2011 26 Book Challenge #2: The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott

Last week I finished up book #2 in 2011's 26 Book Challenge. The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott is an excellent crash course for those looking to use content marketing and the Internet to connect with your customers and promote your brand. With all that has changed since marketing has gone digital, it's nearly impossible to stay current on all the latest tactics. Explore The New Rules of Marketing and PR with me to set a new baseline for your overall knowledge in the online marketing landscape.

How the Web has Changed Marketing and PR

David Meerman Scott begins The New Rules of Marketing and PR by first illustrating the growing inefficiencies with traditional marketing tactics. Commercials, traditional press releases, etc. used to work because there were only so many types of media. Consumers were limited to only a few types of media. To get in on TV, print and radio, you either purchased advertising in the form of commercials or you got the media to run a story on you. The world of media wasn't that big so people couldn't avoid your messages.

Now that the Internet has become mainstream and everyone has a DVR, consumers have the power to choose which media they consume and what to ignore. The New Rules of Marketing and PR is a mental road map to using new media to connect with your customers rather than just broadcasting at them.

Solving Problems, One Blog Post at a Time

The Internet has allowed companies to communicate directly to their customers by using new media channels such as blogs, social media and websites. And those that do it right have discovered the key: creating content that solves your customers' problems. How can you solve problems? 

• Create a blog to write educational content on your topic of expertise. Show people how to install that hardwood floor. Compare and contrast the best kitchen knives. People are out there looking for this knowledge. Publish your expertise and get found by potential customers.
• Use social media to connect with those in your industry and your customers. Seek out those interested in your area and take an active interest in their social networks. Share their content. Share content with them. Grow your community through sharing information and creating relationships.
• Create audio and video to diversify your content. Don't just do one thing. Try to leverage content across many different types of media to make it convenient for your audience to consume and share it. Make a video. Publish the same content in audio format as a podcast. String it all together in Youtube and iTunes channels connected to your blog.
• Publish news releases for consumers, not just the press. Press releases aren't just for the media anymore. Consumers are using services like Google News to find information they're seeking on press releases in addition to the rest of the web. You'll be more successful if you publish news that solves problems for your customer.
• Create a website that is centered on the needs of your customer. Don't organize it in a way that is appealing to your marketing department. Make it useful to the customer and they will reward you for it.

Getting Up to Speed on New Media

If you or someone you know has fallen behind on the basics of new media, this is the book for you. The New Rules of Marketing and PR is great for new clients, marketing staff, executives... anyone in the market for a high-level book on using new media for marketing purposes.

If you're reading this blog, you probably already have a good sense for these rules. But maybe those around you aren't quite there yet. Read this book and then share it with your colleagues to set a new bar in your organization.

Have you read this book? What did you think of The New Rules of Marketing and PR? What's your biggest success story about using great content to connect with your customers? Share your thoughts about The New Rules in the comments below.

Your 2011 Blogging Strategy Resolutions

New Year's is always a time of renewal and change. That's what resolutions are all about, right? Although sometimes unpleasant, New Year's resolutions help make us better people in the end. And if personal resolutions make us better people, then surely resolutions for what we read as a part of our 2011 blog research process will make us better bloggers, right? Today we'll take a look at two resolutions you can make to improve your blogging strategy in 2011.

Resolving to Organize What You Read

As of August 2010 there were nearly 150 million blogs on the Internet with nearly 60k more being created each day. How do you possibly keep it all organized? Long gone are the days of simply keeping a folder of bookmarks on your Internet browser.

These days we have Twitter, Digg, and Facebook flooding us with articles to read. It's important to organize your favorite sources of information so you don't forget about them in the constant deluge of content facing us as we begin 2011.

Google Reader helps organize blogs you follow.Organizing the blogs most important to generating ideas for your own blog is simple with tools like Google Reader, but can easily become filled with noise if you don't manage your subscriptions from time to time. Take a few minutes early in 2011 to manage the blogs you follow in your RSS reading system.

Also, don't be afraid to try new ways of keeping blogs you follow organized. For example, I recently brought my RSS feeds over to Feedly, a magazine reader-style system for keeping your RSS feeds organized. I'm not sure I'll use it permanently but it's a novel way of consuming content at the moment.

Feedly creates a cool magazine-style start page.

Resolving to Read More

When was the last time you read a good book about your industry. For that matter, when was the last time you read a good book in general? 

Don't get me wrong, blogs are great. In fact, I happen to think the one you're reading right now is excellent. But blog posts are just bite-sized morsels of knowledge. Sometimes you need more than even the most long-winded of blog posts. Sometimes you need the many meaty courses of information that a book provides in order to truly understand the complexities of a particular topic.

