Why Relationship Building is Key in Digital Marketing
When it comes to marketing, we understand how important it is to build a trusting relationship with current and potential customers. Marketers spend hours perfecting the customer journey, analyzing the different touchpoints, personalizing their messages, and using data to find out more about their customers so they can target them more effectively.
But when it comes to the marketing that doesn’t interact directly with the consumer, it suddenly becomes less personal and more about hitting targets, updating spreadsheets and copy-pasting email templates with little to no personalization at all. I’m referring to the practice of link building, or outreach or authority building. It becomes a numbers game – how many links can we get? What does our backlink portfolio look like? What is our domain authority score? All important considerations, but where is the relationship building that marketing was built upon?
There’s so much overlap between what SEO professionals do and what PR professionals do, it seems only right to combine each other’s strengths to overcome weaknesses. While SEOs may put too much emphasis on numbers and links, PRs often don’t put enough emphasis on this. And while PRs focus on building relationships, positive coverage and brand awareness, SEOs often neglect this aspect, focusing on efficiency and targets instead. Whether you call it linkbuilding, outreach, authority building, media outreach, profile building, content amplification, influencer marketing, network marketing or community building, one thing is clear – relationship building should play the main role in activity if you want long term success.
Hitting More Birds with the Same Stone
Although the term ‘digital’ implies that we are dealing with a machine, in essence, digital marketing is no different to the traditional methods, where face-to-face relationships were key to success. Sure, we don’t have much face-to-face interaction, but at the end of the day, we’re still dealing with humans (for now). If anything, the access to data should allow for better relationship building as we’re able to find out information about people, businesses, and brands more easily than ever before.
The issue is that a lot of times, different channels fail to work seamlessly together. SEO works separately to PR, which works separately to social media, which works separately to content. There may be some communication between these but in many cases, not enough.
In an ideal world, each piece of content would be meticulously optimized by an SEO professional, it would contain the right boilerplate and brand terminology and would be pitched by PR professionals to high quality publications, with a link of course. It would then be amply shared across social media, tagging and mentioning all the right brands, building conversation and engagement. It would then be discovered by other high quality publications who would request similar high quality content and then links would keep on growing!
It sounds obvious when you write it down, but how many times does the PR team put time and effort into achieving an amazing piece of coverage, only for it to not contain a link to the website, or for it to be shared on social media without tagging the brand/company who wrote it? Or for the SEO team to go after backlinks, only to write thin content that doesn’t adhere to brand guidelines or use the correct PR boilerplate?
Take a Leaf out of the PR Book & Combine it with the SEO Book
The PR industry has always been about building relationships. Whether it’s your little black book of media contacts or the relationships you have built over time with journalists, the successful PR will be the one with the more personal relationships.
Recommended For You Webcast, March 5th: How AI Can Find Opportunities and Shorten Your Sales CyclesRegister Now
Digital marketers can learn a lot from this. Whether you’re in it to build backlinks and boost your Google rankings, or whether you’re looking to gain more social followers, or get your content out there, the fundamentals of good PR will play a key role here.
Of course, while PR professionals are superb at building relationships, they often overlook the more important aspects of SEO like backlinks and keywords. With many PRs having a background in journalism, the temptation is there to get creative with language and use lots of different terms, rather than sticking to what the SEO team has deemed a ‘target keyword’. But this is important. Spending hours writing an amazing piece of content only for it to have a short shelf life is a waste of time – let’s make it work harder by implementing some SEO best practice!
1. Find your influencers & create relationships with them: Finding influencers in the industry you’re targeting isn’t difficult, it’s just time-consuming. But take the time and it’ll pay off in the long run. You’ll find that focusing on influencers (i.e. people) as opposed to the publication (i.e. website) is a much better use of your time as often these influencers may write about multiple topics or for multiple sites. Once you find these influencers, engage with them, not by spamming their inbox with some cold copy and paste email requesting a link, but by actually reading what they have written, commenting on their content with insightful opinion, checking out their LinkedIn or Twitter accounts and getting to know them. See what else they have written about or vlogged about and start to get on their radar. Maybe send them some content that wasn’t written by you, but that they would find helpful, funny, insightful. When the time is right, your content will be the perfect fit for them and by that time you will have built a solid relationship.
