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Kelly Montgomery | Our Blog

Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Wed, Apr 30, 2014 @ 12:28 PM Tweet

Quantify it. Forget about hunches, intuition or the “thud” factor. Forget how you feel about a headline, a piece of content, or what’s worked wonders in the past. You can even forget about the latest buzzwords like thought-leadership, brand-awareness and name-recognition. Just like political punditry was shown to be grossly inferior to data analytics in the most recent presidential election, when it comes to marketing strategy, anything short of quantitative metrics backed up by the data of how your tactics are performing is simply unacceptable in today’s economy.

But what, exactly, is it that you need? What should you be measuring, and how should you be measuring it? The simple key — believe it or not — is to track the engagement of everything you post or share, and to track how your audience is engaging with it.

Did you post a piece of content to Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? Great! But how did it perform? Likes, retweets and recommendations are great, but did that “reach” actually accomplish anything?

Far more valuable is information like:

Clickthroughs/pageviews: how many people actually clicked through to the content item you wanted them to view?
Time spent reading: if you linked to a 2000-word piece and your typical reader left after 7 seconds, that isn’t exactly what you’d define as “success,” is it?
Interactions/engagement: did someone contact you after reading something you posted? Did you get a comment, a question, a lead or a conversion out of it? And if so, how many and how good were they?

The simplest thing you can do to get started is to track all of your URLs that you send out, whether through an automated or a manual process. If you can collect the data on where your traffic is coming from and how that audience is behaving, that can inform where the best ROI on your marketing efforts is going to come from. Once you have this information, you can decide where to concentrate your efforts, how to choose the best type of content and messaging to engage your audience, how to personalize and increase your odds of conversion, and use those tactics to help grow your business. It’s an iterative process, where you’re constantly refining your strategy as the world and market changes, and you’re adapting in real-time to meet the ever-changing needs of your customers.

Take those first steps:

Define what metrics are important to you and your goals.
Track all of your posts quantitatively for engagement and user behavior.
Measure what the return on your investment is (and that return can come in many different forms, not just sales conversions).
Then, use that information to inform your strategies moving forward.

Without doing those things, you’ll be stabbing in the dark. Sure, every once in a while you might hit something, but in today’s world, we have the technology to turn on the lights. And once everything becomes illuminated, you’ll never accept going back to the dark ages again.

-Ethan

0 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: content marketing, audience Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Thu, Apr 24, 2014 @ 11:54 AM Tweet

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There are a lot of social media sites out there, and you don’t need to have an active presence on all of them, especially if your resources are limited. Experiment with some of the more popular media sites, discover where your people virtually reside, and focus on one or two sites that align with your social media strategy. If you aren’t sure where you should start, try LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter for starters. These sites have large numbers of users that tend to encompass many demographics and industries. But the strategies for engaging your target audience varies for each social network. Some are more casual, some are more buttoned-up. Here are a few things to think about when crafting your strategy for each of the three big networks.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn may not seem as shiny and pretty as Twitter or Facebook, but with over 300,000,000 users and 3,000,000 company pages , it’s a powerful business-oriented social network that can be used as a great medium to drive your social media strategy. Here are a few LinkedIn engagement strategies to get you started:

The Power of the “One” Post

Try promoting one main post rather than updating your linkedin page multiple times in a day. The reasoning behind this strategy is that by harnessing the power of “one” post, you will increase the number of likes and comments the post receives. In general, more popular posts can result in significant traffic increase to your page. The more traffic you have, the more engagement you’ll see.

Create Groups

After you have created your company page, you should utilize the LinkedIn Groups feature to drive marketing campaigns. This is a great way to genuinely engage in group discussions with segments of your audience.

Twitter

How do you ensure that you are being heard when there are over 645,750,000 active registered Twitter users and more than 58 million tweets per day? Here are two tactics to engage your audience by using Twitter.

Twitter Mentions

When sharing an article or quote from another Twitter user, include the user’s handle in your tweet. By employing this tactic, chances are, the user will notice your tweet and may retweet to their own peeps. The result: the more your message is shared, the more followers you’ll have, and the louder your message will be in the Twitter world.

