On the flight over to Belgium I was reading a combination of Content Rules by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, Screw It, Let's Do It by Sir Richard Branson, and Why We Suck by Denis Leary.
Quite a potent combination.
As a content marketer, what can we learn from this brew?
----- EXTENDED BODY:1. You Are a Publisher
Publisher? What is the meaning of that word?
Ann and C.C. state in the preface of Content Rules about the hesitation to use the word publisher. Non-media brands immediately think of traditional publishers like the Wall Street Journal or the top trade magazines, but not themselves. But like it or not, we are all publishers.
Simply defined, a publisher delivers on the informational or entertainment needs of the reader in whatever format in which the reader wants to engage. A traditional publisher does this to generate sponsorship revenues or get people to pay for content. The non-media brand does this to ultimately sell more products and services. More and more companies, like ours, do both.
Publishing is hard work, but also mandatory for today's companies. Believing that you are a publisher is the first rule.
2. Dream it, Do it!
The one thing to note about Richard Branson's success is this: Whenever a fresh opportunity came, he grabbed it. Not maybe. Not, "I'll consider it". If the odds were good, and he could be the best at it, he did it.
That's what a publisher does. Innovation through content.
Innovation is a new way of doing something, or new stuff made useful. As publishers, we innovate to solve our customers' pain points. Every day, every minute. The innovation happens not because of the content, but the affect it has on the reader. That's true innovation.
If we wait for someone else to do it, maybe for a traditional media company, or possibly a competitor, we will fail.
3. It's Not About You
For all the rantings of Dennis Leary, his biggest criticism of Americans is that everything is about us. Look at our kids, our house, our dog. Simply put, nobody cares.
New content marketers have the same problem. We like to talk about ourselves all the time. Our products, our services, features and benefits.
The barrier to entry into publishing is gone but the belief that marketers still have the deep need to talk about themselves all the time remains.
Successful publishing is all about the reader...your customers. If you are not solving their pain points with relevant and compelling content, you are adding to the noise, the clutter.
You have a choice.
Willing to take the next step? Check out Ann's and C.C.'s book. I'm proud of them for writing such a piece. Thanks to both of you.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: MaKenzie Birchell EMAIL: makenzie.birchell@bluewaterdirect.com IP: 69.11.130.18 URL: http://www.bluewaterdirect.com/blog DATE: 12/01/2010 03:15:30 PM Thanks for another great post, Joe. You never fail to leave me with a refreshed sense of what content marketing is REALLY all about--which is why #3 is my favorite. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Mortimer EMAIL: chris@languagearmy.com IP: 213.67.76.97 URL: http://www.languagearmy.com DATE: 12/02/2010 05:26:44 AM Excellent Joe, I think the "Screw it, let's do it" attitude is crucial. It's important to be pro-active, be open to opportunities and then explore them but quickly: if it's not going to work, you'd better find out as soon as you can. I'm going to keep this in mind this week. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: C.C. Chapman EMAIL: cc.chapman@gmail.com IP: 173.76.214.209 URL: http://www.cc-chapman.com DATE: 12/02/2010 07:32:54 AM Well I've always wanted to meet Sir Richard Branson so I guess I'll count this as one step closer? Glad to hear you are enjoying the book and thank you for sharing it with your readers. Safe travels. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rene Power EMAIL: renepower@ymail.com IP: 195.11.106.242 URL: http://marketingassassin.wordpress.com/ DATE: 12/02/2010 07:45:09 AM Nice succinct post Joe. No nonsense. For me it's about delivering something relevant, engaging and above all personal. And that's what I look for in other content. If I want a text book, I'll buy a text book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jerry Yu EMAIL: tremployee2010@gmail.com IP: 114.221.110.11 URL: http://www.tremployee.com DATE: 12/02/2010 08:05:26 AM Yes, Joe, I think the essential point is "It's Not About You", we must say something that can help and lead people to a right direction. Always saying how good your products or services means nothing in running a business, we must talk about thing based on our experience in order to help our potential customers making a smart decision. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michelle Esso EMAIL: mpesso96@yahoo.com IP: 63.118.157.201 URL: DATE: 12/02/2010 09:29:12 AM Great post. I agree with all three points. I wish more marketers and organizations would understand #3, "It's not about you." Hasn't a salesperson's goal always been to serve as a resource for their prospects and customers, and to build a relationship of trust with them? Marketers should have the same goal. Nobody cares to hear an organization brag about itself. They want to know what that organization's products or services can do for them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Debbie Williams EMAIL: debbie@sproutcontent.com IP: 70.149.244.69 URL: http://www.sproutcontent.com DATE: 12/02/2010 10:56:01 AM Great insights as usual Joe! I totally agree with Michelle's comment above. It's still such a challenge to convince clients that "it's not about you" and that they can really serve their customers (and themselves) better by being a resource that adds value to people's lives. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christina Pappas EMAIL: cpa@zmags.com IP: 209.48.54.2 URL: http://www.zmags.com/blog DATE: 12/02/2010 02:23:00 PM Looks like marketers agree that #3 is a must! Any advice on convincing the rest of the company? Everyone at their own company likes to talk about their product. I mean, its the best right? And everyone should buy it? Well, we know that providing good stuff that may or may not be related with the intent to Help is essential. I like #2 as well. There is something to be said about seeing how another brand handles something to see if it works then following suit while mixing in a little innovation of your own throughout the process. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann Handley EMAIL: ann@marketingprofs.com IP: 24.62.189.95 URL: http://www.marketingprofs.com DATE: 12/02/2010 02:23:02 PM Hi Joe! Thanks so much for the book shout. I'm also a huge Branson fan-girl. Love his blend of fearlessness (the "screw it, just do it" bit) and compassionate humanity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion EMAIL: marcus1@thesaleslion.com IP: 173.0.108.189 URL: http://www.thesaleslion.com DATE: 12/02/2010 03:13:47 PM Love these 3 Joe....and excited about 'Content Rules'. Surprisingly, Ann interviewed me for that book and she's certainly a gal that 'get's it'. I especially appreciate your 3rd point here. Too many businesses want to yap about themselves all day long--- their products, services, sales, events, blah, blah, blah.... Just teach consumers something they didn't already know. That's what it's all about. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Thomas EMAIL: jon.thomas@storyworldwide.com IP: 96.56.86.10 URL: http://www.postadvertising.com DATE: 12/02/2010 03:33:25 PM Right on Joe. Exactly what we've been preacing - Consumers control brands and everyone's a publisher. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Web Marketing Facts You Should Know STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: web-marketing-facts-you-should-know CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 11/29/2010 03:23:40 PM ----- BODY:The following is compliments from my friend Sage Lewis. A good reminder for everyone in marketing.
What makes all this work? Consistent and compelling content marketing.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt EMAIL: matt@parthenonpub.com IP: 75.145.49.105 URL: http://parthenonpub.com/blog DATE: 11/29/2010 05:20:13 PM "40% of SEO campaigns aware of their ROI achieve returns in excess of 500%, while only 22% of PPC campaigns were able to achieve this value." Speaks volumes of how SEO is practiced. When done correctly, I'm convinced this is where content marketers can add the most value. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cindy EMAIL: maipham811@gmail.com IP: 118.68.45.161 URL: http://www.innovatoys.com DATE: 11/30/2010 04:36:14 AM It's also said that 2011 is the year of social media. The growing of facebook is so amazing, out of my imagination. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sage EMAIL: sage@sagerock.com IP: 70.228.83.170 URL: http://www.sagerock.com/blog DATE: 11/30/2010 09:23:44 AM Thanks a ton for mentioning me :) It's an exciting world we live in. Take care, Sage ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christina Pappas EMAIL: cpa@zmags.com IP: 209.48.54.2 URL: http://www.zmags.com DATE: 11/30/2010 11:48:32 AM Will Facebook face a bubble burst like the dot.com era? Can they possibly be the first social networking site to capture the attention of the world. Agree with Cindy - amazing! My thoughts for why 55-65 year old women is growing in Facebook is that this is the group of new grandmothers and their kids are posting their grandchildren's pics and this is how they are staying in touch daily. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bryce Roth EMAIL: broth@vlfcu.org IP: 64.186.202.42 URL: http://www.vlfcu.org DATE: 11/30/2010 04:35:19 PM Thanks for sharing this Joe. Good stuff as always! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas (business opportunity) EMAIL: douglasadams@allwellbeing.com IP: 66.87.4.76 URL: http://allwellbeing.com/ DATE: 11/30/2010 05:48:26 PM "•77% of search users choose organic over paid listings when searching, 67% choose organic search when purchasing. " This is news to me. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: What is your 2011 Content Marketing or Social Media Prediction? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: what-is-your-2011-content-marketing-or-social-media-prediction CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 11/18/2010 10:01:20 PM ----- BODY:Well, we are at it again.
Last year's 2010 Content Marketing and Social Media predictions post was our most popular by far...and we'd like to continue the madness.
Would you like to give your take on what the future will hold? If so, complete this brief form by December 4th.
And, if you have some down time, check out our predictions from 2009 as well. Amazingly fun reading.
On with the content marketing revolution...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Barb Sawyers EMAIL: barb@barbsawyers.ca IP: 69.159.194.244 URL: http://www.stickycommunication.ca/blog DATE: 11/19/2010 08:21:38 AM I think this year's surge in e-books and e-readers will encourage us to re-imagine what books can be. So far, it has been a mostly passive, one-media experience. I hope we'll see more multi-media integration, with books that include video clips, music and all sorts of creative combinations. Or books you can personalize. Endless possibilities. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt EMAIL: matt@parthenonpub.com IP: 75.145.49.105 URL: http://parthenonpub.com/blog DATE: 11/19/2010 04:16:02 PM I think we'll see growth in online content marketing as ex-journalists get hired on at various agency and publishing outfits, as well as an increase in branded entertainment. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alan Brind EMAIL: brokers@bizbrokersny.com IP: 63.164.47.229 URL: http://www.bizbrokersny.com DATE: 11/20/2010 10:25:17 AM I think that Facebook and Google will face-off (no pun intended)...with Facebook's new SMS service and their emphasis on business and commerce, it will be inevitable. E-commerce will especially benefit and the the traditional bricks and mortar retail will be negatively impacted more so than at present. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Salah Benzakour EMAIL: contact@salahbenzakour.com IP: 82.240.43.17 URL: http://www.salahbenzakour.com DATE: 11/23/2010 01:55:22 PM I believe that brands and companies will understand the power of Content Marketing Strategies. And Content Curation will be the main strategy in their content marketing strategy. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Are Brands Ready to Be Media Companies? 4 Steps to Yes STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: are-brands-ready-to-be-media-companies-4-steps-to-yes CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: journalists CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 11/18/2010 08:56:20 AM ----- BODY:Read an interesting article from MediaPost this morning entitled "Are Media Brands Ready to Be Brands?"
The question about whether or not media brands are like real brands has been asked every since I've been in the media business. The answers varied, but the consensus from publishers was usually that media brands were different in some way, and didn't have to follow the same rules.
There are a number of areas that most media brands are simply inferior at this point to non-media brands: data capture, lead nurturing, social media, campaign tactics, integrated marketing and more. Ellen Oppenheim from MediaPost offers a number of helpful solutions for media brands including:
All good points, but easier said than done for most media companies.
----- EXTENDED BODY:But let's put the orange shoe on the other foot. There are a number of things that media brands do that non-media companies should learn from and have a significant advantage.
So, if you are a media brand, you need to think more like non-media brand. Listen to customers and start to develop products and services (that are not media) that make sense for your readership.
If you are a non-media brand, you need to
Everything else is just clutter.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: non-media brands, journalists, content factories ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 24.14.33.53 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 11/18/2010 10:41:28 AM Joe... If campaign mentality is direct response campaign (ie. measurement and designing the content to produce a tangible outcome -- like a lead) is it still bad? Would you still encourage people to NOT think this way? Because I think what you're saying here in this analysis is really smart. But I often see you suggesting that a less analytical approach works best/better. This is very David Meerman-Scott, of course. And David's "get the content out there and don't wall it off in any way" as a means to sell approach is popular. I admit. But I question if the Web is just another place to broadcast -- versus collect leads in a reliable, measured way. Thanks for considering. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.114.163 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/18/2010 10:57:15 AM Hi Jeff...you are right, there is always a place for campaign-oriented content, but we also need consistent compelling content (free and gated). I see so many brands create compelling content as part of a campaign and then stop when the campaign is over. It's like saying "hey, we care about you but heck, our campaign is over so we'll try something else, sorry." That's where campaign content goes wrong. Old Spice comes to mind recently. Awesome content for just one week, then poof, it stops. We need both, but non-media brands have lots of the campaign content ready to go and not as much of the consistent, build relationships type content. And, while I do agree with David that content should be freely given, there is a time and a place to gate content (premium content) where there is enough shared value (my information for your content) that is makes sense and the relationship can be further built. As always, great thinking Jeff. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 24.14.33.53 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 11/18/2010 11:03:25 AM Fully agree (and I practice this too!) with free+gated. Re: Old Spice... absolutely. There's a long list of brands using Facebook this way. Building up an asset and walking away. Chase http://bit.ly/9wI0xx comes to mind. Hmm. Ok. I understand your perspective much better now. Which brings me to this: I'm begging you to please consider allowing me to get alerted to replies to comment threads on your blog! :) Many thanks for your good thinking too! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt EMAIL: matt@parthenonpub.com IP: 75.145.49.105 URL: http://parthenonpub.com/blog DATE: 11/18/2010 01:03:16 PM That Old Spice example is perfect. Fast Company ran a great piece comparing Old Spice to Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World." One thing the piece doesn't talk much about, however, is Dos Equis' commitment, whereas Old Spice's campaign was one and done. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.114.163 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/18/2010 01:30:07 PM Good point Matt Jeff, I'm switching over the WordPress in a month, so all will be well very soon. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brandon Cox EMAIL: brandonacox@gmail.com IP: 70.183.18.4 URL: http://bcox.me/s DATE: 11/18/2010 06:13:40 PM Jeff, you make an excellent point about the credibility of media companies, and an equally great point about the lack thereof when it comes to non-media companies' motives being questioned. I've tended to see it just the opposite way - that non-media companies, as newcomers, have a bit of credibility because they're willing to think outside the parameters of traditional journalism, but you've helped me nail another side of the story! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Peter Applebaum EMAIL: info@tickyes.com IP: 58.163.175.134 URL: http://www.tickyes.com DATE: 11/19/2010 03:01:24 PM Excellent post, Joe. It's a fascinating moment in marketing time to see previously linear product / service providers being forced to re-purpose themselves as publishers. It's not easy to turn the aircraft carrier around after decades of just selling burgers, fuel or breakfast cereal. But it's great fun to see - and help - companies do this successfully. Equally, it's slightly frustrating to see that many marketers still don't get that the world has changed and that the unchallenged reign of the 30 second TVC and double page spread has passed. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Does Your Content Hit the Mark? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: does-your-content-hit-the-mark CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 11/12/2010 12:25:33 AM ----- BODY: Robin Koval, co-author of The Power of Small, talked today about how small things can make all the difference in your life and in your marketing.
One example she gave was in solving the problem of spillage. More specifically, spillage is a rampant problem in public restrooms where men just "can't hit the mark" (I think you get the point).
One creative solution to solving this problem was to put a small sticker of a fly (see picture) inside the urinal to serve as a target for men to shoot at. Research found that just by simply inserting a target like the fly decreased spillage by 85% (I feel sorry for the researcher who had to measure this).
----- EXTENDED BODY:In content marketing terms, it's fighting the natural instinct to create content without a clear purpose. When developing a custom magazine strategy we call this the one page mantra, which means that every page of content in a magazine needs to have a call to action - a purpose.
The same goes for your web content.
What is the purpose of your content?
Why was the content created in the first place?
What specific action do you want your customer or prospect to take as a result of engaging in the content?
The next time you start on a content project, blog post or video story, be specific with your content team about what the real reason is for why the content exists.
In simple terms, what does success look like?
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tracy Gold EMAIL: tracy@rightsourcemarketing.com IP: 12.167.132.26 URL: http://www.marketingtrenches.com DATE: 11/12/2010 09:14:00 AM Wonderful. Laughed out loud (really)--but also great advice. Even if thinking about the purpose of the content isn't going to determine whether or not you write it, purpose trickles down through every part of the project. Keywords, metatags, where you distribute the content, how you promote it--it all ties in to what the purpose is. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Keith Wiegold EMAIL: keith@nutlug.com IP: 64.134.197.3 URL: http://www.nutlug.com DATE: 11/12/2010 11:41:34 AM Joe: Ah, nothing like a little bathroom humor to make a point! But an important point - one of the very first steps in laying down a content strategy is asking yourself what the purpose is for the content itself. I always suggest writing two: one, for you (the brand/company); and the other for the customer persona/target -- specifically, Why should they want to read it? Now, amend the 'specific action' to include a measurable element and you've laid down the key planks to building a content strategy. Thanks for a(nother) great post! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Redlincook | Content Strategy EMAIL: elisec@verticalmeasures.com IP: 72.215.194.132 URL: http://www.verticalmeasures.com/content-development DATE: 11/12/2010 01:24:15 PM Nice analogy Joe and even better point! I don't think that one can emphasize the absolute need to define the purpose and metrics to measure for success too much! Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion EMAIL: marcus1@thesaleslion.com IP: 64.181.62.10 URL: http://www.thesaleslion.com DATE: 11/12/2010 10:42:37 PM Joe, my first time on here man, and love what I'm reading....and the fly story really was the perfect 'target' analogy....I think that one's going to stick ;) Look forward to more posts in the future. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vee Sweeney EMAIL: itmdirec@gmail.com IP: 207.255.167.219 URL: http://www.theinternettimemachine.com DATE: 11/12/2010 11:52:25 PM First time I have seen content and urinating in the same article, but nicely done! I think in the case of writing content, the "sticker" can simply be the goal that the writer or website owner has in mind. Success happens when that sticker is hit or it is missed if it strays too far to the right or left. Thanks for the laugh! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adrian Grossett EMAIL: adrian@creare.co.uk IP: 86.157.241.104 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 11/17/2010 05:02:04 AM Yes good info I will be passing this one across to the content writer team - Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sean Brady EMAIL: sean@seanbrady.us IP: 75.76.254.146 URL: http://www.seanbrady.us DATE: 11/27/2010 12:50:37 AM lol. Pretty funny. You make some very interesting points in your writing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sally Sisson EMAIL: sally@sallysisson.com IP: 24.218.41.165 URL: http://sallysisson.com DATE: 12/02/2010 11:23:37 AM Spot on. Always enjoy your posts, and I'll definitely be retweeting this one! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Use Different Media to Accomplish Different Goals STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: use-different-media-to-accomplish-different-goals CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: entertainment marketing CATEGORY: video DATE: 11/12/2010 12:06:10 AM ----- BODY:Listened to an excellent overview from Ann Marie Kelly from Gfk MRI today who talked about consumer research and magazines.
One piece of research that stood out was focused on how consumers engage in different media for different reasons. Television, radio, the Internet, magazines and newspapers were discussed in detail. Each one of these distribution outlets are used by consumers in the following primary ways.
----- EXTENDED BODY:Although buyers use each source of media for different reasons, marketers can focus on packaging content in certain ways to accomplish specific marketing and engagement objectives. Abe Peck from the Medill School of Journalism, suggests that print magazines are important to "give people what they really didn't know they wanted". If that's your goal, choose print over the Internet. If your content needs to help consumers solve a specific problem, then choose the web. Entertainment? Your choice is video.
Choose wisely.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adrian Grossett EMAIL: adrian@creare.co.uk IP: 86.159.246.52 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 11/22/2010 06:46:54 AM Good info - short and sweet but important - its all in the planning. What Abe Peck from the Medill School of Journalism say is solid foundation - with out a doubt - good post. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Strategy vs. Content Marketing vs. Inbound Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-strategy-vs-content-marketing-vs-inbound-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 11/04/2010 10:37:40 PM ----- BODY:I had the opportunity to present at Hubspot this week for the New England Content Strategy meetup. During the presentation (slideshare below), the group of content strategists and marketers spent over 30 minutes discussing the differences and similarities between content strategy, content marketing and inbound marketing.
You'll see how I define each of them in the presentation, but this was offered by Kyle James at Hubspot:
"There is a TON of overlap, but each has a slightly specific mandate. Coming from a long line of southern Methodist ministers you could also probably say that Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians make a pretty good analogy. They are all Christians who follow and believe in what the Bible says, but they all 'interpret' the exact doctrine a little differently. The biggest difference here is that Christianity is thousands of years old. Content strategy/content marketing/inbound marketing is all of about what 5% that age."
By the end of the conversation, here was the consensus:
----- EXTENDED BODY:"Content strategy / Content marketing / Inbound marketing...let's all get over ourselves. It's pretty much all the same s**t."
Personally, I use content strategy when I'm talking to journalists and content strategists.
I use content marketing when I'm talking to sales and marketing professionals.
I use inbound marketing when I'm talking to small businesses.
There are another 30 names for this including branded content, customer media, custom publishing and the list goes on. Frankly, we should use whatever name that resonates with a company enough that they motivated to do something about it.
Here's my stab at what content marketing inbound strategy would look like as combination soup:
How a brand creates, delivers and governs original or curated content to attract and retain customers, positioning the brand as a credible expert and, ultimately, motivating a change in behavior.
We are indeed all media companies today and it really doesn't matter what you call it.
Don't get me wrong, content marketing strategy is critical to the success of a content marketing project. Not having a content strategy is like playing baseball without the bases (envision people running everywhere...not a pretty site).
That said, I've seen a multitude of content strategies die for the following reasons.
----- EXTENDED BODY:Yes, content strategy is critical, but execution is king for content marketing. Frankly, you need both.
Where is your "lack of"?
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content strategy, content marketing, execution ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Saar EMAIL: jonathansaar@gmail.com IP: 76.240.22.136 URL: http://jonathansaar.com DATE: 11/04/2010 09:43:10 AM I particularly liked point 4 on consistency. (not that I did no like the others) Even though I blog for my company a couple times a week I have the biggest challenge with my editorial list of topics. Something that I am trying to get disciplined at by keeping a book where I can jot thoughts down. Great reminders so I shared them on my personal FB page. Thanks Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.126.115 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/04/2010 10:47:10 AM Thanks Jonathan...consistency is where most companies fall down...probably because it's the hardest. Anyone can create great content once in a while, but to do it consistently...that's another thing. Keep at it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christina Pappas EMAIL: cpa@zmags.com IP: 209.48.54.2 URL: http://www.zmags.com DATE: 11/04/2010 11:22:30 AM Enjoyed the post Joe! Although we post consistently, or rather are on target to, I feel the topics are inconsistent at times. While we 'talk' to marketers, there is just such a broad range of topics that we can discuss. How do we pick a theme and stick to it? We do, but its hard! My consistent 'delivery' issues are with Feedburner. We cannot be successful if the tool doesn't work. Trying to switch now... I would also love to see some ideas on promotion. How are people doing this? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chad Butz EMAIL: cbutz@wearebourne.com IP: 86.15.9.73 URL: http://www.wearebourne.com DATE: 11/05/2010 07:01:28 AM Hi Joe - nice article. I'd add one more point: Inappropriate technology choices. Many large businesses are too dependent on IT for the publication of content because they are overly tied to 'enterprise technology' or they are not using it correctly. Business must either 1) configure it correctly so that the people who need to get content out quickly can do so without getting in the IT queue, or 2) take a two tier approach to technology where enterprise technology is mixed with platforms that allow non-tech individuals to get content programs out quickly and easily, such as blog engines or marketing automation tools. Both involve marketing wrestling back some control of the technology planning process from IT - a particularly difficult challenge in large corporates. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.126.115 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/05/2010 09:01:45 AM @Christina...not sure if you already have something, but an editorial calendar is a must here. This post might help. http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/08/content-marketing-editorial-calendar/ And, regarding promotion, although this is for contractors, some really helpful tips. http://socialtract.com/2010/10/blogging-guide-hvacr-contractors-ebook/ @Chad - love the addition. This is so true. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim O'Hare EMAIL: johare@biomedia.us IP: 75.187.212.234 URL: http://www.biomedia.us DATE: 11/05/2010 09:11:32 AM Perhaps the best boss I've ever had, the VP of Global Marketing for a Fortune 250 company, used this quote over and again: "No strategy ever failed in the PowerPoint." Everything always works in the "PowerPoint" phase - the speaker is enthusiastic, heads in the audience bob - but unless it's executed, well, it remains only a well-intended strategy. Thanks, Randy Freeman. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: @redlincook | Content Development EMAIL: elisec@verticalmeasures.com IP: 68.3.224.23 URL: http://www.verticalmeasures.com/content-development DATE: 11/07/2010 05:30:01 PM I love this post! Neglecting the task of determining the tools and criteria for success measurement is where I see many companies struggle today. I couldn't agree more that "Frankly, you NEED both". The content strategy and execution must both be in sync for success to happen. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: D Custom EMAIL: kristen.bohn@dcustom.com IP: 66.226.212.82 URL: http://blog.dcustom.com/ DATE: 11/09/2010 05:18:13 PM We find that sometimes the lack of consistency comes from the fluctuation of clients’ marketing budgets. It’s paramount to the process that the client understands how hard it is to gain momentum for your content and how easy it is to lose momentum for your content. You can't overstate the importance of consistency. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Daniel Oyston EMAIL: danieloyston@gmail.com IP: 124.171.108.185 URL: http://theoysterproject.cblogspot.com DATE: 11/11/2010 05:59:13 AM All very good points. I work for a SME providing services to government departments. We are involved in a lot of shaping the market and so I have employed a thought leadership strategy which has a very nice synergy with content marketing. I created a guide to thought leadership within my company to help educate staff as there isn’t much of a marketing culture. I just sanitised it and posted it as a 3 part series on my blog. Maybe your readers would find it useful. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 64.115.220.149 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/11/2010 06:31:08 AM Sure Danial...would love to see it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 1-how-did-you-come-to-consider-content-as-a-maketing-tool-many-of-us-were-used-to-look-quite-exclusively-to-images DATE: 10/29/2010 03:57:52 PM ----- BODY:1 – How did you come to consider “Content” as a maketing tool? Many of us were used to look quite exclusively to images, or just specific baselines (or promotional messages) to take interest in products, companies, or services? Content has been used as a marketing tool for hundreds of years....it's only now getting it's due with the rise of social media, search engine optimization and lead generation tactics. Here's the real key though...it's almost impossible to get customers' attention today. They are bombarded by messages. If your brand message is promotional, they have to want to receive that message in order for it to work. But what if the message is truly valuable, relevant, educational or entertaining. That message, a content marketing message, cuts through all the sales clutter and can connect with customers. Why? Because it's valuable to the customer...not that you want to sell them something. Also, regarding social media...social media doesn't work without valuable, compelling and consistent content. No one is going to share your sales message. 2 – There is a real crisis in the world of media and publishing (newspapers, TV) despite their pertinent work of commenting actuality. On the other hand, new networks as Twitter, Facebook, but also blogs seem to grow with success in the public audiecne? What is the difference? Do you think people is going more to “close” or personal media” and does not feel anymore involved or concerned in global media? I si ti only a question of cost of the traditonal media facing a new “free” information era? Not sure I would agree here in the states. Media is flourishing. There has never been a time when more media of so many different types have been engaged with. The challenge is that traditional publishing business models don't work as well anymore. That said, brands are picking up the slack and creating their own magazines, online video shows and more because they have the budget to underwrite these initiatives and don't have to support it with advertising. I believe that people engage in the media they want to go either get what they need to get done or learn/be entertained with something new. There are just more of these choices than ever before. Different media for different things. People still want sports updates on ESPN, but want to talk to their friends on Facebook, connect with business people on LinkedIn...it all depends. 3 - How do you define the role of a “Content Manager” today? I would probably say "Chief Content Officer". This is the person who is responsible for the customer and prospect messaging from all media...most of which is online. This is the person that really has to understand the informational needs of the customer, and how the brand can develop interesting content to position that brand as the expert in the industry. Every employee has a little bit of "content manager" in them because many employees today create content for the company, but only one is responsible for the overall messaging and process. 4 – You are defending a content which is not “selling” but telling about an experience of life (tasting, travelling, listening, feeling healthy, ...), but how to position your business with that way. Is new content more trustfull and stimulating for sales than an objective information on what you do? Sales content doesn't go away, we still need it, but consumers can find out 99% about a company on their own without guidance from salespeople or sales content even. So, in order to be interesting and inspire people, the content cannot be all about the company's products and services. It has to be about the customer - their pain points, their struggles, and the company needs to provide solutions for those in the form of text, graphics, video, audio, social media and more. If a company understands the needs of the customer, and can deliver solutions to them through content, they ultimate position themselves as the go-to resource for that kind of information, and when they are ready to buy, they'll be much more likely to buy from the company that provides that kind of information. 5 – Are we leaving the “Age of Journalism” to enter “the Age of Suggestive Writers”? I would say the Age of Content Marketing - which ultimately is Corporate Journalism - exceptional content - the best content in the world on a subject, but from a brand. Pure journalism will always have its place, and their also will be a lot of bad content marketing, but good content marketing scales and builds businesses. It is now the center of most marketing programs because, ultimately, the customers have complete control. Brands never really had control, they only thought they did.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 13 Content Marketing Commandments STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 13-content-marketing-commandments CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/29/2010 01:33:26 PM ----- BODY: I've had multiple versions of Mark Fletcher's startup commandments on my wall for years now. Whenever I get a little lost in our startup model, I review these. It keeps me sane.
I've modified a few of these related to content marketing. If you're stuck on your content marketing strategy, I hope these new commandments will help.
----- EXTENDED BODY:Now go get 'em tiger! For more, here's 30 content marketing truths to live by.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing commandments ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt EMAIL: matt@parthenonpub.com IP: 75.145.49.105 URL: http://parthenonpub.com/blog DATE: 10/29/2010 05:20:17 PM Great post. 5. Especially online. 9. Amen. With too many hands in the pot, content marketing efforts can quickly dilute a brand if not reined in. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eddie Gear EMAIL: editor@theapptimes.com IP: 59.164.51.26 URL: http://theapptimes.com DATE: 11/02/2010 08:27:23 AM Great post! I'm taking a print out of these commandments and putting it up on my wall! I could relate a lot to point 5 on Perfection. Sometimes i get so obsessed with perfecting what I do, I never get the thing done! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Elise | Vertical Measures EMAIL: elisec@verticalmeasures.com IP: 68.3.224.23 URL: http://www.verticalmeasures.com DATE: 11/03/2010 04:19:59 AM I love these! I might have to post these on my wall too. I tend to like to build concensus, and I need to remind myself of #9 every now and again. Much appreciated. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adrian Grossett EMAIL: adrian@creare.co.uk IP: 86.157.241.104 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 11/04/2010 05:35:57 AM Great info - thanks for sharing I am passing it on immediately! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Kidder EMAIL: jonathan-kidder@bethel.edu IP: 75.146.33.113 URL: http://priorityresults.com/blog/feeding-the-web-content-monster/ DATE: 11/10/2010 12:34:09 PM I love this post! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Value of Not Having to Explain STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-value-of-not-having-to-explain CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: measurement CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 10/28/2010 07:18:20 AM ----- BODY:Read an interesting post from Seth Godin today on measurable media. It's worth a look.
The point: You can be successful by only doing things that are measurable, but, there may be a huge opportunity in unmeasurable media. This is where the risk-takers go.
Here's an example. I talked with one of our clients this week about the impact of their content marketing program. Basically I asked the question "what is it doing for you?"
----- EXTENDED BODY:Here was the response:
We measure traffic, conversions to contact us, signups to the enewsletter...those things are all doing well and would justify the program. BUT, the biggest impact is this - I don't have to explain what we do anymore. I don't have to spend multiple conversations positioning our value. In most cases, they've already engaged in our content online, which tells them the best story about how we can help them. It's hard to measure that, but it's been simply amazing. I can't tell you that the ultimate lead or business is only because of the content, but I'm not sure it could have been possible without the content either.
What is the value of not having to explain what you do or what you stand for? And even beyond that, what is the value of connecting with someone that likes the content you are creating so much that they don't know what you do and want to figure out ways to work with you anyway.
Measurable?...maybe, maybe not depending on how you look at it. Opportunity? Yes.
Content Marketing.
Okay content marketers...here's your event.
Junta42 and the Content Marketing Institute are launching the premiere international content marketing event entitled Content Marketing World 2011. The event will be held in Cleveland, Ohio September 6 - 8, 2011.
For three days, the best and the brightest from the content marketing industry will converge on the Rock 'n' Roll capital of the world to share the latest industry trends, success stories, best practices and more.
And, we are going to have some major fun, C-Town style.
If you'd like to receive more information, click here. Otherwise, save the date and spread the word.
Looking forward to seeing you in Cleveland in September!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing world ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Your Content Strategy Mission Statement STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: your-content-strategy-mission-statement CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 10/20/2010 11:39:17 AM ----- BODY:In my presentations lately, I've been talking about developing content that stands for something.
Basically, content marketing is not about "what you sell" it's "what you stand for". This becomes the basis for your content marketing strategy. This is your content mission. It's based on the informational needs of your customers and prospects, and also inherently drives your business (interest in you as the expert in your industry).
----- EXTENDED BODY:Some examples perhaps:
How about Gary Vaynerchuk and Wine Library TV?: It's not about selling wine. It's about the idea that everyone, everywhere deserves to understand the wine experience. That's what Gary talks about all day long and why he draws such an audience.
How about Southwest?: It's not about selling plane rides (what they do), it's about the idea that everyone deserves the freedom to fly...to travel.
How about Junta42?: It's that all marketers need to think and act like publishers to attract and retain customers.
So what is your content strategy mission?
As you plan for 2011 and beyond, be sure you are aware of what your content really stands for and how you can make a difference in your customers' lives. That will set the tone for your entire content strategy.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Robert Samuel EMAIL: bbblueprint@gmail.com IP: 74.160.197.92 URL: http://www.beautybusinessblueprint.com/ DATE: 10/20/2010 02:44:03 PM Great content mission examples here. This makes me realize that I need to take a look at my mission statement and see if my content really expresses who we are as a business and a team. :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Mitchell EMAIL: sarah@globalcopywriting.com IP: 59.100.233.220 URL: http://www.globalcopywriting.com DATE: 10/21/2010 08:12:52 PM Hi Joe, I love the idea of a content strategy mission statement. I hadn't thought about it in these terms before but as soon as I read your post I knew I had one. My content strategy mission is: Content should be asset to your business, not an expense. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.98.203 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/21/2010 08:19:25 PM @Robert...thanks for the comment @Sarah...I really like that one. I may steal it. Good stuff. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vijay EMAIL: goldencityjaipur.com@gmail.com IP: 59.95.183.203 URL: http://www.goldencityjaipur.com DATE: 10/22/2010 08:08:01 AM I like these lines most because this inspires me to changes live with content strategy. "How you can make a difference in your customers' lives. That will set the tone for your entire content strategy" ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan Hutson EMAIL: dan@pokethebeehive.com IP: 64.47.116.130 URL: http://www.pokethebeehive.com DATE: 10/22/2010 11:36:58 AM We're in the midst of a rebranding initiative, and I can tell you that content marketing will play a key role in our communication and marketing efforts. We're a nonprofit provider of senior living communities and other supportive services. My unofficial (at this point) content marketing mission statement: We provide a platform for successful aging. Delivering useful information, products and services that help seniors and their families understand the key factors behind successful aging and assist them in making the right choices are all part of that platform. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.98.203 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/22/2010 11:39:01 AM I love this Dan...you've always been a big supporter of content marketing and love to see this mission statement. It truly serves a purpose. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tia Peterson EMAIL: tiapeterson@webbedinkinc.com IP: 70.190.222.104 URL: http://www.webbedinkinc.com DATE: 10/22/2010 07:58:38 PM Thanks for this examples. It seems much harder to do than it probably is; I'm preparing to get started on a project using content marketing for a specific e-course, and hadn't even thought of coming up with a mission statement for the strategy. It makes total sense, though, and I can see how having one and using it as the cornerstone, developing content around that mission statement, makes complete sense. Thank you! Tia ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nenad EMAIL: nenad.senic@p-m.si IP: 82.192.55.88 URL: http://www.p-m.si DATE: 10/23/2010 11:53:18 AM Thx, Joe. My mission this weekend: "What is our mission?" :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas (Watkins) EMAIL: douglasadams@allwellbeing.com IP: 66.87.2.125 URL: http://allwellbeing.com/ DATE: 10/24/2010 02:52:23 PM A content strategy mission statement is a great idea. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Useful Content Marketing Resources STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-useful-content-marketing-resources CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/14/2010 10:03:04 PM ----- BODY:We've been working on a web content inventory and ran through a number of oldie-but-goodie content marketing resources. Hope they're helpful.
The Content Marketing Playbook
Our most popular eBook...42 different ways to leverage content marketing. Includes over 50 case studies. Here's the Spanish version.
20 Questions to Ask Before You Launch Your Content Project
Before you launch, be sure to read these 20 important questions.
100 Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions for 2010
Almost ready to dig into the 2011 edition. This one is a classic. Some are even right.
30 Content Marketing Truths
One of my favorite posts of all time. Print and save.
42+ Social Media Marketing Tools
Still the 2nd most popular post in Junta42 blog history.
2010 B2B Content Marketing: Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends
Incredibly powerful research from MarketingProfs and Junta42.
7 Reasons Print Will Make a Comeback in 2011
I still believe this. One reason why we are launching a magazine.
How to Put together an Editorial Calendar for Content Marketing
One of my favorites from Michele Linn with the Content Marketing Institute.
How to Effectively Manage the Content Marketing Process
Struggling with content marketing madness? This will help.
Five Reasons Why Content Strategy Comes Before Social Media
It was right then, and right today...social media doesn't work without a story.
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing resources ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cindy Lavoie EMAIL: clavoie@soundwebsolutions.com IP: 98.232.51.13 URL: http://www.soundwebsolutions.com/blog/ DATE: 10/15/2010 04:59:23 PM Great collection - thanks for the list. The more I work in Internet Marketing & SEO the more convinced I become that Content Marketing is both the more strategic form of SEO and also the future of the profession. It's the natural evolution of SEO from its early technical orientation to a core marketing focus. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eddie Gear EMAIL: editor@theapptimes.com IP: 59.164.50.167 URL: http://theapptimes.com DATE: 10/16/2010 10:12:57 PM Excellent resources. Thanks for sharing them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chrise EMAIL: chris.mon91@yahoo.com IP: 196.201.217.253 URL: http://www.kenya-travel-packages.com/kenya-economy.html DATE: 10/17/2010 12:21:30 PM I would add Ken Evoy's Make your content presell. Wonderfully explains why content is king and although a little dated, it is an excellent resource. And you can download it free here: http://mycps.sitesell.com/freedom84.html ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Taylor EMAIL: grt2@grt2studios.com IP: 98.177.243.154 URL: http://www.grt2studios.com/blog DATE: 10/17/2010 11:53:05 PM This list is a great resource for content marketing. Thanks for compiling the list and posting. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Mills EMAIL: info@stevemillsmarketing.com IP: 81.187.17.86 URL: http://www.stevemillsmarketing.com DATE: 10/18/2010 06:38:50 AM Great site, very interesting articles. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing Ginger Ale STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-ginger-ale CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/13/2010 11:38:44 AM ----- BODY: The Texas Rangers won the division pennant last night in five games over the Tampa Bay Rays, and will move on to face the New York Yankees for the American League championship.
One of the star hitters for the Texas Rangers is Josh Hamilton. Josh won the AL batting title this year, hit 32 home runs and drove in 100 runners. He's one of the most feared hitters in the game. He's also had major issues with alcohol and drug abuse for years.
Upon winning the pennant, the majority of teams would normally douse each other in showers of champagne. Josh was prepared to celebrate in seclusion so his teammates could party like teams have done for hundreds of years. You see, Josh can't even be close to alcohol.
But back in the locker room, the Rangers put away their alcoholic beverages and substituted them for Ginger Ale so that Josh could be part of the celebration. A few of the Rangers' teammates placed goggles on Hamilton, escorted him into the locker room, and in unison, the Rangers yelled "Ginger Ale," covering Josh in the non-alcoholic substitute.
----- EXTENDED BODY:“It was the coolest thing for my teammates to understand why I can’t be a part of the celebration, and for them to adapt it for me to be a part of it says a lot about my teammates.”
So, what did the Rangers do?
Now, we can't go around showering our customers with ginger ale (not necessary, not possible and frankly, some just won't like it), but we can shower our customers with content marketing ginger ale every day, creating content gifts that solve their pain points, both personal and business-related. We can create information that's seemingly created just for them...and for that you will be rewarded with loyalty and business.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Josh Hamilton, content marketing, ginger ale ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: bill pryor EMAIL: billpryor@comcast.net IP: 24.60.163.87 URL: http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com DATE: 10/15/2010 10:04:29 AM In an era of scandalous atheletic knucklehead behavior --- what a joy to read something like this. These guys "figured it out" ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing R&D STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-r-d CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/07/2010 08:41:04 AM ----- BODY:We've just added a new budgeting line item in our marketing plan: Content Marketing Research & Development (R&D).
What's the idea?
Let's start with the content marketing strategy. Of course, we have:
That's our standard content marketing strategy. But over the past few years there have always been certain "test" projects that fall outside the scope of the strategy. Experimentation for growth let's call it. These include:
These are not primary activities, but could be someday. But we need to test them, and they need funding, just like you would fund a startup company. They also need attention.
So, we've allocated funds for 2011 specifically for these activities. We now believe that these activities should be part of the content marketing process. We are planning about 10 - 20% of our content marketing budget to go toward content marketing R&D.
How about you?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing R&D, content marketing research and development ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Taylor EMAIL: grt2@grt2studios.com IP: 98.177.243.154 URL: http://www.grt2studios.com DATE: 10/12/2010 07:20:42 PM I've recently developed a Content Marketing Scorebook to analyze and evaluate client's content vs. the competition's - that's where GRT2 Studios R7D budget went to in Q2 & 3 of 2011. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Barry EMAIL: steve.barry@forum.com IP: 66.31.66.247 URL: http://www.forum.com/blog DATE: 10/27/2010 11:39:05 AM Do you have any more info on putting flesh around these bullet points of the strategy? Questions to answer, etc? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 64.197.96.194 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/28/2010 04:03:19 AM Hi Steve...thanks for the question. Here are a couple to check out. Content Marketing Process http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/06/managing-content-marketing-process/ BEST Content Marketing Strategy http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/09/the-best-method-for-content-strategy.html ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The 80/20 Rule of Corporate Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-80-20-rule-of-corporate-content CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/06/2010 07:06:19 AM ----- BODY:I was reading a book last night with my two boys right before bedtime. In the story was a girl named Jan. Jan was new at school and was trying to make friends with the other children.
Unfortunately, no one wanted to play with Jan, as she was left alone on the swing by herself during playtime. Why? Jan only talked about herself. She told the other children what a nice house she had; how many video games she had; about her cool dog who could do tricks; about how she was the most popular girl in her former school.
It was all about Jan. And the kids didn't just ignore her, they went out of their way to avoid her.
----- EXTENDED BODY:It's obvious, right? Marketers inherently know that the more they talk about themselves the more they are ignored by customers. And yet, even though we know this, most companies actually do talk about themselves.
The 80/20 Rule of Content
The more we work with brands the more we find this to be true. Let me explain.
80% of the information (content) we develop inside companies is about our customers. We write proposals trying to solve customer challenges. We develop customer service FAQs to answer questions. We pen emails across the enterprise about how this customer needs this and that customer needs that.
20% of the content we create is sales-related content. It talks about our products and features and how wonderful we are. This is Jan.
So, the internal content we develop on a daily basis is almost exclusively focused on our customer.
Then a horrible thing happens. Before we let all that 80% of goodness be shared with our customers (through traditional/social media and other distribution outlets), a marketing expert strategically blocks it to focus on how wonderful we (the brand) are.
So, even though 80% of our content is actually about our customers and will help solve their challenges, live better lives, do better at work - in reality, the real 80% of content we share is about us and how great we are.
It still amazes me why companies don't understand why their social media programs are ineffective.
Are you Jan? Are customers trying to avoid you?
Want to learn more? Try this free white paper on attracting and retaining customers with content marketing.
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----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christine EMAIL: christine@onlineprnews.com IP: 76.83.220.55 URL: http://www.onlineprnews.com DATE: 10/06/2010 08:47:04 AM HaHa! This story of Jan is perhaps the best, simplest, yet most clearly illustrated example of why it is so important to be customer-centric with your messages. Even in that 20% that you talk about, there are still probably ways to frame how your knowledge/ experience/ accomplishments are a customer benefit. (We've worked with hundreds of clients over the years and what that means for you is... ) Thanks for this Joe - I love it! What ever happened to Jan? Did she eventually change her ways? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patricia Martin EMAIL: pat@litlamp.com IP: 99.63.179.95 URL: http://www.litlamp.com DATE: 10/06/2010 09:06:10 AM Clever use of narrative to lead into your harder hitting message. It's so true. I suppose the 80/20 formula was always true, but social media empowered the user and gave their eyeballs someplace else to go for the content they do want. Now brands are forced to engage and listen. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.98.203 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/06/2010 11:18:31 AM Thanks Christine and Patricia! @Christine...I'll find out tonight when we finish the book. I sure hope she does or it's going to be a sad ending. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel Nislick EMAIL: rnislick@ptc.com IP: 166.137.138.29 URL: http://www.PTC.com DATE: 10/06/2010 11:50:05 AM Great post Joe. Keep it super simple like that and it demystifies content marketing for those who are new to it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: K. Mayer EMAIL: kathrynmayer@charter.net IP: 24.151.116.71 URL: http://returntoworkmom.blogspot.com/ DATE: 10/06/2010 12:47:34 PM It is that simple. Get other people talking about you -- they'll do the selling! Do you have any idea how hard it is to convince old schoolers of this? AGGH. I'm done trying. Screw 'em, can't let him hold me back. Am taking what I'm learning and applying it to myself and letting bossman stand by his branding identity rules. See ya, cuz guess what? People are talking about me. Oooh, this is good. I like this. A lot. http://returntoworkmom.blogspot.com/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Kirstein EMAIL: skirstein@onprocess.com IP: 64.80.225.68 URL: http://www.onprocess.com DATE: 10/07/2010 09:15:50 AM Don't forget about the common variant: "But enough about me, let's talk about YOU. What do YOU think of me?" Thanks for the timely reminder. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jackie Ross EMAIL: jross@walkerinfo.com IP: 64.72.143.190 URL: http://www.walkerinfo.com DATE: 10/08/2010 02:13:40 PM I don't know whether to laugh or cry. You've nailed it. And my company is Jan. Sigh! First step - get everyone in our Marketing department T-shirts that say, "Don't be Jan." Second step, act on it. Thanks, Joe. Great read. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eddie EMAIL: superiorpromosinc@gmail.com IP: 72.190.65.117 URL: http://www.superiorpromos.com DATE: 10/14/2010 10:24:35 PM This is a great comparison to a great point. Thanks for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Frank Dale EMAIL: fdale@compendium.com IP: 70.236.76.249 URL: http://www.blogging.compendiumblog.com/blog/acquisition-marketing-blog DATE: 11/08/2010 03:54:27 PM Joe, well said! This is a consistent issue with many of the marketers I speak to around the country. As the wise Mike Bloxham says the best perspective to take is "why should they (he customer or prospective customer) care about you?" ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is Quality Content Enough? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-quality-content-enough CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/01/2010 06:42:52 AM ----- BODY:Brian Solis and Vocus just released a research report about what marketing executives think of online influence. When asked what the single most important action a brand can take to increase their influence online, 50% of marketers answered - create and share compelling content.
This research is in line with our recent findings that marketers are increasing their spending on content marketing.
----- EXTENDED BODY:Just Create Content?
At first glance, the solution looks simple - create lots of compelling, valuable content and customers and prospects are drawn to you. Two points on this...
There is still a belief with many marketers that if they create quality content, the customers will come. Yes, content is at center of our marketing today, and definitely at the center of our social media.
Go out and create great content. Be the leader in your industry because you consistently share value. BUT, share it. Find out where your customers are hanging out and be there. That means online, offline and even in print. Get involved in authentic conversations.
You simply cannot be the trusted leader or content partner without actively being a part of the conversation. This is easy to say but hard to do (this is incredibly difficult for large brands).
Quality content is not enough. There is no silver bullet.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christina Pappas EMAIL: cpa@zmags.com IP: 209.48.54.2 URL: http://www.zmags.com DATE: 10/01/2010 09:34:51 AM I have seen a lot of debate on quality vs. quantity. I strongly believe that marketing and sales is on the same page (or almost there) in regards to the 'cease and desist' effort on talking about their product and are now focusing on producing content that helps customers, propsects and brand fans. Joe - what are your thoughts on quality vs. quantity? Do you think that companies should put out content to simply put out something with a few gems mixed in? Or do you think a few really great showstopping pieces is enough to gain traction? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: MaKenzie Birchell EMAIL: makenzie@bluewaterdirect.com IP: 69.11.130.18 URL: http://www.bluewaterdirect.com/blog DATE: 10/01/2010 10:12:07 AM Fantastic post! I'm a firm believer, both personally and professionally, in the importance of balance. Compelling content plays a large role, but balancing your quality and quantity will also improve effectiveness. Each company or individual should strive to find the right formula that works best for them, but will need to listen to their audience and make continual adjustments. Great information and thoughts, as always, Joe! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Taylor EMAIL: grt2@grt2studios.com IP: 98.177.243.154 URL: http://www.grt2studios.com DATE: 10/01/2010 03:49:30 PM Creating great content is just a step in the right direction with content marketing. The other half is finding and sharing other valuable articles and distributing them throughout your network. In my opinion, quality will always trump quantity when it comes to the value of content as long as the the time between content creation isn't too long. Thanks for the post! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.98.203 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/01/2010 08:40:15 PM Thanks MaKenzie and Greg for your comments. Christina...to answer your questions, quality always comes first. There is no reason today why a brand can't consistently create great content. If it's just so-so content, there is no reason to put it out there with the other bad content that exists. Now if you can great lots of great content, that's fantastic. So, if I'm a brand, I'm focused on daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly content that is always stellar. Best in the business. If you can't do that, do what you can that is quality. If not, don't do it. Thanks again ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christine EMAIL: christine@onlineprnews.com IP: 76.83.220.55 URL: http://www.onlineprnews.com DATE: 10/04/2010 03:09:55 PM This is such an important post Joe. I believe that a company's attention to the quality of their content is such a reflection of the level of quality that customers perceive they will receive from that company. Thanks for this! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gabriele Maidecchi EMAIL: maido@esimplestudios.com IP: 78.134.16.22 URL: http://blog.esimplestudios.com DATE: 10/04/2010 04:44:43 PM I agree that content is fundamental, however in today's world it's not just content that matters, but also how you present it. Awesome content presented in a sucky form often doesn't get the visibility it deserves, or doesn't get the deserved hits due to lack of a careful SEO work behind it. Let's face it, sadly, content is *not* everything. On the other side, SEO can be fixed, blog design can be enhanced, but if your contents suck, you're kind of doomed from the beginning. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Watkins EMAIL: douglasadams@allwellbeing.com IP: 71.83.13.241 URL: http://allwellbeing.com/ DATE: 10/05/2010 11:52:31 AM Quality of content is in direct proportion to the quality of your visitors user experience. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 35 Ways to Market Your Blog STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: ways-to-market-your-blog CATEGORY: business blogging CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 09/27/2010 10:53:00 PM ----- BODY:It never fails. Almost all the businesses we come in contact with continue to look for ways to promote their blog. Here is a handy list of common and some uncommon ways to market your blog.
What did we miss?
Good luck! For more, check out 37 reasons to blog and these other helpful posts:
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: blog marketing, market your blog ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Commodity Tips Online EMAIL: sharetips33@gmail.com IP: 122.177.110.11 URL: http://www.sharetipsexpert.com/Commodity_trading_tips.aspx DATE: 09/30/2010 03:16:59 AM Here are 5 uncommon methods that work well: Comments Social Networks Blogroll Widgets Offline Thank you ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adrian Grossett EMAIL: adrian@creare.co.uk IP: 86.159.245.18 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 09/30/2010 03:59:24 AM More great advice - you really do have to put the little extra in to Market your Blog successfully - but the benefits out way the extra time. Doing it correctly - by following your 35 steps - you will integrate with customers on all levels understanding what they exactly want from your service - its also a good way to encourage client feedback via social networking - in a more relaxed way. Thanks for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lexa EMAIL: lexx13mua@gmail.com IP: 67.70.89.147 URL: http://makeupormorte.blogspot.com/ DATE: 09/30/2010 04:43:16 AM Excellent, helpful post. Thank you! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: andrew EMAIL: ahanelly@tmgcustommedia.com IP: 4.59.151.66 URL: http://engage.tmgcustommedia.com DATE: 09/30/2010 09:06:19 AM #36: Create a list of great ideas that people will link to, bookmark as a resource, and share with their friends. Kind of like this one. Nicely done! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Clare McDermott EMAIL: clare@soloportfolio.com IP: 173.48.207.122 URL: http://soloportfolio.wordpress.com DATE: 10/01/2010 08:47:24 AM Awesome post. So many practical nuggets in here. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob Berman EMAIL: rcberman2@yahoo.com IP: 24.61.65.201 URL: http://www.rob-berman.com DATE: 10/04/2010 09:40:07 AM A mix of reminders and new ideas. I have saved it and printed it out for my "To Do" list for the blog. Thanks, Rob ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rekrytering EMAIL: info@personalkontakten.se IP: 213.66.238.136 URL: http://www.personalkontakten.se DATE: 10/04/2010 10:01:51 AM this was an really intresting post. i will print this and read it on the plane. Keep writeing and i will follow u. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Elise Pitterle EMAIL: getinthemoneynow@gmail.com IP: 70.59.239.66 URL: DATE: 10/04/2010 12:38:15 PM Great list! I think that having a unique point of view so that visitors have a reason to follow you is extremely key, as well as having an uncomplicated site. Personally, when I land on a complicated site, it just makes me want to leave. Who else gets frustrated when they go to websites and blogs that are difficult to navigate? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adrian Grossett EMAIL: adrian@creare.co.uk IP: 86.160.1.115 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 10/12/2010 04:30:05 AM Yes brilliant information bookmarking and passing it on this one - thanks ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 4 Content Curation Ideas to Implement Now STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-curation-ideas CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 09/22/2010 07:52:23 AM ----- BODY:
I caught Paul Gillin's column in B2B magazine yesterday on how curation is the new creation. This quote hit home:
"...humans face a problem our species has never confronted before: We have too much information. Our challenge has shifted from finding what we need to filtering out what we don't. Today, curation is nearly as important as creation."
Paul also points out that curation is as old as collecting itself. It's NOT new (although it's the flavor of the month right now). Media companies have been curating content for centuries, but the idea of online content curation is something all content marketers need to consider as part of the content marketing plan.
Why? Brands must position themselves as the trusted industry experts. To do that, curation must be part of the mix.
Are you stuck on how exactly to do this? If so, here are some ideas to chew on.
----- EXTENDED BODY:1. Lists
Generating the defacto list on something relevant to your customers is a good first step. For example, Junta42 has been curating the top content marketing blogs for over three years now. This list is one of our top 5 most popular pages, generates a number of enewsletter and blog signups, and has led to significant new business and lasting relationships. Since there are hundreds of excellent content sources out there on content marketing, the list helps marketers quickly find the best in just one click.
Your list could revolve around online resources, companies, buyer's guides, best practices and more. Find out what your customers really need to know and construct this helpful tool.
2. Curated Microsites
A curated microsite is a stand-alone website that brings in content from multiple sources around one niche topic. American Express has done this tremendously well with Open Forum (a mixture of new and curated content). Adobe (Omniture) has transformed CMO.com into the best digital marketing material for C-level marketers. Content Marketing Institute partner OpenView Venture Partners (a venture capital firm) has recently launched OpenView Labs, which seeks to become the ultimate resource for expansion-stage technology companies.
3. SmartBrief-Style eNewsletter
SmartBrief has created a business from developing curated enewsletters around dozens of business-related topics. You can too. Instead of creating and editing all original content, consider packaging the best of the industry each week in a tidy enewsletter. OpenView has done this with their enewsletter. So has Junta42, using a mix of original blog content and the best of the net (sign up here).
4. Curated Twitter Feed
The original concept for the Junta42 Twitter feed was exactly that - curating the best content marketing articles each day (now with over 350 listings). We get dozens, sometimes hundreds of people sharing this content each day, helping to position Junta42 as a leader in content marketing. The World Economic Forum does this perhaps better than anyone (with over 1.5 million followers).
Great content comes from almost anywhere these days. If your job is to position your brand as the leading expert in the industry, curation needs to be part of the equation.
What's your content curation idea? Would love to hear it.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content curation, ideas ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tony Karrer EMAIL: akarrer@techempower.com IP: 65.115.126.197 URL: http://www.browsemystuff.com DATE: 09/22/2010 12:40:05 PM Another way to do this is to reduce the curation effort by using Automated Filtering. That's the core concept behind Paper.li and Browse My Stuff. More ideas on this here: http://www.browsemystuff.com/wpblog/automated-filtering-human-powered-curation/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Harry Hoover EMAIL: harry@my-creativeteam.com IP: 66.157.121.31 URL: http://my-creativeteam.com/blog DATE: 09/22/2010 01:12:54 PM Each Monday on our blog, THINKing, we produce "Creativity 2010", a weekly curated round-up of creativity links. I'm considering starting "Thursday THINKing". In this post, I'd curate top content from my favorite blogs on PR, branding and social media. Not only is it helpful to our readers, it also provides some structure for the blog in that we have two days a week in which something new appears. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Taariq Lewis EMAIL: taariq@hivefire.com IP: 173.166.56.113 URL: http://www.contentcurationmarketing.com DATE: 09/22/2010 01:17:28 PM Great post Joe! You're quite correct that marketers must consider themselves as curators. However, most marketers aren't aware of the many critical business risks they face when they fail to leverage quality content curation. Here are 3 big ideas that I think marketers should consider if they don't curate: 1. Longer Sales cycles: The deluge of information for buyers means that sales people have to fight to nurture their prospects or risk losing to a smart content-marketing competitor. If marketers don’t curate, they risk losing an opportunity to SHORTEN the sales cycle for their sales team and help keep the attention of their prospects in a noisy marketplace. Here’s a blog post I wrote on that problem: http://www.contentcurationmarketing.com/articles/7552/three-ways-in-which-content-curation-helps-markete/ 2. Low Content Marketing ROI: Content Marketing ROI increases when marketers can take advantage of curated content to increase the impact of their marketing communication and marketing assets. Don’t curate? Well risk losing out on increasing the value of your marketing activity and lose out on fresh content, fast. I wrote a blog post on that, here: http://www.contentcurationmarketing.com/articles/14565/content-marketing-roi-3-ways-content-curation-opti/ 3. Lost Vendor Preference: How do you know that your customers consider you the VENDOR of AUTHORITY? That’s a competitive space and marketers that fail to establish comprehensive topic and issue authority will lose out to smart marketers who will move first and move quickly. If you’re not the vendor and absolute authority on your critical customer issues online, then your competitor is eating your lunch! I also wrote a post on that here: http://www.contentcurationmarketing.com/articles/4382/b2b-content-curation-adds-a-new-competitive-channe/ With www.getcurata.com, we remove these big online marketing pains because marketers are already overwhelmed and busy with new content solutions and new content channels. The risk to marketers for ignoring content curation is dramatic, but not everyone will get it, which is why not everyone will win. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt EMAIL: matt@parthenonpub.com IP: 75.145.49.105 URL: http://parthenonpub.com/blog DATE: 09/22/2010 03:42:57 PM Great point and well made. In addition to the ones you mentioned, Techmeme has done an expert job here. The only addition to your list that I would make is curating offline sources. It may sound counter intuitive to be an online curator of offline information, but books, magazines, events, venue information, etc., offer a (sometimes overwhelming) wealth of information, and you can add real value by curating the best for your audience. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.159.75 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/22/2010 09:41:23 PM @Tony - really like the paper.li stuff. @Taariq - I've heard great things about your product and thanks for commenting. I agree with you, but I do believe introducing original content into curated content is necessary to truly positioning the brand as THE industry expert. @Harry - Excellent stuff. You've been a content marketing leader since I've been in the space. @Matt...love the offline curation concept. Would love to hear more best practices on that. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christy Barksdale EMAIL: christy@pr2020.com IP: 76.160.78.205 URL: http://www.pr2020.com/blog/ DATE: 09/23/2010 09:21:20 AM Joe, Excellent post with great examples of content curation in action. Curation has become such an important part of the content marketing mix, and we're seeing more and more companies taking advantage of the opportunities. I tend to agree with you that content curation must supplement creation. It is with truly original, compelling content that your company can establish thought leadership; curation helps to further this mission. By leveraging the two, your organization can become a hub of vital industry information, and, most importantly, develop those solid customer connections. Thanks again! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Liz O. EMAIL: SDtechcomm@gmail.com IP: 98.172.169.12 URL: http://www.twitter.com/openliz DATE: 09/23/2010 12:06:49 PM This is a great post! Online documentation and content curation are making and breaking the success of several companies right now. And frankly, people are going to have to come to terms with the emergence of this new frontier and either decide to "move west" or simply choose to get left behind. Last month Forbes came out with an article by MindTouch CEO Aaron Fulkerson that has some astounding statistics as to what kind of ROI online content can bring in. Well-curated content *is* a "sales tool"-- I definitely recommend giving the article a read: http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/07/customer-service-fulkerson-technology-documentation.html Cheers, Liz ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Thad McIlroy, The Future of Publishing EMAIL: thad@thefutureofpublishing.com IP: 173.180.201.30 URL: http://www.thefutureofpublishing.com DATE: 09/24/2010 05:01:59 PM Joe, The automation of content curation makes it possible to do something no human can do: cull all online sources in real time. However, the lack of semantic sophistication in software (and tagged content) means that curation software often fails to approach the quality of even a novice librarian. As you, Harry Hoover and others so well demonstrate, the best practice in content curation is adding a human eye (and brain) to filtering (and annotating) automated feeds. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.62 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/27/2010 07:29:08 AM Thad...you are right...the best curation is a combination of technology and human beings. I think that will be the case for some time to come. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sérgio Santos EMAIL: me@sergiosantos.info IP: 193.136.206.120 URL: http://sergiosantos.info DATE: 09/30/2010 08:29:26 PM One problem associated with automatic curation is replaceability. If the audience has access directly to the algorithm output, it will ignore the intermediaries and consume directly from the source. Value must be added by the publisher, or it will eventually be left out of the chain. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Are My Customers Interested in What I Have to Say? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: are-my-customers-interested-in-what-i-have-to-say CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: custom content DATE: 09/16/2010 10:27:14 PM ----- BODY:Throughout the process of sifting through the data from our B2B Content Marketing study, a couple favorites stood out. First and foremost, we all believed the confidence gap (below) was the most interesting.
Just think about this for a second: 70% of b-to-b marketers of all sizes do not feel their social media marketing is effective. 60% aren't getting what they want out of blogs. 55% for videos.
Now take a look at this graphic below on marketers' biggest content marketing challenge.
It should be no surprise that the biggest challenge is producing engaging content.
Now, let's go back to the confidence chart. The biggest problem with the majority of marketers' social media programs we encounter is that what they have to say, well, really isn't all that important or engaging to customers.
Usually, we find that:
So, it's no wonder at the end of the day, marketers are scratching their heads on how to create content that will be interesting, drive engagement, and ultimately, behavior change.
To answer the question in the title of this post, our customers don't care at all about what we have to say...especially when it's about our products and services.
But when the information makes an impact on their lives...that's where the magic happens.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: b2b content marketing, confidence gap ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nick Stamoulis EMAIL: nick@brickmarketing.com IP: 24.60.172.120 URL: http://www.linkedin.com/in/internetmarketingnickstamoulis DATE: 09/17/2010 08:33:20 AM The biggest thing I tell clients, is stop trying to sell yourself on your blog, readers aren't interested in hearing about your products and services, write about something that will be interesting to them, engaging for them, give them something they will learn from and something that keeps them coming back. A valuable post goes a long way. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.148.14 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/17/2010 08:40:14 AM Nick...Amen to that. It's hard to take our sales hats off and just create great content. The great information is the sell, but most don't get that yet. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Fox EMAIL: michael@tdagroup.com IP: 204.247.252.6 URL: http://www.tdagroup.com DATE: 09/17/2010 11:35:30 AM I also support Nick's comments. Customers and prospects are pretty sophisticated when it comes to receiving marketing messages. If content is delivered as an obvious sales piece, you are lucky to have a reader get past the first paragraph. If content is delivered as an insightful, informational piece, sharing news, use cases, other valuable information that is meaningful to a prospect, then a vendor has just scored some points on their credibility meter. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Will EMAIL: will@rightsourcemarketing.com IP: 108.3.180.248 URL: http://www.marketingtrenches.com DATE: 09/30/2010 08:26:37 AM Great research and post as always Joe. Lots of good info in the B2B Content Marketing study. I wrote a bit about The Biggest Challenge and cited your research in my latest post: What Beer Taught Me About Content Marketing – Be the Most Interesting Man in the World http://bit.ly/9pQii6. Thanks, Will ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: B2B Brands Are Indeed Media Companies | Here's the Proof STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: b2b-brands-are-indeed-media-companies-heres-the-proof CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 09/15/2010 06:40:20 AM ----- BODY:Junta42 and MarketingProfs, along with American Business Media and the Business Marketing Association, just completed the most comprehensive survey about the practice of business-to-business content marketing ever produced.
----- EXTENDED BODY:Simply put, there are some amazing findings, about both what marketers are doing and the confidence they have in particular content marketing tactics.
Yes, if we didn't believe it before, we are all media companies.
Click here to see the full details and download the report for free.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: b2b content marketing, content marketing research, junta42 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Publishers - Give Content Away to Get STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: publishers-give-content-away-to-get CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: journalists CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 09/09/2010 10:06:14 PM ----- BODY:This post originally appeared at the ASBPE blog and is strictly targeted at anyone that considers themselves a publisher. Marketers, you have permission to look away ;). Wait, you marketers may get something out of it as well. - JP
Publishers Need to Give to Get
Although our target (Z Squared Media) as a media company is corporate marketers, I get the opportunity to talk with publishers on a consistent basis. There is one constant that I find with publishers, no matter the size or industry – They don’t like to share.
----- EXTENDED BODY:Let me explain. Publishers love to leverage content from editors to position as their own … that’s basically what publishers do. We leverage great content from multiple sources and sell against it (advertising or paid content). It’s been a great strategy for years, and should continue to be so. But if you asked publishers to promote content that is not theirs and does not reside in their print magazines or websites, you better put away the knives and torches.
But that’s exactly what publishers need to do more of.
Here’s the rationale. To excel, a publisher needs to be the industry expert. They do this through content. BUT, there are hundreds, if not thousands of experts in our industries that bang the industry drum through blogs, white papers, webinars and more. There is no possible way, in my opinion, that a publisher (or magazine) can position themselves as the industry expert without bringing those industry experts into consideration.
Let me give you an example. Our goal at Junta42, from the beginning, was to be the leading source of content marketing information on the planet. No matter how much great content in multiple formats we produced, there was always someone, somewhere producing great content marketing information as well. So, we decided to create the Junta42 Top Content Marketing Blogs.
The idea of the Junta42 Top 42 was to develop a list of the top content producers in our industry (content marketing) and keep it updated. We developed a rationale for judging, and every quarter we release a new list. We started with 81 blogs three years ago, and now have almost 400 blogs that we review. As you’ll see, we promote the best blogs in the industry and link out to those blogs. Yes, we actually send people away from our site, with no strings attached.
Why would any publisher in their right mind do that?
Since launching the list, that web page has been our most popular, with over 20,000 unique visitors to that page alone. The list also gets over 1,000 inbound links directly to that page. It has single handedly been responsible for the majority of our enewsletter and RSS signups, as well as signups to our matching service (our main revenue driver). Simply put, it’s a traffic magnet and core to our business model. It also positions us as the experts in the content marketing industry by highlighting the best content in the industry (even though it’s not ours).
You might say, “Joe, this has been done for years with directories” and you would be right. Except that directories are direct revenue generators. Our top blog list is definitely indirect. We give this information away freely.
Yes, this strategy drives business for us, but it also has driven opportunity. Junta42 now has relationships with the majority of the top industry bloggers simply because of the list.They love the fact that we promote them, and they always take our calls or open our emails.
My advice is this … if your goal is to be the industry expert, you’ll need help from freelancers, bloggers, associations and more. By helping the other content producers in your industry, you can solve a lot of your own web problems as well as reach your own goals.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: publishers, content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: sewa mobil EMAIL: griyamobilkita@gmail.com IP: 118.136.218.63 URL: http://griyamobilkita.webs.com DATE: 09/10/2010 02:29:32 AM Nice article, thanks for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: andrew EMAIL: ahanelly@gmail.com IP: 98.204.183.51 URL: http://engage.tmgcustommedia.com DATE: 09/10/2010 08:12:59 AM Great post. I've had this argument more than a few times with publishers over the years. They all wanted to be black holes - with no outbound links. But from my experience, people remember where they found the link, not necessarily where the link took them. Focusing on being the resource (whether you are providing the content directly, or providing a link to other great content) should be the goal. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.186 URL: http://twitter.com/samuraiwriter99 DATE: 09/12/2010 04:14:42 AM Well done! A great way to position yourselves as an authority site who values top contributors in same industry. Do you outsource the review process - seems like a lot of work with 400 + sites... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.116.80 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/12/2010 11:38:14 AM Thanks Mark. Correct, our researcher, Janet Robbins, reviews all the sites and does a fantastic job. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing Infinity STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-infinity CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 09/07/2010 10:05:38 PM ----- BODY:Last week, I chatted with a marketing executive at a small company about content marketing tactics. This was his comment:
We've been blogging for three months but haven't seen many results. When do we decide to stop and do something else?
So many times, marketers get into the content arena with great (and often realistic) aspirations, but their timetables are too short. When expected results don't come in a few months, they ditch the program to advertise, call more customers, or any other demand generation activity they can think of.
It's what I would call "resorting back to campaign mentality."
In our latest Top 42 Blogs release, did you know that over 20 blogs just stopped blogging. Just stopped. Unless they went out of business, there is no excuse for that.
I know it's difficult. Marketing has trained us for years to run time-based campaigns that have catchy headlines, cool creative, and costly media.
Content marketing is not about a campaign.
----- EXTENDED BODY:
The creation of relevant, valuable and compelling content delivered to your customers should never stop.
Repeat, it can never stop. Don't get me wrong, you continually evolve it based on the needs of your customers and changes in behavior, but delivering quality information to your customers (not sales information) means that you are trying to make a difference in their lives. Why would you stop that?
But to be honest, results take time. Most customers are skeptical when corporations begin to send them "essential and necessary information." They immediately try to figure out what the catch is. When they find out there is no catch, and you are still delivering this life-altering information to them, your brand changes in their eyes.
You become their trusted solutions provider. You are not selling, you are helping. It's easier to buy from a solutions provider - that's the payoff!
When that threshold is passed, amazing things can happen.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Content Marketing Infinity ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bret Simmons EMAIL: bret.simmons@gmail.com IP: 99.148.189.37 URL: http://www.bretlsimmons.com DATE: 09/08/2010 12:14:21 AM I hope people find this and take the time to read it, because it is spot on. So many people are looking for instant pudding, they want something for nothing. Excellence does not work that way. Well said. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/08/2010 08:22:15 AM Thanks for the post Bret. Impatience is a content marketing killer. Sometimes marketers forget to act like humans and continue the conversation. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: andrew EMAIL: ahanelly@tmgcustommedia.com IP: 4.59.151.66 URL: http://engage.tmgcustommedia.com DATE: 09/08/2010 12:24:13 PM Great post, Joe. In addition, a continued investment of time into content shows that an organization is dedicated and in for the long-haul, not just trying to turn over some quick sales. I am always impressed when I visit a corporate blog and find archives dating back several years - especially if the posts are consistent throughout. It says to me that they aren't just jumping on or off a trend, that they believe in sharing their voice and they are dedicated to providing it, regardless of how instant their gratification may be. That thought is what gets me motivated to keep writing, even if it doesn't feel epic in the moment, I know that down the road I'll be thankful that I kept the digital trail alive. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/08/2010 12:26:31 PM Good point Andrew. Also, really like what you are doing on the Engage blog. Keep up the great work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nenad EMAIL: nenad.senic@p-m.si IP: 82.192.55.88 URL: http://www.p-m.si DATE: 09/08/2010 03:04:05 PM Thank Joe (God - too much?) for this entry. So true. However, you say in your comment: "Sometimes marketers forget to act like humans and continue the conversation." What I've been noticing many "progressive" marketers have a very hard time to persuade the senior management that content marketing may deliver great long-term results. I've heard many say, "I just give up." I've even heard directors say, "I want results now. This is all bulshit," and accept only work where their company is mentioned oh so many times. So, I think those marketers need some assistance too. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: andrew EMAIL: ahanelly@gmail.com IP: 98.204.183.51 URL: http://engage.tmgcustommedia.com DATE: 09/09/2010 08:18:43 AM Thanks, Joe. Small, slow, and (hopefully) steady. If I was as consistent at writing as I am at reading, we'd be in good shape. But there's always room for improvement. Sigh... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan Hutson EMAIL: dan@pokethebeehive.com IP: 64.47.116.130 URL: http://www.pokethebeehive.com DATE: 09/10/2010 12:26:54 PM Hi Joe. If 20 of your top content marketing sites stopped blogging, then I humbly suggest they don't belong on the list. Feel free to check out www.pokethebeehive.com. I'll never stop! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/10/2010 12:46:24 PM I believe you Dan. The ones that stopped blogging are gone! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kim Kleeman EMAIL: kimkleeman@shakespearesquared.com IP: 64.199.40.150 URL: http://s2eo.com DATE: 09/10/2010 03:16:04 PM Amen to this Joe! Many companies feel that content is a burden and a bother. In most cases, content is a true testament of any comapny's dedication to their client base. Keeping content fresh, engaging and continual should be a top goal- and possibly something each organization should outsource. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Time to Build the Assets STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: time-to-build-the-assets DATE: 09/07/2010 09:32:37 PM ----- BODY:I was on a webinar today when this question was asked:
"What is the biggest difference between content marketing and traditional advertising?"
Here was my answer:
With content marketing, you are never interrupted with unwanted messages. There are no outside advertisements, not 30 second ad breaks
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Holding the Content Clipboard STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: holding-the-content-clipboard CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 09/03/2010 07:47:03 AM ----- BODY:On my way home last night I was listening to the Cleveland Browns post-game show on the radio. Being interviewed was Colt McCoy, former Texas quarterback and now Browns QB fighting for a starting spot.
This preseason, he hasn't had much time to play. Yesterday, he played half the game.
To sum up, Colt said the following:
When it comes to content marketing, the biggest challenge isn't ROI, or more content or better content. It's doing something. It's getting into the game.
I wonder at the number of amazing companies in the world. I've had the opportunity to get to know many of them.
Most don't tell their story. Most are waiting on the sidelines.
Sure, more training will help. More backup information to show ROI will help. Watching others will help.
But, at some point, we need to get into the game.
Colt has two quarterbacks playing in front of him. For us, we only have ourselves to blame.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: colt mccoy, content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Radu EMAIL: radu.chirvase@rapidresultsmarketing.ro IP: 86.107.246.133 URL: http://www.rapidresultsmarketing.ro DATE: 09/06/2010 05:59:45 AM Yes, there is a big difference between knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it. I just watched once again the Matrix trilogy and this phrase is there, as well: we need to roll our sleeves up and get in the game, putting in the effort. Another phrase from Matrix sticks with me: one gets to know the opponent by confronting him in "battle". No study can replace the race against competitors, in real time. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: In-source or Outsource Content Marketing? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: in-source-or-outsource-content-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 08/31/2010 12:22:41 PM ----- BODY:The answer is...Yes.
According to a soon-to-be-released research report from MarketingProfs/Junta42, 55% of b-to-b marketers outsource some portion of their content marketing. Larger companies (1,000 employees or more) are 60% more likely to outsource than micro-companies (less than 10 employees).
Makes sense, right? Smaller companies with smaller budgets doing more with less resources.
It may make sense, but business-wise, it's not smart.
In my opinion, 100% of companies should be outsourcing at least part of their content marketing. Don't get me wrong...it's natural to want to do everything ourselves.
But get this...if we really want to position ourselves as the leading experts in our industry, we must outsource portions of our content marketing. Why?
----- EXTENDED BODY:And let me make this point about investment. Many will point out that outsourcing costs more than in-sourcing. When I used to sell custom publishing for Penton Media, we used to go into meetings with charts showing that, ultimately, clients would be spending the same or less if they really looked at all the resources they were employing. Do the math yourself.
I'll finish with a plug...if you are considering outsourcing, Junta42 is the leading provider of content marketing matching services for leading brands. Give us a try.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing outsourcing, outsourcing, insourcing, content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Radu Marketing Profitabil EMAIL: radu.chirvase@rapidresultsmarketing.ro IP: 86.107.246.133 URL: http://www.marketingprofitabil.ro DATE: 09/02/2010 02:54:52 AM Besides time, clients usually lack knowledge, expertise in the field, as well. Marketing specialists have tested what works and what doesn't work, while clients need to go through trial and error themselves. Costs? Let's make the costs based on success - pay the outsourced expert with a percentage of sales / profit growth. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.186 URL: http://www.samuraiwriter.com/blog/weekly-tweet-matsuri-2010-09-04-2 DATE: 09/05/2010 01:03:58 AM @Radu - the percentage of sales/growth is an interesting dilemma because not all (copywriting) clients will execute the provided material. Others will chop and change on delivery of final copy. Results vary beyond the copywriter's "control"... On the positive side, I've net clients/prospects who could write great copy for their own businesses because they know the stories and client 'hot buttons better than anyone. What holds them back is they lack the time and patience to create consistently coherent copy. As Joe says, it is a complex beast. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Luis Portiansky EMAIL: Luis@marketingoutsourcers.com IP: 205.188.116.6 URL: http://www.luisportiansky.com DATE: 09/23/2010 09:59:40 AM Totally agree with Joe. I deal primarily in the professional services space and can attest first-hand that most companies could benefit from outsourcing, and they know it - yet most don't do it. In my experience the biggest obstacle is the time factor. The professionals I work with recognize they do not have the time or focus to work on a content strategy consistently. Too many other firms though just don't get it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Brian Solis Rocks Latest Junta42 Top Content Marketing Blogs STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: brian-solis-rocks-latest-junta42-top-content-marketing-blogs CATEGORY: business blogging CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 08/25/2010 10:54:23 PM ----- BODY:This is our ninth installment of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs. Since our first back in January of 2008, Brian Solis has finished in the Top 10 five times, including a second, fourth and fifth place. This time the popular author, speaker and social media blogger earned a clear first place. Congratulations Brian.
We started with reviewing 81 content marketing related blogs in 2007. Today's Top 42 contains nearly 400 blogs. For those interested, here's how we judge the Top 42. Special thanks to our lead researcher, Janet Robbins, who goes through each one of these blogs individually every quarter.
Congratulations to each of the Top 42 content marketing bloggers. You can see the entire list here, as well as see our past winners, but below you'll find a handy list of just the Top 42.
1 Brian
Solis
2 Copyblogger
3 Conversation
Agent
4 TopRank
Blog
5 PR
20/20
6 Marketing
Experiments
7 Convince
and Convert
8 Spin
Sucks
9 Marketing
Interactions
10 ConverStations
11 Simple
Marketing Blog
12 Influential
Marketing Blog
13 Direct
Marketing Observations
14 Post
Advertising
15 Web
Ink Now
16 Social
Media Explorer
17 Writing
on the Web
18 Inbound
Internet Marketing Blog
19 Rexblog
20 eMedia
Vitals
21 Vertical
Leap
22 Conversation
Marketing
23 WeBlogBetter.com
24 Mack
Collier
25 Buzz
News
26 FASTforward
Blog
27 IdeaLaunch
28 Site
Booster
29 Freelance
Copywriters Blog
30 Social
Media Examiner
31 Priority
Integrated Marketing Blog
32 Branding
& Marketing
33 Shopper
Culture
34 Vertical
Measures
35 Proactive
36 Web
Marketing Therapy
37 ContentMarketingToday
38 Servant
of Chaos
39 Ducttape
Marketing
40 TippingPoint
Labs
41 Sparksheet
42 The
MineThat Data Blog
Related Articles
The following is a guest post from Pam Kozelka, Junta42's Director of Operations.
My background is in social work. I know that makes absolutely no sense, but as I got older and had kids I realized it wasn’t for me anymore (at least full time). So now I dig content marketing and social media.
I just read a post from MediaPost called It's about the Consumer Stupid and it really resonated with me. Here’s why.
Lately a lot of the projects we have been getting at Junta42 are what we call content-only projects. They are successful brands who know that they need good content to demonstrate thought leadership, or maybe to enhance their search engine rankings or social media, but these brands are not ready to take the leap to a full content strategy or a full turnkey project.
It's the "time to go get the content" strategy. That means someone realized at the 11th hour that content was needed, but it wasn't part of the plan in the first place.
Why are we getting all these content-only projects? It's not because these brands have in-depth content marketing plans and strategies and only need content. Most of the marketers we talked to don't. The answer is Social Work 101.
----- EXTENDED BODY:The first thing I learned as a social work professional is that you have to start where your client is. No matter what, you can’t do anything more than they are willing to do or work on. You can tell them they need to do something until you are blue in the face, but if they are not ready to accept it, it won't take.
The same is true for content projects. The content vendors (agencies or freelancers) may see that the client would benefit from a full content strategy or a better integration of content marketing into their marketing plan, but if the client is not there yet, there is nothing we can do but continue to educate and build trust in the hope that when they are ready, they will turn to us for their full turnkey project.
In social work, if we started where the client was, educated them and built trust we were able to help them grow and solve the issues that led them to the office in the first place. I think the same holds true with content. Start with where marketers are at, educate them and build trust, and they will (someday) see the value of the entire content strategy.
The good news is that there are A LOT of people at this stage right now. The bad news is that, until marketers become more educated about content marketing, we're going to see a tactical content that may not work very well. At least for now.
P.S. If you have people in your company that just aren't there yet, I highly recommend Joe's book.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, social work ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Suzanne Vara EMAIL: suzanne@kherize5.com IP: 70.189.253.222 URL: http://www.kherize5.com DATE: 08/26/2010 12:38:16 AM Pam So very well said here. What I find the most interesting is that as marketers we tell clients to go where their target is, where they hang out but yet so many cannot go to "where" the client is. Clients, especially the small biz need that extra time to build the trust as telling them that they have to do this is falling on deaf ears. They need to know that you recognize where they are and that you collectively can get to where you want them to be. Thanks so much for the reminder to all that in SM the agency, consultant, coach, etc need to go where the client is. @SuzanneVara ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pam Kozelka EMAIL: pam@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: DATE: 08/26/2010 09:37:43 AM Thanks Suzanne! Trust and education are definitely key! Like your recent post, we have to focus on building those relationships and content marketing is the way to do that! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Radu Marketing Profitabil EMAIL: radu.chirvase@rapidresultsmarketing.ro IP: 86.107.246.133 URL: http://www.marketingprofitabil.ro DATE: 08/31/2010 08:01:48 AM Hi Pam, It took some search effort to find this blog. I mean, to find someone that is close to my line of thinking: giving, before asking for something in return. It's a lot about content, meaningful and valuable for the customer. Care. We are marketers, but sometimes, some marketers forget that they are also consumers. I am trying to give, as well, although there is a particular saying in Romania (where I am): "it's worth what you pay for it", i.e. if it is free, people overlook the value... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Joshua Steals Show at 2010 Junta42 Golf for Autism STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: joshua-steals-show-at-2010-junta42-golf-for-autism CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 08/20/2010 11:26:53 AM ----- BODY:The 4th Annual Junta42 Golf for Autism on August 16th at the beautiful Acacia Country Club was indeed special this year.
Yes, we had more golfers this year. Yes, we had more sponsors this year. To date, we've raised almost $50,000 to support the Easter Seals Northern Ohio autism services (setting a record this year). So many people to thank. So many (see below).
But without a doubt, Joshua stole the show. This year, Joshua told his story. The video says it all. Transcript is below.
My name is Joshua Pulizzi and I am eight years old, almost nine. Thanks for coming to the Junta42 Golf for Autism. My mom and dad realized that when I was 18 months old that I was doing things a little different than the other kids. At age two I was diagnosed with autism. I had to receive speech therapy in order to talk. I had to have lots of people come to my house to help me learn to play. I also had someone to help me strengthen my muscles and help me not flap my hands so much.
Now I am going into the third grade at St. Mark's School. I LOVE LEGOs and playing with my brother Adam. I want to be a master builder for LEGO or an engineer when I grow up. Thank you again for being here, and helping other kids with autism. If they get lots of help like I did when they are little, their chances of success are awesome.
Special thanks to Todd Sheppard for the video.
If you would like to be a part of this effort, join our Facebook Causes page here. You can also donate at that location. All proceeds go to the Easter Seals to help kids just like Joshua. You can also send donations directly to:
Junta42 Golf for Autism
3317 W 155th St.
Cleveland, OH 44111
To see all the pictures from the event, see our Flickr page here.
Special thanks to our major sponsors this year: GIE Media, Petco, Cleveland Steel Container and Foster Printing Service. Our hole sponsors: North American Publishing, PR 20/20, T3 Publishing, OpenView Venture Partners, Interact Media, Talefoundry, SocialTract, Linn Communications, D Custom, Totem Brand Stories, Execution Matters, Ascend Integrated Media, Kevin and Lee Ann Lednik, Sue Hoffman, Mike and Michelle Pistillo and Jim and Laurel Clarke.
And a very special thanks to our volunteers: Mike and Lynne Pistillo, Joe and Pam Pulizzi, Lisa Francisco, Michelle Pistillo, Laurel Clarke, Angela Vannucci, Beth Brinton Orlando, Christy Barksdale, Christina Capadona-Schmitz, Barb Schmitz, Megan Spencer, Joe Kalinowski, Brianne Haddox - Billboard Connections (signage) and Duke Printing (programs).
And of course, a very special thank you to Joshua and Adam Pulizzi.
See all our sponsors on the Junta42 Golf for Autism page.
For more information about how to get involved in this event, feel free to contact me directly at joe[at]junta42.com.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eric Gervase EMAIL: egervase@nxtbookmedia.com IP: 72.25.2.130 URL: http://www.nxtbook.com DATE: 08/20/2010 12:06:40 PM That speech was fantastic Joe. Very cool. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sheila Dunn EMAIL: sdunn@noh.easterseals.com IP: 69.220.47.190 URL: http://www.noh.easterseals.com DATE: 08/20/2010 03:11:07 PM Thank you Joe, Pam, Joshua and Adam and all the golfers, sponsors and volunteers for making August 16th such an incredible day! You'll help kids like Joshua get a great start to life with our therapy services! Joshua, you added a lot of "CONTENT" to the outing! Sheila Dunn Easter Seals Northern Ohio, Inc. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob Leonard EMAIL: bob@acsellerant.com IP: 72.91.178.118 URL: DATE: 08/20/2010 03:15:24 PM My hat's off to you, Joe. You stepped up to the plate and turned what some might see as a negative into a positive, not only for your own son, but for many other children. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Smaller Companies Spend More on Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: smaller-companies-spend-more-on-content-marketing CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 08/19/2010 09:59:36 PM ----- BODY:Only a few weeks left until we release our findings from the 2010 B2B Content Marketing Study from Junta42 and MarketingProfs with assistance from the Business Marketing Association and American Business Media.
One thing that caught our attention was the difference in content marketing spending and tactics between small companies and larger business-to-business companies.
A few key highlights:
But one thing did ring consistent within all company sizes and sectors...over 50% of B2B marketers are increasing their spend in content marketing for 2011. Of the more than 1100 B2B marketers we surveyed, only 2% were going to decrease their content marketing spending.
Not too shabby.
When the final report is complete, you'll hear about it right here. Thanks for your patience.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: b2b content marketing, small companies, content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve EMAIL: steve@myonlinebusinessstrategyinfo.com IP: 119.172.121.128 URL: http://MyOnlineBusinessStrategyInfo.com DATE: 08/20/2010 07:26:43 AM That is some amazing figures, I was always under the impression that the larger companies were spending more for content. At least it is good to see that all companies are increasing their budgets. I am positive that they will find that is the best decision that has been made for their businesses. It will definitely be interesting to see how the final report turns out. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Katie McCaskey EMAIL: katiemccaskey@gmail.com IP: 71.63.89.130 URL: http://www.katiemccaskey.com DATE: 08/20/2010 09:48:52 AM Interesting stats. I've noticed this trend in my work, too. Smaller-sized clients [number of employees] seem to value custom content to a greater degree. Perhaps this is because they view it as less expensive and more results focused than traditional media marketing outlets, and they are nimble enough to jump on it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: kim Albee, Genoo Marketing Automation EMAIL: kim@genoo.com IP: 66.173.98.22 URL: http://www.genoo.com DATE: 08/20/2010 11:14:03 AM I think that larger companies are spending more DOLLARS on content marketing. But as a percentage of budget it's smaller than SMB's are spending. And that makes sense. It costs what it costs to hire good copywriters to produce content -- and SMB's will spend overall LESS dollars on content, but a higher percentage of overall budget. In my experience, SMB's have a lot of advantages over larger companies in how quickly they can move and adapt - and utilizing marketing technology to help them work smarter rather than harder could pay dividends as well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rory EMAIL: rory@webdesignkc.co.uk IP: 81.149.233.145 URL: http://www.webdesignkc.co.uk/ DATE: 08/24/2010 07:13:05 AM I have noticed this trend as well. Our smaller web design clients seem to take ownership of their website, using social media and often publishing articles for SEO purposes where the larger blue chip companies don't get involved at all. Perhaps its because the smaller company has a lot more to lose if their online (& offline) campaigns don't work. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Say it ain't so! Advertising and Content Marketing Work Together STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: say-it-aint-so-advertising-and-content-marketing-work-together CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 08/18/2010 08:39:49 AM ----- BODY:We received an unbelievable reaction to my post last week on why print will be making a comeback in 2011. The overall point was this: Print is still an incredibly important part of the marketing mix, even though it may have fallen outside of the spotlight for the past few years. (If you get a chance, take a stroll through the comments of the post.)
Joe Pramberger from NASA Tech Briefs was nice enough to point out some findings about how important the integration of advertising and content marketing are (findings in association with Lion Associates).
Here are some of the major findings in their 2010 reader survey.
After reading an article in the magazine or viewing an ad in the magazine...
This means that the print communications, without a heavy dose of great content on the website and readily available in search engines, isn't going to be nearly as effective. The print and online content must work together.
The search engines point is critical. If someone is going to a search engine after engaging in a print piece, they are most likely going to learn more information. That information could come from the company featured in the print, or it could come from the competition. The point may be this: the best most findable online content may just win the buying recommendation.
And get this: when buyers go to the web (according to the survey), they are 77% more likely to click on a search engine or online directory result if they've seen that company in an ad. Publishers have been pushing this data for years, which they should.
Advertising and content marketing can't live separately. Heck, they share the bedroom!
I'll end with this...over the summer, a publisher came up to me with a copy of my book and asked why I hate advertising so much. To that I said this:
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: advertising, content marketing, print content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Burgess EMAIL: mburgess@bluefocusmarketing.com IP: 68.193.110.33 URL: http://www.bluefocusmarketing.com DATE: 08/18/2010 09:06:40 AM Hi Joe, Great stuff. I'm not as bullish on print making a comeback. However, another opportunity may be the QR (quick response) codes that are being used in places like Japan. These simple codes that appear in magazine and newspaper ads can be easily scanned by a free app on the iPhone and will take the reader to the advertiser's destination of choice, e.g., website, landing page, etc. That may be the future of a print comeback. In a sense, the static print ad now becomes "interactive". Mark Burgess mburgess@bluefocusmarketing.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom Martin EMAIL: Tom@ConverseDigital.com IP: 74.241.125.240 URL: http://www.tommartin.typepad.com DATE: 08/18/2010 01:47:13 PM Joe I think we had a Vulcan Mind Meld going on... I was just talking about this today on my blog. Advertising is evolving to be a "top of the funnel" acquisition tool with Content serving as the catalyst for the creation of ongoing conversations that convert to sales. Don't you think? Here is a link to my post if you want to check it out http://budurl.com/BreadcrumbMkting @TomMartin ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessie Johnson EMAIL: jessie.johnson@avenueright.com IP: 69.178.223.149 URL: http://www.avenueright.com DATE: 08/19/2010 10:08:14 AM Thanks for this, Joe. You're dead-on with the observation that advertising is a waste without an integrated content strategy to engage that target audience when they go online for more information. We work with a lot of small ad agencies that buy a mix of traditional and online local media for their clients - most definitely, no matter the industry, it's not an "either/or" question (paid advertising vs. content marketing). I agree with your comment, Tom, that advertising has evolved to be top of funnel (http://ht.ly/2rRej ) with online content pulling folks deeper into the sales cycle. Timely topic for discussion. Thanks, Jessie @jjhnsn @avenueright ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 7 Reasons Print Will Make a Comeback in 2011 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: print-custom-media-comes-back-in-2011 CATEGORY: custom magazines CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 08/11/2010 12:39:44 PM ----- BODY:Targeted advertising can still be incredibly effective, but without an integrated content marketing strategy, it's a waste of money. Most people who see an ad and take action go online looking for content, for more information. So my point is this...get your content marketing house in order, and then unleash your advertising.
Okay...there, I said it.
You'll find no greater supporter of online content marketing than me, but marketers and agencies are talking up print for 2011. Yes, in the era of iPads and Apps, there is still a role for print.
Jeff Jarvis recently wrote about how media companies need to ignore print.
The physical costs of production and distribution are killing. The marketing cost of subscriber acquisition and churn are hellish.
He's right. And if you are a media company that relies on most of your revenue for print, you need to post Jeff's article on your forehead.
But if you are a corporate marketer, there is an opportunity here. Here's why:
----- EXTENDED BODY:1. Getting Attention: Have you noticed how many fewer magazines and print newsletters you are getting in the mail these days? I don't know about you, but I definitely pay more attention to my print mail. There's just less mail, so more attention is paid to each piece. Opportunity? Less traditional publishers are printing magazines today, which leaves opportunities for content marketers.
2. The Focus on Customer Retention: In a soon-to-be-released research study conducted by Junta42 and MarketingProfs, customer retention was the most important goal for marketers when it came to content marketing outside of basic brand awareness. Historically, the reason why custom print magazines and newsletters were developed by brands was for customer retention purposes. We have a winner!
3. No Audience Development Costs: Publishers expend huge amounts of time and money qualifying subscribers to send out their magazines. Many times, publishers need to invest multiple dollars per subscriber per year for auditing purposes (They send direct mail, they call, they call again so that the magazine can say they that their subscribers have requested the magazine. This is true for controlled (free) trade magazines).
So, let's say, a publisher's cost per subscriber per year is $2 and their distribution is one hundred thousand. That's $200,000 per year for audience development.
That's a cost that marketers don't have to worry about. If marketers want to distribute a magazine to their customers, they just use their customer mailing list. That's a big advantage.
4. What's Old Is New Again: Social media, online content and iPad applications are all part of the marketing mix today. Still, what excites marketers and media buyers is what IS NOT being done. They want to do something different...something new. It's hard to believe, but I've heard many marketers talk about leveraging print as something new in their marketing mix. Unbelievable.
5. Customers Still Need to Ask Questions: We love the Internet because buyers can find answers to almost anything. But where do we go to think about what questions we should be asking? I talked to a publisher last week who said this:
"The web is where we go to get answers but print is where we go to ask questions."
The print vehicle is still the best medium on the planet for thinking outside the box and asking yourself tough questions based on what you read. It's lean back versus lean forward. If you want to challenge your customers (like Harvard Business Review does), print is a viable option.
6. Print Still Excites People: I talked to a journalist recently who said it's harder and harder to get people to agree to an interview for an online story. But mention that it will be a printed feature and executives rearrange their schedule. The printed word is still perceived as more credible to many people than anything on the web. It goes to the old adage, "If someone invested enough to print and mail it, it must be important."
Whether that's true or not, that is still a widely-held perception.
7. Unplug: More and more people are actively choosing the unplug, or disconnect themselves from digital media. I'm doing this more myself. I'm finding myself turning off my phone and email more to engage with printed material. A year ago I didn't see this coming. Today, I relish the opportunities when I can't be reached for comment.
If I'm right, many of your customers (especially busy executives) are feeling the same. Your print communication may be just what they need.
Online content marketing is definitely here to say. Yes to social media, apps and the rest of it. But don't forget that print can still play an important role in your overall content marketing mix.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eufémia Santos EMAIL: eufemia.santos.xxi.century@gmail.com IP: 85.27.55.44 URL: http://xxistcentury.wordpress.com/ DATE: 08/11/2010 01:40:09 PM Hey Joe, Great post, thanks. In my opinion what you're say it is true and make sense it is what I could call the after storm quietness. "What is new is interesting" people use to say and act on that but after a while they stabilize their choices. Nevertheless, print will never reach the same high levels again. I agree with you that people still like paper and printed stuff, however in little quantities. Obviously a lot of people is going to off mode more often, but realising that digital allows you to filter, save and categorize content for later use. Print will stay around because we like different stuff and "flavours" to consume in different moments. We like exquisite and unique stuff, like an unique 50-year-old vinyl, or a classic car to have ride when you have faster cars and latest models. Read a printed book instead of digital has its own charm and brings you something different. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Carrie Grove EMAIL: carrie@tpisolutionsink.com IP: 209.113.144.202 URL: http://tpisolutionsink.com DATE: 08/11/2010 01:51:04 PM #6. "Print Still Excites People" - I think this point is right on. A feature article printed in the paper or in a magazine does still feel more "real/legit". Probably because anybody can write something and publish it online but would have a much harder time getting their story in print. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Buscall EMAIL: jontusmedia@gmail.com IP: 82.182.22.232 URL: http://www.jontusmedia.com DATE: 08/11/2010 02:36:20 PM Hmm, I'm not sure on this one, Joe. As a fortysomething I do enjoy a real paper newspaper on my holidays, as a kind of nostalgic kickback to my youth. But from the look of the millennials here in Stockholm, print isn't making a comeback anytime soon. Perhaps you need a qualifier here? I'm sure some age groups will be looking to print for something different – especially as print is having to innovate to keep up. But I do think the digital generation will continue to ignore print for a good while yet. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Linda K. EMAIL: linda@marketingonq.com IP: 173.77.234.224 URL: DATE: 08/11/2010 03:18:26 PM Right. I've been saying this for two years as print brands have consistently declined or disappeared. Print will be the next big thing for all the reasons that you mentioned. And that's a good thing. The only way people are really going to become more educated/informed is through "push" content. Because if you don't know it's out there, you won't be able to "pull" it in! The good news is that hopefully this cycle will flush out the second-rate, me too pubs that no longer offer any relevance. Do I really need to wait a whole week to get my industry "news"? I think not. Let's leverage the mediums for what they work best for. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/11/2010 03:36:34 PM Good comments. 1. No, print won't ever come back to where it was, but I do think it can be an opportunity for some content marketers. It all depends on the strategy. 2. Jon, I hear you. But I'll tell you one thing about print and the younger generation. I've had the opportunity to fly all over North America and Europe over the past year...there is more print read in airports by young women than any other category...even while they are holding their smartphones. We engage in more media at one time that ever before. Print will serve a purpose for some brands, others not. We just shouldn't forget about it and miss out on an opportunity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike Klassen EMAIL: mike@magalogguy.com IP: 76.28.214.114 URL: http://www.magalogguy.com DATE: 08/11/2010 11:16:38 PM I've been getting calls from businesses primarily marketing online who are adding print to the mix for a simple reason: Not everyone in their target market knows to look for them online. Or, in the case of some professionals (plastic surgeons and lawyers was a target of one company contacting me), they don't have the time or desire to be online looking for a product/service they don't realize can help them. (Maybe it's a new product or service.) For those marketers, print needs to at least start the conversation. Likely it will continue online, but you have to let them know you are online and where to find you. And some niches, like consultants, are finding themselves buried in search results. For one reason you mentioned, relatively empty physical mail boxes, a print piece helps them stand out from their competitors who are only marketing online. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 64.134.182.200 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 08/12/2010 07:12:05 AM Joe... Your reasoning seems solid. But proof's in the puddin'. I'm interviewing companies like Crutchfield (remember the 'magalog') lately. They're busy proving (ie. data analysis that tracks back to boosts in incremental sales) that their new print magazine can drive real results -- not just "engagement." I should say, print AND digital magazine. http://is.gd/eelaA Jeff ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeremy Victor EMAIL: jvictor@makegoodmedia.com IP: 63.117.225.136 URL: http://www.b2bbloggers.com DATE: 08/12/2010 08:59:53 AM Thought provoking post - this quote. "The web is where we go to get answers but print is where we go to ask questions." It's interesting though as we could argue that we just came to your blog and you have us asking questions. To me that publisher is still missing the point a bit. It seems a bit defensive. It is not about one medium (print) vs. the other (web). It is about providing integrated solutions - using both mediums. Print is not dead, nor is it dying. It is evolving. The sooner publishers adopt this thinking the better. And the 8th reason, I would add: Budget increases. Last year during the budgeting cycle for most companies, we were in the depths of an uncertain recession - will it end or continue? Purse strings were keep tight. I'm predicting budget increases - not super large ones, but definitely more than 2010. Thanks for keeping us asking questions. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brendon B Clark EMAIL: brendon@vulture.co.nz IP: 202.20.0.62 URL: http://www.bitesizedbrains.com DATE: 08/12/2010 07:41:26 PM Interesting stuff. We use print to drive engagement, but the content is as customised and personalised as we can make it, based on what we know and can infer from our data. And it's our data that drives it, the print is just part of the contact. It's not just print though as a couple people mention, but a paper based strategy for building relationships which I can then nurture in the digital and print space. Thanks for the post ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob Rosenbaum EMAIL: bob.r@themarketfarm.com IP: 74.65.77.52 URL: http://www.themarketfarm.com DATE: 08/13/2010 08:35:39 AM Every point you make is valid - and has been throughout the recent decline of print. Problem is that the majority of marketers who are NOT leaders in thought or deed have abandoned print simply because they have come to believe that print doesn't work anymore. Why? They don't have the slightest idea; they're just following the crowd. In truth, print has never stopped working, but the marketing masses believe it has. They won't return to it again until they believe that there is some new reason why it works AGAIN. That's going to take a lot longer than 2011. And then there is still one thing that print doesn't do very well, and may NEVER do very well: It doesn't move people effectively over to the digital channel where their responses and reactions can be measured. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/13/2010 08:43:36 AM Hi Bob...thanks for commenting. You and I have had this conversation before, but a couple new points. 1. This post was based on conversations with CMOs, agencies and marketing execs. It frankly surprised me about the number of people focusing on print. 2. RE: measurement. It's very hard to measure ads, but it's not as hard to measure custom print. Whether by timing, unique URL, special offer, A/B testing or what not. I think that print took an unfair hit with the combination of digital and the recession. It needs to be a part of the mix...just will never come back to where it was. And that's okay. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ed Cleary EMAIL: ed@demandcreationspecialists.com IP: 74.109.248.190 URL: http://www.DemandCreationSpecialists.com DATE: 08/13/2010 09:10:53 AM I guess the proof will be in the ad index of magazines. Most of the (few)magazines I still receive have very small print advertiser bases.. and some have ceased publication altogether. If it comes back, we should see much thicker and more vibrant pubs in 2011. Folio Magazine just published an article yesterday (8/12)that stated the B2B print will continue to be sluggish through 2014. B2B Print Pubs will be down another 11.2% this year.... and this is on top of being down over 25% last year. Here is the Folio Magazine link for those that are intersted: News From Folio just out - Forecast: @FolioMag - Magazine Growth Sluggish Through 2014: http://bit.ly/drAR5G ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/13/2010 09:18:09 AM Thanks Ed. I actually don't think that traditional print will necessarily come back. I think that marketers will use custom, targeted print like newsletters and magazines more as part of their integrated programs. So, while one side of print continues to struggle, the other side will benefit (marketers publishing their own material instead of advertising). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Davezilla EMAIL: davezilla@gmail.com IP: 65.123.68.81 URL: http://davezilla.com/ DATE: 08/13/2010 09:35:36 AM "The printed word is still perceived as more credible to many people than anything on the web." Far too many studies show this not to be true anymore. People may *claim* they find print more credible, but ethnographic researchers says when asked a question, the first thing people do is run to Google—not the library. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/13/2010 10:08:40 AM Hi Dave...I agree with you on the perception of print, but when I talk to journalists, they talk about a more willingness from interviewees when the article is in print. Don't shoot the messenger. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alison EMAIL: alison.bolen@sas.com IP: 149.173.6.51 URL: http://blogs.sas.com/sascom DATE: 08/13/2010 10:09:25 AM Reason #8: Location, location, location. There are some places where people just like print better than mobile or audio: planes, trains, waiting rooms and (ahem) bathrooms. Every time we survey our print subscribers, we get a handful of people who mention the last location as the reason why they like print! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pramberger EMAIL: joe@techbriefs.com IP: 38.104.173.198 URL: DATE: 08/13/2010 10:22:02 AM Speaking of research, ours shows that print drives Google/Bing/Yahoo searches. When we ask our magazine subscribers how they respond to articles and advertisements, no surprise that #1, they go directly to that company's Web site. But more than 60% (consistently) tell us that they use a search engine to find out more about the topic or product. And over 75% tell us they are more likely to click on a company's listing in organic search results if they saw that company's ad in the magazine (print or digital edition). So print isn't getting enough credit for online actions. Searches don't happen in a vacuum. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Clay Forsberg EMAIL: clayforsberg@gmail.com IP: 24.72.218.246 URL: http://twitter.com/clayforsberg DATE: 08/13/2010 12:47:10 PM If I could add one thing. One the hottest new print technologies these days are QR codes. And the interesting thing is that to use it, you have to scan a printed piece. Full circle back to print. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim O'Hare EMAIL: johare@biomedia.us IP: 75.187.212.234 URL: http://www.biomedia.us DATE: 08/13/2010 12:58:09 PM 1989: sent my first email 1990: produced company’s first desktop-published magazine; sent to printer via FTP (300 baud modem) 1991: subscriber to both Prodigy and CompuServe. 1995: launched my Fortune 200 company’s website 1996: published first of over a quarter million WebCD (complete website on a CD) 1999: broadcast first webcast in corporation 2001: corporate streaming video networks online – 20,000+ nodes. 2005: published first digital magazine 2008: published first on-demand hard-bound book via digital tecnology 2010, August 13: sent resounding “Yes” to Junta42, via online community, regarding the “new” medium of printing. Yes. We, too, have been an earlier adopter of all things digital as related to publishing. I consider publishing in the most broadterms: if you prepare media for a audience so that it can be - read - viewed - listened to - interacted with, then it's publishing. We remain bullish on electronic publishing - how can you not? - but we have never given up on print. Our friend Brad Nellis, the high-tech director of the nearly 1000 member tech organization NEOSA, made a similar prediction to Joe's. "I get almost no print mail anymore. If someone sends me a nicely printed piece, it gets my attention." Viva la online, viva la print, viva la difference. Jim O'Hare ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kevin Lund EMAIL: kevin@t3publishing.com IP: 76.104.235.187 URL: http://www.t3publishing.com DATE: 08/13/2010 01:20:40 PM Hallelujah, Joe! A little over a year ago, in our premier print release of SENTIMENT magazine (www.schaeffersresearch.com/sentiment) our client said it best: "If our communications had developed electronically, the next big thing would be the invention of the 'print' magazine; a completely portable communications tool that the reader could view on printed pages, touch, toss on his coffee table, file away, or pass along to a friend." As a producer of electronic financial newsletters and alert services, this was considered "risky" and foreign. But he saw an opportunity to engage with his audience in "the next big thing"-- offline marketing--which has been a great success for him in many areas, including retention, acquisition and good old-fashioned thought leadership. To argue that print has no place in today's online world is to have blinders on. There's no doubt that print is here to stay, and has its place alongside even the best online campaigns when done thoughtfully and meaningfully. It's the marketers and custom publishers who develop printed magazines to be more than just words on paper--rather, cultural experiences--who are destined for success. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Fox EMAIL: michael@tdagroup.com IP: 204.247.252.6 URL: http://www.tdagroup.com DATE: 08/13/2010 02:28:54 PM This is EXACTLY what we have been finding - as traditional print media becomes somewhat of a novelty, savvy marketers are taking advantage and aggressively moving towards a portfolio of custom publishing. At TDA Group, we are bringing our best practices forward to educate sales and marketing teams how to make best use of blending print and on-line media, with emphasis on the effective application of items such as custom magazines etc. Results have been extremely positive for ourselves and our clients. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Arnie | Vertical Measures EMAIL: arniek@verticalmeasures.com IP: 72.215.194.132 URL: http://www.verticalmeasures.com/services/content-development/ DATE: 08/13/2010 08:52:27 PM I have to agree with Jeff M. Print and digital is the best of both worlds. Even though I have a Kindle and an iPad, I still read industry focused stuff in print. And I confess I still read the local paper every morning. But all of that content should be made digitally available. And I look at every printed piece that is mailed to me at the office. Because I only get a few every week! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kevin Trye EMAIL: kevin@printnet.co.nz IP: 60.234.227.9 URL: http://www.printnet.co.nz DATE: 08/14/2010 06:18:44 PM Good reminder of prints value in the mix. There was a report by research company www.outsellinc.com back in 2006 when it was stated that 'print can be a legitimate spinoff to online communications'. Even back then someone was thinking outside the online box... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: OlsenNoelle EMAIL: barbarajackson@mail15.com IP: 91.201.66.6 URL: http://www.bestfinance-blog.com DATE: 08/15/2010 06:23:34 PM I took 1 st loans when I was 20 and this helped my business a lot. However, I need the bank loan once more time. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Biedermann EMAIL: redesign2@optimum.net IP: 24.46.141.203 URL: http://www.redesign2.com/1/post/2010/06/for-real-change-keep-doing-the-same-thing.html DATE: 08/16/2010 12:37:49 PM Yes! What goes around comes around and I’ve been predicting this for a long time. After all, once everybody is up to speed with SMM, SEO and web optimized, the next great new thing will be... print! In the meantime, print is still the way to go because nobody is doing it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Victoria Blount EMAIL: victoria@creare.co.uk IP: 81.149.233.145 URL: http://www.crearedesign.co.uk/ DATE: 08/17/2010 04:28:13 AM I agree with this article but like the com mentors above i think print has a genuine quality about it, which is why big executives and more interested in a print article as opposed to a web one. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kim Tinkham EMAIL: kim@tinkinkpublications.com IP: 208.66.148.1 URL: http://www.TinkInkPublications.com DATE: 08/17/2010 10:28:56 AM Joe, As a publisher of several print magazines I can appreciate your thoughtfulness on this issue. Print is not dead but it has been going through a metamorphosis of sorts. Print is actually going through what online will be going through. It's not about the global quantity it is about the niche/local quality that you bring to the table. I love the online content that is out there but so many online publishers just blast information out there with no thought of their readership. The same thing will happen (is happening) to them that has happened to the larger non-niche print entities. I guess it will always boil down to quality of content for your readers - regardless of whether it is print or digital. Thanks for bringing this topic to the table. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Razlan EMAIL: razlan.manjaji@scmp.com IP: 202.22.242.243 URL: http://www.scmp.com DATE: 08/20/2010 05:57:52 AM There are more digital content compared to print content. When a commodity become more scarce, people assume it is more valuable. Print content will increase its importance, but will never return to its peak performance as yesteryears. Which puts digital folks in print media companies (such as yours truly) in a great place to be! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jenny Kreuser EMAIL: jenniferk@vibrantgfx.com IP: 207.67.115.105 URL: http://www.vibrantgfx.com DATE: 08/20/2010 09:32:36 AM I can tell you that I have never seen greater results in my advertising efforts than when using print + online media in order to spread a message. When I researched the effectiveness of print about a year ago at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, over half of the students prefer to read a 'hard' copy newspaper and book versus online. Also, I can tell you that as a younger person, I also prefer this, and mostly spend my time online making business contacts, socializing, and researching. When I see a print advertisement or article, and also online, I am more immersed in that message because that company has reached me through multiple touch points. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anna Marie Dunn EMAIL: amd@amdresearch-marketing.com IP: 65.32.97.36 URL: http://www.amdresearch-marketing.com DATE: 08/20/2010 10:23:58 AM I agree with you regarding the "print comeback." While we are aware of the need for information via technology, "the experience" using the senses(touch, smell, taste especially)will always be there and electronic mediums cannot deliver (as yet). Hurray for print! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Seymour EMAIL: seymour@seymourjacklin.co.uk IP: 89.240.105.237 URL: http://seymourjacklin.co.uk DATE: 08/24/2010 11:07:46 AM "Print still excites people", it really does and I think this point is well made. I think it will be a long time (if ever) before readers see words in a virtual environment as having quite the authority and bearing of a printed page. Perhaps, as one of your commenters suggested, it will become something of a novelty in years to come, to have something you can read and then scrumple up or pin to your fridge as you choose. I hope you are right. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Martina Jones EMAIL: martina_jones88@hotmail.com IP: 112.196.3.190 URL: http://www.promarketingteam.com DATE: 08/24/2010 10:25:29 PM "The printed word is still perceived as more credible to many people than anything on the web." Online Marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christa Huit EMAIL: xta2huit@gmail.com IP: 24.62.94.173 URL: DATE: 09/07/2010 04:13:09 PM Very good points in both the article and many posts. I think that truly the "everything in moderation" model works best. No one wants to be inundated with emails, web ads anymore; just as no one wants 50 pieces of unwanted mail in their physical mailbox. Everything must evolve, and I think this is print's biggest era for change. Quality over quantity? About the age range... looking forward to the techno generation looking to print as retro and cool. It will happen, just look at the 80's fashion return. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Spotlight Direct EMAIL: jeff@spotlightdirect.com IP: 66.117.205.99 URL: http://spotlightdirect.com DATE: 10/08/2010 08:28:34 AM once advertising firms develop a strategy to implement both print and online products under the same man power, then this debate will go away. print is not dead, it is a fact that offering digital products has almost no overhead cost other than the intellect to create the digital goods. thus, the trend continues to shout digital, yet that trend is not delivering the results promised for the most part. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tamara Jacobs EMAIL: tmr.jacobs@gmail.com IP: 213.123.214.51 URL: http://confessionsofaconfidante.wordpress.com/ DATE: 10/27/2010 04:48:42 AM There is absolutely no question that when preparing a piece of content for print, people pay more attention to their words, grammar, and opinions- so I would have to agree with point number 6. I also must agree with points 1 and 7- because we are so "plugged in" during our days, curling up with a magazine feels like a real breather, moreso then ever before. In terms of stimulating ideas and getting people to ask the right questions, I don't agree that only print is capable of achieving this. There is a ton of incredible content available online right now. By logging on to influencial social media channels like Twitter people have access to all things the people they follow think are interesting, cool and worth checking out. It almost negates the need to sift through papers and magazines yourself- assuming you're following people you like and trust. And with regards to point 3, I don't think that publishers existing mailing lists are quite enough- so there is the need to branch out and that will always cost money, no matter what form of media you are using. At least with digital though, you are able to reach many people at once. I like your article and your ideas. Thank you for sharing them. This is a very interesting topic of conversation and one that will get editorial coverage for many years to come I think. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Kidder EMAIL: jonathan-kidder@bethel.edu IP: 75.146.33.113 URL: http://priorityresults.com/blog/marketing-trends-5-reasons-print-marketing-will-always-be-in/ DATE: 11/24/2010 01:38:41 PM Rumors have been circulating: print isn’t popular. With technology constantly changing the way we receive and seek out information, we’re more impulsive and impatient than ever, spending more time on social media sites than we do socially interacting face to face. But this makes me wonder: Will we eventually burn out? I think so, and print can be our breath of fresh air. Read the new case for print: http://bit.ly/fyEm7z ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: There are two types of marketers: Content marketers and everyone else STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: there-are-two-types-of-marketers-content-marketers-and-everyone-else CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 08/05/2010 10:12:02 PM ----- BODY:I spent my lunch hour today enjoying this video from Jason Calacanis about entrepreneurship. Toward the beginning of the video, Jason makes this comment:
There are two types of people: Entrepreneurs and everyone else.
Jason then goes on to talk about how entrepreneurs are Samurai's and that people who work for other people without aspirations are like rice pickers. They settle. Tell us how you really feel Jason!
For whatever you think about Jason's comments, he is trying to make the point that the two groups, in general, have significantly different attitudes about what's possible.
----- EXTENDED BODY:I see the same attitude difference in marketers all the time. One of the main tenets of content marketing is the belief that the brand (led by the marketer) can and should create and distribute the best content in the industry. That means developing better information about the industry and what's important to the brand's customers than any trade magazine or media source in the business.
When I bring this up in small group settings with marketers, most just shake their heads. "Not possible," says one. "Unlikely," says another.
And there is the problem. Creating the best content marketing in your industry is rarely about skills, resources or budget. The best always find a way. It's almost always about the want, need and passion that it can be done, and that it's both good for your customer and your business.
Companies like Hubspot, Miller Electric and Pinsent Masons are market leaders because they take this belief seriously. The rest just...settle.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, jason calacanis, content marketers ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Julia Stewart EMAIL: jscoach@gmail.com IP: 71.81.136.194 URL: http://www.SchoolofCoachingMastery.com DATE: 08/05/2010 10:27:02 PM Thank you for this ~ Old ways die hard, but once you employ a good content marketing strategy, you'll never go back. It's not just the business that you get, but the good will, kudos and positive branding that make it both fun AND profitable. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Francis Walsh EMAIL: awewriter@gmail.com IP: 98.200.216.216 URL: http://www.powerfitz.com/blog/blog/wordpress DATE: 08/06/2010 01:21:24 AM My sentiment exactly. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Cass EMAIL: john.cass@paceco.com IP: 66.194.121.115 URL: http://www.pacecommunications.com/blog DATE: 08/06/2010 08:36:46 AM I was just thinking that without the rest of us, the entrepreneur cannot succeed, and that today’s employment figures will show that the rest of us cannot get working without entrepreneurs! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob Leavitt EMAIL: robleav@gmail.com IP: 96.233.44.129 URL: http://www.reputationtorevenue.com DATE: 08/06/2010 09:34:40 AM Thanks Joe, great post. Attitude and orientation are definitely critical; lots of companies spend big bucks on content without even thinking about, never mind trying to be the industry leader in ideas and insight. And they end up with just lots of random content. On the other hand, skills, resources, and budgets definitely matter if you have the orientation. I don't know your other two examples, but HubSpot clearly spends a lot of time and money hiring and supporting skilled people specifically to do content marketing - seemingly much more than other companies its size. So, can't get there without desire and a map, but you need the gas, too! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/06/2010 10:45:04 AM Hi Rob...thanks for the comment. I completely agree with your point on skills and resources, but you have to have the desire to be great first. Gas without direction doesn't do you any good. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel Nislick EMAIL: rnislick@ptc.com IP: 12.11.149.5 URL: http://www.ptc.com DATE: 08/06/2010 11:51:51 AM Nice post. It's nice to see PTC getting on board this train with the desire and will. (And of course the reality of the resources & budget follow after that.) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Teresa Basich EMAIL: teresa.basich@radian6.com IP: 76.87.25.156 URL: http://www.radian6.com DATE: 08/06/2010 04:20:35 PM Nice post, Joe. I believe some of the hesitance marketers have is due to a lack of faith in their product or brand. All too often, people just do their job instead of invest themselves in a company they truly believe in. When you believe in the value of your company and its products, you have a hard time seeing how you *can't* contribute expertise, as a brand, to your industry. Cheers, Teresa ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vee Sweeney EMAIL: itmdirec@gmail.com IP: 207.255.167.219 URL: http://www.theinternettimemachine.com DATE: 08/11/2010 11:40:54 AM People love to learn and find out information and a good piece of content is loved for those reasons as well. Personally, if I am reading content that is short, messy and does not have a valid point or argument, then I have no interest in the company that wrote that article. If a title says that I am going to learn something, know something or find out something, then the article or piece of content better live up to that title. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Taylor EMAIL: grt2@grt2studios.com IP: 98.177.243.154 URL: http://www.grt2studios.com DATE: 08/13/2010 01:49:10 PM Great content is king of the marketing world. Key word being Great, of course. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: amr mettwally abd elhafeez EMAIL: amrocrm@gmail.com IP: 86.51.213.105 URL: http://earning-onweb.blogspot.com/ DATE: 08/14/2010 07:45:15 PM Traffic is the currency of the web. The more traffic your website has, the easier it will be to achieve your objective, be it to make money, to spread your ideas, to connect with other people or anything else. That is why we decided to create a compilation with 100 ways you can use to increase your website traffic. Apply some (or most) of them and we are sure your numbers will go up! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Higher Purpose Content Marketing [the video] STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: higher-purpose-content-marketing-the-video CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 08/04/2010 10:31:34 PM ----- BODY:The video presentations from Web Content 2010 are now available. Honestly, these videos are some of the best web content strategy thinking you'll find out there.
My presentation was a more light-hearted compared to most on something I've been calling Higher Purpose Content Marketing.
Basically, the six steps to higher purpose content marketing include:
----- EXTENDED BODY:How can you tell your story differently than everyone else? New terminology may be necessary (i.e., content marketing).
Just like Jesus created a following by going to where the people were, so you need to as well. Find out where your customers are hanging out on the web and get involved in the conversation.
Invite your customers and influencers into your website and make them a part of the content (guest blogging, Q&A's come to mind).
Engaging your employees is critical. Employees are also the best source of marketing content you have. Get them involved.
You need someone to not only be the cheerleader, but to help with the process flow and to keep your employees focused on your higher purpose content marketing strategy.
Your customers have so many choices when it comes to content. If your content isn't the very best, why should they engage or share your brand story?
Enjoy the video [45 minutes]
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: higher purpose content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brandon Croke EMAIL: brandon.m.croke@gmail.com IP: 72.241.169.176 URL: http://bcroke.wordpress.com DATE: 08/08/2010 04:42:13 PM Thanks for sharing your talk Joe, I really agree with you on the whole higher purpose content perspective. My question is how do you start a "higher purpose content conversation" call with a client when they come to you for "web or social marketing help"? I don't think the average person/company is ready for the paradigm shift required to be relevant in the world of post millennial marketing. I've worked with clients large and small and although the little guys may have some sense of higher purpose, often they don't have the time or chops to produce consistent content themselves. On the other hand working with the big boys, you've got the nightmare of dealing with a complex organizational structure. I've found the head of marketing for a large established company probably didn't get to their position by sharing up things on the corporate ladder for 30 years. I guess poor marketing is really more of a leadership problem , but that's a tough conversation to have with a client when you tell them, "your brand isn't interesting, you don't stand for anything, and you aren't a thought leader." Most consultants are probably cashing social media checks without helping to set a higher content strategy in place. Have you had any "tough" higher purpose content meetings with any of your clients in the past? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/08/2010 04:49:56 PM Hi Brandon...you make a great point. I think it has to be part of the discussion when you are looking at the type of content to create as part of the social media/web conversation. In order for social media to work, what do they have to say that people want to spread? From a business perspective, most senior marketers get that...it just takes a couple conversations about what they want to accomplish. If they want business results, this conversation can then be part of the roadmap. Have you seen this post about creating your own category? http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2010/07/create-your-own-content-category.html It might help... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Arnie Kuenn | Vertical Measures EMAIL: arniek@verticalmeasures.com IP: 72.215.194.132 URL: http://www.verticalmeasures.com/services/content-development/ DATE: 08/31/2010 09:11:37 PM Joe - good presentation. I understand where Brandon is coming from, we have a hard time getting most clients to really commit to great content - especially when we give them the price :-) But I do feel the tide is turning. More and more success stories help build the case. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How Much Should Brands Pay for Content Marketing? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-cost CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 07/29/2010 10:37:17 PM ----- BODY:
This cost of content marketing post was inspired by Kate Headen Waddell's post entitled Pay Peanuts Get Monkeys.
At least one time per day, every day for three years, someone emails us at Junta42 or submits a project looking for a content vendor wondering how much content marketing (both print and web content) should cost them. And who wouldn't want to know?
Before now, we've never put all our thoughts and answers together into one post, but here it is, quite lengthy, but important enough to discuss in detail.
Question: How much should I pay for my content?
Answer: It depends.
Unfortunately, it always depends, but there are ways to determine a fair price for content.
----- EXTENDED BODY:When most marketing professionals budget for content, whether that be for web content, blogs, editorial for print magazines, enewsletters and more, they go by what "feels" right. I'm not saying this is right or wrong...it's just a fact. Marketers inherently judge content pricing based on what they've paid for PR or other creative, or even the value of their own time. Content and copy are always subjective and there are always multiple steps. But the starting point is the Content Goal.
Look at it this way. I can pay $12 dollars to play eighteen holes of golf at a Sandusky, Ohio golf course. I can walk on and carry my bag (the gas carts have been known to die on the course, so I choose to walk). The course is not in good shape. There are brown spots in the fairway...big ones. The greens are bumpy. There are no places to get drinkable water on the course. Holes four and five kind of smell. Sometimes you get some people on the course that shouldn't be on a golf course.
I can also pay three-hundred dollars at Pinehurst in North Carolina. The course is immaculate. Every amenity you can think of. There is a caddy that will carry your clubs for you and tell you which club to hit and when. He or she will even rake the bunkers for you. Sometimes you'll see someone famous. You can feel the history of the course. Even four-putting a green still feels okay (hey, even the pros have done that on this course).
What did I get? If you really look at it, I overpaid by $288 to play eighteen holes by going to Pinehurst. The two courses are both around the same length. Both courses took about the same amount of time to play. I took about the same number of swings (= a lot). So what's right? 0.67 per hole or $16.67 per hole.
The difference was that my goal was not the same. There are times for each situation (just like content). If I just want to swing the club, the $12 course is perfect. Exactly what I needed. If I want an experience, or want to share an experience with someone else, I may take the rare occasion to play Pinehurst.
There is no right or wrong. I can purchase both and succeed depending on what I wanted to do.
The same goes for content. There can be a time for "cheap" content. There are also times for premium content. Just like playing golf where they both have 18 fairways and greens, 500 words is 500 words. What happens with those 500 words is where the price difference comes in.
If you don't know the story about Demand Media, you should read this Wired article. Demand Media is the company behind much of the content you find on the Internet, including hundreds of thousands of videos you find on YouTube and even the content behind Lance Armstrong's Livestrong website about all things health, wellness and family. As a marketer or publisher, you should understand their model.
Without going into too much detail, Demand uses complex algorithms to try to predict what people will be searching for on the internet, whether that be for Banana Nut bread or a new crazy form of exercise. They then use those predictions to create content...lots of content around those topics. Articles, videos, how-to pieces...you name it. Although they've changed their writer-payment model a few times, it seems that writers get about $10-15 per 300-word post and videographers get about $25 per online video...maybe less.
Anyone growing up in the publishing business gets sick at these prices. When I was at Penton, it was not a rare occasion to pay $1 per word for web and print content. There were even times where we paid up to $2.50 to $3 a word for highly specialized content (more on this in a second).
In order for writers to make a living producing content in a model like Demand Media's, they need to write about a lot of topics very fast without much research, or be able to write many related posts about sub-topics in a limited timeframe. Gone are the days where we wrote an article, came back to it, proofed it, rewrote parts, and then presented final copy (at least not in this model). So, much of the content in this model includes:
Most marketers and publishers I talk to think that this "cheap" content consists of writers doing rewrites and curation. What they can't understand is that there are industry experts/skilled writers and videographers that are creating much of this assembly-line type content. I'm not saying that it's right or wrong. I'm only saying that it's happening and we need to be aware of it.
With content marketing, using this model is dicey at best. Why?
Every brand's process of creating content is a bit different, but generally you have:
This is a simple version of a very complex process. Cost, or better said, investment is something comes at each one of these steps. Most marketers only look at content cost as the base content (the word or the video), something you might pay someone $25 a post, $100 an hour or even $2 per word, depending on the complexity of the content and the needs of the business. Let's say that you need to invest $300 for this particular blog post. Many marketers think they are done with the budgeting process (blog posts needed x $300). Oh no, not even close.
The list goes on and on. This is exactly the reason why, if you outsource your content marketing process to a content agency or custom publisher, it's extremely difficult to break out just base content. Rarely do brands have all the other parts figured out and just need the base content. When brands come through Junta42 and want vendors for, say, blog posts every month, most haven't thought about 75% of the content creation process. Turnkey content creation costs more...but you need to remember what you are getting.
So what type of experience are you trying to create between your content and your customer? The answer to that question will determine what parts of the content process you need, and ultimately, what you need to pay for your content. Maybe you are at a point where you could pay someone $25 for a blog post. This model works for Demand Media. It doesn't work for most brands. We can't afford to focus all our attention on predicting what our customers will search for next and write content for that. We need to develop content that will help lead the conversation with our customers, and ultimately help our businesses profit from the content we create.
I don't necessarily agree with the idea of Pay Peanuts, Get Monkeys because I know some amazing writers that have been able to use the Demand Media system to their advantage, like it or not. And, there are customers that are achieving their goals with that model. But, as a marketer, you must understand what you are paying for in that model. Do you just want to take some swings and walk 18 holes? That might be enough. Or do you need Pinehurst.
Final note: It took me about two hours to write this post. Cost = priceless.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: how much should brands pay for content ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Carebuzz EMAIL: carol@carebuzz.com IP: 71.42.137.227 URL: http://carebuzz.com DATE: 07/30/2010 09:20:32 AM Joe, My company Carebuzz markets content to the senior care industry to help them gain qualified referrals. We are constantly looking for good strategic ways that make sense to our customers when helping them. Man are you right on, Joe. We have worked with umpteen marketing/internet marketing folks and you are one of the first that produces clear strategies and direction... Thank you! I appreciate the work and content that you produce. I will continue to read your stuff and refer you to my customers. Carol Marak Carebuzz ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractions.com IP: 98.150.117.155 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 07/30/2010 09:28:45 AM Nicely said, Joe. Definitely priceless! Content Marketing is about much more than the words. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dechay Watts EMAIL: dechay@sproutcontent.com IP: 68.221.160.250 URL: http://www.sproutcontent.com DATE: 07/30/2010 09:42:24 AM Thank you for this post. I love the golf analogy and may borrow it (with your permission) the next time we're faced with a client who wants 10 articles written for $10. I'd add that if you're going the route of cheap content, even if it is a short-term way to increase rankings, consider the impact you're making on the internet environment. We may have a pollution problem one day if we keep cluttering the web with "cheap" fluff. You may also have a brand problem one day if outdated fluff is tracked back to your site. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karen Marley EMAIL: karen@kmwordsmith.com IP: 70.101.3.132 URL: http://kmwordsmith.com DATE: 07/30/2010 09:49:47 AM Joe, you rock. You clearly articulated the difference between linking content to a marketing strategy and content written for eyeballs only. This is priceless. I'm hanging on to it and sharing it every way I can. Sending you a sincere thank you for those two hours. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kate Headen Waddell EMAIL: kate@smartb2bmarcom.com IP: 72.70.100.232 URL: http://www.smartb2bmarcom.com DATE: 07/30/2010 09:59:34 AM Joe - thanks for the shout out on my Savvy B2B article.You are right that when a client understands how marketing communications support larger business goals their willingness to pay for quality goes way up. There is room in the marketplace for keyword articles; I am just afraid that the first five pages of Google results will soon be spun articles that make no sense and add no value to the conversation. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vince Giorgi EMAIL: vgiorgi@charter.net IP: 66.208.16.210 URL: http://www.touchpointcity.wordpress.com DATE: 07/30/2010 10:54:28 AM Great post, Joe. Read it while on the bus and for some reason was struck by this image of a neighborhood garage sale. A bunch of homes and driveways lining a street. Gaggles of people meandering the sidewalk. Scouting for finds and bargains, yes. But also looking for experiences. One garage seller has stacked odds and ends in a jumble near the bottom of the driveway, stuck a handwritten sign on a stick near the street, and is sitting inside, peering out a window, only coming out when someone appears to be looking seriously at an item. Next door, the family's tied a few helium balloons to their mail box. The kids have baked cookies and are serving kool-aid. One is giving away a stick of bubble gum for every 5 baseball cards purchased. Stuff is arrayed around the driveway's perimeter and in the neatly swept garage. There's music playing. The pool and foosball tables, and the portable basketball hoop, are not only for sale, they're set up so people can try them out, even play a quick game. Mom and Dad are greeting people and available to answer questions -- how long, how well, any problems, how much. Both of these homeowners are pursuing garage sale strategies. Stacking $25 dollar blog posts like cord wood might be considered a content marketing strategy. But you could argue that only one of these garage salers is striving to provide a differentiated, value-adding, brand-building experience. When next year's garage sale weekend comes around, which home will customers remember? Which will they make a point to revisit, or tell others about? And maybe there's this, which I think is too often overlooked: When you as the homeowner (the corporate marketer) close the door on you garage sale at night, how good do you feel about the experience you've provided for your customers and potential customers? Did you provide them with a lowest-common denominator. Or did you strive to create and deliver something special, truly relevant and useful, even unique? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Buscall EMAIL: jontusmedia@gmail.com IP: 82.182.22.232 URL: http://jontusmedia.com DATE: 07/30/2010 11:08:40 AM Joe, this is the kind of post prospective clients should be foreced to sit down and read through. No kidding! It's an excellent piece and illustrates one of the major problems with our industry right now. Thank you for sharing this. It's been my read of the week! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: dj davisson EMAIL: djdavisson@me.com IP: 24.113.156.39 URL: DATE: 07/30/2010 11:18:14 AM Joe, many thanks for your thoughtful post. i appreciate the time you invested to create a great framework for the kinds of client conversations we have every day. thankfully, many of our clients choose Pinehurst and the experience it offers. but sometimes it's a bumpy ride to the course. already sharing your post with colleagues. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: @lakey EMAIL: chris@econsultancy.com IP: 77.103.4.189 URL: http://twitter.com/lakey DATE: 07/30/2010 11:43:28 AM Good read Joe, all sound tips, and a nice checklist. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jennifer D EMAIL: radiohead_uk@hotmail.com IP: 84.45.24.46 URL: http://ensignjenpersonallog.wordpress.com/ DATE: 07/30/2010 12:02:36 PM Brilliant post. I couldn't agree more with all of your points - few people understand how much work actually goes into creating and maintaining decent site content. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/30/2010 12:29:12 PM Some amazing comments here...seems this issue is as important to others as it is to me. Initially, I thought about writing this from the standpoint of "you should pay x for y and z". Wouldn't we all like to see a rate card for this kind of stuff? Not possible in my opinion. Vince, I loved your analogy. We still have a long way to go. Maybe we haven't seen the bottom yet...but I feel the tide turning. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Josh Morrow EMAIL: Joshsmorrow@gmail.com IP: 134.197.105.242 URL: http://joshsmorrow.wordpress.com/ DATE: 08/03/2010 05:18:28 PM This post was awesome. I learned a whole bunch from it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christina Capadona-Schmitz EMAIL: christina@pr2020.com IP: 76.160.78.205 URL: http://www.pr2020.com DATE: 08/04/2010 01:35:55 PM Joe, thanks for putting together such a valuable post. You cover so many angles in this, but I think the main point is that marketers have options when it comes to content creation. By keeping the many steps of the content process in mind, as well as the questions you shared about what happens after the content is created, marketers can evaluate their individual situations and plan upfront for investment in the full life of the content piece(s). It's about finding the balance of quality and cost that is going to achieve marketing goals and work within a budget. Content strategies and activities should be designed with the end goals of generating leads, building loyalty, or both, and marketers have the power to choose for their organizations where resources (time included) toward content marketing can have the greatest impact on these areas. Thanks again for the useful post, great comments as well! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matthew Pattinson EMAIL: matt@creativepen.co.uk IP: 94.11.81.97 URL: http://www.creativepen.co.uk DATE: 08/08/2010 05:33:59 AM Great post which taps straight into the heart of the debate on content pricing. As a freelance copywriter, I'd have to say pricing is not a fixed science. To give my clients a fair idea of what to expect price wise though, I break down each individual task complete with projected hours. And, like you say, price totally depends on the type of service required by the client. If it's a simple rewrite, or making something sound pretty, the overheads will be notably cut. Whereas projects involving brand building - an extensive content strategy before pen is put to paper - will cost more. It's not rocket science, it's simple mathematics. Thanks for the post, really enjoyed!! Matt Pattinson - freelance copywriter at www.creativepen.co.uk ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: DJ EMAIL: OnlineMarketerBlog@gmail.com IP: 98.215.68.180 URL: http://OnlineMarketerBlog.com DATE: 08/31/2010 08:08:26 PM I know others have said it, but thanks for this post - you're right on. It's tough to explain this to clients. But you guys did a great job. Thanks man! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/31/2010 08:45:33 PM Thanks DJ. It's a tough question to answer...every day. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karla Campos Lopez EMAIL: klopez@giglogo.com IP: 174.49.185.116 URL: http://giglogo.com/guest-blogger-articles.html DATE: 09/06/2010 09:05:59 AM This is an excellent read, I couldn't agree more with the saying "you get what you pay for". I have come across different web sites where you can find article writers for hire. Usually the writer's with the proven skill levels and track record charge more per article than a less experienced writer. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Sales Is the Reason Your Content Exists - Content Marketing ROI STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-roi CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 07/26/2010 10:11:30 PM ----- BODY:Before I launched my business, I read the Bootstrapper's Bible by Seth Godin. It was and is invaluable.
Every year or so, I dig it out of the file folders and re-read it. I always find something new...something I didn't realize the last time through.
But every time, this is the statement that resonates the most.
Sales is the reason for your business to exist.
Nothing more true can be said about running a business. With sales, all things are possible.
Don and Heidi Shultz, in their book IMC, the Next Generation, state, "For all the complexity of marketing and communication plans, firms want only four outcomes from them." Those outcomes are:
The same thinking needs to be applied to your content marketing.
No marketer should be developing new content or curating content unless:
This is the very essence of content marketing. In the formal definition of content marketing, the ultimate objective of content marketing is driving profitable action. That's content marketing ROI.
Do yourself a favor with these two actions:
Jeremy Victor just published two excellent articles on how to think and act like a publisher (part 1 and part 2).
It's strange, all this talk about being a publisher today. Who would want to be a publisher today? I've seen many of my friends, both executives and support staff, lose their jobs in publishing over the past three years.
So why all this talk about thinking and acting like a publisher?
Believe it or not, people are consuming more information than ever before. Even as newspaper print circulation declines, more people are reading the news today. When cutbacks were made at any one of the magazines where my friends were downsized, in almost every case, readership and engagement was at an all time high.
Engagement has never been a problem for publishers. Today's issue for publishers is monetizing the content.
As a marketer, you don't have that problem. There is one clear exception between marketers and publishers. Marketers monetize their content by selling products and services, while publishers sell advertising or subscriptions.
NOTE: Have you noticed the number of publishers that are creating products and services.
Still need some more motivation? Check out this one minute clip on becoming a publisher.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: thinking like a publisher, content curation ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeremy Victor EMAIL: jvictor@makegoodmedia.com IP: 69.249.180.25 URL: http://www.makegoodmedia.com DATE: 07/22/2010 11:02:50 PM Joe, This is so right on: Marketers monetize their content by selling products and services, while publishers sell advertising or subscriptions. Great insight - Jeremy (and thanks for the kindness.) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mick Dickinson EMAIL: mick@buzzedup.co.uk IP: 92.238.192.176 URL: http://www.buzzedup.co.uk/ DATE: 07/23/2010 08:04:34 AM I wholeheartedly agree that content as a marketing tool is a no-brainer given the context you outline. The interesting thing is that a lot of marketing teams don’t yet have the writing skills - or the publishing mindset - to fulfil a content calendar. Some are now employing ex-journalists or business writers, a smart move. Others outsource (praise be!) and keep their overheads down, even smarter. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mary EMAIL: mary316@embarqmail.com IP: 69.68.33.37 URL: DATE: 07/24/2010 11:10:30 AM Mark, you are absolutely correct. In fact, I AM an ex-journalist who was just hired as a marketer. The president of the company told me I was hired because of my writing skills. He chose me over several candidates who had "real" marketing experience. Just thought I'd share. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mary EMAIL: mary316@embarqmail.com IP: 69.68.33.37 URL: DATE: 07/24/2010 11:12:19 AM Ooops. My apologies. I got your name wrong, Mick. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jody Pellerin EMAIL: Marketing@PhaseWare.com IP: 173.173.91.177 URL: http://www.phaseware.com DATE: 07/24/2010 09:38:15 PM Having now read many of the articles this one links to and the links from those articles, I would like to inject the observation that many of the responsibilities and activities being ascribed to content curators have been performed by librarians in the past and these may be the people with the training to participate in content curation. Librarians have always been charged with determining whether a resource was authoritative (reference librarian), gathering information about a topic (research librarian), and keeping the collection "weeded", among other things. Library and Information Science schools such as the School of Information at the University of North Texas teach and perform research about the very topics of most concern to those on both sides of the curation debate. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/25/2010 01:49:23 PM It's interesting that writers and (to Jody's point) librarian-type skills are key to our marketing departments. I love it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cody's Marketing Tool EMAIL: Shotkoski@live.com IP: 72.8.251.206 URL: http://wealthwizard.imoneycenter.com DATE: 08/15/2010 07:57:27 PM Hi Joe, I absolutely agree with you that we are competing against more and more people every day. I write articles for some of my marketing and submit them to article site's. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: James McKinnon EMAIL: james@webzine.com IP: 24.150.8.25 URL: http://www.ediweekly.com DATE: 08/22/2010 12:18:51 PM Very good stuff. I love the concept of owning the content category, though it's really difficult to do. Like owning top of mind when you sell something banal like plastic container caps. Thanks for the insights. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Are you developing the best content in your industry? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: best-industry-content CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/20/2010 02:50:22 PM ----- BODY:This is just a one minute interview completed when I spoke at the Business Marketing Association conference, but it contains some important points.
What say you?
More here in my last post on creating your own content marketing category.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: best industry content, content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Courtney EMAIL: cnelson@whitehorse.com IP: 12.191.102.2 URL: DATE: 07/21/2010 05:49:55 PM Great post Joe. I think these are questions that even companies that feel like they have a good hold on content marketing need to ask themselves. Sometimes you need to take a seconded and ask yourself, "Really?" Just to make sure that you haven't got too comfortable and prepare to push yourself. I think this would pair well with a new article on iMedia I saw today called, "The 10 commandments of content marketing." It really boils the subject down to the important parts that we all need to focus on. The idea that if you want to be seen as an expert than act like one or have the people in your company who are go out and talk in the space. We can't all be experts on everything. Feel free to check out the article here: http://bit.ly/bZKxj1 Let me know if there is anything you would add to the commandments. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/21/2010 09:27:05 PM Thanks Courtney...I'll take a good look at the article. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kimmo Linkama EMAIL: kimmolinkama@gmail.com IP: 90.190.223.136 URL: http://linkama.wordpress.com/ DATE: 07/22/2010 02:58:45 AM I don't want to be a spoilsport, but I think we're seeing this "be the very best" attitude a little too much these days, particularly in connection with social media. It's a statistical impossibility that we could all be the best. Of course, the best is what you should constantly be striving for. Let's not, however, depress the realists among us into inactivity through perceived futility. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/22/2010 08:11:15 AM Hi Kimmo...you are right, can everyone in the world be the best...maybe not. But I believe if businesses choose the right niche for their products, they should indeed strive to be the best. I've worked on many magazines in my day. The ones that made it were the ones that pursued giving the very best information to their readers and the best experiences for their advertisers. The others no longer exist. So, if we are willing to settle, we also must be willing to see our businesses go by the wayside. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: company logo design EMAIL: livefaq@gmail.com IP: 202.70.156.194 URL: http://www.logoforcompany.com DATE: 07/27/2010 03:44:46 AM Well don't know whats going on but its not a Good way to do this. in my opinion we have to look again about this issue ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Create Your Own Content Category STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: create-your-own-content-category CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 07/16/2010 05:19:59 AM ----- BODY:One of the tenets to delivering higher purpose content marketing is to develop your own content category.
Let me explain.
I was talking to a web marketer a few weeks back who asked:
"I have seven competitors and we are all fighting for the same keywords. Every company blogs and is pretty much talking about the same thing. What do we do?"
If you are talking about the same concepts and content as your competitors, what value are you adding to the conversation? Are you truly providing anything that will differentiate you from your competitors, over the thousands of other messages out there your customers are possibly engaging with?
One of the ways to take your content marketing to the next level is by creating your own content category.
This is exactly what Citrix Systems, makers of GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC, has done with their concept of Workshifting. Workshifting is the idea that we can work from anywhere, anytime. The word didn't exist a year ago, and today there are over 500,000 mentions of it on Google and thousands of websites that discuss the concept.
Citrix created the category. They own this category.
We have tried to do the same thing with the term content marketing. I first used the phrase as Penton in 2000, but Junta42 aggressively used the term starting in 2007. The benefits of this strategy are too long to mention.
I believe Kristina Halvorson has done the same with the term web content strategy.
Can you change the conversation and help your customers at the same time? Think about it.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content category, higher purpose content marketing, workshifting ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Zack EMAIL: zack.miller@gmail.com IP: 98.64.48.57 URL: http://www.tradestreaming.com DATE: 07/16/2010 07:08:10 AM Good, smart post. I've done this as well and I have to see it's great in terms of creating brand and ultimately, awareness. I speak about Tradestreaming, which is the investors equivalent of lifestreaming -- using social media tools to add to and plug into the collective tradestream. I recently launched a book under the same brand. My website, http://www.tradestreaming.com, will also ultimately serve as the homebase for other content products using the same content category. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Doug Kessler EMAIL: doug@velocitypartners.co.uk IP: 217.41.2.184 URL: http://www.velocitypartners.co.uk DATE: 07/16/2010 08:47:30 AM Nice one. We often create new categories for our clients for just these reasons. The trick is to also use the accepted category terms so you're not trading a high-traffic term for a zero-traffic one. We like to use language on a website like, "[New category is much more than simple [old catgegory]". ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Clare Price EMAIL: clare@brandcubed.com IP: 65.78.167.239 URL: http://www.brand-flex.com DATE: 07/16/2010 09:46:33 AM Great post Joe! I am so frustrated with the "same note" content and conversation we see everywhere on the Web. I've also found that defining a new content category only works if there is true value for the client behind it. Also totally agree with Doug's comment. It is important to make sure there is a connection to an accepted category so that the client has some context to make the logical leap to the new category. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/17/2010 08:16:06 AM I like the conversation here. Clare/Doug, I agree with you about something that customers can connect with...but I also believe, that depending on how much time and investment a company wants to make, that a new term could work as well (as long as there is a hole/opportunity in the market). That said, your suggestion is much easier. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lisa Horner EMAIL: lisa.horner@citrix.com IP: 216.219.125.1 URL: http://www.citrixonline.com DATE: 07/19/2010 10:25:37 AM Thank you for your post Joe. When we talked about setting up a blog last year, we struggled with which way to go - more product centric, or more broad education. Because we always attempt to bring valuable content to our customers, and because we could see a shift in the way people were working, we felt we could help both workshifters & companies adapt to these changes easily. Thanks again for acknowledging our focus - and if you're ever workshifting, please shoot us a guest post with any insight for the community. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/19/2010 03:51:15 PM Very cool Lisa. Considering I will do about 50 in-person events this year, workshifting is my life! My big advice - set limits to when you are actually working and when you are not...if you don't, you are always working. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Old Spice Man Makes a Social Media Impact with YouTube Responses STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: old-spice-man-makes-a-social-media-impact-with-youtube-responses CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: social content marketing CATEGORY: video DATE: 07/14/2010 10:36:23 AM ----- BODY:My friend Mike Balzano shot me a note this morning that I had to check out what Old Spice was doing on its Twitter account.
Then, thirty minutes and about 20 videos later, I started writing this post. And, I actually feel like buying some Old Spice now (okay, I'm now officially my dad).
That's how amazing Old Spice's social media is. Here's some background. Playing off the popular TV commercials, muscular Old Spice man is responding personally to comments on Facebook, YouTube and mostly those on Twitter. As of writing this post, the Old Spice YouTube channel is #1 in the US for total views. Pretty powerful stuff.
TechCrunch reported yesterday about Old Spice man's response to Digg founder Kevin Rose, who tweeted out that he was sick. Here's the response:
Kevin then responded to his over 1 million followers:
HOLY SH*T, best get well video EVER from the old spice man!:http://bit.ly/dpSeOs
How about this hysterical reply to Alysa Milano? And, it's not just celebs that are getting the more than 100 personalized video responses. Check out this response to Mason Vail:
It needs to be noted that the writing is utter genius. I'm literally cracking up after each one of these.
What do we know so far?
But three main questions keep coming up:
If Old Spice can show an impact, ultimately, in sales, you can bet we'll see a flood of brands move even more into this area. Hats off to Old Spice for trying something new, especially the smart integration between traditional and social media.
Hey Old Spice man, if you're listening, here's my question - "Does wearing the color orange AND Old Spice make you even more of a man?"
Below is a sample of the original TV commercial.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: old spice, social media examples, social content marketing, videos, case studies ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.186 URL: http://www.samuraiwriter.com/blog/from-goggle-box-to-google DATE: 07/15/2010 09:40:45 AM Old Spice Man is displaying an engaging mix of warm humor, gentle self-parody and a strong self-confidence in his appearance (thx to you know what!) Is this a US-only promotion? My memories of Old Spice in the UK are of women buying it for men at Xmas. Old Spice was one of the holy trinity of male presents - socks, underwear, after shave lotions! They've come a long way since! And yes, great writing. That process would make an interesting content creation post... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shodam Nuff EMAIL: shodamnuff@gmail.com IP: 67.164.201.19 URL: DATE: 07/15/2010 02:37:05 PM well..it still smells like old mice BUT if Axe can peddle their nasty crap and get teen tards to swim in it, then I'll guess Old Spice can swing an uptick in market share to the ladies giving an unwanted present to the men in their lives. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 12.21.246.131 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/16/2010 05:37:48 AM Mark, Shodam...good points. I guess we'll have to see what the sales look like. And, the actor got a movie deal out of it. Go figure. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nick Wright EMAIL: nwright@4th-e.com IP: 99.170.42.4 URL: http://www.4th-e.com DATE: 08/14/2010 12:23:31 PM The campaign is certainly engaging and entertaining but the true art of social media is being able to develop that one-to-one earned relationship with the consumer. There's little point in having 50 million Facebook fans or 30 million YouTube views if your relationship with the consumer stops as soon as the laptop is closed. In this regard, Old Spice still has the tough part of the job to do – converting those fans into loyal, brand evangelists and keeping that individual communication going. Social media, like any other type of media, requires a solid, long-term strategy if it is going to be successful. Read more about this campaign here: http://tinyurl.com/23jtk54 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sally EMAIL: info@morconfidentnow.com IP: 58.165.100.51 URL: http://moreconfidentnow.com DATE: 08/16/2010 09:42:30 PM I thought Old Spice was dead and buried before this campaign. It received some wide coverage here in Australia on the satirical advertising show The Gruen Transfer and the panel of advertising executives were all blown away by the script and production itself. However, being ever so slightly blinkered to the power of social media over here, they believed the publicity on You Tube was more a spin off of a truly great ad than a marketing ploy itself. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 3 Lessons from LeBron James, the Media Company STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 3-lessons-from-lebron-james-the-media-company CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 07/08/2010 09:22:52 AM ----- BODY:Everyone here in Cleveland is waiting with bated breath for the news that will come at 9 PM ET tonight - will LeBron James come back to the Cleveland Cavaliers or go to Miami, Chicago, New York or New Jersey? (UPDATE 7/9 - Yes, he chose Miami. And in the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all there is to say about that.")
Since being named "The Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated while he was still in high school (age 17), LeBron James is, perhaps, the most popular sports figure on the planet who hasn't (yet) won a major sports championship. He is, for sure, the highest paid player (including endorsements) in the National Basketball Association.
Over the past few years as this moment has culminated into one great event, two things are crystal clear:
It's this second point that gets overlooked. Let's review:
----- EXTENDED BODY:LeBron James was the lead author of this book with the help up Buzz Bissinger of Friday Night Lights fame. Shooting Stars tells the story of LeBron and his friends going through hard times in Akron, Ohio to become the most famous high school team of all time at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary's.
The inspirational story of LeBron's high school career was made into a critically-acclaimed documentary movie about LeBron James and his high-school pals.
Although LeBron secured LeBronJames.com years ago, he is just starting to launch the site. One very important thing is happening right now on the site - LeBron is asking for permission to stay in touch with interested fans. I'm sure he's signed up thousands over the past few days.
LeBron has more than 2.5 million fans on his Facebook page. LeBron's staff regularly keeps fans updated with news and questions. For tonight's event, fans were able to ask a question that LeBron may answer at his press conference through his King James Vitamin Water brand.
A late-comer to Twitter, LeBron just joined, amassing over 200,000 fans in a matter of hours.
As we are all media companies now (whether we like it or not), brands can learn a number of things from LeBron, the media company.
LeBron will turn 26 in December of this year and is already an incredibly savvy marketer. Although I'm hopeful (for Cleveland's sake) that he stays in Cleveland, it's a foregone conclusion that his business will grow larger outside of his sport that any other athlete we've ever seen.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: lebron james, lebron media company ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Larry Kunz EMAIL: lkunz@sdicorp.com IP: 64.132.140.14 URL: http://www.sdicorp.com/Resources/Blog/articleType/AuthorView/authorID/24/lkunz.aspx DATE: 07/08/2010 11:37:36 AM Joe, I think you nailed it. I've heard it said that James will have an advantage if he signs with a team in a major media market like New York or LA. But it looks like he can build a mega-empire from anywhere, by savvy use of the web and social media. If that's true, can other companies (and celebrities) looking to build their brands assume that access to the marketplace is a given, regardless of location? And with the question of access out of the way, can we say that it's now all about who uses their content most effectively? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/08/2010 01:04:01 PM Great points Larry. I actually think most business people should start to look at it this way as well. We are in a strange new world and we are all brands. LeBron is definitely aware of that, more than most perhaps. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 65.204.104.66 URL: http://www.wattagnet.com DATE: 07/09/2010 10:36:12 AM I'm interested in seeing how Lebron & Co. deflect the HUGE amount of criticism for leaving Cleveland (http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html). Personally, I think his "brand" has taken a hit from fans like myself. I will ALWAYS remember how he became "disinterested" when playing against the Celtics. Jordan/Kobe/Duncan, etc. would had never done that. True NBA fans understand that fact and I am looking forward to seeing how Lebron's team reacts and what channels they use to further his brand. GO CHICAGO BULLS! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/09/2010 10:53:58 AM You know Jeff, I'm not sure how I would have written this post today versus yesterday. It's hard to think how one sports figure could go from most loved to most hated around the world in less than 5 minutes. When the Heat play the Bulls, I'll be wearing a Noah jersey. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Kidder EMAIL: jonathan-kidder@bethel.edu IP: 75.146.33.113 URL: DATE: 07/09/2010 11:24:37 AM To you think this will back fire in anyway? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/09/2010 01:17:35 PM Hi Jon...I think it depends on his goals. If he wants to become a super billionaire, I'm not sure what happened yesterday will affect anything. He just won't be getting his support from Cleveland. Also, it's way too soon to know anything at this point. We'll see I guess. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike EMAIL: mikele@conabiz.com IP: 98.14.126.145 URL: http://www.conabiz.com DATE: 07/12/2010 12:22:54 AM I really like the idea "take a stand" and "tell a story". ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Leveraging Free Writing to Solve Content Marketing Block STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: free-writing-content-marketing-block CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 07/07/2010 03:16:50 PM ----- BODY:Had an outstanding conversation with Mark Levy yesterday (who among other things is author of Accidental Genius).
Mark gave me a crash course in something called free writing. Free writing, also called stream-of-consciousness writing, is a writing technique where you write for a set period of time without regard for spelling or even topic. Mark uses this technique with his clients to unearth the raw content at the heart of the content creator.
From my quick conversation with Mark and a bit of reading on it, free writing is a staple of creative writing programs around the world. According to Natalie Goldberg, the rules of free writing include:
----- EXTENDED BODY:I took my first stab at free writing, a five-minute period where I first thought about the idea of integrating content into the marketing process. Here is my cleaned-up version:
What I have as a result of this exercise is more than 20 possible blog articles for the near future. I'm sure I didn't do it perfectly, but it was a great start.
So, the next time you get content marketing block or writer's block, you could try this free writing exercise. This could also be used for people who aren't content creators, but you need to find out customer challenges as a core of your content marketing plan. You could use this exercise with customer service, sales, engineering or any other customer-facing staffer.
Thanks Mark!
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: free writing, content marketing block, mark levy, natalie goldberg ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Katherine Gray EMAIL: kgray@thenewcivilization.com IP: 76.115.2.176 URL: http://twitter.com/thiskat DATE: 07/07/2010 03:28:27 PM I love that you quoted one of my all-time heroes, Natalie Goldberg. Her books and techniques are typically used for fiction and memoir but I call on my dog-eared copy of Writing Down the Bones *all the time* in my content work. These techniques are great for getting to the heart of a story, which is so important even in marketing content today. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: nettie hartsock EMAIL: nettie@nettiehartsock.com IP: 70.112.238.184 URL: http://www.nettiehartsock.com DATE: 07/07/2010 03:32:13 PM Joe I love that you included the whole freewriting list that you created in this post! I really like the question about content curation and would love to hear more about how that applies to companies. Great post! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/07/2010 04:21:19 PM @Katherine...just coming to know Natalie's work. Fantastic stuff. @Nettie...yes, I think it's a good start to an ongoing blog list. The content curation post will go to the top. Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Levy EMAIL: mark@levyinnovation.com IP: 98.221.245.45 URL: http://www.levyinnovation.com DATE: 07/08/2010 08:54:36 AM Thanks, Joe. I loved our conversation, too. The ideas were flying. I'm delighted you tried freewriting (and did an outstanding job, too). I use the technique every day. It helps me get clear about what's fuzzy, and forces me to see options in situations that seem closed. Very liberating. Looking forward to hear how your future freewrites go! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Parker Trewin EMAIL: ptrewin@genius.com IP: 66.7.231.34 URL: http://www.genius.com DATE: 07/09/2010 12:08:22 PM Nice tip. Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lynda Monk EMAIL: lynda@creativewellnessworks.com IP: 96.54.49.212 URL: http://www.creativewellnessworks.com DATE: 07/09/2010 02:19:30 PM Hi Joe, I use free writing all the time in my life/wellness coaching business and I teach other people how to crack open their ideas, creativity, intuition, and inner wisdom with Life Source Writing - which is a five step reflective writing practice I have created. I studied with Natalie Goldberg, who you mention, other great resources for free writing including anything by SARK, as well as Julia Cameron, author of the Artist's Way. Thanks for the great post. Lynda ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 14 Content Marketing Quotes to Live By STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 14-content-marketing-quotes-to-live-by DATE: 07/01/2010 10:20:00 PM ----- BODY:Last month, I participated in Web Content 2010 (here is the presentation on higher purpose content marketing).
Someone (who asked not to be named) sent me a number of tweets from that event that they found inspiring from my presentation. I thought I'd share them here. Enjoy!
Create a brand message that people can rally around. @epublishmedia
Good content should have a higher purpose, have a point of view and takes a stand. @SproutContent @Robert_Rose
You don't want everyone to love you. People are loyal to POVs. Take a stand. @epublishmedia
How can I be interesting to my customers (content) if we (my competitors) are all talking about the same thing? @LifeFromAbove
So, @juntajoe's list of clear brands includes @SouthwestAir, @halvorson, @garyvee—as all three would say, CHEERS! @mbloomstein
It's not what you sell it's what you stand for. @SproutContent @meghscase
Content secret sauce - where your expertise & the needs of your customers meet. @SproutContent @tammie_egloff
Interesting content lives in the Venn overlap of an org's expertise and audience's interests. @mbloomstein @ahaval
"Social media isn't cheap. It's just a different kind of expensive." @juntajoe quoting @jaybaer via @mbloomstein
Why do you trust employees to communicate with customers via phone/email but not blogs/social media. @epublishmedia
Someone in your company needs to be your content ambassador @SproutContent
The more you blog, the more business you get. @tammie_egloff according to @hubspot
Any content that you put on your website is a promise to your customers in some way. @SproutContent
@chrisbrogan's time spent using social media: 25% listening, 50% commenting/interacting, 25% publishing via @bemydog
The body of the email was this statement...
"Joe, I couldn't attend this event but watched from Twitter and found the conversation fascinating. I keep many of these quotes at my computer as I develop content for my customers. It inspires me to think of the content I develop as a gift, not a chore...thank you Joe!"
Wow, talk about inspiration. This is why I do what I do.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Content Marketing Quotes ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim Campbell EMAIL: Jim@In-The-Flow.com IP: 96.251.128.209 URL: http://In-The-Flow.com DATE: 10/09/2010 07:24:05 PM "It's not what you sell it's what you stand for." Pure genius and a great reminder. Thanks for sharing that.. Jim Campbell ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content is to marketing like ... STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-is-to-marketing-like- CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 06/30/2010 09:36:01 PM ----- BODY:Junta42 ran a contest this week via Twitter and Facebook asking for the best, most creative answer to this statement:
Content is to marketing like [blank] is to [blank].
The idea was to have a bit of fun and try to show the importance of content within the marketing process. The winner with the best answer gets a $15 Amazon gift certificate.
Problem is, the entries were so good, we're having trouble picking a winner...so we're going to defer it to the community. Please review the entries below and then tell us which one you liked the best on the Junta42 Facebook page. Thanks for your help and thanks to all those who entered.
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE HERE or in the comments below!
We'll keep voting open until end of day Friday eastern time. Thanks again!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content is to marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kathy Hanbury EMAIL: KathyHanbury@Gmail.com IP: 70.68.141.24 URL: http://www.e3ContentStrategy.com DATE: 06/30/2010 10:01:11 PM My favourite: •Content is to marketing like conversation is to courtship. via @knowledgebishop I think this is a fantastic analogy! - Kathy ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lisa Reis EMAIL: lisareis@rogers.com IP: 99.248.42.119 URL: DATE: 06/30/2010 10:37:47 PM My Pick is: •Content is to marketing like conversation is to courtship. via @knowledgebishop (it's the perfect analogy given the topic at hand)...and funny enough...I see that "-Kathy" picked it too! Seeee! :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Janet Traylor EMAIL: janettray@aol.com IP: 68.227.240.25 URL: DATE: 07/01/2010 08:33:07 AM •Content is to marketing as air is to tires. You can try to drive without it, but you sure won't get far :o) via @socialcity ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trevor Stafford EMAIL: copywryter@gmail.com IP: 209.222.173.45 URL: http://www.twitter.com/copywryter DATE: 07/01/2010 08:57:20 AM I also like this fill-in-the-blanks question: Content without community is ____________ Community without content is ____________ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marino Fadda EMAIL: marino@marinofadda.it IP: 79.22.215.163 URL: http://www.marinofadda.it DATE: 07/01/2010 08:58:31 AM •Content is to marketing like gas is to a car. It's a must to turn the vehicle on and to move forward. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Larry Kunz EMAIL: lkunz@sdicorp.com IP: 64.132.140.14 URL: http://www.sdicorp.com/Resources/Blog/articleType/AuthorView/authorID/24/lkunz.aspx DATE: 07/01/2010 11:08:34 AM For me, the clear winner is: Content is to marketing like conversation is to courtship. via @knowledgebishop ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Z. Cordell EMAIL: scordell@szccommunications.com IP: 68.119.226.245 URL: http://www.SZCCommunications.com DATE: 07/01/2010 10:02:19 PM What a hard list to choose from! My favorite is "Content is to marketing like conversation is to courtship," but "Content is to marketing like salt is to sea-water" (Fahed Bizzari) is a close second. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel Agheyisi EMAIL: rachelagheyisi@yahoo.com IP: 75.82.43.135 URL: http://www.reportcontentwriter.com DATE: 07/02/2010 02:43:02 PM I vote for "content is to marketing like conversation is to courtship" It's deep and clever! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tristan Bishop EMAIL: KnowledgeBishop@gmail.com IP: 108.106.125.236 URL: http://www.twitter.com/knowledgebishop DATE: 07/03/2010 10:16:00 AM I appreciate the encouragement. I find the content of these comments has effectively courted me. So I'll be off to Twitter to follow you all! Thanks, Junta42. - @KnowledgeBishop ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michele Smorgon @maxOz EMAIL: michele@maxoz.com.au IP: 122.107.223.126 URL: http://www.socialmedia-max.com DATE: 07/04/2010 05:38:50 AM I'm sorry I missed out on the comp this week, I would still like to add my own here: Content is to Marketing, like Identity is to Brand ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Hey Content Publishers - Custom Media Day 2010 NYC is Coming STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: hey-content-publishers-custom-media-day-2010-nyc-is-coming CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: custom publishing council CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 06/24/2010 05:30:21 AM ----- BODY:Junta42 is excited to announce Custom Media Day 2010 in New York on Wednesday, July 28th. This is our third annual event and we are again partnering with our good friends at American Business Media and the Custom Content Council.
Custom Media Day is a one-day event specifically designed for custom publishers, content agencies, journalists and other content providers that are looking to grow their businesses.
Highlights of the event include:
We've made plenty of time for questions and networking as well.
Custom Media Day will be held at the Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, NYC from 8am to 4pm. Junta42, CCC and ABM members can attend for $95. Regular admission is $125.
Register today at American Business Media or here at the Custom Content Council. Attendance is limited to 100. I hope to see you there.
Thanks to our sponsor Nxtbook Media for supporting this event.
Any questions? Just let me know.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: asad EMAIL: saimalvin@yahoo.com IP: 119.153.107.191 URL: http://www.authorsmania.com DATE: 10/07/2010 04:04:02 PM Very educating post, saved the blog in interest to read more information! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 7 Reasons NOT to do Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 7-reasons-not-to-do-content-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 06/22/2010 08:10:49 PM ----- BODY:It seems everyone is jumping on the content marketing bandwagon these days. Even though we are indeed all publishers today, and that content marketing is now a core and growing part of the marketing toolkit for the majority of brands out there, there are times when brands need to say no.
There are quite a few reasons why some brands just shouldn't be creating content as part of their marketing programs. Here they are...
----- EXTENDED BODY:We should be blogging. We need an enewsletter. Let's do a custom magazine Does this sound familiar?
For years (and into today) this is how the content marketing conversation was started. All tactics and no strategy.
Before you launch any content marketing tactic, ask yourself why. What's the objective? What outcomes would you like to see? What are the customer behaviors?
Even the best content marketing programs get killed because someone in the c-suite just doesn't get it. Before you start your content marketing, make sure your bosses understand the why of content marketing. Probably the best reason to buy Get Content Get Customers is to help your key executives understand the fact that they need to be acting like publishers.
Content marketing is not a campaign. It's more like a love letter to your customers and prospects. It's you, helping them, do something better. This positions you as a trusted expert.
If you launch a blog, an enewsletter, a webinar series...this is a content promise to your customers. It's a pact. Breaking that promise is the worst thing you can do. Better not to have started at all.
If your messaging is just like your competitors, you have a problem Houston. What are you offering that is any different from what your customers can get elsewhere? Your content needs a higher purpose...it needs to take a stand. If it's same ole same ole, kill it.
If you are a chip company, why are you aggregating pictures of babies and puppies? Why are you spending time and resources on content marketing that will have no hope of generating more revenue or cost savings in some way? Know who your customers or influencers are and help them, not everyone else.
Content marketing is not advertising. Stop talking about yourselves. Realize that your customers really don't care about you. Your ISO certified gizmo magic machine really doesn't solve world hunger. Make customers care by focusing on them, not you.
Especially during this great recession, more companies have decided to put content marketing on the backs of marketing or communications. Write the blog. Create the video. Author the white paper.
Sometimes this works. Many times, it's just plain awful. It's bad to have no content marketing. It's a tragedy to have crappy content that just clutters up the Internet.
Focus on what you do well and outsource the rest. That's why Junta42 was created. If you can do it internally, great. Most brands outsource at least a portion of their content marketing. You should too.
If you need a kick-start getting started, try downloading this complimentary white paper on attracting and retaining customers with content marketing. You'll see that it all starts with Why.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: reasons not to do content marketing, say no to content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John EMAIL: johndj22@gmail.com IP: 24.87.14.105 URL: http://magicsubmitterexposed.com DATE: 06/22/2010 10:22:20 PM Good article -- I especially agree with the point about content like all the rest. It seems as though somewhere along the road "more is better" became everything with content marketing. Too many marketers just jump over each other to try and grab specific keywords. It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I am looking for something, and it is just the exact same points everyone else is making regurgitated over and over again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hans de Groot EMAIL: hans@ceekue.com IP: 81.58.2.163 URL: http://www.ceekue.com DATE: 06/23/2010 02:34:01 AM You are wrong, Joe It should be '7 Problems You Have To Solve Before You Are Able To Do Great Content Marketing'. Read your book! :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Buscall EMAIL: jontusmedia@gmail.com IP: 94.234.220.248 URL: http://jontusmedia.com DATE: 06/23/2010 04:54:53 AM I totally agree with the "No executive buy-in". It can be hard to persuade the C-suite that eyeballs / visitors aren't as effective as genuine connections with content. Old school interruptive marketing still has a lot of true believers out there. Good metrics are a way of persuading the C-suite so I think us content marketers need to embrace the geekier side of online marketing to help persuade. Great post! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Larry EMAIL: lkunz@sdicorp.com IP: 64.134.190.210 URL: http://www.sdicorp.com/Resources/Blog/articleType/AuthorView/authorID/24/lkunz.aspx DATE: 06/23/2010 10:33:46 AM Absolutely agree that tactics without a strategy are worse than nothing at all. But....Would you agree that it's a good idea to get started before the strategy is completely fleshed out? You can establish a presence, and then develop and refine the strategy as you go -- and as you receive feedback from the community. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Delfeld EMAIL: mark.delfeld@gmail.com IP: 173.76.86.179 URL: http://www.b2bthoughtlead.com DATE: 06/23/2010 02:19:16 PM Great point Jon, I recommend Charlene Li's recent book "Open Leadership" on this subject. Basic premise is that for Social Media to make an impact senior management needs to open up more. I somewhat disagree with the reason #7. For social media (or content marketing) to work, the internal SME's need to be brought into the fold to help produce relevant content. I believe 4, 5 and 6 could be lumped into the category of firms that produce content but don't map it the needs of the customer. If content isn't linked to a high priority need that the company can solve, its irrelevant except for branding purposes... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 12.199.9.16 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/24/2010 05:49:09 AM @Jon...thanks and good points. @Larry...yes, I believe you are right for a small company or startup. Larger businesses need to develop this as part of their marketing plan. @Mark, good points. I see your point on making sure the process is integrated internally. Indeed it should...but we are seeing a number of organizations benefit substantially from managing editors and content experts to guide them as they transform their marketing departments into publishing departments. Nice discussion! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Daniella Santos EMAIL: daniella@uprinting.com IP: 125.5.54.154 URL: http://blog.brochuresprintingonline.com/ DATE: 06/25/2010 01:18:08 AM This is an interesting post! I like how you enumerated points of what a content marketing is about. There may be people who uses such strategy, because they think of how it can help their business. This will help a lot of people, especially those who just use this strategy because of its efficiency and not how it really works. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Arthur Charles Van Wyk EMAIL: arthurcvanwyk@gmail.com IP: 196.213.65.38 URL: http://www.jackofalltrades.co.za DATE: 06/25/2010 08:05:14 AM One that I would add is: You are unable to conduct a normal conversation (chronic academics for example)and therefore unable to communicate conversationally.. At the same time I'd like to say that the opportunity exist to diseminate content,market to and build a community of these drone-like people, because that there is itself a niche. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pawan Deshpande EMAIL: pawan@hivefire.com IP: 66.92.75.33 URL: http://www.contentcurationmarketing.com DATE: 06/26/2010 12:15:20 PM I have written a blog based off of this one entitled "6 Reasons why Content Curation May Not be for you: http://www.contentcurationmarketing.com/articles/11618/6-reasons-why-content-curation-tools-may-not-be-fo/ If you are considering using content curation as a part of your content marketing strategy, you may find my post relevant. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nenad EMAIL: nenad.senic@p-m.si IP: 82.192.55.88 URL: http://wordpress.p-m.si/ DATE: 06/27/2010 03:40:03 AM Great points, Joe. Lately I've encountered most of what you wrote here. #3 - an organisation is thinking of quitting publishing its 16 year-old custom monthly due to current financial troubles despite it is its most recognisable brand! #5 I am still receiving custom magazines that are a hybrid between content marketing and plain internal magazine with babies and puppies and has nothing to do w/ helping their customers/readers, rather it's more about #6, and they absolutely sincerely believe that is how it's supposed to be done. Regarding #6, in a costum magazine we published (for a reason, described in the strategy, concept of the magazine and that specific issue) a really top-notch interview that any magazine would be more than proud of, however the company complained that they (by name ...) haven't been mentioned at all in the interview published in their own magazine! It hurt them a lot! But the upgrade to your post, dear Joe, is what I am having trouble with, would be how to "persuade" companies they should change their behavior/actions/way of thinking? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 74.87.91.2 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/27/2010 06:01:47 PM Nenad...very interesting indeed. To answer your question with a question...how are they measuring their activities based on their marketing goals? In my experience, the only way to persuade companies is to base it on as many facts as possible. For example, if we can tell what the readership is of their puppies and babies article, we can measure the engagement of that article versus the other, more relevant articles. Can that be done? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mick Dickinson EMAIL: mick@buzzedup.co.uk IP: 92.238.192.176 URL: http://www.buzzedup.co.uk/ DATE: 06/29/2010 10:56:24 AM Excellent post, as ever. Reason #3 is the one that is driving me crazy ATM. Getting budget to fulfil a runway of content - a content calendar - seems more difficult then getting buy-in to the idea of marketing with content. Keep on keepin' on! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Jenkins EMAIL: john@johndjenkins.com IP: 24.87.14.105 URL: http://johndjenkins.com DATE: 07/01/2010 11:48:20 PM Great post. I especially agree with #6. When you promote your own products you are advertising (taking) not content marketing (giving). Unfortunately most companies don't have any grasp on the law of reciprocity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jorge Sandrini EMAIL: jsandrini@comcast.net IP: 67.106.222.194 URL: http://jsandrini.wordpress.com/ DATE: 07/12/2010 12:06:58 PM This is an excellent post, mainly because it is so relevant to the real issues faced by marketers attempting to launch and manage successful content marketing programs. I personally have found that executive buy-in is extremely important if not THE most important element, because once you secure that, the resources organizational become more available to carry-out the rest. Without it, you can only hope to limp along. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roger Wilson EMAIL: rwilson@conferencedepartment.com IP: 24.147.21.104 URL: http://www.conferencedepartment.com DATE: 08/05/2010 07:23:21 PM One real reason not to do (too much) content marketing is that content selling might be more cost effective. At one point in my career I did a quarterly newsletter in my field of event marketing but spent most of my time working directly with prospects. A buyer once told me that "its not what you sell me but what you tell me that is important." Telling not selling thus became a motto. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Where's the Branded Content? Why OPA Research Falls Short STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: wheres-the-branded-content-why-opa-research-falls-short CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 06/17/2010 11:40:33 AM ----- BODY:Jason Fell from Folio: Magazine was nice enough to send me some new research from the Online Publishers Association.
The goal of the OPA research was to help brand marketers understand the value of placing advertising of branded media sites (like WSJonline.com or ESPN.com - not AOL or Yahoo! which are portal sites). Here's what they found:
This is all fine and good, and probably makes OPA members (which are big media sites) very happy.
But (here's a very big but), the OPA research misses the big question on the minds of marketers we talk with on a daily basis. Here's what I told Jason who reported this in Folio:
If the goal of the research was to help brand marketers understand the value of placing advertising on branded media sites, the research still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The challenge for brand marketers is not necessarily whether they should advertise on a media site versus a portal versus a social network. They are trying to decide whether they should advertise, or whether they should invest more of their marketing dollars into their own engaging content.
"Why and how do I (the brand) develop my own engaging content to my customers that will grow my business?" That's the question.
I would have loved to see the OPA include content from brands as well...brands like P&G or Eaton Corp. or General Electric or Motorola. More and more consumers are relying on brands and bloggers for their information and education. If that is the case, and more consumers are trusting (as well as expecting) brands to deliver expert information to them, then if I'm a brand, I have some serious choices to make.
What if the study said that consumers trust brands close to as much as media or portal sites (when compared together - apples to apples)? For example, if you are looking for information on energy saving tips for the home, would you go to a manufacturer like Lennox for information? I sure would (and have).
Advertising, done right, is a very effective part of the marketing mix. The big question is, do you allocate more money and resources to content marketing and branded content instead of advertising, sponsorship and other marketing initiatives. According to Junta42's recent content marketing research, this is happening, where 33% of budgets are now dedicated to the creation and distribution of content, and that six in 10 marketers are increasing their budgets for the third year in the row.
If I'm OPA and have the interests of media sites at heart, I probably wouldn't be thinking this way (so we'll give them a free pass). But if I'm a marketer, I want to know this information. Do I "rent" the message by advertising around good content that's not mine, or do I "own" the content and position my brand as a trusted industry expert? Should I create valuable, relevant content that can be found on search engines, spread through social media, and work to attract and retain customers?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: branded content, online publishers association, opa research, folio, jason fell ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Whose Business Are You Developing? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: whose-business-are-you-developing CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 06/15/2010 09:22:31 PM ----- BODY:CB Whittemore wrote a fantastic post last week for the Content Marketing Institute about how to think like a content marketer.
