Better Business Blog

How To Master Content Marketing in a Month

Do you want to attract a steady stream of new customers?

Are you looking to create better content, but you need fresh ideas?

A lot of marketers are still unclear about what content marketing means.

This article will explore the benefits of content marketing and preview an exciting new opportunity from Social Media Examiner to help take your content marketing to the next level.

Smart Content, Big Rewards: An Example

Today, businesses of all sizes are using content marketing to slay the competition, attract large followings of loyal customers and explode their business’ growth.

But when tiny Magnolia Hi-Fi started using content, the Internet wasn’t even around. Did that stop them? Heck no!

Magnolia used content marketing to grow from a small audio store to an $87 million brand.

Back then, they had just transitioned from a neighborhood greeting card and photography store to an audio specialty store. Competition was fierce and they didn’t even have a marketing plan. So they hired a salesman (who knew a lot about educating prospects with great information) to develop a solid profitable marketing plan.

The plan was to give prospective buyers something to focus on other than price – content.

They created a series of stereo buyer’s guides, which offered educational content that answered prospects’ questions about buying audio equipment. These were distributed as newspaper inserts (remember there was no Internet at the time!).

But the guides were quarterly and Magnolia needed to nurture their audience by keeping the story alive throughout the year. So they invested in weekly distribution channels and different content formats. As resources grew, they scaled content velocity to achieve broader distribution and broadcast frequency.

Within 18 months, the small, out-of-the-way store was joined by a huge store in Seattle’s high-traffic University District, followed by two more stores and finally expanding to Washington, Oregon and California.

In 2000, the father-son business sold to Best Buy for $87 million! Today, there are over 350 Magnolia Home Theater Locations in Best Buy stores throughout the U.S.

Here’s a question for you. You have all the advantages of the Internet, right? What’s stopping you from growing your business?

Content marketing is simply creating and sharing information that solves buyers’ problems or makes their lives easier. The result is that you build a platform that draws in ideal customers, increases your exposure and achieves sales growth for your business.

Content Marketing Use and Adoption Statistics

Want to know how successful B2B marketers are using content marketing?

Here’s some research from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs with the latest findings:

• 91% of B2B marketers are now using content marketing
• 79% use content marketing for brand awareness, 74% for customer acquisition and 71% for lead generation
• On average, B2B marketers are spending 33% of their marketing budgets on content marketing, which is up from 26% last year
• 54% plan to increase their content marketing spending in 2013
• Large companies use an average of 18 content marketing tactics while small companies use an average of 11 tactics

These numbers demonstrate the huge investment B2B marketers are making in content marketing.

Don’t you think you should invest a little to learn more about content marketing this coming year?

Are you interested in learning how to create awesome blogs, podcasts, video, webinars and other forms of content to keep customers focused on your brand?

Social Media Examiner Announces Content Success Summit 2013

One of the biggest challenges marketers face is not knowing if their tactics are effective (according to Content Marketing Institute).

In response to this challenge, Social Media Examiner is bringing together 22 of the world’s leading content marketing experts to present at the first-annual online Content Success Summit 2013.

It’s an online conference spread over an entire month to meet your busy schedule.

This conference is designed to help you build your own platform, market your products and grow your business.

“Content is what makes social work, and it is at the core of all that we do here at Social Media Examiner,” says Michael Stelzner, CEO and founder of Social Media Examiner. “We have one of the largest business blogs in the world and a successful podcast. This summit is about teaching people how to do exactly what Social Media Examiner has always been doing.”

Why a Content Marketing Summit?

Unlike the early days of Magnolia Hi-Fi, we live in an era where everyone has the opportunity to build any kind of platform they want.

Business owners can develop and use their own platforms to publish great content for marketing the products or services they’re trying to sell.

