by Fronetics | Oct 19, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Native advertising is the non-ad-like way to promote your business’ content to users who might be interested in it.
Is your business using native advertising to promote your content with a targeted audience? If not, you’re missing out on one of the biggest upcoming trends in content marketing.
So how can your business use this technique to promote your content and, ultimately, your products and services? Let’s take a look at the basics of native advertising.
What is native advertising?
Native advertising blurs the line between advertising and editorial content. It allows publishers (of content) to get their message to a targeted audience in a format the audience is already using. Think of sponsored updates on LinkedIn, which look just like regular posts, or when a radio DJ promotes a product within the regular broadcast.
Content Marketing Institute founder Joe Pulizzi defines native advertising with the following three qualities:
- “A Directly Paid Opportunity. I hate to bring out the obvious, but native advertising is ‘pay to play.’ If a brand or individual did not pay for the spot, it’s not native advertising.
- “Usually Content Based. The information is useful, interesting and highly targeted to the specific readership. So, in all likelihood, it’s not an advertisement promoting the company’s product or service directly.
- “Delivered In-Stream. To truly be a native ad, the user experience is not disrupted. The advertising is delivered in a way that does not impede the normal behavior of the user in that particular channel.”
Native advertising is not content marketing…
… But it can be an effective way to promote your content.
Remember, content may be king, but distribution is queen, and she wears the pants. That is to say: Publishing valuable and relevant content in a strategic and consistent manner will create demand for your products and services. But content doesn’t go far — actually it goes nowhere — without distribution.
Native advertising is a paid opportunity to distribute your content to more people. It can be more effective than non-native advertising, like banner ads or commercials, because it does not interrupt the user experience but rather complements it. It doesn’t feel like an ad, even though someone paid to have it appear on your screen.
Social media platforms are offering more and more opportunities for businesses to advertise this way through sponsored posts and updates. LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest — you may have noticed that more and more posts from companies you don’t follow appear in your newsfeeds now. These platforms use proprietary algorithms to help businesses target users might be interested in the content they are promoting.
Here’s what a sponsored post on LinkedIn looks like, for example:
The sponsored post from SendGrid looks just like the other posts in my feed. Another important thing: It’s totally relevant for the kind of content I consume. I might even ignore the comma splice and click on it to get the information about email marketing because that’s what I like to read about on LinkedIn.
Some native advertising facts
The use of native advertising is growing among businesses because it is proving to be so effective. Here are some facts that might interest you.
Doing it right
Because native advertising blurs the line between editorial and advertising, some advertisers have gotten in trouble for violating rules of compliance. In response, the FTC has come out with some official guidelines for native ads in order to prevent confusion and to protect consumers. If your business is launching a native advertising campaign, make sure that you are familiar with these rules and best practices.
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by Fronetics | Oct 17, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
Learn the basics of pay-per-click advertising — what it means and which platforms you can use — in this quick training.
Pay-per-click advertising can be an effective complement to a content marketing campaign for companies in the supply chain and logistics industries. Essentially, you can get your business’ name and content in front of people who are searching online for products and services like yours — but you’ll only pay for those who click on your advertisement. Sounds great, right?
But here’s where things get a little complicated: Should you use Google AdWords or Google Display Network? What’s the difference? What about Facebook and Twitter advertising? Is a Sponsored Post on LinkedIn considered pay-per-click?
We at Fronetics have developed a basic training on pay-per-click advertising for supply chain and logistics organizations. Learn more about what it can do for your business, as well as which platforms are available and the differences between them.
This training offers information about:
- Google AdWords
- Google Display Network
- Facebook Ads
- Instagram Ads (photo, video, carousel)
- Twitter Advertising (Promoted Tweets, Promoted Twitter Accounts, Promoted Trends)
- LinkedIn Advertising (Sponsored Posts, text and image ads)
Click the button below to download our free pay-per-click advertising training.
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by Fronetics | Oct 13, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
Here’s a summary of what’s been happening on all of your favorite social media platforms lately.
