Last week, TJ Furman of Marketpath was our guest on More than a few Words. We talked about how content fuels your internet marketing strategy. Below are some of his tips to simplify the task of creating content for your website or blog. 

 
If you haven’t figured it out quite yet, the days of launching a static, brochure-style website for your business have come and gone.  Now more than ever, your website represents the hub of all marketing efforts for your company, and neglecting it can have dire consequences for your business.

Social media campaigns, email marketing, search engine optimization, and offline marketing efforts can be wasted if your website doesn’t reinforce your message.  Nothing can hinder this reinforcement effort more than stale, out-of-date content.

Keeping it up to date for people

We all know it has become a natural habit for potential customers to check out a website before purchasing a product (you do it too, right?).  So, think about the message your website or blog sends when the last update was 3, 6, or 12 months ago.  These old articles are out-of-date and showcase your lack of dedication to your own marketing efforts.  Do you really care?

If you’re struggling for content ideas, how-to guides are always a great way to stay current.  Providing this free, expert help can establish your company as the leader in the market/industry.

White papers and case studies are also great ways to showcase clients, past work, and thought leadership.  All of these materials can help streamline your sales cycle and make the potential client feel comfortable with your company or product.

Keep in mind: Having a company blog and neglecting it is worse than not having one at all.


Keeping it up to date for search engines

With all of the recent updates to Google (Caffeine, Panda, Penguin, SPYW), the importance of fresh, unique content has never held so much weight in the search algorithms.  Google’s goal of delivering the most relevant results to a searcher often times leads to the most recent results.

This is true in the case of anything that is newsworthy or time-sensitive especially.  Conferences, new regulations, new product developments, or new approaches to old problems are always great fodder for a company blog and therefore displayed in the top results during a search.

Keep in mind:  Just writing one article may not be enough.  If the issue is important enough, make sure to repurpose (not duplicate) content and repost it as necessary.

By maintaining a consistent publishing schedule of content to your blog and your website, you can ensure that potential clients, current clients and search engines are all happy.  Static sites are a thing of the past, and if you haven’t caught on yet, your business may be as well.

About the Author

Furman has been with Marketpath since February 2008. As the business development manager, TJ is responsible for establishing strong, enduring relationships with a sole focus on client success.
TJ brings exceptional knowledge and experience with search engine optimization (SEO) strategy and implementation. TJ graduated with a BS in Kinesiology from Indiana University.