The Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Website

In 2017, 71% of small businesses had a website, and 92% of businesses without a website said they’d have one by the end of 2018. Today, having a website is as necessary for a company as having a phone number.

Maybe you’re starting a new business venture or developing your personal brand. Or, maybe you’re looking to update your company’s outdated website. Whatever the case, creating a new website can feel overwhelming, particularly without technical expertise or a budget for web developers.

To alleviate any frustration you might feel, we’ve put together a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to creating a website. Best of all, you won’t need a coder, web designer, or big budget to create one -- all you’ll need to do is follow the seven steps below.

How to Make a Website

1. Choose your platform
2. Get a domain name and web hosting.
3. Choose a template for your site.
4. Add pages to your site.
5. Write content.
6. Fill in general settings.
7. Install plugins.

How to Make a Website for Free

1. Choose Your Platform

The first thing you’ll need to do when creating a website is find the right CMS (content management system) for your business. There are plenty of free or budget-friendly site builders out there, but they aren’t all created equal, so you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons before choosing one.

For instance, consider whether you need a platform that allows you to code, or whether you’d like to avoid coding altogether. You might also narrow your list if you want your website to support multiple languages. Perhaps you simply want to check out templates offered by different CMS systems, or price ranges to see which you can afford.

Check out 9 of the Best Free Website Builders to simplify your decision-making process. Once you’ve chosen the best CMS for your needs, continue to step two.

2. Get a Domain Name and Web Hosting

One of the easiest ways to appear illegitimate as a company is to shirk on paying for a domain name. If you were looking for a freelance writer, would you more likely hire from Carolineforsey.weebly.com or Carolineforsey.com? A .weebly or .wordpress extension is an indicator you didn’t pay for the full service, which might seem unprofessional or lower in quality -- worst case, a consumer might wonder why you can’t afford the full service, and draw conclusions that you’re not fully established.

Fortunately, purchasing a domain name is typically inexpensive, and there are a few different domain sites you can use. Both Godaddy.com and Bluehost.com are cheap, secure, and effective options for buying a domain name, with added benefits such as SSL security and office 365.

Here’s where it gets tricky. You’ll need to choose a domain name as similar as possible to the name of your company, but with over 1.8 billion websites out there today, your company's name might already be taken.

If your ideal domain name is already taken, consider using a different extension. I’d advise you to use one of the three most common extensions if you can: .com, .net, or .org. However, if it makes sense for your business, you might want to check out an alternate extension like .us or .shop.

Play around with it. Once you’ve chosen and paid for a domain name, you’ll usually also get personal email accounts attached, so make sure you’re happy to use your domain name as your main online identity.

3. Choose a Template for Your Site

Now, for the fun part.

On whatever CMS platform you chose, take the time to browse through templates and themes, and choose one you think best represents your brand.

When in doubt, you can’t go wrong if you choose something clean with straight lines, and a limited amount of text. If you need some inspiration, check out 20 of the Best Website Designs to Inspire You in 2018.

Ultimately, no one knows your business better than you. Take the time to consider which template would most likely appeal to your ideal demographic.

Within your CMS, you can probably use filters or search to narrow down on templates related to your industry.

It’s important your template is responsive, so your site will look the same on all devices. When considering templates, you also need to decide whether you want a static header or slideshow header, and how many pages you’ll need to fit in your menu bar. Stay away from hard-to-read fonts or flashy backgrounds that could distract a consumer from understanding your core message.

Once you’ve chosen a template and theme, take the time to customize it. Your site’s design and functionality is your chance to persuade an audience to take a closer look. It’s imperative your design makes sense to your ideal consumer and works to enhance your product’s success rather than hinder it.

4. Add Pages to Your Site

It’s important to plan exactly which pages you’ll need to include in your site. While it varies business to business, I’d guess you’ll need at least a "Home" page, an “About Us” page, a “Services/Product” page, and a “Contact Us” page.

Of course, you can choose to rearrange page topics any way you want, or combine them. If you’re unsure, check out other company websites within your industry to get ideas for how to organize your navigation bar, or which pages to include and exclude.

I might be biased, but you should probably also include a blog -- you know, sometimes they come in handy.

While every platform is different, it’s typically easy to add and remove pages on whichever platform you use.

5. Write Content

This is arguably the most important step. Now that you have your pages set up, what will you put on them?

I’d suggest writing rough drafts for pages like your “About Us” page and landing page. Talk with coworkers and stakeholders -- what message do you want to put out there? What tone do you want to set? Should you make jokes and be funny, or aim to be more inspirational?

If your online audience stumbled across your site, what questions would they have first?

Imagine your website is your only chance to have a full conversation with a potential customer. The landing page is the preliminary introduction, “Hey, we do XYZ.” Your “About Us” page digs deeper, “We are XYZ.” And your products or services pages are your big push to the finish line: “You want to work with us? Great, here’s how you’ll benefit.”

During this stage, it’s imperative you do your keyword research.

For instance, if you’re selling eyeglasses, and you notice “retro eyeglasses” has more monthly search volume than “vintage eyeglasses”, you might use this research to steer the direction of the content on your site.

If you’re stuck, check out competitor’s websites to gauge what other companies in your industry are doing.

6. Fill in General Settings

Once you’ve filled in your pages with the heavy-hitter content, you can still increase your search visibility by filling in gaps in your CMS settings.

Make sure you include a site title and tagline in the “Settings” of your website building platform. Go through, and check out the URLs -- are those optimized for search?

7. Install Plugins

Lastly, take a look at your site and figure out what you’re missing. The best CMS platform will ideally offer all the integrations you need. Perhaps your business is ecommerce, in which case, it might be wise to install a Shopify plugin extension.

Or, maybe you want to ensure your website is secure, to protect client data. In that case, find a plugin that offers firewall protection and attacks malware or other threats.

Whatever the case, browse your plugin library and pick and choose a few you think will take the effectiveness of your site to the next level.

Once you’re ready, click “Publish”, and your site is ready for use.

How to Make a Website with Google

Google Sites is one of the simplest web builder platforms I’ve used, but with that simplicity comes less sophisticated templates and tools. I’d primarily suggest using Google Sites to make a website for a business event, for internal use amongst employees, or for your personal brand.

I wouldn’t suggest using it to host your business’s primary website since the tools and functions are limited. Even if you want a simpler site right now, you might want to expand down the road, and Google Sites could make that option difficult.

Having said that, it’s still an incredibly fast and easy option. Plus, it allows you to “share” with other Google accounts, similar to Google Docs, so you can collaborate on a site.

Take a look at the four steps below to create a free Google Site.

1. To create a website with Google Sites, go to https://sites.google.com/new . Then, click the red “+” sign in the bottom right corner.

2. Next, choose a theme from your list of options on the dashboard to the right of your Google Site.

3. Now, you’re ready to add content to your site. For instance, I added the title, “Caroline’s Consulting Business”, by using the “Text box” tool in the Insert panel. The Insert panel also includes options to embed images or links, or connect to your Google Drive or Google Docs. For example, I circled “Google Docs” in the image below -- I clicked that button to embed my “How to Take a Screenshot on Windows” Google Doc into my landing page.

4. Once you’re happy with the way your site works, click the purple “Publish” button at the top right.

How to Make a Website on Wordpress

WordPress is the fastest growing CMS, with over 500 new sites built daily. It’s one of the more popular options -- it offers a large library of templates and themes to ensure you’re able to create a site that matches your brand, opportunities to mix-and-match plugins, and tools to monitor your SEO.

