We’re back and we’re ready to talk email marketing.

I asked two pros to come on and spill their best advice on the three biggest email marketing questions we get here at Copyblogger.

DJ Waldow joins Sonia Simone and I to discuss:

• The best way to build an email list
• The 2 reasons why people open an email
• The most important element of an email that sells
• How to write emails that get opened
• How to stay out of your reader’s spam filters
• Sonia’s secret weapon of email marketing that works

This one’s fast and useful, so keep your ears on …

Hit the flash player below to listen now:

Other listening options:

• Click here to download the mp3 | 29.5 MB | 24:31
• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
• Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes)
• Click here for the show archive

The Show Notes:

• Internet Marketing for Smart People Course (free)
• Email Marketing 101
• We left the building with Girl Talk …

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

If your memories of high school involve wedgies, broken hearts, and getting stuffed into your locker, you probably love Glee.

The musical comedy TV show — Ryan Murphy’s smash hit about the nerds, misfits, and social outcasts of McKinley High School’s glee club — is equal parts quirky, cheesy, heartbreaking, and surprisingly delightful.

Over its first two seasons, the show has also attracted millions of obsessive fans from all over the world.

Glee fans, or “Gleeks,” follow the moves of their favorite show with a passion once reserved for Cabbage Patch Kids or the Toyota Prius.

What is Glee’s secret formula for creating crazed fans who would rather die than miss an episode of the show?

And how can you use Glee’s techniques to market your business and turn your listless readers into raving groupies?

Here are a few ideas …

Harness the power of the underdog

The Glee kids are the underdogs at McKinley High.

They constantly have to battle not only the school’s evil cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester, but vicious classmates who taunt them in the halls and throw Slushies in their faces.

We cheer for these underdogs.

We want them to succeed, to show the world how truly talented they are. We want those bullying football players to see the light and drop the 7-11 cups.

Having someone to cheer for is essential.

If your customers can’t get behind you and support you, you’ll never turn them into raving fans. Show them what you’re up against — whether it’s battling writers block, standing up for mom-and-pop stores in a hostile corporate culture, or even stretching yourself to do something that scares you.

Show your audience what you’re fighting for. Share your biggest obstacles, even if those roadblocks are intangible, like fear of success or struggles with technology.

Once your customers know what you’re fighting for (and fighting against) they can rally behind you and become your biggest fans.

Be undeniably awesome

The kids of McKinley High may be underdogs, but they can sing.

They sing, they dance, they twirl, they shine. And when they perform, they put their hearts and souls into it.

Want to be like Glee? Be really, really good at what you do.

Social media is full of quirky people who aren’t very good at their jobs. The underdog and quirk factors only work if you have something remarkable to offer.

Put your absolute best writing on your site. Craft those autoresponder messages so they’re impressively well written and amazingly useful to your prospects, every single time. Make sure your products and services are remarkable and fan-worthy. Create an atmosphere of excellence.

Put your absolute best effort into every detail of your business. Remember that when you’re online, people are watching, so show ‘em your best side every day. Your customer will learn to expect the best from you every time you put something out in the world.

When they expect greatness and you give it to them consistently, they’ll become loyal. And loyal fans are the best fans to have.

Take risks

One of the most popular characters on the show is Kurt Hummel, played by actor Chris Colfer.

Ryan Murphy took a huge risk by casting Colfer in the show. Chris had no previous professional acting experience and was a complete unknown.

Murphy was so impressed with Colfer during his audition that the Glee creator actually wrote the role of Kurt specifically for him. Murphy thought Colfer had something special, and figured out a way to include him in the show.

Murphy listened to his heart, even though it was a risk.

The result of Murphy’s risk? Last year Chris Colfer won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy for his brilliant portrayal. Kurt has become one of the show’s most-beloved and most-talked-about characters.

The upshot? Follow your gut.

If you think something needs to be said on your blog, say it. If you want to link to something on Twitter that might be a wee bit controversial? Tweet it. If you feel like going out on a limb and creating a bold new product for your customers, and your heart is telling you it’s the right thing to do, listen to your heart.

Don’t create controversy for its own sake, but don’t be afraid to stand out for doing the right thing either.

Think of Kurt, and be brave.

Let your freak flag fly

The characters on Glee are quirky. They’re odd.

In some cases, they’re downright bizarre. And that’s part of the reason we adore them.

Cheerleader Brittney is one of the most unusual kids in the group. Her dry observations have been known to stop lunchroom conversations cold.

