The latest round of Snap updates has a distinctly retro feel.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Snapchat Reawakens Retro Trends With Latest Update
* This article was originally published here
Friday, August 30, 2024
Threads Adds Option to Rearrange Columns on Desktop
A handy update from the Threads team.
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, August 29, 2024
'Does My Business Need a New Website?' Maybe Not
If you’re one of the thousands of businesses out there that will redesign its website this year, you’ve probably got the same nagging thought in the back of your head.
This had better work.
It might be a twinge as you write a five-figure check to your web design agency.
Our new website MUST bring in more revenue.
It might be a pit in your stomach when you look at traffic numbers or conversion data.
The leads have to start rolling in right after launch.
If these thoughts keep you up at night, you're not alone.
A new website is a huge investment — in both time and money. You want to be sure that the investment is going to pay off.
And here’s the sad truth of it all: Most businesses that buy a new website this year don’t really need it. They’ve been sold a “miracle cure” that’s not actually going to solve the problem they’re facing.
Of course there are times when a new website IS needed — when it’s a really sound investment in the future of your business. And that’s what this article is going to do. To help you know when you do need a new website, and when you don’t.
Below, I’ll explain:
- Why a new website is often not the solution you’re looking for.
- Why you think you need a website (but actually don’t).
- When you actually should invest in a new site.
Before you spend big, let’s look at some hard truths together.
Hard truth No. 1: Agencies are happy to sell you a site you don’t need
Agencies are eager to sell you a fancy new website with all of the bells and whistles. Their job is to sell websites, and you’ve got money to spend. They’ll take your money and build you a website, whether you need it or not.
This strategy is successful because businesses think a new website will solve all their problems.
When a business leader sees their traffic or their leads fall off, they think a new website will solve everything.
While I’m not saying a new website is necessarily a bad investment, it can be an expensive gamble. Websites often come in over budget and behind schedule — and they don’t always deliver a clear ROI.
Say you spend $75K on a new site that takes nine months to launch. How can you be sure that it will be worth the investment?
If you're not connecting that website to a strategy, you can't.
Hard truth No. 2: A website is not a marketing or sales strategy
You think you need a new website because you need more leads and more revenue. But pause for a moment and think this through: what about the new site is actually going to do this?
Or, put it this way: What’s going to make prospects find your shiny new website?
- Are they coming to you through organic search or social? Then you need a robust content strategy to produce and publish the content that will build your brand and bring people to your site.
- Are these prospects coming through PPC? Then you need dedicated, effective landing pages and conversion paths that will speak to their challenges and present your solutions.
In any case, you need a strategy for how your customers will use this new website — and any agency not talking about strategy is unlikely to deliver the site you need.
Now, most agencies do talk about strategy, but they’re talking about a website strategy — that is, page layout and UX, not a marketing, sales, or business strategy.
4 Reasons you think you need a new website (but you actually don’t)
Despite what you’ve been told, most website issues can be solved without a full redesign. If you’re facing one of these challenges, don’t spring for a new website just yet.
‘Our site just feels stale’
If what you’re facing is an aesthetic challenge, you could opt to update the styles of the current website instead of doing a full website redesign. You’ll pay about 80% less and can potentially be done in weeks instead of months.
‘We just hired a new CMO’
A new marketing leader often wants to shake things up and a new website might be first on the list.
However, a new website by itself is not going to fix whatever issues you’ve faced in the past. Pump the brakes and look at some numbers before you give your new CMO a blank check.
‘We’ve just launched a new product’
That’s exciting! Do you need a whole new website to support this launch? Almost certainly not.
If you need help, an agency can build new pages without designing and developing a whole new site. (And with a bit of training, you could even do it yourself.)
‘Our leads are down’
I get it. It’s stressful when your lead pipeline shrinks, but unless you’re addressing your underlying marketing strategy, a new website is unlikely to solve the problem in and of itself.
So, if any of those were your reasons for wanting a new site, I advise you to slow down and think twice. But there are some times when you do need a new website. Let's look there next.
When you DO actually need a new website
Now let’s look at the other side of things. When is the right time to redesign your site?
Having worked with hundreds of businesses over the years, I believe there are only two situations when you absolutely need to update your site.
Reason #1: ‘We are unable to update the site on our own’
This is the biggest one. If your business can’t update its own site without contacting an agency or hiring a freelancer, it’s time for a new site.
