Puma Creative | Inbound Marketing Blog

Google Hummingbird Soars with Quality Content

Ann Gonzales — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:42:00 GMT

Have you heard of Google's new 'Hummingbird' search algorithm? Perhaps you have, but aren't sure what it means for your company's online presence, or how you approach search engine optimization. Essentially, Google, the Internet's dominant search engine, has made changes in order to deliver more relevant results to the longer, more complex queries people use today when searching for products, services, and information.

Search engine optimization has changed dramatically from what it was in the past; today, creating quality content that answers users' questions and provides value is a huge part of SEO. Content should be not only engaging and informative, but "shareable," content so compelling people want to share with their friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

Quick explanation of the Hummingbird search algorithm

While the term 'search algorithm' may sound a bit intimidating, it simply describes the way Google sorts through data on the web (website pages, blog posts, etc.) in order to return the most relevant results to those performing searches on the Internet.

Is search engine optimization dead?

Absolutely not! Search engine optimization is just as alive as ever; what IS dead, however, is crafting content for the purpose of keyword optimization only, and gathering as many inbound links as possible regardless of their quality or relevancy.

Here's what's important in order for your website to rank highly in the results pages today:

Fresh, unique, quality content. More than ever before, creating content focused on user experience rather than search engines is critical - and adding new content frequently is essential.
Relevant, quality links. Google still uses the number of inbound links in ranking websites, however it's important that the websites linking to yours are relevant, trusted sites. When it comes to links, think quality over quantity.
Diversify search terms and phrases. More people than ever before are searching using what used to be referred to as 'long-tail keywords,' that is search terms that are longer and more complex. When creating content for your website pages and blog posts, it's still important to optimize for keywords - but use synonyms and other longer phrases your target audience uses to search for your products and services as well.

Today, search engine optimization is approached a bit differently, focused more on starting conversations and sharing than making sure your pages have the 'right' keyword density. Entertain and inform your readers, provide compelling content regularly, and you shouldn't have to worry about how this recent change will impact your business.

Regardless of what companies think about Google's new Hummingbird algorithm, you won't have to worry too much about how it affects your website's ranking or online presence if you focus on great quality content. Search engine optimization really isn't a 'dirty' word; it's simply a matter of how it's done today!

Google Encrypts Organic Keyword Searches

Ann Gonzales — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 19:00:00 GMT

Keywords have long been a critical component of SEO, and now Google has announced they will be encrypting organic keyword searches. Ultimately, this means you will no longer be able to see the terms and phrases visitors are using to arrive at your website! Why is this so important? Read on folks...

To assist with analyzing how visitors find your website, SEO keyword tools have long been used to assist in deciphering how visitors use search engines to find your website. For example, if your website is about “ice cream,” then you’ll want to use keywords and phrases in the written content of your website, such as: ice cream making, vanilla ice cream ingredients, dairy free ice cream, etc because your users may be searching with those keywords and phrases to find your website. To confirm this, we’ve utilized SEO keyword tools, such as HubSpot keyword analytic tool, Google Analytics, amongst others, to assist us in gauging how effective these keywords and phrases are. Now that Google is encrypting organic keyword searches (aka hiding this data), we will no longer have access to this ability or information.

So now you get the gist! It’s awful. It’s terrible. How could Google do such a thing?! If you're pulling your hair out at this point and screaming, "Why?" well, it's simple, really.

Google, like other companies, seeks to increase its streams of income. No big surprise.

Google wants to make more money. How? Google AdWords. Just spend some moola on AdWords, and you'll have access to more keywords and data than you’ll ever need! This ultimately means increased spending on your part, and more money for Google’s pocket. Sure you may have an expendable amount of income to put into the vault of Google AdWords, but have you considered how many others will be doing the exact same? Increased competition in this avenue will likely result in reduced click-through rates, and higher costs for PPC ads.
Pay Up! And we “may” share our data. Google may have plans to charge a fee for folks like HubSpot or other analytical tools to have an app so that keyword data can be accessed. Still, even if this was a possibility, the fee would likely be hefty - and the cost passed on to end users.

Alas, while it may sound like “doomsday” to most marketers, don't close up your computer and call it a day--all is not lost!

Keywords are important, but as we've been learning lately, perhaps too much emphasis is placed on them.

