An editorial calendar is a concept that has only recently emerged on mainstream marketing circles. Disciplined publishers have used editorial calendars as a way to maintain a consistent flow of content for years. The practice has been mostly a domain of big publishers since they, by the nature of their business, have to produce quantities of content that has to be delivered with predictability and consistency.

For most of us small to medium business owners and consultants, and especially for us in the Real Estate and Mortgage Industries, we are still grappling with trying to put together a cohesive business plan. And I would lay money, most of us have not heard of the “editorial calendar”.

So why is this something we need to now pay attention to? Only if you want to create an effective online presence without having to stress about coming up with content ideas every time you decide to publish content for your audience. If you are like most of us, you probably have anxiety attacks when you even think of publishing a new blog post, an article, newsletter piece, etc. Which is probably the reason your blog/social media properties are… well, ghost towns!

Writing and publishing content is just not something most of us have a natural ability or inclination to do. That is where an editorial calendar can come in very handy. By setting out time to plan your Read more

In spite of the fact that Social Media Marketing has now reached relative maturity, it seems that most small businesses are still mystified that their expectation of a consistent stream of sales from their social media campaigns, is not turning out to be a reality. I still talk to people that after “trying” out social media of 30 or 60 days without an avalanche of sales, they decide that Social Media “doesn’t work”. They are 100% right, it does not work as a direct response, immediate sales channel. That is not the purpose of Social Media Marketing.

Take a step back and consider the basic premise of the channels on which the marketing is being done; Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, Google+., For the most part, these are web properties where people gather to “socialize” and “be entertained”. They do not come to those websites with the expectation that they are going to be sold something.

A marketer’s expectation that they are going to place an offer in front of the audience, and they are immediately going to stop looking at photos of their friends, or tweeting about their most recent escapade, and pull out their wallet to buy the product that they see an ad for, is Read more

For nearly a decade, inbound marketing has been one of the most effective methods of advertising for successful online businesses. The concept of inbound marketing is based on the concept of sharing quality content with your potential clients, attracting them by providing value and establishing yourself as the solution for their problem.

By aligning your content with your customer’s interests, publishing where your customers are seeking the information they need, Read more