by Leonie Seysan | Dec 10, 2018 | Blog Writing, Business Strategy, Content Marketing, SEO Tips, Traffic Generation
One of the questions I’m asked most often by SME owners and marketing managers is: “How often should we publish on our blog?” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. If you’re just starting out, my advice will normally be: publish one or two articles a month until you’re able to see that your strategy is working, and your articles are reaching and resonating with your audience. On the other hand, if you’ve been publishing articles for some time, but aren’t getting the desired results, I’d recommend reviewing your content strategy before you worry about the number of articles you’re publishing. Some people are surprised when I recommend publishing so few articles. Once the decision is made to start publishing, they want to maximise the result, and are often considering a blog publishing schedule of 8+ articles a month. The problem with this, is that if you’re publishing quality in-depth articles and paying a writer or a content marketing agency to create them, that’s a substantial outlay. And it will be wasted if your articles aren’t finding an audience or aren’t resonating well with the desired audience. You can’t maximise the result until you know you’re getting one. The good news is that once you are confident your content is working and contributing to your bottom line, you’ll be able to review your content budget and turn up the dial to increase those results. The key to getting results with a business blog There are two key factors I find are often overlooked by businesses just starting out with their blog. When one or both are missed, the chance... 
by Simon Jones | Nov 30, 2018 | Business Strategy, Content Marketing, Marketing Online, Traffic Generation
If your content doesn’t resonate with the right audience, or if your ideal clients aren’t enticed by your offering, it’s time to develop a content marketing strategy or review your existing content strategy. There’s truth in the saying that without strategy, execution is useless. Even though 91% of Australian marketers employ content as a marketing tool, only 46% of them say their organisation has a documented content strategy in place to manage it as a business asset. To get the most out of your content investment, a solid content strategy could be exactly what you need to turn things around. What is a content strategy? A content or ‘content marketing’ strategy focuses on four key steps: strategising, planning, implementing and reviewing. This type of strategy encapsulates the entire content cycle – the who, what, when, how and why – in order to identify the right audiences, perfect your brand messaging and ultimately create high-quality content that will generate quantifiable results. A strategy can be developed in-house if you have the expertise, but it’s a task often outsourced to a content marketing agency, where an experienced content strategist can manage the project. If your current approach isn’t based on a sound strategy, here are 3 ways it could be costing you a fortune. 1. You’re throwing money at PPC PPC (pay-per-click) marketing is essentially a way to ‘buy’ visits to your site rather than generating visits organically. It’s one form of search engine advertising, where you bid for ad placements in a search engine like Google’s sponsored links. Thanks to its simplicity, it’s highly popular. However, this simplicity can be a... 
by Andrew Shaw | Nov 19, 2018 | Business Strategy, Content Marketing, Marketing Online
Have you ever clicked off a video because the presenter just seemed too fidgety? Too wooden? Too arrogant? Too timid? Video presentation is a great skill to learn, especially if you’re an executive or a business owner. Your manner, how you speak and how you dress are examined minutely, much more so than in real life. That’s because viewers are accustomed to watching professional actors and TV presenters, so they have high expectations of anyone who appears on their smartphone or TV screens. Whether you’re creating your videos for content marketing or training purposes, here are 4 tips to help you become a confident presenter. You are what you wear First impressions count for a lot, and are based on appearance. Even before you open your mouth, some people have made up their minds about you. The trick is to simply be yourself. Wear what you would normally wear when meeting with a client, not what you would wear to a special occasion. If the head of a not-for-profit organisation appears in a Chanel suit and pearl necklace, it might raise questions about her organisation’s priorities. (If you’re the editor of Vogue, it’s a different story.) Avoid wearing fabric with tight patterns, especially stripes and checks. Through the magic of television, these can cause a weird optical effect called a moiré pattern, where the fabric appears to ripple when you move. Don’t buy anything new for the video presentation – wear something familiar. You don’t want to discover that your new jacket is too tight around the chest just as you step in front of the camera. Speaking tips... 
