Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Ibotta launches 'first app-to-app affiliate program'
Moving beyond its previous playing field, the mobile shopping app is announcing customer cashback rewards for making purchases in other apps.
Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
Facebook pressures advertisers to cut mobile page load speeds or it'll cut their reach
Facebook wants to make mobile ad links load faster so it will start pre-loading them and push advertisers to make them load even quicker.
Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
5 Strategies to Entice Consumers to Binge-Watch Your Product Videos
Continue watching.
These two words are infamous in the world of video streaming. When consumers are hooked, they want more to watch.
“Content marketers should consider the binging trend a sort of case study. All of the elements that make us binge are lessons,” says Kari Matthews, a content writer for technology companies.
“We can do what these [television] shows do, in our own way, in our own industries, to make the most of our content and build our brands.”
Work with your team to engage customers with binge-worthy product videos. Get them excited about your brand and ecommerce services.
Try these five strategies below to entice your consumers.
1. Cater to Diverse Audiences
Normally, experts suggest creating content to serve a select group of people. But when it comes to product videos, you may want to take a different approach.
You want your content to be shareable. So, it must serve several different audiences. And that includes people who will never purchase your product.
“Remember that not everybody who buys, buys today, not everybody who consumes content shares it, and not everybody who shares content buys,” states Scott Allan, chief marketing officer at AddThis.
“Instead of focusing on capturing leads, create memorable content that customers will draw on when they or their friends are ready to make a purchase.”
So, produce content that people can share with their family and friends. Focus on moments that everyone can relate to, like laughing with friends, hosting a summer barbeque, or attending a college football game.
Below is the noteworthy Dollar Shave Club product video. Not everyone who shared this content bought the shavers, but it did go viral and reached their target audience.
If your company wants avoid vulgar language, think of your product video like a PG-rated film. For instance, most Disney movies are meant for kids to enjoy, but they have enough common themes to engage the parent.
Don't be afraid to serve more people with your videos. The goal is to spread the word.
2. Develop A Backstory
For product videos to gain your audience's attention, the content must discuss more than the product. Yes, content must go beyond talking about your company.
In other words: Tell a story that emotionally attaches people. It's all about showing your audience a new perspective. And giving them a different insight that humanizes your brand.
Studies show that “Americans alone consume over 100,000 digital words every single day, but 92% say they want brands to tell stories amongst all those words.”
The same holds true in the world of video. A written product description isn't good enough. And a video regurgitating similar information is just awful.
According to For Dummies, a “backstory refers to everything that occurred in your story's past. A character's backstory may include family background, job history, psychological condition, and any memories you create for that person from childhood on.”
Instead, bring your videos to life with characters and a plot. Give the actors names and set up an environment where the product is being used, not displayed.
That's what Amazon did when they introduced its Echo. Rather than giving consumers a run down of the product features, the eCommerce giant showcased the product's value in a simulated setting.
Get creative. Show, don't just tell consumers about your products.
3. Create Episodic Content
According to Netflix, the network's 83 million members watch more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies every day. That's a lot of time in front of a screen.
But what keeps viewers coming back for more?
One reason is access to uninterrupted content. Consumers don't need to worry about commercials. Advertisements don't get in the way of their favorite shows. Therefore, they can focus on viewing what they love the most.
Another reason is the addicting show plots. A great television show contains episodes that leave the audience wanting more. People constantly want to know what's going to happen next.
Will the main character finally locate the killer? Or will the antagonist prevail and destroy his enemies?
Episodic content has people on the edge of their seats. And that's how your team should set up product videos.
Shoot multiple videos with cliffhangers. Get consumers intrigued about your brand culture and latest product benefits.
“Episodic content enhances the credibility of your brand as people become more and more familiar with you and what you are about. This builds trust and value with your target audience,” says Kerri Ponder, a writer at Crowd Content.
One product video is fine. But a bunch can get customers hooked on your ecommerce brand.
4. Notify Customers of Updates
Your customers are busy. They have to manage both their work and home schedules.
So, sometimes certain things get forgotten. And that's perfectly fine.
That's where are your team steps in. Remind your customers of your new product videos.
There's an old marketing adage: The Rule of Seven. It says that a “prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times before they take action and buy from you.”
Create a special website pop-up telling them about new videos. Keep customers informed by sending notification emails leading up to the launch.
Your business already sends updates about new terms and conditions. Mimic the technique for product videos.
“Getting people excited about content that is perhaps not yet fully done whets their appetite and keeps them talking about you and your brand, days ahead of when your campaign or content actually is released,” writes Shanna Cook, senior social media manager at Nokia.
