MorePraiseforContentInc.
“InsteadofthrowingmoneyawayandsuckinguptoA-listers,nowthereisabetterwaytopromoteyourbusiness.It’scalledcontentmarketing,andthisbookisagreatwaytomasterthisnewtechnique.”
—GuyKawasaki,ChiefEvangelistofCanvaandauthorofTheArtoftheStart2.0
“Howdoyoutakethemaximumamountofriskoutofstartingabusiness?JoePulizzishowsus.Fascinateyouraudience,thenturnthemintoloyalfans.ContentInc.showsyouhow.Useitasyourroadmaptostart-upsuccess.”
—SallyHogshead,NewYorkTimesandWallStreetJournalbestsellingauthor,HowtheWorldSeesYou
“ContentInc.isthemostpersonalofJoePulizzi’sbookstodate.Theglimpseitprovidesintothemindsoftoday’scontentmarketingleadersshouldserveasinspirationtoanyonewhowantstobuildtheirowncompany,careerniche,orenergizedbrand.Youcannotputthisbookdownwithoutfeelingmotivatedtogochangeyourownfutureforthebetter.”
—JeffreyK.Rohrs,CMO,Yextandauthor,Audience:MarketingintheAgeofSubscribers,Fans&Followers
“ContentInc.revealsthemodernsecrettosuccess—attractandbuildaloyalaudiencefirst,figureoutwhatbusinessyou’reinsecond—brilliant!”
—JohnJantsch,authorofDuctTapeMarketingandTheReferralEngine
“ContentmarketingisbyfarthebestmarketingstrategyforeverycompanyandJoeisbyfarthebestguruonthetopic.IwishthisbookwasavailablewhenwestartedourcontentmarketinginitiativeatOpenViewVenturePartners.Itwouldhavesavedusahugeamountoftimeandeffort!”
—ScottMaxwell,ManagingPartner/FounderOpenViewVenturePartners
“TheInternetdoesn’tneedmorecontent.Itneedsamazingcontent.ContentInc.isthebusinessblueprintonhowtoachievethat.Ifyou’reinbusinessandaretiredofhearingabouttheneedforcontentmarketing,butwantthehowandtheproof,ContentInc.isyourblueprint.”
—ScottStratten,bestsellingauthorandPresidentofUnMarketingInc.
“Ifyou’reseriousaboutturningcontentintoabusiness,thisisthemostdetailed,honest,andusefulbookeverwritten.Intherighthands,theadviceinContent,Inc.isworththousandsofdollars.”
—JayBaer,NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofYoutility
“Whatifyoulaunchedabusinesswithnothingtosell,andinsteadfocusedfirstonservingtheneedsofanaudience,trustingthatthe‘selling’partwouldcomelater?Crazy?Orcrazy-brilliant?I’dsaythelatter.Becauseintoday’sworld,youshouldservebeforeselling.”
—AnnHandley,authoroftheWallStreetJournalbestsellerEverybodyWritesandContentRules
“Theapproachtobusinesstaughtallovertheworldistocreateaproductandthenspendabunchofmoneytomarketandsellit.Joeoutlinesaradicallynewwaytosucceedinbusiness:Developyouraudiencefirstbycreatingcontentthatdrawspeopleinandthenwatchyourbusiness(andproducts)sellthemselves!”
—DavidMeermanScott,bestsellingauthorof10booksincludingTheNewRulesofMarketingandPRandTheNewRulesofSalesandService
“Thedigitalagehasfundamentallyreshapedthecostcurveforentrepreneurs.Thekeychallengenowisnolongeraccesstocapital,itisaccesstoaudience.Joevividlydescribestheformulafordevelopingapurpose-drivenbusinessthatconnectswithanengagedandloyalaudiencearoundcontent.Withbrand,voice,andaudience,buildingandmonetizingabusinessiseasy.”
—JulieFleischer,Sr.Director,Data+Content+Media,KraftFoods
“Today,anyone,anywherewithapassionandafocusonacontentnichecanbuildamultimillion-dollarplatformandbusiness.Ididitandsocanyou.JustfollowJoe’splanandhisContentInc.modelandyoucanmakeithappen.”
—JohnLeeDumas,Founder,EntrepreneurOnFire
Copyright©2016byJoePulizzi.Allrightsreserved.ExceptaspermittedundertheUnitedStatesCopyrightActof1976,nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedordistributedinanyformorbyanymeans,orstoredinadatabaseorretrievalsystem,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.
ISBN:978-1-25-958966-9
MHID:1-25-958966-8
ThematerialinthiseBookalsoappearsintheprintversionofthistitle:ISBN:978-1-25-958965-2,MHID:1-25-958965-X.
eBookconversionbycodeMantraVersion1.0
Alltrademarksaretrademarksoftheirrespectiveowners.Ratherthanputatrademarksymbolaftereveryoccurrenceofatrademarkedname,weusenamesinaneditorialfashiononly,andtothebenefitofthetrademarkowner,withnointentionofinfringementofthetrademark.Wheresuchdesignationsappearinthisbook,theyhavebeenprintedwithinitialcaps.
McGraw-HillEducationeBooksareavailableatspecialquantitydiscountstouseaspremiumsandsalespromotionsorforuseincorporatetrainingprograms.Tocontactarepresentative,pleasevisittheContactUspageatwww.mhprofessional.com.
TERMSOFUSE
ThisisacopyrightedworkandMcGraw-HillEducationanditslicensorsreserveallrightsinandtothework.Useofthisworkissubjecttotheseterms.ExceptaspermittedundertheCopyrightActof1976andtherighttostoreandretrieveonecopyofthework,youmaynotdecompile,disassemble,reverseengineer,reproduce,modify,createderivativeworksbasedupon,transmit,distribute,disseminate,sell,publishorsublicensetheworkoranypartofitwithoutMcGraw-HillEducation’spriorconsent.Youmayusetheworkforyourownnoncommercialandpersonaluse;anyotheruseoftheworkisstrictlyprohibited.Yourrighttousetheworkmaybeterminatedifyoufailtocomplywiththeseterms.
THEWORKISPROVIDED“ASIS.”McGRAW-HILLEDUCATIONANDITSLICENSORSMAKENOGUARANTEESORWARRANTIESASTOTHEACCURACY,ADEQUACYORCOMPLETENESSOFORRESULTSTOBEOBTAINEDFROMUSINGTHEWORK,INCLUDINGANYINFORMATIONTHATCANBEACCESSEDTHROUGHTHEWORKVIAHYPERLINKOROTHERWISE,ANDEXPRESSLYDISCLAIMANYWARRANTY,EXPRESSORIMPLIED,INCLUDINGBUTNOTLIMITEDTOIMPLIEDWARRANTIESOFMERCHANTABILITYORFITNESSFORAPARTICULARPURPOSE.McGraw-HillEducationanditslicensorsdonotwarrantorguaranteethatthefunctionscontainedintheworkwillmeetyourrequirementsorthatitsoperationwillbeuninterruptedorerrorfree.NeitherMcGraw-HillEducationnoritslicensorsshallbeliabletoyouoranyoneelseforanyinaccuracy,errororomission,regardlessofcause,intheworkorforanydamagesresultingtherefrom.McGraw-HillEducationhasnoresponsibilityforthecontentofanyinformationaccessedthroughthework.UndernocircumstancesshallMcGraw-Hill
Educationand/oritslicensorsbeliableforanyindirect,incidental,special,punitive,consequentialorsimilardamagesthatresultfromtheuseoforinabilitytousethework,evenifanyofthemhasbeenadvisedofthepossibilityofsuchdamages.Thislimitationofliabilityshallapplytoanyclaimorcausewhatsoeverwhethersuchclaimorcausearisesincontract,tortorotherwise.
Toallthosecrazypeopleintheworldwhohaveriskeditalltostartabusiness.Thisbookisforyou.
Contents
FOREWORDBYBRIANCLARK,CEO,COPYBLOGGERMEDIA
INTRODUCTION
PART1STARTINGTHEJOURNEY
CHAPTER1BEGINNINGWITHTHEENDINMIND
CHAPTER2THECONTENTINC.OPPORTUNITY
PART2THESWEETSPOT
CHAPTER3KNOWLEDGEORSKILL+PASSION
CHAPTER4ADDINGAUDIENCETOYOURSWEETSPOT
PART3THECONTENTTILT
CHAPTER5UNDERSTANDINGTHEPOWEROFTHE“TILT”
CHAPTER6DISCOVERINGYOURCONTENTMISSION
CHAPTER7WAYSTOUNEARTHYOURCONTENTTILT
PART4BUILDINGTHEBASE
CHAPTER8SELECTINGYOURPLATFORM
CHAPTER9CONTENTIDEATION
CHAPTER10THECONTENTCALENDAR
CHAPTER11CONTENTSTAFFING
CHAPTER12THECOLLABORATIVEPUBLISHINGMODEL
CHAPTER13PLANNINGFORREPURPOSING
PART5HARVESTINGAUDIENCE
CHAPTER14THEMETRICTHATDRIVESTHEMODEL
CHAPTER15BUILDINGFORFINDABILITY
CHAPTER16STEALINGAUDIENCE
CHAPTER17SOCIALMEDIAINTEGRATION
PART6DIVERSIFICATION
CHAPTER18THETHREEANDTHREEMODEL
CHAPTER19BUILDINGOUTEXTENSIONS
CHAPTER20ACQUIRINGCONTENTASSETS
PART7MONETIZATION
CHAPTER21WAITINGFORREVENUE
CHAPTER22BUILDINGTHEREVENUEMODEL
PART8NEXT-LEVELCONTENTINC.
CHAPTER23PUTTINGITALLTOGETHER
CHAPTER24JOINTHEMOVEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
APPENDIXA:CMI’SCONTRIBUTOR/BLOGGINGGUIDELINES
APPENDIXB:ANINSIDELOOKINTOCMI’SPUBLISHINGPROCESS
INDEX
Foreword
Byallreasonableaccounts,Ihadjustthrownmylifeaway.
Upuntilthispoint,Ihaddoneitallthe“right”way.Excelledmyfirstyearoflawschoolandgradedontolawreview.Clerkedforgreatfirmsmysecondandthirdyears.
AndyetIhadjustquitmybiglawfirmjobonlyfouryearsaftergraduation.Evenworse,IhaddoneitsoIcould“writeontheInternet.”
Tryexplainingthatonetoyourmom.
Now,mostunhappyattorneysareafflictedwiththedesiretowrite.Butyoudon’tquityourjobtodoit.AndwhenitcametotheInternetin1998,youhadtowriteabusinessplantosucceed,notcontent.
Afterall,thefirmIquitwastheonethattookMichaelDellfromdormroomtobillionaire.Ihadaccesstoconnections,butIdidn’tseemtowantthem.
Inhindsight,perhapsIwasalittlecrazy.Thewritinglifewasforme,Ithought,butIdidn’twanttobeacoginthemachineofHollywoodfilmsorNewYorkpublishing.
Everyeveningafterworkforfourtediousyears,Ihadbeenstaringatacomputerscreen,exploringtheInternet.Allthosepeople,allovertheworld—therehadtobeawaytomakealivingfromreachingthemwithmywords.
WhatIwasactuallysettingouttodowastostartabusiness.AndyetIhadnevertakenabusinessclass,neverreadamarketingbook,neveroncethoughtofmyselfasanentrepreneur.
Iwantedtobuildanaudienceandfindawaytomakealivingfromit.Fortunately,mycluelessnesswasanasset,becausetheInternetturnedalotofconventionalwisdomonitshead.
Atthetime,e-mailnewsletterswerethevehiclesforcontentpublishing,beforeblogstookover.Istartedoutcreatingwittypopculturee-zineswiththehopeofsellingadvertising.
Asfarasattractinganaudiencegoes,Isucceeded.Tensofthousandssignedup,andoneofmytitlesgotcoveragefromEntertainmentWeekly,SightandSoundMagazine,andmythenhometownAustinChronicle.
WhatIdidn’tget,however,wasrevenue.Onlineadvertisingisatoughgametoday,butin1998foranewbielikeme,itseemedimpossible.
Myproblem,Icametorealize,wasthatIdidn’thaveaproductorservicetosell.ThenIrealizedthatIdidhavesomethingtosell,andtrustme…Ineededthemoney.
Mylawlicensewasstillactive.Soin1999Istartedyetanothere-mailnewsletter,thisonefocusedonlegalissuesrelatedtotheInternet.IwashopingtopickupenoughclientworktosurvivewhileIfiguredouttheotherbusinessmodel.
Ittookoff.Iwassoonturningawayclients,pickingandchoosingthebestwork,securingthebestretainers.Iwasamazed…butmoreimportantly,Iwashooked.
Throughtheprocessofstartingonecompanythatfailed,andonefirmthatdidn’t,Idiscoveredsomethingimportant—Ilovedstartingbusinesses.Ratherthanatraditionalwriter,Iwasanentrepreneurwhocouldwrite,andthat’sservedmewell.
That’sbecausecontentiswhatpeoplewantonline,andmarketingandadvertisingarewhatpeopleeasilyavoid.Iknewhowtocreatetheformer,andthat’showIattractedandheldtheattentionthatledtorevenue,profits,andsuccess.
Thepracticeoflawwasstillnofun,soIsetmysightsonthelucrativerealestateindustry,whichwascluelessaboutthethingsIknewaboutonlinecontentandmarketing.Between2001and2005—despitebeingcompletelyunknownandwithlittlemorethanseveralcontent-richwebsites—Istartedandrantwovirtualrealestatebrokerages.
IwasnowmakingmoremoneythanifIhadremainedanattorneyatthatbig,prestigiouslawfirm.Iwasactuallymakingmorethanmanyoftheseniorpartners.Moreimportantly,Iwasconvincedthatrelevantcontentdesignedtobuildanaudienceofprospectswasthewaytosucceedwhenstartinganewbusiness.
In2005,IdecidedIwantedmore.Ihadnopassionforrealestate—IjusthadtoprovetomyselfthatIcouldsucceedoutsideoflaw.Withthatoutoftheway,Itrulybelievedthatmyjourneyasanentrepreneurhadjustbegun.
InDecember2005,Iregisteredthedomainnamecopyblogger.com.TheideawastoteachpeopletheuniqueintersectionofcontentandcopywritingskillsIhadusedtostartthreesuccessfulservicebusinesses.OnJanuary9,2006,thesitelaunched.
WhatCopybloggerwas(andis)aboutiscalledcontentmarketing.IfiguredtheterminologypartoutthankstoaguynamedJoePulizzi,theauthorofthebookyounowholdinyourhands.Moreonhiminjustabit.
Backto2006.Copybloggertakesoff—despitethefactthatI’magaincompletelyunknowninthefield—becausepeoplewerefrustratedwithtypicalbloggingandonlinecopywritingadvice.Imergedthetwotopicstogetherandadvocatedtheheresy(atthetime)thatyoushouldsellproductsandserviceswithcontentinsteadofrelyingonadvertising.
Here’sashortsummaryofwhathappenednext:
Between2007and2009,Ilaunchedanewstart-upoffCopybloggereveryyear,mostlysoftware,eachofwhichachievedsevenfiguresinrevenueinayearorless.In2010,ImergedseveralofthosecompaniestogethertoformCopybloggerMediainordertoexecuteonagrandervision.
In2014,CopybloggerMediaintroducedacompleteSaaSsystemforcontentmarketersandonlineentrepreneurs.Wealsohit$10millioninrevenue.
DidImentionthatwenevertookventurecapital,didn’tadvertise,andwereprofitableeveryyear?That’sallthankstotheaudienceIstartedbuildingin2006.
Now,I’mnottheonlyonewithastorylikethis.Manystart-upbusinesseshavegrownoutofaudience-firstapproaches,specificallyfromthebloggingworld.Butthestart-upcommunitygenerallyfailedtotakenotice.
ThatchangedabitwiththeinclusionofacasestudyaboutCopybloggerMediaintheNewYorkTimesbestsellerTheLeanEntrepreneur,byBrantCooperandPatrickVlaskovits.That’swhenmyconceptofthe“minimumviableaudience”reachedwellbeyondtheCopybloggerworld.
AnMVAisthepointwhenyouraudiencestartsgrowingitselfthroughsocialsharingandwordofmouth.Evenbetter,it’salsowhenyoustartgettingthefeedbackthattellsyouwhatproductorserviceyouraudienceactuallywantstobuy.
AcasestudyonasinglepageinTheLeanEntrepreneurwascertainlyeye-openingtomanyfledglingentrepreneurs.Butthebookyou’reholdingrightnowismorelikeamasterclassthatprovidesasix-stepprocessforcreatingsuccessfulcompanieslikethesevenI’vestartedsofar(withoutallmyearlymisstepsandmistakes).
Thisisexactlywhatanentrepreneurlikeyouneedstodevelopacontentstrategythatbuildsawinningcompany.Andyoudon’thavetobeawriter;butyoudohavetothinklikeamediaproducer.
ItgoeswithoutsayingthatIwouldhavekilledtohaveContent,Inc.in1998whenIwasstartingout.Sobepreparedtobeenlightened.Andwhobettertodeliverthegoodsthantheguywho’sbeentalkingaboutcontentmarketingsince2001?
TheycallJoePulizzithe“godfatherofcontentmarketing”forgoodreason.Hestartedhisownmultimillion-dollarcompanyusingthesamecontent-intensiveandaudience-firstapproachheadvocateshere.
AsImentioned,Joewastheonewhoconvincedmetoadoptthetermcontentmarketingin2008,justashe’sconvincedmarketingdepartmentsacrosstheworldtocraftcontentstrategiestomarketsmarter.He’sanamazingindustryevangelistandanevenbetterhumanbeing.
There’snobettertimethannowtogetstarted,andContentInc.istheperfectstartingpoint.Justincaseyou’reworriedthatthetacticsandstrategiesyou’reabouttodiscoverwon’tworkinthehereandnow,letmesharethiswithyou.
InJanuary2015,exactlynineyearsafterCopybloggerdebuted,Ilaunchedasimplee-mailnewslettercalledFurther.It’sapersonaldevelopmentpublication,whichmeansI’veonceagainenteredafieldwhereI’mcompletelyunknown.
Althoughtheprojectisyoungandhasnodefinitivebusinessmodel,it’salreadyachievedaminimumviableaudience.Thatallowsmetostartevolvingitanddiscoveringwhattheaudiencewants—andthat’swherethefunandprofitbegin.
Thisonecouldbemybiggestyet.Thepathtoyoursbeginshere.
BrianClark
CEO,CopybloggerMedia
Boulder,Colorado
Introduction
Thereasonablemanadaptshimselftotheworld:theunreasonablemanpersistsintryingtoadapttheworldtohimself.Thereforeallprogressdependsontheunreasonableman.
GEORGEBERNARDSHAW
Ileftasix-figureexecutivepublishingpositionin2007tostartabusiness.EventhoughIhadbeenthinkingaboutleavingmyjobforawhile,andIhadaproductinmindtosell,theproductwasn’tgoingtobereadyanytimesoon.
SoIhadnojobandnoproducttosell(andnoincome).Itwasn’tagoodpositiontobeinwithtwosmallchildren(agesthreeandfiveatthetime)andamortgagetopay.ThewebdeveloperIwasworkingwithdidn’tbelievewecouldgettheonlineofferingreadyforatleastninemonths.Ouch.
Whattodo?Withoutaproducttopitch,Ifocusedallmyattentiononbuildinganaudience.Inafewweeks,theblogwasupandrunning.Threetofivetimesaweek,Iwascreatinganddistributinghelpfulinformationtargetedtomarketersinlargecompanies—theaudienceIwantedtoreacheventuallywithmynewproduct.Afewmonthslater,Iwasstartingtobuildasmall,loyalfollowing.
Fast-forwardtothepresentday.Ourcompany,ContentMarketingInstitute,hasbeennamedtotheInc.500fastest-growingprivatecompanieslistforthreeyearsrunning,becomingthefastest-growingbusinessmediaorganizationinNorthAmerica.Wehaveconsistentlygrownourrevenuesat50percentperyearforthelastfouryears.In2015,we’lltop$10millioninrevenues.
Throughalovelyaccident,Istumbledonapowerfulwaytobuildabusinessinthedigitalage—andnowbelievethereisnobetterwaytogotomarket.Byfocusingonbuildinganaudiencefirstanddefiningproductsandservicessecond,anentrepreneurcanchangetherulesofthegameandsignificantlyincreasetheoddsoffinancialandpersonalsuccess.
Letmerepeatthat:Ibelievetheabsolutebestwaytostartabusinesstodayisnotbylaunchingaproduct,butbycreatingasystemtoattractandbuildanaudience.Oncealoyalaudienceisbuilt,onethatlovesyouandtheinformationyousend,youcan,mostlikely,sellyouraudienceanythingyouwant.ThismodeliscalledContentInc.
ButdidIdevelopamethodthatisdifficulttoreplicate,orarethereotherentrepreneursandstart-upsthatusedasimilarstrategy?
TheTrueStoryofDavidandGoliathThechallengesfacingeveryentrepreneurwhodreamsofsuccesscanbesummedupinoneoftwointerpretationsofthebiblicalstoryofDavidandGoliath.
GrowingupintheCatholicschoolsystem,IheardtheDavidversusGoliathstoryoften.Davidistheultimateunderdog;Goliath,thePhilistinegiant,themostpowerfulwarriorontheplanet.David,ayoungboy,doesn’thaveachancetodefeatsuchapowerfulandskilledwarrior.
ButthroughDavid’sfaithinGod,ahandfulofsmoothrocks,andperhapsasmallmiracle,DaviddefeatedGoliath.
JackWellmanfromtheChristianCrierassertsthat“Goliathhadeverythinggoingforhim.Hehadeveryadvantagepossible.Hehadgreatabilityandhewastrained,equipped,experienced,battletested,andbattlehardened,andhewascompletelyfearless.Hewastotallyconfidentbutitcouldalsobesaidthathewasoverconfident.”Hewasalsoabout6feet9inchestall.
AndthenherecomesDavid,smallandtotallyoutmatched.Justaboy,DavidwonbecausehehadsupremeconfidenceintheLord,whowaswithhim,andthegiantlosttheseeminglyunlosablebattle.
Reachingintohisbagandtakingoutastone,heslungitandstruckthePhilistineontheforehead.Thestonesankintohisforehead,andhefellfacedownontheground.
SoDavidtriumphedoverthePhilistinewithaslingandastone;withoutaswordinhishandhestruckdownthePhilistineandkilledhim.
Davidranandstoodoverhim.HetookholdofthePhilistine’sswordanddrewitfromthesheath.Afterhekilledhim,hecutoffhisheadwiththesword.
WhenthePhilistinessawthattheirherowasdead,theyturnedandran.(1Samuel17)
DavidbeatGoliathbecauseofhisfaithinGod.Ofcourse,DavidhadconfidenceinvictorybecausetheLordwaswithhim.Butperhapsthereisanotherwaytointerpretthisstory…
Goliath:TheUnderdogMalcolmGladwellgavemeanewperspectiveonthisstoryinhisbookDavidandGoliath:Underdogs,Misfits,andtheArtofBattlingGiants.Gladwell’sversionmakesperfectsensetomyentrepreneurialspirit.
AccordingtoGladwell,Goliathwasindeedagiant,whowasalsoextremelyslowtomove.Addtothat,hewaswearing100poundsofarmor.SomemedicalexpertsbelieveGoliathwassufferingfromacromegaly,ahormoneimbalancethatcausesahumantogrowtoextraordinarysize.Ifthatwasthecase,hisvisionwasmostlikelyimpairedaswell.
HowaboutDavid?Yes,Davidwassmallinstature,buthewasanaccomplished“slinger”andcouldtargetandstrikelargebeastsfromgreatdistances.Lightonhisfeet,Davidcouldmoveunsuspectedonatargetandstillwinanattackfromfaraway.
ThebiblicalinterpretationtellsusthatDavid,theunderdog,wasshownfavorbytheLord,whichhelpedhimdefeatGoliath,theheavyfavorite.Actually,Goliathhad
nochancetowin.GodfavoredDavidbyhelpinghimdiscernabetterstrategy.Thefightwasoverbeforeiteverbegan.
ChangingtheGameDavidwonbecauseheplayedanentirelydifferentgamethanGoliathdid.IfDavidwouldhavefoughtGoliathastraditiondemanded,onewarriorinhand-to-handcombatagainstanother,hewouldhavelost.
Andthisiswhathappenstoalmosteveryentrepreneurdreamingupanideathatwillmakehimorhersuccessful.Entrepreneurs,whetherbootstrappedorfunded,havenoresourcescomparedwiththoseofthelargeenterprisestheyarecompetingwith.
ENTREPRENEURSAREGETTINGBADADVICEAccordingtotheU.S.SmallBusinessAdministration,thefirststepinstartingabusinessistodevelopabusinessplan.Thestandardbusinessplanincludesthingslike“definingwhatyouareselling”and“creatingasalesandmarketingplan.”Ofcourseitdoes.I’msureifyousearchthethousandsofdifferentbusinessplansontheweb,theyalllookprettymuchthesame.Everystart-upessentiallyplaysthegamebythesamerules.
EvenPeterThiel,cofounderofPayPalandthefirstoutsideinvestorinFacebook,focusesalltheattentioninhisbookZerotoOneondevelopinganamazingproductunliketheworldhaseverseen.WhileIbelieveThielofferssomeexcellentadvicetoentrepreneurs,thepremiseisthesameasalltheotherexpertadviceoutthere:createaproductfirst.Findtheproblem,andthensolvetheproblemwithanexceptionalproductorservice.
Buttheresultsaren’texceptional…atall.AccordingtotheU.S.CensusBureau,themajorityofbusinessesfailintheirfirstfiveyears.Andeveryotherstatisticoutthereonstart-upfailureactuallysaysit’sprobablyalotworsethanthat.
Whydopeoplegotomarketwiththeirbusinessinthesameway?Ishumanitysodevoidofcreativitythatwe’veacceptedthatthereisonlyonewaytostartandgrowabusiness?
CANCONTENTINC.BEREPLICATED?BrianClark,founderofCopybloggerMedia,shareshisstoryinboththeForewordofthisbookandthroughoutasacasestudy.Brian,arecoveringattorney,hadsomeamazingideasabouthowbusinessesshouldmarketonline.Unfortunately(ormaybeIshouldsayfortunately),hedidn’thaveaproducttosell.
Foroneyearandsevenmonths,Briandevelopedamazingcontentonaconsistentbasistoatargetedaudience.Hedefinedhisultimatemissionas:
Tocreatemediaassetsthatdependedonthepermissiontocontactmyaudience,notthepermissionofamediagatekeeper.
Orshorthand:Becometheexpertresourcethatattractstherightaudiencewithout
havingtobuyadvertisingonsomeoneelse’splatform.
AndBriandidjustthat.Today,CopybloggerMediaisoneofthefastest-growingSaaS(softwareasaservice)companiesontheplanet.
InourresearchforContentInc.,we’vebeenabletouncovercountlessentrepreneursinvariedindustriesusingasimilarphilosophy.Inotherwords,BrianandIarenotalone.Andthebetternews?TheContentInc.modelcanbereplicated(butmoreonthatinasecond).
THECONTENTINC.FUTUREISNOWInthefuture,thousandsofbusinessesaroundtheglobewillbeleveragingaContentInc.go-to-marketstrategy.Why?Becausehavingasingularfocusonaudience,andbuildingaloyalaudiencedirectly,givesyouthebestunderstandingofwhatproductsultimatelymakethemostsensetosell.
ContentInc.tellsusthatthereisabetterwayandabettermodelthatleadstoabetterlifeforentrepreneursandbusinessowners.YouhavetheopportunitytobelikeDavid,wholookslikeanunderdogtotheGoliathsoftheworld,butthetruthisthatyou’vesimplyuncoveredabetterbusinessstrategythanalltherest.
THECONTENTINC.MODELInourexperienceworkingwithhundredsofbusinesses,andthedozensofinterviewsassociatedwiththisbook,we’vefoundthattherearesixdistinctstepstotheContentInc.model(seeFigureI.1).
FigureI.1
1.TheSweetSpotSimplyput,theentrepreneurneedstouncoveracontentareathatthebusinessmodelwillbebasedaround.Tomakethishappen,weneedtoidentifya“sweetspot”thatwillattractanaudienceovertime.Thissweetspotistheintersectionofaknowledgeorskillset(somethingtheentrepreneurorbusinesshasacompetencyin)andapassionarea
(somethingtheentrepreneurorbusinessfeelsisofgreatvaluetohimorherpersonallyortosocietyatlarge).
Forexample,AndySchneiderhasbuiltanentirebusinessaroundhiscelebritypersona,theChickenWhisperer.Andy’sknowledgeareaisbackyardpoultry.Toputitmildly,Andyknowsmoreaboutraisingchickensinabackyardthanjustaboutanyoneelseontheplanet.Atthesametime,Andyhasapassionforteaching.Andyloveshelpinghisfriendswiththeirbackyardchicken-raisingwheneverhecan.
2.ContentTiltOncethesweetspotisidentified,theentrepreneurneedstodeterminethe“tilt,”orthedifferentiationfactor,tofindanareaoflittletonocompetition.
ClausPilgaardisoneofthemostwell-knowncelebrityfiguresinDenmark,allbecauseoftheextraordinarywayhetalksaboutchilipeppers.Claus’sYouTubevideoshavegarneredmillionsofviews,includingonewhereClausconductstheDanishNationalChamberOrchestraplaying“TangoJalousie”whileeatingtheworld’shottestchilipeppers.Thatvideoalone(http://cmi.media/CI-ChiliKlaus)hasseenmorethan3millionviews(notethatthisismorethanhalfthepopulationofDenmark).