Social media platforms change so frequently, it’s often hard to keep up. But, since social media is a crucial part of any effective content marketing strategy, it’s important to know what tools are available to your business and how you might gain value from using them.
That being said, we’ll be regularly summarizing any updates, changes, additions, or otherwise noteworthy goings-on in the social media world in this space. Feel free to send me an email if you want more information about any of these tools or if you’d like to see us cover something new in social media that we haven’t.
Facebook combats fake stories in Trending Topics
After letting its news curation staff go this summer, Facebook is working to find a solution to combat sensational news stories from creeping into its Trending news section, now run completely by algorithms. The company announced that it will implement a technology similar to that used by the news feed feature. Read more
Longer tweets come to Twitter
As of September 19, Twitter has changed the kind of content that counts toward the 140-character limit in tweets. Media attachments, quote tweets, and @names in replies no longer count toward the limit. Read more
Snapchat becomes Snap Inc., launches video sunglasses
In September, Snapchat launched a new line of business, video-enabled sunglasses (called Spectacles), and rebranded with a new corporate name, Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel said in a blog post that the rebranding reflects the company’s diversification. Read more
Facebook launches Messenger Day to Poland, and it looks a lot like Snapchat
Facebook Messenger users in Poland, where Snapchat is not yet popular, can now share illustrated photos and videos that disappear within 24 hours. The platform says it often tests new features before rolling them out to other markets, but it is not yet clear if or when Messenger Day will come to the U.S. Read more
Twitter rolls out Moments to all members
Moments are a collection of tweets that focus on the same subject. Previously available only to specific partners, all members are now able to use this feature. Read more
Facebook enhances Canvas’ capabilities for brand advertising
New metrics, templates, and upcoming features like 360 videos are all ways Facebook is expanding the advertising feature’s utility for all businesses. Read more. Relatedly, brands can now create custom audiences based on users who have viewed their Canvas ads on Facebook. Read more
Pinterest launches Promote button
Brands can now promote their pins when creating it or when viewing it on their profiles with the new Promote button. Read more
Vimeo rolls out Vimeo Business
Video streaming platform Vimeo officially announced its business-focused membership option, Vimeo Business. The subscription includes unlimited bandwidth, analytics tools, and lead-generation mechanisms. Read more
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by Fronetics | Oct 12, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
Make sure you’re not making these seven common mistakes when starting your B2B blog.
So you’ve started a B2B blog for your business and are standing at the ready, waiting for those leads to start rolling in. But you’ve only gotten three views so far (you, twice, and one by your mother). It’s not working out exactly how you pictured.
For one, it takes time — and patience — to build up readership for any blog. The more content you publish, the greater its quality, and the more consistently you post, the more quickly that success will happen.
But, chances are, you’re making one (or more) of the rookie mistakes that prevent B2B blogs from driving traffic, leads, and sales. Take a look at the seven common blogging errors that are holding you back.
7 common blogging mistakes for new B2B blogs
1) You’re promoting your products, services, and/or business.
Believe it or not, your sales pitch is bad for business. While your blog seems like another avenue for advertising your products, that’s actually counterproductive. Today’s consumers have no tolerance for overt, interruption-based marketing. They can smell a sales pitch from a mile away and purposefully avoid them. There is plenty of content available on the internet that they have the ability to do so.
Here’s another way to think of it: When have you ever changed channels while watching TV to find a commercial? If you’re flipping around, it’s probably because you’re looking for content that is appealing to you, not seeking advertisements. Blog readers feel the same way.
Solution?
Your posts should provide information, value, and/or entertainment relevant to your area of expertise for your target audience. They will read it — and, ideally, subscribe — because they regard you as a trusted source of knowledge. When they are ready to purchase, you will be top of mind because of the rapport you’ve built through your content.
2) You write about anything and everything.
While it’s important to publish content that is meaningful to you and relevant to your area of expertise, your B2B blog shouldn’t be a dumping ground for every thought that crosses your mind. It’s not a forum for you to discuss what seems interesting to you on a given day. Unless you’re a celebrity whose lifestyle is your brand, your blog is not the place to make it about you.