Despite some strange looks and the tendency of her McKinley classmates to assume she’s dim-witted, Brittney’s not afraid to be herself. And the more we hear from Brittney and glimpse the world through her oddball observations, the more we cheer for her.

It’s Brittney’s oddness and naïveté, or Rachel’s songs about her headband, or Finn seeing the face of God in his grilled cheese sandwich, that make us love these characters. If they were all perfect, they’d be boring. And we’d be bored watching them.

What characteristics can you share with your customer that might show them a surprising new side of you?

Can you tell them you love show tunes?

Religiously follow Manchester United?

Have visited all seven continents?

Don’t be afraid to show a little personality. Your customers need to know you in order to like and trust you. So make sure they know some of your oddness, too.

Your customer will see your quirkiness as a part of you and will feel connected to you and your business. And then they will adore you and want to put up your Tiger Beat posters on their walls.

Encourage your fans to connect with you

Glee’s marketing team are absolute geniuses about social media.

Glee has a vibrant website with regularly updated content, including video sneak peeks, interviews with actors, quizzes, and photos. The site features discussion boards and a weekly Gleek newsletter.

The website even features an iPhone app called “Tap Tap Glee” for fans who want to go mobile with their McKinley spirit.

In social media circles, Gleeks are invited to participate in the Glee conversation in a myriad of ways, including:

• Glee’s Facebook page has attracted over 16 million fans. Glee posts at least twice a day with news, award announcements, special previews and regular reminders about upcoming episodes. Fans can comment on all the status updates and videos with encouragement, suggestions, and feedback.
• The Glee Twitter account is also constantly updated, and consistently links to the actors’ individual Twitter accounts, assuring Glee fans have access to their favorite stars, too. Almost a million fans follow the main Glee page and the Glee conversation is constant.
• Glee’s YouTube Channel features more than 120 videos, most of them of musical numbers and interviews. Their videos have received over 300 millions views. Fans can share their thoughts on any video, and each video is embeddable, so fans can share Glee news on their own websites and blogs.

By creating an online presence that gives fans scores of ways to interact with the makers of Glee and their fellow fans, they provide an extraordinary supplement to the experience of watching Glee at home.

They offer Gleeks the opportunity to talk about their favorite things — reliving this week’s show, and speculating on possibilities for the next episode.

Have you given your customers places to connect with you via social media?

Do you give them news, interviews, and fun behind-the-scenes previews of what you’re up to next? If you’re not, you’re missing a fantastic opportunity to turn your regular customers into crazy screaming fans.

Give them a place to show the love.

Your turn in the spotlight …

During sixty minutes of show tunes and Journey covers, Glee somehow pulls off a magic act.

It shows the world a bizarre, ragtag group of high school performers and manages to give each of us someone with whom we can relate. And while we’re relating to these kids, they touch our hearts and make us smile.

So whether you identify with Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Rachel, or Finn, there is something in the Glee formula that can help you transform your business into an organization that people follow with fanatical loyalty.

Best way to get started? Stand up and sing it, people.

The stage is yours.

About the Author: Beth Hayden helps business owners make more money by helping them create fabulous websites, blogs, and social media campaigns. Get her best tips for achieving blogging nirvana by downloading her free report, From Blah to Hurrah: 25 Ways to Make Your Blog Bigger, Better and More Profitable.

So how about that new Facebook Timeline?

Love it? Hate it? Either way it’s here to stay (until it isn’t).

As always, Facebook loves to change things up and people love to kvetch about it. You can always use new Facebook Features to improve your marketing, so how can you use the Facebook Timeline to your advantage? Read on.

First, a few facts about the Facebook Timeline. The Timeline only affects personal profiles at the moment. Facebook has not announced when (or even if) they will roll the new Timeline look out to Facebook Pages.

Second, not everyone has the Timeline yet. If you don’t, you can visit Facebook’s Timeline page and click the gigantic green button to get started with it.

Third, whether we love it or hate it, Facebook’s going to be rolling the Timeline out to all personal pages in the coming weeks. Hey, it wouldn’t be Facebook if they didn’t turn everything upside-down on you every six months, right?

The Timeline essentially replaces what we called the “Wall,” and is accessed when you click on your name in the upper right corner of the page when you log into Facebook.

If your business strategy includes using your personal Facebook profile to connect to customers (and there are many good reasons why it should) then you need to use your Facebook Timeline to tell a story.

There are four key parts to the Timeline that will help you tell your story:

1. Using the Subscribe button,
2. Adding a great Cover photo,
3. Crafting your About page, and
4. Adding activity and Life Events to your Timeline.