Like any marketing tactic, don't over do it. Reminders can become nuisances if they are sent every single day. Take a look at your internal data and set times best suited for your target audience.
Ask customers to sign up for your email list for product video announcements. There's power in notifications.
5. Offer an Instant Reward
Everyone enjoys special gifts for their efforts. Reward customers for taking the time to watch or share your video.
Customers want to be delighted. They desire instant rewards that help them today, not tomorrow. So, stay away from mail-in rebates or points that can't be redeemed today.
For example, at the end of a product video, offer a 10% promo code. And think beyond discounts. Give away exclusive access to a webinar or a free eBook.
Christian Karasiewicz, a social media marketing professional, suggests the following:
“Develop a video to showcase your expertise or further educate your viewers, then include a YouTube card that leads your audience to related material. This can be a transcription, checklist, infographic, SlideShare or downloadable PDF…”
YouTube cards are notifications that appear in your video. It's a small rectangular box at the top right corner. It gives your viewers a preview of the message. Check out the video below on how to add cards to YouTube videos.
Analyze which rewards consumers like the most. Then, start offering instant rewards for watching your product videos.
Binge-Worthy Content
On-demand video is attracting consumers to brands. The best ones hold the audience's attention and keep them engaged.
Aim to create product videos for a diverse audience. Give your videos a backstory. And notify customers of new releases.
Produce captivating product videos. Let consumers continue watching.
About the Author: Shayla Price lives at the intersection of digital marketing, technology and social responsibility. Connect with her on Twitter @shaylaprice.
Top 35 Blogging Ideas That Are Guaranteed to Be Popular
Blogging with a purpose increases market share, consumer engagement, revenue growth, and ROI. Of course, you want to do that.
I mean, just look at this:
But a lot of people I know are still stuck on the fundamental question:
What do we blog about?
For brands, the question is easy enough to answer.
You need to understand: 1) what you're selling, 2) to whom you want to sell, and 3) what blog topics are relevant to both.
For individuals or other organizations who want to start a blog to monetize, the question can be a bit trickier.
About a year ago, I came up with an idea. I wanted to show you how to generate $100,000 a month from a new blog.
I picked a topic and have been making progress toward that goal.
But what if you haven't picked a topic yet?
That's why I wrote this article. A great blog has to start with a topic.
These are the types of articles, topics, and approaches that have demonstrated massive success in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
1. Listicles
Marketers have a love/hate relationship with listicles.
They're among the most popular articles online, used by Buzzfeed, defended by the NY Times, and even discussed at this year's SXSW tech conference.
Some people think listicles lack quality. And that could be true for some of them. Listicles, like any form of content marketing, have their pros and cons.
But let's face it, people love to read listicles. It's not just a trend. It's scientifically proven!
That's why the article you're reading right now is a listicle.
2. How-tos
People generally hate reading instruction manuals. When was the last time you snuggled up with a glass of wine and the instruction manual to your toaster?
How do people figure out how to do stuff?
They Google it.
WikiHow became insanely popular based on how-to articles alone.
You might be surprised to see the kind of things people are Googling.
If you can find your niche audience, cater to their curiosities, and give them some helpful answers, you can't help but create a popular blog.
3. Politics
Politics are popular during every election year. Whether national or local, find a political topic to discuss, and join this conversation.
Politics can be dicey, however. People tend to get really polarized around political topics, so be prepared to handle some controversy.
4. Bacon
Everyone loves bacon.
Huffington Post is one of the most popular blogs online, and it has an entire archive of bacon articles.
It's not a trend going away soon, so get on board.
5. Recipes
Recipes are a great way to draw traffic to your blog.
There's always a new diet fad, e.g., today's Whole30 is yesterday's Atkins, so there's always new recipes to be discovered.
6. Beginner guides
Before you can convince someone that you know the advanced stuff, start with 101 beginner guides.
My own beginner guides have been very popular.
Everyone has to start somewhere. Beginner guides are often the way bloggers build organic search traffic at the start, and they can even be done using infographics like this guide to Sharepoint.
7. Ultimate guides
Subject matter experts, on the other hand, are always seeking out the most credible ultimate guides for their areas of expertise.
The term “ultimate guide,” however, is a bit overused. You can use some alternate terms if you want, such as these from Business Casual Copywriting:
- Essential Guide
- Complete Guide
- Uncensored Guide
- Last Guide to ____ You'll Ever Need
If you're an expert on something, creating an ultimate guide is an ultimately awesome way to do some ultimately popular blogging. 
