I Just Received my Hubspot Inbound Certification! YEH!

It took 12 classes, 13.42 hours two mugs of coffee, three snacks and going to the necessary 3 times,,, but I did it! I got my Hubspot Inbound  certification.

here is to the beginning of a new journey:-)

What does it take to make a unicorn content writer?

It’s not easy to be a content writer. In a world in which everything is measured and analytics has turned everything into a set of numbers, how can one be evaluated as a good content writer?

While one can evaluate content according to its performance in the world of analytics and stats (what is the reach? how many people read the blog or viewed the video? etc. these result depend on many factors and not just the quality of the content. Good content is in many ways a matter of feeling, you just know when it’s done right! So how to determine a good content writer from a bad one? Here are some characteristics that a unicorn content writer should have.

A unicorn content writer lives and breathes the trade. Do you have a unicorn in your pocket?

Customer oriented thinking

A good content writer has to write about your business in terms the customers want to read or hear about it. At best, your writer has been a customer of your product or a similar product and knows what the customer needs. A good content writer should first review and use your product before writing about it. If your writer understands the challenges your customer is facing, the writing will be oriented to present solutions to these challenges, and that is what your customers what to see!

Second nature creativity

A good writer is a creative person. Creativity has many manifestations. Your content writer will help their child build a paper model of "the theory of relativity" or make a "Noah's ark" presentation for a sibling's school project. Not to mention dressing up for Halloween. Content creation is not just about writing good text but also creating visuals, videos and making them all complement each other.

Excellent explaining skills

A good content writing is good at explaining things. Anything! Why a certain camera is better than another? How to bake shortbread? How to calculate your mortgage payments...Taking complex concepts and simplifying them to the layman is a key asset in content writing for business.

A sense for greatness

When you see a product that is well designed you just know its so! Even if you are not a professional designer. This explains how so many people around the world from many different cultures think that Apple products are cool! The design just works for them all! It’s the same with content. When the blog post or video is good, it’s recognizable. A content writer should have a sense for greatness, so that they are able to create really good content that simply works!

An eye for trends

A good content writer need not shy from looking at what others are doing and learn from what they find. Gathering insights from data and statistics, watching content from the competition, analyzing trends and explaining the reasons for them is key to understanding the industry one is writing about.

Fast turnaround

Reacting to current events quickly is key to writing compelling and relevant content that is always up-to-date.

Quick learning skills

A good content writer learns not only about the industry they write about, but also about content marketing industry and any tools that compliment writing content. Knowing the framework, in which the content needs to be disseminated and in which it needs to perform help make a better writer.

Success satisfaction

A good content writer enjoys seeing the fruits of their hard work. Seeing good content being read or viewed by people and learning from one's successes is key to continue writing successful content.

CLO - Content Listening Officer

A content writer is always on the prowl for new information. Listening to the conversation on the web, social media, and reading blogs and magazines is important to stay on top of the game. A good content writer is truly interested in the themes they write about.

Writing for the sake of writing, or just for fun

Is your content writer writing just for fun? Do they have a blog? More than one? Are they writing a book? A writer who enjoys writing for the sake of writing is practicing the craft and will thus only be getting better and better. Enjoyment in one's work is a good starting point for quality.

If you find all of these characteristics in a content writer, you have a unicorn!

Why do businesses need to alter their lack of understanding, when it comes to the need for marketing communication strategy?

A research conducted by McKinsey in 2012 [1] shows that businesses do not present their brands to the market in a way that is suited to the information that their customers are seeking. McKinsey defined this as a gap that causes the brands to "talk past their customers". In other words, businesses, which communicate the information that their customers want to hear, will be successful in selling their products and services to those customers. A proper marketing communications strategy could be the difference between a surviving business and a thriving one.

Marcom strategy can help you stay ahead of the game

Here are some points of alteration that can help businesses on the road to a comprehensive and effective communication strategy.