Claus’ssweetspotwastheintersectionofhisskillatperformanceartandhispassionforchilipeppers.ButClausrealizedtherewasanabundanceofcontentandexpertsaroundthe“heat”behindchilipeppers,butacontentgaparoundthetasteofpeppers.Asheexplainsinaninterview:
IwasactuallysittingthereinthislittlesummerhousegettingalittleboredandIhadmycamerawithmeandthought,“Whatifyoutalkedaboutchilipeppersinthesamewayasyouweretoldaboutraisingwine?”Youtalkaboutallthedifferentkindsoftastes,notaboutthealcoholbutwhatittasteslike.Isitcoffee,orisitfood?Whatisit?Soinsteadoftellingabouthowhotthesepepperswere,Iwasgettingaroundthepeppersandtalkingaboutthedifferentvarieties.Andthenmybodystartedtotellanotherstory[whileeatingthepeppers].Maybethat’swhythey[thevideos]becamesopopular.
Clausalwayshadapassionforchilipeppers,butitwasn’tuntilhestartedtellingadifferentstoryaround“taste”thatthebusinessmodelgrewlegs.The“tasting”additiontothesweetspot(whatwecallthe“tilt”)iswhatmadethedifference.
3.BuildingtheBaseOncethesweetspotisfoundandthetiltoccurs,aplatformischosenandacontentbaseisconstructed.Thisisexactlylikebuildingahouse.Beforewegetintoallthepaintandfixturesandflooringoptions,wehavetoplanandinstallthefoundation.Thisisdonebyconsistentlygeneratingvaluablecontentthroughonekeychannel(ablog,apodcast,YouTube,etc.).
Today,ContentMarketingInstitute(CMI)offersaprintmagazine,researchpapers,podcasts,ongoingworkshops,andmore…butforthefirstfouryears,itwasjustablog.Theblogbecamethecorechannelthatinitiallydrewintheoriginalaudience.Theblog
originallystartedasjustme,bloggingapproximatelythreetimesperweek.In2010,weopeneduptheblogtoadditionalcontributorsatfivetimesperweek.In2011,theblogwentdaily,evenonweekends.
Notuntilsuccesswasfoundintheblog(theplatform)didCMIdiversifytootherchannels.
4.HarvestingAudienceAftertheplatformischosenandthecontentbaseisbuilt,theopportunitypresentsitselftoincreasetheaudienceandconvert“one-timereaders”intoongoingsubscribers.
Thisiswhereweleveragesocialmediaaskeydistributiontoolsandtakesearchengineoptimizationseriously.Atthispoint,ourjobisnotjusttoincreasewebtraffic.Byitself,webtrafficisameaninglessmetric.Ourgoalistoincreasetraffictoincreasetheopportunitytoacquireanaudience.
Here’showMichaelStelzner,CEOofSocialMediaExaminer,explainsthisstepintheprocess:
Wewerearguablylatetothegame,becausebythetimewelaunchedSME[SocialMediaExaminer]therewerethousandsofotherblogsthatwerededicatedtosocial,butIsawthatasmarketplacejustificationmorethananythingelse.ButIdidn’tdoubtonceIbegan,becauseIknewhowtotrackmetrics;Iknewwhatmattered.IknewemailacquisitionwasthekeymetricandIhaddecidedthatweweren’tgoingtopromote(meaning“sell”)anythinguntilwehadatleast10,000emailsubscribers.AndwegottothatnumbersoquicklythatIknewwewerereallyontosomething.
…lastyearwehad15millionuniquepeoplevisitSME.Wehave340,000peoplethatweemaileverysingleday.Wecurrentlypublish8–10originalarticleseverysingleweek.
Thecriticalacknowledgmentforthisarea:whiletherearemanymetricstoanalyzecontentsuccess,thenumberonemetricisthesubscriber.It’salmostimpossibletomonetizeandgrowyouraudiencewithoutfirstgettingthereadertotakeactionandactually“subscribe”toyourcontent.
5.DiversificationOncethemodelhasbuiltastrong,loyal,andgrowingaudience,it’stimetodiversifyfromthemaincontentstream.Thinkofthemodellikeanoctopus,witheachcontentchannelbeingoneoftheeightarms.Howmanyofthosearmscanwewrapourreadersintokeepthemclosetous(andcomingbackformore)?
ESPN,originallystartedasasports-onlycabletelevisionstationin1979,beganwitha$9,000investmentbyBillandScottRasmussen.Now,almost40yearslater,ESPNistheworld’smostprofitablemediabrandwithoperatingearningsofmorethan$4billionaccordingtoForbes.com.
For13years,ESPNdirecteditsattentionononlyonechannelfor100percentofits
audience-buildingfocus—cabletelevision.Then,startingin1992,thefloodgatesopenedondiversification,firstwiththelaunchofESPNradio.ThenESPN.com(originallycalledESPNSportsZone)launchedin1995,followedthreeyearslaterbyESPNtheMagazine.
Today,ESPNhasapropertyinalmosteverychannelavailableontheplanet,fromTwittertopodcaststodocumentaries.Eventhoughthechannelswerelimitedinthe1980sand1990s(comparedwithtoday),ESPNdidn’tdiversifyuntilthecoreplatform(cabletelevision)wassuccessful.
6.MonetizationIt’stime.You’veidentifiedyoursweetspot.You’ve“tilted”tofindanareaofcontentnoncompetition.You’veselectedtheplatformandbuiltthebase.You’vestartedtobuildsubscribers,andyou’veevenbeguntolaunchcontentonadditionalplatforms.Nowiswhenthemodelmonetizesagainsttheplatform.
Bythistime,youarearmedwithenoughsubscriberinformation(bothqualitativeandquantitative)thatamultitudeofopportunitieswillpresentthemselvestogeneraterevenue.Thiscouldbeconsultingorsoftwareoreventsormore.
RandFishkin,CEOofMoz(originallycalledSEOMoz),startedhisblogonsearchengineoptimizationinsightsbackin2004.Inlessthanfiveyears,Mozhadover100,000e-mailsubscribers.
Randoriginallymonetizedtheaudiencethroughconsultingservices,butin2007,Mozlaunchedabetasubscriptionserviceforsoftwaretoolsandreports.By2009,Mozclosedtheconsultingbusinessentirelyandfocusedonsellingsoftwaretoitsaudience.FigureI.2showstheresults.
FigureI.2RandFishkinhasgrownMozfromastrugglingconsultingpracticetoafast-growing,$30millionenterprise.
Thebestpart?Rand’ssuccesslooksamazinglyunusual,butitisn’t.ThemoreI’veresearchedthis,themoreI’vefoundthatthesearetypicalnumbersforaContentInc.–basedbusiness.Thekeyisfollowingthesixstepsasoutlinedaboveandbeingpatientenoughforthemodeltowork.
THEAUDIENCEFORTHISBOOKFortyyearsago,HarvardBusinessSchoolprofessorHowardStephensondefinedentrepreneurshipinthismanner:
Entrepreneurshipisthepursuitofopportunitywithoutregardtoresourcescurrentlycontrolled.
Beforestartingtheresearchforthisbook,Ibelievedthatthetermentrepreneurwasrelegatedtostart-ups.Accordingtotheabovedefinition,thisisanincorrectpresumption.AsEricReiscontendsinTheLeanStartup,whenyoulookattheentrepreneurinthisway,itshouldbe“regardlessofcompanysize,sector,orstageofdevelopment.”
Atthesametime,Reisexplainsthat“astartupisahumaninstitutiondesignedtocreateanewproductorserviceunderconditionsofextremeuncertainty.”Thiscombinedlookatthecoredefinitionsofentrepreneurshipandstart-upplaysintoReis’sargument,thatneitheronemeansthatthesetermsareownedsolelybynewcompanies.
Fromthisperspective,andleveragingaContentInc.methodology,wehave:
1.Apurestart-up.Youarecreatinganeworganization,launchingacontent-firstmodel.Youareusingfundingfromvarioussourcestokeepthelightsonuntilyoudiscoveryourrevenue-generationproductorservice.AnexampleisBrianClarkandcopyblogger.com.
2.Astart-upinsidealargeorganization.You’vereceivedbuy-intodevelopanaudiencearoundacurrentcustomersegment.Yourgoalistobuildanengagedaudiencearoundacontentniche.Oncethat’scomplete,you’lllooktomonetizetheplatformintoneworcurrentproductsales,orperhapsuseittokeepcustomersmoreloyal.Thisiswheremostenterprisesarewithcontentmarketing.Theybelievethatiftheylaunchacontentplatform,itwillhelptheircurrentbusiness,buttheyarenot100percentsurehowitwillunfoldorwhattheultimatebenefitsmightbe.
3.Astalledbusiness.Youcurrentlyhaveanumberofproductsandservicesyousell,butyouarenothappywithyourgrowth.Youbelievethatbuildinganaudiencearoundcontentcanleadtonewopportunitiesforthebusiness.AnexampleofthisisLEGO.YearsagoLEGO’sgrowthstalled,soittookafreshlookatitsaudienceandplatforms.Today,LEGOisavibrant,growingcompany.Muchofthiscreditgoestothemultitudeofcontentplatformsthecompanywasabletobuild.
ThemajorityofexamplesinContentInc.revolvearoundthecreationofaneworyoungorganization,onethatisdevelopingprocessesaroundbuildinganewaudiencethatbecomesloyalandengagedthroughcontentcreationanddistribution.Evenso,Ibelieve
thisbookisrelevantforanyofthethree“statesofbusiness”above.
HOWTHISBOOKISORGANIZEDYearsagomyfriendHenryandIweretalkingabouthowlongablogpostshouldbeintermsofnumberofwords.Hisresponsewaspriceless.Henrysaidslyly,“Ablogpostislikeaminiskirt…itneedstobelongenoughtocovertheessentialsbutshortenoughtokeepitinteresting.”
Andthat’sexactlywhatyou’llfindineachchapterofContentInc.Somechapterswillbelong,becauseIfeeldepthisneededinthoseareas.Somewillbeshort.Needlesstosay,thisbookhasbeenheavilyeditedtokeepsubjectsinterestingandrelevanttoyou.
Inaddition,I’veincludedkeythemes,actionsteps,andresourcesattheendofmostchapters.Oneofmybigpetpeevesofnonfictionbooksishavingtoalwaysgotothebackofthebookforresources.So,problemsolved…wejustputthematthebackofthechapter.
Andfinally…
Thisbookisnotapersonalmemoir,butIwillbesharingallthesecretsabouthowwebuiltourbusinessusingthestrategiesinContentInc.I’llalsobesharingmultiplecasestudies,likeBrian’sandmanyothers,toshowthattheContentInc.methodologyisnotaone-hitwonder.Anyentrepreneurinanyindustrycan,byfollowingafewimportantsteps,developasuccessfulbusinessbyfocusingonbuildingaudiencefirstandproductsecond.
Thankyoufortakingthetimetomakethisjourneywithme.Iftodaywerethelastdayofyourlife,wouldyouwanttodowhatyouareabouttodotoday?
STEVEJOBS
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Themajorityofstart-upsaroundtheworldbegintheirjourneyinexactlythesamewayaseveryothercompany.Whyarewedoingthissincethemajorityofstart-upsfail?Theformulaneedstochange.
IfellintoahappyaccidentwiththeContentInc.model.AndIwasn’talone.Thegreatnewsisthat,byreverseengineeringmysuccessmodelanddozensofotherslikeit,thereisasystematicwaytocreateaContentInc.businessthatworks.
Whetheryouareasolostart-uporaninnovativegroupwithinalargeenterprise,ContentInc.canandwillworkwithpatienceandtherightcontentplan.
ResourcesMalcolmGladwell,DavidandGoliath:Underdogs,Misfits,andtheArtofBattling
Giants,Little,BrownandCompany,2013.
PeterThiel,ZerotoOne:NotesonStartups,orHowtoBuildtheFuture,CrownBusiness,2014.
ScottShane,“FailureIsaConstantinEntrepreneurship,”NewYorkTimes.com,accessedApril7,2015,http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/failure-is-a-constant-in-entrepreneurship/.
JackWellman,“DavidandGoliathBibleStory,”Patheos.com,accessedApril7,2015,http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/04/15/david-and-goliath-bible-story-lesson-summary-and-study/#ixzz3H9qKZLbb.
HolyBible,NewInternationalVersion,GrandRapids:ZondervanPublishingHouse,1984,1Samuel17.
EricSchurenburg,“What’sanEntrepreneur?TheBestAnswerEver,”Inc.com,accessedApril7,2015,http://www.inc.com/eric-schurenberg/the-best-definition-of-entepreneurship.html.
EricReis,TheLeanStartup,CrownBusiness,2011.
JamesAndrewMillerandThomShales,ThoseGuysHaveAlltheFun:InsidetheWorldofESPN,Little,BrownandCompany,2011.
“ESPN.comFacts,”accessedApril7,2015,http://espn.go.com/pr/espnfact.html.
ClausPilgaard,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
AndySchneider,interviewbyClareMcDermott,December2015.
RandFishkin,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
MikeStelzner,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
Part1
StartingtheJourneyHowwonderfulitisthatnobodyneedwaitasinglemomentbeforestartingtoimprovetheworld.
ANNEFRANK
TobesuccessfulatlaunchingtheContentInc.model,weneedtogetourgoalsandplansintherightplace.Let’sgetstarted!
Chapter1
BeginningwiththeEndinMindGoalsallowyoutocontrolthedirectionofchangeinyourfavor.
BRIANTRACY
Iwentthroughafairlylongperiodofnotfeelingsuccessful,thoughinhindsightit’smoreaccuratetosaythatIdidn’treallyknowwhatsuccesswas.
IgraduatedfromBowlingGreenStateUniversity(justsouthofToledo,Ohio)withadegreeininterpersonalcommunications.Mymajorhadbeen“undecided,”untilthebeginningofmyjunioryear.TheonlyreasonIchoseinterpersonalcommunicationsisthatitwastheonlydegreeIcouldpursuethatwouldallowmetograduateontime.
AsIcameclosetograduation,IfeltlikesportsmarketingwassomethingI’dbegoodat.IwasluckyenoughtogetaninternshipwiththeClevelandCavaliers,theprofessionalbasketballteam,aftergraduation.Butafterfindingoutthatallthemoneywenttotheplayers(theoperationsteamworksverylonghoursforverylittlepay),Idecidedtogotograduateschool.
Withtwoweeksleftbeforefallsemester,someonedroppedoutoftheteachingassistantshipprogramatPennStateUniversity,leavinganopeningforyourstruly.Itaughtfoursemestersofpublicspeakingandendedupwithamaster’sdegreeincommunications.
Overeducatedandunderexperienced,ItraveledtoCleveland,Ohio,tofindajob.Aftersendingoutseeminglyhundredsofrésuméswithnoluck,Itookthemaster’sdegreeoffmyrésuméandstartedtodotempwork.Afterafewmonthlongworkengagements,Ilandedafull-timejobataninsurancecompanyworkingoninternalcommunicationsprojects.
Shortlyafterstartingmynewjob,IreadthebookThinkandGrowRichbyNapoleonHill.ItmadeahugeimpactonhowIdefinedsuccessandwhatIreallywantedtodowithmylife.ThoughIreadtheentirebook,covertocover,therewasonepowerfulpassageIfeltparticularlycompelledtoremember:
Opportunityhasspreaditswaresbeforeyou.Stepuptothefront,selectwhatyouwant,createyourplan,puttheplanintoaction,andfollowthroughwithpersistence.
ItwasthenthatIstartedtosetgoalsformylife.
Next,IreadThe7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeoplebyStephenCovey.Thesecondhabitlistedis“BeginwiththeEndinMind,”whichmeans:
Tobegineachday,task,orprojectwithaclearvisionofyourdesireddirectionanddestination,andthencontinuebyflexingyourproactivemusclestomakethingshappen.
ItwasthenthatIstartedtowritedownmygoalsforthefirsttime.
Afterthreeyearsandafewpromotionsattheinsurancecompany,IleftforanewopportunityatPentonMedia,thelargestindependentbusiness-to-businessmediacompanyinNorthAmerica.ItwastherethatIexpandedonmyeducation,learningtheworldofmediacommunication,marketingcommunications,andcorporatecontentcreation.ItwasatPentonwhereIlearnedthepoweroflisteningtoanaudienceandbecamefamiliarwiththevariousbusinessmodelsthatmademediacompanieswork.
InMarch2007IdecidedtoleavePentonMedia(whereIwasvicepresidentofcustommedia)primarilybecauseIdidn’tfeelIhadanyrealinfluenceoverthedirectionofthecompany(oneofmywrittengoalswastohaveinfluenceatwhateverjobIwascurrentlyin).SoIleftandstartedwhatwastobecometheContentMarketingInstitute.
Inthatsameyear,researchconductedbyDr.GailMatthewsfromDominicanUniversityofCaliforniashowedthatpeoplewhowrotedowntheirgoals,sharedwithafriend,andsentweeklyupdatestothatfriendwereonaverage33percentmoresuccessfulinaccomplishingtheirstatedgoalsthanthosewhomerelyformulatedgoals.
SoIstartedtosharemygoalswithothers;butmoreimportantly,Ireviewedthosegoalsonadailybasis.That’sright—everydayIwouldreadmygoals,makingsureIwasstayingontrack.
Afewyearslater,afterreadingthebookThe10XRulebyGrantCardone,Iseparatedmygoalsintothefollowingsixcategories:
Financialgoals
Familygoals
Spiritualgoals
Mentalgoals
Physicalgoals
Philanthropicgoals
Thedifferenceinthedirectionmylifetookfromthatpointonisbeyondremarkabletome.
TWOACTIONSANDTHEIRIMPACTONACONTENTINC.APPROACH
I’vebeenblessedwithmorethanmyfairshareoffortuneformanyyears,butinthinkingback,I’vefoundthatthosetwodailybehaviorsImentionedhavelikelymadeallthedifference:writingdownmygoalsandconsistentlyreviewingthosegoals.
WhyamItellingyouthis,andwhatdoesithavetodowithcontentmarketingandthisbook?Well,inthiscase,everything.
Everyyear,ContentMarketingInstituteandMarketingProfsreleaseanannualbenchmarkstudyonthestateofcontentmarketinginNorthAmerica,theUnitedKingdom,andAustralia(seehttp://cmi.media/CI-researchforthefullstudy).
Upongettingtheinitialresultsofthelateststudy,welookeddeepintothedatatoseeifwecoulddeterminewhatdifferentiatesthegreatcontentmarketers(thosewhostatetheyareeffectivewithcontentmarketing)fromeveryoneelse.Whilemanycharacteristicscametothesurface,weonlyfoundtwocriticaldifferentiators.Greatcontentmarketersdotwothingsdifferentlyfromtherest
Theydocumenttheircontentmarketingstrategyinsomeway(written,electronic,etc.)(seeFigure1.1).
Theyreviewandconsistentlyrefertotheplanonaregularbasis.
Figure1.1Elitecontentmarketingorganizationshaveahabitofwritingdowntheirplansanddocumentingtheirstrategy.Source:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs
So,ofallthecharacteristicswelookedat,thesetwoactionsmadethemostdifferenceindeterminingcontentmarketingsuccess.Itseemssosimple,butthefactisthatfewmarketersaredoingthesetwothingsconsistently.
Fromapersonalperspective,thesearethesametwoactionsthatmadeallthedifferenceinmylife’ssuccesses,bothpersonallyandprofessionally.
DOTHISFIRSTYes,thisbookisfilledwithactionableitemsonhowtodevelopandexecuteyourownContentInc.initiative;butwithoutsettingdirectionforyourlife,whatgoodwillitdo?
I’veseensomanysmartentrepreneursstartwithabusinessideatheythinkwillchange
theworld,onlytofailmanymonthslaterbynothavingtheirprioritiesstraight.
Yourworkbeginsnow.Beforeyouembarkonthisjourneywithme,youneedtogetyoursixgoalareasinorder.Here’showtodoit.Undereacharea,listatleasttwoactionablegoalswithspecificnumbersandtimetables.Itdoesn’thavetobeperfect.Thegoalswillchangeonanongoingbasisasyoulearnmoreaboutyourself.Andmostlikely,ifyouarereadingthisbook,those“career”goalsmaynotbereadyforshowyet.Noworries…youcanfillcertainareasinasyoudelveintothebook.
ContentInc.TipTryusingEvernotetokeeptrackofyourgoalssoyoucankeepthemwithyouatalltimes,whetheryouareonyourcomputer,tablet,orsmartphone.Ifthatdoesn’tfeelright,justuseatraditionalMoleskinenotebookandkeepitwithyouatalltimes.
ContentInc.inActionMySixGoalAreas
Financial
IowncompaniesthatIcancontrolatadistanceandhavegreatpeopleworkingforme.
1.
2.
3.
Family
Ihavehealthychildrenwhobelievetheycanaccomplishanything.
1.
2.
3.
Spiritual
Iprayeveryeveningwithmyfamily.
1.
2.
3.
Mental
Ireadonebookpermonthonsomethingnon–businessrelated.
1.
2.
3.
Physical
Irunthreetimesperweekandcompeteintwohalf-marathonsperyear.
1.
2.
3.
Philanthropic
IhavehelpedturnCleveland,Ohio,intoavibrantcity.
1.
2.
3.
WhatYouAreRiskingwithaContentInc.ApproachWhenIleftmy“realjob”tostartabusiness,countlessfriendsandfamilymembersvoicedtheirconcerns.
“Areyousureyouwanttotakethatbigariskandleaveasecurejob?”
Thequestionwasunderstandable.Ihadayoungfamilywithtwosmallkids.Heck,evenmyfriendswhowereentrepreneursandbusinessownersquestionedmymovefromasix-figuresalaryandsolidbenefitpackage.
Theproblemwas,as“cushy”assomemayhavethoughtmypositiontobe,Ididn’thavemuchsayinhowthecompanywasrun.Ihadvirtuallynocontroloverwhatthecompanydidordidnotdo.I’mnotsureifmypositionwasatrisk,butmyjobseemedawfullyrisky,benefitsandall.
WhatCanYouControl?Ifyou’veeverreadanyofRobertKiyosaki’sbooks(fromRichDadseriesfame),youmayseeriskabitdifferentlythanmost.Here’sanoverviewofMr.Kiyosaki’sthinking:
Ifyoucannotmakeaphonecallorsendane-mailthatwilldirectlyinfluencehowacompanyisrun,theninvestinginthatcompanyislikegamblingatthecasino.
Ihaveinvestmentsinthestockmarket.IownstockinFacebook,Google,ElectronicArts,andothers.Buttobehonest,sinceIcannotcalltheCEOsofthesecompaniestoinfluencechange,theseinvestmentsareriskytomepersonally.Forwhateveryouthinkaboutinvestinginstocks,ifyouhavenocontroloverwhatdecisionsaremade,youarejustplayingtheoddsthatsomecompanies,forwhateverreason,mayperformbetterovertimeandincreaseinvalue.
IsStartingaBusinessRiskierthanTakingaSteadyJob?Duringaphoneinterviewinearly2015,areportermadethecommenttome,“Youreallytookariskbyleavingyourjobandlaunchinganewconcept.”
Myresponsewassomethinglikethis:
Yes,atfirstitseemedlikeIwasriskingalot.Butinhindsight,Imadethesafestmovepossible.OverthetimeI’vebeenanentrepreneur,manyofmyfriendslosttheirjobs.Anumberofmywell-respectedandincrediblysmartteacherfriendssweatednightsandweekendshopingtheirlevywouldpasssotheycouldkeeptheirjobs.AmazinglytalentedpeopleIknowwhowrite,draw,construct,design,andmoreforotherpeoplehavebeenstrugglingtofinda“steadyjob”tosupporttheirfamilies.Butintakingcontrolofasmuchofmylifeaspossible,Ibelievemymovewastheleastriskyofall.
Ihonorandrespectwhatmanyofmyfamilymembersandfriendsdoforaliving.Whattheydohelpssomanypeopleinmanydifferentways.ButIalsoworryabouttheirlivelihood.
While2014wasanamazingyearformanyofmyfriendsandcolleagues,agoodnumberofmy“corporatefriends”losttheirjobsindownsizingandrestructuringefforts.
TakingControlBackNoteveryoneiscutouttobeanentrepreneurortakeaContentInc.approach.Itrequiresauniquecombinationofpassion,vision,perseverance,patience,andblindbeliefinyourselftobecomeasuccess.ButIbelievewehavetostartthinkingdifferentlyabouthowtheseeminglysafechoiceswemakeareactuallyincrediblyrisky.Somequestionstoconsider:
•Inyourcurrentsituation,doyouhaveenoughcontroltohelpsetthedirectionofthebusiness?WilltheCEOorbusinessleadertakeameetingfromyouandactuallylisten?
•Whatcanyoudoinyourcurrentroletostarttowinoverthatinfluence?
•Areyouinvestinginassetsthatyouhavesomesayin(e.g.,realestateorinvestmentsincompaniesandindividuals),orareyouinvestingallyourmoneyinto“goodbets”(e.g.,thestockmarket)?
Forwhateverreason,we’vebeenlulledintothinkingthatcertainthingsaresafeandcertainthingsarerisky.Ibelievethemajorityofhumanbeingsarelivingwithblindersontothisfact.Myhopeisthatyoustarttolookatyourcurrentjob,yourcareer,andyourinvestmentsabitdifferently.
Somanythingsinlifewehavenocontrolover…forthosefewthingswedohavecontrolover,weneedtograbitandrun.
ASYOUBUILD…
AsyoumoveintobuildingaContentInc.model,therearetwocriticalthingstostartthinkingabout.Thefirstiswhatthelegalentityforthebusinessshouldbe.InourU.S.examples,itseemsthemostpopularlegalmodelisthecreationofanLLC(limitedliabilitycompany)taxedasanScorporation(seeaprofessionallegalconsultantforadviceonyoursituation).Thesecondishiringavirtualassistant.IfyouaregoingtomakeContentInc.workforyou,youneedtobefocusedonthebusiness.Offloadingcallsandschedulingtosomeoneelseisnota“nice-to-have,”butcritical.TworesourcestocheckoutareChrisDucker(http://cmi.media/CI-virtualstaff)andJessOstroff(http://cmi.media/CI-dontpanic),whobothofferhighlyrecommendedvirtualassistantservices.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
BeforeyoubeginyourContentInc.journey,startwithwhy.Whyareyoudoingthis?Whatdoyouwanttoachieve?Visualizewhoyoureallywanttobe.
Writedownandreviewyourgoalsasoftenasyoupossiblycan.
Contemplatewhatyouarereallyriskinginyourcurrentposition.Ourviewofriskisheavilyshapedbywhatothersthink.TrytolookatyoursituationobjectivelyanddetermineiftheContentInc.riskisworthit.
ResourcesNapoleonHill,ThinkandGrowRich,RalstonSociety,1937.
GrantCardone,The10XRule,Wiley,2011.
StephenCovey,The7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople,FreePress,1989.
Dr.GailMatthews,DominicanUniversityGoalsStudy,2007,http://www.dominican.edu/academics/ahss/undergraduate-programs-1/psych/faculty/fulltime/gailmatthews/researchsummary2.pdf.
RobertT.Kiyosaki,RichDad,PoorDad,PlataPublishing,2000.
Chapter2
TheContentInc.OpportunityWhateveryoucandoordreamyoucan,beginit.Boldnesshasgenius,powerandmagicinit!
JOHANNWOLFGANGVONGOETHE
IhadthepleasureofmeetingJonLoomerinSanDiegoatSocialMediaMarketingWorld2013.Asfatehadit,wejusthappenedtositnexttoeachotherduringtheopeningkeynote.Duringoneofthoseuncomfortableicebreakers,JonandIbegantotalkaboutourkidsandhobbies,butIwasreallyinterestedinhisbackstory.
Jonhashadhisshareofstruggles.Afterdealingwithhisson’sbattlewithcancer(neuroblastoma)andbeinglaidofffromworktwotimesinatwo-and-a-half-yearperiod,Jonwasatacrossroads.
Then,inFebruary2012,FacebookrolledoutitsTimelineforPagesproduct.Jonwashookedimmediately.HebecameinterestedinFacebookwhenheworkedforNBA.comin2007,andthisrecentFacebookmovefannedthatinterest.SoJonwenttohiswebsite,JonLoomer.com,andstartedtoconsistentlycreatecontentabouttheFacebookproduct.Everythingwaseducational,helpful,andremarkablydetailed.
Almostimmediately,Jonfeltlikesomethingjustclicked.Thatfirstyear,JonbloggedonthesubjectofFacebookreligiously(creatingapproximately350blogpostsinthatfirstyearalone).
By2015,Jonwasgettingover400,000pageviewspermonthandhad50,000e-mailsubscriberswhoaskedtoreceivehisinformationeveryweek.IfyouaskanyoneaboutwhoistheleadingexpertinadvancedFacebookmarketing,Jon’snamealmostalwayscomesupfirst.
Andthebestpart…Jonhasdevelopedaremarkablysubstantial,growingbusiness—allwhilestillcoachinghissoneveryyearinbaseball.
WhatJonhasaccomplishedwouldhavebeenimpossible20yearsago.Today,thismodel(calledContentInc.)isabsolutelypossible.Butmorethanthat,IbelieveJon,andtheothersyou’llhearaboutinthisbook,hasuncoveredtheleastriskybusiness-launchmodelonthemarkettoday.
MichaelStelzner,founderofSocialMediaExaminer,saysitbest:
It’shardwork.I’mnotgoingtolie.Anyonewhotellsyouthatit’sreallyeasytobuildacontentbusinessisnottellingyouthetruth.Youhavetoacceptthefactthatthisisgoingtobegrueling,difficult,timeconsuming,andlaboriouswork.Butifyou’rewillingtorollupyoursleevesandgetdirty,andarewillingtoconstantlyanalyzewhatyou’redoingandscrapwhatdoesn’tworkandcontinuewhatdoeswork,andkeepatit,youcanbevery,verysuccessful.
WHATCHANGED?Before1990,therewereonlyeightchannelsavailablewhereacompanycouldcommunicatewithaconsumer:atanevent,byfax,throughdirectmail,bytelephone,ontelevision,throughtheradio,onabillboard,orinaprintmagazineornewsletter(seeFigure2.1).In2015,thereareliterallyhundredsofchannelswhereconsumersaccesscontent.