8. Frequently asked questions
Be warned that posting answers to frequently asked questions online won't stop people from asking anyway.
They do, however, serve as a resource for people, and they are often featured on e-commerce websites-but overlooked on blogs. FAQs are blogging gold in any age.
Google's algorithm uses FAQs, questions, and other popular topics as part of its Knowledge Graph. If you're lucky, you might score a top spot in this coveted place.
9. Interviews
The best way to set yourself apart from the ocean of bloggers is to gain insight from industry experts.
Whether it's with people on your team or from other companies in the industry, set up interviews on websites like helpareporter.com to gain valuable knowledge from a professional.
10. Personal stories
While personal stories may not be the keyword-filled anchor pieces you want, they're still valuable additions to any blog.
Through sharing personal stories, you give readers a chance to relate to your business on a personal level, which helps build brand affinity.
11. Charity and activism
Any type of charitable actions, events, or activism you support should be blogged about.
Crowdfunding sites such as KickStarter, IndieGoGo, GoFundMe, and the like appeal to the good in people, and showing you're active in these communities can build your readership. Even an occasional Change.org petition can help the brand image.
12. People features
Featuring select people-customers, professionals, authorities, leaders, etc.,-is a great way to add personality to your blog and create a sense of connection.
One of the most popular blogs doing this today is Humans of New York.
Occasionally featuring a real person-including photos, quotes, and other personal information-is a great way to produce strong engagement with your audience.
13. Product reviews
Not only are product reviews a trusted resource online that will draw traffic, but they are also a revenue stream for bloggers.
If you want to monetize your blog instantly, this is a smart move.
By linking to product pages through affiliate links like Amazon Affiliates, you can monetize a blog almost entirely on product reviews. Make sure you go niche, since this provides the greatest platform for credibility and expertise.
14. Sourced news
A great way to get media attention is to report on any type of sourced news. Long before the Internet, newspapers ruled the roost, and sourced news is still appreciated by news junkies.
With the right type of curation, selection, and commentary, this is a niche you can dominate.
15. Gifs and memes
It wasn't just listicles that made Buzzfeed so popular.
Memes and gifs are widely used on the site too.
Gifs give people the experience of a video and usually provide a ton of entertainment.
16. Myth-debunking
Every industry has facts and fiction, which is why shows like Mythbusters got so popular.
We love learning what we've been doing or thinking wrong this whole time, so popular bloggers debunk myths.
17. Virtual reality
VR is a growing industry that's only going to continue getting larger as time goes on.
Analysts predict it'll reach $3 billion in investments by the end of 2016, so jumping on the bandwagon now could drive early adopter traffic.
18. Internet of things
Smart and connected devices are everywhere these days, and IoT experts blogging about IoT topics draw readers.
If you choose an IoT niche, you'll have to prove your mastery of the subject matter. The niche is full of people who know what's up.
19. Automation
For B2B businesses, automation is the buzzword of the day, so any posts regarding ways to automate something is Internet gold.
Automation, of course, is broad. You'll need to select a type of automation in order to drive truly valuable traffic.
20. Troubleshooting guides
I'm always on the lookout for reliable troubleshooting tips.
Troubleshooting guides speak to the pain many content seekers are looking to eliminate. They want to solve a problem, which is exactly what a successful troubleshooting guide will do.
21. Contests
A great way to draw interest in a blog while rewarding readers is by holding a contest.
Contests once got a bad rap as being scammy or cheap, but they are on their way back as a valuable traffic-driving technique.
24. Advice
Both Lifehacker and Lifehack rose to prominence by featuring valuable advice to readers on just about every subject.
Life advice, regardless of the subject matter, is a valued commodity.
25. Productivity tips
People want to do more faster and are always on the lookout for tools, technology, or tips to help them get more done. Productivity tips are the bread and butter of many online blogs.
26. Travel
No matter how connected we get, travel will always be a popular topic for online searches.
With 126 million passports in circulation in the U.S. today, you know people are traveling-or at least they want to.
We all want to travel somewhere exotic and new. Any advice on how to do it cheaply is always appreciated.
27. History
History lessons are a great way to fill a blog with useful information.
Long-time bloggers often get caught up on current events, so occasional forays into history help create consistent content.
28. Funny stories
There will always be a place for humor in this world.
Posts that make people laugh get shared on social networks. There's a reason why Buzzfeed, The Onion, Clickhole, and BoredPanda are among the world's most popular websites.