Let’s take a look at each of these four more closely …

Simple Step #1: Understand the Subscribe button

The Subscribe Button on Facebook allows people to get your Facebook updates without actually friending you.

The Subscribe button is perfect for people who want to use Facebook and the Timeline to support becoming authorities in their topics.

Facebook Privacy settings have gotten better, so you can control who sees particular updates. Some of your customers want to connect with you personally on Facebook (not just via your Facebook Page) and the Subscribe button will help. It lets you keep a personal profile, without having to friend everyone.

If you get a friend request and you have your Subscribe feature turned on, then they will be subscribed to your Updates — but only the ones that you mark as Public. You can find out more about the Subscribe button right here.

Simple Step #2: Add a Cover image

OK, this is the fun part: deciding on your Cover photo.

The Cover photo is like your website header — one you can easily switch out whenever you like. You can use personal photos, something great from your graphic designer, arty shots of your fleet of Lamborghinis … whatever strikes your fancy. Here are some great examples of how people have had fun with their Cover images.

Have Fun:

Showcase business and life:

Inspire:

Be Creative:

To highlight your work, combine both work info and some information about your life in the photo.

Be creative, and remember you can rotate these photos based on your mood or things happening in your life. You can use any photo as your Timeline Cover, just hover over the lower right side to change it.

If you want to design something unique, the dimensions are 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels high, and remember to leave a good spot in the lower left corner where your profile picture will go.

Simple Step #3: Spruce up your About Page

Just like on your blog or website, a well-crafted About Page can showcase your business and experience and let people know what you do and who you serve.

First, make sure your Facebook Page (or Pages) is linked to your “Employer” section in your profile, as shown in this picture.

To do this, start typing the Page name in your “Work” field and it should pop up in a drop-down menu. This ensures that people can easily connect to your Facebook Page by hyperlinking it in your profile.

Also make sure that this is public information by clicking on the little people icon next to the Work field.

Now edit the “About You” section on the right by adding all kinds of interesting goodness. You can add hyperlinks, testimonials, and go deeper into your business. But keep it real and fun.

Remember, your friends will see this. They know you.

Watch your privacy in all the sections of your About Page by clicking on the little Edit icon in the upper right corner of each box. Only share publicly what you intend to be public.

Simple Step #4: Decide what’s in your timeline

Go through your posts and decide what is going to be Public and what should remain more personal.

When you turn on your Subscribe button, everything defaults to be shown only to your Friends of Friends. Make some of your posts Public to highlight your business: your blog posts, articles you might share, business Events, etc.

To control who can see your post, click the icon next to the date. The world icon is Public as shown in this picture.

Make important posts longer and more prominent by clicking on the star icon in the upper right corner of the post that says Feature. That post will then span the whole page and not be collapsed by other posts nearby.

Add significant Life Events to your Timeline with the Life Events. Don’t add them all at once because they will post updates to all your friends and you will look like you are bragging. Add just one a week.

Life Events show up larger than, well … you know, life, if you have a picture with them.

Facebook’s intent with the Timeline is to tell your life story.

Obviously your life is richer and more complex than a few photos and status updates, but why not use this to your advantage and let people know more about you?

The world is spending more time online searching and learning. Use this tool to get to know your clients and have them get to know, like, and trust you.

Or just use it to find some good cat videos.

Either way you win.

About the Author: Are you ready to drink the Facebook Kool-aid? If so, Andrea Vahl has lots of handy tutorials on how to get started and how to effectively use Facebook, with the help of her alter ego, Grandma Mary. Get more from Andrea and Grandma here: AndreaVahl.com.

Reading this post made us smarter, richer, more fascinating, and an average of 3 inches taller.

Let’s say you place a photo of a client on your landing page.

Just the photo. No client name. No title, or business name. No clue as to what industry that client is in, or where they come from.

Now, photos are a great addition to landing pages. Photos of happy clients help to build trust with your readers, showing the type of people who do business with you.

But would anyone even know that person was a client?

The moment you add in a few important details — the client name, the industry, and the words “one of our customers” — a fog is lifted from your page.

Suddenly there’s no confusion, no weird guessing or conjecture on the part of your readers about who this person in the picture is.

Just a couple of words. Can they really be that important? Actually, yes.

Simply adding a caption will radically increase the effectiveness of images on your landing pages. Here are four critical reasons why.

#1: Without captions, readers draw their own conclusion

So you’ve got a photo on your landing page.

It makes perfect sense to you why that photo exists. You might think it’s completely obvious.

Because you know all about your business. But your readers probably don’t.