Figure2.1Backin1990,therewereonlyeightchannelstocommunicatewithcustomers.Todaytherearehundreds.Imagesource:JeffRohrs,Salesforce.com
Before1990,largemediacompanieshadthemostpowerbecausetheycontrolledthe
informationchannels…theycontrolledtheaudience.Now25yearslaterthatpowerhasalmostcompletelyshiftedtotheconsumer.Thismeansthattodayanyone,anywhere,canbeapublisherandbuildanaudience.Thisisamajordevelopmentinthecommunicationsmarketthatimpactseverybusiness,largeandsmall.
Inmypreviousbook,EpicContentMarketing,Idetailfivereasonsforthispowershift:
1.Notechnologybarriers.Inthepast,thepublishingprocesswascomplexandexpensive.Traditionally,mediacompaniesspenthundredsofthousandsofdollarsoncomplexcontentmanagementandproductionsystems.Today,anyonecanpublishforfreeonlineinfiveminutes(seconds?)orless.Atthesametime,almost2billionconsumershavesmartphones(eMarketer)and75percentofU.S.householdshaveInternetaccess(U.S.Census).Simplyput,anyonecanpublish,andanyonecanreceivecontent.
2.Talentavailability.WhenIstartedinthepublishingbusiness15yearsago,itwasoftenachallengetofindwritersandothercontentcreatorsofparticularexpertise.Twothingshavechangedsincethen.First,crediblejournalists,writers,andproducersareverywillingtoworkwithnonmediacompanies.Inthepast,manycontentcreatorswouldbalkattheideaofworkingwithnonmediacompanies,becauseitwasoftenconsidered“lower”work.Thatstigmahassincegone.Second,betweenGoogle,dozensofcontentmarketplaces,anddirectaccessthroughsocialmedia,contentcreatorsaresignificantlyeasiertofind.Thismeans,anycompanyofanysizecangetaccesstothebestcontentcreatorsontheplanet(ifthecompanywishestodoso).
3.Contentacceptance.Takealookatthecurrentstateofconsumerbehavior:
61percentofconsumerssaytheyfeelbetteraboutacompanythatdeliverscustomcontent,andaremorelikelytobuyfromthatcompany(ContentCouncil).
Peoplespendmorethan50percentoftheirtimeonlinelookingatcontent(Nielsen).
70percentofconsumersprefergettingtoknowacompanyviaarticlesratherthanads(Content+).
90percentofconsumersfindcustomcontentuseful,and78percentbelievethatorganizationsprovidingcustomcontentareinterestedinbuildinggoodrelationshipswiththem(CMOCouncil).
Thekeyhereisthatyoudon’thavetobetheNewYorkTimesortheleadingtrademagazineinyourindustrytogetpeopletoengagewithyourcontent.Readersareopentoreceivingandengaginginanycontentthatwillhelpthemlivebetterlives,getbetterjobs,orsolveaparticulartask.Thepoint:Youhaveasmuchopportunitytodeliveramazinglyhelpfulcontentasanyoneelse.
4.Socialmedia.Socialmediawon’tworkwithoutvaluable,consistent,andcompellinginformationcreationanddistribution.Ifanyindividualorcompanywantstobesuccessfulinsocialmedia,itneedstotellcompellingstoriesfirst.Interestingandhelpfulstoriesspread,whichmeansthatmuchofthemarketingofourcontentisassistedbyotherpeople.Socialmediaisuselesswithouthavingthecontenttofuelit.
5.Google.EverytimeGoogleupdatesitssearchalgorithms,themosthelpfulandusableinformationrisestothetop.Whilethesystemisnotperfect,it’sextremelydemocratic.Thismeansthateventhesmallestcompanythatunderstandsdigitalcontentcreationanddistributioncanbeatoutabigmediacompanywiththerightprocesses.
Todayanyone,anywhere,canpublishbooks,developmediasites,andcreatefeature-lengthmovies,witheachonehavingtheabilitytoreachanaudiencedirectly.Forexample,writer-directorSeanBakerreleasedhislatestmovie,Tangerine,atthe2015SundanceFestivaltoglowingcriticalreview.Thebigdeal?HefilmedtheentiremovieusinganiPhone5S.
Disruptionishappeningeverywhere,butnowhereisthismoreapparentthanaroundcontentcreationanddistribution.
Entrepreneursandsmallbusinessesneedtoberejoicing.Today’savailabilityoftechnologymeansthatanybusinessinanyindustrycandevelopanaudiencethroughconsistentstorytelling.Nolongerdoesthecompanywiththebiggestmarketingbudgetwinthemostattention.Businessesarenowrewardedonthesubstanceoftheirmessageandontheaudiencetheycanattractthroughtheconsistentflowofinformation.
ENTERCONTENTINC.In2007,LaurenLukebegansellingmakeupproductsoneBayinanefforttosubsidizehermodestdayjobasataxidispatcherinNewcastle,England.InanefforttoimprovehereBaysales,LaurenbegancreatingpracticalmakeupapplicationvideosanddistributedthemonYouTube.Fiveyears,and135millionviews,later,LaurenhadbuiltabiggeraudiencethanEstéeLauderonYouTube.
HowdidLaurendoit?HowdidJonLoomermakesuccesshappen?Didthestarsalignineachofthesecases,oristheresomethingabouthowtheylaunchedandpositionedtheirbusinessesthatwecanlearnfromandreplicate?Didtheyjusthappentofindamodelthatisnotcapitalintensiveinanywayandinwhichthecoreassetisderivedfromsellingknowledge?
Overtwoyearsandcountlessinterviews,we’vebeenabletodeconstructandthenreengineertheContentInc.model.AswenotedintheIntroduction,we’veidentifiedaseriesofstepseachentrepreneurtook,whichtogetherhelpeduscreateanewandviablebusinessmodelforstart-ups(seeFigure2.2):
Figure2.2TheContentInc.model.
Thesweetspot.Mixingaknowledgeareaorskillwithapassionarea.
Thecontenttilt.Lookingatthetraditionalcontentnichedefinedasslightlyoff-center,tocreateatruedifferentiationarea.
Buildingthebase.Consistentpublishinginonecorechannel.
Harvestingaudience.Convertingthepublishingactivitytotheassetofsubscribers.
Diversification.Atthepropertime,expandingthepublishingprocesstoadditionalchannels.
Monetization.Monetizingtheaudiencethroughtheselectionofproductsorservicesthatwillbethesourceofrevenueandprofitforthebusiness.
Outsideofaslightvariationhereandtherewithourmodelcompanies,thesesixstepsdefinetheContentInc.model.Inthenextfewchapters,we’llopenupthekimonooneachoneoftheseareassothatyoutoocanlaunchandexecuteaContentInc.model.
ATHOUGHTONWHYDonSchultz,thefatherofintegratedmarketingandauthorofIntegratedMarketingCommunications,discussestheideathatanycompany,anywhereintheworld,cancopyeverythingaboutwhatyouasacompanydo…exceptforonething—howyoucommunicate.Thewaywecommunicatewithourprospectsandcustomersistheoneremainingwaywecanactuallybedifferent.
Intheirbook,Experiences:The7thEraofMarketing,RobertRoseandCarlaJohnsonbuildonSchultz’scommentarybyaddingthatitiscontent,andtheexperiencesthatcustomershavewithourcontent,thatistheultimatedifferentiator.
ThisiswhyentrepreneursthatfollowaContentInc.strategyhaveastrategicadvantageoverothercompanies.Theentirebusinessmodelisdedicatedtodevelopingcontentexperiencesandbuildinganaudience,andnottopitchingproductsinanyway.
NOPRODUCT?THAT’SGOOD!
SometimeshavingproductofferingshurtsaContentInc.model.Taketheprintmagazineindustry,forexample.Foryears,printmagazinepublishersweresoprotectiveoverkeepingprintadvertisingdollarsthattheywereignoringtheaudience’sneedfordigital.Printmagazineprovidersthatdidn’tlistentothischangearenolongerwithus.
Whenallyourfocusisonanaudienceyouknowdeeply,insteadofaproduct,goodthingsusuallyhappen.Whenwelistenintentlytoouraudience,weareautomaticallyledtonewproductopportunities.Thechallengeisthatsometimeswedon’tknowwhenthemodelwilltakeshape—andwhypatiencewiththeContentInc.modeliskey.AsChrisBrogan,founderofOwnermagazine,states,audiencesareeagerfortheirlivestobechangedinsomeway.FocusingonthatgivesContentInc.theadvantage.
ContentInc.LearningsfromNapoleonHillNapoleonHill’sclassic,ThinkandGrowRich,wasfirstpublishedin1937.Now,inthebook’s78thanniversaryyear,NapoleonHill’slessonsarestillextremelyrelevantandvaluable,especiallytoday.
DesireWhateverthemindcanconceiveandbelieve,itcanachieve.
YoucantalkaboutallthethingsContentInc.businessesshoulddotoattractandretaincustomers—contentstrategy,contentplanning,contentorganization,contentintegration,etc.—butdesireisnumerouno.EverywhereIspeakIheartheobjectionthatmostbusinessessimplydonothavethedesiretobetheinformationalresourcefortheircustomersandprospects—thesebusinessesdon’twantitenough.Theytalkofcontentcreationasachore,notasacoreservicetocustomersthatisnecessaryforthecompany’ssurvival.
FaithFaithisthe“eternalelixir”whichgiveslife,power,andactiontotheimpulseof
thought!
Wantingitisonething,butactuallybelievingyoucanbetheinformationalexpertforyourindustryisanother.WhenwefirststartedJunta42in2007(whichultimatelypivotedtoContentMarketingInstitutein2010),wefirmlybelievedthatwewouldbetheinformationalresourceforourindustry.Itwasunquestioned.Itwasonlyamatteroftime,energy,andpersistence.
Rarelydoyouseethiskindoffaithwithnonmediacompanies.WhenIworkedatPentonMedia(abusinessmediacompany)andmetwiththechiefeditorsforourbrands,theybelievedwithoutquestionthattheirbrandwastheleadingproviderofinformationinthespace.Itwasanonissue…itjustwas.Thatisexactlythekindoffaithyouneedtobetheexpertinyourfield.
SpecializedKnowledgeGeneralknowledge,nomatterhowgreatinquantityorvarietyitmaybe,isofbut
littleuse…
Oneofthebiggestfailureswhenitcomestocontentisalackofspecialization.Iseeheatingandair-conditioningcompaniesbloggingaboutthetownfestivalnextweek.Iseemanufacturingcompaniescreatingarticlesonhumanresourcesbestpractices.Ithurtstoseethis.
Tobetheexpertinyourindustry,youmustfirstdefineyourcustomers’painpointsandthenicheindustryyouwillcoverthatwillmakeadifferenceinyourbusinessandinyourcustomers’lives.Getlaser-focused.Thinkofyourselfasthetrademagazineforyourindustry.Coverthat.Betheexpertinthatarea.Ifyouarealargeenterprise,youwillneedseparatecontentstrategies,notabroadonethatmakesnoimpactonanybody.
ImaginationIthasbeensaidthatmancancreateanythingwhichhecanimagine.
AsNapoleonHillsays,ideasaretheproductsoftheimagination.ForaContentInc.approachtowork,youneedtoembracenotjustbeingafactoryforcontent,butanideafactory.Justasnewsorganizationscoverthe“newsoftheday,”youneedtocoverthenewsasitrelatestoyourcontentniche(moreonthatlater).Takethecontentthatyouhaveandthinkcreativelyaboutstorytellingconcepts—visual,textual,andaudio—innewandcompellingways.
DecisionProcrastination,theoppositeofdecision,isacommonenemywhichmustbe
conquered.
Inhisbook,NapoleonHillprofiledhundredsofthemostsuccessfulpeopleintheworld.Everyoneofthemhadthehabitofreachingdecisionspromptlyandofchangingthesedecisionsslowly,ifandwhentheywerechanged.Unsuccessfulpeople,thebooksays,haveahabit,withoutexception,ofreachingdecisions,ifatall,veryslowlyandofchangingthesedecisionsquicklyandoften.
Thisfirst,successfultypeofmentalityistheoneyouneedtobringtoyourContentInc.endeavor.
PersistenceWill-poweranddesire,whenproperlycombined,makeanirresistiblepair.
Withoutadoubt,thebiggestreasoncontentmarketingfailsisbecauseitstops.I’veseenbusinessafterbusinessstartablogore-newsletterorwhitepaperprogramorpodcastseriesandstopafterafewmonths.Contentmarketingisawarofattrition.It’saprocess.Successdoesnothappenovernight.Youmustcommitforthelonghaulifyouwanttobesuccessful.
Beforeyoudiveintotherestofthebook,Iwanttogiveyouaseriouswarning…thereisquiteabitofriskinvolvedwithunleashingtheContentInc.model.Somethingstoconsider:
Patience.Themodeltakestimetowork.Manyofthecasestudiesdiscussedinthisbook
didn’tblossomforayearortwoormore.Thepayoffisbig,butitmaytakeawhiletogetthere.
Lackoffunds.ContentInc.isnotanimmediate“get-rich-quick”scheme.Youarebuildingavaluableasset.Whileyouaredoingthat,revenuemaybehardtocomeby.Loweryourexpensesandgetleansoyoucanmakeittothefinishline.
Againstthegrain.ContentInc.isaphilosophythatmostexpertswouldvehementlydisagreewith.Youaredoingsomethingthatalmostnoonewouldeverthinkofdoing.
Goingsmalltogobig.Manyfailbecausetheydon’tpickacontentnichethat’ssmallenough.Theyareafraidthenichewillbetoosmalltomonetize.I’veneverfoundthattobethecase.Mostfailuresoccurbecausetheentrepreneurgoestoobroadandnotnarrowenough.
Nowthatyou’vebeenwarned,getreadyforthebusinessmodelthatwillchangeyourlife.Ifyoustickwithitandcanbattleagainstthenegativity,successisyourstohave.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
DevelopingasuccessfulContentInc.modelwilltaketime,butitisnotnearlyasriskyasdevelopingatraditionalbusinessmodel.
Onceyoudeveloparelationshipwithaloyalaudience,youcancreateproductsandservicesandultimatelysellwhateveryouwant.
Ifdoneright,you’llhaveanadvantagebyemployingaContentInc.modelbecauseyou’llunderstandyourfuturecustomers’needs(andinformationalpainpoints)betterthanalmostanyoneelse.
ResourcesJonLoomer,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
“2BillionConsumersWorldwidetoGetSmart(phones)by2016,”eMarketer.com,accessedApril18,2015,http://www.emarketer.com/Article/2-Billion-Consumers-Worldwide-Smartphones-by-2016/1011694.
“CensusBureau’sAmericanCommunitySurveyProvidesNewStateandLocalIncome,Poverty,HealthInsuranceStatistics,”census.gov,accessedApril18,2015,http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-170.html.
“Sundance:SeanBakeronFilming‘Tangerine’and‘MakingtheMost’ofaniPhone,”Variety.com,accessedApril18,2015,http://variety.com/video/sundance-sean-baker-on-filming-tangerine-and-making-the-most-of-an-iphone/.
“AOLandNielsenContentSharingStudy,”SlideShare.net,accessedApril18,2015,http://www.slideshare.net/duckofdoom/aol-nielsen-content-sharing-study.
DonSchultzandHeidiSchultz,IMC—TheNextGeneration,McGraw-HillProfessional,2003.
RobertRoseandCarlaJohnson,Experiences:The7thEraofMarketing,ContentMarketingInstitute,2015.
Part2
TheSweetSpotTheessenceofstrategyischoosingwhatnottodo.
MICHAELPORTER
Everysuccessfulcontentcreatorhasasweetspot.Nowit’syourturntofindyours.
Chapter3
KnowledgeorSkill+PassionYourworkistodiscoveryourworkandthenwithallyourhearttogiveyourselftoit.
BUDDHA
MatthewPatrickgrewupinthesmallcityofMedina,justoutsideCleveland,Ohio.Foraslongashecanremember,he’sbeenpassionateaboutgaming,fromgrowingupwithaMario-themedbedroomtolatenightswithfriendsplayingDungeons&Dragons.Duringhighschoolwhenmostboysinhisclasswentoutforsports,Matthewjoinedshowchoir,playedtheviolainorchestra,andtookpartineverystageshowtheschooloffered.
Yes,Matthewlovedperforming,buthewasalsoagenius,scoringaperfect1600onhisSATonhiswaytoacollegedegreeinneuroscience.Insteadofgoingtofraternitypartiesonweekendsatcollege,Matthewhosted“FridayFondue”nightsplayingZelda(apopularvideogame).
Aftercollege,MatthewhadhissightssetonactingandmovedtoNewYork,wherehetouredwithvariousshows.Fortwoyears,Matthewtookwhateverrolewasavailable—andsawaboutasmuchsuccessastheaveragestarvingactorinNewYork.Toputitlightly,timesweretough.Theaterwasn’tthelifeMatthewwashopingfor.
By2011,Matthewgaveuphisdreamofbecominganactoranddecidedtogoaftera“real”job.Unfortunately,actinganddirectingwerenotskillsthatinnovativeenterpriseswerehiringfor.Overthenexttwoyears,Matthewsentoutcountlessrésumés.Duringthattimehewasunemployed,andworseyet,hisconfidencehadbottomedout.NotonepersonopenedadoortogiveMatthewtheshotheseeminglydeserved.
Matthewpulledhimselfupbyhisbootstrapsanddecidedtocreatearésuméboosterthatcompaniessimplycouldn’tignore.Hebelievedthatifhecouldshowcompaniesthatheknewhowtocreateanaudienceandthatheunderstoodtheinnerworkingsofnewmedia,enterpriseswouldseevalueinthoseskills.
Whilewatchinganonlineprogramonlearningthroughgaming,theideaofcreatingGameTheoryvideoswasborn.GameTheorybecameaweeklyYouTubevideoseriesthatcombinedMatthew’spassionforgamingandvideogameswithhisskillsetofmathandanalytics(seeFigure3.1).
Figure3.1MatthewPatrickcombinedhispassionforvideogameswithhisknowledgeexpertiseinmathandanalyticstodevelophissweetspot.
After56episodesoveraone-yeartimeframe,Matthewhadanaudienceof500,000YouTubesubscribersinterestedinhistakeonhowmathworksingaming.Forexample,hisepisode“HowPewDiePie[anonlinevideocelebrity]ConqueredYouTube”generatedmorethan5millionviews.Hisepisode“WhytheOfficialZeldaTimelineIsWrong”sawmorethan4milliondownloads.
Today,MatthewPatrick’sGameTheorybrandhaswellover4millionsubscribers.MatthewhasbeenhireddirectlybysomeofthebiggestYouTubestarsontheplanettohelpthemattractmoreviewers.EventhemightyYouTubeitselfhiredMatPat(hisonlinename)toconsultdirectlytohelpYouTuberetainandgrowitsaudiencenumbers.
THESWEETSPOTStartwhereyouare.Usewhatyouhave.Dowhatyoucan.
ARTHURASHE
TheContentInc.modelisdependentonfirstidentifyingthesweetspot.Simplyput,thesweetspotistheintersectionofaknowledgeorskillareaandapassionpoint(seeFigure3.2).
Figure3.2Thesweetspot.
Let’stakealookatavarietyofsweetspotsamongotherContentInc.entrepreneurs.
ClausPilgaard(BrandedasChiliKlaus)AswesaidintheIntroduction,Clausgrewupamusician.HewasadmittedtotheRoyalAcademyofMusic,wherehegraduatedin1996.HebecameamusicdirectorforseveralreviewsinDenmark,goingbythenameof“KlausWunderhits,”andevenappearedonalocalvarietyshowcalledVarieté007.
Claushadalwaysbeenanamazingmusician,butitwasn’tuntilhefoundhissweetspot,incombinationwithchilipeppers,thatClausbecameaDanishphenomenon(seeFigure3.3).
Figure3.3ClausPilgaard’sskillinperformancemusicandhispassionforchilipepperscreatedapowerfulsweetspot.
MichellePhan
Atanearlyage,MichellePhanfoundthatshewasanartist.Simplyput,shecoulddrawwiththebestofthem.Michelle’schildhoodwasfraughtwithturmoil.Herfamilymoveddozensoftimeswhileshewasachild,andabusewassomethingshewasunfortunatelyfamiliarwith.
Drawingonherface(makeup)becameareleaseforMichelle.Shebelievedthatmakeupcouldmakeeveryonesuperheroes,wheretheycouldescapeanddefeatevil,evenagainstallodds.In2005,Michellestartedablogcombiningherskillinartanddrawingandherpassionformakeup(seeFigure3.4).
Figure3.4MichellePhanisahighlyskilledartist.Herloveofmakeupmixedwithherskillinarthasmadethedifference.
Today,Michelle’smakeuptutorialshavebeenseenoverabillion(yes,billion)times.NowoneofYouTube’stopstars,Michellehasexpandedherempiretoincludeabook(releasedin2014)andafullcosmeticlinecalled“em,”producedbyL’Oreal.
AndySchneider(BrandedastheChickenWhisperer)AndySchneideristhebackyardpoultrykingandhasbecomethego-toresourceforanythingandeverythingchickens.AsAndybegantoraisechickensinhisAtlanta-areabackyard,hebegantosellthemtohisfriendsdirectlyandthenonCraigslist.Thereweremanywhowereinterestedinraisingtheirownchickens,buttheyneededalotofeducationtojustgetstarted.SoAndyformeda“meetup”inAtlantatoanswerquestionsfromthoseinterestedinbackyardpoultry(seeFigure3.5).
Figure3.5AndySchneider’ssweetspotmixeshisknowledgeofbackyardpoultrywithhispassionforteaching.
AccordingtoAndy,“AllthesepeoplearefromtheAtlantametroarea;wecouldmeetonceamonth,haveagreattime,breakbreadinthemeetingroominthebackroomofarestaurant,andshareourexperiencesandlearn.SoIgotonlineandfoundagreatresource,Meetup.com,verypopular,millionsofmeetupsallaroundthecountryforpeoplewhohavehobbies.”
Thatclubmetseveraltimesamonth,andastheclubgrew,localmediastartedtonotice.ThelocalCBSaffiliatedidaninterviewwithAndy,whichwaspickedupbyAtlanta’smajornewspaper,theAtlantaJournalConstitution.Fromthere,AndygrewtheChickenWhispererplatformintoabook,amagazine(withover60,000subscribers),andaradioshow,whichhasnowrunforoverfiveyearswithmorethan20,000weeklysubscribers.Healsotravelsaroundthecountrydoingroadshows,exclusivelysponsoredbyKalmbachFeeds,hismajorfinancialsupporter.
FINDINGYOURSKILLORKNOWLEDGEAREAInlookingatvariousContentInc.subjects,themodelcanworkbyidentifyingeitheranexceptionalknowledgeareaorauniqueskill.Whatdowemeanbyknowledge?Knowledgeisinformationacquiredaboutaparticularsubjectthroughstudyorobservation.
JosephKalinowski,ourcreativedirectoratContentMarketingInstitute,hasknowledge(bythedefinitionabove)inanumberofareasincludingthebandKISS,thePittsburghSteelers,StarWarsactionfigures,andJackDaniels.Inanyoneofthesetopics,Josephwoulddestroytheaveragepersonwithhisknowledgeinthatarea.
Inadditiontohisknowledgeareas,Josephisalsoaskilledgraphicdesigner.Skillisdefinedbydictionary.comas“theabilitytodosomethingwell”oranareathatapersonhas“expertiseorcompetence”in.Simplyput,skillisknowledgeusedproperly.
IfJosephweregoingtoemployaContentInc.strategyandlooktobuildanaudienceinaspecificmarketordemographicarea,hecouldchoosefromthenumberofknowledge
areashehas,orhecouldlooktohisskillingraphicdesign.
WheretoStart?Ifyouareanindividual,beginbylistingthoseareasinwhichyouhavealargeskillsetorknowledgeareainsomethingversustheaverageperson.Thisisbrainstormingtime,somoreisbetteratthispoint.
Ifyoucompletedtheexercisecorrectly,youshouldhavevastlymoreknowledgeareasthanskillareas.
Here’showmineturnedout.
MaybeyoursituationisclosertothatoftheIndiumCorporation.Indium,aglobalmanufacturingcompanyheadquarteredinupstateNewYork,developsandmanufacturesmaterialsusedprimarilyintheelectronicsassemblyindustry.Atitscore,thecompanydevelopssolderingmaterialstokeepelectroniccomponentsfromcomingapart.
RickShort,Indium’sdirectorofmarketingcommunications,knewthatIndium
employeeshadmoreknowledgeaboutindustrialsolderingequipmentthanjustaboutanyothercompanyintheworld.Thismakessense…solderingistheknowledgeareawhereIndiummanufacturesmostofitsproducts.
Atthesametime,theIndiumcultureisthatofsharingknowledge…ofarisingtideliftingallships.Thecompanyhadsubject-matterexpertsthatwerewillingtoshare,aswellasamarketingteamthatwasexcitedaboutsharingknowledgeviasocialmedia(ararityforamanufacturingcompany,especiallyin2005;seeFigure3.6).
Figure3.6Indium’ssweetspothashelpedthecompanybecometheleadinginformationalexpertonsolderingforengineers.
Thatplatformchosenforthissweetspotwasablog.TodayIndiumhasover70blogsand21bloggers.Sincethefirstblogwasbegunin2005,Indiumhasgeneratedmoreleadsatjust25percentofitspreviousmarketinginvestment.
UNLEASHINGYOURPASSIONSteveJobs’scommencementspeech,givenin2005,hasbeenwatchedover10milliontimes.Init,hegivesthefollowingadvice:“You’vegottofindwhatyoulove….[T]heonlywaytodogreatworkistolovewhatyoudo.Ifyouhaven’tfoundityet,keeplooking,anddon’tsettle.”
CalNewport,authorofthebookSoGoodTheyCan’tIgnoreYou,believesthatifSteveJobshadtakenhisownadvice,AppleComputerwouldhaveneverhappened.Newportstatesthat“ifayoungSteveJobshadtakenhisownadviceanddecidedtoonlypursueworkheloved,wewouldprobablyfindhimtodayasoneoftheLosAltosZenCenter’smostpopularteachers.”
WalterIssacson,whoauthoredtheJobsbiography,seesitdifferently.Jobs’spassionwasnotforZenBuddhismspecifically;itwasforsimplicity.EverythinginSteveJobs’sliferevolvedaroundthesimple,whichextendedintoApple’scoredesignconstruct.AsJobsnoted:“Thewaywe’rerunningthecompany,theproductdesign,theadvertising,itallcomesdowntothis:Let’smakeitsimple.Reallysimple.”
ApplewasfueledbySteveJobs’spassionforsimplicity.AndasCharlesSchwabis
quoted,“Apersoncansucceedatalmostanythingforwhichtheyhaveunlimitedenthusiasm.”
ThisisexactlywhatwefindintheContentInc.model.Skillisonething,butthepassionistheenergybehindwhatmakesthemodelsuccessful.It’swhyformonths,andinmanycasesyears,entrepreneurscreatetheircontent,ultimatelywaitingforthepayoff.
Simplyput,forContentInc.towork,youneedtogetupeverydaylovingtherightsideofthatsweetspot,ortheworkdoesn’tgetdone.MatthewPatrickhasapassionandloveforvideogames.AndySchneiderlovesbeingtheteacher.ClausPilgaardhasapassionforchilipeppersthatmostpeoplesimplydonotunderstand.MichellePhangetsupinthemorningeveryday,readytocoverherselfinmakeup.RickShortatIndiumhadtheinsighttounderstandthecompany’spassionforsharingknowledge.
Allthese“passions”madeitpossiblefortheworktobedone.WithContentInc.,passionisthefuelthatmakestheenginego.Alltheskillintheworldwon’tmakeyourcontentenginegowithoutpassion.
CanContentInc.WorkWithoutPassion?JayBaerisCEOofmarketingconsultingfirmConvince&Convert,aswellastheNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofYoutility.ThefollowingistakenfromaninterviewwithJayonContentInc.andpassion:
Contentforwhichyoudonothaveapassionisreallyhardtogetgoodat.Ifyoudon’tlovethecontentyou’recreating,itisunlikelytobegoodenoughtohaveanimpact.Andthat’swhymostofthepeoplewhoyouwouldconsidertobedisproportionatelygoodatcontenthaveatruelove,eitherforcontentmarketingasadiscipline,oratrueloveforthesubjectmatterthatthey’recreatingcontentabout.
MarcusSheridan[formerCEOofRiverPools&Spas]iseffectivenotbecausehe’sthegreatestwriterintheworld,butbecausehereallywantstoeducatepeopleaboutswimmingpools.Joe[Pulizzi]iseffectivebecausehereallywantstoevangelizeaboutcontentmarketing.It’snotthathehassomedisproportionatelyextraordinarywritingtechniques.That’sthepartthatwedon’ttalkaboutverymuchbecausewewanteverybodytobelievethatallyouhavetodoiswanttocreatecontentandfollowtheinstructionsinthebooksthatwewriteandeverybodycandoit;andyeah,everybodycandoit,buttheycan’tdoitgreatbecausetheymaynothavethesamelevelofpassion.
Andifyoudohavethatpassionandyouhavethatburningdesiretoeducateorteachaboutwhateversubjectlightsyouup,thatcontentcanbegoodenough,canbeinfusedwithpassiontothedegreethatyoucanbuildabusinessoutofitlikeneverbefore.Tenyearsagoyoucouldn’teverdo…say…publishyourownnewspaper…how’sthatgoingtowork?Buttodayyoucanjustsay,I’mgoingtomakeaYouTubevideoeverydayaboutJapanesewhiskey;andifyoukeepyournosetothegrindstone,eventuallyyoucanbetheJapanesewhiskeyguyandyoucantakeads,youcangivespeechesandallofthosethingsthatcanhappen.
