THE CORRECT WAY TO CITE SOURCES / REPOST CONTENT (IN BLOGS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA)

You’ve heard me say that you need consistently post on social media.  One of the easiest ways to do that is to reference someone else’s article, video, podcast, or post.  But when we do we need to be sure we’re minding our attribution manners. 

Just tagging someone is not enough! They may or may not look at the notifications and your viewers or readers won’t know where precisely you got the information you’re using.

“https://commitagency.com/

THE CORRECT WAY TO CITE SOURCES / REPOST CONTENT (IN BLOGS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA)

I know how important it is to properly cite sources in our client’s blogs as well as social media posts. I’ll tell you right now that the outline of today’s video came from Commit Agency at www.CommitAgency.com.  They have some really great articles that I like.  In fact I liked their article, “The Correct Way To Cite Sources / Repost Content (In Blogs and On Social Media” so much, that I’m using it as a teaching example for my own video and post today.  Not only does giving credit to the original author make them look good, but it also makes you look more credible.

There are many instances where you will need to cite your sources. For example, you will need to cite when:

·       quoting someone else

·       mentioning statistics that you didn’t conclude yourself

·       using another person’s thoughts or ideas that aren’t your own

·       reposting an image that you didn’t take

·       inserting a visual or infographic that you didn’t create

Basically, for anything you didn’t write or create yourself, you’ll want to attribute it to whoever did.

HOW TO CITE SOURCES IN YOUR BLOG

The most common way we cite our sources within our blogs is by paraphrasing and hyperlinking back to the page where the information originated.

When including a direct quote, you’ll want to make sure to include quotation marks, the author’s name, and a link to the article from which it was pulled. You might also include the company she works for, her title, and linked the recent interview from which we found the quote.

If you are citing a book within your blog post, you will want to include the author, the title of the book, and their statement in quotation marks like the example below.

When in doubt, include as much information about the author as possible. It doesn’t hurt to over credit, but it does to under credit.

HOW TO CITE AND REPOST ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Giving credit on social media is fairly easy to do across all platforms. The most common way to cite your sources on social media is by reposting original content. When you repost, all of the details should carry over (including the author’s name or username), so there’s little or no additional information you’ll need to provide to give proper credit.

In order to repost on some of the major social platforms, you’ll want to follow these guidelines:

FACEBOOK

To repost content on Facebook, simply click or tap on the “share” feature at the bottom of the post. A new confirmation window will pop up where you can add your own additional caption (or not) and press “post” once you’re ready to share it to your timeline.

Once you’ve clicked “post” you will see the original post (plus the author’s name) on your own timeline.

TWITTER

To repost–or retweet–on Twitter you can go about it a few different ways.

The most common way to repost someone else’s tweet is to retweet it. Similar to Facebook, just click or tap on the retweet button (it looks like revolving arrows) and it will post to your feed with the original author’s Twitter handle and tweet. It looks like this:

If you plan on manually reposting someone else’s tweet, you can copy and paste the text into a new tweet and include “RT” at the end. It’s also best practice to tag the original author’s Twitter handle either in the beginning or at the end of the tweet.

Once you’ve clicked on the Facebook icon, Pinterest will automatically populate your FB post and include a link to the original source so you don’t have to give any further credit.

LINKEDIN

To reshare content on LinkedIn, click “share” on the post you want to share. Under the “share to feed” tab, include the person or company you want to give credit to by starting off with the “@” symbol. Once you’ve tagged the person you wanted to mention, select who you want to share the post with and click post!”   From the original article THE CORRECT WAY TO CITE SOURCES / REPOST CONTENT (IN BLOGS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA)

VIDEO / PODCAST

Do you use video or podcasting to promote your practice?  And in these recordings are your referencing someone’s article, website, case, social media post, idea, book, etc.?  You’ll need to give both a verbal shout that includes the person’s name and where precisely you found their content.  Additionally, you’ll need to include the original post information in written form in your video or podcast description and show notes. 

A HYBRID APPROACH

If you’re creating posts for your social media accounts that are a hybrid, the citation equation is a bit different. 

On your own post, you can write a few words (or lot) about why you like the information you’re sharing.  This could be with a lovely custom graphic you create on www.Canva.com, or just the text.  Either way, when you get to the copied material, the article, the quote, the video, image, podcast etc., this is where citing the original source and tagging the person whose info you’re using is important. 

Say I want to share part or all of Jean Lawler’s podcast, ROADS to Resolution Closure Certainty.  I need to tag her, maybe quote her, and I definitely copy the original source url into my post.

Let me show you.

I open a new post on my social media and write a short intro to her episode.  Something like,

I frequently listen to podcasts about ADR.  And @Jean Lawler has one of the best.  She just published another great podcast called, “3 Strategies Lawyers Can Use To Help Their Clients Overcome Impediments to Settlement In Mediation”  Jean has an uncanny way of making complex ideas simple. 

 

“There are as many ways to overcome impediments to settlement as there are creativity and people involved. Every case is unique and every situation is unique. There’s no one “right” answer which means that the parties, the mediator, the lawyers, everybody needs to be nimble and needs to be able to adjust based on how the mediation is going and what comes out. In this episode, Jean Lawler–commercial + insurance mediator and arbitrator–draws from her experience as a mediator to discuss three strategies (plus a bonus strategy!) including:

·       Starting settlement discussions by working on the terms, rather than dollar amounts

·       Focusing on party interests and needs

·       Helping parties envision the future

·       *Bonus strategy: What you need to do at the end of mediation day if you don’t quite have a settlement yet”

Click below to listen to the full podcast. 

The original podcast url is:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1954887/11387731-3-strategies-lawyers-can-use-to-help-their-clients-overcome-impediments-to-settlement-in-mediation

#mediate #mediation #settlement

 

If I want to use a video in my posts, like one of videos that Sylvia Mayer creates using children’s books to make entertain and educate her clients, the post will look like this.

I’m in love with “Mean Gene, The Recess Queen” and the lessons in @Sylvia Mayer’s newest video, “How To Breach The Bully Barrier”.  This is a video you’ll have blast watching!

The original source URL is:  https://youtu.be/bSdCymYTAPg or click and watch and the video below!

#stopbullying #mediation #mediate

And a similar format is used when we quote or reference an article.  It goes something like this:

“Another Bias with Long Term Consequences!”

@Phyllis Pollack has written yet another insightful article on her blog at www.PGPMediation.com.

“Whenever I see an article on implicit bias, I must read and write about it.  This time, the article is entitled, “Embedded bias: How medical records sow discrimination” by Darius Tahir of Kaiser Health News.

The theme of the article is that doctors unconsciously (or perhaps even consciously) write notes about their patients in medical records and the “objective descriptions” they use, stick with the patient for years to come.

As one example, the author cites David Confer who explained that prior to his brain fog, he “used to be Ph.D. level”. While he was speaking figuratively, the doctor- it turns out did not take him seriously. Confer who was black and diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma was later diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and died in 2020.  During the time that Confer was treating with the doctor, his partner Cate Cohen had a sense that the doctor was not taking Confer seriously.

A review of his medical records after Confer died confirmed her belief. The language used in the doctor’s notes was dismissive and reflected a belief that Confer would not be compliant with his care and thus a bad candidate for a liver transplant.  (Id. at 1-2.) As a result, he did not get the transplant and died….”

Please keep reading this article at the original URL:  https://www.pgpmediation.com/another-bias-with-long-term-consequences/

#bias #implicitbias #mediation

 

 

……Back to the original article, THE CORRECT WAY TO CITE SOURCES / REPOST CONTENT (IN BLOGS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA)

 

“HOW TO REPOST CONTENT ON YOUR BLOG

Let’s say you come across a blog post that you didn’t write but you still want to share it on your site. It’s informational, well-written, provides plenty of compelling statistics, and aligns with your practice’s brand messaging and image. You could try to replicate it in your own words, but doing so may sound too copy-cattish.

If you run into this instance, don’t get discouraged because we have some good news for you. There is a possibility that you could have that blog post live on your website without it being considered “stolen” or “duplicated content.”

It’s called content syndication, and it’s actually a pretty common practice. If done correctly, you and the original author will both benefit from the shared content.

The main takeaway we want you to know about syndicating content is that you will need permission to repost. Find a way to contact the author and ask if it’s alright to use their blog on your site. Once you’ve been granted permission, you’ll want to attribute the author and link to the original content at the top of the page so it’s clear that this content is not your own.

ABOVE ALL: AVOID USING OTHER PEOPLE’S WORDS AS YOUR OWN”

Don’t be the bad actor who doesn’t give credit where credit is due.  You can mind your manners and lift up your colleagues at the same time. 

If you need help with your practice strategy or marketing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Natalie@HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com or learn more at www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com

Educational (and entertaining) videos for you and your practice development can be found on YouTube at:  https://www.youtube.com/c/NatalieArmstrongMotin

And again, I used the article https://commitagency.com/

The original source for this article and subsequent video and post on Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn is at:  https://commitagency.com/blog/the-correct-way-to-cite-sources/#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20way%20to,provide%20to%20give%20proper%20credit.

Which Social Media Platform Is Right For You And Your Mediation Practice?

Choosing the social media platform that’s right for you and your practice doesn’t need to be a daunting experience.  I recommend to clients that they should actively engage on the platform preferred by their clients and prospective clients.  For most mediators and arbitrators that’s going to be LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is undoubtedly the preferred network for professionals around the globe, and with two professionals joining this network every second, it will witness tremendous usage.

To leverage this network effectively, you should publish about your brand, services, practice culture, and announcements regularly.

But if you mediate cases for unrepresented parties or clients who are under the age of 45, you might want to include Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram as well. 

And if you don’t know which of any of these might be most effective, consider some statistics recently compiled by Social Pilot. 

A few of the juiciest stats are below.  I’ve culled through the Social Pilot stats article for what I think are the most interesting and applicable statistics for you.  Of course, if you’re a little nerdy (like me) you’ll have fun clicking the hyperlink to Social Pilot above and viewing the full article.

As I mentioned above, LinkedIn has proved to be the place for the resolution industry.  The stats for LinkedIn are listed last so that you can scroll to the bottom of this article if you don’t have the time or patience to look at Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter stats. 

In order to make the most of your time, money, and efforts to engage with clients and prospective clients on social media in such a way that a valuable business relationship is established, read, really read through the stats below and think about how this information applies to you and your practice growth goals.  And then, most importantly, take action. 

Take action and start posting, sharing, commenting, tagging, using hashtags, recording videos, and then ultimately, leverage those activities into dialogues and appropriate business relationships.  After all, that’s the reason we’re all on social media to begin with. To develop authentic and hopefully profitable (in whatever way your practice describes ‘profitable’).  

Let’s start with Facebook:  Facebook (now Meta) has adopted several new features taking inspiration from various other platforms. Reels from Instagram, live audio rooms and podcasts, live game streaming, and even live shopping.  And they’ve introduced new policies and features to help businesses, brands, and influencers monetize their content.

Facebook Demographics:

·       81% of all adults in the United States have a Facebook account.

·       The United States, Indonesia, and Brazil also have 200 million, 140 million, and 130 million Facebook users, respectively.

·       Between the ages of 25 and 34, 12.5% of all active Facebook users are female, and 19% are male.

·       75% of high-income earners use Facebook.

Facebook Usage Stats

·       1.93 billion people on average log into Facebook daily.

·       Facebook is the world’s third-most downloaded app.

·       Over 1.8 billion people now use Facebook Groups every month.

·       There are more than 70 million admins and moderators running active Facebook groups.

·       1 billion Facebook Stories are shared daily.

·       60.6% of all social media users use Facebook.

Facebook Engagement Stats

·       More than 4 billion video views take place on Facebook every day.

·       Facebook engagement increases by 18% on Thursday and Friday.

·       A video post increases interaction by 600% on Facebook.

·       85% of videos watched on Facebook are on mute.

·       A live video engagement is 26% on Facebook, higher than any other social media platform.

·       Facebook videos with captions increase the watch time by 12%.

·       49.9% of all posts are link posts, making it the most common Facebook content. This is followed by images and videos.

Facebook Business Stats

·       There are more than 200 million businesses on Facebook.

·       44% of users admit that Facebook influences their shopping decision.

·       More than 160 million businesses use Facebook to interact with their customers.

·       62% of people acknowledged they have become more interested in a brand after watching its Facebook stories.

·       The average organic reach for a Facebook post is 6.4% of the page’s total likes.

Facebook Ads Insights

·       2.28 billion people can be reached through adverts on Facebook.

·       43.5% of the ad audience is female, while 56.5% is male.

·       Adding a CTA button boosts the conversion rate by 2.85 times.

·       Cost-per-clicks are most expensive on Fridays and cheapest on Sundays.

·       The average cost-per-click is $1.86 on Facebook.

·       A CTA in the middle of the video has witnessed a higher conversion rate of 16.95%.

·       The cost of a video ad is 10% of carousel or single image ads.

·       Audiences aged 18-24 spend 75% of their time on Facebook watching video ads.

·       71% of shoppers feel they see relevant video ads on Facebook.

·       A Facebook user clicks on an average of 8 ads a month.

Moving on to Instagram

This year, Instagram got its own professional dashboard for business and creator accounts.

It also traded swipe-up links for stickers, introduced Remix for Reels, and introduced a Collab feature for posts and Reels. These new features are in tune with Meta’s vision of bringing together an array of features that help brands and businesses.

Instagram Demographics Stats

·       Instagram has more than 2 billion active users.

·       64% of Instagrammers are under 34 years.

·       The 25-34 year old age group is the largest of the demographics, attributing to 31.

·       Daily active users of Instagram stories are 500 million.

·       17.6% of the world population uses Instagram.

·       Instagram has 51.6% female and 48.4% male audiences.

Instagram Usage Stats

·       About 6 in 10 Instagram users log in at least once daily.

·       21% of users log in weekly, and 16% log in less often than that.

·       38% of users log in to the platform multiple times.

·       The average time spent on Instagram is 28 minutes.

·       70% of the people watch Instagram stories daily.

Instagram Engagement Stats

·       The average engagement rate for all post types is 0.83%.

·       The average engagement rate for photo posts is 0.81%, video posts is 0.61%, and carousel posts is 1.08%.

·       Longer captions get better engagement.

·       On average, 10.7 hashtags are used in Instagram posts.

·       Instagram has 58% more engagement per follower than Facebook.

·       100 million Instagrammers watch or launch live videos daily.

·       Photos with faces perform almost 40% better than without faces.

·       Videos get 21.2% more engagement compared to images.

·       Posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement.

·       Instagram users engage more on weekdays, with Wednesday and Thursday showing the most engagement.

·       80% of the stories with voiceover or music drive better low funnel results than ads with no sound.

·       Posts with tagged locations get 79% more engagement.

Instagram Business Stats

·       More than 25 million businesses use Instagram to promote their services and products.

·       90% of accounts follow at least one business on Instagram.

·       2 in 3 people surveyed believe Instagram enables interaction with brands.

·       81% of Instagrammers use the platform for researching new products and services.

·       44% of businesses use stories to promote their products.

·       67% of users watch branded stories.

·       83% of Instagram users discover new products and services on the platform.

·       Instagram business accounts post an average of 1 post daily.

Instagram Ads Insights

·       50% of Instagram users are more interested in a brand when they see ads on Instagram.

·       The U.S. has the highest potential Instagram advertising reach, followed by India and Brazil.

·       75% of Instagrammers take action on at least one ad.

