Regular posts

Let’s say you forgot an ingredient and run to the general store for that can of corn. When you get there, there’s a sign on the door saying: “Due to short staffing, we’ve closed early.” So you go to Kroger instead.

Maybe you’ll give the general store one more shot. If the next time they’re closed though, you’re almost certainly going to never waste your time again. You’ll just head straight to the reliable, already-established grocery store.

Facebook posts are the same. No post = no visitors. And you’re losing “likes” in the process.

Rewards for members

A popular choice for retailers is to reveal a promo code to people who hit “like.” But now you’ve got to keep them there.

Set up an extra tab for the member of the week. Months drag on and you’re likely to lose interest in such a fast-packed network, so stick with weekly rewards or recognition.

Do a random drawing from your list of members, and post it loud and proud on your page. It doesn’t hurt to put Photoshop to work with your member’s default pic. Add a crown and bouquet or roses. Put a T-shirt on them with your company’s name plastered across it. If they love it, they’ll put it on their own page, and your advertising just went viral.

Keep up with your comments

It’s obvious that any questions posted on your wall should be answered right away, but remember to keep all conversations going as much as you can too.

People love to hear from the higher-ups, and since this is your page, you are in charge. On simple “Went there last night and had a blast” comments, comment back in thank-you form.

You could even offer them something for next time. An upgraded seat, a discount, a free appetizer, etc. This is sure to get a “like.” And you’re not losing money. A heartfelt comment from a happy customer is better than any paid advertisement.

Advertise outside of Facebook

If you’re a hit on Twitter, post your Facebook link a few times. It’s very likely that your Twitter fans are on Facebook too.

Also, remember include your Facebook page link in your signature on Emails and forums. Just write “Facebook” and hyperlink it rather than putting the whole link.

And as always, remember that the key is to give people something they already want. If you are doing this, people are sure to “like” you.

How to Be ‘Liked’ on Facebook is an article from: Content Marketing Expert

What was it about all those others that made me leave? Bad lighting, smoke, wrong genre for me, too many people, not enough people – you name it. Mostly, I just popped in, took a few steps towards the stage and then retreated.

Your content is like the band playing at The Chuggin’ Monkey on 6^th Street during SXSW – a dime a dozen. And readers are looking for a reason to find something better. Here are the top 5 things that will send them backpedaling fast:

1.  Bad headline

People skim, plain and simple. But getting them to at least skim your content means they have to be interested in your headline. It’s like a portal to your content. Readers like headlines with numbers (like this one!) because they know what they’re getting. The same goes for “How to” titles. Remember to put your SEO keywords in the title, so that readers will know you’re giving them exactly what they’re looking for.

2.  An intimidating amount of words

So, you’ve got exactly what people are looking for right there on your blog or site. The problem is that you expanded – I mean, really expanded – on the topic a little too much. So much, in fact, that the reader now can’t find the answer to his question. In short, keep it short.

3. Poor layout

Say you’ve got between 300 to 600 words in your article. Remembering that people skim, make sure that your content is displayed in a format where people can see right away what it is all about. This requires spaces, bullets and subheads. They say that people read websites in an F-shaped pattern. That means they read a headline and a subhead and then they skim the left side of the page. With a big glob of text, you,  and your reader, are getting nowhere.

4.  Hard-to-read font

Purple script might’ve been the perfect look for your tattoo, but with info-packed content, stick with black. Arial and Times fonts are easy on the eyes. Comic Sans is easy to read, but there’s just something about fancy lettering that people don’t want to deal with. Your content isn’t a billboard. Impress your reader with what you have to say, not your design skills.

5.  Too many graphics

Graphics don’t hold answers to questions. Plus, too much visual is confusing and the a major contributor to people pushing  the back button. Ever wonder how Facebook took Myspace’s crown? Click on your friend’s Myspace page to find out what they did last night and deal with a brightly colored island wallpaper. Also, his favorite song is blaring at you, and ads are everywhere. It’s only after everything has actually finally loaded that you see that his status is… in blue font no less.