It all boils down to the fact that if Google wants to encrypt organic keyword searches, it will. After all, Google gets what Google wants! Should you care so much? Maybe not - here's why:

B2B and other marketers should focus increasing organic traffic overall, not just through keywords. Today, unique, valuable written content is key - and getting others to endorse that content through social media and relevant "authority" websites is essential. Who knew a simple verb such as “Like” could be so powerful? Get your followers to start “sharing” your content. The more people you have talking about your content, the better!
Focus on tracking visits at page level and analyze the performance of URL's. Where do most of your visitors default to on your website? How long are they staying to read your content? Centering all of your efforts around keyword optimization has become shaky territory anyway, so it makes sense to steer your efforts in other directions.
Sometimes good old common sense is all you need. If you're creating content frequently (and you should be), you can correlate your efforts with which of that content seems to be increasing or decreasing traffic through organic search - regardless of what keywords visitors may be using to find your website. When certain content is working, producing more of it will increase traffic.
Last but not least, don't forget there ARE other search engines! Yahoo, Bing, and others still provide keyword data, and although they only account for about one-third of searches, the data certainly indicates what keywords searchers are using!

While it's certainly not good news, don't throw in the towel! Focus your efforts in areas other than keywords, such as branding your business, creating outstanding content, and engaging in social media.

Cargo Cult Inbound Marketing

Rob Petitgout — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:50:00 GMT

In 1974, one of the people I find so fascinating, Richard Feynman, gave the commencement speech at Caltech. For those of you who don’t know Richard Feynman, let me just say he was a PhD Physicist that taught at Caltech, worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII and won the Nobel Prize in Physics. He also made the brilliant explanations from the panel during the Challenger Space Shuttle investigation.

Enough said. Here is the portion that I love:

“I think the educational and psychological studies I mentioned are examples of what I would like to call cargo cult science. In the South Seas there is a cargo cult of people. During the war they saw airplanes land with lots of good materials, and they want the same thing to happen now. So they've arranged to imitate things like runways, to put out fires along the sides of the runways, to make a wooden hut for a man to sit in, with two wooden pieces on his head like headphones and bars of bamboo sticking out like antennas--he's the controller--and they wait for the airplanes to land.

They're doing everything right. The form is perfect. It looks exactly the way it looked before. But it doesn't work. No airplanes land. So I call these things cargo cult science, because they follow all the apparent precepts and forms of scientific investigation, but they're missing something essential, because the planes don't land.

Now it behooves me, of course, to tell you what they're missing. But it would be just about as difficult to explain to the South Sea Islanders how they have to arrange things so that they get some wealth in their system. It is not something simple like telling them how to improve the shapes of the earphones. But there is one feature I notice that is generally missing in cargo cult science. That is the idea that we all hope you have learned in studying science in school--we never explicitly say what this is, but just hope that you catch on by all the examples of scientific investigation.”

Richard Feynman - 1974 California Institute of Technology Commencement Address

Inbound Marketing Effectiveness

I think that there are many cargo cult marketers out there. They talk about Inbound as a function of your website. They suggest that you blog. They encourage you use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and maybe even Pinterest. They seem to have the “diagram” down pat. A very efficient marketing plan and effort that they promise will yield great ROI and a conversion rate of 6% or better. But it just doesn’t work. It just doesn’t give the return on investment; have the conversions rates you expected. Why? It’s just “cargo cult” marketing. It looks right, It may even feel right but it isn’t. They are missing the key ingredient to insure it works.

Inbound marketing requires a tool that consolidates, tracks, measures and reports on a minute by minute basis what is happening in your marketing. It also requires a global view of your inbound system to make sure that remarkable content is created, content matches channels and that there is a linear process to move your “guests” to customers. (See HubSpot's white paper entitled The State of Inbound Marketing 2013)

It’s Not Enough to “Do” Inbound

To see real results, you need to deeply commit to the model and optimize continually. Marketers that succeed with inbound marketing dedicate a high level of time, commitment, and resources to getting it right. Inbound marketing is not a quick-fix, nor will your company succeed at inbound by hiring an “inbound expert” and sitting them next to your email, trade show, and website staff member.

Successful inbound execution requires a strategic change in how you focus your end-to-end marketing practices, such as building and staying true to your core customer personas and relentlessly tracking your lead gen goals.  This dedication produces dramatic results. Seventy-nine percent of companies who have a blog report a positive ROI for inbound marketing this year, compared with just 20% of those companies that do not have a blog. In fact, 82% of marketers who blog on a daily basis acquired a customer using their blog, as opposed to 57% of marketers who just blog monthly – still an impressive statistic!”

Let’s form a new cult, a cult that honors this process and creates marketing that people love.

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How to Blog the Right Way for Your Business

Rachel Cogar — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:14:00 GMT

Blogging has become a critical marketing strategy for organizations of all sizes. A good blog can generate buzz for your business, attract new customers, position you as a thought leader in your field, and (of course) improve your website's overall SEO value.