·       The highest Instagram advertising audience is from the 25-34 age group, which is 32.3% of all Instagrammers.

·       48.4% of the ad audience on Instagram is female, and 51.6% is male.

·       Video ads have 3x more engagement than photos.

Let’s look at Twitter.  Twitter introduced new features, like Safety mode, misinformation label, Prompts, etc., helped ensure conversations were safer and meaningful for everyone.

Twitter also made monetizing easier for businesses and creators with Super Follows, Ticketed Spaces, Tips, and Twitter Blue.

Twitter Demographics Stats

·       Twitter has 211 million daily active users, while the monthly active users are 330 million.

·       83% of the world’s leaders are on Twitter.

·       27.9% of global Twitter users are aged between 18 and 24 years.

·       77.8 million active users are from the U.S., while 58.2 million users are from Japan and 24.5 million active users from India.

·       29.6% of Twitter users are female, and 70.4% are men.

·       42% of all Twitter users are college graduates.

·       77% of Twitter users earn more than $75,000+ each year.

Twitter Usage Stats

·       26% of U.S. users check Twitter multiple times in a day.

·       46% of all Twitter users visit the platform daily.

·       The average time spent on Twitter is 3 minutes and 39 seconds.

·       The total number of tweets sent per day is 500 million.

·       The half-life of a tweet is 24 minutes.

·       The daily limit is 2400 tweets and 1000 messages per day.

Twitter Engagement Stats

·       The average number of hashtags used each day on Twitter is 125 million.

·       Tweets with hashtags have witnessed engagement by 100% for individuals and 50% for brands.

·       Using 1-2 hashtags can get you 21% more engagement.

·       Tweets with more than 2 hashtags might have 17% lesser engagement.

·       Hashtagged tweets have a 55% more chance of being retweeted.

·       Twitter’s timeline generates +31% higher emotional connection and +28% higher levels of memorability versus the social media average.

·       Tweets with a GIF gain 55% more engagement than those without.

·       People watch 2 billion videos on Twitter daily.

Twitter Business Stats

·       67% of B2B businesses use Twitter as their marketing tool.

·       50% of consumers use Twitter, while 36% follow brands on Twitter.

Twitter Ads Insights

·       436 million people can be reached with adverts on Twitter.

·       Ads with no hashtag received 23% more engagement.

·       29.6% of ad audiences are female, and 70.4% are male.

·       The highest reach ranking of Twitter ads is witnessed in the U.S., followed by Japan.

·       The majority of ad audiences on Twitter are males from the age group of 25-34 and females from the 18-24 age group.

·       Advertisers saw a rise of 89% in video completion rates.

·       Total ad engagement increased by 32% year on year.

Twitter provides immense possibilities for brands and individuals to communicate with their audience quickly. You need to schedule engaging tweets at the right time, monitor brand mentions, respond quickly, reach out to influencers, and collaborate with other brands for cross-promotion, analysis, and much more.

With so much to do, it becomes essential to manage it effectively using Twitter tools like Socialpilot, MeetEdgar, Keyhole, Canva etc.

And lastly here are some stats for LinkedIn (the primary social media marketing platform for mediators, arbitrators and attorneys)

LinkedIn said hello to Stories, Live streaming videos, Newsletters, Audio Events, and Video Meetings. Other cool features is the name pronunciation which allows users to record and add the correct pronunciation of their names to their profiles and video avatar that let’s viewers on your profile see a brief video about you and your practice. 

LinkedIn has grown into a platform to share world-changing thoughts and ideas for businesses, brands, and professionals alike.

Craft your marketing strategies taking insights from the below statistics and leverage your LinkedIn activities to leave an impact.

LinkedIn Demographics Stats

·       The population of LinkedIn is more than 800 million from 200 countries.

·       There are 180 million users from the U.S. on LinkedIn.

·       There are 56.6% of male users and 43.4% female users on LinkedIn.

·       After the U.S., India(81 million), China(54 million), and Brazil(51 million) have the highest number of LinkedIn users.

·       There are 180 million senior-level influencers.

·       LinkedIn has 65 million decision-makers and 10 million C-level executives.

·       Almost 60% of LinkedIn users are in the age group of 25-34.

·       60% of the U.S. LinkedIn users earn $100,000/year.

LinkedIn Usage Stats

·       3 professionals join LinkedIn every second, with 172800 new users every single day.

·       57% of LinkedIn traffic is from mobile devices.

·       91% of executives rate LinkedIn as their first choice for professionally relevant content.

·       There are 9 billion content impressions in LinkedIn feeds every week.

·       2 million posts, articles, and videos are published on LinkedIn every day.

·       3 million users post on LinkedIn every week.

·       4 in every 10 millionaires are active LinkedIn users.

·       Only 1 million users have published an article on LinkedIn.

·       About 45% of LinkedIn article readers are in upper-level positions (managers, VPs, Directors, C-level).

·       39% of LinkedIn users never share content, while 16% of the profiles actively share multiple posts every week.

·       On average, users spend 7 minutes 12 seconds on LinkedIn.

·       The average visit duration on LinkedIn is 8.52 minutes.

·       Users visit an average of 6.4 pages on LinkedIn before leaving.

·       LinkedIn Live streams witnessed a 437% year-on-year increase in views.

LinkedIn Engagement Stats

·       22.04% of LinkedIn traffic comes from search alone.

·       99.63% of LinkedIn search traffic comes from organic search.

·       LinkedIn Pages with complete information get 30% more weekly views compared to others.

·       There is a 50% rise in engagement year-over-year on LinkedIn.

·       Companies posting weekly see an engagement rise by 2x on LinkedIn.

·       98% of marketers on LinkedIn agree that personalization helps advance customer relationships.

·       According to LinkedIn, companies that post 20 times per month reach at least 60% of their unique audience.

·       Including the links in a post can drive twice the engagement than a post without it on LinkedIn.

·       Images on average result in a 98% higher comment rate than without on LinkedIn.

·       Links to Youtube videos play directly in the LinkedIn feed and typically give a 75% higher share rate.

·       Long-form content gets the most shares on LinkedIn, so aiming for between 1700-2100 words should give your content a boost.

·       LinkedIn articles with 8 images and 5,7, or 9 headlines are best for engagements.

·       Messages sent have increased 35% year-over-year on LinkedIn.

·       Weekly LinkedIn members who engage heavily with content are 5x more likely to return daily.

·       Listing 5 or more skills on your LinkedIn profile can lead to up to 17x more views.

LinkedIn Business Stats

·       46% of social media traffic to the company’s website comes from LinkedIn.

·       45% of marketers have gained customers through LinkedIn.

·       Lead Gen Forms on LinkedIn can increase conversions by 3x.

·       89% of B2B marketers rely on LinkedIn for lead generation.

·       62% of B2B marketers generate leads on LinkedIn successfully, over double the next-highest social channel.

·       4 out of 5 LinkedIn users drive business decisions.

·       52% of buyers list LinkedIn as the most influential channel during their research process.

·       InMail has a 300% higher response rate than email, with a 10-25% hit rate on LinkedIn.

·       LinkedIn is generating revenue for 38% of B2B marketers.

·       80% of B2B leads coming from social media are from LinkedIn.

·       97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to help drive their content marketing strategy.

·       92% of B2B marketers have LinkedIn included in their digital marketing mix.

·       15% of Linkedin users are senior-level influencers.

·       As per Linkedin, an average of 10 content pieces are considered before making a purchasing decision.

LinkedIn Ads Insights

·       43.4% of ad audiences are female, and 56.6% are male.

·       Sponsored InMail has an opening rate of 52% on LinkedIn.

·       LinkedIn Message Ads have a 40% conversion rate.

·       65% of B2B companies have generated a customer through LinkedIn paid ads.

·       The cost per lead is 28% lower than on Google AdWords on LinkedIn.

·       The average conversion rate of video ads on LinkedIn for the U.S. is 6.1%, more than any other contemporary platform.

https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/social-media-statistics?utm_campaign=nurture-campaign&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ebook-subscriber&utm_content=email3#fb-demographic-stats

#marketingmediation #marketing #marketingADR #marketingresolution #mediation

Branding Tips for Building a Successful Legal Practice

Branding is an essential aspect of any business, but when you’re an attorney, mediator, or arbitrator, it’s important to do so in a way that also markets yourself. It can be a challenge to strike a balance between your business and your professional identity that encompasses both the services you offer and shows clients why they can trust you; however, there are many different types of branding services available these days that will help you do just that.

You can also look for online resources that offer tips and support to individuals like yourself. Marketing Resolution (MR) is a great place to start. Here are a few simple ways to start building a brand identity for your legal practice:

Research your target audience

Before you can start creating your business identity, it’s critical to research your target audience. Who are your potential clients, and what are their needs? What is their average income? Where do they live? What are their internet habits? You can find these answers by conducting client surveys or social media polls, as well as through data analytics. It’s also a good idea to stay on top of trends in your industry to find out whether there is a gap you can fill. All of this information will go into your marketing plan and help you deliver your services to the right people.

Don’t forget about your competition

While you’re researching your audience, it’s important not to forget about your competitors. Learning all you can about their website, clients, and general business practices will help you figure out what you need to be doing–and what you should avoid. Do they stick to a particular niche? What are their fees like? In performing this research, you can learn how to set your practice apart from others and how to better reach your clients. For instance, if your competitors offer limited hours, you can adjust your schedule to accommodate a wider time frame and make that information a clear aspect of your marketing strategy.

Know your strengths

Creating your marketing strategy and forging a brand identity can be complicated simply because the process involves so many details, from your social media pages to billboard advertising. Note that while your brand encompasses all of your business, your brand identity is focused on the visual, recognizable aspects, such as a logo.

Once you understand both your target client and your competition, it’s important to understand which projects you can tackle yourself and which are best left to the pros. For instance, you can utilize an online template to create an interesting, unique logo for your practice that looks professional, but you might want to hire a designer to help with your website to ensure your clients will find it accessible and easy to navigate. Knowing what your strengths are will help you avoid any issues from the very beginning.

Build relationships

As someone in a service-based industry, it’s essential that you make an effort to reach out and forge connections with the individuals you’re working with, as this will go hand-in-hand with a good brand strategy. Showing what you can offer through marketing and actually following through with it are two different things, so building relationships is crucial. This might mean staying in touch with former clients through email or postcards or networking at industry events to meet new people. Remember that it’s not just about garnering clients; it’s also about showing up for others to support and guide them.

Creating a brand strategy as a legal professional can take a little time, but it’s a crucial aspect of the business. Making yourself available to your clients, maintaining great communication, and following through with promises are a few ways you can start off on the right foot as you figure out your identity.

Ready to get in touch with the pros at Marketing Resolution? Reach out today to find out more about fees or book an appointment.

 Written for MR Lance Cody-Valdez by

Photo via Pexels

The Secret to Getting Free Promotion for Your Small Business

byline: Penelope Vaughan

The best things in life are often said to be free, and luckily for small business owners, that can often include promotion. Sure, you can spend lots of money on advertising and marketing, but if you know where to look (especially with the internet), you can get a surprising amount of promotion for entirely free. Want to know the secret? Keep reading. 

Get On Social Media

The number one way to get free marketing for your business is to get on social media. It might seem straightforward, but social media provides an incredible potential audience for no money. Sure, paid advertising can get you in front of more people quicker, but you can still create a free business profile on several platforms and post content. 

Know Your Audience

To avoid wasting your time maintaining ten different social media accounts, you should know your target market and use the platforms they're most likely to use. If you're aiming for Gen Z, for instance, Facebook probably isn't the best way to go. They're much more likely to use Instagram, so you'll get the most out of your time by creating profiles on those apps instead. 

Once you've determined the best platforms for your time (and you should select at least three platforms to vary your audience), you have to know what information your target market needs out of your posts. Are they more inclined to watch videos? Focus your social media campaign on creating video content. Will they visit a blog? It might be time to create your own business blog.

The key to your social media marketing is to avoid straight-up promotional content all the time. Think about your own social media feed. If you've got a business that's just constantly feeding you advertisements all the time, are you likely to unfollow them? You probably are. Instead, you're more likely to follow businesses that deliver some value to you, whether it's in the form of entertainment or education. 

Tips for Creating an Awesome Social Media Page

Now that you know why you need to have your business on social media, it's time for some tips on just how to create a great social media page for your business:

• Design a good logo. An essential part of your brand development plan should be a really great-looking logo. If you don't have one yet, head to a logo creator app, where you can design one on your own for free. 

• Establish your brand's voice. The brands with some of the best social media pages have a distinctive voice. Wendy's, for instance, is well-known for trolling other fast-food companies on Twitter. Your social media voice should match other company communications, like email newsletters, for consistency. 

• Build a company website. Your social media should have some sort of website where your posts can take interested customers. This website should be optimized for viewing on mobile devices and should make any purchasing options quick and seamless. Here are some good tips for how to create a business website designed to sell on social media. 

• Experiment with your content. Before you jump into paid advertising, you should figure out what works for your target audience, which means you'll be doing some experimenting. Use organic posts to build your audience, and include multiple types of content in each post to figure out what does very well. For instance, if you include a video, an infographic, and an article in a post, the video might capture a larger audience than the article does. Figure out what works and repackage content to save yourself time and energy. 

8 Cheapest Credit Card Processing Companies for Small Businesses

Fee structures include interchange-plus pricing and all-in-one monthly subscriptions.

Written by Randa Kriss, Hillary Crawford

Edited by Claire Tsosie

Last updated on April 28, 2022

Because credit card processing companies come with various pricing structures, no one provider is the cheapest for all businesses. The least expensive choice depends on your industry, sales volume and typical transaction size.

Before making a decision, it's important to determine the best credit card processing company for your business. What capabilities and tools do you require? Do you need a dedicated merchant account? Will you be accepting payments in-person, online or both? Narrow down the options based on these requirements, then see which provider will offer the cheapest payment processing for your business.

Here are eight affordable credit card processing companies to consider.

Helcim: Best volume discounts

Pricing:

·       In-person payments: Interchange plus 0.3% and 8 cents per transaction for businesses with $25,000 or less in monthly card transactions.

·       Keyed and online payments: Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per transaction for businesses with $25,000 or less in monthly card transactions.

Pros:

·       No long-term contracts or cancellation fees.

·       No monthly subscription fees.

·       No setup fees.

·       No PCI compliance fees.

·       Processing rates go down after your business processes more than $25,000 in payments per month.

Cons:

·       Doesn't work with high-risk merchants, meaning businesses that are more susceptible to fraud and chargebacks.

·       No 24/7 support.

Why we like it: Helcim is a fantastic choice for small businesses looking for low rates and no monthly subscription fees. Its interchange-plus fee structure is a cost-effective option, especially for businesses with high sales volumes, and its website makes it easy to find pricing information. The company's volume discounts, which are applied automatically as the amount you process increases, are a nice perk to have as your business grows.

Square: Best for mobile payments

Pricing:

·       Tapped, dipped and swiped in-person payments: 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction.

·       Card-not-present transactions: 3.5% plus 15 cents.

·       E-commerce transactions: 2.9% plus 30 cents.

Pros:

·       No early termination, activation, refund or chargeback fees.

·       No PCI compliance fees.

·       No monthly subscription fee.

·       Free point-of-sale software.

·       Free mobile card reader.

Cons:

·       May be more expensive than an interchange-plus pricing model for some businesses.

·       Doesn't work with high-risk merchants.

