Masters of Marketing: Basics of Search Engine Optimization

We had our second weekly Webinar yesterday, thank you to all that made it. As promised here is the presentation:

Masters of Marketing: Basics of SEO

View more presentations from iwb_insurance.

Grow Your Business and Have Fun

...with a Blog!

In case we haven't made blogging sound fun, important, exciting, crucial, and easy enough with our previous posts,here's a short list of the top 5 reasons you should be blogging. It benefits not only you, but your business as well.

5. A Blog exercises your mind. Personally, I can't go a day without doing a puzzle. Your brain should develop more and more with each day to remain healthy. Thinking of new and innovative ideas to present will provide that development. It not only keeps your brain healthy, but it encourages others to come back to you & your business for what I like to call 'intellectual stimulation.' How can you pass that up?!

4. A Blog lets you speak to the masses. Part of growing your business is finding a way to communicate with future clients. People you would have had no way of reaching out to will have the opportunity to reach out to you instead. Most business owners and executives can forget about how simple and satisfying it is to spark communication. Make sure you provide that spark!

3. A Blog invites communication. Remember that 'intellectual stimulation' I mentioned? Well, it makes people think. And when people think, a blog is the perfect place to verbalize those thoughts. Whether they're agreeing, disagreeing, questioning, or simply contemplating the ideas you've presented them with, they're probably spreading your message. And all publicity is good publicity. Right?

2. A Blog is worth the trouble. It's easy! Nothing can grow without nourishment. Water, air, food, sunlight; think of a blog as the nourishment to your business' website. In this day and age, those who put their ideas out there for the world to see have been rewarded. Greatly. Give and you shall receive.

1. A Blog can be fun. A blog is fun. Don't be afraid to share some humor and not be so serious all the time. It might be the most fun you have at work all day.

So blog away. Take inspiration from Nike:
Yesterday you said tomorrow.
Just do it!

What to Blog About?

Create a content calendar.

In the world of business, families, school, and so many other things, people have adapted to calendars; on their phone, at their desk, on their computer, even through sticky notes on their car windshield. Calendars seem to make things easier. Less stressful. Less intimidating.

So when faced with the impossible task of blogging, some people will run scared and not even try. And some will start off strong, only to waver after 2 or 3 weeks. We know you’re busy. We know you’ve got better things to do besides stopping to put your genius into words. But blogging can be your escape. Like the working mother who has to schedule dinner and a bath into her life just so she doesn’t forget to take care of herself. Schedule blogging into your life, and give it the importance it deserves.

You have a website because you want people to visit. You care about the design of your website because you want people to stay. And Insurance Website Builder gives you an easy-to-use blog because we want people and search engines to come back.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—Content is King. Blogging is the easiest way to satisfy this straightforward desire for fresh content. But it must be done in accordance with SEO efforts. And it must be done consistently. Here is where a calendar comes in.

Create a list of events that will give you an excuse to write something. Date these events and pick the ones you deem most fitting for you to target. Decide what type of content you can produce for each of these events. Don’t worry about keeping your ideas 100% business related, that’s what news events are for along the way.

Like I said, we know you’re busy. So to help you start brainstorming, here’s a handy (& long) list of events to get your gears turning:

Your Products

• New product launches
• Product upgrades / relaunches
• Announcements about big new clients

Your Business

• Anniversary of the company
• Company conferences
• Other events / meetups
• Publication of non-commercial content (new Whitepapers, etc)
• Announcing new job openings
• Announcing new hires / senior personnel changes
• Mergers and acquisitions

Industry News and Events

• Annual Reports
• Industry Awards
• Industry Conferences (esp. those you will attend or speak at)
• Industry Exhibitions (esp. those you will attend or exhibit at)
• Industry / Partner Events

Niche Events & Celebrations

• Niche occasions (eg: new driving laws, new insurance guidelines)
• Widely recognized events (eg: ‘National BBQ Month’)
• Events just made up for PR (eg: ‘National Pool Party Week’)

Politics & Community

• Local / regional / national election cycles
• New laws / bills
• Opening / closing of political seasons
• Annual budget announcement

Holidays (Federal & Unofficial)

• Christmas
• New Year
• Easter
• Independence Day
• Mardi Gras
• Diwali
• Ramadan
• Hanukkah
• Valentine’s Day
• Halloween
• Mother’s / Father’s Day
• April Fool’s Day
• Friday 13th
• Feburary 29th
• Pi Day
• St Patrick’s Day
• Chinese New Year

Seasonal / Calendar Events

• First day of Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring
• Summer Vacation / Back to School
• The Equinoxes and Solstices
• Start & end of daylight savings time
• Tax Season

Historical Celebrated / Well-Remembered Events

• Look for 10th/25th/100th anniversaries
• Tragedies (natural disasters, plane crashes)

Once-in-a-Lifetime Events

• Halley’s Comet
• The last NASA shuttle launch
• Royal Wedding / Coronation
• Solar eclipse
• Turn of a century

War & Conflict

• VE / VJ Day
• Remembrance Day
• Independence Days
• Famous battles (Bosworth, Hastings, Normandy Landings, Dunkirk, Stalingrad)
• Terrorism memorials (7th of July, 11th of September)
• Internal conflict (eg: Bloody Sunday, various Civil Wars)

Annual Sports Events

• NFL Playoffs & The Superbowl
• NBA Playoffs
• March Madness

Non-Annual Sporting Events

• Ryder Cup
• Olympics
• Soccer World Cup

Calendar courtesy of distilled.net