Your readers may very well get the wrong idea. You’re forcing them to guess, to come to their own conclusion. And that might be miles from what you intended.

The job of the caption is to yank the reader from whatever they’re thinking about, and get them to read what you want them to read.

Without the caption, there’s no telling where your reader’s thoughts will end up. They may go in a direction that’s completely counterproductive to what you want them to think about and do.

The only way you can control the situation is to slide in the caption.

That way, there’s zero misinterpretation. Your reader sees the picture, reads the caption, and her thoughts are directed where you want them to go.

#2: Captions give you three ways to educate and create curiosity

When you’re getting a point across in a caption, you can use three strategies.

You can use a problem. You can use a solution. Or you can use a combination of a problem and solution.

Each one of these immediately creates curiosity and/or education in your reader’s mind.

Let’s look at three examples. You might see captions like these on a screen shot for copywriting software:

1: The solution-only caption

Our product gives you clear guidelines that let you see for yourself what’s missing and what’s working in your sales copy.

2: The problem-only caption

How do you know if your website message is working as well as it should? How can you know in advance that your presentation will wake up your audience?

3: The combination of a problem/solution-based caption

How do you know if your website message is working as well as it should? How can you know in advance that your presentation will wake up your audience? Our product gives you clear guidelines that let you see for yourself what’s missing and what’s working in your sales copy.

Do you see how all three types of captions work to educate and create curiosity?

Let’s look at curiosity a little more with Reason 3 …

#3: Captions are an effective handbrake

We’re used to seeing pictures and quickly scrolling by them.

But the moment there’s a caption, we’re practically compelled to read the content under the caption.

That’s because we want to be sure we’ve interpreted the image correctly.

It’s also why having photos and illustrations on a web page or sales page is very important. It keeps the reader from skipping quickly from the start of the page to the end.

The photo gets the reader’s attention, and the caption makes sure you keep that attention.

While creating this handbrake momentum of stop-go-stop, captions are doing one of the most valuable tasks of all:

Each caption is acting as a mini sales message.

#4: How captions create mini-sales messages

When you run a problem-solution scenario in your caption, you’re effectively doing what a strong headline does.

Every outstanding headline is designed to get your attention. A caption is simply a headline underneath a photo.

If crafted properly, a caption makes the reader more curious and compels them to investigate further into your product or service.

A solution-only caption may not create the same level of curiosity, but it will still give the reader a much better understanding of your product or service, especially if you describe a benefit rather than a feature.

Does every photo or illustration need to have a caption?

Ideally, yes. No matter which newspaper or magazine you pick up, you’ll find captions abound everywhere.

But there are exceptions.

For instance, in blog posts, the photo tends to function more to catch the reader’s attention than to drive home the point. And you don’t necessarily need to slow the reader down before diving into the content. In this case, not having a caption is fine.

And even on landing pages, there are times when you’re using a photo purely to get the attention of the audience. These photos tend to be the ones you see first on the page, and are meant to draw you in.

Other than that, almost every photo wants the power of a caption to drive a specific point home. And yet website owners miss out on the awesome potential of the caption to slow down, educate, create curiosity, and drive home a mini-sales message.

Photo. Caption.

Photo. Caption.

Yet another photo. Yet another caption. That’s the way your landing pages should be.

About the Author: Sean D’Souza offers a great free report on ‘Why Headlines Fail’ when you subscribe to his Psychotactics Newsletter. Be sure to check out his blog, too.

Time for a quick pop quiz …

What percentage of online shoppers are from the United States?

Better yet, what percentage of online shoppers speak English?

90%? 80%?

Surely at least 75%, right? Nope.

This might shock you, but according to J.P. Morgan — reporting for the Department of Commerce — only 27% of online shoppers speak English.

By neglecting to communicate with the rest of the non English-speaking world, you’re costing yourself a mountain of money.

In South Korea, 99 percent of individuals with internet access shop online.

97 percent of British, Germans, and Japanese are shopping online, too.

The United States can boast only 94 percent of internet users willing to shop online. Not a bad number, but certainly not as good as it gets.

Bottom line: it’s time to take your business global.

Yes, consumerism is global

Americans do spend the most money online.

They may shop with slightly less regularity than their British and Korean friends, but when Americans shop online, they do it in a splendid fashion.

But if you’re selling strictly to the old red, white and blue — regardless of where you’re located, you’re missing out on a huge percent of convertible traffic — especially if you haven’t maximized all of the markets in your own country.

The Swiss and the Koreans are ready to buy. Are you selling to them?

With huge purchases in everything from airline tickets to books, the global market is exploding every year and studies can’t seem to keep up with the growth.

