Short versus long blog posts: which is better? Some sources such as Backlinko say that the average piece of content that ranks on Google is 1,900 words in length. They and others agree that writing longer copy allows a topic to be covered more completely, helps your blog stand out from the crowd and emphasis the importance of the topic being covered.
Long copy proponents say that the average user only reads 20% of each page because they are looking for a specific piece of information. In long form copy the addition of pics, stats and additional headlines make the content skimmable for the reader and actually gets them to read more.
Of course, the opposite side of the table points out that you should keep your posts short, because after 375 to 750 words you risk losing your reader's attention. The average post on WordPress is just 280 words in length. Although many of these will never rank high on Google, wildly popular marketing blogger Seth Godin is famous for short, daily posts that get shared. Some of his posts are less than 60 words.
From my point of view short is better. Generally, as a reader I don't have time to skim long content posts and as a blogger I don't have time to write long posts. If readers want more info on a particular topic, all they have to do is Google it. My work is done when I bring it to their attention.
For help with blog or web content, contact Anderson and Company.
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Saturday, August 5, 2017
How To Be Inspired By Other Bloggers, Including the One With The Highest Ranking
Yes it is the stuff of legends. The Huffington Post launched more than a decade ago by Arriana Huffington, is the number one money earning blog online. Today it is valued at more than $1 billon. [Yes, that is billion with a "B".] Who would have guessed that a blog providing one more very liberal view on life and politics would reach the apex of the entire field of blogs. In 2011 she sold it to AOL for $315 million and retained her position as editor.
Although she has since stepped down from her position, AOL and its parent company Verizon Communications, still benefit from her name attached to the property. What does that tell you? Well, for starters, a blonde, liberal female can succeed on the Internet, the medium that was once considered a man's technical venue. It also tells you that the management of AOL made a pretty good investment when you do the math. They leveraged a $315 million investment into a property that is now worth an estimated $1 billion. It also tells you that when Verizon purchased AOL, it knew a thing or two about the importance of web content. Verizon Communications is today a company worth more than $198 billion.
So, a 12-year-old blog became a big part of Internet history by doing what? Providing relevant content that built a loyal following.
If you need help with blog content, contact Anderson and Company.
Although she has since stepped down from her position, AOL and its parent company Verizon Communications, still benefit from her name attached to the property. What does that tell you? Well, for starters, a blonde, liberal female can succeed on the Internet, the medium that was once considered a man's technical venue. It also tells you that the management of AOL made a pretty good investment when you do the math. They leveraged a $315 million investment into a property that is now worth an estimated $1 billion. It also tells you that when Verizon purchased AOL, it knew a thing or two about the importance of web content. Verizon Communications is today a company worth more than $198 billion.
So, a 12-year-old blog became a big part of Internet history by doing what? Providing relevant content that built a loyal following.
If you need help with blog content, contact Anderson and Company.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
How to Maximize Your Internet Income with Social Media Including Instagram
Are you a social media influencer? Are you maximizing your Internet income? If you are a blogger and/or maintain an e-commerce site you may already know that Instagram doesn’t allow users to add links in their posts, resulting in other users only being able to window-shop your Instagram. The fact that there are more than six million users with over 10,000 followers on Instagram leaves a lot of business to fall through cracks.
A service called Scoutsee solves this problem by allowing users to create shoppable posts on Instagram. For instance, you can create a storefront and add a link to it in your Instagram bio. Then when you share photos of your products, mention in the caption that users can click on the link in your bio for more info. Shoppers click on the link and are taken to your personal storefront.
Scoutsee provides a mobile app and tools that allow anyone to make money by promoting products in their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter posts. If a product is purchased via the post, the Scoutsee user receives a commission from the sale, typically between six and ten percent of the purchase price. When purchases are made, the commission is transferred to the Scoutsee user's PayPal or bank account.
A service called Scoutsee solves this problem by allowing users to create shoppable posts on Instagram. For instance, you can create a storefront and add a link to it in your Instagram bio. Then when you share photos of your products, mention in the caption that users can click on the link in your bio for more info. Shoppers click on the link and are taken to your personal storefront.