·       Only paid POS plans include 24/7 live customer service.

Why we like it: With clear, flat-rate pricing, free POS software and a free mobile card reader, Square is one of the cheapest credit card processing solutions, especially for smaller businesses. Businesses can use the payment service provider to accept a variety of payments, including both in-person and online. To process in-person payments, for example, you can use free POS software alongside one of its hardware options. Businesses can also opt for paid retail or restaurant POS software plans to access more features. API integrations let clients accept credit cards on their website or e-commerce site too.

Stax (formerly Fattmerchant): Best for membership-style pricing

Pricing:

·       Flat monthly subscription: Starts at $99 per month.

·       In-person transactions: Interchange fees plus 8 cents.

·       Keyed-in transactions: Interchange fees plus 15 cents for businesses processing up to $500,000 per year.

Pros:

·       No contracts.

·       Plans include PCI compliance.

·       24/7 technical support.

·       Offers add-ons like custom branding and same-day funding.

Cons:

·       Not ideal for low-volume small businesses.

Why we like it: Instead of charging interchange fees plus a percentage markup per transaction like some of its competitors, Stax requires its clients to subscribe to a monthly plan and charges interchange plus a fixed per-transaction fee, which is 8 cents for in-person transactions. This fee structure could help high-volume businesses save money, especially if they’d otherwise pay more than $99 per month in percentage markups and other fees.

Payline Data: Best for high-risk merchants

Pricing:

·       In-person plan: Interchange plus 0.2% and 10 cents per in-person transaction; $10 per month.

·       Online plan: Interchange plus 0.4% and 20 cents per online transaction; $20 per month.

Pros:

·       No long-term contract or cancellation fees.

·       No PCI compliance fees.

·       Offers high-risk merchant accounts.

·       First month is free.

Cons:

·       Must meet a monthly minimum of $25 in processing fees.

·       No 24/7 phone support.

Why we like it: Payline Data is a merchant account provider that offers interchange-plus pricing at very low rates. It has two plan offerings, one designed for brick-and-mortar retailers and one designed for e-commerce merchants. While paying for both plans isn't ideal for businesses that sell products both online and in-store, it could be one of the cheapest options for businesses that require only one or the other. It also offers high-risk merchant accounts for businesses involved in industries such as tobacco, online gaming, fantasy sports, self-storage and more.

Payment Depot: Best risk-free trial

Pricing:

·       Starter membership: Interchange plus 15 cents per transaction; $79 per month.

·       Most Popular membership: Interchange plus 10 cents per transaction; $99 per month.

·       Enterprise membership: Interchange plus 7 cents per transaction; $199 per month.

Pros:

·       Includes a free virtual terminal for keying in credit card numbers.

·       Can reprogram your existing terminal for free.

·       All memberships come with a 90-day trial during which your annual membership fee will be refunded if you cancel.

·       No cancellation fees.

·       Includes PCI compliance.

·       24/7 support available, though it isn’t entirely in-house.

Cons:

·       Maximum processing limits apply to all plans except for the most expensive one.

·       Doesn't work with high-risk merchants.

Why we like it: Payment Depot is a merchant account provider that operates on an interchange-plus pricing structure and charges its transaction fee based on your plan, not based on the terminal you use. It offers a 90-day trial, too; if you cancel your account before this period ends, it will refund your annual membership fee. Plus, all plans include free programming of any existing equipment you own and a free virtual terminal, which lets stores key in credit card numbers when the card isn't present.

Stripe: Best selection of tools and features

Pricing:

·       For online payments: 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction (plus 1% for international cards, plus another 1% if currency conversion is required).

·       For in-person payments: 2.7% plus 5 cents per transaction.

Pros:

·       No setup fees.

·       No monthly subscription fees.

·       24/7 phone, chat and email support.

·       More than 450 platforms and extensions available.

·       Accepts payments in more than 135 currencies.

Cons:

·       Doesn’t work with high-risk merchants.

Why we like it: With transparent, flat-rate pricing and no subscription fees, Stripe is one of the easiest payment processing solutions for online businesses. Although you may find an alternative provider with lower processing fees, it’s difficult to beat the lack of other fees, flexibility and included-payment tools within the company's platform. The payment service provider offers its own invoicing, billing, business data and tax calculation features, too.

 

Dharma Merchant Services: Best for nonprofits

Pricing: 

·       Regular: Interchange plus 0.15% and 8 cents per in-person transaction; $25 monthly fee.

·       For nonprofits: Interchange plus 0.10% and 8 cents per in-person transaction; interchange plus 0.10% and 11 cents per virtual transaction; $20 monthly fee.

Pros:

·       No long-term contracts or early termination fees.

·       Includes access to a free virtual terminal and online reporting.

·       No PCI compliance fees.

·       24/7 support.

Cons:

·       Monthly fee required.

·       Doesn’t work with high-risk merchants.

Why we like it: Dharma Merchant Services charges nonprofits reduced monthly fees and processing rates, making it a top choice for these organizations. It's also a certified B Corp, meaning it's held to higher environmental and social standards. That’s a big plus for small businesses that pride themselves on working with socially responsible companies. Most notably, the merchant services provider has donated thousands of dollars to nonprofits over the years. The company also offers reduced rates for small businesses that process over $100,000 per month.

 

National Processing: Best variety of industry-specific plans

Pricing:

·       Restaurant: $9.95 per month; interchange plus 0.14% and 7 cents per transaction, though rates may vary.

·       Retail: $9.95 per month; interchange plus 0.18% and 10 cents per transaction, though rates may vary.

·       E-commerce: $9.95 per month; interchange plus 0.29% and 15 cents per transaction, though rates may vary.

·       Subscription: $59 per month; interchange plus 9 cents per transaction, though rates may vary.

·       Subscription Plus: $199 per month; interchange plus 5 cents per transaction, though rates may vary.

Pros:

·       No monthly minimums.

·       No long-term contracts or early termination fees.

·       Offers a cash reward if it can’t beat a business’s current rates. The business must process at least $10,000 in payments per month to qualify.

·       Offers high-risk merchant accounts.

·       Each plan includes free reprogramming of existing hardware plus a free mobile card reader.

·       24/7 support staff available.

Cons:

·       Other fees, such as PCI compliance fees, aren’t easy to find.

Why we like it: National Processing, a merchant account provider with an interchange-plus fee structure, is a good solution for businesses that can afford the monthly payment and want to choose from a variety of plan options. Every plan includes free reprogramming of existing equipment and free hardware. The least expensive plans, for example, come with a free mobile card reader. The more expensive Subscription plan could be worth it for high-volume small businesses, especially because it comes with a free terminal.

Summary

Credit card processing company

Merchant account provider or payment service provider

Pricing structure

Processing fees

Monthly fee

Helcim

Merchant account provider.

Interchange-plus.

0.3% plus 8 cents and interchange per in-person payment.

N/A.

Square

Payment service provider.

Flat rate.

Starts at 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person payment.

N/A, unless using specialty software.

Stax (formerly Fattmerchant)

Merchant account provider.

Interchange-plus and a monthly fee.

Interchange plus 8 cents per in-person payment.

Starts at $99 per month for a subscription.

Payline Data

Merchant account provider.

Interchange-plus and a monthly fee.

Starts at 0.2% plus 10 cents and interchange per in-person payment.

Starts at $10 per month for a subscription. Must meet a monthly minimum of $25 in processing fees.

Payment Depot

Merchant account provider.

Interchange-plus and a monthly fee.

Starts at 15 cents plus interchange per transaction.

Starts at $79 per month for a subscription.

Stripe

Payment service provider.

Flat rate.

2.9% plus 30 cents per online payment.

N/A.

Dharma Merchant Services

Merchant account provider.

Interchange-plus and a monthly fee.

0.15% plus 8 cents and interchange per transaction.

$25 monthly fee.

National Processing

Merchant account provider.

Interchange-plus and a monthly fee.

Percentage markups vary from plan to plan.

Starts at $9.95 per month for a subscription.

 

 

Why and How to Create Long-Form Content

Google encourages us to provide helpful information to our audience. And long-form content is the right source for it. Under one roof, it offers complete details about a specific topic, thus eliminating the need for them to visit other web pages. 

Unfortunately, not many marketers know how this comprehensive content can change their online reputation and visibility. But just to name a few, you can expect endless benefits, from credibility and user engagement to backlink and social sharing opportunities.  

Let us see why long-form content is vital for your mediation or arbitration website and how it can help grow your business.

For Enhancing the SEO Rank 

Google itself revealed that people have more interest in broad topics. Long-form content covers the entire subject in detail and provides value to the readers. Thus, it becomes a ranking factor.

Additionally, more in-depth information gives us more chances of backlinking. Google keeps track of our links too. More credible links build a great image in front of the search engine. A combination of all these things contributes to getting a good SEO rank. 

For Gaining Trust 

When information is limited, people need to switch to other pages. In this way, they gather information from multiple sites. Thus, they are less likely to remember every single source.  

However, they know which site is reliable when they save time and effort by finding information from one place. The next time they need to learn about a similar topic, they directly visit that platform. 

For Better User- Engagement

When the topic is broad, we have more chances of attracting users. Engagement becomes easier since we can explain everything in detail, use examples, and add visuals. Most importantly, long-form content provides room for various visuals under one roof. 

Like you can add multiple images, insert a short video, and use infographics in a 2000-word blog post. However, in a quick 500-word post, we have limited opportunity of using multiple visuals. Too many images in a short article look odd, which is not the case in detailed content. 

After knowing the importance of long-form content, you must be curious to know how to create it. Here are a few valuable tips: 

1.  Create a Comprehensive Plan

You can never be able to create an informative piece of content until you set some goals. Think about what you want to deliver, what your readers want to know, and how this blog piece can resolve a problem. 

Once you get answers to these questions, the next step is to select a specific topic. Here are a few tips for choosing the right topic: 

●       Learn the most trending topics through Ahrefs, Content Strategy Generator, Feedly Reeder, and UberSuggest. 

●       Notice the competition on each topic and opt for the one with low competition. 

●       Look at your competitor’s topics. 

●       Stay active on social media platforms and see what your audience prefers to share.  

2. Always Create an Outline 

Since you plan to write detailed content, creating an outline is essential. Otherwise, your article can go out of track. Creating a flow in your content is vital for making the readers connected. 

Try to ensure that every paragraph is linked with the former one. Also, create headings, pointers, and subheadings, to make the content easy to understand. 

3. Research Everything in Detail 

Apart from providing comprehensive information, sharing authentic material should be your prime objective. For this, you need to perform extensive research. Give ample time and understand everything in detail. 

The following things can help you in your research: 

●       Google has information on almost everything. However, never rely on every other site. Make sure that the site is authentic and reliable. 

●       Use Google books to see what book authors say about the topic. 

●       Also, search for the latest research papers and journal articles. Sharing research in your content adds weightage to it. 

●       Look at the competitor’s content. But, always try to write content differently, even if you are picking the same topic. Use better examples, share relevant studies, and try to stand out with visuals. 

4. Create a Rough Draft 

When you are done with the outline and research, you will have multiple things in your mind. Which study was the best, what examples will look good, and which points are the most important? 

Create a rough draft where you write the key points to make things easier. In this way, you will be able to write your final draft smoothly. Take out the outline and write one point about each heading. 

For instance, you can just write “Forbes example” under the example heading. Then, in the final draft, you can explain this example in detail. 

5. Select a Suitable Tone 

Finally, when it’s time to write your content, select your tone of voice. If you keep a suitable style, you can successfully engage your audience.

Considering a few things is essential before selecting your tone. These things include:

●       Your brand’s nature 

●       Your target audience 

●       Your topic

If you have a B2B business in which you address stakeholders, CEOs, and managers, you need to adopt a professional tone. However, if you have a kid’s brand and your target audience is young moms, you can go for a friendly style. 

6. Enhance Engagement Through Visuals 

No matter how great your content is, without visuals, it looks uninteresting. 

Therefore, using visuals is essential for creating an enhancing appeal in your content. Thankfully, getting access to a wide range of visuals is not difficult these days. 

You can take real photos and use editing tools for a professional look. Real images display authenticity but require time. Alternatively, you can purchase stock photos from various sites. These stock images are excellent in quality and save a lot of time. 

Furthermore, you can share screenshots or add explainer videos. These short videos have the power to make your content viral on social media platforms. You can also add typography by using a different font for the most important sentences. 

7. Never Forget to Proofread

Remember, content can make or break your brand’s digital image. When you proofread the content, you get an opportunity to remove all errors. Therefore, always read the content from a reader’s point of view in the end. You might come up with new ideas, examples, or better vocabulary. 

Wrapping It Up 

In short, the importance of long-form content is undeniable. It brings engagement, enhances the SEO rank, and builds a positive brand identity. 

Though creating long-form content looks intimidating, a few steps can help us achieve this goal.

Steps like planning, research, rough draft, final draft, and proofreading can create great content for our audience. 

 Written by: Amos Struck

5 Ways to Make Your Mediation Practice Stand Out

The marketplace for ADR services is far more competitive now than when I first opened my own business in a tiny office in Santa Monica, CA more than 25 years ago.  Personally, I like it that way.  I enjoy competition and find that it drives me to do better.  Board games, sports, puzzle solving, and entrepreneurship have always been fun to me.  I also think it’s good for our industry.  Having an open marketplace and healthy competition means that our clients have access to many truly great providers. But with more and more professionals entering the resolution industry it’s now more important than ever before that you make your services and your practice stand head and shoulders above the rest.  

Below are 5 ways in which you can make your mediation practice stand out.

1.     Take a look at your perceived competition.  What does their website look like?  What services do they offer, what fees do they charge, what is their specific niche, how engaged are they with clients and prospective clients (do they note their articles, networking, speaking, and training)?  On what social media platforms do they post?  Note also what they post, how often, and what kind of feedback they get.  

Remember that you’ll want to strike a balance between being your sincere self and offering your practice information in a format that your clients most appreciate.  For example, if your clients really love Facebook then you need to love it too.  Love it more than your competition does and you’ll make headway. 

2.     Make a list of those things you have in common and those things that set you apart now or could set you apart with a little tweaking.  Maybe it’s going to be your customer service, making the best use of your background or experience, or perhaps leveraging your understanding of another culture or language.

Note the things your competition does really well and do them even better.  Also, note those things that you think they do poorly and make sure that you let potential clients know that you do it better.

If you decide to differentiate on fees make sure that your practice is different because you have a better understanding of how your clients want to be charged.  For example are they a frugal group that wants to pay by the hour and have each activity explained and charged separately?  Maybe your clients are more sensitive to an ‘all included’ fee schedule and just want to pay by the day and know that everything they need is covered by that fee. 

3.     Be more service-oriented.  How can you offer a different or better experience than your colleagues? How can you make your services more appealing to your clients?  Maybe it’s a pre-conference video chat to make sure that everyone is comfortable, or you give them a video, book, or workbook, to help them understand the process.  Maybe your practice is family-oriented and you offer a playroom full of toys for the children of your clients. It might be that your clients want to pay with a credit card so that they can accrue miles.  Perhaps your clients are tech-savvy and want to manage their time and case via online calendaring, document sharing platforms, etc. If so, be sure that your practice is tech-savvy for them.  Other clients will want to know that your practice makes efforts to be ‘green’.  The point is, making things not only the best but the easiest for your clients to use your service is one of the best ways to set your practice apart from the others.

