Thankful for Good Content

It’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and I’ve spent some time today reflecting on my weekend activities. I enjoyed a festive holiday dinner with my family, went to a D.C. museum and gathered the guts to venture out into the shopping scene on Black Friday. Even with all of the hustle and bustle, I found some time to crack open a book that I’ve had my eye on. I started reading “Get Content. Get Customers.”, written by Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett, which describes the content marketing scene and how it has evolved into the influential entity it is today. You may remember Joe from an appearance at a SpeakerBox event earlier this year, where he described the complex definition of content marketing and illustrated how implementing best practices can boost revenue numbers.

Wanting more information on the topic, I figured reading Joe’s book would be a solid way to dig a little deeper. From what I’ve read thus far, it’s pretty clear that transitioning a few bucks from the traditional advertising and marketing budgets into that of dedicated content marketing, is the only way to survive in this content driven world. Defining the term content marketing, the book states, “Content marketing is the art of understanding exactly what your customers need to know and delivering it to them in a relevant and compelling way.” There is no excuse for not interacting with customers anymore – they’re out there waiting to be tapped with information and products that suit their needs and make their lives easier, and it’s up to you to make that happen.

Traditional interruption advertising has become obsolete – if you choose to get in the way of what customers are voluntarily reading, watching or writing about, you’ll likely drive them away. Instead, arm your clientele with the honest information they want, rather than marketing lingo that sticks out like a sore thumb. They’re going to do their own research anyway (via reading forums, researching competitors, consulting with peers, etc.) before calling your sales team anyway, so why not proactively stock them up with the information you want them to have in the way they want to receive it? These days, you can reach your target audience with more than just sponsorships and banner ads. From YouTube, to blogs, to Facebook to Twitter – the outlets are endless! Customers are giving you a chance to speak up and connect with them – take them up on their offer!

So what’s the reason for the number of businesses transitioning from interruption marketing to content marketing? Below are the six ideas that the book points out…maybe you’ll identify yourself within one of these categories.

1. Change in buyer attitudes toward traditional media and the “credibility” of content.
2. Traditional media sources can’t be counted on to assist you in reaching your customers.
3. Shrinking media company budgets reduce content quality.
4. Selling to your customers is becoming more challenging.
5. Because technology is both cheap and easy to use, even small companies can deliver great content solutions to a targeted customer base.
6. High-quality editorial, from a business?

I’ll continue reading and keep you posted on new and interesting ideas that this book presents. In the meantime, let me know what book is on your nightstand and keeps your reading light on.

-Mary Evans