Content Success Summit is the first virtual conference created to help marketers figure out exactly how to build their platform. By attending this conference you will:

• See how successful content producers operate and how you can achieve similar results
• Learn how to grow a loyal following via blogging, video, podcasting, email marketing and webinars
• Discover how to sell your products and services using content
• Gain a leg up on your competitors, helping you stand out
• Pick up new content marketing strategies that will bring you more exposure

Designed to accommodate your schedule, the conference will be conveniently spread over a four-week period starting February 5, 2013.

You will receive recordings and transcripts of all live sessions. And because it is fully online, you can attend right from your home or office, thus eliminating long-distance travel expenses and hotel bills.

Meet Your Presenters

Our first Content Success Summit features the most experienced leaders in the industry. Many of them have written a book about content marketing or are founders of successful businesses fueled by content. Among them are:

• Joe Pulizzi – founder of Content Marketing Institute and co-author of Get Content Get Customers
• Ann Handley – chief content officer of MarketingProfs and co-author of Content Rules
• Michael Hyatt – chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and author of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
• Michael Stelzner – founder of Social Media Examiner and author of Launch
• Amy Porterfield – co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies
• David Siteman Garland – founder of Rise to the Top and author of Smarter, Faster, Cheaper
• Gini Dietrich – co-author of Marketing in the Round
• Heidi Cohen – president of Riverside Marketing Strategies
• Pat Flynn – founder of Smart Passive Income
• Marcus Sheridan – founder of the popular blog, The Sales Lion
• Mark Schaefer – author of Return on Influence
• And many others!

Is This Summit Right for You?

Perhaps you’ve been focusing a lot on social media, but not much on content marketing. You’re wondering if you could learn something new that might be a game-changer for your business. Ask yourself the following:

• Do I have a content marketing plan for 2013?
• Are there some content tactics that I’m not aware of that could be useful for my business?
• Could I use some advice to build my platform, market my products and grow my business using content?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, then sign up and learn from the leading content marketing authorities in the industry.

Want to Save Money?

If you reserve your spot right now, you will save 50%. Click here for details.

Over to You. Are you interested in learning how to create a content platform that will successfully grow your business? Please share your thoughts and comments in the box below.

Click Here to Read More or Sign Up:

10 Practical Tips for Surviving and Thriving at Tech Events

Tech events can be lots of fun, very interesting and bring great business outcomes. Other times, they can be exhausting, overwhelming and result in negative ROI. Many times we choose to blame the venue, organizer, fellow participants and such, but the truth is that most times the reason for the difference between these two scenarios is in ourselves – the way we prepare and the attitude we bring to the event. Here are some tips to make sure you do make the most out of every tech event you attend. 

10. Wear comfortable sneakers and clothes, even if they're ugly. If you use your time like you’re supposed to, you’ll be standing all day.

9. Carry a portable charger. Even if you won’t need it, you might be able to help out an investor, a journalist or someone else attending the event . “Do you need a charger?” is a winning pick-up line in many cases ;-)

8. Wear something unique so people will easily identify and remember you.

7. Buy a local SIM card with a data plan. Don't count on the conference WiFi. Ever.

6. Don't be the first to arrive or the last to leave. Don't worry, you won't miss anything important and you should use the time for some good rest.

5. Use the time to meet and connect with interesting people. Most stage talks can be viewed online after the event is over, and usually are not the main reason you chose to attend in the first place.

4. Go out at night with the people whom you really want to connect with. This is where the real relationships are built.

3. Reach out to people without hesitation; you might not get a second chance. Like our motto in Bizzabo: Don't be shy - be social! Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Bizzabo or your own interpersonal charm.

2. Remember to follow up, preferably in less than 48 hours, when everything is still fresh in your mind.

1. Enjoy, relax, and project positive energy. It’s addictive! 

Do you have other event tips that create miracles? Do share in the comments – we’d love to hear them. Make sure you join the Bizzabo community on Twitter and Facebook for more events tips and best practices. 

