• Who Should Blog for my Company?

  By Christina Capadona-Schmitz | Posted Mar 10, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing, Social Media

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  There are a wealth of resources across the blogosphere that define the characteristics of a good corporate blogger. Common themes include:

  • A passion to write
  • An expertise in a certain area or niche
  • Possessing strong writing skills or the desire to improve writing
  • Dedicating the time needed
  • Strong networks and networking skills in both the social Web and offline
  • Those wanting to engage in the conversation that blogging offers

  Today, as more businesses embrace the benefits of blogging, and regard blogging as a team effort, we recognize that guidance is needed in both getting started, and choosing the right representatives for the company.

  Moreover, we recognize the importance of establishing specific criteria, customized to each business, to evaluate potential bloggers who are excited to the join the cause, but might not be prepared to accept the challenge.

  The Standard Requirements

  Traits that all recruits need to possess are accountability for their personal brand and how it affects the company (both offline and online); a willingness to adhere to and enforce the social media policies and initiatives set forth by the company; an understanding of the benefits of producing optimized, relevant content as part of the company’s Website strategy; and the general feeling that their efforts are part of something bigger, for the greater good, not solely based on professional advancement.

  Corporate blogging is a marathon, not a sprint, so it’s key to find contributors that can see the big picture, work together toward a common goal, and are dedicated to building leads and loyalty for years to come.

  Getting Started

  Targeting individuals skilled in marketing and communications is the natural first step. By trade, these employees know how to write, understand audiences, create clear objectives for the pieces and track the performance of their work.

  But in today’s content-flooded environment, we need to look beyond the usual suspects, and find the resources and hidden talents that lie within corporate walls. By identifying characteristics, backgrounds and personality traits that support the blog’s strategic objectives, it becomes easier to promote engagement, and retain the contributors through the lifelong commitment that is social media and blogging. 

  It also helps demonstrate the well-rounded, diverse resources that exist in the company, to connect with audiences on a more personal level and help differentiate the company among the competition.

  Traits to Look For
  

  Employees that possess any or all of the following characteristics that inspire, entertain and educate, could be candidates for great blog contributors.

  Leaders-Visionaries-Innovators

  Where to look: entrepreneurs, president, C-level, management, division leaders

  Experience, expertise and leadership qualities make these great candidates for contributors, and give a personal connection between end users and corporate leaders. Often they can offer a more big-picture perspective, derived from experience and ability to take risks. They are often the ones that bring new ideas to market and might embrace the opportunity to talk directly to their end users. They also are committed to long-term success and vision.

  What to consider: Time constraints are tough, as well as sensitivity of sharing subject matter. Often blog series can work well, offering educational resources and inspirational messaging that can apply to business or the specific industry.

  Socialites-Storytellers-Creatives

  Where to look: marketing, public relations, HR, sales, customer service

  Those in professional marketing have a natural knack for understanding audiences and communicating messages, while those in HR, sales and customer service can have constant interaction with key audiences - such as customers, employees and partners - and the stories and information to share to speak directly to these audiences.

  What to consider: This talent pool has the skills and personality to represent your company, and meet the deadlines or goals they are used to working under. As the social Web is vast, with endless opportunities to monitor, participate and publish, make sure expectations are met as far as core job functions and time availability before adding the new responsibilities of blogging and social media.

  Researchers-Reporters-Statisticians

  Where to look: IT, legal, project management, market research, interns, consultants

  While audiences like to be inspired and entertained, they also like to hear the facts and increase their knowledge in a subject area, whether for general know-how or help in decision making. Especially when it comes to highly technical or extremely niche subject matter, such as might be the case for your company.

  People also like polls and statistics, and as part of their job, employees of different departments and roles have access and insight into useful data. Also, those newer to the company, or in the learning stages such as interns, can offer a fresh perspective on a topic.

  What to consider: Many highly technical people that are experts in their focus areas, may not consider themselves adept at writing creatively for the blog or other channels. Guide them and educate to help unlock their hidden potential. Short, simple, and to the point is the kind of writing that works great in blogs. Think of post ideas like step-by-step guides, lists of resources, or covering an industry trade event.

  Help from the outside?

  Companies don’t have to always look inward for captivating blog content. Consider guest authors to add outside perspective and insight, such as in the form of a series, a support piece or to enhance the resources published for blog subscribers.

  The outsourcing of blog article writing to freelancers and agencies is also a hot topic right now. While our agency will be exploring this subject in future posts, different situations can call for different levels of support and expertise, and definitely worth the discussion.

  This blog's for you

  Sometimes the best authors, with the most relevant and captivating content for audiences to share, aren't always the ones with the writing backgrounds. It’s important to find the combination of personality traits, expertise and dedication that match the goals of the blog strategy.

  Recruiting authors that possess a willingness to learn, and desire to share and help promote the content through social media channels, helps build a great blog and may encourage others to join the force.

  Who blogs for your company? What are other traits to look for in potential authors? What's next for corporate blogging?

