How to Maximize Your Return on SEO and Content Marketing in 2016

If you haven't already figured out that content is king in today's online-driven economy, get ready to get up to speed.  As time marches on, unique and fresh content is only becoming more valuable, which means that companies who are not maximizing their SEO and content marketing wisely will likely find themselves at the bottom of the barrel (or the tenth page of a Google search.)

Being aware of the importance of these essential ingredients is just the first step to the ongoing process.  Here are some ways you can get the most out of your marketing in 2016:

• Hire an SEO Agency.  Business leaders who think they can go it alone are often left out in the dust when the numbers start coming in.  The truth of the matter is that there's a lot that goes into executing a strong SEO and content strategy.  Since you're busy doing your day job, it can often make more sense to allocate a portion of the annual marketing budget so you can outsource this task to the experts.  An effective SEO agency will help develop and execute a profitable strategy and take care of the analytics and analysis to help you boost your brand and drive traffic your way.  

• Socialize About Your Expertise.  Sure, it's nice when people go out of their way to see what you have to say, but you certainly can't rely on the hopes that your audience will stop by to see what you're up to if you're interested in padding your bottom line.  Devote time to make sure you're staying social and engaging with your followers.  In doing so, make sure you're publishing your content on key places like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, just to name a few.  Properly placed paid ads on these sites are a good place to spend a bit of your marketing money, too.  They'll get you in front of people who are most likely to be take notice of the way your business can benefit them.

• Pay Attention to the Numbers.  As any SEO agency will tell you, marketing is far from an industry driven completely by creatives.  Without metrics in place, the numbers won't mean much, so you'll want to lay out a specific strategy so you understand what you want to achieve and what you're measuring.  Once you've gathered your goals, pay steadfast attention to the analytics.  They'll lead the way toward more leads if you heed their warnings.

How To Succeed With Social Media Marketing

According to Pew Research, about 65% of American adults use social media. If you own a North Carolina business, odds are good your potential customers use Facebook – about half the population of North Carolina does. Or perhaps you’ll find your prospects on Twitter: 50 million U.S. adults are active there every month.

No matter what products or services you offer, social media is a key part of getting your message out to local, purchase-ready customers. Social media may be new to many business owners, but it doesn’t have to be mysterious. In fact, a good social media marketing strategy can be broken down into a few best practices.

Let's look at four of them right now:

1) Be Consistent

Once your company is on social media, consistency is crucial to growing your following. Many business owners and marketers commit to updating their social media accounts at least once a day. When getting started, aim for three updates a week to build rapport with current and potential customers.

2) Add Value

The crux of digital marketing is to demonstrate your expertise by sharing with would-be customers. Find out what questions keep them up at night, develop informative articles or other content, then share it on your social accounts – don’t only post about “hot deals,” or you’ll turn users off.

3) Join the Conversation

If you update your social accounts and do nothing else, you’re essentially talking to yourself. Connect with other users by monitoring trending topics. Respond to what others have to say and add your own take using hashtags to make it easier for Web surfers to find you.

4) Make Use of Visuals
Posts with embedded photos or videos are much more likely to get comments, clicks, and likes. Even if you’re sharing a conventional blog post, think about adding a photo to make it more compelling. Want to go the extra mile? Try using an informative infographic.

Done well, your social media marketing strategy can be a fun and exciting part of your business. What’s more, social media can amplify any other piece of your inbound marketing strategy. That means just a few minutes spent being social every day can add up to tremendous ROI.