Pull Marketing Blog

Inbound Marketing Book Report: top 3 Takeaways

This weekend I finished reading Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah’s book Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs as part of my first set of objectives here at PNP. As inbound marketing practitioners, there were some valuable pearls of wisdom to glean from the book.

The book is a great primer for business owners or marketers who are not digital natives to get a sense of the landscape of inbound marketing. It neatly outlines the tools – On and Off Page SEO, Blogging & RSS, Social Media – and basic implementation methodology that you need to know to attain baseline proficiency in this arena.

Here are 3 good takeaways you can use in your marketing, to which I've added something relevant that's changed the picture since the book's publication:

Being #1 overall in Google searches really matters

From p. 58, describing Google search results for any term: ‘A recent study show that Google’s first page captures over 89% of the traffic… Even within the first page, the traffic is not spread evenly – the top ranked result (number one on the first page) captures about 42% of the traffic.’ I didn't know how much more traffic #1 gets than #2 in a search.

But now... There’s another variable in this picture now, too: Google Caffeine. Search results are now influenced by an increasingly complex set of factors, including the searchers' location, search history, and social media network. It’s still important to do as much as you can to be close to the top for your important keywords, but while you may be #1 for a searcher in Boston, you may not be for the same term by a searcher in San Francisco.

Takeaway: chasing the top slot if you are number 2 or 3 could result in a big traffic bump and it’s worth the effort to pursue the top slot. But pay attention also to your local search results in important locales.

Answer questions on LinkedIn Answers – and now, Facebook Questions

I've looked at LinkedIn as an online resume which may one day have value, and simply accept that as the default professional networking site, it is essential to maintain an updated profile. I try to keep my profile active by updating it with tweets.

But I have never answered a question on LinkedIn answers, which the book suggests as a good way to establish some thought leadership within the community and a next level step to get more value out of LinkedIn.

But now... Facebook has rolled out a version of questions recently, this is another place where it’ll be worth spending some time to get more value than just simple networking from these sites.

Takeaway: Visit LinkedIn Answers and Facebook Questions, subscribe to some topical interests, and ask and answer some questions. I plan to make this part of my daily morning check up online, and maybe you should too!

Test multiple Landing Page designs and copy

I have some landing pages to work on for our website, and having read the book, I plan to A/B test a couple of different landing pages. Best practices dictate having an eye popping graphic, a simple and easy to complete form, and no other links to divert your potential customers’ attention elsewhere.

But now... Companies are continually having to compete on more and more specific niches. If you are dedicated to a single specific product or service, consider adding a landing page to your home page. Test your conversion rate, which means that as many visitors to your landing page as possible are actually filling out your form. I learned that 15% is a base target for conversions on your landing page, and 50% is excellent. Try a couple of different designs and see if your conversion ratios improve.

Takeaway: Test new landing pages for your campaigns, and consider slapping a compelling form on your home page if you are a niche service.

What are your favorite internet or marketing ‘must read’ books?

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3 Tips for Preventing Your Small Business Website From Getting Dusty

Nothing makes my heart sink more than outdated content on a web page that's still "live". While a lot of small business owners find themselves crunched for time, more often than not, the task of keeping the website up to date falls by the wayside.

So how can you reassure your website visitors that you're still kicking and open for business? Here's three quick and easy ways to do it:

1. Embed a Twitter Feed on your Home Page or Blog.

As long as you can get a handful of tweets in during the week, placing a live feed for your business's twitter account is a simple and easy way to let people know your still active. It's also a great way of increasing your social media reach.

Twitter has its own profile widget tool (the one we use) that you can set up in seconds and embed on your home page with little to no coding knowledge.

 

2. Blog at least once a week (more is better).

At PullnotPush we can talk about the business benefits of blogging day in and out. One of the key benefits of getting into a regular posting schedule is that it's the easiest way to contribute new content on a recurring basis.

Some folks are shy about showing off the dates of their posts because they end up dropping the ball on posting enough times. If anything you should use those stale post dates as motivation to get back on the content generation bandwagon.

