MarketingProfs Daily: Writing

Why You Might Need a Brand Journalist to Tell Your Story

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Telling ordinary, made-up stories isn't what makes your content marketing engaging for your customers and would-be customers. What matters is telling interesting true stories that help your audience understand your product, service, or business. So, to help your company unearth real-life stories from within your organization, ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Four Tips for Subject-Line Success

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Even experienced email marketers agonize over subject lines&mdash;polishing, editing, tweaking, and perfecting 50-character phrases until they're just right. After all, a single word can make the difference between a subscriber's indifference and interest. So how do you get recipients to open your messages? In this post at Mass Transmit, Anthony Schneider outlines ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

What Gardening Can Teach You About Keyword Plans

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

What can gardening techniques teach you about growing a keyword plan? Quite a lot, it turns out. "When you plant seedlings, you need to plant them in groups according to how much sun they need and how aerated the soil should be," writes Jenny Halasz at Search Engine Land. "You ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

On Demand Seminar: From Content to Conversation--The Changing World of Online Marketing Writing

Thu, 10 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Presenter: Ginny RedishLearn how to sharpen your writing skills that give you the confidence you need to tackle any marketing writing challenge. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Newbie Blogger Blunders to Avoid

Wed, 9 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

You're a new blogger, bursting with energy and excitement. You're sure your new blog will inspire myriad comments and countless social shares. But even though you've published a few posts, your blog isn't getting any comments or shares at all. What are you doing wrong? Perhaps you're making some of the ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Ways to Boost Email Marketing ROI

Wed, 9 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Despite the naysayers who like to predict the imminent demise of email marketing, one fact remains true: It's highly profitable. "Email averages a return on investment (ROI) of $40 for every $1 spent, far outstripping banner ads ($2) and keyword ads ($17)," writes Eric Didier in an article at MarketingProfs. So ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Backlinking Mistakes to Avoid

Mon, 7 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

A strong SEO program relies on backlinks&mdash;links to your website from external sources. "Those backlinks signal to search engines how influential and relevant your business is online," writes Chris Sheehy in an article at MarketingProfs. They "trigger local citations of your business and aid in deepening your local market penetration," ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Email Copywriting Tips for Non-Pros

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Let's say your small business doesn't have the resources to hire a professional copywriter for email campaigns. That means you&mdash;or someone on your overtaxed team&mdash;is trying to create effective messages without a solid knowledge of what works and what doesn't. So, what must you know? In a post at his blog, pro ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Five Key Elements of an Effective Online Video [Video]

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Welcome to this two-part online video master class on how to make effective online videos and market them on the Web. Today, we'll cover five key elements of an effective online video. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Five Tips for Writing Email Copy That Sells

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Writing copy for your email campaign can be daunting, in large part because "it needs to successfully navigate the line between creativity and calculated buying psychology," notes the Marketfish blog. "It's all about climbing inside the customer's head and mining for the words that will make that person buy your ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Content Marketing Lessons From The Daily Show

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The Daily Show had been on TV for three years before audiences took notice. Back in 1999, when the show first aired, its inconsistent format and lack of focus all but drove away audiences. So what changed to make the show beloved by the masses? High-quality content, consistently delivered. In ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Five Must-Have Habits of Successful Video Marketers

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Thanks to the captivating union of sound, music, and movement, video can convey your company's stories like no other medium. To help businesses harness the power of video and craft entertaining and informative content, Jimm Fox suggests marketers adopt "7 Habits of Highly Effective Video Marketing." Among the tips in ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Key Changes to Facebook's Brand Timeline Pages

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:00:00 GMT

In February, Facebook launched its updated Brand Timeline pages, which include better opportunities for customizing a brand page, among other features. Wildfire Interactive CEO Victoria Ransom has detailed six things marketers must know about the new Pages. Here are three changes to note: Improved look and feel. Now, as with ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Five Ways to Permanently Defeat Writer's Block

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

You have to write a post for your company blog, and it's due tomorrow. But you have no idea what to write about. All you can do is stare, filled with dread, at your computer screen. A blank page is the archenemy of anyone suffering from writer's block. What can fill ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Keyword Pitfalls Sure to Kill Your SEO Efforts

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:00:00 GMT

"Doing keyword research is like being a detective: you're always searching for those tiny but valuable clues that decide the fate and future of a case you are handling," writes Lior Levin in an article at MarketingProfs. If you're serious about words like sales, profits, and conversions, Levin argues, your research ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

How to Discover an SEO Cheater in Your Midst

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:00:00 GMT

When you're thrilled with the results your SEO program generates, you might not ask many questions about how it's done&mdash;and let potentially problematic practices go undetected until it's too late. "Companies may not realize [when] employees may be taking shortcuts," writes Douglas Karr at the Marketing Tech blog. "And companies ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Four Things Your Blog Must Do [Slide Show]

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

As a writer for MarketingProfs since 2007, I've spent years researching hundreds of blogs on a weekly basis. Some I read with dedication; some I dismiss right away. So what separates the good from the bad? Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Before You Name Your Company, Consider How Google Will Rank It

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Naming a company or a product used to involve a number of factors&mdash;none of which related to SEO considerations. But no longer. "It doesn't matter whether your brand is online or not, "[I]t will be googled, " says Ann Smarty in an article at MarketingProfs. "So, before you choose your brand ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Key Steps in the Quest for Quality Links

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

"What search engines are forcing us to do&mdash;especially post-Google Panda&mdash;is to win quality links," writes Ken McGaffin in an article at MarketingProfs. "And quality links are hard to get." Hard&mdash;but not impossible. McGaffin suggests you begin your quest for stellar links by assembling a list of potential link partners and setting a ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

A Seven-Step Road Map for Your Content Marketing

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Getting started on your content marketing is like planning a journey&mdash;deciding where to go and how to get there. "Have a roadmap of what you want to accomplish, but plan to take small steps," suggests Michele Linn in "A 7-Step Plan for Getting Started With Content Marketing," featured in the ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Ways to Make Your Content Search-Friendly

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

In a post at the Renegade Search blog, Lindsay Atkinson ponders the clich&eacute;d adage that content is king. "I can't say that I'm a fan of using this relatively grating term, but I can definitely defend its power," she writes. "Having fresh and unique content is an increasingly important factor ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Four Ways Small Businesses Can Make a Big Email Splash

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

"Countless small businesses send out countless emails every day," writes Gary Levitt in an article at MarketingProfs. "If you were to sift through campaigns and results (as I do), the mountains of data would suggest two breeds of email campaign: the outstanding &hellip; and the invisible. Your emails need to ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Four Ways to Own the First SERP

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

"When consumers hear of a local business that is not well known, it's only natural that they conduct some research before making a purchase," writes Nathan Hanks in an article at MarketingProfs. And when they do, they're most likely to choose results that appear first. "Thus," Hanks continues, "'owning' the first page ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Create Content for Each Stage of the B2B Buying Journey

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Not every potential buyer approaches your business with the same enthusiasm or interest. In a MarketingProfs article, Paul McKeon identifies the four stages of the B2B buying cycle&mdash;and how to produce content specific to each one. The unaware buyer. "Content for the unaware buyer must be interruptive. It has to cause ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Five Tips for Attaining Editorial Excellence

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

People tend to remember the best or the worst, but not so much what's in between those extremes. So, as a marketer, your content should radiate goodness&mdash;and not distract with errors and typos. If you can't hire a professional writer, you can still produce content that shines, says Ken Gordon in a ... Read the full article at MarketingProfs