What Is a Call-to-Action? [FAQs] We’ve talked a lot about calls-to-action on the blog. How to get people to click on them. How to design them. And even how to make them “smart” so different people viewing your website will see different calls-to-action. But wait a second … didn’t we skip over something crucial there? What is a call-to-action in the first place? So … that’s how this post was born. What Is a Call-to-Action? A call-to-action (usually abbreviated as CTA) is an image or line of text that prompts your visitors, leads, and customers to take action. The action you want people to take could be anything: download an ebook, sign up for a webinar, get a coupon, attend an event, etc. Still not sure what they are? In most places in your marketing, you have only one CTA -- but sometimes, there are special instances where you might include multiple CTAs. But here’s the catch with getting started with CTAs: you can’t just slap “Click Here!” A Checklist for an Effective CTA … And that’s the basics of CTAs.
13 Actionable Conference Content Marketing Tips Content Marketing World is the biggest content marketing event in the world. Therefore, it makes sense that presenters and attendees take advantage of the conference to create amazing content. Don’t assume that the only people worth talking to are those speaking at the front of the room! At an event like Content Marketing World the people who attend are as important as the presenters. Here are 13 actionable conference content marketing tips to create amazing content. Plan your schedule. To create amazing content while attending a conference, take some time to plan your activities and bring the necessary tools to capture the content on-site. What other tips would you add to this list of conference content creation and why? BTW–if you’re at Content Marketing World, please attend my Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, September 11th to get 21 Tips and Tricks to Increase Your Content Effectiveness. Happy Marketing, Heidi Cohen Related Articles
www.socialmediaexaminer.com/linkedin-company-pages-marketing-tips/ Do you use LinkedIn for business? Do you have a LinkedIn company page? In this article, I’ll show you how to get the most from your LinkedIn company page, in five easy steps. Why a LinkedIn Company Page? The benefits of a well-oiled LinkedIn company page include engaging followers with company news, updates, events and relevant content. There’s also the improved search engine rankings as LinkedIn pages often perform well in company searches. In fact, research shows that 50% of LinkedIn members are more likely to purchase from companies when they engage with them on LinkedIn. Here’s how to make your LinkedIn company page work for you: #1: Optimize Your LinkedIn Page Showcase what your business has to offer. Use this page to tell members what you do best and give them compelling reasons to follow you. Remember that you can link to just about anything from your products and services page, including your latest and greatest white papers, case studies or how-to content. #2: Engage Your Audience
Infographie : 12 contenus marketing innovants qui ne sont pas des articles de blog ! Le contenu se métamorphose, et chaque format différent présente des atouts à explorer pour accompagner chaque prospect ou client tout au long de son parcours. En même temps, c’est un moyen de lui apporter la meilleure information dans le format le plus pertinent avec la possibilité d’innover, de créer des parcours clients sur-mesure et automatisés. Qu’il prenne la forme d’un livre blanc, d’un article, d’un partage social, d’une vidéo, ou d’une infographie, le contenu est devenu une source de segmentation et un moyen d’élargir sa production de contenu pour s’extraire de l’article de blog devenu trop commun… D’abord parce que l’infographie est l’un des contenus premium les plus intéressants pour sa vitalité, et parce que bien commentée, elle sera bien partagée et bien référencée sur de nombreux sites. En plus, une infographie a jusqu’à 30 fois plus de chances d’être lue qu’un article standard. Alors, vous souhaitez en savoir plus pour promouvoir vos contenus ? Source image : Shutterstock
Pinterest Marketing Tips: What You Can Learn From 20 Big Brands | Slideshow Having a specific strategy for using Pinterest is still an entirely new realm, and it can help to have some inspiration from others who have blazed the trail for the rest of us. Pinterest-marketing experts such as Cynthia Sanchez of Oh So Pinteresting have helped show other marketers how Pinterest can be beneficial to their businesses. For some companies, Pinterest can be a huge online marketing opportunity. The following 20 brands on Pinterest give us some insight into the type of content that makes users gain so many followers, as well as how your target audience's overall exposure to and perception of your brand makes an impact when building up a faithful online community. Lowe's has almost 3.6 million followers and has built its presence by focusing on very specific boards about a single topic including, "Grillin' and Chillin' and "50 Projects Under $50". Related: How to Keep Your Pinterest Boards Fresh, Fun and Relevant Related: 3 Ways Pinterest is Shaping Its Future L.L.
Old Content is the King of Content Marketing You don’t need more content. You need old content. I know, that’s not what you usually hear, so stick with me. Old content is the real king of content marketing. It’s why established publishers still have a huge advantage. It is why new successful publications like Huffington Post or Copyblogger really aren’t all that new. Better content isn’t enough when your competitors have good old content. Old content is the reason content marketing takes so much time, in months or years of calendar time, not in hours of effort, to reach its potential. How big of a difference does old content make? 1. Below are organic search results for three B2B marketing oriented searches. Buying B2B Email Lists Search Results B2B Advertising Search Results B2B Marketing Strategy Search Results Here’s how the 29 first page results break down: More than half of the search results were for content that is more than a month old, and less than 25% was for current content! 2. A Cautionary Note Your Turn
Load a Portfolio to Linkedin Linkedin is not a very image-friendly application. If you are successfully displaying your work on any of the portfolio sites including Pinterest, you may not need to worry about Linkedin. However, lots of professionals use the site, and adding either or both of the two portfolio display options to your profile doesn’t take very long. Behance Creative Portfolio Display If you already maintain a portfolio at Behance, link to it using the Creative Portfolio Display application (More / Get More Applications / scroll — on my account, Behance is #10). Behance is the portfolio engine for Pantone, BTW. SlideShare At the time of this blog post, you can’t open a SlideShare account through Linkedin directly. Use MS PowerPoint or your choice of presentation software (most formats are supported) to create a deck with images of your work. Think about a useful file name if you are going to allow downloading.
