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WebiMax Blog

Digital marketing tips and advice.

Manager Monday: Making Sales a Laughing Matter

Andrew Schetter, February 25, 2013

Think of the world of content marketing like an aisle in a grocery store. Google is in charge of stocking the shelves, and they place the best products right where the shopper can see them. In the world of supermarkets, companies pay for that prime space. In the world of organic SEO, Google chooses the products that offer their "shoppers" the best value.

So, the question is, how do you offer the most value in a competitive environment? You present your products in a unique and engaging way. By being unique, your website can enjoy the equivalent of a showcase display at the front of the aisle.

Help your visitors find what they need quickly with great content. Help visitors find what they need quickly with great content.

Our marketing experts need the answer to two simple questions to get the ball rolling on an exciting and unique content marketing strategy:

1. Who is your target consumer base?

2. What do you offer your customers?

After these questions are answered, your onsite content needs to be reviewed to ensure you are at least providing the essential message your visitors are looking for. Your pages should be set up to offer the maximum convenience to your guest. Keywords and links will naturally find their way into the copy when written with this strategy in mind.
When users are unable to scan your website and determine if you have the information they are looking for within seconds, they are gone. And, if it is clear what you offer, your content better keep their attention with a great hook.

Hook 'em with Humor

In organic SEO, there is no better bait than engaging content.

While there are several ways to hook your audience, one of the most overlooked avenues is humor. The Internet is about connectivity--people love to share something interesting or humorous with their friends and family. When your content has your customers saying, "You have to read this!" Google will recognize the value you offer searchers.

Of course, before you ever add humor to your webpages or daily blogs, you need to realize that humor is the seasoning to the informational steak. It's okay to be funny when your core message is clear. When the two merge, your website can start turning readers into buyers.

Sometimes standing out from the crowd takes courage. Many businesses shy away from humor at the risk of being offensive. This is certainly understandable, but not all humor has to be so blue. For instance, think of Google. They once debuted Gmail Motion on April Fool's Day. In fact, it doesn't have to be a special occasion for Google to bring the funny. Think of all the different Google Doodles on their homepage that always provide sharable, buzz-worthy content. As long as humor is geared toward your user base and is sprinkled in with plenty of high-quality and informative copy, it can be a great way to separate your company from your competitors.

Utilizing humor through infographics or instructrographics is another great way to provide fun, sharable content for your social media campaigns. When you create something funny, promote it through your Facebook, Twitter and other social outlets. It will humanize your business and help potential customers build up some trust in your brand.

If humor isn't an outlet your business can work with, don't worry. When you inform, instruct, or relate to your audience in creative and valuable ways, it produces a relationship with your customers, and that's the hook you need. Then, when SEO techniques bring in more traffic, your content can help reel in the sales.

Need an Expert Contributor?

Ken Wisnefski is a seasoned web entrepreneur and a frequent contributor to news outlets and business publications. Ken’s vast knowledge of how to make online businesses succeed has made him a sought after consultant from businesses wishing to improve their online initiatives. Contact pr@webimax.com to collaborate!

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