1. Alter the added value view point
We are all taught at business school to talk about added value to the customer. If we can prove this added value, the customer will buy the product or service. This assumption is valid, but most companies use this to deliver messages about the features of their product or service without stopping to wonder what their customer is really looking for? If you alter the view point an start with the added value the customer wants to find, then you can communicate to the customer how your product will provide them with the added value they seek. Added value comes first and foremost in solving a problem for a customer and in providing a service or products that the customers think they need.

2. Alter the company characteristics view point
According to the McKinsey research, B2B companies are promoting characteristics such as broad product portfolio, innovation, global presence, corporate responsibility, diversity and equal opportunity as a basis for brand strength. Whereas customers find characteristics such as honesty and dialog, responsible action along the supply chain, leadership and specialist expertise of importance when they evaluate a brand. Once again it is advisable to turn the focus onto the customers and their views. Customers want to buy from people and businesses they perceive as honest fore and foremost! reputation is key!

3. Alter the messaging focus
Considering that most B2B companies are focusing on similar messages, your business needs to create a unique message. Do not elaborate on features that might be similar to the competition. Finding the point that makes your product unique and solves a certain need in the market is key to creating a compelling marketing message. Do not concentrate only on the product features. Do not talk only about your company and product or service. Talk about the need of the customer and how it is met by your company. Expand this message to include core values, which are a part of your company DNA and that resonate with your target customer audience. If your customers can identify with the reason WHY you do business, they are more likely to buy from you.

4. Alter the marketing communications infrastructure
Assuming your know who you customers are and what they need, now you need to find them in order to deliver your marketing message. The possibilities to deliver a marketing message in the era of web marketing are endless and not very expensive. But perhaps because of this multiple choice / low budget environment, marketers tend not to be focused and they just try everything or to follow the herd. Taking the time to understand in which channels your customers are best tuned in to hear your new and clear message can prove instrumental to turning a slow campaign into a blitz of marketing success!

5. Alter the emotional rationale
As the tools for marketing are ever changing, principles of marketing remain constant. If you can create a marketing message that will be clearly heard by your target audience, and which resonates with your customers, touches their heart and involves emotions in their purchase, your chance of acquiring their business and then their loyalty for a repeated purchase will increase considerably.
Yes, even in business we purchase with the heart and then justify with the intellect. Numbers and statistics are good and important data, but only if they support a more emotional call to fulfill and an unmet need.

To conclude:
A comprehensive marketing strategy, which includes understanding of the unmet need, the target customers including their considerations and personas, combined with products highlights and the best dissemination opportunities, will help your business to stop "talking past your customers" and help create an open dialog with customers from day one, starting with effective communication of marketing and brand messages. A marketing communications strategy can help your business develop a focused road, driving a clear path through the overwhelming verity of marketing options and tools.


[1] http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/how-b2b-companies-talk-past-their-customers

Is there a connection between marketing and dating ?

Actually I have recently heard an interesting comparison of online marketing or growth hacking to a dating experience from more than one source. The idea is that online marketing takes a customer through a  journey. Dating is also a journey towards finding your (it is hoped)  lifetime partner. So how does it work?

http://roojoommedia.s3.amazonaws.com/src_images/src_38540_growth-hacker-funnel.jpg

Acquisition = blind date

First the customer needs to know that a certain  company/product/ or service exists - this is done via dissemination in various channels. Today social media is the starting point for most of the acquisition campaigns. These campaigns are geared to capture leads, get the prospect to sign into a distribution list (perhaps in return for a free gift or coupon) so that the company can start the communication process and the prospect enters the sale/marketing funnel

This is like going on a blond date. You saw an advert somewhere on social media or a dating site and now you opted in for the first meeting. You probably gave the other person you email or phone number so that you can coordinate this first meeting. The communication process has started.

Activation = relationship

Now the comply has the name of the prospect and its time to gain their trust. This is done by repeatedly sending more information to this person about the company or the service and generally keeping the service in the awareness of the prospect until they take some action and become an active customer.

