Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Thursday, 31 December 2015
A Year In Review: Search Engine Land’s Top 10 Columns Of 2015
Which columns truly captivated our readers this year? We conclude our year-in-review series by highlighting our most widely read columns of 2015.
The post A Year In Review: Search Engine Land’s Top 10 Columns Of 2015 appeared first on Search Engine Land.
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Reflecting on 2015 & Gearing Up For Digital Marketing Innovation in 2016
This year brought many opportunities for innovation, creativity and growth for the team at TopRank Marketing.
On a personal note, I was beyond excited to re-join the team and dive head first into my new role as Director of Agency Marketing. In this role, part of my responsibilities include ensuring that our team provides creative, engaging, actionable and innovative content for our blog readers each week.
In 2015, our team published nearly 300 blog posts and amassed over 1.4 million unique pageviews for our blog content alone. Keeping the content engine running is an essential part of what we do at TopRank Marketing and I’m pleased to report the numbers above. Nearly a million of the pageviews above were generated from Organic Search which means that our strategy to optimize customers and search engines has led people to our content.
As part of our online community, I’d like to use this post to give you a glimpse into some highlights of 2015 for our team, as well as some exciting changes coming in 2016.
Executive Team Member Promotions
It’s always a great day when we are able to promote one of our own to a leadership position within the organization. The two women below have both shown exceptional drive, dedication and leadership to the team long before earning these executive promotions.
Jolina Pettice has been promoted from Director of Operations to the company’s Vice President. With 10 years of experience at TopRank Marketing, Pettice has performed a number of essential duties including managing Fortune 500 search, content and social media marketing programs for large enterprise organizations.
Alexis Hall was recently promoted from Senior Account Manager to Director of Client Accounts where she leads the account management team. Alexis began her career at TopRank Marketing as an Account Coordinator and she recently celebrated 5 years at the agency and oversees client programs for large software and healthcare companies.
Welcoming New Talent to TopRank Marketing
In addition to promoting current employees to leadership positions, we also added some fresh, creative and innovative talent to our roster. While we do have quite a few new team members start this year, here are some of our most recent additions to the TopRank Marketing Family:
Kevin Cotch joined TopRank Marketing’s SEO team as a SEO Analyst earlier this year. Kevin’s experience as well as his willingness to dive in and help solve complex technical SEO issues has made him a welcome addition to the team.
Another awesome addition to the SEO team was Julia Ramos as a SEO Copywriter. I will be the first to tell you that Julia is not your average copywriter. Her attention to detail, in-depth research and analytical brain have elevated the level of service that we are able to provide to all clients across the board.
Knute Sands is one of our newest Account Manager’s and has a killer combination of account management and content experience. This makes him uniquely qualified to work with some of our biggest clients on their content marketing strategies and initiatives.
Last, but certainly not least was the addition of Caitlin Burgess as a Content Marketing Lead. Caitlin’s roots in traditional journalism and digital marketing have made her a content marketing machine!
While TopRank Marketing has already doubled its staff since 2013, they are always on the hunt for talented digital marketers. Open positions can be found on the career page of the website.
Building New Client Relationships in Banking & Telecom
TopRank Marketing’s reputation for delivering industry leading digital marketing services and achieving results has recently attracted multiple new clients including a leading fraud protection firm and banking services company with engagements focused on online advertising services and analytics. Additionally, a well-known IT and telecom company recently engaged the agency for content marketing services.
Our legacy clients and new clients have all taught us so much about how to provide value and help them solve problems through our digital marketing consulting and services. All of our clients continue to be a valuable resource and we are so thankful for the opportunity to work with and get to know each and every one of them.
Changing Locations But Not Values
The expansion of our business led us on a quest to find a new office space to better suit our growing needs. As of January 4th, we will be leaving the shores of lake minnetonka and moving to the 55 West Financial Center.
This new space will allow us to continue to develop our team of rockstar marketers, put us closer to local clients and encourage even more collaboration between teams.
If you’re interested, here is where you can find our new office:
55 West Financial Center
10405 6th Ave. N.
Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55441
Catching Up With TopRank Marketing President, Susan Misukanis
Q: What are some of the things that you’re most proud of about TopRank Marketing?
A: All of TopRank Marketing’s Clients, small, medium and large who have supported us as we grew, taught us valuable lessons, and have given us the privilege of serving them over the past 15 years.
I’m also extremely proud of the the talented TopRank Marketing team members whose commitment to serving our clients is unmatched.
Q: What is one of the biggest lessons that you’ve learned in the digital marketing business?