You should be earning more if you have the cultural insight necessary to make the sale work. And that’s a big IF. You have to know how to make other cultures and groups buy what you’re selling.

Some of the biggest buyers of books on the internet are from developing countries — China, Brazil, Vietnam and Egypt — indicating massive growth potential for online retailers that can specifically target these fast-growing markets.
~ Jonathan Carson, President, International, Nielsen Online

If your content has worldwide relevance, it’s time to ditch your laser focus on a single country.

But how can you properly sell to, say, Brazil or China?

Specifically targeting foreign markets is more than finding a native Portuguese speaker to write up some brilliant Brazilian web copy. After all, how will you know if it’s actually brilliant copy or a bunch of keyword stuffed auto-translated garbage?

In all countries, there are intangible elements to cultures that can make or break a sale, and it’s your job to learn those elements, and make them work for you.

Here are some tips to help you get going on your international sales journey …

12 tips for selling effectively to a global audience

Looking beyond your borders? Proceed with caution!

Cultural differences can be subtle. It’s your job as a marketer to figure out the nuances and preferences of the culture you’re going for.

1. Do your research

Read as if you’re moving to the country you’re selling to.

The more you know about South Korean lifestyle, slang, favorites, celebrities, and cultural elements, the easier it will be to make your website a natural fit for the market.

2. Visit the land you’re marketing to

Nothing will help you like a trip to Brazil if you’re trying to sell to Brazilians. Spend a few weeks soaking up the sun and as much of the culture as possible. You might even end up moving to your target country for a period of time. That kind of freedom is one of the great things about owning an internet-based business, after all.

Consider it a reconnaissance mission to gain information on the target. Build up a team of local professionals, and if you have time, sample the night life. It can be one of the perks of business.

3. Learn what’s offensive

If your entire knowledge of U.S. culture came from Two and a Half Men and Howard Stern, you’d have a pretty shaky sense of what is and isn’t appropriate to say to customers.

Slang expressions can be as offensive as they are common. Stay with classy or at least moderately professional speech to stay above the fray.

4. Check out the competition

Don’t give up what you already know works. Do your marketing basics regardless of country.

What’s the competition up to? What slices of the market are they not serving? How can you set yourself apart or make yourself shine by comparison?

5. Learn the language

Obviously if you can pick up fluent Korean (or if you’re already there), you’re going to have an easier time selling to Koreans. Likewise Italians, Egyptians, and Portuguese.

Fortunately you don’t have to become truly fluent — you just need enough to be able to read your own website and check that it makes sense. Keep learning, however, and you’ll enrich your life and your business.

6. Find people to trust

You’re working outside your comfort zone, so find trustworthy freelancers or full-fledged business partners who can help you navigate these new waters.

You can find work associates through referrals, websites, and online communities. The right contacts can help you break into the market as well.

7. Seek out the niches

Jump in with both feet, but don’t plunge into the deep end right away — the wading pool is a better place to start when you’re learning to swim in a new way.

Flex your foreign creative muscle first in a small pond trying to catch a few fish before you start trying to reel in millions. Better to make a tiny mistake noticed by a hundred readers than a huge glaring error in front of ten thousand.

8. Scale your knowledge

As you learn the language and find elements of success within a new culture, use that knowledge to build additional niche sites for that country or population.

Immerse yourself in the new culture there or at home, and build from there. You may build a network of related niche sites, or build your own authoritative hub like Copyblogger.

9. Don’t get overwhelmed

The world is a big place and it’s easy to spread yourself too thin. As you scale, keep honing your focus.

It’s far better to hit just one or a few geographical areas well than to waste time creating shallow, poorly executed sites everywhere that don’t work.

10. Develop a master plan

Build a global plan ahead of time.

What countries should you target? Why? Which niches? How? Edit your plan as you go, but keep your blueprint visible at all times to keep you on track.

11. Stay aware of global trends

We whip through trends at blazing speeds. It’s hard to get ahead of the trends in your hometown, much less in a new country.

Keep your ear to the ground and watch trends so that you can make adjustments to your master plan as necessary.

12. Take advantage of stable markets

If the fast-moving trends make you nervous, skip them.

There’s no rule saying you have to jump into a fast moving river. Stick with something a bit more timeless like fitness, business, or travel. It’s always a great idea to find a unique corner of a well-established market.

Making global work

You don’t need to start from scratch when you’re constructing your master plan for global sales.

