It’s been over 1 month since I last posted here. It feels like it’s been more than a year. Suffice it to say, I have not been practicing what I preach on a weekly basis with respect to content creation and blogging here at RBeale.com.  Well, I’m back and pleased to announce that you can find me blogging at StayOnSearch, an educational search marketing blog.

StayOnSearch was created by Mark Thompson, President of Search Creatively, an Internet Marketing Company.   In Mark’s words:

StayOnSearch is a great educational resource for any company or professional engaged in Search Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Analytics and more.  You will find guides, how to’s, tips and tricks, latest trends, news, and reviews related to Search Marketing.

Check out my first few Blog Posts at StayOnSearch

1. Top 5 Blackberry Apps For Internet Marketing: Blackberry smartphones have become an afterthought for internet marketers with the invention of the iPhone and Android.  This post is for internet marketers that use blackberry smartphones.
2. Google’s Ad Rank Ecosystem: How Does It Work?: Have you ever wondered how Google ranks advertisements when you perform a search on their search engine? This post aims to clarify that question.
3. How To Start A Google AdWords Campaign: Tutorial on starting a Google AdWords PPC campaign.
4. How Professional SEOs Get Inbound Links:  Professional SEOs create educational content in the form of infographics that generate buzz.  These infographics are then used on websites, blogs and are shared on social media with links back to their website.

HubSpot Update! HubSpot Moved!

Some exciting personal news to share:  HubSpot Headquarters is no longer 1 Broadway, Cambridge, MA at the Cambridge Innovation Center.  Friday, July 23rd marks the end of an era for HubSpot as our Inbound Marketing Software and Education Company.  Since mid-2006, when HubSpot launched, 1 Broadway in Cambridge was home.  4 years have passed and the company has grown from 3 to over 180 employees, promting the next logical phase for a growth company, move to an office that can accommodate such growth.  Beginning Monday, July 26th, HubSpot HQ will call “The DavenPort” at 25 First Street Cambridge, MA home.

B2B Content Creation for Marketing comes in many forms: Blogging, Video, Podcast, Photos, Presentations, News Releases, etc.  When done right, B2B content marketing can be extremely effective for getting high quality visitors to your website.  Today’s article is more of a rant focused on the easiest way to create long term value-added content that will continually work hard for you.  Instead of calling it “B2B Blogging,” let’s call it “B2B Content Creation.”

Barry Bowman recently published an excellent article on Search Engine Land, B2B Blogging: Let’s Call It Something Else.  Barry’s article really hit home as I have recently come across similar challenges in that some B2B Marketers look down upon the dreaded word blog. Barry likens B2B Blogging with Customer Relationship Management, and Reputation Management, which is so true!

To paraphrase some prospects that I speak with on a daily basis:

• Isn’t blogging for my son/daughter?
• Blogging is an online diary, right?
• Blogs do not have a place in the business world.

B2B Blogging Frustrations

• I don’t have time to blog (create content).
• What do I write about?
• I am not a copywriter, nor do I have an English degree.
• How do I edit and create a blog?
• Our business is very niche and our target audience doesn’t read blog articles.

The final bullet point really irks me.  Perhaps, your target audience doesn’t “subscribe” to blog articles.  Perhaps, your target audience still reads the Newspaper offline instead of consuming newspapers online.  Fine.  The question I pose to B2B Marketers is, “When your target audience is looking to solve a problem or shop for a product or service relevant to them, how do they find answers to their questions and solve their problems?”  Almost 100% of the time, the answer is: “Google.”

B2B Content Creation Helps Your Business To Rank on Google

The easiest way to Get Found by the right prospects and rank on Google is to create content (via blogging).  Throw the word blog out the window and create remarkable b2b content.  Now that we have established content creation as a mechanism that can help b2b marketers rank on Google, there are a few questions that need to be answered.

B2B Content Creation Is Not As Hard As You Think – What Should You Write About?

• As a business owner or marketer, you know your business better than an expert copywriter.
• You are passionate about your business.  Take that passion and talk about your remarkable products/services.
• You solve problems every day.  Your target audience is searching for answers to their questions that your product/service solves.

Call “B2B Blogging” what you want.  The bottom line is: B2B Content Creation will help marketers immensely to get found by their target audience. The longer you wait to produce relevant content around the problems your product/service solves, the harder it will be for you to get found by your target audience online.

Is B2B Blogging such a scary thought?

In my last article Social Media Cheat Sheet for B2B Marketing I introduced Drew McLellan’s “Social Media Landscape” tool for CMOs and made a bold statement (no-pun-intended): “B2B Social Media Marketing Is Useless Without a Business Blog.“  You may be wondering, what is the value of B2B Blogging and why is B2B Social Media Marketing Useless Without a Business Blog?

A blog is company’s Hub or “home-base” for ALL Social Media Marketing Activity.  B2B Companies should use their blog as a way to create remarkable content that can be found on search engines, in the blogosphere, and shared on social media networks.

The Value of B2B Blogging

1. Establish yourself and your company as a thought leader in your industry
2. Educate others in your industry with your blog
3. Interact with the visitors to your blog in the comments section
4. Encourage visitors to your blog to comment on your blog posts/articles
5. Encourage visitors to subscribe to your RSS Feed via email or reader, enabling them to receive your new fresh content (blog posts/articles) immediately.
6. Turn visitors into LEADS by adding compelling “Calls To Action” on each blog post/article
7. Expand your Reach by commenting on other industry related blogs and linking back to your blog (in a Non-Spammy way.  See my comment policy if you want to learn about Comment Spam).
8. Off-Page SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Value: Build up high quality inbound links from authoritative websites.  Huh?  Why should you care about inbound links?  Inbound links are the currency of the internet.  The quantity and quality of inbound links are very important with respect to Getting Found online in Search Engines.  High quality websites are far more likely to link to an educational, inspirational, or well thought out blog article, than a static web page on your website.
9. On-Page SEO Value:  Each blog article is an opportunity to focus on a keyword phrase that your target audience will type into search engines when doing research.  If  you can rank on Google’s 1st page in the organic listings (AKA Search Engine Results Pages or SERPS) for relevant keyword phrases, you will give yourself more opportunities to get found by your target audience.  Go To Google and do a Keyword Search for “Inbound Marketing.”  You will notice my employer’s B2B Blog ranks 1st and 2nd in Google’s organic listings.
10. Analyze your blog articles to understand which articles are generating the most comments, reactions and leads.  Analyzing the marketing effectiveness of your blog should inspire future content creation efforts and blog articles.

Social Media Marketing is Useless Without a B2B Blog

1. Since your blog is your home base for content creation, you want to give visitors the opportunity to share your remarkable content with their social media networks.
2. Social Media Networks offer ways to connect with family, friends, colleagues, businesses, prospects, and like-minded people.  The best way to leverage social media for b2b business is to interact with others, answer questions, be respectful and act as if you were meeting these people in real life.
3. Credibility:  When meeting prospects online, answering questions or offering advice, a blog adds another layer of credibility to your advice.

What are your thougts on B2B Blogging as it relates to Social Media Marketing?  Do you think B2B Companies can have a success generating leads without having a blog?

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