Read
How To Create And Publish Original Research
At some point in your marketing career, you’ve probably considered creating original research. Maybe you even have created some.
According to Steve Rayson (the Dude at BuzzSumo) original research is the best way to consistently get links and shares right now. We could all use a few more of those right?
The problem is, tackling a research project is a heck of a lot more difficult than just saying, “Let’s do research!” The good news? BuzzSumo is breaking down what it takes in today’s Read.
Here we go…
What is involved in an original research project?
- Strategy and planning. This part is crucial. If you don’t have a clear strategy to creating your survey, getting responses to it, and getting people to read it, your whole project is gonna fail.
- Data science. What questions are you gonna ask, and why are you gonna ask them?
- Research journalism. You can’t just publish a bunch of numbers. People don’t like numbers without context and meaning. Once you’ve done your research distill it into takeaways for your readers.
- Amplification. How the heck are you going to promote the results?
How long does an original research project take?
A long time. Like, 150 hours over 4 months. Be prepared for that.
How can we prove that it’s worth all the effort?
Consider this: in a research study, most SEOs find creating original research as the most effective way to gain backlinks. More backlinks = higher domain authority. That means your whole website could see a lift from original research.
Or how about this: Content Marketing Institutes two most linked-to articles are about original research.
One last point: 92% of people who have conducted original research plan to do it again in the next 12 months. That stat right there proves just about everything you need to know.
Plenty more from BuzzSumo here including how you should choose your questions and the size of audience you’ll need for an accurate study…
Read
5 Ways to Use LinkedIn Ads to Generate Highly Targeted Leads
If you aren’t already using LinkedIn ads or could use a refresher, Databox is bringing the goods today. They’re breaking down your targeting options and serving up the strategy you need for success!
So wipe the sweat off your brow cause we got the things you need to know.
Step 1: Company
Do this to when running your first set of ads to a company page.
- Click the ‘Work’ icon in the top right corner of the LinkedIn homepage
- Click + Create a Company Page
- Enter your company name and include the URL
- Check the verification box to confirm you have the right to create the page on behalf of the company
- Click “Create Page”
Note: Your ads don’t need to be displayed on your company page. This little move will help allow for more targeted campaigns.
Step 2: Clarity
Know your ideal audience! Linkedin gets real specific with audience criteria but it means nothing unless you fo sho know who you’re targeting.
Step 3: Campaign
Determine which of the three ads on LinkedIn best fit your goals.
- Sponsored Content – run native Ads in the newsfeed to your ideal audience
- Sponsored InMail – send personalized messages to your target audience
- Text Ads – advertise to your audience in a text format
Step 4: Content
Let’s get those creative juices flowing. Not sure where to begin? Focus on the landing page. If you decide to send people to an LP then make sure to reflect it in your ad. Why?
If your ad copy talks about an upcoming fall collection but you send people to your homepage, we would bet money you’ll have a high bounce rate and a poor performing ad.
Note: Relevance matters!
Step 5: Controls & Projection
This is essentially calculating success after defining your goals. Always always always have a clear understanding of what you need to accomplish so that you can set the budget appropriately.
- Define your goal
- Calculate your CPA (cost per acquisition) and CLV (customer life value)
- Split test ads to see which offers a better ROI (Databox recommends creating 3 versions)
- Give LinkedIn Video Ads the ol college try
Watch
Mistake
*Beep Beep* All aboard the struggle bus!
Wednesdays can be rough. Trust us… we know. The weekend is one-day closer, which is nice. But, it’s also the day where all of your leftover Monday & Tuesday tiredness comes to gang up on you.
You know what tends to happen when you’re tired… mistakes. Spelling errors. Acting on a whim. Reckless driving. All kinds of problems!
We hope your day is blunder-free, but today’s watch is chock-full of ‘em. Citroën’s newest ad follows a man at a bar who is about to make a massive mistake (hint: it involves him taking off his wedding ring). YIKES!
The commercial shows us how life would be if at any moment we could stop ourselves just before we were about to make a mistake. Who wouldn’t want that?!
It ends with a serious plot twist & definitely got our attention.