Engagement and Effective Tweet Features

According to research that was completed by the Twitter Media blog, the most effective Tweet features to increase engagement include the following:

Photos average a 35% boost in Retweets
Videos get a 28% boost
Quotes get a 19% boost in Retweets
Including a number receives a 17% bump in Retweets
Hashtags receive a 16% boost

Conclusion – use photos when tweeting!

Source: Twitter Media Blog

Facebook

Need to get your “Facebook Legs”? Here are two tactics to use Facebook as a tool to engage with your audience.

Keep it Short

Keeping posts short will increase your chances of having your audience read and respond to your posts. Let’s face it, the age old adage, time is money is true. Your audience will not only appreciate you for keeping your post both brief and relevant, they will also be more apt to engage with your message.

Value

What is the value of the service(s) or product(s) that you offer? Actively engage your audience by posting open-ended questions or surveys to gain an understanding of their most important pain-points as it pertains to your product or service.

There are a lot of social media sites out there. Once you have your social media strategy in place and an arsenal of quality and relevant content, you will be ready to experiment and engage with your audience with the social platform that best meets your needs.

– Sean0 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: social, audience Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Tue, Apr 22, 2014 @ 01:54 PM Tweet

Full disclosure: we are biased when it comes to content curation, but that’s only because we believe it works!

If you haven’t gotten into the content curation game yet, you might be wondering what all the buzz is about. Selecting and sharing content created by others might seem like a daunting task – and what are the benefits? It’s not an easy process, but there are tools out there to help you curate (like Trapit, ahem), and finding the right mix of sharing original content alongside curated content can reap serious benefits. If you’re still not a believer, or aren’t sure exactly what we mean, here are just a few of the ways that content curation can help your business.

1. It can ease stress on your content team, resulting in better original content.

One of the biggest struggles that marketers and businesses face every day is how to create enough content to stand out online. Businesses are expected to be on a handful of social media channels, run a blog, and have knockout content on their websites to boot. Creating enough content to fill all those channels is a serious issue, and probably puts daily stress on your content or marketing team. If that team is less worried about the sheer amount of content they need to create, they can focus on crafting better original content, and use curation of other quality content to fill in any gaps.

2. Finding the right content mix makes you less egocentric, and can help you hit your numbers.

In our Trapit study of U.S. marketers late last year, most said that the companies they represent should be sharing at least 10 pieces of content per day. I don’t know of any business, big or small, that regularly hits that number with original content alone. If you want to keep up with the pace of Twitter and other social media channels, one post a day just isn’t going to cut it. Combine two original posts per day with 8 thoughtfully-curated posts, and you’ll be a Twitter standout. As an added bonus, the mix of both original and curated content makes your brand seem a lot less about “me, me, me,” and more about content that is helpful to your audience.

3. It fosters brand awareness and thought-leadership, which can help you stand out.

How do you get word-of-mouth (or word-of-social, rather) to positively spread about your company? We think that creating a sense of thought-leadership in your industry is a big factor. That means becoming a resource for your audience, instead of focusing only on selling whatever your brand offers. Curate the best content you can find in a thoughtful way, and your audience will see that you care about giving them the kind of information they need and want. They will come back to your brand’s social channels to seek out quality information, not just to decide whether to purchase from you or not. While this may not directly lead to dollar signs, building a solid reputation on social media can go a long way when it comes to general brand-awareness.

4. It keeps your team knowledgeable, which can help your overall marketing efforts.

As a marketer, it can be tough to keep up with the ever-changing best practices, social media tactics, and latest industry trends. For brands who curate content, team knowledge-building is built into the process. If your marketing team is always reading and curating great content about your industry, they will always be in-the-know and ahead of the curve. We sometimes share our favorite curated articles with our own marketing and sales teams to provide valuable industry insight. Taking the time to read high-quality content other than your own is hugely important to staying informed, no matter what industry you are in, and curation can make that an easy part of your day.

5. It can help generate new business over time.

When you start curating content on your brand’s assets, you are getting your name out there on a consistent basis, and at a pace that helps your brand stand out. It’s much more difficult to do that with original content alone. Building brand awareness, creating industry thought-leadership, and posting good content more frequently can all lead to more business, and more revenue for your company. Using curation for revenue-generation is a long term strategy, but I think we can all agree that having a great reputation online, and as a resource for your audience, will help any brand succeed. Curating the most relevant outside content alongside your own can help you reach that goal in many different ways.