Post by Alon Alroy, Co-Founder & CMO, Bizzabo

Visit Bizzabo Online by Clicking Here: 

 

Facebook is Fine, But Here Are 10 Ways to Network in the Real World

Linkedin, Facebook, and other social networking tools are fine, but they don’t do the work for you.

To put real value in your network (and stay connected to people who are not online) you also need to think about your network in the real world.

Getting comfortable

I am an introvert. People are often surprised by that because I regularly get up on stages to speak, and I am loud and expressive and Italian. But, I’m also an introvert.

One hazard of being an introvert is that we are not natural networkers — especially in the real world. I went through most of my career thinking that I was the only one who was bad at networking.

Over time, I have learned a few important things that make networking more doable and comfortable (even for introverts).

• Most people consider themselves bad at networking - so if you are struggling, know you are not alone.
  
  
• You can get good at networking if you are not good at it today. But you get good at it by doing it, not by reading about it. It gets easier and gets more comfortable with practice. The more you do it, the more sense it makes and the more valuable it gets.
  
  
• You can build a network without going to uncomfortable networking events and eating cheese cubes and collecting stacks of business cards. You can do it by meeting a few people you genuinely like each year — and then staying in touch with them.
  
  
• You build your network by giving genuine value and kindness to others. The more you do this, you will experience gratitude, fun, and benefits. People who are skeptical about reaching out to people for no other reason than to say hello or express kindness are always telling me how glad they are they tried it — and how surprised they are at the great response.
  
  
• Be the one to make the effort to stay in touch. Maintaining contact is a key form of giving to your network.

Your network only has as much value as you put into it.

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Content Marketing 101 – Essential Questions & Answers

By Lee Odden 

Who hasn’t wrapped their arms around content marketing yet? Believe me, plenty of companies are still navigating the pros and cons, ins and outs of how to better implement content in their digital marketing mix.  In a recent interview I was asked about content marketing basics and what companies should consider. I thought it would be useful to share some of those insights here as well.

If you’re new to implementing content marketing as a productive complement to your paid, earned and shared media efforts, check out the basics below on starting out, measuring success and where content marketing may be headed.

What is the one key thing that marketers need to know to kick-start a successful content marketing program?

Most importantly, to realize that it’s not about you, it’s about the customer.

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10 Ways Social Media Technologies are Adding Value and Productivity

 

Social media technologies have touched humanity in a primal way. You only need look at the adoption rates of Facebook and Twitter to realize that the web is indeed connecting human consciousness.

At almost no cost we can connect with like minded tribes globally at scale and speed. We can share ideas and knowledge in words, images and with the virtual face to face technologies of  online video that transcends time and place.

Knowledge transfer is almost instantaneous. It is transforming humanity deeply at the personal and business levels.

Social technologies are unlocking ideas from isolation and allowing them to be free to roam and add value to our lives.

This process is also being accelerated and amplified by the wide adoption of the smart phone.

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How to Move Your Brand from Invisible to Visible

Geoffrey Rush the Oscar winning actor said he has strived to accomplish two things in his life…”Credibility and Visibility“. 

If you are a job seeker then standing out is important in securing that next job.

Business owners and entrepreneurs need to be noticed to obtain funding and sell their products and services.

To succeed as a musician and artist your work obtains visibility as it is played, displayed and seen.

Authors have the challenge of writing a book that has to stand out in a mountain of 15 million books that will be published in 2012.

If you want to stand out, Seth Godin recommends “Purple Cows”

Do something unique and different.

Pick Yourself

We live in an age where we have the means and the machines to self publish and self market. Technology is democratising publishing and marketing.

The Gutenberg press has been superseded by the digital press. The written word has been set free from the confines of time and space.

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72 Fascinating Social Media Marketing Facts and Statistics for 2012

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Social media and inbound marketing techniques have been a boon for marketers. Not only do leads generated through social and content marketing cost half as much as traditional outbound-generated leads (see below), they also close at higher rate (again, 

And social media isn’t just about lead generation of course. While prospective buyers are using search and social to research products and services before making purchase decisions, marketers and PR professionals can use those same tools to research buyer wants and needs. And their competition. And…even social media itself.

