by Fronetics | Oct 17, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Strategy, Supply Chain
Wondering whether you should be prioritizing building traffic or optimizing for conversions? Here’s the case for each.
I currently have a client trying to decide what to prioritize: building traffic to his website or optimizing current content for lead conversions. It’s a chicken-and-egg-style debate. If you don’t increase traffic, who will be on your site to convert? But, if you don’t optimize for conversion, what good is traffic to your website?
As with any chicken-or-egg question, there is neither a simple nor a definitive answer. What you should prioritize at any given time is highly individual, and dependent on factors unique to your business. Consider the case for prioritizing each, while evaluating and bearing in mind where your business is in building its online presence.
The egg: the case for prioritizing traffic
Maybe you’re confident the egg came first—after all, in some ways, it’s the obvious answer. Without traffic to your website, there’s not much point in optimizing for conversion, since there won’t be any leads to convert in the first place. According to AudienceBloom founder and CEO Jayson DeMers, there are three main points to the case for prioritizing traffic:
1) Brand recognition
Conversions aren’t the only thing of value that comes from a traffic-heavy website. “Every visitor who makes it to your site will have the chance to see your brand, read your content, and become more familiar with your company,” says DeMers, writing for Forbes. Building traffic to your website lets you reap these benefits, which will naturally drive up your conversions over time.
2) Long-term strategies
Because effective traffic-building strategies pay off exponentially the longer they’re in place, it makes sense to put them first. Giving your SEO and content marketing efforts time to build momentum ensures that you’ll reap the maximum benefits.
3) Optimizing for value
The best way to determine if your conversion strategy is working and how to improve it is to collect and analyze data. A high traffic volume gives you a testing ground. “Without a steady stream of visitors to test,” says DeMers, “you’ll be flying blind.”
The chicken: the case for prioritizing conversions
Maybe you’re one of those people who wonders where the egg comes from in the first place. While it’s true that without traffic, conversions are unlikely, it’s equally true that a website that isn’t optimized for conversions is not to your best advantage. DeMers again sums up the three main arguments for prioritizing conversion optimization:
1) Low investment, high yield
One of the best things about conversion optimization is that, while it does require ongoing efforts, your initial process is relatively cheap and easy. Check out our guide for creating effective landing pages, for example, and you’ll discover that optimizing for conversions doesn’t have to break the bank.
2) Traffic optimization
This is where quality is more valuable than quantity. “Focusing on conversions first instantly makes every visitor to your website more valuable,” says DeMers. Even if your traffic volume isn’t massive, if your conversion rate is higher, you’re ahead at the end of the day.
3) Reinvestment potential
If your business has limited funds to invest in website optimization, prioritize conversions. “Assuming your conversion strategy is successful early on,” writes DeMers, “the extra revenue you’ll generate from all your new traffic will give you more money you can use to invest further — in the realms of both traffic and conversion.”
The scramble: why you should balance your efforts
[bctt tweet=”Whether you chose to place a heavier emphasis on traffic or conversions, you ultimately want balance in your efforts. “If you fully invest in either side without investing at least slightly in the other, you aren’t going to see meaningful results,” points out DeMers.” username=”Fronetics”]
Whether you chose to place a heavier emphasis on traffic or conversions, you ultimately want balance in your efforts. “If you fully invest in either side without investing at least slightly in the other, you aren’t going to see meaningful results,” points out DeMers.
So far, science hasn’t been able to settle the chicken-or-egg question. In the same way, we can’t tell you whether it makes sense for you to put a higher priority on traffic or conversion optimization. But thinking through the case for each should help you decide what makes sense for your business. Just remember not to put all your eggs in one basket.
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by Fronetics | Oct 16, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
Optimally, content and sales have a symbiotic relationship. But the key is understanding what kind of content your sales team needs to help them close deals.
A theme I’ll be examining in this space over the next few months is how content marketing can help businesses make sales. Content marketing and sales are not mutually exclusive functions. Content can help sales teams get meetings, build relationships, and close deals. So what kinds of content can the marketing staff develop to support sales?
First impressions
Sales reps know that first impressions are a one-time opportunity, and all-important for ushering prospects into the sales funnel. For the initial contact with a prospect, content can be a major asset, particularly personalized content. For example, take the time to familiarize yourself with the latest blog posts from target companies’ websites, and follow up with additional ideas they can leverage.
Additionally, to create a positive first impression, host a live workshop that caters to the needs of your prospects. Hubspot’s Bethany Cartwright suggests an event “that walks through industry best practices and helps troubleshoot common issues.” She also recommends that content marketing teams “build custom landing pages that populate the prospect’s name, company logo, and value props catered to their business needs.”
Turning around an initial rejection
One of the biggest, often insurmountable challenges for a sales team is receiving an initial “no” from a prospect. But with the help of content marketing, sales teams can often get past an initial rejection and turn it around. “Leveraging content doesn’t mean just leveraging your own content,” says Cartwright. “In ‘no’ situations, you can turn the tables and talk to prospects about their content instead.”
