Marketing Insights to Expand Your Knowledge & Propel Your Company

Seven Steps to Take After Publishing a Blog

Congratulations! You just published a blog post. Whether you are an avid blogger or have published your first post, gathering traction and a strong group of followers can be difficult without the right blog post strategy. Here are some steps you can take to gain visibility with every post.

1. Shorten Your Post’s URL

Though a simple action, it not only improves the aesthetics of your post’s URL, but also makes it easier for you to post it within a Tweet or through any other messaging source with a character limit. Bitly is a free URL shortening tool.

2. Promote Your Blog on Social Media and Status Updates

Be sure to post your blog update with a message that matches your intended audience and the etiquette of each site. Strive to hook your audience rather than posting the title of your blog post.

3. Tag Post and Optimize Key Words and Meta Description

Putting some effort into researching keywords that can increase your post’s search engine optimization (SEO) can pay off in the end. Keyword integration can have a large impact on search engine rankings and the overall visibility of your blog and individual posts. You can utilize Google’s free AdWords suggestion tool to find relevant long and short-term keywords. Adding these keywords to the body of your post, title and metadata will give it an edge against competing content.

4. Respond to and Share Comments

Whether you choose to reply to every comment or just a few, be sure to respond to the first commenter of your post quickly and thoughtfully. If you come across a negative comment, either ignore it or respond in a gracious manner. Remember, once something is published online, it is out there for the world to see. Don’t let a snide comment cause you to lose face with your clients.

Want to gain extra points? Read the blogs of those who commented on your post and let them know what you think. Also, take the time to explore the blogs of others in your field and voice your opinion there. If they like what you say, they may check out your blog.

5. Repurpose Your Content

Just because your content is published in blog form does not mean it can’t exist as anything else. Sometimes new topics are hard to develop, or fresh, relevant material can’t be found. Put your original content to good use and repurpose it as an interview, video, whitepaper or even infographic. As long as you put a little effort into rewording the new content from the old, no one will be the wiser.

6. Get Your Blog Picked Up by Other Blogs

A great way to gain visibility in your field or simply in the “Blogosphere” is to get your blog reposted. There are two ways a fellow blogger can repost your content. One, they can simply repost your blog as featured content on their site, and two, write a response citing your blog. Fishing for a fellow blogger who will repost your blog isn’t poor taste, but be sure to mix it up and not just stick to one friend. Offer to return the favor, and they may be more likely to accept your request.

7. Increase Visibility by Adding a Link to Your Email Signature

Include the link to your latest blog post in your email signature. You never know when someone’s curiosity will spike, so it is best to cover all your bases.

Christina Motley Carries on the Sweepstakes Winner Tradition from Virginia to North Carolina; Wins Third Place Nationally

A NFPW member since 1991 and frequent award-winner, Motley received seven national awards at the annual NFPW Conference, including special recognition as the third highest award-winner in the country.

The National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) presented Christina Motley of Raleigh, NC seven national awards at the 2014 NFPW Communications Contest awards banquet Saturday, Sept. 6, during the organization’s annual conference held in Greenville, SC at the Marriott on Parkway Center.

Motley’s wins include:

Third place nationally as the highest-award winner, along with a $100 check,
Three first place awards: marketing a new service, direct mail marketing and a media kit,
Two third place awards for community relations and writing for the web, and
An Honorable Mention for a corporate social media campaign.

Over 1,500 first place state affiliate entries, including 11 of Motley’s North Carolina wins, competed in multiple categories for marketing, public relations and communications. Motley, formerly of Roanoke, Virginia, swept Virginia Press Women’s (VPPW) annual statewide contest three consecutive years from 1999-2001.

“I joined NFPW in 1991 and for two primary reasons,” explained Motley, who owns a marketing firm in Raleigh that offers Chief Marketing Officer services on demand. “As a former journalist, I’m an advocate for the First Amendment and code of professional ethics. Secondly, Norma Lugar (now deceased) told me I needed to compete every once in a while when I thought I had produced high caliber work to ensure it consistently withstood the comprehensive critique of some of the most notable colleagues and competitors in the country and that if it did, it would be deemed award worthy.”