But understanding WHY to blog is one thing. Knowing HOW to blog is another matter altogether.

After all, a poorly executed blog won't do very much for your company. In fact, if you're not careful, it could actually hurt your brand. To get the most out of your blog and add real value to your business, you need to know how to blog the right way. Here are a few best practices to keep you on the right path.

Put your audience first. A good blog isn't the place to drone on and on about how great your company is -- that's what your website is for! Readers aren't interested in you; they are looking for ways to help themselves. Use your blog to supply information (tips, how-tos, expert commentary) that they'll find valuable, and check your "me-first" attitude at the door.

Keep it focused. Companies that know how to blog properly understand that a post doesn't need to be long to have value. In most cases, 500 words is more than enough for a quality blog post, so be sure to keep your topics focused and to the point.

Keep it readable. A good blog post is also easy for your audience to read. No one wants to look at a giant block of text. Instead, write shorter paragraphs that are easy for readers to consume, and break up your text further with things like sub-headlines, bulleted lists, and bolded text that highlight key points.

Don't be afraid of graphics. The best blogs utilize pictures and images to illustrate points and capture the attention of readers. At the very least, each of your posts should include a featured image that supports the main topic. You can create these graphics yourself, or find them on stock photo sites like Shutter Stock.

Make SEO a priority. Blogs are a great way to drive more inbound traffic to your website, as they supply search engines like Google with lots of fresh content to index. Make sure you do keyword research to identify the right terms and phrases to target, then gear your content around those keywords by including them in your titles and throughout the body of your posts. Well-optimized content has a keyword density of between 2%-5%, and you can add value by bolding and hyperlinking your keywords when appropriate.

Keep an eye on navigation. Making it easy for readers to find content on your site is another key to knowing how to blog. It's important that all posts are tagged and categorized with with relevant terms so your audience can access additional information quickly.

By keeping these tips in mind, you'll help ensure your team knows how to blog the right way for your business. We'd like to know what else you'd add to this list? Sound off below and let us know what has worked well for your business blog.

An Introduction to Inbound Marketing (Part I): Getting Found

Adam Nicholas Burke — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:50:00 GMT

If you're relatively new to the online marketing world, you may have heard the term "inbound marketing" but are not really sure what that means, or how it works. Today, competition on the internet is more fierce than ever before; the marketing tactics you use must be effective, otherwise you're likely to find your website or blog at the "bottom of the heap," so to speak. Well, actually it won't be found at all, by either you or your target market unless you implement solid marketing strategies! So, here we go . . .

What is Inbound Marketing?

Not too long ago, many marketers practiced "outbound marketing," which was really just a process of "reaching out" and trying to find their target customers/leads - and hoping they were hitting the right market. With inbound marketing, you're basically bringing leads who are already interested into your sales funnel by earning their attention through content, social media, blogging and other methods. In other words, you're enticing them to come to you, instead of the other way around.

Why Does it Work?

Simply put, prospective buyers are fed up with being "sold to" through television ads, direct mail and constant emails that blast out how the recipient "can't live without" the product/service the sender is selling. With inbound marketing, prospective leads and buyers find YOU through informative, fresh and sometimes entertaining content whether it's a blog post, Facebook "blurb," tweet or video. Essentially, you're not chasing down leads and hawking your wares like a used car salesman!

What Does Inbound Marketing Involve?

Consider inbound marketing as a magnet that attracts prospective clients, nurturing them instead of hitting them over the head with a hammer in an effort to "force" them to buy from you.

A few of the aspects of this type of marketing (which is content-based, by the way) include:

Blogging - Including content that attracts your target audience is the secret to blogging, and you can increase the number of leads you get exponentially! Fresh, engaging content that offers a new "twist" or perspective on things gets your readers communicating - and spreading the word.
SEO (search engine optimization) - Yes, SEO has been around forever, but it's still essential today - but with a few changes to the way things used to be done. Optimize your pages, choose keywords carefully, create magnificent content, build a few strong, relevant links into your site. No keyword spamming or over optimization!
Social media - Who knew social media would be such an integral part of online business? If you're not engaging with your target audience on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other prominent social media sites, you should be. This is one VERY effective way to "magnetically" pull potential buyers or clients back to your website.
Content marketing - All of this "magnetism" and "attraction" we've been talking about? It's content! Content marketing is perhaps the most essential component of inbound marketing. Anything that will pull people to your website and into your sales funnel - content on your blog, articles, webinars, videos (yes, spoken words are content), white papers - but make it original, compelling, and valuable.

