thepriceshouldremovethatbarrier.Again,thepurposeofthisofferisnotprofit.Agoodruleofthumbistomaketheseoffersat$20orbelow.

Point2:Isthevalueclear?Makeyourdeep-discountoffereasytounderstand.Youwanttobeabletoquicklyexplainthevalueandenticetheleadintobuying.Therefore,yourdeep-discountoffershouldnotbecomplex.Impulsebuysarenotcomplicatedoffers.

Point3:Isitusefulbutincomplete?

Thekeywordhereisuseful.Yourdeep-discountoffershouldnotbeabait-and-switchoffer.Ifthedeep-discountofferdoesn’tdeliveronitspromise,you’lltarnishyourrelationshipwiththatcustomer.Youmayhavegainedaquicksalewiththedeep-discountofferbutlostapotentiallifelongcustomer.Thisoffermustbeusefulinitsownright,butitisnotthewholepackage.

Point4:Doesithaveahighperceivedvalue?Aswiththegatedofferbeforeit,usegooddesigntocreateadeep-discountofferwithahigh-qualitylookandfeel.Youdon’twantyournewcustomerstofeelrippedoff;instead,youwantthemtofeelasthoughthedeep-discountoffertheyjustboughtfromyouwasasteal.

Peopledon’tbuyproductsandservicesonline,butratherbuypicturesanddescriptionsofproductsandservicesonline.Ifyouwanttosellonline,youneedtoemploydesignandcopywritingthatcommunicatethevalueoftheproductsandservicesyou’reoffering.

Point5:Doesithaveahighactualvalue?Besurethatyourdeep-discountoffermakesgoodonitspromiseanddeliversvalue.Thissituationbuildstrustwithyournewcustomers,andwhenthey’rereadytobuyagain,theywillrememberthepositiveexperiencetheyhadwithyou.

Discoveringyourdeep-discountofferTheofferyouusetoacquirecustomerslikelyexistsinsideyourcoreoffer,whichisahigher-pricedormorecomplexproductorservice.Yourcoreofferisoftenyourflagshipproductorservice.Lookatyourcoreofferandseewhatpieceorpiecescanstandontheirown.Whatcanyousplinteroffandstilldelivervaluewiththatpiece?

Herearesomequestionstoasktohelpyoudiscoveryourdeep-discountoffer(s):

What’sthecoolgadgetthatyourmarketwants,butdoesn’tnecessarilyneed?What’syourimpulsebuy?What’syourstickofgum?What’stheonethingeveryoneneeds,butdoesn’tnecessarilywant?Thiscanbeaproductorservicethatpeopleknowtheyneedbutaren’texactlyexcitedabout.Theproductmaynotbe“sexy,”butit’scriticaltoaprocessthatpeopleengagein.Forinstance,ifsomeonehasacandle-makinghobby,thewickmaynotbeasfunorinterestingasthecoloredwaxesorscentedoils,butit’sanessentialingredient.

What’savaluableservicethatyoucanperformquicklyandinexpensively,onethatwilldeliverresultsinadvanceandgetyourfootinthedoor?Thisideagoesbeyondgivingsomeoneafreequoteorestimate;itgivescustomersatasteofhowyoucanpositivelyaffecttheirlives.Forexample,aroofercouldofferadeepdiscountonguttercleaningasadeep-discountoffer.Aftercompletingthejob,theroofercouldpointoutanynecessaryimprovementsthattherooforguttersneed.That’sadeep-discountofferthatprovidesvaluefirstandthengetsyourfootinthedoor.Whatlittlevictoryorvictoriesdoesyourdeep-discountofferprovide?Howdoyouhelpthecustomerovercomeself-doubt?

MaximizingProfitAsthischapterexplains,youuseungated,gated,anddeep-discountofferstoacquirenewcustomersandbuyers.Butwhendoyouactuallymakeaprofit?Thecostofacquiringnewcustomersisoftenthemostexpensiveonethatbusinessesincur.Afteryouhaveabuyer,askingthatbuyertobuyfromyouagainmakessense.Youwanttoturnthatcustomeryouspentsomuchtimeandmoneyacquiringintoarepeatcustomer.

Themarketingcampaignsyouemploytosellmore,ormoreoften,totheleadsandcustomersyou’veacquiredarecalledMonetizationcampaigns,andthesecampaignshaveanumberofdifferenttypesofofferstoemploy.Inthefollowingsections,wetellyouhowtoimplementandimproveyourmonetizationoffers.

MostcompaniesarerunningMonetizationcampaigns(makinghigh-dollarandcomplexoffers,whichwediscussinChapter2)directedatice-coldprospectsandbrandnewleads.Althoughitwouldbefantastictobeprofitablewithoutneedingtowarmupaprospectwithungated,gated,anddeep-discountoffers,makingthatworkisverydifficult.Thesequenceoftheoffersyoumaketopeopleisextremelycriticaltoavoidbeingthebusinessthatisaskingitsprospectsfortoomuch,toosoon.

Makinganupsellorcross-sellofferThefirsttypeofmonetizationofferwediscussistheimmediateupsell,andit’soneyou’reprobablyalreadyfamiliarwithevenifyou’veneverheardtheterm.Anexampleoftheimmediateupsellisthefamous“Doyouwantfrieswiththat?”offermadeatMcDonald’s.Upsellsoffercustomersmoreofwhattheyalreadybought.Thepurchasetheyarecurrentlymakingandtheupsellshouldleadthecustomertothesamedesiredendresult.IntheMcDonald’sexample,addingfriestoyourordergetsyouabiggermeal.Thecross-selloffer,ontheotherhand,makesanofferrelatedtothefirstpurchase.Forexample,aclothingretailermightofferdressshoestoamanwhojustpurchasedasuit.

Amazon.com(andvirtuallyeveryothersuccessfulonlineretailer)usesupsellandcross-sellofferstoincreasethenumberofitemspeoplepurchase.Amazon’s“FrequentlyBoughtTogether”and“CustomersWhoBoughtThisItemAlsoBought”sectionscontainimmediateupsellandcross-sellofferstohelpensurethesaleandpossiblyincreasethebasketsize.Forexample,afterweselectabookfor$17.98,Amazonsuggestsotherproductsthatwemaywanttomakewiththispurchase,asshowninFigure3-8.Ifweacceptedallthesuggestedupsells,theamountofourpurchasewouldincreasefrom$17.98to$44.96.

Source:https://www.amazon.comFIGURE3-8:Amazonexpertlyusesupsellsandcross-sellstoincreasethebasketsizeofitscustomerandgetthesale.

InFigure3-8,theitembeingsearchedforisHarryPotterandtheCursedChild,andAmazonofferssomerelatedHarryPotterbooksthatwouldserveasanupsellandincreasethebasketsize.ButAmazonalsoofferscross-sellsintheformofotherfantasybooksthatmayappealtoafanofHarryPotterbecausetheyareofthesamegenre.

Becausethecross-sellmaynotbeasrelevanttothefirstpurchase,across-sellcanfeellikeit’scomingoutofleftfield,whichcanbejarringtoandunwantedbythecustomer.That’swhyyouhavetobecarefulwithcross-sells,oryouriskannoyingyourcustomers.ImaginebuyingaMaccomputerandhavingAppleaskbeforeyou’veevenleftthestorewhetheryouwanttobuyaniPhoneoraniPad.Thatsaid,ifthecross-selltrulycomplementstheinitialpurchase,yourcustomerswillwelcometheoffer,andyou’llwelcometheadditionalrevenue.

BuildingbundlesandkitsBundlesandkitsareotherformsthatyourmonetizationoffercantake.Abundleorakitistakingoneofyourstand-aloneproductsandcombiningitwithotherlikeitemsthatyouoroneofyourbusinesspartnerssell.Forexample,ifyousellmen’srazors,youmightbundletherazorwithashavingkitthatincludesalltheessentialitemsamanneedstoshavewith,fromthebrushtotheafter-shave.This“essentialshavingkit”willcostmorethananindividualrazor,whichincreasesyourrevenuepersale.Doyouhaveproductsorservicesthatyoucancombinetocreateanewvalueproposition?

TackingonaslackadjusterSlackadjusterscanhaveadramaticimpactuponthebottomline.Aslackadjusterisaproductorservicethatyouofferatapricepointmuchhigherthanyourtypicaloffer.Thepriceisgenerally10to100timeshigherthanyourusualoffers.Althoughthisproductorservicewillappealtoonlyaverysmallportionofyourmarket,thosethatdomakethis

high-ticketpurchasewillhaveadramaticimpactonyourrevenue.

Forexample,Starbuckssellscupsofteaandcoffee,butthecompanyalsosellscoffeemakers.Thecoffeemakerisfarmoreexpensivethanthe$6cupofcoffee.Mostpeoplesticktotheirusualbeverageandignorethecoffeemaker,butafewbuythecoffeemaker.Whenaproductisthatmuchmoreexpensivethanthecoreoffer,onlyasmallnumberofslackadjustersalesisneededtomakeanimpact.

RecurringbillingSometimescalledacontinuityofferindigitalmarketingcircles,arecurringbillingofferchargesthecustomerperiodically—usuallyeachmonthoryear.Thismaytaketheformofacluborsomeothertypeofmembership,orasubscriptionsuchasamonthlygymmembership.Inthelattercase,thegymchargesamembershipfee12timesayear.YoualsofindrecurringbillingincontentandpublishingwithsubscriptionstoNetflixorCosmopolitanmagazine,andine-commercewithproductslikeDollarShaveClubandBirchbox.Looktoyourproductsorservicesandconsiderhowyoucanmakeasaleonceandgetpaidoverandoveragain.

Recurringbillingcanbeadifficultsellbecauseofthecommitmentthatgoesalongwithit.Toovercomethisissue,clearlycommunicatetheadvantageprovidedbytherecurringbillingofferandlowertheperceivedriskbyclearlycommunicatingthecancellation.Forinstance,thecookingdeliverycompanyBlueApronoftenstatesinitsoffersthatyoucancancelanytime.Inthedatinganalogyearlierinthischapter,arecurringbillingofferisakintoamarriageproposal.Customersmustdecidewhethertheywanttocommittoyouforanextendedperiod.

Part2

UsingContenttoGenerateFans,Followers,andCustomers

INTHISPART…Usecontenttoraiseawareness,generateleads,segmentyouraudience,moveyouraudiencethroughyourmarketingfunnel,andultimatelygeneratesales.

Learnmethodstobrainstormblogideas,techniquestowriteheadlinesthatcaptureyouraudience’sattention,andstrategiesforworkingwithoutsideblogcontributors.Followthetenstepstoaudityourblogandensureitsqualityandeffectiveness.

Defeatwriter ’sblockwith57blogpostideasthatinform,entertain,andengageyourprospectswhiledisplayingyourbrand’spersonalityandhumanity.Quicklyproducehigh-qualityblogpoststhatbuildarapportwithyouraudience.

Chapter4

PursuingContentMarketingPerfectionINTHISCHAPTER

CreatingcontentthatgeneratesleadsandsalesSpreadingbrandawarenesstocoldprospectsPlanningcontentmarketingcampaignsUsingthefourmajorcontentdistributionmethods

Contentisattheheartandsoulofanydigitalmarketingcampaign—thefoundationonwhichyoursearch,social,email,andpaidtrafficcampaignsarebuilt.Withoutcontent,Googlehasnothingtodiscoveronyourwebsite,FacebookFanshavenothingtoshare,newslettershavenonews,andpaidtrafficcampaignsbecomeone-dimensionalsalespitches.

Contentgoesbeyondblogging;contentincludesYouTubevideos,productandpricingpagesone-commercesites,socialmediaupdates,andmuchmore.Eachpieceofcontentactsasasteppingstoneonthepathfromleadtocustomer,andfromcustomertoengaged,frequentbuyer.

Part2ofthisbookisaboutgeneratingfans,followers,andcustomersusingcontent.Thischapterbeginsthatquestbyoutliningtheoften-misunderstoodstrategybehindcontentmarketing.Weexaminethemanydifferentformsthatcontentmarketingtakesanditsusesthroughoutaprospect’sjourneytowardbecomingaloyalcustomer.

KnowingtheDynamicsofContentMarketingAtitscore,theInternetisaplacewherepeoplegathertodiscover,interactwith,andsharecontent.Whetherthatcontentisafunnycatvideothatgivesyouamuch-neededlaugh,aninspiringpodcastaboutasinglemomsurvivingcancer,oranarticleteachingyouhowtofixaleakyfaucet,contentiswhatpeoplecrave.

Engagingwithvaluablecontentisanatural,or“native,”experienceontheInternet.Peoplearedrawntocontentthatteachesthemsomething,inspiresthem,ormakesthemlaughorcry,andpeopleshareandtalkaboutcontentthathasprovidedthemsomeformofvalue.

Withthelow-cost(ornocost)ofpublishingplatformssuchasWordPress,YouTube,andiTunes,eventhesmallestofbrandscanproducecontentfortheweb.Thiseaseofpublishing,however,isadouble-edgedswordbecausetheconstantlychangingnatureoftheInternetrequirestherapidproductionofcontent.Althoughyourbrandstandstoreaptheenormousrewardsassociatedwithcontentpublishing,doingsowithoutaplancanleadtofrustration.

PeoplehaveanearlyinsatiabledemandforcontentontheInternet.Accordingtothemostconservativeestimates,everyminutemorethan1,000blogpostsareproducedand72hoursofnewvideoareuploadedtoYouTube.Thisglutofcontentunderscorestheimportanceofproceedingwithcontentmarketingonlyafteryouhavemadeaplan,becauseyoumustcreatequalitycontenttocutthroughthenoise.Andqualitydemandsaplan.Withoutaplan,yourcontentassetsstillhaveachancetogoviral,butthat’smorethanlikelytobetheresultofdumbluck.Aplanhelpstoensurethesuccessofyourdigitalmarketingcampaign.

Marketersoftenconfusethetermbloggingwithcontentmarketing.Althoughbloggingisapowerfulandversatilecontentmarketingchannel,it’sonlyonepartofawell-balancedcontentstrategy.Ifyou’reamongthemanymarketerswhoblogwithnocleardirection,youshouldcommitafewhourstodesigningacontentplanbeforewritinganotherblogpost.Well-executedcontentmarketingincludesplanningwhatcontentyouwillproduce,forwhataudience,andforwhatpurpose.Manycompaniesandpersonalbrandsthatarefrustratedwithdigitalmarketingcantracethatfrustrationbacktothetime-consumingactofcreatingcontentwithnoclearaudienceorobjective.You’llfindtheentireprocessmucheasierandmuchmorelucrativewhenyouhaveagoodsenseofyourdirection.

FindingYourPathtoPerfectContentMarketing

Although“perfect”contentmarketingmaysoundlikehype,it’sactuallyobtainable.Whenyougainanunderstandingofthetrueprinciplesofthiscriticaldisciplineandcontentmarketing’sconnectiontoallotherfacetsofyourdigitalmarketingmix,youcanquicklyseethepathtocontentmarketingperfection.

Contentmarketingisaboutanticipatingtheneedsofyourcustomersandprospects,andbuildingcontentassetsthatsatisfythoseneeds.Forexample,thecloud-basedsoftwarecompanyFreshbooksanticipatedaprospectivecustomer ’sneedforpricinginformation.ThewebpageshowninFigure4-1representsperfectcontentmarketinginthisscenario:Thecontentsuccinctlyandclearlycommunicatesthedifferencesinitsplansandthevaryingpricelevels,providescontactinformationforthosewhomayhavemorequestionsandwanttotalktoarepresentative,andoffersafreetrial.Thecontentonthispagecompletelysatisfiestheneedforpricinginformation.

Source:https://www.freshbooks.com/pricingFIGURE4-1:ThiscontentonFreshbooksisdesignedtomeetaprospectivecustomer’sneedswhenlookingforpricing.

ForaprospectivecustomerofFreshbookstomakeaninformedbuyingdecision,thepricingpageisnecessary.Beforetheycommit,peoplewanttoknowwhatthey’rebuyingandhowmuchitwillcost.Failuretoconvenientlyprovidethatinformationfortheprospectwillresultinlostsales.

Understandingthemarketingfunnel

Thepathfromstrangertobuyerisoftenconveyedusingthemetaphorofafunnel.Ice-coldprospectsenterthewidetopofthefunnelandsome,youhope,exitthroughthemuchnarrowerbottomofthefunnelascustomers.Contentcan,andshould,assisttheprospectingraduatingfromonestageofthemarketingfunneltothenext.

Abasicmarketingfunnelhasthreestagesthattakeaprospectfromstrangertobuyer:

Awareness:Theprospectmustfirstbecomeawarethathehasaproblemandthatyouoryourorganizationcanprovideasolution.

Raisingproblemandsolutionawarenessiswhereyourblogwillshine.Useyourblogtoeducate,inspire,orentertainprospectsandexistingcustomers.Evaluation:Thosewhomovethroughtheawarenessstagemustnowevaluatethevariouschoicesavailabletothem,includingyourcompetitor ’ssolutionsand,ofcourse,takingnoactiontosolvetheproblematall.Peoplecan,afterall,decidetolivewiththeproblemandnotpurchasetheproductorservicethatcouldsolvethatproblem.Conversion:Thosewhomovethroughtheevaluationstageareatthemomentoftruth—purchase.Thegoalatthisstageistoconvertleadsintofrequentandhigh-ticketbuyers.

Thesethreestagesofawareness,evaluation,andconversionformwhatisknownasamarketingfunnel.Figure4-2conceptualizesthemarketingfunnel.

Source:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/content-marketing/FIGURE4-2:Thethree-stepmarketingfunnel.

Coldprospectscannotevaluateyoursolutionuntiltheyarefirstawareoftheproblemandofyoursolution.Ifprospectsareunawareoftheproblemorthesolutionthatyouofferthroughyourproductorservice,theyobviouslywon’tbuy.Therefore,conversionsareimpossibleuntilprospectshavefirstevaluatedthepossiblecoursesofactiontheycantake,whichincludebuyingyourproduct,buyingacompetitor ’sproductratherthanyours,ordoingnothingandlivingwiththeproblem.Tomoveprospectsthroughamarketingfunnel,youneedtoprovidecontentdesignedtosatisfytheirneedsateachofthethreestages:

Contentatthetopofthefunnel(TOFU)thatfacilitatesawareness.Contentatthemiddleofthefunnel(MOFU)thatfacilitatesevaluation.Contentatthebottomofthefunnel(BOFU)thatfacilitatesconversion.

Blogsarefantasticfacilitatorsofawareness(topoffunnel)—buttheydoapoorjoboffacilitatingevaluation(middleoffunnel)andconversion(bottomoffunnel).Also,attheriskofpointingouttheobvious,evaluationandconversionaresupercriticaltoyourbusiness.Tomoveprospectsthroughthemiddleandbottomofthefunnel,youneedothercontenttypes,asshowninFigure4-3andexplainedindetailinthefollowingsections.

Source:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/content-marketing/FIGURE4-3:Youneeddifferentcontenttypesateachstageofthemarketingfunnel.

Topoffunnel(TOFU)contentmarketingTheprospectsenteringthetopofyourfunnelareunawareofyoursolutionandoftenunawarethattheyevenhaveaproblemthatneedstobesolved.Asaresult,youneedcontentthatpeoplecanfreelyaccess,asopposedtocontentthatrequiresprospectstogiveyoutheircontactinformationormakeapurchase.Afterall,youhaveyettoproveyourvaluetothem.

Atthetopofthefunnel,makefreeungatedcontent(whichwecoveringreaterdetailinChapter3)availablethatprovidesoneofthefollowingvalues

EntertainsEducatesInspires

ChoosetwotothreeofthefollowingcontenttypestodeliverTOFUcontentthatwillraiseawarenessaboutthesolutionsyouprovidethroughyourproductsorservices:

Blogposts:Arguablythemostrecognizedformofonlinecontent,blogsareanexcellentwayofraisingawareness.Forexample,thefashioncompanyJ.Crewraisesawarenessoftheproductsitsellsbycreatingblogpostsaboutfashionstylesandtipsforaccessorizing.TheJ.Crewblogreader(andpotentialcustomer)getssomeinspirationandsolutionstotheproblemofwhattowearandhowtolookfashionable;thepostalsoalludestothefactthatJ.Crewcarriestheclothingneededtopulloffthelook.Socialmediaupdates:Aswithblogs,socialmediaplatforms(suchasFacebook)arefantasticatcreatingawareness.Whetherit’saPinterestboardbyDreyer ’sIceCreamthatlistseveryflavoroficecreamthecompanysells,oratweetbyAirbnbaboutthetenperfectParisfoodexperiences,thesesocialmediaupdatesgivetheirfollowersfree,valuableinformationwhilealsobringingthesolutionstheircompanyprovidestotheforefront.Infographics:Infographicsareaninterestingandengagingwaytodisplaycontent.Typically,infographicscontainfunimageswithcontrasting,eye-catchingcolors,andthewayinfographicsbreakuptextmakesthisformofcontenteasilyconsumablebytheviewer.Infographicsarehighlyeffectiveatdeliveringcontentthatisbothentertainingandeducational,quickly.Whetherit’saninfographicbyIMDbaboutthebestoftheyearinmovieentertainment,oraninfographicbyCasperMattressprovidingtipsonbettersleepinghabits,thistypeofcontentdeliversvaluethataconsumerwants,anditraisesbrandawarenesseffectivelyaswell.Photographs:Picturesarepowerfulbecausetheycanexplainalotinasingleimage.Photographsalsohelptobreakupblocksoftextinapieceofcontent,whichkeepsthatcontentfrombecomingboringorintimidatingtoread.Withaphotograph,akitchendesigncompanycanshowcompletedprojectsthateffectivelydemonstratewhatthecompanydoeswhileraisingawarenessofwhatthecompanycandoforanothercustomer ’skitchen.Digitalmagazinesandbooks:Digitalmagazinesandbooksarepopular,andareanotherwaytodistributecontentandraisebrandawareness.E-booksande-magazinesaresimilartotheblogstrategiesdiscussedinChapters5and6.Therefore,youcanlooktoyourblogtoinspireyourcontentforyoure-bookore-magazine.Audioandvideopodcasts:Anotherformofcontentthatyoucanuseatthetopofthefunnelisapodcast.Withapodcast,youpackageanddistributeyourcontentdifferentlyfromtextualcontent.Apodcastdeliversconsumablecontentonthego.Subscriberscanlistentothepodcastontheircommutetoworkorduringtheirworkout,oranyothertimetheychoose.Theyhaveamoreflexiblewaytoconsumethecontent,incontrasttoablogpostorasocialmediaupdatethatislessconducivetomultitasking.Also,youcanusepodcaststoeffectivelypromoteyourproductorservicewhileprovidingvalue

toyourprospects.Ifyouselloutdoorequipment,forexample,eachepisodeofyourpodcastcangivetipsandtricksabouthunting,fishing,camping,andotheroutdooractivitieswhilealsosubtlyremindingyourlisteneroftheoutdoorequipmentavailableatyourstore.Microsites:Amicrositeisessentiallyanauxiliaryblogaboutaspecifictopicthatisputonadifferentsitewithitsownlinksandaddress;amicrositeisaccessedmainlyfromalargersite.Forinstance,DadsDivorce.comisaseparatedomainofthemen’sfamilylawfirmCordell&Cordell.DadsDivorce.comprovidesfreecontentfordivorcingfathersandisdesignedtoraiseawarenessabouttheservicesandsolutionsCordell&Cordellcanprovide.Printmagazinesandnewsletters:Thistypeofcontentcanrequireabiggerbudgetthandigitalcontent,butifgoingthisroutefallswithinyourbudget,printmagazinesandnewslettersarestillagreatwaytoraiseawareness.Forexample,theLegoClubMagazinecontainsplentyofentertainingcomicbookstylecontentforLego’stargetcustomer.Magazinesandnewslettershelpsalesbyinspiringshoppersbasedonwhattheyseeinprint.Primaryresearch:Thisisresearchyougooutandcollectyourself,suchassurveys,interviews,andobservations.Althoughthisdatacanbedifficultandtimeconsumingtogather,primaryresearchispowerfulbecauseonlyafiniteamountofprimaryresearchexists.Specifically,whenyoutakethetimetocreateresearch,you’reprovidingaserviceandsavingpeoplefromhavingtodotheirownprimaryresearch.Forthisreason,primaryresearchcanstiragooddealofawarenessamongyourprospects.

Doyouneedallthesecontenttypesatthetopofthefunnel?Heck,no.MostbusinessesfocusonpostingcontenttoablogandtosocialmediachannelssuchasFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,andPinterest.Afteryou’vemasteredbloggingandsocialmediaupdates,youmightwanttoaddmoretop-of-funnelcontenttothemix,suchasapodcastoraprintnewsletter.

Thebiggoalatthetopofthefunnelistomakeprospects“problemaware”and“solutionaware.”InFigure4-4,noticehowWholeFoodsusesitsWholeStoryblogtoraiseawarenessfortheseafoodthegrocerystoresells.Inthisway,WholeFoodsisremindingitsaudienceoftheproductsitsells,makingitsaudience“solutionaware”whileprovidingpeoplewithrecipestheyfindvaluable.

Source:http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/my-favorite-new-recipes-tilapia-equals-easy-weeknight-dinners-0FIGURE4-4:WholeFoodsraisesawarenessofproductsitsellswhileprovidingvaluetoitsblogaudience.

Unfortunately,thetopofthefunneliswheremostorganizationsbeginandendtheircontentmarketingefforts.Smartcontentmarketersknowthat,withabitmoreeffort,theycanmoveprospectsfromawarenesstoevaluationatthemiddleofthefunnel.

Middleoffunnel(MOFU)contentmarketingThebiggoalforcontentyouuseatthemiddleofthefunnelistoconvert“problemaware”and“solutionaware”prospectsintoleads.You’relookingtogrowyouremaillistsandgainmoreleadsatthispointofthefunnel.AtDigitalMarketer,weusefreecontenttoincentivizeprospectstosubmittheircontactinformation(suchastheiremailaddress)andoptintoreceivefuturemarketinginexchangeforvaluablecontent.Wecallthistypeofcontentgatedoffers,whichwediscussinChapter3.

Agatedofferisasmall“chunk”ofvaluethatsolvesaspecificproblemforaspecificmarketandisofferedinexchangeforprospects’contactinformation.

Gatedoffersoftentaketheformofcontentsuchasthefollowing:

Educationalresources:AsdiscussedinChapter3,educationalresourcesforgatedoffersoftenexistintheformoffreereports,whitepapers,primaryresearch,webinartraining,andsalesmaterial.Thesetypesofcontentresourceseducatetheconsumeronaparticulartopicrelatedtoyourbrandwhilehighlightingfeaturesofasolution,product,orserviceyouprovide.Aneducationalresourcecanincludeacasestudy

packedwithprofessionaltipsandadetailedbreakdownofsomeofyourstrategies.

Educationalresources(andallformsofMOFUcontent,forthatmatter)mustbeofhighqualityortheconsumerislikelytofeelcheated.Also,ifprospectsfeelthatthecontentyougavetheminexchangefortheircontactinformationissubpar,yourbrandawarenesssuffers.KeepinmindthatthepointoftheMOFUistohelppeopleevaluateyourcompanyandenticethemtomakeapurchase.Youenticewithquality,notgarbage.Usefulresources:Usefulresourcesaretoolssuchas

HandoutsorcheatsheetsResourcelistsTemplatesSoftwareSurveysAssessmentsDiscountandcouponclubsQuizzesandsurveys

Weexplaintheseusefultools,whichserveaspowerfulcontentforMOFU,inChapter3.Insteadofusingaconsumer ’stime(suchasane-bookthatmaytakeanhourormoretoread),usefulresourcespromisethattheywillnotonlyeducateyourprospectsbutalsosavethemtime.Theseresourcessavethemtimebecausethecontentiseasytoconsumeandtheresourceiscomplete;itdoesn’tdependonanotherresourcetodeliveritsvaluebutcanstandalone.Forexample,acompanythatsellsvegetablegardeningtoolscancreatearesourcecalledthe“SeedStartingCheatSheet”thatallowspeoplewithaninterestingardeningtoquicklydeterminethebesttimetoplantpopularvegetablesinthegarden.

Don’tpinallyourlead-generationhopestoapassivegatedofferonyourhomepageorthesidebarofyourblog,becausethegatedoffercangetlostamongthemanyelementsofyoursite.Amissedgatedofferwon’tcaptureleads.Besuretoalsocreateadedicatedlandingpageforeverygatedoffer(somecallthisasqueezepage)anddrivetrafficdirectlytothatpageusingsocialmedia,emailmarketing,searchengineoptimization(SEO),andpaidtraffic.Adedicatedlandingpage,whichwegooverinmoredetailinChapter7,increasesopt-ins.SeeFigure4-5foranexampleofalandingpage.

Source:https://www.lyft.com/drive-with-lyft?ref=ROB055729.FIGURE4-5:RidesharecompanyLyftusesalandingpagetostartitsdriverapplicationprocess.

Thegoalatthemiddleofthefunnelistoconvertprospectswhowereunawareofyourproductorserviceintopeoplewithwhomyoucannowfollowup.Astheysay,however,youcan’tdepositleadsinthebank.Togeneraterevenue,youneedcontentthatassistsyourprospectsinmakingdecisionsatthepointofsale.

Bottomoffunnel(BOFU)contentmarketingAttheBOFU,you’relookingtoconvertleadsintocustomersandcustomersintohigher-ticketcustomers.Whattypesofcontentwillyournewleadneedtomakeaninformedpurchasedecision?Yourleadsmaybereadingyourbloganddownloadingyourgatedoffers(allofwhichhelpstoconvertthem),buttomovethemonthroughtothepointofmakingapurchase,youalsoneedtooffercontentthathelpsthemdecidewhethertobuy.

Hereareexamplesofcontenttypesthatworkwellatthebottomofthefunnel:

Demos:Thedownsideofbuyingaproductonlineisthatcustomerscan’tholdtheproductintheirhands—theyhaveonlyanimage(ortwo)andadescriptiontobasetheirpurchasingdecisionson,whichcanmakepeoplehesitatetobuy.Offeringademocanhelpwiththisproblem.Ademoshowstheproductorserviceyouofferinaction,sothatconsumerscanseehowitworks.It’sasclosetotouchingtheproductastheycangetfromtheirscreen.Sofindawaytodemonstrateyourproductorservicethroughcontentsuchasvideo,screenshots,webinars,orschematicdrawings.Customerstories:Customerstoriesarecustomertestimonialsandreviews.Customerstoriesarefantasticatthebottomofthefunnelbecausetheyallowaprospecttoseehowsomeoneelseexperiencedsuccesswithyourproductorservice.Youprovideyourprospectswithpeerreviews,whichhaveapowerfuleffectondecisionmaking.AsshowninFigure4-6,Salesforce.comsuppliesleadswhoareattheBOFUwithplentyofcustomersuccessstoriestoprovethatitsproductcantakecareoftheirneeds.

Comparison/specsheets:WhensomeoneattheBOFUisdebatingoverdifferentproducts,comparisonsandspecsheetsarehandyresourcesthatpeopleusetocompareproductssidebyside(whetherthecomparisonisbetweensimilarproductsthatyouofferorbetweenyourproductandyourcompetitor ’sproduct).Forexample,thetaxpreparationsoftwarecompanyTurboTaxmightshowaside-by-sidecomparisontothefeaturesandpricingofitscompetitor,TaxAct.Webinars/events:AspreviouslystatedinthischapterandChapter3,youcanusewebinarsandeventsatthemiddleofthefunneltogatherleads,butyoucanalsousethematthebottomofthefunneltoconvertthoseleads.Atthebottomofthefunnel,awebinarcanbeusedtogatherprospectivecustomersinoneplacetoaskquestionsaboutacomplex,risky,orhigh-ticketproductorservice.Mini-classes:Amini-classisatypeofeventthatyousetuptoteacharelevanttopictoyourtargetaudience.Attheendoftheshortclass,youmakeyourpitchforyourproductorservice.Youneedtoprovidequalityeducationalresourceswiththemini-class,butintheend,thepurposeoftheclassistopitchahigher-dollarproductrelatedtotheclassyoujustheld.

Source:http://www.salesforce.com/customers/FIGURE4-6:SalesforcecreatescontentthatconvertsattheBOFUbytellingcustomersuccessstories.

Iscreatingcontentthatdrivesawarenessatthetopofthefunnelimportant?Absolutely.Thatsaid,particularlyforexistingbrands,theplacetostartbuildingcontentisusuallyatthebottomofthefunnel.Yourprospectsneedinformationsuchaspricingorhowyoucomparetoacompetitor,sobuildcontentthatsatisfiesthosebasic

questionsbeforeyoustartwritingblogpostsoruploadingpodcasts.

Exploringtheprospect’sintentThekeytoperfectcontentmarketingistounderstandyourprospects’existingintentsothatyoucananticipatetheirfutureintentandpredictwhichpathorpathstheywilltake.Inforeseeingthis,youcancreatethecontentassetsneededtoaddressthatintent24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek.

ReturningtotheFreshbooksexample,thesoftwarecompanythatwerefertoearlierinthechapter,acustomerintheevaluationorconversionstageofthefunnelmightintendtocompareFreshbookstoQuickBooks.ThewebpageshowninFigure4-7satisfiesthatintentatboththemiddleandthebottomofthefunnel.FreshbooksgivestheprospectacomparisonsheetthatallowsthecustomertoseethedifferencesbetweenFreshbooksanditscompetition,QuickBooks.ThecompanyknowsthatprospectivecustomerswanttoseehowitstacksupagainstQuickBooks.Satisfyingthatintentintheevaluationstagehelpsprospectsmoveintotheconversionstage.

Source:https://www.freshbooks.com/compare/quickbooks-alternativeFIGURE4-7:Freshbooksusesacomparisonsheettomoveaprospectclosertoconversion.

Ifyou’rehavingdifficultybrainstormingideasforcontentthatwillsatisfyyourprospects’intent,gatheragroupofpeopleinyourorganizationwhohavecontactwithyourcustomersandprospects.Salespeople,customerservicerepresentatives,trade-showworkers,andotherswhohearthevoiceofthecustomerandprospectshouldbepresent.Thesemembersofyourteamcanhelpyoudiscoverholesinyourcontentthatwouldsatisfyaprospect’sintent.

Brainstormlistsofintentatthetop,middle,andbottomofthefunnel.Thendecidewhatcontentassetsneedtobebuilttosatisfythatintentfromawarenessthroughconversion.

ProvidingapathtothenextstepAsamarketer,youneedtoprovideapathfromonepieceofcontenttothenext.Peoplearebusyanddon’thavethetimeorthepatiencetogodiggingthroughyoursitefortheproperpieceofcontent.Theyneedtobeabletofindwhatthey’relookingforfast.

Failingtoprovideaneasy-to-followpathtothenextstepisn’tjustbadmarketing,it’sabaduserexperience,onethatwillcausepeopletohittheBackbuttononyoursiteandleaveitaltogether.Smartcontentmarketersanticipatethenextlogicalintentandremoveasmuch“friction”aspossibletocreateaclearpathtoconversion.

Thegoalofeverypieceofcontentistogettheprospecttoascendtothenextlogicalstepinthecustomerjourney.IntheFreshbookspricingpageexampleshowninFigure4-8,noticethatFreshbookshascreatedaclearascensionpathtoa“Risk-FreeTrial”ofthesoftware.Creatinganascensionpathisgoodmarketingandresultsinagooduserexperience.

Source:https://www.freshbooks.com/pricingFIGURE4-8:Freshbooksanticipatesthenextlogicalintentofavisitorwhoneedstoobtainpricinginformation.

Howwellanascensionofferperformsdependsontherelevanceoftheoffer.Taketimetoanticipatethenextlogicalstepinthecustomerjourneyandcreateoffersthatareapplicabletothepieceofcontenttheyarecurrentlyconsuming.Forexample,askingavisitortolistentoapodcastepisode(atop-of-funnelcontenttype)wouldbeneitherlogicalnorrelevantfromtheFreshbookspricingpageinFigure4-8.Thispersonisvisitingthepricingpagebecausesheisinterestedinbuying,andthesmartmarketeranticipatesthatintentandmakesthenextlogicaloffer—afreetrial.

SegmentingyourmarketingwithcontentYouwon’ttrulyunderstandyouraudienceandwhatpeoplereallywantuntiltheyhavegivenyouoneoftwothings:theirtimeortheirmoney.Theymayanswersurveyquestionsandmakecommentsthattheyareinterestedinthisorthat,butuntiltheyhavecommittedapreciousresource—timeormoney—youdon’tknowforsurewhatintereststhem.Thisisgoodnewsforanyonecreatingcontentonline,becausewhenpeoplespendtimewithcontent,theyareshowinginterest.

Forexample,imaginethatyouownacompanythatsellshealthyandnutritiousmealstobusyprofessionals,andyou’vebeencreatingblogcontentaboutnourishingrecipes.Yourcontentfallsintothreemaincategoriesofrecipes:vegan,vegetarian,andglutenfree.Whatdoyouknowaboutsomeonewhovisitsablogpostaboutveganrecipes?Likewiseforsomeonevisitingablogpostaboutvegetarianrecipes.It’sprettyclear,right?Thesepeoplehave“raisedtheirhands”andtoldyouthattheyare(orareinterestedinbecoming)veganorvegetarian.

Whenpeoplespendtheirvaluabletimeconsumingcontent,theyaresegmentingthemselves.Theyaretellingyouwhatintereststhem.Andthankstothemagicofadretargeting,youcanfollowupwiththeseprospectsbyusingarelevantascensionofferwithouthavingtoacquiretheircontactinformation.

Retargetingistheprocessofadvertisingtopeoplebasedontheirpriorbehavior.Forexample,youcanconfigureretargetingadssothattheyappearonlytocustomerswhoboughtaparticularproductorvisited(showedinterest)aparticularproductpageorblogpost.Thisapproachallowsyoutoshowaveryspecificpieceofcontentthatismorelikelytoresonatewiththesegmentedaudience.TurntoChapter10formoreinformationonadretargetingstrategies.

AppearingeverywhereyourcustomerexpectsMarketerswhowanttocreateperfectcontentneedtopublishwheretheircustomersare.Thatmeanspublishingcontentthatmeetsprospects’intentinanychannel,andatevery

stageofthefunnelwheregroupsofprospectsaresearchingforandsharingcontent.Thesechannelsincludebutarecertainlynotlimitedtothefollowing:

AwebsiteorblogFacebookTwitterLinkedInPinterestInstagramYouTube

Youcanpublishasinglecontentassetacrossnumerouschannelstomaximizeexposure.Forinstance,atDigitalMarketer,weturnedapresentationabouthowtolaunchapodcastintoawebinar,andthenintoapodcastepisode,andfinallyintoablogpost.Becauseouraudiencerespondedsoenthusiasticallytothiscontent,wesawthevalueandtheneedtorepurposeitanddistributeitthroughoutourchannels.

Considerwhatcontentfromyourcompanyhasresonatedwithyouraudience.Forexample,canthatvideodemoofyourproductberepublishedonyourYouTubechannel?Canyourepurposeanarticlefromyourblogintoawebinar,orapodcastepisodeintoanarticleforLinkedInPulse?Theopportunitiestorepurposecontentarevirtuallylimitless.

CustomizingyourcontentYouproduceperfectcontentmarketingmaterialstosatisfytheintentofyourcustomeravatars(alsoknownastargetaudienceorcustomerpersona).Butnotallavatarsarethesame;they,liketheirreal-lifecounterparts,don’tallwantorneedthesamesolution.That’swhycustomizingandthensegmentingyourcontentisessential.Aparticularpieceofcontentcansatisfytheintentofmultipleavatars,oryoucanuseittotargetasingleavatar.

Forexample,weproducedablogarticlecalled“6TrendingDigitalMarketingSkillstoPutonaResume”toraiseawareness(topofthefunnel)forourmarketingcertificationprograms.Thispostprobablywouldn’tinterestsmallbusinessowners,butthatwasfine—weweren’ttargetingthem.Thisarticlewasspecificallytargetedtoour“employee”avatarwhoseintentistoacquireskillsthatwilllandherabetterjob.Includedinthepostaretwocallstoaction,which,asmentionedinChapter2,isaninstructiontoyouraudiencedesignedtoconveyurgencyandprovokeanimmediateresponse.Inthecaseofthetrendingskillsblogpost,thecallstoactionarecustomizedtoappealtothe“employee”avatar.

ExecutingPerfectContentMarketingAswesayearlierinthischapter,toexecuteperfectcontentmarketing,youneedaplan.Eachofferyoumakeoftenrequiresthecreationofdifferentpiecesofcontent.Asaresult,theidealistomakeacontentplanforeachofyourmajoroffersusingaresourcewecalltheContentCampaignPlan.TheContentCampaignPlanalignsyourcontentmarketingwithbusinessobjectivessuchasgeneratingleadsandsales.YoucanseetheContentCampaignPlantemplateinFigure4-9andcanfilloutyourownbyvisitingwww.digitalmarketer.com/content-campaign.

Source:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z29wImPl7PgJwQMv2TFr-RyOu_THBu1pXlOxJgjUtEw/edit#gid=0FIGURE4-9:TheContentCampaignPlanorganizesyourcontentstrategyforeachindividualproductorserviceoffer.

FollowingarethestepsforcreatingyourfirstContentCampaignPlan:

1. Chooseavatars.2. Brainstormcontentassets.3. Choosethevehicleandchannel.4. Planforascension.

Readontofindoutmoreabouteachofthesesteps.

Step1:ChoosingavatarsDecidewhichavatars(alsoknownasabuyerpersona)thiscontenttargets.Becauseeachavatarhasdifferentintents,motivations,andproblemsherespondsto,eachavatarrequires

differentcontenttomovehimthroughtheawareness,evaluation,andconversionstages.Youthereforeneedtodeterminewhichexistingcontenttouseorwhatnewcontenttocreatetomovetheavatarthroughthetop,middle,andbottomofthefunnel.

Forexample,awealthmanagementfirmattemptingtosellfinancialplanningshouldapproachayoungprofessionalmuchdifferentlythananearretiree.Somecontentwillappealtoboth,butthemosteffectivecontentwillspeakdirectlytoaspecificavatar.

Step2:BrainstormingcontentassetsUsewhatyouknowaboutyourcustomeravatartocreatedescriptionsforcontentthatyoucancreatetoreachthatpersona.

Plantocreatecontentatallthreestagesofthemarketingfunnel:awareness,evaluation,andconversion.Inthewealthmanagementfirmexample,whatcontentcouldthefirmproduceatthetopofthefunneltoincreaseawarenessfortheyoungprofessionalavatar?Whatcoulditproducetomovetheretireeavatarthroughtheconversionstage?

Step3:ChoosingthevehicleandchannelThevehicleofthecontentreferstotheformthecontentwilltake.Willitbetext,animage,avideo,oranaudioasset?Thechannelreferstowheretheassetwillbepublished—suchasyourblog,aFacebookpage,oraYouTubechannel.

Thevehiclecansometimesdeterminethechannel,andviceversa.Forexample,avideoassetoftengetspublishedonYouTube,Facebook,andyourblog,whereasanimageassetismorelikelytobeonPinterest.

Step4:PlanningforascensionInthefinalstepoftheContentCampaignPlan,youconnectyourcontenttoyourbusinessgoals.Buildoffersintoeachpieceofcontentthatallowprospectstogetmorevalue,eitherbyconsumingmorecontent,givingyoutheircontactinformationforfollow-up,orbuyingaproductorservice.

Anycalltoactionisbetterthannoneatall,butthehighest-convertingascensionoffersarerelevanttothecontenttheprospectisconsuming.Forexample,ablogpostentitled“10WaystoGrowMoreNutritiousOrganicTomatoes”woulddowelltomakeanofferlike“50%OffandFreeShippingonOrganicTomatoSeeds”ratherthananofferforcarrotseeds.

Ifyouwanttocreatecontentthatconvertsprospectsatallstagesofthefunnel,createa

ContentCampaignPlanandexecuteit.Itworks.

DistributingContenttoAttractanAudienceToday,contentplaysanimportantroleinallmajorformsoftrafficgeneration.Convincingcold(andevenwarm)prospectstovisityourwebsiteisdifficultwithoutfirstleadingwithvaluablecontent.

Theprocessesyoudeveloptodistributecontent,andthusgeneratetraffictoit,areasimportantastheprocessessurroundingthecreationofthatcontent.Entirechaptersofthisbookaredevotedtothenuancesoftrafficgenerationusingthemethodsofemailmarketing,search,socialmedia,andpaidtraffic.However,it’sworthmentioninghoweachofthesemajortrafficgenerationmethodsinteractwiththecontentyouproduce.

MarketingthroughemailEmailisstillthebestmethodformakingoffersandsendingmorecontent,sogrowingandmaintainingyouremaillistsarecriticaltasks,whichiswhygrowingyouremaillistisbuiltintoyourcontentstrategy.Afteryou’veproducedacontentasset,suchasablogpostorapodcastepisode,useyouremaillist(s)todrivetraffictothatpiece.

Towritetheemailforyournewpieceofcontent,firstcreatethesubjectlineoftheemailmessage.Oftenthesubjectisthesameasthetitleofthecontent,butthereareotherstrategiestonamingyouremailsubjectline,suchasscarcityheadingslike“FINALnotice(Justhoursleft…)”orbypiquingcuriositywithsubjectlineslike“THISiswhyIdowhatIdo….”WedescribethesestrategiesinmoredetailinChapter11.

Next,openyouremailwithashort,punchyintroductionthatpullspeopleintothemainbodyofyouremail,whereyoupiquetheemailsubscriber ’sinterestanddescribewhathecanexpectfromthecontent.Explainthisemail’srelevancetothereaderandwhathehastogainfromit(alsoknownasthebenefit).Also,besuretoincludeacalltoactionthatinstructsthesubscribertoclickthehyperlinktoyourcontent.Usetwotothreehyperlinkedcallstoactiontomakeclickingthemasconvenientaspossible.

CapturingleadsthroughsearchmarketingSearchengines,suchasGoogleandBing,areimportantcontentdistributionchannelstoleverage.Whenprospectsreachyoursitebyqueryingasearchengine(theymightbesearchingfor“dslrcamerareviews”or“creperecipes”inGoogleorBing)buthaven’tselectedanad,theyareusingsearchmarketing.Thetrafficdriventothatcontentwasn’tpaidforbutwasfoundnaturallybytheusers.

Today,searchmarketingissimple.Thesearchengines,particularlyGoogle,havebecomeadeptatsendingtraffictothecontentthatismostlikelytosatisfytheintentofthesearcher.Ifyouarecommittedtocreatingcontentassetsthatsatisfytheintentof

yourvariouscustomeravatars,you’llgetplentyoflovefromGoogleandothersearchengines.YoucanlearnmoreaboutsearchmarketinginChapter8.

UsingsocialmediatodrivetraffictoyoursiteAfteryouhavecreatedapieceofcontent,usethesocialmediaplatform(s)thatyourbusinessparticipatesintodrivetraffictothatcontent.WedescribehowtousesocialmediaingreaterdetailinChapter9,butfornow,beawarethatdrivingtrafficonsocialmediamaytakeseveralforms,suchasatweetonTwitteroranupdateonFacebookorLinkedIn.Thisupdateannouncesthenewcontentandprovidesahyperlinktoit.

Whenyouwritetextforasocialmediaupdate,yourbrand’spersonalityshoulddeterminehowyouannouncethisnewcontent.Forinstance,ifyourbrandisarefinedjewelrystore,youmaywanttouseaformaltoneinyourcopy.

Thelengthofthecopydependsonrestrictions(suchasonTwitter)andthecomplexityoftheoffer.Simpleoffersdon’trequirethesameamountofdescriptionascomplexoffersdo.Regardlessofthelengthofthecopy,besurethatthesocialmediaupdatepiquestheviewer ’scuriosity,describesthebenefitofthecontent,andhasaclearcalltoaction,suchasthehomeimprovementstoreLowe’sFacebookpostshowninFigure4-10.Thissocialmediaupdatemeetsallthreeoftheserequirementseffectively.

Source:https://www.facebook.com/lowes/posts/10153827254486231:0FIGURE4-10:OnFacebook,Lowe’sestablishesthebenefitofthecontentandgivesaclearcalltoactionfortheviewertoclick.

Payingfortraffic

Asthenamesuggests,paidtraffictakestheformofadsthatpromoteyourcontentandhelpsyourcontentgainreach,orexposure.Youcandisplayadsonmanydifferentplatforms,includingsearchenginesandsocialmedia.Paidtrafficcanbehighlyeffectiveatgeneratingleadsbecauseithelpsyoutosegmentyourvisitorsandmakeuseofretargeting.

Whenaprospectvisitsapieceofcontent,sheplacesherselfintoaparticularsegmentofyourpotentialbuyers.She’sindicatinganinterestintheoffer,topic,problem,orsolutionfoundonthatpage,andyoucantakeadvantageofadretargetingnetworkssuchasGoogleandFacebooktoshowadstothisprospectbasedonthecontentshehasvisited.

Althoughmanymarketersmaybereluctanttopaytosendtraffictocontent,suchasblogpostsandpodcasts,paidtraffichasamajoradvantage:It’spredictable.WhenyoucutachecktoFacebook,forexample,topromoteapieceofcontent,youwillgettraffic.Thisiswhy,atalltimesbutespeciallywhenbuyingadsforyourcontent,youmustensuretheexceptionalqualityofyourcontent.Thelastthingyouwanttodoisspendmoneytosendtraffictopoor-qualitycontent.

Usepaidtraffictopromotequalitycontentthatgivesvaluetotheconsumerandalignswithyourbusinessgoals.Thiswillhelpyoumovepeoplefromonepartofthefunneltothenext,progressingfromice-coldprospecttoaleadtocustomertorepeatcustomerand,ideally,toravingfan.

Chapter5

BloggingforBusinessINTHISCHAPTER

FosteringablogthatcanpositivelyimpactthebottomlineWorkingwithoutsidewritersWritingheadlinesthatengageyouraudienceAuditingyourblogintensteps

Thetopicofbloggingdeservesin-depthdiscussion.Bloggingisoneofthemostpowerfulandversatiledigitalmarketingtoolsatyourdisposal.Youcanthinkofyourblogasahomeforcontentofeverytype,includingtext,graphics,audio,andvideo.Functionally,though,ablogisjustatoolthathelpsyoumanagecertainpagesofyourwebsite.

Thepowerofawell-executedbusinessblogliesinitscapabilitytogenerateawarenessforyourcompany,brands,customer-facingemployees,products,andservices.Whendoneright,thebusinessblogbecomesacriticalpartofyourmarketingmix.Ifdoneimproperly,however,abusinessblogcanbecomeafrustrating,time-consumingchorethatgivesyouzeroreturnforyoureffort.

Althoughyoushouldalwayskeepthecustomerjourneyinmind,themainpurposeofyourbusinessblogistocreateawareandengagedprospectswhoeventuallyconvertintoleadsandsales.Althoughinothercontentareas,buildingungated,gated,anddeepdiscountoffers(discussedinChapter3)intoyourcontentiscritical,thegoalofyourblogisnottheimmediateconversionofaprospectintoaleadorcustomer.

Marketingisaboutthesequenceoftheoffersyoumaketoprospects,leads,andcustomers.Yourblogcontentisoneoftheentrypointoffers(EPOs)thatyoumaketocoldprospectswhoknownothingaboutyouoryourcompany.Butcontentisalsosomethingyoucandistributeviaemail,socialmedia,andpaidtraffictoevenyourbestcustomerstokeepyourbusinessattheforefrontofpeople’smindsandprovideadditionalvalue.

Inthischapter,wegiveyoustrategiesforsuccessfulbusinessblogging.Wepointyoutowardeffectivetoolstouseforbloggingideas,tellyouhowtofindandworkwithcontentcreatorstokeepyourblogdiverseandinteresting,andhelpyoubrainstormeffectiveheadlinesforyourblogarticles.Thefinalpartofthischapterprovidesalistoftheelementsbywhichyoucan“audit”yourblogtomakesureit’saseffectiveasyoucanmakeit.

EstablishingaBlogPublishingProcessToproduceablogthathasanimpactonthebottomline,youneedaprocess.Theunsuccessfulbusinessblogfailstoplan.Puttingtogetherablog-publishingprocesshelpsyoudothefollowing:

Fine-tuneaspectsofyourblogsuchasstyle,tone,topics,offers,mediumsPlanyourcontentandidentifycontentgapswhileconsideringwhatyouraudiencewantsyoutowriteaboutMaximizeyourcontent’simmediateimpactaswellasitslong-termimpactasaresource

Yourblog-publishingprocessshouldincludeawaytogenerateblogpostideas,utilizecontentsegmentsforconsistentplanning,findandworkwithcontentcreators,editcontent,andbroadcastnewcontent.Thefollowingsectionsbreakdownthedetailsofeachpartofthisprocess.

BrainstormingblogpostideasInChapter6,weofferyou57contentandblogposttypesyoucanuseinmultipleways,whichwillensurethatyouneverrunoutofpostideasorwaystoframeyourcontentagain.Inthissection,youlearnwhichtoolsareavailabletoyouwhileyou’rebrainstorming.

GetinspirationfromyourcustomeravatarThecustomeravatarprocessoutlinedinChapter1givesyouanabundantsourceofinformationforbrainstormingblogpostideasforyourblog.Whatblogposts,videos,podcasts,andsoonshouldyoucreatetoattractandconvertyouravatar?

Startbylookingatthefivecomponentsofyouravatar:

Goalsandvalues:Whatistheavatartryingtoachieve?Whatvaluesdoesheholddear?Sourcesofinformation:Whatbooks,magazines,blogs,andotherpublicationsdoestheavatarreferenceforinformation?Demographics:Whatistheage,gender,andmaritalstatusoftheavatar?Challengesandpainpoints:Whatholdstheavatarbackfromachievinghergoals?Objections:Whymighttheavatarchoosenottobuyyourproductorservice?

Answereachofthosequestionsaboutyouravatarandusethoseanswerstobrainstormideasforcontent.Usetheinformationyouknowaboutyourtargetmarkettocreatecontentthatsolvesyouravatar ’sproblem,enterstheconversationsshe’shaving,speakstohergoals,andmeetsherobjectionshead-on.

DosomeresearchonBuzzSumoBuzzSumoisanonlinetoolthatallowsyoutoanalyzewhatcontentisperformingwellonsocialmediaforatopic.Thenumberofsocialmediasharesthatablogpostreceivesisagoodindicationofcontentthattheaudiencelikes.Thetopicsreceivingthemostattentionfromsocialmediaaretheonesyoushouldconsiderforyourblog.

Startbysearchingkeywordsandphrasesthatyouraudienceislikelytobesearchingfor.WiththeBuzzSumotool,youcanalsoadjustthecontenttypethatyousearchfor.Youcanchoosefromthesecategories:Articles,Infographics,GuestPosts,Giveaways,Interviews,andVideos.BuzzSumoallowsyoutoadjustthedaterangeforthecontentitsearches,soifyou’researchingforcontentthat’sbeenmakingabuzzlately,orcontentthatwaspublishedinthelastyear,youroptionsareopen.

Wanttoseehowyourcompetition’scontentisperforming?Typeinitsdomaintoseeallitscontentinorderofsocialpopularity.Figure5-1showstheBuzzSumorankingofcontentonTypepad’sblogbysocialpopularity.Wanttoseewhatisperformingwellwithpeopleyouadmireinyourindustry?SearchtheirnamesandBuzzSumogeneratestheirmostpopularcontent.

Source:https://app.buzzsumo.comFIGURE5-1:UseBuzzSumotoidentifycontentthatisworkingwell.

MonitoryourowndataThesavvybloggerwatcheshowtheaudiencerespondstocontentbymonitoringdatapoints.Thesedatapointshelpyoudeterminewhatyoushouldproducemoreofinthefuture.

GoogleAnalyticsisafreetoolthatallowsyoutoviewdataabouthowyourvisitorsareusingyourwebsite.YoucanuseGoogleAnalyticstodeterminewhichblogpostsonyourwebsitereceivethemosttraffic,whichpostspeoplespendthemosttimeon,andwherethetrafficcomesfrom(forexample,Twitter,Google,andemail).

Youshouldalsokeepaneyeonthenumberofsocialsharesoneachblogpost.Ifyouusea

contentmanagementsystemlikeWordPressorSquarespace,youcaninstallsocialsharingbuttonsthatallowblogvisitorstoeasilyshareyourcontentwiththeirnetworkonsiteslikeTwitter,Facebook,orPinterest.Figure5-2showsablogpostwithhighsocialengagementandshares.Thedata-drivenbloggercanfindinspirationandcreatecontentthatmimicspostswithhighsocialsharecount.

Source:https://www.buzzfeed.com/annakopsky/two-person-halloween-costume-ideas-you-have-permission-to?utm_term=.cm7xOkVyM#.naZgR4NkG

FIGURE5-2:ArecentpostfromDigitalMarketerwithhighsocialengagement.

Andfinally,whendistributingyourcontentthroughanemailnewsletter,keepaneyeontheopenandclick-throughratesoneachemail.Contentthatinterestsyouraudiencegetsarelativelyhigherpercentageofopensandclicksthancontentyouraudiencefindslessinteresting.

Useinformationpulledfromyourinternaldatasourcestoshapeyourcontentcalendar,prioritizingwhatthedatatellsyouconcerningyouraudience’sinterests.

EstablishingcontentsegmentsYourblogshouldnotbereinventingitselffromweektoweekandmonthtomonth.Youandyouraudiencecanderivemorevaluefromyourblogifyoucreateapredictablestructuretothetypesofcontentyoupublish.Toofferapredictablestructure,youcreatecontentsegments.Acontentsegmentisablogpostformatthatrepeatsonasetscheduleandfollowsasimilarstyleandtemplate.

You’relikelyalreadyfamiliarwithcontentsegmentswhetheryou’reawareofitornot.Theradio,television,andprintmediumshaveusedsegmentsfordecades.Forexample,theLetterstotheEditorsegmentisastapleofthenewspaperindustrythatappearsdayafterday.Buzzfeed,anonlinesocialnewsandentertainmentwebsite,runsadailypostcalled“Here’sWhatPeopleAreBuyingonAmazonRightNow.”Figure5-3showsMoz,acompanythatcreatesSEOsoftwareandresourcesfordigitalmarketers,featuringaweeklyvideoblogpostcalled“WhiteboardFriday.”

Source:https://moz.com/blog/how-to-appear-in-googles-answer-boxes-whiteboard-fridayFIGURE5-3:AnexcerptofasegmentedpostfromMoz.

ManyoftheposttypesthatweintroduceyoutoinChapter6areadaptableassegments.Forexample,youcanrunthelinkrounduppost(coveredinChapter6)everyweekormonthonyourblog.Simplycurateandcompilealistoflinksthatyouraudiencewouldfindinterestingandpublishitalongwithadescriptionofwhatpeoplecanexpectiftheyvisitthatlink.

Segmentsaregreatpiecestohaveonyourcalendarforavarietyofreasons.Oneisthatyoucanofferoutsidewritersconsistentexposureonyourblog.Anotherreasonisthatthey’reeasilyrepeatableandquicklyconsumablebecausetheformatisalwaysthesame.Youraudiencewillrecognizethemandgrowtoexpectthemasyoucontinuetopublishthem,providingpeoplewithconsistentvalue.

