Just as every celebrity chef has a cookbook on the market (or a dozen cookbooks on the market), KAYAK's founder and president, Randy Milanovic, has just finished a concise e-book – available on Amazon's Kindle store now – with some great content marketing advice.
To celebrate, and to give you a quick taste of how he creates delicious results in his Internet marketing kitchen, we would like to share a dozen quick and easy tips for better articles, blog posts, and social updates.
Here are some of the ingredients and spices we blend for our unbeatable content marketing campaigns, which have helped businesses in Calgary and beyond to grow at incredible rates:
1. Use spices sparingly.
In the old days, keywords (like bacon grease) could be drizzled on everything. For a healthier website in 2013 and beyond, though, it's important not to bury your content in search phrases, lest you be ignored or blacklisted by Google and its friends.
2. Cook to order.
If you want to be successful in content marketing, you have to constantly keep your audience in mind. That means posting content on topics that are centered on their interests, not the marketing points you want to be sure to mention time and time again.
3. Don't hide your ingredients.
Transparency is in. To get the most from content marketing, let your audience know who is composing your messages and why. Just as the law requires that restaurants put ingredients on the menu, Google, Facebook, and other major Internet hubs want you to show the actual people behind your work.
4. Serve the same meal on different plates.
The best ideas can work not just as pages, but also as blog posts, tweets, LinkedIn discussions, and YouTube videos. Don't be afraid to experiment with different formats to see which ones engage your audience the most.
5. Remember that presentation is everything.
Professional chefs will tell you that the first bite you take is with your eyes. Keep that in mind when thinking about titles for your content, because they are the key to attracting attention to your work.
6. Use clean dishes.
No one will care to look at your content if your website is cluttered with all kinds of affiliate ads, low-quality articles, and other content that gets in the way. Clear those away before you begin your marketing plan.
7. Visit other dinner parties.
Not every great piece of content has to be posted to your website. If there is another site or forum that could draw a bigger audience, and build your company's credibility, don't be afraid to use it as a guest post.
8. Follow the right recipes.
Every piece of content you produce should be part of a bigger plan, not simply an à la carte extra that you throw online. Stay with consistent themes and ideas over time and you'll develop a strong following faster.
9. Don't be afraid to blend styles and cuisines.
Inspiration for great content can come from anywhere, so get in the habit of keeping a notebook or recorder around and you won't forget the ideas that come to you.
10. Slow-cook your ideas.
When you do have a great idea, don't feel like you have to rush to put it online. Going through a few rounds of edits can help you clarify your thoughts and make your content more appealing and compelling.
11. Use local ingredients.
If you have been trying article marketing through an overseas firm that gives you page after page of grammatically incorrect writing for pennies on the dollar, now is the time to stop. Google will penalize you, and customers won't like the taste, either.
12. Add salt when needed.
The worst thing your content can be is bland. Rewrite, edit, start over, or do whatever you need to in order to spice things up and keep your articles and updates as interesting as possible.
Want to find out more about the way content marketing works, or have us whip up something that you can use to create new sales opportunities? Contact Kayak today to get a taste of what we do for our clients.
