How Content Marketing Will Shake the Tree

I like Mike’s approach, but that keeps it all about the landing site. To me, content is going the other way these days. Sure, there may be an eventual touchdown on your site, because that’s where the sale takes place, but that’s not the same as gearing up to put your media where the people are consuming it.

Fish where the fish are. Right?

Am feeling this way about ecommerce companies these days – consultants and software providers alike. Some really good blogs out there: http://www.getelastic.com is a great one. We’re doing something similar with http://www.doubleplus.com but aimed at Miva Merchant users. The idea is great content that’s really helpful to people, and if/when they want more, they can come hire us. I’d never put a name to it, though, and “content marketing” seems like a great description, Chris.

Great post Chris. Content marketing is something that we’ve been doing at my company; however, the bigger question I have is how to use that content to get leads and traffic to the site. We currently post content throughout different traffic drivers – company blog, industry blogs, Scribd, YouTube, Facebook, etc. Are there any other ‘content aggregators’ that can help leverage the content we’re creating to reach the end goal?

Great post Chris. Content marketing is something that we’ve been doing at my company; however, the bigger question I have is how to use that content to get leads and traffic to the site. We currently post content throughout different traffic drivers – company blog, industry blogs, Scribd, YouTube, Facebook, etc. Are there any other ‘content aggregators’ that can help leverage the content we’re creating to reach the end goal?

Chris,

I love the concept of “content marketing” but think it’s a great way to waste huge amounts of time and energy.

I generate tons of useful, free content. I’ve been writing since 1999 on Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and now dealing with too much email and email overload. My personal productivity podcast, The Get-it-Done Guy, has been a fixture in the iTunes top-20 business since November 2007. My articles archive (articles.steverrobbins.com) has a ton of free articles.

The more content I give away, the more popular I become. *But it just hasn’t translated into business.*

I’m an executive coach. My service is a high-ticket item. Purchasers choose a coach based on relationship and reputation. Content marketing has given a peek into my brain and built a reputation, but speaking at a single conference generates more business than all my online content put together.

I’m moving towards creating audio products (e.g. You Are Not Your Inbox, an email overload audio product). I don’t know if content marketing will have better results there. If the product gets viral-type traction, yeah, it’ll be worth it. But if there’s a purely linear relationship between my content generation and sales, the cost to generate content will overwhelm the revenue.

Before jumping into content generation, I’d suggest asking some behavioral questions:

* Do the people who make purchase decisions read the kind of content you propose to publish?
* Are the people who *are* reading willing to buy?
* How much must you sell to make up for the cost of generating the content?
* If you don’t get sales, is the reputation boost alone sufficient to justify the cost?

Don’t just assume content marketing works. Be smart about it, and link it to what you know about your target market.

Stever,

You mentioned getting more sales from one speaking gig — does your content raise your profile, so that you will get more/better speaking engagements? It might not be a direct sales relationship, but I would imagine that in many cases, good content increases reputation, which can generate sales.

Hi, Chris–Saw Stever’s mention of this article on Twitter. As a publicist with 28 years of experience promoting many of the best of the best, the most successful partnerships carry this value in common: to be of service. If you are filling up the planet with self-serving garbage, ultimately you haven’t really made a difference. If you COME FROM a place of service, add value through products and books and ideas you believe in, that you believe will shift the state of this poor ailing planet, and then take responsibility by adding your name, it will come back to you. Adding value requires continuous work on oneself, btw. Continuous growth, continuous exploration of your own inner wiring (hard and soft), continuous improvement. In this age it’s not that hard to do. Ask.

It’s how Macy’s ended up with more loyal customers a la “Miracle on 34th Street,” only via blog instead of on Santa’s lap.

I’ve been toying with this idea for my blog with the Christmas season coming. Mentioning my (near-)competitors and pointing out the differences in our features & benefits. I say “near” because over the past 3 years I have never seen anything quite like the product I make and sell. Similar, but with no more than half the features.

Hmmm. What you say makes sense and I’m going to give it a shot this year. Hopefully this shot will net me a direct hit.

Thanks!

Hi Chris – I’m pretty new to blogging but have been online since 1998 offering real estate content as an experienced Realtor with a strong service mentality. Could be that I’m not entertaining enough ;-) but I see that there is an abyss between giving and subsequently converting to leads. But it could just be that trust and credibility are not as readily converted or as sparkly “widgets”. I’m still working on it- thanks for some new ideas.

Provide value.
We market to agencies who are trying to figure out how to explain social media to their clients. One of the most effective things I’ve done is to create ‘generic’ unbranded PowerPoint decks on the subject that the agencies can use to achieve their goals with client education. I don’t want attribution or even a brand mention and they can do whatever they want with them. I put them on Slideshare and have had a thousand or so views.
I really think this is the future of marketing. We already have a blindness to traditional advertising that renders it almost useless. And we’ve become very sophisticated consumers of information because access is so easy. Give me something valuable or useful and I will remember you. Intrude on my attention with something I don’t want and I will also remember you!

Provide value.
We market to agencies who are trying to figure out how to explain social media to their clients. One of the most effective things I’ve done is to create ‘generic’ unbranded PowerPoint decks on the subject that the agencies can use to achieve their goals with client education. I don’t want attribution or even a brand mention and they can do whatever they want with them. I put them on Slideshare and have had a thousand or so views.
I really think this is the future of marketing. We already have a blindness to traditional advertising that renders it almost useless. And we’ve become very sophisticated consumers of information because access is so easy. Give me something valuable or useful and I will remember you. Intrude on my attention with something I don’t want and I will also remember you!

I’m a librarian, contemplating the role of social media in the public library. There are so many ways we can expand our fan (customer) base, inform our users and inspire them in their quest for knowledge, entertainment and experience. Libaries are becoming more and more not just a place to pick up a book; but, also a place to meet peers over a game of Wii, take a class, start a blog, connect to free WiFi. Your post has given me plenty to think about and bring to my colleagues. It also has turned on another light for me. I am a former employee of Powell’s Books and have always enjoyed their blog. Now I know why: Like the Whole Foods blog, it is informative, interesting, has value and is well written. I’ve been enjoying your blog, Thanks.

Great, great post. Everyone wondering “where’s the money in social media” needs to ask themselves, “who wants to pay for what I’m creating”? And if what you’re creating is information or education about products, services or experiences, then yes, someone wants that information — and, if it’s good, they’ll pay for it.

That’s what fuels the Travel, Food and Discovery channels.

Chris,

You mentioned building “appropriate measurement and listening tools” so that way you can see the impact of your content. What are some of the listening tools that you use? I’m trying to thing of ways to do that: I guess you could have a Twitter Search for keywords you use; Monitor how your content is bookmarked across Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. What did you have in mind when you wrote that?

fascinating. i loved this. very insightful thank you