Essentially, inbound marketing is marketing with remarkable content that's so informative/unique/entertaining it gets shared around the web. Once you've got the basics of "getting found" down, it's time to convert your visitors and analyze your efforts to see where improvements can be made, what tactics seem to be attracting the most visitors, etc.

Inbound marketing can and will lead to amazing results; if you've found these tips helpful, we'd love it if you'd share below!

Is Your Smarketing Team on the Same Page?

Rachel Cogar — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:29:00 GMT

It's no secret that B2B sales and marketing teams don't always see eye-to-eye. In fact, you can find some hilarious videos on YouTube about that very problem.

You've heard it all before. Salespeople complain that marketing isn't generating enough leads. Marketing says that sales reps aren't doing enough with the leads they give them. And back and forth it goes.

The key for growing companies these days is to move past the "he said, she said" and successfully align both sides toward the same goals. Of course, sales and marketing alignment doesn't happen overnight. The question is, how do you find the right balance?

Benefits of Sales and Marketing Alignment

Research firms like like Aberdeen have reported companies that successfully implement sales and marketing alignment grow at a rate 20% faster than those that don't. By getting both departments to work together as a well-oiled machine, businesses can realize higher revenue and greater profits.

Inbound Marketing is the Key

In the old days, the role of B2B marketing was fairly simple: raise brand awareness, generate leads at the top of the funnel -- and let the sales folks do the rest. But today's B2B customers are less reliant on salespeople when it comes to making critical buying decisions. In fact, the average prospect now moves through 70% of the buying cycle before ever engaging with a live salesperson.

This is where inbound marketing comes into play. Companies that blog average 55% more leads than those that don't. By creating valuable content that attracts and educates potential customers early on, marketers can seize more control over the lead generation process and supply it's sales team with better selling opportunities.

Preparing for Sales and Marketing Alignment

If content is the gas that fuels the sales and marketing engine, then data is the wheels that move it forward. Here are the points to emphasize:

#1. Data consistency. It's no good if both teams have a different idea of what constitutes a quality lead, so clearly defining what your data represents is a must. For example:

- Inbound Leads: Prospects submit contact info via your website, or email/call you directly
- Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL): Measured and evaluated by marketing to discover which leads represent the best opportunities for sales, based on details like contact info or the frequency they visit your website
- Sales Qualified Leads (SQL): MQLs contacted by sales and identified as strong opportunities

#2. Data accessibility. This is best accomplished by integrating marketing data with your company's CRM system. That way, information is available to everyone at all times, in a format that salespeople are comfortable with.

#3. Real-time data. To maximize the value of your leads, it's critical that both sides have access the most up-to-the-minute information possible.

Bringing It All Together

Finally, sales and marketing alignment requires an environment of transparency and accountability to thrive. For example, you can use online dashboards that track the progress of both teams throughout the month/quarter/year. Sales can monitor how marketing is generating leads in relation to its goals, while marketing can track how salespeople are following up on the leads they deliver.

Both teams should meet regularly to discuss sales and marketing activities to promote trust and keep both sides on the same agenda.

Conclusion

There's no hidden math involved with successful sales and marketing alignment. With a strong inbound marketing strategy, both sides can work together to generate more qualified leads, drive more business, and put your company on the fast track to growth!

Have you implemented sales and marketing alignment at your organization? Sound off below and share your story!

Note: Puma Creative utilizes the HubSpot software to accomplish lead generation, lead nurturing, and sales and marketing alignment for our clients. If you'd like to learn more about our strategy AND tools - click here:

Google Authorship Adds Credibility to your Blog for Improved SEO

Adam Nicholas Burke — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:32:00 GMT

Everyone wants to rank at the top of Google these days, but doing so requires more than just a few carefully placed keywords. As any search engine optimization (SEO) professional will attest, it's Google's goal to deliver the highest quality search results on the web. Algorithm updates like Panda and Penguin have been designed to look beyond the best optimized pages to return only the most valuable content for any given search query.

This is why link building has become the gold standard of SEO techniques. Theoretically, the more people that link to a website, the higher that site's PageRank will rise in Google. Now obviously, the process is a bit more complicated than that, but the basic idea is that by placing more SEO value on the webpages people like the best, Google is then able to more effectively deliver the content that is most useful in its search results.

Now, as Google continues to make SEO tweaks in the name of quality, the focus is no longer just on what is being created, but who is creating it as well. Enter Google AuthorRank.

