I really do love the quality of content produced by SEOmoz, especially for Whiteboard Fridays. Always original, exclusive, and enjoyable to read/watch.

Posts range from highly relevant to exceedingly relevant, with this week's excursion into the dark side of article (or content) marketing is no exception.

Here, Rand shows off his keen ability to be perfectly in-tune with the current state of content (or article) strategy.

Extremely relevant to anyone in the midst of planning or implementing any type of related content strategies for their organization (e.g., hiring bloggers to write on your niche topic, either for your blog or elsewhere; enabling staff to become your organization's 'industry experts' via tweeting or manning the Facebook page; or simply any other planned strategic activity with content creation a core tactic—and these will always have a certain degree of inherent risk).

Highly recommended.

New book for non-profits. But no Kindle edition—what's up with that?

Facebook is a great way to engage your community with its business pages. From videos and photos to questions, there are myriad features on Facebook pages that help you appeal to every type of user.

But how can you keep the content you post on your Facebook page fresh? If you want to get your community to engage, you need to offer something valuable and new.

Here are 25 ideas to liven up the content you share on your Facebook page. If you want tips like these for Twitter and your company blog, check out the latest eBook from the social business hub oneforty.

via ragan.com

How to tell your social media marketing is shortsighted

Does your firm practice any of these five myopic social media marketing tactics?  If so, you’re practicing spaghetti social media and your marketing needs adjustment.

1. Don’t consider your audience’s needs or interests. One of social media’s unstated rules is the focus on the community and the greater good. If you’re only thinking about how to promote the next product or sale, you’ve missed the point of social media.
2. Use social media as promotional channel. Do you continually place ads and promotional messages on social media platforms? Do you wonder why prospects stop following your organization? On social media platforms, you should share information that supports your community. Send ten messages about the community for every one about your company.
3. Have automated DMs. Like other promotional content, these messages focus on your company, not the recipient. They’re the social media equivalent of spam. If in doubt, don’t use them. Be aware that some social media participants consider automated DMs as an early indicator that there’s a problem.
4. Neglect to link to others in your social media content including blogs. Links are a service to your readers and social media participants. They show you’re engaged and think about what others are saying.
5. Use other people’s content without regard for IP rights. While creating and distributing original content is critical to supporting your social media efforts, it’s not only wrong to take other people’s content and present it as your own, it’s illegal. Just because content is available online, doesn’t mean it can be used without permission, attribution or fee. (Don’t think people won’t know. Remember, the collective public is smarter than you are.)

How to get your social media on the right track

The one element these shortsighted tactics all have in common is that they’re inwardly focused on your firm and your needs, not those of your audience or the community as a whole. Change your firm’s approach to social media by stripping away your preconceived notions. Start doing things differently by engaging with your community and the public. Here are five suggestions, each of which can act as a starting point to help you see where your business should be headed.

1. Acknowledge your community. Show that you care about your customers and the public. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Use community boards, comment on prospect and customer pages and/or blogs, or  provide a forum where customers can show off their creativity.
2. Help prospects and customers. Use social media platforms to give prospects and customers another entryway to your firm. Many companies use Twitter as another customer service option. This requires customer service representatives who can communicate effectively in short written format.
3. Provide useful content. Contribute to an informational blog, create useful infographics, or give away a free e-book. The key is to tailor your content to meet your community’s needs. If you’re not sure what they want, ask them.
4. Support your community. Curate a Twitter chat, provide a webinar or host a meetup. For example, Hubspot provides valuable information in its webinars.
5. Ask your community how you can better satisfy their needs. Starbucks has a community board to collect suggestions where the community votes on them.

A refreshingly straightforward list of what NOT to do with your social media efforts.

Content creation and keeping your fans interested until they buy is a core strategy of social media. It creates a bind between customers and the brand. It creates a feeling of reciprocity. These are powerful marketing techniques.

The catch, of course, is that content is hard to create.

Most brands create blogs, but then are unable to maintain them. Or if they do, they are not really maintaining them well enough to keep fans interested enough to create any real business results.

If you are blogging on behalf of your business and trying to create a connection to your brand, here are a few templates to help you create blog posts that will provide value for your readers and keep your fans close.

During my 15 years of Web site strategy and usability work (before I got all social media on you) I very much tried to live by the two-click rule (discover the most common questions customers have about your business, and answer them on your site within two clicks or fewer).

How does zero clicks sound? Social media makes it possible. The key is to create meaningful content that answers those questions, and propagate that content throughout the social Web, making a visit to your site unnecessary.

Great rundown of how to implement a social media FAQ strategy for your organization. Goal? Help solve people's problems by creating great content...