Must Market

Who knew. The Beatles were right. We take the love we make.

Content, Community and Conversion dance a particular ballet. They are partners each contributing movement and beauty to the other. This Curatti post shares how one dancer supports the other with a simple yet complex goal - the self-perpetuation machine that happens as if by magic and helps create MORE from LESS.

Content Is The New SEO
Content is the new Search Engine Optimization because Google wants it to be so. This is an excellent post about WHY content is the new SEO and how to get started.

I do have a common nit to pick. "Create great content," is advice I read frequently. That is like saying, "Win The Lottery" as a way to make your numbers. You might win the lottery, but you might spring wings and suddenly be able to fly too.

Better to embrace content marketing as a CSF for your company and brand (CSF = Critical Success Factor). No matter what your digital presentation is the most important communication you create (period and full stop).

This means you need to get GOOD at digital communication. Here are a handful of hard won tips to create "great online content":

* Short sentences.
* Don't use connections like and, but, thus.

* Short paragraphs keeps readers engaged).

* Visual clues (linked post is bad about clues).

* Use H1s and other meta tags for technical SEO.

* Make CSS makes tags look good on the page.

* Use bullet points early.

* Use a bigger font (reading online sucks).

* Tease links don't drown them.

This last tip is a common error. Many new to Internet marketing want to provide everything AND the kitchen-sink all at once. Better to tease a click and then tease another click and then another. The more time and pages your customers view the better your SEO (what is left of it).

Ask yourself a simple question. Would you rather read one page with 1,000 words or 5 with 200? True you can make a website too clicky. You can make your reader work to hard. Finding the fine line between engagement and work is where metrics and testing should rule your actions.

Never a reason to GUESS with Internet marketing when you can construct a test. If you see abandonment after the 3rd click reduce your 5 click journey to three. If you see preference to read the long form content eliminate the clicks. No matter HOW you present content its substance needs to be great.

Whoops, there I go adding to the "You must create great content," crowd without telling you how to do that. I have posted on tips to create great content and as soon as I find it I will link it in (lol). M

Love the "listen first" idea. Best ideas come from THEM (the sentient mob). #2 is infinitely more difficult since THEY also determine what is crap. The way to pave with golden bricks is to pave and understand how to mix mortar into gold. That is another way of saying you are going to produce some crap its inevitable (and needed).

The 4-1-1 Rule is for every 1 self promotion piece you should RT one and share 4. Had to look this up and the rule was popularaized by the Content Marketing Institute and Joe Pulizzi (a trusted source0. I agree, find your own 4-1-1 rule, but I like the the emphasis on OPC (Other People's Content).

Solid slides, great post by John (@AtDotComSocial).

Yep, this infographic sounds and feels right to me. Fact I was surprised it was as high as a third :). Marty

Interesting to think of content as a currency. Content does act like a currency in a lot of ways including:

* Earns Interest (older content continue to contribute). 

* Costs lower over time (as engine gets more efficient and archive is built). 

* Returns multiply exponentially once authority is established. 

* Investment is required to have a chance to create authority. 

Content is like having a savings account when you were a kid. Your parents made you open it with your grannie's birthday money. The sum may have been so small you missed the BIG LESSON. 

The BIG LESSON is money only has one purpose - self replication via compound interest. Money's natural state is one of decay. Eaten away by inflation and other natural enemies money can wilt, dry up and blow away. 

The only way to overcome money's natural decay is to create a "money tree" that replaces the fruit you pick. Content marketing acts like money too. Its natural state is decay. You must tend your "content crops" with social support and links to "evergreen" or "tent poll" posts. 

Think of linking in like watering. When you water your content marketing crops they become strong and are able to fight off content marketing’s decay. The more sophisticated your engine is about watering the better off your content crop is. 

Features such as:

* People who've read X, also like Y.

* Similar posts "upsale" lists.

* Related posts "cross-sale lists.
* Most popular lists.

* Most commented on list.

By treating content as the "products" and "currency" it is your website and Internet marketing team is more likely to have content do the most magical thing - clone itself via social likes and shares. 

"Clone" isn't exactly right, but each social signal tells Google your content is valuable (no matter when it was created) AND prevents decay. Soon, when author rank is fully incorporated in SEO, your content will have generations of benefit it can gain or share. 

Content is the new "currency' of search marketing.