In the dating world, this is the part in which people go out on dates repeatedly. If the communication is working, they will continue to date and will enter into the relationship phase. During the relationship phase there are various stages and hurdles that have to be faced (like meeting the partner's parents, deciding to move in together etc.). These are the "small sale" stages, each time one of these hurdles has been met and removed, it compares to the selling of a small product or service, on the road towards the main goal/ flagship product.

Retention (resulting in revenue and referrals) =  matrimony

Now that a company has an active customer is all about getting them to make repeated purchases an also to spend more money in each purchase. up-selling, cross-selling and getting the customer more and more engaged with the product, so that the always keep coming for more. Alternatively this could mean getting the customer to trust the company enough in order to buy its flagship product, which is also the most expensive products. This could also means to get the customer into purchasing a retainer - retention mean getting the customer to always purchase, making them a source for growing your revenue. Happy customers will also hopefully refer you to new prospects and thus serve to further grow your income.

This is a lot like matrimony. Once you get married, your partner has effeminately signed up for the biggest product, you! As the marriage progresses there is always retention and re-selling points: steps that you will take together that will get you more and more engaged and involved with each other. For example - buying a house together, and having children. Here the revenue is not money but rather  deepening of the relationship and partnership. The more things you go through together with your partner the more deep the commitment you will have towards one another. It terms of the commitment currency, you are spending more and more in this relationship, becoming more committed and "repurchasing the product" every day - your commitment to your partner only grows.

By repurchasing everyday and staying in the marriage, you are serving as a reference for others to enter the marriage state. You will of course not wish to refer others to being married to your specific partner :-)

As I mentioned at the beginning of this response - I have heard this in various sources recently, but I liked the inforgrahic Quicksprout has put together on this subject, so I ma sharing it here with you.

www.quicksprout.com/the-definitive-guide-to-growth-hacking-chapter-4/

This also reminds me of a blog post I wrote a couple of year's back for a blogging competition for a job seeking website - in which I compared getting a job to dating.

First you go to the interview (blind date/ first meeting) then you negotiate the terms of employment (relationship) and then you get the job (matrimony). In the post I used another  marketing model usually referred to as AIDA. More on that in another response...here is the link to the blog I wrote.

https://jobmob.co.il/blog/market-yourself-for-dating-and-job-search/

(reference to the link in my blog:

http://contentguru4all.blogspot.co.il/2013/09/i-wrote-post-for-bloggers-competition.html)

Wishing you a great weekend and happy reading,

Ofra

I just completed a new website - www.RTUTEC.com - and I did EVERYTHING on this one!

Its the first time I have used WIX as a platform to build a website. Its biggest advantage is that really anyone can build a website using it. no programming knowledge required! its easy and intuitive and very very visual and with lovely graphics.
the disadvantage is that everything in manual! If you want something in your website, then you have to put it there! No aggregation pages, sections and automated graphics of any taxonomy!
Also, I am not aware of any SEO or web promotion advantages for this platform (no plugins).
I think its a great platform for small websites and for beginners.

RTUTec Ltd. Home page, all Images designed by me on this site

What I learned from Neil Patel regarding growing a blog and writing converting posts

Neil Patel, the founder of Crazyegg and KISSMetrics came to Israel, again. Neil came to lecture about growing a blog. Its a great privilege to hear someone so knowledgeable who is also still approachable and an entertaining lecturer to boot. Lets see if this post can demonstrate what I learned...

3 reasons to why a blog is good for your business.
The first advantage of a blog is the fact that you have control over the content that you publish. even if you allow guest posts on your blog and want other writers to contribute - the last choice is yours. In social media you have no control on how people react to your post or how the discussion will develop. When you have a blog, you can even close the comments option if you feel it does not fit your concept, or monitor the comment posted.

Neil's first tip regarding the content of the blog is that the content should teach! the idea is that people who read your content should get some value form it. If they learn something and can even implement what they learn - then this means your content teaches them things and they get value.

Neil also recommends stretching borderlines and being original and creative. If you have fun when you write and try new things, the results will be interesting and fun to read. If people feel they learned something, had fun doing so and got value, the chance they will convert is higher.

