Does Your Content Marketing Strategy Stand a Chance? – #FridayFinds

50 thoughts on “Does Your Content Marketing Strategy Stand a Chance? – #FridayFinds”

1. Hi Dave,
   Thanks for dropping by and for including a link in your post (on tips to get included in roundup posts).

   Your list of roundups is helpful because the best way for a blogger to be included in roundups like these is to build a relationship with the blogger. (Asking me to include your post does not work with me.)

   The way I find awesome content to share is to: 1) find it on blogs that I visit, 2) discover it through Twitter or Triberr, or 3) follow a link from a major newsletter (like SearchEngineLand.com and SEOmoz.org).

   I hope you’re having a great weekend!
   Sherryl Perry recently posted..Want To Improve Your Social Media Game? #FridayFinds

2. There can never be too much emphasis put on making sure that all of the content you produce is of a high quality. I find that when measuring how effective guest blogs and other types of content actually is, the better quality it is the more value it gives everyone.
   Kostas recently posted..How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Guest Posts

   1. Kostas,
      I have found that longer guest blog posts that with actionable ideas are received the best. I have one guest blogger here who my readers have asked to come back. She gives concrete examples of steps that my readers can implement.

      Thanks for dropping by and joining the conversation.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Google Manual Web Spam Action or Algorithm Change?

3. Hey Sherryl,

   Wow, that is a lot of content going out daily. 27,000,000? I can’t imagine that! I can see how our content can get lost in the crowd!

   But as far as strategies are concern. I only like to focus on the great blogging friends I have and at the same time I keep my eye open for those that are in the same niche and have a big following! As for as keeping my eye open for the heavy hitters, I got this idea from reading Malcolm Gladwell’s the tipping point which I highly recommend if you haven’t read it already.

   But overall I think we also have to keep in mind that the small group of friends we interact with online daily has also a following of those with similar interests. I’m definitely going to check out Adam Connells site since you piqued my interest 😉 Thanks for sharing Sherryl! Have a great week!

   1. Hi Sherman,

      That statistic surprised me. I knew there was a lot of competition but that puts it in perspective. Your strategy for following bloggers sounds similar to mine. Thanks for the tip on Malcolm Gladwell’s book. I haven’t read it but I’ll keep it in mind for the future.

      I think you’ll find Adam’s blog interesting. Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

4. Hi Sherryl,
   I simply write from the heart, and let the chips fall where they may. In my personal reading, I am continually focused on spiritual intelligence. It has a religious connotation, but does not mean that. It’s about BEING. Love, care, compassion, empathy… these are the things that matter to me, and I think matter to most people.

   So, in short, I focus my time and energy into those things that motivate my heart to expand.

   Warm Regards,
   Bill
   William Butler recently posted..Loyalty: The Lifeblood of Everything

   1. Hi Bill,
      When I read your blog posts, it’s evident that you write from your heart and that’s a good thing. I find visiting blogs like yours to be a welcome diversion and I’m often inspired by reading your posts.

      As always, thanks for taking the time to share your insight with us.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Is Social Networking Really that Different from Face-to-Face?

5. Hi Sherryl, Wow, those statistics are overwhelming. So much content out there, breaking through the noise is a challenge. I’m glad I’m not trying to sell anything on my blog, that would be a lot of pressure.

   I agree with you about commenting but I get a lot out of the articles I comment on. I feel that commenting is my way to thank the author for the value I’ve received.

   Like you, I tend to comment on fewer blogs but leave longer comments. Harleena is amazing, she is everywhere and leaves long, valuable comments.

   I’ve had most of my traffic from Pinterest and StumbleUpon lately. The visits used to be mostly from Twitter and Facebook before but times are changing, I guess. I figure as long as one reader gets value from an article, I’ve done my job. But again, I’m not trying to sell anything so that’s easy for me to say.

   Thanks for opening our eyes to the challenges of content marketing and providing us with the resources to overcome these challenges, Sherryl.
   Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently posted..Nostalgic for Tech!

