Cornwall SEO

Content Marketing Blog

Why Content Marketing is the Wrong Way Round

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Content marketing is the wrong term, as I have discussed before, you are not marketing content, you are using content to attract people to you website to be persuaded to perform specific actions such as purchasing, lead generation etc.

You are not marketing content, but creating magnetic content. Content that not only attracts, but is sticky, and embeds into the sub-consciousness.

But, the term content marketing has taken hold, and propagated mostly by people wanting to sell to people who lack understanding over the form.

Why is this important?

Putting too much emphasis on the content rather than the purpose of the website can take your eye off the ball. Its not abut the content, the content is merely a tool, a mechanism. Some content creators miss this aspect and end up having the cart pulling the horse.

It’s understandable because whenever the term content marketing is raised the cliched terms of “quality content! and “content is King”, are not far behind. And like all cliches, there is a foundation of truth, but not the whole truth.

I think the reason for the over focus on “content”, rather than the purpose of the website is because most content creators still don’t get the reason web content exists and what it can be used for.

A lot of content is created for the purpose of link building, if the content is created and then marketed its the wrong way round. To create content and then market the content is wasteful and inifficient. The marketing should be first and the content comes after.

You find out what the linkerati want and then you create content.

It’s odd how many come up with the idea for content before fully analysing the needs of the market they are targeting.

Find out what people want and give it to them.

Most people think the content they should be producing should be the content which they like, rather than what the market requires.

Marketing then content

Not

“Content marketing”

But I’m afraid it doesn’t scan well.

Its not simply about being pedantic, its about creating creating the correct mindset and work flow.

Developing The correct mindset is something that is crucial to creating magnetic web content and I am going to be blogging about this later.

You may not think this matters much, but if you don’t have the right content creation processes in place and most don’t then your content efforts will never reach their full potential, whilst your competitor gets it together.

Truro Market Rye Bread

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Rye Bread
Rye Bread

Truro Market Rye Bread is World renowned for its high quality and taste. People travel from miles into downtown Truro to stock up on this particular baked product.

When I bought my daily loaf I thought that building links is no different.

Offer something Unique

It’s a lot easier to build links when the content is unique and tasty. I was just delivered an infographic I had commissioned for a client and it is unique and very tasty.

If you can only rustle up mediocre content for your link building efforts it’s going to tricky to compete.

Get something Unique.
Get something tasty.

Google Targeting Public Linking Networks

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The news is Google have nuked another public linking network. These are systems where a few thousand blogs will host one of your articles with a link back to your sites. You know the drill.

Problem is, these networks are massive and so show up on the radar.

Two big hitters have sunk so far:
www.buildmyrank.com
www.articlemarketingautomation.com

Interesting AMA says, “It’s not some BS like “demand was so high OMG WE GOTTA CLOSE!”. It’s simple. AMA still works. Google are targeting networks which confirms one thing. Networks work. And they work too well. But this targeting, it’s being done by manual intervention.”

I know more than one agency who has used these systems. Why? Because they work, but obviously they are not long term, but all that means is that there is an added cost. It doesn’t mean they don’t work.

Whilst you rank, you earn. And the cash doesn’t go away unless you spend it on donuts.

But Linkbait and Infographics work too, hint. So do Web 2.0 links.

We are continuing this convo in a little more detail on linkbaitcoaching.com and the subject of how to build your own private domain network. This obviously comes with a big fat, red lettered warning. But we are all grown ups.

So, all good stuff, what Google Giveth, Google can take away.

Ooops! Correction, AMA have not been hit, yet. But have closed their doors to new members.

SEO Content Executive London

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Take a job role and add the term “executive” to it and it adds more gravitas to the role.

Or does it?

What is an executive anyway? Probably something dreamed up by recruitment (executives 😉

“Grunt”, would probably be a more accurate term.

SEO Content Grunts wanted

Would that get a better class of application? I don’t know, but it would let people know that the company hiring is different and does not bullshit.

Content grunts are valued at Cornwallseo, they are the bods that make the machine move. Without them there are nothing. Our content grunts are well looked after. I’m getting the feeling that you lot who have executive after your name may feel a tad used and abused. I don’t know.

Do you think the term “executive” really changes anything?

Does the boss feed you free donuts daily?

When we hire for a post we treat it the same way as we would a bit of linkbait or infographic. We need to attract people who are highly creative and want to make a mark, and have a twinkle in their eye.

We are not hiring just yet, in Cornwall or London. But when we do we want to win “The Most Creative Job Advert” award at the next BAFTA’s.

If you are looking to work with one of the most Zarjaz and Froody outfits in online marketing, keep a look out on this blog, sign up to the email, RSS feed, Twitter feed etc.

More about this later.

Top WordPress Plugins

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cbnet Ping Optimizer
GetSocial
SEO Smart Links
Simple Tags
W3 Total Cache
WordPress SEO
WP-DBManager
StatPress Reloaded

I first install Plugin Central, this allows me to auto install the above. Which can save a huge amount of time when installing a large number of WordPress installs.

What Plugins would you add to the above?

Pinterest, C'mon Guys Get a Grip

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Look, before you start running around the place with your knickers on your head screaming about how Pinterest is going to solve all online marketing problems known to mankind, I suggest you take a deep breath and consider a few things.

Maybe it’s the young, cool and froody crowd over at Mashmumble who are whipping up the frenzy over what is a generic system like Pinterest.

Pinterest is fantastic if your niche is visually stimulating, such as cat calenders, kitchen taps, motorbike paintwork, bathroom tiles etc. And I have a few friends who are really working Pinterest to their own advantage who happen to be in these niches. I myself have, ahem, a few accounts that focus on certain niches.

As far as I can see, it has the same flavour as Stumbleupon, Flickr etc. of course it’s not exactly the same. But if you found that these types of systems did not work for you in the past, I doubt it’s worth a look in.

There is no social media system which everyone should be a member of. I am a member of all I can be, but then this is my job. I can’t advise clients if I don’t join and try to game these systems to my own advantage.

6 months ago, G+ was the next big thing, as far as I can tell it’s definitely not. It shows some interesting aspects, but it’s not captured enough critical mass for it to be a Facebook killer.

If there are two social media systems to use it’s Twitter and Facebook. But they are no longer new and exciting and so maybe not worth the Maserati raving about them. Twitter and Facebook are established enough to easily work out if they are for you. With Pinterest, unless you are a social media professional or a middle aged women making cupcakes, I would look at all the social media systems that are on offer and chose the one that benefits you the most.