Guess what is the most obvious converting part of the blog?
One of the most important things is a good blog post is the header. Neil writes long posts of 2000 words , so he always ends them with a short summary and used headers in it 3-5 times. Headers help organize the text for your readers and informed them of what;s coming up. 80% of most people skim the headlines first and then decide if to read the actual content. Headlines generate interest, so you need to make them interesting. You want your readers to be curious regarding your content.

Neil's 6 tips for good headlines:
1. Use adjectives and questions to generate interest
2. Use shocking negative words
3. 65 characters is an ideal length for a header, 6 words is good - informative and not too long
4. Use numbers - uneven numbers work better. The bigger the number, the better (but remember the context when you decide on a number).
5. Avoid word play and double meanings, keep it simple and clear
6. make heading suited to the content beneath it

Here are some samples for good headers:
"eyebrows you would kill for, 7 tips to create your eyebrow design"
"5 management mistakes you make, that will kill your business (and how to avoid them)"
"101 ways to save money fr a small business"
"11 worse ways to pitch a VC (and how to fix your pitch)"
"Here is why investors will not give you money (and what to do to change that)"
"21 reasons why no one reads your press releases (and how you can fix this)"
"11 ways to dress like Natalie Portman for under $100".

Your opening paragraph should also invoke curiosity, here is an example.
Headline: "7 SEO mistakes you are probably making"
Opening paragraph: "Have you ever seen a first age ranking on Google search that has no keywords in it? Have you wondered how they do it?"

Headline: "7 ways to generate creative headings for your presentations"
Opening Paragraph: "If your presentation slides do not have interesting headings, people will assume that what you have to say is boring too. in this post you will learn tools that will help you generate interesting headlines for your PPT slides, and you can come back to this formula whenever you want to create a presentation."

3 things to avoid when writing your blog
Avoid over promotion:
People do not like self promotional content. If its too commercial they will not read and you lose credibility. List blogs are a great way to provide information for people that is organised and easy for them to absorb. Put yourself in number 2 of the list. 2 is the magic spot. If you put yourself first, you are being too pushy. If you go for place 3, people might just not read a bout you. so in this case its 2 that is the magic number.

Avoid over protectiveness:
People tend to keep all the best stuff to themselves, but blogging is about sharing your wisdom and knowledge. Its a hard decision to make -  where to place your best content.  Neil says that if you are just starting out and need the push from blogs that are stronger than yours, you should give them your best content. This means you cannot post it on your blog because you want to avoid double content. Guest posting and using the authority of popular blogs is a great promotional tool for you and you will get good reputation for publishing good content on such platforms. When you are stronger, you can then keep the good stuff for your own blog.

Avoid snobbery:
The web encourages the writing style to be direct and conversational. So write a lt of "you" and "I" in your content. make your readers feel like you are talking to them. Avoid being over-intelligent and keep your language simple. Dumb down your content so that the widest common denominator of people will understand (I should have written: Dumb down your content so that most people reading it will understand what they are reading:-).

Neil's 6 tips for creating a good infographic
An infographic is a visual tool to explain complex ideas, to slice and to simplify them for your audience. Its a great converting tool. Here are Neil's tips on how to best create them.
1. Keep them visual, use images not words to get your ideas across.
2. 5-6 points/ enhancements make an idea infographic  - do not make them too short or too long, or the conversion rate goes down.
3. The various points should flow - create a story in your infographic
4. Keep the color scheme simple. (BTW blues convert better on Facebook, because this matches their brand)
5. do not forget to put your URL and logo at the bottom
6. put an embedding code for sharing your infographic when publishing it.

Other things that were discussed were the best time to post blogs (depending on the platform you are sharing in), how to get a guest post chance, monotization and promotion of the blog. Remember that people do not always see the first time you promote your blog on a social media platform, so do not be afraid to repeat the post 3-4 times during the 10 days after posting (then come back to it in 6 months time...fr round no. 2 of new readers). Neil also discussed the posting frequency. Although its best to post more often, if you do not have something really good to post and nothing interesting to say, then do not post!