  Links of interest:

  11 Characteristics of Highly Influential Blog(ger)s, Techipedia.com, Tamar Weinberg 

  The 7 Traits Of Highly Successful Bloggers, dragosroua.com, Dragos Roua

  How to Become an A-List Blogger, Copyblogger.com, Glen Allsopp

   

  Capadona-Schmitz is an assistant vice president and consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. She can be found on Twitter @ChristinaCS.

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• Blog Images: How to Find and Use Them Properly

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Feb 17, 2010 | 7 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing, Internet Marketing

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  Images add value to blog posts by making them more visually appealing and interesting, helping readers conceptualize what you’re discussing, and providing searchers another way to find your Website (particularly if they are searching within the Images tab on Google, Yahoo or Bing).
  
  We live in a collaborative online environment; however, finding the perfect image is a little bit more complicated than a quick Google search, and copy and paste.
  
  Below are tips and resources to help you find that killer image for your blog post, without violating copyright laws.

  Free Photos Using Creative Commons

  Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that lets creators grant copyright permissions to their creative work. Using Creative Commons’ free copyright licenses, authors and artists are able to specify how the public can share, use, repurpose and/or remix their work, as well as assign attribution requirements.
  
  For example, some licenses allow only noncommercial use, while others restrict the public from modifying or remixing the creative piece. (See a full breakdown of Creative Commons’ licenses.)
  
  By 2008, an estimated 130 million Creative Commons licenses had been issued. By searching this database, organizations can find free creative materials that they can legally reuse, as long as proper attribution guidelines are followed.

  Searching for Images

  The following sites enable you to search for Creative Commons’ material:

  Creative Commons Search

  Creative Commons Search provides you with eight options to search for creative items: Google (Web), Google (Image), Yahoo (Web), Flickr (Image), Blip.TV (Video), jamendo (Music), WikiMedia Commons (Media) and SpinXpress (Media).
  
  This search feature is a great time-saver, as you can type in one search term in the bar and then search all eight sites at once, making for easy and fast searches of multiple sites for specific terms.
  

  Flickr Creative Commons

  Use Flickr Creative Commons to search for publicly available images by following these steps: Type a query into the search bar and hit “Search;" Click on “Advanced Search;” Select “Only search within Creative Commons material” at the bottom of the screen, as well as “Find content to use commercially” and/or “Find content to modify, adapt, or build upon,” if applicable.

  Google Image Search

  Google’s Image Search allows you to search for images within Creative Commons by using its advanced search feature. Once on this page, use the Usage Rights drop-down menu to select one of the following (depending on your needs): labeled for reuse, labeled for commercial reuse, labeled for reuse with modification or labeled for commercial reuse with modification.

  Image Attribution

  Once an image is found, be sure to review its attribution requirements. Creative Commons Copyrights will have a copyright icon and a link along the right side of the image.
  
  The link will then take you to a Web page that says how that creative can be used and under what conditions (i.e. not for commercial use, can’t be remixed).  For example, check out the usage page for the image in this blog post.
  
  The image will likely require attribution. To do this, include a photo credit that links to the creator’s page or Website (see the bottom of this post for an example), and then link the photo itself to the creator’s page or Website.

  Purchasing Photos

  If you can’t find the perfect image through Creative Commons, or you're looking for a hassle-free solution, consider purchasing royalty-free images. One affordable way to do this is through iStockPhotos. Images suitable for blog posts can cost as little as $0.95-$1.90 each.
  
  Note: If purchasing from iStockPhotos, the extra small photos are typically ideal for blog post images.

  Spice Up Your Blog Posts with Images

  Using the tips above, you can use other people's images to enhance the visual appeal of your blog posts without worrying about copyright infringement. Just, be sure to only use pictures approved for reuse and to provide proper attribution. When in doubt, ask the owner of the image.

  Or, for you adventurous souls out there, there's always the option of taking your own photos.

  Tracy DiMarino is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.
  

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  Photo Credit: AllyAubry
  
  

• 7 Steps to Build a Blog Subscriber Base

  By Lyndsey Frey | Posted Feb 4, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing, Social Media

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  (This is part 2 of a 2-part blog series on building readership for a new corporate blog)
  

  Just 12 years ago, the word “blog” didn’t even exist (It was coined by Peter Merholz of Peterme.com in 1999 from the word Weblog.).

  Today, professionals, companies and organizations alike are using blogs to effectively reach and influence their audiences, build inbound links, boost search-engine rankings, drive Website traffic and position themselves and their organization as an industry thought leader.

  In fact, a recent blog study by HubSpot showed that the Websites of companies that blog receive 55 percent more visitors, and have 97 percent more inbound links and 434 percent more indexed pages than the Websites of companies that do not.

  

  But a blog is only successful if it has an audience to read and share the information with their networks. Again, think content + community. The key to driving traffic and building a strong subscriber base is to continually publish fresh, relevant and link-worthy content that is optimized to get found.