WorkingwithcontentcreatorsToproducethecontentnecessarytogrowyourblog,you’relikelytoneedateamofwriters.Anoutsidewriterissomeonenotassociatedwithyourbrandwhocreatescontentassetsforyourblog.Thosecontentassetsaretypicallywrittenarticles,butthecontentcan

alsotaketheformofaudio,video,andimagesforyourblog.Acquiringqualityoutsidecontentcreatorsgivesyourblogabroadrangeofperspectivesandcanhelpgiveauthorityandreachtoyourblog.Thisisespeciallytrueifthecontentcreatorisaninfluencer,thatis,someonewhohasanabove-averageimpactinhisorherniche.Influencersoftenhaveafollowingoftheirownandareconnectedtokeyplayersinmediaoutlets,consumergroups,orindustryassociations.

FindingcontentcreatorsOneplacetostartwhenyou’rehuntingforcontentcreatorsistosearchforblogsthataresimilartoyoursintopic.Useasearchengine,suchasGoogle,andenteroneofthefollowingsearchqueries:

[yourblogtopic]blogs[yourblogtopic]blogger[yourblogtopic]author[yourblogtopic]speaker

Forinstance,ifyourblogisontheveganlifestyle,youcansearchfor“veganblogs”andfindlinkstotopveganblogsandauthorswhohavecontributedtothoseblogs.

Don’tjustsearchthefirstpageofthesearchengineresultspage.Searchdeepintotheresultspages,manypagesin—thisiswhereyoumightstumbleuponagoodwriterwhomaynotbereceivingverymuchtraffic.Thesebloggersareveryreceptivetocontributingcontenttootherblogstoreceivemoreexposurefortheirownblog.

YoucanalsosearchforcontentcreatorsonTwitter.MostcontentcreatorsuseTwittertodistributelinkstotheircontent.UseanappsuchasFollowerwonktosearchTwitterBio’sfortermslikethefollowing:

[yourblogtopic]blogger[yourblogtopic]writer[yourblogtopic]author[yourblogtopic]speaker

Anotherwayyoucanfindcontentcreatorsistovisitblogsthatarewritingabouttopicsthatarethesameas,orrelatedto,yourownandcontacttheirguestbloggers.Often,thesearefreelancewritersandbloggerswhowouldbewillingtowriteforyourblogformoneyandexposuretoyouraudience.

Next,youmaybeabletofindcontentcreatorsfromyourbestcommenters.Thesearepeoplewholeavethemostin-depthandthoughtfulcommentsonyourarticles.Notonly

arethesecommentersengagedwithyou,theyknowyourstyle,andtheymaybewritersandspeakerslookingforexposure.

Finally,youcancreateaWriteforUspageonyoursiteorblogsothatinterestedwriterscancontactyou.Butbecareful:Youcangetmanylow-qualitycontentcreatorssendingrequestsfromyour“WriteforUs”page,whichiswhyyouwanttoincludeguidelines.Listingwhatyouexpectfromcontentcreatorshelpstodetracttheoneswhoaren’tfitforyourblogaswellasdrawthekindofauthorsyou’relookingfor.HerearetheelementstoincludeonyourWriteforUspagetoattracthigh-qualitywriters:

Acceptanceofbylinedarticles:Mostwriterswanttoknowthatyouwillincludeabylinewithalinktotheirwebsite;letthemknowyoudo.Statementthatyoupayforarticles:Ifyoupayforarticles,youincreasetheresponseratebylettingwritersknowontheWriteforUspage.Youdon’thavetoincludehowmuchyoupay.Contentcategories:Outlinethetopicsyouwantguestwriterstowriteabout.Examples:Linktosamplearticlesthatmodelthepostsyouwantfromguestwriters.Aform:Includeaformthattheinterestedwritercanfillouttocontactyou.Askforthewriter ’snameandemail,ataminimum.Tofilteroutlow-qualitysubmissions,askinterestedwriterstosubmitwritingsamples;atourcompany,weaskforthreewritingsamples.

MarketingProfsdoesanexcellentjobofcreatingaverydetailedWriteforUspagetohelpfindqualitycontentcreators;seeFigure5-4foranexcerpt.

Source:http://www.marketingprofs.com/write-for-usFIGURE5-4:AnexcerptfromMarketingProfs’“WriteforUs”page.

AcquiringcontentcreatorsAfteryoufindcontentcontributorswhointerestyou,it’stimetoreachouttothem.Understandthatoutsidecontentcreatorswillproducecontentforyourblogforoneoftworeasons:moneyorexposure(orboth).

Forwritersdoingitforthefirstreason,theprocessissimple:Youcutthemacheck,andtheycreateapieceofcontentforyou.Asarule,themorespecializedtheknowledgeyourwriterneeds,themorethecontentwillcostyou.It’sasupplyanddemandthing.Ifyou’reunsurehowmuchthegoingrateforawriteris,youcanvisitsitessuchasCraigslistandProBloggerJobBoardtobrowsethroughtheopenjobs.

Asidefrommoney,whatyoucanofferwritersisexposuretoyouraudience.Ifyourbloghasimpressiveamountsoftraffic,socialshares,orcommentsfromreaders,sharethatinformationwiththeoutsidewritersyouarecourting.Youwillfindthatthemoreexposureyouhavetoofferwriters,thelessyouwillhavetopayfortheircontent.Infact,afteryourblogreachesacriticalmass,youwon’tneedtopayadimeforcontent—writerswillcometoyoufortheexposure.

Keepinmindthatthereachthewriterbringstothetablewillaffecthowmuchyouhavetopayhimorher.Themoreinfluenceandfollowersyourguestwriterhas,themoremoneyandexposurethatauthorwillrequirefromyou.

EnsuringsuccesswithcontentcreatorsThebestwaytoensuresuccessfromanoutsidewriteristobepreparedwithguidelinesforyourblog.Theseguidelines,likethoseontheWriteforUspage,communicatewhattypesofcontentperformbestonyourblog,whataudienceyougearyourarticlestoward,andotherstandardsforanoutsidewriter ’sworktomeet.Forinstance,ifyourblogdoesn’tacceptcertainkindsofimages(stockorpersonalphotography,forexample)indicatethoserestrictionsinyourguidelines.Ifyourequireyourimagestobeacertainsize,withacertainresolutionandwithaspecificborder,listthoserequirements.Yourguidelinesaretheinformationyourwritersneedtoshapethecontentyouwantthemtoprovideyou,andhavingguidelineswillsaveyouamessofediting,formatting,andimagepolishingwhenyoureceivetheirfinalwork.Afterconnectingwithoutsidewriterswhohaveindicatedinterestinwritingforyou,sendthemyourguidelinessothattheyknowwhattoexpect.Youcansendtheguidelinesinaseparatedocumentorpastethemdirectlyintoyourcorrespondence.

Next,leadwithexamplesbyshowingwritersarticlesonyourownblogthatyouwanttheirarticletomodel.Also,providelinkstocontentthathasdonewellinthepasttohelpthewritersgetasenseofwhatdirectiontotakethearticle.

Afterwritersknowwhatyouexpectbasedonyourguidelinesandtheexamplesyou’veprovided,askthewritersforinformationabouttheposttheyintendtowriteforyou.Havethemgiveyouthefollowinginformation:

Theworkingtitle:Thetitleofablogpost,alsocalledaheadline,isapromisetothereader.Theworkingtitleisn’tnecessarilytheheadlinethatwillbepublishedonyourblog,butitisaguidingstatementforthewriterasheproducesthepost.Theoutline:Youwanttoknowhowthepostwilllayout,detailsforeachsection,andwhatimagesthewriterexpectstouse.Themoredetailyoureceivefromthewriterupfront,thegreaterthechanceforthearticle’ssuccess.

Whenwriterssendbacktheworkingtitleandoutline,approveormakesuggestionsand

askquestionsuntilyou’resatisfiedthattheireffortswillgenerateapostthatispublishableonyourblog.

Last,discusstimeframesanddeadlines.Dependingonthetypeofpost,expectthewritertotakebetweenoneandthreeweekstodevelopthefirstdraft.Ifyou’veneverworkedwithsomeonebefore,askhertowritethefirst25percentandsendittoyouoryoureditorforreview.Thispreviewwillallowyoutomakeadjustmentsandworkwiththewriterbeforeshecompletesthepost.

Besuretorespectthewriters’timeasthey’verespectedyoursandsetexpectationsonturnaroundtime.Howlongwilltheyhavetowaituntilyousendbackeditsorquestions?Howlongbeforetheyknowtheirpostisapproved?Whenwillyoucommunicatetheirpublishdatetothem?Withguidelines,timing,andexpectationsset,youensurethatyourcontentcreatingprocesscangooffwithoutahitch.

EditingthefirstdraftAfteracontributorhassubmittedafirstdraft(ontime,youhope!),youapproachthedraftforatechnicaledit.Thisistheedityouperformtoensurethatthispieceofcontentispublishableinitscurrentstate,orcanbebroughtuptostandardwithoutanoverhaulofthecontent.

First,comparethefinalposttotheheadlineandoutlinethewritersubmittedearlierintheprocess.Doesitdeliveronthepromiseintheworkingtitle?Doesitstaytruetotheoutline?Pointoutanyareasofconcernyouhave.Payparticularattentiontoareasthatdeviatefromthestatedpromiseintheworkingtitleorthatthewriteromittedfromtheexpectedoutline.

Next,rundownyourguidelinestoverifythatthepostmeetsyourpublishingcriteria.Isthetonerightforyourblog?Doesitdeliverthetypesofcontentyouraudienceexpectsfromyourblog?Doimagesmeetthestandardandspecificationssetbyyourguidelines?Doesyourwriterhavethenecessarypermissionssecuredtouseimagesinthecontent?

Afteryouestablishedthatthepostdoesordoesnotmeetyourguidelines,gothroughthemeatoftheposttoseewhateditsyouneedtomake.Whatdoesthewriterneedtoexpandon?Whatshouldheremove?Whatcanheclarifyfortheaudience?

Decidewhetherthepostneedstogobacktothewriterforfurtherrevisionsandedits,orifyouwillpublishasisorwithminoreditsfromyouoryoureditorialteam.Ifyoureturntheposttothewriter,communicateafollow-updeadlineinordertoreachyourpublishingdate.Yournotesshouldclarifyexactlywhatyou’rehopingforintherevisions,andwhateditsneedtobemade.

CopyeditingthepostAfteryouhaveapublishablepost(onethatfulfillsthepromiseandmeetsyourstandards),youshouldperformathoroughcopyedit.Edittheposttomeetyourlanguagestyle(do

youcapitalizecertainwordsbycompanystandards?Hyphenatewordsthatothersdon’t?),oraddclarifyingsentencesthatyoubelieveyouraudienceneedstoconnectthedots.

Next,gothroughthepostlinebyline,checkingformisspellingsandgrammarerrors,amongotherthings.Youshouldeditforformatting,flow,tone,andtoensurethatlinks,images,andvideoworkasexpected.Thegoalofthecopyeditistoensurethatthecontentisfreeoferrors,includingmisspellings,grammarerrors,andbrokenlinks.

ApplyingBlogHeadlineFormulasEverythingwediscussedinthischapterisamootpointifyoudon’tcreateblogposttitles,alsocalledheadlines,thatenticeandengageyouraudience.Theheadlineisthemostimportantpartofyourpostbecauseitcutsthroughthenoisetograbyourreaders’attentionandconvincethemtogiveyoutheirprecioustimebyreadingyourarticle.

Buthowdoyoucomeupwiththesestellarblogheadlinesthatincreaseclicks?Youfollowaformula.Therearesixdifferentcategoriesthatgreatblogheadlinesfallinto,andwe’regoingtodetaileach.

Tappingintoself-interestThefirstheadlineformulaistheself-interestheadline.Theseareyourbread-and-butterblogposttitlesandshouldbeusedfrequently.Self-interestheadlinesareusuallydirectandspeaktoaspecificbenefitthatyouraudiencewillgainbyreadingyourblogpost.Theseheadlinesstarttoanswerthe“What’sinitforme?”question,aswellashelpprequalifyreadersbygivingthemaclueaboutwhatthearticleentails.

Herearesomesampleself-interestheadlines:

GrowYourWebsiteTrafficwiththe3-StepContentMarketingPlanHowtoRetireinStyleEvenifYouHaven’tStartedSavingTop10OrganicFoodMarketsinAustin,Texas

PiquingcuriosityIfself-interestheadlinesworkbecausetheycommunicateadirectbenefitofreadingablogpost,curiosity-basedonessucceedfortheexactoppositereason.Theseheadlinespiquetheinterestofreaderswithoutgivingawaytoomuchinformation,whichleadstoahighernumberofclicks.Curiosityheadlinescreateanitchthatneedstobescratched,andreadershaveahardtimeresistingreadingtheblogpost.Becareful,though,becausecuriosity-basedheadlinescanfallflatifyoumissthemark.Becausecuriosityheadlinesaremoreambiguous,youmightannoyyourreaderwhenthecontentfailstoliveuptotheexpectationssetbytheheadline.Somakesurethatyourcuriosityheadlinedoesn’tmisleadyourreader.

Herearesomeexamplesofcuriosityheadlines:

25ThingsYouDidn’tKnowYouriPhoneCouldDoGrillthePerfectBeefFiletwiththe“ButterflyProcess”ThisisWhyYouShouldNeverDrinkRawMilk

It’srarelyagoodideatousepurecuriosityinablogposttitle.Instead,aswiththeexampleprecedingheadlines,combinecuriositywithbenefittocraftapowerfulblogpostheadline.Forexample,youmightbeinterestedinreadingablogpostaboutgrillingtheperfectbeeffilet,buttheaddedcuriositycreatedbythe“ButterflyProcess”makestheheadlineevenmorecompelling.

EmployingurgencyandscarcityThemostpowerfulwaytogetsomeonetoreadyourblogpostistoimparturgencyorscarcitywithyourheadline.Headlinesthatcommunicateurgencyandscarcitytellreaderstheymustactnow,orthey’llmisssomething.Don’toverusethistechnique,oryou’lllikelyaggravateyouraudience.Useurgencyandscarcityheadlinesonlywhenyoutrulyhaveadeadline,limitedquantity,orlimitedavailability.

Herearesomeurgencyandscarcityheadlines:

GetTicketsNow!WoodyAllenSpeakingatLincolnCenteronOctober15thFreePhotographyClasses:LastChanceforOpenEnrollmentNewBookRevealsAncientWeightLossSecret;SuppliesareLimited

IssuingawarningOften,peoplewillbemoremotivatedtotakeactiontoavoidpainthangainabenefit.Well-craftedwarningheadlines,likethefollowing,incorporatethepromisethatyoucanprotectyourselffromathreatifyoutakeaction:

TheBigLieHidinginYourApartmentRentalContractWarning:Don’tBuyAnotherOunceofDogFoodUntilYouReadThisIsYourChild’sMattressHarmfultoHisorHerHealth?

BorrowingauthorityAfundamentalcharacteristicofhumansisthatwelooktothebehaviorofotherswhenmakingdecisions.Youcanleveragethistraitinyourheadlinesbymentioningaperson’ssuccessstory,citingfamiliarandinfluentialnames,orhighlightinghowmanypeoplearealreadyusingaproductorservice.

Smartmarketersusethis“socialproof”—thepropensityforpeopletomakechoicesbasedonthechoicesotherpeoplehavemade—wherevertheycan.Themorepeoplemakingthatchoiceandthemoreinfluentialthosepeopleare,themoreinfluentialthesocialproof.

Considerthese“socialproof”headlines:

Why1000’sofBostoniansWillGatherinBostonCommononDecember8thWhatDr.OzEatsforaMidnightSnackTheNewJustinTimberlakeVideoEveryoneisTalkingAbout

RevealingthenewKeepingyouraudienceinformedaboutnewdevelopmentsinyourfieldbuildsauthorityandkeepsyouraudiencetunedin.Blogpoststhatcenteronthecuttingedgeneedaheadlinethatstandsoutandconveysthenewnessorurgencyofthelatestinformation.Theseheadlinesoftenworkwellwhencombinedwithacuriosityelementandareknownasnewsheadlines.

Take,forexample,thesenewsheadlines:

AncientHumanCancerDiscoveredin1.7Million-Year-OldBoneVibrantNewSpeciesDiscoveredDeepintheCaribbeanNewToolChangesWebinarsForever

AuditingaBlogPostWhenyou’rereadingoreditingablogpost,puttingyourfingeronthespecificreasonsapostisfallingshortoffabulouscanbedifficult.Communicatingwhatneedstobeimprovedtoawriterorcontentteamcanbeevenmoredifficult—thatis,thesethingsaredifficultifyoudon’thaveaprocessordon’tknowwhattolookfor.Toaudityourblogpost,youshouldexaminetenelements.Thefollowingsectionsdiscusseachelementtohelpyoulearntoevaluateandimproveeachone.

PresentsanexceptionalheadlineInthesection“ApplyingBlogHeadlineFormulas,”earlierinthischapter,welistthesixcategoriesthatheadlinesoftenfallinto.Nomatterwhichheadlineformula,orcombinationofformulas,you’reusing,exceptionalheadlineshavethreeaspectsincommon.

Theheadlinecontainsapromiseofwhatpeoplewillgainfromreadingthepost.Althoughtheheadlineusesasmanywordsasneededtoconveythepromise,it’sconciseandavoidsfluffwords,whichareredundant,unnecessarywordsorphrasesthataddlittletotheheadlineandslowthereaderdown,suchasreally,just,very,andrather.Here’sanexampleofaheadlinewithfluffwords:WhyItIsVeryImportanttoBasicallyAvoidFluffWordsThatAreRatherEmptyandSometimesaLittleDistractinginYourHeadlinesandinYourWritingHere’sabetter,morecompellingheadline:HowFluffWordsAreDrivingYourReadersAwayandHowYouCanAvoidTheminYourWritingTheheadlineiscompellingwithoutbeingmisleadingorfullofhype.

Headlinesthatdon’tworkwellareoftenmerelystatementsorincompletephrases.Forexample,considerthreeblogheadlinesfoundonafitnessandnutritionwebsite:

ChocolateforBreakfastBenefitsofMeditationWintheWarAgainstChildhoodObesity

Noticehowallthreeheadlinesaresimplystatementsof(presumably)fact.Theycanbedramaticallyimproved,andoftenbyasimplealterationsuchas

ChocolateforBreakfast?7BenefitsofMeditationHowtoWintheWarAgainstChildhoodObesity

Althoughthesemodifiedheadlinesaren’tperfect,they’reconsiderablymoreeffectivethantheiroriginals.Addingaquestionmarktothefirstheadlineisabetterwaytopiqueareader ’sinterest.Puttinganumberinthemiddleheadlineeliminatesvaguenessandaddsspecificity.Finally,theadditionof“Howto”inthelastheadlineturnsastatementintoapromise.

Ifyou’restrugglingtocomeupwithaheadlineforyourpiece,youcanoftenfindonehidingintheopeningorclosingofthearticle.Lookforthepromisestatementthatconveysthebenefitofthearticleinyourintroductionorconclusion.You’lllikelyfindthebeginningsofaheadlinethere.

IncludesastrongintroductionTheweakestpartofanarticleisoftentheintroduction.Sometimesablogpostcangofrombeinggoodtogreatifyoujustchopoffthefirstfiveparagraphstogetthereadertothepointquicker.Exceptionalintroductionscontainthefollowingelements:

Introcopyisextremelyeasytoconsumeanddevelopsarhythmforthepost.Introcopydrawsreadersinandcompelsthemtoreadtheentirearticle.

Whenwritingyourintroduction,here’satrickyoucanuse:Openthepostwithapunchy,curiosity-buildingsentence.Keepitshort(rarelylongerthaneightwords).Thefirstsentenceisintendedtocreatea“greasedchute”(atermcoinedbycopywriterJoeSugarman)thatstartsthereader“sliding”downthepage.

Hereareafewexamplesofthistypeofopeningline:

You’vefinallyfoundit.Here’sthebigmisconception…Stopmeifyou’veheardthisbefore.

Afteryougetreadersstarteddownthe“chute,”keepingthemmovingismucheasier;gettingthemstartedisthedifficultpart.

Offerseasy-to-consumecontentOneofthegoalsofabloggerisforpeopletoreadtheentirearticle,fromstarttofinish,andnotbouncetosomewhereinbetween.Blogcontentisn’tdoingitsjobifitisn’teasytoconsume.Toensurethatyourcontentiseasytoread,besurethat

Copyisformattedinawaythatmakesthearticleeasytoconsume.Transitionsbetweenideasandsubheadlinesaresmooth.

Blogarticlesaren’tlikebooks.Anexceptionalblogshouldnotconsistofdense,longparagraphswithfewtonoimagesorvideo.Long,uninterruptedblocksoftextare

intimidatingtoareader,nottomentionvisuallyunappealing.Helpmovethereaderthroughthecontentbybreakinguptextwiththefollowing:

BulletedlistsNumberedlistsBlockquotesSubheadingsArtworkandimages(suchaspictures,GIFs,infographics,andembeddedvideos)BoldfontItalics

Next,lookforchangesbetweenideasandotherareaswherereadersmightslowdownorstopreading.Atthepointsthatmayblockreaders,makesuretoincludetransitions.Transitionshelptotiethearticletogether,enhancereadercomprehension,andhelpkeepreadersengagedandmovingdownthepagetothefinalsentence.Figure5-5showsanexcerptofablogpostthatusesfigures,headings,bulletedlists,aboldfont,andshortparagraphstobreakuptextandmakethecontenteasytoread.

Source:https://blog.bufferapp.com/words-and-phrases-that-convert-ultimate-listFIGURE5-5:Ablogpostusesformattinginawaythatmakesthecontenteasytoconsume.

Afinalpoint:Breakupparagraphs.Longparagraphsinblogpostsarelikespeedbumps,slowingreadersdownanddeterringthemfromfullyconsumingthearticle.Whenyou’relayingoutyourblogpost,breakupparagraphsthatarelongerthanthreelinestoimproveconsumption.

SatisfiesyourgoalAlthoughabloghasmanygoals,suchasbranding,providingyouraudiencevalue,andestablishingyourselfasanauthority,themaingoalofablogistogeneratequalityleads

thatultimatelyleadtosales.Thekeystohigherconversionratesfromblogcontentareasfollows:

Relevance:Theofferyoumakeinthepostneedstorelatetothatarticle’stopic.Themorecongruenttheoffer,themorelikelyyou’llsecureaconversion.Consumption:Ifthecopyisdifficulttogetthrough,readerswillleaveyourpageinfrustration.

Tohelpmeetthegoal,besuretoincludethefollowingineacharticlethatyoupublish:

Aclearcalltoaction(CTA)thatisrelevanttothesubjectmatterofthearticle.Effectivecopyanddesignforthecalltoactionsothatitcompelsreaderstotakethedesiredaction.Acalltoactionthatislocatedinoneormoreprominentpositionswithinthepost,givingitabetterchanceofbeingseen.

Figure5-6showsacalltoactionfromTheNewYorkTimesthatpopsupovertheblogpost,catchingvisitors’attentionbeforevisitorsleavethesite.ThisCTAhasasimplemessageanddesignthathelpstograbattentionandgenerateclicks.

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/15/world/europe/putin-calls-trump.html?_r=0FIGURE5-6:AnarticlefromtheNYTwithastrongCTA.

IncludesqualitymediaTheimages,videos,andaudiofilesthatyouincludeinanarticlemakeupthemediaof

yourpost.Qualitymediathatloadsquicklyisextremelyimportanttothesuccessofanarticle.Mediathattakeslongerthanthreesecondstoload,orisofpoorquality,causesreaderstobecomefrustratedandseekoutblogcontentthatdoesn’tmakethemwaitorthatlooksfuzzy.Committingtotheproductionofhigh-qualitymediaisonewaytostandoutinanindustrysaturatedwithcontent.Therefore,besuretoincludehigh-qualityimages,videos,andaudiothatarecleanandcrisp.Also,lookforinstanceswheremediacanfurtherexplainorenrichapointmadeinanarticle.

Hiringafull-timephotographerorgraphicdesignermaynotbenecessary,buttrytoavoidusingstockimagesandvideo.Often,stockformsofmedialooktoostagedorforced,plustheydon’talwaysmatchwellwiththetopicofyourpiece.

ProvidesacompellingcloseYourarticle’sclosingparagraphcantakeyourpostfromgoodtogreat.Effectiveconclusionstiethepiecetogether.Therefore,bytheclose,anycuriosityloopsthatyourheadingmayhaveopenedneedtobeanswered,andyoumusthavedeliveredonthepromiseofthearticle;otherwise,readersfeelcheatedandmightformanegativeimpressionofyourbrand.Youcanfinishapostbyusinghumor,wit,orinsight,orotherwiseinciteemotionsthatcompelreaderstocomment,share,orvisitmorepagesonyourblog.

Theconclusionisthemake-or-breakportionofyourarticlethatmakesreadersdecidetosharethepost,comment,clickyourcalltoaction,ordivedeeperintoyoursite.Yourclosingdoesn’thavetobeepic,butbesurethatthearticledoesn’tendabruptly.Thesimplestwaytocloseapieceistorestatetheintroandaskthereadertocommentandshare.

UsessearchengineoptimizationDoneright,effectivesearchengineoptimization(SEO)helpsyourblogpostsrankhigherinsearchengines,suchasGoogle,whichwillimproveyourchancesofhavingyourblogpostsfoundbyyouraudience.(WegointogreaterdetailaboutSEOtacticsinChapter8.)Tooptimizeyourblogpost,choosearelevantkeywordorkeywordphrasethatisuniquetoyourpostandincludethatkeywordinthe

TitletagBodytextImagealtattributeUniversalresourcelocator(URL)Metadescription

Anotherimportantwaytooptimizeyourblogistocross-linkrelatedandrelevantsitestoyourblogarticle.Youcanlinktoothersitesthataren’tassociatedwithyourbrandbutarerelevanttothetopicofthearticle.Youcanalsocross-linktootherblogpostsyou’vewrittenthatelaborateonorenrichapointthatyoumakeinyourlatestpost.

CategorizesyourtopicsAsyourblogexpands,youmayfindyourselfcoveringalargerbaseoftopics.Thisiswherecategorizingandorganizingyourblogspostscomesintoplay.Forinstance,aneconomicsblogmaycoverawidevarietyoftopics,suchastaxtips,financialplanning,budgetandsaving,andothers.Tohelpreadersfindwhattheyarelookingfor,includecategories,alsocalledtags,oneachpostyoupublish.

Includingcategorieshelpstoimproveuserexperience,whichinturnincreasesthevaluethatyoubringtoyouraudience.Althoughit’softenassimpleasselectingaboxbyusingyourmouse,selectingtherightcategoryforyourblogpostsisanimportantcheckpointofanyblogpostaudit.

CompletelydeliversonthepromiseIfthegoaloftheheadlineandintroductionistomakeacompellingpromise,thejobofthebodyoftheblogpostistoensurethatthearticledeliverscompletelyonthatpromise.Ifthepostdoesn’tfulfillthepromisemade,amendyourheadlineorgetbacktoworkontheblogpost.Nothingdestroysthereputationofyourblogquickerthanwritingagreatheadlineandfailingtodeliverinthearticle.

Thatsaid,thiselementoftheauditisaboutmorethansimplydeliveringonthepromise.You’realsomakingsurethateveryideapresentedinthepostisappropriately“fleshedout”anddoesn’tleaveyouraudienceconfusedorneedingmoreinformationtounderstandthepoint.Lookforareasinthepostthatyoucanstrengthenbyadding

Media(images,video,audio)ExamplesDataInternalorexternallinkstomoreinformation

Gotheextramilewitheachandeveryarticle,andyou’llseeresults.Considerproducingfewerpoststhatareexceptionallycomplete,asopposedtoahighvolumeofcontentthatleavestheaudiencewanting.

KeepsprofessionalconsistencyWhat’sthevoiceorpersonalityofyourbrand?Isitprofessional?Snarky?Academic?Whateveritmaybe,producecontentthatreinforcesyourbrand.Forinstance,alawfirmblogprobablyshouldn’tusecursewordsinitsarticles.Butanedgymotorcyclebloghasa

betterchanceofgettingawaywithusingcertainfour-letterwordsbecausedoingsomightbemoreconsistentwithitsbrand.Therefore,whateverthetopicofyourarticle,besurethatitremainsinlinewithyourbrand’spersonality.

Also,andperhapsmoreimportantforsomeorganizations,ensurethatthenewestblogpostdoesn’tcontradictsomethingelsethatyou’vepublishedontheblogoranywhereelse.Forexample,ifyouhaveafashionblogwithapostlastyearaboutthesinsofwearingundershirts,butyournewestblogpostcentersontheimportanceofundershirtsanddoesn’taddresswhathaschangedsinceyourpastarticleonthetopic,you’regoingtoconfuseandlosereadersbecauseofyourinconsistency.

Chapter6

TakingStockof57BlogPostIdeasINTHISCHAPTER

NeverrunoutofideasforblogpostsagainProducinghighqualityblogcontentwithspeedCreatingblogpoststhatbuildtrustwithyouraudienceUsingyourblogtonetworkwithinfluencers

Everybloggerknowshowcripplingthedreadedblankscreencanbe,andhowharditcanbetocomeupwithnewideas.Thisiswhythischapterissoimportant.Theseblogposttypescanbeappliedtobothbusiness-to-business(B2B)andbusiness-to-consumer(B2C)blogs.

Inthefollowingpages,werevealalistof57blogpostideasthatshouldkeepyoufromeverrunningoutofblogpostideasagain.Wealsocover,indetail,threeblogposttypesthatarequickandeasytocreatewhilestillprovidingyouwithstellarcontentyourcompanycanbeproudtopromote.

DefeatingWriter’sBlockThekeytodefeatingtheblankpageisunderstandingthatthereareactuallymanydifferenttypesofblogposts.Afteryouunderstandtheformatsthroughwhichyoucandeliverblogcontent,you’llneverhavewriter ’sblockagain.

InChapter4,wediscusstheconceptofcreatingcontentsegments.Inthecontextofblogging,asegmentisanycontenttypethatyourepeatperiodically,usuallyweeklyormonthly.Anexampleisalinkrounduppost,whichdisplaysalistofinterestinglinksfromoutsidesources.Manyblogspublishalinkrounduppostonceperweekoroncepermonth.Bycreatingblogcontentsegmentsthatrecureveryweekormonth,youmakeplanningyourblogcontentmucheasier.

Thevariousblogposttypesfallintocategoriesthatwecoverinthefollowingsections.Ifyoucreatealotofblogcontent,makesuretodog-earthischapterandkeepthisbookclosetoyourworkstation.Tryafewofthe57blogposttypesdescribedinthischapterandmakeoneortwoofthemconsistentsegmentsinyoureditorialcalendar.

WritingusefulcontentWhenpeopledoresearch,theysearchforusefulcontentontheInternet.Theylookforhow-toguides,casestudies,andresourcesthatcanhelpsolvetheirproblems,inspirethem,orpointthemintherightdirection.Writingcontentthatisbothfreeandusefulendearsyoutoyourmarketandestablishesyouandyourbusinessastheauthorityinyourniche.Thefollowingsectionsoffer13typesofusefulblogpostideasthatanybrandcanuse.

ListpostThelistpostissimplythat,alist.Somemayaffectionatelyrefertoitasa“listicle.”Alistpostisoneoftheeasiesttoputtogetherandcanbeveryversatile.Nottomentionthatpeoplejustlovelists—they’rehelpfulandquicktoread.Foryourblog,createalistofbooks,tools,resources,oranyothertopicthatyourmarketfindsusefulandisalsorelevanttoyourcalltoaction.

Typically,listpostshavequickintroductionsandthengetrighttothebodyofthepost.Bytheirnature,listpostsaretextheavy,whichcanbeintimidatingtoreaders.Besuretouseimageswhereveryoucan,whichhelpstobreakupthetext,makingyourposteasiertoreadandmorelikelytobeshared.

CasestudypostThetermcasestudycarriesmoreperceivedvaluethanthetermarticle,blogpost,orvideo.Casestudiesprovidegreatdetailandgobeyondsimpletestimonialsbyshowingreal-lifeexamples.Usingcasestudies,youcanhighlightyoursuccessesinawaythathelpsyouturnaprospectivecustomerintoacustomer.

Inthecasestudypost,getspecificandtalkstrategy.Outlineandunpackthedetailsofsomething,suchasaproject,event,orprocess.Tellyourstoryfromstarttofinish,

includingthefailuresand“speedbumps”thatyouface;doingsooffersauthenticitytoyourcasestudypostandmakesyourbrandmorerelatablebecauseitprovesthatyourbrandiscomposedofhumanswithfaults,justliketherestofus.Finally,besuretoincluderealnumbers,graphs,andfiguresthatbackupyourexamples.Figure6-1showsacasestudypostfromConversionXL.

Source:http://conversionxl.com/improve-mobile-ux/FIGURE6-1:AnexcerptofacasestudypostfromConversionXL.

How-topostThehow-topostisanotherstapleblogposttype.Inthearticle,youdescribehowtoexecuteaprocessanduseimages,video,oraudiotoenrichthepostandmakeitaseasyaspossibleforyourreadertotakeaction.

Thistypeofpostcontainsaquickintroductionandthengetsintotheprocessyou’representing;youmightoutlineyourprocessintheintrointheformofabulletedlistbeforegoingintomoredetailinthebodyofthepost.Itcanhelptobreakthehow-toinformationinthebodyofthepieceintosteps,phases,orcategoriessothatyourreaderscandigesttheinformationmoreeasily.

Frequentlyaskedquestion(FAQ)postTheFAQpostisagreatwaytobringtraffictoyourwebsitefromsearchengines.Ifyoucontinuallygetrepeatquestionsfromcustomersorprospects,thereisagoodchancethat

peopleareusingsearchenginestofindtheanswerstothesesamequestions.CreatearticleswithdetailedexplanationsaroundtheseFAQtopics.

Theshould-have-asked-the-question(SAQ)postTheSAQpostisavariationoftheFAQpost.Thisisaquestionthatcustomersorprospectsdon’task—buttheyshould.Forexample,arealestatecompanycouldcreateapostcalled“QuestionsYouShouldAskBeforeHiringAnyRealtor.”YourSAQpostshouldcenteraroundquestionsthatcustomersshouldaskbeforetheybuyyourproduct,orquestionstheyshouldasktolearnmoreaboutyourindustry.

ChecklistpostAsthenamesuggests,achecklistpostliststhestepsapersonshouldtaketocompleteaspecifictask.Forexample,anairlineblogmightpostachecklistcontainingtheitemspeopleshouldbringwhentravelingabroad,orwhatparentsshouldbringtokeepyoungchildrenentertainedonlongtrips.

Ifyoucanbreakyourcontentdownintoachecklist,itoftenperformsbetter.Peoplelikethechecklistformatbecauseit’seasytodigest,andpeoplefindtakingactioneasierwhenyouitemizethecontentinthisway.

Problem/solutionpostThistypeofblogposthasaneasyformat:First,defineaproblem;thenpresentthesolution.Thesolutiontotheproblemmighttaketheformofaproductorserviceyousell,oritmaybesomethingthatpeoplecanfreelyobtain.Theproblem/solutionpostisavaluablepieceofcontentbecausepeoplearealwayslookingforwaystosolvetheirproblems.Ifyoucanprovidearealsolutionforsomeone,thatpersonwillbegratefultoyou.

Theproblem/solutionpostcancrossoverintotheterritoryofotherblogposttypessuchastheFAQpost,thehow-topost,orthechecklistpost.

ResearchpostConductingyourownprimaryresearcharoundatopicinyournicheisoneofthebestwaystobuildblogcontentthatgetsattention.That’sbecauseprimaryresearchishardtogatherandextremelytimeconsuming.Collectingalltheresearchforsomeoneandprovidingitforfreeallinoneplaceisagreatwaytoendearyourbrandtoprospectsaswellasestablishyourbrandasanauthorityontheparticulartopic.

Thatsaid,youdon’thavetodoalltheresearchyourself.Youcansimplycurateresearchfromthirdpartiesandpullittogetherintoanarticle,infographic,orothertypeofcontentthatyourmarketwillfindvaluableandintriguing.

StatrounduppostThispost(liketheresearchpost)worksbestwhenyoucanusestatisticsthatyouhaveproducedbecauseitaddstoyourauthority.Thatdoesn’tmeanyoucan’tusethird-partyinformation,butifyou’relookingtobuildawarenessandcloutaroundyourbrand,using

yourownstatisticsisthewaytogo.Thatsaid,don’tignoreotherresourcesaltogether.Considerpullingtogetherstatsfrommultiplelocationstocreateaverysolid,well-roundedstatisticspost.

UltimateguidepostTheultimateguidepostisjustwhatitsoundslike:adetailed,comprehensivepostonatopicinyourniche.Anultimateguidepostdonerightisanarticlethatpeoplewillbookmarkandcontinuouslyreturnto,sodon’tskimphere—takeyourtimeanddeliverthedefinitivepostonthetopic.Thistypeofposthelpstobringpeoplebacktoyoursite,establishyouasanauthorityinyourmarket,andprovethatyouknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.

Theideabehindtheultimateguideisthatthereadershouldn’thavetogoanywhereelsetogainmoreinformationonthistopic.Thispostwillbelong,withthousandsofwords,andmanyfiguresandexamples.Ifpeoplecanreadanddigestthispostintenminutes,it’sprobablynottheultimateguide.

SeriespostLookforopportunitiestobreakatopicintoaseries.Anexceptionallylengthyorcomplexpiece(suchastheultimateguidepost)isagoodcandidatetobebrokenintopartsanddistributedasaseriespost.

Announceintheintroductionofthepostwhenreaderscanexpectthenextarticleinthesequencetobepublished.Also,youshouldhavesetdayswhenyoupublishtheseries.Forinstance,makeiteachdayoverthecourseofaweek,oreveryMondayoverthenextmonth.Byannouncingandhavingasettimeframe,yourreadersknowwhentoexpectthenextpart,whichhelpstomaintainengagementinthepost.Besuretolinkthesearticlestogetherasyoupublishthem.Thatway,ifpeoplemissthefirstorthesecondpartoftheseries,theycaneasilyfindthepost(s)neededtocatchup.Figure6-2showsanexampleofaseriespostfromthehealthclubchainLAFitness.

Source:http://blog.lafitness.com/2014/02/13/the-90-day-weight-loss-workout-plan-part-3-days-30-45-movemoreburnmore/

FIGURE6-2:AnexampleofaseriespostfromLAFitness.

DefinitionpostInnichesinwhichthemarketneedstobeeducated,thedefinitionpostisanabsolutemust.Asthenamesuggests,it’sanarticlethatdefinesatopic,anditworkswellinindustriesandmarketsthathavetheirowntermsandlingo.Forthedefinitionpost,youcancreatecontentaroundaparticularlyconfusingorcomplextopicandthenexplainandinformyourreadersaboutthattopic.

Forthedefinitionpost,considercreatingaseriesofpoststhatdefineaspectsofyourniche.Yougetbonuspointsifyoucanlogicallydefinesomethinginyourmarketthatisunique,unusual,orcontroversial.Presentingoneormoreoftheseaspectshelpsyoustandoutwhilealsocreatingengagementinyourpost.

YouTubecut-uppostThispostleveragesapopularYouTubevideotocreatestellarcontent.Itcanbeyourvideoor,ifyouhavepermission,someoneelse’svideo.Tocreatethisarticletype,takescreenshotsatdifferentstagesduringthevideoandaddtextexplanations.Thenembedtheentirevideointoyourpost.Thisisasuper-fastandeasywaytocreatehigh-valueandengagingcontentfromvideo.

BeinggenerousOneoftheeasiestwaystogrowyourblogistobegenerousbypromotingotherpeople.Whenyoupromoteothers,theypromoteyou;it’smutuallybeneficial.Calloutandlinktobusinessesandinfluentialpeopleinyourmarketwhoaredoingsomethingworthwhile.Youcanuseotherbusinessesasanexampleforyourreaderstolearnfrom.Followingareeightwaysforyoutocreategenerouspiecesofcontent.

ProfilepostWriteaprofileorbioofaninfluentialpersoninyourniche.Youdon’thavetoaskhisorherpermissionfirst,butyoucanifyouwant.Besuretonotifythispersonviaemail,phonecall,orsocialmediathatyouhaveprofiledhimorher.Thisway,theinfluentialpersonwillhaveanopportunitytosharethefinishedpostwithhisorheraudienceandpointpeoplebacktoyou.

CrowdsourcedpostInthispost,askthreeormoreexpertsinyourindustrythesamequestionandaggregatetheanswersintoasinglearticle.Forexample,ifyou’reinthefitnessindustry,youmightreachouttotopphysicaltrainersandaskthemtooutlinetheirfavoritecardiovascularworkout.Thenaggregatetheresponsesoftheexpertsintoasingleposttocreateanarticlewithmultipleopinions.

Thecontentfromacrowdsourcedpostistopnotch,easytoputtogether,andwillbesharedbymanyoftheseinfluentialpeople.Nottomention,thistypeofpostdrawslargenumbersoftheinfluencers’followerstobothyourblogandyoursite.Inourexperience,whenyougetteninfluencerstogiveyouabout100wordseachonasingletopic,you’vegotapowerfulblogpost.

InterviewpostFortheinterviewpost,reachouttoinfluencersinyourmarketandcreateapostaroundthequestionsyouaskthem.Youcanwritethepostinatypicalnewspaperormagazinestyle,orsimplylisteachquestionaskedandgiveeachanswerverbatim.

Eventhemostinfluentialpeoplearesurprisinglywillingtogiveyouaninterview—evenifyouhaveasmallaudienceforyourblog.

Theeasiestwayforanextremelybusyinfluencertogiveyouaninterviewisthroughanaudiorecording.Textinterviewsaretimeconsuming,andvideointerviewscanbetechnicallychallenging,oftenrequiringtheinfluencerandtheinterviewertobeinthesamelocation.Withaudio,youcanrecordtheinterviewoverthephoneoruseatoollikeSkype.

Linkrounduppost

Forthistypeofpost,yougathermultiplepiecesofcontentfromoutsidesourcesthatyouraudiencewillfindrelevantandinteresting.Provideadescriptionofthecontentandlinktoit.It’sthatsimple.Thearticlesyoulinktomaynotevenhaveacommonthreadotherthanthey’dberelevantorinterestingtoyourreaders.Thiscontentcantaketheformofwhatyourcompanyisreadingandthenlinktodifferentblogs,articles,andbooksyou’vegainedvaluefrom.AnotheroptionistouseatoollikeBuzzSumotofindthemostsociallyviralcontentonagiventopicandaggregateitintoonepost.

Apostlikethiscanworkwellasaseriesthatpublishesonceaweekoronceamonth.Remembertonotifythosethatyoulinktoviaemailorsocialmediatogiveyourselfthemaximumopportunitytogetthepostsharedbythepeopleyou’veincludedinyourlinkroundup.

QuotepostQuotesareinspirationalandthoughtprovoking,whichiswhytheymakeforanexcellentblogarticle.Pulltogetherquotesfrommultipleinfluencersacrossaspecifictopictocreateaquotepost.Again,ifapplicable,besuretonotifythoseyouquotethatyouhaveincludedtheminyourpost.Figure6-3showsapostbyBusiness.comthatcollectsandlinkstoitsfavoritequotesfromSocialMediaMarketingWorld.Intheblogpost,Business.comdoesn’tputthequotesinanumberedlistbutrathertakesthetimetomakethequotesvisuallyappealingandusesimagesthatmakethepostmoreengaging.

Source:http://www.business.com/social-media-marketing/the-11-most-inspiring-quotes-we-heard-at-social-media-marketing-world/

FIGURE6-3:AnexampleofaquotepostfromBusiness.com.

Best-of-the-webpostSimilartotherounduppost,thebestoftheweboftenincludescontent,tools,andotherresourcesyouarewillingtoputyournamebehindandcallthebest.Inthepost,curate,linkto,andbrieflydescribewhatitisandwhyit’sthebest.Thispostmighttaketheformofyourfavoriteblogsoryourtoppicksforwebsitedesign.It’sanothergreatwaytoprovidevalueforyourreaderswhilealsopromotinginfluencerswhomyouwanttoworkwith.

Pick-of-the-weekpostGoingoffofthebest-of-the-webpost,thepick-of-the-weekpostisaseriespostthatis

fairlypopularamongbloggers.Thisblogarticlemightbeyourfavoriteblog,podcast,tool,orotheritemoftheweek.Thecontentisusuallyrelativelyshortanddescribesasinglearticle,tool,orotherresourcethatyoucurate,linkto,anddescribe.

People-to-followpostInthispost,yourecommendwhichexpertsorbusinessesyouraudienceshouldbefollowing.Collectalistofinfluentialpeople,describethem,andprovidelinksthroughwhichyouraudiencecanconnectwiththeinfluencersviatheirwebsite,socialmediachannels,events,andbooks.

EntertainingthemassesWhenpeoplecomeacrosscontentthatentertainsthem,they’relikelytoshareitonsocialmediachannelssuchasFacebookandTwitter.Producingentertainingcontentcanbedifficult,butifyoucanmakeitwork,itcanbeaveryeffectivetypeofblogpost.Followingarefiveblogposttypesthatentertain.

StorypostStoriesareengaging,whichiswhytheymakeeffectiveblogposts.Inthisarticle,youtellastorythatwouldentertainyourmarket.Storypostsdon’thavetobeepicpiecesofcontent;notallstorieshavetobecomplex.Forexample,commercialscreateentertainingstoriesallthetimeinfewerthan60seconds.

SatirepostInthesatirepost,behumorousthroughtheuseofironyorextremeexaggeration.Thiskindofcontentworkswellwithtimelyissuessuchaspoliticsorsports.TheOnion,whichisafarcicalnewspaperfeaturingworld,national,andcommunitynews,isaprimeexampleofadigitalmediacompanycreatingsatiricalcontent.

CartoonpostForthecartoonpost,centeryourarticlearoundacartoonthatmakesyouraudiencelaughandthinkaboutissuesandeventsinyourniche.Thistypeofpostworkswellasaseries,andyoucanrunitdaily,weekly,ormonthly.

MemepostMemesarehumorouspiecesofcontentthatspreadvirallyacrosstheweb.Amemepostcanbesimilartothesatirepostorthecartoonpost.Inthepost,youcreateyourownmemeorpulltogetheracuratedsetofmemesfromacrosstheweb.Figure6-4showsanexampleofamemepostfromSmallBusinessMarketingBlogcalled“TheBusinessOwner ’sGuidetoBlogging.”

Source:http://3bugmedia.com/business-owners-guide-blogging/FIGURE6-4:SmallBusinessMarketingBlogcentersitsblogarticlearoundameme.

ParodypostIntheparodypost,youcreatecontentthatimitatesawell-knownperson,product,ormediapropertyinyourniche.Besuretoexaggeratetheperson’soritem’sstrengthsandshortcomingsinyourcontent.

CapitalizingonthetimelyTimelypostsdetailthelatestinformationonasubject.Youneedcommitmenttostaytimelyinsomeniches,butifyoucanpullitoff,timelynewsisamongthemosteffectiveblogcontentyoucancreatebecauseyouwillbeoneofthefirsttohavenewinformationoutthere.Ifyoufindthatkeepingupwiththelatestnewsandtrendsistoodauntingatask,

considercreatingaseriesofpoststhatpublishestimelyinformationonceperweek.Followingarefiveblogpostideasthatdealwithtimelycontent.

ReviewpostCenteryourcontentaroundthereviewofaproduct,event,oranythingelseyouhaveaccesstowhileitisnewsworthyandrelevanttobothyourindustryandtargetaudience.Forbestresults,ratherthanpainteverythinginapositivelight,beashonestaspossibleinyourreview.

SurveypostTocreateasurveypost,chooseaninterestingortrendingtopicandsurveyyouraudienceaboutitusingemail,socialmedia,orin-personevents.Thenpulltheresultstogetherintoablogpost.

NewspostSameasanewsoutlet,youcancreatecontentonyourblogabouteventsastheyhappen.Althoughyoudon’tneedto“break”thestory,forbestresults,besuretoaddaperspectivethatyouraudiencewillfindvaluableorentertaining.

TrendpostSomecontentcreatorscanpredicttrendsastheyhappen.Ifyou’reatrendspotter,createpostsonyourblogthatridethattrendasitbecomespopular.

IssuepostChooseissuesthataffectyouraudienceandcreatecontentabouttheseissueswhiletheyaretimelyandrelevanttoyourreaders.

ShowingyourhumanityBehumaninyourposts.Showthatyourbrandisn’tsomefaceless,unfeelingcorporateentity.Useblogcontenttohelpshowoffthepeoplewhoworkatyourbusiness,aswellasyourcompany’spersonality,withthesixpostswetellyouaboutinthefollowingsections.

InspirationalpostSomeofthemosteffectivecontentonthewebisneitherinformationalnorentertaining—itsimplyinspires.Thehealthandfitnessindustriesoftenusethisapproach.Inspirationalpostscanworkwellasastorypost,aprofilepost,oraquotepost,amongothers.

HolidaypostSomeblogsgodormantonpopularholidays,butthatdoesn’thavetobethecase.Holidaysareagreatwaytodisplayyourcompany’shumanity.Usetheopportunitytodeliverwellwishesandcreateanticipationwithyouraudience,asCountryLivingmagazinedidwithitsHalloweencakerecipearticle,showninFigure6-5.

Source:http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g604/halloween-cake-recipes-1008/FIGURE6-5:CountryLivinghelpsfansgetreadyforHalloweeninthisholidaypost.

Youcanalsogetcreativewiththeholidaypost;youdon’thavetorecognizeonlythemajorholidays.Someobscureholidaysmayapplytoyourniche,suchasNationalHatDayonJanuary15,InternationalTalkLikeaPirateDayonSeptember19,orWriteaFriendMonthinDecember.

Guard-downpostInthispost,theauthoropensupaboutaprivatemomentinhisorherpast.Someofthebestcontentonthewebiscreatedbyacontentcreatorwholetshisorherguarddownbydeliveringadeeplypersonalexperiencethattheaudiencecanrelateto.

Behind-the-scenespostPeoplelovetopeekbehindthecurtainandseehowsomethinggetsdone.Ifyouhavealoyalfollowing,manywillwanttoseewhatgoesonbehindthescenesofyourbusiness.Createcontentaroundthisidea.Youmightshowadayinthelifeofoneofyourmanagers,orshowyourapproachtoputtingavideotogether.Inthispost,provideimagesandvideosthatenhanceyourwrittenexamples.

Off-topicpostThroughoutthissection,weemphasizetheimportanceofstayingrelevanttoyourniche.Goingwiththeideathatanyattentionisgoodattention,youmightcreateapostthatiscompletelydifferentfromwhatyoutypicallyposton.Thismaneuvercanberisky,butif

youhavealoyalfollowingwhohasbecomeaccustomedtoyoucoveringaspecificsetoftopics,thiskindofpostcansurprisepeopleandevokeagreatresponse.

RantpostTherantpostshowsyourhumansidebyrevealingyourpassionandangeraboutatopicthat’srelevanttoyouraudienceinanop-edstyle.Althoughtherantpostisn’tforeveryone,therightblogandaudiencecanrespondwelltoarant.

GettingpromotionalSomeorganizationsusetheirblogsinapromotionalway;thatis,theblogclearlysellsthecompanyanditsproductsorservices.Althoughthistypeofblogmightcomeacrossaspushyinsomeindustries,promotionalcontentcanworkverywellfortherightcompany.Hereareeightinstancesofpromotionalblogcontent.

ComparisonpostAsthenamesuggests,thecomparisonpostisanarticlethatcomparesthefeaturesandbenefitsofyourproducttoacompetitor ’ssolutions.Forbestresultsandtobuildtrust,includecasesforwhichyourproductisnotthebestsolution.

ProjectshowcasepostSimilartothebehind-the-scenespost,theprojectshowcasepostexplainshowthecompanycompletedaproject.Useyourblogtooutlineaspecificprojectthatyouoryourorganizationisworkingonorhascompleted.Detailtheprocessandstrategybehindtheproject,andifpossible,sharetheresults.

IncomereportpostIntheincomereportpost,openthebooksandshowyouraudienceabreakdownofthemoneyyouandyourorganizationaremaking.Showpeopleexactlyhowmuchyou’veearned,whereitcamefrom,and(mostimportant)thelessonsyou’vebeenlearninginandaroundyourbusiness.Thissortoftransparencybuildstrustwithyouraudience.

CompanyupdatepostYoucanuseyourblogtoletyourcustomersandprospectsknowofnewemployeehires,acquisitions,majorcontractsunderway,orotherchangesatyourcompany.Aswiththeincomereportpost,thisisagreatwaytobuildtrustwithyourreaders.

ProductupdatepostSimilartothecompanyupdatepost,foraproductupdatepost,youcreatecontentaroundnewproductsorservicesthatyou’reofferingortheupdatescomingtoexistingproductsorservices.Ifyouhaverabidfansofyourproductsandservices,youmightbesurprisedbyhowwellanannouncementpostofanewproductoranewfeaturewilldoonyourblog.

PresentationpostYoucanpublishpresentationsgivenbyemployeesthatcontaininterestingandvaluablecontentforyouraudience.Withinthepost,considerembeddingthevideofromthe

presentationtoaccompanythetext.Besuretoincludetheslidedeckfromthepresentationsothatreaderscanfollowalong.

Best-ofpostUnlikethepreviousbest-ofpost,hereyoucreateablogarticlethatpullstogetherandlinkstothemostpopularblogpostsyouhavepublishedoveraperiodoftime.Selectcontentthathasreallyresonatedwithyouraudience,drivenlotsoftraffictoyoursite,orsparkedgoodcomments.

ProductstippostCreatecontentthathelpsyourcustomersbemoresuccessfulwithyourproductorservicebyofferingtipsandhow-tosaboutoneofyourproductsorservices.Thisposttypeisbothpromotionalandusefulaswellasverypowerfulfortherightblogandaudience.

Prospectsreadproducttipposts,too,whichcanhelptoconvertthem.

StirringthepotIfitfitsyourbrand,youcantakeastandandturnoutcontroversialarticles.Youcangetalotoftrafficoncontroversialposts—nothinggoesviralasquicklyasrousingpoststhatencouragedebate.Justmakesurethatthistypeofpostfitswithyourbrand’spersonality.Herearethesixwaysforyoutobecontroversialonyourblog.

What-ifpostThistypeofblogpostspeculatesonpotentialeventsorcircumstances.Thesuccessofthistypeofpostrestsonyourabilitytochoosea“whatif”thatisinterestinganddebatable.

DebatablepostManypeopleenjoysparring.Withthispost,useyourblogtopresentonesideofadebatableargument.Youmightalsofindsomeonewhodisagreeswithyouandpresentbothsidesinthesamepost.

AttackpostInyourpost,pickafight.Startinganargumentwiththerightpersonororganizationforcesyouraudiencetochoosesidesandcandrawagreatdealofattention.Becarefulwiththisone,though,becauseyou’relikelytocreateenemieswiththeattackpost.Whendoneright,however,theattackpostcanalsoproducedie-hardfans.

PredictpostPostaboutwhatyouthinkwillhappenonagiventopicorsituation.Ifyoutakeadebatableandspeculativeapproach,apredictionpostcangetagreatresponse.

ReactionpostUseyourblogtoreacttocontentcreatedbysomeoneelse.Thecontentyoureacttomight

beablogpost,book,orpresentation.Postyourfeelingsonthissubject.

EmbedreactionpostInthispost,embedaresourcesuchasavideo,presentation,orinfographic,andthenprovideareactionorarebuttaltothatcontent.YoucanfindvideostoembedonYouTube,presentationsonSlideShare,andinfographicsonVisual.ly.Althoughthisoneissimilartothereactionpost,thecontentyouarereactingtoisembeddedinthispost,whichmaynotbethecasewiththereactionpost—asubtlebutnotabledifference.

Startwithaquickintrotosetthestage.Thengiveyourreactionunderneaththeembeddedresource.Thetitlesofthesepostsareusuallyavariationofthetitleoftheresourceyouareembedding.

Whenchoosingtheembeddableresourcetowhichyouwillreact,lookforavideowithlotsofviewsoraninfographicorpresentationwithlotsofsocialsharesonFacebook,Pinterest,orTwitter.Thenaddyourreactiontothispopularpieceofcontentbelowtheembeddedcontent.Whenyoudothis,youpracticallyguaranteethatyourpostwillbewellreceived.

EngagingtheaudienceItpaystocreateanengagedaudiencewhoregularlytunesintoyourcontent.Althoughengagementisn’tnecessarilytheendgoal,it’shardtodenythepowerofcontentthatpullsareaderin.Herearethefinalsixblogpostideasthathelptocreateacaptivatedaudience.

QuestionpostSimilarlytotheFAQpost,thequestionpostanswersquestionsthatyouraudienceasksinsocialmedia,onforums,orinthecommentssectionofyourblog.IncontrasttotheFAQpost,though,thequestionpostmaybeaboutsomethingthatisn’tcommonlyaskedyetisanengagingquestiontobuildanarticlearound.

AnswerpostTheanswerpostisthesisterofthequestionpost.Inthisposttype,yousimplyaskaquestionandallowyouraudiencetoansweritinyourcommentssection.Thistypeofpostisgenerallyveryshort,allowingyouraudiencetocreatethebulkofthecontentthroughadiscussioninthecomments.Thistypeofarticleworkswellifyouhaveablogwithanengagedreadershipthatcommentsoften.

ChallengepostUseablogposttoposeachallengetoyouraudience.AsyoucanseeinFigure6-6,BuzzFeedchallengesitsreaderstoeatcleanlyfortwoweeksandpoststhestepsandrecipestofollowtoreachthatgoal.Thispostcanworkwellasaseries,withperiodicupdatesthatfeatureparticipatingaudiencemembers.

Source:https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/clean-eating-2015?utm_term=.skwm7PgOB#.scbm3la5WFIGURE6-6:BuzzFeedcreatesachallengeposttoengageitsaudience.

CustomershowcasepostUseyourblogtofeatureacustomerorprojectthatyouandacustomerhaveworkedon.Althoughthistypeofblogposttypeispartlypromotional,italsobuildsengagement.

FreebiepostUseablogposttoallowyouraudiencetoaccessarelevantgiveaway.Thegiveawaycanincludeafreedownload,casestudy,oroneofyourproductsorservices,forexample.Centeryourblogpostaroundthispromotion.

Contestpost

Announceacontestonyourblogandthenlisttherules,tellhowreaderscanenter,anddescribewhatpeoplecanwin.Acontestpostcanworkwellasaserieswithupdatesfeaturingcontestresults.

MultiplyingyourblogideasThereyouhaveit:Fifty-sevenblogpostideas(describedintheprevioussectionsofthischapter)thatyoucanstartusingtoday.Andyoucandeveloptheseblogpostideastodeliverevenmorecontent.These57ideasactuallybecome228ideaswhenyourealizeyoucandelivertheminfourdifferentways:

Text:Textarticlesarethetraditionalformthatblogstake,andthey’restillthemostcommonformatfordeliveringcontentontheweb.Images:Contentcanappearsolelyintheformofimages.Youcandistributeimagepostsviainfographics,cartoons,drawings,charts,graphs,orstillphotography.Video:Youcancirculatevideoblogpostsinnumerousways,includinginapresentation-likestyleorusingthefamiliarinterviewstyleinwhichonlytheperson’sheadandshouldersarevisibletothecamera.Audio:Deliveraudioblogpostsviapodcastorsimplybyembeddinganaudioplayeronawebpage.