Which brings us to this post. Wondering which social network is most effective at generating b2b leads? What marketing technique generates leads with the highest close ratio? What the best day of the week is for Facebook posting? Which U.S. city produces the largest share of “pins”on Pinterest?

Find the answers to those questions and many, many more in this collection of 72 fascinating social media marketing facts and stats for 2012.

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How to Build Your Small Business Customer Base

As a business owner, you should always be on the hunt for new customers and seeking methods to bring them to your door. If you are not consistently looking for opportunities to build your customer base, your business could fall off of the growth track. There are lots of ways to reach your prospects. I offer you these tips that will help you keep your business out in front of your target customers:

Start using one new social media site. If you have been spending all of your time on Facebook, it might be time to branch out to Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or LinkedIn. It all depends on whom you are targeting for business. Figure out where your best target customers spend time online, and go become part of the conversation, too. Share generously and remember content is your currency. Go for the relationship, not the sale right away.

Do more face-to-face networking. It might be surprising, but old fashioned in-person networking still works well. Why? Because people do business with people they know. Your goal at any networking event should be to develop five quality contacts. Don't be one of those drive-by networkers trying to give your business card to everyone. Arrive at the event on time for the reception, and have a plan for who you want to meet. Keep in mind, everyone is worth your time. If you build a relationship with someone, you can quite possibly turn them into a customer or a referral. You never know who they know or who their brother is in business.

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How Facebook Becomes the Biggest Player In Advertising's $540 Billion World

Facebook will replace online display advertising as we know it. It will save digital media by reversing the commodity pricing trend. And it will become the highest grossing media property in history.

Believe me? If you're one of the investors who was burned by Facebook's disappointing IPO, you might not be so bullish. At a multiple of 28X last year's earnings, Facebook's offering price presumed fast-growing and scalable revenue streams. But the reality of Facebook's advertising trajectory has been lagging, and continued percentage growth isn't going to make it up.

Facebook needs a huge discontinuity in its advertising revenues to make that math go round.

Fortunately, I think we're about to see a huge discontinuity. Facebook's great opportunity is to create an advertising product that the world has never seen. And it can be done.

The key is in a single idea, and Facebook is singularly able to deliver on it: SELL RELATIONSHIPS, NOT IMPRESSIONS.

The first 100 years of brand advertising was built on the paradigm of a captive audience with interruption advertising in TV, radio, print, and online. That created a $540 billion market to reach a mostly-right audience at the mostly-right time, with a sometimes-right message delivered via occasionally-great creative. The basic idea being that if you reach those people with enough frequency and decent creative, they'll eventually hear your message.

But never, ever, ever has any brand had an advertising platform that could create a relationship with a consumer before she makes a purchase.

Until now. 

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Marketing Strategy for Lean Start-Ups

It’s all about being creative. You can build consumer brand awareness and enhance your brand’s image by selectively implementing some low cost sales and marketing strategies:

Pluck Low Hanging Fruit

 1. Develop interesting and relevant content. Most of the time developing content that is relevant to your target audience is more affordable (and more effective at getting you new users) than advertising. Develop interesting content that will drive your users to learn about your service and your brand. Unique and relevant content can have legs of its own and can get you more exposure and eyeballs online than you ever thought possible.

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Google's 10-Minute Guide to SEO Basics

From keyword research to backlinking, staying on top of search engine optimization strategies can be a full-time job in itself. But fear not, time-crunched entrepreneurs. Google has a killer resource for you.

It's a 10-minute video loaded with must-know SEO advice for startups from Maile Ohye, a developer advocate on Google's Webmaster Central Team. Some of Ohye's tips include:

• Don’t bother with meta keywords tags. Google ignores it for search.
• Sign up for email forwarding. Google can forward you notifications regarding issues with your site that could dent your search ranking.
• Use Google's Webmaster Tools to search for the keywords related to your domain name. If the domain's previous owners were spammers, your site might not rank highly in search.