Scoutsee provides a mobile app and tools that allow anyone to make money by promoting products in their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter posts. If a product is purchased via the post, the Scoutsee user receives a commission from the sale, typically between six and ten percent of the purchase price. When purchases are made, the commission is transferred to the Scoutsee user's PayPal or bank account.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Find Out More About the Appeal of Your Ads to Consumers
Those who have ads on their blogs or websites can now take advantage of information provided by The Coalition for Better Ads. This organization has developed initial Better Ads Standards for desktop web and mobile web for North America and Europe, based on comprehensive research involving more than 25,000 consumers.
The Coalition’s research identifies the ad experiences that rank lowest across a range of user experience factors, and that are most highly correlated with an increased propensity for consumers to adopt ad blockers. These results define initial Better Ads Standards that identify the ad experiences that fall beneath a threshold of consumer acceptability. Four types of desktop web ads (six tested ad experiences) and eight types of mobile web ads (twelve tested ad experiences) fell beneath this threshold. A summary of these types of ad experiences is presented below.
Extensive consumer input and empirical data shaped the initial Better Ads Standards. While the Coalition’s consumer research was designed to identify the least preferred ad types, it also provides insight into consumers’ evaluation of a far broader range of ad experiences, including those more preferred by consumers. By focusing the definition of Better Ads Standards on the least preferred ad experiences, the Coalition’s methodological approach leaves open the possibility for continued innovation in the development of new ad experiences. For more information visit Better Ads.org.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
BlogHer Conference Orlando, FL June 22-24, 2017 Coming Up Hot!
Although blogging is mostly a solo gig, conferences can bring out the offline social side of bloggers. Next week bloggers will be gathering in Orlando, FL to network and learn from some stellar female bloggers.
The BlogHer conference is the largest annual celebration of women online content creators, social media influencers , entrepreneurs, media makers and brand marketers. BlogHer is a member of the SheKnows Media family,the number-one women's lifestyle digital media company, with 79 million unique visitors per month. .
Join an interesting mix of content creators, social media stars, entrepreneurs, top brands, activists and fans at #BlogHer17. Hear inspiring keynotes, and attend sessions where you'll learn the latest techniques, and find opportunities to network with your blog community.
BlogHer was founded in 2005 by Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort Page, and Jory Des Jardins to answer the question, "Where are the women bloggers?" Since then, BlogHer has become an unstoppable movement, inspiring women to find their voices and turn their passions into content, community and commerce, attracting some of the web’s best talent and top social sites, in topics from food and fashion to politics and parenting.
The BlogHer conference is the largest annual celebration of women online content creators, social media influencers , entrepreneurs, media makers and brand marketers. BlogHer is a member of the SheKnows Media family,the number-one women's lifestyle digital media company, with 79 million unique visitors per month. .
Join an interesting mix of content creators, social media stars, entrepreneurs, top brands, activists and fans at #BlogHer17. Hear inspiring keynotes, and attend sessions where you'll learn the latest techniques, and find opportunities to network with your blog community.
BlogHer was founded in 2005 by Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort Page, and Jory Des Jardins to answer the question, "Where are the women bloggers?" Since then, BlogHer has become an unstoppable movement, inspiring women to find their voices and turn their passions into content, community and commerce, attracting some of the web’s best talent and top social sites, in topics from food and fashion to politics and parenting.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Is Your Blog Content Ready For A Blog Content Marketing Award?
PR Daily’s 2017 Content Marketing Awards is seeking brand storytellers who know their way around a clickable headline, a viral video or a fleeting social trend. They want to know how you tapped into the way people consume content today and used that to your brand’s advantage.
PR Daily will recognize marketing and communications professionals who write, edit, film, curate, broadcast, publish and just plain create superb content to promote their brand or organization. There are 18 categories for entry, including six new or revamped additions that reflect this rapidly changing industry.
Our new ‘Content marketing for the purpose of …” subdivision was created to celebrate blogs, videos and other content that created to help meet a larger marketing goal, such as building brand awareness or finding a fresh new talent pool.
The “Content marketing assets” subdivision will honor the content and campaigns themselves. We invite you to enter as many categories as you’d like in this year’s competition. Don’t forget our Grand Prize category, “Content marketing strategy of the year,” which will shine a spotlight on the best work in the bunch.