These57ideaswiththeirfourtypesofformatsmakeiteasytogetstartedcreatingblogcontent.Simplychooseablogpostidea(suchasaseries,aninterview,awhat-if,orsomethingelse)andthendecideonthebestdeliveryformat(text,images,video,oraudio).Forexample,youmightchooseanFAQpost(idea)deliveredviavideo(format).Or,youmightchooseapeople-to-followpost(idea)deliveredviaimage(format).

Withthislistof228blogideasatyourdisposal,you’llneverrunoutofideasforblogpostsagain.

CreatingStellarContentwithoutAlltheFussCreatingcontentthatpeopleactuallylikeandsharetakesalotofwork.Comingupwiththeideaisonlyhalfofthebattle.Writingthecontenttakesalotoftime.Inthissection,youlearnafewmethodsofcreatinghigh-qualitycontent,veryquickly.

Previouslyinthischapter,someoftheblogpostideaswebringyouarethelinkrounduppost,theembedreactorpost,andthecrowdsourcedpost.Inthefollowingsections,wetakeacloserlookatwhythesethreetypesofcontentaresoeffectiveandeasytoproduce.

CuratingandaggregatingcontentThelinkrounduppostinvolvescuratinginformationfrommultiplesourcesandpullingitalltogetherintoonearticle.Thecontentyouaggregatedoesnothavetobeproducedbyyouoryourorganization.Thelinkroundupworkswellasalistpostbecauseitisaveryeasyandeffectivewaytopresentthecontent.

Forinstance,afoodbloggermightgooutandfind,oraggregate,guacamolerecipesforanarticle.Alltherecipesdon’thavetobetheblogger ’spersonalrecipesbutcanbepulledfromaroundtheweb.Theauthorthenlistseachrecipe,stateswhytherecipeisworthwhile,andattributesandlinkstothesource.

Theadvantageofthelinkroundupisthatyoudon’thavetocreatethecontentyourself.Noneoftheguacamolerecipesyouusehavetobeyours.Youcanthereforepostmuchquickerthanifyouhadtocreateallthecontentyourself.Also,readersappreciatethatyou’vedonetheresearchandtheworkforthemandgatheredallthoserecipesinoneplaceonyourblog.Anarticlelikethismayserveasaresourceforreaderstoreturnto,sotheybookmarkyourcontentandcontinuallyreturntoyou.

Althoughyoucanproducethelinkrounduppostquicklyandcreategoodwillwithyourreaders,achallengeonyourendisfindingqualityoutsidecontentthatdoesn’treflectpoorlyonyourbrand.Typically,linkrounduppostsarenottextheavy.Theyprovidebriefdescriptionsthatintroducethepostyoureferencebeforeyoulinktoit.Eveniftheposthaslittletext,itshouldhavebig,beautifulpicturesforavisuallyengagingpost.Youcanacquiretheimagesfromthearticleyoulinkto.

Figure6-7showsalinkroundupblogpost,andthefollowingparagraphsgivesometipsaboutwritingyourpost.

Source:http://diyready.com/diy-recipes-detox-waters/FIGURE6-7:AnexcerptofalinkroundupofdetoxwaterrecipesfromDIYReady.

PiqueinterestwithyourheadlineIfyourheadlinefallsflat,noonewillreadyourarticle.Spendtimecreatingaheadlinethatbothpiquesinterestandexplainsthebenefitofreadingthearticle.WecoverheadlinecreationstrategiesinChapter5.

IntroduceyourtopicQuicklyintroducethetopicofthepostandexplainwhypeopleshouldreaditbyconveyingthebenefittheycanderivefromit.Yourintroductiondoesn’tneedtobecomplexbecauseyou’resendingthereadertootherarticleswherethetopicisexplainedingreaterdetail.

WritethebodyThebodyofthispostisoftenminimal,requiringonlyaquicksummaryofeachpieceofcontentthatyouhaveaggregated.Considerincludinganimageandbesuretolinktoeachresourceyouhaveaggregated.Nomagicnumberofresourcestoaggregateexists,butthemorepostsyouaggregate,thebetteryourposttypicallyperforms.

ReactingtopopularcontentTheembedreactionposttypeisoneofthefastestwaystoproducehigh-qualityblogcontent.WebsiteslikeYouTube(seeFigure6-8)andSlideShareprovideapieceofcodethatallowsyoutoembedapieceofcontentonyourownwebsite.Theembedreactionpostbeginswithlocatingapopularpieceofcontentthatyoucanembedonyourblog.

Source:https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/07/sales-myth-customers-buy-on-benefits.htmlFIGURE6-8:AsampleofanembedreactorblogpostfromSalesforce.com.

Youcanembedonepieceormultiplepiecesofcontent,dependingonthecomplexityofthetopic.Themorepopularthepieceofcontentyouembedis,themorelikelyitisthatyouraudiencewillengagewithandshareyourpost.Youcandeterminethepopularityofthepieceofcontentbylookingatthingslikethenumberofviewsornumberoftimesithasbeenshared.

Afteryouhavefoundrelevantandengagingcontenttoembed,youreacttothecontentinthebodyofthepost.Inyourreaction,youcanagreeordisagreewiththeembeddedpiece,muchasyouwouldinanop-edarticle,oryoucanexpanduponthecontent.Howmuchtext

youneedfortheembedreactorpostwillvarydependingonthecomplexityofthetopicandhowlongittakestoexplainyourreaction.

Ofcourse,youwanttoensurethatthecontentyouembedisofhighqualityandfitsyourbrand.Butaswiththelinkrounduppost,youdon’thavetocreateallthecontentyourself,whichisamajortimesaver.

Whenyou’relookingforcontenttoembed,YouTubeisanobviouschoice,butmanyotherplacesofferqualitycontentforthisposttype.Forinstance,visitVisual.lyforprofessionalinfographicsthatyoucanshare,orSlideShareforpresentationsanddocumentsthatmakeforstellarembedreactorcontent.

YoucanseeanexampleofanembedreactorpostinFigure6-8,withtipsonhowtoputthistypeofposttogetherinthefollowingparagraphs.

CreateanengagingheadlineAsalways,focusoncreatinganengagingheadline,andgiveyourselfampletimetocraftit(turntoChapter5formoreonheadlines).Indicatewhatthereaderwillgainfromreadingyourarticle.Theheadlineofanembedreactionpostisusuallyavariationofthetitleoftheresourceyouareembedding.

WritetheintroductionAswiththecuratingandaggregatingpost,yourintroductionneedstoindicatethevaluereaderscangainfromthispost.Youcankeepitsimplebecausetheembeddedcontentfurtherexplainsthetopicathand.Simplyprovidethecontextinyourintro.

EmbedyourcontentEmbedtext,audio,video,oranimagethatisrelevanttoyouraudience.Bonuspointsiftheembeddedcontentispopular.

WriteyourreactionAddyouranalysisorreactiontothecontent.Youcanexplainwhatprovokedthisresponseinaslittleorasmuchtextasyoudeemnecessarytoadequatelydescribethetopic.

CrowdsourcingcontentThecrowdsourcedpostisanotherfastandengagingarticletoputtogether.Inthispost,yougatherthreeormoreexpertsandhavethemanswerthesamequestion.Youthencombinetheanswersintoasinglepost:thecrowdsourcedpost.You’resourcingthecrowdforanswersandbringingthemalltogether.

Forexample,yourpostmightbeaboutsocialmediatools.Youcanreachouttoprofessionalsandaskthemtoanswerwhattheirfavoritesocialmediatoolisandbrieflydescribewhy.Thensuccinctlyintroducethepostandstatethequestionyouaskedbeforestatingeachexpert’sanswer.Thisapproachmakesforaveryrichpostbecauseyou’repullinginmanydifferentresponsesandinsightsthatprovidevalueforyourreaders.

Sourcethehighest-profileexpertsyoucanorsimplyincludecolleaguesyouwanttobefeaturedwith.Displayanswersfrompeoplewhobothunderstandyourindustryandcanprovideasolidanswertoyourquestion.Chancesare,yourfriendsorcolleaguescananswerthisquestionorknowsomeonewhocan;reachouttothem.

Anothergreataspectofthecrowdsourcepostisitslikelihoodtobedistributed.Theexpertsyouincludeinthearticlehaveanincentivetosharethearticlewiththeiraudience,whichinturnhelpsyouexpandyouraudiencebase.Withthatinmind,makesurethatthosefeaturedinthearticleknowwhenit’spublishedtoincreasethechancethatthey’llsharethepost.

Whenyoureachouttoexperts,don’taskjustonequestion;askseveralquestions.Forinstance,ifyouemailtenexpertsinyourmarketfivedifferentquestionsandeachexpertresponds,youhavethemakingsoffivedifferentcrowdsourcearticles.Thenumberofquestionsyouaskisequaltothenumberofpoststhatyou’llgetandthenumberoftimestheexpertwillbeexposedtoyouraudience,makingthismutuallybeneficialforyouboth.

Figure6-9showsanexampleofacrowdsourcedpost,andthefollowingparagraphsgiveyouthestepsforwritingit.

Source:http://www.robbierichards.com/seo/best-keyword-research-tool/FIGURE6-9:Acrowdsourcedpostfromrobbierichards.com.

WritetheheadlineTheheadlinecouldbethequestionyouaskedexpertsoryoucouldspecifythenumberofexpertsfeaturedinthearticle,suchas,“9PhysicalTrainersRevealTheirFavoriteCardiovascularWorkout.”FindmoreonheadlinesinChapter5.

WritetheintroductionYourintrodoesnotneedtobelongforthecrowdsourcepost.Statethequestionthatwasproposedtotheexperts,aswellasanycontextorbackstorythatisnecessaryforthereader.

ProvidetheanswertothequestionyouaskedForeachexpert’sanswer,providetheexpert’sname,company,title,andheadshot.Thenstatetheanswertheexpertprovidedverbatim,editingonlyforgrammar.Thismakesforagreatarticlewithmanypointsofview.You’renotlookingforyourexpertstowriteyouabook,soimposingawordlimitonthemisokay.Whereapplicable,providelinkstothe

expert’swebsiteandsocialmediachannels,suchasTwitterandLinkedIn.

Contactortagexpertsinsocialmediaorviaemailtoletthemknowthatyourpostisliveonyourblog.Thisway,youhelpensurethattheexpertsharesyourpost,whichbringstraffictoyourblog.

Part3

GeneratingWebsiteTraffic

INTHISPART…Discoverthevarioustypesoflandingpagesandwhentousethem.Learnwhattypesofcontentgetsprospectstovisityourlandingpageandbuyyourproduct.

DeterminewhatyourmarketissearchingforonsiteslikeGoogleandBing,andpositionyourbusinesstoreapthebenefitsofsearchtraffic.

Takeadvantageofsocialmediatobuildyourbrand,handlecustomerserviceissues,andinteractwithprospects,customers,andpartners.

CreatepaidtrafficcampaignsandeffectivelydrivetraffictoyourwebsiteorlandingpagebyusingtheBigSixtrafficsources:Facebook,Twitter,Google,YouTube,Pinterest,andLinkedIn.

Launchemailmarketingcampaignsthatmovepeoplethroughthecustomerjourney,buildrelationships,anddrivetraffictoyourwebsite.

Chapter7

BuildingHigh-ConvertingLandingPagesINTHISCHAPTER

UnderstandingthevarioustypesoflandingpagesandwhentouseeachLearningtobuildlandingpagesthatgenerateleadsandmakesalesEvaluatingtheeffectivenessofthelandingpagesyoubuildWritingasalesletterthatconvertsvisitorstoyourlandingpageintobuyers

Landingpagesarefundamentaltodigitalmarketing.Thebroadestwaytodefinealandingpageisasanypagewhereavisitorentersyourwebsite.Forthepurposesofthisbook,weuseamorespecificdefinition:Alandingpageisawebpagedesignedtopersuadeavisitortotakeaspecificaction.Yourwebsiteshouldcontainalandingpageforeachofferyoumaketoprospectsandcustomers.Thesearethepagestowardwhichsavvydigitalmarketersfunneltrafficfromallsourcesbothinternalandexternaltotheirwebsite.

Theperformanceofyourlandingpageswillmakeorbreakyourdigitalmarketingcampaigns.Youcanmastertheartofdrivingwebtraffic,butifthelandingpagefailstodoitsjob,thecampaignisdoomed.Inthischapter,weexaminetheelementsofawinninglandingpage.Wealsotellyouaboutthedifferenttypesoflandingpagesandwhentouseeachkind,howtoassessthesuccessofyourlandingpages,andhowtoconvertcustomersintobuyers.

ExploringtheTypesofLandingPagesYoucategorizelandingpagesbythespecificactionyouwantthesitevisitortotake.Forexample,somelandingpagesaredesignedtopersuadevisitorstoentertheircontactinformation,whereasothersaskthevisitortobuyaproductorservice.Thecampaignsthatmostdigitalmarketersrunfallintooneoftwolandingpagecategories:

Leadcapturepage:Sometimescalledasqueezepage,thispage’sgoalistopersuadesitevisitorstoentertheircontactinformationsothattheybecomeleads.Salespage:Thispageisdesignedtopersuadeavisitortopurchaseaphysicalproduct,informationproduct,orservice.

Therearemanywaystodesignandlayoutagoodlandingpage,buttheyallhaveonethingincommon:focus.Asolidlandingpagehasasingulargoalandasfewdistractionsaspossible.Thefocalpointofthepageshouldbetheactionyouwantthevisitortotake.

Thetypicalwebsitehomepageis,forexample,apagedesignedtoallowthevisitortomakeavarietyofchoices.Fromthehomepage,avisitorcanclickalinktovisitaproductpage,learnmoreaboutthecompany,orvisitthecompanyblog.Forthisreason,thehomepageofthewebsiteisapoorlandingpageinalmosteverycircumstance.Ahomepagesimplypresentsvisitorswithtoomanychoices.

Alandingpageshouldstrivetoplugasmany“leaks”fromthepageaspossible.Thismeansremovinglinkstootheroffers,moreinformation,andanythingelsethatisn’tabsolutelynecessarytoachievethegoalforthatpage.Figure7-1showsalandingpagewithasfewlinksaspossibletominimizedistractionsandincreasethechancesofprospectsoptingin.

Source:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/lp/fb-ad-templates/FIGURE7-1:Alandingpagewithaclearfocusandveryfewlinks.

Somesourcesoftraffic,suchasFacebookadvertisingandtheGoogleAdWordsnetwork,requireyoutohavelinkstosomepertinentpages,suchasaPrivacyPolicyandTermsofUsepage.ChecktheTermsofServiceofeachtrafficplatformbeforeyouruntraffictoalandingpage.

SHOULDYOUUSEALANDINGPAGEBUILDER?Buildinglandingpagesfromscratchcanbeintimidating.Howdoyouconstructapagewithadesignandlayoutdesignedtopersuadesitevisitorstotakeaction?Howdoyouproduceapagewithaclearfocusonthedesiredactionandasfewdistractionsor“leaks”fromthepageaspossible?Oneoptionistohireawebpagedesigneranddeveloperwhounderstandshowtobuildcustomwebpagesthatconvertvisitorsintoleadsandsales.

Formostbusinesses,creatingcustomlandingpagesisunnecessary.Muchmorecosteffectiveistouseanapplicationthatprovidesprovenlandingpagetemplates.Theseapplicationsprovidetemplatesforvirtuallyanycircumstanceinleadcaptureorsales.Lookforalandingpagebuilderthatfitsyourbudgetandprovidesyouwiththetemplatesthatfityourcircumstances.Forexample,ifyouexpecttocaptureleadsusingwebinars,youwanttousealandingpageapplicationthatprovidesawebinarregistrationtemplateandintegrateswellwiththewebinardeliveryapplicationyou’reusing.WemakerecommendationsforbothlandingpageandwebinarapplicationsinChapter16.

CreatingaLeadCapturePageTheleadcapturepage,sometimescalledasqueezepage,isanimportantlandingpagetypetoanybusinessthatbenefitsfromleadgeneration.AsdemonstratedinFigure7-1,theleadcapturepageisanextremelyfocusedpagecontainingthefollowing:

Agatedoffer:Asmall“chunk”ofvaluethatsolvesaspecificproblemforaspecificmarketthatisofferedinexchangefortheircontactinformation.YoucanlearnmoreaboutgatedoffersinChapter3.Headline/subheadline:Textatthetopofthepagethatcompelsthesitevisitortoreadthebulletsandconsidertakingthegatedofferonthepage.WecoverheadlinestrategiesinChapter5.AlthoughtheheadlinetacticsdiscussedinChapter5focusonblogs,youcanalsoapplythemtotheheadlineofyourlandingpage.Bullets:Strongstatementsthatoutlinethebenefitsofthegatedoffer.Productimage:Ifyoucanshowavisualrepresentationofthegatedoffer,doso.Thisapproachmaynotbeapplicabletoalloffers.Proof:Includetrusticonssuchaslogosofassociationsyouareamemberof,reputablebrandsyouareassociatedwith,ortestimonialsfromsatisfiedcustomers.Leadform:Theformisthemechanismthatactuallycollectsthecontactinformation.

Askonlyforinformationthatyouplantouseinyourmarketing.Ingeneral,themoreinformationyouaskforinyourform,theloweryourconversionratewillbe.Soif,forexample,youdon’tplantofollowupviatelephone,don’taskforaphonenumberintheleadform.

CreatingaSalesPageThesalespageisdesignedtopersuadethesitevisitortotakeaspecificaction:makeapurchase.Salespagescomeinmanyforms,butmostdigitalmarketingcampaignsrequireoneoftwotypesofsalespage:

Salesletter:Youcansellservices,informationproducts,andevenphysicalproductsusingasalesletter.Fordecades,marketershavecraftedlong-formtextandvideopitchesaimingtopersuadetheprospectivecustomertobuy.Saleslettersaretypicallyverylong.Apersonreadingasalesletterisdecidingtobuyandshouldthereforereceiveasmuchinformationaspossible.Thesaleslettershoulddemonstratewhytheproductorserviceonthesalespageprovidesvalue,aswellashelptoovercomeanylast-minuteobjectionsthepersonmayhave.Theseobjectivesusuallyresultinalotofcopy.Figure7-2showsanexcerptofaDigitalMarketersalesletterlandingpageforoneofourproducts.Productdetailpage:Uniquetoe-commercebusinesses,theproductdetailpageisastaplelandingpageforthedigitalmarketersellingphysicalproductsand,inrarercases,informationproductsorservices.Figure7-3picturesaclassicproductdetailpagefromretailer,Crate&Barrel.Thisproductdetailpageincludeseverythingtheprospectneedstomakeapurchasedecision:

Productname:Theproductnameisdescriptiveandspecificaboutwhatisbeingoffered.Calltoaction:The“AddtoCart”buttoniseasytofind.Productprice:Thepriceisinanintuitivelocationandisshownsidebysidewiththesuggestedprice.Productimages/video:Multiple,high-qualityphotographsoftheproductshowingeverythingyou’llreceive.Productdescription:Productdescriptionincludingtheoverview,details,anddimensionsoftheproduct.Quantityoption:Thecapabilitytoselectmorethanoneproduct.Productreviews:Easytolocatereviewsfrompreviouscustomerswhohavepurchasedtheproduct.Wishlist:Thecapabilitytoaddtheproducttoalisttobepurchasedlater.Crate&Barrel’scalltoactionforthisfeatureis“AddtoRegistry”and“AddtoFavorites.”Socialmediabuttons:ThecapabilitytosharetheproductpageonsocialsiteslikeFacebookandPinterest.Shippinginformation:Shippinginformationiseasytolocateandthepolicyis

easytounderstand.Productvideos:Avideodemonstratingtheproductinaction.Upsells/Cross-sells:Additionalproductsthisprospectmightbeinterestedin.Crate&Barrelreferstothisas“Peoplewhoviewedthisitemalsobought.”

Source:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/lp/sbp/get-content-engine/FIGURE7-2:Anexampleofalandingpageforaproduct.

Source:http://www.crateandbarrel.com/w%C3%BCsthof-classic-ikon-12-piece-knife-block-set/s532597FIGURE7-3:Aclassicproductdetailpagefrome-commercebehemothCrate&Barrel.

WritingasalesletterMasteringcopywritingisabitlikemasteringacraftsuchaspotteryoroilpainting:Itinvolvesatremendousamountofart.Thatsaid,writingpersuasivecopystartswithunderstandingthefundamentalcomponentsofasalesletter.Intruth,youcanapplytheprinciplesthatcompriseapersuasivesaleslettertoallyourcommunications,includingemails,blogposts,presentationtitles,andmore.

Abeginnercanusetheprocesswedescribehereverbatim,butasyoubecomemorecomfortablewiththeprocess,feelfreetochangeittomeetyourcircumstances.Asalesletter,aboveallelse,shouldbetruthfulandthereforemightnotcontainsomeoftheelementsoutlinedinthisprocesssimplybecausetheydon’tapplytoyouroffer.

Herearethestepsoftheprocessrequiredtowriteawell-craftedsalesletter.Youcanrefertothisasachecklisttoensurethatyou’veincludedalltheessentialelementsofapersuasiveletter:

1. Crafttheheadline.2. Writethesubheadline.3. Writetheopening.4. Showeaseofuse.

5. Forecastthefuture.6. Establishcredibility.7. Writebulletsthatsell.8. Showproof.9. Maketheoffer.10. Sweetenthedeal.11. Communicateurgency.12. Reverserisk.13. Makethecalltoaction.

Thefollowingsectionsexplaineachpartofthesalesletter.

Step1:CrafttheheadlineTheheadlineisthefirstthingthatpeoplereadandisthereforethemostcriticalpieceofcopyonthepage.Ifyou’rejustgettingstarted,usea“HowTo”headlinebecausetheyaresimpletowriteandveryeffective.TheHowToheadlinewillapplyto99percentoftheoffersyouarepromoting.Ofcourse,youroffermayrequireadifferentkindofheadline.Ifthat’sthecase,useasearchenginesuchasGoogletosearchforalistofprovenheadlines.Youcanfinddozensofblogpostarticlesthatprovidefantasticheadlineformulas.

Don’tstartwithacleverheadline.Startwithclear,simple,anddirectlanguagethatcommunicatesthebenefittoreadingthesaleslettercopy.Clearanddirectalmostalwaysconvertsbetterthancleverandconfusing.Later,whenyougetmorecomfortablewithcopywriting,youcangetclever.

TakealookatthefollowingHowToheadlineformulasandfeelfreetousethem(fillingintheblankswithyourpertinentinformation)ortoprovideinspiration:

HowtoGet[desiredresult]in[timeperiod]HowtoTurn[blank]into[desiredresult]Howto[desiredresult]WhenYou’reNot[blank]HowtoFast-Track[desiredresult]Howto[desiredresult]EvenIf[somethingchallenging]

Forexample,thislastheadlineformulamightbeusedtowriteaheadlineatthetopofasalesletterthatreads:HowtoBuyaHomeEvenifYou’veDeclaredBankruptcy.

Step2:WritethesubheadlineThesubheadlineisoptionalbutisoftenneededtoelaborateontheheadline.Onceagain,youcanfinddozensofarticlesonlinethatprovidelistsofclassicheadlineformulas.Here

areafewtogetyoustarted:

DiscoverHowQuicklyYouCan[desiredresult]LearnHowEasilyYouCan[desiredresult]You,Too,CanHave[desiredresult]in[desirabletimeperiod]WhatEverybodyOughttoKnowabout[blank]How[authoritativeperson]Got[desiredresult]in[timeperiod]

Forexample,thelastheadlineformulamightbeusedtowriteasubheadlinethatreads:HowSerenaWilliamsGotinTheBestShapeofHerLifein14Days.

YoumadeaclaimorpromiseintheheadlineyoucreatedinStep1.Yoursubheadlineshouldsupporttheheadline.Itshouldn’tintroduceanewclaimorpromise,anditcertainlyshouldn’tconflictwithit.

Step3:WritetheopeningBythetimeyourlandingpagevisitorsarereadingyouropening,theyhavereadtheheadlineandsubheadline.Somereadershaveevenscrolledtothebottomofyourlettertoseethepriceandoffer.Inotherwords,theyareinterested.

Ifyou’rejustgettingstarted,trytheclassic“Problem/Solution”openingtoasalesletter.Inthefirststepoftheopening,youidentifytheproblemthattheprospectivebuyerhas.

Yourvisitorsarewonderingwhetheryoutrulyunderstandtheirproblem.Asthemarketer,yourjobistoestablishcommongroundbetweenyouandyourvisitors.Showempathyfortheproblemandbespecificabouttheirstateofdiscontent.

Next,youwanttorevealthatasolutiontothisproblemexists,anditisyourproductorservice(ofcourse!).Youdon’tneedtogointogreatdetailabouttheproductorserviceatthispoint;youdothatlater.

Forexample,ifyou’resellingtaxpreparationservices,youmightopenyoursalesletterwiththefollowing:

It’sthattimeofyearagain.April15thisdrawingnear,andyou’vegotanentireweekendcircledonyourcalendartodigupallthosereceiptsandtaxdocuments.Let’sfaceit,preparingyourowntaxesisfrustratingatbest.Ifyou’dratherspendthatbeautifulspringweekendwithfriendsandfamily,letourfirmhandleyourtaxesthisyear.

Step4:ShoweaseofuseThekeytothispartofyoursalesletteristocommunicate(ifapplicable)thatyoursolutioniseasytodoorquicktodeliverresults(orboth).Nowmorethanever,prospectivecustomerswantresultsquicklyandeasily.Ifyoucandemonstrateeaseofuseorspeedofresultsthroughtext,images,orvideo,doit.

Step5:ForecastthefutureInthispartofthesalesletterpage,youpaintapictureinthemindsofyourreadersofwhatitwilllooklikeiftheysolvetheirproblem.Youwantyourreaderstoimagineandfeelthesenseofbeingfreeoftheirproblem.

Theeasiestwaytostartthissectionofthesalesletterisbyfillinginthefollowingblank:

Imaginewhatitwouldbeliketo_______.

Forexample,FordMotorCompanymightwritethefollowingtoselltheMustangGT:

ImaginepressingthegaspedalandfeelingthethrilloftheMustang’s435horsepowerengine.

WhatproblemdoesbuyingaMustangGTsolve,anyway?Itwon’tcurecustomersofthefluorgetthemoutofcreditcarddebt.InChapter1,wetalkaboutarticulatingthecustomer ’smovementfromtheBeforestatetotheAfterstate.Inyoursalescopy,youmustbeabletoarticulatethevalueofthatAfterstate.InthecaseoftheMustang,you’refreeingpeoplefromtheirboring,old,andslowcaroftheBeforestateanddeliveringtothemanew,beautiful,andexhilaratingcar.

Step6:EstablishcredibilityInthisstepofputtingtogetheryoursalesletter,youneedtoaddressaquestioninyourvisitors’minds:Whyyou?

Thatis,whyareyouoryourorganizationqualifiedtosolvetheirproblem?Youneedtoestablishwhythesolutionyouhaveiscredible.Youhaveanumberofwaystodemonstrateyourcredibility,includingthefollowing:

Useatestimonial:Ifyouhaveabroadtestimonialfromahappycustomerthatfortifiesyourcredibility,youcanplaceithere.Giveyourcredentials:Provideanycredentialsthatgivepeopleareasontobelieveinyouasasolution—forexample,you’readoctor,earnedyourMBA,servedasanAirForcepilot,orothercredentialthatrelatestothetypeofsolutionyou’reoffering.

Borrowcredentials:Ifyouknowsomeonewhosecredentialsareworthyandwhoendorsesyouandyourproduct,identifythatpersonhere(andincludehisorherendorsement,ifpossible).Tellyourstory:Haveyouhadanexperiencethatmakesyouqualifiedtosolvethisproblem?(Gottenoveryourstagefright,taughtyourselftowalkagain,lost50pounds?)Tellthatstory.Useimpressivenumbers:Ifyouhaveimpressivedata,years’worthofexperience,ornumbersofsuccessfulcustomers,usethemhere.

Rememberthatatthispoint,noonewhodoesn’thavetheproblemyou’redescribingisreadingthiscopy.Atthispointinthesalesletter,youmustexplainwhyyou’requalifiedtosolvetheproblem.

Step7:WritebulletsthatsellAlthoughyouhopethatthereaderofyoursalesletterwillreadeverywordyouwrite,thetruthisthatmostpeoplewillonlyskimyourletter.Addingbulletstoyoursalesletterbreaksupthetextandoftencauseseventhemosthurriedskimmertopauseandread.Youshouldincludethreetofivebulletsthatexplainthebenefitsofyouroffer.Takeyourtimeonthisstep,butdon’tgetboggeddown.Foryourfirstdraft,thisstepshouldtakenolongerthan30minutes.Youcancomebackandspendmoretimeonthesebenefitsafteryouhavecreatedthisfirstdraft.

Thisisnotthetimetoexplaintheproductorserviceyouareoffering.Thisisthetimetooutlinethebenefitsyourreaderwillreceiveiftheybuyyourproductorservice.

Rememberthatpeopledon’tbuyproductsandservices;rather,theybuyadesiredoutcome:

Theydon’tbuycoldmedicine;theybuyagoodnight’ssleep.Theydon’tbuyagymmembership;theybuyashapelyorhealthierbody.Theydon’tbuypestcontrol;theybuyaclean,safehomefortheirchildren.

Step8:ShowproofInthisstepofwritingyoursalesletter,youcreatethemostimportantelementofyourcopy:proof.Proofisn’tthesamethingascredibilityorthecredibilityofyourorganization,whichyouestablishedinanearlierstep.Establishingyourcredibilitycreatestrust,butthroughoutyourcopy,you’vestartedtointroducepromisestoyourreaders.Nowyouneedtosubstantiatethosepromisesbyprovidingproofofyourclaims.Ifyou’resellingaphysicalproduct,thisisagoodtimetodemonstrate,throughvideoorimages,howtheproductworksandshowitdoingthethingsyoudescribedinthebulletsyouwrote

earlier.

Infomercialshavemasteredtheconceptofshowingproof.Theyshowknivescuttingthroughnailsandtheneasilyslicingatomato,ortheydemonstrateacleanserremovingaredwinestain.Proofappearsinmanyforms,including:

Demonstration:Ifyoucanshowthatitworks,doit.Socialproof:Ifyouhavetestimonialsthatfortifytheclaimsyou’vemade,includethemhere.Mentionhowmanyotherpeoplehavebenefitedfromyoursolution.Dataorresearch:Usedataandresearchthatyouhaveconductedyourselforfromreputablesources.Borrowedcredibility:FindanduseinformationfromreputablesourcessuchasTheNewYorkTimes,HarvardBusinessReview,ortradeassociations.

Thehighertheriskinvolvedinyouroffer,themoreproofyourbuyerswillneedtofeelcomfortableinmakingapurchasewithyou.

Ifyoucan’tproperlysubstantiateaclaimyou’vemade,considerremovingit.Aclaimorpromisewithnoproofcandomoreharmthangood.

Step9:MaketheofferTheofferyoumaketoyourreadersshouldincludeexactlywhattheycanexpecttoreceiveiftheygiveyoumoney.Mostimportantisforyouroffertobeclearandnotatallconfusing.Ifyourreadershaveevenashadowofadoubtastowhattheywillget,theywon’tbuy.Herearesomeexamplesofinformationtoincludeforthesakeofclarity:

Willyoushipaproduct?Howlongwillittaketogetthere?Whatarethedimensionsoftheproduct?Whatistheweight?Howmuchdoesitcost?Arepaymenttermsavailable?DoyouacceptAmericanExpress?

Thinkthroughthequestionsthatyourreadersmighthaveabouttheofferandbesuretoanswerallthosequestions.

Step10:SweetenthedealYoumayfindthatbonusesarenotapplicabletoyouroffer.However,ifyoucanaddbonuses,youwillalmostcertainlyincreaseresponse.Perhapsyoucanadd,atnoadditionalcosttoyourbuyers,abonusproducttothefirst100peoplewhorespond.Orgivethosewhobuybeforeaspecifieddateanadditionaldiscount.

Addingabonusisagreatwaytoincreaseurgency(coveredinStep11)bytakingthose

bonusesawayafteracertaindate,orafteracertainquantityhasbeensold.

Step11:CommunicateurgencyAddingurgencytoyouroffer,ifappropriatetoyourproductorservice,getsyourreaderstotakeactionnow,whichiswhatyouwant.Iftheydecidetothinkaboutitortodoitlater,they’reunlikelytoreturn.

Youcanpersuadepeopletotakeactionnowbycommunicatingtheurgencyoftakingtheoffernow.Iftheybelievetheycouldcomebacktomorrow,nextweek,ornextyearandgetthesameoffer,they’relesslikelytotakeactionnow.

Don’tmanufacturescarcityorurgency,butifyouhavearealreasonthatpeopleshouldtakeactionnow,besuretocommunicateit.Herearesomeexamples:

Registerforthiseventnow;thereareonly32seatsremaining.Buynow:Thisofferisavailableonlyuntilmidnight,January26.Only1,000ofthesecoinswerecreatedbytheU.S.mint.

Anotherwayofcreatingurgencyinyoursalesletteriswithasimplestatement,suchas,“Thinkhowmuchitiscostingyoueverydaythatyoudon’ttakeactiononthisproblem.”

Step12:ReverseriskInthisstepofthesalesletter,youaddriskreversal,whichprovidespeoplewithafeelingofsecurityaboutthepurchase.Youhavenumerouswaystoreducerisk,includingby

ProvidingaguaranteeOfferingafreetrialProvidingareturnpolicyUsingtrustseals,includingassociationmembershiplogos,BBBinsignia,securecheckoutseals,andsoon

Step13:MakethecalltoactionAcalltoactiontellspeopleexactlywhatyouwantthemtodoandhowtodoit.It’sasimplecommandstatement,suchas“ClicktheAddtoCartbuttonbelow.”

UnderstandingtheelementsofaproductdetailpageProductdetailpages,alsoknownsimplyasproductpages,arethemostimportantpagesonane-commercewebsite.Whenprospectsvisityourproductpageandlookattheimages,readthedescriptions,andconsumethecustomerreviews,theyareshowinginterestandthinkingaboutpurchasingyourproduct.Theproductpageisthemake-or-breakpointthatdetermineshowsuccessfulyoure-commercestoreis.Yourproductpageneedstogetpeopletoascendtothenextlevel:conversion.Sopayextraattentiontoyourproductpageorpages.Thefollowingsectionsdescribetheelementsofsuccessfulproductpages.

ProductimagesAlthoughbuyingonlineisconvenient,itcanbeadetrimentbecausepeoplecan’tphysicallypickupandexaminetheproductthewaytheydoinabrick-and-mortarstore.Peopledon’tbuyproductsontheInternet;rather,theybuypicturesofproducts.Toovercomethefactthattheprospectscan’tholdortouchyourproduct,includeasmanyhigh-qualityimagesoftheproductasisnecessarytofullyconveyitsfeaturesandattributes.

Peoplebuybasedonwhattheproductlookslike,andthemorecomplexorexpensivetheproductis,themorepicturesarenecessarytosuccessfullyshowtheproduct.

ImagezoomGivepeopletheabilitytozoominonyourproductimagesothattheycangetacloselookattheproduct,itstextureorfeatures,andhowit’sused.Imagezoomcanalsohelpovercomedoubtspotentialcustomersmayhavebecauseitgivespeopleachancetoexamineaproductbeforetheyputitintheirshoppingcart.

ProductdescriptionBesuretoincludeawell-writtenproductdescriptionthatisimmediatelyvisibleonthepagesothatprospectscanquicklylearnabouttheproduct’sfeatureswithouthavingtodigthroughthepageformoreinformation.Don’tskimpontheproductdescription.Describeitsuniquesellingpointsandhowitsolvespeople’sproblemsorimprovestheirlives.Aimtocreateproductdescriptionswith250wordsormore,andincludethekeywordsthatyou’retargetingwithinthedescription.Includingthosekeywordsimprovestheproduct’ssearchmarketing,whichwediscussinChapter8.Similartoproductimages,themorecomplexorexpensiveaproductis,themoredetailisrequired.Toimprovereadabilityanduserexperience,organizetheproductdescriptionwithheadlines,bullets,andsteplists.

ProductsalesvideoTheproductsalesvideoisagreatmediumtodemonstratetheproductinuseandisanextremelyeffectivetooltomakeyoursalespitch.Productsthatareexpensiveorcomplexdowellwithasalesvideo.Also,theproductsalesvideoisafantasticwaytoovercomeobjectionsapotentialcustomermayhave.Ifyoudoincludeasalesvideo,makeiteasytofindratherthanburiedatthebottomofthepage.

Third-partypitchvideoThistypeofvideoisalsocalledanendorsementorpressvideo,andit’sbasicallyasecondproductsalesvideo.Althoughnotessential,third-partyendorsementscansignificantlyincreaseconversiononaproductpage.Thistypeofvideofeaturessomeonewho’snotassociatedwithyourbrandactivelyrecommendingyourbrandandproduct.Thisissimilartoacelebrityendorsement,althoughyoudon’tneedacelebrityforthisvideotobeeffective.Third-partypitchvideosareoftenscriptedandprofessionallyshot.

CalltoactionThecalltoactiononaproductpageistheAddtoCartbutton.Thisbuttonmustbehighlyvisibleandaccessibletotheconsumer.TheAddtoCartbuttonshouldbeeasytolocateonbothdesktopandmobiledevices.InFigure7-4,youcanseetwohighlyvisibleAddtoCartbuttonsonaproductpageforBestBuy—thecarticoninthetop-rightcornerandtheAddtoCartcall-to-actionbuttonrightabovetheprice.Dependingonthelengthofyourproductpage,consideraddingmultipleAddtoCartbuttonssothatpeoplecanaddyourproducttotheircartnomatterwheretheyareonyourpage.

Source:http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-39-class-38-5-diag--led-1080p-smart-hdtv-roku-tv-black/4863802.p?skuId=4863802

FIGURE7-4:BustBuyhastwoAddtoCartbuttonsinthefirsthalfofthepage.

ReviewsIncludereviews,user-submittedcontent,andafrequentlyaskedquestions(FAQ)sectionwithinyourproductpage.Reviewsinparticularserveasaformofsocialproofandarelikeapersonalrecommendation.Customerreviewsdon’thavetoexistinonlywrittenform;theycanalsobevideos.Customervideoreviewsareoneofthebestformsofproofyoucanincludeonaproductpagebecausethevideogivespotentialcustomerssomeonetorelatetowhilereviewingyourproduct.

Peopleregardreviewvideosashardertofakeormanipulatethantexttestimonials,sotheycarrymoreweight.Themaindifferencebetweencustomervideoreviewsandthird-partypitchvideosisthatthethird-partyvideosareprofessionallyproducedbythebusiness,

whereasacustomerreviewvideoisshotbythecustomer,likelywithhisorhercellphonecamera.Togetmorereviews,bothinwrittenandvideoform,followupwithpastcustomersviaemailandaskforanhonestreview;youcanincentiveyourcustomerstoleavereviewsbyofferingcouponsandcontests.

Cross-sellsAmazon.comdoescross-sellingwellwithitsCustomersWhoBoughtThisItemAlsoBoughtsection,asshowninFigure7-5,wherethesitesuggestsotherproductsthatacustomermaywanttoaddtohisorhercartbasedontheproductthatiscurrentlybeingviewed.Cross-sellsareaneffectivewaytoincreaseyourbasketsize,orofferanalternative,relatedproductthatmaybettersuitpotentialcustomers’needs,thusensuringasale.

Source:https://www.amazon.comFIGURE7-5:Amazonofferscross-sellsinanattempttoincreasethebasketsizeofacustomer.

GradingaLandingPageIntheprevioussectionsofthischapter,wetellyouaboutthemostcommonlandingpagesandtheiressentialelements,andinthissection,wegiveyousomecriteriabywhichtoevaluatetheeffectivenessofyourpages.Landingpagescomeinmanyshapesandsizes,fromshort-formleadcapturepagestolong-formsalesletters,sosomeoftheelementsincludedinthefollowingsectionsmaynotapplytothelandingpageyou’reevaluating.Forexample,along-formsalesletterthatsellsaserviceisunlikelytousealead-captureform.

Evaluateyourlandingpagesbasedonthecriteriathatapplytoyourpages.Themostimportantthingtokeepinmindisthatimprovingeachfactorinthefollowinglistthatisrelevanttoyourlandingpagewillhaveasubstantialimpactontheconversionrateofyourlandingpage.

Clarity:Youhaveamatterofsecondstoconvincenewvisitorstoyourlandingpagethattheyshouldstickaround.Usetheheadline,subheadline,images,andanythingelseimmediatelyvisibleonthepagetoanswerthefollowingquestionsforthem:“Whatisit?”and“Whatdoesitdoforme?”Congruence:Nothingsendslandingpagevisitorsscurryingawayfasterthanalackofcongruencebetweenwherevertheycamefromandyourlandingpage.Thetext,offer,andimageryonthelandingpageshouldmatch(ideallyexactly)thetextandimagerythatwasinwhateveradorreferringtrafficsourcethatbroughtthevisitortothelandingpage.Forexample,ifyouclickanadthatstates“10%offofwinterapparel”andyouarriveonapageofferingsummerapparel,you’regoingtolosemostofyourtraffic.Keepthevisuals(colors,images,fonts,andsoon)andoffercongruentfromthetrafficsourcetothelandingpageandyou’llkeepmoretrafficonyouroffer.Visualization:Typically,animageorgraphicalrepresentationoftheofferincreasesconversions.Avoidusingoverusedstockandroyalty-freeimagerythatmightmakeyourofferappearcheap.Instead,whereverpossible,usecustomphotographyorgraphicstodepictyouroffer.Numberoffields:Thenumberofformfieldsshouldbeappropriatefortheoffer.Forexample,high-commitmentoffershavelongerforms,andlower-commitmentoffershavefewerformfields.

Don’taskforinformationthatyoudon’tneed!Ifyouplantofollowuponlyviaemail,justaskforanameandemail,atmost.Infact,testdroppingthenamefield,too,ifyoudon’tplantopersonalizeyourfollow-upmessagesbyincludingtheperson’sname.Ingeneral,havingfewerformfieldsleadstoahigherconversionrate.Visibleandcompellingcall-to-actionbutton:Peoplefrequentlydebatebuttoncolors,

butoneconstantisthatthebuttoncolorshouldcontrast(notblendin)withthesurroundingdesignelements.Forexample,ifthebackgroundcolorofyourwebsiteisskyblue,don’tusethatsky-bluecolorasyourcall-to-actionbuttoncolor.Second,useacompellingstatementasthetextonyourcall-to-actionbutton.“Submit”isnotgoodenough.Testbuttontextthatgivesaspecificcommandorspeakstotheendresult(suchas“GetFreeInstantAccess”).Professionaldesign:Thedesignofyourlandingpageshouldbeofprofessionalquality.Ifyou’reusingaqualitylandingpagebuildertool,thetemplatesprovidedwilltakecareofmostofthedesignandlayout.(WeofferrecommendationsforlandingpagebuildertoolsinChapter16.)Avoidmakingmajorchangestothesetestedlayoutsanddesignsuntilyougetmorecomfortablebuildinglandingpagesthatconvert.Relevanttrusticons:Reputablebrandsthatyoudobusinesswithorareaffiliatedwith,“AsSeenOn”logos,andtestimonialsletyourvisitorsknowthatthey’remakingasmartdecisiontogiveyoutheircontactinformationormakeapurchase.Clearprivacypolicies:Notonlyareprivacypoliciesandtermsofservicerequiredtoadvertiseonsomesites(includingGoogle),they’realsogoodforconversions.Visualcues:Thelandingpageshouldincorporatearrows,boxes,andothervisualdevicestodrawtheeyetothecall-to-actionarea.

Chapter8

CapturingTrafficwithSearchMarketingINTHISCHAPTER

FocusingonsearchmarketingfundamentalsAnalyzingsearchqueriesOptimizingforsearchtrafficonpopularsitesAttractingrobotsEarninglinkstoyourwebpages

Nodisciplineindigitalmarketinghasevolvedovertheyearsquiteasdramaticallyassearchmarketing.IntheearlydaysoftheInternet,searchengineslikeAltaVista,Lycos,andYahoo!werefairlyunsophisticated.Searchmarketerswhounderstoodthesimplefactorsthesesitesusedtorankwebsitescoulddrivesearchenginetraffictoapageregardlessofitsquality.

Today,searchengineslikeGoogleconsiderhundredsoffactorsindecidingwhichwebpagetodisplayforasearch.Inthecurrentsearchmarketinglandscape,thebestwebpagesusuallywin.Sure,loopholesstillexist,exploitedbyless-than-reputablesearchmarketers,butthescaleshavetippedtowardthosewhoplaybytherules.Inthischapter,youdiscoverthoserulesandputyourselfinagreatpositiontoreceivetrafficfromthebillionsofsearchesthattakeplaceeachday.

Searchisn’tlimitedtobigsearchengineslikeGoogleandBing.SocialmediasitessuchasFacebookandPinterestalsohavesearchcapabilities.Also,Amazon,iTunes,TripAdvisor,andthousandsofothersitesprovidesearchtotheirusers.Dependingonyourbusiness,itcanbemorevaluabletounderstandhowsearchoperatesonYouTubeorAmazonthanonGoogleorBing.

KnowingtheThreeKeyPlayersinSearchMarketing

Threemainplayersmakeupthesearchmarketinglandscape,eachwithadifferentmotivation.Understandingwhotheplayersareandwhattheywantgivesyouabetterunderstandingofhowtomakesearchmarketingworkforyourbusiness.Theimportantplayersinsearchmarketingare

Searchers:PeoplewhotypesearchqueriesintosearchenginesSearchengines:Programsthatsearchersusetofindproducts,services,content,andmoreontheInternetMarketers:TheownersofwebsitesandotherchannelsthatpublishcontentandmakeofferstopeopleontheInternet

Asamarketerandbusinessowner,youwanttomaximizetheamountoftraffic,leads,andsalesyougetfromsearchmarketing.Todothis,youmustgivesearchersandsearchengineswhattheywant.

Understandingsearchers’needsThekeyforbothmarketersandsearchenginesisunderstandingthemindsetofsearchers.Byunderstandingwhatmotivatessearchers,marketersandsearchenginescanservethembetter.

Peopleusesearchengineseverydayforeverythingfromresearchingaschoolprojecttolookingforreviewsforabig-ticketpurchaselikeacarorhome.Whatmotivatessearchersissimple:Theywanttofindthemostrelevant,highest-qualitywebpagesaboutanythingandeverythingthey’researchingfor,andtheywanttofindthosepagesnow.

Ifmarketersandsearchenginescansatisfysearchers,everyonewins.Searchersfindwhattheywant;marketersgettraffic,leads,andsales;andsearchenginesgainusers.

KnowingwhatsearchengineswantAsearchenginecompany,suchasGoogle,isabusiness,andlikeanyotherbusiness,itmustgeneraterevenuetosurvive.Asaresult,it’susefultounderstandhowsearchenginesgeneratethatrevenue.Ifyouunderstandwhatmotivatesthesearchengine,youcanplanyoursearchstrategyaccordingly.

Mostsearchenginesgeneratemostoftheirrevenuebysellingadvertising.Figure8-1showsatypicalsetofadvertisementsinaGooglesearchresultspage.

Source:www.google.comFIGURE8-1:Googledisplaysadsatthetopandinthetop-rightcornersofsearchresultpages.

Asaresult,it’sinasearchengine’sbestinteresttoservethebest,mostpopular,mostrelevantcontenttosearchers.Failuretodeliverwhatsearcherswantsendsthosesearcherselsewheretofindwhatthey’relookingfor,whichmeanslessopportunitytoshowads.

Othersearchenginesgeneraterevenuebyestablishingaffiliaterelationshipswiththebusinessestowhichtheyrefertraffic.Whenasearchervisitsoneoftheseaffiliatepartnersandmakesapurchase,thesearchenginemakesacommissiononthatsale.

BLACKHATSANDWHITEHATSIfyouwanttobuildasuccessfulsearchmarketingcampaign,youneedtostaywithinthebordersofeachsearchengine’stermsofservice.Searchmarketingtacticsthatviolatethosetermsofservicearecalledblack-hat;thosethatplaywithintherulesarecalledwhite-hat.

Black-hatsearchmarketingtacticsarenotonlyunethical(andsometimesillegal),butalsobadforbusiness.Violatingthetermsofasearchenginemaycreateshort-termresults,butthoseresultswon’tbesustainable.SearchengineslikeGooglecontinuouslyupdatethealgorithmstheyusetorankwebsitesinanefforttosquashblack-hatmethodssuchaslinkbuyingandkeywordstuffing.

Marketerswhousewhite-hatsearchmarketingstrategies—thosewhofollowthesearchengine’stermsofserviceandbuildabetteruserexperienceforsearchers—arerewardedwithhigherrankingsandmoretraffic,leads,andsalesfromsearchengines.

TargetingSearchQueriesOnewaythatpeoplediscoveryourbusiness,brands,products,andservicesisbyusingsearchqueriestypedinsearchengines.Asearchernavigatestoasearchengine,typesakeywordorphrase,andtapsorclicksasearchbutton,andthesearchenginereturnspopular,relevantresults.Thesearcherclicksortapsoneofthoseresults,andhe’sofftotheraces.

Tohelpmakeyourbranddiscoverableandavailabletoasearcher,marketershavetwobroadcategoriesofsearchqueriestokeepinmind:

Brandedqueries:Keywordsorkeywordphrasesthatsearcherstypeinsearchengineswhenthey’relookingforaspecificbusiness,brand,product,orservice.Thesearchquery“SouthwestAirlines,”forexample,isabrandedquerythatSouthwestAirlinesshouldtarget.Nonbrandedqueries:Keywordsorkeywordphrasesthatsearcherstypeintosearchengineswhenthey’renotlookingforaspecificbusiness,brand,product,orservice.Thesearchquery“flytoChicago,”forexample,isanonbrandedquerythatSouthwestAirlinesshouldtarget.

Byunderstandingtheprecedingtwocategories,marketerscantargetkeywordsorkeywordphrasestohelpmaketheirbranddiscoverableandavailabletosearchers.

Supposethatasearcherislookingforabed-and-breakfastinn,andshetypesthesearchquery“historicbedandbreakfastnearme”inGoogle(seeFigure8-2).Thisqueryisanonbrandedsearchquery.Thesearcherisn’tlookingforaparticularbed-and-breakfast;she’ssimplyresearchinganddiscoveringhistoricbed-and-breakfastsnearby.

FIGURE8-2:Adiscoverablesearchqueryforlocalbed-and-breakfastinns.

Ontheotherhand,thesearchermightbesearchingforaspecificbed-and-breakfast,suchasAustin’sInnatPearlStreet,inwhichcaseshetypesaquerysuchas“reviewsofAustin’sInnatPearlStreet.”Thisqueryisabrandedsearchquery(seeFigure8-3).

FIGURE8-3:AbrandedsearchqueryforAustin’sInnatPearlStreet.

DefiningasearchqueryEachofthebillionsofsearchqueriesenteredinsearchengineseachdaycontaintheintentandcontextofanindividualsearcher.Intent,asitrelatestosearchmarketing,involvesunderstandingwhatthesearcherislookingfor.Thecontextofthequeryismadeupofthereasonwhythesearcherhasthatintent.Inotherwords,intentisthe“what”ofasearchquery,andcontextisthe“why.”

FollowingareexamplesofintentandcontextofthreepeoplewhomightbesearchingtheInternet:

Person1:IwanttostartavegetablegardenbecauseIwanttoaddorganicfoodtomydiet.

Intent:Wanttostartavegetablegarden.Context:Addorganicfoodtomydiet.

Person2:IwanttostartavegetablegardenbecauseIwanttospendmoretimeoutdoors.

Intent:Wanttostartavegetablegarden.Context:Spendmoretimeoutdoors.

Person3:IwanttostartavegetablegardenbecauseIwanttosavemoneyongrocerybills.

Intent:Wanttostartavegetablegarden.Context:Savemoneyongroceries.

Eachsearcherintheseexampleshasthesameintent:startavegetablegarden.Buteach

personhasaslightlydifferentreasonforwantingtostartthatvegetablegarden.Inotherwords,thecontextbehindtheintentisdifferentineachcase.

Asearchmarketershouldfocusonsatisfyingboththeintentandcontextofsearchers.Eachintentandcontextrepresentsaqueryworthtargeting.Intheprecedingexamples,searchersmighttypeanyofthefollowingqueriesinasearchengine:

“startavegetablegarden”(intentonly)“addorganicfoodtomydiet”(contextonly)“startanorganicvegetablegarden”(intentandcontext)

Abusinessthatsellsvegetablegardeningproductsorserviceswoulddowelltotargetallthesekeywordsbasedontheintentandcontextofitsidealcustomer.

RefertothecustomeravatardescribedinChapter1ofthisbook.Payparticularattentiontothesectionsaboutgoals,values,challenges,painpoints,andobjectionstothesale.Thesesectionscontaincluestotheintentandcontextofthetermsthatyouridealcustomermightbetypingintosearchengines.

ChoosingtherightqueriestotargetEachquerytypedinasearchenginecontainsthesearcher ’sintentandcontext,orboth.Todeterminetheintentandcontextthatyouridealcustomeristypinginsearchengines,youneedtodokeywordresearch,usingtoolssuchasGoogleAdWordsKeywordPlanner(https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner).

Comingupwithkeywordsthe“old-fashioned”wayButbeforeyoustartusingkeywordtools,oneofthebestwaystodokeywordresearchistobrainstormideaswithanyonewhocomesintocontactwithyourcustomers.Afterall,youknowyourcustomers’wants,needs,andpainpointsbetterthanakeywordtooldoes.Gathertheappropriatemembersofyourteamtoanswerquestionsaboutyourcustomers.Thiswillhelpyoucomeupwithrelevantandspecifickeywordsandkeywordphrasestoresearchwithakeywordstool.Afteryouhavecompletedthebrainstormingphase,moveontoyourrespectivekeywordtooltoseewhatkeywordsandphraseswillworkbestforyoursearchmarketingcampaign.

Tohelpwithyourbrainstorming,answerquestionsliketheseinthesubsequentexample.FollowingareexamplesofhowonlineshoeretailerZapposmightanswerquestionstosellshoestopeoplewhoplantorunamarathon:

Q:Whatisouridealcustomerresearchingbeforehebuysourproductorservice?A:Theidealdietforamarathonrunner.

Q:Whatisouridealcustomerinterestedinthat’srelatedtoourproductorservice?A:Treatingsorelegmuscles.Q:Whatbarriersdoesouridealcustomerneedtoovercomebeforeshebuysourproductorservice?A:Findingtimetotrainforamarathon.Q:Whatdoesouridealcustomerhopetoaccomplishwithourproductorservice?A:Runningamarathon.Q:Whatinformationdoesouridealcustomerneedtoevaluateourproductorserviceagainstourcompetitors’productsorservices?A:ComparetheweightofNikeandAdidasmarathonrunningshoes.Q:Whatinformationdoesourcustomerneedtobuyourproductorservice?A:Theshoe-returnpolicy.

UsingkeywordresearchtoolsAfterbrainstorming,youmoveontoyourchosenkeywordresearchtool.Dozensofgoodkeywordresearchtoolsareavailableforpurchase,butthefreeGoogleAdWordsKeywordPlanner(https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner)meetstheneedsofmostsearchmarketers.Googleprovidesthisfreetooltoallowadvertiserstoresearchthebehaviorofsearcherswhouseitssearchengine.Advertisersusetheinformationprovidedbythistooltochoosekeywordstheybidon.

Typingakeywordphraselike“runamarathon”intheKeywordPlannertool(seeFigure8-4)returnsseveralkeywordstotarget:

“runningevent”“marathonrunner”“marathontips”

Source:https://adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner/Home?_c=7275033004&_u=6764193964&authuser=0&_o=cues#search

FIGURE8-4:PlanningkeywordswithGoogleAdWordsKeywordPlanner.

TheGoogleAdWordsKeywordPlannergivesyouthefollowinginformationabouteachquery:

Averagemonthlysearchers:Theaveragenumberoftimespeoplehavesearchedforthisexactkeywordbasedonthedaterangeandtargetingsettingsthatyouselect.Competition:Thenumberofadvertisersbiddingonthiskeywordorkeywordphraseforapaidtrafficcampaign(turntoChapter10forinformationaboutpaidtraffic).IntheCompetitioncolumn,youcanseewhetherthecompetitionforakeywordideaislow,medium,orhigh.

Don’tbediscouragedifyouresearchkeywordsandfindthattheGoogleAdWordsKeywordPlannerhasnoinformationtoreport.ThemainreasontousethistoolistoresearchkeywordstotargetonGoogle’sadvertisingplatform.Keywordsthatmaybeabsolutelyrelevanttoyourbusiness,andthusgoodkeywordstotarget,maynotappearinthistool,particularlyforbrandedqueriessuchasthenamesofyourproducts,services,orbrands.

SatisfyingsearchersMuchlikebloodhoundsonahunt,peopleoftensearchthewebuntiltheysatisfytheirintent,context,orboth.Tocompeteforasearchquery,amarketerneedstocreateawebpageorassetthatsatisfiesthesearcher ’squery.Thatwebpageorassetcouldbeanything

fromablogposttoaproductdemonstrationvideo.

ThewebpageshowninFigure8-5satisfiestheintentofanysearcherwhoentersthequery“mojitorecipe”intheGooglesearchengine,andthewebpageshowninFigure8-6satisfiestheintentofasearcherwhoentersthequery“buycanoneos70d”intheAmazonsearchengine.

Source:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/147363/the-real-mojito/FIGURE8-5:Allrecipes.comsatisfiesasearcher’sintentforamojitorecipe.

Source:https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=buy+canon+eos+70dFIGURE8-6:AsearchqueryinAmazonsatisfiesasearchfortheCanonEOS70D.

Otherassetsyoumightcreatetosatisfytheintentofasearcherincludepodcasts,videos,andsocialmediaupdates.

Thewebpageorassetneedstobediscoverablebythesearchenginethatthemarketeristargeting.ThePinterestsearchengine,forexample,discoversnewPinterestpinsaddedtoyourPinterestboards,andtheGooglesearchenginediscoversnewwebpagesandblogpostsaddedtoyourwebsite(assumingthatyouhaven’tcreatedanytechnicalbarriersforthesearchengine).Wetalkmoreabouttechnicalbarriersinthe“Optimizingforsearchenginerobots”section,laterinthischapter.

Ifthewebpageorassetyoucreatesatisfiestheintent,context,orbothofasearcher,ithasachancetobeshowntothatsearcher.Thatsaid,manyfactorsdeterminewhichwebpagesandassetsareshownforanygivenquery.Inthefollowingsections,wegointomoredetailaboutthesefactorsandhowtooptimizeyourassetssothattheyaremorelikelytoappearinfrontofyouridealsearcher.