WordPress is easy to use and budget-friendly, and its versatility makes it a good option for anyone from a small business owner to a blogger.

If you’ve decided you want to create a website on WordPress, here’s how.

Disclaimer: For the sake of simplicity, I’m showing you how to create a free WordPress site. However, your platform might look different depending on which version you choose.

1. Go to https://wordpress.com/create/ and click the blue “Get Started” button. 

2. Fill out the Step 1 form, including your site’s name, your site’s topic, and primary goals.

3. Fill out the Step 2 form -- in this step, you’ll either input a domain you’ve already bought, or you can choose a domain straight from here. I chose the free option, “carolineforsey.wordpress.com”, but I’d highly recommend choosing a paid option to appear more official.

4. Choose your payment plan, depending on your goals, budget, and business type.

5. Now, your site has been created. You have a dashboard on your left, but you can also continue to follow the step-by-step instructions you’re offered on the landing page (i.e. “Upload a site icon”).

6. First, I’d suggest clicking “Themes” beside “Customize” on your dashboard on the left.

7. You can search through all the themes or search depending on your subject. For instance, I searched “subject:blog” to find themes related to my business’s topic. There are free and paid options. Select one -- you can always change it later.

8. Next, click “Add” beside Site Pages on your dashboard, and fill out content for a page on your site. On the right, you’ll have “Page Settings”, where you can include featured images, page attributes, etc.

9. Lastly, explore the “Configure” section of your dashboard. This is where you’ll find plugins, settings, and options to add people to your WordPress site.

How to make a website with HubSpot

Lastly, let’s take a look at how to make a website with HubSpot. If you’re already using HubSpot’s CRM, it probably makes the most sense to build a website within HubSpot to integrate all your sales and marketing needs in one place.

HubSpot offers a variety of plugins and extensions, themed templates, and sophisticated tools for SEO analysis.

If you want to build a website with HubSpot, it’s easy and intuitive. Here’s how:

1. Within your HubSpot portal, click “Content” on the dashboard at the top of your screen. Then, click “Landing Pages”.

 

 

2. Next, click the orange “Create landing page” button. 

3. Name your page, and then click the orange “Create page” button.

4. Now, you’ll be taken to this “Select a template” page. Scroll through your options, search page templates, or check out the Marketplace. When you’ve found a template you like, select it.

5. This is your landing page. You can scroll over text boxes, images, or other modules to edit them. In the below picture, I scrolled over the “See The World” Banner Text, and when I click it, it allows me to edit that text.

6. You can also click the “Edit modules” tool on the right side of your screen and edit from there. For instance, I selected “Service 2 Text”, which directed me to the “Make it your own” paragraph on my landing page. You can add texts, images, sections, forms, and more from the “Edit modules” section.

7. When you’re happy with your landing page and want to move on, go back to your dashboard and click “Content” at the top of your screen, and then “Website Pages”.

8. Here, you’ll click the orange “Create website page” button and name your page, just like your landing page. Then, you’ll be taken through a similar process of choosing a template and adding content. If you want a more in-depth tutorial, check out A quick tour of website pages.

9. If you want to incorporate your social media accounts, click “Social” on your dashboard. You can monitor all your social media accounts and also publish tweets, Facebook statuses and comments, Instagram pictures, and other content straight from your HubSpot dashboard.

10. If you want to check out your site analytics, go to “Reports” and then “Analytics Tools”. You’ll need to install the tracking code, which is easy to do within the HubSpot platform by clicking the orange “Install the tracking code” button. If you’re still unsure, check out How to install the HubSpot tracking code.

11. If you want to write blog posts, go to “Content” > “Blog” on your dashboard to create, publish, and monitor your website’s blog posts.

This is a fairly broad and general overview to get you started building a website with HubSpot, but there are plenty of more in-depth features and tools you might want to explore with a HubSpot specialist, or by checking out some articles on academy.hubspot.com.

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How Your Blog Needs to Evolve in the Age of AI-Powered Voice Search

Search is changing thanks to artificial intelligence.

It’s not just that search engines are using AI to categorize and deliver results (though they are).

It’s that the power of AI is making new, better types of search possible.

Searches are becoming more personalized. Search engines now aim to deliver the right result for your particular needs.

Location and context are becoming more important, too. We’re searching more on-the-go. We use smartphones to discover results in real-time, just before we act or buy.

Voice search is on the rise, thanks to advancements in AI. Natural language processing helps systems like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant "understand" what you say. Natural language generation helps them "respond" to your queries.

On top of all this, the usefulness of search is improving.

Says search expert Duane Forrester at Yext:

“If we look at pure search results, AI is deep in the mix, helping to sort the results we do still read. It’s not deciding what makes the cut to be in the answers we get back (yet), but it’s working to sort the order in which we see those results, effectively acting as a filtering layer based on the search engine’s collective knowledge about us.

“Did you visit X website in the last Y number of days? Google’s system knows — and seeks data on whether that visit was positive for you. If it looks to have been a good fit, the AI may decide to push an answer from that same website higher in the stack hoping to replicate your positive experience for others.”

This is all good for consumers. After all, we get even better results tailored to our particular needs, across text and voice.

It will be good for brands, too. They'll show up more often at the right time when consumers look for topics related to their business.

But, brands need to prepare for this future to capture the benefits.

Especially brands that rely on blogging to drive awareness, leads, and sales.

As search moves towards voice, how people discover and consume content is changing.

How to Prepare Your Blog for AI-Powered Search

So how do you make sure you’re creating blog content for this new age of AI-enhanced search? Forrester at Yext says to look at your “content and its context.” He recommends several action steps to prepare your blog for this future.

• Make sure your content is built the right way. It needs to be factual, accurate, and conversational. Says Forrester, “There is a lot of nuance and subtlety here, but this document from Google explains how their Quality Raters are trained to evaluate voice answers, for example. If you want insights into normal organic results, this Google training document helps.”
• Use long-tail, conversational phrases for content keywords. Keyword research isn’t dead. But you’ll want to target more conversational terms. Speaking to a voice assistant is quite different from typing into a search bar. This is why HubSpot recommends a topic cluster approach to SEO. You want to own broad relevant categories around a topic, so you're the go-to result for voice queries.
• Answer lots of questions—even the uncommon ones. This has always been good advice for content creators, but it’s more important than ever now. People talking to voice assistants ask questions of them like they would a person. “Your content should resemble an answer to a question,” says Forrester. “You could even list the question at the beginning to ensure clarity and relevance.”

One thing is clear: If you’re not doing the above, it’s time to start. Artificial intelligence is here. It’s transforming search. And this is all happening faster than expected. To position your brand, big or small, for AI-powered search, now is the time.

The Marketing AI Institute is a content hub that provides actionable information on AI for marketers. It features real-world use cases and expert advice from leading companies like HubSpot. Subscribe today to get actionable insights first.

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4 Tools to Find and Manage Influencers

Are you working with social media influencers? Wondering how to vet and recruit influencers? In this article, you’ll discover four tools to manage your influencer relationships. #1: Identify and Vet Influencers With Influence.co and Social Blade Influence.co is a tool that helps you easily find and connect with influencers who want to work with brands. [...]

The post 4 Tools to Find and Manage Influencers appeared first on .