2. React to current events: Be instantly ready to provide content or commentary on something in real-time and it’ll pay off. You will become a reliable source that bloggers and journalists can turn to when they need instant expert commentary. Taking your time to write a piece of content around a topic, optimizing it and keyword researching it, will not help you – the trick for good moment marketing is to be quick, be relevant and be there.
3. The press release is not dead: But it needs to be used for big news, and not just to try to get links or rank for keywords! If the press release is newsworthy enough and it is shared across the right platforms, then other sites will pick it up. If you’re issuing press releases but finding they don’t get picked up – ask yourself, ‘is this even newsworthy?’. For those really juicy pieces of content, have you considered using an embargoed release? i.e. a release that goes out to a few influencers before it is syndicated – again that influencer research has many uses.
4. Unlinked mentions: Using a tool like AHREFS, you’ll see where your brand is being mentioned without being linked. This could be your opportunity to build an initial relationship with someone who is already familiar with your brand. Rather than just contacting the website owner or the content author and asking them to add a link where they mentioned you, why not use this as an opportunity to offer something of more value? For example, a guest article, an interview, a new infographic or a piece of unique video content that you would create just for them? They’re already familiar with who you are as they have mentioned you, so it’s likely they will receive this content positively. So instead of just having a mention with a link, you could have tailor made content on their site that portrays your brand in a positive light and showcases your authority. And you’ll be building a relationship with the author, who may be interested in even more content further down the line.
5. Mentions of keywords: Buzzstream and Google Alerts are great for monitoring your target keywords. If you come across a fantastic piece of content that mentions your target keywords, what a lot of SEOs and PR professionals are doing is contacting the content author and offering up a quote or stat that may be of value, in exchange for a mention or link. This is a good tactic and one that focuses on quality over quantity. Again, taking this a step further would be to strike a relationship with the author, offer them a unique piece of content, offer to maybe run a piece of qualitative or quantitative research that delves into that topic even further, offering them some unique stats that are not available anywhere else, or offering up an interview with the CEO, for example, to delve further into the issues and provide a voice of authority on this topic. And not just as a one-time-thing, but if this publication tends to cover this topic often, then maybe your brand could become a spokesperson or a regular contributor, i.e. the person they turn to the next time they need authority on this topic.
6. Cross-Promotion: rather than offering a piece of content, why not suggest working together on a joint piece of research or a joint event where both parties win? You’ll still get your link or your mention or coverage, but at the same time you’re building a positive working relationship. If all goes well the first time, it will likely be the first of many projects to come and a chance to keep growing and perhaps adding more parties into the mix.
Relationships Are Worth It
When there are targets to hit, such as number of backlinks, mentions etc. the thought of having to spend time trying to build a relationship and trying to sound ‘human’ may seem like a waste for some. But in the long run it always pays off, and in fact it helps deliver better results. At the same time, let’s not forget about the fundamentals of SEO that could make our quality content work that much harder.
Author: Joana Ferreira
Joana Veiga Ferreira is a digital marketing consultant at JVF Marketing. She helps businesses navigate the digital marketing landscape and understand what channels they should be utilising to grow their business online and achieve their objectives. Her areas of specialty are digital strategy, content marketing, social media and PR.… View full profile ›
10 Top Social Media Marketing Experts to Follow
Want to learn more about social media marketing?
Or are you just looking for a little inspiration?
There are so many smart, influential, and helpful marketers sharing valuable insights and tips.
What follows is my recommended list of 10 social media marketing experts you should be following.
Top Social Media Marketing Influencers 1. Mark Schaeffer
Mark Schaeffer is an extremely prominent voice in marketing. He is an author and a keynote speaker, and his latest book “Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins” has changed the way many marketing experts approach their job.
He writes about the importance of relationships and the sense of belonging in marketing turning to psychology and even sociology as the basis for his social media marketing analysis and predictions.
Where to follow: Follow Schaeffer on Twitter to get involved in deep discussions on the state of social media marketing and read his blog for eye-opening insights.
My favorite piece: There was a lot to choose from, but this blog post about the business value of social media engagement was a winner for me. Show it to your boss next time they ask what is it exactly you’re doing.
2. Marsha Collier
Niche: Social media commerce, social customer service.
The author of a popular book series on marketing “for dummies”, Marsha Collier is a guru of ecommerce and customer service.
She can teach you how to sell on social media, how to solve your customers’ issues through Twitter and Facebook, and will update you on the hottest trends in tech along the way.
