Content marketing: The secret to getting discovered in search ...

Or: Why organizations need to tell their stories

Target audience: Marketing professionals, brands, businesses, SEO specialists, social media strategists.

Content marketing ? a term that would have drawn blank stares just a few years ago ? is now becoming recognized as a principal way for any small business, mid-size company or large corporation to get its message out.

Done right, content marketing can help an organization tell its story, directly and without filters. And for brand marketers, content marketing has become a key component of today?s marketing toolkit. How better to get discovered in a Google search than to create highly relevant content relevant to that niche audience?

I was interviewed, along with marketer Greg Jordan, about content marketing for organizations at a new podcast from the Content Marketing Examiner moderated by publisher Martin van der Roest. And while some of the discussion centers on nonprofits, it?s applicable to any kind of organization or business.

Here?s our conversation:

To get discovered online, you must create fresh content

Some highlights from the podcast:

? Don?t be put off by the term ?content marketing.? The marketing landscape has evolved with the realization that all nonprofits and businesses are media entities now. If you have a business with an online presence, guess what? You?re a media publisher. For people to find you through search, you have to create content. The webinars I give for CharityHowTo cover search engine marketing in part and explain why keywords are critical to your nonprofit or business.

? Content comes in many forms, from blog posts and Facebook updates to Pinterest pins and Twitter tweets (I?ve never liked the term ?micro-blogging? so won?t use it here).

? Don?t get hung up on crafting perfect content. Don?t get frozen by writer?s block. As my colleague John Haydon likes to say, Done beats perfect.

? Greg Jordan made an important point: Before you begin, start with identifying your business goals. Write them down, make them something that?s attainable, realistic and worth achieving. And measure them, little by little.

? I suggested trying to find individuals who represent your brand. Ask if they?d be willing to share their stories. Have someone inside your organization, or a contractor, come in and capture those stories on video, on audio or in text. By bringing your story down to the individual level, you make it universal.

? Greg reminded us that it?s not just about creating your own content. It?s about sharing others? content and updates.

What would you add about storytelling or content marketing for businesses?
JD Lasica is founder of Socialmedia.biz. We work with large and mid-size businesses and organizations on social media strategies and optimizing your online presence. Contact JD by email, follow him on Twitter and Google Plus or leave a comment below.

Source: http://www.deondesigns.ca/blog/content-marketing-the-secret-to-getting-discovered-in-search/

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