As we close out the year and plan for the next, it’s always fun to look back at the work we’ve created and blog content we’ve published.
In particular, I love looking back at our top posts for the year. Not only is it a great way to end the year, but it also helps us understand what our readers liked most so we can plan and create even better content for you next year.
To pull together our top posts, we looked at the content with the most traffic and social media shares (though we are now missing some of this data since Twitter ditched share count numbers).
But, we did our best to capture the posts that our readers liked most.
Most Popular Marketing Posts of 2015
If you’re a long-time reader, you might discover a post that you missed throughout the year. And if you’re just now joining us for the first time, you’ll find some of our top content to get a taste of what you’ll find here.
Without further adieu, here are our top 10 marketing posts from 2015, along with what made them great!
1. How to Tie Marketing Measurement to Business Goals
Understanding marketing measurement is required for marketers and businesses.
And yet, this is one of the things businesses struggle with the most.
That’s why it’s no surprise this was our top post of the year.
Everyone wants to see results, but measuring the right things can be tricky. If you want to know if your marketing is working, you MUST get better at measurement.
This post runs through some of the most common business objectives and metrics for various marketing efforts and gives you some examples of what you should track. It’s a meaty look at the various ways to measure marketing success based on your goals.
2. 10 Reasons Why Your Marketing Efforts Fail
No one likes to fail. That’s why our post about the top reasons marketing fails struck such a nerve with readers.
If you can understand the top ways marketing efforts can get derailed, you can sidestep many of the issues that businesses encounter.
3. 7 Blog Post Templates You Can Steal
There’s no such thing as an easy button for blogging.
But, a template is the next best thing. That’s why we created templates for seven different kinds of blog posts that will help you create killer content every time you sit in front of the computer.
You can easily use these templates to create hundreds of blog posts. That’s why people loved it.
4. 5 Types of Content You Should be Writing for Your Blog
In some ways, this post is a total cheat. This is a piece of content we originally published almost three years ago. But, since it’s the content is still so relevant, we updated it a bit and republished it.
If you’ve been thinking about republishing your content, this is great proof that it works. Don’t just let valuable content sit in your archives. Refreshing and republishing blog posts is a great way to repurpose your content and get more life out of it.
Oh, and if you’re wondering what kind of content you should be writing for your blog, this post is just the answer for you.
5. How To Make Boring Content Sexy: A Lesson From John Oliver
I heart John Oliver. He’s just so darn smart. And, he is living proof that boring content doesn’t have to be boring.
With his new show Last Week Tonight, John Oliver talks about stuff that people would typically find incredibly dull. But, he has found a way to make the content interesting, engaging and funny.
Work in a boring business or industry? Take a cue from John Oliver on how to liven up your content.
*Image via HBO.com
6. How to Respond to a PR Crisis: What to Do When Marketing Goes Way Wrong
Earlier this year, a Nashville real estate company found themselves in hot water after sending out a controversial mailer.
Although this story escalated quickly, it didn’t last long. That’s because the company did a great job responding to the situation. This post uses real-life examples to provide some key points for how to respond to a PR crisis should you find your company in a similar situation (and hopefully, you don’t).
7. Are You Ignoring Your Biggest Marketing Opportunity?
When it comes to marketing, most businesses think about attracting new customers.
But oftentimes, the biggest opportunity for revenue growth is right under your nose with your existing customers.
This post shares some practical, proven ways you can generate additional revenue from your clients without sounding like a used car salesman.
8. 10 Proven Ways to Make Your Business Stand Out From Competitors
Standing out from your competition is critical to your company’s success. While most people understand that concept, far too many businesses fail to put it into practice.
If you want to excel in business today, you have to differentiate your business if you want to stand out and get noticed. And this post gives you 10 ideas on how to do that, along with fantastic examples of companies that are doing it well.
This topic is so important and it might just be my favorite post from the year. I’m so glad many readers liked it too!
9. How to Come Up with 50 Blog Post Ideas in 15 Minutes
Are you sensing a theme here with our top blog posts?
Readers really wanted to know how to create blog content better and faster. This post is no exception.
It’s incredibly daunting to sit down, stare at a blank page on your screen and come up with something to write. That’s why I recommend never starting with a blank page. Your key to content marketing success is to always have ideas at the ready.
If you’re having trouble coming up with blog post ideas, this exercise can be extremely valuable for you. After reading this post, simply set a timer for 15 minutes and walk through the questions included in this post. You should be easily able to come up with at least 50 blog topics in that amount of time.
10. How Much Should Your Business Budget for Marketing?
One of the most common questions I get from companies is about marketing budgets — especially from companies who have never spent a dime on marketing before.
There are a lot of variables that come into play when building your marketing budgets. Your business is unique and your marketing budget will be also.
That’s why there is not a template or one-size-fits all solution. But, this post will walk you through some of the top factors to consider when building your budget.
More Great Digital Marketing Content
There were a handful of other posts that I really loved (and readers did too) that I wanted to pluck from the list of top marketing content and share. Here they are:
11.
The Power of Admitting Mistakes in Business
This was that time that I messed up an email to subscribers and what I learned from sending a simple apology.
12.
Is Facebook a Waste of Time for Your Business?
Businesses are constantly wondering if Facebook is worth it. In this post, I answer that question.
13.
Why Social Media Can’t Fix Your Business Problems
So many companies believe they have a social media problem. But oftentimes, what they really have is a business problem. I explain the difference.
14.
How Content Marketing Can Be Your Most Powerful Sales Tool
This post offered up some practical tips for using your blog and content to drive more sales. Who doesn’t want that?
15.
How Content Marketing Has Changed in the Past Five Years
Blogging and content marketing has changed a ton since I started blogging. Here is what has changed.
Thanks for Reading!
As always, thanks for reading the Blue Kite Blog! We appreciate your support of our content and we look forward to bringing you more great stuff in 2016!
Which of these posts is your favorite? Or, did you have a favorite post that didn’t make the list? I’d love to know what you think!