She appeared on “The View” and the “Today” Show, was named one of the top twenty iCitizens by Kelly Mooney in her book, “The Open Brand”.
Where to follow: You can catch her on Twitter and join #custserv chat. To learn more about news from Silicon Valley and beyond, follow #techradio on Periscope.
My favorite piece: This #techradio episode where she talks about Facebook’s “amazing” ability to show you the ad of a thing you just mentioned is really good.
3. Mari Smith
Niche: Facebook marketing.
Need a hand to optimize your Facebook strategy?
The Queen of Facebook is here to help!
Mari Smith is such an amazing expert at all things Facebook that the social media network actually hired her to teach seminars as part of their official Boost Your Business series of live training events across the United States.
Smith is the person to follow to learn what’s happening with the platform, best contemporary practices, and growth hacks.
She is a Forbes’ Top Social Media Power Influencer, author of “The New Relationship Marketing” and co-author of “Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day.”
Where to follow: Well, the answer is obvious! Her Facebook page is a true gold mine. Besides, there are two Facebook Groups that you might want to join: to learn more about Lead Ads and the group for leading entrepreneurs.
My favorite piece: This “oldie-but-goodie” blog post will teach you what not to do on social media.
4. Mike Allton
Niche: Social media growth hacks, social media tools.
Mike Allton is a social media blogger and brand evangelist for Agorapulse.
He is the founder of The Social Media Hat site and the Blogging Brute blog, where he writes about the newest social media trends, techniques, and growth hacks.
On his platforms, he shares tips about blogging, content marketing, and social media marketing.
His newsletters deserve a special shutout — I personally hate newsletters, but his emails are actual letters where he shares stories from his life that segue smoothly into social media strategy tips.
Where to follow: Allton’s Twitter is perfect for following the latest updates and news. Check out the Social Media Hat platform for social media strategy tips and tool reviews!
My favorite piece: There are lots of amazing insights I learned from Allton, but I have a soft spot for mixing pop culture with valuable tips, so this “Star Wars”-themed blog post on the best principle for social media marketing won my heart.
5. Madalyn Sklar
Niche: Twitter marketing.
This is the person I’m always happy to see on my Twitter timeline – luckily, this is where she is most active!
Madalyn Sklar is a true Twitter rock star not just because she’s the best person to turn to when it comes to marketing on Twitter but also because with her tattoos she literally looks like one.
She was on social media even before there was such a thing: in the ’90s she became one of the founders of a forum for female musicians called GoGirlsMusic, which could be considered an early attempt at a niche social media network.
She went on to become a social media marketing expert who manages several Twitter chats and speaks at events around the world.
Where to follow: One more time, this question seems kind of redundant here but it’s a great opportunity to tell you about Twitter chats Sklar runs! #TwitterSmarter is for those that want to boost their Twitter skills, and #SocialRoi will help you overall. If you’re more of an audial learner, I suggest you check out the #TwitterSmarter podcast!
My favorite piece: This podcast episode on the future of vanity metrics will help you understand where Twitter and social media, in general, are heading.
6. Matt Navarra
Niche: Social media news.
In my mind, Wong and Matt Navarra are the key persons in the social media news world (also joined by Josh Costine of the TechCrunch fame).
Navarra is a consultant and social media industry commentator with a fresh and sober perspective on social media trends.
He is also the founder and administrator of The Social Media Geek Out Facebook group with 13,000+ members.
In 2019, he launched a podcast where he interviews significant social media figures such as the inventor of hashtags and Pinterest’s director of Global Business Marketing.
Where to follow: His Twitter is where you can learn about the latest social media updates, but the real source of valuable information and exciting connections is The Social Media Geek Out group. This is my favorite place to geek out and ask silly questions about social media marketing!
My favorite piece: The first episode of the Geekout podcast where Navarra talks to the Director of Product Management of Twitter reveals what directions Twitter might take in the next few years.
7. Jane Manchun Wong
Niche: Social media news, discovering new features.
If you work in social media, it’s impossible that you haven’t heard the name of Jane Manchun Wong. She is a reverse engineer queen behind most of the scoops regarding upcoming social media features.
If you want to know what’s the next big Instagram filter will be, what Facebook redesign will look like, and what features LinkedIn is adding next, she’s the one to follow.
