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Posts Tagged ‘content marketing’

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Using the 80/20 Rule To Create Better Content and Attract The Right Audience

Posted by: on: September 26, 2014

8020 content marketing rule

Think back to the last time you spoke with a really aggressive sales person. For twenty minutes, they went on and on about their products, services, and just how much better they were than the competition.  You never got a word in.

And when it was finally over, how did you feel? Did you feel as if you’d gained valuable insight into how to solve your problem?  Or did you feel like you’d been run over by a Mack truck?

Mack truck, huh? Well, remember that feeling and tuck it away for later use.  Because what the sales person failed to realize is that often times, less is more.  And that principle not only applies to sales, but many facets of business, including your content marketing strategy.

Content marketing isn’t sales.

Or is it?

Truly, it is. It just isn’t direct sales.

You see, each piece of content that you create (e.g. blogs, videos, infographics, social media posts, etc.) will do one of two things: attract your target audience or drive them away.

And if your goal is to make your content marketing pay, the secret is in giving your audience an abundance of good content most of the time, and asking them to buy less often.

It may sound counterintuitive, but it can work.

Inform first.

The fact of the matter is, people want good stories. They want to laugh, cry, and be empowered. They want to feel as if you’ve created something just for them that speaks to what’s important to them.

Pushy sales messages devoid of value are clearly self-promotional and break the connection with your audience, forcing them to look elsewhere.

But giving away free information, e.g. tips and best practices, with no commitment to buy, may leave you feeling vulnerable. And content marketing asks you to do that 80% of the time.

You see, one of the many variations of the 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of the content you create and share be about your audience, not about you or what you do.

This content should answer their questions, solve their problems, entertain them with witty but relevant stories, and share insights and innovations.

Some examples:

  • A personal injury attorney posting a blog series on how to navigate the claims process
  • A realtor creating an infographic on the statistics of the housing market in a particular area
  • A hair stylist filming a “how to” video series on re-creating celebrity hairstyles
  • A marketer creating an online newspaper curating articles on best practices
  • A business owner creating FAQs to post on the company website

It’s possible that your audience could take this information and run. Or, they could consume this information, digest it, and come back for more.

Sell last.

The balance of the content equation, the 20%, is dedicated to your sales efforts. Talk about your products and services in detail, entice your audience with great offers and, on occasion, give discounts. Cash in on all that goodwill you’ve stored up and ask for the business.

Those in your audience who are ready to buy will remember you, not as that pain in the neck sales guy, but as a valuable reservoir of useful information who obviously knows what they’re doing.

Keep it 100.

Content marketing, while often considered a “pre-purchasing “activity, can not only positively influence your audience before they purchase, but after they buy as well. It keeps the dialogue open and could possibly extend the life of the relationship, post-sale.

Sharing good content consistently supplies your audience with the information they need to make informed decisions, which builds their trust in your ability to solve their problems.  And when you can solve their problems, you can win their business.

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Is Content Marketing Just Another Buzzword Or Will It Help My Business or Non-Profit Grow?

Posted by: on: September 12, 2014

Several studies suggest that well over 40% of marketing budgets next year will be spent on online (digital) efforts.  And at the core of those campaigns will be an emphasis on content marketing.

Content marketing.  

Sure, to marketers like me, that term is as recognized and revered as search is with Google. But for some businesses and non-profits, to have a conversation about “content marketing” is too heavy and may get you a few blank stares or even a “here we go” eye roll.

But, could there be some value in it?  Is content marketing more than just another buzzword that marketers use to sell you more services?

The truth.

In the perfect world, content marketing would be this fresh new idea that would turn every business into an overnight success and fill the donation baskets of every non-profit in the world for the foreseeable future.

old cave drawings content marketing But the reality is, the idea of content isn’t new. As long as there have been words, there have been stories.  More specifically, as long as there’s been a way to tell stories, be it prehistoric cave drawings by Neanderthals on a rock in Spain, or ornate hieroglyphics on the side of an ancient pyramid in Egypt, there’s been content. And those stories are passed down and still impact us today.

In a contemporary sense, content for organizations, either for profit or not, is generated by taking your stories – the inspiration behind your founding, the subtleties that make you unique, the quirkiness of your organizational culture, and testimonials from those whose life you’ve touched – and delivering that value to a group of people, in a way that’s meaningful to them, and encourages them to take a specific action.

That is content marketing.

More than words.

Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about content is that it’s just words on a page.  Ebooks, blog posts, white papers, and case studies are clearly forms of content, right?  But what about videos, social media posts, infographics, podcasts, emails, customer reviews, and even memes?

Yes, that’s all content and it gives you an opportunity to provide a glimpse into who you are as an organization, a chance to tell a good story, and leave a primitive hand print upon the hearts of those you want to fall in love with your organization.