CONVERTINGPROSPECTSTOCUSTOMERSDon’tfallintothetrapofthinkingthatthegoalofyoursearchmarketingistogetbetterrankingsinsearchengines.Also,don’tmakethemistakeofthinkingthatsearchmarketingisjustaboutgettingtraffic.Thegoalofsearchmarketing,aswithallmarketing,istomoveyourcustomerfromonestageofthecustomerjourneytothenext(coveredinChapter1).

Foreverysearcherwhovisitsyourblog,YouTubechannel,orPinteresthomepage,youneedtoprovideacalltoactiontotakethenextstep.

Supposethatasearchertypesaqueryindicatingthathe’slookingforademonstrationofyourproduct.Helandsonyourproductpageandfindsaproduct-demonstrationvideo.Greatjob!Youanticipatedtheintentofyouridealcustomerandcreatedapagethatsatisfiesthatintentonanappropriatechannel.Don’tsquanderthisvisitbyfailingtomakeacalltoactiontothenextlogicalstepinthecustomerjourney.Inthiscase,theappropriatenextstepistobuytheproduct.Failingtomakeaclearcalltoactiontothislogicalnextstepisn’tjustbadmarketingbutalsoabaduserexperience.Thispersonislookingforademonstrationofyourproduct,whichmeanshemayalsobelookingtobuyit.Provideacalltoactionthatwillhelptomovehimtothenextstepinhiscustomerjourneywithyou.

OptimizingYourAssetsforSpecificChannelsAfteryou’vebuiltawebpageorassetthattargetsaspecificintent,context,orboth,youneedtodeterminewherethatassetwill“live.”Werefertothevariousplacesyoucanhouseyourwebpagesorassetsaschannels.Startingwithasearcher ’sintentandcontexthelpsyoudeterminethecorrectchanneltousetodeliverthewebpageorasset.Ifyouwanttosatisfysearcherswiththeintentofunderstandinghowyourproductworks,forexample,youmightcreateaproduct-demonstrationvideo,soitwouldmakesensetochooseYouTubeasthechannelforthisasset.

Inthissection,wediscussstrategiestouseinoptimizingyourassetsforseveralpopularchannels.

OptimizingforGoogleYourwebsiteisachannelthatcangettrafficfromsearchenginessuchasGoogle.ThissectionlaysoutthestepsforoptimizingawebpageforGoogle.

Step1:Writethe<title>tagThe<title>tagisthemostcriticalsearchrankingelementonanywebpage.Thistagisdisplayedonsearchengineresultspagesandismeanttobeanaccurateandconcisedescriptionofapage’scontent,tellingsearchenginesandsearcherswhatthepageisabout.The<title>tagappearsinblueonsearchengineresultspagesandisthelinkthatusersclicktoaccesstherelatedcontent(seeFigure8-7).

FIGURE8-7:Examplesof<title>tags.

Keywordsareessentialfor<title>tags,sostartthosetagswithyourmostimportantkeywordsforthatpage.Usingthekeywordsyou’vechosenforthepageyou’reoptimizing,createatitleforyourpiecethat’snomorethan70characterslong;otherwise,thesearchenginemaytruncateit.The<title>tagshouldreadwellbecauseitisdisplayedprominentlyonthesearchresultspage.

Step2:WriteametadescriptionThemetadescription,oftendisplayeddirectlybelowthe<title>tag,furtherdescribesthecontentofthepage.Typically,searchedkeywordsappearinboldfaceinthemetadescription.Althoughsearchenginesdon’tuseyourmetadescriptionstodetermineyourrankingforasearchquery,searchersreadthesedescriptionstodeterminewhethertheywanttoclickyourresults.

Themetadescriptionistheelevatorpitchforyourpage,somakeitcompelling.Includewordsthatdescribethecontentofthepageinawaythatenticessearcherstoclickyourresult.

Keepyourmetadescriptionshorterthan150characters;otherwise,it’slikelytobetruncatedonthesearchresultpage.Considerusingacalltoactioninyourmetadescription,suchas“Shopnow!”“Clickhereforfreeshipping,”or“Browsethelatesttrends.”

Figure8-8showssomeexamplesofmetadescriptions.

FIGURE8-8:Examplesofmetadescriptions.

Step3:OptimizetheURL

AURL(UniformResourceLocator)describesasiteorpagetovisitorsandsearchengines,soit’simportanttokeeptheURLrelevantandaccuratesothatthecontentrankswell.AURL(alsoreferredtoasaslug)issetuplikethis:

www.YourSiteNameHere.com/keywords-that-describe-this-page

IncludeyourkeywordsintheURLaftertheforwardslash(/).SearchenginesusethekeywordsinthissectionoftheURLtofurtherdeterminewhatthepageisaboutandwhereitshouldrank.AlthoughthekeywordsinyourURLdon’tplayasbigofaroleinyoursearchrankingsasyourtitletagdoes,keywordsarestillimportantelementstooptimize.

Step4:WritebodycopyTextonapage,alsocalledcontentorcopy,givesthesearchengineinformationaboutwhatsearchqueriesyourpagewillsatisfy,soit’simportantforeverypageonyoursitetohavetext.Havingcontentonawebpageisalsoveryhelpfulingettingthepagetorankinsearch.Aimfor500wordsormoreoneachpage,butdon’tfillyourwebpageswithlow-qualitycontentjusttogetwordsonthepage.Onvideo-orimage-heavypages,ofcourse,youmayhaveveryfewwordsonapage,andthat’sokay.Alwayserronthesideofsatisfyingtheintentofsearchersbygivingthemenoughinformationtomakesenseofthepage.

Throughoutthebody,userelevantkeywordsorkeywordphrasesthatdescribethepage.Includeyourkeywordsandvariationsonthosekeywordsinthebodytitlesorheadings.Inshort,usethekeywordsyou’retargetingandvariationsonthosekeywordsanywhereitseemsnaturaltodoso.

Step5:Optimizethe<alt>tagThe<alt>tagprovidesalternativeinformationforanimageonyourpage,intheformoftext,foruserswhocan’tviewtheimage(becauseofaslowInternetconnectionoranimageerror,forexample).Inthe<alt>tag,describetheimagewhileusingthekeywordphraseyou’vechosenforyourpiece.

OptimizingforYouTubeYouTubeisasearchengineand,therefore,isinterestedinkeepingsearcherswithinitsnetworksothatitcanshowthosesearchersads.Asaresult,YouTubesendstraffictovideosthatarekeepingYouTubevisitorsengagedonitssite.

Here’showtogetmoresearchtraffictoyourvideosonYouTube.

Step1:CreateengagingthumbnailsTheYouTubesearchenginemeasureshowmanypeopleseeyourvideointheirsearchresultsagainstthenumberwhoplayyourvideo.Ifyourvideosgetplayedoften,YouTuberewardsthemwithhigherrankings.

Themostimportantfactorinincreasingthenumberofplaysthatavideogetsisthevideo

thumbnail,whichistheimagesearchersseeforthevideo(seeFigure8-9)intheYouTubesearchresults.Acompellingthumbnailcanhaveabigeffectonyourclick-throughrateand,thus,yourrankingsinYouTube.

Source:https://www.youtube.com/FIGURE8-9:Eachvideoimageisathumbnail.

Toengageyouraudience,makesurethatyourthumbnailsarebright,vibrant,andcrisp.Includecompellingtextforeachthumbnailtotellviewersaboutthecontentandtoenticethemtoclickortapit.

Ifyoudon’thaveagraphicdesigner,youcancreateprofessional-lookingthumbnailswithatoolcalledCanva(https://www.canva.com/).Thistooloffersmanyfreeandpaidtemplatesyoucanuse.Also,youcanimportyourownimagesintoCanvatocreatethumbnailsthatsetyourvideosapart.

Step2:AskforengagementYouTube’sgoalistokeepsearcherswithintheconfinesofYouTubesothatitcanshowadstothosesearchers.Thenumberofshares,views,andcommentsyourvideosreceiveindicatestoYouTubehowwellyourvideosarekeepingsearchersengaged.

Inaddition,avideowithlotsofviews,morelikesthandislikes,andfavorablecommentsprovestonewviewersthequalityofthecontent.Goodqualityleadstomorelikesandshares.Inthedescriptionandinthevideoitself,besuretoaskviewerstolike,comment,share,andcheckoutmoreofyourvideos.

Step3:OptimizecontentforkeywordsLikeyourwebsite,yourYouTubevideosneedtobeoptimizedforkeywords.Makesure

youincludethekeyword(s)orkeywordphrase(s)inthevideo’stitle,thedescription,thetags,thefilenameofthevideofileyouupload,andthevideoyoucreate.ThispracticehelpsusersfindyourvideoandimprovesyourrankingsandrelevancyontheYouTubeplatform.

Togainmoreinsightintoyourscore,aswellasothermetrics,youcanuseatoollikevidIQ(http://vidiq.com/)totrackandmanageyourchannel.

Step4:LookatretentionHowlongpeoplewatchyourvideoisknownasaudienceretention,whichisanimportantmetrictomeasure.TheYouTubereportingsuiteallowsyoutoviewretentionmetrics,asshowninFigure8-10.

Source:https://www.youtube.com/analytics?o=U#r=retentionFIGURE8-10:ExaminingvideoretentioninYouTube.

It’snormalforavideotograduallyloseviewers;noteveryonewatchesavideothewholewaythrough.Thatsaid,payattentiontoaudienceretentiononoutliervideosthatdoverywellorverypoorly.Attempttodeterminewhysomevideoshavehighretentionwhileothershavetroubleholdingpeople’sattention.Thenoptimizeandchangeyourvideocontentaccordingly.

OptimizingforPinterestBelieveitornot,Pinterestisasearchengine.Infact,it’sanimportantsearchenginetounderstandifyousellphysicalproducts.FollowthreestepstooptimizesearchforyourPinterestchannel.

Step1:Enhanceyourimages

Pinterestisallaboutthepictures.Youwantbig,beautiful,crisppicturestograbpeople’sattention.Next,includeatextoverlayonyourimage.Thetextoverlayservesasthepin’sheadline,providingcontextandfurtherdescribingthepin.

ThesizeandshapeofyourimagesmatteronPinterest.Theplatformisverticallyoriented,somakesurethattheimagesyouuseareverticalwithanaspectratioof2:3to1:3.5andaminimumwidthof600pixels.Youcanusehorizontalimagesforyourpins,ofcourse,butverticalimagestendtodobetter.

Pinswithanaspectratiogreaterthan1:3.5aretruncated.

AsmentionedintheYouTubesection,youcanuseCanva(https://www.canva.com/)tocraftengagingpinswithprofessionalimagesandeye-catchingfonts.

Step2:OptimizeboardcoversPinterestpinsarecategorizedandhousedinboards.Youcanfindyourboardsonyourprofilepage.Liketheimagesyouuseforyourpins,yourboardcoversshouldbeoptimizedwithengaging,professionalpicturesthathavetextoverlaystofurtherdescribetheboard.Figure8-11showsaPinterestprofilepagewithkeyword-optimizedboardsthathavetextoverlays.

Source:https://www.pinterest.com/diyready/FIGURE8-11:Akeyword-optimizedboardfromDIYReady’sPinterestprofilepage.

Step3:Targetkeywords

CreativityisimportantinPinterest,butavoidbeingcute,creative,orpunny.ThePinterestsearchengineislesssophisticatedthansearchenginessuchasGoogle,soyoursearchresultswillimproveifyouuseyourtargetkeywordsverbatimwhennamingpinsandboardsandwhenaddingdescriptions.

Todiscoverthebestkeywordsforyourpin,board,ordescription,usethePinterestplatformtoresearchyourkeywords,asfollows:

1. TypeakeywordorkeywordphraseinthePinterestsearchengine.2. MakenoteofthesuggestedkeywordsPinterestprovidesbelowthekeyword.

WhenyousearchinPinterest,itgivespromptsforkeywordandkeywordphrasesrelatedtowhatyou’researchingfor.ThiscanbeusedtoprovideinspirationforkeywordsandphrasestooptimizeforinPinterest.SeeFigure8-12foranexampleofsearchingfor“weddingideas”inthePinterestplatform.

3. CreatenewpinsandboardsforanyrelevantkeywordssuggestedbyPinterest,andincludethesekeywordsinthedescriptionsofthosepinsandboards.

Source:https://www.pinterest.com/FIGURE8-12:AnexampleofpromptsPinterestgiveswhensearchingtheplatform.

OptimizingforAmazonIfyou’resellingonAmazon,youneedtounderstandhowitssearchengineoperates.TogetaproductpagetorankonAmazon,followthesefoursteps.

Step1:BuildsaleswithpromotionsandlaunchesToAmazon,lotsofsalesinashortamountoftimeindicatethataproductishotandthatitshouldbemovedupinthesearchrankings.Useperiodicpromotions,sales,andlaunchestoincreasesalesvelocity,andwatchyourrankingssoar.

Step2:IncreasereviewsReviewsareextremelyimportantontheAmazonplatform,andlotsofpositivereviewsindicatetoAmazonthatyourproductshouldbemovedupinthesearchrankings.Evenifpeopleloveyourproduct,theymaynottakethetimetoreviewit.RemindandencouragepeoplewhohaveboughtyourproducttowriteareviewwithtoolssuchasFeedbackGenius,whichhelpsyoumessagecustomerswhilestayingwithinAmazon’stermsofuse.

Step3:CreateacompellingproductnameIfyouwantpeopletoclickyourproduct,youneedtohaveacompellingproductname.Acuteorclevernamemaysoundcool,butitcanbevague,causingpeopletooverlookitbecausetheydon’tknowwhattheproductis.Toincreasetheclick-throughrate,makesurethatyourproduct’snameaccuratelydescribeswhattheproductisanddoes.Looktoyourcompetitorsforinspiration;seehowtheypresenttheirnamesonAmazon.

Peopledon’tbuyproductsonAmazon;theybuypicturesofproducts.Includeasmanyclear,crispproductimagesasnecessarytosatisfytheneedsofaprospectivecustomer.WhenbuyingonAmazon,yourbuyercan’tholdyourproductinhishandorexamineit,soyouneedtoincludequalitypicturesthatdemonstrateexactlywhatthebuyerwillget.Themoreexpensiveorcomplextheproduct,themoreimagesyou’relikelytoneed.

Step4:Createkeyword-targetedproductpagesYourAmazonproductpagecontainstext,andeveryoneofthosewordshelpsdetermineyourrankings.Includethekeywordorphraseyou’retargetinginthetitleofthepageandthroughouttheproductdescription.Aimforaproductdescriptionof250wordsormore.Don’tstuffthedescriptionwithkeywords,though,andkeepuserexperienceinmind.Favorqualityoverquantity.Aswithproductimages,themoreexpensiveorcomplexaproductis,themoredetailedaproductdescriptionyouneed.

OptimizingforiTunesPodcastingisaneffectiveandaffordablewaytodistributecontentontheInternet.Ifyou’repodcasting,youneedtounderstandhowiTunesrankspodcastssothatyoucangetmoreexposuretoiTunesusers.TakethreestepstoimproveyoursearchrankingswithiniTunes.

Step1:SolicitreviewsPositivereviewstelliTunesthatyourpodcastisworthwhileandshouldberewardedwithhighsearchrankings.Togeneratereviews,usethepodcastitselftoaskpeopletoleavereviews.Atleastonceperepisode,haveacalltoactiontoremindpeopletoreviewyourpodcast.

Step2:CreateacleartitleandacleancoverdesignYouwantaspecifictitleandasharpcoverdesignnotonlytodescribeyourpodcast,but

alsotoattractanaudience.Acutetitleislikelytogetlostorpassedoverbecausepeoplewon’tknowwhatyourshowisabout.Therefore,bepreciseinyourtitle,andincludekeywordsthatimproveyourrankingsandhelpsearchersfindyou.Inthatsamevein,includekeywordswithintheepisode’stitleanddescription.

Next,includeasleekcoverdesignforyourpodcast—onethatdemonstratesthethemeofyourpodcastbutisn’ttoobusy.Keepinmindthatyourpodcastcoveristhesizeofathumbnail.Keepthecoversimple;otherwise,yourmessageislikelytogetlost.

Step3:GrowdownloadsLikereviews,thenumberofdownloadsyourpodcastreceivesindicatesthequalityofthatpodcast.Asaresult,downloadvelocityhasadirecteffectonyoursearchresultsiniTunes.Steady,consistentincreasesindownloadsimproveyourrankings.

Toincreasedownloadsasyoulaunchyourpodcast,publishthreetofiveepisodesatthesametime,becausethemoretimesyoupublishinthebeginning,themoreepisodespeoplehaveaccesstoandthemoredownloadsyou’regoingtoseeaspeoplesubscribe.Asyougainsubscribersafterthefirstcoupleofweeks,youcanpublishonaconsistentdate,suchasoneepisodeeveryTuesday,toletyouraudienceknowwhentoexpectyourlatestepisode.

OptimizingforreviewsitesIfyou’remarketingalocalbusinesssuchasarestaurant,hotel,orretailstore,youneedtofocussomeofyoursearchoptimizationeffortsonreviewsitessuchasYelpandTripAdvisor.Followingaretwostepstotaketooptimizeforthosesites.

Step1:GainlegitimatereviewsYoudon’twantto“game”reviews;reviewsthataren’tlegitimatecanresultinbacklashfrombothyourcustomersandthereviewsite.Instead,youwanttoencouragehonestreviewsbymakingsurethatthecustomerexperienceistop-notchanddeservingofagoodreview.

Thatsaid,youcancertainlyencourageyourcustomerstosubmitlegitimatereviewswithtoolssuchasTripAdvisor ’sReviewExpress.Asecondmethodistoaskcustomersfortheiremailaddressesandforproductorservicereviewsatthepointofsale.Later,youcanfollowupwithpeopleandremindthemtoreviewbysendingthemanemail,andyoucanenticepeopletoreviewbyofferinggiveawaysorcontests.

Aftersomeonegivesyouareview,respondbythankingthepersonforhistimeandlettinghimknowthathe’sbeenheard.Ifsomeonegivesyouanegativereview,respondtothatpersonwithempathysothatsheknowsthatshe’sbeenheard.Explainyoursideofthestory,andifthereviewrequiresmoreattention,moveittoaprivatechannelsuchasemailorphone.It’sbesttohandlecustomer-serviceissuesoutsidepublicchannelslikereview

sites.

Onmostreviewsites,reviewscoresoutweighthenumberofreviews.Focusongettingfantasticreviewsfromsatisfiedcustomers.Sure,thesheernumberofreviewsyoureceiveisimportant,butonlyifthosereviewsindicatethatyourcustomersarehappywithyourbusiness.

Step2:ClaimyourprofileIfyou’vebeeninbusinessforawhile,you’relikelylistedonvirtuallyeveryreviewsite,whetheryouknowitornot.Visittherelevantreviewsites,andsearchforyourbusiness.Thenclaimyourbusiness(orstartaprofileifneeded)onthereviewsitebyansweringquestionsandperformingverificationchecksthatprovethebusinessisyours.Byclaimingyourbusiness,youcanmanageyourprofile,makeedits,andaddinformationtoyourprofileonthereviewsite.

Fixanyinaccuraciesinyourprofile,andaddinformationthatcurrentandpotentialcustomersmayfindhelpful,suchashoursofoperation,location,contactinformation,andcompanyhistory.Withinthedescription,includekeywordswhereveritmakessensetodoso,andusecategorizationappropriatelytoimproveyoursearchrankingswithinthereviewsiteplatform.

OptimizingforsearchenginerobotsSearchenginerobotsareprogramsthatvisitwebpagesand“crawl”orindexthecontentonthosepages.However,ifbarriershavebeenplaced,therobotcan’tcrawlthepage,sothatpagedoesn’tgetindexedorservedtosearchers.Oneofyoursearchmarketinggoalsshouldbetomakeitaseasyaspossibleforsearchrobotstoaccessandindexyourpages.

Atthispoint,searchmarketingcanbecomeextremelytechnical.Ifyourwebsiteisunintentionallycreatingbarriersand“speedbumps”forsearchengines,youmayneedtoinvolveasearchengineoptimization(SEO)professionalwhounderstandsthetechnicalsideofsearchmarketing.

Todeterminewhetheryourwebsitehasrobotoptimizationissues,installGoogleSearchConsole(https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/home)onyourwebsite.GoogleSearchConsole(formerlyGoogleWebmasterTools)isafreetoolthatallowsyoutoseeyourwebsiteastheGooglesearchengineseesit.Youcanviewimportanttechnicalinformationaboutsearchrobots’capabilitytoindexyourwebsite,includingthefollowing:

Indexstatus:ThetotalnumberofURLsfromyoursitethathavebeenaddedtoGoogle’sindex.Ifyourwebsitehas100pages,forexample,youshouldseethatnumberofpagesintheindex-statusreport.URLerrors:PagesthatGoogleishavingdifficultyaccessing.Investigatethereasons

whypageshaveerrors,andrepairthem.Securityissues:Ifyoursitecontainsmalware,itwillappearintheGoogleSearchConsole.AsitewithsecurityissuesisveryunlikelytobeservedtrafficbysearchengineslikeGoogle.Addressmalwareissuesimmediately.

EarningLinksAsearchmarketermustcreateawebsitethatearnslinksfromexternalsources.LinksaretheInternetequivalentofpositivewordofmouthaboutyourbusiness.Forinstance,ifablogaboutpersonalfinancelinkstothepersonalfinancesiteQuicken.com,thatlinkfromtheblogissayingthatQuickenhasqualitycontentthatthebloggerconsiderstrustworthyandrelevant;it’stheInternetequivalentofareferralinthephysicalworld.Pageswithmorelinkspointingtothemgenerallygetbettersearchresultsthanpageswithfewerlinks.

Linksthatpointtoawebpageareconsideredtobevotesforthatpage.Searchenginestakeintoaccountthevolumeand,moreimportant,thequalityofthelinkstoapagetodeterminewhichpagestoserveintheirresultsforaparticularkeywordsearchquery.

Inthefollowingsections,wediscusshowtoearnlinksbyusingsearchmarketingtacticsthatstaywithinthesearchengine’stermsofserviceandavoidblack-hattactics,asstatedinthe“Blackhatsandwhitehats”sidebar,earlierinthischapter.

Step1:Cross-linkyourowncontentThemethodofbuildinglinksthat’smostunderyourcontroliscross-linkingonyourownsite.Ifafinancialplanningwebsitepublishesablogposttitled“TenMistakestoAvoidWhenPlanningforRetirement,”itwouldmakesense,forboththereaderandthesearchengine,tofindacross-linkfromthisblogposttoapageexplainingthecompany’sretirement-planningservices.

Linkingwithinyourownwebsiteimprovesuserexperienceandsendssignalstosearchenginesaboutwhatpagesareimportantonyourwebsite.Cross-linktoimportantpagesonyourwebsitewhereverandwheneveritmakessensetodoso,whilekeepinguserexperienceinmind.

Step2:Studyyourcompetitors’linksThenextstepisdoingsomecompetitiveresearch.UsingatoolsuchasOpenSiteExplorer(https://moz.com/researchtools/ose/),youcanresearchyourmajorcompetitorstoseewhatsitesarelinkingtothem.Thenreachouttothosesitestoseewhetherthey’reinterestedinlinkingtoyoursiteaswell.

Step3:CreategenerouscontentYoucanearnlinksbycreatingso-calledgenerouscontent:contentthatmentionsotherpeople,especiallyinfluentialpeoplewhocouldlinkbacktoyouorshareyourcontentontheirsocialnetworks.Onewaytocreategenerouscontentistowriteanarticleaboutaspecificpersonorbrandandthenlinktotheappropriatesite.Thisarticlemaytaketheformofabiographyoraninterview.

Anotherwaytobuildgenerouscontentistocreateacrowdsourcedpostthatasksexpertstowrite100wordsorsoonthesametopicandthenlinkstoeachexpert’ssite.Wecover

creatinggenerouscontent,suchasthecrowdsourcedpost,indetailinChapter6.

Thebottomlineisthattoearnlinkstoyourwebsite,youneedtostartgivingoutsome“linklove”ofyourown.Begenerouswithyourwebsitebyquotingothersandreferringyourvisitorstopagesyoulike.Makesurethatyouletpeopleknowwhenyoulinktothem.

Step4:CreatecontentworthyofalinkGreatcontentprovidesassetsthatpeoplewanttosharewiththeirnetwork.Createoutstandingcontent,particularlyonyourblog,thatpeoplelinktobecauseitprovidestremendousvalue.Forexample,abankthatwantstoattractprospectivehomebuyersmightbuildafreeandeasy-to-usemonthlymortgagecalculator.Ifothersfindthistooluseful,theywilllinktoitandimprovethatbankwebsite’sstandinginthesearchengines.

Step5:PublishprimaryresearchOnepowerfulwaytogeneratelinksistopublishprimaryresearch:newresearchthatyoucollectedyourself.Becauseprimaryresearchcanbedifficultandtime-consumingtocreate,it’svaluableandrare.Solidprimaryresearchisingreatdemandandoftenleadstohigh-qualitylinksaspeoplecitethatresearchontheirwebpages.

Step6:KeepupwiththenewsThelaststepiscreatingnewsworthycontentandpublishingitasthetopicinquestionistrending.Todothiseffectively,keepaneyeonindustrynews.Oneofthebestwaystodothatistousesocialmedia,particularlyTwitter,becauseTwittertendstobethenervoussystemoftheInternet.

Bereadytoproducecontentaboutyourindustryatamoment’snoticeorfindcreativewaystorelatetrending,newsworthytopicstoyourindustry.Thisistoughwork,butbeingoneofthefirstpeopletocreatecontentcanhaveabigpayoff:You’llbeoneofonlyafewsourcesofinformationaboutsomething,causingotherpeopletolinktoyouasthestorydevelops.Butbeforeyoujumpthegun,makesurethatyoucanverifythenewsstoryorrisktheembarrassmentanddamagetoyourreputationforpublishinginaccurateinformation.

BUILDINGLINKSINAPOST-PENGUINWORLDThenumberoflinkspointingtoawebpagehasbeenafactoringarneringsearchtrafficfornearlytwodecades.Inthattime,less-than-reputablesearchmarketershavedevelopedwaystomanipulatethenumberoflinksawebpagereceives.In2012,GooglelaunchedthePenguinupdatetostopsitesdeemedtobespammingitssearchresults,particularlysitesbuyinglinksorobtaininglinksthroughlinknetworksinanefforttoboosttheirGooglesearchrankings.

Today,black-hatsearchmarketingtacticssuchaslinkbuyingviolateGoogle’stermsofservice,andupdateslikePenguinmakeitdifficulttoexecutethosetactics.Theonlysustainablewaytobuildlinkstoyourwebpagesistheold-fashionedway:Buildsomethingworthlinkingto.

Alllinksaren’tcreatedequal.Linksfromhigh-quality,authoritativesiteshaveagreatereffectthanlinksfromlow-qualitysites.AlinkfromTheNewYorkTimesorUniversityofSouthernCaliforniawebsite,forexample,carriesmoreweightthanalinkfromabrand-newblogwithnoauthority.Searchengineshavedeemedreputablepublicationsandcollegesites,liketheTimesandUSCsites,tobeunlikelytolinktoalow-qualitypageorapagethatinfringesuponthesearchengine’stermsofservice.

Chapter9

LeveragingtheSocialWebINTHISCHAPTER

GeneratingleadsandsalesonthesocialwebListeningforreputationandcustomerserviceissuesGettingcustomersandprospectstoknow,like,andtrustyouPartneringwithinfluentialbrandsandindividuals

Socialmediaisanaffordableandefficientwaytoreachprospects,leads,andcustomers.Butsocialmediacommunicationisavastdiscipline,encompassingeverythingfromsocialnetworkingonsiteslikeFacebookandTwittertocontent-publishingplatformslikeYouTubeandMedium.Andthat’sjusttomentionafewofthehundredsofsocialchannelstochoosefrom—eachwithitsownbrandofprocesses,procedures,andprotocols.Theopportunitiesinsocialmediaareexciting,buttheycanseemintimidatingattimes.

Atitscore,socialmediamarketingisnodifferentfromotherformsofmarketing.It’sessentiallyjustanewwaytointeractwithcustomers,prospects,influencers,andpartners.Inthischapter,wehelpyousortthroughthemadness,makeaplan,andstartusingsocialmediatocreatevalueforyourcompany.Wetellyouhowtogenerateleadsandsales,practicestoexpandyourexposure,thepowerfulusesof“listening”tools,waystosharpenyourskillsforgainingthetrustofyourprospects,andhowtoavoidsocialmediamistakes.

TheSocialSuccessCycleMostbusinessestreatsocialmediamarketingasasinglediscipline,butit’sactuallycomposedoffourequallyimportantparts:

Sociallistening:MonitoringandrespondingtocustomerserviceandreputationmanagementissuesonthesocialwebSocialinfluencing:Establishingauthorityonthesocialweb,oftenthroughdistributingandsharingvaluablecontentSocialnetworking:FindingandassociatingwithauthoritativeandinfluentialindividualsandbrandsonthesocialwebSocialselling:Generatingleadsandsalesfromexistingcustomersandprospectsonthesocialweb

Understandingwhyandhowtoemployeachcomponentofthesocialsuccesscycleisthekeytomakingsenseofwhatcanlooklikechaosonthesocialweb.

Asamarketer,it’shardtoknowwheretostartwithallthedifferentavenuesyoucantakewithsocialmedia.Thegoodnewsisthatallmajorsocialmediachannelsfallintoonlytwocategories—andrecognizingthesecategoriesiskeytoeffectivelyharnessingsocialmediachannelsaspartofacomprehensivemarketingstrategy.

Seekerchannelsaresocialmediaplatformsthatusersgotowhenseekingspecificcontent.ThinkofthesechannelsasmodifiedsearchengineslikeBingorGoogle.Usersgenerallygotothechanneltosearchforanddiscovercontent,andtheyconsumethatcontentonthatchannel.ThetwobigplayersinthiscategoryareYouTubeandPinterest.WhenusersvisitYouTube,theyaregenerallyin“seeker”mode.TheyuseYouTube’ssearchbarforaspecificinquiryandconsumethevideorightontheplatform.Similarly,peopleusethePinterestsearchbartogetspecificinformationontopicslikerecipes,crafts,orfashion.Thoughit’simage-based,Pinterestalsooperateslikeasearchengine.

Theseseekerchannelsareperfectforsocialinfluencing.Strategicallyplacingcontentonthesesitesprovidesawaytosharevaluableinformationwithyourtargetaudienceandworkstobuildauthorityandtrustwithyourbrand.Seekerchannelsarealsoperfectforsocialselling.YoucanoptimizevideosonYouTubeorimagesonPinterestwithcallstoactionthatservetotransformleadsintocustomers—orattheveryleast,encourageyourprospecttoconsumeevenmorecontentonyourwebsite.Figure9-1showsaGoProYouTubevideowithaclearcalltoactionattheendofthevideotosubmitimagesandvideostoGoPro.

Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNfpnEr-wYFIGURE9-1:GoPromakesacalltoactiontogetitsaudiencetoengagewiththebrand.

Ontheoppositesideofthecoinareengagementchannels.Onthesesocialmediaoutlets,usersprimarilyengageandconnectwithothers.Thisistheplacewhereuser-to-userconversationsarecommonplace.Userscarryonconversationsandshareshort-formcontentthatlinkstolonger-formcontentelsewhere.AgreatengagementchannelexampleisTwitter.BecauseofTwitter ’s140-characterlimit,youoftenseetweetsbearingasnippetofinformationwithanaccompanyinglinkthattakesyouofftheplatformandtoanothersite.Engagementchannelsarebestforsociallistening,becauseconversationisparamount.Youfindconversationsgoingonbetweenbrandandcustomer,customerandcustomer,customerandprospect.Theseback-and-forthconversationsareperfectplacestomonitorandrespondtoyourcustomersandprospects,oreventoseehowyourcompetitorsarecommunicating.Becauseconversationisanativeexperience,engagementchannelsarealsoperfectplacesforsocialnetworking.MajorengagementchannelsavailableonthesocialwebareTwitter,Facebook,andLinkedIn.

Noteverysocialmediachannelfallsintothesetwocategories,butmostofthosewithwidespreadusagedo.Asamarketeronaseekerchannel,yourpriorityistomakesurethatuserscandiscoveryourcontentwhentheyareperformingsearches.Engagementchannelsareallaboutlistening,sharingcontent,andnetworking.Besuretofocusonsocialcustomerserviceandhowoftenyouengageinactiveconversationswithyourcustomers,prospects,andinfluencersonengagementchannels.

ListeningtotheSocialWebSociallisteninginvolvesstrategicallymonitoringandrespondingtomentionsonthesocialweb(whetherit’spraiseorcriticism)aboutyourbrand,keymembersofyourorganization,yourproductsorservices,oranythingthatfallsintoyourindustryniche.Thisrolecanbefilledbyasingleindividualor,dependingonthesizeofyourorganization,anentireteamtaskedwithmonitoringmentions.Regardlessofwhetheryou’retheonlyemployeeofyourbusinessoremployedataFortune100company,sociallisteningconceptsapplyacrosstheboard.

Thesedays,abusinesscanfailatsocialmediainmanyways.Sometimes,socialmediaseemslikesomethingthatwasforcedonthebusinessworld.Asaresult,manybusinesseshaveresistedparticipatinginsocialmediachannels.Onoccasion,employeeswithaccesstoofficialsocialchannelspostquestionablestatusupdatesthatcanhaveanembarrassingimpactoncompaniesandtheirprincipalmembers.Butthebiggestfailureofallisignoringsocialmediaconversationsaltogether.

Thefactofthematteristhatprospects,leads,andcustomersareactivelytalkingaboutyou,yourbrand,andyourindustryonthesocialweb.Ifcompaniesarenotactivelylisteningfortheseconversations,someonemayaswellhaveinstalledatelephoneinyourcustomercaredepartmentthatisringingoffthehookwithnoonepickingupthephone.Thereliesthebiggestsocialmediasin.It’snotpostingsomethingembarrassingorangeringthemasseswithlessthanpoliticallycorrectstatements—it’signoringthesocialtelephone.

Whenwethinkaboutuserspostingcomplaintsandpraiseonthesocialweb,wetendtothinkofTwitterandFacebookastheplacetofindthesementions.Thetruthisthat,dependingonthetypeofbusinessyouhave,peoplearelikelytalkingaboutyouonallsortsofchannels,fromdemonstrationvideosonYouTubetoreviewsonsiteslikeYelpandAmazon.Theseconversationsarethementionsthatyourcompanyneedstobeawareofandactivelylisteningforonthesocialweb,andthey’rewhatmakesasociallisteningprogramsoessential.

Sociallisteningisafoundationalconceptinthesocialsuccesscycle.Today,peopleexpectorganizationstoengageinsociallistening,andyourprospects,customers,andclientsexpectyourparticipationintheconversationstheyinitiateoverthesocialweb.Ifyou’rejustgettingstartedinsocialmedia,don’tbeginbynetworking,influencing,orselling—beginwithlistening.Usesocialmediaasthecustomer-serviceandreputation-managementchannelthatitalreadyisforyourbrand.Foranexampleofresponsivesociallistening,seeFigure9-2,whichshowsthegrocerystorechainSave-A-Lotrespondingtoacustomercomplaintandlettinghimknowhe’sbeenheardontheFacebooknetwork.

Source:https://www.facebook.com/savealot/posts_to_page/FIGURE9-2:Save-A-Lotletsacustomerknowthathe’sbeenheard.

Sociallisteninggoesfarbeyondcustomerservice.Also,listeningtothesocialwebinformsallotheraspectsofyoursocialsuccesscycle:

Socialinfluencing:Sociallisteningimpactssocialinfluencingbylettingyouknowwhatsortofcontentyoushouldsharethatyouraudiencefindsmostvaluable.Partnerships:Bypayingattentiontowhoonthesocialwebissharinginfluentialinformationinyourindustry,yoursociallisteningcaninformyouaboutpotentialpartnershipsandjournalistswhomightgiveyourbrandearnedmediamentions.Socialselling:Sociallisteningplaysanimportantpartinsocialselling,whichiswhenabrandusessocialmediatogenerateleadsandsales.Thebrandwillanswerprospectquestionsandofferinsightuntiltheprospectisreadytomakeabuyingdecision.Therefore,sociallisteningcaninformsocialsellingbytellingyouwhatpeoplearelikelytorespondto,whattheydesire,andwhattheyareaskingforonthesocialwebsothatyourproductsandservicescanbestmeettheprospects’needs.

ChoosingasociallisteningtoolManysociallisteningtoolsareavailableforconductingyoursociallisteningcampaigns.Thesetoolsrequirevariouslevelsoffinancialcommitmentandfeatureoptionsthatcanhelpyouinitiateaneffectivesociallisteningprogram.Luckily,whetheryouworksoloorhavealargeteamofsociallisteners,lotsofhelpisavailabletohelpyoumeetyoursociallisteninggoals.

Ifyoudon’thavethebandwidthorbudgettodiveintomoreadvancedsociallisteningtools,youcanuseGoogleAlerts(https://www.google.com/alerts)aspartofyoursociallisteningstrategy.GoogleAlertsisafreeoptionforsocialmediamarketersonashoestringbudget.Asyoumightbeaware,Googleconstantlycrawlstheweblookingfornewcontent.TheGoogleAlertsfeatureletsyousetupemailalertswheneverthesearchenginefindsmentionsofpreselectedkeywords,suchascompanynames,productnames,ornamesofthepublic-facingmembersofyourorganization.It’saviableoptionifyours

isaverysmallbusinessthatdoesn’tgeneratemanymentions,andonesthatdon’trequirecomplexfeedbackloops.

SmallbusinesseswithoneortwodedicatedsociallistenerscangraduateuptoatoollikeMention(https://mention.com),whichusesamoresophisticatedkeywordsearchandcanpullmentionsdirectlyfromallaspectsofthesocialweb,includingsocialmediachannels,blogs,andnewsites.Also,anentiresuiteofsimilartoolsexiststhatcompeteswithMention,soifyoudoyourresearch,youcanfindthetoolthatbestsuitsyourneeds.SociallisteningtoolslikeMentionaremid-levelinpriceandfeatures.Theywon’tbreakthebank,buttheyprovidehelpfulfeatureslikemetrics,sentiment,andreporting.

Goingbeyondthemid-leveltools,enterprise-levelbusinessescanuseamuchmoresophisticated(andexpensive)listeningtoolsuchasRadian6(https://www.marketingcloud.com/products/social-media-marketing/radian6/).Thisplatformoffersmoreadvancedreportingfeatures,integrationswithCRMs,andhelp-desksoftware.It’sidealforadvancedworkflowsoflargersociallisteningteamsaswell.

PlanningtolistenEarlierinthischapter,wediscusshowimportantsociallisteningisasastrategy,buthowexactlydoesoneexecuteonsociallistening?Makenomistake:Sociallisteningdoesn’thappenbyaccident;it’satacticalendeavor.Youexecutesociallisteningcampaignsbyusingtoolsthat“listen”forkeywords.Beforeyoubeginimplementingyoursociallisteningcampaign,youneedtodetermineexactlywhatkeywordsyouneedtolistenfor.Fivekeywordcategoriesapplytovirtuallyanybusiness(seeFigure9-3):

Brands:Thiscategoryincludesyourcompanyname,brands,subbrands,andproducts.Topics:Determinetheindustry-relatedtopicspeopleinyourindustrydiscussandhowyoucancontributeandbuildyourauthorityonthesetopics.Competitors:Establishwhoyourcompetitorsare,findoutwhatpeoplesayaboutthem,andascertainwhatneedsandproblemsyourcompetitors’customersandprospectsarevoicingonthesocialweb.Influencers:Settleupontheinfluentialbrandsandindividualswhohaveanimpactonyourindustry.Beawareofwhattheyaresayingaboutyoursharedindustryonthesocialweb.People:Payattentiontowhatcustomers,prospects,andothersaresayingaboutthehigh-profile,public-facingindividualswhoareapartofyourorganization.

FIGURE9-3:Thefivekeywordsthatapplytovirtuallyanybusiness.

Apple,Inc.,oneoftheworld’slargesttechnologycompanies,canserveasanexampleofacompanythatpossiblyengagesheavilyinsociallistening.Applelikelylistensforallitsbrands,suchasiOSandtheAppleWatch(andmany,manymoreofitscreations).Alertsforconversationsaboutindustry-relatedtopicsalsoapply—thinkmentionsof“smartphonecamera”or“wearabletech.”Thecompanyalsoprobablypayscloseattentiontowhatpeoplesayaboutitscompetitors,suchasAndroidandJeffBezos,theCEOofAmazon.Majorblogsandindividualsinfluencethepublic’sopinionaboutApple,suchasGigaomandJohnGruber,aproducerofatechnology-focusedblogcalledDaringFireball.Ofcourse,ApplewouldwanttobeawareofconversationsconcerningitsCEOTimCookandArthurLevinson,theChairmanoftheBoard.Ifallthisseemslikealottobelisteningfor,you’reright;itis.InanorganizationthesizeofApple,anenterprise-levelsociallisteningtoollikeRadian6informsentireteamsofpeoplewhoarelisteningforconversationsaboutalltheseexamples—andmany,manymore.

ListeningwithoutpaidtoolsAswediscussearlierinthechapter,youcanuseGoogleAlertsasafreeoptionforasociallisteningtool.However,sometimesyoumayneedmoresophisticatedtoolsbutstilllackthebudgettomanagethecost.Forexample,yourbusinessmightbeastartupwithasmallteamthat’sattractingagooddealofconversationonthesocialweb.Orperhapsyourbrandnameisn’tspecificenoughtopullrelevantmentionsthroughtheGoogleAlertsalgorithm.ThegoodnewsisthattwotoolsareavailableforyoutouseinlieuofapaidsociallisteningtoolthatcanassistyoumuchbetterthanGoogleAlerts:HootsuiteandtheGooglesearchengine.

Hootsuite(https://hootsuite.com/)isafreesocialmediamanagementplatformthatprovidesadashboardforsocialmediamanagement.ItintegrateswithmostmajorsocialmediaplatformsincludingTwitter,Facebook,Instagram,LinkedIn,andYouTube.Thedashboardallowsyoutosetup“streams”ofnotificationssuchasmentionsofspecificTwitterhandlesandFacebookaccounts.Youcanmonitorsocialmediaupdatesinwhichyouaretaggedandsetupstreamsaroundthespecifickeywordsyouselect.Hootsuitegivesyoualow-budgetwaytofindmentionsofkeywordsyoumightotherwisehavemissed.

InadditiontousingHootsuite,alsoconsiderrunningyourkeywordsthrougharegularGooglesearch.Asyouknow,conversationsaboutyouaren’tjusthappeningonbigsocialmediasites.TheyalsoshowuponplaceslikeTumblrandMedium,aswellasforumsandblogs.PutyourkeywordsinquotationmarkssothatGooglesearchesforonlytheentireterm,andvoilà!Youhaveacuratedlistofcontentthatmentionsyourphrase.Youdon’thavetoscrollthroughthepagesforever,buttakeahardlookatthefirst10to20linksthatcomeup;thesearemostessentialtoyourreputationmanagement.

UtilizingthefeedbackloopAfteryoulocatementionsofyourbrandonthesocialweb,it’sbesttorespondinsideyoursociallisteningcampaign,whichyoudobycreatingandimplementingvariousfeedbackloops.Generallyspeaking,afeedbackloopisaprocedurethathelpsbusinessesrespondandaddresscustomerissuesonthesocialweb.Itoftenworksbehindthescenesofthepublic-facingsocialmedia,butit’sanimportantstepinmakingsurethatyourprospectsandcustomersfeelvaluedandheard.Feedbackloops(picturedinFigure9-4)seektoaccomplishacommunicatedresolutiontocustomerissueswithapredeterminedperiodoftime.

FIGURE9-4:Aflowchartforsettingupfeedbackloops.

Saythatacustomerraisesaconcernthatdirectlyorindirectlyinvolvesyourcompany,products,orservicesandpostsonTwitter,foralltheworldtosee.Intheageofsocialmediaanddigitalcommunication,thisisacommonoccurrence.That’swhythefirstlineofdefenseinthefeedbackloopisyourcommunitymanager,thepersonatyourcompanywhomonitorstheconversationshappeningonthesocialweb.YourcompanymightuseapaidtoollikeMentionorRadian6,describedearlier,tolistenforthesecomplaintsastheyhappen.Youmighthavemultiplecommunitymanagers,oryoumightbethecommunitymanager.Inanycase,someonemustbelisteningtothesocialwebwhenyourcustomervoicestheissue.

Sometimesissuessimplycan’tberesolvedimmediately,andthat’sokay.Justlettingcustomersknowthattheirmessagehasbeenreceivedisenoughtomakethemfeelrespectedandappreciated,andwillbuyyousometimetofindtheresolution.Imaginebeingawaiteratabusyrestaurantduringhappyhourandanunexpectedtableoftenwalksintoyoursection.Atthemoment,youdon’thavetimetotakethistable’sorderorevendropoffwater.Whatcanyoudotobuyyourselfsometime?Youstopbythetable,verballyacknowledgeyourcustomers’arrival,andinformthemthatyouwillbewiththemshortly.

Wecallthisthe“You’veBeenHeard”response,andit’sapowerfulwaytode-escalatesituations—bothforbusyrestaurantsandonthesocialweb.Thesocialmediauniversemoveslightningfast.Twenty-fourhoursmightaswellbeathousandyears,especiallywhenunhappycustomersareinvolved.That’swhyhavingsomeoneinyourcompanywhoislisteningtowhat’sbeingsaidandrespondingtoissuesquicklyiscrucial.Wetrytorespondwithin12hourstoFacebookmessagesandevenquickeronTwitter,achannelwithevenlesspatience.Thisfirst-responsetimedependsonthesizeofyourcompany,soit’simportanttositdownandthinkabouthowquicklyyourorganizationcanrespondandwhatyourfeedback-looptimeframelookslike—justbesurethatcustomerserviceissues

areaddressedthesamebusinessdaythattheissuewasraised.

Afteryou’veidentifiedanissueandmadethefirstresponse,yournextstepistodeterminewhoinyourcompany’shierarchyisequippedtoresolvetheissue.Mostimportantistorealizethatmanydifferentkindsoffeedbackloopsexist,sowhereyourouteaconcernrelatestothesizeandorganizationofyourcompany.Oneofthemostcommonfeedbackloopsisthecustomerserviceloop.Whensomeoneraisesacustomerserviceissueonsocialmedia,thecommunitymanagercanroutethatissuetothecustomercaredepartment.Butyoucanstructureallsortsoffeedbackloops.Perhapsacustomerinformsyouofabrokenvideoonyourblog.Inthiscase,thecommunitymanagerroutestheissuetoyourcontentteamor,perhapsmorespecifically,tothemanagingeditorofyourblog.Customerscanhaveallsortsoftechnicalissueswithyourproductsandoftentaketosocialmediawiththeirfrustrations.Addressingtheconcernsquicklyandmakingsurethattherightpeopleinyourcompanyknowabouttheproblemarethemostimportantactionstotake.

Bynomeansarefeedbackloopslimitedtothecategoriesjustmentioned.Perhapsyourlegalteamneedstobeintheknowoncertainissues.MaybeyourCEOwantstoaddressparticularissuesthatpeoplevoiceonsocialmedia.Oryourproductsteammaywanttoknowhowcustomersaredescribingandfeelaboutthecharacteristicsofyourproducts.

Regardlessofthetypeoffeedbackloopthatyourcommunitymanageridentifies,puttingaconsistentresponseprocedureinplaceiscrucial.Ifaresolutionisrequiredtoresolvetheissue,whorespondstothecustomer—thecommunitymanager?Thecustomercareteam?Orshouldyouassignparticularpeopleineachdepartmenttohandleresponses?Ultimately,thedecisiondependsonwhatmakessenseforyourteam.Justrememberthatinaperfectworld,aresolutionshouldbepresentedtothecustomerwithin24hoursoftheoriginalcomplaint.

Manysociallisteningtoolsareavailabletomakethisprocessmucheasier.Toolsthatwementionearlierinthischapter,likeMentionandRadian6,canequipyourcommunitymanagerwithlivestreamsofsocialmediaalertsbasedonspecializedkeywords.Theseplatformscanalsoassignindividualcommentsandtweetstospecificmembersofyourteam,makingthefeedbackloopprocesseasiertoimplement.

HandlingcustomerserviceissuesTheInternetmakesiteasyforupsetcustomerstoventtheirfrustrationspubliclyintheheatofthemoment.Whoeveronyourteamisdesignatedassociallistenershouldbetrainedinhowtocommunicatewithupsetcustomersontheweb.Herearethreestepsforasociallistenertofollowwhendealingwithanupsetcustomeronapublicsocialmediachannel:

1. Respondinatimelymanner.Replytotheissuewithinadesignatedamountoftime.Ifyoucancommunicatearesolutionimmediately,doso.Often,however,otherpeopleinyourorganizationneed

togetinvolvedintheconversation.Meanwhile,thecustomershouldatleastreceivethe“You’veBeenHeard”responseinareasonabletimeframe.Yourbusinessshoulddecidewhatthattimeframeis,butrememberthatifyouwaitbeyond12hoursforanycontactwiththecustomer,youriskcausingevenmorefrustration.

2. Empathize.Empathyisagreeingthatyou’dfeelthesamewayinsomeoneelse’sshoes.Itmeansyouarenotarobot,socannedoroverlyscriptedresponseswon’tcutithere.Makingastatementofempathy—simplycommunicatingthatyourealizethesituationisfrustrating—cangoalongwayineasingtension.Anexampleofanempathystatementis,“Wearesosorrytohavecausedyouaninconvenience.”

3. Movetheconversationtoaprivatechannel.Don’ttrytotroubleshootacustomer-careissueonapublicforumlikeTwitterorapublic-facingFacebookpage.Issuesaremucheasiertoaddressone-on-one.Givingcustomersindividualattentionalsomakesthemfeelappreciatedandheard.Manycustomer-careissuesalsoinvolveprivateinformationlikeemailaddressesandcreditcardinfo,soyouwanttobediscreetaboutyourcustomer ’sprivatedetails.Yourcompanydecideswherethisprivateconversationtakesplace,whetherbyphone,supportticket,oraprivatemessageonthesocialchannel.

Anycompanywithsolidsocialcustomerserviceinplaceusesthisthree-stepplan.Figure9-5showsanexampleofthehotelchainBestWesternrespondingtoacustomerserviceissuepostedonFacebookandmovingtheconversationtoaprivatechanneltobeaddressed.

Source:https://www.facebook.com/BestWestern/posts_to_page/FIGURE9-5:BestWesternmovesacustomercomplainttoaprivatechannel.

InfluencingandBuildingBrandAuthority

Socialinfluencingistheactofestablishingauthorityonthesocialweb,oftenbydistributingandsharingvaluablecontent.Althoughsocialinfluencingmaynothaveadirecteffectonrevenueorcostinyourbusiness,itdoeshaveatremendousindirecteffectonyourbusiness’svalue.

Howdoesestablishingauthorityonthesocialwebindirectlyaffectthebottomline?Theanswerliesinthedisciplineofcontentmarketing.Sharingdescriptionsandlinkstoauthoritativecontentcreatedbyyourbrandleadstomoretraffictoyourwebsitefromsocialchannels.Mostimportant,socialinfluencingincreases“mindshare.”Inotherwords,themorepowerfulyoursocialinfluencingcampaignis,themoreyouraudiencewillunderstandwhatyourorganizationdoes,theproductsyousell,andthesolutionsyouoffer.Whenyouinfluenceothers,youstarttooccupyaspaceintheirminds.Socialinfluencingisallaboutusingthesocialwebtobrandyourselfwiththepeopleyou’reconnectedto.

Foranexampleofsocialinfluencing,seeFigure9-6,whichshowsthehomeimprovementcompanyLowe’slinkingtocontentonitswebsiteviaTwitter.ConsistentlysharingauthoritativecontentlikethisincreasesawarenessforwhatLowe’soffers,establishesLowe’sasanauthorityinthehomeimprovementspace,andteachesthecompany’scustomersandprospectshowtobesuccessfulwiththeproductsLowe’ssells.

Source:https://twitter.com/Lowes/status/780098549962928128FIGURE9-6:Lowe’susesTwittertolinktoitswebsiteandbuildbrandawarenessandauthority.

GrowingyoursocialfollowingYoucangetmorefans,followers,orconnectionsforyoursocialmediachannelsbyapplyingthesameprinciplestoallyoursocialmediachannelsinyourefforttoexpandyourfollowing.Socialsharingplug-ins,profileoptimization,andindoctrinationemailseriesarealltacticsthatwillgrowyoursocialchannels.

Mostcontentmanagementsystems(CMS)tools,suchasWordPress,Shopify,orSquarespace,offerthecapabilitytoaddsocialsharingplug-instomanydifferentplacesonyoursite.Usetheseplug-instomakeiteasyforuserstoshareyourcontentonthemajorsocialmediachannelswithaclickofabutton.Anytimeyouseesomethingonyourpagesthatcanbesocial,besurethatsocialsharingfunctionalityhasbeenapplied.

Optimizingyoursocialmediaprofilesalsohelpsyoutogainfollowers.Searchenginesonsocialmediachannelsarenotoriouslyweakandoftenrelyontheinformationyouprovideonyourprofiletoimprovesearchfunctions.Makesuretouseproperimagesizesonyourcoverandprofilepages,andcompleteeveryrelevantfieldinyourprofilesothatthe

channel’ssearchenginecanfindyoueasilywhenpotentialconnectionsaresearchingforyou,yourbrands,andthetopicsyoudiscussandsharecontentabout.Includekeywordswhereappropriate,butrememberthatyouareonsocialmediatorelatetohumansfirst,somakesureit’sreadable.Certainlyincludethenamesofyourbrands,relevantpeople,andlocationifthat’sanimportantaspectofyourbusiness.Addrelevantlinkswhereappropriate.Alsoimportantistobeapproachablebyhavingactiveconversationswithprospects,customers,andinfluencers.

Ifyourbusinessisimplementinganemailmarketingstrategy,yourinitialwelcomeemailtonewsubscribersisanotherperfectavenueforgrowingyoursocialmediafollowing.Newsubscribersarenevermoreengagedandexcitedaboutyouandyourbrandaswhentheyfirstsignup,sousethisemailasanopportunitytoaskthemtoconnectwithyoursocialchannelsaswell.Formoreoncreatingeffectiveemailcampaigns,seeChapter11.

BouncingfollowersIncreasingthefrequencyofyourmarketingmessageincreasesintimacywithcustomersandprospectsmorequickly.Themoreoftenyourprospectsorcustomerscomeincontactwithyourmessage,themorefamiliartheybecomewithyourbrand.Luckily,youdon’tneedahugemarketingbudgettoincreasefrequency.Youcanusesocialmediatobouncepeoplefromonesocialchanneltoanother,buildingintimacywithyourbrandastheygo.

Forexample,youcansendanemailtoyourlistthatbouncesyoursubscriberstoablogpost.TheblogpostthenlinkstoaYouTubevideo.Theideahereisthatsomepercentageofyouraudiencewillreactinspecificways—suchasbysubscribingtoyourYouTubechannel.Thisincreaseshowoftentheyseeyourmarketingmessagebecausenow,inadditiontoreceivingyouremails,they’realsogettingyourupdatesviaYouTube.InsteadofinvestinginexpensiveadsviaTV,radio,print,orbillboards,youleveragerelativelylow-costdigitalchannelstoincreasefrequency.Havealookatyourcurrentassetsandseehowyoucanbounceyouraudiencefromonechanneltoanothertoreachyouraudiencemorefrequently.

KeepingyourcontentinterestingThecontentyoushareonsocialmediadoesn’thavetomapdirectlybacktotheproductsandservicesyouoffer.Infact,incrediblyboringsocialchannelsarethosethatbroadcastmarketingmessagesaboutproductsorservicesthatdon’tinvolveconversation-worthytopics.Instead,theexceptionalsocialmediamarketerdiscussessatellitetopicsthattheirexistingmarketfindsinteresting.

RosettaStone,alanguagelearningsoftware,isparticularlyadeptatthisstrategy.Thecompanydoesn’tjusttalkaboutitslanguagelearningsoftware.Instead,itoffersanentirerangeoftopicsthatvarioussegmentsofitsaudienceenjoydiscussing.BecauseRosettaStoneisinthelanguage-learningbusiness,itpostssocialmediaupdatesaboutinternationaltravelandculture,researchonlearningtheory,andinformationaboutfamousmultilingualpeople.RosettaStonerealizesthatitsaudiencedoesn’twanttotalkaboutitssoftwareon

thesocialweb;itsfollowersaremuchmorelikelytodiscussGermanmusic,Celticculture,orhowthebrainworks.

Thinkabouthowyourownbusinesscanexpandconversationbeyondtheconfinesoftheproductsandservicesthatyousell.Researchandmapthetopicsthatarerelevanttoyouraudienceandwhatintereststhemoutsideyourspecificniche.RevisitthecustomeravatardiscussedinChapter1ifneeded.

SocializingblogcontentMostblogpostshaveashortlifespan.Evenifyou’resendingthemtoyouremailsubscribers,mostblogpostsexperiencethebulkoftheirtrafficinthefirst24to48hours.Buthowcanyouusesocialmediatomaximizethelong-termimpactofyourblogcontent?Throughtheprocessofsocialdistribution,yourblogpostcanlivealong,happylife.Thisprocessnotonlynotifiessocialconnectionsassoonasapostispublishedbutalsoensuresthatthepostcontinuestocyclethroughyoursocialfeedsfordays,weeks,andmonthsafterward.

Inthefollowingsections,wedescribesixwaystoproperlyshareanewblogpostonsocialmedia.

SplinterSplinteringyourcontentistheprocessofbreakingoffbitsandpiecesofitandpostingthosepiecesalàcarte.Whenapieceofcontentispublishedandreadyforsharing,youhaveallthesourcematerialneededtosplintershareablecontentforsocialmediaposts.Youcansplinterheadlines,quotes,images,questions,andstatisticsfoundinyourcontentanddistributethemacrossyoursocialmediachannels.

VisualizeVisualcontentisnecessarytodriveengagementandclicksonsocialmedia.Buffer,asoftwareapplicationcompanydesignedtomanageaccountsonsocialnetworks,sawan18percentincreaseofclicks,89percentincreaseinfavorites,and150percentincreaseinretweetsbyusingimages,whichgoestoshowthatyou’releavingalotofdistributionreachonthetableifyoudon’tincorporateimagesintoyoursocialstrategy.Thefeatureimage(whichusuallyappearsatthetopofyourblogposts)istypicallythefirstvisualassetthatyoushouldshareonsocialmediachannels.Butoneimageisn’tenough;youneedtocreateavisualassetforeverysplinter.Quoteimages,avisualdevicewithasimplepictureandastandalonequote,forexample,areperfectforFacebookandTwitter.Don’tthinkyou’rehinderedifyoucan’taffordagraphicdesigner.Canva(https://www.canva.com/)isafreetoolforcreatingimagesthatyoucanshareonsocialnetworks.Justmakesurethatyourimagesfallwithinyoursocialmediachannel’sguidelines.Figure9-7showsaquotefromaDigitalMarketerblogpostthatwasturnedintoaquoteimageandthentweetedonTwitter.

Source:https://twitter.com/DigitalMktr/status/780361297116495872FIGURE9-7:Usingaquotefromablogpostandturningitintoavisualtweet.