 

3. Rotate a few limited time offers.

Whether it be a coupon or free whitepaper, giving your lead generating calls to action a highlighted expiration date is a way of encouraging visitors to sign up sooner than later. It also gives incentive to your returning visitors to find new offers when they come back to your site.

However, making sure that you stay on top of replacing them with new offers is important, otherwise your run the risk of having stale looking content. If you set out on doing this make sure to notify yourself and team about when it's time to swap in a new feature via your calendar notification software of choice. The PullnotPush team is a big fans of using Google Calendar for such deadlines.

 

What are some effective ways you've kept your business page fresh? We'd love to hear from you in the comments.

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3 Ways Business Bloggers Can Prevent Blog Abandonment

Whether it is workout programs, new diets, or marketing techniques, it's human nature to get so focused on the results that the work required to succeed is often overlooked. Blogging for business works - there's no doubt about this. What doesn't always work is the way business owners approach the hard work that goes into building a blog.

Fortunately, like any process that has the potential to change your life or your business, there are ways to help you stay in the game long enough to get results.

Here are 3 tips to keep you blogging for months and years to come...

1. Remind Yourself That Blogging Is Not Optional

If there's one thing I believe, it's that blogging generates business. I am convinced. I am sold. I have no doubts. As a result, I don't see the time that I spend brainstorming blog post ideas and fleshing them out as some ancillary part of growing a marketing firm. It is the core. And the same applies to your business, no matter what it is.

Not only do you have to sell yourself on the truth of how successful blogging can be, you have to be 100% dedicated to growing your blog out from day one. Even a slight waver can cause you to push off posting for a week or two. In no time, your blog then becomes abandoned.

Blogging is not optional. Don't let yourself believe otherwise.

2. Find An Accountability Partner

Ever since the addition of our new team member, Sam Coren, I have felt even more compelled to create content and write blog posts. Even while we're working on other projects, we have an unspoken pact that we're going to keep each other blogging so we can get great content out in the world. I'm also doing the same for improving my spoken Chinese and my new love for weight training. No matter what new strategy, hobby, or interest I take up, there's always an accountability partner behind the scenes.

Tell someone about what you want to do with your blog. While you're at it, tell them the kind of support you would like along the way. If you're really sold on making your business blog successful, you'll even build up a team of people that you can be accountable too. Getting others involved exponentially decreases the chances that you'll give up on your blog.

3. Set Aside A Scheduled Time Just For Blogging

I get quite a few laughs and looks of shock when I tell people I'm an early riser. However, I always feel like I get the last laugh when I realize just how liberating the early hours (especially 5am) can be. I have a set time to work out. I have a set time to create content. In short, I have found a time that is primetime for me to keep the routines I want most in my life. Before the routine came, there was a commitment.

Here's a plain fact - you're never going to feel like it.

The it being going to the gym, studying a foreign language, or creating a successful business blog. When you're committed to something, it becomes less of a desire that easily fades into a compulsion that you can't stop.

The best sign that you're committed to blogging is picking one time and honoring it. You may not always get a post out of that time (even I'm guilty of that!) but you'll be building a routine that can sustain your blog for the long haul.

What are your tips for keeping your motivation up to blog? How do you turn off the distractions and time wasters in order to get content posted on your blog? Let us know in the comments!

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7 Ways To Use Photos as Inspiration For Your Inbound Marketing Blog Posts

I know I could open this post up with something about a picture being worth a thousand words but, naturally, that's been done. Instead, I want to appeal to the side of you that is having a hard time finding inspiration to blog more and build your web presence through inbound marketing. If there's one thing you can have as a takeaway from this blog, it's my constant repetition of ATC - Always Think Content. Whether you're in desperate of new leads or don't know what to do with the ones you currently have, content fits into the process.

People always want more information and it's your job to give that information to them. To make the process easier, here are ways you can use your own photo collection or a photo sharing site like Flickr to come up with ideas that will have your blog regularly updated with fresh content.

1. Get People Focused

Some of the most powerful pictures around are simple portraits of prominent figures. Writing about a person for your blog post, whether it be an interview or commentary, is a way to add more life to your blog. This is especially true if your posts are often topic focused where you talk about events and ideas.

