Content Marketing: Social Networking The New Word of Mouth

Traditional Marketing becoming Obsolete; Social Media New Word Of Mouth

Traditional Marketing techniques are becoming obsolete and Social Media is becoming the new Word of Mouth. Marketing your content has become easier and, best of all, cheaper! The Modern Connection claims that content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about three times as many leads.

A B2B Marketing campaign

Content marketing is a strategic  marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

–contentmarketinginstitute.com

Content Marketing a Strategic Necessity for Freelance Writers

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: “Great content can only take you so far!” Creating consistently awesome material is not even half the job. Content Marketing is what drives readers interest and requires more than just keyword research! Don’t be intimidated, as it is a strategic necessity, but see it as one of the many hats you’ll wear as a Freelance Writer.

Courtesy of AMG Content Marketing

Make it a simple task; lets break down what it really means to incorporate content marketing.

–It’s basically you raising awareness about you, but with the help of popular social networks.
-It requires a great deal of self awareness & branding to reach your intended audience.
-It will be a daily task in which you must connect with other followers, but you will have the opportunity to flaunt your expertise, gain loyal followers, and expand clientele.

Which Platform is best for Your Brand? Top 3 Social Networks

It can be hard not to go for the most popular platform with the largest rate of user activity. However, take a moment to really evaluate which platforms can benefit you and which would be more time-consuming and result in the least ROI (Return of Interest) for your brand.Figure out a strategy that you can easily maintain (starting with Facebook) on a daily basis.

Facebook Most Active Platform with Largest User Base

Kissmetrics Blog states that Facebook has more than 1.23 billion active users, 62% of whom log in on a daily basis. This makes Facebook the largest Social Media Platform. With the ability to take out Ads, create Fan pages, and business pages its also the most versatile.

Courtesy of AMG Marketing Now

According to an analysis by Forrester, Instagram has given brands 120-times more engagement per-follower than Twitter and 58-times more than Facebook.

• Nicole Dawe of Scribble Live, How to Use Instagram for Content Marketing

Authentic Leads and Consumer Interaction with Instagram’s Visual Marketing

Courtesy of Social Media Examiner

Instagram is definitely on the rise, becoming a contender among Social networks, because it was solely for mobile phones and is now accessible online everywhere. While Instagram may not be your main marketing tool, incorporating it as a visual marketing asset is a great idea. It’s not just about posting nice pictures but being personable. Try not to just push imagery out there but be specific to your brand.

 You can’t fake Instagram. Authentic, interesting and stunning imagery is what works. Don’t try to hard sell!

• @WriteAnalytics during Content Marketing Worlds latest #CMWorld Twitter chat about Instagram as a new content marketing platform.

Twitter Content Marketing For Business

Courtesy of Wishpond.com

Want to give your readers quick news updates or short burst of advice? Twitter is great for giving flash updates and insights into your business. Mark W. Schaefer says that “Twitter offers the fastest way to build an audience of relevant followers for your content.” in his article, 10 Reasons Why Twitter is a Content Marketers Best Friend. “The primary reason is because you have an opportunity to interact and engage with the right people for your business even if they don’t follow you back (you can’t do this on Facebook or LinkedIn).” Schaefer explained.

Social Media Alternatives for Old-School Content Marketing

For every obsolete, old-school method of content marketing there is a new social networking alternative. For printed pamphlets or brochures you now have Facebook. For Newsletters or Email Newsletters (which are still major marketing tools as everyone needs emails to log in to social networking accounts) there is Twitter. Instead of billboards or fancy commercials try Instagram or Periscope.

While these are just the tip of the iceberg, as you see I didn’t want to go near the subject of YouTube just yet. There are several advantages to each platform and their individual rights. While you might be tempted to be everywhere on social media, remember: Each platform demands a different strategy!

Gab Brand wants to Hear from You!

Which of the most or least popular Social Networks do you use for your business? How has it affected your blog or career? Has it increased reader engagement, resulted in substantial leads, and higher conversion rates?