Graham Kilshaw, president of ITEM publications, wrote a response to CB's post that was, as CB put it, simply delicious. Here is the comment in its entirety:
I'm a recent CM (content marketing) convert, with a bit of a push from Joe and the Content Marketing Institute - nice work folks, keep it up. But my Aha! moment came a couple of weeks ago, when I was thinking about how do I communicate this shift in our thinking to our sales folks. It's no good me pumping the CM machine if sales and marketing are not aligned- and then it came to me.
So I asked our sales manager "Hey, Bob - what is your job title?"
"Business Development Manager" he replied.
"Right - but who's business are you developing?"
"Well, ours of course" he says.
And then he paused and said "Ahhhhh, I see!" and immediately he got what I was alluding to.
By the end of the day the rest of the sales team were talking about their "new old" job titles....
So, is it your business or your customer's business that needs developing?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: business development, content marketing challenges ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: C.B. Whittemore EMAIL: cbwhittemore@gmail.com IP: 67.83.44.16 URL: http://www.SimpleMarketingBlog.com DATE: 06/16/2010 09:39:40 AM Thanks, Joe, for highlighting this magnificent Aha! moment that Graham shared. It truly is 'simply delicious' and highlights that fundamental yet subtle shift in thinking from the traditional inward perspective to one focused on our customers and their businesses. Best, CB ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.186 URL: http://www.samuraiwriter.com/blog/i-see-white-papers DATE: 06/19/2010 08:17:27 AM Joe, that's a fantastic story to start a speech with! Wow, talk about seeing the light... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/19/2010 09:55:39 AM @CB - thanks for starting the conversation on this one. @Mark - I've been thinking about that myself. Really gets you focused. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Higher Purpose Content Marketing in 6 Steps STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: higher-purpose-content-marketing-in-6-steps CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 06/09/2010 07:11:13 PM ----- BODY:Below is the presentation I gave at the Web Content 2010 conference, the leading US conference covering the art and discipline of content strategy.
First, how do we develop a higher purpose for our company? Our brand purpose should:
(note: kudos to Eduardo Conrado from Motorola for his thoughts on this)
If you notice, the same four points are critical for your higher purpose content marketing strategy. Your content marketing should:
Often I get asked the question - how can I be interesting to my customers (content) if we (my competitors) are all talking about the same thing?
The answer to this is in the question...you can't!
With your content marketing, it's not what you sell (in the case of Southwest - plane rides), it's what you stand for (everyone deserves to fly, no matter what).
Once you figure out your higher purpose, try these seven steps:
How can you tell your story differently than everyone else? New terminology may be necessary (i.e., content marketing).
Just like Jesus created a following by going to where the people were, so you need to as well. Find out where your customers are hanging out on the web and get involved in the conversation.
Invite your customers and influencers into your website and make them a part of the content (guest blogging, Q&A's come to mind).
Engaging your employees is critical. Employees are also the best source of marketing content you have. Get them involved.
You need someone to not only be the cheerleader, but to help with the process flow and to keep your employees focused on your higher purpose content marketing strategy.
Your customers have so many choices when it comes to content. If your content isn't the very best, why should they engage or share your brand story?
Here is the full presentation. Enjoy...and for more great how-to stories like this, sign up for daily posts from the Content Marketing Institute.
Higher Purpose Content Marketing / Content Strategy
View more presentations from Joe Pulizzi.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: higher purpose, content marketing, content strategy, web content 2010 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Courtney EMAIL: cnelson@whitehorse.com IP: 12.191.102.2 URL: DATE: 06/28/2010 08:08:06 PM These are great ways to take your blog to the next level. Especially if you feel like you are just talking to the void. I would like to speak to 2 and 3 because they are great ideas that seem easy but take some extra time on your part. You need to know your customer well enough to go out to them. Then you need to know their language enough to invite them in. If this isn't working sometime you need to look at your content and revamp with the 6 options you gave here. I would like to re-enforce your ideas by offering a Webinar from White Horse that talks about some of these points and making your content more social friendly. You can download it here: http://bit.ly/bSUF3q Let me know if you have any questions as I do work for White Horse, I just thought you might be interested in the Webinar. Thanks for the great blog post! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Must-See Social Media Video: Social Media Ammunition STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-mustsee-social-media-video-social-media-ammunition CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 06/08/2010 10:52:57 AM ----- BODY:If you need ammunition for your social media or online content marketing programs, here's two videos that you must view (courtesy @scottabel). The corresponding social media statistics (numbered in order) and the references to show your senior executives can be found here.
The second (the original social media video) can be found here.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 24.14.33.53 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 06/08/2010 11:19:09 AM zzzz... more 'do it because it's quantitative' noise. Why isn't there a video that highlights the qualitative business outputs of social media? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 128.135.111.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/08/2010 11:52:05 AM Jeff...they are all over the place. I just talked with Paul Dunay at Avaya who got a $250,000 order by listening on Twitter - a total of a couple tweets. That's just scratching the surface. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: faith dalton EMAIL: faithzdalton@yahoo.com IP: 69.40.254.226 URL: DATE: 06/08/2010 09:49:38 PM Joe, thanks for posting. I will definetly share with my folks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lea Curtes-Swenson EMAIL: leaswenson@mac.com IP: 75.72.79.38 URL: http://www.leawrites.com DATE: 06/11/2010 11:08:33 AM Great video - thanks for sharing, Joe! While this is great, I am also in need of results-oriented data for my doubting-Thomas clients... they want ROI measurements. Is anyone out there working on getting that info? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 71.50.127.136 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/11/2010 12:03:07 PM Hi Lea...I think ROI is overused because it's different for everyone. Where Dell has used social media to land direct business, and Avaya as well (both well documented cases of sales growth through social), Comcast has used it to lower customer service costs and increase customer satisfaction. Social media ROI depends on the what the marketing goals are. Social media, in itself, does not have a specific goal independently outside of the marketing plan. I think that's where most people run into trouble. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 24.14.33.53 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 06/21/2010 07:53:04 AM Hi, Joe... and thanks for mentioning Avaya. Is there a place where we can learn more about that case? What I'm commenting on here is the incessant use of "it's big, it's growing and it's... really big..." as a business case (to invest in social media). My feeling is that Chief Officers need **anything but ** this kind of a video to build a case. Their skepticism is an under-appreciated asset by marketers who seem willing to follow anyone (ie. "social media gurus") -- even those who have a financial stake in the game. Thanks again, Jeff ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 24.14.33.53 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 06/21/2010 08:00:20 AM Also, here's my 2 minute video response to this post http://vimeo.com/11424809 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 172.19.131.155 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/21/2010 03:39:53 PM Hi Jeff...good discussion. I'll check out the video. Here is the details on Avaya's social media sale through listening. http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/it-pays-to-listen-avayas-250k-twitter-sale/ I agree with you that "social media" is more gas than facts. Jeff Hayzlett from Kodak and I were talking to a workshop in LA today about this exact issue. Here was the point. - If your customers are hanging out somewhere, should you be there? If your business dictates that you don't need to, then you don't need a presence in social media. But if your customers are using social media, and more importantly, increasingly want to engage with you with social media or talk about you using social media sites, then what marketer in their right mind wouldn't be there - at minimum to use these channels as listening posts. I talked to a CMO about six months ago about this - he said we have a website and an 800 number for our customers to contact us. I told him - the problem is, some customers want to contact you in different ways...and worse, they expect it. I don't view social media as separate from marketing...I look at a marketing plan and how you can integrate social media tools to be more social. Thanks Jeff! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Engage and Inspire Employees First, Customers Second STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: engage-and-inspire-employees-first-customers-second CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: internal marketing DATE: 06/04/2010 06:29:13 AM ----- BODY:The recent Business Marketing Association conference in Chicago was focused on engagement. The leading marketers from around the world came together to talk about it...and how engagement is the key to success for your brand and your customers.
The overwhelming takeaway was this...while customer engagement is critical, employee engagement must come first.
We always talk about the content that we develop to attract and retain customers. What type of content and platforms are you developing to engage and inspire your employees?
Brands cannot get marketing to a strategic level without both customer engagement AND employee engagement - Eduardo Conrado, Mototola
Inspire employees first, customers second - Jim Stengel, former CMO, P&G
GE believed in this so much that they created MarkNet, and internal community of General Electric marketers. MarkNet is a social network inside the company solely for GE marketers. Over 2,000 marketers regularly use MarkNet, with each one sharing (and tagging) their expertise. MarkNet is being used for ongoing training, information sharing across the organization and, according to CMO Beth Comstock, has "put a focus on it's people." A combination of Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin and Twitter, MarkNet was specifically built so that marketers could learn from each other and network. Today, they are inspiring each other.
Did you know that even in a company like GE, over 60% of their 5,000 marketers have no formal training and 66% have less than five years experience? If this is what's going on in a company like GE, what are the numbers in your company?
GE is not alone.
A few years back, Xerox developed Competipedia, a wiki-based social networking tool specifically for the Xerox marketing team to share competitive intelligence. Competipedia is now a critical part of the Xerox sales and marketing process, being used for intelligence, proposal planning, training and networking.
Can you be the best in your industry without first inspiring your employees? Companies like Motorola, GE and Xerox don't think so. What do you think?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: internal marketing, ge, xerox, employee engagement ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sandi EMAIL: smccann@heinrich.com IP: 72.16.193.185 URL: http://www.heinrich.com DATE: 06/04/2010 12:47:32 PM This is an excellent point about inspiring and engaging employees first, before clients. Even in small companies, (like ours) everyone is so diligently focused on the client work, keeping our heads down and meeting deadlines. This post reminds me (in addition to sharing this with the leadership team) to call on and encourage a community mindset to share expertise and viewpoints from everyone in my organization. Thank you. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Think Like Your Customers Think STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: think-like-your-customers-think CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 06/01/2010 09:25:46 PM ----- BODY:There's a very important line at the beginning of the movie The Godfather II.
Just after Michael Corleone, The Godfather (played by Al Pacino) gets shot at, he sits down his brother Tom Hagan and talks about an important lesson from his father.
One thing I learned from my father is to try to think as the people around you think...and on that basis, anything is possible.
If marketers only lived by just this one lesson.
Do you truly understand the pain points of your customers?
Do you understand what kind of information they need to solve those pain points?
Are you hanging out where you customers are hanging out online, so that you are in a position to help?
These things are not easy, but when executed, all things are possible.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: think like your customers ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Maranda Gibson EMAIL: mgibson@accutalk.com IP: 76.183.215.201 URL: http://www.accuconference.com DATE: 06/02/2010 09:58:11 PM What a great post! Absolutely, you have to think like your customers do, otherwise you're just going to be feeding them something they don't want. Always remembering what their needs are, and what you can do to fill that need, is the most important thing you can do in marketing or customer service. How can I help you is not just a phrase, it's a philosophy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vim EMAIL: vimal@creare.co.uk IP: 81.149.233.139 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk/ DATE: 06/03/2010 04:31:16 AM Awesome Post short and sweet, knowing your customers and putting yourself in your customers shoes is important to know what you want to achieve. The Godfather series has some great quotes and a lot to learn from. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Barbara DePompa EMAIL: bdepompa@comcast.net IP: 69.250.231.222 URL: http://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaradepompa DATE: 06/04/2010 09:12:49 AM In working with so many different clients over the years it never ceases to amaze me how many simply DON'T take this simple advice to heart. Customers really don't want what I lovingly refer to as 'vendor fluff and puffery.' And if there's no meaningful/credible information on a vendor website, or in white papers or other published documentation, customers will go elsewhere to help resolve their major ongoing challenges. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dewita EMAIL: somethingsorganic@gmail.com IP: 158.59.127.87 URL: http://somethingsorganic.com DATE: 06/04/2010 12:22:44 PM Right on Joe. Though, sometime it's easier said than done. I try to hang out where my potential customers are.. online and offline.. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Lay's Happiness Exhibit Makes Me Sad STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: lays-happiness-exhibit-makes-me-sad CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 05/27/2010 10:31:37 AM ----- BODY:I was sent a link to the Lay's chips Happiness Exhibit today. After the experience, I'm sad.
Before I review, I do want to give Lay's credit for experimenting with this. It's easy for me to be critical of them from my office chair. They put themselves out there, and I like that.
That said, I have a couple concerns/questions.
First, I'm having trouble with the brand connection. What is the connection between eating chips and displaying photos around happiness? "Wow, look at all the great pictures of brothers hugging and puppy dogs. I'm hungry for some chips now."
I came away with wondering why this was a Lay's project and not a Nikon or Kodak project. If you are going to develop a social media campaign, shouldn't the product, or relation to the brand experience, be involved. Ford is a good example of this. Or Travelpod's Traveler IQ test. Or even BK's Subservient Chicken. At least they were trying to sell chicken.
That aside, I'm willing to give this a try. But before I get started, they ask me to link up with my Flickr account. Okay, I'm used to that. STOP. The message below startles me.
----- EXTENDED BODY:
Access to my Flickr account. That's okay. Do I give Lay's permission to upload, edit and replace photos and videos in my account? Holy crap no. Can they interact with my friends? Stop, it's hurting.
Honestly, I stopped there. It's not that I don't trust Lays (I don't), but this stuff was written by the Facebook privacy team.
If they're open to it, a few words of advice for the team at Lay's:
I think what Lay's was trying to do is creating something remarkable...something worth talking about? Considering the barriers to entry and the missing brand connection, I'm thinking the Lay's marketing department will call this the Sad Exhibit.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kate Wilson EMAIL: katherinefaith@gmail.com IP: 66.64.103.2 URL: http://katherinefaith.typepad.com/blog/ DATE: 05/27/2010 10:51:48 AM I have less problem with the brand connection argument as I would contend that a food product like Lays is all about something that makes you feel good and therefore, happy since no one is ever going to argue that it's a food product that benefits the healthy side of your life, just the happy side of your life. And tieing them into the happy moments of your life does make some sense, like family reunions, family picnics, the bag of Lays that you get out of the vending machine at the neighborhood pool during the summer, all happy thoughts... I do have to agree that they have made it more difficult than it needs to be and have given all those with a "fear of the internet" just one more reason to be afraid to interact with a program. But then again it doesn't take much to make me want to eat chips. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.70 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/27/2010 10:56:53 AM I hear you Kate (thanks for the comment)...but still seems like the long way around for me, and I think most people. I completely get your point about family reunions and picnics, but the pictures are walking on the beach and baby pictures for the most part. Can't place the whole "chips" thing. I guess the key thing is this - will this create such an engagement with Lay's customers or prospects that they ultimate eat more, prefer more or talk more about the product. I'm not sold. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Larry EMAIL: lkunz@sdicorp.com IP: 64.132.140.14 URL: http://www.sdicorp.com/Resources/Blog/articleType/AuthorView/authorID/24/lkunz.aspx DATE: 05/27/2010 11:02:09 AM I completely agree with you, Joe. But at least you can feel happy that you stood up for yourself and held your ground against the intrusion. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Danielle EMAIL: danielle@rambow.com IP: 216.170.182.114 URL: DATE: 05/27/2010 01:18:55 PM The site lost my attention due to the load time. I'm not going to sit around for 30 seconds between clicks just to look at photos of other people. I agree that they missed the mark - the expectation is to have fun but the reality is a disappointment! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeremy Morris EMAIL: jezmos65@gmail.com IP: 68.43.197.49 URL: http://www.understandandserve.com DATE: 05/28/2010 07:59:53 AM This is exactly what's wrong with 'digital marketing'. Horrible. #fail ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 24.14.33.53 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 05/28/2010 08:07:11 AM Kate and Joe... Lays has failed to do more than "make a brand connection" and happiness is bunk. Here's why: It's not selling chips. Burger King used Facebook to drive customers into stores with its Whopper Sacrifice campaign. So why can't Lay's use "social media" to do same? The fact is that "branding" and "engagement" are acceptable excuses for campaigns that are novel and geared toward memory, recall or preference -- not behavior. Demand creation. And IMHO, that makes "branding" via "social media" worthless as compared to what a brand can do with it -- create behavior that aligns not with "brand" (the ghost) but customers' behaviors (that ultimately create sales/leads). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.70 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/28/2010 08:35:08 AM Jeff...love your comment. The first question you ask in a content marketing strategy is "What's different in 12 months?"...meaning, what's the behavior you want people to take. Even in this case, helping people get happy won't sell chips...although it doesn't make you happy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nancy Arsenault EMAIL: nancy@arsenaultprojectsolutions.ca IP: 96.50.98.5 URL: http://www.arsenaultprojectsolutions.ca DATE: 05/28/2010 10:40:04 AM I agree with your Lay's blog post. The best part of your message was that it led me to the Travel IQ site which did what Lay's failed to to: engage me, have fun, prompted some 'word of mouse promotion' of the Travel IQ, it was free, and yes, I downloaded the widget because I work in the tourism industry. As for Lays, I found it slow, not engaging, questioned the relevance - why would I want to share family photos with a potato chip company? And yes - while I'm an active online person, I am also a researcher and get very frustrated when I see an 'engagement tool' that to me appears to be a decoy to increasing their data base. Do give the Travel IQ a try though! Loved it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jan Schochet EMAIL: jannc01@charter.net IP: 24.162.231.6 URL: http://www.webtopiamarketing.com DATE: 06/01/2010 02:05:07 PM Hey Joe, I totally agree with what you wrote. I didn't go to the site. Not enough time today. But I like Lay's and I don't equate it w/happy, in particular. Why wouldn't they do a thing on "Send us your best recipes that include our chips AND a photo of people enjoying your recipe" ? THAT is happy! That is engaging. People love to see their folks smiling faces. And . . . eating the food THEY made and . . . THEIR recipe on some website. Oh well. They didn't ask me. Time for lunch. Jan Ellyn ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Launches Content Marketing Institute STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-launches-content-marketing-institute CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 05/24/2010 10:20:23 PM ----- BODY:I'm really excited to announce the launch of the Content Marketing Institute (CMI).
The idea of CMI is simple - while there are a lot of great blogs, books and experts out there in and around content marketing, there are still so many questions.
Frankly, the questions will never stop. The answers...they will continually change.
The hope of CMI (what I call the great experiment), is to bring the best and brightest minds in the content marketing and content strategy industries together to help marketing professionals answer these how-to questions.
CMI is launching as a daily source of how-to content marketing information, followed this summer by a membership site dedicated to content marketing training and education.
In the meantime, please check out this inaugural post for CMI entitled How to Launch the Content Marketing Institute in 6 Steps.
What can you do? Sign up now to receive CMI updates and get notified as we move toward the membership portion this summer.
Thanks for being part of this important effort!
If you'd like information on contributing or possibly sponsorship, just shoot us a note here.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: cmi, content marketing institute, content marketing ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A blog post is like a miniskirt STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-blog-is-like-a-miniskirt CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 05/23/2010 10:16:14 PM ----- BODY:A blog post is like a miniskirt.
It has to be short enough to be interesting, but long enough to cover the subject.
courtesy my friend Henry
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: blogs, miniskirts ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Suzanne Delzio EMAIL: sdelzio1@san.rr.com IP: 66.27.87.68 URL: http://www.veterinary-marketing.com DATE: 05/24/2010 12:31:47 PM Love it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alan Stransman EMAIL: alan@mycontentcreator.com IP: 99.226.247.45 URL: http://www.mycontentcreator.com DATE: 05/28/2010 08:23:13 AM I do not wish to offend, but a mini-skirt can often be improved upon by being removed altogether. Would you say the same for a blog post? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.70 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/28/2010 08:30:33 AM Alan...that is priceless ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike EMAIL: mike@thesaltstudio.com IP: 98.237.140.233 URL: DATE: 05/28/2010 12:04:27 PM Even more basic... does the "subject" have attractive "legs"? Otherwise, the tendency is to look away. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl EMAIL: kkleinbach@acom.com IP: 66.102.140.79 URL: DATE: 05/28/2010 04:57:18 PM "legs" are like the title, a quick glance will tell you if further investigation is warranted. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eran from Small Business Marketing TV EMAIL: eran@wwwm.com.au IP: 124.169.238.129 URL: http://smallbusinessmarketingtv.com DATE: 07/24/2010 10:54:56 AM Ahhh the miniskirt... source of great joy the world over for menfolk ;-) Of course, in this "modern" age, they're often called a belt! :-D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: john krol EMAIL: johnkrol@black-swan-marketing.com IP: 67.177.251.185 URL: http://www.black-swan-marketing.com DATE: 07/24/2010 02:22:22 PM Thanks its a unique way to better understand "miniskirt" would never have thunk it. You make some good points looking forward to more. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Search Marketing EMAIL: mark@u2project.com IP: 208.100.134.67 URL: http://u2project.com DATE: 07/25/2010 05:15:28 PM Good point Mike. If the mini skirt is meant to expose a portion of the desired content, just enough to tantalize the taste buds, then it better be good enough to tantalize, or the content would be better suited with pants. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jason Oncor Solutions Fairfield EMAIL: jason.fairfield@oncorsolutions.com IP: 64.231.171.101 URL: http://www.oncorsolutions.com DATE: 07/28/2010 09:23:24 AM and sexy enough (cool content) to get looked at over and over again. Intriguing enough to make someone go hmmmm, I want to see more (again cool content). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Quaneshia Holden EMAIL: qhold@aol.com IP: 99.66.231.0 URL: http://www.QuickMLMSecrets.com DATE: 07/29/2010 04:09:17 AM LOL, I never really thought of it that way. But it's true because if your blog post looks like a novel I will put it off to read later. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: pat-brighton photographer EMAIL: beachgazer@hotmail.com IP: 81.111.33.28 URL: http://www.i-clic.co.uk DATE: 07/29/2010 12:37:53 PM Very good...spent the last 10mins trying to think of a better one...failed!P ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ecommerce software EMAIL: melmartinez01@gmail.com IP: 210.4.13.218 URL: http://5ecommercesoftware.com DATE: 07/30/2010 11:10:44 AM This post was not only helpful with the comment issue, but had also great links to other entertaining blogs. Some of them I will most likely keep visiting! Thanks and greetings from Berlin/Germany! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Groene lening EMAIL: info@zoekplein.nl IP: 81.243.174.22 URL: http://www.groenelening.org DATE: 08/02/2010 03:19:22 PM Wow, that is a good one ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: JJ Remington at My Online Business Strategy EMAIL: jjr@my.onlinebusinessstrategy.net IP: 70.190.141.119 URL: http://my.onlinebusinessstrategy.net/ DATE: 08/08/2010 03:52:16 PM Joe, that's got to be one of the most enlightening ideas I've ever seen online. Thanks. Can I repost that? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jenifer EMAIL: gasper457@yahoo.com IP: 120.50.183.34 URL: http://www.rankingsolutions.com DATE: 08/09/2010 04:23:49 PM We also can compare this with other things which like too too miniskirt. It's save our words. Really interesting! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marketer Matt EMAIL: matthewhall85@gmail.com IP: 24.11.205.163 URL: http://marketermatt.com/ DATE: 08/16/2010 08:13:37 PM It seems as if I've heard this before about something else... I'm sure it could applied to several things but blogging is a good one :-D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Simon Novak EMAIL: novaksim@gmail.com IP: 178.58.33.3 URL: http://izdelava-spletnih-strani-1a.blogspot.com/ DATE: 08/29/2010 11:31:51 AM So catchy, and above all, very true! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: harlton stone EMAIL: monaguemarketing@gmail.com IP: 208.80.102.77 URL: http://www.articlecat.com/Article/Internet-Marketing-Made-Easier/430438 DATE: 10/04/2010 07:22:39 AM Great One, yeah i tried to think of something else too but my one track mind wouldn't allow me to. Be back with another one sometime. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nate P. EMAIL: a78superbu@frontier.com IP: 173.53.151.11 URL: http://make-cash-online-how.com/ DATE: 10/11/2010 11:33:01 AM That is great! Short and to the point. So very true. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anne EMAIL: anne@homebusiness-ideas.info IP: 41.133.34.165 URL: http://www.homebusiness-ideas.info DATE: 10/17/2010 11:26:17 AM I love it - but I wonder if a longer skirt or a pair of pants isn't a little more intriguing - just 'cos you can't see all of the legs does not mean they're not worth looking at! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jason Halbert EMAIL: jhalbert@businessplanmaster.com IP: 68.4.56.144 URL: http://www.businessplanmaster.com/apply-for-a-business-loan.html DATE: 10/18/2010 07:29:31 PM For others, a blog post may be more like the fragrance of a great lasagna baking -- the scent will draw you into something much meatier. (Yeah, I'm a pushover for great Italian.) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ty from Manchester EMAIL: tybell2121@gmail.com IP: 121.92.59.53 URL: http://www.bestmanchesterbuilders.co.uk/ DATE: 11/03/2010 02:21:06 AM I'm always tempted to make my own blog posts full-length ballgowns! It's worth bearing in mind that shorter is often better (especially in the case of minis!) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Danielle Lynn The Clear Copywriter EMAIL: danielle@daniellelynn.com IP: 71.58.103.94 URL: http://theclearcopywriter.com/ DATE: 11/12/2010 03:46:28 PM Ha! This is perhaps one of the most brilliant posts I've read. And it really embodies the spirit of information with brevity -which comes up a lot for me in copywriting. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: harlton stone EMAIL: monaguemarketing@gmail.com IP: 208.80.102.76 URL: http://torontoonline.blogspot.com/ DATE: 11/14/2010 09:52:21 AM it was always said "sex sells" whether it's out of curiosity, perversion or obsession- it does ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kimberly EMAIL: km2kiwi@gmail.com IP: 205.201.208.203 URL: http://internetmarketerstraighttalk.com DATE: 11/15/2010 12:13:58 PM I think a mini skirt also has to be worn by a certain type or it's not interesting at all. It's just freaky! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adam EMAIL: adamsniper@hotmail.co.uk IP: 90.218.12.49 URL: http://makemoneyonlinetheeasyway.net/ DATE: 11/15/2010 12:18:57 PM haha great love this post, its so true your posts have to be short or the readers going to lose interest, i think i'm gonna go shorten my posts, be sure to check my blog http://makemoneyonlinetheeasyway.net/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Social Media Publishing Model for Publishers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-social-media-publishing-model-for-publishers CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: publishers CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 05/21/2010 04:47:33 AM ----- BODY:I delivered a presentation yesterday at the Minnesota Magazine and Publishers Association (MMPA) about how publishers can leverage social media channels to grow their online footprint (and revolutionize their business). Below is the presentation, but here are a few key takeaways.
The presentation is below with additional social media ideas for publishers. The point is this...if you are a publisher, you need to truly act like one. These revolutionary changes will dynamically alter your future as a publishing brand for the better.
The Social Media Publishing Model for Publishers
View more presentations from Joe Pulizzi.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alison EMAIL: alison.bolen@sas.com IP: 65.185.167.153 URL: http://blogs.sas.com/sascom DATE: 05/21/2010 10:28:31 AM Can I order posters, mouse pads and desk-top signage of that image with #3, please. :) What a perfect image! At the very least, a blog post dedicated solely to that image would be wonderful to share with others who aren't quit there with us yet. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.99 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/22/2010 08:30:57 AM I love that Alison...very cool. I put your idea on my to-do blogging list and will spend some time on it soon. Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bryan the Social Media Management Ninja EMAIL: socialmedia@gnarlyzone.com IP: 68.13.88.201 URL: http://www.gnarlyzone.com DATE: 07/24/2010 12:24:30 PM So true, that social media ain't cheap. It's not all about just sending a status update or a tweet and expecting so huge ROI...focus Daniel son. Good article. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 3 Steps to Becoming the Industry Expert (Content Strategy, Water Cooler and a Book) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 3-steps-to-becoming-the-industry-expert-content-strategy-water-cooler-and-a-book CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 05/18/2010 09:59:06 AM ----- BODY:This Ogilvy post reminded me that content without true innovation doesn't do much for your business.
A few months ago at the Online Marketing Summit national conference (where, by the way, I'll be doing content marketing workshops in 22 cities), one marketer stood up and said:
How do I differentiate myself with my content? My five competitors all talk about the same thing and we're all fighting for the same keywords. There's no where else to go.
I've heard this many times. Some marketing and communication professionals think that since the publishing of content is rather easy, there is little or no chance to truly create a remarkable message and unique story.
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. If you believe this, stop right now and follow this plan.
----- EXTENDED BODY:As the great Chris Rock says, "don't hate the player, hate the game." Are you an industry expert or not?
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content strategy, industry expert, content marketing, writing a book ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Clay EMAIL: claymorgan001@gmail.com IP: 66.38.119.241 URL: http://www.nashvillecopy.com DATE: 05/18/2010 12:44:09 PM A great post, but I think that your point number one is what really hit me. There is so much content out there that yours must stand apart if you are going to succeed at content marketing. So many times, what we all read (and I'm guilty of occasionally producing it myself - we all are) is nothing more than a rehash of a million other blogs or articles out there. Very well said! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Small Content Wins Almost Every Time STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-small-content-wins-almost-every-time CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 05/14/2010 08:54:04 AM ----- BODY:
I've been all over the world over the past year talking with marketers about their content projects. In most companies, there is a focus on big content.
What's big content you say? Big content means large content projects such as custom magazines, lengthy newsletters, virtual events, large customer events, etc. These are content initiatives that are complex, take lots of time, planning and review and are dependent on many people for success.
There is nothing wrong with big content. They are essential for most brands. We need custom magazines to develop long-term relationships with customers and provide real solutions to our customers' needs. We need in-person events to meet with customers face-to-face and show them we appreciate their business. There is certainly a place for big content, but not at the expense of small content.
Let me give you an example. Men often save up for large presents for their significant others over critical dates. Birthday. How about some jewelry? Mother's Day. How about a spa day? Anniversary. Maybe a trip or cruise is in order.
----- EXTENDED BODY:I'm sure most women love these big gifts. But that's not what keeps the relationship going. It's the small things. The note you left on the bathroom mirror. Doing the dishes without prompting. Cleaning up the house. Making the bed. Taking the kids out for an hour or two. An "I love you" or a "You're beautiful" that wasn't expected. That's the glue that holds relationships together. That keeps the love going. The small, unexpected gifts.
The same holds true for your content initiatives. The custom magazine is fantastic, but what your customer really likes are those daily blog posts, periodic Twitter updates, weekly enewsletters. It's the small content that truly builds the relationship that makes the big content that much more powerful.
While both big and small content is needed, if you had to pick, small wins out every time. Taking your wife on a cruise once a year without doing all the little things in between is a recipe for separation.
Don't get stuck on big content as the expense of small content. If there is one thing I see wrong with larger companies, it's this fascination that big content is better. It's not.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: big content, small content ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ingrid archer EMAIL: ingrid@spotonvision.com IP: 84.81.15.162 URL: http://www.spotonvision.com DATE: 05/14/2010 10:26:44 AM Nice post, and it is very true; and then as an extra argument to get started..many companies end up doing nothing with their content strategy because they don't know where to start, they only think BIG and are too much of a perfectionist. Just keep it simple and don't over-complicate is my advise. Just get started. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Elizabeth B. EMAIL: eh@iangilyeat.com IP: 72.201.88.174 URL: http://bit.ly/irgco2 DATE: 05/14/2010 02:33:48 PM Thanks for the post. Building relationships with customers take baby-steps. It's the small things that build the foundation of those relationships. I agree with Ingrid's comment, "Just keep it simple and don't over-complicate." Nice comment! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rinforsideweb EMAIL: rinforsideweb@gmail.com IP: 196.202.217.185 URL: http://www.rinforsideweb.com/blog/ DATE: 05/14/2010 06:01:58 PM Informative post and very true. Sometimes most people do not know where to start. In fact they complicate their content campaigns -- because, they want to start BIG. There is nothing wrong with thinking BIG. As long as it does stop you from starting. So "JUST START" your content campaign even it means starting small. Then watch and learn as it grows BIG. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brett Duncan EMAIL: brett@marketinginprogress.com IP: 99.107.243.196 URL: http://www.marketinginprogress.com DATE: 05/15/2010 08:54:21 AM Great analogy on how marriage makes this point (and so true!). Another benefit of keeping it small is that big gets overwhelming fast. As one of the comments mentions above, just starting, just jumping in, normally solves a lot of perceived issues. bd @bdunc1 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nicola Connolly EMAIL: nicola@creare.co.uk IP: 81.136.132.236 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 05/17/2010 08:48:20 AM So very true! Nice analogy :) Doing that little bit extra for your customers will certainly take you a long way. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul McKeon EMAIL: contentfactor@gmail.com IP: 75.93.138.34 URL: http://www.contentfactor.com DATE: 05/17/2010 09:37:39 AM Joe, I would add to your analogy that the content, big or small, has to be driven by what the buyer wants, not what we want. Big initiatives often fall into this trap. They come about because of our internal drivers, not the customer's. A husband has to give his wife the earrings she has her eye on, not a new lawnmower. http://bit.ly/bkVLkl With blogs and tweets, content is getting smaller, but keeping up is a challenge for marketing executives who like to think in terms of big satisfying projects, like a cruise. Continually generating small content, like weekly blog posts, is a shift companies are still wrestling with. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: khush-Adsense Information EMAIL: vaastu97@yahoo.com IP: 209.120.247.10 URL: http://www.AdSenseHome.com DATE: 05/17/2010 04:25:13 PM So true and the example perfectly illustrates the idea. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karol Zielinski EMAIL: me@karolzielinski.com IP: 217.98.91.230 URL: http://blog.karolzielinski.com DATE: 05/18/2010 03:45:00 AM Absolutely true. Great article Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rick WAtson EMAIL: richard.m.watson@gmail.com IP: 216.27.89.92 URL: http://www.ecommercezen.com/ DATE: 05/19/2010 01:31:57 AM I really like this post. I think it's a good reminder for product marketers as well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tiina Saaristo EMAIL: tiina.saaristo@eads.com IP: 80.156.46.68 URL: DATE: 05/21/2010 08:11:00 AM Great post. This really touched me, for applying the insight in my private life, too. Thank you! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel Agheyisi EMAIL: rachelagheyisi@yahoo.com IP: 75.82.43.135 URL: DATE: 05/21/2010 03:40:58 PM Great reminder, Joe. Paul McKeon's comment above is spot on regarding the "proper driver" for content: focus on the recipient's needs. I'd add that case studies (less than 3 pages long) are also good stay-in-touch small content. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karilee the Marketing Coach EMAIL: karilee@outcomemarketing.com IP: 96.49.165.63 URL: http://outcomemarketing.com DATE: 07/30/2010 04:29:27 PM Nice analogy. The same applies to client contact. I've seen companies send out annual reports or fund raising packages, but never maintain contact during the year. While "big content" is great once in a while, missing out on the small touches really means there's nobody there paying attention. Small content (or contact) IS the glue that maintains the relationship. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Philsm EMAIL: osioutsource@gmail.com IP: 121.97.70.149 URL: http://outsourcing-services.net DATE: 08/04/2010 07:28:43 PM I agree with your example, small things is very important especially to a relationship. That's what keeps the relationship going. :-) Thumbs up! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Age of Conversation Back Again STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: age-of-conversation-back-again CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 05/12/2010 08:17:53 AM ----- BODY:Age of Conversation is back. Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton have again rounded up over 170 marketing experts to take a deep dive (or 171 quick dives) into the changing nature of social media, branding and marketing (of course, content marketing is included as well).
The first two versions of AOC have raised over $25,000 for Variety, an international children's charity close to Drew's heart.
So, buying this book will help you, your business, and some deserving children. What could be better?
You can buy Age of Conversation here now.
And a big thanks to all those who contributed to AOC3 (listed below). I'm proud to be part of this group.
Adam Joseph
Priyanka Sachar
Mark Earls
Cory Coley-Christakos
Stefan Erschwendner
Paul Hebert
Jeff De Cagna
Thomas Clifford
Phil Gerbyshak
Jon Burg
Toby Bloomberg
Shambhu Neil Vineberg
Joseph Jaffe
Uwe Hook
Steve Roesler
Michael E. Rubin
anibal casso
Steve Woodruff
Steve Sponder
Becky Carroll
Tim Tyler
Chris Wilson
Beth Harte
Tinu Abayomi-Paul
Dan Schawbel
Carol Bodensteiner
Trey Pennington
David Weinfeld
Dan Sitter
Vanessa DiMauro
Ed Brenegar
David Zinger
Brett T. T. Macfarlane
Efrain Mendicuti
Deb Brown
Brian Reich
Gaurav Mishra
Dennis Deery
C.B. Whittemore
Gordon Whitehead
Heather Rast
Cam Beck
Hajj E. Flemings
Joan Endicott
Cathryn Hrudicka
Jeroen Verkroost
Karen D. Swim
Christopher Morris
Joe Pulizzi
Leah Otto
Corentin Monot
Karalee Evans
Leigh Durst
David Berkowitz
Kevin Jessop
Lesley Lambert
Duane Brown
Peter Korchnak
Mark Price
Dustin Jacobsen
Piet Wulleman
Mike Maddaloni
Ernie Mosteller
Scott Townsend
Nick Burcher
Frank Stiefler
Steve Olenski
Rich Nadworny
John Rosen
Tim Jackson
Suzanne Hull
Len Kendall
Amber Naslund
Wayne Buckhanan
Mark McGuinness
Caroline Melberg
Andy Drish
Oleksandr Skorokhod
Claire Grinton
Angela Maiers
Paul Williams
Gary Cohen
Armando Alves
Sam Ismail
Gautam Ramdurai
B.J. Smith
Tamera Kremer
Eaon Pritchard
Brendan Tripp
Adelino de Almeida
Jacob Morgan
Casey Hibbard
Andy Hunter
Julian Cole
Debra Helwig
Anjali Ramachandran
Jye Smith
Drew McLellan
Craig Wilson
Karin Hermans
Emily Reed
David Petherick
Katie Harris
Gavin Heaton
Dennis Price
Mark Levy
George Jenkins
Doug Mitchell
Mark W. Schaefer
Helge Tenno
Douglas Hanna
Marshall Sponder
James Stevens
Ian Lurie
Ryan Hanser
Jenny Meade
Jeff Larche
Sacha Tueni and Katherine Maher
David Svet
Jessica Hagy
Simon Payn
Joanne Austin-Olsen
Mark Avnet
Stanley Johnson
Marilyn Pratt
Mark Hancock
Steve Kellogg
Michelle Beckham-Corbin
Michelle Chmielewski
Amy Mengel
Veronique Rabuteau
Peter Komendowski
Andrea Vascellari
Timothy L Johnson
Phil Osborne
Beth Wampler
Amy Jussel
Rick Liebling
Eric Brody
Arun Rajagopal
Dr Letitia Wright
Hugh de Winton
David Koopmans
Aki Spicer
Jeff Wallace
Don Frederiksen
Charles Sipe
Katie McIntyre
James G Lindberg & Sandra Renshaw
David Reich
Lynae Johnson
Jasmin Tragas
Deborah Chaddock Brown
Mike O'Toole
Jeanne Dininni
Iqbal Mohammed
Morriss M. Partee
Katie Chatfield
Jeff Cutler
Pete Jones
Riku Vassinen
Jeff Garrison
Kevin Dugan
Tiphereth Gloria
Mike Sansone
Lori Magno
Valerie Simon
Nettie Hartsock
Mark Goren
Peter Salvitti
Today is my birthday. Lucky number 37.
As part of my birthday celebration, I'm committing to blogging more. Junta42 was started as a blog (this post is proof from April, 2007) and I still believe it is one of the most important things you can do as a business (as long as you have the right strategy). So, here's my 37 reasons to blog and blog more. I hope they inspire you.
For more, check out this free white paper on attracting and retaining customers through content marketing.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: reasons to blog, blogging, business blogging, junta42, joe pulizzi ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kristina Stiffler EMAIL: kstiffler@cwritingsllc.com IP: 65.60.235.187 URL: http://www.cwritingsllc.com/blog DATE: 05/10/2010 02:31:05 PM Happy Birthday! What a great list! The bottom line is blogs build better companies by moving important conversations (like what product to build, what things matter most, what needs to improve) outside of company meeting rooms and into the hands of those who have the answers. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Khush-AdSense Information EMAIL: vaastu97@yahoo.com IP: 209.120.247.10 URL: http://www.adsensehome.com/articles/vital-adsense-information-to-get-your-account-approved/ DATE: 05/10/2010 03:46:08 PM Joe, Happy Birthday! This is a great post. Your point# 36 has appealed to me the most "Everyone is an expert in something...".Also I have great expectations from your book. I am going to buy and read it soon. Keep up the good work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: francis shivone EMAIL: fshivone@gmail.com IP: 68.116.140.39 URL: http://www.ripsreviews.blogspot.com DATE: 05/11/2010 09:41:26 PM Joe -- love your blog, really, always informative. Have had a blog three years but really I'm just beginning to understand its strengths. I spent 25 years on the production end of the advertising business and I read your post on 30 content marketing truths often. Thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nicola Connolly EMAIL: nicola@creare.co.uk IP: 81.136.132.236 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 05/12/2010 07:24:07 AM Great list - some really key points in there. Blogs are such a fantastic tool to share information, ideas and opinions. They allow us to interact and have conversations with customers and peers alike in a positive and productive way. Happy Birthday! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 142.131.229.165 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/12/2010 07:59:12 AM Thanks Francis...you are right. The power of a blog sort of sneaks up on you... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lori Mahon EMAIL: lori@overture-media.com IP: 75.138.239.40 URL: http://www.overture-media.com DATE: 05/12/2010 11:22:30 AM Happy Birthday -- and thank you for a great post today!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Maranda Gibson EMAIL: mgibson@accutalk.com IP: 208.49.241.197 URL: http://www.accuconference.com/blog DATE: 05/12/2010 03:39:58 PM Happy Birthday -- thanks for the great list today! And yes, blogging is supposed to be fun, I think we forget that sometimes.. when the crushing defeat of writers block kicks in. Hope you have a great birthday! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Barbara Bix EMAIL: barbara@bbmarketignplus.com IP: 209.150.54.17 URL: http://www.bbmarketingplus.com/blog DATE: 05/14/2010 08:45:25 AM Happy, happy birthday, lucky 37! Joe, you've been a great support to the whole community so add two more: helping out your peers and colleagues and using writing to really clarify and sharpen your own thinking so that your insights will be easily digestible for other. Please keep up the good work! PS. I found that life got better and better after 37, and I wish you the same. Barbara ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.99 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/14/2010 08:59:11 AM Thanks so much Barbara...great additions. And I like that it will all continue to get better. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cindy Faith Swain - The Work Organizer EMAIL: cindy@theworkorganizer.com IP: 68.108.243.202 URL: http://www.theworkorganizer.com DATE: 05/14/2010 10:12:37 AM Thanks for the info and encouragement. I've posted you on my blog... I LOVE the bold - great effect. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rebecca EMAIL: r.ponce@waxcom.com IP: 38.100.206.190 URL: http://www.waxcom.com/impressions DATE: 05/14/2010 10:29:02 AM Great blog post. Number one really is so important. Having a means to be your own publisher is so powerful. Thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Arnie | Vertical Measures EMAIL: arniek@verticalmeasures.com IP: 72.215.194.132 URL: http://www.verticalmeasures.com DATE: 05/17/2010 01:24:16 PM Hey Joe - happy belated birthday. Great list. We get asked all the time by our clients "what should we blog about?" so we created a post listing 50 ideas for a corporate blog. Your readers might be interested in it too. http://www.verticalmeasures.com/website-publicity/50-topics-to-help-you-get-started-on-your-corporate-blog/ Take care - and talk to you soon. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jethro Jean-Baptiste EMAIL: jethro@salesfuel.com IP: 96.39.4.162 URL: http://salesfuel.com DATE: 05/18/2010 01:46:41 PM Joe- Happy belated birthday. That list is pretty impressive. What I have are the20 reasons why you should consider SalesFuel. Accelerate your sales today and click here for a free trial and connect to 32+ million companies with in-depth profiles. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is Your Social Media Policy Helping or Hurting Business? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-your-social-media-policy-helping-or-hurting-business CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 05/06/2010 12:55:39 PM ----- BODY:Does your workplace have a social media policy? Thousands of companies do and you can view some of them here at Social Media Governance.
I picked a few at random – first Ball State University (since I just came back from a college graduation). It is three pages long, large type, easy to read, nice bullets. It has some great points – reminders about confidentiality and respect and a reminder to link back to the university site whenever possible. I expected a lot of jargon and guardedness from an institution like this, but was pleasantly surprised.
Next I tried Cisco Systems (I own stock in Cisco so I'm always interested in what they are doing). They state in the first paragraph that blogging, social networks and wikis are included in what's called Internet Postings. In the beginning of the post, they clearly state:
Please be aware that violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
While I understand that they do not want employees releasing confidential information, which is more than fair, the tone of this policy is very different than that of Ball State. Cisco's policy is clear and to-the-point, but I perceived this as more about protecting Cisco's assets than helping employees to properly share the right kind of information that will benefit Cisco and Cisco customers. I'm wondering if employees get nervous after reading this or are empowered to spread helpful information and share the Cisco story. NOTE: This Cisco policy is from 2008. I could not find a more recent version.
For a different perspective, I checked out the community guidelines for Easter Seals, an annual fundraising partner of Junta42. This one is more for use of their online community as opposed to an employee policy, but it comes across as friendly and helpful. Again, respect privacy and protect confidentiality and a nice little note that they can remove inappropriate comments. It includes links to the blog and community sign ups as well (now there's a novel concept...nice job!).
And then there is IBM. Called Social Computing Guidelines, it directly states inclusion of blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds and social media. This quote is out of their policy:
In 1997, IBM recommended that its employees get out onto the Internet—at a time when many companies were seeking to restrict their employees' Internet access. In 2005, the company made a strategic decision to embrace the blogosphere and to encourage IBMers to participate. We continue to advocate IBMers' responsible involvement today in this rapidly growing space of relationship, learning and collaboration.
Who wouldn't want to work at this place? They have the same guidelines about confidentiality, respect, not bashing the company, etc. as the others, but similar to Ball State, they do so in a way that promotes using these tools...to share stories, and not to be fearful about what might happen.
I attended a powerful presentation from Andrew Davis, Tippingpoint Labs at the American Business Media annual meeting yesterday. Although the presentation was geared toward publishers, it's amazing how many of Andrew's points need to be executed by non-publishing brands. Here are four key takeaways you can implement now:
Before, you paid $3 for the headset while the programming was free. Most flyers hated buying the headsets. After a while, everyone remembered to bring their own. Continental saw headset revenues plummet.
Fast forward to today. Headsets are always free. While you're at it, take two. The programming (mostly DirecTV) costs $6. More than half the people on my flight to San Francisco purchased the option. That's about one thousand additional dollars per flight.
Are you charging for headsets when you should be giving them away for free? For example, are you asking prospects to register to get your white paper or ebook? Are you gating that research report, inhibiting anyone from sharing it with others?
While there is nothing wrong with registration (to a point), your very best content has to be free so they understand what product or service they are missing. Are you charging for content headsets and stopping customers in their tracks? Or worse, they bring their own headsets and find someone else (a competitor) who will help them without all the hurdles.
Painstakingly typed with my iPhone.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content headsets ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Robyn McMaster EMAIL: robynm@frontiernet.net IP: 70.100.152.131 URL: http://brainbasedbiz.blogspot.com DATE: 04/29/2010 08:44:45 AM Joe, you bring savvy to all of us about giving away something to benefit others. People take something of value and use it like good advice you give here about not pulling too tight a reign on sharing with customers. I have much to learn about content marketing and your site looks like a real treasure trove. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dave Martin EMAIL: dmartin@retailing.org IP: 75.148.5.130 URL: http://www.retailing.org DATE: 04/29/2010 09:35:26 AM Great post. One of the challenges for trade associations is determining what content you make available to members AND non-members. Members pay a fee for membership and content is part of the value proposition. If you give away all your content to everyone it really diminishes the reason to join in the first place. What are your thoughts here? By the way, the fact that you typed that entire post with your iPhone is amazing. Man, you must be patient! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 66.228.218.84 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/29/2010 09:45:11 AM Thanks Robyn @Dave...great question. We are working on a membership site on our end so I really get your challenge. I would say this...you need a consistent stream of free content to attract new members and nurture prospective members. This content should all be set up as free with no restrictions, and easy to share. That way you can widen the net to your premium content. Two different purposes, two different types of content. It's a balancing act...but most associations put most of their content behind the wall and don't give prospects a chance to taste what you can really offer. Thanks again! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Megan Zuniga EMAIL: megzee24@gmail.com IP: 58.69.84.202 URL: http://budurl.com/ynfr DATE: 05/03/2010 02:32:53 AM I don't like it either when you have to go through registration process just to gain access to free content or pay for something when you can get that for free. It's like paying for air. I don't know how to it works for blogs, but for businesses it always brilliant to give freebies to customers, like giving away toys with your Happy Meal. It's just the little added extra value that could keep your customers happy :D PS...Sharing more tips on customer relations. http://budurl.com/8egh ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dennis Brown EMAIL: dennis.brown@fahlgren.com IP: 74.203.231.228 URL: http://www.fahlgrenmortine.com DATE: 05/07/2010 09:16:21 AM Interesting post. I'm a big advocate of content markeitng, but I'm not sure I've come this far in my thinking. (Continental is still charging for content; they just got smart about how to do it.) If the content has value and is more than a glorified sales piece, why not ask for a simple exchange of information? It can be difficult to quantify the value of content without some sort of registration process and these kind of results help encouraging continued investments in content. The key is to make it simple and allow a single registration to open the door for future access, imo. Keep challenging my thinking. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.101.232 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/07/2010 10:03:39 AM Hi Dennis...thanks for the post. Here's my take. I'm all for gating content...when the time is right. Many brands gate most of their content and rarely share information. Consumers don't share gated content via social media...they don't spread that message. In order to widen the net to reach more people, share lots of great content and then lead them to your premium content. Information marketers have been doing this for years. Once you build a relationship with prospects with your content, then you can present them with opportunities to exchange information. Also, I will always say this...there are more ways than one to skin a cat. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mary Sullivan EMAIL: marysullivan@kickstartall.com IP: 71.245.101.87 URL: http://www.kickstartall.com DATE: 05/07/2010 11:05:36 AM You need to have different content for different stages of the sales cycle. I agree that educational White Papers should be free. Make it easy to get and easy to share at the early stage when people are sorting out who offers what they need. Then when the visitor wants to fine-tune the decision, registering to view a competitive comparison or even a demo video makes sense. Make sure you have content for every stage of the sales cycle. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How do you use Social Media? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-do-you-use-social-media CATEGORY: Junta42 Events CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 04/26/2010 12:50:11 PM ----- BODY:If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know how dedicated we are at Junta42 to get consistent, relevant research to help you do your jobs better.
So, I'm again asking for your help and need five minutes of your time.
Junta42 is partnering with Kingfish Media and Hubspot on the research study: "Social Media Usage, Attitudes and Measurability."
In return for your five minutes, you'll get exclusive access to the results one week before we release them to the general public.
Please complete the survey now by going to this link! The survey will be closed at the end of April, so please do this now if you can.
Thanks for your help.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Junta42, Hubspot, Kingfish, social media, research ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Your Customers Don't Care About You - Take the Content Marketing Test STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: constant-reminder-your-customers-dont-care-about-you CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 04/21/2010 02:08:14 PM ----- BODY:"We just launched this exciting new..."
"We have the best customer service in..."
"Our reps are the leading experts in..."
blah, blah, blah
It continues to bother me about the number of articles and blogs from brands and even individual bloggers that constantly talk about how great they are.
The first rule of content marketing is to understand that your customers only care about themselves. Once we realize that as content marketers, we can effectively develop a content plan to talk about valuable, relevant and compelling content that the customer would be interested in (focused on their pain points).
----- EXTENDED BODY:Not following this rule is one major reason why many brands are failing at social media. Does anyone want to share information or talk about your brand? Not if it's about your corporate brand (90% off coupons aside), your new widget, or how awesome your CEO is. Creating something compelling and sharable that is all about serving the customers' needs is the only remedy.
Need an example? Look at this spread from MyFord magazine. All the highlighted areas are where Ford mentions themselves or one of their cars. Does this look like content that you would love to engage in or share? Nope.
Not sure how to get started? Download this white paper on how to attract and retain customers with content marketing.
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, bad content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stan Phelps EMAIL: stan@9inchmarketing.com IP: 76.14.77.54 URL: http://marketinglagniappe.com DATE: 04/22/2010 09:29:43 AM "It's not you . . . it's me." Tremendous point Joe. You've touched on a distinction that many fail to recognize between traditional 'me'dia and social 'me'dia. Traditional media is one sided and all about the brand. It's usually all me, me, me the company. Social media is about me the consumer and the people + things that I'm interested in. It's a two way dialogue based on sharing. Content marketing bridges that gap. Create content that is relevant and helpful to your consumers. Instead of pushing out information, you are sowing seeds to attract potential customers when they have the appropriate need. Best, Stan @9INCHmarketing 'The average distance between your brain and your heart is 9 inches' ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.148.168 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/22/2010 11:59:13 AM Exactly Stan...that's why it's so hard for traditional brands to make the jump...it's a completely different form of communication. Opportunity for those you really get it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Ogden EMAIL: jogden@findnewcustomers.net IP: 71.167.11.166 URL: http://www.findnewcustomers.net DATE: 04/22/2010 01:06:56 PM Amen, Joe. I could not agree more with you. David Meerman Scott said the same thing. No one cares about your products except you. Yet 98% of companies violate this and blather on and on about how great they are. Keep up the great work. Jeff Ogden, President Find New Customers "Lead Generation Made Simple" http://www.findnewcustomers.net ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lindsay Berger EMAIL: lindsay@inkwell-marketing.com IP: 24.245.8.7 URL: http://www.inkwell-marketing.com DATE: 04/22/2010 04:31:23 PM Hi Joe, Great post and awesome reminder to think about clients first. It's funny how many people don't believe me when I tell them that their clients don't care about them. They get a little offended. Oh well. On a side note, you probably haven't seen it, but I wrote a similar article and published it about a year ago on Biznik.com: http://biznik.com/articles/no-offense-but-your-customers-dont-care-about-you Take a look if you're interested, just another way to reinforce this message! Thanks! Lindsay Berger Inkwell Marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.148.168 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/23/2010 01:22:24 PM Wow Lindsey...outstanding article. Thanks for sharing. I should have just copied yours to my post. Right on! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matthew Kramer EMAIL: matthew.kramer@improvingbusinesswireless.com IP: 114.73.6.49 URL: http://www.improvingbusinesswireless.com DATE: 04/25/2010 11:02:59 PM Thanks Joe, this is great info for someone starting out. I am just starting out and this info will hopefully send me in the right direction. Writing content is what I'm doing to attract clients to my business. I try to supply relevant information to businesses without worrying about myself, but sometimes its not easy. Matthew Kramer Improving Business Wireless http://www.improvingbusinesswireless.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Beth Carter EMAIL: Beth@FreelanceWritingSolutions.com IP: 96.24.112.182 URL: http://www.FreelanceWritingSolutions.com DATE: 04/26/2010 10:13:26 AM Love this article. What's great, though, is that it's so easy to change. Companies can still say the great stuff about themselves, just phrase it from the point of view of the customer. Tell the customer WHY it's important that the company has been around for 50 years, WHY it's important that the company is so innovative, etc. It's that critical "WHY" part that is missing too often -- but easy to include! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Promotional Products EMAIL: superiorpromosinc@gmail.com IP: 76.229.144.57 URL: http://www.superiorpromos.com DATE: 04/27/2010 07:50:33 AM Thanks for the post, I have been telling people this for a while now. We bombard people with the same message over and over and over again, about how great our new line is. Everyone is tired of it, and everyone knows it's the same thing with a new, predictable twist. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul McKeon EMAIL: contentfactor@gmail.com IP: 68.217.50.42 URL: http://www.contentfactor.com DATE: 04/28/2010 04:06:31 PM Enjoyed this post, and had a similar observation recently. I noticed how many events on my clients' marketing plan were driven by internal events, such as a product launch, but not by any drivers a buyer cares about. Buyers want to be informed--they want news. "How great I am" is not news. http://bit.ly/bkVLkl ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cameron Carothers EMAIL: cameron@carothersphoto.com IP: 69.234.182.216 URL: http://www.carothersphoto.com DATE: 04/30/2010 02:21:38 PM Thank you Joe for an excellent post. And thank you Beth Carter for helping me figure out just what my prospects want to know about. Cameron Carothers ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Aren't You the Industry Expert? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-arent-you-the-industry-expert CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 04/20/2010 08:31:03 AM ----- BODY:Over the last few days I've been doing some research into how printers are using online content marketing. For the most part, almost all the websites were exactly the same. A few resource sections. A few inconsistent blog posts. For the most part, brochure-ware. Little activity in the right social networks. No content strategy.
I'm not picking on printers here. You could insert a number of industries in place of printing and find the same thing.
I started writing down some questions yesterday after my analysis...
If we are communicating the same information as our competitors, how do we differentiate ourselves?
If we aren't communicating valuable, compelling information to our customers on a consistent basis, how can they ever see us as industry experts?
Why would our customers ever consider sharing our content via social networks with friends and colleagues if we never have anything interesting to say?
If the majority of our content is focused on our products and services, how are we solving the everyday pain points of our customers?
Are we truly making a difference in our customers' lives and careers?
If you were the industry expert, would you be able to sell more products and services? Would you be able to launch new products more successfully? Would you get covered more in the traditional trade press...talked about more on niche online sites? Would customers request your marketing material? Would it be easier for your sales reps to sell? Would your traditional marketing work better? Would you be sought after at trade shows? Would you be able to identify new market opportunities better? Would you have less employee turnover? Would you be able to sell your products at a premium?
Why aren't you the industry expert again?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan EMAIL: dan@marketingcontentwriter.com IP: 65.123.190.1 URL: http://www.marketingcontentwriter.com DATE: 04/20/2010 11:47:24 AM Great points. We used to be more dependant upon the media to build an authority platform. Now anyone can publish a white paper or start a blog that puts your expertise on display for your customers. Of course, if you do that consistently over time, the media will eventually take notice and help to raise your profile even more. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Debbie EMAIL: debbie@sproutcontent.com IP: 70.149.221.171 URL: http://www.sproutcontent.com DATE: 04/21/2010 11:02:38 AM Totally agree. Every business can become it's own source of "media" by by publishging directly. A big issue positioning and carving out a point of difference. Companies need to tell their stories through a consistent message and tone. Many organizations don't deliver non "sales" driven information or see the value in becoming a real resource of information in the area of expertise. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Z. Cordell EMAIL: scordell@szccommunications.com IP: 68.119.226.245 URL: http://www.SZCCommunications.com DATE: 04/29/2010 08:50:22 PM These are great questions, but I think one question that companies don't answer (which leads to all the questions you listed) is "What interesting things do we have to say?" Everything else should come from that answer. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Five Reasons Social Media Marketing Comes Last STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-reasons-social-media-marketing-comes-last CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: small business marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 04/13/2010 06:47:29 PM ----- BODY:
My friend Shama Kabani's book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing, officially comes out this week. I was one of the lucky ones to receive a review copy and I can tell you it's worth the read.
I've been following Shama for the last three years, and what amazed me about her is that she consistently created and distributed excellent content, and tied that into her entire marketing and social media strategy to launch a successful business and an amazing book.
I asked Shama if I could share this portion of her book with you. Thanks Shama!
There’s been a lot of talk lately about companies that are abandoning a website in favor of social media marketing. To me, that’s an experiment I believe will fail, because if there’s one thing I’m certain about, it’s that social media marketing should come LAST. Why would someone who makes her living helping companies from Australia to New York City manage or outsource their social media marketing efforts say that?
Because it’s true. To start with, social media isn’t a marketing platform. It’s a consumer platform.
Marketing platforms like advertising, direct marketing, and telemarketing are one-way communication platforms. A company creates the message, and delivers it creatively in hopes that the consumer will respond. The company is in control of the message – and the only voice consumers have is to “vote with their wallets” by acting on the marketing message, or not.
Social media is a consumer platform, where teenagers in Melbourne, customers in Minneapolis, and prospective buyers in Midlothian all have the same opportunity to voice their opinions, ask questions, and share experiences. Consumers are in control of the message, and they revel in their control. Marketers can join in the conversation, and help to shape the dialogue, but it is definitely not a place where traditional marketing methods work, and it is definitely not a one-way communication platform.
So why bother with social media marketing at all? Because it’s where your customers are turning for information about the products and services they buy. Consider Facebook alone. If it was a country, it would be one of the 25 largest in the world – smaller than the U.S., China, and India, but bigger than Indonesia, Israel, Denmark, and Canada. Over half of all consumers say that they have already purchased something – or switched to another brand or retailer – because of a recommendation they got through a social media site.
It is no longer a question of whether or not corporate brands should be participating in social media – it’s just a question of how they can use the new online communities to help them get the word out. This is where the confusion comes in. Social media is where the customers are – and you have to be there. So why shouldn’t you just scrap the old methods and jump headlong into the new medium?
Because social media is a great place to share information, and introduce consumers to your company and your products, but there are five important reasons that it comes LAST in your marketing plan.
So, for now, I remain convinced that a great website (or blog for small businesses) is the hub of any great marketing campaign. Traditional marketing is far from over – but it has evolved, and social media is a huge part of that. When was the last time you got a piece of direct mail that didn’t have a website address for you to visit? Every morning I listen to NPR (National Public Radio), and every morning the broadcasters invite me to tweet them my questions or fan their Facebook page.
Marketing today is the art and science (dare I say the Zen?) of leveraging multiple platforms to get your message across so that you can motivate people to take action. The goal is the same now as it was in our parent’s day. Only the tools keep changing.
Shama Kabani is president of The Marketing Zen Group, and author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing, which hits store shelves this week.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: marketing zen, social media marketing, shama kabani ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Molander EMAIL: jeff@jeffmolander.com IP: 24.14.33.53 URL: http://www.jeffmolander.com DATE: 04/13/2010 07:25:24 PM I'm a big Joe Fan. Joe, love ya... but seriously? I must be living on another planet. I have never heard ANYONE discussing abandoning Web sites for social media. I hear a steady drum beat AWAY from use of social media for marketing. Anyone with me??? Secondly, I disagree: The WORST social media campaigns "refer people to great websites, downloadable content, memorable videos, or valuable information." The best social media campaigns produce SALES and LEADS. Am I just wacko? Anyone else tired of creating conversations, downloads and traffic and interested in sales and leads? Perhaps I'm in the minority, Joe http://budurl.com/utzk ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama EMAIL: shama@marketingzen.com IP: 173.57.133.72 URL: http://www.MarketingZen.com DATE: 04/13/2010 08:15:09 PM Hi Jeff, Thanks for your comments. Actually, I get at least 2 emails a week asking me if they really NEED a website anymore because they have a Facebook profile. The question exists. In fact, Entrepreneur.com did an article on this exact subject last week: http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/expandingyouronlinepresence/article205808.html As for sales and leads - I am ALL FOR IT! However, people have mistaken expectations. They skip the business model, the website, the ummm - good product or service! In this regard, I think social media comes last and is part of the puzzle. It is unlikely that someone will see your FB fan page and buy. I'd LOVE to see that happen - and when it does it is luck. 99% of the time, it is the start of a relationship. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jesicca EMAIL: jesiccathompson.ldc@gmail.com IP: 221.132.118.27 URL: http://twitter.com/Logo_Design_Con DATE: 04/14/2010 02:11:56 AM Really nice article Shama. Informative and makes complete sense. Indeed social media is booming but you need to use it wisely. You must first have a brand presence in order to give away your message on social media so that people can actually go on and check what your business is all about. I find these days people all over social media but when I click on and go to their sites, they are not that pleasing or professional and thus that good impression is vanished in a jiffy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nicola Connolly EMAIL: nicola@creare.co.uk IP: 81.136.132.236 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 04/14/2010 09:15:21 AM This looks like a great book Shama, some really interesting points. A well built, beautiful and SEO friendly website is the solid foundation of any online marketing campaign - like you say, Social Media, when used successfully, amplifies your message and directs visitors to your website where they can do the 'action' bit (after having the 'conversation'). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama EMAIL: shama@marketingzen.com IP: 173.57.133.72 URL: http://www.MarketingZen.com DATE: 04/14/2010 11:38:31 AM Nicola and Jessica - I appreciate the kind comments and I am excited to see others who get it! = ) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roger Friedensen EMAIL: roger@forgecommunications.com IP: 174.99.58.8 URL: http://wwwforgecommunications.com DATE: 04/14/2010 12:55:10 PM Briliiant! This is spot on. Like any communication tactic/channel social media must be built on a logical, well-planned and smart foundation of strategy and messaging. In the absence of that, you might as well just be tossing darts blindfolded in a dark room. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian EMAIL: szokaj@gmail.com IP: 74.184.56.208 URL: DATE: 04/14/2010 12:57:57 PM Really like the thought leadership. Too many companies are ambushing FB, hoping to find the Holy Grail. The rational is that it is free and has a potential large fanbase. I personally don't believe customers consider themselves "fans" of a company, but rather customers. Unfortunately companies are extremely misguieded with good intentions, because the real ROI is happening in thier own communities on thier websites, generating SEO, analytics, brand advocates, call deflection, and new product ideas. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama EMAIL: shama@marketingzen.com IP: 173.57.133.72 URL: http://www.MarketingZen.com DATE: 04/14/2010 12:58:27 PM Roger - I love that analogy! How descriptive and and "spot on." = ) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Julie EMAIL: julie@liaisonpr.com IP: 173.11.27.45 URL: DATE: 04/14/2010 01:23:18 PM Shama, I completely agree with this argument and applaud your work spreading the word that social marketing should be the last step in a marketing process for companies, however, I must say I disagree that social media is simply a consumer platform. Partners, investors, the media and other non-consumer stakeholders are also utilizing social media and expecting to interact with your brand beyond traditional Web sites, direct mailings, newsletters, etc. Regardless of this point, companies should still be using your lessons when employing social media tools. Thanks for a great read! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Satell EMAIL: gsatell@hotmail.com IP: 85.102.196.238 URL: http://www.digitaltonto.com DATE: 04/14/2010 02:02:03 PM Shana, Great article! I've argued similar things on my own blog, especially the point about social media being a great amplifier, but not a replacement for branding. However, I'm not so sure that social media should be last. It takes so long to build that I think it makes sense to think about it as a integral part of an entire communication strategy. Not first or last, but as part of an integrated approach. - Greg ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Clinton Forry EMAIL: clintonforry@gmail.com IP: 173.8.116.113 URL: http://www.content-ment.com DATE: 04/14/2010 04:36:40 PM Great article! I find myself dwelling on the choice of the word "last." Last, as in chronological, or as in hierarchical? Different implications for each... I agree with @Greg above in the chronological sense -- "Not first or last, but as part of an integrated approach." Putting it last in a hierarchy makes more sense. Get a solid site first. Other things follow. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama EMAIL: shama@marketingzen.com IP: 173.57.133.72 URL: http://www.MarketingZen.com DATE: 04/14/2010 06:58:43 PM @Clinton - Hierarchically speaking. = ) Love the distinction! (Joe - you have such SMART readers!) @Greg - Yes, of course. My point was that people need to put the basics first and not ignore key business principles. Perhaps it is best to say "Before?" = ) @Julie - Excellent points. You are right - there is a place for everyone. But it is best used as a 2 way communication channel vs a one way broadcast. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.148.168 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/14/2010 08:41:25 PM @Shama...obviously you hit a chord here. @Jeff...I agree with you about sales and leads...when that's possible, of course. I like to think of integrating social media more as part of creating or maintaining a behavior. In other words, we may not be at a point in the buying cycle where sales is a possibility. Although we are all still trying to figure this out, social media's best use may be as a nurturing tool. Love this discussion. Thanks for bringing it to the table Shama. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: tony:frosty EMAIL: frostyland.blog@gmail.com IP: 66.166.144.74 URL: http://www.frostyland.com DATE: 04/15/2010 05:11:06 AM 1) Actually this is reversed. Customers visit your website first to check specs and other facts, but they won't make their decision there. They'll make their decision after reading reviews, perhaps researching some forums and then talking with their friends on Twitter or Facebook to get their opinion. 2)Agreed - but you can definitely influence what occurs on those platforms. 3)For good and for bad. 4)Not for long. Facebook knows who you are and will most likely be selling that data to companies sooon. Twitter has just instituted their Promoted Tweets and you can be specific on who you want to reach. See http://mashable.com/2010/04/13/virgin-america-promoted-tweets/ 5)This is the one I have the greatest issue with. Sure if you define social media to be Twitter - but that's not the case. Blogs and forums are all forms of social media, and I'm not sure how you can classify those as being shallow. Also as far as Twitter is concerned - yes it's a social network but it also becoming the backbone of all social networking. Almost all the platforms now have an option to send updates and other bits of information on Twitter. It's like email - except anyone can read it. It's why FourSquare and Gowalla are now viable. As far as websites are concerned - I believe that the integrated social presence is the future. It's a site that blends your blogs, pics from Flickr, videos from YouTube, tweets from Twitter, and any other presences you may have in a singular branded location. A great example of this is The Ford Story. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Howie at Sky Pulse Media EMAIL: hgoldfarb@skypulsemedia.com IP: 72.228.62.161 URL: http://www.skypulsemedia.com DATE: 04/15/2010 09:10:46 AM The people who are trying to promote Social Media vs websites are the Social Media networks hoping to go public, the investors (VC's), and the Journalists/Guru's who have recently carved out a nice living around social. Social is a great place for a small-medium sized business to help market without traditional ad spending. But for big established businesses I see no need for Social at all to tell the truth. At least not at this point. Having even 100 people comment on a Fan Page post is peanuts if you are P&G who have 2 billion customers. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Deb DiBiasie EMAIL: drdebnd@gmail.com IP: 71.174.140.40 URL: http://theadzdr.com DATE: 04/16/2010 10:42:44 AM Great information and reaction as the tweets, retweets, mentions and comments add up. Social Media has its place, which I don’t believe to always considered as last. It is integral to the ability to share and communicate our opinions like never before. Declaring social proof, as exhibited by this thread is great when the content is positive in nature. However,I have an extreme dislike to the opposite that can exist... when it becomes negative and damaging or protection of intellectual property is the issue, when there is disclosure of certain kinds of information or when it affects the personal security of the world, etc...then it becomes#1. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike EMAIL: michaelagaspar@gmail.com IP: 70.131.83.248 URL: DATE: 04/16/2010 11:42:06 AM I appreciate the insight of this post, but I think this post falls short on considering modern consumer behavior. Social media should NOT, or ever, be last, and if it is, it is being implemented improperly. Social media should be integrated and supplemented simultaneously with marketing materials such as blogs, promotions, website etc. With the economy the way that it is, although showing signs of gradual improvement, consumers and professionals alike want to ensure that their decisions are maximizing their investment. I do not believe that consumers turn to social media simply to convert, or just as a forum, but as a means to seek out a personality and brand that they are comfortable giving their hard-earned dollars to. If the organization is using social media properly, it does in fact have influence on the conversation through its voice. And consumers go to social media avenues to listen to this voice, discern if it is one they resonate with, and in turn decide from there if they want to buy. Social media isn't replacing brand, it is supporting it. Regardless of whether a visitor landed on a social media platform or a website first, in this day and age, the two (along with any other marketing tools in place) are going to work in tandem to influence a consumer decision. Both need to be branded, and yes, used wisely. This goes for both B2B and B2C, big and small business, service- and product-oriented businesses. Sure strategy might change with each company, but nonetheless, social media is still a scope through which consumers see and experience your brand. You said: "Marketing today is the art and science (dare I say the Zen?) of leveraging multiple platforms to get your message across so that you can motivate people to take action." Using your art metaphor, it used to be where a website was the paintbrush and the canvas on which the marketing "artist' did his or her work. But with social media in the mix, the paintbrushes are distributed evenly between social media, website, and other marketing tools, all of which have a fairly equal role in painting the portrait that is your brand. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan EMAIL: dan@marketingcontentwriter.com IP: 68.227.171.84 URL: http://www.marketingcontentwriter.com DATE: 04/18/2010 03:06:57 PM "Over half of all consumers say that they have already purchased something – or switched to another brand or retailer – because of a recommendation they got through a social media site." This was given as a reason why corporations get involved in Social Media. But are people changing their minds based on what corporations are saying or what their peers are saying? I would argue it's the latter. So I don't see this as being a compelling reason for companies to engage in social media. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.148.168 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/18/2010 03:15:20 PM Hi Dan...the answer is both. Buyers look to corporations to provide them with valuable information on a consistent basis (according to the Custom Content Council - about 70% of buyers would prefer to get educational content from corporations). One major way to distribute that information is by having conversations with customers and prospects through social media. For example, Junta42 gets about 15% of its total traffic through Twitter, with a good number of those people signing up to Blog RSS, enewsletters, white papers, and our service. Not sure where we would be without leveraging just this one outlet, let alone other places where our customers hang out. If a brand can be part of the community, without just inserting their sales information that no one cares about, the payback can be huge. Thanks for responding Dan. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Yoder EMAIL: sysafari@seowebeditor.com IP: 67.40.135.183 URL: http://www.seowebeditor.com DATE: 04/19/2010 11:23:56 AM I think this confirms that for a commercial website, social media is a means to an end. Your website is where you create and manage most of your informational marketing content. Social media is a way to promote it. I put social media closer to a link strategy than replacing a website. The content of merit is on the site, and suggestion to check it out is made on social media. Anyone who tries to do business development on social media alone will be like a person who has a business card but no phone. Its a net without an anchor. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: gps car dvd EMAIL: scott1202@hotmail.com IP: 113.91.224.251 URL: http://www.gpscardvd.com DATE: 04/24/2010 05:53:28 AM This looks like a great book Shama, some really interesting points. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Savita Bisht EMAIL: savitabisht2010@gmail.com IP: 115.242.119.33 URL: http://www.creativenewton.com DATE: 04/30/2010 03:32:50 AM Good post.Article mentioned very interesting points. Thanks for that. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marcus Dane EMAIL: webbizideas02@gmail.com IP: 124.105.108.250 URL: http://www.webbizideas.com DATE: 04/30/2010 05:31:20 AM It is this thing that has been pointed out by a lot of big businessmen when the trend of using social media for advertising created a hype. They greatly encourage fellow businesses, small and even those starting yet, to own a business website which has a corporate website design or an ecommerce web site design that is accessible and usable not to create a black propaganda on social media but for businesses to have much freedom and space in advertising, handling customer queries, and giving exposure to the business. As said in the post, social media are a consumer platform and not a marketing platform. Those sites are more good at establishing social connections or social networking development, and it is still the venues which are a corporate web design that does the greater part of managing business activities. http://www.webbizideas.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarita Rawat EMAIL: saritarwt89@gmail.com IP: 115.242.95.156 URL: http://www.prozenix.com/ DATE: 05/11/2010 04:05:50 AM Good article. keep write as always. Thanks for sharing......... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tommy and Salinda Howell EMAIL: admin@howwellu.com IP: 24.88.84.136 URL: http://www.howwellu.com DATE: 07/24/2010 09:37:10 PM This is the blog of all blogs that I needed today. When putting things in to perspective, it's sometimes easy to just jump at the hottest thing appearing on the internet. Getting a copy of the book now so we can pay it forward for our readers. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Peter, KLEVUR Website Design EMAIL: info@klevur.com IP: 70.251.225.9 URL: http://www.klevur.com/index.php/Services/website-design-prices.html DATE: 07/28/2010 02:59:52 PM I completely agree with the author. We get people every day that say they don't need a website because Facebook and Twitter are the only place to market. You have no control over what happens once your message is out. There will be tons on money made over the next ten years patching up online reputations from what got destroyed through social media. Read a few comments on a new article from the social world and you will say, "how in the "xx%//" did they come up with that point of view. Great article and great advice. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark-Social Media Marketing Consultant EMAIL: mark@clickherenowmarketing.com IP: 67.23.70.5 URL: http://www.clickherenowmarketing.com DATE: 09/15/2010 04:04:25 PM Yes Social Media is very important as a promotion and branding tool, however we also use and value Direct Marketing and Networking as effective methods of getting new business. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Wendy EMAIL: wendyh@spotlightcreativegroup.com IP: 71.52.143.83 URL: http://raleighsmallbusinessmarketing.com DATE: 11/06/2010 11:41:22 AM This does look like a thoughtful book, and some excellent posts above. I would add that social media can and should also be used to listen to customers and prospects alike so that a business can better respond to needs, enhance differentiation, develop new solutions. This would put aspects of it a little higher up on the action plan than dead last, but I agree with the gist of Shama's points. Thanks for posting it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New Junta42 Top Content Marketing Blogs Released - Convince Converts STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-junta42-top-content-marketing-blogs-released-convince-and-convert-on-top CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 04/09/2010 01:45:34 PM ----- BODY:We are excited to release the eighth installment of the Junta42 Top Content Marketing blogs list. We started with 81 blogs in 2007. For this release, we individually reviewed more than 350 blogs on the basis of content marketing excellence (click here for an explanation of how we review).
Special thanks to our lead researcher, Janet Robbins, who actually goes through each one of these blogs individually every quarter. If you ever need a top notch research specialist, call Janet.
Congratulations to each of the top 42 content marketing blogs, especially Jay Baer from Convince and Convert for his number one status. For those interested, here's a rundown of the past winners (a very exclusive list):
Release #8 (April 2010): Convince and Convert
Release #7: Online Marketing Blog
Release #6: Tippingpoint Labs
Release #5: Marketing with Meaning
Release #4: Online Marketing Blog
Release #3: Copyblogger
Release #2: Copyblogger
Premier Release (August 2007): Nigel Hollis (Millward Brown)
A handy list of the Top 42 is below. Click here for the entire Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs list (including all 350+).
1 Convince
and Convert
2 Conversation
Agent
3 Online
Marketing Blog
4 Web
Ink Now
5 Writing
on the Web
6 Inbound
Internet Marketing Blog
7 Direct
Marketing Observations
8 Connected
Marketer
9 Marketing
Interactions
10 The
Lunch Pail
11 White
Paper Pundit
12 Marketing
with Meaning
13 IdeaLaunch
14 PR
2.0
15 ContentMarketingToday
16 Influential
Marketing Blog
17 Moola
Days
18 Buzz
Marketing for Technology
19 Rexblog
20 eMedia
Vitals
21 PR
20/20
22 Sparksheet
23 Pamorama
24 B2B
Bloggers
25 Brain
Traffic
26 Copyblogger
27 Web
Strategy by Jeremiah
28 ConverStations
29 Simple
Marketing Blog
30 Conversation
Marketing
31 Ducttape
Marketing
32 Post
Advertising
33 Hard
Knox Life
34 Social
Media Examiner
35 TippingPoint
Labs
36 Writing
White Papers
37 Proactive
38 SEOptimize
39 FASTforward
Blog
40 Social
Media Explorer
41 AriWriter
42 jaffe
juice
Related Articles:
I just read an outstanding article in the April issue of Inc. Magazine on Jerry Murrell and Five Guys Burgers and Fries (I'll be going to my first Five Guys this week, so I'll keep you posted). As of this post, the electronic version was not available.
Beside the fact that this is a must-read article for anyone in business today, I thought that Jerry's take on business has too many similarities when it comes to thinking about your content marketing (yes, I know, of course I made this link). Here are my key takeaways:
For more on developing your content marketing strategy based on these tips, check out this content marketing white paper from Junta42.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: five guys, content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Z. Cordell EMAIL: scordell@szccommunications.com IP: 68.119.226.245 URL: http://www.SZCCommunications.com DATE: 04/05/2010 06:04:48 PM Reading this post made me hungry — and inspired! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob Burns EMAIL: bburns@e-myth.com IP: 63.150.56.194 URL: http://www.e-myth.com DATE: 04/06/2010 10:42:30 AM Great stuff, Joe! I had just read the same piece yesterday and was wondering how to apply some of these ideas to other business models and products. What a great take on this. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Heidi Walker EMAIL: hmaewalker@gmail.com IP: 150.199.117.75 URL: http://www.businessownerandemployee.ismyblogs.name DATE: 04/06/2010 11:57:44 AM Five Guys... Ohm nom nom nom truly. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jean EMAIL: jeanm22@gmail.com IP: 204.146.162.10 URL: DATE: 04/06/2010 02:23:38 PM Enjoy the burger and fries - it's absolutely delish. And great insights you share in this post! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Libbie EMAIL: ljmiller@newtekemail.com IP: 208.106.255.2 URL: http://www.newtekwebservices.com/blog DATE: 04/06/2010 04:32:34 PM It seems like so often we marketers go to great lengths to make things more complicated than necessary. Most of the businesses I frequent (and often evangelize) use this same simple, straight-forward methodology, and the same holds true for good content marketing. Nice comparison post, Joe. I'll be spreading some link love on your behalf. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Todd EMAIL: todd@taxtraxx.com IP: 24.129.143.114 URL: http://ptoddkelly.wordpress.com DATE: 04/07/2010 10:35:40 AM I'm a regular 5 Guys customer. Unfortunately, they are beginning to fall into a trap that grabs many early success stories - they are becoming more and more "corporate", which should be your next point - make sure this doesn't happen to you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cory Grassell EMAIL: Cory.Grassell@15miles.com IP: 207.250.167.102 URL: http://www.SearchPerspective.com DATE: 04/08/2010 02:43:48 PM Yep. Content marketing should be centered around content that can go viral. The power has shifted from brand to consumer, meaning consumers now control brand messaging and how its spread. Take your message where the consumers are, and let them do the work. (As a Milwaukee,WI, resident, I've never been fortunate to try your burgers/fries, but I applaud your marketing insights.) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kari Rippetoe EMAIL: kari.rippetoe@rippetoe.net IP: 173.15.200.105 URL: http://twitter.com/karirippetoe DATE: 04/09/2010 09:23:07 AM In what way are Five Guys getting more "corporate"? Sure, they may be a national franchise, but the fact that they 1) make everything to order and 2) post local/regional reviews on their store walls (along with a bulletin board for customers to post their own comments for everyone to see) makes it feel local and not like other big burger chains that shall remain nameless. Five Guys is a great example of how content marketing doesn't have to be online to be successful, in this day and age where everyone is hopping on-board the blogging bandwagon left and right. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: alexander john EMAIL: mr.alexanderjohn@gmail.com IP: 76.229.148.82 URL: http://newbieecourse.blogspot.com/ DATE: 08/05/2010 08:27:04 AM keeping it simple is king! you most keep it simple or poeple will not like it. thats just what i have seen. great tips ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: japandemic superfly EMAIL: honcho@japandemic.com IP: 218.129.199.42 URL: http://www.japandemic.com DATE: 09/03/2010 07:39:58 AM This is great. About to be printed, possibly laminated, and posted on the walls here at japandemic. Thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jake Coventry EMAIL: info@matizmo.co.uk IP: 85.244.70.91 URL: http://www.matizmo.co.uk DATE: 12/02/2010 07:58:07 AM Great post. Excellent key takeaways! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 15 Content Marketing and Social Media Keys To Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 15-content-marketing-and-social-media-keys-to-success CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 04/02/2010 06:53:19 AM ----- BODY:
I put this post together for a couple reasons.
First, I've participated in 15 interviews over the past three weeks, and I'm starting to dream this stuff. Putting it in a blog post helps me get sleep. Second, today is Junta42's third anniversary (4/2/2007).
Junta42 was officially started with this blog post on April 26, 2007 entitled "Why Content Marketing?" Here is the last paragraph from that post:
One thing is for sure, it is the organizations, not individual users or publishers, that have the greatest opportunity (and possibly learning curve) to create valuable content that makes an impact on people. Smart organizations are doing it now. More will come. Things are going to get interesting.
That statement was true then, and is even more so today. You are the publisher, and you can and will do great things. Here's a few points that may help.
----- EXTENDED BODY:If you need more guidance, try this content marketing white paper. It's still my favorite and you'll find it helpful. Now go out and be the publisher in your industry to grow your business.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, junta42, social media, content marketing tips ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.140 URL: http://samuraiwriter.com/blog DATE: 04/03/2010 11:41:49 PM Applying #11 and #15 are what makes the whole content marketing package come 'alive' imho. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Bierbaum EMAIL: bbierbaum@priorityresults.com IP: 71.63.241.60 URL: http://www.priorityresults.com DATE: 04/04/2010 09:55:52 AM #2 and #3 are stated simply and clearly. If you turn these into questions you ask your team before starting a social media effort you will save time and resources. I promise! I recently compiled a list of some example social media guidelines from the healthcare industry. http://priorityresults.com/blog/examples-of-healthcare-social-media-guidelines-policies-rules-restrictions-and-formalities/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jamie Favreau EMAIL: jamie_favreau@yahoo.com IP: 69.14.129.189 URL: http://jamiefavreau.wordpress.com DATE: 04/05/2010 12:21:53 AM I think a blog that a particular company has does focus on them. Which is part of the problem. Instead of solving their client's problems. They need to focus on that and they can generate leads by opening up the comments. But they have not hired me so I can't implement my ideas. I can just talk about them in a vague sense. People will talk about you whether or not you want them too. If you can be their friend they will more than likely be happy with you. I know personally I am passionate about a BIG BRAND and I feel like I have been wronged. I know I have a community and I also know I have been involved in theirs since 01-02. I don't know why they have discarded their own community and gone the traditional route but that is another story. I think they need to realize content is everywhere and there are hundreds of ways to send out a negative message. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jody Pellerin EMAIL: Marketing@PhaseWare.com IP: 173.173.91.177 URL: http://www.phaseware.com/phaseware-files-blog DATE: 04/10/2010 03:55:02 PM Our company blog does not focus on our product. We focus on topics that we hope are useful to our customers. We provide customer service and support software for the small to medium business market. Most blog topics have something to do with how to deliver excellent customer service, a little about marketing, knowledge management, self service...all of which our product does provide but very rarely do we name our product. What we want is to know that our customers and potential customers know what they are talking about when it does come time to get a solution like ours, whether they choose us or not. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 12 Mobile Marketing Stats You Need to Know STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: mobile-marketing-stats-trends CATEGORY: mobile marketing DATE: 03/31/2010 07:52:46 AM ----- BODY:Our January content marketing spending study showed that one thing was clear - marketers are desperate for more information about mobile marketing.
Of all content marketing areas, only mobile marketing rose year over year re: educational needs (see the chart below).
Very relevant to this mobile marketing need, I had the pleasure of sitting through a fantastic presentation on mobile marketing trends and stats by David Doherty at Ascend Media yesterday. Part of this presentation included a diverse spread of mobile marketing research (included below for your reference). Hoping these will be helpful to you.
Important note on this chart: Google is growing fastest! Palm in decline.
(Findings from email survey conducted of 1000 marketers last month by email marketing company ExactTarget and internet market research company Econsultancy as reported in BtoB Online, February 12, 2010)
David and I had a nice discussion about mobile marketing after his presentation. The thinking from both of us is that this is really the first year that most marketers are actively thinking about mobile specific websites and mobile applications as part of their content marketing programs. As budgets continue to free up, 2011 looks to be the year we see incredible integration into content marketing programs.
More to come...
----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: mobile marketing, mobile marketing stats, mobile trends ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Robinsh EMAIL: robinsh123@gmail.com IP: 118.94.27.180 URL: http://www.digmlm.com DATE: 04/01/2010 05:32:24 AM There is no amaze if mobile marketing is growing, peoples are going to hold that one for the most of time and work. Now promoters have to think how to use this opportunity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Bouchez EMAIL: mlmonlineadvantage@gmail.com IP: 68.4.81.221 URL: http://mlmonlineadvantage.com DATE: 04/09/2010 10:08:05 AM Great article Joe, I posted the link and recommendation on my blog. Regards, Dave Bouchez ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christian EMAIL: chrigr2@googlemail.com IP: 79.212.16.84 URL: http://www.bettmer.de DATE: 09/17/2010 07:49:21 AM I also love your article! Our company already uses social media and we look forward to launch some mobile services. Your article inspired me and gave me some great statistics, so I can speak with my boss now. Thanks! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Engagement: Understanding It, Achieving It, Measuring It - A Complimentary White Paper STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: engagement-white-paper CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 03/23/2010 08:28:54 PM ----- BODY:What is engagement? What does it really mean in marketing? How should we measure it? What tactics can we employ to help enhance it?
Those are exactly the questions Keith Wiegold and I try to tackle in our latest white paper - Engagement: Understanding It, Achieving It, Measuring It.
In this white paper we:
The rationale for the white paper is summed up nicely with Keith's comments:
Everyone is talking about engagement, but we were hard pressed to find a source that put a stake in the ground and said 'this is what engagement really means, this is how it strategically impacts marketing goals, and this is how you can measure it,' let alone achieve it”. This white paper tackles all of this, plus provides some great tactical thoughts on how to ensure customer engagement.
I believe you'll find some excellent information that will help to position the role and importance of engagement in your own organization (as well as some wicked charts you'll love). AND, this white paper is GATE-FREE...meaning no sign-up required. In exchange, all we ask is that, if you like it, please share it with a friend or colleague. Download the engagement white paper here.
To see the ZMAGS version, click here.
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: engagement, keith weigold, joe pulizzi, white paper ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: R. Michael Brown EMAIL: MikeBrown@BrownLtd.com IP: 75.201.97.154 URL: http://www.BrownLtd.wordpress.com DATE: 03/23/2010 11:59:51 PM Awesome whitepaper! It's a tough topic. Measurement makes it harder but well worth the effort. Well researched and written. You not only preach, but practice it as well. Thanks for the great work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Bottom EMAIL: john.bottom@baseonegroup.co.uk IP: 87.86.242.99 URL: http://www.baseonegroup.co.uk/beyond DATE: 03/24/2010 09:47:03 AM Joe - fantastic whitepaper. Found this very useful. Thanks so much for making it available. John ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dave Manzer EMAIL: dmanzer@thesagecloser.com IP: 76.224.146.78 URL: http://www.thesagecloser.com DATE: 03/24/2010 11:56:59 AM Good post, Joe. I also wrote about how the Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs, does a great job of engaging its audience. Check out the blog if you want to see how Mike Rowe gives a lesson on humility, customer appreciation and product innovation. http://bit.ly/cKNkFt ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Promotional Products EMAIL: superiorpromosinc@gmail.com IP: 68.8.95.8 URL: http://www.superiorpromos.com DATE: 03/25/2010 09:41:30 PM Great stuff. Love the resource you have provided us with. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Liz Gebhardt EMAIL: egebhardt@egebhardt.com IP: 75.18.202.110 URL: http://www.thinkingoutloud.com DATE: 03/27/2010 10:37:28 PM Like your collection of engagement definitions on page 5. Very helpful how you broke your definition into its core elements and set a framework around multiple communications channels. The definition of engagement/influence that I have been researching is Influence = Trust+Expertise+Attention at http://www.thinkingoutloud.com/eg_ventures/2009/09/the-engagement-influence-equation.html ShareThis has also been doing some interesting data-driven work in the area of influence and engagement that you might find interesting in your work. One of their posts: http://blog.sharethis.com/2010/03/02/influence-data-sharing-data/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Social Media Success Summit 2010 Coming Soon STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: social-media-success-summit-2010-coming-soon CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 03/23/2010 11:32:09 AM ----- BODY:I've worked with Mike Stelzner for the past few years to promote his amazing events. This year's Social Media Success Summit 2010 might be his best yet.
WHAT IS THE EVENT?: Social Media Success Summit 2010 is the web's largest live online conference that will empower you to use social media to gain more exposure, better engage customers and grow your business. The world's leading social media gurus will show you how. Join 24 experts, including Guy Kawasaki (author, Art of the Start), Chris Brogan (author, Social Media 101), Darren Rowse (author, ProBlogger), Mari Smith (author, Facebook Marketing), Greg Jarboe (author, YouTube and Video Marketing), Kim Dushinski (author, Mobile Marketing Handbook); experts from Best Buy, Home Depot, Whole Foods, Foursquare and Groupon; Steve Rubel (Edelman), Ann Handley (MarketingProfs), Brian Clark (Copyblogger), Jason Falls (Social Media Explorer), Jay Baer (Convince & Convert) and Ramon De Leon (Chicago Domino's Pizza)—just to mention a few.
If you need to take the next steps to leverage social media as part of your content marketing strategy, signing up for this event would be a smart move. Check it out here. Registration is limited and you can save $300 by signing up today.
Disclaimer: Junta42 is a proud affiliate for Social Media Success Summit.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: social media, social media success summit 2010 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: What Does Science Teach Us About Content Marketing? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: what-does-science-teach-us-about-content-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/17/2010 10:21:12 AM ----- BODY:I was really impressed with David Chapin's work on comparing content marketing to life sciences. So much so, that I asked him to submit a guest post about it. Thanks to David for putting this together.
Content marketing is a hot trend in marketing circles. This trend may be hot but it is not new.
Science has been using a form of content marketing since the 18th century, when peer-reviewed articles first began to be published. Though the titles are different, the mechanism and the benefits are similar.
Peer-reviewed publishing works like this: A scientist gives away information (such as the description and results of an experiment) that the audience finds useful and relevant. The audience responds by noticing the information, by paying attention to the source of the information, by seeing the source as differentiated, by trusting them and eventually by “raising their hands” to interact with them (e.g., “Could you please come present your paper at this conference?”). The scientist’s reputation is enhanced, which helps them get funding for the next experiment.
Substitute the word “company” for “scientist” in the paragraph above, and you describe content marketing: A company gives away information that the audience finds useful and relevant. The audience responds by noticing the information, by paying attention to the source of the information, by seeing the source as differentiated, by trusting the source and eventually by “raising their hands” to interact with the source. The company’s reputation is enhanced.
Here are some key differences between the two:
This content marketing illustration depicts the similarities and differences
between peer-review publishing and content marketing.
The benefits of peer-review publishing and content marketing are the same: so you can be found (out of the sea of information), so you can be differentiated from your competition, so you can be chosen as a relevant source, and so you can become trusted – all with the goal of with your audience (prospects). Aren’t these the goals of marketing?
David Chapin is the CEO of Forma Life Science
Marketing, a leading marketing firm for life science, biotech and pharma
companies. Forma distills and communicates complex messages into compelling
communications for sophisticated audiences.
David authors a newsletter: The Marketing of Science which covers topics of interest in marketing life science companies; it is published by Forma Life Science Marketing approximately ten times per year. For subscription information, go here.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, life sciences, science marketing, peer-reviewed, forma ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris W. EMAIL: chris@blue-ferret.com IP: 68.124.190.11 URL: http://www.blue-ferret.com DATE: 03/17/2010 07:55:16 PM A marvelous comparison! Excellent way to speak to the scientific-minded among us (which includes me). It's all science and psychology and process. Much simpler than we make it sometimes. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Z. Cordell EMAIL: scordell@szccommunications.com IP: 68.119.226.245 URL: http://www.SZCCommunications.com DATE: 03/17/2010 10:23:49 PM Initially, it seemed like an odd comparison to draw, but it works! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: J. Geibel EMAIL: jgeibel@geibelmarketing.com IP: 173.48.206.69 URL: http://www.geibelmarketing.com DATE: 03/19/2010 11:17:57 AM That's a real stretch. The idea that quality will automatically stand out is simply not correct (one has to know what constitutes quality before being able to discern it - even PT Barnum knew that), as is the premise that customers will "seek out" vendors (sellers.) Quite the contrary, the vast majority of vendors have to aggressively seek out their buyers - it's called selling. Proactive selling results in forecastable revenue - passive marketing results in marketing budgets. Scientific publishing is more akin to professional promotion than commercial marketing. The best marketing and PR content comes from documenting the successful sales process (e.g., building case studies from the sales map), which serve to visualize solutions and shortens the distance between the seller and the buyer (revenue). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mick Dickinson EMAIL: mick@buzzedup.co.uk IP: 77.98.153.143 URL: http://www.buzzedup.co.uk/ DATE: 03/20/2010 04:31:53 AM The power of content marketing is self-evident to most. However, it is very useful have another way of illustrating it - thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Chapin EMAIL: dchapin@formalifesciencemarketing.com IP: 70.63.130.38 URL: http://www.formalifesciencemarketing.com DATE: 03/23/2010 01:12:37 PM J Geibel, What exactly is a real stretch? Do you refer to the main thesis of the article, which is the similarity between content marketing and peer-reviewed publishing, and what we can learn from comparing/contrasting the two? Or something else? You take issue with the statement "..that customers will 'seek out' vendors (sellers)." and you go on to state: "On the contrary, the vast majority of vendors have to aggressively seek out their buyers - it's called selling." Buyers do seek out sellers. Think about what happens when a consumer decides to buy a car. The buyer-to-be does go seek out sellers. The same thing happens in the B-to-B world in the life sciences. If a lab needs a flow cytometer, they seek out the vendors of these devices. The ability of people to search out information on the internet just facilitates this and puts power in the hands of the consumer, power that selling can't overcome all by itself. To assist in being chosen for the short list of relevant, trusted suppliers, vendors must actively market their products, that is, raise awareness of their offering and raise the level of trust in the audience's minds. You state "Scientific publishing is more akin to professional promotion than commercial marketing." If by that you mean that scientific publishing is all about promoting yourself, then I disagree. Scientific publishing can be seen as an fair exchange: "I'll tell you about the results of my experiment and in return, you'll give me some of your attention and your trust." The byproduct may be promotion of the scientist's professional standing, but that is not the main point. In the future interruption marketing is going to be much less important for most B2B categories. But selling (aggressive or otherwise) alone won't replace it. In its place will be similar kinds of exchanges: valuable information and insight in exchange for trust and dialog. Lastly, I do believe that the "quality" of the content being marketed will assist the audience in differentiating between the different kinds of content available on the web. There is lots of low-quality content out there, and this low-quality content does little to build trust between the audience and the "author." My point is simply that creating content of high quality is important because it helps the "author" stand out when quality content is compared to other offerings that have lower quality. And yes, I believe that people can distinguish on their own between higher quality and lower quality content. Particularly in the life sciences, with highly educated, sophisticated, technologically-savvy audiences. In peer-reviewed publishing, there is a mechanism built in to ensure some baseline level of quality - that is, the peers that are reviewing the papers will not recommend for publication those papers that exhibit "poor quality," (which can be defined in a number of ways, including errors in thought, errors in analysis or errors in writing and presentation.) This baseline level does not exist in typical content marketing situations, and I was simply exhorting people who are interested in creating or publishing content to pay attention to the quality of the content they publish. David Chapin ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve | Website Content EMAIL: blog@verticalmeasures.com IP: 72.215.194.134 URL: http://www.interactmedia.com DATE: 03/23/2010 05:17:31 PM I feel like I hit the gold mine with this post. I go crazy for infographics, and these ones are great. It's always interesting to find similarities between seemingly different industries. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Glenn Friesen EMAIL: glenn@glennfriesen.com IP: 173.226.114.90 URL: http://green9media.com/ DATE: 10/20/2010 12:01:04 PM Very clever, and on-point. Content marketing is the way to go, though I still believe peer review should have a place in the process of publishing. I'm sure there's an editorial process for most publishers; but I'm absolutely sure there isn't for most online publishers. Thus, lots of opinions exist, but little honest, tested data (excepting a few sites that hit critical mass, and have the cash to fund proper tests). Anyway, props for the analogy. It's a good one. :) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing is not just the WHAT, but also the HOW STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-is-not-just-the-what-but-also-the-how DATE: 03/17/2010 09:01:10 AM ----- BODY:More and more brands are catching on to the idea that content marketing means providing information to your prospects and consumers that is important to them (to drive a specific marketing objective).
As we discussed in content marketing success factors, it's a challenge not to talk about yourself. Naturally, we are excited to talk about what we can offer our customers.
We have to continually remind ourselves that our customers don't care about us. They care about themselves. So, if you deliver information about your products and services, most of that will be ignored. The information MUST be about your customers' pain points in order for it to be engaged with and shared.
Of course, the content takes center-stage...but information without a proper delivery mechanism, now that's a problem.
So many marketers get caught up in the what. They want to do a blog or an enewsletter or launch a twitter account or do a video series or a mobile application. Whenever I talk with any marketer who brings up tools, my next question is always why?
That's where it gets interesting.
Think of it this way the next time you are launching a content marketing project - If your target buyers were blind adults, would you launch a video series on YouTube.
So in addition to looking at the actual content in your content
marketing strategy, be sure that you are also looking at how you are
going to get that information out there for your audience to find and
consume it.
A blog post from Social Email Marketing shares this quote which I
think sums it up nicely.
“People want to decide how they communicate with a company themselves.
I call it the Starbucks phenomenon: Starbucks offers six thousand
different flavours and types of coffee. It would take 17 years to try
them all. But customers love it.”
Although this Inc. article from Joel Spolksy is geared toward entrepreneurs, it's worth the read. While I disagree with Joel's decision to discontinue his popular blog (the one that helped him launch and grow his business), the key to his commentary is this point:
To really work..a blog has to be about something bigger than his or her company and his or her product. This sounds simple, but it isn't. It takes real discipline to not talk about yourself and your company. Blogging as a medium seems so personal, and often it is. But when you're using a blog to promote a business, that blog can't be about you. It has to be about your readers, who will, it's hoped, become your customers. It has to be about making them awesome.
Please go back and read this again.
Not following Joel's advice on this is where almost all content marketing programs (not just blogs) go wrong. Brands think that content marketing is about the clever usage of text, video and other channels to attract prospects to you. It has to be about something more than this. It has to be about solving your customers' pain points. It has to be about making them great...and while doing that, they become your customer (see this thinkorswim case study for an example of this). This is exactly what we've tried to do with Junta42.
Now for our second success factor.
I was in the car yesterday for a long stretch and had a chance to listen to most of Seth Godin's new book Linchpin (sidebar...anyone who is working a job and does NOT have a career, read this book).
Seth stressed the key difference between successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs - shipping. Successful businesses consistently ship products or services. They don't wait until it is absolutely perfect. They get it out there. They take the risk...consistently.
I've presented over 200 times in the past three years and at some point through every presentation I discuss two keys to content marketing: 1) Quality content (see success factor one - it's about your customers) and 2) consistency (or shipping). I've never looked at consistency as "shipping" until after I listened to Seth's book, but that's exactly what it is.
Shipping is your content promise to your customers. Shipping...getting the content in the hands of your customers is far more important than it being perfect. Content marketing is NEVER perfect. If we waited a few more days, or had a few more reviews, I'm sure we could get closer to perfection. The key insight here is that perfection isn't the goal. The goal is making an impact on your customers...to maintain or change their behavior in some way. If you don't ship, that will never be possible.
I participated in an amazing social media webinar today from MENG. The expert roundtable included members of the newly formed MENG Social Media Council (Mack Collier, Paul Dunay, Beth Harte, Drew McLellan, Amber Naslund and myself).
Also introduced during the session was this extremely helpful social media guide from CMO.com. Download the PDF version here. This is an excellent primer to review once your social media strategy is in place.
Other helpful stories include:
Interesting interview with Primoz Inkret and Igor Savic from Poslovni Mediji (Business Media) in Slovenia. Some points covered include:
Thanks to both Primoz and Igor for their insights, and for having me at their wonderful event on content marketing. FYI, below is my presentation, Publishing is the New Marketing.
Pomp Forum Joe Pulizzi Publishing Is The New Marketing
View more presentations from PM, poslovni mediji.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, slovenia, primoz inkret, igor savic, joe pulizzi ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Rethinking Print as Part of the Content Strategy: Fortune, APA Proving Print is Not Dead STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: rethinking-print-as-part-of-the-content-strategy-fortune-apa-proving-print-is-not-dead CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: custom magazines DATE: 03/04/2010 07:48:44 PM ----- BODY:I just took three flights to get to Slovenia.
On each flight and in all the waiting areas, I saw people holding, reading and engaging in print magazines.
Then, I spent the day listening to the state of content marketing in Europe at POMP Forum 2010 conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Here's what I learned from the Julia Hutchison and Patrick Fuller from the APA (the association of branded editorial content in the UK).
Surprising, huh?
Then, I see this Fortune interview where they are investing heavily in the print magazine...including higher quality paper and significant design/font changes.
What does this tell me? When we develop a content marketing strategy, we need to look at all possible tactics to get the best return for our investment. While digital is hot, print may still be a key component to your strategy. It might be worth revisiting.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: custom magazines, apa, pomp forum ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dave Manzer EMAIL: dmanzer@thesagecloser.com IP: 76.224.146.78 URL: http://www.thesagecloser.com DATE: 03/05/2010 01:33:31 PM Good point, Joe. In a world where everybody runs to the latest marketing fad, sometimes it pays to be a contrarian. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NaniPrints EMAIL: nanip@seanet.com IP: 64.38.157.36 URL: http://naniprints.com/printing-disasters%E2%80%94and-how-to-avoid-them/ DATE: 03/08/2010 08:35:53 PM It's nice to see this post. Thanks! While the print + web mix is definitely changing, the custom magazine is a very interesting use of digital and print on demand. I continue to promote the idea that inn any comprehensive brand, there's a place for print. See my blog posts about this at http://tinyurl.com/ycxkgtl and http://tinyurl.com/ycqgt78. It's going to be interesting to see how print recovers as the economy does. It will be a good measure of how much of its decline is a true paradigm shift and how much has been a factor of the economy, including marketing and advertising, having been in the toilet over the past 2 years! ~Nani ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Z. Cordell EMAIL: scordell@szccommunications.com IP: 68.119.226.245 URL: http://www.SZCCommunications.com DATE: 03/08/2010 08:53:06 PM Yay! After reading about the beating that consumer mags took in 2009, I'm very happy to see some good news relating to print publications. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: What's Your Brand Story? - Moleskine Endures through Storytelling STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: whats-your-brand-story-moleskine-endures-through-storytelling CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 03/03/2010 12:00:42 PM ----- BODY:My content marketing friends, Igor Savic and Primoz Inkret from Poslovni Mediji (Business Media) in Slovenia, were nice enough to give me a branded Moleskine notebook on my arrival to their beautiful country.
I've heard of Moleskine before, but now I know their story.
Included inside the legendary notebook is a detailed history of the product (see picture below).
"Moleskine is the legendary notebook used by European artists and thinkers for the past two centuries, from Van Gogh to Picasso, from Ernest Hemingway to Bruce Chatwin. This trusty, pocket-size travel companion held sketches, notes, stories and ideas before they were turned into famous images or pages of beloved books."
It means something to write in a Moleskine. To be an owner of a Moleskine says something about who you are. In the video (produced by Moleskine), it says something about who Bruce Chatwin was.
Moleskine has endured all these years because they tell stories as well as the people who used their product. Brand stories don't just happen. They are told...and spread.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: brand story, Moleskine ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sheree Johnson EMAIL: sheree@storytellings.com IP: 24.82.100.156 URL: http://www.storytellings.com DATE: 03/04/2010 02:08:19 PM It’s great to see so much conversation about the persuasive power of stories. As I read this post, I was struck by the varying and valid definitions of brand story and storytelling that are being used in business today. Since language is so important in communications, I thought I would share how we use these words: (1) Brand Story is the narrative that, in the telling, portrays the heart and soul of the brand and emotionally connects your brand with the consumer. For example, Nike isn’t just selling sports gear. They’re selling the mythic story of heroic achievements through hard work, sweat, and perseverance. The Brand Story needs to be infused into all organizational activities and assets (people, culture, product, packaging, facilities, marketing, customer experiences, etc.). It’s the ‘big S’ story. (2) Brand history is the founding and evolution of the company. Many brands view their story as merely their histories. Though perhaps interesting, this is not the ‘big S’ story. (3) Brand experience stories are the personal stories that consumers tell about their experiences with products and services. These stories are very desirable outcomes from effectively infusing your organizational activities and assets with the Brand Story. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Frisk EMAIL: mark.frisk@gmail.com IP: 67.247.79.92 URL: http://markfrisk.com DATE: 03/10/2010 10:53:07 AM It's a great story, but it's mostly made up. Don't get me wrong. I love my Moleskines, have for years. And just because the story's not exactly true doesn't make it less effective. Clearly this brand is connecting on a very deep, emotional level with its fans. The story it tells is obviously a key driver of that connection. Other drivers include the quality of the product, the sense of connectedness with other fans, and even the retro appeal Moleskines have amidst a sea of the latest cool digital gear. Here's a detailed look at the "real" Moleskine. Illuminating reading for anyone interested in brands and brand stories. http://thinktopia.com/2008/03/03/moleskine-notebooks/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Brands as Publishers - Where's Your Content Strategy? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: brands-as-publishers-wheres-your-content-strategy CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 02/26/2010 08:43:10 AM ----- BODY:Just returned back from Online Marketing Summit 2010 where the statement "brands as publishers" almost seemed overused. Although we've been talking about that on this blog for three years now and in more detail in Get Content Get Customers, this is the first time I've heard this type of statement in force "out in the real world".
It started with John Batelle from Federated Media. John might be most well-known for being one of the creators of Wired magazine. In the opening keynote, John stated that for brands to stay relevant and develop a true online experience for their customers, brands must master the art of content creation.
Later in my session on content marketing strategy, we talked about the fact that any online marketing, whether social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, landing page conversion, etc., does not work without first having content strategy.
Need more proof? Check out this excellent content strategy post from Kristina Halvorson. Specifically, I like this line from Kristina:
Let’s not gloss over content strategy by focusing solely on what we should be doing; let’s also focus on the why and how.
I couldn't say this better myself - and this point was evident at the OMS conference. The brand marketers there were so focused on SEO and social media and all the content tactics, but they have never taken the time to ask the question why? - what are the informational needs of my customers? - what is our brand story, our brand voice?
Want proof? Of the room of 300 marketing professionals we were speaking to at OMS, only four people raised their hands that they actually had a documented content strategy.
Where's yours?
More helpful articles:
Junta42 has been receiving quite a few calls/emails regarding our content marketing matching service versus the new Hubspot inbound marketing marketplace. In response, I took a few minutes to explain what I believe is the difference based on what Hubspot has shared.
Here are the highlights from the video:
Inbound marketing is a subset of content marketing. Although both look at how to attract and retain customers with compelling, consistent content, inbound marketing focuses most of the energy on online channels. Content marketing takes a more holistic approach, looking at your content strategy as it relates to all channels (online, print, in-person and mobile). An effective content marketing strategy must also look at how the content program needs to be integrated with traditional marketing efforts.
Hubspot's new "ebay for marketing services" is a marketplace that's much different than Junta42's "vendor matching service for content marketing". A marketplace, while still very valuable - ala eLance - still puts most of the work on the brand's shoulders in finding a content provider. Hubspot has developed a valuable service here for inbound marketing for a certain size (mostly smaller) companies needing inbound marketing services. It's a good move for Hubspot, which hopes to get people signed up to use their software and help retain those customers that are having trouble developing a solid online story.
Junta42 is not a marketplace. We take input from the brand on the content needs (through a five-minute survey and conversations with the client), project needs, audience target, project size and more. From that, we "match" the brand with one to five pre-qualified content marketing experts, saving the time and resources that it takes to search for the right provider, and the hassle of doing a formal RFP. We ensure that the vendor understands the type of project (print, online, in-person), the content area, and understand the art of content marketing storytelling.
It's also important to note that Junta42 experts handle the full breadth of content marketing services, including events and print content marketing, and not solely on inbound marketing solutions that Hubspot does. For more details on the types of projects we've matched up, check out this 2009 Junta42 annual report or our content marketing customer testimonials.
For more on Junta42, check out our "How Junta42 Works" page.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, inbound marketing, junta42, hubspot ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Peter Caputa EMAIL: pc4media@gmail.com IP: 204.9.221.74 URL: http://www.twitter.com/pc4media DATE: 02/22/2010 07:27:34 PM Thanks for doing this video, Joe. At HubSpot, we don't see you as competition. There's room for many different approaches and both content marketing and inbound marketing represent approaches that more marketers should embrace. Our approaches complement each other's more than they compete. As you rightly pointed out, our core business focus is providing software and training to busineses to help them do inbound marketing. Where we might disagree is whether inbound marketing is a subset of content marketing. We might actually say it the other way around. As you know, there are more steps to our inbound marketing methodology than simply creating content, albeit content creation is probably the most critical. There's optimizing it and promoting it. There's repurposing of that content for compelling offers for lead generation. So, our services go beyond just content marketing. They cover landing page creation, website design, call to action button creation. Soon, we'll launch services for lead nurturing, salesforce.com+HubSpot integration and social media marketing. But, your point is well taken about the fact that you offer content services beyond the "web". Since you've been watching us for a long time, I'm sure you're not surprised that we're not encouraging ompanies to print on dead trees, so we only launched a blog writing service at this time. But, we understand that we haven't convinced the world's marketers to abandon what they've been doing for 50 years YET. The main reason we didn't launch a "magazine writing" service or an event marketing service is because they are outside the scope of what our customers are asking for. We've built our different packages simply around what challenges and requests we get from our 2000+ customers. One other nit too.... we provide software and training for companies of ALL sizes. We started with SMBs, but we have added products and features for largers companies as well. If I had to guess, your customer base probably is larger companies and more b2c type companies whereas our customer base is more mid size companies and a bit more focused on b2b. But, we plan to continue expanding our capabilities for all different types of marketers, and we have a huge diversity amongst our customer base. Suited for your market with bigger b2c type ad bugets, your matching system is also lot more sophisiticated, whereas our is more of a directory. You're playing the middle man, whereas we just want to play the connector. We look forward to seeing your continued success, Joe. Again, we don't see it as competition. Let's keep the dialog open as we have for the last few years. We're all fighting the good fight and look forward to continuing to work with you to bring the "importance of content" more to the fore. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 74.85.100.254 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/22/2010 07:40:38 PM Hi Peter...thanks for taking the time to respond. No, I don't see us as direct competition. As I've been saying for months, 2010 is the year of content marketing "how", meaning that people are starting to get the "brands as publishers" model we have both been evangelizing. RE: Your definition of content marketing, I do disagree with this though. Content marketing is not just content creation. It's the entire brand storytelling process - Identifying the niche, developing measurable goals, creating the content strategy, finding where your customers are at in print, online in-person, executing on the content, setting up listening posts, distributing the content, so on and so forth. It sounds like, from what you are saying, that inbound marketing does the same thing, but just with an online focus. I do want to point out that Hubspot does not just do inbound marketing, but content marketing. You clearly leverage events as part of your content marketing strategy. You've also developed a book (printed on dead trees - which I have by the way) in addition to your videos, blogs, podcasts etc. So, from my standpoint, Hubspot does content marketing, not just inbound marketing. This may be semantics, but it's important for Hubspot customers to realize that inbound marketing works MUCH MUCH better with an integrated content marketing strategy. Hubspot is a testament to that. Thanks again for commenting and I'm looking forward to hearing more about what you are doing. Cheers Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Peter Caputa EMAIL: pc4media@gmail.com IP: 75.194.51.210 URL: http://www.twitter.com/pc4media DATE: 02/22/2010 09:00:10 PM Hey Joe. Thanks for your response and for the clarification. The problem with all of these terms and movements is that we're sort of "defining" them as we go. It sounds like we agree on everything other than some semantics. Good catch on the dead trees thing. And yes we do events. If you consider "webinars" events, we do a lot of them. Although we know speaking at events and publishing our book has helped our marketing tremendously, it's important to note that the primary driver of our growth is online marketing. In fact, we limit the events we're involved with because they are costly and the ROI is hard to quantify. So, we certainly wouldn't advocate that a small or mid sized business write a book or spend a lot of time trying to book speaking gigs or producing events. It's much harder to track the impact of those on customer acquisition and they tend to be a lot more expensive "experiments". I've known plenty of authors who haven't sold more than a few hundred copies of their books after spending a year+ writing it. And I know many people who spend months planning events, but generate few new leads and minimal new revenue out of them. (I've done this myself in a former life.) For the b2b marketer especially, our data suggests that blogging, social media, seo and ppc are much more efficient marketing activities that require much less time or $ investment, while being much more measurable. So, while we do other more traditional marketing activities, they are lower on the priority list and they're successful because we've built an online reach that helps to promote our other activities. All that said, if you're a b2c marketer trying to reach a massive audience and used to spending millions on radio, print and tv advertising, I'd say that switching some of that budget to event marketing or content marketing is probably a good idea. Although it's hard to spend that kind of money on online content, I'd still start there. And then I'd spend even more of the budget on promoting the content and measuring the results. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dharmesh Shah EMAIL: dshah@hubspot.com IP: 74.85.100.254 URL: http://www.HubSpot.com DATE: 02/23/2010 02:46:45 AM Joe: Thanks for the article. Many of us at HubSpot are fans of you and Junta42. We fundamentally agree with the importance you place on content. We're on the same mission and what little differences are far outshadowed by the things we agree on and jointly believe in. I also think we are attacking different parts of a massive opportunity and really don't see us as competitive either. Wish you continued success. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 74.85.100.254 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/23/2010 09:08:11 AM Thanks Dharmesh...I agree, different, but same - and lots of opportunity. Congratulations on all the success. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John McTigue EMAIL: john@kunocreative.com IP: 66.63.235.85 URL: http://www.kunocreative.com DATE: 02/23/2010 04:49:16 PM It really shouldn't matter whether you guys are competitors or not. Marketing is a huge space with lots of competitors, and presumably as content marketing, social media marketing, inbound marketing - all the "new media marketing" types gain prominence, there will be many more competitors (and partners). In other words, from a consumer's point of view, it's important to know that you guys are out there and how your approaches may differ. Personally, I don't think it matters what you call your approach - it's what you deliver to your clients that counts and how well it fits their strategy for success. Without that you have nothing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 74.85.100.254 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/23/2010 06:08:34 PM Hi John...spot on. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Promotional Products EMAIL: superiorpromosinc@gmail.com IP: 70.181.189.190 URL: http://www.superiorpromos.com DATE: 02/26/2010 10:09:14 AM Joe, Thanks for sharing. And thanks for the review of the video. Always a bonus! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Lazuka EMAIL: stevelazuka@hotmail.com IP: 76.190.229.181 URL: http://www.interactmedia.com DATE: 02/26/2010 04:36:07 PM Hi Joe, Pete, and Dharmesh - I think that, fundamentally, content marketing and inbound marketing are the same. In order to do either successfuly, you need to develop lots of great content, but both concepts also include the following: - developing a content strategy - researching keywords and topics to write about - incorporating seo naturaly into the content - designing optimized landing pages - submitting content to other top sites on the web - promoting content using social media - testing everything with detailed analytics - and plenty more... Joe - you're the master at creating high quality content that is interesting, engaging, and helpful to people. As a recovering outbound marketer (bad word), i'm still learning from you what it means to create quality over quantity. Pete and Dharmesh - your Hubspot software is actually an incredible content marketing tool that gives people the ability to DO content marketing (outboung marketing) successfuly. Brilliant. Content is at the heart of Inbound Marketing... and great content draws people INBOUND from search engines and social media to your site. different, but the same ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 24.92.29.124 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog/ DATE: 02/26/2010 05:19:08 PM Hey Joe, Here's my 2 cents. I'm of the opinion that inbound marketing is an "umbrella" phrase. It's anything and everything that a marketer does to attract its target audience to its front door. These tactics may include such things as SEO, SEM, print advertising, speaking engagements, etc. It can also include offline tactics that create word of mouth. Content marketing is a component of inbound marketing. In my opinion it's the most important component of inbound marketing. For example, when you produce a video like the one tied to this blog post, you've created content. The purpose of that content is to attract your community to your front door and spread the word about Junta42. This video and this blog is part of your inbound marketing strategy. I don't think it's a semantic issue. You know me and you know I'm a content marketing fanatic. I believe however (and we may disagree here) that content marketing is a strategic aspect of inbound marketing. Where I know we agree is that without content marketing, inbound marketing has severe limitations. How effective would HubSpot be if they weren't great at content marketing? Same question for Junta42 and Joe Pulizzi. Cheers, Bernie Borges ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/27/2010 01:15:56 PM Bernie and Steve...this is great. Bernie...I've never looked at inbound marketing as anything outside of online...maybe I should. I agree we are all talking about the same thing, but if we all get on the same page it will be easier for more people to adopt. Thanks for helping the conversation on this. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Luke Owen EMAIL: lowen@truebridge.com IP: 71.243.118.33 URL: http://www.truebridge.com DATE: 03/01/2010 12:38:04 PM Joe, very interesting post and a topic that I myself have always wondered what the differences are b/w these two approaches to marketing. We're a b2b company that works in the financial industry and your approach of keeping the traditional marketing alive but tweaking it a bit to include content marketing techniques is exactly how we describe this whole new outlook on marketing to both prospects and existing clients. The "online" only approach that HubSpot focuses on doesn't resonate within certain industries like the financial world where print and other traditional media such as TV or radio will not be going away anytime soon - nor do they have to. But I too respect what they're doing and have found their tools helpful despite having to be on their up and down CMS software. But the latter is not their focus any way. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Brands Fail at Content Marketing - Not Quite Niche Enough via GaryVee STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-brands-fail-at-content-marketing-not-quite-niche-enough-via-garyvee CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 02/19/2010 06:34:10 PM ----- BODY:Please take one minute and ten seconds to watch this clip from Gary Vaynerchuk.
If you think that you are doing all the right things in your content marketing, but you or your brand are still not seeing success, this is probably the reason: You are not looking low enough, niche enough. Search down to find the gold nuggets, then search a little bit lower. Just below that, is your niche.
Find your niche and find content marketing success.
Linchpin: GaryVee from Seth Godin on Vimeo.
If you liked this, you'll love this video interview with GaryVee on Content Marketing.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: GaryVee, Content Marketing, Gary Vaynerchuk ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Losing Out on Turning Customers into Fans - A Cleveland Browns Story STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: cleveland-browns-loyalty-fans CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 02/16/2010 03:51:08 PM ----- BODY:My soon to be seven year old son would like to go on a tour of the Cleveland Browns stadium for his birthday. This is a great idea for a number of reasons. First, we don’t have to clean the house. Second, the house won’t get trashed from all the kids coming over. And finally, it is a pretty unique idea and the kids will flat-out love it.
A very quick Google search revealed that they do have tours lasting about 40 minutes (perfect) for $5.00 per person (again perfect) but only Monday to Friday from 10-3. Not so perfect since we don’t home school, and even if we did, his friends would all still be in school those hours. There was a tiny clause at the bottom stating that they NEVER do tours on Sundays and occasionally on Saturdays.
So we emailed none-the-less. I asked for the Saturday closest to his birthday. Rejected. So I ask for any Saturday that month. Rejected. So I ask for Good Friday since the kids are off school that day. Rejected. I said I would have 40 people, trying to make it worth their time, I am flexible….but still REJECTED.
What is the value of having 40 kids fall in love with the Cleveland Browns and becoming life-long fans (in most cases, that's exactly what would happen)? Priceless. But the Browns don't see it that way.
The Carolina Panthers do offer full birthday parties with tours. It's no wonder this young franchise has grown its fan base so quickly.
Do you have any regulations or rules that are keeping customers from becoming true fanatics for your brand?
UPDATE: 2/19/10
We were able to secure a tour at 3pm on a Wednesday since the kid's have early dismissal from school that day. Not what we wanted, but at least it's something.
Who knew you could find the latest and greatest fashions at....Goodwill?
District of Columbia Goodwill and my friends at Stella Pop teamed up for a three-part video series on DC Goodwill Fashionista (DC Goodwill's blog). The concept: Redecorate Miss DC 2009's apartment with only things she could find at Goodwill. The three parts of the video series consist of 1) before Goodwill, 2) shopping at Goodwill and 3) the results.
Along with the video storyline, Miss DC sang an original theme song for the series with local Grammy-nominated rapper Kokayi (the song was sold for $2 on iTunes with proceeds going to Goodwill).
The results are amazing:
Goodwill is working to tell a story of extremely affordable fashion. What a great start with this video series.
How are you telling your story?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: goodwill, goodwill dc. content marketing, video, miss dc 2009 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Flo Rida Guide to Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-flo-rida-guide-to-content-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 02/11/2010 10:05:46 PM ----- BODY:Flo Rida (aka Tramar Dillard), the popular rapper from, of all places, Florida, understands the importance of spreading content. Marketers can learn a lot from Flo Rida when it comes to content marketing.
During his breakout year in 2008, he launched onto the scene with "Low", hitting #1 on nearly every chart in the free world. Most recently, Flo Rida hit big with his song "Right Round", reaching #1 on the US Billboard chart.
Now you can ask the question: How do I know all this? Simple. Flo Rida's music is literally everywhere...which is all part of his plan.
The concept: get the music in front of the right buyers. How? "Low" was featured on the soundtrack of Step Up 2, which grossed more than $100 million worldwide. "Right Round" could be found not only on the comedy hit, The Ugly Truth, but was the closing song on the biggest R-rated comedy hit of all-time, The Hangover. It was also smart repackaging, playing off the success of the original song by Dead or Alive, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" from 1985 (and yes, I had that album).
And this is just the start. Flo Rida's music is featured on video games, in iTunes special packages, and yes, social media. Flo Rida communicates regularly on Twitter with his almost 50k followers. 300k friends on MySpace and over 30 million views on an impressive YouTube page.
What can we learn from Flo Rida?
Flo Rida understands his niche, who his audience is, and how to effectively reach and connect with them. Hey, that's one heck of a content marketing strategy.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: flo rida, content marketing, keys to content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Waugh EMAIL: ianwaugh@dunelm.org.uk IP: 62.189.175.212 URL: http://ianwaugh.tumblr.com DATE: 02/12/2010 05:49:11 AM The Wu Tang guide to content editing, a quote from Gary Grice (aka GZA) on the importance of being concise: http://ianwaugh.tumblr.com/post/85212355/simple-this-is-how-i-practice-writing-whatever-i ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/12/2010 07:03:26 AM I love it Ian! “Too many songs, weak lines, they mad long / Make it brief, half short, and twice strong” ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Seven Ways to Position Yourself for Unlimited Work STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: seven-ways-to-position-yourself-for-unlimited-work DATE: 02/09/2010 10:17:25 AM ----- BODY:As Junta42 continues to grow, we've started to branch out and hire freelancers and form partnerships. What I've learned through this process is that the way I make decisions on who I buy from or partner with has completely changed from just a few years ago.
Whether you are an experienced freelance writer, a journalist/editor in a media company or brand, or even a marketing professional, there are things you must be doing now to make sure the work is always there (whether you work for yourself or someone else). It saddens me to find that people who I worked with for years at Penton Media, so full of talent, have been unemployed for long periods of time. This should have been avoided.
How you ask? Below is a combination of how I make my own buying decisions and how people have found me in order to hire us. If you follow this religiously, two years down the road you'll have more work than you know what to do with.
These are the key seven. You'll find more in this Secrets of Personal Branding Success post as well. If you need a little more help defining your niche area, this white paper on content marketing will really help. It's one of the few things we actually ask for registration on, but it's worth it. And of course, the book Get Content Get Customers will help you with the whole package and provide case studies as well.
I'm urging you, especially if you have a full-time job that you feel is secure, to start doing this NOW. I can share hundreds (yes, hundreds) of examples of people who thought they were secure, didn't do the work above, and are now taking unemployment. There is a ton of work out there, but it's all going to the people who follow the seven steps above.
Good luck and make it happen.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark M. EMAIL: mark@malinaink.com IP: 65.25.112.70 URL: http://www.malinaink.com DATE: 02/10/2010 11:45:33 AM Great Post, Joe! The 10 Questions to Ask Before You Blog is exactly what I was looking for. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Girlie | Brochures Printing Online EMAIL: girlie@uprinting.com IP: 122.52.242.243 URL: http://blog.brochuresprintingonline.com/ DATE: 02/11/2010 02:45:46 AM Great combination! Social media mixed with other strategies work really well. Use social media to spread the word about what you do and hone your craft to gain new opportunities. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.186 URL: http://samuraiwriter.com/blog DATE: 02/11/2010 06:52:09 AM That content marketing white paper is a great illustration of the craft. I got a lot from the 10 key blogging questions post - especially qs six,seven and eight. An oldie but a goodie! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: acai berry diet EMAIL: georgesalarcon@yahoo.com IP: 75.217.209.160 URL: http://www.acai.vg DATE: 02/11/2010 07:27:12 PM Thanks for providing these great tips. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trish L EMAIL: trish@webcopyresults.com IP: 75.222.243.253 URL: http://www.webcopyresults.com DATE: 02/12/2010 09:59:33 AM Great Post! I found this very relevant because I decided to target a specific niche for my writing business recently (after being a generalist for more than 15 years!) I made this decision for my own mental clarity, as well as for marketing/branding purposes. I will continue to work on more general projects - but will focus my marketing efforts on my chosen niche. Thanks again for the great post! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matches Malone EMAIL: batman@azteca.net IP: 71.108.120.113 URL: http://getstimulustoday.com DATE: 02/12/2010 12:02:52 PM Is it possible, as a startup, to use these seven steps? And why isn't startup in the spelling dictionary? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/12/2010 03:37:26 PM You got it Trish. @Matches...actually, I think this method is best for individuals doing startups. It's the ultimate David versus Goliath mentality. You can be more niche and focus more on customers faster than a larger company. Good luck! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Z. Cordell EMAIL: scordell@szccommunications.com IP: 68.119.226.245 URL: http://www.SZCCommunications.com DATE: 02/12/2010 08:54:14 PM Thanks for the great post! As a generalist who enjoys the variety of being a generalist, I've had a hard time choosing my niche. But I've also seen how many talented folk have been hit hard by this economy. This advice is great for everyone, whether you're planning to freelance or not. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michelle Rafter EMAIL: michellerafter@comcast.net IP: 24.22.30.144 URL: http://www.michellerafter.com DATE: 02/15/2010 12:56:28 PM Here's a real-life example of why what you're preaching really works. Last fall, a colleague passed on my name (along with a couple others) to a company that was looking for a contract editor for a new project. Before this company ever contacted me they scoured my blog - reading posts and using the clips page I maintain there to read articles I'd done for publications similar to the one they were planning. I'm sure they checked me out on Twitter and LinkedIn as well. When they did contact me it was to offer me the position - and what an offer. Without going into the details, let's just say 2010 looks like it's going to be my best year ever. One more thought: while it pays to use online tools to promote yourself, you have to be able to do the work. You could be the best marketer in the world, but if you can't follow through with material that's on target and on time, well written and factually correct, editors, publishers or anyone else in a position to hire you will figure that out sooner or later and move on to someone more capable. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/15/2010 12:58:36 PM Excellent Michelle. Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dennis J. Cole EMAIL: djhunlimited@gmail.com IP: 63.85.201.114 URL: http://www.socialroast.com/ DATE: 08/02/2010 12:29:57 PM You are spot on with this post. I am starting to nail down the exact tips you have outlined. I have been doing some research and my research has proven that you must build relationships and trust. If you don't do these things you might as well pack up shop right now. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Announces Content Marketing Giveaway STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-announces-content-marketing-giveaway CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 02/04/2010 10:29:52 PM ----- BODY:Junta42 is again putting our money where our content is...
Today we launched the $4200 in 42 Days contest where Junta42 will contribute $4200 toward a brand's content marketing effort.
Simply put, it works like this. From now until 4/2/2010 any project submitted through the Junta42 system will be eligible for the $4200. All you have to do is sign up to the Junta42 content marketing matching service and select one of our expert, pre-qualified vendors. That's it.
See more details here. Any thoughts or questions? Just shoot them over.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Junta42, Junta42 Content Contest ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tim Little EMAIL: marketinglistbroker.com@gmail.com IP: 97.92.50.35 URL: http://www.marketinglistbroker.com DATE: 02/17/2010 02:13:36 PM I love your blog! Social media is exploding right now since you can follow and promote to everyone else followers on Twitter and Facebook. Dunkin Donuts had great success with their social media promotion see this article:http://www.mailinglistsblog.com/direct-marketing/boom-custom-content/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Social Media Usage in Content Marketing Jumps 500% in Two Years STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: social-media-usage-in-content-marketing-jumps-500-in-two-years DATE: 02/03/2010 09:54:03 AM ----- BODY:As a follow up to our 2010 Junta42 Content Marketing Study, we've been doing some comparisons between content marketing product usage in 2010 versus 2008. The findings are interesting, to say the least
Here are the highlights:
I don't believe these results are mind shattering, but it continues to prove that marketers are putting more resources into the kind of content marketing that spreads and is shared. It also tells us that marketers are learning to become publishers, developing content assets instead of renting the media.
If you missed it, you can download the entire content marketing study here.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing spending, social media spending, Junta42 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pablo EMAIL: pablo.edronkin@andinia.com IP: 186.56.138.53 URL: http://www.andinia.com/indexen.html DATE: 02/08/2010 10:20:54 AM But remember that quality always works best; no content will give you the edge if it is not good, and nothing will stop good content from becoming popular, eventually. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John D Crews EMAIL: john.crews@intelligentinfopubs.com IP: 96.11.117.114 URL: http://www.intelligentinfopubs.com DATE: 02/15/2010 12:44:02 PM Here's a new perspective - Content Marketing as a Green solution: http://informationconnected.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/content-marketing-a-green-approach/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: David Meerman Scott on content marketing, social media & what's next STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: david-meerman-scott-on-content-marketing-social-media-whats-next CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 02/01/2010 06:57:45 PM ----- BODY:His book was a game changer. Now, David Meerman Scott's updated version of The New Rules of Marketing and PR promises even more.
I had a chance to catch up with David recently and got his quick take on the book, social media and content marketing. Enjoy!
JOE: From the previous version to the new version, what's the biggest change you thought you had to make? What's the biggest surprise - meaning something you'd never thought you'd actually update?
DAVID: When I wrote the first edition of the book, Facebook was only available to those with a .edu email address (students and educators), so I didn’t feature Facebook. And Twitter didn’t even exist at the time I was researching the first edition. So I have added extensive new information and examples on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.
In fact, the rise of the term "social media" has been so strong in the past few years that I’ve even changed the subtitle of the book to include it.
When I wrote the first edition back in 2006, Second Life was really hot. So if you had asked me back then, I would have said that SL would probably warrant an entire chapter by now. Alas, I was completely wrong. Now it is only about a paragraph in the book.
Another surprising aspect is that hundreds of colleges and universities have adopted the book for classes on marketing & PR. That's exciting... and surprising to me.
JOE: For marketers just figuring out the "why" of content marketing, where should they start in your opinion?
DAVID: Before the Web came along, there were only three ways to get noticed: buy expensive advertising, beg the mainstream media to tell your story for you, or hire a huge sales staff to bug people one at a time about your products. Now we have a better option: publishing interesting content on the Web that your buyers want to consume.
The tools of the marketing and PR trade have changed. The skills that worked offline to help you buy or beg or bug your way in are the skills of interruption and coercion. Online success comes from thinking like a journalist and a thought leader.
The Web allows organizations of all kinds (large and small companies, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, political candidates, consultants, even rock bands and churches) the ability to become publishers of content.
JOE: I'm a marketer, what's the number one thing I need to do to take advantage of the principles in your book?
DAVID: To be successful in 2010, everyone (including me) needs to be asking this series of questions:
JOE: What's next?
DAVID: Don't worry about what's next. There will always be a bright, shiny, new social media service. Ignore it and create something interesting -- a content rich site, a blog, a YouTube video.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: david meerman scott, content marketing, new rules of marketing and pr ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Meerman Scott EMAIL: david@freshspot.com IP: 217.41.228.254 URL: http://www.webinknow.com/ DATE: 02/02/2010 03:33:01 AM Thanks Joe. Always a pleasure chatting with you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jamie Favreau EMAIL: jamie_favreau@yahoo.com IP: 69.14.129.189 URL: http://jamiefavreau.wordpress.com DATE: 02/02/2010 04:03:58 AM I have the 2009 version of the book and it is really helpful. I am trying to help some snowboarders with a safer way to snowboard. So I am reading the New Rules because the last thing I want to do is spam someone. I have read a lot about how NOT to pitch to someone. It is great to have a guideline. Which is why I love this book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Graeme Thickins EMAIL: graemethickins@gmail.com IP: 71.195.15.247 URL: http://www.tech-surf-blog.com DATE: 02/02/2010 11:26:57 AM I have the original "Advance Uncorrected Proof" from 2007 - signed even! (Thanks, David) Now I long for the update.... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: john EMAIL: johnhasan.09@gmail.com IP: 122.161.19.167 URL: DATE: 02/11/2010 01:51:48 AM The version of 2009 is really helpful. I am reading this version & trying to help some snowboarders with a good way. john thanks ............... PLR articles ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 5 Keys to Success with Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 5-keys-to-success-with-content-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 01/28/2010 09:16:55 PM ----- BODY:Here's a content marketing interview with me conducted by J-P de Clerck. I like the way J-P summed up the key successes and failures in content marketing for me. Hope they are helpful.
Thanks to Emily Thompson, online marketing coordinator for Kutenda Online Marketing Software, for this week's guest post.
Couple thoughts I (Joe) had while reading this. First, you need to understand your brand persona first and foremost when it comes to SEO and content marketing. In other words, what do you need to be a true expert in to drive your business? That will help determine the tactics Emily speaks to.
Also, regarding Emily's last point, design-intensive content marketing, through devices such as the iPad, is becoming more important. As content marketers, we need to start understanding that "content" is the combination of words and pictures (and the context). We can and do gain credibility off of both. Although I'm biased, like Emily, toward the word, I am more focused on the interplay between both more than ever.
Content is King. If you’re doing content marketing, you understand its importance, and the trust it builds with the community and your target audience. Content is at the heart of all your online marketing efforts because it not only engages readers, it also tells the search engines that you have something of value. SEO and content marketing go hand-in-hand.
Keeping your SEO goals in mind when creating your content is extremely powerful. A great way to start is to construct your content marketing and creation plan around the keywords you would like to rank for. When writing your content, factor in the keywords you would like to focus on. Here are a few recommended first steps:In many ways, content is often more important than design. Visitors will return to your site as long as they can learn something, regardless of whether it’s the “prettiest” or not (think craigslist!). Remember, valuable content is crucial to attaining new business. By utilizing SEO and other online marketing avenues, you will bring attention to that content and help your business grow.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
I had an excellent podcast interview with Kim Albee from Genoo yesterday (it will be up in a week or so) where we talked in detail about content marketing and authenticity.
The first step in being authentic in your content marketing and social media? Understanding who YOU are. What's your brand story? What do you stand for?
So much focus in content marketing is understanding the buyer persona - or understanding exactly who your customers are, what their pain points are, their informational needs, etc. (Some companies go so far as to name their personas and create pictures of them.)
Buyer personas? Extremely important...no doubt.
Your brand persona? Critical.
We've all heard the phrase "before you can love other people, you have to first love yourself."
Same goes for content marketing.
Before you truly understand your customers (buyer persona), you have to understand yourself (brand persona).
Just think of the difference between Southwest and Continental airlines. Two reputable companies. Two very different companies. If Continental came out with a video series about their flight attendants doing tricks on passengers, it would seem severely out of place. Southwest, not so much.
What is your brand story?
What are the areas of expertise you want to stand for?
What are the tenets that your company stands by, no matter what?
If you were a person, what type of person would you be? Black, white, male, female, fun, serious, etc.
If your brand could change the world, where would you start?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: And the winners are...WPSS 2010 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: and-the-winners-arewpss-2010 CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 01/26/2010 08:19:40 AM ----- BODY:It's time to announce the winners of the White Paper Success Summit 2010 contest we launched a few weeks back.
The grand prize award goes to Mark McClure from SamaraiWriter.com. Mark gets two tickets to White Paper Success Summit 2010 PLUS
The Twitter winner goes to Alicia Hicks. Alicia gets a free pass to WPSS 2010.
Congratulations to both of you and thanks to everyone who entered.
And if you'd still like to attend this event, there is still a bit of time. Click here to see the full details on the 15 sessions...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: white paper success summit, wpss ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alicia Hicks EMAIL: alicia@sellingwoman.com IP: 70.253.141.218 URL: http://sellingwoman.com DATE: 01/26/2010 12:08:14 PM Thanks Joe! I can't wait to dive in to WPSS! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael A. Stelzner EMAIL: mike@socialmediaexaminer.com IP: 99.157.80.86 URL: http://www.whitepapersummit.com/ms/ DATE: 01/26/2010 02:37:14 PM Congrats Alicia! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 221.186.157.78 URL: http://samuraiwriter.com/blog DATE: 01/26/2010 09:12:07 PM Thank you Joe and Mike! I'm very much looking forward to the summit, reading your books and the consulting session with Mike. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: williamhinsch@gmail.com EMAIL: williamhinsch@me.com IP: 24.53.178.247 URL: http://www.learningvisuals.com DATE: 01/27/2010 06:31:13 AM How do I get a copy of the winning effort? Can someone send it to me at williamhinsch@gmail.com? Thanks Bill Hinsch ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/27/2010 07:47:25 AM Hi Bill...here it is. http://www.samuraiwriter.com/blog/incredible-white-paper-success-secret-revealed-right-here ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Special Report - Content Marketing Spending Continues to Rise STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: special-report-content-marketing-spending-continues-to-rise CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 01/24/2010 09:56:48 PM ----- BODY:The results are in. Content marketing spending will rise again in 2010.
The 3rd Annual 2010 Junta42 Content Marketing Spending Survey found for the third straight year that marketers will again put significantly more money into content marketing initiatives.
Go here for the complete content marketing spending survey results and a complimentary download of the final report.
Click here to see the entire report (with pretty charts and everything). Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing spending ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dianna Huff EMAIL: diannathewriter@yahoo.com IP: 24.63.115.248 URL: http://www.marcom-writer-blog.com DATE: 01/28/2010 06:52:12 AM Joe, Your survey doesn't say, but how do you define "mobile content"? Smart phones now render almost all content "mobile." I now access blogs, email, Websites, books, and social media with my phone. Should companies be working to ensure their content can be accessed via a smart phone? I found it interesting that all numbers when down for what people deemed important to know -- i.e. social media, e-newsletters, etc. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/28/2010 09:17:24 AM Hi Dianna...we didn't get into specifics on mobile content solutions...but yes, we are really talking about content that we take with us on iPhones, smart phones, iPads, Kindles, etc. I agree with you on the educational points - very interesting that most went down except for mobile. Thanks for responding... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Delfeld EMAIL: mark.delfeld@gmail.com IP: 173.48.162.202 URL: DATE: 03/31/2010 07:47:41 AM Joe, What exactly is content marketing (or in other words, how did you define it to the survey participants)? What is the other 67% of the budget spent on? Thank, Mark ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 12.199.9.16 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/31/2010 07:56:45 AM Hi Mark...good question. Content marketing - for this survey - was the creation and distribution of informational or entertainment content to attract or retain customers. Didn't ask about the other 67%, but that would most likely be traditional media like advertising, reseller marketing, direct marketing, etc. Hope that helps and thanks! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Dawn of Content Strategy and 38 2010 Predictions STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-dawn-of-content-strategy-and-38-2010-predictions CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 01/21/2010 12:50:33 PM ----- BODY:
Click Documents put together this truly helpful eBook on Content Marketing - 39 predictions from the top content marketers, B2B marketers, email marketers and social media experts (and yes, it includes yours truly).
Here is the content marketing eBook (no signup required)
Here's my prediction for easy reference (found on page 38...oh so close to page 42)
Content strategy is the most important part of marketers’ toolbox. How we tell our story and educate customers is paramount.
As marketers are starting to understand that they are indeed publishers, content marketing strategy is moving toward the forefront. What is content marketing strategy? It involves the following:
Publishers have been doing this, in one form or another, for years. Now is the time that marketers will begin to take the strategy behind creating content seriously, and figuring out how to leverage content to grow the business.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content strategy, content marketing predictions ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brandon Klein EMAIL: brandon@collaborationking.com IP: 69.204.248.224 URL: http://collaborationking.com DATE: 01/21/2010 05:04:00 PM We live and breathe our content. Written over the last 20 years, we are just publishing it piece by piece, sharing some of the best collaboration experiences ever written. http://collaborationking.com The goal of the content though is for the user to be able to change their old, antiquated collaboration techniques. Bounce back if you think it fits within 'content strategy' ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alison EMAIL: alison.bolen@sas.com IP: 65.185.167.153 URL: http://blogs.sas.com/sascom DATE: 01/22/2010 11:16:01 AM Really like this quote from Joe Lodico: "Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook…these are the starting points. Look for ways to move to higher level, quality connections." ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McCulloch EMAIL: mark@markmcculloch.com IP: 86.172.22.128 URL: http://www.AmazingExtraIncome.com DATE: 01/22/2010 11:58:37 AM Great blog with awesome information. Your design and layout is fantastic and I very much enjoy visiting your blog. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ambal Balakrishnan EMAIL: ambal_d2d@yahoo.com IP: 128.107.239.233 URL: http://clickdocuments.com DATE: 01/22/2010 12:02:22 PM Hi Joe: Thanx for the mention. It was a great pleasure collaborating with you on ClickPredictions eBook. Thank You for inspiring and educating me about content marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.186 URL: http://www.samuraiwriter.com/blog/incredible-white-paper-success-secret-revealed-right-here DATE: 01/23/2010 09:40:48 AM Thanks for this - I 'content snacked' on it and out of my marketing toaster popped the following: - the rapid increase (see the ebook) in folks with 'social media' in their job titles on LinkedIn. A provocative statistic indeed. Is LI leading or lagging in the SM area? - a focus on marketing automation requiring the creation of relevant content. I have a horse in this race and so was nodding along in agreement... ;-) - ... except that the ease with which floods, no torrents, of dross can still be directed at people online will mean that the content they really want can only come into view via "micro fragmentation" of markets and tribes. - "You can't be everything to everyone." This is good news as jewels in the content dust will really shine. - Social Media ROI tools. I'd love to know more about how b2b folks are going to track and report on investments of money, energy and time in this brave, new sm world. - "word of mouth." There's no stopping this empowerment of consumers / customers / groups. Seems like the marketing / advertising dinosaurs are looking upward as the initial asteroid streaks across their screens... just wait 'till the big one behind blasts in without warning. Game over! (the little guys win) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Year of Content Marketing How STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-year-of-content-marketing-how CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 01/20/2010 02:20:56 PM ----- BODY:
The Year of Content Marketing What - Most marketers never heard the term and didn't "get" it. Lots of explaining to do.
The Year of Content Marketing Why - Marketers now knew what is was, but needed to convince their teams (and bosses) why it was so important (if you are not convinced, get the content marketing book).
The Year of Content Marketing How - Marketers know what it is and why it's so important. 2010 is the year we see major content marketing projects come to fruition (especially online). Marketers are talking content strategy and how content needs to be the center of their social media program.
I've been talking about the content marketing revolution for over a decade now. It seems like it took 10 years for us to get to it.
We are in the middle of something amazing, whether you realize it or not. Brands, small, medium and large, are the publishers of today and tomorrow.
Long live content marketing.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing how, content marketing ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Does Branded Integration Really Work? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: does-branded-integration-really-work CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 01/19/2010 11:00:00 PM ----- BODY:
hanks to Randall Beard, EVP and General Manager - Nielsen, for sharing this week's guest post...
Instead of using your
own content marketing to surround and reinforce your brand, what if
you put someone else’s TV program content around it instead? Branded
Integrations, done right, use TV program content to drive your brand. The
problem, though, is that most Branded Integrations come about by happenstance
and not by use of proven tools and techniques. Here's how to successfully use
Branded Integrations as part of your Content Marketing portfolio.
Branded Integration has a long history,
arguably as old as publishing itself. The Lifesavers brand was integrated
into the 1932 Groucho Marx movie “Horsefeathers,” and Spielberg's
"E.T." featured the first paid candy integration: Reese's Pieces.
National Geographic had a starring role in the 1946 movie “It’s A Wonderful
Life.”
Procter & Gamble and Unilever sponsored soap operas continued the trend. More recently, companies have taken branded integrations even further with video games and even programs designed around TV commercial characters (Geico Cavemen).
Given this long history, it
should come as no surprise that Branded Integration is big business: PQ Media estimated 2006 product
placement spending at $3.1B.
Being big and being good
aren’t always the same thing. Does Branded Integration really work? Certainly,
the large spending would lead you to think so. However, the usual process for
developing branded entertainment – haphazard and creative driven -- often
leaves something to be desired. A branded entertainment company executive once
explained the process something like this:
“The studio sends us a
script. We break it down. We look for our clients demographics and then we tell
our client this movie is available with this actor, with this director, with
this producer, do you want it?”
Is this really the way companies should be deciding to spend $3.1B a year?
There are four keys to
making Branded Integration work as Content Marketing for your brand:
1. Choose the Right TV Shows – The best way to get high brand recall and brand opinion shift from your Branded Integration is to pick a show that fits with your brand and has high scores historically for Branded Integrations. Predictive models which isolate the factors most impacting brand recall, opinion shift, and fit with brand generally show that over 50% of the models’ variation are driven by TV show selection. Fortunately for Marketers, there are now syndicated panels which measure TV program Branded Integration effectiveness – so you can know a program's track record ahead of time.
2. Design the Most Impactful Integration – Having selected the right genre and program for your integration, don’t just rely on the network and agency to tell you what the integration will look like. You need to negotiate for what really works. And what works, based on predictive modeling, is the following:
These factors have been
proven through research to be the most important creative factors in
determining brand integration recall and positive brand opinion shift. Make
sure that your execution includes them.
3. Advertise Your
Brand During the Program – This seems obvious but is often overlooked. Nielsen IAG research
shows that ads aired during a program with the same brand integration generally
score better for recall, branding and likeability than the same ads aired
outside the Branded Integration program. Said simply, there really is “synergy”
between your Branded Integration and your ad in the same program.
4. Execute Branded
Integrations in Multiple Shows in a Season – Continuity is key. If possible, negotiate
for a series based branded integration, instead of an episode. Why? Having
a Branded Integration in previous episodes of the same series raises brand
recall and brand opinion by about 1% per previous episode -- for example,
take Subway's series integration in NBC's "Chuck."
Subway's integration in NBC's "Chuck" not only increased sales, but saved the series.
Adding Branded Integrations
to your content marketing portfolio provides another way to drive engagement
with your brand (for more see "Build
Your Brand with Content Marketing"). But, don’t just walk blindly into
it. Choose the right programs, design the integration for greatest impact,
advertise during the program and deliver integrations consistently for maximum
impact.
So the next time your
Agency calls with their next "BIG" branded integration idea, do your
brand a favor. Ask the tough questions: Why is this the right show? How will
the execution optimize impact? What's the proposal for integrating my ads? Is
this part of a longer deal? Most importantly, negotiate from a position of
strength: use historical data and learnings about what really drives Branded
Integration success to add another powerful element to your Content Marketing
mix.
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Michael Stelzner is putting on another one of his fantastic online summits. This time it is the White Paper Success Summit 2010, billed as the “largest online event dedicated to helping you successfully market your business with white papers.”
The line-up is an all-star cast. Join Michael Stelzner (author, Writing White Papers), Bob Bly (author, White Paper Marketing Handbook), John Jantsch (author Duct Tape Marketing), Brian J. Carroll (author, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale), Jill Konrath (author, Selling to Big Companies), Roger C. Parker (author, White Paper Design that Sells), Ardath Albee (author, eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale), Jonathan Kantor (author, Crafting White Paper 2.0), me and many others!
You're going to learn about great topics such as:
This event does not require any travel (no hotel, rental car or wasted time). You simply attend sessions online and meet the experts and network with peers from the comfort of your home or office. Pretty cool, eh? :)
There are two prizes:
One ticket to White Paper Success Summit 2010
Two tickets to White Paper Success Summit 2010 (one for you and one for a friend) PLUS
Think how your business could be boosted by this package? Just the consult with Michael is priceless; MarketingSherpa calls him "The Grandfather of White Papers!"
Simply post a tweet on Twitter using the button included here, or simply copy and paste the below tweet message. This automatically qualifies you for an entry into the prize drawing to win a free seat at the summit. You may tweet up to 5 times between now and January 25th, 2010. The tweet must contain “#wpss10win” to qualify. We will select the winner randomly on the January 26th, 2010.
The Tweet:
Win a FREE ticket to White Paper Success Summit 2010: http://bit.ly/WPSS-Junta42 #wpss10win
To win the grand prize, write a blog post (no longer than 1,000 words) explaining why you want to win two seats to the White Paper Success Summit 2010. Have your post published by midnight January 23rd, 2010 (EST). So we are notified about your post you will need to leave a trackback to this blog post or comment with a link to your post.
Remember the grand prize includes two summit tickets, a consultation with Michael Stelzner and two awesome books, so it is well worth getting your friends on board. The more friends who enter the more chances you have of getting a seat yourself.
Already purchased a ticket? No problem. If you win, you get your money back and free access to the summit!
The winners will be selected by Michael Stelzner and I, and announced right here on this blog on January 26th, 2010.
A few members of the Junta42 staff had some free time on their hands and emailed this to me. They preferred to remain anonymous.
I actually thought this was quite helpful. Maybe you will as well.
The things we learn from Joe Pulizzi:
Every speech I give to marketing professionals, I get asked one of two possible questions:
Bar none, this is the best response to using Twitter that I have heard - from Guy Kawasaki:
Question: How long do you spend on Twitter every day?
Answer: Asking me this is like asking Tiger Woods how much he plays golf. “It’s what I do.” If I’m on the computer, I’m on Twitter, and I’m on a computer eight hours per day.
After reading this from Guy, I realized he's exactly right. When I'm on the computer (which is most of the day), or using my iPhone (when I'm not using the computer), I'm on Twitter.
Twitter, as well as other social media, just becomes part of what you do as a marketing professional. We have no choice anymore. It just is.
And you know what...that's okay by me.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andee Sellman, One Sherpa EMAIL: andy@onesherpa.com IP: 59.167.196.191 URL: http://www.onesherpa.com DATE: 01/08/2010 04:53:43 AM Great answer from Guy. I'm guessing that twitter is replacing SMS but with an informational context ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McCulloch EMAIL: mark@markmcculloch.com IP: 86.152.73.129 URL: http://www.CoachOfSuccess.com DATE: 01/08/2010 05:09:07 AM As someone who does alot of marketing on a daily basis and spends a great deal of time on twitter I really appreciate the quality of information and training you are providing. Many Thanks Mark McCulloch ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 96.252.47.38 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 01/08/2010 08:06:02 AM Two points: One, I'm not sure I'd use Tiger Woods as a credible model for any behavior... Two, I'm not sure I like equating computer use with being on Twitter. For me, the computer is a tool for creative work and Twitter can be a major distraction. Is Guy really suggesting that we take a Pavlovian approach to Twitter -- when we hear that sound, should we drop everything and read the latest Tweet? The older I get, the more I appreciate the sweet sound of silence... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.110.34 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/08/2010 08:43:15 AM Jonathan...I definitely see your point, but it's obvious that Guy has gotten to the point that he doesn't hear a sound and drop what he is doing...Twitter is a part of what he's doing. Now, I don't know if he's 100% right, but I relate it to how most companies view social media. Those that don't get it complain about having to spend time on Twitter and Facebook and not seeing the pay off. Those that do get it just integrate it into what they already do, who they are. It just is. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: The Baum Group/Dr. Rae and Associates EMAIL: TheBaumGroup@YourStressMatters.com IP: 151.201.115.82 URL: http://twitter.com/TheBaumGroup DATE: 01/08/2010 12:06:50 PM We are delighted to be using Twitter as a marketing tool on a daily basis, except on the weekends :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bugsy EMAIL: jwsailor@gmail.com IP: 69.129.151.78 URL: http://beerwithbranson.com DATE: 01/08/2010 01:56:08 PM It's also interesting when you can quantify Twitter, which isn't terrible hard. With Google Analytics you can track your landing pages and conversion rates and all that jazz and eventually get yourself a nice figure of revenue/tweet. I like to quantify. If you can do that you can get some basic estimates of what the value is for the time you put into it. But that's silly, just keep Tweeting, it's changing the world :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brody Dorland EMAIL: b.dorland@somethingcreativeinc.com IP: 69.254.229.62 URL: http://www.somethingcreativeinc.com DATE: 01/09/2010 11:28:59 AM From an outbound marketing/sales perspective, I have a fishing analogy (simplified) that works well to explain this...If the twitter pond may be a ripe fishing hole for your business, then by all means develop your bait (content strategy) and dedicated some time to fishing each day (posting, engaging, etc.). If you start catching fish (good traffic, inquiries, phone calls), then why not fish more often? If your fish aren't using twitter, be careful not to spend too much time when you should be fishing in other ponds. Now, the inbound side of things (inspiration, ideas, monitoring, etc.) is a completely different story... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ben lovie EMAIL: ben@aerialagency.com IP: 216.198.139.84 URL: DATE: 01/09/2010 11:29:19 AM I truly hope marketers will realize that Twitter is well executed spam. I don,t think marketers have a problem with the choice of communication tools, our problem is we talk to much and don,t get our real world hands dirty. Let the bird out of the cage. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.110.34 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/09/2010 03:00:29 PM @Brody...great analogy Ben...I disagree. For those marketers that use twitter to promote services, yes you are right, it is spam. For those who want to build relationships with real customers and contribute valuable content, then Twitter should be considered an option. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: forexqs.blogspot.com EMAIL: forexqs.blogspot.com@gmail.com IP: 41.214.132.166 URL: http://www.forexqs.blogspot.com DATE: 01/10/2010 06:31:44 AM I would love to read more about this topic. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: @udeme EMAIL: uekarika@gmail.com IP: 41.219.243.185 URL: http://twitter.com/udeme DATE: 01/11/2010 07:22:25 AM I think Twitter as a marketing tool is a VERY BAD idea, and will yield negative marketing results. Marketing on Twitter is spammy behaviour. Everyone hates spam bots and spammy personas and they promptly unfollow/block/flag such users. Twitter's better as an info stream ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/11/2010 07:59:17 AM @udeme You are correct. That is why if you use Twitter as a marketing tool, it must be in the form of valuable, relevant and compelling information. Now that's a good use of Twitter. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Julio Ricardo Varela EMAIL: juliorvarela@v5group.net IP: 24.60.196.129 URL: http://v5llcgroup.com DATE: 01/11/2010 11:43:57 PM A-freakin-men. There is no "real time rule" for Twitter. If it it part of your job, then you work it like anything else. This is so dead on perfect. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sushant Sahay EMAIL: sushant@schoolsearch.in IP: 59.95.159.250 URL: http://www.schoolsearch.in DATE: 01/12/2010 02:07:36 AM Yes.. twitter is replacing SMS. Statistics say that Most of the tweets are fired from Mobile Phones. This is new generation Texting. Question is not how much time do you spend on Tweeter, as it is not like you are dedicating some time for it, it is like whenever some one tweets(send you a message) you read that or re tweet that if you like it and keep working again... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel EMAIL: rachel@rampcreative.com IP: 99.33.165.216 URL: http://www.rampcreative.com DATE: 01/19/2010 01:24:57 AM Sometimes it takes a great deal of dedication to start and foster a community... and to do whatever it takes to get the conversation rolling cannot be measured. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark McClure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.186 URL: http://www.samuraiwriter.com/blog/ DATE: 01/19/2010 09:40:58 AM I wonder if Guy outsourced his tweeting would anyone notice? The earlier comment about fishing in ponds is how I feel about Twitter too. So much writing to do, so little time. Tweeting tweekly tis fine for me :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/19/2010 01:53:36 PM Mark...Guy does outsource his Tweeting...although I didn't know it until I read the article. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 30 Content Marketing Truths for 2010 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 30-content-marketing-truths-for-2010 CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 01/05/2010 02:40:53 PM ----- BODY:As we move into 2010, I thought I'd share these 30 content marketing truths that are taped above my desk. Whenever I lose my way (to a more traditional mindset), I read through this content-marketing heavy list. It's guaranteed to help.
Thank you to those companies that get the value of content marketing. For everyone else...there's no time like the present (so get this content marketing white paper - it will help).
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing truths ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: PLANETwebfoot EMAIL: natalie@azterik.com IP: 216.8.169.226 URL: http://www.planetwebfoot.com DATE: 01/05/2010 03:29:01 PM Thanks for sharing this list with us. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Giles (Webconomist) EMAIL: giles@mediabadger.com IP: 142.68.12.69 URL: http://www.mediabadger.com/blog DATE: 01/05/2010 03:36:13 PM I like 29 on the Chief Content Officer; I wonder when large corporations will get there. I wonder sometimes, as consumers, how much truth do we want to hear? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Thimmesch EMAIL: mct@skyline.com IP: 207.67.40.209 URL: http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com DATE: 01/05/2010 04:38:00 PM Excellent, excellent post. Your very fast 30 points are a guided tour of the drastic changes that the internet first, and now social media, have wrought in marketing over the last 15 years. While sometimes that change has been gradual, it seems like 2009 had a monumental shift, just like 2001 did. Marketers have to follow the advice long given to college professors, Publish or Perish! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO Kitchener EMAIL: jim.huinink@gmail.com IP: 99.236.54.140 URL: http://www.strongwords.ca DATE: 01/05/2010 05:12:07 PM Joe, thanks for this list! As someone who has moved (been forced by the market to move) from being a writer & editor to being a marketer, I can't agree more. And I look forward to the way the "information revolution" (remember that phrase?) continues to unfold. I might ping you back in an upcoming post. You beat me to the punch on the whole "looking forward to 2010" idea. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mattt EMAIL: matthewdsiden@gmail.com IP: 71.192.85.77 URL: http://www.nuggetisland.com DATE: 01/05/2010 08:45:48 PM Joe, two great finds from you in two days from two different sources. I am impressed! Great stuff. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lilly Ferrick EMAIL: lferrick@formalifesciencemarketing.com IP: 71.111.196.96 URL: http://www.formalifesciencemarketing.com DATE: 01/06/2010 09:56:35 AM I get a lot out of reading your posts. I will challenge you on #9 though in regards to what customers want. What customers want and what they need are not always the same. In situations where the customer is in need of an expert, it's most important to tell them what they need, if it's in fact, different than what they want. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.110.34 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/06/2010 09:59:45 AM Hi Lilly...I agree with you to a point on that. Many times, the consumer doesn't know what they want or need unless they are presented with a solution. I guess my take is that, from a content standpoint, our customers want information on how to grow their careers and personal lives, as it pertains to the product we have to offer. That's content marketing. So often we focus on sales information (what they don't want), and less on educational and inspirational information (what they want and need). It's probably semantics, but thanks for pointing it out. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stan Phelps EMAIL: stan@9inchmarketing.com IP: 173.2.37.225 URL: http://marketinglagniappe.com DATE: 01/06/2010 01:07:48 PM Joe, As usual - thank for providing the blueprint and thought leadership on content marketing: My thoughts or additional R.U.L.E.S for providing that 'little something extra' to your clients and prospects: R - Be relevant. Try to deliver added value and focus on getting it right with your most important marketing asset . . . your current customers U - Make it unexpected. Try to 'surprise and delight' your customers. Think of your added value as 'branded acts of kindness'. L - The power of limited. Differentiate your offerings and added value so it can not be copied. Think 'signature'. What is 'purple' about your product or service? E - Expression. Don't underestimate the importance of how you deliver your content? Sometimes its not how 'what is given', rather 'how it is given'. S - Sticky. Make sure what you are offering is watercooler material. Not only do they get value, but are they willing to share with others. Best, Stan @9INCHmarketing #PurpleGoldfishProject ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russ Henneberry EMAIL: russ@russhenneberry.com IP: 99.164.159.132 URL: http://www.russhenneberry.com DATE: 01/06/2010 01:31:01 PM Great list Joe! The future looks bright indeed for the customer. Could you expand on #10 -- not quite sure what it means. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.110.34 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/06/2010 01:33:45 PM @Stan...thanks, great stuff @Russ...the thought there is that thinking of those that read your content as just readers discounts the fact that these readers make buying decisions. Think of all your readers as customers. When you do that, you write differently. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lissa Duty EMAIL: lissa@lissaduty.com IP: 64.202.229.162 URL: http://lissaduty.com DATE: 01/07/2010 12:03:51 AM Great post! #11 has been my strategy for branding! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Technology Sales Lead EMAIL: eric.anderson987@gmail.com IP: 117.196.238.240 URL: http://www.myprospecthill.com/ DATE: 01/07/2010 02:16:55 AM Thanks for giving idea. I really appreciate it. More share in the future. please.. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: The Baum Group/Dr. Rae and Associates EMAIL: TheBaumGroup@YourStressMatters.com IP: 151.201.115.82 URL: http://www.YourStressMatters.com/preparingfor2010.htm DATE: 01/08/2010 11:47:44 AM Great list Joe. Thanks for sharing :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sara Broderick EMAIL: broderick.sara@gmail.com IP: 128.206.73.82 URL: DATE: 01/08/2010 01:47:32 PM Thanks for this list, Joe! It's a great reminder of why we do what we do. I'm in a marketing role right now and my No. 1 consideration is always content. In content, there's value. It's important to remember that content doesn't have to be tricky or over-challenging to produce. It can exist in many mediums and forms. Just write down a list of what you, your client or your company is most passionate about, what you do best, what your competitors do best and start creating. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nic Lucas EMAIL: Info@niclucas.com IP: 114.73.196.163 URL: http://www.niclucas.com DATE: 01/09/2010 11:49:29 PM This is a great list and is congruent with the message of Jeff Jarvis in 'What would google do?'. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeremy Morris EMAIL: jezmos65@gmail.com IP: 68.43.197.49 URL: http://www.understandandserve.com DATE: 01/11/2010 01:27:36 PM Joe A good list. I think there's another important point however which is a bit of a qualifier for content marketing. It's that great content can't save you from a mediocre product or poor customer service. There's no hiding place anymore ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Farm Town Cheats EMAIL: aaronwebster300@gmail.com IP: 67.142.167.23 URL: http://farmtownheaven.com DATE: 02/13/2010 11:39:12 AM Excellent Post again, I keep reading your blog content! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Carroll EMAIL: david@thehomebusinesscompany.com IP: 174.30.231.174 URL: http://marketingtraditionalbusinesses.com/search-engine-optimization-basics-for-business-owners/ DATE: 02/28/2010 11:45:20 PM Joe I really like your list. You make folks and me think. In the months to come great copy writing and finding what your customer really thinks and giving it to them are going to be the key to success ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: albert maruggi EMAIL: amaruggi@providentpartners.net IP: 98.240.208.187 URL: http://www.providentpartners.net/blog DATE: 03/07/2010 09:33:34 AM Number One I'm always amazed at how a list will generate readers. That's a commentary in itself, perhaps a result of two generations of USA Today or perhaps acknowledgement that Moses was on to something that we are just picking up on. Second, content marketing is just a buzz word for marketers to stimulate new business let's face it. third, the issue and the rub will be for companies to avoid the temptation to scream they are the greatest, and acknowledge that they are not perfect, the best, most remarkable thing in the world. I prefer to get companies to face the realities of "content marketing" by saying consider this an opportunity to have an http://www.providentpartners.net/newsroompr an"embedded corporate journalist" that's the next transition companies will make if they want to move to be a company with a social culture and not one that merely implements social tactics. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Best SEO Companies EMAIL: bergstromseo.com@gmail.com IP: 59.93.218.184 URL: http://www.bergstrom-seo.com DATE: 05/14/2010 01:29:40 AM Subject of your post is very interesting.I 'd love to read more.Please make the next post here, i 'll be waiting for that.The best way to find the best SEO company for you business is to actually phone the SEO companies up. Explain your business to them. If they can't understand your business, then they probably can't help you. The top SEO companies understand SEO, but they also understand the needs of their clients. The best seo company can look into your business and figure out what your key customers are typing into Google. There's no point in hiring a SEO company that doesn't understand what your business is about. Without that knowledge, how will they know what keywords do to SEO for? Thanks~ Prasen Dutta a community member at Top SEO Companies ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Andrews EMAIL: mark.andrews65@googlemail.com IP: 86.157.218.12 URL: http://anger-management-for-children.com/ DATE: 06/01/2010 08:26:08 PM This is a great list but my fav is number 24 on the list - how true ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adam@How To Make MOney Online EMAIL: glemoh101@yahoo.com IP: 41.238.1.59 URL: http://www.4money-making-online.blogspot.com DATE: 07/16/2010 10:37:39 AM I can Add: 1-The content without good seo = NOTHING 2-Duplicate content is spam and wast of time because your site will be penalize 3-Add regular content .. Google like regular sites 4-don't submit dozen of articles in short time.. Google treat you as spam Finally.. I hope this tips help every one want to success online. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark-Strategic Marketing Consultant EMAIL: mark@clickherenowmarketing.com IP: 205.211.217.125 URL: http://www.clickherenowmarketing.com/category/internet-market-packages/strategic_marketing_and_response_technology/ DATE: 07/26/2010 05:16:06 PM I would like to comment on number 2 & 19 which are interlinked. This should be a very important part of your strategic marketing plan, that is to have an effective way to follow up and follow through with customers, whether they have just purchased an item or started communicating with your company. On average you need to have communicated with the client 7-9 times before they purchase, so this is crucial to long term success. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Owen Cooper EMAIL: what.is.ashmax@gmail.com IP: 94.171.73.43 URL: http://www.whatisashmax.com DATE: 07/27/2010 06:02:44 AM I agree with the comment which covers point 9 Giving customers what they wants may give them temporally satifaction but because it does not meet with what they actually need they become dissatified and tend to blame there dissatifaction on the seller and therefore do not become a long term customer. Much better to try and find out what they need, answer that need and you have a customer for life. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff EMAIL: contact@leadzumba.com IP: 122.169.213.11 URL: www.leadzumba.comhttp://www.leadzumba.com/ DATE: 08/18/2010 08:37:32 AM Great post, looking forward for the next one......... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rodney Ash EMAIL: rodneyash@newhomesteps.com IP: 98.212.147.50 URL: http://www.newhomesteps.com DATE: 11/06/2010 07:42:14 AM Joe, well it almost 2011 and I just found this post. Great list. I especially like number 15: That today's traditional publishers are scared of marketers. This so true. It's amazing to watch big newspaper companies still trying to figure it out. You should do a 2011 list. Thanks. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 8 Social Media Keys for 2010 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 8-social-media-keys-for-2010 CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 12/29/2009 09:31:43 AM ----- BODY:One of my New Year's resolutions is to get more organized. This week, I've been going through some old notes from conferences I attended this year. Pulled out a great one-sheeter on keys to social media...thought you would enjoy.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: social media keys, social media tactics ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: tobias tinker EMAIL: tobias@aeosrecords.com IP: 89.247.212.21 URL: http://cliffjump.net DATE: 12/30/2009 07:01:04 PM Nice clear summary! It applies to independent people like me trying to create a microbrand as much as to a larger organization... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom EMAIL: Tom@Kevins.Biz IP: 205.238.206.50 URL: http://www.kevins.biz DATE: 12/31/2009 10:53:12 AM great post. I am realizing more and more that quality trumps quantity and even then it takes Time. Sad but even as fast as the net moves things still takes time. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: PLANETwebfoot EMAIL: natalie@azterik.com IP: 216.8.169.226 URL: http://www.planetwebfoot.com DATE: 01/04/2010 02:53:14 PM Excellent post. I agree with all your points, but especially #2, Relevant Content. Social media is all about engagement and creating dialgoue. Our business has found the use of social networking technology to be particularly useful in this area. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Top 10 Content Marketing Articles of the Year STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: top-10-content-marketing-articles-of-the-year CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/28/2009 02:46:25 PM ----- BODY:An annual Junta42 tradition, I enjoy going back and seeing the most popular content marketing articles for both the blog and the Junta42 community every year (here is the 2007 and 2008 review).
NOTE: for you content marketers, this is something you should do regularly, at least every quarter. Find out what people are reading and passing along, and adjust your content calendar to suit.
A quick analysis on what readers liked and spread around to others:
And now, drum roll please...
Bonus article - June 9, 2009 - Why Content Strategy Comes Before Social Media. One of my all-time favorites, and the cornerstone of any social media strategy.
There were so many good articles in the community in 2009. If you had a special one that hit home for you, please share it below. If you would like to receive the top content marketing articles on a weekly basis (every Friday), sign up for our Content Revolution enewsletter here.
Thanks to all of you. Looking forward to more great content marketing in 2010.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: top content marketing articles, content marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: james bond EMAIL: 2@NBAY.COM IP: 67.188.102.179 URL: http://www.nbay.com/classifieds DATE: 01/03/2010 12:20:49 AM Another great article. You know what? You need to write a book! Seriously, thankyou for the knowledge. Sincerely, James Bond http://www.nBay.com/classifieds ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 100 Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions - The eBook STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 100-social-media-content-marketing-predictions-the-ebook CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 12/22/2009 03:34:15 PM ----- BODY:Thanks to our good friends at Zmags, we now have a 75-page eBook covering over 100 social media and content marketing predictions for 2010 from the most influential marketers in the world. You can view it here without signup!
Last week we released the 100 content marketing predictions for 2010, easily our most popular post of the year.
No one seems exactly sure when, but shoelaces became popular sometime in the 20th century to better tighten shoes, replacing buckles and buttons (which were slow and cumbersome).
Shoelaces are odd to me. The technology exists today that we can manufacture any type of shoe, dress, casual or sport, without the need for shoelaces. There is no need to tighten shoes, because the shoe itself can loosen or tighten, depending upon the need. Take a shoe like this I just purchased from Sketchers. I could wear this shoe for literally any situation. And no shoelaces.
But, millions of us still purchase and wear shoes with shoelaces. This is partly because of what our personal preferences are and partly because of what is available (and at the right price).
But mostly, we purchase shoes based on what we had before. We like shoes we are used to. We can handle a little change, but not too much.
The same goes for our marketing plans.
Do you know what the single biggest indicator of what will be in our marketing plans for 2010 or the next year or the year after? What you did the previous year.
And, you have a lot working to make sure things stay the same:
I've been in four companies in the last month where we were doing a mini-content audit (going through what was working and what isn't working in their content strategies). At every company, we came to a marketing tactic - an enewsletter, a white paper program, a pr schedule, etc., where I asked what it was and why they were doing it.
The answer: because we did it last year, but not sure exactly what it's doing.
What are your marketing shoelaces? What are those things that you are doing because you did them last year, or because that's what your company is used to doing?
Make the promise to start fresh this year. Focus on what's working and what you can measure. Focus on listening to your customers and stop listening to those people in your company that want to keep things exactly as they are.
Try some new shoes...you'll be surprised at the outcome.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: marketing shoelaces, new marketing tactics, change ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stan Phelps EMAIL: stan@9inchmarketing.com IP: 173.2.37.225 URL: http://marketinglagniappe.com DATE: 12/17/2009 10:01:50 AM Joe - great insight and I like the shoelace analogy. There is a simple true-ism of life and that is . . ."People in life don't know what they like . . . they like what they know". Our brains are hardwired to resist change. One of the greatest things I learned in grad school was the premise that there should be a reason behind every rule. When the reason stops . . therefore should stop the rule. A great example of this was the newlywed husband who asked his wife why she cut about a 1/5th of the roast off and threw it away before cooking it. She replied that that's what her mother always did. The next time the husband saw his mother in law he asked the same question about the roast. His mother in law replied matter of factly that it was what her mother always had done. That winter the couple had occasion to visit his wife's grandmother in Florida. During the visit he took the grandmother aside and asked her why she had cut 1/5th of the roast and threw it away. She explained that she always cut a portion of the roast because otherwise the roast wouldn't fit into her small roasting pan. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.112.114 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/17/2009 04:18:22 PM Great story Stan! Love it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ethnicomm EMAIL: info@ethnicomm.com IP: 173.34.95.233 URL: http://ethnicomm.com DATE: 12/18/2009 11:00:41 AM Great post! Another reason is that people are afraid of the unknown. They did something previously and the sky did not fall so it's safe to do it again. It takes work to convince a client to get out of their comfort zone. But like you say, it's about being consumer-oriented and critically evaluating what was done. Future initiatives should include an objective and measureable outcome. Otherwise the following year they'll be in the same situation! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alexandra Spirer EMAIL: awspirer@gmail.com IP: 205.188.116.6 URL: http://www.stepsto.com DATE: 12/18/2009 12:02:10 PM This is a great post and really makes me think about how we are marketing and portraying our company to others. We are constantly reevaluating our message, tweaking our site and looking at ways to be better. Thank you for your great insights! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Happy Holidays from Junta42 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: happy-holidays-from-junta42 CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 12/15/2009 08:45:35 AM ----- BODY:Thanks to Jim O'Hare at BioMedia for putting this nice little holiday video together for the Junta42 community. We stopped a few years ago sending paper holiday cards, so we're hoping you like this instead.
Happy Holidays!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: happy holidays, Junta42 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anushka Pathak EMAIL: anushuya.pathak@gmail.com IP: 122.160.187.54 URL: http://www.qualityfreetemplates.com DATE: 12/30/2009 06:47:36 AM Happy HOlidays! attractive name, posting is good, but, I can't see video, unfortunately. Please, tell me, how can I enjoy it through video. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.110.34 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/30/2009 07:49:11 AM Hi Anushka...you can see it here as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ0yHVMtD3Y&feature=player_embedded ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 100 Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions for 2010 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: social-media-content-marketing-predictions-2010 CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 12/14/2009 12:08:28 PM ----- BODY: Some things amaze me, like this year's social media and content marketing predictions list. What does one sent email and two tweets equal? Over 100 predictions from 60+ of the best and the brightest in marketing, content marketing, custom publishing and social media. No kidding! Just check out this list below.
...and just to be fair, we have listed the predictions by order of submission. Congrats to Seth Godin for being Quick Draw McGraw. For those of you who want to add your two cents, please do so in the comments.
Here are some of the key trends I found while reading through our expert predictions:
And for fun, you may want to compare this year's predictions with last year's social media and content marketing predictions. (Also added at request of Jay Baer - the Predictions Wordle)
TO VIEW THIS IN EBOOK FORM - CLICK HERE.
The QuestionWhat is your prediction for how brand marketers will create and distribute their own content in 2010?
Seth GodinThat doesn't mean the content won't be awful - most of it will be. But I'm hoping a new video explosion will also drive some great new creative stuff, too.