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How to Create Infographics in Under an Hour [15 Free Infographic Templates]

Wouldn't it be great if creating infographics was as simple as writing regular ol' text-based blog posts? Unfortunately, the reality is that making visual content like this usually takes a lot more time, effort, and let's face it -- skill -- than the written word. Usually.

But considering the popularity and effectiveness of visual content in marketing today, you can't just afford to throw in the towel.

That's why we decided to take all the pain and suffering out of infographic creation. Seriously -- don't give up just yet. You, too, can create infographics that are professional-looking, high-quality, and completed in under an hour. I'm going to prove it. First things first:

Download our 15 free infographic templates here.

Then, all you have to do is provide the content to use inside them. Easy as that. In fact, I'm going to show you just how easy it is to make your own infographic by demonstrating with one of our 15 infographic templates in PowerPoint (pictured above). Then, I'll explain exactly what I did so you get a sense of how easy it really is.

How to Create Infographics

1. Collect Your Content and Relevant Data
2. Choose Your Desired Infographic Template
3. Download Your Template to PowerPoint
4. Customize Your Infographic
5. Include a Footer With Your Sources and Logo
6. Add an Embed Code and Pinterest Button, and Publish It

Would you rather watch this tutorial instead of read it? Check out the video below:

How to Create Infographics for Free in Under an Hour

Step 1: Collect Your Content and Relevant Data

Your first step is to organize all the content and data you'll use in the infographic. You can either collect third-party data or use your own original data. If you use third-party data, just be sure you properly cite your sources -- just like in any other good piece of content.

To keep your infographic uncluttered by a ton of different source URLs, a great way to cite your sources is to include a simple URL at the bottom of your infographic that links to a page on your site. You can also list the individual stats used in your infographic, and their sources -- such as the landing page to the full offer on which you're basing this free infographic. I'll show you what this citation looks like in a minute.

That way, your infographic looks clean and professional, yet people will still be able to access the sources no matter where the infographic gets shared or embedded. It may also even drive visitors back to your site.

Step 2: Choose Your Desired Infographic Template

Your next step is to choose an infographic template appropriate for representing that data. The important thing is to choose a template that specifically works for the type of data set/content you want to present. As you saw pictured above, you can download our 15 infographic templates in PowerPoint and choose whichever template you'd like. Some of your template options here include a timeline, flowchart, side-by-side comparison, and a data-driven infographic.

Step 3: Download Your Template to PowerPoint

For the sake of time (remember, our mission is to create an infographic in under an hour), I'm going to create an infographic based on a compilation of steps and best practices we've put together in our new guide, How to Run an Inbound Marketing Campaign in 2018. For this, I've picked the "World's Greatest Timeline" infographic template from our collection of infographic templates, which is helpful for my data set since it outlines each step of the campaign creation process in order.

The timeline infographic template is pictured below, and full of opportunities to make it your own:

Step 4: Customize Your Infographic

Obviously, this is the most time-consuming part -- but it's also the most fun! Simply come up with a catchy title, plug in your data/content, and adjust your font sizes and formatting. Feel free to switch up the graphics and colors, too, so they're relevant to your brand and the data you're providing. For other templates, you can use the simple graphs and charts provided by PowerPoint to create things like the bar graph or the pie chart. (Note: Download our free infographic templates for a cheat sheet for using PowerPoint's various features and tools.)

To customize the look of the infographic even more, you might add or change up the colors or font styles.

Step 5: Include a Footer With Your Sources and Logo

Finally, I included a link to my source (which can be found here), as well as the HubSpot logo so people know who created the infographic if it gets shared in social media or embedded on other websites -- which is definitely something you want, since one of the main benefits of creating infographics is their shareability.

That's it! This whole thing took me under an hour to put together -- much shorter than it would've taken me if I'd started from scratch (not to mention more professional looking ... and less expensive than hiring a designer). Here it is:

Share This Image On Your Site

<p><strong>Please include attribution to blog.hubspot.com with this graphic.</strong><br /><br /><a href='http://bit.ly/2ol9Lef src='http://bit.ly/2kApuEQ' alt='free_infographic_template_custom-1' width='660px' border='0' /></a></p>

Step 6: Add an Embed Code and Pinterest Button, and Publish It

The only thing left to do is to publish and promote your awesome new infographic. As I mentioned earlier, we recommend using your blog to publish it (including your list of sources), including a Pinterest button for visitors to easily "pin" your infographic on Pinterest, and create and add an embed code for visitors to share it on their own websites and blogs, as we did above.

Want more? Read How to Create Top-Notch Visual Content in PowerPoint [Tutorial].

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Unriddled: Facebook in Brussels, Launch of the GDPR, and More Tech News You Need

Welcome back from a long Memorial Day weekend, and an equally long week of data security-related news that applies directly to you -- and me. It's another edition of "Unriddled," our mid-week digest of the tech news you need to know.

Also worth noting, this is the first edition of Unriddled under GDPR, a massive European data privacy regulation that went into effect last Friday (keep reading, it's a big deal).

It's our Wednesday tech news roundup, and we're breaking it down.

Unriddled: The Tech News You Need

1. Zuckerberg Grilled by Parliament

Last month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in front of Congress to discuss Facebook's position on the recent mishandling of Facebook users' data by the (recently liquidated) data analytics firm, Cambridge Analytica. Last week, Zuckerberg answered similar questions before the European Parliament's Conference of Presidents in Brussels. And the roundtable was neither easy on him nor pleased with the format of his answers.

Before Zuckerberg spoke at all, each member of European Parliament (MEP) posed their questions one after the other. Their questioning lasted just over an hour, leaving Zuckerberg with roughly seven minutes to address all their concerns at once. And according to the MEPs present and those who watched online, it was not seven minutes well spent. Read the full story on this controversial hearing >>

2. Facebook Plans Privacy Options 'Similar' to Europe

In light of a newly launched European data privacy law -- and the heat on Facebook for the misuse of its users' data by analytics firm Cambridge Analytica -- Facebook has revamped its privacy options for all users. But it's not quite the same as the regulation that took effect across the pond last week (which we've unriddled for you further down this report).

Facebook's rollout to all users was more of an alert, rather than a full teardown of its privacy policy. The alert's main difference from Europe's new policy is that it's optional to read. Facebook's rollout is merely an "interruption" to users when logging on -- something they can skip if they'd like. In this way, users can passively review how Facebook stores data related to ads, their profile info, and facial recognition. Read the full story >>

3. All Past Facebook Political Ads Revealed

Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives released a record of more than 3,000 political ads the Internet Research Agency (IRA) in Russia bought and ran on Facebook to influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. To demonstrate the same transparency, Facebook has now launched a public archive of every political ad ever run on the platform.

Facebook's political ad archive produces information on each ad's cost, target audience, and performance. However, the tool only allows users to search for ads based on the subject or person featured in the ad, rather than the ad's date or sponsor -- two things that many people are disappointed they won't be able to see, given the thousands of ads originating from the IRA. Read the full story >>

4. GDPR Takes Effect

If you missed the General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR) rollout, check your inbox. Every company you've interacted with lately likely emailed you with updates to their privacy policies. The GDPR officially took effect on Friday, May 25th, and businesses everywhere -- not just in Europe -- have adjusted their terms of service to comply with the GDPR to protect customers who might live and do business in Europe.

While changes to data protection laws might connote rough road for advertisers, who depend on insight into their customers' profiles and behaviors, some see it as a necessary measure to make their marketing content that much more respectful of the buyer's journey. Read HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan's recent note on GDPR >>

5. Airbnb 'Stories' Now Available

Beyond developments in data security, Big Tech was as eventful as always. This week, Airbnb subtly released a new feature called "Stories," heralded as the company's expansion from simply home rentals to a broader suite of travel services.

Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat all have similar "Stories" features that allow users to share disappearing photos and videos. Airbnb's Stories launch will work the same way: Users can write and shoot short videos of their experiences, not just in a particular room rental, but across the city to which they're traveling. Read the full story on Recode >>

That's a wrap for today. Until next week, tap me on Twitter with your thoughts on the now-active GDPR and what tech news you'd like to see us cover in the future.

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How to Become a More Adaptable Leader

When I was asked to write on this topic, adaptable leadership, I started shaking my head. I am not a huge fan of putting an adjective in front of leadership and making it a new thing. Let’s just call it leadership and then talk about how to be better at it, one day at a time.

If you are a leader and you don’t have the capacity to shift, change, or pivot from a plan or a position, frankly, I don’t know how long you’ll last in your role.

So, if you are an aspiring leader, this article is for you.

If you see yourself as a student of leadership, this article is for you.

If you don’t think you need to be adaptable in how you lead, you must read this.

At the heart of leadership is an inherent need to react to changes in your environment.

As we think about adaptability in leadership, we need to first understand its importance -- why do we need to adapt?

Then, we need to look at some techniques that allow us to transform ourselves into leaders who can actually adapt.

Think about the situations you face everyday. Did everything go according to plan?

If you’re like me, the answer is: Of course not.

Business and the world in general is an incredibly complex system with so many different factors that affect on another. If we think it is possible to succinctly plan our day or lead our teams in the exact same way, I direct you to Mike Tyson:

“Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the mouth.”

All of those unforeseen things that occur in your day are like being punched in the mouth. So, how do we deal with this?

As former President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said:

“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”

If we can train ourselves to understand that plans will always change, but continue to work through planning exercises -- for work we are doing and in terms of growth as leaders -- we are ready to get punched in the mouth.

Here are some thoughts on how you can begin the effort of planning to allow you to be a more adaptable leader -- or a leader who understands that one plus one doesn’t always equal two.

How to Be a More Adaptable Leader

Be Intent-Based and Outcome-Focused

When I was commissioned in the Army in the early 2000s, the Army’s leadership/command philosophy was Command and Control. It was very hands-on and directive, not very adaptive or flexible. As my career progressed, the Army doctrine changed to Mission Command.

Mission Command was a more intent-based and outcome-focused doctrine. Commander’s relied on their intent to drive operations, meaning they only told you the destination, the goal, not necessarily how to get there.

Trust was a huge part of this approach. It was reminiscent of how the Union won the Battle of Gettysburg.

Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain’s regiment was told if they were overrun, the Union Army would be defeated. When Chamberlain’s regiment was basically out of ammunition, he didn’t lose his cool. He ordered one of the most heroic battlefield exploits in US History; an all-out bayonet charge.

He wasn’t told exactly what to do, rather, he was enabled and an empowered to know what to do to reach the goal.

His ability to understand the intent and outcome his commander desired not only allowed for the Union to win the day but led to Chamberlain being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Here's what this story means for you:

Lead with the Goal

If you’re a leader, before you issue instructions or hand out tasks, take the time to think through what you actually want to achieve.

What is the intent behind the work you want done? What is the outcome you desire? Does it matter how your team attacks it?

Once you’ve identified the answers to these questions, make sure your team understands exactly what is expected of them. Hammer home that the outcome is what you care about, and the intention behind why that outcome is huge.

This will allow both you and your team to adapt and overcome the obstacles we all know you will encounter.

Leading this way is tough, though. It takes a certain mental toughness to be ok with not knowing exactly how your team is going to attack the problem set, but it’s worth it.

You will find it easier over time to do this.

If you are ensuring your intent and desired outcome are known and understood and trust in the people on your team, you will not only grow into a more adaptive leader, you will build an adaptive team.

Do this today: Identify at least one task and the intent and outcome you want that task to achieve. Write it down and delegate it to your team.

Read Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman, Chris Fussell.

Now, if you’re an aspiring leader, ensure that you understand your boss’ intent and the outcome she/he has set.

Confirm, back brief, truly understand what that is and then get after it.

This is where initiative comes in.

Don’t be the person that wants everything told to them -- do this, then that, then this, etc.

If you operate this way, you will most likely become irrelevant and not grow in your career.

Do this today: Read A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard and become Garcia. If you understand the intent and outcome desired, attack it like Chamberlain did with his historic bayonet charge!

Understand You’re Not the Smartest Person in the Room

When you meet with your team are you allowing yourself to learn from them?

To do this, you must enter the interaction with a growth mindset, being open to other points of view, and recognizing they may know something you don’t.

If we enter an interaction thinking our opinions and perspectives are the only ones of value, your team sees it. They get discouraged, knowing they aren’t being heard.

When this happens, you hurt the morale and overall effectiveness of the team.

In contrast, when you show your team you are capable of listening and abandoning your positions for someone else’s, you accelerate what it can accomplish.

You demonstrate that you respect your team members as experts in their positions and that trust them to bring the right ideas to the table.

This happens at IMPACT all the time.

Bob and I work on a 30,000-foot view of how to tackle something and then we bring it to our team.

More often than not, the team comes back to us with a significantly more effective approach. Then, when we adopt the ideas (in whole or in pieces), we have a team that knows they were listened to.

They own the decision and take it on at full speed.

When we make decisions and work through planning in a collaborative way, we set ourselves up for success when we have to pivot -- which we know is going to happen.

By being truly open and receptive to the knowledge, ideas, and thoughts of others, you naturally become more adaptive -- and in turn, your team does as well.

Practice in Action

Again, if you’re a leader, embrace that you have smart people on your team and that it is ok to not always be the smartest or best at your craft.

You’re a leader now. Your role is to lead, not be the best widget maker.

Actively listen, ask questions, and be open to others points of view. This will not make you less of a leader, it will make you a better leader.

Don’t focus on who has the best idea, simply find it and understand that you and your team must be flexible enough to make changes on the fly.

Do this today: In your next team meeting, only ask questions. Let the team get to the solution.

For future leaders, challenge assumptions, ask hard questions, and don’t be afraid to give a different point of view.

Don’t be insubordinate, but challenge your boss from the perspective of trying to find the best solution to achieve the outcome they have clearly identified.

Do this today: Speak up!

I also suggest reading Multipliers by Liz Wiseman and Mindset by Carol Dweck.

Grow a Culture that Lives in Solutions

In my past career, I had the honor of leading some of America’s best -- paratroopers in the 82nd Airborne Division. If you’re looking for an example of a team that must be adaptable, I can’t find a better example.

Our main mission, we trained for airport seizure, by way of airborne assault.

(Personal note, this is one of the coolest missions in the world!)

We would go through extensive planning efforts from the individual level up to the brigade level. Commanders and troopers of all levels were involved.

We would develop great plans, but as General Eisenhower said, “Plans are worthless …”

This planning effort allowed us to live in solutions. We all knew the commander’s intent and knew the outcome we needed to achieve.

With this knowledge, everyone was able to adapt to the ever-changing situation we would encounter.

You see, there is no precision in a mass tactical airborne assault. You are being delivered to the battlefield and where you end up probably isn’t where you thought you’d be.

This is brought to life in Band of Brothers when we see how Paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne were dropped all over Normandy.