ANALTERNATIVEVIEWOFTHESWEETSPOTIfyouareanestablishedcompanywithanexistingproductbase,findingthesweetspotbetweenknowledgeorskillandpassionmaynotcomenaturally.Inmylastbook,EpicContentMarketing,Iofferanalternativesweetspotmodelthatmayworkinreplacement(seeFigure3.7).
Figure3.7Leveragingpassioninalargerorganizationisoftenachallenge.Inthesecases,replacepassionwithacustomerpainpointarea.
Whyisthismodelimportant?Yourbusinessmighthaveaknowledgeareathatmaynotberelevanttocustomers.Forexample,thereareanumberofGeneralElectricexecutivesthatareknowledgeableinbusinessstrategy.GE’sinternaltrainingprogramsaresomeofthemostfamouseverdevelopedbyacorporation.Thatsaid,thatknowledgemaynottranslateintosolvingacustomerissueorpainpoint.SoGE’sknowledgeofbusinessstrategymaynotworkinthesweetspotmodel,dependingonthecustomersGEistargetingwithaContentInc.initiative.
DougKessler,cofounderofcontentagencyVelocityPartners,believesthesweetspotisthree-dimensional:it’simportanttoknowtheexactsize,shape,anddepth.
“Size—yoursweetspotshouldbeafocusedarea;astightafocusaspossiblewithoutleavingstuffout.”
“Shape—youneedtoknowexactlywhereyourexpertisereachesandwhereitstops.”Justbecauseyouhaveknowledgeofcertainareasdoesn’tmeanthatauthoritynaturallyextendstootherareas.
“Depth—yourexpertisegoesasdeeplyasitneedstogo;youdon’thavetopretenditgoesdeeper.”
I’vefoundthatthissweetspotexamplegainsmoretractioninalargerenterpriseenvironment,andI’veseenbothtypesofsweetspotsworkindifferentsituations.Findtheonethatworksbestforyou.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
TheContentInc.modelbeginswiththesweetspot,theintersectionofyourknowledgeorskillareaandyourpassion.Whileit’spossibletodevelopasweetspotwithoutapassionpoint,it’sthepassionthatgivesusourdrivetocontinueuntilwebuildasuccessfulContentInc.model.
Whilewehavemanyknowledgeandskillareas,wehavemuchfewerpassions.Lifeistooshorttoworkonsomethingeverydaythatwearenotpassionateabout,soyoumaywanttostartwithyoupassionsfirst.
Ifyourcompanyisalreadyestablished,considerreplacingyourpassionareawithacustomerpainpointtodevelopyoursweetspot.
ResourcesMatthewPatrick,“DrawMyLife:GameTheory,MatPatandYou,”YouTube.com,
accessedApril19,2015,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mkuIP_i3js.
MatthewPatrick,interviewbyClareMcDermott,February2015.
AndySchneider,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
MichellePhan,“DrawMyLife:MichellePhan,”YouTube.com,accessedApril19,2015,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05KqZEqQJ40.
BruceJohnston,“HowIndiumFiguredOutTheirSocialMediaMarketingContent,”Practicalsmm.com,accessedApril19,2015,http://practicalsmm.com/2012/06/25/how-indium-corporation-figured-out-their-social-media-marketing-content/.
CRSA,Inc.,“B2BSocialMediaCaseStudyGuide:Indium(Manufacturing),”SlideShare.net,accessedApril19,2015,http://www.slideshare.net/csrollyson/b2b-social-business-case-study-indium.
TheAppleHistoryChannel,“SteveJobsStanfordCommencementSpeech,”YouTube.com,accessedApril19,2015,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA.
CalNewport,“DolikeSteveJobsDid:Don’tFollowYourPassion,”FastCompany.com,accessedApril19,2015,http://www.fastcompany.com/3001441/do-steve-jobs-did-dont-follow-your-passion.
WalterIsaacson,“HowSteveJobs’LoveofSimplicityFueledaDesignRevolution,”Smithsonianmag.com,accessedApril19,2015,http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-steve-jobs-love-of-simplicity-fueled-a-design-revolution-23868877/?no-ist.
JayBaer,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
“DifferenceBetweenKnowledgeandSkill,”Differencebetween.net,accessedApril19,2015,http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-knowledge-and-
skill/.
DougKessler,“B2BContentMarketing:FindingYourSweetSpot,”Econsultancy.com,accessedApril19,2015,https://econsultancy.com/blog/9279-b2b-content-marketing-finding-your-sweet-spot.
Chapter4
AddingAudiencetoYourSweetSpotMysweetspotisfiguringouthowtomakeaproductthatpeopleloveandhowtorefineittomakethemloveitmore.All
therestisbusinessnoise.
NOLANBUSHNELL
Inearly2014,IhadtheopportunitytoparticipateinaworkshopforanumberofenterprisemarketersinToronto,Canada.Inoneparticularconversationattheworkshop,theblogmanagerforabillion-dollartechnologycompanytoldmeshewashavingproblemswithherblog.Shehadbeenaddingmoreandmoredailycontenttotheblogandatthesametimewasseeingstagnantwebsitetrafficandfarfewersubscribersandconversions.
Myfirstquestionwasthis:“Whoistheaudienceforyourblog?”
Sheanswered:“Wetarget18differentaudiencesontheblog.”
“Ifoundyourproblem.”
WHO’STHEWHO?Thesweetspotisaplacewhereacombinationoffactorsresultsinamaximumresponseforagivenamountofeffort.
WIKIPEDIA
CountlessbusinessesfailwiththeirContentInc.modelbecausetheystopafteridentifyingtheintersectionoftheirknowledgeareaorskillandtheirpassion.Tothispoint,it’sallaboutus.It’ssharingwhatweknow.
Whocares?Probablynotverymanypeople.
Inordertocompletethesweetspotformula,weneedtoidentifythe“who.”Whoistheaudienceforyourcontent?Remember,fortheContentInc.modeltowork,weneedtofigureouthowwecanbuildtheenginethatpositionsusastheleadinginformationalexpertinourparticularmarketniche.Wewanttodefineouraudienceasspecificallyaspossible.
Askthefollowingquestions:
1.Whoisheorshe?Howdoesthispersonliveanaverageday?
2.What’stheperson’sneed?Thisisnot“Whydoesthepersonneedourproductorservice?”but“Whatarehisorherinformationalneedsandpainpointsastheyrelatetothestorieswewilltell?”
3.Whywillthispersoncareaboutus,ourproducts,ourservices?It’stheinformationprovidedtohimorherthatwillmakethatpersoncareorgarnerattention.
Yourideaofthe“who”doesn’thavetobeperfect,butitneedstobedetailedenoughsothatyoucanclearlyvisualizethispersoninyourheadasyoudevelopcontent.
DougKessler,cofounderoftheUKagencyVelocityPartners,saidthesweetspotis“thethingyourcompanyknowsbetterthan—oratleastaswellas—anyoneelseintheworld.”Understandingthe“who”givesyouthecontextyouneedtomakethishappen.
MarcusSheridanfromRiverPools&Spasbecametheworldwideleaderininformationaboutfiberglasspoolsforthosehomeownersinterestedinpurchasingapool.IfMarcusweretargeting,let’ssay,manufacturersoffiberglasspools,thecontentwouldbevastlydifferent.It’sthe“who”thatgivesthecontentthecontextitneedstobesuccessful.
TheStoryofRiverPools&SpasInlate2009,RiverPools&Spas,a20-employeeinstalleroffiberglasspoolsintheVirginiaandMarylandarea,wasintrouble.HomeownerswerenotrunningoutandbuyingfiberglasspoolsduringtheGreatRecession.Worseyet,customerswhohadactuallyplannedonbuyingapoolwerecallingupRiverPoolstorequesttheirdepositsback,which,insomecases,ranaround$50,000ormore.
Formultipleweeks,RiverPoolsoverdrewitscheckingaccount.Notonlywasitbecomingdifficulttopayemployees,butthecompanywaslookingatpossiblyclosingupshopforgood.
MarcusSheridan,CEOofRiverPools&Spas,believedthattheonlywaytosurvivewastostealmarketsharefromthecompetition,andthatmeantthinkingdifferentlyabouthowthecompanywenttomarket.
Atthebeginningofthisprocess,RiverPoolsdidjustover$4millioninannualrevenuesandspentapproximately$250,000ayearonmarketing.TherewerefourcompetitorsintheVirginiaareathathadgreatermarketsharethanRiver.
Twoyearslaterin2011,RiverPools&SpassoldmorefiberglasspoolsthananyotherfiberglasspoolsinstallerinNorthAmerica.Thecompanyalsodecreaseditsmarketingspendfrom$250,000toaround$40,000,whileatthesametimewinning15percentmorebidsandcuttingitssalescycleinhalf.Theaveragepoolbuilderlost50to75percentinsalesduringthetimethatRiverPoolsincreasedsalestomorethan$5million.
Needlesstosay,RiverPools&Spasstayedopenforbusiness.
HowdidMarcusdoit?Hewrotedowneveryconceivablecustomerquestionandanswereditonhisblog.Today,fromsearchengineresultstosocialmediasharing,MarcusandRiverPools&Spasaretheleadinginformationproviderintheworldonthesubjectoffiberglasspools.
TheRestoftheStoryRiver’sstoryhasbeensharedaroundtheworld.It’safairlypopularContentInc.example.Buthere’ssomethingyouprobablydon’tknow.RiverPoolsisnowanational,evenaninternational,forcebecauseofitscontentcreation.Marcuswasbeingcalleduponbycompaniesallovertheworldtoinstallpoolsandwasevenaskedtoflyintooverseeaninstallation.Unfortunately,RiverPoolsonlyservicedcompaniesinaverysmallareaandcouldnottakeadvantageoftheadditional
demand.
Entermanufacturing.RiverPoolsmadethedecisiontobeginmanufacturingitsownfiberglasspools.Thiscameaboutdirectlybecauseofitscontentexposure.RiverPools&Spasisnowpositioningitselfastheleadinginstallerandmanufactureroffiberglasspools,takingthebusinessinacompletelyunexpecteddirection.
Onceyoudevelopanaudiencearoundyourcontent,theopportunitiestoselladditionalproductsisalmostendless.RiverPools&SpasisanexampleofContentInc.inaction.
MAKINGITREALAsweaddinouraudiencegroup,we’veaddedanewdimensiontooursweetspot(Figure4.1).
Figure4.1Byaddingyourspecificaudiencetothemix,nowthesweetspottrulybecomesmeaningful.
Let’sgobacktoourfriendtheChickenWhisperer.AndySchneider’soriginalsweetspotwasaknowledgeareaofbackyardpoultryandapassionforteachingandinstruction.
Nowlet’saddtheaudiencetomakeoursweetspotcometolife(Figure4.2).
Figure4.2Wrappingthesweetspotwithaspecificaudiencewillbringyoursweetspottolife.
Nowwehaveenoughinformationtocapturethesweetspotinasinglesentence.Thisisverysimilartohowmediacompaniesstarttoconstructaneditorialmissionstatement(moreonthisinChapter6).
AndySchneider’smissionstatementmighthavelookedsomethinglikethis:
Helpingsuburbanhomeownersansweralltheirpossiblequestionsregardingraisingchickensathome.
PUTTINGITALLTOGETHERNowthatyou’veseenavisualexampleofthesweetspot,let’sstartaddingsomedimensiontoyourmodel.Here’sausefultemplateyoucanusetobegintoconstructtheinitialstagesofyourstrategy.
Mission:________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
KeyAudience:(Beasspecificaspossible.)____________________
________________________________________________________
SampleTitles/Functions:___________________________________
________________________________________________________
WhyThisGroupIsImportant:(Thisisacriticalfirststeptothinkingaboutthepurchasepowerthesepeoplehave.You’lllearnmoreaboutthisinChapter22onmonetization.)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
SampleTopicAreas:______________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
HereareexamplesofwhatacompletedformlookslikeforContentMarketingInstitute.Wehavethreedifferentaudiencesthatwetargetwithourcontent.NotethatwhenwebeganourContentInc.modelin2007,weonlyfocusedononeaudience.Weaddedthesecondaudiencegroupin2014andthethirdgroupin2015.
ContentMarketingInstituteMission:Advancethepracticeofcontentmarketing.
KeyAudience:Contentmarketingpractitioners.CMIhelpsthepeoplewhoareplanningandexecutingthecontentmarketingstrategyintheirlargeenterpriseorganizations.
SampleTitles/Functions:Contentmarketingdirector,contentmarketingmanager,managerofdigitalstrategy,vicepresidentmarketing,digitalmarketingmanager,publicrelationsmanager/director,directorofsocialmedia,communicationsdirectors.
WhyThisGroupIsImportant:Themajorityofmarketinginorganizationsstillinvolvespaidmedia.CMIbelievesthat,overthenextdecade,themajorityofmarketingwillbecontentcomingdirectlyfrombrandsinsteadofadvertisingorsponsorshiponoutsideproperties.Enterprisestodayarecompletelyunequippedtohandlethistransformationandneedvastamountsofeducationandtrainingonthestrategiesandtacticsofcontentmarketing.
SampleTopicAreas:Buildingastrategy;buildinganaudience;operationalizingtheprocess(includinggettingexecutivebuy-inandcontinuallyjustifyingandcommunicatingprogress);contentcreation;contentpromotionanddistribution;measurementandROI.
IntelligentContentMission:Educate,motivate,andprepareenterprisecontentpractitionerstodelivertherightcontent,attherighttime,totherightaudience,overtherightchannel,onanydevice,sothatcontent(andthosewhoplan,create,anddeliverit)isvaluedbytheaudienceandthebusiness.
KeyAudiences:IntelligentContenthelpsthepeoplewhoneedtounderstandthe“plumbingbehindthecontent.”
•Contentstrategistswhoarechargedwithmakingcontentascalablefunctionwithintheirenterpriseorganization
•Marketerswhoneedtoscaletheircontentoperationsandmakethemmoreefficient
SampleTitles/Functions:Contentstrategists,userexperiencedesign,marketingchangemanagement,technicalcommunicators,directorofmarketing,marketingtechnologists,digitalcontentmanager,digitalmarketingmanager,managermarketingprograms,marketingtechnologyspecialistroles.
WhyThisGroupIsImportant:Mostcontentmarketingprogramsinvolveanideawithoneorpossiblytwooutputs.Inshort,theprogramdoesn’tscale.Intelligentcontentmeansleveragingtechnologyandprocessessothat:
•Contentcanbeviewedasanassetintheorganization
•Thestrategyissetupinsuchawaythatcontentcanbereusedinmultiplefashionswithmultipleoutputswhenthecustomersneedit
Thenextgenerationofcontentmarketingprogramswillneedtobecomemoreintelligentinnatureinorderformarketingtotakealeadershiproleintheoverallorganization.
SampleTopicAreas:Taxonomy,globalization,enterprisecontentmanagement,personalization,responsivedesign,contentengineering,contentreuse,localization/translation,agilemarketingprocesses,contextualization.
ContentInc.Mission:Helpentrepreneursbecontent-driveninsteadofproduct-orservice-drivenandcreatemediaassetsthatdependonthepermissiontocontactanaudience,notthepermissionofamediagatekeeper.
KeyAudience:Entrepreneurs,growthstart-ups,smallbusinessesthatwanttogrowlarge.
SampleTitles:Founder,CEO,COO,owner,entrepreneur-in-residence,executivedirector
WhyThisGroupIsImportant:Webelievethenextgenerationoflargeenterprisesneedstofocusonbuildingaudiencesinsteadofjustreleasingnewproductsandservices.
SampleTopicAreas:Howtobuildyourbusinessaroundcontentfromthegroundup;makingcontentmarketingscalableforgrowth;howtobuildanaudience;choosingtherightcontentniche;howtovalueasubscriber;leveragingemployeesformarketing;staffingissues;businessmodelselection.
InthemovieTheGrandBudapestHotel,thejobofthelobbyboywastoknowtheclientelesowellthathecouldanticipatetheirneeds.Thatisyourrolenow.Yourjobistolearnyouraudiencesowellthatyou’llbeabletodevelopongoingcontentthatissogood,thepeopleinyouraudiencearenotevenawaretheyneededitinthefirstplace.
Ifyouareinneedofaneasy-to-useresourceonbuildingoutwhoyouraudiencereallyis,you’llfindtheCMIresourceonaudiencepersonas(http://cmi.media/CI-personas)helpful.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
TobesuccessfulwithourContentInc.strategy,youhavetobecomeindispensabletoyouraudience.Thatmeanscreatingastrategythatcanactuallypositionyouastheleadinginformationalorentertainmentexpertinyourcontentarea.
Themoreaudiencesyoutarget,themorelikelyyouwillfail.Focusonthemostdefinedaudiencepossible.
Asyougetstarted,don’tgetboggeddownfocusingonmorethanoneaudience.Chooseoneaudienceandbecometheindispensableexperttothataudience.Oncethatissuccessful,youcanmoveontootheraudiences.
ResourceTheGrandBudapestHotel,FoxSearchlightPictures,releasedMarch2014.
Part3
TheContentTiltYoucan’tdependonyoureyeswhenyourimaginationisoutoffocus.
MARKTWAIN
Thereissomuchofthesamecontentoutthereintheworld.TosucceedwithContentInc.,youneedtostepoutofthepack.Let’sdothis!
Chapter5
UnderstandingthePowerofthe“Tilt”Whenatroutrisestoafly,itdoesnotswimasmuchastiltitsfinsandjetskyward.
JOSEPHMONNINGER
InthemovieTheMatrix,starringKeanuReevesandLaurenceFishburne,Reeves’scharacter(Neo)istestedtoseewhetherheis“TheOne.”WhileNeoisoutsideinthewaitingarea,ayoungprotégéisholdingupspoonafterspoon,bendingeachone.AsNeositsbesidetheprotégé,theyoungboytellsNeothathehastolookatthespooninadifferentway…thatthespoonactuallydoesnotexistatall.
Soonafter,Neowasabletotilthisheadtothesideandslowlybendthespoon.
TELLINGADIFFERENTSTORYPeterThiel,cofounderofPayPal(alongwithTeslafounderElonMusk)andFacebook’sfirstoutsideinvestor,believesthatmostbusinessescopyotherbusinessesandthusfail.InhisbookZerotoOne,Thieltellsbusinessesthattheyshould“figureoutsomethingthatnobodyelseisdoingandlooktocreateamonopolyinsomeareathat’sbeenunderdeveloped.Findaproblemnobodyelseissolving.”Sadly,mostcompaniesarecreatingcontentandtellingstoriesthatarenodifferentfromanythingelseoutthere.
Justtype“SEOe-book”intoGoogle,andyou’llgetover20millionresults.Therearealotofbusinessestalkingaboutthesamethingsinthesameway.JayBaerbelievesthatmostbusinessessimplynevergothroughtheprocessoffindingacontentnichethattheycanown.InaninterviewwithJay,hetacklesthisconcept:
It’slike,“HeyIlikeknitting,andI’mgoingtostartaknittingblog.”Really!Thereare27otherknittingblogs.Whywouldanybodyreadyours?Whatisdifferent?Whatisunique?Whatisinteresting?Whywouldanyonestopreadingtheknittingblogthatthey’vebeenreadingforthelastthreeyearsandreadyoursever?Andifyoucan’tarticulatethat,youneedtogobacktothedrawingboard.AndmostpeopleIfindwhohaven’tbeendoingthisforawhilejustdon’tgothroughthatcompetitivecalculus,andit’sdangerous.
Therearehundredsofblogsonchilipeppersthattellstoriesaboutthe“heat”ofthepeppers.ClausPilgaardfoundawaytotellastorythatwasradicallydifferentfromthatofhiscontentcompetition…hismessagingwasaroundthe“taste”ofthepeppers.Claus’scontenttiltmadeallthedifference.
CONTENTTILTINGIfContentIncisgoingtoworkforyou,yourcontentmustbedifferent.Itmustfillacontentholethatisnotbeingfilledbysomeoneelse.AsPeterThielsuggests,wemust
findaproblemareathatnooneelseissolvingandexploitthatareawithcontent.
Thisiscalled“contenttilting.”
Thewordtilthastwoprimarydefinitions.Thefirstistocausetolean,incline,slope,orslant.Ifwetiltaglassoratable,wegettolookatitfromadifferentperspective.Neo,inTheMatrix,tiltedhisheadandsawthespoondifferentlyandgainedknowledgebecauseofit.
Theseconddefinitionoftiltistoaimorthrust,asyouwouldtiltalanceinajoust.Withthistilt,welookatthecontentnicheinsuchawaythatcreatestheopportunityforustoattack,andlead,andultimatelyownthecategory.
WhileidentifyingthesweetspotiscriticaltotheContentInc.process,it’sthecontenttiltthatwillseparateyoufromeveryoneelseinyourmarketarea.AndrewDavis,authorofBrandscaping,callsthis“thehook”—asimpletwistonafamiliarthemedesignedtoentraporensnareyouraudience.Without“tilting”yourcontentjustenoughtotrulyhaveadifferentstorytotell,yourcontentwillfadeintotherestoftheclutterandbeforgotten.
CASESTUDY:ANNREARDONSydney,Australia’sAnnReardonisthe“bakingqueenofYouTube.”
In2011,aftergivingbirthtoherthirdson,Annwaslookingforsomethingtododuringhernightfeedings,soshelaunchedarecipesitecalledHowtoCookThat.“Iwrotearecipeposteveryweekandmadesomevideostocomplementthewebsite.ThevideosweretoobigtouploadtomywebsitesoIuploadedthemtoYouTubeandstartedembeddingthemontomysite.”
Beforestartingafamily,Annwasaqualifiedfoodscientistanddietitian(herskillarea).Atthesametime,shehadapassionforteachingandworkingwithchildren,soshechangedcareersandbeganworkingwithyouthinapoorerareaofWesternAustralia.
“Iabsolutelyloveditandhavesomanygreatmemories,”sharesAnn.“ButourbudgetwasextremelytightsoitwasduringthistimethatItaughtmyselftoeditvideosfortheyouthministry,aswellasself-cateringforlotsofevents.OvertimesomeoftheyoungadultsaskedifIcouldteachthemhowtocook.Agroupwouldcomeoverandwe’dallbakeandhaveagreattimeinmykitchen.”
Youmaybethinkingthatrecipeblogsand“how-to”bakingonYouTubearenothingnew,andyou’dberight.WhatseparatesAnnishercontenttilt.
Annfocusesherrecipesandbakingonseeminglyimpossiblecreations,suchasdessertswithfivepoundsofSnickersbarsandacakethat,whenslicedopen,isaperfectreplicaofanInstagramlogo.
“ManypeoplestartaYouTubechannelandtrytocopywhathasalreadybeendonebutthehorsehasalreadybolted,”Annexplains.“Foreverysinglebreathyoutake,thereis8hoursofnewvideofootageuploadedtoYouTube,soIhavetogiveviewersagoodreasontocomebackandwatchmychannel.”
InJanuary2012,Annsawher100thsubscriberonYouTubeandwasthrilled.Exactlythreeyearslater,Annhasamassedmorethan1millionsubscribersandreceives(believeit
ornot)morethan3,000commentsperweek.Inanaveragemonth,she’llseeover16millionviewsofhervideos.
AlongwiththesubstantialrevenuesfromhercutofYouTubeadvertisingroyalties,shehaslaunchedanappcalled“SurpriseCakes”andanotherappforphotosharing;andaswell,shehasanumberofsponsoredcontentopportunitieswithbrandssuchaselectricalappliancecompanyBrevilleandkitchenwarecompanyWorldKitchen.
Yes,Annfoundhersweetspot,thecombinationofherknowledgeoffoodandherpassionforteaching,butitwashercontenttiltofseeminglyimpossiblefoodcreationsthathasmadeallthedifference(Figure5.1).
Figure5.1AnnReardon’scontenttiltof“impossiblefoodcreations”iswhatseparateshercontentfromthethousandsofotherbakingblogs.
TheOddStrugglewithStart-UpsandContentJayAcunzo,directorofplatformatNextViewVentures,aBoston-areaearly-stageventurecapitalcompany,workswithanumberoftechnologystart-upsontheconceptofcontentmarketing.Oddlyenough,whilemosttechstart-upswanttocreatethebestproductintheworldfortheirniche,theydon’tbelievethesameabouttheircontent.
Inaninterview,Jaynotes:
Isay[tostart-ups],doyouthinkthatyourproduct,eithernoworinthefuture,isgoingtobethebestsolutiontosolvingwhateverproblemyou’veidentifiedinthemarket?Becausethat’sreallywhytechfoundersstartcompanies;theyseeaproblemandtheywanttosolveitbetterthanwhatisinexistence.So100%ofthesefounderssayunequivocallyyes,we’regoingtohaveabetterproductthan
ourcompetitors.
SothenIsay,whyisittrueforyourproductbutnotyourcontent?Andformeitalwayscomesbacktomentalityandskillset.Theydon’tthinkaboutcontentinthewaythat[marketers]thinkaboutit.Theythinkaboutitasarandomcollectionofbestpracticesthatjustgetrecycled.“Sowe’vegottoblogalot…welleveryoneelseisbloggingsowhyshouldweblog?”
It’snotaboutthat.It’saboutcanyousolvetheprobleminawaythatisunique?Yourproductdoesthat,butyourcontentshoulddothat.Everybodyistalkingabouttheoreticallyhowtodomarketingandyou’relike“Thisisreallyhard;I’mgoingtobuildaproductthatisgoingtomakemarketingreally,reallysimpleandalmostlikeplugandplay.”That’sgreat!You’reconfidentyourproductcandothat,soifyou’regoingtocreatecontent,don’tjustblog;do[somethingdifferent].
They[start-ups]aresoconfidentthattheycandosomethingdifferentthatnoonehaseverseenbeforewiththeirproduct,andthereisalotofnoise.Alotofpeoplehavedonewhatthey’redoingbefore,butthey’relikeno,Idon’tcare;I’mgoingtodobetter.Yetwhentheycometothecontent,they’relikeno,Ican’tbedifferent.Ithinkit’smentalityandskillsetthatiscausingthemtosaythat.
…Ithinkyoujusthavetothinkmuchharderaboutchoosingyournicheandonwhatangleontheproblemyou’retakingwithyourproduct…thathastocomethroughwithyourcontent.Andguesswhat,ifyou’recontentreflectstheproductandit’sstillnotinnovativeenough,chancesarethatyourproductwasn’tgoingtostickanyways,soyoumightwanttorevisittheactualthesisforthebusiness.I’malwaysblownawaybythat.Alltheseentrepreneursaresoconfidentthatwecansolvethisproblembetterthananybodyelsewithourproduct,anditshouldarticulatethatthroughthecontenttooandtheyjustdon’tthinkthatway.
SETTINGTHE“BESTOFBREED”GOALThosewhosucceedwere—atonepointoranotherintheirlives—willingtoputthemselvesinsituationsthatwere
uncomfortable,whereastheunsuccessfulseekcomfortfromalltheirdecisions.
GRANTCARDONE,THE10XRULE
KevinPlank,CEOofUnderArmour,nowthenumbertwosportsapparelcompanyintheworld(behindNike),statesthatifyoudon’thavethebusinessgoalofbeingnumberoneinyourmarket,you’llnevermakeit.Whentalkingabouthisownorganization,hesaysthateveryemployeeatUnderArmourknowsthatthemissionistobetheclearleader,noquestionsasked.
ThesamegoesforyourContentInc.goals.Yourultimateobjectives—thosebighairyaudaciousgoals(asnamedbyJimCollinsofGoodtoGreatfame)youworkedoninChapter1—shouldmakeyoucringeatleastalittlebit.
Icompletelydisagreewithmarketingexpertsandconsultantswhosayit’snotnecessarytobetheleadinginformationproviderforyourindustry.I’mcallingbullonthat.
Yes,itisabitaudacioustogooutonalimbandclearlystatethatyourcontentshould
beanirreplaceableresourceforyourreaders(andcustomers)…thatyouareindeeddrivingwherethemarketisgoingfromaninformationstandpoint(likeamediacompany).Thatsaid,beaudacious!
Ifyouarenotstrivingtobethego-toresourceforyourindustryniche,youaresettlingforthecomfortable,whateverthatmeanstoyouingoal-settingterms.
Simplyput,youwon’tbesuccessfulwiththeContentInc.approachifyousettle.
WHATIFYOURCONTENTWEREGONE?Let’ssaysomeoneroundedupallyourcontentandplaceditinabox,likeitneverexisted.Wouldanyonemissit?Wouldyouleaveagapinthemarketplace?
Iftheanswertothisisno,thenwe’vegotaproblem,Houston.
Wewantcustomersandprospectsneeding…no,longingforourcontent.Itbecomespartoftheirlives…theirjobs.
Today,it’sharderandhardertobuyattention.Youhavetoearnit.Earnittoday,tomorrow,andfiveyearsfromnowbydeliveringthemostimpactfulinformationyourcustomerscouldeveraskfor.Settheuncomfortablegoalsthatwilltakeyourbusinesstothenextlevel.
LookatthegoalsyousetinChapter1.Ifyouarecompletelycomfortablewiththem,youaresettlingforgoodenough.Butgoodenoughwon’twinthebattleforcustomerattention.Begreat!
FINDINGYOURCONTENTMARKETINGHEDGEHOGLet’sgobacktoJimCollinsagainandhisfantasticbookGoodtoGreat.Ifyouknowanythingaboutthebook,youknowaboutthehedgehog.
Thehedgehog,inbusiness,isthatthingyourbusinesscanbethebestat…thatcombinesyouruniquetalentsandpassionintosomethingyoucanmakemoneydoing.
InexpandingonthistopicforContentInc.,Ibelieveweneedtolookatthehedgehoginfourways:
1.Whatwecover.Inyourniche,maybeyouproducethebestresearch,orthebesthow-toinformation,orthebestinvestigativejournalism.
