Writers who know what your target audience most wants to read about who already have followings on social media. Get them to write for you and your content will get far more visibility.
When they know writers on major sites who read their content, your site can get incoming links from those sites. You need a content strategy that interlinks related posts on multiple domains.
Content Marketing Done Wrong
As content marketers we must try to educate our clients about what is NOT important:
- Focusing on quantity instead of quality
- $18 content (or worse)
- Fluff pieces with no original content
Even worse is that many are still making serious errors:
- Adding a link to the very end of purchased content
- Intentionally creating unnatural link profiles
- Putting links in bios
- Having one writer who is not a recognized expert creating many posts about you
The days of this kind of content working are numbered. What you’ve already done may end up getting you penalized. Even worse, many are kneeling at the new altar of Google Authorship without realizing how that may affect them.
Content Marketing Done Correctly
While I realize that customers just want to see published content, the research and strategy behind what you’re doing is essential to success. Before a single piece of content is created you need a plan.
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Identify Goals
First decide what you intend to accomplish. Too many are focused entirely on Google rankings alone. Because we do not control what Google does, we need to focus on gaining visibility with your potential buyers in every piece of content published.
Tomorrow Google could decide to stop ranking your site. Survive by making sure you have been connecting with your potential customers all along and capturing them to your mailing list.
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Research relevant blogs
That takes research to find relevant sites. The most affordable tool to find and track your interactions with bloggers is Inkybee. I recorded a video showing how I use Inkybee to make it clear why it is so valuable.
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Reach out to all the blogs early
Influential bloggers are very busy. They receive requests every day. Unless you have interacted with them on social media and supported their efforts they are highly likely to ignore your requests.
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Identify qualified writers
You need subject matter experts who have influential social accounts. When the blog owner is qualified to write about you it is always best to have them do the writing and publishing.
If your content is complex and the individual bloggers are not qualified to write about you, then you are better off providing the content written by someone who really knows your industry, niche, or vertical.
For most campaigns we use a mix of both. Do not make the mistake of using one writer on 10-20+ domains unless they are a recognized authority in that niche with unique, actionable insights to share.
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Plan the strategy
It is important that content links to other related content. Traditional blog outreach focused primarily on linking using a specific keyword phrase landing on a specific page on the target site.
Doing too much of that is what got many sites penalized for unnatural links.
Stop focusing on links.
Focus on branding: raising awareness of what you offer by publishing content about it where your potential buyers already are and linking that content to additional information on other sites.
You need to first create evergreen pillar content that is highly shareable. Provide images, videos, and reference links for inclusion in content about you. Let them choose freely unless you know how to create strategies that won’t get you penalized.
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Promote the content
Getting content published is not the end – it is the beginning. Influential writers already know how to promote what they write. Their writing ability and influence is why they now command from $150 to $500+ per post.
When you negotiate pricing it is likely to include basic promotion. But if you want your content to really fly you need to appreciate what else can be done and make it happen.
Why have one influencer promote your content when you can have many? Why use one writer when we can arrange to have several to as many as you wish who link to each other’s content and cross-promote it?
Examples of Viral Content
We can get your content shares and links even if your blog is brand new and has few or no posts. This post is on a newer blog with minimal content. The image shows 175 retweets according to Tospy.com. (Click image to see full details.)
Another way to check how much a piece of content gets shared is ShareTally. Here are some examples:
- Content Marketing Solutions and Best Practices ~ See ShareTally
- Common Blogging Mistakes: Editorial Guidelines for Bloggers ~ Sharetally
- 43+ Free Blog Images Sources: Where to Get Royalty Free Photos ~ Sharetally
- WANTED: Bloggers Interested in Collaborating to Increase Their Incomes ~ Sharetally
Easy Way to Reach Influencers
Influencers tend to know each other. The larger our collaboration gets the more likely someone already knows the writer you would most like to hire. We have or can get their contact information.
We refer work to each other; work together on projects; manage projects and work with agencies. Sometimes we do the writing; sometimes the placing or publishing. Whatever you or your agency needs, we can provide it.
Besides writers we have been collecting experts in every specialty for years. Pretty good won’t keep you in business. You need exceptional – and we know who the best in the world is in every discipline.
Free referrals. (We receive 0 for recommending them – we just want you to have the best you can afford.)
We can show you bloggers we collaborate with complete with stats and details as compiled by the blog outreach tool we use Inkybee.
