Author: Dan Morris

This author has written 644 articles

Accepting Guest Posts

Anyone ever offer to write a guest post for you? I imagine you were either daunted by what to do or very excited that someone else provided content for you. Either way, I bet your first response wasn’t strategic. accepting-guest-posts

After creating a keyword theme map for a client this week, I was asked by the client what she was supposed to do with guest posts. She wanted to know if she was to put them in their on silo on site or if she was to stop accepting them. The answer is neither. Armed with a keyword theme map you won’t have to wonder about accepting guests posts.

Instead you can start offering and accepting positions for “blog post substitutes”.

(more…)

Continue ReadingAccepting Guest Posts

Viral Marketing Examples: The Piano Guys Case Study

I’m always looking for unbelievable viral marketing examples, and recently came upon what ThePianoGuys are doing with their CelloWars video. You’re going to love it.

There is an enormous difference between viral video examples and viral marketing examples. Tons of videos go viral, most of them that have done so weren’t because they were planned that way.  And 99% of them are just a flash in the pan with no way to turn that audience into future fans.

In this viral marketing example you’re going to see how ThePianoGuys are using their videos to create fans, generate revenue, grow their list and become pop icons. You don’t see this kind of thing everyday.

They start with YouTube, but these guys aren’t using a Flip Camera in their car on the way to work. Their videos are stunning, done with impeccable editing and amazing musicians. They are so well done, you want to share them. But again – that’s not viral marketing. Great editing, amazing music and stunning video by themselves are a hallmark of great movies like Shindler’s List, K2 and Empire of the Sun but that doesn’t make them instant viral marketing examples. (more…)

Continue ReadingViral Marketing Examples: The Piano Guys Case Study

The Problem with Marketing Calendars

marketing-calendar-problemsI opened up my email today and noticed quite a few people talking about marketing calendars. I even saw a few screen shots of people’s calendars that said things like:

Feb 1 Send email about chocolate
Feb 3 Upload chocolate blog post
Feb 5 Start promoting Reggies book

Some of the marketing calendar suggestions just made me chuckle.

Just because you put your to-do’s on a calendar doesn’t mean you have a strategy, doesn’t mean you understand your customer base and doesn’t mean you’re going to be any more successful tomorrow than you were yesterday.

A marketing calendar needs much more thought than putting to-do’s on paper. A strategy laid out and thought through lays out on a calendar quite nicely. It’s not as if you’re going to implement an entire strategy in one day, right? So don’t even begin to put one together until you understand these things: (more…)

Continue ReadingThe Problem with Marketing Calendars

What Web Marketers Can Learn From Radio

I’ve spent a lot of time learning about advertising on the radio. I understand ROI as well as MER (Media Efficiency Ratio). I understand the point of 30 minute long form ads verus :30 second spots and prime placement versus remnant space. These are all radio terms that help businesses get good at advertising on the radio. web-marketing-radio

But here’s something I don’t get. When I was a kid growing up in Anchorage, Alaska I first heard “That Song” by Genesis on KGOT. During College in Omaha I listened to Rush Limbaugh on KKAR. Here in Nashville I listen to Phil Valentine on WTN, or I’ll press preset button #3 on my car radio and listen to Top 10 Hits on JackFM.

But for the life of me I have no idea where to find these stations on the dial. Is it 99.7, 101.3, 87.1. . . I  have no idea. (more…)

Continue ReadingWhat Web Marketers Can Learn From Radio