   1. Hi Carolyn, I was interested in you getting most of your traffic from Pinterest and StumbleUpon. How does Pinterest work for you? Do you produce a lot of visual content? Do you submit your content to StumbleUpon? Just wondering how StumbleUpon works for you. I’ve found certain of my blog posts get a lot of traffic from StumbleUpon and some don’t. I’ve also experimented with StumbleUpon’s paid delivery service and been very impressed with the quality of the traffic and how inexpensive it is.

      Thanks!
      Ian Anderson Gray recently posted..The Secrets of a Killer Blog Post– How to Get Your Readers’ Attention

      1. Hi Ian, Yes, I spend a lot of time on my images for my articles at The Wonder of Tech. Images can draw people in and also help illustrate what I’m trying to explain with words. Pinterest can be very effective in bringing in traffic as pins can be repinned months after they were first pinned.

         StumbleUpon is most effective when you are active on the site. If all you do is Stumble your articles they just won’t send you any traffic (or very little). If you Stumble others’ articles and use StumbleUpon actively you can get a lot more traffic from them.

         I’ve never tried their paid delivery service but I’m glad you’ve had good results with them, Ian!
         Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently posted..Nostalgic for Tech!

   2. Hi Carolyn,
      I was surprised by the numbers too. I knew the competition was tough but I didn’t realize there was that much content being produced daily.

      I get a lot of value from the articles that I comment on too and I also learn a lot from reading through the comment sections. One of the things that I value the most about CommentLuv enabled blogs is the ability to simply hop from one blog to another. Sometimes, I’m amazed by the information that people share.

      Harleena is amazing as is Adrienne. They’re both generous and add value in their conversations. (You do too.)

      StumbleUpon is my second top source of referral traffic. I’m not sure how that happened but I tend to stumble a lot while visiting blogs. It’s a simple strategy that pays off. (I always stumble my posts as well.) Like Ian, I’d be interested in hearing how you generate traffic from Pinterest.

      As always, thanks so much for dropping by and sharing your thoughts with us.

6. Hi Sherryl,

   All of the tips you mentioned are sure to help, and the video was a great addition to the post to make it a great piece of content instead of just a regular blog post. From my short time blogging, I would say that reading blog posts from those that have experience and taking notes is a great way to learn how it works.
   Amiti recently posted..How to Improve Your Blog Using Feedweb WordPress Plugin

   1. Hi Amiti,
      Thanks for letting me know that you appreciated the video. I liked it because it was short and to the point. I completely agree with you about learning from the experiences of other bloggers. This is an ever changing environment and without each other’s help, I don’t think it would be possible for any one blogger to keep up with it all.

      Thanks for taking the time to join the conversation.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..What is Your Favorite WordPress Plugin? #FridayFinds

7. Hi Sherryl,
   I am Wowed by this post! Thanks so much for introducing me to Ian! I went over to his blog while I was reading and found it Awesome!!!

   As for you my dear, you have hit an important topic of content. We do need so many factors when it comes to our blog. When writing our content, we do have to keep in mind that we are writing to people. Then keeping our eyes open to questions people ask us….ego, another blog post! We also have to pay attention to our headlines. Thanks for that reminder because I still need work on that one!

   You also have mentioned some wonderful people here like Adam Cornell, who I follow too. I do have to check out the rest.

   This article is one that answered many questions I had and also is valuable because of the references you made.

   Thank you…I loved this so much I just had to book mark it!

   -Donna
   donna merrill recently posted..Getting My Product Live

   1. Hi Donna,
      Well, you just made my day! I’m very happy to learn that you found my post bookmark worthy. It’s good to know that you met Ian through me and that you were already following Adam too.

      I’ve been working on improving my headlines too. I’m especially unhappy with some of the titles for my earlier articles in my #FridayFinds. When I first started this series, it wouldn’t be unusual for me to share a mix of articles on topics like SEO, social media and web design all in one post. (I was pretty much sharing posts that I had found throughout the week.)