The rules of content are important to get readers to not only read your message but come back for more.

5 Reasons Readers Will Hit the Back Button is an article from: Content Marketing Expert

Well, you hope it needs you. This means that people are actually searching for what you’ve got to offer, whether it’s a product or just something to say. If they are looking, you better make sure they’re finding.

Here’s how it works: The catchy and somewhat convoluted article title you slaved over won’t be what a user will type into Google. Keep it simple to reach larger audiences. Think like an average Joe.  And don’t underestimate the power of keywords in a title.

An example? Let’s say you remember that scene from “Friends” where Ross says Rachel’s name when he’s marrying Emily.  You’d probably type “The One Where Ross Says Rachel” right? That’s how people differentiate between episodes of a T.V. series in casual conversation. Well, they tend to use casual conversation language when using search engines. What would they get when they type that in and push “enter”? The exact episode. The “Friends” producers titled all of their episodes in this regard. Why? Because that’s what people would call them anyway.

What are the chances of you searching for the “Family Guy” show title “Stewie Loves Lois” when looking for the clip of Stewie saying “Mom. Ma. Momma. Mum. Mum. Mum. Mommy. Ma….”? Might take a little more time to find because Stewie is usually trying to kill Lois. Stewie loving Lois does not spring to people’s minds. Hence, it fails as a search title.

So what if people are looking for information on a certain topic? Many sites may have it and yours is one of them. Well, you’re on the right track because you have what people want. Your site, however, points readers in the direction of your product or business, so naturally, you want them on your site and not on others. This is where SEO becomes mandatory.

Frequent keywords, the right title and a link here and there will kick you up a rung on the Google search results ladder. Chances are if your site doesn’t rank on the first two pages, no one will ever see it. Make sure you’re doing everything right by looking up common phrases or keywords that people search for in Google Adwords. Center your writing around these magical words and then run your content through a search engine optimizer. After that, sit back and wait for the hits.

How Important is SEO in Content Marketing? is an article from: Content Marketing Expert

Jingles are peppy and fun, but the repetitive claims that Just Brakes cares about me doesn’t give me any particular reason to seek them out for all my auto needs.

The same goes for my favorite commercials. The Darth Vader kid using The Force on that car during the Super Bowl was classic. But now that I’m thinking about it, I’m not going to go buy a VW just because the commercial made me chuckle. If I am looking for a car, I want stats and information I can read, maybe even print out.

This is the difference between content and ads. Content gives a reason to take action and provides useful information. And this can be done in an equally entertaining way. Entertaining information keeps people’s attention.

Leave the Persuasion to Austen

Your reaction to the phrase “call to action” is probably to cringe, or at least run screaming from the room. Nobody wants to try to be persuaded to do something.
Good content is as far from a pushy salesman as possible. The reasons you’re giving are informative, and things that the readers are already looking for.

Knowing your audience is key. The last thing on an ecstatic Cheesehead’s brain is “What should my next car be?” But content on how a Mercedes is different from a BMW is exactly what a prominent car buyer is looking for. And notice I said “different from” and not “better.” Nobody wants your opinion about your company. Let readers form their own judgments.

But don’t forget to give them the means to do so.

Scroll Down Equals Sales Up

The difference between getting 100 hits and 100 readers is huge. The key? Your entertainment/content value factor. Sure, you may have all the information your audience is looking for, but getting them past the first couple of sentences is harder than you think.

Finding a voice that people can relate to is the essential first step. This could also be the difference between just getting traffic and turning traffic into sales. You can’t give people the information they need if they push the back button before you want them to.

Instead, show them where the scroll down arrow is. And if you’re good enough, they’ll find the bookmarks bar on their own.

Ads Vs. Content: Which Will You Remember? is an article from: Content Marketing Expert

Should my company develop an iPhone application? from Tippingpoint Labs on Vimeo.

Should I Develop an iPhone App for My Business? is an article from: Content Marketing Expert