Solution?
On the contrary, your blog is all about your target audience. Your posts should answer their questions, satisfy their needs, or cater to their interests. You should put considerable thought and planning into what you write to ensure it aligns with their expectations. An editorial calendar can help you map out content for your blog and make sure you are evaluating your posts from the 1,000-foot view as well.
3) Your writing stinks.
Writing a blog is different than writing an academic thesis, a business proposal, or a product catalog. If your content is boring, stuffy, error-filled, unintelligible, or otherwise difficult to read, people are going to move onto the billions of other content available on the internet.
Your readers need to understand what you’re saying, and, what’s more, they need to connect with your content. Of course, that’s easier said than done. It’s ok if you’re not a great writer — the first step is admitting that and then deciding what to do about it.
Solution?
Hire someone to write it for you. At the very least, have a colleague glance over your posts for errors and clarity.
4) You’re a copycat.
There are so many good ideas and well-written articles out there that some people might be tempted to copy and paste without fear of retribution. Unfortunately that will only hurt your B2B blog.
Firstly, discerning readers can tell when something’s not quite right. It’s easy for them to find the original source with a quick Google search, and even easier for them to never trust your blog again. Further, search engines can penalize your site if you’re caught plagiarizing content, which can dramatically impact your potential growth.
Solution?
Make sure your blog contains original content and ideas. If you use information or images from another site, make sure to properly cite them.
5) You’re not posting frequently enough.
Blogging frequency impacts factors like search engine rankings and audience engagement. Posting rarely or without any kind of regularity will negatively affect both, and thus your readership.
Solution?
How much is enough? A recent analysis of the top business blogs found that 90.5% blog at least once a week. Figure out the blogging cadence that allows for the most posts with your available resources, and stick to it.
6) You don’t have the option to subscribe (or you’re not pushing it).
A blog is an excellent way to gain organic traffic. But part of your goal should also be to establish a regular readership. After all, you want to build a rapport with potential customers, who come to trust your expertise because they regularly read your content.
Now, people like to do what’s easy. It’s possible that your biggest supporters type in your blog’s web address everyday to see what you’re saying. But it’s more likely that more people will read your content if it arrives in their inboxes on a regular basis.
Solution?
Make sure the option to subscribe to your blog is easy to find and easy to do. Most content management systems make this simple to set up right on your blog. But you can also encourage people to subscribe by adding a call to action to your emails, your social media accounts, etc.
7) You’re not distributing it.
Don’t let your content live in a vacuum. Certainly readers will find your B2B blog through organic search. But you don’t have to just post and pray.
Solution?
Distribute your content through whatever channels you have available to you: social media, email newsletters, paid content-promotion platforms, sites like Reddit and Quora, and more. And don’t just tweet about it once and consider distribution done. Keep distributing it whenever it’s relevant to do so.
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by Fronetics | Oct 10, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
If you’re not distributing content created by others, these six facts will convince you that content curation is an essential part of any content marketing strategy.
Content will help you grow your business. By creating and distributing valuable and relevant content in a strategic and consistent manner, you can drive profitable customer action.
But, it’s not all about you. And it’s not all about the content you and/or your business creates. In fact, content curation is an essential component of a successful content marketing strategy.
What is content curation?
Content curation is the process of sorting through the vast sea of content that is the internet and sharing only that content which is most relevant to your customers.
Being able to identify, make sense of, and distribute such information makes you valuable to your customers. Over time, readers will come to know you as a trusted, reliable source of knowledge — someone who is not always trying to sell them something. You are an expert in your area of business, and you save your customers and prospects lots of time and effort distributing relevant information so they don’t have to go searching for it from independent sources.
How are other businesses handling curation?
Companies that curate content report positive effects on their business. Here are six convincing statistics about content creation for B2B marketers.
The vast majority of businesses curate content.
- 82% of marketers curate content. (IMN Inc.)