Motley was one of 227 recipients from across the country to receive a total of 372 awards for excellence in communications. A distinguished group of professional journalists, communications specialists and educators from 17 states judged 550 entries in a wide variety of categories. Only first-place winning entries at the state level were eligible to enter the national contest. All entries were published or broadcast between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2013.

Long-time member of Virginia Press Women, Pamela Stallsmith, of Corporate Communications, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, praised Motley and commented, “I’m proud to see you carrying on your tradition as a sweepstakes winner from Virginia to North Carolina.”

“Producing award-winning work is a nice accolade for sure and keeps me on my toes, but it is really evidence that I continue to employ the right people in the right position and that together, we create and deliver valuable marketing strategies, solutions and most importantly, results for our trusted clients,” said Motley.

5 Major Reasons for Rise in Outsourcing CMOs

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) position is crucial for small and large businesses alike. Without a high-level, experienced marketer on staff, companies often struggle to grow. Instead, they often hit plateaus in their profits. According to entrepreneurs Scott Gerber and Andy Karuza, effective CMOs help identify customer needs that are not being fulfilled, position a product’s benefits in the market, as well as acquire and retain key publics.

Even though the CMO is critical for business growth and success, many companies- including some Venture Capital-backed firms- cannot afford to internally hire a full-time CMO. Despite this unfortunate lack of funding, marketing is becoming increasingly important − companies spent 6.7% more on marketing from August 2013 to February 2014 compared to the previous year, according to Duke’s 2014 CMO Survey.

As a result, many organizations find that an excellent and more profitable alternative is to hire a contract, or fractional CMO. Joe Slade describes how business process outsourcing has evolved from its beginnings in the early 90s when British Petroleum outsourced all of its accounting functions to one source. Today, companies are frequently outsourcing talent for not only accounting, but also marketing leadership, strategic planning and customer relationship management. According to Ad Age, both Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Chief Operating Officers (COO) are hiring more outsiders and consultants as CMOs. Below are five major reasons why contracting CMOs is an increasing trend.

1. Cost Efficiency − Many businesses cannot afford a full-time CMO with a six-figure salary plus benefits and performance bonuses. Research has proven a CMO On Demand, or fractional CMO, delivers the benefits of C-level expertise for far less than an executive salary, or full-time equivalent employee.

2. Independent Business Analysis − Contract CMOs provide an independent, integrated and unbiased perspective on business’ marketing efforts that may not be attained from an in-house CMO.

3. Extensive Marketing Knowledge and Experience – Contract CMOs bring extensive marketing knowledge and different marketing verticals from a variety of industries, including technology start-ups, healthcare companies, agencies and Fortune 500 companies; this experience and wisdom is invaluable in business.

4. Flexibility − Many in-house CMOs are swamped with day-to-day efforts on soft leadership skills and inundated with meetings. By hiring a contract CMO, business owners and executives, as well as their teams, can directly access a full spectrum of marketing strategies, services and solutions for implementation When & Where they need them.

5. Ease of Implementation- To hire an in-house CMO, a business must interview. on-board and train candidates before any benefits are gained from its hire. During this long, drawn-out process, a company’s marketing services and strategy are negatively impacted. An On Demand CMO brings immediate benefits to a business without this major hassle.

Christina Motley, LLC provides on point marketing strategy and services that deliver exceptional results, including raising more than $1M for United Way, boosting website traffic 400% for TimelyText, and increasing sales by 41% and 34% for Duncan Hyundai and Honda.

Transform your business potential and marketing strategies into extraordinary results. Call 919-208-0963 and let’s have a discussion!

Cited:

http://mashable.com/2013/10/15/12-signs-its-time-to-hire-a-cmo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8okSImADHg#t=63

http://marketingcompanyaustintexas.com/fractional-chief-marketing-officer-services-deliver-high-value-results/

Triangle Writer Joins Integrated Marketing Team at Christina Motley, LLC

John McHenry, a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, initiates an exciting career as a Digital Copywriter and Social Media Marketing Coordinator

John McHenry joins the growing Raleigh-based integrated marketing firm Christina Motley, LLC as a Digital Copywriter and Social Media Marketing Coordinator. A recent graduate of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill’s Journalism School, McHenry formerly interned with MMI Public Relations, Carolina Performing Arts and CelebExperts. In his new role, McHenry will focus on strategic content curation and social media marketing efforts based on industry best practices.