      The strategy I’m taking now is to focus on one topic and if my research unearths an older article (that’s worthy of being included), I’ll link to it. I think it’s helping to bring more value this way as well as making it easier to target my headlines.

      BTW – The tool that I’ve been using to help write better headlines is Jon Morrow’s free eBook “52 Headline Hacks”. If you’re interested in downloading a copy, you can sign up at boostblogtraffic.com. I used it to kick start ideas for the title of this article.

      Have a great weekend. I’ll be dropping by your blog soon.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Marketer vs Marketing: What Difference Does a Keyword Make?

      1. Donna, Sherryl, thanks. I really don’t know what to say now! That’s very kind. The more I blog the more I realise how wonderful the blogging community is. I subscribe to all my favourite blogs and news sites via Feedly (it used to be Google Reader before that). A good few years a go I used to subscribe to the big sites such as Mashable, but these days I’m going straight to my “people” blogs section. There are some awesome blogs out there written by individuals or small business owners. I’m talking about the likes of Jon Loomer, Mark Schaefer, Ian Cleary, Aaron Lee, Donna Moritz and so on. This is where the niche and quality stuff is. And now I’m adding some more quality with Sherryl, Donna and Adam’s blogs. Thanks for introducing me!

         Ian
         Ian Anderson Gray recently posted..The Secrets of a Killer Blog Post– How to Get Your Readers’ Attention

         1. Hi Ian,
            When I first started blogging, I relied on a Google reader to keep abreast of the blogs that I followed and (for some reason) I stopped using it (long before it was discontinued). Instead, I relied on email subscriptions. I’ve reached the point now where I can’t really keep up with emails. So, thanks for the reminder about Feedly. I think a fresh start with it will help me be more productive. I’m not familiar with Jon Loomer, Ian Cleary or Donna Moritz but I’ll definitely subscribe to their feeds as well. Thanks for introducing me to them. The blogging community is wonderful and we can all learn from each other.

8. Hi Sherryl!
   This is really an great post, we humbly appreciate your efforts. We got some amazing points from your post that are really informative and helpful and we will again wish to read your upcoming posts, keep it up this Good work.
   AAmir Awan recently posted..How to Publish Posts From Mobile and Email in Blogger

9. Hi Sherryl,

   Thanks for sharing Ian’s post. I have bookmarked it to refer back. As he points out, the headline is absolutely the key element and I have seen countless content marketers talk about it. Headline is what brings people to your content and then it becomes your job to keep them interested and keep them on your site.

   I love how you have added that content marketing isn’t a singleton task. It definitely makes sense because unless we put our efforts through the sales and marketing funnels, results aren’t going to be great.

   Speaking of sales, I have attended a few courses from Brandon Burchard and Jeff Walker and they teach and also implement some incredibly powerful methods to sales and marketing online.

   Thank you for this refresher. I think I enjoyed being here and learned something new through your resourceful blog post today!

   Have a great week!

   Regards,
   Kumar
   Kumar Gauraw recently posted..Are You Excited About Getting Some New Domain Extensions?

   1. Hi Kumar,
      I’m glad that you found Ian’s post valuable enough to bookmark. I agree about the headlines being very important and I’ve been doing my best to create better headlines on my site. (For example, “content marketing” is considered by some to be buzz words. So, I incorporated them in my article title.) Recently, I downloaded Jon Morrow’s “52 Headline Hacks” to use as a crutch.

      Today, in his response to Catarina, Ian said “It’s about creating engaging content that points people to you or your business. It’s at that point that hopefully you’ll be able to connect with them.”

      Thanks for mentioning Brandon Burchard and Jeff Walker. I was going to follow them on Twitter but there are quite a few people with Twitter account that matched their names.

      Thanks for letting me know that you found my article resourceful and for taking the time to comment. You have a great week too!
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Social Media Branding, Color in Website Design and Images #FridayFinds

10. Thanks so much for including my article. I love the other articles you’ve linked to. I’ll definitely be checking out posts from Adam Connell on Triberr (where would we be without Triberr?!) Content marketing is becoming harder, but if you find your niche, post quality content and have a strategy then I think you’re on to something!
    Ian Anderson Gray recently posted..The Secrets of a Killer Blog Post– How to Get Your Readers’ Attention

    1. You’re very welcome Ian. I enjoyed your article and you linked to such great resources, I figured it would be a win-win-win (you, me and my readers).