BroadcastAftercreatingyoursplintersandvisualassets,youneedtobroadcastyourcontentonyoursocialmediachannels.Focusyourcopyonthebenefitsandpointofthearticle,andmaintainaconsistentpersonalityandtoneonyourpageswheneverpossible.Then,howdoyouaddressyouraudienceonyoursocialchannels?Doyouusuallyaddressyouraudienceinalight-hearted,banteringway,ordoyoutypicallyusemoreseriousanddirectlanguage?Appealtoyouraudiencebymaintainingthattoneinyoursocialmediaupdates.

WhenbroadcastingyourcontentonFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,andothers,useimagesfromthearticle.ForbroadcastingonTwitterinparticular,youcanuseseveralsocialmediamanagementtoolstoschedulepostsforyou(werecommendHootsuite).BecauseTwitterpostshaveashorterlifespanthanothersocialmediachannels,youdistributeyourarticlemorefrequently.Createthreetweetssettopublisheverythreetofourhours:

Tweet1—Title:Simplytweetthetitleoftheblogpostandalinktotheblogpost.Tweet2—Quote:Splinteraquotefromtheblogpostandtweetit,followedbyalink

totheblogpost.Tweet3—Question:Askaquestionthattheblogpostwillanswerinthistweetand,asalways,includealinktotheblogpost.

TagWhenbroadcastingapost,tagpeopleandbrandswheneveritmakessense.Youcantagtheauthororanycompaniesandbrandsmentionedinyourblogasyoucreatethecopyforyoursocialmediaupdate.Bydoingso,youdrivetraffictoyourpostanddrawattentionfromyoursocialinfluencersandtheirfollowers.Also,usehashtagswhereverappropriate—particularlyonnetworkslikeTwitter.Ahashtagisasimplewayforpeopletosearchfortweetswithacommontopic.Figure9-8showsHiltonHotelstweetingacontestwiththehashtag#ATL(forAtlanta,Georgia)and#MusicMonday.Anyonewhomonitorsthesehashtagsortopicshasachancetoseethesetweets.

Source:https://twitter.com/HiltonHotels/status/757613891610406913FIGURE9-8:Hiltonpromotesacontestbyusinghashtags.

MonitorMostofthesocialmediaactionoccursinthefirst24to48hoursofablogpost’slife.Duringthistime,youneedtomonitortheperformanceofthatblogpostonthesocialweb.OnetoolyoucanuseforthismonitoringisaURLshortenercalledBitly.URLshortenerslikeBitlycreateshorterlinksthatareeasiertorememberand,moreimportant,provideanalytics.Forexample,Bitlyreportsonwho’sclickingfromwhatchannel,wherepeopleshareyourcontent,andwhichbroadcastandsocialmediaplatformperformedthebest.Itcanalsotellyouwhattimeyourpostperformedatitspeak,whereintheworldyour

contentisreaching,andevenwhichtweetsperformedbestsothatyoucandeterminethebestcopyforyouraudienceonTwitter.InFigure9-9,youseethereportingdashboardavailableforaBitlylink.

Source:https://app.bitly.com/default/bitlinks/2d6HMtC#FIGURE9-9:ReportingdataonalinkfromBitly.

ScheduleAnormal,undistributedpieceofcontentusuallycreatesaspikeinclicksbeforeitvanishesoffthefaceofthesocialearth.That’swhylong-termautomateddistribution(orscheduling)isnecessary.Schedulingyourcontentintoasocialmediamanagementtoolresultsinperpetualsharingandcontentdistributionwithnoactionneededfromyouafterloadingitintoyourlibrary.

ToolslikeEdgar(www.meetedgar.com)areperfectforschedulingandautomationacrossTwitterandLinkedIn.Edgarallowsyoutomakecategoriesandchoosewhattimecontentpublishesusingthosecategories.Thenthelibraryrandomizesitselfandpostscontentinrotationsothatyou’renotbombardingyouraudiencewiththesametweetsdayafterday.Keepinmindthatwhenyou’rebroadcastingyourcontent,youalreadyhaveeverythingyouneedtoschedule.Afteryou’vesetupyourthreebroadcastingtweets(seethe“Broadcast”section,earlierinthischapter)thefirstdayyourcontentispublished,takethosesametweetsandloadthemintoatoollikeEdgar.Doingsoputsyourtweetsintoautomatedrotationandkeepssocialtrafficflowingtoyourblogposts.

Useyourbestjudgmentwhenautomatingyoursocialupdates.Forinstance,youmaywanttopauseyourautomationscheduleduringacrisisoranaturaldisaster.Youraudiencemayviewyouasdisrespectfulorobliviousifyourautomationschedulekeepsyoutweetingaboutyourlatestsalewhenahurricanehasjustdevastatedthecoast.

NetworkingThatMovestheNeedleYou’veprobablyheardtheoldadage,“It’snotwhatyouknow,it’swhoyouknow,”which,ofcourse,meansthatyouhavetoengageinnetworking.Networkingisallaboutthepublicrelationssideofyourbusiness.Intraditionalpublicrelations(PR)endeavors,youseekoutthirdpartiessuchasnewspaperjournalistswhocanamplifyyourmarketingmessage.Socialnetworkingaccomplishesthissamegoalbyfindingandassociatingwithauthoritativeandinfluentialindividualsandbrandsonthesocialweb.

Althoughsocialinfluencingisaboutdistributingyourowncontentsuchasblogposts,podcasts,andvideostoestablishauthority,youcanconnectwithothersviasocialnetworkingbysharingotherpeople’scontentwithyouraudience.Aswithperson-to-personnetworking,insocialnetworkingyouusesocialmediatolookforandtoestablishconnectionsinthehopesofcreatingmutuallybeneficialpartnershipswithanindividualorabrand.Thismutuallybeneficialpartnershipcaninvolvewritingguestpostsforeachother ’srespectiveblogsorgainingaspeakerforaneventthatyourcompanyisputtingon.

Youcanusesocialnetworkingtoreachouttojournalists,bloggers,andpodcasterswhohangoutonsocialmediachannels.Brandsthathaveauthorityinprintpublicationsorradiostationsalsofallintothiscategory.Socialnetworkingisahigh-impactactivitythatcanmovetheneedleforyourbusinessinleapsandbounds.

TappingintonichemediaConsiderastartupsoftwarecompanywithagreatproductandadesiretoearnmediamentionstogrowawarenessforthebusiness.ThiscompanycouldtargetbigplayersliketheNBCnetwork,withthepotentialtoreachmillions.Oritcouldtargetmid-sizedblogsthatspecializeinstartupslikeTechCrunch,anonlinepublisherthatprimarilycoversbusinessesrangingfromstartupstoestablishedfirms.ThereachonTechCrunchislowerthanthatofNBC,butstillsignificant.Itwouldbewonderfultobefeaturedinoutletsthathaveenormousreach;however,asageneralrule,thedifficultyofearningamediamentiononaplatformincreasesastheamountofreachincreases.

Thegoodnewsisthatthousandsofnichemediaplayersarerunningblogs,podcasts,YouTubechannels,andmore.Althoughyousacrificetheamountofreachyoucanattainwithanyonenichemediaoutlet,securingmediamentionsonthesenichepropertiesismucheasierthanonthelargeoutlets.Enoughnichemediamentionscan,intheaggregate,exceedthereachofevenmajornetworkslikeNBC,however.

ReachingnichemediaNichemediacompaniesaresmall-tomedium-sizedfirmsthatalsofocusonandpublishcontentonaspecifictopic.Thesesmallpublishersmaybecreatinggreatcontentbutoftenaren’twell-knownnationallyorevenwithintheirfield.Toreachnichemediapropertiesenmasse,youhavetounderstandwhatthesepropertieswant.That’snotdifficult,though,

becauseit’sthesamethingthateverymediapropertyneeds:greatcontentfromreliablesources.Asmall,nichemediaplayer,however,doesn’thaveaccesstoteamsofjournalistsandcontentcreatorsworkingaroundtheclocktoproducenewcontent.It’sconstantlysearchingformorecontenttoservetoitsaudience.

Whenyoureachouttonichemediaproperties,youhavetospeaktheirlanguageandaddresstheirpainpoints.Letthemknowthatyouareareliable,authoritativeresourcewhocancontributegreatcontenttotheiraudience—andallyouneedinreturnisabylinethatlinkstoyourwebsiteorlandingpage.Rememberthatgreatcontenteducates,inspires,orentertainsanaudience,andthatisexactlywhatthesenichemediapropertiesaresearchingfor.

NetworkingbytopicAsyouworktoearnmediamentionsandbuildpartnershipsthroughsocialnetworking,brainstormsatellitetopicsthatrelatetoyourcompany,andusethosetopicsasawaytonetworkwithothers.Chancesare,you’lldetermineplentyoftopicsfromyourbrainstormingsessionthatareoutsideyourorganization’sexpertise.Youcantaketheopportunitytolocatebrandsandindividualswhoareauthoritiesinthosetopicsandusesocialnetworkingstrategiestoformconnectionsandpartnershipswiththosepeople.Sharetheircontentwithyouraudienceoften,andtagauthorsorbrandsasyougo.Bydoingso,youassociateandpotentiallypartnerwiththesebrandsandindividualsaspartofthenetworkingphaseofyoursocialmediamarketingmix.

Forexample,ifthelanguagelearningsoftwarecompanyRosettaStonewantstosharecontentabouttravelingtoSpainonitsFacebookpage,itmightshareanarticleaboutthattopicfromareliabletravelbrandlikeLonelyPlanetorTripAdvisor.Bysharingcontentaboutsomethingthatinterestspotentialcustomers,RosettaStonewouldsimultaneouslybenetworkingwithinfluentialbrands.

Creatingasocialmedia“shortlist”Creatinga“shortlist”ofthisnatureinvolvesaspecificprocessthatusesTwittertoorganizethepeopleandbrandsyouwanttonetworkwith.Ifthereisonethingthatismorevaluabletomediapropertiesthannewcontentsources,it’sgainingmoreexposuretothecontentthattheyalreadyhave.Thismeansthatsharingyourinfluencers’contentwithyouraudienceonthesocialwebisasurefirewaytobuildgoodwillandincreasethelikelihoodthattheinfluencerwillnoticeyouandreturnthefavorinkind.However,thefirehoseofcontentonTwittermakestrackingdownandorganizingyourinfluencers’contentchallenging.Youneedawaytoeasilyidentifyandsharetheircontent.That’swhereshortlistscomeintoplay.

Severaltoolsareavailabletohelpyouidentifythekeyplayersinyourindustry,niche,andothertopicsrelevanttoyouraudience.PaidtoolslikeGroupHighandInkybeeallowyoutotrackdowninfluentialbloggers,organizedbytopic.FreeresourceslikeKlout(https://klout.com/home)orKred(http://home.kred/)aresocialscoringplatformsthat

scoresocialmediausersbasedonhowinfluentialtheyarearoundparticulartopics.

Morelikelythannot,however,youalreadyhaveanideaofthepeopleandbrandswhocanmovetheneedleforyourbusiness!FindtheirTwitterprofilesandcreateaTwitterlistwiththeirhandles.Next,setupastreamforyournewshortlistusingHootsuite.YoucanthensortoutthepeopleandbrandstonetworkwithfromthegeneralnoiseofTwitter.Youcaneasilyreferencethecontenttheyaresharing,jointheconversation,andcreatesomegoodwillbysharingtheircontentwithyouraudience.Startwith10to20influencersandthenkeepaneyeonwhotheyarenetworkingwithsothatyoucangrowandcurateyourlist.Keepyourlistuptodate.Ifaninfluencerstartstowanderoutsidetherealmofyourtopic,removehimandstartthesearchalloveragain.

FlippingthescriptonmediaoutreachThewebholdssuchanabundanceofinformationthataphenomenonindigitalpublicrelationshasbeendeveloping:reversemediaoutreach.Notonlyareyouworkingtoreachouttolong-tailmediabutthemedia,ingeneral,arealsousingtheInternettofindreliablesourcesfortheircontent.MediapropertiesusesearchengineslikeGoogletofindexpertstheycaninterview,quote,andotherwiseusetocreatecontentfortheirmediaproperties.Totakeadvantageofthisphenomenon,youneedtopositionyourselfasanexpertandmakeyourselfavailabletothesemediaplayers.

Toattractthemediatoyourbusiness,createauthoritative,relevantcontentonaregularscheduleanddistributeitonyoursocialchannels.Bybecomingacontentcreatoryourself,youincreasethelikelihoodofcontactbybothtraditionalandnichepublisherstogetinformationforthecontenttheyproducefortheiraudience.Second,acceptinterviews.Ifyoushowalittleinclinationtoprovideblurbsforblogsorappearasaguestonapodcast,youwon’tbeaskedtodosoveryoften.Allowmediatocontactyou,accepttheinterviews,andmorerequestswillfollow.

Third,learnthebasicsofSEOforthecontentyoucreate.MediaareusingsearchengineslikeGoogletolocatetheirsources,soyouneedtounderstandhowasearchenginefindsyou,yourinformation,andyourproductsorservices.Tolearnmoreaboutsearchengineoptimization,turntoChapter8.

StayingcompliantwiththelawTheFederalTradeCommissionregulateshowbusinessesuseearnedorpaidmediamentionsforpromotion.Ifyougiveanysortofincentiveorrewardtoamediapropertyinexchangeforamention—beitablog,video,podcast,orothertypeofmedia—makesuretodisclosethatinformationinthecontent.Incentivescanincludemoney,freesamples,oranythingelseyou’vegiveninexchangeforthemention.TostaycurrentontheFTCEndorsementGuidelines,visitwww.ftc.gov.

SellingonSocialChannelsHowdoyougeneratesalesonsocialmediachannels?Theansweristhatyoudon’t—atleastnotdirectly.Instead,useavalue-firststrategytogenerateleadsandsales.Theultimategoalwithsocialsellingistomoveprospectsandleadsfromchannelsthatyoudon’town,suchasTwitter,Facebook,andYouTube,tochannelsthatyoudoown,suchasyouremaillist.Bydoingso,youpositionyourprospectsandleadstoengagewithyouonachannelyoucontrol.

Leadingwithcontentisthefirstruleofthevalue-firststrategyonsocialmedia.Contentisthenativecommunicationmediumonthesocialweb;everyonewantsinformationthatentertains,inspires,oreducates.UsethiscontentinyoursocialsellingstrategytomovepeoplefromsocialchannelslikeFacebooktoyourwebsiteand,ultimately,ontoyouremaillist.

LeadingwithvalueTheprimaryconcepttounderstandaboutsocialsellingisthatitiscontingentonconsistentimplementationofthesociallistening,influencing,andnetworking.Prospectsaremuchmorelikelytobecomeloyal,repeatcustomersiftheyknow,like,andtrustyourbrand.Providingvaluefirstmeansthatyoufrequentlygiveyoursocialmediafollowersareasontoknow,like,andtrustyoubyprovidingsocialcustomercare,solidcontent,andparticipatinginconversationswithyourprospects,customers,andinfluencers.Afteryougiveyoursocialmediafollowersareasontotrustyou,onlythendoyouseeresultsfromyoursocialsellingefforts.

Designing“valuefirst”offersApproachsocialsellingwithcare;high-dollarandcomplexoffersnotonlygoagainstprotocolonmostsocialchannelsbutalsojustdon’tperformwell.Instead,focusonoffersthatprovidevaluebeforeyouaskyourprospectorcustomertomakehugecommitments.Youcanplacethreedifferentoffersonanyofyoursocialmediachannelsthatallowyoutosellwithoutmovingyourprospectsalongthecustomerjourneytooquickly:

Ungatedoffers:Askingsomeonetoreadyourblogpostisconsideredanoffer.Readingablogpostmaynotcostmoney,butitdoescosttime.Themajorityofyouroffersonsocialmediashouldbeungated.Gatedoffers:Thisiscontentthatrequirescontactinformation(name,emailaddress,andotherinformation)toaccess.Keepinmindthatyou’renotaskingformoneyatthisstage;you’reaskingforpermissiontocontactalead.Deepdiscounts:Flashsalesoroffersat50percentofforgreaterarevalue-firstoffers

andareappropriateforsocialmediamarketing.

Wediscussungated,gated,anddeep-discountoffersingreaterdetailinChapter3.

AvoidingSocialMediaMistakesNodiscussionaboutsocialmediamarketingwouldbecompletewithoutacknowledgingsomebigmistakestoavoidonthesocialweb:

Don’trespondwhenyou’reangry.Somesocialmediauserstrytobaityouintorespondingunprofessionally.Ifsomeonemakesyouangry,giveyourselftimetocooloffbeforeresponding,orassignsomeoneelseyoutrusttohandlethesituation.Alwaysbeprofessionalinyourresponse.Don’tbuyfollowers/connections.Itdoesn’tmakeethicalorbusinesssensetohaverobotsorfakeaccountsfollowyoursocialchannels.Focustheseresourcesoncreatingagreatexperienceforthefollowersyoudohave,andyoursocialchannelswillgrownaturally.Don’ttrytobeeverywhere.Thesocialwebisfartoolargetohaveapresenceeverywhere.Masterafewchannelswhereyoucanhaveinfluence,networkwithpeople,andsellyourproductsandservices.Useatool(discussedinthischapterandalsoinChapter16)toconductsociallisteningonchannelswhereyoudon’thaveanactivepresence.Don’tbeasalesperson.Thereisatimeandplaceforsocialselling.Bestrategicandintentionalwithoffersthatareappropriateforsocialmediachannels.Don’tautomateeverything.Yoursocialchannelsshouldbepersonableandapproachable.Avoidautomatingeveryupdate,andleaveroomforyouruserstoconnectwithyouonahumanlevel.

KnowingWhentoAutomateAlthoughweendtheprevioussectionbycautioningyounottoautomateeverything,therearetimeswhenautomatingyoursocialmediacontentisacceptable.Infact,youcangreatlyenhanceyoursocialinfluencingeffortsbyusingautomationtools.Wecansaythesameforsocialselling.Automatedtoolscankeepyourgatedoffersanddeepdiscountoffersinfrontofyourfollowerswithoutmanualeffort.Ontheflipside,youcanappearverydisingenuousifyouattempttoautomatetheconversationsthattakeplaceinthesociallisteningandsocialnetworkingstage.Theseconversationsrequireanactualpersonrespondinginrealtime,whetheryou’rehandlingsocialcustomercareissuesorparticipatingindiscussionswithinfluencersonthesocialweb.

Chapter10

TappingintoPaidTrafficINTHISCHAPTER

DecidingwhichdigitaladvertisingplatformtochooseSettingupadsthat“boomerang”trafficbacktoyoursiteTroubleshootingandoptimizingyourpaidtrafficcampaign

Howdoyougettraffictoyourwebsite?Thisisthenumberonequestionthatbusinessownersaskaboutdigitalmarketing.Thetruthisthatgettingtraffictoawebsiteisnotaproblem.Infact,thousandsoftrafficplatforms,includingGoogle,Facebook,andTwitter,allowyoutobuyadvertisingandwouldlovenothingmorethantosendtraffictoyourwebsite.Thequestionisn’thowtogettraffic;rather,it’swhattodowiththetrafficwhenyougetit.Whatproductorserviceshouldyouoffer?Whatcontentshouldyoushowyourvisitors?Shouldyouaskthemtogiveyoutheircontactinformationorcomerightoutandaskthemtobuyaproductorservice?

Paidtrafficisavailableinmanyforms,suchaspay-per-clickadvertisingusingplatformslikeGoogleAdWords,bannerads,andpaidadsonsocialnetworksthatincludeFacebookandTwitter.Paidtrafficisapowerfultoolbecauseithelpstobuildyourbrand,makespeopleawareofyourproductsorservices,andgeneratesleadsandsalesforyourproductsandservices.

Inthischapter,wediscussthemajoradvertisingplatformsandwhenyoushouldchoosetouseeachone.Wealsoshowyouhowtosetupapowerfulformofadvertisingcalledretargetingandhowtotroubleshootyouradcampaignstogetthemostoutofeverycampaignyourun.

VisitingtheTrafficStoreImaginethatyouandyoursweetheartarebrowsingthroughrecipes,decidingwhattohavefordinnertonight.Yousettleonaricedishthatyou’vebeenwantingtotryforawhile.Theonlyissueisthatyouhavenoriceonhand.

Howshouldyouproceed?Shouldyougrowthericeforyourdinnertonight?Thatwouldberidiculous,right?Instead,youheadtothesupermarketandbuyapackageofrice.

Riceisacommoditythatisboughtandsoldeveryday—andsoiswebsitetraffic.Ifyouwanttraffic,youneedtogotothetrafficstore.

Afteryouunderstandpaidtraffic,youcanquicklytestcontentandoffersbyturningtrafficonandofflikeawaterfaucet.Thiscapabilityisimportantbecauseitallowsyoutoquicklytestnewoffers,landingpages,andcontentwithoutwaitingonslowertrafficsourceslikeSEOandsocialmedia.Whenyoustarttreatingwebsitetrafficlikethecommodityitis,youfinallyhaveapredictableandreliablesourceofwebsitetraffic.

Noperfecttrafficstoreexists.Forinstance,youraudiencemaynotusecertainplatformsoryourbrandmayfaceadvertisingrestrictionsoncertainplatforms(industriessuchaselectroniccigarettes,dating,anddietingencountersuchsituations).Todeterminetheproperstore,youmustdoresearch,aswediscuss.Also,thestrategyandthesystemweexaminethroughoutthischapterapplytowhatevertrafficstorefromwhichyouchoosetopurchase.

UnderstandingTrafficTemperatureYoumovepeopletowardaconversionbycreatingrelationshipswiththem.Asyourunpaidtrafficcampaigns,youneedtounderstandwhereyoustandinyourrelationshipwithyourleadsandcustomers.Aretheyjustnowlearningaboutyou;aretheyawareofyoubuthaven’tboughtfromyou;havetheyboughtfromyouandnowyou’reworkingtoturnthemintolifelongcustomersandravingfans?

Atourcompany,werefertowhereweareintherelationshipwithaprospectorcustomerastraffictemperature.Tobuildaneffectivetrafficsystem,thestrategyyouneedtoemployisknowingwhoyou’retalkingtobydefiningyourtargetaudience,andthestageofyourrelationship,sothatyoumaketheappropriateofferattherighttime.Traffictemperatureconsistsofthreedifferentlevels(seeFigure10-1):

Coldtraffic:Thesearepeoplewhohaveneverheardofyou,yourbrands,oryourproductsorservices.Youhavenorelationshipwiththesepeople,buttheyareimportantbecausetheybringnewleadsandsalestoyourbusiness.Youmustbuildtrust,credibility,andauthoritywithyourcoldtraffic.Beforetheyagreetobuyfromyou,theyneedtoprovethatyourbrandisaworthyinvestmentoftheirtimeandmoney.Makeungatedofferstovaluablecontentonyourblog,podcast,orYouTubechanneltocoldtraffic.TurntoChapter3formoreinformationaboutungatedoffers.Warmtraffic:Thesearepeoplewhohaveheardaboutyouorengagedwithyourbrandbuthaven’tboughtfromyou.Theymayhavereadyourblog,listenedtoyourpodcast,orjoinedyouremailnewsletter.Peopleinthewarmtrafficstageareevaluatingwhethertheylikewhatyousay,andareinterestedinlearningmoreandpossiblypurchasingfromyou.They’redecidingwhetheryourcompanyisthebestoptiontosolvetheirproblem.They’realsoevaluatingyourcompetitorstoseewhethertheydoitbetterormorecheaply.Makeentrypointoffersandgatedofferstothesefolkstogettheminthedoorwithoutmuchrisk.SeeChapter3formoreinformationaboutentrypointoffersandgatedoffers.Hottraffic:Asyou’veprobablyguessed,thesearepeoplewhohaveboughtfromyou.Theymaybefirst-timebuyerstorepeatbuyers.Thesearethecustomersyouhavealreadyspenttime,money,andenergytoacquire.Thebiggestmistakethatadvertisersmakeisconcentratingonlyonbringinginnewleadsandsales.Thesavvymarketeralsousespaidtraffictosellmoreandmoreoftentothecustomershealreadyhas.Makeprofitmaximizerofferstohottraffic.Formoreinformationaboutprofitmaximizers,turntoChapter3.

FIGURE10-1:Thethreestagesoftraffictemperature.

Insummary,youwanttofollowthesestepsfortraffictemperature:

1. Introduceyourselftocoldtrafficwithvaluablecontent.2. Convertwarmtraffictoleadsandlowdollarbuyers.3. Sellmoreandmoreoftentoexistingbuyers.

ChoosingtheRightTrafficPlatformBeforeyoucraftamarketingmessage,decidewhattrafficplatformyouraudienceisusing,whichyoudobydeterminingwhereyourmarketis“hangingout”online.Thetrafficplatformyoumakeyourofferonisessentialtothesuccessofyourcampaign.Evenwiththeperfectmarketingmessage,ifyouradisplacedonthewrongtrafficplatform,yourentirecampaignwillfail.Forinstance,ifyourtargetaudiencedoesn’tuseTwitter,youshouldn’tbespendingmoneyadvertisingonit.

Youhavethousandsoftrafficstorestochoosefrom,butwhattrafficstoreisthebestmatchforyourbusiness?Ifyou’relookingtobuytraffic,dosofromasourcethatcanhelpyoureachyourmarket.Toreachyourmarket,youmustfirstdefineyourcustomeravatar(seeChapter1tolearnmoreaboutcreatingyourcustomeravatar).

TrafficstoressuchasTwitter,Pinterest,YouTube,andothershaveaggregatedmillionsofusers,andeachplatformhasslightlydifferentdemographics.Usebroaddemographicinformation(suchasage,gender,andincome)tohelpdeterminethecorrecttrafficstorethatyouraudiencesuse,andthusthebeststoretoreachthemon.Tohelpcreateyourcustomeravatar,useresearchtools,suchastheanalyticssoftwarecompanyAlexa.Thistypeoftoolgivestheuserdemographicsoftrafficstoresandwebsites.Also,researchyouraudiences’specificinterests(suchastheirhobbies,thebooksandblogstheyread,authorityfigurestheyfollow,andthepainpointstheyhave)todeterminehowtotargetyouraudiencesafteryou’reontheplatform.

Thisresearchtakestime,butwhendonecorrectly,ithelpsyoudetermineboththecorrecttrafficstoretoadvertiseonandthemessageyouusetoreachouttoyouraudiences.ThenextsectionexaminestheBigSixtrafficstoresthatyoucanreachyouraudienceson.

IntroducingtheBigSixtrafficplatformsWesayitearlier,butit’sworthsayingagainhere:Youhavethousandsoftrafficstoresforbusinessesandmarketerstochoosefrom.Inthissection,however,wediscussthesixmaintrafficstoresonthewebtoday:

FacebookTwitterGoogleYouTubePinterestLinkedIn

Chancesare,yourmarkethangsoutononeormoreofthesetrafficstores,allowingyoutoeffectivelyreachouttoyourtargetaudience.TheBigSixareeffectivetrafficstores

because

Theyexperiencealargevolumeofusersandhavethenecessaryresourcesthatgiveyouthecapabilitytoscalecampaigns.Theiradinterfacesareuserfriendlyandeasytouse.Theirtargetingoptionsare(usually)betterthanothertrafficstoresontheweb.Thesetrafficplatformsallowyoutotargetadstopeoplebasedoneverythingfromtheirdemographics,interests,thekeywordsthey’vetypedintoasearchengine,andthepagesthey’vevisitedonyourwebsite.Forexample,ifyousellswimmingpoolsinSanDiego,youmighttargetyouradsbasedonanyofthefollowingcriteria:

PeoplewholiveinSanDiego.Peoplewhoareinterestedinwatersports.Peoplewhotypedthequery“ingroundswimmingpoolsandiego”intoasearchengine.Peoplewhohavevisitedthein-groundswimmingpoolproductpageonyourwebsite.

Youcan,infact,combinethesetargetingoptionsto,forexample,targetpeoplelivinginSanDiegowhohaveaninterestinwatersports.

Nomattertheexperiencelevelortheindustryofyourbusiness,theBigSixgiveyoueffectiveplatformsforreachingalmostanymarket,inalmosteverypartoftheglobe.Inthefollowingsections,wecoverthebestusesandnuancesrelatedtodealingwiththesetrafficstores.

FacebookWithwellover1.7billionmonthlyactiveusers(userswhohaveloggedintoFacebookwithinthelast30days),Facebookallowsyoutoreachalmostanymarket.TheFacebookAdsManagerisuserfriendlyandoffersamultitudeoftargetingoptions,soyoucangetreallyspecificwhentargetingyourmarket,therebymakingyouradsmorepersonalandeffective.BecauseFacebookiseasytouseandfairlyinexpensivetobuytrafficon,it’sagoodplacetostartifyou’renewtopaidtrafficoraretestinganewstrategy.Plus,youcanapplymanystrategiesusedinFacebookonotheradvertisingplatforms.

AdsonFacebookarelikecommercialsonTVortheradio:You’redisplayingyourmessageinfrontofyouraudiences,butyou’realsointerruptingthoseaudiences.Soyouneedtomakesuretoputyouradsinfrontoftherightpeopleandtogiveyouraudiencesareasontoclickyourad,whichiswhatthedomainregistrarandwebhostingcompanyGoDaddydoesintheFacebookadshowninFigure10-2.

Source:https://adespresso.com/academy/ads-examples/41161-godaddy/?_sf_s=ford&lang=enFIGURE10-2:GoDaddygivesareasontoclickitsFacebookad.

Facebookprovidesmanyobjectivesformarketerstoselectfrom.Choosingyourobjectiveisthemostimportantpartwhensettingupyourcampaignbecauseit’syourwayoftellingFacebookexactlywhatyouwantyourcampaigntoaccomplish.Therefore,beforeyoulaunchyourcampaign,knowyourendgoal(suchastosendpeopletoyourwebsite,promoteyourcompanyFacebookpage,increaseconversionsonyourwebsite,getvideoviews,oranyofmanymorepossibilities),andalignthatgoalwithyourFacebookobjective.Todetermineyourobjective,askyourself:WhoamItargetingandwheredoIwanttosendthem?

Afteryoucompletethefirststepofsettingupyourcampaign(choosingyourobjective),youmoveontosettinguptheaudienceyouintendtoreach.Thisstepisessential.Ifyouchoosethewrongaudience,yourFacebookadislikelytofailor,attheveryleast,notreachitsfullpotential.Toensurethatyoureachtherightaudience,yourtargetingneedstobespecific.Themorespecificyourcampaignis,thebetteritwillperform.Toimproveyourcampaign’sspecificity,answerthefollowingquestionsaboutyourtargetmarketforeveryadyouplantorunonFacebook:

Whoarethefigures,thoughtleaders,orbigbrandsinyourniche?Chancesare,membersofyouraudiencefollowtheseinfluencersonFacebook.Whatbooks,magazines,newspapersdoyouridealcustomersread?Whateventsdotheyattend?Whatwebsitesdotheyfrequent?Wheredotheylive?Whattoolsdotheyuse?ThesetoolscanrangefromprogramssuchasPhotoshoporEvernotetophysicaltoolssuchasfishingrodsorlawncareequipment.What’sspecificallyuniqueaboutthisaudience?

Byknowingtheanswerstothesequestions,youcanspecificallytargetyouraudiences’likes,behaviors,andlocationsonFacebook,makingyouradmorepersonalandmorelikelytobeplacedinfrontofanaudiencewhoisopentoyourmessage.Also,targetingspecificlikesandinterestshelpstonarrowdownyourpotentialaudiencesize,whichisgoodbecauseyoudon’twantittobetoobroad;ifitis,youradcanbelesseffective.

Atourcompany,wehavefoundthemostsuccess,intermsofconversionsandhighRelevanceScores(thealgorithmthatFacebookusestojudgethequalityofyourad;similartoGoogle’sQualityScore)withourFacebookadswhentheaudiencesizeismadeupof500,000–1,000,000people(plusorminusseveralthousand—itdoesn’thavetobeexactly500,000,forinstance;there’swiggleroom).Thisway,you’reshowingyouradtonotonlyalargeenoughaudiencebutalsoaspecificonethatwillfindyouradrelevant.

Ifyourbusinessislocal(asopposedtoanationalorinternationalcompany)andyou’retargetingaspecifictown,city,state,orregion,youdon’thavetoworryaboutthesizeofyouraudience.Often,theaudiencesizeforlocaladsonFacebookdoesn’treachhalfamilliontoamillionpeople;thetownyou’retargetingmaynotevenhaveapopulationofthatsize.Localbusinessesdon’tneedtoworryaboutaudiencesizebutinsteadshouldbeconcernedwithhowyou’retargetingthataudience.Allotherbusinessesthataren’tlocalshouldfocusonhowyou’retargetingyouraudienceandthesizeofyouraudience.

Thenextstepistocreateyouradcopy.Whenwritingyourad’scopy,speaktoyouraudiencebasedonthepainpointyou’retargetingandwhereyouareintherelationship.Forinstance,youdon’ttalktosomeoneyou’vejustmetthewayyouspeaktosomeoneyou’veknownfortenyears,andthesamegoesforyourcopywriting.Thinkofyouradsinthecontextofwhereyouareintherelationshipwithyourleadorcustomer.

Next,followthesetipswhenwritingyourad’scopy:

Grabyourtargetaudience’sattentionbycallingouttoit.Forinstance,youmightcallouttoyourtargetcity,suchas,“Hey,Seattle!”orusewhatresidentscallthemselves,suchas,“Hey,Austinites!”orevencalltopeoplebytheirinterests,suchas“Hey,amateurwrestlingfans!”

Withinthecopy,hituponapainpointyourtargetaudiencedealswithandthengivepeopleasolution(youroffer,ofcourse).Ifyouhavetheroom,addasentencetoeliminatedoubtandovercomeareasonthecustomermayhaveforchoosingnottobuy.Finally,considerwhatyouwantpeopletodoafterthey’vefinishedreadingyourad.Includeastrongcalltoactiontohelpmovethemtothenextlevel.

Next,makesurethattheimageaccompanyingyourcopyportraysandbacksupyourmarketingmessage.Theimagetiestheadtogetherandmakestheadfeelcongruent.Youdon’twantanimagethatfeelsasthoughitcameoutofleftfieldandhasnothingtodowiththecopyortheoffer.Theimageshouldstandoutandbeeyecatchingbutnotspammy-looking,soavoidtoomanyarrowsorobnoxiouscolors.Ultimately,youwanttheimagetoresonatewithyourmarket.Ifmakingimagesisn’tyourstrongsuit,oryoudon’thaveagraphicdesigner,considerusingtoolssuchasCanva(https://www.canva.com/)oroutsourcingyourgraphicswithservicessuchasFiverr(https://www.fiverr.com/)orUpwork(https://www.upwork.com/)tocreateprofessionalimagesforyourads.

Figure10-3depictstheelementsthatmakeupaFacebookadandwhattoinclude.

Source:https://twitter.com/LibertyMutual/status/738760608796053504FIGURE10-3:ApromotedtweetfromLibertyMutual.

Forcoldaudiencesinparticular,youdon’twantyourFacebookadto“scream”thatit’sanad;rather,youwanttheadtobeinformativeandprovidevalue.Rememberthatyou’rebuildingcredibilitywithyouraudiences.Adcopythattargetscoldaudiencesisoftenlongerthanadsforwarmorhotaudiences.Italsocontainsmoreinformationabouttheofferandwhathappenswhenpeopleclickthead.Incontrast,yourlanguagecanbealittlemoreinformalandyourcopyshorterwithwarmandhotaudiences.

Youcanfindmoredetailsandhow-toguidesfromFacebookBlueprint(www.facebook.com/blueprint),aneducationalresourcecreatedbyFacebookthatoffersfreeonlinecoursestohelppeopletaketheirFacebookcampaignstothenext

level.

TwitterWithTwitter,youcanreachalmostanymarket,andtargetingonTwitterisverysimilartoFacebook.PeopleuseTwittertoconsumecontentandexpecttofindcontentintheirTwitterfeed,whichmakesthisagreatplatformtoruntraffictocoldaudiences.Useyourtweetstointroduceyourselfanddrivepeopletocontent,suchasyourblog,thatprovidesvalue,establishesyourbrandasanauthority,andstartsbuildingarelationshipwithyouraudiences.

YoucancreatemanydifferentpaidadsonTwitter,whetheryouseektogainmoreTwitterfollowersortogeneratewebsiteclicksandconversions.AswithyoureffortsonFacebook,yourTwittercampaignobjectivesshouldalignwithyouroverallcampaignobjectiveorendgoal.Figure10-3depictsapromotedtweetfromLibertyMutualthatclearlystatesitsbenefitandincludesacalltoaction.Noticehowtheimagethecompanyusesiscongruentwiththecopyofthetweet.

Toencourageengagementwithyourtweets(thatis,tocauseretweetsandlikes),linktosomethingofvalueanddon’tmakeyourtweetssuper“salesy.”Themosteffectivesponsoredtweetsaretheoneswiththesamelookandfeelofaregulartweet.Theydon’tmentionaproductorsellanything.Thesetweetsarelessinvasiveandareknownasnativeads.Nativeadsfollowtheformandfunctionofthemediuminwhichtheyareplaced.AnativeadisnotexclusivetoTwitterandcanbefoundonotherpaidtrafficplatforms.NativeTwitteradslooklikeanyothertweetandconsistofgoodcopythatpiquesinterestandlinkstoinformativecontentthatdrivestrafficofftheTwitterplatformtoyourpredeterminedlandingpage(seeChapter7formoreonlandingpages).

WithTwitter,youtypicallytargetcoldtrafficwithcontenttodriveawarenessforyourbrands,productsandservices.Therefore,ratherthandrivetraffictoatraditionalsaleslandingpageforyourproduct,drivetraffictoinformativeblogarticlesthatprovidevalueandbuildcredibility.Then,inyourarticle,weavecallstoactiontoarelevantofferthatleadpeopletothenexttraffictemperature.ReturntoChapters5and6forbloggingstrategiestouseforyourTwitterlandingpages.

Tobeeffective,eachlandingpagearticleneedstohavestandalonevalue.Inotherwords,readersderivevaluefromthelandingpageregardlessofwhethertheytakeyouroffer.Toavoidhavinganegativeimpactonyourrelationshipwithaprospectandharmingyourchancesofgainingacustomer,besurethatyourlandingpagedeliversonthepromiseyoumadewithinyourtweet.Forinstance,ifyoutweetaboutbridalshowerideasandthelinkyouprovidedoesn’tdeliver,peoplewillviewyouaslesstrustworthyandassociateyourcontentwithnegativeclickbait.

WhenusingTwitter,lookfortweetsthatperformexceptionallywell.Ifoneofyourtweetsresultsinhighengagement,thetweetwilllikelydowellasanadvertisement.Considerinvestingmoneyinthattweetandpromotingittoyourcoldaudiences.

GoogleGoogleAdWordsisagreattrafficplatformbecauseyoucanpresentadstopeoplewhentheyareactivelylookingforasolution.Google’sAdWordsprogramshowsadstopeoplebasedonthekeywordstheytypeintotheGooglesearchengine.Forexample,ifasearchertypes“buydogtreats”intoGoogle,acompanythatsellsdogtreatscanplaceabidtoshowanadontheresultspage,asshowninFigure10-4.PeopleuseGoogletoresearchproductsandservices,andthesearchqueriestheytypeinofferinsightintothepainpointstheyfaceandthesolutionsandbenefitstheyarelookingfor.

Source:https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=buy%20dog%20treatsFIGURE10-4:Adsappearforthesearchquery“buydogtreats”ontheGoogleplatform.

Incomparisontootherplatforms,Googleadsareseenaslessinterruptiveandinvasive,andtheyrequirelessofanintroductiontoyourprospectsbecausepeopleareactivelysearchingforasolution.AlthoughAdWordsisgenerallymoreexpensivethanothertrafficstores,itisveryeffectiveatgeneratinghigh-qualityleadsandcustomers:Eventhoughtheymayneverhaveheardofyou,thesepotentialcustomersactivelyseeksolutionsandareoftenmoreopentobecomingleadsandcustomers.

HerearesomeaspectstonoteaboutGoogleAdWords:

Youneedagoal:AdWordsisn’taplatformyoujustgetontorunsometrafficandtest

yourmarket.Decidingonagoalbeforeyoubeginyourcampaignisimperative.Ifyou’renewtothis,youmaywanttostartwithanothertrafficstorethatischeaper,suchasFacebook,totestthemarketbeforeyougraduatetoAdWords.Youpaybasedonclicks:Youpayonlywhensomeoneactuallyclicksyourad(whichhelpstocontrolyourbudget).Youcantargetbylocation:There’sabigopportunityforgeo-targetingforlocalbusinesses,soyoucanspecifically“speak”tolocalmarkets.Thisfeatureworkswellforbothlocalbusinessesandlargercompanieslookingtosegmentanationalorinternationalcampaign.

Youshouldbeginwithresearchingthekeywordsthatyouintendtobidonforyourad.Whenconductingkeywordresearch,rememberthesetips:

Usetoolstohelpyoufindkeywordideasandestimatehowthekeywordsmayperform.GoogleKeywordPlanner(https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner)issuchatoolandisafreeserviceprovidedbyGoogleAdWords.Enterkeywordsandkeywordphrasesrelatedtoyourbusiness.UsespytoolssuchasiSpionage(https://www.ispionage.com/),SEMrush(https://www.semrush.com/)orSpyFu(https://www.spyfu.com/)toresearchyourcompetitorsorothercompaniesinyournichetogaininsightonthekeywordsthey’retargeting.

Asyouconductyourkeywordresearch,beawarethatyoucansetfourtypesofparametersonyourkeywordswithinAdWords.Theseareknownaskeywordmatchtypes.Youusethemtosetandcontrolwhichsearcherstriggeryouradtoappearafterthey’vetypedinasearchquery.Herearethekeywordmatchtypes,alongwithexamplesforeach:

Exactmatch:Thismatchtypemeansthatsomeonehastotypeyourkeywordorkeywordphraseexactlyasitappearsinyourcampaigninorderforyouradtobedisplayed.Youdesignateexactmatchbyputtingsquarebracketsaroundakeyword.Forexample:[lawnservice]Ifyouhavetheexact-matchkeyword[lawnservice]inyourAdWordscampaign,theonlytimeyouradappearsiswhensomeonetypesthesearchquerylawnserviceintoGoogle.Phrasematch:Yourkeywordmustappearinthesameorderasitappearsinyourcampaigntotriggeryourad.Phrasematchisdesignatedbyquotationmarksaroundthekeyword,asinthefollowing:“lawnservice”Ifyouhavethephrase“lawnservice”inyourAdWordscampaign,youradcouldbe

triggeredforthefollowingsearchqueries:BestlawnserviceLawnserviceAustinDan’slawnserviceandlandscaping

Theprecedingtermstriggeryourphrasematchadbecausethewordslawnandserviceappearnexttoeachotherinthesearchquery.However,withphrasematch,youradwouldnotbetriggeredbythefollowingsearchqueries:

LawnmowingserviceLawnandlandscapingservice

Youradwouldnotbetriggeredbythosesearchqueriesbecausethewordslawnandservicedonotappearinthesameorderastheydointhecampaign.Broadmatch:Withbroadmatch,Googleshowsyouradforsimilarphrasestoandrelevantvariationsfromthekeyword.Thisincludesplurals,synonyms,misspellings,andrelatedsearchedandrelevantvariations.Incontrasttotheotherkeywordmatchtypes,broadmatchhasnosymboldesignation.Ifyourbroadmatchkeywordislawnservice,Googlemaytriggeryouradforsearchqueriesthatinclude

LawnmowingservicepricesLawnservicesnearmeLawnservicenameideasCreativelawnservicenames

Whilethiscanplaceyouradinfrontofalargeaudience,itmaynotplaceitinfrontoftherightaudience.Becausebroadmatchcantriggersomuch,wedon’trecommenditforsomeonejuststartingoutinAdWords.Broadmatchmodifier(BMM):Thiskeywordtypetriggersyouradforclosevariations,suchasmisspellings(butnotsynonyms),inanyorder.BMMfallsbetweenbroadmatchandphrasematchinthatyouhavemorecontrolthanbroadmatch,butit’snotquiteasrestrictiveasphrasematch.YoudesignateaBMMwithaplussign(+)infrontofyourkeywords:+lawn+serviceGoogleknowskeywordswiththeplussigninfrontofthemmustappearsomewherewithinthesearchquery,butnotnecessarilyintheordertheyappearinthecampaign.Searchqueriesthatmaytriggerthisadincludethefollowing:

LawnmowingserviceLawnandlandscapingserviceProfessionallawncareservices

Afteryouresearchyourkeywordsanddecideonthekeywordmatchtypetouseinyourcampaign,youselecthowmuchtobidforyourkeywords.RememberthesetipswhenchoosingyourbiddingstrategyinAdWords:

SelecttheManuallySetMyBidForClicksoption,whichallowsyoutobeincontrolofyourbudget.Otherwise,yourbudgetisautomatedbyGoogleAdWords.Whenfirststartingacampaign,useadefaultbidof$2–$3untilyoucanseehowcompetitiveyourkeywordsare.Setadailybudget,againtokeepyourbudgetunderyourcontrol.

Whenyou’refinallyreadytowriteyourad,followthesetipsandtrickstocreatecopyforGoogleads:

Includeacalltoaction.Whatistheultimateactionyouwantyourtargetaudiencetotakeafterpeoplehavereadyourad?Tellthemwhatyouwantthemtodoinyourad.Callstoactioncaninclude“callnow,”“downloadyourfreereport,”and“ordertoday,”amongotherpossibilities.Useyourkeywords.Includethekeywordsyouarebiddingonwithinthead’scopy.NotonlydoesthishelpwithyourQualityScore(thealgorithmthatGoogleusestodeterminehowmuchyouultimatelypayforaclick),italsoboldsthekeywordsthatmatchaperson’ssearchquery,whichmakesyouradstandoutmore.Askaquestion.Considerusingquestionstocallouttoyouraudience.Questionsoftencapturepeople’sattentionmorethanastatementdoes.Forinstance,insteadofthecopy“Getridoftermites”try“Termiteinfestation?”Orinsteadof“ExperiencedandinsuredplumberinSt.Louis”try“LookingforareliableSt.Louisplumber?”Referenceholidaysorlocalevents.Whenyouradmentionsupcomingeventsorholidays,itseemsmoretimelyandrelevanttosearchers.Focusonbenefitsandspeaktoyourprospects’painpoints.Don’tincludeyourproduct’sspecifications,suchassize,color,orevenwhattheproductdoes,withinyourad.Thatdoesn’tenticepeopletoclick;rather,peoplewanttoknowhowyourproductcanmaketheirlivesbetter.Withinyourad,focusontheemotionaloutcomesyourproductprovides,notthetechnicalspecs.(Youincludetechspecswithintheproductdescriptiononyoursaleslandingpage,aswedescribeingreatdetailinChapter7.)

YouTubeYouTubeisgreattrafficplatformforbuildingrelationshipswithcustomersandprospects.Becauseofthedifferentkindsofadsyoucancreatewiththistrafficplatform,youcanbuildrelationshipsandmovepeoplefromcoldprospectstohotrepeatbuyers,allwithintheYouTubeplatform.Forinstance,youcanuseYouTubetoestablishyourselfasanauthorityandgivevaluetoyourmarket,andthensendpeopletomorecontenttolearn

from,suchasanothervideoorablogpost,afterwhichyouretargetthem(wedetailretargetinginthelatterhalfofthischapter)withvideoadstomakeanentrypointoffer.SeeChapter3formoreinformationaboutentrypointoffers.

NotethatpeopleareconditionedtoskipYouTubeads.Withtheadvertisementsthatplaybeforesomeoneelse’svideo,liketheonefromGoProcameracompanypicturedinFigure10-5,youhaveonlyfivesecondstograbyouraudience’sattentionbeforepeopleclicktheSkipbutton.

FIGURE10-5:AGoProYouTubeadwithaSkipbutton.

Afterthefive-secondthreshold,peopleoftenhavethechancetoskipyourad,andifyouhaven’tgiventhemareasontostay,youraudienceswilllikelyskipyouradtoviewthecontenttheyoriginallycametowatch.Tokeepthemfromskipping,dooneormoreofthefollowingwithinthefirstfiveseconds:

Callouttoyouraudiencetograbpeople’sattention.Forinstance,youcancallouttoyourmarketbasedonwherepeoplelive(cityorstate)oraddressoneoftheirinterests.Askthemaquestiontheycanrelatetoandidentifywith.Forexample,ahomeimprovementcompanymightplaceanadvertisementonavideoaboutreplacingabathroomsinkandopenthatvideoadwiththequestion,“Areyouupdatingyourbathroom?”Speaktoapainpointtheyarefacingorabenefittheyareseeking.Entertainthem.

Giveyourtargetaudienceareasontostaybyimmediatelyprovidingvaluesothatpeoplewanttovisityourchannelorwebsitetolearnmore.

Otherwaystoensurethatyouradgrabsyourtargetaudience’sattentionistoincludeanenticingthumbnailimage(thestaticimageoverlayingyourvideobeforesomeoneplaysit)andastrongvideotitle,alsocalledaheadline.Thetitleandthethumbnailexplainanddemonstratewhatyourvideoisabout.Yourthumbnailimageisoneofthefirstthingspeoplesee,soyouwanttomakesurethatyourfirstimpressionisappealingandeyecatching.Ifcreatingprofessional-lookingimagesisoutsideyourskillset,useservicessuchasFiverrortoolssuchasCanvatomakehigh-qualitythumbnailimages.Thenbackupyourimagewithanengagingtitleorheadline.Includeyourtargetedkeywordswithintheheadline(andwithinthevideo’sdescription)toimproveyourtargeting.

PinterestThissocialnetworkhasmorethan100millionactiveusers,with47million-plusofthoseuserslivingintheUnitedStates.It’sthereforeanidealtrafficstoreforthoseadvertisinginAmerica.Pinterestusersareheavilyfemale:Womenmakeupabout85percentofPinterest(andofthose,42percentareadultwomenwithspendingpower).AlthoughPinterestisanidealplatformtotargetwomenlivinginAmerica,Pinterestisgrowingbothinternationallyandamongadultmaleusers:Pinterestisthefastest-growingsocialnetworkbypercentage,andone-thirdofnewaccountsarecreatedbymen.

Pinterestusersareinanopen-to-buymindset.Infact,93percentofPinterestusersplanpurchasesbyusingPinterest.StudieshavealsofoundthatwhenPinteresttrafficwasreferredtoShopify,itresultedinanaveragepurchaseof$50fromShopify.Asatrafficstore,Pinteresthasalotofpotential,tosaytheleast.

ToadvertiseonPinterest,youcreatewhatisknownasapromotedpin,whichisanadvertisementthatallowsyoutotargetyourmarketbasedondemographics,locations,anddevicesused,aswellaspeople’sinterestsandthesearchqueriesthatpeopletypein.Pinterest,likeGoogle,isrunonacost-per-click(CPC)basiswithabudgetthatyoucanspecify,andyoupayonlywhensomeoneclicksthroughthepintoyourwebsite.SimilartoTwitter,Pinterestisanativeadvertisingsystem;createadvertisementsthatblendinwiththeplatformsothattheadfollowstheformandfunctionofanyotherpieceofcontentontheplatform.Figure10-6depictsapromotedpinfromKraft,intherighthalfofthefigure,foritsrecipesboard.

Source:https://www.pinterest.com/pinFIGURE10-6:ApromotedpinfromKraft.

Beforeyoucreateyourpromotedpin,researchthekeywordsyouintendtotarget.YoucandoyourkeywordresearchrightonthePinterestplatform.StartbytypinginthemainkeywordforyourmarketinthePinterestsearchbar.Asyoutype,Pinterestgivesyousuggestedsearches,whicharethemostcommonlysearchedqueriesthatincludeyourkeywordonPinterest.ThistechniquehelpsyoufocusinonthekeywordstotargetonPinterest.Youcanalsouseonlinetools,suchasSpinKeywords,toresearchkeywordsforyourpromotedpincampaign.

Eachpromotedpinisallowedonlyupto20keywords,sowhenselectingthekeywordsyouwanttotarget,choosethemostrelevantkeywords.Ifyouchoosetotargetmorethan20keywords,yourpromotedpinmaybedeniedbyPinterest.Therefore,aimfor15to20keywordsperpromotedpin.

Next,whencreatingyourpromotedpin,selectyourimagewithcare.ThePinterest

platformisallaboutbig,beautifulimages,andforyourpromotedpintostandout,youmustuseanimagethatisbotheyecatchingandofhighquality.Withinyourimage,consideraddingasimple,cleartextoverlaytoyourimagethatcanserveasaheadlineandprovidecontexttotheimage.ThesizeandshapeofyourimagemattersonPinterest;thisplatformisverticallyoriented,soalthoughhorizontalimagescanworkforpromotedpins,strivetouseverticalimageswheneverpossible.Animagesizeof600pixelsby900pixelsisagoodplacetostartforyourpinimage.

Youwantyourpromotedpintobehelpful,beautiful,andactionable.Afteryouselectanimagethathelpsyoucreatesuchapin,writeadetaileddescriptionthatgivesvaluetoyourmarket,addressesapainpoint,anddemonstratesthebenefitoftheproductyou’refeaturinginyourpromotedpin.Rememberthatpeopledon’tcareabouttheproduct’suniquesellingpoints(USP)atthispoint;rather,theycareaboutwhattheproductdoesforthemandhowitcanmaketheirlifebetter.Addresstheseconcernswithinyourpromotedpin’sdescription.

Withinthefirst75–100charactersofyourpin’sdescription,includethelinktotheproduct’slandingpage(seeChapter7formoreonlandingpages).Includingthislinkearlyinyourtextensuresthatyourlinkappearsabovethefold,allowingyourlandingpagetobeoneclickawayfromthePinterestplatform.

Don’tusemorethanfourindividualimagesperpin.Youwanttheimagestobebigandbeautifulsothatyourpromotedpinstandsout,andhavingmorethanfourimagescreatesabusypinwithsmallimages.Ifyoudecidetohavemorethanoneimageinapromotedpin,besurethateachimagehasaclearfocusandatheme.Youdon’twanttosellanassortmentofrandomproductsinapin;instead,theproductsshouldcomplementeachother.

LinkedInLinkedInstandsoutfromothertrafficstoresbecauseit’sgearedtowardaspecificmarket.LinkedInisprofessionallyfocusedandbusiness-to-business(B2B)centric.It’sapowerfulresourcetoemployforleadgenerationandrunningadstocoldtraffic,though,justasTwitterandFacebookare.

YoucanchooseamongamultitudeofwaystotargetyouraudiencewithinLinkedIn,fromdemographics,suchasageandgender,tojobtitle,toskillsthatusershavelistedintheirprofiles,suchas“customerservice”or“socialmediamarketing.”Andwithmorethan450millionusersandcounting,LinkedInoffersalargemarkettoreach.

HowlargeshouldyouraudiencesizebewhenrunningtrafficonLinkedIn?Somemarketersarguethat300,000isthesweetspot.However,incontrasttoyourFacebook

audience,youraudiencesizeonLinkedIndoesn’tneedtobeanissue.ThemarketissmallerandmorespecifiedontheLinkedInplatform,andthetargetisbusinessprofessionals.Othertrafficstores,suchasFacebookandTwitter,encompassamuchbroaderaudience.WhenyouadvertiseonLinkedIn,thesizeoftheaudienceislessimportant.Themainconcern,justaswithalltrafficstores,isputtingtherightmessageinfrontoftherightaudience.Forinstance,ifyouwanttotargetCEOs,don’tworryabouttheaudiencesize,butfocusinsteadoncreatinganadandanofferthatCEOswillfindrelevant.

Aswiththeothertrafficstores,yourLinkedInadneedsthefollowing:

SpecificcopythatcallsouttoyouraudienceandisrelevanttoitAprofessional,captivatingimageAcalltoactionthatmovestheaudiencetothenextstep

OnewaytodrivetrafficonLinkedInistosponsorcontentandsendpeopletoyourcontent,suchasyourblogposts.Tobeeffective,thecontentyou’resendingtraffictoshouldeducateandgivevaluetoyouraudience.Then,withintheblog,providecallstoactionorbanneradsforanofferthatyourLinkedInaudiencefindsrelevant.Thisstrategyisonewayforyoutoobtainareturnoninvestment(ROI)fromyourLinkedIncampaigns.

AlthoughLinkedInisoneofthemoreexpensiveplatforms,thespecificnatureofthistrafficstoremakesitgeneratehigh-qualityleadsthatareopentoyourmessage.

ChoosingtherighttrafficplatformYouhavemanytrafficstorestochoosefrom,andeachonehasitsstrengths.Insummary,herearethescenariosinwhichtoconsiderusingoneormoreoftheBigSix:

Facebook:Thisplatformcanworkinalmostanymarket,unlessthemarketisn’tapprovedbytheFacebookTOS(termsofservice),suchasthevapingindustry(visitFacebook’sadvertisingpoliciesformoredetailsonitsTOSathttps://www.facebook.com/policies/ads/).WithFacebook,youwanttoutilizeaprocessknownasretargeting,whichwedefineandexplaininthenextsection.Twitter:AdvertiseonTwitterwhenyouwanttotargetayoungermarketoronethatishighlytechsavvy.Twitterisalargeplatformwithalotofusers,soitcanworkinalmostanymarket.Google:UseGoogleifyouhaveaprovenofferthathasperformedwellonothertrafficsources,oranofferthatisdifficulttotargetintermsofprospects’interestsordemographicsandthusrequireskeywordtargeting.WithGoogle,youwanttoengageinretargeting.YouTube:Thistrafficstorecanworkinalmostanymarket,especiallyifyouhaveanofferthatrequiresdemonstrationorkeywordtargeting.Again,withthisplatform,youwanttoengageinretargeting.

Pinterest:Thinkaboutusingpromotedpinswhenyou’resellingphysicalproducts,particularlytowomen,orifyou’recreatingcontentwithlotsoforiginalorcuratedimages.LinkedIn:GotoLinkedInwhenyou’resellinghigh-dollarB2Bproductsorservices.Consideralsoadvertisingonthisplatformwhenyou’repromotingawebinartoaB2Baudienceorwanttoreachpeoplebytheirjobtitle.

SettingupBoomerangTrafficNeedlesstosay,noteveryonewhocomestoyoursitewillconvertonthefirstvisit;infact,formostsites,only2percentofwebtrafficconvertsonthefirstvisit.Sohowdoyougettheother98percentto“boomerang”andcomebacktoyoursite?Youdoitthroughastrategyknownasadretargeting.

Forinstance,saythatyougototheonlineshoeandclothingstoreZappos.YoulookatapairofshoesandthenleaveZapposwithoutbuying.NextyouvisittheHuffingtonPosttoreadanarticleandnoticeanadforthesamepairofshoesthatyouwerejustconsideringonZappos.com.Youarebeingretargeted.Inthissection,wegointomoredetailaboutwhatretargetingisandhowtoemployitinthefollowingsections.

DefiningadretargetingAfterpeoplehavevisitedyoursite,salespage,orsocialmediapage,youcansafelyassumethatthey’reinterestedinlearningmore.Eveniftheyleftwithoutbuying,youcanalsoassumethattheydidn’tsayno;theyjustdidn’thavetimetotakeactionrightthenorneededmoretimetothinkaboutyouroffer.Toencouragepeopletoreturntoyoursite(likeaboomerang),youusethepaidtrafficstrategyofretargeting.