2. Capture A Moment

If you attend professional events related to your business, the last thing you want to do is to sit down and write a lengthy blog post rehashing everything that happened. Using one photo as inspiration, you can give a quick and tangible insight onto the event and what your takeaway from it was.

3. Insert Some Shock Value

Photos can do what headlines sometimes can't. An in your face photo that has a strong message will capture the attention of your audience quicker than even the best headlines that you've pored over for hours. Use these types of photos when you want to present a concept that goes against the grain.

4. Do A Time Rewind

Whenever I visit an antique shop, I go straight to the old postcards. They always seemed like a more whimsical form of blogging and I love reading about peoples' adventures. Do the same in your blog. Use vintage photos and relate them to how things in your industry used to be done versus how they're done today.

5. Compare and Contrast

I'm sure we all had these compare and contrast essays when we're growing up. Well, they're much easier to do when you have photos in front of you. Comparing a photo of a busy highway versus an open country road presents opportunities for you to illustrate a wide range of business concepts.

6. Lighten The Mood

You might be worried that sharing a joke or a cartoon might bring your business crumbling down - but it won't. Adding something unexpected to your blog in the form of a photo can help add some character to your business. Don't be afraid to laugh at your industry or even yourself sometimes.

7. Present A Puzzle or Challenge

Having a blog doesn't mean you need to have all the answers. If you're really feeling stumped about a concept, find a picture that relates to what is stumping you and offer the challenge to your audience. A powerful photo plus brief but meaningful text underneath is all you need to start a conversation.

What are some of your favorite ways to use photos for content creation? Do you usually do your writing first and then find a photo later? Or does the photo always inspire you to get writing? Leave a note below and share some of your favorite photos too!

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5 Lessons You Can Learn from Musicians About Generating Buzz for Your Business

I'm Sam Coren, the latest addition to the PullnotPush team. Being an active member of the Boston music scene has given me a first hand look at just how powerful the principals of inbound marketing can be for the little guy. One thing I like to emphasize to our clients is how important it is to let go of all their old school notions about marketing and interact with their target audience. For the modern musician connecting with their fan base on a regular basis is a vital part of achieving success and getting their music heard. The same is true for any business. 

You’ve heard it before:  the traditional music industry as we used to know it is a festering corpse surrounded by vultures. People just don’t discover music the way they did in the old days.  For years the internet has been hailed as the great leveler of the playing field between the recording industry titans and struggling independent musicians. So what can you learn about Cinderella stories about bands like James Yuill, OK Go, and Passion Pit? You can learn how to get creative and generate buzz about your business for next to nothing – that’s what!

1.  Constant content generation:  blog like you’ve never blogged before.

Back before every musician had a web presence we had to rely on music journalists to report their upcoming activities. Sometimes you’d go for years between albums waiting for news on your favorite band. Your entire impression of someone’s body of work relied on someone else’s opinion and if they even cared enough to report on it in the first place. 

These days a regularly updated blog can do wonders for giving the entire world an idea of who you are and what you do. Even better? You get to do it in your own words! Musicians like James Yuill keep updating their fans with what they’re working on a frequent basis. He even likes to get his readers involved in his work through unique ways such as requesting sound samples for him to use to create new tracks.  By encouraging his readers to interact with him and contribute to his projects, Mr. Yuill is doing an ace job of creating remarkable content and getting more people to be excited about his music. 

Getting into the habit of keeping people updated on what you’ve got going is great not only for your business’s identity, but also your SEO. You're simply creating more and more pages with the opportunity for you to get found.

 

2. A picture is worth a 1,000 Words…  or at least a half a dozen tags on Flickr and YouTube

So you have a blog going and you're slaving away in Wordpress or your Hubspot portal typing hundreds of words and you begin to notice something. Your entire page is a wall of text.  Not very eye catching is it? Incorporating photos and video into your regular content generation mix makes your site easier on the eyes and increases your potential to get found.

Making sure your images have file names recognizable to image search queries is also essential. Say you want to find a picture of Lady Gaga using Google image search.  A Lady Gaga image with a file name DCS89473249823324324.jpg is probably not going to rank as highly in the search results as a picture titled lady-gaga-at-the-grammys.jpg.