A: One lesson we keep learning is how important it is to be committed to hiring the highest achievers and marketing talent who are truly focused getting the best results for our clients!
Q: If you could pick one thing to do over, what would it be?
A: I’m anticipating that we should have moved closer to Minneapolis sooner in order to attract talent who are not up for the drive to Lake Minnetonka. Thank you to all our team members who have enjoyed the daily drive around the lake to get to us!
Q: What are some expectations you have for our new office space?
A: I think that this move will help us attract and retain even more of those talented digital marketers that we are looking for to join our team. We will also have more flexibility with a new and larger space that allows team members to work in private or a collaborate in a team environment.
Wishing You A Happy, Healthy & Innovative New Year
Beyond our move to a new office, new team members and clients, we’re incredibly excited to be part of an industry that is constantly evolving and innovating at a rapid pace. The bar is constantly being raised and we look forward to providing you creative and compelling content in the new year, and continuing to expand our service offering for our amazing clients.
What are you looking forward to most in the new year?
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2015. | Reflecting on 2015 & Gearing Up For Digital Marketing Innovation in 2016 | http://www.toprankblog.com
The post Reflecting on 2015 & Gearing Up For Digital Marketing Innovation in 2016 appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Wednesday, 30 December 2015
TopRank Marketing’s 2016 Influencer Marketing Predictions
This year, headlines throughout the marketing blogosphere proclaimed that influencer marketing is “the next big thing.”
At TopRank Marketing, we have been refining our influencer marketing strategy for nearly a decade. It’s our past, present, and next big thing. When done well, influencer marketing can boost brand credibility, provide valuable exposure for the brand and the influencer and create killer content your audience will love.
Now that influencer marketing has officially arrived, how will it evolve in 2016? We asked our in-house experts, and some of our favorite marketers outside the TopRank Marketing team, for their opinion. Here are the influencer marketing predictions for 2016.
Steve Rayson
Director, BuzzSumo
@steverayson
I think one opportunity is to build relationships with a small group of influencers (6-10) that have relatively few followers but high engagement rates. To do this find well shared content that is highly relevant to your area. Analyze who shared this content and filter those with high retweet rates (on average how many times their tweets are retweeted) but relatively few followers. Develop relationships by answering questions they ask on Twitter, sharing their content, commenting on their blogs, attending their webinars and meeting them in person if you can; and above all, ask how you can help them.
Lee Odden
CEO, TopRank Marketing
@leeodden
As consumers become increasingly numb to formal marketing messages and advertising, their trust in information from peers, social network connections and industry experts has increased.
A few interesting statistics about influencer marketing:
- 84% of B2B buyers start the purchasing process with a referral. (LinkedIn)
- 92% of consumers rely on referrals from people they know above all else (TapInfluence)
- 81% of those surveyed considered influencer engagement to be effective or very effective for meeting their objectives (Augure)
- $6.85 for every $1 spent – This is the average media value earned by brands who implemented influencer marketing. (Burst Media / RhythmOne)
In 2016 I think we’ll see more brands expand their view of how to incorporate influencers as partners in content co-creation vs. simply as another promotion and advertising channel.
We’ll also see higher expectations of influencers themselves. Popularity is not influence and brands that use influencer marketing will expect more than mentions and social shares. Those influencers capable of affecting real business outcomes will become even more in demand and valuable.
To take advantage of the growing value of influencers, sophisticated marketers will begin to better distinguish between different kinds of influencers and the characteristics that make them the best match for marketing programs.
Influencer Marketing software will lead the way towards effectively identifying, qualifying, recruiting, engaging, managing and measuring influencer marketing performance. Companies that achieve higher levels of expertise with this kind of software will achieve a distinct competitive advantage in their respective industries.
Amanda Maksymiw
Senior Content Marketing Manager, Lattice Engines
@amandamaks
Companies just getting into influencer marketing must understand that there isn’t a silver bullet or trick to overnight success. It takes time to build valuable relationships with influencers that produce results. You need to engage on social media, comment on blog posts, leave book reviews, interact in person (if possible), etc. In 2016, companies will realize that it’s the time for a less is more approach. Instead of targeting a list of influencers that is too large to manage and relying on automated tactics, marketers will focus on a smaller group so they can focus on more personalized, less automated outreach to garner big wins.
Susan Misukanis
President, TopRank Marketing
@smisukanis
2016 will offer a prime opportunity for us marketers to move our strategies from smoldering ideas to bright and memorable initiatives. But only If we think and behave in the right way.
We’ve had clients ask us to “give them an influencer list” because penetrating influencer communities, they think, is the secret to an epic campaign.