Mike Volpe
More video, especially in B2B, as marketers realize that live video podcasts and other video formats are not difficult to do and can communicate a compelling message to help you get found by more prospects.
I believe that the next "big thing" will be a greater sense of personalization and location-based offerings. We're starting to see this for example in Foursquare (about which I could talk about non-stop until tomorrow!)
For example, I'd checked in to a well known restaurant chain in Soho, London on Foursquare and upon checking in, an offer came up on screen for another local restaurant chain. In the offer, it said that when you had checked in to the restaurant twice and become Mayor of that particular restaurant, you're entitled to a 2 for 1 meal! You'd simply have to take your phone and a friend in with you, show them that you're Mayor and your friend eats free!
To me that's utterly mind blowing.
Graeme Harrison
The best marketers/brands will generate great ideas, and create well told stories that are told across a variety of media channels. Digital will serve as the enabler that links these ideas and stories together.
The reality is that the vast majority of brands and marketers will continue to spam content and distribute rubbish via a scattergun approach.
Jason Falls
I think more will become aware that making content highly portable is the key to engaging an ever-more-mobile audience. Whether it's implementing RSS and mobile feeds on a website, funneling brand messages to social networks, etc., I think more will start to see the power of content distribution and customer engagement through that content. 2009 was about learning social media. 2010 will be about figuring out how to use it well.
Laurent Francois
There'll be more & more Social Media and content strategies at the hyper-local level; citizen consumers interested in their neighborhood are already keen to ask Google what they've seen in their preferred shop or street. There'll be a greater "loop" between daily discoveries & online journey. Brand marketers will try to reach their consumers in this new interactive dimension
Brian Halligan
I think 2010 is the year brand marketers figure out that interrupting their way into people's lives through advertisements just does not work anymore as we consumers are sick-and-tired of being marketed to and are getting better-and-better at blocking the interruptions out (i.e. DVR, iPod, CallerID, spam protection). They will start creating remarkable content that spreads via social media, draws in links from other content creators, and ranks in Google's search engine.
David Meerman Scott
The phrase "social media" will soon be considered obsolete as more and more organizations publish online content. Online video will emerge as the most important tool for marketers in 2010.
Scott Abel
They will (in 2010) increasingly begin moving toward providing personalized, location-aware, device-independent content (content that can be formatted on-the-fly for whatever device the user needs/wants to use - iPhone, laptop, print, etc.) This move will be based on the need to deliver the right content to the right prospects at the right time in the right format and language. Consumer expectations will drive the change. User expectations have changed and consumers are no longer willing to settle for mediocre experiences. Today, they expect all content to be accessible, consumable, and shareable - no excuses.
Ari Herzog
When you consider approximately 16% of the Fortune 500 have a public-facing blog, 28% of those blogs link to Twitter accounts, and 17% of the companies use blogs, Twitter, and Facebook to engage (or in many cases, broadcast only) with their customers, those are telling statistics.
Looking back at the 2009 predictions published in this space last year, I think we have a long way to go. Where's the value in predicting how brand marketers will create and distribute content when the Fortune 500 (or the Inc. 500) aren't making significant strides as a group? That's where the focus should be.
Simon Payn
Marketers will get more feisty and opinionated in their content to build trust with their best prospects and clients. I've tried it...and it works!
Seamus Walsh
The rise of private media channels.
As more and more people find web video to be valuable and entertaining, web video for corporate story telling will continue to expand. While many public sites, such as youtube.com have gained huge popularity, they are not always the best vehicles for business-based communication. The threat of viruses, competitive advertising and lack of quality control are reasons why more companies will steer away from public media channels and moving towards private channels, while committing internal resources to produce quality content quickly.
With the low price and technology and easy to use technology anyone can assemble a HD-broadcast quality studio. Get your customers, executives and product champions in front of the camera to tell their story - how you've solved people's problems, why your solution is unique and what value you bring to the table. In 2010 publishing your videos on a private media channel can be the most effective way to reach your target audience.
Tim Kolb
The computer software industry (outside of a few, isolated cases) has gotten extremely cost-competitive, even as the features customers demand increase in quantity and complexity.
I think in the coming year, the tide will start to shift as these organizations need to reassess where they can achieve sustainable revenue. As software packages get both deeper and wider and almost no customer uses, or even wants to know about every feature, the information about the product (specific feature information, targeted training, tutorials, etc.) will actually become the margin potential product.
I think that by 2015, we'll see software markets where the software tools themselves are developed at near cost-recovery and the user training will be the exciting growth opportunity product line.
...the ultimate in content marketing. Market the content.
Evan Scott
I'm not sure how we (as a group) will actually do it but I can say what I think we need to do in 2010 and beyond.
First, let me differentiate between B2B brand marketers and consumer brand marketers - these are very different worlds with very different customers and stakeholders.
Also, we need to differentiate between agency side and corporate side.
So, four groups of brand marketers - and we're all on the hot seat! As we should be...
In the consumer world, I believe agency-side brand marketers need to practice what they preach and partner with potential clients to launch their own line of branded products - see the precedent here.
I think brand marketers on the agency side will have to put skin in the game to demonstrate their value. The real ROI is always sales first; brand equity, like seventh.
On the corporate side, brand marketers will need to continue the trend toward user-generated content - I know, I know; that's not their own content but what I mean is that marketers will have to create content that solicits / engages consumers to respond and respond often.
One idea could be to open up product development to consumers in a more holistic way - find ways to manufacture and distribute products that have direct consumer input. Among the challenges here will be manufacturing and distribution because we're talking about customized products - but in much the same way that music purchases are now customized by individual song (rather than having to buy the whole album), consumer products companies will have to at least address this issue.
B2B brand marketers have to become much better storytellers. No more bullets in collateral materials and on Web sites. Content has to be about customer successes and, moreso, about customer stories - which sometimes include failures on the way to success.
Stories are drama - point A to point B - where something happens in between - lesson learned, challenge overcome, triumph over struggle. In B2B brand marketing, the stories that demonstrate the value of relationships always win the day. Think about it - people do business with friends, not products. So, the content has to include a new understanding of what the brand is that your selling - it's not just the product or service. You're selling your product or service's ability to help customers write and tell their own next story. If we're doing our job well, we'll be included in the story because we'll write ourselves in and have our customers tell it.
Rick Liebling
I think a lot will be enamored with the idea of crowdsourcing. They'll see it as a way to engage consumers and generate some publicity. But as more and more brands try this, savvy consumers will see that without proper curation there isn't much 'there' there.
Crowdsourcing, when used properly, can be compelling. Smart brands will utilize the concept to identify true experts, rather than hoping that 1000 entries produces one or two good pieces.
Tamar Weinberg
Content will be more widely dispersed, especially across mobile platforms as phones are getting smarter. We'll see more mobile optimized sites, but we'll also hopefully see a bigger emphasis on Augmented Reality, especially as it creates opportunities for brands to port their product availability to the screens of cell phones, giving consumers the ability to find and buy products that they are interested in from wherever they are.
Peter Prestipino
Brand marketers will more actively leverage mobile applications (and on various platforms including iPhone, Android and BlackBerry), creating content specific and exclusive to this channel.
Chris Lake
Brands will finally come to terms with the fact that their own content is usually not as compelling as the content already produced, collected, and shared by their consumers. It's time for brands to evolve from producers and distributors to collectors and curators.
Mike Arauz
We're moving into an age of transparency. Brand marketers that embrace this will have the chance to improve satisfaction, service and loyalty. Others who don't may find themselves falling out of favor, and fast.
The last decade was all about acquisition. The next one, for the smarter marketers, will be all about retention. An open, transparent approach will help you forge closer bonds with consumers and customers. A closed, head-in-the-sand approach will only cause small problems to become much more troublesome.
No brand is immune, no matter how big or small. Transparency FTW!
Don Philabaum
A global shortage of electricity will require content producers to distribute content in wheel barrows and deliver content from door to door!
John Jantsch
More content, or at least real engagement as a result of content, will find its way offline - awareness of the content will grow online as search and social networking continues to expand, but smart marketers will start finding more ways to drive prospects offline to consume content in live events and local networks.
Dharmesh Shah
Brand marketers will move budget dollars away from classic campaigns and into people that can create killer content.
This will create a new market for exceptional writers, videographers, illustrators, cartoonists, storytellers, singers, musicians and game developers. Maybe even dancers and yodelers. Basically, anyone that has the creativity to capture and charm an audience.
Bob Leonard
In the B2B world, it's going to require "simplicity on the other side of complexity." -Oliver Wendell Holmes.
What I mean is that marketers are going to have to work hard to distill product and service information (features and benefits, competitive positioning, value propositions, etc.) into easily consumed, and quickly digested morsels. I'm not referring to slogans or tag lines. Marketers have moved beyond sales messages to delivering relevant and useful information. As the sheer volume of this information grows exponentially, marketers must learn to communicate to target prospects not only in a meaningful, concise way; but also using multimedia to engage more of the targets' senses. To teach and to entertain simultaneously.
Larry Kunz
In 2010 we'll see social media -- Facebook, Twitter, blogs -- being used for all sorts of products, from software to shampoo and from Blu-Ray players to blue jeans, as ordinary consumers become more comfortable interacting with companies on the web.
Content strategists -- the people who can process information from all over the enterprise (and from customers) and repackage it for different audiences -- will gain greater prominence.
We'll see increased demand from the C-level suite for a return on investment from social-media marketing. And, I hope, a consensus will start to emerge about the best ways for measuring ROI.
Kim Kleeman
I predict there will be a clear division between quality customized content and content created in a factory-like fashion. Just like junk mail began to dilute our mail system, poorly created content will become a nuisance. If you are looking to protect and market your brand, focus on engaging your customers with content that will build trust and the relationship your brand seeks.
Nettie Hartsock
"I believe that more brand marketers will come to understand that content is only valuable if it is deeply rooted in their expertise. They will stop creating "bait and switch" content and instead empower content that is free, extraordinarily valuable and not "back to me - yakkity yak content."
Todd Smart
Smart marketers will continue to differentiate themselves and their brands through increased credibility.
The number one strategy for increased credibility is to write the book in your business.
ScLoHo (Scott Howard)
Smart Marketers will be the ones who understand and use Twitter and Facebook with hyperlinks to pull potential clients to their websites and blogs.
Smart Marketers will understand the power of real conversations via Twitter and Facebook and use these as communication tools, not just P. R. machines.
Smart Marketers will insist that their Marketing Messages are using Social Media, Traditional websites, and Traditional Media in a cross-platform culture that includes everything from SmartPhones to HDTV screens.
Paul Dunay
I think brand marketers have focused on getting the word out via social media a lot this year - next year will be the year they look INTERNALLY to get the employee base to help them spread the word.
Enterprise Social tools will become more mainstream next year with folks like IBM, Oracle, Microsoft and a host of smaller players like Yammer, SocialCast and SocialText allowing for rich interaction and immediate attention from your internal army!
Heather Rast
I believe brands will see more of the potential with user-generated content. Beyond allowing users/participants/members to post comments, I think successful brands will cultivate strong ties with their most visible, enthusiastic loyalists and channel those with the strongest contributions a type of elevated presence. Call them feature contributors, but I think it's possible for a genuine personal affinity to lead to semi-branded personality roles for those with the most interest in engaging relevant consumer audiences with interested, in-tune brands. These persons become the conduit, drawing in other voices with their approachable, compelling presence.
Steve Beyer
2010 will be the year of the listening to the customers needs. Advertising sales people versed in listening will get the lions share of the business based on meeting the needs of the customer (very few know how to listen). Marketers will need to listen to their customers to figure out how they should interact with them during the coming year. Consumer companies do extensive research to find out their customers needs. Why don't more B2B companies take the same advice? If you are in the B2B market and have a favorite magazine you need to run print ads to reach the whole market (most magazines only reach half their readership by email), digital programs to produce sales leads, custom programs to target market potential customers and social media to help out in discussion forums.
wisey
Most brand marketers will continue to create mass amounts of expensive content for their generic targets. Of which, majority of audiences will not have the time or patience to filter through it.
The smart marketers will create minimal amounts of highly targeted content to relevant audiences. Utilizing the right amount of resource to maximize returns.
Valeria Maltoni
Brand marketers follow the customers, they don't lead them. So the question is: How will people be exchanging content in 2010?
Much the same way as in 2009. I do think brand marketers will begin to rediscover the power of sophisticated email list management. Email's popularity is stable, particularly among decision-makers. Thanks to better spam filtration, it is increasingly low-noise. Metrics are easy to manage, and lists can be very granular. Email dovetails well with Twitter and other existing social media channels. Use these tools to engage people, and point them to the list.
We will see more people offering information products next year. Again, email is a good channel for this. So are eBooks.
Gaurav Mishra
I think online communities will come of age in 2010. Brand marketers will create compelling micro-content to seed these communities, then run contests to invite consumers to interpret their brand, create their own content. I also see brand marketers investing in communities that are built around a bigger social object: a lifestyle, cause or passion.
Dawn Willson
I predict "Recycled Marketing" will be the hottest thing in 2010. Brand Marketers and their clients, for the first time in marketing history, can actually make a return on a marketing investment with every content marketing budget. By building a sensible content marketing publishing schedule, that not only markets products and services, content is created that becomes intellectual property that can be bought and sold. A marketing budget this year can now reduce the budget next year, if not pay for it in its entirety, all the while garnering authority and brand leadership in any industry. Welcome to Recycled Marketing 2010! - The ultimate in Gr$$n Marketing.
Jacob Morgan
Social media channels are going to continue to be pervasive for brand marketers. Sites such as twitter, facebook, youtube, and linkedin will keep growing. We are also going to see a strong push towards mobile marketing and geo-targeting, something that we are already starting to see twitter integrate and something that foursquare has already been doing. Desired advertising or marketing is something that I think is also going to become more popular. In other words I will receive some sort of content from a brand based on something I say or do. The content I receive is going to be more relevant and more targeted based on my actions.
I think we will also see more community development amongst brands, both internally and externally, meaning consumer facing. Right now brands are struggling with a fragmented approach to content creation and distribution. Brand marketers are going to realize that their website is no longer a single URL but a collection of sites and URLs. This means that you can have your forum discussions on sites such as Facebook while your blog exists on the main corporate site. Content is going to get a lot more social.
Internal collaboration creation communities can act as sources for content creation and distribution to external communities. 2010 should be an interesting year.
Gaby Rosario
Its my sentiment that in 2010, brand and business leaders, rather than just marketers, will start paying more attention to content. Strategically they will consider investing in and employing effort and resources into building that brand's very own content management system. A silo if you will, of content that is sourced from various divisions and filtered to internal and external publishing platforms required or selected by various departments, one of them, being marketing.
Marcus Grimm
In a word, "personally." Readers are going in different directions now. Some are on their netbooks, others are on the Kindle and some are on mobile. Brand marketers will have to look at each of these platforms and ask if their readers are on them. If so, they'll need to reach readers where they are.
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Chris Wilson
Creating seamless brand experiences will be the game to win. Noise will get louder and louder, giving brands no choice but to fragment themselves into more mediums. This will make the providing consistent and rich experiences crucial for every brand.
Brand marketers will continue to struggle with aligning and integrating online and offline brand experiences, but the few that master this skill be the big winners.
Chris Minnick
Brand marketers will focus less on creating original content and will seek out subject area experts (formerly known as publishers) to produce content on their behalf.
Content syndication via affiliates and partners will increase, with the expectation that partners down the chain will have greater social connectivity to potential new customers.
As it becomes less practical to spend for "air cover" branding, brand marketers will insist on pay-per-lead and pay-per-conversion models, with the brand message attached to discrete transactions. In a sense, branding becomes more transactional.
Drew McLellan
Here's what I think will happen in 2010 -- the good, bad and the ugly:
The good: As the economy continues to slowly recover, consumers are going to reward those brand marketers who have been sharing content/expertise without any strings attached during the recession. Validation for content marketing.
The bad: Many brand marketers who are just entering the content marketing arena will do so with the old broadcast mentality. Rather than just talk -- they will shout. And turn off their potential audience.
The ugly: Content marketing isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. But many CFOs and other leaders (including impatient business owners) will prematurely pull the plug on their content marketing efforts because the results are not instantaneous. The tragedy of this is that for many of them, they were probably on the cusp of getting the traction they needed to demonstrate results.
Bernie Borges
2010 will be the year that content marketers will upgrade from engagement to experience. Marketers whose content draws people into an experience will stand out. 2010 will become the year of experiential marketing.
Brands who design content strategies and campaigns around bringing their audience into an experience will enjoy more brand loyalty and more positive actions. Brands such as Ford, Guinness, Red Bull and Google have demonstrated their ability to create content experiences that people share with other people. A content experience is one where people participate in the content. They experience the content through interaction with a brand. Smaller brands who take notice will become creative designers of content experiences and will take the lead over their competitors who are asleep at the wheel in 2010.
M. H. (Mac) McIntosh
More and more companies' marketing org charts will now include positions for people responsible for managing the creation and deployment of content as a critical element of their marketing designed to drive leads and sales.
I believe this trend will start with larger enterprises, followed soon after by mid-sized companies.
Both large and mid-sized companies will also choose to outsource some of their content creation to freelancers, contractors or content creation companies.
Smaller companies with smaller marketing budgets will be less likely to add staff and will be more likely to outsource their content creation needs.
Jay Baer
The question says it all. Brand marketers will continue to embrace the premise of direct content distribution, end-running traditional intermediaries (including the media and public relations counsel). Brands will begin tearing down the internal silos of "social media" and "PR" and "corporate communications" and "CRM" and recognize that each of those are just facets of a unified consumer contact strategy. Thus, we'll start to see wise brands integrate content creation and distribution. The email marketing team and the social media team and the PR team will begin to coalesce. This will reduce consumer confusion, and enhance content subscription/syndication/digestion rates.
Jon Wuebben
Online content strategy will enter the mainstream with print and other traditional media continuing their downward spiral. In other words, more companies will understand the value and effectiveness of content: creating and distributing it, but also leveraging it. How will brand marketers do it in 2010? By having a presence in the blogosphere, in social networking, in local search and everywhere there customers and potential customers are online. But simply having a presence, of course, will not be enough. They will need to be active participants, and need to be perceived as an authentic resource. They then need to capitalize on this presence by simply being EVERYWHERE at ALL TIMES. They will leverage this presence by having contests, special events, promotions and other activities that will give them more "face time" with their customers.
Paul Conley
As traditional publishers continue to suffer, they'll have to cut costs even further. Increasingly they'll turn to inexperienced writers, content mills and offshore text factories to fill their publications and Web sites.
That leaves a gap that sophisticated brand marketers can fill.
The smartest marketers will resist the drive toward low-cost content and instead compete for attention with quality -- snatching up talented journalists, Web producers and others being driving out of the business.
We'll soon see that in large numbers of B2B segments the very best content -- the thoughtful, weighty, important material that drives conversations in an industry -- is coming from brands, not publishers.
David Reich
I think many will use a variety of methods to get their own content out there. I would caution against putting all efforts in one "basket," since we see how quickly the SM flavor of the month can come and go.
There is still a place for marketers to get their information out via mainstream media through good ole PR. It brings with it the bonus of credibility that is still lacking on many SM vehicles.
Andrew Gaffney
More marketers will embrace e-nurturing and develop content messaging that can be delivered incrementally over a period of time to match the buyer's educational needs.
This approach has worked extremely well for companies marketing complex, higher price tag solutions and considered purchases and it is proving to be just as effective for other marketers. Too many marketers are still sending "one and done" messages. Even custom content will fail if it doesn't speak to the educational process of the buyer.
Wendy Meyeroff
I actually think a few will backtrack. Everyone was busy rushing in 2009 to explore Social Networking just to get on the bandwagon, without really deciding if "tweeting" or certain other presences were really what they needed. I think they'll step back and determine if that's actually the best use of their content.
I think the ability to backlink to outlets like Digg (as just one example) is going to make marketing and brand managers better aware of the need for custom content in general and more specifically for various trade and consumer materials. I'm talking about stories that read like real journalism, not just self-promoting, that help them stand out as true experts in their field. To that end, they should consider finding real experts in providing those stories; i.e., experienced health writers for health materials (and not necessarily doctors or nurses--it depends on their audience).
I can also see an increasing need for downloadable reports, brochures, and free giveaways: e.g., click here to get your copy of "10 Ways to De-Stress This Holiday Season!" or "A Report on the Viability of Moving Your Office From Windows to Mac". Such items both help the company capture data and (again) seem like an expert in the field, or someone concerned about its audience.
I hope we see an increase in certain web enhancements, without getting crazed with all the razzmatazz a website can do via Flash or whatever. Example: I know a lawyer's office whose landing page featured a roaring lion, though the guy's name wasn't lion (or Leo or anything similar) and he didn't represent a zoo. Why? On the other hand, I've still seen very few companies take advantage of interactive options, like the interactive quizzes.
Susan Gunelius
My prediction is that online video will continue to grow as more marketers recognize its growth potential and attempt to leverage it. With that said, the success of those efforts is questionable. Until marketers embrace engagement marketing rather than interruption marketing and truly add value and build relationships by speaking with consumers rather than speaking at them, social media and content marketing efforts will continue to be popular but not deliver the big returns companies hope for. Furthermore, the success of social media and content marketing comes from transparency and a willingness to give up control -- two things that executives have yet to buy into. I expect 2010 to be filled with more of the same conversations and struggles between marketers and the individuals in the C-suites. We can't give up trying to bring those execs over to our side though!
Ardath Albee
Marketers will realize the importance of nurturing their leads across the entirety of the buying process. In 2010, nurturing won't just be about delivering relevant content, but about creating and employing content that helps prospects build momentum with each interaction. Marketers will need to better integrate, use and personalize content to gain long-term traction with prospects. This means the adoption of a "publisher" mindset. And it means publishing content where your buyers will find it and then seek out the company to learn more.
Effective marketing is not just about "touching" your prospects consistently, but in motivating them to take actions greater than passively reading the content provided. Through the strategic planning and execution of progressive, online interactions, marketers will generate more qualified opportunities that will be accepted, pursued and won by sales teams.
Joanne Grey
I think that people are sick and tired of being sold "at". Consumers are intelligent and realize that advertisers tell them exactly what they want to hear! Playing the traditional marketing game is no longer enough to ensure sales. Competition is rife in most industries, and the provision of relevant information is what will ultimately set businesses apart from one another. When faced with a number of companies offering similar services, I believe that savvy consumers will choose ethical, socially responsible and honest companies that empower their clients to make informed purchasing decisions.
Paul Roetzer
Organizations will become more strategic in their use of content marketing for both acquisition (leads) and retention (loyalty). Content marketing must be integrated with brand, Website, search marketing and social media strategies to achieve its full potential. As a result, organizations will seek content creators who have a strong grasp of marketing strategy, and exceptional creative and technical copywriting capabilities.
Brian Solis
2010 will be the year Social Media Optimization becomes a formalized program in addition to the content creation and distribution strategies. Businesses will realize the value in becoming a bona fide media property in addition to their core business products and services.
Prospects, customers, and stakeholders, whether they're b2c or b2b, use search to unearth information that helps them navigate the landscape of options. This content leads to decisions. Depending on what they uncover determines whether or not we're even part of the decision making cycle. And, the role of search is expanding beyond Google, Bing and Yahoo. Search behavior is transpiring directly within social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and blog search. Social Media Optimization (SMO) increases the findability of customer content we create to aid customers in their discovery process. Our content becomes beacons to represent our brand and value proposition where our direct voice may be absent. This is why businesses must also become media properties. Creating rich, informative, creative, and engaging content is critical for 2010 and along with SMO, must be budgeted in terms of time, money, and resources for the new year.
Stephanie Tilton
Smart B2B marketers know they can no longer ignore the fact that prospects are in control of the buying cycle. Recognizing the need to keep prospects engaged over many months, marketers will create and distribute valuable information that gets passed along.
While e-newsletters will continue playing a critical role in outbound marketing, they will feature more magazine-style articles that make no mention of the company's offerings. And they will point readers to microsites or "content centers" organized around topics of interest that align with buyer personas and buying stages, rather than products and services. Plus, marketers will produce ebooks, blog posts, articles, videos, and podcasts that get syndicated using networks and tools including LinkedIn, YouTube, Scribd, and Twitter. Marketers that do this right will establish themselves as trusted advisors who remain top of mind as prospects develop their short lists.
Marketers will begin -- at least should begin -- to put greater innovation emphasis on being relevant and engaging with content delivered via flesh-and-blood channels -- the sales force, customer service, dealers and distributors, etc.
As content marketers we tend to fixate on other content types -- value-adding articles, white papers and e-books; social media postings and dialogue. Still, some of the most critical content for building brand and business is that which gets lumped into the easy-to-neglect category of "collateral."
The days when it was good enough to throw a brochure and some case studies in an envelope and consider that you've done an effective job of following up with a customer or prospect are over.
With Web 2.0 thinking and technology, there’s opportunity for bringing customization, engagement and measurement to these communications. And, as recipients click through personalized content collections – online experiences tailored to their needs and interests, vs. off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all print pieces – marketers can measure and continuously learn from their interactions.
Camille Torres
In 2010 content marketing will continue to gain popularity, becoming something marketers see as a necessity as they place more emphasis on building relationships with customers. The lines between marketing and publishing will continue to blur. Branded content and microsites will become increasingly common and will have more smart phone-compatible versions.
I think we'll also see content marketing become more interactive. Online magazines will begin to move away from flipbooks and toward Adobe AIR and other platforms that enhance readability and interactivity. Print and digital will combine as companies with higher budgets use technology that activates online videos when a print piece is held up to a Web cam.
Janet Robbins
In 2010, content marketing will move from "novel" to "normal". Marketers who go the extra mile to find out precisely how their customers use content (and the types of content they consider most useful) then use that information to drive content creation and distribution will see more success than those who don't.
For example, understanding whether customers find non-participatory forms of content (e.g., white papers, podcasts, webinars) more valuable or trustworthy than participatory content (e.g., asking questions on Twitter, seeking advice from friends/colleagues on Facebook/LinkedIn, interacting with company bloggers) - or vice-versa - when making a purchasing decision goes a long way in determining how companies can spend marketing dollars most beneficially. And in 2010, maximizing ROI will still be an overriding consideration for marketers.
Dave Fish
Three predictions for 2010:
(1) Turning Social Networks Outside-In
The 2009 holiday season will be a turning point -- as informal sharing and tweeting about great deals by users provides a big clue for marketing into social networks.
Marketers will finally recognize that the key to reaching users within social networks is not about what you do inside the social network, rather it's about what you do outside that then gets credibly and enthusiastically taken into the social network by the users.
Look for offers, promotions, and contests that are intrinsically group-oriented to originate outside of the social network and be promoted with high credibility by users inside the network. Check out Groupon for the large group model and Blabberbug for the start of a small group approach.
(2) From FLO TV to YO TV
Another holiday season trigger -- look for FLO TV and their cute little handheld wireless TV to spark interest in mobile video from a new perspective -- high quality programming in a small format mobile LCD TV. And then later on in 2010, look for a new generation of bloggers and vloggers to do to cable programming what Matt Drudge did to the New York Times - this will be all about taking social media video "live AND on location".
(3) Hyperlocal Content Pays Enough to Explode @$4 CPH
We're seeing successively more granular local content become successful. Check out the number of reporter-bloggers on your favorite city edition of the Examiner for a first clue. Now combine this with the likelihood that hyperlocal reporter-bloggers can make a six figure income (per study by Jeff Jarvis, director of the interactive-journalism program at the City University of New York) -- and the stage is set for hyperlocal content to go big this year.
The new benchmark number is $4 CPH -- $4 in annual income for the hyperlocal reporter-blogger per head in the population they reach. How many folks live in your town or city -- do the math.
Dragan Varagic
Because of Google new content and social media policies, Brand Marketers will focus on the creation of more quality content and the content creation market will rise according with those needs.
Brand marketers will be more focused on content distribution via online platforms which produce more positive social ratings, such as Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc.
Jim Larranaga
Content Creation
Brand marketers will begin outsourcing more of their content creation to trusted vendor/partners as the need for content grows with all the available media channels.
Distribution
Messaging will continue to be integrated: print with PURLS, email with share-to-social features, text short codes for consumers to request information on demand, will all be part of mix in 2010 - 2011.
Kraig Haberer
Marketers (and their CEOs) will realize that it's the message, not just the media that's important. We've gotten so caught up in the latest media gizmo, whether it is Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. that many marketers have forgotten that unless we have something interesting and relevant to say to our audiences, no one will care anyway!
Paul McKeon
The average marketer will continue on a downward trajectory toward process, and away from big ideas. The leaders, however, will differentiate themselves by caring less about "singles and doubles," like open rates and page ranks, and more about "home runs" that can change the game. They will be the ones who use content to carry big ideas and to create clever, memorable and useful content that gets read, remembered, shared, and appreciated.
Russell Sparkman
The year 2010 will be a growth year in Content Marketing awareness and an indication of the growing acceptance of the approach in the coming year will be an increase in the predicted daily searches for the specific term "content marketing."
Fundamental to content marketing taking hold as a sought after marketing strategy will be increased output of case studies bearing real world examples of content marketing initiatives leading to measurable return-on-objectives and return-on-investment.
Small businesses, in particular, will be leading adapters of content marketing as they realize that the time and money invested levels the competitive playing field and leads to significantly improved conversion rates.
Under the umbrella of Content Marketing, practitioners will be introduced to new concepts, such as Transmedia Storytelling, as the basis of a content strategy. Specifically, content strategies will increasingly be designed to reach audiences and community members anywhere, anytime and on any device, with different elements of the brand story tailored to the device.
Through concepts such as Transmedia Storytelling, content strategies will drive social media and social networking strategies by providing engaging content that inspires devotion to the brand. Don't be surprised to see content marketing strategies, in this context, to increasingly take their cues from both the Hollywood and the gaming industries.
There will be increased acceptance by marketers, business owners, etc., that the specialized services, skills and knowledge base of experienced content marketing agencies or firms can be utilized and retained on the same basis that traditional marketing, advertising and PR services have been retained. Moving forward, content strategies will be planned and implemented based upon the utilization of both internal and external resources, dictated by the human bandwidth and financial realities of the marketer.
Ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, what we'll see is a blossoming of creativity in the coming year as marketers-turned-publishers compete for audience attention with their own custom content that is both entertaining, engaging and resourceful.
I think what's important when looking at the next 12 months is what is actually feasible? Not necessarily hyperbolic five-year long term stuff, but what is actually do-able. In no particular order look for the following to happen in some shape or form.
Mobile apps (iPhone, Droid, Berry) will become a popular add-on and extension for celebrities and companies. Though the apps will require specialized development, we are already beginning to see content collected by these brands from their existing channels via RSS, and then adding a "premium" or app-only content.
There will be a huge increase in the use of mobile proximity marketing.
Related Articles:
As our team reviewed the over 300 companies that have submitted their blogs for review, the phrase "content marketing" was found multiple times on almost every blog.
In 2007, I could count the usage of content marketing with my hands. Today, I need more hands.
Our seventh official release of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs again featured a record number of blogs (313 to be exact, which is about 30 more than our last update, and up from the 81 original blogs in 2007).
Congratulations to Lee Odden and team from TopRank for moving back into the top spot for the second time.
Congratulations to top 42 (below). The entire list can be viewed here. For more about the Top 42 or to submit your blog, go here.
1 Online
Marketing Blog
2 Web
Ink Now
3 EyeCube
4 Convince
and Convert
5 Copyblogger
6 PR
2.0
7 TippingPoint
Labs
8 Marketing
Interactions
9 ContentMarketingToday
10 Conversation
Agent
11 Rexblog
12 Writing
on the Web
13 Post
Advertising
14 Internet
Marketing Blog
15 Inbound
Internet Marketing Blog
16 Chris
Brogan's Blog
17 Web
Strategy by Jeremiah
18 Modern
B2B Marketing
19 Marketing
with Meaning
20 IdeaLaunch
21 The
Viral Garden
22 Winning
the Web
23 The
Toadstool
24 Direct
Marketing Observations
25 Seth's
Blog
26 PR
20/20
27 Keysplash
Creative
28 Social
Media Explorer
29 Capture
the Conversation
30 Brain
Traffic
31 Drew's
Marketing Minute
32 Buzz
Marketing for Technology
33 9
Inch Marketing
34 Litman
Live
35 Paul
Gillin
36 ViralBlog
37 The
Content Wrangler
38 Marcom
Writer Blog
39 Ducttape
Marketing
40 Buzz
News
41 Writing
White Papers
42 Feed
Growth!
Related Posts
We'll be here someday with electronic, but this makes the case for why print is still an essential tool for most of us. Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: sun, print custom marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: seamus walsh EMAIL: seamus.walsh@vazt.com IP: 75.68.172.176 URL: http://www.vazt.com DATE: 12/03/2009 01:54:31 PM Joe, thanks for bringing clarity to a debated subject. If a picture is worth one thousand words, what is a video worth? I think you would agree video is one of the fastest content formats to create. That said, choice of any content format should implemented as part unified content strategy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.117.236 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/03/2009 02:39:54 PM Good point Seamus...I think the important aspect here is not to forgot this critical channel as part of the content strategy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tim Lloyd EMAIL: timlloyd150@hotmail.com IP: 79.74.94.95 URL: http://www.linkedin.com/in/timlloyd1 DATE: 12/06/2009 07:32:18 AM Brilliant that such a tight and clever presentation has come from the one industry most criticised for not 'keeping up'. However, its slightly at odds with the recent news that Murdoch plans to put up paywalls around his news sites (he owns The Sun). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.117.236 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/06/2009 11:51:28 AM Tim...good point. I think the key to remember here is that (regardless of what Rupert does), brands need to strongly consider a print content component as part of their content strategy. People still love and engage in print...so if your customers are there, that means your brand should be as well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Julie Burgmeier EMAIL: julie@skagitmarketing.com IP: 71.112.65.35 URL: http://www.skagitmarketing.com DATE: 12/07/2009 12:40:18 PM Speaking of brands, after one view of this video how many advertisements did you see? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Caleb Galaraga EMAIL: calebgalaraga@gmail.com IP: 24.215.199.169 URL: http://calebgalaraga.com DATE: 12/14/2009 10:43:07 PM This is just brilliant! Simple, classic and a reminder of how complicated things have become. Unfortunately, we all drank the kool aid of the new technology generation and are loving it! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Chex and Content - Where's Your Party Mix? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: chex-and-content-wheres-your-party-mix CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/02/2009 09:35:23 PM ----- BODY: Corn Chex, Cinnamon Chex, Rice Chex. We currently have boxes of it around the house. And it's all because of relevant content.
How you might ask?
It started with one box of Cinnamon Chex. My oldest son Joshua, who's eight years old, took great interest in the back of the Cinnamon Chex box. The subject was ChexPartyMix.com. The back of the cereal box promoted the Chex recipe site containing hundreds of sweet and salty recipes containing the main ingredient - Chex.
Joshua literally spent hours on the website, looking for just the right recipe to perform with Dad. The first recipe, Chocolate Chex Caramel Corn Bars, was first up. We went right to work. Unfortunately, near perfection turned not so perfect as Dad accidentally replaced corn syrup with vegetable oil. Joshua was okay with the mistake, as long as we could try again the next day.
Day 2 Recipe - Chex Muddie Buddies.
After a trip to the store for ingredients and two more boxes of Rice Chex, we were ready to start. This time, it was perfection, and the entire family enjoyed Muddie Buddies (like Puppy Chow) before bedtime.
Who knows what the recipe will be tomorrow? (except for Joshua)
Not only is ChexPartyMix.com responsible for our local Giant Eagle stocking up on more Rice and Cinnamon Chex, we are now big fans of all things Chex. Why? Because of a recipe site so user friendly and helpful that an eight-year-old boy bookmarked it next to Lego.com on his personal toolbar.
What's your ChexPartyMix.com? Where are you developing valuable, compelling content that is turning prospects into fans? Are you developing marketing information so outstanding that people like me are motivated to share it with anyone who will listen?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, chex party mix ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Crowdsourcing Content Marketing – Oxymoron or Killer App? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: crowdsourcing-content-marketing-oxymoron-or-killer-app CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 11/30/2009 10:37:02 PM ----- BODY:I'm extremely thankful this year...for many things. Re: business, it's hard to imagine just a few years ago I was working for "the man" and how this year I have been able to spread the word about content marketing all over the world. It's quite humbling actually.
Here's what I'll be doing more of over the next year to insure more good things will happen in 2010.
Effective content marketing means more sharing, more giving and more marketing with meaning. When you help your customers on a consistent basis, you'll get chosen (more than not) when they are ready to buy.
Now that's something to be thankful about!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing, thanksgiving, sharing expertise ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russ Henneberry EMAIL: russ@russhenneberry.com IP: 70.253.175.149 URL: http://www.russhenneberry.com DATE: 11/30/2009 12:42:55 AM I find the same thing happening with my small enterprise Joe... the more I share, the more business I receive in return. I will definitely be continuing to add my insight to the web into 2010. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jenny Pilley EMAIL: jenny@creare.co.uk IP: 86.167.33.240 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 11/30/2009 03:50:15 AM Great post and I think you've hit the nail on the head. There are so many things that giving can generate because people beleive in what you provide. They spread the word about you and what you can offer giving you something back in return...their business. Thanks for sharing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Pros and Cons of User-Generated Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: pros-cons-user-generated-content CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 11/25/2009 06:10:35 PM ----- BODY:Thanks to Dara Solomon, Community Manager at FunAdvice.com, for putting this timely piece together on user-generated content. More and more, marketers are asking how or if user-generated content should fit into their overall content marketing strategy. Dara provides a good overview below to help you in your decision making.
As the Internet continues to sprawl, entangle with, and seemingly overtake many aspects of our lives, different issues also begin to reel us in. Something interesting to think about is the debate on websites using “user-generated content” (UGC) versus “traditional” content.
The concept is simple: user-generated content includes any site where the user (that’s you or possibly your customer) can write and publish content, whether it is video content, blog posts, advice websites, and the like. No Rupert Murdoch involved there. Contrarily, “traditional” content includes pages run by local and national media, business pages, and any website where the content was professionally written, edited and published (your content marketing).
Working for a site, FunAdvice.com, that contains almost entirely UGC, it’s starkly apparent in my daily life that UGC has both pros and cons.
Pros of UGC:
Sounds good and dandy, right? So why isn’t every website based on user-generated content?
Cons of UGC:
So where do you personally stand on this debate? Is UGC the wave of the future and a possibility for your company, or just a way to spread junk en masse? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: user-generated content ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Geoff Caplan EMAIL: geoff@mail.org IP: 98.211.197.191 URL: http://marketingtechnews.com DATE: 11/26/2009 09:12:03 AM Excellent post. Dara's analysis of UGC is dead on and the points she makes should be taken under serious consideration by anyone responsible for content and overall online marketing strategies. This is a forward thinking approach to Internet Best Practices. Sound Internet marketing principles should aways be built on a core foundation of objective, relevant content, across the board. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Larry Kunz EMAIL: lkunz@sdicorp.com IP: 98.26.24.93 URL: http://www.sdiglobalsolutions.com DATE: 11/27/2009 12:53:10 PM UGC is the wave of the future. If we miss this wave, we'll be swamped. My brand is enhanced if I have a skilled content strategist who can manage the UGC and integrate it with traditional content. My brand is damaged if I don't manage UCG effectively -- or if I try to ignore UCG, because my customers and potential customers will perceive (fairly or not) that I'm not interested in them. Anne Gentle's book, Conversation and Community (http://xmlpress.net/publications/conversation-community), is a great resource. She explores the issue from the context of technical documentation, but her comments are relevant in other contexts as well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: instant sales system EMAIL: adams.newmedia@yahoo.com IP: 115.184.76.33 URL: http://www.how2buildyourbusiness.com DATE: 11/27/2009 08:36:04 PM Thanks for the Great Post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ryan EMAIL: ryanbeale26@yahoo.com IP: 76.19.146.175 URL: http://rbeale.com DATE: 12/02/2009 10:21:26 PM Interesting Read. You bring up excellent points on both sides of UGC. I am a UGC advocate, but think in the long run will be most beneficial to "entertainment" type websites. We'll see how it all plays out. @RBeale ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sara EMAIL: sara.2.miller@sprint.com IP: 144.230.63.58 URL: DATE: 12/03/2009 12:57:54 PM I would add one more point to your "cons." From a communications perspetive, you also don't "control" the message with user generated content. Although this method is fun and egaging, the message you hope comes across could get lost - either because the UGC leaves out your company's perspective or because the content is poorly executed. Now, I know we often don't have "control" anyway, but UGC is a often a sure-fire way to muddle your message and confuse your audience when you have something clear to say. I counsel my clients to steer clear of UGC if they have a clear message they want to deliver. If that's not the case, then we open it up to others to help us share the message in a fun and authentic way. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dara EMAIL: editor@funadvice.com IP: 71.65.205.203 URL: http://www.funadvice.com DATE: 12/15/2009 06:08:07 PM Sara, Good point, with UGC you give up control of the message. From how I see it, if you are running a site with a specific viewpoint/stance you want to portray, commercial-based content would be the way to go... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Do you want your customers to be able to reach you? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: do-you-want-your-customers-to-be-able-to-reach-you CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 11/24/2009 12:15:22 PM ----- BODY:This is a guest post compliments of Junta42's VP of Operations Pam Kozelka. It's all about being accessible for your customers? Today, your customers expect you to be reachable, in whatever way they want to reach you. Are you?
Every time we update the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs list, one of the jobs is to get the name and email for each blogger. For this go around, there are 44 new blogs to be added to the list – so there are 44 people to find and get an email address. Doesn’t sound too tough, right? I mean in this internet age with internet savvy bloggers, finding their contact information should be a cinch.
HA! Fooled you. As I write this I am only about half-way through the list and have yet to find a straight out email address for one blogger. I find connections to Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook. I even find phone numbers. I found one that was supposed to be a link to a contact form but the form wasn’t there (do they wonder why people don’t contact them???).
What if I were a prospect? What if I actually wanted to give you some direct business? If you make it so hard for me to contact you directly, I might give up and find someone more accessible. Life is way too busy for me to spend more than 3 minutes trying to figure out how to get in touch with you.
I know you will tell me that posting your email address will give you all kinds of spam, but you are smart enough to know your way around that. Want to reach me? Tell me I am wrong? Here you go pam[at]junta42.com.
And a take away - [Joe (the boss) after all likes a good takeaway or two]. How your customers, prospects and others are going to find you is key to your content strategy. This not only includes SEO, blogging and producing content that will drive people to your site (gaining credibility and trust), it also includes them actually being able to get in touch with you.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: accessibility, content strategy, Pam Kozelka ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul L'Acosta EMAIL: marketinfails@me.com IP: 75.131.119.246 URL: http://twitter.com/marketingfails DATE: 11/24/2009 02:25:58 PM Thank you for this reminder. Need to update some pages now! --Paul ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Yes, Senior Executives Are Looking for Your Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: senior-executives-content-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 11/23/2009 12:27:18 PM ----- BODY:One of the biggest questions I receive on my travels is about whether senior executives (the C-Suite) search the internet to find information. The thought is this: senior-level decision makers farm out looking for information to others, or they rely on traditional marketing channels to gather their buying information.
This latest research study from Forbes and Google (registration required to get PDF report) found that C-level decision makers do in fact use the Internet to gather buying information. The survey polled 354 senior executives at organizations with more than $1 billion in revenues.
Here are some of the key findings:
It's worth the registration for the report.
Point is this: Are you providing consistent content marketing on the web for these decision-makers to find?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: senior executives, content marketing, decision markers ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Caroline EMAIL: c.hatchett@waxcom.com IP: 38.100.206.190 URL: http://www.waxcom.com/impressions DATE: 11/24/2009 12:20:09 PM Thanks for sharing this study. It's makes the case for marketers (especially those in B2B) to produce and share solid content and engage in inbound marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul McKeon EMAIL: contentfactor@gmail.com IP: 96.25.167.39 URL: http://www.contentfactor.com DATE: 11/24/2009 03:32:30 PM For content marketers, it is encouraging to see that the C-suite does its own research. Internet searches are easy, and social media doesn't lend itself to being delegated to assistants. That means marketers will reach real decision makers directly if they distribute their content in the media that suits the audience. On http://www.contentfactor.com/blog I summarized some additional points of interest to b-to-b content marketers. Thanks, Joe, for blogging this study. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Acai berry EMAIL: barbaraandrew01@in.com IP: 122.180.1.91 URL: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1829429 DATE: 12/07/2009 04:55:08 AM Thank you for another great article. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Corporate Blogging Tips and Strategies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-corporate-blogging-tips-and-strategies CATEGORY: business blogging DATE: 11/18/2009 08:33:00 AM ----- BODY:Ambal from Click Documents asked me if I had any tips/strategies for corporate blogging. The presentation below is a corporate blogging basics presentation useful for beginning bloggers. That said, here are the main takeaways. For more indepth understanding of a content marketing strategy, this content marketing white paper will help.
Had an outstanding time last Thursday at the 2009 Custom Publishing Council Pearl Awards (Junta42 was a sponsor of the event).
A sign that the recession may be over? - many more attendees at the awards event this year over last year. A great site to see.
Finally, congrats to Junta42's parent company, Z Squared Media, on their silver place best blog finish in association with Razorleaf Corporation.
Here are all the winners below:
Winners are listed by category, title, custom publisher and client name, included in parentheses.
DESIGN | Best Cover Less Than 50,000
Gold: Lamborghini Desk Diary, Faircount Media Group (Lamborghini Club America)
Silver: The First Giant Leap for Mankind, Faircount Media Group (NASA)
Bronze: One, TMG (Silicon Valley Community Foundation)
DESIGN | Best Cover 50,000 – 250,000
Gold: Enroute, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: in, Spafax (LAN)
Bronze: Parks, Time Inc. Content Solutions (National Park Foundation)
DESIGN | Best Cover More Than 250,000
Gold: World Vision, Journey Group, Inc. (World Vision)
Silver: Spirit, Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Bronze: Deliver, Campbell-Ewald (USPS)
DESIGN | Best Opening Spread | Less Than 50,000
Gold: Capital Thinking, (Tales of the Transformation),Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
Silver: Thrive, (Drop by Drop), Pace Communications (Syngenta)
Bronze: Explore, (Angelina Jolie), HCP/Aboard Publishing (TACA Airlines)
Bronze: Lamborghini Desk Diary, (Quitting is Bull), Faircount Media Group (Lamborghini Club America)
DESIGN | Best Opening Spread | 50,000-250,000
Gold: Go, Ink (AirTran Airways)
Silver: Destination Hyatt 2009, HCP/Aboard Publishing (Hyatt Hotels Corporation)
Bronze: Cleveland Clinic Magazine, TMG (Cleveland Clinic)
DESIGN | Best Opening Spread | More than 250,000
Gold: ACCESS, Meredith Integrated Marketing (DIRECTV)
Silver: Spirit, Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Bronze: fresh, The Pohly Company (Hannaford)
DESIGN | Best Overall | Less than 50,000
Gold: MoFo Tech, Leverage Media (Morrison & Foerster LLP)
Silver: LeeNia, Direct Publishing Group (UF Distribution Polska)
Bronze: CENTURION, Journal International Verlags (American Express Services Europe)
DESIGN | Best Overall | 50,000 – 250,000
Gold: Parks, Time Inc. Content Solutions (National Park Foundation)
Silver: HomeSpa, Spafax (BainUltra)
Bronze: SilverKris, SPH Magazines Pte Ltd (Singapore Airlines)
DESIGN | Best Overall | More than 250,000
Gold: Acura Style, Javelin Custom Publishing (American Honda Motor Company Inc.)
Silver: ACCESS, Meredith Integrated Marketing (DIRECTV)
Bronze: Deliver, Campbell-Ewald (USPS)
DESIGN | Best New Magazine
Gold: MoFo Tech, Leverage Media (Morrison & Foerster LLP)
Silver: d.lux, Journal International Verlags (Steigenberger Hotels AG)
Bronze: The Barnett Shale, Wax Custom Communications (Chesapeake Energy Corp.)
DESIGN | Best New Newsletter
Gold: Yoshi!, Novimedia (Toyota MM Poland)
Silver: HealthLink, DCP (Brown & Toland Physicians)
Bronze: Advisor News, Pace Communications (Wachovia Financial Advisors)
DESIGN | Most Improved Publication
Gold: MIT Sloan Management Review, The Pohly Company (MIT Sloan Management Review)
Silver: OfficeLine & TEN, GLC Custom Publishing (United Stationers)
Bronze: Georgetown Business, TMG (G.U. McDonough School of Business)
DESIGN | Best Special Issue
Gold: 2009 Masters Journal, Golf Digest Publications (Augusta National Golf Club)
Silver: enRoute, Spafax (Air Canada)
Bronze: SAP SPECTRUM PRINT, Grasundsterne Werbeagentur GmbH (SAP AG)
DESIGN | One-Shot
Gold: Born Early, Rodale Custom Publishing (MedImmune)
Silver: One Journey, D Custom (Purina One® Brand Pet Food)
Bronze: WorldView, Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
DESIGN | Best Use of Photography | Less Than 50,000
Gold: Audi Magazine, Trip Editoria (Audi Brazil)
Silver: Renaissance, (Devon on Foot), Pace Communications (Wachovia)
Bronze: WorldView, Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
DESIGN | Best Use of Photography | 50,000 - 250,000
Gold: in, (Carnaval), Spafax (LAN)
Silver: CNN Traveller, (The Winds of Change),Emphasis Media Limited (CNN)
Bronze: Four Seasons Magazine, (Kitchen Science),Pace Communications (Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)
Bronze: Journey, (Time Machines), D Custom (First Command Financial Services, Inc.)
DESIGN | Best Use of Photography | More than 250,000
Gold: ACESS, Meredith Integrated Marketing (DIRECTV)
Silver: envision, KI Lipton (CertaPro Painters)
Bronze: Corvette Quarterly, Campbell-Ewald (Chevrolet)
DESIGN | Best Use of Illustration | Less Than 50,000
Gold: Audi Magazine, Trip Editoria (Audi Brazil)
Silver: Zoom, Infel AG (AET)
Bronze: Thrive, Pace Communications (Syngenta)
DESIGN | Best Use of Illustration | 50,000 – 250,000
Gold: in, Spafax (LAN)
Silver: Four Seasons Magazine, Pace Communications (Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)
Bronze: Cleveland Clinic, TMG (Cleveland Clinic)
DESIGN | Best Use of Illustration | More Than 250,000
Gold: diane, Rodale Custom Publishing (Curves International)
Silver: Hemispheres, Ink (United Airlines)
Bronze: All Animals, Time Inc. Content Solutions (The Humane Society of the United States)
DESIGN | Best Use of Typography
Gold: ACCESS, Meredith Integrated Marketing (DIRECTV)
Silver: NACS Magazine, The Pohly Company (NACS)
Bronze: Independent School, TMG (NAIS)
DESIGN | Best Tie-In with Corporate Marketing
Gold: Little Brown Book, Rodale Custom Publishing (Bloomingdale's)
Silver: On Investing, Custom Solutions from SmartMoney (Charles Schwab)
Bronze: xPotential, TMG (K12 Inc.)
DIGITAL | Best Integrated Print and Web Program
Gold: Stir, Hanley Wood Marketing (Sherwin-Williams)
Silver: L’Oréal: Art of Possiblity, Rogers Publishing (L'Oréal Canada)
Bronze: Lamaze: Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond online magazine extension, Rodale Custom Publishing (Lamaze International, Inc.)
DIGITAL | Best Web Publication
Gold: Forecast.diabetes.org, TMG (American Diabetes Association)
Silver: Cleveland Clinic Health.com, TMG (Cleveland Clinic)
Bronze: You24 Online Magazine, Rodale Custom Publishing (24 Hour Fitness)
Bronze: Biztechmagazine.com, TMG (CDW)
DIGITAL | Best E-Newsletter
Gold: On Air, Spafax Canada (Air Canada)
Silver: CP News, Novimedia (Citroën Polska)
Bronze: BBVA Compass Everyday, King Fish Media (BBVA Compass Bank)
DIGITAL | Best Microsite
Gold: Master the Shift.com, Rodale Custom Publishing (Nissan)
Silver: SNAP Live ̕09, Hammock Inc. (Society of National Association Publications)
Bronze: Cleveland Clinic Facts.com, TMG (Cleveland Clinic)
DIGITAL | Best Blog
Gold: Delta Sky Magazine, Pace Communications (Delta Air Lines)
Silver: Razorleaf Blog, Z Squared Media (Razorleaf Corporation)
Bronze: Asics/Your Running Partner.com, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Asics)
DIGITAL | Best Use of Community/Social Networking
Gold: SNAP Community Site, Hammock Inc. (Society of National Association Publications)
Silver: 3121, New Media Strategies (A Meredith Integrated Marketing Owned Company) (National Journal)
DIGITAL | Best Interactive Tool
Gold: Gillette Facial Styler, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Gillette)
Silver: DNC and RNC Convention Hubs, New Media Strategies (A Meredith Integrated Marketing Owned Company) (C-Span)
DIGITAL | Best Web Feature or Article
Gold: Gillette Grooming Glossary, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Gillette)
Silver: Washington Flyer, TMG (Washington Flyer)
Bronze: You24 Online Magazine, Rodale Custom Publishing (24 Hour Fitness)
DIGITAL | Best Overall Web Design
Gold: Lexus Magazine, Story Worldwide (Toyota Motor Sales)
Silver: ClevelandClinicHealth.com, TMG (Cleveland Clinic)
Bronze: MasterTheShift.com, Rodale Custom Publishing (Nissan)
DIGITAL | Best Use of Mobile Technology
Gold: LDI iPhone Application, Penton Media (Lee Filters)
DIGITAL | Best Launch or Relaunch
Gold: Prilosec OTC/StopHeartBurn.com, Time Inc. Content Solutions (P&G/Prilosec OTC)
Silver: Forecast.diabetes.org, TMG (American Diabetes Association)
Bronze: SAP.info, Grasundsterne Werbeagentur GmbH (SAP AG)
EDITORIAL | Best Cover Lines
Gold: Greenwise, Meredith Integrated Marketing (Publix)
Silver: WebMD the Magazine, TMG (WebMD)
Bronze: New Outlook, Redwood Custom Communications (Sears Canada Inc.)
EDITORIAL | Best Feature Article/Package |Less Than 50,000
Gold: One, (Keeping Doors Open),TMG (Silicon Valley Community Foundation)
Silver: Renaissance, (Gear Up for the Green), Pace Communications (Wachovia)
Bronze: Rolls Royce Desk Diary, (Return of the Green Fairy),Faircount Media Group (Rolls Royce Owners Club)
EDITORIAL | Best Feature Article/Package |50,000-250,000
Gold: Proto, (Yes. No. Maybe), Time Inc. Content Solutions (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Silver: Four Seasons Magazine, (Kitchen Science), Pace Communications (Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)
Bronze: nyse magazine, (Delta’s Flight Plan), Time Inc. Content Solutions (New York Stock Exchange)
EDITORIAL | Best Feature Article/Package |More Than 250,000
Gold: diane, (Breast Cancer Guide), Rodale Custom Publishing (Curves International)
Silver: New Outlook, (Bridging the Distance), Redwood Custom Communications (Sears Canada Inc.)
Bronze: At Home, (The Path Home) Meredith Integrated Marketing (Century 21)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |Less Than 50,000
Gold: MoFo Tech, Leverage Media (Morrison & Foerster LLP)
Silver: WorldView, Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
Bronze: FedTech, TMG (CDW-G)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |50,000 – 250,000
Gold: enRoute, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Bronze: STIR, Hanley Wood Marketing (Sherwin-Williams)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall More Than 250,000
Gold: Spirit, Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Silver: Lexus, Story Worldwide (Toyota Motor Sales)
Bronze: Acura Style, Javelin Custom Publishing (American Honda Motor Company Inc.
EDITORIAL | Best New Magazine
Gold: PROJECT M, Burda Yukom(Allianz Global Investors)
Silver: MoFo Tech, Leverage Media (Morrison & Foerster LLP)
Bronze: Green Mechanical Contractor, Penton Media Inc. (Contractor Magazine)
EDITORIAL | Best New Newsletter
Gold: Healthlink, DCP (Brown & Toland Physicians)
Silver: Is Your Company Ready for Pandemic Flu? Hope Health (Hope Health)
Bronze: Advisor News, Pace Communications (Wachovia)
EDITORIAL | Most Improved Publication
Gold: Georgetown Business, TMG (G.U. McDonough School of Business)
Silver: Santa Barbara: The Magazine for Visitors, Pace Communications (Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau & Film Commission)
Bronze: Fairmont Magazine, Spafax (Fairmont Hotel)
EDITORIAL | Best Column
Gold: Continental,
(The Guide), The Pohly Company (Continental
Airlines)
Silver: ACCESS, (The Scorsese Selection),Meredith Integrated Marketing (DIRECTV)
Bronze: diane, (Of Springsteen and Spring Cleaning), Rodale Custom Publishing (Curves International)
EDITORIAL | Best Regular Department
Gold: Grape, (A Closer Look),Meredith Integrated Marketing (Publix)
Silver: MyBusiness (My Business Manual),Hammock Inc. (NFIB)
Bronze: On Investing, (Across the Wire),Custom Solutions from SmartMoney(Charles Schwab)
EDITORIAL | Best Special Issue
Gold: 2009 Masters Journal, Golf Digest Publications (Augusta National Golf Club)
Silver: enRoute, (Food Issue), Spafax (Air Canada)
Bronze: THE STEP BEYOND, Journal International Verlags (EADS, Corporate Fraud Communications)
EDITORIAL | Best One-Shot
Gold: Born Early, Rodale Custom Publishing (MedImmune)
Silver: One Journey, D Custom (Purina One® Brand Pet Food)
Bronze: WorldView, Leverage Media(Patton Boggs LLP)
EDITORIAL | Best International Publication
Gold: Zoom, Infel AG (AET)
Silver: Lamaze: Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond, Rodale Custom Publishing (Lamaze International, Inc.)
Bronze: inmotion, Journal International Verlags (MAN Nutefahrzeuge Gruppe)
STRATEGY | Best Tie-in with Corporate Integrated Marketing
Gold: VIEWS, QuadCreative (Quad/Graphics)
Silver: in, Spafax (LAN)
Bronze: BizTech, FedTech, StateTech, EdTech Focus on K-12, EdTech Focus on Higher Education, TMG (CDW, CDW-G)
STRATEGY | Best Achievement of Corporate Objectives
Gold: Little Brown Book, Rodale Custom Publishing (Bloomingdale's)
Silver: Traveler, Pace Communications (AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah)
Bronze: diane, Rodale Custom Publishing (Curves International)
STRATEGY | Proof of Return on Investment
Gold: Zappos Life Casual, King Fish Media (Zappos.com)
Silver: Zappos Life Active, King Fish Media (Zappos.com)
Bronze: UR Magazine, Rogers Publishing (Rogers Wireless Inc.)
STRATEGY | Best Distribution Strategy
Gold: Countdown magazine, Parents Network Custom Media (Kimberly-Clark)
Silver: Washington Flyer, TMG (Washington Flyer)
Bronze: Little Pink Book, Rodale Custom Publishing (Bloomingdale's)
STRATEGY | Best Launch or Relaunch
Gold: Sip & Savor: A Taste of Santa Barbara, Pace Communications (Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau & Film Commission)
Silver: UR Magazine, Rogers Publishing (Rogers Wireless Inc.)
Bronze: diane, Rodale Custom Publishing(Curves International)
BEST IN CUSTOM : HONORING OVERALL EXCELLENCE
The Best in Custom Award recognizes products that achieve overall
excellence in the following categories: editorial, design, strategy,
distribution, and fulfillment of the client’s marketing objectives.
This year’s award was presented to enRoute, published by Spafax.
Best in Custom Finalists:
MoFo Tech, Leverage Media
enRoute, Spafax
Spirit, Pace Communications
Parks, Time Inc. Content Solutions
Acura Style, Javelin Custom Publishing
Forecast.diabetes.org, TMG
Diane, Rodale Custom Publishing
Zappos Life Casual, Kingfish Media
I had a great conversation today with Dr. Sandra Bauman from Bauman Research about start-up companies. She shared with me the idea about "sleeps, creeps and leaps." In the first year of a business launch, the brand sleeps. In year two, you start to see the company creep toward success. But it's in the third year that the business leaps and really begins to grow.
Fascinating concept.
The same principle can be applied toward corporate content marketing.
As the corporate content program starts (let's say with a blog, white paper, enewsletter strategy), success is difficult to find. Not much of the right traffic, not many tangible results. This is a good reason why most corporate blogs die within three months.
It's only after months and months, possibly a year of time before you start to see real engagement. Because you have kept your content promise, you now start to see people sharing your content, signing up for your RSS feed, and linking to your great content. Google starts to pick up on this and your organic search engine results start to pick up.
Then, after well more than a year, the real magic happens. You become the thought leader. A trusted advisor for your industry. People start to look to you for guidance in the industry. It's in this time period, that you start to see quantifiable business returns as a result of your content.
Yes, it could happen sooner, and it could also take longer, but the key issue here is this - content consistency.
The most important part of the content strategy (even, dare I say, more important that the absolute best content for your niche) is consistently delivering on your content promise day after day, month after month, year after year.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content promise, content consistency, content that sleeps creeps leaps, content marketing, sandra bauman ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom Allinder EMAIL: tom@inboundmarketingpr.com IP: 69.36.220.252 URL: http://inboundmarketingpr.com DATE: 11/13/2009 02:27:53 PM Most of the companies management teams that I deal with expect to see Internet marketing, social media, blogging and what have you work immediately. I have to constantly remind them that creating and marketing content is a process and not a one time thing like the email blasts they are used to. I think the easy money of the 90s and early 2000s turned a lot of individuals into "instant gratification" people. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: C.B. Whittemore EMAIL: cbwhittemore@gmail.com IP: 67.83.44.16 URL: http://SimpleMarketingBlog.com DATE: 11/13/2009 11:32:13 PM Joe, I love the image and encouragement associated with sleeping, creeping and leaping. Wonderful meeting you today and hearing you in person. Best, CB ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brenda Gelston EMAIL: bgelston@marketingmomentumassociates.com IP: 71.234.53.250 URL: http://www.marketingmomentumassociates.com DATE: 11/14/2009 09:28:48 AM How true…as my practice grows I find myself writing more for my customers and audience rather than creating content based on my own expertise. I believe the critical mass of readers is achieved when this shift takes place. I am not there yet but that is my ultimate aim. The feedback I receive helps make that leap forward in every evolution. I welcome feedback of any form, even if it is criticism. Your blog is one of the beacons I depends on that helps me stay on course. Thanks, Brenda ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.117.236 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/14/2009 11:57:22 AM Tom...you are 100% correct. That's why we all need to keep educating our customers about this. CB...it was awesome meeting you. Brenda...thanks. It sounds like you will be there soon! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steven Woods EMAIL: steven.woods@eloqua.com IP: 99.231.165.243 URL: http://digitalbodylanguage.blogspot.com DATE: 11/14/2009 10:24:14 PM Joe, a great post and a needed reminder about consistency and content quality. What measurement/metrics do you suggest in the first year? Views/traffic? Subscribers? How do you suggest any objective measurement on whether the content creation process is working and/or could be working better? I get asked that a lot and will admit I have no answer that seems satisfactory. "Try for a year and then you'll know if you were doing the right thing" seems a bit of a tough sell... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.117.236 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/15/2009 10:06:31 PM Hi Steve...that's a fantastic question. I would use these for the first, the building, year - Never miss a week of your promised content schedule - Inbound links. Important from the standpoint that you are commenting on other blogs and people are starting to find your content valuable. - Conversions slowly build. I would make sure you have something of value for people to subscribe to...white paper, ebook, enewsletter, etc. But you are right, it's a tough sell. It's like trying to talk someone into using Twitter. Seems really stupid until you really start doing it and see things happening. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Top 10 Twitter Basics Questions Answered STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: twitter-basics-questions-answered CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 11/10/2009 08:51:36 AM ----- BODY:Just about every day I answer a question about using Twitter, the microblogging tool. I've put them together in this handy post. Enjoy, and, if you like getting information on content marketing, feel free to follow me @juntajoe.
Question #1
What is the easiest way to find someone's @ name? If I read an article or hear them speak, how do I easily find their Twitter call sign.
Question #2
What are other ways to find twitter names?
If Twitter Name Search doesn't work for you, try Twellow, the Twitter Yellow Pages.
Question #3
What does the # mean and how do you find out the # for a conference (for example).
The # is called a hashtag. They were created to bring organization to Twitter. For example, I may send out a tweet about content strategy, and may want to help those interested in content strategy find the tweet by adding #contentstrategy.
For the example below, this person can now coordinate his/her tweets with others about news of the fire.
If you are trying to locate a particular hashtag, try these sites:
Question #4
Are their 'rules' written or implied on when you should retweet or thank for a retweet?
"Retweet" means to forward someone else's tweet to your followers. Best practices are:
Question #5
What is the difference between sent from Tweetdeck or Seesmic?
There are literally hundreds of ways to send and manage your tweets. Tweetdeck and Seesmic are two ways of managing the process. Tweetie is used often for the iPhone.
In this image, you can see four different ways that people are sending out their Tweets. Web means Twitter.com.
Question #6
What's a good ratio to keep from Followers to Follows (often called the TFF ratio)?
I'm a big fan of following people that follow me, as long as it's relevant to my business in some way (around a 1 to 1 TFF).
You'll get all different viewpoints on this. For example, some people (like our good friend Ashton Kutcher) will only follow a select crowd. Obviously, unless your a celebrity, this can come off as a bit elitist.
Truth is, it probably doesn't matter. If you have significantly more followers than people following you, it may be harder to gain more followers. So, best advice, is to grow your followers naturally as you go so your ratios never seem too far out of whack.
But here's the biggest point - figure out what your objective for using Twitter first. That makes all the difference.
Here is an excellent article that goes into more detail on TFF ratios.
Question #7
How often are personal tweets appropriate?
Couple points here:
Greg Verdino, who I follow, always sends many more helpful tweets than personal...but every once in a while throws in a personal Tweet. I like that about Greg. It makes him more real, but he never overdoes it.
A direct message (DM) is only sent to that particular person. In order to send a DM to someone, you both must be following each other. Same goes for receiving a direct message.
Think of it like an email to that person - only they will receive it.
NOTE: Be careful using direct messages. Since some Twitter users have been using them for Spam and Auto-DMs (see this post for more on Auto DMs), people are ignoring or even turning off their DM email settings.
Some, as in the one below from Ambal, are very helpful.
Question #9
How is sending a direct message different from sending a reply to the person? Does this post public? Just to the person or to anyone in Twitter?
Replying to someone in Twitter (@juntajoe) can be seen by anyone in Twitter. Sending it with the @ (at) symbol gets another person's attention. Basically, it's like doing a phone conversation over the radio - it's intended for one person, but everyone can hear it (see it in this case).
When you are replying to someone, it's important to provide enough context for both the person you are talking to and also possibly be helpful to anyone else paying attention.
Question #10
So, should I even answer the Twitter question "What are you doing?"?
Well, probably not. Does anyone really care anyway? They care about themselves, so send out tweets important to your followers.
For more of the basics, check out this Twitter for Beginners article or check out this presentation for Twitter beginners.
I don't know about you, but I've been reading more print magazines lately. Seems odd at first, but in a way, it makes perfect sense.
I spend most of my business day and night on the computer. When I'm on my computer, I need to get things done.
But when I want to relax and engage in an inspiring story, print is my choice...books and magazines.
At the top of the list is probably Inc. magazine. This month's article about how 37Signals founder Jason Fried spends his day was priceless.
Speaking of "priceless", shouldn't MasterCard be producing an Inc-type magazine? Or Verizon or AT&T for that matter. American Express OPEN does a good job with their OPEN BOOK. It's good...but it's no Inc.
What a missed opportunity? How about in your niche? Is there an opportunity?
The Opportunity in Custom Print Magazines
Look, I'll be the first one to say that the content channel choice depends on who the customer is and what the overall objective is. That said, here are some points to consider in your quest to be the trusted solutions provider for your customers and prospects.
If you feel there is an opportunity to create the ultimate retention vehicle like a custom magazine for your customers, just be sure it's the best. There's no reason why you shouldn't have the best information on the planet for your niche. And, if you are considering outsourcing your magazine project, start here. Even though there are many print magazines that are done internally, I've consistently seen the best coming out of professional custom magazine shops. And, if you are honest with the internal resources it takes to pull off a custom magazine project, it's usually either a wash or perhaps cheaper to outsource.
More Resources To Get You Started
Big thanks to Mike O'Grady at Stella Pop for putting out the latest edition of eVidmagazine featuring yours truly.
Although Mike was originally thinking a two or three minute video interview, he decided that the video worked best as a 10 minute segment. Hey, he's the expert, so I'm not going to disagree with him.
My biggest takeaway from the video was this - Less of me and more of you (well, not literally since it's almost 10 minutes of me). What I mean is that brands are starting to focus much more on you (the buyer) and much less on the "me" (themselves).
In simplest terms, that's what it means to be a publisher. For example, just pick up your local paper, NY Times or BusinessWeek magazine. Very little of the content is focused on the publications themselves.
hmmm, why not? Well, because they want people to actually read it.
Where did corporations go wrong thinking that our customers wanted to hear all about our products and services? Buyers don't. They care about themselves. Buyers are very selfish.
So as publishers, corporations now need to give buyers content they need to live better lives or succeed in their jobs. We talk about this and more in the following video, including:
- What if customers actually requested your marketing?
- Social media doesn't work without a content strategy.
- Who's responsible for the corporate story?
I hope you enjoy. And again, great job Mike!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: stella pop, joe pulizzi, video, content marketing, content strategy ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Massey EMAIL: brian@conversionscientist.com IP: 70.240.12.101 URL: http://conversionscientist.com DATE: 11/02/2009 11:16:41 PM Joe's challenge is that he's calling for fundamental change in the marketing departments of our businesses. I for one am joining the chorus. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brody Dorland EMAIL: b.dorland@somethingcreativeinc.com IP: 69.254.229.62 URL: http://www.somethingcreativeinc.com/blog DATE: 11/17/2009 06:20:29 PM Dagnabbit. You beat me to writing this book...Nice work Joe and Newt. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: BtoB Custom Media / Custom Publishing Special Report STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: btob-custom-media-custom-publishing-special-report- CATEGORY: business-to-business DATE: 10/29/2009 12:49:13 PM ----- BODY: BtoB Magazine just did an outstanding custom media special report for business-to-business brands. Here's an overview of the special report.
We just delivered the Junta42 annual report email to the Junta42 content marketing vendors and I thought I would share it with the community.
As you'll see in the email, these are high-level numbers. Over the next few weeks, we'll be putting together a "State of Content Marketing Outsourcing" (better title to come) that will take the mounds of data we have on content marketing projects and put it together in a handy report. If there is anything specific you'd like to see, please let me know.
>>>>Start of Email
Dan Schawbel has put together a first-rate magazine about personal branding called (of course) Personal Branding Magazine. The latest issue includes an article from yours truly, which I've included below. I also included one of my PowerPoint presentations when I do in-person workshops on personal branding (this article was based on that presentation).
If this topic is important to you, I suggest you check out Dan's magazine (get the free trial issue here).
Before talking about the how of personal branding, it’s essential to talk about why it’s essential for your business and your life.
Developing your personal brand will help you:
I can speak first hand about this. It was just a few years ago that I was at the short end of all the areas above. Then, by focusing on a niche and setting tactics (we’ll talk about this in a second), the last few years have been amazing: Trips abroad for keynote speeches, a published book, a growing online business and never a shortage of partnership or new business opportunities.
Are you in?
Look, it’s not that easy, but there is a formula to this that has worked for me, and it can work for you as well.
First, the basics.
NOTE: Most importantly, pick a niche. What area of information can you be an expert in? The smaller the better at the start. For example, my expertise is content marketing. Some will be experts in pet attire, others in nanotechnology. Pick one and go.
Here are 15 tips that will make the difference for your personal branding quest.
Anyone, and I mean anyone, who follows these 15 points, will see a dramatic difference in your life and career in just six months. Find your niche, and go get ‘em.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Deb Lamb EMAIL: youreverythingservices@gmail.com IP: 64.6.42.20 URL: http://www.youreverythingservices.com DATE: 10/30/2009 07:24:49 AM Good morning Joe, Excellent Advice and Ideas! As a business owner of a virtual assistant service, it is crucial to get your name out there and do it consistently. However, it can be difficult at times to keep up the pace, but at the same time, it is certainly worth it and something we have to do as business owners if we want to be successful! You have provided some great tips that I have not thought of before and will start implementing immediately. Thanks so much for sharing and I'm hoping this will help increase my business. I'm willing to give it a try! Make it a fabulous day and I'll be back for more. Deb Freelance Writer http://www.youreverythingservices.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mark mcclure EMAIL: samuraiwriter@gmail.com IP: 210.199.7.140 URL: http://samuraiwriter.com/blog DATE: 02/11/2010 02:13:05 AM Do you still use yahoo answers and does it generate leads? Are you using a virtual assistant to help with any of the 15 tips above? Seems like a lot of time would be required to accomplish them, even incrementally, and still find time to do the actual client work. Thx for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.103 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/11/2010 08:06:28 AM Hi Mark...I use LinkedIn Answers more now than Yahoo! Answers. I don't use a virtual assistant, per se, but I am starting to outsource some writing activities. I still do all my own tweeting, posting, but I have someone that does that for Junta42. Honestly, 30-45 minutes solid per day every day and this can be done. Hope that helps. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sue Atkins EMAIL: sue@positive-parents.com IP: 85.210.130.134 URL: http://www.thesueatkins.com DATE: 11/10/2010 07:15:40 PM I am in the midst of re branding myself back to my own name as I have been working with a marketing consultancy that told me - "I am the brand" and expert in my field and I am very pleased to see that they are working with me on all of the above points !! So that's reassuring !! I have already noticed a massive change in people's awareness of me and as I regularly appear on BBC Radio and TV I have found branding my work back to my name to be really helpful. Your article is full of excellent advice that is simple, grounded in common sense and not overwwhelming so for any small business starting out I would encourage you to follow your great tips and watch your business soar. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing Budgeting - Providing Some Answers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publishing-budgeting CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 10/22/2009 10:49:20 AM ----- BODY:
We've had some excellent feedback around Russell Sparkman's guest post on creating a consistent content plan. As part of the discussion, Chris Herbert asked how a company should go about budgeting for a custom publishing plan such as this.
Below is a response from Russell with some additional points from yours truly. I hope this proves helpful.
The question about custom publishing budgeting, of course, comes up all the time. Because there are so many variables, I'm going to shift the question from "What to Budget" to "How to Budget." Here is how we explain custom publishing budget development to clients:
1. Read Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae.
I often recommend this book to existing and new clients because of its key premise: ask not how you can use New Media approaches such as Content Marketing to market your "business as usual" company or organization, but how can you change your company/organization to better utilize New Media approaches.
Takeaway: Most large organizations are set up around developing advertising and public relations messages (like we've always done it). That model is broke. Once you realize that, you need to look at your marketing/communications/sales departments with a fresh eye. Ask yourself: "If we tore the structure down and put it back together, how would we be different? What's best for our customers?" It's a challenging but important exercise. If you are having a challenging time persuading senior management that this type of exercise is needed, read Get Content Get Customers.
2. Find Your Chief Content Officer
If you follow the advice in Point #1, and you're focus is Content Marketing, then a conclusion you need to come to is that it will take a new commitment, or realignment, of human resources to content creation or development. If it's a small business, this may mean the business owner's commitment; if it's a large corporation, it's going to be a realignment of people in the communications departments. Or, it'll mean creating a relationship with an outside content strategy/development agency.
Takeaway: None of this is possible unless someone is given ownership over the brand story. Similar to a social media administrator, where someone is dedicated as the chief listener, developing a content marketing or custom publishing strategy that works needs a champion within the organization (regardless if you outsource custom publishing to a partner or not).
3. Shifting Funds
If you make the human resource commitment, then the next step is to look at what you normally spend or budget for marketing and realize that now you're going to begin using a significant portion of those funds to invest in content. Notice the use of the term "invest." This isn't spending. It's investment.
Takeaway: The best part about custom publishing and content marketing is that you are creating an marketing asset. When you advertise, in say a print magazine, the spend is gone as soon as it's out the door. When you create compelling content, that content (if it's good) will be spread through social media, indexed in Google, and you'll be able to attract customers to that content for months, possible years. This doesn't even take into consideration the ability to repurpose or reuse that content to develop even more content (see Step 5).
4. Defining the Budget
Next, look at the recommended 1-7-30-4-2-1 schedule and start picking off the low hanging fruit. budget-wise. For example, blogging is a major time commitment, but since it can be done without paying anyone, it's often the most affordable point of entry. Additional, lower cost approaches are self-generated, in-depth presentations such as White Papers in PDF format, Powerpoints uploaded to Slideshare.
Takeaway: Completely agree with Russell on this, but would insist that brands take one step back and figure out what their story is going to be or what it should be. In other words, what are the informational or entertainment needs of your customers and how does that relate to your business? What area(s) do you want to be the trusted, expert resource for. Figure that out fast. If you aren't sure, watch this video or check out this 4 steps content strategy program.
5. Big Content
At the opposite end of the spectrum from blogging, in terms of time and budget, is producing a workshop, a web video series, or an event. However, these are excellent investments because content from them can be "multipurposed" across the whole content plan and publishing frequency range (for my own content marketing efforts, we came out of the starting gate by producing an event, for example. We have videos from the event that we'll be publishing monthly to our site, and so on).
Takeaway: So many custom publishing choices, so little time. Budgeting for them could be as simple as "free" using existing resources (no outside expense) to outsourcing large scale content projects. I've learned that most vendors are afraid to give out budget ranges (and rightfully so) because there are so many different variables that go into a content project (strategy, editorial, copywriting, design, distribution, campaign integration, content repurposing needs, etc.).
The Numbers Please
That said, here are some numbers that may help if you are looking to outsource. These numbers come directly from averages within the Junta42 system and are custom publishing budget ranges that our clients submit when they look for vendors. Please note that this is for turnkey outsourced projects with content marketing and custom publishing experts and they are ranges only.
Summary
I'll wrap up with a little story. I lived in New England for many years. I learned that Old New England farmhouses often started out as a single, small house and a separate, detached barn. Over the years, the farmers would add onto the single, small house in phases as the family grew and as income allowed, until, eventually, the house and the barn were connected. They became one unified unit.
When planning your content marketing budget, and striking out to publish or produce content on a 1-7-30-4-2-1 frequency, keep the Old New England farmhouse analogy in mind.
You may start out with a daily or weekly blog (i.e., the little farm house), and a more production intensive project like an annual event (i.e., the barn).
Over time, as resources and budget allow, your content investment will make all the little in-between connections so that you end up with a content marketing strategy that is a unified whole.
Additional Reading:
Gijs Daemen from Merge Media, a Netherlands-based content marketing shop, did a bang-up job putting this video together on content marketing. The original presentation was directed to his customers in the Netherlands.
Questions I answer in the video:
Joe Pulizzi 1 from Merge Media on Vimeo.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: gils daemon, merge media, why content marketing, content marketing, video ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patrick EMAIL: patrick@merge-media.com IP: 145.103.250.249 URL: http://www.merge-media.com DATE: 10/22/2009 08:51:23 AM Thanx Joe for your inspiring thoughts on content marketing! We will be watching you:) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/22/2009 08:56:00 AM Patrick...great job putting it together. You really made it work with the material you had. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Joyce EMAIL: john@thesmallbiznest.com IP: 66.189.46.99 URL: http://www.thesmallbiznest.com DATE: 10/25/2009 05:00:09 PM Joe, Great information and much appreciated! - John ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: fathers day EMAIL: kimtaylor22@gmail.com IP: 122.169.29.182 URL: http://www.zoombits.co.uk/gifts-and-gadgets DATE: 10/27/2009 02:56:50 AM nice information joe i appreciate your work. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) on Content Marketing and Growing Your Business STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: gary-vaynerchuk-content-marketing CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 10/19/2009 10:57:37 AM ----- BODY:Gary Vaynerchuck, author of the new book Crush it! and the popular Wine Library TV (where he gets over 100,000 viewers a day), was kind enough to put this video together on content marketing for the Junta42 audience. Thanks Gary!
A quick overview:
Most important message to his followers: Patience. It takes patience to grow a business and is even more important than passion.
Top 3 lessons:
What if a marketer believes they should create valuable and relevant content for customers, but doesn't have the resources or skill? GaryVee says to partner up. Find an outside team that can help you deliver your story (this is why we started Junta42).
How do I start a content strategy? Find your expert niche and deliver consistent free content to your customers.
What about metrics? Focus on the long-term. Online content marketing is too knew to really get caught up in analytics.
Most important thing marketing professionals can do right now? Listen!
Related Articles:
The following is a guest post courtesy of Russell Sparkman from Fusionspark Media, a new media communications company based in Washington state. I've had the pleasure of working with Russell on a number of projects, most recently their amazingly successful New Media 2012 conference.
As you will learn from Russell's post, he's advocating a content marketing schedule that is quite ambitious, challenging for most companies. We believe this sort of thinking is not just nice to do, but necessary to the overall business and marketing strategy. Check it out and let me know what you think.
This is a story about story budgets. No, not the kind of budget that defines, in dollars and cents, what you’ll spend on a story.
This is about the traditional media use of the term “story budget” to describe the running tab of story ideas that make up a long-term publishing schedule.Altogether, a 1-7-30-4-2-1 publishing schedule amounts to what is increasingly being referred to as multiplatform, or 360 platform, or transmedia storytelling experience. These are content marketing strategies where your content and your story are ubiquitous and you are engaging with your audience anywhere, any time and on any device.
* Important Note: A 1-7-30-4-2-1 publishing schedule is an ambitious undertaking that is well-worth the effort in terms of building awareness, building and engaging an audience, generating qualified leads, etc. However, it’s well understood by the author that there are considerable human bandwidth and financial factors to be considered in producing according to such a schedule. We’re working on it, ourselves. Suffice it to say that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your content marketing story budget. The emphasis here is on planning, and building out your story budget and publishing schedule over time. Starting today! So, get started! ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing schedule, content marketing budget, storytelling ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nigel Lamb EMAIL: nigel.lamb@xposurecreative.co.uk IP: 80.4.178.66 URL: http://www.creativebrandmarketing.co.uk/blog DATE: 10/16/2009 03:57:08 AM Great article. I've read many blog posts from others that talk about content on blogs, what you can write about, and also about choosing a theme for your blog, but this is the first one to talk about (in my layman terms) a publishing schedule. Personally it's a lot to take on all at once, but is certainly could be something that could be brought on in stages, building up to the full 1-7-30-4-2-1. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Herbert EMAIL: b2bspecialist@gmail.com IP: 24.150.148.222 URL: http://marketingthatmatters.blogspot.com DATE: 10/16/2009 03:57:55 AM This is a really good framework to use. Thx. Can you give us an idea of what to budget for this type of plan? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Susan Weiner EMAIL: info@investmentwriting.com IP: 173.76.224.18 URL: http://investmentwriting.blogspot.com DATE: 10/16/2009 05:38:43 PM I'm doing 1, 7 & 30. The other numbers are great food for thought ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Hicks EMAIL: brian@coronissolutions.com IP: 24.138.75.107 URL: http://www.coronissolutions.com DATE: 10/17/2009 09:10:18 AM Great recommendations Joe. Succinct & many are easily executed. Brian ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russell Sparkman EMAIL: russell@fusionspark.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://www.fusionspark.com DATE: 10/19/2009 05:05:43 PM Re Chris Herbert's question about what to budget for this type of plan: This question, of course, comes up all the time. Because there are so many variables, I'm going to shift the question from "What to Budget" to "How to Budget." Here is how we explain content marketing budget development to clients: 1. Read Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae. I often recommend this book to existing and new clients because of its key premise: ask not how you can use New Media approaches such as Content Marketing to market your "business as usual" company or organization, but how can you change your company/organization to better utilize New Media approaches; 2. If you follow the advice in Point #1, and you're focus is Content Marketing, then a conclusion you need to come to is that it will take a new commitment, or realignment, of human resources to content creation or development. If it's a small business, this may mean the business owner's commitment; if it's a large corporation, it's going to be a realignment of people in the communications departments. Or, it'll mean creating a relationship with an outside content strategy/development agency; 3. If you make the human resource commitment, then the next step is to look at what you normally spend or budget for marketing and realize that now you're going to begin using a significant portion of those funds to invest in content. Notice the use of the term "invest." This isn't spending. It's investment; 4. Next, look at the recommended 1-7-30-4-2-1 schedule featured in this blog post, and start picking off the low hanging fruit. budget-wise. For example, blogging is a major time commitment, but since it can be done without paying anyone, it's often the most affordable point of entry. Additional, lower cost approaches are self-generated, in-depth presentations such as White Papers in PDF format, Powerpoints uploaded to Slideshare.com, and so; 5. At the opposite end of the spectrum from blogging, in terms of time and budget, is producing a workshop, a web video series, or an event. However, these are excellent investments because content from them can be "multipurposed" across the whole content plan and publishing frequency range (for my own content marketing efforts, we came out of the starting gate by producing an event, for example. We have videos from the event that we'll be publishing monthly to our site, and so on); I'll wrap this comment up with a little story. I lived in New England for many years. I learned that Old New England farmhouses often started out as a single, small house and a separate, detached barn. Over the years, the farmers would add onto the single, small house in phases as the family grew and as income allowed, until, eventually, the house and the barn were connected. They became one unified unit. When planning your content marketing budget, and striking out to publish or produce content on a 1-7-30-4-2-1 frequency, keep the Old New England farmhouse analogy in mind. You may start out with a daily or weekly blog (i.e., the little farm house), and a more production intensive project like an annual event (i.e., the barn). Over time, as resources and budget allow, your content investment will make all the little in-between connections so that you end up with a content marketing strategy that is a unified whole. Additional Reading: Content Marketing Playbook http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/10/check-out-the-content-marketing-playbook-a-free-ebook-experiment.html The Content Factory: Maximizing Content Investments Through Multipurposing http://www.fusionspark.com/blog/2009/01/09/the-content-factory-maximizing-content-investments-through-multipurposing/ Content Marketing Secrets, Part I: The Energizer Bunny of Marketing http://www.fusionspark.com/blog/2009/02/12/content-secrets-part-i-the-energizer-bunny-of-marketing/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trevor EMAIL: copywryter@gmail.com IP: 208.97.91.2 URL: http://redcanary.ca DATE: 10/20/2009 04:00:20 PM Brilliant even for publishers. After all, successful online publishing is not just about sentences and paragraphs, it must be a holistic digital practice. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jenny Pilley EMAIL: jenny@creare.co.uk IP: 86.155.45.203 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 10/22/2009 03:40:34 AM Thanks for this post Joe, really insightful. I think many of us like structure and with this in mind you've provided an excellent tool many of us can work from. As the others have mentioned, few of us are doing all of the list but dipping in some, but a structure is needed to ensure all bases are covered, and you've provided that. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russ Henneberry EMAIL: russ@russhenneberry.com IP: 99.191.180.40 URL: http://www.russhenneberry.com DATE: 10/23/2009 01:38:49 PM Very good stuff. This plan is not too ambitious in my opinion either, with the suggestions laid out herein, there is more than enough opportunity to publish material on this schedule. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Allan EMAIL: allanpopz@ymail.com IP: 217.132.143.53 URL: DATE: 02/12/2010 07:17:45 PM Awesome stuff. Starbuck's marketing plan is also great to learn from: http://www.wepapers.com/Papers/50461/Starbucks__Marketing_Plan ----- PING: TITLE: Custom Publishing Budgeting - Providing Some Answers URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/10/custom-publishing-budgeting.html IP: 10.17.151.33 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 10/22/2009 10:49:43 AM We've had some excellent feedback around Russell Sparkman's guest post on creating a consistent content plan. As part of the discussion, Chris Herbert asked how a company should go about budgeting for a custom publishing plan such as this. Below... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing / Custom Publishing Research - Marketers Telling the Story STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-custom-publishing-research CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 10/13/2009 08:52:06 AM ----- BODY:
Really interesting study on content marketing and custom publishing research led by King Fish Media with help from Hubspot, Upshot and Junta42.
(Note: the study requires name and email to download and the 20-page eBook can be downloaded here).
Here are the highlights from the 189 marketing professionals that took the study:
If you need research and statistics in order to get buy-in from your executive team for content marketing, this will be incredibly helpful. There are a lot more stats in here than the ones I included, so download the entire eBook report here. Thanks to King Fish for putting this together.
Other Relevant Research
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing research, custom publishing research, measurement, roi ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: TradeShow Promos EMAIL: nikki.yeager@epromos.com IP: 69.38.134.82 URL: http://www.trade-show-promotion.blogspot.com DATE: 10/15/2009 02:26:45 PM Thanks for all the useful info! Internet marketing is definitely where it's at. However, some industries are still doing face-to-face marketing and trade shows. For those, check out my blog www.trade-show-promotion.blogspot.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: koko EMAIL: buysino88@gmail.com IP: 69.197.177.130 URL: http://www.mobilephone7.com DATE: 10/23/2009 03:30:09 AM Thanks for sharing~ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Media Change, Behavior Change - A Must See Video STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: media-change-behavior-change-a-must-see-video CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 10/08/2009 09:06:03 PM ----- BODY:If you are interested in how our media behavior has changed and will change in the future, take two minutes and watch this video. Thanks to Kevin Lund for passing this on.
btw, great example of how to promote a conference.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: media change, behavior change, convergence ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.167.55.55 URL: http://www.themarketingspotblog.com/2009/10/made-to-stick-messaging.html DATE: 10/09/2009 12:41:30 AM Joe, while this is a well-produced video, I have just one thing to say: "get to the point!" I could have done with about 2 fewer minutes of statistics. And talk about burying the lead, you have to watch 4:28 of video to get to the call to action. At least TV commercials are only :30 seconds long. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 72.8.44.146 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/09/2009 06:09:57 AM Thanks Jay...I agree with you, but just love the statistics! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Louise EMAIL: louise@voiceborne.com IP: 99.141.74.56 URL: DATE: 10/09/2009 08:30:52 AM Yes indeed. I find these very useful when I'm trying to explain that web 2.0 is not just old-style communication, done faster ;) Here's another one I really like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: adams EMAIL: adams.newmedia@yahoo.com IP: 122.169.169.186 URL: http://www.nvinc.com DATE: 10/13/2009 02:13:14 PM The video shows only the numbers, who knows wether the numbers are real or not. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The 4 Step Content Strategy Program - Content Strategy Simplified STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-4-step-content-strategy-program-content-strategy-simplified CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 10/07/2009 12:48:13 AM ----- BODY:Let's face it. Content strategy is not easy. Actually, it's pretty difficult.
Those that regularly read this blog know I've been covering it more recently:
Since releasing the Content Marketing Playbook (which is all tactical), I've been receiving more and more emails regarding where to start with a content strategy. Here is a roadmap to follow to make sure you are on the right track.
Goals like "we want more traffic to our website" and "our competitors are doing it" just don't cut it. Think of it this way: "What are the things that need to happen in order for the content program to continue?" Another good questions is "A year from today, what will be different in our business as a result of the content marketing program?"
Here are some direct sales-related examples:
There may be cost-saving goals:
Whatever the goals are, make them tangible and put a number to them. Recently I've been seeing more analytics-related goals (number of downloads, web traffic, mentions, etc.), but always believe you need to relate these back to an organizational goal (like the ones above) or you'll never be able to prove enough value.
What kind of information do your customers need to help get their jobs done, or live happier lives, that directly relates to your expertise and, hopefully, your products and services. For example, Hubspot develops content in and around online marketing. Most of the educational content relates directly to their product (inbound marketing software as a service), but some doesn't. The point is that Hubspot understands the needs of their customers and delivers ongoing and consistent content around those needs. When they are ready to buy, Hubspot is there.
Remember, you need to position yourself as the industry expert. Find the "secret sauce" - the area between your customers' needs and your expertise.
How do you get that information?
To reach your ultimate objective in step one, what do you need your customers to do?
Note that these are all measurable actions. If you can't find anything to measure, keep going back to the smallest increment that you can possibly measure. For example, with the release of our Playbook, we are looking at a group of actions (downloads, mentions, enewsletter signups, service signups, consulting inquiries). These are prioritized and weighted. At certain increments, we'll measure, discuss and then tweak the program based on what we are seeing.
Many novice content marketers start with this step first. It's seems the most likely. "Let's do an eBook, or a weekly enewsletter." This is the wrong place to start.
If you did, go back and review steps one through three. Once those are complete, then review these 42 content marketing examples and begin to test and tweak the ones that align best with your content strategy. Also note that many of these tactics can and should be integrated together (custom print magazine, digital magazine, and customer-focused community site may all be part of the same content program).
If you like this and need a bit more information to really take a committed step toward content marketing strategy, our book Get Content Get Customers will get you there.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content strategy, content marketing strategy ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mlm leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/07/2009 08:30:46 AM Allowing people to influence, shape, respond to, and create their own content is still surprisingly a tough hurdle for many brands to get over. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Owen EMAIL: chris@chrisowenacademy.com IP: 67.142.167.20 URL: http://www.chrisowenacademy.com/mlm-leads/ DATE: 07/24/2010 12:19:54 AM Success in 4 steps. I like it. I think content strategy is one of those area's I'd like to avoid but can't. So I use a lot of qualified outsourcing techniques to handle it. You made some great points here and I think it'll help a lot of people. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nate, The MLM Leads Guy EMAIL: support@mlmleadpros.com IP: 125.60.241.251 URL: http://www.mlmleadpros.com/ DATE: 07/29/2010 08:55:22 AM Nice article. It would really help newbies out there. I like how you pointed out doing newsletters are wrong place to start. Thanks for posting this. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Check out the Content Marketing Playbook - a free eBook Experiment STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: check-out-the-content-marketing-playbook-a-free-ebook-experiment CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: eBooks DATE: 10/01/2009 10:09:01 PM ----- BODY:
After months of work, Junta42's Content Marketing Playbook is complete.
What is it? - 42 ways to tell and share your business story through content. The examples include long-form, short-form, social media, online, print and in-person initiatives. We've also included over 50 mini-case studies and well over 100 resources relevant to each content marketing tactic.
The goal - to create an ongoing content marketing resource for marketing and publishing professionals. In return, we're looking for more people to use Junta42's free vendor-matching service. Some people won't be ready for that, so we're hoping they just spread the word.
The style - big thanks to Brian Clark and Authority Rules. We borrowed his eBook distribution idea (ungated PDF plus every page accessible via html). Brian, I hope you don't mind (so we plugged you throughout the eBook). Also a hat tip to David Meerman Scott, who convinced me to try my next eBook without forcing people to subscribe. It will be interesting to measure the difference between gated an ungated.
Special thanks - goes to Hanley Wood Marketing, who kindly agreed to sponsor the Playbook. Also big thanks to my writing partner Jonathan Kranz, as well as Joe Kalinowski (design) and Beth Brinton (web).
What you can do - Check out the playbook. If you see something that should be added, shoot it to us at add[at]junta42.com. If you like it, spread it around and let's see what happens.
Let me know what you think...and as always, enjoy the content marketing!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing playbook, content marketing tactics, content strategy, junta42, junta 42, brian clark, authority rules, david meerman scott, jonathan kranz ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pam EMAIL: pam@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: DATE: 10/02/2009 09:22:40 AM Great job Joe and team! What a great resource! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 96.252.47.38 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 10/02/2009 09:53:09 AM It was a great pleasure working with you on the Content Marketing Playbook! But I wonder -- as we add new content pieces, will you have to rename the company? Junta43, Junta44, etc.? ;-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/02/2009 10:01:41 AM Hopefully we don't have to go there, but no doubt there will be more to add. After the response to this, no doubt will be launching more of these. Thanks again for all your help and guidance on this project. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Help Me Help You - Spend Content Marketing Money STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: spend-content-marketing-money CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 09/29/2009 09:44:36 PM ----- BODY:Well, first the bad news.
After months of trying to work this out, the winner of Junta42's $4200 in 42 Days Contest, 48HourPrint, decided not to move forward with their project. (for those of you who don't remember, every project match that went through the Junta42 system over a 42 day period was eligible to receive the $4200 dollars)
When we started this contest, we all thought how easy it would be to give this money away. I mean, who wouldn't want $4200 to kick-start a content project, be it a blog, a newsletter, a video series or even (heaven forbid) something in print?
Now, the good news.
We have $4200 to try something new.
What should we do? What would you do? Should we give it away (I'm thinking yes)? Should we spend it on our own content (that's not as much fun)?
How would you spend $4200? Would you go video, blog content, search strategies? Maybe you'd get a content audit and strategy completed, so you'd know exactly what needs to happen with your content marketing strategy?
Drop me a line and let me know...maybe I can give the money to you.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: $4200 in 42 days, Junta42, content marketing contest ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rick Liebling EMAIL: rickliebling@gmail.com IP: 71.187.74.219 URL: http://www.rickliebling.com DATE: 09/29/2009 10:46:40 PM Here's how I would spend the money: I'd hire professionals to help me create a multi-media package that showcases my strategic thinking (as seen on my blog) and my creative output(via my Foundtracks project). Together this limited-edition, annual release (magazine format, with attached CD) would serve as my marketing collateral material. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Fernando EMAIL: fernando@labastida.com IP: 75.13.82.235 URL: http://latinitmarketing.com DATE: 09/29/2009 10:47:08 PM I'd use it to convert my current blog into a professional looking website with a clear and bold above-the-fold call-to-action for my content marketing consulting business!!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jody Pellerin EMAIL: Marketing@PhaseWare.com IP: 173.173.76.125 URL: http://www.phaseware.com DATE: 09/30/2009 01:35:21 PM I would do one of the items you suggested: get a content audit and strategy completed. I have the skills to implement anything that needs to be done, or I can quickly learn. However, I think it is best to have a third party go over my content as I may be too close to any issues to see them and determine the best way to resolve them. With a firm starting point, it is easier to implement coordinated improvements rather than try to make improvements piecemeal that may not come together after all is said and done. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/30/2009 01:39:16 PM Great ideas...funny, I've received about five emails as well about getting a content audit done. Hello Content Audit companies...big demand today. Thanks to each of you for responding! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: inquire@paulconley.com IP: 63.146.63.2 URL: http://www.paulconley.com/ DATE: 10/02/2009 10:36:33 AM Hi Joe, Here's a thought...why not give the $4200 to a nonprofit that needs some content help? The hardest part would be deciding which nonprofit would get the money. Should it be a school, an agency that serves the handicapped? something that helps feed the poor? I know your Golf for Autism project has likely put you in touch with loads of organizations that work with that population. Is there an agency or school that works with kids with autism that needs some help? Paul ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/02/2009 12:58:35 PM Great idea Paul...we've already had so many approach us on the same thing. We'll be making a decision on what to do over the next few weeks. All this input is fantastic. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ContentKeith EMAIL: keith@marketingcontentstrategy.com IP: 76.209.55.159 URL: http://nutlug.wordpress.com DATE: 10/02/2009 05:14:51 PM Hey, Joe: an offer for you to consider -- if you decide to go the NFP route, and that NFP decides to (wisely) invest in a content audit, I will happily conduct the entire audit AND craft a content strategy for the 'winner' -- likely a five digit+ cost normally (as you know), all for the $ 4,200. I'd be happy to do the extra work for a good cause. No obligations, just putting the offer out there. Thanks for all you do! Keith Wiegold ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/02/2009 09:42:51 PM Wow...excellent offer Keith. We are going to sit down and figure out what we are going to do over the next couple of weeks. Tough decision, so many good ideas. Will keep you posted. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Moore EMAIL: david@advantageprint24.com IP: 71.54.154.112 URL: http://www.advantageprint24.com DATE: 10/12/2009 06:21:10 PM Joe, I'd use the money to create weekly or bi-weekly webisodes of content filled web.tv. It would be a show about Your community (Kinston, NC), Your leaders (5 min - business and civic inspiring interviews), and Your business (small biz tips, marketing, printing, design). The show would last 20 mins or so. Think Hubspot.tv but local. I just need help with audio and some editing software. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Laurie Dunlop EMAIL: ldunlop@netstrategies.com IP: 173.8.11.229 URL: http://www.netstrategies.com DATE: 10/13/2009 09:31:45 AM Joe, I would invest in our future and find a College that teaches content marketing ... the seniors likely have a project to complete this year to graduate ... you could inspire the students to create a content plan using your guidance and award the winner the $4200. If you choose this option, let me know and I will interview the winner for my NetStrategies blog! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How can I get more people to my website? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-can-i-get-more-people-to-my-website CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: video DATE: 09/25/2009 08:27:31 AM ----- BODY:
The key points:
The discussion in the video then revolved around niche, viral campaigns as a way to drive website traffic. That's fine, but it's concerning that so many marketers focus on "the viral" believing that one brilliant idea that people want to spread will make all the difference.
The formula for success, according to David Meerman Scott, includes: a combination of some great—and free—Web content (a video, blog entry, interactive tool, or e-book) that provides valuable information (or is groundbreaking or amazing or hilarious or involves a celebrity), plus a network of people to light the fire and links that make your content very easy to share.
Couple Key Points
This Huffington Post article by Charles Warner goes into some detail about how content is NOT king, but it's all about marketing and search (I strongly disagree with this).
How can you market without having a valuable, interesting story to tell? When executed correctly, your content IS your marketing.
How can you be found in online searches without having valuable information for people to find? How do you rise to the top in search without many people linking to your content because it's so valuable?
How can you be successful in social media without first having a content strategy?
So if you really want to get people to your website...
To put this brief post into perspective, take a read at Charles Warner's post on Huffington Post entitled Content Is Not King.
Charles was focusing on media companies as the centerpiece of this story. Here is Charles' key point:
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The New Lead Generation is in Membership Programs STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-new-lead-generation-is-in-membership-programs CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 09/23/2009 08:35:30 PM ----- BODY:"...the explosive growth of the Internet has led to such a proliferation of content out in the long tail that it is now virtually infinite. To say that "content is king" in today's world is like saying "a grain of sand is precious."
There are gems mixed in with the infinite content, but the conundrum is finding those jewels. In the age of the Web, the puzzle has been solved by Google, which has become the largest media company in the world by being an aggregator of content, not an originator, a creator of content.
Content is no longer king, marketing and search are the rulers now."
Now, all lead generation programs are different, but they basically run this way (yes, very simplistic to all you lead generation experts...here goes).
Martin was discussing how one of his clients (a leading software company) was beginning to move away from this process. Why? They are finding that the majority of leads they acquire are:
The solution: the membership model.
Here's the process:
What makes this different? Since most of these BtoB buyers are very early in the process and still need more education on the subject, the ongoing content delivery (through email and social media) positions the vendor as a trusted expert. As the buyer gets closer to the buying decision, odds are will be that this company, that is delivering all this fantastic opt-in content to them, is first on the list. Motorola does a version of this already, and have been for a while.
With the buyer in full control anyway, doesn't this model make more sense? - to focus your "hot leads" with your sales team and let your content do the nurturing for those customers who aren't ready.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: lead generation, btob marketing, membership programs, lead nurturing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christopher, blog commenting service EMAIL: jnchris.nannety@gmail.com IP: 124.125.107.111 URL: http://www.p2w2.com/link-building.php DATE: 09/29/2009 09:26:30 AM This reaffirms the fact that content marketing, if done relevantly with a consumer oriented approach, will yeild good results for companies. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dr. Wright EMAIL: info@wrightplacetv.com IP: 75.31.104.140 URL: http://www.wrightplacetv.com DATE: 09/29/2009 12:39:54 PM Its works to a certain extent I guess. Dr. Letitia Wright The Wright Place TV Show http://wrightplacetv.com www.twitter.com/drwright1 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 20 Questions to Ask before You Launch Your Content Project STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 20-questions-to-ask-before-you-launch-your-content-project DATE: 09/18/2009 08:52:12 AM ----- BODY: As usual, Seth has done it again.
I've taken Seth's questions to ask on launching your next website and adapted them a bit for content marketing. As you put your next content plan together, use these questions. You won't be sorry. Enjoy!
For more, check out these key questions to ask when launching a content marketing initiative, 10 questions to ask before you blog, the six steps to content marketing success, or download this free white paper on setting up a program that attracts customers with content.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content marketing questions, seth godin, content questions, how to launch a content plan ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Keating EMAIL: markkeating@aim-write.com IP: 75.118.65.85 URL: http://aim-write.com DATE: 09/18/2009 09:25:41 AM Joe: Yet more evidence that Seth Godin is a genius. Just about everything he writes makes me think about something in a completely new way. I have to say - #3a made me chuckle. I've had more than my share of such projects. Ego-driven marketing (regardless of the delivery vehicle) is almost certain to fail. Mark ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/18/2009 09:34:17 AM Great point Mark. Especially with content projects, there are many egos involved. If we aren't aware of them, they can bite us and hurt the project. Thanks for sharing! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: DeneneWrites EMAIL: denene_78@yahoo.com IP: 24.166.167.15 URL: http://www.denenebrox.com DATE: 09/18/2009 10:26:32 AM Great post and great questions to ask before embarking on a content campaign! Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bobby Burns EMAIL: bburns@e-myth.com IP: 63.150.56.194 URL: DATE: 09/18/2009 05:25:22 PM Joe, Great stuff! I just read Seth's blog about an hour ago, went back to work, was thinking of how this could apply to content writing projects (seriously! I was!) and then went back to my blog trolling - and there you had done the work for me! Thank you, and keep up the good work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russ Henneberry EMAIL: russ@russhenneberry.com IP: 70.253.160.145 URL: http://www.russhenneberry.com DATE: 09/22/2009 12:02:39 AM I saw this on Seth's blog as well. I read Tribes over the weekend and have been reading a lot of his stuff online. He embodies Content Marketing at its finest. I have really been focusing on #13 -- your content as well as Seth's has been helping me out tremendously. Thank you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Amanda O'Donovan EMAIL: amanda@amandaodonovan.com IP: 99.237.102.15 URL: http://www.amandaodonovan.com DATE: 10/07/2009 04:12:06 PM Thanks for this, Joe. With all the hype and chatter surrounding content driven marketing, it's refreshing to see something advocating planning and structure...a series of questions that will make us pause for breath and focus on the purpose of the content we're creating. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 72.8.44.146 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/07/2009 04:16:58 PM Thanks Amanda...appreciate the note. I think you are right...there are lots of ways to create content, and not too many marketers asking the questions BEFORE creating the content. Thanks! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Outsource Your Content Marketing? - The Jeff Gordon Model STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-outsource-your-content-marketing-the-jeff-gordon-model DATE: 09/17/2009 03:21:36 PM ----- BODY:Had a great conversation with David Kemper from Kemper Strategy about outsourcing content creation within organizations.
He told me a great story about Nucor Steel about 15 years ago. At the time, the only one that was giving tours in steel plants in North America was Nucor Steel. POINT HERE ABOUT PICTURES< SHARING TOURS< ETC. David asked the executives why. This was the response (in my words).
Take Jeff Gordon. You can get close to Jeff Gordon's car. You can check under the hood and look at the engine. You can get inside and sit in the car. Heck, you can even drive it around the track a bit. But do you think anyone in their right mind is going to drive around a Nascar race as well as Jeff Gordon?
At Nucor Steel, they wanted as many people to share in the experience that Nucor offered.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Social Media Starts with a Content Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: social-media-starts-with-a-content-strategy CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 09/17/2009 11:35:56 AM ----- BODY:Had the pleasure of giving this presentation for Virtual MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group) yesterday on social media and content marketing.
Some key takeaways from the presentation:
The presentation also includes loads of blogging and Twitter tips, as well as other helpful tools such as Namechk and Ping.fm.
For more on creating a content marketing strategy, get this free white paper.
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: social media tips, content strategy, VMENG, Joe Pulizzi, content marketing speaker ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Goldsmid EMAIL: ian@iangoldsmid.com IP: 117.104.180.135 URL: http://www.iangoldsmid.com DATE: 09/17/2009 04:43:46 PM Great presentation - got your book - looking forward to reading it soon ... this preso motivated me to dig deeper into what you have to say ... Best, Ian ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/17/2009 09:42:18 PM Thanks Ian...let me know what you think of the book! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John D Crews EMAIL: jcrews@ppipubs.com IP: 70.191.126.122 URL: http://www.ppitechcom.com/wpblog/?p=69 DATE: 09/18/2009 12:33:47 AM Joe, thanks for the tips on getting started in developing a strong professional internet presence. I really appreciate how you are willing to freely share tips and techniques. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob Rose EMAIL: rob@rrsquared.com IP: 66.92.34.147 URL: http://www.rrsquared.com DATE: 09/18/2009 01:00:41 AM Joe As always a great preso.... And a great blog post - what excellent advice. We should catch up!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tim Lloyd EMAIL: timlloyd150@hotmail.com IP: 212.183.134.209 URL: DATE: 09/18/2009 02:58:21 PM Great presentation. Why do so many organisations start from the tools and work back to the content? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.199 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/18/2009 03:03:18 PM Tim...excellent point. Here's why. Tools are sexy. Content is hard. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alison EMAIL: bolens2002@yahoo.com IP: 65.185.167.153 URL: http://blogs.sas.com/sascom DATE: 10/07/2009 01:04:52 PM This is a great post. I'm sharing it with all the bloggers I coach & taking notes for myself as well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jimmy Sou EMAIL: jimmysou@innerhub.com IP: 76.172.9.147 URL: http://twittervendingmachine.com DATE: 07/13/2010 10:02:41 PM Content is still King. Always has been and always will be. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Linda from Social Media Jazz EMAIL: linda@socialmediajazz.com IP: 92.233.116.178 URL: http://socialmediajazz.com/ DATE: 08/03/2010 04:19:19 AM A lot of clients only seem to want to provide recycled content for social media because of the indirect ROI. i.e. long term measurement is required ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Six Steps to Content Marketing Execution Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: six-steps-to-content-marketing-execution-success CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 09/14/2009 08:46:12 AM ----- BODY:Just finished this last post on content strategy before content marketing, then saw this perfect post from Seth Godin. It really puts what we are trying to accomplish with content marketing in perspective.
Seth maps out six specific steps when it comes to success. Let's take these steps and relate them to our content marketing efforts.
Note that Seth puts execution last. Many marketers focus on the execution of the marketing program first, without looking at the previous five points (hard to believe, I know).
I call this secret sauce. What is the intersection between your expertise and the informational needs of your audience (your customers)? Those content areas become the core for your content marketing program (and your business).
Your secret sauce should be very relevant to your product and service offerings. After all, you are in this to sell more of something, so be sure that is in the plan.
In the approach section, think about listening posts. In step 1, you really took some time to figure out how you can truly be an educational resource. In step 2, you ask the questions and listen to find out the real pain points of your audience. This is where social media tools come in so handy. Use Twitter Search, Google Alerts and other social media tools to listen to what your customers are struggling with.
This will help define the story you are trying to tell. Ask yourself this: "If you don't understand what your customers are struggling with, then how can you solve their problems?" It's a simple question, but it's the core of our entire marketing plan. Good editors dig deep to understand. You have to as well.
Notice that we first have to find out what our customers' information needs are first, and what our informational expertise can be in relation to our product/service offerings, before we move onto goals.
Remember, you can't have strategy without goals.
Now you can put together your content strategy once you have your goals, approach (listening posts) and attitude (secret sauce) in place.
Now pick the most effective tactics based on what the first four steps tell you. Note that many marketers go to tactics that sound right first, without going through the first four steps.
"Wow, an ebook is a great idea."
"We should do a custom magazine."
"Why don't we have a blog?"
Don't go here until you understand why these tactics are a good or bad idea.
Then we actually execute the plan. Execution is extremely important, but meaningless without the first five steps. Think of it this way - a perfectly executed dive at the wrong event on the wrong day is just a waste of perfectly good water.
As Seth says: "If the top of the hierarchy is messed up, no amount of brilliant tactics or execution is going to help you at all."
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: seth godin, content strategy, six steps to content marketing strategy ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: adams EMAIL: adams.newmedia1@yahoo.com IP: 122.175.73.89 URL: http://www.nvinc.com DATE: 09/14/2009 03:26:35 PM It's a good Article. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Promotional Products EMAIL: superiorpromosinc@gmail.com IP: 69.232.72.209 URL: http://www.superiorpromos.com DATE: 09/24/2009 10:51:20 PM Nicely done, this is some information that can be very useful for me as I launch my campaign. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bronson EMAIL: gnuboss@gmail.com IP: 196.210.174.254 URL: http://www.bronsonharrington.com DATE: 09/28/2009 03:37:32 AM Thanks for this post filled with great advice, definitelty one to add to the reference section of my content marketing bookmarks. I have to agree that all to often people start building stuff without having a good enough reson why, I have been guilty of it in the past as well. Solid planning is often the difference between failure and success, a little planning goes a long way. ----- PING: TITLE: 6 Steps to Content Marketing Success: How to Listen to What People Want URL: http://www.coachezines.com/2009/09/6-steps-to-content-marketing-success.html IP: 10.17.151.33 BLOG NAME: Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad DATE: 09/20/2009 07:57:32 AM I've been talking to retired friends who want to start a little online business. I ran across two excellent posts this week that tie into this topic nicely, one by Joe Pulizzi of Junta 42 Blog, and other by Seth... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The B.E.S.T. Method for Content Strategy (what you do before Content Marketing) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-best-method-for-content-strategy CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 09/10/2009 10:17:59 AM ----- BODY:Core point: Don't start executing on your content marketing until you have a sound content strategy.
Yes, easier said than done, but so many of us get infatuated with a tactic before really planning out what should happen and why. You wouldn't build a car without a step-by-step plan, but many of us create an eBook, Facebook page, web content or custom magazine without a content strategy.
To address this, Newt Barrett and I covered the B.E.S.T. content strategy in Get Content Get Customers. The goal of asking the B.E.S.T. questions as part of your content marketing strategy is to find the intersection between your products/services and the information needs of your customers. Only then can you craft a content marketing approach that will deliver more sales, more customers, and more measurable results.
How do you get this kind of information? Use these social media tools to create your own listening posts. Send out surveys. Call your customers. Talk to your salespeople.
Once you have this information, and the executive team buys into this essential background information for your content strategy, then you can start developing the execution plan.
Also check out: Five Reasons Why Content Strategy Comes before Social Media
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: content strategy, best content strategy, get content get customers, content marketing strategy ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Walter EMAIL: lion_slinger25@yahoo.com IP: 203.131.85.242 URL: http://www.lionslinger.com DATE: 09/13/2009 05:03:26 AM You have spelled it out here. It is important to plan the B.E.S.T. areas before executing content marketing. Many online marketers get too excited that they forget this vital aspect. It will take time, it will take patience, but the reward is worth it. :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Bottom EMAIL: john.bottom@baseonegroup.co.uk IP: 79.65.116.99 URL: http://www.baseonegroup.co.uk/beyond DATE: 09/14/2009 12:17:28 PM Joe - I like it; this is a really useful summary. As with many marketing initiatives, assumptions often replace real research at the early stages, and this will help me explain to clients that the fundamentals are essential to doing content marketing in the right way. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott EMAIL: adams.newmedia1@yahoo.com IP: 122.169.144.14 URL: http://www.fastbusinesscredit.com DATE: 09/15/2009 02:36:41 PM It's very important to have a clear strategy for any marketing initiatives. It would be like an well organized approach with set goals and methodologies instead of being wildly scattered. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: g13 media EMAIL: g13medialive@rocketmail.com IP: 71.136.240.213 URL: http://www.g13media.com/ DATE: 02/26/2010 03:24:05 PM Thanks for the social media tools Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paula Satow EMAIL: psatow@buzzuka.com IP: 24.251.187.161 URL: http://www.buzzuka.com DATE: 05/19/2010 03:23:36 PM Totally agree that great content comes first. I encourage people to try www.Buzzuka.com so they can start by creating a great 30-second elevator pitch in just a few minutes. It's free and easy. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: An Ad I Couldn't Ignore - The Watch Avenue STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: an-ad-i-couldnt-ignore-the-watch-avenue CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 09/09/2009 09:50:51 PM ----- BODY: Most ads, I ignore.
This one made sense.
I was on NYtimes.com today and saw this Tissot watch keeping time for me. At first I thought it was a Tissot sponsorship integration, but later in the day, it was a different luxury watch keeping time. No, this ad was sponsored by The Watch Factory.
Intrigued, I checked out their site and came to their Watch Selector. Very helpful tool.
As the content guy, I can't stand to admit that an ad got the best of me. If they only had more orange watches, I'd be sold.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: the watch factory, ad placement, display ads, ny times. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Add Link EMAIL: alexmaviy@btinternet.com IP: 86.159.15.32 URL: http://www.add-link.co.uk DATE: 09/13/2009 08:04:41 PM Thanks for the suggestions, will check them out. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Changing Face of Communication according to IBM STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-changing-face-of-communication-according-to-ibm CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 09/08/2009 01:23:54 PM ----- BODY: Following in the footsteps of their previous white paper on marketing trends (The End of Advertising as We Know It), IBM Global Business Services has developed another dandy for your reading pleasure called The Changing Face of Communication (download the PDF here). The report was designed specifically for telecommunication providers, but I feel it's relevant for all marketers.
I recommend you take 30 minutes to really go through this, but I wanted to pull out some interested quotes that help tell their story about how buying decisions have changed, and the role of technology in marketing.
Of course, there is much more, especially on business models and opportunities. I encourage you to download this piece and shoot me your thoughts.
And, I can't let this go without saying...this is an excellent example of a custom content strategy for IBM.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Benito Castro EMAIL: castrogaliana@gmail.com IP: 217.12.16.51 URL: http://www.benitocastro.com DATE: 09/11/2009 10:28:01 AM Thank you for this terrific document, and thanks to IBM as well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott EMAIL: adams.newmedia1@yahoo.com IP: 122.169.144.14 URL: http://www.fastbusinesscredit.com DATE: 09/15/2009 02:40:04 PM Thanks for sharing this wonderful document. Scott. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Print Custom Magazines Still Work: Q&A with financial custom publisher T3 Publishing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: financial-custom-magazines-t3 CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 09/03/2009 10:04:01 AM ----- BODY: Almost a year ago I came upon a custom magazine called thinkMoney from the company thinkorswim. It's just one of those custom magazines that I like to keep around and refer to on occasion. Design, content, calls-to-action...they are all working in the same direction. (fyi, thinkMoney won "Best New Magazine" for the CPC Pearl Awards in 2008.)
Over the past few months, I've been able to work on a few projects with thinkMoney's custom publisher, Kevin Lund from T3 Publishing. When he showed me some of the results from thinkMoney, I knew it was something we had to share on the blog.
Kevin's background is in financial education as well as business development and marketing for financial information services. Additionally, he's been an independent trader of equities and equity options for 12 years (so he knows the trading business). Having made his living both trading the markets as well as writing, speaking and analyzing them, he has a good sense of what traders and investors need to know and want to hear.
Here's some of the highlights from our Q&A. If you think that custom print magazines don't work anymore because of the web, think again.
Joe: Kevin...before we get into your custom magazine project, let's have your take on the content marketing industry?
Kevin: In a word – crucial. It’s also growing leaps and bounds, whereas traditional advertising firms continue to struggle to reinvent themselves while latching onto status quos. I really don’t know how today, any company, whether you’re a one-person operation or a juggernaut can effectively market themselves in a world of so many choices, without making a concerted effort to connect with and educate their target audience as to why they should be taken seriously. Joe: Your client thinkorswim, why was a custom magazine on the list of marketing initiatives?
Joe: What types of results have you seen with the magazine, and how do you integrate it into their total marketing efforts?
Kevin: The results have truly exceeded even our highest expectations. According to readership surveys, over 90% of the audience has acted on the information in some meaningful way, a majority of which, has driven revenue directly to the firm. It’s really the best of both worlds for them. It’s not only become one of the firm’s most powerful marketing pieces, but it’s also the voice of thinkorswim as a firm. Joe: Why is expert custom content so important for traders?
Joe: What's next for thinkMoney?
Kevin: We’re working carefully with thinkorswim right now through the next phase of their ongoing evolution. They recently merged with TD Ameritrade, so they’ve inherited a new set of challenges that are very positive, but challenges nonetheless. We’ve been here before though, and the magic that came from that is something we can repeat again, I’m sure.
Other Relevant Articles:
My friend and former Penton colleague Tony D'Avino alerted me to the new CMO.com - "a new Web site conceived by Omniture and championed by leading marketing agencies, technology providers and industry experts" (according to an Omniture email).
The website, focused on the digital marketer, takes syndicated content from over 40 sources that are searchable in 30 categories.
Here's my take: It's pretty. It's a great aggregated resource of marketing content (similar to what we've done for a few years with our community site around content marketing). If I'm part of the syndicated content pool like BtoB or AdAge, I'm loving it.
I've looked at the site several times, and I keep coming up with the same question: What's the goal?
Is it for Omniture to be viewed as a thought leader in digital marketing? Is it for this group of leading agencies and technology providers to get into the publishing business? Is it just a helpful tool, from your friends like Compete.com and Outrider? Maybe it's to showcase the Omniture product in action (a working case study)?
Look, I'm not putting them down at all. It looks like a helpful resource. Heck, I used to pitch sites like this three years ago to my clients.
But if Omniture's goal is to become an authority on digital marketing, I don't believe it can be done with other people's content. We've struggled with that ourselves, which is why we are ramping up our original content creation (stay tuned).
Fusionspark talks about this concept as being the definitive resource. Brian Clark calls this authority. You may call it thought leadership or even content marketing.
I clicked about 15 times into and out of content on CMO.com and couldn't find any content from Omniture. Shouldn't Omniture be leading this conversation? I guess it depends on their goals, but I say yes.
Here's the deal: If Omniture (et al) wants to be considered the expert resource on digital marketing, and ultimately be the place that people want to go to solve their marketing challenges, then they need to tell the story in unique, relevant and compelling ways - themselves. Their own video, blogging, white papers, ebooks, articles...not just BtoB's and AdAge's.
If the strategy is to launch a website where they can attract enough readers to sell sponsorships and then other media products, then I think it's a good start. But the strategy to be a true expert resource...I don't think it hits the mark.
Attracting and retaining customers through content means you need to tell your own story. Depending on Omniture's marketing objective, I believe they need to move in this direction.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeremy Morris EMAIL: jmorris@campbell-ewald.com IP: 65.123.68.81 URL: http://campbell-ewald.com DATE: 09/03/2009 03:59:52 PM Joe Completely agree. Aggregation can be a valuable component of a content strategy but not the core. If Omniture believes it has the authority to be a thought-leader in the space it needs to prove it. It won't do that by piggy-backing other peoples' work ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeremy Morris EMAIL: jmorris@campbell-ewald.com IP: 65.123.68.81 URL: http://campbell-ewald.com DATE: 09/03/2009 04:04:47 PM On the other hand I just went to it and took a look around. Pretty useful site. I'll use it. But I bert I forget pretty quickly that it's 'brought to me by Omniture'! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Garrett French EMAIL: garrett.french@ontolo.com IP: 75.182.116.202 URL: http://ontolo.com DATE: 09/04/2009 11:53:07 AM There's something to be said for feed aggregation and curation at the core of a content strategy. For one, if their regular writers already have magazine-quality blog postings, why not just link to that? For two, they can vastly widen the scope of their coverage, and cover more of the digital marketing content-space. Consistent, knowledgeable curation remains vital though: it shouldn't be a "set it and forget it" thing. It will take a solid editor who can identify fresh, quality content and even look past big names to discover fresh thought talent from new up and comers. I applaud the approach and believe there's a great deal of industry authority and expertise one can demonstrate simply through the feeds/articles you choose to include and those you choose to exclude. If CMO.com consistently shows me gems I wouldn't have otherwise found, they win my attention. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.98.210 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/07/2009 09:02:47 PM Hi Garrett...I completely agree with you. If it's a helpful tool, I will continue to use it, no doubt. But will an aggregation concept help Omniture drive more sales or position themselves as trusted experts? And will you buy from them or seek them out when you have digital marketing needs? That's where I'm not sure it holds water. Can you tell your own story without your own content? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marcus Dane EMAIL: webbizideas02@gmail.com IP: 124.105.108.250 URL: http://www.webbizideas.com DATE: 05/04/2010 09:36:15 PM I think it will help in driving more sales but it will be a protracted process though. http://www.webbizideas.com/services/web-design/corporate.html ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Your Content, Their Content & the Brand STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: your-content-their-content-the-brand CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: vision statements DATE: 08/27/2009 09:53:51 AM ----- BODY: Thanks to Kenneth Weiss, author of the
new book, Slightware – The Next Great Threat to Brands, for this guest Junta42 blog post. Ken offers some interesting thoughts on content and the customer conversation. Take a read!
Companies have traditionally attempted to control the dialogue and vernacular around their brands. The correct words, and the specific tonality were carefully chosen to explain, position and differentiate brands. Packaging, advertising, public relations and all types of customer communications were continuously reviewed. Being “on brand” was paramount. Being “slightly off brand” was never allowed. While this is still the intent, it is not always possible. Why? Because too many people have too much to say about the brand and they have the tools to do it!
So how do companies leverage the power of content while continuing to be a steward of the brand? It’s not easy.
Almost everyone within an organization is creating content these days. Sales people make PowerPoints. Marketers write posts for company bogs. Customer service teams publish documents to the web. The CEO gives speeches to local organizations. Human resource teams write company overviews for job boards. Engineers create white papers. Other employees post videos and images. Is it possible to route all of these pieces of communication through a central brand manager? Obviously, no. Does this mean that they can all put their own spin on the brand? Yes, they can. No, they shouldn’t.
How to make it work:
Brand guidelines and brand training need to be pushed beyond the walls of the marketing department to every corner of the organization. Documentation needs to include more than just logo guidelines. It needs to be a complete, holistic explanation of the total brand. Living and delivering the brand needs to be an ongoing activity. Not something that happens once a year or during orientation.
Customers, writers, editors and experts are talking about your brand. This can include reviews on other sites, or reviews on your own site. But the content goes far beyond these simple sentences and paragraphs. Brand mentions will turn up in Tweets, comments on posts, YouTube videos and even in the content of other sites. Do you think all of this dialogue is using the endorsed, approved words and tonality? No, of course not. Is it all positive? No, again. It is IMPORTANT because it shows that people are engaged and compelled even if it is not always HELPFUL.
How to make it work:
Develop your editorial and legal process around content monitoring and participation. How will the company react if a person discusses using the product incorrectly versus using the product in a way that could be dangerous? How will the company react if the person is using the product in the proper way, but just doesn’t like it?
Be ready to offer content. If a person has a question, needs a how-to, or wants to move from being a novice user to an advanced user, what content do you have to offer?
Respect the balance of power. Brands need to show more respect to the customer than ever. The old adage “The customer is always right” needs to be changed to: “The customer is always heard.” Not heard and dismissed – heard and listened to.
Strong brands will always have an advantage when it comes to awareness, consideration and purchase intent. Content, both company generated and community generated is an asset to any business. It can be an invaluable part of building a brand through two-way discussion rather than traditional one-way delivery.
Kenneth J. Weiss is Director of E-Commerce for Hoover and author of the new book, Slightware – The Next Great Threat to Brands. Download the first chapter for free at www.Slightware.com.
The last portion of this interview with Paul Laudicina of A.T. Kearney really struck me. Take a read through this paragraph, and then let's discuss.
As I read this paragraph, I think of the many traditional publishers out there who have been working toward the end goal statement, "When advertising comes back..." Scary proposition.
Seth Godin blogged about the marketing reset as the movement from attention shortage to attention surplus.
Marketing is in the process of resetting itself (and has been for a while). What does this mean for us? I think we are all trying to figure it out, but here are three concepts to kick around.
Create marketing that spreads (or that your customers would be likely to talk about), go ultra-niche and whatever you develop, do it consistently. This is the recipe for content marketing success as our marketing resets itself.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: James B EMAIL: james@helpyard.com IP: 81.157.51.59 URL: http://www.helpyard.com/ DATE: 08/25/2009 08:42:39 AM It's interesting that the infrastructure of marketing/advertising/PR is built for one-time volume, whereas the infrastructure required for the marketing-reset needs to handle multi-stage conversations and individual personalisation of the messages. Multiple-messages even. Many in 'traditional' marketing will look upon these requirements in horror: 'think of the amount of work involved', and there will be huge efforts needed, until the infrastructure catches up. Any thoughts on what that infrastructure will(does) look like? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.219 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/25/2009 09:00:54 AM James...I agree with you. From a traditional standpoint, this looks like a ton of work that falls outside of most current processes. I think, most importantly, it means assigning a content strategist, or chief content officer, to the role to oversee this area. All companies will set this up differently, but there needs to be someone who takes ownership who is responsible for the customer conversation and publishing initiatives. What else should we add? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Promotional Products EMAIL: superiorpromosinc@gmail.com IP: 71.140.114.215 URL: http://www.superiorpromos.com DATE: 08/26/2009 04:01:21 PM Very interesting topic. I would definitely agree that marketing is in a bit of a rebirth or rejuvenation stage. Marketers are adapting to new technologies and developing new strategies. I really think that your idea of storytelling is one of the answers to the future of marketing. This is something that is going to be viable in the future. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rumah Dijual EMAIL: customer@bestsurabayaproperty.com IP: 114.58.136.117 URL: http://www.bestsurabayaproperty.com/aneka-properti/ DATE: 09/02/2009 02:09:34 AM Thank you for this insightful lesson. I find abundant new theory and knowledge here. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adam@How To Make Money Online EMAIL: glemoh101@yahoo.com IP: 41.238.7.252 URL: http://www.4money-making-online.blogspot.com DATE: 07/18/2010 11:27:21 AM Thanks for this great information, I think most important is to focus on one plan and when success repeat what you do with other ( don't promote a lot affiliates in same time ) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Beermatman EMAIL: keith@beermatadvertising.com IP: 213.66.0.24 URL: http://www.beermatadvertising.com/v2 DATE: 07/24/2010 04:38:22 PM I sort of hate to throw a spanner in the works or anything; but we are experiencing a strange phenomena in our business. We as a company sell advertising space on the "traditional" Beermat; and have been bracing ourselves for some real hard times; what with Pubs and Clubs closing on a regular basis. However companies have been steadily increasing their orders for our product over this last year or so; please don't get me wrong it's not on fire or anything; but we are seeing a definite upturn; not sure why this is. Cheers Keith aka Beermatman ----- PING: TITLE: Day 9: Advertise Different URL: http://markvalentine.typepad.com/good-idea-a-day/2009/08/day-9-advertise-different.html IP: 10.17.151.33 BLOG NAME: Mark Valentine's Good Idea a Day Blog DATE: 08/25/2009 04:40:50 PM I love the idea of advertising, because at its best, it combines free thinking and creative problem solving with meeting your company's needs and building relationships with your customers. How can you catch someone's attention and make it worth their ... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Story Listening through Social Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: story-listening-through-social-media CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 08/19/2009 08:58:13 AM ----- BODY: We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
Here's an outstanding eBook from my friends at Story Worldwide entitled "Story Listening through Social Media". If you were looking for some backup as to the importance of online listening with a purpose, and how it relates to telling your brand's story, this is it. The folks at Story were nice enough to let me offer it to Junta42 readers without any gates or forms, so here it is for your downloading pleasure.
My takeaway - conversations are going on about your brand right now, whether you are a part of those conversations or not. Can you afford not to be? Then, if you do get involved, do you know what to say?
I'm big on one liners or phrases that are memorable and make a strong point. Here are the ones I pulled out of the eBook that made an impact on me.
Also includes some great case studies from Kogi, Comcast and Dell.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bruce Nunn EMAIL: bruce.nunn@hotmail.com IP: 154.20.55.91 URL: http://www.BruceNunn.com DATE: 08/19/2009 01:51:28 PM The eBook is very well done. It does a good job categorizing the personalities that are discussing your brand on online communities. Thanks Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mary EMAIL: mary@position2.com IP: 174.129.253.45 URL: http://www.position2.com DATE: 08/21/2009 06:18:53 AM That's a really interesting. These days social media is being used by so many companies to reach out to their target audiences. http://blogs.position2.com/category/smm ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anne Potts EMAIL: atmpotts@yahoo.com IP: 173.76.101.168 URL: DATE: 07/12/2010 08:39:23 PM I just revisited this ebook after about a year (hard drive filled, had to let some things go). It's such a great view of how complex and still basic social media is. ----- PING: TITLE: Day 9: Advertise Different URL: http://markvalentine.typepad.com/good-idea-a-day/2009/08/day-9-advertise-different.html IP: 10.17.151.31 BLOG NAME: Mark Valentine's Good Idea a Day Blog DATE: 08/25/2009 04:40:50 PM I love the idea of advertising, because at its best, it combines free thinking and creative problem solving with meeting your company's needs and building relationships with your customers. How can you catch someone's attention and make it worth their ... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: We Are All Publishers - The Video STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: we-are-all-publishers-the-video CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: video DATE: 08/18/2009 07:29:22 AM ----- BODY: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ted EMAIL: ted@thedailyreviewer.com IP: 112.202.82.99 URL: http://thedailyreviewer.com DATE: 08/19/2009 04:27:54 AM Congratulations! Our selection committee compiled an exclusive list of the Top 100 Content Marketing Blogs, and yours was included! Check it out at http://thedailyreviewer.com/top/Content-Marketing You can claim your Top 100 Blogs Award Badge at http://thedailyreviewer.com/pages/badges ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 2009 Junta42 Golf for Autism Another Success - $30k in Proceeds in 3 Years STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 2009-junta42-golf-for-autism-another-success-30k-in-proceeds-in-3-years CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 08/17/2009 12:57:52 PM ----- BODY: It was another perfect day for an amazing cause. On August 14th, nearly 100 golfers and over 80 sponsors and contributors came together to raise more than $10,000 to help get children with autism get speech therapy services. All proceeds for the event go to Easter Seals Northern Ohio.
Now, as the Junta42 Golf for Autism completes its 3rd year, we've raised $30,000 for the cause ($7500 in 2007, nearly $12,000 in 2008, and $10,500 this year). Our original goal for 2009 was $12,000. By late 2008, it was apparent that this year was going to be much more challenging. All told, we feel pretty good about surpassing the $10k level. What made the difference? Even though some of our larger hole sponsors had to back out (due to economic reasons), we had more overall contributors than ever before (85 total, up from 73 last year). This is a huge testament to the great volunteers we had this year in the field and online (the Facebook page) helping to gather support.
Where to start?
Second, here are some awesome pics from the outing. Take some time to go through the pics - the signage this year was awesome thanks to Brianne Haddox at Billboard Connection. And here's the program from this year's event (designed by Joe Kalinowski and printed by Duke Printing).
Now, even though this is an annual event, we never stop working. So, here's what you can do right now if you haven't already.
1. Join Our Facebook Causes Page
2. Recruit Others for the Cause
3. Continue to Spread the Word
Donations can be sent to:
Junta42 Golf for Autism
3317 W 155th St.
Cleveland, OH 44111
or you can make contributions online at our Causes page.
What if? (questions posed to a marketing professional)
What if your customers saw your company as the industry thought leader?
What if they signed up for your enewsletters and white papers because they were interested in what you had to say, and thought it could positively impact their businesses?
What if traditional media called you for interviews, or bloggers wanted Q&As from people in your organization...not just a few times, but consistently?
What if you didn't need salespeople to make cold calls anymore?
What if your customers spread your content to prospects for you - essentially becoming your marketing distribution arm?
No, this is not fantasy land. This can happen. Maybe it's already happening.
How you ask?
By consistently delivering the most important, most valuable, most necessary information to your customers.
No one cares about your products, your services, your blog, or your website. They care about themselves...how to be happier, more successful, how to sleep better, how to get a raise, a job or some peace of mind.
What are those things for your customers? What do they really care about?
Once you get around the idea that they really don't want to hear about you, what will you tell them?
The marketing fantasy is happening for those that take on this task. I've seen it happen to Brian Clark, Shama Kabani, Hubspot and countless others.
They are true publishers. Sure, they have products and services, and are very successful. But they are first and foremost publishing machines that focus on their readers' (customers') needs and wants. They are building marketing assets (not advertising).
Most marketing professionals know this is possible, and want to go this direction, but more than not stay true to the past for a variety of reasons.
The new media company is not a media company...it's you. The sooner you accept that and begin publishing, the sooner you can be part of the fantasy.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bruce Nunn EMAIL: bruce.nunn@hotmail.com IP: 154.20.55.91 URL: http://www.BruceNunn.com DATE: 08/13/2009 12:21:32 PM David Meerman Scott wrote an excellent book called The New Rules of Marketing & PR that captures the same sentiments. It is a great read. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kye Swenson EMAIL: kyeswen6@gmail.com IP: 69.38.134.82 URL: http://trade-show-promotion.blogspot.com/ DATE: 08/13/2009 05:02:19 PM Inspiring article. Another great example is Matt Cutts from Google. You know the guys is a millionare, but you can also tell that he has genuine passion for online marketing. That's why he set up his blog and created Google's first set of webinars. He posts practical, straight-forward, and useful information that almost everyone benefits from. That's why I think webinars are becoming so popular and are a necessary tool for establishing your brand name. They show that you enjoy taking the time to create videos and have a practical conversation with your customers that supplies them with valuable information. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joanne Grey EMAIL: joanne@spottedwombat.com IP: 58.111.65.167 URL: http://www.spottedwombat.com DATE: 08/13/2009 10:39:54 PM Thank you for a great article. I think more people are starting to finally see the benefits of content marketing. I can recommend Joe's book "Get Content - Get Customers" - read it and get your clients to read it too! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/13/2009 10:42:05 PM Bruce/Kye...great examples. Joanne, you are too kind. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Are You Creating Necessary Content? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: are-you-creating-necessary-content CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 08/11/2009 01:11:15 PM ----- BODY: Take a few minutes and do an inventory of the content you send to your customers and prospects. I'm not talking about the information you create that talks about your products and services. In this case, look at the type of information you distribute that educates your customers and positions you as an expert resource.
Is it necessary?
When I talk with companies about creating content marketing, I usually talk about valuable, relevant, compelling and consistent content as core to a content marketing program. That, in and of itself, may not be enough. In addition, is the information necessary for your customers' growth? Is it truly helpful in resolving their pain points?
In this article, Mr. Magazine discusses the importance of publishers creating truly necessary information for target readers. In this context, Mr. Magazine is focusing on media companies or magazine publishers, but it holds true for brands as well.
So often companies concern themselves with getting out the next post or next newsletter issue without doing the analysis about the significance of the content to their customers. With so many options today for your customers, your content better be needed, it better be the best around, it better solve their challenges...or why do it at all?
Your goal as a company is to generate a profit. To do that today, you need to have not only the best products and services, but you need to be the provider of the best information. By doing that, you'll attract and retain customers who, when ready to buy, will think of you. Why? Because you are the trusted expert that they rely on. The information you distribute is necessary to their jobs and their lives.
What other choice do you have?
Image credits: Shutterstock
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: DeneneWrites EMAIL: denene_78@yahoo.com IP: 24.166.167.15 URL: http://www.denenebrox.com DATE: 09/15/2009 11:16:53 AM Thank you for emphasizing on your blog and in your book the importance of working with good writers as part of a content marketing strategy. There are so many companies out there who want to get content for their blogs, websites, etc. for next to nothing. They don't give much consideration to anything other than keywords. To them, it's more about quantity than quality writing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.105.236 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/15/2009 11:21:06 AM So true Denene...keep the faith. Quality beats quantity any day of the week...and more people are coming to see the light on that. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How to Launch an eBook or White Paper - Authority Rules STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-to-launch-an-ebook-or-white-paper-authority-rules CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: eBooks CATEGORY: microsites CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 08/06/2009 07:42:51 AM ----- BODY:About a month ago, we brought home our first pet...a Guinea Pig that the boys named Phary (pronounced Ferry).
After the initial adjustment week, a routine developed. The boys would get Phary out of her cage in the morning, and right before bedtime. As one of us walked over to get Phary out of her cage, she would place herself in the left corner of the cage so we could easily grasp her and carry her out. All was right with the world.
Last week, the routine changed a little. There were a few mornings we were gone and couldn't get to Phary. There were also a few nights where she didn't get her "out of cage" playtime.
Understandably, Phary didn't like this. This morning when I went to take her out, she didn't go to her regular spot, and fought me a bit as well as I struggled to take her out of the cage. As I finally took her over to the play area for the boys, she almost pooped in my hand. Not pleasant.
We were not consistent with Phary, and she didn't like it one bit.
Naturally, after the "Phary Incident", I thought about content marketing (but of course). Not that your customers are like Guinea Pigs, but the same behaviors apply.
So, when you look at your content marketing tactics, put consistency at the very top. Don't believe for a second that you can skip an issue here or there and it won't have a negative impact.
And even while you are thinking that you are still putting out this great content (and so what if it's not consistent), your customers may just poop in your hand (sorry, couldn't resist - go to 1:20 of the clip below).
Well, after a slight delay to coincide with the launch of the new Junta42 redesign, the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs have finally been released.
Definitely, our most competitive and thorough list, the Top 42 is a collection of the best experts in the world that join in on the conversation about content marketing. The entire list of content marketing blogs can be found here. If you feel one may have been left off the list, please submit the blog at the bottom of the Top 42 main page. We update the list quarterly.
Congrats to all the almost 300 blogs in this round, especially the Top 42. Special congrats to the team at Tipping Point Labs for taking over the top spot in their debut listing.
Below is the Top 42 in its entirety.
1 TippingPoint
Labs
2 Copyblogger
3 Marketing
Interactions
4 Online
Marketing Blog
5 PR
2.0
6 Marketing
with Meaning
7 Post
Advertising
8 Conversation
Agent
9 Brain
Traffic
10 Web
Ink Now
11 Buzz
Marketing for Technology
12 EyeCube
13 ContentMarketingToday
14 Convince
and Convert
15 Influential
Marketing Blog
16 Internet
Marketing Blog
17 Dan
Blank
18 The
Harte of Marketing
19 Writing
on the Web
20 The
Toadstool
21 PR
20/20
22 Keysplash
Creative
23 Chris
Brogan's Blog
24 Social
Media Explorer
25 Content
Rich
26 Drew's
Marketing Minute
27 Seth's
Blog
28 9
Inch Marketing
29 The
Content Wrangler
30 Greg
Verdino's Marketing Blog
31 IdeaLaunch
32 Hard
Knox Life
33 Direct
Marketing Observations
34 Nigel
Hollis
35 Rexblog
36 Daily
Fix
37 Sales
Lead Insights
38 Techno//Marketer
39 Eat
Media Blog
40 Savvy
B2B Marketing
41 Social
Signal
42 Web
Strategy by Jeremiah
Related Posts:
Well my friends, after many months, the end is near. But with all website redesigns, it's always the beginning.
We've been working on a new and improved version of Junta42 for quite some time now, which will launch later this week.
I thought it was important to give you a head's up on this. It's also incredibly therapeutic for me to talk about it.
So, here is a short list of some of the changes you'll see.
You'll see lots of other small things, but the biggest changes are in the focus, design and usability. A big thanks to our friends at Eat Media for that. Another thanks goes out to Bernie Borges and the team at Find and Convert for assisting with our SEO (if you need SEO or social media help, see Bernie. He also writes a mean book!).
So, stay tuned later this week for the launch, as well as our latest Top 42 Content Marketing blogs list.
Looking forward to your feedback on the site.
Thanks,
Joe
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John EMAIL: jorzell@gmail.com IP: 64.252.13.113 URL: http://www.tricountyweb.com DATE: 07/29/2009 09:18:04 AM I just found your site a couple of months ago and immediately moved it to the top of my RSS feeds. The new look will define what your site is all about and make a long time reading out of me. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Ultimate Guide to Creating an eBook - The eBook eBook STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-ultimate-guide-to-creating-an-ebook-the-ebook-ebook CATEGORY: eBooks DATE: 07/24/2009 07:25:34 AM ----- BODY:Wanted to pass on an outstanding eBook from Jonathan Kranz on the what, how and why for developing an eBook.
First off, this is a great example of how to do an eBook: inviting design, easy-to-follow organization, great examples, and a readable, natural voice.
Second, if you are considering an eBook as part of your marketing plans, this is a must read. Below is the embed, but you can download the complete version from Jonathan here. The best part is, Jonathan is eating his own dog food by not requiring any registration in advance of getting the eBook (way to go Jonathan!).
Another relevant article - why giving away your eBook for free can help you generate print sales.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michele Linn EMAIL: michele@linncommunications.com IP: 69.14.164.27 URL: http://savvyb2bmarketing.com/blog DATE: 07/27/2009 07:23:00 AM Joe, I just wanted echo your sentiments about Jonathan's ebook. I'm very interested in ebooks and think that this is THE BEST "how to" guide I've read. It's one of those books I'll definitely be referencing for a long time to come. Michele ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Building a Marketing Asset (take the red pill) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: building-a-marketing-asset-take-the-red-pill CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/22/2009 10:32:51 PM ----- BODY:Assets are good.
Stocks that you sell high and buy low. Home prices that grow year after year. A Mickey Mantle rookie card.
Can you tell an asset from a liability?
Most people can in their personal lives. Cash-rich versus debt-poor. How about health versus sickness.
It's not that easy in marketing. Marketing tactics aren't black and white like cash and debt. Marketing tactics are very dependent on objectives, customer segments and expectations. They are also very dependent on what the chief marketer is comfortable with, understands, and what they like...not necessarily what's best.
But let's imagine (in the voice Morpheus). Let's wake up tomorrow focusing solely on building marketing assets. That means focusing on activities that our customers can use or engage in many times, and that they can easily spread to other people just like them. Let's focus on things that build relationships, that help our customers before, during, and after they buy (or don't buy) our products and services.
What does that look like?
What do all these things have in common?
They're helpful. They have a shelf life. They can be shared with others. They position you as an expert.
It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? But we don't live in that world yet.
We still live in the world that believes interruption sells. We still live in a world where marketers are doing more selling than educating, more persuading than helping. We still live in a world where the majority of marketing dollars goes toward traditional advertising.
It won't be easy. All I'm offering is the truth. Take the red pill.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl Foxley EMAIL: contact@foxleymarketingsolutions.com IP: 86.0.225.75 URL: http://www.foxleymarketingsolutions.com DATE: 07/23/2009 07:27:06 AM It's certainly true what you are sharing here today! One of the websites I spend the most time on offers step-by-step guides to improving your experience and productivity with Vista, XP, web browsers etc. They have affiliate related products on the site but they never push them on the reader, they show you how helpful they can be and they also share alternatives. For me the website offers true value as I learn something new every time I visit. Thanks for sharing, Karl ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 173.48.194.103 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 07/23/2009 09:43:58 AM You know, looking ahead, I DO see a role for traditional media that doesn't interrupt, but helps sustain relationships. The context? Within the next few years, I suspect we'll see a digital backlash, a kind of collective craving for the tangible, the physical. Something real, not just bits and bytes. In this world, I see direct mail as a logical extension of the relationships built or initiated online. (Imagine, for example, sending packs of beautifully designed stickers to preteen fans of your band -- or brand.) I wouldn't hold the wake for trad marketing just yet. Instead, expect it to morph in ways we haven't imagined. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/23/2009 10:39:06 AM @Karl...thanks for the insight. @Jonathan...I agree with you. Traditional media will evolve in something more useful...it will have to in order to be accepted and engaged with. At least, this is my hope. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matthew Ray Scott EMAIL: mscott@strategicincubator.com IP: 97.115.117.205 URL: http://www.strategicincubator.com DATE: 07/23/2009 12:33:21 PM Joe, Another great post. I love the emphasis on listing those know, like, and trust relationship building activities. We find with our clients that it is always valuable and never assumed that when we list, Here is what you need to do and build relationships and focus on revenue-producing activities our clients tend to have opportunity to build a "cookbook." Want to build relationships-choose the following ingredients and mix. The video of the Red Pill is also a perfect tie-in. I do think interruption marketing is RIP, but I still say a reality in our distracted society is to provide tactful and obvious nudges vs. "pokes." Great post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Les EMAIL: les_tatum@yahoo.com IP: 74.193.98.156 URL: http://www.seonicheblogs.com/wordpress-for-membership-sites/ DATE: 07/23/2009 11:24:20 PM Building marketing assets is where it's at. You can spend all day trading hours for dollars online but unless you build something solid that will pay you over and over for years to come you will still be trading hours for dollars years from now. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tim Lloyd EMAIL: timlloyd150@hotmail.com IP: 212.183.140.18 URL: http://www.publishingforresults.blogspot.com DATE: 07/25/2009 03:25:16 PM I've recently started working with Social Media News Releases (SMNRs) which appear to be a great way of aggregating all your assets in one place. I've yet to test effectiveness, but worth a look in my opinion. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Promotional Products EMAIL: superiorpromosinc@gmail.com IP: 71.138.249.87 URL: http://blog.superiorpromos.com DATE: 07/25/2009 04:09:25 PM This is some great information. Arming customers with information like you have listed is greatly appreciated by customers and makes them realize that you care about helping them succeed instead of just seeing them as dollar signs. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mediaman EMAIL: barry@netwebomni.com IP: 205.188.116.6 URL: http://www.netwebomni.com DATE: 08/04/2009 12:28:14 PM It's always nice to see a little thinking take place. Let's not forget that although we have better than 80% Internet usage, not all users do and want the same thing. Depending on your product or service, the other 20% could be VERY valuable. If you are targeting an older generation,traditional media may be the only way to reach them, and because of the expense, your product or service or brand-building effort needs real and measurable results to justify tht approach. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/04/2009 12:32:35 PM Hi Barry...I don't disagree with you...I still believe in traditional media. But, without an underlying flow of consistent content creation that is valuable, it will be very difficult to help that traditional media get its legs. Point is, if you are going to spend the money on a traditional program, you better have your content strategy house in order. Thanks for your comment. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: johnpeter EMAIL: partimejob4all@gmail.com IP: 122.164.166.54 URL: http://www.partimejob4all.com DATE: 08/05/2009 08:18:22 AM ya i agree with you ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: James The Forex Trading Guru EMAIL: james@yourtraderoom.com IP: 98.124.105.220 URL: http://www.yourtraderoom.com DATE: 07/26/2010 10:19:50 AM I feel traditional media is on its way out. People are so bombarded these days we have become immune to most of it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Oli Hille EMAIL: oli.lifestyle@gmail.com IP: 222.154.123.127 URL: http://www.LifestyleBook.com DATE: 11/08/2010 11:12:07 PM Yeah I like the Matrix references and too many people are stealing our time and not giving real value. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anna EMAIL: plume2010@ymail.com IP: 75.31.77.67 URL: http://4xtradingmadeeasy.com DATE: 11/20/2010 02:22:33 AM I do make an effort to provide useful information in my niche sites and not push the affiliate product too hard. And I'm hoping that helping and educating readers will also be financially beneficial to me. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why You Should Be Thinking Video in Your Email Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: should-you-be-thinking-video-in-your-email-marketing CATEGORY: video DATE: 07/22/2009 02:06:28 PM ----- BODY: This recent Forrester study caught my eye - that incorporating video into email can increase click-through rates two-to-three times (full report here from Forrester for $749).
To find out more, I called my colleague (and customer) Todd Smart from VideoNewsletters.com. Todd confirmed that click-through rates are indeed significantly higher with video newsletters - but, warned me on the following:
Todd was kind enough to share his Video eBook about video newsletters with Junta42. I liked it so much, I asked if he would let me share it with you.
You can download Todd's Video Newsletter ebook (a $50 value) for free using code Junta42. Just click the dowload button, then enter in the Junta42 code. Thanks Todd!
Couple notes...it is a VERY large file, so be patient. Also, it's a gated form, so you'll have to give your name and email address. I think you'll find it's worth your time.
Let me know what you think.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mac McIntosh EMAIL: mcintosh@sales-lead-experts.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://www.sales-lead-insights.com DATE: 07/23/2009 10:35:55 AM Thanks for the useful post and for asking your client Todd to share his Video E-book. Can you please ask Todd if it is true that there are sometimes delivery problems with video emails? I've been told that the scripts that start the videos can be spam filter triggers. I've also seen that Outlook and some other email systems used by businesses disable the scripts making the email that does get past a spam filter appear as a blank with maybe a link that needs to be clicked in order to be able to view the video, which probably reduces views significantly. If one or both of these issues are sometimes true, what are the best practices to get video email through the spam filters and to display right in Outlook, etc.? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dr Wright EMAIL: info@Wrightplacetv.com IP: 75.36.64.192 URL: http://www.wrightplacetv.com DATE: 07/24/2009 11:45:39 AM video newsletters are a good idea, however, there are still many people who will not be able to see it. Having video plus plain text works, some people are trying to do video instead of plain text. Dr. Letitia Wright The Wright Place TV Show http://wrightplacetv.com www.twitter.com/drwright1 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: james8888 EMAIL: james888188@gmail.com IP: 71.96.84.112 URL: DATE: 07/24/2009 02:19:39 PM Hmmm, those sound like good ideas. Thanks for sharing this! I think personally I'd also make sure the videos I include are posted online in multiple places, allowing the possibility for greater exposure at zero cost and just a little time. But just because you post your video on YouTube, Veoh, DailyMotion, AdWido, and Vimeo doesn't mean you're going to get anywhere if people aren't going to want to talk about your video, so making the best video you can is the first priority. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ferdy EMAIL: support@vid3omail.com IP: 61.68.168.114 URL: http://www.vid3omail.com DATE: 09/14/2009 06:43:36 AM Guys, I will soon launch Vid3oMail.com. Check this out and let me know what you think? Send a video mail at http://www.vid3omail.com Cheers Ferdy ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Giving Away Your Expertise IS Your Competitive Advantage STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: giving-away-your-expertise-is-your-competitive-advantage CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 07/16/2009 09:52:17 AM ----- BODY:Erica brings up a great point about companies not wanting to share their expertise through content marketing. Why not share?
Neither are true, and I'll tell you why.
Most companies believe that their competitive advantage is in some process, some product, some service. That's hardly ever the case. Anyone at almost anytime can copy your process, product or service...especially today.
Your true competitive advantage rests in your communications, your marketing, your brand.
Once you realize that, giving away your "secret sauce" makes sense. Giving away your expertise and teaching your customers what you know does one amazing thing - it positions you as the expert in your industry. Once you are known by your customers and prospects as the industry expert, it will be almost impossible for any process, product or any competitive service to come between you and your customers.
Keeping your "secret sauce" to yourself does a few things:
Now what are you waiting for?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Charles Brown EMAIL: chbrown@webmarketing-coach.com IP: 76.185.224.153 URL: http://www.google.com/profiles/charbrow DATE: 07/16/2009 12:26:09 PM I love your "secret sauce" analogy. Not only does giving away your secrets position you as an expert, it also builds a relationship with the people who learn from your content. Remember that wonderful teacher that changed your life? The person who educates, really educates, has the power to create lasting change in someone's life. And a relationship is far better than a holding onto your secret sauce. Charles Brown http://webmarketing-coach.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 173.48.194.103 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 07/16/2009 01:32:30 PM I get that all the time: "Why are you giving away your copy secrets?" Because, as you know, I've nothing to lose and everything to gain. Few people rub their hands greedily and say, "Ah hah! With these secrets at my command, I'll do this myself." Instead, they put their hands to the keyboard and shoot me an email... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Daniel Oyston EMAIL: danieloyston@gmail.com IP: 203.55.120.81 URL: http://theoysterproject.blogspot.com/ DATE: 07/16/2009 06:11:22 PM Great post and very concise on a subject that, if you discuss face-to-face with employees, can take some time … The other thing that content marketing provides, assuming that you house and distribute it electronically, is that it provides many inbound links and great Google results. Conversely, a hard copy colour print out of you latest whitepaper, posted to a key senior executive, with a little hand written note, not only ensures they see it but oozes the personal touch. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patricia EMAIL: pmilton@interactionassociates.com IP: 63.81.40.2 URL: http://www.interactionassociates.com/ideas DATE: 07/17/2009 11:02:59 AM My company executives don't understand why we give away our "secrets." I tell them it is to establish our expertise and get people to call, and we have evidence that it works. But they still want to charge something - this could be a revenue stream!! is their continual cry. How can I convince them that charging $9.95 for a useful, insightful ebook is cheesy and ineffective? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/17/2009 11:22:13 AM Great question Patricia. Start here. What business are you in? Are you in the content business (for profit) or do you sell a product or service. I'm assuming that you have services to sell to customers that are much greater in value than 9.95. But here's the kicker...while you are protecting your content and chasing people away by gating your content and charging for it, your competitors are sharing the same type of expert information all over the web, getting people to come to their websites to find out about their services. What's more valuable? 100 customers buying your ebook at 9.95 per or 10,000 prospects engaging and sharing in your content - talking about your brand and trying to get in contact with you. That's a business decision that needs to be made. Thoughts? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patricia EMAIL: pmilton@interactionassociates.com IP: 63.81.40.2 URL: http://www.interactionassociates.com/ideas DATE: 07/17/2009 11:30:44 AM Joe, you don't have to sell me on it - I am a true believer of giving away expertise to get the big sale! I guess the issue is my execs think that the small charge doesn't drive people away, whereas I do. I also think it is cheesy and gives a wrong impression. It would be helpful to know if there is any data on people abandoning content when they realize it is for sale vs free. I know there is data available on people abandoning white papers when they are faced with giving a lot of contact info. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/17/2009 11:33:48 AM Understood Patricia...I was actually writing that to your executives if you wanted to pass on. Check out this article that has some compelling data on gated content from David Meerman Scott. If this doesn't sell them, nothing will. http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/03/tear-your-content-walls-down-why-gated-content-might-not-make-sense.html ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kevin Alvarez EMAIL: kevin@bluelynxmarketing.com IP: 65.34.79.182 URL: http://www.lakeland-marketing.com DATE: 07/17/2009 01:55:05 PM First off, I will admit I am more of a student than a practioneer of content marketing. I am on board with this argument but I want to throw out a hypothetical, yet realistic, situation. Suppose you are new local service business starting out and have a very very small following. Your local competitor is already viewed as "the expert" (for no other reason than they were first & have a large marketing budget) within the community and has a strong following. In this case, I think if you were to publicly publish the "how to" of a unique service you are offering (a service your competitor is either late on or ignorant to), there is a strong possibility your more established competitor could leverage this insight. Agree...disagree? Patricia, it seems that your executives are focusing too much on the "giving away content" aspect and forgetting the marketing piece. The content alone does not benefit the business. It's imperative the "secret sauce" is marketed in a way that achieves the campaign goals. The one thing I have learned is if the overall strategy, tactical plan and measurables are defined and discussed early in the process, resistance is minimized. I would love to hear your thoughts...especially how small local businesses are effectively using content marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/18/2009 08:33:04 PM Hi Kevin...here's my take. As the underdog, you are bound by no rules. You can develop free online tools for your customers that your competition hasn't yet. You can post your photos on Flickr, create Knols on Google, presentations on SlideShare, blog, possibly develop a video channel. You could outpublish your competition. Frankly, if your competition leverages this information...I say who cares...because they aren't going to publish what you will publish, and if they do, you can be more nimble and make decisions quickly. Today, being bigger and established isn't what it used to be. There are no barriers to entry today, and publishing unlocks opportunity. What say you? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Harlow EMAIL: steve@steve-harlow.com IP: 66.82.9.59 URL: http://http:www.steve-harlow.com DATE: 07/19/2009 09:32:42 AM Great post Joe! Content Marketing is definitly hitting the "old school" marketers between the eyes. They have a hard time grasping the concept. In response to Patricia, and her execs not understanding, approach them with this: How many times do you recieve direct mail peices from the local car dealership with a key inside? If you come down to the car lot, and try your key, if it starts the car, you win the car. So here is a company that is giving away, what, $14,000 to $ 20,000 car? Yet the traffic that the "free promotion" is driving to their dealership will result in higher sales for them over the period of the contest. The same holds true with your content marketing. Hope this analogy helps. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Les EMAIL: les_tatum@yahoo.com IP: 74.193.98.156 URL: http://www.seonicheblogs.com/wordpress-for-membership-sites/ DATE: 07/23/2009 11:38:31 PM Another great article, people will remember you much more when you have taught them something that works for them. When you teach them the good stuff you get loyal raving fans and not just customers. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Reasons Why You Won't Do Content Marketing (and continue doing the same thing) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-reasons-why-you-wont-do-content-marketing-and-continue-doing-the-same-thing CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 07/15/2009 02:00:01 PM ----- BODY: I had an amazing conversation this week with an agency that was trying to convince their client to invest in a content strategy and full content marketing program. Just to give you the quick take, the client's goal was to reach certain consumer segments in the southeastern states. They had a budget of $2.5 million dollars for marketing spend for the campaign.
The client's VP of Marketing didn't think anything could be done with a marketing budget that small.
That client is thinking about the world we used to live in. The world of radio, television and placed media. It's hard to believe, but most of the marketing world still live in this reality.
Just think what kind of impact we could make with a $2 million dollar content marketing budget. Boy, hire a few expert journalists to crank out some amazing content and you still have almost $1.9 million dollars left.
The conversation made me realize that, even though content marketing is certainly a legitimate and growing field today, there are still so many reasons why (we, you, I) don't do it.
Here are ten reasons. I think it's helpful to know the reasons why we don't do something, which then may help us pull the trigger. Now here's a "Top 10" you don't want to be on.
And Bonus #11 - It's hard. It's more difficult to consistently create valuable and relevant content to our customers than place media. It's easier to just place an ad. Listening, creating, co-creating, commenting, and actually having real customer conversations is harder. Higher payoff, but harder none-the-less.
#12 (from Jonathan Kranz): You don't know how to connect your knowledge/experience/expertise with the hopes, fears, desires and objectives of your target market.
What did we miss?
In order for a company to alter their mindset toward one of new media or content marketing, they need one of a few things to happen:
The opportunity to become the expert industry source for your customers is there, right now. How you take advantage of this opportunity is up to you.
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I had two phone calls this morning from colleagues that asked about the popularity of the term "content marketing".
In looking at trend lines for "content marketing" on icerocket.com, the buzz over content marketing has doubled over the past two years.
From August to October, 2007, there were an average of 8.57 posts per day about content marketing, totaling 771 posts.
From April to July, 2009, there were an average of 15.59 posts per day about content marketing, totaling 1,403 total posts.
More people are talking about the importance of content marketing, which means that more people are starting to "get" it and spread the word.
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Ettorre EMAIL: john.ettorre@gmail.com IP: 192.35.79.70 URL: http://www.workingwithwords.blogspot.com DATE: 07/14/2009 03:13:18 PM That's no doubt because A). like the phrase "inbound marketing" people tend to generally understand it instantly, and B). the larger web marketing trends put the wind at its back. But also of course because articulate proponents such as you have greatly helped to evangelize about its benefits. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 173.48.194.103 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 07/14/2009 07:35:20 PM Interesting, thanks Joe. Maybe we like "content marketing" because it's the opposite of "empty messaging"? ;) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russ Henneberry EMAIL: russ@russhenneberry.com IP: 64.149.214.253 URL: http://www.russhenneberry.com DATE: 07/14/2009 11:11:06 PM No doubt. I have been blogging about it since I found your book and blog. I guess I always believed in it but never had a name for it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Byron White EMAIL: Byron@ideaLaunch.com IP: 98.217.152.193 URL: http://ideaLaunch.com DATE: 07/15/2009 06:20:13 AM Great stats Joe. The spotlight is on. But now it's time for content marketing professionals to deliver more than just chatter about content marketing. That art of learning the wants and needs of customers needs to be explored in more detail. And the science of delivering content in a compelling, engaging way is at the early stage of development. Thanks for pushing us all along Joe. Keep up the great work. (Look forward to chatting with you on the phone today by the way ;-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom Smith EMAIL: tsmith@fminet.com IP: 64.132.140.6 URL: http://www.fminet.com DATE: 07/17/2009 08:56:33 AM I've been fortunate to work for a company that's been generating content for the construction industry for 55 years. We have more than 500 articles and research reports on our site and leverage them liberally with the media, associations and influencers. Now we need to get up to speed on the social marketing end of things. Thanks for your insights. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: kimberly mccabe EMAIL: kmccabe@oshyn.com IP: 88.181.8.105 URL: http://www.oshyn.com DATE: 08/04/2009 12:32:57 PM It's great that "content marketing" is a term gaining in popularity. My question is - as companies realize the value in generating great content: are they also taking a look at the systems they use to managing the content? Love Grey! I think its fantastic. Beyond the design of the website though - I'm curious about how they manage content? How do they update it? I'm really excited about the new online marketing systems that allow the business users to have more control over the content. I'm just wondering if this website is designed for agency "wow" or is giving those responsible for Grey's website the opportunity to update that great content and track its effectiveness in an integrated fashion. Here's what I mean http://www.oshyn.com/_bpost_4325/The_Next_Evolution_of_Web_Content_ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: kimberly mccabe EMAIL: kmccabe@oshyn.com IP: 88.181.8.105 URL: http://www.oshyn.com DATE: 08/04/2009 02:16:12 PM whoops! looks like my URL got cut-off - let's try a bit.ly! http://bit.ly/173RBK ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Long Haul to Content Marketing STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-long-haul-to-content-marketing DATE: 07/14/2009 10:06:28 AM ----- BODY:It's been an interesting week of conversations. Have chatted with brands, agencies and even job seekers about the practice of content marketing.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Decline of Advertising and the Rise of Content Spending STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-decline-of-advertising-and-the-rise-of-content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 07/08/2009 04:37:46 PM ----- BODY:Just read through a very interesting post from Brian Solis on Forrester's Five-Year Media Spending Forecast. From the results, this quote from Forrester's Shar VanBoskirk is worth some discussion:
"The most interesting takeaway from the research is that overall advertising budgets will decline. Yep. With dollars moving out of traditional media toward less expensive and more efficient interactive tools, marketers will actually need less money to accomplish their current advertising goals."
Takeaways here...
Let's look at a few of the biggest projected growth areas, social media and search marketing.
What I've just pointed out may seem obvious to some, but I see this over and over again first hand. Small, medium and even large companies look to "alternative" online strategies and discount the cost of the content.
Okay, so what should you do with this? First off, stop thinking about content marketing or content strategy as the end deliverable. The content process is not just the video series, the enewsletter or the custom magazine. It's the entire content strategy process, including (shout out to Kristina Halvorson from Brain Traffic on guidance here):
So, the morale of the story is, take all that money you are saving by not advertising, and make sure you put it into the right content buckets. Yes, social media may be free, but succeeding in social media and your web content strategy is not.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 173.48.194.103 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 07/08/2009 08:23:43 PM Right on, Joe! The truth is, content marketing ain't free. (The $500 million company that wants to spend just $5,000 on a complete campaign? Oy vey! Yet they wouldn't blink to spend that on one, lame print ad...) But it's not just an investment in dough. It's an investment in THOUGHT. And there's the real rub. It's so much easier to throw money at an ad or commercial. It's so much more difficult to stop and THINK about what your audience wants, what you know, and how to connect the two. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.112.174 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/08/2009 08:37:16 PM Amen brother! You hit the nail on the head. Marketing today is not easy. But it's a lot more interesting. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Tilton EMAIL: stilton@tentonmarketing.com IP: 96.237.60.71 URL: http://savvyb2bmarketing.com/search/tag/Stephanie%20Tilton DATE: 07/08/2009 09:49:31 PM Great post Joe! It still amazes me when I hear B2B companies balk at making an investment in sharing their ideas and thoughts. In fact, they can get a lot of bang for their buck in today's social media world - there are now so many ways to spread a single idea. But even after developing a solid plan such as the one you (and Kristina) have outlined, marketers may still struggle to measure the success of their content plan. That's because social media largely revolves around engaging prospects in a "conversation." That said, @BlakeHinckley has just put up an interesting post about "passive profiling" as an non-intrusive way to track engagement with content. (http://marketinglab.bnj.com/2009/07/learning-b2b-from-the-cia-passive-profiling/) I think marketers are going to need and want this type of measurement going forward. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Morgan EMAIL: morganb@gmail.com IP: 68.5.218.145 URL: http://www.turnhere.com DATE: 07/09/2009 02:10:11 AM Great post Joe. I agree completely. All companies will become publishers (if they're not already) and whether they outsource it or invest in it in-house they need to think like a publisher and understand how publishing content ties to bottom line and strategic goals. You can't just start a blog or a podcast or a series of white papers and not have a coherent plan of where you're going, what you're looking to achieve and how you're going to make it all happen. As brands become publishers they'll need to add to the budget content creators, editors and other traditional publishing roles. And those are real costs, whether outsourced or not. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.112.174 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/09/2009 10:44:41 AM @ Stephanie...thanks for the link...I'll check it out. @ Morgan. Absolutely. The rise of the corporate content strategist is at hand (the brand publisher). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John DiPaola EMAIL: dipaolajohn@gmail.com IP: 68.110.190.2 URL: DATE: 07/09/2009 10:04:35 PM Actually, social media and blogs rank very low on the food chain when it comes to the real world process of building brand and selling products and services in the industrial b2b world. Still a big part of our GDP. That is the world we live in today. Who knows about tomorrow. We would all be better off actually getting in front of the customer, selling value and building relationships. New media and traditional advertising paves the way as long as it is connected with unique and relevant content. Always did and always will. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ContentKeith EMAIL: keith@marketingcontentstrategy.com IP: 76.209.54.170 URL: http://nutlug.wordpress.com DATE: 07/11/2009 12:20:04 AM While some marketers and many of us are early adopters of 'content marketing,' I wonder how long it might take to be mentioned in the second breath behind search, email, etc., let alone in the same breath. Joe, my favorite quote of yours has to be "social media doesn't work without relevant, valuable and consistent content." Even social media seems to be on more understood (and therefore more solid) footing than content marketing. Guess it's up to the stalwart evangelists like you to spread the gospel...count me in as an apostle! Keep it comin'! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Harlow EMAIL: steve@steve-harlow.com IP: 69.19.14.35 URL: http://http:www.steve-harlow.com DATE: 07/11/2009 09:14:08 AM I'm right in there with ContentKeith. An early adopter of "content marketing". So many people who "claim" to be marketing through Social Media, just do not get it. Too many out there just have the easy street mentality that all it takes is to set up automated posts, and continually blast ads 24/7. They do this because they think that this is "free" advertising. It is actually useless garbage. Folks have been blasted with these SPAM tactics for so long, they have developed SPAM filters in their own head. They simply filter this junk out. What catches their attention is the true content. Relevant, useful information. Ideas and real tools that can help them solve their own needs. So you spend your time developing this content, share it, see the results, and then you need to set back, and measure those results against the time that you put into it. That is when you can put a dollar figure to it, and see what your true "free" advertising costs are. Keep up the great work Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mason EMAIL: mk6520@gotsmail.com IP: 76.185.106.123 URL: DATE: 07/12/2009 02:02:21 PM To be honest, the best strategy and path to get your ad on the right track is to sent it to a site that will post it and get it out immediately. try this site i use for my ads, http://adwido.com . they are the best ive ran into! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.112.174 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/13/2009 09:03:36 AM Great conversation guys. @John...you are right...70% of all dollars still go into very traditional advertising and media...but that is on a decline. Who knows where it will be in 5 years. I'd say less than 50%, which is a ton of money. That money will need to move into more content and relationship-oriented vehicles. @Keith/Steve...content marketing is more difficult, takes more time, but has a greater payoff in the long run. I think people are starting to get it, and social media is helping. At some point, all this will just be known as plain old marketing. Should be a fun ride. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Elizabeth EMAIL: eh@iangilyeat.com IP: 68.0.153.89 URL: http://blog.iangilyeat.com DATE: 07/13/2009 01:59:25 PM Amen. Content is still king. It takes a lot of thought and effort on a continuous basis--and that takes money. Companies need to be willing to invest in creating better content because that's what's going to impact the bottom line in the future. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Online Sales Manager EMAIL: am@globevista.com IP: 124.178.33.152 URL: http://www.onlinesalesmanager.com DATE: 07/25/2009 10:43:09 PM Another great post Joe. I actually just bought your book - "Get Content. Get Customers". Thoroughly enjoyed it. Very practical - particularly the Best Practice Success Stories. I think that is essential reading for anyone who wants to sell products or services online. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/27/2009 09:42:28 AM Thanks for the Kudos OSM! Appreciate you spreading the word. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Emily Render EMAIL: emily.render@gmail.com IP: 71.81.131.116 URL: http://emilyrender.wordpress.com/ DATE: 08/19/2009 01:54:42 PM Thanks for this post. Writing, content creation, communications... The work I do for businesses and non-profits goes by many names. Lately I've noticed some commentary, predictions and market research on trends in this field, including the one you mention here. [posted on http://emilyrender.wordpress.com] 1. I read that the majority of businesses (nearly 60%) are increasing budgets for content creation despite the economy, according to a Junta42 study - but where is this study on your website? Would have liked to link back to it. 2. "In 2008, total communications spending actually increased 2.3 percent, to $882.6 billion, but that was the sector’s slowest growth rate since 2001. Advertising, as is clear by now, is contracting. Spending dropped 2.9 percent in 2008, to $210 billion," according to The New York Times. They also reported a prediction that the media industry will be the third fastest growing industry and much of that growth will come from public relations and the internet, not from newspapers and traditional media. 3. "Good writing, thoughtful writing, and the effective presentation of ideas will be necessary however it is delivered. Those who can effectively analyze, disseminate and distribute information will succeed. Those who can adapt and prepare for change while staying true to a certain inner strength, a certain confidence in the effectiveness of what their doing, will have the best prospects." - Bill Lascher ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/19/2009 02:21:20 PM Love your thinking on this Emily. BTW, here is the link to the research article on content spending you were looking for http://www.junta42.com/resources/content-marketing-spending.aspx ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Paley EMAIL: scott@abstractedge.com IP: 74.103.14.64 URL: http://brandinteractivism.com DATE: 09/15/2009 06:29:18 PM I suspect it's less about the money and more about the effort involved. If you're a CMO of a big company, it's MUCH easier to buy a bunch of ads and purchase media than it is to develop a compelling and effective content strategy. Marketers aren't wired this way (today). The consistent development of great content is really, really hard to do! Largely, it's going to take an educational effort before content marketing becomes mainstream. However, I strongly believe it's on its way. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 207.237.53.23 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/15/2009 08:13:15 PM Scott...Amen to that. I completely agree. Content marketing is very difficult to do - especially with marketers who have well-worn media paths. It takes a different kind of thinking - but I agree - it's on the way. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Amy LeFebre EMAIL: lefebre@hanon-mckendry.com IP: 75.151.19.1 URL: http://www.mindscape-hm.com DATE: 11/08/2010 09:04:49 AM Joe - we're still seeing a big learning curve with content. As our director of branded content describes it, people think you feed a few descriptors into the "content machine," turn a crank, and out comes the content. Effective content--content that engages your audience and elevates your brand--requires as great an investment in the strategic creative process as does a great ad campaign. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: B-to-B Fundamentals Don't Change - The BMA Video STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: btob-fundamentals-dont-change-the-bma-video CATEGORY: business-to-business DATE: 07/07/2009 01:40:52 PM ----- BODY:Thanks to David Meerman Scott and Rob Rose for passing this video on from BMA 09 - B-to-B Fundamentals Don't Change.
I love branded content tools and applications.
If you aren't thinking about creating one, you need to be...now!
What is a branded content tool? Simply put, it's an online application that comes from a brand (i.e., Kraft) that solves a very simple problem or is incredibly helpful. Most times, it's free as well.
Why create a branded content tool/app? Similar to content marketing, where a company delivers valuable, relevant and compelling information in order to position that company as a trusted expert, a branded tool uses data content to do the same thing.
What are some branded content application examples? Here are a few of my favorites.
How to start? Think of this...what's something very simple, and very helpful you could be providing to your customers for free, that ultimately positions you as an expert related to the products/services you sell. The alignment of those two things could make for a killer app.
Some odd examples? If I'm a printer, I'd create a "design your own magazine cover" tool. If I'm an air-conditioning repair shop, I'd create an automated check up tool that emails key dates to tune-up the air conditioner. If I'm a dentist, I'd develop a teeth simulator that shows what happens to teeth if you eat certain foods for sustained periods. You get the point.
What helpful tool should you be developing that your competition hasn't thought of...yet?
Relevant Resources:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Get Content Get Customers Sighting at Newark Airport STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: get-content-get-customers-sighting-at-newark-airport CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 07/03/2009 08:58:31 AM ----- BODY:First time I found Get Content Get Customers in a bookstore - Borders at the Newark Airport...sandwiched between Porter and Ramsey.
Picture #1 shows the actual position of the book when I arrived. Picture #2 shows the book as I left the bookstore. Amazing, isn't it?
Also, for all you Kindle fans, GCGC is now available on the Kindle and currently sits at #8 in the Direct Marketing category.
If you are a regular to this blog, you've heard this before: in the future, it will be very difficult to tell the difference between media companies and brands that sell products and services.
Heck, we may be there already. Media companies are working hard to develop products while their advertising revenues plummet. Brands must develop consistent content and publishing strategies in order to attract and retain customers (to ultimately sell their products).
It's a strange marketing world we live in today.
Another shining example of this happening is at The Guardian, the liberal UK newspaper and online resource. After giving my speech on the Future of Custom Publishing at the "Best of Corporate Publishing" 2009 event in Berlin, Germany last week, I had the opportunity to listen to Colin Hughes, managing director of Guardian Professional, the B2B Division of Guardian Media.
After talking for a while about content syndication, Colin opened up about the future of The Guardian. Here are his thoughts through my notes:
Let's focus on that third point for a second. The Guardian has been working with over 850 development organizations around the world. Their charge: to develop new applications and products based on the Guardian brand.
These development organizations get free use of the Guardian brand, with the only caveat being that if any money is made, there must be a revenue share with the Guardian.
It's a Facebook Apps meets NYTimes strategy. The Guardian has their own VC fund, but instead of monetary investment, they willingly give use of the Guardian brand. Only time will tell if it will work, but I believe they are headed in the right direction as a large media company.