29. Parenting tips
There will always be parents around, and any parenting tips are appreciated.
Blogging moms have conferences and conventions around the country, teaching people to follow in their footsteps and growing a sustainable industry.
Dad bloggers are also coming into their own as popular and respected places of information.
30. Upcoming events
You can always tell when an event is coming up by the buzz in the blogosphere. Whether it's global events like the Olympics or local events like a concert or book-reading, events saturate many of the most popular online searches.
31. Internet stars
Partnering with and featuring the biggest Internet stars helps grow your following, so many content creators are partnering up in order to stay competitive. If you don't know who PewDiePie and The Fine Bros are, it's time to do some homework.
32. Tech support
Companies that offer technology services, hardware, or software will often include technical support within their blogs.
Microsoft, Google, and Facebook have extensive knowledge bases online, and they're only growing along with everyone else's.
33. Gift ideas
Right about now, blogs around the Internet are preparing holiday gift guides to help guide consumers to the right presents to buy for their colleagues, friends, and family during the holiday season.
Affiliate links can help create revenue for these cornerstone articles.
34. Best-ofs
The best ____ of 2016, the 2000s, this century, and of all time are all great articles to read.
WatchMojo built an entire business on top 10 lists, and many others are following suit. Including best-of lists focused on everything within your industry is a great way to draw reader attention.
35. Respond to readers
People have always been interested in getting advice from publications, whether it's from old-school advice columnists such as Ann Landers or new-school ones such as Dan Savage.
Responding to readers makes you a real person having a real conversation and allows you to address individual concerns to prove you care.
Conclusion
Popular topics come and go.
You might pick a technique today only to find it went into disfavor the next day. That's part of the excitement and drama of blogging. You'll deal with it, pick up your traffic, and move on.
The topics, techniques, and tactics listed above are virtually guaranteed to make you the world's most popular blogger.
Maybe you've got all the traffic you need. Maybe you have the audience you want. Maybe you're content.
But if you want to see some improvement, it couldn't hurt to try a few of these.
What blogging ideas will you be using that have the promise to be popular?
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
How to Write Better
Find Your Writing Voice
It's a pretty simple book of writing advice. The idea is that there's action in there for you and no fluff. You don't have time to read 300 pages. This is just the meat.
The post How to Write Better appeared first on chrisbrogan.com.
10 Free On-Demand Webinars Every Marketer Should Check Out
Everything in the digital marketing world seems to move at light speed. And like most things in life, just when you think you have it all figured out, everything changes.
As a result, we marketers need to stay sharp, flexible and inspired. We need to make a concerted effort to stay on top of industry news and trends in order to grow our brands and keep pace with the competition. We need to be lifelong learners-and on-demand webinars can be incredible tools to help us do all this and more.
Not only do on-demand webinars help you learn new things and refine your skill set, but because they're archived events you can listen and learn at your own pace and on your own schedule.
But with literally thousands of on-demand webinars out there, where do you start?
My best advice would be to target your most immediate learning needs and move on from there. From SEO and content to email and social media, below is a compilation of 10 free on-demand webinars that could be a great starting point.
Content Marketing
#1 – How to Be the Best Answer in Marketing: What We Learned from Analyzing 600K Posts
BuzzSumo
TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden joins BuzzSumo's Steve Rayson for a webinar to discuss what it takes to be the best answer for your audience-whenever and wherever they're searching.
You'll learn:
- The benefits of answer posts
- How to identify customer questions
- What it takes to be the best answer
- The best answer formats
- 10 elements of a good answer post
#2 – Republishing: How to Earn Greater Value from the Content You Create
Moz
You're publishing great content. But are you getting all the value you can out of that content? In this hyper-tactical Mozinar, Moz founder Rand Fishkin “will show marketers which channels and processes may be useful depending on the types of content they create and are re-purposing.”
Get more details or register to watch.
Influencer Marketing
#3 – Secrets of B2B Content Marketing Success with Influencers
Uberflip and TopRank Marketing
Influencer marketing is a hot topic in the marketing world these days. TopRank Marketing's Lee Odden joins Uberflip's Hana Abaza for this webinar dedicated to helping B2B marketers create better better content that gets shared more often, reaches more prospects and grows their influencer network.
You'll learn:
- How to identify, qualify and recruit the right influencers
- How to use the 'Attract, Engage, Convert' model for influencer and content performance optimization
- Best and worst practices when working with influencers on an ongoing basis
Get more details or register to watch.