Let’s hear your feedback on Facebook. Make sure to use hashtag #GabBrand- Can’t wait for you to share your gift of gab!

xoxo-

Gab Brand

A Freelance Writers Little Black Book || Building an E-Mail list

So far, on this freelancing journey, we have been focused on building a steady following, establishing a solid presence with social media, and consistently writing great, keyword rich content. It’s all been about fortifying your brands presence- but what about longevity?

Building an Email list is something you probably haven’t considered and since a lot of platforms [like WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter] do it automatically you probably don’t see the need to. But what if one day, Heaven forbid, your accounts are hacked or worse deleted? Maybe you decided to change web hosting or buy a new web domain. An Email list is not just a great way to communicate personally, but inform your following of important changes or mishaps that affect your business and their accessibility to it.

A Freelance Writers Email list should be a coveted artifact like a man’s little black book. Every one who has ever commented on your work, any one you have every pitched an idea to, and- of course- your loyal following should be included. Establishing an Email list is beneficial for a freelance writer for three reasons:

1) As mentioned, it is a great way to get in touch with viewers on a personal level. It’s direct and private, making the reader comfortable discussing or entertaining certain ideas presented. People might not openly want to discuss abuse, sex, or things of that nature in a open forum. However, more are willing to contribute if they can do so on a private platform.

2) As a Freelance Writer you’ll often here the saying, “The money is in the list,” however they’re not referring to clients or even referrals but your email list. When monetizing your blog or website, considering to sale, or work in sales already- having an email list is a great bargaining tool and offers lucrative advertisement possibilities. Every one using social media, writing platforms, or online networking forums is required to have an email. I have used the same Email account since the Eighth grade so that speaks to how often people tend to change their addresses. It’s common sense to business owners looking to buy your Email list or asking you to advertise to your email listing that you have a higher chance of encouraging readers to peak into the email instead of labeling it spam.

3) Unlike print or newsletters, it’s cheap and isn’t time consuming to create, easily manageable, and a great way to keep your audience informed regardless of time or location. Most people have their email linked to their mobile devices, if you ever have any of the earlier mentioned problems, site failure, etc. you are able to let your readers know the necessary steps to take in order to get service from you.

Use your email list like you use social media–as a way to connect further with your readers and fans. Interact and inform your readers; don’t constantly promote and sell.

says by Kimberley Grabas from Your Writer Platform in her article, Writers Guide To an Email list

It only takes one click to unsubscribe, so make it worthwhile for your reader to stay.

Having an Email list is great for so many reasons and you can be tempted to monetize early in if your following is sufficient. However, it is easy to abuse this new power with so many businesses trying to get their hands on your little black book. There are a few things you should not do when deciding to monetize or sale your email list.

1) You have to remember our #1 Rule: Quality over Quantity. It doesn’t just apply to content. You worked hard to build your email list- why throw it away over a few bucks? Flooding your listing with shameless advertisements, inconsistent content, and a jumble of merchandise they couldn’t be less interested in is an easy way to lose subscribers.

2) Being inconsistent could be costly. Informing your readers of your every move may not be necessary but failing to set up some consistent schedule that readers can conform to could cause them to lose interest. When you finally decide to take your Email newsletter serious your readers might have moved on or decide they have too much to catch up on so, why bother? Avoid this by sending out a weekly Email, even if just to say hi or drop an odd fact about yourself and your services. It pays off!

Getting around to creating an Email list shouldn’t be something you consider. It is not something that should be put off, which is a unintentional error often made by beginning entrepreneurs. Don’t wait until you have built the perfect blog, have impeccable content with no grammatical errors, don’t even wait until building a social empire- just invite them to join you later! Get a jump on your email list from the beginning of your Freelance Writing career- connect with readers, inform them, and prepare yourself for possible hiccups.

Have any tips for getting started on an Email list for other Freelance Writers? Share them us! Let’s hear your feedback on Facebook. Make sure to use hashtag #GabBrand- Can’t wait for you to share your gift of gab!

Simply Said,