Bloggers/friends Arik Hanson and Patrick Garmoe tend to agree with me. Based on an idea by Julien Smith, we're setting the goal of reading 26 books during 2011 take on some complex topics and stay fresh for our blogs.

Audio books by Audible make reading easy.Join Arik, Patrick and me in resolving to read 26 books in 2011 and improve your source of blogging inspiration and content. Not sure how to make it happen? Personally, I'm going to give audio books by Audible a shot. Each day I spend about an hour in the car. And with each audio book running about 10 hours, the math works out to about a book every other week or, 26 books.

An hour a day or 20 pages a day. It doesn't sound like that much when I put it that way, does it?

Make 2011 a Great Year for Blogging

Even if you don't take either of these suggestions, it's a good idea to do something to shake things up and improve your blog. What types of resolutions have you made for your 2011 blogging strategy? Leave a comment or write a blog response post about what you plant to do differently in 2011. Also, don't be afraid to suggest a great marketing book that you've read or want to read.

What Can 2010 Do For Your 2011 Content Strategy?

I set a goal for myself at the beginning of 2010: write at least one helpful online marketing blog post per week, no exceptions. And wouldn't you know, I ended up with over fifty published blog posts on Big Picture Web this year. While not every post was a success, I learned a lot as a result of my prolific 2010 content strategy. I want to share these lessons with you and fuel your 2011 content strategy by sharing the top ten Big Picture Web blog posts of 2010.

Big Picture Web's Top 2010 Blog Posts

1. Squarespace Vs. Wordpress: Both Sides of the Story - In this blog post, co-author and Wordpress user Andy Brudtkuhl and I compared the two blogging platforms. Lesson: People don't want to be sold on something. They want to compare, contrast and make their own decision.
2. My Squarespace Review: 3 Pro's and 1 Con - I wrote this blog post two months after moving my website to Squarespace. People often tell me they sign up for Squarespace after reading my review. Lesson: People are likely to make a purchase even after having read a less-than-perfect review because they appreciate the realism that comes with a few flaws.
3. Squarespace Vs. the World - This blog post covered some industry news from Squarespace competitors. Lesson: Speculation by those close to a product or service can be of great interest to those within the niche and a great addition to any content strategy
4. The Squarespace Twitter / Facebook Button Tutorial Post - This post came out the week after Squarespace released HTML widgets that enable users to embed Twitter and Facebook buttons within their blog. Lesson: People appreciate tutorials with plenty of screenshots when it comes to new features.
5. A Blog Measurement Guide: Learn to Track Blog Comments - In this post I demonstrated how to configure Google Analytics to track when readers commented on a blog post. Lesson: Write about the useful things you know and people will read it.
6. 7 Examples of Good Web Design Layout - This article featured a well-named image: examples-of-good-web-design.png. As a result, I received the most visits to this blog post from users of Google Images. Lesson: Put images in your blog posts and be sure to optimize them for search engines.
7. Squarespace SEO Secrets You Should Know - I leveraged my role as an online marketing manager in charge of search engine optimization (SEO) to write these types about Squarespace and SEO. Lesson: Something you may think is simple is complicated for those that haven't mastered it. What can you share about your trade or craft? 
8. Using Google Analytics to Measure Your Contact Form - Web analytics expert and blogger Avinash Kaushik tweeted a link to this blog post after I published it, sending a flood of his Twitter followers my way. Lesson: Influencers in social media are an incredible source of website traffic.
9. Squarespace Design Resources for Outstanding Blogs or Websites - This post was a simple listing of external web design resources for Squarespacers. Lesson: Curation can be just as successful as creation within your content strategy.
10. The Complete Google Analytics iPhone App Guide - Being a Google Analytics junkie, I couldn't help by write a full review of all the apps on the iPhone market made especially for Google Analytics. Lesson: People appreciate comprehensive resources that span a niche or topic.

Share Your 2010 Blogging Success

How was your 2010? As a blogger, it can be tempting to crank out blog post after blog post without looking back. But never taking the time to pause an assess your blog's performance can leave important lessons and significant opportunities on the table as you move forward in your content strategy. 

What was your most successful blog post in 2010? Why do you think it was so successful? Big Picture Web readers love each other's insights, small or large. Leave a link to your post and your thoughts in the comments below to help us all use our 2010 successes to better inform our 2011 content strategy.