Where to follow: Wong shares all of her findings on her Twitter (and retweets them once they are officially announced with a sassy countdown announcing how much time ago she discovered them). She also has a blog where she shares the most important updates.
My favorite piece: It’s quite hard to say which discovery is my favorite, so I choose her whole Twitter account. As an added benefit, Wong is funny and is not afraid to speak up, so seeing her tweets never gets boring.
8. Rachel Pedersen
Niche: Social media strategy, social media growth hacks, social media management.
Rachel Pedersen was inspired to start sharing her social media marketing expertise with her own career.
She gave up a 9-to-5 job to become a freelance social media marketer and really wished she had a helpful community when she started out.
That’s why, once she gained experience, she decided to create this community for social media marketing beginners.
Her content will be extremely useful for freelancers or those who are thinking about becoming a freelancer – she shares tips on how to get first clients, organize your workday, negotiate contracts, and more.
Where to follow: Pedersen’s Facebook group is where I get the most value: here you can learn about social media marketing and help out other marketers.
My favorite piece: What I love the most are the video lessons she shares on Facebook. Here is one on managing TikTok – if you haven’t tried it yet, you will want to after this video.
9. Ian Cleary
Niche: Social media tools, social media strategy, content marketing.
Ian Cleary is the founder of RazorSocial, providing digital marketing advice to B2B companies. He is a social media expert and keynote speaker at many international events.
What distinguishes Cleary is his technical background: his career started in tech so social media tools are his main focus of interest.
Where to follow: Cleary’s LinkedIn is the best place to keep up with his writing and social media opinions. RazorSocial’s blog is where you should go for a social media marketing tool review – it’s one of the best places to learn about the pros and cons of the tools you are considering!
My favorite piece: Sometimes social media managers, especially those who are just starting out, are unaware of the technical aspect of marketing on social media. This blog post is a good rundown of them explaining the tech side of social media in a clear way.
10. Rand Fishkin
Niche: Social data analysis, social media influencers.
Most of you will know Rand Fishkin as the founder of Moz, an SEO tool.
While he still shares his opinions about SEO, it’s his social media and digital marketing opinions I’m most interested in.
He talks a lot about the shortcuts and misconceptions we make in social media marketing and the use of social data – which is exactly my cup of tea.
Fishkin also writes about the life of modern professionals in the digital marketing space: networking, working in a startup, equality in tech, and so on.
Where to follow: Check out Sparktoro’s blog to read his in-depth takes on marketing and social data analysis and Fishkin’s Twitter to follow his thoughts on the industry.
My favorite piece: This presentation on the next era of marketing really changed my perception of the value of social media marketing (and taught me something about other areas of marketing as well).
Conclusion
I know. This list is subjective.
You probably won’t agree with all of my choices — but these are all people who teach, encourage, and entertain me.
Hopefully, you’ve discovered someone from my list who will help do the same for you – and become a better marketer in the process.
And maybe someday you’ll turn up on a similar list!
More Resources:
Image Credits
All screenshots taken by author, December 2019
Five Content Marketing Myths Holding Your Business Back
Post written by
Blair Williams
Blair Williams is the founder of MemberPress, an all-in-one membership website software for WordPress.
Content marketing is a key part of any business’s digital marketing strategy today. People look for information online and rely on search engines to bring up accurate sources of information. Businesses that understand what users are looking for and create websites that help answer their queries see tremendous traffic. They also get conversions and increased brand awareness. Essentially, content underpins success online.
People used to be able to stuff keywords into their sites and rank high in Google searches. Today, such tactics are likely to get websites blacklisted on search engines.
In 2017, Google implemented the Hummingbird update in which its search algorithm gives more value to semantic meaning when people search for information. This has led to a greater focus on creating good content.
However, many businesses still get content marketing wrong. By not understanding what content marketing is all about, they are wasting time and resources. It can be helpful to focus on what content marketing is not as a way of creating contrast. So, let’s take a look at some content marketing myths and the insights they give us.
1. Content marketing is easy.
A surface-level understanding of content marketing can make it seem like all you have to do is create a blog, write posts and share content on social media. Some businesses think of it as churning out content from time to time. That’s far from true. Remember the Hummingbird update? Google is a lot more demanding when it comes to ranking your content or site for specific keyword searches.
Content marketing needs care and attention from the start. It requires leadership and a detailed plan. Establish goals a
No comments:
Post a Comment