4.     Mediators and arbitrators only get hired when prospective clients know us, like us, and trust us.  Connecting with people on a personal yet professional level will build stronger relationships.  Keeping in touch with past clients, not just for marketing, but for relationship building is important since they’re your primary source of referrals.  Reaching out and meeting new people who are within your primary, secondary, or tertiary target markets (or their gatekeepers).  Make a list of the associations or organizations to which your potential clients belong and decide which of those groups has the best fit for your goals.  Then, get involved.  Attend events and actively network, write articles for them, speak to them, train them, and volunteer for their board of directors.  Get involved and be a resource.

5.     This one is easy and obvious – do a good job.  Our clients aren’t delusional enough to think that we can assist in the resolution of every case that we hear.  But they definitely know when we’re giving them our all or just phoning it in. Keep up to date on what’s happening within the ADR industry (like the current demand for Online Dispute Resolution). 

Being able to give our clients the best service we can mean that we need to pay attention to the growth and wellbeing of our practices and but just as important we also need to take care of ourselves as humans.  Be well-rested, get some exercise, eat healthfully, and find activities that feed your passions. 

The Mediate.com Podcast How to Build a Thriving Mediation Practice, Part 3

In this episode, which is part 3 of a 3-part series, Natalie Armstrong-Motin---Founder and Managing Director of Marketing Resolution---discusses how mediators can build a thriving mediation practice. This episode focuses on the master level mediator and covers the following:

- How you know when you are ready to "level up" from an intermediate mediator to a master mediator

- Three ways to make more money as a master mediator

- Effective marketing activities for master mediators

- The importance of providing information and not "selling" the resolution industry

- What a mediation practice looks like for a master mediator

The Mediate.com Podcast How to Build a Thriving Mediation Practice, Part 2

this episode, which is part 2 of a 3-part series, Natalie Armstrong-Motin--Founder and Managing Director of Marketing Resolution--discusses how mediators can build a thriving mediation practice. This episode focuses on the intermediate level mediator and covers the following:

- How mediators can use permission-based marketing to promote their practice

- The importance of finding the method of marketing that feels authentic to you

- The mindset that you need to be effective at networking

- Why you should use social media and the impact of "social proofing"

This episode was also live-streamed on Marketing Resolution Marketing Monday- for Mediators and Arbitrators. You can learn more about Marketing Resolution at https://www.howtomarketmymediationpractice.com/

Mediate.com Podcast How to Build a Thriving Mediation Practice, Part 1

In this episode, which is part 1 of a 3-part series, Natalie Armstrong-Motin--Founder and Managing Director of Marketing Resolution--discusses how mediators can build a thriving mediation practice. This episode focuses on the beginning mediator and covers the following:

- the importance of the entrepreneurial mindset

- the questions you need to answer to determine strategy for building a thriving mediation practice

- the timeline for building a mediation practice, and

- the business basics for a mediation practice.

Customer service is free

Most large organizations would disagree.

Large organizations hire customer service agents to answer the phone. They set up pre-recorded messages meant to mollify their clients.  They strategically write warranties and guarantees to address customer concerns.  I would assume that they measure all of this as a cost meant to raise profit.

But mediators and arbitrators aren’t large organizations and we know that customer service is one of our best profit centers. 

We know full well that when a client or prospective client contacts us directly, this is unlike other practice development opportunities.  At this moment, the client or prospective client is really paying attention.  They’re interested.  They’re leaning in.  And whatever interaction we have with them will have a lasting effect.

Sometimes our colleagues have decided that good customer service isn’t necessary, is too much trouble, or is too expensive.  Although this is really bad for our industry, it could be a benefit to you.  If your competition has dropped the customer service ball, you can pick it up and then over deliver, thereby setting yourself apart and above. 

The most valuable client is a satisfied client.  Even if we don’t get their case to resolution, they know we worked hard and gave their case our best.  And because it’s so easy for clients to share about their experiences with us (and oh boy do they love to tell share) the word spreads quickly about you, your practice, and the good customer service you provide (or don’t). 

Ultimately, consider that the time and effort that you spend on customer service is better than free. It actually repays you many times over.

Building Your Practice Using Video or Podcasting (or The Importance Of Storytelling)

For mediators and arbitrators who are sitting down to build our practice development strategies for 2022, let me help you. It's going to be all about incorporating video and podcasting into your marketing calendars. This is great news for resolutionists. Storytelling is right in our wheelhouse. Mediators know firsthand how effective storytelling is. A well-told story creates an emotional connection between the storyteller and the listener. Stories are one of the best ways to experience something without having to experience it firsthand. 

As professionals, mediators and arbitrators know that when we tell a story well, it lowers the defenses of the listener. The same is true when resolutionists use video or podcasting to talk about our practices, our industry, our art, our communication tools, etc. 

In the same way that participants in mediation and arbitration frequently enter our rooms with their defense mechanisms set to high, as soon as a viewer clicks onto your video or podcast, their guard is up. They’re just waiting for that first ad, hard-sell promotion, the bait and switch – the catch (of course you’ll avoid doing all of those things). Being able to tell a story and tell it well, helps people unwind. They can lean back and relax, listen and enjoy, and experience the story you’re telling.

It’s important to note that this kind of interaction with a story has a big impact on brain chemistry. Listening to a great story releases specific chemicals in the brain that create the kind of empathetic reaction we know to be so powerful. 

For example, dopamine, which is associated with suspense, can help people focus, feel more motivated, and better retain the content they’re consuming. And this is good for us. We want both our clients in a mediation or arbitration as well as the viewers of our videos or listeners of our podcast to focus on the content, remember it, and feel motivated to action after listening or viewing.

Stories also release oxytocin. Oxytocin is associated with empathy and openness. So being able to tell a story that involves empathy invites the people watching or listening to become more trusting and open to your message. This helps them to transfer that trust to you, the storyteller. And we all know that the primary reason we get hired as the mediator or arbitrator is most often because the parties trust us. 

A good story also releases endorphins and phenylethylamine. Endorphins are hormones associated with laughter and having a good time. Phenylethylamine is an amine that has pharmacological properties similar to those of amphetamine and occurs naturally as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It’s present in chocolate and one of the key reasons that most of us like it so much. Phenylethylamine is the happiness chemical. And when we feel happy, well, we want more.

When someone hears a good story from you, in any medium on any platform, they react predictably.  They want more. They focus on your content, remember it, and want more of it because it makes them happy. They lean back and relax, become empathetic and open to you and your story, and they’re motivated to take action. 

 So, what makes for a good story?

Next time you have the opportunity to either tell a story or elicit a story for your video channel or podcast, follow this 8 step outline. It will work for long-form interviews as effectively as it will for video or podcast shorts. No matter how long your story is, include these 8 elements to keep your audience invested in your story and your practice. 

You’ll recognize most of these elements if you’ve studied writing, watched movies, or read any number of books. This is the outline to use to create a story that your viewers and listeners can get involved with. 

1.  Enticement

Let’s start with the video/podcast thumbnail and title. These components are like a movie trailer. Obviously, they need to be designed to get the viewers’ attention and entice them to click on your video or podcast thumbnail and start listening to your story.  Use a close-up photo of your face to create connectivity. Convey emotion in your image. Include some powerful text designed to encourage someone to click the thumbnail. Reflect the video/podcast content so that viewers get an idea of what they’re going to find (or even what they won’t find) in your video or podcast. If your thumbnail is misleading or doesn’t make sense, it erodes trust in you and your content.

Once they’ve clicked onto your video or podcast – here’s what they need to see and hear.

 2.  Character

Clearly identify the character in the story. This could be you or someone you’re talking about. It could also be someone you’re interviewing. This part can be as simple as introducing yourself and giving your soft elevator pitch. This kind of introduction leads easily and naturally into the next step of identifying what the character wants.

3.  Desire

This step is identifying what the character desires. For example, if your character is a hypothetical client, we all know the most standard list of what our clients want from us – reasonable and durable closure, a faster process, access to justice, a voice, a less expensive process, etc. If your character is you, you know better than anyone what the pain points are. If your character is a guest that you’re interviewing, use your mediator skills and ask open-ended questions that lead to the disclosure of your guest’s desires. 

Most of the time, these desires aren’t very complicated. In fact the simpler you keep the desires in your storytelling, the better. 

4.  Obstacles

As your story moves from character development and identification of the character’s desires, now is the time to weave in the obstacles. Tell us what is keeping your character from getting what they desire. Is it resources, support, time management, or wrong information? Is it a lack of conviction, lingering self-doubt, or a form of discrimination? 

Whatever the obstacle, keep it simple and relatable, and don’t hesitate to have more than one obstacle facing your character. Frequently, having a compound list of hurdles for your character makes your story even more appealing.

5.  Risk

At this point in your story, you want to tell us what’s at risk if your character doesn’t get what she wants. Stories that bring our fears to light encourage empathy with the view/listener. They likely have similar fears and will be able to relate to the character and thereby you. When we see someone else conquer these similar fears, it feels like we have, in some small way, also conquered that fear. This transference feels good. And that’s what we as storytellers want – our audience to feel good and get that rush of brain chemicals. 

6.  Hero

The hero of the story could be a person, an activity, or a thing. This is the time to introduce who or what gets your character what they need. It could be sound counsel from a mentor or advisor, introduction to a new resource, appropriate use of a new process, or any other motivational tool that helps your character find their way out of the struggle and beyond the obstacles. 

7.  How

In this part of your story, you want to tell us the ‘how’. What specifically was the activity, advice, or resource that let your character finally get what she needs and what she’s been wanting from the beginning of the story? Tell us using an explanation, demonstration or role-play, or a tutorial. This is where you give the viewer/listener the “good stuff”. 

8.  Transformation

Lastly, we all want to know how the character in your story has been transformed by getting what they want or need. How did conquering their fears and overcoming the obstacles in the story get all of us to the happy ending? Step 8 is the conclusion. It’s the fitting end to what might have been a predictable storyline, but it’s the reasonable, durable solution, and ultimately the happy ending that makes us keep listening to see the story come to a satisfactory conclusion. 

With this outline of 8 simple steps, you’ll be able to take your storytelling via video or podcast to the next level. Your stories will help you reach your practice goals because your prospective clients will have an opportunity to get to know you, to like you, and be reassured that they can trust you. Taking advantage of video and podcast platforms in your marketing strategy will be a game-changer. 

If you need help with setting up your strategy or creating a video channel or podcast channel, please don’t hesitate to reach out in the comment section below or via direct message and I’ll be happy to help you.

6 Habits That Help Successful People Maximize Their Time

There aren't enough hours in the day, but these tips will make them feel slightly more productive.

By Blake Johnson August 31, 2021

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur United States, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Everyone gets the same 24 hours in a day, but it's what we do with those 1440 minutes that separates the successful from the stagnant. 

If you want to edge out the competition, hit your goals and achieve more than the week should allow, these following clock hacks should help...

Think like a lazy person

Is it quicker to load a dishwasher or to personally scrub every single utensil? The result is the same, regardless of how you get there, but the effort involved is drastically different. Josephine Cochran's 19th century attempt to first apply water pressure to plates wasn't just innovative, it was lazy. She didn't want to hand wash every single spoon and found a way to do it more efficiently.

Instead of simply sitting down to do tedious work, see if you can find a way to make the work less tedious. Create workflows, automations and innovations that allow you to do more with less effort, then use that time tackling the next problem. By the time you take a break to look back you will realize that you are miles ahead of the competition.

Related: How to Effectively Measure and Track Employee Productivity

Don't do your tasks in order

The risk with to-do lists is that most people assume they must be completed linearly. When it comes to these chores, it isn’t wise to simply start at the top. Instead, apply time estimations to every item. Find yourself with ten minutes between meetings? Knock-off a tiny task. Plane delayed by two hours? Tackle a larger item. Do what you can when you can and be amazed by what you can accomplish throughout the day.

Maximize transit time

 Instead of staring out your cabin window on a plane, scrolling through Instagram in an Uber, or people-watching on the subway, make travel work for you. Commuting can be great for replying to emails, prepping for upcoming meetings and, when all else fails, continuing education. Skip the in-flight movie and listen to a podcast, make your way through a leadership book or read some articles written by experts. The idea is to treat every moment spent sitting as an opportunity. 

Consider the ROI

Every time you think about committing to something, consider the potential return on investment. Grabbing a drink with an old friend may sound like a good use of time, but is it really? If getting buzzed with a buddy takes away from your work, family or education, it may not be worth the investment. Ask yourself if the reward justifies the cost. Rest and relaxation is, of course, important---but anything you do strictly out of obligation may not be worth the time spent, and it is ok to say "no" when the ROI is not favorable.

Related: 3 Tips for Optimizing Your Ecommerce Marketing Strategy

Outsource the rest

Most business leaders want to think that they need to be heavily involved in every aspect of their ventures, but the cold reality (and hacky cliche) is that trying to be a jack of all trades makes you a master of none. Instead, figure out what your superpower is and develop that until absolutely no one can do it better than you. Do not concern yourself with the things you do not naturally excel at. Find people that excel in areas that you are weak and let them fly. Something magical happens when you find what you are good at and outsource the rest---everything moves faster! When you get the proper people in the right roles, no one will be bogged down by things that challenge them. Everything gets streamlined and the results can be truly astounding. .

Related: 10 Successful Entrepreneurs on Why Delegating Effectively Is Difficult But Necessary

WRITTEN BY

Blake Johnson

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor

Blake Johnson is a Los Angeles based entrepreneur who has successfully founded and sold a variety of businesses that currently exceed $1.1 billion in valuations. His most recent endeavor is direct-to-consumer dental aligner company, Byte.

75+ Content Marketing Statistics Every Marketer Needs to Know

Tom Read

Content marketing is a practice that’s as old as America itself. Believe it or not, Benjamin Franklin leveraged content to promote his printing business in 1739.

Today, some 300 years later, technology allows us to access more content than ever. Content marketing is hugely popular and extremely effective, which is why we’ve put together this huge list of 80+ content marketing statistics for 2021.

So, how can businesses make the most of the rising demand for content?

To be clear, content marketing does not involve traditional paid-for advertisements. Content marketing advertises your brand by providing value to the viewer for free (through content).

Perfecting your content and strategy can be difficult… but don’t worry! Our data-backed guide will give you the lowdown on all aspects of content marketing.

Without further ado, here are 80+ content marketing statistics!

Content Marketing in 2021

First things first, let’s take a look at the general state-of-play in content marketing.

How popular is content? What’s the potential reach of content marketing efforts? And what’re marketers saying about the industry in 2021?

1. Content Marketing is Worth Over $400 Billion

Make no mistake about it: content marketing is big business.

The industry commands a seismic valuation of around $400 billion in 2021. Content marketing will only get bigger as more people join the internet, and marketers create more content to feed the demands of this growing audience.

Speaking of which, how many internet users are there?

2. 59% of The Global Population is Online in 2021

There are well over 4.6 billion internet users in 2021. That means 59% of the world’s population are on the internet!

That’s pretty staggering and just goes to show that online content can potentially reach a massive audience.

4.33 billion users access the internet through a mobile device, and 4.2 billion internet users have a presence on social media sites. These statistics should stay fresh in the mind of any content marketer who wants to maximize the effectiveness and reach of their content.

3. Customers Value Great Content

Customers find a lot of “value” in branded content, and this word should be at the core of a business’ content strategy

Content can serve customers with information and knowledge without making them feel like they’re being pitched a sale, and this can see positive impacts on revenue further down the line.

