Content marketing is a hot buzz-word in marketing on the internet. And at least one reason that content marketing has become so popular is its effectiveness in attracting visitors, shares and links. But as Jon Cooper points out:
What content is for websites is a value proposition. It gives people a reason to link. That leads us to two different thoughts:
Content isn’t THE value proposition, rather just A value proposition
Content is relatively new to link building because value proposition is new. This implies that we used to build links without providing a value proposition.Therefore, there are two ways you can build links without content:
1. Providing an entirely different value proposition
2. Obtaining links that do not require a value proposition
We're all familiar with the value proposition-less link building (i.e. articles, directories, comments, etc). But what are some alternative value propositions? Jon provides some ideas:
Product quality – The more satisfied customers you have, the greater likelihood you’ll get talked about across the Web. Take Kifaru for example. They offer some of the highest quality outdoor gear in the business, and as a result, they get talked about (and linked to) by their customers.
Community – If your website offers a wide range of members or fellow customers to communicate with, then you’ve got something of value. Private forums are a great example.
Design – If you’ve got an eye opening design, your visitors will be much more likely to look into you and your business, and as a result, your likelihood for attracting links increases. Code Quest is a great example; I tweeted about them the moment I saw them (a tweet’s not a link, but one of my followers could’ve easily seen it and linked to it).
But can this work for law firms?
Will your clients talk about their experiences with your services online? Would you even know if they already were?
Do you participate in an online community? Does your website provide a means for visitors to ask questions or otherwise engage in conversation?
Even if you don't like these ideas, the point here is that you need to give a reason, a real reason, that motivates people to link to you.
Not just Borrowing, Begging, Bartering, Bribing and Buying.
Content does this well. However, there are a variety of other ways too.
(Photo by: https://memegenerator.net/instance/16413896)
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