  Once you complete the steps to promote your blog, which are outlined in the first post of this two-part series, “6 Steps to Promote your New Blog,” follow the actions listed below to start driving traffic and building subscribers.

  Step 1: Optimize blog posts to get found.

  A blog is one of the greatest tools for your Website to rank better for key terms on search engines through regularly publishing keyword-rich content. Below are crucial steps to follow when optimizing each post.

  • Optimize Post Titles: Make sure to use priority keywords in blog post titles whenever appropriate. In most blog platforms, the post’s title will become the main headline (<H1> tag), URL and page title of that post’s page — some of the main aspects of keyword optimization that search engines evaluate.
  • Integrate Keywords in Copy: Priority keywords should be integrated into each blog post’s body copy and bolded, if appropriate. Search engines give a little more weight to terms that are bolded within a Web page or blog post.
  • Create <H> Tags: Create subheads, or <H2>, <H3>, etc. tags, within each post using priority keywords. <H> tags are weighted more heavily than other page copy by search engines.
  • Include Tags and Categories: If possible, tag each post with the topics that describe it best, using priority keywords. This way, more content will be associated with these keywords, and search engines will better understand what each post is about.

  Keep in mind that readability should always be the main priority — if a keyword does not make sense for a particular section of the blog listed above, don’t use it. In other words: always optimize for readers first and search engines second.

  Step 2: Include a clear call to action to encourage subscriptions.

  Once you can successfully drive traffic to your blog, keep them coming back for more. Include a clear call to action on your blog homepage and each individual post to encourage subscriptions. Some examples may include: “Subscribe by Email” or “Subscribe by RSS.”

  

  To enable RSS subscriptions, you’ll likely need to set up a feed for your blog. For a reliable free option, check out Feedburner for step-by-step instructions and additional information.

  Step 3: Link to additional resources in each post.

  Within each post, be sure to cite and link to additional resources, as well as other blogs that cover topics relevant to your readers. It will help establish your blog as a trusted resource and help other influencers become aware of your blog. Remember, when linking to other sites, use descriptive anchor text.

  Step 4: Identify and encourage guest blogging opportunities.

  More than one blog author to plan and write posts can keep a blog from sounding exhausted. Consider using multiple contributors at your organization, and invite relevant authors of other blogs, thought leaders in your industry or professionals in your network to write guest posts. Not only will it bring in new readership from the guest authors’ networks, it will establish goodwill and relieve internal pressures to write a post each week. 

  To stay on track and manage several bloggers, consider appointing a blog editor or someone in charge of the blog’s content and posts.

  Step 5: Interact with your audience.

  Don’t ignore your audience. Respond to your readers’ comments and engage with them socially. Add a ReTweet button on each post, and use your Facebook Wall to interact with your fans and blog readers. 

  Step 6: Drive traffic to your blog.

  This step alone is worth an entire blog post, and SEOmoz has a great oldie but goodie: “21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic.”

  Executing a combination of tactics from this post, as well as the steps outlined in this two-part blog series, will be a surefire way to drive traffic to your blog.

  Step 7: Install analytics tracking codes.

  Install analytics to track your blog’s traffic, referrers, search engine rankings and more. Pay attention to those blog posts that result in traffic spikes so you can better tailor your content to your audiences’ specific interests.

  Google Analytics is a great solution to dig deeper into your site’s traffic patterns and blogging effectiveness, and better yet, it’s free!

  What steps have you taken to encourage subscriptions or to drive traffic to your blog? Use our comment section to offer additional information and resources that you’ve found effective in promoting your blog.

  Additional Resources:

  Blog.grader.com
  Hubspot’s Blogging for Business kit
  Technorati’s 2009 State of the Blogosphere
  SEOMoz’s 21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic

  Blog Series: Extending your Reach Through Blogging

  6 Steps to Promote your New Blog
  7 Steps to Build a Blog Subscriber Base

   

  Lyndsey Frey is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @lyndseyfrey

  Subscribe to receive the PR 20/20 blog by email or RSS feed.

• 6 Steps to Promote your New Blog

  By Lyndsey Frey | Posted Feb 3, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing, Social Media

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  (This is part 1 of a 2-part blog series on building readership for a new corporate blog)
  
  You’ve built and designed your blog, assigned and trained your bloggers, developed an editorial calendar, optimized your blog with priority keywords, and finally got your blog launched. What a relief!
  
  Now, you’re probably wondering, “How do I promote my blog and build subscribers?” Think content + community.
  
  

  

  The content you’re publishing must be relevant, link-worthy and optimized to get found. Even then, if the content is extremely relevant and informative, and speaks directly to your audience, without a community to read it and share it, your blog will go nowhere fast.
  
  Therefore, the combination of quality content and community will be key to building a strong readership and subscriber base.
  
  So, before you do anything, make sure you post a few link-worthy blog articles to give first-time visitors a sense of your style, content focus and purpose. Remember, you only get one chance for a good first impression.
  
