Content is Cash: SONAR in Action
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
As mentioned earlier in this book, the SONAR Content Distribution Model™ isn’t just theory; it’s a proven, systematic strategy that has worked repeatedly across industries.
This chapter includes case studies to illustrate SONAR’s effectiveness. The tactics used to reach the performance levels mentioned in the following case studies are the very ones mentioned throughout this book.
Although I’m not at liberty to share specific company names, I can highlight SONAR performance for a company’s niche. I also can share details of my own company’s SONAR performance.
This data is a compilation of my own tracking research and metrics using the tools I discuss in this chapter—such as the 3 Os, Google Analytics, and back-link checkers—as well as both anecdotal data and performance data provided to me by the companies and clients that I’ve worked for. To help organize the data, I sometimes used a Benchmark and Progression Chart.
The SONAR process, although efficient and effective, might seem daunting when you’re first learning it—especially if you’re not accustomed to working in a systematic, methodical manner. You may feel overwhelmed uploading your content to the various, targeted websites within the five SONAR distribution platforms—the same time frame, every week. However, based on my personal experience—actually implementing SONAR and training others to use SONAR—the learning curve is typically short (that is, a few weeks), and the results will be worth it.
It’s important to keep things in perspective. Remember that the time you spend each week deploying these FREE tactics, and the results you will see, outweighs the time you spend employing SONAR tactics.
All of following results were achieved without spending any money on external advertising or related costs (such as media buys, list rentals, and so on).
Case Study #1
Business Niche: Professional Services
Company: Precision Marketing and Media, LLC
As part of my weekly SONAR marketing efforts, I uploaded content to several SONAR channels, including LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon, and other social media, online PR, and top article directories—all in about an hour per week. For every one article from my blog that I repurposed and circulated in a relevant and targeted LinkedIn marketing group (via “Discussion” or “News” submissions), that article created interest, engaged readers, encouraged participation, and generated about five leads for my consulting services per week. That’s five leads per group, per week, for a total of up to 25 leads per week with no out-of-pocket advertising costs. This occurred steadily for nearly two months, resulting in several consulting clients. Bottom line: Just one consulting client’s monthly retainer covered time spent on my SONAR marketing efforts more than tenfold.