In fact, an influencer with a solid, on topic and active community presents nothing more than an opportunity. Like a match looking at a log.
When a creative campaign ignites the influencer and community well, then meaningful participation can happen and opportunity is enhanced.
And when an influencer, their community and other stakeholders, are truly passionate about a toipic, the opportunity for a story to be passed from one social campfire to the next really heats up.
And so in 2016 we marketers will ideally learn that influencer marketing is more than “the right influencer”. It’s about relationships, community and common interest. Oh and let’s not forget a spark of creative.
To 2016. May your influencer campaigns burn as glowing examples for the rest of us to follow.
Amy Higgins
Director of Content Marketing, Deem
@amywhiggins
Many marketers today think of influencer marketing as a campaign, or a one-off. They co-create a series of deliverables with a limited number of influencers designed to bring about a particular result. To me, this is like coloring inside the lines. I predict that beginning in 2016 marketers will learn to color outside the lines of a campaign.
As a marketer, you’d never create a single campaign that focuses on your brand’s voice. Instead, you’ll weave your brand’s voice into any and all content that you create. By utilising influencers throughout all of your marketing efforts, you can increase your reach and engagement. So then, why do marketers still compartmentalize influencers? By not weaving influencers into all of your marketing and coloring inside the lines of a campaign, you are missing a huge opportunity for your business. In 2016, let’s color outside the lines with influencer marketing!
What Are Your Influencer Marketing Predictions for 2016?
Influencer marketing enjoyed a surge of popularity in 2015, and the best practices are sure to evolve in the coming year. At TopRank, we will continue to explore new tools, platforms and strategies to keep learning and improving.
What are your company’s influencer marketing plans for 2016? Let us know in the comments.
Want to learn more about influencer marketing? Check out our website or contact us directly and let us know how we can help.
Disclosure: Deem is a TopRank Marketing client.
Header image via Shutterstock
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2015. | TopRank Marketing’s 2016 Influencer Marketing Predictions | http://www.toprankblog.com
The post TopRank Marketing’s 2016 Influencer Marketing Predictions appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
How to Effectively Use Remarketing (Infographic)
It seems that each year that passes brings some new forms of advertising that marketers can add as another tool in their arsenal.
These past few years have brought native advertising to the mainstream, which comedian John Oliver analyzed this past August:
Native advertising has taken hold online. Here’s an example from Buzzfeed:
This native advertising happens offline as well. You’ll find it in newspapers, magazines and hear it on the radio (it’s sneaky).
The web has also exploded with the growth of exit intent popups. Hover your mouse near the top of the browser to close or switch a tab and out of nowhere comes a near full page ad asking the visitor for something before they leave – typically an email address. Here’s an example, courtesy of 2xecommerce.com:
In recent years we have also seen the growth of retargeting. This purpose of this is to advertise to people who have previously visited a specific site.
For example, let’s say you visit amazon.com today, place a few items in your cart, and leave. A few days later you’re browsing nytimes.com and see an Amazon advertisement with the products you put in your cart. You can then click the ad and are directed back to Amazon, and complete your purchase.
Sound like a new channel you’d like to test? Neil Patel of Quick Sprout has created an infographic to help you out. Whether you’re just diving into retargeting or have been around the block a few times and want a refresher on some of the principles.
Courtesy of: Quick Sprout
Resources for Learning More
We’ve covered retargeting in the past, including a couple webinars:
You’ll also find some great content around the web:
- How to Spend Your First $100 on Retargeting Ads
- Putting Retargeting To Work For Your Startup
- 5 Tips for Running a Successful Retargeting Campaign
If you’re going to dabble in retargeting, it’s important to measure the results. You can use Kissmetrics to measure and optimize all your marketing campaigns. I’ve written some articles about how to do this:
- Using Channels in Kissmetrics to Learn Where Your Most Valuable Customers Come From
- How to Track the Effectiveness of Marketing Campaigns
- How to Find out What Marketing Campaigns are the Best for Acquisition, ROI, & Retention
You can also request a personal demo of Kissmetrics to learn more.
About the Author: Zach Bulygo (Twitter) is the Blog Manager for Kissmetrics.
SearchCap: Local Search, SEO Columns & Engaging SEO Stories
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
The post SearchCap: Local Search, SEO Columns & Engaging SEO Stories appeared first on Search Engine Land.
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
The 30 Most Viewed, Shared, and Savored Blog Posts of 2015
222!
That’s the number of blog posts we published for you this year – excluding this one.
Here are the top 30 based on views, shares, likes, retweets, claps, cartwheels, and uncomfortably long hugs. In case you missed any, enjoy!