The way modern sites are built, your team should be able to do everything from building landing pages to updating product listings without needing to code.
An outdated website is a liability that makes your business look bad.
Whatever you do, don’t work with any agency that tells you they can’t build you a site you can update on your own. This is a major red flag that's designed to keep you from being independent.
Reason #2: ‘Our website doesn’t meet today's tech standards’
This has nothing to do with graphics or user experience. Nothing to do with stock images or page layout. Instead, we’re talking about Core Web Vitals, such as site speed, mobile responsiveness, and page scripts.
(Source: Google)
If your site doesn’t meet the modern standards established by the search engines, it’ll be hard to rank well in them, and it’s time for a new site.
If your website is unable to deliver in these two fundamental ways, new images and designs won’t save it. Your indexed pages will continually slip in search rankings, and your traffic will dwindle.
You need a site that meets up-to-date thresholds for performance.
Before you invest in a new site, consider your strategy
Before considering a new website, take stock of your current site. Here are some important steps to take:
- Conduct a UX audit: Use tools like Lucky Orange or Hotjar to see heatmaps, record user behavior, and analyze patterns. Identify pain points and areas for improvement in the user experience.
- Run experiments: Based on what you see in your UX audits, you’ll notice what users do (and don’t) engage with. For example, if a primary call-to-action gets no engagement, run an A/B test to see if more specific language can improve engagement.
- Build a content strategy: Develop a comprehensive plan for creating helpful and engaging content. Conduct keyword research, create a content calendar, and diversify your content formats.
- Track and analyze performance: Implement a robust analytics platform like Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Monitor metrics such as traffic sources, organic traffic changes over time, bounce rates, and conversion rates. Make data-driven decisions based on insights gained.
- Optimize for search engines and AI: Incorporate relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, headers, and content. Pay attention to on-page factors like URL structure, internal linking, and image alt text. Improve site loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and technical performance.
If you follow all of those best practices, you will almost certainly notice improvements in your website’s performance. And if you do need a new website, you’ll be armed with the knowledge you’ll need to make it as effective as possible.
Get the site you need
A website is a big investment — and the process is both exciting and stressful.
If you think you’re in the market for a redesign for your custom site, do your research. Don’t just talk to agencies that are jumping to sell you the thing you’re still deciding if you need.
We work with businesses every day who come to us after spending a ton of money on a new website. Instead of being the salvation they were hoping for, the website fails to deliver results. Their numbers stay flat, and they’re left scratching their heads as to why it didn’t work.
Avoid their costly mistakes.
Ask the right questions so you know you’re getting the site you need.
And if you're not sure what you need, start with our free website performance assessment. You'll get the insights you've been looking for.
Author: vgaeta@impactbnd.com (Vin Gaeta)
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
X Is Close To Launching Video Conference Calls
The video conferencing is part of Musk’s plan for an “everything app.”
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Zuckerberg Raises Questions Over Government Suppression Requests
The Meta chief has criticized past government suppression requests.
* This article was originally published here
Monday, August 26, 2024
TikTok Launches In-App Experiences To Promote Sabrina Carpenter’s New Album
The promotion encourages in-app participation and rewards users for the completion of various tasks.
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Meta Activates Threads Crossposting From Facebook and Instagram
An easy way to post between Meta's apps.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Threads Adds Custom Feeds, Media Tab on Profiles
New Twitter-like updates for Threads.
* This article was originally published here
Friday, August 23, 2024
LinkedIn Launches In-Feed Video Carousels
A new way to drive video engagement in the app.
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, August 22, 2024
The Big 5: 3 Simple Steps for Creating Great 'Problems' Content (+ Examples)
Ironically, one main marketing problem that most organizations have is that they're not talking about problems.
We believe it's critical that businesses openly address the drawbacks and shortcomings of what they sell.
I know what you're thinking — Why would I ever draw attention to our flaws? Won't that scare buyers away?
But in response to that, I ask, would you rather a potential customer find out about a problem with your product or service from you or on their own, or worse, from a competitor?
Creating "problems" content gets ahead of the rude awakenings that can lead to poor customer experiences, bad reviews, and negative word-of-mouth.
It creates alignment and realistic expectations with potential buyers right off the bat, helping them qualify or disqualify themselves early on.