Having a strong content strategy can make the difference between a customer choosing your brand or a competitor. According to one study, 61% of customers say they prefer a brand that has a “content presence.”

The theme is the same in the B2B sector. DemandGen found that 95% of B2B clients believe content helps them trust a business.

4. Marketers Invest Significant Resources into Content

The majority of businesses now invest in a content marketing strategy. That’s hardly surprising given the benefits of serving such a thriving (and willing) online audience.

Businesses are investing in content marketing more than ever at the moment. In fact, 25-30% of the average business’ marketing budget is spent on content marketing in 2021, and 24% of marketers plan to increase their content spend in the future.

A recent surge in online usage, and the increasingly obvious value of content marketing tactics, are two factors that are driving major growth in the industry.

5. Most Internet Users Are Young Adults

So let’s break it down… What kind of people can you target with your online content?

The majority of online users are young adults. 50% to be exact, and 32% of these young adults are aged from 25 to 34.

Content that’s aimed at older audiences tends to be more niche online. Middle-aged and old-aged users are not as common online, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see huge results when targeting these people!

Whichever demographics you target with content, it’s worth catering to an American audience every once in a while. 26% of adults in the United States are “almost always online.”

6. Narrative Content is The Most Successful

Whoever marketers and businesses choose to target with content, they must use their voice to tell stories. This is a defining characteristic within most of the top performing content marketers.

Stories are all around us, and building one for your brand through content is extremely important. People love hearing stories, too, whether that’s the story of a business’ beginnings, or the narratives placed within a specific piece of content.

In a survey of UK citizens, 80% of people said they prefer brands that tell stories with their marketing materials. This is a crucial element to great content.

7. Content Builds Brand Credibility

Customers trust content. This is important to remember, because the same can’t always be said about traditional adverts and marketing methods.

People trust content because it provides a reliable source of information, and it doesn’t push products or services onto potential customers.

The trust people place in your content translates into trust for your business. Building this credibility is really important if you want a loyal customer base.

The best content marketers note this effect more than others — their content provides more value to people, it is trusted, and this lifts the reputation of a brand.

That’s why 96% of the best performing content marketers believe their content builds credibility with viewers (CMI).

8. Content Marketing is Key to an Overall Marketing Strategy

Content is important. Don’t you ever forget it!

Content marketing is effective, and can provide a multitude of solutions to businesses and customers alike.

The benefits of content marketing are tangible, which explains why 60% of marketers rate content as either “very important” or “extremely important” to their marketing strategy.

9. What Skills Do Content Marketers Need?

Content marketing requires a varied mix of skills in order to achieve success.

Marketers rate knowledge of social media marketing as the most important area of expertise, while search engine optimization, and the ability to implement a working strategy, are also important for content marketing success.

10. What Defines Success in Content Marketing?

What traits are common amongst those who are succeeding in content marketing?

The use of metrics to measure success, and a decisive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, are two factors that have defined content marketing success over the last year or so.

Editorial calendars were also employed by the majority of successful content marketers.

These practices were less common amongst unsuccessful marketers. In fact, just 21% of unsuccessful marketers use a content marketing strategy, which is part of the reason so few of these marketers have a sophisticated content marketing campaign.

11. Content Marketing Needs Clear Goals

In Semrush’s research, “generating quality leads” was the number one goal for content marketers.

This is more important now than it ever has been, while driving traffic and increasing brand reputation are two more major benefits that marketers are targeting with their content.

In a separate study by the Content Marketing Institute, B2C marketers cited “brand awareness” and “build credibility/trust” as their two greatest content goals, with 81% and 76% of marketers citing these aims respectively.

These goals have risen to prominence amongst B2C marketers, while just 52% of B2C content marketers aimed to “generate leads.”

The presence of B2B marketers in Semrush’s study suggests that lead generation is more important for B2B marketers, while reputation is the biggest draw of content in the B2C sector.

12. How Common is a B2C Content Marketing Strategy?

73% of B2C marketers employ a content marketing strategy. These marketers could be part of an agency or a marketing team within a business.

This strategy is not documented for 31% of marketers, while another 28% of respondents don’t have a strategy at all.

That’s risky, given what we know about the importance of a sophisticated strategy to content marketing success. Speaking of which, how sophisticated are marketers’ content strategies?

13. Complex Strategies Are Popular With Successful Marketers

Semrush found that most marketers are still learning the ropes of content marketing.

Just 20% of content marketers have an “advanced” strategy, though, you can guarantee these marketers will see the best results.

14. Content Marketing Faces Certain Challenges

Generating enough leads is the primary struggle for 51% of marketers, while garnering the desired amount of traffic is a struggle for 47% of marketers.

Hitting the desired target audience is another major challenge, as is SEO and finding relevant ideas for new pieces of content.

In another study, 60% of content marketers found it challenging to produce adequate content consistently, which is supported by some of the challenges listed in Semrush’s survey.

15. COVID-19 Has Inspired Some Adjustments

Content marketers had to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of the way they run their organizations, and the type of content they produce.

The top reported change amongst B2C marketing organizations was an alteration to messaging and targeting.

The sensitivity of the COVID-19 pandemic has required a more comforting and empathetic voice from businesses. Organizations also placed a greater emphasis on building online communities, while promotion strategies were altered by 46% of B2C marketers.

16. COVID-19 Will Have Long & Short-Term Changes

85% of organizations have made short-term adjustments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses are preparing to live with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, too. 57% of B2C marketers have made long-term changes to the way they operate.

9% of marketers were unsure about the changes their organization has made. These marketers may simply not know what changes have been made, or their organization may lack a response to the pandemic altogether.

Measurable Impacts of Success Content Marketing

Next, we’ll take a look at the measurable impacts marketers can expect when they employ content marketing tactics.

Traffic, engagement, ROI. How does content marketing influence these key success metrics?

17. Content Boosts Traffic and Backlinks…

Content boosts any website’s ability to receive search engine traffic. It achieves this, in large part, through backlinks.

A page receives backlinks when other pieces of online content reference that page through a link. This could be a blog post that links itself to your content because of a point you have made, or a piece of research you have presented.

Gathering backlinks posits your content, website, and business as a “trustworthy” source of information. All of which will index your website on search engines. The more backlinks on your site, the better chance a site has of ranking higher on search engines.

Higher-ranked websites receive more internet traffic. This ultimately increases the number of leads a business can generate.

18. …And Increases Engagement and Leads

Marketers agree that content marketing improves people’s engagement with a business, and its marketing materials.

This means people are more interested in your brand and content — they’re more likely to read, watch, or interact with whatever materials your business is producing.

Increased engagement leads to an increase in the number of leads…

19. Content is a Great Return on Investment

The “return-on-investment” that businesses can see from content marketing is staggering. That’s because it costs less than other methods, and can return far more leads.

According to First Page Sage, a well-executed content marketing strategy returns, on average, $984,000 in profits for businesses and marketers.

This healthy return explains why 98% of B2B marketers believe that the performance of marketing content justifies its cost (Walker Sands).

20. Great Content Creates Return Customers

Remember we mentioned how content can build trust, credibility, and awareness amongst people? Those benefits do not only materialize in the form of new leads. Content marketing generates loyalty amongst existing customers too.

Tiger Fitness found that most of its customers returned as a result of its content marketing strategy.

That’s a recipe for success, providing consistency and longevity for a business’ revenue.

21. *Site Traffic Is Unique Too

Content marketing not only promotes returning customers, but it also gathers unique viewers. This is why content can generate so many fresh leads.

The very best marketers can obtain new visitors to their site with regularity. This can only have a positive impact on the success of a business/brand.

22. Content Converts

When it comes to the end-stages of the buyer’s journey, content marketing increases a customer’s likelihood of making a purchase (of converting).

The credibility of a brand’s content can inspire customers to trust brands with their purchase. Customers are confident they will receive a great product, because of the expertise and value your business has already demonstrated.

An increase in traffic, leads, and conversions with a fantastic return-on-investment drives an overall increase in revenue and profits.

In other words, content marketing can have a massive impact on the success of your business!

The Best Types of Content

In section 3, we’ll take a look at specific types of content. What types of content are there? What impacts can they have? And what are the best practices when using them?

23. What Are The Most Popular Types of B2C Content?

B2C marketers prioritize blog posts and short articles over every other form of content.

83% of B2C marketers use blogs and articles, while 74% of B2C marketers send email newsletters. Pre-produced videos were also very popular, owing to the level of engagement and impact they can generate.

Live-streamed video content saw the highest year-on-year increase of any category. 35% of B2C marketers live-streamed in 2020, a significant rise from 13% of marketers the year before.

Live streaming wasn’t the only form of content providing an element of real-time social contact between brands and customers. More B2C marketers are using virtual events, webinars, and online courses now, increasing from 27% to 39% in 2020.

Predictably, in-person events decreased for B2C agencies, falling from 50% use in 2019. Just 37% of marketers hosted in-person events in 2020.

24. What Are The Most Popular Types of B2B Content?

It’s a similar story for B2B marketers, though there are a few notable differences.

Blog content is even more common amongst B2B marketers, as is the use of case studies (68%) and webinars/virtual events/online courses (67%). These saw a jump in usage amongst B2B marketers, rising from 57% in 2019.

B2B agencies rely more heavily upon in-person corporate events, and, as such, have seen a greater drop-off here. 73% of B2B marketers used in-person events in 2019, which fell to 42% in 2020.

Live streaming rose from an insignificant 10% in 2019 to be used by 29% of B2B marketers in 2020.

Elsewhere, e-books, guides, white papers, and long-form content are more commonly used by B2B marketers compared to B2C. That signifies the sector’s need to provide comprehensive amounts of information to potential clients and partners.

25. Which Content Types Are Shared The Most?

If spreading the word of your business as far and wide as possible is the goal of your content strategy, then infographics represent the best possible return.

Infographics are shared more often on social media than any other type of content. Listicles also receive a lot of shares, as do various other types of informative blog-style content.

26. What Are The Most Engaging Content Types?

So, infographics get shared the most, but what types of content receive the best overall social engagement? That means views, interactions, likes, shares, and comments.

HubSpot found that images, such as infographics, graphics, and photography, get fantastic levels of engagement.

Videos also perform well on the whole, and text-based social media posts are the third-most engaging form of social media content.

27. Publishing Original Research is Key For Growth

Another thing that’s becoming more and more important by the year is original research. According to content marketers, using original research in content almost always returns results.

Original research is new research collected by a content creator or organization that is used to craft the content, as opposed to borrowing pieces of information from various other sources.

This could be a study or survey. Survey-based publishing is the most common form of original research, conducted by 65% of marketers (BuzzSumo).

Going that extra mile to gather data posits a brand as an innovator, solidifying its position as a credible, expert source of information. This generates a ton of backlinks — a reason why original content returns such great results.

In fact, 94% of marketers believe that original research boosts the authority of a brand.

28. The State of Blogging in 2021

Blogs are everywhere. If you hadn’t guessed already, they’re quite important to customers and marketers.

Blogs are really popular amongst internet users. 80% of online users read them, and there are over 500 million blog posts in total.

29. Blogs Still Drive Traffic

Blogs drive organic traffic to a website more than any other form of content. They generally receive more backlinks than other content types, and this results in heightened brand awareness.

All of these benefits work to generate leads for your business. Blogging, specifically, can boost lead generation by 67% every month.

30. What’s the Perfect Blog Length?

What length of blog content should businesses create? The average blog post is just 1,269 words long, so there’s certainly a market for shorter blogs. Yet research suggests longer content is often the best way to inform an audience and drive engagement.

According to one study, shares and long-form content go hand-in-hand, with blog posts between 3000 and 10000 words receiving the most of them.

Long-form articles are comprehensive resources that cover topics in-depth. That’s why they are shared between parties. It’s also the reason long-form content can generate 9X more leads than shorter forms.

31. How Often Should You Post on a Blog?

This is a pretty common question in 2021: how often should you post?

The answer can be different for each social media platform, but when it comes to maximizing search engine traffic, the results are pretty consistent across websites.

Somewhere between 3 and 5 posts a week is the sweet spot. Bloggers can receive a great boost to organic traffic and brand awareness within this range.

32. Add Visual Content to Your Blog

Adding visuals to your blog, whether that’s videos, interactive content, or infographics, will enhance the effectiveness of informative blog content.

65% of people respond best to visual information, so it stands to good reason that visuals will help people learn and retain what you have to say.

Visual content is still underused on blogs. Venngage revealed that just 49% of marketers use visual content on their blog or website. That’s surprising, as it’s a tried-and-tested tactic to improve content quality.

33. Infographics Are Key to Creating Instructional Content

Talking of visual content and blogs, infographics are the perfect visual medium for informative content.

Infographics increase readability by 80%, presenting information clearly and concisely. Ultimately, people follow instructions far better with the help of infographics.

Marketers who use them see results. 84% of marketers say they find infographics “effective” (Infographic World).

34. Use Color in Infographics

Adding a splash of color to your infographics isn’t a bad idea either. This is going to take your infographics to the next level.

Colorful infographics draw in the viewer’s attention, and color boosts the retention of information once the viewer reads the infographic’s content.

It works the same as a colorful poster that commands your gaze. Eye-catching, colorful designs stay in the mind — in which case, avoid black and white infographics!

35. Everyone Loves Video Content

Research from Wyzowl demonstrates the value of another form of visual content, video, which has undoubtedly seen the biggest growth over the last few years.

We’ve seen the rise of online streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, while YouTube has strengthened its position as the biggest video streaming platform. This upward trend means video is already the dominant form of internet traffic. By 2022, video will make up 82% of all internet traffic.

Internet users and marketers can’t get enough of video because it’s super engaging. It’s certainly one of the most engaging forms of content, and new technologies (such as VR and interactive video) suggest this theme will not change anytime soon.

36. Video Provides Excellent ROI

Marketers unanimously agree that video boosts performance across a range of metrics, from time on-site to lead generation and sales.

Video can increase organic traffic by 157% and user time-on-site by 105%, while video can double conversion rates compared to non-video marketing methods.

Tangible increases in traffic encourage a higher number of leads, and this creates an up-turn in revenue.

In other words, the ROI of video is pretty amazing, and you’re missing out on plenty of potential benefits if it’s not part of your content strategy.

37. What Video Types Are Marketers Using?

Explainer videos are used by marketers more than any other type of video content. This is consistent with almost every other form of content — informative materials are prioritized by marketers and users.

People love watching explainer videos. Explainers can transmit a lot of information to the viewer in a short amount of time.

Brand videos that explain products or services are the perfect form of explainer video to use. Wyzowl’s study found that 96% of users watch explainers when they want to learn about a product/service.

Social media videos are another popular form of video for marketers, while presentations are a great way for B2B businesses to generate leads.

38. Short-Form Video is Best

Short-form video is favorable in 2021.

Evidence of this trend can be seen in the growth of short-video platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.

People are demanding quicker, more digestible forms of video content. That means businesses should get their message across as quickly and efficiently as possible. Doing so will engage and retain viewers far better than longer videos.

Two-thirds of consumers state that they prefer short videos when learning about products. It’s so important that businesses get the message across in less than 90 seconds. Achieve this, and you should see big results!

39. Video Boosts Click Through Rates

Calls to action (CTAs) are more impactful when used in videos. The engagement that video content creates means viewers will often engage with a CTA.

That makes for great reading if you’re a social media marketer. Stories platforms and short-video platforms, such as those mentioned above, make for the perfect locations to insert CTAs.