#4 – Team Up With Social Media Influencers
Cision
Social media and influencer marketing are two powerful digital marketing tactics. But what happens when they work together? Cision's Natalia Dykyj and Stacey Miller walk you through how to use social media to build mutually-beneficial relationships with the influencers your audience trusts.
You'll learn how to:
- Grow closer to your audience by targeting key influencers
- Identify relevant contacts using the right tools
- Build rapport with social media best practices
- Get on influencers' radars by engaging across mediums
Email Marketing
#5 – Email Marketing Tips, Tricks and Trends from Brands Winning The Inbox
Content Marketing Institute
While email marketing is one of the oldest digital marketing tactics, it's still one of the most effective when it's done right. Content Marketing Strategist Jamie Bradley, of email marketing software company Emma, and CMI's Joe Pulizzi team up in this webinar to get your creative juices flowing.
You'll learn:
- How to craft signup forms, subject lines, and CTAs that actually convert
- How to combine automation and dynamic content for a more personal content strategy
- How top brands create a cohesive experience from their website to the inbox-and back again
Get more details or register to watch.
SEO
#6 – The Future of Search Engine Optimization: 5 Ways to Adapt Your Content for 2016
Content Marketing Institute
Evolution in search engines means an evolution in how marketers optimize their content for search. This webinar featuring CMI's Joe Pulizzi and Co-founder & Strategic Director of Orbit Media Andy Crestodina, will walk you through the five most important actions for aligning your efforts with the future of SEO.
You'll learn:
- How to target topics, not just phrases (Semantic Search)
- How to incorporate natural language into your content (Voice Search)
- How to make visitors happy in ways that make Google happy (User Interaction Signals)
- How to build a network that builds your links (Domain Authority)
- How to adapt to Google's Quality Rater Guidelines (Content and Design)
Get more details or register to watch.
Social Media Marketing
#7 – 10 Steps to Make Your Social Media Marketing Strategy Rock
Marketo
Two of Marketo's Social Media rockstars, Lisa Marcyes and Scott Minor, lead learners through the latest advancements in social media and give tips for leveraging each platform in a way that hits the right notes with your audience. The hour-long webinar can be watched with commentary and also has a SlideShare version to make it easy to download and reference in the future.
You'll get tips for:
- Leveraging social media to drive engagement with your audience
- Incorporating social media marketing into every stage of the buyer's journey
- Effectively measuring social media marketing to determine real business ROI
#8 – Video Goes Social: Why Video Marketing Matters-and How to Do It Right
Hootsuite
The visual nature of the human species has never been more evident than it is right now. As a result, videos are booming on social media channels right now. This Hootsuite webinar features a great lineup of speakers including: Paul Gillooly, Monster's Director of Digital Communication and Social Media, social media thought leader Mari Smith, and Hootsuite's own Senior Director of Growth Marketing & Education Cameron Uganec.
You'll learn:
- Why you need to move to a video-centric mindset for your social strategy
- Effective ways to create (and find) engaging video content to share
- How other brands are using video successfully-and what you can learn from their results
Get more details or register to watch.
Analytics
#9 – The Future of Marketing ROI-30 Minutes to Understand the Future of Marketing Analytics
Nielsen
If you're looking to discover the best way to measure the return on your marketing efforts, this webinar from Nielsen is for you. In this webinar, marketing analytics expert Josh Kowal shares findings from the Digital Media Consortium II and Nielsen's perspective on the present and future of marketing ROI analytics.
Get more details or register to watch.
Digital Advertising
#10 – How To Qualify Your PPC Traffic & Increase Conversions
Unbounce
In this webinar from Unbounce, PPC leader Brad Geddes explains how to optimize your AdWords campaigns to drive the most qualified leads possible to your landing pages.
You'll learn:
- How to optimize your ads by device
- What ad testing metrics you should use
- How to test with very little data
- How to test ads and landing pages at the same time
Get more details or register to watch.
The Takeaway: Choose to Learn
The major takeaway here is that in order to be a successful marketer, ongoing learning is key-and there are thousands of webinars out there that are ready and waiting to be watched. As New York Times best-selling author Brian Herbert wrote: “The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The willingness to learn is a choice.”
Choose to learn, marketers. You'll feel energized, confident and inspired.
Is there an on-demand webinar that you would recommend to other marketers? Share your suggestions and thoughts in the comments section below.
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The post 10 Free On-Demand Webinars Every Marketer Should Check Out appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Marketing Day: Facebook Offers, Twitter video ads & Apple's EU tax woes
Here's our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.
Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
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