Training Marketer

HubSpot’s new Press Release Grader is an online application that evaluates and scores your press releases for free. (Special thanks to David Meerman Scott for sharing the good news with the marketing world.)

Just cut and paste the press release content into the tool, along with company information including your name, website and email. In a few seconds the site will come back with a “marketing effectiveness score” and specific suggestions on improvements.

Press releases are graded on basic factors most public relations experts stick to, along with factors from Internet marketing experts such as links and search engine optimization characteristics.

If you regularly create and distribute marketing press releases, check out the Press Release Grader and see how well you score.

Business to business web sites are generally focused on two things:

1. Generating leads
2. Trying to get as much information into as little space as possible

That strategy is a huge mistake according to the authors over at the Portent Interactive blog.

Why is it wrong?

Most people land on web sites by using search engines. Original content helps your site’s rankings on top search engines like Google. More pages with original content = higher search rankings = more visitors.

Fundamental marketing practices still apply on the web. You must gain your customer’s attention and trust first, then move to selling your product or service.

“Instead of asking how you can get more message into less space on your B2B web site, ask how you can expand your content to make it worthwhile to more people and earn greater respect from the search engines at the same time.”

Some ideas:

• Break products and services down into smaller pieces. Segment by product and service, different industries you sell to, and add supplemental information like video demonstrations.
• Create online publications, white papers and webcasts to publicize trade shows or events and build reputation. Add educational content or an industry news section to position yourself as an industry leader.
• Create a customer support area full of manuals, FAQs and forums.
• Add sections to your site listing your B2B customers’ customers, your suppliers, investors as an information center for stakeholders who are not leads or clients.
• Add a section for media and press, fill with informational materials about your company.