Instagram Stories, for example, has a ton of functionality that allows you to place interactive “swipe-up” prompts into your videos. When videos are shorter, more viewers are retained, which means more potential customers see your call-to-action.

40. Live Streaming Continues to Grow in Popularity

We mentioned the rise of live streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, here it is in numbers. The industry saw unbelievable growth in 2020!

It’s this growth that has led the live streaming market to a mammoth valuation, expected to reach $247 billion by 2027.

Throughout a global pandemic, live streaming has allowed brands and viewers to digitally interact with one another, somewhat filling the void of social interaction felt by those in lockdown.

The social aspects of live streaming are a key benefit for marketers. 79% of marketers say that the form creates an “authentic interaction” between the streamer and the audience (GO-Globe).

The industry has also benefited from increases in user downtime and social media use. Though, live streaming was expected to see a significant rise, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s because live video is more engaging than static video. Live-streamed video can hold a viewer’s attention 10 to 20X longer than standard, pre-recorded videos.

41. Live Stream Video Quality Matters

The quality of your live stream is really important, and I’m not just talking about the content. Viewers will abandon your stream if the image quality or frame rate of the live video is poor.

I understand this may, at times, be out of your control: The live streaming platform could be poorly optimized for loading/streaming efficiency, or the user’s connection could prevent them from getting a good quality stream.

But there are things you can do to reduce the chances of hosting a bad-quality stream.

Make sure your internet connection is fast and reliable. Choose a high-profile platform (like those mentioned above), and invest in quality equipment. That means buying a high-definition camera for your business or agency!

42. Podcasts Are Booming

Podcasts have seen a huge growth in viewership over the last decade or so, largely down to the accessibility of video/audio streaming platforms and the rise of popular creators.

55% of U.S. consumers say they listen to (or have listened to) a podcast. Podcast listeners are generally younger, too, making this popular form a great way to target teens and young adults.

In 2021, 56% of podcast listeners are aged 12-34 (Edison). Viewership share amongst this age group is growing, too, up from 49% in 2020.

Around 39% of viewers are aged 34-54, meaning there is still a market for podcasts targeted at middle-aged listeners.

43. Podcast Listeners Act Differently

People listen to a podcast differently to how they would normally read an article, or watch a video.

Podcast listeners will sit through the entire podcast just 52% of the time. That’s not necessarily because they don’t like the content. Podcasts are often over an hour long, and users may just want to listen to a portion of the podcast at one time.

The answer to this trend may also lie within the setting in which users listen to podcasts. Audio content allows users to listen on the move. According to one study, 22% of people listen to podcasts while driving (Podcast Insights).

That means key topics and messages should be covered with clarity in the podcast, preferably during the first half. The start of your podcast should be extra engaging as well.

44. Podcasts Need to Start Strong And Grab Attention

Kick your podcast off with a bang. Mention a really interesting topic, or something hyper-relevant to the audience. People generally jump between podcasts before they commit to the best option.

That means you need to really “sell” your podcast for that all-important first 5 minutes. You could also give the audience a quick rundown of everything you’ll cover on the podcast — that should help convince a lot of users to stay.

45. Most Webinar Registrations Happen Just Before The Event

Webinars typically receive a boost in sign-ups in the days leading up to the event.

According to Wyzowl, 62% of marketers use webinars, and 91% of these find webinars to be successful. Webinars work perfectly, driving 20-40% of attendees to become leads and around 2-5% of viewers to make a purchase.

In which case, harnessing the sign-up process to maximize the audience of your webinar is important to get the best results.

Marketers using webinars should extend their promotion cycle beyond 2 weeks before the webinar. GoToWebinar’s data suggests promoting early sign-ups could benefit businesses, while sending event reminders on the day could prompt registrants to tune in.

One-third of users watch the webinar replay, so make sure the content of your webinar is rewatchable at a later date. Don’t overly-reference the date or time, for example.

46. White Papers Are Great At The Start of The Buyer’s Journey

White papers are a widely used form in B2B marketing and are a great way to explain a product or service in-depth.

According to one study, 76% of readers use white papers to learn new information. On a side note, 78% say that a good white paper should not feel like a marketing resource, so keep the “salesy” language to a minimum.

White papers are perfect for the early stages of the buyer’s journey, as are e-books. Assessments are perfect for the middle of the sales funnel, while case studies represent the best value for late-stage buyers.

47. Interactive Content Has a Huge Impact on Marketing Efforts

Interactive content is any piece of content that promotes user action, rather than passive consumption. Interactive content could be a quiz, an interactive social media story, a 360-degree video, or an interactive infographic.

Interactive content is impactful because of the level of engagement that it promotes. That’s why it gets twice the conversions of static content.

48. What Types of Interactive Content Are Most Popular?

What types of interactive content are prioritized by marketers? 52% of them are using interactive infographics.

These boost the value of your content by making visual learning more engaging, which increases the amount of information readers are likely to remember.

Marketers also use interactive brand contests, to maximize reach and engagement, while quizzes are another popular form of interactive content.

Quizzes are easy to create and can be hosted through platforms like Instagram Stories. They’re super-engaging, with an average conversion rate of 50%!

49. Interactive Content Works Across the Buyer’s Journey

According to a study, 93% of marketers rate interactive content as “effective.” Its impact is driving greater adoption amongst marketers. In a separate survey, 88% of marketers said they plan to make at least 10% of their content interactive within 2 years (DemandGen).

As more marketers begin to use interactive content, it helps to know how (and when) to use it. CMI’s research shows that contents and quizzes are great for early-stage buyers, while calculators are a good middle-stage form, and configurators work well in the late-stages of the buyer’s journey.

The Best Content Marketing Channels & Strategies

You’ve had a look at some of the most important forms of content. Now, where should you publish your marketing materials?

In this section, we’ll be looking at the best places to post, along with all of the best tactics and strategies to boost the effect on each channel.

50. What Channels Do B2C Marketers Use Most?

Valuable research from the Content Marketing Institute shows the places where marketers love to place their organic content. In the B2C sector, social media and search engines are the 2 most effective platforms for marketers.

Email marketing was used by 76% of respondents, while third-party publications are used by just 28% of marketers to distribute content.

51. What Channels Do B2B Marketers Use Most?

Social media is the most common organic platform amongst B2B content marketers as well, used by 89% of respondents.

Email marketing is the second-best channel in the B2B sector, and websites/blogs are the third best place to publish content. These 3 platforms are all employed by the vast majority of respondents.

Notable decreases include the use of third-party publications, which has fallen from 48% to be used by 38% of B2B marketers throughout 2020. Media/influencer relations were previously used by 34% of marketers, but today that figure stands at just 24%.

52. Paid vs Unpaid Channels For Content Marketing

Are marketers generally distributing paid content or organic content? In other words, are marketers paying to display ads or are they releasing free community-led materials?

72% of B2B and B2C marketers used paid channels in 2020. This has fallen compared to previous years. 85% of B2C marketers used paid channels in 2019.

The data shows that organic content is becoming more important — valued by both consumers and marketers alike.

Amongst those marketers that have used paid channels throughout 2020, social media platforms and search engines remained the 2 biggest places to publish paid content.

Sponsorships are the third most common paid channel in B2B, while banner ads are employed by 50% of B2C marketers.

53. Which Organic Socials Do B2C Marketers Use?

Social media is the most important channel for marketers, though B2B and B2C marketers find value in different social platforms.

B2C marketers prioritize Facebook over any other social media site. Facebook’s monumental reach and varied media forms provide the perfect vehicle for marketing content.

Instagram is incorporating modern video elements to build on its impressive influencer culture. B2C marketers are using Instagram more than ever, with 81% of marketers using it in 2020, compared to 74% in 2019.

YouTube has strengthened its position as the biggest video streaming platform for marketers. 72% of B2C marketers used it in 2020, compared to 62% in 2019.

54. Which Organic Socials Do B2B Marketers Use?

The favored social media channels are completely different for B2B marketers. Facebook is used by 82% of B2B marketers, but the dominant social platform is LinkedIn. 96% of B2B content marketers used LinkedIn in 2020.

Twitter is more popular among B2B marketers, too, while YouTube has seen the biggest rise in the sector. YouTube was used by 53% of B2B respondents in 2019, yet this figure rose to 62% in 2020. Another signal of video’s continual growth.

55. Online Communities Are Great for Content Marketing Strategy

Building “online communities” on platforms can be a really important factor in content marketing success. With a larger following on a blog, social media site, or mailing list, marketers can instantly reach a large (and very engaged) audience.

Fostering an online community should be a focus of any business in 2021. 85% of marketers and community builders think branded online communities improve the customer’s journey while building trust (CMX).

CMI’s survey shows that more B2C marketers have established a community than B2B marketers.

This owes to community building’s greater importance in business-to-customer relations, while establishing a B2B community is more challenging. 31% of B2B marketers hope to build an online community in the future.

56. SEO is Still a Top Tactic in Content Marketing

What tactics are marketers using to deliver results?

Semrush found that marketers rate SEO as the most effective tactic when it comes to marketing with content. Search engine optimization has seen an increase in importance since 2019.

SEO is so crucial for content marketers because it allows a piece of content or a webpage to rank higher on search engines.

95% of users only visit the first page of search results, while 50% of all clicks go on the top 3 results. Getting closer to the top is critical, then.

Get this right and content can achieve amazing results. SEO can boost traffic over 1000% higher than organic social media.

57. Google Ranking Factors in 2021

Google is by far the largest search engine, with 90% of internet users choosing it in favor of alternatives. A look at Google’s algorithm should show us how to create high-ranking content.

When you’re optimizing for the Google search engine, keyword research is really important. Title keywords carry 22% of the algorithm weight, while placing the right keywords throughout the body and headers of your content will add to this effect.

Posting consistently engaging content has the single largest impact on your Google ranking. Gathering backlinks to your website/webpage is important, too, as is demonstrating expertise in your niche.

Hit these parameters when you create content for Google, and you’ll be ranking high in no time!

58. You Need Optimize for Voice Search

You shouldn’t just be optimizing your content for typed searches, either. Optimizing for voice search will future-proof your content on search engines.

55% of households will have a smart speaker, such as an Amazon Alexa, by 2022.

Many people already search using the AI assistant on their smartphone. Knowing which keywords to include in your title and written content will help you reach this growing audience.

Google says that 70% of voice-searches with its AI assistant use “natural language.” That’s concurrent with the above graph, which shows that voice searches are often longer.

Voice searches use more question phrases as well, so consider these in your keywords and tags. Moz noticed a 135% increase in “who” searches, a 79% increase in “when,” and a 75% increase in “where” — all because of AI assistants.

59. Optimize Your Website for Speed

Your website should be optimized for searches, but it should also be optimized for speed.

Making sure your website loads quickly will prevent your page from losing engagements, leads, and sales.

A slow-loading site is a major issue for internet users. Most users will leave if your site doesn’t load in less than 3 seconds.

60. Where in the Sales Funnel Should Content Go?

Marketers are creating/distributing most of their content to early-stage buyers. This is purely informative content that hopes to coerce readers deeper into the funnel with its value.

This content can get a ton of engagements and views, prioritizing brand awareness for further gains expected in the future.

61. The Best Days for Sharing Content

Tuesday is the best day to post content on social media, which is concurrent with other studies.

Publishing content on a Wednesday sees the next best return, with a high number of shares, while users often interact with posts on a Monday, too.

The weekend is not normally a great time of the week to target with your posts. People are busy on weekends and are not engaging with content nearly as much as they are throughout the week.

62. The Best Content Management Platforms

What content management platform should businesses use when setting up a website or blog?

WordPress is the largest content management platform, with a market share of 65%.

40% of all websites use WordPress, which is the favorite among 18% of marketers (HubSpot).

WordPress’ popularity means it is a good place to start, although it’s not necessarily the platform of choice for bloggers. Tumblr is the biggest blogging platform. It’s home to nearly 500 million blogs.

63. Mobile Optimization is Key

A functional and responsive mobile site goes a long way in this day and age. Billions of internet users access websites on their mobile phones. Making this experience as easy as possible makes content more accessible for mobile visitors, and reduces site abandonment.

Responsive loading times and a clear, simplistic design will improve a user’s mobile experience of your business and content. This will only boost the effectiveness of content marketing strategies on mobile.

Optimizing a website for the mobile viewer can triple a brand’s chances of achieving mobile conversion rates of 5% or above, yet just 35% of brands have a mobile-optimized site (Invesp).

64. Keep Content Posts Short on Facebook

Short posts perform best on Facebook. Businesses that keep descriptions, captions, and external links shorter have the best chance of succeeding on the platform.

If you’re posting an image or video, avoid vague language and needless sentences. Let your content do the talking and you could see major boosts in engagement.

65. Add a Thumbnail for Facebook Sharing

Adding a thumbnail to your post will improve engagement as well. Article posts that show a thumbnail receive over 3X more shares than Facebook posts without one.

Visual content catches users’ attention and draws them into engaging with your article. Posts can merge into a sea of timeline updates if you’re not careful. Adding a thumbnail prevents this from happening.

Facebook can even choose a thumbnail for you when you post video content, making the process super-easy. There’s really no excuse to not be using one!

66. Video (and Live Video) Wins on Facebook

Talking of Facebook video, it’s the best type of content you can publish on the platform.

Video is one of the most engaging types of media, and, on Facebook, video receives a greater reach because of this superior level of engagement.

You can one-up static video marketers by using the Facebook Live feature. Facebook Live is an important live video platform for marketers — it allows businesses to connect with a huge audience through a captivating medium.

Whatever type of video you decide to use, make sure you add subtitles. According to Digiday, 85% of Facebook users watch videos without the sound turned on.

67. The Most Popular Influencer Marketing Platforms

A lot of marketers use social media influencers to distribute their content and advertising materials. This is called influencer marketing.

It’s becoming increasingly prominent with content marketers. As social platforms grow larger, more influencers gather bigger followings, which means marketing through these people is becoming more impactful.

Granted, most influencer campaigns involve an ad or product placement. Some marketers, however, do get results when distributing content here or collaborating with influencers. It can be a great way to reach your target audience.

Instagram is currently the best place to find influencers, used by 68% of marketers. Though, the platform’s usage has fallen from 80% last year.

The biggest riser in the field has been TikTok. TikTok’s record-breaking rise has seen it climb from insignificance to be used by 45% of influencer marketers — backed by an army of popular creators.

68. Twitch and TikTok Are Emerging and Worth Watching

Data from the Upfluence influencer platform shows a significant rise in the number of Upfluence influencers on Twitch and TikTok throughout 2020.

After fairly consistent increases year-on-year, Twitch and TikTok became flooded with new influencers in 2020. Creators flocked to Twitch and TikTok after the COVID-19 lockdown led to a huge growth in user-base and viewership across both platforms.

TikTok saw the biggest growth of the 2. The number of influencers on TikTok almost tripled in 2020.

69. The Traits of a Great TikTok

The majority of content marketers are still somewhat unsure about TikTok. The platform has a huge potential reach with a large number of influencers, yet TikTok was still not featured as a top platform in the CMI’s yearly study.

This should certainly change in the future, however, as TikTok can have a huge impact on marketing performance.

American drinks brand Ocean Spray gained 15 billion media impressions when content creator Nathan Apodaca (@420doggface208) posted a TikTok video while holding a bottle of the popular cranberry juice drink. Ocean Spray didn’t even have to pay for advertising!