  From there, take the steps outlined below to spread the word and build awareness for your blog. Then, stay tuned for our next post, “7 Steps to Build a Blog Subscriber Base.”

  Step 1: Tell your professional network.

  Use the power of your colleagues, industry contacts and professional network to spread the word about your blog. Give them the opportunity to connect with you through your blog, and then ask them to share it with their networks if they find the articles interesting. Encourage your colleagues to share it with prospects and customers if and/or when the content is relevant to them.

  Step 2: Submit your blog to Technorati.

  Submit your blog URL to relevant blog search engines, such as Technorati, a blog and social-media search engine that tracks and indexes what’s popular in the blogosphere, to begin building authority.
  
  You must join Technorati (free membership) to submit, or claim, your blog, store favorites and use other features. Simply fill out the form and click “Join.” From there, you can add biographical information, upload a photo, include keywords into your watch list and, of course, claim your blog.
  
  Below are steps to claim your blog on Technorati:

  • From Technorati’s homepage, click edit next to your account name.
  • Click the Blog tab.
  • Enter the URL of your blog’s homepage, and then click “Begin Claim.”
  • Follow the posting instructions and then click “Release the Spiders.” This will activate your claim.
  • Once your claim is verified, you can customize the information about your blog.

  Step 3: Submit your blog to relevant blog directories.

  It’s important to submit your blog to several directories to provide additional avenues for people to find your blog, and also to build inbound links and drive traffic. Most blog directories will allow you to select a topic or product focus. Though there are hundreds available, here are a few links to the prominent free blog directories:

  • Blogarama
  • Bloggapedia
  • BlogFlux
  • SuperBlog
  • MyBlogLog

  In addition, many industries have specific blog directories, so be sure to do your research on what might be most appropriate for your company blog.

  Step 4: Distribute an optimized press release.

  Develop and distribute an optimized press release to announce your blog launch, and detail the content focus of it. Optimized press releases are keyword-rich marketing tools designed to generate inbound links to your Website, while reaching mainstream media, social media and consumers. That’s why it’s important to imbed links back to your blog and specific posts mentioned in the release.

  Step 5: Promote through your social networks.

  Announce the launch of your blog through your social networks, and provide links back to individual posts. Also, be sure social media icons are included with each post to make it easy for readers to share content.

  

  In addition, take advantage of your social networks. Post Tweets of your posts, and incorporate blog feeds into your profiles where applicable. For example, with blog applications by Facebook and LinkedIn, posts can automatically feed into your company page every time a new blog post is published. Though some networks, such as Facebook, don’t link the reader back to your site with this feature, it does offer another venue to connect with your audience.

  Step 6: Introduce your blog on company collateral.

  Where appropriate, include your blog URL on all company collateral, especially your Website. Add a link or feed to your blog on your homepage, and consider also incorporating relevant posts on your products/services pages. This way, you can provide visitors with additional information about the specific product or service in which they are interested.
  
  Also, be sure to include a link to your blog on your business cards, email signature, product/service sell sheets, order forms, etc. If you send out an email newsletter, add teasers for recent blog posts that are relevant to your readers and link to them. 

  What Next?

  Visit us on Thursday for the second post in this series, “7 Steps to Build a Blog Subscriber Base.” In the meantime, use our comment section to offer additional information and resources that you’ve found effective in promoting your blog.

  Additional Resources:

  Blog.grader.com
  Hubspot’s Blogging for Business kit
  Technorati’s 2009 State of the Blogosphere
  SEO’s Magic Bullet
  What Your Blog May Be Missing
  
  

  Lyndsey Frey is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @lyndseyfrey

  
  Subscribe to receive the PR 20/20 blog by email or RSS feed.

• What Your Blog May Be Missing

  By Laurel Miltner | Posted Jan 29, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing, Management, Social Media

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  Keeping your company blog regularly updated with quality, buyer persona-driven content can be a major differentiator between a successful and unsuccessful blog.

  But with busy schedules and already-long hours, how can you ensure that the additional responsibility of blogging is kept up with? Certainly, one option is to have multiple contributing bloggers. However, this also comes with a downside: watered-down responsibility. With multiple authors, each individual blogger can more easily become complacent, and expect others to take more responsibility for regularly writing and publishing new posts.

  So how can you combat this apathy? By appointing a Blog Editor.

  

  What is a Blog Editor?

  Much like the editor of a traditional media outlet, a blog editor is simply the person in charge of a blog’s content. It is his or her job to ensure that blog articles are posted on a regular basis, consistent with company messaging, and that all authors are pulling their weight with regular contributions.

  Your blog editor may or may not be a contributing blogger, but must have a strong understanding of your blog’s objectives, audience and focus. He or she should be organized, authoritative, and respected by all blog contributors and willing to step in when needed to keep the blog running smoothly.

  Editor’s Responsibilities

  • Keep a blog editorial calendar, with planned (and approved) blog post topics for each author, along with deadlines and publishing dates. 

  • Remind bloggers when their deadline is coming up.

