Editorial
Confession: I’m getting tired of content marketers writing about content marketing.
But guess what I'm about to do ....
Here’s my new theory: There’s more stuff about content marketing than good examples of content marketing out there.
Instead of writing about content marketing, let’s talk about some ways we can move our discipline forward. And notice how I only have four ways — not five. Because I couldn’t think of a fifth and it doesn’t make sense to write one just to make sure I have an odd number in my headline.
4 Ways to Move Content Marketing Forward
1. Help people
Content marketing is about helping people get the information they need to make a decision about a product or service. Whatever knowledge is trapped within your organization to get that information into the right hands — it’s your job to unlock that magic and put it into the right format for your audiences.
2. Sell your content
You exist to sell things to people who want or need them. My father was an executive salesman and he used to say, “Everyone is in sales — you have to sell yourself out of bed in the morning.”
Don’t worry if no one in the organization wants to call you sales or marketing — it’s your job to prime the sales people. So, you’re in sales. Congratulations.
3. Spend 10% of your budget on absolute nonsense
Organizations who are afraid to play will pay in the long run. There’s so much to be said about experimentation and trying things that seem ludicrous.
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I am not suggesting putting your brand in jeopardy — on the contrary, I’m suggesting trying new things to see how you might be able to direct the brand forward. ‘Fair heart never won fair lady’ — the same can be said for fair marketers.
For example: It’s better for a hospital to put up a photo of their pet therapy dog on Facebook vs. a grip-and-grin photo of their executive board. You have no idea what you will learn when you try new things and you can’t predict that trying new things leads to failure. Content marketing itself is still a new thing.
4. Human evolution takes a freaking long time
People are still the same to their messy emotional cores, even though communication technologies have radically changed in the last five years. They have the same fears, thoughts and indecisive qualities they did hundreds of years ago.
To everyone who is searching for the next new big thing or channel — forget about it. Do you worry about a Myspace strategy right now? I hope not. Instead, focus on your audiences, what you’re trying to say to them and how to say it. Stop looking for the key that will unlock how to get people to listen. Great content will get them to listen. Promise.
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