- 83.3% of marketers curate/share content from third party sources (e.g., blogs, social media, industry publications or news sites) with their customers and/or prospects. (Curata)
How often do companies curate content?
- 16% of marketers are curating for their audience every day.
- 48% are curating from third-party sources at least once a week. (Curata)
How has curating content impacted business?
- Over 50% of marketers that curate content indicate that it has increased their brand visibility, thought leadership, SEO, web traffic and buyer engagement. (Curata)
- 41% of marketers that curate content indicate it has increased the number and/or quality of their sales-ready leads. (Curata)
Does your business curate content? How do you find content to curate?
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by Fronetics | Oct 6, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
What is influencer marketing and how can supply chain companies use it to win over customers?
All eyes were on Peyton Manning following the Denver Broncos’ win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Would he use this weighty moment to announce his much-anticipated retirement? The nation was a captive audience when a reporter asked him about plans for his future.
“I’m going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight, Tracy. I promise you that,” replied Manning. He again mentioned the beer brand by name moments later on the winner’s podium.
Budweiser was quick to assure the Twittersphere that the company had not paid Manning for his endorsement but were “delighted” that he had. I’m sure that was an understatement, given Manning’s two (free) casual mentions were valued at about $13.9 million. The now-retired quarterback just likes a good Bud Light — and that’s very good for the Budweiser brand.
This moment illustrates the power of influencer marketing. When celebrities or other popular figures become brand advocates, customers quickly follow. The potential bottom-line impact has both B2C and B2B companies thinking through how they can leverage influencer marketing in their promotional efforts. In fact, it was identified as one of the next big trends in content marketing for 2017.
What is influencer marketing?
Forbes describes influencer marketing as “a non-promotional approach to marketing in which brands focus their efforts on opinion leaders, as opposed to direct target market touchpoints.” Basically, highly visible people become brand advocates by employing your products or services in their everyday lives. There are two types: earned and paid.
Earned influencers
Earned influencers, like Manning to Budweiser, use a company’s product regularly because they like it. The most obvious examples come from the sports and entertainment sector: Marshawn Lynch and Skittles; country duo Florida Georgia Line and Fireball Whiskey; Oprah and everything on her annual Favorite Things list.
Paid influencers
Paid influencers receive compensation for using certain brands. Popular bloggers and social media users, specifically those targeting the growing millennial and mom demographics, are the most prevalent example. In fact, a number of sites — like BrandBacker and Tapinfluence — now exist to help connect brands with social influencers.
How supply chain marketers can leverage influencer marketing
Peer recommendations are increasingly important to the B2B buyers’ purchase process. In fact, nearly half listed their peers and colleagues as a top source of information when evaluating vendors, according to Demand Gen’s most recent B2B buyers survey. This sets the stage for organizations to leverage influencer marketing as a strategic tool to gain new business.
While celebrity endorsements probably aren’t feasible for the supply chain, that doesn’t mean influencer marketing is out of the question. In fact, your company likely has a number of natural brand advocates at your fingertips. Here are a few examples.
1) Your social media followers
Social media has played a prominent role in the rise of influencer marketing because it “enables peer recommendations to play a much greater role in purchasing decisions,” according to Forbes contributor Kyle Wong. So your company’s social platforms are a natural place to begin any influencer marketing campaign. As a start, check your Twitter Analytics dashboard to see who your top follower is this month.
2) Your customers
Happy customers are your best influencers. When customers discuss their experiences with brands on social media, as is the norm these days, their entire networks see this interaction. And review sites are becoming an increasingly popular research tool for B2B buyers. Offering superior service to your customers can prompt them to praise your company on these platforms — not to mention, recommend your business to their peers and colleagues offline.
3) Industry experts and analysts
Who do your buyers turn to for information and opinions about what is happening in the current marketplace? More than this, who are up-and-coming thought leaders in the space?
4) Journalists and bloggers
Having an industry publication drop your company’s name is any marketer’s dream. Engaging in thoughtful discussion with the writers and editors behind that media — either online or at industry events — can be the beginning of a professional relationship that leads to brand advocacy.
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