2.Howwecoverit.Thisischannelspecific.YoupossiblyhaveawinningvideoserieslikeGameTheoryfromMatthewPatrickorHowtoCookThatfromAnnReardonoranamazingpodcastlikeEntrepreneurOnFirefromJohnLeeDumas.
3.Whywecoverit.Thisisyourhigherpurpose.Tobeatrulyeffectivecontentmarketer,youhavetobecreatinganddistributingcontentforthebettermentofyourreader-customer.Onceyoufindthat,thenyoucanintroduceaproduct.Thematchingofyourcustomers’informationalorentertainmentneedsandwhatyousellistheContentInc.jackpot.
4.Whomwecoveritfor.Aretheregroupsofpeoplethatarenotgettingtheinformation
theyneedtodotheirjobsbetterorlivetheirlivestothefullestextent?Yourhedgehogmightbecoveringapieceofinformationforthatnichegroupandthendoingitbetterthananyoneelse.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Thesweetspotisnotenough.InorderforourContentInc.modeltosucceed,weneedtotiltourcontentinsuchawaythatseparatesusfromthecompetition.
Themajorityofcontentdevelopedeverydayisjustlikeeverythingelseoutthere.Itdoesnothingforthereaderortheproducer.Itdoesn’tmatterthefrequencyofdeliveryorthechannelyoudeliverthecontentthrough;ifthecontentdoesn’ttelladifferentstory,itwillmostlikelybeignored.
ResourcesTheMatrix,WarnerBrothers,releasedMarch1999.
PeterThiel,ZerotoOne,CrownBusiness,2014.
KarstenStrauss,“YouTubeStarUsesSugartoAttractanArmyofFollowers,”Forbes.com,accessedApril19,2015,http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2014/08/29/youtube-star-uses-sugar-to-attract-an-army-of-followers/.
BrevilleFoodThinkers,“CupcakePiñataCookies,”HowtoCookThat,byAnnReardonandBreville,YouTube.com,accessedApril19,2015.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_nAfETePR8&list=UUrwSKj1SUAbS-HkfhZRhbSg.
DavidReardon,e-mailinterviewwithJoePulizzi,March2015.
SamGutelle,“YouTubeMillionaires:AnnReardonKnows‘HowtoCookThat,’”Tubefilter.com,accessedApril19,2015,http://www.tubefilter.com/2015/01/22/ann-reardon-how-to-cook-that-youtube-millionaires/.
CNBC,SquawkBoxinterviewwithKevinPlank,February5,2015.
JayBaer,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
JayAcunzo,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
“Tilt:Definition,”Dictionary.com,accessedApril19,2015.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tilt.
JimCollins,GoodtoGreat,HarperCollinsPublishers,2001.
Chapter6
DiscoveringYourContentMissionEverythingunderthesunhasbeensaid…youhavetofindanewwaytosayit.
HENRYWINKLER
Besidestheunderlyingbusinessmodel(howthemoneycomesin),thereisonethingthatmediacompaniesdowiththeircontentplanningthatnonmediacompaniesdonotdo.Doyouknowwhatitis?
It’stheeditorialmissionstatement.Mediacompaniesstarttheirstrategiesbydevelopinganeditorialmissionstatementthatguidestheircontentcreationeffortsandservesasabeaconfortheoverallbusiness.I’velaunchedover30mediaproductsinmycareer,frommagazinestonewsletterstoeventstowebinarprograms.Ineveryoneofthoselaunches,thefirstfewdayswerespentcreatingandfine-tuningtheeditorialmission.Itissimplythefirststepinestablishingasuccessfulstrategy.
Mostbusinessestodayhavetheopportunitytobepublishers.Thesmartonesfollowthebasicstrategiesthatmediacompanieshaveusedforyearstosuccessfullybuildtheiraudiences.
YOURCONTENTMISSIONAmissionstatementisacompany’sreasonforexistence.It’swhytheorganizationdoeswhatitdoes.Forexample,SouthwestAirlines’smissionstatementistodemocratizethetravelexperience.ThemissionstatementforCVSistobetheeasiestpharmacyretailerforcustomerstouse.So,insimpleterms,themissionstatementanswersthequestion,“Whydoweexist?”
Icoverthecontentmarketingmissionstatementinmostofmykeynotepresentations.It’scriticaltofirstsetthetonefortheideaofcontentmarketing…oranymarketing,forthatmatter.Marketingprofessionals,withbothsmallandlargebusinesses,getsofixatedonchannelssuchasblogs,Facebook,orPinterestthattheyhavenocluetotheunderlyingreasonofwhytheyshouldusethatchannelinthefirstplace.The“why”mustcomebeforethe“what.”
Yourcontenttilt(Chapter5)needstobeexpressedinawaythatyoucancommunicatetoyouraudience.It’saboldstatementwhenyouputyourflaginthegroundandtellyouraudiencewhyyouaredifferent.
InEpicContentMarketing,Idiscussthreepartsofthecontentmissionstatement:
Thecoretargetaudience
Thematerialthatwillbedeliveredtotheaudience
Theoutcomefortheaudience
MyfavoritemissionstatementfromatraditionalmediacompanyisfromInc.magazine.YoucanfinditsmissiononitsAboutUspage:
WelcometoInc.com,theplacewhereentrepreneursandbusinessownerscanfindusefulinformation,advice,insights,resourcesandinspirationforrunningandgrowingtheirbusinesses.
Inc.’smissionstatementincludes:
Thecoretargetaudience:Entrepreneursandbusinessowners.
Thematerialthatwillbedeliveredtotheaudience:Usefulinformation,advice,insights,resources,andinspiration.
Theoutcomefortheaudience:Runningandgrowingtheirbusinesses.
Inc.’smissionstatementisincrediblysimpleandincludesnowordsthatcanbemisunderstood.Simplicityiskeyforyourcontentmarketingmissionstatement.
NotethatnowhereinthemissionstatementisInc.talkingabouthowitmakesmoney.That’swheremoststart-upsgowrongwiththeircontentcreation…theyalwayswanttotalkaboutwhattheyaregoingtosell.Ifyoudothat,you’llneverevengetoffthegroundwithyourContentInc.strategy.
CASESTUDY:DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHYSCHOOLDarrenRowsebuilttwoamazinglysuccessfulContentInc.models.Thefirstone,ProBlogger,focusesonsmallbusinessblogging.Thesecond,DigitalPhotographySchool,isoneoftheleadingsourcesforbeginningphotographersonhowtogetthemaximumoutoftheirpicture-takingskills.
Butitdidn’tstartoutthatway.Initially,Darrenlaunchedacamerareview–typeblog.Asheexplains:
PrevioustoProBloggerIstartedacamerareviewblogthatwasmyfirstcommercialsortofblogandthathadgottentothepointwhereitwasfull-time,butitwasn’taverysatisfyingblogtowrite.Myreaderswouldcomeforonedaytoresearchacertaincameraandthendisappearandnevercomeback.SoIalwayshadthisdissatisfactionwithitthatIwasn’tactuallybuildingacommunity;Ithinkthat’swhatreallyfeedsme,havingongoingreaders.Ialwayswantedablogthatwasabitmoreabouthelpingpeopleinalong-termway.
Afterthisinitialexperimentdidn’tquitework,Darrencamebacktophotographyblogging,butchangedhiscontenttilt.Darren’s“aha!”momentcamewithhisfocusononeparticularaudience.
“IguessoneofthedoubtsIhadalongthewaywasaroundfocus,”saysDarren.Herecalls:
Verymuchearlyonitwasaboutbeginners,soitwasverybasiccontentandIhadsomedoubtsaboutwhetherIshouldstartexpandingintomoreintermediatelevelcontent,butIkindofstucktothatbeginnerstuffforthefirsttwoyearsandreallybuilttheaudiencethereuntilmyaudiencebegantogrowintothenextlevelof
content.SoIdidn’texpandtheexpertisetooearly,whichwasgoodinhindsight.
Thatdecisionpaidoff,andDarrensawhistotale-mailandsocialaudiencegrowtowelloveramillionsubscribers.
Let’stakealookatDigitalPhotographySchool’scontentmission.Youcanfinditonthewebsite’sAboutUspage(http://cmi.media/CI-DPS).
WelcometoDigitalPhotographySchool—awebsitewithsimpletipstohelpdigitalcameraownersgetthemostoutoftheircameras.
Let’sdissectthemissionstatement:
Thecoretargetaudience:Digitalcameraowners.
Thematerialthatwillbedeliveredtotheaudience:Simpletips.
Theoutcomefortheaudience:Getthemostoutoftheircameras.
Darrenexpandsonhismissionbysaying:
This“School”isnotaformalonebyanymeans.Therearenoclasses,noteachers,noexams—ratherit’salearningenvironmentwhereIthinkoutloudaboutwhatIknowandwhereinourForumwesharewhatwe’relearningbyshowingourphotosandaskandanswereachotherquestions.Also,unlikemostschools,theinformationhereisfree.
It’snowonderthatbeginningandintermediatephotographersengageinDarren’ssiteonaregularbasis.Darren’scontenttilt,thereasonwhyheseparatedhimself,washisinsightandabilitytoturnhisfocusonabeginneraudiencewithhelpful,consistenttipsthathisreaderscoulduseimmediately.LonggoneareDarren’sdaysofreviewingcameras.
WANTS,NOTNEEDSMoreandmore,IfindthatthebestContentInc.programsrevolvearoundaspirations,notneeds.I’vebeenguiltyoftellingmarketersto“focusoncustomerpainpoints”since,well,forever.Focusingonpainpointsjustgetsyoutothefrontdoor.
Togettotheheartofyourcustomers’needs,youhavetofocusonwhattheywanttobeandhelpthemgetwheretheyreallywanttogo.Insteadofthebasicslike“savingmoney”and“loweringcosts,”let’sraisethebartothingslike“givingourcustomersmorefreetimetolivethelivestheywantto”or“beingapersonthatcanmakeadifferenceintheworld.”
What’sinaName?In2008IsatinanAmericanBusinessMediaexecutivemeetingandlistenedtoPeterHoytspeak.PeterisCEOofHoytPublishing,afamily-ownedmediacompany.HoytstatedthatthenameHoytPublishinglimitedmanyopportunitiesforthecompany,sothecompanychangeditsnametotheIn-StoreMarketingInstitute(renamedlaterasPoint-of-PurchaseInstitute).
Uponmakingthatchange,Hoyt’srevenuesskyrocketed.“TheinstitutereallycaughtonanddevelopedintosomethingmuchbiggerthanIthoughtitwouldbe,”Hoytsaid.“Ithasprovidedmillionsofdollarsinnewrevenueandprofit.Ournetoperatingprofitwentfrom7%in2006to19%in2008,andwekeepreinvestingthatyieldtofurtherservetheindustry.”
Hoyt’sexperienceswereadirectreasonwhyIchangedournametoContentMarketingInstitute.Notsexybyanymeans,butthenamechangepositionedusasimmediateexperts.Wealsodidn’thavetospendtimetellingpeoplewhatwedid—theyimmediatelyknew.
Themoralofthestory?Sometimestakingaboringnamethatsaysexactlywhatyoudoisbetterthanabrandthatyouhavetoputadditionalmarketingintosopeopleknowexactlywhatyourcontentmissionis.TheChickenWhisperer,theGameTheoryvideoseries,andDigitalPhotographySchoolallfollowthismodel.Anditworks.
Itsoundscorny,butit’ssocritical.Tobecomethatoneresourcethatcutsthroughtheclutter,thepeopleinyouraudienceneedtobelievethatyourcontentcanchangetheirstars(fromthemovieAKnight’sTale).
So,likePeterThielpreaches,forgetwhatyourso-calledcompetitioniscreatinganddistributingtoyourcustomers.Youarebetterthanthat.Instead,becomethecontentthatyourcustomerswanttoengagewithovereverythingelse.It’sthatkindofaspirationthatwillgiveyouthevisiontoputaplanandteamtogetherthatwilltrulymakeadifference.
Inthekitchenofourhouse,thereisamissionstatementonthewall.Irefertoitoften.Sodomytwoboys,nowages12and14.
Themissionstatementisourfamilypurpose.It’swhatwestrivetobetodayandintothefuture.Ibelievethatmissionstatementhasbeencrucialtoourfamily’ssuccessandhappiness.
Hereiswhatitsays.
ThePulizziMissionAsPulizzis,weholdtruethefollowingwithongoingpurposeandaction:
WethankGodeverydayforourblessings,evenondayswhenwearechallengedorfacehardships.
Wealwayssharewhatwehavewithothers,andhelpoutwheneverwecantowhoeverisinneed.
Wepraiseeachother,asweareeachblessedbyGodwithuniquetalents.
Wealwaysfinishwhatwestart,alwaystryeventhoughwemaybeafraid,andalwaysgivetheactivityofthemomentourfullattention.
ShortVersion:
ThankGod.AlwaysShare.SayNiceThings.GiveOurBest.
Whenthekidshavequestionsaboutwhattheyshouldandshouldn’tdo,mywifeandIrefertothemissionstatement.Andthebestpart?Whenvisitorscomeintoourhouse,themissionstatementisnoticedrightawayandalmostalwayscommentedupon.It’soneofthoselittlethingsthatmakeadifference.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Oncethecontenttiltisidentified,wecanbegintobuildourcontentmission.Asoundmissionincludeswhothespecificaudienceis,whatcontentwedelivertothataudience,andwhattheaudienceoutcomeis.
Somanycompaniesfocusonwhattheircompetitionisdoing.Withcontent,youcompetewithtens,evenhundreds,ofsources.Thus,it’spointlesstofocusonwhatthecompetitiondoes.Focusonyouraudience.
Sure,youcanbesuccessfulfocusingoninformationalneeds,buttakeyourprogramtothenextlevel.Ifyoucanhelppeoplelivebetterlivesorgetbetterjobs,you’llgrabthememotionallyandkeepthemassubscribersforlife.
ResourcesTheNerdistPodcast,HenryWinklerinterview,December15,2014.
DigitalPhotographySchool,accessedApril19,2015,http://digital-photography-school.com/.
AKnight’sTale,ColumbiaPictures,releasedMay2001.
MarieGriffin,“TheIdeaThatTransformedHoytPublishing,”AdAge.com,accessedApril19,2015,http://adage.com/article/btob/idea-transformed-hoyt-publishing/273350/.
Chapter7
WaystoUnearthYourContentTiltIthinkbeingdifferent,goingagainstthegrainofsocietyisthegreatestthingintheworld.
ELIJAHWOOD
TosucceedwithContentInc.,youneedtocreateaplatformthatistheleadinginformationalorentertainmentresourcearoundyourcontentniche.Thisisnoteasytodo.Manyentrepreneurshaveideasaboutwhatitistheywanttocreatecontentaround;theyjustdon’tgothatextramiletoclearlydifferentiatethemselves.
Thischapterwillhelpyoudojustthat.Hereareanumberofstrategiesandtacticsyoucanleveragetohelpidentifyyourcontenttilt.
AMAZON.COMPRESSRELEASEMETHODIanMcAllister,generalmanagerforAmazonSmile,Amazon’scharitablearm,statesthatbeforeanewproductispresentedfordevelopmentatAmazon,JeffBezos,Amazon’sCEO,requiresthatafullpressreleasebewrittenasiftheproductwerefullybuiltandreadytolaunch.
“Iteratingonapressreleaseisalotlessexpensivethaniteratingontheproductitself(andquicker!),”saysMcAllister.
ThistypeofapproachiscriticalforvisualizingourContentInc.strategyandidentifyingwhatmakesusstandout.Itisourdifferentiatingfactor.AmandaMacArthur,managingeditorforMequodaDaily,detailsthecriticalpartsoftheAmazonpressreleasemethod.InleveragingAmanda’swordswithacontentmarketingviewpoint,thisishowtofindyourcontenttilt:
Heading—Namethecontentareainawaythereaderwillunderstand.
Subheading—Describewhothemarketforthecontentisandwhatbenefittheyget.
Summary—Giveasummaryofthecontentandthebenefit.
Problem—Describetheproblemyourcontentsolves.
Solution—Describehowyourcontentelegantlysolvestheproblem.
QuotefromYou—Aquotefromaspokespersoninyourcompany.
HowtoGetStarted—Describehoweasyitistogetstarted.
CustomerQuote—Provideaquotefromahypotheticalcustomerthatdescribeshowtheyexperiencedthebenefit.
ClosingandCalltoAction—Wrapitupandgivepointerswherethereadershouldgonext.
AccordingtoFastCompany,“Thepointistohelp[Amazonemployees]refinetheirideasanddistilltheirgoalswiththecustomerinmind.”
ItcandothesameforyouandyourContentInc.strategy.
LEVERAGINGGOOGLETRENDSAndrewDavis,authorofBrandscaping,believesthatGoogleTrendsisthemostimportantandmostunderutilizedtoolwhenitcomestolocatingyourcontentniche.Davis,nowaworldwidekeynotespeaker,includesasectionineveryoneofhispresentationsonthepowerofGoogleTrends.
GoogleTrendsisafreetoolofferedbyGooglethatshowsthesearchresultsandpatternsofkeywordsworldwideorspecifictoregions.Forexample,ifyoutype“kitchenblender”intoGoogleTrends,you’llseethatthesearchespeakeveryDecemberineveryyear,convenientlyrightaroundtheholidaysandgift-givingseason(Figure7.1).
Figure7.1SearchresultsonGooglefor“kitchenblender”peakeveryDecember.
Nowlet’sgobacktoJayBaerandhisexample(fromChapter5)ofsomeonestartingaknittingblog:“IlikeknittingandI’mgoingtostartaknittingblog.Really!Thereare27otherknittingblogs.Whywouldanybodyreadyours?Whatisdifferent?Whatisunique?Whatisinteresting?Whywouldanyonestopreadingtheknittingblogthatthey’vebeenreadingforthelastthreeyearsandreadyours?”
Here’swhereGoogleTrendsearnsitsstripes.IfwedoaTrendssearchforknitting,wefindthatoverallsearches(Figure7.2)areactuallydownforthatterm(notagoodsign).
Figure7.2SearchpatternsviaGooglearoundthetermknittingovertime.
Butifwedigabitdeeper,we’llfindgold.Movingdownthepage,asFigure7.3shows,youseeasectioncalled“Relatedsearches.”Here’swherewefindourtilt.Underthe“Topics”area,wefindthatinformationaroundloomknitting(theproductcategory)isup300percentinsearches.Ifwelookunderthe“Queries”section,wefindthat“loomknitting”isbreakingout,aswellas“knittingforbeginners,”“knittingascarf,”and“knittingstiches.”
Figure7.3ByscrollingtothebottomofaGoogleTrendssearch,youcandiscoverrelatedsearchesandbreakoutterms.
IfwegobacktoJay’sexample,insteadofjustfocusingonknittingingeneral,thedatamightbetellingustofocusoninnovativemethodsforusingaknittingloom(forbeginners).
ASKYOURPOTENTIALREADERSThisissuchlow-hangingfruitthatIalmostdidn’tincludeitasastrategy.Askingyourcustomersorpotentialreadersseemslikesuchasimplethingtodo,butsadlyit’srarelydone.
Irecentlyconductedaworkshopforoneofthelargestmanufacturingcompaniesintheworld.WhenIcametothesectionaboutbuildingthecontentmission,seniormarketerswereaskediftheyeversurveyedortalkedtotheircustomerstoidentifycontentgapsoropportunitiestotelldifferentbutneededstories.Unfortunately,eachoneofthemsaidthatthemarketingteamhadn’tbeenemployinganysurveysoraskingtheiraudiencewhattheirpainpoints,needs,orwantswereinanyway.
Hereisanopportunitytotakeadvantageofwhatlargeenterprisesdon’tdowell—talktoyourreaders.Whetheryouaskpotentialreaders(whichcouldbeyourfriendsorfamily)face-to-faceoryousendoutasurvey(usingatoollikeSurveyMonkey)viae-mail,eitherorbothwaysshouldbepartofyourregularstrategy.Thisisespeciallycriticalinthebeginningstagesasyouarediscoveringyourniche.
SettingUpListeningPostsIstartedinthepublishingindustryinFebruary2000atPentonMedia.Ilearnedwhatgreatstorytellingwasallaboutfrommymentor,JimMcDermott.Jimconstantlytalkedabouttheimportanceof“listeningposts.”Listeningpostsareallaboutgettingasmuchfeedbackfromavarietyofsourcesaspossiblesoyoucanfindthetruth.
Settinguplisteningpostsiscriticalforalleditors,journalists,reporters,andstorytellerstomakesuretheytrulyknowwhatisgoingonintheindustry.Foryou,listeningpostsarecriticalsothatyoucanidentifyyourcontenttiltandmakesureit’sanopportunityforyoutodifferentiateyourself.Allofusneedlisteningpoststotrulydiscoverourcustomers’needs.Thefollowingareallmeansofgettingfeedbackfromcustomers—ineffect,functioningaslisteningposts.
1.One-on-oneconversations.AdeleRevella,oneoftheleadingthinkersaroundaudiencepersonas,believesthatnothingcanreplacetalkingtoyourcustomersoraudiencedirectly.
2.Searchofkeywords.UsingtoolssuchasGoogleTrendsandsearchenginekeywordalertswillallowyoutotrackwhatcustomersaresearchingforandwheretheyarehangingoutontheweb.
3.Webanalytics.Diveintoyourwebanalytics.Findingoutwhatcontentyourreadersareengagingin(andwhattheyaren’t)canmakeallthedifferencetoyoursuccess.
4.Socialmedialistening.WhetherthroughLinkedIngroupsorTwitterhashtagsandkeywords,youcaneasilyfindoutwhatyourcustomersaresharing,talkingabout,andstrugglingwithintheirlivesandjobs.
5.Customersurveys.SurveytoolslikeSurveyMonkeycaneasilybedeployedtogatherkeyinsightsintoyourcustomers’informationalneeds.
TESTINGTILTSJayAcunzofromNextViewVenturesemploysatestingstrategyeverytimehe’sconsideringanewcontentarea.Recently,whilegatheringdataforatargetcontentarea,hetooksmallsubsetsofhisdatabaseandsentouttestcontenttodifferentgroups.Foreachonehemeasuredtheopenrate,theclick-through,theon-siteengagement,andtheunsubscriberate.Hedidthisforsixweeksand,attheendoftheprocess,identifiedaclearandoverwhelmingwinnerinacertaincontentsubcategory.
MatthewPatrick,founderofGameTheory,whomwemetinChapter3andwhohasoneofthemostpopularYouTubechannelswithover4millionsubscribers,foundhisnichethroughtestingaswell.AccordingtoMatthew,“Ireallystartedtoapproachtheplatforminaveryexperimentalway.IwoulddoA/Btests;Iwouldrunverysmallexperimentswithdescriptionsandthingslikethat.AndovertimeIwasabletoreallygetasenseofhowusersengagewiththisplatform,butalsohowYouTubeandtheiralgorithmsworktokindofsortvideosandspreadthemacrossthesystem.”
OncethedatatoldMatthewwhatmadeahitandwhatdidn’t,hebuilthismodelaroundthat,whichskyrocketedhisContentInc.modeltosuccess.
REPOSITIONTHECONTENTAREATheContentMarketingInstitutewaslaunchedinApril2007.EventhoughIhadusedthetermcontentmarketingonandofffortheprevioussixyears,itwasstillnewmarketingterminology.
Thedominantindustrytermatthetimewascustompublishing.Fromconversationswithseniormarketingpractitioners(CMI’stargetaudience),Icouldtellthatthattermwasnotsomethingthatresonatedwiththem.Butwasthereanopportunityforcontentmarketing?Couldchangingtheindustryterminologybeourcontenttilt?
ItinkeredwiththeGoogleTrendstoolandlookedatanumberofphrasevariations.HereiswhatIfoundasitrelatedtothedominantindustryterm(custompublishing)andanemergingterm(contentmarketing).
Custompublishing.Ifthiswereastockforpurchase,weatCMIdefinitelywouldn’twanttoownit.Everyyearpeoplesearchedforthistermlessoften.Inaddition,manyofthearticlesreferred,nottoourideaofbrandscreatingcontent,buttocustomizedprintbooks.Thisconfusionwasaproblem.
Contentmarketing.Thetermdidn’tevenregisteronGoogleTrends.Ibegantothinkthatifenoughoftherightcontentwascreated,amovementaroundthetermcouldbestarted.Withconfusionaroundtheothertermssuchasbrandedcontentandcustomcontent,itwaslikelythattheindustryneededanewtermaroundwhichtorallykeythoughtleaders.Inaddition,withoutaclearleaderinthe“contentmarketing”group,CMIcouldmovequicklyandgainsearchmarketshareifdonecorrectly.AsyoucanseeinFigure7.4,thisstrategypaidoff.
Figure7.4Thetermscontentmarketingandcustompublishinghavetakenoppositepaths,accordingtoGoogleTrends.
SoacombinationoftalkingtoouraudienceandusingfreetoolslikeGoogleTrendshelpedCMIdefineitscontentnicheand“tilt”aroundthisnamechange.
HubSpot,theextremelysuccessfulmarketingautomationenterprise,employedthesamestrategywiththeterminboundmarketing(Figure7.5).In2006,HubSpotlaunchedablogaroundtheconceptanddevelopedabook(calledInboundMarketing),avideoseries,andaneventcalledInbound.Asyoucansee,thecommunitygatheredaroundthistermandhelpedthrustHubSpotintoaleadershipposition.
Figure7.5Contentareascanbeexploitedwithanamechangeandalotofvaluablecontent.Theterminboundmarketingisanexampleofthis.
DOINGTHEWORKI’mwindingdownthischapterwithaninvaluablelessonandquotefromIraGlass,thepopularhostandproducerofThisAmericanLife.Glassstatedthefollowingonhisshow:
Putyourselfonadeadlinesothateveryweekyouwillfinishonestory.Itisonlybygoingthroughavolumeofworkthatyouwillclosethatgap,andyourworkwillbeasgoodasyourambitions.AndItooklongertofigureouthowtodothisthananyoneI’veevermet.It’sgonnatakeawhile.It’snormaltotakeawhile.You’vejustgottafightyourwaythrough.
Sometimes,tofindyourcontenttilt,yousimplyhavetogetstarted,dothework,anddiscovertheopportunities.JeffBullas,themostpopularsocialmediastrategistinAustralia,startedouthiscontentplatformbywritingaboutcelebritynews(hisfirstpostwasaboutJenniferAnniston).Aftermonthsofcreatingcontent,Jefffoundhisgroovespecifictotheemergingpracticeofsocialmedia.Jeffhadtodotheworktogettothecontenttilt.
ThesamesituationhappenedwithJayBaer.Jayinitiallylaunchedablogprimarilyaboute-mailmarketing.Inaninterview,hesaid:
AndIdiscoveredinabout30secondsthateverytimeIwroteaboutemailmarketingIgot150visitstothesite,andeverytimeIwroteaboutsocialmediaIgotabout1000visitstothesite.AndafterthathappenedforawhileIthough,hum…Idon’thaveadegreeinstatistics,butIseeatrendhere.
SoIsaid,we’regoingtowriteaboutsocialmediauntilsomebodytellsusnottowriteaboutthat,soIspentallmytimewritingaboutthat.ThenIhaddoneabunchofsocialmediaconsultinginthepastandsaid,wellIguessifthere’sthatmuchdemandforthisinformationthenthat’sgoingtobethefocusofthebusiness,anditwas.
Jaywouldneverhavefoundthisoutifhehadnotputhimselfouttherecreatingcontent.It’scompletelyacceptablethatyoutakeyourbestshot(likeJaydid)atacontenttiltandstartdevelopingtheplatform.MaybethenyouwillfindtheContentInc.nichethatwilldriveyoursuccess.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
OneofthemostunderutilizedmarketingtoolsontheplanetisGoogleTrends.Itisyourjobtoleveragethistooltounearthyourcontenttilt.
Ifyoufocusonlisteningtocustomersfirstandsellingsecond,itwillopenupamazingnewopportunitiestopositionyourcompany.
Sometimestofindyourcontenttilt,youneedtodothework.Perfectionisunattainablewithcontent,soifyouhavestalledyourplansuntilyoufindtherighttilt,thebest
prescriptionmaybetojustbeginthecreationprocess.
ResourcesThisAmericanLife,producedbyIraGlass,WBEZ,2014,
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/.
AmandaMacArthur,“AnInspirationalPressReleaseTemplatefromAmazon,”Mequoda.com,http://www.mequoda.com/articles/audience-development/an-inspirational-press-release-template-from-amazon/.
AustinCarr,“TheRealStoryBehindJeffBezos’sFirePhoneDebacleandWhatItMeansforAmazon’sFuture,”FastCompany.com,http://www.fastcompany.com/3039887/under-fire.
JayAcunzo,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
AdeleRevella,BuyerPersonas,JohnWiley&Sons,2015.
JayBaer,interviewbyClareMcDermott,January2015.
ToddWheatland,“ThePivot:4MillionPeopleGladBullasWentBacktoTech,”ContentMarketingInstitute.com,http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/01/the-pivot-jeff-bullas/.
Part4
BuildingtheBaseItisnotthebeautyofabuildingyoushouldlookat;it’stheconstructionofthefoundationthatwillstandthetest
oftime.
DAVIDALLANCOE
You’vefoundyoursweetspotandidentifiedyourcontenttilt.Nowit’stimetodothework.
Chapter8
SelectingYourPlatformPilotshavetheirnamespaintedjustbeneaththecanopyoftheiraircraft.Thisgivesthepilotasenseofownershipforhisorherjet.What’smore,likecars,eachaircrafthasitsownpersonality,soit’simportantforapilottogettoknowand
lovehisaircraft.
SIMONSINEK
Ifyou’vecompletedtheworktothispoint,congratulations.Believeitornot,thestrategybehindtheContentInc.modelisthehardestpart.Anyone,anywhere,withalmostnoresourcescancreateablog,podcast,orYouTubeseries,butittakesresearchandthinkingtobuildanaudience.Thataudienceiswhatwillultimatelypoweryourentirebusinessmodel.