- 25 Comical Subject Lines + Tips for Funny Writing – Stand out from the crowd and engage your contacts by using this list of tips and examples to write humorous subject lines.
- 5 Subject Line Tips You Haven’t Heard – Need a little help creating subject lines? Use these five out-of-the-box tips as a guide.
- 5 Tips to Creating a Sense of Urgency in Your Writing and Emails – How do you get people to take action quickly with your business? By creating a sense of urgency in your writing.
- 4 Aspects Every Outstanding Product Announcement Needs – The key to getting your audience excited about your latest business offering is by answering these four questions in your next product announcement email.
- 12 Months of Inspiration for Engaging with Your Email Subscribers – Surprise and delight customers with these creative email campaign ideas for 2016.
- Emails That Encourage Customer Engagement – Check out these four hassle-free emails that can increase customer engagement and boost sales.
- 6 Design Tips to Make Your Email Newsletter Visually Appealing – Use these six simple design tips to create an email newsletter that draws your audience in.
- 75 Email Newsletter Content Topics You Can Use ASAP – To keep relationships going strong, provide your subscribers with consistent and interesting content. Here are 75 topics you can use in your email newsletters right now.
- Tips for Email Newsletter Campaign First-Timers – Part I: Content – Even a first-timer can create a successful email newsletter campaign by following these three golden rules centered around content.
- List Segmentation By Campaign Activity: Why Do It and How to Get Started – Aim to reach more people, but don’t send one email message to everyone. Here’s why list segmentation at the campaign activity level makes sense and is easy to do.
- 5 Tips to Increase Your Email Delivery and Open Rates – If you’re suffering from bounce rates or spam complaints, improving your email delivery rate is key. Read on for five tips to make sure your emails get delivered.
Social Media
- 11 Words & Phrases to Avoid Using on Social Media and What to Say Instead – Avoid sounding like everyone else on social media and stand out from the crowd.
- 3 Things You Can’t Do on Facebook Anymore – Learn about the three biggest Facebook updates that could impact your business page.
- 4 Ways to Use Social Media to Increase your Email List – Boost your email contacts through social channels.
- Social Media & Your Business: Choosing the Best Platform – Tap into your key demographic by incorporating these basic principles into your social media journey.
- 9 Social Media Hacks Every Small Business Can Benefit From – Learn how to increase sales and customer engagement with these nine social media hacks.
Non-Profit
- 10 Crowdfunding Websites Every Non-Profit Should Know – Looking for ways to raise money for your non-profit? We have a list of ten crowdfunding sites you’ll want to check out.
- 9 Emails Non-Profits Should Send to Attract and Maintain Donors [GUIDE] – A look at nine emails that can help non-profits attract and maintain donors.
Retail
- 10 Retail Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales – We assembled ten retail marketing ideas to help bring increased sales and more loyal customers.
- 5 Customer Appreciation Emails Retailers Should Send – Share some love. Show your customers that you appreciate their business with these five customer appreciation emails.
Customers First
- 10 Questions to Ask In Your Business Demographics Survey – Having a better understanding of your customers is critical for success. Here are ten questions to include in your business demographics survey.
- 5 Ways to Create Added Value for Customers – Here are five ways to create added value that can improve your customers’ experience.
Event Marketing
- You’re Invited: 6 Components of a Successful Event Email – Make sure your next event email brings in guests by using this handy cheat sheet.
- 5 Event Ideas that Attract Customers – Wondering how to get customers to attend your next event? Here are five event ideas to attract customers and get the word out to make your next event a success.
More Marketing Tips
- Why Certain Marketing Words Sing, While Others Just Stink — and How to Tell the Difference – More than knowing what to say and what not to say — learn why! Here is the breakdown on why certain words are powerful while others are useless.
- The Ultimate Guide to ‘Google My Business’ – Learn how to set up, use and get the most out of Google My Business.
- Making Content Marketing, Email and Social Media Work in Harmony – Understand and master these three approaches to make your online marketing plan come together beautifully.
- 6 Free SEO Tools to Boost Your Search Engine Rankings – A list of tools to help you land a better spot in search results.
- Calls to Action: 50 that Sell and 10 that Repel – Need a little help writing an effective call to action for your next email? We’ve got you covered.
Our team is focused on offering you more great articles to help your business grow in the new year. Thank you to our customers, hundreds of thousands of newsletter subscribers, and millions of blog visitors.
We wish you all the best and much success in 2016!
© 2015, Linzi Breckenridge. All rights reserved.
The post The 30 Most Viewed, Shared, and Savored Blog Posts of 2015 appeared first on Vertical Response Blog.
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