– Kelly0 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: content curation Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Thu, Apr 10, 2014 @ 12:55 PM Tweet

Rumor has it that video is the next big thing in content marketing. Sure, we’ve had television ads and YouTube in the consumer space for quite a while, but video is moving into the B2B space, too. Are you ready for it? Creating enough original content to make your brand stand out online is tough enough as it is, without factoring in the relatively new need to throw compelling visual content into the mix. Yes, it takes more time, effort, and sometimes money. But, as we all know, content is paramount. And everyone’s new favorite kind of content is video. How do you get started? Here are some tips and ideas to get your video content ideas off the ground.

1. Create a short company video

If you don’t have any video content for your website or brand yet, a simple video that tells the viewer the story of your company is a great place to start. You can feature this video on your homepage and it will come in handy in many other places down the line. Keep it short and sweet. You can take a look at ours here.

2. If you have a product, show it off

Whether you offer a physical product, software, or service, create some short videos that show it off. Get hands-on with your product or do a series of quick how-to videos for your software or service. Address how your business helps the audience you are serving. Your buyer wants as much information about what you offer as they can get before they actually make the effort to contact you. Offer them that in a video format, and you’ll be ahead of the game.

3. Have your customers chime in

If you have happy customers, it shouldn’t be too hard to convince a few of them to tell the story of how your product or service has helped their business. Ask if any of them are willing to participate in short customer success videos, where they can tell that story and offer a few kind words. People love talking about their work, and if what you offer has helped them succeed, they will likely say yes to helping you in return.

4. Join the conversation

There are debates and fascinating conversations happening on social media every day. Find out what those conversations are in your particular industry, and get in on the action. Participating on social media is a good start, but why not create a few thought-leadership videos where your executives can voice their opinions about the latest industry topics? This will help solidify your brand as a leader in the conversation and let your potential customers know what your company stance is on a variety of hot-topic issues.

5. Get personal

If your business has a fantastic office culture and a variety of interesting, hard-working employees, go ahead and give viewers a peek with some company culture videos. These could be short interviews of your standout employees, a virtual tour of your company headquarters, or a quick Instagram video capturing a fun office event. Giving your audience a glimpse of how your company operates will foster a sense of connection and trust.

Branching into video may seem overwhelming at first, but if you treat it like just another part of your content plan, you’ll be up and running in no time. It doesn’t take a video every day, or even one every week, to make an impact. Videos have a good shelf-life and will serve you and your website well for months at a time. Start small, and you’ll find that the more videos you create, the easier the process will become. As we like to heed our own advice, check back with us soon for more videos about Trapit and exciting video content news.

– Kelly

1 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: video Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Tue, Apr 08, 2014 @ 01:33 PM Tweet

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If you were an advertiser, publisher, or marketer in the 20th Century, traditional media was the way to go. By interrupting media consumers while they were reading, watching or listening to their desired content, you could steal their attention and deliver your message. Back then, of course, you had a relatively captive audience, something that the internet age has pretty much brought to an end.

Today, interruption-based advertising is practically useless. The number of advertising messages we receive on a daily basis is at least well into the hundreds, and the odds are stacked against even the best traditional campaigns. Instead, we live in a world where content is king, and where establishing trust, knowledge, and customer loyalty means everything. That’s where content marketing comes in: if you can position yourself as the thought-leader, as the trusted, reliable go-to source for quality information, then people will look to you for the solutions to their problems.

But that means having the right resources available at your potential customers’ fingertips when they need it. That means having the information all in one place, and having it be accessible at the touch of a button. And that means having it in the right format for your audience, no matter what point they’re at in the sales cycle. So what are the types of content you should provide them with?

