Author: Patricia Redsicker

Patricia Redsicker is a content marketing expert from Baltimore MD. As owner and senior marketing writer at WordView Editing Patricia works with healthcare organizations to develop content strategies that attract and retain customers. Her blog provides content marketing insights to aspiring bloggers and healthcare marketers. You may follow her on Twitter at @predsicker.

By predsicker published January 25, 2013

Findable Content Marketing: 3 Google Keyword Tool Tips

content marketing - searchI love diversity of the arts. It makes the world a beautiful place. It brings us Beethoven and Yiruma, Carravagio and Banksy. But remember there was a time when each of these fellows was unknown and unheard of, until someone discovered, consumed, and shared their work.

The lesson here for businesses is that, whatever content you create, people should know it exists. Even the most epic content is worthless unless someone finds it, enjoys it, and passes it along to his friends and peers. That’s what great content is all about.Continue Reading

By predsicker published October 18, 2012

Data-Driven Brand Storytelling: 6 Steps to a Credible Story

data-driven brand storytellingHow much more compelling would your brand storytelling be if data were the focus of your content strategy?

In a recent article published here on CMI, Colleen Jones asked the question, “Can digital branded content ever be taken seriously — even as seriously as journalism?”

Without a doubt journalism has had a huge head start when it comes to creating stories that capture hearts and minds. Part of that success comes from using research data (polls, surveys and feedback) to understand what readers find valuable, particularly as it relates to the issues and problems they face.

Do content marketers have the same research opportunities? Of course they do. In fact, if more content marketers were to use publicly available data the way journalists do then branded content would offer new angles, insights, and more value to stories that affect people’s lives.Continue Reading

By predsicker published April 12, 2012

Digital Natives: How They Are Changing the Content Marketing Game

As a content marketer, you understand how our digital culture is changing the business landscape. What you may not be aware of though, is the impact that one particular consumer group now has, and why it has become too powerful for any brand or company to ignore.

This group has influence, money, and decision-making power. Indeed, its members are not just consumers; they are self-ordained experts who are accustomed to sharing their opinions and impressions of companies and products (both positive and negative) with the world!

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By predsicker published February 21, 2012

Content Quality: A Practical Approach to Content Analysis

“Your web content will never take care of itself” ~ Kristina Halvorson, Content Strategy for the Web

If you tell your boss or client that their web content has issues, they will want to know what kind of issues you’re talking about and why they are issues in the first place.

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By predsicker published January 31, 2012

Amy Porterfield Shares Some Facebook Techniques that Really Work!

Amy Porterfield, co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies

It’s estimated that in just a few short months, Facebook will have 1 billion users. With those kinds of numbers, it’s hard to believe that the company didn’t even exist 10 years ago!

Despite its global popularity, Facebook is a tough nut to crack for marketers and small business owners, who have expressed their frustration with the numerous changes that it has undergone. But as it is such a compelling platform that can drive high engagement, they have no choice but to figure out ways to make it work for their goals.

Recently I spoke with someone who knows a lot about how Facebook works: Amy Porterfield. She is a Facebook marketing expert and co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies. During our talk, Amy offered some excellent Facebook techniques that really work. Here are some of the important themes we discussed:

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By predsicker published December 7, 2011

What Google Plus Means for Marketers

By now, most of you are already on Google Plus — either using profiles, or pages, or both.

But others might be waiting for a little nudge in the right direction. Maybe you’re happy with Facebook and don’t see why you should invest more precious time on yet another network.

Well perhaps what you need is to hear from someone who understands both platforms thoroughly and, particularly, what Google+ means for marketers.

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By predsicker published September 8, 2011

How to Build a Business on the Back of Content with Michael Stelzner and Brian Clark

If you’ve ever struggled to figure out how to use content to grow your business, the keynote session this morning at Content Marketing World presented solid ideas to overcome this problem.

In an interactive Q&A session moderated by Aaron Kahlow (Founder, Online Marketing Institute), Mike Stelzner of SocialMediaExaminer.com and Brian Clark of Copyblogger.com, both founders of their  fast-growing online marketing sites, described how content has lifted them up to the top.

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By predsicker published August 11, 2011

Content’s Competitive Advantage: Interview with Ann Handley

Do you enjoy hearing how others are leveraging content marketing?  How about experts? Are you interested in learning from their industry knowledge and insights?

Sometimes hearing what an expert has to say about a subject is an excellent opportunity to improve your content marketing strategy.

I sat down (on Skype) with Ann Handley, CCO of MarketingProfs, co-author of Content Rules, and a key speaker at the upcoming Content Marketing World conference.Continue Reading

By predsicker published July 14, 2011

How Free Content Can Quickly Grow Your Business: Interview with Michael Stelzner

Has your business been sluggish for some time? Are you worried that you’re not experiencing the growth you expected?

Well, there is no shortage of business advice, of marketing gurus and self-help literature out there. In fact, the number of self-acclaimed ‘social media experts’ continues to grow at a mind-boggling rate.

But you and I know that Michael Stelzner is, without question, the real deal.  He is the founder of Social Media Examiner, the author of the new book Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition and a keynote speaker at Content Marketing World. His remarkable success story over the past decade is the stuff that dreams are made of.

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By predsicker published June 22, 2011

Guy Kawasaki on How to Create Enchanting Content: Podcast

The word “enchantment” evokes fairy tale stories of Prince Charming freeing young female hearts from the prospect of a lonely, loveless life. It also alludes to every day joys and simple pleasures such as meeting “the one,” getting married and having your first child.

But what in the world does enchantment have to do with a successful business brand?

According to best-selling author and prominent business icon Guy Kawasaki, “Everything.”Continue Reading

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