Thegoalofretargeting(sometimescalledremarketing)istobringpeoplebacktoyoursiteandgetthemonestepclosertoconverting.Youdothisbyservingformervisitorsadsbasedontheirpriorengagementwithyoursite.Withretargeting,youdon’ttrytochangepriorvisitors’minds;rather,youremindthemaboutyouroffer.

Althoughotherformsofretargetingexist,wefocusonthemostfrequentlyused:site-basedretargeting.Site-basedretargetingusestrackingpixelsandcookiestoserveyouradtoprevioussitevisitors,asweexplaininthenextsection.

SettingcookiesandpixelsAtrackingpixel(simplyreferredtoasapixel)isapieceofcodethatyouplaceonyourwebsitetotriggeracookie,whichisthetextfilethatstoresinformationabouttheuser ’svisittoyoursite.ThecookieusesasimpleJavaScriptcodeandallowsadnetworksandtrafficplatformstoidentifyuserswhentheyvisitanothersite,andthenservesthemtargetedadsbasedonyourpreferencesasanadvertiser.Simplyput,thetrackingpixeldeliversinformationtoaserver,andthecookiestoresinformationinauser ’sbrowsersothattheservercanreaditagainlater.Thecookiestoresthesitevisitbutdoesnotstoreanysensitiveinformation,suchasthesitevisitor ’sname,address,oranyinformationthatmightpersonallyidentifythevisitor.

Whenpeoplecometoyoursite,acookieisplaced,andeventually,usersleaveandvisitothersites.Thecookieletsyourretargetingplatform,suchasFacebookorGoogle,knowwhenoneofthese“cookied”visitorsgoestoasitewhereretargetingadscanbeshown.Ifadspaceisavailable,yourretargetingadmaybeshown.Thisentireprocessisautomated

andoccurswithinafractionofasecond.

Whendoneright,retargetingallowsyoutomakerelevantofferstospecificaudiences,andthemorespecificandrelevanttheoffer,themorelikelytheofferistoresonatewithyouraudienceandleadtoaconversion.Thenextsectiontellsyouhowtocreatespecificretargetingoffers.

SegmentingwithcontentThebiggestmistakethatadigitalmarketercanmakewithretargetingcampaignsistoassumethatallvisitorsarealikeandshoweveryvisitorthesamead.Thekeytosuccessfulretargetingisaudiencesegmentation(wealsodiscusscontentsegmentationinChapter4).Failingtosegmentyourvisitorscanleadtopoorcampaignresultsandthewasteofmanyofyourimpressions(theviewsonyourads)andadspend.Forinstance,youwouldn’twanttoretargetauserwhohasviewedveganrecipeswithabanneradforasteakhouserestaurant.

Whenyousegmentyouraudiences,youcanidentifyandunderstandtheirintent.Segmentationallowsyoutoretargetandsendoffersbasedonaperson’sinterests,therebypersonalizingtheretargetingexperienceandmakingtheadthatmuchmorecompelling.

Tosegmentyouraudience,examineyourwebsiteorbloganddivideitscontentintolikecategoriesortopics.Forexample,afoodblogmightseparateitscontentbytypesoflifestylessuchasvegan,gluten-free,andvegetarian.Whenpeoplevisitcontentaboutvegetarianfood,theyareshowinginterestinvegetarianfood.Doyouhaveanofferthatisrelevanttoavegetarian?Ifso,retargetthosethatvisityourvegetariancontentwiththatrelevantandspecificoffer.

TroubleshootingPaidTrafficCampaignsAfteryou’vesetupapaidtrafficcampaign,letitrunforthreetofivedayssothatyoucanstartcollectingdata.Whenthattimeisup,youshouldassessandtroubleshootyourcampaign.Althoughyou’relookingforproblemsorwhygoalsaren’tbeingmet,troubleshootingdoesn’tnecessarilymeanthatsomethingiswrongwiththecampaign.Thegoaloftroubleshootingacampaignistofixanyproblemsthatmayhavearisensinceitslaunch,butalsotolookforwaystooptimizethecampaignandpossibly,ifjustifiable,toscalethecampaign.

Weexaminefourareastofocusonandthestepstotakewhentroubleshootingapaidtrafficcampaign,asfollows:

TheofferThetargetingTheadcopyandcreativeThead’scongruency

Withpaidtraffic,alotoftrialanderrorisinvolvedinacampaign,evenifyou’vedoneeverythingright.Atourcompany,forexample,foreverytenpaidcampaignsthatwerun,onlyonetotwobreakevenorturnaprofit.Butthatdoesn’tmeanthatyoushouldthrowawayanunderperformingcampaignandstartallover.Withsomedigging,youcanfindwhat’sholdingbackthecampaignandgetitbackontrack.

Makesuretoexamineeachofthefollowingareasoneatatimesothatyoucanisolatethespecificissueofyourcampaign.Ifyoutrytoassessalltheareasatonetime,youwon’tunderstandtherootcauseorwhatultimatelyfixedyourcampaign,soyoumayendupfacingthesameprobleminthefuture.Implementonestep,runyouradforanadditionalfivedaysandcollectmoredata,andthenmoveontothenextstepsifnecessary.

Readonformoredetailsabouttroubleshootingeachoftheseareas.

StrengtheningyourofferThefirstaspecttofocusonwhenyourcampaignisn’tperformingasexpectedisyouroffer.Askyourself:Dopeoplewantwhatyou’reselling?Ifyoudon’toffersomethingthatyourmarketactuallywantsorneeds,youwon’tgetconversions.Toseewhetheryourofferisappealing,answerthesethreequestions:

Areyousolvingaproblemforaspecificgroupofpeople?

Doesaspecificneedexistforwhatyou’reoffering?Areyouofferingyourmarketvalue?

Ifyouransweris“No”toanyofthesequestions,you’vealreadyfoundyourproblem.

Nomatterhowcompellingyourlandingpagecopyisorhowattentiongrabbingyourimagemaybe,thebestmarketingcampaignintheworldcan’tsolveanofferissue.Thisiswhyyourofferissocrucialandisthekeytothesuccessorfailureofanymarketingcampaign.Apoorlyexecutedmarketingcampaignwithagreatofferusuallyoutperformsagreatmarketingcampaignwithapooroffer.Ifapoorofferisyourproblem,youneedtocomeupwithanewandbetterofferbeforeyouruntraffictoit.SeeChapter3formoreoncraftingwinningoffers.

TweakingyourtargetingAnotherbigculpritofastrugglingadcampaignisyourtargeting.Ifyou’veconcludedthatyourofferisn’ttheproblemandhaveprooftobackthatup,examinewhetheryou’retargetingtherightpeople.Regardlessofwhetheryouhavethebestofferandmarketingmessage,puttingyourofferinfrontofthewrongaudiencemeansthatyourcampaignwillfail.Areyoutargetingpeoplewhowillactuallybuy?

Thebiggesttargetingmistakeyoucanmakeistogotoobroadinfearofmissingoutonpotentialprospects.Whenstartingyourcampaign,youwantyourmarkettobeasspecificaspossible.Ifyou’reindoubtaboutthesizeoftheaudienceyou’retargeting,goabitsmaller.Then,ifthecampaignmeetsorexceedsexpectationsforthissmalleraudience,youcanscaleitandmakeyouraudiencealittlebroader.

Ifyoubelievethatyourtargetingisoff,reassessyourcustomeravatar.Youmighthaveamisconceptionofyouraudience.Gobackandmakesurethatyou’rebeingspecificenoughandthatyourinformationonyouraudienceiscorrect.

Anotherbigissuethatcanimpedeyourtargetingistoadvertiseonthewrongtrafficplatform.Youmightbeplacingadsonaplatformwhereyourmarketdoesn’thangoutonline.Returntothe“ChoosingtheRightTrafficPlatform”section,earlierinthischapter,tohelpmakesurethatyou’reputtingyouradonaplatformwhereyourmarketisactive.

ScrutinizingyouradcopyandcreativeAfterconfirmingthatyourofferisenticingandyou’reputtingyourofferinfrontoftherightpeople,examineyourmarketingmessage.Theadcopyandthecreative(theimage)aretheseguebetweenyourofferandyourtargetmarket.Thecopyandcreativeensuresthatpeoplecanseetheendbenefitofyouroffer.Ifyourmarketingmessagedoesn’tcatchyourtargetaudience’sattentionandgivepeopleareasontoclick,yourcampaignwillfailbecauseyouaren’tgeneratingtraffic.

Inspectyouradcopytomakesurethatitdoesthefollowing:

CallsouttoyouraudienceHitsapainpointthatyouraudienceexperiencesGivesyourmarketasolutionorabenefit(areasontoclick)

Next,theimageneeds

TobeeyecatchingTocorrespondwithyourmarketingmessage

Overall,verifythatyourcreativeandyourcopydon’tsaydifferentthings.Theyneedtomatchoryouriskconfusingyouraudience.Inaddition,thismatchuphelpsmakeyouradcopyandyourcreativemorecompelling,whichalsoleadstothenextareatotroubleshoot.

CheckingthecongruencyofyourcampaignFinally,youneedtotroubleshootthecongruencyofyouradasyoumoveprospectstothenextstepofyourmarketingfunnel.Forinstance,afterpeopleclickyouradandvisityourlandingpage,dotheygetwhattheyexpected?Ifyourlandingpagedoesn’thavethesamelookandfeelasyourad,peoplemaythinkthey’velandedinthewrongplaceorthatyouwon’tdeliveronthebenefitpromisedinthead.Somethingseemswrongtositevisitors,causingthemtoclicktheBackbuttonintheirbrowser.

Sonotonlydoyouwanteachstepofthecampaigntobuildofftheprevious,youalsowantthecampaigntoremaincongruentthroughout.Tomaintaincongruence,considerkeepingthefollowingelementsinyouraddesignconsistentthroughoutthecampaign’spath:

ColorschemeLayoutImageryFonttype,size,andcolor

Next,ifyoumakeanofferortouchonapainpointorbenefitwithinthead,referencethatagainonthelandingpage.Makesurethattheseitemsappearquicklyandaren’tburieddownthepageoryourisklosingtheprospect.Theeasiestwaytoassuretheprominenceoftheseitemsiswiththecopy:Usetheexactsamelanguagefromyouradtoyourlandingpageheadline,subheadline,andbodycopy.Alsoincludethesameimagesfromtheadwithinthelandingpage.

Byensuringthatyouradandyourlandingpagebothreflectthesamebenefit,painpoint,offer,anddesign,youcanmaintainfamiliarityandpreservecongruency.

Chapter11

FollowingUpwithEmailMarketingINTHISCHAPTER

ReviewingtypesofmarketingemailBuildingapromotionalcalendarWritinganddesigningmarketingemailMakingyouremailsdeliverable

Imaginethatit’sseveno’clockonaTuesdaymorning.Youwakeuptothebeepingofyouralarm,rolloutofbed,andstumbletothekitchen,wherethecoffeethatyouprogrammedtobrewlastnightisjustfinishingitsdripcycle.Yougrabamug,addsomecreamandatinysprinkleofsugar,andsitdownatthekitchentable.Thenyoucheckyouremail.

Ifyou’reanythinglikemostadultAmericans,thisroutinemaybefamiliar.Emailisnotonlypartofourdailyroutines,butalsooneofourprimarysourcesofinformation.Itprobablyisn’tasurprisetoyouthatemailhasahigherreturnoninvestmentthananyotherchannelbyfar.Infact,emailreturnsanaverage4,300percentreturnoninvestmentforbusinessesintheUnitedStates.

Emailplaysanimportantroleindigitalmarketingbecauseithelpsmovecustomersfromonestageofthecustomerjourney(seeChapter1formoreonthecustomerjourney)tothenextinawaythatyieldshighreturnoninvestment.Becauseemailisbothcosteffectiveandtimeeffective,nottomentiononeofthefirstchannelsthatmostcustomersturnto,thischanneloftenyieldsthebestresults.

Inthischapter,weshowyouhowtocreateanemailplanthatgivesyourcustomersareasontocometoyouagainandagainasyougrowyourbusinessthroughdynamic,relationship-basedmarketing.

UnderstandingMarketingEmailsTostart,it’simportanttounderstandthetypesofmarketingemailsthatbusinessessend.Thekeytosuccessinemailmarketingisemployingtherighttypeofemailattherighttime.

Figure11-1showsthegoalsofthreetypesofemails—promotional,relational,andtransactional—andhowthey’reusedinmarketingstrategy.

FIGURE11-1:Theprimarygoalsofeachemailtype.

PromotionalemailsPromotionalemailspresenttheleadsandcustomersonyouremaillistwithanoffer.Theofferscouldbepromotionalcontent,agatedofferlikeawhitepaperorwebinar(seeChapter3formoreongatedoffers),abrandannouncement,productrelease,eventannouncements,ortrialoffers,justtonameafew.

Promotionalemailsarethemostcommonmarketingemails.Thisisn’tsurprising.Because66percentofconsumershavemadeapurchaseasadirectresultofanemailmarketingmessage,weknowthatpromotionalemailswork.

Promotionalemailsprovidevalueandhelpteeupsales.They’regreatforleadgeneration,retention,loyalty,engagement,nurturing,sales,andupsells.Theyshouldbepartofanyemailmarketingstrategy.Theproblemisthatmanycompaniesusethemastheonlypartoftheiremailmarketingstrategy,sotheymissoutonopportunitiestorelatetocustomersindiversewaysthatareoftenmoreeffective.

RelationalemailsRelationalemailsdelivervaluetoyourcustomersbyprovidingfreecontentandinformationsuchassubscriberwelcomes,newsletters,blogarticles,webinarguides,surveys,socialupdates,contestannouncements,andmore.

Relationalemailsmaynotsellaproductorbranddirectly,buttheybuildrelationshipswiththecustomerbyaddingvalueupfront.Forexample,whenyouremailsubscriberreceivesapieceofhigh-qualitycontentinanemailnewsletter,heorsheisinteractingwithyourbrandinadeeper,moremeaningfulway.

TransactionalemailsTransactionalemailsaresentinresponsetoanactionthatacustomerhastakenwithyourbrand.Theyincludemessagessuchasorderconfirmations,receipts,couponcodes,shippingnotifications,accountcreationandproductreturnconfirmations,supporttickets,passwordreminders,andunsubscribeconfirmations.

Theseemailsreengagecustomerswhohaveengagedwithyourbusinessinsomeway(see“Reengagementcampaigns,”laterinthischapter)andgivethecustomeranideaofthevoicebehindyourbrand.

Doyoufollowupquicklyanddeliverwhatyoupromised?Doyouhavesystemsinplacethatgivethecustomertruevalue?Doyourespectyourcustomers’wishes?Theleadsandcustomersonyouremaillistareobservinghowyouconductbusiness,andyourtransactionalemailisabigpartofthat.

Transactionalemailsmeetalltheprimarygoalsofmarketing(refertoFigure1-2).Theyofferacustomerserviceexperience,tellcustomersaboutyourbrand,generateleads,increasecustomerretentionandloyalty,engagecustomers,andevenhelpwithsales.Yetmostbusinessesrarelyusetransactionalemailsproperly,mistakenlyassumingthatpromotionalandrelationalemailsaremoreeffective.

Researchshows,however,thattransactionalemailshavethehighestopenratesofthethreetypesandproduce2percentto5percentmorerevenuethanstandardbulkemaildoes.We’vecometoafascinatingconclusion:Transactionalemailsarechemicallymorelikelytobesuccessful(seethenearbysidebar“Thechemistryoftransactionalemails”).

THECHEMISTRYOFTRANSACTIONALEMAILSThinkaboutthelasttimeyoupurchasedsomethingyouloved—apairofbootsyou’dwantedforyears,anewsnowboard,agreatbottleofwine,ordinneratyourfavoriterestaurant.Nowconsiderthewayyoufeltwhenyoumadethatpurchase.Youwereexcited,right?

Asyoupurchaseaproductthatyou’vebeenwanting,yourbrainisfloodedwithfeel-goodendorphins.You’rehappyaboutthatproduct.Perhapsanhourlater,yougetashippingconfirmationwithinformationaboutthekeyfeaturesofthatsnowboardoranemaillistingrecipesfordishesthatgowiththatwine.You’vealreadymadeafeel-goodpurchase,andwhenthemarketerreengagesyouwhenyou’restillonthathigh,youmovefartheralongonyourcustomerjourney.

TURNINGNEGATIVESTOPOSITIVESManybusinessestendtominimizecontactwhenacustomertakesanegativeaction,suchasreturningaproductorunsubscribingfromanemaillist.Butwebelievethattheseeventsareperfecttimestofollowupwithtransactionalemails,forthesereasons:

Productreturns:Nordstrom,forexample,allowscustomerstoreturnanyitematanytimeforanyreason.Thisreturnpolicyishighlycompellingandmakespurchasesfeellessrisky.WhenNordstromfollowsupwithcustomerswhomakereturns,itconfirmsthepositiveexperiencethatthosecustomershadwithitsreturnpolicy.

Unsubscriptions:Whenacustomerunsubscribesfromyouremaillist,firstrespondtohisnegativeactionbyunsubscribinghim(givehimwhathewants).Thensendhimanunsubscribeconfirmationthatlistsotherwayshecanengagewithyourbrand,suchassocialmediaorbricks-and-mortarstores.Remindhimthatyou’rehappytocommunicatewithhimintheplacethatbestfitshisneeds.

SendingBroadcastandTriggeredEmailsEmailbestpracticessaythatyoushouldn’tjustsendeveryemailtoeverysubscriberonyourlist,andtimemanagementbestpracticessayyoucan’tspendeverydaymanuallysendingemailstocustomers.Forthesereasons,youremailsshouldbedividedintotwotypes:broadcastandtriggered.

BroadcastemailsBroadcastemailsareemailsthatyoumanuallysendtoyourentirelistatagiventime.Theyaren’tresponsestocustomeractions;yousendthemataspecifictimeandforaspecificpurpose.Whatwe’regoingtosaynextmaymakeyouabitupset,butwe’llsayitanyway:Overusingbroadcastemailscanhurtyourcustomerrelationshipsandcausecustomerstostopproceedingonthecustomerjourney.Broadcastemailsshouldbeusedforonlythreepurposes:

Newsletters:Youshouldsendyourregulardaily,weekly,ormonthlyemailnewslettertoyourentirelistaspromisedwhenyoursubscriberssubscribed.Promotions:Notallpromotionsshouldbebroadcastedtoyourentireaudience.Onlymajorpromotionsthatyoufeeldelivervaluetoyourentirecustomerbaseshouldbesenttoeveryone.Therestshouldbesenttoasegmentedlist(seethenextparagraph).Segmentation:Sendabroadcastemailtoyourentirelisttodeterminethespecificinterestsofcertaincustomersandthensegmentyouremaillists.

TriggeredemailsMostoftheemailsthatyousendshouldbetriggeredemails,whicharefullyautomated.Afteryougetthecontenthonedandready,youcanletyouremailserviceproviderdotheworkforyou.

Triggeredemailsautomaticallygooutaftercustomerstakeaspecificaction.Butthere’sacatch:Justbecauseyoucantriggersomethingdoesn’tmeanyoushould.Inthisdayofdetaileddigitalautomation,youcanprobablygetdatatotriggeranemaileverytimeyourcustomerlogsontoacomputerorpoursacupofcoffee.Butthatwouldjustannoyyourcustomers.Specificactionsthattriggeranautomatedemailforeachcustomeractionmightinclude

NewsubscriberwelcomeemailGatedofferemail(seeChapter3formoreongatedoffers)RegistrationconfirmationsPurchasereceiptsSegmentedpromotion

ReferralrequestsaftercustomersleaveareviewAbandonmentofashoppingcartReengagementafterasubscriberhasignoredyourbrandemailsforaspecificperiod

BuildingaPromotionalCalendarThefirstquestionmanybusinessownersaskusiswhentosendemail.Thisquestionisagoodonebecauseagreatemailcampaignwillengagecustomerslikeneverbeforeifit’ssentattherighttime.Conversely,ifanemailissentatthewrongtime,itwon’tbeaseffectiveasitcouldbe.

Thefirstthingyoushoulddoasabusinessownerormarketerafteryoudecidetostartanemailmarketingstrategyiscomeupwithapromotionalcalendar.Thatway,you’llknowwhentosendthemessagingyourcustomersneedwhentheywanttoreceiveit.

Usingapromotionalcalendargivesyoutheopportunitytoelicitaction.Itmobilizesyoursubscriberstodosomethingthatyouwantthemtodo—buysomething,askforinformation,callyou,orcometoastore,forexample.Therightmessagedeliveredattherighttimeelicitsaction.

CatalogingyourproductsandservicesBeforeyoucanbuildanaccurate,all-encompassingpromotionalcalendar,youhavetoknowexactlywhatyou’repromoting.Spendsometimecarefullycatalogingeveryproductandservicethatyourbusinessoffersandtakingsometimetounderstandhowtopromoteitbest.AtDigitalMarketer,weuseapromotionalassetsheet(seeFigure11-2)tokeepadetailedrecordofourassets.Everytimewereleaseanewasset,weaddanassetsheettoourlist.Andeverytimeweupdateourpromotionalcalendarorrunanemailcampaign,wespendsometimeupdatingtheseassetsheets.

FIGURE11-2:Apromotionalassetsheet.

Besurethatwhateverrecordyoukeepofyourpromotionalassetscontainsthefollowinginformation:

NameoftheproductorservicePrice(bothfullpriceandsaleprice)WherethetransactionoccursWhetheryou’vesoldthisproductorserviceviaemailbeforeWhetherpastmarketingeffortsworked(andwhyorwhynot)Whenyoulastpromotedthisproductorservice

HowmanyemailsyousentaboutthisproductWhethertheproductiscurrentlyavailabletopromote(andifnot,whynot)

Youmaybewonderingwhyyoushouldspendsomuchtimecatalogingyourmarketingefforts.Wouldn’tthattimebebetterspent,perhaps,marketingthoseassets?Thetruthisthatbycarefullytrackingthesalesofyourproducts,aswellasthemarketingcampaignsthatcorrespondwithyoursales,thejobofmarketingthoseassetsbecomesmucheasier.Whenyouknowwhatyouhaveavailabletosellandtheresultsofthepromotionsyou’veemployedinthepast,youcansimplydomoreofwhat’sworkingandlessofwhatisn’t.

Thetimeyouspendcatalogingandanalyzingtheseassetsandthecampaignssurroundingthemisvaluablemarketingtime.Webelievethatallmarketersshouldgatherthepromotionalassetsfromalltheproductsandservicestheyofferedsothattheyknowexactlywhattheycansell,howtheycansellit,whomtosellitto,and(perhapsmostimportant)whentosellit.

CreatinganannualpromotionalplanAfteryoucatalogyourassets,createanannualpromotionalplan.Thisplanalignsyour12-monthrevenuegoalswithyourannualpromotionsandmarketingeffortstohelpyoureachyourgoals.Figure11-3showsasampleworksheet.

FIGURE11-3:Anannualpromotionalplanningworksheet.

Youcandownloadyourown12-MonthPromotionalPlanningWorksheetathttp://www.digitalmarketer.com/email-planning.

DevelopingamarketingplanCreatinganddevelopinganannualmarketingplantakessometime,butafterit’sdone,youhaveasolidframeworkforbuildingyourpromotionalcalendar.Followthesesteps:

1. Writeyour12-monthrevenuegoals.

Consideryourtargetrevenuegoals,andfigureoutwhereyouwanttobeeachmonthtoreachthosegoals.

2. Listyournonrevenuegoals.Thislistcouldincludenonrevenuegrowthopportunitiessuchasthelaunchofablogorpodcast,thereleaseofabook,ortheopeningofanewlocation.

3. Slotholidaypromotionsintotheappropriatemonths.Formanyretailbusinesses,NovemberandDecemberarekeysalestimesandthusrequirestrategicmarketing.Otherbusinessesmayhavepeakpromotionatvaryingtimes,suchasbeforeamajorconferenceorduringacertainseason.

4. Slotannualpromotionsintotheappropriatemonths.Thesepromotionsmayincludemajorsales,productreleases,orevents.

5. Denoteseasonality.Everybusinesshasslowandbusymonths,sonotethosemonthsinyourplansothatyoucanbuildappropriatepromotionduringthosetimes.

6. Slotnonrevenuegoalsintotheappropriatemonths.AreyouplanningtoreleaseanewbookorlaunchanewbloginMarch?Youneedspaceonthepromotionalcalendarforthesenonrevenueinitiatives.

7. Breakyourrevenuegoalsintomonthlyallotments.Keepseasonalityinmind(seeStep5).

8. Addyourstandardrevenueprojections.Includepromotionalefforts,majorevents,standardrebillingcontracts,andsubscriptions.

9. Subtractyourexpectedrevenuefromthetargetrevenue.Afterdoingthis,considerhowyoucanfillintheremainingrevenueneeded.Thisstepiswhereyourmarketingeffortscomeintoplay.

10. Brainstormadditionalpromotionalideasthatcouldgeneratetherevenueyouneedtoreachyourgoals.Willyouneedtoaddnewproductsorservicestopromotetoreachyourtargetrevenue?Canyoufindnewwaystooffertheexistingproductsandservicesyoualreadyhave?

11. Spot-checkandadjust.Askyourselfwhetheryourcalendarhelpsyoumeetyourgoalsinawaythatwillbebotheffectiveandpractical.

12. Listadditionalitemsthatyouneedtomeetyourtarget.Youmayneedtolaunchanewproductorservice,ortocreateasalespresentation,forexample.

Creatinga30-daycalendarThenextstepistogetdownintothenitty-grittyofwhatyou’regoingtodoforthenext30days.

Apromotionalcampaignshouldhavethreegoals:

Monetization:MakingmoneyormakingasaleActivation:MovingyourcustomerforwardonthecustomerjourneySegmentation:Becomingmoreawareofcustomers’needsanddesiressoyoucansegmentyourlistanddelivervalue

Foryourfirst30days,werecommendthatyousetoneofthesepromotionalgoalsforeachweekandreservethefourthweekforawildcardcampaign.Awildcardcampaigngivesyouthechancetotrysomethingnew,getcreative,testnewideas,ortrytoreplicateyourmostsuccessfulcampaigns.

Youcanuseamonthlyplanningworksheet(seeFigure11-4)sothatyoucaneasilytrackwhichpromotionsyou’rerunningandhowtheydo.Youmightalsoplanabackuppromotionforeachcampaignincasetheprimarycampaignfalls,sothatyoustillreachrevenuegoalsregardlessofhowthecampaignsperform.

FIGURE11-4:A30-daypromotionalplanningworksheet.

Youcandownloadyourownmonthlyemailplanningworksheetathttp://www.digitalmarketer.com/email-planning.

Creatinga90-dayrollingcalendarWhenyour30-daypromotionalplanisupandrolling,youcanplanabitfartherinadvancewitha90-dayrollingcalendar.Wecallthiscalendararollingcalendarbecausebyrepeatingsimilarpromotionsevery90daysorso,youkeepyourcustomersinformedandengagedwithoutmakingthesameofferswiththesamecampaigngoalsoverandoveragain.

UseacalendarapplicationlikeGoogleCalendarorhangadry-eraseboardwitha90-daycalendartemplateonitinyourofficesothatyouandyourteamcanroutinely

mapoutaschedulethatmeetsyourrevenuetargetswithoutrepeatingthesamepromotionstoooften.Whenviewingyour90-daycalendar,youmightfindthatyouhavethreemonetizationcampaignsinApril,butnoneinMay.MovingamonetizationcampaignortwotoMaywillmakeitmorelikelythatyouhityourrevenuetargetsinMayandreducethenumberofmonetizationoffersyousendtoyouremaillistinApril.

CreatingEmailCampaignsHowdoyoucreateemailcampaignsthatmoveyourcustomersalongthecustomerjourneyinawaythatcreateslong-termbrandengagement?Andhowdoyoudosowithoutspammingorannoyingyourcustomersthewaysomanybrandscando?Thissectionwalksyouthroughfivetypesofemailcampaignssothatyouknowhowtobuildemailcampaignsthatwillworkforyourbusiness.

Acampaignstructurepage(liketheoneinFigure11-5)willhelpyoukeeptrackofeachcampaignandthepurposeofeachemailinthecampaign.

FIGURE11-5:Asamplecampaignstoryboard.

IndoctrinationcampaignsAnindoctrinationcampaignisatriggeredcampaignsentimmediatelyfollowinganinitialsubscription.Thiscampaignisdesignedtoteachnewsubscribersaboutyourbrandandconvincethemthatthey’vemadeagooddecisionbyjoiningyouremaillistand,byextension,becomingapartofyourcommunity.SeeFigure11-6foranexampleofanindoctrinationemail.

FIGURE11-6:Anexampleindoctrinationemailthatwelcomesanewsubscriber.

Customersdon’tsignupforyouremaillistsonawhim.Instead,theyprobablywereintroducedtoyourbrandandthenconsideredthevalueofyouremaillist.Perhapstheyweregiventheopportunitytogetvalueinadvancewithagatedoffer.(LearnmoreaboutgatedoffersinChapter3.)Orperhapstheyweresignedupastheymadeapurchaseorengagedwithyourwebsite.Inallcases,anindoctrinationcampaignreaffirmspositiveactionandshowsyourcustomersthattheymadetherightchoice.

Thefactthatcustomersmadeapositivechoicetojoinyouremaillist,however,doesn’tmeanthatthey’refullyengagedwithyourbrand.Theydon’tknowyouwellenoughtobeanticipatingyoureveryword.Theymaynotrecognizeyournameintheirinboxandarestillunsureaboutthevaluetheycanexpectfromyou.

Acarefullycraftedindoctrinationcampaigncanhelpmovecustomersdownthepathoftheircustomerjourneys.(SeeChapter1formoreonthecustomerjourney.)Intheaggregate,whenyouaddanindoctrinationcampaign,youseeapositiveeffectontheopenandclick-throughratesoftheemailyousendtothesesubscribersinthefuturebecausetheyknow,like,andtrustyoubetter.

Indoctrinationcampaignsgenerallyrunonetothreeemailsandintroducecustomerstothebrandonadeeperlevel.Thesecampaignshelpyouputyourbestfootforwardwithnewsubscribers,introducingthemtowhoyouareandwhatyoustandfor.

Yourindoctrinationcampaignshoulddothefollowingthings:

Welcomeandintroducenewsubscriberstoyourbrand.Restatethebenefitsofbeingasubscriber.Tellsubscriberswhattoexpect.Tellsubscriberswhattodonext.Introducesubscriberstoyourbrandvoiceorpersonality.

EngagementcampaignsAnengagementcampaignisaninterest-based,triggeredcampaignsentimmediatelyfollowingasubscriberaction.It’sdesignedtomakearelevantofferandpotentiallyasaletosubscribers.Theroleofanengagementcampaignistoturnsubscribersintoconvertsbyprescribingthenextlogicalstepbasedonwhatyouknowthosepeopleareinterestedin.

Beforeyoucraftanengagementcampaign,askyourselftwoquestions:

Whatnextstepdoyouwantyourcustomertotake?Youmaywanthertomakeapurchase,optintoagatedoffer,orengagewithyourbrandonyourwebsite.Doyoubelievethatthecustomerisreadytotakethatnextstep?Ifthecustomerisn’tready,youonlyannoyandalienateherifyoupushhertotakethatstep.

Sometimesitdoeshurttoask—especiallywhenyou’reaskingtoomuchtoosoonfromavaluablecustomer.

Yourengagementcampaignshoulddothefollowingthings:

Turnsubscribersintoconverts.Aconversionmightbebuyingaproductorservice,schedulinganappointment,orregisteringforawebinar.Considerwhatthecustomerisinterestedinnowandwhatwillinteresthimnext.Referbacktoyourcustomerjourneyanddesignyourengagementcampaignstomovetheemailsubscribertothenextstageinthatjourney.Referencethepreviouspositiveaction.Overcomeorinoculateagainstknownobjectionstoconverting.Prescribethenextlogicalstep.Askforanorderoranextstep.

AscensioncampaignsAnascensioncampaignisatriggeredcampaignsentimmediatelyfollowingapurchaseto

startthevalueloopdesignedtoturnordinarybuyersintobuyerswhopurchasefromyourbrandagainandagain.

Ifacustomerjustboughtatentandfoursleepingbags,forexample,youcouldassumethatshe’slookingtoheadouttothecampground,andyoucouldsendheracouponcodeforacampstove.Ifacustomerjustboughtasubscriptiontoasocialmediatrainingevent,youcouldofferhimfollow-uptrainingonemailmarketing.

Anascensioncampaignisagreatwaytomovecustomersalongthecustomerjourneyandbuildalong-termrelationshipwiththem.Inanascensioncampaign,yougivecustomerswhattheywantandthenabitmore.

Anascensioncampaignshoulddothefollowingthings:

Overcomeorinoculateagainstknownobjections.Prescribethenextlogicalstep.Increasetheaveragevalueofcustomersbysellingmoretothem,moreoften.Increasecustomertrust.Makecustomersascendtofans.

SegmentationcampaignsAsegmentationcampaignisamanualcampaignsenttoyourentiredatabaseasapromotiondesignedtosegmentyoursubscribersbyinterest.

Considerasmallpublishingcompanythatsellshigh-interestnonfictionbookstoteachersandlibrarians.Thatcompanyisreleasingaseriesofsciencebooksongardeningandplantgrowth.Thebookshavesimilarcontent,butsometargetearlylearners,othersmiddle-schoolstudents,andstillothershigh-schoolstudents.Themarketingdepartment,beingwiseandastuteinthebestpracticesofemailmarketing,decidestosendoutasegmentationcampaign.Thedepartmentstaffcraftanemaillistingthebooksthatareavailable,withclearguidanceonwhatageleveleachbookisappropriatefor.Thenthestaffsendstheemailasabroadcastcampaigntothecompany’sentiremailinglist.Thiscampaignmakesthecompany’sentirelistawareofthenewproduct,andpossiblymoreimportant,theresultingclickdataallowsthecompanytosegmentthelistbywhichsubscribersareinterestedinearly-learningcontent,whichareinterestedinmiddle-schoolcontent,andwhichareinterestedinhigh-schoolcontent.Themarketingdepartmentcancreateaudiencesegmentsandsendadditionalemailsthatmeetthosecustomers’exactinterests.Figure11-7showsasegmentationemailfromHomeDepot.Theemaillistssixcategoriesinwhichsubscriberscangetsavings.Whenasubscriberselectsoneofthesecategories,themarketingteamknowsthatthispersonrespondedtothisemailandclickedaparticularproductcategory.Thatpersonwouldthenbesegmented,andHomeDepotwouldlikelysendfollow-upemailsontheproductthesubscriberselected.

FIGURE11-7:Exampleofasegmentationcampaignemail.

ReengagementcampaignsAreengagementcampaignisatriggeredcampaignsenttoanysubscriberwhohasnotopenedorclickedanemailinthepast30to60days.Thiscampaignisdesignedtoreengagethosesubscriberswiththebrand.Perhapssubscribersgotextremelybusyanddidn’tchecktheiremaildiligently.Theymayhavegonethroughlifechangesandnowhavedifferentinterests.Ormaybetheygotfrustratedwithyouandchosetodisengage.Areengagementcampaigncanhelpthosecustomersgetbackonthecustomerjourney.

Figure11-8showsaneffectivereengagementemail.

FIGURE11-8:Anexamplereengagementcampaign.

Emaildeliverabilityisgreatlyaffectedbydisengagedusers.Bestpracticesinemaillistmanagementrequirethatcustomerswhoaren’tengagedbereengagedorremovedfromthelist.Ifyourunareengagementcampaignandstilldon’tgetaresponsefromsomecustomers,youcanunsubscribethosecustomersandprotectyouremaillistfromdeliverabilityissues.

WritingandDesigningEffectiveEmailsIfyouwantpeopletoreadyouremails,youhavetowriteanddesignemailsthattheywanttoread.Butwiththousandsofcompanieswritingandsendingemailseveryday,youhavetomakeyouremailsstandout.

Althoughemailwritinganddesignareartandnotformula,thissectionlistsafewtipstohoneyourcopywritingandemaildesignskillssothatyourmessagesstandout.

HarvestingprovenemailcopyGointoyourownemailaccountandcheckthelasttenmessagesthatyouopened.Lookatthecopyandthedesign.Thenaskyourselfthefollowingquestions:

Didtheheadlinegrabyourattention?Whathooksandleadsdidthecopywriteruse?Whatbenefitsoftheproductorservicearementioned?Whatprooforstoriesgrabbedyourattention?Whatwasthecalltoaction?

Whenyou’vereadtheemailsthatgrabbedyourattention,seewhetheryoucanusethemastemplatesforemailsthatmeetyourownbusinessgoals.There’snoneedtoreinventthewheelifit’salreadybeeninventedforyou.(Ifyouwanttousetheexampleemailsthatweincludeinthisbookandhonethemtofityourmarketinggoals,feelfreetodoso.)

AnsweringfourquestionsTowritegreatemailcopy,youhavetofigureoutwhyacustomerwouldengagewiththepromotion.Answerthesefourquestions:

Whynow?Considerwhetherthepromotionyouhaveshouldofferneworon-saleitems.Alsoconsiderwhetherit’sseasonalortimely;thatis,whetherit’ssomethingthatcustomerswantorneednowmorethanatanothertime.Whocares?Decidewhoinyourtargetaudienceismostaffectedbyhaving(ornothaving)whatyou’reselling.Whyshouldtheycare?Youneedtoletcustomersknowhowtheirliveswillbedifferentiftheyhaveyourproductorservice.Canyouproveit?Providecasestudies,testimonials,ornewsstoriestoprovethatyourcustomers’liveswillbechangediftheyengagewithyourproductorservice.

Greatemailcopyanswersthesequestionsinthebodyoftheemailinawaythatclearlydemonstratestothecustomerthevalueofyourpromotion.

KnowingwhypeoplebuyPeoplealwaysbuythingsforareason.Byconsideringthereasonswhypeoplemakepurchasesasyouwriteemailcopy,youcanhoneinonwhatmakesacustomerclickBuy.Peoplegenerallybuythingsforfourreasons:

Personalgain:Aproductorservicewillhelpthemreachpersonalgoalsordesires.Logicandresearch:Customershavedonetheirresearch,andthisproductseemslikealogicalfittomeetaparticularneed.Socialprooforthird-partyinfluence:Customers’friendshavetoldthemthattheproductorserviceisgreat,andtheywanttobepartofit,ortheyseealargenumberofpeopledoingsomethingandwanttodoit,too.Nothingattractsacrowdlikeacrowd.Fearofmissingout:Peoplehaveagenuinefearofmissinganopportunityorofbeingtheonlypersonnottohavesomethingimportant.

Considerwhichofthesemotivationsyouthinkwilldriveyourcustomersandthenaddressthatreasoninyouremailcopy.

WritingeffectiveemailsubjectlinesBecausemostpeoplespendonlythreetofoursecondsdecidingwhethertoopenanemail,thesubjectlineisthemostimportantpieceofemailcopyyoucanwrite.Agoodsubjectlinepiquesinterestandenticesacustomertoopentheemail.Thenyouremailbodycopycandotheresttodriveengagement.

Subjectlinescanbetoughnutstocrack.Onecompanyhasitsmarketingteamwrite25subjectlinesforeachemailandthenchooseafavoritetouseintheemailcampaign.Thisoperationmaybetimeconsuming,butthecompanycontinuallyreceiveshigher-than-averageopenratesforitsindustryandhigher-than-averageemailengagement.Youmaynothavetheresourcestowrite25fullsubjectlinesforeachemail,butit’sagoodideatoconsiderseveraloptionsforeachsend,especiallytriggeredsendsthatyou’lluseovertime.

Youcanusethreetypesofsubjectlinestogivepeopledifferentreasonstoopenanemail.Wediscussthesetypesinthefollowingsections.

CuriositysubjectlinesCuriositysubjectlinespiquetheinterestofsubscribersandencouragethemtoclicktofindoutmore.Forexample,KateSpade,aclothingretailer,sentanemailtoitssubscriberlistwiththesubjectline,Readyforyourcloseup?ThatemailcontainedanofferforKateSpade’sjewelryproductsandusedacurioussubjectlinetoincreasethenumberofpeopleopeningtheemail.

BenefitsubjectlinesBenefitsubjectlinesclearlystatethereasonwhysubscribersshouldopentheemailandthe

benefitstheyreceivefordoingso.Forexample,OfficeVibe,aSoftwareasaService(Saas)companythathelpsmanagersmeasuretheengagementandsatisfactionoftheiremployees,sentanemailtotheirsubscriberswiththesubjectline,38EmployeeEngagementIdeas,whichclearlystatesthebenefitthesubscriberwillgetbyopeningtheemail.Theoppositeofabenefitsubjectlineisawarningsubjectline.Forexample,OfficeVibealsosentanemailtoitssubscriberswiththesubjectline,11StatisticsThatWillScareEveryManager.Thissubjectlinetypeshouldbeusedsparingly,but,whenappropriate,itcanbeveryeffective.

ScarcitysubjectlinesScarcitysubjectlinescausesubscriberstofeelthattheymaymissoutonsomethingimportantiftheydon’topentheemailandengagewithit.Forexample,HomeDepotsentanemailtoitssubscriberswiththesubjectline,Hurry!LaborDaySavingsEndTonighttoencouragesubscriberstotakeadvantageofitsLaborDaysalebeforeitwasover.

WritingbodycopyCopywritingisn’taformula,butanart.It’salsotruethatthroughsomeformulaicchunking,youcancreateemailcopyquicklyandeffectively.

Thischunkingmethodisbasedontheanswerstothequestionsthatwelistin“Answeringfourquestions,”earlierinthischapter.Bybreakingyourcopyintofourmajorchunksandallowingeachchunktoansweroneofthequestions,youcanensurethatyourcopyaddressesthemajorpointsyou’retryingtocover.

Eachchunkofcopyshouldhaveonelink.Thatway,bythetimecustomersreadtheentireemail,they’vehadalltheirquestionsansweredandhavebeengivenmultipleopportunitiestofindoutmorebyclickingalink.

Here’showwerecommendthatyouchunkyouremail:

Introduction:Inthissection,answerthequestion“Whocares?”byshowingcustomersthattheyshouldcareaboutthispromotionandwhy.Body:Next,helpyourreadertoanswerthequestion“Whyshouldtheycare?”byexplainingtheprovenbenefitsorresultsoftheproductorservice.Close:Thecloseofyouremailisagreattimetoanswerthequestion“Whynow?”Tellcustomers,ifitapplies,thattheyhavealimitedtimetoengagewiththepromotion.P.S.:Apostscriptisafantasticplacetoanswerthequestion“Canyouproveit?”bysharingsocialproofsuchasatestimonial,positivereview,orstoryofacustomerwhoselifehasbeenchangedbytheproductorservice.

Includealinktoarelevantplaceonyourwebsiteineachchunkoftheemail.It’s

okayifmultiplelinksgotothesamelocation.Justmakesurethatcustomersaregivenampleopportunitytoengagefurther.

CuingtheClickYou’vewrittenakillersubjectline.You’vechunkedupyourcopybeautifully,andeachchunkcontainsarelevantlink.Youhaveaproductorservicethatyoubelievein.You’re99.4percentofthewaytoyourgoal.Butyoustillhaveonemorethingtodo:Youhavetocuetheclickbyaskingpeopleveryclearlytoperformtheactionofclicking.

Hereareafewmethodsthatmaybeeffectiveforyou:

Poseabenefit-drivenquestion.Example:“Wouldyouliketolearntogrowtomatoesindoors?Click<link>tofindout.”Connectproofwithproduct.Example:“Ourcustomersareabletogrow20%morewintertomatoesusingourIndoorTomatoTrellis!Seehowitworkshere:<link>”Showthe“After.”Example:“WhenyouhavetheIndoorTomatoTrellis,you’llenjoyripetomatoespickedfromthevineeveninthecoldestwintermonths.GettheIndoorTomatoTrellishere:<link>”Formoreonthe"Before"and"After"ofmarketing,visitChapter1.Presentatakeaway.Example:“ThisisyourlastchancetogettheIndoorTomatoTrellisat35%off:<link>”

GettingMoreClicksandOpensWhenyougothroughyourinbox,youprobablypaycloseattentiontoonlyafewemails—maybe10percent.

Whatwentwrongwiththe90percentofemailsthatyoudidn’tengagewith?Maybetheydidn’thavegreatcopyordesign,oryoudidn’tlikethesender ’sproductsorservices.Maybeyoudon’thaveatrustedrelationshipwiththesenders,andthoseemailsjustgotlostintheseaofemailsinyourinbox.

Aswesayearlierin“Writingeffectiveemailsubjectlines,”youhaveaboutthreetofoursecondstograbyourreader ’sattention,soagreatsubjectline,perfectcopyanddesign,andanawesomepromotionaren’talwaysenough.Thatmayseemabitunfair.

Togetyouoverthisfinalhump,herearesometipstogiveyouremailsanextraboost:

Getthetimingright.Sendyouremailsattimeswhenothersaren’tsendingemail.Thenyouremailswillstandoutinpeople’sinboxesandgetahigheropenrate.We’vefoundthatthebesttimestosendemailsarefrom8:30to10a.m.,2:30to3:30p.m.,and8p.m.tomidnight.Callpeoplebyname.Ourresearchshowsthatemailswithafirstnameinthesubjectlinegarnera23percenthigheropenrate.That’sanamazingboost,butdon’tusethistricktoooften.Itlosesitseffectivenessifoverused.Bepositiveinthemorningandnegativeatnight.Weallwakeupbright-eyedandexcitedtofacethenewday(okay,afterwe’vehadourcoffee).Takeadvantageofthatfactbysendingpositiveemailmessagesduringthemorninghours.Intheevenings,negativemessagesarebetteraccepted.

Ifyou’regoingtosendanegativemessage—perhapsaboutadecliningmarketoranurgentneed—makesurethatyouofferasolutiontotheproblemaspartofyouremail.Noonelikestobemadetofeelhopeless.Becontroversialorrelevant.Standoutintheinboxbybringingupcontroversialtopics(evenifyouworrythatsomeofyoursubscriberswon’tagreewithyou)orrelevantcontent.Useoddorspecificnumbers.Everyonehastentipsfordoingjustabouteverything.Tryusingdifferentnumbers:“6waystochangeyourbusinesstonight,”“14simpleideastoteachyourchildmath,”or“The$234,423ideathatchangedeverything,”forexample.

Neverroundupyournumbersup.Doingthatmakesyousoundlikealiar.Ifyouhaveonlynineamazingideasforholidaydécor,sayyouhavenineamazingideas.Sayingthatyouhavetenandthendeliveringonlyninemakesyoulookdishonest.Keepyoursubjectlineshort.Thebestsubjectlineshavesixtotenwords,or25characters.Shortsubjectlinesareeasytoreadandviewonasmartphonewhilestillpiquingcustomerinterest.Useasecondsubjectline.Mostemailprovidershaveasecondareaofdisplayedcontentoneveryemail.Inmanyemailsystems,thisareaisreferredtoasthedescription,butifit’sleftblank,itdefaultstothefirstlineofcopy.Insteadofacceptingthedefault,writeasecond,strongsubjectlineandplaceitinthedescriptionsectiontotellyourcustomersmoreaboutyouremail’scontent.Includesymbolsinthesubjectline.Usingasymbolinthesubjectlinecanincreaseopensbyasmuchas15percent.Thissymbolcanbeprofessional,suchasacopywritingsymbol,orplayful,likeasnowmanforawinterholidaypromotionemail.

Wefindloadsofgreatsymbolstouseinsubjectlinesathttp://emailstuff.org/glyph.Thesiteofferscoolthingslikeaclocktosymbolizeasalethat’sabouttoend.Tick-tock.PressPlay.Insteadofincludingalink,embedastillimageofavideowithaPlaybuttonsuperimposedontop.Thistechniquecandramaticallyincreaseclick-throughratesinemailcampaigns.Askcustomersfortheirthoughts.Thisstrategyresultsinthehighestclick-throughrateofallcampaigntypeswerun,sowereplicateitandgethighclick-throughratesonemailsagainandagain.Thisstrategyinvolvesaskingaquestionandlistingfourtofiveanswers,eachwithalink(seeFigure11-9).Allthelinksgotothesameplace,wherecustomerscanfindanswerstothequestions.Combinevideoandquestions.Videoconsistentlyyieldshighclick-throughratesandhighcustomerengagement.Includeavideoanda“yourthoughts”questioninanemail,andhavesubscriberswatchthevideotogettheanswer.

Manymarketersworrythattheydon’thavethecharismaorbudgettomakehighlyprofessionalvideo.Don’tbeafraid!Becauseemailisaboutrelationships,asimpleconversationalvideocanshowyourpersonalityandvoicetoyoursubscribers,andallowyoutoconnectwiththeminanewway.

Addacountdown.Phraseslike“Fourdaysuntilthissaleisoverforever!”and“You’llnevergetthisdealagain!”increasetheurgencyofthepromotion.Youcanincreasetheurgencyevenmorebyaddingacountdownclockortimertoshowcustomersexactlyhowmuchtimetheyhave.UseanimatedGIFs.Prettyorfunnymovingimagesinaninboxcatchpeople’sattention.IfyouhaveaccesstoadesignerwhocanmakecustomanimatedGIFs,havethatpersoncreatesomeforyou.Ifnot,siteslikeGiphy(http://giphy.com)offerfreeGIFsthatyoucanusetogiveyouremailsanextraedge.

FIGURE11-9:Anexampleofa“YourThoughts?”emailthatengagestheaudience.

EnsuringEmailDeliverabilityEverythingwe’vetalkedaboutsofarismootifyouremailsaren’treachingyoursubscribers’inboxes.Didyouknowthat21percentofemailsworldwideneverreachthedesiredrecipients?Awholelotofwork,effort,andbrilliancearebeingwastedonemailsthatendupfloatingaroundincyberspace.

Howdoyoumakesurethatallyourworkisn’twasted?Itcomesdowntoonesimplething:Youhavetoprovethatyouaren’taspammerandthatyouhavenointentionofbeingone.

Sadly,theInternetserviceprovidersresponsiblefordeterminingwhetheryouaresendingspamconsiderbulkmailerstobeguiltyuntilproveninnocent.Theyassumethatemailsarespamfromtheoutset,anduntilyoucanshowthemthatyoudon’tactlikeaspammer,youremaildeliverabilitywillbeaffected.

Inthefollowingsections,weprovidesomemethodsforimprovingdeliverability.Mostofthesemethodsareverytechnical.Ifyou’reatechwizard,goforthandsetupyourinfrastructuretoensuredeliverability.Ifyouneedhelpwithtechnicalstuff,findalocaltechpersonorcallyouremailserviceprovider,andgetsomesystemsinplacetoensurethatyouremailsreachthepeopleyouwanttoreach.

MonitoringyourreputationToensuredeliverability,youhavetokeeptrackofhowyou’reinteractingwithyourlist.Dothefollowingthings:

Monitorthecomplaintratesandthevolumeofcomplaintsyou’rereceiving.Youremailserviceprovidershouldprovidereportingcapabilitiesonthenumberandrateofcomplaintsyouremailsarereceiving.SeeChapter16forrecommendedemailserviceproviders.Respondtocomplaintsinatimelymanner.Makesurethatyouunsubscribeandstopsendingemailtoanyonewhounsubscribes.Youremailserviceprovidershouldprovideapathtounsubscribefromeveryemailandautomaticallyremovethosethatunsubscribefromyouremaillist.Keepyourmessagevolumesteady.Don’tsendamillionemailsonemonthandthennoneforsixmonths.CheckyourblackliststatusonthemajorblacklistsitesincludingSpamhaus(https://www.spamhaus.org/)andSpamcop(https://www.spamcop.net/).ThesemajorblacklistsitesarereferencedbymailboxproviderslikeGoogle’sGmailtohelpthemdeterminewhetheryouremailshouldbedeliveredtotheinbox.Eachblacklisthasitsownprocessforremovalfromitsblacklist;youcanfindthisinformationonitswebsite.

ProvingsubscriberengagementThebestwaytoassuretheInternetserviceproviders(ISPs)thatyou’renotaspammeristoprovethatyouengageyoursubscriberswitheverysingleemailyousend.Ifpeopleareopeningyouremails,readingwhatyouhavetosay,andthenclickingrelevantlinks,youaren’taspammer.

Subscriberengagementratesarebasedonthefollowingfactors:

Youropenrate:Thisrateisn’tthenumberofemailsthatareopened,butthepercentage.Yourlateralscrollrate:Thisrateishowfarrecipientsscrolldownonyouremails.Yourhardandsoftbouncerate:Abademailaddressisconsideredtobeahardbounce.Asoftbouncecanhappenformanyreasons,includingafullinboxoraccidentalflaggingasspam.

Ifyoucontinuetosendemailstoaddressesthatrejectyourmail,youlooklikeaspammer.

Exportyourentirelist,andsendittoacompanycalledBriteVerify(www.briteverify.com/).Thiscompanyrunsananalysisofyourlistandtellsyouwhichaddressesaredefinitivelygood,whichonesarequestionable,andwhicharebad.Ifyouexpungethequestionableandbademailsfromyourlist,you’repracticinggoodlisthygieneandincreasingdeliverability.Unsubscriptionandcomplaintrates:Ifyoureceivehighnumbersofunsubscriptionsorcomplaints,examineyourcampaignstoseewhetheryou’redoingsomethingtoupsetsubscribers.

TOOLSTHATENSUREEMAILDELIVERABILITYSeveralapplicationscanhelpyouensureahighpercentageofemaildeliverability.Afewofourfavoritesarethefollowing:

MailMonitor(http://mailmonitor.com):MailMonitorbreaksdowndeliveryperIPaddress,message,andemailservice.

ReturnPath(https://senderscore.org):IfyouhaveyourownIPaddress,ReturnPathallowsyoutomonitoryourreputationandsetupalerts.Yougetabaselineemaildeliverabilityscore.

EmailReach(www.emailreach.com):ThisserviceallowsyoutosetuptrackingondomainandIPblacklistingandscanstheseblacklistsdaily,notifyingyouifyou’vebeenadded.

Part4

Measuring,Analyzing,andOptimizingCampaigns

INTHISPART…AssessthehealthandeffectivenessofyourmarketingcampaignsthroughdataandanalyticsbyusinganalyticssuitessuchasGoogleAnalytics.

Learnhowtousesplitteststooptimizeyourdigitalmarketingcampaignsandwebsite.

Chapter12

CrunchingNumbers:RunningaData-DrivenBusiness

INTHISCHAPTERTrackingsitevisitorswithhyperlinksUsingGoogleAnalyticstoseewho’stakingactionSegmentingyouraudiencetomakeyouradsmorespecificDrillingdownonyouraudiencetoincreaseopt-ins

Fewmarketersdisagreeonthesignificanceofcollectingdata.Butforbusinessestoremaincompetitive,theymustgobeyondsimplyaggregatingdatatotrulygainvaluefromit.Simplyknowingyouraveragesisnotenough.Companiesneedtoanalyzethedatatheygatherinaprocessknownasdataanalysis.Truedataanalysisisdatawithaplan.Throughdata-collectingtoolssuchasGoogleAnalytics,youcantrackthereturnoninvestment(ROI)oftrafficfromyouremailcampaigns,socialmediacampaigns,paidads,andmore.

WhenyouhavethecapabilitytotracktheROIofyourcampaigns,youcancutthefatanddoubledownonwhat’sactuallyworking.Thatway,youtransformyourbusinessfromonethatspendstime,money,andresourcesonstrategiesthatjustseemasthoughthey’llworkwelltoabusinessthatmakessmart,data-drivendecisionsandknowswhatstrategiesdoworkwell.

Inthischapter,weexplorewhatdataanalysisisandwhatitcandoforyourcompany.WeexaminewaystomakedatausefulusingGoogleAnalytics(whichisfree)sothatyoucancreateaccurate,consumablereportsthatyoucanactuallylearnfromaswellassharewithyourteam,client,orboth.

LeveragingtheFiveGoogleAnalyticsReportSuites

GoogleAnalyticsisthemostwidelyusedwebsitestatisticsservice.Afteryou’veproperlyinstalleditonyoursite,GoogleAnalyticsgathersdataonthetrafficofyoursite,allowingyoutomakeintelligentmarketingandbusinessdecisions.Thisanalyticssuitecantrackvisitorsfromsearchengines,socialnetworks,anddirectvisits.GoogleAnalyticshasabasicservice,whichisfree,aswellasapremiumversion.TolearnmoreaboutGoogleAnalyticsorhowtoinstallitonyoursite,visittheGoogleAnalyticsHelpCenter.

WithinGoogleAnalyticsarefivereportsuitesthatyoucanusetobreakdownyourdata.Youfindthesereportsontheleftsideofthewebsite:

RealTimeSuite:Givesdataandshowswhatisgoingonwithinyoursitethatinstant.Forinstance,youcanseehowmanyvisitorsareonyoursite,whatpagestheyareon,andwhattheirgeographicallocationisinrealtime.Figure12-1showssomeoftheinformationdisplayedbytheRealTimeOverviewreportinGoogleAnalytics.AudienceSuite:Thisreportcentersonthepeoplewhoareonyoursiteandgivesyouinsightintotheircharacteristics,includingtheirdemographics,interestsandbehaviors,theelectronicdeviceorbrowsertheyusetoaccessyoursite,andmore.AcquisitionSuite:Usethisreporttodiscoverhowyourusersarrivedatyoursite.Forinstance,youlearnwhatwebsiteuserswereonbeforetheycametoyoursite,orwhatkeywordorkeywordphrasetheysearchedfortolandonyourwebsite.BehaviorSuite:TheBehaviorReportsfocusonwhatpeopledowhentheyarriveatyoursite.Thisreportsuitedisplaysinformationlikewhatpagesusersvisit,howlongtheystayonthosepages,andhowmanypeopleexitthatpage.ConversionsSuite:YourunConversionReportstodeterminewhetherusersaremakingpurchasesorcompletingthegoalsyou’vesetup,suchassubscribingtoyournewsletterorbuyingaproductorservice.

FIGURE12-1:AlookataRealTimereportinGoogleAnalytics.

Eachofthesereportingsuitescontainsmultiplereports,andeachofthosereportscandrilldownintomoreandmoredetail.Forexample,youcanviewtheMobileDevicesreportintheAudienceReportsuitetoseehowvisitorbehaviordifferswhenpeoplevisityourwebsitefromadesktop,mobile,andtablet.Whileyou’reinthissamereport,GoogleAnalyticsallowsyoutochangetheparameterstoviewbehaviorbyserviceprovider(AT&TversusVerizon)andoperatingsystem(iOSversusAndroid).Ifyouwanttogetmoregranular,drilldownbyclickingoneoftheoperatingsystemstoviewvisitorbehaviorbytheversionoftheoperatingsystem.