New Squarespace Site Resources on Our Anniversary

Today marks the one year anniversary of Big Picture Web's move to Squarespace as a blogging platform. It seems like just yesterday I was importing my blog posts from my old Drupal site during the free two week trial. And now here I am with a seasoned Squarespace site, fifty-some blog posts, two designs and one year later. To celebrate, today Big Picture Web is rolling out two new Squarespace resources for your site to thank the awesome blogging/website platform for a year of solid service.

Free Internet Marketing Tutorials for Your Squarespace Site

The first new resource for Squarespace sites is a list of Internet marketing Squarespace tutorials. Over the last year, I've written over a half dozen blog posts that cover specific aspects of Internet marketing from the perspective of a Squarespace website owner. Install Google Analytics on your Squarespace site. Learn about Squarespace and SEO. Compare Wordpress vs. Squarespace as you evaluate and select a platform for your web projects. Big Picture Web exists in part to help people build better Squarespace sites. Let these tutorials be your guide to better Internet marketing on Squarespace.

The Complete Guide to Blogging with Squarespace

After many months of researching, writing and editing, Big Picture Web is proud to announce its very first Squarespace Blogs eBook: The Complete Guide to Blogging with Squarespace. Learn both the strategy and tactics for getting a blog up and running on your Squarespace site with over thirty pages full of Squarespace Internet marketing goodness. As a blogger, SEO and Internet marketer, I've really enjoyed using Squarespace for my site over the last year. Download the free eBook and see what it can do for your Squarespace site/blog.Download the Complete Guide to Blogging With Squarespace

Looking Ahead to a Squarespace Future

It's been nearly a year since giving my first review of Squarespace and in that time they've added 301 redirects, social widgets, HTML snippets and more. In addition, Squarespace founder Anthony Casalena's update on the product roadmap last week demonstrates the company's ability to concentrate their resources on the best opportunities to advance the platform. I'm inspired as both a Squarespace site owner and a marketer.

Keep it up, Squarespace. The new tutorials page and blogging eBook are just my way of saying thanks and paying it forward to the Squarespace community.

What would you like to see in an eBook or tutorial? Much like Squarespace, I value your opinion so I can continue to improve upon the quality of Big Picture Web. Drop me a line, leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you think.

Four Tips for Overcoming Blogging Writer's Block

Big Picture Web doesn't really have what you'd consider a rigid editorial calendar. Something usually piques my interest at some point during the week. Sundays I sit down and write about the most exciting topic. This week was incredibly busy and I found myself sitting down to blog without a concrete blogging topic. Not only that, I had writer's block. This week we take a look at the importance of overcoming writer's block and four tools and tips for overcoming it.

Whether your blog is personal or professional, blogging does many things to improve the strength of your online brand. Writer's block is a death knell for many blogs whose authors decide to give up and stop producing content. Once you stop, it's as if your business stops. It's important to fight through writer's block and consistently find something meaningful talk about.  You can't be creating new relationships and connecting with your audience if you're not creating new content. Let's take a look at a few tips and tools for overcoming writer's block as a blogger.

1. Other Blogs - I regularly follow scores of blogs organized within iGoogle tabs. For example, open a new iGoogle Tab and explore this SEO and Web Analytics iGoogle Tab. Reading other blogs is often what gives me ideas for my own blog posts. In fact, the difference this week compared to others is that I didn't have as much time as I typically do to devote to catching up on my favorite industry blogs. 
2. Twitter - Reach out to your social networks for blogging ideas. You probably write about things you're relatively good at. Maybe you have a Twitter follower that has a burning question that only you can answer. At the very least you can get some ideas to get the old creative juices flowing.Thanks for the idea today, @grandciel and @Springboard SEO. And don't worry, @jblaska, I'm still working on my camel blog post.
3. My Google Analytics Keyword Report revealed a few new Squarespace keywords and some other ideas I could write about.Your Keyword Report - Crack open the Keywords Report in the Traffic Sources section of your Google Analytics account to see search terms driving traffic to your site. Are there searches for which no real good content exists on your site? Search engine users are trying hard to help you overcome writer's block. Use the Keywords report to listen to their requests for new blog content.
4. Google Reader - You can use Google Reader to organize the blogs you follow as well as iGoogle, but I prefer to use it as a Search/Twitter listening station. Use Advanced Twitter Search  -- or any search interface with an RSS output -- to create and export RSS feeds which can then be managed in Google Reader.Every blog writer could benefit from a Google Reader listening station.

Writer's block sucks, but fortunately there are tools that can help generate new ideas select a topic. What do you do to overcome writer's block? Is there a specific tool you like to use like the ones I referenced in this post? Or perhaps you have a favorite writing exercise that helps get the creative juices flowing. Overcome your own writer's block and leave a comment below.