Reflections on Key Content Marketing Principles - Part 5

Why Quality Content Still Is, and Will Always Be Important

Ever pondered the intricacies of Google's search process? In the blink of an eye, the algorithm serves you tailored answers to your queries. It's a seamless dance of technology and user intent. Google's mission is crystal clear: deliver precisely what users seek. At the heart of their business model lies the commitment to provide top-notch search results. As your copywriters craft content, steer away from rigid algorithmic formulas that are in a perpetual state of flux. Instead, dive deep into understanding user intent and champion the creation of content that resonates with quality, setting your brand apart in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Let Your Local Retail Business Outshine Big Box Stores!

It’s a common misconception—bigger is better. As a local retailer, you know that isn’t true. With your personalized attention, carefully sourced, unique products, and a charmingly different brand experience, you can serve holiday shoppers far better than many big box stores. To do that, however, you have to start with drawing attention away from those mega retailers to your local business. Here's a 10-point checklist that will have you competing with those brand name stores and leaving a trail of tinsel envy.

Connecting with Your Audience

In today's fast-paced digital age, businesses often rely on automation and AI-generated content to reach their audience. While these tools have their merits, nothing can truly replace the authenticity and impact of content that speaks from the heart. The ability to forge genuine connections and elicit emotions from your audience is where the magic happens. Let me illustrate this with a recent experience.

10 Insightful Tips to Refine Your Content Strategy

Picture this: you're strolling down the street, leash in hand, with your furry friend by your side. As you navigate the sidewalks, you might be able to rediscover the art of content marketing – one step at a time. Yes, you read that right! There are uncanny similarities between dog walking and effective content marketing. Intrigued? Let's take a leash and dive into some pawsitively awesome tips, tricks, and techniques you can apply to your content strategy. As your friendly pooch does her ‘moonwalk’ and you prepare to ‘stoop and scoop’, you can soon declare, “We have liftoff!” Engage your audiences and achieve greater lead conversion with content marketing that works. Happy to share our top 10 tips—keep reading!

Include Your POV to Encourage Conversion

Imagine how differently we'd see Star Wars if it was told through the eyes of a stormtrooper trying to get his next promotion or through Chewbacca's point of view. The reader of a story interprets the tale through the perspective of the narrator. Choosing an engaging and valuable point of view (POV) is essential to the narrative. You may not think of your content as a novel or a movie, but you're still telling a story through your blogs, email newsletters, videos, and other forms of digital content. Offering a unique POV with your online content can help make your brand stand out.

SEO Strategy Tips from Presenters at CMW 2023

According to a LinkedIn report, professionals can expect their jobs to change by 65% by 2030 due to the implementation of Artificial Intelligence. AI tools are making their way into every industry, including SEO and content marketing. Don't fire your copywriters just yet though – you need them now more than ever before! Content Marketing World asked its presenters and experts to provide their best tips for 2023 to incorporate AI into your content strategy. Here's an overview.

Here's An Idea on How to Handle this Latest Change

Remember the football gag from the Peanuts cartoon? Charlie Brown goes to kick a football and Lucy pulls it out at the last minute, causing him to fall on the ground. There's a number of punchlines, but the bottom line was that he shouldn't have trusted Lucy. SEO is kind of like that. Just when you think you're winning the SEO game, Google changes the algorithm. You're knocked back down in the search rankings, wondering what happened. Recently, Google made an update that changes how some content is viewed in the rankings. Learn more about the latest update to the search engine algorithm that changes the way HowTo content is displayed in search results, to understand why it matters.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,…” The opening paragraph of “A Tale of Two Cities” is considered one of literature’s greatest openers. Back in 1859, in times when reading books was possibly one of the few indoor entertainment activities people engaged in, Charles Dickens had the skill to hook the reader right at the start. Of course, he also had the skill to finish with a flourish — “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” That closing line is among those most praised in literature.

Getting back to the point—you can transform every introduction into an irresistible hook that commands your audience's attention. Here are some ideas for creating an opening that will resonate with your audience and stay with them. 

Your Audience Cares about Smart Content (and so does Google!)
The length of content has been hotly debated for years. Ask the experts and you’ll get opinions that favor either side. It's like an ongoing arm-wrestling match between two equally fierce contenders. In the blue corner, we have the heavyweight champion of information, the Long-Form Content. With its vast word count and lengthy videos, it's like an all-you-can-eat buffet of knowledge. In the red corner, we have the nimble and attention-grabbing Short-Form Content. Like a swift and satisfying snack, it quickly captivates your audience. Think hors d'œuvres (or amuse-bouche if you want a ‘fancier’ analogy!).

Long-form content has benefits of keeping your reader engaged. Short-form content can grab the reader’s attention without a big commitment. Which one suits your needs? Let’s dig deeper to answer that question. 

Borrow Success Tips from Netflix!

What's the most common backup plan for winding down? Umm… Netflix and couch time?
It's fun, relaxing, and fantastically, never gets old.
What if you brought that same magic to your content? Content marketing revolves around engaging and retaining the attention of your audience — and no one does that better than Netflix. It's not enough to simply produce content; you need to create an experience that keeps your audience coming back for more. Our experienced copywriters have some useful tips to tell you how.