Augmenting content

10. May 2012

Andraz Toriandraz@zemanta.com

@andraz

Engaging content?

• Delivers value• Attracts attention and keeps it• Gets readers ask for more

• For your specific, targeted audience

Multiple kinds of “content”

• Core destination that you own• That continiously delivers value• Where you can fully control the experience

• Social media channels• To generate interest, attention, activity

• Real life events• That need to support your on-l ine efforts, and vice versa

Social media

• Social media is f ickle• People follow, like, retweet you, pin you

• And then they forget you• Or the landlord starts changing the rules

• You need to keep building your own destination• Focal point for your audiences• Place for community

Your destination

• You need to publish fresh content regular ly• It needs to cater to your target audience• It shouldn not be an island

Publishing regularly?

• Create content internally?• You first need to create a voice, “seed” your identity

• Procure it externally?

• Help others and others will help you• Guest blogging

• Have an editorial calendar !

Where to get ideas?

• Creating your own, unique identity• This requirement leads to creative blocks• Your content is not perfect expression of your brand

• Never be afraid to simply join the conversation• Research, get inspired, curate in a smart way:

Connect and relate

• Don't be selfish• Don't be an island• Connect, l ink out to:

• your sources• other people and brands that inspire you• simply good content for your readers

Case study

• Used Zemanta WordPress Plugin for image recommendations and connecting to other blogs in their niche.

• Would periodical ly l ink to LifeHacker articles.

http://bloggingyourpassion.com/how-using-the-zemanta-wordpress-plugin-can-increase-your-blog-traffic/

• Strategy paid off as one of the Lifehacker bloggers took notice and l inked back to one of Blogging Your Passion posts

• This resulted in nearly 5,000 visits.

• 6 other bloggers wrote about the same topic and l inked back to the original post.

And be vivid

• Images & videos• If nothing else add images of cute dogs and cats!

• Polls, Surveys, Votes• Allow for interaction

• Comments• Make sure you have a feedback channel

Images are expansive?

• Stock photography for blogs is affordable• CreativeCommons on Flickr (100M images)• Why not create your own imagery?

Case study

Skyword study found an average increase of 94% for articles that included an image or infographic .http://skyword.com/blog/96-skyword-study-add-images-to-improve-content-performance.html

Oh, so what is this Zemanta thing?

• Personal writ ing assistant• Because computers should be smart

• Helps with recommendations whi le writ ing:• Images• In-text links (Wikipedia, authoritative sites)• Related articles (Blogs, big & small media)• Tags (so people can find your content)

The most important take away:

• Don't be a content island!• It's lonely• No space to grow

Build bridges

• Connect you and your audience• Provide a place to meet• Don't be all about me, me & me• Build l inks and relat ionships!

Thank you!

Andraz Toriandraz@zemanta.com

@andraz

Photo credits

• http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/B2B_Trends_2010.pdf

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/aye_shamus/2929888687/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/stylianosm/3989939286/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/betta_design/2200198472/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferranp/317125624/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/kanaka/5949395563/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/squeaks2569/3700355684/

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjx1MVLWDfM (idea for first slide)