Authorship, Google+ and what it means for SEO

While the details of how AuthorRank works for SEO are still a little fuzzy, the basic idea is that Google will attribute greater value in search to content that's created by authors with strong online reputations. In an excellent article for SEOmoz, Mike Armesan explains that AuthorRank would not be "a replacement for PageRank, but would be used to inform PageRank, therefore enabling Google to rank high-quality content more appropriately."

So how will Google measure and apply author reputations to online content for SEO? With Google+. For a while now, Google+ users have had the ability to link their accounts with the blog content they author. In doing so, posts that appeared in Google search results would include the author's Google+ headshot, name, and links to his or her profile page and additional articles.

Bloggers liked this because the images made their content stand out in search results, thus encouraging more people to click on their links. Now with Google AuthorRank, those same Google+ profiles will have an even more direct effect on SEO.

Getting set up for Google Authorship

The first step for B2B marketers is to link their company blogs with their authors' Google+ profiles. Google provides instructions on how to get started, and the process is pretty straightforward:

#1. Set up a Google+ account (if you don't already have one), and upload a profile photo. This is the image that will be associated with your content in Google search, so make sure it is clear, professional and easily recognizable.

#2. Ensure that each blog post includes a byline for the author of the content. While most blogging platforms generate this automatically, some B2B companies choose to exclude personal bylines from their content. For Google Authorship, good SEO dictates that it's best to include author names with all blog content going forward.

#3. Make sure that author bylines are listed on the blog exactly the same as they appear on Google+ (for example, "By John Smith"). If the names do not match, then Google will not be able to conclude that the associated Google+ user is in fact the author of the content.

#4. In Google+, associate each profile with an email address that matches the domain of the site where the blog lives. For example, a blog on "xyz.com" would require an email address like "jsmith@xyz.com". Those without a corresponding email address can use the following workaround.

Once these steps are completed, Google will soon begin to associate all blog posts with their corresponding Google+ author profiles. Companies who take advantage will be one step closer to higher page ranks and better SEO.

Are you ready to add Google Authorship to your inbound marketing strategy? What kind of impact do you expect it to have on SEO? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

Inbound Marketing Has the Right of Way

Rachel Cogar — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:20:00 GMT

You decide to go out for a cup of coffee. As you get into the car, a guy with a sign that says "Drive this way now" tries to point you to one road. But the road with a sign that says "Fresh hot coffee" piques your interest; after all, that's what you want. You go down that road, leaving the guy with the first sign scratching his head.

The lesson? On the road to more business, inbound marketing always gets the right of way.

Many marketers still think a broad call to action sent to wide swathes of people is the best way to make a sale. But consumers don't have time to look at every ad that comes along. They will, however, pay attention to messages that address the things on their minds.

That's the essence of inbound marketing.

Inbound marketing doesn't push marketing messages on consumers - it uses relevant, enticing content to attract them. Traditional marketers argue that the Internet makes it easier for everyone to promote their businesses. But response rates don't lie, and consumers have decided that they prefer inbound marketing techniques over the old rules of marketing. Here are a few reasons why:

(1) Customers make the first move, not the other way around.

Traditional marketing involves actively marketing to potential customers, whether they want to hear it or not. Inbound marketing is just the opposite; you produce content, people respond to it, and only then do you start reaching out to them.

Inbound marketing puts consumers, not your business, in the driver's seat. That means you may not get very far with endless emails to people you've never met. Instead, develop high-quality content with relevant keywords that catch the attention of interested consumers, and implement a series of follow-up messages only after they've responded to your content.

(2) It doesn't sell; it engages.

Imagine being out of town and looking for a place to eat. Most places serve good food, but the place where the waitress chats with you and recommends a good music spot is the one you'll likely visit again. That's also the place that understands how inbound marketing works.

Consumers are more receptive to conversations than sales pitches. An effective inbound marketing strategy combines traditional marketing messages with dialogue that may not be sales oriented. Use social media to find out what consumers enjoy, what they want, and what they like (and don't like) about your business. When you craft messages and offers that address these needs, your business becomes more attractive - and ultimately more profitable.

(3) Revenue is the goal, but loyalty is the objective.

Traditional marketing is all about closing the sale right then and there, so the whole relationship lasts two minutes. This makes traditional marketing look more like a hookup. Inbound marketing, on the other hand, is about developing loyalty and a relationship that results in repeated sales over time.

Studies show you make more money from existing customers than from new ones. But repeat customers also need to be loyal, and this loyalty is best developed using inbound marketing. Loyalty comes from providing useful advice and information, solving problems, and going above and beyond to meet customers' needs. Your content needs to do all these things if you want to get to the sale.

