All posts by Nikki L

Google Makes It Official: Content Marketing Is Now the #1 Ranking Factor

By in Content Marketing

By Michael Brenner for Marketing Insider Group Google’s thrown down the gauntlet: Content marketing is king of the SEO hill. If your business has been slow to give content marketing the crown in your marketing strategy, it’s time to hustle. The folks at Google aren’t being subtle about it. Their SEO Starter Guide is pretty clear: Awesome content influences your site more than any other factor. We’re talking blogs, tweets, emails, forum chats, you name it. Not convinced? The numbers speak for themselves. Content marketing can shoot your conversion rates through the roof, costing 62% less than traditional marketing while offering six times the…

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The Science of Productivity: How to Get More Done in a Day

By in Self Improvement Tag

by Kayla Schilthuis-Ihrig for HubSpot It’s estimated that a shocking 60% (or less) of work time is spent productively, according to Atlassian. Time is our scarcest resource, yet we spend so much of it doing things that are unproductive — usually without meaning to. Emails, meetings, endless notifications... We’re indeed being pulled in more directions than ever before, but it’s not just technology holding us back from making the most of our time. In many cases, we are the ones responsible for our own lack of productivity. As a freelance remote worker, I’ve had to tango with my self-sabotaging productivity quirks more…

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5 Hiring Tips for Small Business Owners

By in Human Resources Tag

By Nathaniel Stevens for HR Daily Advisor 2023 marked an important year for hiring managers, as it brought challenges with labor shortages, looming retirements, and a demand for evolving skills for small to medium sized businesses. But this year, the tide is turning. CEOs of smaller businesses are remaining optimistic about the future of hiring in the coming months due to a more positive economic outlook. In fact, a recent study showed that over half of CEOs at small businesses plan to hire more in 2024, and almost three-quarters intend to maintain or increase employee pay. With this, there are a few…

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10 non-marketing books every SEO should read

By in Marketing Tag ,

by Claire Taylor for Search Engine Land When you work in an industry like SEO, staying updated on new technologies is crucial. But, not all learning needs to be about link building, content or technical aspects of SEO. It’s also valuable to look outside of the industry. With that in mind, here are 10 of the best (in my opinion) non-marketing books that offer great insight and value for any SEO professional. 1. ‘Never Split the Difference’ by Chris Voss This book might seem an unconventional choice for an SEO, yet negotiation is a skill more embedded in our daily activities…

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If it’s not simple, it fails

By in Business Management

by The Path to Product-Market Fit Building a fast-growing company seems complicated. Fast-growing companies do so many things. So we feel like we need to do many things in order to grow fast and build something people want. This seems right - and it’s supported by mélange of complicated, serious-sounding startup best practices that promise to guide founders like you to the promised land. Here’s the problem with all of this: The processes that generate complex systems (aka: fast-growing companies) must be simple. They cannot be complicated, because the more complicated a process is, the more failure points it has. We see this…

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Four Benefits of Employee-Generated Content for Your Business

By in Content Marketing

by Jesse Liszka for MarketingProfs You've heard of user-generated content, but how about employee-generated content? Of all the types of content at your disposal, employee-generated content (EGC) is the most effective at simultaneously building your brand's authenticity, attracting new talent, boosting job satisfaction, and driving social engagement. It not only fosters a culture that values the opinions of its employees but also communicates that culture of integrity to the masses. Why is it so effective? Because customers and jobseekers alike trust all types of user-generated content—including employee-generated—more than the content produced by your brand. So, what exactly is employee-generated content, what…

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Halos, Horns, and Content Marketing

By in Content Marketing

by B2B Marketing Directions If you've ever bought or sold a house, you're probably familiar with the concept of curb appeal. Curb appeal is the visual attractiveness of a house as seen from the street, and it's what creates a potential buyer's first impression of the house. Real estate professionals know curb appeal plays a big role in determining how quickly a house will sell and what the selling price will be. Good first impressions are also important for successful B2B marketing. Today, most potential buyers will form their first impression of your company based on the content you produce.…

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The B2B Sales Pipeline: A Simple Guide

By in Sales

by Claron Kinny for MarketingProfs The B2B sales pipeline is a game-changer, because it helps identify target prospects, build tailored messages, and facilitate follow up on leads in ways that save you time, money, and resources. Sales pipelines allow companies to communicate with relevant customers and guide them through different phases of their journey until a purchase occurs. This article will provide a step-by-step guide on how to build a B2B sales pipeline for your company. But first: What is a B2B sales pipeline? A B2B sales pipeline is a visual representation of what sales and marketing teams do at every…

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Why Blogging Is Dead

By in Marketing Tag

By Michael Brenner for Marketing Insider Group Well, there you have it – blogging has finally breathed its last breath! Time to toss SEO out the window and forget about your loyal audience, because blogging is dead. Seriously, the most successful companies are ditching blog writing altogether. With the overwhelming wave of video content captivating audiences globally – 92.3% of internet users in 2023, to be exact – who bothers with the written word anymore? Yawn! Today, we’re exploring why blogging is dead, and how you can start taking advantage of new (and better) innovations, like ChatGPT, that will do all of your writing…

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Research Says Learning How to Receive, Not Just Give, Can Make You Happier

By in Human Resources

BY MARCEL SCHWANTES for INC. The age-old wisdom that "it is better to give than to receive" has shaped countless individuals, teams, and organizations for generations. But what if this is only half of the story? Globally renowned leadership expert, author, and speaker Robb Holman raises a thought-provoking question: "If everyone were giving, who would be left to receive?" Research indicates that receiving a gift triggers the release of happiness-inducing hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, echoing the chemical reactions associated with love. This is a proven recipe for cultivating and nurturing trust within our immediate sphere of influence. Given these benefits, who wouldn't…

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