Blogging is part of the content marketing strategy. To blog effectively you need to write for the reader and you need to share that content in order to create visibility and authority.
But, there’s more to it.
An effective marketing strategy, along with sharing your own content, is to share the content of others. In fact, it’s so effective that Google uses the sharing you do via social networks (Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, etc.) in its ranking system.
In other words, your content’s shareability influences your search engine ranking and increases traffic to your website. This exposure helps increase your business and sales.
An example of this is: I’ve gotten emails and even phone calls from clients who found me via an online search. This means one or more of my links are being made available on the search results page for a query.
So, it’s easy to see that creating shareable content is well worth the effort.
Along with creating engaging content that readers want to share, as mentioned above, it’s also important to share the content of others. Just be sure the content you share is relevant to your niche. For instance, if you are in the children’s writing niche, you wouldn’t want to share content that might be consider questionable or unrelated to your niche.
Blogging and sharing the content of others has a number of benefits, including:
1. Visibility - You help another writer/blogger/marketer get her content out there. You help make it go viral and broaden her visibility. This will make her happy and she will take note of you, especially if you do this on a regular basis. This in turn, will motivate her to do the same for you. This is a win-win situation.
2. Being a resource - You become a valued source in your community/tribe/online neighborhood. When you share helpful information with your audience, whether it’s your content or that of others, they appreciate it. This helps establish you as trustworthy and an authority. It’s another win-win situation.
3. Creating connections - Sharing the content of others creates a connection and broadens your own visibility/exposure. And, you never know where that connection will lead to – it may develop into a profitable business opportunity.
4. Ranking - You gain search engine visibility. There is a definite correlation between Tweets, Likes, Shares, Connections and so on, and Google’s search results. This means Google tracks those shares, which means you’re playing in Google’s playground. This activity is noticed by Google.
As the founder and manager of an online marketing group, I always encourage members and visitors to click on the blog’s available social links (Twitter, G+, FB, LinkedIn, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, and so on) and leave comments.
It’s those comments and shares that gives blogposts their marketing juice.
Paying-it-forward is another aspect of being in the writing and marketing arena.
Paying it forward is like a smile. You never know how or ‘how much’ it will help someone in that particular moment.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an author, freelance writer or marketer, paying-it-forward is simply the right thing to do.
According to Wikipedia, pay-it-forward “is a term describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying it to others instead of to the original benefactor.”
So, how do you and I pay-it-forward to other authors, writers, and marketers?
Here are 15 strategies that you can try out:
• Share the content of others on social media networks
• Say YES if you’re asked to help in a launch or promotion
• Be a host for an author’s blog tour
• Offer free helpful – this may be in the form of a podcast, video, webinar, article, ebook, etc.
• Provide a recommendation if you’re familiar with another’s work or product
• Accept invitations to connect – just check out the person/business first
• Reach out and connect to others
• Like the Facebook page of someone you know
• Like comments and ‘shared posts’ of others
• If you read a book and like it, write and share a review
• Share your knowledge by answering questions and offering advice, if it’s requested
• Offer encouragement
• Offer motivation
• Be patient
• Be kind
Aside from being good for you as a writer and marketer, giving back is good for the universe.
I’m sure there are many other ways to pay-it-forward in your niche, please share your ideas with us!
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References:
http://www.copyblogger.com/content-marketing/
http://www.socialsteamr.com/benefits-of-the-sharing-economy/
http://www.business2community.com/google-plus/google-plus-seo-business-benefits-0608800
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_it_forward
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Karen Cioffi is a content writing and inbound marketing instructor. To check out how she can help you take your marketing to the next level, visit:
Get Traffic to Your Website with Inbound Marketing
Become an SEO Writer in Just 4 Weeks
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