by Steve Crowe | Oct 23, 2018 | Business Strategy, Content Marketing
It’s a sign of the times. Cosmopolitan, the iconic lifestyle magazine for (mostly) women, will cease publishing in December after 45 years. It joins a long list of magazines considered no longer financially viable. But do brand magazines still work? Our increasingly digital lives have put paid to traditional publishing – at least that’s the reason usually touted for the life-threatening struggle of magazines. What was once read on paper is now readily available in myriad sites online. Not so fast. Some mastheads haven’t survived the onslaught of digital media, but others are bucking the trend. Many brands still swear by magazines, which continue to achieve their aim of staying in touch with customers, engaging staff, and driving demand for products. Magazines can still play an integral role in a brand’s marketing strategy, delivering a tangible link with customers that no other medium has yet subsumed. Brand magazines for customers Goals of brand magazines may vary, but building customer loyalty is typically a primary objective. They can help to cross-sell and up-sell, keep people up to date with new product or service developments, and contribute to brand image. And the strategy goes back further than you might think. Porsche sold its first sports cars in 1948. By 1952 the company had produced issue one of Christophorus magazine for Porsche owners. It has produced five issues per year ever since, and now boasts a global circulation of 514,000 for its 100-plus-page publication in 11 languages. Issue 388 is currently available. This is one of many examples – in fact, brand magazines are considered by many to be content marketing in its... 
by Leonie Seysan | Aug 2, 2018 | Content Marketing, Content Writing, Inbound Marketing
A content preferences survey in 2017 found that 78% of buyers prefer to use case studies over all other types of content when researching purchases. It’s easy to understand why they are such a valuable content format, but as many marketing managers could attest, the process of creating case studies them can be challenging. If you haven’t created case studies before, or you have but found the process challenging, I hope our seven tips below will make the task easier. Why do case studies work so well? A case study provides an overview of a positive business transaction with a client. Unlike a testimonial, it’s not just a review or report from a customer who supports your business. Instead, the goal is to offer a detailed account of how you were able to successfully solve a problem your client faced. Case studies can attract new customers and build trust in your business. They provide evidence that you care about the problems your clients face and find solutions. A good case study also breaks down the process for potential clients, familiarising them with the steps they may go through when working with your business. No matter what stage of the buyer journey potential clients are in, they can be drawn to the useful detail found case studies: Awareness Stage: How the client came upon your business and what sort of problems needed to be solved can resonate with readers facing similar situations. Consideration Stage: Details on your approach and any specific strategies you created for a client can appeal to potential customers with similar needs. Decision Stage: Reading how... 
by Tess Oliver | May 16, 2018 | Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing
Marketers, ever on the lookout for unique ways to make an impact, sometimes attempt to including humour in marketing campaigns. Sometimes it works well. Other times…not so much. Here are four examples where marketers have tried to bring the funny – you be the judge! Humour in marketing – don’t get burnt! The Perth suburb of Cockburn might be pronounced ‘Coburn’, but a local aquatic centre used the way it’s spelt to create a sunscreen awareness sign that said, “It’s not called Cockburn for nothing”. While some people were not amused, others saw it as a clever way to draw attention to an important issue. Certainly demonstrates that your message can hit home, or not – depending on who’s listening! Daylight robbery When robbers broke into Ksubi’s New York store and stole $4,000 worth of clothing, the brand used an image of their getaway with the slogan “These guys robbed us last week but they were a week early….. Run Now” to promote their upcoming sale. Shows they have a sense of humour about the robbery. On the other hand, it could show their approach to being robbed is a bit too laid back – depending on how you look at it. Going too far? Brisbane brand YP Threads sent out emails to users saying it had ‘incriminating’ photos of them which they would publish unless they bought certain items. In the age of online hoaxes and fraud schemes, this probably wasn’t the best idea! The backlash led to the brand’s founder calling it a “bad judgement call” and apologising. Despite all that however, it appears the campaign...