And, in my experience, organizations that create it gain more trust, collect more leads, and overall, earn more clients.
That's why it's one of what Marcus Sheridan calls The Big 5 — the five topics that are most critical to your marketing strategy.
In this article, I’ll provide some examples from companies that are doing a great job with their "problems" content and walk you through three simple steps for creating yours:
- Identifying your problems
- Finding the right angle
- Showing a solution
But first, let's start with "why?"
Why you need to be open about problems, drawbacks, and shortcomings
As a content trainer, I spend a lot of time coaching my clients on how to cover The Big 5, the five topics that drive the most traffic, leads, and sales for successful inbound companies.
Talking about your problems — specifically talking about the shortfalls in your product or service — is definitely on that list.
That’s right. Putting it all out there, the good, the bad, and the ugly, is a fantastic way to build the bottom line. It's natural to be wary, but here's the reality: If you don’t address it, someone else will.
Your buyers are out there looking for information that can help them reach a conclusion. And you know they’re not only looking for positive reviews. They want the dirt, the difficulties, and the cons so that they won’t be surprised after the purchase is made. (After all, there's a reason we're so drawn to 1-star reviews!)
Creating content marketing materials that are candid about problems allows you to do a few things:
- First, you position yourself as the trustworthy authority in your space. As we all know, the best time to address a problem is before it comes up.
- Second, you help bad-fit prospects opt out of your sales process. If you're honest about you sell, bad-fit buyers are less likely to move forward — meaning you won't waste your salespeoples' time on the wrong prospects.
- Third, you eliminate the fear and resistance of your buyers by letting them know in advance what they might experience.
Some buyers will see these cons, balance them against the pros, and be fine with the decision to move forward. Some will choose to shop elsewhere, and that’s okay.
You’ve armed those prospects with the power to opt out so no one’s time gets wasted.
So, how is a great “problems” article created?
1. Identify your problem(s)
The truth is, no single product or service is the right fit for everyone.
You’ll find much more success when you admit this to your potential buyers and show that, yes, there may be some drawbacks with the solution you offer.
So how do you know what problems to discuss?
A simple way to evaluate if a problem is worth disclosing is if it will affect your customer's overall experience with your offering.
For example,
Could it lead to them not accomplishing their intended goal?
Could it lead to spending more money?
Would it actually harm versus help them?
Is it something that would lead to them writing a poor review?
If the answer to any of these questions is true, you're best off addressing it in your content.
2. Choose the right angle
Problems content can take many forms, and the great news for content creators is the range of angles and formats you can take. For example, consider these:
- "The top X problems with Y"
- "The X problems with Y you're likely to miss"
-
"The most common problems rookies may experience — and how to avoid them"
-
"Why is X not working and what you can do about it"
- "The X Reasons Why Y Fails"
- "X Reasons Why Y Isn't the Right Choice for You."
NOTE: Don't be afraid to write this from the perspective of someone who isn't right for you or your services. This kind of honesty will only help you weed out bad-fit prospects without wasting man-hours on your sales team.
All of these are different approaches, but they all come back to the same goal: Being open and honest about the experience someone will have with your product or service.
In his book They Ask, You Answer, Marcus Sheridan talks about what happened when he confronted potential problems at his company River Pools and Spas.
You see, his company only offered fiberglass pools, which come with both pros and cons. In some cases, a fiberglass pool is perfect. In others, it's the wrong choice.
Rather than pretend that fiberglass pools were the best choice for everyone, Marcus took the honest approach to their shortcomings.
The post, “Top Fiberglass Pool Problems and Solutions,” resulted in more than $500,000 in revenue.
Sheridan reflected:
"Now, you might think it would be insane for us to write an article with that title and, believe me, so did many people in our industry. But look at it this way: How many of our competitors were addressing that question on their websites? Of course, the answer is none.
Yet, how many consumers were wanting to know the answer to said question?
Pretty much all of them."
The title may be daring, but the content is even more brazen, detailing specific issues with fiberglass pools that may turn people off.
Again, that’s okay. Showing how your product may not be the best fit will save both you and your prospect valuable time.
Note: Bonus points to River Pools for also creating a video that covers the topic!