UnderstandingWhereYourTrafficIsComingFrom

Manydifferentavenuescanleadpeopletoyoursite,rangingfromadstosearchqueriestopeoplebookmarkingyourpageandthenreturning.HerearethecommondefaultsourcesoftrafficasrecordedbyGoogleAnalytics:

Email:Visitsfromthosewhohaveclickedthelinksinyouremailpromotionsandnewsletter.Organicsearch:VisitsfrompeopletypingsearchqueriesintosearchenginessuchasGoogleorBing.Direct:Trafficfromuserswhotypetheexactdomainofyoursite,suchasPepsi.com,intotheirbrowserandnavigatestraighttoyoursite.Ifsomeonebookmarksyourpageandthenvisitsyoursiteagainviathatbookmark,thatvisitalsoregistersasdirecttraffic.Paidsearch:Trafficfrompaidsearchistrafficyouhavepurchased,suchaspay-per-clickadsfromsearchengines.Referral:Visitorsfromsitesthatlinktoyourwebsite,suchasblogsandforums.Social:Visitsfromsocialchannels,suchasTwitterorFacebook.

OneofthemostenlighteningreportstoviewinGoogleAnalyticsistheAcquisitionOverviewreportwithintheAcquisitionSuiteinGoogleAnalytics.Itisthefirstreportyoushouldviewwhenevaluatingthehealthandperformanceofawebsite.Figure12-2showsapiechartfromtheAcquisitionOverviewreportcontainingthevariousmethodsoftrafficacquisitionforawebsite.

FIGURE12-2:TheAcquisitionOverviewReportinGoogleAnalytics.

TrackingtheOriginsofSiteVisitorsAlthoughanalyticsprogramslikeGoogleAnalyticstracktheoriginofyoursitevisitorsusingtheirdefaultsettings,you’lllikelyfindthatthesedefaultsettingsaretoobroadtoascertainmeaningfuldata.Togetmoregranular(andthusmoreuseful)data,youcanappendUTMparameterstothelinksyousharearoundtheweb.UTMstandsforUrchinTrackingModule,anditisatrackingmarkerappendedtoaUniformResourceLocator(URL).TheUTMsystemallowsuserstotaghyperlinksinordertotracewherevisitorsoriginated.

Forexample,ifyouwanttotrackthenumberofleadsgeneratedbyasinglelinksharedwithyourFacebookfans,youcandothatusingGoogleAnalyticsandalinkwithUTMparameters.Simplyput,youplaceaUTMattheendofahyperlinksothatyoucanfigureouthowpeoplegettoyoursiteandwhattheydoaftertheygetthere.

Foreveryhyperlinkyouwanttotrack,whetheronyourblogoryoursocialmediachannels,thatdirectstraffictoalandingpageyouown,consideraddingUTMparameters.Byaddingthistrackingcodetothehyperlinksyoushare,youcantracktheoriginsofthatvisit.

AUTMconsistsofvariousparameters.HerearetheUTMparametersthatmattermost:

Campaignsource(utm_source)Campaignmedium(utm_medium)Campaigncontent(utm_content)Campaignname(utm_campaign)

Weexplaineachoftheseparametersinthesectionsthatfollow.

Campaignsource(utm_source)Generally,thesourceofaUTMdescribeswhereyourvisitorscomefrom.Thesourcetellsyouthespecificplacewherethereferringlinkwasshared,suchas

AnemailpromotionAsocialnetworkAreferringwebsite

Commonsourcesinclude

FacebookEmailnewsletterTwitter

GoogleYouTube

Thesourceenablesyoutoknowwhichemail,searchengine,orFacebookad(orothersource)ausercamefrom.Knowingwheretrafficiscomingfromcanbepowerfulbecauseyougaininsightintowhatyourusersarerespondingto.

Campaignmedium(utm_medium)Thisparameteridentifiesthemediumorvehiclethatthelinkwasusedon,suchasemail.Mediumtellsyouhowvisitorsarrivedatyoursite.Someofthemostcommonmediumsinclude

EmailPayperclick(PPC)Banner-adsDirect(whichtellsyouusersdirectlytypedinyoursiteaddress)

Campaigncontent(utm_content)Campaigncontentdescribesthespecificad,banner,oremailusedtosharethelink.ItgivesyouadditionaldetailstousewithA/Btestingorcontent-targetedads,aswellashelpsyoudeterminewhatcreativeisworkingbestatpromotinganofferordistributingcontent.

Beasdescriptiveaspossiblewiththisparameter ’snamingstructuresothatyoucaneasilyrememberwhatemailoradthisUTMrefersto.

Campaignname(utm_campaign)Thisparameterservesasanidentifierofaspecificproductorpromotioncampaign,suchasaspringsaleoranotherpromotionyourun.Thecampaignname’sbasicpurposeistohighlightpromotionaloffersorcontentdistributionstrategiessothatyoucaneasilycompareperformanceacrosstimeandplatform.

Campaignlinksshouldbeconsistentacrossalldifferentsourcesandmediaforanygivenpromotiontoensurethatthecampaignasawholecaneasilybeanalyzed.

DissectingaUTMTheprevioussectionsgooverthemostimportantparametersthatmakeupaUTM,andthisoneexaminesaUTM’sstructure.Forinstance,here’swhataUTMlookslikefora

flashsaleforoneofDigitalMarketer ’sproducts,theContentEngine:http://www.digitalmarketer.com/lp/the-content-engine?utm_source=house-list-

email-boradcast&utm_medium=email&utm_content=content-engine-flash-mail-

1&utm_campaign=content-engine-flash-sale-1-1-16

YourUTMmightlooksomethinglikethepreceding.FollowingisbreakdownofthisURLwithaUTMbysection:

http://www.digitalmarketer.com/lp/the-content-engine:Thehyperlink.

?utm_source=house-list-email-broadcast:Thecampaignsource,whichisthereferringsourceofthetraffic.Inthiscase,it’sanemailtoour“house”emaillist.&utm_medium=email:Campaignmedium,whichishowtheuserwasreferred.Inthiscaseitwasviaemail.&utm_content=content-engine-flash-mail-1:Campaigncontent,whichistheadorcampaignidentifieryouassign.Inthiscase,thisisthefirstemailfortheContentEngineflashsalepromotion.&utm_campaign=content-engine-flash-sale-1-1-16:Campaignname,whichisthespecificpromotionorstrategy.Inthiscase,thiscampaignistheContentEngineflashsalebeginningonJanuary1st,2016.

CreatingUTMparametersforyourURLsGooglemakesbuildingUTMlinkssupereasywithafree,easy-to-useUTMbuildercalledtheGoogleAnalyticsURLBuilder.Visitthepage,followthesteps,andpluginyourinformationtoautomaticallygenerateahyperlinkwithUTMparametersthatyoucanthentrackwithGoogleAnalytics—thatis,ifyou’veproperlysetupaGoogleAnalyticsaccount.Ifyouhaven’talready,visitGoogleAnalyticsHelpCenter.ThisresourcecontainsfurtherinstructionsabouthowyoucanuseeachofthedifferentUTMparameters.

Creatingproperlyattributedhyperlinkstakessometimetogetusedto,butthedataitprovidesisworthitsweightingold.Tomakeconsistencyeasy,createaunifieddocumentinwhichyoutrackallthehyperlinksyouuse,whichwillmakeiteasytoreferbacktowhenyou’reanalyzinglater.

UTMparametersarecasesensitive,soifyouuseabcforyourutm_campaigntagsonsomelinksandABCforyourutm_campaigntagsonotherlinks,theyshowupasseparatecampaignsinyourGoogleAnalytics.

CreatingGoalstoSeeWho’sTakingActionAfteryou’vecreatedaUTMtag,asdescribedintheprecedingsection,youcansetupgoalsinGoogleAnalytics.Goalsprovideawaytotracktheactionsthatgroupsofpeopletakeonyoursitebytallyingspecificbehaviors.Whatmakesgoalsreallyusefulisnotjusttheabilitytotrackhowmanytimesanactionwastakenbutalsotoseewhichgroupsofpeopletookthataction.AlthoughGoogleAnalyticsdoesnotallowyoutotrackbehaviorbacktopersonalidentifiableinformation,suchastheperson’snameoremailaddress,itdoesallowyoutotrackinformationsuchasthedevicetheyareusing,wherepeopleareintheworld,ortheotherpagestheyvisitedonyourwebsite.ThankstotheUTMparameters,youcanactuallyseewhatindividualsandgroupsofindividualsdowhentheyarriveonyoursite.

ThemostbasicgoalthatyouwanttosetinGoogleAnalyticsisanopt-inthatgeneratesalead.Whenvisitorsfilloutaform,theyareoftendirectedtoaconfirmationpage.Tomeasurethenumberofopt-insyou’rereceiving,yousimplysetupGoogleAnalyticstomeasurehowmanypeoplevisittheconfirmationpageaftervisitingtheopt-inpage.

TosetupaformfillinGoogleAnalytics,followthesesteps:

1. ClicktheAdminsectionofGoogleAnalytics.TheAdminmenuappears.

2. ClickGoalsunderAllWebsiteData.TheGoalsdialogboxappears.

3. Clickthe+NewGoalbuttontocreateanewgoal.TheGoalSetuppageappears.

4. ScrolldownandselecttheSignUpGoaltype;thenclicktheContinuebutton.TheGoalDescriptionpageappears.Googleoffersavarietyofgoaltemplatesthatshouldfityourspecificneeds(althoughyoucancreatecustomonesaswell).Becauseyouwanttotrackopt-ins,SignUpshouldbeperfectinthiscase.

5. Nameyourgoalandthen,undertheTypefield,selectDestinationandpresstheContinuebutton.Thefinalsetuppage,calledtheGoalDetailspage,appears.

6. Setupthespecificsforyourgoal.ForDestinationfield,changeyourruletoBeginsWithandaddyourThankYoupage’sURLstring—that’swherepeoplewhoopt-inendup.UsingBeginsWithhelpstoensurethatallopt-insareproperlycredited.Theotherwaytoensurethatyou’retrackingactualopt-insandnotjustaccidentalThankYoupagevisitorsistocreateafunnel.ThisinvolvesaddingtheURLstringoftheopt-inpageaswell(seeFigure12-3).Tosetupafunnel,youturntheFunneloptiontoONandaddastepwiththepage

field,includingtheURLthatprecedesyourdestinationpage.SetthissteptoRequiredandyou’veaddedthisrule!Whenyou’redone,verifyyourgoaltomakesurethatyousetitupcorrectly.

7. ClickSave.You’vebuiltyourfirstgoalinGoogleAnalytics!

Source:www.digitalmarketer.comFIGURE12-3:Settingupthespecificsforyourgoal.

ForyourURLstrings,alwaysusethetextafteryourdomainname,nottheentireURL—Googlealreadyknowstherootdomain.

AfterafewdaysofcollectingdataforyourgoalinGoogleAnalytics,youcanreviewthecollecteddata.ThegoalyousetupwithUTMparametersgivesyouinsightintoyourcustomers.Goalsarealsoagreatwaytoseewhatchannels,suchasFacebook,email,andyourblog,aredrivingthemostvisits.Totakeapeekattheseinsights,gototheReportingsectionofGoogleAnalyticsandchoosetheConversionsSuiteintheleftmenu.ThenclicktheGoalsdrop-downmenuandclicktheOverviewtab.TheGoalOverviewreportopensandshowshowthegoalsyouhavesetupareperforming.This reportshows aggregated

dataforallthegoalsyouhavesetup.Toreviewonespecificgoal,clickthedropdownlocatedatthetopofthepagebeneath“GoalOption”andselectoneindividualgoal.Thatgoalreportopens.Thisreportwilltellyoutotalgoalcompletionsandtheconversionrateforthisgoal.

Withalittlebitofknow-howandalotofproperattributiontagging,youcansetuptheGoogleAnalyticscampaigntrackingtogiveyousomegreatinsights!Youthenhavethefoundationyouneedtoproperlytrackyoursuccess,allowingyoutofocusonwhat’sworkingandeliminatewhat’snot.Thistypeofassessmentisessentialtodoforanybusinesssothatyoucanmakeeducateddecisionsasyougrow.

SegmentingYourAudiencewithGoogleAnalytics

Theprevioussectionsofthischaptergiveyouthebare-bonesknowledgeyouneedtoproperlytracksuccessanddeterminewhatchannelsaredrivingthatsuccess,buthowdoyouputallthisknowledgetowork?Theansweristhatyousegmentyouraudience,whichwealsodiscussinChapters4and10.Thepowerfulinformationyou’vegainedfromUTMparametersandcreatinggoalsinGoogleAnalyticsenablesyoutobreakdownyouraudienceintosegmentsbasedonthefollowing:

ChannelTrafficsourceCompletedactionsConversions

Inthecontextofanalytics,asegmentrepresentsgroupsofvisitorswithsharedcharacteristicsorbehaviors.SegmentingyouraudienceinGoogleAnalyticsallowsyouto

Figureoutwhofindsyourmessageappealingsothatyoucansendmoreofthisaudiencetothisparticularoffer.Craftcustomizedmessagingtoenhanceadcopyandshapefollow-upcampaigns.

Segmentingmightsoundsimple,butitprovidesoneofthebestwaystomakethemostofyourbudget,ortoknowwhereyoushouldspendyourtimeandenergytodrivenewcustomers.Bysegmentingyouraudience,yougainabetterunderstandingofwhat’sworkingandwhat’snotsothatyoucanplanaccordingly.Inthefollowingsection,wecoverhowtocreateusefulsegments,aswellashowtodrilldownintothesesegmentstobetterunderstandthepeoplewhoaretakingtheactionsyou’relookingfor.

CreatingaudiencesegmentsUsingaudiencesegmentsasastrategyshowsyouhowtofocusonthemostvaluable,highest-convertingaudiences.Thisallowsyoutofigureoutwhatmakesthemtick,sotospeak.Beforewediveintoexactlywhatinformationyoushouldbelookingat,andhowtopullit,wediscusshowtocreatethesegmentsyouusetodigintoyouraudienceinformation.

Creatingsegmentsisfastandeasy.Youcreateasetofrulesthatincludeorexcludecertainpeople,allowingyoutonarrowdownyouraudiencetolookataspecificsubsetratherthanallsitevisitors,suchaspeoplewhooptedinforagatedoffer.Aftercreatingasegment,youcananalyzehowthissubsetofvisitorsbehavedorwhoisinthesubset,givingyouvaluableinsightonwhatofferstomaketothisaudience.Followthesestepstocreateyour

ownsegments.

1. InGoogleAnalytics,navigatetotheReportingsection.Thereportsuitesappear.

2. SelecttheAudiencesuiteandclicktheOverviewtabwithintheAudiencesuite.TheAudienceOverviewreportappears.

3. Clickthe+AddSegmentfieldalongthetopofthepage.TheSegmentmenuappears.

4. ClicktheNewSegmentbuttontocreateanewsegment(seeFigure12-4).TheSegmentmenuopens,allowingyoutosetconditionsforyoursegmentstomeetandexclusionsyouwantyoursegmenttoignore.Forinstance,youmightsetaconditionforageoroperatingsystem.

5. Setconditionsforyoursegmentbyselectinganyofthefollowingcheckboxesorfillinginthefieldwithininthefollowingcategories:

Demographics:Segmentyourusersbydemographicinformation,suchasage,gender,location,andotherdetails.Thesearecheckboxesandformfields,dependingontheoptionwithintheDemographicscategory.Technology:Segmentyourusers’sessionsbytheirwebandmobiletechnologies,suchasbrowser,devicecategory,andscreenresolution.Thesearecheckboxesandformfields,dependingontheoptionwithintheTechnologycategory.Behavior:Segmentyourusersbyhowoftentheyvisit(calledasession)andconducttransactions,suchassessions,sessionduration,anddayssincelastsession.Theseareformfields.Dateoffirstsession:Segmentyourusers(createcohorts)bywhentheyfirstvisitedyoursite.Thisisaformfield.Trafficsources:Segmentyourusersbyhowtheyfoundyou,suchasthekeywordtheyused,theadcampaign,andthemediumused.Theseareformfields.Conditions:Segmentyourusers,theirsessions,orbothaccordingtosingleormultisessionconditions,suchastime,goalconversions,andcustomvariables.Thisisaformfield.Sequences:Segmentyourusers,theirsessions,orbothaccordingtosequentialconditions,suchasthestepstheytooktoreachyoursite.Thisisaformfield.

6. Aftersettingyourconditionsforyoursegment,nameyoursegmentbyfillingouttheemptynamefield.

7. ClicktheSavebuttontosuccessfullycompletethissegment.

Yournewsegmentloads,andyoucanreturntothissegmentatalaterdatewhenconductingfuturedataresearchandanalysis.

FIGURE12-4:CreatingaNewSegmentinGoogleAnalytics.

Afteryournewsegmentloads,thedataforyoursegmentisdisplayed,allowingyoutomakeassessments.Forinstance,itdisplayshowmanyusersmakeupthesegment,aswellasotherstats.Figure12-5showsanexampleofacompletedsegment;thissegmentshowsmobileusersandconsistsof122,263users.

FIGURE12-5:Asegmentformobileusers.

Asageneralrule,youwanttoaimforaminimumof3,000peopleinyouraudiencesegment,whichensuresthatyouhaveenoughsubgroupstohavefaithinyourgroupings.Youcanexperimentwithfewer,butthelargeryoursegmentcategoryis,themoretrustworthyyourdatawillbe,allowingyoutomakesound,educatedbusinessdecisions.

Segmentsaren’tlimitedtotheAudiencesuite.Youcancreateasegmentforanyofthefollowingsuites:Audience,Acquisition,Behavior,orConversion.ChoosethesuitethatbestmeetsyourneedstocreatethissegmentandselectOverviewwithinyourchosensuite.AlthoughthesuiteyouchoosemaybedifferentfromAudienceandthusthedataitmeasures,thestepsdiscussedinthissectiontosetupasegmentremainthesame.

HoningInonYourAudienceAfteryousegmentyouraudiences,youcandrilldownfurtherandgainmoredetail.Nowisthetimetorunreportstofigureoutwho’stakingtheactionyouwant,suchasoptingin,andwho’snot,sothatyoucandomoreofwhat’sworking.Reportsgiveyouabetterunderstandingofyouraudience,andunderstandingyouraudienceleadstodrivingdownadcosts,orfiguringoutbetterstrategiesformonetizingtheleadsyou’regetting!

Youshouldlookfortwomaintypesofdata:

DemographicPsychographic

Demographicdatadescribeswhatpeoplearelike.Generally,thisdataincludesstatisticaldetailslikeageandgenderbutcanalsoincludethetypeofdevicethey’reusingaswellastheirlocation.Demographicinformationhelpsyouunderstandexactlywhoyouarespeakingtoandguidesthetargetingyouuseinyourcampaigns.

Psychographicdata,incontrast,describeswhatpeoplelike.Thisdataisallaboutinterests,hobbies,andlikes,anditspeaksmoretothepersonalityoftheaudience.Psychographicinformationismostpowerfulwhenyouuseittoshapeyourmessaging.

Figure12-6showsabreakdownofthedatatypesandwhatthey’rebestusedfor.

Source:https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/?authuser=1#report/visitors-overview/a54278530w87158541p110653994/%3F_.useg%3Dbuiltin28/

FIGURE12-6:Thebestusesfordemographicandpsychographicdata.

Inthefollowingsections,webuildonereporttolookatdemographicdataandonetolookatpsychographicdata.Thisway,youcaneasilyrunthesereportsforallkindsofaudiencesegments.

DrillingintodemographicsAlthoughthedatathatareportfordemographicdatashowsistypicallyfairlycutanddried, ityieldsveryinterestinginsights.YoucanquicklylookatademographicsreportontheAudiencetabinGoogleAnalytics;however,thisreport’skeymetricfocusesonsessions(visits).Togobeyondsessionsandhoneinonyourusers,youneedtocreateacustomreport.

Tomakeacustomreportfordemographics,followthesesteps:

1. GototheCustomizationsectioninGoogleAnalyticsandselectthe+NewCustomReportbutton.TheCreateCustomReportpageopens.Createasmanyseparatereportsasyouwanttoexaminefordemographics.Atourcompany,wemakefourreportswhendrillingdownintodemographics:oneeachforage,gender,location,anddevicetype.

2. IntheReportContentsectionoftheCreateCustomReportpage,createReportTabs.Namethetabbasedonthedemographicyouaredrillingdownon.Forexample,ifyouaremeasuringage,nametheAge.Ifyouplantomeasuremultipledemographicsinthisreport,aswesuggestinStep1,youcancreateanewReportTabbyclickingthe+AddReportTabbuttonundertheReportContentsection.Nameeachtabforthedemographicyouaremeasuring.

3. Onthesamepage,settheMetricGroupsdimensiontoUsersbyclickingthe+AddMetricbuttonandthenselectingUsersfromthedrop-downmenuforeveryReportTabyoucreate.ThewordUserswillnowbedisplayedintheMetricGroupsdimension.Usersistheconstantamongallyourtabs.

4. Onthesamepage,intheDimensionDrilldownsdimension,setthedemographicforeachReportTabyoucreatebyclickingthe+AddDimensionbutton.ForAge,theDimensionDrilldownisAge;forGender,it’sGender,andforDevice,it’stheDeviceCategory.YourrespectivedemographicnowappearsintheDimensionDrilldowndimension.Locationistheonlyoddball;fortheotherdemographics,youkeepType(locatedabovetheMetricGroupsdimension)atthepreselectedExplorerTab.Forlocation,however,yousetyourTypetotheMapOverlaytab,whichwilldisplaythelocationdataonageographicalmap,anditreplacestheneedforaDimensionDrilldown.Figure12-7showsthesetupforcreatinganAgereport.

5. ClicktheSavebuttonwhenyou’redone.Thereportyoucreatedloads,andyounowhaveaready-madedemographicsreporttouserepeatedly.

FIGURE12-7:Creatingacustomreportforage.

Thefollowingsectionstellyouwhattolookforinthedemographicsreportsothatyoucangaininsightintoyourcampaign.

AgeFirst,examinetheageofthepeoplewhoarerespondingtoyourcampaign.Who’soptingin?Arethereanysurprises?Forinstance,aretheagerangesthatareoptinginfittingthecustomeravataryoucreated(seeChapter1fordetailsoncreatingacustomeravatar)?Ifnot,youprobablyneedtoreevaluatetheadcopyforyourcampaignthroughthelensofthatagerange.Thisreportallowsyoutocreateamorecustomizedcampaign,whichcanleadtoanincreaseinopt-insandadropincostperclick(CPC).

GenderNext,whatisthegenderoftheuserswhooptedintoyourcampaign?Ifopt-insaremoreheavilyweightedtowardaparticulargender,you’lllikelyseeabenefitifyoucreateasecondversionofthecampaignthatsolelytargetsonegender,whichleadstoaboostinclicksandadrelevancewhilealsodroppingCPC.

LocationLocationcanbeapowerfuldataset,especiallyifyou’relookingtobreakintoanewgeographicmarketorscaleinotherareas.Forinstance,youmayfindfromaLocationreportthatyourcampaignisdoingparticularlywellinacertaincity,state,orcountrythatyouhadn’tpreviouslyconsidered.Youcanthenmakeaninformeddecisionaboutallocatingmoreofyouradbudgettotargetthislocationthatyoudidn’tpreviouslyconsider,allowingyoutotakeadvantageofregionalinterests.

DeviceWithaDevicereport,youcanseewhatdevicepeopleoptedintoyourcampaignwith.Wasittheirmobiledevice,theirtablet,ortheirdesktop?Knowingthedevicepeopleareusingtooptintoyourcampaignhelpsyouknowhowtodesignit.Forinstance,ifyourgatedoffer(seeChapters3and4fordetailsonbuildinggatedoffers)isdoingparticularlywellwithmobileusers,thenitiscriticalforthisparticularcampaigntodesignyourconversionfunnelwithmobileusersinmindifyouwanttoturngatedofferdownloadersinto

purchasers.

DrillingintopsychographicsTheprevioussectionstellyouhowtodigintothecold,hardfactsaboutyouraudience,andyoucanusethatinformationtoshapethetargetingofthecampaignduringyouroptimizationphase.Butwhataboutthemessaging?Whataboutyourfollow-upstrategy?Tofigureoutyourbesttacticshere,weturntopsychographicdata.

Again,you’regoingtocreateanothercustomreport,thistimelookingatAffinityCategoriesandIn-MarketSegments.AlthoughAffinityCategorieslookmoreatyourusers’likesandinterests,In-MarketSegmentsindicatewhatthisaudiencewantstopurchase(ormayhavejustpurchased).Thisprocessfollowsmanyofthesamestepsaswhenyoucreatedyourcustomdemographicreport:

1. GotoCustomizationinGoogleAnalyticsandselect+NewCustomReport.TheCreateCustomReportpageopens.

2. IntheReportContentsectionoftheCreateCustomReportpage,createReportTabs:oneforAffinityCategoriesandanotherforIn-MarketSegments.Youaddatabbyclickingthe+AddReportTabbuttonundertheReportContentsection.NameonetabforyourIn-MarketSegmentsandoneforyourAffinityCategories.

3. Onthesamepage,settheMetricGroupsdimensiontoUsersbyclickingthe+AddMetricbuttonandthenselectingUsersfromthedrop-downmenuforeveryReportTabyoucreate.ThewordUserswillnowbedisplayedintheMetricGroupsdimension.Usersistheconstantamongallyourtabs.

4. Onthesamepage,intheDimensionDrilldownsdimension,setthedemographicforeachReportTabyoucreatebyclickingthe+AddDimensionbutton.TheDimensionDrilldownsthatyouselectareAffinityCategoryandIn-MarketSegment,respectively.Figure12-8showswhatthesetuplookslikeforcreatinganIn-MarketSegmentreport.

5. ClicktheSavebuttonwhenyou’redone.

Source:https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/?authuser=1#crbuilder/cr-builder/a54278530w87158541p90451453//CREATE/

FIGURE12-8:CreatingacustomreportforIn-Market.

Thereportyoucreatedloads,andyounowhaveareportthatyoucancomebacktorepeatedlytostudytheinterestsoftheuserswhohaveoptedin.

AffinityCategoryreportAgain,theAffinityCategoryreportcompileswhatyouruserslikeandareinterestedin.Thisinformationallowsyoutocreatemorecustomizedcampaignsbytargetingspecificinterests.Whenlookingatthisdata,settingthedataviewtypetoComparisonisbest.(ClicktheComparisonViewbutton,locatedontherightofthepage.)Thisviewhighlightsinterestsbetterthanrawnumbersdo.Interestsarelistedfromtoplikestodislikes,asshowninFigures12-9and12-10.

Source:https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/?authuser=1#crbuilder/cr-builder/a54278530w87158541p90451453//CREATE/

FIGURE12-9:AnAffinityreportthatshowsthetopinterestsforthisaudience.

Source:https://analytics.google.comFIGURE12-10:AnAffinityreportthatshowswhatthisaudienceisleastinterestedin.

ThroughAffinityreports,youcanstarttohoneyourmarketingmessage.Forinstance,theaudiencedepictedinFigure12-9isclearlyinterestedinmovies,TV,andentertainmentandcelebritynews.Thisknowledgeenablesyoutogetspecificwithyouradcopyasyouoptimizeyourcampaign.Forexample,anadthatasks“Howdoesyourbusiness’sSocialMediaScorecomparetoKimKardashian’s?”wouldlikelybeahugehitwiththisaudience.Ontheotherhand,asthedatashowsinFigure12-10,sports-themedadswouldmostlikelyflop.Soifyouwentinblindandtriedasportsthemewithyournextadcampaign,you’dprobablyhaveafailedadonyourhands.

Whentryingtothinkofspecificmessaging,drilldownyourcategoriesintomorespecificnichecategories,suchas“TVLovers/Game,Reality&TalkShowFans”ratherthansimply“TVLovers.”

In-MarketreportAswestateearlierinthechapter,In-MarketSegmentsgiveyousomeindicationastowhatyouraudienceisinthemarkettopurchase(ormayhavejustpurchased).Thisisextremelypowerfulinformation,allowingyoutotargetyourmarketbasedonproductsandservicestheysearchfor.AswiththeAffinityreport,whenlookingatthisdata,it’sbesttosetthedataviewtypetoComparison.Thisviewhighlightsinterestbetterthanrawnumbersdo.Figure12-11showsasampleofanIn-Marketreport.

Source:https://analytics.google.comFIGURE12-11:ThedataresultsofanIn-Marketreport.

AsshowninFigure12-11,theaudiencewhooptedintothiscampaignisalsointhemarketforandresearchingemployment,travelandhotelaccommodations,andbusinessandadvertisingservices,justtonameafew.Therefore,adsthatusedthelanguageoftraveloradvertisingservicesaresetupforsuccess.

YoucanalsouseIn-Marketreportstodosomedetectiveworktofigureoutyourusers’incomerange.Useyoursleuthingpowerstogetasenseofwhetherthistargetmarketis

interestedinluxurygoodstotrytogetasenseofwhetherprospectsfallonthehighendofthespectrumofincome.Todothis,lookforhighconcentrationsofinterestincategoriesthatindicatewealth,namelyluxuryitems.Herearesomegeneralcategoriestouseforthisanalysis:

LuxuryAffinityCategoriesShoppers/LuxuryShoppersAutoEnthusiasts/Performance&LuxuryVehicleEnthusiastsTravelBuffs/LuxuryTravelersLuxuryIn-MarketAudiencesApparel&Accessories/Jewelry&Watches/WatchesApparel&Accessories/Jewelry&Watches/FineJewelryAutos&Vehicles/MotorVehicles/MotorVehiclesbyBrand/AudiAutos&Vehicles/MotorVehicles/MotorVehiclesbyBrand/BMWAutos&Vehicles/MotorVehicles/MotorVehiclesbyType/LuxuryVehicles/LuxuryVehicles(New)Autos&Vehicles/MotorVehicles/MotorVehiclesbyType/SportsCars/SportsCars(New)Autos&Vehicles/MotorVehicles/MotorVehiclesbyBrand/Porsche

Thisstrategygivesyouanothertechniquetounderstandyourusers’income,andthuswhatproductstheymayormaynotbeinterestedin.Forexample,ifyouranthisreportandfoundthatonlyabout3percentofyouraudienceforthiscampaignshowedupwithinanyofthesesegments,youcouldsafelyconcludethatthepeopleoptinginforthisparticulargatedofferaren’twealthy.Therefore,followingupwithacampaignforaparticularlypriceyitemislikelytobelesssuccessfulthanonewithmoremoderate,flash-sale–styleoffers.

PuttingItAllTogetherArmedwiththeinformationfromyourcustomreports,youcannowtakethedemographicsandpsychographicsdataandcombineittogetabetterunderstandingoftheaudiencewhoisoptingintothiscampaignandhaveaprofileofyouridealcandidateforthiscampaign.Insteadofguessing,younowhaveprovendatatouseforoptimizingandscalingyourcampaign,whichinturncanleadtomoreopt-ins,improvedadrelevancy,andlowerCPC.Thisisthepowerofcrunchingnumbersandrunningadata-drivenbusiness.Here’sanexampleofwhatyourcustomeravatarprofilemaylooklikeaftercombiningallthedifferentdatapointsthatyou’vecollectedonyouraudience:

Gender:WomanAge:Late20s,early30sPreferredDevice:SmartphoneEstimatedAverageIncome:Under$100kAnnuallyRoleatWork:NonsupervisorLikesandInterests:Movies,Celebrity&EntertainmentNews,PopMusic,Education,CareerConsulting,DatingServices,HomeDécor&GardeningServicesDislikes:Sports,HorrorFilms,BoardGames,Videogames,AutomobileAccessories

Basedonwhathasworkedsofar,youcanthentakethisprofileofyouridealcandidateandcreateamoretargetedcampaignorscaleittoothertrafficplatforms,butnowyourcampaigncanbeevenmorespecific.Armedwiththisinformation,youcanattackthecampaignfromanewangleandspeakmoredirectlytoyourtargetaudience.Imaginewhatyourpaidtrafficteamcoulddowiththislevelofdetailaboutwhomtheyaretargeting.

Youcanapplythedatastrategiescoveredinthischapternotonlytopeoplewhooptinbutalsotopurchasersor,withcarefultargeting,membershipsiteusersaswell.Inaddition,youcanusethisstrategyforanyplatformthatdrivessufficienttrafficvolume.

Chapter13

OptimizingYourCampaignsforMaximumROI

INTHISCHAPTEROptimizingyourcampaignsbyrunningsplittestsUsingthenecessarytoolsforsplittestingKnowingthepagestotestandnottotestLaunchingandunderstandinghowatestperformedAnalyzingatest

Imaginethatyou’vebuiltawebpagedesignedtosellaCaribbeancruise.Atthetopofthispage,youshowaheadlinethatreads“SaveonCaribbeanCruiseDeals!NobodyBeatsOurPrices!”Yourbusinesspartnerapproachesyouwithacoupleofnewheadlineideasthatshethinkswillimprovethenumberofcruisebookings.Whatshouldyoudo—trusthergutandmakethechange?Orstickwiththeoriginal?

Thecorrectansweristotestit.AswediscussinChapter12,adata-drivenbusinessgoesbeyondmakingmarketingdecisionsbasedonhunchesandguesswork.Totrulymaximizeyourcampaign’sROI(returnoninvestment),youneedtogatherdataandrunteststoincreasetheimpact.Otherwise,youractionsarelikethrowingspaghettiatthewallandseeingwhatsticks—andthey’llbejustasefficientandimpactfultoyourbottomline.

Inthischapter,weexaminethededicated,repeatableprocessofcampaignoptimization.Althoughthisprocessiseasytoovercomplicate,webreakitintounderstandablepartsandgiveyoutheoutlineyouneedtorunasuccessfuloptimizationcampaign—fromtherequiredtoolstothefinaltestanalysis.

UnderstandingSplitTestingThecornerstoneofoptimizingawebsiteissplittesting,whichmeanstoconductcontrolled,randomizedexperimentswiththegoalofimprovingawebsitemetric,suchasclicks,opt-ins,orsales.Splittestingtakestwodifferentforms:A/Btesting,atechniqueinwhichtwoversionsofapagecanbecomparedforperformance,andmultivariatetesting,atestingmethodinwhichacombinationofvariablesistestedatonetime.

Duringasplittest,yousplitincomingwebsitetrafficbetweentheoriginal(control)pageanddifferentvariationsofthepage.Youthenlookforimprovementsinthegoalsyou’remeasuring(suchasleads,sales,orengagement)toemergesothatyoucandeterminewhichversionperformedbest.Youusesplittestingtotestareaswhereyoumightbeabletoimproveameasurablegoal,suchasyouronlinecheckoutprocess.Thetesthelpsyoutrytodeterminewhatfactorsincreaseconversions,whatfactorsdeterconversions,andwhatcanleadtoanincreaseinorders.

ObtainingthetoolsyouneedtorunsplittestsTorunsplittests,youneedeffectivetools.Thissectiontellsyouaboutthetechnologyyouneedtorunsplittestssothatyoucanoptimizeyourcampaignformaximumresults.

AnanalyticssuiteTochoosetherightpagestotestonyourwebsite,yourelyheavilyonyourwebsiteanalyticstool.ThischapterfocusesonGoogleAnalytics,awebsiteanalyticssolutionmadeavailablebysearchenginegiantGoogle.Thistoolmeasureswebsite,app,digital,andofflinedatatogaincustomerinsights.GoogleAnalyticshastwopricingtiers:freeandpremium.Formostbusinesses,thefreeversionofGoogleAnalyticsismorethansufficient.PricingforthepremiumversionofGoogleAnalyticsstartsinthesixfiguresannually;thistieroffershigherdatalimits,morecustomvariables,adedicatedsupportteam,aswellasotherfeatures.ForanintroductiontoworkingwithGoogleAnalytics,seeChapter12orvisithttps://www.google.com/analytics/.

TestingtechSplittestsrequirethetechnologythatenablesyoutoeditvariations,splittestvariations,andtrackconversions.Youcanchoosefromamongseveralservices,including:

VisualWebsiteOptimizer:Aneasy-to-usesplittestingtool.ItallowsyoutorunA/Bandmultivariatetestingtooptimizeyourwebsiteforincreasedconversionratesandsales.Thispaidtoolhasseveralpricingpackagestochoosefromforindividualstolargeagencies.Visithttps://vwo.com/tolearnmore.

Unbounce:Givesmarketersthepowertobuild,publish,andtestlandingpages.ItalsooffersA/Btesting.Ithasseveralpricingtierstochoosefromforentrepreneursandenterprise-levelbusinessesalike.Finditathttp://unbounce.com/.

Optimizely:Oneoftheworld’sleadingexperimentationplatformsforwebsites,mobileapps,andconnecteddevices.Optimizelymakescustomer-experienceoptimizationsoftwareforcompanies,whichgivesbusinessesthecapabilitytoconductA/Bandmultivariatetesting.Thecompanyoffersthreepricingtiers,andyoucanseethemathttps://www.optimizely.com/.

MakesuretointegrateyourtestingtechtoolwithGoogleAnalyticssothatyourGoogleAnalyticsreportsreflectaccuratedata.

TestdurationcalculatorAtestdurationcalculatorisasimplecalculatorthatdetermineshowlongyouneedtorunyoursplittesttogetareliabletestresult.Youinputdatasuchastheexistingconversionrate,thenumberofvariationsinthetest,theamountoftrafficyoursitegets,andmore.Thecalculatorthendetermineshowmanydaystorunthistesttogetareliableresult.Figure13-1showsthefreetestdurationcalculatorofferedbyVisualWebsiteOptimizer.

Source:https://vwo.com/ab-split-test-duration/FIGURE13-1:AtestdurationcalculatorfromVisualWebsiteOptimizer.

Noteverypageonyourwebsiteneedstobetestedorrequiresoptimization.Inthenextsection,wediscussthewaysforyoutoisolatethepagestotestsothatyoucanmaximizeyourreturnoninvestment(ROI).

FollowingthesplittestguidelinesWhenyou’relookingforpagestosplittest,usethefollowingguidelinestodeterminehowworthyapageistotest.First,here’swhatnottotest:

Yourworst-performingpages(Thissoundscounterintuitive,butweexplainwhy.)Pagesthatdon’timpactyourlonger-termbusinessgoals,forexample,your404pagePagesthatdon’tgetenoughtraffictorunasplittest

Sowhyshouldn’tyoutestyourworst-performingpages?Whenlookingforpagestooptimize,yourjobistofocusonopportunitypages,whicharepagesthatwillhavethegreatestimpactonyourgoals.Forinstance,ifyouexpecta10percentincreaseinconversionsfromyourefforts,wouldyouratherthatliftbeonapageconvertingat50percentor5percent?Theoneat50percentisanopportunitypage.

Further,yourworst-performingpagesdon’tneedatestingcampaign;rather,theyneedanoverhaul.Theshipissinking,andyoudon’thavetimetohypothesizeoverwhattodonext;youneedtomakeadrasticchangethatlikelydoesn’tneedtobetested.Remember,insuchacase,don’ttest;implement!

Forthesamereasonthatyoudon’twanttotesttheworst-performingpages,youalsodon’tneedtotestyournonconversion-orientedpages.ThesenonconvertingpagesincludeyourAboutUspageoryour“deadend”404page.

However,optimizing404pageshasproventobeusefulinmarketing.Evenonthatpage,youshouldincludeanoffer,acalltoaction,orsomeadditionalstepstokeeptheuserengaged.Youdon’tneedtotestaddingtheseelementstothepage,however;justaddcontentthatmeetsyourgoalsandthenmoveontomoreimportantpagesthatimpactconversion.Amazon’s404page,showninFigure13-2,directspeopletotheAmazonhomepageorsuggestscontinuingtosearch.

Source:https://www.amazon.com/pizzaFIGURE13-2:404pages,likeAmazon’s,shouldofferusersanextstepbuttheydon’tneedtobesplittested.

Thefinalguidelineyoushouldfollowwhendeterminingwhethertosplittestapageisthepage’straffic.Lookatthenumberofvisitsandofconversionsthatyourpagegetsoverthepotentialtestperiod.Noticewheretrafficfallsoffconsiderably.

YoucaneasilyidentifyyourpagesandtheirtrafficnumbersusingGoogleAnalytics.ExaminethenumberofUniquePageviewsforpagesunderconsiderationforsplittesting.ThebestreporttoemployforthisjobinGoogleAnalyticsisintheBehaviorsuite,whichwedetailinChapter12.InGoogleAnalytics,navigatetotheReportingsectionandthenselectthefollowing:Behavior ⇒   SiteContent ⇒   AllPages.ThePagesreportloads.Fromthere,usethefiltertoolinGoogleAnalyticstosearchforthespecificpagesyou’reconsideringforasplittest.

AfteryougatherthedatafromthePagereport,youshouldcontextualizethepages.You’llalwaysseeamassivedrop-offinpageviews(thetotalnumberofpagesviewedbyauser;repeatedviewsofasinglepagearecounted)afteryourhomepage.However,yourhomepageissofarawayfromyourmainconvertingactionthatitdoesn’tmakesensetotest.Now,ifyouseeamassivedropfromaproductpagetothecheckoutpage,youknowthatsomethingiswrongwithyourproductpageandthatyouneedtooptimizeit,andthatmeritsasplittest.

Byfollowingtheguidelinesinthissection,youcanhoneinonpagesworthyofyourtimeandresourcesfortesting.Whenyoufindapagethatyouconsidertobetestworthybasedontheguidelines,makesuretoaskthesefourquestions:

1. Doesthepagegetenoughuniquevisitors?

2. Doesthepagegetenoughrawconversions?3. Doesthispagedirectlyimpactmygoals?Ifindirect,howfarawayfromtheprimary

conversionactionisthepage?4. What’sthepotentialimpactonyourgoal,suchasforsalesorleads?

Answeringthesefourquestionsbeforeyoucommittotestingapageaccomplishesthefollowing:

Qualifiesthatthepageisworthusingresourcestotest.Givesyouanideaofwhethertestingwillactuallybeuseful.

Bydeterminingwhichpagesaren’tworthsplittesting,youcanfindthepagesthatmerittesting.

SelectingPageElementstoOptimizeAfteryoufindthepageyouwanttooptimizeandrunasplitteston,what’syournextstep?Whatdoyouspecificallytestonthatpage?Youhaveseveralfactorstoconsiderindeterminingthefeaturesyoutestonapage.

Theseelementswillhelpyoucomeupwiththenewversions,orvariants,ofyourpagetoenterintothesplittestexperiment.Onewaytostartfindingyourvariantsisbyusingqualitativedata,describednext.

ConsideringqualitativedataQualitativedataisinformationthatpeoplecanobservebutnotmeasure.Intermsofdigitalmarketing,qualitativedataconsiderstheusers’behavior.Gatheringqualitativedataisrelativelyeasyandinexpensive,andit’sextremelyhelpfulforpickingtherightelementstooptimizeonyourpage.

Oneofthemostbasictypesofqualitativedatainvolvesclicktracking,mousemovement,andscrolling.Muchofthisdatagetsreportedinwhatisreferredtoasaheatmap.Aheatmapisavisualrepresentationofauserinteractingonyoursite;itrevealswhereusersfocusonyoursite.Figure13-3showsatypicalheatmap.

Source:http://webmaxformance.com/attention-scroll-click-heatmap-tracking-servicesFIGURE13-3:Aheatmapshowsuserinteractionwithyourpage.

Runningaheatmaponanypageyou’resplittestingisagoodidea.Mostgoodtestingtechnologytools,suchasVisualWebsiteOptimizer,includeheatmaptechnology.Heatandscrollmapreportscanshedlightonwhetheracalltoaction(CTA)isgettingclicks,or

whetherpeopleareconsumingyourcontent.

Hereareothertypesofqualitativedataandhowtocollectit:

Usersurveys:UseatoolsuchasTruConversion(https://www.truconversion.com/)tosurveyyoursitevisitorsandgetqualitativedatatoanalyze.Sessionrecordings:AlsouseTruConversiontorecordvisitorsessionsandanalyzethoserecordingtofindelementstotestonthepage.Customerservicequestions:Anyteammemberswhotalktocustomersareoftenatreasuretroveofqualitativedata.

UsingqualitativetoolsQualitativedataisincrediblyimportantandseverelyunderused.Somegreattoolsareavailable,sostartwithoneandmoveontootherswhenyourunintouserknowledgegaps.Thesetoolscaninclude:

TruConversion(https://www.truconversion.com/):Thissuiteoftoolshasheatmaps,sessionrecordings,usersurveys,funnelanalysis,andform-fieldanalysis.CrazyEgg(https://www.crazyegg.com/):Focusesprimarilyonheatmaps,trackingclicks,mousemovement,andscrolling.UsabilityHub(https://usabilityhub.com/):Thissitehasfivedifferentstylesofusertests:

PreferencetestFive-secondtestClicktestQuestiontestNavflowtest

UsabilityHub’sfive-secondtest,andoneslikeit,areextremelypowerful.Thefive-secondtestmeasurespeople’sfirstimpressionsofyoursite.Ifpeoplecan’tfigureoutwhoyouareandwhatthey’resupposedtodoonyoursitewithinfiveseconds,youneedtorethinkyourpage.

GettingReadytoTestAfteryoudeterminewhatpagestotestandselecttheappropriatevariants,you’rewellonyourwaytoimplementingyourtest.Youstillhaveseveralotherelementstokeepinmindbeforeyoustartyourtest,however.Payattentiontothesecomponents,describedinthefollowingsections,tocreateastrongsplittest.

DevelopinganoptimizationhypothesisYourtestneedsahypothesis.Foryourtesttotrulybemeaningfulandactionable,youneedtocomeupwithaplan,andyouneedtodocumentstatistics.Testingforthesakeoftestingorforaparticularhunchonlywastesyourbusiness’stimeandresources.Aclearhypothesisputsastoptoadhoctesting.

Createahypothesisbasedonthisformat:

Becauseweobserved[A]andfeedback[B],webelievethatchanging[C]forvisitors[D]willmake[E]happen.We’llknowthiswhenwesee[F]andobtain[G].

Followingabasichypothesisformatliketheprecedingonesetsyourtest’sscope,thesegment,andthesuccesscriteria.Withoutahypothesis,you’reguessing,andyoudon’twanttobaseacampaign’ssuccessorfailureonaguess.

ChoosingthemetricstotrackAfteryouchooseapagetosplittestandthevariationsyouwillbetestingonthepage,youneedtodeterminethekeyperformanceindicators(KPIs)thatyouwillusetoevaluateyoursplittest.KPIsaremetricsthatgaugecrucialfactorsandhelpyoutodeterminethesuccessofatest.Forinstance,ifyourunatestthatlooksonlyattopfunnelmetrics,suchasclicks,youdon’tgetafullunderstandingoftheactualimpact.Forthisreason,youneedtoselectyourKPIsandknowhowtheyimpactyourbusinessgoals.

TohelpdefineyourKPIs,makesuretohavepage-levelgoalsaswellascampaign-levelgoalsforallyourtests.Yoursplittestgoalsmightlooklikethis:

Pagegoal:LeadsgeneratedCampaigngoal:Specificproductpurchased

Pageandcampaigngoalsgiveyoutheshortview,thatis,whathappenedonthepage;andthelongview,thatis,howwhathappenedonthepageimpactedyouroverallcampaign.Itispossibletoseeanimprovementintheperformanceatthepagelevelwhileexperiencingadecreaseinperformanceatthecampaignlevel.Inourprecedingexample,wemayrunatestthatgeneratesmoreleadsatthepagelevelbutactuallydecreasesthenumberofproductspurchasedatthecampaignlevel.

KeepacommonthreadthroughoutyourKPIsandhavethemmeasurerelatedmetrics,suchasadd-to-cartrateandsales.

CalculatingyourtesttimelineEverytestneedsadefinitivestoppingpoint.Ifyoutestintoperpetuity,youignorethepossibilitythatnochangeoccursbetweenvariants.Youneedtocreateaclearlydefinedtesttimeperiodbeforeyoustarttesting,andthensticktothattimetable.

Useyourdurationcalculator,mentionedinthe“Obtainingthetoolsyouneedtorunsplittests”section,earlierinthischapter,androunduptothenextweek.Forexample,ifyourdurationcalculatorsaysthatyouwouldhavemeaningfulresultsintendays,runthetestforfourteen.Peoplebehavedifferentlyondifferentdays,andyoumustaccountforthisvarianceinbehavior.Thislittletrickwillhelpyougathermorecompletedata.

PreparingtoLaunchWhenyouhaveyourhypothesis,yourvariations,yourKPIs,andyourtestscheduleoutlined,you’realmostreadytobeginyoursplittest.Completethefollowingstepstotakeinpreparationforyourtestandthenyou’llbereadytoclicktheStartbuttoninyourtestingtool!

DefininggoalsinGoogleAnalyticsJusthavingGoogleAnalyticsonyoursiteisn’tenough;youneedtoestablishyourgoals.(SeeChapter12forhowtosetupgoalsinGoogleAnalytics.)Settingcustomeventsore-commercetrackingworksaswell—youjustneedsomethingtomeasure.

Havingameasureablegoalisimportantbecausewhenyouhavepropere-commerceorgoalreportinginGoogleAnalytics,theresultsofyourtestingaredeterminedbyobjectivenumbersratherthansubjectiveopinion.HavinggoalssetupinGoogleAnalyticsisincrediblypowerfulandwillstarttoshowyoutheefficacyofyourcampaignsinasingleplatform.

CheckingthatyourpagerenderscorrectlyinallbrowsersIfapageisn’tperformingproperly,itwillcorruptthedata.Youmaythinkthatthevariationyouaretestinghasfailedbecauseyourhypothesiswasincorrect,butintruth,itmightbeatechissue.Forinstance,ifoneofthepagesyouaretestingisshowingabrokenimage,theconversionlift(orfailure)forthatpageisnotcausedbythechangedvariablebutratherbythepage’sfunctionality,inwhichcaseyourtestwillbefornaught.Beforeyoulaunchyourtest,double-checkyourpageforbugsbyusingtoolssuchasBrowserStackorpreviewoptionsinVisualWebsiteOptimizer.

EnsuringthatyouhavenotestingconflictsYoudon’twantyourteststooverlap.Therefore,youshouldneverrunmultipletestsonthesamepageatthesametime;forinstance,runningasecond,separatetestonapagewhileanothertestisalreadybeingperformedonthesamepageresultsinconflictingdata.

Youcanruntestsondifferentpagesatthesametime.However,whenrunningtestsondifferentpagesatthesametime,youneedtomakesurethattrafficincludedinonetestisn’tincludedintheother.

CheckinglinksJustasyouneedtoensurethatyourpageisfunctioning,youalsohavetomakesurethatyourlinksactuallyworkandgototherightpage.Asplittestbetweenapagewithlinksandapagewithoutproperlyfunctioninglinksisobviouslyafatallyflawedtestthatwon’tgiveyoutrueresults.

KeepingvariationloadtimessimilaroridenticalKeepyourloadtimeinmindwhenyouoptimize.Ifyouhaveavariantwithabetterloadtime,thatvariantwilllikelybeatoutitscompetition,skewingyourresults.UsetoolssuchasPageSpeed(https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/)toanalyzeandensurethatyourvariantloadtimesareascloseastheycanbe.

CallingaTestAswestateearlier,youdon’twantatesttorunindefinitely.Youneedtosetatestingtimelineandsticktoitsothatyoucananalyzethedataandmakeinformeddecisions.Here’swhenyouknowyoucancallyourtest:

Yourtesttimelinematchesyourschedule:Makesuretoactuallyrunyourtestforthetimeyouscheduleditfor.Donotcallatestearlybecauseit“looksgood”andgivesyoufavorabledata.Likewise,don’tstringoutatestlongerbecauseyoudidn’tgettheresultsyouwanted.Whenyouhityourscheduledenddate,callthetest.You’ve”completedtheweek”:Unlessotherwisespecifiedbyyourtestdurationcalculator,yourtestshouldrunforafullsevendaysbeforecallingit.Inotherwords,atestthatstartsonaTuesdaymustendonafutureTuesdaytoensurethatyou’vecollectedtheminimumamountofdatatomakeinformeddecisions.

KnowingHowaTestPerformedForsometests,thedatamayoverwhelminglyconcludethatthevariationyoutestedwasawinneroradud.Butifyouhavetroubledetermininghowavariationperformed,followtheseguidelines:

YourvariationindicatesitissuccessfulandyoushouldconsiderimplementingitifYourliftisstatisticallysignificant.Youshowatleast100conversions,ormore,pervariation.

Yourvariationindicatesitisafailureandyoushouldn’tconsiderimplementingitifYourlossisstatisticallysignificant.Youshowfewerthan100conversionspervariation.

YourvariationcomesoutnullifNostatisticallysignificantdifferenceemerges.Thenumbershavenormalized.Thetestranfortheentiretestschedule.

AnalyzingtheTestBynowyoueitherhaveasuccessful,afailed,oranulltestresult.Afteryou’veconcludedthetest,youcandigintothedatatoanalyzewhathappenedduringthetestperiodanddetermineyournextsteps.Toanalyzeyoursplit-testingdata,followthesesteps:

1. Reportallyourfindings.Collectandputyourtestingdataintowords.YoucanuseatestreportsheetorPowerPointdeckforthis.Consideringbreakingyourreportintothefollowingsections:

Slide1:Testtitle,URL,timeline,andmetric(s)measuredSlide2:HypothesisSlide3:AllthevariantsyoutestedSlide4:In-depthresultsSlide5:Resultsshowcasingthewinningvariant,conversionlift,andconfidencerateSlide6:AnalysisSlide7:OtherobservationsSlide8:Recommendations

2. Reportyourconversionrange.Theconversionrangeistherangebetweenthelowesthighestpossibleconversionrate.Thisrangemaybewrittenintheformofaformula,asin30%lift±3%,oryoumightsaythatyouexpectconversionstobebetween27and33percent.Besuretoreportyourconversionrateasarange.Whenyoureporta40percentconversionlift,butyoureallyhavearangeof35–43percent,you’redoingyourselfadisservicebynotproperlysettingexpectationsforyourresultsoryourrecommendations.Don’tletyourbossorclientthinkthattheconversionrateisstatic.Itisn’t.Setproperexpectationsbyreportingonyourconversionrateasarange.ToolssuchasVisualWebsiteOptimizercreatethisrangeforyou.

3. Lookateachvariant’sheatmap.Observingeachvariant’sheatmaphelpsyoufindnewthingstooptimizeandtest.Placethesefindinginthe“OtherObservations”sectionofyourreport.

4. AnalyzekeysegmentsinGoogleAnalytics.Here,you’redeterminingwhetherthetestindicatesahigherorlowerconversionrateforcertaintypesofvisitors.

5. Implementthesuccessfulvariation.Ideally,thankstotheresultsofyoursplittesting,youknowwhatworks.Nowyoucan

putthatknowledgetowork.Useyourdatatomakeeducateddecisionsaboutwhatchangesyoushouldmakeonthepage.

6. Iftheresultofthesplittestwasnull,pickyourpreferredvariation.Atthispoint,ifyourtesthasdeclarednowinnerfromeithervariation,youcanchoosewhichoneyou’dliketoimplement.Usethisdatatodevelopanewhypothesisandcreateanewtest.

7. Useyourfindingstocreatenewhypothesesandplanfuturetests.Optimizationisaprocess.Yourlatestfindingsshouldfeedintoyourfuturework.Hereiswhereyoucanlearnfromsegments,heatmaps,orthetestpropertodevelopyournextiterationorfuelatestonanewpage.

8. Shareyourfindings.Attheveryleast,youshouldsendyourreportovertoyourbossorclient,andtoyourcolleagueswhohaveastakeinthetest.Ifyouwanttogoaboveandbeyond,youcouldevenpublishyourfindingsasyourownprimaryresearch.Casestudiesarevaluableresourcesthatcanestablishyouasanauthorityinthemarketandalsogenerateleadswithinyourmarket.TurntoChapters3,4,and6formoreonthevalueofprimaryresearchandhowtoimplementit.

Part5

ThePartofTens

INTHISPART…Findoutthetenmostcommondigitalmarketingmistakesthatlimityourgrowth,alongwithtipstoavoidthem.

Discoverthetenleadingdigitalmarketingskillstoaddtoyourresume,includingjobtitles,jobdescriptions,andsalaryinformation.

Understandthetentypesoftoolsyouneedtoeffectivelyexecuteyourdigitalmarketingcampaigns,frombuildingandhostingawebsitetousingpaymentprocessorsandmanagingyoursocialmediaprofiles.

Chapter14

TheTenMostCommonDigitalMarketingMistakes

INTHISCHAPTERWhywebsitetrafficisthelastthingtoworryaboutTherightandwrongwaytodescribeyourofferThetwometricsthateverybusinessshouldbetrackingHowtostayfocusedonwhatreallymattersindigitalmarketing

Digitalmarketingevolvesrapidly,andyouoftenfindyourselftryingoutnewtoolsandtacticsdaily.Whenyou’reconstantlyventuringintounchartedterritory,you’reboundtomakemistakes.Don’tsweatit;makingmistakesishowyoulearn.

Thatsaid,notallmistakesaremadeequal.Themistakeslistedinthischapteraremoreaboutyourmindsetthantheyareaboutatacticalerror,suchassendingoutanemailwithouttestingthelinks.You’llinevitablymaketacticalmistakesinyourmarketing,andyou’llbounceback.Butmakingthemistakesdescribedinthischapterlimitsyourgrowth,andifyouavoidthem,youshouldseeasignificantpositiveeffectonyourresults.

FocusingonEyeballsInsteadofOffersThismightshockyou,butyoudon’thaveawebsitetrafficproblem.Whenyouaren’tmakingsales,thesolutionisnottogetmoreeyeballsonthepage.Eyeballscanbebought(aswesoondiscuss),butthemessagingandoffersthatyoudelivertothoseeyeballsarethebiggestdifferencemakers.

Whenthingsgowrong,andwemeanreallywrong,don’tspendenergyonoptimizingthelandingpageformoreGoogletrafficorschedulingmoretweetsabouttheoffer.Instead,changewhatyou’reofferingtomeetthedesiresofyourmarket.First,provetheoffer;then,turnthetrafficon.Formoreoncraftingstellaroffers,turntoChapter3.

FailingtoTalkaboutYourCustomers(andTheirProblems)

Peopledon’tcareaboutyourproduct;rather,theycareabouthowyourproductcanmaketheirlifebetter.Stoptalkingaboutyourproduct’sfeaturesandinsteaddescribehowyourproductcantransformthecustomerinameaningfulway.

Businessisprettysimple.Wegetpaidtomovepeoplefroma“Before”statetoadesired“After”state.IntheBeforestate,customersarediscontentinsomeway.Theymightbeinpain,bored,frightened,orunhappyforanynumberofotherreasons.

IntheAfterstate,lifeisbetter.Theyarefreeofpain,entertained,orunafraidofwhatpreviouslyplaguedthem.Peopledon’tbuyproductsorservices;theybuytransformation.Inotherwords,theybuyaccesstotheAfterstate.AgreatoffergenuinelymovesacustomertoadesiredAfterstate,andgreatmarketingsimplyarticulatesthemovefromtheBeforestatetothedesiredAfterstate.

Mostbusinessesthatfail,particularlyatstartuporwhenenteringnewmarkets,dosobecausetheyfailtoofferadesiredAfterstate(theofferisnogood)ortheyfailtoarticulatethemovementfromBeforetoAfter(themarketingisnogood).

Needlesstosay,gettingclearonthedesiredoutcomethatyourofferdeliversisfundamentaltothesuccessofyourmarketing.TurntoChapter1formoreontheBeforeandAfterstates,andseeChapter3fortheprocessofcreatingoffers.