[bctt tweet=”The basic idea behind content marketing is that your business’ greatest asset is your knowledge and expertise, not your products and services. ” username=”Fronetics”]
We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it: the basic idea behind content marketing is that your business’ greatest asset is your knowledge and expertise, not your products and services. When it comes to the intersection of content and sales, this idea holds true more than ever. Your best shot at turning around an initial “no” from a prospect is to offer them something of value aside from products. Content helps you build relationships with your prospects, which is your best shot at turning them into customers.
Middle and bottom of the funnel content
Once your sales team has successfully ushered prospects into the sales funnel, the role of content doesn’t go away. At these later stages of the buyer’s journey, content like case studies, implementation guides, and data sheets are of great value. On average, B2B businesses lose around 20% of their customers each year by neglecting customer relationships. These types of content can help cultivate a budding relationship with your prospects, keeping them loyal and engaged.
At these later stages, keep content as visual as possible. This is an ideal time to create and share infographics with your prospects, for example. Video also performs exceptionally well in the late-stage sales cycle. Include short video clips in follow-up emails, particularly video case studies or animated product demonstrations. And don’t forget to keep it personalized. Vidyard is an excellent tool for personalizing video messages to your prospects.
Content, when used effectively, is your sales team’s best friend. Keeping your marketing and sales teams aligned and working closely together is your best bet for generating and nurturing leads, and turning them into customers with a lasting and fruitful relationship.
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by Fronetics | Oct 15, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Strategy, Supply Chain
Content creation requires time, money, and creativity. Here are 6 creative ways to repurposing existing content that will ensure you get the maximum value out of your work.
You could say I’m “scrappy.” My mom always says that I can stretch a dollar farther than anyone she knows. That also applies to my professional life, particularly when it comes to content creation.
[bctt tweet=”Different people consume content in different ways, so really you’re just trying to meet everyone in your audience where they are. ” username=”Fronetics”]
We spend a lot of resources to create content, so I want to use it in as many ways as possible. It’s not cheating. Different people consume content in different ways, so really you’re just trying to meet everyone in your audience where they are. Here are my favorite 6 ways to repurpose content:
1) Turn a webinar into a video tutorial
Webinars are a great way to enhance your reputation as a thought leader since they offer attendees valuable, exclusive knowledge. The downside of webinars is that by nature, they only happen once at a scheduled time. But the content you create doesn’t have to go to waste. By turning your webinar content into a YouTube video you help ensure that your content gets to as many site visitors as possible — and it makes ideal fodder for sharing on your social media channels.
2) Turn blog posts into guides
If you’re posting regular blog content that’s tailored to the needs of your audience, chances are you’ve blogged a lot about a specific topic. Consider consolidating posts within a particular topic into a how-to guide. You may have to update older posts, particularly when it comes to data and specifics, but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. How-to guides lend themselves particularly well to email marketing.
3) Reframe a key issue
Particularly for think pieces or opinion posts, reframing a topic from a different perspective is an effective way to reuse existing material. For example, a post on how millennials are reshaping the supply chain can be reframed as a set of suggestions for how to attract millennial talent to your company.
4) Turn internal data into a case study
There’s no reason that the data you collect for internal research can’t go to work for you in your content marketing efforts. Use your data to create a case study demonstrating how your products or services made a difference for a client.
5) Turn an interview into an eBook
Have you interviewed an industry expert or one of your executives for a blog post? Interviews are one of the easiest types of content to edit, especially if you conduct them via email. Repackaging an expert interview into an eBook is a snap. Supplement quotes with data and you’ve got a valuable tool for site visitors to download.
6) Use statistics to create an infographic
Infographics are one of the most effective was to disseminate content — and prime candidates for re-sharing on social media. In addition to case studies, infographics are a great way to make use of internal data. Present your research in this compelling format and share it on your social media outlets.
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by Fronetics | Oct 8, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
Social media’s ability to exponentially grow brand awareness and introduce your content to unseen audiences can’t always be measured in dollars.
One of the hardest parts about implementing a social media strategy is struggling to measure its success. While most B2B marketing professionals agree that a social media presence is crucial to any content marketing strategy, it can be hard to justify the investment when you can’t quantify the results.
“Social media is not just a spoke on the wheel of marketing. It’s becoming the way entire bicycles are built,” says Ryan Lilly, author.
This doesn’t mean that your business shouldn’t be diving — head first — into social media. With over 3.1 billion people using social media, businesses have to recognize the importance of social media as a part of a robust marketing strategy.
[bctt tweet=” With over 3.1 billion people using social media, businesses have to recognize the importance of social media as a part of a robust marketing strategy.” username=”Fronetics”]
Marketers need to start thinking about social media success in terms of potential, instead of immediate dollars.
Social media: the reach
One of the most valuable aspects of social media is the ability to engage with new audiences, all the time. That means you not only have access to a new customer base, but to their connections as well.
When your followers engage with your brand on social media, they also engage with their own personal network. This organic reach is one of the most beneficial aspects of social media — and it’s not easy to put a dollar amount on. The potential to nurture leads and ultimately impact sales are huge, but it won’t happen overnight.
Here’s Kettie Laky, Social Media Director at Fronetics, to share why you need to frame social media success in terms of potential, and not just dollars.