The traditional marketing road takes your customers where you want them to go, but there are lots of detours on the way. The surer path goes through inbound marketing, because it takes them where they want to go.

Social Media Interview Questions to Ask an Agency or New Employee

Rachel Cogar — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:03:00 GMT

The Situation

In speaking with a local business owner today, he indicated to me that he had set up a Facebook Fan page for his company one year ago - because it was considered taboo to not have one - and that 70 of his friends had "liked" his page - one year ago. Today he still has 70 "likes" because he has not utilized the tool the way he could/should have.

Social Media Bandwagon

I suspect that many small- to medium-sized businesses have a similar story, and perhaps that is why so many traditional advertising agencies have jumped on the bandwagon over the past few years to offer Social Media Marketing packages and SEO.

If you happen across one of these, be prepared with a list of interview questions for them (see below). You may not be the one utilizing these tools for your company, therefore, you need to be certain you have assistance from a group of people who understand how social media "fits" into your overall inbound marketing strategy.

Content and Social Media

You see, social media is not a stand alone strategy. If you try to implement a social media campaign without a content strategy, or without first determining what you want out of it, you many end up feeling like your ROI was not good enough; you may end up with hollow efforts.

Integrated nicely into a bigger picture, social media can be a very powerful tool to help with branding, positioning and ... are you ready ... *lead generation.*

Interview Questions to Ask an Agency or a New Employee

Which social media platforms are the best fit for our type of business? And how do you know?

Do you have case studies indicating how a social media campaign will impact our key performance indicators from businesses similar to ours?

How often should we participate and whom from within our company should participate?

Who will manage the social media accounts and which aggregration management software should be used?

What metrics will you use to report our progress and judge our success?

How and how often will that be communicated to us?

Find Out More

Using social media to impact your lead generation can be a bit overwhelming unless you understand the role of each one and how it fits into YOUR Inbound Strategy and overall marketing plan. For further reading, check out these blog topics from the Inbound Marketing blog.

LinkedIn 277% More Effective for Lead Generation Than Facebook & Twitter

Can We Really Get New Customers from Blogging?

Rachel Cogar — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:21:00 GMT

What is a Blog and What is It's Purpose?

A blog is a "web log" written by one or more people around a core topic or subject matter. There are many reasons why companies should (and do) create blogs, including:

to communicate with current customers about products/services
to position its executives as thought leaders among peers and potential customers
to gain the trust of potential customers
to journal or chronicle particular events or thought processes
to provide support and an open forum for users of its products
to engage its users in relevant conversation about its products, services or brand
to encourage brand advocacy among its happy customers
to keep an open ear for nay-sayers

Search Engine Placement Value

These online communication tools are extremely valuable to companies for many reasons. First, research reveals that companies who blog (and create remarkable content) have significantly increased organic SEO ranks in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Placement). A survey of more than 1500 small businesses revealed that companies who blog have (on average) 434% more indexed pages in the webosphere. The same study revealed that there were 97% more inbound links to websites that included a blog, compared to those that did not.

Lead Generation Opportunities

Next, studies point to the fact that blogging creates an obvious impact on lead generation. The State of Inbound Marketing Lead Generation Report from 2011 indicated that B2C companies who blog have an 88% increase in the number of leads generated online, and B2B companies generally see a 67% increase in online leads. Further, the study revealed a strong correlation between the number of posts on a particular blog and the leads generated. Blogs with 1-18 posts showed a median monthly lead generation volume of 10 leads; the increase, however, was noted when a blog contained 25 posts (33% increase) and 50 posts (77% increase). Further, the State of Inbound Marketing report indicated that blogging frequently increases the opportunity for lead generation.

Who Should Blog?

Anyone within the company who has a real passion for what they do *could* be involved in the corporate blog. Generally, we like to invite director level folks to write about the topics in which they have a particular expertise. Passion is a key to creating remarkable content!

What Should We Blog About?

Think of your corporate blog as a way to let your audiences see and feel the heart your company - a glimpse into its soul, if you will. Write about industry topics of conversation, debates within your field, latest news, why you do the things you do. Write about helping people, solving problems, helping other people solve problems … but whatever you do, don't write about yourself! Your blog is not a place to boast about your accomplishments, discuss how wonderful your products are, or twist someone's arm to do business with you. Keep the conversation real, and use your blog to build credibility, trust and long-term relationships.