In 10 years, it will be interesting to see if we'll be able to tell The Guardian from other brands working to sell products and applications in their chosen sectors.
As media companies have been aware for some time now that their emerging competitors are their own advertisers, brands need to be aware that future competition will come from media companies as well.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 173.48.194.103 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 06/30/2009 04:46:06 PM Funny you should mention this, Joe. Two or three weeks ago, I got a curious email from the Wall Street Journal. (I'm a subscriber to its online edition.) They were making an offer -- but not for a subscription or related content. Instead, it was for WINE. Not a book about wine. Not a wine newsletter. But actual cases of wine, hand-selected by their wine columnists. Interesting... So I imagine they captured my reading habits, saw that I clicked on the wine column, and put me on the list for this offer. More significantly, they've decided that as a revenue stream, mere content isn't enough; instead, they want to leverage their reader base to target them with hard offers they suspect they would be interested in. What do you make of this? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.148.141 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/30/2009 04:48:17 PM Hi Jonathan...great example. What do I make of this? Welcome to the future of media for the next few years until they really figure out what they want to do. My question is, did you appreciate this offer, or feel like it was a little "Big Brother-ish"? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kranz EMAIL: jonkranz@kranzcom.com IP: 173.48.194.103 URL: http://www.kranzcom.com DATE: 06/30/2009 04:58:41 PM Joe, Dow Jones is a client of mine (different division than media) so I'm just going to say that I noted the activity and found it...curious. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brindey Weber EMAIL: brindey.lane.weber@gmail.com IP: 24.91.194.55 URL: http://www.brindey.com DATE: 06/30/2009 10:26:30 PM Hello Joe. So, if someone suddenly named you responsible for leveraging the Guardian Brand for revenue, what ideas would you have for them? What do you think newspapers should do to make money but keep credibility? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: A Monck EMAIL: amonck@gmail.com IP: 90.198.154.200 URL: http://adrianmonck.com DATE: 07/04/2009 05:49:25 AM Jonathan - welcome to the WSJ's version of the Sunday Times Wine Club! It's a 35 year old idea... http://www.sundaytimeswineclub.co.uk/xsite.aspx?xsite=theclub_home.xml ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Peter Holsgrove EMAIL: pgholsgrove@gmail.com IP: 94.7.191.192 URL: http://www.cliked.posterous.com DATE: 07/04/2009 05:52:48 AM Hi Joe. Its certainly an interesting assertion and obviously one which makes sense - traditional media companies like the Gaurdian need to think differently. The main issue I'd suggest the Gaurdian will have however is simple... the Gaurdian isn't 'cool', and changing that perception, amongst the myriad of other established and emerging platforms is going to be very tough. Therefore, when thinking about leveraging the Gaurdian brand, what success could be driven from the association? Online web 3.0 type stuff? Perhaps, but in my opinion, not likely. Are there print innovations that the Gaurdian could latch onto? Maybe, but with an ailing print industry, there is no long term picture. Perhaps where the Gaurdian could prosper is in using its vast experience, knowledge of the industry, relationships, contacts and data - be less protective about the brand and use the 'real value' in what they have to churn out some real innovation. Kind of like what Barak Obama is trying to achieve... take age old values, ethics and traditions that will work to the end of time, get some smart people involved, put a modern facade on it and get people behind it. That way, the Gaurdian may still be around in 30 years, instead of watching Digg, Mashable, Twitter, GdGt, etc have all the fun. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Strategy as the Future of Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-strategy-as-the-future-of-marketing CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 06/25/2009 03:09:17 PM ----- BODY:Kristina Halvorson (@halvorson) from Brain Traffic did an amazing presentation about Content Strategy as the Future of Marketing. It's thanks to Kristina that I've been presenting more about a greater focus on content strategy as THE critical part of a total content marketing strategy.
Great social media presentation short by Andrew Davis from TippingPoint Labs given last week at Custom Media Day in New York City. The video is three minutes long and worth the time.
My friend Scott Abel (The Content Wrangler) gave an outstanding presentation at Web Content 2009 on social media tools - best kept secrets. The full presentation is below, but here's the quick take on the 10 Scott shared:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jasper Blake EMAIL: jasper@social-smart.com IP: 72.208.227.104 URL: http://social-smart.com DATE: 06/20/2009 03:06:47 PM The ultimate all-in-one tool for social media is http://social-smart.com Admittedly it is not freely available, but if you are a social media manager, or a company looking to hire a social media manager, then this is the sort of tool you want to be looking at. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kim R EMAIL: kimmie80stl@yahoo.com IP: 71.180.31.67 URL: http://CaribPOP.biz DATE: 06/30/2009 11:36:53 AM Great suggestions! Thanks :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cheap Computers Canada EMAIL: nroegem@gmail.com IP: 110.37.5.94 URL: http://www.pcs4cheap.ca DATE: 03/05/2010 09:00:09 AM I have been using ping.fm...and i have to admit...its great ! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kathleen Hood EMAIL: contact@socialmediamanager.com IP: 24.180.45.37 URL: http://socialmediamanager.com DATE: 07/23/2010 11:17:03 PM Great List! Most I was aware of except slideshare. I will check it out. I think this list could definitely be expanded as well. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Create these 10 Media Channels for Your Content Marketing Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: create-these-10-media-channels-for-your-content-marketing-strategy CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 06/18/2009 10:16:41 PM ----- BODY:Had the pleasure of presenting "Please Stop Talking about Yourself" at the Web Content Conference 2009 in Chicago this week. As usual, I was discussing the importance of brands creating their own media channels, and putting their publishing hats on in place of traditional marketing practices. You can catch the PowerPoint presentation on creating media channels here, but for the PowerPoint averse, here are the top 10.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Internet Marketing EMAIL: fpjpssns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.146.54 URL: http://www.jeffpaulsuccessstories.com DATE: 10/27/2009 01:08:14 AM The importance of brands creating their own media channels, and putting their publishing hats on in place of traditional marketing practices. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: You Might be a Twitter Beginner if You Make these Mistakes STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: you-might-be-a-twitter-beginner-if-you-make-these-mistakes CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 06/11/2009 12:14:59 PM ----- BODY:Look, I'm no @chrisbrogan when it comes to Twitter followers, but I have a nice following (@juntajoe). At this point, I still take the time to individually review who follows me. During this process, it pains me to see the many Twitter "beginner" mistakes that turn me off from following a person back.
So, you might be a Twitter Beginner if you make these mistakes (think of Jeff Foxworthy's "You Might Be a Redneck" when you read this).
I probably see about 1/3 of Twitter accounts that don't complete their profile.
First, enter your name. Your real name. Are you mjp4833 or are you Mary Johnson?
Second, enter your website that best represents who you are.
Third, enter your bio that tells your interests, or the type of things you tweet about. Mine is "Evangelist for content marketing. Helping companies learn how to be publishers."
Fourth, enter your location. Personally, I'm tired of the GPS location. Do you have a home?
This all may seem really obvious to you, but I'm amazed the number of people that don't complete it. Without a complete profile, your inexperience shows. Be sure to come out of the gates like you know something, but you were just late because you were stuck in traffic.
Click on Settings, Picture. Make it a good one.
Does "is chilling on the carpet" attract the kind of conversations you are looking for?
Be careful here. The new people you follow might think you are a spammer.
Keep your following/followers ratio as close as possible. FYI, if you have MORE followers than you are following, it shows me that you are picky about who you follow. Some might disagree, but I like that and usually follow those people back.
I know that many experienced Twitter users will disagree with me on this. Some people set up an automatic direct message function that goes to all followers, telling them to sign up for something or that they are looking forward to following me. I cannot stand that. Too impersonal.
Direct messages are fine, but make it personal. (btw, I used to use Auto DM's at first too...then I learned better.)
For more on beginners, check out this article on best practices for Twitter beginners. Also, check out this Greg Verdino post "If Twitter Were a State, It Would Be Arkansas". Greg includes some excellent data on Twitter newbies. Interesting story as well.
Let's add to this list. If you have more, send them to me and I'll add them to the list.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chrystal EMAIL: chrystal.king1@gmail.com IP: 66.93.66.228 URL: http://www.examiner.com/x-2977-la-budget-fashion DATE: 06/17/2009 01:27:26 PM Thanks for the info. I just started using twitter, so I wanted to make sure I wasn't making to many mistakes. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Navneet EMAIL: navneet.australia@gmail.com IP: 122.168.217.205 URL: DATE: 06/20/2009 11:50:21 PM Beautiful article, informative as well. Thanks ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Five Reasons why Content Strategy comes before Social Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-reasons-why-content-strategy-comes-before-social-media CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 06/09/2009 10:52:47 AM ----- BODY: Get Content Get Customers is just hitting bookstores now (you can read the news release from McGraw-Hill here). When Newt and I first started putting the book together in late 2007, content marketing was a relatively unknown term. Now seemingly a household phrase (at least according to Twitter), brands are still struggling with exactly what it means to develop a content marketing strategy.
Ah, but social media is all the rage. Is social media working for you? Are you struggling to figure out how to make it work for your customers? Could it be that your content strategy isn't driving your social media initiatives?
Here are five important reasons why a content strategy needs to be considered before integrating social media into your marketing plans.
Ultimately, it's not about just experiences and interactions through social media. It's about creating meaningful experiences and interactions. It's about creating valuable, relevant and compelling content on a consistent basis that positions your brand as the trusted expert to your customers. When that happens, customers and prospects want to talk to you, and want to share your content.
Ah yes, that is where social media is so important. Social media is where the magic can happen. But consider content as all the upfront work, research and practice that it takes to put the magic show together. Social media is the Abracadabra.
So, I urge you, step back from your social media initiatives for just a second, and consider the following:
If you are new to the content strategy game, I urge you to check out our book, which includes dozens of examples from companies that are putting successful content strategies to work.
Developing a content marketing strategy is not easy, but necessary.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Daniel Oyston EMAIL: danieloyston@gmail.com IP: 203.55.120.81 URL: http://theoysterproject.blogspot.com/ DATE: 06/09/2009 06:17:07 PM This post is bang on the money. I work for a consulting firm and have some "rockstars" in our field. Content is what helps me get them front and centre and position us an an authority. This post has been sent to some key staff to reinforce my view that SM isn't a magic bullet and that we need to be helping customers and providing value (through content :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/09/2009 08:45:51 PM Great Daniel...keep me posted. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: New Media Strategies EMAIL: chasebkelley@gmail.com IP: 121.96.219.246 URL: http://jasonvanorden.com/ DATE: 06/10/2009 12:48:29 AM As many internet marketing expert says "Content is king!". We should make it a point to have a quality and relevant content. Social Media are just tools to spread our content and our brand. Great Post! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Margot Bloomstein EMAIL: mbloomstein@isitedesign.com IP: 206.72.104.162 URL: http://www.twitter.com/mbloomstein DATE: 06/10/2009 12:35:21 PM This is terrific Joe. It's frustrating to see new trains leaving the station without anyone considering where they're going, if there's enough fuel, and if the track is even laid. Too often social media campaigns are on those rails and lack the planning and analysis content strategy can provide. Great to see you call it out! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/10/2009 12:40:17 PM Thanks Margot...actually, when I started writing this I thought it was too basic, but I'm continually amazed at how many brands just jump into social media without a clue of what they want to say and why it's even important to customers. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan Haley EMAIL: danshaley@gmail.com IP: 165.157.52.42 URL: http://www.scripps.org/ DATE: 06/10/2009 01:56:05 PM Thanks, Joe. Regarding Margot's "new trains leaving the station without much consideration," I've always wondered why the web commnunity--and thus, its clients--hasn't really taken content seriously all these years. It may be because web folks are restless creatives: they like to develop, play with something for a little while, hand off to clients, and move on. Web content is handmade, and good CS or CM requires the long view. You have to be disciplined to see content through well past launch, and diligently, assiduously tend to it hourly. This is where the web community--and as a result, its clients and their sites--have failed, and continue to do so. Anyhow, just a theory full of broad brushstrokes and generalizations. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vince Giorgi EMAIL: vgiorgi@charter.net IP: 68.117.69.187 URL: http://www.touchpointcity.wordpress.com DATE: 06/10/2009 10:38:48 PM Thoughtful post, as always, Joe. And congratulations on the book. For some crazy reason (possibly overwork, or too much potato salad too early in the season?), lately I've been visualizing the relationship between social media and content strategy in terms of metaphors involving insects. A colony of ants, for example, streaming out from a hill. Bumping into each other. Climbing over one another. Exchanging antennae rubs. Impressive amounts of kinetic energy and potential on display. Then, abruptly, the scene changes, and those seemingly random interactions start to signal there's something important or valuable going on back at home base. Suddenly, what appeared to be mostly a scramble starts to assume purposeful patterns. Queens get nourished. Eggs get laid. Tunnels get dug. The colony and its inhabitants flourish. And... ...this comment gets even deeper into a weird area. So what say we wrap up this week's episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Content Kingdom right there. After all, supper's ready. And we're having potato salad again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ambal Balakrishnan EMAIL: ambal_d2d@yahoo.com IP: 71.131.197.175 URL: http://clickdocuments.com DATE: 06/11/2009 01:21:27 AM Joe and Newt: Congrats on the release of the updated version of Get Content. Get Customers. I absolutely loved the Harvard Business case study approach you had taken in the earlier version of Get Content. Get Customers. Your latest book is on my must read list for this month and I can't wait to see what you have put together. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jenny Pilley EMAIL: jenny@creare.co.uk IP: 86.143.237.205 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 06/11/2009 03:58:33 AM Great post, well done. I think the first point you make really strikes home. Why will people want to read what you've written if you have nothing to say? I think sometimes people forget that content has to be valuable to be worth anything otherwise it is not only a waste of your time but a waste of what could be potential custom. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lindsey Annison EMAIL: lannison@clickthrough-marketing.com IP: 91.135.9.57 URL: http://www.clickthrough-marketing.com/internet-marketing-blog DATE: 06/11/2009 07:47:28 AM Great post. It is all about understanding what your customers want and providing it, before hitting the marketing main line. Too many sites just focus on sell, sell, sell instead of thinking holistically and realising that they could cut the support calls if they provided How to manuals, webinars for customers on how to use the products post-purchase, guides on alternative uses for the products or how to maintain them for longer life etc etc etc. Then, when you have those, you can go Tweet. Not jsut to your community of users, but to grow brand awareness that here is a company who not only have something to say that isn't marketing spiel, but actually respect their customers. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jordan Levy EMAIL: jordan@zajon.com IP: 76.189.168.0 URL: http://zajon.blogspot.com DATE: 06/12/2009 09:49:35 AM Great Post Joe. You articulated something I have been wrestling with these last few months. Wherever I go, if people find out that I'm in the web biz, they ask me about social media: How to create a blog, Facebook account or what about twitter? I can tell that they are not thinking about strategy, and have no idea what to do with social media. They just know everyone is talking about it and they need to be part of it. It kind of reminds me of 1996 - 1998 when everyone wanted a web site, but had no idea what to do with it or what to put on their site. Lots of brochure-ware sites were created with out being thought out in terms of goals or strategy. I see the same thing happening in the social media web space. Thanks for the great article - I'm going reference it when I talk to clients. Congratulations on the book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: abril EMAIL: abril.coop@gmail.com IP: 201.240.16.27 URL: DATE: 06/18/2009 06:50:52 PM Nice article !...but.. I’m a new blogger and I'm confused u_u , all webpages talk about making money for hosting videos, but not all of them are good and I have a lot of ideas. My brother recommended me to visit www.vismomedia.com, he said I’ts a good webpage for bloggers. What’s your opinion ¿? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Simon Stepsys EMAIL: Simon@amazing2ndincome.com IP: 82.132.139.133 URL: http://www.SimonStepsysCoaching.com DATE: 08/26/2009 01:10:18 PM Excellent post and very true. Great content creates a lot of followers and soon to be buyers. Thanks for sharing this great post. Simon ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dawn Willson EMAIL: dawnkwillson@me.com IP: 68.117.101.254 URL: http://www.ndawnm.com DATE: 02/20/2010 01:53:35 PM I truly could not agree with this blog more. I have been creating content for ten years for television, the web, marketing pieces, content pieces - you name it. I learned every avenue of content production that can exist, but realized a lot of the stuff I had to write did not have a gold nugget of wisdom to share. However, this is now an educational process that needs to be given to every client we talk to. The best part? THEY GET IT. They know they need it and they absorb it all and invest. I honestly don't think I have ever been happier in my career as a producer, writer and marketer until now. I was ahead of mine ten years ago when I created interactive television content for technology that did not exist. I'm so glad to find my people that speak the language. Rock on! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: so shife EMAIL: soshife@rocketmail.com IP: 71.136.229.5 URL: http://www.soshife.com/ DATE: 02/25/2010 08:58:46 AM planning is the essence of all seo methods. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Liverpool Builders EMAIL: info@4kconstruction.co.uk IP: 41.191.23.57 URL: http://www.4kconstruction.co.uk/ DATE: 07/23/2010 03:49:13 PM I did many seo projects before, I agree with "the content is always the king" using good optimized content we can get higher ranking in search engine results, thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pilar from Pickaweb.co.uk EMAIL: webmaster@pickaweb.co.uk IP: 88.8.80.91 URL: http://www.pickaweb.co.uk DATE: 07/28/2010 11:14:21 AM Giving something for free away can make a huge difference to your social media. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kelso EMAIL: kelsoo@gmail.com IP: 70.68.186.122 URL: http://www.gsid.net DATE: 08/12/2010 05:36:22 AM I think with the way social media is going.. the internal websites will be just as needed. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Yes, A Real-Life Custom Media Event You Should Attend STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: yes-a-reallife-custom-media-event-you-should-attend CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 06/03/2009 09:41:47 PM ----- BODY:Honestly, I was a little punchy a couple night ago when I sent out the email below regarding the upcoming Custom Media Day - presented by Junta42, American Business Media (ABM) and Custom Publishing Council (CPC).
I'll pass on the long sales pitch here...you can read the letter below. Here's the deal - if you are a part of any process where you are creating custom content for clients or for yourself, you should attend this event on June 17th in NYC.
That's it...now, I'll admit, I easily crack myself up, but I laughed a few times at this email.
**********
June 1, 2009
P.S.S.S If you actually read this entire email, you are awesome. The first person to send me their custom media day confirmation gets a complimentary copy of the NEW AND IMPROVED Get Content Get Customers.
Subscribe - Junta42 - Find Content Vendors - Get the Book
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 42+ Social Media Marketing Tools STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 42-online-content-sharing-and-productivity-tools CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: video DATE: 06/02/2009 01:34:35 PM ----- BODY: Had a great time yesterday at the MagsU workshop on "Opening the Emedia Toolbox - Social Media Tools". In the session, we reviewed numerous online tools on how to develop social media strategies for personal branding, new revenue streams, search engine optimization, new content initiatives and more for content providers/publishers. Here's a taste. If you have some social media tools you'd like to add, post them in the comments. Special thanks to those who made recommendations.
What did we forget? Comment below...
Related Articles:
Subscribe - Junta42 - Find Content Vendors - Get the Book
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael A. Stelzner EMAIL: mike@stelzner.com IP: 99.157.80.86 URL: http://twitter.com/mike_stelzner DATE: 06/02/2009 01:56:35 PM Joe - What a fab list!!! I think Twitter should be part of the basics :) - Mike ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/02/2009 02:05:03 PM Mike...ask and you shall receive. So moved! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Meg Guiseppi EMAIL: meg@executiveresumebranding.com IP: 70.15.145.102 URL: http://www.executiveresumebranding.com DATE: 06/02/2009 02:48:51 PM WOW! What a terrific, indepth list! I'll definitely pass this on to my c-level executive clients as great starting point for e-branding. Thanks for taking the time to put together such an exhaustive list. -Meg ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kyra Reed EMAIL: kyra@markyr.com IP: 76.168.90.53 URL: http://markyr.com DATE: 06/02/2009 03:26:44 PM Nice list!! I have a few that you missed: Twitter Tagalus - a dictionary for hashtags http://tagal.us Analytics Woopra - analytics on steroids http://woopra.com Conversations/Listening NING http://ning.com Measurement Quantcast http://quantcast.com SEO SEOBOOK Tools http://tools.seobook.com/keywords-tools/seobook ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/02/2009 03:35:43 PM Kyra...excellent. I added the first four per your suggestion (see above). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gaelen O'Connell EMAIL: gaelen.oconnell@mindjet.com IP: 72.5.121.166 URL: http://www.mindjet.com DATE: 06/02/2009 07:37:30 PM Wonderful list, I'm going to compare it with the sites I already visit and dive into some new opportunities for Mindjet! I'm also excited to see MindManager here, I hope it is providing you with some nice value. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah Evans EMAIL: prsarahevans@gmail.com IP: 64.107.32.125 URL: http://www.twitter.com/prsarahevans DATE: 06/03/2009 11:09:54 AM Thanks so much for putting this together! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Bearden EMAIL: brian@zsalvo.com IP: 66.64.45.46 URL: http://www.zsalvo.com DATE: 06/03/2009 11:58:34 AM Joe, Thanks for taking the time to put this list together. I will be glad to promote your site on my CNN Houston local radio program. This information will be valuable to my listeners. Thanks Brian ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/03/2009 12:04:08 PM Thanks Brian...appreciate it. Let me know if you need anything else. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: George Kao EMAIL: georgekao@gmail.com IP: 68.123.27.67 URL: http://GeorgeKao.com DATE: 06/03/2009 12:49:55 PM Mindmapping: My favorite tool is http://mindmeister.com -- it's like Google Docs for mindmapping. The free version is excellent. I pay for it to have unlimited mind maps. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/03/2009 12:53:00 PM Thanks George...just added to the list! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ambal Balakrishnan EMAIL: ambal_d2d@yahoo.com IP: 128.107.239.233 URL: http://clickdocuments.com DATE: 06/03/2009 03:46:41 PM Joe: Great List! Thanx for putting this awesome list together. I would also like to add squidoo.com to your mega list. Squidoo is a popular publishing platform and community that makes it easy for you to create "lenses" online. Lenses are pages, kind of like flyers or signposts or overview articles, that gather everything you know about your topic of interest and put it all in one place. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/03/2009 04:14:47 PM So added Ambal. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Niti Dhani EMAIL: nitidhani007@gmail.com IP: 124.124.223.73 URL: DATE: 06/04/2009 07:14:30 AM Amazingly comprehensive list-all at one place! I am a social media enthusiast and like to read up on such news and posts. I also came across a series of webinars on the social media and business by Dave Evans-noted social media expert. The latest one on the social web and operations is today-you can register at-https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/971324730 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kate H EMAIL: kate_ol_team@live.com IP: 204.120.69.211 URL: http://www.officelive.com/ DATE: 06/04/2009 01:00:26 PM This is truly an incredible list! I really appreciate the brief descriptions. One addition for the Operations List: Microsoft Office Live Workspace. It offers users the ability to create, save, access, and share documents and files online (5 GB of storage for free!) and fully supports the whole MS Office Suite. There is even a plug-in for MS Office that lets you save your files to your online Workspace directly from whichever Office program you are using. Cheers, Kate MSFT Office Live Outreach http://www.officelive.com/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/04/2009 01:06:29 PM Thanks for reaching out Kate. So added. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michelle Corsano EMAIL: michelle@burstmarketing.ca IP: 67.71.138.144 URL: http://www.burstmarketing.ca DATE: 06/05/2009 07:57:43 AM VisualCV Best Online Social Media Resume www.visualcv.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Laurie Dunlop EMAIL: ldunlop@netstrategies.com IP: 173.8.11.229 URL: http://www.netstrategies.com DATE: 06/08/2009 09:36:43 AM Thanks for compiling this wonderful resource page Joe! The categories are spot on. I also like http://www.mytweeple.com. It is a much quicker way to manage friends and followers, especially if you use targeted Twitter accounts for differernt customer profiles. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.155.25 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/08/2009 09:52:44 AM Laurie/Michelle...great suggestions. Added above! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cheryle EMAIL: cheryle.ross@xerox.com IP: 13.8.137.10 URL: http://www.xeroxdirect.com DATE: 06/08/2009 06:26:58 PM Thanks for the great list, Joe. It's especially helpful that you've broken everything down into categories and included brief descriptions. I will be sharing this with my peers at Xerox. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Padley EMAIL: gpadley@optonline.net IP: 67.94.186.170 URL: http://5691gerg.com/?s=twitter DATE: 06/10/2009 12:52:31 PM Here are a few more for the listing: http://tipjoy.com/ simple social payments for great people twitter facebook app - update fb status via twitter http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2231777543 twitter fb app that updates status from twitter ONLY when you tag it #fb http://apps.facebook.com/selectivetwitter/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Bubner EMAIL: markbubner@gmail.com IP: 121.220.127.248 URL: http://www.expertmagnet.com DATE: 06/10/2009 09:29:53 PM Thanks Joe, it's a great list. I'm using a few of them already, but will look at the others. Not sure if this should be in 'Operations' or 'other cool online tools', but I'd look at adding ExpertMagnet.com It's a web App that business can use free of charge to find professional service providers, or, if they sell those services, to get visibility of work in their area of expertise. http://www.expertmagnet.com Regards, Mark ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brad Hays EMAIL: bradhays@gmail.com IP: 70.151.54.67 URL: http://www.twitter.com/bkhays DATE: 06/11/2009 01:59:33 PM Joe - I like TweetDeck, but I am disappointed that I cannot manage multiple accounts using this app. Tweetie and Seesmic Desktop are my "go-to" Twitter applications now. Thank you for putting this list together, great job! Regards, Brad (bkhays) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Judith Berkowitz EMAIL: sfjberk@mac.com IP: 76.14.67.85 URL: DATE: 06/12/2009 12:05:36 AM Also there's Plaxo (like LinkedIn: business) http://www.plaxo.com/ MyLife (formerly Reunion) http://www.mylife.com/ Classmates http://www.classmates.com/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sam Feinberg EMAIL: samfeinb@gmail.com IP: 64.151.45.183 URL: http://www.webbychat.com DATE: 06/12/2009 12:23:35 AM Very nice list…but you left the best off! I know cause helped build it. Here comes the shameless offer… Try http://www.WebbyChat.com PROMO CODE = BLOGGER_CHAT to save bucks or the FREE plan to turn blog into sticky in under 5 minutes (use blogspot widget or cut and paste html) All visitors can chat as soon as they arrive (login is an option, but is not required like other chats) Full moderation and event scheduling features Current blogs that are using have seen a dramatic rise in time on site and viewership. We fully support. Responses to feedback are within hours not days -Samwel http://www.webbychat.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Torsten Herrmann EMAIL: therrmann@chainrelations.de IP: 87.155.75.163 URL: http://www.chainrelations.de DATE: 06/12/2009 12:36:50 PM I like http://www.hittail.com for analytics. It builds a long tail of keywords over time and suggests keywords for which it's worth to write an article. Here in Germany http://www.tweetranking.com just started. It's to recommend Twitter accounts. Plz try and recommend @torstenherrmann for categies #PR #Marketing #B2B #ContentMarketing :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gayle Bridgeman EMAIL: gayle.bridgeman@yahoo.com IP: 99.7.165.168 URL: DATE: 06/12/2009 02:38:21 PM Thanks for the great tips and resources Joe! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.17.46.101 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/14/2009 11:14:45 PM Just made another update based on everyone's recommendations. Keep them coming...great stuff. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Edward Izzys EMAIL: edwardizzys@gmail.com IP: 59.162.215.105 URL: http://www.seotrafficspider.com DATE: 06/17/2009 03:08:37 PM Interesting! I feel like there is a scarcity of good marketing today. Good marketing means which can convert the leads into sales. The only marketing that has moved me in the last couple of years is Social Media Optimization. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Wendy Boyce EMAIL: wboyceseo@gmail.com IP: 64.128.179.19 URL: http://www.socialpmchick.com DATE: 06/22/2009 04:22:09 PM This is a fabulous list - I'd be interested to know why you did not include http://www.flickr.com in your list of social media tools. Would love to hear your insight on that. Thanks! @socialpmchick ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rex Riepe EMAIL: rex@ivylees.com IP: 97.104.83.223 URL: http://presskitn.com DATE: 06/26/2009 09:35:53 PM Do-It-Yourself Public Relations- Use social media to get your business news out. http://presskitn.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Felicity Marsh EMAIL: martec123@googlemail.com IP: 78.105.104.82 URL: http://martec.co.uk/ DATE: 07/09/2009 05:16:06 AM Great list of things to look at! I will be trying a few of these today! Felicity http://martec.co.uk/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Felicity Marsh EMAIL: martec123@googlemail.com IP: 78.105.104.82 URL: http://martec.co.uk/ DATE: 07/09/2009 05:18:38 AM A great list of things to look at! I will be trying a few of these today! -Felicity http://martec.co.uk/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: woody EMAIL: nifty79@gmail.com IP: 122.172.35.77 URL: DATE: 07/11/2009 03:12:20 AM There is another Social Media Marketing i.e., through web comments. Advertisors can use tools like "commentino" with the help of their writers, can promote their business/products. "commentino" writers will post comments in right forums/discussions and give forum participants more choices. From Advertisers point of you its good ROI as they pay only for comments that meets their requirements. For commentino details follow http://snipr.com/mf6jo ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: affiliate marketing business EMAIL: magtitinapa@gmail.com IP: 112.200.154.202 URL: http://adoborepublic.com/coaching-and-mentoring/ppc-coach-affiliate-coaching-and-mentoring DATE: 07/20/2009 04:42:47 AM you got it all man! Social networks that give a high backlink points and traffic to your site. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan EMAIL: dandurick@gmail.com IP: 65.183.159.254 URL: http://www.dandurick.com DATE: 07/27/2009 02:29:15 PM Under Blogging/CMS Tools you need to list Drupal (http://www.drupal.org). It's an opensource CMS with a large (and fast growing) base of users and contributors. There's a large list of modules to extend its functionality, there's control systems in place in ensure security, and it's very flexible. Drupal beats out Joomla and Wordpress (if you want more than blogging) any day. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.97.48 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/27/2009 10:06:39 PM Thanks Dan, great addition and so added. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bruna Martinuzzi EMAIL: bmartinuzzi@increaseyoureq.com IP: 24.87.93.223 URL: http://www.increaseyoureq.com DATE: 08/24/2009 10:13:26 PM Dear Joe: this is an incredible list! A true act of electronic generosity. Thank you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vancouver wordpress designer EMAIL: mayur@fullmotiongroup.com IP: 24.80.114.92 URL: http://www.fullmotiongroup.com DATE: 09/16/2009 09:04:51 AM Really great list! Thanks for the quantcast link :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: brian EMAIL: brian@anistock.com IP: 213.202.168.166 URL: http://www.anistock.com DATE: 09/16/2009 12:59:31 PM great article as a refresher or anyone getting into social media ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eduardo Lima EMAIL: eduardo.sugahara@gmail.com IP: 201.83.48.253 URL: DATE: 09/17/2009 09:30:58 PM DropBox is missing. A great backup/file share web site... www.getdropbox.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mitch Speers EMAIL: mitch@vitalbusinessmedia.com IP: 64.20.10.162 URL: http://emediavitals.com DATE: 09/23/2009 12:01:01 PM Great list Joe! Here's another for the Content Sharing section: Screenr (http://screenr.com) which offers screencasts for Twitter. Free, no download, easy, very cool. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mlm leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 11:52:28 AM Fantastic List, thank you for putting this thing together. With this i find it no hard times for me to look on and do the research for my daily work. Keep it up, hope you make a list also on how to look for a prospect in terms of marketing. Hurray!!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: François EMAIL: myspace.marketingmanager@gmail.com IP: 84.97.159.222 URL: http://www.myspacemarketingmanager.com DATE: 10/13/2009 07:04:16 PM I would add a tool to manage all your social media contacts in one place (your PC...). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lea Charlton EMAIL: almcsffiliates@yahoo.com IP: 74.109.195.40 URL: http://www.almcsolutions.com DATE: 10/18/2009 02:11:31 AM I would like to introduce The Payer Player as a social media marketing tool. This portable social widget not only helps their members but all of the social networks that it is integrates with (including Twitter, Facebook, Youtube), plus provides Live Broadcasts, VOIP and PCMobile2Chat. http://www.thepayerplayer.com/pittsburghseo - lets not forget the viral capabilities and that Shaquille O'Neal is endorsing it ... this is a seious post. I hope you read the infomation and learn how to incorporate The Payer Player in your social media marketing process. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shortcuts to Internet Millions EMAIL: fpjprns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.146.39 URL: http://www.jeffpaulreview.com DATE: 10/19/2009 06:20:32 AM Your post is indeed very informative. These days not only amateur webmasters are doing internet marketing but also young grad students are promoting their less professional sites as their practice and projects. Articles on starting an internet marketing business are available on the internet easily. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ricky EMAIL: blogswala@gmail.com IP: 59.177.44.174 URL: http://www.nimlok.com/ DATE: 12/13/2009 02:27:15 AM Great post! more then 42 tools like this is by far more than anybody normally needs. I have personally used many of them but about 75% of them are still new for me.Some very good tools in there. Still, I wonder if there will be a free Facebook tool… ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Social Media EMAIL: magnus.lundin@gamsun-media.se IP: 85.226.72.151 URL: http://www.gamsun-media.se DATE: 01/02/2010 03:13:06 PM Thanks alot for putting this together. Have a great 2010. Best, Magnus Lundin http://www.Gamsun-Media.se ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Peter EMAIL: pallavi.pare@gmail.com IP: 122.177.211.147 URL: http://www.fullservicead.com DATE: 01/08/2010 02:30:25 AM It’s really nice blog about online advertising and good to share this marketing Knowledge. Online marketing is really gaining rapid popularity. To promote our site or product we have to do advertising so that people should know about it. Even i used to promote my site and sell my product online through fullservicead.com and my business is really growing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: George rosenberg EMAIL: rosenberg.george7@gmail.com IP: 122.174.83.166 URL: http://www.expertadvertisingsolutions.com/ DATE: 01/18/2010 05:55:47 AM This is one of the forms of internet marketing and i found it very useful in increasing the traffic to the website. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Becky Joubert EMAIL: bjoubert@marketstealth.com IP: 98.230.134.14 URL: http://www.networkmarketingsolved.com/social-media-tools/2009/10/27/using-social-media-tools-is-a-win-win-baby.html#entry5636952 DATE: 02/07/2010 05:10:27 PM What is there to say? It's a huge list that needs to be explored, because there are so many sites I am unaware of. I bookmarked this post to be able to have a little time to check that out. Thanks for breaking them up in sections. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: HotWheels EMAIL: e3media@ymail.com IP: 71.197.110.134 URL: http://www.e3media.us DATE: 03/13/2010 10:53:42 PM AWESOME! What a terrific list! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patrick Long EMAIL: riskbounce@gmail.com IP: 203.87.176.2 URL: http://www.seomarketingireland.eu/ DATE: 05/25/2010 11:52:32 PM Great list of Social Media Marketing Tools!! In SEO, using social platforms is a less cumbersome and more enjoyable way of letting people know more about your product.. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adam@How To Make Money Online EMAIL: glemoh101@yahoo.com IP: 41.238.7.252 URL: http://www.4money-making-online.blogspot.com DATE: 07/18/2010 11:49:46 AM Nice list , I have something you miss about twitter: 1- twitter directories: -http://justtweetit.com/ -http://wefollow.com/ -http://www.twellow.com/ 2- twitter analysis: -http://twitterholic.com/ -http://twittercounter.com 3- twitter lists: -http://tweepml.org/ 4- make money with twitter: -http://www.revtwt.tk ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alex Avery - Inbound Marketer, Search Marketing and Analytics Consultant Melbourne EMAIL: ahavery@gmail.com IP: 58.96.95.228 URL: http://alexavery.com.au DATE: 07/25/2010 10:01:17 PM Great list. A fantastic checklist and resource. I would add a few others. Here are three: Gliffy: http://www.gliffy.com - simple and free website design tool (also has other functions). Your Open Book: http://www.youropenbook.org - search unsecure Facebook status updates for social media monitoring. Postling: http://www.postling.com - simple tool for posting and scheduling updates on Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. Handles multiple accounts. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bhaskar Samuel EMAIL: sam@web-radiance.com IP: 59.92.33.29 URL: http://web-radiance.com DATE: 08/03/2010 07:20:11 AM I have not gone for native searching of Outlook emails ever since I started using GetMail of http://www.searchterrain.com. GetMail has fetched them for me with just a few character input. It is interactive and responds to each character input. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Construction Tool Boy EMAIL: myconstructionreviews@hotmail.com IP: 180.190.161.83 URL: http://www.myconstructionreviews.com DATE: 09/06/2010 09:35:34 AM Amazing information. Great list and easy to navigate. Got new ideas and learning from this posts. Excellent! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rahul EMAIL: ciyan21@yahoo.com IP: 115.108.119.198 URL: http://www.allaboutsite.com DATE: 09/07/2010 12:37:27 PM This is a fabulous list - Allaboutsite is also good one. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing for Small Businesses [podcast] STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-for-small-businesses-podcast CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: Junta42 Events CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 05/28/2009 10:19:05 PM ----- BODY: Big thanks to my good friend Susan Friedmann, CSP for having me as a guest on her radio talk show, Riches in Niches, this week. As you'll hear, Susan is a real pro and we had a great time chatting about the subject of attracting and retaining customers with content marketing.
Susan's radio audience is mostly small business marketers, so we talked specifically about what small, smart companies can do to become trusted advisers for their customers (and turn prospects into buyers).
In part one of the broadcast [12 minutes], we covered:
In part two of the broadcast [10 minutes], we covered:
Big thanks again to Susan and the folks at WS Radio for putting this together. I hope you enjoy it!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: hannahhkelly EMAIL: hannahh.kelly@gmail.com IP: 174.129.253.45 URL: DATE: 06/03/2009 08:16:08 AM Hi, Nice post, especially the videos, they were excellent. Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information. Here is the contribution from my side. http://www.webguild.org/2009/06/capturing-the-value-of-content-marketing.php?p=p2 The article is also on content marketing and also tells us the how effective the content marketing is for B2B marketers. Do go through it once. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why You Need to Publish a Custom Book: Q & A with Eloqua's Steven Woods STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-you-need-to-write-a-custom-book-q-a-with-eloquas-steven-woods CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 05/27/2009 08:36:47 AM ----- BODY: I had the opportunity to sit down with Steve Woods (CTO at Eloqua) recently when we were both speaking at Online Marketing Summit - DC. We came to the subject of our respective books (mine Get Content Get Customers, Steve's Digital Body Language) and how they serve as the ultimate marketing tool.
Readers of this blog know that we (Newt Barrett and I) originally self-published Get Content Get Customers in 2008, with McGraw-Hill picking up the rights to the book in 2009. Outside of this blog, the book has been the #1 driver of success for both myself and with the organizations I'm involved.
With that in mind, I wanted to know what Steve's book has done for him, both personally and for Eloqua. Steve was nice enough to share his time and answer my questions below. After you read through this, you, as a professional and a stakeholder in your company, should think seriously about writing a book that positions you as a trusted expert in your field.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Just talked to Steve who said he'd be happy to give away a copy of his book to our readers. Anyone who comments is automatically entered in a drawing to receive a free copy. So...comment away. Thanks Steve!
Joe - What was the purpose behind writing the book?
Steve - We’ve been working with marketers for 10 years to understand how they are interacting with today’s new buyer. These marketers have all realized that today’s buyers have fundamentally changed; they use Google, various online sources, and social media to find their information, rather than interacting with a sales person. As a marketer, they are looking at how to engage with this new buyer and facilitate their overall buying process, rather than trying to sell to them. As we’ve helped these marketers, we’ve had a great opportunity to dig deep into what it takes to be successful, and the mistakes you can easily avoid as you evolve your marketing organization. Every time we spoke with our customers, they were very interested in the lessons of what pitfalls to avoid, what is critical to think through, and how to succeed in today’s B2B marketing environment.
As the space has evolved, there have been a lot of new companies springing up who are suggesting that it’s a problem that can be solved with technology alone. Today’s marketers know that engaging with today’s new buyer requires a new way of thinking about their business, not just another flashy piece of software. So many marketers were asking us to help them think through the business problems, rather than just the technology, that we knew we had a story that needed to be told.
Why a custom print book over something else?
I think there’s still something about the format of a book. Regardless of whether it’s a physical book, or on Kindle (we did both), the length of the format lets you dig into an area more deeply than you would if you were reading a one or two page article online. We wanted to give marketers something that they could take on the plane, relax, and make their way through, getting immersed in the topic for a few hours. I’ve had many marketers tell me that that was exactly how they read the book, and when they landed, they had a host of new ideas to take back to their teams and get started on.
I think each format has its own unique characteristics, and they work best when they are used together.
Talk a bit about the process for getting the book written and produced.
That was an interesting process. I would say that it took about a year, start to finish, to do the writing of the book. I still had a day job, so much of that was on planes. A trip from Toronto to San Francisco gave me at least 3 hours of uninterrupted writing time, for example. However, I also wanted to share the stories of how various marketers were tackling the challenges of engaging with today’s buyer, and where they were succeeding. To do that, I had the marketers behind 30 of the most fascinating marketing challenges tell their story, and included those in the book.
The interview, editing, revision, and approval process for those 30 stories took almost as long as the writing itself, but was probably the most interesting for me, as I had the chance to talk with some of the best marketers around.
Interestingly, I found out that you only need cover art and an ISBN number to get your book up on Amazon. We had it live for pre-order at least 6 months before the books were ready.
Start to finish, it was about 18 months to complete the book. I outlined a rough time line in a blog post I wrote when the first copies arrived, for those considering the process.
How do you balance the need for not being “promotional” in a book with the need to drive business?
It’s a good question. I wanted to make sure that we didn’t talk at all about our technology or solutions in the book so as not to be promotional. However, in educating the market about what’s possible, how to think about the challenges and opportunities, and what is critical for success, the book has been a big driver of business for us. I would say that it helps in three ways:
So, although the book itself is not promotional at all, it definitely helps us in all aspects of the sales cycle. The more educated potential buyers are about our space in general, what’s possible, and how to truly achieve success, the better we do.
Once you have a book created, how do you best leverage that marketing asset? How do you get the word out about a book?
It’s a great asset to leverage, and we are using almost every channel to leverage it. The Digital Body Language blog talks about many of the ideas in the book and both drives awareness and keeps the conversation going. We use everything from Twitter and email marketing to press releases and banners to drive awareness of the blog as a central point in promoting the book. Similarly, the book provides a great foundation for webinars with other thought leaders in the industry, relations with social media luminaries like yourself, speaking opportunities, and direct client engagement.
So, what kind of results are you seeing because of the book?
The results have been fantastic so far, and we’re just getting started. It’s the stories that really help; we’ve had so many examples of people we were talking with who read an example and said it was exactly what they wanted to do. That led to a great conversation about their business and how we would make them successful. However, the real indicator of success was when they went out into the market and did their research into alternative solutions. When they came back to us saying that they had seen a variety of pretty demos, but were now able to ask the hard questions about how their business would get to success, I knew we had succeeded with the book.
Would you do anything different?
Like any first experience it’s a learning experience. I think that if I did it again, I would start the conversations in social media well before the book launches. We started the Digital Body Language blog at around the same time as the book launched, which meant that it was still building momentum well after the book was out. Starting the social media conversation around the topics in a book well before the book launches allows you to build buzz and momentum prior to the launch.
How about a second book?
Definitely something under consideration… There has been a great response to a lot of the topics I’ve covered on the Digital Body Language blog that were somewhat outside of the book’s main topic. Not sure of exactly what the book would look like or when, but it’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about very seriously.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pam EMAIL: pam@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: DATE: 05/27/2009 11:12:00 AM Joe, thanks for this post. I had not heard of this book and we are always looking for a way to get into the marketers head to see what their issues and concerns are. Thirty examples in one place looks like a great resource to me. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ambal Balakrishnan EMAIL: ambal_d2d@yahoo.com IP: 128.107.239.233 URL: http://clickdocuments.com DATE: 05/27/2009 02:25:45 PM Joe: Great interview with Steve! Understanding buyer's signals and communicating with them is 50% art and 50% science. Steve's article over at http://www.sandhill.com/opinion/editorial_print.php?id=239 got me interested in the Digital Body Language book. Thanx for the book recommendation. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jimmy Talcott EMAIL: jim@i23.biz IP: 71.250.133.167 URL: http://jimmytalcott.com DATE: 05/27/2009 07:55:35 PM Well. This has been a great experience for me as a brand new internet marketer. I mean, I am really on top of the web and have been since 97, but I never "got" marketing online. Hence why I have been busy designing websites instead of getting filthy rich. I would just like to commend you on the presentation and concept behind what you are doing. The way it is positioned is flawless and I got sucked in bouncing around several sites checking everything out... and now this! A chance at getting this amazing book for free! A perfect piece to the puzzle, resulting in further engagement with me, the visitor, and cultivating this exciting conversation through my participation. The level of motivation is high.. so it worked.. I hope I win.. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michele Linn EMAIL: michele@linncommunications.com IP: 69.14.164.27 URL: http://savvyb2bmarketing.com/blog DATE: 05/27/2009 09:48:40 PM Joe: Excellent interview. I'm a fan of both your and Steve's blogs, and both of your books are on my soon-to-read list. Although I don't have plans to write a book - yet - the tips are really useful and something I'll come back to. Thanks for the great read! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joyce Foster EMAIL: joyfos@astutesolutions.com IP: 66.162.185.211 URL: http://www.astutesolutions.com DATE: 05/29/2009 09:15:17 AM Thanks for the post, it's great. I hadn't heard of this book, but definately want to read it. I've been in marketing for 15 years and honestly everything I do today is different than traditional marketing, it's been interesting to observe the impact of the Internet and social media channels on marketing and advertising. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ken EMAIL: ken.foster@rsmi.com IP: 66.98.99.155 URL: DATE: 05/29/2009 09:27:03 AM Joe - Thanks for the info and I'll be sure to pick up a copy of this book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Barb Sawyers EMAIL: barb@barbsawyers.ca IP: 69.159.194.244 URL: http://barbsawyers.wordpress.com DATE: 05/29/2009 09:51:24 AM I really appreciated the practical and honest advice. I'm working on a book to help people write more effectively. I've read too much about banging one out in a weekend or 90 days. Quality takes time. Did you publish drafts on your blog to get feedback or just save everything for the book? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steven Woods EMAIL: steven.woods@eloqua.com IP: 204.244.25.242 URL: http://digitalbodylanguage.blogspot.com DATE: 05/29/2009 11:02:51 AM Barb, It's a great question - I definiely should have published drafts on my blog, or topical articles, in advance for feedback. Unfortunately I didn't start the blog until nearly launch time of the book. If there was anything I would do slightly differently, it would be to start the social media and blog efforts in advance of the launch. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Tilton EMAIL: stilton@tentonmarketing.com IP: 96.237.60.71 URL: http://www.savvyb2bmarketing.com DATE: 05/31/2009 07:46:25 PM Joe and Steve, Thanks for sharing these insights. It's helpful to see practical tips on how to write a book. I'm curious to know if any of Eloqua's customers have decided to write a book after witnessing Eloqua's jump into custom publishing. Joe - I love "Get Content. Get Customers." And Steve, I've been devouring the ideas and research findings in the Digital Body Language blog and Eloqua webcasts. Your book is next up on my reading list. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.47.180.245 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/01/2009 07:15:20 AM Thanks Stephanie. Really appreciate the kind words. From my perspective, I talked to two people last week who attended one of my speeches that is starting to work on their corporate book. I think you'll start to see more of this happen. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rory Gold EMAIL: rory@rorygold.com IP: 190.7.197.250 URL: http://rorygold.com DATE: 06/06/2009 03:47:12 PM I'm new to this but I'm reading tonnes of blogs and really there is a lot of great information but nothing as indepth as what you're laying out here. Stay Gold Rory Gold ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Letting Your Customers Tell Your Story - Nxtbook Map STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: letting-your-customers-tell-your-story-nxtbook-map CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: digital magazines DATE: 05/21/2009 08:15:18 AM ----- BODY: When possible, showing how your customers use your product is always the best option. It's also challenging.
Digital publishing provider Nxtbook Media found a way to do just that - with a little help from Zappos.
Showing that customers read digital magazines is not easy. You can't take a picture of them (yet). Sure, you have a lot of great statistics, but it's tough to bring those statistics to life.
Enter Nxtbook Map. Nxtbook Map shows in real-time around the world who's reading a Nxtbook digital magazine. According to Nxtbook's marketing guru Marcus Grimm (@marcusgrimm), someone opens a Nxtbook every two seconds. With Nxtbook Map, you can see this in real time. Truly powerful stuff.
And for the Zappos connection. The idea for Nxtbook Map was taken from Zappos' Map, where you can see people are buying shoes from Zappos in real-time around the United States.
So often we focus on creating content that doesn't already exist. While that's important, we also need to look at leveraging the content we already have.
Subscribe - Junta42 - Find Content Vendors - Get the Book
I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Hoehn from Kodak at Online Marketing Summit - DC last week. Tom has a really cool job at Kodak, where he is director of brand communications and convergence media.
After my presentation on the Keys to Social Media, Tom and I got to chatting and we realized that we focus on many of the same things, the most important being the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant and compelling content as a core part of marketing. Tom was nice enough to participate in this Q&A about Kodak's content strategy. There's some gold nuggets in here...enjoy! Thanks Tom!
Joe: Does Kodak have a content strategy that's a part of their overall marketing strategy? If so, how do you integrate it into the plans?
Tom: Yes, our content strategy is two pronged. First, we focus on content creation that showcases our products in use. We have a long history of doing this. Our Tips and Projects Center is the best example.
It is chock full of examples, projects, tips, and inspirational photo essays. The second part of this strategy is about distribution. We use the content in a number of different permutations and distribute through our various channels based on seasonality, promotions, etc. Channels include our website, blogs, partners sites, social media, e-mail tips, etc. You can see our social media presence at http://www.kodak.com/go/followus.
Joe: When you hear the phrase "content marketing", does it mean anything to you?
Tom: It means everything to me! Seriously, we love how people use the products we make to tell the stories of their lives. It is great to work in a category that enables people's self expression. Giving voice to those stories and inspiring others is what it is all about.
Joe: What does Kodak call the process of delivering consistent, educational and entertaining information to customers?
Tom: Our job. It is an expectation of our customers that we walk the walk and talk the talk and have quality content. We make sure that we leverage Kodak's businesses and sponsorship for content at every turn. It is in our DNA.
Some examples include:
So there you have it, we are nuts about content! ;-)
Joe: How do you take customer education to the next level to drive increased loyalty and sales?
Tom: The next level? In my mind it isn't always about what we think people want to learn. Amplifying the voice of the millions of people who take pictures, do cool things with them, and share with others is the big opportunity for us. People take 70 million pictures every day with Kodak cameras. Yes, you read that right. Don't you think that is quite an incredible wealth of source material that can be tapped?
Joe: Kodak has been in the middle of social media for a while now. What's worked really well? What are you no so sure about? What hasn't worked?
Tom: Our blogs, starting with A Thousand Words, have been active since September 2006. That is ancient history in the social media space - in terms of large companies blogging it is positively prehistoric! The stories and photos we have shared from everyday Kodak people have been acclaimed by many. We get kudos for recognizing the space and how to use it. We are adding value to the conversations that are occurring. We are not shoving marketing messages at people. That doesn't work and we knew that from the outset.
Our distributed publishing model has worked really well for us. We decided not to have a few dedicated Kodak rockstar bloggers and opted to have many employees contribute. It helps to spread the work. I am happy to say we have published every business day since our launch - that is no small feat. A wise person by the name of Joe Pulizzi ;-) mentioned that "Frequency" is an important aspect of blogging. It looks like we embraced that from the get go. Every post contains a few photos (of course), most have more. One post I did actually had over 200 clickable thumbnails (but that is a story for another day).
A benefit we saw that was unexpected was the employee pride in contribution. They loved the fact that anyone could contribute their stories and were proud to share with family, friends, and their networks.
Joe: How is Kodak promoting the use of social media within the company? Do you have set guidelines?
Tom: We have a simple social media policy that was crafted with input from marketing, legal, our IT group, and corporate security. It contains very sound and practical advice and isn't overly restrictive. We promote the use of social media channels to product marketing groups and adoption rates vary. I find that people are eager to learn and we are happy to share our experiences.
Joe: What's the next great frontier regarding online content? (is there one?)
Tom: It is the power of you. Instead of everyone being famous for 15 minutes perhaps we will be famous to 15 people. Telling your story requires content. Text, photos (yes!), videos (naturally!). What stories are you telling to your network?
Joe: How about print? Do you do any print magazines/newsletters for BtoC or BtoB? Wondering what your take is on the distribution of print content?
Tom: Yes, we do print and make products that support print. Did you know Kodak has commercial businesses that are in the printing and packaging industries? It is a multi-billion dollar per year category for us. That being said, we use print for B2B publications for our Entertainment Imaging (motion picture)
and Graphic Communications (printing) businesses. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that print also extends to personal needs. Are your precious memories locked on a hard drive somewhere? I hope not!
I hope you found this Q&A helpful.Thanks Joe for inviting me.
Leave a comment I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks, tom @tomhoehn on Twitter
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: MarkThink EMAIL: msimmons@sixapart.com IP: 204.9.177.10 URL: http://markthink.typepad.com DATE: 05/19/2009 01:31:41 PM Thanks, Joe. Great article. Kodak's blogs and social media campaigns are perfect for their brand. I'd love to see them take the design of their blogs to the next level -- bigger pictures, more slideshows, etc. Thanks for sharing the interview. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chrille Hillorn EMAIL: hillorn@yahoo.se IP: 213.115.50.94 URL: http://www.twitter.com/hillorn DATE: 05/21/2009 08:17:41 AM Great article Joe, keep up the good work! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Edward Izzys EMAIL: edwardizzys@gmail.com IP: 59.162.215.44 URL: http://www.seotrafficspider.com DATE: 06/12/2009 02:21:16 PM Interesting! I feel like there is a scarcity of good marketing today. Good marketing means which can convert the leads into sales. The only marketing that has moved me in the last couple of years is Search Engine Optimization. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gentlerain Marketing EMAIL: vtps001@gmail.com IP: 59.90.247.70 URL: http://www.gentlerainmarketing.com DATE: 06/27/2009 03:25:26 AM You people are sharing great information.. This information is useful to all internet marketers!!! Content is called as king of websites. Spider scrawling the sites based on the content of web site... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: katrina morgan EMAIL: crazylover2111@yahoo.com IP: 98.178.151.10 URL: DATE: 07/02/2009 03:23:22 PM hi my name is katrina i am currantly a student at community care college i have been given an assignment to do a presentation on marketing and my my partner and i coose your company is ther any way you could give me some pointers on how do this ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Internet Marketing EMAIL: fpjpssns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.146.54 URL: http://www.jeffpaulsuccessstories.com DATE: 10/26/2009 11:26:08 PM Nice Article..Marketing strategy used to increase the sales in business.Customer satisfaction is the main goal of marketing strategy.Marketing strategies may differ depending on the unique situation of the individual business. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: fathers day EMAIL: kimtaylor22@gmail.com IP: 122.169.29.182 URL: http://www.zoombits.co.uk/gifts-and-gadgets DATE: 10/27/2009 02:52:54 AM I just love to see a company that isn't tool-centric and that has a strategy that makes sense to them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Blogging for Internet Marketers EMAIL: samsingh78@ymail.com IP: 122.169.66.113 URL: http://the-professional-blogger.blogspot.com/2010/04/issues-for-internet-marketer-to-survive.html DATE: 04/29/2010 06:54:33 PM incredibly informative post. Among 1 in the ideal ever examine. All I can say is blogging can be an artwork and you happen to be an artist. Perfectly,If writing is surely an fine fine art, then, running a blog and site-building is a single way of using phrases to can come up with an art. This could be caused by the truth persons who're into running a weblog would be the types who're artistic on their exclusive sense, cautiously choosing phrases that would most efficient describe their feelings, sentiments, wishes, desires, and everything. Sam singh ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Richard Sheffield EMAIL: sheff@mindspring.coim IP: 97.80.168.161 URL: http://www.contentstrategyweblog.com DATE: 07/24/2010 02:07:06 PM Great to meet you recently in Atlanta. This idea of content marketing vs. content strategy is an interesting sell to big corps. I'm going through some of the same struggles here at my company but I think we are making progress. Thanks again for the talk. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.109.182 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/25/2010 02:05:53 PM Thanks Richard...yes, definitely great to chat. I think it's going to be a very interesting next couple years. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shaqir Hussyin EMAIL: shaqirhussyin@yahoo.co.uk IP: 66.41.155.192 URL: http://CarbonCopyPROMarketing.info/?t=ExpertSB DATE: 07/25/2010 09:29:27 PM Great and informative article about how big companies, like Kodak, deal with content strategy with their marketing programs. Thanks for the post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: James Anderson EMAIL: fridge2305@yahoo.ca IP: 96.53.208.24 URL: http://www.professorofprofit.com/1/ DATE: 07/26/2010 09:16:56 PM Hi Richard, Thanks for the article. I am trying to do what Kodak is doing but on a more personal level. In my site I am trying to teach this type of use of content in such a way that they are not just trying to sell something, but rather form a relationship. Thanks again, J Anderson www.professorofprofit.com/1/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Darrin EMAIL: darrin.chappell@gmail.com IP: 75.106.27.24 URL: http://perpetual-traffic-formula-information.com DATE: 07/29/2010 12:17:30 PM Nice article Joe, I have always enjoyed Kodak's campaigns, I think that it always brings up memories of times past and brings up a very good point... they are doing something right. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andre Nilsen EMAIL: digitalteam@gmail.com IP: 84.0.200.231 URL: http://www.qualitynetworkers.com DATE: 07/30/2010 03:15:08 PM Hi Joe. Content is very important, but there are 2 other factors that Google now (2010) emphasize a lot as well, and that is: - Backlinks - Activity on your site Get these 3 elements in place and you'll be fine ;-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Internet Marketing with Liz EMAIL: admin@lizebiz.com IP: 213.172.34.198 URL: http://internetmarketingwithliz.com DATE: 08/02/2010 11:05:43 AM I think that the most important thing is to balance content for search engines with content for humans. I've seen some sites lately that are nothing but strings of keywords or spun articles which make no sense at all. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brent EMAIL: brent@biginternetmarketingtools.com IP: 206.255.97.37 URL: http://www.biginternetmarketingtools.com DATE: 08/05/2010 12:39:12 AM Excellent article. Kodak has always been a leader. I agree with Andre, content, back links & site activity will take you where you want to go. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessa Ridell EMAIL: jessacabaleshandang2005@yahoo.com.ph IP: 121.1.53.46 URL: http://www.website-seo-reports.com DATE: 08/05/2010 09:39:37 AM Amazing how Kodak made it's way to the top and sharing their best ideas regarding their marketing stategy. Like the "content Strategy" that's been growing as a practice within the industry of web development since 20 years ago. Until now it still draws interest to online-business minded people. Aside from content management which means "everything" to some content strategist, others wanted to get the correct SEO, which is "most valuable" to them and get higher ranked in search engines. Given so much time and depth study I've created a SEO analysis report which you can enjoy the first report for free. Anytime, Anywhere and Anyone can order on their webpage at http://www.website-seo-reports.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dirk Marine EMAIL: info@seolinkvineproductreview.com IP: 98.202.167.254 URL: http://www.seolinkvineproductreview.com/link DATE: 08/14/2010 09:33:13 AM As a recently layed off worker, I have time (after looking for work) to really get involved with content marketing. The information provided here really opens up resources to take it to the next level. I've written an article that is available to anyone interested in SEO ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Peter Dunin EMAIL: peter@mail.com IP: 212.183.140.22 URL: http://www.sixfigurerenegade.com DATE: 09/27/2010 10:10:47 AM really interesting and informative post,thanks for sharing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Thoughts About Online Marketing: The Week in Review STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-thoughts-about-online-marketing-the-week-in-review CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 05/14/2009 10:22:23 PM ----- BODY: I was on the road again this week (this time DC) for two presentations (Speakerbox and Online Marketing Summit) on content marketing and social media, one MENG webinar (from Reagan National airport) and what seemed like dozens of meetings. While on the plane trip home, I jotted down some things I learned about, discussed with others, or thought about along the way. Thought you would enjoy.
And last but not least...after talking about Blendtec religiously for the past two days, I end my day at Reagan National waiting for my to-go Omelet Sandwich before I get on the plane, and this was in front of me.
What did you learn this week?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Susan Friedmann EMAIL: susan@richesinniches.com IP: 74.71.249.227 URL: http://www.richesinniches.com DATE: 05/15/2009 09:45:46 AM Joe, you're awesome and have such a great way of giving a succinct summary of the online marketing world. Really appreciate your contribution. I totally concur that OMS is the best program out there. I'm telling everyone who wants to learn about online marketing that it's a "must attend" event. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/15/2009 12:00:14 PM Susan...you're too kind. Well, after all, we met at OMS!!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rick Liebling EMAIL: rickliebling@gmail.com IP: 38.100.167.2 URL: http://www.eyecube.wordpress.com DATE: 05/18/2009 10:17:25 AM Hootsuite, from the little I've played with it, is very useful. Content Marketing is hot Joe. I find myself thinking about it a lot and am starting to discuss it with my colleagues. I'm a big believer in content as a tool and think the time is now to leverage this. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl Kleinbach EMAIL: kkleinbach@acom.com IP: 66.102.140.79 URL: http://www.acom.com DATE: 05/22/2009 04:56:52 PM Been to OMS 3 times, lots new to learn every time. New speakers and new topics in a great format, OMS truly rocks! No doubt Content Mktg here to stay, still not bought completely into Twitter. IMO better suited for B2C and niche B2B, but not general B2B. To quote Monk, I could be wrong, but I don't think so. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Last Day to Save on Social Media Success Summit 2009... STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: last-day-to-save-on-social-media-success-summit-2009 CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 05/13/2009 11:30:25 PM ----- BODY:Wanted to send out this final reminder on the early bird savings for Social Media Success Summit 2009. If you are interesting in the best of social media learning, today's the day!
Social Media Success Summit 2009 is the first major online event dedicated to helping businesses succeed with social media marketing. OVER 500 of your peers have already signed up.
Simply one of the best lineups I've seen anywhere.
Presenters include bestselling authors and social media marketing experts such as Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library TV), Darren Rowse (Problogger), Mari Smith (Facebook guru), Jason Alba (wrote the book on LinkedIn), Ann Handley (MarketingProfs), Brian Clark (Copyblogger), Chris Garrett (Authority Blogger) and Denise Wakeman (BlogSquad).
Here are some of the sessions:
* How to Create a Mega-Following and Mega-Sales With Social Media Marketing
* Building a Loyal Facebook Following for Increased Profits
* How to Grow and Engage an Audience on Twitter
* Using the Power and Reach of LinkedIn to Grow Your Business
* How to Productively Engage in Social Media Marketing
* Five Reasons You Need to Be on Twitter (and Tools to Help You Manage)
* Social Media Start Up: 3 Key Tools to Build Your Social Media Marketing Plan
* How to Attract Tens of Thousands of People in Mere Days
* Using Social Bookmarking for Improved Traffic, Links and Visibility
Thursday (5/14) is the last day to get the early bird discount - $200 savings (40%).
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: If You Are a Marketer, Watch this Video of Gary Vaynerchuk STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: if-you-are-a-marketer-watch-this-video-of-gary-vaynerchuk CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 05/08/2009 01:51:59 PM ----- BODY:Thanks Gary Vaynerchuk. In a few years this will be the norm, but right now most companies still don't get it. See more of Gary at this exclusive social media event.
I was invited by the great teams at Advancement and DATAForge to talk about personal branding success and wanted to share the presentation.
There are some excellent personal branding specialists that I follow (thanks Dan Schawbel), but the presentation below was based mostly on what I feel has made me successful.
What I emphasized to the group was that you don't have to do all ten steps to be successful. The most important part is that you pick the steps you can commit to and consistently execute those steps.
10 Steps to Personal Branding Success
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: yinka olaito EMAIL: yinka@yinkaolaito.com IP: 83.229.92.14 URL: http://www.yinkaolaito.com DATE: 05/08/2009 07:51:04 AM Great thoughts and thanks for being original. That is the best anyone can be. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: @CreativeFusion (Anne) EMAIL: creativefusion@hotmail.com IP: 66.212.182.253 URL: http://www.morethanprofit.ca DATE: 05/08/2009 08:16:19 AM Great post Joe. I know from experience that you practice what you preach. You have always gotten back to me quickly when I've sent you a question. Haven't quite figured out how you keep up! Also good to be promoting social cause involvement. Just read in Zoomer magazine from Rudyard Griffiths book Who we are: A Citizen's Manifesto that 10% of Canadians are responsible for 80% off annual volunteer hours. (You never know--the life you change could be your own!) Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/08/2009 09:00:50 AM Thanks Anne...great point about the volunteer hours. Just doing something can make all the difference in the world...you just don't realize the possibilities until after you do it. Cheers ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rod Claar EMAIL: rodclaar@effectiveagiledev.com IP: 173.10.91.198 URL: http://www.effectiveagiledev.com DATE: 05/08/2009 10:40:53 AM Thanks Joe. I think everyone should do some of these in today's economy. If you job is not 100% secure for as long as you will want it, you need to keep your online profiles up to date, write a blog, be helpful and volunteer. Rod Claar http://rod-claar.net http://www.EffectiveAgileDev.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ambal Balakrishnan EMAIL: ambal_d2d@yahoo.com IP: 12.5.186.27 URL: http://clickdocuments.com DATE: 05/08/2009 02:17:09 PM Joe - Awesome List! Thanx for collecting so many great ideas in one place! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike D. Merrill EMAIL: mike@mikemerrill.com IP: 173.57.49.215 URL: http://www.mikemerrill.com DATE: 05/08/2009 04:54:34 PM Great List Joe. Enjoyed the presentation and blog post. Mike D. Merrill Twitter @mikedmerrill blog http://www.mikemerrill.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Authority Networker EMAIL: dearnicholasklein@gmail.com IP: 124.106.46.94 URL: http://authoritynetworker.org/attraction-marketing-formula DATE: 05/08/2009 07:22:28 PM Making yourself an indispensable source of information can establish your credibility, reputation and identity as an authority networker. The more helpful and valuable your information is the greater the chance those customers will purchase from you. This is the concept behind attraction marketing, a new internet network marketing lead generation tactic where you develop ongoing relationships with clients and become a person of value by educating them first and then moving them along the buying path in your communications. These clients will also bring in more business for you via referrals. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.162.143.211 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com/2009/05/be-interesting-you.html DATE: 05/09/2009 02:35:00 PM Joe, if I could add one to your list of 10, I would expand on slide #9. Don't just be unique, be interesting. When your brand is on display, it should be the interesting part of your personality. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/11/2009 08:27:55 AM Great point Jay. Well said. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractions.com IP: 98.149.229.198 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 05/12/2009 10:36:54 AM Joe, Thanks for sharing this list. And for practicing what you share so well. My favorite - Lethal Generosity! That pretty much says it. Ardath ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dr Wright EMAIL: info@wrightplacetv.com IP: 75.25.3.191 URL: http://www.wrightplacetv.com DATE: 05/13/2009 06:49:45 AM Getting behind one charity or cause is a great branding op. People need to tell the story and reason behind the charity they are working for or with. Sometimes it has natural synergy, sometimes it is a personal thing. If a you tell the story it will enhance your brand. Dr. Letitia Wright The Wright Place TV Show http://wrightplacetv.com www.twitter.com/drwright1 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Julie Cottineau EMAIL: Julie@BrandTwist.com IP: 68.198.141.25 URL: http://www.BrandTwist.blogspot.com DATE: 05/16/2009 08:05:00 AM This is so perfect and timely. I am working on this right now. I've been thinking (and doing) most of these things but it's so helpful to see it in one place. Just launched my blog on innovation and branding. (step 2) www.BrandTwist.blogspot.com Thanks! Julie ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/16/2009 10:10:23 PM Great start Julie. The blog looks fantastic. Keep me posted. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Prepare the Way: We will all be media companies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: prepare-the-way-we-will-all-be-media-companies CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 05/06/2009 12:40:21 PM ----- BODY:Sat in on a great panel yesterday with Amanda Watlington (Searching for Profit), Christina Howe (Avid) and Rebecca Lieb (eConsultancy) discussing what the world's leading brands are doing.
The discussion was all about content (loved it!).
One attendee asked this question to the panel. "Right now social media is hot, but what is the next big thing we should keep our eyes on?"
I was the first to answer, and this immediately came to mind, and it will happen (is happening).
Over the next few years (not sure exactly when), we won't be able to tell the difference between media companies (publishers) and companies that off non-informational products and services.
Look at it this way. Advertising and traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective. Engagement is fostered today by delivering consistent, relevant, compelling content to our customers (like P&G) - or - showing them a good time (like Blendtec) [for more on that, check out this custom content post about UPS]. That content creation is the fodder for getting involved in the online conversation and positioning your brand as a trusted solutions provider.
At the same time, media companies that have developed great brands and loyal audiences around delivering content are having trouble selling advertising. They all know that traditional advertising (even online display in some cases) is not going to bounce back. So, they are looking at developing products their readers can buy like data products, online software tools (i.e., Smartools from MarketingProfs), and actual manufactured products ala what Martha Stewart has done.
Whether you are a brand that offers products and services or a brand that offers information as the product, this completely changes your business model.
This is coming, and soon. Actually, it may even be here but we haven't noticed yet.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Seager EMAIL: steve.seager@gmail.com IP: 94.210.41.25 URL: DATE: 05/06/2009 01:26:56 PM Genius point. It IS here, we have just been distracted by the 'shiny-ness' of new/social media :) Am working on this issue with European clients as we speak been. Good to know the innovation fuss over social media is dying down and we are getting to the crunch. We follow your blog, and are working like rabid hamsters to kick our clients' little butts to get them one step ahead of the game. Keep spreading the gospel man! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan Hutson EMAIL: dan@pokethebeehive.com IP: 64.47.116.130 URL: http://www.pokethebeehive.com DATE: 05/06/2009 04:03:28 PM Hi Joe. I think you've made a pretty compelling case in various posts for the idea that many companies (and perhaps other types of organizations) are on the road to becoming a new type of media company. In some ways it seems to mirror what happened with magazine publishers: A publisher with a niche title adds complementary titles to broaden (or deepen) the niche, then adds non-magazine product like conferences, books, custom publishing, etc. to develop ancillary sources of revenue that capitalize on the original brand and capabilities. Eventually you might even forget that first humble magazine title that got it all started. This seems to be similar but from another direction: Widget manufacturer builds a customer base that opens opportunities to add magazines, newsletters, books, conferences, etc. to the product mix, maybe achieving such success in these ancillary businesses that they get out of the original widget business that inspired it all. Who's to say that Starbucks will always sell coffee? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/07/2009 07:42:01 AM @ Steve...thanks for the kind words. Don't get me wrong, I love what social media can do, but without anything valuable to say, social media can't do much. @ Dan...right on. Actually, I've been watching what Zappos is doing with their brand right now. It looks like they are positing their brand around a certain "culture" of products, which pretty much opens them up to serving a certain kind of culture with any type of product. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Cass EMAIL: john.cass@idealaunch.com IP: 75.147.51.158 URL: http://www.idealaunch.com/blog DATE: 05/07/2009 11:17:38 AM Joe, I think you make a great point about the removal of clear lines between media companies and brand companies when it comes to publishing. What's interesting to me is that companies may be further ahead in using some of the available tools for monitoring and triage. If you look at some of the listening platform vendors (listening platform was coined by Forrester) you begin to notice that some of them are integrating their monitoring services with CRM. Customer relationship management is a bigger issue for brand companies. While journalists have not traditionally engaged the community individually companies have, but with other resources. I think it will be interesting to see how brand companies influence media companies. Those technologies are going to help both brand and media companies with content creation. This is what's exciting about content marketing, the goal and strategy of valuable content is driving engagement. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: dominique EMAIL: dominique.lahaix@ecairn.com IP: 67.188.127.178 URL: http://blog.ecairn.com DATE: 05/07/2009 12:31:09 PM Very good post ! I think the real big thing is when Workgroup within corporation will behave as Media companies. So far we're already experiencing this at brand/ corporate level and at individual level (with all the discussion around personal branding). Corporate groups used to do that for economy of scale and in a context of mass media. With the market transforming into communities the need for agility and customer focus offset the economy of scale one gain in centralized communication. Branding will therefore transform into providing training/education to workgroup on consistency. Individual behaving like media is OK for gurus (Scoble...) but won't scale. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tim Lloyd EMAIL: timlloyd150@hotmail.com IP: 212.183.134.66 URL: http://www.linkedin.com/in/timlloyd1 DATE: 05/08/2009 09:26:03 AM This is an interesting post. Do you think that the new media aspect to all businesses will be handled exclusively in-house, or will media services continue to be outsourced? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/08/2009 10:07:45 AM Tim...great question. Here is what I think. Right now, you'll continue to see a mix of in-house resources and usage of ad agencies, pr firms, direct marketing firms, seo firms, custom publishers, traditional publishers and freelance journalists help them execute the media. Gradually, organizations will develop strong content proficiencies as part of their marketing department, which will lessen the need for large-scale outsourcing. Don't get me wrong, there will always be outsourcing, but it will be for different things since the marketing of tomorrow is all about engagement through content. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russell Sparkman EMAIL: russell@fusionspark.com IP: 66.165.9.53 URL: http://www.fusionspark.com DATE: 05/08/2009 11:44:52 AM Hi Joe, re: Organizations developing in-house content capabilities and proficiencies ... I understand the probability of this happening in large companies. But in "small businesses," which are a major backbone of the economy -- not to mention non-profits, government agencies, etc. -- I would imagine continued reliance upon outside agencies for content strategy and content development will prevail for the long term. I can't imagine some of our small business clients, for example, hiring content professionals to be on staff. But, maybe this is just the wishful thinking of a content provider! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/08/2009 11:50:00 AM Hi Russell...I agree with you, especially for small businesses. I think what I'm getting at is that the idea of content marketing just becomes plain old marketing. People will start to get it and understand the value of a content strategy. They will then have expert resources in house, ramp up or outsource. Don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunities. Large businesses, though, will need to act like media companies to really grow (IMO). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vince Giorgi EMAIL: vgiorgi@charter.net IP: 68.117.35.141 URL: http://www.touchpointcity.wordpress.com DATE: 05/09/2009 12:28:47 AM I agree, Joe, that once bright lines are blurring all over when it comes to media, marketing and ontent. A company that recognizes the power of great content to add value for a business-critical audience can essentially become a "media company" overnight. The same goes for individuals. But given a potentially boundless proliferation of media sources and content streams, I keep picturing (and pitying?) the poor consumer or business person. Already challenged to process a tsunami of news, information and inspiration coming at them. More coming at them each day. Maybe that's why I think the best media brands -- say, for example, the top trade magazines in their respective verticals -- are likely to survive and prosper long term. After all, there are only so many hours in the day. More and more, consumers of content might look to their favorite media brands as designated monitors and packagers of what's most useful. Certainly media companies will need to adapt. But they're in the catbird's seat to play that role of content aggregator and filter for an audience with which they have a relationship, and whose information needs they understand. In fact, maybe traditional media companies will begin to evolve their business models to focus more on being content collectors and arbiters -- what's good, what's not, what's worth the audience's time -- rather than producers. And, to your point, is this already happening? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/11/2009 08:26:39 AM I agree with you Vince, but here's a clarification - We will rely on both media companies AND enterprise-side companies to keep us informed and educated (as we do today in many cases). This will just grow stronger. Those that do it well will prosper. Yes, media companies are in the catbird's seat, and they will evolve into helping their readers choose what's best - but that doesn't mean that advertising will be enough to support the business model. They'll need to develop products and services for either readers or advertisers that go beyond sponsorship. A number of btob players have been working on this model for a while (data products), but I believe we will see expansion into more areas. What do you think? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kirk Cheyfitz EMAIL: kirk.cheyfitz@storyworldwide.com IP: 66.65.132.192 URL: http://www.storyworldwide.com DATE: 05/12/2009 08:26:00 AM Joe -- The interplay between content and conversation also was the hot topic at Digital Hollywood last week in Santa Monica. Here's a blog post that examines one intersection of brand content and social media: http://tinyurl.com/o3ku2y ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 15 Steps to Small Business Online Marketing Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 15-steps-to-small-business-online-marketing-success CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 05/01/2009 07:21:11 AM ----- BODY: We've been working a lot lately on a list of necessary steps to take with your online content. As we compiled the list, it became clear that this would make a very helpful checklist for small- or medium-sized businesses. As you'll see, not a lot of detail, but a great list to check against.
If you see any additional ones to add to the list or other helpful links, please comment below.
Just a reminder...these are all tactics to use as part of your content strategy. Determine your content strategy first, then use these steps to execute that strategy.
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rick Friesen EMAIL: rfriesen@cariboucreekloghomes.com IP: 208.81.155.202 URL: http://www.cariboucreekloghomes.com DATE: 05/01/2009 11:57:50 AM EXCELLENT summary! Really appreciate this! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hanna Kroeger Healer EMAIL: hannakroegerhealer@gmail.com IP: 70.66.83.196 URL: http://www.kroegerhealer.com DATE: 05/01/2009 04:24:38 PM These are great tips! I also appreciate your newsletter. I especially like #10. The Free Content Giveaway. I think it will bring great attention to my web site, my insights, and abilities! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lyndsey Walker EMAIL: lyndsey@pr2020.com IP: 216.130.3.82 URL: http://www.pr2020.com DATE: 05/01/2009 04:51:58 PM Joe, great tips. These are extremely valuable to a small business owner. Thanks for including PR 20/20! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Deirdre Reid EMAIL: deirdreid@gmail.com IP: 71.137.111.216 URL: http://deirdrereid.wordpress.com DATE: 05/02/2009 12:28:21 PM Such a valuable post for small (or any size!) business owners and managers -- bookmarkable! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob Rosenbaum EMAIL: bob.r@themarketfarm.com IP: 96.11.99.129 URL: DATE: 05/04/2009 09:18:15 AM Great stuff Joe. Thanks. new site looks good too. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jared O'Toole EMAIL: jared@factor77.com IP: 70.101.171.91 URL: http://tv.factor77.com DATE: 05/04/2009 09:44:36 AM Commenting on blogs is a great tool! Not only will it bring some traffic to your site but you will hopefully catch the eye of the blogger. Thats how you get stories written about your projects. Also what beats doing some marketing but also learning a lot as you read through blog posts! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: CoconutWater EMAIL: mark@needcoconutwater.com IP: 68.115.250.250 URL: http://www.needcoconutwater.com DATE: 05/06/2009 01:13:57 PM Great article! Straight forward and full of detail. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: atul chatterjee EMAIL: atul.writer@gmail.com IP: 122.163.146.42 URL: http://www.vistasad.com DATE: 05/07/2009 05:51:49 AM These aren't steps but a full fledged program!! John Chow in his book Make Money Online wrote that if you don't give a full RSS feed, don't give it at all. Can one send out a newsletter on an irregular basis. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/07/2009 07:31:27 AM Like anything Atul, consistency is the key. Great point. This is not like Ronco's "set it and forget it." You have to work this process to be successful. Cheers! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Paul Internet Business EMAIL: shumaar@hotmail.com IP: 71.6.173.9 URL: http://www.jeffpaulproducts.com DATE: 05/20/2009 12:46:59 AM Hi, Great post! I felt great reading your blog post. I’m working with my friend in a small internet marketing business as a web developer. When I’m free I go around for some IT info ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Local Internet Marketing EMAIL: maureendonovan9@gmail.com IP: 58.68.1.210 URL: http://www.indieresults.com/ DATE: 06/02/2009 06:46:50 AM Excellent Post... Nice Tips. I think there is no denying that marketing your business online is a necessity in today’s market and social media networking is more effective way for new small business popularity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: seh EMAIL: seh323@gotsmail.com IP: 76.184.82.37 URL: DATE: 06/22/2009 10:50:41 PM I think the 15 topics you mentioned are perfect. One thing I didn't notice was anything about video. This section of online marketing seems to be exploding. The obvious site for video uploading is youtube, but I found another site. They'll give you a free account and help you with a marketing campaign to create traffic. The site is www.adwido.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: tristancaleb EMAIL: tristancaleb1@gmail.com IP: 125.22.249.142 URL: http://www.expertadvertisingsolutions.com/ DATE: 06/23/2009 06:37:03 AM These tips are very useful for me.n general Internet Marketing would include SEO and other tools available online. There are many strategies that we could implement which would help to generate good amount of traffic and also create a presence in the search engines. For more information please visit :http://www.expertadvertisingsolutions.com/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Paul Shortcut to internet EMAIL: fpjpaulpns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.146.49 URL: http://www.jeffpaulproducts.com DATE: 09/29/2009 02:25:36 AM The success for online marketing is dependent on adoptibity of SEO key rules and guideline in order to avial a preferrable web postion . ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Paul internet marketing EMAIL: fpibrns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.146.11 URL: http://www.internet-business-review.com DATE: 09/30/2009 12:48:02 AM These secrets to SEO and Internet Marketing gives clear picture on how to acieve appropiate position on top search engines . ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Outsourcing Tech Support EMAIL: jaimeportman1205@yahoo.com IP: 122.53.68.2 URL: http://www.openaccessmarketing.com DATE: 02/22/2010 08:39:09 PM An insightful and articulate post! Thank you for your thoughts; you bring up an interesting point. Valuable thoughts and advices. I read your topic with great interest! Really nice post. Very good points. I hope plenty of people see it. -Jaime ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Callaway Goes Digital with Online Magazine Launch STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: callaway-goes-digital-with-online-magazine-launch CATEGORY: digital magazines DATE: 04/29/2009 01:01:19 PM ----- BODY: I had a nice email conversation with my friend Nick Green from MacDUFF about their recent launch of the Callaway Online Magazine. Here are some of the outtakes.
Joe - Why did Callaway decide to produce this?
Nick - MacDUFF approached Callaway Golf about a year ago with the idea. With print and US Postal Service charges on the rise and marketing budgets under stress we felt the time was right to go online. Callaway is a technological leader in golf and believe the iMAG can reiterate their stance.
(Note from Joe - MacDUFF refers to a digital/online magazine as an iMAG. MacDUFF built the Callaway iMAG using flash technology.)
Joe - How is the digital magazine/iMAG distributed?
Nick - Through Callaway's home page (it's on the navigation bar), a regular email blast to their consumer database and other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. We are also encouraging consumers to share the content through a share function on each page.
Joe - What type of statistics can you share?
Nick - We literally just launched it and the reaction has been terrific. No stats to share yet, but our client is thrilled distribution costs have fallen 60%! The printed magazine was distributed quarterly to 800,000 people. We are testing the iMag without the print option. A six-page refresh is going up this week, which we will continue each month.
The initial reader response has been amazing. Video downloads, shares, forwards are all ahead of our expectations
Joe - How does it integrate with the print magazine?
Nick - It is promoted through the print magazine and features additional content, video golf instruction and read on content. Our print readers can get it and it is also open to all those with web access.
Joe (in Summary) - We've seen customers across the board in multiple markets opt-in to receive digital magazines in replace of the print version. It's possible to see up to 20% of readers choose to convert from the print to the digital version (in addition to some new additional online-only distribution - often international).
In Callaway's case, it looks like they are taking this opportunity to invest in fresher, more sharable content for their customers. Only time will tell whether this will be a successful move, but it's clear that brands from every sector are starting to invest more print custom magazine dollars into either digital versions or web content. The print isn't going away, but it's definitely being cut. The marketers I talk with are pocketing half the savings, and taking the other half and investing it on the web.
We'll catch up with Nick in a few months to see how things are progressing. Thanks Nick!
Related Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Fergus Stoddart EMAIL: fergus.Stoddart@edgecustom.com.au IP: 125.255.10.171 URL: http://www.edgecustom.com.au DATE: 07/16/2010 03:56:46 PM It would be great to see a follow up to this. Now it is up and running what are the results? We still have a number of very sceptical clients about this format. The KLM example still seems to be the one that can demonstrate success which is strange with a digital format that is so easily trackable. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Not Web Content, Quality Web Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: not-web-content-quality-web-content CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 04/23/2009 10:02:07 PM ----- BODY:Interesting research from the Aberdeen Group on how web content management technology is transforming digital marketing. This is a gated report, so you'll have to sign up to get it...but there is some quality information in here about the evolution of web content.
Portions of the report discuss the corporate goal of improving web content. Getting content is usually not the problem for businesses. Almost all organizations have truckloads of content. The challenge is taking information inside and around a company and creating valuable, relevant compelling content from that information.
On that note, the top three web content strategies for improving web content as discussed in this report are:
Number one (improving the quality of web content) wins this battle in a landslide. And rightfully so.
The disconnect in most businesses is this: the average company still generates the majority of their web content/information focused on the company, brand products or services. That's great for the few customers that know exactly what they want.
The rest of your customers and prospects are saying "I don't care about your products and services. I care about myself and my personal and business needs."
Are you among the 81% of businesses looking at improving the quality of your web content? Then create content that addresses what your customers care about. Solve their challenges. Solve their pain points. Be relevant. Become their trusted adviser.
That's how you improve your web content - and is the start of a content marketing strategy.
Special thanks to David Drickhamer for sending on the report.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Barb Sawyers EMAIL: barb@barbsawyers.ca IP: 69.159.194.244 URL: http://barbsawyers.wordpress.com DATE: 04/24/2009 11:18:57 AM My top advice on quality content: Clearly state your main idea and how it affects your target audience in the first 25 words. Vital for anything read online. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jenny Pilley EMAIL: jenny@creare.co.uk IP: 86.139.157.108 URL: http://www.crearecommunications.co.uk DATE: 05/01/2009 04:17:01 AM Excellent advice. I think concise content that isn't full of jargon is a great way to attract your audience. I agree completely with the fact people want to know what they can get out of your service not just what you've achieved. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Bonchek EMAIL: mbonchek@trumancompany.com IP: 98.229.98.36 URL: http://www.trumancompany.com DATE: 05/03/2009 11:43:51 PM Another way to create quality content is to showcase your customers as thought leaders ... not testimonials, but their views on organizational and industry issues. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: atul chatterjee EMAIL: atul.writer@gmail.com IP: 122.163.146.42 URL: http://www.vistasad.com DATE: 05/07/2009 06:02:12 AM Agreed. But Joe most company owners feel egotistical about their own offerings. Therein lies one problem. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/07/2009 07:29:12 AM I would agree Atul...and that is the problem. In order to "sell more" today, you actually need to "sell less". By focusing on valuable, relevant, compelling content for your customers, you'll build credibility and trust and they'll want to work with you. It's not easy. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: Buzzword STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-buzzword DATE: 04/23/2009 03:32:55 PM ----- BODY:Content Marketing: Buzzword of the Year or Marketing Strategy?
Had a great conversation with Lisa Petrilli from MENG today about the evolution of content marketing. Back in 2000, Jim McDermott (Penton Media's Director of Custom Media) and I were kicking around concepts to turn our small custom publishing group into a content marketing agency (big thinking at the time for a business publisher). Although we didn't know if we invented the phrase, we knew that was our ultimate direction - to help companies market their products and services by creating consistent, valuable content through print, electronic and in-person channels - was dead on.
When we launched our startup Junta42 in 2007 we were the search engine dedicated to content marketing (we've changed a bit since then). At that time, there wasn't a marketer who knew what content marketing was.
Fast forward to today, and content marketing is everywhere. Just this week I've read some outstanding articles on content marketing from Valeria Maltoni, Copyblogger.com and Rick Liebling.
I picked this up from SlideShare by Seth Goldstein, CEO of SocialMedia.com. This is one of those presentations that just don't come around very often. If you have an executive that just doesn't get social media, show them this.
Favorite quote: "Social media is about enabling lots of little stories to be created by lots of different people at the same time."
Thanks Seth!
Really cool eBook by Amplifier Content Marketing (full disclosure: Amplifier is a client of mine) called "Five Music Marketing Ideas that Could Pay Dividends Now".
Truthfully, the five ideas in this eBook could be applied to any industry, not just music. Also includes some amazing examples and case studies.
The five ideas to seriously consider now for your brand (according to the eBook) include:
Download the full PDF of the eBook here. Thanks to Glenn Sabin from Amplifier for putting this together.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: sam EMAIL: slsfadify@yahoo.co.uk IP: 88.211.30.66 URL: DATE: 04/23/2009 04:39:58 AM ok ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Al EMAIL: al@youcansubmit.com IP: 74.185.181.119 URL: http://www.youcansubmit.com/blog/ DATE: 04/28/2009 08:08:27 AM Good Post thanks al ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Digital Magazine Examples - KLM Leads the Way with iFly STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: digital-magazine-examples-klm-leads-the-way-with-ifly CATEGORY: digital magazines DATE: 04/16/2009 08:40:33 AM ----- BODY: I had an interesting email conversation with Sak van den Boom at CustomerMedia.nl about digital magazines recently.
We can't seem to find a company doing more with the digital magazine format than KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and their digital magazine iFly. If you haven't seen it before, it's one of the very few digital magazine examples that fully integrates flash and video into a customer experience, and tracks customer usage. It's worth checking out.
But is it working? Definitely. After each issue is released, an email is sent to KLM customers, who then click through to the magazine issue. That way, KLM can track the behavior of each of their customers from the email. KLM can then track this information back to repeat ticket sales (the ultimate goal for the magazine is to sell additional tickets to their customers).
Here are some of the findings.
(thanks to Sak and Arjen Bonsing for putting together these incredible stats)
Digital Magazines in the States
To find out why more of these types of digital mags aren't produced by US corporations, I went to experts Marcus Grimm from Nxtbook and Cimarron Buser from Texterity.
From what I can gather, most digital magazines start as print, not as stand-alone digital magazines. Since that is the case, most publishers take the PDF-version of the magazine and optimize it for the web (integrating flash, video or RSS after the original print version is created). It also seems that many US companies opt for using microsites or independent websites instead of digital magazines, such as P&G have with homemadesimple.com or beinggirl.com.
Also, the investment in custom flash technology does cost quite a bit more for custom programming, which is another reason why people simply tweak the PDF versions.
Regardless, Marcus and Cim were able to share some great digital magazine examples, including:
The Future of Digital Magazines
There is no doubt that digital magazines have always been a great option at giving publishers a proven digital replica option for their magazine, which can increase international subscriptions, and allow publishers to be more choosy in who they send their printed version to.
For marketers like KLM, it's a excellent option if you want to track exactly what your customers are doing. Stats like the ones that KLM have received are much more challenging to get on a website version (as it pertains to one-to-one customer information). Also, if I already have a print magazine version, a digital replica is a no-brainer.
That said, if I were to start an online magazine, I'm not sure I would use a digital magazine format. Seems like it may be better to open it up via a website and make it more possible for customers and prospects to actively share the information.
(Added after conversation with Marcus - interesting take "website is better to attract customers, digital magazine may be a better option for retention efforts...hmmm).
What say you?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Craig Hodges EMAIL: craig.hodges@edgecustom.com.au IP: 165.228.115.199 URL: http://www.edgecustom.com.au DATE: 04/16/2009 09:45:32 PM what a great example of what a digital magazine can be---using the best of flash and video to get results for a client. With my custom publisher hat on the biggest challenge is getting clients to think of the digital mag as a "blank canvas" and start again-- not be a cheaper alternative to mail as a distribution model. We've always said that it should be a new communication piece with different ways of getting a message across just the same as a microsite is to a custom magazine. Are digital mags going to make it?---well if we keep seeing examples of this ilk they may well get there as a viable option for our clients to get their customers to move in the right direction.... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: calvin lloyd EMAIL: uceceo@gmail.com IP: 70.63.110.87 URL: http://www.ucemag.com DATE: 04/25/2009 12:53:02 PM i say check out UCE Magazine, a standalone digital magazine with a global readership: http://www.ucemag.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ted EMAIL: flerie@zonnet.nl IP: 86.92.57.111 URL: http://www.bomvol.com DATE: 04/26/2009 07:21:50 AM ever checked www.bomvol.com ? This is the best example i've ever seen. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.96.235 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/26/2009 08:20:11 AM @Calvin...UCE doesn't look like it's a company sponsored magazine (at least I can't find it if it is). @ted Looks cool. Is there an English version? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bright 4 EMAIL: gawin@bright4.nl IP: 80.101.211.80 URL: http://www.bright4.nl DATE: 05/04/2009 09:58:35 AM Nice examples idd, although I must say that this is not so innovative and new... We worked on an online magazine for KPN (Dutch telecom provider) for it's Hi Paars brand at the end of 2006. Including user tracking etc: http://www.paarsmagazine.nl Now we would probably change a lot of things (3 years more experience), but they still use the site and update the content often. It is indeed a nice bridge between the paper feeling and online world. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andrew EMAIL: andrew.davies@idiomag.com IP: 86.149.12.0 URL: http://platform.idiomag.com DATE: 05/05/2009 08:09:47 AM UCE Magazine looks great - but yes agreed Joe, I dont think it is a company-sponsored mag. thanks very much for the details on iFly - really fascinating! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Three Things Now! - Content Marketing, Listening and Social Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: three-things-now-content-marketing-listening-and-social-media CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 04/14/2009 09:39:32 PM ----- BODY:I gave this presentation last week at the Esource Utility Marketing Conference in Phoenix, AZ.
Here are a couple key takeaways from the presentation above.
We Have Come Full Circle
Centuries ago, the information world as we knew it was shaped by many voices. Thousands of newspapers and pamphlets from across North America was how people become informed through media.
Then came big newspapers, big television, big radio. We went from many voices to few voices.
What that means as marketers is that we need to adjust where we place our attention and budget. 70% of marketing dollars still goes toward "bigger, placed media". Knowing how media has changed, does this still make sense? Probably not.
Marketing Today is Publishing
For our marketing to succeed, we, as marketers, need to understand what successful publishing is. The majority of our marketing spend needs to be dedicated to the creation of consistent valuable and relevant information to our customer segments.
But even that's not good enough? We need to develop this information in ways that can easily be spread.
I've never had anyone send me a print ad, or forward me an online display advertisement. But I've had many forward an interesting article, video, or piece of branded software.
If your content is something that your customers are willing to share, you've unlocked the secret of engagement.
Be the Trusted Expert in "Something"
Being a provider of some product or service is not good enough today. You need to be the trusted expert of something. Figuring out what that "something" is for your customers will ensure that you actually have long-lasting relationships with your customers.
Social Media Should Be about Listening FIRST
If you aren't using social media tools such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook to listen, forget about distribution. Never has there been greater opportunity to talk one-on-one with your customers. Don't screw that up by shoving content down their throats before you really understand what their pain points are.
Content and Social Media - Follow These Steps!
Thanks to the great folks at Esource for putting together an unforgettable event.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Tilton EMAIL: stilton@tentonmarketing.com IP: 96.237.60.2 URL: http://www.savvyb2bmarketing.com DATE: 04/15/2009 09:35:23 PM Joe, I love how you laid out the 7 steps for content and social media. I think many marketers struggle to make the connection between creating relevant, meaningful content (that isn't focused on their offerings) and how that will ultimately lead to business. These steps show the natural progression and help bridge the gap. Though tangential, this makes me think of a study showing that the majority of people tend to choose organic search results over paid listings. They view advertisements skeptically because they know they're being sold to. They rightfully view product/service-focused content the same way. Once marketers honor the fact that prospects are hungry for promotion-free content, they can take the conversation to a new level. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 67.191.68.66 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/16/2009 07:31:23 AM Thanks Stephanie...great point. If a content strategy is committed to, there is nothing better to begin having conversations with your customers. It's just hard for companies to be patient, and actually dedicate resources to content that does not talk about their products. I am seeing glimmers of light though... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Moving from Journalist to Content Strategist STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: moving-from-journalist-to-content-strategist CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: journalists DATE: 04/09/2009 10:00:59 PM ----- BODY:I've had a number of journalists email me recently about making the transition to become a content strategist.
So, I've been sending out notes to a few content marketing / content strategy experts to get some responses to that question. My good friend Simon Kelly from Story Worldwide was nice enough to offer his expertise in this area. Here are some outtakes from our email discussions.
Joe - How would you define a content strategist?
Simon - I would define a content strategist as someone who marries the best practices of investigative journalism, magazine editorial planning, information architecture and marketing planning.
Joe - Sounds like a tough task. How would this be executed?
Simon - The content strategist needs to pay closer attention to story-listening (the investigative peeling away of layers to unearth the brand truth and take a narrative, as opposed to data-driven, approach to consumer, brand and category insights) to define a brand’s story platform. This platform informs the brand’s authority to publish content and enables the content strategist to create a content plan that supports both the marketing objectives as well as the audience information needs.
Content strategists that are trained in journalism know that a content plan needs to engage an audience over time and build trust through a consistently authentic voice that delivers useful and entertaining experiences each time (aka publishing), as opposed to most branded web-site launches that may start off with a bang but soon fizzle over time due to lack of a long-term content plan.
Joe - What do journalists need to do to make the transition to becoming a content strategist?
Simon - In order for journalists to successfully make the transition to becoming content strategists they have to add another dimension to their editorial mind/skill set - that of the brand: its story, its needs, its filter and voice, then go about it following familiar editorial steps.
*********
I truly believe that we are seeing an amazing opportunity for journalists, but not in the jobs and roles that made journalism famous. Brands are the ones that need the help of journalists now more than ever. Why? Because in order to survive as a business today, you have to learn how to tell a story that is relevant to your customers. Journalists can do that.
Simon's advice is a great start for those who are looking for the next great opportunity.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Megan Tsai, Red Wagon Writing EMAIL: megan@redwagonwriting.com IP: 24.245.35.125 URL: http://www.redwagonwriting.com DATE: 04/10/2009 09:43:44 AM As a former TV journalist turned copywriter and consultant specializing in content creation, I finally know what to call myself. Thanks for the great insight and for recognizing the unique skill set former journalists bring to content marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dave Pool EMAIL: dave.pool@comcast.net IP: 68.35.174.179 URL: http://www.davepool.com DATE: 04/10/2009 11:16:43 AM Simon Kelly should also appreciate that a journalist turned content strategist (buzzword alert!) or whatever should have learned somewhere along the line the difference between "its" and "it's" ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 67.191.68.66 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/10/2009 08:26:42 PM @ Megan...wonderful news. @ Dave...that's my fault. Lack of proofreading. That's what I get for blogging when I'm in sunny Florida. Thanks for the heads up. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Frangos EMAIL: scott@webfadds.com IP: 97.120.115.17 URL: http://www.webfadds.com DATE: 04/11/2009 04:38:31 PM Hi Joe - Great post. Years ago, I began as a Journalist and my blog writing tool was a Smith Corona manual typewriter. Then.... whoosh, and fast forward, blowing past those who said "I'll never use a computer", "the computer cannot do typesetting", "the computer cannot be used to do art", and (sorry photogs), "digital will never replace film". This is just another way of saying that a number of skills have been encapsulated into communications work. You still need some specialists (designers are not usually good copy writers and vice versa), but as you laid out -- some skill sets continue to converge. The trick is to know the difference. And yes, we can use more than 10 percent of our brain capacity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Julie Espinosa EMAIL: julieannespinosa@gmail.com IP: 68.2.60.171 URL: http://julieespinosa.wordpress.com DATE: 04/13/2009 02:14:32 AM I think that many journalists are leery of swearing allegiance to corporations, and may not feel comfortable aligning with a brand for its communications needs. The dilemma may be informed by the traditional split between PR and journalism. But there's more to the practice of content strategy than merely shifting your allegiance. It's truly about blending the considerations of reporter, editor AND publisher, and getting all three aspects together is no easy task. But for those of us attempting it, we're finding more opportunities "to engage an audience over time and build trust through a consistently authentic voice that delivers useful and entertaining experiences each time." And that's a potentially very satisfying challenge! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: simon kelly EMAIL: simon.kelly@storyworldwide.com IP: 38.104.68.190 URL: http://www.storyworldwide.com DATE: 04/13/2009 08:11:31 AM Thanks for your comment Julie. I think the dawning realization is that in this new post-advertising age the brand is the publisher. For sure, many journalists are leery of this shift, but as some people have realized, its not journalism that needs fixing, but advertising. The new advertising model is a collaboration between publisher (brand), editor and audience. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel Lovinger EMAIL: rachel.lovinger@gmail.com IP: 12.155.21.10 URL: http://blog.rachellovinger.com DATE: 06/14/2009 09:58:51 PM I feel the need to point out that Content Marketing is not synonymous with Content Strategy. Yes, Content Strategy is concerned with branding, business needs, and storytelling, but there are many aspects of the practice that have nothing to do with marketing or messaging. For example, in my work, I'm very focused on the "data-driven" aspects of content and user experience that, for some reason, Simon Kelly claims Content Strategists don't have to think about. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.17.46.101 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/14/2009 10:24:57 PM Thanks Rachel...I agree with you that content marketing and content strategy are two different things. Probably better to say that content marketing is a subset of content strategy. Especially for online, content strategy employs a number of UX/IA issues that have not normally been a part of the content marketing process. Perhaps Simon has a take on this as well? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO Web Design EMAIL: ebizsubmit@hotmail.com IP: 221.120.250.101 URL: http://www.ebizwebworks.com DATE: 01/16/2010 12:49:46 AM good job ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Keeping Score - Measuring the Effectiveness of Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: keeping-score-measuring-the-effectiveness-of-content CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 04/06/2009 01:20:09 PM ----- BODY:
Thanks to Keith Wiegold for today's guest post. Great stuff!
Scene: in swanky men’s locker room of Bushwood Country Club
Judge Smails: “What did you shoot today, Ty?”
Ty Webb: “Oh, you know I never keep score, Judge Smails.”
Judge: “Then how do you measure yourself against other golfers?”
Webb: “By height?”
-- Caddyshack, 1980
Right now, maybe more than ever, your content marketing efforts deserve a little measurement. Amidst budget cuts and strapped resources, elements of a marketing communication plan that lack at least some metrics linking back to effectiveness tend to be early casualties. “Nice to have” is often “first to go.”
But more than simply protecting your endeavors (and their corresponding budgets), measurement should be a vital element in any content marketing strategy – bear or bull, boom or bust. Content that fails to link back to marcomm objectives is surely “content” with a lower case “c.”
Even placing some very basic metrics in place takes the first few steps to ensuring your content is doing its job – to your client or yourself -- and can lead to increasing effectiveness by applying learning from the measurement’s results.
Here is a quick list to get your content marketing strategy in the swing of measurement:
Simply put, set objectives. Define what ‘success’ means for your program and get it down/approved in writing.
Make certain your objectives are not only measurable (including specific growth number and timelines), but can be achieved directly through the use of content marketing. Think of it this way: Content marketing should not be tasked with ‘cutting operating costs by 15%” but can be challenged to “reduce customer churn by 15%.”
Remember that the flow begins with a Business Objective, then a Marketing Objective, next a Marcomm Objective, and finally a Content Strategy. Your strategy should be solving the Marcomm objective.
Prior to writing word one, creating app one, or snapping photo one, put in place a budget for measurement. More times than I care to recall, marketers would eschew this as ‘cost savings’ up front, preferring to “get on with” the creative. Inevitably, someone (CFO, COO, etc.) somewhere else in the organization raises questions (usually just after the initiative begins, or worse – as budgets need slashing) about effectiveness, ROI, accountability. The base investment budgeted before ‘the work’ begins anticipates this, and puts in place a means for continuous improvement to the content marketing efforts.
This goes hand-in-hand with both setting objectives and budgeting. Again, before the initiatives are introduced to the marketplace, take a benchmark reading of your planned metrics. Comparing post-effort results with pre-effort marks is valuable for new initiatives to existing efforts and brand-new initiatives alike. Remember, tracking studies compare similar metrics over time, and they have to start sometime. No time like the present.
Legacy efforts, as well as off-line efforts, often look to ‘soft measures’ to determine effectiveness. Mostly determined by four- through ten-point scales, these softer metrics seek to measure customer self-reported awareness, attitudes, and intention. Traditional thought suggests there is a large enough disconnect between reported intent and actual behavior to render these softer self-reported metrics ineffective; however, the most recent views on the subject find ‘reported intention’ as a better predictor of brand loyalty when compared to actual behavior – which can suffer from tactical promotions more readily than deep felt intention.
Our digital age provides the opportunity to link actual behavior directly to content marketing efforts. Metrics such as time spent on site, page views per session, repeat visits, and even click-throughs can indicate activity from the result of content marketing. Marketers with ecommerce capabilities can measure the ultimate behavior, transaction, and the role content plays on cross-sell, up-sell, and retention, amongst other metrics.
Our forefathers in direct marketing have passed along to us in modern day integrated marketing the building blocks of segmentation, test/control, A/B testing, and other disciplines based in the creation of Experimental Design.
On the most basic of levels, a simple Experimental Design will hypothesize what your Content Marketing Strategy aims to achieve on behalf of the Marcomm objective, then puts in place a test to measure it. Choose a target segment that you believe will be most influenced by your content efforts and test that against a secondary segment. Or take a key segment and randomly separate out a test portion (those who receive the content) and a control portion (those who do not) and measure the effect over time. You’ll need the assistance of a data analyst, but will be pleased with the quality of measurement your data will unleash.
While this is a simple primer of a checklist for involving measurement in your content marketing strategies, remember these two key points:
Now….how ‘bout a Fresca?
Keith Wiegold is Chief Content Evangelist at Nutlug Content Marketing, and creator of C.A.R.E ™, a proprietary strategic framework for Customer Acquisition and Retention through Engagement. He can be reached at keith[at]marketingcontentstrategy.com.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jean EMAIL: jean.fleming@gmail.com IP: 66.178.161.10 URL: http://www.bnj.com DATE: 04/07/2009 03:48:17 PM Great stuff and such an important topic as ROI is coming home to content efforts. Would love to get your thoughts on how to benchmark engagement. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nigel Dean EMAIL: nigel.dean@yahoo.co.uk IP: 194.145.223.7 URL: http://www.twitter.com/nigel_dean DATE: 04/08/2009 09:42:03 AM Excellent post. I think content marketing has a great future but needs firm objectives, suitable metrics and measurement of the results. Fail to do this and we will never improve, can't align content within our overall marketing strategy and can't argue a hard case for Content Marketing in the boardroom. From my situation, that is essential. If you can't argue the case, it ain't going to happen! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Keith Wiegold EMAIL: keith@marketingcontentstrategy.com IP: 66.99.235.2 URL: DATE: 04/08/2009 05:22:46 PM @Jean and @Nigel: thanks for the comments! Jean -- would enjoy chatting further about benchmarking engagement. Contact me on Twitter (ContentKeith) or via email keith (at) marketingcontentstrategy (dot) com . ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: N.Jonathan Christopher EMAIL: jnchris.nannety@gmail.com IP: 124.125.107.145 URL: http://www.p2w2.com DATE: 04/09/2009 01:26:57 AM Content marketing efforts needs those who have creativity and passion to be successful apart from planning the metrics and having firm objectives. -Jonathan http://www.p2w2.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Eight Tips for the Twitter Beginner STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: eight-tips-for-the-twitter-beginner CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 03/31/2009 04:43:56 PM ----- BODY:
I've been traveling non-stop recently - from California to New York to Florida to Europe and back. Everywhere I go, I ask people about their Twitter usage. Not surprisingly, I see about 10% or less usage across the board (not including the online marketing audiences, which have generally been north of 50%+ usage).
I've read a lot of really good Twitter posts recently, including the Ultimate Guide to Everything Twitter to How Huge Brands Are Using Twitter to 101 Ways to Be Rocked by Twitter. All good and useful. Yet, I still get questioned from most marketing executives who truly believe Twitter is a waste of time. About a year ago, I agreed with them. Now, Twitter is one of the most important business tools I use and drives more than 10% of our total website traffic.
So, here are just some baby steps that you usually don't learn until you are well into your Twitter career (struggling to figure out how to use it). Hopefully these will be helpful.
If you haven't already, it's time to take this tool seriously.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Emily Sheetz EMAIL: sheetz.e@gmail.com IP: 68.46.184.52 URL: http://phillywordsmith.blogspot.com DATE: 03/31/2009 10:50:58 PM Thanks for a great post, Joe. I am loving these easy Twitter tips. They are great for passing along to friends who are new the game. I also get sad when people are not on and do not even care about the potential of Twitter. It has proven massively effective for several companies. Why would you ignore that? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.111.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/31/2009 10:52:43 PM Thanks Emily...it's only a matter of time. Keep the feedback coming! jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: yinka olaito EMAIL: yinka@yinkaolaito.com IP: 83.229.92.14 URL: http://www.yinkaolaito.com DATE: 05/08/2009 08:45:00 AM very instructive, i will tweet it on my twitter. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: roket EMAIL: asi_boyz@hotmail.com IP: 81.213.160.175 URL: http://www.rokettubem.com DATE: 08/08/2009 08:19:53 AM very instructive, i will tweet it on my twitter. ----- PING: TITLE: Top 10 Twitter Basics Questions Answered URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/11/twitter-basics-questions-answered.html IP: 10.17.151.32 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 11/10/2009 08:51:38 AM Just about every day I answer a question about using Twitter, the microblogging tool. I've put them together in this handy post. Enjoy, and, if you like getting information on content marketing, feel free to follow me @juntajoe. Question #1... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Future of News STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-future-of-news CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 03/30/2009 09:50:00 AM ----- BODY:Nine minutes of time well spent if you are interested in the future of news. This report by CBS investigator Jeff Greenfield covers the downfall of newspapers, how consumer behavior is changing, and a few of the solutions for the newspaper industry (including a micropayment model).
What's most interesting to me is how many non-media companies are beginning to report on their industries similar to the way a newspaper covers a community now. There may be a couple ideas in here on what your team of content strategists can do to position your company as a more trusted resource.
You'll also note in this video the changing of the competitive set for newspapers. What they don't mention is that many of our information outlets are starting to come from corporate blogs and news sites.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan Hutson EMAIL: dan@pokethebeehive.com IP: 76.175.204.111 URL: http://www.pokethebeehive.com DATE: 04/05/2009 07:18:50 PM I thought this was interesting but pretty basic and oriented toward an audience not really deeply knowledgeable about what's happening in journalism (it is a mass media report, after all). One of the problems I see is that too many mainstream journalists seem unable to separate the product from the delivery channel. "Newspaper" is a vehicle; "journalism" is the product. The death of newspapers is no more the death of journalism than the death of the horse-drawn carriage was the death of transportation. Another problem I have is the view some hold that newspapers are the highest form of journalism. I bow to no one in my admiration of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for what they accomplish. But there are far more lousy papers out there then great ones. I haven't read it yet, but the reviews of Dave Cullen's Columbine suggest that all the media got that story pretty much wrong from the word go. Cullen took years to put together what sounds like the most accurate and incisive account of what happened and why. Maybe the future of great journalism lies in a "wiki-style" approach where important stories are told, revised, retold and continually evolve into what most closely approximates reality. Now that's a service I'd pay for. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New Get Content Get Customers Out Soon STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-get-content-get-customers-out-soon CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 03/27/2009 03:27:00 PM ----- BODY:
Excited to show you the new cover for the revised and updated paperback version of Get Content Get Customers (Turn Prospects Into Buyers with Content Marketing), which will be available in bookstores on May 22nd.
Thanks to David Meerman Scott for providing the cover quote, and Paul Gillin for writing an outstanding forward.
For those of you not familiar with the book, here's more on the initial version, which was self-published. Since then, McGraw-Hill (our current publishers) purchased the rights to the book and, tada, the book you see to your right. Content marketing in action.
And, by the way, the paperback does include new case studies and has a few expanded pages on social media content marketing.
I really believe that anyone passionate about a topic should write a book. If that's you, check out this post I wrote a while back - "10 Keys to Writing a Book when You Have No Time to Write a Book."
To pre-order the paperback version, click here.
An excellent report from Michael Stelzner on the state of social media marketing today. Michael received responses from over 900 marketers, and compiled this report that shows trends on social media in general, usage of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others.
A couple key statistics:
Great stuff Michael. Thanks!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ruthie Appleby EMAIL: RuthieLive@gmail.com IP: 24.59.141.88 URL: http://Ruthietalk.ning.com DATE: 03/27/2009 01:46:04 AM Excellent! Ruthie http://Ruthietalk.ning.com (my social media site!) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Annie EMAIL: ann.marisz@gmail.com IP: 59.93.163.84 URL: http://www.advertisingb2b.com DATE: 03/28/2009 09:02:35 AM relevant post with the time as content marketing is slowly growing ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: When BBC (Bad Branded Content) Strikes STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: when-bbc-bad-branded-content-strikes CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 03/25/2009 10:09:36 PM ----- BODY:I was on a Continental Airlines flight yesterday and starting leafing through their in-flight magazine, Continental. I may be the one person out there that actually seeks out and reads advertorials (ad placement in the form of content).
That's when I came to an advertorial from Valenti International, the upscale professional matchmaking service. First off, I have nothing against Valenti, but this was one of the best examples I've seen in a while of bad branded content.
Here is the first two sentences of the Valenti's advertorial story Ending the Endless Search.
Irene Valenti, the founder of professional matchmaking service Valenti International, is overflowing with insight about the ways of the world. A visionary and creative thinker, she is blessed with an amazing intuition that led her to found Valenti International nearly two decades ago.
To be honest, I stopped reading at that point. Unless the reader was Valenti's parents or husband, I'm not sure why you would read much further. This is the kind of branded content that gives branded content a bad name.
The lesson: all content, even paid advertorial, needs to focus on the needs and wants of the reader in order to be effective. It's that simple.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt Ambrose EMAIL: matt@copywriterscrucible.com IP: 81.156.54.18 URL: http://copywriterscrucible.com DATE: 03/26/2009 07:26:25 AM Agreed: showy writing isn't sales writing. Words used merely to sound impressive have little benefit to offer other than to flatter the subject's sense of self importance. Readers motivated by their own goals in life will simply turn the page and move on. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Tear Your Content Walls Down - Why Gated Content Might Not Make Sense STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: tear-your-content-walls-down-why-gated-content-might-not-make-sense CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: eBooks CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 03/24/2009 10:35:36 AM ----- BODY:So much amazing information to share from the Branded Content Conference in Miami - but one key point I wanted to share now was from David Meerman Scott's presentation on World Wide Rave.
David shared some key statistics on white papers. Almost all brands create and distribute white papers - those 8 to 20 page downloadable pdf's that are now staples in most marketing programs.
Many, dare I say, most brands (including my own company) "gate" their white papers. To "gate" a white paper means you put an information requirement in front of the content in exchange for getting access to the white paper. This could be as simple as an email address, or as complicated as purchasing information.
Here's the point David made. According to his statistics, a white paper or eBook will be downloaded 20x and up to 50x more WITHOUT a gate in front of it.
Please go back and read the last sentence again.
What is your objective?
Most people gate their content for lead or customer management purposes. This means they want the prospect's information in order to sell them something, or they want more information about the customer in order to sell to them more precisely. Makes sense, right?
This is a solid marketing objective, but is it the "best" objective, or even the "right" objective?
Shouldn't our goal with the creation of branded content be to spread our ideas? Doesn't it make more sense from a marketing perspective to have fifty people engage in our content instead of one?
And here is a key point that David made clear. Who are the customers you have that will actively share your content? Bloggers. What customers do you have that usually DO NOT download gated content? Bloggers.
So, not only are we limiting the people that will get access to our content, we are cutting off those customers that will actively share it with their audiences.
The Possibilities
Let's say you received 1,000 leads via your white paper download. From David's numbers, let's even take a more conservative 10x more downloads if we remove the gate. This would give us 10,000 downloads with no lead data. Of all those people, let's say that 1% would share this/blog this with their audiences (with a VERY conservative audience of 100 people, although most blogs get much more).
With those numbers, the total possible content reach for gated content would be 2,000 people. Non-gated content would be 20,000 people.
And take this note to heart - I haven't seen one piece of branded content "go viral" and massively spread that was gated. If you have, please let me know. What's more important to you?...lead information on the few, or the opportunity to spread your brand to decision-makers who you are not talking with right now.
There are times and places to get customer information. Is that time or place in front of the content you want shared actively?
I have a pretty good feeling that I'll be removing the "gates" to our content very soon. How about you?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Emily Sheetz EMAIL: sheetz.e@gmail.com IP: 68.46.184.52 URL: http://phillywordsmith.blogspot.com DATE: 03/24/2009 12:01:09 PM I love Scott's approach with this. He talked about it a lot on his blog. Just share share share. That is what I've been doing and I've found enormous success with it in a rather short time. People love doing business with people who know what they're talking about. What better way to spread your ideas and knowledge than to just give the heck away! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 65.204.104.66 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 03/25/2009 09:01:48 AM I actually disagree with this...a 10x to 20x multiple for "ungating" our white paper program I think is completely unattainable. Full disclosure: we are in the global animal agribusiness and global pet food sectors and our professional communities are small compared to B2C and other B2B sectors such as electronics. I'll stick with gating the white papers on our portfolio and providing "leads" (of course, for a fee) to our sponsors until I get feedback that they are not getting enough for their investment. So far - so good. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/25/2009 09:21:20 AM Hi Jeff...I would agree that in your business (you need to collect information in order for your business model to work), you need to ask for upfront information. Do you have information on the number of drop-offs you see on a white paper download page? What is your conversion percentage? With David's point, he doubts if we would ever have had 300,000 downloads of his white paper/ebook if he made registration a requirement. I would agree with him...but my question is, how many would you lose and how many of those people would then not share the information you put together? Let me know when you get a chance, and thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patsi Krakoff aka The Blog Squad EMAIL: pkrakoff@gmail.com IP: 189.162.17.57 URL: http://www.writingontheweb.com DATE: 03/25/2009 09:29:02 AM I've always gated my stuff in order to build up various lists of people segmented by interests. Once they're on a list as having downloaded a particular ebook, white paper, or audio file interview, they are drip-fed autoresponder messages to follow up and upsell them to other similar products or services. But I don't kill them with frequent messages or incessant calls to buy. There are also messages that are purely educational to build trust and relationships. I'm in the e-newsletter services, content services, and blog consulting business. Digital information is a major marketing tool for me, as well as a source of income since clients can buy information and content for their own use. I respect David and you, Joe, and this is a 180 degree marketing turn for me to take. I will have to think it over and then experiment. Right now I'm working on an ebook and my whole purpose is to build up a list of people who want more on this topic. Part of me says, "I can't let it go out the door to anonymous people without being able to market to them afterwards!" And the other half says, "If I could get this into the hands of 10-50 times more people, surely some of them will end up coming back to me anyway." There's only one way to find out: try it. I'll get back to you on this... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/25/2009 09:35:25 AM Patsi (and Jeff) - I'm with both of you actually. I've always felt that there are times to gate content, and times not to gate it. We get most of our sign ups to the Junta42 site through the white papers and ebooks, so (like you Patsi) we can market to them later and build a relationship with them. So, what I guess I'm searching for (like you) is a when to gate, and when not to gate, your content. Let's see if I can get some more experts to comment on this issue. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 65.204.104.66 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 03/25/2009 09:56:47 AM "Do you have information on the number of drop-offs you see on a white paper download page? What is your conversion percentage?" Great question. Candid answer: not at this time. That said, we are on target to release our next generation of web sites by June 1. One of the many upgrades on these sites will be the ability to track "conversions" much better. I'd also like to show the professionals on your blog the 2 latest additions to our portfolio...robust social networking sites built on the *free* Ning platform: http://www.animalagnet.com/ for the global animal agribusiness community http://www.sawdustsoup.com/ for the N. American professional woodworking community We will release our pet food industry social networking site in the next month. I want to thank you, Joe, and the others on this blog for the great feedback on all things "social networking" and custom publishing. We are now selling custom content programs and linking them to our social networking sites as part of their programs. Working very well so far. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/25/2009 09:59:29 AM Great sites Jeff! I like the basic customization...has a nice feel to them. Keep me updated on the custom sales...sounds like things are taking off! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Meerman Scott EMAIL: david@freshspot.com IP: 173.106.162.18 URL: http://www.webinknow.com/ DATE: 03/25/2009 11:08:55 AM Hi Joe, It was great to finally meet you this week at the conference. I would really love it if you could give us statistics about your number of downloads before and after if you do end up ungating your stuff. I think the issue here is goals. If your goal is simply to build a list, than a gate is fine. If your goal is to expose people to your ideas, a gate is a bad idea. It is worth considering that a gate is actually a holdover from the direct mail business when the only way to deliver a white paper request in hard copy was via a Business Reply Card. Marketers just used the same things online. My ideas are always that online is different. One other point. Many companies have terrific success with a secondary offer in the white paper or ebook. In other words, the initial content is free with no gate. Then at the end there is an offer for those who are interested. That second offer captures people who are REALLY interested. David ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael A. Stelzner EMAIL: mike@whitepapersource.com IP: 99.157.80.86 URL: http://www.WritingWhitePapers.com/blog/ DATE: 03/25/2009 11:28:44 AM Hey Joe (and David); Here's my thought on this... IT DEPENDS. Yes, that's right. It depends why you created the content in the first place. If you sell expensive or complex products and need to feed leads to your sales organization, then following a "smart" gated process would be wise. However, if your product is an idea or concept (like a book) and your goal is exposure, then it makes total sense to ungate your content. Only GOOD content is shared. If your content sucks, go ahead and gate it. Two examples, yesterday I released some GOOD content and more than 10,000 people downloaded it in one day. My objective here is exposure, not leads. See http://www.whitepapersource.com/socialmediamarketing/report/ Example 2: I have a paper called "How to write a white paper" that has been "registered for" by more than 70,000 people. I use their contact data to grow my very large list and sell them my products. It has been very successful (just Google white paper and you'll see it there #2). So, both work and depend on your goals and objectives. How's that for an answer?? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.111.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/25/2009 02:09:22 PM @ David/Mike Great analysis on both parts. As always, it comes back to the objective. Of course David...the next white paper we launch will go ungated, so it will be interesting to see how it performs against the other ones. Mike...great report! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jean Fleming EMAIL: jeanf@bnj.com IP: 66.178.161.10 URL: http://www.bnj.com DATE: 03/27/2009 11:30:47 AM Great article and informative comments. I would add that as an agency, we are beholden to the goals of our clients, which are usually short term lead-gen rather than idea sharing. We are working on ways to passively profile users so that we gather the same info slowly, without the portcullis-like form up front. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Clark EMAIL: copyblogger@gmail.com IP: 71.170.6.144 URL: http://www.copyblogger.com DATE: 09/01/2009 08:42:08 AM David hits it on the head with his point about providing content first and then using a call to action to collect information after, rather than before. New studies show that reciprocity is stronger than reward in the context of opt-in information. The whole idea of promising content in exchange for an email address or RSS reader addition is based on reward – essentially I’ll give you this stuff if you do what I want. Reciprocity is a much stronger psychological motivator. If you deliver great content and then ask for the subscription, the research shows that twice as many people will go ahead and subscribe at that point. As Mike says, that means the content can't suck. I think this is a big reason why gated is still preferred. I explained yesterday that this was part of the reason I "ungated" my Authority Rules report. You can check that out here: http://www.copyblogger.com/authority-rules-report/ (there is also a link to the research I refer to). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.219 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/01/2009 08:50:06 AM Excellent points Brian. As you know, love your Authority Rules concept and your take on whey gated content is still preferred. Do you have any metrics that you'd be willing to share on the results of Authority Rules to date? ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Change is coming faster than you think STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: change-is-coming-faster-than-you-think CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 03/19/2009 01:17:04 PM ----- BODY:If you have told yourself recently that new media marketing will not affect your industry or your business significantly because of FILL IN THE BLANK, then watch this video.
Change is happening faster every second. What changes will you make?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Richard Shatto EMAIL: wordstorms@gmail.com IP: 75.157.31.41 URL: http://rshatto.wordpress.com DATE: 03/19/2009 05:04:34 PM Joe, this is an amazing compilation of past and future facts and statistics about information and the future in our age of technology. (That's an awful sentence but I don't have time to clean it up.) The question posed at the end is equally amazing. Since I don't believe it can really BE answered, I'm glad they didn't try... although it is certainly fun to ponder. Thanks for continually sending out great "content", I look forward to yours more than most. ~rs ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gee Ranasinha EMAIL: gee@kexino.com IP: 83.194.111.57 URL: http://blog.kexino.com/ DATE: 03/20/2009 04:28:51 AM It's a great video. But what is not made clear is that this is an update of the famous "Shift Happens" video by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod that was created in 2006. http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: peterK EMAIL: info@proseo.dk IP: 62.199.1.206 URL: http://www.proseo.dk DATE: 03/22/2009 04:55:28 AM Great informations and statistics, really relevant stuff. Cheers for awesome post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl Foxley EMAIL: karlfoxley@googlemail.com IP: 86.0.225.75 URL: http://karlmfoxley.com DATE: 03/23/2009 05:39:25 PM This is a very powerful thought provoking video. Great research and some amazing facts. Great work and thanks for sharing. Regards, Karl ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brett Duncan, MarketingInProgress.com EMAIL: brett@marketinginprogress.com IP: 216.110.25.2 URL: http://www.marketinginprogress.com DATE: 04/01/2009 12:37:40 PM Wow. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Abhishek Shrivastava EMAIL: abhisfortitude@gmail.com IP: 129.7.239.184 URL: DATE: 10/20/2009 04:40:13 PM Amazing video Joe! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why would you buy advertising? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-would-you-buy-advertising CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 03/19/2009 01:11:27 PM ----- BODY:
It's an honest question, and was the major discussion in an interview I had today with Lauri Sihvonen, a reporter from Markkinointi&Mainonta (a publication dedicated to marketing and communication professionals in Finland) at the Ateljee bar in Helsinki.
Lauri's magazine is a mostly paid subscription publication, but they also drive revenues through online and print sponsorship. His advertisers are trying to target M&M readers to sell their products and services. Let's say that over the next few years, his advertisers were able to collect the information they needed about the M&M readers they wanted to target, and combined it into their own customer database.
Here is the question I asked Lauri: If that was the case, why would someone advertise?
Let's really think about this. In general, companies advertise to:
I'm sure there are others, but those are the biggies.
But as companies gather the information they need about their customers and prospects, the need to advertise is almost eliminated. If a brand has similar assets to a media property, why wouldn't they just go direct (through content marketing), rather than go through a distributor?
Neither of us had an answer to the question - why advertise? New markets? Possibly. New Product? Could, but why if you already can communicate directly. Credibility? Maybe, but a brand that provides quality relevant and valuable information can quickly develop a relationship with customers/readers. Site Traffic? Content works best.
All that, and it's still an interruptive media choice (not permission marketing), and is almost always the most expensive choice....and...there are more free distribution choices available than ever before (just in case brands don't have the databases they need).
It's Not Just Print
And, as we all know, the move away from advertising has been happening for a while.
Advertising is projected to be down 13% this year. Could be more.
Advertising Age itself just announced that it was cutting its number of issues from 50 to 43 or 44 this year due to the drop in advertising. “It’s pretty horrible,” said editor Jonah Bloom. “If a publication loses 50 or 60 percent versus last year, that’s half your revenue that disappeared! A great quote from someone I was talking to the other day said I’m just kind of hoping if I can get to 15 or 20 percent down, I’ll be somewhere in the middle of the pack. You know what I mean? It’s pretty serious. In our case, we feel like we’ve built a number of non-print-ad-related revenue streams.”
One problem with the online strategy Jonah - online advertising is less expensive and may be better option for marketers than print, but it is less effective each year since 2004, as click-through rates continue to decline.
It's advertising in general that's the problem...all forms. Brands are going direct, both because they can and they have to in order to stay relevant with customers.
So this was Lauri's final question..."If that's the trend, and advertising will never come back, what are media companies to do?"
My answer: If the company is built upon sponsorship revenue, find a new business model, and quickly. Most media brands have excellent credibility, a great database, industry expertise and some have the best journalists. Those assets are a great place to start to offer products and services that are not sponsorship based.
In many markets in the very near future, the look of a non-media brand and a media brand, in terms of their general activities, will be nearly identical. Everyone is a publisher and media companies need to provide products and services to survive.
What say you?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractions.com IP: 98.149.229.198 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 03/19/2009 05:52:25 PM Excellent points, Joe. I'd love to see some ideas about new revenue models for media companies. I think Tippit is capitalizing on these changes although they started out as a "new media" company. Also, this post raises another question I'd like to toss out. Why would you buy lead lists? I'd say it's pretty much the same argument. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 62.237.32.34 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/19/2009 06:02:09 PM I like your thinking Ardath. New Media business models should make for a great blog post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jan Schochet EMAIL: jannc01@charter.net IP: 69.134.120.197 URL: http://www.AlpineWebsiteAdvantage.com DATE: 03/20/2009 01:36:34 PM Here's a model that actually does two things simultaneously. 1) It publishes good news--not in the religious sense, but real good news, rather than sensationalist horror stories that fill many regular newspapers and TV news stories and 2) does it online only. I "heard it on NPR." Here's the URL: www.goodnewsnetwork.org The founder used to be a reporter for traditional media. Interesting story. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Engago Team EMAIL: engagoteam@gmail.com IP: 81.244.22.20 URL: http://www.LEADSExplorer.com DATE: 03/21/2009 04:42:01 AM In B2B 7 out of 10 deals start with an Internet search. Thus your leads are in most cases visiting your website. The problem is only 3% will ever register for a white paper download or contact you directly. This can be solved by implementing a web service that reveals the company names of your website visitors. Additionally you can qualify these companies as leads by the visit data: search terms used, pages visited, duration of visits, repeat visit and information about the company and its' business. Then you can cold call on warm companies as you can find contacts with the Internet Data Mining provided. Interesting: www.LEADSExplorer.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: dadaas EMAIL: dadaas@gmail.com IP: 78.0.210.60 URL: http://www.dadaas.com DATE: 03/29/2009 01:35:53 PM Yea, everyone needs advertising. To promote brand or just to get more people talking about you. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Five Content Marketing Books You Need to Read STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-content-marketing-books-you-need-to-read DATE: 03/17/2009 11:04:07 AM ----- BODY:Over the past month, I've had a large amount of flying time to Europe and back. That means it's been the perfect time to catch up on my reading.
Below are books that I've read and taken something significant away. I believe they can help you too (these are in no particular order).
#1 - Content Rich by Jon Wuebben
I recently had the chance to chat with Jon, and subsequently read his book. Here's my take: if SEO copywriting and content creation is important to your business (it should if it's not), this is a must read. Jon knows this stuff and will show you step by step how to do it. This will change the way you think about online content.
Best for: Anyone trying to increase conversions from search engines.
#2 - World Wide Rave by David Meerman Scott
You won't find a bigger fan than me of David's previous book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR. WW Rave is as good, if not better. If you are not a believer in the content marketing revolution, you will be after reading this book. It's a game changer. The examples are priceless. Need executive buy-in? Buy them this book.
Best for: Decision-makers that don't understand how the Internet has changed the game. Opportunity is now.
#3 - HVAC Spells Wealth by Ron Smith
As some of you know, I've done a bit of work in HVAC (Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning) publishing and marketing in my day. Through my travels I've had the opportunity to meet and work with Ron. Okay, Ron's book is not really about content marketing. But it IS one of the most practical small business operations, sales and marketing books I've ever read. Ron's examples are geared toward consumer service businesses, but the tips are priceless. Ron includes dozens of what he calls "1%ers" (small changes that when added up are game changers). I started making a list of them. I'll share in a future post. Great stuff. Get the book.
Best for: Owners and executives that need to focus more time on customers, and less time on internal politics. The process detail in invaluable.
#4 - The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Hyder
Shama was kind enough to let me preview a copy of this eBook before she released it. What I truly love about this book revolves around "the art of giving." Social media is about giving of your expertise in a way that helps your ideas spread. If you are a social media novice or a self-proclaimed social media guru, you will take some points away that will help your business. No doubt about it. Good for any sized business. Includes concrete best practices for Twitter and Facebook.
Best for: Businesses unsure about how to proceed into social media.
#5 - Personality Not Included by Rohit Bhargava
I didn't start using the term "authenticity" until after I read this book. Today's marketing environment means that brands needs to stand for something, and back that up with ideas and content that are meaningful to customers. We don't have a choice anymore. Rohit's examples are worth the price of admission.
Best for: Marketing executives trying to grasp the integration between new and traditional marketing. Those trying to find a connection with customers.
Also (warning...sales plug), I have to mention our book, Get Content Get Customers as well (revised paperback to be released in May). I've seen this book in action with both businesses and media companies, and I can guarantee that it will make a difference in your business if you implement these steps.
Finally, I haven't read it yet, but I'm intrigued by John Blossom's Content Nation. That's the next one on my list.
Any others that I should add to my content marketing reading list?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama Hyder EMAIL: shama@clicktoclient.com IP: 173.71.26.80 URL: http://clicktoclient.com DATE: 03/17/2009 11:40:10 AM Woo-hoo! Not only did you guys make my day by listing my book (humbled!) but also added to my reading list for this week. You know you rock right? : ) Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Meerman Scott EMAIL: david@freshspot.com IP: 173.106.13.54 URL: http://www.webinknow.com/ DATE: 03/17/2009 12:51:48 PM Thanks Joe, for including my book. Looking forward to meeting you in Miami in a few days! David ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 72.77.172.74 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog DATE: 03/17/2009 03:17:48 PM Joe, This is a great list. I've read some of these books (not all yet). BTW, don't hesitate to plug your own book. It's worthy of being on this list. I can say that b/c I've read it and enjoyed it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Emily Sheetz EMAIL: sheetz.e@gmail.com IP: 68.46.184.52 URL: http://phillywordsmith.blogspot.com DATE: 03/17/2009 03:45:59 PM I am so excited to check out these books. I am already an avid reader of David Meerman Scott's blog and books. I can't wait to tap into Shama Hyder's and the others on the list! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractions.com IP: 98.149.229.198 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 03/19/2009 04:35:40 PM Thanks, Joe. I just bought 3 I haven't read! And yours - which I have - definitely deserves to be on the list! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ron Smith EMAIL: ronlsmith2@bellsouth.net IP: 74.244.249.250 URL: http://www.ronsmithhvac.com DATE: 03/21/2009 03:09:33 PM Joe, Thanks for mentioning my book and I'm looking forward to working more with you in the future. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: lucky m EMAIL: filtersupply@gmail.com IP: 122.173.128.245 URL: http://www.filter-supply.com/ DATE: 07/29/2010 01:13:00 AM Joe thank you very much for the book.it's outstanding.I am so excited to check out these books. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Commandments for Custom Magazine Failure STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-commandments-for-custom-magazine-failure DATE: 03/12/2009 12:16:56 PM ----- BODY:
This topic was created for two reasons.
First, I'll be giving this presentation in Helsinki, Finland next week for their 2009 Customer Magazines Symposium.
Second, I was inspired by the book, The Ten Commandments for Business Failure, written by former Coca-Cola CEO Donald Keough (good book by the way). After reading, I thought it would be interesting to look at custom magazines in this way.
So here's the quick overview. To be sure, if you follow any of these commandments, your custom magazine will be an utter failure.
The Ten Commandments for Custom Magazine Failure
Commandment #1
Keep Thinking Like a Marketer
Some custom magazines are often positioned as glorified sales brochures - lots of company news, case studies that tell how great the company is, and advertorial type informational pieces. For a custom magazine to work, brands need to remove the "sales speak" and start to think like a publisher - with the #1 goal of providing valuable and relevant content to the reader.
David Tokheim from Six Apart put this nice roundup together about thinking like a publisher, including:
If you cannot take your sales hat off and communicate like a publisher would, your custom magazine is bound for failure.
Commandment #2
Talk about Yourself A Lot! - Sell, Sell, Sell
If you mention your company or brands more than a few times on each printed page, you're in trouble. In one test of a recent corporate magazine, we found up to 19 mentions of the company's brand and products on just ONE PAGE. How valuable could that be?
One of the cores of content marketing is that you can actually sell more in the long run by selling less (best case, not at all) in your content. Custom magazines are no different.
Commandment #3
Keep Doing the Same Thing
The majority of custom magazines still use this formula:
A custom magazine today cannot just be a custom magazine. Here is what the custom magazine of the present and the future looks like.
Commandment #4
Wait for Better Timing to Expand
There has never been a better time for marketers to leverage publishing tools than right now. The rules of the game have changed.
Commandment #5
Don't Leverage Free Online Tools
If you want your custom magazine to fail, don't use:
Usage - Finding new stories, new distribution channels, listening to customers prospects, speaking one-on-one with customers, becoming a part of the conversation in your marketplace, developing real relationships with customers and prospects.
Commandment #6
Create Multiple Marketing Objectives
Many marketers want to accomplish the following with their custom magazine:
That's a recipe for failure. Too many goals = lack of focus. To succeed, focus on one key goal.
Commandment #7
Ignore Traditional Media in Your Market
Five out of every 10 magazines and newspapers will go out of business, scale down their frequency or move entirely to the Web,” predicts Andy Cohn, vice president and group publisher, Fader Media.
The opportunity? Do what camera manufacturer Adorama did with JPG magazine and invest in traditional media outlets. Brilliant move.
Any struggling media properties in your market? Buy them.
Commandment #8
You Don't Need a Content Audit
If you want your custom magazine to fail, don't develop processes to extract the best content from inside your organization. Don't do a content audit.
The future of a custom magazine is about developing a content strategy that makes sense so you can actually "be the publisher".
Commandment #9
Let the Customer Figure Out the Action Step
If you don't have a call-to-action (some additional piece of content or valuable information) on almost every page, you'll start to have problems. Custom magazines are about creating or maintaining a behavior change, but you have to have an understanding of what you actually want your customer to do.
Commandment #10
Disregard the LEGO Principle
If you want your custom magazine to fail, don't pay any attention to LEGO magazine. Starting out as your basic custom magazine in the 80s, this top-tier magazine has spread into an email newsletter, branded music, in-person events, a social network, variable versions (LEGO Club Jr., Brickmaster), spin-offs (Bionicle magazine), and even an on-demand TV Channel.
To ensure that your magazine will not be successful, don't pay attention to what LEGO is doing.
What did we miss?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Arjun Basu EMAIL: abasu@spafax.com IP: 207.139.42.35 URL: http://www.spafax.com DATE: 03/12/2009 03:24:51 PM Excellent post, Joe. I have sent it to all senior staff, account mgs and editors. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/12/2009 03:28:05 PM Great Arjun...had a lot of fun with this post - and it also took way too much time :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Maglitta EMAIL: joe.maglitta@ziffdavisenterprise.com IP: 24.61.45.33 URL: http://www.ziffdavisenterprise.com DATE: 03/12/2009 03:28:48 PM Joe - Enjoy your work and thoughts daily. Had to write on this one. Great articulation. Keep em coming! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/12/2009 03:30:40 PM Thanks Joe...you need to post more often! Appreciate you taking the time. It's easy to keep status quo with custom magazines, which is why this post is probably timely. Cheers Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patsi Krakoff aka The Blog Squad EMAIL: pkrakoff@gmail.com IP: 189.162.77.57 URL: http://www.writingontheweb.com DATE: 03/13/2009 08:40:35 AM This is fabulous, Joe. But as much time as it took, you need to go back and do it over again ... and maybe again. I'm thinking this has bigger ramifications and applications...like to more than just custom magazines...like for business blogging, and all writing on web pages. Okay, don't want to create more work for you. I'll just steal your ideas and rework them into a post on the 10 Commandments for Business Blog Failure... ;-) Great stuff, I'm sure the Finns will luv it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/13/2009 08:43:14 AM Funny you say that. I've been getting some comments on that and was thinking the same thing. Glad you enjoyed it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Erica Stritch - RainToday EMAIL: estritch@raintoday.com IP: 216.15.121.98 URL: http://www.raintoday.com DATE: 03/13/2009 12:02:09 PM Thank you, Joe for a really great post! How about an 11th Commandment - "Don't try to create a community among your readers." User generated content and community are going to play huge roles in the future. Readers want to hear and learn from other readers who are in the same situation. If you aren't the one facilitating this conversation and making this connection possible, you can be sure your competitors will be. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/13/2009 12:04:24 PM Love it Erica...I might have to steal that one! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Erica Stritch - RainToday EMAIL: estritch@raintoday.com IP: 216.15.121.98 URL: http://www.raintoday.com DATE: 03/13/2009 01:47:26 PM Be my guest - and best of luck with the Finns. You'll knock 'em dead with this content. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Discount Business Cards EMAIL: faith@digitalroom.com IP: 122.52.242.242 URL: http://www.digitalroom.com/business-cards.html DATE: 03/14/2009 02:22:52 AM Love your ideas. Will be reading your other posts too. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Janet EMAIL: china40@gmail.com IP: 97.53.183.197 URL: DATE: 03/14/2009 03:28:40 PM I subscribe to TheBlogSquads newsletter/blogs and saw your post today. I'm starting an online fitness magazine and didn't know where to begin. This is some awesome information. Can't wait to get started. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vince Giorgi EMAIL: vgiorgi@charter.net IP: 68.117.35.141 URL: http://www.touchpointcity.wordpress.com DATE: 03/14/2009 04:12:31 PM Great post Joe. Here might be Failure Commandment No. 12 (or 0.5?). 12. Expect Your Magazine to "Pay for Itself" This might not be quite so common today as in years past, but experience suggests too many organizations approach a custom publishing opportunity with the assumption it must be at least partially, if not fully, "liquidating." This is typically a recipe for disappointment. And it's why some high-potential custom publishing strategies never get off the ground. Yes, it's important to "think like a publisher" in terms of delivering relevant, compelling content. But assuming ad sales will defray a signficant amount of your investment in the magazine is typically unrealistic, not to mention faulty strategy. A well-executed custom magazine is, arguably, the most powerful DM touch you can put in front of a key audience. But the value/ROI comes not in whether the magazine becomes a revenue-generator per se. Instead, the focus should be on whether it drives metrics such as engagement, direct response and brand perception/affinity. Vince www.touchpointcity.wordpress.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/14/2009 09:05:11 PM Vince...that one is fantastic and I can't believe I left it out. We've all heard that a million times before, and marketers still believe that they can defray all the costs associated with their magazine. Great stuff, and thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gordy EMAIL: goshgordy@hotmail.com IP: 196.207.2.10 URL: DATE: 03/15/2009 03:11:34 PM You just saved me time and money with that piece Joe. My clients should read this! Am sure the Finns will have a great time. Wish it was here. Keep it coming. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/15/2009 03:13:39 PM Thanks Gordy...let me know what your clients think! Cheers Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl Foxley EMAIL: karlfoxley@googlemail.com IP: 86.0.225.75 URL: http://karlmfoxley.com DATE: 03/16/2009 09:22:13 AM This was a great and informative read. I certainly agree Joe Pulizzi as I see this adapting and applying to the business blogging community. Thanks for posting. Karl ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Glenn Laudenslager EMAIL: glaudenslager@gmail.com IP: 128.103.8.112 URL: http://www.chargeahead.wordpress.com DATE: 05/09/2009 01:34:15 PM Excellent post Joe. Well-said, completely on point. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Enter the Content Strategist: Content Strategy as an Asset STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: enter-the-content-strategist-content-strategy-as-an-asset CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 03/10/2009 06:11:14 PM ----- BODY:Wanted to share an excellent presentation from my good friend (and past content strategy co-presenter) Kristina Halvorson (@halvorson) from Brain Traffic.
Couple of points that I think are important to pull out of this presentation:
I especially love the commentary on how we are "using brands" today. Yesterday Gerber...Today Babycenter.com. Yesterday Hush Puppies...Today Zappos.com.
Nice job Kristina.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Postcard Printing EMAIL: faith@digitalroom.com IP: 122.52.242.242 URL: http://www.digitalroom.com/Postcard-Printing.html DATE: 03/14/2009 02:23:51 AM Brilliant post. Some great stuff in here. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: buy darkfall gold EMAIL: s.js6637481@yahoo.com IP: 58.212.4.79 URL: http://www.buydarkfallgold.net DATE: 07/10/2009 02:16:29 AM I agree with you 100% -- very good write up, makes sense :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: darkfall gold EMAIL: pixeltracer123@gmail.com IP: 58.217.168.106 URL: http://www.playerassist.com/darkfall/ DATE: 07/16/2009 03:00:02 AM Brilliant post. Some great stuff in here. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Dangers of Social Media in the Workplace - A Real Life Example STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: career-dangers-in-social-media CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 03/08/2009 07:28:25 PM ----- BODY:
Big thanks to Heather Rast (@heatherrast) for sharing her real-life story of how social media involvement affected her corporate career. This is a very important topic that affects nearly all businesses today. In Heather's case, you'll see that her social media activity led to some significant problems with her former employer. You'll also hear from Heather that she'd do it all over again, despite what happened to her.
When I heard about Heather's situation, I was anxious to get this story out. We can all learn from this issue - as owners, employees and personal brandkeepers. Would love to get everyone's thoughts on this. Thanks!
By the way, Heather and I first met via Twitter. Heather put a ton of detail into this, and I truly appreciate her time. - Joe Pulizzi
I’m actively involved in: my blog, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Delicious, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, and Flickr. I had active presences on each of these before the incident and remain active today at those sites.
I was employed by a software development company, and my role was director-level. My role included leading a team of ten Web interface designers and content strategists. My focus was entirely on the best ways to present and market our client brands on the Web.
After being involved in social media, I learned that my mindset toward it was not shared by all. Others may be more circumspect, calculating, methodical, and generally more reserved in their approach to growing and learning. By comparison, I prefer to do research, consult with experienced persons, and leverage my intuition to make first steps, closely evaluating results but persisting in moving ahead.
Our company did not have a freelance or social media policy. Because of my level of responsibility, I thought it within my purview to choose methods for generating interest among outside parties about what my team did, and what we had to offer. I used Twitter to share ideas like “Just had a great client meeting. I think they’re understanding what a SEM campaign can do for their short-term search goals.”
One of the persons who didn’t agree with my approach/style decided to selectively cull certain Tweets from my stream, and present them to executive management. They asserted that I was sharing confidential client information and using poor judgment. My personal Facebook account (the daily status updates) was also called into question, as was my blog in the topics I wrote about. But the impetus for the sudden focus on me, I believe, was primarily Twitter. Interestingly, I wasn't the first person to use Twitter and refer to work-type topics.
The reality is, I never mentioned a client by name, and I never detailed any client project. But the suggestion by my accuser was that if a client found my Tweets and used the time stamp, they could deduce that I was talking about them.
In the end, my saving grace, I believe, was that my boss lacked the bandwidth to easily assume my duties. There were some additional punishments, and the sum total effect sufficiently caused a lot of reflection about earning a livelihood, while also being confused about what the company really thought I could and should offer.
Certainly, I learned the hard way that Tweets can be parsed, and meaning can be applied to my words without benefit of context. That those actions intentionally distort facts is immaterial. I find that very ironic—that some “well meaning steward of the company” can twist my words to suggest I’m a poor representative of the company.
To others that feel a compelling need to share, exchange ideas, and grow via Twitter, I’d say this: if you don’t own the company (and therefore don’t have autonomy), ask what the corporate social media policy is. If you find it flexible enough for your needs, then great—advise your boss in writing that you’re an active in blogs/social media and that you will adhere to rule 4.2 section A or whatever. Be up front and intentional about your after-hours involvement in communities.
If a policy doesn’t exist, go on record providing samples (IBM and Dell are readily available and often referenced [jp-here's Edelman's]) to Human Resources, and state that in absence of a policy, you will adhere to these best practice recommendations; when such time as the company develops their own you’ll be happy to comply.
I’m no longer with the company, although I still believe in their product and believe a great many talented people work there. But my disappointment in their inability to channel my talents effectively for the good and growth of the company is tremendous. I had previously been heralded for my contributions. One dissenter was all it took to turn the heads of critical decision makers. I didn’t have a chance to have a rational discussion about the issue. But to be fair, maybe I should have seen trouble coming.
Several months have passed since this went down. Yes, I’d do it all again. Why? Because I’ve met some tremendous people on Twitter. People who share and encourage, people who help me grow. These groups expand my reach and make me feel part of something bigger. Long term, I’d be unhappy and dissatisfied abstaining from social media. And in the end, I believe the very pieces of me that are attractive to employers would be eroded if I didn’t Tweet, blog, or otherwise connect.
The beautiful ending to my story is that I’m now with a company who has full disclosure of my blogging and Twittering—they very much support my writing and sharing and frankly hope to leverage my connections for the benefit of the company—something I’m totally okay with because it’ll make me smarter and showcase skills that will ultimately add to my marketability as a MarCom professional.
Yes, in this economy it’s risky to fly right if everyone else is flying left. But it was the right (no pun) move for me, even if it was painful for awhile. I learned some lessons that will stay with me forever.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Roetzer EMAIL: paul@pr2020.com IP: 216.130.3.82 URL: http://www.pr2020.com DATE: 03/09/2009 08:27:47 AM Joe, Great work. This is a very timely topic that every organization active in social media needs to consider. Thanks to Heather for sharing her story. Paul ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob EMAIL: ryoegel@napco.com IP: 209.92.232.26 URL: http://pubtalk.pubexec.com DATE: 03/12/2009 02:57:49 PM Joe - Take a look at Do Social Media Sites Pose a Hidden Threat to Publishers?: http://www.pubexec.com/blog/do-social-media-sites-pose-hidden-threat-publishers-301111.html ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.124.218 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/12/2009 03:04:46 PM Interesting Rob...all the more important for publishers to take time and create a social media policy that makes sense. Now's the time. Thanks for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jean Gibson EMAIL: Jeangib@comcast.net IP: 72.54.34.26 URL: DATE: 03/12/2009 03:51:48 PM How nice of Heather to share. Very helpful. Thank you. I'm curious to know how old Heather is. Although well meaning, her actions did not seem to be well thought out across the board. All too often younger (I'm 45) people tend to react and want to be seen for something new and innovative. Project teamwork is what its all about. You know what they say...Stay close to your friend - even closer to your enemy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Heather EMAIL: rastheather@gmail.com IP: 209.136.24.187 URL: DATE: 03/12/2009 08:04:34 PM Jean, I shared my experience, which clearly represents only one perspective on what transpired, with Joe because I'd come to trust him and enjoy his work. I assume he viewed my story, so to speak, as a way to bring color to a very relevant topic he thought relevant to his audience. This being print and not a deeply detailed depiction of events, some very important nuances have been lost, and likely best kept that way. I don't feel compelled to jump on bandwagons or make noise for the sake of gaining attention or interest, and if I'm reading your suggestion properly, that's possibly the impetus for my actions in your opinion. Not applicable. I've 17 years in marketing, branding, and advertising (to answer your question, placing me late 30's), representing global and national consumer brands. And I'm humbled by the stellar talent I've had the good fortune to lead and build teams from. I very well know the value of joining together to approach a common goal and generate results. But I think you miss the point by going down that path, and I'm unclear as how the last sentence fits in with the rest of your comment. I'm sure I can't sufficiently comment back in this space. It's important to consider, however, that preemptive measures can only be taken when there are known (or anticipated) risks involved--which frankly implies intent of some sort. In my case, I had no such intent, and simply failed to recognize (or fully appreciate) the harbored feelings that ultimately started a chain of events, for passive-aggressiveness is not in my nature. I hope this brings the possibility of such things happening into the forefront of others minds so that they might take other measures. Still, it's my personal opinion that for lack of a SocMed policy, a biz doesn't reasonably establish fair license to "wait and see," to judge what might crop up--too ambiguous and open to interpretation. Most, including myself, are comfortable working within boundaries that are clearly defined. Upon reflection, I think the possibility exists that the issue was less what I chose to write, and more than other(s) were uncomfortable with determining how the use of SocMed tools fit in the equation. I might be wrong. Again, only one opinion/perspective. Thank you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: nancy chou EMAIL: nancy_chou10@hotmail.com IP: 99.185.41.134 URL: http://www.ncmktg.com DATE: 03/13/2009 01:28:32 AM Wow, the candor and relevance of this post is priceless. Thx for sharing such insightful post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessie Somosierra EMAIL: jsomosierra@yahoo.com IP: 203.111.236.47 URL: http://frjessie.blogspot.com DATE: 03/14/2009 03:57:12 AM A very reflective mirror of reality not only in cyberworld but also in our daily lives. Yes bad things happen even to well intentioned good people ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Alex Schlotzer EMAIL: alex.schlotzer@gmail.com IP: 61.95.65.186 URL: http://alexschlotzer.wordpress.com DATE: 03/16/2009 11:12:34 PM Thanks for posting this story. It's all too familiar really in this day and age. Your story highlights a few issues. One of them being the company's failure in having appropriate policy in place, and why companies need to be diligent about changes in the workplace and engagement of new technologies. The other one is that union representation can often prevent the situation Heather found herself in - bullied and hauled across the coals because the company didn't have a policy in place. From the story provided it didn't seem Heather was ever given an opportunity to explain herself and since the company lacked the policies the worst 'punishment' it should've dealt out was a verbal warning. It's the responsibility of the company to outline all policies and to develop policies where deficiencies are highlighted. Again, thanks for posting such an important story that could adversely affect people's working lives. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Recession Content Strategy that Works - Look at Monster.com STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-recession-content-strategy-that-works-look-at-monstercom CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 03/04/2009 11:32:42 AM ----- BODY:Times are tough, and the folks at Monster.com are responding.
I was forwarded this updated career advice section from Monster (thanks @jimkozak) and from the looks of it, they are responding directly to the informational needs of their customers.
Let's take a look at challenges faced by those people looking for or trying to keep their job:
Those five questions that employees are struggling with are actually the first five articles on the Monster.com site.
The Payoff: Monster.com positions themselves as a trusted solutions provider for the jobs market. If someone relies on Monster to get information related to their career, do you think they will use Monster.com when the time comes? I say yes.
What can you learn from Monster.com?
If you as a company aren't providing this kind of information in this manor, I can pretty much guarantee you that your competitor probably is. They will become the trusted provider of information relevant to their lives.
It's too risky NOT to publish valuable content marketing information to your customers and prospects. It's a cost of doing business today. Like it or not, you are a publisher.
What will you publish today?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl Foxley EMAIL: karlfoxley@googlemail.com IP: 86.0.225.75 URL: http://www.karlmfoxley.com DATE: 03/07/2009 09:29:04 AM This is a brilliant post and something that can readily benefit my coaching clients. I'll be certain to send them the link. Great info (as usual). Karl ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.107.230 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/08/2009 02:45:44 PM Thanks Karl...glad you enjoyed it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Scouting for Content - Girl Scouts Head to the Social Web STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: scouting-for-content-girl-scouts CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 03/02/2009 08:27:13 PM ----- BODY:
The following is a guest post courtesy of Jackie Ross.
Content marketing just received a healthy dose of girl power.
The beloved spreader of good deeds and great cookies, the Girl Scouts, has expanded the conversation beyond the community center and campfire and into new arenas like chat rooms and blogs. It’s all part of a recent brand makeover that uses content to reach the hearts and minds of American girls.
Old-school pastimes like cookouts and sing-alongs haven’t disappeared from the Girl Scout lexicon, but the association has wisely refocused on how to best achieve its mission to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” And “the how” is through communications.
Blogs, chat rooms, videoconferencing, and student-penned books give girls a voice and a platform where they can connect to each other and the causes they care about. A Go Girls Only section of the Girl Scouts website gives girls a forum to “Sound off and be heard” and read “What’s up?,” the latest news from the association.
"Now we're talking the language they're used to,” the Girl Scouts' multicultural marketing manager told The Washington Post.
So the value of the Girl Scouts, as it turns out, is not Thin Mints and Macaroons. But instead the messages – the content – that empowers the association’s members to connect and engage.
Jackie Ross is Director of Corporate Development for the World 50, where she builds and manages small, private networks of C-level executives.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: will EMAIL: wrmassie@gmail.com IP: 67.93.36.158 URL: http://www.modernfeed.com DATE: 03/04/2009 01:15:48 AM thanks for the post jackie. good example of an organization with a great brand connecting to its members in new ways ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Two Presentations Worthy of the Digital Content Marketing Revolution STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: two-presentations-worthy-of-the-digital-content-marketing-revolution CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/02/2009 11:45:13 AM ----- BODY:Found this video via @robertcollins on Twitter regarding SHIFT's new digital content marketing practice. Worth the few minutes.
The New Digital Content Marketing from Bob Collins on Vimeo.
Prepare yourself for more of this to come. PR firms, agencies, publishers, direct marketers and SEO firms are all after the gold rush we call content. They are all starting to realize that none of the traditional marketing will work without content creation that people want to engage in.
There isn't one company out there that is not trying to figure out how they can help their customers tell better stories. This is the world we live in now...and he who has the most engaging content will win.
Below is another presentation that I really liked from Bud Caddell (via Imagination) on how fan creation is the lifeblood for tomorrow's businesses. How do you create fans? Create and share something remarkable. Most of the time...it's content that does the trick.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michelle O'Hagan EMAIL: mohagan@imaginepub.com IP: 65.161.179.98 URL: http://www.imaginepub.com/marketingmatters/ DATE: 03/02/2009 12:47:56 PM Thanks for this Joe! I saw this on Twitter this morning and Bud's piece last Friday. Content marketing is getting a LOT of traction on Twitter as more and more companies/agencies enter the space. I suspect many agencies that lack content experience will struggle, but this movement continues to prove the theory that giving your audience something they care about is the best way to build a relationship. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.107.230 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/02/2009 12:51:55 PM Thanks Michelle...I agree with you...those agencies that don't understand the content strategy process will struggle. It seems easy, but it's actually quite a leap for traditional-minded companies (as you know). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Todd Defren EMAIL: tdefren@shiftcomm.com IP: 65.96.210.190 URL: http://www.pr-squared.com DATE: 03/02/2009 01:19:31 PM The fact that it may be a leap for traditional firms is fine by me! ;) Thanks for finding and using our video, Joe. You're right that this is essentially about storytelling: but now the audience helps to tell the story. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.107.230 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/02/2009 01:21:53 PM Ha...really cool stuff you're doing Todd. Keep us posted over here at Junta42. Loved the video! I felt left out ;) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob Collins EMAIL: bob@shiftcomm.com IP: 65.204.16.194 URL: http://www.shiftcomm.com DATE: 03/02/2009 01:37:26 PM Joe - Thanks a ton for picking up the content creation service news from this morning and better yet - sharing the video with your community. It's one of the reason I love video so much - if it's fun, engaging and of value to your community - then it gets shared. It's that the core of good marketing, creating something of value that people want to talk about and share with others. Michelle - alas you are correct. I feel there is more unlearning that needs to happen within some traditional firms than new learning - layered on top of old world thinking. Let us know if anyone is looking to create great new content to help tell - spread their story. ~Bob Collins @RobertCollins (Twitter) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Releases New Top Blogs List - "Marketing with Meaning" Leads the Way STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-releases-new-top-blogs-list-marketing-with-meaning-leads-the-way CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 02/24/2009 08:55:35 PM ----- BODY:
We're excited to announce the fifth installment of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Congratulations this month goes to Bob Gilbreath and the team from Bridge Worldwide, whose Marketing with Meaning blog just squeaked by Brian Solis and PR 2.0.
This quarter's update included a record 224 blogs, up from 187 last quarter. In addition, the Junta42 Top 42 are now featured as part of the content marketing category at Alltop.com (which will be updated soon with the new 42).
Here is the complete Top 42:
1 Marketing with
Meaning
2 PR 2.0
3 Chris Brogan's Blog
4 EyeCube
5 Conversation
Marketing
6 Web Ink Now
7 Conversation Agent
8 Online Marketing Blog
9 ContentMarketingToday
10 Copyblogger
11 Marketing Interactions
12 Writing on the Web
13 The Toadstool
14 Keysplash
Creative
15 The Social Media Engager
16 Influential Marketing
Blog
17 Be the Voice
18 Buzz Marketing
for Technology
19 AriWriter
20 Winning the Web
21 Web Strategy by
Jeremiah
22 Hard Knox Life
23 Litman Live
24 Buzz News
25 Drew's Marketing
Minute
26 Left the Box
27 Dan Blank
28 Nick Burcher
29 Craphammer.ca
30 Conversational
Media Marketing
31 Nigel Hollis
32 Social Media Explorer
33 Chaos Scenario
34 The Content Wrangler
35 Eat Media Blog
36 Insights &
Ingenuity
37 Ducttape
Marketing
38 Servant of Chaos
39 Emerson Direct
Marketing Observations
40 Seth's Blog
41 ViralBlog
42 Social Media
(Re)Loaded
Click here to see the news release, which will be distributed on Wednesday.
Click here to see the entire Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. To view the selection criteria, click here.
Again, congratulations to the Top 42, and keep up the great work!
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: dominique EMAIL: dominique.lahaix@ecairn.com IP: 67.188.127.178 URL: http://blog.ecairn.com DATE: 02/25/2009 07:52:28 PM Thanks for the list. We also publish a list of top 150 (out of the 1000 social media marketing bloggers that we monitor): http://blog.ecairn.com/2009/02/09/top-150-social-media-marketing-blogs/ Best ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah EMAIL: dzone_db@yahoo.com IP: 61.247.243.70 URL: http://www.craigslisttool.info DATE: 04/04/2009 06:14:41 AM I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. Sarah http://www.craigslisttool.info ----- PING: TITLE: Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs Released - Tipping Point Rises to the Top URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/07/top-42-content-marketing-blogs-released-tipping-point-rises-to-the-top.html IP: 10.17.151.31 BLOG NAME: Junta42 DATE: 07/30/2009 11:13:52 AM Well, after a slight delay to coincide with the launch of the new Junta42 redesign, the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs have finally been released. Definitely, our most competitive and thorough list, the Top 42 is a collection of... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Strategic Approach to Content and SEO STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-strategic-approach-to-content-and-seo CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 02/24/2009 10:48:04 AM ----- BODY:
Thanks to Lee Odden (website, Twitter) from TopRank Online Marketing for putting together one of the best overviews of online content, SEO and content strategy I've seen in a while.
For this article, Lee brought together Jon Wuebben President/CEO of Custom Copywriting and author of “Content Rich”, Heidi Cohen, President of Riverside Marketing Strategies, Adjunct Professor at NYU and Columnist at ClickZ, Heather Lloyd-Martin, President/CEO of SuccessWorks and Sally Falkow, President of Expansion Plus, Senior Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research (as well as myself).
Here's an interesting snippet that sums up the SEO versus content strategy issue:
It’s hard to think about creating an effective SEO strategy without first developing the content marketing strategy. Getting people to your web pages is one thing, getting customers to feel and think a certain way about your content, and then creating a behavior change is another all together. The two go hand in hand, but without a content strategy that makes sense for your business and your customers, the SEO strategy ...won’t accomplish the organizational goals and tactics of the business.
Check out the complete article here. It's worth the time.
Great job Lee!
Subscribe - Junta42 - Outsource Your Content - Get the Book
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Writing SEO Content for Two Audiences: Humans and Search Engines STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: writing-seo-content-for-two-audiences-humans-and-search-engines CATEGORY: search marketing DATE: 02/16/2009 08:52:08 PM ----- BODY:Web content and SEO often go hand-in-hand, but the techniques that help develop great web content and efficient SEO strategies are often very different. To discuss this important topic, I asked Bernie Borges (@berniebay) of Find and Convert to tackle the issue. Thanks Bernie!
Website content needs to be written for two
audiences: humans and search engines.
Of course, humans are the target audience that
respond to marketer’s call to actions and ultimately convert into a customer.
But, we must not ignore the search engines when writing website content.
Just how do you balance writing for humans and search engines? For that matter how do you write for search engines.
To answer
both questions let’s start with writing for search engines.
To see how search engines actually “see” your content, just
select “view source” in your browser. Viewing the source is a good reminder of
how the search engines digest your web pages. They don’t see any of the visual
aspects of your website.
The first concept to consider in writing content
for search engines is to make the content available to search engines within
the first 100 lines of code. If you have a bunch of code occupying real estate
on your web page before your content appears, you start with a serious
handicap.
Next, each page of content should have a clear and
unique theme. Search engines identify the main theme of each page in three word
phrases. If the name of your company is Henry Johnson LLC and you sell
orthodontic dental supplies, you want the search engines to interpret the theme
of your home page as “orthodontic dental supplies” not as “Henry Johnson LLC”
(assuming you want to be found in search engines for orthodontic dental
supplies).
Each web page should have several ingredients in
place including:
These suggestions above are SEO 101 guidelines. Here are
some more advance guidelines for your SEO content strategy.
Now, let’s get back to writing for humans.
Write
web page content in a flow according to how your website visitors will consume
it efficiently. Write web pages with not more than about 500 words. Give
visitors a reason to navigate to another page, eventually taking them to an
action step.
The opposite of this approach is writing a long
page of content with a call to action at the end. This is a common mistake.
Often your visitors skim and don’t absorb a page with a lot of content. Break
up long pages into multiple pages using the 500 word max guideline.
Link back to your home page from a keyword phrase that
is the main theme. This actually serves both humans and search engines. The
search engines give you more authority for the main theme when it’s linked to
the home page. And, (human) visitors get reinforced that your website is about
the main theme, e.g., “orthodontic dental supplies.”
In summary, writing SEO content best practices are an important part of an Internet marketing strategy. Remember that you have two audiences: humans and search engines. Writing for each audience requires a balance and awareness of the guidelines provided here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.107.230 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/16/2009 08:54:12 PM Thanks Bernie...really appreciate you putting this together. A couple really good reminders in here. Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ben Curnett EMAIL: ben@matterhornmarketing.com IP: 151.205.90.50 URL: http://matterhornmarketing.com/marketing/ DATE: 02/17/2009 05:02:47 AM So many good tips in this post. I really like the bullet on your keeping keyword density of the main theme in the 5% range. Seems obvious, but I think a lot of website writing goes south on this point. Thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 72.64.244.42 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog/ DATE: 02/17/2009 09:05:06 AM I like to reinforce basic SEO guidelines every once in a while in the context of discussing more advanced strategies. We should never overlook the fundamentals. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steven Woods EMAIL: steven.woods@eloqua.com IP: 204.244.25.242 URL: http://digitalbodylanguage.blogspot.com DATE: 02/17/2009 01:59:27 PM Joe, Bernie, Good discussion, but I think you're missing one big category. I see a lot of people who are obviously writing for "retweetability" or whatever the appropriate word is. Things like Top 10 lists, etc. These are most likely to have humans link to, Digg, or tweet about (with long term search engine implications), but they don't really drive thought leadership. This audience of "humans as path to search engines" seems to be the major category on many blogs. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on that. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: san diego seo services EMAIL: incquil@gmail.com IP: 202.8.247.98 URL: http://crestmediainc.com/san-diego.html DATE: 02/18/2009 06:45:07 AM Of course, humans are the target audience that respond to marketer’s call to actions and ultimately convert into a customer.And using SEO is a best choice it is a hard work. by: ricka ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Doug - Velocity, B2B Marketing Agency EMAIL: doug@velocitypartners.co.uk IP: 81.159.141.15 URL: http://www.velocitypartners.co.uk DATE: 02/18/2009 12:38:32 PM Nice one. Good, solid common sense in an over-hyped area. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 72.64.244.42 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog/ DATE: 02/18/2009 02:38:42 PM When people write content such as top 10 lists, if it is indeed a good list (and not crap) it can serve both the human audience and the search engines. Good content (such as top 10 lists) can attract external links while serving human visitors well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: johnbarnald EMAIL: johnbarnald@gmail.com IP: 121.246.165.204 URL: http://www.worldwidepeoplelocator.com/ DATE: 02/20/2009 12:01:10 AM Generally search engine 1st visits the sites which are having good stuff and quality and humans are the end users right!!,for that reason the content must be simple and attractive to the users. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jean EMAIL: jeanf@bnj.com IP: 66.178.161.10 URL: http://www.bnj.com DATE: 02/20/2009 02:54:00 PM Great post, Bernie, thanks! Question, though: What does 5% really look like from a writing perspective? Curious to hear your thoughts -- and from others. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 72.184.230.2 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog/ DATE: 02/25/2009 09:28:32 PM If you write a page of content with 300 words, you wouldn't want to have your main keyword phrase mentioned more than about 15 times. Even at this amount the phrase should be slightly varied, e.g., accounting software, accounting software company, accounting software solutions. Remember, this is a max guideline, not a minimum. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: santa barbara cosmetic dentist EMAIL: rence1605@gmail.com IP: 202.8.247.21 URL: http://silessmile.com/html/santa-barbara-cosmetic-dentist.html DATE: 05/05/2009 02:53:23 AM Very informative blog i agree that the write web page content in a flow according to how your website visitors will consume it efficiently,it is important. Keep it up! by: florence ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kishore EMAIL: cutekishore@yahoo.com IP: 122.174.106.106 URL: http://www.techconet.co.in DATE: 05/21/2009 12:25:30 AM Nice comments and it reinforces the fact that it is absolutely important to do the basics right.... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO EMAIL: shannon@webmarketingexperts.com.au IP: 117.194.225.27 URL: http://www.webmarketingexperts.com.au DATE: 06/19/2009 05:07:37 AM SEO is important because the billion internet users around the world visit websites they are looking for through search engines. Good Article. Some explanation on Keywords wud had been great! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO Services EMAIL: ebiz.submit@gmail.com IP: 116.71.50.195 URL: http://www.ebizsubmit.com DATE: 08/20/2009 06:37:07 AM These Search engine optimization services are phenomenal , if you are acting in favor of web exposure but if its not helping out , the way to success is SEO . ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Website Design EMAIL: ebizwwns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.152.169 URL: http://www.ebizwebworks.com DATE: 09/16/2009 05:23:46 AM Great post ! Website designing and SEO services gives your website higher page rank on search engines like google with new content and websites tools . ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vancouver web design EMAIL: mayur@fullmotiongroup.com IP: 24.80.114.92 URL: http://www.fullmotiongroup.com DATE: 09/16/2009 08:37:24 AM Thanks for this post Bernie. Definitely great tips there. Question: why have pertinent content in the first 100 lines of your web page? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Make Money on the Internet EMAIL: fpjpssns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.152.9 URL: http://www.jeffpaulsuccessstories.com DATE: 09/25/2009 12:57:22 AM Internet marketing is indeed very different from traditional marketing. In the field of internet marketing the webmaster uses all possible means for promotion just for customer awareness and customer satisfaction . ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: jeff paul forum EMAIL: fpjpfns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.152.121 URL: http://www.jeffpaulforum.com/forum DATE: 10/07/2009 04:29:23 AM I agree domain names are very important , these help bring preferable web traffic through attaining appropriate position on web search engines like Google and yahoo . ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Course EMAIL: paramountstaff@hotmail.com IP: 124.182.129.32 URL: http://www.paramounttraining.com.au DATE: 11/08/2009 10:51:21 AM Yes helpful material. Thank you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: la habra dentist EMAIL: jessforq80@yahoo.com IP: 222.127.106.179 URL: http://www.designedsmiles.com/la-habra-dentist/ DATE: 12/10/2009 06:43:44 PM well in terms of converting traffic to sales it is best to target the readers of your site they are the ones that can convert to sales but without proper seo your site wont get into the top of serps. great read nice article. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO Web Design EMAIL: trendmicrosg@live.com IP: 221.120.250.102 URL: http://www.ebizwebworks.com DATE: 01/03/2010 03:45:19 PM good job keep it coming ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Volker from Germany EMAIL: vo-la@web.de IP: 91.37.35.241 URL: http://www.ostseeblickholm.de DATE: 03/30/2010 02:00:33 PM Hello, ich bin gerade auf einer kleinen Reise quer durchs web. Nun bin ich also auf dieser tollen Homepage gelandet und muss sagen: Der Besuch hat sich gelohnt! Ich werde deine Seite auf jeden Fall wieder mal besuchen! Wenn du Lust hast, kannst du ja auch mal auf meiner Homepage vorbei schauen. Ich würde mich sehr freuen. Nun wünsche ich eine tolle Zeit! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Everyone is a Publisher...and Why this Really Matters (for you Media companies too) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-content-still-king CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: content strategy CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 02/12/2009 03:55:29 PM ----- BODY:Thanks to BoSacks for passing over this Time article on Content Becoming a Pauper.
The story is worth the read, but here is a little snippet that sums up the author's point. As you can tell, he is taking the viewpoint on the value of content as it pertains to traditional media companies.
"The value of content has never been ethereal. It has always been directly tied to what owners could 'get' for it, either through advertisers or subscribers. For content to have a value, it could never be free. Its position as royalty depended on that.
Content is rapidly being devalued."
BoSacks Speaks Out
Okay, before I make my comments, I wanted to include BoSacks comments on this topic:
"I'm not sure where to begin with my comments on this article, and perhaps I should wait a day or two before responding. But then again, that is just not my way - vent first and think about it later.
The author keeps referencing the decreased value of content. I admit that I need to ponder the question, but right now I say that perhaps it is his company's content that is devalued, but not content itself. That may be splitting hairs, but somebody is always going to make money on content. Right now it is Google; next year or in ten years it will be somebody else. Google doesn't make the content, but they sure as heck have figured out how make money on the content. So it still has as much value as before, but perhaps not by the same companies. Get over it and start thinking in 21st century terms and actions."
@juntajoe Speaks Out
I think BoSacks' points are close to the mark. Who can deny that Google is making money off media content? And yes, someone always makes money off content. But the issue goes much, much further and needs to be looked at outside the eyes of the media model itself.
While I was writing this post, I was also watching a BtoB webcast we sponsored on Marketing Outlook 2009. Mark Wilson, CMO from Sybase, talked about how Sybase employs "frugal and authentic marketing" as part of their current marketing program. That means that they are producing a ton of targeted, multi-platform content to their customers and prospects. This includes self-published books, video newsletters, YouTube videos, segmented enewsletters, white papers and other vehicles where they can efficiently and honestly tell their story and get involved in important conversations. Sybase is a media company.
Overall, I strongly disagree with Douglas McIntyre (the author) about the waining importance of content. It's needed and accessed by consumers now more than ever. Pure media content is still wanted and needed, but there is more competition today, and since the traditional media business model is threatened, quality corporate content is becoming more important than ever (corporations have the money to invest in content).
I'll end with this. I was talking to a media consultant last week who asked me my advice for struggling media companies. I told her that most media companies have great brands, and great relationships with readers. Readership/engagement isn't necessarily their problem. The issue is that their advertisers aren't advertising as much anymore, and their business models are based on advertising/sponsorship revenue. Since that's the case, a media brand can do one of two things:
It's funny. Marketers are trying to become publishers and publishers are trying to become marketers. I wonder when the day will come where we won't be able to distinguish one from the other.
It's closer than you think.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kirk Cheyfitz EMAIL: kirk.cheyfitz@storyworldwide.com IP: 66.65.132.192 URL: http://www.storyworldwide.com DATE: 02/20/2009 10:41:41 AM I certainly agree that the Time article is way off base. Actually, it is 180 degrees off. Which is completely untrue. It totally misunderstands the world of content and the direction of both technology and pop culture. Interestingly, it's one of a series of off-base articles published by Time about the content business--a business they apparently understand less and less well the longer they are in it. The other really wrong piece they published recently was Walter Isaacson's cover story, HOW TO SAVE YOUR NEWSPAPER. Essentially, it was a wishful plea about turning back history. I commented on it at the Story blog, postadvertising.com: http://www.postadvertising.com/post/2009/02/9/How-NOT-to-Save-Your-Newspaper.aspx What the traditional publishing industry needs now, before it dies, is an understanding that they can create content that will bring in money the way advertising used to produce cash (before advertising stopped working). This is a skill they could learn from content marketers like all of us. But their culture is preventing them from seeing it right now. I could go on forever -- but I'll spare you. I'll try to talk it through thoroughly at postadvertising in the near future and not clutter up Joe's site too much. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 69.38.252.83 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/21/2009 06:14:27 PM Kirk...in talking to quite a few traditional publishers over the last few weeks, the sacred cows are being slaughtered and they are desperately seeking a new model. That said, not sure they are willing or able to make the jump (some are, most can't), or whether they want to invest enough money in their customers to do the job right. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Web Content Strategy - The Official Presentation STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: web-content-strategy-the-official-presentation CATEGORY: content strategy DATE: 02/09/2009 10:06:40 AM ----- BODY: This is the presentation that Kristina Halvorson (CEO of Brain Traffic) and I gave at Online Marketing Summit last week. Gretel Going provided a great overview of this presentation on the OMS Blog if you want to see more of the copy.We here at Junta42 are pretty excited to announce this, and I thought it would be best to do it with a two-minute video.
Here's the deal. Starting today (2/4) and running for 42 business days (ending on 4/2), any company that submits a content project to our free and no risk custom publisher matching service will be eligible to receive $4200 toward their content project. We're calling this "$4200 in 42 Days".
You may ask, what can $4200 buy these days?
Well, quite a bit we think. $4200 may cover the web content you need to keep your customers engaged in your products and services. It may cover the postage on your quarterly custom magazine project. It may cover one issue of your outsourced opt-in enewsletter. It may be just enough to keep you believing in the power of valuable, relevant and compelling content.
So why are we doing this?
First, we wanted to celebrate our first 100 content vendor matches through our Match service (the 100th match happened in early January). Our little idea to solve the marketer challenge for finding their perfect content provider has turned out to be a very helpful solution for companies like Research in Motion (makers of BlackBerry smartphones), First Midwest Bank, United Methodist Communications and more.
Some are calling us the eHarmony for custom publishing. I can live with that.
And second, we're hoping it's just the incentive you need to get your content project off the sidelines during this economic climate (or possibly, the incentive you need to outsource your project that is just not working with internal resources, or maybe to get rid of that content provider that's just not delivering the goods).
Hey, we know times are tough out there...but now is more important than ever for you to deliver valuable, relevant and compelling content to your customers and prospects. That's what creates engagement. That's what helps you become part of the customer conversation.
Developing and distributing great content for your customers is not easy, which is why we have over 90% of the top custom publishers/content agencies in North America ready and waiting to help you create something of real value delivered to your customers.
We also thought this would be a lot of fun. Who doesn't like getting money anyway?
Here are all the details on the "$4200 in 42 Days" program. Take a read...I think you'll find it worth two minutes of your time.