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How Sephora Used Facebook to ‘Thrill’ Its Fan Base

There are a lot of beauty junkies out there, and they’ve taken to social media networks to fuel their obsession. A list of themost-followed Pinterest accounts is dominated by beauty brands, and some of Instagram’s most engaging accountsoffer beauty and fashion tips. There’s a huge market for beauty lovers, and Sephora plans to own it.

The brand has proven itself to be incredibly savvy when it comes to digital and social. Its website redesign in April was a “multi-year project to rebuild the whole shopping experience,” says Julie Bornstein, Sephora’s SVP of digital, and it offered more targeted product search and a smarter shopping experience. Bornstein says the website updates lie at the intersection “where beauty meets intelligence.”

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7 social media lies the gurus want you to swallow

By {grow} Community Member Gregory Pouy

Every time a new marketing “technique” appears, it’s seems like the next revolution. Everything is suddenly going to be easier, faster and cheaper, right? Social media is unfortunately no exception to the rule and there will always be people (often those who claim to be experts or “gurus”) to sell you the newest bells and whistles.

It seems important to me to describe some of the lies that you may confront.

1. The social web is free 

Starting around 2006, viral marketing was announced as the end-all be-all to getting a low cost audience. Today we realize that it’s far from reality.  When there are more than 100 hours of videos uploaded on YouTube every minute, you’d better ante up.

It’s the same with the social web. Since it is actually free to post items on the web, the shortcut to “free” is easily sold. As you know by now, success on the social web comes at a cost in terms of time and the expense to produce content that gets noticed.

With the flood of attention on Facebook, it is not easy cutting through the Edge Rank formula to get noticed without being ready to open your wallet!

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How To Make A Splash In A Sea Of Startups: Tips From Chicago's Top Accelerator and VC

Chicago has transformed into a prime hub for digital business thanks to a host of new ventures seeded by the success of Groupon, Orbitz, and Feedburner. As the tech landscape grows more crowded, here's some expert advice on standing out.

Though Chicago has spawned such Internet giants as Groupon and Orbitz, its local business leaders agree that Silicon Valley has a 30-year head start on building the critical mass needed to engender widespread innovation.That doesn’t mean the Windy City isn't a thriving tech center. Troy Henikoff, CEO of Excelerate Labs, says Chicago is building a strong startup cluster, especially for businesses that enable commerce. The challenge for new entrepreneurs now is how to stand out. 

Kevin Willer, CEO of the two-month-old coworking space1871 (the year after the Great Fire, get it?), believes Chicago has all the ingredients needed to take the local tech scene to the next level including several top universities and a group of established corporations that can power the next generation of startups, both as partners and investors.

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The 3 Essential Qualities of a TRUE Social Media Expert

No, really, I'm awesome with this social media stuff...

Right now, there are literally thousands of businesses out there in the world looking for social media help, advice, and guidance. And like any other industry, the social media realm is full of “legit experts,” “not-so-legit experts,” and “please-call-me-a-guru-even-though-I’m-not experts.”

Personally, over the last 3 years, I’ve seen many “experts” in this industry come and go. I’ve also seen many companies hire smart people and get huge results while at the same time there have been handfuls of others hire supposed “experts” that have done nothing but put a hurt on the company’s P & L statement with their false promises and frankly stupid social media strategies.

Throughout this process, I’ve seen definitive trends and qualities that dictate the most successful social media (including content marketing here) experts and the ones that might talk big but have very little to back it up.

3 Essential Qualities of a True Social Media Expert

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B2B Lead Generation vs B2B Advertising: What You Need to Know

Among paid media and advertising tactics, lead generation programs are a key source of leads for B2B marketers, especially in the enterprise technology space. Tell a B2B publisher that you are interested in lead generation and the majority will point to some form of white paper syndication program they offer.