Point taken.

Many organizations fail in their pursuit of content marketing for two reasons:

  1. They confuse providing valuable, useful information with pushing obvious sales pitches – so people tune them out, delete them, or mark them as SPAM.
  2. They create content, but have no strategy to deliver that content to the right people at the right time and place, so it becomes orphaned content.

Remember, content marketing gives organizations an opportunity to inform, educate, inspire, and challenge without the pressure of buying.  And when it’s delivered in a meaningful, consistent manner, over time – yes, it will take time – you will establish trust and be rewarded with a loyal customer or supporter.

Finally, because of the length of time it can take to produce your desired result, it is vital that your content marketing not stand alone, but be a part of a comprehensive marketing plan that generates opportunities for both short and long-term success. 

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Blogging for Small Business: How To Improve Your Blog Experience

Posted by: on: May 17, 2013

blogYou’ve heard all the buzz and now you feel pressured to do it. Blogging. According to HubSpot, B2C companies that blog get 88% more leads per month than those who don’t and B2B companies that blog get 67% more. The numbers seem to speak from themselves. Maintaining and promoting an active blog is a smart business move.

But what is a blog? By definition, it’s a personal website or web page to record opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis. Think of it as a diary or journal, a place to post your thoughts and insights. For businesses, a blog is a way to humanize itself. Taking selling of the table, blogs give businesses a chance to show off just how much it knows, thereby earning the respect and trust of readers.

When done right, blogs can help drive high-quality traffic to your website and generate more leads for your business.

So the question really isn’t whether or not you need a blog, it’s what content goes on it once you have it. That’s the tricky part.  And there’s no easy answer or magic formula that’ll get you discovered overnight…although that does happen occasionally.

Here are three insights that may help you navigate your business blogging experience…

1. Identify Your Audience. Before you can write content that makes sense for your readers, you have to first figure out who your readers are. Who are you writing for and what are they expecting to learn from you by being on your blog? Keep that in front of you every time you write and stay on message.

2. Solve a problem.  Now that you know who you’re writing for, identify what business challenges they have and provide solutions. The key here is to give them just enough information to show them that you know you’re stuff, but stopping shy of giving them so much that they don’t need to call you to fix it. If crafted correctly, you can unearth a need for your reader that they didn’t even know they had, while providing an educational balm at the same time.

3. Promote it. No matter how good your blog is, if your ideal reader doesn’t know it’s out there, your content won’t reach them to help them solve their problems. Optimize your blog posts. Include compelling headlines, eye-catching images, share buttons, and relevant keywords to help with search.  Share links to your posts across your social platforms and through email campaigns.  Get the word out.

It’s fair to say the business blogging should be an essential piece of your online marketing efforts. Agreed? It will take work to get started and even more work to maintain it.  And just like everything else, you’ll need to measure it for effectiveness and make changes when things aren’t working. But, if you can stick with it, work to improve or bring people in to help you, you’ll find that taking the time to give out a little free advice will pay off big for your business in the future.

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3 Seconds is ALL You Get… Sending the Right Message

Posted by: on: April 19, 2013

stopwatchOk, so maybe not literally 3 seconds, but it’s close. Your customers or potentials are bombarded with thousands of messages everyday and let’s face it, they’re overwhelmed. Today’s information sharing age is rigorous and shows no signs of slowing. Forget about reading, people are glancing at things and you only have seconds to make a good impression…to send the right message.

So, when it’s your turn in front of the masses, let’s say your webpage or article pulls up in a Google search, there are a few things to keep in mind that may help turn a click into a client…

1. Trade places with your audience. Everything you create for your business, your brand, sends a message. From the logo to the content, your brand message should be designed to tell your story in a way that highlights your abilities and plays to your audience. Take the time to look at your message from their perspective and perhaps you may find that the problem isn’t a lack of interest but a confusion over what it is you do and your ability to solve their problem. Ask for feedback from them or others you trust and focus on creating customer centric messages that will resonate with them.

2. Keep it easy peasy. Keep your message simple and natural. If they have to ask you to explain it, you’re talking over them and it’s not going to work. Your primary goal is to put people at ease, so they don’t feel like their being sold to. People buy from those they relate with, and using familiar words is a good way to start the conversation.

3. Write good stuff. A big part of the message you send will center around the content you create. Whether you’re blogging, working the social media circuit, or updating your landing pages, useful information delivered in a consistent manner in the right places sends all the right messages to your audience and they will look to you for answers.

Ultimately, when developing your brand’s message, a good place to start is, ironically, at the end. You have to know where you want to go before you start the car, right? So keeping your end goal in mind as you work through the process of creating the right message for your audience will help you determine the actions needed to get you where you want to go.

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