And here's our promise to you...if we can't find a content provider that matches your needs, we'll keep working with you to help you find a solution that makes sense (although, we're pretty confident we have the expert content publishers to help you get the job done).
Thanks, and on with the content marketing revolution!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bobbee Cera EMAIL: rcera1141@comcast.net IP: 76.117.217.150 URL: http://www.bobbeecera.com DATE: 02/04/2009 11:40:42 AM Morning Joe......You were nice enough to get back to me regarding my publisher inquiry regarding a book just written & published entitled "Wishbones and Miracles. I have gotten a very encouraging response from Dorrance Publishing, and they want to publish the book in a smaller size in order to reduce the present cost. However, it is a subsidy publisher, so I would like to enter the content of the book for your contest. Could you get back to me as to how to send you a copy? tnx, Bobbee ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.206.125.59 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/04/2009 11:52:15 AM Hi Bobbee...I'll get back to you through email. You need to have a content project with a budget attached to it, but we'll see if we can find you some help. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Custom Content Conference You Can't Afford to Miss STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-custom-content-conference-you-cant-afford-to-miss CATEGORY: custom publishing council CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 02/03/2009 09:02:06 PM ----- BODY:
For you regular reader of the Junta42 blog, you'll know I don't promote many conferences. Well, here is the exception.
The 2009 Custom Content Conference is one you can't afford to miss if you are trying to figure out how to leverage custom content as part of your overall marketing or publishing strategy.
This year's conference (March 22 - 24) revolves around the theme "The Future of Branded Content" - and the Custom Publishing Council (who is organizing the event) has the speakers to prove it.
Here are the reasons why this is a must attend event:
Disclaimer - I am a Custom Publishing Council board member, and Junta42 is a sponsor for this event, but don't let that fool you. I'd be going to this conference anyway (in a heartbeat).
One final important note - Don't be fooled, this event is for both marketers and publishers. If the new marketing reality has taught us anything, we are all media companies. We all need to understand how to create and distribute valuable, relevant and compelling content. If you aren't sure, contact me personally and I'll talk you into it.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Creating a Custom Content Project? Here's Your Four Options STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: creating-a-custom-content-project-heres-your-four-options CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 01/29/2009 09:16:57 AM ----- BODY:
I was reading this Seth Godin post on "What Would a Professional Do?" and I couldn't help to think of the challenge that all marketers face regarding content creation.
Every company, no matter what size, needs valuable, relevant and compelling (and consistent) content directed to their customers. It's not an option anymore, and the research is starting to show that more and more marketers are investing in content marketing, even during these tough economic times.
Even though we (at Junta42) are huge proponents of outsourcing content strategy and execution to custom publishers and content professionals, there are options.
In following Seth's rationale for hiring a professional, they are eerily similar to your content creation options:
The first option is the best choice if you have the budget to outsource this. Content creation and execution, especially from an integrated standpoint where print, online and in-person integration are involved, can be extremely complex. Also, in many cases, it's actually less expensive to outsource. When I was with Penton Media, we used to sit down with brands and associations and show them "line-by-line" how they could actually save money by outsourcing their project. If you take in all the internal resources necessary for a content project to work, that's absolutely the case.
The second option is a solid option. If you have the expertise in-house, and the available resources to dedicate to manage the editorial process, understand the art of storytelling that can drive sales, execute each step from content to distribution to feedback, and measure the effectiveness, it can definitely be done. One of the big issues here (check out the mistakes in this blog post) is that many internal communications specialists have a difficult time developing a story that doesn't actively sell. Remember, we need to tell a story that is valuable and relevant to the customer. That means, for the most part, leaving the sales messages out of the equation.
The third option happens all the time. "We don't need it to be first-rate. We just need to get our newsletter, white paper, magazine out to our customers." If that's your attitude, don't do it at all. You're not doing your customers any service by sending them second- or third-rate information. Can anyone say SPAM?
The fourth option is an interesting choice. First of all, you can probably find a custom publisher to do just about anything. That said, there may be some content initiatives that only you could do. For example, Microsoft's Channel 9 project would have been impossible to pull off if an outside content agency came in to produce the project. But a Microsoft developer going around with a camera asking questions, altogether possible. And it's been an incredible success.
To Seth's point, the fourth option can be exciting. Today's environment allows you to be completely transparent with the content process. If you have an idea that is new and innovative (or at least new in your niche), try it. The worst thing that could happen is it doesn't work. Then you can try something new.
But if that's not for you, try calling in a professional.
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Debbie Corkin - Corkin Associates EMAIL: debbie.corkin@corkinassociates.com IP: 99.16.31.247 URL: http://www.corkinassociates.com DATE: 01/30/2009 04:19:34 PM Content marketing is a win-win situation! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 72.184.230.2 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog/ DATE: 01/31/2009 02:33:19 PM The biggest obstacle I see among companies who embrace the concept of content marketing is a lack of internal resources. For some reason contracting external resources is less desirable, probably because of the perception that "no one knows our business like us." That's where your point #3 comes in to play... @berniebay ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: dianne EMAIL: kuramakurama@ymail.com IP: 122.55.188.176 URL: http://diannekit.blogspot.com DATE: 02/07/2009 12:54:54 AM very nice and informative site.. i had a great time reading some of your post.. keep it up and hope to read more great stories ahead. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 'Trust Me' and Branded Entertainment Take Us Closer to the Future of TV STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: trust-me-and-branded-entertainment-take-us-closer-to-the-future-of-tv CATEGORY: entertainment marketing DATE: 01/26/2009 09:12:19 AM ----- BODY:
I was able to catch the Thursday edition of the New York Times and read this article about 'Trust Me' - the new TNT drama about a Chicago advertising agency. 'Trust Me' premieres tonight.
The difference between this one, and say 'Mad Men', is that real products are being written into the script, including those from Unilever (Dove), Anheuser-Busch and General Motors.
The article calls this a "...growing trend known as branded entertainment..." In actuality, it's one step away from what we will come to know as common television programming.
Let me explain.
If you agree with all this, there seems to be only one solution for corporations that want to promote their products and services through television - they need to become part of the programming (this may be the solution for the broadcasting business model as well). 'Trust Me' takes a leap into this area, but we will begin to see more programming dominated and created by one brand, similar to what Unilever developed with their 24-inspired series "The Rookie".
At this point, I'm not sure when we will see more of this type of programming, but it is coming. In order for corporations to use this channel effectively, they'll need to partner with content producers that understand how to tell a story, much like corporations have partnered with custom publishers for custom magazines, newsletters, enewsletters, microsites and so on. Of course, we believe in this model is coming sooner than later.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steven Woods EMAIL: steven.woods@eloqua.com IP: 204.244.25.242 URL: http://digitalbodylanguage.blogspot.com DATE: 01/26/2009 09:30:52 AM Joe, I enjoyed this post - thanks. I've seen a number of posts on "the death of television" lately, and my response has always been that it needs to evolve, not die. You do a good job of encapsulating how it will likely evolve. The content viewing format (passive viewers, no interaction) works well, we just need to evolve the content itself to make the economic model (skipped ads) work again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.157.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/26/2009 09:45:33 AM Thanks Steve...I think we are all tired with the death of television, death of newspaper, death of magazines rant (I've even talked about that too much). To your point, they are evolving into new and different business models. People still enjoy watching television...the problem it is becoming more of an issue to support program funding through advertising. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dave Morse EMAIL: dave.morse@gmail.com IP: 207.250.76.6 URL: http://davemorse.net DATE: 01/26/2009 03:00:58 PM Love your blog and (specifically) liked this post. Over the last decade, I think the web has conditioned us to believe that free content with sponsored ads is ok (even if we ignore/tune them out). The "branded entertainment" that I'm waiting for is not simple product placements within a program, but rather, a radical change in the fundamental format of a program: uninterrupted programming with banner-style ads running in a small portion of the screen. So, instead of a program running from 7:00 - 7:30 with multiple commercial breaks, it would run from 7:00 - 7:15 with ads being displayed the entire time. Although I feel strongly that this model is coming, it will be yet another example of something for us to "tune out" in the future. But at least Madison Ave will, once again, have something to grasp for measurement. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.157.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/26/2009 04:19:17 PM Hi Dave...thanks...I think your model sounds interesting, and agree that may be one of them - especially more short-term. Long-term, I believe that the corporations will take over more and more of the content responsibility, essentially buying time for their own programming that they create. We may be a long time from that point...but that's the direction. Your model will most likely come first. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Charles EMAIL: csipe84@yahoo.com IP: 189.149.151.154 URL: http://interimmarketing.info DATE: 01/27/2009 04:01:30 AM I think the banner idea is an interesting one. I have noticed more banner type ads appearing in television programming with a logo and message popping up for a brief moment on a small area of the screen. I wonder to what extent sales of DVDs of programs have made up for the lost revenue in ads for content producers. Also, with more people watching television online on sites like Hulu which force you to watch ads, and brand placements, I think there is hope for good content producers in television. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: crawford.sr@gmail.com EMAIL: crawford.sr@gmail.com IP: 68.110.187.8 URL: DATE: 01/28/2009 09:59:31 AM Hey Joe, What goes around comes around. This ain't new. We're going back in time to the beginning. Think about that, and what it means to transparency requirements. Seriously. Honestly. Hit reset. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.157.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/28/2009 10:39:14 AM You are right. I keep thinking about the old Texaco series back in the day. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: dirk EMAIL: mail@dkayser.com IP: 83.236.220.242 URL: DATE: 01/30/2009 10:31:52 AM Is advertising like this allowed in the U.S.? I think its creepy to the max. They would be so busted in Germany. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.157.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/30/2009 03:50:48 PM Hi Dirk...the future of media at work around the world imo. More and more content is being produced and underwritten by corporations. Since no-one is watching the ads (outside of the Super Bowl), that's the only choice left. Thoughts? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adam E. EMAIL: adam@placevine.com IP: 74.68.128.243 URL: http://www.placevine.com DATE: 02/17/2009 11:03:58 PM Great post- I think you've pretty much nailed it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Funny News EMAIL: francamara360@yahoo.com IP: 93.139.48.53 URL: http://www.htportal.org DATE: 04/02/2009 02:30:23 PM Yeam advertising will hit ground now. Everyone wants to advertise and thats problem, none watch all that advertising. Specially not on TV. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Striking Content Marketing Gold - Direct from the Content Experts STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: striking-content-marketing-gold-direct-from-the-content-experts CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 01/23/2009 04:02:00 PM ----- BODY:
Just finished our first book tour call with my co-author Newt Barrett (@newtbarrett), Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan) and Paul Gillin (@pgillin). Fantastic call. If you missed it, go here now. Much of this is also covered in our book, Get Content. Get Customers. Big thanks to Elizabeth Marshall for putting this together.
I was trying to jot down some golden nuggets from our esteemed panel while the session was going. So, in no particular order, here are some things you may find useful in your content marketing quest for gold.
For an additional resource, download this just updated white paper, "Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW" (no registration needed...please share. We need all the content marketing believers we can muster. This white paper is great for executives that don't get "it".).
Content Marketing is all about valuable, relevant and consistent content delivered to a target customer group - the goal of which is to create or maintain behavior.
Content marketing is the art of understanding what your customers need to know and delivering it to them in a compelling way.
Instead of focusing on your product or service and selling them, you devote resources to creating information that your customers and prospects need.
Your marketing is publishing...you are a publisher.
Paul's ROI Meaning - Risk of Inaction. Don't get paralyzed into trying to figure our return that you do nothing (get more on this in Paul's new book on Social Media Secrets).
Think "Return on Objective" or measuring each content marketing tactic with a specific action. Chris shared an example of a company who set up listening tools with the purpose of responding faster to customer praise and complaints. Focus on what you want the action to be...that's your return on objective.
In order to create great content, you first have to listen and find out what your customers' informational needs are.
Much more detail in the book on this, but here's the overview questions.
Behavioral
How do we want the customer to feel?
What effect must we achieve with them?
What action do we want them to take?
How will we measure their behavior?
How will we put them on the path to purchase?
Essential
What do our buyers really need to know?
What will provide the most benefit personally or professionally?
How can we present the content for maximum positive impact?
What media types must we include based on our current/near future customer behavior?
Strategic
Does this content marketing effort help us achieve our strategic goals?
Does it integrate with our other strategic initiatives?
Targeted
Have we precisely indentified the prospects we want to target?
Do we really understand what motivates them?
Do we understand their professional roles?
For more on each content expert, please visit them on their websites:
If you were on the call...I KNOW I missed many key points. Can you add in the comments so we can make this a more complete transcript?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Hydzik EMAIL: phydzik@gmail.com IP: 98.193.85.65 URL: http://BrandContact.blogspot.com DATE: 01/23/2009 06:01:53 PM A beautiful thing..."Instead of focusing on your product or service and SELLING them, you devote resources to creating information that your customers and prospects NEED." Because, at the essence, it's all about the customer. And how you connect through your content and conversations. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shawn Thompson EMAIL: shawntom@mac.com IP: 76.90.19.131 URL: http://twitter.com/yclept DATE: 01/23/2009 06:23:08 PM Thanks for the summary. I just knew someone was taking better notes than me. Which allowed me to listen. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sam EMAIL: scabal70@gmail.com IP: 75.15.16.2 URL: http://www.reviewmyweb.com DATE: 01/23/2009 09:26:06 PM Another good tool to marketers is the free competitive analysis tool ReviewMyWeb (http://www.reviewmyweb.com). Free internet marketing tool for see how you are doing against the competition. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Terri Holley EMAIL: terri@creativeblogsolutions.com IP: 208.250.69.26 URL: http://www.creativeblogsolutions.com DATE: 01/24/2009 05:59:13 PM Excellent teleclass and great information. The operative word is "relationships". The more relevant we are with our prospects, the stronger our relational capital. As a social media strategist and certified coach, I believe our ability to build strong relationships is the most important factor in successfully executing a social or conventional marketing campaign. And as more people become increasingly discriminate about how, when and where they spend their money, businesses that leverage their ability to build and strengthen relationships will not only thrive in today's economic climate, they will grow exponentially as things begin to improve. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Debbie Corkin - Corkin Associates EMAIL: debbie.corkin@corkinassociates.com IP: 99.16.31.247 URL: http://www.corkinassociates.com DATE: 01/25/2009 07:00:42 PM Content marketing just makes sense! The trouble is...how do we educate executives who still believe the traditional ways are the only way? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.157.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/25/2009 07:45:03 PM Hi Debbie...good question. Well, everyone will come around after a while...but to speed up the process, I've given the book to a few executives who then began to adopt content marketing. Those that don't understand aren't in tune to how people are making buying decisions. It's not that traditional marketing goes away...not at all. It's integrating the power of information into your total marketing strategy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shortcuts to Millions EMAIL: fpjpaulpns@ecwmm.com IP: 116.71.32.17 URL: http://www.jeffpaulproducts.com DATE: 10/16/2009 02:12:15 AM Content Marketing is a consistent , relevant and content oriented means to market focusing target customer segments according to behaviors and perspectives . ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Change Has Come to WhiteHouse.gov STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: change-has-come-to-whitehousegov CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 01/20/2009 02:38:21 PM ----- BODY:As the clock struck noon EST and Barack Obama was being sworn in as our next president, the White House IT department flipped the switch on the new White House website. (See the difference in these before and after screen shots.)
According to Macon Phillips, director of New Media for the White House (in the first blog post ever from the White House), the new website will focus on:
Here's what I really like:
"One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it."
A bold strategy, and extremely challenging to execute properly even for a mid-size corporation, let along the white house. Nonetheless, the formula above is how you keep and grow brand evangelists. We've already seen it work it Obama's campaign, and now he aims to continue this as President.
It's not a complicated formula:
And after 10 weeks of Twitter silence, Barack Obama's Twitter account just went active again. This was the one area that I couldn't understand about now President Obama...the Twitter communication just stopped after election day. Glad to see the Tweet lights are on again. I hope it continues.
Are you a business struggling with new media marketing? If so, following the new plan from the White House and the President wouldn't be the worst thing you could do. Do you agree?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Free Teleseminar with Some of Marketing's Best - Brogan, Barrett, Gillin STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: free-teleseminar-with-some-of-marketings-best-brogan-barrett-gillin DATE: 01/19/2009 10:06:03 AM ----- BODY:
If you are free on Friday, January 23rd at 1pm, don't miss this free Author Teleseminar with Newt Barrett, Chris Brogan, Paul Gillin and myself as we talk about how to deliver information to customers that they really want.
Elizabeth Marshall has done a great job putting this event together.
Here's the event overview:
As a business owner or entrepreneur, your job is simple - to get more customers to buy from you. Easier said that done! After all, how can you possibly increase your sales when most of the traditional marketing tactics are a waste of your time and won't do a darn thing to help you reach them?
On Friday, January 23 at 1pm Eastern Time, meet Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett along with Chris Brogan and Paul Gillin, and discover how you can leverage content marketing to reach customers faster and easier than before. You will learn how to uncover what your customers really need and how to deliver solutions in a compelling and powerful way!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Five Questions with Seth Godin STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-questions-with-seth-godin CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 01/15/2009 09:03:30 AM ----- BODY:
Lori Rosen, executive director for the Custom Publishing Council (a wonderful Junta42 partner), was nice enough to let us share this brief interview between her and Seth Godin. Thanks Lori and Seth.
1. Your new book is called Tribes – how do you define a tribe, and what is an example of a tribe in today’s social media landscape?
A tribe is a group of people connected by a culture, a language, a mission and probably a leader. Barack Obama built a tribe, so did Harley Davidson.
2. In what ways are marketers currently taking advantage of social media most prevalently?
"Taking advantage" is a dangerous phrase. Take advantage of this medium and the medium will shut you down. Instead, marketers feed it, take care of it, embrace it and make it work for their users and readers. So, threadless.com builds a huge t-shirt company, or littlemissmatch.com builds a $40 million retail business. And don't forget the bloggers (which are rapidly closing the remaining gap with all but a handful of newspapers).
3. What are marketers not doing with regards to social media that they should be?
They are selfish. Short-sighted. Busy asking: how do I make this medium work for me? instead of asking, how do I work for this medium?
4. What are three trends in digital marketing that you believe we’ll see a lot of in the next 18 months?
5. Can you give an example of a company who has effectively avoided “the meatball sundae?” – meaning, who has effectively implemented the new marketing paradigm? What made their marketing stand out above the pack?
I don't think anyone can argue with Apple's success. And there are dozens of churches that get it, and one particularly famous political marketer who starts changing the world in January.
Do you agree with Seth?
Related Article
Seth Godin: "Content Marketing is the only Marketing Left" and 10 other marketing lessons
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 67.133.155.34 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 01/15/2009 05:47:45 PM With all due respect, let's hope the "political marketer" *can* change the world. I believe his intentions are grand...in the same breath, I think the track record of anything the government touches - especially when it intervenes in the private market - is abysmal. In the meantime, I'll continue evangelizing the power of social networking and content marketing in my respective industries. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Destry Wion EMAIL: destry@wion.com IP: 83.141.179.193 URL: http://wion.com DATE: 01/15/2009 07:08:12 PM "Dramatic explosion in...Squidoo pages" Funny guy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/16/2009 01:23:52 PM @ Jeff...who knows? But I think we all will agree that Obama changed the face of political marketing. @ Destry...I thought that was funny too. Can't blame the guy for throwing that in. He's been pushing Squidoo a lot lately on the blog. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jerry EMAIL: jezzer70@yahoo.co.uk IP: 82.32.37.83 URL: http://www.jerryholliday.com DATE: 01/19/2009 01:07:47 PM Looking forward to reading that!..interesting view on the 3 upcoming trends..could it get nasty for mass media and 'broad' casting ? ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: The Present and Future of Public Relations? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketing-the-present-and-future-of-public-relations CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 01/14/2009 09:28:20 AM ----- BODY:I gave a luncheon presentation entitled Content Marketing: The Present and Future of PR? yesterday for my new friends at Cincinnati PRSA.
(Note: Some of the images look a bit distorted in slideshare).
Here's the high level overview:
It was exciting to talk to many of the members after the presentation about how they believe they have now found their new career path, or how they can take their organization to the next level with content marketing. Makes driving through two hours of snow well worth the effort.
Here are some other helpful resources, based on the presentation:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Check out this Social Media Event in Tampa Bay (Junta42 Discount) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: check-out-this-social-media-event-in-tampa-bay-junta42-discount CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 01/10/2009 01:16:51 PM ----- BODY:
My friend Scott Abel just let me know that he has a few more spots available for Web Content 2009: “The Impact of Social Media on Web Marketing Strategy”. The event is February 17-18 in Tampa Bay.
I asked Scott if he could offer the Junta42 community a discount, and he was happy to oblige.
Save $400 when you register by telephone using discount code Junta42, no later than January 17,
2009. Call Shari Spraker at Duo Consulting at +1 312.529.3000.
I spoke at the Web Content 2008 event in Chicago and the attendees were raving about the program. So, if you can, give it a try.
Other Joe Pulizzi Events
Just in case you'd like to stalk me around the country, check out a few of these other upcoming public events I'll be presenting at...
Just read this post from Seth Godin on continuing to fight the good fight (it's really short, take a read). After I finished, I immediately started to think of content marketing/custom publishing efforts in corporations (big surprise, right?).
So many times, marketers get into the content arena with great (and often realistic) aspirations, but their timetables are too short. When expected results don't come in three months, they ditch the program to advertise, call more customers, or any other demand generation activity they can think of.
It's what I would call "resorting back to campaign mentality."
I know it's difficult. Marketing has trained us for years to run these time-based campaigns that have catchy headlines, cool creative, and costly media.
Content marketing is not about a campaign.
The creation of relevant, valuable and compelling content delivered to your customers should never stop. Repeat, it can never stop. Don't get me wrong, you continually evolve it based on the needs of your customers and changes in behavior, but delivering quality information to your customers (not sales information) means that you are trying to make a difference in their lives. Why would you stop that?
But to be honest, results take time. Most customers are skeptical when corporations begin to send them "essential information." They immediately try to figure out what the catch is. When they find out there is no catch, and you are still delivering this life-altering information to them, you change in their eyes.
You become their trusted solutions provider. You are not selling, you are helping. It's easier to buy from a solutions provider - that's the payoff!
When that threshold is passed, amazing things can happen. Don't give up!
If you are wondering how to get started, check out this white paper I wrote a few months back. Give it to your executives. Providing useful information to customers isn't an option anymore.
Related post: Seth Godin: "Content Marketing is the Only Marketing Left"
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Nagurski EMAIL: mark@reallypractical.com IP: 86.166.192.96 URL: http://www.reallypractical.com DATE: 01/09/2009 02:46:49 PM I've just finished writing some content pieces for a client on Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing and the like. The term 'Kaizen' is used frequently - as in a philosophy of continuous improvement. I think it's a term that can be applied well here as well - as opposed to the campaign mentality of traditional advertising methods. Organisations must commit to producing useful content, not as a project, but rather as a way of doing business. Now having said that I feel a post coming on ... Kaizen Content ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cindy King EMAIL: cindy@cindyking.biz IP: 88.138.88.136 URL: http://cindyking.biz/ DATE: 01/11/2009 03:21:43 AM Joe, I am always amazed at the type of easy solution people ask me for international online visibility. Sometimes I really do feel as if people think I am serving hamburgers. Of course, custom content is the easiest way to connect with target markets, no matter where they are. It is easy because you write content: - About what you are interested in - For an audience you like The only hitch is that you need to do it for a while. And people do not like sticking around. By the way, in my case, (1 post a day on 2 blogs,) and with content alone, I started feeling the tremors of interest around the 3 month period. As I learned more about my market and tweaked my content, I had definite confirmation of reaching my target audience at the 6 month period. And when I added a few social media to the mix, at the 9 month mark, things took off a week after. I agree: Choose your path and stick with it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/11/2009 09:20:07 AM @ Mark...Amen @ Cindy...well done. That sounds about right. It was at the 6 month mark that I actually found out I had readers other than my friends and family. Great content at the right audience for a consistent period of time. Not rocket science, but hard to do. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Recession Creates Opportunity - Invest in Marketing that Builds Assets STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: recession-creates-opportunity CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 01/07/2009 11:16:58 PM ----- BODY:
I talked to a medium-sized company today that was having some difficulty with their content marketing efforts. After about five minutes it was easy to see why.
The print newsletter and "magalog" were owned by customer service. The five enewsletters were ultimately managed by IT. White papers, eBooks and annual reports were executed by marketing. The website was split up between IT, marketing and sales. And no one was responsible for listening to the customer through social media tools. Frankly, most of the attention was still going to trade shows, direct mail and telemarketing.
Lots of wasted time and resources. Everything was being measured individually and no person had the power to bring the teams together. The worst part? - everyone was so worried about their little piece of the pie, no one was paying attention to the informational needs of the customer (Twitter? - what's that?).
Things are about to change because now they have no choice. Sometimes a recession creates opportunity.
Every company, no matter the size, has marketing processes or strategies that used to make sense in the past, but now just don't work.
In the good times, these processes go on because a little bit of waste is okay, tolerated or ignored altogether.
In times like these, your marketing can't afford waste.
Look at your marketing and do the following:
The companies that take advantage of this great opportunity will be leading their industries after the dust settles.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Natanya Anderson EMAIL: natanya_anderson@powered.com IP: 66.179.216.253 URL: http://theengagedconsumer.powered.com/ DATE: 01/08/2009 09:33:11 AM Joe - great post. I'd add a 5th item to this list: Look for redundancies and consolidate. Many times we find that several groups in a company are trying to address the same content needs but through their unique lenses (and not typically through the customers' lens). They are all telling a very similar story and creating multiple, redundant assets, none of which really meet the end-user's needs. If companies can centralize these efforts and make the focus of the asset development the user, they will most likely be able to create a single asset that performs well. Abandoning sacred cows and old ways of working is hard, but I agree that those who can find the strength to do that now will be the ones to succeed in these difficult times. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/08/2009 11:32:03 AM Great point Natanya...I added this above as number four. Good stuff. Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How to Make Money with Content Marketing STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-to-make-money-with-content-marketing DATE: 01/07/2009 10:34:11 PM ----- BODY:Like many of you I love social media. Connecting with new people everyday is one of the great features to this job. In any given day I get emails from people like you who read this blog (thank you) and from people who are checking out Junta42 or Junta42 Match, or see a Tweet on Twitter or saw me at a conference and so on. No matter who the person is, publisher, marketer, blogger, or business owner, one of the most common questions I get is something along the lines of "you put all this material out there for free, blogs, ebooks, whitepapers, how do you make any money?"
The answer is really embarrassingly simple. Content marketing. Even more so in these slowed economic times, people are still thirsting for good content. They want to know how to find and produce it as well as how to distribute it. Now of course they want to do it for free, which isn't always possible. But the goal is to remember your goal. If your goal is to be the expert in your field or industry then content marketing is the answer for you too. In order to be recognized as an expert, your job now it put all your good content out there. Get your brand all over the place so that consumers, when the need the information, and sooner or later when they need your product or expertise will turn to you for that. And that is where the money will be.
I had a few of the folks at VizEdu.com send me this visual presentation of content marketing @Twitter, and I thought it was close enough to share.
I like what they've done, but as always with trying to depict a philosophy visually, it leaves a few things out. Possibly for the next version?
Couple thoughts...
I must say, I'm still in awe at how the content marketing industry has changed and is evolving from custom publishing. Frankly, it's exciting and utterly confusing at the same time. How can it not be with all these terms?: content marketing, content strategy, inbound marketing, custom publishing, custom media, branded storytelling, private media, customer marketing, branded content and so on. Rick Liebling (@eyecube) calls this branding. For the most part, aren't they all pretty much the same thing?
Tell you what...let's all get together an pick a term. You with me?
If you liked this, check out 10 Content Marketing Tips to Start Now for 2009 or Content Marketing on the Rise for 2009.
Like information about content marketing? Sign up for my weekly eNewsletter.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kate Richardson EMAIL: kate@stickywood.com.au IP: 203.217.22.63 URL: http://stickywood.blogspot.com DATE: 01/05/2009 06:37:27 PM Hi Joe, To your point, the presentation doesn't actually address the first step in any content strategy - understanding the content (or entertainment) needs of your audience. People often skip this step, yet it's the most important. Marketers confuse it with product needs, agencies mistake it for media consumption needs. In addition, people's entertainment and content needs change in relation to different channels. This is why straight re-purposing doesn't always work. I hear you on the number of terms we can attribute to content marketing. To be honest, I think the spectrum is so broad it's difficult to define. The purpose comes back to storytelling, but I think it's not a bad idea to get comfortable with not having to define everything in a short, pithy, term. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/05/2009 09:39:47 PM Hi Kate...I think I agree with you. One term may not do the job...so why try? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rick Liebling EMAIL: sportspr@yahoo.com IP: 98.109.133.64 URL: http://www.eyecube.wordpress.com DATE: 01/05/2009 09:50:51 PM Joe, I thought was a good overview for people new to this area. I think I prefer the gang at Common Craft, but that's just personal preference. I must admit that I have a hard time with the term "content marketing". I always fear people will think I'm suggesting they market their content rather than using content as the marketing. I've written about what I call the Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe, but that's not quite right for what you're talking about. But Narrative Marketing might work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kate Richardson EMAIL: kate@stickywood.com.au IP: 203.217.22.63 URL: http://stickywood.blogspot.com DATE: 01/05/2009 11:16:54 PM Not sure Rick, I think advertising people could make a case for lumping their wares under narrative marketing. But I hear your point on content marketing. The last thing we want to do is make this area more confusing or obtuse for marketers. For me it's all about brand entertainment but that's specific to the wares I'm spruiking. Branded content seems to be the other term people use mostly in Australia. I tried to avoid the term 'branded content' because it sounds like existed content that's branded in a rather gratuitous fashion rather than content that's created for a brand. I also think entertainment suggests a connection with the audience where content does not. But I know entertainment doesn't fit everything. This is really semantics and not something clients really care about I'd say. Although I find it interesting! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/06/2009 08:14:30 AM @Kate @Rick The reason why I've always thought the industry should consolidate until one term is because I think marketers need it. There is so much confusion out there anyway, having 50 names for a type of marketing makes it all that more challenging. Marketers don't know what to call it, so how do they grow in a discipline that other marketers call something different. But to your points, I don't think I've heard the perfect fit yet, and there's the rub. The reason I use content marketing is because that was the first term that I used that marketers seemed to gravitate toward the fastest...where they "got it" the best. Haven't found another one that works as well - although simple "storytelling" works sometimes as well. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Richard S. Papale EMAIL: rsppub@gmail.com IP: 204.17.105.239 URL: DATE: 01/06/2009 10:13:36 AM I am interested in visualization tools for business to convey stories visually (as done here). Any recommendations of other tools to use? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/06/2009 10:24:27 AM Hi Richard...Rick's recommendation of Common Craft is worth a look. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sandeep Arora EMAIL: sandeeparora2@gmail.com IP: 58.68.79.30 URL: http://www.VizEdu.com DATE: 01/07/2009 07:32:37 AM Thanks for sharing our Flash Video here.This flash is basically about the "WHAT and WHY of Content Marketing". A next version could be "HOW, WHERE and WHEN on Content Marketing". Thanks for the seed idea and pointing it out. At VizEdu - we are on the frontline of Content Marketing- We are trying to create super awesome educational content - which has high value in itself. A byproduct of this effort will be the projects we get. I must say - it is not as easy as it sounds. This Interactive Flash took almost 7 days - with 2 resources (a Social Media expert and a Flash Developer). But hard work done for common good does pay off. Just wanted to share my implementation experience. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russell Sparkman EMAIL: russell@fusionspark.com IP: 66.165.17.4 URL: http://fusionspark.wordpress.com DATE: 01/08/2009 12:54:14 PM I think that the Content Marketing Flash does a good job of explaining the essentials of the concept. The difficulty, I find, is getting entrenched mindsets to "get it." From a personal perspective, I feel we've been patiently waiting for a level of upper level marketing execs to either retire or die off, so that a younger generation more attuned to these concepts is in decision making power. Our first foray into this began in 1998, when I presented something titled "Toyota Offroad and Online Presents" to international marketing directors in Toyota's Tokyo Corporate office. That project ultimately become "One World Journeys" and was picked up for a two year "branded content" sponsorship by Seiko Epson, out of the Japan offices, in 1999, and launched in early 2000. We had an integrated offline/online strategy for the content that was proposed, but only marginally embraced/implemented upon by the client. But, that's a whole different story. The site's still live, at http://www.oneworldjourneys.com, if you want to view a project that qualifies as a "historical" site in the context of this discussion. Anyway, I bring this history up to support my thoughts on the use of the term "Content Marketing." Until we redid our logo last year, our business cards always had the words "Inspiring Digital Storytelling" printed under our logotype. This dated back to 2000. We've had a lot of years of experience in trying to persuade marketers of the latent power of quality "storytelling" content to reach audiences, online. It's been difficult, to say the least, to be convincing, but that has been changing for the past several years. While I like the term "storytelling," I'm afraid it comes across a little wishy-washy, and it's role has largely been misunderstood by the average marketing manager/director. I like the term Content Marketing, and have added it to my own blog. Still, I find it always needs explanation, amplification, to get across the essence. The flash here does a good job of getting across the essence, and I'll be using it to help teach my own client prospects for "content marketing." Ultimately, regarding the term, I'm wondering if what we're really talking about is Integrated Marketing (a term that seems to be in fairly universal use, and understood), of which Content Marketing and Inbound Marketing are specific practices, philosophies, etc. Just like "direct marketing" is a practice that resides under the umbrella of marketing communications. If I applied that to myself, I'd say that we're an integrated marketing communications firm, which advocates and practices the specific discipline of content marketing. This was long for a comment. Sorry! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/08/2009 01:05:16 PM Russell...I like your thinking, and agree with you about content marketing, simply because marketers respond to that the fastest...they seem to "get it" - at least in theory. Regarding storytelling - you may be right. Would a billion dollar company spend $$$ on storytelling?...maybe, maybe not...but they should on content. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Keith Wiegold EMAIL: nutlug5@yahoo.com IP: 75.103.4.44 URL: DATE: 01/08/2009 05:05:22 PM Joe (and Kate and Rick, et al): I believe what we have here are two questions -- 1. where does strategy play a role in the demonstration of content marketing, as above; and 2. how to get marketers to understand and take more seriously 'content marketing' In a stroke of convergence, the answers to each serve the other. The strategy process is an absolute necessity to formulate a plan where content plays a key role in affecting every customer segment interacting with your brand at every level of engagement throughout their lifespan as your customer. Detailed marketing objectives and corresponding content strategy should define each stage of engagement as the customer grows from suspect to prospect to customer, and from part-timer to loyalist to advocate. Attaching metrics to each stage to ensure the content is working toward marketing objectives is paramount as well. If we, as 'content marketing' evangelists, wish to have Marketer credence adhered to our efforts and beliefs, we must play by the same rules and be judged similarly as the 'established marcomm' efforts: namely, by and through sound strategy and measurable results. Happy to further this discussion with anyone/everyone! Viva le Content! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/08/2009 08:10:48 PM Keith... 1. Very deep, and correct. 2. You need a blog ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kate Richardson EMAIL: kate@stickywood.com.au IP: 203.217.22.63 URL: http://stickywood.blogspot.com DATE: 01/08/2009 09:08:03 PM Wondering what else can we learn from other disciplines with 'wishy washy' or ill defined terminology? 'Social media' is one that comes to mind. Also to your point Keith, we all need to better educate our clients on how brand entertainment or content marketing can actually deliver results. I think clients have difficult comprehending how it can support their business objectives. Moreover its often lumped in the 'soft' or 'nice to have' category. Nice discussion Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Russell Sparkman EMAIL: russell@fusionspark.com IP: 66.165.17.4 URL: http://fusionspark.wordpress.com DATE: 01/08/2009 09:42:07 PM For the readers here who aren't web site developers, or information architects, there's a book called "The Elements of User Experience" by Jesse James Garrett that would be an interesting read, I believe (this is a well known book amongst the web designer/info architect crowd). This book has influenced our own approach to developing a content strategy for clients, and for helping clients to see how that content can deliver results. To quote from the opening page of the Strategy section of the book: "The foundation of a successful user experience is a clearly articulated strategy. Knowing both what we want the site to accomplish for our organization and what we want the site to accomplish for our users HELPS INFORM ALL THE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE ABOUT EVERY ASPECT OF THE USER EXPERIENCE." (Upper case added by me for emphasis) As this pertains to working with a client, we define what the client's desired outcomes are from the initiative, and then plan the specifics of the content strategy to match specific desired outcomes. For instance, if a non-profit's desired outcome is increased online donations, we may recommend an emotionally compelling video to be associated with the Please Donate link. In fact, we've done just that for a non-profit client and have demonstrated that the content delivers results by showing that the Donate link associated with the video content is, after a homepage Donate link, the second highest referring link to the donate form. What's important about this idea is that it's planning content not just for content's sake, but matching particular types of content to achieve specific desired outcomes. Thanks for reading my comment ... like Kate, I think this is a nice discussion. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Destry Wion EMAIL: destry@wion.com IP: 83.141.179.193 URL: http://wion.com DATE: 01/09/2009 09:19:23 AM As someone who has wore different hats under the user experience umbrella, but which is nevertheless somewhat new to the labels "content strategist" and "content marketing," I find this all very interesting. I've been reading up on both lately to try and get my head around them and strategist fits more of my background activities than marketer. Still, the divide is a lot shorter now that "traditional marketing" is being replaced with this new kind, and thus increasingly relevant to what I do (in terms of hands-on). OK, there's that. So, in looking at this presentation, I'm a little troubled by one thing suggested in the slide showing Chris Brogan's definition of what content marketing is. In fact the whole presentation seems to take the tack that content marketing is the *development* of good (insert definition here) content rather than the promotion of it and the channels used in that promoting. To me -- and maybe this is simply my lack of marketing experience and confusion with the label "content marketing" -- marketing is about getting the product/service known, generating the buzz, etc, and that's where folks often like to make a distinction between good content (that which is produced by subject/medium experts and serves user needs) versus marketing pitch that a commercial writer might produce. I don't mean to sound unfair but we've seen these distinctions before. Thus, there seems to be a discrepancy in what the presentation is visualizing (it does convey using socialware channels, for example, as a means of distributing/culturing the content, which is what makes "content marketing" click with me) versus what reads on the slides (that being to develop good content as it might come from a skilled writer, videographer, designer of any type and so forth). I welcome any clarifications. As it is, someone else besides me might be scratching their noodle if they're also trying to distinguish roles. I guess it goes back to defining what good content is under a given set of circumstances (audience, objectives, etc.) Here's a related question, as I think the content strategist and content marketer roles reside in here somehow (among other hats): Let's say someone is responsible (actually being paid) for developing/growing a user community around a new open source product -- the product website, the community support hangouts, the blog communication, promotion in the social channels, etc -- what do you call the person who has a lead hand in all that? Pick a title out of a hat and add "Lead" to it? Thanks to @halvorson for the article tip. -dw (@Wion) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.1 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/11/2009 09:23:30 AM dw...the question you raise is an important one. It almost seems like there are two sides - one that talks about content development and strategy, and the other that talks about content promotion. There aren't many that bring this together as one fluid process. That's exactly why we wrote our book to tackle that issue. Content strategy and content marketing and promotion must hand the baton to each other or it's all pretty much meaningless. Thanks for joining in on the conversation. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: content strategy STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-strategy DATE: 01/02/2009 01:01:30 PM ----- BODY:January is always the time when we take a fresh look at our marketing to see what we can do better. Whether your content marketing was lacking its "punch" or the plan was right but the execution missing, here are a few things you need to get a better handle on in 2009.
The Online News Release
Work Google Alerts
More Twitter
Give Ownership to Your Social Media - Chief Conversation Officer
Package and Give Away Your Content
CB's eBook, DMS ebook, JWP White Paper New Rules
Quick and Easy Research - Then Promote
Newt's article - JWP research
Don't Forget about LinkedIn
Where's Your Editorial/Content Calendar
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Social Media Book that Keeps on Giving STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-social-media-book-that-keeps-on-giving DATE: 12/29/2008 09:46:50 AM ----- BODY:My friend Gavin Heaton put together this very funny video regarding the book Age of Conversation 2. First, take a look at this video (frankly, a good example of a low-cost way to make a point that's worth passing on). Second, buy the book. Mine arrived a few weeks ago and it's worth the read...especially if you are trying to figure this whole "social media" thing out, or you need to convince upper management about what is going on in social media and content marketing (and why you need to pay attention). BTW, I'm on page 250.
The book includes the brightest marketing minds around the world. Here's the list:
Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
Related article - Age of Conversation 2 Officially Launches
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Troy Worman EMAIL: troy.worman@gmail.com IP: 74.178.201.176 URL: http://troyworman.com DATE: 01/13/2009 12:50:36 AM Thanks for spreading the word... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Most Popular Content Marketing Articles of 2008: A Year in Review STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: most-popular-content-marketing-articles-of-2008-a-year-in-review CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/26/2008 11:53:34 AM ----- BODY:
We had so much fun last year digging through the most popular articles on the blog and on Junta42, we wanted to do it again.
If content marketing was just starting to gain momentum last year, this year content marketing came into its own. Experts such as Seth Godin and Chris Brogan used the term, and Copyblogger Brian Clark regularly preaches the effectiveness of content marketing (not to mention, our book, Get Content. Get Customers., the "how-to of content marketing", is doing pretty well).
So without further ado, here are the most popular posts from the blog and most viewed articles on Junta42 for 2008. (Analytics courtesy of Google)
Top Content Marketing Articles from the Junta42 blog
Most Viewed Articles on Junta42
To get the most popular articles sent to you on a weekly basis, just sign up for our eNewsletter.
Thanks to each of you for your support during 2008. Looking forward to a great 2009!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: Top 10 Content Marketing Articles of the Year URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/12/top-10-content-marketing-articles-of-the-year.html IP: 10.17.151.34 BLOG NAME: Junta42 Content Marketing blog DATE: 12/28/2009 02:46:26 PM An annual Junta42 tradition, I enjoy going back and seeing the most popular content marketing articles for both the blog and the Junta42 community every year (here is the 2007 and 2008 review). NOTE: for you content marketers, this is... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 42+ Social Media and Content Marketing Predictions for 2009 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 42-social-media-and-content-marketing-predictions-for-2009 CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 12/21/2008 11:07:33 PM ----- BODY:
Some people hate them, but I'm a sucker for prediction articles. The switch over to the next calendar year always provides the perfect scenario to decide what the fate of marketing will be.
We reached out to the Junta42 community, as well as the Junta42 Top 42 bloggers, to get their take on what the new year would hold for content marketing and social media. As you will see, lots of opportunity amidst great uncertainty. Just the way we like it.
Thanks to those who contributed. Some truly outstanding expertise (and frankly, free consulting from some of the best). If you don't agree or would like to add yours, please do - and pass this along to any marketing folk you know.
Name: Paul Bradshaw, Online Journalism Blog
Prediction: Marketers will get cheap. Budgets will be tight,
which will make for more creative experimentation and rough-and-ready
projects. As a result they will realize that polished product doesn't
work online. They'll also be more concerned with analytics and
measuring success, and we may see the development of more uniform
models of measurement than we've had so far.
Name: David Meerman Scott
Prediction: Unfortunately, I have a bit of a dire prediction. But first some background.
Many marketers have now discovered Twitter. That's a good thing. And many marketers are using Twitter in very interesting and useful ways. However I'm seeing more and more Twitter feeds created not with a person's name "Mary Smith at Acme Products" but instead the feed is created with the company name instead "Acme Products".
While I'm sure that some people may want to follow their favorite company, I'm seeing many of these feeds as a derivative of spam because they just prattle on about their products and services all day.
Twitter is not an advertising tool.
I predict that in 2009 there will be a backlash against company Twitter accounts and either the Twitter community will need to self-police or the good people who run Twitter will need to make rules.
Name: Frank Martin, Marketing Magic
Prediction: Brand marketers will be exploring or building their Social Media presence in an attempt to further their messages and to boost the cost effectiveness of their marketing expenditures. They will continue to struggle with the lack of control over the content, which will push them to preach "living the brand internally. NOT a bad thing!
Name: Cimarron Buser, Texterity
Prediction: Combining traditional media with electronic media will increase. For example, in the print magazine world, the print magazine, website, newsletters, and digital editions for desktops and mobile devices will all be used to increase engagement with the reader. Interactivity is growing: not just "user contributed content", but also allowing polls and commenting to seamlessly interact with a site or digital magazine, and then show up (again) in a print version.
Name: Giles Rhys Jones, Interactive Marketing Trends
Prediction: Distributed Eventing
The creation of an event to reach a few people, then the filming and merchandising of that event nationally, regionally and globally through both broadcast and digital channel to reach a much broader audience.
Name: Marcus Grimm, Nxtbook
Prediction: We're a digital magazine and digital collateral provider, so it makes sense that I'd predict continued growth in that arena. But aside from my own bias, the stars are well aligned for that prediction: In a tough economy, dollars will always flow from expensive projects with unclear ROI to less costly initiatives with a well-defined ROI. For marketers, digital magazines and collateral do just that.
Name: Paul Dunay, Buzz Marketing for Technology
Prediction: I think you will see more companies acting like Media companies and even launching their own media properties based off of blogs, communities, and wikis they set up over the last few years.
Name: Scott Monty
Prediction: Content will be more focused around conversation than messaging. Brand marketers will begin listening to what their customers are saying and will be able to reply in an authentic engaging manner.
Name: Sally Falkow, co-developer of PRESSfeed
Prediction: News articles with images and video syndicated in RSS feeds should be a big part of brand marketers' strategy in 2009. The most clicked items on a Universal search results page are images and news. Americans are showing more and more interest in RSS. 'What is RSS?' is on the top ten list of questions searched in the Google Zeitgeist list for 2008. Brand marketers should take advantage of this increasing interest in RSS.
Name: Michael A. Stelzner, author of 'Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged'
Prediction: Social media is the new frontier for marketing. I predict a "gold rush" will take place as businesses quickly secure their spots in the social media frontier.
Many will rush to put up their Twitter sites and attempt to leverage LinkedIn and Facebook groups to further interact with their clientele.
These sites will be used to drive traffic to free content offerings, such as white papers and ebooks. DON'T MISS OUT. Get your social media plan underway now! You still have a first-mover advantage.
Name: Scott Howard, ScLoHo
Prediction: In 2009 the smart brand marketers will reach out via text offers and Twitter offers to the college aged crowd, money saving offers that they can use repeatedly to build brand preferences for the future.
Name: Jason Falls
Prediction: While I'm not optimistic many will catch on to this in 2009, some will. Creating and distributing branded content will have to focus around something other than the brand to be optimally successful. Whether it's a lifestyle, peripheral niche topics or by championing a cause or position, innovative brands will start to provide engaging content that allows them to intertwine the brand rather than push it as the primary selling point.
Name: Jacob Morgan
Prediction: It's no secret that social media is going to be a killer way for brand marketers to distribute and create their content. I think the main challenge is going to be how to measure the value or "ROI" on social media efforts and how to replicate social media successes. I am hoping that 2009 will bring about the integration of traditional media, social media, and search. Once a company can master the integration of all three, they will have a killer campaign.
I think we are also going to see Twitter blow up in terms of users - be prepared for a lot of spam and a lot of junk. The quality of Twitter and it's ability to filter spam is definitely going to be tested. We are already seeing some of this now. Truth be told, 2009 is going to involve a lot of testing and trial and error for brand marketers. There is no formula for social media success. However, we are also going to venture into an exciting time where companies and brands are going to try new things that will hopefully lead to case studies and examples that can be applied across the industry. Will we see a television commercial mention a corporate twitter account? We'll see.
I'm hoping that in 2009 companies and marketers will really see the value in building relationships with their users and customers through social media.
Name: Karthik Murali H
Prediction: Embracing Web 2.0 with social networking and bookmarking sites will be the route most brand marketers would take and it seems the most obvious economical choice in the current scenario.
Name: Toby Bloomberg, Diva Marketing
Prediction: I hesitate to make predictions so instead here are a few "I hope the brand marketers get it" wish list for 2009.
I wish that brand marketers would realize that building relationships via mobile is not pushing ads but providing valuable content that can be customized a la iPhone apps.
I wish that brand marketers would understand that to build trust means to participate with customers within the social media communities/blogs. It's not "social" until there is an exchange.
I wish that brand marketers would take the time to develop internal communication processes (that crosses silos) to support social media strategies before they launch social media initiatives.
Name: Dan Thornton
Prediction: Social Media Marketing will become a more mainstream approach, with a better understanding of how ROI is driven both directly and indirectly - this means an influx of brilliant examples, but also of the worst examples of jumping on something without investing the time and resources to understand it properly first.
Technology wise, Twitter will be officially mainstream, and will have monetized in some way, so I'd expect a rush of companies using whatever appears as a short term, low effort way to get into the buzz around micro blogging.
I'd also say video will continue to become more and more utilized - both as a publicity tool, but also as an interaction tool using sites like Seesmic, 12 seconds or mobatalk as ways to actually engage with people and provide a way for conversations to form via video.
Name: Mark Brownlow
Prediction: 2009 will see more brands providing opportunities, tools and experiences that allow or encourage others to create and distribute content on their behalf. It takes a leap of faith to let go of control of the final content or message. But that control started to decline from the day someone said, "hey, let's connect these two computers together."
Name: Marc Meyer
Prediction: I think brands will take more ownership of the content they create this coming year, but I think they still don't understand how to best reach the consumer. As many strides as we have made with social media this past year, much needs to be done for 2009. With that said, look for more cross promotional content creation this year as well.
Name: Rick Liebling
Prediction: This may be more of a hope than a prediction, but I'd like to see more marketers empower employees across the company to be content creators. If I'm a fan of a car company, I want to hear from designers, engineers, assembly line workers, sales, you name it. Have them participate in a group blog network, or on Twitter, whatever, the platform doesn't matter so much, it is the passion of the people that work for the company that really make the brand. Push that passion out to the consumer in an authentic manner and you'll create fans.
Name: Becky Carroll
Prediction: I believe that brand marketers will put more resources into having their customers help them create and distribute brand content. As consumers are tuning-out traditional advertising and marketing efforts, they are turning to their peers for advice and recommendations. Brand content that is created and distributed by peers who are evangelists for the brand can have significant impact not just on branding but also on sales and customer loyalty.
Name: Patsi Krakoff aka The Blog Squad
Prediction: In 2009 we'll see more brands developing a personality or a persona to represent the core values of the company. This 'persona' will be responsible for most of the brand's blog content and social media messages.
Cutting edge companies like Razer, the computer gaming hardware developer, have been using their founder, RazerGuy, as spokesperson for years. Other brands will find or create a persona to embody the spirit of their company. How else can companies connect and build relationships unless there is a person with a real personality?
As The Blog Squad, my partner Denise Wakeman and I have realized the importance of 'persona' to connect with people and to represent what our company does. Fortunately, we're real people. I pity those companies that are going to have to invent a persona because that will never work as well as authenticity.
Rohit Bhargava hit the nail on the head with his book Personality Not Included. I predict that 2009 will be the Year of the Personality!
Name: Brian Solis
Prediction: Brand marketers will continue to experiment with existing and emerging forms of social media, concentrating their efforts substance and distribution and not frequency (maybe that's a wish and less of a prediction). Content syndication aka Social Syndication is key for rising above the noise and connecting with the very people who can benefit from your words, thoughts, ideas, and passion. Social syndication will also require aggregated monitoring of all activity in order to not only "push" content at people, but also provide a hub for viewing, analyzing, and responding to their feedback, where those individual conversations transpire. We will also see integrated dashboards such as PeopleBrowsr and 8hands tightly intertwine the distributed web to enable true participation and cultivation of genuine relationships across diverse communities. The social web will expand and contract in 2009, but we will also gain access to the very solutions that will make the real and online world a much smaller place.
Name: David Reich, Reich Communications, Inc.
Prediction: Marketers will continue to experiment with social media in 2009, although they may not get into it as deeply as they might have hoped before the financial meltdown. But tight budgets might work in favor of trying social media, since programs on various platforms, especially blogs, need not be costly to be effective at reaching and engaging customers.
Name: Rick Burnes, Hubspot
Prediction: In 2009 brand marketers will
Name: Neil Perkin
Prediction: 2009 is going to be a hugely challenging year for everyone, but the transition of all media streams to become social is a permanent change meaning that more and more brand owners will need to adopt distributed networked models over destination models. The challenging environment will see more focus on ROI, a desire for greater definition, and the rise in new forms of context.
Name: Ann Handley, MarketingProfs
Prediction: In 2009, an increasing number of journalists find themselves out of work at traditional newspapers, which continue to struggle with sustaining their business. Good news: the writers find a home as "content producers" and "content managers" on the corporate side, in companies of all shapes and sizes.
People who are trained as journalists are specifically geared to helping companies execute on their 2009 marketing strategy, which is to become trusted sources of information within their specific industries. They can help companies see the wisdom of talking less about the company itself, and more about solutions they can help their customers with. They are wonderfully creative in developing interesting and compelling content.
Advice: If you are thinking of increasing your content play in 2009, hire a journalist.
Name: Mark Nagurski
Prediction: 2009: The Year Small Business Comes Out to Play
If 2008 was the year that social media went mainstream, then 2009 will be the year that small businesses and micro-brands start using those very same social media tools to make and distribute their content.
Take a sneaky peek outside the online bubble and for a sizable chunk of the small business world, the term web strategy still refers to a 4-page brochure website and a Hotmail address. And the small business world is a sizable chunk of the bigger business pie.
But the growth of social media and the importance of search have helped to democratize the tools needed to go beyond static sites and create and distribute content. Blogs are free, YouTube hosts your video for you and RSS makes syndication really simple.
So as individuals become increasingly familiar with these tools in their own personal lives, they will begin to play and experiment and otherwise dip their toes in the content creation waters in their business lives too. Some will take to it and some will prefer the seeming security of the status quo beach.
Either way, just as the trend junkies and early adopters begin to sound the death knell for blogging, podcasting and anything else established B.T. (before Twitter), 2009 will see us welcoming the early majority to the party.
It should be some party.
Name: Paul Gillin
Prediction: I believe 2009 will see the beginnings of a new approach to corporate blogging that is more genuine and open. Corporate Blogs 2.0 will admit that fallibility is not a sin and will trust their customers to help them make their businesses better. The few businesses that have taken a risk and bared their souls have found that their transparency engenders sympathy, trust and support. The business world will experience a great deal of pain during the first part of the next year. There is no better time for them to ask customers for help and understanding.
Name: Heather Lloyd-Martin
Prediction: 2008 was the year of big brands sticking their toes into the SEO content waters. More than ever before, companies were building out blogs, articles, FAQ pages, white papers and robust product descriptions in an attempt to gain better organic search engine ranking and capture market share.
Although many companies did a fantastic job (@zappos being one), other companies created what they called "content for the search engines." Unfortunately, this content was keyphrase-stuffed without regard to direct marketing principals. In essence, their content was written solely for the search engines without regard to their readers' experience.
I see many companies shifting their content approach to one that's less about search engine rankings and more about blending direct response writing with SEO principals. Companies implementing SEO copywriting strategies in 2009 are focusing more on creating a dialogue with their customers. In-house teams are stressing messaging and conversion - and less on gaining a particular keyword position or per-page keyphrase density (thank goodness).
Companies are also starting to put more value on SEO copywriting training - whether that means sending their team to conferences, building in-house training initiatives, or planning ongoing educational opportunities.
It's a very exciting time.
Name: Valeria Maltoni
Prediction: Execution is the new strategy!
I strongly believe this. With the speed at which things are changing in today's business environment, it will become critical to do and adjust as you learn while doing. Yes, strategy and planning are important, but doing is and will be critical.
This will especially be important when creating content. In many companies and businesses, there is way too much planning and way too little creating. My prediction is that success will come to those who do and edit on an ongoing basis. The year of the "doer" is here - now repeat after me "can do".
Name: Ardath Albee
Prediction: In 2009, content will help companies become ubiquitous in their area of expertise. Instead of only sharing their expertise with people who come to their websites and fill out a form, B2B marketers will start spreading (syndicating) their content across the Internet to intersect with where their customers and potential customers hang out.
Marketers will employ content to attract interactive dialogues. They'll learn how to have meaningful "social" conversations and come to understand how to use storytelling content to build relationships that more easily progress to sales opportunities.
Instead of one-off content developed for a specific company event, or campaign, marketers will develop their content using an overarching story as a thematic guide to map content to buying stages. And, they'll start to personalize content to address specific target segment needs as they get better at reading virtual behavior and responding to the interests that prospects indicate.
The result of this shift in the creation and use of marketing content is that companies will attract more prospects who opt in to dialogue and that, by using content to create momentum in the buyer's journey, salespeople will be focused on selling to opportunities, instead of qualifying leads.
Name: Joe "Giuseppe" Zuccaro
Prediction: Obviously through social networks that provide transparency and authenticity. Video will play a larger role. But the authenticity may have to come through a person whose role is more like an "ombudsman" than a brand manager or PR flack.
Name: Chris Moritz, Campbell-Ewald
Prediction: Social channels (for real this time) - talked about a lot in 2008, but low participation when compared to what will happen in 2009. Microblogging, syndication and aggregation via RSS, email newsletters wedded to social network profiles - this will positively explode in '09.
A mixture of company-, user-, and agency-generated content facilitated and directed by a dedicated content strategist, powered by antediluvian content management systems (for the unlucky) and blogging-style publishing tools (for the fortunate).
Delivery of content may be seen more often via API-powered Javascript widgets/gadgets like Google's OpenSocial. Allows for quicker deployment without the need for manual coding or complicated back end modifications.
Name: Neil Marshall
Prediction: Consider this both a prediction and a plea from someone in marketing and a consumer of content ...
Let's make 2009 the year of true 1:1 content distribution. Send me the content I want, when I want it, in the form that I’d like to consume it. Let the challenging economic times inspire challenge to convention ... drop the one size fits all newsletter in favor of on demand delivery of targeted 1:1 messages driven by variable content. Lose the plain text marketing pieces in favor of interactive video. Use email, RSS, widgets, and portals as distribution points, and let me choose which of those work for me.
From Junta42 Content Providers and Content Agencies
Name: Kari Rippetoe - Social Media and Content Strategist
Prediction: Businesses are still catching on the phenomenon of blogging and realizing the value it holds for their brands. I think more brand marketers will be including it as an essential part of their strategy, and budgeting for content development/management and community building/management. With all the talk about social media measurement and how to prove ROI, blogging will be the best way for the late adopters to ease into social media and content marketing.
Name: Diane Evans, Sunlit Communications
Prediction: Word of mouth -- with a different twist. In geographic communities, local businesses build as word spreads of high quality work and reputable service. The Internet brings together a different kind of community, where people "know" one another according to common interests and/or intersecting fields of work. Either way, word spreads when work is done well, on time and for a fair and reasonable price.
Name: Paul Barron - Publisher & Producer
Prediction: Webinars & live or pre-recorded Video events
Name: David Crew
Prediction: Podcast & Video Podcasts
Name: Scott Frangos
Prediction: Many will use the suite of Google tools to create presentations, surveys, slide shows, and even plug in lists using web published spreadsheets.
Name: Marilyn K. Dayton, EOTO Custom Publications
Prediction: As we at EOTO Publishing look ahead into 2009, we can foresee the potential effects of both the recession and the associated drop in overall marketing budgets. We predict an approximate 10% drop in overall ad spending, especially in Corporate America. Depending on the industry, small business may find a need to cut ad/marketing spending at a higher rate than Corporate America. To compensate, there will be emerging opportunities that will increase the replacement of traditional media spending with e-Commerce, in the form of:
There will be less tactics and more strategy and innovative, fresh thinking to connect and interact branding with consumers. We will see increased collaboration through cross marketing opportunities with web ads as well as an increase in bartered marketing. However, the growth of eCommerce marketing listed above will be overshadowed by increased paid searches and social networking techniques.
Name: Anna Prokos
Prediction: Marketers will reach out to custom media providers who specialize in digital magazines and online applications—a more cost-effective and fast way to get their content into the hands of readers.
Name: Michael Blumberg
Prediction: The big challenge for brands is going to be reaching consumers without appearing to be selling anything. Consumers can smell ads a mile away, and tend to avoid them when they can (witness DVRs and extremely low click-through rates on online search and display advertising). People do not like brand messaging with a hidden agenda.
However, giving high-quality content as a gift with no strings attached is likely to increase consumer appreciation. I therefore predict that brands will shy away from ads and toward sponsoring more independent editorial. They may also increase direct response tactics that appeal to consumers' wallet, like offers, promotions and sweepstakes.
Name: Russell Sparkman
Prediction: In 2009, there will be continued enthusiasm for online user-generated Content and Social Media. However, there will be increased recognition that UGC/Social Media isn’t a fit for every communicator’s needs or goals, leading to an increased awareness of, and demand for, professionally produced content in online corporate communications.
In particular, 2009 will herald the widespread emergence of marketing and public awareness communications content that sits at the nexus of corporate communications and journalism. As more and more non-media organizations begin to think and act like publishers there will be increased emphasis in quality and professionalism in content creation.
Corporate, non-profit and government websites will become more and more like online magazines or channels. And those who recognize the importance of compelling, authentic storytelling content in their online communications will see the greatest long term ROI from their content investments.
All sectors that are engaged in marketing communications activities will be influenced by this trend. This includes not only consumer product manufacturers and retailers but also non-profit organizations and governmental organizations.
A by-product of this trend is that professional writers, photographers, videographers, illustrators, animators, etc., -- many of whom are wary of the “anybody can publish” world of free UGC/Social Media – will see increased demand for their professional services.
Name: Paul Conley
Prediction: I expect brand marketers to begin buying media properties -- particularly well-established brands with both Web and print products -- from traditional B2B publishers. The economic crisis in publishing offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for marketers. I expect them to act on it.
Name: Simon Kelly, Story Worldwide
Prediction:
Name: Tammy Wise, The Wise Group
Prediction: As mainstream media pares staff and traditional media readership declines, opportunities for brand marketers to get out their message will evolve dramatically. No longer needing to persuade mainstream media gatekeepers, brand marketers will realize the critical need to provide relevant, quality content. Marketing messages will follow a less-advertising, more journalistic approach that offers relevant stories that show impact, offer counsel and demonstrate fairness. Target audiences will seek content, particularly online, that fills their need for relevant, useful information.
Name: Gordon Plutsky, King Fish Media
Prediction: Traditional media companies will continue to lose ad revenue from companies who are now creating their own content to own their own media channel. However, smart media companies will prosper by offering innovative lead generation programs for companies to distribute their content to new audiences. Content creating companies and media companies will create win/win partnerships to leverage the relationship’s media brands have with their audience to marry with company created original content. The combination will result in a positive environment for content marketing.
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Did we miss any? If so, add yours below.
If you liked this, check out 10 Content Marketing Tips to Start Now for 2009 or Content Marketing on the Rise for 2009.
Like information about content marketing? Sign up for my weekly eNewsletter.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gavin Heaton EMAIL: servant@servantofchaos.com IP: 123.243.47.19 URL: http://www.servantofchaos.com DATE: 12/22/2008 12:14:45 AM Agencies will need to hire brand storytellers to add long form storytelling to their capabilities. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rama Vadakattu EMAIL: rama.vadakattu@socialreader.net IP: 118.94.208.111 URL: http://www.socialreader.net DATE: 12/22/2008 09:22:43 AM hi, The blog links are not working properly, as their is an extra space at the end of every link (like http://blog.hubspot.com / instead of http://blog.hubspot.com/ ). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.0.189.6 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/22/2008 09:48:24 AM Rama...thanks. Not sure what happened, but the links are fixed. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: cal miller EMAIL: cal@bluemarblemedia.com IP: 97.66.56.145 URL: http://www.bluemarblemedia.com DATE: 12/22/2008 09:49:26 AM yes...content is key for next year, and more focus for consumer & B2B will be placed on the quality presentation of that content...from messaging ( succinct & clear ) to professional production; far too much - even from pr & agency sources - was mediocre, and even harmed some well known brands ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael A Stelzner EMAIL: mike@writingwhitepapers.com IP: 72.197.234.62 URL: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/ DATE: 12/22/2008 09:50:56 AM Great predictions everyone! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Massey EMAIL: bmassey@conversionscientist.com IP: 70.129.201.231 URL: http://budurl.com/DrillingIntoSocial DATE: 12/22/2008 10:50:08 AM Predictions: "Conversion" will replace "Traffic" as the marketing watchword in 2009. "Social Conversion" will enter the marketing lexicon as marketers struggle to choose the appropriate social media strategies from those available. Content creators will be in high demand. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Keith Wiegold EMAIL: nutlug5@yahoo.com IP: 75.103.4.44 URL: DATE: 12/22/2008 12:14:03 PM Prediction: While I am hopeful that many of your "prayers" are answered as above, if I were a betting man, I'd have to say that facing this historic economical bottoming-out, marketers will sadly revert back to the tried and true: product-focused and discount-oriented, with tunnel-vision for loading the sales funnel. Where many should focus their efforts is on retention of loyal customers who are most apt to stick with a favored brand during difficult times. Content marketing plays a very key role here, providing more than just product info, but also customer-centric content that speaks to the higher-order benefits of the brand. Look at it this way: in times of strife, would a person look to the quick-fix promises of an acquaintance, or a true-blue friend who knows them and their needs, who will be there for them regardless of good times or bad? Engaging content helps form these true-blue relationships. So, a toast for the new year: relish your true-blue relationships, and hope that marketers recognize their importance as well (right, George Bailey?)! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hal Goodtree EMAIL: hi@goodtreecompany.com IP: 24.136.255.76 URL: http://www.goodtreecompany.com DATE: 12/22/2008 01:38:00 PM Prediction: Filmmakers rejoice! 2009 will see widespread growth in video content. Comment: Great list! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Abel EMAIL: scottabel@mac.com IP: 76.89.108.216 URL: http://www.thecontentwrangler.com DATE: 12/22/2008 03:07:37 PM Prediction: Marketers with an eye on the global marketplace may start to realize that it's not the Illinois or New York Web -- it's the World Wide Web. This realization should cause them to keep an eye toward creating content that avoids ambiguous terms (this includes most nonsensical marketing blabber and industry jargon that may be easily misinterpreted) and that is created using a controlled vocabulary (like Simplified or Plain English). Graphics, charts and illustrations also need similar attention. Images that may be appropriate for a US audience, may be offensive to a Chinese audience, for example. Colors, hand gestures, symbols, and words can cause misunderstandings when used universally, without regard for language, culture, social economic levels, etc. This trend will gain momentum as more and more web content management system vendors begin to support dynamic content personalization and component content management strategies. Marketers will be challenged to deliver far better results than they have in the past as new case studies and success stories make their way around the conference circuit this coming year. Variable data printing techniques (including personalized URLS) will be big attention grabbers as hotel chains, large equipment manufacturers, and healthcare organizations release new campaign results. You can learn more about content technology predictions by reading Dave Kellogg's Ten Content Technology Predictions for 2009. Dave is the CEO of Mark Logic, a very successful content company helping organizations solve huge content analysis challenges using powerful new approaches and technologies. http://tinyurl.com/84cgtr ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Gass EMAIL: michael@michaelgass.com IP: 74.183.172.49 URL: http://www.fuelingnewbusiness.com DATE: 12/22/2008 03:21:37 PM Comment: This is an excellent list. My community happens to be small-to midsize ad agencies and PR firms. Unfortunately our community has not be leading but reluctant followers of social media. I would like to predict that they will have an epiphany moment to see its importance next year but feedback from the trenches, I don't see that happening. But for those that do, who are willing to be out in front, I believe they will be greatly positioned for more market share in 2009 and beyond. Social media has been a will continue to be a great tool that forces ad agencies to conduct their business development the way they should have been doing it all along. Leading with "benefits" rather than "capabilities" stating their point of differentiation and appeal to a specific target audience rather than being a generalist. I'm excited for our industry. This is a revolutionary time to be in advertising. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Grant EMAIL: walkfish@gmail.com IP: 204.10.247.1 URL: DATE: 12/22/2008 03:32:04 PM The average marketing department will have a 20% cut in budget, resulting in the need for low-budget, highly-efective marketing. So-alled agencies will offer to help them with the low cost social marketing but will charge huge fees for the service. Marketing departments will say forget that and go DIY and discover that it doesn't have to be that slick to work. In fact, that's the beauty of social media. This will be the beginning of the end for advertising agencies. They will be replaced by the new information/content specialist working within the company. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Manna EMAIL: joemanna@gmail.com IP: 72.214.210.146 URL: http://www.joemanna.com/blog/ DATE: 12/22/2008 03:36:02 PM Prediction: I feel that companies will make juicier mistakes before they embrace the truths in social media. Motrin™, for example, is the best end-of-2008 social media mistake and I expect similar examples to rise out of the woodwork. I also believe at the same time, many more companies will be LISTENING to their consumers more through social media. I think it's known that people will be on social media at higher capacity, and companies will continue to explore the social media terrain before they commit budgets to it. I see more customer service type of initiatives leveraging social media MUCH more in 2009. ~Joe http://www.joemanna.com/blog/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nettie Hartsock EMAIL: nettie@nettiehartsock.com IP: 70.112.116.129 URL: http://www.nettiehartsock.com DATE: 12/22/2008 05:58:32 PM As a former technology journalist (way before the dot com bombed and after, with Mark Brownlow as one of my first editors) - I predict that many of the social media tools currently being used will have to be balanced with a better understanding of how and why and the real applicability of those tools in marketing. Does everyone need to Twitter to reach their target demographic? No. Does everyone need to have a blog to count in Web 2.0? No. What everyone should have is relevancy, authenticity and rather than a "persona" (defined as "The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one's public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self.) - they should instead be themselves. Just as journalists are most interested in the real story, not the persona, consumers and buyers are interested in the real story. David Meerman Scott also consistently during his presentations, his blog and his book notes that it's a good idea to hire journalists to build your content. I agree and my vote is for folks like Richard Pachter of the Miami Herald - http://www.richardpachter.com . Brilliant journalist and writer. (And no, I'm not his publicist!) I also really believe in the power of using social media for good. For instance, the plane skid that happened today and someone twittering as it was happening. I hope for 2009 that more people will strive to find how social media tools can be used for the greater good of mankind in hospitals, urgent catastrophe, and schools. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: MLDina EMAIL: Dina@marketleverage.com IP: 97.100.20.191 URL: http://www.marketleveragetv.com DATE: 12/22/2008 11:18:15 PM Thanks for the list! I'm always on the hunt for interesting new blogs, or at least ones that are new to me. You should do a 2010 follow up post looking back at your predictions! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jesse Liebman EMAIL: liebman.jesse@gmail.com IP: 71.111.177.7 URL: http://www.jesseliebman.com DATE: 12/23/2008 12:30:24 AM Convenience, research capabilities, and customization of products are the main reasons consumers choose the Internet. I see convenience being enhanced via more and more products having the ability to be downloaded or instantly obtained. With more companies turning to some form of search marketing transparency will be key because shoppers will be in all different phases in the buying cycle. We have the power to instantly change our minds and find a competitor for even the silliest reasons. Lastly, we've seen major corporate companies and small out of the garage businesses all move towards one common theme. Customization. If you don't like how those jeans look you can find someone to make them exactly how you want them and on your doorstep tomorrow. Give the user what they want or they'll create it themselves. As a result of these parameters creativity will be at a premium and once again companies will have to find a way to cut through the media saturation. Patience has dwindled at the rate of budgets. Those who find a way to give, connect, and respond will be the ones who succeed in the long run. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.0.189.6 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/23/2008 08:31:23 AM Gang...some excellent additional predictions. This is some list. @MLDina...after this type of feedback, we definitely will do a follow up. Should be interesting to say the least. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeanniey Mullen EMAIL: jherling@zinio.com IP: 216.27.137.48 URL: http://www.zinio.com DATE: 12/23/2008 10:00:27 AM Prediction: We're already seeing a confirmation of a continued desire to capture highly coveted editorial quality, design, and layout digitally — all of which originally sparked Zinio’s conception and continuing evolution of technology and marketing services for the industry. In the next year, we predict that digital publishing offerings from major magazine and book publishers will grow rapidly, and that e-commerce and reading experiences across digital platforms will continue to improve and expand to keep up with this increased demand. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Chaney EMAIL: pchaney@gmail.com IP: 12.166.198.33 URL: http://www.conversationalmediamarketing.com DATE: 12/23/2008 12:14:48 PM 2009 will be the year "content" and "conversation" combine. Content will be created in various forms (blogs, articles, webinars, videos, podcasts) and brands will continue their expeditions into use of social media. Facebook and Twitter will continue to gain ascendancy and prominence. Essentially, it will be a continuation of what we're seeing at present. More of the same. The ROI of social media question will continue to be asked. What works in social media will be on everyone's mind. Proving the case for social media marketing will be a high priority item. SEO will continue to play a significant role and both "content" and "conversation" marketing will contribute to that as well. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Barbara Rozgonyi EMAIL: connect@corywestmedia.com IP: 68.57.193.159 URL: http://barbararozgonyi-wiredprworks.com DATE: 12/23/2008 03:28:23 PM Top 10 2009 Content Predictions 1. Short: Twitter bursts conversations 2. Visual: YouTube channels content 3. Graphic: Images supplant words 4. Multi: Diversity stands out 5. Mobile: Texts buzz word of mouth 6. Stories: Tell me something good 7: PRx2: Public relations meets page rank 8. Music: Can you corporate Karaoke? 9. iPhone: App, app and away 10. Search: Precisely matched @wiredprworks on twitter.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: AJ Kohn EMAIL: ajkohn2001@yahoo.com IP: 66.245.216.229 URL: http://www.blindfiveyearold.com DATE: 12/26/2008 10:20:53 AM This is a great list of contributors with interesting predictions. They're all a bit more rosy than my own expectation, which is contraction in social media which will likely scare brands from making a big investment in the short term. I think Nagurski and Falkow have some savvy insight in particular. Small Businesses will be better suited to test and use social media in 2009. The economy many force them to find new ways to connect with users and/or do so with less money. Social media will be the advantage small business has on big business in a weak economy. As for RSS. I think this is the year someone figures out how to actually market it appropriately. Because once it is presented the right way, a large number of people WILL adopt RSS. So, those brands who already understand RSS or who get on the bandwagon sooner rather than later will be better positioned. In my opinion, 2009 will be the year that brands abandon CTR as their over-riding metric. That's a big step and it will take the entire year to make that conversion. Finally, I'm predicting that Facebook changes dramatically and that Twitter is passed as the platform of choice for conversations. The rest of my predictions are on Blind Five Year Old: http://www.blindfiveyearold.com/2009-internet-and-technology-predictions ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dana VanDen Heuvel EMAIL: dana@marketingsavant.com IP: 98.100.143.22 URL: http://2009.marketingsavant.com DATE: 12/29/2008 06:14:09 PM Wow! Thanks for getting all of these folks together to share their insights for 2009. What a resource. I've added a link to this post, along with over 50 other 2009 marketing prediction posts and articles over at www.2009marketingpredictions.com. Here are my 10 predictions to add to the mix... 1. Marketers apply lessons from the 2008 Presidential campaign. 2.Marketers will measure absolutely everything. 3.Insurgent marketers will win big market share. 4. Customer data will be the most precious marketing resource. 5. Corporations move to a model where "everyone becomes a marketer". 6. Marketers focus on targeting. 7. Consumers expect feedback loops; companies respond. 8. Mobile and location really begin to matter. 9. Tactics will still lead before strategy. 10. B2B Marketers will increasingly seek a ‘thought leadership’ based approach to marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: RedEvo EMAIL: david@redevolution.com IP: 82.71.28.201 URL: http://seo.redevolution.com DATE: 12/31/2008 08:30:49 AM Marketing to a cash strapped and shocked audience will introduce many marketers to an alien world. Putting food on the table and paying the mortgage will polarize many people's thinking on spending, not just in 2009 but for some time IMHO. Marketers who really 'get' the situation will win. It's time to really REALLY understand your market. d ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Agitationist EMAIL: jwalker37@gmail.com IP: 76.192.184.232 URL: http://agitationist.com DATE: 01/05/2009 01:02:01 PM A few you missed - slightly more bold... http://agitationist.com/2009-predictions-for-the-interweb ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Banagatiz EMAIL: aye.tktdewe@gmail.com IP: 125.161.150.115 URL: http://marketing-strategic.com DATE: 01/11/2009 09:40:13 AM Making money online is strike different but Foundation of marketing strategic online is still the same. The top reasons are : * The internet is world wide * The internet always open--never close * Only You to responsible ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Schmidt, Web Strategist EMAIL: steve@effectwebmedia.com IP: 173.9.193.122 URL: http://www.effectwebmedia.com DATE: 02/02/2009 10:28:07 AM I believe 2009 is the year for a major paradigm shift in marketing for the small business. We're already getting inquiries about social media consulting. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO Dubai EMAIL: kaleem@go-gulf.com IP: 116.71.182.89 URL: http://www.go-gulf.com DATE: 04/16/2009 09:35:03 PM Good ideas here. Will have to dig in further to the webinar tools. As for the fan page, I think its a great idea for B2C companies in particular but I think B2B companies may have a harder time when it comes to finding fans. I mean, I just don't see many people becoming a "fan" of say, Accenture or Sun. I think that most people forget that personal touch. Social media is great for connecting but it can't take the place of putting name, face, voice and a handshake together. Another thought: set up an automated search for your company and products with Google Blog Search (http://blogsearch.google.com/). Whenever someone writes about you, be sure to comment, even if it's just to say ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christopher John EMAIL: christopherjohn.mcphee@gmail.com IP: 124.106.46.93 URL: http://www.astrogaming.com DATE: 06/23/2009 02:41:21 PM Thanks for posting some ideas here. Have been using google and I believe this is the best website. I got everything I need using google search. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mlm leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 12:17:25 PM Nice predictions, well let's just say that's what you foresee of what's going to happen in 2009 on the world of social marketing. I got my prediction too, maybe you can add this to your list. Traditional Advertising Expenditures (TV, Radio, Print) will shrink by 20% to 10% due to world financial crisis + the lack of World Political spend - digital spend will more than double. And you might ask where do I get these numbers? Well, I read all the industry data, I can and then just pull them out of course. It's nearly as accurate as any Wall Street dartboard technique or the studied predictions of most financial analysts. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Ogden EMAIL: jogden@findnewcustomers.net IP: 71.167.15.206 URL: http://www.findnewcustomers.net DATE: 11/30/2009 06:03:40 PM My prediction is that businesses will finally learn to talk to customers and learn where they get information. Further, they will learn that more and more, businesses are using Facebook, Twitter and to a lesser extent, Linkedin, to get answers to questions. Then they will start investing in listening and creating thought leadership content. This is long overdue. Jeff Ogden, President Find New Customers "Lead Generation Made Simple" http://www.findnewcustomers.net ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Content Marketing Tool Benefits EMAIL: forumstella@gmail.com IP: 122.164.95.25 URL: http://www.marketingscrolls.com/content_marketing_an_effective_marketing_tool.php DATE: 04/29/2010 02:43:12 AM That is a very good sign on creating an impact on what you know of his industry and what you will do to solve a problem, what solutions you will offer, what services you offer, the products that can solve their problems, increase efficiency and reduce complexity. You can provide industry-specific information more often than providing your company-specific information. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mikey EMAIL: visual1marketing@gmail.com IP: 203.177.74.140 URL: http://www.VisualMarketing.com.au DATE: 05/26/2010 07:52:40 PM I stumble this productions and I like it. Some would not be true on these. Thanks.. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lance EMAIL: lanceleere94@hoia.com IP: 8.14.147.116 URL: DATE: 08/30/2010 02:53:01 AM yes...content is key for next year, and more focus for consumer & B2B will be placed on the quality presentation of that content...from messaging ( succinct & clear ) to professional production; far too much - even from pr & agency sources - was mediocre, and even harmed some well known brands http://www.hotfilemediafire.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Copywriting Services EMAIL: lrjames50@gmail.com IP: 82.152.195.202 URL: http://www.thecopybox.com DATE: 09/13/2010 11:49:41 AM Great post and interesting to see which ones have now come true. The points about clients/companies creating their own social networks and advertising through them is perhaps most relevant now. This could spell the end of the traditional advertising agency and the start of micro-niche marketers who help businesses to grow their own networks organically within their industry sector. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Influence strategies EMAIL: alanfindaly@gmail.com IP: 216.178.81.218 URL: http://www.haygroup.com/leadershipandtalentondemand/Products/Item_Details.aspx?ItemID=28&type=7 DATE: 11/18/2010 01:50:57 PM Looking back on this I can't help but think about David Meerman Scott's prediction that people would get fed up with company Twitter handles. Many of the other predictions came true, especially about hoe social media advertising has taken off, but so far people are fine with company Twitter handles. At the beginning of 2009 I was expecting David's prediction to come true but was surprised when more people began embracing company culture instead of turning it away. It seems that as long as you plan your influence strategies with creative content that people will approve. ----- PING: TITLE: 100 Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions for 2010 URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/12/social-media-content-marketing-predictions-2010.html IP: 10.17.151.35 BLOG NAME: Junta42 Content Marketing blog DATE: 12/14/2009 12:08:30 PM Some things amaze me, like this year's social media and content marketing predictions list. What does one sent email and two tweets equal? Over 100 predictions from 60+ of the best and the brightest in marketing, content marketing, custom publishing... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New Research: With Economy Rattled, Marketers Spending on Content/Social Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-research-with-economy-rattled-marketers-spending-on-contentsocial-media CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 12/17/2008 11:20:12 PM ----- BODY:We've just completed our December Junta42 readership study and frankly, I'm surprised. I bought into the thinking, like most other marketing and publishing professionals, that marketers would hold back spending in all categories during these tough times.
I was wrong.
According to our research findings, marketers are continuing to stash more and more funds into their own content and social media initiatives. A full 56% of survey respondents stated that they will be increasing their content marketing spending in 2009 (remember, this study was completed the first week of December).
There will be some naysayers about this survey. Junta42 subscribers, for the most part, have already bought into the fact that content marketing is the future of marketing, making them (most likely) predisposed to spending more in that area. Regardless, the results are staggering, and clearly tell us that corporate content initiatives aren't just a luxury anymore - they are necessity - the engine behind the entire marketing program.
Please check out the full results here, including who the respondents were, decision-making authority, and core content tactics for 2009.
Subscribe - Junta42 - Find Content Vendors - Get the Book
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Nagurski EMAIL: mark@reallypractical.com IP: 86.166.192.96 URL: http://www.reallypractical.com DATE: 12/18/2008 07:10:21 PM While I agree a survey of Junta42 subscribers would certainly trend in that direction, I suppose we could hazard a guess as to a few of the reasons regardless. A few possibilities ... 1. A reaction to the declining effectiveness of traditional advertising - which is only heightened by customer apathy in a downturn 2. A correlation between content and search engine marketing 3. A similar connection with the rise in social media marketing - with content as the meat in the social media sandwich 4. Relative cost of content creation compared to say, print advertising - making the move more attractive as budgets contract 5. An added emphasis on customer retention My gut instinct is that content marketing is well suited to a difficult market. Difficult times tend to highlight the failings of accepted methods - content marketing offers a compelling alternative. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/18/2008 08:40:54 PM Mark...couldn't have said it better myself. Excellent stuff. Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How Simple Gestures Can Grow Your Business STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-simple-gestures-can-grow-your-business CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/15/2008 09:14:37 AM ----- BODY:
The homily at Church yesterday was about simple gestures.
It was how an anonymous person left five full lunches (sandwich, fruit and pretzels in each) on the steps of the church. The next morning those five lunches fed five people who needed food. It created five incredibly happy people and also eased the burden on the church's "back door" program (which feeds those in need).
It was how someone years ago started putting fruit baskets together for the home-bound in the near west-side of Cleveland. Back then it created dozens of happy people who received them. Today there are over 700 elderly and home-bound individuals who eagerly look forward to those fruit baskets.
Simple gestures make a difference. Simple gestures can change the world.
Simple gestures can change your business.
The regular tips from P&G's Home Made Simple helps the incredibly busy working mom (or dad) keep the house together and keep the kids fed. The result: more family time. Just a simple gesture from P&G. What does P&G get back? Home Made Simple is one of P&G's most successful (and least expensive) R&D tools.
MasterCard Small Business used to be all about just making it easy for people to get a new credit card. Today, they actively develop content about how small businesses are dealing with business issues in order to be successful. Just a simple gesture from MasterCard. What does MasterCard get back? More than 50% of new card sign ups come directly from an educational article.
Hubspot developed websitegrader.com to help small businesses quickly evaluate how they can improve their websites. Just a simple gesture from Hubspot. What does Hubspot get back? Website Grade is Hubspot's most powerful lead generator by far, and has been instrumental in their rapid growth.
Simple gestures, or the giving of time and knowledge to help your customers succeed, can change your marketing, your business, your employees and most importantly, the way your customers view your company.
By "giving gifts" to your customers, you become a trusted solutions provider. When they are ready to buy, they look to you, because you helped them. Just a simple gesture.
Simple gestures attract prospects. Continuing to provide simple gestures keep customers for a lifetime.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Maria Reyes-McDavis EMAIL: websuccessdiva@gmail.com IP: 72.122.43.123 URL: http://websuccessdiva.com DATE: 12/15/2008 11:23:45 AM This is absolutely correct and could be applied to all businesses success stories. Giving is the fundamental foundation for the new social web. Great stuff :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike Volpe - HubSpot EMAIL: mvolpe@hubspot.com IP: 204.9.220.36 URL: http://Blog.HubSpot.com DATE: 12/15/2008 12:02:36 PM Thanks for the shout-out for Website Grader! Free tools are another great type of content to use as part of an inbound marketing strategy - produce great content, optimize it using SEO, promote it using social media, convert it using landing pages, analyze it using markeitng analytics. These "free gifts" for customers are a big part of inbound marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/15/2008 03:09:55 PM @Maria...thanks @Mike...content strategists often forget how important data-driven content can be. Websitegrader, pressreleasegrader are great examples of that. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/15/2008 03:14:56 PM @Maria...thanks @Mike...content strategists often forget how important data-driven content can be. Websitegrader, pressreleasegrader are great examples of that. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Rogelberg- KosherMarketing.com EMAIL: david@studiob.com IP: 72.68.147.89 URL: http://www.KosherMarketing.com DATE: 12/17/2008 03:28:28 PM This is a brilliant post. Small meaningful gestures are a wonderful way to build meaningful relationships with people. I've created a concept called Kosher Marketing (http://www.koshermarketing.com), and its focus is: Be Good. Market Smart. In fact, I just posted an article on reciprocation that complements your post. It describes a study that a psychologist did to test how people respond to small gestures. I hope you enjoy it. It’s called Give and You Will Receive. You can find it here: http://koshermarketing.com/?p=200 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Media Armageddon Has Silver Lining STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: media-armageddon-has-silver-lining CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 12/11/2008 12:06:48 PM ----- BODY:This post by Kirk Cheyfitz over at the postadvertising.com site is truly compelling. Here he summarizes the current media environment:
"The global depression is accelerating this macro-trend [drop in traditional media], but it isn’t the driving reason. What’s happening is that the BIG categories of traditional ad spending are falling off a cliff while much smaller categories of non-traditional advertising are rising like rockets."
If this is at all a surprise to you, you haven't been paying attention. We've seen this trend since the late 90s, and finally we are seeing big marketers take some serious action, causing havoc to the media world.
But right now, I would argue that there has never been more opportunity in media, particularly for non-media companies.
In my last post, I made the recommendation that large marketers look to buy up vertical trade publications. Non-media companies can (for a reasonable price), buy up the trades and online media sites that make sense with who their customers are. You may disagree with the fairness of this, but buying out talent and brands - and bringing on true content and editorial expertise into a corporate environment makes too much sense today (and without the bad media business model to hold them back anymore).
Rick Barnes had a great post today about how important "filters" will be in the media. What a great opportunity for marketers? There's lots of content out there, but not enough people making sense of the noise. Could that be you?
Talented journalists are getting canned or leaving the media. Talent like this just doesn't appear all the time. Act fast.
Technology is cheap.
Let's be certain about this. Nothing is wrong with "media" itself. Consumers are engaging in more content through traditional channels, online resources and social media sites combined than ever before. Buyers are hungry for great information that can help them live better and be more successful at their jobs. The problem is that the traditional media models don't work in today's environment and must be changed.
This problem is the smell of sweet opportunity for marketing professionals. If you can position yourself as a trusted information provider today, sales and profit growth will be there tomorrow.
Sweet sweet content marketing.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cindy King EMAIL: cindy@cindyking.biz IP: 88.140.198.25 URL: http://www.cindyking.biz DATE: 12/11/2008 01:21:57 PM Joe, I listened to your recent webinar on MarketingProfs - and really glad I signed up there. I also enjoyed reading both of the articles mentioned above. ...your comments on the future of journalists/story tellers is still with me As a cross-cultural marketer using content marketing to develop international markets, I'm also following the Obama effect on ethnic marketing in the US (I'm based in France)... and this whole notion of segmentation of marketing. And, it was great picking up the American vocabulary on content marketing by listening to you today ;-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cindy King EMAIL: cindy@cindyking.biz IP: 88.140.198.25 URL: http://www.cindyking.biz DATE: 12/11/2008 01:26:58 PM Joe, I listened to your recent webinar on MarketingProfs - and really glad I signed up there. I also enjoyed reading both of the articles mentioned above. ...your comments on the future of journalists/story tellers is still with me As a cross-cultural marketer using content marketing to develop international markets, I'm also following the Obama effect on ethnic marketing in the US (I'm based in France)... and this whole notion of segmentation of marketing. And, it was great picking up the American vocabulary on content marketing by listening to you today ;-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 72.255.92.114 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/11/2008 01:43:38 PM Thanks Cindy...appreciate the comments. Keep me posted on the ethnic marketing impact. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kirk Cheyfitz EMAIL: kirk.cheyfitz@storyworldwide.com IP: 66.65.132.192 URL: http://postadvertising.com/ DATE: 12/16/2008 08:29:08 AM Thanks for citing my postadvertising.com post. As you know, we at Story keep talking about the collision of marketing and media — that both are becoming the same. Years ago, when I was at The Interpublic Group's McCann (speaking of hopeless dinosaurs), I attended a gathering of execs in Miami and the guest speaker was NBC's then-chairman Bob Wright. So after he was done with his pretty boring speech, I asked him when NBC was going to buy IPG so it could actually serve brands or, conversely, when IPG was going to buy NBC so it could actually create great branded content. Wright had no idea what I was talking and gave some bland response about the need to keep advertising and programming separate. And McCann's boss, John Dooner, chided me (playfully, I have to admit) for being an unrepentant journalist and trouble maker. Now, with TV ad spending falling off steeply, both of them might be singing a different tune. Who knows? But what I know is that the rapid changes in advertising mean even bigger and faster changes in ad-supported media. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/16/2008 08:33:44 AM Kirk...great story. Thanks for sharing. Love that statement - marketing and media are becoming the same. I don't know of any marketers that really look at it this way. Guess that's why we are seeing a lot of "deer in headlights" marketing right now. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Content Marketing Tips to Start Now for 2009 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-content-marketing-tips-to-start-now-for-2009 CATEGORY: business blogging CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: measurement CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: small business marketing CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 12/09/2008 04:19:00 PM ----- BODY:
One of the reasons I love my job is the different kinds of people I have the opportunity to interact with. Over the past year, I've met with entrepreneurs, thought leaders, agency executives, top marketers, social media gurus, publishing veterans, authors and others - all with particular insights and challenges about how to sell more, do more and be more.
If 2008 was the year social media went mainstream, 2009 should be the year of content marketing, the corporation as media company, the brand as publisher and broadcaster. Why? Because everyone of those incredibly intelligent people I met with, in some way or another, told me that the difference for brands who make it versus those that don't will be relevance. How can we, as brands, be relevant to our customers? How can we create and develop real relationships with them? How do we engage?
As my friend and colleague Kirk Cheyfitz has said over and over - brands can do only two things to create the goal of 100% engagement - we can inform our customers - or give them a good time.
To help, I've put together 10 tactics that I believe you need to seriously consider NOW as part of your 2009 content plan (not in any particular order).
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sharon EMAIL: joshua.jackup@gmail.com IP: 61.17.177.48 URL: http://www.autoloans101.info DATE: 12/09/2008 10:19:55 PM I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. Sharon http://www.autoloans101.info ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt EMAIL: matt.t.biz@gmail.com IP: 75.48.228.106 URL: DATE: 12/09/2008 11:48:36 PM This is a great article that features ideas that companies of any size can apply to their own operations. I won't be buying any media companies any time soon, but I can certainly set up appropriate Google Alerts. Well done. (I appreciate the edit on #2, btw. Thanks.) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: tom EMAIL: tom@kodak.com IP: 165.170.128.66 URL: http://tomhoehn.1000words.kodak.com DATE: 12/10/2008 09:22:41 AM Tom from Kodak here. Bravo! What an insightful article/post. Thanks for the shout out in Tip7 too. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/16/2008 02:53:00 PM Let's see if these comments are working. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama Hyder EMAIL: Shama@ClickToClient.com IP: 71.170.148.68 URL: http://www.ClickToClient.com DATE: 12/16/2008 02:57:29 PM FABULOUS! This can put lots of people on the RIGHT path in 2009. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jesse Liebman EMAIL: liebman.jesse@gmail.com IP: 71.111.177.7 URL: http://www.jesseliebman.com DATE: 12/23/2008 12:57:09 AM It's a great time to have writing skills. All those students that are journalism students or english majors have no idea how relevant they just became. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Himaya EMAIL: roselle.jimeno@philweboutsourcing.com IP: 121.96.204.69 URL: http://www.virtualweboutsourcing.com/ DATE: 08/24/2009 02:36:59 AM its amazing what you have here! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: home business leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 12:41:59 PM Nice tips, here is my simple tip for everybody. Social marketing is about community participation, but you can have a business agenda. You are there, first and foremost to be an active and valuable member of a community and if you are smart, use your profile and connections to drive traffic and links back to your site. Presto, you now build a simple marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tenders EMAIL: sleep.my.pretty@gmail.com IP: 198.54.202.250 URL: http://www.onlinetenders.co.za/howourserviceworks.aspx DATE: 10/14/2009 06:05:44 AM Great tips! Keep up the good blog! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: areapal EMAIL: areapalm@gmail.com IP: 125.22.196.2 URL: http://www.areapal.com/rapo DATE: 12/14/2009 06:17:13 AM Good article for blogger. im also get some knowledge with this. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is Your Content in Sync with Your Customer Service? A True Story STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-your-content-in-sync-with-your-customer-service-a-true-story DATE: 12/03/2008 04:51:32 PM ----- BODY:The following events are true and not exaggerated. I believe it's important to understand that great information, without customer service execution and web usability, undermines trust more than even an absence of information. Here's the story.
November 18th
My procurement officer alerts me that we haven't decided on what to do for our holiday cards this year. Need to get going.
November 23rd
Count and concept finalized. Ready to get into production and find a printer.
November 25th
Talk about perfect timing and information. OvernightPrints.com (who I used last year to produce my business cards and stationary) sends me an email (I opted in to their list) that says I can get holiday cards for 30% off and that I shouldn't waste time mailing them. Why not? Well, because they'll do that for me, and include it all in one great bundle. Lovely. Where do I sign? Here's the email.
November 26th
My designer, Joe Watson from Saremo, touches off the final design to our holiday card (illustration by Scott High at 3DVision Technologies).
November 30th
Go to upload the designs as specified on the Overnight Prints website. Problem - the images won't upload. It says I didn't format them correctly.
I try again, first outside, then inside, then inside, then outside. How about just one side? No luck. I check the specs...yes, they're right.
I call customer service. After the pressing 2 and then 1, I get put on hold. Five minutes later, I get cut off. Crap.
I call again. 12 minutes and still on hold. Now this is getting interesting. I hang up.
I email customer service at 4:11 PM EST (this is the actual message):
"Hello...I'm trying to upload the attached into your greeting card upload, but it says my specs are not right, but I believe they are. Can you help?"
NOTE: I realize that it was Sunday, so I look past all this and focus on a fresh new Monday.
Monday, December 1st
Tried calling two more times again. First one lasted about three minutes before it disconnected me, then I waited about 10 minutes the second time. Since this was becoming an experiment, I actually wanted to set the phone down and see how long it took, but I had a hunch no-one was going to pick up.
Sent another email at 3:10 PM EST:
Subject line only: "Trying to call but I cannot connect with anyone. Help!"
Then thought maybe I had the wrong address, so I went to their contact form on the web page and filled that out as well.
Tuesday, December 2nd
I finally get a call from someone at Overnight Prints. When I saw the caller ID come up I was actually excited. She asked if I had contacted them and needed help with a project.
"Yes," I said. "I'm so happy to speak with a real person from your organization. I thought you went out of business."
She said they had a long backup of calls and emails to follow up over the weekend, so they were sorry this took so long. Okay, I can believe that. Don't like it, but can believe it. NOTE: If you don't have customer service available on the weekends, let the caller leave a message or tell them to call back during regular hours.
I explained my situation and she said that their production staff would look into my issue right away and get back to me immediately. Excellent. Now I'm all better.
Received an email about two hours later from Overnight Prints customer service. Lisa from Overnight Prints tells me that their online uploader is having technical difficulties and that she's sorry. She doesn't say when things will be working, but some communication is better than nothing. Let's see what happens.
Wednesday, December 3rd
It's afternoon and I'm getting worried. I really wanted to get the cards out this week and this delay is unexpected to say the least.
So, I try calling customer service again. This time I wait about eight minutes with no answer.
I send what is to be my final email at 2:54 PM EST:
"Hi...I really need to get these done. If I can't upload them by tomorrow, I'll have to go somewhere else. I really don't want to. Help!"
Calling the CEO
As a small business owner, I actually want to talk to the CEO on this one. If I was the CEO of Overnight Prints, I certainly would like to hear from a customer that really wants to buy but can't.
So, I type in "Overnight Prints CEO" into Google.
What do you know? The first two entries are complaints and mostly negative feedback about Overnight Prints. Do they know that? They have Pay-Per-Click all over the place, so I'm assuming they do (and yes, I know what they say about assuming).
Anyway, after reading entry after entry about the deplorable customer service at Overnight Prints, one person who gave negative feedback actually put the CEO's name and contact information in their review. So, I call Brett Heap, presumably the CEO.
The number seemed to go to the main switchboard.
"Hi, I'd like to talk with Brett Heap please."
I can hear her cover the phone and yell to someone next to her. "Is Brett hear today?" "No," someone responds. "Just send him to marketing."
So, without another word, she sends me to marketing. There was no answer, and I reached mailbox number 524. I didn't leave a message.
After hanging up, I sent an email to my regular printer, who is a bit more expensive, but always reliable.
Content Can Not Be King without Customer Service
Anyone who reads this blog knows how I feel about creating relevant, valuable and compelling information. I believe it's a necessity to survive in our new content marketing world.
That said, all the great content in the world won't save a brand that can't execute on its promises.
What can you do? If I had to guess, I'd say that Overnight Prints has one person running the marketing and another person running customer service. How can marketing and sales do their job without an integrated support team to keep the promise that marketing makes.
Check your structure. Now is the perfect time (during a stressful economic environment) to reorganize around your customers - and giving someone ownership over what the customer sees, hears and "feels".
For those expecting a holiday card this year, hopefully you'll get them in a few weeks.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Martin (Nxtbook Media) EMAIL: jmartin@nxtbookmedia.com IP: 72.25.2.130 URL: http://www.nxtbook.com DATE: 12/03/2008 05:13:20 PM Hi Joe, what about a digital holiday card, we be happy to help out. We are getting ready to launch ours next week. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann Handley EMAIL: ann@marketingprofs.com IP: 24.147.28.154 URL: http://www.annhandley.com DATE: 12/04/2008 09:39:30 AM This story made me really tense... it *oozed* your frustation! But in the end, it illustrates a great point: "Content Can Not Be King without Customer Service." Nice, Joe! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://profile.typekey.com/jpulizzi/ DATE: 12/04/2008 09:45:58 AM @Jeff Let's talk @Ann Yep, still a bit frustrated. Most of all, I just don't understand. Why in the world would a business run itself like that. Learned my lesson I guess. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kristina Halvorson EMAIL: kristina@braintraffic.com IP: 173.8.116.113 URL: http://braintraffic.com DATE: 12/04/2008 12:40:18 PM Dude. Overnight Prints sucks. We tried ordering "overnight" from them - the morning we expected their delivery, we got an email (with no reply address or phone number) saying we could expect our shipment in three days. "All the great content in the world won't save a brand that can't execute on its promises." Preach it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Leah Ingram EMAIL: leah.ingram@comcast.net IP: 68.81.224.27 URL: http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com DATE: 12/04/2008 02:16:38 PM Joe: Nice post. I can't tell you how many times I've had a nearly identical experience, though you kept after the company for much longer than I think most would have--probably because of your interest in customer service. At least some bad customer service stories have a happy ending. I recently had an incident with a baked goods catalog company that has always done right by me, but this time they screwed up big time. Well, customer service was down over the weekend (when I discovered the mistake) but at least their website was working. Without too much effort, I was able to find a direct email address to customer service, so I sent my message about the screw up and how frustrating it was not to have customer service available on the weekend. Lo and behold, they called bright and early on Monday a.m. to share their apologies and see how they could fix things. Within six hours, everything was all good, they retained me as a customer, and now I will continue to only have good things to say about them. The company, by the way, is Dancing Deer. And I have no financial affiliation with them. Leah ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://profile.typekey.com/jpulizzi/ DATE: 12/04/2008 02:25:44 PM @Kristina...Amen @Leah...thanks for sharing. See, most reasonable people understand a few hiccups. Continual issues make them run! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Henson EMAIL: mark@sparkspace.com IP: 75.118.139.106 URL: http://sparknewthinking.blogspot.com DATE: 12/04/2008 09:45:26 PM Wow. What a story. And what a frustration! They obviously have failed to create systems that help them serve the sheer number of customers they have. Serving customers well is all about creating consistency. You can't do that without great systems in place. You also can't do it without constantly training your staff and setting (and re-setting) the bar. As usual, though, it sounds like it comes from the top. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Susan EMAIL: susansil1@comcast.net IP: 24.130.110.69 URL: DATE: 12/06/2008 04:47:20 PM I just had a similar experience. I am co-chairing an Event for my Synagogue - a dinner. The invitation had a nice picture on the outside and the details of the dinner on the inside. I also had trouble uploading the file to their site so I spent hours on hold and then working with the "Service" people at Overnight Prints to get everything right. I wound up sending them my graphics and text in a TIFF and PDF and in jpg so that they could help me out. They were helpful, I thought. They were even good enough to offer to ship 1st day air if I paid for 2nd day air which I thought was very nice. But the order was finalized on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the cards arrived yesterday(ten days later - not exactly "overnight." ) The outside looked OK (though there was some undesirable white space). But on the inside, instead of the details of the dinner, it said "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" and below "Your signature here". So obviously totally unusable. The event is in early January, so our plan was to get them in the mail this coming Monday. The soonest they can get us a reprint is next Friday which is way late. So I asked them about paying for me to have a rush job at Kinkos. You'd think they would want to make good on a commitment to a customer at any cost. But no, that's not their policy. (Good customer service is NOT their policy). So we are getting a credit for our order and will have to punt at this point. I also tried to get the name of the CEO, so I'm glad to know someone has figured it out. I would never use them again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NWGuy EMAIL: brucenowjack@earthlink.net IP: 66.150.166.115 URL: DATE: 12/08/2008 12:06:43 PM Obviously the company is not listening. Could you just confirm again, have you heard anything back from them in response to your original issue or the blog writeup? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/08/2008 01:59:21 PM Hey NW...yes, I did hear back. The customer service group adjusted the files the next day and sent them back. Although I already decided not to use the service, I wanted to see if it worked. I went in and they uploaded fine...but when I went to upload the mailing list, I received an error. Then I went to call customer service...guess what? No answer. Go figure. Have a happy holiday! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Free Business Card Bailout EMAIL: businesscardbailout@gmail.com IP: 68.39.255.68 URL: http://freebusinesscardbailout.com DATE: 06/13/2009 01:58:29 PM A current bailout for small businesses from overnightprints.com is available at freebusinesscardbailout.com where you can get 500 free business cards just pay S&H. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is Your Marketing Like hhgregg? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-your-marketing-like-hhgregg CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 12/01/2008 09:55:45 PM ----- BODY:
I had the opportunity for the third year in a row to escape in the early morning hours of Black Friday to go shopping with my wife. This year, we woke up at 3:30 am to make the 4am opening at Kohl's. There aren't many things more exciting to my wife than doorbusters at Kohl's the Friday after Thanksgiving (and I truly enjoy seeing her so happy).
Thanksgiving night, after all the eating is done, is time to lay all the Black Friday offers from the newspaper and see which one has the best deals. This year was the usually suspects - Kohl's, Wal-mart and Toys R Us (Best Buy was a little off on deals this year).
Although I've only shopped there once, I pulled out the hhgregg flyer. Interesting...some good deals.
"How about hhgregg?" I said to my wife.
"Never," she said. "I can't stand the salespeople there".
"What about them specifically?" I followed.
And in a wise and generous manner, my wife stated the following (I'm paraphrasing here, but I'm sure won't do it justice):
"Shopping has to be on my terms. If I'm just browsing, I don't want to be bothered. If I know what I want, I don't need to be bothered. If I have a question, I can ask someone. At hhgregg, the salespeople watch every move you make. It's uncomfortable and not an enjoyable experience. It would be better if they weren't there at all."
Since Friday, I asked a few more people about hhgregg who had similar thoughts and experiences. Not to single out hhgregg (I checked out their blog, which isn't too bad), but many stores are like this (try buying a car, especially in this economic climate).
There may have been a time for this type of selling and marketing, but I believe that day has gone away. Unfortunately, many of us market with this "in your face" type of selling, even on the Internet.
Online, you have three seconds to make the right impression or your prospect will leave. Is this happening with your electronic communications? Here are a couple ways to combat this:
Just like the Thanksgiving flyers, there is nothing wrong with selling, if it's in the right context. Consumers today are expecting valuable information to come from you, from your website, from your communications. Buyer's expectations have changed, and now our marketing must change with it.
If you want to give your customers a gift this holiday season, then focus on giving them some good old-fashioned relevant information instead of the same, tired sales pitches. Once you do, check your stats. The difference will show.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 67.133.155.34 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 12/02/2008 09:38:09 AM You're a true gentleman Joe...to get up at 3:30 AM to go shopping with your wife is a task not many men (that I know any ways) would do. I'm all about making and seeing my wife happy - but, I'd clean the house for the rest of our lives than "shop" at 4:00 AM. Point taken on giving customers relevant information. Continued success and have a great Holiday season, Jeff ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dodge EMAIL: dodge77@gmail.com IP: 68.74.54.196 URL: http://www.laundromatinee.com DATE: 12/02/2008 10:13:03 AM hhgregg is thriving in a space where other retailers are floundering. Circuit City made the switch from hhgregg-style selling to hourly, younger, less-experienced sales personnel...look where that got them. All you need to do is have the opposite experience to change your mind...go into a Best Buy/or any other hourly staff biz needing purchase advice and not be able to find someone to a)help you b)knows anything about the product. I completely agree that pushy sales people are a huge turnoff, but I've rarely had that experience at hhgregg. I simply let the sales person know, when they approach, that I'll come to them when needed...works well for me. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: wheatley EMAIL: hartleysw@hotmail.com IP: 12.34.158.238 URL: http://www.marketingweasels.blogspot.com DATE: 12/04/2008 11:33:03 AM I agree with Dodge on this one. Better to have someone who can actually help and realizes that it's their job to do so, than the usual crop of self-absorbed/uncaring sales floor help. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: IP: 76.243.178.169 URL: http://profile.typekey.com/jpulizzi/ DATE: 12/04/2008 02:44:16 PM @ Dodge @wheatley Thanks for the comments. I agree with you that helpful salespeople are necessary to any retail business. The difference in this case, with the experiences of many people that have contacted me through email since this post, is that being helpful and forceful are two very different things. I'm sure there are some wonderful hhgregg salespeople, but there are also ones that are "pushing hard" to get the sale. That behavior is making people NOT want to shop there. Point is that some websites do the same thing. If you are a business, you just need to recognize that. Thanks again Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Online Content Strategies Every Marketer Needs - A Forrester Report STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: online-content-strategies-every-marketer-needs-a-forrester-report CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: custom publishing council CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 11/25/2008 09:22:05 AM ----- BODY:I attended a presentation by Sarah Rottman Epps from Forrester last week during our Custom Publishing Council member meeting. Sarah gave an excellent presentation about how custom publishers can make the jump from print to online content solutions, but her advice is just as important for content marketers.
Here are some of the stats that made her case:
Sarah also stated many reasons why customers won't come to your website, including the integration of RSS, widgets and the growth of mobile devices. This means that your content needs to be everywhere, not just your website.
The solutions to these behavioral patterns are three-fold, according to Forrester's Epps. They include:
1. Aggregate Content and Functionality
For example, the Baltimore Sun integrated widgets next to their content about gas and oil-related content that helped readers find the cheapest gas prices in the region.
And the Washington Post works with Sphere.com to show readers who's blogging about their articles.
The Wall Street Journal, the CBC and others use Loomia to syndicate their content on Facebook.
Here, Epps recommended acquiring a clear understanding of how far your customers and prospects can be pushed up the online social ladder. For example, if the core part of your audience right now is spectators versus creators, your expectations for social media involvement should be at a much lower level. Start there, and then push the envelope.
The key here is to get to know your audience.
Have you asked your customers what their level of social media involvement is? If you haven't, now is the time. Surveys are great, but don't forget one-on-one meetings. I would recommend having your direct salespeople ask this question as well. In order to prepare to ask the question confidently, they'll most likely need to prepare - which is a good thing.
Here's my takeaway:
The key to any online content strategy working is an understanding of your audience. What are their informational needs? How far can you take them without losing them? Experimentation is great, but remember that it's not about the technology, it's about people.
This is one thing that will never change.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: WebSuccessDiva Internet Marketing EMAIL: websuccessdiva@gmail.com IP: 72.122.87.109 URL: http://websuccessdiva.com/tag/internet-marketing/ DATE: 11/29/2008 08:16:49 PM Great insightful information, blog interactivity and social media engagement, are so important in content marketing. Good stuff :-) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Pohlit EMAIL: stevepohlit@gmail.com IP: 24.26.26.86 URL: http://stevepohlit.com DATE: 11/29/2008 08:36:49 PM "..it's not about the technology, it's about people" Thank you for a great article and it is so refreshing to see you conclude with the important message to focus on people. Steve http://stevepohlit.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Seven Content Strategies to Build Trust with Today's Savvy Consumers - A Complimentary eBook STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: seven-content-strategies-to-build-trust-with-todays-savvy-consumers-a-complimentary-ebook CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: eBooks CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 11/20/2008 09:43:32 AM ----- BODY:
At the heart of all sales transactions is trust.
The greater the trust, the more likely the sale. Without trust, there is no sale. In today’s business world, where more and more relationships are being developed and maintained over the Internet—the need for establishing trust and building confidence with buyers may be stronger and more powerful than ever. One of the resulting challenges for marketers is to find ways to quickly establish rapport, and then build upon it. How can you best do that? By listening to your customers and prospects and giving them information they need—information that will build their trust in your company as a solutions provider, and lead to the ultimate goal—sales.
That's exactly the reason why have developed this complimentary eBook/white paper entitled "Seven Content Strategies to Build Trust with Today's Savvy Consumers." Big thanks to our sponsors McMurry and ContentWise for supporting this important project.
This comprehensive eBook will:
Download your complimentary eBook now!
If you like this one, you may also be interested in our complimentary white paper, "How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content Now." If you are a custom publisher/content provider, check out The New Rules of Custom Publishing and How to Become a World-Class Content Provider.
If you are signed in as a Junta42 member, you'll go straight to the eBook. If not, your name and email address will direct you to the white paper download.
Enjoy!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: business opportunity leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 12:59:23 PM There are a variety of social media tools bringing consumers together in entirely new ways of making it possible for brands to build relationships with them. After all, when people come together to interact on a regular basis, they become a community, and when anyone interacts with that community,brands or whatever it is, they become a member of it too, enjoying the same benefits of those relationship as everyone else. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Telling Your Story and Southwest Airlines STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: telling-your-story-and-southwest-airlines CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 11/20/2008 09:08:22 AM ----- BODY:Quick story for you.
I was flying back last night from Chicago via Southwest Airlines. After we landed, there was a long taxi to get to the gate - and to pass the time, everyone was talking to each other (it was actually pretty loud).
About a minute into the taxi the Southwest flight attendant asked if anyone wanted to hear a story. Within 10 seconds, over 100 people were completely quiet, and so, she told the story.
Once upon a time there as a man and a woman.
The man was in love with the woman.
So, the man asked the woman to marry him.
The woman said no.
And she lived happily ever after.
After much laughter, the flight attendant said "wait, the man ended up happy as well. He moved back in with his mother."
The Importance of Story
All people, consumer buyers and business buyers, love stories. We had all kinds of people on the Southwest flight, and every one of them were quiet so they could here the story. A story engages, it uplifts, it persuades.
Whether you are Barack Obama or an automotive parts distributor, you need a story to accomplish your business goals. Whether you want to inform or entertain, you need a story to do it.
And, for the first time ever, I attended a media/publishers conference this week where one of the main topics was (wait for it) - helping customers "tell their story" (rather then peddle them space). For those of you not familiar with the inner-workings of b-to-b publishing, this occurrence runs a close second to the invention of the phonograph and Tootsie Rolls.
Buyers listen to stories. They listen to stories unlike anything else today.
Most of the passengers ignored everything the flight attendant said before, during and after the flight...but when she mentioned the "story" they stopped and listened. Harnessing and distributing what your business story is may be the most important thing you can do over the next few months.
Learn how to tell your story, because if you don't, chances are your customers won't listen to anything else.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Releases New Top Blogs List - TopRank Blog Sneaks By Copyblogger STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-releases-new-top-blogs-list-top-rank-blogs-sneaks-by-copyblogger CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 11/16/2008 04:01:46 PM ----- BODY:
We're excited to announce the fourth installment of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Congratulations this month goes to Lee Odden and the team from TopRank Online Marketing, whose Online Marketing Blog just squeaked by Brian Clark's Copyblogger (which held the #1 position for the last two updates).
This quarter's update included a record 187 blogs, up from 172 last quarter. In addition, the Junta42 Top 42 are now featured as part of the content marketing category at Alltop.com (which will be updated soon with the new 42).
Here is the complete Top 42:
1 Online
Marketing Blog
2 Copyblogger
3 Writing on the Web
4 Influential Marketing
Blog
5 Web Ink Now
6 Marketing with
Meaning
7 Nigel Hollis
8 Conversation Agent
9 Buzz Marketing
for Technology
10 Post Advertising
11 Conversation
Marketing
12 Marketing Interactions
13 PR 2.0
14 Nick Burcher
15 The Toadstool
16 Servant of Chaos
17 Chaos Scenario
18 No man is
an iland
19 What's Next
20 Buzz News
21 Be the Voice
22 Really Practical
Marketing
23 Bringing Brands
to Life!
24 ContentMarketingToday
25 Hard Knox Life
26 Web Strategy by
Jeremiah
27 Drew's Marketing
Minute
28 JournaMarketing
29 Writing White
Papers
30 Seth's Blog
31 Greg Verdino's Marketing
Blog
32 News from the Herd
33 EyeCube
34 Find and Convert
35 Techno//Marketer
36 Eat Media Blog
37 Conversational
Media Marketing
38 Emerson Direct
Marketing Observations
39 Internet Marketing Blog
40 Feed Growth!
41 Daily Fix
42 Occam's Razor
Click here to see the news release, which will be distributed on Monday.
Click here to see the entire Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. To view the selection criteria, click here.
Again, congratulations to the Top 42, and keep up the great work!
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Barbara Rozgonyi EMAIL: connect@corywestmedia.com IP: 68.57.193.159 URL: http://wiredprworks.com DATE: 11/16/2008 08:47:42 PM Congratulations to all the bloggers who made the Junta42 list! Your content-based evaluation criteria is so different than other marketing blog ranking systems. It's an honor to be included as one of the 187 blogs that deliver valuable marketing content to so many. Thanks so much for publishing this list! @wiredprworks on twitter.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 11/16/2008 09:22:39 PM Hi Barbara...thanks for the comment and congratulations! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lee Odden EMAIL: lee@toprankmarketing.com IP: 74.33.29.232 URL: http://www.toprankmarketing.com DATE: 11/16/2008 10:19:56 PM Congrats to everyone on the list, what a great resource. Seems like a good opportunity to create a Custom Google Search Engine with these blogs. Hmmm... Copyblogger is #1 in my book and before Brian asks for a recount, BIG THANKS to Ashley, Jessica, Jolina, Julie, Mike, Dana and Thomas for all their help liveblogging marketing conferences for us at Online Marketing Blog. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 11/16/2008 10:23:19 PM Congratulations Lee. Great idea on the custom search engine. We are actually working on doing just that as part of our 2009 site relaunch (in addition to Alltop's Content Marketing category http://contentmarketing.alltop.com) with some additional filters for content marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Nagurski EMAIL: mark@reallypractical.com IP: 81.129.80.48 URL: http://www.reallypractical.com DATE: 11/17/2008 07:27:39 AM No. 22 - nice. It's kind of funny to see our little blog in the list as I'm an avid reader of just about every blog mentioned and refer people to the list regularly. Thanks for the nod Joe. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing Council Celebrates 2008 Pearl Award Winners STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publishing-council-celebrates-2008-pearl-award-winners CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 11/14/2008 01:52:34 AM ----- BODY:
I just came back from the 2008 Custom Publishing Council Pearl Awards Ceremony in New York City at the Rainbow Room. The Pearl Awards is a celebration of the best that the custom publishing industry has to offer.
I've seen Jim Stengel speak many times and always enjoyed it. For the past five+ years, the global marketing chief from Procter & Gamble seemed a regular on the advertising and marketing speaking circuit. Now we know why.
I was presenting a speech in San Diego last month to a group of online marketers called "Becoming the Media". After the presentation was over, an online marketing executive came up to me and asked the following:
"This may be a stupid question, but what does it really mean to create valuable, relevant and compelling content?"
First of all, this is an amazingly insightful question. Most people really don't understand what creating relevant and valuable content actually means - either for themselves, their companies or their customers.
Creating relevant, valuable and compelling content is all about just one thing (ever see City Slickers?).
As Curly (the Jack Palance character) states to Billy Crystal's character, "the secret of life is about one thing."
To take that a step further, the secret of creating great content marketing...content that evokes a behavior and engages customers in a conversation...is about one thing as well.
Ask yourself that question. Have you thought about this before? Not for how it can generate more product and service sales, but simply what factors will ultimately make your customer successful?
By asking yourself that question, and doing the research that follows that question, you will find answers to the following:
By answering these questions, you have the necessary components to create your content marketing, custom media program. By understanding your customer's informational needs, and understanding what channels they use to get their current information, you can develop the tools that will form the base of your content program.
With execution, you will position yourself as a trusted content resource. Trust in today's Internet environment is more important than ever. Trust ultimately leads to a sale.
And, as you look to gain support for your content marketing program in your company, keep the following in your back pocket.
Without trust there is no sale. Without content there is no trust. Without understanding what makes your customer successful, there can be no valuable, compelling content.
For more, check out Junta42's free white paper on "How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content."
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More and more organizations are starting to feature educational sessions around content marketing and custom publishing. Better yet, there's something for all disciplines.
Here are a few of my upcoming events...something for everyone.
November 10th, 1pm Eastern
Webinar Presentation
How to Use Custom Media to Generate Marketing Results
Need the basics? Trying to understand how companies are executing on the content strategy process? If so, this one's for you. I'll be presenting this Tech Briefs webinar with friends and colleagues Paul Dunay (Buzz Marketing for Tech) and Rohit Bhargava (The Influential Marketing Blog).
Here's the Overview:
Custom Media has been around for centuries, but marketers are just now taking advantage of this high-growth strategy. As traditional marketing continues to crack, smart marketers are creating compelling and relevant content for their customers that is leading to sales growth and customer loyalty. There is also no better way to reach prospects via the web than with the creation of valuable content.
December 4th, Noon Eastern
Webinar Presentation
Content Marketing: How to Position Your Company as a Trusted Expert Resource
MarketingProfs webinar that I'll be detailing for over an hour on why trust is more important than ever and how relevant content engenders trust. Less high-level and more of what you need to do right now to make this happen as a marketer.
You will learn:
November 17th, 1pm Eastern
Webinar Presentation
The B2B Journalist's Guide to Creating the Next New Media Resource
Harry McCracken (former editor-in-chief of PC World and creator of Technologizer) and I will be discussing how journalists and editors can use their content to create and promote their own brands (instead of always creating content for others).
Learn how to:
April 27, 2009 - Denver, CO
Custom Publishing Strategies - For Publishers
Niche Magazine Conference
Are you a traditional or niche publisher trying to figure out how to sustain and grow revenue from your custom publishing operations? If so, this presentation is for you.
Here's the overview:
Everybody is struggling with custom publishing and many
traditional publishers don't know where to begin. Content
creation is the single most important marketing initiative for
your advertisers -- help them (and build your bottom line)
with custom publishing. Learn custom from the ground up:
How to set up a partial service model; how to meet advertiser
expectations; how to price; how to sell; how to implement.
Joe Pulizzi is going to change your publishing life forever!!!
Please support these organizations that are evangelizing our content marketing efforts.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann Handley EMAIL: ann@marketingprofs.com IP: 24.147.28.154 URL: http://www.marketingprofs.com DATE: 11/06/2008 09:14:46 AM Really looking forward to your MarketingProfs virtual seminar, Joe! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: MoveOn's "Obama Loss" Video a Viral Hit STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: moveons-obama-loss-video-a-viral-hit CATEGORY: video DATE: 11/03/2008 10:00:34 AM ----- BODY:Okay, okay...I just had to blog about this. This morning counted the fifth person to send me this viral election video from MoveOn.org supporting Obama.
As of last Thursday, more than 9 million people have passed this video on to friends and family (as of sending this blog it's 13 million and counting). I'm not sure what they invested in the production and marketing of the video, but you can bet it's less than the three to five million dollars that Obama spent on his 30 minute advertorial on all the major networks last week.
Funny thing is, more republicans than democrats sent this to me because they thought it was a cool video (the personalization does it). Yikes! Now that's content marketing.
Check out mine below.
I came by this article as I was going through some archives. Still rings pretty true. What say you?
I recently received a US Postal Service direct mailer on Variable Data Printing (VDP). It’s a nice piece. It had my name all over it…very personable. The only thing: I was a bit bothered by some of the copy.
The last line of the insert read, “As a large business looking for new ways to appeal to customers, personalization may be the exciting new temptation you’re looking for.” Besides the fact that I run a small business, the question begs: As marketing professionals, are we really looking for a “new temptation” to reel our customers in?
Look, I’m no direct mail expert. My expertise is in content marketing. But it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that VDP will pretty much become the standard. Direct mail, both in print and online, that isn’t personalized, will be perceived as SPAM. Some people might even argue that this is already the case.
But VDP, or any kind of personalization, isn’t enough. Two things complicate the issue: buyers are becoming smarter (whether we like to believe it or not), and they’re continually being inundated with marketing clutter. Both of these are making legitimate marketers cry as even their most sophisticated direct mail programs show low response.
Temptation isn’t enough. It’s not about how we tempt customers to open a letter or email or anything else. It’s about how we as marketers can deliver ongoing information to our customers that make them more intelligent. It’s about tearing down the decades of organizational interruption-style marketing practices that most of us are used to, and creating a singular focus on delivering quality content in multiple formats. All the while, our goal is to help customers do their jobs better, or lead more improved lives.
The future of marketing is not about tempting them or conning them into buying more; it’s about communicating a message that says, “Regardless of whether you buy from me or not, you need this information. Enjoy!” Smart marketers are doing this today via every media imaginable, including direct mail.
There will always be a place for direct mail in the years to come, but personalization without valuable, consistent content will be destined for the trash. Those brands that take the high road will ultimately find profitable customer relationships that will drive business success.
NOTE: Even if we initially tempt customers with an offer or a new product, we'll need to continually distribute valuable content to them in order to keep the conversation going.
This article originally ran in DM News.
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It's funny...the more our society focuses on the Internet, the more niche print books you tend to see. Sounds counter intuitive, but the Long Tail has created opportunities in book publishing that were never before imaginable.
Since we have the ability to target the slimmest of customer segments, more companies are developing content to serve those niches and drive revenues. Yes, even books. From Amazon.com to LuLu, publishing has become easier from both a production and promotion standpoint.
This was one of the reasons why Newt Barrett and I launched our book Get Content. Get Customers., which revolves around the philosophy and execution of content marketing. We believed that we could develop a content marketing book, without a major publisher, that could get traction through the use of social media and the Internet. And we were right. (Note: Last month, Newt and I sold the book rights to McGraw-Hill. The marketing of the book was the major reason we were approached with this opportunity - that, and hopefully the fact that it's a good book had something to do with it.)
We didn't do everything perfect, but we did a lot right, and there are others out there doing some amazing things. Below are six social media and online keys to promoting a book for yourself or your business.
NOTE: Remember, this is not a traditional book launch. Thinking differently is the key.
This is less of a "way" than a philosophy. The key to your online promotion success is having lots of conversations with lots of people online. Then, those people have more conversations and presto, you have a successful book launch.
Your online relationships need to be in place before you launch your book. Trying to create a movement at the same time you are trying to find influential business colleagues is difficult at best.
Get and stay active online by using social networking and communication tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and FriendFeed. Each one will give you the opportunity to grow your network and find your place.
But it's not enough to just join...you have to do two things: get active and have something to say.
Look at it like this - if you are having a one-on-one conversation with someone and all you do is talk about yourself and how wonderful you are, how long will that relationship last? Same thing goes for anything online. The more valuable information you communicate, the more people want to hang around you.
By doing this, you will build your base of followers that will make everything else on this list possible.
First off, the blog can be where you actually start and finish the book. A good portion of the chapters for our book originally came from popular posts from my blog. The same goes for authors like Seth Godin or Rohit Bhargava, both of whom have used their blogs to develop and promote their books.
But, the bigger point is that you need consistent, relevant and valuable content to continually communicate to your followers/colleagues from point #1. Nothing does that better or easier than a blog. I know with 100% certainty that I couldn't have launched the book without the blog - in terms of both creating and cultivating a following.
Content marketing works because a valuable piece of content delivered to people who want it is still the best marketing on the planet. It positions you as a trusted content resource. Once you become a trusted resource, anything from a marketing perspective is possible. Possibly no one does that better than Seth.
I'm a big David Meerman Scott fan. David's books Cashing in with Content and The New Rules of Marketing & PR both discussed how content marketing can fuel a business and a brand.
Before Launching "The New Rules", David created an ebook entitled The New Rules of PR that has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. By giving away this wonderful and free piece of content, David was setting the groundwork for the explosion of his best-selling book.
Newt and I flat out stole the same concept with the release of our free eBook, Get Content. Get Customers. We gave it away for free, placed it on LuLu, and promoted it on our blogs. We actually used much of the feedback we received about the eBook as part of the printed book. It's almost like sending a rough draft out to the world and seeing what sticks.
It really could have been anything...an article series, a white paper, a video, etc. But we've found, as David has shown, that an eBook serves as a good preview of the book, and is easy enough for people to link to and pass around.
Yes, you should have a destination site that people can visit to get your information. That could be a website or a blog. That said, you can't expect everyone to find you by getting to YOUR site.
There are plenty of sites that you need to leverage all that great content you are creating in anticipation of your book launch.
Use sites like Digg.com, SmallBusinessBrief and Junta42 to upload links and abstracts to your content. Get active in StumbleUpon. Upload to Facebook. Promote on Twitter. Upload full articles to MarcomProfessional.com.
Of course, the sites depend on who your target is (each industry has their own targeted content sites). You may also consider creating your own Squidoo page as I have. Guest blog as much as possible at relevant sites (bloggers are always looking to do Q&A's or guest blogs). Place articles on sites such as EzineArticles.
Also, don't forget to get involved in other communities that can help people find you as a resource. Those include Yahoo! Answers, LinkedIn Questions and posting reviews on Amazon.com.
The point is that you want to create as many highways into your site as possible (what Hubspot calls Inbound Marketing) and be everywhere that makes sense with your target audience. Yes, it takes time, but done right, there may be no better way to market.
Seth Godin's release of his latest book, Tribes, was simply amazing.
Seth created an invitation-only community site called Triiibes.com, where leaders and students could learn and be inspired (the site uses Ning.com technology). Seth called for the movement initially on his blog, which is how I found out about it.
Seth did all the right things. In exchange for putting a little skin in the game (buying the book), Seth gave you access to people who really cared about marketing. He also made it a limited proposition, made it viral (email to a friend), and made it easy to join.
The Triiibes.com community is pretty vibrant, and I check it out when I can.
Seth built a community of fans who are all working to promote Seth's book. By just getting a few passionate people involved in the beginning, Seth created something bigger than the book.
Something to aspire to...
I can't tell you how impressed I am with Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton. Drew and Gavin were the masterminds behind Age of Conversation 2, a book I recently co-authored with 236 others from 15 countries.
This was not a book project, this was a major social movement that Drew and Gavin worked to perfection for the second time (I wasn't a part of the first book).
How do you get others to believe in something as much as you? Make them a part of the process.
What does that mean for your book experience? Whatever it is, if done right, you'll create something that transcends the book, which is what Drew and Gavin have done.
And these six strategies just touch upon what can be done in this ever-changing online climate. There is one constant though - none of this will work without the creation of valuable, consistent and compelling content. If you have that, you just need to find ways to get people to engage in that content. The six points above will help - go out and find more...
More reading at: 10 Keys to Writing a Book when You Have Absolutely No Time to Write a Book
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Halligan EMAIL: bhalligan@hubspot.com IP: 68.163.214.32 URL: http://www.hubspot.com DATE: 10/30/2008 10:36:07 AM I am in the process of writing a book. Thanks for writing this very useful article... Bh. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/30/2008 10:42:25 AM Congratulations Brian. A very worthwhile effort - just to have the journey. Good luck! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: TheStorez.com EMAIL: books@thestorez.com IP: 59.92.47.132 URL: http://www.thestorez.com DATE: 10/30/2008 11:51:06 AM I think a lot of these points are relevant for promoting almost anything on the web. But some points on releasing an e-book version are well proposed. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Denise aka The Blog Squad EMAIL: dlwakeman@gmail.com IP: 216.175.107.171 URL: http://www.buildabetterblog.com DATE: 10/30/2008 11:52:57 AM This is an excellent post and I have sent it to members of our Blog to Book Project, and posted it on my Facebook profile. I think a lot of authors believe if they write it, people will buy it and forget that there are many more strategies available to them now, to get the word out and sell more books! Blog on! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/30/2008 12:19:28 PM @TheStorez...you are correct, this can work for promoting any kind of valuable web content. Good point. @Denise...thanks so much. You are so right. Most authors forget that there is actually more energy needed to successfully promote the book than to write it (which is, frankly, hard to believe, but true). Thanks for the shout out as well. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nettie Hartsock EMAIL: nettie@nettiehartsock.com IP: 70.112.116.129 URL: http://www.nettiehartsock.com DATE: 11/03/2008 04:26:08 PM Hi joe, Great list. I think it's vital for authors to be a part of the social media and even if they don't have a blog they can still be a part of it by using Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin. I would disagree about posting articles on article syndication sites, and think it's more vital to really try to get your bylined articles posted to leading magazines in your vertical. If you've written a book on sales for instance there are some truly superb sales publications out there to write bylined articles for, and if they're edu-focused and not "you must buy my book" focused, all the better! Nettie ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/03/2008 04:40:04 PM Thanks Nettie...I agree with you on the byline articles, but why not do both? Some industries have vertical search/article sites where it makes perfect sense to promote "educational" content to target readers. Of course, if I have a choice, byline is the way to go. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steven Roll EMAIL: b2beditor@gmail.com IP: 149.79.35.227 URL: DATE: 11/04/2008 12:37:25 PM Joe, Great post. A good example of what you're talking about is the Happiness Project blog. The woman who writes it explained a couple of years ago that she was writing the blog because she wanted to write a book on the subject. Since I've been reading it, she's gotten a major book contract, appeared in Real Simple Magazine, and has a huge following on her blog. When her book comes out, I'm sure most of her blog readers will be clamoring for it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ilze Stoltz EMAIL: ilzestoltz@gmail.com IP: 165.145.126.177 URL: http://dreamscometruebook.blogspot.com DATE: 11/17/2008 09:22:02 AM I read your info and found that I still have problems getting people to buy my book. It took my son and I 10 months to write DREAMS COME TRUE and we have a good book. We have made it that R50 from every book sold would go towards a Refugees Fund because South Africa had a terrible few months with xenophobic attacks in this country. We have sent out e-mails to churches, businesses, newspapers, tv and radio stations. I have offered to dress like little lotta in a pinl tutu and prance in the city centre to get noticed. Shave my hair and place the books name on my head, I'd even swim across to Robben Island. But no one seems interested. What do you think I should do now. It's soon going to be Christmas and I was hoping that some money would be used towards the children over this time. I'm stunned, I've done what you've said and still nothing. HELP ME PLEASE. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.17.14.248 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/17/2008 11:20:02 AM Hi Ilze...I hear you. I have no idea about the market need or want for the information you are offering, but I did try looking at your blog to see what kind of complimentary content you are providing. For some reason, your blog looks down. Regarding what you write above, sounds like you are marketing very traditionally, sending out push marketing (emails) to people who probably don't want it. What Newt and I did with our book effort that helped is we both blogged and wrote in publications about content marketing, working to build need and awareness about what was going on. In the process, we formed a following, and a clear need for a product such as a book. It sounds like the need wasn't necessarily created first. Feel free to send me an email at joe[at}junta42.com and I'd be happy to talk with you offline. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Massey EMAIL: brian@conversionscientist.com IP: 69.154.9.130 URL: http://conversionscientist.com/ DATE: 11/17/2008 05:48:05 PM Great post. So, how "big" does this social graph have to be to support a reasonable business book launch of, say, 1000 copies in the first 30 days? What would you shoot for if you added up your blog subscribers, Facebook friends, LinkedIngrates, Tweeples, etc? Is that number 1000? 10,000? 100,000? More? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 140.239.61.80 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/18/2008 07:21:38 AM Thanks Brian...I'm not sure you can measure it that way. Obviously, the more followers you have the more opportunity you'll have to sell copies because more people are engaged with what you have to say. To some people, 500 may be enough, to others, 10,000 is not enough. I wonder what Seth Godin would say. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Age of Conversation 2 Officially Launches - Get this Book! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: age-of-conversation-2-officially-launches---get-this-book CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/28/2008 02:42:35 PM ----- BODY:
If you've been following this blog, you've heard me talk about The Age of Conversation project. Well, the time has finally come - Age of Conversation 2 officially launches tomorrow, October 29th.
I, along with an amazing 236 other marketing thought leaders from 15 different countries, are participating in this much heralded book sequel that is a literal treasure-trove of content for anyone in looking for insight into the business communication processes and thinking of the future.
Trying to figure out the marketing of today and tomorrow? This book will reveal the answers.
Copies are available for purchase at Lulu.com. The goal is to raise over $15K for charity. MAKE SURE you pick up a copy as soon as you can.
Here is just a "taste" of my chapter...
The “Golden Age” of Corporate Media
"Content marketing (the delivery of relevant and compelling content by a business to a customer) is defining the future of marketing. Content creation/execution now comprises almost 1/3 of business and consumer marketing budgets
.
The shift of organizational marketing efforts from interruption marketing to content marketing spells trouble for traditional media properties. The media business model is eroding, but the “golden age” of communications has arisen for businesses of all sizes.
Today’s Internet-savvy consumer looks everywhere for information to make smart buying decisions. At the same time, search engines such have democratized content to such a point that anyone with good content and search engine savvy can find themselves on the first page. Buyers want information fast and search engines help them get it."
Congratulations to all the authors who participated in this amazing project. Here is the entire list and where you can find them.
Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
Related article - Age of Conversation Sequel - More Authors, More Must Have Content
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Alltop Launches New Content Marketing Category based on Junta42 List STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: alltop-launches-new-content-marketing-category-based-on-junta42-list CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/22/2008 12:24:35 PM ----- BODY:Guy Kawasaki and hit Alltop team recently launched the content marketing category on Alltop.com. The list is based on our Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs list, which we (Junta42) rate and update on a quarterly basis. Although the Junta42 list contains 173 total blogs right now, Guy and I both agreed that focusing on the Top 42 was best. As we continue to refine our top 42, we'll send the updates to Alltop.
Big thanks to David Spark at the Be the Voice blog/podcast for putting together this audio interview with me about custom publishing trends. It's hard to believe we chatted for more than a half hour about this important topic. David not only put together the podcast, but wrote a synopsis about our conversation. Truly worth the read.
Almost every company in the world has some kind of customized magazine or newsletter. According to the Custom Publishing Council, there are more than 100,000 custom publications in the United States alone. Sadly, many companies don't leverage their custom magazine to the fullest extent, while most don't understand the distribution options available.
Especially in these tougher economic times, custom magazines, along with all marketing, is going to be even more scrutinized, so it's important to leverage everything you can out of the content. If your magazine content is truly valuable, make sure it's not being wasted by just delivering it in print and losing it forever (believe it or not, many companies and associations do that).
For the basic custom magazine project, here are some ways to get the most “bang for your buck” out of your content, and create multiple avenues for qualified prospects and customers to reach you:
There is more that you can do, but this gives you an idea of how you should be marketing your relevant and valuable content. Think of it this way: How much valuable content have you or your organization created that has only been seen by one group of people—or worse yet, not engaged with at all? Marketing problem, not content problem.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Roetzer EMAIL: paul@pr2020.com IP: 216.130.3.82 URL: http://www.pr2020.com DATE: 10/16/2008 08:20:16 AM Excellent post, Joe. Content marketing and social media strategies should be at the top of every business planning agenda for 2009. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/16/2008 12:35:05 PM Thanks Paul...most associations and corporations I've worked with aren't thinking of ways to really integrate their magazine content into social media channels. A big opportunity if the content is valuable. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Topps Poised to Become Media Company - But Who Isn't? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: topps-poised-to CATEGORY: video DATE: 10/13/2008 01:48:40 PM ----- BODY:Topps, the storied baseball card company, has recently released the web comedy series called "Back on Topps" starring twin comedians Randy and Jason Sklar (recently featured in the LATimes).
Since Topps was bought out by Michael Eisner's Tornante Co. in 2007, change is afoot. Eisner is poised to turn the very traditional Topps into a media machine. Co-promoted by Fox Sports and sponsored by Skype, the short videos integrate the Topps fabric into the entire story line, in which two brothers (the Topps' brothers as performed by the twin actors) lose the company and try to get control back in some fashion throughout the series.
The strategy, although far from unique, is a huge step for the Topps brand, which has usually fallen behind competitors such as Upper Deck in the innovation category. (In addition to the comedy series, Topps has also launched ToppsTown, which is a virtual world for card collecting fanatics.)
The LATimes article states that "the branding of this series is part of [Eisner's] strategy to turn the card company into a media company." My question here is, what company isn't trying to turn their brands into media properties, whether it's the blog from Whole Foods or the Blendtec's Will it Blend?
I guess it depends on your definition of media.
To me, most people view a media company as an entity that distributes content, via multiple channels, for the express purpose of generating revenue and profit in some fashion, like the NYTimes or NBC. But even from that definition, brands now must be included in the conversation.
Why? The answer is simple. Brands create and distribute content for the purpose of ultimately generating some type of sale, although often times indirectly. The web series created by Topps should have an ultimate purpose to generate more interest and sales in Topps products, correct? The fact that the series is being defrayed or supported by Skype is secondary to the ultimate goal of selling more Topps' cards and ancillary products.
Why does Whole Foods consistently participate in their blog? Somewhere in there should be an objective to grow the business. Same for Blendtec.
So now there is this massive gray area for what a media company is or does. That's good news for brands, who can compete with media in their own industries to position themselves as trusted content providers. Traditional media companies won't go away, but they are struggling to find their own place in this new world of communication and conversation. They will find their place, but so will corporate brands.
Look, I like what Topps is doing. But it is in line with what John Deere did in the late 1800's by creating their own customer newsletter (called The Furrow). Brands becoming media companies is nothing new. Actually, to survive in tomorrow's environment, it's mandatory.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: dictionary EMAIL: neilrock@hotmail.com IP: 69.108.105.247 URL: DATE: 10/13/2008 03:17:07 PM I think the difference with Eisner's web show, is that it is a technology boost to a traditional, if not archaic media brand. Trading cards may have hit their boom in modern times, but their origins are pre-television, even pre-cinema. Their existence was supported by the value of perpetually strong independent entities of pop culture and professional sports. This symbiotic relationship between the Topps brand, and established strong if not bulletproof markets can quite easily and logically be extended beyond ink and cardboard, just as "Time" once only brought to mind clocks and a weekly magazine. Considering his track record, I think Eisner is thinking way beyond how to sell more baseball cards. The difference with the case of Whole Foods, is that they, are less invested in truly creating a media brand, rather, are attempting to extend their brand as a measure of lifestyle. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: What You Need to Know about Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: what-you-need-t CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/10/2008 08:14:48 AM ----- BODY:
Just read this article by Steve Tobak on bnet entitled "What You Need to Know about Branding." Very cool article and worth checking out. In the article, Steve contends that there are five key points that every manager needs to know about branding, and IMO he is dead on.
As I was reading the final three points, I wanted to take out the word "branding" and replace it with "content marketing." And so I did. See below.
Content marketing strategy is not a one-off; it’s a component of your overall corporate strategy. Hopefully that begins with some sort of strategic planning process that defines your company’s vision, goals, and key strategies. Content marketing strategy is integrated and aligned with those.
Content marketing...is about using certain tools to achieve strategic and operating goals. For example, content marketing can be used to position similar or the same products in different market segments, typically at different pricing levels. That means changing perception without changing the product -a neat trick.
There are a myriad of decisions and tradeoffs involved in developing the right content marketing strategy for a company and its products and services. There is method to the madness. For example, a product line’s goals, market requirements, and value proposition will lead to a unique content marketing strategy. At least it should.
Key points:
Creating relevant, compelling and consisting content that works takes planning and investment. It's much more challenging to develop content that creates a connection and fosters engagement than placing a TV spot or an ad (which is one of the reasons why more companies aren't doing it more). It also can create an asset that has a much longer shelf life.
More companies are starting to realize this. As they do, it will even be more difficult to cut through the clutter. I have the feeling that we'll look back on content marketing now with nostalgia as the good old days...when it was pretty easy to get content delivered and noticed by customers. Tomorrow we'll have to be better...our customers deserve it.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann Handley EMAIL: ann@marketingprofs.com IP: 24.147.28.154 URL: http://www.annhandley.com DATE: 10/13/2008 09:08:21 AM Joe -- Love this money quote: "Creating relevant, compelling and consisting content that works takes planning and investment. It's much more challenging to develop content that creates a connection and fosters engagement than placing a TV spot or an ad (which is one of the reasons why more companies aren't doing it more). It also can create an asset that has a much longer shelf life." Highlight that as a pull quote in 36-point type! Nice. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/13/2008 11:27:17 AM Thanks Ann. Right on... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Talking to a CEO about Social Media Is Like Talking to My Mom STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: talking-to-a-ce CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/09/2008 09:39:52 PM ----- BODY:First off, no offense Mom. I love you.
To my mom, social media is a place or places. It's Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Social Media is Not a Place STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: social-media-is CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/09/2008 09:35:58 PM ----- BODY:Here is a interesting article from Mediapost regarding a report about how consumers expect companies to interact with them through social media. The report states that 93% of Americans believe that a company should have a presence in social media.
First off, most of the people I talk to outside of the marketing realm don't even know what social media is. Just ask your parents and you'll know what I mean (no offense Mom). Yes, granted I'm from Cleveland-area, but we do get Internet here. We also have running water.
Whether or not the statistics in the report resemble the truth or not (which I don't believe they do) is not the point.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Trickle Out of Traditional Media into Content Marketing Turns to Flood Starting Now STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-trickle-out CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 10/08/2008 10:39:37 AM ----- BODY:
I have been hesitant to push this concept too much, but the evidence is just too vast to ignore anymore. Those of you who are readers of this blog know that I've been talking about the push into content marketing from traditional media for years.
It's not like that's any big revelation. We've been seeing traditional print and now even online display revenues take a beating at media companies. Layoffs and restructuring abound (even at Gawker and MySpace). Technology and consumer behavior has changed the landscape entirely and a new business model has emerged.
But, until this point, it has been happening slowly. The 20% of traditional media spending that was chopped off after the 2001-2003 recession never came back, but it did stabilize, where we were seeing flat spending across the board in most industries. Over the past five years, marketers have been slowly socking away more money into their own content efforts, and pulling pennies from traditional media space to do it.
The economic "crisis" (or whatever you want to call it) will fundamentally change where marketing dollars go. Frankly, I've been surprised that more companies haven't taken this on sooner. Yes, companies spend between 27 and 30% of their budgets on their own content, but that number should be more like 50%. The case for content - engagement, search engine optimization, lead generation - it's there, no doubt about it.
Here's the news though. Yes, advertising spending will drop substantially over the next year+. And yes, money will be moving around quite a bit, with more (even though a much smaller dollar number), going into online marketing. But the shift from traditional to content marketing activities will happen swiftly because of one big reason now - marketers now have the excuse they needed.
Seems almost silly, but marketing departments in larger companies are often times slow to move (you know who you are). They have well-worn paths with agencies and marketing partners that go back years and decades. Over the past five years, marketers have been testing and "playing around with" creating their own content on a significant basis (much like P&G does with HomeMadeSimple.com and BeingGirl.com), but we haven't seen the significant "shift" as of yet.
This recession/crisis/slowdown is the excuse that marketers will use for moving traditional money out and getting creative. That means significant moves into content - blogs, articles, white papers, video series, variable enewsletters, eBooks - heck, even custom magazines are still hanging in there. If they are not already doing so, most companies will evolve themselves into true publishers of media, targeted to their specific segments of customers and prospects.
In the previous recession five years ago, most of this "content" stuff was still unproven (even though content marketing spending is in excess of $30 billion dollars per year). Today, we know it works, and marketers, although still a bit unsure and tentative, are licking their chops to move money into this area.
Inform or entertain. Inform or entertain. Say it again...inform or entertain. That's how engagement is created. That's how you become a part of the conversation. That's how you create a dialogue and stop shouting. Both are tough to do today without creating relevant, compelling and consistent content.
How do I know all this? I have the opportunity to talk with custom publishers on a regular basis. These are the guys that traditionally have provided content services for companies (although that is changing fast - but that's for another blog post). You know what? Business is up almost across the board. Sure, there are a few big programs that have been cut, but those are being replaced by other new content projects.
Hmmm....end of times are here, and business is up. Odd, to say the least.
Marketers are starting to get creative. With this, we are seeing the biggest marketing supplier shakeup in history. Publishers, custom publishers, pr firms, advertising agencies, interactive firms, SEO/SEM firms are all going after this thing called "content" (call it what you will...content marketing, custom publishing, custom content, branded content, corporate content, etc.). The next five years will be the wild wild west of mergers, buyouts and closings we have ever seen in the marketing industry. Those that understand the value of content (from a journalistic standpoint) will win.
If this prediction was available in a stock, I'd bet the farm.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann Handley EMAIL: ann@marketingprofs.com IP: 24.147.28.154 URL: http://www.annhandley.com DATE: 10/08/2008 11:48:40 AM I agree, Joe, that content is increasingly playing a bigger role in marketing, and that organizations are starting to see the value of it. The challenge, of course, is to keep the standards high, to create "relevant, compelling and consistent content," as you say. To focus on the content as content first, in other words, and content as marketing second. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/08/2008 01:49:26 PM Agree 100% Ann. I guess the question I keep running into is this...In the future, will information be marketing? And if so, how will organizations set up their marketing departments to churn out consistently good editorial-type content? I talked to a CEO from one of the leading content agencies the other day who said that in 20 years, companies won't have a need for outside publishers or content agencies because they will have to develop those competencies internally. Interesting. Thanks for the post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom Peric EMAIL: tom@thegalileo.com IP: 68.45.91.202 URL: http://www.thegalileo.com DATE: 10/09/2008 11:09:32 AM Joe, the comment by the CEO is intriguing. But the real relevant observation is this one: Will people READ the content? And act upon it? Companies, with the rarest of exceptions, are almost psychically incapable of NOT beating their own drum, thus sounding like a sales pitch and not balanced content. They are seldom objective, never daring and completely lack humor. If companies believe that the public is essentially dumb and if that presumption is accurate, they will do fine, churning out pseudo-content. If, however, the public proves they are not as dumb or naïve as many companies believe they are, businesses are in trouble. And that means they're going to need content-journalists. Amen. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/09/2008 11:41:02 AM Tom...you are correct. That's why corporations are starting to understand that they need to stop pitching and start creating valuable, relevant and compelling content (content marketing). Smart ones are hiring custom publishers and journalists (like yourself) to help them succeed in this area. The companies that don't realize the importance of content...well...that's another blog post. Cheers my friend. Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mary Mangold EMAIL: mary@wildwebwest.com IP: 206.63.79.254 URL: http://www.wildwebwest.com DATE: 10/09/2008 04:12:14 PM Hi Joe. You know of course that your book Get Content - Get Customers is my bible and helps me to beat the drum for small and mid sized web customers to open their eyes to the remarkable shift from budget busting traditional advertising toward online self publishing and content marketing. As a web services provider and content journalist, I have been thinking about the economic crisis alot and devouring information online to make sense of it all. This morning, I found your excellent article in my inbox. Wow! Your words reinforce my own sense of focus - good capitalist minded thinkers will come round to perceiving CMS and digital media tools as a mode of survival through tough times ahead. I'm convinced that "thinkers" will unite online to carry forward the traditions of the American Spirit in a paradigm shift that will change the way we operate forever. No matter how tough things get, our online world is not going away. Its going to be here through thick and thin, new world economy or not. As always Joe, I thank you for your knowledge and your inspiration. Thus far, I have experience a surge in my own business model to consult, setup, launch and empower my web customers to utilize the powerful tools available through online Content Management Systems. Let the flooding begin! Your fan, Mary ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/09/2008 04:19:50 PM Mary...you are an inspiration yourself. Thanks for the kind words, and, it's only a matter of time...keep the faith. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 67.133.155.34 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 10/09/2008 05:39:48 PM Hey Joe, We are in the midst of this selling season and are A) pitching "content marketing" on a consistent basis and B) having *both* agencies and direct customers asking great questions about it. Our sales professionals are understanding the concept much better and know there is money to be made selling it. The ad agencies and marketers intuitively know they better keep an open mind about it and move the budgets accordingly. As we see the financial world fall apart and media companies struggling - content marketing is a beacon of opportunity in otherwise tough market conditions. Keep up the evangelizing - I know I will. JM ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/09/2008 08:58:34 PM Jeff...love it, love it, love it. These are the types of comments that makes it all worth doing. Thanks for spreading the gospel. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Carmen Vj EMAIL: newwebkinz@yahoo.com IP: 24.186.117.115 URL: http://buy-your-webkinz.blogspot.com/2008/10/newest-webkinz-to-buy.html DATE: 10/11/2008 02:57:41 PM Content is still king. I am glad to hear that. I have been doing this content thing for years and my game has definitely got to get better. This side of the business will become more competitive indeed. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: inquire@paulconley.com IP: 98.113.150.150 URL: http://paulconley.blogspot.com/ DATE: 10/12/2008 11:46:36 AM Hi Joe, I agree that the trickle is turning into a flood. But that concerns me. Very few marketers understand the difference between content marketing and traditional public-relations or marketing-communications efforts. Heck, most custom publishers don't understand the difference either. I'm worried that as the amount of crap in the market skyrockets, it will dwarf the amount of engaging content. As a result, marketers who produce useless stuff on their own (or buy useless stuff from custom publishers) will complain endlessly about the money they wasted on content marketing. And within months we'll find that the conventional wisdom is that content marketing doesn't work. Here's an example of what I mean. So far this year I've had three different companies approach me about ghost writing a blog for a senior executive. In each instance I told them I could not think of a worse idea than a ghost-written blog. I offered instead to help the senior executive learn to blog on his own. In every case the company thanked me for my time and said they would find someone else. And I'm quite sure they did. I know I'm not the only person to run into such problems. David Meerman Scott did a piece the other day on worst practices in corporate blogging. All of us have seen the sorts of things he's talking about: http://tinyurl.com/3lkxcd I wish we could slow the process down a bit. I'd like to see more people spending more time studying best practices before they get into the game. But I don't think that will happen. And I worry what that will mean for this movement. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/12/2008 08:01:31 PM Hi Paul...really interesting take on this topic. I agree with everything you've said, to a point. I wish I had a crystal ball, and can only guess at what will happen...but here it is. Yes, there will be more worthless content spread out there than ever before. We are entering a period of massive content experimentation, which I believe is mostly good. During this phase, a lot of companies will get this wrong (as you note with your blog example). Some companies will learn, adapt, and start to build on significant content assets and online conversations. Others will flounder. If it's anything content marketing shows us, it's that it is NOT easy. We all continually need to beat the drum on how best to tell the story and how best to involve your company in customer conversations. Long story short, you are right, but consumers are too smart to get caught up in the crap, and corporations will need to learn quickly. If businesses decide to abandon content marketing because they feel it doesn't work, then they will really be in trouble, because some company that learns how to do it will kick the crap out of them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Arjun Basu EMAIL: abasu@spafax.com IP: 207.139.42.35 URL: DATE: 10/14/2008 10:46:39 AM Consumers are too smart, you're right. But marketers aren't generally. They still aren't quite sure of the difference between marketing and PR. I've been running into this problem more and more. What I've also seen, recently, is that our meetings are getting bigger. The client side is getting larger. I suppose this is a result of more people ensuring their investments are being well spent. It also means we, as custom content providers, have more "educating" to do...again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/14/2008 11:00:32 AM Arjun...great point. I think the larger meetings mean that more people in the company have a vested interest in the content itself (of course). And yes, so much educating to do (and so little time)... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Sean Callahan on AddsYou: the Impact of Information and Social Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: sean-callahan-o CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/06/2008 11:02:17 AM ----- BODY:I recently had the opportunity to interview Sean Callahan who is overseeing a project called AddsYou.com. AddsYou has an interesting business model, and is definitely relevant to what is going on in the content marketing industry. Take a read below, and thanks to Sean for taking the time.
Who are you, and who do you work for? Share a bit of your background.
I'm President and Co-Founder of AddsYou.com, Inc., and I’m a passionate social media enthusiast from the sunny state of California. I’m also an alumnus of California State University of San Marcos and currently a student of London Metropolitan Business School with over 10 years of business experience as an entrepreneur, small business owner and consultant. I was the President and CEO of One Lead Source, providing real estate and lending professionals comprehensive marketing and consulting services educating clients on how to build referral-based businesses. I have held the title of Director of Marketing for Blueprint Financial Group, an innovative mortgage services firm, and directed the establishment of the company’s Customer Relationship Management program, as well as numerous strategic initiatives.
A few questions about your current project…
Tell us a little about the AddsYou project and how you got started in it?
I’ve always been into technology, bringing and connecting people together. I met my girlfriend on Match.com which brought me to the UK and joined Alex Buelau, the Co-Founder and CTO of AddsYou.com, Inc., several years ago on another project. He’s from Sao Paulo, Brazil, but moved to Oxford in September of 2008. I met up with him in March of 2008 at Waterloo Station in London. We began talking about developing a network that could bring writers (authors, bloggers, journalist, and ordinary people) together to publish and share knowledge to the masses and help them increase their exposure and visibility on an offline in addition to rewarding them for their contribution. It so happens we sketched out a plan and AddsYou.com was conceived.
There have been a number of online models that haven't succeeded with the "pay for content" model. Why will this one succeed?
That is a great question. The basis of the AddsYou business model is more than just paying people for content. That is simply one of many reward mechanisms. What makes our social publishing network exciting is that we will help increase the visibility and exposure of our members. The element of helping someone become the next “American Idol” of writing is quite a unique value proposition. By marketing and making our members’ content available on and offline through a variety of distribution channels we’ve solidified, gives them the opportunity to be discovered and fully monetize their content. Our research has indicated that our segment is motivated by two things, money and exposure. In a recent survey of 100 writers, 94% of respondents said that if they had an opportunity to increase their exposure and get paid to have their online content published in print media they would take advantage of it. But that’s not all; there are various social media tools in the AddsYou community to make writing exciting, interesting and more importantly fun.
There is a ton of content out there, do we need more? What say you?
Of course, there is always a need for more information, better information, not just content. It’s our mission to be the most visited user-generated content website on the internet contributing to the creation of a world-wide database of knowledge. Think about all of the highly skilled knowledge workers out there not sharing their knowledge or what about the text files sitting on people’s computers. I’m talking well-written information, like novels, short stories, poems, news articles, research papers, etc. just sitting there collecting dust. It’s our goal to get this information and share it with the world.
What’s up with the name AddsYou?
Yeah, most marketers would say you need a catchy name or it should tell users what you do. We kind of did both, the logic behind what we do is the site adds “you”, the writer, not only to the internet, but to a variety of distribution channels to increase the both the exposure and visibility of the user.
How do you intend to market this? Is there a viral effect to this?
Absolutely! Although, we’re using many traditional methods to promote AddsYou, our marketing strategy encompasses lots of viral related components such as social media applications (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to encouraging and rewarding members to invite their friends, family members and colleagues to the community. I’ve also setup several presentations at universities throughout San Diego all the way to London to educate people on various entrepreneurial subjects through my eyes leading this start-up. Furthermore, we hope to reach the hearts of the blogging community and both local and national media to help us spread the word about this exciting concept.
A few questions about social media…
How can social media boost your marketing and pr?
Social media helps companies become more transparent to their customer and spread messages virally into social networks they would never have reached. Social media can help a company rapidly spread their message much like Malcolm Gladwell’s identified in the Tipping Point. Word-of-mouth is extremely powerful.
What mistakes should people avoid in social media? What are some issues to consider when someone embarks on a social media marketing initiative?
Only share what is within your comfort level and nothing more. Information spreads fast so make sure you get it right before you release it.
Define 'Social Media' in 500 words or less.
Simply put, social media is communicating and sharing information on the internet between users across one or more networks.
We know each other from Twitter, so obviously you use social media, but does your company also use social media?
Yes, AddsYou has successfully used Twitter to market its alpha release in November 2008 to obtain a wide-array of testers for the pre-launch. Various social bookmarking tools have also been used to spread the word about AddsYou.
How are you using it to connect to your customers and leverage social networks to expand your brand’s recognition and build a positive reputation?
Social media tools such as Twitter have allowed us to be very customer-focused to listen and get feedback to build our network with as much input as possible. It has also helped us target niche demographics to build test groups for our alpha release of AddsYou.
Do you track your name and your company’s name? What are some of your favorite reputation management tools and why? If you do not track social media, why? (this includes search twitter-formerly Summize, radian6, etc.)
Yes, our company uses Search Twitter and Google Alerts to get a pulse and hear what people are saying about AddsYou. It also gives us the ability to take action by either mitigating problems or to simply let users know we are listening and they’re being heard.
What do you consider "must-have" sites/profiles to establish and why? (this includes micro-blogs, e-vite, schedule organizers, API’s, build your own network)
The biggest one for us right now is Twitter, although we do have a Facebook account setup. Their micro-blog helps us quickly and efficiently provide timely updates and useful information to our supporters.
What companies do you think are doing a great job with social media, or horrible? Tell us one story or a very successful client or your own story that you feel makes online networking worth while. (case study)
Our company has used Twitter for one week to promote the Alpha Invitation site for AddsYou and has quickly received 350 requests. Twitter has helped us create a user-base to test out our service offering in a short period of time.
How much time do you think people should spend on social media?
It depends on what one is trying to accomplish from using social media. If a user is trying to provide customer service through a social media outlet it could be a full-time job.
What game plan would you recommend to someone just starting with social media?
Step 1: Look, listen and learn what a vast majority of the population want or need.
Step 2: Develop something exciting and of value that people will benefit from and a way for them to engage.
Step 3: Join various social media sites and begin providing value to the network to find early adopters.
Step 4: Keep looking, listening and learning from your customers.
A few more personal questions…
What is your favorite part about what you do?
My favorite part of working for a start-up is the people and the high levels of energy constantly buzzing around me. I enjoy having something constantly going on whether it’s promoting our concept or getting into the code and helping the developers build the application. I’m a hands-on kind of person and think it’s important to know a little bit about a lot.
What's the most important thing you do each day that helps your business?
The most important thing I do each day is talk to people and make connections. I have at least one meeting each day where I pick peoples’ brains, setup alliance or partnerships and share the vision for AddsYou. I’m definitely the biggest cheerleader for the start-up minus, the skirt and pompoms of course!
Where or from whom do you pull inspiration?
I really have a strong drive to make everything I touch successful. I get my inspiration from the people closest to me, my friends, family members, colleagues and professors. They hold me, or I like to think they do, to a high standard that I must live up to.
Who is someone in your profession that you've always looked up to or followed their progress? Why?
I’ve looked up to a lot of people as well as the people who have mentored me over the years. I could name a list of people that have told or done something for me that have changed my life for the positive. On a global scale, I’ve always looked up to Disney believe it or not. Walt was such a visionary and way ahead of his time. Bob Iger, the man in charge now, is an extremely accomplished and brilliant executive. He really understands the media industry and how it is evolving. Disney’s ESPN brand is a shining example. Iger’s company is defining how people interact with sports on the web in addition to other brands the company controls.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Wordle Discovers Your Content Niche STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: wordle-discover CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 10/01/2008 11:54:27 AM ----- BODY:
Brian Massey reminded me about Wordle, which generates a "word cloud" from the text of your blog, website or bookmarked links.
It's interesting to see the types of words that become the focus on my writing. My keywords include:
Media
Social
Marketing
Content
Information
Internet
Customers
Business
Custom
Using that in a sentence...
Social media marketing using custom content/information over the Internet to drive business and customers.
Yeah, I can live with that...
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NWGuy EMAIL: brucenowjack@earthlink.net IP: 66.150.166.115 URL: DATE: 10/02/2008 11:29:20 AM Kudos! How many people can validate that their actions are in sync with their objectives. Having wordle validate the theme of your website is amazing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/02/2008 12:50:55 PM Thanks NW...I love incredibly simple tools that work FOR your business. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO Company EMAIL: pdanuva@gmail.com IP: 122.170.28.112 URL: http://www.anuvatech.com DATE: 10/06/2008 02:41:50 AM Nice Post. Thanks for sharing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Heck with the Recession; Companies Are Investing in Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: heck-with-the-r CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 09/30/2008 01:04:21 PM ----- BODY:
Luckily, I was on the golf course yesterday instead of catching the news about the blood bath on Wall Street. Upon coming back to the office, I looked at my stock portfolio. Ouch...a sea of deep red.
It's already been a challenging year for most companies, and it seems that we have yet to turn the corner. Especially until we figure out where the financial industry is headed.
That said, small, medium and large companies continue to pour money into their content marketing. Although I rarely promote our service, Junta42 Match, on this blog, it's worth using as an example of what is going on in the marketing world.
With very little Junta42 marketing to date, business and marketing professionals from all over North America (and globally in some cases) are finding our little site to search for content partners. Yes, some of these projects are small - white papers, enewsletters, and blog help - but extremely important to their marketing activities. They need to find the right vendors, so they seek us out. We've also seen other projects from some of the biggest brands in the world with high six-figure projects like custom magazines and versioned newsetters to customers and prospects.
The biggest eye-opener? Approximately 90% of the content projects coming through the system are NEW. This means that these aren't ongoing projects that they look to outsource or find a new vendor to replace their current one. This means that they are investing in content in order to sustain or grow their business.
As ad spending falls at its steepest rate since 2001, businesses are taking that money and investing it in content activities that help to develop a conversation with customers and prospects.
Here are the types of approved projects that we've seen through the first three months (number in parentheses is the total number):
Advertising/Sales Management (3)
Advertorials & Supplements
Blogs (9)
Books - Electronic (eBooks)
Books - Print
Case Studies (2)
Custom Events & Roadshows
Digital Magazines (6)
E-mail Newsletters (9)
Magalogs
Magazines - External Audience (15)
Magazines - Internal Audience (6)
Mobile Solutions
Newsletters - External Audience (6)
Online/Virtual Trade Shows
Podcasts
SEO/SEM (2)
Syndicated Content Packages
Video
Web Portals/Microsites (3)
Webcasts/Webinars (2)
White Papers (9)
We've seen a lot of research to date about the growth in custom content and custom publishing. Even though we "hear" it, it's hard to visualize unless you can see it first hand. This type of Junta42 data shows that more marketers are taking up the content flag and selling it successful in their own companies to fund content-based projects.
In recessions, marketers turn to the initiatives that have the most impact on their current customers. What does that better than valuable, relevant and compelling content?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dominique Hind EMAIL: dominiquehind@gmail.com IP: 210.10.186.124 URL: http://dominiquehind.wordpress.com DATE: 09/30/2008 03:27:07 PM I think a lot of companies have been thinking about content projects for a while. Yes, the economic downturn may have made them think about it quicker, but so many marketers and articles are talking about engaging with the customer and being involved that companies/clients are starting to listen. In Australia, so many of our clients need proof (a successful case study) before they dip their toe in the water or even consider doing it. To help show success, I use the Dell IdeaStorm example to show clients how you can and need to fail before you can succeed. Then when success comes it is worth it. I have been following Dell's progress over the last three years and whenever any client sees the progress they buy into it: http://dominiquehind.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/dells-journey-to-listening-ideastorm/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Prz EMAIL: prz.p@gmail.com IP: 59.95.14.71 URL: http://www.japan-website.com/ DATE: 10/01/2008 11:23:48 AM I think this position requires someone who frets over comma placement, wonders if website is one word or two words, and believes that the dictionary and thesaurus are essential tools for life. I feel the most important aspect is popular search engines, web directories for increasing link popularity and other related SEO activities. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/01/2008 11:34:34 AM @Prz...not really sure what you mean. Are you saying that creating valuable content on the web is easy or something different? If storytelling was easy, everyone would have a book on the NYTimes best-sellers list. It's an art, and a science, and essential to driving exposure on search engines and SEO activities. Thoughts? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Penny Stocks EMAIL: coolpennystocks5@gmail.com IP: 122.50.216.59 URL: http://www.coolpennystocks.com/ DATE: 01/14/2010 01:50:17 AM Nice post.keep it up good work. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Six Key Considerations for Your Social Media Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: when-social-med CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 09/26/2008 12:16:47 AM ----- BODY:
I just finished a speech at the Online Marketing Summit in San Diego where I discussed the trend of "marketers as publishers" for about an hour. Great group, excellent questions. During the speech, we discussed social media applications like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn (among others).
I spoke at an OMS event six months ago, and the number of people using these three social networking applications have easily doubled (as measured by a raising of hands) over that time. Social media is literally part of a marketer's life today. With that, most of the audience is still confused on a social media direction.
Throughout the event, the biggest questions revolved around issues like "Should we do a blog?" - "How do we create ROI from Facebook?" - "What resources should we allocate to a social media effort?"
All good questions, and the answers are different depending on your target audience and goals. Overall, here are some key considerations to a social media strategy that were discussed throughout the day.
1. As a marketing professional, use social media yourself before you make any decisions. Whether it's a blog or a Facebook account, there is no way you can make an educated decision about their place in a marketing program unless you have some idea of how they are used. So, whether or not you are going to do anything in social media, you must first be a user to properly direct your company's social media strategy in the future.
2. Forget about ROI. Social media (when you get there) will be a cost of doing business. Defining ROI with your social media strategy is much easier for a smaller company. You can track people you've met through the blog or Twitter and began a business relationship. For larger companies, social media activities are mandatory for getting involved in your customer and prospect conversations. Treat it as just part of having a business. Your customers are talking about you. As a company, you just need to make a decision about whether you want to be part of that conversation or not.
3. Assign a Reputation Manager. Since customers are talking about your brand, someone needs to be a champion for listening to that conversation using tools such as Google Alerts, Boardreader and Technorati - or dig even deeper with these reputation management tools.
4. Focus on the audience. Don't let social media scare you. These are just tools to help you communicate with your customers and prospects. Keep the focus on your customers' informational needs and you'll head in the right direction.
5. Don't make up marketing objectives to fit social media. Don't try to force objectives into online tools that just don't fit. As with all marketing tactics, there are marketing objectives behind each one. Keep your fundamentals in place, and then decide if social media can help you get there.
6. Honesty and transparency is required. No brands can hide anymore, so don't try. Just accept it and move on. We have no control over our brands - they are in our customers' hands. All we can do is be a part of the conversation and shape it best we can. Once you throw your hat in the social media ring, be completely honest - or get burned.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steven Roll EMAIL: b2beditor@gmail.com IP: 149.79.35.227 URL: DATE: 09/26/2008 04:24:34 PM Interesting post. There was a great story in the New York Times Magazine about Twitter and Facebook that helped me understand the big picture a little bit better. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/4ccof6 I find most Twitter messages or "Tweets" to be pretty inane. But, as this article explains, the point is to create "ambient awareness" or the feeling of getting to know someone by simply being near them. So in a sense, all of these messages from Twitter or FB have the same effect as passing someone in the hallway at work and saying a few words to them. Even so, I find Tweets letting me know that someone is eating Indian food somewhat intrusive. I prefer the status updates on Facebook. At least, there, I can access the Web site whenever I want to see what all of my "friends" are up to. I've found that updating my status on FB at least once a day has dramatically increased the contacts I've had on FB. I'm having short interactions with friends, neighbors, and other ASBPE members on almost a daily basis. I was thinking how great it would be if my company had its own Facebook application, so I could interact someone in a different department such as marketing even though their office is on the other side of the building. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sekhar Ravinutala EMAIL: sekhar@allurefx.com IP: 66.74.213.185 URL: http://www.allurefx.com DATE: 09/26/2008 06:24:59 PM #1 is a good one - one that's easily missed. I used to work in Oracle and had a very different (and wrong) idea of social media till I actually started using them. Not sure about #2 though. At the end of the day, this stuff does sink a lot of time. Unless you negotiate with your management with some kind of an ROI argument, you/your team could easily be overwhelmed. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/27/2008 12:57:58 PM @Steven...thanks for the article post. I did read this one...gives a good overview of the benefits of Twitter. You never know where business can come from, and social applications are a great example of that. A little bit of time on each one goes a long way. Thanks for sharing. I agree with you on certain Tweets. It's an art to scan for the good content, but worth it. @Sekhar...I see your point, but think of it this way. There is a conversation going on about your brand right now. Whether you are involved in it or not is your decision. What's the ROI of shaping a conversation about your brand and topics that are important to you. Priceless in my opinion. Problem is, this is hard to prove...but it is possible. Personally, I can point directly to new business through the blog and other social media apps...just takes a bit of work. Thanks for sharing... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andy Clibanoff EMAIL: andy@payparade.com IP: 208.39.156.98 URL: http://www.payparade.com DATE: 11/13/2008 01:42:14 PM I like this post entry because it contains good advice - like starting with yourself before promoting social media. If you take this approach, follow your curiosity, ask a lot of questions about how you want to engage with others, and use the wisdom of "message your neighbors as you would have them message you," you will be able to get others to follow along. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Does the Internet Democratize or Commoditize Content? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: does-the-intern CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 09/23/2008 08:30:03 AM ----- BODY:I received a very thoughtful rebuke from Stanford Erickson of my recent article in Folio magazine called "Is the Media Iceberg Melting?" In this article, I discuss why the media landscape has changed and where the opportunities lie for the successful media companies of the future. In it, I discuss how the Internet (and Google) have created new opportunities for corporations to communicate directly with end-users instead of through traditional media outlets.
After our email conversation, I asked Stanford if he wanted to follow up on his comments with a guest blog post. Below is that post. What say you?
Praising Print and Disparaging the Internet
The Latin poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, or Horace (for short), who lived during the transition between B.C. and A.D., wrote that all writing (and all media for that matter) needs to be a combination of “dulce and utile.” Building on that thought, I believe all writing, publications and other media require an appropriate ratio of dulce and utile. For example, B2B publications, columns and writing about business in general require more utile than dulce. General news and interest publications probably need more dulce than utile. The most successful writers and editors have a knack of getting this ratio just right for their audience.
Joe Pulizzi in his article “Is the Media Iceberg Melting?,” which appeared in the August issue of Folio, raised many interesting points of how media companies are failing because Google and other search engines are “democratizing” content. By “democratizing”, he means they are providing useful information without the need of an expensive media platform, such as Forbes, The New York Times or The Economist. He also notes that businesses, by hiring former journalists, are going directly to their customers with useful information via the Internet.
I take issue with this somewhat. First, yes anyone with access to the Internet has access to an audience. But more than “democratizing” information, to a greater degree, this is “commoditizing” information. And if a major purpose of providing the information is to monetize it, the commoditization of information on the Internet undermines that purpose. All of us who believe in “brands” contend that greater value usually is attributable to brands more than commodities. By this I mean, when you read The Washington Post, for example, your mindset already is prepared to accept credibility to a degree. And money usually blooms in credible soil.
This segues into my overall skepticism of Pulizzi’s premise that there is a great deal of monetary effectiveness from media-type information on the Internet. At one point in my career I was a member of Knight-Ridder’s advisory group to its New Media Center. Both Knight-Ridder and the New Media Center are now defunct. Knight-Ridder put tons of time and money into the Media Center to help transition its printed products to be viable via the Web. We found that there are two major problems with the Web, from a print media point of view. The writing style useful to newspapers and magazines is too clunky for the Internet. Also, the Web provides information largely in a vertical format. We humans have been used to obtaining written information horizontally. The changeover from effectively digesting information vertically rather than horizontally, most pundits believe. is generational. I think if is more like several generations.
In addition, we humans have short-term memories. Therefore when we read something on the computer and then scroll down or mouse over, we usually cannot remember what we read. Whereas if we are reading a horizontal newspaper or magazine, we can easily flip back to recall what we read. Printed publications have the advantage of being much more efficient in imparting salient information that needs to be digested, analyzed and reread.
The Internet is a wonderful aggregator of information. It helps create communities of like-thinkers. But its short-attention span and physical and mental restrictive modality does not necessarily lend itself to the pursuit of thoughtful and effective communication for which advertisers are willing to pay.
Stanford Erickson
President
Media Integration Consultants
Annapolis, Md.
Serickson11[at]msn.com
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Nagurski EMAIL: mark@reallypractical.com IP: 86.148.35.107 URL: http://www.reallypractical.com DATE: 09/23/2008 12:43:15 PM Is the point really to create content "for which advertisers are willing to pay"? I accept that one of the "major purposes" of creating content is to monetize it but surely the point here is that the way in which that information is monetized has changed. Previously, information has been sold as inherently useful in itself (subscribers or newsstand sales) or the eyeballs which it attracts have been sold to advertisers. Content as marketing, the type created by business rather than traditional media organisations, is designed to, amongst other things, build trust. The monetization is therefore one step removed - content builds trust, trust improves the likelihood of sales. The idea of "democratisation" extends to the fact that you don't need the expensive platform to publish. However, that is not to say that all sources of content are equal. Branding still matters, perhaps more than ever. With so much information available the brands that build trust in the value of their content create competitive advantage. That trust even makes it way into search results through the relative importance of incoming links - votes of trust. Similarly I'd take some issue with a line in Joe's original article that states; "as long as today's buyers get their answers, they don't care as much where the content comes from". The qualification "as much" is fair enough but I believe the trend could very well end up in the opposite direction. Without the editorial checks inherent in traditional media, people will be increasingly concerned with the "brand" and source of their (online) information. The only difference now being that the brand of trusted information is just as likely to be an insightful business - leveraging that trust into future sales, brand loyalty and word of mouth - as it is a traditional media outlet. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.40.36.104 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/23/2008 10:28:38 PM Hi Mark...I think you are right on with this. My point in the original article (which was geared at traditional media) is that corporate brands can create the same kind of trust through information that has traditionally happened through media companies. So, we are saying the same thing, just a bit differently. Thanks for the post. Great stuff. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 2008 Custom Publishing Award Winners from MIN STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 2008-custom-pub CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 09/21/2008 09:01:32 PM ----- BODY:
Below are MIN's 2008 Integrated Marketing Award winners in the custom publishing categories. Congratulations to the winners. For the complete list of custom publishing nominees, check out this list.
Custom Publishing Project
Meredith Integrated Marketing for DIRECTV ACCESS, December 2007
United Business Media LLC and CA for Smart Enterprise Magazine
Customized Web Site/Microsite
Advanstar Communications for Modern Medicine
PEOPLE for Toyota Celebrity Central Program
Special Advertorial Section
National Geographic Magazine for Intel
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Google's Sam Sebastian on B-to-B Content Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: googles-sam-seb CATEGORY: business-to-business DATE: 09/18/2008 08:33:43 AM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of seeing Sam Sebastian speak at the recent ABM/FIPP conference in New York. Sebastian is director of b-to-b and local markets for Google, and provided some interesting luncheon comments for the international group of publishers.
Here is a link to Sam's PowerPoint presentation, with thanks to ABM.
Sebastian started the presentation by discussing what is important to b-to-b marketers during this current economic downturn. According to Sebastian, 66% of marketers interviewed by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in 2008 indicated that their marketing plans have been impacted and are changing as a result of the current economy. His solution to this was three points:
1. Continue investments in search and online
2. Tap into the marketing value of online communities
3. Experiment with new ways to create and share content
Another interesting statistic - According to Forbes.com and Gartner, 67% of CXO's cite the Internet as the most influential and important source of information. In addition, Enquiro research found that 70% of executives use search as their primary research tool.