Creating videos is not only a great way to flex your creative muscle, but a great way to generate lucrative buzz if you end up with a runaway viral success. Think cost is a factor?

Digital videos can be made and edited fairly cheaply thanks to lower hardware and software costs.  OK Go’s video for “Here it Goes Again” was shot for next to nothing. 50 million plus views later, a GRAMMY award, and a record label deal thanks to bloggers and music fans all over the world sharing the video proves that you don’t need a ton of money to make a good video - just a good idea. 

Don’t forget to properly tag and fill out descriptions for all your media items uploaded to sites like Flickr and YouTube. Music fans rely on proper tagging to successfully find photos and videos of their favorite artists or genres of music. The same goes for any business willing to share their unique content on these sites. Be sure to read over their terms of service on different sites about hosting videos or photos for commercial uses.

3.  Give (some) of your work away for free

Sure some people might tell you you're crazy for just giving away your hard work for free, but what better way to give a potential customer a taste of what you're capable of than with a sample? Before releasing the Here Lies Love album with Fatboy Slim, David Byrne, of Talking Heads fame, offered a free track for download on his website.  The catch? You had to just offer up your e-mail address to get the download link.

Because so much buzz was generated before offering the free track on David Byrne’s own blog (and the help of other music bloggers) he was able to gather the contact info for thousands of people interested in his music. What valuable offerings can you give out for free that people would be willing to share their contact information with you for?

4.  Become a master of the Twittersphere

Who thought that millions of people posting 140 character updates could be a major means of communication? A lot of businesses still question the value of investing time in tweeting. Maintaining an active Twitter presence is free, quick, and easy. Musicians will use it as a way to get feedback, quickly get news out, or find creative ways to promote themselves. 

One problem with Twitter is that many still view it as a one-way broadcasting tool.  If your tweet history contains nothing but links to your own pages you’re missing out and turning people off. Boston's rising super group Passion Pit (@passionpit) frequently ask their followers at different tour stops where to grab the best grub on the road. By asking your followers questions and establishing a dialogue you can entice them to communicate directly with you and show that you value what they have to say.

  

 5.  Fan Club? Meet Fan Page

Fan clubs have existed long before the days of the internet but they have always been an excellent lead nurturing tool and customer retention in the music marketing world. Now with Facebook pages, organizing an online fan base can be done quickly and, best of all, for free. 

When Dr. Dog was getting ready to release their new album Shame, Shame their label, Anti-, decided to beef up their Facebook presence by creating a simple benchmark:  once Dr. Dog reached 20,000 fans on they would give their Facebook fans access to the first single before anyone else. Similar "reward" benchmarks have been used by bands to quickly gain twitter followers.

So now you have accumulated a large number of connections - what are you going to do? You have to keep up the content, that's what! Since launching the Dr. Dog Facebook page became regularly updated with the band's latest TV appearances, interviews, and tour dates.

Need some conversions to go with those leads? The great thing about Facebook pages is that you have a wealth of information about your fans and you can tailor specific messages to different groups. Say Dr. Dog was going to play a secret show in their hometown of Philadelphia - they could target all their fans in the Philadelphia area with an invite to the show. Sounds like a pretty powerful offering to a group of qualified leads, right?

So this weekend turn on the tunes and get creative. What are some ways you can create buzz about your company and what it has to offer? A silly video? A retweet contest? A Facebook page benchmark? If your company has already used some of these tactics successfully we'd love to hear about it. 

  

Is Twitter Ruining Your Pull Marketing Strategy? 3 (More) Reasons To Blog Before You Tweet!

When the 140 characters of Twitter are racing by as you open up your Tweetdeck or other Twitter management programs, it can seem like the conversation is nonstop. Conversations can seem disconnected. Threads start other threads. And before you know it, you have to shut down your Tweetdeck and live with the same feeling that lurks in every day: you're just not making progress on Twitter.