8 Way Cool Apps for Productivity and Pleasure

Rachel Cogar — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:50:00 GMT

There are hundreds of thousands of apps available in the various marketplaces. Here's a few we think are cool ... and of course, increase our productivity and effectiveness as awesome marketing pros ;-)

(1) Dropbox

If you are not using Dropbox, you are missing out. Dropbox is a web-based file hosting service that syncs your files with all the computers you use - work, home, desktop, laptop - as well as with your tablets and mobile devices. Not only do I have all my important files with me everywhere I go, it is extremely simple to "share" folders with others. What makes this app cool is that you can share one folder with one group of people, and another folder with a different group of people. No longer do I need to worry about sending large files through email or uploading them on ftp servers. I simply add them to my Dropbox.

If you aren't using Dropbox yet and would like to sign up for free file storage, click here.

(2) Evernote

Evernote is a digital shoebox to hold notes, voice memos, photos, scans, pdfs, etc. You can tag items and put them into different virtual shoeboxes to keep forever. I use Evernote every single day. The real beauty of this app is how everything is searchable, including words in pdfs and photos, making it so simple to find anything anytime. You can download browser plugins to clip webpages to Evernote, and also email items to Evernote. Further, you can share notebooks with others - if they also use Evernote.

Evernote syncs automatically between devices, so you can use the web version, the local app on your laptop/desktop, and the mobile versions on your tablets and phones.

(3) Dragon Dictation

Dragon Dictation is a voice dictation app that is very accurate. I use Dragon on my iPhone and iPad. Generally, I use this app to write my blog posts, and/or to write emails while I'm driving - even lengthy ones. I simply speak into my device to capture my thoughts, and then email myself the text to edit once I'm back to my computer. The Dragon Naturally Speaking software for your computer generally costs between $99-$599, and is much more robust. The mobile version - Dragon Dictate - however, is a free app in the iTunes App store.

(4) RedLaser

The RedLaser App allows you to scan a barcode on an item while you're shopping to see the price of the item. In addition, it shows you many other stores within a designated radius that also have the item in stock, along with the price at the other retailers. RedLaser can also be used to scan QR codes.

Further, RedLader is used for product information such as reviews and ratings. Over 2 million people have downloaded this comparison shopping app.

(5) Snapseed

Snapseed is a very freaking cool photo editing app. You can very quickly edit photos to crop, tune, straighten or color correct, but that is just the beginning. The latest update to Snapseed also allows you to selectively adjust your images in greater detail, adjust the center focus, apply hundreds of filters (including dramatic, vintage, black and white and grunge, to name a few) and apply borders and frames.

Note: The SnapSeed app costs $20 in the iTunes App Store. But it is well worth the cost if you are an avid-amateur photographer using your iPhone or iPad. As a matter of fact, Snapseed won Apple's 2011 App of the Year Award!

(6) Lemon

I use Lemon to organize and keep track of my business expenses. Within the app, you can scan receipts and the app will parse the data into the correct fields for date, description, amount and category, while also keeping a digital image of your original receipt. Further, the Lemon app provides reports with graphs and charts to see where and how you are spending.

This app is a great way to reduce the clutter and keep track of expenses as you go.

(7) Starbucks

Yes, I am promoting the Starbucks app! With this app, I simply walk up to the barista, place my order, and then scan my phone on their register wand to pay for my drink. The app provides a barcode on the screen that allows me to pay - and the funds are debited immediately from my Starbucks gift card via the app. In addition to this ultimate convenience, the apps allows you to make and save customized drinks that you and your friends drink, peruse the nutritional value of your favorite drink, manage rewards for your loyalty, and of course - add more funds to your card.

(8) DocuSign Ink

DocuSign Ink is my official electronic signature app. It enables you to receive a document on any device, open it in DocuSign, apply your official electronic signature, save it, and instantly send the document back to the sender. Additionally, you can snap a quick picture of a document and add a digital signature as well. This type of cloud-based signature and delivery method is secure and trusted by more than 10 million people globally. As an added security, you can link to your offical DocuSign ID card so your recipients can verify your digital signature is indeed yours.

DocuSign is available online as well as on most mobile devices. It also integrates nicely with Salesforce.com and other CRMs.

What apps have I missed? Please leave a note below and let me know your favorites for Productivity and Pleasure!

Improvising in Business Relationships ... How Agile Are You?

Rachel Cogar — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:24:00 GMT

I am currently reading Tina Fey’s Bossypants. First, I have to admit I have never watched Saturday Night Live (until last night) or 30 Rock or whatever that series is. I grew up in a bubble and am completely oblivious to Popular culture … but this book was highly recommended by @MichelleWheeler, so I had to give it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this book is full of stories and advice applicable to the business world. I was immensely humored by Ms. Fey’s Rules of Improvisation to Improve Communication and Reduce Belly Fat (clever little title there, Tina). Tina explained that getting along in a business setting can be guided by the same rules used in improvisation technique – after all, daily grind is the art of constantly improvising on the spot to “Make things up and Make things happen!” The first rule (and one I often have a hard time with) … Always AGREE. Do you know how difficult that can be?