If you've been following this blog, these stats are nothing new, but they continue to show the importance of content. Sebastian's biggest point was that success for b-to-b marketers lies in the quality of their online content. His advice to the crowd was to "build mountains of content" and distribute to customers and prospects in a targeted manner.
Sebastian also noted the success of online communities such as Salesforce.com's Successforce and TheITRoom.com sponsored by Dell.
My Takeaway - Google gets it. It's about content for buyers at the right time during the buying cycle. It's about thought leadership content to position your company as an expert business resource. It's about having a conversation with customers, and getting let in that conversation by providing trusted information.
Knowing this, even though Google says they are not in the content business, they will be someday. They themselves see the importance of distributing content (since that's what they do for everyone else). Tools like Orkut and Knol are just the start. Watch for more to come and see how Google will start to move away from it's "content distributor" statement and morph into something different.
Related Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jean EMAIL: jeanf@bnj.com IP: 66.178.161.10 URL: http://www.bnj.com DATE: 10/03/2008 06:05:45 PM Hi Joe, Very interesting about Google and essentially agree, although I don't think "mountains" of content, without a thoughtful, integrated strategy, makes sense for customers or marketers. Content needs to be curated. In an era of information overload, this is the ultimate luxury service. Cheers, Jean @ bnj. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/04/2008 03:55:33 PM Jean...incredibly important point. Most businesses I talk with crank out content without really understanding the informational needs of their customers, or what they want to content to do for them and their customers. More content does not necessarily mean better results (without the proper content strategy). Cheers yourself Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Six Strategies for Keeping Content Fresh STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-content-st CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 09/15/2008 08:47:26 AM ----- BODY:
I'm a content guy. I'm not a landscaper or outdoors man. I've tried a few times, but the results haven't been pretty. That said, the cherry blossom tree in our front yard needed some major cleanup. There were many branches that were dead and the tree looked like it was getting choked to death. So, up the tree I went (btw, the picture on the right was taken by my five-year old son, Adam...not bad, huh?).
About five minutes after this picture was taken, I was doing my thing about 15 feet above the ground. Just then a 60-mile-an-hour wind gust came along (really, no kidding). I wouldn't say that my life flashed before my eyes, but it did scare the crap out of me (While I was screaming for help, my wife was on the ground laughing uncontrollably).
Being the anal retentive marketing person I am, I immediately tried to find some business meaning in this event. I thought of most of the websites I visit today. Sadly, a good majority of the sites that are out there today don't evolve with the (high) winds of change. Even though business spending has altered quite a bit in the last year, some sites haven't touched their sites.
Even worse, some of the web content is completely out of date and contains irrelevant copy. What kind of impression does this make to business decision makers?
To combat this, here are six content strategies to employ right now to get your website back into shape.
1. Remove Dead Branches - Assign three different people from your company (one from marketing, one from sales, and one from accounting/finance) to perform a content audit of your website. Give them a few days and make sure they click on EVERY link (bad content show up in the worst places). Give them a scoring sheet that includes a reference irrelevant content, areas that don't make sense, and overall impression of the site and how to make it better. This is an invaluable exercise. You won't regret it. (See Douglass Karr's note below on monitoring bad links).
2. Assign a Conversation Champion - This doesn't mean the person responsible for your website. It means the person responsible for communicating with customers through the web. Kodak calls this their Chief Blogger. Some use Chief Conversation Officer. Whatever you use, find a champion in your organization who is web savvy, enjoys social networks, and lives the brand of your company. Put them in charge of getting involved in relevant forums and commenting on industry blogs. If you have a corporate blog, this person should be heading it up. Your Chief Conversation Officer should also be integral on the relevance of your website. Find the person, give them the keys, and let them run with it.
3. Why Aren't You Blogging? - There are many questions to ask before you start blogging. Some cultures just aren't a good fit for it. That said, there are so many important reasons for blogging that all companies are at least considering it. Creating a blog is the one area where you can get out from under the corporate branding standards and show a little personality. Personally, blogging has been the most important business tool in growing my business. It can be for you as well. For tips on keeping your blog content fresh, check out this post.
Integrating a blog into your website is probably the easiest way to keep relevant and timely content on your website.
4. Set Up Listening Posts - Are you listening to what your customers and prospects are saying? If not, here are a few quick tips.
- Set up Google Alerts on your brand name and key industry words. Assign someone to track these, if not yourself.
- Monitor blog search tool Technorati. There is a conversation going on about your brand. Make sure you get involved in it.
- Wondering who is twittering about you? Use Twitter Search to find out. The best thing about Twitter is how honest people will be about your brand.
Use these tools to understand what's going on with your customers to position the content on your website for what they are really dealing with.
5. Go "No Sell" with Content - You should be developing at least one "non-sales" white paper or research project per quarter specifically targeting your customers/prospects biggest problem (if you have multiple customer segments, than you need one for each segment). We did this with our "Attract and Retain" white paper to marketers, and the Custom Publishing New Rules for publishers. We are currently in the middle of launching our next white paper on Trust. Position yourself as a thought leader and be the trusted business partner that your customers are looking for. Highlight your white papers on your website. Don't you think "Dealing with XYC during a Recession" would be important to your customers?
6. Water Your Roots - Lead generation strategies bore me sometimes. Everyone is always talking about how to get new customers. This is important, but especially in the current economic times, you should be committing the majority of your resources to current customers. Does your eNewsletter speak to their needs? Are your salespeople or executives making calls or visits to them to find out what their pain points are? Do you have enough communication resources dedicated to current customers?
A strong focus on current customers in hard economic times may create the most dividends when the winds settle down.
By plugging in these six strategies into your marketing program, you'll be well on your way to a better conversation with customers and prospects. If anything, choose three and implement them now. Once those are complete, start the next three...rinse and repeat.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas Karr EMAIL: doug@douglaskarr.com IP: 207.250.128.235 URL: http://marketingtechblog.com DATE: 09/15/2008 10:56:21 AM Google Webmasters will supply you with a list of broken links, no need to do this manually! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/15/2008 11:00:33 AM Douglas...thanks for the note. I'll amend the post and cite your note. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Himaya EMAIL: roselle.jimeno@philweboutsourcing.com IP: 121.96.204.69 URL: http://www.virtualweboutsourcing.com/ DATE: 08/24/2009 02:44:01 AM can't help not saying your funny letting your 5yr old son take that photo.lol btw, content to tree makes a lot of sense. i totally agree ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Traditional Media Bad, Custom Content Good STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: traditional-med CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 09/11/2008 09:47:54 AM ----- BODY:
Anyone in marketing must be sick of hearing about how bad it's getting with in the media world. Brands across the board are slashing their media spend, at least according to a recent Reuters' article.
In the article, the prediction is made that 2009 could be as bad, or possibly even worse than in 2008 for traditional media spending. In general, we are most likely looking at flat spending for 2009.
Traditional media is not dead by any means. Leading brands spent good investment on the Olympics, and the political race is always a boon for traditional media in the form of TV, radio, print and online display. At the ABM/FIPP Business Media conference, in-person events are continuing overall growth, and innovative companies like Google are still looking to break into the traditional radio and print space. So, if Google is interested in it, that's where the money is.
That said, the trends are flat to down for traditional media. They have been, and continue to be, and we see stories like the one from Reuters and others talking about the death of media.
The Problem Is Not Media
This is important. Nothing is broken about media itself. Consumers have more media choices than ever before. They can also turn on or off most online advertising by opting in or out of particular messaging.
Just this morning I started the day with the print newspaper, caught a bit of news on CNBC, checked the news highlights and RSS feeds on Yahoo!.com, and caught a few industry articles on the web. Getting information is easier and more effective than ever.
That's it. It's key is information. Wow, we've hit on it.
Information is what people want, not advertising. They want to be educated and entertained by really good stories. Just this week Story Worldwide CEO Kirk Cheyfitz said that there are only two ways that customer communication works - to give customers relevant content or to give them a good time. It's that simple. Those two things create brand engagement.
Now look at traditional advertising. It's very hard to deliver relevant and compelling content or give customers a good time by renting space with a media company. It's hard to create true engagement. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Limited Space - Whether it's a 30 second spot, an online display ad, radio commercial or print advertisement, there is simply just not enough time or space to tell a story that engages. Plus, you have to share it with many others who want to sell, sell, sell.
2. Rent Not Own - With traditional media, you are renting a tiny portion of space from another company to pitch your product or service. You don't own much besides your own creative, and once the ad program is done...poof, all gone. There is no substaining life beyond the program in most cases.
3. Inefficient - Even as traditional media gets better at targeting, it's still lacks the effeciency of targeted customer programs. Whether you admit it or not, much of the message goes unnoticed or ignored by prospects and non-prospects alike.
There are many more reasons, but you get the point. If the goal is engagement, and you get engagement by telling stories, traditional media is a dead end. Brands need have conversations with customers, to help shape conversations in an educational or fun manner. Traditional media makes that difficult, if not impossible in most scenarios.
Custom Content Rolls
Yes, traditional media is not coming back - ever. There are too many choices for both brands and customers today - and too many more effective choices.
At the same time we talk about the "flatness" of traditional media, custom content continues to grow. According to Veronis Suhler Stevenson, the industry is now growing faster than any other category except for word-of-mouth. The money that once went to traditional forms of media, is now being invested in targeted, relevant and compelling information to customers. The money is not going way. It's being reinvested.
So don't be sad. It's just like when someone reallocates their 401k investments. We used to be overweight in traditional, underweight in content. The process is underway to reverse that trend.
So, if you are a financial adviser to the brands, traditional media would be a bad investment right now, while custom content would be good. Where do you think you'll get the best return?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Journalism + Marketing = Content Success for UPS Compass STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: journalism-mark CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 09/10/2008 08:22:59 AM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of being at the ABM/FIPP Global Media Conference for the past few days in New York City. One of the panels was on the growth of custom media solutions, featuring Jane Ottenberg (The Magazine Group), Kirk Cheyfitz (Story Worldwide) and Michael Hofelich (Forum Corporate Publishing/Germany).
There were a lot of takeaways, but the key finding from the panel was that the future of marketing is a combination of journalism and marketing.
Kirk Cheyfitz's presentation hit on key points for marketers...
In the advertising age, 2% conversion on any ad is considered a success. That model is not only deteriorating, it's simply not enough. Our goal must be 100% engagement in the brand.
To do this, marketers must learn the best practices of journalism and execute that through their marketing programs. Journalism is the key word here. This means hiring the best journalists in your industry to "tell the story."
Marketers today have two choices when communicating to customers - either give them relevant, compelling information or give them a good time. Without either one, engagement is impossible.
Kirk used an example from the UPS custom magazine/microsite Compass. Before Story took on the Compass project, they were sending up to four different magazines/newsletters to customers, each of which were disjointed, and were not driven by "true" journalistic principles.
Over the past few years those four communication vehicles transformed into Compass, a quarterly magazine to UPS business customers that include nine different versions specific to each customer segment. Story hired freelance journalists from the leading business publications in North America to help tell the UPS customer story.
The results: Over 90% actively read and benefit from the UPS case studies. But more importantly, 35% have been prompted to try a specific UPS product or service after reading the magazine. Now that's engagement.
They key: invest in your own content. Stop renting media...own the media, be the media.
This is not just a trend, this IS the future of marketing. Most business and consumer brands haven't realized this yet. We are still in the first inning of this transformation. Those that step to the plate now will be ahead of the game.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: shelby94 EMAIL: vlinsalata@neo.rr.com IP: 71.66.98.68 URL: DATE: 09/12/2008 06:06:43 PM Your blog post on this subject is so timely. As a journalist, I received a press release from a trade association that many of my readers belong to, touting how the group is launching a monthly e-newsletter benefit for business owners in the industry I cover. The e-newsletter was promoted as something that would give useful tips and information to business owners. Curious (and perhaps expecting too much), I emailed the association back, requesting to be put on the distribution list, as it could be fodder for story ideas for our publication (which is separate from the industry association). The PR guy for the group called me and told me the e-newsletter would be a waste of my time because it wasn't customized to our industry's business in anyway. It was just a real general information piece put out by an outside company that produces a one-size-fits-all e-newsletter to many industries. The PR guy told me that basically, this acclaimed e-newsletter in the press release is really no more than spam. The association, he said, just doesn't have the resources to produce more customized, relevant content, yada, yada. There are definitely many organizations that don't understand custom content. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/12/2008 09:27:02 PM Shelby...thanks so much for the comment. It's amazing that this stuff just goes on. Anything that doesn't have the customer in mind does more harm than good. You provide a good example of that. If the association doesn't have the resources, they shouldn't do anything at all. Bad content does more harm than no content. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Add Content to Your Website without Adding Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: add-content-to CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 09/04/2008 08:31:12 AM ----- BODY:If you are reading this, you already realize the need for great content on your website. But you also know the challenge to creating relevant, compelling and consistent web content - it's hard.
One application you might want to consider that takes no additional content-creation time is the Google Custom Search Engine. We've been using Google Custom for over a year now on Junta42.com, and although it won't answer any major content issues you have, it's a valuable tool to add to your content arsenal (some call this tool "vertical search").
Here's How Google Custom Search Engine Works
You first need to program Google Custom into your current website or microsite. From talking with the developers that programmed mine, it's relatively easy. You pick the format and the brand elements. Most of it you can do without programming knowledge.
Second, you add websites that you want Google to search that will define your targeted search results. For example, if you are a welding distributor, you might want to include content from Welding Magazine or Miller Electric. You can include as many websites as you want. The goal here is to only include those sites that have the type of content you want to show your customers and web visitors.
Now, when someone types in a keyword, it will search the content from all the sites you have in your Custom Search database.
The image on the right is about 20 of the 153 websites we have as part of Junta42 Custom Search. You can see how easy it is...just type in or paste the URLs and you are done.
"No Results" Are for Losers
We initially used Google Custom because we didn't have much content when we launched the site last summer. We launched with around 100 articles in the system, and we were afraid to have too many "no results" responses if someone typed in a long-tail keyword into our search bar.
Google Custom to the rescue. By integrating Google Custom into our search, we were assured that we would have results for any type of search, and could point our customers in the right direction, even if the content wasn't on our site (which is always okay with us).
Now that we have more than 2,000 articles, we only use Google Custom for results that return a low amount of articles or no results. In the example to the right, I typed in "welding" as the keyword. Since our site wouldn't return much on welding (only one article), Google Custom results show up underneath, consistent with the look and feel of the rest of the site. We call them "Google Targeted Results."
If you are looking for a quick and easy tool that can give your online users a better overall experience in finding the content they are looking for, you may want to give Google Custom a look.
For those of you who need a more robust solution, check out the folks at Convera, who do an outstanding job launching vertical search portals in a variety of industries. They include some excellent examples as well.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Massey EMAIL: junta42@masseytexas.com IP: 99.179.102.239 URL: http://www.conversionscientist.com DATE: 09/11/2008 09:16:42 PM The folks at OneSpot.com offer a solution that looks at the sites you specify PLUS the sites that tend to link to them. They've sourced content for the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal sites. One more solution to consider. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/11/2008 09:30:06 PM Thanks for the update Brian. I'll check it out. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Евгений EMAIL: sio-net@yandex.ru IP: 212.152.35.194 URL: http://www.sionet.ru DATE: 01/27/2009 08:48:14 AM Наш информационный портал призван обеспечить важной информацией аудиторию Рунета о логистике, перевозках, техническом персонале, тонкостях в выборе компаний предоставляющих данные услуги. На нашем сайте представлен каталог предприятий, а также опубликованы советы и мнения экспертов, всегда свежие новости. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Video Is Not About You - It's About Your Customers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: video-is-not-ab CATEGORY: video DATE: 09/02/2008 08:32:36 PM ----- BODY:
The article below was featured in the latest issue of ContentWise. ContentWise is a monthly eZine that I would recommend for anyone interested in content marketing. Standard subscription is free.
More and
more corporations are using video as part of their overall marketing
strategies. Once a high barrier to entry due to the sheer expense of video
creation, production and marketing, businesses can now launch effective video
tactics with just a few thousand dollars.
This also
creates a problem. Because it is now so easy to create a video, and the
proliferation of video sharing sites such as YouTube (among others) is ever
increasing, there are more bad videos available than ever before.
What’s
happened is that businesses are continuing to focus on the “technology” and not
the core reason why videos are successful – great content and storytelling
targeted to a specific customer segment.
If you are
considering video as part of your integrated marketing strategy, here are the
success factors.
Tell the
Story, Not Your Story
Like any
valuable, relevant and compelling content you create, a video is not about you,
it’s about your customers. This is the biggest challenge for a corporation to
overcome. So many times businesses want to talk about their products and
services, or position one of their executives as an expert. That’s all fine and
good, but if the video does not meet the informational needs of the individual
watching it, it won’t be watched.
The
solution is simple. Develop a keen understanding of the customer or prospect
group you are targeting. What are their key challenges? What do they need to
know to be more productive at work, or live better lives? Why is your message
important in the first place?
Once that
is established, you can then weave in your marketing objectives into the video
content without selling to them. Remember, your goal is not to sell them, but
to help develop a conversation with them. Without valuable content, there is no
possibility of a conversation.
Forget the
One-Timers and Think “Series”
Like any
other successful communications program, consistency is the key. Many
businesses create video in hopes of that viral one-hit wonder. Really
successful corporate videos build upon each other. Sites like willitblend.com
or askaninja.com didn’t just produce one video and sit back. They planned for ongoing and consistent
videos with a content plan focused on their target customers.
Share It,
Don’t Own It
Just like
your brand doesn’t belong to you anymore (it belongs to your customers), treat
your videos the same way. Don’t just expect your customers and prospects to
only go to your website to view the video. Populate it wherever your customers
may be, whether YouTube, Facebook or probably most fitting, the industry media
sites and portals in your particular niche. Your goal is for your video to be watched, so that you can change or
maintain a behavior. Knowing where your customers are prone to “engage” in your
content is key.
Focus on
Content over Production Value
The days of
six-figure videos are over. Today’s consumers are very accepting of “YouTube
quality” video, which are sometimes viewed as more credible and “real” to
certain consumer groups. What are your current customers viewing habits? That
question will save you a ton in production expenses.
Get Outside
Help
When the
sales and marketing department produces video without outside help, there is an
uncontrollable urge to actively sell in it. Hire a journalist or video content
specialist to give you a third-party view that will help remove the
rose-colored glasses.
Video lets customers view, see and hear things not possible with other formats. The technology is great, but it’s the targeted storytelling that will define your success and bring out the “human” side of your company.
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My wife and I were just talking today about how we can't believe our oldest "baby" is in first grade and turning seven. Where did the time go?
And now, Junta42's first born, Junta42 Match, turns two months old. Since launching on June 24th we've had our share of starts and stops, but it's clear that Junta42 Match has been a tremendous success.
Here are some stats:
- 35 matches completed
- Over 100 leads distributed to publishers
- 11 different types of content projects
Total Value of Business = approx. $3 million dollars
Needless to say, we here at Junta42 are pretty excited about the early returns on the service. It's clear that this was a needed service in the marketplace - bringing brands, agencies and associations together with custom publishers who can develop and execute their content projects.
Big thanks to our publishers and content providers for signing up early in the system and believing in the model. It's challenging selling a product that doesn't exist yet, but everyone believed in the promise, and now we have more than 90% of the top custom publishers in the country supporting our cause and getting high-quality custom publishing leads.
On the other side, we've had wonderful conversations with marketing executives, marketing managers, agency reps and even small-business owners about how we've saved them time, energy and resources, bringing them the most qualified publishers to help them with their custom magazine, newsletter, website and blogging projects.
More good news to come.
For more information on Junta42 Match, click here to go to the site or click here for the demo.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama Hyder EMAIL: shama@afterthelaunch.com IP: 71.170.57.49 URL: http://www.AfterTheLaunch.com/blog DATE: 08/28/2008 03:34:16 PM Congratulations! What a fantastic service. May you have MANY MANY more years for super success! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.194 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/28/2008 03:38:50 PM Thanks Shama...truly appreciate the support! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Links You Shouldn't Miss STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-links-y CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 08/27/2008 10:10:50 PM ----- BODY:It's been busy this past few weeks, but I have made time to read some really interesting articles relevant to content marketing. Here are a few that you should check out...
Why Smart Content Is Smart Marketing
Great article from Chief Marketer (Joe Stanhope) about how the analytics age is here to stay, but content is still the glue that gets results. Worth the read.
Creating Honest Content Marketing
Nice post from Chris Brogan on how honest and genuine content bests "shiny content" any day.
Anna from IKEA...
I rarely laugh at blog posts, but this one really got to me. Humorous story from David Meerman Scott about how one great company takes technology a bit too far.
The Top 5 Ways to Keep Your Content Fresh
If you blog, take a read at this Copyblogger post from Liz Fulghum. Great advice.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Can Your Marketing Be Trusted? - Creating Trust with Information STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: can-your-market CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 08/26/2008 02:53:43 PM ----- BODY:It seems like every event I've attended or article I've read over the past few weeks revolves around one key concept - Trust in business. Here's the facts:
Trust is the key component for business growth.
Notice that I'm not saying "a" component. It's the component.
Trust is more important than ever as the traditional walls that separated businesses from their customers continue to get torn down.
KEY FINDING
In 2008, the Edelman Trust Barometer found that only 20% of the people surveyed trust corporate or product advertising. Instead, for a vast majority of respondents, “a person like me” was considered “the most credible source of information about a company.” In other words, commitment to and trust in a brand is less about slick promotional campaigns and more about trusted relationships.
The web is taking this concept and putting it on steroids, faster and with more impact than anyone ever anticipated.
Companies in the future will either thrive on a customer's trust or get killed by a lack there of.
How do companies now and into the future create customer trust?
First, you need to realize that trust cannot be created by a great product alone. That's where most companies start and fail. Makes sense that if the product works, the customer inherently trusts the company, right? That's just a start. Great products are almost mandatory today with the number of choices we have.
Customer trust involves much more.
Ask yourself this question: "How can I help my customers help their customers?"
Answer that question by providing yards and yards of informative content to help them. Yes, your product should do some of the lifting, but can your product solve all their pain points? If your product can't, what can?
Information?
Yes. That is the essence of content marketing.
I'll be focusing more in the upcoming months on the idea of "Trust through Information." In the meantime, check out this white paper we created on using content as part of your overall marketing strategy to attract and retain customers.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Creating Content that Boosts Traffic and Conversion: Complimentary Webinar STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: creating-conten CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 08/20/2008 03:36:45 PM ----- BODY:I have the honor of co-presenting on an upcoming webinar entitled: "Right Content. Right Response. How to create content that brings traffic, fosters engagement and boosts conversion." My esteemed co-panelists are Brian Massey, author of the Customer Chaos Blog, and Joel Granoff, founder of BeGreeted and resident webcast expert.
Just for attending the event on August 26th at 12pm EDT you'll receive two pretty cool freebies. Register now ... and you will receive the top line report, "B2B Sales Lead Generation: Integration of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 Media" a Research Insights publication by the very smart folks at MarketingProfs, as well as my new book, Get Content. Get Customers.
This is a do not miss event. Find out more about the webinar here. Hope to find you there.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content News Flash from Forrester: Marketing Must Be Compelling and Make the Buyer Smarter STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-news-fl CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: journalists CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 08/20/2008 02:50:09 PM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Peter Burris, principal analyst from Forrester Research, speak today at the ISBM (Institute for the Study of Business Markets) conference at Penn State University.
Outside of some interesting statistics regarding business-to-business marketing, Peter's take on what marketers must do to survive really hit home with the audience of mostly btob CMO's and product managers.
Core research findings from Forrester state that new product adoption success, now managed by the buyer and not the seller (not new news here), is solely dependent on the quality of the need-matching effort. More specifically, Burris states that "marketing has to be compelling and must be a source of intrinsic value unto itself."
Burris continued with the idea that "the buyer or prospective buyer must feel that they are smarter or more certain of their buying decision after they engage in the marketing."
We've been talking about this for a while, and go indepth about it in our book, but this is one of the first times I've heard the analyst community discuss this concept in detail.
Although he never came out and directly said it, Burris implies that btob marketers must generate significant amounts of high-quality information throughout all stages of the buying process.
So much so that Burris used an example from one of his CMO clients, where they are now looking for employees that have journalistic backgrounds who understand how to create high-quality editorial content, which is now the essence of today's community marketing programs.
For most btob companies, products cannot provide all customer value. Marketing must be a source of value to the customer to ultimately get the most revenue out of the product and service offerings.
In talking with a few senior marketing executives after his speech, this is still a relatively new concept to most large business-to-business companies. Although, one large components manufacturer I chatted with said that while traditional programs usually find no internal support, customer content programs are almost always approved as part of their overall marketing budget. We are making progress!
We are in the middle of a content revolution. Most companies are still battling with the technologies and the implications of social media, but haven't yet realized that the key to their marketing programs will ultimately hinge on how valuable the information is that they send to buyers, and the types of conversations that content creates.
One step at a time.
To see a similar PowerPoint presentation from Forrester on this topic, click here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing Top Blogs Announced; Copyblogger Keeps Top Spot STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 08/17/2008 10:21:32 AM ----- BODY:
We're excited to announce the third installment of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Congratulations again goes to Brian Clark's copyblogger.com, who keeps the top spot for the second straight month.
This quarter's update included a record 172 blogs, with more than 50 being newcomers to the list. Just within the past six months we've seen more and more bloggers (and media companies for that matter) focus on the importance of content marketing as integral to successful business marketing practices.
Here is the complete Top 42:
1 Copyblogger
2 Buzz Marketing
for Technology
3 Post Advertising
4 web ink now
5 No man is
an iland
6 PR 2.0
7 Online Marketing Blog
8 ContentMarketingToday
9 Hard Knox Life
10 The Daily Flip
11 Conversation Agent
12 Marketing Interactions
13 Find and Convert
14 Conversational
Media Marketing
15 Bernaise Source
16 Techno//Marketer
17 Pandemic Blog
18 What's Next
19 Writing on the Web
20 The Toadstool
21 Conversation
Marketing
22 Emerson Direct
Marketing Observations
23 Todd And Marketing & Media
24 The Retail Email Blog
25 Marketing 2.0
26 The Content Wrangler
27 The Viral Garden
28 Emergence Marketing
29 Writing White
Papers
30 SG Stephen Gates Blog
31 Greg Verdino's Marketing
Blog
32 Nigel Hollis
33 Web Strategy by
Jeremiah
34 Campaign Monitor
35 FASTforward Blog
36 Drew's Marketing
Minute
37 SEO Copywriting
38 Eat Media Blog
39 Marketing with
Meaning
40 Servant of Chaos
41 THINKing
42 Chaos Scenario
Click here to see the news release, which will be distributed on Monday.
Click here to see the entire Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. To view the selection criteria, click here.
Again, congratulations to the Top 42, and keep up the great work!
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 98.213.250.135 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 08/17/2008 10:11:25 PM Thanks Joe...this is super information for myself and our team. Especially the Copyblogger blog. I'm making sure our editors are aware of Brian Clark's excellent information. So much to read - so little time. Best regards, JM ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mathew Patterson EMAIL: mathewp@freshview.com IP: 124.170.183.62 URL: http://www.campaignmonitor.com/ DATE: 08/18/2008 05:21:31 AM Thanks for listing Campaign Monitor! We put a lot of time and effort into researching and writing our blog, so we really appreciate it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Recruiting Services EMAIL: cbrugnolotti@accolo.com IP: 64.59.36.122 URL: http://www.accolo.com DATE: 08/21/2008 04:42:54 PM Great post, I work in online advertising, so this website is really helpful to me. Thank you! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: van sales EMAIL: swiss.mumair@gmail.com IP: 115.186.69.219 URL: http://www.van-sales.org DATE: 06/15/2009 05:21:52 AM These type of post are very useful for professional online advertiser. thanks for choosing this beautiful article. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 2008 Junta42 Golf for Autism Event Nets 32% More in Proceeds STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 2008-junta42-go CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 08/16/2008 10:01:17 PM ----- BODY:
On Friday, August 15th 100 golfers came out to Fowler's Mill Golf Course in Chesterland, Ohio to support a great cause (and have a great time doing it). We had a perfect day for golf, and the best part is that all the event proceeds went to benefit the Easter Seals Northern Ohio speech therapy and autism program for children and adults.
This was our second annual event. In 2007, we raised $7,500. This year, we will near $11,000 in net proceeds to this important Easter Seals program. This is a 32% increase in proceeds over last year. We couldn't have done this without great support both locally and nationally.
Most people
do not know this, but the Easter Seals is the largest provider of Autism
Services in the country. The net proceeds of the event go directly to those
children who need specialized speech therapy treatment, but are challenged
financially to get the proper support.
While there
is no known cause or cure, nor one single effective treatment, autism is
treatable. People with autism, at any age, are capable of making significant
progress through personalized interventions and therapy; and can and do lead
meaningful lives. That’s where Easter Seals comes in. Getting the right support
at the earliest stage in life can help a child gain the skills he or she needs
to be successful.
Those of you
who know me know that autism is very personal to me, as it is to many of the
people who participated in the Junta42 Golf for Autism event. I continue to be
overwhelmed by the support we have received for this great cause, and am
thankful to those that believe in this fight.
We Couldn't Have Done it without Our Sponsors
Along with the 100 participants, we had nearly 70 corporations and individuals donate to the cause. All of them have made a significant impact into helping those dealing with autism become more successful. Here is a list of our supporters:
ABC Lettering & Embroidery Co.
Advit, LLC
AMS Specialty Steel
Applebee's
Baker Hostetler
Baricelli Inn Restaurant in Little Italy
Bev Beckert
Big Boy
Blue Canyon
Buffalo Wild Wings (Bainbridge)
CED Leader Electric Supply
Chris McMurry
Colleen Zelina
Cooking Thyme
Crowne
Plaza Cleveland City Centre Hotel
CVS
Cygnus Business Media, Inc.
D Magazine Partners
Dick's Sporting
Goods
Dorothy & Kevin McCarthy
Duke Printing
Ed & Sandy Kozelka
Edward Marecki
Foster Printing Service, Inc.
Fry Communications
Galileo Communications
GFS
GIE Media, Inc.
Great Lakes Watersports
Groff Funeral Homes/Leon J.
Groff
HVACR Business
Infocommerce Group Inc.
Integrated
Publishing Sales
Intramedia/Jim Clifford
Jeanne Foley
Jim and Laurel Clarke
Jim and Peg Connell
Jim Bowman – F2S Enterprises
ka architecture
Kaiser Permanente
Kentucky
Fried Chicken
Lisa Murton Beets
Lynn and Jim Cole
Medical Mutual of
Mike and Michelle Pistillo
Mitch & Andrea Rouda
MNI
Moen
National City Bank
Paul & Mary Ann Kunkel
Petco
Playaway/Findaway Digital LLC
Putman Media/Mike Balzano
Red Robin
Rodale Custom Publishing
Ron Kornowski
Saremo
TGI Fridays
The Boneyard in Mayfield
The Kapitan Family
The Rosen Group
Wendy's/Western
Reserve Restaurant Management
WhiteSpace Creative
Yours Truly Restaurant
Special thanks to our Premier Sponsors. Without their support, the event would have been very difficult to pull off:
Cleveland Steel Container
GIE Media
MNI
Petco
WhiteSpace Creative
And finally, a special thanks to everyone on the Junta42 GFA Committee
that really made this possible. First and foremost to my wife, Pam
Pulizzi, who ran a flawless show during the event. To Mike and
Lynne Pistillo, and the entire Pistillo family, for their fundraising
efforts throughout the campaign. To the volunteers: Missy Pistillo,
Angela Vannucci, Lisa Francisco, Laurel and Jim Clarke, Jeanne Foley and Ben and Don from Ka, Inc. Also a big thanks to Laura and Sandy Kozelka for watching the kids during the event. And
finally, to Melissa Kocher and Sheila Dunn from Easter Seals Northern Ohio, and to Alex and the entire Richardson family for being our special guests at our event.
To view the images from the event, click here.
Everyone on the committee is looking forward to next August's event where we will try to triple our efforts!
If you have any questions or comments on the event, please don't hesitate to contact me at joe[at]junta42[dot]com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please send any checks or donations to the Junta42 Golf for Autism, 3317 W 155th St., Cleveland, OH 44111.
Again, my sincere thanks!
For information on last year's event, click here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hersh Bhardwaj EMAIL: hersh.bhardwaj@gmail.com IP: 81.156.98.14 URL: DATE: 08/17/2008 06:02:36 AM Hey Joe, Fantastic work!! Who says mixing pleasure and work is not possible. I can see from the pics you guys had a great day, all for a great cause. ----- PING: TITLE: 2009 Junta42 Golf for Autism Another Success - $30k in Proceeds in 3 Years URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/08/2009-junta42-golf-for-autism-another-success-30k-in-proceeds-in-3-years.html IP: 10.17.151.31 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 08/17/2009 12:57:53 PM It was another perfect day for an amazing cause. On August 14th, nearly 100 golfers and over 80 sponsors and contributors came together to raise more than $10,000 to help get children with autism get speech therapy services. All proceeds... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 12 Tips to Writing Your First Book STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 12-tips-to-writ CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 08/12/2008 10:59:18 AM ----- BODY:Here is a link to my interview Q&A with MarketingSherpa on writing and launching your first book project. It was a fun interview, and I remember saying everything except that I am "consistently tired." I must have been too tired to remember. :)
If you like this one, try this post on "10 Keys to Writing a Book when You Have Absolutely No Time to Write a Book."
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Six Social Media Keys for Businesses STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: six-social-medi CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 08/11/2008 01:14:59 PM ----- BODY:I came across Jason Falls' blog, the Social Media Explorer, during our review of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Really enjoyed his takeaways from last week's ad:tech Chicago. Jason's top six points are below. Make sure to check out the full post here.
1. Engaging the social web is no longer optional, because so far, the companies that have been most badly burned have been the ones who tried to pretend they can ignore it.
2. You have to keep up with the speed of the social web, and stop bull****ting that you don’t have the resources to do it.
3. The emphasis in marketing on the web has shifted from trying to force everyone to come to your content, to deploying your content where the audience is.
4. Although we’ve reached the point where the cost of ignoring social is greater than the cost of engaging it, social isn’t going to replace other forms of marketing, any more than digital media replaced traditional.
5. Marketing and PR cannot cover over quality issues, and listening is half of participating in the social web.
6. If you really want to know what’s
going on in social media marketing, truthfully, you can find it...
in your RSS reader.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: GM Ad Agencies...Is the Money Coming Back? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: gm-ad-agenciesi CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 08/08/2008 12:34:38 AM ----- BODY:General Motors has asked its team of advertising agencies to take a 20% cut in fees this year and next. This article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday is just the start of more to come.
And guess what? Even though GM may cite economic and business model reasons for the marketing cutbacks, the money may not come back to the agencies...ever again. At least not like it was.
But now it's front and center and things will never be the same. My article in Folio: this week talked about what's happening with media companies adjusting to this change. Ad agencies are also seeing their business models begin to crumble. Of course, this is nothing new.
Scary part is, ad agencies and media companies, for the most part, are looking for the next great tool or next great piece of measurement that will make everything okay again.
Blinders On
One quick stroll down the exhibit row at Digital Hollywood in San Jose yesterday is all the proof one needs. Apps providers talking to Agencies about the next big thing. Tools companies talking to other tools companies about creating amazing new technology that will continually interrupt consumers, whether they like it or not.
The world wide web is all about the democratization of content that hands the power to the consumer. At the same time, literally hundreds of companies are creating "helpful" tools that brands can use to "control" their message and brand, and try to regain the power.
News to all of us: the power is gone and will never come back. Why do we keep trying to take the mass media model from years ago (that worked very well by the way) and try to place the same methodology to the web? Can't be done.
What To Do
Nobody likes being the bearer of bad news. The point of all this is that, all evidence aside, this may be the greatest opportunity that agencies and media companies have ever seen. For those that choose to accept it.
In order to be relevant with consumers, brands need to be part of the conversation. The only way to be part of this conversation is to bring something valuable to the table. Think about your one-on-one conversations. Why would you talk to someone that has nothing valuable to say?
Information is the key. Brands must provide valuable information to their customer segments in order to create and sustain long-term, loyal relationships. Advertising of the past will be replaced by information in the future.
They need help doing it.
Media companies are best positioned for this because they understand the value of targeted, editorial content (regardless of channel). Ad agencies can fill this role as well, but the culture shock may be too much for them to handle.
Some media companies and agencies are starting to get this. They will be the new marketing leadership. Many won't. It will be fun and sad to watch all at the same time. Hang on!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 67.133.155.34 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 08/13/2008 08:51:23 AM Joe, "Information is the key. Brands must provide valuable information to their customer segments in order to create and sustain long-term, loyal relationships. Advertising of the past will be replaced by information in the future." Couldn't agree with you more...I just had a long conversation with an ad agency that provides "creative" for a mutual client. I had to be ever so patient explaining to her that it is her agency's best interest to create *custom content* and use traditional media (print ads, banner ads, video, etc.) to drive awareness of and traffic to a micro site that contains solutions to industry issues. I don't want to alienate an agency and go direct to the client - but, if she doesn't pitch the concept to them soon, I will. Best regards, Jeff PS great presentation last week! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.8.6.128 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/13/2008 06:53:47 PM All right Jeff. Keep spreading that gospel. It's tough when the agency doesn't understand where the marketplace is going, especially in B2B, where consistent content to targeted customers is mandatory for survival. We're working against decades of the same mindset. Change isn't possible without a new mindset. Sometimes we have to force the hand. Keep the Faith Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is the Media Iceberg Melting? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-the-media-ic CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 08/07/2008 03:49:14 AM ----- BODY:
Media companies are going through a major transformation, with the majority looking at the viability of their core business models. I touched on this in the most recent issue of Folio: magazine (check out the entire article here).
This excerpt puts the situation in perspective:
Corporations need content in order to survive, and all the trends
show that this direction is only going to accelerate. If the iceberg
hasn’t melted, it’s on the verge of cracking.
Media companies that can make the transition to offering their services up to corporations are the ones that will lead the new media business model. A few are dealing with these changes and are making major adjustments. Many are not. Which one will you be?
Corporations need content, but most either don't want to produce it themselves or don't have the expertise to produce content effectively as part of their total marketing strategies. This opens a great opportunity for media companies to, effectively, teach businesses how to do what they do - which is create consistent compelling content initiatives.
Most media companies do not want to move in this direction. Who can blame them? It's much easier to sell advertising display programs. It's too bad those days are over...
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Outsourced Custom Publishing Second-Fastest Industry Segment STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: outsourced-cust CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 08/05/2008 02:07:11 PM ----- BODY:According to the latest research from private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), outsourced custom publishing is the second-fastest growing area of marketing spend, behind only word-of-mouth marketing. The full research states that outsourced custom publishing grew an average of 16.5% from 2002-2007 to an estimated $5.46 billion.
The combination of outsourced custom publishing and branded entertainment is valued at $27.76 billion according to VSS, which is substantially less than recent studies from the Custom Publishing Council and ContentWise, which estimates the total spending of custom content in the range of $48 to $55 billion.
Frankly, determining an accurate number for the custom content/content marketing industry is almost impossible, since organizational budgets usually do not break out custom as a separate line item. Nonetheless, VSS takes an apples-to-apples comparison each year, and the growth rate number should be trusted.
What does this mean? This means one of two things - either companies are spending more on custom publishing as a whole (which they are) or they are outsourcing more and doing less internally. My take is that both are happening simultaneously.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 72.91.239.183 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 08/05/2008 05:15:43 PM My projects verify both are happening and the project management/client management is proving to be as or more important than the execution. Ian Alexander ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hersh Bhardwaj EMAIL: hersh.bhardwaj@gmail.com IP: 81.144.181.18 URL: http://www.safetymedia.co.uk DATE: 08/07/2008 04:21:58 AM I strongly believe that outsourcing has increased. Smarter companies are doing a lot of resource-check and fast turning into decidion making entities and outsourcing anything thats a chore. Thats my tuppence on the topic! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.46.219.221 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/08/2008 12:37:29 AM @Ian - your model is a case study of the research. @Hersh - Outsourcing, especially with corporate content development is here to stay. With less than 20% of these kinds of projects fully outsourced, there is lots of room to run. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: KPO India EMAIL: julia.sadie@yahoo.com IP: 112.201.102.36 URL: http://www.kpo.com DATE: 06/03/2010 12:35:30 PM I agree; as long as US and European companies are looking for ways to run their businesses more cost effectively but with the same high quality, the outsourcing industry will remain strong. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: MIN Announces 2008 Integrated Marketing Awards STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: min-announces-2 DATE: 08/05/2008 11:25:18 AM ----- BODY:Here are the finalists of the custom categories for the 2008 MIN Integrated Marketing Awards. See the full list here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: 2008 Custom Publishing Award Winners from MIN URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/09/2008-custom-pub.html IP: 204.9.178.199 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 09/21/2008 09:01:45 PM Below are MIN's 2008 Integrated Marketing Award winners in the custom publishing categories. Congratulations to the winners. For the complete list of custom publishing nominees, check out this list. Custom Publishing Project Meredith Integrated Marketi... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW - A Complimentary White Paper STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: attract-and-ret CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: business blogging CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: definition CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 08/03/2008 10:12:32 PM ----- BODY:Today’s Internet-savvy buyers are hungry for content. And not just any content...valuable, relevant content that offers solutions to their problems and helps them lead successful, productive, enjoyable jobs and lives. However, they are also inundated by thousands of marketing messages every day, most of which they ignore. To get through, you need to communicate differently—you need to do more than just sell products and services. You need to provide information. Smart marketers know this and are creating strong brand relationships by providing good, authoritative, even leadership-type content.
For that very reason, Junta42 is offering this complimentary white paper entitled, "How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW."
The majority of companies are set up to sell products and services, not to create valuable, relevant and compelling content on a consistent basis. To deliver content that has a chance to create long-term relationships with customers and prospects, businesses need to develop a new content mindset. This free white paper will help you get there.
Here are just a few of the content marketing issues that are covered in this white paper:
We also include a few case studies from leading brands that are making it work today.
If you are signed in as a Junta42 member, you'll go straight to the white paper. If not, your name and email address will direct you to the white paper download.
Download your complimentary white paper now! For all you media types and publishers out there, make sure you check out the sister-white paper to this document - "The New Rules of Custom Publishing: Nine Strategies to Create a World-Class Content Marketing Organization." Enjoy.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mlm leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 06:02:16 PM Here's my thoughts regarding on how to attract and retain customers with content using websites. One way to ensure that your site is fulfilling customer requirement, is by monitoring activity on it in terms of what features and content attract users attention. These features would be your strengths and you can plan your strategy such as to capitalize on them by giving people more of what they want. A note of caution here though --- "if you focus too much on features preferred by existing clients, you may drive away potential clients for whom those particular features are not relevant." So a judicious judgment is required to maintain a balance to retain the existing customers and not to drive away the potential ones. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Owen EMAIL: chris@chrisowenacademy.com IP: 67.142.167.20 URL: http://www.chrisowenacademy.com/mlm-leads/ DATE: 07/24/2010 12:23:52 AM Thanks for the link to the white paper. I'll definitely read up. I like the info I'm seeing here. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Randy Lewey EMAIL: mlmguidetoleads@gmail.com IP: 98.148.183.234 URL: http://mlmguidetoleads.com DATE: 07/29/2010 08:01:00 PM Hey Joe, I do understand that organic content is king. We need to understand this if you your business is going to stay on top...Google has changed the way you are indexed as of June 2010 to paying more attention on content more so then PPC.Everyone should learn how to do article marketing as a business strategy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ed hardy EMAIL: enjoyjiayi@yahoo.com IP: 59.58.175.182 URL: http://www.ed-hardy.cc DATE: 08/05/2010 02:53:00 AM Thanks for the link to the white paper. I'll definitely read up. I like the info I'm seeing here. http://www.ed-hardy.cc ----- PING: TITLE: Buy ambien online no rx. URL: http://www.youtube.com/user/garry98722 IP: 74.86.238.186 BLOG NAME: Ambien cr buy online no rx. DATE: 09/16/2009 09:38:19 PM Buy ambien online no rx. Ambien cr buy online no rx. ----- PING: TITLE: Seven Content Strategies to Build Trust with Today's Savvy Consumers - A Complimentary eBook URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/11/seven-content-strategies-to-build-trust-with-todays-savvy-consumers-a-complimentary-ebook.html IP: 204.9.178.6 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 11/20/2008 09:43:35 AM At the heart of all sales transactions is trust. The greater the trust, the more likely the sale. Without trust, there is no sale. In today’s business world, where more and more relationships are being developed and maintained over the... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Branded Content Boosts Bottom Line STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: branded-content CATEGORY: branded content DATE: 07/30/2008 10:25:19 PM ----- BODY:The Online Publishers Association (OPA) released a study today about the effectiveness of branded content. As a whole, the findings suggest that "the higher the quality of content from the advertiser, the higher the brand favorability and purchase intent."
Here is a link to a PowerPoint of the OPA findings.
These findings give more credence to our own Junta42 research findings about how businesses are spending more money on branded content and content marketing.
We've been banging the drum about this trend for the past year, and about how successful brands are realizing that creating valuable, compelling and relevant content is one of the keys (if not the key) to successful marketing programs (see the book).
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Will Cuil's Search Engine Dent Google's Armor? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: will-cuils-sear CATEGORY: search marketing DATE: 07/28/2008 11:24:16 AM ----- BODY:Interesting article from CNN Money about Anna Patterson's group of ex-Google employees and their launch of a competing search engine called Cuil (pronounced "cool").
Here are the key points:
It's clear that Cuil is still working out the bugs, but I see the promise. Google allows only two results from one particular domain. In doing the check on "Junta42", seven of the 10 search results came from the Junta42.com domain. I'm not sure at this point whether this is better or worse for the user. It will all depend on what is being searched.
The additional copy and pictures is helpful, but some of the images didn't correspond with the right abstract (which is curious at best).
If Cuil gains a following, it may prove the need for even more robust content on one or multiple websites, since Cuil focuses on the "deep content dive" more than ranking and link building. Do I smell opportunity?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractions.com IP: 66.74.10.243 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 07/28/2008 02:48:15 PM Hi Joe, I have to say that I theoretically like the display of Cuil search results, but I have to question the graphics they associate with the posts. For example, if I search for myself, my blog listing has the cover of a book on my booklist next to an unrelated description of a post. And, when I move on to next pages, they are repeating listings I've already seen. 2 searches I entered on the internal page search box gave me a no results page, but when I went back to the homepage and searched, I got pages of results. I'm thinking they have a few bugs to work out yet... But it is a cuil way to view search results. I'll keep trying. Thanks for the post. Ardath ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.108.186 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/28/2008 03:26:03 PM Hi Ardath...my take was the same as yours. I see the potential, but was alarmed by some of the images. One of my domains had American Express Custom Solutions next to it. Strange indeed! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: hersh bhardwaj EMAIL: hersh.bhardwaj@gmail.com IP: 81.144.181.18 URL: http://www.safetylearning.co.uk/blog DATE: 08/01/2008 09:32:34 AM Hi Joe, Its an interesting one. I have rattled a lot of cages in UK about Cuil's ability to oust Google. Most web marketers are very comfortable with Google so anything new is not welcome. Besides, we are trying to find similar search results in CUIL as we do in G or Yahoo or MSN. Thats not the case! So lets hope CUIL fullfills the promise! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.108.186 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/01/2008 10:09:58 AM Hi Hersh...that's a big promise to fill. Not sure going head to head with Google was wise, but who am I to say. If it's a useful service (regardless of Google), it should find a home. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Blog STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-questions-to CATEGORY: business blogging DATE: 07/27/2008 09:28:45 PM ----- BODY:One of the most frequent questions I receive while traveling is about blogging. The questions revolve around how to get started, what to talk about, and what software to use.
My questions back to them usually startle the person, because so many start thinking about what they want to say, other than what their target audience needs to hear. Here are a few...
1. Who are your primary and secondary targets for your blog?
2. What do you want to tell them?
3. Do you understand what the key informational needs of the audience are?
4. Are you reading other blogs on that topic, and ones targeting your customers and prospects?
5. If you are reading, are you leaving comments that add to the online conversation on the blogs you cover?
6. Do you have a firm grasp on the types of keywords to focus on that would be relevant to your blog?
7. Do you follow those keywords on Technorati and Google Blog Search? Do you have alerts set up around those keywords at Google Alerts?
8. Can you commit to blogging at least two-to-three times per week? (consistency is key)
9. What is your ultimate goal in starting a blog? In one year from when you start blogging, how will your life be different?
10. Are you looking at blogging as a challenge or something that could be fun?
Of course, I don't ask all of these in order in fear I would scare them off, but these are the general starter questions. These questions should be the same for individuals as well as businesses.
The majority of blogs out there don't make it. The worst thing you can do as a business is start a consistent dialogue with your customers and then stop. Better not to do one at all.
Remember, blogging is just a tool. Some businesses aren't ready to commit resources or change their culture (full transparency) to adapt to a blog. That's okay. But all businesses must understand the power of blogging. Your brand is what people read about and talk about online. You have to decide if you want to be a part of shaping that conversation around your brand.
More Helpful Resources:
- Problogger's Blogging Tips for Beginners
- 10 Enterprise Blogging Trends for 2008
- Business Blogging: 5 Lessons Learned and Strategies Discovered
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: EH EMAIL: eh@iangilyeat.com IP: 72.201.89.252 URL: http://www.iangilyeat.com DATE: 07/31/2008 04:46:19 PM Those are good questions to ask yourself before you start blogging. Because blogging is a good way to connect with your customers and to expand your social network, you need to be careful and consistent with your blogging. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Go-Gulf EMAIL: kaleem@go-gulf.com IP: 116.71.172.166 URL: http://www.go-gulf.com DATE: 01/26/2009 11:21:16 AM Great post Joe. Could not agree with you more. If one does this right, then it is easy to measure and make adjustments along the way, rather than saying it does not work and having to abandon it. These metrics alos become great talking points to getting buy in from the management and also to update them regularly on the success of the effort. Plus, it keeps you it is a constant gauge on how well you are serving the needs of your audience. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: kiran EMAIL: info@toputop.com IP: 122.169.182.146 URL: http://www.toputop.com DATE: 02/13/2009 10:58:01 AM Good post about blog questions.I agree with your questions. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul EMAIL: poker.player558@gmail.com IP: 75.52.253.120 URL: DATE: 02/24/2009 08:08:28 PM Is it illegal to post a customers email on a blog?? Thank you ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bill Ruesch EMAIL: bill@billrueschprintbrokers.com IP: 67.166.109.172 URL: http://www.billprintbroker.com DATE: 03/06/2009 02:42:07 PM I found your website and see that you are using blog material from the Printing universe. I'm a printing broker that has spent a lifetime explaining the process to others. Now I find that I need to branch out. I saw on LinkedIn that you are acquainted with some of the same people that I know, especially Marilyn McDonald. Maybe we can talk. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.107.230 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/06/2009 02:47:09 PM @Bill...my start was in the print custom world. Be happy to talk at your convenience. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: home business leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 06:19:01 PM Writing for your blog can be difficult in many ways, mind numbing at times too. Your readers want the information quickly, clear as they want it, by at large, in bite-sized morsels rather than long, buffet type spreads. This can make the art of being clear even more difficult than it might be in other mediums. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl EMAIL: contact@foxleymarketingsolutions.com IP: 86.0.225.75 URL: http://www.foxleymarketingsolutions.com DATE: 10/28/2009 08:34:33 AM I was just reading through this post and what you say here really resonates with me, 'The worst thing you can do as a business is start a consistent dialogue with your customers and then stop'. I used to follow a lot of people in the internet marketing crowd because they shared great content. I noticed that in the last 6 to 12 months that a lot of marketers switched from sharing regular content to only sending out a post if it was promoting something that would earn them a commission. You can guess that I no longer read these blogs. I think in these cases it very much is as you say, 'Better not to do one at all.' ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: chris EMAIL: christopher4560@gmail.com IP: 99.235.58.188 URL: http://probioticsreport.com DATE: 06/28/2010 06:17:52 PM Good questions to ask - I think Understanding the market is important - you can even go into psychographics and demographics to get an accurate picture of your audience. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nate, The Home Business Leads Guy EMAIL: support@1homebusinessleads.com IP: 125.60.241.251 URL: http://www.1homebusinessleads.com/ DATE: 07/30/2010 10:34:35 AM Certainly those are the questions you need to throw to your self and answer it before starting any blog. This post is a great help to blog starters and can have the bloggers re-think over there reason to blog. Thanks a lot. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob EMAIL: buildyourownwealt1@gmail.com IP: 98.77.181.120 URL: http://marketingbusinessopportunity.net/ DATE: 08/25/2010 02:39:02 PM I completely agree! Most bloggers start off "hot", then simmer down, then get cold. The key is CONSISTENCY. You start off hot, stay hot. Keep your readers interested and engaged. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Downfall of Catholic Church: Lack of Content? STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: downfall-of-cat CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/27/2008 09:05:27 PM ----- BODY:I've attended many different churches in my day, most of them Roman Catholic churches. For anyone who does not have their head in the ground, the Catholic Church has been going through a major corporate downsizing over the past decade - fewer members, fewer priests, and less money to work with.
In the Cleveland, Ohio area, the churches in our diocese are going through what's called a clustering process. In short, clustering is the word they are using for "downsizing." It basically means that groups of churches need to get together to figure out which churches will be merged or closed due to the factors above.
The problem with this structured downsizing program is that the core problem is not being addressed. Even though there will be less churches, less financial overhead, and, at least for a short-time, more available priests, the core problem is not being addressed.
I believe the core problem is that the church lacks a formal content marketing strategy.
Stick with me for a second.
Most churches have one major communication vehicle, which is the weekly bulletin. The weekly bulletin is a mass-marketing effort at best. While it communicates church happenings, it does not provide specific information for customer segments.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: DIY Microsites to the Rescue - a Q&A with Genoo's Kim Albee STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: i-had-the-pleas CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 07/22/2008 10:16:34 PM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of chatting with Kim Albee recently about the launch of her new web-based microsite and lead nurturing system called Genoo. Genoo is an interesting concept, and really speaks to marketers about the need to not only communicate effectively and consistently with customers and prospects, but to nurture and track the conversation as well.
Joe with Junta42 - What does Genoo do?
Kim with Genoo - Genoo's online marketing tools enable marketers to affordably reach target audiences fast—with fresh, relevant information. They can create niche product and expertise microsites and landing pages in record time and launch campaigns without IT involvement.
All of Genoo’s tools are integrated so once an email communication is sent, all responses are tracked, and marketers can gain insight to lead interest levels. Then, they can use that lead intelligence to tune messaging to build better connections with the leads they’re nurturing. Genoo is an online campaign execution toolbox for interactive content marketing.
Joe - Why did you decide to launch it?
Kim - I worked with a lot of marketers who had difficulty implementing lead nurturing strategies. They had lengthy wait times for IT to load content, create landing pages and provide email templates. Whenever they learned anything about their leads that necessitated tuning their messaging, they went back to the IT queue. That dependence on IT hampers marketing’s efforts to be responsive in real-time and provide the interactive marketing dialog their prospective customers expect.
I knew if we could help marketers eliminate those technical challenges, plus give them a more integrated suite of tools that helps them remove silos and get a more comprehensive view of how their communications are being received and acted upon, Genoo would deliver a high-value solution. Increasingly, marketers need to optimize campaign outcomes and quantify their contribution to revenues. Ultimately, I want Genoo to revolutionize the way online marketing gets done by eliminating the technology barriers and cost structures that hinder optimizing ongoing dialog with customers and buyers.
Joe - What changes in marketing are you seeing where the microsite will continue to be important?
Kim - That’s a tough question. Much has changed in customer expectations and in who controls the sales cycle. Marketing Sherpa has done some definitive research in this area. Two notable findings are that 80% of our customers say they found us, where companies believe the opposite is true. The other is that persistent statistic that reports 79% of marketing leads never become opportunities.
Both of those changes have big ramifications for how companies market. In the first one, because prospects identify themselves later in the buying process, they may very well think they found you. The reality is that marketing needs to provide deep content for relevant focus areas to deliver high-value information designed to meet an urgent need. Microsites enable marketers to do that with ease.
The wasted leads issue results from a lack of insight about leads and the historical tendency for marketing to rely on sales to nurture them. Marketers are being tasked to nurture leads farther through the pipeline and need to take the effort to prove to salespeople that they can be trusted to deliver sales-ready leads. This pervasive lack of trust between marketing and sales is costing companies time, money and customers. Microsites with integrated lead nurturing tools can help bridge that gap between sales and marketing by generating better leads, validating interest levels and setting sales up to close more deals.
Joe - In your opinion, why are content microsites so important?
Kim - Important question Joe, and one many marketers are asking. Microsites are becoming a critical resource for customers and buyers to focus on specific expertise needs. The time constraints of today’s business don’t allow a lot of time for browsing vast websites and trolling through lots of unneeded or general one-size-fits-all information in search of insight about urgent priorities.
The more customer-focused companies become, the bigger the need for niche areas of interest that engage and sustain the interest of leads. And that’s exactly what a microsite provides. By delivering targeted high-value information, marketing can entice leads to identify themselves earlier in the process, as well as ensure that their company stays top of mind until the lead decides to move forward.
Additionally, the ability to easily insert keywords, page titles and meta descriptions to optimize the search results for each page of a microsite is critical to being found in the first place. Microsites allow you to claim an area of expertise and go after that search result territory. The more you learn about your leads’ behavior, the better able you’ll be to tune your keyword choices to accurately reflect how your target audience is searching for their information. And, marketing can take charge of being found on the Web without need of IT support.
Joe - How hard is it to use drip marketing…and why would you?
Kim - Without integrated tools that automate nurturing programs, drip marketing can become a tedious manual task that gets pushed aside for other projects. But, with Genoo, a marketer can go out and create their email messages, load and link their content and schedule the sends based on rules they set about lead activity.
The reason drip marketing is important goes back to both staying top of mind and building credibility that inspires the trust necessary for a lead to initiate a conversation with your company. By consistently delivering high-value, relevant content the lead receives information of value and establishes that comfort level with your company. Every time you send them something relevant to their priorities, you earn another good impression that bolsters your credibility as the ideal partner to help them solve their problems. One-way, one-off scatter-shot marketing communications won’t deliver those results for marketers.
Joe - Personalization is a big topic for marketing today. How does Genoo help marketers get closer that ideal?
Kim - The simple answer is intelligence. Because Genoo tracks every activity your leads undertake from opening, clicking through and visiting additional resources on your microsite, you know what they’re interested in. By segmenting and communicating with leads who share interests, marketers can maximize their ability to connect with their leads because their responsiveness is noticeable and appreciated.
When marketing communications are on target, marketers are saving their leads valuable time they’d otherwise spend searching for expertise they need to make competent decisions about how to solve problems. Genoo provides lead profiles and list management to help them easily accomplish higher levels of personalization.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rich Pearson EMAIL: rich@attributor.com IP: 71.198.177.26 URL: http://www.attributor.com DATE: 07/24/2008 02:26:19 AM This sounds like the killer online marketing app, especially if their email service has anywhere near the functionality of something like Constant Contact. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kim Albee EMAIL: kim@genoo.com IP: 206.135.173.200 URL: http://www.genoo.com DATE: 07/27/2008 03:09:00 PM Rich, Genoo's email capability is fairly extensive, including the ability to set up drip marketing campaigns based on user activity -- for example, what a lead downloaded, how many times they've visited your microsite, etc. It's also possible to create and associated a form with a download, so you can capture additional information about the lead at that time -- adding to your understanding and knowledge about them. It's all about enabling you to build valuable information by providing relevant information to your leads based on their interests. thanks, Kim ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Biotonico EMAIL: insidesalesdotcom@hotmail.com IP: 67.214.225.82 URL: http://www.insidesales.com/lead_response_management.php DATE: 07/28/2008 11:44:30 AM Interesting Interview. Automation of lead nurturing and using drip marketing to qualify more leads really does help the overall ROI. It is also important to be ready and able to contact contact leads quickly when they are actually ready to buy. A complete Lead Response Management software can do this for you. Checkout insidesales.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Art of the Free Sample - Content Survival Tips STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-art-of-the CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 07/21/2008 12:54:49 PM ----- BODY:Every month our investment club meets to review our portfolio, make stock purchase decisions and, hopefully, learn a little. This month our meeting was held at Whole Foods on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. Previously, this was a Wild Oats, and it was the first time I'd visited the store since it was renamed and re-branded as a Whole Foods.
The difference was notable as soon as we walked in. I have two words for you - Free Samples. There was a worker at the door giving out samples of organic peaches and mango. There was another stand set up next to our meeting room area that was giving away complimentary organic coffee. It made quite an impression. I plan on stopping back and picking up some more of those mango.
Giving away free samples to consumers has been an age-old marketing practice. The idea is to let prospects try it. If they like it, they'll come back for more. From Crest toothpaste to the new Frosted Flakes Gold, consumer marketers with smaller-ticket items use free samples to drive their businesses.
Business-to-business marketers and high-ticket consumer marketers have a bit more difficulty giving away free samples. "Yes sir, please try out our new forklift, no questions asked." "Yes maam, we'll send over your new Pontiac Vibe today. Keep it as long as you like." Just doesn't work.
So what to do?
Your content is your free sample. Give your customers and prospects a taste of your brand by delivering great information to them on a consistent basis. Instead of giving them that forklift, how about a video series on green shipping practices? Instead of delivering the Pontiac, how about a custom magazine showing Pontiac owners how they can get the most out of their car and their lifestyle?
This is not rocket science, it's survival. Interruption marketing is near-death. Consumers are tuning out more and more marketing messages. To survive, you have to be relevant. You have to provide constant value in order for your customers to pay attention...even just a bit.
There is no social media strategy without content
I was talking with a marketing consultant today, and we chatted about simplifying the idea of social media. Look at it this way. You are having a one-on-one conversation with your customer. If you are only talking about how wonderful your products and services are, how long do you think they will pay attention to you?
Social media works the same way. You won't be allowed into the conversation without coming to the party with something of value. This is the golden rule on social media sites, as well as your own website. How long do you think your customers will stay on your site that includes only information about your products? What would you do if you were in their shoes? Would you stay more than five seconds?
Get to know your customers informational needs. Then, provide content that solves those needs. It's that simple. This strategy is not just something nice to do, it's communication survival 101. Go out and create great content.
What's your free sample?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Natanya Anderson EMAIL: natanya_anderson@powered.com IP: 66.179.216.253 URL: http://www.powered.com DATE: 07/24/2008 10:21:18 AM The concept of the content in a marketing program as a "free sample" is superb. I think it's an easy way to help marketers who don't necessarily understand (yet) the value of user-focused content wrap their brains around it. The Sony Backstage Digital Photography collection is a smorgasbord of free samples around all kinds of digital photography topics: http://backstage101.learningcenter.sony.us/campus/p/campusId/2103/Digital+Photography+101.html Instead of including lots of conventional marketing around why buy a Sony camera, the content instead focuses on how to select the right camera and then on how to use it to take great pictures. The Radio Shack Learning Center helps people do more with the stuff they might purchase at Radio Shack (fitting in with the Do Stuff campaign). http://learningcenter.radioshack.com/ Yesterday I heard a really interesting take on a litmus test for content that is of value to users: does it provide a "service", where a service is answering a question or providing useful information the customer wants. Those marketers who can create service-oriented content will offer tasty free samples that their customers will come back for time and again -- all the while interacting with the brand and building loyalty. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.7.42.155 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/24/2008 10:46:09 AM Hi Natanya...excellent take on this. You are correct, most marketers I talk to don't inherently see the value. Love your take on content as a service. Whatever helps marketers "get" it, I'm all for. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gordy Oshoko EMAIL: goshgordy@hotmail.com IP: 41.222.70.197 URL: DATE: 08/04/2008 01:04:13 PM I think marketers are beginning to appreciate the value of content marketing, what with the growth of the custom publishing industry. More marketing budgets are directed at creating a free taste of the pudding, its paying them off, otherwise more of them won't be joining. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dentist Daytona Beach EMAIL: darkslatebluemoon@ymail.com IP: 112.201.72.196 URL: http://www.dentistsdaytonabeach.com/ DATE: 10/02/2009 03:43:12 AM This is a very informative post. Indeed, there are many people who uses social media to gain customers and it is targeted to people who might like it. A creative marketing strategy takes effort, but it is worth it, big time. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Using Content as the Center of Your Marketing Strategy - Don't Miss this Event! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: using-content-a CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 07/20/2008 03:10:54 PM ----- BODY:Interruption marketing is dying. Consumers have control over what they engage in and when. So how do you get your relevant, valuable, and compelling content out to your customer base on a consistent basis?
You turn to the Web, right?
But hold on. Are you confident about which of the myriad Web-based options are right for your content? Do you know what to plan for now so that your content is found on the Internet in the future? And what’s with this whole social media thing, anyway?
Join me for an exclusive online presentation with McMurry's ContentWise (formerly Publications Management) discussing why content is the future of marketing and how to choose the best ways to make your content accessible for your customers, prospects, members—even the ones you don’t know about yet. You’ll learn what will generate demand and position your organization as a thought leader now, and what will ensure that you’re still a visible force on the Web five or ten years from now. Register now!
When
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
11:30 A.M. — 12:30 P.M. Eastern
10:30 A.M. — 11:30 P.M. Central
9:30 A.M. — 10:30 A.M. Mountain
8:30 A.M. — 9:30 A.M. Pacific
Pricing
Webinar (per dial-in site):
$199 (subscribers)
$229 (non-subscribers)
Here's What You'll Learn
Looking forward to seeing you there.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Custom Events Have Become the New Forum for Targeted Engagement STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-custom-even DATE: 07/17/2008 11:21:22 AM ----- BODY:I had the opportunity to catch up with Kirk Laughlin yesterday in New York. Kirk is Vice President and Managing Director of Events for Ziff Davis Enterprise. With all the talk about online marketing concepts, sometimes we forget how robust the custom events arena is. Kirk was kind enough to sit down and share his thoughts to talk about content quality, audience delivery and why custom events are here to stay.
Joe at Junta42 - What do you do for Ziff Davis Enterprise (ZDE)?
Kirk at ZDE - I run the live events unit at ZDE which includes over 200 custom events and about a dozen editorial conferences annually. I manage a team of over a dozen event professionals, including editors, logistics leaders, audience delivery experts and project managers.
Joe - What’s your background?
Kirk - Most of my professional life has been as a B2B editor, largely in telecom and IT, both in the US and Asia. As a result, a big part of my focus here is to engage an audience with rich, quality content that they simply can’t obtain through any other media channel. I believe I am fortunate to have grown up in editorial at a time when “reader pain points” were explored through longer-form analysis. I truly believe live events have become the new forum for this deeper level of thought and investigation.
Joe - What is a custom event?
Kirk - That’s an interesting question, since so many of us in marketing and media know all about custom white papers or magazines, but what qualifies as a premium custom event may not be widely understood. Custom events, at least at Ziff Davis Enterprise, make the client-editorial partner relationship visible through targeted audience delivery, tightly managed content development and an emphasis on highly interactive presentations. We were first in this space among the big B2B tech media companies and have established a unique formula that has generated strong affinity among our senior IT level audience. We bring to these select, qualified audiences the best thought leadership from the client and match it with our own independent editorial and deliver it to a number of different forums– whether a custom roundtable, wine tasting, half-day summit or specialty program at a museum, a golf outing, or even a microbrewery!
Joe - Talk about the importance of engagement for a bit...
Kirk - Let’s be candid – our audience of IT professionals can smell a sales pitch a mile away – whether on a website, a printed piece or on stage. They are simply not willing to be subjected to two hours of “death by Powerpoint.” These people take time away from the office and fight traffic to be part of a two-way conversation, where they interact with peers and challenge the opinions of thought leaders. Debate and exchanging ideas are key requirements for all of our live events.
Joe - Who do you work with and what do these clients want from ZDE?
Kirk - We’re very proud of our client roster, having worked with virtually every large global technology hardware and software vendor and dozens of emerging and mid-tier players seeking to up-level their message to senior IT decision makers. Our client marketers turn to us for complete confidence in managing the entire lifecycle of the event process – from establishing the topic and framework – to acquiring registrants to delivering on the day of the show. We take a lot of pride in the quality of our leads, who are part of our database of four million web visitors, print subscribers and event attendees.
Joe - What are you doing to grow your business?
Kirk - Execution is everything in our business. We work in a time sensitive, client-focused environment where we must be fundamentally nimble and proactively find solutions to all kinds of little things that pop up. We’re in a public facing environment also and everything we do – from our logistical performance to quality of audience to strength of our content – all contribute back to our growth. Finally, our core mission is to find and deliver the precise type of attendee sought by our clients, running in a vertical category, like financial services, or horizontally, such as directors of IT.
Joe - What makes you different than other custom event providers?
Kirk - Earlier on in our evolution, we tried to borrow editors from the print titles to work on events and that didn’t work. Our competitors are still stuck in that model, and clients tell us that the lack of dedicated talent always shows up at some point in the process. Our entire team is customer service oriented, which to be honest, is more similar to the way an ad agency might operate than a longstanding media brand.
Joe - What’s next?
Kirk - We’re continuing to advance our integration of live event and virtual platforms and also partnering with selected large trade show organizers to better leverage our content expertise. I am especially excited to see that many sponsors are returning year after year to work with us on custom campaigns – in fact one just finished up a roadshow that started in the US and finished up in Paris and Bangalore!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Age of Conversation Sequel - More Authors, More Must Have Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: age-of-conversa CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/12/2008 08:52:15 PM ----- BODY:The Age of Conversation (available here at Amazon) is a collaborative work of some of the best minds in social media and new marketing. The second installment of Age of Conversation is due to come out soon - with more authors and more must have mind-altering marketing information.
Age of Conversation Part II includes 237 of the finest marketing thought leaders in the business (a huge increase over the 102 authors from the first Age of Conversation). The sequel will focus on why some companies just don't "get it", and what you can do now to get closer to your customers. More to come as the book is launched. For a peek at this expert group of authors...here's the list:
Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
For more, here is the initial post on Age Part 2.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas Karr EMAIL: doug@douglaskarr.com IP: 99.130.165.252 URL: http://www.douglaskarr.com DATE: 07/13/2008 01:27:08 AM Don't forget to subscribe to these folks, I've put together an OPML: http://www.marketingtechblog.com/2008/07/03/238-reasons-to-buy-age-of-conversations-2/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.144 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/13/2008 07:35:51 AM Thanks for the reminder Douglas. Great stuff. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: C.B. Whittemore EMAIL: cbwhittemore@gmail.com IP: 67.85.29.202 URL: http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com DATE: 07/14/2008 02:00:18 PM Joe, thanks for getting the word out about this fantastic project! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 71.50.185.197 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/17/2008 11:07:57 AM Thanks CB...glad to be working with you on it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Simple Reason Why Yahoo! is Killing Itself STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-simple-reason CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/09/2008 03:26:04 PM ----- BODY:I was signing up Junta42 Match for inclusion in the Yahoo! Directory today. It's $299 for a non-adult content site. At the end of the submission process, here is the notice they post (read the last sentence):
IMPORTANT: Please click on the "Submit" button
below ONLY ONCE (double-clicking is not necessary), then wait
patiently for your confirmation page. The approval process for your credit
card payment may take a few minutes. Your card will automatically be billed
every time you click on the "Submit" button. Once you have clicked
the "Submit" button, no refund will be
given for any reason.
Also included in the agreement is this line:
I understand that there is no guarantee my site will be added to the Yahoo! Directory. [Section 2.5]
This means that you pay $299 and they don't have to give you any services. They don't have to list your company. They don't have to do anything but take your money (even if you accidentally click the "submit" button twice).
Now that's customer service!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Don Lipper EMAIL: Don.Lipper@LipperCustomPublishing.com IP: 71.197.85.164 URL: http://www.CustomPublishingNews.com DATE: 07/10/2008 03:53:33 PM I can't believe that you pay $300 for the promise of nothing and with no possibility of refund or even customer service. This is one of the MANY reasons Google is kicking Yahoo's assets. This week the Wall Street Journal had an article about how Google completely overhauled their ad network to streamline things for their ads sales people and their customers. (The story, "Google's Push To Sell Ads on YouTube Hits Snags" can be found here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121557163349038289.html?mod=e-commerce_primary_hs [subscription required]). Yahoo needs to be taught that the customer comes first. Did you ever believe that one day you'd find yourself rooting for Microsoft to take over a company to teach it some manners? Don Lipper www.CustomPublishingNews.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.144 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/10/2008 10:14:14 PM Thanks Don, and thanks for the article posting. I'll check it out. It's unbelievable how fast this has really turned for Yahoo! This is just one of many little reasons. Best Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How BuyerZone Creates Content that Gets Results - Q&A with Jeremy Sacco STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-buyerzone-c CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 07/09/2008 12:51:59 PM ----- BODY:I recently
had the opportunity to chat with Jeremy Sacco, editorial manager for BuyerZone,
about their content marketing practices. Some gold nuggets here about how they
are continually refining (and challenged by) the ongoing creation of content. Check
out our Q&A below.
Joe at Junta42 - Tell me a little about what BuyerZone does?
Jeremy at BuyerZone - BuyerZone helps people who need to make
purchasing decisions for their business. We provide the information buyers need
before they start comparing different sources of equipment and services, then
connect them to multiple suppliers chosen to match their exact purchasing
requirements. It's a free service for buyers -- the business model is a lead
generation service, so suppliers pay a per-lead fee to be part of the
program.
Joe - What is your role/purpose as part of the BuyerZone plan?
Jeremy - I'm the editorial manager here --
my job focuses primarily on the written content we present as part of the
purchasing process. That includes Buyer's Guides, standalone articles,
newsletters, and more. I'm also involved in some marketing and user interface
work, but my main focus is on giving our users more of the information they
need to be better buyers.
Joe - With so many areas that BuyerZone offers services for, how do you
coordinate your time regarding the creation of content?
Jeremy - We only have a two-person content
team at BuyerZone, and we cover over 150 different types of products -- from
copiers to forklifts to payroll services to steel buildings -- so we have to be
pretty comfortable shifting gears from one topic to the next. We try to
allocate our time in a couple of ways: naturally, we tend to spend more time on
the areas where the BuyerZone RFQ process is particularly strong -- traditional
office equipment, telecom, and construction equipment. But we also make sure we
"check in" on areas where technology is changing quickly, so we can
put up new articles or update existing ones to make sure they're still accurate
and relevant. We have a stable of freelancers from different sources that we
use in different ways -- some specialize in research, and some on basic
writing. Finally we try to write our key pieces of content in such a way that
they're "evergreen:" the Postage
Meters Buyer's Guide doesn't need to change much from month to month, so we
can write it, post it, and leave it alone.
Joe - What types of content (channels and topics) do you tend to focus on?
Jeremy - The most prominent type of
content on our site is the Buyer's Guides: comprehensive, multi-page articles
that provide a complete overview of how to purchase the specific product. When
a new product is introduced on the site, we first write a "quick hit"
version -- about 800 to 1000 words on one page. If that proves successful,
we'll write the more comprehensive version, which can be 2,500 to 3,500 words
on 6 to 10 pages. The idea is to make sure we have the most appropriate version
for the amount of traffic the product is seeing. Then we'll go through phases
where we focus on different types of content: articles on pricing, or buying in
tough economic times, for example.
We also
work with our SEO team -- they send us sets of keywords that we don't have good
SEO coverage on and we'll write articles specifically targeted to those
phrases. That partnership has been central to our success: we strike a balance
between editorial and SEO in decision making, and we've been able to build
quite a strong presence in the search engines. (For example, Google the phrase
"copier leasing" - #1 result is an article
we wrote after the SEO team indicated that phrase was high-volume.)
Joe - How do you measure what works, and what doesn't?
We track revenue
per piece of content: if a visitor first reaches BuyerZone through a Buyer's
Guide, their eventual quote request is considered "content
revenue." That's the most direct measure of success, but it's pretty
limited, as well: many visitors touch a Buyer's Guide at some point during
their interaction, regardless of where they entered the site. We also look
at relative traffic -- which types of articles get the most clicks from
overview pages -- to see what's popular. And we try to listen to our users. We
collect both direct feedback and survey responses to see what people are
reading, what they think of it, and what we could do more of.
Joe - What's the future of content marketing for BuyerZone? How is it
currently evolving or what would you like to do different?
Jeremy - We are slowly starting to add
more modern web tools to our site. (I hate to say "Web 2.0" because
it sounds so trendy -- and not all the Web 2.0 features are applicable. No one
is going to Digg our Skid Steer Loaders
Buyer's Guide.) We've introduced user ratings and comments in a couple of areas
and had some success, so we hope to be rolling those out to more areas soon.
And we're working on a blogging strategy as well. (The challenge there is
picking a topic -- just general buying advice is too broad, but no one would
read a 'buying copiers' blog.)
Right now
BuyerZone is a one-time tool for many users: they come to the site through
search, get some information and their matched suppliers, and are gone. Our big
challenge is to turn those users into repeat visitors by exposing them to more
valuable and timely information.
Joe - Has content marketing always been a practice at BuyerZone, or did it
naturally evolve as the company has grown and succeeded?
Actually
BuyerZone's history is as a content company. Before launching the BuyerZone
request for quotes service, the company wrote and sold business purchasing
advice. (Actual books!) So there is an ingrained sense of the value of content
here -- even though it's no longer the sole focus, it's still a core part of
the business.
Joe – Any other content challenges?
Jeremy - One thing that's been on my mind
lately is the people who steal our content. I use Google Alerts to find them,
which isn't perfect, but still finds more content thieves than I can keep up
with cease-and-desisting. When I'm feeling positive, I think about it as a sign
of success: we must be doing something right for people to hijack our work.
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Here are some interesting findings from a UK Royal Mail research study on custom magazine effectiveness (study produced with the APA and Millward Brown). Here is a link to the entire article (subscription needed).
Print is not dead, and probably never will be, as long as companies continue to deliver valuable, relevant and compelling content to customers that need that information. From the research above, it looks like the more good content you deliver, the more customers will engage in that content. Seems obvious, but it's good to see some numbers that back this up.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Unexpected Customer Service STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: unexpected-cust CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/08/2008 12:04:07 PM ----- BODY:Here is a quick story about how to keep business.
Last week, I upgraded my iContact account (iContact is an email delivery service). One day after I upgraded, iContact sent me an email for 15% off any upgrades. Darn my luck.
I promptly sent an email reply to the 15% offer in which I told them I just upgraded yesterday and would like to take advantage of the discount.
Two days later, I received an email from iContact accounting that I had received the 15% discount and that my card was credited the difference.
Many companies could have ignored this request, since I missed their window. iContact delivered on their promise regardless.
Needless to say, iContact will be keeping my business. You could say that iContact should have known I just upgraded, and a more targeted email to me would have been a better communications tactic. But that said, this is an example of great customer service.
We are all service businesses today. How we deal with the "service" part of the business is what does or does not create successful organizations.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 5 Important, Yet Often Overlooked, Content and Conversation Marketing Questions STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 5-important-yet CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 07/03/2008 10:59:31 AM ----- BODY:In working with our clients, as well as dealing with our own content and custom publishing practices, here are some key questions that businesses need to continually remind themselves of in order to grow. Often, these are overlooked, but are extremely important.
By answering and continually monitoring these questions, you WILL grow and be successful. Simple, yet complicated, at the same time. The information you create and distribute as a corporation is what fosters the customer conversation. If you don't consistently create valuable, relevant and compelling content, why would anyone want to have a conversation with you?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Natanya Anderson EMAIL: natanya_anderson@powered.com IP: 70.112.91.119 URL: http://www.powered.com DATE: 07/05/2008 09:39:53 AM I like this approach to these critical factors - it helps crystallize these elements for those just starting to understand the power of content. My experiences has taught me that an extension to number 4 is the question "Are you willing to create content that your customers are interested in?" I've found over the last 8 or so years that one of the most important (yet difficult) gaps I've had to bridge for my customers is the one between what they want to say and what their customers are interested in. Sometimes they can't understand why content about scrapbooking helps sell printers or why purchasing advice not just focused on their products can increase preference for their brand. Data is a truly persuasive tool. When I can show the efficacy of content that customers really care about and draw a correlation between that content and my client's business objective the conversations become much easier. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trixie EMAIL: trixie@web-fresh-content.com IP: 121.97.214.123 URL: http://fresh-web-content.com DATE: 07/07/2008 01:40:23 AM That is a nice article. You give some direction on the web content producer, Yeah you are right there some of what you mention are being neglected sometimes. http://fresh-web-content.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trixie EMAIL: trixie@web-fresh-content.com IP: 121.97.214.123 URL: http://fresh-web-content.com DATE: 07/07/2008 01:41:23 AM That is a nice article. You give some direction on the web content producer, Yeah you are right there some of what you mention are being neglected sometimes. http://fresh-web-content.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trixie EMAIL: trixie@web-fresh-content.com IP: 121.97.214.123 URL: http://fresh-web-content.com DATE: 07/07/2008 01:41:32 AM That is a nice article. You give some direction on the web content producer, Yeah you are right there some of what you mention are being neglected sometimes. http://fresh-web-content.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: THE Handbook on Growing Your Business with Content - Just Released STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-handbook-on CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 07/01/2008 12:18:01 PM ----- BODY:Today is the official release date for Get Content. Get Customers., the book that will help businesses of any size grow revenues with simple and straightforward content marketing and custom publishing tactics.
To be honest, when Newt and I sat down to write this book, our prospective reader was a marketing professional in any size organization. Surprisingly, the majority of positive feedback we have received has been from owners, operators and from other functions throughout businesses that are really looking into how they are running their businesses and their business models.
In my discussions with these decision-makers, many were aware that significant changes needed to happen in their business communications and marketing approach, but they weren't quite sure how to deal with them. We are humbled to be able to help these individuals take a new content marketing mindset into their organizations that will pay dividends.
Here is one worthwhile quote from a small-business owner in California: "We've been talking about these issues in our organization for quite a while, but have never found the necessary direction to make actionable change. Your book is helping us do that."
Here's a comment from Bob Leonard on the Amazon.com site: "Barrett and Pulizzi went well beyond an academic treatise of what
"content marketing" is. They took the Harvard Business School approach
and told the stories of 15 different companies and how they leveraged
content marketing for business success. You get all the hows and whys.
The stories are fun to read and, like every well told story, they're
memorable.
This book should be required reading in every business school in
the country. It explains a fundamental shift in the way products and
services are sold, and every person in business needs to understand it."
Also, check out this review from Greg Verdino (Greg was an early reviewer of the book).
Blatant Sales Pitch: Get this book! If you don't get something out of it, I'll buy it back from you.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Will Waugh EMAIL: will.waugh@sas.com IP: 149.173.6.25 URL: DATE: 07/10/2008 01:39:02 PM Hey Joe Haven't gotten the book yet but will. Congrats on all the great work...you are spot on with everything you are saying. Many brands have huge needs for this sort of thinking - so profound it is costing them millions of dollars in lost opportunity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.144 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/10/2008 10:07:11 PM Thanks Will. You are right...but some are starting to figure it out. Thanks for the support. Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 113 Expert and Best Business Quotes of All-Time STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 113-expert-and CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 06/29/2008 12:11:15 PM ----- BODY:Find a content provider free and easy at Junta42 Match!
I found this listing of expert quotes in a presentation from Razorleaf's Paul Gimbel at SolidWorks World 2008. (Razorleaf is one of the leaders in engineering and manufacturing process management.)
There are some gems in here for this must print out page! Thanks to Paul for sharing his favorite quotes of all-time.
_____________
“Luck is what happens
when preparation meets opportunity.”
Seneca, Roman Philosopher
“The things we fear most in organizations – fluctuations, disturbances,
imbalances – are the primary sources of creativity.”
Margaret J. Wheatley, Management
Consultant
“Out there in some garage is an entrepreneur who's forging a bullet with your
company's name on it.”
Gary Hamel, Business Writer
“Confidence is contagious; so is lack of confidence.”
Vince Lombardi
“Technological change is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal .”
Albert Einstein
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”
Sven Goran Eriksson
“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible,
he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he
is very probably wrong.”
Arthur C. Clarke, Profiles of the
Future
“Greatness is won, not awarded.”
Guy Kawasaki, How To Drive Your Competition Crazy
“When you compete with a person, you only have to be as good or better than the
person to win. If you compete with yourself, there is no limitation to how good
you can be.”
Chu Chin-Ning
“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Fight fair, but avoid fair fights.”
John Czepiel
“Incrementalism is innovation’s worst enemy.”
Nicholas Negroponte, MIT Media Lab
“If it ain’t broke, break it (or someone else will break it for you).”
Tom Peters
“The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but
how to get old ones out.”
Dee Hock, Founder of Visa
“It doesn’t work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps.”
American Proverb
“If things seem under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
Mario Andretti
“The first problem for us all, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.”
Gloria Steinem
“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do
it.”
Pablo Picasso
“If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying.”
Coleman Hawkins, Jazz Musician
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most
intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin
“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for
success.”
Napoleon Hill, Author
“The word ‘Genius’ isn’t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman
Einstein.”
Joe Theisman
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up.”
Thomas Edison
“You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not
leadership.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
“With ISO 9000 you can still have terrible processes and products. You can
certify a manufacturer that makes life jackets out of concrete…”
Richard Buetow, Motorola
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.”
Mark Twain
“They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them
yourself.”
Andy Warhol
“Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it.”
Stan Smith
“Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.”
Unknown
“Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work.”
Vince Lombardi
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done
at all.”
Peter Drucker
“Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
Albert Einstein
“Not doing more than the average is what keeps the average down.”
William Lyon Phelps, American Author
“There’s something inherently funny about self-reference.”
Dr. Steven Gimbel, Philosopher,
Author
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as
impossible situations.”
Charles R. Swindoll, American Writer
“If you concede the obvious you’re conceding nothing, but you gain back
credibility. That’s a trade you should make every time.”
Mark Katz, former Clinton Humor Speech Writer
“Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well
informed just to be undecided about them.”
Laurence J. Peter
“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be
flexible at all times.”
Everett Dirksen
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure
about the universe.”
Albert Einstein
“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for
failure, which is: Try to please everybody.”
Herbert B. Swope, American
Journalist
“Reengineering cannot be entrusted to the semi-competent, the hangers-on with
nothing better to do. “
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong.”
Charles Kettering, Engineer
“Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.”
Elbert Hubbard, American Philosopher
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
Epictetus
“Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared
aspirations.”
Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
Alan Kay, father of the personal
computer
“A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn’t go by yourself.”
Joel Barker, Future Edge
“If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention.”
Tom Peters
“That which is measured improves.”
Old Business Adage
“The customer is a rear-view mirror, not a guide to the future.”
George Colony, Forrester Research
“When cost is number one in importance, you’ve already lost.”
Jim Rembach, Six Sigma Consultant
“Failures are divided into two classes – those who thought and never did, and
those who did and never thought.”
John Charles Salak
“All work is creative work if done by a thinking mind”
Ayn Rand, From Atlas Shrugged
“’Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all
doubt.”
Attributed to Abraham Lincoln
“In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves
beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
Eric Hoffer, American Social
Philosopher
“Without customers, you don't have a business. You have a hobby.”
Don Peppers & Martha Rogers, Return on Customer
“Realism is just another name for yesterday's thinking.”
Robert Kriegel, Sacred Cows Make The Best Burgers
“Judge a man by his questions, not by his answers.”
Voltaire
“The higher you go in a company, the less oxygen there is, so supporting
intelligent life becomes difficult.” Guy Kawasaki, Rules for Revolutionaries
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston Churchill
“That wasn’t flying. That was falling with style.”
Woody, A Toy Story
“People get into a rhythm that makes them resistant to change. To understand
the mind-set, try switching hands when you brush your teeth in the morning.”
Gary Gesme, Deere & Co.
“Whom the gods wish to destroy they send 40 years of success.”
Ancient Proverb
“The minute you’re satisfied with where you are, you aren’t there anymore.”
Tony Gwynn, Hall of Fame Baseball
player
“Without caring there can be no quality.”
Joel Barker, Future Edge
“It isn’t uncommon for managers at senior levels of large organizations to be
so out of touch with customer or production reality that they don’t know just
how broken some of their business processes are.”
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“Hanging a sign on a cow that says ‘I am a horse’ does not make it a horse.”
Unknown
“Customers, I realized, don’t care about functions or specific activities that
occur within our organization. The end game is whether they are getting the
right product at the right time at a competitive price.”
Max Guinn, Deere & Co.
“Some people make things happen, some watch things happen, while others wonder
what has happened.”
Proverb
“You can celebrate accomplishments, but after a while, you need to start
celebrating the speed at which you’re traveling instead of the destination
you’ve reached.”
Max Guinn, Deere & Co.
“If all you have is a hammer in the toolbox, everything looks like a nail.”
Bernard Baruch, Financial Genius
“There are two types of people in the world, those who say ‘there are two types
of people in the world’ and those who don’t.”
Gloria Steinham
“New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other
reason but because they are not already common.”
John Locke
“The best presenters have conversations with their audiences.”
Robert Bly
Become a Recognized Authority in Your
Field in 60 Days or Less!
“Speed is useful only if you are running in the right direction.”
Joel Barker
Future Edge
“Those who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of those who are
doing it.”
Anonymous
“Successful organizations make habits of things others don’t like to do, or
don’t find time to do.”
Don House
“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will
appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all,
accurately so they will be guided by its light.”
Joseph Pulitzer, Editor
“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”
Paul Valery, Poet
“Individuals and organizations that are good react quickly to change. Individuals and organizations that are great
create change.”
Robert Kriegel, Sacred Cows Make The Best Burgers
“The only muscle that you’ve got is in between your ears.”
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin
“The only thing certain about any negotiation is that it will lead to another
negotiation .”
Leigh Steinberg, Sports Agent
“How fast you are moving is more important than where you are.”
Guy Kawasaki, Rules for Revolutionaries
“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be
done.”
Marie Curie
Nobel Prize Winning Physicist
“The quickest way to kill the human spirit is to ask someone to do mediocre
work.”
Ayn Rand
“If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my
ax.”
Abraham Lincoln
“No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease
to be an artist.”
Oscar Wilde, Poet
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the
universe.”
Dr. Carl Sagan, Astronomer
“You can’t blame the pen or the paper if you write a lousy essay, right?”
Laura Bergells, Presentation Consultant
“No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you'll see
why.”
Mignon McLaughlin, US Journalist (1913-1983)
“You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”
Mark Twain
“If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.”
Albert Einstein
“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”
Zig Ziglar
“A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.”
Sir Winston Churchill
“The only certain thing about a forecast is that it will be wrong.”
From Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones)
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
Norman Vincent Peale
“Without [taking a process perspective of business], business improvement
efforts amount to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them
yourself.”
Andy Warhol
“A process cannot be understood by stopping it. Understanding must move with
the flow of the process, must join it and flow with it.”
Frank Herbert in Dune
“Uncertainty will always be part of the taking charge process.”
Harold Geneen
“You can’t improve anything if you can’t define it.”
Max Guinn, Deere & Co.
“If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what
you're doing.”
W. Edwards Deming
“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”
Mark Twain
“People are the gatekeepers of change.”
Robert Kriegel, Sacred Cows Make The Best Burgers
“The true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing.”
Isaac Asimov
“There is a theory that paradigms break through on the fringe of your business
before they reach the center.”
Gary Gesme, Deere & Co.
“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be
flexible at all times.”
Senator Everett Dirksen
“An organization becomes bewildered rather than energized when it’s asked to do
too much at once.”
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“A good design is not a democratic consensus.”
Edward de Bono, Six Action Shoes
“To succeed, or even just to survive, businesses need to be able to change in
ways, and at times, determined by business drivers, not by their IT systems.”
Tony Morgan, Business Rules and Information Systems: Aligning IT with Business Goals
"Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."
Anonymous
#113 – my personal favorite: “If you try to do something and fail, you
are vastly better off than if you had tried nothing and succeeded.”
The Back of a Sugar Packet
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Amy EMAIL: amy@smlwwc.com IP: 64.60.69.213 URL: DATE: 06/30/2008 01:38:58 AM Sorry to say you only have 112. “If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” by Dr. Carl Sagan, Astronomer, is quoted twice. Good quotes, though! Thanks for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/30/2008 08:04:33 AM Thanks for the catch Amy. I'll make sure to add one more and remove the duplicate. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Laura Bergells EMAIL: Laura@maniactive.com IP: 71.205.113.231 URL: http://battractive.com/blog DATE: 06/30/2008 08:32:17 AM Thanks for including my quote from among the likes of Carl Sagan and Oscar Wilde! I'm flattered! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: PM Hut EMAIL: pmhut@itoctopus.com IP: 70.55.82.98 URL: http://www.pmhut.com DATE: 02/03/2009 05:12:33 PM Here's one on Project Management: Failing to plan is planning to fail. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: George Winthrop EMAIL: willametteman@live.com IP: 168.103.226.41 URL: DATE: 02/12/2009 03:21:56 AM “An organization becomes bewildered rather than energized when it’s asked to do too much at once. “ Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation This is listed twice as well. Good list ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Holcombe EMAIL: john@network-marketing-secrets.net IP: 68.53.193.125 URL: http://www.network-marketing-secrets.net DATE: 07/25/2009 06:25:54 AM You have some great quotes. Thanks for the information. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shortcuts to Internet Millions EMAIL: fpjprns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.158.102 URL: http://www.jeffpaulreview.com DATE: 10/20/2009 03:01:55 AM You have some great quotes. Thanks for the information. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mukesh Anand EMAIL: mukesh.monitor@gmail.com IP: 59.164.73.245 URL: http://books.monitorinfo.com DATE: 11/07/2009 08:57:32 AM "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers Good collection. See if you can include the above one too. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Air Jordan EMAIL: xingwomeng3210@gmail.com IP: 205.209.167.246 URL: http://www.airjordan.cc DATE: 03/24/2010 02:45:05 AM The content of your blog is exactly what I needed, I like your blog, I sincerely hope that your blog a rapid increase in traffic density, which help promote your blog and we hope that your blog is being updated and placed can always be richer and more colorful. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing-Branded Content Matchmaking Site Junta42 Match Opens for Business STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publishi CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 06/24/2008 01:11:39 PM ----- BODY:
I'm excited to announce the formal launch of Junta42 Match for marketing and association professionals everywhere.
Junta42 Match is a free online service for businesses who are looking for custom publishing, post-advertising agencies and other content providers that match their specific content marketing project needs. After spending the last few months recruiting publishers, the site is now open to marketers looking for vendors to produce their custom magazines, newsletters, video projects, white papers, webcasts and in-person content events.
We've been working on the concept of Junta42 Match for well over a year now. We believe this fills a very important void in helping businesses find expert content providers.
Personally, I've been on both sides of the equation...a content provider offering custom publishing and branded content services with Penton Media, Inc., as well as on the marketing side (with various companies) continually seeking out the best vendors for targeted content projects.
Why Isn't it Easy to Find Qualified Publishers/Content Providers?
Over the past decade, the process of finding a qualified publisher/content provider has hardly evolved, even with the onset of Google and other search engines. And, as more businesses begin to understand that they NEED valuable and compelling content to grow, the demand for these services is higher than ever (now a $56 billion dollar industry).
Yet, marketing professionals still struggle finding the best possible content providers. Marketers rely on search engines (30%), referrals (28%) and industry web sites (13%) to find qualified custom publishers and content agencies to produce their content projects (see research here). And still, in talking with marketing executives around the country, the process takes weeks and even months (or more) to create a short-list of qualified providers (and even then, they aren't confident they have the right list of vendors). Shotgun RFPs have cluttered up the system as well, so much so that many publishers and agencies don't even respond to RFPs anymore.
What's the Difference with Junta42 Match?
Junta42 Match takes this "short-list" process from weeks/months to just a few minutes. All a marketer has to do is complete a brief online survey (free), define their content, project and audience needs, and we'll match them up with the best providers. Once the survey is complete, the marketing executive gets three options: Perfect Match (they want to talk to the best match only), Best Matches (they want to talk to three-to-five providers that meet their needs), or You Match (they want to see the publisher profiles and choose for themselves).
I know we haven't perfected the system by any means, so we are relying on our community to help shape this service to truly help businesses create the best content possible to drive their businesses (and have a little fun along the way).
We Are Taking All Feedback
If you have any feedback on how we can make this a better service, please don't hesitate to shoot me a note, either on this blog or personally at joe[at]junta42.com.
Thanks...and long live the content marketing revolution.
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Martin Calle EMAIL: future@CalleCompany.com IP: 75.4.237.167 URL: http://advertising-age.blogspot.com DATE: 06/25/2008 10:55:22 AM Well Done! Happy to be a Junta 42 content provider! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/25/2008 11:18:51 AM Thanks Martin. Appreciate the support! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: You Want Content Best Practices? Then Don't Miss This Event STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: you-want-conten DATE: 06/20/2008 10:04:43 PM ----- BODY:Business marketers understand that creating relevant, valuable and compelling content is essential for their marketing efforts. That said, most still struggle with exactly how to do it, and how to walk the fine line between what is perceived as educational and what is pure marketing spin.
Well, that's exactly why we've put together the "B2B Leaders in Content" breakfast in association with American Business Media. The breakfast panel in NYC on July 16th will include four cutting-edge marketers that will cover executing content programs from traditional print, to online content to social media. Here's the panel (I'm moderating):
Here's the key...most marketers know that to succeed in marketing today, you must be part of the conversation. Unfortunately, you won't be part of that conversation unless you have something valuable to contribute. That's why content is the core for tomorrow's marketing programs.
This is a can't miss event for any marketing, publishing and agency professional that understands the importance of corporate content and how to properly execute and market it. You will come away from this presentation with ideas that work.
This is a limited attendance event, so be sure to sign up today.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Marketing Around Products or Customers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: marketing-aroun DATE: 06/19/2008 08:55:53 AM ----- BODY:
I just finished speaking at the sold-out Web Content 2008 conference in Chicago where quite a few questions revolved around organizing content (and thus businesses) around product groups vs. customer groups/segments.
Here are some key takeaways.
What do you mean? Product groups versus customer groups?
Motorola is a good example of an organization that is in the process of switching to a focus on customer segments versus product groups. A few years back, everything on Motorola's b2b side was set up with the product being the center of the strategy. Customers were targeted by what product they purchased, or what Motorola "thought" they would purchase. The sales force was set up by the products they sold.
What happened? By focusing on products, Motorola didn't have a good grasp on customer needs. The sales force was pushing product, and not listening to the informational needs and challenges of its customers. It happens in every industry, and is natural for salespeople to do when organized in such a way.
Take the Razr - I sat in on a presentation by Motorola's consumer-side CMO at the Association of National Advertisers meeting a few years back. At that time, the Razr was the hottest thing going. He talked about innovation and design and the "big idea" of the Razr.
Motorola focused on the product and not the needs of the customer. Over the next few years, the "idea" of the Razr became old and customer needs went in a different direction. Motorola is still trying to catch up on the consumer side.
By focusing on customer groupings or segments, everything the company does must follow the needs of the customer. Constant research and "talking" with customers must happen in order for processes to work. "Listening posts" are set up and the Internet is used first and foremost as a research and learning tool (via social networks, blogs, forums, etc.). The sales force is set up by different "types" of customers or buyer persona. It's a solutions mindset vs. a product mindset. Listen to the customer, listen again, and look at what you can offer or create out of your portfolio of products and assets to solve the problem. Then listen some more. This is the service mindset - and where most of the leading brands are going.
What happens in the content marketing process if our strategy revolves around our products and not our customers?
It's challenging for a company centered around their products to create relevant and valuable content. Why? Since the product is the center of their universe, the information coming from the business always revolves around the product. It becomes difficult to keep product and sales messaging out of educational information. Spin is everywhere. Even customer research, that may have the best intentions, is manipulated in the marketing process in order to "position" the product - instead of using that information to solve customer needs and challenges.
It's a fine line, and not an easy process, but the mindset of a product-run organization limits how much you can truly get involved in the customers' lives.
****
Hats off to Michael Silverman of Duo Consulting and Scott Abel from The Content Wrangler for holding an outstanding conference. Truly enjoyed it. First-class audience.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: omer rosen EMAIL: omerosen@gmail.com IP: 89.1.238.252 URL: http://www.onethatknows.com DATE: 06/24/2008 03:02:49 AM Hi Joe I just discovered your blog after registering to Junta42. Great content blog and even greater professional resource, atleast for me. Omer. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/24/2008 06:54:12 AM Thanks Omer...glad you enjoy it. Thanks for sending the note. Best Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Media Innovator of the Year STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-media-in DATE: 06/18/2008 07:31:34 AM ----- BODY:
I was surprised and honored yesterday to receive the Custom Media Innovator of the Year award presented by American Business Media at the Union Club in New York City. Awards are always nice, but the best part was receiving the award from my friend and colleague Anne O'Brien (pictured) from SourceMedia. In addition, my good friend and mentor Michael Hurley from HanleyWood was in the audience as well.
The other finalists are all trailblazers in the industry, including my friend Laura Chavoen from Imagination, Charles Lee from IDG and Pete Sobic from Northbrook / Randall-Reilly.
In her speech, Anne said, "Joe has been the true evangelist for the custom media industry. Whether through his speaking, the book, the Junta42 educational site, or Junta42’s new content matching product, Joe is taking the industry where it needs to go.”
Thanks Anne! Lots more to be done. The majority of businesses out there still do not realize the impact they can make on their customers and prospects by communicating valuable, relevant and compelling content. Doing this on a consistent basis and becoming "part" of the conversation (and not just "talking at" customers) is marketing for the present and future.
The more companies that learn this and begin to practice it will help to shape not only a better business for those companies, but a better marketing world overall. Like some people fighting against global warming, I believe that poor communications is a detriment to society. By helping companies communicate more effectively, we are improving the world. Yes, a bit hokey, but honest.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob Leonard EMAIL: bob@bolencomm.com IP: 71.228.87.14 URL: http://b2bcontentconversations.com DATE: 06/18/2008 03:24:59 PM Congratulations, Joe. I've been around awhile, in a different industry. I've never seen an individual... (I know you've had help from Newt Barrett, so I'll include him.) I've never seen just two individuals have such a profound effect on a major industry in such a short time. Do you ever sleep? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: inquire@paulconley.com IP: 71.241.152.37 URL: http://www.paulconley.com DATE: 06/18/2008 09:50:34 PM Congratulations Joe! That's a tremendous honor. And it's well-deserved! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gretel Going EMAIL: gretel@channelvmedia.com IP: 74.66.16.126 URL: http://www.channelvmedia.com DATE: 06/18/2008 09:55:17 PM I can attest that Joe does NOT sleep. He does, however, leave his computer every night from 5 to 7 (don't think we haven't noticed), presumably to have dinner with his wife and kids. Congrats again, Joe. You really deserve it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/19/2008 09:08:50 AM @Bob - Too kind my friend. Sleep is overrated when launching a business. I must say though, I drink much more coffee than a used to. @Paul - Many thanks...I get great perspective from many of your blog posts. They have truly helped. @Gretel - You found my secret...but it's more like 5:30 to 8:00. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Traditional Advertiser/Customer Relationship STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-traditional CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: video DATE: 06/15/2008 01:28:03 PM ----- BODY:Here is an interesting video from Microsoft about everything that's wrong with traditional advertising (Thanks to Marketing Amnesia for bringing this to my attention). This provides a good explanation of what's wrong with traditional advertising and why methods such as content marketing are more important than ever.
Also note that the video itself is a content marketing/branded content piece from Microsoft. You can find more of this at bringtheloveback.com.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Geert EMAIL: geertd@mirosoft.com IP: 83.144.18.6 URL: http://bringtheloveback.com DATE: 06/16/2008 02:23:37 AM Thanks for the comments. Would love your opinion on the second movie we just released as well? You can find it here: http://bringtheloveback.com/2008/06/08/inspiration-anyone-the-movie/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/16/2008 10:01:17 AM Thanks Geert. I did...very nice. I like the first one better, but the second one does provide more interesting insight into why the traditional process is broken. Keep up the great work. Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Frangos EMAIL: scott@webfadds.com IP: 71.222.90.68 URL: http://www.webfadds.com/overview/plugins DATE: 06/19/2008 01:14:21 PM Hi Joe - Thanks for posting this video. Very interesting. "Conversation" is one of the five "C's" of Social Marketing, where Content is definitely first. Then you need Community so you can have a Conversation which builds a Connection, and finally you get Convergence... or Conversion of Contacts into Customers (hey... there's more than 5 C's there). And, I don't think most traditional advertisers and even publishers understand this process. But how long and expensive is the "conversation" process, and precisely what is the best formula to capitalize on it? - Scott ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/19/2008 10:34:39 PM Hi Scott...all those "c's" make me dizzy. You are exactly right. Most of the people I talk to are still very fixed on older marketing models. Your question is a valid one, and I'm not sure anyone has an answer. I think it depends on the community, your services, what you have to add to the conversation, and what you want people to ultimately do. No matter what formula you end up using, the best place to start is lots and lots of listening. I think that's the ultimate key. Broken marketing is all about telling. The future of marketing is 99% listening. Thanks again ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Driving Business with Content Tools: A Motorola Case Study STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: driving-busines CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: microsites CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 06/12/2008 01:29:47 AM ----- BODY:
Had the pleasure of sitting through a presentation by Eduardo Conrado, Corporate VP of Global Business & Technology for Motorola at the Business Marketing Association annual meeting today. Most in attendance were amazed that 50% of Motorola's revenues come from B2B ($36.6 billion in total revenues, $18 billion in B2B). They are #1 or #2 in market share in 80% of their B2B customer segments.
There were some really interesting stats and takeaways from this presentation on Motorola B2B Marketing. The key takeaway is that Motorola is investing in the creation and execution of valuable and relevant content (mostly online) to become a trusted partner and resource to customers.
Here are the highlights:
Key Statistics that Motorola has Found in Their Marketing
Online is the Key for Motorola
Content Tools Drive Conversion
With every type of demand generation activity (PR, Events, SEO/SEM, Advertising, Direct Marketing) there is a specific tool and landing page to tell the story. These include microsites, video showcases, video libraries, ezines (digital magazines), online communities, and widgets. From these, they look to convert information seekers into prospects to get through to the sales cycle.
Content Examples (specific to the Government Market)
Video Case Studies: Motorola has a huge library of video case studies. For each one, customers can also download a pdf version of the written study, as well as share with colleagues. Users spend an average of 8 minutes on the site.
This linked example is a YouTube type system that will bring up relevant videos based on vertical segment.
Motorola eZine: 17% open rate, 48% click-through rate. Users spend an average of 17 minutes on the eZine site.
Motorola Second Nature: This is a virtual city specific to government decision-makers (fire fighters, police, FBI, government IT and more). This is a digital experience that provides real-world examples of how these decision-makers can best leverage technology to get their jobs done. Worth the trip to see this.
With the computer-generated examples comes links to real-life videos, case studies and white papers of how actual companies are dealing with the same kinds of issues.
How They Do It?
Motorola has aligned with "best-in-class" agencies to help them create and execute these content programs. They also have 300 business-side marketers which doesn't hurt either.
Three Corporate Objectives
Motorola's three key business marketing goals are:
Summary
Relevant Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Rupert Murdoch: Deliver Compelling Content Regardless of Channel STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: rupert-murdoch CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 06/11/2008 12:54:14 PM ----- BODY:
In the June 9th issue of the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch was asked the following question:
"...is there going to be a moment in the next 5 or 10 years when it just won’t be economical to print them (newspapers)?"
His response: “Maybe. It will be up to them. I just love communicating with people, and newspapers are a means of doing so. I am totally technically neutral about it. I don’t care what platform our news appears on – if it is on printed paper or if it is on the web or mobile or whatever.”
For whatever you think about Mr. Murdoch, the above is a lesson for all marketers and publishers who are all dealing with how to communicate with customers in the new, creative and compelling ways.
Here are some key questions that come to mind that all marketing professionals must answer?
Let's face it...we are all publishers now. Companies cannot just produce products anymore...communication is the key differentiator. Mr. Murdoch knows that better than anyone...getting out the information and creating the relationship is what's important...the format is inconsequential.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NW Guy EMAIL: brucenowjack@earthlink.net IP: 66.150.166.115 URL: DATE: 06/11/2008 04:04:48 PM The comments would be better received if RMurdoch truly invested in creating compelling content. Since his takeover of WSJ he has opened up avenues to obtain content but the downside is the content is starting to mimic other papers; almost like "AP News" more than the in-depth content that used to be in the WSJ on a daily basis. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 66.116.104.243 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/12/2008 01:19:57 AM NW...you may be right. Actions speak louder than words. Hopefully marketers can take what he says to heart though. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Motto You Can Build a Business On STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-motto-you-can CATEGORY: vision statements DATE: 06/06/2008 12:04:29 AM ----- BODY:
Here is the LEGO motto. Picture taken on their Factory Tour at LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, CA.
Interesting Note: LEGO has one packaging error in every 1 million LEGO packages produced.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Drickhamer EMAIL: david@drickhamer.com IP: 75.33.83.37 URL: DATE: 06/10/2008 02:02:21 PM That's a third less than Six Sigma quality @ 3.4 defective parts per million opportunities. Lego's quality obsession is why parts from 30 years ago interlock with brand-new pieces today. Pretty cool. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Drickhamer EMAIL: david@drickhamer.com IP: 75.33.83.37 URL: DATE: 06/10/2008 02:02:45 PM That's a third less than Six Sigma quality @ 3.4 defective parts per million opportunities. Lego's quality obsession is why parts from 30 years ago interlock with brand-new pieces today. Pretty cool. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 66.116.104.243 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/10/2008 10:29:26 PM Thanks David...it's one amazing place. It's easy to see why customers are fanatics about the brand. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Get Content. Get Customers. Book Site Goes Live STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: get-content-get CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 06/03/2008 10:52:39 PM ----- BODY:
While the official publishing date isn't until July 1st, we (Newt Barrett and myself) just completed the book website for Get Content. Get Customers. If you get a chance, check it out.
A couple areas of note. First, we are offering a free excerpt of the book, which includes the TOC, Foreword, Introduction and Chapter 1. If you are interested in buying the book, this will provide a great overview of what content marketing is, why we all need it, and how you can learn from successful content-centered businesses around the globe. Click here to get the free excerpt.
Also, as I reviewed a few posts back, we've received some great feedback from some of the leading marketing minds around including Brian Clark (copyblogger), David Meerman Scott, Greg Verdino and Don Schultz. Check out what they have to say here.
Thanks to all those who asked for unsolicited copies of the book. It is truly appreciated.
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We have decided to take a family vacation this year to LEGOLAND in San Diego (Carlsbad, CA actually) and it has everything to do with LEGO's custom magazine. I've discussed LEGO magazine before, and it never ceases to amaze me how they are a clear leader in content marketing and custom publishing.
I'd just like to spend a bit of time on some of the behaviors that we, as a family, have initiated directly because of receiving LEGO magazine every two months.
Custom print magazines can be an extremely powerful tool - maybe more so than ever before because of the integration of the web. It's amazing to watch my son read the print magazine and then jump up and head to the Internet to go to LEGO.com. Their blend of user-generated content, comic story lines (with branded characters), and magalog-type promotion is genius. It's also why the magazine has been around since I was a kid - because it works.
Two other important points: 1) At least four of our friends/family have requested a free LEGO magazine subscription from our recommendation, and 2) print will not die anytime soon because when kids can't bring their Playstation Portables, iPods or Nintendo DS systems into a quiet place, they can still bring their LEGO magazines. The same rule goes for many other business areas where technology isn't as portable as we would like (airplanes for one).
It's not often a company can show direct proof that sales happen from a custom magazine. In this case, our family is living proof that LEGO magazine is a profit generator and has helped LEGO become and stay the leading building-toy brand around.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: indoor antenna EMAIL: hdantenna@gmail.com IP: 67.180.159.207 URL: http://www.indoorhdantenna.com DATE: 03/20/2009 08:02:21 PM Never knew LEGO had its own magazine. What a way to advertise, eh? Big LEGO fan here, and the kiddo and I are building up our LEGO collection. Will be visiting their Carlsbad spot next month also, so that should be fun. Are you looking forward to or have heard of the LEGO Universe? ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 27 Days and 100 Publishers - 5 Startup Tips and Lessons STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 27-days-and-100 CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 05/28/2008 10:00:41 PM ----- BODY:
Today we passed the 100 publisher mark for sign ups for Junta42 Match, our free web service for marketers that matches businesses with the best possible content and custom publishing providers for projects such as custom magazines, newsletters, web content and other custom publishing initiatives. We are pretty excited about hitting this mark so early, especially with 27 days still left until we launch formally to businesses (Junta42 Match is only open for publishers to sign up at this time - launch date is June 24th).
It's a weird feeling now that we are getting close to our formal launch date. Everything that we've accomplished over the past 12 months has been geared toward this launch, now less than a month away.
Although we are very confident that we have created a valuable service for marketers, we won't know for months truly how effective or valuable it will be. That said, here are few thoughts, lessons and tips that any longstanding business or startup may find valuable. I know I have.
One thing is for sure...even if the business goes up in flames, I haven't regretted one minute of the ride. From sheer joy to the feeling of utter failure, there are not many things in life that conjure up such emotions. I love it.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Building a Web Community Is Easier Said than Done STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: building-a-web CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 05/27/2008 09:25:21 AM ----- BODY:
Anyone who tells you that building an online community is easy is smoking something. There are so many aspects involved in creating a living web community that many times it seems overwhelming.
That said, being a part of or creating an online community is at the forefront of many marketing plans today. I was asked by Website magazine to write an article on this subject, from the standpoint of simple takeaways that anyone can deliver on.
Here is a link to the entire article.
I like these six steps the best, which I believe are mandatory to really create an online community that at least has the opportunity to flourish.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Keys to Writing a Book when You Have Absolutely No Time to Write a Book STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-keys-to-writ CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 05/22/2008 10:23:22 PM ----- BODY:
Well, after nine months of hard labor, I received the pre-press version of my book (with co-author Newt Barrett) delivered UPS yesterday. The book is entitled Get Content. Get Customers. - How to use content marketing to deliver relevant, valuable, and compelling information that turns prospects into buyers (and is pictured here to the right). Since we have just completed the book and while it was fresh in my mind, I thought I would offer some of the key steps we took to turn this little idea into a publishing reality. The book is now available for sale from the website at www.getcontentgetcustomers.com.
So here goes...my ten key steps to writing and publishing a book when you have absolutely no time to write or publish a book.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Meerman Scott EMAIL: david@freshspot.com IP: 67.111.222.206 URL: http://www.webinknow.com/ DATE: 05/23/2008 09:58:41 AM Hey Joe Congratulations to you (and Newt) on this milestone. I am looking forward to receiving the finished book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 10:00:09 AM Thanks for the support David. Your book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, was an inspiration! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Verdino EMAIL: greg@crayonville.com IP: 24.46.184.118 URL: http://gregverdino.typepad.com DATE: 05/23/2008 10:52:13 AM Just like the book (for readers - I read an advance copy), this post is full of good, practical tips. Good stuff Joe. Can't wait to receive the finished product. G ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 10:58:19 AM Thanks Greg. Really appreciate the support! jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anita Campbell EMAIL: anita@anitacampbell.com IP: 24.239.207.112 URL: http://www.smallbiztrends.com DATE: 05/23/2008 01:35:39 PM I like point #9. Authors today have to be their own best marketers and salespeople. Unless you are a household name and can guarantee mega-bestseller status just because of your name, you will have primary responsibility for marketing your book (your publisher will only go so far). Would like to know how many hours it took, too. 150? 250? 500? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 01:51:55 PM Excellent point Anita. I agree completely. As for hours, that's a really good question. I didn't track them individually, but I would have to say 200 hours total would be a solid guess. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Orr EMAIL: morr@cmgemail.net IP: 70.1.233.254 URL: http://www.ContentMarketingGroup.com DATE: 05/23/2008 02:46:57 PM Joe, I am very excited about this book. As a Newer Kid on the Block for Content Marketing--I have gained invaluable insight into the custom content industry from Junta42 and Content Marketing Today. Thank you for your dedication and for completing the book. While there is no doubt that you will greatly benefit by co-authoring "Get Content--Get Customers," I am confident that the benefit I receive from having access to the lessons presented will be just as rewarding and profitable. I can't wait to read it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 06:58:35 PM Michael...thanks so much for the kind words. Too kind my friend. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 68.200.92.176 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog DATE: 05/23/2008 08:09:39 PM Joe, Congrats to you and Newt on the new book. Your tips are invaluable. My book new book is still in my head. Your tips will help me get it from my head to the bookshelves. Regards, Bernie ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 08:12:55 PM Thanks a bunch Bernie...I bet you've got a mixture SEO/SEM/Content book out there waiting to be written. - jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rohit EMAIL: rohitaustralia@gmail.com IP: 98.169.18.193 URL: http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com DATE: 05/26/2008 11:26:41 PM Joe, This is a great list and sure to be helpful for aspiring authors. The only thing I would add is that I personally realized the real benefit of being a blogger before writing a book is that my writing was "in shape" when I started my book. As a result, I feel like I was able to write much faster and make my points much more quickly. For anyone considering writing a book, I would highly suggest starting to blog at the very least so that you can start to flex your writing muscles in a consistent way. And you get the side benefit of starting to build your platform online too. Glad to be a part of this and looking forward to seeing the final copy too! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/27/2008 08:04:20 AM Excellent addition Rohit. You are correct, the process was that much better because I had started with a blog. Great stuff! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Heather Lloyd-Martin EMAIL: heather@seocopywriting.com IP: 67.189.120.97 URL: http://www.seocopywriting.com DATE: 05/28/2008 11:44:57 AM Hi, Joe, Great tips- especially the one about adhering to a production schedule. It's so easy to think that there's "plenty of time" to write the book - and then get caught two months before deadline with five more chapters to write! Oh, and I'd for tip #11: Know that writing a book is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. You'll hate the book by the end of the process and swear that you'll never, ever write another one... ...Until a few months later when you'll think, "Well, writing a book wasn't THAT bad. Maybe I'll write another!" Cheers! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/28/2008 01:00:24 PM Heather...thanks for the comments. I agree with you on your last point. Even though the process was gruesome at times, I'm already trying to figure out what the next book will be. Once the first book is published, you seem to forget all about what went wrong and focus on all the good things. Books are funny that way. ----- PING: TITLE: Get Content. Get Customers. Book Site Goes Live URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/06/get-content-get.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 06/03/2008 10:52:53 PM While the official publishing date isn't until July 1st, we (Newt Barrett and myself) just completed the book website for Get Content. Get Customers. If you get a chance, check it out. A couple areas of note. First, we are ----- PING: TITLE: What We Learned Along the Way - 10 Tips to Writing Your Own Book URL: http://getcontentgetcustomers.com/2008/06/02/what-we-learned-along-the-way-10-tips-to-writing-your-own-book/ IP: 69.89.31.102 BLOG NAME: GetContentGetCustomers.com DATE: 06/02/2008 01:37:54 PM Newt and I learned quite a bit on this book-writing journey. So much, that we wanted to share a few of our key points with you as we started and completed Get Content. Get Customers. So here goesmy eleven key steps to writing and publishing a bo... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: BtoB Leaders In Branded Content Coming to NYC STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: btob-leaders-in CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 05/20/2008 10:01:22 PM ----- BODY:
American Business Media and Junta42 are proud to announce a "breakfast in July" about how the leading brands in business-to-business are creating and executing their own content initiatives. I'll be moderating the July 16th breakfast event "BtoB Leaders in Content" at the Scandinavia House in New York City.
We are currently in the process of securing our expert marketing panel, but have already signed up Paul Dunay, global director of integrated marketing at BearingPoint, and author of one of my favorite blogs, Buzz Marketing for Technology. We'll be signing up an additional three marketing heavyweights from brands that are creating their own content and making an impact on behavior.
Each marketer will give a brief presentation about how they are using content to drive their businesses. Then we will have a lengthly Q&A discussion with plenty of time for questions from the audience.
Here is the event overview:
More and more of the leading business-to-business brands are driving sales and customer growth through the use of valuable and compelling content. This means web content, magazines, blogs, social communities, eNewsletters, web events and more that are changing or maintaining behavior as part of the integrated marketing strategy.
In this limited attendance breakfast event, hear how some of the best-known brands in b2b are creating, executing and measuring their own content strategies that you can use in your own markets.
For more information or to sign up, click here. Note that this is a limited attendance event, so if it looks interesting to you, sign up soon!
Why are we doing this?
Even though the creation and execution of custom content is a full 30% of btob marketing budgets, marketing professionals still struggle with the best ways to create valuable, relevant and compelling content that gets them involved in the right types of customer conversations.
There has also been quite a bit of talk from btob marketers and publishers I work with about an event like this, focused on business-to-business content marketing best practices. If this goes well, we'll be doing more of these types of events.
If you have any questions at all about the event, feel free to contact me at joe[at]junta42.com.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 68.175.106.185 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 05/22/2008 03:44:10 PM Looks great. Inspiring to see more attention focused on content marketing. Ian ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/22/2008 09:40:01 PM Thanks Ian...we need all the support that we can get! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Future of B2B Marketing - From Ed Abrams at IBM STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-future-of-b CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 05/19/2008 11:15:41 AM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of sitting through a presentation by Ed Abrams, VP of Marketing for IBM, at American Business Media's Spring Meeting a few weeks back. Here are some of the high points.
The Customers Are In Control
Abrams was adamant about the notion that corporations have lost message control as part of the marketing process. Consumers choose what conversations they want to be involved in. The role of marketing is to work to get involved in those conversations that matter.
Research Shows that Non-Traditional Communications Have Impact (and are growing)
Abrams pointed to a number of research findings that state consumers get more and more of their information through such tools as blogs, wikis and more. In the pictured chart to the right, 31% of IT professionals engage in IT blogs and wikis when searching for new product information. Critical Point: Abrams suggested that IBM looks for this number to double in the next year, theoretically making blogs/wikis the most powerful informational source for IT professionals behind only search engines.
IBM Making Impact in Social Networking
According to Abrams, IBM has the single largest community in LinkedIn at 175,000 members. They also have approximately 5,000 different communities on Facebook. IBM believes that, to be successful, they need to be a part of these conversations on an ongoing basis.
Online Influences Most!
According to Enquiro Research as presented by Abrams, the three leading influencers for IT decision-makers are Vendor websites, search engines, and industry informational websites (in that order), followed closely by Word-of-mouth peer and Word-of-mouth friend.
Content-based websites are key for IBM. Abrams believes that IBM must provide ongoing, consistent information about what is happening in the industry to be successful.
Abrams' Top IBM Takeaways for Online
Abrams shared a number of key points that are essential to IBM's long-term strategy for growing their business. Here are the ones that made the most impact.
In Summary
From my perspective, IBM has transformed themselves from a "command and control" company to one that may have one of the best understandings of the "new marketing environment". Over this time, they have also adjusted their product mix to be more service-centric than product-centric.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: refurbished computers EMAIL: alisakastori@yahoo.com IP: 58.181.101.54 URL: http://www.pcs4cheap.ca/ DATE: 08/25/2009 06:05:36 AM It is extremely interesting to read about this CEO focus on business model innovation. In fact, I have been thinking for quite a while how my own research on business model concepts would allow to build a software tool to foster business model design and innovation... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing, Musicians and Growing Your Business with Free Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 05/15/2008 10:37:03 AM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of working at my brother's (Tony Pulizzi) gig last night at the Winchester in Lakewood, Ohio. Tony opened last night for Alan Holdsworth, one of the most prominent guitarists of the last 50 years (Musician Magazine voted Holdsworth one of the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time).
The Tony Pulizzi Trio (Tony on guitar and vocals, Walter Barnes Jr. on bass and Elijah Gilmore on Drums) has been growing in exposure by opening for bands like Holdsworth and Spyro Gyra (Elijah and Tony pictured to the right). One reason is their use of content marketing.
A band makes money on a show through what they receive as a percentage of the gate or flat fee, in addition to what product they can sell at the event. In addition (and more importantly), it's essential to try to build relationships with those prospective fans that want to hear more from the band, including upcoming schedules, to grow future sales and spread word-of-mouth and referrals.
So, in addition to my job in selling Tony's product, we had an email sign-up list. The Results: by the end of the night, Tony had tripled any previous CD sales from prior events, and we managed to collect almost three times the number of email newsletter sign-ups. Not bad ROI.
Here's how he did it.
95% of the audience had never heard of the Tony Pulizzi Trio before. The majority of fans were there to see Holdsworth. The place was packed (standing room only). We were assigned one small table in the back to sell CDs.
After their opening song, Tony introduced the band and announced that he wanted everyone to go home with "a little taste" of the band. So Tony made over 100 demo, three-song CDs of their latest work (which they played that night). The demos were free to anyone that wanted them. Before the end of the 45-minute set, Tony again announced that the free demos would be available in the back. The band also made themselves available for signing.
Here was how we made this work:
As soon as the band started to play and Tony announced the free demo, people started coming back to the table. Lots of questions like, "are these guys local?" and "where are they playing next?". Every person received their free CD. As I handed them out, I asked this simple question:
"If you like what you heard tonight, please sign the email sheet so we can keep you updated on their upcoming schedule."
Conversion rate was about 50%. Not bad considering most people are wary about giving out their email address, especially at a club.
As I handed out the free demo, I had the opportunity to give them an overview of the products available. There were three CDs, one rock oriented, one acoustic jazz, and one of the Trio's most recent Jazz/Rock/Funk music.
All in all, a hugely successful night in the Trio growing their fan base.
What can you, as a marketing leader, take from this message?
The basic content marketing process is alarmingly simple, yet extremely effective. All businesses of any size can take these simple steps and use them to grow their business. Don't get complicated. Just create valuable, relevant and compelling content for your target audience, give it away for free, and give ample opportunities for them to get involved with you on a more personal, consistent level.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: sterling | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.38.255.90 URL: http://bizlift.com/blog DATE: 05/15/2008 06:23:27 PM Brilliant Joe! I need to do the same for my brother's band. They have opened for several big Reggae legends. Thanks for the great advice! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.110.232 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/16/2008 12:15:59 PM Thanks Sterling. Man, I guess everyone has a musical brother. :) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Print Newsletters Still Pay Dividends in a New Marketing World STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: print-newslette DATE: 05/14/2008 08:38:53 AM ----- BODY:
The following article of mine was published in the May, 2008 issue of ContentWise (formerly Publications Management). For more information on ContentWise, click here.
How Print Stacks Up
Printed newsletters are getting a raw deal. With social media marketing getting the lion’s share of media attention, printed corporate publications seem to be considered an “also ran.” But don’t tell that to corporate marketers.
According to Publications Management’s most recent Publishing Characteristics Study, printed newsletters are now the preferred custom publishing medium at 40%, outdistancing both custom magazines (35%) and electronic publications (18%). That means that almost half of corporate marketers are delivering consistent editorial information to their customers in the form of printed newsletters.
Even more, a recent Junta42/BtoB Magazine study found that 28% business-to-business marketers still rely on the printed newsletter to communicate with their customers and prospects.
Considering all the marketing options out there, these are pretty powerful numbers.
At first glance, the findings don’t make sense. More consumers are using the Internet than ever before, especially when making buying decisions. Forrester recently found that 92% of buyers go online first to research a possible purchase. In addition, ITA Toolbox states that consumers spend almost 10 hours per week consuming online content in the form of social media, editorial media and vendor content/websites.
Consider the Buying Cycle
The research clearly shows that the power of the Internet is growing and strong in the beginning stages of the buying cycle. Search engine optimization (organic listings) and search engine marketing (paid listings) are continuing to grow within the key corporate objectives of reach and acquisition.
But printed newsletters play a key role toward the retention and loyalty portions of the buying cycle. Especially during the current economic recession, corporate marketers need to be concerned most with retention and loyalty, as budgets continue to get cut and customers look to lower expenses by switching vendors. Newsletters deliver relevant and compelling information to customers on a consistent basis, which is valued by customers and positions your company as a thought leader.
Let’s consider some key reasons why corporate marketers are continuing to rely on printed newsletters:
If you currently produce a printed newsletter, odds are you’ll be sticking with it, especially during the current economic cycle. If you are considering starting a print newsletter, you may opt to begin the process by focusing on your very best customers (the 20% of the 80/20 rule). As long as you understand your business objectives and define the measurement of your print newsletter, success should be within your grasp.
5 Tips for Integrating Your Print Newsletter
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Catch Me at Business Marketing Association in Vegas STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: catch-me-at-bus CATEGORY: business-to-business DATE: 05/09/2008 03:57:14 PM ----- BODY:
As
a speaker at the Business Marketing Association’s upcoming Annual Conference
(taking place June 11-13 at the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort in Las Vegas,
Nevada), I’m excited to say that I’ll be sharing the spotlight with some of the
industry’s top business-to-business marketing experts and
gurus.
I had the pleasure of guest blogging at the King Fish Media ThinkTank blog the other day. You can check out the complete post here.
This was written after I had a brief conversation with a marketer that was taking the angle of content marketing being nice "fluff" to give your clients, but not necessary to the overall marketing strategy for most companies. Of course, I (as nice as I could) disagreed with the gentleman and cited a number of reasons why he was completely off his rocker.
The web has turned most business models completely upside down, and created huge opportunities for others to launch businesses from nothing at all. The delivery of consistent and valuable content may be the most important indicator of financial success for future businesses.
If I'm launching a business today, or looking into the overall vision of the company, I'm looking at these three aspects of the business.
Note that I put the product itself as #3 on the list. Products can be duplicated in almost every industry today, especially with the rise of cheaper labor overseas. What separates one business from another is #1 and #2, which involves honest, transparent and consistent communication with customers and prospects. Cool products come and go - a relevant and consistent message is timeless. IMPORTANT NOTE: new products launch all the time and can become successful very fast just by the nature of the product. We've seen this happen with many web-based applications. But without a consistent content marketing strategy, competition can come in and duplicate the product quickly if the company has not clearly differentiated itself through their communications.
Medium-sized and Larger organizations with better-known brands should begin positioning their content as a product in their company (mostly so organizational management starts to take the concept seriously). This means creating R&D budgets, long-term content strategies, ongoing measurements against the content, and content growth strategies.
By doing this, an organization will make the investment necessary to truly differentiate themselves from the competition, and fend off any new competitors who simply try to copy their base products.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Power of Custom Video – How the Easter Seals Raised Money without Trying STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-power-of-cu CATEGORY: video DATE: 05/07/2008 12:15:12 PM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of attending the annual Easter Seals Northern Ohio “Spirit of Independence” Gala over the weekend. This year’s Gala honored Mal Mixon, CEO of Invacare for his tireless commitment to helping children and adults with disabilities (btw, Mal is an outstanding dancer. First on the dance floor. I loved it). Full disclosure: Easter Seals Northern Ohio is one my clients.
After dinner, CEO Sheila Dunn introduced a video presentation that discussed three specific areas where Easter Seals Northern Ohio provides services: speech therapy services for children, camping/activities for children with disabilities, and home care for elderly adults.
The videos worked because they simply told the story of the children, parents and seniors affected by Easter Seals’ services. After the video about Joey, a young boy who works with Easter Seals Northern Ohio on the ability to communicate for effectively through speech, I saw a number of people at the Gala tear up (my wife and I included).
Then we enjoyed the story of multiple children with disabilities laugh and play at an Easter Seals camp and retreat. The final story, about home care services for adults, showed how, for one woman, Easter Seals services keeps her from going into a nursing home. It was clear that still being able to live at home was one of the most important aspects of her life, which Easter Seals makes possible.
Return on Investment
After the creation of any kind of content marketing, even with video, seeing a return does not usually happen immediately. Often it takes ongoing analysis, integration with a CRM system, and continuous tracking and feedback from sales staff and customers.
Well, for this particular situation, the return was immediate. After the video concluded, Sheila came to the stage and talked about how they wanted to fund 10 kids to get to go to camp (at $250 a child). You could tell by watching Sheila that she wasn’t sure how this would go. I’ve been at events and auctions where a question like this was put out and failed miserably. Nonetheless, Sheila asked – and the audience answered!
Within seconds, hand after hand raised to support the children. Within 30 seconds, Easter Seals’ staff was overflowing with charitable contributions to help get kids to camp…the same camp that they just saw children with disabilities laughing, playing and being normal. I’m not sure how many camp donations Easter Seals ended up with, but it was clearly beyond Sheila’s expectations.
The Power of Video
We are visual beings. We build our reality through our eyes and create our perception of the world. Telling your story through video, a story that resonates with your customers and supporters, is the present and future of content marketing.
Could the Easter Seals have had the same amount of success at the Gala without the video? Possibly, but doubtful. Could your business improve by developing an ongoing video series about how your product or services truly helps people? Absolutely.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Announces New Top 42 Blogs List STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-announc CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 05/05/2008 06:39:00 PM ----- BODY:
After the successful January launch of the premier Junta42 Top Content Marketing Blogs list, we've released the next update...and oh how things have changed. The latest release of the Top 42 includes 16 new blogs, and features a top 10 list that displays the best content-based bloggers the Internet can offer.
Congratulations to Brian Clark's Copyblogger for taking first place on the Top Blogs version 2.0. Included in the top five is Lee Odden's Online Marketing Blog, Brian Solis and PR 2.0, ContentMarketingToday from Newt Barrett and Marketing Interactions from Ardath Albee.
For the complete Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs, click here.
Since January, the list has grown from 81 blogs to 118 total blogs. The Top 42 list is a bit different than other blog lists like the AdAge Power 150 in that we research each blog individually according to five specific criteria:
To see the complete selection criteria, click here. We update the blog every quarter, so the next release will be August/September.
Although the selection criteria isn't perfect, we're getting closer to where we need to be. We especially believe in rewarding content over popularity. There are some great blogs out there, some that are just starting to break into the marketing realm. Hopefully the Top 42 list will be a great resource for you in finding those gems.
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve the list, please let me know. Also, if you'd like to add your blog to the list, send us an email at add[at]junta42.com.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Abel EMAIL: scottabel@mac.com IP: 207.236.117.226 URL: http://www.thecontentwrangler.com DATE: 05/06/2008 08:42:33 AM We made the list? Excellent! Thanks, Junta42. Scott Abel http://www.thecontentwrangler.com P.S. If you're not a member already, consider joining our global network of content professionals, The Content Wrangler Community: http://thecontentwrangler.ning.com ----- PING: TITLE: Content Marketing Top Blogs Announced; Copyblogger Keeps Top Spot URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/08/content-marketi.html IP: 10.0.23.101 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 08/17/2008 10:21:45 AM We're excited to announce the third installment of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Congratulations again goes to Brian Clark's copyblogger.com, who keeps the top spot for the second straight month. This quarter's update included a record 17... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Sticky Marketing Secrets from John Jantsch STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: sticky-marketin CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 05/05/2008 02:55:50 PM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of attending a social media presentation from John Jantsch at the Key Entrepreneur Center eMarketing Techniques workshop in Cleveland, Ohio last week.
John, the author of Duct Tape Marketing, gave an impactful and practical presentation geared toward small businesses and entrepreneurs. John’s take was the same as mine: there has never been a better time to grow a small business – especially with the various amounts of tools available online.
Before I get to some of John’s marketing secrets – here were a couple of key points made by John:
John’s presentation was packed full of practical advice, but I want to share with you those tips and techniques that I personally will implement as a result of John’s presentation. I consider myself a better than average user on the social media scale, but John offered some truly unique suggestions that were incredible helpful.
Of course, there were many more expert ideas from John, but the ones above are the secrets that I have on my “to-do” list to begin immediately. If you are looking for a book to kick-start your marketing, get John’s book, Duct Tape Marketing today.
Thanks John, for all the helpful advice.
PS – Those of you who know me have heard me talk about “being the brand” or living your brand experience in public. I do this by almost always wearing orange. John does this by having duct tape everywhere he goes. You should have seen how some of the tables were fighting over taking John’s duct tape samples home. Talk about effective branding.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Lease When You Can Buy? - A Case for Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-lease-when CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 04/29/2008 04:23:01 PM ----- BODY:
We are in the middle of working on a video about content marketing and one of the key phrases we are using is "Why lease when you can buy?"
If you are looking at a car or at a house, their are pros and cons to buying versus leasing (or renting). To make a decision, first you have to understand the differences between buying and leasing:
"When you buy, you pay for the entire cost of the [asset] regardless of how [much you use it or what you get out of it.] When you lease, you pay for only a portion of [the real asset's cost], which is the part that you 'use up' [while you are occupying it]."
Buying is Creating Your Own Content
Think about that for a second in relation to the creation of content. By creating your own content, publishing it, then distributing it through print and online mechanisms, you've bought yourself an asset. Once you buy it, you could do nothing with it, or distribute the heck out of it. Regardless, you still pay the same for that asset. Getting ROI out of it is ultimately up to you.
If executed correctly, you can leverage and re-leverage that asset to continually communicate with customers and prospects. The majority of top tier content does not depreciate either (what publishing folks call "evergreen" content), unlike a car. Great content works more like buying a house or property. If it's good and can be found (location), it goes up in value.
Traditional Advertising is Leasing
Although more and more companies are "buying" content, a good portion of marketing budgets are still spent on leasing or renting activities such as print advertising or online banners and buttons. Like in the definition above, you, the marketer, pay a small portion of the true asset cost or value (owned by the publisher or content distributor) for the area that you are "using up" during that particular time.
Since the publisher owns the asset, which is essential the community they bring to the table for your benefit, they have the right to charge you for the space you are taking up.
Now, advertising has its place. We at Junta42 use traditional advertising all the time. But understand that once it's gone, it's gone. You have paid for renting the space and there is no asset created, in and of itself. The activity generated from the advertising may ultimately create an asset, but the space you occupied with your brief message is essentially worthless after the period of "occupation" is over. Poof...gone.
Why Are More Marketers Buying/Creating Content Today?
It's quite simple if you think about it. As we see more technological advances, the consumer of content has more and more control over what they engage in. In the past, there were limited options (television, radio, newspapers, consumer and trade magazines). Today, a buyer can go to a search engine and find exactly what they are looking for in a second. And, since Google has democratized content, ANY company with good content and a little search engine savvy can distribute it to that targeted buyer. (Here's a good white paper that spells it out from A to Z.)
Content is also worth more today since it is constantly "alive" on the web and available for consumption, even years after it was first distributed.
Some "To-Do's" for the Traditional Marketer
Don't worry if you still spend a boat-load on traditional marketing. If you are, you also realize that the tide is moving away from traditional media and you may not be sure what to do next. Here are a couple easy steps to take:
Buy and Build Your House
A great content strategy does not happen overnight, but it's very similar to buying and building your house. The more investment in skilled builders (journalists, content experts, custom publishers), the better your house will look (customer relationships, loyalty and increased sales).
There are always situations where leasing works, but if you can buy the asset of content, and you know that, if done correctly, the asset will grow in value, why would you ever miss out on that opportunity?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob EMAIL: info@monthlycarlease.com IP: 71.237.79.164 URL: http://monthlycarlease.com DATE: 01/16/2010 11:44:56 AM It is certainly true that leasing and buying is not limited just to cars. The comparisons apply to every aspect of life. The take on website marketing is a new one for me, but you make a very good case. This is an issue that website marketers will have to face. Good info. Thanks, Rob ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Blogging Lessons Learned and Best Practices - One Year Anniversary STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: one-year-bloggi CATEGORY: business blogging DATE: 04/25/2008 01:34:27 PM ----- BODY:
It's been exactly one year since I first started blogging. My first post entitled "Why Content Marketing?" still contains the same concept we've been evangelizing from the start - that businesses have a huge opportunity to grow business by creating their own valuable, relevant and compelling content.
Since I left the real world of business and launched Junta42 last year, the concept of blogging on a consistent, continual basis may be the most rewarding part of what I do.
As 365 days pass, I thought it may be useful to those considering blogging about what has personally happened to my professional and online life, and to what is actually possible. I'm showing this information not to gloat in any way (the statistics aren't nearly Copyblogger worthy) - only to show that you can start from absolute zero and still do amazing things through a consistent and compelling message.
A Few Statistics
Beginning bloggers PLEASE NOTE: Even after two to three months of consistent blogging, I would regularly get only five to 10 visitors per day (probably none outside of my family). Today, on an average day, we'll get more than 200. We've had a couple days of over 1,000. It could definitely be better, but the blog has come along way.
Many Surprises
Content marketing, which as a phrase was pretty much nonexistent when I started the blog, is now gaining and growing in popularity. The first proof of this is that content marketing now has its place as a definition in Wikipedia. Even more proof is that many bloggers have made content marketing their focus, including Newt Barrett, Patsi Krakoff, w00tonomy, and Relevant and Valued.Lessons Learned
Below are five lessons that I originally posted about on my 100 post anniversary. The copy in red below is my commentary on each one, now six months+ later.
All in all, blogging is just a tool, but it can be a very effective one for distributing consistent and valuable content to your target audience. When done correctly, there may not be a better way to grow your business or professional career. But it takes time, energy and commitment.
It's hard to think about where we'd be now without the blog. It will be interesting to see how things progress one, two or three years down the road.
If you are considering blogging, I can't stress how important blogging could be for you if you can make the time, and if you have something important to say. Good luck!
Here's to many more years of blogging to come.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rohit Bhargava EMAIL: rohitaustralia@gmail.com IP: 98.169.18.193 URL: http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com DATE: 04/29/2008 09:25:15 PM Thanks for the link and congrats on hitting one year! Love your idea about the pillar post ... and I struggle (but aim) for the same target of 3 quality posts per week as well. Looking forward to reading more on the blog and also to the book! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/29/2008 10:02:12 PM Thanks Rohit...and congrats on the successful book launch! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractons.com IP: 66.74.10.243 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 05/01/2008 03:22:52 PM Hi Joe, Congrats on the anniversary! You've accomplished a whole lot in a quick amount of time, and I enjoy participating in what you're building with Junta 42! Ardath ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/01/2008 10:37:05 PM Hi Ardath: Thanks...and a big thanks for all the support this past year. It has been more than a pleasure watching the content marketing industry along side experts like yourself. Best Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Holding a Custom Event vs. Exhibiting at a Trade Show STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: holding-a-custo DATE: 04/24/2008 10:17:45 AM ----- BODY:
In-person events are extremely important, especially in an economic downturn. There is nothing like talking on-on-one with your customers and prospects. They require significant investment, but can also show a solid ROI depending on the overall strategy. More and more, companies are spreading their wings and producing their own events. Our recent BtoB/Junta42 study revealed that almost 40% of marketers plan and produce their own custom events or roadshows.
Still, custom events are costly from a financial and human resources perspective. Also, if the content is not stellar, a custom event could actually hurt your brand. But the payoff, if done correctly, can be huge.
I asked trade show expert Joyce McKee from Let's Talk Trade Shows to give a little insight into what a business needs to consider when launching a custom event - versus just being an exhibitor at an industry trade show. A big thanks to Joyce for putting this together. - JP
Holding a private event vs. being an exhibitor at a trade show
Of course there are many trade offs which needs to be taken into consideration when considering a custom event versus exhibiting at a trade show.
Normally, the reason to host a private event – a company wants to control the content and keep competitors out. But at what cost?
Here are some serious considerations to consider before leaping to the conclusion that the private event is your best opportunity.
Audience Acquisition
How difficult will it be to draw the correct audience to the event? What compelling information will you be delivering at this event? It needs to be so rich and relevant that they are willing to interrupt their schedules and travel to be at your event.
A show organizer will spend money on audience acquisition. And this is where I advise my clients to assess the marketing efforts of the show to draw an audience. What marketing tactics are they deploying to get the audience to the show? As an exhibitor you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their marketing plan.
If you are an exhibitor, you still need to use this show function to bring your current customers and prospects in so that they can be “educated” in your booth. There are other opportunities for entertainment which should be considered for your target audience.
Being an exhibitor at a show means you can draw from the show organizers and other exhibitors’ marketing efforts to have a crowd walking up and down the aisles. Now to get a stream of that crowd into your booth – that’s another topic!
Another key audience consideration for a private event – what does your list REALLY look like – how clean is the database of names?
Personal invitations and custom direct mail will be the best way to inform your audience – you must reveal the compelling reasons to come. You may also be able to leverage your sales team, who should have close relationships with key prospective attendees.
Set Expectations
The tangible dynamic of a crowd at a show vs. a group of people at an event needs to be taken into consideration. It will be very important to set expectations among your attendee as to the look and feel you would have at a private event. The language of exclusive gathering, etc. can be used to draw them to the event.
Education and networking are key components of any gathering. You need to make sure to facilitate both aspects to have a delighted attendee.
What's the Strategy?
What are your objectives for hosting the private event? What type of ROI would be acceptable for your firm to host this type of event?
The cost of a private event can be considerable and that should be scrutinized carefully against the objectives desired.
Event Expertise
Do you have the talented, well informed event personnel on staff (or can contract them) to produce your private event?
If you holding an event at a conference facility or large hotel, someone with the knowledge to navigate all the contracts, food and beverage and on and on needs to be in place or costs can spiral out of control.
Make Them Feel Special
Now there are ways to use a trade show to host special groups and create a “private” feel for the show experience. One is to have a special room off the show floor for demos, private conversations, etc.
Then there are the hotel rooms which can be used to educated and entertain selected customers and prospects.
As you can see, Joyce knows her stuff. Another important component that I would add is the creation of content - which is as difficult as any of the above points. You may want to consider partnering with an organization that can assist you in creating the most compelling and relevant content for your organization.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Do What Google Does with Your Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: do-what-google CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 04/23/2008 10:50:50 AM ----- BODY:
Here is a portion of a letter to the editor for the most recent Fast Company. The submission comes from Eric Schultz in response to Fast Company's March, 2008 cover story featuring Google as the most innovative company in the world.
"Maybe it's time to get off the Google bandwagon. It's all expansion of one good idea, some smart acquisitions, and lots and lots of cool, free, unprofitable stuff that allows the old idea to make more money."
Google, by creating such free services as Google Co-op, Google Apps, Gmail and others, has created a number of opportunities for customers to get more involved in the Google brand. It's not news that this is pure genius.
What Can Marketers Learn from Google?
Smart marketers can learn a lot from what Google has done. Now, very few of us have the resources to create a bunch of free online services, but we can take their example with our content marketing.
By generating consistent, valuable and compelling content, delivered to our customers and prospects, we can drive the same type of results as Google.
Not Apps and Gmail, but White Papers, Blogs and Articles
Let's go back to our letter to the editor. Google creates "lots of cool, free, unprofitable stuff" that generates revenues through other products. That's the essence of content marketing.
When you deliver ultra-valuable information to your customers, and not just product pitches, it drives customers to your "paid" products.
Free doesn't mean it's not valuable. Actually, your free content that you deliver must be the best stuff around, or why would they consider buying what you actually have to offer? I've heard renown copywriter and entrepreneur Bob Bly state this many times in his audio recordings. Bob is adamant that the very best information you have to offer should be what you give away for free, which will ultimately create demand for your real products.
What You Must Do Now
Recognize the fact that, regardless of what you sell, you are a publisher. Start looking at your customers and prospects from the perspective of the information they need to have to do their job faster, better, cheaper.
Once you do that, start creating the content and pick a consistent schedule. If you stay the course, the results will be impressive indeed. Unfortunately, most companies start and stall when in comes to their content marketing. In today's marketing environment, and the way consumers engage in information online, you can't afford to stall. Be like Google. Be relentless. Good Luck!
Relevant Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: DJ EMAIL: onlinemarketerblog@gmail.com IP: 65.114.233.194 URL: http://OnlineMarketerBlog.com DATE: 04/24/2008 12:10:40 PM Don't have much to say accept that you're totally correct! Nice work, Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: DJ EMAIL: onlinemarketerblog@gmail.com IP: 65.114.233.194 URL: http://OnlineMarketerBlog.com DATE: 04/24/2008 12:13:57 PM I mean "except" - how embarrassing... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/24/2008 12:46:46 PM Thanks DJ...no worries. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ayo Ijidakinro EMAIL: ayo@ayoswebdesign.com IP: 68.11.200.47 URL: http://www.ayoswebdesign.com DATE: 04/25/2008 02:06:20 AM Hey Joe, This is absolutely true. People buy from a company if they believe its product or service will really help them solve their problems. However, ads and traditional marketing do little to instill belief. If your website can help the customer before he gives you a penny, he will be far more likely to believe other claims you make. Free services, like educational articles, allow potential customers to build a relationship with you with zero financial risk. It's funny, today I just wrote a post about this same topic: http://www.ayoswebdesign.com/2008/04/how-can-freely-sharing-articles-you.html Best, Ayo Ijidakinro Owner & Operator Ayo's Website Design ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/25/2008 07:51:22 AM Absolutely right Ayo. There still is a place for traditional advertising, no question, but content marketing must be a core component of all marketing plans - and should be integrated with your overall strategy. Just checked out your blog. Nice work. Best Joe ----- PING: TITLE: Branded utilty URL: http://martinharrison.typepad.com/whatnow/2008/04/branded-utilty.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: whatnow DATE: 04/25/2008 07:12:12 AM Branded Utility is a great concept. Junta 42 points out that this is what Google do, but calls it content marketing. (It seems to me that there are quite a few people creating different terms to describe the same concept ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New Rules of Custom Publishing - New Complimentary White Paper: Nine Strategies to Create a World-Class Content Marketing Company STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-rules-of-cu CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 04/21/2008 03:36:28 PM ----- BODY:
Find Expert Custom Publishers at Junta42 Match
The web and a continuing modification of buyer behavior (among other things) have changed the rules of what most people call the "custom publishing" industry. Traditional custom publishers, who profit from the creation and execution of customized content solutions for clients, must understand the new rules of custom publishing in order to survive. To help, I put together this complimentary white paper titled: The New Rules of Custom Publishing: Nine Key Strategies for Creating a World-Class Content Marketing Company.
Although this white paper is clearly targeted for publishers, or the providers of content services for marketing professionals, there is tremendous value for both marketers and publishers. This is especially true, since it doesn't matter if you make your money off of publishing or not. We are all publishers...so we all need to understand what is going on in the marketing/publishing world in order to compete in it (with content).
Unfortunately, most custom publishers are still hanging on to older business models and, as such, are getting plowed down by those abiding by the new rules of custom publishing. That said, there is a huge opportunity for those organizations that do choose to adopt the new rules as part of their overall business strategy.
The nine strategies highlighted in "The New Rules of Custom Publishing" are:
Download this complimentary white paper The New Rules of Custom Publishing: Nine Key Strategies for Creating a World-Class Content Marketing Company and take your content company into the new world of publishing. I hope you enjoy it!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim Duffy EMAIL: jduffy@northbrookpub.com IP: 66.72.230.99 URL: DATE: 04/29/2008 03:30:41 PM Hi Joe, Read your White Paper with great interest. Outstanding stuff, a true blueprint for best business practices going forward. One thing I would add about publishers. They are the glue in client/custom pub relations. Thanks for your terrific contribution to the industry. Best regards, Jim Duffy, Editor, Northbrook Publications ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/29/2008 04:05:52 PM Jim...thanks for the comment. I agree. As you know, I'm a big fan of content outsourcing to qualified publishers. I'm just not sure all the publishers out there see the tremendous opportunity in front of them. Glad you enjoyed the paper. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: james wood EMAIL: web2.0@hd-productions.biz IP: 80.0.26.86 URL: http://www.hd-productions.biz DATE: 07/07/2009 04:51:27 PM Great whitepaper tips ----- PING: TITLE: Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW - A Complimentary White Paper URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/08/attract-and-ret.html IP: 10.0.23.103 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 08/03/2008 10:12:45 PM Today’s Internet-savvy buyers are hungry for content. And not just any content...valuable, relevant content that offers solutions to their problems and helps them lead successful, productive, enjoyable jobs and lives. However, they are also inundated b... ----- PING: TITLE: The New Rules of Custom Publishing URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com/marketing_interactions/2008/04/the-new-rules-o.html IP: 10.0.23.101 BLOG NAME: Marketing Interactions DATE: 04/22/2008 05:40:59 PM Joe Pulizzi, over at Junta 42's Content Marketing Revolution blog has written and released a new paper, The New Rules of Custom Publishing. He's written it for custom publishers as a guide on how to survive the changing content landscape, but it's got ... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Relationship between Editors and Freelance Writers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-relationshi CATEGORY: journalists DATE: 04/17/2008 09:08:06 AM ----- BODY:
I received an email from a freelance writer last week who wanted a little more detail on how custom publishers/custom publishing editors work with freelance writers (and any specific advice). Although it's a little off our focus here, it's still a great topic. So, I asked my friend and colleague Tom Peric', who has been chief editor of a number of custom publications, to respond. Tom's information is below.
I decided NOT to split this article up, even though it is rather long. As you'll see from Tom's article, freelance writers with traditional assignments vs. custom assignments seem pretty much the same. Personally, the major difference with custom over traditional is that sometimes writers need to follow Tom's advice with multiple contacts - the editorial director or chief editor, the account director and the account manager. Each deserves their own treatment. There is no question that there is tons of opportunity for freelancers in custom publishing/media...but you definitely have to WANT it.
Thanks Tom for the submission...I hope you all enjoy! - JP
The Writing Life: Editors and Writers
Writing
types often ask me about the relationship between editors and freelance
writers. Having been on both sides of the fence, I can sympathize with both
groups when they gripe about the other party. In particular, freelance writers
want to know how to get the attention of editors for an article and to keep
that interest for future assignments. Editors don’t share the same mold. Editors’ approaches to how they deal with
freelancers are as varied as the choices of apples at the supermarket. Here are
some tips that might help you close the gap with your less successful editors.
Remain The Same. If an editor is accepting your
work and seems keen to keep giving you assignments, then you probably have the
"right" kind of approach. After all, they keep feeding you work. Here,
the cliché is apt: "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." You have
apparently developed a system that works for you, so keep doing what you have
been doing with this batch.
Background and Relationships. Cracking into the pack of writers
used by a reliable editor can be very difficult even when you've shown, via
clips or references, that you’re a pro. Editors don’t like taking chances,
probably because they have been disappointed in the past. Hence a reluctance.
Yes, ironically, they must always be on the lookout for new talent. Yes, your
clips are good, but how do they know that a superb editor didn’t slave over
your effort to make it good? Suggest to
the editor that you might want to take an article, not for the next issue but
several issues down the road. This way, you're offering the editor a way to
deal with your work (kill the story) if he or she doesn’t feel your work doesn’t
pass the test.
Know The Game. There’s nothing more compelling to
an editor than when you clearly demonstrate you are familiar with the
publication. Unfortunately, this is a time-consuming process, and it’s why most
PR people fail miserably when they pitch editors. I would hope that you check
out the edit calendar BEFORE you pitch the editor. I am stunned at the number
of PR people and writers who never bother to look at this. Knowing what an
editor is looking for and when he or she needs it is winning half of the assignment
game.
What’s The Value? Unfortunately, the law of supply
and demand dictates the market for freelancers. There are tons of freelancers
out there. (I didn’t say they were good, just that they’re out there.) Everyone
wants to write and thinks they can write. So, how valuable are freelancers? Valuable
if they deliver. That means they meet deadlines, the copy is tight and bright,
they follow the assignment sheet, they keep you abreast of developments,
especially problems, and they contact you early – not the day before – when a
sticky point develops. One of my freelancers should probably get more money
from me. I don’t want to lose him, but there’s something called a budget. So I
pay him within one week (or less) when he turns in the assignment. And I have
only sent one assignment back for a minor touch-up in about five years. Any
follow-up, I do. What I’m doing is keeping his workload to a minimum and paying
faster than anyone in the freelance universe. He loves working with me, and I
enjoy working with him. I’m also appalled that the freelance market doesn’t pay
any better today (per word) than it did 25 years ago. Supply and demand. There
will always be more supply than demand – and the wages reflect that reality.
Problem Editors. What should you do with problem
editors who don't you use you or, if they do, make it hard getting new
assignments? Use the direct, polite approach. Ask them what is the best way to
get more assignments. Try this: "Janice, I enjoyed the article I did
for you and would like to a few more on a regular basis. Is there anything
I can do that would increase this likelihood? Do I need to pitch you differently
or approach my stories from a special perspective?” Again, I'm always amazed
when people don't ask the person to whom they’re selling (and you ARE selling
them your writing and reporting skills) how to do it. I would be sure to ask
the editor how they want to be pitched and even WHEN they want pitches. While I own my own PR firm in Cherry Hill, N.J., I also serve as the editor of two national trade publications.
Make It Personal. Whenever possible, try to meet the editor
for lunch and a face-to-face. I understand you can't fly across the country for
a $500 assignment. But if the editor is within striking distance, up to three
hours, I say go for it. How do you decide? Simple. How important is the editor
and publication to you? If it's only $1,000 per year, it might not be
worth it. But if it's worth $5,000 and you think it's possible to boost that
figure to $15,000, make that luncheon appointment today. Meet with EVERY editor
at least once a year, and twice is better. In this Internet age, becoming a
real person as opposed to a disembodied spirit via e-mail can make all the
difference in the world. When you see a particularly relevant idea for an
editor, even if it is not something you want to write about, pass it on to the
editor with a brief note. Stay in front
of the editor in a low-key, but regular way.
Beyond E-Mail. E-mail is great. But most of us forget about e-mails almost immediately,
NO MATTER how valuable. Unless we tag it or pull it into an appropriate folder,
WE FORGET ABOUT IT. Follow up EVERY e-mail intro to an editor with a hard copy
by snail mail. The snail mail will
presumably include your background, plus an article or two. Be sure to use a
good color printer for what you send. Mention in the e-mail that you'll
send hard copy. Why? Try this: “Janice, because e-mail getting through is always
suspect, I'm also sending along a copy of this e-mail in a snail mail packet."
Now it might sit on the desk for months, but the editor will almost surely have
to "touch” it again. And they just might say, "Oh, yeah, I meant to .
. ." Old e-mails? Don't we almost always forget about them? Snail mail is
still real mail.
What Am I Doing Wrong? What are you doing wrong with the editors who
don’t use or call upon you with regularity? Again, just ask. The problem is
most editors will never level with you. Whether it’s political correctness, politeness
or avoiding a decidedly uncomfortable conversation, I’ve never known an editor
to say, “I just don’t like your writing style.” However, I once had an editor
compare me to another top gun freelancer and, frankly, he favored the other
guy. He was also honest about why. That conversation had a profound effect on
me. I had another editor who had issues about one aspect of how I handled the
language. The results of the conversation also had a dramatic effect on how I wrote
subsequently. In short, when you obtain
the information that warrants change, do so. But there will always be some
things (editors) that you can’t control, change or receive information from
that permits you to take a different direction. “Forget about it,” as Al Pacino
said. You’ll sleep better at night. Just go on to the next editor.
The Best Time. Keep abreast of changes in the marketplace. There is NEVER a better time to approach an editor than when he or she starts on the job. They often start with a partially clean slate. What better time than now to approach them before they create their own stable of writers and become reluctant to add more? One source I use, among many, is Partyline. It is a weekly report on staff and editorial changes at many media outlets. Tell Betty I sent you. A bit expensive for some freelancers (about $167 for an online version) but worth it. Visit http://www.partylinepublishing.com.
Tom Peric' is a
leading speaker on getting publicity and president of Galileo
Communications Inc. He is the
author of Wacky Days: How to Get Millions
of $$$ in Free Publicity. Contact him at
856-874-0049, tom[at]thegalileo.com or visit
www.thegalileo.com. © 2008 Galileo Communications Inc.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim McDermott EMAIL: jmcdermott@embarqmail.com IP: 71.49.180.47 URL: DATE: 04/17/2008 08:22:16 PM Great article, Tom. As always, you're an insightful and thoughtful guy with terrific advice for writers. Jim McDermott ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Leigh Ann EMAIL: managingeditor@familydoctormag.com IP: 75.71.33.96 URL: http://www.MyFamilyDoctorMag.com DATE: 04/18/2008 12:48:19 PM Hi there. As an editor of a traditional magazine, I thought I'd chime in on this interesting article. I agree wholeheartedly with this key advice and am so glad Mr. Peric included it: "You MUST answer the two most basic questions on EVERY pitch. Why should I (and the reader) care? Why should I care now?" (Of course, magazines work months in advance, so, please, no, "This month is So-and-So month" articles!) That said, every editor is different, so here are a couple of areas in which I differ from Mr. Peric. 1. I personally do not like to meet writers face-to-face. (I'm too busy and love e-mail.) You can ask, but don't be offended when I decline. 2. I do NOT want submissions snail mailed. I keep very organized e-mail folders and don't open snail mail for months. It's useless to me. But I must admit, Mr. Peric makes a good point about e-mails not getting through. I would suggest waiting at least three weeks to see if you get a reply. Then, follow up with an e-mail (maybe mentioning that you're mailing a pitch in the subject; don't just label it "follow up") politely saying that you haven't heard and are concerned that the e-mail didn't get through, so you'll be snail mailing a pitch. If the editor still doesn't get back to you within a couple of days, then you could mail it and maybe even put a note on the envelope about what's going on, to entice the editor to open it. I also couldn't care less if the mailed submission is in color. I tend to think of that as a waste of money. But I can't say it wouldn't have a subconscious impact on me. Who knows? Interesting and well-thought-out post, all around. (I came across it because of a link from BoSacks, FYI.) Thank you for it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom Peric EMAIL: tom@thegalileo.com IP: 69.248.105.188 URL: http://www.thegalileo.com DATE: 04/20/2008 05:12:00 PM Thanks for your comments. Allow me to address your disagreements. First, I would only suggest a face-to-face if the media outlet is important to the writer. They might see it as a new or increased revenue opportunity, or it could be the prestige of writing for the media outlet. I didn't mean to imply that every editor is waiting with baited breath for a free meal. Indeed, my sense is that many editors DON'T want to have lunch with writers. However, any writer who doesn't ASK for the luncheon date is just plain foolish because they're forgoing a possible opportunity. The fact that an editor might say no to me is like shower water in the morning. I don't even think about. But doesn't just asking already give you three advantages? 1) You know this editor doesn't like luncheons (meetings); 2) It's an opening for an e-mail (Kathy, since you don't do luncheons, I sent along a pitch that I wanted to give you.) 3) It's an opening, if an actual meeting occurs (at a trade show or function that you both might be covering). "Hi Marlene, I now know you don't like to do luncheons judging from your e-mail, but I'm really glad I had a chance to meet you. . . . If an editor says they don't do lunch, fine. I'm not suggesting you badger, I suggesting you ask. And, frankly, I have a certain approach that I use to ask for luncheons (when I'm pitching) which I believe increases my yes responses. I don't share it for the obvious reason that I don't need have others use it and water down my own success. In the end, it is the most basic form of salesmanship that exists. You must ask. Sometimes you get a yes. Sometimes a no. If your ego is so fragile that an e-mail rejection gives you the shivers, then don't ask. But I can assure you of this: Ask enough editors (whom YOU'VE deemed important enough to meet), and some will say yes, AND some of those luncheons will turn into assignments. Second, the question of snail mail. I respect the fact that you don't like snail mail. You are correct. It might sit around for months (as it does in your case). But again, how does a writer KNOW unless they try or ask? I've knows a few high-end editors who still PREFER snail mail because it does hang around. Both methods have lapses in delivery. Using a confirm receipt in e-mail is an option, but this will also irritate some editors because it's an extra click. You are clearly very organized with your folders. Many editors are not. But I still maintain that most editors are lot less likely to have an "ah ha" moment with an old e-mail tucked into a electronic folder than that envelope that they keep putting aside but WON'T throw away. You keep thinking: I'm going to get to that one day. And, one day, you do. And that's why I LIKE the idea of an envelope sitting on that desk for months. Indeed, your suggestion about sending the e-mail via snail mail is EXACTLY what I do. I mention in the e-mail that I'm sending a copy by snail mail. Then I wait one or two days, in case I get a reply or a kickback on the e-mail before I actually mail it. (If I get a kickback, I make sure the e-mail address is correct AND the editor is still on the job.) But I don't wait three weeks. It gets to cumbersome to handle lots of queries over months of time. I know this about editors. When they're really thinking about a story, it only takes a few minutes for them to decide upon assigning, ignoring or taking it up at an edit meeting, unless there's a definite time twist to it so that it gets dropped into the calendar category. (This just happened a few hours ago. In a column, I gave suggestions on how to pitch me. Guess what? A writer sent me a pitch based on the column, followed my advice, and she will probably get the assignment if she meets one of my concerns. Total decision time. About one minute.) I don't want to think about the same idea and the same editor more than once, unless they respond in the affirmative. Two pitches, one idea, deliver twice in the same week. If they don't respond, I don't want to think about it any longer. Next editor, next idea. The MOST important point of all: Whether you're a writer pitching a story or a PR person pitching a client, the goal is still difficult. You want a way to pitch that works each time for every editor. But an editor, as Leigh Ann is an excellent example, is an individual who might disagree with my approach or yours. In my humble opinion, the BEST solution is to use a general approach when you can't, don't or won't customize the pitch. I still maintain that when YOU don't know, my two- step approach is best. I use it BOTH for my editorial pitches and my PR pitches. Actually, for my PR pitches, I often fax, which makes it a three-step approach. (I own a PR agency and also serve as the editor of two trade magazines.) Proof? Now that delicious moment. I've gotten responses and acceptance from e-mail, snail mail and faxes (yes, faxes). Now, if I had said: Well, no one uses faxes, and only old people would use snail mail, I'd have lost out on some very nice opportunities. I've seen my system work as the editor of a city magazine, a news syndicate, business editor of a daily newspaper and various other monthly and weekly publications. Allow me to close on this note: Develop as much information about the editor and the publication that you can. Customize the pitch as much as possible. (This IS custom publishing, isn't it)? ASK the editor how to pitch. And, finally, if you don't have the time or inclination to customize your pitch, a one-time shot (effort) is a long shot. A repetitive effort WITH a good idea is worth it. Leigh Ann, you write like a very sound, solid editor even if we never have lunch. Thanks for you contribution. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob EMAIL: rob@freelancejobsonline.info IP: 71.229.161.107 URL: http://freelancejobsonline.info DATE: 11/20/2010 02:45:43 PM I agree with one part of your article... Editors do not like to take a chance. I had this same problem when looking for a publisher of my first book. Recently, with the amount of paying freelance writing jobs I am finding online, I have been focusing on that exclusively... So I don't have to deal with editors any longer; just picky website owners instead that won't even buy lunch. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 4 Easy Steps to Getting Found on the Internet STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 4-easy-steps-to CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 04/16/2008 08:02:32 AM ----- BODY:
After speaking at the min day summit yesterday, I was able to connect with a few publisher friends of mine I haven't seen in quite a while. For one person in particular (who will remain nameless), I didn't pick up their business card - and wanted to send a follow up email.
While searching online, I couldn't find the person's email address. Now, this is a very successful publishing executive. When I typed his name into Google, it was like he didn't even exist. On the company site there was no direct contact information. After about 5 minutes of searching through documents in Google, I finally found his email in a pdf document.
I wonder - does he know how hard it is for people to find him on the web? Being a marketing and publishing executive today is all about being accessible. That aside, what does it say about his web knowledge, or how his company positions executives, that they make it a chore for people to get in touch with him and the company?
Seth Godin, in his book Meatball Sundae, has an excellent example about this very topic. In his example, he was discussing how getting the direct contact information for Bank of America's CEO was almost impossible - guarded by layers of hoops, contact forms and gatekeepers. Not only does this present a customer service no-no, but it is exactly the opposite online perception of what the web was built for - transparency, easy access, openness, etc.
Because of this one small situation, my perception of the person and the company has changed - and I'm not even a customer. I wonder what customers must feel like when trying to get in touch with company executives.
Make sure as a marketing professional you are taking care of your own online persona, as well as your company's. Here are some simple things that will help:
How accessible you are on web is incredibly important to your online brand strategy. Make sure you know how you are being perceived, and how easy or difficult you are making it for your customers to contact you. These are very simple strategies that are more and more a requirement in today's connected world. I'll be sending this link to my friend.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: correspond@paulconley.com IP: 71.241.152.37 URL: http://paulconley.blogspot.com/ DATE: 04/21/2008 04:30:30 PM Hi Joe, I had a similar experience with a publishing company a few weeks ago. I ran into someone who wanted to do business with them. I figured I'd made an introduction. But after 15 minutes of searching for a way to contact the CEO or the top editor (on their Web site, on Facebook and on LinkedIn), I gave up. I tried calling. But I ran into a "gatekeeper" secretary who suggested I send a letter. As you'd guess, I decided not to do the company any favors. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/21/2008 04:35:07 PM Thanks Paul...yep, it's amazing how many are unaware of their own practices. Sad part is, I wonder if the CEO you were trying to connect with has any idea? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bruce Inouye EMAIL: bruce@blogmarketingexperts.com IP: 70.176.66.101 URL: http://www.blogmarketingexperts.com DATE: 06/15/2010 11:27:58 PM I totally agree that anyone in business has to be accessible when starting an online presence. Having three blogs, 5 contact pages, 2 opt in pages, certainly helps as I do but I know the importance of using the internet to "get found." It only makes sense and will serve my business for many years to come. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New Research: Business Marketers Spending Big on Custom Publishing/Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-research-bu CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 04/14/2008 10:18:11 AM ----- BODY:
We are proud to release research regarding how business-to-business marketers are spending and thinking about customized content (custom publishing, custom media, content marketing - you pick the term).
Junta42, in association with BtoB Magazine, surveyed 150 marketing professionals focused in btob markets. The findings were pretty clear: content marketing is alive and growing within the business-to-business sales cycle.
Here are some key findings:
Here is the formal release - but you can check out the results overview here on the Junta42 site. More to come.
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Allen EMAIL: info@rnbresearch.com IP: 121.245.205.102 URL: http://www.rnbresearch.com/ DATE: 06/30/2009 08:30:32 AM I came to your blog just when I was surfing on this topic. I am happy that I found your blog and information I wanted. You have given very good information about this topic & i totally agree with your facts. Great...... keep it up!!!!!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: business opportunity leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 06:43:59 PM According to my research the U.S. Postal Service became its own publisher in 2005 with the creation of Delivermagazine. Its purpose is to promote direct mail campaigns by using such custom content as case studies, third-party columns and commentary. An online version introduced in 2007 added podcast and video case studies of successful direct-mail campaigns. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Content Marketing Lesson from the Transformers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-content-marke CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 04/09/2008 09:22:15 AM ----- BODY:It's interesting that my two sons are playing with some of the same toys that I did when I was their age. This is especially true for the Transformers. I will admit that today's Transformers are a bit more advanced, but the premise is the same. I brought my old Transformers down from the attic, which proved to be mildly thrilling to my sons.
The hot toy my son Joshua just received is called Ultimate Bumblebee. Ultimate Bumblebee is a Transformer that turns into a 2008 Camaro. Bumblebee talks on command, and will play certain songs depending on what you do with it.
One of the songs it plays is Devo's "Whip it," a very popular song in the early 80s (that I know by heart). Bumblebee plays two different, five-second versions of the song (you can hear both in the above video clip).
Here's the content marketing/branded content lesson in all of this...
By giving away those two relevant (through Bumblebee's radio), short audio clips as part of Ultimate Bumblebee, my kids starting singing the song, as well as asking me more about it. From that discussion, Joshua started to search the Internet for Devo's "Whip It" (the song copyright is on the outside of the box), and we watched the video on YouTube (possibly a bad parenting example there).
They liked it so much, we decided to buy the song from iTunes. Who knows what's next...Devo fan club perhaps?
After the experience, I realized that this was the perfect example of how content marketing and branded content works.
Above is the perfect scenario from initiation to engagement to purchase. Now, I have no idea if that's why Devo gave the rights to Hasbro for the piece, but I can only imagine the number of Dads around the world who are singing "Whip It" to their kids. God help us all.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Madej (Digital Marketing Rucksack) EMAIL: mmadej@industryweek.com IP: 63.87.75.67 URL: http://www.michaelmadej.com DATE: 04/11/2008 05:12:33 PM Joe, this is another great example of the Guitar Hero phenomenon that's driving a lot of old music sales right now. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd are seeing huge sales jumps when their songs are included in video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Here's a PC World article that describes more and gives some data: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141713/article.html A 31-48% jump in Metallica sales? That's what I'd call effective content marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: jeremy morris EMAIL: jmorris@campbell-ewald.com IP: 68.41.73.166 URL: http://www.thenextengine.com DATE: 04/13/2008 05:29:38 PM Worth pointing out the whole Transformers/Chevy tie-in which in and of itself a major branded entertainment/branded content play. I won't brag about which Detroit-based ad agency brokered the deal! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: jeremy morris EMAIL: jmorris@campbell-ewald.com IP: 68.41.73.166 URL: http://www.thenextengine.com DATE: 04/13/2008 05:30:56 PM Worth pointing out the whole Transformers/Chevy tie-in which in and of itself a major branded entertainment/branded content play. I won't brag about which Detroit-based ad agency brokered the deal! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Magazines Can Save a Dying Print Industry STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-magazine CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 04/07/2008 10:38:11 AM ----- BODY:
In reading Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni's most notable magazine launch of 2007 (Condé Nast Portfolio), I couldn't help to think that there is a huge opportunity for marketers in, yes, print.
Work with me here for a second...
Mr. Magazine states that "Condé Nast felt so sure of the current desire for good content that they fed over $125 million into the launch of CN Portfolio, our Most Notable Launch of the Year. So far I haven’t heard one whisper of disappointment concerning that investment, except of course from the prophets of doom and gloom."
He's right (and so is Portfolio), relevant and valuable content can live anywhere, even in print. And though Mr. Magazine states that 2007 had 200 fewer traditional print launches than in 2006, the 2007 number is still substantially higher than that of 1991.
Couple thoughts...first, I believe that the number of traditional magazine launches will continue to go down (yes I know, big leap). More investment is going into online and print will continue to be challenging for marketers to measure results. So, publishers will continue to go online.
Second, less print means more opportunities for those still in the game - publishers as well as marketers.
Third, almost everyone I talk to or work with still LOVES print. As much as I believe in the growth of online and mobile (and I do), people interact and engage with print in ways that are difficult to replicate online. I still take about 10 magazines with me on every trip.
If you, as a marketer, buy into this, than you should consider some form of print custom communications as part of your content marketing plan.
Here's some equations -
Less Traditional Print = Greater Share of Customer Attention (easier to cut through the print clutter)
More Attention + Continued Customer Print Behavior = Key Channel to Build Your Customer Relationships
Print, by itself, is ignorant and wasteful. Print, integrated with online media, can be extremely powerful.
The Focus on Web May Have Blinded Your Competition
Traditional marketers are moving money in barrels over to the online space. At a recent BtoB conference, it was stated that Microsoft and Intel are putting 50% of their marketing money into the online space. I'm sure your competitors are starting to move in this fashion as well. And they are all right to do so.
But an integrated online strategy works best with a marketing mix that includes print. Our sponsorship drive for the 2007 Junta42 Golf for Autism showed us this last year. Even though we sent multiple emails to sponsors regarding donation opportunities, most sponsors took action when they received the print piece in the mail (over 60% used the print mail form). All of the marketing we did had impact individually, but used together we saw results.
Also, look at the USPS launch of Deliver magazine. They've been investing more and more into this magazine for marketing professionals - and have been pouring on the online marketing in conjunction. I found this banner ad promoting subscriptions on BtoB magazine today. (btw, they've also been investing many more resources into their website, which was pretty much non-existent just a few years ago.)
Look at your content marketing. How can you integrate print into your plan? Is there an opportunity in your industry to cut through the clutter?
There will most likely be less traditional magazine launches in 2008. Could custom magazines like Deliver save the print industry? Possibly...
But, before you do anything, test it out. The worst thing you could do is just spam your customers and mail out to your full list. Get their permission first. Focus on the 80/20 customers that mean the most to you. If successful, expand from there.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ricardo EMAIL: ricardo.azambuja@gmail.com IP: 201.11.212.207 URL: DATE: 06/24/2008 04:20:40 PM I used to drop by theprintcostcalculator.com to know how much the print will cost... :D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John EMAIL: marcenal@thewebshowroom.com.au IP: 121.96.68.241 URL: http://www.penfoldresearch.com.au/ DATE: 03/03/2010 09:19:25 PM Yeah, it would be a challenging year onwards for the printing industry but I guess prints are still important part of the advertising and marketing world. So it would be better if both online and print ads should be consider than make a drastic move on moving solely on online advertising and marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: buy viagra EMAIL: karen_gott@gmail.com IP: 190.10.68.227 URL: http://www.xlpharmacy.com/ DATE: 05/27/2010 05:49:04 PM I love the jeans are garments that never goes out of fashion, I love reading and I always keep a reading room for another magazine, I like the tabloid publications of shows and my husband in particular those of adults which does not displease me I see and read well, are very well made and are also putting aside hot, very artistic. Karen J. Gott 1561 Hamilton Drive Hitchcock, TX 77 563 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: breaking news EMAIL: graceace89@gmail.com IP: 110.37.10.38 URL: http://www.islamtribune.com/ DATE: 07/25/2010 02:05:59 PM Yeah, it would be a challenging year onwards for the printing industry but I guess prints are still important part of the advertising and marketing world. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Kidder EMAIL: jonathan-kidder@bethel.edu IP: 75.146.33.113 URL: http://priorityresults.com/blog/marketing-trends-5-reasons-print-marketing-will-always-be-in/ DATE: 11/24/2010 01:43:28 PM I think custom print will continue to be popular. This stat taken from your site says it all - 18-24 year-old men and women who receive custom magazines from a corporation are the most engaged of any age group (yes, really!). ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Freelance Writing Retirement Plan STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-freelance-w CATEGORY: journalists DATE: 04/04/2008 09:48:49 AM ----- BODY:
Freelance writers are one of the cornerstones of the content marketing industry. Frankly, much of the great content that is created by corporations comes from freelance writers and journalists.
That said, many freelancers are looking for something more. Many don't want to work more hours, or raise their rates. Many are looking for something more secure.
