Content marketing is our favorite topic at #VCBuzz because we are doing our best to educate our community and help them create awesome content (that’s what works on Viral Content Buzz!)
Today we are talking to an awesome content marketing expert @TomPick
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About Tom
Tom Pick is an independent digital marketing consultant and coach.
Tom’s Webbiquity blog covers B2B lead generation, web presence optimization, social media, interactive PR, SEO and search engine marketing
Please connect to Tom on Linkedin
Questions we discussed
Q1 Our traditional question: What brought you to the Internet marketing?
I go way back. Working for an ERP software company, I built a competitive intelligence BBS (remember those?) back in 1994. When the web took off in 1996, I moved that comp intel system online. We called it “Lethal Weapon.” The sales team loved it.
In 1999, post-acquisitions, I was asked to help bring together several product- and region-focused websites under a single brand.
@TomPick I know only BS and SERP ? What’s ERP and BBS? #vcbuzz
— Tad Chef (@onreact_com) April 14, 2015
BBS = bulletin board system (like…Compuserve?) ERP = software like SAP and Oracle that companies pay lots of $$ for.
Anyway – I’ve focused on building b2b brand success online ever since. Corporate til 2005, independent / agency side since then. I’ve always loved the combination of creative and analytical challenges involved in digital / online / internet marketing.
That is exactly what I love about this stuff, @TomPick #vcbuzz
— Wendy Kiana Kelly (@WendyKKelly) April 14, 2015
Q2 I love how you create great content by curating industry articles (example). Please describe the process and the results of this content marketing tactic!
It’s really evolved over time. At first, I was just bookmarking articles for my own reference. Then 2 ideas changed my approach: I needed a better, more permanent organization system. And I thought the collections would be helpful to others as well.
So I started doing blog curations. They draw readers and build relationships with the authors highlighted.
A2 @seosmarty has been featured a few times in these. She’s a rock star. ? http://t.co/xA6tH8yLMT #vcbuzz
— Tom Pick (@TomPick) April 14, 2015
@TomPick Makes sense +It would turn many of your favorite bloggers on your friends! #vcbuzz
— Jessy Troy (@jessytroy) April 14, 2015
Over time, become more strategic about choosing articles that are both great content and help promote the experts in my network. Technically, it’s nothing complicated: just Firefox bookmarks, Notepad, and WordPress.
.@MyBlogU takes that to the whole new level by letting you crowdsource the process! RT @seosmarty: A2 So benefits of curation… #vcbuzz
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) April 14, 2015
Still look at a variety of sources, but use tools like Twitter lists to bring content my core network is producing/sharing.
Regarding results: it’s set the Webbiquity blog apart, and helped form relationships with online rock stars…like @SEOsmarty ?
Q3 How do you amplify your content? Please mention your favorite tools!
Twitter is my top amplification tool, no question. Curated content also tends to generate a lot of influencer retweets.
@TomPick Yeah, me too. I successfully use a secret “best friends” list on Twitter. #vcbuzz
— Tad Chef (@onreact_com) April 14, 2015
LinkedIn is great for B2B content amplification. Facebook is excellent for tagging people in updates. Google+ – not so much.
Outside the “big 4” my favorite / most effective content sharing tool is Scoop.it. It’s highly visual, and seems to work! (At least thats’ what Google Analytics tells me.)
I used Scoopit to curate my brand mentions… Seemed to work well for reputation management #itranks Curious for traffic purposes! #vcbuzz
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) April 14, 2015
Problem is – while everyone seems to be on Twitter, a lot of influencers are MIA on G+.
Content syndication also plays a big role: B2B Marketing Zone, Business2Community, and Social Media Informer are top three.
They are all within my top 20 sources of traffic. Top 10 if looking just are referral sites.
@TomPick how are you using it exactly? I know it allows you to curate content too… #vcbuzz
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) April 14, 2015
Generally like any other network – share helpful content, amplify what others post, follow people who seem interesting.
One other effective tactic is strategic guest blogging. Start with smaller blogs and work up to A-list sites.
ALWAYS looking for new ideas though!
Q4 Being an independent consultant, how do you keep yourself organized? How to be productive when you own 100% of your time?
Several ways. One key is space: I have a home office which is for work, nothing else. It’s pretty distraction-free. Another is various tools. Nothing fancy, mostly Google Calendar and Google docs. Keep it simple and transparent.
I “firm plan” the first 90 minutes of each day. After that, anything can happen, but that gets day off to a good start.
It’s not often that you come across a productivity tip that would sound so doable and seem so awesome! #vcbuzz
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) April 14, 2015
Most important, know when to say “no.” Can’t do everything – so do everything that matters.
RT @seosmarty: You plan 3 SOLID things for the next day, not more (not to get overwhelmed) RT @EP_pturner: @jessytroy 3 big rock? #vcbuzz
— Jessy Troy (@jessytroy) April 14, 2015
Previous content marketing Twitter chats:
- Best Traffic Generation Tips from Content Marketing Experts + How #VCBuzz Can Help!
- Chatting Content Marketing and Influence with Allie Gray Freeland @alliegrayfree and @CVContent #VCBuzz
- Content & Social Media Marketing Twitter Chat with Misty B. McPadden @mistygirlph #VCBuzz
- Content Marketing Twitter Chat #VCBuzz with Kaila Strong @cliquekaila
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