For the sake of this post, lead generation programs refer to publisher programs that promote your content and capture registration. These are contacts or inquiries, not sales leads, but in keeping with the terminology publishers use, we will refer to this as lead generation here.

In enterprise technology, publishers like IDG, Information Week and TechTarget have nearly turned these programs into a science, with guaranteed leads volume and a myriad of filtering and qualification options driven largely by email and newsletter promotions.

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12 Timeless Link Building Tips for Business Blogs

Link Building for Business Blogs Doesn't Need to Be Risky

As a key component of a hub and spoke online marketing strategy, blogs can be very effective for social media network engagement, online PR, customer service, and as search engine optimization assets. While there are numerous cases studies of business blogs (I like to think Online Marketing Blog is one) providing tremendous value, blogs are simply software tools and what you get out of them is in proportion to how well you know how to use them.  One of the common areas of lost opportunity with business blogs is link building.

Despite Panda, Penguin and maybe someday “Zebra?”, updates from Google to further filter out what constitutes useful content and links on the web, links will always be valuable for attracting traffic.  Some online marketers chase exploits, tricks or shortcuts only to get spanked by a black and white named-animal update from Google.  Why not spend that creativity on something of value and competitive advantage that withstands the advancing filters applied by search engines?

Here are a few timeless tips for building natural links that will attract and engage customers to your business blog:

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Small Business in a Tizzy Over Big Google Changes?

The latest Google shakeup, called the Penguin update, has some online small business owners scratching their heads. The purpose, experts say, is to punish over-optimization, but what does the change really mean in practice and what specifically does it mean for your business? Don’t panic! We’ve rounded up some of the best resources on the Web to help you understand things better.

Inside Penguin

From the horse’s mouth. Want to know what’s really behind the new changes at Google? Why not start with a post from Google’s Matt Cutts about what’s going on from the search engine’s perspective. Google Webmaster Central Blog

Overview of the latest update. So, what is the latest Google update all about? What does it mean, why do you need to be concerned about it and what will it ultimately mean to you? Read a detailed look at the changes in store. Business2Community

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How to Create and Grow Your Influence on a Global Social Web

We are living in a world where influence is migrating from offline to online.

The ability to influence is also moving from local to global. Its reach is also transitioning to mobile devices.

Reputation and influence can now be gained faster and reach further than in any other time in history.

One definition of Influence is “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behavior of someone or something”

To be truly successful you must have the ability and power to influence.

Mass Media was the Platform

The development and popularity of movies and mass media over the past century has provided people such as politicians, business people and movie stars the platforms for creating and sustaining influence.

But we are still used to the traditional paradigms and ideas of influence. In the past it was vital to enrol at the “right” school or university, attend the right networking events or cocktail parties or belong to the right golf club

These are still important but the power of online influence and new media is starting to make itself felt as the social web shares ideas and content globally in real time.

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10 Top Trends in Social Media

I visited Italy recently and as we know the Italians are a very stylish bunch. They seem to know what fashion is really about.

They can wear a scarf with fabulous flair, choose the cool hat that sets off the outfit or select a pair of sexy shoes that make them look like a fashion model and that is just the men!

The Italians have taken “style” to a level that the rest of the world can only aspire to.

Trends in Shoes

Now on the topic of shoes it appears that there is a trend that if it doesn’t stop very soon, it is going to lead to many injuries and even possible death as fashionista women fall from great heights after stumbling in their 30 centimeter high heels!

This will lend a whole new meaning to the term “Fashion Tragics“.

I have to admit though that the shoes in the windows of the fashion brand stores of Rome and Florence were not just fashion items but objects of style, art and creativity. Just not very comfortable or sensible to wear but who said that fashion should be sensible.

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3 Slick Analytics Dashboards to Monitor Your Business Website

If you’re running a company website without an analytics dashboard, you may as well be stumbling around in the dark. Building a viable and sustainable web presence in any industry is all about understanding the needs of your users and tailoring your service to fit their needs — how can you do that if you don’t even know what your users are looking at or how they got to your website?