Cutting-edge news: Sharing knowledge of the most recent news in your field — including staying abreast of the most recent discoveries, press releases and industry developments — shows your audience that you understand where the future of your industry lies.
Relevant opinion pieces: There are a wide variety of perspectives out there on any topic, and at least in the digital age, people aren’t shy about sharing their own. But most of them simply parrot the same points with only a cursory level of quality information. If you can seek out and highlight the true diamonds-in-the-rough out there, you position yourself as plugged in to the pulse of your industry.
Infographics: There’s a ton of information and data out there, and separating the wheat from the chaff is a daunting task for the casual consumer. But as an industry professional, summarizing complex information is a breeze for you, and telling a quality infographic from mere click-bait is something your audience could find incredibly valuable. If you can present to them a brief summary showing what they should be considering, getting those gears turning could have a tremendous payoff.
Original thought-leadership: You can get very far simply by finding and sharing the most relevant third-party content that’s out there, and there’s absolutely no point to reinventing the wheel. But it’s paramount to establish your own value-add to the subject, whether that’s through social media, blogging, or complementary original content. Without your own voice interjected from time-to-time, you’re just reflecting the light of others rather than generating your own, and customers can tell the difference.
Podcasts/webinars/online video: Grab your audience now with something that catches the eye. Have you put the effort into creating engaging content that goes into deeper detail, like a podcast, video or even a webinar? This takes time and effort to do right, but this is exactly what you ought to be doing if you’re interested in cementing your position as the premier source for quality, trustworthy information. Rise up to the challenge and your audience will be grateful.
White papers/downloads: You have their attention, and they’ve made it to your website. They have a problem and think that you just might be the one to help them solve it. The big question now is this: where are your resources for them? A series of white papers, PDFs or other downloadable materials gives your audience the information they need to decide that your solution is a good one. And finally…
A clear path to a solution: Is it a product you offer? A service? Something else? Make it absolutely clear, and make it easily accessible to anyone interested. If you’ve gone through all that trouble to build trust and to get your potential customers this far along the path, make it easy for them to go the rest of the way. A clean, easy and direct purchase or sign-up page can make all the difference in the world. Don’t create frustration when you can streamline instead.

Don’t make the mistake of not meeting the needs of your audience; if you don’t, there are plenty of others who will step up to the plate. In the 21st century, content is king, but delivering a uniquely valuable message that takes advantage of your unique expertise is what can set you apart. Use these 7 types of content to engage them with that message.

-Ethan

0 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: content marketing Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Wed, Apr 02, 2014 @ 12:53 PM Tweet

In case you’ve had any doubt about whether your brand needs to be creating and promoting visual content, we have some pretty astonishing facts for you:

90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and those visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than regular old text.
28% of companies are creating custom infographics, and the average increase in page visits when an infographic is shown is 12%.
55% of brands are creating video for content marketing. Why? Well, viewers spend 100% more time on pages that include video, and about 700 YouTube videos are Tweeted out every minute.

It’s not just infographics, either. A whopping 46.1% of people say that the design of a website is the number one factor that helps them determine the credibility of a brand.

Are you convinced? Good. Now, onto the more difficult part. How do you start working visuals into your marketing and content strategy when you are already stretched thin on budget and resources? The best thing to do is to start now, and start small. You’ll soon see a return on your efforts and creating visual content will become less time-consuming and overwhelming the more you do it. Here are a few ways to get started:

1. Always include images with your social shares

Even if all you have is a stock photo to go along with your blog post, make sure that it is attached to all of your social shares of that post. This is usually done automatically on Facebook and LinkedIn; on Twitter, all it takes is a click of the paperclip “attach” button when you are composing your Tweet, and the resulting post will include an image that shows up in your followers’ feeds. Even if the image is simple, adding it to your Tweets can provide a big payoff.

2. Try your hand at graphics, big or small

While creating infographics might seem overwhelming, you don’t actually need to be a graphic designer to start creating visual content. All you really need is the data (either your own or gathered from around the web), some kind of design tool, and someone who is willing to learn. A basic knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite will get you far, but you can also use free online tools like infogr.am, Piktochart, and Visual.ly to create compelling graphics. If you don’t have the time or patience for a full infographic, start small by creating graphic header images for your blog posts that include the title and a few visual elements. Doing this takes less time, but is still a great way to make your Tweets and other social shares more visual. The more you create this kind of visual content, the easier and quicker it will become.

3. Start using Instagram

We’ve all been hearing about the decline of Facebook recently, but where are users spending their time instead? Instagram is near the top of the list, and it’s a smart move for brands to create a presence on the network. It’s also a great opportunity to have a little fun and interact with your audience. Instagram is the perfect outlet for photos that reflect your company culture. Snap photos of your workspace, happy employees, or fun office events. These posts can also be shared directly to Twitter or Facebook to pack an even bigger visual punch.