At IMPACT, we zeroed in on our position as a HubSpot Solutions Partner (formerly known as a HubSpot Partner Agency), with the article “The Problems with Working with a HubSpot Partner Agency.”
Whether you sell a product or a service, there are likely issues that you can disclose to your audience in "problems" content.
Remember, we’re all in the business of trust, regardless of what we’re selling.
3. Show a solution
Now, sometimes profiling a problem will turn a buyer off. Other times, if you can show a solution to the problem, you can bring yourself one step closer to a new customer.
You want to stay humble enough to put yourself out there, but you also want to show that you have the authority and the knowledge to solve for any shortcomings.
In fact, topics like "X Challenges & How to Avoid Them" put solutions front and center.
As an example, see Berry Insurnace's article on the problems with (and solutions for) worker's comp insurance.
A prospect can easily see that Berry knows what it's talking about and can help you deal with these problems if you face them.
By educating its audience, Berry is giving shoppers the confidence they need to move forward with a purchase.
What about buyer and competitor problems?
When it comes to "problems" articles in the context of The Big 5, we're only talking about problems related to your business's offering or industry.
But that doesn't mean talking about problems with your competitors or other problems your buyers may face is off limits. In fact, these are great topics to build awareness of your business and educate your audience.
(Plus, if your buyers are asking questions about them, you need to answer, right?)
Put yourself in the position of your buyer. Then, make a list of the issues they have that would drive them to look to you for a solution.
In many cases, they might not even know they have a problem you can solve. It’s up to you to recognize their symptoms, identify the problem, and outline the options that are available to them.
Yale Appliance + Lighting does this well in its company learning center.
Their article, Kitchen Nightmares: 11 Renovation Mistakes to Avoid speaks to a problem, they don't directly solve themselves. As an appliance retailer, Yale is connected to kitchen renovations, even though it's not their direct business.
However, they can be sure that their potential customers are thinking about design mistakes when they look to make appliance updates.
In another example, West Roofing Systems addresses common leaking roof problems content head-on in the ebook, "Commercial Roof Leaks: Detection and Causes."
Their landing page copy describes the tactic they’re taking – helping the prospect detect the problem (a leaky commercial roof), finding the causes of the problem, and then creating an action plan to solve it.
In both cases, the prospect most likely came to the web and searched for their potential symptom (kitchen design mistakes or a leaky roof, for example), found the content, and left the site knowing what problem they have and the best way to solve for it.
Whether or not Yale and West Roofing make the sale directly, they’ve informed their buyers of their options and have built a basis of trust.
Create fearless content
"Problems" content isn’t the place to pull punches or withhold information.
As the authority in your industry — and as an honest, authentic voice — it’s up to you to help people make smart, confident buying decisions. That means laying all of the cards on the table, even if they're not necessarily in your favor.
Rely on what you’ve learned from speaking with and selling to your customers. What are the common objections they raise? Those are problems you should openly address in your website and sales enablement content.
Inbound marketing is about being unapologetically helpful. Go put yourself out there and start talking candidly about all your problems.
Author: jbecker@impactbnd.com (John Becker)
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
How Businesses Can Educate and Connect with Buyers Through World Events [Endless Customers Podcast Ep. 56]
About This Episode
As the world navigates a shifting economic landscape, one thing has become clear - the need for businesses to thoughtfully educate and connect with their buyers is more important than ever. In this insightful episode of the Endless Customers podcast, Alex Winter sits down with Mandy York, a video and content trainer at IMPACT, to explore how companies can effectively navigate this challenge.
The backdrop for this discussion is the mix of world events unfolding - from upcoming elections and economic uncertainty to natural disasters like hurricanes. These factors, York explains, are significantly impacting the mindset and purchasing behavior of buyers.
"If I as a consumer am sitting here thinking, 'My gosh, my grocery bill was just $500 and the kids are going back to school, so they need new school clothes. And, you know, my job laid off people a few weeks ago. So now I'm worried about that. Am I really going to throw down $15,000 - $30,000 on a new HVAC system unless I have no other choice?' The answer to that is no," York says.
This economic pressure requires businesses to take a more empathetic, educational approach when connecting with buyers. Rather than solely focusing on aggressively selling high-ticket products and services, York emphasizes the need to provide a range of options that cater to the realities buyers are facing.