My take is that freelancers should concentrate on building an asset. That is the core of the Freelance Writing Retirement plan.
In this American Society of Business Publication Editors guest blog post I cover three ways writers and journalists can begin to develop their work into an asset that can bear fruit in the future. These include:
Check out the post for more.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 04/04/2008 06:21:37 PM Joe, do you have some examples of freelancers doing as you suggest? It seems almost like a no win situation if you are a freelancer. Freelancers almost seem trapped by the need to write more to make more. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.244.25.151 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/04/2008 06:51:40 PM Hi Jay...I agree with you that it won't be easy, but it's very possible. A great example of this is Brian Clark at copyblogger.com. Brian used to produce content like other writers/journalists, but then started to create businesses. Copyblogger is one of the most successful blogs in the world, and led him to create the membership website, teachingsells.com, which has been extremely successful since the launch this last October. Many successful online businesses are being launched by writers/journalists (publishing2.com comes to mind as well - which just got a couple million in funding). It just takes a lot of hard work and a different kind of concentration. Hope that helps. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 04/06/2008 02:23:22 PM Thanks, Joe. Copyblogger is a great example and clarifies things for me. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Content Marketing Book - Get Content. Get Customers. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-content-mar CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 04/03/2008 04:43:08 PM ----- BODY:
One of my colleagues (thanks Ian) reminded me that I haven't been doing a good job promoting our upcoming content marketing book, Get Content. Get Customers. For those of you who don't know, the book reunites two Penton Media, Inc. alum, myself and Newt Barrett, my co-author, and is a follow up to our successful eBook of the same title.
As Newt points out, we started this journey approximately nine months ago. On my way down to Cincinnati to see a client, I called Newt from the car to catch up. Little did we know that we were both working on books around the same topic - how businesses can use the tenets of publishing to attract new customers - what we affectionately call "content marketing."
We finished the book about a month ago, and are in the process of finalizing the design and preparing to publish. Although it was truly a labor of love, I love how it turned out, and the initial reaction from our reviewers was simply fantastic.
I think the reason this book resonates is that there is so much talk about the importance of content and why to use it in your business, but so little on the "how." Our goal was to create a book that marketers could pick up and instantly take away best practices to impact their businesses - considering both web and print initiatives.
We are currently working on updating the book site, getcontentgetcustomers.com, where we will offer free chapters, success stories and resources. The book will be available sometime in the next 60 days. Look for the exact date soon. The book will be available for sale on the website, as well as Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. (btw, this image is the actual book cover)
Stay tuned for more...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: Information Is Your Product STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 04/02/2008 12:03:18 PM ----- BODY:
I was recently approached by Patsi Krakoff over at the Writing on the Web blog about writing a guest post on content marketing. I applaud Patsi for her focus and guidance on the content marketing movement. I noticed right away that Patsi's tag line is "How to Use Content Marketing to Attract, Sell and Profit Online." Great Stuff!
Here is Part 1 of the series. Click here for Part 2.
Here are a couple key points from the article series:
Check out the entire series for the rest. Thanks to Patsi for the opportunity, and please check out her blog. Patsi has an excellent hand on today's ever-changing content marketing environment.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Age of Conversation 2: Why Don't People Get It? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: age-of-conversa CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 04/01/2008 10:16:36 AM ----- BODY:
I'm honored to be one of the authors for the second edition of Age of Conversation. The initial book was a collaborative effort written by 100 of the leading online marketing thinkers discussing the power of ideas in this online and social media world.
A recent Amazon bum rush resulted in the Age of Conversation reaching #36 in Amazon's business best sellers and #262 on the overall charts. Congratulations to Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton for bringing it all together. Impressive indeed, for any book.
If you haven't already, get your copy here. Well worth it.
So, Drew and Gavin have decided to do it again with an even more impressive array of authors for Age of Conversation: Why Don't People Get it?
Each expert author will have their own take on what people don't get in today's world of consumer control (mine included). I have a strong feeling that this version of AofC will be even more important, because there is more at risk for those organizations that fail to grasp the opportunity of content marketing, especially online content marketing.
Here is the complete list of authors for Age of Conversation: Why Don't People Get it? Please take some time to check out some of these amazing experts below in advance of the book. I'll have more to come on this in the future.
Adam Crowe, Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob Carlton, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Bradley Spitzer, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Clay Parker Jones, Chris Brown, Colin McKay, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Cord Silverstein, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Goldstein, Dan Schawbel, Dana VanDen Heuvel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Darryl Patterson, Dave Davison, Dave Origano, David Armano, David Bausola, David Berkowitz, David Brazeal, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Emily Reed, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Graham Hill, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, J.C. Hutchins, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeremy Middleton, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, Joe Talbott, John Herrington, John Jantsch, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Flowers, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kris Hoet, Krishna De, Kristin Gorski, Laura Fitton, Laurence Helene Borei, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Barnes-Johnston, Louise Mangan, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Marcus Brown, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Mark McSpadden, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Hawkins, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Monica Wright, Nathan Gilliatt, Nathan Snell, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul Marobella, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Beeker Northam, Rob Mortimer, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Cribbett, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tiffany Kenyon, Tim Brunelle, Tim Buesing, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Longhurst, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan Schawbel EMAIL: dan.schawbel@gmail.com IP: 128.221.197.20 URL: http://www.personalbrandingblog.com DATE: 04/01/2008 10:48:17 AM Looking forward to working on this project with you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gavin Heaton EMAIL: servant@servantofchaos.com IP: 66.236.187.50 URL: http://www.servantofchaos.com DATE: 04/02/2008 04:44:09 AM It is certainly going to be an interesting project! Glad to have you on board, Joe! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 71.122.100.35 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 04/02/2008 09:36:17 AM Joe, Congrats. Your writing style and experience will surely be an asset to the project. Ian Alexander Eat Media ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Tales Equals Sales: The Power of Marketing Storytelling STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: tales-equals-sa CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 03/27/2008 08:02:00 AM ----- BODY:
Here is my latest article from Chief Marketer magazine on the power of storytelling. Some excellent examples here from Unilever's Degree (Degree Rookie campaign) and Blendtec's Will it Blend?
Aside from the examples, here's the real core of the article:
Storytelling, sometimes referred to as content marketing or custom media, consists of delivering the brand product message as relevant and compelling information. Instead of marketers following a playbook, storytelling requires much the same mixture of rational and emotional messaging that you’d find in a New York Times feature, or even on primetime television drama.
Smart marketers are realizing that they don’t have a choice anymore when it comes to reaching consumers. In today’s business environment, the 4 Ps of marketing can be copied verbatim by an outside competitor. The only separation is communication - how a marketer tells its story.
Although I prefer the term content marketing, many leading content experts such as Story Worldwide and Storybrand Consulting have picked up on the "storytelling" concept.
Whatever it's called, the "story" is the same - deliver relevant, valuable and compelling information to your customer, and reap the rewards of engagement, loyalty and, ultimately, purchase.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Madej (Digital Marketing Rucksack) EMAIL: mmadej@industryweek.com IP: 63.87.75.67 URL: http://www.michaelmadej.com DATE: 03/28/2008 04:43:34 PM I'm sure there are a lot of marketers who might say, "But I don't have a compelling story to tell! My company just makes [fill in the blank: industrial bearings, corn syrup, etc.] What do I talk about? What would you tell this type of person, Joe? Are there situations where storytelling isn't possible/practical, or do you think storytelling is a strategy that can be adapted for any market? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 70.221.13.153 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/29/2008 09:24:26 PM Michael...excellent question. As you know (coming from the b2b market), some markets and products are anything but sexy. But the important point is that all businesses have customers, and to those customers, you obviously have something very important or they wouldn't be your customers. Those customers in your market all need ongoing information in order to work better or be more satisfied with their work or personal lives. Why can't you, as the business person, provide that content. I believe all businesses can, and successful ones do. Every business has to find their own story that will truly help their customers. It's sometimes not easy, but it's possible for any company in every industry...and actually much easier to do in very defined business markets. So, long story short, if someone asks you that question, I would answer with, "If you feel you have a compelling product or service, than you can have a compelling story to tell. It's just a matter of how important your customer is to you." Thanks Mike...keep them coming. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas Karr EMAIL: doug@douglaskarr.com IP: 207.250.128.235 URL: http://www.douglaskarr.com DATE: 04/03/2008 12:29:17 PM Great article. In addition to the 4 P's I would say that you touched on one thing and that's permission. IMHO, the real transformation that's occurring is with respect to permission. Word of Mouth (WOM) is really driving marketing right now because it's permission-based and not shoved in our faces. As well, it comes from trusted sources. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.244.25.151 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 04/03/2008 12:45:54 PM Doug...great point, and you are right, permission is the key. The delivery of information without permission could and is considered, whether relevant or not, spam! Sales today is more and more the art of not selling. Interesting how things have changed so. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing at 4 Companies - IBM, Siemens, CIT and Information Builders STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: in-yesterdays-p CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 03/26/2008 10:23:43 AM ----- BODY:In yesterday's post I gave an overview of the BtoB NetMarketing breakfast where leading marketers discussed, in detail, the use of content in their overall marketing plans. What we are starting to see is an evolution of the marketing profession into a marketing/publishing mixture.
Here are some of the highlights that pertain to online content marketing.
Bill Stabile, Siemens Corp.
Chris Boylan, Information Builders
John Carnero, CIT
Eric Andrews, IBM
As you can see from the notes, these four companies get it. They get the fact that the marketer is in control, and to be part of the conversation, they have to create relevant and compelling content consistently, and in multiple formats.
Toward the end of the presentation, there was a lot of talk about how marketers need to be storytellers - creating useful content...specifically targeted micro-niche audiences with very precise bits of information.
The future has arrived!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is the Main Job of Marketing Today Publishing? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-the-main-job CATEGORY: business blogging CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 03/25/2008 09:43:50 AM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of attending the BtoB NetMarketing breakfast about a week ago while I was in New York. I was really looking forward to this, especially when I saw the panel:
Here is a link to the videos from the event.
My key takeaway was this: Leading marketing organizations such as IBM and Siemens are focusing the majority of their time, attention and resources on the creation and distribution of their own content to customers and prospects.
Don't get me wrong, companies like IBM buy plenty of TV and online "space", but those buys are part of an integrated communications plan that direct the buyer to their own content.
This is especially important in the business-to-business buying cycle where it may take six to 24 months for someone to make a purchase decision, and involve from six to possibly 20 people who have a say in the final choice (ouch!).
Marketing today is all about publishing.
Considering the vast changes in buyer behavior, these marketers understand that their marketing function is not about getting prospects to buy now (which is impossible in a b2b environment). It's about getting the prospect engaged in the information provided...making it relevant to their lives and jobs, and motivating them to come back for more (by creating more relevant content).
By providing this type of content marketing and setting up the building blocks for a long-term relationship, the opportunity is now available to actually sell your solutions, because they trust you, have a stake in your brand, and believe in your solutions-oriented message.
The whole idea of this, even ten years ago, would seem like the hard way to increase sales. Today, it's the only way.
I'll have more on some specific takeaways from each presenter tomorrow.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: To Publishers: Your Customers Don't Need You Any Longer STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: to-publishers-y CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 03/21/2008 09:01:09 AM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of speaking to about 40 magazine and book publishers in New York last week for the Publishing Business conference. The presentation was called "Businesses Are Becoming Publishers: What Your Customers Are Doing with Content and How to Handle it."
I've given this type of presentation to publishers before. I especially like the slide that I put up, in all black, that states "Your customers don't need you any longer..." I was happy to see that only a few people left the room after this slide.
The point I was trying to make is a simple one: in any market today, no matter how niche, sellers can reach buyers without going through distributors like magazine and book publishers.
This is not a new concept to many who read this blog, but it was definitely a wake up call to many in the audience who haven't thought about their business models in that way before.
The choice I gave them was not an easy one, but one that I truly believe has much opportunity for publishers. It is the choice between trying to grow top line revenue within a business model that used to work well, but will be challenging to grow in the future - or - giving in to the new buyer behavior and help teach traditional businesses how to become their own publishers.
Both directions have risk, but by publishers morphing into marketing services companies, they can begin to take advantage of the large shift of dollars from traditional advertising to customized content production and execution. According to Publications Management, 27% of marketing budgets now go toward the creation and execution of content. I would anticipate this number getting to 50% within the next decade.
The big reason I see this as an opportunity?: Marketers don't want to be publishers. Frankly, in my discussions with marketing professionals, the last thing they want to do is be responsible for the creation of relevant content. Almost all of them now know they have to create valuable and compelling content to stay competitive, but they really don't want to do it themselves.
This premise is one of the major reasons we launched Junta42 Match. Businesses must start creating their own media, but they lack the will and the expertise to do it right. Publishers can help them get there.
Here is the link to the entire presentation from Publishing Business. We also took video, which will be up as soon as I get around to it.
Exciting times for sure...lots of opportunity, as well as lots of business models that either don't or won't work in the very near future.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Ad Age Crystal Ball 2.0 Mention STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: ad-age-crystal CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 03/19/2008 02:03:51 PM ----- BODY:
Ad Age did a survey of their Power 150 bloggers list about what technology marketers should be paying the most attention to in 2008. They were nice enough to include me.
Here's my statement:
The single biggest issue/technology that deserves the most attention is not a site or an application, but more an organizational philosophy. It's the content marketing movement -- which is the philosophy of marketing services not by traditional methods, but by delivering valuable, relevant and compelling content to customers and prospects on a consistent basis. This is being done through all media platforms, and we are seeing companies like P&G and Nike put a large amount of money and resources into these efforts.
Here are some of the other ones that really caught my eye.
With the cost of production and distribution of digital content rapidly approaching zero, including distribution to the television platform, the opportunity to create branded micro-content that consumers will invite into their lives becomes a financial reality with a huge ROI upside; it's advertising that people want to watch. This should be the single biggest trend to catch fire in 2008.
Online video/TV is the technology to watch in '08. There seems to be a seismic shift toward digital distribution of video content, more and more video sites are being created, and there is a small camera revolution going on (which includes webcams) that portends a continued rise in user-generated video content. YouTube was just the beginning. Now, there's ooVoo, seesmic, Revver, Jumpcut ... the list goes on and on. Oh, and FastCompany.TV that Scoble just inaugurated. Add to that the fact that people are scurrying to their computers in droves to watch television programs which, themselves. More than any other technology, including social networks, online video is it.
Micro-communication: Marketers need to focus their attention on messaging within internal workforce, as well as the external world. Messages have transitioned from full-blown blog posts and email blasts to short and concise messages. Examples of this trend are Twitter and Seesmic, both of which provides users a way of conveying their messages in short text messages or videos that can be easily consumed by others. As people have less and less time to read full-blown news articles and blogs, they will resort to communicating in as few words as possible. Messages that contain simple headlines and links to other resources will skyrocket in 2008 and beyond. Marketers have to be aware of this in order to sync their corporate messaging down to a level where people can understand, react and make decisions faster than long essays.
What makes a site worth reading has very little to do with digital technologies or web applications, it has everything to do with content. This is what encourages consistent readership and keeps visitors coming back for more. You ask what is most deserving of marketers' attention in 2008 and why? The best illustration of this was at the AdAge IDEA conference, when the BBDO/GE presentation of their $350 million campaign was followed by the BlendTec guy who does $50 videos on YouTube. As he demonstrated, this increased sales by over 30%. There were no similar metrics given by the BBDO/GE team ... But then again, that's "Branding!"
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sterling Okura | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.213.71.193 URL: http://www.bizlift.com/blog DATE: 03/19/2008 03:53:59 PM Joe, congratulations on your mention in AdAge. Great advice on marketing through consistent quality content. Tom Martin's comment is very exciting. My Mixed Martial Arts (cagefighting) gym has free video tutorials avaiable on-demand through Comcast cable. They've picked up a lot of new students through it. Small gyms delivering micro-content through TV really demonstrates Tom's point. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.244.25.151 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/19/2008 03:59:20 PM Thanks Sterling. I simply love that the barriers to creating media have come down so low that anyone can do it. Congrats on your success story. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sterling Okura | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.213.71.193 URL: http://www.bizlift.com/blog DATE: 03/19/2008 05:08:31 PM Hi Joe. It's not actually my success story, but the instructors at the gym I go to. But true, the barriers for creating & distributing media are low enough for anyone to utilize. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: tom martin EMAIL: tmartin@z-comm.com IP: 67.128.53.58 URL: http://www.tommartin.typepad.com DATE: 03/27/2008 03:22:03 PM Joe, Thanks for the nod to my Ad Age quote. Small world -- I was born in Fremont, OH -- just down the road from you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.201.221.253 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/27/2008 10:32:40 PM Tom...my dad used to teach at Fremont St. Joe's. Small world. Thanks for posting. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Custom Essays EMAIL: calvert.connel@gmail.com IP: 221.132.118.27 URL: http://www.custom-essays-lab.co.uk/ DATE: 01/21/2009 06:40:05 AM Thanks for your information. Most of the posts in the blog is really valuable. Regards ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: danial EMAIL: Abs_inc1@yahoo.com IP: 110.37.10.109 URL: http://www.bestessaywriting.com DATE: 07/08/2009 07:25:00 AM good blog ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: custom essays EMAIL: danacummings07@googlemail.com IP: 119.73.68.149 URL: http://www.custom-essays-lab.com/ DATE: 08/06/2009 05:54:06 AM WOW, this'll keep me busy for years. I've been subscribing to your RSS feed for months, but somehow I missed this great list. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: College application essay EMAIL: ABS_INC1@YAHOO.COM IP: 110.37.9.57 URL: http://COLLEGE-APPLICATION-ESSAY.US DATE: 02/02/2010 02:36:02 AM nice blog ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: edit relief EMAIL: abs_inc1@yahoo.com IP: 110.37.4.166 URL: http://www.editrelief.com DATE: 03/05/2010 01:30:06 AM good one ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: If you mail it, will they read it? Great Health Magazine from CVS STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: if-you-mail-it CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 03/19/2008 09:15:39 AM ----- BODY:
- by guest blogger Michael Buller
This is Michael's second guest blog post. We received such a great response from the first one, we asked him to post again. Thanks Michael. - Joe Pulizzi
CVS made news recently with the announcement of a new custom
publication Great Health Magazine,
which they aim to launch this spring. The publication, which will also have a
“sister web site” and eventually an enewsletter, will be centered around health
issues. On the surface, there’s no doubting the numbers that make a compelling
case for the relevance:
Michael Buller is Vice President/General Manager of Custom Publishing for The Pohly Company, a diversified marketing and publishing services company specializing in engagement marketing and customer communications.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: grayarea EMAIL: bob@therosenbaums.net IP: 63.87.75.67 URL: DATE: 03/19/2008 01:54:19 PM I agree with Buller. In fact, I already recieve custom health pubs from 2 local hospitals AND my company's group health insurance provider. To my knowledge, none has ever been opened in my household. Health in particular is a touchy subject and the custom pubs get it wrong. Just because someone may care about their health doesn't mean they want a magazine to land in their mailbox shoving menopause or diabetes or prostate cancer in their face. It's one of those "if I want to know, I'll google it" topics. Of course, I don't have to worry. I won't receive it because NO amount of discount that CVS was willing to offer me is going to be enough to justify letting them track my purchases of such private products. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Leah Ingram EMAIL: leah.ingram@comcast.net IP: 71.225.250.176 URL: http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com DATE: 03/24/2008 07:22:04 PM Maybe because I write for custom publishers for a living (along with writing for other clients) that I'm more skeptical--and more excited--than most when a new custom pub shows up in my mailbox. Like the poster above, I, too, get a free magazine from my local hospital, which could be a really valuable source of health information, if it weren't written to be like one big advertisement for its doctors. Just adding writer's bylines and keeping the advertisements from the experts quoted in the pieces away from the actual article would go a long way towards making these kinds of magazine more valid. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: DATE: 03/25/2008 12:25:40 PM I think Leah, you hit on an important point -- credibility. And it's a point that all custom pubs should take to heart. The reason why custom pubs succeed is because they are NOT a hard sell advertisment for the brand. Even if a new custom magazine succeeds in cutting through the clutter and engaging the reader in the magazine, nothing will lose the audience faster than a lack of credibility. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Successful Content Marketing is a lot like Investing STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: successful-cont CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/17/2008 01:43:32 PM ----- BODY:Talk to even an average stock investor today, and the markets are in turmoil. You can feel the fear everywhere. Worry and uncertainty abounds.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing vs. Custom Publishing: What's the Difference? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 03/17/2008 10:53:36 AM ----- BODY:
Had a very interesting conversation with Vince Giorgi, Vice President at Hanley Wood Marketing, during the Custom Content Conference about the custom publishing industry. As readers of this blog know, I've been constantly struggling with the differentiation between "content marketing" and "custom publishing." Well, thanks to Vince, we have it all figured out.
Content marketing is the business "practice" of delivering relevant and compelling content to a person or target audience.
Custom publishing or custom media is the "service" that produces the content marketing effort. Publishers or agencies that provide project management, design, web and content services for an organization, are providing custom publishing services on behalf of the business.
This seems to make too much sense. Thanks to Vince, I think we have a clear separation of the two.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this. Are we off base? Is this dead on?
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I've had the opportunity to talk to a variety of marketers recently about how they create and distribute content through their marketing programs. Although each organization executes the content process differently, there seems to be one key differentiator between those organizations who are successfully changing behavior through content and those that aren't: Information as a product.
Whether you sell products or services, the new rules of marketing require that, along with everything else you sell, the process of delivering consistently valuable information must be considered throughout the organization as, yes, a product.
What do I mean by that? When an organization looks at their content marketing as a product, they inherently create a number of initiatives and processes around that product, including:
Successful companies such as Procter & Gamble, IBM and Microsoft have all approached their content in a similar fashion.
Why approach information as a product?
Simple...organizations today have no choice but to place that kind of importance and processes behind their content initiatives. Customers today are in complete control, and filter out any message that does not benefit them in some way. Since that is the case, organizations must first build a solid relationship with customers through the use of valuable, relevant information - then, and only then, will organizations be able to sell the other products and services that grow the top line.
This is happening now
We are seeing this trend happen now, as more businesses morph themselves into media companies. You are seeing appointments of titles such as "chief content officers" and businesses that are starting to hire full-time journalists. It won't be long before "traditional" businesses even start to purchase media companies themselves (we are already seeing some of this).
What you need to do
Any company serious about growing top line revenues, and at the same time concerned about how to market in the future, needs to make the "information as a product" concept a priority.
Small organizations with limited budgets should start searching out expert journalists to begin overseeing their content program. Mid-to-large organizations may want to look into hiring a custom publisher or post-advertising agency (props to Story Worldwide on the terminology), to begin helping them construct their information/content marketing business plan.
The reason I recommend help is that it is very challenging for someone from a traditional marketing background to create a content plan. In order to be successful, you need a strong marketing and publishing background, and a keen understanding of how consistent editorial content can maintain or change customer behavior.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Content Conference 2008 a Huge Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 2008-custom-con CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 03/13/2008 10:56:02 AM ----- BODY:
It's hard to imagine that the premier Custom Content Conference could have gone any better. We were shooting for at least 100 and had closer to 140 attend. We were hoping for a few sponsors and sold out our exhibits and sponsorships. We wanted great speakers and interactive sessions...and got those too.
I always seemed to be running around at the conference and didn't have as much time as I would have liked to enjoy the presentations. The second day I completely missed (in NYC for the Publishing Business conference), so please see Newt Barrett's takeaways from the conference. Also, Jeremy Greenfield provides some insight into the first day as well. I didn't take many pics, but here are the ones I did manage to get. [added, Barbara Logan's post from Hammock].
Here are my takeaways:
That's just for starters. I have a few more concepts I've been working on related to the conference that I'll be sharing soon. Last but not least, the launch of Junta42 Match was very successful. Receiving great feedback from publishers about the concept. As you'll see in this picture, I'm a bit partial to orange.
Final thoughts...big thanks and appreciation goes out to Lori Rosen and Mike Winkleman (and the board) for putting on a great show. And last but not least, I have to throw some props to my good friends at the following organizations, who gladly supported this first year event. Premier sponsor Nxtbook Media, gold sponsor Fry Communications, and the rest of our supporters including BPA Worldwide, Convera, Creel, D Custom, Lane Press, Publishers Press, Readex Research and Texterity.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Love Your Customers, Even if They Don't Buy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: love-your-custo CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/12/2008 10:25:28 PM ----- BODY:
My last post was five days ago. That has been the longest stretch without blogging since I started this blog almost a year ago. Doesn't feel good, but I guess I had good reason. New Orleans for the Custom Content Conference (launch of Junta42 Match as well as organizing the sponsors for the event), and then speaking in NYC for the Publishing Business Conference (thanks to Marcus Grimm from Nxtbook for proving it). Not to mention digging out of 26 inches of snow to get to the Big Easy.
I have about five blog posts loaded up and ready to go, but I just saw this article I wrote in DMNews about the importance of consistent content as it relates to direct marketing.
This is probably my favorite line:
The future of marketing is not about tempting [customers] or conning [customers] into buying more; it's about communicating a message that says, "Regardless of whether you buy from me or not, you need this information. Enjoy!"
To direct marketers, that line might be sacrilegious, but I still love it.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Match Launches to Publishers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-match-l CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 03/07/2008 10:25:27 PM ----- BODY:
Very excited about the beta launch of Junta42 Match, which will be the first resource of its kind to help marketing professionals find expert content providers and suppliers to distribute their own expert branded content.
Regular readers of this blog know all about this, but to those that don't, we'll be formally announcing the launch of Junta42 Match in New Orleans this Monday, March 10th at the Custom Content Conference, the first conference for custom publishing and content marketing (put on by the Custom Publishing Council, a Junta42 Match partner).
We've already received a tremendous amount of support from custom publishers and content agencies about this concept. For the next three months, any publisher or firm that specializes in custom content solutions for corporations, associations, non-profits and other organizations can sign up for a free trial. We'll be launching the full-blown Match site, open to marketing professionals, by mid-June of this year.
Here's the quick pitch: the marketer can come to the Junta42 Match site and, upon sign in, will fill out a short project brief. Based on their answers, we'll search the database to find the best matches to their project needs. Their preferences may be based on content expertise, product expertise, location, size, and a number of other criteria. The initial search will bring up, say anywhere from five to 20 companies. Marketers will then be able to go through each of those project profiles (where the providers will be anonymous). Then, the client can choose anywhere from three to five "finalists" to match up with, or choose their "perfect" match to get started right away (something we are calling "Direct Match").
Once the marketer makes the full Match or Direct Match selection, we will review the project to make sure that the company is: a) legitimate, b) has a real project, and c) has a budget or business model. Upon approval, the publishers/content providers will receive the client's information and the Match is made. Junta42 Match will stay in the process to guide the client with resources, receive ongoing feedback about the result of the project and find out who they chose and why.
We believe that this could take weeks, even months out of the marketer's traditional searching process for a custom content provider. We also believe that marketers could and should use this system as a replacement to the sometimes random and drawn-out process of a formal RFP. As for the publishers, just one project will more than pay for their inclusion in the database.
If you are a publisher or know of anyone involved in the execution of content marketing or custom publishing solutions, I urge you (or them) to sign up for a free trial today. As you can probably guess, we're pretty pumped up about this concept.
Here's the formal press release that will go out on Monday.
A big thanks to all the Junta42 members who have supported us along the way.
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Interesting post here from Bill Mickey at Folio magazine about the custom publishing industry. The article is targeted to publishers and media professionals, so much of this isn't relevant to marketers. That said, there are a couple key points here that should be highlighted that pertains to all businesses using targeted content as a marketing strategy.
"...custom publishing, as a term, has lost its relevance," states Mickey, who argues that the preferred term publishers use is marketing services.
I've always said that I'm not a huge fan of the term custom publishing, and opt for content marketing instead. But marketing services? The term "marketing services" is so broad and, frankly, pretty meaningless. But mostly, it discounts the true value that publishers bring to the table - the keen ability to deliver valuable, relevant and compelling content to a defined audience. Does "marketing services" say that?
I talk to publishers on a daily basis, and I've never talked to one that refers to their core competency or description as "marketing services." According to the article, CMP recently reorganized and renamed their custom division as Marketing Services. I love Bill's writing, but I'm not sure that's enough to make it the preferred term. Are more publishers going this direction? For marketers sake, I hope not.
Most media professionals are beginning to position their organizations as marketing services companies, which I completely agree with. Marketing, consulting and content services should and may be the majority of revenue streams at traditional media companies within five years. But does defining it as marketing services discount the value that these publishers bring to the table for content marketers?
"'We’re in the business of providing marketing solutions, so there is no off-the-shelf program anymore,' says Chris Schraft, president, Time Inc. Content Solutions. 'The answer to every question, if you’re a custom publisher, is no longer custom publishing. It’s now about understanding the client’s business objectives, their target consumer and then looking at how customized content expressed in a variety of formats and across a variety of platforms can really deliver on those objectives.'"
I need help with this one. The last sentence from the quote is a decent definition of content marketing/custom publishing...but it's used in this context as something different or new. Custom publishing has always been about understanding client needs, creating buyer personas, targeting those buyers with great and consistent content, and using all the platforms available. This has been the same for as long as I've been in the business. The difference is the availability of new and affordable technology solutions to target customers and the huge change in buyer behavior due to the Internet and the democratization of content (thanks Google). The problem with the term "custom publishing" is the perception that it is print-focused. The concept, though, is still the same.
In all honesty, I like the article, but it really comes from the perspective of a traditional publisher with a custom division more than a "pure bred custom publisher." Traditional publishers, although improving, tend to use custom as leverage to the other programs they sell. For example, they may really want to sell you a print and online display program, so they'll lead with a custom content plan that leverages the print and online assets they have. It's been done for years and is pretty common place.
This trend is definitely changing, but I doubt that any pure content marketing providers would use anything like "marketing services" as a name for what they do, or the industry they are in. If you know of any, let me know.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bill Mickey EMAIL: bmickey@red7media.com IP: 66.159.134.94 URL: http://www.foliomag.com DATE: 03/04/2008 04:36:29 PM Hey, Joe- Thanks for the coverage. You make some excellent points. And yes, while the article is written from the trad publisher's perspective, which is Folio:'s target audience, I was intrigued with the idea that 'custom pubishing' services, in the cases highlighted in the story, have been moving away from prefab packages to programs that seem more reactionary to client needs. Hence the new phrasing for what they do... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.105.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/04/2008 08:28:17 PM Thanks Bill...I agree with the terminology, but am surprised by the positioning of some publishers about that term. I believe they are discrediting their services. Publishers are some of the best in the world at creating and delivering great content...to call it marketing services just doesn't fit. Thanks again for the article. We need more on custom. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marketing Services EMAIL: mrktngservices@gmail.com IP: 121.246.163.236 URL: http://www.indianic.com/marketing-services.html DATE: 03/19/2008 02:35:02 AM Awesome! you have covered the information on custom publishing and marketing services and their differences. In my custom publishing is to concentrate on customer needs and marketing services is to promote the business ----- PING: TITLE: Adverse effects codeine. URL: http://buy-codeine.blog.friendster.com IP: 65.60.37.195 BLOG NAME: Codeine. DATE: 09/14/2009 12:28:07 PM Codeine and liver cirrhosis. Codeine facts. Extracting codeine from promethazine. Sell codeine. Alternative to codeine sponsored. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Where Should You Stick Your Marketing?: Educate Customers Everywhere STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: where-should-yo CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/03/2008 11:39:08 AM ----- BODY:
I was in the doctor's office last week for a routine checkup. As I entered, the nurse escorted me to the patient room where I waited for the doctor. On the desk in the office sat a computer monitor that was streaming what looked to be a PowerPoint show.
There were about 10 rotating messages targeted to me, the patient. One talked about checkups for colon cancer, another about weight issues, and another one was about moles (fun!). I learned a lot and paid attention. The one slide on adult shots motivated me to ask the doctor a question, which resulted in me actually buying an additional shot...one that I would not have bought without the computer show.
The health care industry always been a trend setter when it comes to educating customers and prospects. They are in the business of healing and education. Most hospitals either have their own newsletter/magazine, or carry the WebMD magazine. Now they are doing it again by using a computer (which has to be there for the doctors/nurses) and leveraging it to educate customers (and upsell).
Here's the point: You are also in the business of education. It is your responsibility to educate your customers and prospects about not only your products, but about the industry and key issues that surround your product. By doing so on a consistent basis, with relevant and valuable content, you will sell more to these people.
And here's your task: Find the places where your customers and prospects are, and take advantage of these locations by delivering timely and relevant information. This could be:
These are just a few. The point is to think of all ways in which customers come in contact with you and leverage those opportunities to help educate and engage them. Most companies lose educational opportunities through many different touch points. Make sure that you aren't one of those companies by making a list of those touch points and deliver content marketing to them along the way.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Engagement Sells: How Online Content Can Move Product STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: engagement-sell CATEGORY: microsites CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 02/27/2008 09:02:31 PM ----- BODY:
This is a link to an article I wrote for Chief Marketer about creating engagement through the use of content, specifically microsites.
Here's a few paragraphs that form the key takeaway of the article.
"First, relevant and valuable online information significantly
affects a purchase. Second, a prospect who isn't necessarily ready to
make a purchase can be positively influenced and moved closer to a
purchase by engaging in online content.
It's also important to note that online engagement in content isn't usually a one-time event. Success with microsites and other online products such as eZines and online magazines are predicated on the delivery of consistent and ongoing streams of content."
I think we've all seen blogs, microsites, and even corporate websites launch with grandeur, and then die miserably due to the lack of a consistent content strategy. Success in content marketing and custom publishing does not happen over night. Stick with it. If you've created the proper buyer personas, performed the right research, and created the right content that meets the informational needs of your audience, you will be successful.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: The Power of Microsites To Your Lead Nurturing Program URL: http://www.salesxmarketing.com/2008/03/the-power-of-mi.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: (sales x marketing) to the power of technology = extraordinary results DATE: 03/06/2008 11:00:22 AM I attended the beginning of the Marketing Profs B2B Online Tradeshow this morning, and listened to the keynote presented by David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR (well worth the read!). As I listened to ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why It's Bad to Be a Large Brand: Opportunity Abounds for Small Business STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-its-bad-to CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 02/26/2008 05:05:47 PM ----- BODY:
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The March, 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review has a very interesting article entitled "When Growth Stalls," by Matthew S. Olson, Derek van Bever, and Seth Verry.
The article’s research focuses on top organizations, which they refer to as “premium position” companies. Premium position companies hold leadership positions in their markets, records of past success, etc. But the fact that they have held these premium positions is what attributed to their downfall, or plain old revenue drop. Examples included are Levi Strauss, Kodak and Caterpillar.
While the concepts do not specifically refer to marketing and communications, the reasons for decline that they discuss could easily be applied to marketing concepts.
Below are some interesting quotes with commentary:
"Premium position captivity is the inability of a firm to respond effectively to new, low-cost competitive challenges or to a significant shift in customer valuation of product feature."
This should sound eerily familiar to CMOs in large organizations. It is the successful, large businesses that are having difficulty grasping new media formats. As it relates to this article, premium position companies have a long track record of success, so it is inherently more challenging to divert from what previously worked. Advantage: small and mid-sized companies.
"We use the term 'captivity' because it suggests how management teams can be hemmed in by a long history of success. A company that solidly occupies a premium market position remains insulated longer than its competitors against evolution in the external environment. It has less reason to doubt its business model, which has historically provided a competitive advantage…..when the towering strengths of a firm are transformed into towering weaknesses, it’s a cruel reversal."
Translation: "We're really smart so don't try to tell us how to do it." Arrogance, with a dash of bureaucracy, will hamper, or even destroy, the longest running, most dependable brands over the next five years.
"We saw a cycle of disdain, denial, and rationalization that kept many management teams from responding meaningfully to market changes."
Have you ever had a conversation with a marketing executive from a large company about the new rules of media and marketing? For the most part, those people are relying on a set of believes and practices that may not apply in the future (In doubt? Read IBM's "The End of Advertising as We Know It.").
"Organizations simply don’t recognize the importance of an emerging behavior or customer preference in their core markets. They continue to place their bets on product or service attributes that are in decline, while disruptive entrants emphasizing different, under recognized features gain ground."
Companies need to be particularly attuned to the new forms of communications demanded by the customer, and recognize the many options consumers now have to seek out information on their terms. A great example of this is in traditional media. The great media companies in the world grew to powerhouses as the distributors of content throughout the world. Why? Because they (and only they) had the ability to connect customers with valuable information. Today, anyone can do that. The business model that was once so profitable, is today obsolete.
"Levi Strauss…illustrates how difficult it is to respond to a threat in the absence of a burning platform. If your sales are continuing to rise, how do you focus concern?"
Think about this one. Many firms don’t realize the bridge they are standing on is burning down, and by the time they find out, it may be too late.
One of the things that strikes me about these concepts is how they apply to communications. If companies have been very successful in the past with dominating their markets, they probably assume that the forms of communications they use will continue to serve them well in the future.
Communications get blind sided along with rest of firm’s strategies.
As we have discussed many times, disruptive technology in communications is the ability of smaller, less well-funded firms to develop great communications at a fraction of past costs. They can now compete toe-to-toe in the communications arena, making decisions faster and being inherently more flexible due to the lack of management layers. That is why companies who are only a decade old like Google can become the most dominant brand in the world.
I wonder what will happen in the next 10 years?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andrew Bruce Smith EMAIL: andrew@escherman.com IP: 77.101.60.146 URL: http://www.escherman.com DATE: 02/27/2008 08:56:45 AM I guess in some ways this has always been the case - namely, getting to the top is one thing - and staying there is another. The marketing challenges for contenders and market leaders have always been different. However, in the past, market leaders tended to stay entrenched for years if not decades - today you can rise to the top quickly - and just as swiftly fall. Not only has Google become the dominant brand in 10 years - the brand category itself didn't exist until 12 - 13 years ago. So yes, there is great opportunity for small/medium size firms to outsmart the big guys - then again, those successful small firms will presumably grow into bigger organisations - and then they'll face the same challenges as the big boys now - will be interesting to see whether they can maintain that flexibility and nimbleness in the face of rapid growth. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel Phillips EMAIL: rachel@searchengineguide.com IP: 75.185.111.241 URL: http://www.searchengineguide.com/ DATE: 02/27/2008 09:47:46 AM I really enjoyed the combination of Harvard-based research and industry knowledge in this article. It's always intriguing to me to see how our strengths can sometimes be our weaknesses. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.233 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/27/2008 09:56:06 AM @Andrew...Nice take on Google being in a new industry. It's clear we are going to see more of this in the future (shorter industry cycles to dominance, faster growing companies in those sectors)...and then they get big. Even though I believe in this article, being big is a good problem to have. @Rachel...Thanks for taking the time. A key for large brands is to not give in to the arrogance that can happen when you are that successful. Google seems to do a good job with this...never underestimates the competition, always looks to what's new, and enables employees to constantly think outside of the box. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Trends in Online Marketing - A Report from the Online Marketing Summit STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: trends-in-onlin CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 02/25/2008 11:55:53 AM ----- BODY:
Just returned back from San Diego, where I spoke at the 2008 Online Marketing Summit. Great event. Congrats to Aaron Kahlow and team for doing a tremendous job with a record crowd. I didn't have time to attend all the events, but I managed to scratch some notes about what struck me as interesting and important.
"Time is the most precious asset right now. If we can be worth their engagement, that's the highest benchmark for advertising." - Jim Stengel, CMO, Procter & Gamble
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: You Are What the Web Says You Are: Reality and Social Media Reality STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: you-are-what-th CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 02/22/2008 11:53:00 AM ----- BODY:
This guest blog I wrote for the ASBPE (The American Society of Business Publication Editors) National blog may be of interest to freelance writers and journalists, but also relevant to marketers and publishers as well. The point is that, regardless of if you think social media and social networking is too much hype and not enough substance, there is a perception that goes with social media involvement.
Those that are actively involved in social media immediately have an impression of those people that aren't. Right or wrong, the reality is there. My position is that NOT being involved in social media, as a writer, a business, or a marketer, could significantly hurt a customer's or prospect's perception of that individual or organization.
Here is my take below from how I evaluate freelance writers. Whatever your position, you may want to look at your own social media persona and envision how you may be perceived.
"1. First I check their website. If they have no website, that's a problem.
2. Then I check to see if they have a blog.
A freelance writer without a blog makes no sense to me. It is the
ultimate promotional tool for a qualified writer, yet I find that most
writers don't have one. (For those without a lot of money to spend on a
website, use the blog as your website. It costs nothing.) And yes, even
those of you with steady gigs should have blogs.
3. Then I check their LinkedIn profile.
How many contacts to they have? (Fifty should be a minimum.) This shows
me that they really know how to network, which can help with sources
for any story. In reality, 100 contacts is probably the minimum.
4. If they pass the first three tests, that's a great sign. For other references, I Google their name to see if anything interesting comes up. Facebook, StumbleUpon, Digg
profiles all help. Those tell me that this person has a clear
understanding of the benefits of social media, and knows how to use it.
This
whole process takes all of five minutes ... five minutes well spent. It
helps me figure out who I should really talk to, whose work I should
evaluate. Fewer than 5% of all the writers I come in contact with pass
these four tests. Those are the ones I'm interested in working with.
They understand networking, social media, the value of writing as a
form of marketing, and that the way you get new business in the writing
world has forever changed. You are what the web says you are -- and you
have almost 100% control over that message. Very powerful."
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We are proud to announce that Junta42 has partnered with three elite organizations around the launch of our new content marketing matching product Junta42 Match. The Custom Publishing Council, American Business Media, and BtoB Magazine have all formed strategic alliances with Junta42 Match, announced formally Wednesday.
Please read the entire release here for all the details. For a brief 2 minute video on why Junta42 was created and how it will work, check out this video.
The core issue is that content marketing is becoming more important to businesses around the world, yet it's challenging, and sometimes even cost- or culture-prohibitive, to create strategic content programs internally. If a marketer decides to search for a content or publishing partner, it's very difficult to find the right one. Most of the time, marketers rely on referrals, search engines, or an RFP blast to locate the perfect provider. Any of these strategies might take days, weeks, even months to find the right match. Worse yet, they might call on their agency to provide a content solution, who may or may not have the relevant content or product qualifications to do the job.
On the flip side, new business opportunities are still the driver of long-term custom publisher profitability. Yet, the process for finding qualified leads for custom publishers hasn't changed in years, and is far behind many industries that have leveraged the internet to create a buyer/seller marketplace.
Thus, Junta42 Match was born. The service will be an audited directory of custom publishing providers, and will give marketing and association professionals the ability to match their project (a custom magazine, newsletter, content Web site, video series, enewsletter, custom event, etc.) to the exact qualifications of a custom publisher or content agency. Matching services will be conducted online, allowing for ease and anonymity.
Junta42 Match will be free for buyers (those looking for expert content help). Sellers—including custom publishers, traditional publishers with custom divisions, advertising and digital agencies, direct marketers, pr firms, etc.—will be charged an annual or monthly listing fee. All content providers will be offered a free trial.
The service will be open to publishers on March 9, 2008 (launching in time for the Custom Content Conference), and will be available to marketing professionals for matches by mid-May.
We've already received a flurry of positive feedback, but I'm more interested in getting actual feedback once the service is launched. We believe we are addressing a real need here. Hopefully you agree.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kim Albee EMAIL: kalbee@einsof.com IP: 66.27.64.94 URL: http://www.genoo.com DATE: 02/24/2008 09:23:14 AM Joe! I loved meeting you at the conference, and I look forward to your content provider matching directory. Segmenting is more important than ever, and having easy access to getting relevant content for your targeted efforts is a necessity. Along with tools that enable the easy publishing of that content, marketers will be enabled to nurture the leads they do capture -- which in turn allows marketing to pass intelligence on to Sales and not just the demographics. Kim ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.233 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/24/2008 09:42:44 AM Same here Kim...and thanks for the comments. More and more people are realizing the importance of providing relevant content, and the fact that it's more difficult to produce great content than most people anticipate. Looking forward to hearing more about your new product. Will definitely keep in touch. Joe ----- PING: TITLE: Junta42 Match Launches to Publishers URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/03/junta42-match-l.html IP: 10.0.23.101 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 03/07/2008 10:25:51 PM Very excited about the beta launch of Junta42 Match, which will be the first resource of its kind to help marketing professionals find expert content providers and suppliers to distribute their own expert branded content. Regular readers of this blog ----- PING: TITLE: Online Marketing Summit - It's All About Being Relevant URL: http://www.salesxmarketing.com/2008/02/online-market-2.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: (sales x marketing) to the power of technology = extraordinary results DATE: 02/27/2008 08:30:22 AM Yes, content is still king! I attended many sessions on Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search, Microsite development, even Social Media sessions, and one theme rang through-out the entire set of sessions: It's all about relevancy! If you write target... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Marketers Are Reluctant to Move Away from Traditional Marketing Strategies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-marketers-a CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 02/19/2008 10:53:23 AM ----- BODY:
“The future of advertising is radically different from its past. The struggle for control of attention, creativity measurements and platforms will reshape the advertising value chain and shift the balance of power. And, as in previous disruptive cycles, the future cannot be extrapolated from the past.”
- from The End of Advertising as We Know It, IBM Global Services, 2007
Today, most companies are still using traditional marketing approaches that they may have been using since the middle of the 20th century. There are several reasons for this:
In order for a company to alter their mindset toward one of new media or content marketing, they need one of a few things to happen:
The point is that there is great opportunity. There is opportunity for small businesses who can make these changes and adaptations faster than their larger competitive set. There is also opportunity for medium and large organizations who can make decisions based on how their customers want to engage with them, not on what they've done in the past.
The IBM white paper that led off this post has an interesting set of questions to ask marketing professionals that speaks directly to the drastic changes that have taken place just in the last few years.
Most everyone has an answer to the above questions - but noone knows for sure if they will be right. All we can do is see what is happening and talk to our customers. That said, the more I interact with marketing and publishing professionals, the more I realize that the old rules don't apply anymore. What is going on right now is a revolution like nothing we've ever seen. The opportunity is great for those companies that buy into this.
Some companies think that the Internet is just another way to market. It's those companies that are in trouble.
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I recently had the opportunity to interview Ian Alexander from Eat Media, a content marketing company with offices in New York and Florida. Ian, a co-founder, serves as Vice President, Content Management, and launched the company with Britta Alexander who services as President, Editorial Management. Here are the highlights.
Joe Pulizzi, Junta42: Ian, can you briefly describe how you got started in this business and what Eat Media does?
Ian Alexander, Eat Media: We got into content marketing because we recognized a need. I came from the dot-com world where teams would spend months cutting co-branding deals and business partnerships that involved collateral or websites full of words, yet the content was always being done at the last minute. I finally asked one of the marketing directors why they didn’t bring in freelancer writers early on. He said, ”It’s too much work to manage writers and I thought I’d have the time to write it before the launch, but I didn’t.” The light bulb went off right then—marketing departments don’t have time to manage writers, especially when the writing goes beyond your typical marketing collateral and into the less familiar zone of editorial. My partner comes from an advertising and publishing background so the editorial aspect was second nature to her. We both had a number of consistent freelance clients and when a company approached us to manage their corporate magazine, the business was launched.
Eat Media is a content management house that acts as a Managing Editor for companies with editorial-style online and print needs. We create editorial calendars, hire the writers, edit the stories and work with print and web design teams to translate words to photo-filled pages. In some cases, we work with our clients’ writers, and in other cases, we bring in our own. In short, we make content happen and align it with our client’s other marketing initiatives.
Junta42: What have you seen as the most significant changes going on in the industry that has enabled more organizations to use your services?
Eat Media: Three things. First, I think the pressure placed on marketing teams to deliver results across so many mediums has stretched organizations thin, and in some cases, taken them away from their core competencies. Direct mail, social networking, corporate websites, corporate blogs, straight advertising, co-branding deals, trade show tchockies and the transition from internal printed newsletters to corporate magazines—that’s a lot to manage. And there are two sides to it, the Biz-Dev side and the Marketing side, so you have the rush to deliver the product or service and you have the opportunity to position your brand, but if any piece of your content is poorly written, it chips away at your company’s credibility.
We enter into the mix and say, “You guys work on the deal—we’ll make sure the message gets delivered.” That message might be in a corporate magazine or online interviews with industry experts. In our experience, the ideas are there, they just need execution and polish.
Second, the concept of outsourcing went from an over-hyped/under-performing fad to a viable source of savings in both time and money. We can step into a meeting today and say to a business, “I can create more quality content for your business in a greater quantity than you can because that’s all we focus on.” I think businesses understand outsourcing and react more favorably to it than, say, five years ago.
Third, it’s about the reality of being Googled forever. As a company, you are going to be Googled from here on out. So very simply, whatever content your produce for your company is what gets returned during a search. It can be informative, smart and trust-building or unclear, self-promoting and transparent.
Junta42: Content marketing isn't easy to understand. Many marketers are just getting the hang of it. How do you communicate the benefit of your services so that marketers understand why they should hire you?
Eat Media: First off, I always tell prospective clients, “You could do what we do, the question is do you want to do it, and what else could you be doing with that time?” When we are communicating the benefits of our content marketing services to a client, we want them to look at Eat Media as an extension of their marketing team, and as a way for their company to execute more quickly and thoroughly on content. Once you add up the time it takes to find the writers, write the assignment briefs, line up interviews, respond to questions, maintain style guides, not to mention a round or two of substantive editing, getting sign-off from stakeholders and working with the design team on art direction and execution, it becomes very apparent that it would be more efficient to have us manage their corporate content.
Junta42: How do you think your business model will change in the future?
Eat Media: Internally, we talk about this a lot. I think you have to because the landscape changes so quickly. I believe that we will become more of a “content agency” as we move forward. More and more clients are looking to us to find writers who specialize in very specific areas, from foreign exchange markets to single parenting or large enterprise software solutions for organic farmers. I think content will become more specialized and less lifestyle/business/entertainment focused because clients are trying to brand themselves into smaller and more defined segments than ever before. In the future, we’ll probably have to focus on SEO more than we do now because content has to be held accountable for meeting goals. I also think the demand for us to manage design as well as content will increase—we are already seeing that with some clients.
Junta42: Do you think that marketers are starting to "get" that they need to distribute valuable and ongoing information to their customers and prospects?
Eat Media: I think the early adopters hear the call loud and clear that content equals trust and trust equal sales. The Sisyphus factor is how much content does it take to get the top of the hill, how much is it going to cost and what is the ROI.
Junta42: What are the biggest obstacles to selling your services?
Eat Media: I’d say the biggest obstacle we come up against is whether or not a company should hire us or bring in a full-time editor. The benefit to working with us is we’re a company, not just one person, and we come with backgrounds in advertising, marketing, high-tech and publishing. We’ve been professional writers and editors, and to hire us means capitalizing on all that experience, not to mention our network of writers and their experience. Also, when you look at employee turnover, bringing someone in-house isn’t necessarily going to have the long-term benefits you’re hoping for. Once we’re brought into a project, our clients begin to regard us as part of their team. There’s a high level of trust, and a couple of them really just want to be “cc’d” at this point. Plus, we’re not going to take up office space playing Snood while we search for the perfect adjective. But still, sometimes clients opt for the full-time employee. We’re hoping to get a call from them in a year or so…
Junta42: Do you consider yourself a custom publisher?
Eat Media: No, I don’t really care for the terminology. I’m not sure what it means—are you a publisher? Are you a printer? And what’s the “custom” part? Isn’t all quality publishing “custom?”
We call what we provide “managed corporate content,” although “managing editors for hire” is quicker and seems to resonate best. Our first focus is on the quality of the content: How relevant are these stories to your readers? What quality sources can we line up for the writer to interview? What’s the best way to tell this story—what format? Of course, if we think your magazine or website needs to be redesigned, we’ll let you know, and we’ll work with a design team to make that happen. But for us, the content always comes first. Anybody can make words look pretty on a page, but if there’s no substance, if your readers aren’t going to resonate with the material and be inspired to act in some way, then it’s a waste of dollars, time and trees.
Junta42: If you could change anything in your customers, what would it be?
Eat Media: Obliterating all forms of gobbledygook marketing speak. Readers don’t like to read it, and we don’t like writing it.
Junta42: How do you see your services evolving over the next five years? Where will Eat Media be?
Eat Media: I see us offering more services in-house or through close partnerships in the areas of print and web design, video, audio and SEO to more fully support a client’s content marketing plan.
Junta42: Is there anything else - What's the bottom line?
Eat Media: Every marketing team should be allotted two exclamation points a year total. Use ‘em or lose ‘em.
Joe's commentary - What's interesting about Ian's story is that the idea of managed corporate content, which used to be so foreign, is now a necessity in organizations. Smart companies are understanding that they need focus and expertise for all their content initiatives. It's too important for content to be an afterthought to a marketing program.
I'm not sure I agree with Ian that marketers could do what Eat Media does, but it's an excellent way to approach the sale. Thanks to Ian for taking the time.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: simon kelly EMAIL: simon.kelly@storyworldwide.com IP: 65.47.28.22 URL: http://storyworldwide.com DATE: 02/26/2008 07:45:48 PM Interesting article - in part because of the way that people from all parts of the marketing, advertising and publishing spheres are coming to the same conclusion that content is at the heart of any good marketing strategy. Interesting that marketers are realizing the need for editorial, and that they can't do it. What was missing here I believe is another compelling reason to create original content (as opposed to adopting the portal model of serving up previously published content) which is that original content needs to support the story platform created for the brand - which only original content can do. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 72.77.220.91 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 02/27/2008 09:03:38 AM Simon, Thanks for the comment. I'm not sure that marketers "can't" do it but rather that they "can't find the time to do it". And I agree 100% that linking to previously published content doesn't generate trust or help build a brand. I think the missing piece is not only the creation of the content but pushing for an inter-company commitment to creating a voice that can be supported by content. Creating original content solely to align with SEO is shortsighted, tiresome and bland. Here's hoping we can assist companies to realize that fact. Ian ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Gone Awry STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-gone-aw CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 02/14/2008 08:44:38 AM ----- BODY:
- by guest blogger Michael Buller.
Michael is one of the leading thinkers in the content marketing industry, and I asked him to submit a post for the Junta42 blog. He was gracious enough to accept. I'm sure you'll agree, Michael knows his stuff. - Joe Pulizzi
I like Honda cars. That’s why I bought one last year. An Odyssey to be specific. It was brand new, slate grey, and ready to go. My wife, two sons and I had entered the minivan phase of our lives.
None of this should mean anything to you, unless you know me personally, or were the dealer who sold me the minivan. If you were the latter, it’d give you a good bit of inference data upon which you could draw, which you think would be helpful if you were, say, sending me an e-newsletter called Under Our Hood.
For the first three months that I received the newsletter, I did what I suspect the majority of readers did: I hit delete as soon as it popped up in my inbox. Finally, when the January issue hit, I opened it. And I was excited… but only in that I had finally found the perfect example of content gone awry. Forget the very unfriendly design—the first thing you see is the masthead, complete with more than 25 car logos. Ugh! My first reaction is: ah, I know what’s most important to this dealer – not ticking off any of the brands he sells.
Then as I scrolled through this newsletter from my car dealer, I found, interspersed with some stories about new cars articles on “Festive Football Eats!” and “Clementines in Ginger Syrup” and a review of “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Huh? What does this have to do with my Odyssey? Or Honda's? Or any car, truck or minivan for that matter?
It doesn’t, of course and that’s my point. This is the most common mistake among content marketers. Take good content, just because it’s good content, and find someone you can send it to – whether they want it or not. I’m all for recipes about clementines in ginger syrup, but just not from my car dealer. Sure, it’s picked up from a reliable and credible source in epicurious.com, but still, this is a newsletter from my car dealer.
It all comes back to one of the pillars of content, if you’re going to engage in content marketing, make sure it’s targeted and relevant. If not, you’re just adding noise to an already loud room.
Think of everything he could have done. If he’s going to syndicate copy from other sites, how about articles on safe driving? Or keeping kids entertained on long rides? I bought a minivan, after all! Or sales on roof racks, portable DVD players, HD radios? The opportunities are endless: content on getting good gas mileage, little tips buried in the owner’s manual, specials from the service department. How about a link to the service department to set up an appointment? Sure the stories on the other cool cars in the dealership are fun, but I dismissed them. It’s the credibility rule: If you bury credible content in a sea of useless and irrelevant copy, your credible copy is guilty by association and readers will ignore not just the fluff, but the important stuff, too.
If you’re going to engage in a meaningful dialogue with your customers, treat them with care. Feed them content that’s targeted, fresh and relevant. It’s what separates content marketing from spam.
Michael Buller is Vice President/General Manager of Custom Publishing for The Pohly Company, a diversified marketing and publishing services company specializing in engagement marketing and customer communications.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jack Shipley EMAIL: jackshipley@comcast.net IP: 71.194.208.78 URL: http://www.jdshipley.com DATE: 02/20/2008 11:28:17 PM Michael, You hit the mark here. Why so many recipes? Guess everyone thinks that if Realtors do it, it must work! Not being pertinent is a missed opportunity to establish credibility. Credibility for car dealers, Realtors, gee, anyone, is what puts them at the top of the consumers mind. Jack write Results ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: http://www.pohlyco.com DATE: 02/21/2008 08:33:31 AM Jack: Thanks for the comment. I agree - a completely missed opportunity. On the flip side, I get a print newsletter from my insurance provider (auto, home insurance) and lo and behold, not a recipe to be found. There is the information you'd expect (safe driving, safekeeping of your valuables and important documents, etc.) but that's what I want to hear from my insurance company. Now they could make the newsletter more visually interesting and better written, but that's a tactical execution. Strategically, at least they're talking from an area of expertise about content that's relevant. Now, why so many recipes? That's an interesting question. I think there's such a glut of food content out there - online, in print, on television, that on the surface, it must seem to marketers as an easy way to find content that seems relevant. "Hey, everyone eats!" Of course, nearly everyone drives too, but I'm not going to get driving advice from Whole Foods. --michael ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Business Down, Internal Communications Up: 4 Survival Steps STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: business-down-i CATEGORY: internal marketing DATE: 02/13/2008 09:47:55 AM ----- BODY:
Ram Charan's Fortune article entitled Managing Your Business in a Downturn does something that most business articles overlook - the art of internal marketing. "Communicate intensively" is Ram's second point of five for how to manage your way through a recession.
Think about your own situations. In tough times, does management ratchet up its communications...more town halls, more emails? I've worked for a number of CEOs, and there was only one that ever altered his (and the company's) communication habits to keep employees at a fully informed level. Employee perceptions run wild in down times and should be proactively managed.
Ram states, "Get information from where the customer action is, and get it to the operating people - fast. Companies should do so routinely, of course. But they don't. It's counterintuitive but true that when the economy slows down, the pace of decision-making has to speed up, because you can't put off the tough choices anymore."
Here are some ideas that any company should consider when managing in a downturn.
Although the above activities should be a mainstay in a company, they are ever so important during a business downturn. An investment in any one of these on a consistent basis is an investment in your employees and your company. Good Luck!
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I've been inspired by a number of posts recently. Initially, Sterling at the BizLift blog pointed me to this Zenhabits post on Open Source Blogging. Please read the entire post from Leo...it's worth it.
This is Creative Commons taken one step further. With Creative Commons, you are giving someone to right to use and reuse your content, provided they give you credit. I first found out about Creative Commons when I downloaded David Meerman Scott's eBook, The New Rules of PR. David promoted to those interested to do whatever they wanted with the book - to save it on their site, to print multiple copies, etc. This resulted in over 250,000 downloads. Smart move.
Leo's movement is to give up rights to his blog and book content completely (CCzero), with the mere suggestion that credit would be nice. It could be a risky move. After the initial buzz, people may not buy Leo's book or support his site. But one thing is for sure, this move is all about the customer.
I'm not sure how many businesses or individuals can actually do this, but it's worth the experimentation. It's also completely in line with what we have been preaching at Junta42 - for businesses to let go of their content and focus on getting great content in the hands of the people who need it (a frightening thought for most businesses).
Please Steal My Blog Content - The Uncopyright
With support of thought leaders such as Marketing Interactions, ContentMarketingToday and the Web Business Marketing Blog, content marketing is starting to catch on. Businesses are beginning to realize that, as Ardath from Marketing Interactions puts it, "...that content marketing is not an occasional shot in the dark at producing an article, but an ongoing and consistent activity" of delivering valuable content to customers.
More businesses are doing this, but from the amount of clutter and interruption marketing that we still continue to see on a daily basis, it's not happening fast enough. When an organization takes a content marketing approach to their customers, it's very similar to the Green movement and the environment. Just as a green supporter is very aware of what they contribute to the environment, the same goes for how a business contributes (or lack of contribution) to the betterment of the customer.
Our goal here at Junta42 is to get information on how businesses can become an organization with a content marketing mindset. An organization that is all about producing valuable content for the benefit of the customer. We believe that if a business truly practices this, the payback will be a profitable customer relationship. If there is a post that I produced on the site that is helpful to an organization to get to that point, I don't really care if they know it came from me, or read it on my site (nice, but not required).
So with that, this post is an official notification that my writing and posts here at the Junta42 blog are now in the public domain. I hereby waive all claim of copyright in this work; it may be used or altered in any manner without attribution or notice to me. Attribution, of course, is appreciated.
Join the Revolution - Give Up Your Content
Hans at the Web Business Marketing Blog started a Change.org movement for bloggers to release their work under Creative Commons (with attribution). This is not what Leo did or what I'm doing, but this is what I believe that all bloggers and businesses should be doing, at a minimum. So please, join this revolution and join the movement that Hans started at Change.org.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hans De Keulenaer EMAIL: hdk@eurocopper.org IP: 81.242.182.73 URL: http://www.20four.net/b2b DATE: 02/12/2008 01:48:45 PM Welcome to the open source blogging movement. Zenhabits did indeed take it a step further than Creative Commons (CC), as you did, by waiving attribution. In effect, you're releasing your work in the public domain. I would expect the difference of attribution to be minor - most polite people would probably attribute anyway. CC is developing a licence CCzero which comes close to what you need. Moreover, for residents in the US, there is already a public domain licence available through CC. Creative Commons gives you another benefit: CC licences are a search option in Google's advanced search. Thanks for the reference to the change.org group. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: sterling | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.37.111.239 URL: http://www.bizlift.com/blog DATE: 02/19/2008 02:53:27 AM Bold move Joe. I'm gonna go digging through your archives...and of course acknowledge you on anything I use. Thank you for the mention & link. Much appreciated. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 42 Ways to Custom Publish; Includes Examples STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 42-ways-to-cust CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 02/11/2008 03:23:53 PM ----- BODY:
Well, we've been working on a follow up to my blog posting from a few months ago, 42 Content Building Ways to Attract and Retain Customers. Part II of this is 42 Ways to Distribute Your Content, which pretty much covers all the big ones, from custom magazines to social media. The difference this time is that we've included at least one real example for each (with apologies to article marketing and variable enewsletters).
Check it out and let me know what you think.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: P&G Does it Again with Beinggirl.com - 4x More Effective Than Traditional Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: pg-does-it-agai CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 02/07/2008 11:08:37 AM ----- BODY:
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Procter & Gamble (P&G), once the ruler of all things traditional marketing, has done it again. They are now making an incredible impact into the land of content marketing - and finding that it works.
Beinggirl.com, sponsored and produced by Tampax (a P&G brand), is a content microsite dedicated to all things girls. Beinggirl states that:
"Being a girl is like being part of a club where everyone knows what you're going through…at least on some level. Girls have fun. Girls have opinions. Girls have a lot of questions about stuff like PMS, dating, their bodies and even serious subjects like addiction and abuse – just about anything you can think of that has to do with being a girl."
P&G is very transparent on the site. Any person can tell that the site sponsor is Tampax. They also have a few product sections, one of which is free samples. But the majority of the site focuses on content for girls - music, discussion, video...it's all here. And frankly, some of the discussion makes me thankful that I have two boys and no girls.
The best part, at least from a marketing perspective - Forrester Research found that Beinggirl.com is four times as effective as a similarly priced program using traditional media. This should be no surprise to P&G, whose Home Made Simple site, dedicated to solutions for the home had between 600,000 and 1 million opt-in registrations to the site (at last count).
You don't have to be a major media brand to create great content. And you don't have to hide the fact that a business is sponsoring a web portal. Good, information and useful content works no matter who or where it's from. P&G's examples are a testament to that.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt Ambrose EMAIL: matt@thewritewords.me.uk IP: 79.65.224.190 URL: http://thewritewords.me.uk/blog DATE: 02/07/2008 12:44:32 PM Quite appropriate really that the brains behind the soap opera should start doing the same thing with websites: engaging attention and then using subtlety rather than noise. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marty EMAIL: marty@aimclear.com IP: 208.45.120.18 URL: http://www.aimClearBlog.com DATE: 02/07/2008 01:34:08 PM Sphunn Here: http://sphinn.com/story/27362 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/07/2008 02:10:57 PM @Matt - you're dead right @Marty - Thanks Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Herbert EMAIL: b2bspecialist@gmail.com IP: 24.150.91.222 URL: http://marketingthatmatters.blogspot.com DATE: 02/11/2009 05:19:13 PM Hi Joe, I'm doing a book report on Groundswell. Chapter 6 talks about the Beinggirl site.I've added your blog post to a FriendFeed room dedicated to this project. http://friendfeed.com/e/71729394-8b5b-444c-acd0-37842ddfacbf/Chapter-06-Junta42-blog-P-G-Does-it-Again-with/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.157.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/11/2009 07:30:17 PM Thanks Chris...love that book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lizzie EMAIL: lizzie@pmdddisorder.com IP: 78.146.114.186 URL: http://pmdddisorder.com DATE: 08/01/2010 09:22:53 AM I do like the Beinggirl site, I think it's great for teenagers. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Putting the "Marketing" in Content Marketing: Six Key Principles to Content Promotion STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: putting-the-mar CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 02/06/2008 04:45:34 PM ----- BODY:
mar·ket·ing
[mahr-ki-ting]
1. The act of buying or selling in a market (Dictionary.com)
Content
marketing, taken at face value, is simple terminology for a complex process.
Content, as in creating information that meets your customers’ needs, and
marketing, as in distributing and promoting it to a targeted group of people,
inherently makes sense.
Go back to
the definition of marketing at the top of this page. Marketing is all
about behavior. It’s an action. It’s not about generating buzz, or web site
traffic, or press mentions – unless those things lead to a profitable customer
behavior.
As you prepare to drive your customers to do one of the four outcomes above, remember these six basic principles of content promotion. Some are simple and often overlooked. Keep these handy as you launch your content marketing initiatives.
Six Key Principles to Content
Promotion
Almost all
businesses have different kinds and levels of customers. To be most effective,
the ultimate distribution of your content should NOT be one size fits all.
Group your customers into different buying groups (also called buyer
personas), and treat both the content and marketing to them as separate.
Anything
that you deliver to your customers or prospects that is not specifically
requested could be considered spam. That is why it is imperative, for both your
print and email content programs, that you have your customers opt-in to your
programs. Opt-in means that they have specifically requested your print
magazine, enewsletter, eBook, etc.
Lee Odden,
one of the leading marketing bloggers in the country, posted this about the
content vs. promotion debate:
Your choice in media depends on your customers. You wouldn’t
necessarily roll out an iPhone Digital Magazine version if none of your
customers had iPhones. That said, you need to help your customers take the next
step. Yes, give them content in media they already use, but also, you need to
be cutting edge.
The old
rule of thumb when it came to print advertising impressions was seven
impressions. It took seven impressions
of an ad per year to make an awareness impact on a decision-maker. This is much
the same with content marketing.
If you love your content, you must learn to let it go. In the past, brands had complete control over their content message and the medium. This is still basically true with custom magazines and newsletters. But the rise of the internet and social media has changed the rules forever. Once our content goes online, it could end up anywhere. Let it. Regardless of where it ends up, the goal is to get that message out to the right kinds of people. If that happens and you see action, you’ve accomplished your goal…whether they engaged in the content on your site or someone else's.
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Not that we all have marketing budgets to support a 30 second ad spot during Super Bowl 42 at an average of $2.7 million, but I started to think of how much great content could be bought with that kind of money. Here are just some interesting facts about how much you can buy in content initiatives for that kind of investment.
Just something to think about the next time you are deciding to go with traditional ad placement versus a content initiative. Remember, the content you create can be leveraged to have a much longer shelf life than just traditional ad space. When you are looking to make a decision between a number of marketing initiatives, be sure to take that into account.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: DATE: 02/04/2008 09:50:17 AM Joe: Great point. And if you crunch numbers a different way, you get the same result. Take those 10 hours of engagement for a custom print magazine and multiply it by the 50,000 readers and you get 30 million minutes of exposure (just to make up some stats). By comparison, take the 1/2 minute exposure of a Super Bowl Ad and multiply it by the 45.85 million homes watching it (assuming they didn't TiVo the ad) and you get 22.925 million minutes of exposure. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: DATE: 02/04/2008 10:04:39 AM Of course, if you use a 90+ million viewership, then the numbers start coming out a bit differently. Anyway, it's just a fun exercise for what is kind of an apples-to-oranges comparison. But I still agree with your point that there are a lot of alternative ways to spend the $2.7 million. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/04/2008 01:42:39 PM Interesting thoughts Michael. It's also fun to think about what the value of exposure is - Custom content someone is engaging in vs. an ad. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eamon EMAIL: eamon1972@hotmail.co.uk IP: 86.161.32.129 URL: http://www.spotlightideas.co.uk DATE: 02/04/2008 06:02:05 PM I congratulate you on a great blog. I believe that content is going to be one of the big winners of 2008 (and, although SEO, will continue to be important, its importance is certainly in decline). ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Microsite Scorecard: BT's Bigger Thinking, Toyota's Why Not? and Siemens' Answers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: microsite-score CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 02/01/2008 12:25:24 PM ----- BODY:I had some time to review the latest print magazine issue of Fortune and managed to find a few new microsites to take a look at. Here are the ones that peaked my interest.
BT Global Services. www.biggerthinking.com. This video rich microsite focuses everything on thinking outside of the box and innovation. This has a strong focus on global issues, with their video series featuring a number of outside experts from the states and internationally. Excellent production value. I'm impressed by the lack of sales material on the site (other than the logo, which I believe works in this situation). It seems that they are really trying to get leaders thinking about these key global and political issues. 
Toyota's Why Not? toyota.com/whynot. Focuses on their commercial "Harmony" and its making. In both the making and the actual video, Toyota is clearly promoting responsible environmental manufacturing. Both the commercial and the "making of" presents the case well. The site also includes brief case studies focusing on responsible manufacturing, hybrid technology and green operations (with links to other Toyota sites). These are a bit hard to navigate as you have to use the scroll bar they provide. 
Siemens Answers for Life. www.seimens.com/answers. There is a lot of really good information here, but there are some organizational issues. First, the site loaded way to slow on my hi-speed connection. Then, the questions shot up too fast to see what the answers pertained to. Okay, it may be just me...so I'll move along. Once I got passed all that, I realized that this site is separated into three parts: life, the environment and industry. When I went to the industry site, the article highlighted key words with robust information for each one - links to articles and videos. Unfortunately, much of this content just links to pdf articles, probably from their custom magazine. They lose a lot of interaction here. I also signed up to something called "Siemens Answers", but I'm still not sure exactly what it will be. Can't wait for the surprise.One big conclusion here...notice how these companies are still organizing these sites more like commercials and big, in-your-face graphics. If they would take a minute and come at this from the perspective of a publisher, would the results be different?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Accessible CEO - Myth or Today's Marketing Reality STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: typepad-wins-by CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 01/30/2008 12:56:12 PM ----- BODY:
"Perhaps the biggest change the new marketing brings is the easiest to overlook, mostly because it's so obvious. Every
organization now has the ability (and probably the responsibility) to
deal directly with the world. With customers, with prospects and with
those impacted by their actions. No middlemen."
- Seth Godin from Meatball Sundae
Are You Accessible?
Some of the most important things about marketing today are the small, minute details. You know, those ones you don't think about all that often. One of those "little" issues is accessibility and openness with customers.
I received an email today from TypePad's new CEO about some changes he wanted to bring to my attention (I use TypePad for this blog). It was a nice letter, but it was the end that received my full attention:
"Tell Us What You Need
We’d love to hear what you think is most important for TypePad’s future...
Keep an eye on the TypePad team’s efforts this year — we’ll have a lot of big news to share with you!
Best regards,
Chris
Christopher J. Alden
Chairman & CEO
Six Apart, Ltd."
(Note that I didn't include the whole ending.) The takeaway...here is the most powerful person at this business insisting that he be emailed directly with feedback about the company. I don't know about you, but this makes a profound impact on me. How many times have you tried to get in touch with ANYBODY at an organization you do business with, especially the CEO.
The Key for Your Business
Customer expectations have shot through the roof with increases in technology. Can your business live up to the expectations? If you can, you have a significant competitive advantage. Why? Because as we all know, most of the companies we deal with are shielded in layers, hierarchy, processes and the "that's the way it's always been done" vision statement. I here opportunity knocking.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patrick Badstibner EMAIL: pbadstibner@yahoo.com IP: 24.241.121.49 URL: DATE: 01/30/2008 07:47:50 PM This is very true but there must be a balance because if you are to tied to your customers as the C.E.O. your business will have little worth without you. If your business cannot operate without you as the C.E.O. you do not have a business you have a job. Pat ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/30/2008 08:30:03 PM Pat...great point. The CEO is not the business and vice versa. The CEO also cannot handle 1,000 messages a day...but, those companies that can adapt to the changing customer expectations and can deal with this new fact of customer service, I believe, will flourish. Some organizations, though, are not set up to behave in this way. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How a Small Business Can Market Like the Big Boys: 5 Steps to Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-a-small-bus CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 01/28/2008 10:34:34 PM ----- BODY:
I've just started doing some guest blogging over at my friends from Small Business Edge. In this first blog post I talk about what small businesses can do to even the playing field against companies with larger budgets. Here is an excerpt:
"1 - Start a Blog - There is no better way to consistently get valuable content out to customers as easily than through a blog. Look to wordpress or Typepad for starter accounts. Both can be integrated within your current websites.
2 - If you’ve started a blog (or once you do)…get active in the community. Find the top 20 blog sites in your industry or local area and start commenting. Every time you comment, a link is created back to your site. This generates traffic to your site, builds on your Google Page Rank, and increases your reputation in the community.
3 - Create a regular opt-in communication piece. For many, this will be an eNewsletter, where you can highlight content from around the web and your own original content that is relevant to your customers.
4 - Develop your keyword list. I always recommend spending about 5 hours with a search engine optimization (SEO) expert to help you define your keywords.
5 - Utilize NEWS releases - Send them not to get coverage, but to expand your link building and web presence. Make sure the releases focus on the customer, not how great you are. Services like PRWeb are great."
Check out the Small Business Edge site when you get a chance. Although not content marketing, here's a good article on creating a print ad that works.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 01/28/2008 11:53:39 PM Joe, I'm on board with blogging for a lot of small businesses. But I find myself wondering if this is a good strategy for most small businesses. Let's say that you own a local fast-food chicken place. I can see that maybe blogging would be useful. But just how much? Blogging can take a lot of time and I wonder about the ROI. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt Ambrose EMAIL: matt@thewritewords.me.uk IP: 79.65.240.161 URL: http://thewritewords.me.uk/blog DATE: 01/29/2008 04:40:02 AM A strategy I'm trying to develop for my clients is getting useful articles posted on industry websites featuring their contact info. Normally I'd approach bloggers to write a guest post, but for some of my clients a blog community covering their industry doesn't really exist. However, many industry news websites are crying out for content and so long as the article is providing useful insight rather than just a blatant ad then there's every chance of it being accepted. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/29/2008 08:13:33 AM Thanks for the comment Jay. I definitely agree...blogging is NOT for every small business. The business may not have someone to champion the cause and dedicate time. The organization may not be set up for a blogging culture (complete openness). And to your point, they may own a local chicken place where the online benefits aren't as great as other businesses. That said, I still think you can make a case for any small business and the core benefits of blogging (if done right). For the local-chicken example, I'd figure out what is really important to my customers and form a content strategy around it. Is it roam-free chickens, fresh ingredients, service...whatever. Find what's important to them and discuss. It will not only increase the odds of getting that business found on the Internet, but improve their reputation across the board over time. It will also position the person and company as experts. If someone needs to do a local story, who are they going to call on? Probably you, the online chicken expert. :) Blogging is not a fool-proof solution. It's just one tactic of many. If you only did blogging, you would most likely fail. But, the opportunity is clearly that we are in such an early stage in the Internet...no one knows the true impact the web will have on our businesses over the next few years. You gotta be in it to win it. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/29/2008 08:16:29 AM Matt...love the strategy. This is especially timely since some traditional publications are cutting back staff and are in desperate need of content. Question...if a blogging industry doesn't exist for their industry, can your clients help to create it? Sounds like an opportunity. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Fisher Investments: Writing the Book on How to Drive a Business with Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: fisher-investme DATE: 01/27/2008 10:25:42 PM ----- BODY:I've been familiar with Fisher Investments for about three years...ever since one of my close friends decided to transfer all his investments over to their management. Since that time, I've been watching very closely, and have been able to watch how they market their services, which I can sum up in one word, content.
Fisher manages over $45 billion in assets for high net worth individuals and institutional investors. If you are not familiar with them, they are similar to a JP Morgan Asset Management. Over the past few years, they have been able to create a significant brand in the affluent asset management arena by investing in content-driven marketing strategies.
Here are some key points behind Fisher's content marketing plan:
Leverage Traditional Media to Drive Free Content Giveaways
In reading the Money section of Friday's USA Today, Fisher took out a full-page ad promoting their free "must-read" report called "The 15-Minute Retirement Plan: How to Avoid Running Out of Money When You Need It Most" (see picture for ad). The ad is very specific about what is in the report, how a customer might benefit from the report, and is also specific about the audience. At the bottom of the ad, Fisher states that they cater to those with portfolios greater than $500k.
Have you ever looked at a full-page ad for Ameritrade, Goldman Sachs or Charles Schwab? I don't think I've ever seen one promote a content initiative. Fisher gets it right...if you are going to use traditional media, use it to drive interest and communication (and ultimately a conversation) through valuable and relevant content.
Use Article Marketing to Drive Your Brand
My first interaction with Fisher was through their CEO Ken Fisher and his regular column in Forbes magazine. I'm certain Mr. Fisher gets paid for this, but he doesn't have to. The column in Forbes positions Mr. Fisher as an authority and expert in the industry. After reading his columns, who wouldn't want to have him or his staff working for you?
Key point: Writing great content, whether on a blog or in an article on another site, magazine or newspaper, works if it's valuable and relevant to the reader. This tactic has certainly been a key to their success.
Write a Book
Mr. Fisher has written many books, with the last one, "The Only Three Questions That Count" being a best seller. There is simply no better business card in the world than a book for you and your company.
Many companies that launch book efforts get lost in the fantasy of having their own book, talking too much about how great they and their products are. Mr. Fisher uses real-world examples and a common-sense philosophy that truly positions him as an investing guru (yes, I read it).
Keep Customers Informed at all Times
Fisher sends out quarterly pdf reports to clients on the state of the market and their current investment outlook. They also send customers a very professional "State of the Market" DVD of Ken Fisher and his experts discussing the market and their investment strategies.
Just recently, as the market went into a downturn, they sent a special report out to customers, telling them to stay calm, and to believe in their overall philosophy. Consistent communication with customers is key to their marketing retention strategy.
Promote Your Services, and Your Content on the Web Site
Although I'm not a big fan of their web site design, it's easy to see that Fisher is a huge believer in content. Four of the six major spots on their home page is dedicated to content, including information on Fisher Investments Press, a free downloadable eBook, Fisher's Forbes column information, and the book.
Key point: If you want to teach people about what you do, teach them what they need to know to succeed first.
Create Your Own Media Portal and Be the Content Expert in Your Industry
Probably most impressive is Fisher's creation of Marketminder.com, a wealth of online information dedicated to financial analysis and research. If anything positions the 50+ member research team at Fisher experts, it's Market Minder.
Market Minder doesn't push Fisher services at all. They talk real business with real advice and some of the best research and opinion around. This is a strategy that ALL companies, big or small, can take from Fisher as a best practice.
It's pretty easy to see how Fisher has created one of the best brands in the affluent investing market. The great news is that (outside the full-page ad from USA Today), any company, even a one-person shop, can take these initiatives and make them their own. Technology has enabled the barriers to entry for content creation and marketing so low that any company can afford these practical and ultra-effective marketing strategies. Good Luck!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: bill carlson EMAIL: bcarlson@erols.com IP: 70.134.66.32 URL: DATE: 07/21/2008 10:46:46 PM Great marketing - - but piss poor performance. I gave them $500k in Dec 08 - - now worth $440k. They don't perform well in a flat or down market. I would not do it again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jason EMAIL: jason.wenk@att.net IP: 71.239.58.162 URL: http://www.westmichiganwealth.com DATE: 10/31/2008 06:35:33 PM Fisher Investments does offer some great marketing; but the primary thing other businesses should learn from them is the overall structure of their operations. They are not only the largest independent money manager in the US but also completely unique in their model. The idea of direct marketing nationwide with very low overhead servicing costs while serving a high net worth client base is unreal. The margins they maintain from the business model allow them to mass market in a way traditional wealth managers never could. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Busted N Kansas EMAIL: sadsack999@yahoo.com IP: 98.186.178.16 URL: DATE: 04/18/2009 10:35:22 PM I am impressed by their marketing model...it sucked me in. Their "money management" seems to be simply a mutual fund run by three people who do not seem particularly competent. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ben J EMAIL: bnjns11@gmail.com IP: 207.214.127.6 URL: http://www.marketminder.com DATE: 05/12/2009 01:10:46 PM Interesting post. I'm from Fisher Investments, and for more information on MarketMinder.com, visit a sample article here: http://www.marketminder.com/a/fisher-investments-us-economy/9dd12733-1b88-49d3-97e8-60aa5b398e25.aspx ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Owie EMAIL: orottschafer@aol.com IP: 24.247.178.231 URL: DATE: 05/13/2009 09:04:01 PM Fisher Rep met with us and was professional, informative, candid and did not use pressure. Had one follow up phone call and no brochures in the mail. Received explained material at meeting with rep. Overall this was a pleasant experience. Chose to continue to do own investing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Hopkins EMAIL: Etienne1@aol.com IP: 64.12.116.6 URL: DATE: 07/11/2009 08:01:49 AM Has anyone noticed the investment philosopphy of this Guru over the past year? They may market their company well but when it comes to protecting their clients, well that's another story. Most clients are looking at losses that currently exceed 40+%. Consider that when they talk about their hype in protecting clients when a downturn occurs. Do your homework with this company. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Fisher Outreach EMAIL: fisher.investments.outreach@gmail.com IP: 72.177.48.139 URL: http://Education.Fisherinvestments.com/investment-publications/financial-articles/forbes-magazine DATE: 07/23/2009 02:15:16 AM As a Fisher Investments employee, I know the importance of content to a business. Ken Fisher has focused on sharing his knowledge as a columnist for Forbes for 25 years. You can find the most recent Portfolio Strategy columns on the Fisher Investments website. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: allison Frey EMAIL: a.frey@fi.com IP: 24.19.245.170 URL: http://www.ken-fisher-debunkery.com DATE: 10/18/2010 05:48:36 PM There’s a new book out from Fisher Investments CEO, Ken Fisher: “Debunkery: Learn It, Do It, and Profit From It”. In the book, Ken Fisher debunks common investing fallacies. I’m a Fisher Investments employee and for more on Debunkery use the following links: Ken Fisher’s Debunkery official website: http://www.ken-fisher-debunkery.com Ken Fisher’s Debunkery Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ken-Fishers-Debunkery/159215550768209 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Online Interruption Marketing and Why I Hate Toaster Strudel STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: online-interrup CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 01/24/2008 02:40:23 AM ----- BODY:I just finished up the audio version of Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin. Excellent listen. For some reason, this is the statement from Seth that resonated with me the most.
"The web is the single worst medium ever devised for interrupting people who don't want to be interrupted."
Amen brother!
Why do the best brands in the world continue to distract us? Do they not see what is going on...especially in an online environment?
Here is a quick example of why interruption marketing in an online environment is so detrimental to a brand. Over the weekend I was doing some stock research for our investment club. As usual, I was looking through the headlines of the stocks I am responsible for (Ameritrade and JAKKS Pacific, the toy company).
So, on my way to a news story on Forbes I get hit with this full-screen roadblock (a roadblock is an online ad that covers the entire screen, and usually disappears after 10 seconds or you can try skip past). Now, the roadblock has to be the ultimate in online interruption marketing. Why don't you just chain me to a post and make me read this over and over until I cry? I'm already going to Forbes...do I have to read that Forbes has the best political news?
As Dr. Phil would say, "Joe, how did this make you feel?" Can anyone say Huffington Post?
Okay, I finally get to the article and I'm on to more research. Now I'm at Yahoo! Finance reading up on Ameritrade. All of a sudden, I get karate-chopped by a Pillsbury Toaster Strudel ad. Worst part...I can't read the headlines now because the Doughboy is in the way. As I move the mouse I can't get rid of him. Down doughboy, down!
This is like a bad dream. And tell me, why the heck is there a toaster strudel ad on my Ameritrade headlines page? Do brokers like strudel? Do investor's of online brokerage companies treat themselves to the soft, chewy heaven that is the Toaster Strudel?
Shame on you Pillsbury, and shame on you Yahoo! for sucking Pillsbury into this.
Dr. Phil..."Joe, what does this make you want to do?" Good question, Phil. It makes me want to go to Google News and then on a diet.
This is old marketing at its best. This is a mass marketing strategy placed into a setting that has no more room for mass marketing. Let's face it, Forbes and Yahoo! will continue to offer these ad placements as long as someone is willing to pay for them. It is up to marketers to stand up and decide that their customers deserve better.
Pillsbury can make the decision to stop distracting to get business. They can decide to be a part of the conversation, a part of the content.
It's only a matter of time before brands like Pillsbury "get" content marketing. Until then, I'm banning Toaster Strudel from the house.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kantor EMAIL: jkantor@appum.com IP: 24.9.7.116 URL: http://www.whitepapercompany.com/blog DATE: 01/31/2008 08:25:41 AM Maybe this is why Yahoo is about to layoff about a 1000 people? Jonathan Kantor The White Paper Pundit ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Diamond EMAIL: diamondsf@aol.com IP: 205.188.117.143 URL: http://www.marketingmessageblog.com DATE: 01/31/2008 10:17:46 AM Joe, you've captured the essence of what's wrong with interruption marketing— it makes you less productive and doesn't care about your interests—a double whammy! Imagine standing at your favorite section in a bookstore eagerly perusing the shelves, while a staff person hands you books in which you have no interest. Not sure why corporations don't GET this! Keep up the good work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Diamond EMAIL: diamondsf@aol.com IP: 205.188.117.143 URL: http://www.marketingmessageblog.com DATE: 01/31/2008 10:17:48 AM Joe, you've captured the essence of what's wrong with interruption marketing— it makes you less productive and doesn't care about your interests—a double whammy! Imagine standing at your favorite section in a bookstore eagerly perusing the shelves, while a staff person hands you books in which you have no interest. Not sure why corporations don't GET this! Keep up the good work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/31/2008 10:27:08 AM Thanks Stephanie...slowly but surely, smart companies are getting it. That's why they're smart, I guess. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike EMAIL: signmeup.mike@gmail.com IP: 92.2.5.112 URL: DATE: 06/02/2008 09:06:55 AM It's incredibly ironic that you're complaining about unclosable ads when on this very page I had 2 mouseover ads for Snapshot popup that I couldn't close. Thankfully I could move them out of the way but mouseover ads piss me off something chronic. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/02/2008 09:44:52 AM Hi Mike...I added the Snapshot function because some people like to see a mini-picture of the website without having to be directed to one. You are actually the first person that has said anything negative about it. Most people enjoy that feature from Snapshot. I'll have to consider taking that feature off if they do come across as ads and not a helpful service. Thanks for the feedback. Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Announces Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-announc CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 01/21/2008 02:28:01 PM ----- BODY:
Well, after almost six months in "beta" we've decided to launch the full version of Junta42. And what better way to do that than with a cool list.
This week we are premiering the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs that features the best blogs from the net focusing on some aspect of content marketing. Some, you'll find, are very well known, while others are definitely "up-and-comers". Congrats to Millward Brown's "Straight Talk with Nigel Hollis" on taking first spot on our premiere listing.
I think what I like most is that Junta42 members can vote on the ones they like the best, which generates a user rank. Members can "Hitch!" (or vote - just like Digg) for the blogs they believe are the best. The most popular blogs rise to the top. I believe at the end of the day, that's the list that will have the most value.
Now, we've by no means perfected the selection criteria, but we've made a good start. Here's a full description of how we selected and ranked the blogs. I'm quite certain we've left off many, so if you know of any you'd like to nominate, send us a note at add[at]junta42.com. We'll be adding blogs and refining the process over the next few months.
Other additions to the new Junta42 include:
We are also excited about the launch of Junta42 Match, which will take place over the next few months. Junta42 Match will be the "eHarmony of business content", matching businesses who need content expertise with custom publishers or content providers that match specific needs and criteria.
We'll have plenty more to come on Match over the next few months.
Thanks to all of you who have supported us along the way. Let's enjoy the ride and have some fun.
The formal press release goes out this Wednesday. Here's a sneak peak...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: Junta42 Announces Top Marketing Blogs URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com/marketing_interactions/2008/01/junta42-announc.html IP: 10.0.23.103 BLOG NAME: Marketing Interactions DATE: 01/23/2008 03:16:50 PM Some of you may have noticed the new badge the blog is wearing. I'm very honored to tell you that Marketing Interactions is ranked at #4 in the new Top 42 Marketing Blogs list out from Junta42 this week. Here's the announcement from Joe Pulizzi, who ma... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Using Social Media to Deliver Premium Search Engine Rankings STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: leveraging-soci CATEGORY: search marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 01/17/2008 12:23:01 PM ----- BODY:Search engine and social media experts know this little fact, but surprisingly most people I talk to, including the majority of web developers and marketers, do not. That is:
Basically, I would argue that placing your content on social media sites may have more value for search engine optimization than direct traffic from a social media site.
Let's prove the point with an example.
I recently posted this article about Seth Godin's book tour and his take on content marketing. I then placed it on the following social media/social bookmarking sites, using the same format and language for each:
I also used one article marketing strategy, placing the post at Newt Barrett's ContentMarketingToday site.
The Goal
My interest was to evaluate certain keywords in Google and measure their impact, looking at the blog post itself or the placement strategies.
Success #1
I wanted to start out with an obvious keyword selection, so I used "Seth Godin Content Marketing," which was in the title of the post. Here are the results after exactly three days:
It should be noted that in the Shoutwire example, it received no positive votes, so placement has nothing to do with popularity. Also note that Digg came up on the first page after 1 hour, but within a day was already gone. That said, this strategy may work in Digg's case for very timely news, but not for more evergreen pieces like I tend to write. (NOTE ADDED: After submitted this post to Digg, it was #1 overall for "premium search engine rankings" after less than 30 minutes. Most likely will be gone tomorrow.)
Success #2
Okay, the first example is hardly ever typed in to Google. So let's use one that is. How about "Seth Godin Marketing Lessons"? Here are the results:
Results: Not as dominating as the first example, but four within the top 20 results, two of which were social media sites.
Takeaways
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: eMarketer CEO: Turning Ads to Content Most Important Transformation for 2008 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: emarketer-ceo-t CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 01/15/2008 09:35:09 AM ----- BODY:
Okay...there is really something going on here. If you are a marketing professional, it's time to pay serious attention to content marketing (custom publishing new). From new marketing thought leader Seth Godin, to now eMarketer founder and CEO Geoff Ramsey, marketing has changed for good and there is no turning back to the old model.
Mr. Ramsey includes three hidden trends in his latest post, concluding with the third trend as having the most important transformation on marketing.
What Mr. Ramsey states is a perfect representation of what is going on in today's marketing. It also shows that there is a significant opportunity for businesses to take advantage of this trend. He states:
"...For decades, the ad industry was built on the
interruption-disruption model. Consumers understood that if they wanted to
experience free content—in the form of television shows, music on the radio and
magazine articles—they would have to put up with ads, most of which were
perceived as irrelevant, boring, annoying or all three. In this standard
construct, ads were seen as a “necessary evil” to support the content
consumers really wanted to see.
But the
interruption-disruption model is dying out, thanks to shifting consumer
trends. Consumers are increasingly in control of their media content
and can
easily eradicate ads they don’t want to see. They also have less trust
in
advertisers and their messages."
Ramsey goes on to state: "As a result, advertisers and
their agencies who want to engage with today’s consumers will have to start
turning their ads into content. Ultimately, they will need to be able to
produce content that is so compelling, relevant and entertaining that consumers
will seek it out and want to share it with others. The new ad model is about
creating great content and finding clever ways to embed it in the fabric of
communities and content platforms where consumers are hanging out and actively
participating." Amen brother! Ramsey's last paragraph is essentially what we call content marketing. Today's buying environment, and into the future, creates a number of opportunities for businesses, as well as threats to those who aren't willing to alter their marketing.
Technology has evened the playing field. It may actually be easier for smaller businesses without historical marketing baggage to take advantage of this opportunity. For example, a small business can launch a blog, a white paper series, an eBook, an eNewsletter and a content-based microsite for literally pennies. The majority of technology used to distribute this content is free. As Seth Godin discussed in his latest book tour call, this revolution may be the biggest revolution the business environment has ever seen. Larger marketing organizations have a more difficult time letting go to old programs, especially since egos are involved, and those egos usually don't like to admit that they are or were wrong.
I actually thought that the content marketing revolution was still a few years off. After the last few weeks, I'm beginning to think that we are right in the middle of it. What an opportunity!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Seth Godin: "Content Marketing is the Only Marketing Left" and 10 New Marketing Lessons STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: seth-godin-cont CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 01/14/2008 01:32:26 PM ----- BODY:
Just sat through an hour teleseminar (Seth's Meatball Sundae Book Tour) produced by Author Teleseminars and Elizabeth Marshall, that included Seth Godin, Michael Port and David Meerman Scott. I'm a regular reader of Seth's and David's blogs. If you are at all in the marketing game, get their RSS feeds.
The second last question on the call was from me, where I asked about the role of content marketing and its effect on traditional media. Seth was not familiar with the term content marketing, and fortunately David was there to define it as "the creation of valuable and relevant content yourself (instead of using traditional means)."
Okay, here's the big answer by Seth...
"[Content Marketing] is all the marketing that's left."
Seth went on to say (I'm paraphrasing) that teaching your customers and giving your customers the resources to believe you is new marketing. They become a fan of yours because you teach them something that makes them feel better about the world.
For someone like me that lives and breathes content marketing, needless to say I was pretty excited about his response. If you are not creating your own content that gets people talking about you, what are you doing?
Here are a series of 10 other key points from the audio seminar:
Content marketing is not easy because you actually have to listen to your customers and know what their challenges are. You cannot solve your marketing woes through buying advertising space. You must make a connection to your customers, and get new customers, by focusing on their true pain points and healing them with information (okay, a bit over the top, but true none the less).
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 01/15/2008 12:03:19 AM Good recap, Joe. I was listening too and here are a few more takeaways from this terrific listen: 11. Requiring proof of ROI on new marketing is bogus. Companies aren't tracking ROI on everything else they are doing. 12. The customer's default frame of mind: "I don't trust you." 13. The purpose of a business book today is not to try to sell books, but to have a souvenier of ideas you want to spread. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/15/2008 07:45:54 AM Jay...thanks for the additional three points. I especially like your #11. Seth went into some detail on this, saying that most companies actually don't want to measure their return on historical purchases (like the ROI of the reception area or specific TV sponsorship). Yet, new marketing they want to measure like crazy. Once measured, what do they actually measure it against when the majority of initiatives actually aren't measured. Interesting. Thanks again for the post Jay! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Diamond EMAIL: sdiamond@digmediaworks.com IP: 64.12.117.143 URL: http://www.marketingmessageblog.com DATE: 01/15/2008 02:44:01 PM Wonderful post Joe! As always Seth makes us think. Another takeaway for me was that he said very simply, "you need to write things people want to read." Wouldn't blogs be much more valuable if people thought about what others want to read, instead of what's on their mind that day? Content marketing is it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/15/2008 03:09:17 PM Thanks Stephanie! You are right, whether written down or not, all authors (bloggers or businesses) need to ask themselves a set of questions about whether their target customers will care. Like Seth said, "Will someone find value in this?" is as good as any. Most bloggers get this...most businesses don't. Thanks again Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Meerman Scott EMAIL: david@freshspot.com IP: 70.9.33.87 URL: http://www.webinknow.com/ DATE: 01/15/2008 05:50:35 PM Hey Joe, It was a fun event. I appreciate Seth and Michael inviting me. Your question was a good one and I'm glad that I immediately knew what you were asking (and was able to put "Joe" and "Content Marketing" together to make the assumption it was you! Thanks for writing it up. I was too busy to remember what was said. Best, David ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/15/2008 07:08:08 PM Thanks David...although I always love listening to Seth, next time I'd like to hear more of you. Well done! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kevin Dykes EMAIL: kdykes@forestfortrees.com IP: 24.174.0.198 URL: http://www.forestfortrees.com DATE: 01/16/2008 08:23:40 AM Another great post from you Joe - thanks for summarizing this event & providing the take-aways. We are working with a number of "expert" owned small businesses to help them begin to utilize the power of educational content & true convserational "company cross-section" content, rather than the usual marketing copy blather. While this approach is so obvious to those of us who have been involved in the online marketing world, this is a whole new perspective for so many small companies. I'll be emailing a link for this post to our customer list this morning. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 64.132.169.250 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/16/2008 12:40:14 PM Kevin...thanks. Love your site. You are right, these initiatives are especially substantial for small businesses since their organizational structures are better suited for the direct communication, flexible structure model that new media and content marketing bring to the table. Definitely an opportunity that many companies still don't get. Keep doing what you are doing!!! jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: home business leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 222.127.173.121 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/06/2009 10:55:42 AM By creating and distributing your own content, you can control every aspect of communications with your target audience. You are no longer hidden among hundreds of ads in a magazine. Instead, you are the magazine. You engage your audience in a thoughtful conversation rather than positioning yourself as one of many companies trying to make a sale. You allow your target audience to look at you and say: This company is valuable. It’s compelling. It’s relevant. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pawan EMAIL: pawan@hivefire.com IP: 64.32.227.114 URL: http://www.thoughtleadershiptimes.com/ DATE: 10/15/2009 11:52:42 AM I just posted an article on how content marketing can contribute to thought leadership, but only if correctly executed. Many times organizations put out content for the sake of it, and not really to provide a valuable perspective or insights. Here's the full article: http://www.thoughtleadershiptimes.com/articles/1579/content-marketing-is-not-equal-to-thought-leadersh/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How I Screwed Up My Search Engine Optimization - SEO Content Mistakes Made by the "Expert" STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-i-screwed-u CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: search marketing DATE: 01/11/2008 01:10:10 PM ----- BODY:Although my expertise is in content, online content marketing today is so intertwined with search engine strategies (how content on the web is often found), I also study, practice and teach about search engine marketing best practices. It is with that introduction that I want to tell you how I didn't listen to my own advice, and lost customers and traffic in the process.
As we launched Junta42, we determined that there would be no space between Junta and 42. Through the first three months and into the launch of the beta site, we had so much tunnel vision that I never thought about considering a space when someone searched for Junta42.
In determining our final meta tags for the website, we did all the right things. I surveyed a group of publishers and marketers to get their keyword terminology that related to Junta42, such as custom publishing, content marketing, custom magazines, customized content, branded content, etc. Those
keywords became a core part of our content strategy, and continues to be.
Yet, one day, about two months after the launch of the site in late July, I received a call from a close colleague of mine. He couldn't find the site in the search engines. I actually laughed, thinking he was some kind of an idiot. Yet, I found out the finger was pointing right back at me.
At that time, if you typed in Junta42 into Google, about 3,000 related results returned to our company. Only about seven returns had to do with someone else (one user on a discussion form, we believe out of Japan, uses the profile name junta42...go figure). If you typed in Junta <space> 42, you got zippo. (NOTE: One of the reasons we chose Junta42 was a search engine strategy. We knew that we could dominate that term due to its rareness in the search engines.)
The worst part, the majority of references under Junta <space> 42 were for Thomas Junta, a 42-year-old man who was recently charged with manslaughter. There was no sign of our company anywhere.
We ignored our own advice that you must have a clear understanding of your customers and prospects online behaviors when it comes to a content marketing strategy. How do they get to your site? What relevant keywords do they type in? If we would have done just a bit of chatting with our users during our beta test, we could have easily found out that many of them might type in Junta <space> 42 into a search engine. (Which, by the way, is a good reason to "watch" customers use your website, not just use an online survey.)
Now this was not the end of the world, but is a good example of the barriers you can put in front of your customers if your content doesn't have the proper meta tags, title tags, and, in our case, company name variations. Is it easy for customers to misspell your company name? Do they search for your company information by product (product misspellings), company executives (executive misspellings), locations, etc.?
Try this exercise for yourself. You may be surprised at what you find. I actually just added a number of my last name misspellings into my meta tags. Why put a barrier between you and your prospects or customers when a five minute fix can take care of that?
Since the initial launch, we've to fix the problem. If you type in Junta <space> 42 today, the first four results and six out of 10 are for Junta42 (Mr. Thomas Junta receive the rest of the attention). Within the last 3 months, over 100 people have landed at Junta42 through a search engine by typing in Junta <space> 42. Over the next few months, we should have all 10 on the first page of Google.
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Wanted to call you attention to this excellent white paper from IBM Global Business Services entitled "The End of Advertising as We Know it."
Couple of points here:
First, this is an amazing example of world-class content marketing. This white paper clearly shows how a brand can create valuable and relevant content that is as good, or possibly better, than many traditional media pieces in the field.
Second, here is a quote from the conclusion of the white paper:
"There is no question that the future of advertising will look radically different from its past. The struggle for control of attention, creativity, measurements and platforms will reshape the advertising value chain and shift the balance of power. As we have witnessed in previous disruptive cycles, the future cannot be extrapolated from the past."
If we needed another one, this is yet an additional example that there is more confusion than certainty in marketing, and that, ultimately, everything in the future of marketing MUST be measured in some way. Technology will enable that. This white paper depicts some case studies that share a glimpse into how.
Third, content development, both on a corporate and customer basis, will play a huge role in how marketing and advertising decisions are made in the future. Yes, the revolution is at hand!
Enjoy Reading!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Used Refurbished Laptops EMAIL: ssunderani01@gmail.com IP: 116.71.42.100 URL: http://www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com/ DATE: 04/05/2009 09:04:37 AM This ThinkPad T40 has been awesome. Had for a decent price. There was a problem with the main board about 4 months down the road and customer service couldn't have been better. I spoke with someone in America, and they overnighted everything. The entire process only took 3 days from placing the service call to getting back and running. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: I've Been Tagged - 8 Things You Didn't Know about Me for 2008 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: ive-been-tagged CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 01/09/2008 02:58:12 PM ----- BODY:Ardath Albee at Marketing Interactions tagged me to share 8 things that most people do not know about me. I was hesitant to do this, since as you know, I don't often share personal stuff on this business-based blog. That said, some of these are business related.
Passing this on and tagging my industry/blogging friends Newt Barrett at ContentMarketingToday, Eric Shanfelt on the eMedia Strategist Blog, Ian Alexander at Eat Media, and Pete Shemilt at Relevant and Valued.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama Hyder EMAIL: shama@afterthelaunch.com IP: 96.226.74.149 URL: http://www.afterthelaunch.com DATE: 01/11/2008 12:02:50 AM Number 3 is a great example of wonderful marketing and creating brand evangelists. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Small Businesses Have a Marketing Advantage Over Large Businesses STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-small-busin CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 01/09/2008 11:59:27 AM ----- BODY:
Many of our consulting clients are small businesses. For some reason, even though budgets aren't what they are in the larger companies we work with, I love the potential that exists with small businesses. When we make recommendations to larger companies, it takes sometimes many months to get them going, working through multiple chains of command and different budget buckets.
With small companies, sometimes we execute projects the same day. Also, there is a smaller decision-making base, which helps make decisions faster and more focused. Ultimately, that's why small companies rule.
This is the first page of Seth Godin's book Small is the New Big:
"Small is the new big. Recent changes in the way that things are made and talked about mean that big is no longer an advantage. In fact, it's the opposite. If you want to be big, act small.
Consumers have more power than ever before.
Treating them like they don't matter doesn't work.
Multiple channels of information mean that it's almost impossible to live a lie.
Authentic stories spread and last.
That ability to change fast is the single best asset in a world that's changing.
Blogs matter. If you want to grow, you'll need to touch the information-hungry, idea-sharing people who read (and write) them."
Your Website Is Your Greatest Marketing Asset
The changes in technology have enabled small businesses to market their products and services as well as, or better, than a large, well-funded business. The only caveat? Small businesses must understand the power of the internet, and give their foremost attention to their website and online initiatives.
Technological changes are increasing at an ever faster rate than before. Small businesses can adapt to these changes to communicate more effectively with their target customers. Larger businesses, through multi-leveled bureaucracy and committed budgets, have a much more difficult time changing communication initiatives if the signs are there for change.
Small Wins on Local Level
This is especially true on a local level. Companies such as Lowes or Wal-Mart are tied to corporate branding and initiatives, and are challenged by personalizing marketing efforts to local markets. Even a Best Buy, which does an outstanding job of personalizing stores to their clientèle, still must segment stores into groups (busy suburban mom's or technology enthusiasts), but not truly on a local basis. Big brands are executed at the national level.
Small businesses do not have that concern, and can adapt to the needs of their local customer base. With a focus on quality web content, it is altogether possible that a small business can score a much higher search engine ranking on local key words, especially with a help of locally-focused blogs, white papers and other online content efforts.
I'm a Small Business: What Should I Do?
To compete with the big boys, here is what you need to focus on:
It's never been better to be a small business. Perhaps small is the new big.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Burani EMAIL: paul@clicksharpmarketing.com IP: 66.108.26.116 URL: http://smallbusinessblog.clicksharpmarketing.com DATE: 01/22/2008 11:45:17 AM To piggyback the notion of consumers and they massive power they wield nowadays--one has to really appreciate Chris Anderson's Long Tail movement! As the once-insignificant small fish discover the business assets that larger competitors simply cannot take from them, they'll steal something of their own: precious market share. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/22/2008 11:47:06 AM Paul...great point. There is definitely an opportunity for smaller businesses here. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Where Are all the Content Champions? - Random thoughts on Content in an Online World STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: where-are-all-t CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing council CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 01/07/2008 01:48:44 PM ----- BODY:
In writing this blog post for the Custom Publishing Council on the content marketing/custom publishing sales process, I started to think of how challenging it is to sell the idea of content to marketing professionals. The whole idea behind selling a large custom media package from a sales standpoint is to create a series of yes answers that lead to a close.
Content marketing is perhaps the fastest growing marketing element (Yes, you heard me). Everyone talks of the internet and its growth (which is true), but we must realize that a large portion of the growth in online spending has to do with website content, webcasts, branded video, blogs, wikis, podcasts, article marketing, white papers, etc. All of these are delivered online, but they are successful based on two things - content + online marketing efforts.
The frenzy of online, continued in 2007 and into 2008 around Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Digg, StumbleUpon and more, is almost always based on getting better, more accessible content into the hands of targeted users. Yet, most marketers think of social media or the internet, and not necessarily the creation of content, which is a must for a content marketing program to be successful.
Here are some basic thoughts that come to mind:
Possibly if we were less prone to think of anything besides content, we would be more apt to find an expert content partner and get us to communicate faster and better with our customers. After all, perhaps more than any other media, content marketing is all about your customers. Could focusing on your customers be so wrong???
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ian EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 71.101.115.118 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 01/07/2008 08:38:48 PM Great post as always Joe. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Like Spike Lee and Madonna, Businesses Are Creating Their Own Media Channels STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: like-spike-lee CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 01/04/2008 09:25:48 AM ----- BODY:
Did the title get your attention? Frankly, I could have named a number of stars including Larry the Cable Guy, the band Radiohead...even Morgan Freeman. What is currently happening in the entertainment industry is exactly what is going on in the business world...just most people don't realize it yet.
The January issue of Portfolio highlights how celebrities are cutting out the middleman, creating multiple online channels to communicate directly with customers and fans.
"Losing faith in the old guard, these celebs are using the internet to distribute their work directly to consumers and experimenting with business models that don't have anything to do with [the major studios]."
While reading this article I couldn't get over the "too scary" similarity between this and what is happening in traditional media. Businesses of all sizes are dissatisfied with the performance of advertising in magazines, at trade shows, and even purchasing online banners. More money is flowing into measurable media such as pay-per-click (PPC) and into their own web properties. This we have known...but what continues to be treated like a spouse cheating is business's new love affair with creating their own media channels.
And let's get beyond social media for a moment. Any organization not contemplating a serious social media strategy is slowing becoming history. This movement is about how corporations are creating their own content, communicating the essence of their brands without having to rely on traditional media (of which social media has to be a part of).
The Portfolio story references this trend as a "more efficient means of reaching potential customers." More efficient is one way to put it...absolutely necessary is another.
Not convinced? It's not that there are fewer traditional channels...there are more than ever. Even though magazines keep dying, new ones keep popping up to replace them. There are more cable channels and in-person venues than ever before, in almost every market. What has changed is this:
But maybe the biggest rush into content marketing (businesses creating their own content channels) is said best by this quote from the above article:
"It will quickly get to a point where if you don't do it, everybody else will be doing it. If you're not there, where are you? Then you'll see the stars participate."
This is what we are seeing now. The Microsoft's, Cisco's, John Deere's of the world were first to jump on this bandwagon. Now you are seeing the rest of the business world catch up...because they have to. Why?
Everything...product, price, place, promotion...all of it can be copied. The lone competitive advantage businesses have today is what they communicate...their brand.
Traditional media will continue to go on, but as Portfolio states, "...they will continue to be diminished...certainly traditional media companies will no longer be the content gatekeepers..."
Whether you believe this is good or bad doesn't matter at this point. It is happening. It's your choice as a business as to what you want to do about it.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Webkinz - When Content Marketing Goes Good (and Bad) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: webkinz---when CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 01/02/2008 09:53:33 AM ----- BODY:For those of you not familiar with Webkinz, they are very similar to what Cabbage Patch dolls were in the 80's except for the integration of the Internet. Webkinz, owned by Toronto-based Ganz, are small stuffed animals that come in dogs, pandas, cats, ducks and more. Once the owner "adopts" their pet, they can go to the Webkinz website to register their pet, create a name, and bring their pet to life online.
The Webkinz concept is so simple, it boggles your mind it wasn't thought of earlier. Simple, and truly powerful. To experience just a bit of this power, just watch a four-year-old navigate their way through the site. You have to see it to believe it.
Here are a couple of points specific to the website and content marketing...
The Webkinz Business Model
According to this BusinessWeek article, Webkinz annual sales are north of $100 million. The revenues come strictly from the sale of their stuffed toys and accessories such as charms and clothes. Frankly, the stuffed animals are no different than what you'd find at any toy shop in the world. The difference is its "Webkinz World" online community.
The image to the right is my six-year-old son Joshua's Webkinz, a polar bear named (fittingly) Polar. Joshua (as well as his younger brother Adam) have spent a good chuck of time on the Webkinz site fitting their animals with clothes, toys, carpet and wallpaper for the bedroom, and more. Joshua takes Polar to the doctor, to the exercise room, and to other "social" rooms where Polar can play with other Webkinz pets. Joshua needs to go to the store to buy food for Polar that will keep him healthy, and also has to play Webkinz games as a "job" in order to make money to buy more food, clothes and toys for Polar.
It truly is a wonderfully educational and "sticky" site, and, perhaps the best example I can think of for online content marketing. Webkinz World is NOT the product, it's the retention and growth mechanism. But it ultimately is the reason the brand is what it is today. The online component includes FREE content that educates its customer base and incentivizes their buyers to buy more Webkinz products. Having more pets means your pets can play with each other, and also opens up exclusive items for multiple pet owners.
Webkinz has done what every business in the world seeks to do with their online content, yet they have so integrated the product and the content that it seems indistinguishable. What actually is the product? The toys or the online experience? That is where Webkinz has perfected the art of content marketing. When the content you produce for your customers is perceived as so crucial to the success of the product itself, you have perfect content marketing integration.
A Tragic Mistake
Webkinz recently received a slew of hate mail from parents around the world when they decided to open up a small amount of advertising on their site. This created a virtual PR nightmare for Ganz. Although they have taken the advertising down (such as ads for the recent Seinfeld release "Bee Movie"), they are still considering advertising on the site for "kid-friendly" products.
I can see the storm coming now.
Even in this BusinessWeek quote, it seems that Ganz as well as financial experts just don't get the true nature of the Webkinz World site.
"Ganz, which doesn't disclose its financials, must now strike a delicate balance: maximizing profit from the fad without alienating parents and kids. Visitors to Webkinz.com spent more than a million hours there in November, but the site is free. As a result, "they haven't made anywhere near as much money as you'd think," says Sean McGowan, an analyst at Needham, who guesses Webkinz sales are north of $100 million. He adds that none of the nascent competitors has figured out how to capitalize on kids' Web time, either."
The sales are north of $100 million because Ganz created a safe and educational website that parents can leave their kids on without having to worry. Webkinz has grown because they are delivering high-quality FREE content, with the expectation that the website will drive more Webkinz sales, not that the website will produce revenue itself. Opening up web advertising, no matter how kid-friendly, will kill the brand and the site. Playhouse Disney opened up their website to advertising a few years ago. That was the same time we stopped allowing our kids to go to that site. My kids clicked on those ads like crazy and ended up God knows where. Disney forgot that the website was not there to make money, but to deepen the brand relationship they have with their customers (getting them to watch more playhouse Disney and buy more Disney toys). And from a quick look back at the Disney site, they have removed the advertising. They figured it out!!! Webkinz better as well - or they will destroy the safe environment they've created for children.
Key Takeaways
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2007 was a great year for content marketing. At the start of the year, most marketing professionals had never heard of the term. 12 months later, content marketing, the practice and the industry, are gaining speed. More and more marketing professionals are understanding the concept of selling - without really selling - through valuable and relevant content creation and marketing.
To cap off the year, I've included the top 5 articles from the Junta42 blog, as well as the top viewed and rated articles from Junta42. Enjoy! (NOTE: Analytics courtesy of Google Analytics.)
Top Content Marketing Articles from the Junta42 blog
Highest Rated Articles on Junta42 (combination Promote's, Page Views, and Time)
Most Viewed Articles on Junta42
Thanks to each of you for your support during 2007. Looking forward to a great 2008!
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Here is an interesting case study from Apple on the integration of audio learning via Apple's iTunes at Duke University. If you look at this from an organizational standpoint (not just an educational one), Duke realized that its customers (the students) craved new and engaging ways to access university content. The article goes on to say:
"[Duke] recognized that iPod would allow access to rich content anytime, anywhere, and do it extremely easily...[They] helped gain support at the highest levels of [the] administration for this notion of infusing a new and emerging technology throughout [the] campus. [Duke] also realized the value of partnering with Apple as they developed an entirely new way to distribute content."
There is always a concern over adoption status when businesses launch audio or podcasts initiatives. Probably the biggest concern is whether or not the customer group has the technology and the knowledge to use a product, such as an iPod, to access the content. Duke and Apple took this out of the equation by handing all 1400 incoming freshman a brand new iPod.
If you are planning on launching this kind of initiative in your organization, here are some key takeaways:
Here are some helpful links if you are planning on podcasting for your customer base:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A 2008 Marketing Prediction to Bank On: Why Simon Kelly and Content Marketing Rule! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-2008-marketin CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/21/2007 12:36:37 PM ----- BODY:
Just finished reading through an excellent article from Folio (a magazine/web site about the magazine industry) about their predictions for 2008.
Most of the predictions were on budgets (some good ones), recession, the economy, print vs. online, integrated media...blah, blah, blah. And then I come to my friend Simon Kelly's (Story Worldwide) predictions, which after reading, am now considering starting the Simon Kelly fan club (wait, he already won an award for that). Here are a few of Simon's gems:
"1. Brands will stop dipping their toes in the water and jump in with
both feet, realizing they can turn themselves into fully-fledged media
channels, supported by an ‘Authority to Publish’ that is rock-solid.
6.
The penny will drop that technology-based digital solutions are
not the answer. We’ve been to this dance before—CRM was supposed to be
the new nirvana but only resulted in enabling marketers to slice and
dice to the Nth degree but delivering nothing of value to the customer.
Web whatever is in danger of repeating the same mistake. Brands need to
step up and own this transition otherwise Microsoft/Yahoo/Google et al
will convince everyone there’s no alternative to the latest technology
solutions, forgetting the customer’s information needs in the process.
Publishers can help. Brands need to publish."
Simon makes some excellent points - and here is the key: If your brand is your relationship with your customer, how else can the brand/relationship survive without constant communication? Think about your own relationships. How can you get a friend, loved one, spouse to get more involved in a relationship? Easy. Talk about them, what interests them, what's important to them...their lives and jobs.
Call it whatever you want, content marketing, custom publishing, custom media, corporate media, branded content...whatever. The key is to tell the story not that you want to tell, but the story that your customers need to hear. That's how brands are created and built today. Ads can no longer to this by themselves. Our customers and prospects are too smart for that now.
Want to make a New Year's Resolution for 2008?
Take your brand back. Tell your customers not your story, but their story. If they are truly your customers, that story will be one in the same. Carpe Diem!
I caught this Burger King Whopper Freakout Video on the What's Next? blog and couldn't help but comment. The video, pitched and created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky, creates perhaps the ultimate case study for Burger King.
In the video, the following happens:
What's so wonderful about this is the brutal honesty (customers do not know that the whole thing is a practical joke). Most companies wouldn't take a risk to get THIS kind of content. It could realistically be the one of the greatest case studies for a product I have ever seen. Hat's off to BK.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Daniel Sitter, Idea Seller EMAIL: dan@superiorsellingskills.com IP: 71.76.59.80 URL: http://www.idea-sellers.com DATE: 12/21/2007 12:18:47 PM I just discovered your Blog Joe. You have some great material here and I have subscribed. Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.101.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/21/2007 12:49:13 PM Daniel...thanks for the note and comment. Excellent blog...especially your recent post on being an entrepreneur. How true you are!!! Happy Holidays! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Can Buzzfuse Help You Market Your Content? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: can-buzzfuse-he CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/20/2007 11:38:03 AM ----- BODY:
I stumbled across a service today called Buzzfuse. It immediately caught my attention (as a content marketer) with this statement:
"Buzzfuse is a content marketing system: we help content creators better market their content, and help consumers find the stuff they want."
Content creation is not a problem for most - marketing is usually the hurdle...so there is definitely a need for a service that helps businesses and individuals promote their content efficiently.
Here is how a business can use Buzzfuse:
Once that is done, you can select key content to promote to your customers. For example, I tested
this blog post called How Poor Marketing Kills Great Content and uploaded a few lines of simple code to the HTML (here is what it looks like on the right).
After uploading the code and activating the link, you can now send your article to your key customer distribution list. See the email below that I sent to myself. This is what it will look like if you distribute to your list.
Potential
As a new service, Buzzfuse has to get the word out like all startup online services. Bloggers get some of these benefits through a service like Feedburner (sends RSS subscribers emails of your posts). That said, I almost see Buzzfuse as a combination between Feedburner, LinkedIn and an online forum. This service may be especially useful for small businesses trying to create an ongoing conversation with their customers and prospects by sending them quality content.
Overall, I like what they are trying to do. The fundamental philosophy of Buzzfuse is dead on - businesses need help in marketing their relevant and valuable content.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Five Tips to Improve Sales with Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-tips-to-im DATE: 12/18/2007 02:51:52 PM ----- BODY:
Most small off-line businesses do not think seriously about driving sales through their website. Little do these organizations realize that your website may be your most important asset now and into the future.
I recently wrote this article for Contracting Business magazine (a magazine for heating and air-conditioning owners and contractors) about five tips to improve sales with content. Here are the five tips below, but please check out the entire story at Contracting Business.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Microsoft Uses Content to Attract Small Businesses STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: microsoft-uses CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 12/18/2007 01:32:28 PM ----- BODY:Say what you want about Microsoft, you've got to love their strategy to create relationships and sell products to small businesses. They are doing many things right, and a few things wrong that need to be corrected...let's review.
I received an email with this link promoting Microsoft Office Live Basics for Small Businesses. Live Basics enables businesses to reserve a domain name, create and update a web site, and create a centralized email hub for up to 25 email accounts (this part competes directly with Google Apps for small businesses, which I use).
It's not the product that necessarily caught my attention - it was the content on the site. There are two key areas to focus on: Articles and Tips and Community and Blogs. The site has over 250 articles and blog posts dedicated to small business solutions, many focused on small business online tools, tricks and techniques. Most articles are written by professional freelancers, which Microsoft is probably paying for (good move).
On the home page of the Microsoft Live Small Business site they promote an eBook from Startup Nation on the 11 ways to Create a Successful Web Site. Kudos to Microsoft for partnering with a recognized small business name such as Startup Nation. The eBook is free, but sign up is required. By giving up some information, you'll also receive a subscription to their Microsoft Advisor eNewsletter. Microsoft is employing the basic "free on free" technique of giving you something large for free (eBook), then getting something regular for free (the eNewsletter), in exchange for your email address.
Microsoft has the process down and is doing most things right when it comes to delivering content to target customers. That said, here are a few things Microsoft should look at to improve the site:
Overall takeaway - Microsoft is doing some great things with online content marketing, but even the biggest and best companies in the world don't have the content process entirely figured out.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Blog Carnival - The Best of Content Marketing #3 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: blog-carnival- DATE: 12/16/2007 07:56:01 PM ----- BODY:
Here is edition #3 on the best content from the web about content marketing and custom
publishing. Anything that will help you create better content for your
business, in whatever form, will be included here on a regular basis.
Not sure what content marketing is? Click here for the Ultimate Definition of Content Marketing.
40 Online Marketing Methods by Hans De Keulenaer from the Web Business Marketing Blog. He took our 42 Ways to Attract and Retain Customers to the next level.
Kenton Newby presents a five-minute video on Automatically Finding Ideas for New Website Content. Interesting take and service he discusses.
Kathleen Gage writes a nice piece called "Is Blogging Necessary?" on her Street Smarts Marketing blog. Most companies don't understand the opportunities that present themselves with a blog. Kathleen reviews the basics.
Mark Riffey presents Reach out. Regularly. Or theyâll forget about you. posted at Business is Personal.
Nice post by Bud Caddell from Imagination Publishing called Web Metrics, Are You Missing the Engagement Mark?
My Creative Team presents 11 Ways to Promote Your Website.
Newt Barrett from ContentMarketingToday covers 3 More Reasons Marketers Must Become Publishers.
Content Marketers: Don't Overlook the Basics from Pete at Relevant and Valued.
And here are some recent videos to check out that relate to branded content and content marketing:
Tiger Trap from Buick
Dr. Pepper's Cherry Chocolate Rain (I can't get this song out of my head).
...and a few microsites...
Dell Star Power
BMW XPLOR
Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty
For more, check out more Microsite examples at Junta42.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Sadler EMAIL: john@bitesize-marketing-nlp.com IP: 81.130.195.98 URL: http://bitesize-marketing-nlp.com DATE: 01/17/2008 04:16:09 AM I just joined up to your blog carnival and look forward to sharing and finding useful materials. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Sadler EMAIL: john@bitesize-marketing-nlp.com IP: 81.130.195.98 URL: http://bitesize-marketing-nlp.com DATE: 01/17/2008 04:16:36 AM I just joined up to your blog carnival and look forward to sharing and finding useful materials. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Content Conference: Finally, A Conference for Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-content CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 12/14/2007 11:08:13 PM ----- BODY:
It's been a long wait, but there is finally a conference dedicated to excellence in corporate content. The Custom Publishing Council is putting on the premier conference dedicated to custom publishing and content marketing. The conference takes place from March 9-11, 2008 at the Marriott in New Orleans.
We all know it, but most marketers can't see it yet. They have the power to create conversations and relationships directly with their customers. No middle-men or distributors required. Organizations have the power to create great content through multiple formats that truly make a difference in their customers' lives. That's what this conference is all about. If you are at all interested in learning how to create more valuable content for your customers, and learn how to market it through the most effective formats - attend this conference.
Executives from Six Apart, Brand Keys, GlaxoSmithKline and the Advertising Research Foundation (among others) will be presenting their content expertise at the event. Junta42 is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for the event.
I truly believe that this will not only be a valuable event, but is important to the future of our industry. Content marketing has come a long way, but let's face it, there is still a lot of horrible marketing going on out there. Those marketers need help...but we can all do our part. Register by January 1, 2008 and receive $100 off the fee ($595 total)!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chuck Francisco EMAIL: drivenail1@yahoo.com IP: 75.36.80.222 URL: DATE: 12/17/2007 11:38:04 AM Can't wait !! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is Data-Driven Content the Next Killer Marketing App? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-data-driven CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 12/10/2007 11:39:39 PM ----- BODY:More and more, I've been running into businesses that are using Internet data to drive their content marketing efforts. What this means is that instead of an organization creating content for their websites in the form of text, audio or video, they are generating content by extracting information (data) accessible on the web.
Two excellent examples of this are Webbed Marketing and Hubspot. Webbed Marketing, an internet marketing company, created a very interesting tool on their website called the Webbed-O-Meter. The Webbed-O-Meter measures the amount of buzz your website is getting in the blogosphere by pulling in content from Yahoo! SiteExplorer,
Wikipedia,
Technorati,
NewsPad (PRWeb),
Feedster,
IceRocket,
Del.icio.us,
Digg,
Google,
and Google Groups.
Junta42 scored a not-too-pleasant 17.8 out of 100. According to the Webbed-O-Meter:
"A small hive, but a start. There are a handful of folks online that are Buzzing about this site. Interested in creating more Buzz? Contact Webbed Marketing and let us help you get people talking."
Regardless of the score, I love the concept, and the idea of attracting customers by offering a unique data formula set that creates unique content.
Internet Marketing Software company, Hubspot, has created a similar type of data-driven tool called the Website Grader. Website Grader pulls information from around the web to generate a report that measures your website against all others graded with the service. Here are Junta42's results for Website Grader:
"A website grade of 91 for www.junta42.com means that of the thousands of websites that have previously been submitted to the tool, our algorithm has calculated that this site scores higher than 91% of them in terms of its marketing effectiveness. The algorithm uses a proprietary blend of over a dozen different variables, including search engine data, website structure, approximate traffic, site performance, and others."
I've personally used Website Grader for about six months, both for myself and for clients. It's an incredibly helpful tool. Hubspot collects an email address every time you do the report (so they can send you a link to the final report). Since Hubspot has had my email they've notified me of their periodic educational webcasts. I've attended a few (which were both excellent), and have recently looked into purchasing their software package.
Now that's what I call content marketing.
I don't know if data-driven content will ultimately be the killer app, but it is definitely something that organizations need to consider as part of their total online content marketing and custom publishing program.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Burger EMAIL: jburger@industryweek.com IP: 199.0.65.2 URL: DATE: 12/19/2007 10:58:10 AM I certainly agree that the data-driven sites are cool, and I'd go further as to emphatically say they are what is coming next. "Rich data", as I call it, has the ability to transform the way people make decisions and even think. With the rise of large, interconnected datasets, an efficient program/algorithm can yield amazing results and can substantially supplant human decision-making from an accuracy standpoint. Removing the biases and inherent limitations of the mind will raise the number of successful decisions made in just about any industry you can think of. At least that's my opinion. :) It certainly won't be an overnight change, as it's a sea change that will result in lost jobs, reduced power for some omnipotents, and lots of hand-wringing on privacy issues. But eventually, human nature will lead us there. Right now it seems that the real value in all of this is in determining how best to use it -- and coming up with new ways to look at things. The gears that operate the number crunching and spit out the results are behind the scenes, and rightfully so -- it's the development and interpretation of the "mashups" is what drives the value of it all. That's where Webbed Marketing and Hubspot are doing new things. IMHO. Jon ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.101.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/20/2007 02:12:17 PM Jon...excellent insight...and better yet, you are right. Marketing professionals have an opportunity to either create or borrow data from their specific markets to "mashup" a better overall customer experience. What's even more interesting...this "mashup" data may be more powerful than any written content we could send to our customers. To your point, we aren't there yet, but we are getting much closer. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: peter caputa EMAIL: pc4media@gmail.com IP: 68.118.247.212 URL: http://www.pc4media.net/blog DATE: 09/24/2008 05:37:15 PM I'm a chemical engineer/software developer turned internet marketer, so my opinion may not be representative of your average marketer. However, I think the future of all marketing is data driven. Online, pretty much everything is measurable. I've written a post about this: http://www.pc4media.net/Blog/bid/4011/Measurable-Marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Doug Kessler EMAIL: Doug@velocitypartners.co.uk IP: 86.135.115.182 URL: http://Www.velocitypartners.co.uk DATE: 09/23/2010 03:46:15 PM Love this post. We did the website grader on velocitypartners.co.uk and I never actually thought of it as a form of content marketing. Of course it is. You got me thinking. Again. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: myFord Magazine Special Issue Spells Disaster STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: myford-magazine CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 12/07/2007 08:55:33 AM ----- BODY:
Last week I received a special issue of myFORD (myFordmag.com), Ford Motor's owner magazine, entitled "New Directions". First off, I've owned a variety of Fords over the past few decades, and they've all treated me well. But frankly, I'm not really sure what they are trying to do with the latest issue of their custom magazine. If the goal is "sell, sell, sell...feature, feature, feature" then they are doing a good job. myFORD has never been an elite lifestyle magazine (actually, it's always been pretty poor), but this one may take the cake.
There is no need to go into great detail on what's wrong with myFord magazine. It takes just one analysis.
There are 17 separate content sections in the magazine (mini-features, sidebars, etc.). Of the 17 areas, Ford is mentioned in the title or first sentence of 14 of them. What this means is that the magazine has nothing to do with customers...it's all about Ford. Just take a look:
"...Ford Focus is a sporty car with serious smarts..."
"...at Ford, hydrogen fuels are starting to hit full speed..."
"...Ford has received more 5-star crash ratings than any other..."
"...the Ford Personal Safety System responds in milliseconds..."
"...Ford is continually improving its vehicles..."
I'll stop there. I'm sure you are wondering what they did in the other three sections that did not mention Ford in the title or first line? One mentions the Focus (a Ford Brand), one mentions the Escape (another Ford Brand), and the last one is a short sidebar on "What Five Star Means". Wow, no mention of Ford...until the 4th sentence (and the big Ford Taurus Trophy next to it).
This is not content marketing...it may not even be marketing. I can't even start at recommendations or changes because there is no place to start. If I were Ford, I'd start over. Does anyone read this thing? (besides me, that is.)
It doesn't get better with the myFord website
While I was looking for the myFord website a couple things happened. First, I typed in myford.com into the browser. I was directed to a UK machine shop in Nottingham (which by the way is celebrating 74 years of service). I wonder how many Ford owners end up on that site. If Ford was smart, they'd do whatever it takes to get that URL (or should have picked a different magazine name).
Second, I came across an article on the Motley Fool called "myFord Makes Me Cringe" by Seth Jayson (I didn't realize there was a hate club against the magazine). You can read this for yourself, but here is a taste of what Seth writes:
"Yes, myFord is just a tiny bit of a vast company, but I also believe that sometimes we can diagnose the body's disease by examining a single digit. If this plug-per-paragraph magazine is any indication of the sophistication of Ford's marketing people, they need to take a break from laying off assembly-line workers and start hunting bigger game."
Ouch!
Finally, when coming to the myFordmag.com website, I found a collection of covers that direct you to digital magazines for each issue. Not a lot of thought went into this one. No user experience, no searching for articles, no finding answers to questions through magazine archives, no interactivity (I'll stop there). It could be so much more...
To Ford Marketing: As a Ford owner and someone who has and had many family members work at Ford, please, I beg you, do something...quickly.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bud Caddell EMAIL: bcaddell@imaginepub.com IP: 65.161.179.98 URL: http://passion2publish.com DATE: 12/10/2007 02:12:21 PM Joe, dead on about the myFord website. Why is it acceptable to still only offer digi-mags? As I tell clients, when you move from one medium to another, you MUST adapt for an optimal experience. No one would ever consider merely printing a website and packaging it as a magazine -- why then, the reverse? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.101.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/10/2007 03:14:31 PM Good point Bud. There are many ways to leverage digital magazines, but Ford's is an example of how not to do it. It's funny how some companies use the digital magazine and pdf in this way...especially the likes of a company like Ford. Digital mags have very refined purposes, which unfortunately most are unaware of. I'll be blogging about this shortly. Too important of an issue. Keep the Faith! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: patrick kearney EMAIL: kearney26@msn.com IP: 76.116.148.18 URL: DATE: 02/08/2008 05:46:04 PM i just saw an advertisement for the new dodge challenger ,ford should bring back the ford capri2.8i i owned one in 1984 in ireland excellent car would be a good rival against the challenger ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How Poor Marketing Kills Great Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-poor-market CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 12/05/2007 10:03:22 AM ----- BODY:
I was reading some excellent articles on the web that brought me back to a key issue faced by most marketers today - the marketing of content.
Look at it this way...the majority of companies (yes, including media companies) that have been creating quality content for years never had to worry about marketing their content. They had targeted databases and targeted direct mail lists and knew exactly where their prospects and customers are at all times. Marketing time and resources had always been used for brand advertising, sales initiatives, event marketing, direct marketing, etc., not to market the content. But today, since the average company spends almost a quarter of their marketing spend on content (according to the Custom Publishing Council), how can a company put so many resources behind something and not market it effective? Well, it's happening a lot. If that's your situation, this is a must read.
MediaWeek's recent feature on "Is Social Media Killing the Campaign Microsite?" brought attention to the fact that the microsite (or content web portal...content microsite) might be going the way of the 30-second spot. The author, Brian Morrissey, states that "the growth of social media is causing marketers to realize they cannot expect consumers to always seek them out."
Social media is just one aspect to this issue. Ever-changing buyer behavior and expectations are another. Regardless of the reasons, custom publishing content cannot be marketed the way it was in the past.
Let's take a look at the traditional custom publishing or content marketing campaign:
I may be simplifying this just a bit, but this is how 99% of the custom projects are produced. This is so five years ago.
It's Not All About You
I've been keeping up with the postings from the folks at PandemicBlog recently and picked up on this review of an article by Kevin Nalts on best practices for using viral videos. Kevin, one of THE experts in viral marketing with video, posted in the comments and they struck me as something so simple, but something most content marketers haven't realized yet. Kevin says...
"Would you go to Hersheys.com to watch funny videos? Probably not. Would you watch Hershey-sponsored videos via YouTube? Much better chance. It’s based on when pharmaceutical marketers wanted their brand site to be the “ultimate destination for people who have condition x.” Puleez- just go syndicate or advertise on WebMD."
This is true for not just video, but all your content that can be "webified". Heck, I'm a huge fan of the microsite. The microsite is not dead, it's simply just one way out of many that you need to connect and communicate with your customers.
There are no glass ceilings or content gates or, God forbid, concerns over where your content ends up. Don't be blind that, no matter how you promote your content, that people will just come and engage with your content.
Less Content, More Marketing
This is essentially the key, and there is no better example to this than in blogging. Successful blogging, to most people, is about frequency. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Said best by Eric Kintz at the mpdailyfix, blogging is not about "how often" but about how the blogger participates in the community. The same can be said for all of your web-based content. However you or your company are involved in physical communities in your industry, you need to double those efforts on the web.
I've had actual conversations with three industry experts this week about their web content (two marketers, one media professional). Each of them couldn't figure out why they weren't getting more traffic. Outside of the basic SEO fixes, the majority of it came down to poor marketing, not poor content. When I asked, "How are you marketing your content?" it was like I asked them if they were the missing gunman on the grassy knoll. And please, there is more to marketing your website than a little SEO and pay-per-click.
Here's the Point: Before you create any more "great content", figure out how you are going to market it FIRST.
A More Fitting Example
Let's end where we started, with the traditional custom magazine example. For the basic quarterly magazine project, here is one way to look at how to actually get the most "bang for your buck" out of your content, and truly create multiple avenues for qualified prospects and customers to reach you.
There are more, but this gives you an idea of the marketing that should be happening around your relevant and valuable content. Think of it this way...how much content have you or your organization created that you felt was so valuable but was only seen by one group of people, or possibly not engaged in at all. Marketing problem, not content problem.
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Pete Shemilt from the new UK blog Relevant and Valued created an interesting content marketing checklist that is worth a look. According to Pete, who created the checklist from a combination of our eBook and information from Client Path Marketing, "The framework can be used to explore which content marketing opportunities are most relevant for your organization and business."
What I like about this new checklist is the ability to choose the most appropriate content marketing device depending on the goal, taking a more broad term like "lead generation" and using more concrete terms such as acquire, convert, retain, grow, recruit and amplify.
Ultimately, in this new age of uncertainty for marketers, testing and experimentation is key (as Pete suggests). Possibly more helpful in the future is to take a chart like this and offer degrees of tactical importance. For example, if your goal is retention, is a print magazine more powerful than website content, or even is the combination of both more powerful than any individual tactic? Does it depend on the type of customer, or specific market? These are the questions that have no concrete answers...and until we get some hard and fast research, testing may be are only answer.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pete Shemilt EMAIL: pete_shemilt@yahoo.co.uk IP: 82.25.242.75 URL: http://www.relevantandvalued.com DATE: 12/08/2007 06:05:17 AM Thanks for the article Joe. I think your point about the context of the market is an important one. Determining the relative power of each tactic will indeed depend not only on the objective but on the type of customer. I think the most effective research will be through implementing an iterative process of testing and refinement. If we make our marketing accountable, we can learn a lot more from the actual actions taken than we can from focus groups. ----- PING: TITLE: Buy ambien online order cheap ambien now. URL: http://www.youtube.com/user/1goodhealth IP: 208.109.181.83 BLOG NAME: Ambien online. DATE: 09/15/2009 12:16:38 AM Too much ambien online. Ambien online viagra. Ambien online. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Big Idea Won't Fix Your Marketing...think Small and Frequent STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-big-idea-wo CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 11/29/2007 04:41:02 PM ----- BODY:The December 3rd issue of BusinessWeek featured an article about Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts, and the company's struggles to significantly grow revenue. More than anything, this article discusses the transformation that Saatchi and other large agencies are undergoing to stay relevant.
Times have clearly changed, and agencies, as well as traditional media companies, are struggling to find their way. The article states:
"For most of the 20th century the so-called creatives ruled the industry. They didn't worry about where or how an ad ran. They didn't analyze market niches. They were about Big Ideas that would connect a brand, emotionally, with millions of consumers. Today, you might say, the Small Idea is ascendant. Ads are targeted at individuals or communities of consumers. That's because the media universe is so fragmented--into blogs, social networks, television, magazines, and so on--that finding the right medium is fast becoming more important than the message itself. "
Couple of takeaways here. First, most agencies and creatives I know still search and believe in the big idea. I believe all humans do, to some extent. We believe and have faith that all our problems (and in this case, communication challenges) have one great and almighty solution. Sometimes, they do. But in media and marketing, this very rarely happens. Today, it's never just one big idea.
Look at it this way. If a heart attack victim survives and is on the road to recovery, it's not one thing that brings her back to health. It's many little things, accomplished and executed over many days, weeks and months. It's eating better, exercising regularly, maintaining a more positive outlook on life, smiling more...and so on and so forth. If you did just one of these, it would be ineffective. If you did all of them, just once, that's no good either. No "big idea" fix.
Now look at today's marketing. If you have a customer communication challenge, is one big idea going to fix that? Not in the least. It won't be fixed by a glam-packed 30-second spot, or print campaign or even the integrated strategy itself.
Here's the solution for 99% of the businesses out there: It's not one big idea but a series of small, ongoing conversations with your customers, distributed through the media your customers use. This requires intimate knowledge of your customer, and a determination to leave your customer, on each occasion, in better shape than you originally found them. Instead of one big bang, it's one brick per day that over the course of weeks, months and years builds a house, a true brand relationship with your customer.
This is done by communicating great content to your customer that helps them become, not necessarily emotionally tied to you, but intellectually tied to your brand. Educating your customers is probably the single greatest gift you could give them.
Second point, specific to this quote: "...finding the right
medium is fast becoming more important than the message itself." I'm not sure anyone really has the answer for this, but I'd position that it's neither. The most important is finding the right customer. The customer dictates both the medium and the message. Without the perfect concoction of both, the communication effort will fail.
To some extent we are all suckers for the big fix. Who really wants to create ongoing, educational content for customers anyhow? It's too much work. Yes, it may be too much work, but it sure does work.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Facebook: Ads Still Interrupt, Even if they Come with a Photo of My Sister STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: facebook-ads-st CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 11/27/2007 11:05:39 PM ----- BODY:
I was reading Danny Sullivan's article "Forget Facebook. Search ads are the real revolution" and couldn't get over the point that advertising, even in it's most targeted form, is an interruption.
Just in case you haven't heard, Facebook has been receiving some criticism over their new advertising platform. The digital content blog has a good 3 step description of the new program. In looking this over, there are a lot of opportunities for brands to get involved, but the one that is intriguing is the integration of your friend's referrals. Saul Hansell from the NYTimes puts it this way:
"...Facebook may be able to append the implicit endorsement of friends to ads on this network. Imagine checking out the forecast on Weather.com, and you see a banner with a picture of your buddy Joe, saying Joe just bought a Canon digital camera from Amazon.com next to an ad for the latest Canon model. If someone else went to the same site, they might see an ad featuring a product recently endorsed by one of his or her friends."
Please don't get me started on condoms or tampons.
There are all kinds of implications for marketers here, but the core issue here is that, as ultra-targeted as this is, it's still advertising. It still interrupts. It's still packaged around the content that you are trying to consume.
Should marketers be salivating over this opportunity? Possibly. Danny Sullivan puts it well in that "The trusted referral is indeed a holy grail, and Facebook will offer a new way to build word-of-mouth." Facebook has said that Coca-Cola, the New York Times, CondeNet and STA Travel are already on board, along with 40 other brands. For those marketers that have million dollar budgets, this is almost a no-brainer. I'd at least test it (almost).
For the rest of us with normal marketing budgets that need to make a significant impact on targeted buyers, try creating your own content...then take that content and leverage the heck out of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg and so on. Want proof that it works? Check out this WSJ article on five companies that created their own video offerings with incredible results.
So, would seeing a photo of my sister next to Purina dog chow be cool on Facebook? Sure! Better yet, Purina created PetCentric, where I can get great content about my dog and interact with other dog lovers.
You can always do both...but if I had the choice, I choose to BE the content.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Association of Publishing Agencies' Customer Publishing Awards 2007 Announced STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: association-of DATE: 11/26/2007 08:27:03 PM ----- BODY:
The Association of Publishing Agencies (APA), the UK organization focused on custom publishing and content marketing, announced their annual winners of their customer publishing awards. The grand award (customer publishing solution of the year) went to Boots' (Britain's leading pharmacy) parenting club magazine, published by Redwood.
The APA Customer Publishing Awards are focused on effectiveness, while their Olive Awards are more focused on creativity.
Below is a listing of all the winners. Congrats to all.
Customer Publishing Solution of the Year - Parenting Club Magazine, Boots produced by Redwood.
Most Effective Automotive Title - Today, Tomorrow, Toyota produced by Sunday.
Most Effective Finance Title - Roar, Liontrust produced by Cedar Communications.
Most Effective Travel and Leisure Title - About the House, Royal Opera House produced by BBC Customer Publishing.
Most Effective Membership Title - Parenting Club Magazine, Boots produced by Redwood.
Most Effective Public Sector Title - Camouflage, British Army produced by Haymarket
Network.
Most Effective Internal Communication - The Job, The Metropolitan Police produced by Seven Squared.
Most Effective Business-To-Business Title - Contact, Royal Mail produced by Redwood.
Most Effective Consumer Publication (Retail) - ASOS.com Magazine, ASOS.com produced by Seven Squared.
Most Effective Consumer Publication (Non Retail) - Sky Movies, BSkyB produced by Future Plus.
International Publication of the Year - Land Rover Onelife, Land Rover produced by Redwood.
Specialist Communication of the Year - Food 4 Thought, British Heart Foundation produced by John Brown.
Online Publishing Solution of the Year - HondaracingF1.com, Honda Racing produced by John Brown.
Launch of the Year - A Journal of Interest, Coutts produced by Seven Squared.
Integrated Marketing Solution of the Year - One Army, British Army Recruiting Group produced by Haymarket Network.
Designer of the Year - Tan Parmar, LIV, Volvo produced by Redwood.
Journalist of the Year - Claire Wrathall, High Life, British Airways produced by Cedar Communications.
Editor of the Year - Zac Assemakis, Land Rover Onelife, Land Rover produced by Redwood.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: Driving Customer Growth through Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marke-1 CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 11/26/2007 08:25:00 AM ----- BODY:Just wrote a "basics" article on Content Marketing for the About.com: Online Advertising site by Cory Treffiletti.
The article reviews a bit about what content marketing is, what companies are doing it and in what form (with specific links to examples), how to integrate content marketing into your overall marketing plan, and how to start your own content marketing plan.
Check it out when you get a chance. Also, tool around the site a bit. Cory provides some excellent information on online media buying.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 3 Steps to Initiating a Successful Online Content Marketing Program STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: building-your-o CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 11/25/2007 09:37:59 PM ----- BODY:I talk a lot on this blog about the importance of integrating content into your overall marketing program, and the various media outlets available for your corporate content. In this post, I'd like to focus not on why a content marketing focus is important, but how to implement one step-by-step.
Many businesses, especially small businesses, may not have the financial resources to create a glossy custom magazine program, but all companies can initiate a low-cost, effective online content marketing program today.
Here are initial 3 steps to creating an effective online content marketing program. This will cover the start-up phase. We'll cover execution in another post.
1. Determine which organizational goals will be affected by the content program.
An effective online content marketing program must directly tie to the overall objectives of your organization in order to be successful. Don't get into creating content because it's in style. Do it because it truly helps your customer and, in turn, your business. Here are some answers that I have actually heard before from marketing professionals that want to launch custom publishing programs:
Some of the above may sound reasonable to you. The problem with each of them is that they are not measurable and don't consider the customer for a second. How does driving more traffic to your Web site accomplish your organizational goals? Just because your company has lots of "great" information, does that mean that telling the story will bring you more revenue? Not in and of itself.
Most of the key problems with a content program result in a clear misunderstanding of organizational goals. So, let's start there. Organizational goals must be two things, specific and customer-focused. Here are a few examples of organizational goals:
The above may seem simple, but it's amazing how many marketing organizations don't bring these types of goals to the table when creating a content program. So, before you launch any content program, be sure to list out your key organizational goals. Once that is complete, understand which ones your are trying to affect with the online content program.
2. Determine the informational needs of the buyer.
Most people want to move directly into creating the goals for the content program. Makes sense for it to be that way, right? Now that you understand the organizational goals, and have chosen which one or ones will be affected by the content program, we can come up with some clear and measurable content marketing tactics. Right? Wrong.
Let me give you an example that is more personal. Let's say that you have a daughter who you want to shape into the next Tiger Woods. So, a reasonable goal for you (Earl Woods) would be for your daughter to win the junior nationals. Since that is your goal, you create a plan-of-action that includes finding a personal golf coach for your daughter, signing her up for the junior league program, as well as buying her the latest in golf equipment. Sound reasonable?
Unfortunately, when you created the plan, you didn't consult the customer on what you want them to be, or what THEY need for THEIR success model. What if your daughter doesn't like golf? What if she likes golf, but doesn't want to be in competitive sports? What if she's built for basketball, or engineering? Worse yet, you were so busy planning the strategy, you didn't realize she was left-handed.
This may seem like a terrible example, but this exact issue comes up in organizations all the time. Businesses create specific content so that customers react in very specific ways. Without a clear understanding of the customer's information needs, any reaction that is close to the end goal is pure dumb luck.
Successful businesses already have a pretty good understanding of their core buyer. In order to create an effective content program, you need to take it a step further. Businesses with content marketing programs create content that is supposed to do very specific things. Just think how pointless this would be if you didn't know what information the customer needs to make a better buying decision...a buying decision that ultimately leads back to the organization's overall goals.
Understand your customer by doing comprehensive research. Comprehensive research does not necessarily mean expensive. Think of your research as including the following:
By doing the above, you'll be able to create a buyer persona for your target customer, and a true understanding of what information they NEED that will effectively get you to your goals.
3. Determine what you want your customer to do and why this helps the business.
Have you ever asked someone who owns a company what their Web site is for? Most answers are scary and revolve around the ultimate response that is "because everyone needs a Web site". Even those companies that believe their Web site drives revenues for their business can rarely define exactly how.
Content marketing programs are no different. Organizations create custom magazines, newsletters, microsites, podcast series, etc. for all kinds of reasons. Many know exactly what they do and are supposed to do. Unfortunately, many others do not.
Before you initiate and create the content for your online content plan, make sure of the following:
If you have each of these components, then you can create very specific goals for your content program. Some of these goals will be easy to link to your overall goals, such as a business transaction. Others will be just a piece of the overall pie (that keep you going in the right direction). Examples of these may be:
Today, most organizations call these instances a conversion. Whatever you call them, make them specific and measurable in some way. Even print programs can measure conversions through group A/B benchmarking studies, or specific calls to action that drive customers to web landing pages.
In Summary...
Before launching a content program for your organization (business, association, non-profit, foundation, etc.), follow these three steps first:
By doing this, you'll be ready for the next phase of the plan, the step-by-step guide to executing an online content marketing plan. I'll be reviewing this over the next week or so.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: Direct Marketing with a Higher Purpose STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 11/20/2007 02:37:55 PM ----- BODY:
I've always explained the definition of content marketing in chunks. I usually lead in with a quick definition like "editorial-style content delivered from organizations to customers through all types of media channels", or something like that. Sounds too textbook, doesn't it? Then I'd give a few examples. Then, if they still don't get it, I say "have you seen the airline magazines?" That usually does it.
Well, over the last few weeks, I've started using a new definition, "Content marketing is direct marketing with a higher purpose". People seem get that right away. I just got off the phone with someone who works in the direct marketing industry and they immediately got it. "Oh yeah, more than the offer, you are trying to build a relationship". Yes!!!
Let's take this a step further. Here is the definition of direct marketing on Wikipedia:
"Direct marketing is a sub-discipline and type of marketing. There are two main definitional characteristics which distinguish it from other types of marketing or advertising. The first is that it attempts to send its messages directly to consumers, without the use of intervening media. This involves unsolicited commercial communication with consumers or businesses. The second characteristic is that it is focused on driving purchases that can be attributed to a specific "call-to-action." This aspect of direct marketing involves an emphasis on trackable, measurable results (known as "response" in the industry) regardless of medium."
What's Similar?
Major Differences?
I think the biggest challenge to understanding content marketing is that it's easy to get outside the boundaries of what exactly a content marketing product is. A custom magazine is a very easy indicator of content marketing. It's valuable content, it's precisely targeted, and it usually has multiple calls-to-action (unlike direct which usually has one). A content web-portal is a little harder to peg. You create the content portal for a very specific group of people, and probably sent them direct mail and email to drive them to the site, but there are aspects that fall outside of the direct marketing equation. Examples may be a news release program that increases SEO (search engine optimization) to drive more relevant searchers to your site. Or a linking strategy that does the same. Does the fact that you don't "know" EXACTLY who you are targeting hurt the definition?
Get to the Point
Although you could argue many differences, although some inconsequential, the basic premise of content marketing being direct marketing with a higher purpose is sound. As a content marketer, I want to employ all the same tactics of direct mail except the call-to-action should reinforce a long-term customer relationship. That is done, not through an offer, but through great content that meets or exceeds their informational needs.
What say you?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Glenn Nicholas EMAIL: glenn@om4.com.au IP: 124.169.139.242 URL: http://om4.com.au DATE: 11/23/2007 09:27:45 AM Nice insight Joe. I agree there are significant similarities, and also differences. Content marketing and direct marketing are joined at the hip when it comes to things like the importance of copywriting. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 30 Thankful Truths of Great Corporate Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 30-thankful-tru CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 11/19/2007 11:39:47 PM ----- BODY:
As Thanksgiving is upon us, I'd like to take time to thank all those companies who strive to make their customers and prospects more intelligent through the use of great content. Thanks to all those organizations around the world that believe in, and practice, the following content marketing truths:
Thank you to those companies that get the value of content marketing. For everyone else...there's no time like the present.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing Council Launches Content Magazine STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publis-1 CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 11/15/2007 10:04:59 PM ----- BODY:Congratulations to the Custom Publishing Council for their premiere launch of Content magazine. Content is a 32 page over-sized magazine that targets 35,000 marketing professionals, CMOs and media executives. The initial magazine was mailed out the 2nd week of November, with upcoming issues in January, June and October of 2008.
We (the Custom Publishing Council) have been discussing "putting our money where our mouth is" ever since I joined five years ago. Well, we've finally done it...and, with high standards to live up to, the team did some excellent work. After all, the association that promotes custom magazines better have a darn good magazine.
Take a look at the digital edition of the magazine. Of particular note, please check out Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni's piece on Connecting Customers with Brands. Samir and I had a nice conversation at the Pearl awards about the need to constantly refer to our readers not as readers, but as customers (and explains it very well in this editorial). The key is that using the term "readers" is short-sighted, and doesn't reference the true level of engagement the customer has (or can have) with a custom magazine or content marketing initiative.
If the brand has done its job of determining the informational needs of the customer, and provides relevant content to meet those informational needs and wants, a brand connection is not only possible, but probable.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: An Airport Study on Human Behavior - People Still Read! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: an-airport-stud CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 11/14/2007 09:40:51 AM ----- BODY:
My flight from New York to Cleveland was again delayed this past Friday, which gave me the opportunity to observe some human behavior. NOTE: The flight was delayed about four hours, and yes, people did look at me funny while I was doing this. The good news is that I didn't get assaulted.
Place: Laguardia Airport, Gates B5 - B8
Rules: Over a matter of 10 minutes (trying to get a snapshot of behavior), determine what activity was each person engaged in. Those people who were eating were not included, as well as children under 15 (best guess).
Audience: A broad dissection of ages, nationalities/ethnicities, and even split of sex. Generally, people seemed to be from New York, Ohio and Georgia.
Goal: To get a snapshot about what activities people were engaging in. Mostly, since I come from a publishing and marketing background, I wanted to see if people still read.
Findings:
Total Number of Participants: 123
Note: 2 people were involved in multiple activities (music/texting, music/computer)
Summary:
What can we take from these findings, other than the fact that I need to get a life? Here are some summary points of the above findings:
What this Means for Corporate Media Opportunities:
I think that was my biggest takeaway from this experiment...inspiration. People want to be inspired. I believe that it is your opportunity as a marketing professional to find ways to inspire your customers. Find ways to make your customer more intelligent. Help them make better decisions and live a better life in some way.
If marketing is the process of selling in a particular marketplace, the core of that process is to leave the customer in a better position than you found them in. Is that too much to ask? How great could your company be if that was your marketing mentality.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NW Guy EMAIL: brucenowjack@earthlink.net IP: 69.3.70.247 URL: DATE: 11/14/2007 11:00:53 AM Was it Ben Franklin that loved the fact you could say anything you wanted and support it with statistics? Remember that you took images of a captive audience; limited PC connectivity, no TV choices, and lots of time on their hands. I see the same instance every day on my half hour ferry ride into work. People crave to read when other options aren't so easily avaialable. That said, I think that there is a recent increase in reading; it's a matter of targeting the right audience with the right content. All said, thanks for the experiment. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.199.207 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/14/2007 03:37:09 PM Hi Bruce...you are dead on with your comment. If you would have added a TV in that concourse area, you would have had a ton watching it. But since there was none, they were doing other things. Maybe better said is that people crave content of some kind, personal, television, through iPod, and the written word. It's up to organizations whether they want to be that content or surround the content people are engaging in. Thanks for the post! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike EMAIL: mhorgan@penton.com IP: 207.190.41.8 URL: DATE: 11/16/2007 03:10:33 PM Joe, you really do need to get a life. I didn't see a stat for "People watching", which is what you were doing. Or maybe you were the one talking to yourself. If so, that's OK, we all do it (really). Or maybe you were the one knitting (for your sake, I hope note). Anyway, as always your posts are thought-provoking and entertaining. I'll leave you with this final thought...people crave interuption. Humans do not crave content, they crave distractions, and certain forms of content are just that -- distractions from life. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Blog Carnival - The Best of Content Marketing #2 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: blog-carnival-- DATE: 11/12/2007 03:38:25 PM ----- BODY:
The best content on the web about content marketing and custom
publishing. Anything that will help you create better content for your
business, in whatever form, will be included here on a regular basis.
Not sure what content marketing is? Click here for the Ultimate Definition of Content Marketing.
Terry Dean presents 18 Possibilities to Build Your Unique Selling Position posted at Internet Business Coaching by Terry Dean. Some good ones in here on the use of content.
Excellent overview of podcasting from Brian Carroll at MarketingProfs - Lessons Learned from Podcasting. If you are interested in launching a podcast, this is a must read.
Excellent starter checklist by Jeremiah Owyang on what you need to consider when launching your content marketing effort...So Your a Media Company Now? A Checklist for a Corporate Media Strategy.
Online Content Speaks Volumes - a white paper from Aberdeen. Some excellent research on the use of online content.
The New Advertising Outlet: Your Life - A Nike Case Study from the NY Times. Must read for anyone interested in branded content.
Greg Nicholas from OM4 discusses the difference between Content Marketing and Search Marketing. Learn the difference.
Newt Barrett from ContentMarketingToday on the Seven Deadly Content Marketing Sins.
...and a few popular content marketing microsites
Epsonality from Epson
Nike Plus from Nike
The Caveman's Crib from Geico
FedEx Stories from FedEx
MasterCard's Priceless
For more, check out more Microsite examples at Junta42.
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The only event that
focuses on
Custom Publishing
Custom Media
Content Marketing!
Conference Title: Re-Thinking Branded Content in the Age of Engagement
Sponsors
will have access to
senior management, business owners, and
decision makers at the nation’s largest
custom publishing companies and
most elite marketing-oriented businesses and associations.
Audience Reach
Event Attendees: Approximately 175-200+; primarily senior level executives and
principals.
Attendance at Custom Publishing Council events regularly include buyers from the following sample organizations:
| AAP |
| Ad Age |
| American Baby |
| BIV |
| Campbell-Ewald Publishing |
| Clifford Printing |
| Custom Publishing Council |
| Custom Solutions from SmartMoney |
| D Custom |
| DCP |
| Edelman |
| Folio: and CM Magazines |
| Hammock |
| Hanley Wood |
| Hope Health |
| Howard Sloan Koller |
| InCasu |
| Journal Communications |
| King Fish Media |
| Lane Press |
| Leverage Media |
| MacDuff |
| Marc Myers LLC |
| McMurry |
| Media Two |
| Media Ventures |
| Meredith |
| M-real |
| Nickelodeon |
| NXTbook Media |
| Pace Communications |
| Penton Media |
| Pinnacle Publications |
| Pohly Company |
| Publishing Executive |
| Redwood Custom Publishing |
| Rodale |
| Spafax |
| Story Worldwide |
| The Magazine Group |
| Time Inc. Content Solutions |
| Transcontinental |
| Underline Communications |
| Wax & Company |
| Wiesner |
Click here to view a complete list of Custom Publishing Council members.
Sponsorship
Opportunities
Pearl Sponsorship
(limited to 1 sponsor) ($15,000 net)
Pearl Sponsorship has been reserved and is not available. Please see below for other sponsorships available.
Gold Sponsorship ($6,500 net)
A Gold
sponsor receives:
Full-page advertisement in conference programSilver Sponsorship
($2,500 net)
A Silver sponsor receives:
Supporting Sponsorship
($1,000 net)
A Supporting sponsor receives:
We're Limiting Sponsorships for the Event. If this fits in your marketing plans for 2008, contact us today!
For more information about CCC sponsorship packages,
please contact
Joe Pulizzi, CCC Sponsorship Director, at joe[at]junta42.com (replace [at] with @),
216-941-5842.
Just returned back from the Custom Publishing Council Pearl Awards and dinner at the Rainbow room in New York. All involved did a fantastic job. Here are a few highlights.
>>Here is a link to the full list of Award Winners by category.
"Mr. Magazine" Samir Husni and Laurel Touby, founder of Mediabistro, co-presented the event and did a fantastic job. Mr. Magazine had a few very important comments throughout the night that included:
"We must appreciate the customer's time and constantly show them benefits through our content."
"Connectivity is most important. If we don't connect with our customers, we are out of this business."
"We don't want readers - we want customers."
"Good editorial is the only way to create customers. We can always fool them once. Consistent content is the key."
The Pearl Award for "Best in Custom" honoring overall excellence in editorial, design, strategy, distribution and fulfillment was shared by Lexus magazine (produced by Story Worldwide) and STIR magazine from Sherwin-Williams (produced by Hanley Wood Marketing. Congrats to both. I was lucky enough to share the table with the fine folks from Sherwin-Williams (Cleveland, Ohio natives).
Kelly Wins Caldwell
Story also took home another award in the form of Simon Kelly. Simon won the John Caldwell Award, which is the lifetime achievement award for the custom publishing industry (named after the late, great John Caldwell). Simon, a good friend and mentor, is truly one of the classiest and most respected people in all of publishing. Congratulations Simon...well deserved!
Pictures: Simon Kelly accepting his John Caldwell Award. Simon with Lori Rosen and Gretel Going from the Custom Publishing Council. Simon with Craig Waller, Pace Communications.
Here are a couple quotes from Simon's speech:
"There is $300 billion spent on advertising worldwide, trying to figure out that traditional marketing isn't working."
Simon's 4 Tenants:
"1. Make Money
2. Have Fun
3. Don't Do Business with Those You Don't Like
4. Do Great Things"
It's such an odd thing...almost like a pair of twins who have never met before.
No, not the Olsen twins! Online Content Marketing and Custom Publishing. By definition, these two industries are identical. The idea behind both is that businesses are publishers, delivering valuable information to targeted buyers. That said, when you talk to people involved in both sides, it's like they've never met before.
Today I was chatting with a couple of custom publishing professionals about David Meerman Scott (webinknow) and Brian Clark (Copyblogger). They've never heard of either. How could that be (I thought)?
On the flip side, when I talk to bloggers or influentials in the online content marketing space, most have never even heard of the Custom Publishing Council. Unbelievable.
Online Content Marketing...meet Custom Publishing Council. CPC, meet Online Content Marketing.
So what does this mean?
I'm not a fortune teller (other than what my son believes), but I foresee a great convergence coming (for all you Dark Crystal fans). As these two groups become acquainted, new competitive sets will be opened up acrossed the board in this industry. Custom publishers no longer will be competing with other custom publishers for your business. They will be competing with digital agencies, traditional advertising agencies, direct marketing firms, PR firms, and traditional publishers for your business (this has already started).
I believe that this means the impact on the capabilities in the field will grow exponentially (faster than they already are). Why? Because those firms that want to grow and succeed will have to evolve their online, overall content, social media, mobile, integration and measurement capabilities to satisfy you, the marketing professional.
Hard times ahead for those that are stuck in the printed past, and for those online marketing firms that don't understand the importance of integrating print into the equation (not sure what you've heard, but print is far from dead in the content marketing/custom media space).
Good times ahead for you!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing Council Announces 2007 Pearl Award Winners STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publishi CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 11/07/2007 08:47:42 PM ----- BODY:
The Custom Publishing Council just announced the finalists for their annual Pearl Awards. For those of you who don't know, the Pearl Awards recognizes marketers and publishers for excellence in custom publishing and content marketing (and is the elite award for custom publishers). Categories range from editorial and design categories, to integrated custom media and online content marketing for both business-to-consumer and business-to-business segments. The award ceremony is tomorrow evening (November 8th) at the Rainbow Room in New York. I'll be there and will post on the festivities.
See below for the finalists. Congratulations to all!
>>Added 11/7: Link to Pearl Awards Recap and John Caldwell Award Winner.
Winners are listed by category, title, custom publisher and client name,
included in parentheses.
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Magazine
Bronze: —Tie—
One, McMurry (Aon)
SIGnature, Pace Communications (Bluetooth)
Silver: Cellier, Transcontinental
Media (Societe des Alcools due
Gold: Gear
Head, Marketing Matters (AVAD)
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Newsletter
Bronze: Connect, DCP (WebEx)
Silver: For the Cure,
D Custom (Susan G. Komen for the Cure)
Gold: The x
Potential, The Magazine Group (K12)
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Other
Bronze: Bank of America 2006 Annual Report, Story Worldwide
(Bank of
Silver: Chevy Onserts,
Campbell-Ewald (Chevrolet Motor Division)
Gold: Patton Boggs 2006 Annual Review, Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Web
Bronze: DeliverMagazine.com,
Campbell
Ewald (USPS)
Silver: —Tie—
US AirwaysMagazine.com, Pace Communications (US Airways)
SpiritMag.com, Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Gold: EndlessVacation.com, Story Worldwide (RCI Timeshare)
DESIGN | Best Cover | Less
than 250,000
Bronze:
Cleveland
Clinic
Magazine, The Magazine Group (The
Silver: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (
Gold: —Tie—
The Ritz-Carlton, McMurry (The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company)
in, Spafax (LAN Airlines)
DESIGN | Best Cover | More
than 250,000
Bronze: Deliver, Campbell-Ewald (USPS)
Silver: Amp'd-the
Magazine, Magner Sanborn (Amp’d
Gold: Sky, Pace Communications (Delta Airlines)
DESIGN | Best Overall |
Less than 50,000
Bronze: The Advertiser, The Pohly Company (ANA)
Silver: —Tie—
JetStyle, Ink Publishing Corporation (MAXJet Airways)
Renaissance, Pace Communications (Wachovia Wealth
Management)
Gold: —Tie—
Logistics, Kircher Burkhardt (Deutsche Bahn AG)
SIGnature, Pace Communications (Bluetooth)
DESIGN | Best Overall | 50,000 – 250,000
Bronze: in, Spafax (LAN Airlines)
Silver: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (
Gold: —Tie—
STIR, Hanley Wood Marketing (Sherwin-Williams)
Momentum, Journal International Verlags (Glashütte Original Watches)
DESIGN | Best Overall |
More than 250,000
Bronze: Spirit, Pace Communications (Southwest
Airlines)
Silver: Lexus, Story
Worldwide (Lexus)
Gold: Pure Canada, Spafax (Canadian Tourism Commission)
DESIGN | Best Use of
Illustration | Less than 250,000
Bronze: Capital Acumen, Custom Solutions from SmartMoney (US
Trust)
Silver: Little Brown Book,
Rodale Custom Publishing (Bloomingdale’s)
Gold: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (
DESIGN | Best Use of
Illustration | More than 250,000
Bronze: US Airways Magazine, Pace Communications (US Airways)
Silver: American Way, American Airlines Publishing (American Airlines)
Gold: Deliver, Campbell-Ewald (USPS)
DESIGN | Best Use of
Photography | Less than 250,000
Bronze: enRoute, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: Real Estate
Portfolio, The Magazine Group (National
Association of REITS)
Gold: Living
Outdoors, Edelman (Laneventure
Furniture)
DESIGN | Best Use of
Photography | More than 250,000
Bronze: Rouge, Javelin Custom Publishing (Procter & Gamble)
Silver: Sky,
Pace Communications (Delta Airlines)
Gold: Lexus, Story Worldwide (Lexus)
DESIGN | Best Tie-In with
Other Corporate Marketing Objectives
Bronze: The x Potential, The Magazine Group (K12)
Silver: Voyageur,
Pace Communications (Carlson Hotels Worldwide)
Gold: WebMD the
Magazine, The Magazine Group (WebMD)
DESIGN | Most Improved |
Less than 250,000
Bronze: Crain's Life, Leverage
Media (Crain’s New York Business)
Silver: Lowe's Moneyworks,
Campbell-Ewald (Lowe’s Home Improvement)
Gold: MCOm, McMurry (MCOm)
DESIGN | Most Improved |
More than 250,000
Bronze: Dodge, Meredith (Daimler Chrysler)
Silver: New Outlook, Redwood
Custom Communications (Sears Canada)
Gold: Investor, Custom Solutions from SmartMoney (T. Rowe Price)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Magazine
Bronze: —Tie—
Cellier, Transcontinental Media (Societe des Alcools due Quebec)
You 24, Rodale Custom Publishing (24-Hour Fitness)
Silver: Your Business, Meredith (DEX/Data Exchange Corp)
Gold: Return on
Equities, Doubledown Media (Merrill
Lynch)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Newsletter
Silver: The x Potential, The
Magazine Group (K12)
Gold: Connect, DCP (WebEX)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Other
Silver: Bank of America 2006 Annual Report, Story Worldwide (Bank of America)
Gold: Patton
Boggs 2006 Annual Review, Leverage
Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Web
Bronze: Product Source, PRISM Media Group (Dallas Market Center)
Silver: USAirwaysMagazine.com, Pace Communications (US Airways)
Gold: SpiritMag.com, Pace
Communications (Southwest Airlines)
EDITORIAL | Best Cover
Lines
Bronze: Sky, Pace Communications (Delta
Airlines)
Silver: On Investing,
Custom Solutions from SmartMoney (Charles Schwab)
Gold: WebMD the
Magazine, The Magazine Group (WebMD)
EDITORIAL | Most Improved
Bronze: Secured, McMurry (IBM)
Silver: Ed Tech, Focus on K12, The Magazine Group (CDW)
Gold: Destination, Journal International Verlags (Marriott
Hotel)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |
Less than 50,000
Bronze: Smart Decisions, Leverage Media (CoulterCranston Thomson
West)
Silver: Centurion, Journal
International Verlags (American Express)
Gold: synnovation, D Custom (EDS)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |
50,000 – 250,000
Bronze: enRoute, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Gold: The
Ritz-Carlton, McMurry (The
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |
More than 250,000
Bronze: You 24, Rodale Custom Publishing (24-Hour Fitness)
Silver: Spirit,
Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Gold: Lexus, Story Worldwide (Lexus)
EDITORIAL | Best Special
Feature | Less than 50,000
Bronze: Fed Tech, “Tag
and Release,” The Magazine Group (CDW)
Silver: Renaissance, “Pure Power,” Pace
Communications (Wachovia Wealth Management)
Gold: Renaissance, “A Girl Named Maria,” Pace Communications (Wachovia
Wealth Management)
EDITORIAL | Best Special
Feature | 50,000 - 250,000
Bronze: in, “Latin American Art,” Spafax (LAN Airlines)
Silver: nyse magazine, “Developing the Future,” Time Inc.
Content Solutions (NYSE)
Gold: Big Ideas in Technology, “Spy v. Spy,” Leverage Media (Goodwin Procter LLP)
EDITORIAL | Best Special
Feature | More than 250,000
Bronze: Callaway Golf, “Inside Arnie’s Workshop,” MacDUFF
(Callaway Golf)
Silver: diane, “If I
Could Close My Eyes,” Rodale Custom Publishing (Curves)
Gold: all
animals, “American Tragedy,” Time
Inc. Content Solutions (Humane Society)
STRATEGY | Best Achievement
of Corporate Objectives
Bronze: Cleveland Clinic Magazine, The Magazine Group (The Cleveland Clinic)
Silver: —Tie—
Merrill Lynch Advisor, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Merrill
Lynch)
URmagazine, Rogers Publishing, Ltd. (Rogers Wireless)
Gold: Patton
Boggs 2006 Annual Review, Leverage
Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
STRATEGY | Best Distribution
Strategy
Bronze: CollegeReady,
Pace Communications (Wachovia)
Silver: Capital Thinking, Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
Gold: Washington Flyer, The Magazine Group (Metropolitan Washington Airports)
STRATEGY | Best New Launch
or Re-launch
Bronze: Connect, DCP (WebEX)
Silver: Endless Vacation,
Story Worldwide (RCI Timeshare)
Gold: usaa.com magazine, McMurry, Inc. (United
Services Automobile Association)
STRATEGY | Best Proof of
Return on Investment
Bronze: onAir, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: My Ford, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Ford Motor
Company)
Gold: Chevy
Onserts, Campbell-Ewald (Chevrolet
Motor Division)
STRATEGY | Best Tie-In with
Marketing/Multimedia Campaign
Bronze: Spirit, Pace Communications
(Southwest Airlines)
Silver: Amp'd—the
Magazine, Magner Sanborn (Amp’d Mobile)
Gold: Little Brown Book, Rodale Custom Publishing (Bloomingdale’s)
BEST IN CUSTOM : HONORING
OVERALL EXCELLENCE
The Best in Custom Award recognizes products that achieve overall
excellence in the following categories: editorial, design, strategy,
distribution, and fulfillment of the client’s marketing objectives.
Bronze: Amp’d—the Magazine, Magner Sanborn (Amp’d Mobile)
Silver: Spirit, Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Gold: —Tie—
Lexus, Story Worldwide (Lexus)
STIR, Hanley Wood Marketing (Sherwin-Williams)
Just follow me on this story...I'll get to the point, I promise.
So I was on my way back from American Business Media's Top Management Meeting in Chicago yesterday. Flight out of Midway to Cleveland via Continental Airlines on a small 40 person Commuter plane. Outside of the very windy conditions, we made it up in the air with no issues. That's when it started to get interesting. On our descent into Cleveland, we were told by the Pilot that visibility was so poor that Cleveland closed down the runways for 20 minutes. About 10 minutes later, we were notified that we would be flying to Detroit because we were running low on fuel and the Pilot didn't want to put us all in a "bad situation". 25 minutes later we were in Detroit for hopefully a "gas and go".
Great news! Cleveland was all clear, we had our gas, and now we were third in line for takeoff. Wait a minute. Just before taking off, we were directed to another runway because wind conditions had changed. Another 10 minutes to get to the new runway. While looking out the window, I could see about 20 planes waiting in line and another 10 with lights in the sky circling above. Then, the Pilot, in discussing this "dynamic situation", advised us that there were now 80 planes waiting to take off from the same runway, and it's going to take about 15 more minutes to figure this out (Time is now 7:45pm EST...arrival time was supposed to be 6:00pm EST).
Great news! We are somewhere between 8 and 16 for takeoff. 10 minutes later we were off and arrived in Cleveland at approximately 8:45pm EST. No need to go into the landing...I saw way too much of the ground.
Now that you have the background, I want to go into my impression of the Continental Airlines staff. First of all, Continental staffing has never had the customer service of Southwest. While Southwest is always fun and playful, making flying a bit of a nicer experience, Continental has always been very professional. Not rude at all, just not fun and human.
But lately, I have been noticing a change. The last couple of Continental flights I noticed substantially more kindness and concern. The event that took place yesterday solidified my thinking that there is something going on within Continental's communication and customer service practices.
First, the flight attendant. She was constantly smiling throughout the trip, even though she'd been on the job for 12 hours. She did an excellent job managing the "out of your seat" crowd and "cell phone" crowd throughout the flight. The "get your butt back in that seat, girlfriend" was my favorite (this was said in a playful tone, and taken as such). We all got the point that we needed to sit down, but she wasn't rude at all about it. After multiple rounds of peanuts for all, on the final flight back to Cleveland, she broke out hard stuff. Additional drinks were served throughout the plane, which made for very happy customers (even though we were 2+ hours late). Frankly, our little group in the front was having a party. How about that? Were you ever on a plane that was that delayed, in and out of weather and fueling issues, and the passengers were laughing and bonding. The flight attendant and the Pilot set the atmosphere for that, and we were all happier for it.
As for the Pilot, although he was always professional, he was human. His tone on the loudspeaker was one that "we were all in it together". While we were stopped in Detroit, he came out to chat with us...and convinced us all that the redirect to Detroit was in our best interests for safety (we didn't need too much convincing). He was concerned, but smiling with us...he seemed like "one of us".
So here is my question...what has happened with Continental's training and customer service to make such a dramatic turn around? It is clear that Continental has been investing time, energy and communications standards into their internal marketing. Customer service changes like these don't just happen...it's a brick-by-brick, day-by-day process that is backed by Continental's upper level management.
What has this done, for me, the customer? Frankly, I'm more willing to go on a Continental flight. Although price is always important, and enjoyable ride is a very close second. Just think of the revolution that can happen from Continental making this sort of investment...more passengers, more revenues, more profits...all because Continental is investing in their internal marketing, communications and training! My hope over the next few weeks is to find out exactly what they are doing.