4. Invest in video

This one may take more time and money, but the digital marketing world is trending towards video as a key content tool for 2014, and we can see why. The possibilities are endless. Start with whatever seems easiest and ramp up your video content slowly and consistently. Some basic ideas are: describing or demonstrating a product, testimonials from satisfied customers, messages from your executive team, Q&A sessions, fun company events, or video blogs. Try to keep your video quality consistent, and be sure to share the content you create across all of your channels. Instagram allows 15-second video clips, so you can share some teaser clips for longer videos there.

It’s not always easy to change and adapt your content to every trend, but the rise of visual and video content is certainly no passing fad. Just as was the case with social media, brands and companies who do not embrace the move to visual and video content will be left in the wake of those who started early and made the change. Start small, and with some time, patience, and consistency, your brand can join the pack of visual content leaders.

– Kelly

Facts gathered from: Axxon Research, HubSpot, and B2B Infographics

2 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: video Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Thu, Mar 13, 2014 @ 12:49 PM Tweet

Image “If someone shows you who they truly are, believe them.” -Maya Angelou Imagine the scene: you walk into a store you wouldn’t normally frequent because you know they have an item you want to purchase for a dear friend. A sales representative approaches you, and tries to interest you in all sorts of products that aren’t the gift you’re looking for. An annoying experience for you, to be sure, since you’re likely to politely decline all the offers of help (that you never wanted to begin with), find what you came for and leave. But what about the representative? If only they had known in advance that you weren’t the target audience for their pitch, they could have spent their time and efforts more productively, and perhaps even increased their store’s revenue.

You might not think about it the same way, but marketing your brand online is really no different. Every marketer and salesperson loves talking about their products and features, but if you have the same conversation with everyone — regardless of what their needs are — then your content strategy is inefficient at best, and can even be destructive to potential customer relationships. Instead, understanding the needs and problems of your target audience, and targeting your message to address those pain points specifically can make all the difference in the world.

That means being aware of what problems your target audience is actually facing, and speaking to those problems. That means building trust by showing that you’re attuned to your audience’s pain points. That means reaching out to influential members of that community, including ones that have successfully addressed those needs and those yet to do so. That means creating case studies and sharing customer testimonials, because there’s no better demonstration of an effective solution than plucking one straight out of the real world.

Once you’ve identified your audience, you can craft the story of your company. Everyone has challenges they’re facing, and if you can identify the major ones faced by the potential customers you’re targeting, you can share their stories. You can connect with them socially, you can build relationships with them, and you can use their influence to draw attention to your own brand. Not every influencer needs to be a customer, either; sometimes building trust, establishing expertise, or simply showing that you understand the needs of your audience can have tremendous value. Every audience is different, and you need to make sure that you’re crafting your story to effectively engage with yours.

And engagement means content. As far as where that content comes from, this means both creating original content and sharing third-party content that supports all of these steps. As long as the content is high-quality and engaging, you’re doing what you need to establish trust, leadership, and to position your brand as the solution to your audience. Because you don’t win customers by promising your audience what you can do, you win them by showing who you are. So show them the entire story, and let the needs of your audience be your guide!

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Imagine the scene: you walk into a store you wouldn’t normally frequent because you know they have an item you want to purchase for a dear friend. A sales representative approaches you, and tries to interest you in all sorts of products that aren’t the gift you’re looking for. An annoying experience for you, to be sure, since you’re likely to politely decline all the offers of help (that you never wanted to begin with), find what you came for, and leave. But what about the representative? If only they had known in advance that you weren’t the target audience for their pitch, they could have spent their time and efforts more productively, and perhaps even increased their store’s revenue.

You might not think about it the same way, but marketing your brand online is really no different. Every marketer and salesperson loves talking about their products and features, but if you have the same conversation with everyone — regardless of what their needs are — then your content strategy is inefficient at best, and can even be destructive to potential customer relationships. Instead, understanding the needs and problems of your target audience, and targeting your message to address those pain points specifically can make all the difference in the world.