These troopers and their leaders needed to adapt and find solutions pretty much instantly rather than wallow in the misery of not being where they were “supposed” to be.

They took initiative, understood the intent, and got after it, allowing for a successful sea invasion on the beachheads of Normandy.

As Paratroopers, we had to continually reinforce and nurture the culture of the airborne community. We had to get everyone comfortable with being uncomfortable and solving for yes.

How do we attack this?

Leaders, force your teams to have hard discussions.

Talk about the elephant in the room, but ensure you are moving the conversation to a solution. As ideas of why something won’t work are brought up, ask what will work.

Set the example. Always project a sense of calm and optimism that will allow you to find a solution.

Remember, you don’t need to have the answer right away. Simply have the mindset and attitude that highlights that a solution will be found.

In your planning efforts, you’ve likely identified possible issues and potential solutions. Get back into this mindset and work on the next one.

Do this today: When presented with the next problem don’t react, respond. Ask questions that lead your team to solutions.

Future leaders, as you identify problems, don’t simply bring them to your boss. Think about a potential solution. Feel empowered to lead the assault on the problem and make it go away.

Your boss will appreciate your efforts. Even if they don’t utilize your solution, you have given them a path to the answer they need.

Do this today: Think through the issue, develop at least one course of action, and then talk to your boss.

Here are a few others books I recommend: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden.

Plans Are Worthless

To be an effective leader, you must be adaptable. Change is going to happen daily. If you can’t adapt and remain flexible, you will struggle to achieve your goals.

By being intent-based and outcome-focused, having a growth mindset, and growing a culture that lives in solutions, you become more of an adaptable leader who will be able to attack the challenges thrown in your direction.

As an aspiring leader, take note of what your boss is doing.

If they aren’t doing these things, figure out how to bring them to the reality they that need to adapt. Work towards being an adaptable subordinate, have resilience, and, at some point, lead your team as an adaptive leader.

 

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How to Take a Screenshot on Windows: Quick Guide

Screenshots are undeniably useful, whether you’re writing a how-to guide or putting together a training presentation for your team.

Sometimes, the simplest way to teach someone how to do something is through visual images, and in those cases, screenshots are your best bet.

But if you’re working on a PC and you're more used to working on a Mac, it can be tricky to figure out how to take a screenshot.

Here, we’ll show you a few different ways to take screenshots on different Windows versions -- best of all, our easy guide will show you how to do this in five minutes or less.

How to take a screenshot on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7

Microsoft created a Snipping Tool specifically for capturing screenshots. There are four types of screenshots you can take with the Snipping Tool:

• Free-form snip: Capture a free-form screenshot around an object.
• Rectangular snip: Capture a rectangular screenshot around an object.
• Window snip: Capture a browser window or dialog box.
• Full-screen snip: Capture the full screen.

When you’re finished capturing a screenshot, there are a few things you can do with the image besides simply saving it:

• Annotate it: Write or draw on the screenshot by selecting “Pen” or “Highlighter” buttons. Use the “Eraser” tool to remove lines you’ve drawn.
• Remove the URL: If you’ve taken a screenshot of a browser window and saved it as an HTML, the URL automatically appears below the snip. If you don’t want this, select “Options” in your Snipping Tool, and then uncheck the “Include URL below snips (HTML only)” box. Then, click “OK”.
• Share a snip: Select the arrow next to “Send Snip”, and then select an option from the list to share your screenshot.

Now, let’s take a look at the basics of capturing a screenshot on Windows 7, 8.1, or 10.

1. Open your Snipping Tool. For Windows 7 and 10, select “Start” and type “snipping tool” into the search box, and then select the tool from the results. For Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1, swipe from the right edge of your screen, select “Search” and type “snipping tool” into the search box, and select the tool from the results.

2. Within the Snipping Tool, click “Mode” and then select the kind of snip you want. Then, select the area of your screen you want to capture.

Image courtesy of Microsoft Support.

3. After you capture your snip, select the “Save Snip” button. Type a file name, location, and type, and then click “Save”.

How to take a screenshot of your active window

There’s a shortcut to the above process if you want to take a screenshot of your current active window. Just press “Alt” + “PrtScn”. Your active window will be captured, but it won’t automatically save -- to do this, find the screenshot in your clipboard, open an image editor, and save it from there.

How to take a screenshot of your entire screen on Windows

If you want to take a screenshot of your entire screen and save the screenshot automatically, hit the “Windows Key” + “PrtScn”.

Your screen should dim for a moment, and then the screenshot will be saved in Pictures > Screenshots folder.

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6 Tools for Social Media Content Inspiration

Need more ideas to fill the gaps in your social media posting calendar? Looking for tools to help? In this article, you’ll discover six tools and websites that will help keep your social media content interesting, timely, and relevant. #1: Discover Unofficial Holidays and Popular Events With Forekast Forekast is one of the best places [...]

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Situational Interview Questions

In an interview, let’s say I asked you, “Tell me about a time you worked through a conflict with a coworker?”

You’d probably think about a past experience, consider the lessons you learned from it, and articulate what happened and how it felt. You’d likely mention any shortcomings you had, how you’ve grown, and how you’d deal with conflict with coworkers in the future.

But let’s say I asked you a slightly different version of that question instead: “How would you handle it if you were assigned a project with a coworker, and you two had differing opinions on how to proceed?”

That changes the game a bit. To answer, you could no longer rely on any fairly familiar story about yourself.

Instead, you must use your problem-solving skills and your sense of self to answer how you’d hypothetically deal with a conflict that could arise in the future, without the advantage of hindsight. And, you’d need to think on your feet.

We previously covered behavioral interview questions like the STAR method, which asks candidates to articulate past experiences and what they learned. It’s important to use behavioral questions in an interview, but there’s another method you should integrate, as well.

Situational interview questions are largely hypothetical and can be intentionally ambiguous, such as, “How would you handle X if you … ?” or “What would you do if … ?”

Situational questions give you the opportunity to evaluate your candidate’s quick-thinking skills, while seeing how she responds to curveballs, which is critical information when deciding whether she’s qualified for the role.

Here are seven situational questions you can use when interviewing a candidate, and what you should look for in the applicant’s answer.

Situational Interview Questions to Ask Candidates, and How They Should Respond

1. How would you handle it if your team resisted a new idea you introduced? 

What to look for in a good response: You’ll want a candidate to express her respect and awareness of her team’s opinions and thoughts, while also demonstrating an ability to implement initially unpopular ideas.

Ideally, the applicant would say something like this: “First, I’d work on understanding the reasoning behind my team’s resistance. Perhaps it’s because they aren’t familiar with a new system I want to put in place, and many of them are comfortable with the old way of doing things. Once I understood their point of view, I’d put together either a presentation, or a training, to show my team why my idea is a good one. I’d do this while being cognizant of their hesitation, and incorporating their doubts into my presentation. I’d also allow my team to offer anonymous feedback, so each employee felt his or her opinions could be incorporated into the new system -- I’d never want it to seem like my idea was the only way. Hopefully, research or training sessions could help my team come around to the idea.”

In this case, the candidate approached the situation from a place of compassion and understanding, rather than frustration. Instead of dwelling on her team’s resistance, she wisely found appropriate ways to introduce the idea to counteract her team’s doubts. She showed that she is able to problem-solve well, even when her own ideas or reputation are at stake, and even under pressure from her team.