  • If for any reason someone is unable to complete a post on time, find another blogger to fill in or swap dates.

  • Proof all blog posts prior to publishing.

  • Make sure that overall brand messaging remains consistent, ensure that no company or customer information is being shared without approval, check for grammatical errors and keyword integration, and suggest categories and tags for optimization and consistency.

  • Remember that most readers will scan a post first, so it should be laid out with paragraphs, subheadings, and bulleted or numbered lists when possible.

  • Provide a final edit after a blog post has been uploaded and saved as a draft before publishing. Check for errors one last time, and ensure that the overall formatting looks nice, without any strange text wrapping, breaks or cutoff images.

  • When a new post is published, promote it on company social networks, and encourage the blog author to do the same on their personal (professional) accounts. 

  • Keep a log of when posts are published, so that you can start to tie spikes in traffic or leads to blog activity.

  • Subscribe to your blog by both RSS and email. Make sure that feeds work properly and consistently.

  • Review blog comments, and ensure that the author responds when appropriate.

  • Help to identify opportunities outside your own blog. For example, encourage your blog authors to post comments on great articles on others’ blog posts in their area of expertise. Reach out to other industry bloggers who might make a good guest blogger on your own.

  • Keep track of the blog’s overall performance through analytics and social chatter. Let your bloggers know what kind of content is most popular and resonates best with target audiences in different ways. (For example: what kind of content is most popular on Twitter, generates the most comments, gets “liked” on Facebook, gets Stumbled or bookmarked, generates quality traffic that converts to leads, etc.)

  • Acknowledge and reward bloggers when they reach milestones. (Such as their first comment or Stumble, a major influx in traffic, a new customer that recognizes a specific blog post as their decision-maker, etc.)

  • Adjust future topics and blog content based on what your readers want to see.

  Do you have an editor for your company blog?

  How does that person keep content flowing, and keep everyone excited about the blog’s performance?

   

  Laurel Miltner is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm (where she also happens to be the blog editor). Follow Laurel on Twitter @laurelmackenzie.
  
  

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  Photo credit: Wikipedia

• SEO's Magic Bullet

  By Keith Moehring | Posted Jan 27, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing, Search Marketing, Social Media

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  The concept of a Magic Bullet is an intriguing one — a magical solution to solve a vexing problem without the fear of any side effects. This is especially true in search engine optimization, where there is so much money to be made by ranking at the top of a Google search result page for a key term.

  Well, what if I told you...

  ... Search Engine Optimization may just have a “Magic Bullet,"

  

   And it is BLOGGING.

  Half of you just stopped reading. You were ready to hear something new and exciting, and instead were given the same ole same old. Allow me to explain.

  Several months ago, SEOmoz.org released their Search Engine 2009 Ranking Factors. (For those who don’t subscribe to this blog, you’re missing out on some of the most advanced and useful thinking on the topic.)

  The 2009 Ranking Factors rate the importance of search engine ranking factors based on the opinions of 72 SEO experts. Below I’ve detailed how a blog can impact the factors ranked as “very high importance” or “high importance.”

  (It is important to note that while blogging can have a big impact on the factors below and growing your business, to have the greatest success, it should be one part of a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes search marketing, social media, content publishing, and PR. Learn more here.

  On-Page (Keyword-Specific) Ranking Factors:

  Keyword Use Anywhere in the Title Tag (Very High Importance)

  Blogging makes it simple to continuously generate new Web pages, all with keyword-rich Title Tags. In most blogging platforms, your Title Tag is taken from your headline, and if you follow SEO best practices, you are already integrating keywords here anyway.

  Keyword Use as the First Word(s) of the Title Tag (High Importance)

  This again falls in-line with writing effective headlines. By positioning your keywords near the beginning, you can easily satisfy this factor. Word of caution however, don’t get to focused on search engines when writing headlines. First and foremost, headlines should be written to catch the attention of your readers. Always be thinking user-friendly first, optimization second. Search engines are smart enough to understand what you’re optimizing around.

  Keyword Use in the Root Domain Name (High Importance)

  If your company is looking to boost its site's search engine rankings through blogging, don’t worry about this factor. For a blog to provide the maximum SEO value it must be attached to your site as a subdirectory or subdomain (i.e. www.CompanyName.com/blog or blog.CompanyName.com). The root domain name should ALWAYS be your main site.

  On-Page (Non-Keyword) Ranking Factors

  Existence of Substantive, Unique Content on the Page (High Importance)

  Blogs give you a medium to consistently publish new, original content that addresses specific subject matters. By keeping in mind your buyer personas and objectives, there is no limit to how much keyword-rich, unique content you can create.

  Recency (freshness) of Page Content (Moderate Importance)

  As Russ Jones commented in the SEOmoz post, “If Google only ranked the ‘tried and true,’ their results would be old and outdated.” A blog gives you the ability to quickly publish timely content. The more often search engines find new content, the more frequently they’ll return to your site. Every new blog post you create is another page for Google, and other search engines, to index.