And engagement means content. As far as where that content comes from, this means both creating original content and sharing third-party content that supports all of these steps. As long as the content is high-quality and engaging, you’re doing what you need to establish trust, leadership, and to position your brand as the solution to your audience. Because you don’t win customers by promising your audience what you can do, you win them by showing who you are. So show them the entire story, and let the needs of your audience be your guide.

– Ethan

1 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: audience Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Tue, Mar 11, 2014 @ 01:57 PM Tweet

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If you’re a brand and you’re not on Twitter, you’re doing something wrong. While Google is still the first stop for a quick company search, Twitter is quickly becoming the place to discover and interact with brands, both big and small. Angry at Comcast for a dropped call or billing error? Tweet them and you’ll likely get a more enjoyable response than sitting on the phone on hold for 25 minutes. Want to find out about the best new products from your favorite clothing retailer? Check out their Twitter for real-time updates or even special offers. As a brand, just being on Twitter isn’t enough. Both your customers and prospects have expectations of just how a company should behave. Let’s call it social brand etiquette. Here are the absolute basics.

News about your company

If you have news about your company or brand, great! Be sure to share it on social. Having it on your website isn’t enough. There are countless customers and prospects who may only see you via your social presence. Make sure they know what the latest happenings are and what your brand is up to. You might catch the eye of a casual Twitter user who wouldn’t ever come directly to your brand’s website.

Quality original content

This one is a no-brainer, and it’s undoubtedly part of any successful brand strategy on Twitter. If you have a company blog, white-paper, or infographic, don’t neglect to post it on Twitter, even if it seems like it may be more successful on a different social channel. It doesn’t hurt to put all of your quality content out there for customers to see. They will appreciate being well-informed about you and your product.

Quality curated content

We are big proponents of curation, and there are good reasons to back that up. By posting quality content created by others on your social channels, you are telling your customers and audience that you care about your industry and sharing relevant insights, even if they come from another individual or company. Sharing curated content alongside your own content builds trust, brand authority, and thought-leadership. Your Twitter will become a place your audience goes for quality information.

Customer service

Twitter is a great outlet for basic customer service, and your customers like it that way. I know I, for one, would much rather Tweet a question to a brand, go on with my day, and get an answer back within a few hours, than sit on the phone listening to bad muzak for an undetermined amount of time. Be sure to monitor Twitter for mentions of your brand, and always respond. If you can answer a question or solve a problem on Twitter, do it. If the issue is too complicated to express in 140 characters, kindly thank them for reaching out and direct them to your email or a customer support email address.

Timely responses

Whether you are onboard with it or not, you will receive questions, feedback, and probably also complaints on Twitter. The sooner you can respond to all of those Tweets, even the negative ones, the better. Responding within 24 hours is ideal. Whenever I have tried contacting brands on Twitter, a timely and kind response has gone a long way in my respect for that brand and their customer service. It makes your customers feel like you are always there for them, accessible on one of their favorite social outlets.

Your brand voice

Last, but absolutely not least, your Twitter activity should always reflect your brand voice. Defining your brand voice is a whole other post, but once you’ve nailed down whether you are the authoritative professional type, the fun and playful type, or somewhere in between, make sure that your activity on Twitter reflects that style. If your voice is formal and professional, sharing silly viral videos might seem out of character. If your voice is light and silly, responding to customers with terse, short answers might be off-putting. Keep your voice consistent in your own Tweets, the content you share, and the way you respond to your customers.

– Kelly0 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: social, audience Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Fri, Mar 07, 2014 @ 11:58 AM Tweet

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When Google Reader was on its death bed this past summer, I couldn’t help but speculate as to why the decision was being made to shut down the RSS news platform. One of the prominent arguments I came across was that RSS always suffered from lack of consumer appeal.I agree to a certain extent. It’s not that the standard user simply isn’t capable of grasping how RSS works, but I do recognize the struggle exists for standard users to make the most out of their RSS experience. My stance has little to do with any reader services that queue up the content, nor the subscriber functionality of RSS. The problem resides in the fact that not enough websites out there have been doing enough with their RSS capabilities. In order for the future of RSS to hum like a well-oiled machine in an overcrowded internet, the sources of content must become more robust, more niche and more versatile. The web is a free democracy – RSS must mirror this concept and empower readers with more choices when it comes to the content subscriptions that auto-filter into our daily digest of information we consider valuable.