This year’s program is open to any work executed between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 15, 2017, inclusive. Early Bird Deadline: June 16, 2017 (Save $50 per entry!) Final Deadline: June 28, 2017. For complete contest details go to PRDaily.com and click on Awards.
PR Daily will recognize marketing and communications professionals who write, edit, film, curate, broadcast, publish and just plain create superb content to promote their brand or organization. There are 18 categories for entry, including six new or revamped additions that reflect this rapidly changing industry.
Our new ‘Content marketing for the purpose of …” subdivision was created to celebrate blogs, videos and other content that created to help meet a larger marketing goal, such as building brand awareness or finding a fresh new talent pool.
The “Content marketing assets” subdivision will honor the content and campaigns themselves. We invite you to enter as many categories as you’d like in this year’s competition. Don’t forget our Grand Prize category, “Content marketing strategy of the year,” which will shine a spotlight on the best work in the bunch.
This year’s program is open to any work executed between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 15, 2017, inclusive. Early Bird Deadline: June 16, 2017 (Save $50 per entry!) Final Deadline: June 28, 2017. For complete contest details go to PRDaily.com and click on Awards.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
How Using Effective Key Word Phrases In Your Blog Can Push An SEO Button
Okay, you know about key words, but what about choosing effective key word phrases. Although there is no SEO button, one of the easiest ways to increase your Search Engine Optimization[SEO]is by using key word phrases and focusing the content of your blog.
To start, choose five content marketing topics that define your blog. These will be topics that you either already blog about frequently or,if you are just starting a blog, choose topics that you believe your target readers would most like to read.
Under each of these main topics, list key words that relate, but don't stop at just the single word. Think what a reader wants to know about that word and develop a list of key word phrases. Why? Millions of blogs that cover similar topics will use the same key words.
To raise your blog up through the clutter, you will need to hone in on specific key word phrases that are being searched on Google. To test your possible key words phrases, simply type them into Google and see what comes up.
Are the search results pulling up two or three pages with your search term? Good, that means it's relevant. To move it up in the Google search ranking, try changing your key word phrase slightly by adding other words to the phrase and testing that search.
If you can come up with key word phrases that show up on the second, or even third page of a Google search, this is still a good result. Why? Many people who are interested in a particular topic will "drill down" a few pages and read all of the items of interest.
By developing longer key word phrases you are aiding "long tail keyword search", which is the term that describes a key word search phrase as opposed to a key word. As certain key word phrases become more and more common among bloggers of a particular topic, the more specific you will need to be in choosing phrases. These will be more likely to put your content before more reader groups, each searching a more specific topic.
Bottom line: frequently test your choice of key word phrases and use them in your blog headings and near the front of your copy.
For help with web content and blog posts, contact Anderson and Company.
To start, choose five content marketing topics that define your blog. These will be topics that you either already blog about frequently or,if you are just starting a blog, choose topics that you believe your target readers would most like to read.
Under each of these main topics, list key words that relate, but don't stop at just the single word. Think what a reader wants to know about that word and develop a list of key word phrases. Why? Millions of blogs that cover similar topics will use the same key words.
To raise your blog up through the clutter, you will need to hone in on specific key word phrases that are being searched on Google. To test your possible key words phrases, simply type them into Google and see what comes up.
Are the search results pulling up two or three pages with your search term? Good, that means it's relevant. To move it up in the Google search ranking, try changing your key word phrase slightly by adding other words to the phrase and testing that search.
If you can come up with key word phrases that show up on the second, or even third page of a Google search, this is still a good result. Why? Many people who are interested in a particular topic will "drill down" a few pages and read all of the items of interest.
By developing longer key word phrases you are aiding "long tail keyword search", which is the term that describes a key word search phrase as opposed to a key word. As certain key word phrases become more and more common among bloggers of a particular topic, the more specific you will need to be in choosing phrases. These will be more likely to put your content before more reader groups, each searching a more specific topic.
Bottom line: frequently test your choice of key word phrases and use them in your blog headings and near the front of your copy.
For help with web content and blog posts, contact Anderson and Company.
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