Google+ for business: 10 reasons to give it a go

June 5, 2014

Google’s social media and sharing platform, Google+, has been around for over two years now. My previous experience with the platform involved joining back in 2011, adding some circles and sitting back only to hear crickets. Since then, I’ve been guilty of putting Google+ on the back burner and going on about my business. Maybe this sounds like you, or maybe you’ve never even considered Google+ since Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have you busy enough as it is. Either way, it’s time to give Google+ its props.

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Attract the right customers with well-written personas

May 29, 2014

 

Attracting target market with personasPersonas, or customer profiles based on real data, have been around for a while. Although they may seem daunting to compile at first, once you have the information, you have a roadmap to the hearts and minds of your most valuable prospects. Depending on whom you ask, creating customer personas can be a fun exercise or drag on for days, with every answer only leading to more questions. HubSpot recommends this worksheet for painting the perfect customer picture. If you feel overwhelmed by the list of questions you need to answer, try focusing on the essentials:

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SEO tips for the human search engine

May 15, 2014

 

magic eight ball, conversational search

You’ve got to hand it to Google. Those geniuses know more and more readers are searching how they speak. And with the launch of Hummingbird last summer, they’re making sure we all give more attention to context and less to keyword-crammed text.

What better way to keep the context behind the keywords conversational than to allow voice-commanded search? Much like Siri on your iPhone, you can ask questions directly in Google Chrome, simply start by saying “OK Google.” 

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You invest in your content. Follow these tips to invest in your audience.

May 1, 2014

content marketing, relationship building

With all of the time and energy you’re spending on creating and promoting great content, it’s easy to forget that your online presence isn’t meant to be a soapbox. It’s a two-way connection.

Street cred and social proof aren’t built on self-promotional blog posts and tweets alone. So how can you go beyond your product or service and build real connections with your audience?

Listen

Actively research what your prospects and customers are saying in other arenas, not just any comments on your blog. Twitter is a great place to start. Follow your followers, as well as your ideal customers (your competitors’ followers) to see what’s on their minds. How can you help them solve these issues, even when the problems aren’t directly related to your product?

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Advice for One Sparkers and entrepreneurs

April 11, 2014

One Spark, the world’s first crowdfunding festival, is in full swing here in Jacksonville, and the city is abuzz with undeniable energy. Hundreds of entrepreneurs and innovators have taken over the streets of downtown to display their ideas in hopes of receiving funding from One Spark and private investors alike.

I had the pleasure of being there for opening night and plan on going back again this weekend. From ice cream made with collard greens (it was delish!) to 3D printers, local artists and social movements, it was inspiring to see all of the creativity this city has to offer.

Because Reputation Ink is a startup too, we wanted to share some advice with fellow entrepreneurs:

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How to create a brand story worth telling

April 9, 2014

How to write an interesting brand story

There’s a common misconception that business-to-business communications have to look and sound a certain way… the opposite of good. Do you check your personality at the door upon entering your office building? Neither does your reader. Remember we’re all humans (of varying degrees) and want to be approached in our native language.

To ensure sure your brand narrative isn’t an unintentional bedtime story, put your best FACES forward and create a story that’s:

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Content marketing isn’t a fad. Jump in feet first with these tips.

March 27, 2014

iStock_000014129583Medium

Through the outdated lens of traditional marketing, it doesn’t really make sense… Spending time and money to create content prospects will find useful and share — without including a single sales message. But unlike skinny ties and huge hair poofs, content marketing is here to stay, and with good reason:

  • More Leads: B2B companies with blogs generate 67% more leads per month on average than non-blogging firms. (Social Media B2B)
  • More Engagement: 90% of consumers find custom content useful. (TMG Custom Media)

  • More Love: 78% of consumers believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships. (TMG Custom Media)

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Does your content live up to your headline?

March 20, 2014

creating content that lives up to your headline

Ever clicked on a headline only to be sorely disappointed when the content didn’t live up to your expectations? It’s kind of like connecting with someone online, then being jarred into the horrible realization that they’re a Photoshop ninja upon the first date.

Yes, intriguing headlines are highly effective. And since the average attention span is only eight seconds, what’s the big deal if you lose momentum after your blog post is clicked? If open rates were the end game, you’d be golden. But you’re trying to build credibility that leads to a relationship with your readers. Here’s how to skip the bait-and-snooze while knocking your headlines out of the park:

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  • About the Author
    Heather Kingry

    Heather Kingry is a versatile writer with nearly a decade of experience in writing across all media. Blogs, websites and tweets have become second nature. Whether it’s b2b or b2c, she’s strictly business when it comes to generating results for her clients.

    Read my full bio

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