@staceycav

Content Promotion Tactics

For Link Acquisition

Stacey MacNaughtTecmark

@kerboo @staceycav

I still give a crap about links

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(Yep, even in 2015).

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And I’ll still give a crapabout them next year.

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And, let’s be honest, links are why SEO agencies have had to adopt

content led marketing

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We invest heavily in content with the primary goal of building links

http://www.tecmark.co.uk/smartphone-usage-data-uk-2014/

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Simple ideas formatted to fit target audiences

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Over the past 5 years, we’ve modifiedour processes extensively to improveour success rates. Changes include:

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Better goal setting

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More efficient ideation

http://blogsession.co.uk/2014/03/635-method-brainwriting/

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Thorough audience analysis

http://blogsession.co.uk/2015/06/content-audience-insight-tools/

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Higher quality production

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Significantly higher investmentinto smarter promotion planning

and execution

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Time and money.

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But first, let’s take a step back…

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Why do people link?

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“Because I paid them.”

- Me, circa 2009.

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“Because we spent so many many many many many many hours

creating a linkable asset and then promoting it.”

Me, circa 2015.

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But, there is some good news, link lovers.

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The reasons that people link are far simpler than the reasons they

share on social

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Read this.

http://nytmarketing.whsites.net/mediakit/pos/

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And This.

http://marketing.buzzsumo.com/link-study/

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http://marketing.buzzsumo.com/link-study/

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http://marketing.buzzsumo.com/link-study/

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So, sharing is all aboutrelationships

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Whereas natural linking is often more about attribution (or

blame).

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That’s why image link building is so effective

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https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-deighton-meets-manchester-leaders-to-discuss-infrastructure-strategy

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http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/shark-diving-teaches-people-sharks-are-just-big-beautiful-fish-701

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Image link building works in travel, B2B, finance, insurance,

retail….

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Because if people use something that belongs to you, they attribute.

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So how does this apply to content promotion?

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Well, first of all it raises the questions about why someonewould link (rather than share)the piece of content we are

promoting.

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Does your content havelinkable assets?

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A compelling story A linkable assetHappy Place

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Linkable assets could be:

Images journalists or bloggerswill want to use when writing

about your story.

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Linkable assets could be:

A tool that solves the problemyour story is about.

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Linkable assets could be:

A download that the blogger orjournalist’s audience will benefit from

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Linkable assets could be:

Even simply a highly controversialopinion or statistic that someone

effectively wants to write about butblame you for!

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Ultimately, they’re things that justify a link rather

than just a mention

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Ok…back to promotion.

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Outreach ≠ Promotion

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If ‘outreach’ is the only thing youare doing to promote your content, then you are not

doing enough.

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Outreach ≠ Promotion

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Before you can plan promotionyou need to know why you’re doing it.

What does success look like?

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You need to know who you’re doing it for

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When your goals centre around link acquisition, your content target audience might not be the same as your target customer

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You want me to link?

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Align your objectives with your audience

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Find out where your audience is finding content and what they’re reading

1. Where

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https://yougov.co.uk/profiler

YouGov Profiles

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https://yougov.co.uk/profiler

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https://yougov.co.uk/profiler

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https://yougov.co.uk/profiler

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https://yougov.co.uk/profiler

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https://www.facebook.com/ads/audience_insights

Facebook Audience Insights

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https://www.facebook.com/ads/audience_insights

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https://adwords.google.com/da/DisplayPlanner

Google Display Planner

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https://adwords.google.com/da/DisplayPlanner

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Start finding specific contacts

2. Who

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https://adwords.google.com/da/DisplayPlanner

http://bit.ly/1SwscbE

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https://adwords.google.com/da/DisplayPlanner

1.Major Influencers

2. Mid Weight Influencers

3. Smaller publications/Influencers

Organise them into Tiers

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Get buy in early (where possible)

3. When

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1.Major Influencers

2. Mid Weight Influencers

3. Smaller publications/Influencers

Tier 1 – Before Production

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Good old fashionedpsychology

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Commitment

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I saw you wrote about people with their faces in their phones in the

pub!

If I had data suggesting people spend 3 hours of the day on their

phone, would it be of interest?

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I saw you wrote about people with their faces in their phones in the

pub!

If I had data suggesting people spend 3 hours of the day on their

phone, would it be of interest?

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Reciprocity

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Great. While we’re conducting our research, are there any other

questions you think we should be asking?

Is there any data we could acquire that would specifically help you?

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Messaging and Headlines

4. What

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How well you describe your content isas important as how good it actually is.

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Let’s take a lesson from clickbait headlines

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Yes, you need a cracking headline.

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Yes, you need a cracking headline.But you also need to deliver on it.

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The headline might generate theinterest. But delivering on it

generates the link.

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http://simitator.com/generator/twitter/tweet

https://www.google.com/insights/consumersurveys/

+

Test headlines, email subjects, Tweets…

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MailChimp Lets You Split Test Email

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Read this.

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And these.

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And these.

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And these.

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Reaching the right people at scale

5. How

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Outreach ≠ Promotion

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Supplement with Paid Press Release Distribution

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Paid Social and Content Discovery

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PPC for Content Promotion

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“Adwords ischeap.”

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“Adwords ischeap.”

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Adwords is auction based.If nobody is bidding, it’s

freakin’ cheap.

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Nobody’s bidding

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Nobody’s bidding

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Nobody’s bidding

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Bing is even cheaper.

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On Page SEO for Content

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Treat a piece of content theway you would treat a key

product or service page

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Thank you

stacey.macnaught@tecmark.co.uk

@staceycav