       Adam creates some great content. Where would we be without Triberr? It’s definitely a go-to-tool for me.

       Thanks for dropping by. I suspect I’ll be linking to more of your articles in the future.

11. Hi Sherryl, I find when I post more I do get more visits but less comments. It’s a catch 22. When you are writing more posts it is harder to comment on others posts more thus getting less comments on your own posts. I’m also noticed more traffic from Pinterest and Tumblr, it really boils down to constenancy, where you remain consistant is where your traffic will come from. Twitter has been one of my biggest sources over time.
    Lisa recently posted..Inside Bloggers Brains Day After Day Working Hard

    1. Lisa,
       It is such a catch 22! My biggest problem is my tendency to write long comments rather than comment on a lot of sites. I often think I spend too much time commenting and not enough time writing content for my own blog. It’s not just the comments that I leave for other bloggers either. Sometimes, I spend quite a bit of time replying to the comments left here.

       Twitter is consistently my top source of traffic and StumbleUpon is my second source of referrals. I have yet to get started on Tumblr. I need to see what you’re doing there? Are you writing posts specifically for Tumblr, subscribing your feed or what? (I’ve read your blog posts on it before but I still have nothing about it.)

       1. Sherryl, I kinda use it like Twitter but not as often. It has taken time for me to get 80+ followers there and some traction but it’s easy to schedule posts within Tumblr now as I had shown in my post on it. I follow like minded people and not just my usual topics, I expanded them a litte like I do via Twitter. After a while you can see what people like more on Tumblr vs other social sites. It does take time and patience!
          Lisa recently posted..Inside Bloggers Brains Day After Day Working Hard

          1. Thanks Lisa. I’ll start by following you and some other bloggers I recognize and then figure out what to do with it. I’ll go back and reread your posts on it too.

12. A wonderful post Sherryl, and some inspiration for my own writing blog.

    I’ve been studying and writing about content marketing since 2008, and I even wrote a free eBook on that some 3 years ago, but of course there’s still room for me to learn about it myself and you’ve certainly given us some food for thoughts here, and I will check those out.

    Thank you and have a great Sunday!
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..New eBook 15 Easy Rules To Fire Up Your Writing!

    1. Thanks so much for letting me know that you enjoyed my post Sylviane. I’m glad it gave you something to think about.

       Congratulations on your new eBook!

13. Content, with or without adding the word marketing, is essential. And, as Ian points out, the headline is crucial. If you then draw the reader into the article it will be read.

    Agree with what Jeannette and you conclude that content marketing doesn’t stand alone but should be part of a campaign including other aspects of marketing and sales. Especially if your product/service is expensive.
    Catarina recently posted..What’s your online reputation worth?

    1. Hi Catarina,

       That’s a great point! It’s the word “content” that we’re talking about here.

       Both Jeannette and Adrienne pointed out how the term content-marketing has become such a buzz word. It has. I honestly didn’t know how to even introduce this post because the term itself can be vague. (That’s why I ended up using a quote and a video from Copyblogger. It seemed like the best “definition” that I could find.)

       I think Jeannette explained it well when she called content marketing another sales funnel.

       As always, thanks for taking the time to weigh in on this.