"We as businesses have to start educating them about the various options," she explains. "Could you encourage trust by saying, 'Hey, we know that things are tough right now in the economy and most of our customers are not going to be buying this top-of-the-line HVAC system. Here's a more budget-friendly option that you should look at.' Those things, they go a long way."
This mindset shift is crucial, as York notes that many businesses tend to lose sight of the bigger picture when they're so fixated on making the sale. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of approaching content and sales conversations through the lens of genuinely helping people make the right choice - one that they'll still be happy with months down the line.
"I want somebody that maybe right now, while the economy is tough, they come to you and they buy an HVAC system refresh where you go in and clean the whole thing out and spruce it up and help that system last three or four more years. And then three or four years from now, they buy the $30,000 system from you," York says. "I want that repeat business long-term versus we talk them into buying a $20,000 HVAC unit today and then never hear from them again because they felt gross about it."
This advice extends beyond the HVAC industry - York has seen similar dynamics play out across various B2B sectors, from SaaS and payroll to human resources. The key, she says, is to stay attuned to the specific challenges and priorities of your target audience, which may be shifting in response to larger world events.
"Whenever I sit down each week with a client, I think about location, where are they at and what have I heard on the news about that location this week?" York explains. "If I've got a roofing person that has a business in Florida, the first thing I'm going to say is, 'Do we have content out about damage from Hurricane Debby? Specifically, is there content and education sitting there, whether that be written, video, podcast, whatever you made, do you have something live on that website right now that is helping your customers navigate the hurricane that just hit?'"
This level of situational awareness and proactive content creation can make a significant difference in demonstrating a company's trustworthiness and relevance to its buyers. But it goes beyond just reacting to the headlines - York also emphasizes the importance of considering demographic shifts within your target audience.
"If you work in something like benefits and payroll, the businesses tend to trend older in that sector. But I was like, you know, Gen Z doesn't care as much at all, even as millennials, Gen X, boomers, whatever. They don't care about parental leave as much as millennials did because a lot of Gen Z doesn't want kids," she says. "So why are we creating all this content targeted at new parents when the new parent-age-people are not having kids? Why are we not making stuff about remote work benefits for mental health. You know, all of these different things that are more pertinent to that specific demographic?"
Ultimately, York's advice boils down to one key principle: meet your buyers where they are. This means staying informed about the issues and events impacting their lives, tailoring your content and messaging to their unique needs and preferences, and approaching every interaction with a genuine desire to help rather than to sell.
"The first and most crucial thing that you can do is talk about this with your team," York recommends. "Let's take this podcast and send it to your team, send it to your marketing people, your salespeople, you know, whoever, and say, 'Hey, I want you to listen. And then I've put a 30-minute meeting on your calendar for next week. And once you sit down in that meeting, I want you guys to talk about things that are going on that impact your business, impact your people that you are selling to whatever those people are.'"
From there, York suggests identifying topics and content ideas that your team is genuinely passionate about - because that enthusiasm will shine through and resonate with your buyers. And when it comes to navigating sensitive issues like politics, she advises a measured, empathetic approach that acknowledges your limitations. You’re a business expert, not a world events expert, but you can still help and connect on a human level.
"You can definitely just say, 'Hey, we too have been seeing lots of headlines about X, Y, and Z. And while we don't feel that we're the experts on politics, the economy, the, you know, laws, whatever, global warming, like we're not the experts on that. We are the experts on how [this] pain point affects [your] customer,'" York explains.
By taking this holistic, buyer-centric approach, businesses can not only weather the current uncertainty but also build long-term loyalty and trust with their customers. As Mandy states, "the psychology of the modern day is a crucial skill in understanding how to market and sell products or services in this day and age. And if you're falling behind on that or you're ignoring it, that's going to catch up to you and probably sooner than you think."
Connect with Mandy York
Mandy York combines her experience as an award-winning educator and thriving business owner to help others take creative and actionable steps toward their content and video marketing goals.
Connect with Mandy on LinkedIn
Keep Learning
- Watch: The Content Manager: The Underrated Solution for Marketing Success
- Read: 7 Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2024
- Free assessment: How Does Your Sales & Marketing Measure Up?
- Watch: How to Create Industry-Disrupting Content That Will Turn Heads
Author: awinter@impactbnd.com (Alex Winter)
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Which Countries Are Using ChatGPT the Most? [Infographic]
A look at where ChatGPT is seeing the most adoption.
