Use content to create a buzz!

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Your marketing content can establish you as an industry authority, and blogs are a good way to get started. Blogs can help you increase leads when posted on your website, shared on social media, and included in company newsletters. Sometimes, you can get additional mileage when your blogs are published in online, niche publications. However you choose to use blogs, they should be an important part of your marketing plan. CREATE-A-BUZZ Content Skill-Builder covers the value of blogs and how to structure them for success. 

Email marketing and newsletters are valuable components of a solid marketing plan.Because of their relationship-building  potential, email marketing and newsletters are a good way to increase leads. A CREATE-A-BUZZ Expanded Skill-Builder is  dedicated to email marketing and newsletter best practices.

Media coverage could be more accessible than you think, especially when you are celebrating a business milestone that has local or regional impact: business or product line expansions; cutting-edge technologies; a new management hire; or a new facility. While media coverage and press releases might not be your primary means of outreach, they are still a valuable component of your marketing plan and a great way to increase leads. A CREATE-A-BUZZ Expanded Skill-Builder explains when and why you need a press release, how to write an effective one, and how to generate media coverage.

Podcasts are a popular method of message-sharing and an opportunity to increase leads. The volume and expanse of podcast opportunities has increased significantly, making it more likely that you will find yourself as a podcast guest at some point. For this reason, podcasts can be a valuable part of your marketing plan.

Once your foundational messages are well-honed, they can easily be integrated into presentations to clients, employees, boards of directors, community groups, or investors. The CREATE-A-BUZZ Content Skill-Builder provides hands-on learning to help your company share target-specific content.

While online content is crucial, it's worth remembering that print marketing materials, such as brochures and sales sheets, still have value in certain circumstances. With the help of a skilled designer, well-defined content can be relatively easy to  transfer into print. Because printed materials are often used for in-person interactions, they have good potential to increase leads. If the cost-to-lead ratio is positive, then printed marketing materials could be a valuable part of your marketing plan.

Social media is all the rage, but having an account on every platform is not a measure of success. It's more important to understand where your message belongs, what information is worth sharing, and how you can engage your audience. By first defining how social media will play into your marketing plan, your ability to increase leads will become evident. Social Media best practices are covered in a  CREATE-A-BUZZ Expanded Skill-Builder. 

You could be sitting on a story worthy of local, regional, or even national interest. Many trade and niche publications are seeking good content, and your subject matter experts are the key to getting published. Even for smaller businesses, published articles can be a useful marketing plan component. What's important is to understand where your audience looks for information and whether the potential visibility is worth your time. A CREATE-A-BUZZ Expanded Skill-Builder lays out a path to getting published and how to use the article to grow visibility.

Research shows that websites are a powerful way to increase leads. If yours is not user-friendly and packed with relevant material, you are wasting valuable content space. If you decide that a website is an important part of your marketing plan, be ready to put in the work to create value.