Content is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz

Table of Contents

Foreword by Bob Bly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .XI

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1 Content Rules! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hidden Places to Find Your Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Old Newsletters, Articles, and Blog Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Old or Outdated Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Bonus Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Events: Teleseminars, Conferences, Webinars, and More . . . . .12

Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

General Website Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

2 Online Content Syndication: What You Need to Know. . . . . . . 15

Content Syndication Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Content Aggregators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

The Art of Article (Content) Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Content Syndication and Search Engines:

Debunking the Duplicate Content Myth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

The Article Directory: The Nucleolus of Your Web Content Marketing Efforts . . . .21

Secrets to Successful Article Marketing and Keyword Selection . . . .24

Choosing the Right Article Directory: The Importance of Rank and Relevance? . . . . . . .30

To Outsource or Not to Outsource…That Is the Question! . .. .32

3 The Power of Search: Understanding Search Engine Optimization for
More Effective Content-Based Marketing Efforts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Keyword Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Tagging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Other SEO Secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

SEO for PDFs: Make Your PDFs Search Engine Friendly . . . . .38

4 What Came First: The Guerrilla or the Web? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Guerrilla Marketing and Social Media: The Rules of Engagement . . . .44

10 Rules of Social Marketing (Guerrilla) Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Social Marketing Success Secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Relationship Building and Bonding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Engage in a One-on-One Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Branding and Free Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Twitter Caveat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

5 What Is Content? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Making the Most of Your Video Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Content for Product Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Content for Syndication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Seven Emotional Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Know Your List! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

6 Learning and Leveraging the SONAR Content Distribution Model™ . . . . . 67

What Is SONAR Marketing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

S: Syndicate Partners, Content Syndication Networks, and User-Generated
Content Sites .70

O: Online Press Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

N: Network (Social) Communities and Social Bookmarking Sites . . . . . . .75

A: Article Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

R: Relevant Posts to Blogs, Forums, and Message Boards . . . . .79

SONAR in Action: Putting It All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

S: Syndicate Partners, Content Syndication Networks, and User-Generated
Content Sites . . . . . . . . . .84

SONAR Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Does Your Content Have “Legs”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

SONAR Takeaways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

7 SEO for SONAR: How to Get Found by Search Engines . . . . 103

Business Services/Marketing Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Alternative Health/Health Publishing Example . . . . . . . . . .109

Business Services/Marketing/InfoPublishing Example . . . . . .111

Business Services/Self-Help/Professional and Personal
Development Example . . . . . .113

SEM for SONAR: How to Get Found by Search Engines . . . .115

Helpful Hints for Writers When Working with Search Engines . . ..116

8 SONAR in Action: Results and Analytics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Case Study #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Case Study #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Case Study #3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Case Study #4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Case Study #5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Case Study #6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Case Study #7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

Case Study #8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

SONAR: Keeping It Real and Replicating Results . . . . . . . . . . . .124

How Is SONAR Measured? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

The Three Os—Outputs, Outcomes, and Objectives . . . .126

9 Monetize the Traffic: A Blueprint to Building a Site That Leverages SONAR. . . .. . . . 129

Dissecting the Ideal SONAR Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Lead Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Sales and Cross-Selling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

Boosting Your E-Commerce Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

Bonding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

Branding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156

Credibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

More “Best of ” SONAR Websites… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

10 Dovetailing SONAR with Other High-Performing Internet Marketing Tactics . . . .. . . . 169

Joint Ventures, Affiliate Marketing, and Ad Swaps . . . . . . . . . .170

Online Advertising: Tips and Tricks of the Trade . . . . . . . . . . . .174

Tip #1: Watch What’s Happening in the Industry . . . . . . . .174

Tip #2: Research Which Ad Is a Higher Performer . . . . . .174

Tip #3: Business Negotiations 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176

Tip #4: Due Diligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177

Tip #5: Real-Time Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177

Tip #6: Test Ad Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Tip #7: Don’t Just Talk the Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Tip #8: Try to Get Goodwill Freebies for SEO . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Tip #9: Buy More, Get More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Media Cheat Sheet: “Must Know” Questions and Answers . . . . . . . . . .180

Online Public Opinion Polls for Editorial and Lead-Generation Success . . . . .181

Finding Customers in a Web 2.0 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182

11 How to Write Great, Free Content (That Gets Read and Passed Around!) . . . . . . .. . . 189

Industry Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191

Michael Masterson, Publisher, Agora, Inc., Early to Rise . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Jason Holland, Managing Editor, Agora, Inc., Early to Rise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192

Brian Kurtz, Executive Vice President, Boardroom, Inc., Bottom Line Secrets . . . . .93

Christopher Ruddy, President and CEO, Newsmax Media, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193

Steve Kroening, Editor, Soundview Publications, Inc., Second Opinion
Newsletter, Women’s Health Letter, and Real Cures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194

Alice Wessendorf, Managing Editor, Healthier Talk . . . . .194

Sean Brodrick, Natural Resource Analyst, Uncommon Wisdom Daily, Weiss Research, Inc. . .194

Dr. Jonny Bowden, Publisher, In Step with Jonny: Straight Talk Nutrition for the 21st Century . . . . . . . . . .195

Bob Bly, Publisher, The Direct Response Letter, CTC Publishing . . . . . . . . 196

12 Best SONAR Platforms and Measuring Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Gauging Your SONAR Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201

A Glossary: Key Terms to Know When Deploying SONAR or Any Online Marketing Strategy . .207

TOC, 9780789741080, MF