How to Launch the Content Marketing Institute (in 6 Steps)

Did you ever see or hear about something and think, “well, that just makes too much sense.”

I have. A few things come to mind for me. Al Pacino in The Godfather. Cool weather in San Francisco (every time I’m there at least). LeBron James as a Cleveland Cavalier. Orange shirts.

That’s also the reaction we’ve received about the launch of Junta42’s Content Marketing Institute (CMI)

“It’s about time!,” says one.
“That’s just too smart,” says another.

Well, it’s taken me almost a decade to come around to this idea. So, in this post, I’m proud to present the great experiment called the Content Marketing Institute (CMI).

But, instead of telling you why I think CMI will be the new crust-less bread, I’m going to adhere to the same rules that we’ll hold our entire community to…each and every blog post or course offering needs to teach or train. No philosophical tirades allowed (I leave those for my Junta42 blog). And, without further ado…

How to launch the Content Marketing Institute in 6 steps:

Step 1: Listen

Over the past few years I’ve traveled to over 10 countries and just about every state in the Union, having actual conversations with thousands of marketers about content marketing. The consensus? Why isn’t there one place where we can go to learn more and teach ourselves about how to execute content marketing initiatives? Well, now there is. The ultimate goal of CMI will be to answer, in simple and meaningful ways, how to do everything related to content marketing, from strategy to execution to measurement.

Step 2: Recruit proven experts from the community

Already, we have more than 30 amazingly talented people who will help us deliver on our goal. At Junta42, we would never admit to having all the answers (because we don’t), so we’ve reached out to the experts in every single part of the content marketing umbrella – content strategy, content distribution, social media integration, outsourcing, measurement and even down to individual tactics such as blogging, white papers, webinars, custom magazines, in-person events and on and on. And, don’t think this is just a bunch of self-serving consultants…our brand council team from companies such as UPS, LEGO, Research in Motion, AON, InfoPrint Solutions and PTC will keep us straight.

If that wasn’t enough, we have some amazing charter sponsors already committed to helping grow the content marketing conversation.

Step 3: Free and paid content

We’re starting CMI with one blog post per day.  Later, we’ll have two posts per day: a “How -To” post in the morning and a second post in the afternoon covering a case study or content marketing sample. Later this summer we’ll add a paid membership component where we’ll launch a series of all-you-can-eat educational modules.

Step 4: Realize that there is more than one way to skin a cat

What I love about our contributing experts is that they adhere to certain philosophies when it comes to content marketing. Or better said, different strokes for different folks. We’ll strive to cover them all…then you can make the decision on what’s best for you and your business.

Step 5: Keep it simple

Does everyone really learn the same way? You’d think so if you checked out most of the online marketing education programs out there. They all seem to be built around the 45 to 60 minute webinar. We here at CMI believe that people learn in different ways. To address this, we’ll have courses around various topics that will be broken up into multiple 5 to 20 minute screencasts that answer a very specific question (e.g. How do I develop an editorial calendar?) We’ll also include worksheets, case studies and resources so you can take the next step to actually get something done. And, our training is built to be viewed online or with your mobile device, so you can access it anytime.

Step 6: Make it accessible for everyone

Of course, blogs, case studies and samples will be free. Premium course content from CMI will be $29 per member per month, cancel at any time. This is something that every business can afford.

There is much more that we are planning, including events, forums and possibly even a print component (but all that can wait for now). What I need you to do right now is sign up to receive our articles as a free member. Then, once you do that, send this link to your friends, tweet this post or share it on Facebook. We need your help to build a community that will support each other to become publishing machines, making a difference in our lives, our careers and our businesses. So, spread the word.

I’m going to enjoy the ride…and I hope you can join me.

If you have any questions about contributing or instruction, please contact CMI executive editor Michele Linn at michele[at]junta42.com. If you are interested in the few limited sponsorships left for CMI, please contact me at joe[at]junta42.com.