RSS Food for Thought – The Buffet Analogy

Website owners should take notes next time they walk into a buffet (bear with me). When I enter a buffet, my stomach wants it all – everything. Contrarily, my heart desires something lighter and more healthy. Despite these conflicts of interest, I know ultimately that I am in a position to choose the most well-rounded plate that’ll satisfy the taste-budding opinions inside me that are constantly butting heads. I deliberate carefully. I look around and appreciate how the square footage of the buffet is broken down (much like websites) into subsections, by genres–italian, seafood, salad bar, sweets, etc. If you are like me, you make one stop per trip to the seafood section and you leave with shrimp and shrimp only, approximately five panko pieces. I know the salmon is there, it stares at me wondering if today is the day my palate makes that connection. But I’m here for the shrimp, and the buffet respects that. It’s why I return, unbothered, unfettered. Maybe tomorrow, salmon.

Websites must do the same. Allow your readers to subscribe to the things they desire consuming routinely. Recognize that a consumer’s stomach can only expand so far, so why force feed them? Imagine if said-buffet instead unloaded a dump truck of food on your table, forcing you to sift through it all to fill your plate. You’d probably choose a different buffet. In order to compete in this smartphone-crazed world where attention spans are rapidly shrinking, RSS functionality must become a diverse content buffet that allows readers the versatility to subscribe to either large chunks or tiny slivers of content. With all the multitasking we do on a daily basis (Facebooking, Twitter-skimming, Insta-gazing) how much room do we have left in the tank to read quality content when our mind settles down at the night’s end? RSS should be that cornerstone can’t-miss feature in the world of content that will bring readers what they want, when they want it.

Dissecting RSS: Empower the Contributors that make your Website Superb

Sure, “All News” or “All Articles” feeds are fantastic and important to have available for subscription, but let’s be real here. As readers, occasionally certain writers or writing styles come across as annoying, while others can hook, line and sink our return. Twitter gives you the option to mute someone’s retweets and empowers users with the choice to only follow an original voice. Websites should do the same for each and every contributor, syncing a RSS feed to each individual, even if they merely appear seldomly as featured guests. Whether a reader is subscribing to one writer, or a handful, RSS connectivity in this manner will bring readers back to the website when they feel like it and the content flow will never feel overwhelming, because they will remain in control. Who knows, they may pick up a piece of salmon along the way.

Broad categorical feeds are great, but niche keyword topics are golden

Sports, technology, news, health, science, fitness – the list goes on. These are great general feeds to have featured in a RSS section of a website, but are they really robust enough for readers to narrow in and get the most out of your website’s content? I consider myself a tech nerd, but have very little interest when it comes to the economics of the tech world. Those type of articles would keep me from ever subscribing. However, if I could pull a feed that dissected further into the tech section, I’d jump on the “smart tech,” “drones,” and “apple” feeds. And odds are, I may even jump from my RSS queue back into the general realm of the website to explore further, perhaps pick up some new interests along the way. Having the freedom to subscribe to my can’t-miss interests is key and brings a sense of organization when I’ve grown tired of web surfing for the day.

A website that simply “gets it”

Bloomberg View, an editorial division of what we know as Bloomberg News, is the cookie-cutter example of how a website should manage its RSS connectivity for its consumers. Tabs at the top of the page begin with a section where you can view all the content in a clean flow, queueing the articles chronologically for those wanting to browse the latest. The other two tabs are my favorite. The “contributors” section lists all the people who are posting content to the website. Inside, you can find the contributor’s bio, relevant keywords that provide a glimpse of what that writer is likely addressing in their editorials, and most importantly, a RSS feed clear as day at the top of the bio. Skip a tab over to the right, it gets even better. Inside the “topics” section, you’ll find a list of nearly 100 topics that take website categories to a new level. Climate Change, Oil, Olympics, Energy, Gadgets, China are the ones I’m currently subscribed to from the site. With a mixture of breadth, and narrowed specifics, Bloomberg View recognizes that niche topics of interest are fantastic candidates to sync with RSS.

