Fast Marketing Minute

Writing fresh content can be challenging -- and time consuming. As an expert or authority in your field, you want to maximize all of your efforts. Double check your writing to avoid these content marketing mistakes.

5 Content Mistakes That Will Drag You Down

* Writing too much. There’s no such thing as too much content, but it’s best to focus on quality over quantity. Pumping out 100 blogs this year doesn't matter if no one cares about your topic or you’re providing ‘meh’ info. Instead concentrate on writing 25 blogs that provide value to your audience. Not sure if you do, ask them.

* Being a “yes man.” Sometimes you’ll realize half-way through writing an article or a blog that it stinks. It’s ok to put it on the back burner and pay attention to other things instead of trying to make something out of nothing. Say “no” to things that aren’t working. You can always come back later.

* Another mistake is to think you have to be an expert on a topic to write about it. It’s more important that you recognize that there’s a question begging to be answered. Research the answers and formulate it into valuable content your audience will appreciate.

* Forgetting who your reader is. Think about what your audience wants to learn and the best way to present it to them. Look at what content has performed well in the past. Consider the level of depth, voice and topics that fit your audience’s needs.

* Your writing is boring. Contribute some personality. Give it some flare. Add a dab of humor or a pop culture reference to keep attention and stop your readers from yawning.

 

I’m Robin Samora with Fast Marketing Minute. I’d love to get your feedback on my content both here and on my blog. Email me your thoughts at [email protected]. Talk tomorrow!

Filler words. We use them in our writing and don’t even realize it. I know I’m just as guilty as the next marketer. It’s a blind spot. Now, I proof everything I write, then send it to my team for a second look.

Here are a few of the worst offenders to avoid in your writing. Some don’ts:

Don’t use “really” or “very” to describe things. Get more detailed.  Instead of saying ‘very important,” check out an online thesaurus for alternate words, like “monumental” or “a cornerstone.”

Next, get rid of “I think” or “I believe.” Obviously you do, or you wouldn’t be writing it. It makes you sound unsure of yourself. You’re the authority. Write like you mean it, as the expert.

Avoid definitives. To say something “always” or “never” happens isn’t true. Instead say an event is rare or happens frequently. Better yet, quantify your findings with statements like, “it happens 7 percent of the time.” It’s more specific and interesting.

Writing passively is boring too, when you use words like “there” or “here.” Be more exact. Instead of saying “there’s an iguana in the tree,” say “a big scaly green iguana is in the tree and ready to jump in the pool.” Filler words like “here and here” are muddy content. I put in the iguana because I’m looking at one now and he may be looking for a swim.

I had a high school English teacher once tell me to look at any sentence with the word “that.” She said to read it without the “that,” and if it makes sense without it, to take it out.

Writing better is a decision like anything. To write better, you have to practice. For 5 years I’ve been writing a blog and it’s almost weekly writing religion. Now, I write for the Fast Marketing Minute every day.

This is Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Do you need help with your content? Get in touch at RobinSamora.com/contact and let’s set up a call. Talk tomorrow!

 

Every marketer knows that you should optimize content for SEO. But are you optimizing images for SEO too?

Here are 5 simple ways to get the best SEO for your images:

File formatting comes first. To keep file sizes small, resize images to between 1500 and 2500 pixels wide. Set DPI (dots per inch) or resolution to 72. If the image quality is really important, you can boost that to 100. For most images, PNG is best for the web. If you aren’t familiar with how to manually make these adjustments, you can download a plugin for your website that does it automatically and saves a ton of time.

Second, use keywords in your file names, but make sure they still fit the description of the image. Use a hyphen between words, not periods, spaces or underscores.

Third, create alt tags to help Google index your images faster. An alt tag describes the image. Use one or two keywords here also. Enter an image title too, and a caption when appropriate.

Fourth, stock images are great sometimes, but unique images are better, just like unique content is better for SEO. You want to work your way up to the zero-click result -- meaning someone finds you on Google at the top.

Lastly, add important images to your site map. It tells Google that they’re, well, important. They will be indexed first and help you rank higher.

There are plugins out there that can help you with all of this. My personal favorite for WordPress is Yoast SEO. It makes website SEO easy for everyone - from seasoned developers to novice website builders.

This is Robin Samora with Fast Marketing Minute. You can get more in-depth marketing tips like these on my Top 40 Marketing Blog, Robin’s Rainmakers. Sign up at robinsamora.com/rainmaker. Talk tomorrow!

Engagement is more important than ever on social media, especially Facebook. The more engagement you have on your page or in your group, the more likely your content is to show up in followers’ news feeds. So what do Facebook stats tell us for the coming year, and how do we get better engagement?

Video is still the most popular content by far, on Facebook and on all social platforms. If you’re tight on time to create original video, think OPV. Use other people’s video. Or consider reducing the number of posts you schedule on other channels and increase the time and quality of your own video.