2. How would you handle it if your employee wasn’t meeting your expectations, or was performing below average?

What to look for in a good response: If you’re looking to fill a leadership position, you’ll need a candidate who can handle tough conversations with employees. You’ll want your candidate to express honesty and transparency with each employee, while recognizing the importance of constructive feedback.

Ideally, you’ll want the applicant to say something like this: “I’ve had this happen before, and it’s never an easy conversation. However, it’s important to provide feedback to my employees and remain transparent with them when I think they aren’t performing as well as they could. That’s my job as their manager. I’d start out with something positive about their performance, to let them know I recognize their good behavior. Then I’d point out where they’re falling short, and ask them why they think that is -- most of the time, the employee is already aware of her shortcomings. Finally, I’d suggest ways to improve, to show the employee I want to be a resource to help them grow.”

With this answer, your candidate has shown a level of maturity when delivering tough feedback. You’ll want your applicant to mention the importance of feedback, and you’ll also want her to show good communication skills when dealing with issues with her employees.

3. What would you do if you were assigned to work closely with a colleague on a project, but you two just couldn’t seem to see eye-to-eye?

What to look for in a good response: This question looks for a candidate who aims to understand her colleague’s point of view. You’ll want your applicant to demonstrate flexibility and an ability to compromise. Plus, it’s simply important to get a sense for how the candidate handles conflict.

Ideally, your candidate could say something like this: “Another project manager and I were assigned a project together. I quickly saw my colleague handled follow-up and communication with the client differently than I did. I like to follow-up often and chat on the phone at various stages of the process with the client, but my colleague didn’t see the purpose in communicating with the client so frequently. Eventually, I talked with my coworker about her follow-up style versus mine. We compromised and agreed to follow up with the client every two weeks, rather than every week, to make collaboration smoother. I was glad I approached the situation head-on, and also understood and appreciated that my colleague had a different work approach.”

Undoubtedly, any applicant you interview will eventually collaborate with someone who works differently. You’ll want a candidate to show she isn’t emotional or defensive when she runs into conflict, but rather, she approaches it from a business-perspective and communicates problems when they arise.

4. What would you do if you were working hard on a project and were almost finished when the goals or priorities were changed?

What to look for in a good response: A good answer to this question depends on the role you’re looking to fill.

First, your candidate might show flexibility by mentioning she would stay up late, adjust her priorities, and manage to finish the project the way it needed to be finished. If the position for which you’re hiring is junior level or requires someone to be adaptable to unpredictable deadlines or expectations, you’ll want your applicant to show a level of flexibility.

However, if the role is more senior or if it makes more sense for the position, you might want an applicant to show she can put her foot down. Perhaps you want to see her use more problem-solving skills to analyze those priorities and decisions, and figure out ways to hit those goals without redoing the entire project.

5. How would you handle an instance of receiving criticism from a superior?

What to look for in a good response: This question enables you to assess your candidate’s ability to learn, grow, and accept mistakes. You want a candidate who uses feedback to make changes, while demonstrating emotional maturity.

Essentially, you want a candidate who’s coachable.

For instance, your applicant could say something like this: “In my last position, I often met with clients face-to-face, and I greatly enjoyed it. However, occasionally they’d call me over the phone, and in an effort to appear adaptable, I’d always speak with them immediately. My manager heard a few of those phone calls, and he eventually told me that I sounded short on the phone, and worse, I often wasn’t as prepared as I could be, because I’d been in the middle of another assignment and was caught off guard. He was completely right -- I’d never considered that I could simply tell the client I’d call them back, or let the call go to voicemail. In an effort to multitask efficiently, I was actually letting my client relationships suffer. I learned from that feedback and, going forward, felt confident telling the client they’d need to set up an appointment with me even if they wanted to talk over the phone.”

Here, the candidate demonstrates she’s open to hearing feedback, appreciates it, and uses it to fuel her growth. She owned up to her mistake but didn’t dwell on it, and demonstrated an ability to adjust her own work style in response to that feedback, rather than becoming defensive or accepting the feedback but not changing her behavior.

6. What would you do if you were almost finished with a project on a tight deadline, when you realize you’d made a mistake back in the beginning that required you to start over?

What to look for in a good response: No one is perfect, and it’s good if your candidate can admit to a situation where she made a mistake that required a re-do of a project. More importantly, you’ll want an applicant who can be honest with supervisors about her mistake, rather than trying to cover it up.

You want to hire someone who looks at mistakes as opportunities to learn, rather than as embarrassing failures.

Ideally, your candidate would say something like this: “First, I’d investigate the problem and the source, and make a list of a few different solutions. If none of those solutions were possible without fully redoing the project, and if I thought the mistake might make me miss my deadline, I’d immediately approach my supervisor and let her know the situation. Particularly if the mistake is my fault, it’s important I’m honest and open about it -- it’s a good learning and growth opportunity for me, and could prevent others from making that same mistake. Finally, I’d put in extra time if necessary to finish the project.”

In this example, your applicant displayed honesty, a commitment to her job and making things right, and an openness to learning from mistakes.

7. How would you handle it if you were unsatisfied by an aspect of your job?

What to look for in a good response: It’s not practical or necessary to look for a candidate who loves all aspects of her job equally. Instead, you want a candidate who demonstrates a good level of professional maturity, understands some tasks are less enjoyable than others, and appreciates the necessity of those tasks for the company’s bottom line.

For instance, you’d want your applicant to say something like this: “I love working with people, which is why I pursued a management position, but I don’t love the paperwork -- does anyone? Early on, I needed to figure out how to approach stacks of paperwork so it didn’t affect the enjoyment I had for other aspects of my job. First, I took a good look at the content and realized that, while it might not be fun, it was certainly critical for ensuring my team was successful. When I could see it contributed to our department’s goal, I appreciated it more. Then, I set aside one day a week to tackle the paperwork, rather than working on bits each day. Monday morning, first thing, I’d turn off my computer and avoid distractions, and get it done. In a way, this became enjoyable in it’s own way, since it was distraction-free time.”

You want to feel confident your candidate is mature and professional and understands the importance of seemingly mundane tasks. You don’t want an applicant who says she gives projects she doesn’t enjoy to her coworkers or interns. Instead, you want a candidate who has the flexibility to figure out how to make unsatisfying tasks work for her without resenting the position long-term.

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Fixed Cost: What It Is & How to Calculate It

"Business is personal -- it's the most personal thing in the world."

These are famous words by Michael Scott from the TV show, The Office. And although this quote conflicts with the universal belief that business isn't personal, Michael's point of view is perfect when learning about a business's fixed costs -- or those costs that don't change as a company grows or shrinks.

To identify and calculate your business's fixed costs, let's start by looking at the ones you're already paying in your personal life. Then, we'll explain how a business manages its own fixed costs and review some common fixed cost examples.

What Is a Fixed Cost?

Fixed costs are those costs to a business that stay the same regardless of how the business is performing. These costs are known as fixed costs to distinguish them from variable costs, which do change as the company sells more or less of its product.

Fixed Cost Formula

1. Identify your building rent, website cost, and similar monthly bills.
2. Consider future repeat expenses you'll incur from equipment depreciation.
3. Isolate all of these fixed costs to the business.
4. Add up each of these costs for a total fixed cost (TFC).
5. Identify the number of product units created in one month.
6. Divide your TFC by the number of units created per month for an average fixed cost (AFC).

Consider your personal routine. As a single adult, your expenses would normally include a monthly rent or mortgage, utility bill, car payment, healthcare, commuting costs, and groceries. If you have children, this can increase variable costs like groceries, gas expenses, and healthcare.