Bravo, Continental...and if anyone from Continental is listening, give the entire crew of flight 2867 from Chicago to Cleveland on November 6th a big fat raise.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: George EMAIL: glo_soft@rediffmail.com IP: 59.93.12.52 URL: http://www.mobile-phone-blog.com/ DATE: 11/07/2007 11:18:10 PM Its very interesting post. That's when it started to get interesting. On our descent into Cleveland, we were told by the Pilot that visibility was so poor that Cleveland closed down the runways for 20 minutes. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt EMAIL: robmccain@usa.net IP: 65.102.96.63 URL: DATE: 11/08/2007 09:50:22 AM It is ALL about the customer's experience. Costly items such as in-seat entertainment help to make for a good customer experience, but the human experience of how we are treated and valued by the human face of the company is key and usually the most cost-effective. When I have a choice and price differential is not great, Continental Airlines is always my choice. Gordon Bethune knew how to go from "worst to first" and the current management team appears to know how to stay first. Many companies could learn from them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Frisky070802 EMAIL: IP: 129.34.20.19 URL: http://profile.typekey.com/douglis/ DATE: 11/08/2007 09:54:45 AM I have found them to be a mixed bag as usual. Going to CA recently, on the way out I found the flight attendants amazingly neglectful -- for instance going a full hour between delivering dinner and collecting the garbage. When I remarked on it I was told they were understaffed and I should fill out a comment card. But in all I would say they were more surly than friendly. Coming back, they were amazingly attentive, the complete opposite. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 38.136.6.221 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/09/2007 03:02:02 PM Matt...I think that you should work for Continental (actually, some people thought I was getting paid by Continental for writing this post). Frisky...you're right...sometimes a mixed bag, but I've seen definite improvement. After all, some humans have a more challenging time evolving than others. You've got to want it! George...that's why we all love Cleveland weather. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Top 10 B2B Product Launch Factors - The Case of the Missing Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: top-10-b2b-prod CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: internal marketing CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 11/05/2007 08:50:35 AM ----- BODY:
Schneider Associates recently surveyed 98 business-to-business marketers on their product launch practices. The results are included in this executive summary and this press release. Out of the findings, here are the ten suggestions from Schneider on how to improve your product launch success:
I'm not sure there is anything earth-shattering here (outside of #10 on WOM campaigns. For more on that, check out CK's blog reaction about this survey.). But, I must say I'm very surprised by a few things:
Here is a short list of what I would like to see as the results of the next survey:
Final note: The more a company pushes a product, the more sales information tends to flow from the company to the buyer. Be sure your communications don't become constant solicitations. Continue to deliver quality content to them, and they will open their eyes to your product offerings. Better yet, if you clearly understand your buyer, your product will be a true solution.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: CK EMAIL: ck@ckEpiphany.com IP: 24.199.64.130 URL: http://www.ck-blog.com DATE: 11/05/2007 09:44:15 AM Excellent assessment Joe...I'm going to update my post with a link to this post. I am, as I said over at my place, absolutely confounded that the customer didn't even make it to the top 10 practices (really, how can this be?). And internal communication is critical. Just updated my post with a link over here as you're far more articulate than I -- thank you! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.199.207 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/05/2007 09:48:01 AM CK...you were dead on with your assessment in your post. It scares me as well that some of these marketers have their heads in the ground. Thanks for drawing attention to it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: CK EMAIL: ck@ckEpiphany.com IP: 24.199.64.130 URL: http://www.ck-blog.com DATE: 11/05/2007 10:15:36 AM You should have heard me "yelp!" last night when I saw it. And I'm not knocking the producers of the report...they're merely relaying "findings." But MYOPIA is our issue here. Even with internal communications being so far down the list. And that report is covering marketers with huge budgets. Such a waste when what we need to do is decrease the gap with our customers and increase the communications with internal departments. If we can't even be talking to the sales departments, no wonder we aren't with customers. Sigh. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.199.207 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/05/2007 10:22:08 AM Agreed. Collective sigh! Guess we need to keep pounding the drum. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Wayne Regehr EMAIL: wayne.regehr@envisica.com IP: 142.59.85.8 URL: http://www.envisica.com DATE: 02/06/2008 06:19:01 PM I appreciate your comments and interaction with this study. We have been working in the area of communicating product information to sales teams (#2 above). It is fascinating how the area of communicating product launch details such as value propositions, deal scenarios, aligned references are not common practices. Regards, Wayne ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Wayne Regehr EMAIL: wayne.regehr@envisica.com IP: 142.59.85.8 URL: http://www.envisica.com DATE: 02/06/2008 06:20:21 PM I appreciate your comments and interaction with this study. We have been working in the area of communicating product information to sales teams (#2 above). It is fascinating how the area of communicating product launch details such as value propositions, deal scenarios, aligned references are not common practices. Regards, Wayne ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/06/2008 09:28:12 PM Great point Wayne...it's funny how many organizations continue to not invest in their own marketing resources...increasing turnover and hiring inexperienced staff. Companies continue to rewrite activities year after year. Sounds like your company is on the right track! Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vanessa EMAIL: vanessa.will@greenant.de IP: 91.35.138.151 URL: http://www.greenant.de DATE: 08/26/2010 05:50:02 AM I like that. However: Does all of this also applies to markets outside the US? I would be very interested in regional or cultural differences of product launch strategies. In the UK software market for example a "well documented launch process" is mostly just a waste of time. In Germany again it's different. Any other xp's? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Miller EMAIL: social@launchcopywriting.com IP: 203.173.14.79 URL: http://launchcopywriting.com DATE: 11/10/2010 01:26:18 PM Thanks Wayne, the communications strategy is the key component here as well, especially in terms of delivering value to the client as opposed to just piitching in every communication. I find that the touch points need to add value each time, combined with a call rto action every once in a while to continue to build the consistency muscle for whne the times comes to ask for the sale. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Corporate Media Checklist...Content Marketing On the Rise STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-corporate-med CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 11/01/2007 09:53:40 AM ----- BODY:
Jeremiah Owyang, Sr. Analyst and Forrester Research, provides this excellent starter checklist for launching a corporate media strategy. Jeremiah hits on a few of the key points that we've been preaching for a while, including:
I made a few additional comments to Jeremiah's post, which I'm including here. For the most part, he hit the nail on the head...but I felt the need to add a few key items.
Of course, those of you that have been reading this blog know that this industry is huge, but recognition and organization of these activities are still in the early adopter state. What has been really interesting over the past couple months is to see the growing amount of blog and keyword activity around content marketing. Just take a look at this three-month trend line for "content marketing" in IceRocket. Definitely seeing this catching on in the marketing community. Exciting stuff!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Paul internet Business Ideas EMAIL: blogs@internetmoneysystem.biz IP: 116.71.42.34 URL: http://www.internetmoneysystem.biz DATE: 02/04/2009 01:34:15 AM After using his products I wonder why he’s being called the bad guy. If he was one then he wouldn’t share his secrets with the open public. His products are the result of his hard work and dedication. ----- PING: TITLE: Content Marketing Gaining in Popularity URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/07/content-marketing-gaining-in-popularity.html IP: 10.17.151.33 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 07/14/2009 11:36:26 AM I had two phone calls this morning from colleagues that asked about the popularity of the term "content marketing". In looking at trend lines for "content marketing" on icerocket.com, the buzz over content marketing has doubled over the past two... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 4 Steps to Evolve from Marketer to Publisher STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 4-steps-to-evol CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: definition CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: measurement CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 10/31/2007 01:47:19 PM ----- BODY:
The definition of "marketer" from dictionary.com is as follows:
"someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money"
This definition is simple and straightforward. The role of the marketer has always to communicate a sales-oriented message in order to sell a product or service. Today, this couldn't be further from the truth.
The evolution of the marketer has sped faster than Moore's Law over the last decade. Most of this is a direct result of the change in buyer behavior and the role that technology has played into that. Buyers, inundated with thousands of marketing messages per day and equipped with TiVo, are generally unaffected by the vasts amounts of messages sent from marketers. Technology (like TiVo and pop-up blockers, for example) has enabled consumers to block out a marketer's message that surrounds the content that is really wanted by the buyer. Those messages that cannot be blocked by technology are served up to the conscious mind as irrelevant and are ignored.
So, what is a marketer to do?
A marketer's responsibility is no longer to communicate sales features and benefits about the products and services they offer. They must now do the following:
Only then can a relationship between a buyer and a seller take place. The buyer must allow us into their personal space first before any secondary product and service messages can get through. Since the content generated by the marketer is NEEDED (not just wanted), the buyer won't mind an occasional sales message. Even more, they will probably welcome one since the marketer's product or service will speak directly to the communication and workplace challenges of the buyer (since the marketer knows the buyer so well).
In order for a marketer to succeed, particularly in the business-to-business marketplace, the marketer must evolve into the publisher. A traditional publisher might be defined as "one that connects buyers and sellers together through a content exchange." The definition of a marketer-publisher is very similar. The difference is that a traditional publisher has a goal of making money on the content itself (through the sale of advertising, sponsorships, or paid content), while a marketer/publisher's goal is to attract and retain customers and make money from their own products and services.
The marketer's role as evolved into the teacher/the thought leader. The marketer's job is to make the buyer more intelligent, and by doing so, will reap the rewards of more goods and services sold. It is now, in the marketing department, that an organization can truly differentiate themselves from the competition and become a valuable customer asset. Now this is something the marketing department can be excited about!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: Content Marketing: Interruptions Smarter Replacement URL: http://thewritewords.me.uk/blog/content-marketing-interruptions-smarter-replacement/ IP: 212.227.119.177 BLOG NAME: The Copywriter's Crucible DATE: 11/01/2007 10:33:51 AM Advertisers are struggling with the level of resistance, and stubborn refusal, of people to respond to their ads. People are fed up with being bombarded with messages that have nothing of value to offer them. Cynicism of advertising is now a badge ... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Nike's Move Away from Advertising Into Content Is about Driving Revenues STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: nike-moves-away CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 10/29/2007 09:16:14 PM ----- BODY:
This New York Times article on Nike's new marketing investments into their consumer base should be a wake-up call for those companies not investing in content marketing. Nike, along with other huge brands such as P&G, Johnson & Johnson, and General Motors are all moving away from the basic advertising and sponsorship strategies that helped make them the well-known brands they are today (The article discusses Nike investments such as their Nike Running blog site that create original content for customers).
Just look at the variety of quotes from Nike's marketing management team in their response to this relatively new marketing direction:
“We’re in the business of connecting with consumers.”
“We want to find a way to enhance the experience and services, rather
than looking for a way to interrupt people from getting to where they
want to go.”
“How can we provide a service that the consumer goes, ‘Wow,
you really made this easier for me’?”
Lee Doyle, chief executive for North America at Mediaedge:cia goes on to state, "...consumers have been trained to skip all advertising...That’s the world we’re all afraid of.”
Now, go back and read these quotes again. What these people are saying is that traditional advertising:
Now, traditional advertising still has its place, but, in general, this is what's coming out of the best and brightest marketing organizations in the world.
Content Drives Revenues
Okay, okay...you might have heard all this before. Statements such as:
"It's the end of interruption marketing."
"It's about engagement and the customer experience."
"Technology has created a new consumer buying behavior."
All these are true, but rarely do I see articles get down to the heart of what is going on for businesses. Simply put, content drives revenues. Valuable and relevant content created by companies and delivered to target users:
Businesses today have the opportunity to be the content, to be the media. Are you targeting a specific type of customer? If so, stop looking at the available media as a first option. Identify the buyer persona(s) involved, find the informational needs of that buyer, and deliver consistent and valuable content to them based on those informational needs.
The answer seems so easy that it's often dismissed by business marketers. I've been in more than one meeting where the chief marketer nearly laughed me out of the room when I said they could be the dominant media source for a particular industry. Why can't you have a website that delivers the best industry content available? Why can't you deliver in-person roadshows across the country on a key industry topic? Why can't you create a print custom magazine that is anticipated by thousand of target buyers each month?
You can! And why would you actually do such things? Because great content - content that delivers on the informational needs of buyers - drives revenues. If the goal of a business is to make a reasonable profit, there is no other reason to create great content than to drive corporate revenues and profits. That's it!
Still not sure...just ask Nike, P&G, J&J and General Motors.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing Strategy Trumps a Search Marketing Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: search marketing DATE: 10/26/2007 01:30:37 PM ----- BODY:
Glenn Nicholas from OM4 uses the above title in his blog Content Marketing vs Search Marketing. Now, nothing against search engines; we get lots of traffic from them...but a search marketing strategy is starting to take a back seat to our best friend, content. Is content a part of a search marketing strategy or is search marketing a part of content marketing?
For starters, Glenn includes a few solid definitions of both:
Search Marketing is all about maximizing the chances prospects have to find you when they are using search engines.
Content Marketing is all about publishing great content that attracts the attention of the right people in the right frame of mind.
For content marketing, think direct marketing with a higher purpose.
Some Background on Content Marketing
Back in 2004 when I worked at Penton Custom Media, we talked and talked about content marketing. Most of our competitors, and the industry associations, were talking about custom publishing and custom media. Now, more than three years later, content marketing is starting to take off.
How do I know? Well, outside of Glenn's post, there are many very successful bloggers and business minds discussing content marketing. David Meerman Scott has been talking content marketing for years now. Brian Clark (Copyblogger) has been preaching consistently about an alternative route to Google traffic (that route being quality content creation). Paul Conley recently spoke about content marketing as an important journalistic and marketing trend, and how traditional publishers will need to change their business models to adjust. And Newt Barrett, a former business-to-business publisher, has embraced content marketing in much the way I have.
This group of people are what I would call the early adopters of content marketing. Don't get me wrong now...the concept is nothing new. Heck, John Deere created a content publication targeting farmers in the late 1800's that anyone in the industry would call one of the first clear examples of content marketing. But the phrase "content marketing" is very new.
Being consistent with a phrase or term like content marketing is important for marketing professionals to grasp, understand and use in their lexicon. Think about it...more and more of your marketing efforts are going toward original content creation, whether that be blogs, podcasts, web events, in-person road shows, custom magazines, enewsletters, and more. In today's marketing and advertising clutter, businesses NEED content in order to create the relationships that deliver customer value, and ultimately, a profitable organization. And perhaps, no more important strategy is your online content marketing strategy.
Tell Me - Why Content Marketing?
Last night I was chatting with a colleague and friend of mine, David Drickhamer, one of the best writers and editors you'll find, about content marketing. He keyed in on the fact that there is a lot of talk about the "what" of content marketing, but not the "why" of content marketing. Frankly, he's right. Here are a few steps as to why you need to consider a content marketing strategy, and that a focus on content marketing will get you a lot farther than a focus just on search marketing.
These are just a few reasons. For more, check out our free eBook all about the why and how of content marketing (this link takes you directly to the pdf...no email or login required).
Online content marketing - attract the right audience (key target buyers) with valuable content, versus search marketing - various initiatives to improve the visibility of the site. Both are important for sure...but what will put your company in the BEST possible position to sell products or services? Which would you choose?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Frangos EMAIL: scott@webhelpermagazine.com IP: 71.222.97.132 URL: http://webhelpermagazine.com DATE: 11/16/2007 11:58:49 PM Hi Joe - Thanks for a thought provoking post. I agree that "Content Marketing" is coming on bigtime... but I think it is only 1/5th of the puzzle -- just one of the 5 C's of Social Marketing. What's missing is: Community, Conversation, Connection, and Convergence... see: http://webhelpermagazine.com/2007/11/five-cs-of-social-marketing/ Regards - Scott ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.199.207 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/17/2007 09:19:32 AM Thanks for the feedback Scott. I agree, content is just one piece of the five, but content marketing is actually a part of each of the 5 C's you discuss. I'll be posting an upcoming blog on this as well and look forward to more of your feedback. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.199.207 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/17/2007 09:20:41 AM Thanks for the feedback Scott. I agree, content is just one piece of the five, but content marketing is actually a part of each of the 5 C's you discuss. I'll be posting an upcoming blog on this as well and look forward to more of your feedback. Best Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Online Content Marketing - A Banner that Works? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: online-content- CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/25/2007 10:33:24 AM ----- BODY:I have to be honest and say that I rarely, if ever, acknowledge banner ads or tile ads on websites. Advertising, to me, is about delivering a compelling, relevant, and targeted message. Frankly, it's challenging to do that in a banner, button, or tile ad...until now.
Scottrade has been running a series of ads in conjuction with Yahoo! Finance for a few months now. Scottrade is a discount brokerage company that competes with the likes of E*Trade and Ameritrade to complete online trades for customers. I religiously follow a few stocks, and check them on Yahoo! Finance throughout the day. Whenever I click to see a stock's complete summary (in this case, a company called Global Sources [full disclosure: I own Global Sources stock]), Scottrade provides a relevant ad on technical analysis just to the lower right portion of the page (see image).
In less that 40 words, Scottrade has educated me on the technical analysis of Global Sources, a stock that I truly care about. By clicking on the ad, Scottrade gives a bit more information on their product, Scottrade SmartText, which is included in any Scottrade account.
I'm a fanatic about long-form content marketing or editorial style content...but Scottrade proves that online content marketing can be effective if the information is extremely valuable.
Recommendation: Scottrade does a great job, but I would recommend that they include a free offer of some kind to at least get people to take the next step. Now, if they are getting 10%+ conversion rates on the ad, don't do a thing. But if conversion rates are low, they could try a free eZine, eBook, report, or newsletter offer in conjunction with SmartText. Possibly an enewsletter on the top 10 bullish or bearish charts of the month or week. At least this way they could get the prospect's information, and then work to build a long-term relationship.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Leveraging Universal Search to Grow Traffic and Revenues for Your Business STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: leveraging-univ CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: measurement CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 10/24/2007 09:52:55 AM ----- BODY:Universal search is here. To most of us, it's a logical next step in the search evolution. Basically, instead of just text links to a search query, you'll get a mash of video, images, local findings and more (Just check out this search for Darth Vader). Ask.com has been promoting their universal search capabilities for a while.
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The onset of universal search creates a number of opportunities and challenges for business content marketing. The majority of businesses who create content do so in text format - web versions of magazine content, eNewsletters, even blogs. In order to garner more attention from search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN and Ask, businesses will have to begin diversifying their content streams similar to the way they diversify their revenue streams.
All of our marketing plans in some way rely on search engines. Obviously, we continually gather data and information from customers in order to communicate with them directly...but search engines provide maybe "the" forum for prospecting customers. If search engines went away, it wouldn't kill most businesses, but it would hurt. Either way, as user behavior becomes more accustom to receiving video and audio communications from businesses, it is those formats that will garner the highest rate of attention.
Here is a short list of initiatives you need to seriously consider now to take advantage of the shift to universal search:
The Most Important Step
Even by doing all of the above, and getting more traffic to their main sites, most businesses fall short on their websites because they don't know what behavior they want. Do you have a clear plan of what you want your customers to do on your website? If not, get one.
Many of my clients get excited when they see spikes in traffic to their sites. That's great...but I'm more concerned with hitting our goal conversions. For most projects, the goal conversion is getting a person's name and contact information. You do this by creating a content offer on your site. Bob Bly, famous copywriter and internet marketing guru, always pushes the "free on free" concept. Give your customers the ability to subscribe to a free piece of quality content (eZine or eNewsletter), and if they do so, give them a free report that has some significant value. Once you get their information, then you can begin to communicate with them directly to ultimately sell them your product or service.
So, businesses must prepare for universal search, but must do so with an eye on the true end goal. Traffic for traffic's sake is not a winning proposition for your business.
Not sure about universal search...check out this success story.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: AndyBlack EMAIL: ablack@convera.com IP: 86.145.18.92 URL: http://www.convera.com DATE: 12/11/2007 09:35:17 AM The E-consultancy/Convera "Vertical Search Survey 2008" has just been released and reveals some very interesting information. CPM will be fastest-growing revenue stream for publishers in 2008 Online revenue set to increase while print income flattens or decreases Content owners must ensure visibility within fragmenting digital landscape by embracing RSS, widgets and toolbars. Publishers see vertical search as opportunity to ‘reclaim the online community from Google’. The fastest-growing revenue streams for publishers in 2008 will be internet display advertising and online sponsorship. Some 72% of publishers are expecting an increase in income from CPM advertising next year and 67% are predicting a rise in digital sponsorship, while print revenues are more likely to flatten or decrease. Just under two thirds (64%) are expecting a rise in paid search (PPC) revenue. The findings come from a survey which was circulated to members of the Association of Online Publishers (AOP), American Business Media (ABM), Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB UK) and E-consultancy’s early-adopter community of internet marketers. The research also highlights the need for specialist publishers to react quickly to major changes in the digital environment in order to maintain and increase their market share and visibility. Publishers need to adapt to maximize their digital revenues at a time of shifting advertising budgets. Trends in digital marketing are leading towards a fragmentation of the online landscape and ‘atomization’ of content. Content owners have a great opportunity to increase visibility for their content through the effective use of vertical search, feeds, widgets and toolbars. The level of uptake for feeds and customized homepages is very high among this early-adopter audience surveyed but this kind of online behavior will soon become more widespread among knowledge workers across a wider range of industries.” Some 93% of more than 500 media and internet professionals said that they would be ‘very likely’ or ‘quite likely’ to use a search engine that focused on serving their specific business or work needs. More than 70% of publishers perceived ‘reclaiming the online community from Google’ to be either a major benefit or a minor benefit from vertical search. To download a free online copy of the full report, click here http://www.convera.com/survey/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Business Blogging: 5 Lessons Learned and Strategies Discovered STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: blogging-10-les CATEGORY: business blogging DATE: 10/22/2007 04:31:28 PM ----- BODY:
In celebration of my 100th post on the Junta42, Content Marketing Revolution blog, I thought I'd review a few observations and strategies I've discovered relevant to blogging, and to delivering ongoing valuable business content to customers and prospects.
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These are the key five that I have found important in my blogging. For more exceptional blogging tips, check out ProBlogger's Blogging Tips for Beginners (by the way, I used a TrackBack for this post). For more tips on setting up a successful business blog, check out this post from The Lonely Marketer.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patrick Schaber EMAIL: schaberp@yahoo.com IP: 71.63.186.30 URL: http://www.lonelymarketer.com DATE: 10/22/2007 08:55:33 PM Hey Joe, Thanks for the mention! Great post with some key strategies for a successful blog. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rick EMAIL: CharmQ@gmail.com IP: 75.154.106.74 URL: http://CGYTek.blogspot.com DATE: 10/23/2007 11:12:29 PM Very educational. Thank you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Guy McLaren EMAIL: mclaren@webtech.co.za IP: 198.54.202.218 URL: http://www.trafficdepartment.co.za DATE: 11/08/2007 10:15:18 PM Hi Joe You have me re considering my approach right now as I am suffering from Blog overload. Guy ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 70.107.243.112 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/09/2007 07:14:25 AM Hi Guy...I hope for the better! Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Howard EMAIL: holiver@whatifwhatnext.com IP: 65.95.110.44 URL: http://prmeasure.blogware.com DATE: 12/09/2007 02:36:22 PM This is a great list that I'll share with some of my clients who have had blogs going for some time. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stan Faryna EMAIL: stan.faryna@gmail.com IP: 82.78.63.130 URL: http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/ DATE: 02/10/2008 01:27:41 AM Joe, This is a nice example of a pillar type article. I have recommended this entry to several friends. Are you Linkedin? If so, let's make a professional connection. Best regards, Stan Faryna http://www.halo.ro You can visit my blog at http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com My blog has a little bit of everything: online strategy, foreign films, etc. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Adalia John EMAIL: adalia@claimyourconfidencenow.com IP: 24.24.171.186 URL: http://www.adaliacofidenceandsuccessblog.com DATE: 09/18/2009 10:01:17 PM These tips are very useful to me a nubie in the blogging hemisphere. Thank you ----- PING: TITLE: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Blog URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/07/10-questions-to.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 07/27/2008 09:30:49 PM One of the most frequent questions I receive while traveling is about blogging. The questions revolve around how to get started, what to talk about, and what software to use. My questions back to them usually startle the person, because ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 42 Content Building Ways to Attract and Retain Customers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 42-content-buil CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/19/2007 09:47:25 AM ----- BODY:
>>>First time on our site? Welcome. Please make sure to get our email update or RSS Feed!
Valuable
and relevant content delivered to prospects and customers (called content
marketing or custom publishing) is one of the best marketing methods on the
planet. Here are 42 ways you can generate great content for your customers. These are applicable for small, medium and large-sized businesses and associations. If
you have any additional, please let me know.
On the Web
In Print
In Person
Other/Integrated
Thinking Internal
Nothing
keeps customers better than a strong internal marketing campaign. For that
reason, employee communications and internal branding initiatives are
paramount!
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feed or receive
email updates!
You cannot
hope to implement a successful content marketing or custom publishing strategy
without understanding exactly what outcome you require. Equally important is an
in-depth understanding of your targeted buyer (buying persona). Only then can you craft a content marketing
approach that will deliver more sales, more customers, and more measurable
results.
Here are 16
questions that you need to ask yourself if you are planning on launching any
corporate initiative. This includes a print custom magazine, newsletter,
eNewsletter, corporate blog, webcast or white paper series, video series and
more. Whenever you are creating and distributing content to your prospects and
customers, stop and ask yourself these simple questions. The answers may
surprise you, and could change the direction of your program so that it actually
does what you want it to do.
The
B.E.S.T. Content Test
Behavioral –
Must be actionable!
Essential –
Must be valuable and relevant to buyers…or don’t do it!
Strategic –
Must be core to your overall marketing strategy!
Targeted –
Must be a defined group of people…the more defined the better!
Take the
time to answer these questions honestly. Then, and only then, can you move
forward with your content initiative. Take it from me, just 30 minutes with
these questions will save you a ton of marketing dollars in changes on the back
end.
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The best content on the web about content marketing and custom publishing. Anything that will help you create better content for your business, in whatever form, will be included here on a regular basis. Not sure what content marketing is? Click here for the Ultimate Definition of Content Marketing.
David Meerman Scott, a content marketing strategist, offers this free eBook called the "New Rules of PR." It's a great starter for helping you create a press release content strategy that works. If that works for you, check out his book.
Larry Chase has built this excellent overview of content marketing, and how you can create a content marketing strategy through outbound content, video content, user-generated content, cross-platform content (print [launching a custom magazine, perhaps] and web content), and content that can get the attention of the search engines (SEO).
Newt Barrett and myself have just created a free eBook called Get Content. Get Customers. that goes through why a content marketing strategy works, and how you can create one in your organization.
Brian Clark posts this article on "Telling People What They Want to Hear." A good piece that focuses on why you need to focus on what your customer wants to hear, not on what you want to tell them.
Enterprise Networks and Servers put together this great article on Creating Killer Email...9 Steps. If you are having trouble with your email content to your customers, this will help.
Here's a Seth Godin post on "Seven Tips to Build for Meaning." If you have or are in the process of creating content on the web, these are seven points to post up on your white board.
Great post here from Jon Reed at Reed Media about the shift from megaphone marketing to martini marketing. Quick read, and worth it.
A Wall Street Journal piece on how small businesses can use blogs to get attention - and customers. Includes a couple good case studies.
For an overview of the different content distribution avenues available for any business, check out this post from David Anderson.
Out of content ideas for your blog or eNewsletter? Here Alexandria Brown gives you 11 ideas to chew on.
For those of you considering launching a corporate blog, here are 10 easy steps to get you up and running from the MP Daily Fix.
This Bill Taylor post on his Harvard Business Review "Game Changer" blog makes an excellent case for why you should invest in your internal marketing communications.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Blog Action Day: Environmental Communication Practices STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: blog-action-day CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 10/15/2007 01:43:24 PM ----- BODY:
This post is my contribution to Blog Action Day, with today's theme being the environment.
Marketing professionals have some of the most important influence when it comes to a company's environmental practices. Here are some specific steps that marketer's can take right now that can positively affect our environment.
Here are 20 additional tactics compliments from our friends at Deliver magazine that you may want to consider:
1. Decrease the thickness of your paper stock
2. Reduce the trim size on a mailer or catalog
3. Use recycled or “groundwood” paper rather than virgin stock
4. Use chlorine-free paper
5. Use soy- or water-based inks
6. Use such alternate energy sources as solar- or wind-generated electricity
7. Donate money to green initiatives to offset the cost of environmentally harmful business practices
8. Clean your mailing lists of duplicated or non-active recipients
9. Ask customers to specify how frequently they’d like to hear from you
10. Opt for printing processes that produce less waste, such as rotogravure
11. Offer customers print-on-demand technology
12. Send customers online for follow-up information
13. Send out larger print pieces on CD
14. Print marketing materials on both sides of the paper
15. Choose vendors based on their use of renewable energy
16. Provide encouragement, incentives or opportunities for customers to use renewable energy
17. Engage a third-party organization to perform an audit of your environmental practices
18. Benchmark your environmental efficiency against local and national standards
19. Communicate your green efforts to your customer base
20. Share an environmental innovation with one or more of your competitors
Make a difference today!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: katie EMAIL: IP: 69.246.125.44 URL: http://profile.typekey.com/kwolph/ DATE: 10/16/2007 10:12:37 PM You bring up very effective ways to keep green in an office environment. I wanted to take it one step further and invite you to check out http://electricbill2007.org. Did you know that Congress has a chance to pass a monumental energy bill? We're talking about a bill that would free us from foreign oil, help our economy, lower gas prices, and create jobs all at the same time. But interest groups are trying to make sure the two most important provisions (a fuel economy standard of 35 mpg and a renewable electricity standard of 15%) don't make it into the final bill. I am working with a coalition to make sure Congress passes a bill that puts the American people and economy first, not lobbyists. You can help, just sign the petition at http://www.energybill2007.org and tell Congress to do the right thing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs - Looking for Nominations STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: top-42-content- CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 10/12/2007 01:24:05 PM ----- BODY:The team here at Junta42 is compiling a list of the top 42 blogs that focus on some aspect of content marketing - that is helping marketers/businesses create and deliver valuable, relevant and consistent content. This could be theory and education content marketing blogs, or specific channel content blogs, such as podcasts, white papers, webcasts, video, blogging, print magazines, etc. (if you are looking for a formal definition of what content marketing is, click here.)
But, we need your help!
Please submit your nomination using the comments for this blog post (submit a comment). We will be keeping nominations open until November 30, 2007.
Many of the winners will be highlighted in our upcoming book, Get Content. Get Customers. The free eBook preview of the book is available here.
ATTENTION bloggers: Please pass this note on to as many people as possible. Although we know about a lot of the content marketing blogs out there, some are harder to find.
Good Luck!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractions.com IP: 66.74.10.243 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 10/12/2007 02:53:10 PM Hi Joe, There's some great information in your eBook. Thanks for posting it. And, I'd love to have my blog, Marketing Interactions, included in your list of content marketers. Thanks, Ardath ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.109.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/12/2007 03:04:46 PM Thanks Ardath...love your blog. Consider your blog added to our initial list! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sage Lewis EMAIL: sage@webmarketingwatch.com IP: 69.208.10.39 URL: http://www.webmarketingwatch.com DATE: 10/12/2007 03:18:34 PM Hey Joe, I "think" WebMarketingWatch might fit the Content Marketing angle. I'd love it to be considered. Thanks! Sage ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.109.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/12/2007 08:49:25 PM Thanks Sage. You got it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad EMAIL: patsi@blogsquad.biz IP: 71.136.241.209 URL: http://www.coachezines.com DATE: 10/13/2007 08:49:12 AM I'm a big fan of Lani and Allen Voivod, The Content Lovers and their blog: http://www.epiphaniesinc.com/blog/, and I'd like to nominate them. Love what you're doing, Joe, you've got a new fan! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad EMAIL: patsi@blogsquad.biz IP: 71.136.241.209 URL: http://www.coachezines.com DATE: 10/13/2007 08:52:45 AM Hey, Joe, I'm posting your announcement on my blog CoachEzines.com and wanted to explain to my readers why 42 top content blogs? I'm curious, why 'Junta42?' You look too young to have been born in '42... so why the name? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.109.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/13/2007 11:05:50 AM Good question Patsi...I get it all the time. I put a blurb on my Web site here regarding the name: http://www.junta42.com/about.asp#Name Here's what it reads: Okay, What’s With the Name? Our most popular question by far. Junta (pronounced juhn-tah or hoon-tah if you from the southwest United States or Mexico) is defined by dictionary.com as “a small group ruling a country immediately after a coup d’état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted.” That’s where we are in today’s marketing environment. It’s the Wild, Wild West, baby. A marketing revolution is taking place. Junta42 is just here to bring a little organization to town. The “42” you ask? Many of you already know this. Forty-two is the answer to “The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything” in the book (not the movie) Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. For more about the number 42, go to http://www.squidoo.com/42. Also - my two sons were ages four and two when we launched the business...so 42 just felt right! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: correspond@paulconley.com IP: 71.247.48.242 URL: http://paulconley.blogspot.com/ DATE: 10/14/2007 11:18:44 AM Hi Joe, Allow me to make two nominations. First and foremost -- Rex Hammock of Rexblog.com. Rex runs a custom-publishing business and he's certainly the most interesting blogger in the magazine/custompub world. Second, I'd like to nominate Rob O'Regan's Magnosticism (http://magnostic.wordpress.com/) Rob was founding editor in chief of CMO magazine -- perhaps the best B2B magazine every produced. Thanks. Paul ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.109.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/14/2007 07:20:31 PM Thanks Paul...both are excellent blogs (as well as your own). Good choices! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tucker Perfect EMAIL: tuckerperfect@hotmail.com IP: 69.136.25.79 URL: DATE: 10/15/2007 08:24:21 AM I've found ContentMarketingToday.com to be very helpful, particularly their examples of best practices and case studies. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Allen Voivod EMAIL: blogdrop@epiphaniesinc.com IP: 12.16.126.34 URL: http://www.epiphaniesinc.com/blog DATE: 10/28/2007 11:01:24 PM Hi Joe, Our #1 and #2 marketing tactics within our Content Strategy are blogs and ezines, and one blog that just happens to addresses both very well is Patsi Krakoff's www.CoachEzines.com. Great stuff for keeping us on our game. Also, we work very closely with "Chief Nut" Kevin Skarritt of Acorn Creative, and his Nuts and Bolts of Brand blog explores a terrific range of marketing topics. That's at www.acorncreative.com/blog. I hope you like them both, and find them worthy of consideration! Best, Allen Voivod EpiphaniesInc.com "A-Ha Yourself!" ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.199.207 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/29/2007 07:38:12 AM Thanks Allen...both are excellent resources. I'm more familiar with Patsi, but will check Acorn out more as well. Best Joe ----- PING: TITLE: Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs - Why this is such a smart marketing strategy URL: http://www.coachezines.com/2007/10/top-42-content-.html IP: 10.0.60.19 BLOG NAME: Writing Great Ezines DATE: 10/13/2007 09:10:50 AM Do you know any blogs about content marketing, or writing content for business? Joe Pulizzi, whose blog Junta 42 promotes writing great content, has opened nominations for the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs. Some of the nominated blogs may be ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Internal Culture Builds External Communications - bnet interview with Tod Martin STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: internal-cultur CATEGORY: internal marketing DATE: 10/12/2007 11:26:09 AM ----- BODY:Here is a video link to a bnet interview with Tod Martin, CEO of Unboundary. This is about a 7 minute video, but the good stuff happens between 3 minutes and 1 minute left if you are in a hurry.
Key thing Tod discusses is creating a single story line within your company that encompasses both internal and external communications. External communications can only build successfully if the message is in sync with the employee culture.
I see this a lot with the companies we work with on a consulting basis. They are so high strung to get the message out to customers, they forget to first build the message within the employee base (and does that message truly fit within the culture and brand vision of the company). Without a strong internal understanding of the brand, significant external investment can be lost with one customer contact point with just one of your employees.
If you are not already doing so, look to the following communications efforts to get your internal marketing in line with your external marketing.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Building a "Good" Brand - bnet Interview with Ben Goldhirsh STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: building-a-good CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 10/11/2007 01:10:17 PM ----- BODY:
This is an 8 minute interview with Good magazine founder Ben Goldhirsh on bnet's Dog & Pony. Some interesting thoughts on the son of Inc. magazine founder, including print vs. online challenges with the brand, working with advertisers on selling more than product, and the challenge of doing good while making money at the same time.
Patsi Krakoff, who writes a excellent blog on eZines and blogs, discussed the three deadly marketing mistakes you can avoid. Here are the three:
"People aren’t finding you easily online – your website or blog is not updated frequently enough, there’s not enough content with keywords, or you may have poor website design that makes search engine indexing and capturing visitors difficult if not impossible.Patsi discusses the need for great writing skills to overcome these mistakes. This goes for the smallest start-up companies to the largest conglomerates.
In Patsi's words, there is only upside to a sound writing strategy for your web properties: "You write about them [your customers' needs], they search for solutions, they find you (your website, your blog, or your landing pages), and everybody goes home happy."
Not sure about this strategy? Do me a favor. Go to each of your competitors' Web sites. Odds are, pretty much all of you are saying the same thing, and in most cases, each make it pretty difficult for your customer to buy - pushing products and services over valuable content. Well, let's shake it up a bit (and do something that actually differentiates your brand from the competition).
Here are a few concrete steps that all marketers need to take in order to make your Web site content work for you, not against you.
As the great Don Schultz has preached for many years, everything can be copied by the competition...product, packaging, logistics, design...everything except your brand communications. Don's right!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Nominate Your Favorite Marketing Blog STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: nominate-your-f CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 10/10/2007 09:12:35 PM ----- BODY:
Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers blog is seeking to find the Top 10 Marketing Blogs specifically for marketers. Here's the information from Michael:
"Please make a single nomination by replying to this message and
include why you like the blog (anonymous comments will be ignored). Be
sure to include a link to the blog. To make the cut, a blog must be nominated more than once.
The winners will be announced here and also in the November edition of our newsletter.
Nominations must be received by Oct. 31st, 2007."
Please feel free to drop by Michael's site to vote for your favorite in the comments. By the way, stick around and read some great content on white papers.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Remember to Thank Your Customers - with an Email and a Side of Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: remember-to-tha DATE: 10/10/2007 09:02:23 AM ----- BODY:According to Email Experience Council and the Direct Marketing Association, welcome emails to new customers have "significantly" higher open rates than regular emails. The best part is, the majority of these emails just say "Thanks" and then give some links to other resources. Here are some highlights from the study:
"Instead of engaging subscribers with incentives and links to products, departments, loyalty programs, catalogs and other shopping-related material, a great number of the largest online retailers simply say hello and leave it at that. Though, in 2007:
The study shows that 72 percent of major online retailers send out welcome emails, up from 66 percent last year."
I'm not sure how many of these emails are driving customers to content, but that would seem like the most relevant of emails. For example, "Thank you so much for being our customer. Many of our new customers enjoyed reading 'This eBook that is Very Valuable'. We hope you do as well." So, nothing is better to customers than a thank you, plus some valuable and relevant content.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Vin Subrajmanan EMAIL: vince@buzz.io IP: 209.90.98.86 URL: DATE: 06/30/2008 02:34:23 PM This post boils down to one thing, customer service. The effectiveness of an e-mail is all about knowing your client, what their goals are, and how your services correspond to their goals. Your ability to reach out to your customer is first, but retaining and then expanding that clientèle is most important (that ever useful 'welcome' e-mail). A businesses performance in this aspect will translate into either the rise or fall of the company. I've been looking into this company called Mindshare, which works with companies to improve customer service using old school techniques tailored to your business. Check it out at mshare.net ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New eBook Teaches How Content Marketing Turns Prospects into Customers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-ebook-teach CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 10/10/2007 02:01:00 AM ----- BODY:My content marketing partner in crime, Newt Barrett, and I just put the final touches on our eBook entitled Get Content. Get Customers. How to Turn Prospects into Customers with Content Marketing. This eBook is a teaser version of the complete printed book, which will be released sometime in the 1st quarter of 2008 by Voyager Media, Inc.
As you can see below in the press release, there are all kinds of useful tools in the eBook, but my favorite is our B.E.S.T. model (see the illustration to the right). BEST stands for Behavioral, Essential, Strategic and Targeted. Essentially, BEST is the definition of content marketing and can be used as a litmus test against any content initiatives you launch. Without one of the four characteristics of content marketing...well, it isn't content marketing.
Here is a direct link to download the eBook. I hope that you will. Once you do, please send on feedback so we can make the printed book the most useful to marketing professionals.
New eBook Teaches How
Content Marketing Turns Prospects into Customers Many marketing pros are frustrated by the decreasing
effectiveness of traditional marketing campaigns. The new eBook, Get Content. Get
Customers. shows why businesses must make
dramatic changes in how they approach current and future customers. Co-authors, Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett, explain why a
new form of marketing is needed, "The buyer can find everything they need to make informed
purchasing decisions on the Internet. They don’t need to rely on
old-fashioned marketing collateral nor salespeople to educate them
about products. Today, businesses that market only through traditional
means ignore the importance of the fundamental changes in buyer behavior that
make compelling content so critical to the decision-making process." Pulizzi and Barrett recommend the use of content
marketing strategies to woo this new breed of buyer. They suggest
that providing frequently updated content that is both relevant and
compelling is essential to attract and to retain loyal customers. Get Content. Get Customers. is
a practical guide for executives to the brand new world of content
marketing. Readers can expect to learn the following: •The three reasons traditional marketing isn’t
working. •Content marketing (the former custom publishing) is the biggest industry you’ve
never heard of. •What content marketing really is and why it is
important. •Why you must now think like a publisher today! •The 11 biggest benefits of content marketing. •The seven deadly sins of content marketing. •What Best Buy, MindJet, and ThomasNet are doing to drive
business through the use of great content. •What specific methods you should use to implement your
content strategy now. Get Content. Get Customers. is available for free
download on the book's website: www.GetContentGetCustomers.com.
The greatly expanded print version will be available in January 2008 from
Voyager Media, Inc.
Joe Pulizzi, founder of Z Squared Media, LLC, is chief content officer for Junta42, a content marketing/custom publishing search portal. Newt Barrett is the founder of Succeeding Today. He is also the chief content officer for ContentMarketingToday, the online content marketing resource.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad EMAIL: patsi@blogsquad.biz IP: 71.136.241.209 URL: http://www.coachezines.com DATE: 10/11/2007 09:24:12 AM Fantastic idea for a book, as I've been searching to tie together ideas on how important content is for marketing a business. So glad I found your blog. It is thanks to colleague Michael Stelzner and his clever marketing blog contest that I found you. I'll put you into my Feedblitz subscriptions so I can get updates and stay in touch. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.109.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/11/2007 11:20:50 AM Thanks Patsi...yes, Michael has some great stuff on his blog. I've checked out your blog quite a few times. Great stuff. I've already got your feed. You may want to check out Junta42.com as well. I believe some of your articles have already been tagged in the system. If not, you may want to add some of yours since we have an eNewsletter/eZine topic. Thanks again! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Importance of Internal Marketing on the Brand STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-importance- CATEGORY: internal marketing DATE: 10/09/2007 10:40:19 AM ----- BODY:
I was reading an excellent article from Bill Taylor, who writes the Game Changer blog at Harvard Business Review. This post, entitled, "Why Should I Do Business with You?" uncovers some key aspects about the importance of internal marketing and communications.
In a study of bank branches, a researching team set off to ask employees a simple question:
“As a
customer, why should I choose your bank over the competition?” And
two-thirds of the time...front-line employees have no answer to
that question—they simply “make something up on the fly.”
Bill goes on to ask the question: "How can any business expect to outperform the competition when its own employees can’t explain—simply and convincingly— what makes them different from the competition?"
This goes back to basics on internal marketing and communication. Don Schultz, in pretty much every book he's ever written, discusses the importance of internal marketing...even more important than external. In a 2003 article in BtoB magazine, Schultz writes:
"Internal marketing is more vital than external marketing. Customer-touching and customer-facing employees, not external marketing, drive acquisition and retention. Solution: Invest in internal marketing, branding and promotion. Work with HR, IT and operations to get employees involved in the demand chain."
Schultz's words still hold true today, and uncover the root problem in Bill's situation with retail banks. At the end of the day, all the external marketing and branding won't work unless the main customer touch point (the employee) clearly understands what the company's vision and brand statement encompasses.
Here are some activities to consider if your company is lacking in the internal marketing department:
These are easy-to-implement steps that may make the most difference in all your marketing activities. Remember, if your employee doesn't understand your brand, how can you expect your customer to understand it?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Genius of Joel Osteen, Content Marketing Expert STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-marketing-g CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 10/08/2007 11:47:47 AM ----- BODY:
Joel Osteen is one of the most popular ministers in the world. I'm sure you've seen his 30 minute sermons somewhere on Sunday television. If not, maybe you've caught his best-selling book in the book store. Whatever the case, Joel Osteen Ministries from Lakewood, Texas has become one of the most influential groups in American when it comes to spiritual development.
For the moment, I'm asking all of you to put your religious preferences aside. This example of Joel Osteen focuses specifically on what we can learn from Joel Osteen, the content marketing machine. For this post, consider Joel Osteen Ministries the business, and Joel Osteen the CEO.
According to their Web site, Osteen preaches weekly to over 38,000 (in person) and has been noted by Forbes for having one of the fastest-growing and most diverse congregations in the country. Over the past few years, Osteen has used a multi-platform content marketing effort to not only drive his local business, but his national and international business.
Note: The Importance of the Marketing Database
If you look at the Web site, you'll notice how many "gifts" are offered for free. All a user needs to do is give over their name and email address. This brilliant marketing strategy is used by some of the best marketers in the world - because it works. Joel's most important asset is his database. Through his database he drives his business. Without a name and contact point, Joel can't do much. With a name, he can spread his word through multiple communication efforts.
"Today's Word" Email Newsletter: As you sign-up for the free giveaway, you receive a daily email (shown here) complete with a scripture passage (repurposed content) and a motivational passage from Joel and his wife Victoria.Putting It All Together
Joel hasn't become one of the most popular evangelists in the world through print advertising, radio spots or television commercials. He has done so through the effective use of multi-platform targeted content.
The next natural step for Joel would be a blog...but honestly, Joel is already doing a ton to get the word out on his ministries. It would seem that a blog would really assist the site's search engine optimization efforts. According to Alexa.com, Joel Osteen's site ranks 260,996 with 186 linking in, while his church URL ranks 34,701 (both impressive rankings). That said, a blog would help. Joel would get more love from Alexa if the sites came from the same domain (both sites are essentially the same, but with different domain addresses).
It also looks like Joel does NOT invest in any search engine marketing. With a database as large as he has (estimated in the hundreds of thousands - if not more), he probably doesn't need to.
Whatever you think about Joel Osteen, and judging from the blogosphere there are many who do not agree with his spiritual tactics, you can't deny that Joel Osteen is perhaps the greatest marketing minister in the world.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: James the Marketing Consultant EMAIL: info@parkwood.im IP: 112.201.169.227 URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4NlGBBn1AI DATE: 07/30/2010 04:26:57 AM I totally agree with your post. great knowledge about the subject. a good reading. thanks for sharing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Will it Be a Cold Day in Hell when Ads become Relevant? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: will-it-be-a-co CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 10/05/2007 12:17:00 AM ----- BODY:
I was reading Dave Morgan's Online Spin article and I couldn't help but shake my head. Dave brings up some great points, and asks the question, why are there so many online ads that are completely irrelevant to the Internet user? From a technical standpoint, I think Dave hits the mark. Here is my take:
Content marketing isn't a luxury anymore...it's a necessity. Delivering consistent, valuable content to your customers and prospects is now a cornerstone of every business, large or small.
Here are 4 things that every business, not matter what the size, should be doing on a regular consistent basis that involves high-value content.
1. Blog - A blog may be the simplest and most effective way to deliver daily and ongoing content to your target buyers. It also gives you the ability to be edgy and cutting-edge on topics that can differentiate you from the competition. If you are looking for the basics on setting up a blog site, see this post from The Lonely Marketer. Once you launch the site and begin to add content on a regular basis, promote the site like crazy. Problogger has a bunch of great posts on this. Here's "10 Tips for Finding Readers" and "Another 19 Strategies."
2. Hire an Editor - It's challenging to extract the best information from a company and deliver it to target buyers on a consistent basis. Businesses are set up to deliver products and services, not necessarily ongoing valuable content. For that reason, find an industry expert to take charge of your content activities. You can either find a freelancer (check your trade magazines to find the best ones) or hire a custom publisher to oversee your content activities (for a basic directory of custom publishers, go to custompublishers.com, or The Custom Publishing Council member directory).
3. Launch a Microsite - It's often challenging for businesses of any size to add content to a product or services Web site. Large companies deal with corporate branding politics that causes headaches for any minor change...plus, large companies have many groups of targeted buying groups (so it's challenging to deliver a consistent content message). Small companies may be scared to change their site too much because they at least want their site users to know what they are selling.
The easy answer is a microsite (sometimes called a content web portal). At this site you can focus on creating great custom publishing content targeted to your customers and prospects. Be sure the content is 100% customer-focused. If it is, you will be successful. A great example of a medium-sized company is Intuit's JumpUp.com. It's obvious their target is the small business owner and start-ups, and all the content is concentrated on small-business planning and entrepreneurial issues. Any company can do this...and if done right, the payoff could be big.
4. White Paper Program - White papers are usually 8 - 12 page documents that cover a key industry issue. Design doesn't have to be anything fancy, but the content must be great. Custom published white papers can serve as excellent thought leadership and lead generation pieces for your company. The key with white paper programs is consistency. If you launch a program, make sure you have at least one white paper per quarter. Although you can use them as sales collateral, white papers are most easily downloaded from your Web site or, better yet, your microsite. Grant Thornton has always done a great job with their white paper program. Check them out here.
Although there are many more custom publishing/content marketing initiatives that a company can (and maybe should launch), these are the basics that every business must have in our new marketing social media environment. Down the road, you may want to consider printed custom magazines or newsletters, a digital magazine launch, eProducts such as eBooks or eNewsletters, and possibly in-person events such as customers roundtables.
Final Note: The Case for Print. I was at the Folio conference in New York recently where traditional publishers discussed the differentiation between print and web users. Consistently, publishers notes that there was only about a 15 to 25% overlap between print and web users. Depending on your industry and your readership, be sure you understand how your customers want to receive their information. If the research tells you print is still a big part of their daily behavior, you may want to integrate the above strategies with a print newsletter or mini-magazine that can lead buyers back to the content on your Web site.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patrick Schaber EMAIL: schaberp@yahoo.com IP: 74.202.111.66 URL: http://www.lonelymarketer.com DATE: 10/04/2007 03:51:13 PM Hey Joe - great post! Thanks for the mention! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Linda Rigano, ThomasNet EMAIL: lrigano@thomasnet.com IP: 208.116.136.5 URL: http://www.thomasnet.com DATE: 10/05/2007 11:20:50 AM Joe, While I love your ideas, I have to disagree on their relevance to all businesses. At ThomasNet, we represent thousands of small to medium size industrial businesses. These owners would be hard pressed to implement an active blog, or undertake a White Paper program. That's not to say that these things are not important...they are, but to the relevant business. For industrial businesses, relevant content in a searchable format such as a catalog, advanced custom design or CAD drawings, are the essential elements to their web marketing. The foundation for their online marketing IS their website. My two cents. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 64.132.169.250 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/05/2007 01:25:51 PM Hi Linda...thanks for the comments. You are right, for a small to medium sized business, the Web site is their most important communications asset. To maximize that asset, businesses must dedicate themselves to frequent and ongoing relevant, valuable content. The best way to do that is through a blog. The best way to capture prospect information so that you can create a dialogue with them, is through a downloadable eProduct, like a white paper. Is a blog absolutely important right now for a small business?...maybe not for ALL businesses. But to build up long-term equity and search engine traction, ongoing, updatable content is a must. So, I agree with you...but believe they need more to ultimately differentiate their services. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Book Excerpt: Larry Weber's "Marketing to the Social Web" STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: book-excerpt-la CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/03/2007 09:12:07 AM ----- BODY:New to The Content Marketing Revolution Blog?
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I caught this book excerpt from Larry Weber's new book entitled "Marketing to the Social Web" on BrandWeek. This is definitely something I want to pick up. Specifically, though, I want to point out a couple of Larry's key points in the excerpt.
"Clear your mind of all those one-way, one-sided communication techniques, all those ways of spouting only your side of the story. Marketing to the Social Web is not about you getting your story out, it's about your customers. It's about being more transparent, earning trust, building credibility. It's about nurturing relationships and dialogue among customers, prospects, your company and whoever else is active in the community."
Amen Larry. Any marketing communications that we spill out of our organizations must be 1) all about the customer and 2) extremely valuable to them. The days of traditional marketing/sales collateral are over. Thinking about producing that corporate brochure? You might want to kill it and create a piece that's truly valuable.
"Segmenting by behavior, attitudes and interests
doesn't depend on faceless numbers (how old customers are or how
wealthy they are, for instance). Instead, it groups people by what's
important to them, as indicated by what they do, think, like, and
dislike. Once you know what moves your customers, you can target them
with marketing activities that are meaningful to them. (It's all about
them, after all.)"
Through research, listening posts and ongoing feedback from customers you can determine what is ultimately important to them. So many companies communicate what is important to the company, not the customer. Be sure your content litmus test includes a BS factor for your corporate communications.
"Communication is less about creating contained and
controlled messages (as in the old marketing) and more about creating
compelling environments to which people are attracted. Remember, the
marketer's primary job is to be the aggregator of customers and
potential customers. The marketer's secondary job now and in the future
is to create compelling environments that attract people."
I agree and disagree with this. I believe that creating the proper environment for customers includes a combination of controlled and consumer messaging. Creating ongoing and consistent information is important for your business's credibility. This controlled information can then be distributed through a variety of uncontrolled mechanisms that create a truly valuable customer environment.
"Let me point out, at the risk of sounding profound
in a clichéd way, that everybody has become media. So as you get into
the Social Web, you are media. Individuals are media, organizations are
media. They are writers, editors and publishers, sorting, prioritizing
and presenting compelling content in an interesting way makes it
important."
So true Larry. Every business should consider themselves a publisher. The communications we send out today as businesses should resemble more the editorial-based content we read in the trades or traditional media vehicles, not as sales collateral. Some of the biggest publishers in the world are not traditional publishers (Oracle, Microsoft).
On Viral Marketing: "Yet silly virality, for all its popularity, is not really word-of-mouth. The concept we should be talking about is content-based virality. How do companies get solid viral content, something that does more than simply attract attention to itself? In healthcare, the content could be about lowering cholesterol or improving quality of life. People talking to other people about these topics will create a viral dialogue with content."
So many businesses are interesting in viral marketing for the sake of it. True viral marketing revolves around the great content a company can create that hits the deepest issues for the targeted buyer. The best viral marketing educates about a truly important customer issue.
"The new marketing will be collateral-free, with
material that is more compelling, customized, visual and up-to-date.
Information can be a powerful customer relationship tool, but it
doesn't have to be printed in an ad or booklet."
I'm not sure how far Larry will take this in his book, but I'm a big believer in print for the right reasons. Printed custom newsletters and custom magazines can still be some of the best customer-relationship vehicles...if the content if focused on the customer. That's one of the reasons why customer printed magazines still have some of the highest growth rates in the custom publishing/content marketing industry.
Overall, this looks like an extremely interesting read. For information on buying the book, click here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 3 Things Your Customers Won't Tell You...Unless You Ask STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 3-things-your-c CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 10/02/2007 05:22:53 PM ----- BODY:Came across this simple, but excellent post by Dave Navarro at Freelance Folder. The three questions that Dave discusses are:
According to Dave, these are questions we never ask, but need to ask our customers.
Strategy Tip: If we consistently deliver valuable information to our customers, they will be more open to answering these questions. This should make sense, since we are giving them something of value, and they will give something of value in return.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Useful Marketing Scorecard - How's Your Customer Communications? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-useful-market CATEGORY: publishers CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 10/02/2007 06:00:00 AM ----- BODY:
I just posted to the Custom Publishing Council blog on a marketing scorecard specific to custom publishers. Whether you are a marketer or a publisher, the questions can be applied in either case. Take a read and let me know how you scored, and what questions you would add or subtract. Take it now!
Side note: It's always intrigued me (including my own companies) how marketing services companies are so good at doing great marketing work for their clients, but forget the basics when it comes to their own communications efforts. More than not, whether it's a custom publishing company, large marketing services company, or a small business, most of the marketing is hanging on by a thread.
I wonder what would happen if these companies focused more on their marketing communications. Would their business get better or worse?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: MIN Announces Integrated Marketing Award Winners for Custom STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: min-announces-i CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 10/01/2007 03:36:08 PM ----- BODY:
Today MIN announced their winners in the custom category for the 2007 Integrated Marketing Awards. Below you'll find the winners in the custom publishing/media-related categories. Click here for the full award listings.
Congrats to all the winners!
Custom Publishing Project: MindShare - American Express - The Ticket
Customized Web Site/Microsite: Sprint Nextel Corporation - Sprint Business Time Inc. Integrated Program
Event/New Event Program: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Magazine - "Experience Parks and Conservation" Event; Rodale Inc. - Lipton Live Well Challenge; Successful Farming - Biofuels Forum
Multiple Magazine Title Program: Reed Business Information- Mechatronics Zone; Meredith Corporation - Walmart Inspired Home
Print/Online Bundle: King Fish Media - Compass on Business; Wired Media - Mediaedge: CIA Xerox Custom Cover Project
Print/Video/Web Bundle: Entertainment Weekly - Diet Coke's 25th Anniversary
Special Advertorial Section: Reader's Digest - "Service Stars" Four-Part Advertorial Series for U.S. Army
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Microsite Scorecard - Chevron, Shell, FedEx, Mastercard (Part 2) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: microsite-sco-1 CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: microsites CATEGORY: video DATE: 09/27/2007 09:38:36 AM ----- BODY:Yesterday, we discussed some of the content web portals, or microsites, that are being promoted in print advertising specific to Portfolio magazine. Here is an overview of the rest, which weren't covered yesterday.
Overall, the difference between the good and the bad when it comes to microsites or web content portals is the focus on the user. The good ones have very specific content to the target buyer. The bad ones disguise content to get you quickly to the sales pitch.
If you are considering launching a microsite initiative, be sure you understand the needs of the consumer, and create valuable and relevant content to fulfill their content needs. Seems like a simple concept, but as we've just discussed, many businesses just aren't there yet.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Microsite Scorecard - Citi, Fidelity, IBM etc. (Part 1) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: microsite-score CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 09/26/2007 10:26:13 AM ----- BODY:
I picked up the latest issue of Portfolio magazine yesterday. What I couldn't help to notice is the vast number of companies that are redirecting buyers to microsites. It's almost as if just putting the URL at the footer is a waste of space.
If you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Unless they are ready to buy right now, most consumers wouldn't go to prudential.com. But, they may go to RetirementRedZone.com to find out if they are in position for a successful retirement. Consumers crave education and content...and businesses are starting to figure that out. Here are a couple that peaked my interest.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Used Refurbished Laptops EMAIL: ssunderani01@gmail.com IP: 116.71.42.100 URL: http://www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com/ DATE: 04/05/2009 09:40:40 AM This ThinkPad T40 has been awesome. Had for a decent price. There was a problem with the main board about 4 months down the road and customer service couldn't have been better. I spoke with someone in America, and they overnighted everything. The entire process only took 3 days from placing the service call to getting back and running. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: James Morgan - Puritan Financial Advisor EMAIL: Carina@puritanlife.com IP: 121.97.2.2 URL: http://www.puritanfinancialcommunity.com/ DATE: 08/29/2010 07:40:43 PM What I couldn't help to notice is the vast number of companies that are redirecting buyers to microsites. It's almost as if just putting the URL at the footer is a waste of space. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: FPO Magazine Launches for Magazine Creatives STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: fpo-magazine-la CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 09/25/2007 09:57:56 AM ----- BODY:
At the Folio show in New York yesterday I came upon a new magazine called FPO. FPO magazine positions that they are a magazine about creating magazines.
According to Robert Sugar, FPO Publisher, the mission of FPO is to "bring magazine creatives ideas that will make their product better - more fun to read, less costly to produce - and enhance the impact of editorial, design and layout." (I spoke with Robert at MagsUniversity in June.) Robert is also owner and creative director of Auras Design. Auras Custom Publishing produced the premier issue.
The premier issue (Fall 2007) is a beautifully designed 68 pages with just 1 ad. Word on the street is that the revenue model will be paid subscription. For creative designers in custom publishing and magazine custom publishers, there are some nuggets of good information in FPO.
Click here for a table of contents.
Best of luck to them!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing Lessons from LEGO STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marke-1 CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 09/23/2007 11:22:08 PM ----- BODY:LEGO pieces are literally all over our house. We have the traditional sets, like the airport and fire station, the Star Wars series, LEGO Creators, and just about all the Bionicles. If you have boys (or girls) of any age up to 14, you probably know what I am talking about.
LEGOs are small building toys for kids anywhere from four years old on up. If you are asking how they relate to content marketing, read no further. LEGO is perhaps one of the elite companies in the world at attracting and retaining customers through the use of valuable and relevant content. But, before I mention any specifics, I need to tell you a quick story.
My son, Joshua, recently celebrated his sixth birthday. At the party, he received a card from his Aunt welcoming him to the LEGO Brickmaster Club. With his new club membership he receives LEGO Builder sets and an issue of Brickmaster every two months. This is over and above what he already receives as a member of LEGO club. It goes without saying that Joshua was VERY excited to receive his new LEGO membership.
So let's dissect this for a second. Joshua (the customer) is excited to receive content from LEGO that, in essence, is a piece of LEGO sales collateral. Do your customers get excited when you send them your sales material?
I've discussed this during speeches and with marketers before. Most of the time, I get a very defensive reaction from marketers when I ask them this question. Marketers usually say something like, "We don't sell LEGOs, we sell (widgets). Our customers aren't going to get excited about receiving a magazine about (widgets)." My answer is always the following:
If you have a product or service that helps an individual solve a problem, and your product helps them do their job better, makes their life easier, or entertains them in some way, it is possible to get customers excited about your product through the use of content.
Let's look specifically at what LEGO does to deliver information to customers that creates a true LEGO experience.
This is just some of the great content that LEGO is distributing consistently and frequently to their customers. And, it's not just good content, it's great content that mixes interesting stories with eye-catching design to create a true user experience.
Question is, where would LEGO be without this content? Would they be one of the most recognized brands in the world? Frankly, it wouldn't be close. Great products such as LEGO aren't enough to create a great brand and differentiate your brand from the competition. Communications and content is today's true brand differentiator.
Each of us have the communication tools at our fingertips to create a true community around our products and services. Each of us have the power to create great content that focuses purely on the needs of our customers and prospects.
Still not a believer? Just ask Megabloks.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike Horgan EMAIL: mhorgan@penton.com IP: 199.0.65.2 URL: DATE: 09/25/2007 05:31:14 PM Joe, Excellent example of an integrated content strategy. Yet, I'll ask what just about every B2B marketer out there is thinking...do you have any examples from the B2B world? And, how about measurement...do you have examples from companies that have embraced the content marketing revolution that have been able to measure the success of integrated content strategies? NOW THAT is the $64 million question! Mike ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 38.136.6.222 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/25/2007 05:53:06 PM Hi Mike...you are correct, there seem to be many more examples of consumer content marketing success stories out there. That said, you'll be able to find a few solid case studies here (http://www.junta42.com/category/B2B_Case_Studies/). Try the ABM Custom Media experience eBook, the eZine program from PTC and Security Focus by Symantec. We are also working on about 10 b2b case studies for our book called Get Content. Get Customers. coming out at the beginning of 2008. It seems from most of our research that companies are doing a lot of content marketing, but aren't necessarily measuring it or integrating it (for the most part). It's pretty easy to see what marketers need to focus on in regards to their content initiatives. MEASUREMENT! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roy Lee EMAIL: roy@ubobnballoons.com IP: 12.176.210.201 URL: http://uBobnBalloons.com DATE: 03/20/2010 03:40:42 PM Is uBobn content at uBobnBalloons.com on track to be a great example of content marketing? ----- PING: TITLE: We're Going to LEGOLAND! How Custom Print Magazines Drive Behavior URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/06/were-going-to-l.html IP: 10.0.23.103 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 06/01/2008 09:12:03 PM We have decided to take a family vacation this year to LEGOLAND in San Diego (Carlsbad, CA actually) and it has everything to do with LEGO's custom magazine. I've discussed LEGO magazine before, and it never ceases to amaze me ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The 5Rs of Marketing Communications Planning STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-5rs-of-mark CATEGORY: internal marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 09/20/2007 08:12:00 AM ----- BODY:
I was reading through the archives of the Journal of Integrated Communications and stumbled upon a Don Schultz article entitled "Marketing Communication Planning in a Converging Marketplace." It's amazing how many of Schultz's comments still ring true in today's marketing environment.
Of note is Schultz's notion that marketing communications managers use his 5Rs of marketing communication planning instead of the infamous 4Ps of marketing (product, price, place, promotion). The underlying notion of the 5Rs is that the customers, not the organization itself, are ultimately in control, leaving the 4Ps obsolete. Most marketers, specifically electronic marketers, understand this today, but this was a novel concept in 2001. Here is a summary of the 5Rs:
As a conclusion to the 5Rs, Schultz advocates a "delivery first, message second" strategy, positioning that "it makes no difference what you say if you can't get the message to the customer or prospect."
To Schultz's model of "Media - Message - Consumer" I would adapt the following chart below.
A minor change, but one that I feel is important as we see marketing organizations scramble to get the attention of the target buyer (see this post on measurement and purpose).
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: B2B Media Companies Need to Step Up Marketing Expertise STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: b2b-media-compa CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 09/20/2007 07:30:00 AM ----- BODY:Here is a quote from the piece:
"MB: What options do b-to-b media companies have if they want to keep and improve their custom content businesses?
Pulizzi: They have to make a commitment to provide turnkey marketing services. They have to commit the resources to research and content development. They have to develop true marketing expertise. They have to train salespeople to sell differently. In custom, you go into a meeting to listen, not to make a sale. Then you come back to clients with a custom solution to their marketing communication issues. Media companies need to develop proficiency in marketing, not delivery, because technology has enabled anyone to distribute content."
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: min's Integrated Marketing Award Finalists Named STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: mins-integrated CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 09/19/2007 08:57:40 PM ----- BODY:Here is a link to min's IMA finalists. Below are the custom-specific awards only. Congratulations to the winners!
I've been wanting to put this post together for a while on Wikipedia as it relates to content marketing. Wikipedia is an extremely useful resource for marketers, especially when you are looking for basic information or definitions.
Just in case you are new to Wikipedia, here is a link to the about page. Basically, Wikipedia is the world's encyclopedia...edited and policed by people from all over the world. Some marketers actually try to create tactics and strategies to get their company web sites onto a particular word or phrase. Since it's well policed (just look at the history section of Custom Media...thanks Rex), the content stays pretty accurate and very educational.
Here are an assortment of words or phrases that are worth checking out when you get time.
Also good basics for just those content offerings you are interested in, such as:
Although Wikipedia is far from perfect, you can see how useful a resource this information can be. If I missed any important ones, let me know and I'll add them to this list.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Conversational Marketing/Content Marketing Link STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-conversatio DATE: 09/13/2007 02:41:22 PM ----- BODY:The more I read about conversational marketing, the more it fits within the content marketing framework. Take this blog post by Dan Farber about "Finding Conversational Marketing's Heartbeat." In it Dan discusses a new conversational marketing report, which includes a "Conversational Advertising Code of Conduct".
"Among the “codes” are the four areas where transparency is required:
Use of a publisher’s content, the editorial process, attributing
advertising and influencing content creators."
Sound familiar? It should. This is discussed often in content marketing and custom publishing circles. (For example, take Rex Hammock's view of transparency.)
Also, let's breakdown the "rules" or the definition of conversational marketing:
I'll be looking forward to the report mentioned in this blog, and will share it with you once I receive it.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Symantec's Security Focus Protects and Serves STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: symantecs-secur CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 09/12/2007 07:14:00 AM ----- BODY:Here is a link to Paul Conley's post in which he does a brief review of Symantec's content marketing web portal called Security Focus.
According to the site, the purpose of Security Focus is:
"SecurityFocus is the most comprehensive and trusted source of security information on the Internet. SecurityFocus is a vendor-neutral site that provides objective, timely and comprehensive security information to all members of the security community, from end users, security hobbyists and network administrators to security consultants, IT Managers, CIOs and CSOs."
Additionally, they boast 18 million page views a month, and 2.5 million users annually. Security Focus was purchased by Symantec in 2002. Under the purchase agreement were conditions that the editorial would remain neutral.
Security Focus serves as a reminder to all businesses of the potential that great content marketing can have on a business and brand. It's also a reminder that in a robust M&A market for media and publishing, many of the "new" suitors may very well be corporations, not just media companies.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Ultimate Small Business Marketing Plan STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-ultimate-sm CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 09/11/2007 01:19:38 PM ----- BODY:Just because you are a small business doesn't mean you have to market like one. Today's technology allows businesses of all sizes to market directly to customers through custom publishing initiatives without costing an arm and a leg.
Here is a very simple, yet strategic plan to get and keep more customers through the use of valuable, relevant content. This will form the basis for your custom publishing/content marketing media plan.
1. Simple Market Research
You've come this far because you understand your customer and prospect base. By conducting some simple, online market research, you can not only create a competitive advantage, but use the data to construct and develop relevant messaging to your customers.
Once the research is complete, you'll have the information you need to create a content marketing plan that makes sense. As a bonus, you can construct a research report that can be used as a free download to draw prospects to your Web site, or deliver the custom report as a special gift to customers.
2. Web site
Is your Web site all about products and services? If so, you've got a problem. Today's savvy buyer yearns for great content, and they will look just about anywhere for content that helps them do their job better.
Instead of relying on media outlets, or worse, your competitors, to give them the content, create the mindset of a publisher. With a publisher's mindset, your goal is to give your readers content that is valuable, relevant and timely.
If you are not already doing so, here are the adjustments to make on your Web site:
3. White Papers
A white paper is a 3,000 to 5,000 word document that centers around a key issue. I recommend creating a quarterly white paper series around your industry issues. Be sure to use the research from your online survey to generate the white paper topics.
If you can't write it yourself, hire a freelancer that is close to your industry to write one for you. Depending on the industry, you can probably get someone to do it for 50 cents to $1 per word. If possible, try a bartering arrangement to cut down on your costs.
Create an abstract on your home page promoting a white paper download. This will be a free download to prospects/customers...but they do need to give you their name, company and email address. You can also add a few other qualifying questions, but know that you'll get 20% or more drop off with each question. Might be better to get the name first and qualify later.
4. Search Engine Marketing
To drive people to download your white paper, create a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign using Google AdWords or Yahoo! Search Marketing. Target key words that you uncovered with your research survey to drive people to download your white paper.
Be sure to test first and start out with just a few dollars in budget per day. Once you see the conversion results (which you can set up in AdWords), you can decide if you want to budget more per day.
5. Develop a Print Newsletter
Print is still very important to the overall marketing mix. The difference today is that you need to use the content from your print initiative throughout your marketing vehicles.
A short four-to-eight page custom publishing newsletter should do. Work with a local designer to create a clean, fresh look for your newsletter. B2B Marketing Trends, produced by Penton Custom Media, does a nice job with their 16-page newsletter (click here for a link to the media kit to see the design).
Remember, this is not a sales update, it's an initiative to help make your customers and prospects smarter. Start with a quarterly frequency, or even bi-annual if it's too much to bear. Do the following:
An Integrated Custom Publishing Program
By doing the above five steps, you've just created a simple, yet effective content marketing/custom publishing program. Be sure to track your ROI/measurement of the program through:
Ultimately, you can set this up to directly tie back to your sales. Use unique URLs and Toll-Free numbers on each initiative so you can track what leads are coming from where.
The best part of all - you are taking a true leadership position in your industry. You are developing relevant and valuable information on a consistent basis for your customers. They will begin to look to you for your industry knowledge and will ask you for your help to be their solutions provider.
Not a bad place to be when customers actually want to read your branded content!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: seh EMAIL: seh323@gotsmail.com IP: 76.184.82.37 URL: DATE: 06/22/2009 10:58:01 PM Video would be a good thing to add your marketing plan. Youtube is good, but for businesses I'd recommend a company called www.adwido.com They help you with a keyword campaign to build search engine traffic and you get a FREE account. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gentlerain Marketing EMAIL: vtps001@gmail.com IP: 59.90.247.70 URL: http://www.gentlerainmarketing.com DATE: 06/29/2009 05:08:34 AM The Blog described the steps for the small business marketing plan in a good manner... Thank you for giving such a good points and ideas.... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: LINKBUILDING EMAIL: ebizsubmit@hotmail.com IP: 221.120.250.101 URL: http://www.ebizsubmit.com DATE: 01/14/2010 02:15:31 PM this is great job ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Organizational Critical Success Factors a Must for Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: organizational- CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 09/10/2007 11:57:26 AM ----- BODY:The marketing function in a business often develops and evolves in a silo. Sales messaging becomes the predominant communications to customers, and overall communications initiatives become tactical and short-term in nature. After a while, management begins to forget if they ever had a marketing strategy in the first place.
In order to market effectively, and focus on the ongoing communication needs of the customer, the entire marketing organization must be aware of the organization's critical success factors (CSFs).
By defining these CSFs, the marketing team has much of the information it needs to create an effective long-term marketing strategy.
Below are a list of key questions that must be communicated within your management team. Best case scenario is if the answers to these questions come directly from the CEO.
By completing and referencing the above, the business has the background it needs to understand the purpose behind traditional and content marketing initiatives, which leads to measurement.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Key Questions when Launching a Content Marketing Initiative STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: key-questions-w CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: definition CATEGORY: measurement CATEGORY: vision statements DATE: 09/07/2007 09:01:10 AM ----- BODY:Launching a custom magazine, newsletter, eNewsletter or web content portal is becoming more a challenge each day. It requires a true understanding of the target reader - their needs, wants, desires and current actions.
This chart below, which I blogged about a few days ago, provides a visual overview for a successful content marketing or custom publishing initiative.
But before you proceed with any actual work on the publication, there is a series of simple questions to ask that will successfully position your communication program for both success and measurement.
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Folio magazine today announced the finalists for their 2007 Eddie and Ozzie Awards.
Here are some of the highlights as it pertains to the custom categories only. Congrats to all!
BEST COVER: Custom
In
December 2006
Spafax
Instore
March/April 2007
Prism Media Group
Sky
October 2006
Pace Communications
BEST COVER: Non-profit/Association
AARP
November/December 2006
AARP
Jewish Woman
Summer 2007
The Magazine Group
Pulse
December 2006
Host Communications
BEST DESIGN NEW MAGAZINE: Custom
Family Outlook
Spring 2007
Redwood Custom Communications
Fresh
November/December 2006
The Pohly Company
One
Quarter 1, 2007
McMurry
BEST DESIGN NEW MAGAZINE:
Non-profit/Association
American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children
June 1, 2007
Vitality Communications
Heart Insight
February 2007
The American Heart Association
Parks
Summer 2006
Time Inc. Content Solutions
BEST FEATURE DESIGN: Custom
US Airways Magazine
September 2006
Pace Communications
Vim & Vigor
Winter 2006
McMurry
Watch!
August 2007
McMurry
BEST FEATURE DESIGN: Non-profit/Association
American Spirit
September/October 2006
Hammock Publishing
Edutopia
September 2006
The George Lucas Educational Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
Spring 2007
The Nature Conservancy
BEST OVERALL DESIGN: Custom
217plus
December 2006
Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. KGaA
BMW Magazine Special The New BMW X5
2007
Hoffman Und Campe Corporate Publishing
WEMPE Magazine
2007
Hoffman Und Campe Corporate Publishing
BEST OVERALL DESIGN: Non-profit/Association
Audubon
January/February 2007
National Audubon Society
Massage Therapy Journal
Spring 2007
American Massage Therapy Association
Moottori
January 2007
Kynamies Ltd/The Automobile and Touring Club of Finland
BEST REDESIGN: Custom
New Outlook
Spring 2007
Redwood Custom Communications
Spirit
June 2007
Pace Communications
Way Up
May 2007
Kynamies Ltd./Konecranes
BEST REDESIGN: Non-profit/Association
The Advertiser
October 2006
The Pohly Company
Semper Fi
July/Aug 2006
Hammock Publishing
Wildflower
Winter 2006
Yo!Media/Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
BEST TABLE OF CONTENTS: Custom
Food & Family
Winter 2007
Redwood Custom Communications
Pine
Fall 2006
McMurry
WebMD the Magazine
January/February 2007
The Magazine Group
BEST TABLE OF CONTENTS: Non-profit/Association
HemAware
January/February 2007
The Magazine Group
Trout
Winter 2007
Trout Unlimited
Winterthur Magazine
November/December 2006
Pace Communications
BEST USE OF DIGITAL IMAGERY: Custom
Sally Beauty Magazine
Summer 2007
D Custom
Spirit
April 2007
Pace Communications
USAA Magazine
Fall 2006
McMurry
BEST USE OF DIGITAL IMAGERY: Non-profit/Association
Community College Journal
April/May 2007
The Magazine Group
HemAware
January/February 2007
The Magazine Group
IEEE Spectrum
April 2007
IEEE
BEST USE OF ILLUSTRATION: Custom
EnRoute
December 2006
Spafax
USAA Magazine
Spring 2007
McMurry
US Airways Magazine
December 2006
Pace Communications
BEST USE OF ILLUSTRATION: Non-profit/Association
Audubon
May/June2007
National Audubon Society
Associations Now
February 2007
ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership
Massage Therapy Journal
Spring 2007
American Massage Therapy Association
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Custom
Audi Magazine
June 13, 2006
AUDI AG
Diane
Summer 2006
Rodale
Spirit
May 2007
Pace Communications
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY:
Non-profit/Association
Audubon
May/June2007
National Audubon Society
Audubon
January/February 2007
National Audubon Society
Edutopia
October 2006
The George Lucas Educational Foundation
ASSOCIATION/NON-PROFIT:
Frequency 6 or more times a year
Full Issue
Audubon
September/October 2006
National Audubon Society
California Magazine
March 1, 2007
California
Alumni Association
IEEE Spectrum
June 2007
IEEE
Single Article
"Lost: The Looting of Iraq's Antiquities"
January/February 2007
American Association of Museums
"Up from Conservatism"
The New Individualist
March 2007
The Atlas Society
"Training: They're
Lovin' It"
T+D
November 2006
American Society for Training and Development
ASSOCIATION/NON-PROFIT:
Frequency less than 6 times a year
Full Issue
National Parks
April 2007
National Parks Conservation Association
Trout Magazine
Winter 2007
Trout Unlimited
Virginia Quarterly Review
Winter 2007
University of Virginia
Single Article
"American
Tragedy"
All Animals
Spring 2007
Time Inc. Content Solutions
"The Refuge"
National Parks
January 2007
National Parks Conservation Association
"Afghanistan: Battle-Scarred Courage"
Spring 2007
World Vision
CUSTOM PUBLICATION:
Frequency 6 or more times a year
Full Issue
In
May 2007
Spafax
Weight Watchers Magazine Australia
Text Pacific Publishing
Wild Oats
March/April 2007
Aim Media
Single Article
"Exploring the Middle
of Nowhere"
EnRoute
August 2006
Spafax Canada
"Three Perfect
Days"
Hemispheres
June 2006, February, March, April 2007
Pace Communications
"The Web's Second
Act"
Spirit
April 2007
Pace Communications
CUSTOM PUBLICATION:
Frequency less than 6 times a year
Full Issue
BMW Magazine
2007
Hoffman Und Campe Corporate Publishing
Subaru Drive
Summer 2006
DCI Marketing for Subaru of America
The Ritz-Carlton
Summer 2006
McMurry
Single Article
"Make Ahead
Easter"
Every Season
Spring 2007
Sunset Custom Publishing
"A Girl Named
Maria"
Renaissance
Summer 2007
Pace Communications
"Hazardous Conditions
Ahead"
StateTech
February/March 2007
The Magazine Group
I've received many comments from my blog post on financial organizations getting into the content marketing space. One of the better recommendations I received was on Merrill Lynch's content web portal.
The majority of the site is a cross between news-desk commentary and short video diaries. The commentary pieces are simple, yet professional and well done. The content is created in a way that is non-threatening to the user, and explains, in simple terms, what is happening with the market.
The case studies are well-done...something that you might see in a "How did they get here?" piece during the Olympics. Each positions Merrill Lynch as a true partner and adviser that helps these people find their way.
The site also mixes up video with traditional reader content on such topics as retirement, starting a new career, and on being suddenly single.
I am not sure what types of results Merrill is getting from the site, but it is clear that Merrill is positioning themselves more as a "life partner" than a financial institution.
Finally, an often overlooked but extremely important aspect of the site is search engine optimization. By typing in "Starting a Dream Business" into Google, the #1 return was Merrill Lynch, finishing higher than StartupNation and even startyourdreambusinesstoday.com. Very impressive.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Is King, But What Is It Really? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-is-king CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 09/04/2007 10:24:32 AM ----- BODY:Picked up this blog post from Bitemark on what content really is. It's a good point and one where we need to have more discussion. We know the web is "all about content". But when we say content, what do we really mean?
The post boils content down into two words - useful information. Then goes on to say that content is as simple as:
In content marketing, we go a bit farther, with reason. This post on the Five Pillars of Content Marketing goes into some detail on this, but the basics of creating great content from a marketing perspective includes the following:
Here is a very rough chart of what we are talking about from a visual perspective.
Measurement is the ultimate key to content marketing success. If it's useful, targeted, seeks a behavior and has a marketing purpose behind it, it should realistically be measurable.
Just by taking these simple steps can take your content programs to the next level. I have seen so many where at least one of these are left out of the equation. Even missing one will make your ultimate measurement a struggle.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: A.B EMAIL: arthur.brent@gmail.com IP: 116.72.104.250 URL: http://arthur-internetmarketing-guide.blogspot.com DATE: 12/23/2009 11:57:22 PM “Content is king.” It sounds good in principle. Produce a truly great piece of content, and you’ll get all the links you could ever hope for. Maybe it worked too, several years ago. The Web used to be a fairly quiet place compared to what it is now, and it was easier for people to notice great blog posts. But not anymore. Now great is no longer good enough. The Web is full of so much remarkable content that bloggers don’t have enough time to read it all, much less link to it. If you want links now, you need to be more than great. You need to be connected. http://arthur-internetmarketing-guide.blogspot.com/2009/12/is-content-really-king.html#more ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Golf for Autism a Huge Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-golf-fo CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 09/03/2007 04:38:24 PM ----- BODY:
On Friday, August 24th 96 golfers came out to Fowler's Mill Golf Course in Chesterland, Ohio to support a great cause. Interesting enough, for every golfer was 1 degree of weather...it was a beautiful 96 degree day!
I want to send a HUGE thanks out to all participants and sponsors of the 2007 Junta42 Golf for Autism. This being a first year event, you never quite know what the response will be. The good news is that there will definitely be a second annual Golf for Autism event.
We are just getting the final numbers in (waiting for a few bills and checks to come in), but we will near $8,000 in net proceeds to the Easter Seals. The money will go directly to the Easter Seals, earmarked for their Speech Therapy and Autism Services group.
Most people do not know this,
but the Easter Seals is the largest provider of Autism Services in the country. The net proceeds of the event go directly to those children who need specialized speech
therapy treatment, but are challenged financially to get the proper support.
While there is no known cause
or cure, nor one single effective treatment, autism is treatable.
People with autism, at any age, are capable of making significant progress
through personalized interventions and therapy; and can and do lead meaningful
lives. That’s where Easter Seals comes in. Getting the right support at the
earliest stage in life can help a child gain the skills he or she needs to be
successful.
Autism is very personal to
me, as it is to many of the people who participated in the Junta42 Golf for
Autism event. I continue to be overwhelmed by the support we have received for
this great cause, and am thankful to those that believe in this fight.
Along with the 96 participants, we had 73 corporations and individuals donate to the cause. All of them have made a significant impact into helping those dealing with autism become more successful. Here is a list of our supporters:
AmTrust Bank
Banks Publishing/In Memory of Peter Banks
Bev Beckert
Blake and Michelle Squires
Bob and Kathleen Miodonski
Botanical Gardens
Bruce and Teri Blaise
Burger King
CED Leader Electric Supply
CF Sourcing
Chris McMurry
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Indians
Cooking Thyme
Cygnus Business Media, Inc.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Dubrovnick Garden Restaurant in Eastlake
Duke Printing
Eileen Callahan
Fifth/Third Bank
FosteReprints
Friend of Junta42
Galileo Communications
Gamekeepers Bass Lake Taverne
Groff Funeral Homes/Leon J. Groff
Great Lakes Watersports
Hilarities
Integrated Publishing Sales
James Dee
JerryCo Inc.
Jim and Peg Connell
Jim Bowman - F2S Enterprises
Kaiser Permanente
Ken Beech - Stephen Gould of Ohio
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Kevin, Daryn & Cooper Adelstein
Kuhns & Associates
Leedham & Associates
Medical Mutual of Ohio
Mike and Michelle Pistillo
Mike Balzano
Mike Clark
Mike Pistillo
Mitchell's Fish Market Restaurant
MNI
Moen
NAPCO Trust
Naylor, LLC
Northlake Steel Corp.
Olive Garden
Penton Media, Inc. (Jim Clifford)
Petco
Playaway/Findaway Digital LLC
Redwood Custom Communications
Rube Adler Sports
Saremo
Scott Owen
Tasty Pizza in Mayfield
Terrence Grogan
The Boneyard in Mayfield
The Hurley Family
The Kapitan Family
The Plain Dealer
Thistledown Race Course
Ugitech USA
Wendy's
WhiteSpace Creative
Writing Matters
Zashin & Rich Co., LPA
Special thanks to our Premier Sponsors. Without there support, the event would have been very difficult to pull off:
GIE Media
MNI
Petco
WhiteSpace Creative
And finally, a special thanks to everyone on the Junta42 GFA Committee that really made this possible. First and foremost to my wife, Pam Pulizzi, who pretty much ran the show during the event. To Mike and Lynne Pistillo, and the entire Pistillo family, for their fundraising efforts throughout the campaign. To the volunteers: Missy Pistillo, Angela Vannucci, Jillian Lewis, and Christy Barksdale. Big thanks to Sandy "Nana" McDermott for watching our kids during the event. And finally, to Melissa Kocher and Sheila Dunn from the Northern Ohio Easter Seals.
To view the images from the event, click here.
Everyone on the committee is looking forward to next August's event where we will try to double our efforts!
If you have any questions or comments on the event, please don't hesitate to contact me at joe[at]junta42[dot]com.
Again, my sincere thanks!
I've been on hundreds of calls with marketers regarding the creation of a custom magazine or content-based Web site. In each of those cases, there was always someone in the organization who championed the effort. For whatever real reason (and there were many), this person thought a content marketing initiative was important for the business to consider.
At some point on each of these calls we came to measurement. Marketers would frequently ask how we could help them measure a custom magazine. To that, we began to dive into their marketing communications strategy. Frankly, what we learned was never pretty.
Rarely, if ever, did the marketing team have a solid idea of how the custom magazine fit into their overall marketing strategy. Strategically important questions, such as:
These questions are very strategic in nature and would require a bit of thinking to figure them out. The messages that we construct as part of the custom publication would have to reflect that thinking.
Without a clear purpose to the custom publishing project, true measurement is virtually impossible. Without an understanding of where the custom publication fits within the overall marketing communications strategy, how would the business know it is working? What was it working to do?
This always left us as custom publishers in a pickle. If we did our homework correctly, we wanted the business. But if we proceeded with the project without really extracting the purpose of the publication, we positioned ourselves as short-timers. Measurements then tend to be based upon an emotional connection to the publication, qualitative feedback from key customers or management, or price - none of which can be tied back to larger marketing objectives.
It's almost laughable that the custom publication, which has been around since the dawn of time and formalized in the late 1800's, is still a struggle to measure by both marketers and custom publishers.
The solution seems easy - define the purpose; define the objective. If you can define the purpose, you can most likely find a way to measure it. Unfortunately, it's never that simple. Most marketers still have only a basic understanding of the content marketing process. Most custom publishers are more concerned with landing the job now and worry about the consequences later. Frankly, in today's technological age, both are unacceptable.
To marketers - if you can't determine the true purpose for your content project, don't do it. To publishers - challenge your partners to determine that purpose. Get it on paper and put it in the Agreement that you both sign. It both saddens and amazes me about the number of custom projects that are out there that have NO measurement at all to them. The solution is evident, and both sides must take responsibility to make it happen. Now that's what I call a partnership.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Don Lipper EMAIL: Don.Lipper@lippercustompublishing.com IP: 64.8.254.47 URL: http://www.CustomPublishingNews.com DATE: 08/31/2007 05:14:48 PM Joe, you've hit the KEY issue for custom publishers both print and digital. How do you measure ROI? Don Lipper www.CustomPublishingNews.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is It Custom Publishing or Social Media? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-it-custom-pu CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 08/30/2007 10:50:30 AM ----- BODY:Corporate blogs, podcasts, forums - custom publishing or social media? Well, probably both. One thing is for sure, technology is continuing to blur the line between marketing disciplines.
Caught Christopher Kenton's Marketonomy blog today on Generating Leads with Social Media. Here are some important takeaways.
1. Every market is now a community.
"What you used to call a market, or a market segment, is now a networked
customer community.
Attitudes are no longer driven by your carefully
crafted message... The internet makes it easy for people to connect
and share information, and they know there’s a lot more value in
learning about products from others like themselves than from marketing
campaigns."
2. Invoke behavior change through the use of content. Successful content communities are developed from listening to and researching your buyer base.
"...markets are increasingly driven by content, conversation and community. Instead of flooding the market with pick-up lines, you need to listen, engage and catalyze your customer community. If you do it well, if you have something of real value and interest for your market community, they’ll spread your message for you."
3. Engagement is crucial.
"...get engaged as an interested participant, not as a product shill.
As a useful analogy, think of your market as a dinner party. Imagine
your attitude toward someone who butted into a conversation, talked
about how great he was for a few minutes, and then walked away to barge
into the next conversation. Unfortunately, that’s the impression many
marketers are making today as they trawl blogs, dropping self-serving
comments and then disappearing. Communities are much more welcoming to
people who have something interesting to say, are authentic, and take a
genuine interest in the people around them."
A key to your content marketing activities as it pertains to social media is to integrate valuable and relevant content into these communities. Yes, all these programs have underlying marketing objectives, but think of yourself first as an active member of the community with something important to say, not something to sell.
This is not easy. Historical custom publishing programs are completely controlled. That has always been one of the major benefits. Now, marketers are posting their content on the web and allowing customers and prospects to comment. Yikes! Very scary. Today marketers are being thrown into actually constructing content together with their customers on forums, corporate blogs, or wiki sites.
At this point, I feel it's okay to take it slow, but this is where we are headed and what buyers expect out of their brands. Cutting edge brands should be there now. All brands should be planning if they don't have one in place. Your focus right now on gaining buyer intelligence and creating relevant, anti-sales content will make all the difference when you launch new community-building efforts.
Financial companies are starting to get it. More and more brokers and financial institutions are breaking out web content portals to attract and retain high net worth individuals and baby boomers.
The concept is simple.
Step 1: Create valuable and relevant content about key investing and retirement principles.
Step 2: Build ongoing relationships with individuals looking for investing advice.
Step 3: Once the relationship is built and trust is established, make the offer.
Baby boomers are a valuable commodity for financial institutions. Many have large sums of money in 401k and pension plans. Many of those are not sure exactly how to keep that money flowing for the next 20 to 40 years. Another concern for baby boomers is that they are expected to live even longer than retirement calculators initially planned, so the money has to last.
Fisher Investments, which caters to affluent investors, has taken a content leap with their portal called marketminder.com. Marketminder offers original daily commentary, sector reports, and key abstracts and headlines from around the media globe. Fisher also positions their analysts as experts through ongoing editorial analysis and reporting, adding to their credibility.
Then there is Prudential, who created RetirementRedZone.com. Prudential positions the "Red Zone" with the following:
"The Retirement Red Zone® takes place during the five years before and
five years immediately following retirement. During this time, even
short-term portfolio losses can have long-term devastating effects on
retirement income. The Retirement Red Zone® is a critical time for you to preserve your retirement savings."
Playing on much of the fear that retired investors have, Prudential is alerting retirees that there is a limited time to make dollars last for retirement.
Not to be outdone by those "for-profit" institutions, the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has launched smartaboutmoney.org. Smart About Money offers investment advice to retirees, financial planning information, a quiz, and available courses to improve the financial IQ.
The baby boomer rush has just begun, and these three institutions are off to a fast start. Is there more to come?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: USPS Goes Green with Latest Issue of Deliver STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: usps-goes-green CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 08/28/2007 10:10:02 AM ----- BODY:Kudos to the United States Postal Services (USPS) and their custom publisher, Campbell-Ewald Publishing, on the latest issue of Deliver Magazine. The most recent September issue of Deliver is completely dedicated to being green.
Here are some stats of the latest issue that can be found on page 11 of the publication:
Though it looks like this issue is a one-time event, I am hopeful that the USPS continues using environmentally-friendly technology to produce their custom publishing projects.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: jeremy morris EMAIL: jmorris@campbell-ewald.com IP: 65.123.68.81 URL: http://www.campbell-ewald.com DATE: 08/28/2007 02:06:58 PM Thanks for the kind words Joe - always nice to see hard work recognized. Plus check out www.delivermagazine.com for more deliver-esque commentary and insight. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Your Most Profitable Strategy: Focus on Current Customers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: your-most-profi CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 08/27/2007 10:05:33 AM ----- BODY:I was flipping through my notes on the book, "Managing Business-to-Business Marketing Communications" by J. Nicholas DeBonis and Roger S. Peterson. Excellent book, and here are the highlights as it pertains to customer retention.
The Fundamental Principal of Marketing
It is exponentially more profitable to keep existing customers than it is to acquire new ones.
The rule of thumb is that it costs five times as much to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. Many marketers focus the majority of their efforts on lead generation activities. Although new business is always an important driver to any business, more companies than not seem to neglect the MOST PROFITABLE marketing strategy, which is keeping and growing your current customer base.
What Customers Need
"Customers need and seek out relevant, accurate information for appropriate buying decisions, information that provides a better knowledge of the marketplace and its products, is clear and easy to understand, and which doesn't add to the customer's already oppressive information overload."
A company's marketing communications should be generated to satisfy the above expectations. Marketers can do this through many different vehicles and initiatives, but the key to satisfying these needs to create truly educational and relevant content that, to an extent, cannot be duplicated easily.
Relevance, Not Frequency
"Maintaining the customer relationship requires an effective relationship communications strategy and corresponding programs. Customer contact should be based on relevance, not frequency. This strategy requires understanding the information needs of the customer, which is a primary function of a progressive database."
First and foremost in a content marketing/custom publishing strategy is to disseminate relevant information. If you are unsure about the content you are sending out, wait until it is absolutely essential to the customer. Although frequency is important, it takes a significant backseat to relevance.
How's Your Database Doing?
Although your customers have many similarities, they are also VERY different. In order to maximize your customer relationships, you must treat them differently.
The more that is known about a customer or prospect, the better a product or service can be provided to satisfy the customer's expectations. The same goes for your company's communications. Maintaining customer and prospect preferences in your database is mandatory to create truly relevant customer communications programs.
"In this day of information overload, knowing when, where, and how to deliver a marketing message is critical. Information that appears in a customer's preferred information source has tremendous credibility."
What to Do?
Not sure where to go from here? Here are some steps to drive more revenues from your current customers.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Webcasts 101 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: webcasts-101 DATE: 08/24/2007 09:18:00 AM ----- BODY:For anyone thinking about getting into webcasts, here is a thorough description of webcasts/webinars that I posted on the Custom Publishing Council blog.
Since many marketers are unsure of how long the production process should be for a webcast, I detailed that as well. Optimally, 8 weeks should do it. Here is a quick overview of the steps and key points below:
"Production of a webcast has all the features of great project
management, but is still quite different than print production in
almost every way.
I read two fantastic posts by Paul Conley regarding content marketing. (fyi, Paul's blog is targeted to reporters, editors and anyone else interested in b2b publishing.)
The first post from Paul lays the groundwork for what is going on in content marketing. Paul refers to an article I wrote for Folio that positions corporations as the new kings of content. In essence, the territory that has long been held by traditional media companies is now being overtaken by businesses.
Paul really hits the mark here in response to my article on the fundamental difference between media companies and content marketers:
We Want You
Paul's second post is where the opportunity lies for marketers. Many B2B media companies are struggling with their business models. Print advertising is declining due to the lack of measurement issues and the proliferation of about 1,000 other ways you can market your products. Web revenues are usually great, but publishers are running out of inventory. Even for those media companies that have created more inventory, the growth in web revenues still haven't been able to keep up with declining print revenues. Take all that, and then throw on the fact that marketers such as you are launching first-rate editorial initiatives without the need to make a profit.
Publishing companies are starting to convert themselves into agencies with publishing expertise. Paul makes the point that:
Paul contends that the next logical step for a publishing company's business model is to turn marketers into publishers. As we know, this is already happening, but traditional publishers have really only dabbled in true content marketing to this point (microsites, special issues, webcasts). The difference will be less about product and more about publishers truly solving marketers challenges by teaching them how to create great content. It's a significant philosophy change for publishers, but one that is already starting to happen (because it has to).
The opportunity for you is that publishers will evolve from yesterday's contempt for your content marketing products to tomorrow's wanting to help you create better content. There is no doubt about the expertise that exists in traditional media companies. Now you have the opportunity to tap into that expertise.
Not sure the media companies are willing to help...just ask.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stan Faryna EMAIL: stan.faryna@gmail.com IP: 82.78.63.130 URL: http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/ DATE: 02/10/2008 05:25:44 AM Your article is interesting. Do you know of any publishers that can help content developers produce better content? Also, do you know of any publishers that have made the leap to become agencies and now need editorial production support? Best regards, Stan Faryna You can visit my blog at http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com My blog has a little bit of everything: online strategy, foreign films, etc. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/10/2008 10:08:34 AM Stan...good questions. There are many publishers out there (thousands) that help businesses create better content. The Custom Publishing Council is a good place to start. That's all their members do. I'll check out your blog. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Kurzweil Effect on Communications STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-kurzweil-af CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 08/22/2007 01:25:34 PM ----- BODY:Change is all around us, but is possibly happening faster in marketing and media than anything else on the planet. How we communicate with everyone and everything is drastically different today than it was last year at this time. Information technology is changing the way we communicate.
Don’t take my word for it. Ray Kurzweil, famed inventor and
futurist, states in the May 14, 2007 issue of Fortune magazine that “...Information technologies are doubling in
power every year right now. Doubling every year is multiplying by 1,000 in ten
years.” Just think about that. Look at where we are today and what technology
is doing…thinking out 10 years in almost unimaginable.
Okay, you get the point, but what does this have to do with
marketing? Well, everything.
Technology has created a couple truths over the past few years:
Conclusion to these two points: You, the marketer, will have more ways to connect with customers than ever before. Beware: your messages better be valuable or the customer will shut you out…forever.
A little hasty? Maybe, but you get the point.
Below are some key points that I'm calling the KEC (Kurzweil Effect on Communications):
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Stop Shouting Features: 5 Tips for Launching a Marketing Knowledge Program STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: put-the-buyer-a CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: internal marketing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 08/21/2007 04:49:40 PM ----- BODY:Hi. New to my site? Get the latest in content marketing strategy by getting the feed. Click here!
I've been involved in the content marketing/custom publishing space for almost a decade now. Living in this world, you truly realize the value of great content, and how relevant and valuable information can positively affect a buyer-seller relationship.
Maybe that's why I have marks on my forehead from banging my head against the wall...most companies still just don't get it.
Businesses are still shouting "features and innovations" at their customers and prospects. Do those companies realize that their customers stopped listening?
My first year after taking over Penton Custom Media, I had the pleasure of meeting Don Schultz (the father of integrated marketing) at Gibson's on Rush Street in Chicago. It was quite a learning experience. I remember vividly our discussion about how "broken" traditional marketing was. Now remember, this was the summer of 2001...before the "bubble" burst and 9/11. Traditional advertising was feeling no pain at that particular moment.
Mr. Schultz was adamant that companies start concentrating on what customers want, not on what companies have. Companies are still challenged with this thinking today. Many organizations feel that the essence to a great company is knowing their products and services inside and out. While that's true, without an equivalent or greater knowledge of the buyer, how do you know whether your products and services solve a buyer need?
Mr. Schultz was clearly ahead of the game, and understood the future of marketing rested in a companies' understand and knowledge of the buyer.
Here are a few steps to enact now that will kick-start your "knowledge" program to create meaningful buyer interaction (and thus sales):
1. Invest in buyer research. Clearly determine who your buyer is. What motivates them? What are their "pain points"?
2. Develop relevant, multi-platform communications "combos". Launch content programs that create a more intelligent buyer. Target your buyers "where they are at" (online, in print, in person combinations). A big mistake companies make here is that communication initiatives work in silos. Be sure your content marketing programs "talk" and integrate with one another.
3. Set benchmarks and measurements to your content marketing initiatives before, during and after each launch. Test and modify as needed. Open up channels to create a dialogue with your customers (more learning about the customer).
4. Invest in internal marketing. A focus on the customer MUST be a part of your corporate culture. Tell your employees what you are going to tell them...tell them...and tell them what you told them (rinse and repeat). If your employees don't understand your buyer needs, external marketing is wasted. The consequence is poor customer service and misunderstood customers.
5. Hire an editor. An editor or journalist will help you look at your buyers more as readers, and assist you in stopping your "features and innovations" rants. An expert writer, with clear buyer objectives, will position your company as one that understands the buyer, not one that is shouting sales pitches.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Cynthia Roberts EMAIL: cynthiaroberts@investcaribbean.us IP: 71.163.144.128 URL: http://thecoachescorneronline.com DATE: 12/02/2007 10:00:22 AM These are great suggestions. Hiring a journalist for editing and writing your marketing copy would provide the relationship building content I am looking for. Thanks! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Sprint's Waitless.org Almost Worth Waiting For STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: sprints-waitles CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: entertainment marketing CATEGORY: microsites CATEGORY: video DATE: 08/20/2007 08:55:36 AM ----- BODY:I recently came across Waitless.org, the new video content marketing site from Sprint. The idea behind Waitless is noted in their sidebar:
"Turn tedious tasks into fleeting moments with Sprintcuts - tips that'll refund your time and amaze your friends."
The Waitless program is part of Sprint's campaign that starts unlimited calling at 7pm versus the standard 9pm. This saves the consumer, according to Sprint: "Two hours of waiting a day. Or four years of waiting over a lifetime."
It's a well-designed flash site that includes eight short video clips that promotes saving time doing simple tasks. I was pretty much interested in all of them. I will be curious to see if Sprint can continue to populate the site (there is a link at the bottom for users to contribute). More content is the key to making this site work. Sprint may want to consider blending long-form content with the video shorts to create more interest in the site.
Since it's all flash, another web site cannot link to a particular video. That's unfortunate since I believe Sprint could garner additional traffic through other sites (like this one) promoting individual shorts.
We'll check back with Waitless in a few months to see how the content is coming along. Kudos to Sprint for giving it a shot. It will be interesting to get an idea for the site's success.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: m EMAIL: tekgnarsuperstar@hotmail.com IP: 24.20.186.226 URL: DATE: 09/16/2007 04:29:18 PM are you listening to yourself? this is the most arbitrary thing I've ever come across. ever. Is this what people do with their lives? I'm not flaming the author, he's probably at a point in his life when he can't tell whats real and whats not. I'm so confused about how the human race made it without taking its shirt off so quickly. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.109.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/16/2007 05:37:16 PM Dear m I understand that stuff like Sprint is putting out may seem completely idiotic; but have you watched MTV lately...possibly YouTube? I have no idea what kind of traction Sprint is getting with this site, but at least they are trying. Better than spending $100k on a full-page ad. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Check Your eMedia IQ - eBooks STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: check-your-emed CATEGORY: eBooks DATE: 08/17/2007 04:29:37 PM ----- BODY:Check out this Custom Publishing Council post on executing eBooks. eBooks can be an excellent lead generation vehicle for your marketing program, and can easily be integrated with your other marketing efforts.
Here is a quick excerpt:
"An eBook is an electronically-distributed "mini-book" that can be packaged as one chapter or in multiple chapters. (Note: this is a bit different than the consumer understanding of eBook). The one chapter or packaged concept is great as a lead-in to a larger product. For example, you can promote the eBook as a short to a full book, or as a lead-in to a custom magazine subscription. It can also be integrated with a custom magazine (blurb in the mag with a link to the eBook)."
If you decide to launch one, make sure that it's not "salesy" content. In an eBook, you want to take the opportunity to educate your customers and prospects...a true thought leadership initiative.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Newt Barrett EMAIL: newt@succeedingtoday.com IP: 69.136.25.79 URL: http://www.succeedingtoday.com DATE: 08/18/2007 06:44:10 AM Joe, Right on! For your visitors in search of an excellent eBook example, one that does a great job of providing value along with thought leadership is Stephanie Diamond's, "Small Business 2.0" that explores emedia marketing issues. Its available on her blog: http://stephaniediamond.typepad.com/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Drive Marketing Buyers To Your Site with Junta42 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: drive-marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 08/16/2007 09:14:54 AM ----- BODY:Are you one of the following?
If so, you can use Junta42 (without cost) to drive buyers of marketing services to your Web site.
Junta42 is
the single, most important place where buyers and users of content marketing
and custom publishing services go to stay informed and learn new technologies. These users are looking for marketing advice and learning how (and who to use) to create and execute content programs like custom magazines, newsletters, content-based web sites, webcasts, digital magazines, enewsletters, eBooks, custom books, social media integrated sites and more.
There is no
other community that serves this area.
Want a
piece of the action?
Here’s how!
Now there
are no promises, but content that truly helps the Junta42 user-base gets read,
which means people are going to YOUR web site to read it (and will be in front of your products and services). Check out Brian Solis' testimonial on his blog, PR 2.0, on making the Junta42 Most Popular Articles of the Week.
The better
the content, the more users Promote! it, and the better visibility your
articles will have. That means even more people going to your Web site. And if they come from Junta42, you know they are qualified prospects.
Oh...and one more side benefit. You know all that search engine optimization stuff where linking from sites is really important. By posting your article on Junta42, you get a free link, which helps your SEO efforts.
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This Online Publishers Association report claims that readers are spending nearly half (47%) of their online time reading static content. This is a 37% growth over findings from 2003.
Not earth shattering news, but it relates to two things for content marketers:
1. If you create relevant, valuable content to your targeted audience, there are users ready to become engaged with that content.
2. This trend will continue. More buyers are going online to get their information. And they don't want to be sold. They want to be educated and entertained.
Those marketers that successfully integrate traditional sales methods with quality content, through all channels, will be successful.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Trade Publishing's Dirty Little Secret STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: trade-publishin CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 08/14/2007 06:00:00 AM ----- BODY:I've been focusing a lot lately on the rise of corporate media. I've received more than a few notes and emails that I'm flat out nuts about this notion, and a few that agree with me. For perspective, check out Are Corporations The New Kings of Content?
One of the underlying principles behind the growth of corporate content marketing is the diminishing role of the trade publication. My third point in this post on corporate content reviews the financial dissimilarities between corporate spending and the investment of traditional media.
"It is corporations, and not the traditional press, that have the financial resources to go out and create the best content."
In the "Corporate Kings" article, we review that:
"Corporations often have
bigger budgets and more resources to find and pay for the best research and
content in the markets they serve. Unfortunately, too many media companies have
been cutting both research and editorial budgets at the same time. The quality
of corporate publications today are excellent and ever-improving. At some
point, their quality will surpass independently-produced publications."
A "Per Word" Comparison
Let's just look for a second at what trade publications spend on outside editorial versus what corporations spend. This forum post reveals that trade publications tend to pay $0.50-$0.75/word for writing services. I know one that pays $0.30/word. At the same time, good writers can get $1.00/word and upwards of $2.00/word for writing on corporately-funded projects. Even when writers work directly with a custom publisher, $1.00-$1.25/word is commonplace. It's easy to see where the quality talent (and therefore product) is going.
Dirty Secret?
I had an interesting conversation with a former trade magazine editor who has recently moved onto other opportunities. He confirmed the information above and went on to state that,
"With all of the competition for time/attention, it's suicidal for trade publishers to reduce the quality of their core print product. They [trade publishers] say it's just as good as it ever was, and while it's difficult/impossible to measure the quality of the output (which is part of the problem), no one can argue that there are less editorial resources being invested on the input side (fewer people), and those resources are being spread more thinly across print, online, and events. This logically translates into lower print quality."
Is this trade publishing's dirty little secret? I'm not sure how much of a secret this is, but I do know how much more challenging it has become for advertising reps to sell the "quality of editorial" as a reason to purchase an ad.
There is no question about this though: The majority of trade publications have seen a "steep" decline in resources as a combination of cutbacks and multi-purposing of staff. Have you looked at what a trade magazine editor does today? Writing, editing, designing (in some cases), event management, webcast coordination and speaking, managing freelancers, going on sales calls, blogging and more. All this with less staff than ever before. It would take a thousand miracle-workers across a thousand industries to maintain "leadership-type" quality in those publications. Is it hard to see why many of these editors are leaving for corporate shores?
What Does This Mean for the Corporate Marketer?
For those marketers in corporations, this trend means that it has never been easier to get great editorial and writing talent for your content marketing and custom publishing projects. Frankly, many established editors in industries across the board are looking to jump ship...they just don't see the right opportunity yet.
I had a nice discussion with an expert in eMedia trade publishing today. He is recommending that his clients focus on a true competitive set, which includes, in some cases, their largest customers in each category. This is difficult for publishers to accept. Now they not only have to worry about the number 1, 2 or 3 book in the field, they also have to worry about their (traditionally) best customers. Oh, how times are a changin'.
What this also means for corporate marketers is that trade publications are much more accepting to work on custom publishing projects than ever before. New revenue streams are hard to come by for the trades, and custom publishing/content marketing initiatives are growing at a significant clip. Forming good relationships with your trade publishing counterparts may assist you in your content efforts...that is, if they have enough staff to fully service your project.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Video Shorts - Case Study 2.0 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: video-shorts--- CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: video DATE: 08/13/2007 02:18:00 PM ----- BODY:Had the opportunity to read David Meerman Scott's blog post on the 8 tips to make your YouTube video go viral. Worth the read. It's easier said than done, but David outlines some easy-to-follow tips on how to take 30 to 90 second spots and getting viral exposure.
The company David highlights is Blendtec, who created the site Will It Blend? to house their much-followed video series. Just one of their video's, on blending the iPhone, has been viewed more than 1.7 million times. How about that for viral?
Back in the late 90's and into the first part of the century, I used to produce these all the time. The only difference is that they were mostly in print format (generally 2 to 4 pages). They were called case studies. Now, depending on what industry you are in, your perspective on what Blendtec is doing may be dramatically different across the board.
Thinking back now, if the YouTube's of the world existed and digital technology and distribution was as cheap and easy as it is today, I think we would have opted for the video route. We did case studies on hydraulic fork lifts and the interior design of 747's (to name a few). How cool would that four page case study on fork lifts be if we could visually tell an engaging visual presentation such as Blendtec's with a video short?
Many of you sell products that are visually challenging to say the least (let's take marketing consulting for example). But think about it...can you make it visual? In most cases, the answer is yes.
The point is that we are in a new era of consumer behavior and technology. Why settle for the same old print case study with a pdf download? Most buyers today won't take the time to read anything longer than a page. Could you squeeze 30 seconds of video out of that same buyer? Chances are much better with the video. The old marketing just doesn't exist, especially when it comes to case studies. Can't wait to see case study 3.0!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Want Customer Loyalty? Create Customer Wins with Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: customer-loyalt CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: vision statements DATE: 08/10/2007 10:31:35 AM ----- BODY:The August 13th BusinessWeek article from Jack & Suzy Welch is truly eye-opening from a marketing perspective (link to article provided here, but requires BusinessWeek subscription). Welch discusses how customer loyalty has changed from a one-way (competitive price, excellent product quality, easy access, great service, etc). to a two-way partnership. Welch states:
"With the
two-way-street approach to loyalty, you and your customers don't have a
deal as much as you have mutual dedication. Because you, the seller,
are not delivering on just price, quality, and service. You are
demonstrating intense loyalty by giving him a comprehensive, inimitable
way to win. Better productivity. Faster throughput. Lower inventory.
More innovative products. You are delivering something—anything—that
makes you indispensable to your customer's success. Then, and only
then, will you get complete loyalty in return."
This is important because it displays how much buyer behavior has changed in the past few years. The 4 P's of marketing (product, price, promotion, place) are not enough anymore to create, develop and maintain long-term buyer relationships. Most organizations understand the "Better productivity. Faster throughput. Lower inventory. More innovative products." that Welch discusses. Many organizations DO NOT get the "indispensable" part.
Take a read at this part again:
"You are delivering something—anything—that makes you indispensable to your customer's success."
Okay, let's say you buy into this. How do you become indispensable to your customers? How do you become true partners with them over a long period of time?
The goal is not for you to sell something. The goal is to help your customers, in any way possible, TO WIN! In order to help them win, you (as the marketer) must deliver ongoing content to them that gives them the tools TO win. You must deliver content in many different ways, to wherever your customers are, in whatever form they will digest it in.
Content, you say? This is not better sales material, better copy writing on your web site, or better direct mail collateral. This is a deep understanding of the challenges your customer is facing, and then delivering information that helps them overcome these challenges. This means investing in industry and buyer research, much like the Cisco's and Intel's of the world spend billions on research and development. This means hiring the best researchers and journalists in your industry to create content that enables true customer "wins". This is bigger than marketing.
If, as a marketing organization, you can put the customer "win" scenario in the middle of your marketing plan, you'll see the difference it can make. From this perspective, much of the "silly" sales messages on your website become obsolete. You'll want to replace those message with content in the form of articles, white papers, eBooks, video, in-person events, etc. that give your customers and prospects the tools they need to win.
If that doesn't create loyalty, nothing will.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Faruk Atiku EMAIL: Alfarooq2247@yahoo.com IP: 41.204.224.36 URL: http://www.yahoomail.com DATE: 03/14/2008 11:07:49 AM i,m about to launch a magazine house publishing company.we are interested in only social doings of the great Afircan society,culture,beliefs and way of life and history ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hillel EMAIL: hillelporat@hotmail.com IP: 217.132.9.138 URL: http://www.iyazam.com/ DATE: 09/10/2008 01:45:01 AM The customer always comes first - should not be only when the customer is buying something, at this moment. 'The customer comes first' even before you meet him! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Shift to Alternative Media Strategies Will Drive U.S. Communications Spending Growth STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: shift-to-altern CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: entertainment marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 08/07/2007 10:01:08 PM ----- BODY:Here is a link to an interesting study from PQ Media and Veronis Suhler Stevenson.
Couple findings as it pertains to content marketing:
"VSS projects the fastest-growing media segments over the next five
years will be pure-play Internet and mobile services, branded
entertainment, out-of-home media, outsourced custom publishing and
public relations, with each producing CAGRs of between 10% and 15% in
the five-year period."
"Spending on alternative marketing – including branded entertainment,
interactive marketing and e-custom publishing – increased 17.3 percent
to $61.67 billion in 2006, and experienced a CAGR of 15.3 percent from
2001 to 2006. In contrast, spending on traditional marketing, such as
direct mail and promotions, grew only 5.0 percent to $192.34 billion in
2006 and climbed at a CAGR of 4.5 percent from 2001 to 2006, according
to the VSS Forecast."
More of the same...traditional media continues to lose ground while content marketing and alternative marketing initiatives continue to grow rapidly.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Are Corporations the New Kings of Content? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: are-corporation CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 08/03/2007 09:03:12 PM ----- BODY:Here is the original article entitled, "Are Corporations the New Kings of Content?" recently published in Folio magazine. For the edited article in Folio, click here.
There
are significant changes underway in the media business. Competition, which has traditionally been
fairly straightforward and easy to identify, is now surrounding the playing
field.
Of
course, the internet is a big factor here, but something more important is
going on.
Magazine
brands can no longer look at the other magazines or Web sites in their field as
the competition. While most publications
still fight it out with their direct competitors, their customers, the very
ones they are fighting over, have started to compete with them, and are spending
millions of dollars to do it.
That’s
right. Corporations are the new content
providers, jumping with both feet into the province once deemed the sacred right
of publishing houses.
The
new marketers call it “content marketing.” Its roots are in the earlier formation of custom publishing and the
concepts of branded content.
The
transition in the control of editorial content that started over a dozen years
ago is gaining momentum and traction with increasing speed. The Custom Publishing Council, Veronis Suhler
Stevenson and others put the value of corporate editorial projects somewhere
between $28 and $55 billion and growing at 20% plus every year. Those are startling statistics.
The
impact of this movement has effectively challenged traditional publishing’s
claim of producing the markets “trusted, unbiased, and objective” editorial
content. In case you haven’t noticed,
corporations have figured out how to do exactly that. They have hired some of the best journalists
around, looked for, found and paid for authoritative experts to inform their
audiences, set editorial and graphic standards that surpass those of many
publications. And, perhaps one of the most critical components, have launched
stringent measurement analysis to both determine and improve the content they
are sending out.
The challenge for publishers is understanding how to manage this change and become part of the new publishing paradigm. Here are some of the issues shaping the future of content media:
But all is not lost. Media companies that want to participate in the content marketing revolution have some basic competencies that appeal to corporations that have or are planning to deliver their own content to the marketplace.
The
primary difficulty for corporations moving into content is that they lack the
built-in proficiencies such as setting editorial and production schedules, and planning
and producing a “sustainable editorial product.” They don’t have inherent
understanding of the importance and adherence to the production process,
blending and coordinating the timelines of writers, graphic artists, editorial
advisory boards, approvals, printers. Media companies, if they are good, excel at understanding how to
effectively communicate with a marketplace. And they know how to project manage the process that delivers the
communication.
Media
companies can leverage their basic communication competencies on behalf of
their corporate customers. Editorial, research, databases and
technology can all be duplicated. Communication experts, who know how to market and manage media projects,
are still very hard to find.
Participating in the content marketing marketplace means learning to sell your communication expertise along with the ability to sell advertising.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: It's Gold Rush Time for Corporate Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: its-a-gold-rush CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: custom publishing council CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 08/02/2007 01:49:28 PM ----- BODY:Check out this post targeted to custom publishers on the Custom Publishing Council site! Key is, as more and more marketers move into creating their own content, more and more service providers will be offering these services. The differentiator will be great content!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Check Out This Review of Junta42 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: check-out-this- CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 08/01/2007 08:12:00 AM ----- BODY:Patrick Schaber (The Lonely Marketer) offers this review of the Junta42 preview release. Patrick gets the concept and we appreciate his feedback. Take a read and let me know if you agree.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Toyota Connections Hits and Misses the Mark STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: toyota-connecti CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 07/31/2007 07:50:02 AM ----- BODY:
Toyota Connections is a custom magazine targeted to Toyota owners in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Professionally executed by Pace Communications in Greensboro, North Carolina, Connections is a beautifully-designed piece with a lot of promise.
Spec Report
- 32 Pages
- 4 Color
- Standard Size
- Summer 2007 Issue
- Frequency - 3x annual
Here's a quick review of the high points, and places where this magazine could take a few steps forward.
Hits
1. Variable/data-driven pages. Page 3 of the magazine includes a personal letter to the car owner offering highlights of the current issue. The personalization gets my attention, and the note is from the dealer who sold the owner their last Toyota. The address of the dealership is on this page as well.
Page 4 includes current events around the reader's area that are within a one-to-two hour drive. Grabs my attention immediately and is a pleasant surprise.
2. Perforated and attached to the cover is a full-service coupon set. Perfect motivation to get the car back in the shop. Some good deals here as well.
3. Articles on "Portable Fitness" (exercising while on the road), "Natural Beauties" (three national parks I can drive my Toyota to) and R&R (recommended music to listen to in my Toyota) are all engaging articles that make me want to get in my Toyota and head for the road.
4. Book contest. Those who return the owner's update card or complete it online can randomly win one of the books in this column. Good motivator to fill it out. Wish there were more possible winners though.
Misses
1. Two features on Toyota cars is one too many (Highlander and Scion). One is enough.
2. Not sure the fit with some of the editorial. The "Safe at Home" column is good, but I don't see the relation with my Toyota. I was also at a loss with the home decorating feature. These two stories just don't seem to fit in with my Toyota magazine. Would like to see more of a link to my vehicle.
3. Some good call-to-action throughout (contest, links to pertinent Web sites, toyota50th.com commemoration, Sudoku key), but there could be some improvement here. For example, could we go online to get a couple additional travel workouts? How about additional imagery and "can't misses" from the national parks article?
Connections does a good job overall of pushing the reader to more, but there could be improvement in integrating the print version with online resources (read on for more, etc.).
The online version contains all the articles, plus some more contest information. But, Toyota misses the mark with the online articles by not having links like "forward to a friend" to get the articles out to other Toyota and non-Toyota owners. Also, other than the articles, there isn't much here. There is an opportunity here to create an online experience for the reader (which may be in the works). Get the reader truly involved in the Toyota lifestyle, don't just give them an online article.
Overall, the magazine is beautiful and professional, but there are clearly some opportunities to take the reader even further into the Toyota brand and experience.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Corporate Content Will Take Over Media As We Know It STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: consumers-will- CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: entertainment marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 07/25/2007 09:35:32 PM ----- BODY:Yesterday I had a nice email exchange with a good friend and colleague regarding the rise and influence of content created by corporations. His belief was that traditional media will continue to be the main informational source for consumers and business professionals.
Specifically, he was responding to my blog post that stated, "The future of content around the globe will rest, not in the hands of the traditional press, but in the hands of businesses."
His statement back to me was that "media consumers are savvy, and are wary of the agendas of the sponsors of content. Traditional media will continue to have an important role as the independent arbiters of relevance, taste, etc."
Where I agree with him is that traditional media will always have a role...a very important one at that. BUT, the majority of the content we consume will NOT come from the traditional, unbiased press.
Here's why:
1. It's getting easier every day to ignore advertising placed along side traditional media. For example, take a read through this article by Greg Verdino on the 30-second spot where he questions a recent Online Publishers Association Study:
"...where's the study that helps marketers, agencies and media companies navigate a path to true innovation in online video? Where are the questions about branded content, the integration of product placements into online video and the use of next-generation video interactivity, including hotspots, overlays and telescoping? Where are the findings that justify the development of new video ad models that don't rely upon intercepting consumers when they just want to watch some content?"
These are the questions the Greg feels need to be answered as the 30-second spot continues to be deleted through TiVo.
Corporations must continue to be part of the content, since, to my friend's point, media consumers are savvy enough to ignore and delete the ads that surround the content they really want. Corporate media innovation is just getting started. Smart corporations will find away to deliver great content that is consumed in mass quantities because, frankly, they won't have any other choice.
Take two other examples. I can read a digital magazine and skip all the ads in it. I can get RSS feeds of my favorite business articles without looking at one ad. Technology will continue to help us ignore traditional advertising...so, what's a business to do?
2. Tomorrow's consumer looks at corporate content and the traditional press differently today than ever before. This article by Martha Spizziri for ASBPE Boston on the reader of tomorrow is eye-opening.
Boston University professor John Carroll discussed the four distinct characteristics of today's students when it comes to media. Of particular interest was #4, "They don't understand the value of a free press," Carroll said. "They don't get the role of a watchdog. They don't trust the press, they don't like the press, and they don't believe the press. ... They don't understand why the First Amendment is important. They don't understand why anyone would go to jail to protect a source."
Carroll goes on to state: "They don't understand that MTV is a series of commercials interrupted by ads. They don't understand that their cell phones are running them, and not vice versa. When you ask them who's going to report on the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital, it doesn't occur to them [to think about that], because they don't know about the Walter Reed story."
This should cause some concern, but if you really digest what he is saying, the future consumers "may" (dare I say) trust corporate content more than the traditional media. It is corporations they relate to with their iPods, Nikes, and Sean John...not the WSJ or Times.
3. It is corporations, and not the traditional press, that have the financial resources to go out and create the best content. Now this is not a certainty, but don't tell me that Google or Microsoft (MSNBC?) couldn't start a media property tomorrow. Frankly, eBay should be buying up industry trade publications left and right (a built-in buyer/seller community).
Over the last decade, I've seen more and more traditional journalists "cross the line" and create content or perform research for corporations. Where in the past this was looked down upon...not anymore. Hey, writing for Microsoft, Cisco or Parker Hannifin looks good on a resume. So not only do corporations have the financial bucks to go out and get the best in research and editorial, the best journalists like it.
In summary, technological advances, consumer behavior and financial resources will culminate and create the "age of corporate media" as the dominant media we consume, day in and day out. Businesses will get better at creating great content, and great content is what consumers want. Consumers ultimately will not care where it comes from or (even worse for traditional-media types) they may actually "prefer" content from corporations.
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I always promised myself I would never blog about my personal life, kids or dogs. Well, this blog post is relevant to my business, but definitely quite personal.
On Saturday, my good friend and association publishing colleague Peter Banks passed away. He was very young in age and much younger in spirit at the time of his passing.
We hired Peter as our VP of association publishing when I was at Penton Custom Media at the beginning of 2006. This was shortly after he left ADA and started his own business, Banks Publishing.
I called Peter "the genius." The man was simply brilliant...not just about Diabetes, the health care industry, or publishing, but pretty much about everything. My goal here is not to give a eulogy, but I do want to share one very important experience in my life.
On Peter's first visit with the Penton Custom Media staff in Cleveland, we stopped at a Starbucks on the way back to the airport. We talked about the business, his thoughts on the staff, and about life in general. Peter talked for a while about his decision to leave ADA and start his own business. Although he said that being an entrepreneur has "a stress level all its own," he believed it was one of the best decisions he had ever made. His eyes lit up with possibilities about being able to do things he never had the chance to do...about being his own boss...being able to help "his" clients...being free.
I'll never forget this conversation. It was after this point I began seriously contemplating going out on my own and launching a business. I remember the email he sent me after he found out I was leaving Penton. It simply stated, "one thing is for sure Joe, you will be a success."
What really gets me? Peter passed at almost the exact time that Junta42 went live. Now that's one that will keep you up at night.
Thank you Peter. You were an inspiration to me and to countless others.
On a final note, Peter did have the opportunity to blog for Penton in a series called "Peter's Pub." Here is a link to those blog posts. Once he became sick, he didn't have much time or energy to put into the blog, but as you'll see, he was one great writer.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: B2B Social Media Site Targets Custom Content Marketers - Junta42 Press Release and Detail STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: b2b-social-medi CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 07/22/2007 09:10:40 PM ----- BODY:On July 21st, Junta42 launched in preview release (we like preview release better than "beta"). The formal press release will be distributed on July 24th, but I've included detail on the launch here in my blog for colleagues and marketing professionals we are contacting before the 24th. The full and complete press release is just below this post.
Frankly, content marketing is the biggest industry that nobody has ever heard of. Finding case studies and basic information on multi-channel, editorially-based branded content is nothing short of a major challenge (even though, on average, corporations spend more than $1 million per year on content marketing initiatives). Junta42 was created to make it as easy as possible for marketing, association, and publishing professionals to find out what's going on in content marketing (for detail on the definition of content marketing, and its relation to custom publishing or custom media, check out this piece on "The Five Pillars of Content Marketing - The Ultimate Definition.")
The future of content around the globe will rest, not in the hands of the traditional press, but in the hands of businesses (small, medium and large). It's businesses, not the media, that have the financial resources to go out and find the best research and editors to create great content. Plus, businesses are beginning to figure out that the creation of great content is key to lasting customer relationships. To date, we are only seeing a partial picture, but the time is not far away when corporate content will be more dominant than traditional media. Technology is only speeding up this transformation (...and have you looked at corporate databases lately? Quite impressive!) (NOTE: Don't get me wrong, traditional media will always play an important role, but the majority of content that people will consume will not come from traditional sources.)
Our hope at Junta42, and our parent Z Squared Media, LLC, is that Junta42 serves as a tool to help marketers create better content for their internal and external customers. It is also our hope that a community around content marketing will enable better services for marketers to fulfill that goal (custom publishers, agencies, direct marketers, traditional publishers, interactive agencies, etc.).
As of the writing of this blog post, Junta42 has approximately 300 content marketing-related articles tagged and in the database. Our hope is that media professionals, bloggers, and marketers see the value in this tool and fill in the gaps where we need more content resources (such as case studies, educational articles, and industry trends).
Below is the complete press release that will go out on the 24th. Please don't hesitate with any comments or feedback. We are still working out the bugs, so let me know if you find anything.
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Joe
Pulizzi
Junta42, a division of Z Squared Media, LLC
joe AT junta42 DOT com (replace AT with @ and DOT with .)
B2B Social Media Site Targets Custom Content Marketers
Junta42 offers twist
on b2b content, covers booming custom publishing industry.
Cleveland, Ohio – Custom publishing, or content marketing, is one of the largest and fastest growing marketing segments in the world. According to the Custom Publishing Council and Publications Management spending is at an all-time high of $55.6 billion. More corporations and associations are launching their own targeted content initiatives in print and online than ever before. Yet, trying to find useful information and case studies about content marketing is a different story.
Launched as a preview release in July, Junta42 (www.junta42.com) offers a solution for marketers, association professionals, and publishers looking for custom publishing or branded content solutions. “Junta42 was created out of our own frustrations with finding valuable information about the content marketing industry,” says Joe Pulizzi, founder of and chief content officer for Junta42. “Great content is out there in the form of expert articles, blogger posts, audio and video; someone just needed to create a little organization to help business professionals find it.”
Most social media sites let the user-community dictate the content. At Junta42, there is collaboration between Junta42 expert editors and the community. “We believe in the concept of the editor,” says Pulizzi, former vice president for Penton Media’s Custom Media division and a Custom Publishing Council (CPC) board member. “Combining a dedicated team of marketing experts to moderate content with outside contributors made perfect sense.”
Junta42 links to content sources from all over the Internet and includes abstracts on each article. “Marketers are busier than ever,” says Pulizzi. “We created an easily searchable site that they can ‘taste’ through expert abstracts. But ultimately, our goal is to direct marketers somewhere valuable as fast as possible.”
The site is free to all users, and includes a twist for members who submit articles regularly. “We know there is enough incentive for community members to submit great content, but we wanted to do something extra,” Pulizzi says about Junta42’s revenue-sharing program. “With Junta42, we share a portion of our AdSense revenues with active members. Those who contribute will share in our success.”
The site expects to earn profits through Google AdSense and keyword sponsorship.
About Junta42
Junta42 is a search community site focused on content marketing and custom publishing. Junta42 combines expert and user-generated results with computer results to give users the best possible matches to searches. Junta42 is a division of Z Squared Media, LLC (www.zsquaredmedia.com), which develops initiatives to help marketers and publishers create and execute content programs through integrated channels.
About Joe Pulizzi
Joe Pulizzi is founder of and chief content officer for Junta42, as well as president of Z Squared Media, LLC. Previously Joe was vice president at Penton Media, Inc., the largest independent b2b publisher in North America. Joe serves as a board member of the Custom Publishing Council, and recently served two terms as chairperson of American Business Media’s Custom Media Committee. Pulizzi, voted a Northeast Ohio’s “Top Mover & Shaker under 35” by the Cleveland Professional 20/30 club, is co-author of the book Get Content. Get Customers. which will be released this coming winter.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Glenn Laudenslager EMAIL: glenn.laudenslager@penton.com IP: 63.77.85.254 URL: DATE: 07/23/2007 03:32:21 PM great site, great resource. congrats! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.180.152 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/23/2007 03:35:49 PM Thanks Glenn...link away! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob R EMAIL: bob@therosenbaums.net IP: 199.0.65.2 URL: DATE: 07/24/2007 10:19:58 AM Well done, Joe. A powerful site and a community I'm excited to join. Good luck and count me in. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.194.238 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/24/2007 11:04:17 AM Thanks Bob...it's a good start. We need writers and marketers to pitch in if the site is to become truly powerful. I guess the point is that there is a lot of great content out there, but finding it will be in the hands of the community. Thanks again. ----- PING: TITLE: Cheap ambien online low price free delivery. URL: http://www.youtube.com/user/godblessyouqqq IP: 66.96.208.53 BLOG NAME: Ambien free delivery. DATE: 09/14/2009 11:19:23 PM Cheap ambien online low price free delivery. ----- PING: TITLE: New Site for Custom Content Marketers URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com/marketing_interactions/2007/07/new-site-for-cu.html IP: 10.0.60.2 BLOG NAME: Marketing Interactions DATE: 07/24/2007 11:00:16 AM I was notified by Joe that my blog has been selected as one being tagged by Junta42 - a new site that all of you interested in what I talk about may be interested in following for related posts. Here's the skinny from Joe:Junta42 mashes up components o... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Stand-in CMOs and Publishers at Your Service STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: stand-in-cmos-a CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 07/18/2007 09:52:00 PM ----- BODY:
Thanks to Gretel Going from the Custom Publishing Council for promoting the launch of Junta42 and some detail on our consulting firm, Z Squared Media.
Here is an excerpt of Gretel's post on the CPC blog:
"Can't we all just get along? Bringing marketers together with content and publishers together with marketers. Junta42
is a search community site focused on content marketing and custom
publishing. Junta42 combines expert and user-generated results with
computer results to give users the best possible search results.
Junta42 will launch on July 23rd and will be a completely free service.
Z Squared Media decided to launch Junta42 after realizing that, while
there’s plenty of content marketing information available on the web,
it’s difficult to find."
To read the entire post, click here.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Business 2.0 Going Away? Say it ain't so. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: business-20-goi CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 07/17/2007 05:17:34 PM ----- BODY:This NY Times article confirms the strong possibility that Business 2.0, the 7-year Time Inc. magazine covering technology and start-ups, will cease to exist starting this September.
This event, maybe more than others, should tell us the fate of the traditional marketing machine we once knew. Business 2.0 is my favorite magazine by far. It's not even close. When Business 2.0 is placed in the mailbox, I get as giddy as a schoolgirl (just ask my wife!). Along with a few blogs out there, such as Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin, you won't find better information on startups and the mashup of today's technology than Business 2.0.
What this says is that no matter how great the content is, supporting it financially through the sale of print and web ads is challenging if not increasingly impossible. Even some niches out there that I thought were impermeable to ad sales concerns are showing some wear.
(Side note: It's still so interesting to me that many companies are continuing to launch print magazine startups. Not integrated emedia and print, just print. Are they hiding under a shell or just blind to their passion?)
Okay, but really, why do print magazines continue to fail? Well, there's that whole measurement thing. Print ads are impossible to measure by today's ROI standards. But the key is really content control. Why should a company place advertising messages beside content they have nothing to do with, when they can create great content themselves, send it to who they want, and leverage that content in about 20 other ways from the web site to trade shows to internal communications?
Just looked at the April issue of Business 2.0. Their main advertisers, like Acura, Visa, FedEx, HP, Nasdaq...they all do multiple content marketing initiatives. When marketing budgets are looked at within each of these companies, what do you think will be more likely to be cut? Will it be the print ad that you can't measure? Or will it be the content marketing initiative that can... be measured in multiple ways, create direct relationships with customers, fill in the gaps in your database, be integrated with all your marketing, and help you keep your job as a marketing executive? Hmmm...tough choice.
All that said, I understand why Business 2.0 "might" go away, but I will be sad if and when it happens.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Simpsons Movie Doing It Right STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: simpsons-movie- CATEGORY: entertainment marketing DATE: 07/16/2007 03:16:36 PM ----- BODY:Check out this blog post from Rohit Barghava on how the Simpsons movie is taking movie marketing to a whole new level.
"Unlike many other Hollywood promotions, the marketing for the Simpsons movies is going beyond billboard and print, beyond television, and beyond even interactive or viral. This campaign has everything from creating your own animated avatar and having a chance to star in an upcoming episode, to winning the chance to get the premiere of the movie in your hometown"
Creating the custom avatar takes 5 minutes. The only negative are the beard selections. Here's mine.
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I probably define what content marketing is at least twice a day. Try telling your parents that you are a content marketer - very challenging indeed. Even worse, try talking to your neighbor. Most of my friends have given up (and that's okay).
One major challenge is that there are so many different words and phrases used when discussing the same thing. Okay, here goes...
Content marketing, custom publishing, custom media, customer media, customer publishing, member media, private media, branded content, corporate media, corporate publishing, corporate journalism and branded media.
There's probably more...but those are the biggies.
Another point of confusion is that people (and marketers) in general have so many different perceptions of what marketing is and should be. So, when you say marketing, they are already a bit confused. Add content marketing and you've lost them.
We at Junta42 are backing content marketing as the preferred term. Why? We believe that term resonates the most with marketers two reasons:
1) Content marketing has marketing in the term. Marketing, according to dictionary.com, is "the act of buying or selling in a market." We believe that any term has to involve the process of a sale.
2) Content. The creation of great, story-form content (through any channel) is what ultimately influences someone to buy your product or generates a wanted behavior.
OK, before I take a shot at the Ultimate Content Marketing Definition, here is an excerpt of the definition of custom media (publishing) on Wikipedia:
"Custom media is a marketing term referring broadly to the development, production and delivery of media (print, digital, audio, video, events) designed to strengthen the relationship between the sponsor of the medium and the medium's audience. ...Custom media is different from traditional media in very subtle, yet significant ways: Typically, custom media is sponsored by a single marketer (a company, association or institution) and is designed to reach a tightly focused audience of customers, members, alumni or other constituency."
Had enough yet...here is the formal definition of custom publishing from the Custom Publishing Council:
"Custom publishing marries the marketing ambitions of a company with the information needs of its target audience. This occurs through the delivery of editorial content – via print, Internet, and other media – so intrinsically valuable that it moves the recipient’s behavior in a desired direction."
Both excellent definitions...but can we do better with content marketing? Since sentence definitions don't do it for me (and frankly, most men), here is a different spin on how to define content marketing:
Content Marketing is:
Yes, somewhat the same, but hopefully more concise. We leave out the creation and production of the content from the definition. We feel that's too obvious (yes, it has to be created).
This definition is very close to the CPC one. We added associations and institutions, since some people may not associate them with the word 'company.'
But overall, I believe the key is that there are five main components (or phrases) that make content marketing what it is: editorial-based, marketing-backed, behavior-driven, multi-platform and targeted.
And we dub thee the "Five Pillars of Content Marketing." May you live long and prosper.
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>>If you liked this article, try Junta42 for more.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike Horgan EMAIL: mhorgan@penton.com IP: 199.0.65.2 URL: DATE: 07/16/2007 05:00:41 PM Joe, Good post. Not that you need a sixth pillar, but I would also add "educational." The content must be informative and provide something of value or the audience will ignore it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 67.39.203.124 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/16/2007 05:06:12 PM Good point...I think we can add that under the editorial pillar. I'm not sure marketers could take "another pillar." Thanks! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andy Panjaitan EMAIL: andy.panjaitan@gmail.com IP: 76.241.95.224 URL: DATE: 07/18/2007 04:55:26 PM Good article Joe.. I was wondering whether we can put Content Marketing under the umbrella of the Integrated Marketing Communication efforts done by the companies or not.. I guess we can talk more about this tomorrow then.. Keep up the good work! Best, Andy Panjaitan ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Haugen EMAIL: bhaugen@priorityresults.com IP: 75.146.33.113 URL: http://priorityresults.com/blog/author/bhaugen/ DATE: 03/23/2010 05:23:15 PM Thanks for this post. I appreciate the way that you have really created a framework for what content marketing is all about that is quick and easily digestible. I just wrote a post that not only elaborates a bit on the definitions of content marketing, but also includes my thoughts on why content marketing works! Here it is- http://priorityresults.com/blog/content-marketing-definition-and-why-it-works/ Thanks! ----- PING: TITLE: Writing on the Web Makes Top 42 List URL: http://www.biztipsblog.com/2008/01/writing-on-the.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: Biz Tips Blog: Internet Marketing Tips DATE: 01/22/2008 10:59:31 AM Congratulations go out to my partner, Patsi Krakoff and her blog, Writing on the Web, from coming in at #25 on Junta42's list of the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs. Junta42 is a content marketing and custom publishing search engine community for market... ----- PING: TITLE: Speaking of Content - have you heard about Content Marketing? URL: http://www.coachezines.com/2007/10/speaking-of-con.html IP: 10.0.60.27 BLOG NAME: Writing Great Ezines DATE: 10/12/2007 10:06:30 AM I'll admit that the concept of Content Marketing makes sense to me. It ties together all the different kinds of content you need to publish for business online and off. So I was thrilled to find Joe Pulizzi and his ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 7 Ways "New School" Marketing Beats "Old School" STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: old-school-vs-n CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: vision statements DATE: 07/12/2007 11:03:40 AM ----- BODY:This topic has been on my mind lately. It can really be summed up in the "old school" vs "new school" debate. I know it's not that simple, but bear with me.
The #1 questions my team have received as we prepare to launch Junta42 is about marketing. How are you going to market? What kind of space are you going to buy? Investing in a sales force? What's the marketing plan? and so on and so forth.
Don't get me wrong, these are all good questions, but my fundamental belief is that the marketing and business models (for the majority of us) have changed. Here are some basic observations that I've found that relate to the "new school" of marketing and business development:
1. Traditional marketing goes the way of the do-do. Look at the Web 2.0 launches that are successful (Digg, Del.icio.us, Stumble Upon). All these, as far as I know, did very little to no traditional marketing at all.
Old School - You have to target your audience by placing your message in credible publications.
New School - Create a product that solves a problem and get the message to the bloggers and users to try it out. Tell everyone about it.
2. Products are always a work in progress.
Old School - Do as best you can to perfect the product before you launch.
New School - Get the product out there as fast as possible, gather feedback, improve product, continue process.
3. PR is less important than article marketing.
Old School - Hire a PR specialist to execute a public relations program for you.
New School - Create tons of great content, blog about it, talk to others who use the net about it, send notes to bloggers (even help them write their postings), and maybe send a press release (we must be legit, right?)
4. Staffing up sometimes can hinder execution.
Old School - Hiring good people is a prerequisite to creating a great company.
New School - Passion is the key to execution. Don't bog yourself down with HR issues. Outsource like crazy until you realize you should have hired someone 6 months ago.
5. Be careful with how you analyze feedback.
Old School - Listen to your mentors. They've done this before. Don't make the same mistakes they did.
New School - From Mark Fletcher (startupping.com) - "People will think your idea sucks. They're probably even right. The only way to prove them wrong is to succeed."
6. Don't wait for a new idea.
Old School - A new business needs to create something new and different to catch on.
New School - A new business needs to solve a problem, even if a thousand other people have thought of it and there are 10 other tools on the web that "seem" to do the same thing. Brilliance is ultimately not the idea anyway, it's in the execution.
7. Organization is overrated.
Old School - In order for a new business to succeed, the team must be organized and develop a business plan that makes sense.
New School - Screw the business plan. Get out there and get something done. Sell something. Create something. Save the business plan for when you need a loan or looking for investors. If you really want to create a plan, try a "to-do" list.
Now, go out there and create something that makes an impact!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Where's All the Custom Publishing Content? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: wheres-all-the- CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 07/09/2007 08:46:49 AM ----- BODY:I've been working with the Junta42 team for the past month on collecting and abstracting the best content from the web about content marketing and custom publishing. Here's what gets me:
Custom publishing has been around for over 100 years (if you count John Deere's magazine as the first real custom publication). On the other hand, search engine optimization and social content marketing have only been around for just a few years.
If I had to make a quantitative statement, I would say that SEO and Social Media articles outnumber custom publishing articles by 25 to 1. I understand that SEO and Social Media are the "hotter" topics right now, but come on.
Call to editors out there - Content marketing is growing like crazy out. Let's cover it.
That said, content marketing has many different parts to it and is often covered in those parts (i.e., podcasts, webcasts, magazines, etc.). Still, the team here is amazed by the coverage.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Beta Test Underway STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-beta-te CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 07/03/2007 11:19:35 AM ----- BODY:Well, after many months of hard work, Junta42 launched it's beta test to a small group of testers last night at about 2 am. Although the Junta42 team still has a ways to go, the concept is good and is initially getting good reviews (as of this morning).
One tester made a comment that we are making it too easy for people to exit the site. Interesting comment, and very true. The initial goal of the site was to have it work like Google...get people to the information they need to do their jobs better as fast as possible. When they are looking for more information, hopefully they will come back. That's where the opportunity is. People are spending too much time on search engines because they can't find what they need quickly enough. There has to be a better way (here's to you Donny Deutsch).
Launching a web product is very different than launching a manufactured product. You can make changes almost immediately to a web product, which you can't with, let's say, a shoe. The downside is that you can launch with a faulty product and rely on the user community to improve the product. That may or may not be a downside I guess.
The one exciting aspect of launching a web site that I did not expect is the multitude of new opportunities. From one site there can be a number of business models and adaptations that can add value to the customer experience. That is what I'm most excited about. Listening to customers and their challenges, and finding solutions to those challenges.
Hopefully Junta42 will be one of those solutions. If not, it's at least going to be a heck of a lot of fun working on it (which is my new barometer for accepting projects).
For those of you working for a company with the drive to start your own thing, there are no good excuses not to do it. I've heard them all and used most of them myself. If you don't do it you will regret it forever. What did it for me was this: I never wanted to have to look my kids in the eyes and say that I regretted something. Seems too painful to me, especially when I'm talking to them everyday about how they can accomplish anything, no matter what it is.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Kick-Start Your Content Marketing with Media Partnership STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: kick-start-your CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 07/02/2007 09:39:00 AM ----- BODY:Here are common goals you share with media companies:
Sounds like the perfect match, right? Well, it could be. In the past, traditional media companies have seen publications launched by corporations as either competitive or pieces of informational garbage not to be bothered with. That’s in the past.
Today, marketers are getting smarter with how they communicate with stakeholders. Combining that with the continual shift of marketing dollars away from traditional marketing toward targeted communication efforts, media companies smell blood in the street. To stay relevant (and profitable), traditional media companies MUST partner with corporations and associations as a core part of their business model. Those that don’t won’t be around very long.
Long story short, here lies the opportunity. Media companies have a wealth of industry knowledge and resources to help you in your content marketing efforts. Where in the past they were unwilling to leverage some of these resources, today they are jumping at the chance. You can help them by looking at these five areas to help kick-start your communication:
>>If you liked this article, try Junta42 for more.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Future of Content Marketing Comments STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-future-of-c CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 06/29/2007 08:39:14 AM ----- BODY:Mike Horgan, publisher of B2B Marketing Trends, was nice enough to send some of his reader comments my way from The Future of Content Marketing article I wrote in his magazine. Here are a few to chew on:
'Value-guided marketing efforts with creative & effective information will eventually win the hearts and minds of customers." - CEO
"I agree with Joe, particularly through personal experience gained in the B2B scenario. I think marketing is percieved as and is more active in providing support to sales team. Due to conventional media channels, it is becoming increasingly important to provide the most relevant and up to date content
to the customer.
Especially in B2B setting where the decision making unit comprises of many people from different backgrounds, and, when making purchasing decision a marketer has to act as a representative of the company to provide the customer (DMU) with all the relevant information they would seek for.
Providing relevant content is a key to win trust of your target customers which reinforces and strengthens the relationship between both the parties." - Marketing Executive
"I agree absolutely. One of the areas which is weak today is right content on industrial products." - Management Consultant
"Yeah, I'd bet the farm on that one - since it's already happening." - Marketing Director, Logistics Company
I like the last one the best. She's right...the article is quite obvious since it is already happened, happening. The scary part is that many marketers and publishing professionals haven't quite woken up to this fact yet. They will.
I've recently written a two-part series of articles for B2B Marketing Trends on the Future of Content Marketing (click here for Part 1). Below is my colleague Mike Horgan's email introduction to the column (Mike is publisher of B2B Marketing Trends):
"None of us can actually predict the future, but we can make educated guesses. In this issue, my colleague, Joe Pulizzi, predicts that you, the B2B marketer, will become the content providers of the future. Joe says that many corporations have the financial resources that traditional media outlets are currently lacking, and that the goal of providing informative content to help their customers do their jobs better meshes well with corporate marketing objectives.
While I suspect Joe is on to something, in the interest of my own job, I hope he is wrong! Truth be told, I believe Joe is right on target that corporate marketers must invest in content development to stay relevant. Your customers have become so ambivalent to traditional marketing messages, that delivering them relevant content on a regular basis just may be the best way to build -- and in some cases, rebuild -- your customer relationships.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know how you feel. Drop us a note at publisher at b2bmarketingtrends
In talking with Mike this morning, he wanted to let me know that he has received multiple emails from readers on this issue - all of them agreeing with the article and the corporation as future publisher. Marketers are agreeing with me. Here comes Armageddon. Go figure.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Wooing Customers with White Papers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: wooing-customer CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 06/25/2007 10:36:53 AM ----- BODY:Nice little article here from Inc about the investment a company called LeanLogistics made (and continues to make) in thought leadership white papers.
Couple points here. First, companies of all shapes and sizes are using content marketing. Second, the reliance on trade publications to partner with may be subsiding if the value-add continues to only be the lists. Many companies now have better lists and CRM systems than audited publication lists.
Do traditional publishers realize what is going on out there? I talked to an investment banker the other day and we wondered if, in a few years, there would be blood in the streets. Not for those publishers who focus on marketing services.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: We Can Learn a Lot from Purina STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: we_can_learn_a_ CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 06/20/2007 08:51:00 AM ----- BODY:Are you dogcentric or catcentric? Purina wants to know.
Purina's Petcentric is an online community segmented for both dog lovers and cat lovers. Other than a rather lengthy form to fill out to join the online community, Purina hits the d-spot (or c-spot for that matter).
What do they do well that we can learn from as marketers:
1. Dog and cat lovers always want to hear about other dogs and cats (probably like your customers as well). Purina combines pet articles with photos, video, and podcasts to give owners a complete taste of what other community members are up to.
2. Articles are light, personal and helpful, perfect for the tone of the site. The only criticism here would be the number of articles. It looks like they average about three to four articles per month. I'd like to see a few more.
3. What Petcentric lacks in article content, they make up for in user-generated content (UGC). From what I can tell, the dogcentric site has over 5,000 photos uploaded to the site, with usually well over 100 views on each photo. While it's no YouTube, it's not bad for a corporate community.
4. Once a member, uploading photos and videos, and commenting on articles and other content, seems pretty easy - a must for a corporate community site.
While there is a tad too much corporate selling going on by Purina, the selling is always relevant, and probably wanted by the community (sales on dog food, relevant cat trinkets). But the key to a site like this working for Purina is a) transparency and b) they don't get in the way (they let the user-interaction just happen. Trust is big.) Overall, this is an excellent example of a company getting to know their customers inside and out...as well as giving them a voice. It begs the question: If you get a dog or cat lover involved in a site like this, how likely are they to stay loyal to Purina. Odds are, pretty likely.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Yvonne DiVita EMAIL: divita@wmebooks.com IP: 70.58.18.168 URL: http://www.scratchingsandsniffings.com DATE: 06/22/2007 12:22:05 PM Thanks for the kudos re: Purina. I am a blogger that writes and maintains a petblog for Purina (separate from the website - which is maintained by corporate) and I agree that Purina is working to do things right when it comes to our pets. Just visit my petblog and you'll see - I may be sponsored by them, but they let me blog what I want (relevant to cats and dogs, of course!) And, they gave me a vet to help create good content for readers. It's over at www.scratchingsandsniffings.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 67.39.203.168 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/22/2007 01:50:51 PM Great blog Yvonne...it is clear that Purina sees the value of content marketing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: People Are Still Reading Magazines STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: people_are_stil CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 06/18/2007 01:50:21 PM ----- BODY:Interesting article here from the WSJ called "All things Digital - The End of Time." In it, WSJ interviews Ann Moore, chairman and chief executive of Time Inc. Ms. Moore, in discussing the value of print, states that: "People are still reading magazines...About 84% of all adults still subscribe. Time spent reading has been actually very stable, in spite of the fact that we all spend about 3,500 hours consuming media."
Ms. Moore goes on to discuss that the problem is not on the user behavior side, but on the print advertising dollars side. This makes perfect sense if you look at the increasing rise in custom magazines...all during the time that print advertising revenue has plummeted. People still enjoy the print medium...but marketers have become increasingly frustrated with lack of measurement concerns, and the availability of so many more options.
Custom magazines remain strong since they are NOT dependent of advertising revenue (at least not to fully support the production). Custom magazines that are dependent solely on advertising, will continue to be under pressure since they live in the same world as traditional magazines.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content is THE Key to Your SEO Program STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content_is_the_ CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 06/12/2007 08:31:12 AM ----- BODY:Was just reading BtoB Magazine's recent article summarizing a KnowledgeStorm/MarketingSherpa SEO Behavior Study. Here is what I took from the article:
I don't care how much you keep up with search engine algorithms. The key to effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is Content. Here's why:
In talking to one of my colleagues, Sage Lewis, an SEO expert and runs WebMarketingWatch.com, who validates this claim. Seth's point was that the search engines are using meta tags and keywords less and less as part of their algorithms. Much more of the attention is on relevant and updated content. Why do you think trade publication web sites always come up so high in any search. Yes, it's the content.
There is no reason why you as the marketer can't create the same, or at least of similar type of content environment to kick-start your SEO program. In fact, judging by what's going on in the industry, that's exactly what is happening.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content First, Ads Second (if at all) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content_first_a CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 06/11/2007 09:06:21 AM ----- BODY:Walk into any corporate marketing department discussing a magazine concept and you'll usually get the same question: How many ads do you think we can sell in this? Then followed closely by: Can we break even or make money with the magazine?
Here are a couple realities to think about before asking these questions...
Here are some key points to follow "if" you decide to include advertising in your magazine publication.
My biggest fear when companies go advertising is they take their eye off the ball and focus on very small things like a $5,000 ad. When this happens, content is unknowingly shifted more for advertising sales than for growing your customer relationships. If done the right way, advertising can be a great way to defray costs...but honestly, most times, it's a bad idea.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bill Pryor EMAIL: billpryor@comcast.net IP: 24.91.38.86 URL: http://www.pohlyco.com DATE: 07/05/2007 11:40:20 AM Agree 100% on the difficulty of adding advertising to a custom publication designed to achieve a marketing objective --- it is usually a bad idea. Often it springs from someone's naieve concept of the challenges in attracting ad dollars. One factor not mentioned in Joe's list is the reality of competing head-on with existing media. Every niche has established media that are highly competitive and focussed on drawing ad dollars. To compete requires investment that most custom publishers can't (and shouldn't) make. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Databases, Distribution and the Consumer STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: databases_distr CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 06/06/2007 08:24:43 AM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of speaking at the Canadian Business Press yesterday at their Mags University Conference in Toronto. The seminar topic was called "Braving the New World: Custom Publishing." The audience was made up of mostly publishers looking to grow their custom publishing divisions or launch custom media properties.
Here were the three key points that are really playing into the role of content marketing.
1. There was much talk about the power of association and corporate databases. In the past, corporations were powerless to target anyone. Today, corporations and associations have created powerful databases that in some cases are better than audited trade publications and web sites. This advancement takes out the distributor, and now corporations can communicate directly with customers AND prospects.
2. Distribution is changing the landscape of the content industry. Content can now be shared with key stakeholders through a variety of non-traditional mechanisms, including Digg, Del.icio.us, Stumble Upon, etc. These FREE distributors only care about one thing - good content that drives readership. Doesn't matter whether it comes from traditional publishers or the tooth fairy.
3. The consumer is in control. And guess what: The consumer only cares about reading content that positively affects his/her life in some way...it doesn't matter where it comes from. This has been the case for a while in Europe where custom publishing is mainstream, and some of the largest newsstand magazines are custom. Well, now it is alive and well in North America. The mantra is "Give me good content...period."
Corporations are listening. Traditional publishers are sweating.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Publishers Are Now Agencies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: publishers_are_ CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 06/04/2007 09:05:45 AM ----- BODY:Louise Story of The New York Times just penned "Publishers Creating Their Own In-House Ad Agencies." Couple of key thoughts I have on this story:
1. This is pretty much old news. At least on the business-to-business side, this has been going on in significant way since at least the late 90's. Penton Media really got on the bandwagon offering these services in the early 2000's. That said...kudos to Louise for focusing on it. This trend continues to affect how marketers can find good content partners for their marketing programs.
2. This continuing trend is just another nail in the ad agencies coffin. Marketing services, formerly the domain of advertising agencies, is now a must for all publishers and interactive groups.
3. Obviously, the publishers mentioned in this article (Conde Nast and Hearst) are smart for what they are doing...but they still have an old publisher's mentality by using custom solutions as a value add. What happens to the "charging for cost only" model when clients don't want the media anymore, they just want the custom solutions. Meredith, and most other content marketing providers, are in a much better position when that day happens. Part of showing value to the client for these types of services is in the way we price it as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed Scott Karp's recent post on his Publishing 2.0 blog...so much that I'm sharing it with you. This is really directed at publishing professionals and those that deliver content for revenue, but it's important to marketers in this respect: If the traditional publishing model is broken and publishers can't make money with their brand (and content), what opportunities present themselves for corporations and associations? Scott's belief is that the only true business model around on the web is that of distribution (Google, Digg, etc.)
Lot's of ideas come into my head, but here is the key...advances in technology have evened the playing field between traditional publishers and the future publishers (corporations) around the globe. Custom publishing can no longer afford to be second-rate content (or perceived as such). The time for marketers (and responsibility) is now!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Callaway Golf TV Hits the Mark STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: callaway_golf_t CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 05/30/2007 09:24:10 PM ----- BODY:Just checked out Callaway Golf TV, which launched about a month ago. Now this is a content marketing site that works.
I golf at least once a week, and, although not as avid a player as some of my friends, we talk the same game...which clubs work for when, what's in the bag?, did you see Tiger?, etc. Callaway hits the mark and answers many of these questions by using video straight from the pros. It's essentially customer testimonials on steriods. The videos, which feature the likes of Phil Mickelson or Annika Sorenstam, pull you into the content. Take, for example, what Phil has in his bag and why? It's like watching the "Best of" the Golf Channel.
The most recent AdAge issue states that in the first month this site drew more than 150,000 video views. Pretty impressive. Who knows if they can keep the pace up, but if they keep creating quality content, they'll do just fine.
The only downfall is that it sucks the memory out of anything that you are doing. I'm on high-speed DSL and it still took quite a while to load, and really could not multi-task while the site was up and running.
That said, kudos to Callaway. Keep up the great work.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob R EMAIL: bob@therosenbaums.net IP: 199.0.65.2 URL: DATE: 07/24/2007 10:16:22 AM Callaway has clearly embraced the essence of content marketing, but the execution can still use some polishing. In addition to Callaway TV is Callaway Magazine, a well-produced, glossy magazine that hits my mailbox every so often. Only proplem is that it's more promotional than informational. With a real dedication to content about makes Callaway unique -- leadership in research, technology, innovation, etc. -- rather than previews of the new equipment, Callaway could hit an ace with the approach. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.194.238 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/24/2007 11:02:22 AM Good point Bob. I'd be interested to see if Callaway will integrate the TV portion with the magazine. They seem to be pretty separate marketing initiatives. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Digital Magazines: Worth a Look? - An Interview STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: digital_magazin CATEGORY: digital magazines CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 05/29/2007 04:58:24 PM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of interviewing Marcus Grimm, marketing executive for NXTbook Media. NXTbook is a digital media solutions company that I came to know through Penton with the use of digital magazines. There are a few interesting applications for both marketers and publishers to seriously consider. Take a look below at his view of the digital publishing landscape.
1. For the digital magazine novice, can you give
me a basic description of what a digital magazine is?
A good friend of mine passed me this article by Ari Rosenberg for Online Publishing Insider (registration needed) on the big changes in media today. Ari's premise is that if you are in media, you want to live in Biddealville. Ari's point is dead on...in order to live in Bigdealville (get the big media programs), you HAVE to think custom. Banner ads just won't cut it if the advertiser wants to engage the user...that is why custom integration is so key to any online program.
All in all, Ari is dead on with what is going on in content marketing from a media perspective. But here are two key takeaways:
1. The majority of online programs on media sites will be custom over the next couple years.
2. Unfortunately for media companies, big brands won't need the help of media brands to do these types of programs in the future. They will be able to leverage their own data and content and do it themselves.
Cisco Systems recently launched a microsite around the human network concept. I spent a good chuck on time tooling around the site. All in all, very professional and easy to navigate. I think I get the gist...humans all over the globe are intertwined, and much of the communication (and real living) that happens is because of Cisco's products silently working in the background.
Here are my thoughts on the site in no particular order:
1. Too corporate. This has Cisco corporate branding police written all over it. It's difficult to really get some emotion going (if that is what they are going for).
2. What do they really want to get out of the site? Awareness, names perhaps, be associated with the good in all people. Hard to say. Hard to measure.
3. Content is very polished and well produced. Content is almost a bit too touchy, feely. Not sure it stays in line with the Cisco brand. Would have really helped to get this out of the corporate site feel (take a look at both sites - they mirror each other).
4. I really liked some of the links to companies I have never heard of...my favorite part of the site.
I'd be very interested in how Cisco is measuring this and what their expectations are. Tough goal to focus on something so huge...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ross C Brown EMAIL: rbrown@lbguk.net IP: 80.189.101.88 URL: http://theblogof.rosscbrown.co.uk/ DATE: 05/24/2007 08:58:16 AM That's the problem with this type of campaign. Unlike flokkng routers where you would expect a sales boost, this campaign is not really reaching for the same thing. Sure, they are raising awareness of their unified communication systems and tele-presence systems - but at the same time they are targeting consumers to raise awareness of the part Cisco plays in the 'Human Network'. Its a bit like when Phillips used to run television and print advertisements for MIR scanners! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 68.250.48.206 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/24/2007 10:23:08 AM Good point Ross...but ultimately, everything a company does comes down to an increase in sales in some division of the organization. I bet there is a sales objective in the campaign somewhere. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Media Vs. Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom_media_vs CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 05/21/2007 10:11:05 AM ----- BODY:I conducted an informal survey to approximately 50 of my colleagues in the industry regarding content marketing. About 35% were marketers and association professionals, with the remaining 65% being media or publishing professionals.
Here are the quick results:
To the question: "Which term best represents this definition: 'relevant and valuable information delivered by a company or association to a targeted audience, with the purpose of changing or fostering a behavior,'" I received the following answers.
32% - Custom Media
32% - Content Marketing
22% - Custom Content
14% - Custom Publishing
The last time I conducting this survey, it was split between custom publishing and custom media. Content marketing was barely mentioned. This tells me that the industry is moving closer to this term. This was particularly surprising since the majority of survey takers were media professionals, who tend to live in the world of custom publishing.
I'll try this again in 6 months. Let's see if the trend continues.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing: A Long Way to Go STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom_publishi_1 CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 05/17/2007 08:45:09 PM ----- BODY:Was reading Andrew Keen's blog on ZDnet today. The post is right on the mark when it comes to Google's foray into custom publishing, but check out the negative nature of his post..."custom publishing racket"..."fake independent content."
Boy does this industry have a long way to go. I thought we were passed the point of the "vanity" publication where the CEO wants a print magazine for his/her company just to get the cover shot.
Marketers should take offense to this in one of two ways: 1) because their content marketing/custom publishing vehicles contain first-rate content truly wanted by their customers, or 2) they are pushing out crap and should be offended by their own material.
Let's face it...consumers are smarter than ever and are only going to consume valuable content. The other stuff won't even be touched.
It's all evolution...but I guess I thought we were beyond this.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Consumer Publisher Eyes Custom Publishing Market STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: consumer_publis DATE: 05/15/2007 08:40:53 PM ----- BODY:I talked with a small consumer publisher today that
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Bringing Sexy Back: The Eight Steps to Content Marketing Bliss STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: bringing_sexy_b CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 05/15/2007 08:31:25 PM ----- BODY:A few days ago, I discussed the growing
importance of corporate content and the opportunities available to
organizations that place content as the center of their marketing strategy.
This post focuses on the tangible, proactive steps you as a marketing leader
need to take to make value-based content marketing a reality in your
organization.
Content marketing is all about an organization’s
understanding of the customer. If you know your customer, great things can
happen. If you don’t, good luck! Knowing your customers’ deep-rooted wants and
needs gives you the opportunity to create not only a sexy content marketing
campaign, but one that actually changes behavior.
And before we dig into the eight steps, here is a refresher
definition of content marketing. Content marketing is relevant and valuable information delivered by a company to a targeted
audience with the purpose of changing or fostering a behavior. It’s the relevant and valuable that is so
important to making content work. It’s what tells your customer that you
understand their needs and want to have a relationship with them.
(Note: You can interchange content marketing with
custom publishing or custom media, if you are more familiar with those terms.)
To make this happen, there are eight important things you
can do now:
And three more to chew on:
At American Business Media's Spring Meeting last week, I had a discussion with the CEO of a large business-to-business media company. I specifically asked how his company was preparing, or dealing with, their own customers launching media efforts that could be considered competitive. I gave him an example of one of his 12x print advertisers launching a content web portal and a print magazine in their space covering the same industry topics.
Second-Rate Content
The answer not only surprised me, it floored me. He basically stated that his experience with these types of corporate media, custom publishing initiatives were second-rate content at best. He also discussed how he is more than happy to partner with these companies to promote their white papers on his web sites and other properties. Other than that, these custom media initiatives were nothing to be bothered with.
Now...this is one of the most progressive (I thought) CEO's in the business. If this is the general mentality among these business leaders, then marketers have a bigger opportunity than I initially thought.
To be fair, though, he's probably right about the quality of the content. He probably has only run into examples of content marketing samples that were only sub-par. Marketers have been waking up to this fact for years though, so this has been changing for quite a while.
Wake Up Now
If media companies don't see content marketing as a significant threat to their long-term financial viability now, they are going to be in BIG trouble. Today's publishers need to offer these types of marketing services for their customers, or face watching this large revenue stream go somewhere else.
All in all, I came away from this conference thinking that most publishers are dismissing the importance and impact of content marketing. It's going to really get interesting.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content: The Future of B2B Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content_the_fut CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 05/10/2007 09:40:01 AM ----- BODY:When you mention content marketing to a business-to-business marketer, even an experienced one, the best reaction you get is confusion. Content marketing, otherwise known as custom media, custom publishing or customer media, is perhaps the biggest industry that no one has ever heard of.
According to Veronis Suhler Stevenson, a b2b private equity company, content marketing rose almost 30% last year to $28 billion in marketing spend. American Business Media estimates that approximately $4 to $7 billion is pure business-to-business. To put that in perspective, the average company spends about $1 million on its custom content projects (think custom magazines, newsletters, content portals, etc.). Not bad for an unknown industry. Most senior marketing executives don’t have a clue how much is really spent inside their own companies on editorial content serving their customers and prospects. Those times are changing!
Content Wins
A simple definition of content marketing is relevant and valuable information delivered by a company to a targeted audience with the purpose of changing or fostering a behavior. Go back and read that definition one more time, but this time remove the relevant and valuable. That’s the difference between content marketing and the other informational garbage you get from b2b companies. Companies send us information all the time – it’s just that most of the time it’s not very relevant or valuable (can you say spam?). That’s what makes content marketing so intriguing in today’s environment of thousands of marketing messages per person per day. Good content marketing makes a person stop…read…think…behave…differently.
According to the Custom Publishing Council and Roper Public Affairs, 80% of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement. 70% say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company, while 60% say that company content helps them make better product decisions. Think of this – what if your customer looked forward to receiving your marketing? What if when they received it, via print, email, website, they spent 15, 30, 45 minutes with it? Yes, you really can create marketing that is anticipated and truly makes a connection! That is marketing for the present and the future.
A Prediction
Flying cars, an Indians/Cubs world series, fat free pizza (that tastes good) and corporations as the new publishers. Well, maybe I’m stretching the baseball scenario. You, the marketer of a small, medium or large corporation, are the content providers of the future. Companies like GE, Cisco and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange already get it, with more on the way. They realize that effective marketing relies solely on the shoulders of content the helps customers and prospects do their jobs better, faster, cheaper or with more fervor. The combination of this and the fact that corporations have deeper pockets (i.e., Cisco buying WebEx with petty cash) than traditional media companies will create a tipping point that will see business decision makers from around the globe being affected by the highest quality of editorial content available.
So, as you are beginning to plan your next marketing strategy, is content in the center or an also ran? If it’s not in the center, prepare for irrelevance.
This article was originally prepared for B2B Marketing Trends and is repurposed with permission.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Can Marketers Launch Vertical Search? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: can_marketers_l CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 05/09/2007 09:58:23 AM ----- BODY:This week I attended American Business Media's Spring Meeting 2007, which had a large focus on digital media (surprise, surprise). The first discussion of the event revolved around social networking and how publishers can launch and monetize social networking sites.
Much of the conversation revolved around vertical search. For those who are unfamiliar with what vertical search is, Wikipedia has a wonderful definition. The quick definition? - Take Google and focus it on a particular industry or topic. For example, Mashup Google with a 60+ year-old, and you get Cranky.com.
One of the panelists, Steve MacMinn, Chief Technology Officer for Globaspec, a leading vertical search portal in the engineering space, gave some interesting thoughts that I believe are relevant to marketers and publishers. Here are the highlights -
1. Content is King. You cannot just build a shell and expect anything. Without good content, don't even try it.
2. Answer User's Questions. If you create feedback mechanisms, be sure to create a process to respond.
3. Start with a few focused topics. You'd rather have a small area full of content than a big area with just a few threads.
4. Moderate the community. Spam and rants can take over if you are not careful.
5. Don't squash what you don't like. If someone starts to talk bad about you, take it as an opportunity to improve the product. Could be the best feedback you ever received. Treat it that way. Many companies try to delete these posts as fast as possible. That tactic usually cuts off dialogue quickly.
6. Keep distance from the business. Be careful using the information you receive. If you take their email and start selling them right away, what kind of message does that send to the community?
7. Invite people back. Create mechanisms, such as email updates and RSS feeds to bring people continually back to the Web site.
As a marketer, creating a vertical search community or forum can be a dicey activity at best. Do the research up front on what your customer behaviors are, and what types of behaviors you are looking to generate? As long as you are open and honest with your customer base, even a little experimentation is welcome.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andy Black EMAIL: ablack@convera.com IP: 86.145.18.92 URL: http://www.convera.com DATE: 12/11/2007 09:37:46 AM The E-consultancy/Convera "Vertical Search Survey 2008" has just been released and reveals some very interesting information. CPM will be fastest-growing revenue stream for publishers in 2008 Online revenue set to increase while print income flattens or decreases Content owners must ensure visibility within fragmenting digital landscape by embracing RSS, widgets and toolbars. Publishers see vertical search as opportunity to ‘reclaim the online community from Google’. The fastest-growing revenue streams for publishers in 2008 will be internet display advertising and online sponsorship. Some 72% of publishers are expecting an increase in income from CPM advertising next year and 67% are predicting a rise in digital sponsorship, while print revenues are more likely to flatten or decrease. Just under two thirds (64%) are expecting a rise in paid search (PPC) revenue. The findings come from a survey which was circulated to members of the Association of Online Publishers (AOP), American Business Media (ABM), Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB UK) and E-consultancy’s early-adopter community of internet marketers. The research also highlights the need for specialist publishers to react quickly to major changes in the digital environment in order to maintain and increase their market share and visibility. Publishers need to adapt to maximize their digital revenues at a time of shifting advertising budgets. Trends in digital marketing are leading towards a fragmentation of the online landscape and ‘atomization’ of content. Content owners have a great opportunity to increase visibility for their content through the effective use of vertical search, feeds, widgets and toolbars. The level of uptake for feeds and customized homepages is very high among this early-adopter audience surveyed but this kind of online behavior will soon become more widespread among knowledge workers across a wider range of industries.” Some 93% of more than 500 media and internet professionals said that they would be ‘very likely’ or ‘quite likely’ to use a search engine that focused on serving their specific business or work needs. More than 70% of publishers perceived ‘reclaiming the online community from Google’ to be either a major benefit or a minor benefit from vertical search. To download a free online copy of the full report, click here http://www.convera.com/survey/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: American Eagle's Try at Entertainment Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: american_eagles CATEGORY: entertainment marketing DATE: 05/08/2007 08:41:18 AM ----- BODY:
Today's USA Today focused on American Eagle's try in the land of entertainment marketing. The outfitter plans to create a 12-episode series entitled, "Mall World", a comedy where the main characters will wear AE clothing. Shows will be aired on MTV at at AE.com.
Obviously, this is one of many organizations that have tried their hand at entertainment marketing, from the groundbreaking BMW Films, to the wildly popular "Tea Partay" from Smirnoff.
Who knows if this will be successful, but AE is on the right track. Good content, targeted to a particular audience, is today's brand driver. Success will be purely on the shoulders of how engaging the content will be to this 12- to 25-year-old audience. Too much selling in the episodes and these will die a short death. It's an easy concept, but hard to implement.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is Your Company Communicating Just to Sell? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is_your_company CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: vision statements DATE: 05/06/2007 09:48:21 AM ----- BODY:The more companies I work with, the more I find that an organization's communication strategy revolves around selling a very specific product or service. Is this necessarily horrible? No, not at all. Of course we want our customers to know about our products, services, specials and talents. But revolving all communications around a sell can be detrimental to the long-term relationship you are trying to create with your customers. Here's how:
1. Whether email, direct mail, in-person seminar (the list goes on), if these touch points focus only on selling your customers or prospects something, that's exactly the perception you will create. Even if you have simply outstanding products and services, people simply don't want to be sold...ever. You may get them the first time because your product is great, but you will be hard pressed to sell them more since you are always selling them. At some point, the customer will fight back by, what else, tuning you out.
2. Your organization's communications become solely tactical. All reasons to touch a customer are focused around a specific product and service. Long-term strategies are put to the side because you have to sell this particular product. This puts an extremely difficult burden on your outside sales team. Long-term strategies take pressure off of sales because, if effective, positions your organization as an important resource to helping your customers and prospects do their job better.
Okay, enough with generalities...let's get specific. What can you do as an organization now to create a healthy, long-term relationships with your customers and prospects?
1. More than 50% of all messages need to be educational (or non-selling) in nature. Take all your communications to customers and prospects over the last month and lay them out on a desk. Count up the sales messages vs. content you created to simply help your customers become better customers (educational tips, industry challenges, team-building resources, etc.). If more than 50% are sales messages, you've got a problem. You are not building a relationship with them, you are just plain old selling them.
2. Revisit your vision statement. Are you helping customers win? Take our company's vision statement for example, "Help Organizations Create Better Content." We use this vision as our litmus test. Everything (I mean everything) we do must directly tie back to the vision statement. If not, we don't do it. If you apply this to your company, your communication strategy will drive your company as a true customer resource.
Just by doing these two things will make a significant long-term impact on the success of your customers. Customer success = Your success. Simple, but true.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Spend More on Internal Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: spend_more_on_i CATEGORY: internal marketing DATE: 05/03/2007 09:13:44 AM ----- BODY:
Been working with a client on their communication and marketing strategies. Just finished reading a 30-page draft of target audience, markets, goals and measurement points. Overall, the 30 pages were an excellent description and strategy of their customers and how to solve their problems through products, services, and educational communication initiatives.
There was one problem though. Not once was anything mentioned about the company's "internal" marketing strategy. Since I became a follower of Don Schultz, it has become clear that internal marketing is essential, if not MORE important than external marketing.
Here's a simple example of why: You spend millions on creating a brand relationship with your customers, through TV, billboard, print, magazine, newsletters, radio, internet, etc. etc. Of all that media, what makes the most impact on a prospect or customer? Any interaction with one of your employees. If the employee, or greatest stakeholder, does not have a firm grasp on the true meaning of the company's brand and mission, how vulnerable is your company?
Internal Restructuring Saves the CMO?
We've seen so many CMO departures after such a short period of time. One real reason this is happening is because many of these CMO's don't oversee customer service, HR, or IT - those are the locations where customer interaction take place and are influenced. How can a CMO be successful if the most important brand communication source (the employee), is not a part of the marketing mix?
Over the last week I've talked to four business-to-business media executives, including two CEO's. I asked each of them the same question, "How easy or difficult would it be to add $1 million dollars in revenue to a magazine brand over a year's time?" Almost as if rehearsed, they all said the same thing..."like pulling teeth..."
Driving revenues (beyond low single digit %'s) is extremely difficult for publishers in today's environment. Marketers continue to spend more and more time, resources and budgets on their own content efforts. This is becoming crystal clear to publishers. Even with eMedia growing substantially, it's challenging for media companies to add large chunks of revenue through eMedia products and services alone.
I believe publishers have accepted custom media, custom publishing, content marketing (whatever term you like) as one of the best, if not the best way, to grow revenues over the next three to five years. Successful ones will get on board...before it's too late.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing Manifesto STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content_marketi CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 04/30/2007 11:53:32 AM ----- BODY:
Came across Larry Chase's "Content Marketing Manifesto" today. Larry provides an excellent overview regarding the opportunities available if you create and marketing valuable content effectively.
I really like Larry's last point: "The currency you seek at the beginning of a commercial relationship is first time, and the money comes later." Today's marketing is all about building relationships. Don't move so fast to the sell that you lose them...provide them great content...and the money will come.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Marketers vs. Publishers - A Disconnect? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: marketers_vs_pu CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 04/28/2007 12:50:34 PM ----- BODY:
I had a conversation yesterday with an executive that works with marketers to help them with leadership development and networking. We started on the conversation about the disconnect between what marketers call content marketing, and what publishers call custom publishing or custom media.
The ongoing issue for publishers and media companies to realize here is that custom publishing/custom media are truly publishing terms, and do not focus on the end-user of these services, the marketer. Nor do they focus on the key aspect of this marketing function, valuable content.
At some point, the two sides will need to come together...simply to be able to work with each other and get on the same page.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Definition Twist STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a_definition_tw CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 04/26/2007 11:56:09 AM ----- BODY:
Take this definition for content marketing -
"relevant and valuable information delivered by a company to a targeted audience with the purpose of changing or fostering a behavior."
Now go back and read it one more time, this time, remove the relevant and valuable. Then go back again and remove targeted. This is what you get -
"information delivered by a company to a(n) audience with the purpose of changing or fostering a behavior."
Now that is a definition of how most companies market. See the difference. There is room for growth here.
Since I've left my previous role at Penton Custom Media, I've been asked by many, "Why content marketing, not custom media or custom publishing?" Here is my take:
It's all about content, right? Content is what engages, influences, persuades, and ultimately, leads to product specification. Thus, the first part, content. Now to marketing...check out the formal definition on dictionary.com. It's about buying or selling something, isn't it?
Our industry is about creating content that helps people buy or sell something (that includes buying into an internal organization or buying into an association). Content marketing is the only term that I have seen that fits.
Heck, I may be wrong...maybe it is custom media. But what does that term really mean? It's more a publishing term, not a marketing term.
One thing is for sure, it is the organizations, not individual users or publishers, that have the greatest opportunity (and possibly learning curve) to create valuable content that makes an impact on people. Smart organizations are doing it now. More will come. Things are going to get interesting.
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