How to Master Content Marketing on LinkedIn There are a few different avenues for sharing information on LinkedIn, but which one is the best method? And what if you're not ready to invest in paid advertising? There has to be another option, right? The good news is that there is another option. Looking to send out short, digestible content? Have something long and poignant to say? To help you get a better handle on where and how to execute a content marketing strategy on LinkedIn, keep reading. Where to Distribute Your Content on LinkedIn 1) Status Updates One of LinkedIn's most underutilized features is the “LinkedIn Status Update” (also called your “Network Update”) in your LinkedIn Profile. Your status update “block” is a white box located just below your picture on your homepage. You can also control the visibility of your posts before sharing. If someone from your network "likes" one of your updates, it will then be shared with their network. 4 Tips for Sharing Updates on LinkedIn 2) Long-Form Publishing Targeted audience.
Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter: Know Where Your Customers Really Hang Out (Infographic) Does anyone from your target audience use Instagram? Do your customers in rural areas spend as much time on social media as your city-dwelling customers? These are the types of questions all companies need to ask before they invest time and money in a social media campaign. An infographic from DocStoc and the Pew Research Center illustrates which demographics spend time on social media. For example, 71 percent of women use social media as compared with 62 percent of men. Recent Articles From PR Daily The graphic also features some network-specific insights: Pinterest appeals most to rural residents, women and those with middle- to high-level incomes. Do you know where your audience spends time online? Check out the full graphic for more on the demographics of social media users. Click to Enlarge+ This story originally appeared on PR Daily
26 Tips for Using Instagram for Business Are you wondering how to use images and short video to enhance your customers’ experience? Have you considered creating a brand profile on Instagram to make your brand visible to a new market? Getting started on Instagram is fairly straightforward. Simply sign up for an account (e.g., use the same name as your Twitter handle), add a profile photo (e.g., brand logo) and a link to your website, connect your account to Facebook and let your followers know they can follow you there. It’s what to do next that presents a difficulty for many brands. What follows are 26 tips and brand examples, an A-Z guide, for capitalizing on a business presence on Instagram. #1: Acquaint Yourself With How to Use Instagram for Business Businesses have been flocking to Instagram in droves. Instagram's blog will help keep you in the know. Check it out and add it to your reader to keep up to date on some of the coolest ways to use the Instagram platform for business. #3: Cultivate a Following #4: Debut Videos Over to You
5 Ways to Visually Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile using Professional Portfolio 1.1K Flares Twitter 125 Facebook 42 LinkedIn 97 inShare97 Google+ 13 Pin It Share 752 752 Buffer 49 1.1K Flares × LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. With 225 million+ members it is the perfect platform for managing your professional identity, building your professional network and engaging with connections. But it’s time to give your profile a Makeover. In this post, I will discuss 3 reasons why LinkedIn is a Visual Platform and 5 Ways you can start visually enhancing your LinkedIn Profile by using the Professional Portfolio feature. I know…I can hear you from here, thinking “LinkedIn isn’t Pinterest. But things have changed in the world of LinkedIn with the introduction of what is called “Professional Portfolio” earlier this year…and for this Visual Social Media Fan, it’s a very positive change. Let’s start with a quick Slideshare presentation from LinkedIn about the Professional Profile and what it means for you: #1 LinkedIn IS a very Visual Platform Crazy hey?
5 Tips for Optimizing Your LinkedIn Company Page Do you have a LinkedIn Company page? Have you employed the newly designed look and features? If you haven’t created a LinkedIn Company Page, now is the time to do so. The new layout makes it easier for people to find, follow and engage with your Company Page. Here are the new design updates and features that you can take advantage of on your Company Page. #1: Banner Images Bring your Page to life! Social Media Examiner's LinkedIn Company Page banner. The default landing tab for your Company Page is the Home tab. This is very similar to the Facebook Cover Image that you are able to utilize on your Facebook Business Page, although the image size is different. Use the banner space to illustrate and extend your unique branding and messaging. Note that you will not be able to place a clickable URL behind your primary banner image. Sprout Social's LinkedIn Company Page banner. Don’t be afraid to make your banner image eye-popping or attention-grabbing! #2: Career and Products Now Featured on Home Tab
6 Steps to Finding Your Twitter Audience Targeting an audience on Twitter is critical and no simple task. Fortunately, there are a number of smart tools available that make it easier to connect with your market and build highly curated audience lists. These six steps help you find "your" people and segment them to monitor and engage them more effectively. 1. Social Bro: Those with a subscription can search all Twitter bios by keyword (runner) and location (Chicago), name and url to find the active profiles that fit your needs. In this example, a keyword and location search on Social Bro shows how you can search for Chicagoans who self-identify as marathoners in their Twitter bio, and who were active on Twitter in the past month. Image credit: Social Bro 2. This Social Bro search filters out profiles who have been inactive for longer than one month. 3. In this example, the hashtag #runchi was used on tweetbe.at to find runners in Chicago through TweetBe. Image credit: TweetBe 4. 5. 6. The author is an Entrepreneur contributor.