Nielsen and other research firms like JP Morgan have already done a lot of the legwork for you:

• Internet consumers from around the globe are buying everything from books to sports memorabilia
• The most popular items sold online include books, clothing, shoes, accessories, videos, DVDs, games, travel, music, electronics, cosmetics, and nutrition items
• Global e-commerce revenues are expected to grow by 19 percent in 2012
• $681 billion was spent globally in 2011 — how much of that did you take home?
• Of that, only $187 billion was spent in the United States, leaving $493 billion for the rest of the global market
• It’s anticipated that global ecommerce spending will grow to $963 billion by 2013
• High-income families shop online most frequently

Inspiring, right?

You’re probably feeling the urge to act quickly. The online world moves fast, and timing is important.

Fortunately, the world is a big place. And there’s still plenty of room for those looking to expand into new markets.

A great time to start an international business

Online shoppers prefer to buy from familiar sites.

60 percent buy from the same site repeatedly. Kudos to you if it’s your site they like.

As Bruce Paul explained,

This shows the importance of capturing the tens of millions of new online shoppers as they make their first purchases on the internet. If shopping sites can capture them early, and create a positive shopping experience, they will likely capture their loyalty and their money.

JP Morgan forecasts that the global ecommerce market will grow at 12.4 percent from 2010 to 2013.

The opportunity is huge, even with new recession fears looming.

If you ask famous economists and business experts, most will tell you that a recession is a great time to start a business. The current global market conditions are making the internet an even more attractive market than ever for consumers looking to save and shop around for the best deal.

Online advertising has grown at 14.5 percent since 2008. In 2011, it shot up by 20.9 percent according to PriceWaterHouseCooper. More companies are joining the party, and this offers more opportunities to marketers and bloggers all over the world.

Stores are looking to be the first and only shop buyers are looking for. If you can position yourself as the ecommerce store they reach first, you’re in a prime position to profit over time. Build an authoritative website through content marketing, dedicated to the interests and culture of a specific country.

It’s time to go global

The global economy is hungry for content, trust, and value.

If you can deliver, you’ll surely profit. Leverage your previous successes by taking those first baby steps out of your comfort zone.

Cultures and perceptions shift in new countries, but the rules of marketing are always the same.

Build an audience, earn their trust, learn what they most want, then sell that to them.

It works every time, regardless of language or location.

About the Author: Uttoran Sen is a travel blogger writing from around the world, inspiring readers to discover new places. Follow him on twitter or join his facebook page to stay connected.

• Almost everything you wanted to know about content marketing in one post.
• How to thrive in difficult times.
• How to create a social media calendar.
• A powerful content marketing plan you can put to use.
• Several more smart bits of content marketing goodness.

If you want even more links you can use than the seven we highlight here, follow @copyblogger on Twitter.

This is The Lede …

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[Almost] Everything You Wanted To Know about Content Marketing in One Post
Brackets are mine. Shane Snow has made things easy for the beginning content marketer, and useful for the veteran. To make a start right here would be a wise decision.

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A Simple and Powerful Content Marketing Plan
The headline says it all. If you’re wondering how to actually begin your content marketing efforts, these simple frameworks will get you started. Oh, had articles like this been around in 2005 …

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How to Create a Social Media [or Content Marketing] Editorial Calendar
Ms. Buyer has written invaluable advice on tackling one of the most difficult (and elusive) aspects of content marketing: the editorial calendar. You’ll find tips, tools, and definitions on the other side of this link. Thank her when you get there.

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The Power of Real-Time Content Marketing
David Meerman Scott joined us on the radio show this week to discuss newsjacking. This article is a fascinating follow up to and summation of his strategy that can bring free PR and media exposure to you and your business.

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How to Thrive in Difficult Economic Times
Ben Settle read something 10 years ago that changed his life. It’s a big piece of what carried him through some scary economic times, to becoming a highly-paid expert on email marketing. Mr. Settle’s opinion is that this lesson teaches the most valuable skill a working person can possess.

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Don’t Wait, Pick Yourself Right Now
It wasn’t long ago that this seemed like a futile idea. The gatekeepers were too powerful, the distribution systems locked up, the audience too far away. What’s one thing good content marketing does for you? It allows you to pick yourself.

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97 Ideas for Building a Valuable Content Platform
Mr. Godin wants you to pick yourself. Mr. Brogan offers 97 specific ideas on how to do it.

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

• Why Google+ is an Inevitable Part of Your Content Marketing Strategy
• 3 Content Marketing Ideas You Should Steal from Coca Cola
• Copyblogger Went Dark for One Day, in Protest of SOPA and PIPA
• Save up to $350 on Search Marketing Expo
• How Great Web Design Grows Your Audience
• How to Newsjack Your Way to Free Media Exposure with David Meerman Scott

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse. Get him on Twitter or Google+.