Video: Measure social media success in terms of potential, not just dollars.
It’s time we start thinking about social media success in this new way: in terms of potential and expanding value, rather than just immediate dollar amounts. How have you worked to measure the success of your social media strategy?
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by Fronetics | Oct 4, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Strategy, Supply Chain
Guest posting can help you build your reputation as a thought leader, grow your contact list, improve your SEO, and expose your content to new audiences.
At Fronetics, we use guest posting as a part of our own — and many of our clients’ — content strategies. Essentially, we partner with a relevant influencer or company and swap content to post on each other’s blogs. It can be a really effective way to reach new, relevant audiences and provide interesting perspectives and voices to keep your core audience engaged.
What’s so great about guest posting?
Guest posting has all kinds of benefits. Every time you post as a guest, you expose your content to a whole new audience. We talk about the importance of exposure all the time when it comes to content marketing. Your biggest asset isn’t your products or services; it’s your expertise. Guest posting helps you establish your brand as a thought leader.
[bctt tweet=”Guest blogs can be a really effective way to reach new, relevant audiences and provide interesting perspectives and voices to keep your core audience engaged.” username=”Fronetics”]
In addition to posting with industry influencers and peer brands, guest posting for larger publications can be hugely beneficial, for obvious reasons. Not only are you introducing your brand and content to a broad audience, you’re associating yourself with an established authoritative source.
By the same token, having other brands author guest posts on your own blog is a great idea as well. When key influencers write for your blog, they bring their audience directly to you, allowing you to tap into a new and relevant set of prospects. Not only that, by inviting peers to contribute to your content, you’re forging and strengthening relationships within the industry.
Guest posting is great for SEO
We’re always talking about how to improve your SEO. One benefit of guest posting that’s often overlooked is that it can significantly improve your search engine rankings.
Search engines use backlinks from other websites, particularly popular ones, as part of their algorithms that determine how search results are ranked. According to online business expert Sarah Peterson, in a guest article for the Huffington Post, “You can use the opportunity of your guest post to include 1-2 backlinks to strong pieces of content you want to rank for.”
Grow your contact list
We all know that email marketing is hugely effective and profitable, if your contact list is strong and effectively segmented. Another often overlooked benefit of guest posting is that it has the potential to strengthen and enrich your email marketing efforts.
Because you’re being exposed to new audiences, both as a guest blogger and when guests write for your blog, you have the opportunity to target and cultivate new leads from relevant sources. Use guest posts as an opportunity to usher prospects to lead generation campaigns on your own website.
Says Peterson, “if you’re not using this marketing strategy, you could be leaving a ton of email subscribers on the table.”
How do you use guest posting in your content strategy?
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by Fronetics | Oct 2, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Leadership, Manufacturing & Distribution, Marketing, Strategy, Supply Chain
Infographics are a content powerhouse, but creating them isn’t always easy. These five tips will help you make the most of this format.
Infographics can be one of the most effective content mediums. We know that digital natives, who make up the majority of B2B buyers today, prefer short-form, highly visual content. So infographics make a lot of sense when it comes to speaking their language.
[bctt tweet=”Infographics can be one of the most effective content mediums. We know that digital natives, who make up the majority of B2B buyers today, prefer short-form, highly visual content. ” username=”Fronetics”]
Infographics are also prime candidates for reposts on social media. But, if you’ve ever tried to create one yourself, you know making an effective infographic is a lot harder than it sounds.
It might seem daunting at first, but these five tips will go a long way to help you in creating infographics that are effective in engaging supply chain buyers.
5 tips for creating infographics that engage supply chain buyers
1. It’s all about the title
Well, maybe not all, but your title does matter a lot. When it comes to infographics, your audience will definitely be judging a book by its cover. This means that your title should be accurate, short (70 characters or less), descriptive, and engaging. This is how your audience will decide whether they’ll click and read.
2. Colors matter
You’d be surprised by how much people are influenced by color in their content choices. The color scheme you choose should make your readers feel comfortable and should be visually appealing. This generally means sticking to two main colors and using no more than four colors. Use clear, bold colors for your main colors, and subtle, warm tones for complimentary colors.
3. Bump up your SEO
There aren’t a lot of downsides to infographics, but, unfortunately, there is one: publishing them on your blog doesn’t do much for your SEO, since text in infographics is contained in the image and isn’t recognized by search bots. But there’s an easy way around this: Include a transcript of your text with your graphic. I recommend writing at least 350 words, in addition to the graphic, to boost SEO.
4. Keep it simple
There’s a reason that simplicity is king when it comes to graphic design online. Increasingly, designers and businesses are favoring clean, minimalistic layouts. This means few unnecessary elements and plenty of white space so as not to overwhelm readers and to convey information without unnecessary distractions.
5. Get interactive!
If you’ve mastered creating infographics and are feeling ambitious, try taking on the next big thing: interactive designs. This means your readers can engage with your content, whether by hovering over it, clicking on it, or even answering questions or taking a quiz.
There are a number of infographic-creation tools available on the internet these days. At Fronetics, we really like using Canva, which has plenty of templates that are easy to use and do a lot of the design work for you.
What are your tips for creating infographics?
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