* This article was originally published here
Monday, August 19, 2024
How to Maximize Your Social Media Presence with AI [Endless Customers Podcast Ep. 55]
About This Episode
Time is a precious commodity. As a business owner, marketing, or sales professional, you're likely juggling multiple responsibilities, leaving little room for creating and maintaining a robust social media presence. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Many medium-sized businesses, even those pulling in over $5 million in annual revenue, struggle with this very issue.
But what if we told you there's a way to dramatically improve your LinkedIn engagement with just one hour of effort? Intrigued? Let's dive into an eye-opening experiment conducted by Brian Casey, a head coach at IMPACT, and explore how AI tools like Opus Clip can revolutionize your social media strategy.
The One-Hour Challenge: A Game-Changing Experiment
Brian Casey, like many busy professionals, found himself with a spare hour and a desire to make the most of it. His goal? To see what he could accomplish in terms of personal branding through old video content that had already been created. The result? A social media experiment that yielded more LinkedIn traction than he'd seen in the past five years.
Here's what Brian did:
- Utilized existing long-form video content
- Used Opus Clip, an AI-powered video editing tool
- Created and scheduled ten social media posts for LinkedIn
- Distributed these posts over a two-week period
The Outcome: Surprising Engagement and Reach
For pretty minimal effort, the results were pretty good! Brian shared analytics from just one of his posts (not even the highest-performing one):
- 126 total views
- 100 unique viewers
- 29 minutes of total play time
But it's not just about the numbers. The real magic lies in who was viewing the content. Brian noted, "On LinkedIn, you can see who views it by demographics. Marketing specialist, website manager, executive director, salesperson, founder... if I were to want to go and prospect, that's exactly who I would want to be reaching out to anyway."
This targeted reach is a testament to the power of consistent, quality content shared with your professional network. It's not about having millions of followers; it's about engaging the right audience with valuable insights.
The Power of AI: Opus Clip in Action
Now, you might be thinking, "That's great, but I'm not a video editing pro." The beauty of tools like Opus Clip is that you don't have to be. Brian, who describes himself as a non-video professional, found the tool intuitive and user-friendly.
Here's how Opus Clip streamlined the process:
- Automatic Clip Generation: The tool analyzed the long-form videos and generated 20-30 short clips.
- Smart Scoring: Each clip received a score based on factors like virality potential and topic relevance.
- Easy Editing: The interface allowed for simple adjustments to captions and clip timing.
Brian noted, "For me, it was really intuitive. There was a point where I could just insert a video and it automatically created these short clips for me and gave me a score in terms of how well they thought it would do on social media."
While the tool isn't perfect (Brian mentioned some challenges with clip start points and caption editing), it significantly reduced the time and effort required to create engaging social content.
Overcoming the Time Barrier: A Solution for Busy Professionals
Let's face it: your to-do list is probably a mile long. Creating consistent, high-quality social media content often falls to the bottom of that list. But here's the kicker – it doesn't have to.
Brian's experiment proves that with the right tools, you can turn one hour into two weeks' worth of engaging content. This approach allows you to:
- Repurpose existing content: Maximize the value of your long-form videos by turning them into multiple short-form pieces.
- Save time: Reduce the hours spent on social media content creation and scheduling.
- Maintain consistency: Keep your social media presence active without daily manual effort.
- Reach your target audience: Share valuable insights with the professionals most likely to engage with your business.
As Brian put it, "I think just in general, short-form video performs really well on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube... that's just content that people like."
Breaking Down the Barriers: You Don't Need to Be a Video Pro
One of the most encouraging aspects of Brian's experiment is that it doesn't require professional video equipment or editing skills. In fact, Brian emphasized that for most LinkedIn users, the quality threshold is surprisingly low.
"The threshold of which video quality has to be for a personal LinkedIn... is what I imagine most people that are listening are going to have a pretty low threshold that they have to meet," Brian noted.
This means you can create impactful content using just your smartphone. As Brian pointed out, "With natural light sources, like windows, anybody could do it." The authenticity of a simple, selfie-style video can often be more engaging than over-produced content.
The Impact on Authority and Trust
Consistently sharing valuable content doesn't just boost your visibility – it establishes you as an authority in your field. As Brian explained, "At the end of the day, we all prefer that someone is coming to us and saying, 'Hey, I heard you or I saw you and I want to work with you.'"
