Another presentation we enjoyed at the SF PR Summit was by John Rampton—founder of the Palo Alto-based business, Adogy, as well as a popular columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine and Forbes. Rampton has been responsible for a number of different content driven pieces that have gone viral, captured the attention of a massive online audience and created an impact on web marketing and content creation. This was through a series of strategic online decisions and timely content publications online.
For example, Rampton recalls how he reacted when he read Steve Jobs had died. Within two minutes, Rampton said he had put up a website with the slogan “Remembering Steve Jobs.” He then advertised his new website on various social media sites. Apple actually then sent out Rampton’s website to millions of followers, and the website was viral instantly. He used this instance as an indicator of how important it is to follow trending news online. If you are the first person to release a website that a lot of people want to read urgently, it is likely to go viral and gain traffic, so “strike while the iron’s hot” Rampton advises.
Rampton also stresses the importance of article titles in the world of online content. He argues that 30% of composing a successful Buzzfeed article is thinking of a title that will get clicked on. Nowadays, online users choose what they want to read based on the title, and getting a reader to click on your article is crucial. Having a good title is key to the success of the article and publication, and having statistics and/or numbers in the title makes an article do exceeding better (both for click-through rates as well as social sharing). He also recommends trying multiple titles for each post; his rule of thumb is to have 5-7 title options that you can test per article. This way you can see what types of titles help your content generate more clicks and get more shares on social. However, be cautious to not change the actual URL, so as to not mess up the actual tracking.
Authorship is also important to becoming a successful content writer in Rampton’s eyes. He says that being a reliable author puts you ahead of the competition. You must establish yourself as a credible person in the niche of your choice if you want to be a successful writer. This means getting the facts right every time and giving excellent advice to readers through articles.
John Rampton’s advice is very valuable to any content marketer or small business owner. With interesting content that is both relevant and reliable, it is possible to gain an online following and become a successful writer or business owner.
Originally published Sep 25, 2014, updated May 27, 2021