WHERETOSTART?AsMichaelHyattsaidinhisbookandblog,bothentitledPlatform,yourideasandstoriesneedaplacetoliveifyouaregoingtosucceed.AccordingtoMichael,“Withoutaplatform—somethingthatenablesyoutogetseenandheard—youdon’thaveachance.Havinganawesomeproduct,anoutstandingservice,oracompellingcauseisnolongerenough.”
Thegreatestmediaentitiesofalltimeselectedoneprimarychannelinwhichtobuildtheirplatform:
WallStreetJournal—Printednewspaper
Time—Printedmagazine
TEDTalks—In-personevents
ESPN—Cabletelevisionprogramming
HuffingtonPost—Onlinemagazineformat
RushLimbaugh—Radioshow
Asyoucanseefromtheexamplesabove,youhavetwochoicestomakewhenbuildingyourplatform:
1.Howwillyoutellyourstories?Willitbethroughwrittenword,throughvideo,throughaudio,orinperson?
2.Wherewillyoutellyourstories?Whatchannelwillyouchoosetodistributeyourcontent?
MathewPatrickfromGameTheorydecidedtocreateconsistentvideosanddistributethemonYouTube.
DarrenRowsefromDigitalPhotographySchoolusesmostlyarticleswithimages,
leveragingawebsitedevelopedinWordPress.
JohnLeeDumasfromEntrepreneurOnFire(EOF)doesapodcasteveryday;hedistributesitmainlythroughiTunes,Stitcher,andSoundCloudanddeliversshownotesonawebsite.
BEFOREYOUSTARTInEpicContentMarketingIdiscusssixprinciplesofcontentmarketingthatwork.Youneedtoremembertheseatalltimesduringtheprocessofbuildingandexecutingyourplatform.
1.Fillaneed.Yourcontentshouldanswersomeunmetneedoforquestionforyourreader.
2.Beconsistent.Thegreathallmarkofasuccessfulpublisherisconsistency.Whetheryoupublishamonthlymagazineordailye-mailnewsletter,thecontentneedstobedeliveredalwaysontimeandasexpected.ThisiswheresomanyContentInc.strategiesfalldown.
3.Behuman.Findwhatyourvoiceis,andshareit.Ifyourcompany’sstoryisallabouthumor,sharethat.Ifit’sabitsarcastic,that’sokaytoo.
4.Haveapointofview.Thisisnotencyclopediacontent.Youarenotgivingahistoryreport.Don’tbeafraidtotakesidesonmattersthatcanpositionyouandyourcompanyasanexpert.OneofthereasonsMarcusSheridan,andhiscompanyRiverPools&Spas,hasbeensuccessfulistheemotionandbluntnessMarcusrelaysinhiscontent.Peopleappreciatethat.
5.Avoid“salesspeak.”WhenweatContentMarketingInstitutecreateapieceofcontentthatissolelyaboutusratherthanforaneducationalpurpose,itonlygarners25percentoftheregularamountofpageviewsandsocialshares.Sometimestherearebusinessreasonstodothis,butthemoreyoutalkaboutyourself,thelesspeoplewillvalueyourcontent.
6.Bebestofbreed.Althoughyoumightnotbeabletoreachitattheverybeginning,thegoalforyourcontentultimatelyistobebestofbreed.Thismeansthat,foryourcontentniche,whatyouaredistributingistheverybestofwhatisfoundandisavailable.Ifyouexpectyourreaderstospendtimewithyourcontent,youmustdeliverthemamazingvalue.
InallourContentInc.casestudies,thesesixelementsarepresent.BesuretheyareonyourmindthroughoutyourprocessofbuildingyourContentInc.model.
CONTENTTYPESAccordingtothe2015ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfsSmallBusinessContentMarketingStudy,themostpopularcontenttypesareasfollows(inorderofusage):
Articlesorblogposts
Textualstoriesine-newsletters
Videos
In-personevents
Reportsorwhitepapers
Webinars/webcasts
Books(printordigital)
Printedmagazines
Audioprogramming
Printednewsletters
ThemajorityofContentInc.successstoriesfallintothesefollowingcontenttypes:
Articlesorblogs(orcontent-basedwebsites).CMI’smainplatformforbuildingaudienceisbydistributingcontentviaablog.Blogsstartedatthreetimesperweekandnowruneverydayormultipletimesperday.
E-newsletterprograms.Asoneexample,SocialMediaExaminerdeliversdailycontentviae-mailtoover300,000businessownersandmarketers.
Videos.Everyweek,MatthewPatrick(GameTheory)distributesafreshvideoviaYouTube.
Podcasts.Everyday,JohnLeeDumas(EOF)presentsanewpodcastinterview.
CompaniesutilizingContentInc.strategiesdiversifytheircontentchannelsintootherpropertiesoncetheyattractalargeenoughaudience.Inthebeginning,it’simportanttofocusoncreatingamazingandrelevantcontentwithmostlyonecontentchannel(podcast,video,blog,etc.).
Fordetailedinformationonthespecificprosandconsofeachcontenttype,downloadthecomplimentaryContentMarketingPlaybookathttp://cmi.media/CI-playbook.
THECONTENTCHANNELNowthatyouknowhowyouaregoingtotellyourstory,youneedtodecidehowyouaregoingtodeliverthecontent—thechannel.Overthelongterm,you’llbedistributingyourcontentthroughanumberofchannels(seePart5,“HarvestingAudience”),butrightnowyouneedtomakeadecisionaboutthe“core”channel.
Youneedtoconsidertwomajorquestionswhenmakingthisdecision:
Whatchanneloffersthebestopportunitytoreachmytargetaudience?(Reach)
Whatchannelgivesmethemostcontroloverpresentingmycontentandbuildingmyaudience?(Control)
Let’slookatthechartinFigure8.1.
Figure8.1AbloglikeCopybloggerhasmorecontrolbutlessreachthancontentprogramslikeGameTheoryandEntrepreneurOnFire.
BrianClark’sCopybloggerhasalmostinfinitecontroloveritschannel,aWordPresssitethatitowns.Atthesametime,Copybloggerneedstobuildasystemtoattractpeopletoitscontentsinceitswebsitedoesn’tresidewithinanotherecosystemthatcannaturallybringittraffic.
Ontheotherhand,EntrepreneurOnFire(podcast)andGameTheory(video)haveagreaterreachpossibilitythanCopybloggersincetheypublishwithinanenvironmentwithabuilt-inaudience.EOFpublishesviaiTunes,wheretherearemillionsofpeoplewhosearchfornewpodcastseveryday.SamethingforGameTheory.ItstargetaudienceofteenagersisalreadyonYouTubeeveryday.AslongasGameTheorycontinuestocreatecompellingcontentthatYouTubewilldeliver,itshouldgrowanaudiencethere.
TheproblemwithEOFandGameTheoryisthattheyareleveragingplatformsthattheyhavelittleornocontrolover.GameTheoryhasover4millionsubscribers.That’samazing,buttechnicallyGameTheorydoesn’tcontrolthosesubscriberrelationships;YouTubedoes.YouTubecoulddecidetomorrowthatitdoesn’twantGameTheorytohaveaccesstothosepeople,oritmightdecidetopublicizeothercontenttoMatthewPatrick’saudience,likeJimmyFallon,insteadofGameTheory.
ConsidertheexampleoftheduoSMOSH,theYouTubesensationswhobuiltanaudienceof20millionsubscribersonYouTube.Overthepastcoupleofyears,callstoactionattheendoftheirvideocontentwerealwaystotheirownedwebsite,Smosh.com,wheretheycouldsignuppeopleforane-mailsubscriptionprogramthattheyhadcontrolover.Thepointhereisifyouchoosealow-controlchannelasthemaindriverofyourcontentdistribution,beawarethatatsomepointyou’llwanttoconvertthesubscribersonthatplatformtoyourownsubscribers(seeChapter14).
BEWAREOFSOCIALCHANNELSAlthoughsocialchannels,suchasFacebookandLinkedIn,aregreatplacestobuildyourdigitalfootprintandfollowers,youultimatelyhavenocontroloverwhatthosecompaniesdowithyourconnections.Sure,LinkedInletsyourcurrentconnectionsseeallthecontentyoupublishonLinkedIn,butLinkedIncouldchangeitsmindtomorrow.Ithaseveryrighttodosoasaprivatebusiness,andyou,afreememberoftheLinkedIncommunity,havenorights.
SocialchannelslikeFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,Pinterest,andInstagramandnewerchannelslikeTumblrandMediummayallbesolidconsiderationstobuildaplatformdependingonwhomyouaretargeting,butit’simportanttounderstandthedangers.
THESAFESTBETLookatthefastest-growingmediacompaniesoftoday,suchasBuzzFeedorViceMedia,ormorematurenewmediaplatforms,suchastheHuffingtonPost.YoucanevenlookatatraditionalpublisherliketheNewYorkTimesorTimemagazine.Theyareallverygoodatleveragingsocialchannelsandbuildinganaudienceonthosechannels,buttheydon’tbuildtheirmainplatformonsocialchannels.
Ineverycase,theybuildwebsitesorprintproperties(bothwithsubscribers)thattheycanownandcontrol,andtheyleverageotherchannelstodrivepeoplebacktothesitestheyownsotheycanconvertpassersbyintoanaudiencetheycanmonetize.
PLATFORMSINACTIONOpenviewVenturePartnersinvestsingrowth-orientedtechnologycompanies.Backin2009,OpenviewlaunchedacontentplatformcalledOpenviewLabs(http://cmi.media/CI-openview),whichdeliversregulararticlecontenttoattractsubscriberstoane-newsletteroffering(whichnowboastsover36,000subscribers…notbadforaventurecapitalcompany;seeFigure8.2).
Figure8.2OpenviewVenturePartnersusesthecontentbrandOpenviewLabsonablogplatform.
KraftFoods,oneoftheleadingcollectionsoffoodbrandsintheworld,ownsKraftRecipes.com(http://cmi.media/CI-kraft).AccordingtoJulieFleischer,KraftFoods’seniordirectorofData+Content,KraftRecipes.com,Kraftemploys20culinaryprofessionalswhoworkwithKraftproductseveryday.Therearecurrently30,000recipesonthecompany’swebsite,whereKraftactuallygeneratesdirectrevenuefromadvertisingonthesite(Figure8.3),aswellasprintadvertisinginitsmagazine,KraftFood&Family.
Figure8.3Kraft’scontentandrecipesiteKraftRecipes.com.
JohnDeerelaunchedTheFurrowmagazinein1895.Itisstillpublishedtoday,producedinprintanddigitalformatin14differentlanguagesanddistributedto40countries(http://cmi.media/CI-furrow).TheFurrowhasalwaysfocusedonhowfarmerscanlearnthelatesttechnologytogrowtheirfarmsandbusinesses(Figure8.4).
Figure8.4OneoftheoldestContentInc.initiativesontheplanet,TheFurrowmagazinefromJohnDeere.
GotTech?
WhatShouldIUsetoBuildMyWebsite?Althoughthereareanumberofopen-source(e.g.,Joomla,Drupal)andclosed-source(.NET)websitepublishingplatforms,mostContentInc.businessespowertheirwebsiteswithWordPress.Approximately75millionsitesarepoweredbyWordPress,whichaccountsfor19percentofallwebsitesontheplanet.Inaddition,WordPresshasavibrantcommunity,whichmeansifyouneedtoaddaplug-intoyoursite,it’sprobablyalreadybeencreated.
WhatE-mailPlatformShouldIUse?Thereareanumberofexcellente-mailsystemsoutthereforsmallbusinesses.ConsiderEmma,MailChimp,orAweber.Becausee-mailsubscribersarecriticaltoyourContentInc.plan,it’ssmarttogetstartedwithareputablee-mailprovidersoonerratherthanlater.
HollywoodcelebrityGwynethPaltrowrecentlylaunchedherownContentInc.strategy,calledGoop(http://cmi.media/CI-goop).Originallyconceivedin2008asaweeklye-newsletterontravelrecommendationsandshoppingtips,Goophasevolvedintoafullyfunctioningmediasitewithover1millionsubscribers(Figure8.5).
Figure8.5ActressGwynethPaltrowisbuildingaContentInc.powerhouseatGoop.com.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Thegreatestmediabrandsofalltimestartedthesameway,deliveringthesamecontenttypeinthesamecontentchannelforyears.
Whenchoosingtheappropriatechannelforyourstrategy,understandtherisksofasocialchannelthatyoudon’town.Whiletheopportunityforgainingaudiencemaybegreater,ultimatelytheriskismuchlargersinceyoudon’townthatasset.
Inalmostallcases,yourblogplatformstrategywillworkbestinaWordPressplatform.Beforeyoulaunch,checkoutWordPressfirst.
ResourcesMichaelHyatt,Platform,http://michaelhyatt.com/platform.
MicheleLinn,“KraftFoods:ToolstoCreatetheRightRecipeforYourContentMarketing
Plan,”ContentMarketingInstitute.com,http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/kraft-content-marketing/.
CraigHodges,“HowKraftOwnstheRecipeBusiness,”KingContent.com.au,http://www.kingcontent.com.au/how-kraft-owns-the-recipe-business-five-lessons-from-julie-fleischer/.
TomEwer,“14SurprisingStatisticsAboutWordPressUsage,”ManageWP.com,https://managewp.com/14-surprising-statistics-about-wordpress-usage.
Chapter9
ContentIdeationAnideathatisnotdangerousisunworthyofbeingcalledanideaatall.
OSCARWILDE
AnnHandley,authorofthebookEverybodyWrites,believesintheContentInc.conceptfortworeasons,Handleysaysinaninterview:
Numberone…becauseitdoesputtheneedsofyouraudiencefirst,inthesensethatyouseetheaudienceascollaborativewithyourbusiness…Ilikethataudiencecentricpointofview.
Thesecondthingisthatcreatingcontentisn’tjustformarketing.It’snotjustanexternalexercisedesignedtogrowanaudience;…thebeautyofcontentisthatitactuallyalsogrowstheindividual.Soitgrowsthecontentcreatoratthesametime.Thatmeansitalmostforcesyoutoevolveyourthinking.Whenyou’recreatingcontentandyou’regettingfeedbackfromtheaudienceitallowsyoutohoneyourvision,aswellasembedyourvisionultimatelywithwhateveritisthatyou’recreating.
Lookatanyleadinginformationalresourceontheweb.Thecontentthatisfirstdevelopeduponlaunchisalwayssignificantlydifferentthanitisnow.Overtime,thecontentevolvedtobettermeettheneedsoftheaudience,andatthesametimethecontentcreatorsbegantofindtheirownsweetspot(whichsometimestakestimetofind,aswe’vediscussed).
Finishingracesisimportant,butracingismoreimportant.
DALEEARNHARDT
TogettoapointofContentInc.success,weneedtodothework.Nowthatyou’veidentifiedyoursweetspotanddeterminedwhatdifferentiatesyouandyourcontent,comingupwithconsistentlycompellingcontentideasmayseemdaunting.Puttingintheworkmakesallthedifference.
Mostentrepreneursfailatdevelopingideasfortheircontentbecausetheyfailtoplan.Ifyouareatapointwhereyouaresittinginfrontofthecomputerwaitingforinspirationtostrike,you’redoingitwrong.
Thereisnoonerightwaytodevelopideasforyourcontentprojects,butyoudoneedaprocess.
THECONTENTAUDITBeforeyoucandeterminewhatkindofcontentyouneed,youfirstneedtofigureoutwhatyouhave.Inaddition,youneedtodeterminewhetherwhatyouhaveisanygoodatallor,betteryet,whetheryouhavesomerawcontentthatisstillincrediblyvaluablethatyoucan
leveragethroughoutyourContentInc.strategy.
Whyisthissocritical?I’veworkedwithdozensofcompaniesthatlaunchednewe-booksandwhitepapersandhiredfreelancersandeditors,onlytofindoutmidwaythroughtheprocessthatmuchofthecontentinitiativehadalreadybeencreated.Conductingevenasimplecontentauditwouldhavesavedthosecompaniestimeandmoney.
Forafulloverviewofwhyandhowtoconductacontentaudit,you’llfindahandyresourceathttp://cmi.media/CI-audit.
50QUESTIONSOneoftheamazingthingsaboutMarcusSheridan’ssuccesswithRiverPools&Spasisthathe’sneveractuallyinstalledafiberglasspool,eventhoughthemajorityoftheworldbelievesheistheexpert.Hissecret:“Theultimatecontentstrategyislistening.”
Marcuslistenstocustomers,toemployees,topodcasts…he’saconsummatelearner.Thenhebrainstormsforcontentideas.“Ifyoudon’tcomeupwithatleast50questions,youhaven’ttriedhardenough,”saysSheridan.“Ifyouwritetwotimesperweek,that’sawholeyear’sworthofcontent.”
Openanotebookandmakealistofquestionsyouraudiencewouldliketoknowabout.Atthispoint,thereisnowronganswer.Don’tstopandcorrectanything—justwritequestions.Finishyourlistof50questionsandtakeabreak.Afterawhile,comebacktothelisttofindthediamonds.
LEVERAGINGFREEWRITINGMarkLevy(authorofAccidentalGenius)gavemeacrashcourseinsomethingcalled“freewriting.”Freewriting,alsocalledstream-of-consciousnesswriting,isawritingtechniquewherethepersonwritesforasetperiodoftimewithoutregardforspellingoreventhetopic.Markusesthistechniquewithhisclientstounearththerawcontentattheheartofthecontentcreator.
NatalieGoldberg,authorofTheTrueSecretofWriting,outlinestherulesoffreewritingtoinclude:
Giveyourselfatimelimit.Writeforasetperiod,andthenstop.
Keepyourhandmovinguntilthetimeisup.Donotpausetostareintospaceortoreadwhatyou’vewritten.Writequicklybutdonotrush.
Paynoattentiontogrammar,spelling,punctuation,neatness,orstyle.Nobodyelseneedstoreadwhatyouproduce.
Ifyougetofftopicorrunoutofideas,keepwritinganyway.Ifnecessary,writenonsenseorwhatevercomesintoyourhead,orsimplyscribble:doanythingtokeepthehandmoving.
Ifyoufeelboredoruncomfortableasyou’rewriting,askyourselfwhat’sbotheringyou,andwriteaboutthat.
Whenthetimeisup,lookoverwhatyou’vewritten,andmarkpassagesthat
containideasorphrasesthatmightbeworthkeepingorelaboratingoninasubsequentfreewritingsession.
HAVINGFUNWITHGOOGLEALERTSGoogleAlertsisafreeservice(allyouneedisaGmailaccount)thatdeliverswebcontenttoyourinboxrelatedtothewordsyouaresearchingfor.Forexample,ifyouareinterestedincontentaroundthemultiplayergameMinecraft,youcouldaskGoogleAlertstosendyouanotificationwhenGooglefindsanewpage,say,onMinecrafttipsorMinecraftreleases.
Youcanreceivealertsastheyhappen,everyday,oreveryweek.Thesearticlescanbecomenewfodderforyourcontentideas.
Note:Also,don’tforgetthatGoogleTrendsrisingorhottopicsisagreatresourceforthisaswell.
TWITTERHASHTAGSAswithGoogleAlerts,yourindustrymayhaveanumberofhashtagsthatcanbeabeaconfornewcontent.Forexample,therearemultipleconversationsonthewebgoingonaround“intelligentcontent.”Thehashtagforintelligentcontentis#IntelContent.BysearchingTwitterorsettingupadashboardwithaTwittermanagementsystemsuchasTweetdeck,youcanmonitorwhatisgoingonaroundthetopicinsocialmedia.YoucanalsousehashtagsinFacebookandLinkedIn,butI’veneverfounditashelpfulasTwitter.
ANALYZEYOURANALYTICSJayBaerwouldneverhavefoundhiscontenttiltofsocialmediawithoutanalyzinghiswebtraffic.Afterpublishingapostaboutsocialmedia,hewasseeingdoubleandtriplethetrafficversushisformertopicofe-mailmarketing.
Makeahabitoflookingintoyouranalyticsonaweeklybasis.Findoutwhatpeoplearemostinterestedinandhowtheyarefindingyourcontent.Itmaymakesensetocreatemorecontentaroundwhat’smostimportanttoyouraudience.
Note:Whiletherearehundredsofanalyticssystems,GoogleAnalyticsisfreeandisrelativelyeasytoinstallonyourwebsite.
EMPLOYEEDISCUSSIONSSomanyemployeesareafraidtohelpyoucreatecontentbecausetheydon’tunderstandthatmuchofthevalueisaddedintheeditingprocess.Foryourpurposes,youwantthe“raw”contentfromthem…theinformationthatmakesthemsubject-matterexperts.
Relievethemembersofyourteamoftheirworriesbyassuringthemthatthecopywillbe“polishedup”duringediting.Thengetthemrollingbyofferingthefollowingtips:
Recordit.Justasinyour50questionsorfreewritingexercise,justhavethemgetitout.Gettogetherforcoffeewithyouremployeesandrecordtheconversation.Simplytalk
withthemaboutthechallengestheyareseeing.Beforeyouknowit,you’llhave20contentideas.
Storyboarditout.Iftheemployeesarehavingatoughtimeopeningup,tellthemtovisualizewhattheywanttosayandwritedownkeyphrasesorconceptsontostickynotes.Theycanevendrawwhatthey’rethinkingonstickynotes.Thisisanespeciallygreatwaytoorganizethoughtsforalongerpiece.
ASKYOURSOCIALNETWORKSAlthoughit’simportantnottoabusethis,askingyoursocialnetworkscanbehelpful,especiallyifit’saroundaspecificarea.Thereasonwhyyouarereadingthisbookrightnow,andnotreadingaboutanothertopic,isbecausetheideaforContentInc.wasfarandawaythemostrequestedpieceofinformationmysocialnetworkaskedfor.(SeeFigure9.1toseethethankyounotetomyfriendsandfollowersonFacebook.)
Figure9.1Gatheringdirectfeedbackfromyourconnectionsviasocialmediacansometimesbeablessing.
HelpfulTechAnumberofprolificbloggersuseEvernotetotracktheircontentideas.Evernoteisanappthatisusedforjournalingandthatcansyncwithallyourdevices(smartphone,tablet,etc.).JoeChernov,VPofcontentatHubSpot,usesEvernotetotracknewideas
andrandomthoughtsandevenwrite“in-progress”blogs.
Somepeopleliketovisuallytrackcontentideas,usingmind-mappingsoftwaresuchasMindjet.NewtBarrett,mycoauthoronGetContentGetCustomers,usesMindjettolayouteachbookchapter,inadditiontothebooktableofcontentsandcasestudydetails.
MichaelHyattravesaboutScrivener.Scrivenerisusedmostlybyscreenwriters,butlatelymoreandmorebloggershavetakentothetool.
READACOMPLETELYIRRELEVANTBOOKEveryonceinawhileIdryupcreatively.NomatterwhatIdo,Ijustcan’tgetfocusedonacompellingtopic.Inthiscaseoflastresort,Ipickupabookthatiscompletelyirrelevanttomycontentarea.I’vealwaysfoundthatmybestcontentideaspopintomyheadwhileI’mreadingagoodbook.IhighlyrecommendStrangerinaStrangeLandbyRobertHeinleinorclassicslikeToKillaMockingbirdorTheHitchhiker’sGuidetotheGalaxy.
Ifyoudon’thavetimetoread,youdon’thavetime(orthetools)towrite.Simpleasthat.
STEPHENKING
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Beforeyoucreateanynewcontent,besuretoanalyzetherawcontentyoualreadyhaveavailable.
Customerquestionscanbeagoldmineforcontentideas.
Nothingworksbettertoseewhat’sworkingwithyourcontentthanlookingatactualcontentbehavior.Makeanappointmentwithyouranalyticsprogramatleastweeklytobegintodeterminewhatiscatchingfire.
ResourcesMarkLevy,AccidentalGenius,Berrett-KoehlerPublishers,2010.
NatalieGoldberg,TheTrueSecretofWriting,AtriaBooks,2013.
BillMiltenberg,“ToSaveHisBusiness,MarcusSheridanBecameaPoolReporter,”PRNews.com,http://www.prnewsonline.com/featured/2012/09/06/to-save-his-business-marcus-sheridan-became-a-pool-reporter/.
StaceyRoberts,“HowtoConsistentlyComeUpwithGreatPostIdeasforYourBlog,”ProBlogger.net,http://www.problogger.net/archives/2014/02/03/content-week-how-to-consistently-come-up-with-great-post-ideas-for-your-blog/.
Chapter10
TheContentCalendarYoucanhaveitall.Youcan’tjusthaveitallatonce.
OPRAHWINFREY
Nomatterhowgoodweareatwhatwedoorhowmanyyearswe’vebeendoingit,weallseektheelusive“betterway”toaccomplishoureverydaytasks—newtoolstoexplore,newtechniqueswithwhichtoexperiment,newinformationtotakeintoconsideration.Innovationsareconstantlyemergingtohelppeopledowhattheydoinlesstime,withlesswastedeffort,andwithgreatersuccess.Reinventionispracticallyacommoditywetradethesedaystokeeppushingourdigitallyenabledsocietyforward.
Eventhemoststeadyandstalwartoftoolsinthecontentmarketer’sarsenal—theeditorial(content)calendar—hastransformeditselfovertheyears,fromasimplespreadsheetfortrackingwhatwepublishtoanessentialcomponentformanagingtheentirelifecycleofourorganization’scontentmarketingprogram.
AllContentInc.entrepreneurshaveonethingincommon—theykeepandruntheirworkflowthroughacontentcalendar.Let’sgetstarted.
THEBASICSStartbygatheringtheContentInc.strategyinformationonwhichyouwillbebasingyourcontentcreationefforts.Youranswerstothefollowingquestionswillhelpyoudeterminewhatyouneedtotrackinyourcalendar,aswellashelpyoustayfocusedonyourmarketinggoalsasyouplanyourcontentcreation.
Whomareyoucreatingcontentfor?Keepingyourtargetaudiencetopofmindasyoucreateyourcalendarwillbeessentialforplanninghowtodeliveronitsneedsthroughyourcontentmarketing.
Whyareyoucreatingcontent?Yourcontentmarketingmissionandgoalswillimpactwhatyoupublish,whereyoupublish,andhowoften,aswellashowyourteamprioritizes,organizes,andcategorizes,andtagsitscontentcreationefforts.Forthemostpart,yourcontent’ssuccesswillbebasedongettingorkeepingsubscribers(seeChapter14).
Whatresourcesdoyouhaveatyourdisposal?Whetheryouhaveadedicatedteamofwritersandvideographers,astableofindustryproslookingtosharetheirinsight,orjustahandfulofreluctantexecswhowillneedsomeseriouscontentcreationhand-holding,theformats,frequency,andoverallworkflowyoutrackinyourcalendarwilllikelydependonwhoiswritingandwherehisorherexpertiselies.
Howcanyoustandout?Whatunmetindustryneedscanbeaddressedwiththecontentyoucreate?Whatgapsexistinyourcurrentcontentcreationefforts—ortheeffortsof
yourcompetitors?Whatindustryeventshappenthroughouttheyeartowhichyoucantieyourcontentforaddedexposurepotential?Knowingwhereyoucanplayaleadroleinowningtheaudience’sattentionwillhelpyoufillyoureditorialcalendarwithimpactfulcontentthathelpsyoumeetyourbusinessgoals.
SETTINGUPTHECALENDARThereareanumberofpaidandfreecalendaringtoolsthatcanhelpyousetupyourcalendar.Afewoftheseinclude:
Trello
DivvyHQ
KaPost
CentralDesktop
Workfront
However,it’sperfectlyfinetostartoutwithasimpleExcelspreadsheetorashareableGoogleSheettotrackyourcontent’sprogressthroughyoureditorialprocess.
ShannaMallon,awriterforStraightNorth,offerssomesuggestionsonaquick,easywaytobuildacontentcalendarthatmapstoyoursalescycle.Atthemostfundamentallevel,werecommendthatyoureditorialcalendarincludethefollowingfields:
Thedatethepieceofcontentwillbepublished
Thetopicorheadlineofthecontentpiece
Theauthorofthecontent
Theownerofthecontent—i.e.,whoisinchargeofensuringthatthecontentmakesitfromideationtopublicationandpromotion
Thecurrentstatusofthecontent(updatedasitmovesthroughyourpublishingcycle)
Dependingonyourcompany’scontentnicheandmission,yourteam’sworkflow,theformatsandplatformswithwhichyouplantowork,andthevolumeofcontentyouwillbecreating,youmayalsowanttotracktheseelementstohelpyoustayorganizedandoncourseoverthelongterm:
Thechannelswhereyourcontentwillbepublished.Thiscanincludeonlyyourownedchannels(suchasyourblog,website,e-mailnewsletters,etc.),oryoucanexpandyourtrackingtoincludepaidandsocialmediachannels,aswell.
Contenttypes.Isitablogpost?Avideo?Apodcast?Aninfographic?Anoriginalimage?Togetmoremileagefromthecontentyoucreate,youmightwanttoconsiderrepurposingitintootherformatsatsomepoint(seeChapter13).Soit’shelpfultokeeptabsonthetypesofassetsyouhaveonhandrightfromthestart.
Visuals.Speakingofassets,it’simportantthatyoudon’toverlooktheappealthatvisualscanlendtoyourcontent,intermsofbothsocialsharingpotentialandoverallbrandrecognition.Trackingthevisualelementsyouincludeinyourcontentefforts—suchas
coverimages,logos,illustrations,charts—willmakeiteasiertoensurethatyourworkhasasignaturelookandcohesivebrandidentity.
Topiccategories.Thishelpsmakeyourcalendarsmoresearchablewhenyouarelookingtoseeaboutwhichtargettopicsyoualreadycreatedalotofcontent—orwhichyouhaven’tcoveredoftenenough.
