We have been using an awesome online news tool called Paper.li. We hosted a tweetchat a few months ago with the team at Paper.li to introduce the platform to clients and other industry leaders who want to stay ahead of the game.
The Paper.li platform has a lot of great components, however I’d like to share a little about how you can take those bells and whistles and really elevate your paper by taking it Inbound!
10-4-1 Rule
At NOW we traditionally follow the 10-4-1 Rule and you may have already heard other members of our team discussing this method. Applying this strategy to your paper will help you garner that engagement from your readers which follows your current marketing plan.
For every 10 industry articles you curate, also include 4 links to your company blogs, content pages or other information directing readers back to your site. Then, include 1 direct Call-to-Action (CTA).
Following the 10-4-1 Rule allows you to engage with your audience by providing them with the information and news they are looking for and still guiding them back to YOUR website for additional details and relevant information. Thus driving your traffic, and building your pipeline.
Where are your Landing Pages?
As we are adding industry information and resources, how-to’s and quick tips, be sure to also offer your readers a chance to subscribe to your information. Direct them to your landing pages where they can complete a form to sign up for your blog or download the latest tips of the trade from your website. Don’t overload your paper with your landing pages: be sure to stick with that 10-4-1 Rule, but also don’t forget to use this an opportunity to build your contact lists.
Paper.li has a shortcut button you can add right into your toolbar. This handy-dandy button allows you to automatically add information from another website into your paper, without have to subscribe to their RSS feed. This is GREAT for adding your landing pages into the publication.
Call-to-Action
Within your Paper.li’s settings section you are able to embed your CTAs right into your paper. Go to your Dashboard, then click Layout & Appearance, Ad Units, and finally Headlines Page. Copy the HTML from your CTA and paste it into the Custom HTML Code area.
Adding this code snippet into your settings allows you to have your own branded CTAs - already linked to your landing pages - right in your paper’s sidebar. This is your “1” within the 10-4-1 Rule. To keep your paper current, don’t forget to change these up as you update your website’s CTAs or create a new valuable download to share with your contacts.
Increase your Reach
Once you hit send, your Paper.li newsletter is on it's way to your subscribed readers. Another great way to reach a larger audience is to use your email tool to send to your contacts who have also opted in to receiving updated information. It's as easy as copy and paste! Once again, go into your Settings area, Promotions & Email, and Newsletter. Once you are in the Newsletter section scroll to the bottom and select Export HTML - you are able to copy the code from here and paste it directly into your email tool to share your Paper.li. Depending up on your email tool you can track links, click-thru's and opens as well, giving your Paper.li more value as a sales tracking tool.
Your marketing strategy is already on an Inbound path. You’ve made the effort to create a plan to make the most of your efforts and draw your customers in by providing them with the tools and resources they need and want.
Why shouldn’t your newsletter work the same? Applying Inbound principles to your weekly/bi-weekly/monthly newsletter is a great way to keep you top-of-mind amongst your peers, clients and prospects and is a great way to engage your readers.
To learn more about developing or enhancing your Inbound Marketing Strategy click the image below to download our Relationship Marketing Guide!!
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