For the best engagement, think the 70-20-10 rule. 70 percent of your posts should be video. 20 percent should be images, and 10 should be links. What do your ratios look like?

Time and day matter, too. Recent stats show that there’s a ton of engagement between 8 pm and 11 pm. It may seem counterintuitive to post late at night, but you may be surprised. Posting on the weekend tends to get better engagement numbers too. We’re so focused on posting during normal business hours.  Post when your audience is most active on Facebook. You’ve got the analytic tools right in front of you to see when that is.

In fact, look at all your posts over the past 3 months, 6 months or year to identify what content had the highest engagements. Figure out why and then try to replicate it. Once you figure out what your audience loves, it becomes easy to create engaging posts.

This is Robin Samora with Fast Marketing Minute. Do you need help defining your audience and getting more business? Let me create a customized marketing plan for you. Email me for more info. I’m at [email protected]. Talk tomorrow.!

 

Are outreach emails part of your marketing strategy? If they are, are they working? Some say outreach campaigns are the cold-calling of 2020, but done correctly, you’ll get a response instead of a “delete.”

Some basic rules. Don’t use “hello” as the subject line. Longer, detailed subject lines are 25 percent more likely to get a response. You’re also more likely to hear back if you email multiple people within an organization.

Personalized emails are the most effective, just don’t send the same email to everyone. Change things up by customizing the subject line and tweak the content of your email to the audience and to your ask.

As far as stats, outreach emails sent on Wednesdays get the best responses, and sending them on the weekend is just about pointless, from my point of view anyway.

Add your social media links to your email signature. It invites prospects to learn more about you and gives them an opportunity to follow you on social – to see your brand and personality in a bigger way.

In the email, you can also include links to an article you think they’d like or industry facts that affect their business. A roundup of news gets the second-best results. If you’re tracking on a CRM like HubSpot, you can see who opens your email and how many times as well. This is always valuable information.

And, if you don’t hear back, follow up. Sometimes it takes nine times to get a response.

Most importantly, you need a call to action. “Respond to this email” isn’t very exciting. Invite them to download some content. Or give them a limited time offer, creating FOMO -- fear of missing out -- resulting in clicks and hopefully, in sales.

This is Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. If you’d like to learn more about attracting your ideal customer, subscribe to my Top 40 Small Business Marketing blog at RobinSamora.com/rainmaker. Talk tomorrow!

If Google hasn’t indexed your website, you might as well not exist because no one can find you. Not so good.

First, you need to see if your site has been indexed. Do that by typing the following into your search bar on Google, “site: and then your website name.” This will tell you how many pages of your website have been indexed by Google.

If your website hasn’t been indexed, you can invite Google to index you by going to the URL inspection tool in the Google Search Console. Enter your website URL and once Google checks the address, click “request indexing.” This is a good practice to follow any time you add new content or blog posts to your website. This tells Google, “hey I added something new for you to look at.”

If you’ve done this and still aren’t getting indexed, it can be frustrating but there are a few usual culprits.

Sometimes when your site is under development, your web designer will add crawl blocks or no-index meta tags. Maybe they forgot to remove them or missed a couple before going live. Ask your designer to check your website for code that could be preventing indexing.

Then there are orphan pages. Orphan pages are pages that can’t be navigated to through your website. Having a few landing pages is fine, but delete the ones you aren’t using anymore. Have a lean website, keeping only what adds value, so Google can crawl your website faster.

This is Robin Samora with your Fast Marketing Minute. If you need help getting found by Google, send me an email at [email protected]. I have to confess, Google is my second best friend. Talk tomorrow!

 

Content is still king, emperor and the Big Kahuna all in one.  But, writing a million blogs is exhausting. Sometimes it’s challenging pumping out one per week. The good news is that there are ways to boost your SEO, without writing content. 

Here are a few ideas to check out: 

Optimize your page speed. If your site takes too long to load, people aren't going to wait. They’ll click out and look at a different result. You can check your site speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights. It will tell you exactly how to improve your site speed.

Update old content. Freshen up old blogs or webpages by updating links, changing up the copy a little, adding new stats and plugging in a few new, relevant keywords you want to be ranking for.

Build internal linking. If you have a high-traffic page, add copy links to pages that are underperforming. This allows all of your pages to receive some love, boosting the overall SEO of your entire site. The point is to link new blogs to some older, less read blogs. It’s good for the reader and for Google.

Last but not least, customize your snippets. Tools like Yoast can help you with this if it’s not a built-in feature on your website. Just be sure to create a catchy SEO Title and the right meta description. 

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Are you looking to build your business with straight marketing advice? Let’s set up a time to connect. I’m at RobinSamora.com/contact. Talk tomorrow!

