Point eight.

Approximately .8 mph is top racing speed of my “treadmill desk” hack, shown here. (Yes, I’m writing this while on it. Crazy, eh?) I’ve logged plenty of miles and written over 200,000 words on my “treadmill desk”. Work words, by the way: I don’t count the rest.

Never heard of a treadmill desk? Click here for a quick search. You’ll find passionate supporters. Note the “suped up” models cost around $4k, and cheapest manufactured model is about $400. For a mere $40, you can buy a treadmill shelf.

Or… You Can Bust Out the Bungee Cord

Bungee cord from my bike rack + deceased grandfather’s 1996 treadmill from Sears + trusty Mac laptop = $0 treadmill desk.

Any thrifty business owner will agree: why pay more for something when you can get the same results for less?

So, I’m not surprised when I encounter someone who wants great marketing copy or other content for pennies.

Why Pay More for Content?

The fact is: content that’s slapped together like my bungee cord hack is dangerous. Go ahead and dismiss this as the ramblings of a professional writer at your own ruin. The fact remains because cheap content is dangerous to your reputation, your sales, and most critically today: your ability to truly engage with your audience.

Top Reasons Cheap Content is Dangerous

Reputation

You never get a second chance at a [digital media fill-in-the-____ ]‘s first impression. Is it the right one? Quality content creators don’t act in a vacuum. They’re carefully strategizing with a variety of departments to ensure your message is compelling and reaches your intended audience. Screw up here to save a few bucks and you’re really screwing yourself.

Sales

Likewise, whether you’re shipping a product or selling a concept to multiple stakeholders, you need communication expertise. Search engine optimization tools are great, but, they act solely to get your traffic to your site: they don’t do the heavy lifting required to convert visitors to buyers. Trust this important task to anyone who can type? Go right ahead – let’s see those sales.

Engagement

Oh, the siren song of everything from web content to social media: engagement. It all requires content. Your user-generated content can operate all its own, but what of the content you create? Just think about the list of things it must successfully accomplish to produce engagement…voice consistency in grammar/style….search engine friendliness… community leadership…are just a few. Will your cheap hire even consider these?

The maxim “you get what you pay for” directly applies to content and content marketing services. It’s not an overstatement to classify “cheap” content as “dangerous”, because it is just that if you care about reputation, sales, or engagement.

Point taken?

Content is constantly evolving - are you prepared?

Ah, silly content producer…. did you think that you could rest easy after battling zombie content that never dies?

Uh, no.

Besides zombies, you have to worry with something else, too.

No, we’re not talking about finding the “next Twitter” or searching for the “Facebook killer” or discovering some cutting edge app. The distribution channel doesn’t matter as much as this factoid:

Your content will evolve. Will your brand’s online marketing efforts evolve along with it?

Not so long ago web content was treated a lot like traditional print content. You built it, got it approved, and forgot it. Now, with Web 2.0 tools you’re expected to keep that content updated and fresh — expectations set by both the public and the search engines. This is the inverse of zombie content  — and it is demanding. Darwin-esque demanding, in fact, if you want to win with content.

I am working again with a client whose website I built wayyy back in 2006. Naturally, this clients’ business has evolved, as has the marketing needs. The new site requires the flexibility to allow for content evolution. We left the “set it and forget it” online communication stage ages ago.

Here’s what you can do to prepare for ever-evolving content:

1 – Invest in a content management system and teach stakeholders how to use it. This is not carte blanc to let just anyone near your site. Hell, no. You still need content leadership and one person in charge of editorial considerations (not your intern, people, please!). Rather, you want to build a content system backbone that allows for frequent and easy updates. Where appropriate, teams or groups can feed the content beast of your site… again, with dedicated leadership in place to ensure standards are met and marketing messaging is on point.

2 – Accept that content changes. Some people are in great denial here for one simple fact: it’s a lot of work. Sure, you can still slap up a website and forget it. But in an environment growing to expect engagement, is a static site enough? Winning with online content demands that someone manage the regular influx of new material. And again: you need someone to keep your new content on message.

So, bottom line. Is your online content vibrant, alive, and growing? Have you evolved?

Sculpture by Liz Beavers

How can content strategy and content marketing be applied to arts and crafts sales?

This was my challenge a few weeks ago when I was hired by a reptile, amphibian, and dinosaur sculptor, Liz Beavers.

Liz, a working artist for over a decade, never had a website. Here’s a peek into a portion of the strategic web communication process we developed, and the immediate results.

Challenges

• Another “Liz Beavers” is a prolific writer, a byline which could squeeze our sculptor out of first-page name search results.
• Although a sales site, Liz needed to be respectful of her existing retail outlets (galleries, stores) so not to undercut them.
• Liz also needed to leverage her existing social circles, many of whom are just joining social media such as Facebook.

Content and Marketing Strategies

Strategy 1: Blogging Filled with Keywords & Phrases.
We first focused on creating content that references ten highly targeted, and competitive, keywords and phrases relating to the kind of sculpture produced by Liz Beavers.