  Page-Specific Link Popularity Ranking Factors
  

  Keyword-Focused Anchor Text from External Links (Very High Importance)

  At first look, it may appear that you have no influence over what anchor text people use in their links. Not exactly true. Typically, when creating links, others will use the title/headline of your post — another reason to focus on getting keywords in your headlines. Something else to keep in mind — a number of bloggers understand the value of keywords in link anchor text and may automatically integrate words you use, or even consider changing their anchor text if you ask nicely.

  External Link Popularity (quantity/quality of external links) (Very High Importance)

  The beauty of quality, useful blog content is that if you share it using the right social-media channels (i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc.), your network will spread it for you. As more people see your content, the chances of generating links increase exponentially. Always be trying to grow your reach through social media in tandem with writing good, useful blog content.

  Diversity of Link Sources (many root domains) (Very High Importance)

  This goes hand-in-hand with External Link Popularity (above). The greater your social media reach, the broader your audience of potential linkers. Consider pushing the boundaries of your niche and expanding how you can impact other topics or industries through disruptive innovation. The more you can do this, the more diverse your audience will become.

  Page-Specific TrustRank (whether the individual page has earned links from trusted sources) (High Importance)

  The Internet is full of online resources created by thought leaders expanding their industry’s thinking on a specific topic. Support your posts by citing these resources with links from within your content. If the source is using analytics, they will see any traffic coming from your post to theirs, consequently making them aware of you. If your post supports their thinking, and they find value in your content, the chance of them linking to you increases.

  Topic-Specificity/Focus on External Links Sources (whether external links to this page come from topically relevant pages/sites.) (High Importance)

  Blogging gives you the opportunity to become a thought leader. Your blog can amplify your reach to thousands of people who are interested in learning about your subject matter, many of whom are probably writing about similar topics on their own blogs. The more of a resource you are, the more your links you can expect.

  Keyword-Focused Anchor Text from Internal Links (High Importance)

  Integrate your blog posts throughout your site, whether it’s through a feed on your homepage, links on related product or service pages, links from other blog posts, or a list of posts in a media room. If you’re using a feed, your keyword-rich headlines should do the trick. If you’re linking from within page content you have complete control over what words you use as anchor text. Use your priority keywords, and consider using synonyms on different pages to expand the terms for which the search engines index your post.

  View SEOmoz’s full list of search ranking factors. See the 72 SEO experts who collaborated on this project.

  Keith Moehring is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Keith on Twitter @keithmoehring.

  Image credit - http://www.clker.com/clipart-25666.html

• What is Content Marketing?

  By Christina Capadona-Schmitz | Posted Jan 22, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing

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  Content marketing is not a new concept, but is gaining new momentum in 2010. PR 20/20 introduced it as a core element of the Inbound Marketing GamePlan released Jan. 20 (click here to download the free PDF eBook) and recognized content marketing authority Joe Pulizzi believes that we've entered the Year of Content Marketing.

  The concept has emerged in recent years due to a number of factors contributing to an increasingly competitive business environment, including: economic conditions, technological advances, focus on search engine rankings, the expansion of the social Web and the shrinking of traditional media.

  Organizations no longer have to wait for the media to tell their story, and more than that, they are starting to see the publishing of relevant, link-worthy content as the great differentiator for their brands.

  Today, content marketing services are a core part of integrated inbound marketing campaigns, and center on helping companies grow faster and smarter by outthinking, not outspending, the competition. Organizations that become their own publishers are realizing the power of generating leads, building brand loyalty and gaining new competitive advantages.

  Content Marketing Defined

  In early 2000, while working in the publishing industry, Pulizzi (@JuntaJoe) started using content marketing to describe a variety terms, including: custom publishing, custom media, customer media, customer publishing, member media, private media, branded content, corporate media, corporate publishing, corporate journalism and branded media.

  Then in 2007, Pulizzi helped to refine the concept’s identity by recognizing the five main components (or phrases) that make content marketing what it is: editorial-based, marketing-backed, behavior-driven, multi-platform and targeted.

  In 2008, marketing industry thought leaders joined the conversation and offered their thoughts:

  • "Content Marketing is the Only Marketing Left"—Seth Godin, Junta42 Blog Post: "Content Marketing is the Only Marketing Left" and 10 New Marketing Lessons (January 2008)
  • “Content marketing, in my definition, is the ability to produce useful and entertaining information that is worthwhile on its own, but that might also be useful towards a sale or subsequent action.”—Chris Brogan How Content Marketing Will Shake the Tree (August 2008)

  In 2009, Pulizzi released the book “Get Content Get Customers-Turn Prospects into Buyers with Content Marketing" with co-author Newt Barrett, and the Content Marketing Playbook eBook with with Jonathan Kranz.

  Pulizzi's defintion can be found on the Junta42 resources page. 

  • “Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience - with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
  • Or the Twitter-friendly version:“Content marketing is the creation and distribution of valuable, compelling content to attract, acquire and engage a target audience.”