       1. Thanks Catarina and Sherryl,

          I really dislike jargon phrases and I suppose “content marketing” is one of them. I think it pays to unpack such phrases. It doesn’t really take long though- because it’s just about marketing using content (video, articles, podcasts etc). The same goes for the phrase “sales funnel”- I don’t know if it is me, but I keep on being reminded of Chemistry lessons at school (I am sure we used funnels!). That being said, content marketing is another type of sales funnel. It’s about creating engaging content that points people to you or your business. It’s at that point that hopefully you’ll be able to connect with them. To begin with that might be on Twitter or another social network or perhaps in a comment on your blog. Hopefully then they will turn into an email subscriber. Then they may reply to you and on it goes. It’s about building up trust in you/your business and forming a relationship. I know some people hate the phrase “Person to Person (P2P)” or “Human to Human (H2H)” but that’s what it’s all about in the end!
          Ian Anderson Gray recently posted..The Secrets of a Killer Blog Post– How to Get Your Readers’ Attention

          1. Thanks for adding to the conversation Ian. I was just replying to Lisa Buben and she got me thinking about the age old question of spending our time writing posts versus commenting on other blogger’s posts. (Lisa mentioned the importance of traffic from spending time on social media sites too.)

             I think the way you express it here boils it down simply. It’s about creating “engaging” content and then connecting with people. Personally, I like the phrases P2P and H2P and I’m happy to see more blog posts and social shares using those phrases.

             Thanks so much for dropping by. I’ve been following you online for a while and thought it was time to highlight one of your articles.
             Sherryl Perry recently posted..How Are You Building Your Online Brand? #FridayFinds

14. Hey Sherryl,

    Ah, more great finds on this Friday post.

    Content marketing, the new buzz word going around wouldn’t you agree? I use to put so much pressure on myself trying to keep coming up with content my readers would enjoy and learn from. Over time I realized that by just being me and adding a bit of myself in my posts that they were standing out which for some people was making my blog unforgettable.

    Most of us are here to build a business and yes, we want repeat customers. I think though that has a lot to do with the connections we make and although there is some amazing content out there, I’ll read it but never go back because they didn’t do anything special to make me connect with them.

    Adam is great at researching topics and writing really long posts. You’ll always learn something from him for sure. Copyblogger is another great find for great content and lots to learn. I don’t see a lot of personal connections being made though and to me that’s what will continue to draw me in.

    Thanks for these shares today and another great Friday Find.

    ~Adrienne
    Adrienne recently posted..How To Make Your Blog Unforgettable

    1. Hi Adrienne,

       I absolutely agree that content marketing is the new buzz word. (I also confess that’s part of the reason I used it in the title of my post. 🙂 )

       You’ve found the key to blog posts that work for you. Anyone who visits your blog can see from the amount of comments that your receive that you engage with your readers. There are real relationships being built there.

       Sometimes when I leave a comment for you, I see so many bloggers who I am connected with that I could spend the day just blog-hopping using the CommentLuv links and I’d be visiting blogs from some of the leading bloggers in our circles. That’s a testament to what you’ve accomplished there.

       I don’t see a lot of personal connections on Copyblogger either and I honestly can’t remember the last time I commented there. What I do know is that if I’m in major “Tweet-mode” and I’m looking for good content to share, I don’t believe I can go wrong by sharing something that they’ve published. (As much as I try to always read/scan every article that I share, sometimes, I’ll take a chance and RT for someone I trust IF the original source is from a site like Copyblogger.)

       As always, thanks for dropping by and adding to the conversation. I hope you’re remembering to carve out a little time over the weekend to relax!
       Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does Your Content Marketing Strategy Stand a Chance? – #FridayFinds

15. Sherryl — I may be in the minority but I think the term “content marketing” is the newest buzzword but, in reality, social media networks are simply added funnels for a marketing strategy. They shouldn’t be treated as something separate but an integral part of a campaign that can include traditional advertising, direct marketing, PR and — surprise! — face to face contact.

    1. Jeannette,

       I agree that “content marketing” is a bit of a buzzword and an overused phrase to say the least. That’s why I turned to Copy Blogger for their definition.

       Actually, there isn’t anything unique about content marketing as they describe it and in their video, the presenter says “Online content marketing differs from traditional copy writing in that it uses blogs, social media or video as a vehicle.”

       I also agree that (in reality) they are simply added funnels and they do not stand alone.

       Face-to-face contact? Oh yes! That still works. As always, thanks for dropping by.
       Sherryl Perry recently posted..Is Social Networking Really that Different from Face-to-Face?