Handling this overwhelm came to mind when I read Jeff Bullas' blog post, Why You Should Blog Before You Twitter. If you read the comments section on that post, you'll notice that there is actually some disagreement on whether or not a blog is required to be active on social media. I'm taking the pro side. Blogging before Twitter just makes sense, especially if you are relying on a pull strategy to bring people and connections into your business.

Want to know why I blog before I Twitter? Here are my top reasons:

1. Blogging Lets You Tell Your Story In A More Linear Fashion

Relying on Twitter and Facebook for your pull marketing strategy can give others a very narrow view of who you are. When you're limited to 140 characters and sharing your favorite links at a mile a minute, you're only sharing pieces of yourself rather than being able to follow through with a narrative. Stories are powerful though. Pull marketing is only amplified when you coordinate your keywords with the story of why you're even using those keywords in the first place.

I turn to blogging because I'm pretty shy at first with people, especially until I've actually had a defining moment (read below) with them. Conversations need a spark. What I blog about is my spark. Plus, I always feel like I can share more in a blog and be my natural self without having to worry about clogging up someone's Twitter stream.

2. Your Blog Posts (and Personality!) Are Easily Found

Having a blog in place for people to find you is much more efficient than forcing someone to surf through your Twitter stream. Imagine trying to put together a coherent view of your story while surfing through thousands of Tweets. It just doesn't work. Having your blog as a place for people to visit is also better than a static website which doesn't show your evolution and thought streams. Plus, not everyone has the capability to Tweet for hours when other people are online.

Blogging allows you to interact even when you can't be available to socialize in real time.

3. Blogging Helps You Have Your Defining Moment

When I look at the most important friendships and connections I have, I can almost always define the moment where the friendship was solidified. Usually, it involved myself or the other person putting themselves out there and revealing more about who they are and what makes them tick. We had common ground before that, something that is easy to do on Twitter. But the strongest connections are much more than common ground. Those connections involve taking what we have in common, assimilating them into our concept of the world, and delving deeper into how we're changed as a result of this common ground.

Blogging allows you to be disconnected sometimes, to explore deeper thoughts, and to tell the truth that seems almost trite in a 140 character environment. When you can be unabashedly yourself on your blog, you create that moment when visitors see that you're not just a niche, you're a person just like they are.

What do you think? Is blogging just as an essential part of pull marketing as social media? Let's start the conversation below.

Whitepaper - The 7 Universal Laws Of Pull Marketing Want to learn how to switch your marketing efforts from interruption to attraction? Learn how to become a lead generating magnet by using Pull Marketing techniques. Download the free whitepaper to discover The 7 Universal Laws you should following on a daily basis to make the most of Pull Marketing.

Creating Unique Content with No Whine

I recently attended a wonderful event tited Nomx3 (named after the sound 'nom' 'nom' 'nom,' that people make when grubbing down their favorite dish) hosted by a couple of really good guys here in Boston; Mike Langeford and Jeff Cutler. It's a weekly video podcast where the two of them have a blast creating unique content while they visit restaurants in the greater Boston area.

Pull Marketing. Kennedy Gone. Feeling Human.

It's true that helping small business owners create pull marketing strategies consumes a majority of my time here at PullnotPush.com. However, there are certainly times when a push marketing strategy needs to be included as well. This is not one of those times.

Today, I awoke to the radio informing me that Senator Ted Kennedy past away last night. I booted my computer only to find an email from one of my most respected teachers (a.k.a. mentor, adviser, 'go to guy' - all of these could fit) that his wife (she has been equally influential) is having some unexpected medical problems that landed her in the hospital. I'm sending all of the energy I can muster out to my dear friends and Senator Kennedy's family as well.

One thing I've learned in my blogging days, is the need to have some consistency in my writing and the necessity to have a 'general theme.' That being said, underlying themes can be totally subjective.

Last week I wrote a post on how all of the masks we wear were valueless. This post is an expansion on that topic and offers a couple of practical ideas on how to soften up that mask a little bit, as you find your online (and possibly offline) identity.

Who Am I?