  Content Marketing Activities

  As mentioned earlier, content marketing has become the great differentiator — a sustainable competitive advantage that enables businesses to separate themselves, while driving acquisition (leads) and retention (loyalty).

  At its core, content marketing activities include the production and publishing of creative, compelling and relevant content, including, but not limited to:

  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • Case studies
  • Custom print magazines
  • Desktop applications
  • Digital magazines
  • eBooks
  • Email newsletters
  • Microsites
  • Mobile applications
  • Press releases
  • Print newsletters
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Wikis

  Content + Community
  

  Content marketing alone will not generate leads and loyalty, but it can help an organization enhance its positioning as a thought leader and innovator, connect with audiences in a more authentic and personal way, and directly impact its Website’s search engine rankings and traffic.

  While many understand the benefits of investing in the production of captivating content pieces, without community building activities, established distribution channels, and the internal commitment to a long-term strategy, the content will not travel far beyond the place it is published on the Web.  

  By seeing content marketing as the lifeblood of an inbound marketing strategy, feeding off the strength of the brand, Website, social media and search marketing strategies, and pumping new life into traditional PR, advertising and marketing campaigns, marketers can monitor and track measurable results of their investments, and use this data to continually adjust strategies to meet the changing demands of their audiences.

  While content marketing may not be a new idea, the way that marketers have begun to embrace it as a fundamental part of their 2010 plans is of great interest to our agency. Look for more on content marketing throughout the year, and please share your thoughts and resources, and what areas you’d like to learn more about.

  Capadona-Schmitz is assistant vice president and consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. She can be found on Twitter @ChristinaCS.

• 7 Ways to Take Control of Your Brand in 2010

  By Laurel Miltner | Posted Dec 30, 2009 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Content Marketing, Internet Marketing

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  In 2009, it came to the forefront that the advent of social media had applications outside of connecting with friends and building personal networks. Businesses began to take advantage of the social Web by expanding their online presences and attempting to make deeper connections with their customers, employees and other target audiences.

  However, it’s also become abundantly clear that just as businesses can have a greater voice through online tools and applications, so can the everyday Joe or Jane.  Today, if the stars align just right, a single person can have a major affect on a brand’s reputation.

  

  She didn't give a damn... but you should.

  Sometimes, this can work to your brand’s advantage.  Like when Chris Brogan decides he loves your product and wants to share it with his massive number of followers.  Or, for example, when a single employee makes an extra effort that moves your customer so much she decides to blog about it, and the word spreads like wildfire.

  However, there are also times when people will say negative things about your brand and their experience with it.  These voices, whether internal or external, can cause waves of crisis before you even see it coming.  We’ve seen several examples of this over the past year: from the Dominos gross-out, to Motrin moms, to United Airlines breaking guitars, to people getting fired for dissing their job on social networks.

  Even if negative comments don’t spread widely, the presence of a large amount of small negative comments can harm your brand and your bottom line, particularly when they get indexed by search engines, or appear on product review sites. Honestly,  when was the last time you purchased a product online without first searching for information and reading the reviews?

  So, the question becomes: in a world where everyone has a voice, how do you handle the negative comments people share about your brand?

  1. Listen.

  We often speak to clients about approaching online behavior in three phases: monitor, participate, publish.  If nothing else — even if your company isn’t ready or willing to participate in online conversations — in today’s world it is imperative to have some kind of monitoring in place, to understand what people think about your brand. 

  Even if your company isn’t active on social networks, chances are that your employees and customers are — and they just may be talking about your culture, products or services.

  You can mash together free tools, such as Google Alerts and RSS feeds of Twitter searches, or you can opt for a more robust, paid solution like Radian6. Either way, if you don’t know what people are saying about you, you’re sunk before you’ve even jumped in the water.

  Now that you know what people think, why not take their advice? If you see a common complaint or suggestion, do something about it. Make consumer-recommended product improvements, or host a company-wide meeting to address previously unknown service issues.

  2. Let cooler heads prevail.

  If you’re passionate about what you do, it may infuriate you to see an employee post a negative review about working at your company, or to see that a customer is complaining about the service they received — especially when these situations are out of your control — when you know there were other factors at play. However, deleting negative comments or joining in the negative banter will get you nowhere fast. 

  3. Develop a social media policy, and encourage participation.

  For internal purposes, developing a social media policy can help to set guidelines for employees’ social media participation.  If you’ve developed a great company and culture, trust that your colleagues are happy to do what they do — ask them to share it online. 

  Allow employees to share their professional experiences with their personal networks through blogs, photos, videos and status updates.  Passionate people are going to do this anyway in person – why not document it online for the world to see?

  A social media policy can also put support mechanisms in place for helping employees understand what information they can and can’t share online, what times social media participation is appropriate, and what the ramifications may be if they step outside these boundaries.