16. I’ve been doing content marketing for about 3 years now for my clients. I syndicate their content and distribute it using some tools online I’ve purchased such as Hootsuite, Dlvr.it, Buffer, Mailchimp and more. I agree, at the end of the day for most of us it’s all about driving traffic and converting new sales. This is why custoemrs see value in my services, I drive traffic and create a social media presence. What I’m finding is most bloggers don’t have time to do it themselves so it’s a very convenient solution.

    1. Hi Brian,
       You’ve just mentioned some of my favorite tools. It’s good to know that you offer content marketing as a service. I believe you’re right that many bloggers don’t have the time to do content marketing themselves. It’s good to know that there are people to outsource it to.

       Thanks for dropping by. I noticed that you are using a logo now for your Gravatar. That is new isn’t it?
       Sherryl Perry recently posted..Marketer vs Marketing: What Difference Does a Keyword Make?

17. Hi Sherryl

    According to me writing a piece of content which can bring a smile on somebody’s face or could solve a problem for someone is the only thing everyone should consider while making a content marketing strategy. I always try to write on topics which can solve a problem of my blog readers.

    1. Hi Tauseef,

       I agree with you about bringing a smile to a person’s face or solving a problem. It’s important to always add value in our content. I also believe it’s important to add value in our comments too.

       Thanks for taking the time to add your thoughts here. I appreciate it.
       Sherryl Perry recently posted..Managing the Reputation of Your Business

18. If you write from your heart Sherryl you will have few problems getting traffic. The problem is that few write from their heart. I integrate stories into most of my posts to make my content memorable. I publish 1 minute videos along with 5 tip style pieces to draw in readers to my content.

    Adam is a content wizard. So happy you mentioned him….because I owe him a guest post too 😉

    Thanks!
    Ryan Biddulph recently posted..1 Minute Video: How to Create Oodles of Content

    1. Ryan,
       I write from my heart too but my problem is that I don’t provide enough content on my own blog.

       I have the bad habit of spending too much time commenting on other blogs. It’s good to be supportive of other bloggers and it also helps to build awareness and my reputation but sometimes I find myself writing mini-blog posts in the comments. That’s a habit that I am going to try to break

       BTW – I just watched your 1-minute video. Creating 1 minute videos certainly would provide more content. (If only I were comfortable in front of a camera.)
       Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Comment for Backlinks on DoFollow Enabled CommentLuv Blogs?

19. The biggest bright spot for our site is Instagram. Most of our other sources of traffic are declining. Of course, as a fashion designer we produce the type of visual content that is perfect for Instagram, so our results obviously may representative, particularly for content that is basically textual.
    Randy Pickard recently posted..An Updated Version Of The Hidden Text Trick That Fools Google (at least for now)

    1. Randy,
       That’s great that Instagram is a good platform for your products. Thanks for sharing that info with us.

       I know there are several regular readers here who drive traffic to their sites through Pinterest. It sounds like there would be opportunities for them to highlight their products and services there.

       The service business that I’m thinking of are party planners, event planners and photographers but I would think someone who conducts training or runs sessions could potentially create visual content also.
       Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does Your Content Marketing Strategy Stand a Chance? – #FridayFinds

    2. Hi Ryan, good points, I have to agree with you, but on some very rare and lucky occasions you can blog from the heart and have success. When I first started blogging I was writing about Marketing and SEO. I loved it and all my posts were from my heart as I enjoyed it so much. I made the blog a success and used it to make Blog Engage popular. I guess I was one of the lucky few… with that said, I don’t blog there anymore as I have little to no interest in SEO what so ever… BORING STUFF.

       1. Hi Brian,
          I’ve been a member of Blog Engage for years but I really don’t remember if I followed you when you were blogging about Marketing and SEO. If I knew you back then, I probably was.

          That’s good to know that your first blog led you to what truly is your passion now. That should serve as an inspiration for us that are blogging now to continue but keep in mind that we need to enjoy what we’re doing. Once we become bored, blogging can become a chore.

          Thanks for dropping by and sharing.

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