Around the web: posts we like this week

Content is a hot topic for all marketers, but especially for those of us who specialize in content marketing. There is so much to be said about it, so many strategies to employ, so many examples of B2B companies doing it well, and, of course, hilarious examples of those who utterly fail. The point is that there is a never-ending stream of opinions and tips to improve the reach and impact of your marketing by utilizing different kinds of content in different ways.

Here are 5 posts from various sources that delve into the topic of content in one way or another that I recently found helpful, interesting and entertaining. Enjoy!

CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY

Four Reasons to Keep Your Content Simple

A Blog For The Comma Man - Your prospects are bombarded with persuasive messages—400 a day, according to psychologist Kevin Dutton. Moreover, research shows that 81 percent of those messages contain more written or verbal content than is necessary, encouraging audiences to tune out, gloss over, and move on. It’s time to streamline. So before allowing the kitchen sink to be tossed into your next proposal, presentation, or marketing document, point out these four reasons to keep your messages short, sharp, and simple. On to the list!   >> Read the full post

CONTENT WRITING

Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Writer? Answer This Question

Copyblogger - Let’s say you’ve been a graphic designer since high school, went to college, and got a degree in computer science. During that time you’ve dabbled in writing. You have a blog. You don’t publish frequently, but when you do, you get traction. Or how about this: You are middle-aged woman who’s been a successful CPA with a large firm for 10 years. While the pay is divine, you are not entirely happy. In fact, if pushed, you’d probably say you hate your job. You’ve been breaking out the journal before bed each night. Each scenario above is based upon a real-life conversation.  At some point, these people ask me: “Should I become a writer? Do I have what it takes?”   >> Read the full post

CONTENT MARKETING METRICS

3 Ways to Measure Success with Google Analytics

Content Marketing Institute - Though creating high-quality, compelling content is a significant part of the content marketing process, it’s even more important that your content be effective. Measurement and tracking against benchmarks and goals is necessary in proving content marketing ROI. Though there are a multitude of tools available to measure the effectiveness of your content, Google Analytics is a “one stop shop” that most website owners utilize from the get-go. However, it can be difficult to determine exactly which information will be most informative. So here are three suggestions for using Google Analytics to measure the potential success of your content marketing strategy.   >> Read the full post

SOCIAL CONTENT MARKETING

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Social and Content

Convince & Convert (Jay Baer) - [VIDEO] What are some tips for really compelling headlines? So often, it really is a headline contest. It’s not like print or radio or television or some of the other legacy media, especially in a social-enabled world. You’ve got to decide right then whether you’re going to proceed or not. So a few tips: One, keep it short. Second is to think about words that are unexpected. A thesaurus is really a great friend in the content marketing world. Use words that help you break through the clutter. Third, try to frame headlines around reader benefits. Talk to the reader instead of talking to the world. Do you think that social and content are intertwined?   >> Read the full post

BLOGGING CONTENT

Blogging Like a Shark: 10 Secrets to Bootstrapping Your Blog into a Business

ProBlogger - In today’s competitive times, bloggers need to bootstrap intelligently to stand out from the scores of new blogs and brands with million dollar content marketing budgets. Your objective as a bootstrap blogger is not for one kill. Your aim should be the top of the food chain. Shark marketers rarely, if ever, address themselves as “experts.” Think of yourself as a center of distribution. As you disseminate more helpful content to a growing number of people an inflow of leads, opportunities and money flows in to you. Contrary to popular belief, the idea of bootstrapping is not based on using free marketing to spread the word about your brilliant idea. According to dictionary.com, bootstrapping means “relying entirely on one’s own effort and resources”.  >> Read the full post

I hope you find these posts equally beneficial. Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.

The post This Week in Content: Strategies, Symbiosis & Sharks appeared first on BizActions | Thomson Reuters.