Do You Need Advice?
Content marketing is still new to many. There is no one way to do it, but there are some things that definitely need to be avoided. If you are involved in it and would like into our collaboration, just ask.
Consultations are free with no obligation for up to 20 minutes. Longer consultations available for $2.50 per hour payable immediately via PayPal. More details on having Custom Content Created here.
Gail Gardner
Hello,
I completely agree, before writing content on your blog you should have strategy that what you are going to include, you should have important key points relevant to your niche or target audience which can engage them into your blog.
In the past I’ve had some good results using this strategy with well-known manufacturers & retailers. For example imagine if you had a site about home decor (a popular and profitable niche) and wanted to write an article about extending the life of your home appliances.
I’d then email or write to the marketing departments of well-known home appliance brands, asking them for their top 3 tips on maintaining kitchen appliances that most customers don’t know.
Format all the answers into a useful, interesting article and then re-email all the contacts that responded to let them know the link to the content.
You’d be surprised how easy it is to put these articles together, how much value they offer your readers and just how many of the interviewees will be willing to share your content with their audience.
Richard would love you to read ..Livedrive Review
Good post – I’d add to it that it’s important during outreach to make sure you’re offering a benefit too. It needs to be a 2-way street.
And I totally agree that not thinking of goals upfront is a step many (myself included sometimes) miss, when it comes to content marketing. Thanks for the tips!
Jeff would love you to read ..eReader Typography: Why it’s Broken & How to Fix It
Hi ehab,
We have a collaboration and resources for bloggers just like you. Our Blogger Resources board makes it really easy to choose the next priority and includes everything a blogger could possibly need. The post I’ve put in CommentLuv has full details.
Please join us. I guarantee you’ll be amazed.
Gail Gardner would love you to read ..WANTED: Bloggers Interested in Collaborating to Increase Their Incomes
I think Content marketing is every thing in today. Many Google’s algorithm are bad for other technique of marketing. Thanks for the lovely post Gail.
andy would love you to read ..Pengertian pengelolaan
Trying to be interesting and adding value to your blog will result in more links than simply ‘going to get links’. If you can aim your business blog at those likely to use your product or service, and give them some advice that they find useful, they will happily ask for more information. Your audience grows! Thanks for this post, Gail
Gail,
You are the queen of blog collaboration. Awesome piece, but even more important for those who do not know Gail already, she takes action on these beliefs. I have worked with her on a number of blog collaboration projects, and she is always encouraging sharing between partners on the Trello boards she created.
Andy
Andy Nathan would love you to read ..Start Up Gap Episode 5: Scarlett & Stephen Knuth
Yep, as accurate and to the point as they come. Google+ is vital for all of this, naturally, so get yourself signed up to Google Authorship and produce some unique content. Sorted. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Nice post, and I really like it. Content Marketing is the most important key in online marketing and it’s not an easy task to write an effective and impressive content. So thanks for sharing such an useful and informative post.
Nice perspective of viral content and I believe it can be achieved by performing various strategies like content marketing of course.
Thanks
Creating a content that can spark any visitors to read more from beginning to end takes time and creativity. Good thing I manage to do it but I might need more improvement. Thanks for sharing this article here.
Content Marketing is the key for your successful business. If you are doing an online business, you should always take good measures to write quality contents on your blog. You have shared some amazing tips and secrets of content marketing. Keep it Up.
Zareen would love you to read ..How to Track Missing iPhone with Find My iPhone App
Great article. Impressive and informative. Nice points about content marketing done wrong. Also it is important to choose writers who are more knowledgeable in a certain topic or niche as they have more ideas about it. Thanks for sharing this post here.
I agree that many people new to content marketing. Social bookmarking websites are good for sharing and promoting the content. Thanks for the great post Gail.
Hi April,
Join us in our collaboration and we’ll help with that. Full details in https://growmap.com/blogger-mastermind
Gail Gardner would love you to read ..WANTED: Bloggers Interested in Collaborating to Increase Their Incomes
Interesting post. The tips for correct content marketing are spot on.
Yes you are right about the wrong steps made in content marketing. If it’s made right then we can expect lot of good outcome.
Thanks
Vicky would love you to read ..Top Ten Most Active Volcanoes
I think Content marketing is every thing in today. Many Google’s algorithm are bad for other technique of marketing. Thanks for the lovely post Gail.
Another great post. Thank you so much for this informative post.