The good news is that analytics dashboards simple to implement, and they also come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit the needs and goals of your small business. While some people swear by Google Analytics or the tracking plug-ins found organically within their specific web hosting or content managing service (think WordPress analytics), there’s a lot of information you may not be getting from these sources. For example, while Google Analytics does a great job tracking individual page vies, it doesn’t necessarily break down any meaningful social sharing or referrals. You may want to know why a specific webpage on your site garners major traffic, but Google Analytics will only note that it comes from Facebook.

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A Clever Way to Spy on Your Competitors

Get to know what your rivals are up to online. Don't worry--it's legal.

Knowledge, as they say, is gold—particularly when it comes to knowing what your competitors are up to.

So I'm going to share a little golden tip on how to use the Web to spy on your competitors. Don't worry, it's perfectly legal.

One way to dig up details on a rival is to mine its link-building strategy. You want to look at inbound links, which are links coming to that website directly from outside sources.

What is the value of these links?

Here's what the Google Webmaster Central Blog has to say about inbound links: "Inbound links can bring new users to your site, and when the links are merit-based and freely-volunteered as an editorial choice, they're also one of the positive signals to Google about your site's importance."

Those "positive signals" result in a higher ranking in search results for keywords relating to the website. There are a number of ways businesses acquire inbound links: getting press coverage, creating content that is picked up by other sites–in other words, by getting attention.

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Putting the Social Back into Social Media: 40 Ways to Build a Loyal Audience

Is your blog a lonely place?

Maybe no one is visiting. Or, if they visit, maybe they don’t comment.

Maybe they don’t share your post on social networking sites. Or they don’t subscribe to your email list.

Or maybe you’ve got the big problem — you can’t convert the traffic you do get into buying customers.

Yesterday we talked about creating the kind of content that attracts a loyal audience. But the problem doesn’t always lie with your content. Your content could be truly useful and valuable. But without one critical element, you could find yourself writing to the wind for years.

What is that one element?

And how do you use it to build an engaged and responsive audience?

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Setting Your Business Free Through the Practice of Systematic Delegation

After owning a business for over twenty years now, here’s something I firmly believe. Your business is worthless until it can operate without you.

Now that may seem a bit harsh to some, but until you’ve created a system that allows others to bring in the business and provide the products and services without the need for you to make it happen, you’re stuck in a job. It may even be a well paying job, but it’s probably not one that you could convince someone else to come in a buy some day.

In many ways, your business is stuck to the degree you can successfully delegate the work you do today to others. Others may mean key employees or it may mean other companies or virtual support staff, but your goal as the owner of the business should be to actually rise to the level of CEO.

We could all argue about what CEO work is, but I’m guessing you spend large parts of your day not doing it. I get that, the printer gets jammed, the package needs to be shipped, the copy must be proofread, and then it’s time to go home.

One of keys to growing your business to the point where you can rise to the level of CEO, the place where you can focus on the highest payoff work, is to adopt a mindset of systematic delegation.

The first step in creating this mindset is to analyze the work you currently do each day and assign a value to it in a way that creates priority.

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5 Best Practices for Creating Viral Branded Videos

 

Chris Schreiber is vice president of marketing at Sharethrough. Chris has managed communications for key social media initiatives at Google and helped drive content strategy for major entertainment brands like Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

There has never been more opportunity for marketers to generate creative video campaigns that go viral. YouTube recently noted that more than 500 years worth of YouTube videos are watched on Facebook every day, and 700 YouTube videos are shared on Twitter each minute.

And yet, going viral still remains an elusive outcome for the vast majority of brand campaigns. What’s missing?

While many people have an opinion about what causes videos to go viral, there is now a growing body of knowledge based on publisher data analysis, YouTube trends and academic research that can help marketers understand what viral marketing is really about. Here are a few great insights to consider when creating a brand video that will thrive on the social web.

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