Fire Up Your Content And Marketing – Mark Schaefer Shows Us How In The Content Code

I never heard this before but it makes so much sense. To fire up your content. Make it “hot” for your readers and people who share it. This week I had the pleasure to hear Mark Schaefer in Mark Allton’s Blab show, speaking about his latest marketing book. When I get together with my clients I try to inspire them to think of their content as something amazing they create for the world to know nobody else can offer. But it always takes me a while to describe what I envision for them. What I couldn’t figure out on my own before, Mark’s words in the Blab show were like music to my ears. He spoke about “When we share content, our readers need to understand immediately what the content is about.” “Your content and your marketing need to be ignited.” So your fans and followers have the desire to read your content AND share it. Because shared content – testimonials – influences purchasing decisions. The more other people agree and confirm that somebody is an expert in, the more you believe them. You perhaps wouldn’t believe it if the expert himself or herself would say it about themselves. Makes sense, right?! During the show Mark asked the audience what they are an expert in. I started thinking. It’s a no brainer that I am an expert in SEO but what specifically? In SEO positioning. 

I could see why Mark wanted to make us think about our REAL expertise and our unique edge. Because it makes us stick out from our competitors.

 

“We create content but content also creates us.” ~ Mark Schaefer

 

Content Is Dead, Long Live Igniting Your Content And Marketing!

There are many things you can do to fire up your blog post. In Mike Allton’s Blab show Mark Schaefer spoke about his marketing book and igniting your content, marketing and biz and shared the story of a post he wrote where he expected he would be ranked number one on Google. As he checked it he was number three. Mark asked the audience what we think why he wasn’t ranked number one, then answered that the power of ranking a blog post number one is not only depending on the blog post’s quality but also on the power of your website. Not the best blog post will be number one but the one with the best website. So true!

What Do I Need To Do? (Except Reading Mark’s Book “The Content Code” 🙂

Mark suggests to develop a marketing strategy that includes answers to these questions:

• How will I be different?
  • Great question! Here are my SEO thoughts: The chance every website that is ranked on the first page of Google uses the same keyword is huge. What makes you stand out from an SEO perspective, most important in the meta title and description, are the “trigger words” you use next to the keywords. The “trigger words” provide you the opportunity to sprinkle in words that let your target market see the content is for them. For example “entrepreneurs”, “moms”, or “baby boomers”. But also if it fulfills their intent like “affordable”, “luxurious”, “easy”, “fast”. If you know your target market well, you know what they want and their intent was in the first place to search online. By using the right keywords AND the right trigger words, you fulfill both in my experience. But Mark approached this question from a much higher holistic view and included your branding and your business too. Read the book where he shares his thoughts. It’s worth every penny!
• Where can I maneuver?
  • I translate Mark’s question with: Where can I go? What are my opportunities? Here are my SEO thoughts: You need to have an overall online business plan where your marketing goals, your SEO goals, your sales goals, your content marketing goals, etc are included. When you combine all goals, you should clearly see a path where to go. Plus it gives you the base to do your market analysis and look for opportunities. Then I would decide where I want to maneuver to.
• Where are my competitors?
  • Interesting question! Mark didn’t ask who (because everybody should know) but where they are. Because in my experience, you need to be where they are, and where they are not yet but your audience is already. Mark provided more details you’ll find in his book.
• Where is my audience?
  • When you know where your competitors are doesn’t mean your audience is there too. Nowadays knowing your audience’s intent and seeing the trend where they are going is so crucial in my experience. Like new keywords are “born” every day (because of a suddenly increased search demand) or old keywords “die” (because the market demand doesn’t exist anymore), your audience isn’t static but dynamic. Always good to know what’s going on, where they are right now, and will be in the future. I loved to hear Mark’s perspective on this and his book really provides so much wisdom and insights regarding finding and connecting with your online audience.
• Where can I get my content?
  • With Mark’s experience and knowledge, he is just the absolute expert. If free content or paid content, guest blogging, slide shows on slideshare.net, audio with podcasting, or videos, there is so much available. I found that the key is what to use where and when. But this is where Mark comes in the game. Because he walks the walk and talks the talk in his marketing book.

You can see how important it is to create a customized marketing strategy that fits your own business goals and what you want to accomplish.

 

“70% of sharing content is shared by email.” ~Mark Schaefer

 

Did you know this? I didn’t either. Mark Schaefer asked Mike Allton what he thinks is the most important social media sharing button on a blog post. Mike’s responded that it is the one where your ideal client is mingling. Mark’s answer won’t surprise you by now.

It’s the EMAIL BUTTON on your social media sharing bar.

 

What Else Can You Do To Ignite Your Content And Marketing?

1. Answer questions with your content
2. Connect your social properties
3. Embed tweetable quotes
4. Promote new content within old content
5. Join content sharing “clubs”, and
6. Read Mark’s book “The Content Code” to get all the gold nuggets

 

 

 

More great content, packed in the slide show 10 Tips for Promoting Your Content Without Spamming People from Mark Schaefer at slideshare.net.