To maximize the impact of TikTok content, businesses can implement a few different rules to boost content performance and engagement. TikTok’s stats primarily apply to ads, but the same rules ultimately apply to all content on the platform.

70. Promote Your Products on Instagram Stories

It’s in every content marketer’s best interests to post content on Instagram Stories. The platform is hugely popular in 2021, with more than 500 million active users every day.

The data suggests flashing sneak peeks of products or services through Stories is a good idea. Whether through seeing an ad or a piece of content, more than 58% of users have been interested in products on Stories. Half of Instagram users have eventually visited a brand’s website to make a purchase.

You should couple this type of Stories content with a regular posting pattern. According to one study, accounts that post up to 5 Stories every day boost their engagement rates and viewer retention (SocialInsider).

71. Colorful Content for the Instagram Feed

90% of Instagrammers follow a business account through the platform, so catering to this audience with good content is an important factor in a successful campaign.

In general, posting colorful content that grabs users’ attention is the best plan of action. A study from Social Media Labs found that colorful images receive all-around better engagement than black-and-white content.

This makes sense: colorful images stand out on the Instagram feed and explore page. The more color you add the better the effect; using vibrant colors can actually boost likes by another 18%.

72. LinkedIn Live is Underrated

There are more than 700 million LinkedIn members spread across 200+ countries, 90 million of which are senior-level members, with over 55 million businesses on the platform, too. It’s easy to see why LinkedIn is the most impactful social platform for B2B marketers.

And what better way to reach this massive audience than through LinkedIn Live? LinkedIn’s live video features are relatively new, and because of this have seen little use amongst marketers.

All of the signs suggest the tide is changing, however, so expect to see LinkedIn Live become a key part of B2B marketers’ strategies over the next few years.

73. Link to Informational Content

LinkedIn is the number one trusted social platform, so it’s no surprise to see that informative content performs best on the site.

Okay, that’s pretty much the theme across most content types, but on LinkedIn, informative content is doubly important.

55% of corporate decision-makers consume LinkedIn content before working with that organization, while 1 in 5 investors rate the platform as the best place to learn about something (LinkedIn).

That means (if you want to succeed on LinkedIn) you need to create comprehensive content that covers your topic with expertise.

Slightly longer content should be perfect for this purpose. Posts between 1900 and 2000 words perform best on LinkedIn, receiving the highest level of engagement.

74. YouTube Is Critical for Businesses

YouTube is a great place to post your brand’s video content. It’s the most popular platform amongst video marketers: 87% of them post brand videos on YouTube (Wyzowl).

YouTube is the world’s biggest video streaming platform, and its huge user base watches more than 1 billion hours of YouTube content every day.

These users love to discover new products, services, and companies while on YouTube. Businesses can expect huge rewards if they can grow a following and tap into the platform’s reach.

75. Publish Mobile Friendly Videos on Youtube

Video content on YouTube needs to be mobile-friendly because the vast majority of users will be watching your videos on their smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device.

Mobile usage is a prevailing theme in every corner of the internet, and the same applies to your YouTube content. Add plenty of graphics and on-screen text to your videos, and make sure camera shots are always clear and easy to see.

Doing so will cater to a mass of mobile viewers, which will see great results!

76. Thumbnails and Hashtags Boost Views

Thumbnails and hashtags are 2 simple elements you can add to your YouTube posts, both of which will drive better results.

The first of these elements is practically a no-brainer on YouTube. Almost everyone adds thumbnails to their YouTube posts. Thumbnails create intrigue, drawing people in to view your post, and this boosts your content’s ranking.

YouTube’s algorithm also loves hashtags, which means users can boost SEO performance by adding hashtags in the description of their post.

Adding related keywords here will increase a YouTube video’s chance of reaching the “recommended” section. That’s important because most views on YouTube happen in this area of the platform.

77. Email Still Has a Great ROI

Email content marketing is an extremely effective tactic. Guides, blogs, and newsletters can be great forms of content to send to your audience and boost brand awareness. When customers are interested, adding promotional materials can result in a high return-on-investment.

There will be over 4.3 billion email users by 2023. The returns that can be had from this massive audience have driven usage by content marketers for years. That’s why over 80% of marketers use email to distribute content.

78. Effective Email Marketing Tactics

With email’s ROI in mind, what are the best tactics to generate engagement through email?

The most content-specific tactic on the list is “dynamic content.” Dynamic content is content that offers a highly personalized experience for viewers as they engage.

This could mean changing aspects of the content to suit the viewer’s preferences. Though only fifth on this list, make no mistake, dynamic content works wonders!

Personalizing emails can also lead to fantastic results when distributing content. Personalized subject lines increase email open rates by 50%, while optimizing for mobile will see returns too.

On a side note, sending videos through email should yield positive outcomes too. Adding video content to your emails can triple-click rates.

5 Key Takeaways

To finish things off, we’ll recap 5 key content marketing trends to keep in mind for 2021.

1. TikTok is One to Watch

Though TikTok didn’t feature as one of the most popular channels for marketers, expect this to change in the near future.

TikTok did make an appearance on the Influencer Marketing Hub’s top influencer platforms, which demonstrates the platform’s rising usage and close-knit community.

Influencers aren’t the only reason TikTok could be a major channel in the future. The platform prioritizes short-form video, which is popular amongst internet users right now. It’s also highly engaging.

TikTok will continue to add AR/interactive elements, and, crucially, the platform will continue to grow. Expect more marketers to use this channel once industry leaders start seeing results.

2. Build Communities

Marketers must prioritize online community building moving forward. Surprisingly, this is not a focus for some marketers, but it certainly should be.

The rise of social media demonstrates a prevailing theme – people are now using the internet to join online communities, not real-life ones. In which case, building your own online community should see huge results.

Of course, this is achieved through consistent, high-quality content.

Blog posts and podcasts, another emerging form, are a great way to foster a community following.

3. Live Streaming for the Future

Live streaming is a big deal, and it’s only getting bigger. Expect more marketers to realize live video’s plethora of potential benefits.

We know live streaming will grow because so many marketers who’ve adopted the strategy have seen results. Live streaming platforms like Twitch, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live are expanding at a rapid pace, too, meaning there are more viewers to target with live video content.

4. Interactive Forms Are Emerging

Live streaming isn’t the only emerging form of content marketers should try. There are others, too.

Namely: interactive content. Marketers are already in the process of adopting interactive content on a large scale, converting existing blog posts, infographics, and videos into interactive content.

Interactive content is highly engaging, and this could be the content type of choice for future marketers.

There are other types of interactive videos, such as AR, VR, or 360-degree videos, that are expected to make a big impact on the world of content marketing. So watch this space.

5. Mobile Content Consumption

We’ve mentioned mobile use at various points throughout this article. Make no mistake: mobile will be the dominant force in years to come.

Actually, it already is. As of Q1 2021, mobile accounts for nearly 55% of internet traffic. Gone are the “old days” of desktop surfing.

In light of these changes, marketers need to reimagine the prototypical internet user. That person is no longer sitting behind a monitor and a keyboard, they’re viewing your content through a smartphone!

Always think about the mobile user as you plan, craft, and create your content, website, or wider content strategy. It’s the medium through which most users see your stuff!

The Bottom Line

We’ve covered statistics on a wide range of areas within content marketing, from the best channels to the top-performing pieces of content, and all of the best practices you should employ when creating or distributing content.

Content marketing is a hugely varied topic, with so many niche channels and content types that are suitable to different sectors/businesses.

Certainly, use the tactics outlined in this article. They can see major results! But also immerse yourself within the area of content marketing you want to learn more about. In a topic so broad, focusing on one specific niche can make a huge difference!

That’s all from us today, good luck!

Tom Read

Tom is a writer with experience building and hosting a WordPress blog. Tom writes on a range of topics, from technology to culture, and is a strong advocate for digital rights.

5 Ways To Promote Your New Mediation Business On A $0 Marketing Budget

For any business, marketing and advertising can easily be one of your most significant expenses. 

And, as a newer mediation business, your job is to provide your clients with cost-effective, problem-solving solutions, not worrying about spending your business revenue on marketing or advertising. 

With that in mind, we’ve come up with the following list of 5 simple, low-cost tactics for promoting your mediation business on a $0 marketing budget. 

Search Engine Optimization

Using the right words and keyword terms on your web pages makes it easier for search engines to find your site and display it to the right people when they search for those keywords on Google or Bing. 

Note that many other aspects of SEO, such as your site speed and your link profile, go into a full-blown SEO marketing campaign. And, unfortunately, hiring an SEO professional can be expensive. 

But using specific, relevant keywords on your web pages doesn’t need to cost a dime! 

So while planning and designing your website, make sure to do a bit of keyword analysis, and include those keywords on your site. 

Blogging

Blogging is another effective, low-cost method for promoting your new mediation business. 

By creating and writing content related to mediation, arbitration, law, etc., you’ll be able to connect with your audience in a way that can be informative, interesting, and engaging while also painting your business as one that knows what they’re talking about. 

Additionally, by creating content that’s relevant to your industry, you’ll gradually be adding an increasing number of relevant, industry-specific keywords to your site, which will boost your site’s SEO at the same time as promoting your brand online!

Social Media Marketing

There are many reasons that social media marketing is a great way to promote a business. 

But one of the best reasons to promote your new mediation business on social media is that it’s completely free to use! 

As you progress in the life of your business, you’ll eventually want to use PPC ads and other forms of paid marketing. 

But for now, we recommend that you get started by creating a few social media accounts, notably on the most popular networks, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linked In. 

Then, start connecting with other social users, local businesses, or anyone else you can think of that might be interested in your products or services. 

Word Of Mouth

Although it’s often underrated, word-of-mouth marketing is still, to this day, one of the best ways to promote your new mediation business!

Plus, things like sharing business cards, attending local networking events, and simply talking about your business to your friends and relatives are ideal for spreading the word about your business without spending a dime on ads.  

Online Reviews

Similarly, word of mouth marketing, online reviews are great ways to promote your business to the world. 

By making sure that your business is visible on sites like Yelp and Google Maps, internet users will easily view your client or customer reviews from a source they trust. 

Just make sure to stay active and respond professionally to all feedback, whether good or bad and always take the time to thank your customers for their feedback. 

$0 Marketing Tips For Mediation Businesses

As a mediation business owner, it can be challenging to find the time or money to promote your new business to the world. 

However, marketing and promotion are two essential components to the success of your business! 

Fortunately, with social media marketing, blogging, SEO, word of mouth, and online reviews, it’s perfectly possible to market your business without any marketing budget!

Written by Mattie Singleton

10 Best Content Marketing Software In 2021 (+ What They Do)

Consumers generally hate any type of content whose sole purpose is to market a product. In fact, about 74% of consumers surveyed indicated that they experienced too many ads on a day-to-day basis. This is a reality that many brands and content marketers are increasingly becoming aware of, which increases the need to get creative and experimental about content marketing.

The fact that content marketing can produce excellent results can’t be disputed. Unique site traffic is 7.8x higher for content marketing leaders than those who are lagging behind in this area. What is still a challenge for many is how to develop a content marketing strategy that will result in your team reaping the benefits of interactive content. 

In this article, I introduce some of the best content marketing software products you can use to help your marketing team with managing workflows, content production, posting automation, template selection, social media management, and running effective email marketing campaigns.

At the end of this piece, I have a brief FAQ to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about content marketing software. 

The Best Content Marketing Software 

Here’s a shortlist of the best content marketing tools:

1. Buffer

2. Semrush

3. Hootsuite

4. Monday.com

5. Hive for Marketers

6. Integrate

7. Funnel

8. Ceros

9. Pixlee

10. Dot

Content Marketing Platform Comparison Criteria

What do I look for when I select the best content management software? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria: 

1. User Interface (UI): Any content marketing software should have a UI that makes their specialty/key features uber accessible right off the bat. For example, content optimization tools and content creation tools should prioritize their most relevant components (i.e., SEO/keyword research vs. publishing/grammar help, respectively).

2. Usability: Is it easy to learn and master? Does the company offer good tech support, user support, tutorials, and training? I expect software that scores well on usability to make your content marketing efforts easy when creating content for large contact lists, targeted email campaigns, and social media activities.

3. Integrations: Is the software easy to connect with other tools? Any pre-built integrations? In this case, I look for content curation software that integrates tools capable of connecting the entire marketing team, including project management, freelancers, and influencers, in real time. Integrations connect important components, and that ensures the story coming from your brand is coherent, which ultimately results in quality content.

4. Value for $: How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is the pricing clear, transparent, and flexible? I believe that the developers of a content marketing tool should show how the product will translate to benefits matching the cost. In this case, I am looking at how the tool will help me attain tangible benefits like creating content leading to better lead generation, attracting more eyes to my landing pages through an effective content calendar, and ranking higher on search engines.

Content Marketing Solutions: Key Features

When I look at content marketing software, these are the seven important features I look for: 

1. Content creation: Producing quality content is not easy. Therefore, a good content management tool needs to bring the whole digital marketing team together so that a created piece of content results from the inputs of all team members involved.

2. SEO tools: Getting search engine optimization right should be the primary goal of a content marketing team. Content marketing software with excellent SEO tools makes it easier to determine the keywords your target audience is searching for.

3. Workflow automation: Automation ensures that there are no missed steps in your content development efforts. This feature is especially crucial when dealing with the content calendar and social media platforms.

4. Analytics and tracking: Whether you are involved in creating content for social media marketing or running a website, you always want to know how your content is performing. Analytics tools are important to me as they help me determine what is working and what is not.

5. Email management: Emails are an essential tool in your brand awareness efforts. Content marketing software should allow you to streamline the distribution of your created content through personalized emails.

6. CRM integration: If done well, your content marketing will begin to generate leads. Therefore, you need software that automatically collects the data and conversations into a central repository where different teams can access the information they need and take the process forward until the prospect becomes a customer.

7. Social media marketing: A good content marketing tool should bring all your social media digital assets together so that you don’t have to log on to different social media platforms to create posts for your social media platforms.

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Overview Of The 10 Best Content Marketing Software

Here’s a brief description of each content marketing software to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the interface. 

Some noteworthy features and screenshots to give a snapshot of the interface. 

1. Buffer – Best content creation tool for small businesses

Schedule your videos directly to your social media accounts for automatic posting.

Buffer is mainly designed for small businesses that want to drive engagement using social media. The software designers created a simple tool that connects those who generate content with those responsible for approving it. The tool allows you to create content and post it on several social media sites simultaneously.

This tool is on my best content marketing software list because of its array of features. The tool covers content marketing extensively, from planning, through its Stories and Hashtag Planner features, to Post Analytics and Custom reports that help you understand the results of your content marketing efforts. 

Buffer integrates with WordPress, Microsoft, Feedly, Pocket, CrowdRiff, Scoup.it, Paper.li, CoSchedule, Quuu, Upflow, RiteKit, Bulk.ly, Nelio Content, Pixlee, Gather, SocialBee, Hiplay, HayOrca, CloudCampaign, Design Huddle, PicMonkey, Planable, Cronycle, Evergreen Content Post, and Gain. Plus, you can use a paid plan through Zapier or automate.io to access hundreds more integration options.

Buffer costs from $15/month for eight social channels and one user. The free plan allows up to three social channels and one user. 

VISIT WEBSITE

2. Semrush – Best for SEO and competitor research

Identify the keywords your audiences are searching for and easily add them to your content.