Content Strategy response: Since my client is a good writer and understood the challenge we made her blog the central feature of her website. Her posts contain reference to her work and to the key words/phrases she wants to “own”. Frequent updates make the blog relevant to search results, pushing down competing “Liz Beavers”.

Content Marketing response: Liz’s blog allows her audience to get to know her personally and connect with the thought and process behind making her sculpture. This, in turn, underscores the unique character behind every clay dinosaur, frog, or other highly personalized creature.

Strategy 2: Simple User Interface.
Visitors to Liz’s site should be able to find the information they seek in two clicks or less. We mapped out paths for the top three audiences: those seeking artist biography and background; those browsing available sculpture inventory; and those interested in purchasing off-line in galleries and stores.

Content Strategy response. Content is clearly communicated so navigation is a snap.

Content Marketing response. Liz can effectively speak to all three audiences while maintaining positive relations with her gallery representatives.

Strategy 3: Establish Professional Facebook Profile
Most of Liz’s current patrons tend to be older – which is fine, because this represents the fastest-growing demographic of Facebook adopters. Her Facebook profile automatically updates with the latest entries in her “Studio Journal” blog.

Content Strategy response. Integrating a professional social media profile allows patrons and collectors to connect with Liz on a daily basis via Facebook.

Content Marketing response. By being active on Facebook Liz provides social proof that her work is appreciated, and collected, by others.

Results

• We “soft launched” the website to coincide with local newspaper coverage – resulting in first sale traced to website.
• Liz now has first page Google search results in half of our highly targeted key phrases in less than four weeks. Additionally, she has also pushed down competing “Liz Beavers” entries.
• She now has a 24/7, strategic marketing piece.
• Most importantly, Liz has online sales capability for the first time.

My only regret? That Liz charges so little for her unique clay sculpture. I’ve recommended she raise the prices in 2011.

Lawsy—you thought you knew web lingo. But then you heard the term “NSO”. What’s NSO? How can it help you?

NSO is lingo for “Natural Search Optimization”. It’s similar to SEO, “Search Engine Optimization”. Both are the collection of techniques used to get your website noticed by search engines like Google, MSN, and Yahoo.

Why bother? Easy enough: the number one way Internet users find web sites is through search engines. Achieving a top search ranking helps you get people in the door 24/7/365. Think of NSO as the “organic” method for doing so.

Here are some tips to get your NSO a go-go:

Fresh Content. Search engines are hungry for fresh content. Your human visitors like updates, too. Update relevant content on a regular basis. If you can’t write up the material regularly, hire it out.

Avoid Flash. Flash animation is great for certain applications. But search engines can’t “see” the text on your site. And text (key words) are the keys to opening up large gains in search results.

Key words. Speaking of words, how do you find the best words to drive traffic to your site? In SEO you typically pay for them. With NSO, you do some digging and get them for free. Then you add them to your site and wait for the engines to notice.

For example, I automatically include code in my client websites so that clients can monitor the words and phrases that bring traffic to their site. Often, there are words and phrases the client might not have considered. Using these words and phrases in your fresh content updates effortlessly results in inclusion in more search results.

Other tips: if you know HTML, review your code to include the appropriate meta-titles and meta-tags. And a good site map helps, too. Don’t stuff your site with popular [pornographic!] search terms that have no bearing on your site’s content. Doing so will risk getting yourself demoted in the search engines. Plus, it’s just sooo 1998.

How soon can adding NSO techniques pay off? It takes some time to naturally build. Anyone who tells you differently or guarantees certain rankings should be viewed with some suspicion. But regular application of specific and unique terms to your site will help your site float to the top. Ask your web designer or developer. Do it, and think of it as a long-term investment.

Online Brand Management for Small Business

“Your brand is not what you say it is; your brand is what Google says it is.” — so why do so few small businesses manage their online reputation with the same zeal as their brick-and-mortar reputation?

Learn the basics about how a brand is built online through SEO (search engine optimization) and NSO (natural search optimization). We’ll work together to create an online brand-building and/or  brand-management plan for your small business.

NOTE: This class is extremely limited due to the personal and direct attention given to all participants.

WEEK 1
We’ll discuss what affects your brand online. This will include the basic principals of SEO and NSO. We’ll discuss where you’re “located” online and what this conveys about you to an unknown prospect. You’ll leave with a homework assignment.

WEEK 2
We’ll review your homework assignment and begin to outline an online brand-building or brand-management strategy. We’ll discuss practicalities as well as pitfalls. We will also discuss the value of interacting with customers or clients online. I will also show you tools to use to track your online reputation so you can respond immediately. You will have another homework assignment.

WEEK 3
We’ll review your Week 2 homework assignment. Each participant will brainstorm additional methods to increase brand awareness. You’ll be introduced to online tools used to measure and track effectiveness of your efforts.

WEEK 4
We’ll review all the online brand-building and brand-management tools discussed in class. Each participant will leave with access to a collection of tools to continue their online brand management efforts.

Each class is one hour.

Price: $200
Location: 9 South Augusta Street, Staunton at the Staunton Creative Community Fund offices
Next Session: Monday, October 5th

Reserve your space now by paying online via debit or credit card.

You may also pay at the door if enrollment space allows.
For more info: 540-466-4141