What You Need to Know

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that Google is going to update its search algorithm. Some experts estimate that Google makes 500 to 600 updates annually, or once or twice each day. Most of these changes don’t have a significant impact on your SEO strategy, but every now and then, one comes along that can have serious repercussions. Learn more about two new features of Google search that help users verify and evaluate search results.

The best lawyers and politicians know that to persuade others, there are three elements of persuasion – ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos refers to your character and believability. Pathos is the emotional aspect of your argument. Logos refers to the logic or reason of your statements. When you weave the three elements together well, you can persuade your audience to take action. Use the power of ethos, pathos, and logos to increase the effectiveness of your content marketing.

Having a strong content strategy builds your school’s reputation, attracts new students and brings your community together. It may even encourage alumni to donate and support your school in many ways.  The challenge is bringing together many departments and goals while having an engaging website and keeping up with social media. To be successful, it’s important for modern-day schools to be active online and on social media. Your school can also differentiate itself through an engaging online platform.

How Content Marketing Can Help Your Charity

Content marketing is often geared toward selling products or services. So, when your organization is a charity, it’s easy to think that content marketing doesn’t have to be part of your marketing plan. If you’re trying to build an online presence, you need a content strategy just as much as any for-profit business. Putting the right information in front of your audience gives you the opportunity to reach your community more effectively.

Communication is a two-way street. We share our message to get a response. How often do we forget to listen to the response? In our daily scramble to create new content, we often forget about checking to see what our audience thinks. We get so focused on Google rankings that we neglect our real audience – the customer. Creating an atmosphere in which you listen to feedback and reviews from your customers gives you a chance to let your customers know how much you care. Plus, it opens the door to some exciting opportunities in your content marketing strategy.

Burger King may have had good intentions with it’s 2021 campaign for International Women’s Day, but it’s tweet “women belong in the kitchen” came off as sexist. Although it is true that women make great chefs, the historical context of the phrase brought negative publicity to the popular burger chain. The campaign was a flop and goes to demonstrate the power of thoughtfully crafted content. You can use your content to show you value gender equality, provided you do it right. 

You’ll Find An Enthusiastic Audience in Exchange!    

Entrepreneurs cultivate discipline. It takes a lot of grit to get up every day and punch the clock without a boss looking over your shoulder. Most small business owners have their must-do list of things that have to get done, regardless of feelings and inspiration. Sadly, content marketing often gets relegated to that have-to-do chore list. It’s typically done out of discipline instead of enthusiasm. Gordon Parks, photographer, film director, musician, writer, and co-founder of Essence magazine, said, “Enthusiasm is the electricity of life. How do you get it? You act enthusiastic until you make it a habit.” If you’ve lost your joie de vivre in your content creation, here are some ways to find it again.

Don't Waste Time Staring at a Blank Screen Hoping for Inspiration

A white page with a blinking cursor can be scary. You sit down to write next week's content and stare blankly at the screen until 1 min, 1 hour or even a whole morning has passed without getting any work done. It's not uncommon for people to think that writer's block is a myth (a.k.a. procrastination). You should just start writing (or typing) and you'll come up with something—it doesn't always work that way. We know writer's block is real. Creating great content doesn't happen by accident or under duress. Go back to your content strategy and find a new approach to creating valuable content.

When Customers Are Seeking Help, Stop Selling!

Chatbots are becoming more mainstream as more businesses embrace the technology as part of their online presence. To maintain your brand’s identity and to avoid pushing customers away, your business can’t afford to leave your chatbot content strategy to chance. Here are our best tips for creating a chatbot that eases up your time by delivering relevant information to your customers.

Promote Your Employees So they Can Promote Your Brand

Akio Morita, co-founder of Sony, said, “I emphasize this—no matter how good or successful you are or how clever or crafty, your business and its future are in the hands of the people you hire.” Your employees are the foundation of your brand. Showcasing your team members and introducing them to your audience creates relationships with customers. Don’t make your “About Us” page an afterthought. Use the “Our Team” page to make your brand more personal.