Content Marketing Tips in a Flash

I recently came across a good, quick read that I thought I’d share with others who are looking for thoughtful content marketing tips and suggestions. Written by Byron White, president and founder of ideaLaunch, “101 Content Marketing Tips” tackles three distinct areas of content marketing: content creation, content optimization; and content testing. Each area highlights tricks of the trade that intend to help readers from all industries create a better virtual experience for website visitors, generate new business leads and consequentially improve content marketing ROI.

Considering the vast number of tips listed in this book, some of them might be all too familiar. There are, however, some bound to catch your attention and encourage you to think twice about various your marketing strategies.

I have listed a few excerpts of the book below that I found interesting, but feel free to download it in its entirety here.

Happy reading!

Tip 22. Video

Your audience has broadband and probably watches two to ten YouTube videos each month. Site, sound, and motion are becoming the presentation media of choice for companies that are in-the-know. So why are you still presenting flat HTML content? The good news is that you don’t need a Hollywood production team to get the video out and the viewers in—yet. Purchasing an HD camcorder and a good microphone will get you moving in the right direction. Combine that with the essential well-told story and you’ll join the video revolution.

Tip 24. Widgets

Let’s face it—web surfers expect to be entertained these days. Entertain them with Test Widgets that engage readers and keep them coming back for more challenges. Have expert writers craft multiple-choice questions that challenge the skill and knowledge of readers in topics that relate to your products and services. Incorrect answers trigger correct explanations that inform, educate, and sell. Find free online resources to build widgets easily.

Tip 69. F-Bombs?

And now a few F-words. Research shows that web users tend to read through web pages in an F-shaped manner, so keep important images Flushed left. Put your most important information—your message, other copy, or hero-shot image— near the middle of the page (the lower prong of the F). If something is not important, move it to a sidebar or take it out.

Always make Friends with your readers. One big way to be user-Friendly is to minimize the number of Fonts you use on a page. Poor type design is a visual turnoFF. Cleaning up the type variations helps drive readers to the headlines and calls-to-action quickly. Try to stick with one Font, and don’t bounce around between sans seriF and seriF Fonts.

Tip 83. Number, Please

Displaying a toll-free phone number on your site confirms that you're open for business. Try placing phone numbers in different positions throughout the site and varying the size of the phone numbers. Also experiment with the words around the phone number, which can make a big difference in how the target audience uses the number.

-Mary Evans