What if getting big PR and media exposure for your business or idea were no longer out of your reach or budget?

What if you could “inject” your name or brand into a national or international story of your choosing, becoming part of the story yourself?

David Meerman Scott, a veteran PR and marketing expert, has written a book that teaches you how to accomplish that, and more.

Enter Newsjacking, a powerful way to get seen and heard in today’s big media environment…

In this episode, David Meerman Scott and I discuss:

• How a single blog post brought one company $1,000,000 in sales
• How to become a Newsjacker with a blog and Twitter
• What your website must look like in the near future
• Where journalists are desperately looking for content
• 3 Newsjacking case studies you can use right away
• The main goal of Newsjacking and how to achieve it

Hit the flash player below to listen now:

Other listening options:

• Click here to download the mp3 | 29.6 MB | 24:41
• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
• Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes)
• Click here for the show archive

The Show Notes:

• Internet Marketing for Smart People Course (free)
• Newsjacking: How to Inject your Ideas into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage
• David Meerman Scott’s blog
• We left the building with Girl Talk …

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

Let’s quickly review: Email marketing works.

In fact, none of the shiny new communication technologies even come close. With more than 188 billion messages sent every day, email is a more important and influential tool for your business than it has ever been.

Email isn’t going anywhere, and we think it’s time you got serious about building your email list.

Our StudioPress division has built the Generate theme for WordPress to help you get that done.

Here’s a quick look at how the Generate theme can help you build your email list …

Build your email list faster

Email list-building can be a time-consuming (and frustrating) endeavor, but one thing remains true, engaged email subscribers are the most likely to respond to your work and your offers. Period.

And it may surprise you to learn that one of the best ways to gain an email subscriber is to simply ask your readers to sign up to your list.

The Generate theme for WordPress lets you ask simply, boldly, and with the benefit to your reader standing unmistakably front and center.

Generate works for you — whether you remember to ask for the opt-in or not — 24 hours a day, elegantly doing the asking for you.

What about mobile readers?

Most of us now read email from our mobile devices, so you’ve got to make sure you have those mobile readers covered.

The Generate theme for WordPress is mobile responsive. That means it automatically adapts for the best viewing layout on mobile devices and tablets, including iPhone and iPad. So your content looks fantastic, no matter which device the visitor is using.

Your content looks great, and your email opt-in stays constant — not missing or hard-to-find, as it can be on some less sophisticated “mobile-ready” sites.

You don’t need to do anything tricky or technical, because mobile responsive design is built in to the Generate theme.

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You might be asking, “This sounds cool, but what’s this Genesis thing?”

Our Genesis Framework for WordPress empowers you to quickly and easily build incredible websites with WordPress.

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Whether you’re a novice or an advanced developer, Genesis provides you with the rock-solid infrastructure to take WordPress places you never thought it could go.

Click here to check out Generate + Genesis right now.

About the Author: Kelton Reid is an independent screenwriter and novelist, as well as a copywriter for Copyblogger Media. Get more from him on Google+.

The landscape of search and search engine marketing change rapidly.

To keep up, stay ahead, grow your business, and get more (and better) traffic to your site, you need the right help.

Search Marketing Expo is a conference that offers more than 60 cutting-edge sessions (as well as invaluable networking opportunities) covering the search marketing strategies and tactics you’ll need to thrive in 2012 and beyond.

At Search Marketing Expo from February 28th to March 1st, you’ll learn how to:

• Master social media marketing on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and other networks,
• Optimize your site content for better organic search results,
• Expand your skills as a local and mobile advertiser,
• Get the best ROI from pay-per-click search advertising,
• Boost your conversion and increase your sales

Whether you’re a seasoned vet or new to search, own a small business or are employed at a Fortune 500 company, you’ll appreciate the depth and flexibility this comprehensive agenda offers. Click here to see the entire agenda.

As a bonus for Copyblogger readers, use the code smx100copy (case sensitive) and save up to $350 on your All Access ticket when you sign up before January 28th.

To learn more about the Search Marketing Expo, visit http://smxwest.com.

We’re always impressed by the depth of knowledge and expertise represented at SMX, which is why we’re happy to be a media partner for the conference.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your content and copywriting insights with her on twitter.

Joe Pulizzi over at the Content Marketing Institute recently shared a fascinating video presentation from Coca-Cola about their upcoming marketing strategy.

The short version?

Content marketing has arrived.