AskingProspectsforTooMuch,TooSoonImaginethatanice,good-looking,successfulguywalksintoabarandimmediatelyproposesmarriagetothefirstsinglewomanhesees.Althoughshemaywanttogetmarriedsomeday,andfromapure“featureset”perspectivehe’sagoodcatch,thatdoesn’tmeanshe’sreadytocommittohim.Anditdoesn’tmeanthatshewantstocommittoamarriagerightnow.

Thisideaseemssuperobviouswhenweputitintermsofhumanrelationships,butforsomereason,weoften“proposemarriage”(askprospectsforamajorcommitment)tooearlywhenmarketing.YourbusinessmightbemarketingBusinesstoConsumer(B2C)orBusinesstoBusiness(B2B),buteverybusinessisactuallymarketingHumantoHuman(H2H).

Asaresult,theoffersyoumaketoprospectsandexistingcustomersshouldprogressinthesamewaythatpeopledevelopnormal,healthyhumanrelationships.Humanrelationshipsgothroughaprocess,andthesameistrueofbusinessesandtheircustomers.Howcanyoustructuretheoffersyoumaketoprospectsandnewleadsinawaythathelpsthemprogressthroughtherelationship?

BeingUnwillingtoPayforTrafficTherewasatimewhensearchengineoptimization(SEO)andsocialmediawaseasy,andfreetrafficfromthelikesofGoogleandFacebookwasreliableandplentiful.Now,however,althoughsearchandsocialmediamarketingarestillimportant,thedaysoffree-and-easytrafficareover.

Today,reliableandhigh-qualitywebsitetrafficisboughtandsoldlikegrainorgasoline.Ifyouwantareliablesourceofgasoline,yougotothegasstationandpurchaseit.Similarly,reliablewebsitetrafficisacommodity,andifyouwanttomarketatscale,youneedtogotothetrafficstoreandbuyit.Thewebhasnoshortageoftrafficstores(Google,Bing,Facebook,Pinterest,YouTube,andmore)thataremorethanwillingtosellyouhigh-qualitywebsitetrafficatafairprice.YoucanfindoutmoreaboutpaidtrafficinChapter10.

BeingProductCentricWhenmostbusinessesaremarketing,theyfocusontheproduct.However,thebusinessesthatlastdon’tdefinethemselvesbytheproduct(s)theysell.Instead,theydefinethemselvesbythemarkettheyserve.

Forexample,inthe1920s,aFrenchfashiondesignerandbusinesswomanpublishedapictureofasimpleblackdressinVoguemagazine.Beforethistime,wearingblackwasreservedforperiodsofmourning.Sinceitsintroductionacenturyago,however,the“littleblackdress”hasbecomeanenduringwardrobestapleformanywomen.TheFrenchfashiondesignerwhopublishedthatpictureinVoguewasnoneotherthanCocoChanel,founderoftheChanelbrand.

AlthoughChanelhassoldmany“littleblackdresses”initstime,thecompanyhasnotdefineditselfbyeventhisiconicproduct.Instead,Chanelsellseverythingfromclothingandjewelrytofragrancesandskincareproducts,alltowomenwithatasteforfinefashion.

Aproductdoesnotabusinessmake.Identifywhoyou’reservingandadvocateforthatmarketbycreatingtheproductsandservicesyourcustomerswantandneed.

TrackingtheWrongMetricsDigitalmarketingistrackable,almosttoafault.Youcan,forexample,useGoogleAnalytics(afreeprogram)todeterminethesalesofpersonsvisitingyourwebsitefromOhio,onTuesdays,andwhenusinganiPhone.Althoughthatdatamightbeabsolutelyrelevanttoyourbusiness,everybusinessshouldbetrackingtwooverarchingmetrics:CostofAcquisition(COA)andAverageCustomerValue(ACV).

CostofAcquisitionistheamountofmoneyyoumustspendtoacquireasinglecustomer.Forexample,imaginethatyousellmen’sdressshirtsandacquirenewcustomersbyusingFacebookads.Saythatyoudeterminethatitcosts$40inadspendtoacquireeachnewcustomer.You’vethereforedeterminedthattheCostofAcquisition(COA)forthisofferis$40.

Now,forthissameshirtoffer,youwanttocalculatetheAverageCustomerValue,orACV.Youcancalculatethisinanumberofways,butourfavoritemetricistocalculatetheimmediatevalueofanewcustomer.Intheexample,eachnewshirtsalegenerates$20innetprofit(revenueminusexpenses),and,onaverage,anewcustomerbuystwoshirts.Soeachnewcustomerresultsin$40inprofitforthebusiness.Thisisgoodnewsbecauseitmeansthatthisbusinesscangeneratenewcustomerswiththisofferandmarketingcampaignatabreak-evenpoint.Anyadditionalsalesmadetothesenewlygeneratedcustomersresultinadditionalprofitforthebusiness.

Thereisatimeandplacetodivedeepintothenumbers,butalwaysrememberthattheamountitcoststoacquireacustomerandtheaveragevalueanewcustomerbringstothebusinessarethemostimportantmetricstotrack.Formoreondataanalysisandoptimizingcampaigns,turntoChapters12and13.

BuildingAssetsonOtherPeople’sLandAlthoughnetworkslikeFacebook,Twitter,andYouTubegiveyouaccesstobillionsofpeople,focusing100percentofyourattentiononcreatingaudiencesontheseplatformsisdangerous.Theseplatformscan,andwill,changetheirrulesfromtimetotime,andthosechangesmaynotbeinyourfavor.

Instead,focusonbuildingmediaassetsthatyouown,particularlyyouremaillist.YoushouldabsolutelybuildconnectionsonmajornetworkslikeFacebook,Twitter,andYouTube,ofcourse,butlooktomigratethoseconnectionstoanassetyouhavemorecontrolover.YoucanfindoutmoreaboutbuildingemailcampaignsinChapter11.

FocusingonYourContent’sQuantityInsteadofQuality

ThetruthisthattheInternetdoesn’tneedanotherblogpost,podcast,orYouTubevideo.Muchhasbeenwrittenabouttheamountofcontentaddedtothewebeachday.Itis,indeed,astaggeringamount.Oursocialmediafeedsandemailinboxesarecrammedwithcontent.

Thatsaid,theInternetdoeslackremarkablecontent,andifyoucanprovideit,youwillgettractionfromit.Insteadofcreatingtennewblogpostsoverthenextmonth,puttentimestheeffortintocreatingasingleremarkablepost.Then,primethepumpbyforcingsomeeyeballsonyourmasterpiecebybuyingtraffictoit,asdiscussedinChapter10.

NotAligningMarketingGoalswithSalesGoals

Ifyouownorworkforanorganizationwithasalesandmarketingdepartment,youknowthatthesetwoteamsdon’talwaysseeeyetoeye.Marketingandsalesfightwithoneanotherbecausetheyhavedifferentgoals.Marketingthinksit’sallabout“awareness,”whereassalesjustcaresabout…well,sales.Marketinggetsannoyedatsalesforoverpromisingandunderdelivering,andsalesgetsannoyedatmarketingbecausetheleadsaren’t“salesready”andtherearen’tenoughofthem.

Thekeytofixingthissituationistogetmarketingandsalesonthesamepage.Literally.

Bothdepartmentsneedtounderstandthattheyservedifferentpositionsonthesameteam,andthegoalisn’tawareness,orsales,butratherhappy,successfulcustomers.Toachievethisgoal,marketingmustgenerateawarenessandleads,andsalesmustclosethoseleads,butifthecustomerexperienceisn’tamazing,everyonehasfailed.

Allowing“ShinyObjects”toDistractYouThismistake,morethananyother,isresponsibleforthedemiseofbusinessesthatmarkettheirbusinessesonline.Newchannels,tools,andtacticsspringuponadailybasisinthisfast-movingindustry,andyourbestbetistoignorethem.AswementioninChapter1,digitalmarketingislessaboutthe“digital”andmoreaboutthe“marketing.”

Insteadofbecomingdistractedbythenew,concentrateonwhathasalwaysworked.Focusonacquiringnewcustomerswithgreatoffersandsupportingthoseacquisitioneffortswithhigh-qualitycontentandasoundtrafficstrategy.Focusonimprovingyouremailfollow-up(Chapter11)andthemeasurement(Chapter12)andoptimizationofyourcampaigns(Chapter13).

Whateveryoudo,don’tdelay.Startputtingthefundamentalsthatyou’velearnedinthisbookintopracticeandlearnasyougo.Thebeautyofmarketinginadigitalenvironmentisthatalmostnothingyoudoispermanent.Virtuallyeverycampaignyoucreatecanbechangedwithafewclicksofthemouse.Letyourcompetitionfocusonthe“nextbigthing”whileyoufocusonthefundamentals.

Chapter15

TenTrendingDigitalMarketingSkillstoAddtoYourResume

INTHISCHAPTERThehottestskillsindigitalmarketingtodayPopularjobtitlesandjobdescriptionsindigitalmarketingSalaryaveragesinthedigitalmarketingspace

Forgedinaworldofconstantinnovation,evolvingplatforms,andcutting-edgestrategies,digitalmarketinghastheuniqueluxuryofenduranceinthejobmarket.Maybeyou’relookingforanewcareerpaththat’snotindangerofbecomingobsolete.Maybeyou’realreadyworkingindigitalmarketingandwonderinghowyourjobwillstandthetestoftime,orwhatyourgrowthopportunitylookslikeoveryourcareer.

Arguably,careersindigitalmarketing,morethananyotherindustry,aremoreconcernedwithyourskillsetthanyourjobtitle.Ifyouhaveskills(orattheveryleast,amajordrivetolearn),you’llneverrunshortofassetstoincludeonyourresume.Inthischapter,wefocusondigitalmarketingskillsandthepossiblejobsandsalariesthatgoalongwiththem.

ContentMarketingWecantracetheoriginsofcontentmarketingbackto1895,withamagazinepublishedbyJohnDeerecalledTheFurrow.Itservedtoeducatefarmersonhowtoincreaseprofits,andthrewinsomenicepicturesofthelatestinfarmingmachineryforgoodmeasure.It’sstillinpublicationtoday,whichspeakstothestayingpowerofthisparticularskillset.

Usingcontentasadigitalmarketingstrategyisadeepwellofcareerdevelopment.Notonlyareskillsneededtocreateanddistributeengagingcontentacrossavarietyofplatforms,butthatcontentmustbedesignedtoattractaspecifictargetaudienceanddrivepeopletotakeameasurableaction(likebuyingatractor,forexample).Thedigitalmarketingspacehostsawidevarietyofcontenttypes:blogpoststhatservetosegmentpotentialaudiences;podcaststhateducateandcreatebrandawareness;socialmediaupdates;infographics;andevene-booksthatintroducepeopletoyourcompanyandoffers.Itdoesn’tstopthere,either.Contentcreatorsalsocreateeducationalresources,surveys,andwebinarsthathelpprospectsevaluatetheirchoices.Contentcreatorsidentifyandbroadcastcustomerstoriesandputtogetherspecsheetsthatpushprospectsovertheedgeandhelpthemdecidetopurchase.

Nowimagineallthosedifferentpiecesofcontentworkingtogethertoguidesomeonefromintroductiontosale.Theseeffortsallfallwithintherealmofcontentmarketing,whichamountstostrategicallycreatingstellarresourcesthatturnsomeonewhohasneverheardofyourcompanyorproductsintoabuyerandbrandevangelist.Ifyoucangrabholdofcontentmarketingasaskillset,youhaveagrowingopportunitytoapplyyourselfinanynumberofopportunitiesinthedigitalmarketingspace.

BrandjournalistBrandjournalists,sometimesreferredtoascorporatereporters,specializeinproducingavarietyofmultimediathatcommunicatesbrandvaluetoacompany’scustomers.Thinkofitasanin-housenewsoperation—butthatnewsisusedasanotherwaytogenerateleadsandsales.Forexample,brandjournalistsoftenlookforstoriesonhowcustomersuseacompany’sproductsandtellthatstoryinengagingwaystoconvertleadsintobuyers.

Afewpersonalattributesarespecifictosuccessfulbrandjournalists.Theyaretypicallyhighlystrategicintheirapproach,capitalizingontheirabilitytoaligncontentwiththeoverallcontentstrategyofthecompany.Theymustalsobeabletotellavarietyofstoriesinnewandengagingwaysacrossavarietyofplatforms:blogs,video,podcasts,andthelike.Becauseassignmentsareoftendeadline-driven,brandjournaliststendtobehighlyorganized.Atypicalbrandjournalistsalaryrangesfrom$50,000to$70,000peryear.

ManagingeditorManagingeditorisanothertrendingcareeroptionfortheaspiringcontentmarketer.Aswithbrandjournalists,managingeditorshandletheday-to-daystorytellingofacompany.

Althoughmanagingeditorsaren’talwaystheprimarysourceofthecontentproduced,theyhandlethescheduling,publication,andoverallconsistencyofacompany’scontentmarketingefforts.Youcanoftenfindthemhuntingdownwritersforblogpostsorsecuringguestsforpodcastinterviews.

Thismeansthatmanagingeditorsarehighlyorganized.Projects,people,anddeadlines:Amanagingeditorhastojuggleallthree.Managingeditorsalsoneedtopossessahighdegreeofadaptability.Sometimeswritersmisstheirdeadlinesorarticlesgetnixed;agreatmanagingeditorhastobeabletohandlelast-minutechanges.Contentmarketersinthispositionalsooftendealwithothercontentcreatorsoutsidetheorganization,soclearlycommunicatingacompany’scontentgoalstooutsidepartiesisanecessity.Amanagingeditorcanexpecttomakebetween$55,000and$102,000annually.

ContentmarketingmanagerContentmarketingmanagersserveasleadersofacompany’scontentteamandmakesurethatallofthecontentassetsareinlinewiththeoverallmarketingstrategy.Theyareresponsibleforcontentmanagement,designapproval,developingresources,andaudiencedevelopment.

Thesecontentmarketersarehighlycreative—theydon’tjustfocusonthescienceofcontentmarketingbutalsoputtheircreativemindstoworkinfillingcontentgapsandrepurposingsuccessfulcontenttonewplatforms.Asleaders,theyheadupthecompany’scontentteam,delegatingandprioritizingtasksacrossmultiplerolesandpositions.Becausethosetaskstypicallyincludeastartandenddate,experienceinprojectmanagementisalsoneededtosucceedinthisrole.Contentmarketingmanagerstypicallyearnfrom$72,000to$133,000ayear.

MediaBuyingandTrafficAcquisitionBuyingtrafficisavitalpartofamarketingstrategybecausepaidtrafficisareliableandplentifultrafficsourceforyouroffers.Prettyimportantstuff.Ifyouknowhowtomakeabusinessprofitable,yourskillsetishighlydesirable.Mediabuyers,inshort,negotiate,purchase,andmonitoradvertisements,andinthedigitalmarketingspace,thatmeansknowinghowtogeneratethemostleadsandsalesatthebestpossibleprice.

Theskilledmediabuyerunderstandsthatpaidtrafficisasystemthatbuildsrelationshipsbeforeitsells.Familiaritywithin-depthmarketingresearchtechniquesassuresthatmediabuyerscanplacetheiradsontherightplatformforthedesiredaudience.Thesemarketingprofessionalsarealsoskilledwiththefollowingtypesofadvertising:search,display,native,mobile,video,andthird-party.TheyknowhowandwhentousepixelsinadvertisingcampaignsandareadeptattakingavarietyofrawdataandturningitintovaluablemetricssuchasAverageCustomerValue,CostperAcquisition,andmore.Mediabuyersalsoknowhowtodesignadcampaignsthatworkinconjunctionwithacompany’scontentmarketingefforts.

Mediabuyingisanimportantpartofanytrafficstrategy,socompaniesinvestalotinthisareaoftheirbusiness.Asuccessfulpaidadvertisingstrategyisthekeytomakingthewheelsofe-commerceturn.

Thejobofacquiringmediacangobymanynames,includingmediabuyerordigitalmediaplanner,butthejobdescriptionisthesame:developapaidadvertisingstrategyandsuccessfullyimplementitacrossavarietyofdigitalchannels.Mediabuyersplancampaignsfromstarttofinishandhandlethingslikebudgetsandclients.Theyconstantlylookfornewandbetterwaystogetthemostoutoftheircampaignefforts.

Successfultrafficacquisitionspecialistsunderstandthenuancesofchangingdigitaladvertisingplatforms,sotheyconstantlykeepuptodateonthelatestadvertisingchannelsandtermsofservice.Datadrivestheirdecisions—datapertainingtobudget,ROI(returnoninvestment),CPC(costperclick)andPPC(payperclick)—andamediabuyerkeepsaneyeonthemall.Thereisadefinitestrategybehindpurchasingtraffic,andacquisitionspecialistsareintimatelyfamiliarwiththestructureandimplementationofadcampaignsthatalignwithspecificbusinessgoals.Trafficacquisitionspecialistscanexpectanannualsalaryrangeof$49,000to$75,000.

SearchMarketingSearchengineoptimization(SEO)isn’tdead,butithaschanged.ThankstoGoogle’sPandaandPenguinalgorithmupdates,theoldrulesofSEOnolongerapply.Today,togetranked(andstayranked),siteownersneedtoemphasizeuserexperienceovertraditionalvariablessuchaslinksandkeyworddensity.

MarketerswhospecializeinSEOknowhowtocreateandimplementsearchmarketingcampaignsthatmovetheneedlefortheircompany.Theyunderstandthatsearchshouldbeoptimizedformobileuse,andtheyknowhowtooptimizecontentforawidevarietyofsearchengines,fromGoogleandBingtoYouTubeandGoogleMaps.Theyembracethetechnicalsideofmarketingandemploytechniquesthatstaywithinthesearchengines’termsofservicetoincreasereturnoninvestmentthroughsearchstrategies.

YourjobtitleinthispositionmightbeSEO(sometimesalsoreferredtoasSEOSpecialist).SEOsareresponsiblefordrivingglobalorganicsearchstrategyandimprovingvisibilityofwebproperties,increasingwebsitetrafficfromtargetaudiences,anddrivingqualifiedleadsandsales.TheyknowhowtogeteyesoncontentfromblogpoststopodcaststoYouTubevideos,usingmethodsthatareconsistentwiththetermsofservice(TOS)ofmajorsearchenginessuchasGoogleandBing.Theytroubleshootandtracksiteperformance,includingintheareasofsocialsharing,pageloadspeed,andothertechnicalissuesrelatedtosearchmarketing.

Successfulmarketersinthisrolepossessadetail-orientedmindthattheyputtoworkidentifyingsearchtrafficgrowthopportunitiesforcontentandproductsbasedonanalytics.Theyarealsoresearchersandconstantlylookintothelatestinsearchenginecomplianceandguidelinessothattheycanadjuststrategyasnecessary.Datadrivestheirdecisions;SEOsalsomonitorandreportonsearchmetricsanddemonstratecontinuousimprovementoftheSEOstrategy.SEOscanexpecttomakeayearlyincomebetween$38,000and$60,000.

SocialMediaMarketingSocialmediamarketingisoneofthemostin-demandskillsetsfororganizationsseekingtoimplementdigitalmarketingstrategies.Sinceskyrocketingtopopularityintheearly2000s,socialmediahasevolvedintoanunstoppableforcethatcompanieshaveharnessedtodrivebrandawarenessandwebsitetraffic,generateleadsandsales,andconnectdirectlywiththeiraudienceandcommunity.Althoughsocialmediapowerhousescanriseandfall(sorry,Myspace),you’llbehardpressedtofindanyreasonablepersonwhodoesn’tthinkthatsocialmediaisheretostay,whichmeansthatsocialmediamarketingstrategiesareheretostay,too.

Competentsocialmediamarketersknowthebestwaytopositioncontent,nomattertheplatform;thatis,theyknowtherightpiecetoputinfrontoftherightaudience.Theyarealsotypicallyinchargeofcuratingshortlistsandusingsocialmediachannelstonetworkwithotherindustryleaderswhocanmovetheneedleforthecompany.Asskilledlisteners,socialmediamanagersroutecustomerneedsandpainpointstothepeoplewhocancreaterelevantcontentandproductsthatmeetthoseneeds.Theyoftencreateofferawareness,takingcarethatitdoesn’tfeelintrusiveortoomuchlikeahypedsalespitch.Workingtocreateastrongpresenceonthesocialweb,socialmediamanagersdynamicallyconnectwiththeiraudienceandworktobuildatribearoundthebrand.

Socialmediamarketingisallaboutlistening,networking,influencing,andyes,selling.It’sabouttakingacompany’scontentassetsandmakingsurethatthemessageisaccessible,engaging,andtranslatesacrossdifferentsocialmediachannels.

Socialmediamanagerisalikelyjobtitleinthisarea,andpeoplewhofillthisjobaredata-drivencontentcuratorswhoserveasavoiceofthecompanyonsiteslikeFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,orwhereverelsethebusinesshasanonlinepresence.Theykeepchannelsrunningsmoothlybycreatingandschedulingcontentsuchasphotos,videos,andgraphics.TheymeasureROIbylikesandfollows,reach,engagement,leadsgathered,andsalesmade.

Personalattributesofagreatsocialmediamanagerincludeanimaginativeapproachtocontent.Asocialmediamarketercreatesalotofcontentformultipleplatforms,sotheabilitytoadaptthesameinformationtodifferentcontenttypesisessential.Theabilitytowriteconversationallyisequallyimportant.Youdon’twantallyourmessagestosoundlikeadvertising.Socialmediamanagersknowhowtomixitup.Theircreativesideisbalancedbyahealthydoseofanalyticsknow-how.Successfulsocialmediamarketerscanlookatrawdataandcalculatetheirnextmove.Theycanexpectanannualsalarybetween$30,000and$76,312.

CommunityManagementManycompaniesareembracingcommunitymanagementasawaytomakethecustomerrelationshipascendbeyondthelevelofbuyerandseller.Onlinecommunitiesareplaceswherepeoplebuildrelationshipswitheachotheraroundastrongcommoninterest—namely,yourbrand,products,people,ormission.ThankstotheInternet,youcaneasilylocateandconnectwithotherswhosharesimilarinterests,andcommunitymanagementisagrowingskillsettocreateahealthyenvironmentforthosepassionatepeopletoconnectwitheachotherandfacilitate,strengthen,andencouragethoserelationships.

Communitymanagementskillshavedeeprootsinbehavioralandsocialpsychology,withemphasisonguidingandinfluencinggroupbehaviorandinitiatingrelationshipdevelopment.Professionalsinthisareaofdigitalmarketingunderstandthatbuildingcommunityisalonggameandreturnoninvestmentcantakemonths,ifnotyears,ofconsistenthardwork.Thenameofthegamehereisrelationships—notonlybetweencustomerandcompanybutalsocustomerandcustomer.Relationshipstaketimetodevelop,andtheyneedasafespacetodoso.Onlinecommunitiesservemanydifferentpurposes,fromincreasingretentionratestoreducingcustomersupportticketstoidentifyingproductandcontentgaps,buttheendresultisthesame:increasedbrandloyaltyandadvocacy,highercustomersatisfaction,andadirectlinetotheexperiencesofyourcustomers.

Apositioninthisareaiscommunitymanager,ajobthatentailsbridgingthegapbetweencompanyandcustomer.Whereassocialmediamarketersworktomakethebrandattractiveandengagement-worthyonvariousplatforms,communitymanagersbuildandnurturethehumanrelationshipshiddeninsocialmediacommunication.Sociallisteningandmoderatingonline“tribes”centeredonthecompanyandproductsarecommonresponsibilitiesforthisposition.Communitymanagersexcelatadvocatingonbehalfofthecustomerwhilealsoadvocatingforthebrand.

Sowhatpersonalattributesshouldyoupossesstobesuccessfulinthisposition?Acommunitymanager ’sfirstsuperpowerisempathy.Theimportanceofbeingabletocommunicateempathytothebrand’scommunitycan’tbeemphasizedenough.Socialmediacanalsobetimeconsuming,sothecommunitymanagermusteffectivelymanagetimeandprioritizetasks.Thecommunitymanageralsoneedstoestablishmeaningfulconnectionswithcommunitymembersandvariousmembersofthecompany’sinternalteamtoeffectivelyadvocateforcustomers.Communitymanagersbringin$38,000to$75,000annually.

VideoMarketingandProductionVideomarketingisanicheofcontentmarketingstrategy,butmakenomistake—nothingtellsastoryquitelikeavideo,andcompaniesknowit.That’swhyvideomarketingisaspecializedskillthatwillnevergooutofstyle,becausenothingtellsastoryquitelikeshowingastory.NewfeatureslikeYouTubeCardsandFacebookVideomakevideomoreengagingandaccessiblethanever.Understandingthestrategiesaroundvideomarketingisamustfordigitalmarketingefforts.

Videomarketersknowhowtoleverageinterviews,testimonials,demos,andotherstorytellingstylestofittheneedsofthetargetaudience.Theystrategicallyexamineavailableplatformsandappstoensurethatthecontentisontherightchannel.Inaddition,theyknowhowtooptimizevideoforsearchenginesusingkeyword-enricheddescriptionsandtags,aswellaspossessadeepknowledgeofvideoediting,production,andanimationthatenablesthemtotellstoriesinthemostengagingway.

Videomarketingisoneofthemostpowerfuldigitalmarketingstrategiesthatexist,andthetechnical,analytical,andcreativeknow-howisindemand.Beingabletoleveragevisualstorytellingtostrengthenemotionalconnections,engagementlevels,andunderstandhowalltheseaspectsfitintoacontentmarketingfunnelisavaluableskillthatcompaniesactivelyseek.

VideoproductionspecialistIfyouseekajobasavideoproductionspecialist,youcanexpecttobepositionedonthetechnicalsideofvideomarketing.Productionspecialistsdirect,organize,andfacilitateacompany’svideoinitiatives.Tasksincludeplanningthecontent,filming,editing,mixing,compressing,andallotheraspectsofphysicallypreparingthecontentandgettingitouttothemasses.

Productionspecialistsmustbeabletotakeanideaandturnitintoacompellingvisualstory.Theyoftenworkunderdeadlines,sobeingabletoeffectivelymanageprojectsisamust.Greatproductionspecialistsarealsofriendly,becauseadisarmingpersonalitycandowondersfornervousvideosubjects.Videoproductionspecialiststendtoearn$49,000to$73,000.

VideomarketingmanagerSimilartoproductionspecialists,videomarketingmanagersoftenhandlethetechnicalsideofcontentcreation,withtheaddedresponsibilityofcommunicatingthecontent’suniquevaluetothetargetaudience.Theyconcernthemselveswiththingslikepublishingfrequency,analytics,anddeterminingexactlywherethevideocontentfallsinthecontentmarketingfunnel.

Greatvideomarketingmanagersaretactical,researchoriented,andhaveknowledgeonthecuttingedge.Theyapproachvideocontentcreationstrategicallysothattheycan

understandwhereinthefunneltheircontentwillland.Videomarketingalsoreliesheavilyonthoroughresearchtoensurethattherightmessagelandsinfrontoftherightaudience.Constantattentiontothelatestintools,techniques,platforms,andfeaturesensuresthatvideoassetsarealwaysdisplayedthebestpossibleway.Videomarketingmanagershaveanannualsalaryrangeof$42,000to$80,000.

WebDesignandDevelopmentThewebsiteisoftenthefirstimpressionaprospecthasofabusiness.Thecompanywebsiteis,increasingly,wherethatimportantfirstimpressionofabrandoccurs.Awell-built,professionallydesignedwebsitecangenerateleadsandsalesatagreaterratethanapoorlydesignedwebsite.Withtheever-growingnumberofpeopleaccessingthewebfrommobiledevicesandtablets,agreaterneedexistsforwell-trainedprofessionalwebdesignersanddeveloperswhounderstandhowmobiletechnologyhasimpactedwebbrowsing.

Front-enddeveloperFront-enddevelopersmakesurethatwebsitesandotherowneddigitalassetsworksmoothlyfortheenduser.Theyanalyzedesignelementsofwebsitesandrecommendtechnicalsolutionstotheorizedprojectplans.Theyalsoanalyzecodeanddebugsystemswhenthingsgosouth.Simplyput,front-enddeveloperscreate,maintain,andtroubleshootuser-facingwebpagessothatyourcustomersandclientshaveagreatexperiencewithyourbrand.

Technicalprowessisamustforfront-enddevelopers.Alongwithadeepunderstandingofprogramming-languageeditors,front-enddevelopershavetoknowtheinsandoutsofHTML,CSS,andJavaScript.Adaptabilityisalsokeyhere;thesedevelopersmustbeabletotakeonnewversionsofsoftwareandadjustaccordingly.Possessingagoodsenseofprojectmanagementisalsohelpfulbecausefront-enddevelopersneedthecapabilitytoimplementrequestsandrequirementswhilemeetingscheduleandqualitygoals.Front-enddeveloperscanmakebetween$42,000and$107,000annually.

Back-enddeveloperBack-enddevelopersprogramandmaintainthestructureofacompanywebsiteandotherdigitalassets;theyarethebehind-the-scenesbuildersofacompany’swebsite.Thesedeveloperscoordinatepages,forms,functions,anddatabases,andmakesurethateverythingisrunningsmoothly.

Back-enddevelopersfluentlyspeakserverlanguageslikePHP,Ruby,orPython.TheyareexpertsinJavaScriptandframeworkssuchasWordPressorDrupal,andtheyhaveabasicknowledgeofwebserverconfigurations.Becausetheyareoftenthelastlinkintheprojectchain,back-enddevelopersmusthavecreativemindsandbereadytotroubleshootproblemspreviouslyunforeseenindevelopment.Aback-enddeveloper ’ssalaryrangefallsbetween$39,000and$188,000peryear,awiderangetobesure.Thisrangearisesfromthevastdifferencesinresponsibilitybetweenthejuniorlevelandseasonedback-enddeveloper.

EmailMarketingEmailmarketingisn’tanythingnew,whichspeakstoitsstayingpower.Emailisstillthemostprofitablemethodofsellingindigitalmarketing,whichmeansthemoreskilledthemarketer,themorefuture-proofthecareer.Theskillsetofanemailmarketerincludesunderstandingthestrategybehindemailautomationateachstageofthefunnel,aswellasknowingtheimportanceofheadlinesandhooks.Successfulemailmarketerscanmeasureandanalyzeclick-throughrates,openrates,conversions,deliverability,engagement,trends,andanomalies.Theycancoordinateemailschedulesandcampaignassetssuchasgraphicsandcopy.

Direct-responsecopywriterCanyouwriteengaging,persuasivecontentthatgetsareadertotakeanimmediateaction?Direct-responsecopywritersunderstandthemethodologyingettingprospectstotakeimmediateactionwhentheyreadthroughamarketingemail,andtheyknowhowtocreatetheirresistibleheadlinethatgetstheemailopenedinthefirstplace.

Copywriterspossessstrongpowersofpersuasionbecauseemailmarketingcopyiscraftedtoinfluenceaction.Successfulcopywritersareextremelyfamiliarwiththeirintendedaudience;theyknowwhatmakesthemtick(andjustwhattosaytomakethemclick).Theyarealsoaccomplishedstorytellersandexcelatusingfactualpiecestoweaveacompellingstory.Direct-responsecopywritersearnbetween$40,000and$85,000ayear.

EmailmarketinganalystResponsibleforemailmarketingcampaignsfromstarttofinish,marketinganalysts(sometimescalledemailmarketingspecialists)domuchoftheday-to-daycoordinatingofcampaigns,includingpromotionschedules,planningandimplementation,andtroubleshootinganyroadblocksthatarisealongtheway.

Emailmarketinganalystsmustbeorganizedbecausetheyneedtobeabletomanagemultiplecampaigns.Attentiontodetailisalsoamust.Asharpeyewhenreviewingemailcontentisalwaysappreciated.Theseanalystsalsolookatlotsofnumbersandneedtomakemethodical,informed,anddata-drivendecisions.Asanemailmarketinganalyst,youcanexpecttomakebetween$61,000and$85,000peryear.

DataAnalysisThesemarketersspecializeinmakingdata-drivendecisions.Theyaren’tbigfansofmakingdecisionsbasedonhunches.Theabilitytodeterminethekeymetricsthatabrandneedstotrack,aswellascollectandanalyzethem,arepartofthisindispensableskillsetinanindustrythatmakeschangesandadjustmentsbasedonwhatthenumbersindicate.

Manymarketersshyawayfromdataanalysisbecausethenumberscanbedaunting;somuchneedstobereviewedandunderstood.Analystsspecializeinnotonlydivingintothemetricsbutalsoknowingwhatquestionstoaskinordertointerprettheinformationcorrectly.Theycreateaccuratereportsthatareeasyforemployers,stakeholders,andclientstounderstand.Thesedays,justknowingwheretolookfornumbersisn’tenough;youneedtoknowwhattheymean.Interpretingdatacorrectlyincreasesyourcompany’sabilitytoscale,givesdetailedinsights,andensuresthatyou’renotrelyingonyour“bestguess.”

DataanalystDataanalystsareresponsibleforaggregatingandinterpretingavarietyofanalyticsforacompany.Theyresearchnewwaystocollectdata,analyzetheinformation,anddrawconclusionsfromthedata.Theyidentifynewsourcesofdataanddeveloporimproveonmethodsofdatacollection,analysis,andreporting.Analysisusuallyinvolvesidentifyingrelationshipsandbehaviorpatternsthatcaninfluencemarketingdecisions.Theyprimarilyworkwithdataandreportsgeneratedbyprograms.

DataanalystsaretechnicallyskilledwithprogramslikeExcel,Access,SharePoint,andSQLdatabasesaswellascompany-specificdatatoolslikeCRMs,GoogleAnalytics,e-commerceplatforms,andmore.Successfulanalystshaveakeeneyefordetailthatcantiedipsandpeaksinmetricstospecificeventsandinitiativesofthecompany.Adataanalystearnsbetween$39,000and$80,000peryear.

DataengineerDataengineers(sometimesreferredtoasinformationengineers)specializeincollectingandanalyzingrawdata,withtheaddedresponsibilityofconstructingsystemstotrackanddisplaythedata.Theydevelop,construct,test,andmaintaindatabasesanddataprocessingsystems,inmanycasesapplyingtheirownalgorithmsandpredictivemodels,andfilteringinformationfortheiranalysis.You’llfinddataengineersworkingwithrawdatatofindactionableinformationandworkingtodisplaythatinformationinaformatthatiseasytounderstand.

Soundtechnical?That’sbecauseitis!Dataengineersoftencollaboratewiththeircompany’sITteam,butskillsinscriptinglanguages,creatingcustomsoftware,andadaptingtonewtechnologiesarehighlydesirableattributesforthisposition.Astrongsenseoforderalsoservesthedataengineerwell;dataengineersoftenworkwith

unstructureddatasetsandunintegrateddatabases.Adataengineercanexpecttomakebetween$62,000and$125,000annually.

DatascientistDatascientistsspecializeincollectingandanalyzingdatafromavarietyofsourcesanddatasets,aswellasinforminghypotheses.Theyworktomakesurethatcompaniesaren’tmakingdecisionsbasedonincompletedata,andtheyidentifytherelationshipsandbehaviorpatternsbycomparingdatasetsfromdifferentchannels.

Datascientistsmustpossessanexpertlevelofdatacomplexityandhaveasharp,analyticalmind.Thispositionalsorequiresahighleveloftechnicalabilitybecausedatascientistsmustbecomfortablenavigatingverylargedatasetsusingcode.Asadatascientist,youcanexpectanannualsalarybetween$62,000and$138,000.

TestingandOptimizationMarketersaresocialscientists.Theyaremastersattryingsomething,lookingattheresults,decidingwhatthoseresultsmean,andthenmakingchangesasnecessary.Savvydigitalbusinessesfocusongettingmoreoutofwhattheyalreadyhave,adisciplinecalledconversionrateoptimization(CRO).Thisfactexplainswhyspecializingintestingandoptimizationisanupward-trendingcareerpathfortheindustry.

AsCROgrowsinpopularity,astrongneedexistsformarketerswhounderstandwhattotest,howtotest,andwhatthebestwayistoanalyzetheresults.Optimizationisthemethodologyofmakingwebsitesandlandingpagesasfullyfunctionalandeffectiveaspossible,whichmeansoptimizing(andre-optimizing).Youcanseewhythisisanimportantskillthatcompaniescrave.

Skillsintestingandoptimizationincludetheabilitytoresearchthebestandlatestinwebsiteoptimization,aswellastoknowhowtoimplementmultivariateandA/Btestingoffeaturesonlandingpages,websites,andotherwebassets.Optimizationspecialistshaveadeepunderstandingofthecause-and-effectrelationshipofwebsiteconversions,andtheyunderstandwhatmetricstotrackateachstageofthemarketingfunnel.Testingandoptimizationspecialistsmakesurethatwebpagesconvertandthatprospectstakethecalltoaction.Businessesloveitwhenconversionshappeninhighernumbers!

Competitionishighintherealmofe-commerce,somakingsureawebsiteistop-notchisahighpriority.Onejobinthisareaisthatofwebsiteoptimizationspecialist,whoisresponsibleformakingsureloadtimesarespeedy,implementingcampaignoptimization,andensuringeaseofusabilityacrossallofacompany’sweb-basedcollateral.

Successfulspecialistshaveaninnatecuriosityaboutwhythingshappenthewaytheydo,andtheyhaveasharpeyetolocatethecausebehindanynumberofoccurrencesinordertoprovidecreativesolutions.Optimizationspecialistsalsokeeptheireyesopenfornewandcreativewaystoimproveconversionratesandincreasewebsiteusability,sothisspecialistrequiresaninnovativemind.Amid-levelwebsiteoptimizationspecialistwillearnbetween$71,000and$95,000ayear.

Chapter16

TenEssentialToolsforDigitalMarketingSuccess

INTHISCHAPTERUnderstandingthetypesoftoolsyouneedtoexecuteyourdigitalmarketing

campaignsSelectingtherighttoolforthejob

Usingtherighttoolattherighttimefortherightjobcanmakeorbreakyourdigitalmarketingefforts.Becausesomuchofwhatyoudoasadigitalmarketertakesplaceonlineandonacomputer,you’llsuffernoshortageofsoftwareandapplicationstochoosefrom.Theglutoftoolsatyourdisposalisbothablessingandacurse,however,becausethechoicecanbeoverwhelming.

AtDigitalMarketer,wetestalotoftools.Wefigureoutwhatworksandusethemtogrowourbusinesses.Inthischapter,wewalkyouthroughthetentypesoftoolsyouneedtorunyourdigitalmarketingcampaignsand,specifically,whichtoolsworkforeachjob.

BuildingaWebsiteIntheearlydaysoftheInternet,youhadtocustom-codewebsitesfromscratch.Today,eventhemostnontechnicalpersoncancreateandpublishtext,images,video,andaudiotothewebusingacontentmanagementsystem(CMS),whichisasoftwareapplicationusedtomanagethedigitalcontentanddesignofyourwebsite.ThemostimportantchoiceyoumakewhenbuildingyourwebsiteiswhatCMStouse.

ThebestCMSsare

Intuitive:Aboveallelse,theCMSshouldbeeasytouseevenforthenontechnicalperson.Search-enginefriendly:TheCMSshouldstructurethewebsiteinawaythatiseasyforsearchenginestoaccess.Mobilefriendly:Yourcustomersandprospectsareincreasinglyaccessingthewebfrommobiledevices;yourCMSshoulddisplayyourwebsiteinamobile-friendlydesign.Modular:YourCMSshouldbecapableofaddingfunctionality,suchasaneventcalendarorsocialsharingbuttons.Multiuser:LookforaCMSthatallowsyoutoaddusersandcontrolthelevelofpermissionstheyhavetomakechangestoyourwebsite.Secure:Althoughtherearenosecurityguarantees,yourCMSshouldbeasresistanttowebsitehacksandmalwareaspossible.

FollowingaresomeCRMsthatwerecommend.

WordPress.orgwww.wordpress.org

Thisfree,opensourceplatformbeganasabloggingplatformandhasevolvedintoafull-blownCMS.Itisextremelymodularandsearch-enginefriendly,anditallowsformultipleuserswithvariouslevelsofpermissions.ThedifferencebetweenWordPress.comandWordPress.orgisthatWordPress.orgisaself-hostedplatform,whereasWordPress.comishostedonWordPress’servers.Asabusinessowner,youwanttousetheself-hostedWordPress.orgCMSsothatyouhavecompleteownershipofyourwebsite.Ifyou’relookingforalowbudget,flexibleCMS,WordPress.orgisagreatchoice.

Shopifywww.shopify.com

Whetheryou’resellingphysicalproductscompletelyonlineoryou’reabrick-and-mortarretailerlookingtosellyourwaresonline,Shopifyisworthyourconsideration.Shopify

handlesthedesignandlayoutofyourstore,butitalsomanagespayments,shipping,inventory,andmore.

HostingaWebsiteAwebhostisabusinessthatstoresyourwebsitefilesandmakesyourwebsiteaccessibleontheInternet.Althoughyoucansetupawebservertodeliveryourwebsiteyourself,mostcompanieswanttouseawebhostingcompany.

Thebestwebhostshavethefollowingcharacteristics:

Significantuptime:Ifyourwebsitegoesoffline,itcostsyoumoney.Yourwebhostshouldhave99percentuptimeorgreater.Support:Lookforahostthatprovides24/7customersupport,bothoverthephoneandwithlivechat.Speed:Yourcustomersandprospectsexpectyourwebsitetoloadquickly,andpeoplewillbounceifittakestoolong.Yourwebsitehostisamajorfactorinyourpageloadspeed.Security:Thelastthingyouwanttodealwithasabusinessownerormarketerisahackedwebsite.Yourhostshouldtakethesecurityofyourwebsiteasseriouslyasyoudo.Redundancy:Lookforahostthatbacksupyourwebsitedailysothatyoudon’thavetoworryaboutlosingeverythingyou’veworkedsohardtobuild.

Werecommendthefollowingwebsitehosts.

WPEnginewpengine.com

IfyouchoosetouseWordPressasyourCMS,WPEngineisagreatchoiceasyourwebhost.Thiscompanyisknownforexceptionaluptime,lightning-fastpageloadspeeds,andunprecedentedsecurity.

Rackspacewww.rackspace.com

Nomatterwhatyou’relookingtodeliverontheweb,chancesareRackspacecanhandleit.Rackspaceisacompanywithanexcellentreputationintheindustryandalongtrackrecordofquality.

ChoosingEmailMarketingSoftwareAsweexplainearlierinthisbook(seeChapter11),emailmarketingiscriticaltothesuccessofmostdigitalmarketingcampaigns.Hundredsofemailmarketingtoolsareavailabletochoosefrom,butafewstandoutinthecrowd.

Thebestemailapplicationshavethefollowingcharacteristics:

Deliverability:Ifyouremailneverreachesprospects’Inbox,nothingelsematters.LookforanemailserviceproviderwithasterlingreputationsothatyouremailavoidstheSpamfolder.Automation:Ifyouwantyouremailmarketingtobeworkingevenwhenyou’resleepingoronvacation,lookforanemailserviceproviderwiththecapabilitytobuildautomatedemailcampaignsthataretriggeredbyacustomerorprospect’sbehavior.Reporting:Youwanttomonitortheopenandclickratesonyouremails,amongotherthings.Lookforanemailserviceproviderwithafullreportingsuite.Mobilefriendliness:Moreandmoreofyouremailisbeingconsumedfromthesmallscreen.Youremailserviceprovidershouldbeabletodeliverreadableemailtophonesanddevices.

Herearesomeemailserviceprovidersthatwerecommend.

Maropostwww.maropost.com

Maropostprovidesenterprise-levelemailmarketingsoftwarewiththecapabilitytohandlecomplexemailautomationcampaignsandadvancedemailsegmentation.

AWeberwww.aweber.com

Despiteitslowcost,AWeberhasasterlingreputationfordeliverability,andthesoftwareintegratesseamlesslywithotherpopulartoolslikeWordPress.Ifyourbudgetistight,AWeberisanoutstandingchoice.

Klaviyowww.klaviyo.com

Klaviyoofferssolidemailmarketingsoftwareforbusinessesthatsellphysicalproducts.Thesoftwareintegrateswithyourshoppingcart,paymentplatform,customerrelationshipmanagement(CRM),andmore.

ConsideringCustomerRelationshipManagement(CRM)Software

Asyourbusinessgrows,youwilllikelyneedtoaddcustomerrelationshipmanagement(CRM)software.Insomecases,yourCRMwillreplaceyouremailsoftware,butaCRMismuchmorethananemailserviceprovider.Itcan,infact,bedifficulttopindowntheexactroleofaCRMbecausethatrolevarieswidelyfromsolutiontosolution.Thatsaid,allCRMsaredesignedtomanagetherelationshipswithyourcustomersandprospects,aswellasthedataassociatedwiththatrelationship.

ThebestCRMshavethefollowingcharacteristics:

Centralizeddata:DoyourhomeworkontheCRMsyou’reconsideringandmakesurethatthesoftwarecollectsthedatayouneedforyourspecificsituation,andinacentrallocation.Supportandtraining:ThemorefeaturesthatcomewithyourCRM,themoretrainingandsupportyou’llneed.Chooseacompanythatisknownforitssupportandtraining.Reporting:Yougainpowerfromcollectingdataaboutyourcustomersandprospectsonlyifyoutomakegooddecisionsbasedonthatdata.YourCRMshouldhavearobustandintuitivereportingsuite.

OurrecommendedCRMsfollow.

Infusionsoftwww.infusionsoft.com

WiththisCRM,youhavethecapabilitytomanageproducts,recordcustomers’andprospects’data,processpayments,sendemails,andmoreallfromonesystem.

Salesforcewww.salesforce.com

Salesforceisacloud-basedCRMthatofferssolutionsforeverybusiness,fromsmalltoenterpriselevel.Salesforceisknownforitsrobustintegrationwiththousandsofapplications,fromQuickBookstoEvernote.

AddingaPaymentSolutionThepaymentprocessorisarguablyyourmostimportanttoolbecause,well,it’showyouprocesspayments.Thepaymentprocessorhandlestransactionsfromvariouschannels,withthemostcriticalonesbeingcreditanddebitcards.

Thebestpaymentprocessorsare

Secure:Anyoneinvolvedwithprocessingcreditcardinformationmustcomplywiththesecuritystandardsofthecreditcardindustry.Makesureyourpaymentprocessortakespaymentcardindustry(PCI)complianceseriously.Intuitive:Lookforapaymentprocessorthatallowsyoutodothingslikesetuporderformsorintegratewithyourinvoicingsoftware.Capableofrecurrentbilling:Ifyouneedtobeabletoacceptrecurringpaymentsfromyourcustomers,makesurethatyourpaymentprocesscanhandlethattypeofbilling.

Weencourageyoutotrythefollowingpaymentprocessors.

Stripestripe.com

Offeringdependable,easy-to-configurepaymentprocessingwitharichfeatureset,StripehandlesrecurrentbillingandintegrateswithapplicationssuchasWordPress,Shopify,andFreshBooks.

Squaresquareup.com

Ifyouwantcustomerstobeabletoswipecreditordebitcardsinyourstoreoronthego,considerSquare.TheSquareappturnsyoursmartphoneortabletintoacreditcardprocessingmachine.

UsingLandingPageSoftwareLandingpagesoftwaretoolscontaintemplatestobuildeffectivelandingpages,andsomeevencomewithsplittestingcapabilitiesbuiltrightin.TurntoChapter7formoreonlandingpages,andfindoutmoreaboutoptimizingandsplittestinginChapter13.

Thebestlanding-pagesoftwareis

Intuitive:Itsetsuppagesquickly.Responsivetomobile:Yourlandingpagemustbemobilefriendlyoryourisklosingopt-insfrommobiledevices.Integrative:Landingpagesaredesignedtogatherleadsandofferproductsandservicesforsale.Lookforalandingpagesoftwarethatautomaticallytransfersnewleadstoyouremailsoftwareandworksseamlesslywithyourpaymentprocessor.

Considerthefollowinglandingpagebuilders.

Instapageinstapage.com

Instapageletsyoubuildbeautifullandingpageswithouttouchingasinglelineofcode.ItintegrateswithothertoolssuchasAWeber(anemailserviceprovider),InfusionsoftandSalesforce(CRMs),GoToWebinar(awebinardeliveryplatform),andmore.

Unbounceunbounce.com

Amoretechnicallandingpagetoolwithcleancode,beautifultemplates,andthecapabilitytorunA/Bsplittestsfromwithintheplatform.Unbounceisdefinitelyworthashotifyoulovegreatdesign.

SourcingandEditingImagesThewebseemstobecomemorevisualwitheachpassingday.WiththeriseofsocialplatformslikePinterestandInstagram,eventext-basedplatformslikeTwitterareembracingthepoweroftheimage.Asadigitalmarketer,you’lllikelyfindyourselfneedingtocreateimagesforeverythingfromaFacebookadtoanemailpromotion.Thegoldstandardofimage-creationapplicationsisAdobePhotoshop,andifyouhavetheskillandinclination,youshouldabsolutelyusePhotoshop.Thatsaid,youcanchoosefromamonganumberoflow-costandeasy-to-useapplicationsforproducingbeautifulimagesthatmeetmostmarketer ’sneeds.

Thebestimage-creationapplicationsare

Cloudbased:Lookforanimage-editingsoftwarethatyoucaneasilyaccessonline.Intuitive:Forlightweightimageediting,youwantanapplicationwithasimpleandeasy-to-useinterface.Lowcost:Imagesarecriticaltoyourdigitalmarketingcampaigns,butthetoolsyouusetocreatethemdon’thavetobustyourbudget.

Followingareimage-editingtoolsthatwerecommend.

Canvawww.canva.com

Canvaisacloud-baseddrag-and-dropdesignapplicationthatcomeswithmillionsofimages,layouts,icons,shapes,andfontstochoosefrom.

SnagItwww.techsmith.com/snagit.html

CaptureanytypeofimageonyourcomputerscreenanduseSnagIt’sdynamiceditortocrop,resize,addcalloutsandtext,andmuchmore.

PixlrExpresspixlr.com/express/

Thisapplicationenablesyoutoopenanimageandmakechangestoitbyrotating,cropping,orresizingitinthecloud-basededitor.Addeffects,overlays,stickers,andmorewiththisfreeimageeditor.

ManagingSocialMediaThousandsofapplicationsallowyoutomonitorandpublishtothesocialweb.Pricesvarybasedonthesizeofyourorganizationandthefeaturesyouneed,butplentyoflow-costoptionsformanagingyoursocialmediapresencewithoutthebigpricetagareavailable.

Thebestsocialmediaapplicationsare

Cloud-based:Lookforasocialmediamarketingapplicationthatletsyoumanageyoursocialmediafromanydevice,includingyourmobilephone.Multiuser:Mostsocialmediamarketingcampaignsrequireparticipationfrommorethanonepersoninthebusiness.Lookforapplicationsthatallowyoutoeasilyaddteammemberstoyouraccount.Reporting:SocialmediachannelssuchasTwitterandFacebookhavetheirownreportingandanalytics,buttherightsocialmediaapplicationaddsmoreinsightintowhat’sworkingandwhat’snot.

Werecommendthefollowingsocialmediatools.

HootsuiteProhootsuite.com

Thebestcloud-based,low-costapplicationformanagingTwitterisHootsuite.ThistoolalsomanagesFacebookandLinkedIn,butyou’llfinditmostusefulfororganizingyourTwitteractivity.Youcanusethefreeversion,butHootsuiteProaddssolidreportingandthecapabilitytoeasilyappendUTM(urchintrackingmodule)parameterstolinks.(YoucanfindoutmoreaboutUTMsinChapter12.)

Edgarmeetedgar.com

UsingtheEdgarapplication,youcanpublishstatusupdatestoFacebookandTwitterautomatically.Edgarbreathesnewlifeintoyourbestcontentbyconsistentlysharingitonautopilot.

Mentionmention.com

Findconversationsaboutyourbrands,people,competitors,andmorewiththisreasonablypricedsocial-listeningandreputation-managementapplication.

MeasuringYourPerformance:DataandAnalytics

Plentyofvendorsclaimtohavetheapplicationthatcanendallyourdataandanalyticsproblems.Luckily,mostofthebesttoolshavefreesolutionsmadeavailablebyGoogle.Thesetoolsareeasytouseandprovidetheleveloffunctionalitythatmeetstheneedsofmostbusinesses.(Formoreonanalyzingyourdata,turntoChapter12.)

Thebestdatatoolsare

Easytouse:Therightreportattherighttimecanmakeallthedifferencetoyourbusiness.Lookforanalyticsanddatasolutionsthatallowyoutofindwhatyouneedinanintuitiveinterface.Free:Largerenterpriseslikelyneedtoshelloutbigdollarsforananalyticssolution,butmostbusinessescangetbywithlow-orno-costsolutionslikeGoogleAnalytics.Robust:Chooseananalyticsapplicationthatcontainsawiderangeofavailabledata.Althoughyoumaynotuseitalltoday,thedataisbeingcapturedandwillbeavailableifyouneedit.

Trythefollowingdataanalyticsapplications.

GoogleAnalyticswww.google.com/analytics/

AsdescribedinChapter12,GoogleAnalyticstracksandreportswebsitetraffic.We’vetriedthemoreexpensiveanalyticssolutions,andwekeepcomingbacktogoodoldGoogleAnalytics.

GoogleDataStudiodatastudio.google.com/

Usethisapplicationtocreatestunninglybeautifulandinformative,interactivereportsandgraphsthatyoucansharewithothers.PulldatafromsourceslikeGoogleAnalytics,GoogleAdWords,andGoogleDocs.

GoogleTagManagerwww.google.com/analytics/tag-manager/

Updatewebsitetagsandaddscriptstoyourwebsiteevenifyouaren’tacodemonkey.GoogleTagManagerhasabitofalearningcurve,butafteryougetthehangofit,you’llwonderhowyoueverlivedwithoutit.

OptimizingYourMarketingTherearesomeimpressivetoolsonthemarketthatwillhelpyougetmoreleads,sales,andengagementoutofthetrafficyoualreadyhave.Mostofthesetoolsarereasonablypricedandofferafreetrial,soyoucangivethemawhirlbeforeputtinganyskininthegame.(Formoreonoptimizingyourmarketingcampaigns,turntoChapter13.)

Thebestoptimizingapplicationsare

Supported:Conversionoptimizationtoolscanbeabitintimidating.Lookforatoolwithagreatreputationforsupportandplentyoftrainingdocumentationthatwillhelpyougetupandrunning.Multipurpose:Youwantatoolthathandlesanumberofdifferentoptimizationactivities,fromrecordingvisitorbehaviortosurveyingtosplittesting.

Theoptimizationapplicationsthatwerecommendfollow.

VisualWebsiteOptimizervwo.com/

ForintuitivesetupandconfigurationofsplitandmultivariatewebsitetestswerecommendVisualWebsiteOptimizer.Itspoint-and-clickinterfaceandsupportdocumentationmakeiteasytogetstartedtesting.

TruConversiontruconversion.com

TruConversionisamultipurposeoptimizationtoolthatoffersheatmaps,sessionrecordings,usersurveys,andmoreinasingletool.

AbouttheAuthorsRyanDeiss(pronounced“Dice”)iscofounderandCEOofDigitalMarketer.com,theleadingproviderofdigitalmarketingtrainingandcertificationstosmallandmid-sizedbusinesses.RyanisalsothefounderandhostoftheTraffic&ConversionSummit,thelargestdigitalmarketingconversionconferenceinNorthAmerica,andthecreatorofthe“CustomerValueOptimization”methodology.

Ryan’sonlinebusinessendeavorsbeganatage19,whenhelaunchedhisfirstwebsitefromhisfreshmandormroomsothathecouldmakesomeextramoneytobuyanengagementringforhiscollegesweetheart.Itworked!Notonlydidthegirlsay“Yes,”butthisone,littlewebsiteballoonedintomorethan500sites,andahobbyhadgrownintoarealbusiness.

Today,hisdigitalmediaande-commercegroup,NativeCommerce.com,ownsandoperateshundredsofpropertiesincludingDIYReady.com,MakeupTutorials.com,DIYProjects.com,SurvivalLife.com,andSewing.com(justtonameafew),andaccordingtoSharkTankstarDaymondJohn,“HiscompaniespracticallyowntheInternet.”Heisalsoabestsellingauthor,andisconsideredoneofthemostdynamicspeakersonmoderndigitalmarketingtoday.

Mostimportant,Ryanisaprouddadoffourwonderfulkids,Jonathan,Joyce,Ruth,andTimothy,andhusbandtoEmily…thegirlwhosaid“Yes”andinspireditall.

RussHenneberryistheEditorialDirectorforDigitalMarketer.PriortojoiningDigitalMarketer,RusswasonthecontentmarketingteamforSalesforce.com;healsohelpedtolaunchablogforawell-knownmarketingSaaS,growingitfromzeroto120,000uniquevisitorspermonthinlessthanayear.

Russgothisstartinsearchengineoptimizationandpay-per-clickmarketing,managing20developersandover600digitalmarketingprojectsforsmalltomid-sizedbusinesses.ItwasatSalesforcethatRussbegantomastertheartofcontentmarketingatallstagesofthesalesandmarketingfunneltocreatevalueforacompany.

InhistimeatDigitalMarketer,front-endtraffictoDigitalMarketercontenthasincreasedby1,125percent.Thecontentmarketingteam,underRuss’smanagement,generatesthousandsofleadsandfront-endsalespermonthbydevelopingandexecutingatruly“fullfunnel”contentmarketingstrategy.ConnectwithRussonTwitter:@RussHenneberry.

RusslivesinSt.Louis,Missouri,withhiswonderfulwifeSarah,histwoamazingchildren,ThomasandMaryGrace,andanextremelyenthusiasticdognamedBuck.

DedicationFromRyan:First,totheamazingteamatDigitalMarketer.Thankyouforlettingmetakecreditforallyourgreatideas.Thisistrulyyourbook.AndalsotoEmily:Thankyouforbeingmyinspiration,boththenandnow.

FromRuss:Tomyamazingwife,Sarah,whohasalwaysunquestionablyloved,supported,andbelievedinme.

AcknowledgmentsWearedeeplygratefulfirstandforemosttotheentireDigitalMarketerteam.ThisbookisanaggregationoftheincredibletalentandexpertiseofRichardLindner,MollyPittman,JustinRondeau,JohnGrimshaw,LindsayMarder,SuziNelson,andEzraFirestone.ThegraphicsandimagesthathelptoillustratetheinformationinthisbookaretheworkoftheverytalentedBritneyArkinandTaylorNelson.

Andtooureditor,SusanChristophersen,forensuringclarityinthisbookandsculptingtheroughedgesofourwritingintosomethingeventhemostpersnicketycompositionteacherwouldbeproudof.

Last,butcertainlynotleast,toMattDouglas,whosesheerwillanddeterminationbroughtthisprojectacrossthefinishline.Thisbooksimplywouldnotexistwithoutyou.

Publisher’sAcknowledgmentsAcquisitionsEditor:AmyFandrei

ProjectManager:SusanChristophersen

CopyEditors:SusanChristophersen,KathySimpson

TechnicalEditor:MichelleKrasniak

EditorialAssistant:SerenaNovosel

Sr.EditorialAssistant:CherieCase

ProductionEditor:SiddiqueShaik

CoverImage:CourtesyofRyanDeiss

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