Once you agree (by agreeing, you establish that the other person isn’t an idiot), you then add something to what has been offered. Add your own personal touch, add something unique – this is your opportunity to prove your value.

Another real moment in the book was when Tina described writing all day in preparation for the evening’s show. Drafts and drafts would be prepared … however, the show began at 11:30 – not “when the script was perfect.” In business, you give it your best and keep moving forward – that’s where improvisation often comes in. The rules are (in this order) 1) Prepare, and then 2) Improvise.

This book was full of business and life ideas…how to get along, how to accomplish and achieve, how to be an agent of change, how to be a woman (an influential one) in the workplace. While exciting and humorous, the principles within were real business advice. Two thumbs up, Tina. Thanks for a great read.

Photo credit

How have you had to improvise in your business? Do you have any practical tips or suggestions to share?

Eight Reasons to Begin Inbound Marketing Today!

Rachel Cogar — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:48:00 GMT

Inbound Marketing, the process of "getting found" by prospects who are looking for your products/services, has been described by Brian Halligan (Hubspot founder and CEO) as marketing with your brain instead of with your wallet.

Here are eight reasons why you should stop the outbound, and bring in the inbound:

1. Inbound marketing has the power to attract people to your products and services.

With traditional outbound practices, imagine your self holding a sledge hammer, and beating people over the head with your message. Billboards, print advertising, radio, TV, trade shows, etc. With inbound marketing, imagine yourself holding a horseshoe-shaped magnet, attracting people to you.

2. Traditional advertising is not working.

Technology has changed the way we exist as human beings. Consumers are savvy and have indicated by their behaviors that they do not want to be screamed at by an over-crowded business market fighting for their money.

3. Consumers are becoming better at blocking out traditional media messages.

Eighty-six percent of TV watchers skip TV ads, 200 million of the 300 million US citizens are on the Do Not Call List. There is a 46% decline in tech trade show spending. And 44% of people never open direct mail. Therefore, marketers are shifting their budgets away from this "interruption" advertising.

"Audiences everywhere are tough. They don't have time to be bored or brow-beaten by orthodox, old-fashioned advertising. We need to stop interrupting people, and be what people are interested in." --J. Walter Thompson, Chief Creative Officer of Worldwide (World's 4th Largest Ad Agency).

4. The way people buy has changed.

The internet has fundamentally changed the way people find, discover, share, shop and connect. Worldwide, there are 88 Billion searches on Google per month. Forty-six percent of daily searches are for information on products or services.

"Many Americans begin their purchasing experience by doing online research to compare prices, quality, and the reviews of other shoppers. Even if they end up making their purchase in a store, they start their fact-ﬁnding and decision-making on the internet.” --Jim Jansen, Senior Fellow, Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project.

5. Your audience is online.

More than half of all US residents and more than 3/4 of US adults are online. One-third of these consumers are spending more than three hours each day online. Many of the things we used to do offline have shifted to online: Get the news, send mail, do product research, rate or review a product, BUY a product.

6. It costs less to acquire leads through inbound marketing than through traditional outbound marketing - 62% less!

Inbound marketing is a lot more cost effective. The average cost to acquire a lead with outbound marketing methods has risen to $373. With inbound marketing, the average cost per lead is 62% less. Inbound marketing requires a fat brain, not a fat wallet!

7. Inbound marketing is about lead generation and increasing sales immediately.

So your website gets a lot of traffic (or maybe it doesn't yet), but are you generating leads from it? Do your prospects know what you want them to do once they get to your site?

The core methodology of inbound marketing is simply three things: (1) Get Found - help your potential customers find you online when looking for your products and services; (2) Convert - Once potential customers find you online, provide Calls to Action and nurture them through the buying process; and (3) Analyze - Measure and improve your marketing.

8. Inbound marketing will make your CEO happy.

On average, inbound marketing can account for a 200% return on investment, 62% lower cost per acquisition, 9% higher lead value and it's 100% measurable!

If this all sounds good, but you are just not sure where to begin, register for our free webinar entitled How to Rock It Out in 2012 (with Inbound Marketing): More Customers Made Simple.

What are your thoughts about Inbound Marketing? What are your experiences? We'd love to hear from you.