I began that post posing this question made famous by the late Indian Sage Ramana Maharshi. In order for you to establish an authentic presence on social media marketing for business, you'll need to look a little deeper than basic labels such as "I am a Realtor" or "I am a shop-owner." In order for you to connect on a more human level with your prospective customers, try thinking a little deeper when trying to communicate your business message. Maybe coming from the emotional space of "I am a mother/father" or "I am a voice in the community." Liz Strauss wrote some beautiful prose this morning on how do you decide who is trustworthy? I would certainly take the thirty seconds to check it out. Please remember friends, it's always about people, and not about the damn products. Put yourself in your customers shoes. Don't pitch. Make sure you can identify with what they may be going through. You might be thinking. Ok, it sounds good but how the heck is this addressing the question of "Who Am I?"

The answer is, it's a paradox. It may appear that you would lose your 'sense of self' and maybe even feel like you're behaving like a chameleon. However, the truth is, that you are recognizing the humanness in the other person, and that is precisely who you are at this moment; just another human being.

What Do I Want?

Of course you need to set practical business goals and make sure you know how to measure the success of your internet marketing. But don't forget to be absolutely clear on what kind of impression  want to leave with your website visitors and what action you want them to take:

Is it to call me?
Contact a Sales Rep?
Fill out a form?

Whatever it is, be very clear and make it easy for them.

What is Preventing Me from Getting What I Want?

Back to my friend. For many years, he was a fantastic attorney. Then for one reason or another, he began to realize that he no longer enjoyed working in that profession; so he quit. Since he only required three to four hours of sleep each night, he decided he would like to deliver newspapers in the early mornings (did it for 30 years). During that time, he and his lovely wife made a decision to open up their beautiful Victorian home and provide adult foster care for people who need it most.

Now I understand this last story may not sound like good business advice. It's simply a reinforcement of the idea that it is only you that can get in your way from getting what you really want. Whether it's business or personal; or both. Wishing you the best journey as you figure it out.

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Photo Credit: Xanetia 

Where in the World Did You Get Those Blog Pics?

A few days ago I received a very nice message in my inbox from Mari McCarthy of Create Write Now asking me, "Dan, where do you get your great blog pics? They make your blog work."

I gave her the quick answer of Flickr, but neglected to go into more detail. I'll do that here so others can benefit as well.

Actually, I get the images for my blog from three sources: Flickr, iStockPhoto, and my personal pics. 

Flickr

If you haven't done so already, create an account in Flickr and then log in. With creative commons, you may use the pics for free, but some of them may have restrictions (see attribution license in bullet). Begin on Flickr home page, then click:

•  Explore>>>Creative Commons

• You'll notice different types of attribution licenses. I generally choose the first one (titled 'Attribution License') because it's the least restrictive, and you can use any photo as long as you give proper credit.

An additional benefit of using Creative Commons is you help out the owner of these photos by using them in your blog post and giving them recognition. I highly recommend you take the following three action items when you find that perfect image for your post.

• Leave a comment (on the Flickr page where the photo is). Thank them for making this photograph available through Creative Commons.

• Be sure to include a link to your post. You may use 'anchor text' but you will not get search engine optimization (SEO) benefit because they are 'no follow' links. 
  

• It's best to find a less popular image with low comments. The reason is because the person will get excited that you chose their photograph, and will more likely want to share your link with other contacts.

So, Flickr is the free option to find some decent photographs for your blog.

iStockPhoto

iStockPhoto is an internet membership community where you can buy stock or a subscription (cost per image varies from $1 - $20+ depending on size, quality, etc).

You can get some killer photography (like this one in a post for a  pull marketing strategy), vector images, flash files, etc. There are some incredibly beautiful images on this site. You'll just have to crack open the wallet a little bit to get them.

Personal Photos

Ah, yes. They're free and there's no need to offer up any credit because they're all yours. Downside is, your options may be limited unless you have a vast collection with lots of variety. I've been fortunate to have done some traveling so I have a few to choose from. For example, this sunset in India for a 12 steps for small business owners post.

One quick reminder. Don't forget to use 'ALT text' in your photos because search engines cannot read images. 

Do you have another strategy for gathering images that works well for you? Please leave a comment. We would love hear from you. Quiz time...Can you tell me where I got the pic for this post?

Photo Credit: Silvio Tanaka