For more than 100 years, Coca-Cola has been one of the world’s foremost practitioners of what they call “one-way storytelling.”

(You and I call that an advertisement.)

But Coke — in the form of their brilliant VP of global advertising strategy, Jonathan Mildenhall — is looking around and realizing that the 30-second television ad won’t take them where they want to go next.

To do that, they’re turning to the tool that’s quickly becoming the most important strategy for smaller businesses — content marketing.

For anyone who still thinks that content marketing is some kind of fad, take a look at the thinking (and dollars) going into Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy, aimed at doubling worldwide consumption of Coke by the year 2020.

The videos are compelling, but they’re also packed with advertising jargon that can be about as intelligible as Klingon.

And yet, this is a peek into a great marketing and advertising mind — and there are some juicy strategies we can carry off and implement in the real world.

Here are a few of my favorite ideas from Mildenhall’s presentation.

Idea #1: “Liquid and linked” content

“Liquid and linked” is the phrase Coke’s marketing team is using to describe its developing content strategy.

Understand that a giant company like Coca-Cola creates countless “stories” every year. These “stories” are created by multiple agencies and in multiple formats — a mobile app one day, a viral video another, a really good television ad the third.

Mildenhall describes these stories as being like molecules in a glass of Coke. Each molecule is an individual piece of content, but they’re also bound together. There’s unity there … a content strategy that acts like the “glass,” giving shape to the whole endeavor.

There’s a balance between control — keeping your content “linked” by a coherent idea, and chaos — allowing your content to be “liquid” and to wander around the Net, being shared and even altered along the way.

How you can use it: Make your content good enough, remarkable enough, to be “liquid” — to be shared outside your own circle of influence.

But don’t forget to keep your content “linked” to a strong sense of who you are and what you offer. Viral doesn’t do you any good if it’s not linked to an underlying business strategy and goal.

Idea #2: The 70/20/10 content plan

This is a nice framework for a complex content marketing strategy, but you can also lift it directly for a much simpler program. (Like the kind normal businesses create.)

Mildenhall argues for 70% of the content you create as being “low-risk” — what he calls “bread and butter content.”

Because it’s less controversial, less risky, it also takes proportionally less time.

(Please keep in mind that “bread and butter” doesn’t mean boring or low-quality. It just means that it’s the kind of solid, useful content your audience expects.)

20% of content “innovates off of what works” … it’s more in-depth, it takes more time and energy to create, and it connects more deeply with a well-defined segment ofyour audience. Ideally, of course, that’s a segment that buys your products or services.

The final 10% is what Mildenhall calls “high risk” content. These are brand new ideas — the wild hair stuff that might work … and might fail.

Mildenhall makes the point that it’s this risky 10% where your future 20% and 70% content will come from. Today’s loony idea is tomorrow’s cornerstone content.

This is also the content that will keep you from burning out creatively. It keeps you excited about what you’re doing, and allows you to keep evolving in a fast-moving environment.

How you can use it: Too many content marketers don’t actually know what their 70% content is. What topics and keywords are most important to your readers? What are your audience’s key desires and problems, and how can you speak to them?

20% content takes the 70% and goes deeper. Maybe it’s a special report, or a video series, or a free email course.

Once in awhile, a content idea even evolves into a full-blown product.

And your 10% content is what keeps you sane. It’s content that reaches out to the edges, or comes at your topic in an entirely new way. Your audience might not be there yet, or they might be right there with you. You don’t know until you put it out there.

Idea #3: Content excellence

Content excellence is part of Mildenhall’s official job title, which I think is quite cool.

In his presentation, Mildenhall says,

The role of content excellence is to behave like a ruthless editor, otherwise we risk just creating noise.

Unfortunately, he says this immediately after saying “The development of incremental elements of a brand idea that get dispersed systematically across multiple channels of conversation for the purposes of creating a unified and coordinated brand experience,” proving even the best of us sometimes needs to take our own medicine.

Content excellence is the first rule of Copyblogger.

Too many would-be marketers try to dance over this one.

Without excellence, the time you spend on content marketing will be entirely wasted.

How you can use it: The first thing you need to do is to be honest with yourself. If you can’t create content that’s damned good, you need to either get better or you need to partner with someone who’s got the talent to create content that’s worth your audience’s attention.

How about you?

Those are three of Coca-Cola’s ideas about where content marketing is heading. How about you? Did you find some great strategies of your own in the videos? What are the exciting ideas informing your own marketing — and how are you implementing them?

Let us know in the comments.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your brilliant content marketing ideas with her on twitter.