While your variable costs increase after starting a family, your mortgage payment, utility bill, commuting costs, and car payment don't change for as long as you're in the same home and car. These expenses are your fixed costs because you pay the same amount no matter what changes you make to your personal routine.

In keeping with this concept, let's say a startup ecommerce business pays for warehouse space to manage its inventory, and 10 customer service employees to manage order inquiries. It suddenly signs a customer for a recurring order that requires another five paid customer service reps. While the startup's payroll expenses go up, the fixed cost of a warehouse stays the same.

Average Fixed Cost

Keep in mind you have to keep track of your business's fixed costs differently than you would your own. This is where average fixed cost comes into play.

Average fixed costs are the total fixed costs paid by a company, divided by the number of units of product the company is currently making. This tells you your fixed cost per unit, giving you a sense of how much the business is guaranteed to pay each time it produces a unit of your product -- before factoring in the variable costs to actually produce it.

Let's revisit the ecommerce startup example from earlier. Assume this business pays $5,000 per month for the warehouse space needed to manage its inventory, and leases two forklifts for $800 a month each. And last month, they developed 50 units of product.

The warehouse and forklift costs remain unchanged regardless of how many products they sell, giving them a total fixed cost (TFC) of $5,000 + ($800 x 2), or $6,600. By dividing its TFC by 50 -- the number of units the business produced last month -- the company can see its average fixed cost per unit of product. This would be $6,600 ÷ 50, or $132 per unit.

Fixed Cost Examples

So far, we've identified a handful of fixed cost examples since considering the costs we already pay as individuals. A home mortgage is to a lease on warehouse space, as a car payment is to a lease on a forklift.

But there are a number of fixed costs your business might incur that you rarely pay in your personal life. In fact, some variable costs to individuals are fixed costs to businesses. Here's a master list of fixed costs for any developing company to keep in mind:

• Lease on office space: As long as your business operates in the same building, your rent cost doesn't change.
• Utility bills: Your heating or cooling bill might fluctuate as seasons change, but it is generally not affected by business operations.
• Website hosting costs: When you register your website domain, you pay a small monthly cost that remains static despite the business you perform on that website.
• Ecommerce hosting platforms: Ecommerce platforms integrate with your website so you can conduct transactions with customers. They typically charge a low fixed cost per month.
• Lease on warehouse space: Warehouses are paid for the same way you'd pay rent on your office space. They do not change in price as you store more or fewer products inside, but can have storage and capacity limits.
• Manufacturing equipment: The equipment you need to produce your product is yours once you buy it, but it will depreciate over its useful lifetime. Depreciation can become a fixed cost if you know when you'll have to replace your equipment each year.
• Lease on trucks for shipment: Truck leases work the same way as a car payment, and will not charge differently depending on how many shipments you make.
• Small business loans: If you're financing a new business with a bank loan, your loan payments won't change with your business's performance. They are fixed for as long as you have a balance to pay on that loan.
• Property tax: Your office space's building manager might charge you property tax, a fixed cost for as long as your business is on the property.
• Health insurance: Health insurance costs might be a variable cost to an individual if they add or remove dependents from their policy, but to a business, the recurring costs to an insurer are fixed.

Calculating your fixed costs isn't always the most fun part of growing your business. But knowing what they are, and when you'll pay each one, gives you the peace of mind you need to serve and delight your customers.

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How to Pin a Facebook Lead Ad to Your Facebook Page

Want to generate qualified leads from Facebook? Wondering how to make your email lead form what people see when they visit your Facebook page? In this article, you’ll discover how to use Facebook lead ads without spending any money. #1: Create a Lead Ad Via Ads Manager While Facebook doesn’t give you the option to [...]

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May 29, 2018 at 12:00PM http://bit.ly/2J0mlso
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8 Strategies to Embrace the Future of Content Marketing

93% of B2B businesses use content marketing.

Only 5% feel that their efforts are very effective.

And an estimated 50% of all content is going completely unused.

Where did it all go wrong?

Just a few years ago, you could post 1, 2, 3, 300 blog posts on your website; furiously direct traffic to them through all your social platforms; amass zillions of inbound links; target a bunch of keywords; aaand easily rank on Google.

Controlling your message and gaining customers was (well, almost) a piece of cake.

No longer.

The halcyon years are over; as Gartner’s Hype Cycle predicted, we’re knee-deep in the trough of disillusionment.

Like the overhyped marketing channels that came before (TV spots, billboards, banner ads) content marketing peaked — then slumped.

After the huge success of a few early adopters, more and more people joined the party until the novelty disintegrated.

Resistance has built, but expectations haven’t faded — from marketers, at least. And the tighter they cling on, the less effective content marketing becomes.

So where do we go from here?

Quitting isn’t an option. Content marketing can’t be consigned to the past like those other clearly-defined tactics, because the boundaries around it are so fluid.

If content marketing is simply the strategic distribution of valuable content, then it encompasses almost all of marketing today.

And it can be as powerful as it once was.

But first, we need to understand the recent changes it has undergone, the barriers that stand in our way, and how to overcome them.

We don’t have to bin the playbook — we can rewrite it.

Here’s how.

Less is more

This one’s a no-brainer: we’re drowning in content.

Brands are generating more than ever, with one study counting a 300% increase this year compared to last.

The problem? Consumer demand for it remains static.

There’s only so much we can consume, process and share.

We still appreciate great content to the same extent, but as saturation increases, the big results are going to a proportionally smaller number of pieces.
But that’s not all.

Further analysis shows that 5% of branded content garners 90% of total consumer engagement.

And a quick search of ‘content marketing law’ confirms this is the case more or less across the board: on average, 19 out of 20 pieces gets little to no attention.
Or, if a team produced 90% less content, they would still achieve the same results.

The solution is simple. Publish less. Publish well. Publish only when you have something valuable to say.

Then, devote freed-up resources to optimizing the evergreen content you already have.

Evergreen Content

• ‘Evergreen’ content is simply content that doesn’t lose its value over time; it has no sell-by-date.
• ‘Temporal’ content only has short-term relevance.

Both have their place. Temporal content keeps things fresh and buzzy with short spikes of interest. But it’s evergreen content that generates those lovely compound returns that make content marketing valuable in the first place.

 

It can be tempting to try and keep up with our fast-paced online life by churning out a constant deluge of temporal content. But relying on those little bursts of interest is a) expensive, b) time-consuming and c) unsustainable — to the point of diminishing returns.

Even if a post gets a lot of initial buzz, studies show that shares don’t equal links.

Evergreen content, on the other hand, has consistently been proven to drive the biggest amount of organic traffic for the minimum amount of effort.

This isn’t an either/or; but the scales should be tipped highly in favor of evergreen over temporal.

However, evergreen content needs to be watered regularly to stay healthy. Enter historical optimization.

Historical Optimization

Historical optimization is the practice of refreshing ‘old’ (i.e. not published today) content to increase lead generation and traffic.
It helps with:

• content with high conversions but low traffic;
• content with high traffic but low conversions;
• and content that is underperforming relative to the time and resources it took to create.

By employing historical optimization, you capitalize on the existing authority and traffic a post already has.

Content should be updated to improve accuracy, freshness and comprehensiveness.

Useful areas to tweak? Titles, the quality of the copy, internal and external links, images, meta-description and CTA.

You can also ask GrowthBot for the keywords you rank for and compare them to keywords similar organizations are ranking for.