Keywordsandothermetadata.MetadatawouldincludemetadescriptionsandSEOtitles(iftheydifferfromyourheadlines),whichwillhelpyoukeepyourSEOeffortsalignedwithyourcontentcreation(moreinChapter15).
URLs.Thisinfocanbearchivedasaneasywaytokeepyouronlinecontentauditsupdatedortolinktoolderpiecesofcontentinthenewcontentyoucreate.
Callstoaction.Thishelpsyouensurethateverypieceofcontentyoucreateisaligningwithyourcompany’smarketinggoals.
Audienceoutcome.Perhapsmyfavoritepartofthecalendar,addingareaderoutcomeisimportantifyouareworkingwithmultiplecontentcreators.Listingtheoutcomemeansyouarespecificwithwhatyouwantyouraudiencetogetoutofyourcontent.Isittogetabetterjob?Learnaspecifictask?Liveabetterlifeinsomeway?Havingthatlistedwillhelpanypersonorteamcreatingthecontentunderstandthetruepurposefromtheaudience’spointofview.
Itmaybehelpfultohavemorethanoneeditorialcalendar—forexample,youmighthaveamastercalendarwhereyoucanseeeverythingataglanceandseparatecalendarsforspecificactivities.TheCMIeditorialteamusesasimilarmethod:Wecreatedaspreadsheetwithmultipletabssothatallthevariouseditorialinformationwetrackcanbefoundinonedocument.
Figure10.1showsoursampleeditorialcalendartemplate,whichyoucandownloadathttp://cmi.media/CI-caltemplateandcustomizetoyourspecificneeds.
KEEPINGYOURCALENDARFILLEDANDFOCUSEDAswediscussedinthepreviouschapter,contentideationisanongoingandimportantprocess.Asyourcontentideasbecomemorerefined,theplaceforthemisyourcontentcalendar.
AsyoucanseeinthesampletemplateinFigure10.1,theCMIteamalsousesourcalendartotrackthetopicideaswewanttotrytocoverinfuturecontentpieces(underthe“Blogposts–Ideas”tab).Keepingarunninglistofideaswithinourcalendarspreadsheetmakesitaneasyreferencetoolwhenweneedsometopicinspirationorstarterideasforbrainstorms.
Figure10.1AsimpleexampleofaneditorialcalendarinMicrosoftExcel.
Again,thefieldsyousetupinyourspreadsheetcanvarybyneed,butattheveryleastwerecommendthatyoutrack:
Thetopicidea
Theowneroftheidea
Thetargetkeywordsandcategoriestowhichthecontentwouldmap(seeChapter15)
Whomightbeavailableandqualifiedtoauthorthepiece
Atimeframeforwhenyouwillpublishit
MicheleLinn,CMI’sVPofcontent,recommendsaddingadditionaltabstoyourcontentcalendarspreadsheet,including:
Existing“brick”content(downloadablee-booksorwhitepapersusedtoattractsubscribers)thatcanbeusedasacalltoactioninnewcontentpieces
Ideasforcontentthatcanberepurposedintomultiplecontentpieces
Contentthatcanbecompiledandcurated
WORKINGAHEADAcommonquestionfromentrepreneurspertainstotiming.Exactlyhowfaraheaddowehavetopluginoureditorialcalendar?
Whilethereisno“onerightway”todothis,contentteamswillgenerally:
Meetonceperyeartodiscusstheoveralldirectionandeditorialstrategy.Thisgivesyouageneralsenseofyourcontentdirectionasitalignstoyourvision.
Meetquarterlytocompilethecontentthemesfortheupcomingquarter.Thistakesyourgeneralcontentandgetsspecificwithweeklythemes,contributors,andproductionschedules.
Meetweeklytomakechangesasneeded.Thisgivesyourteamtheopportunitytotakeadvantageoffreshcontentthatmayneedtofindahomeinthescheduleorperhapstotakeadvantageofindustrynews(calledreal-timemarketing).
Thebesteditorialteamshaveagreatideaofwhattheywillpublishoverthenextmonth—andknowexactlywhattheywillpublishoverthenexttwoweeks.Ifyouandyourteamaregettingupnotknowingwhatcontentwillbeproduced,thiswillleadtolacklustercontentandprocessmistakesthatwilltakeatollonyourmodel.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Withoutacontentcalendar,yourstrategywillnotsucceed.
Althoughjustonemajoreditorialplanningmeetingayearmaydo,thecontentteamshouldmeetmultipletimespermonth.
Addingan“outcome”fieldtoyourcontentcalendarwillgivecontentcreatorsclarityabouttheultimatemissionofeachcontentasset.
Chapter11
ContentStaffingNoneofusisassmartasallofus.
KENBLANCHARD
InalmosteveryinterviewwithentrepreneurswhoemployedaContentInc.strategy,therewasnoteam.Itwasjusttheloneentrepreneurtryingtogetabusinessstarted.ThiswascertainlythecasewithmeandContentMarketingInstitute.ThesamewithBrianClarkandCopybloggerMedia.ThesamewiththeChickenWhispererandwithMichellePhan,themakeupmillionaire.
Butfortheplatformtoworkbeyondahobby-basedbusinessandblossomintoagrowthcompany,scalabilityiskey.Thatmeansyouneedateamtogetyoutothenextlevel.
CONTENTROLES“WhatstaffingrolesdoweneedtobesuccessfulwithaContentInc.approach?”
Ihearthisquestionallthetimeincompaniesofallsizes.It’sacriticalquestion,andonethatisnoteasytoplanfor…butplanwemust.
WhilethereisnoperfectstructureforaContentInc.organization,andeachoneisdifferentdependingontheaudienceandthecontentniche,weneedtothinkaboutfillingcertainrolesnowsothatsuccessisattainable.
Note:Don’tthinkofthelistbelowasnewjobtitles,perse,butratherasthecorecompetenciesthatneedtobeaccountedforacrosstheenterprise.Asyou’llsee,manyofthese“roles”canbefilledbymultipletitles.
ChiefContentOfficer(akaFounder)Thisismostlikelyyou.Thispersonisresponsibleforsettingtheoveralleditorialandcontentmissionstatement.Aseverystaffmemberworkstocreateandcuratecontent,itistheCCO’sresponsibilitytomakesurethatthestoriesremainconsistentandmakesensetotheaudience(s).
Inaddition,theCCOmustunderstandhowthestoriestranslateintoresultsthataddresstheorganization’sbusinessissues(drivingnewsubscribers,keepingcurrentsubscribers,leadingthewaytorevenue,etc.).
Sampletitles:chiefcontentofficer,founder,owner,CEO,publisher
ManagingEditorHalfstorytellerandhalfprojectmanager,themanagingeditorexecutesthecontentplanonbehalfoftheCCO.WhereastheCCOfocusesonstrategy(andsomecontent),the
managingeditor’sjobisallexecution,workingwiththerolesbelowtomakethestoriescomealive(includingcontentscheduling).
Sampletitles:managingeditor,chiefeditor,projectmanager
ChiefListeningOfficerTheroleoftheCLOistofunctionas“air-trafficcontrol”forsocialmediaandothercontentchannels.Thispersonistheretolistentothegroups,maintaintheconversation,androute(and/ornotify)feedbacktotheteammemberswhocanengageinappropriateconversations(toyou,toeditorial,orperhapstothesalesteam).Thisfeedbackmechanismiscriticalifthecontentisgoingtomakeadifferenceforyourcustomers.TheCLOalsoneedstokeeptabsonhowthecontentisperformingonownedmediasites(likeablog)andgetthatintelligencebacktotheCCOandmanagingeditor.
Sampletitles:socialmediamanager,communitymanager
DirectorofAudienceThispersonischargedwithmonitoringthemembersofyouraudience,makingsureallcontentcreatorsareintimatelyfamiliarwiththeircharacteristics,theirpassiontriggers,andtheactionsyouwantthemtotake.Thedirectorofaudienceisalsoresponsibleforbuildingsubscriptionassets(directmaillists,e-maillists,socialmediasubscriptions)thatcangrowandbesegmentedasyourcontentmissionmaturesandexpands.
Sampletitles:audiencedevelopmentmanager,circulationmanager,subscriptionmanager
ChannelMasterWhereveryourcontentisheaded(socialmedia,e-mail,mobile,print,inperson,etc.),thechannelmasterisresponsibleforgettingthemostoutofeachchannel.WhatworksbestonSlideShare?Whenshouldyousendyoure-mails,andhowfrequently?What’stheappropriateratioofownedversuscuratedcontentyourbusinessshoulddistributeonTwitter?Whoiskeepingtrackofmobilestrategyandexecution?Yourteamwilllooktothechannelmasterfortheseandotheranswers.
Sampletitles:managingeditor,marketingdirector,socialmediamanager,e-mediamanager
ChiefTechnologistAsmarketingandinformationtechnologycontinuetomerge,therewillbeaneedforatleastoneindividual(maybemore)whosesolepurposeistoleveragetheproperuseofthesetechnologiesintothecontentmarketingprocess.Thepersoninthisrolewillberesponsibleforyourpublishingsystems(theplumbing)suchasyourwebsiteinfrastructureande-mailsystemsandhowtheyintegratetogether.
Sampletitles:e-mediamanager,ITmanager,webservicesmanager
CreativeDirectorThedesignandlookofyourcontentismorecriticalthanever,especiallyasvisualsocialchannelsbecomeanincreasinglyimportantmethodtoattractandretainsubscribers.Thecreativedirectorisresponsiblefortheoveralllookandfeelofallyourcontent,includingthewebsite,blog,images,photography,andeveryotherpieceofcollateralyoucreate.
Sampletitles:creativedirector,graphicdesignmanager
InfluencerRelationsTheroleformerlyknownasmediarelationswillevolveintothatofamanagerofinfluencers.Thisperson’sresponsibilitiesincludedevelopingyour“hitlist”ofinfluencers,maintainingdirectrelationshipswiththem,andintegratingthemintoyourmarketingprocessinthemostimpactfulways.
Sampletitles:publicrelationsmanager,mediamanager,marketingdirector,communicationsmanager
FreelancerandAgencyRelationsAscontentdemandscontinuetoevolve(andincrease),yourorganization’srelianceonfreelancetalentandotherexternalcontentvendorswillgrowaswell.Organizationsneedtocultivatetheirown“expert”contentteamsandnetworks,anditisthisperson’sjobtonegotiateratesandresponsibilitiessothatallmembersofyourteamareunitedintheirworkonbehalfofyourContentInc.program.
Sampletitles:managingeditor,projectmanager
ContentCurationDirectorAsyoubegintodevelopcontentassets,you’llhavesomeamazingopportunitiestorepackageandrepurposeyourcontent(moreonthatinChapter13).Theroleofthecontentcurationdirectoristocontinuallylookatallthecontentassetsbeingdevelopedbytheorganizationandstrategizewaystocreatenewpiecesofcontentfromthem.
Sampletitles:socialmediadirector,contentcurationspecialist,contentdirector
ContentCurationCaseStudy:DwellIn2014,IkeynotedtheNicheCEOSummitalongsidesomeamazingpublishers,includingMichelaO’ConnorAbrams,presidentofDwellMedia.IfyouarenotfamiliarwithDwell,itevolvedfromasmall,nicheprintmagazinefocusedondesigntoafast-growingmultimediadesignbrand.
UnderMichela’sleadership,thecompanybecameoneofthetopwebsitesintheworld,withnearly300,000paidmagazinesubscribersandwithsocialmediaaudiencenumbersthatwouldmakeyoublush(includingover500,000followersonTwitter).Sure,thecompanyhasstruggled,likeallofushave,makingchangesinhowitcreatesanddistributescontent.Butitwasonechangethat,Michelanoted,madeall
thedifference.
SheHiredaChiefContentCuratorContentcuration,forthemostpart,involvestakingotherpeople’scontent(let’scallthisOPC)andaddingtoit,enhancingit,and/orgivingitanewcontextorperspectivesothatitevolvesintoanewpieceofcontent.CMIplayedaroleinthisconceptbydefiningcontentcurationas:
Contentcurationisameansbywhichweeithersupplementorpromoteourbrand’spointofviewtoourspecificaudienceswithinthecontextofhowthe“world”istalkingaboutthatparticulartopic.
WhilecontentcurationwithafocusonOPCisimportant,thecontentcurationtechniquethattookDwelltothenextlevelisfocusedoninternalassets—thatis,curatingcontentthatDwellhadalreadycreated.
Dwelltaskedthiscontentcurationpersonwithgainingacomprehensiveandin-depthunderstandingofallthecurrentcontentassetsownedbytheorganization(i.e.,nooutsidecontentgetsfactoredin).Startingwithafull-blowncontentaudit,thecuratorwhoholdsthispositionultimatelytakesresponsibilityfor:
•Understandingthecontentassetsavailabletoworkwith,includingtextualcontent,imagery,andaudiocontent
•Effectivelytagging,categorizing,andcoordinatingthesematerialsintoadataassetmanagementsystem
•Workingwiththecontentmarketingteamonaclearchannelplan
•Developingandexecutingacontentcurationstrategybyusingexistingresources
Oncethecontentisorganizedandthereisaprocessinplaceforcontinualassetplacementandmanagement(includingmakingsurethoseassetsareeasilyfindable),thecuratorcanbegintofillneededgapsintheoveralleditorialcalendarwithouthavingtospendmoneycreatingnewcontent.
Howdoesthiswork?JustaquicklookatDwell’sTwitterfeedshowsexampleafterexampleofstoriesandimagesculledfromarchivedstories.
Whencontentistaggedcorrectlyandthecuratorcanstarttospotthemes,newcontentpackagesemerge(suchasthedesignimagesfeaturing“partypads,”allcomingfromdifferentissuesoverthepastyears—seeFigure11.1).
Figure11.1Dwellhasfoundthatconstantlyrepurposingimageandblogcontentintosocialmediacollectionshasbeensuccessful.
Michelabelievesthatthesecret(ornow,notsosecret)recipetoDwell’srecentsuccesshasbeenthisnewfoundrole.
HOWTHEROLESTRANSLATEINTOREALPRODUCTIONAtCMI,wehaveanumberofpeoplethatmakeuptheaboveroles,specifically:
JoePulizzi,founder.Isettheoveralltoneofthecontent.Icontinuallylookathowoursubscribersaregeneratingrevenuefortheorganization.Ialsoserveasthekeyspokespersonforthebrand,whichmarketingleveragesinavarietyofways.
–Role:chiefcontentofficer(partial)
MicheleLinn,vicepresidentofcontent.ThecontentteamreportstoMichele.Michele’sfocusisondevelopingcontentthatattractsorretainssubscribers.
–Roles:chiefcontentofficer(partial),managingeditor
CathyMcPhillips,marketingdirector.Cathyisresponsiblefordistributingthecontentinallouravailablechannelsandanalyzingtheresults.AlloursubscriptiongoalsalsoultimatelyfalltoCathy.
–Roles:channelmaster,directorofaudience
JosephKalinowski,creativedirector.JoeoverseesthevisualdirectionofeverypieceofcontentthatflowsoutofCMI.
–Role:creativedirector
MoninaWagner,communitymanager.Moninaoverseesalloursocialchannelsandlistenstohowtheaudiencereactstoourcontent.
–Role:chieflisteningofficer
LauraKozak,e-mediamanager.Ultimately,anycontentthatgoesuponanownedwebproperty(website,blog,eventsite)isLaura’sdomain.
–Role:chieftechnologist(partial)
DavidAnthony,ITdirector.Davidmanagesallourtechnologyinfrastructure,includinghosting,marketingautomationsolutions,andwebsiteintegrity.
–Role:chieftechnologist(partial)
LisaDougherty,directorofblogcommunityandoperations.Lisaworkswithallourfreelancewritersandcontributors,assistingthemintheirstyleandensuringtheymeetdeadlines.
–Role:freelancerandagencyrelations
AmandaSubler,publicrelationsandmediamanager.Amandaworkstogetourcontent,suchasourresearch,placedinmediaoutletsandonbloggersites.
–Role:influencerrelations
JodiHarris,editorialcontentmanager.Jodi’sgoalistoworkwithallourcurrentcontentassetsandbuildnewe-booksandreportsthatwilldrivenewsubscribers.
–Role:contentcurationdirector
CMIalsohasanumberofspecializedrolesthatfillgapsintheprocess:
ClareMcDermottischiefeditorofourmagazineproperty,ChiefContentOfficer.
AngelaVannucci,projectdirector,overseestheproductionofthemagazineandproject-managesallourwebinars.
RobertRose,chiefstrategyofficer,servesaschiefcontentofficerforourproperty,IntelligentContentConference,andoverseesallourtrainingandadvisory.
MarciaRieferJohnstonismanagingeditor,IntelligentContent.AtCMI,wecoverspecializedareasofcontenttargetingspecificportionsofouruserbase.
ChuckFrey,director,onlinetraining,ownsallourpiecesoftrainingmaterialoutsideofblogposts.
PamelaMuldoon,podcastdirector,producesallourpodcasts.
LisaMurtonBeets,ourresearchdirector,ownseveryresearchreportwedoatCMI.
Foreverypieceofcontentwedeveloponthesite,itischeckedandproofedbytwopeople,YatriRolestonandAnnGynn.Wealsocheckeverypieceofcontentsoitalignswithoursearchengineoptimizationstrategy.
OUTSOURCINGYOURCONTENTTOFREELANCERSYoumayfindthatyouneedhelpdevelopingongoingcontent—orthatyouneedadditional
contentproducerstokeepupwiththespeedandqualityofproduction.
Howdoyougoaboutfindinggoodexternalcontentcontributors(sometimescalled“stringers”)?Shouldyoulookforagoodwriterandteachhimorheryourbusiness?Orshouldyouhiresomeonewhoknowsyourindustryandteachhimorhertowrite?Thefollowingareafewtipstoconsider:
HowGameTheoryOperationalizesContentGameTheoryisaYouTubechanneldevotedtoanalyticsandmathbehinddifferentvideogameexperiences.FounderMatthewPatrick,whostartedfromnothing,hasdevelopedanaudienceofmorethan4millionsubscribers.Below,Matthewgivesadetailedlookathowhestaffshismultiplebusinesslines.
GameTheoryoperatestwokindsofbranchesthatnicelysynergizewitheachother.Thereistheproductioncomponent,whichisalloftheYouTubeandcreativeprocesses.ThebiggestpropertyistheGameTheorists,whichcurrentlyemploysaround13–16peopleatthispoint.Thatincludesfreelanceeditors,writers,salesteam,etc.
…ontheproductionside,[thereare]customvideosforvideogamebrands,traditionaladvertisersandthingslikethat,whichliveontheGameTheoristschannel,thatarepromotingtheirproductortalkingabouttheservicethattheyoffer…I’mwritingthecopy,I’mtheinfluenceortalentinthatandthenwe’realwaysgettingacrosstheirmessagingpointsanddrivingtheaudiencetoconvertsales.
Soinadditiontodoingjustourownstandardvideos,agoodnumberofthosearebranded,eitherbyvideogamecompaniescominginandaskingforapieceofcustomcontentordirectresponsecompanies,orjustotherbrandsaskingforsomekindofawarenesscampaign.That’stheproductionside.
Thenthereistheconsultancywing.Ontheconsultancysideweoperateverymuchlikeatraditionalconsultancy.OurspecialtyisgrowinganorganicaudienceinthemediaspacewithaspecificemphasisaroundYouTube.Andsorightnowourserviceofferingreallyrangesthegamutbasedonwhattheclientneeds.Wehaveeverythingfromfullone-dayworkshopswherewewillcomeintoyourcompanyandbasicallytakeyouandyourteamthroughYouTube101to301;hereiseverythingyouneedtoknowaboutcontent,whatworksontheplatform,howtooptimizeyourpresenceusingverygranularlevelsofoptimizations,andmovingforwardhowcanyoustrategizeforsuccess.
Andthentherearealsosomelonger-termprojects.Sowehavepeoplewhoareworkingalmostinafull-timecapacitywithvariouscompaniesactingastheircontentmanagers,astheirchannelmanagers.
It’sreallybeenaspectrum,butthatisallontheconsultancyside.That’sthefundamentalprinciple,data-drivendecisionmakingtohelpgrowanorganicaudienceinthenewmediaspace.
Rememberthatexpertiseishelpful,butit’snotadealkiller.Giventhechoicebetweenagoodwriterwhohasapersonalitythatcloselymatchesyourorganization(butwhoisshortonindustryexpertise)andanindustryveteranwhoknowshowtowritebutwithwhomyoucan’tstandtobeinthesameroom,gowiththepersonality.Chemistryandpersonalityarethingsthatareentirelyhardtochange;researchisaskillthatcanbetaught—passionisn’t.
Lookingforamarketerorwriterorvideographerisnottherightapproach.Evenlookingforacontentstrategistmightnotbe….Ithinkwhatyoureallyhavetofocusonisunderstandingtheaudienceyou’retryingtoattractwithcontentandactuallylookingforpeoplewhounderstandtheaudience,whohavedomainknowledgeandexpertisethat’sbeyondyourproductoryourcategory,butunderstandtheaudiencewaybetterthanyou.(AninterviewwithAndrewDavis,Brandscaping)
Hireright—copywriters,journalists,technicalwriters.Becauseyou’vespentsomuchtimeonyourstrategyandyourprocess,youshouldbeveryawareofwhatkindofwriteryou’relookingfor.Understandthatcopywritersworkverydifferentlyandhaveverydifferentsensibilitiesthanjournalistsdo.Ifyou’relookingforsomeonetowriteblogpostsforyou,acopywritermightnotbeyourbestbet.Ontheotherhand,ifyou’relookingforsomeonetobeefupyourpersuasivecalltoactionforallthegreatwhitepapersyou’reputtingtogether,thenagreatcopywritermaybeexactlywhatyouneed.
Developtherightbusinessrelationship.Understandtheelementsofyourbusinessrelationship,andmakethemclear.Forexample,willtherebeonecontentitemperweek—andwillyourwriterbepaidamonthlyfee?Ifso,howwillyouhandlemonthsthathave4½weeks?Willtherebeanextrapostthatweek?Giventhesizeofyourorganization,youneedtomakecleartheinvoicingandpaymentterms—orunderstandwhatthewriterneeds.Alsobeclearonexpectations.Thereshouldbenosurprisessuchasblogpostssuddenlybecoming1,000wordswhenthey’resupposedtobe750…orcontentthemesgoingwildlyofftopic.
Herearesomeofthethingsyou’llneedtocommunicatetoyourfreelancewriters:
Whatcontenttheywillproduceandwhereitfallsonthecontentcalendar.(Beveryspecificwhendraftsaredue.)
Thegoalsfortheirspecificcontributions(bothyourgoalsandtheoutcomefortheaudience).
Whatexpertiseorotherthird-partyinformationtheywillneedaccessto.(Willtheybeinterviewinginternalpeople,bringinginexternalinformation,orreworkingyourexistingmaterial?)
Yourbudget(perpiece,hourly,retainer,orbarter).
Thenumberofrevisionsforeachpiece.
Therearealsoanumberofexcellentservicesouttherethatcanhelpyoufindtherightcontentprovider.Sometoconsiderinclude:
Scripted
Zerys
Upwork
NewsCred
Contently
WriterAccess
Foracompletelistandoverviewofcontentmarketplaceoptions,checkoutRobertRose’sfullreportathttp://cmi.media/CI-collaboration.
BUDGETINGFACTORSInthenearpublishingpast,freelancersusedtogetpaid$1perword.Thisstillremainstrueforhigh-qualityanduniquecontent,likethatforresearchreportsandwhitepapers.Forarticlecontent,someserviceswillpriceyourcontentaslowas5centsperword.
Wordofwarning:Youusuallygetwhatyoupayfor.AtCMI,we’vefoundthemostsuccessintheretainermodel—thatis,workingwithafreelanceronanumberofcontentassetsoveraperiodoftimeandthenpayingamonthlyfeeforthework.Thisarrangementisusuallyappreciatedbybothsides.Thebusinesscanbudgetmoreeasilywithasetnumber,andthefreelancerdoesn’thavetocountwords.Afterall,apieceofcontentshouldonlybeaslongasitneedstobe,sowhysetalimit?(Arangeshouldbejustfine.)
ContentThroughCurationBookBub,whichoffersusersdealsandnotificationsonbestsellingbooks,realizedthatitsbestcontentcreationplanwasthroughexternalcuration.Insteadofcreatingoriginalcontent,Bookbublaunchedwithane-mailnewsletteralmostexclusivelymadeupofcuratedpiecesofcontentfromexistingbooks.Anditworked.Today,withmillionsofsubscribers,Bookbubhasbecomeanamazingresourceforthoseconsumerswhojustlovetoread.
Ifyouarethinkingaboutcurationsoftware,considerserviceslikeCurata,PublishThis,AtomicReach,andPercolate.Foracompletelistofproviders,checkoutCMI’scontentcurationtoolkitathttp://cmi.media/CI-curation.
TESTFIRSTWithalargesupplyofwritersintheworkforce,thereisnoneedtostartwithalong-termrelationship.Testawriteroutwithafewstories,andseehowthatworks.Askyourself:Istheperson’swritingstyletoyourexpectations?Doesheorshedeliverontime?Isthepersonactivelysharingthecontentviahisorherownsocialnetwork?(Thisisveryimportant.)
Oncethewriterhasmetyourexpectationsintheseareas,thensetoutonalong-termdeal.I’veseentoomanymarketersandpublishersgettheir“rockstar”freelancers,onlytokillthedealafewmonthslaterwithneitherpartyhappy.Testthepersonoutfirstsoyou
don’twasteyourtime.
TRYFLEECINGTHEMASTHEADRememberthemasthead?Itwasthatplacewhereyoufoundallthewriters,editors,andcirculationmanagersthatworkedataprintmagazine.Todaymastheadsarehardertolocate,buttheystillexist.Andoncefound,theycanbeextremelyusefultoyourmodel—youjustneedtoknowhowtousethem.
Openinguptheleadingtrademagazineorvisitingawebsiteinyournicheandfindingthemastheadisagoldmineforcompetentwriters.Thesewriters(manypart-time)notonlyunderstandyourcustomerbasebutcanformulaterelevantandoriginalcontentinaskilledway.
Besideswriters,themastheadalsolistseditorswhocanhelpturnyourrawcontentintoanengagingstory.
Themastheadalsoprovidesinformationonyouraudience.Itshowscirculationandthepublishingrolesresponsibleforcirculationdevelopment,audiencebuilding,andsubscribergeneration.(Note:Anothergreatplacetogetinformationaboutcustomerdemographicsisthepublication’smediakit.)Thiscanhelpintargetingsubscribers,buildingrelationships,andultimatelygettingpeopletobuyfromyou.
Designneeds?Checkthemastheadforthataswell.
Andthetimingcouldn’tbebetter.Atmanymediacompaniesandtradepublishers,thebusinessmodelsaren’tworkingsowell.Raisesarehardertocomebythesedays.Thatleavesthedoorwideopenforyouandyourbusiness.
BEFOREYOUHIREThemajorityofourCMIstaffisbuiltfromcontractors.Thesearepeoplethatwantflexiblehours,arelookingforoptionsfortheirlife,anddonotnecessarilywanttowork40hoursaweek.Whatwe’vefoundisthatthereisamazingtalentouttherewithindividualsthatarelookingforthiskindofflexibility.
WhenIstartedinthemediabusiness15yearsago,wecontractedwithcreativedesignersandfreelancejournalistsfromallovertheworld.Wehadtodothistofindthebestresourcestocompleteaparticularproject.
Alotofownerswanttheiremployeesdoingallthecontenttaskswithoutworryingaboutthemworkingforothercompanies.Theyfeelitiscriticaltobuildingtheircompanyculture.Thismayworkforsome,butthecreamofthecropinthemediaindustrywantmoreopportunity.A1099relationshipworkswellinmostcases.Forourbusiness,andinafewveryimportantsituations,wewouldnotbeabletohiretherighttalentwithoutthistypeofflexibility.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Asastart-up,themajorityofcontentrolesmustbecompletedbyoneortwopeople.Asyougrow,determinethemorebasicjobsatfirstandbegintooutsourcethose,freeingyoutofocusonhigher-valueactivities.
Curatingthecontentyou’vealreadycreatedcouldbethekeytokeepingyourbudgetundercontrol.
Themostamazingwritersanddesignersinyourindustrycanbefoundbyreviewingthemastheadsofyourindustrytradepublications.
Beforeyouhire,considerworkingwithafreelancecontentcontributorinacontractorrelationship.Itwillsaveyoumuchpainifitdoesn’tworkout.
Chapter12
TheCollaborativePublishingModelAlonewecandosolittle,togetherwecandosomuch.
HELENKELLER
IwentouttomyfriendsthatIhadbuiltrelationshipswith….AndIdecidedtoask[them]iftheywouldconsiderwritingonearticleamonthuntiltheywerebored.
Sothefiveofusessentiallyeachwroteonearticleamonth.ThenIgotavolunteer…andsheworkedforfreeasmyeditor,behindthescenes,puttingeverythingintoWordPress.
…I’lltellyouinthefirstcoupleofweeksthethingexploded.Wehad10,000e-mailsubscribersliterallyinlike2½months.(MichaelStelzneronfoundingthesocialmediamarketingeducationsiteSocialMediaExaminer,whichnowboastsover350,000subscribers.)
Whatdothesecompanieshaveincommon:Forbes,ContentMarketingInstitute,SocialMediaExaminer,CopybloggerMedia,Moz,HubSpot,MarketingProfs,HuffingtonPost,andMashable?
Theyalluseacollaborativepublishingmodel.Insteadofhavingonlyacoresetofwritersandjournalistsemployedbythebrand(liketraditionalpublishinghasdone),thesebrandsreachouttotheircommunitytorecruitandrequestrelevantcontenttopublishontheirplatform.
Andtheyallareextremelysuccessfulbusinesses!
