Joe Pulizzi, CEO of the Content Marketing Institute, believes that every company with a marketing plan is a publisher in today’s internet age. Pulizzi defines publishing as, “the process of production and dissemination of information–the activity of making information available for public view.” Whether a business is growing content through an online blog, social media site, or printed publication, they are all sharing content in order to directly connect with customers. Pulizzi lays out 10 steps that, when applied correctly, boost all forms of content sharing- in this week’s Shweiki webinar.
Use a Proper HEADLINE
For many content generators, the headline is the first step in the process of content creation. Pulizzi wants everyone to remember that it’s also the most important. A proper headline is crucial in the assimilation of an audience (as content is worthless if no one is viewing it). Simply changing a few words within the headline can result in major activity throughout Google’s SEO technology.
Headline Tips
- Think about the problem
- Focus on a keyword search (Google Eternal Search)
- Numbers rule
- Be VERY specific
Start With the Problem
Another tip Pulizzi recommends is to start with the problem. Leading with the problem essentially does two things: It organizes one’s content in a way that is effective and easy to understand (here is the problem, here is the solution). And secondly, it allows for those who are searching for answers to the same problem to immediately recognize that they have found what they were searching for.
Less is More
Pulizzi asks: “What captures the eye online?”
- Bullets
- Short paragraphs
- Short Sentences
- Imagery
“.. Get rid of unnecessary waste and edit, edit, edit. A blog post is like a miniskirt,” he concludes. “It has to be short enough to be interesting, but long enough to cover the subject.”
Create a Call To Action
A proper call to action is what one wants to accomplish after an audience has viewed content. Without a call to action, the viewer is just cycling through pieces of content. Efficient content marketing includes a CTA that guides the viewer to other content streams or tangible sales.
Guest Blogging
Pulizzi claims that one of the most important things business owners can do is create a guest blog forum. When one promotes an outside content generator on their own page, they open their page up to whatever audience follows their guest blogger, and increases sharing potential by expanding exponentially on highlighted keywords.