By regularly appearing in your connections' feeds with insightful content, you're building trust and credibility. This can transform your business development efforts from constant outreach to inbound inquiries from interested prospects.
Getting Started: Your Action Plan
Inspired to give this a try? Here's a simple action plan to get you started:
- Identify existing long-form content (videos, webinars, presentations) that you can repurpose.
- Sign up for a free trial of Opus Clip or a similar AI-powered video editing tool.
- Set aside one hour to experiment with the tool and create your first batch of short-form content.
- Schedule your posts over a two-week period on LinkedIn (or your platform of choice).
- Monitor engagement and refine your approach based on what resonates with your audience.
Remember, as Brian emphasized, "There is no excuse. It's a very cheap, sometimes free tool depending on if you get a trial. Everybody has the ability to record or shoot a video that would work for it."
The Future of AI in Content Creation
It's worth noting that tools like Opus Clip are continuously evolving. Brian's experiment was conducted with what he called "the worst version" of the tool – imagine the possibilities as these AI-powered solutions become even more sophisticated.
The key takeaway? Don't let perfectionism or lack of time hold you back. As Brian wisely noted, "Something is better than nothing." By leveraging AI tools to create and share valuable content consistently, you're positioning yourself and your business for greater visibility, authority, and ultimately, success.
The world of digital marketing and social media is evolving rapidly, and AI tools are making it easier than ever for busy professionals to stay in the game. By embracing these technologies and committing just a small amount of time, you can dramatically enhance your online presence and connect with your target audience more effectively than ever before.
Connect with Brian Casey
Brian uses his background in sales & inbound marketing strategy to coach clients on creating content that impacts sales and helps businesses reach their ideal buyers. His experience in working with clients spans across all types of businesses in unique markets.
Check out Brian’s IMPACT Bio
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Keep Learning
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Watch: How to Create Industry-Disrupting Content That Will Turn Heads
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Be Inspired: The Story of ‘They Ask, You Answer’
Author: awinter@impactbnd.com (Alex Winter)
* This article was originally published here
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YouTube says that viewers prefer longer ad breaks and less overall viewing disruption.
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No, X Is Not Seeing Massive Usage Declines
Speculation has been that X is losing a heap of users, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.
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Thursday, August 15, 2024
How to Plan a Learning Center For Your Website
Your content is the soul of your business. It represents your personality, your culture, and your unique POV. But just writing and filming and recording great content is not enough. If that content isn't easy to find and easy to sort, it can feel like a disorganized mess to your audience.
Savvy marketers know that they need to present their content in a way that makes it easy for people to find what they are looking for.
For this reason, more and more businesses are developing “learning centers” to be a content library for their visitors.
A learning center is a place on your website where your best content can be easily accessed and searched. A learning center makes it easy for your prospects to find the content that answers their questions.
A learning center on your site doesn't just benefit your site visitors. Your sales reps can use your learning center to quickly find resources to share with prospects.
A great learning center should have a variety of content types, such as articles, videos, webinars, podcasts, and ebooks, that are categorized and searchable.
The first step to building a great learning center is to take stock of the content you already have. These are the steps you should follow:
- Inventory the content you already have
- Identify gaps in your content
- Categorize your content
Let’s take a closer look at each of these steps, then we'll share some real-world examples to inspire you.
1. Inventory the content you already have
Inventory all of the content you have and what topics you have already covered. At IMPACT, we teach clients to focus their efforts around five core topics, which we call The Big 5. So, when a client starts compiling content, we make sure they've covered these topics thoroughly. (You can learn more about The Big 5 here.)
How about video content? What videos perform the best for you. Do you have any podcasts? What about other resources such as landing pages, calculators, ebooks, or white papers?
Taking inventory
There are different ways of taking inventory. Some content management systems will allow you to export your data with titles and links into a spreadsheet.
If not, tools such as Screaming Frog’s SEO spider tool will crawl your site and give you a report with the titles and URLs for all of your content.
If you don't have a lot of content, you may be able to just manually go through your posts to see what you have.
Some of the information you may want to include in your inventory are:
- Type of content (blog article, video, ebook, etc.)
- Resource title
- URL for the resource
- Resource CTA (read more, watch now, etc.)