To sum it all up
So why was it worth buying the ticket to hear Neil Patel lecture this week in Israel?
I learned why a blog is good for my business.
I learned of the importance of headlines and how to create good ones.
I learned what to avoid when writing my blog.
I got great tips for creating infographics.
To top it all off I learned about monotization and promotion.
It was great to hear Neil talk, its obvious he has fun being the marketing hackathon that he is,
I feel secure in recommending his marketing blog "Quicksprout". I am sure I will continue to learn.
Thank you Assaf Einstein for inviting Neil back to Israel.

Colours and what they mean to us in marketing

when creating a marketing campaign, the use of colors can sometimes be the difference between failure and success. Its the special combination and balance in an advert that draws attention but not only that, it guides people to take action in a specific and desired way. In a logo the choice of colors can change the message underlined in it.

But even a more generic view is required. Sight is the major sense in which we relate to the world surrounding us. People who can see get 80% of their information through their eyes, by actually seeing it. What we see is light in various wave lengths - that is, we see colors. Colors are therefor a major tool in the way the human mind learns and communicates. This mans the marketer needs to ask, what effect do certain colors have on people and how this can be harnessed for the sake of marketing. I have put together a short review of the major colors and what they mean to us (in the western world).

Red: The color of fire and energy. Red will always catch you eye and draw your attention. Energy can be positive and friendly but sometimes it bursts out! Red is used to market sports, entertainment but also foods, fashion and cosmetics. If you want your message to be about provocation and buzz Red might be a good color to use, as long as you do not overdo it. Remember that red can sometimes be perceived negatively (we stop at a red light).

Orange: Orange is a lighter  version of the energy red. Its still exiting but also a bit milder and even childish, so Orange can radiate confidence. Orange is used to market safety products, products for higher efficiency and children brands. Its  a happy and friendly color.

Yellow: Yellow is a very bright color. it radiates positive energy and optimism. Yellow is used to market child care brands but also technology start-ups and innovators.

Green: in today's world green is fore and foremost the representing color for the environment; for recycling and nature. green is all about youth nurturing and growth, green represents the health of the planet and of society. Green is used to market health products, government initiatives and scientific programs.

Blue: Blue is the color of water. Its calm and clean. It enfolds within many mysteries but also encourages trust. Blue is used to market many high-tech products and is very popular in the Internet. Blue is used for business and trade initiatives but is also manifested in the health and medical industry.

Black: signals stability and strength, combined with professionalism and class. Black is always solid and just right. It helps put the message together. Black and grays and slivers are used to market prestigious and traditional brands.

Purple: Purple is the color of wisdom and magic. It represents both knowledge and the mystic, it has a healing property.. Purple delivers a message of creativity and imagination. It is used to market spiritual fields such as astronomy but also health activities that have oriental routes such as yoga and aromatherapy.

Brown: Brown is the color of the earth. it represent for us the ordinary and routine. Its a color of history and tradition, representing a steady and safe conservative way of thought. Large companies with a deep tradition will use this color for their marketing combined with gold. Brown is especially suited to market activities in the mining, construction and finance worlds.

Colors effect people very deeply. But color psychology is just one part in the puzzle of messaging and marketing. However in a fast pace world, in which on had but fractions of seconds to create an impression and interest a potential buyer to read more, color is a major part of the puzzle. Remember that colors are what we see, but even of more importance to marketers is the fact that colors are also the first thing we notice (even if its done unconsciously and automatically).

Great info graphics on this subject are:

Color in culture
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/?utm_source=CMblog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=InfographicsforDesign

The color emotion guide:
http://thelogocompany.net/blog/infographics/psychology-color-logo-design/?utm_source=CMblog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=InfographicsforDesign

Colours ofthe web
http://www.colourlovers.com/business/blog/2010/09/15/the-most-powerful-colors-in-the-world?utm_source=CMblog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=InfographicsforDesign