To succeed in content marketing, you need to walk the walk – not just talk the talk.
Earlier this year, the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs revealed that B2B marketers who have a documented content marketing strategy are more effective than those who don’t have a documented strategy. So, it’s no surprise that many of my content strategy articles made it into this year’s top 10.
Other popular topics included tips on improving your white papers and emails, as well as how to get noticed by Google News. Without further ado, here are my top 10 visited posts from 2014:
1: 5 B2B Content Marketing Must-Have Tools for 2015
A shiny new tool can make your content marketing more exciting. If you pick the right tools, you can also save time while getting better results. I’ve had the opportunity to try some great content marketing tools this year. This LinkedIn Pulse post lists five of my top picks.
2: How to Plan Your 2015 Content Calendar
An editorial calendar is key to keeping your content marketing strategy on track. It helps you document your strategy, manage your workflow and collaborate with your team. This LinkedIn Pulse post outlines five steps to creating your 2015 editorial calendar. It also includes an Editorial Calendar that will help you get started.
3: 7 Questions That Will Put You on the Road to B2B Content Marketing Success
The majority of B2B marketers are now using content to engage leads and turn them into customers. However, according to a study by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, only 32% of B2B marketers think their content is effective. Here are seven questions that will help you create killer content in 2015
4: How to Get 3 Months of 2015 Content from a Single Resource
Repurposing your content across different channels will help you engage a wider audience and attract more leads. This post outlines how you can take a major content asset – such as an ebook – and transform it into three months of content. It also includes a content repurposing worksheet that you can use to brainstorm ways to repurpose your content across different channels.
5: How to Get Your Blog Picked Up by Google News
Have you ever wondered why the same sites appear over and over again in Google News and how you can get your blog some Google love? This post explains what Google is looking for and offers advice on what to do if your blog doesn’t meet its requirements.
6: How to Write B2B Email Subject Lines That Get Your Messages Opened
Competition for your audience’s attention is fierce. Since many people no longer separate their business and personal inboxes, you not only have to compete against other vendors but also messages from friends and family. Here are five ways you can improve your B2B email subject lines to increase your open rates.
7: 10 Steps to an Effective B2B Content Marketing Strategy
To help you step up your content marketing game, I’ve put together An Essential Guide to Creating a B2B Content Marketing Strategy. This curated ebook contains 10 resources that walk you through the key steps of building an effective strategy.
8: 5 Ways to Achieve Your 2015 Content Marketing Resolutions
Many B2B marketers read about the benefits of content marketing and get pumped about creating content. So, they publish a new white paper and start an aggressive blogging schedule. But then, things get in the way.
Your marketing department gets busy with emails and meetings. You run out of ideas for your blog. You don’t have enough people on your team to help. This article describes how you can keep your content marketing momentum going strong through 2015.
9: How to Draw Readers Into Your White Paper
One of my clients believes that most B2B marketers just “throw s**t against the wall” and hope that it sticks. When you’re putting lots of time and effort into creating a white paper, you don’t want to throw random content out there and hope that it resonates with your audience. This article describes how to get clear on your audience and your goals, so you can craft compelling white papers.
10: 3 Lessons Learned During My First Week on LinkedIn Publisher
I started using LinkedIn Publisher this year and have been very pleased with my results. This post describes the benefits of using LinkedIn Publisher, how to get started and what not to do.
What is your biggest marketing challenge for 2015?
Connect with me on Twitter or email me your top challenge. I may discuss it in an upcoming blog post.