WSI Marketing, Surf, Search and Social

Recently, Time magazine released its picks for the Best Blogs of 2010. The list is filled with some unexpected surprises from all genres. Hollywood gossip and tech news are, of course, represented, but so are independent cartoonists and guides to greener living. But most importantly, this list of blog successes can also serve as a digital marketing tool for illustrating the best practices to creating a successful and influential blog of your own.

While the list is diverse in its topics, the one thing that every blog on the list has in common with the others is the presence of a strong narrative that speaks directly to their target audience. As with any great movie or classic novel, a strong narrative voice is essential in blog writing. Blogs that have soared in readership are the ones that simply tell a story in a voice that readers look forward to hearing day after day. Your company’s blog can achieve this, too! Let’s turn to Time’s list for some inspiration.

Zenhabits.net, at the top of the best blogs list, does how-to with style and smarts. The site is devoted to helping readers create a more peaceful daily existence. Created by author Leo Babuta, zenhabits features blogs on how to avoid stress and how to de-clutter your life but does so in a narrative that isn’t preachy or judgmental. The blog is a wonderful example of how to convey your message and purpose while also helping a reader or two.

For examples of one-of-a-kind web resourcefulness, kottke.org is an excellent place to start. Creator Jason Kottke covers all of the liberal arts, from architecture to Woody Allen films, while digging up unique trivia and bizarre factoids. Kottke can be used as a template for the “a little originality goes a long way” blogging motto. Plus it’s informative and fun, so the blog is actually contributing something to the blogosphere — a goal that professionals and business owners should all aim for.

Talking about high aspirations, the writing on Roger Ebert’s Journal is also very impressive. Despite losing his ability to speak due to cancer complications during the mid-2000s, Ebert’s voice has never been stronger in prose that describes everything from his passion for films to his health and travels. Ebert’s fighting spirit and frank discussions make his blog a real winner. What company blogs can take away from Ebert is that it’s okay to have a personality — in fact, it’s encouraged!

List-making blog success, however, is not just for the big guys. Any business – big or small – can turn its little blog into one of its strongest online tools and into a daily reading for customers!

Visit our site to learn more about how content marketing can make your business’ blog absolutely list worthy.

We’ve always known that web content is an important aspect to digital marketing; now there’s a book to prove it. The Yahoo! Style Guide, released July 6th, is the first publication of its kind to cover writing topics specific to the world of online media.

The book is based on Yahoo!’s own in-house style guide developed by working web editors, writers and professionals. Yahoo!’s editors cover everything from basic grammar to how to write for an international audience. Keys to creating an accessible website and how to improve SEO with strong content also are explored in the guide. While no one yet knows whether Yahoo! will score big with the book, we do know the need for strong content is bigger than ever.

So why does content warrant the publication of such a book?

Content is the middle of the sandwich on a website. It’s the tasty filling that users come back for time and time again. With more and more established writers and publishing veterans taking their craft online, great content is becoming the norm. This is a call to action for small businesses and organizations to truly step up their game. Yet, this isn’t as scary as it sounds. With a little thought, a lot of creativity and some help from a seasoned pro or two, anybody can achieve this sort of content.

Great content is content with a vision — your vision. It should express all the unique and exciting things about you and your business. Your voice is the key. Only you can express how fantastic your idea or business is. Go wild when describing your vision of your website — the sky is the limit! After all, it is a reflection of you and how brilliant you are.

But what if you’re not a “word person?” That’s when an extra set of hands comes in handy. Some lively sessions with an experienced writer who understands your vision can produce the content you’ve always dreamed of. With your style guide in hand and writer in place, amazing content is within your reach! Learn even more about the power of content and content marketing right here.

Content marketing, much like SEO and social media marketing, is a snap if you have the right tools and techniques to reach your desired audience. Read on for some “gotta have ’em” strategies for content marketing in today’s new media world.

Content Marketing Tools

The tools for content marketing cover a lot of ground, but don’t get flabbergasted. Multiple means of content marketing help your business’ visibility in the crowded content population. E-newsletters, company blogs, social media pages and press releases are some tools to help push your brilliant content to the front of your customers’ conscience. The more places for content to be read, digested and forwarded, the better. Social media is a fast-acting tool that encourages spreading the word. By discussing content with followers on Twitter or fans on Facebook, you can speak directly to your clients while delivering content right to your intended audience. Your company blog can be linked in tweets, while press release information regarding new services and products can be posted on social media pages. Homespun publications like emailed newsletters or e-magazines are another brilliant home for original content — as well as an invaluable tool for new clients.

Content Marketing Techniques

When it comes to techniques, there are dozens. But one of the most effective is ROI (return on investment) tracking. ROI tracking is a technique that allows you to peek in on how well your content marketing is working. Tracking should be implemented into all strategies with early reporting to establish basic baseline metrics (the barometer of how our content plans are performing). After taking a peek at our baseline metrics, we then can determine which content marketing strategies stay and which need to be tossed out.

Why Content Marketing?

All of these tools and techniques, however, are of little use unless we see why content marketing is important to your business’ digital marketing strategy. Content is the bread and butter of the Internet. If you don’t have anything unique or interesting to say, then you won’t gather readers or attract new customer. Likewise, if you don’t market your witty, wonderful, one-of-a-kind content, then it simply goes to waste.

Content marketing is a fun and exciting way to reach readers and, more importantly, buyers. Contact us now for more dish on the latest content marketing tips and techniques.