Semrush is an excellent tool for teams that want to focus on SEO and analyze what is working for the competition. The designers of the tool promise that their SEO expertise is based on 20 billion keywords, 310 million ads, and 17 billion URLs crawled daily. This data gives you real-time recommendations on improving your marketing process.   

One of the features that put Semrush on many top content marketing software lists is that it also includes link building. Added to the fact that the tool delivers technical audits, keyword research, and competition spying, it is also important to say that the tool provides anyone who uses it with a complete suite for managing SEO. These are useful features for any team that wants to rank high on search engines. 

Semrush integrates with all Google products, major social media networks, WordPress, Trello, Majestic, and hundreds of other options with a paid Zapier plan.

Semrush costs from $119.95/team/month. It also offers a free account with limited features. 

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3. Hootsuite – Best for automating social media posts

Have all your conversations about social media content in one place and avoid confusion.

Hootsuite is designed to assist users in saving time when managing social media content creation conversations. This tool will assist you in following the conversations on social media, inform you when your brand has been mentioned, and give you an idea of how your posts are doing. Moreover, when using Hootsuite, all your image assets can be accessed from the Hootsuite dashboard, ensuring that everything you need to create a post is in one place. 

Hootsuite’s freemium plan is among the features making this tool is one of the best software packages for content marketing. This plan offers many more options compared with similar plans from other companies.  The calendar-based content planner also helps you see everything from a bird’s-eye view, making it easier to identify content gaps.

Hootsuite integrates with more than 200 applications, including Brandwatch, Google, Microsoft Proofpoint, and Tint.

Hootsuite costs from $19/user/month and offers a 30-day free trial on each plan. 

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4. monday – Best for templates for organizing content production

Choose the most suitable template for visually organizing workflows.

Content marketing can be confusing where teams are unable to visualize the connection between different types of content. This is a challenge that monday.com solves with its content management templates. The templates allow you to use different labels and colors to organize your workflows by assigned writer, content type, client, or deadline.

One of the top features that make monday a good content management tool is its simple interface. The tool is designed to turn email notifications into prioritized tasks. The Board feature provides a fully customizable table where team members can get an idea of the progress others have made regarding a specific part of the ideation, creation, or analysis process.  

monday.com’s integrations include project management apps like Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform and many more, accessible through a paid plan with Zapier. 

Monday costs from $8/user/month and offers a free forever plan for up to two seats. 

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5. Hive for Marketers – Best for estimating and tracking resources and time spent creating content

Estimate the time and resources required to complete a content marketing project.

Managers and other decision-makers expect tangible results from their organization’s content marketing efforts. Hive for Marketers has created this tool to make it easier to estimate and track resources spent on a content marketing project. This helps teams defend their work by showing the resources they have used, and the changes realized due to using such resources. 

One of the great features of Hive for Marketers is that it allows task owners to create projects from their sub-tasks. The tool also allows teams to add external users without paying additional fees. This is an essential feature if you want clients to easily see the status of their projects from your project management tool.

Hive integrates with over a thousand third-party apps but requires a paid plan through Zapier to do so.

Hive for Marketers costs from $12/user/month and offers a free trial lasting 14 days.

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6. Integrate – Best for B2B content marketers

Get the right insights to make decisions about content marketing that targets compliant leads.

The creators of Integrate realize that B2B content marketing is more challenging than B2C content marketing. This is why they have created a tool that helps content marketing teams identify compliant leads in a B2B setting. This ensures that teams do not waste time creating content for and interacting with leads that lead to a dead end.

Integrate deserves a spot among the best content management software mainly because of its excellent customer support team. Moreover, the tool makes it easy to view an audience’s demographic breakdown, giving you an idea of the location and job titles of the people interacting with your content, which helps you understand your audience better.

Integrate integrates with Facebook, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Bombora, and Marketo, among others.  

You can request a demo to test the Integrate Demand Acceleration Platform and learn more about pricing.

VISIT WEBSITE

7. Funnel – Best for managing content marketing data in a single place

Easily manage your streamlined data in different formats on a single screen.

All the data your company accumulates will have little value if not properly managed and used to make informed decisions. Funnel helps teams bring their data to a central repository where it is easier to better organize and understand the accumulated data. The tool makes it easy to create reports from the analyzed data. 

The main reason Funnel belongs in this list is that it allows content marketers to handle data from a broad array of sources without the need to code. Coding can be a time-consuming task. Also, the tool’s ability to create custom metrics using all the data it collects from various sources reduces the potential for mistakes in reports. 

Funnel integrates with more than 500 data sources, including HubSpot, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google AdSense.

Funnel costs from $399/month (billed annually) and comes with a free demo and free trial.  

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8. Ceros – Best for teams that want to manage most content creation in-house

Know what each member of the team is working on and manage in-house conversations easily.

The developers of Ceros indicate that when they created this software, they were aware that some companies do not have adequate budgets to use the services of marketing agencies. Consequently, this SaaS solution is designed to ensure that most of your content marketing tasks can be completed in-house. 

Ceros has made it into my top list of content marketing tools because it seeks to serve a niche within the content marketing space: creating landing pages. In most companies, you will find that Ceros is used by the graphic design teams that often find its drag-and-drop design platform pretty useful. 

Ceros integrates with WordPress, Adobe Illustrator, MailChimp, Google Analytics, HubSpot Marketing Hub, HubSpot CRM, Zoho CRM, Zapier, Hootsuite, Facebook, Twitter, Marketo Engage, Act-On, Skyword, and Oracle Eloqua. 

You will need to contact Ceros to get an idea of the software’s pricing plans.

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9. Pixlee – Best for teams working with influencers

Track campaigns involving influencers, manage costs and show influencer activity ROI.

Pixlee helps marketing teams manage content created by influencers, private social media accounts, and customers.  One of the reasons traditional advertising is being overtaken by content marketing is that people generally believe things said by those they trust instead of big brands. Managing influencers has become increasingly important for marketers who want to get their content to as many people as possible.

Pixlee deserves a spot on the best content marketing software list because it can save teams a lot of time and money. The tool achieves this by making it easier to source content, request permission to use content, and use content generated by users and other private individuals. This software will assist your team in getting authentic content that resonates with your audiences because it is those audiences that create it.

Pixlee integrates with Salesforce, BigCommerce, Shopify, MailChimp, and WordPress, among others.

You will need to contact Pixlee and request a demo to get an idea of the software’s pricing plans. 

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10. Dot – Best for creating interactive content

Categorize your interactive content by experience type and make it easy for your audience to find what they are looking for.

Dot.vu is designed to help content marketers implement interactive experiences. If your customers are to remember your brand, interactive experiences will play a huge role. From these interactive experiences, the software helps you collect insights that enable you to improve your content while also keeping your audiences interacting with your content for longer. 

Dot.vu is an excellent tool because it is one of the most uncomplicated interactive content generating tools you will find in the market today. It comes with over 100 templates where you can select an experience, customize it to your brand, configure data collection, publish and embed content, and analyze performance. 

Dot.vu does not list specific integrations on their site but they do promise social integrations and other connections if you are on their advanced or pro accounts.

Dot.vu costs from $450/user/month, and you can book a free demo on the company’s website. 

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Other Content Marketing App Options

Here are a few more that didn’t make the top list.

1. Wrike – Best for managing constantly changing content

2. Foleon – Best for targeting customers in the early stages of the customer journey

3. Trello – Best for teams looking for a free software solution with great features

4. Sprinklr – Best for creating content targeted at the sales phase of the customer journey

5. Falcon.io – Best for merging social data with CRM

6. Spott – Best for getting audiences engaged in the content creation process

7. ClearVoice – Best for managing freelance content teams

8. MyAdBox – Best for automotive industry content creators

9. Blogely – Best for market research to make informed content marketing decisions

10. Issuu – Best for automating content marketing

11. Ion by Rock Content – Best for teams that want added services

12. Facelift Cloud – Best for social listening

13. Topic – Best for creating content briefs

14. Readable – Best for testing readability

15. Wordtune – Best for improving content quality

16. OrchestraCMS – Best for organizing thoughts and turning them into content

17. Paperflite – Best for creating content for customer-facing teams

18. Contently – Best enterprise content creation grid

19. BuzzSumo – Best for IDing influencers in your niche

20. Curata – Best to curate & share 3rd-party content

21. Kapost – Best to align marketing with sales teams

22. ContentStudio – Best content marketing for startups

Content Marketing: FAQ

I’ve answered a few frequently asked questions about content marketing and content marketing programs below. Take a look. 

What is content marketing software?

To get a better idea of what content marketing software is, let’s start by defining content marketing.

There is no better place to find a  definition of content marketing than the Content Marketing Institute. It says, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”  

Based on the definition above, we can define content marketing software as a program or operating information a computer uses to manage the content creation process or parts of the process from the beginning to the end.

Content marketing software is sometimes referred to as a content marketing platform (CMP).

Some of the tasks that can be accomplished using content marketing software include planning the content calendar, raising brand awareness, collecting data, and generating reports.   

Why is content marketing important? 

To build a loyal customer base, you will need to manage the entire customer journey. This involves assisting customers in making informed decisions about what they eventually purchase. To successfully achieve this, you will need helpful content that answers customer questions and solve their problems.

The HubSpot blog indicates why content marketing is essential. It says, “Content marketing is important because it answers your audience’s questions. With content marketing, you can build trust with your audience, improve conversions, connect with customers, and generate leads.” Adding, “And, in today’s age, customers expect high-quality, consistent content from their favorite brands.”  

What is a content marketing example?  

Some of the best content marketing examples are blogs or YouTube channels managed by brands. For a resource to be a compelling content marketing example, it should not just focus on selling a product but also on providing genuine content that leaves an individual saying, “Oh, I didn’t know that.”

Social media profiles that provide content resonating with followers are also great examples of content marketing.   

What Do You Think About These Content Marketing Solutions?

Have you used any of the content marketing software we have listed here or others we haven’t mentioned? If so, let us know about your experiences in the comments section. 

For more insights into issues related to content marketing, visit the Indie Media Club Blog. 

Written By Ben Aston

Published by: https://indiemedia.club/tools/content-marketing-software/

Blogging - Quick Tips

Blogging - Quick Tips

 • Write conversationally and with personality. This is a blog, not a legal alert or article.

• Write on general news and apply it to your niche. If a hurricane is hitting the East Coast, write about the insurance claims to come or the construction mediations that will result.

• Avoid long block paragraphs. People scan on the web. Use short paragraphs (one to three sentences) and use bullets where you can.

• Block-quote sources. Use subheads to break up sections. Don’t worry about exact word count, but a post as brief as 400 to 500 words can be sufficient. Full blown articles can be posted on LinkedIn Articles.

• Use images for every post. They show personality, reinforce your brand ID, and posts with larger images at the top are more likely to be shared on social networks like Facebook or LinkedIn.

• Keep your titles short but descriptive.  Titles determine how your posts get indexed on Google and how they are displayed in RSS readers. Short and engaging titles get shared most on social media

If you need help setting up your blog let me know.  I can help develop a system for cataloging idea topics, finding images, publishing calendars, and more.

6 Ways Others Can Promote Your Business

When people ask if they can help you, be prepared to say yes with these simple strategies.

How many times have friends, family and associates said "If there's anything I can do to help you, let me know"? How often have you said, "Well, now that you mention it, there are a few things you could do"? If you're like most people, you aren't prepared to accept help at the moment it's offered. You let the opportunity slip by because you haven't given enough thought to the kinds of help you need.

You haven't made the connection between specific items or services you need and the people who can supply them. But when help is offered, it's to your advantage to be prepared and to respond by stating a specific need.

Want to encourage your happy customers to spread the word about your business?

Here's how.

Don't let the next opportunity for others to help slip through your fingers!

Being prepared with some simple requests can make a real difference in the success of your business. Systematic referral marketing requires that you determine, as precisely as possible, the type of help you want and need. There are many ways your sources can help you promote yourself and your business:

1.     They can provide you with referrals. The kind of support you'd most like to get from your contacts is referrals--the names of specific individuals who need your products and services. They can also give prospects your name and number. As the number of referrals you receive increases, so does your potential for increasing the percentage of your business generated through referrals.

2.     They can introduce you to prospects. Your contacts can help you build new relationships faster by introducing you in person to people they think need your products and services. Furthermore, they can provide you with key information about the prospect. They can also tell the prospect a few things about you, your business, how the two of you met, some of the things you and the prospect have in common, and the value of your products and services.

3.     They can endorse your products and services. By telling others what they've gained from using your products or services in presentations or informal conversations, your sources can encourage others to use your products or services.

4.     They can display your literature and products in their offices and homes. If these items are displayed well--such as on a counter or bulletin board in a waiting room--visitors will ask questions or read the information. Some may take your promotional materials and display them in other places, increasing your visibility.

5.     They can distribute your information. Your contacts can help you distribute marketing materials. For instance, a dry cleaner might attach a coupon from the hair salon next door to each plastic bag he/she uses to cover customers' clothes. Including your flier in the middle of their newsletter is another idea.

6.     They can publish information for you. Your contacts may be able to get information about you and your business printed in publications they subscribe to and in which they have some input or influence. For example, a source who belongs to an association that publishes a newsletter might help you get an article published or persuade the editor to run a story about you.

Keep this list with you and add to it as other needs occur to you. Knowing how to match your needs with the right sources is key to obtaining the type of help you need. But remember--it's a two-way street. These support activities are also things you can do to help your contacts promote their businesses and generate referrals. Helping your sources achieve their goals goes a long way toward building effective and rewarding relationships.

Finally, it's good practice to develop a list of ways to reward referral sources for helping you. Once a referral has become a customer, be sure to recognize and reward your source appropriately. Doing so encourages them to send you more referrals. Distinguish between appropriate tangible (e.g., cash or thank you cards,) and intangible (e.g., a public thank-you) rewards. Estimate the cost, and set aside some money to pay for your recognition program. The key is to find a unique, memorable way to say "Thank you" and to encourage your colleagues and friends to keep sending you referrals that turn into a business.

It may take a while, but if you've selected and trained your sources well, and if you use the system to its best advantage, you will speed up the process of turning the ever-important referral into business.

- from Ivan Misner

Natalie | May 7, 2018 at 6:49 pm | Tags: arbitration, arbitration marketing, Business Development, customer service, getting business, increasing business, increasing caseload, marketing mediation, marketing plan, mediation marketing, Networking, practice building | Categories: Business Development, Networking, Selling Service, Uncategorized | URL: https://wp.me/p6EI6T-5y

Be Consistent and Persistent

by Natalie

One of the fatal flaws of marketing is that when business is brisk, many mediators tend to slow down their marketing efforts. Then when business slows down, these mediators feel the urgency to redouble their promotional efforts. This is a bit like applying the brakes as you climb a hill, then accelerating on the way back down.

The preferable - and ultimately low-cost - technique is to market consistently and persistently at an even keel. Be the tortoise, not the hare. The marketing seeds that you sow in the times of brisk business will come to flower when economic downturns tend to slow down business generally. And you will not waste marketing dollars in times of economic downturn by over marketing at a time the return on those investments is much less. Spread it out evenly. Be consistent and persistent.

Entrepreneurship, ADR, and Diversity

https://www.americanbar.org/digital-asset-abstract.html/content/dam/aba/publications/just-resolutions/february-2020/natalie-armstrong-motin-entrepreneurship-adr-and-diversity.pdf

February 21, 2020

Just Resolutions for the ABA