- Resource topic category
- Meta description
- Author/creator/featured SME
You can even add things such as how long the resource will take to read (factored by word count), target persona, or where a piece of content fits in the buyer's journey.
Once you have an inventory of your content, you can decide which content should go in your learning center. To do so, think about the buyer's journey. Focus on content that content that fits each step.
Remember, a learning center will allow your visitors to find the type of content that is best suited to them. Some people love to read, while others prefer to watch videos or listen to podcasts. Still others like interactive content, so be sure to include a variety of content types.
You may not have all of these types of content yet. In the next step, you will identify those gaps so you can create needed content.
2. Identify gaps in your content
What content do you still need to create? Are there gaps? Perhaps you don’t have content that covers all of the questions that your visitors may have. Maybe you have a lot of content about your products, but none that covers the cost of those products. Are you missing videos or any interactive content?
What content will help your visitors? What content will help your sales team provide the answers to help in the sales process?
Make a list of content that still needs to be created and add it to your editorial calendar. You will always be creating content that will be added to your learning center, but in the beginning, you will want to be sure you are covering, or have a plan to cover, content that addresses the questions your prospects are asking most about your products or services.
To find out what content your prospects are asking, you will want to talk to all of your client-facing personnel to see what questions they are hearing every day.
3. Categorize your content
You will want to make it easy for your visitors to find the topics that they are interested in, so they will need to be able to filter content by category.
At IMPACT, we categorize by the type of service you may be looking for. So, for instance, if you are looking specifically for help with website design, there is a filter that allows you to check a box and get only website design content.
You can also add filters for the format of content, such as videos or articles. For your learning center, you need to decide what makes the most sense for you and your customers, but if you inventoried your content properly, this step should go smoothly.
Now you are ready to start building your learning center. For inspiration, let's look at some examples.
Learning center examples
Here are some examples of great learning centers to give you some ideas. Some come from IMPACT clients, some do not.
RetroFoam of Michigan
RetroFoam Michigan provides foam insulation for pre-built homes. In their learning center you can access articles, pricing calculators and a chatbot to help you find the information you're looking for.
Users can filter by topic as well as resource type so, for example. They can choose also to watch a video or see a checklist about their topic choice.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace's learning center allows you to search by the product you want to learn about. You'll also find sections that provide tips, links to certifications, and a way for users to contribute.
New users get a step-by-step checklist to get them up and running quickly.
Whirks
Tennessee-based Whirks offers payroll and HR services, and they've got a pleasing learning center with a clean layout and effective search functions.
Because they work with so many different companies, the folks at Whirks allow visitors to sort by industry to find content that fits their needs.
It's great to see some top-notch premium resources here as well — full-length guides that provide in-depth information about complex topics like hiring and HR.
IMPACT
Our learning center at IMPACT allows users to find content with an easy search function as well as the ability to sort by topic, content type, or role.
This makes it simple for our visitors to find what they are looking for. It also makes it easy for our sales team to quickly identify articles that will be helpful to send to prospects asking questions to give them just what they need.
All of the examples feature an easy search function and the ability to sort by topic.
Pulling it all together
Ready to get started? Building a learning center will require some technical knowledge, so you may need help.
How you set up your learning center will depend on your platform. For example, if your site is on WordPress, you may automatically filter data using custom post types. If your site is on HubSpot, you will need to manually add your data to your learning center via HubDB.
Either way, you'll likely need some development help to actually get everything set up.
Next steps
Researchers believe that over 80% of a buying decision is made before a prospect ever contacts you.
Creating a learning center is a great way to put education at the center of your marketing. Right now, your potential customers are researching and learning about what you sell. A learning center allows your firm to be the one that educates them. This way, you help your prospects by educating them and helping them make an informed decision to buy.
To make it easy, IMPACT has created learning center templates for both WordPress and HubSpot and can walk you through the process of creating your own learning center.
Whether you choose to create your own or use one of our templates, you should get started! As Marcus Sheridan says, buyers want to find trustworthy, unbiased educational content. And, “just like everything else in the digital age, industry leaders will be made by those that can do it well, and do it first.”
If you get stuck, reach out to the team at IMPACT. We can get a brand new learning center on your site in a matter of weeks — and for a lot less than you'd think.
* This article was originally published here
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