Do you have a lead magnet that’s putting tons of leads in your sales funnel? That’s great. But are they all staying at the top? An effective funnel slowly moves them down towards a purchase decision. If you’re struggling to convert, maybe your email sequence needs tweaking.

The first thing you want to do is send customers what they signed up for, whether it’s a whitepaper, PDF or a detailed infographic. Just make sure it’s valuable and interesting content, written to solve their problems. It also helps to include some sort of personalization in the initial email. Usually, adding the subscriber’s name will be fine.  At the bottom of the email you can include a few more resources.

A few days later send an email that talks about your company and what you do. Include your brand story, or at least a personal anecdote that gives you authority as an expert, but that’s authentic, creating interest in you. The goal of this email is get the reader interested in your brand, at the core level.

Wait a couple of days, then send the next email. In this message, you might offer links to articles, blogs or other resources that relate to the item in the first email, and again offer value. You aren’t selling anything -- you’re still building trust.

You can get really fancy with drip campaigns by using behavioral mapping tools, which send people different email depending on actions they take on previous ones, but it’s not necessary, especially if you’re short on time and cash.

If you’re trying to keep it simple, after this sequence, you might send occasional emails -- like weekly tips or information about events or specials you’re running. Continue to provide value, but add a CTA at the bottom of these emails to drive customers to purchase. How you do this depends on your brand and what products or services you sell.

In the end, you won’t have to “sell” anyone. Your subscribers will get to like, know and trust you, so when they’re ready to buy, you will be their number one choice.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. If you like these podcasts, and I hope you do, I’d love a review on Amazon. Go to FastMarketingMinute.com/review.  Thanks so much and talk tomorrow!

If you’re on social media, you probably have a headshot -- even if it’s a selfie. I hope though, that you’re in my camp and have a professional headshot. Sometimes, you want to take that a step further and upscale your image for your next big career move by documenting what you do in real life or in your work. If that’s the case, you might want to consider investing in a lifestyle shoot.

If you’re the face of your business or brand, a styled shoot takes your image to a whole new level. Done right, and in tandem with your look, feel, and personality, lifestyle shots make your brand look bigger than you are, so potential clients -- and the world -- see you as an authority. (Not that you aren’t already -- but these are images prove it, most importantly to yourself).

Right now, personalization isn’t just a marketing trend, it’s a focal point of all marketing. In that sense, people want to know you personally. Taking styled photos in your offices, on the town, or ‘in your element’ lets potential customers see who you are and how you live your life. Plus, you’re calling the shots on how you want to be seen.

It’s also a digital world and these images are digital assets. You can use them on your website, in social media, for online promotions or joint ventures. You can include your favorite photo in your email signature or on your speaking page -- or even if you want, on Match.com! Use them in all your marketing. Just don’t go too crazy with retouching. It has to look like you.

Another thing to remember is that your lifestyle shots will be good for a few years, so the money will be well-spent. If you have a photographer you trust, they’ll guide you through the process. If you’re not sure, ask around.

This is Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. If you want to see photos from my lifestyle shoot, go to my website at RobinSamora.com. While you’re there, sign up to get my free report 10 Strategies to Jump Start Your Marketing. Talk tomorrow!

 

LinkedIn is a great way to find a job, stay in touch with colleagues, and let everyone know what you’re up to in the business world. But more importantly, it’s one of the best ways to grow your professional network.

So today, we’re going to talk about how to make your profile stand out. These may be reminders for you, but they’re important tips.

You may think that I’m preaching to the choir, but I can’t believe what people post on LinkedIn. Please, get a professional headshot, don’t use one from a photo booth.  When people get your connection request, the first thing they look at is your photo. A cropped picture from last year’s holiday party isn’t the best option. And that cut off hand at the shoulder?  N-O.

Next on your list. Make a killer background for your LinkedIn cover page. You can do that on Canva or with other social media graphic tools. Plus, you can add your logo and brand colors. This is a free PR opportunity to showcase your brand, so either learn how to do it yourself or outsource the task. It makes a big difference.

Your headline is another important asset. It defaults to your current job, but that’s not who you are, right? You might own ABC Incorporated, but that doesn’t tell anyone what you do. Flaunt your expert status. My headline starts with “Marketing and PR expert, Consultant, Mentor,” you get the idea.

When you write content for your profile, consider SEO. You want to match strategic keywords on your website, with all of your social media profiles. It helps you rank higher and be more searchable on LinkedIn and the web.

I also like using the ‘bars’ as separators to get the most words on your profile. You can type a bar when you hit the shift and backslash key, near ‘enter’. LinkedIn counts letters, numbers, and spaces so you have about 200 - 250 characters to play with.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Let’s connect on LinkedIn and talk about how to make your profile more powerful. You can find me @RobinSamora. Just let me know you’re from the Fast Marketing Minute, so I know who you are. Talk tomorrow!