Then, content can be resurfaced as brand new (with a publication date to match — Google favors fresh content).

Distribution and Resurfacing

The distribution of content is almost as important as the content itself.
And by dedicating efforts to resurfacing existing content, you can reach the same (or a larger) audience with less effort, as well as reducing pressure on staff to keep churning out new stuff.

It’s a tactic that’s helped online publications like The Atlantic (where more than 50% of monthly traffic comes from content not produced that month) significantly raise their readership.

Resurfacing can include everything from evergreen hits, newly refurbished stories, temporal content that has found renewed relevance; or simply nuggets of information or research that continue to be useful.

It all boils down to the oft-cited definition of content marketing success: helping the right audience find the right content at the right time.

By staying abreast of the current content climate, you can evaluate if a story is worth resurfacing (or writing) in the first place; and if so, how best to distribute it.

But this relies on more than an educated guess. Smart automations like GrowthBot can help clarify what’s of interest to your target audience. Try asking it what stories are trending for a certain topic, or which posts are the most-viewed on a relevant site.

Another great way to find popular content on any topic is with Ahrefs’ Content Explorer.

Smarter SEO

Today, the top distribution channels are controlled by a small number of huge companies: specifically, Alphabet and Facebook (and everyone they own, including Google and Youtube).

So, we’re essentially at the mercy of their algorithms — which are subject to constant change, including:

• Google’s algorithm being updated to favor ‘real experts’ on a topic (not content machines or college kids copywriting to pay their tuition fee).
• Search engines in general (including technology like Amazon Alexa) becoming more complex and sophisticated — they’re now able to understand semantically-related concepts.
• Personalized search making keyword rankings unpredictable and harder to calculate.
• Google displaying featured snippets on the SERP (search engine results page).
• Facebook updating their organic reach News Feed content with the same intent: to keep users from navigating to different sites.

These changes represent a shift in the classic function of SEO.
Obviously, the first step is to ensure your content is sufficiently engaging and educational not only to rank high in search results, but to entice readers away from the SERP.

However, that’s no longer enough.

Build Around Topics

To assert yourself as a ‘true expert’, you need to create accurately and consistently around a certain topic — not one-off content to target certain keywords.

Topic clusters have been lauded as the future of SEO and content strategy, but are widely underreported on (so now’s the time to strike!) A topic cluster is simply a group of interlinked web pages built around one ‘pillar’ page.

The pillar page and cluster pages link back to each other via the use of the same hyperlinked keyword.

When one of these pages performs well, the entire topic gets a rankings boost, leading to more visitors and a positive feedback loop traffic and conversions.

This will also improve search ranking of similar content on your site, which can even lead to you owning multiple SERP positions for a certain keyword.

Implementing topic clusters will clarify a site’s organization and architecture. It also encourages a more deliberate approach to posting.

In the past, a team would generally post for the sake of interest or topicality. With topic clusters, they can use organic gaps in an existing cluster as a strategic starting point.

Featured Snippets

Featured snippets are the high-ranking search results featured in a box below the ads on Google. In a nutshell, they’re there to answer a user’s question straightaway.
Being featured, unsurprisingly, results in tons more exposure: RKG Merkle’s Ben Goodsell noted an 677% increase in revenue from organic visitors and a 400% increase in click-throughs.

Ahrefs reports that 99.58% of featured pages already rank in top 10 of Google, so if you’re already ranking high your chances are promising.
But, as outlined in this awesome Moz guide, there are plenty of ways to optimize your content to increase its chances of getting featured, including: keyword research, on-page SEO, Twitter monitoring, structure, formatting and imagery.

It’s also important to try and answer as many similar questions possible.
You can also look for relevant existing snippets already owned by another company and try to get a mention.

Another handy feature is the ‘people also ask’ widget, which gives an insight into what Google links together. By exploring this, you can sniff out untapped content opportunities and strategize for the future.

Facebook

By combining PPC with recommendation algorithms, Facebook has flippedthe digital advertising value chain upside down.

As outlined in Buffer’s report, Facebook’s new algorithm relies on three active interactions: commenting, sharing and reacting.

Adam Mosseri, Head of News Feed, explains: “Page posts that generate conversation between people will show higher in News Feed.”

But a no-go for brands is posting content that ‘baits’ customers into commenting, sharing or reacting; this will result in demotion of your content on newsfeeds.
The engagements need to be based on genuine interest, not just consumption.

The algorithm also places equal emphasis on posts that have been shared privately as well as publicly.

For most brands, reach and referral traffic from Facebook will continue to decrease; so it may be worth re-evaluating investment and resources dedicated to Facebook.
There’s no silver bullet — content needs to authentic, meaningful (and usually emotionally driven) to succeed.

Buffer’s Brian Peters summarizes: “Instead of creating content, for your brand, that people interact with, we need to start creating content, for the people, that will spark enough emotion to generate a comment or share.”

Breaking Out of Our Rut

The final barrier is our dependence on the same, worn-out methods; a strategy that worked in the past won’t necessarily continue to work.

That’s why it’s important to keep experimenting, testing and iterating with different channels and acquisition tactics.

This will help you build up a portfolio of experience to fall back on if your core strategy starts losing traction or just isn’t working.

It’s also useful in terms of tapping into new audiences or digging deeper into your target audience’s interests.

Here are some methods to try.

Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing means having a real-time, one-to-one conversationwith a customer or lead.

According to a recent study, 90% of consumers want to use messaging to communicate with businesses. Platforms like Drift and Intercom make scaling these conversations possible.

This signals a change in the way content marketing is distributed, making the prospect of customers receiving the right content at the right time — i.e, when they’ve just asked you for it — a reality.

Alex De Simone, CEO of Avochato explains: “Machine learning technologies that enable marketers to tailor who sees a message are starting to decide what the content of conversations should be. The shift from traditional content marketing to machine-mediated conversational marketing will change the way marketers operate, empowering them to deliver better content at scale.”

Video Marketing

Experts are convinced that video, one of the fastest-growing and most in-demand channels out there, is the content marketing platform of the future.
In a world where more and more is automated, video emerges as one of the last communication channels that can’t be faked.

Don’t agree? Here are the numbers:

• Video is projected to claim more than 80% of all web traffic by 2019.
• 90% of customers report that product videos help them make purchasing decisions.
• Digital marketing expert James McQuivey estimates that a single minute of video content is the equivalent of 1.8 million words.

Sites like Simpleshow and GoAnimate are a great place to start.
Video marketing is powerful because it’s visual and auditory, making it easier for users to remember than text-based content. And when a customer remembers your video, they will also remember your brand.

Emerging Technology

Emerging technology is predicted to go mainstream over the next two years, and its widespread availability will create opportunities for marketers to optimize their content.

By 2021, early adopter brands that redesign their websites to support visual and voice search will increase digital commerce revenue by 30%.

And experts predict that AR/VR will amass $150 billion in revenue by 2020, indicating that the production of visual content will go from a ‘nice-to-have’ to a ‘must-have’.

While virtual reality still represents unexplored territory for most, its rise can serve as a reminder to keep experimenting with visual content such as interactive graphics, imagery, videos and apps.

As summarized by Ginny Mineo, you should: “Re-calibrate your strategy between compounding, recurring, and experimental content channels.”

The successful content marketers of the future will learn from the past and quickly adapt to the present.

Content marketing can transform itself by relying on selective, higher-quality content, powered by smarter research and emerging technologies.

 

 

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