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When Google Reader etched its name in a tombstone, tech critics questioned if this truly meant RSS was perishing after all. My rebuttal is simple: Nas said the same thing about hip-hop music being dead and look what happened. He made another album. And another. Content, just like music, will never die, so long as readers are still lingering around with open eyes and cat-like curiosity. With new data continuing its exponential rise on the internet, websites have to recognize that RSS functionality must become more sophisticated if they expect to hold onto the unique interests of its diverse readership. Most of us can’t seem to read anything longer than 140 characters these days, but when our brains settle down and we’re done tapping and finger-swiping, RSS must be that pipeline for all the go-to information. Get it done, internet.

– Geoff

0 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: RSS Posted by Kelly Montgomery on Wed, Mar 05, 2014 @ 12:03 PM Tweet

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Do you really know your audience? With the intense content needs that all marketers face, it’s easy to jump right to creating content and pushing it out before figuring out exactly who you want to read that blog entry, white paper, or social media post. We know all too well that creating or curating enough content to keep up with the competition often outweighs other priorities, but it will pay off down the road to stop for a few minutes and learn about your audience. Once you’ve figured out who your audience is, it’s a lot easier to determine what they need and want. Creating content is one thing, but creating content that resonates with your audience — making them want to come back to you or buy your product — takes a little more finesse.

So, before you panic about how many blog posts or white papers you have to write this week, stop and consider the points below. Try to develop buyer and reader personas, either in your head or on paper, and look back to those every time you create a new piece of content.

1. Define your ideal target audience – for both buying your product and consuming content.

While the buyer persona is probably the most important audience to define, you may also want to think about a reader persona. Some people in your industry will be interested in purchasing your product (buyer persona), while others may be engaged members of your industry who are interested in what you do and may read or share your content, but are not likely to buy (reader persona). Both of these can be valuable for creating leads and brand awareness. Maybe your buyer persona is a CMO of a Fortune 500 company, but your reader persona is the social media specialist at a smaller company in your industry. Both are valid. When defining each one, think about what their job may entail, why they would come to you, and how you can best reach them.

2. Think about what their pain points and challenges are on a daily basis.

Now that you’ve created a general outline of your audience, or audiences (job title, duties, industry, etc.), you need to learn more about what challenges they face – so that you can then present them with thoughtful information about or solutions to those problems. Don’t just think about what your product or company does, but think about that person and what kind of problems they face day in and day out. Are they a marketer who is stressed about creating enough content each week? Are they in charge of helping their company stand out on social? Are they an apparel brand trying to engage their audience in new ways online? Try to make a long list of problems you think they might face, or even reach out on social media to find ou moret. From that list will emerge themes that you can create content around – content that will provide value to your audience, because you know them and their struggles.

3. Find out where they are online, and when.

The most engaging content will be content that is presented to your audience in a space they know and like, and in a format they understand. Because you’ve already created your buyer and reader personas, you’re halfway there. Think about your personas, and think about where they consume the most content. What are they doing while they consume the content? How much time do they spend? Are they engaging or just perusing? All of these small questions will have an effect on your content strategy. If you’re dealing with C-level executives, you might want to focus on content for LinkedIn or high-quality white papers for your website. If your audience is younger online professionals, Twitter and Facebook might be the right space for your content. And if you’re going for the teens and tweens, look to the latest popular social media apps like Vine and Snapchat.

Think about what mindset they might be in when they see your content. Are they lounging at home with their iPad, ready to read a thoughtful long-form article? Or are they trying to keep up with the latest news at work, with only enough time for a quick tip-sheet? Adjust the time you post your content based on whether you want to reach them at work, at rest, or somewhere in between.

4. What do they need to know about you and your product?

Now that you have a better grasp on what kind of content your audience or audiences may want in general, and when and where to give it to them, it’s also important to think about what information they need from you about your company and your product. While “sell, sell, sell” is not exactly a recommended motto in the blogging world, your audience does need to be informed about you and your company. What are your most frequently asked questions? What are the most common gripes or suggestions you hear? What might they be thinking if they are comparing you against a competitor? Content on your website, blog, or social media can be a great way to answer these questions and show your audience exactly who you are and what you offer them. Now that you’ve discovered their pain points, you can use thoughtful content to gently show them that you and your company may offer a solution.

– Kelly1 Comments Click here to read/write commentsTags: audience

Kelly Montgomery | Our Blog

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