  4. Be the best customer service representative you can be (whether you work in customer service or not).

  If you see someone complaining about a bad brand experience onsite or by phone, don’t you talk to them about it? Why should it be different online? Reach out to the naysayers, ask them what the problem is and see if there is anything you can do to help.  Turn their negative experience into a positive one through your proactive approach to improving their interactions with your brand.

  5. Publish your own content.

  Develop a content marketing strategy, and start developing multi-media content that is highly relevant to your target audiences. Consider the following:

  Start a company blog. Write articles and eBooks that your potential buyers will find useful and want to share. Work with your happiest customers to develop case studies about their experience that you can share online. Post photos and videos from around the office and at industry events. Interview people that you think are smarter than you — record these and use the audio for a podcast, post a quick video, and write about it.

  While you can’t control people’s perceptions of your brand, you can certainly work to influence them, and build your reputation by publishing content.

  6. Understand that you can’t always win.

  I can’t think of a single brand that has a 100% positive reputation. There will be times when things fall through the cracks, and there will always be negative Nancys and Neds who just want to complain online because they can — especially when they can do so anonymously.

  If your company is doing its best, providing the best products and services you’re capable of, hiring the right people and making ethical business decisions, you need to trust that the community you’ve built will stand behind you.

  If you give the majority of people great brand experiences, whether they be employees or customers, and offer ways for them to share these perceptions online (whether through online reviews, blog posts or simple comments on social networks), I can all but guarantee that these are the attributes that will stick out when people look for you online.  Bury the naysayers with your positivity. Just do it authentically.

  7. Put in the hard work.

  I know… you’re busy. We’re all busy. Most of us are already trying to squeeze 50+ hours of work into a 40-hour workweek.  But this is how people interact today, and to survive and thrive, you have to adapt.  I challenge you to make it your goal in 2010 to, at the very least, start listening to what people have to say about your brand online, and put a basic social media policy in place.

  Go to http://www.google.com/alerts and set up email or RSS feeds for your company name.  If you’re feeling ambitious, also include your name, any major product names, your CEO’s name and your main competitors.  See what people think about you, and how you stand up against others in the industry.

  Lastly, Remember:

  Even though it might seem a daunting task at first, making your business the best it can be, and keeping your employees, customers and other stakeholders happy was the plan from day one, right?  Didn’t you always want to be the best?  Didn’t you start your company, or choose your career path, in hopes of being the industry leader? Now just may be the perfect time to refocus on that, and make it happen.

  Laurel Miltner is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Laurel on Twitter @laurelmackenzie.
  

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  (Image courtesy of Blackheart Records)

• Cut Through Content Clutter

  By Christina Capadona-Schmitz | Posted Dec 17, 2009 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing

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  There is no disputing the value of great content and its importance to an organization's marketing strategy. But we have entered an era in which the Internet is being flooded with "fast food content," as described by Michael Arrington in a recent TechCrunch article. To help break through the clutter, you need to make your copywriting highly relevant, focused, creative and technically sound.

  Copywriting is the use of words to promote a person, business, opinion or idea. Think about the copy you read, including Web content, and notice that strong writing doesn’t always mean dazzling readers with jargon (i.e. Gobbledygook). It’s the pieces that speak direct to the audiences, and offer something to take away, that drive readers to take action and share with others.

  3 Tips to Strengthen Your Copywriting

  Know Your Purpose

  It may seem obvious, but with so much content being published, it is important to set objectives for your writing. Whether to inform and educate, fulfill a need, answer or ask a question, share new ideas, generate leads, or create an emotional connection, write with purpose and prompt readers to take the desired action.

  Make it Relevant

  Strong copywriting is relevant (i.e. has value, addresses needs) to the audience it is intended to reach and the publishing medium. Relevancy is not based solely on the understanding of readers and platforms, but through the research and discovery work done to create the piece. Length parameters are not as important when highly relevant content is being presented.

  Be Style-Conscious and Consistent

  • Concise & Powerful – Time and space constraints, combined with ever-decreasing attention spans, warrant the need for concise and powerful content. Writers can find success completing ideas in as few words as necessary, using plain language, and reducing Gobbledygook, idioms, slang, clichés and jargon. You can grade your content at the Gobbledygook Grader.
  • Tone – Writing tone should match the purpose of the piece, from formal to casual, serious to light, or positive to negative. Consistency is key unless a strategic change in tone supports the goal of the piece.
  • Format – Whether it is a technical, creative, or a philosophical piece, the style format should not be hard to identify, and should fit the audience.
  • Reading level – Work to write to the level of potential readers, and keep the level in mind throughout the piece.
  • Consistent in person and voice – Strong writing uses an active voice to create a personal connection, and offers consistency when writing in first, second or third person.

  What else?

  I’ve offered a few guidelines, but what else can copywriters do to differentiate their work from the mass content being published?

   

  

  For more resources on making copywriting concise and powerful, view David Meerman Scott's Web Ink Now blog post Top Gobbledygook phrases used in 2008 and how to avoid them.

  Capadona-Schmitz is an assistant vice president and consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. She can be found on Twitter @ChristinaCS.
  

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