McHenry is eager to expand his skills in marketing by working with a seasoned professional. “I am excited to join Christina Motley and her outstanding organization,” McHenry said. “It is an honor to be able to work with and learn from a marketing professional who has delivered such exceptional results for a wide variety of clients.”

Triangle CEO/CMO Christina Motley Featured Speaker on Building Thought Leadership

Christina Motley will present thought leadership best practices using Twitter to Professional Networking on the Web a professional forum focused on using web technology.

Raleigh, N.C. (August 18, 2014) — Triangle-based Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)-on-Demand Christina Motley will deliver a seminar on how professionals can build thought leadership through Twitter on August 26, at the Downtown Raleigh Capital City Club from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m.

A thought leader by definition is an individual or firm that is recognized as an authority in a specialized field and whose expertise is sought after and often rewarded. Thought leadership is a powerful business tool to build and promote brand awareness and even to generate leads. There are many effective marketing strategies and a variety of channels to establish thought leadership when it comes to social capital. Twitter is one such platform to consider when creating an online presence.

According to Jeremy Waite, head of digital strategy at Salesforce ExactTarget, many top CEOs and even investors tweet less than once per day, when 4-7 tweets per day are considered best practice. “Social media marketing isn’t just for company leadership or firms,” says Motley. “Establishing your personal brand on a heavily trafficked social media site like Twitter is one of the best ways for a professional to be seen as an influencer in their field. I look forward to sharing more benefits at the thought leadership seminar.”

Attendees will receive an overview of Twitter best practices and personal branding, as well as learn practical ways to begin building a thought leadership presence on Twitter. Interested parties can register through the Professional Networking on the Web group at http://www.professionalnetworkingontheweb.com/.

How Marketers Get Inside the Heads of Their Intended Audience

Marketers can measure the success of marketing campaigns and the strategy behind their campaigns by assessing if they reached their intended audience or not. How do they find this data? Simple qualitative metrics can determine how an audience engaged with a product or service at a particular time. But how can individuals of an intended audience effectively be reached? What methods do marketers use that are successful at this?

According to Sharon Ceurvorst, marketers and communicators influence the perception of those in their audience by utilizing tools she calls “mental models.” Mental models can be used to represent how various beliefs and associations interact to create a perception. Mental models have three components. Ceurvorst names them as drivers, associations and inputs (see examples below).

Drivers – the conceptual building blocks of perceptions (like how “diet” and “exercise” could drive your perception of health)

Associations – how the drivers relate to each other and to the perception (for example, the relative importance of “diet” and “exercise” to health), and

Inputs – the concrete beliefs and facts that flow through the model (such as weighing 165 lbs)

But why influence someone’s perception? What drives a consumer to purchase a product or service is dependent on what they value—price, brand, efficiency, convenience, etc? These “drivers” are what a marketer can hone into and use to create predictions on how the product or service can fare in the market against the competition. An example of how a marketer utilizes a driver is the strategic alternative strategy (Pardhan). A company puts out a product that does not appear to be a high quality product or sit in an acceptable price range at the same time another product of theirs that is similar to the prior product but offers more to the customer is put out. The latter product compared to the first product is more attractive to a consumer, and hence will be purchased more.

Another tool marketers use are personas. Personas are hypothetical archetypes of actual customers or users defined to a significant right and precision, and can be developed by companies to help solve the aforementioned problem for all parties involved in the customer life cycle. In other words, personas are a crucial component of successful marketing and sales departments. Personas offer marketers a way to take a single individual in an audience and use the data retrieved from them for the entire audience. To find out more about personas and to see examples of them, read the following whitepaper.

What we can derive from countless studies is that marketers need to understand and connect with their intended audience in order to create an effective marketing strategy. After all, how can we sell to the world if we don’t know what they want?

Cited:

https://www.executiveboard.com/communications-blog/how-to-get-inside-your-audiences-heads/?utm_source=Eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CEC-assharma-08.06.2014-M-W-NL-INSIGHT-Differentiated-INT-NA-ML

http://cdn.christinamotley.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Personas-Breakthrough-Customer-Insights.pdf

http://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/4-secrets-to-getting-inside-your-customers-heads.html