WHYCONSIDERCOLLABORATIVEPUBLISHING?Collaborativepublishing,asabusinessmodel,istheideathattheentrepreneurorbusinessactivelyrecruitsoutsidecontributorstobuildaplatformandanaudience.Oncetheplatformisbuiltandseessomesuccess,theopportunityexiststobringinthoughtleadersandcommunityexpertstofillcontentholesinyourworkflow.
Outsidethebenefitofcoveringcontentareasthatmaybedifficultforyoutodoyourselforbypayingfreelancers,thebiggestbenefittoacollaborativemodelistheopportunitytoattractanewaudiencetoyourcontent.Contributorshavetheirownfollowersandsubscribers,who,ifthingsaredoneright,canbeconvertedtobecomeapartofyouraudience.
Manytraditionalmediacompaniesshowcase“employed”talentonly.Theydonotencouragemembersofthecommunitytocontributetostories.Thispresentsaclearopportunityforyou.
TheHuffingtonPostwasfoundedin2005byanumberofinvestorsincludingArianna
Huffington,aspokespersonforthepoliticalleftintheUnitedStates.In2011theHuffingtonPostsoldforover$300milliontoAOLandisoneofthetop100mostpopularsitesintheworld,accordingtoAlexa.com.
TheHuffingtonPosthashundredsofniche,targetedsites,wherethousandsofcontributorsaroundtheworldpublishcontentforfree,inexchangefortheopportunitytobepublished.TheHuffingtonPostemploysacollaborativepublishingmodel.Sure,ithiressomeamazingjournalists,writers,andcontentproducers,butmuchofwhatyouseeonthesiteisproducedbythoughtleadersandactivemembersofthecommunity.
THEPROCESSThereareanumberofwaystoidentifycontributorstodevelopthecollaborativemodel(wecovereachoftheseinChapter16onstealingaudience),butthekeytomakingthemodelworkisasmuchabouttheprocessasitisthetalent.
Thefirstimperativeistosetstrictguidelinesandexpectationswithyourcontributors.Ifyouarelaxaboutthecontentyouallowonyoursite,you’llneverbetheleadinginformationalexpertinyourniche.
Belowisasamplee-mailthatwesendouttoallourinquiringcontributors:
Greatto“meet”youTim!
You’llfindourfullblogguidelineshere(http://cmi.media/CI-guidelines),butI’vesummarizedthetop-lineinfobelow,foryourconvenience.
Oureditorialmissionistoprovideexpert-levelinsightsandcutting-edgeinformationthatwillhelpourreadersadvancetheconversationaroundcontentmarketing—aswellasadvancetheirskillstonewlevelsofsuccess.Withthisinmind,welookforpoststhataddresstheneedsofexperiencedB2BandB2Ccontentmarketerswhoworkatlargeorganizations,andweaskthatallsubmissionssatisfysomespecificrequirements:
•Postsshouldbefocusedonadvancedprinciples,techniques,tools,andprocessesthatcontentmarketersneedtobecomefamiliarwithtobesuccessful.Ifyouwanttorunanyideasbyus,we’rehappytoletyouknowwhatmaywork.
•Ratherthansimplyofferingbroadadvice,postsshouldoutlineandexplainhowtoexecuteonthekeyrecommendationsdiscussed.
•Theyshouldincluderelevantvisualswheneverpossible.Videosandothervisualcontentarestronglyencouraged.
•Whereapplicable,theyshouldprovideinformationortoolsthatreaderscanuse,suchasatemplate,astep-by-stepprocessguide,orachecklist.
•Weencouragetheuseofreal-lifeexamplesand/orsamplecasestohelpillustratebestpracticesand/ordemonstratehowtomakeadviceactionable.
Hereisthelistofkeytopicswecover:
•Strategy
•Operations,Teams,andProcess
•BuildingYourAudience
•ContentCreation
•VisualContentandDesign
•SocialMedia
•SEO
•ContentDistributionandPromotion
•MeasurementandROI
•IndustryNewsandTrends
Ifyoudecideyou’dliketocontributeanarticle,kindlyletmeknowanapproximatetimeframesoIcangetyouontheradartofollowup.Bygivingmeadate,IpromiseIwon’tstalkyouandyoucanadjustthedateasneededasIrealizeprioritiesshift.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorwouldlikeadditionalinformationonanything,pleasefeelfreetoreachout.Ilookforwardtoworkingwithyou!
Haveagreatweek!
Cheers,
Lisa
ForaninsidelookattheentireCMIpublishingprocessandhowweexecutethecollaborativepublishingmodel,pleaseseeAppendixB.
AREMINDERSYSTEMFORCONTRIBUTORSOnceyouhaveasetnumberofcontributors,theprocesscangetextremelycomplex.It’simportanttokeepopencommunicationwithallyourcontributors.Whenyoureceiveaninquirytocontributetoyoursite,followthesesteps:
E-mail#1.Sendoutconfirmationofthesubmissionreceiptandwhatthecontributorshouldexpectaroundthegeneraltimingoftheprocess.
E-mail#2.Notifyregardingapprovalorrejectionofthepost.Ifconfirmed,thereistypicallyarequestforrevisions.
E-mail#3.Sendapreviewofthepost.Oncethearticlehasbeenfinalizedandsetupforproduction,yourblogeditorsendsapreviewofthepost,aswellasthelikelypublicationdateandanyideasonwaysthewriterscansharethearticlewiththeirownaudience.
E-mail#4.Notifythecontributorofanyblogcomments.Oncesomeone’sfirstcommentcomesin,theblogeditororsocialmediamanagerwillforwardthattotheauthorandrequestthatheorsheengageandrespond.
E-mail#5.Sendnotificationoftoppost.Ifthearticleisperformingwell,you’llwanttoletthecontributorknowandkeepincontactwithhimorher.Thismeansthatthe
contributorissomeoneofvalue.Youmaywantthatpersontodevelopanotherarticleatsomepointortobecomearegularcontributor.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Asyoubuildoutyourchannel,you’llneedhelptocreatecontent.Whileoutsourcingforpayisalwaysanoption,buildingacollaborativepublishingmodelshouldbeconsidered.
Forcollaborationtowork,communicationiskey.Buildaprocessbeforeyoureachouttocontributors.
Sometimeslessismore.Startyourcollaborativepublishingprocesswithlessoftherightpeoplefirst…thenbuildouttheprogram.
Resources“TheHuffingtonPost,”Wikipedia,accessedApril28,2015,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Huffington_Post.
Top500GlobalWebsitesbyTraffic,Alexa.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.alexa.com/topsites/global;3.
Chapter13
PlanningforRepurposingTorepurposeanoldthought,ideaormemorytoanewpurposeistheheightofcreativity.
STEVESUPPLE
RobertRose,CMI’schiefstrategyofficer,teachesthemarketersinallhismasterclassesthat“you’renotcreatingablogpost,avideoorawhitepaper…youaretellingastory.Thatstorycanbetoldamyriadofwaystohelpextendyourcontentmarketingstrategy.”
Everycontentideainvolvesastoryyouaretryingtotell.Ifyourememberthatthestorycanandshouldalwaysbetoldinmanydifferentways,you’llhavealeguponthecompetition.
Inthefallof2013,Icommittedtopublishingmythirdbook,EpicContentMarketing.Betweenmybloggingschedule(Ipublishedoriginalcontentonceaweek)andmyspeakingschedule(approximatelytwospeechesperweek),Iwashavingtroublemakingthetime.Ineeded60,000relevantwordsinsixmonths.
Enterthe“blog-to-book”strategy.IfiguredIneededabout25chaptersofabout2,000wordsachapteroverthenext6monthstocompletethebook.AndIhadabout25weeksuntilduedate.SoeveryweekIwroteanarticlethatwouldbepublishedoneitherContentMarketingInstituteorLinkedIn.Eacharticlefilledaholeinthebook’stableofcontentsandultimatelybecamepartofthebook.
Insixmonths,thebookwascomplete.Iwasabletofulfilltwoofmycontentcreationobligationssimplybyplanningahead.
Mostbusinessessimplydon’tthinkaboutrepurposingaheadoftime.Theythink,“Ineedablogpostorawhitepaper.”Theydon’tthinkintermsofthestrategyRobertdiscussesabove—ofhowonestoryideacanbetoldindozensofdifferentwaysdependingonthecontentneedsoftheorganization.
CASESTUDY:JAYTODAYJayBaerpublishesathree-minutevideoshowcalledJayToday.ItcoversJay’sideasaboutbusiness,socialmedia,andmarketing.Jay’steamatConvinceandConvertpublishesanumberofcontentpieces,includingdailyblogposts,researchreports,podcasts,andmore,butaccordingtoJay,“JayTodayvideosareamongthestrongestperformers…and[have]becomealynchpininourinitiativetofurtheratomizeourcontent.”
Howdoesathree-minutevideobecomethestapleofapublishingempire?BecauseeachJayTodayvideobecomesatleasteightdifferentpiecesofusefulcontent.
Aftereachepisodeiscomplete,thecompanypoststheshowtofivedifferentplaces:
ItsYouTubechannel
iTunesasavideopodcast
iTunesasanaudiopodcast
Itswebsite
ItsFacebookpage
ThecompanyalsotranscribeseveryepisodeusingaservicecalledSpeechpad,whichcostsabout$1peraudiominutefortranscription.
Ifthat’snotenough,thenJaybeginstheprocessofatomization.Heexplains:“ForeachJayTodayepisodethathasbeentranscribed,myteamandIreworktheheadlineandcopythreedifferentways,andpostthevideoandwrittencontentasablogpostonLinkedIn,Medium,andon[ourwebsite],whereItakethebestepisodeofthepriorweekandrewriteiteveryWednesday.”
Allinall,Jay’sonevideo,encompassingallofthreeminutesinlength,becomes:
AvideoonYouTube
AvideoonhisFacebookpage
AniTunesepisode
AvideoiTunesepisode
Anepisodeonhiswebsite
Ablogpost(onceperweek)
ApostonLinkedIn
ApostonMedium
AGoogle+post
2to3tweets
2LinkedInshares
NothingaboutwhatJaydoesiscomplex.ThedifferencefromwhatmostbusinessesdoisthatwhatJaydoesisplanned—thatthereispurposebehindallthecontentcreation.
Nexttimeyouhaveanideaforablogpostoravideo,justrememberthat’snotthecase…youhaveanamazingstorytotell.Thenextstepistocomeupwithallthewaysyoucantellthatstory.
HowtoGetMorefromContentInc.ThroughRepurposingByArnieKuenn,CEOofVerticalMeasuresandAuthorofContentMarketingWorks
Developingnewmaterialsforyourcontentmarketingrequiresagreatdealofeffort,fromcomingupwithanideaandresearchingthetopictocontentcreationandpromotion.Thereareoftenmultiplepeopleinvolvedintheprocess:copywriters,designers,SEOspecialists,socialmediamarketers,andothers,whichcanmakecontentmarketingquitetheinvestment.Fortunately,greatcontentcanberepurposedintosomethingnewanddifferent,continuallyfurtheringyourinvestmentalongthe
way.
TheBenefitsofContentRepurposingContentrepurposingrequiresalteringapieceofcontenttomakeitfreshbychangingtheangleorswitchinguptheformat.Integratingrepurposingintoyourstrategycanlowercosts,advanceproduction,expandaudiencereach,andprovidemyriadadditionalbenefits,including:
Expandingoneideaintoseveralcontentpieces.Forexample,thetopicofapopularblogpostcanbeusedforaslideshow,avideo,afreeinformationguide,awhitepaper,apodcast…yougettheidea.Repurposingallowsyoutoleveragetheresearchyouconductedforonepieceoforiginalworkacrossadditionalcontentprojects.
Substantiallycuttingcontentcreationtime.Certainelementsthathavealreadybeencreatedorcurated—likeimages,quotes,ortext—canbeappliedtonewworks.
Servingmultipledifferentaudiences.Somepeoplearevisuallearners,whileothersmaypreferreadingadocument.Further,somepeoplelovetoreadin-depthresearcharticles,whileotherswishtoquicklyskimblogpoststogaininformation.Contentrepurposingallowsyoutoappealtomultipleaudienceswithdifferentcontentpreferences.Forexample,ifyou’vecreatedgreatvideocontent,yourscriptcanbeusedasthebasisoftextdocuments,suchasblogpostsordownloadablePDFs.Similarly,statistics,facts,andfigurescanbeillustratedthroughdatavisualizationanddeliveredasinfographicsorcharts.
Cross-promotingcontent.Throughrepurposingefforts,youcancross-promoteyourgreatcontentpiecesacrossmultiplechannels.Forexample,inaYouTubevideodescription,youmaylinktoablogpost,aslideshow,andaninfographicaboutthesametopic,whichsendstraffictoyourwebsiteorblog.Thistargetedtrafficreinforcesbrandingandincreasesthelikelihoodofattractingasubscriber.
Extendingcontent’slongevity.Withsomuchcontentbeingpublishedeveryday,peopleareboundtomissablogpostorvideoonceinawhile.However,throughrepurposing,youraudiencemaycomeacrossyourcontentafterithasbeenaltered,throughadifferentchannel.Additionally,repurposingevergreencontentexpandsthelifecycleevenfurther,asitcanremainrelevantforyearstocome.
TheContentRepurposingProcessCreatingarepurposingplanatthebeginningofyourdevelopmentwillhelpyoubrainstormandproducecontentefficiently,whilekeepingyourrepurposingprocessstreamlinedandinalignmentwithyourothergreatcontentefforts.
Considerthefollowingfoursteps:
1.Takeonestoryidea.Begintothinkofdifferentwaysinwhichthestorycanbetold.Inthisinitialphase,itisimportanttoconsiderhowonetopiccanbetranslatedacrossmultipletypesofcontent.Forexample,ifyouhaveastorethatsellssunglasses,yourtopicmaybe“sunglassestrendsfor2016.”Thoughbroad,
thistopiccanbethefocalpointofmanycontentprojects.
2.Onceyouhaveageneraltopic,thinkofhowitcanbealteredandappliedacrosscontenttypestoappealtonumerousaudiences.Inthesunglassestrendsexample,afewcontentpiecesyoucancreatemightinclude:
•Blogpostsonwomen’sormen’ssunglassestrendsfor2016
•Aninfographicillustratingdifferentstylesofsunglassespredictedtobepopularin2016
•Avideointerviewingyourexpertemployeesabout2016sunglassestrends
•Aslideshowfeaturingimagesanddescriptionsofthetopsunglassesstylesfor2016
•Ane-bookonhowtochoosesunglassesfor2016thatfityourfaceandstyle
Andthat’sjustthebeginning.Withawide-rangingtopiclikesunglassestrendsfor2016,itiseasytoseehowresearchingoneconceptcanleadtomultiplecontentpieces.Eachpiecehasadifferentpointofviewandistransformedtoappealtoaspecificaudience,butthecoreidearemainsthesame.
3.Nowthatyouhaveassembledalistofdifferenttakesonyourcoreidea,startresearching,keepingthefirstpieceyouwanttocreateinmind.Startwithwhateverpiecemakesthemostsense.Ifyoucreateaslideshow,canyoueasilyadaptittocreateaninfographic?Canavideoscriptworkasablogpost?Thefirstpieceofcontentyouconstructwilltakethemostworkupfront,asitrequiresthegreatestamountofresearchanddevelopment.However,knowthatwhenyou’vefinishedresearchingforyourfirstcontentpiece,youcanundoubtedlyapplyyourfindingswhencreatingadditionalcontentinthefuture.
4.Afteryouhavecreatedyourfirstpieceofcontent,repurposeyourresearchandotherelementsfromtheprojecttomakenewworks.Youmayneedtoresearchmorespecificfacetsofyourcoreideaasyougo,butmostofthegruntworkshouldalreadybecompleted.
KeyContentTypesThereareavarietyofcontenttypesyoucanutilizeincontentrepurposingprojects,andit’spossibleforoneideatobeusedacrossallmedia.Considerthefollowing:
Blogposts.Everycontentideayouhaveshouldbefeaturedinablogpost,ifnotmultipleposts.MostContentInc.modelshaveablog,andwithgoodreason—assmallbusinesseswithblogsgenerate126percentmoreleads(subscribers).Blogpostsareagreatplacetostartwhencreatingcontent,especiallyifyouhaveanactiveblogwithlotsofaudienceparticipation.Youmaybeabletogarnerfeedbackaboutyourcoreideafromreaders,andaudienceparticipationmaysparkadditionalinspirationonhowtotakethatideafurther.
E-booksandfreeguides.Youcancreatee-booksandfreeguidesbycompilingalltheblogpostsyou’vewrittenaboutacertaintopicandaddingadditional
components,suchasatableofcontents,images,morein-depthresearch,anindex,etc.Oftene-booksandfreeguidesaremoredetailedthanblogpostsandareconsideredhigh-valuepieces.Whenofferingahigh-valuepiece,youmaybeabletocollectvisitorinformationinexchangeforaccess.Forexample,youmayofferane-booktopeoplewhosignupforyoure-mailnewsletter,ormakeafreeguideavailableforthosewhoenterbasicvisitorcontactinformation.
Video.Contrarytopopularbelief,youdonothavetohaveaprofessionalrecordingstudiotoproduceacaptivatingvideo.Asmartphoneoreverydayportabledigitalcameracanrecordcompellingvideotobeusedincontentrepurposingprojects.Whenthinkingofvideoideas,considerinterviewingyouremployeesorindustryexpertsorcreatingaskitbasedonafacetofyourcoreconcept.Keepinmindthatyoucanalsoproduceavideowithoutrecordinganythinglive—throughmovinggraphicsandvoice-overaudio.
Infographics.Infographicsareexcellentvehiclesfordata,processes,andvisualcontent.Theycanbeusedtoexplainatopicinastep-by-stepfashion,showcasedatainaninterestingway,orillustrateastory.Whenatopiclendsitselftovisualinterpretation,creatinganinfographicisthewaytogo.
Slideshows.Slideshowsarenotjustforpresentationsanymore.Creatingaslideshowcanoftenchallengeyoutosimplifyanidea,asyoudon’twanttocreateatext-heavyslideshow.Ifsomeonewantstoreadatextdocument,heorshewillseekoutablogpostorfreeguide.Slideshowscatertovisuallearners,featuringimagesandshortdescriptions.
GettheMostOutofYourContentInsummary,contentrepurposingisaveryefficientwaytomakethemostofyourgreatcontentcreationefforts.Numerouscontentpiecescanstemfromjustonemainidea,eachcateringtoadifferentaudienceinauniqueway.Theprocessofrepurposingcansaveyoutimeandmoneyandextendyourinitialcontentmarketinginvestment,makingitaworthwhilestrategy.
AFINALREMINDERRemember,justbecauseyouarerepurposingthesamecontentmanydifferentways,youarenotduplicatingcontent.Everystoryyoutellshouldbeuniqueinitsownway.ThatmeansifyouareleveragingthesamecontentassetinablogpostversusaFacebookpostorYouTubevideo,eachstoryneedstobetoldinadifferentway.AnnHandleycallsthis“reimagining”thecontent.
Theworstthingyoucandoistakethesamecontentandspamitoutoverallyourchannels.Thatwillneverwork.Besuretofocusonwhichaudienceuseswhichchannelandadaptyourstoriesaccordingly.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Mostrepurposingisn’tplanned…ithappensafterthecontentiscreated.Smartbusinessesplanoutthedifferentcontentassetsinadvance.
Remember,youaretellingastory.Thatstorycanbetoldinmanydifferentways.
Planningforrepurposingmeansthateverycontentassetyoucreateneedstobedifferentinsomeway.
ResourcesDavidGould,“ContentRepurposing:HowtoLowerMarketingCostsandExpand
AudienceReach,”VerticalMeasures.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.verticalmeasures.com/content-marketing-2/content-repurposing-how-to-lower-marketing-costs-and-expand-audience-reach/.
MikeMcGrail,“TheBlogconomy:BloggingStats[Infographic],”socialmediatoday.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/blogconomy-blogging-stats-infographic.
JayBaer,“HowtoMake8PiecesofContentfrom1PieceofContent,”convinceandconvert.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/how-to-make-8-pieces-of-content-from-1-piece-of-content/.
Part5
HarvestingAudienceYoucanonlybuildsomethingmassivebystartingwithsomethingsmalltoeffectivelyclosethedistance.
DANNYINY
You’vechosenyourplatformanddevelopedtheassetsandapublishingschedulethatattractsanicheaudience.Nowit’stimetocreateasystemthatbuildsthevaluablesubscriberbaseforyourcompany.
Chapter14
TheMetricThatDrivestheModelImademistakesindrama.Ithoughtdramawaswhenactorscried.Butdramaiswhentheaudiencecries.
FRANKCAPRA
AfterFacebook’sIPOin2012,thestockdippedbyover50percent,downtolessthan$20pershare.Sincethen,Facebook’svaluehasmorethanquadrupled.Themajorreason,accordingtoaFastCompanyarticle,isarevisionthatFacebookmadetoitsmanagementandperformancestructure.
DuringthetimeFacebook’sstockwasstruggling,Facebook’sadteamhadbeenresponsibleforrevenue,whiletheproductteamwasfocusedonuserengagement.Aftermonthsoflacklusterresults,andaclearlackofaunifiedteameffort,Facebookdecidedtorewardallitsemployeesontheirperformanceagainstasinglemetric:revenue.Itwasarguedthat“theenterprisewouldgetawholelotmoreideas,andtheywouldbebetter,morecreative,morediverse.”
Andboy,didthischangework.InNovemberofthatyear,AppAdscameout,representingatruecollaborationbetweentheadteamandtheproductteam.Itwasagamechangerandaddedover$1billioninrevenue.
THEREWILLBEONETORULETHEMALLOneRingtorulethemall,OneRingtofindthem;OneRingtobringthemallandinthedarknessbindthem.”
J.R.R.TOLKIEN,LORDOFTHERINGS
LikeFacebook’ssolefocusonrevenue,yoursolefocusisononesimplemetric—thesubscriber.Whenyougotosleepatnight,youshouldbethinkingofattractingsubscribers.Whenyouwakeupinthemorning,youshouldhavesubscribersetchedinyourbrain.TheContentInc.modelonlyworksifyoucanbuildaloyalaudienceofsubscribersovertime.Period.
AsAndrewDavisstates,“Focusingoncreatingasubscriberdatabaseisdevelopingacustomerdatabasebeforeyouactuallyhavecustomerstosellto.”
LikeasubscriptiontoNetflixor(indayspast)anewspapersubscription,yourgoalistodeliversuchamazingvaluethroughcontentthatyouraudienceiswillingtogivesomepieceofpersonalinformationupasavalueexchange(e-mailaddress,homeaddress,etc.).TheonlydifferenceinyoursituationfromtheNetflixexampleisthatyouaregivingyourcontentawayforfree,sothatyoucanmonetizethatrelationshipatalaterpoint.
JohnJantsch,founderofDuctTapeMarketing,followedaContentInc.strategy,includingacommunityblogeffortandbookseries,togrowamultimillion-dollarconsultingpractice.ButJohn’slightbulbmomentcamewhenheaddeda“signmyguestbook”areatohiswebsiteintheearly2000s.Insteadofjustlookingatwebsitetraffic
analytics,Johnwasbeginningtobuildasubscriberdatabase.ThosesubscribersgaveJohntheabilitytolaunchhisconsultingnetworkandbuildamultimillion-dollarplatformintheprocess.TheTonightShowhostJimmyFallonisbecomingoneofthesubscriptionkingsof
media.Aftereveryshow,you’llseemultipleclipsfromtheshow(seeChapter13onrepurposing)sharedaroundsocialmediatopromote(youguessedit)subscriptions.Aftereveryshortclip,you’llseeahumorousclipofJimmyFallonaskinghisaudiencetosubscribe(Figure14.1).
Figure14.1Thenew“kingoflatenight,”JimmyFallon,focusesheavilyonbuildingdigitalsubscribers.
ThefollowingareallthesubscriptionoptionsforTheTonightShowandNBCthatareshowninthetextareabeloweachofFallon’svideosonYouTube:
SubscribeNOWtoTheTonightShowStarringJimmyFallon:http://bit.ly/1nwT1aN
WatchTheTonightShowStarringJimmyFallonWeeknights11:35/10:35c
GetmoreJimmyFallon:FollowJimmy:http://Twitter.com/JimmyFallonLikeJimmy:https://Facebook.com/JimmyFallon
GetmoreTheTonightShowStarringJimmyFallon:
FollowTheTonightShow:http://Twitter.com/FallonTonightLikeTheTonightShow:https://Facebook.com/FallonTonightTheTonightShowTumblr:http://fallontonight.tumblr.com/
GetmoreNBC:
NBCYouTube:http://bit.ly/1dM1qBH
LikeNBC:http://Facebook.com/NBCFollowNBC:http://Twitter.com/NBCNBCTumblr:http://nbctv.tumblr.com/NBCGoogle+:https://plus.google.com/+NBC/posts
Quick-QuiltingCapitaloftheWorldAsreportedintheClaimYourFamepodcastbyAndrewDavis
Ifyou’renotaquilter,thismaybethefirsttimeyou’veheardofthetownHamilton,Missouri—thequick-quiltingcapitaloftheworld.Themonikerwasearnedthankstoadown-to-earth,engagingquiltshopownerandhercustom-made,YouTubevideoquiltingtutorials.JennyDoanisthecofounderoftheMissouriStarQuiltCo.,aquiltshopinHamiltonthatboaststhelargestselectionofpre-cutfabricsintheworld.
In2008,Hamiltonwashithardwiththeturnoftheeconomy.ResidentsJennyandRonDoanhadraisedtheirsevenchildrenonRon’sincomeasamachinistfortheKansasCityStar.Manyresidentsweregettinglaidofffromtheirjobs,andJennyandRon’skidswerebecomingconcernedabouttheirparents’financialfuture.Tostaybusy,Jennywouldsewquiltsforfamilyandfriends.Thoughshesewedtogetherthefabricpiecestomakeabeautifulquiltherself,Jennyneededsomeonewhohadalong-armsewingmachinetoaddthebatting—theinsulationwithinthequiltfabric.Demandwassogreatthatitcouldtakeninemonthstoayeartosecurethebatting-filledfabric.ThatgaveJenny’sson,Al,anidea.
AlandhissisterSarahinvested$24,000intoalong-armsewingmachine,adozenboltsoffabric,andabuildinginHamiltonfortheoperation.Thefamilyworkedtwoyearsonthebusinesswithouteverbringinghomeapaycheck.Itwaschallengingtogrowthebusinessinatownofjust1,800people.Aldecidedtheyneededawebsite.But,asweallknow,justbecauseyoubuildit,doesnotmeantheywillcome.
TheDoansknewtheyhadtodosomethingdifferenttoattractwebvisitorsanddrivemoreonlinesales.AlsuggestedJennycreatequiltingvideotutorialstopostonYouTube.WithJenny’snaturalandengagingcamerapersonalityandAl’samateurbehind-the-scenesabilities,theMissouriStarQuiltCo.’sYouTubechannelwascreated(seeFigure14.2).
Figure14.2TheMissouriStarQuiltCompanyhasbeenabletoamassover200,000subscriberssince2009.
Thechannelreceived1,000subscribersinitsfirstyear,10,000inyeartwo,andtodayhascloseto250,000subscribers.Jenny’svideoshavereachedasmanyasahalf-millionviews.Thevideoshavedrivennewtraffictotheirwebsite,gaininganaverageof2,000onlinesalesperdayandmakingthemtheworld’slargestsupplierofpre-cutfabrics.Jennyreceivese-mailsfromindividualsallovertheworldwholovewatchinghervideos.Fromwar-tornIrantoSouthAfricatoacrosstheUnitedStates,Jenny’sfansloveher.
Thoughthisinitselfisanamazingstory,thesuccessdoesnotstophere.AsMissouriStarQuiltCo.grew,sodidtheneedformorestaff.Todate,Jennyandherfamilynowhave120employeesworkinginHamilton.Theyalsoinvestedinthreeotherbusinesses,twolocalrestaurants,andabakery.Theirretailwarehousedisplays20,000boltsoffabric,andtheyoperatefivefabricshopsonHamilton’smainstreet.Theyalsocreateda“sew-and-stay”retreatcenter.Byyear’send,theywilladdanothereightfabricshopstotheirquiltingempire.
TheDoansdon’tnecessarilyknowwherethecompanywillgofromthere.Theirfocusisonmakingthebestquiltsandprovidingthebestproductsfortheircustomers.Inthemeantime,theyarechanginglivesandrebuildingatown,onequiltatatime.
THESUBSCRIBERIMPORTANCEHIERARCHYAswediscussedinChapter8,yourgoalistobuildcontentassetswhereyouhavethemaximumamountofcontrol.Thisisespeciallytrueforthetypesofsubscribersyouattract.WhileIbelievethatanyfan,follower,orsubscribercanbeagoodthing,theyarenotequalinvalue.
Forexample,let’ssaythatyoubuildyourplatformonFacebook.Overtime,you’vebeenabletoattract50,000“fans”onthatplatform.
InNovember2014,Facebookmadesomedrasticchangestoitsplatformtohidepostsfrompages,suchas:
Poststhatsolelypushpeopletobuyaproductorinstallanapp
Poststhatpushpeopletoenterpromotionsandsweepstakeswithnorealcontext
Poststhatreusetheexactsamecontentfromads
WhilethismakessenseforFacebook’sbusinessmodeltowork,atthesametimeitmeansthatFacebookhastherightnottoshowcertainposts.FacebookexpertMariSmithrecentlystatedthat“bottomline,mostPagescannolongerrelyonorganicreachtogainsolidbusinessresultsonFacebook.Youneedtohaveaconsistentcontentstrategy…todrivetraffictoyourwebsiteandbuildyouremaillistviaads.”
IknowsomebusinessesthathaveseenorganicreachonFacebookfallto1percentorless.Atthesametime,ScottLinabarger,formercontentmarketingdirectoratClevelandClinic,statedthatsomepostsfromthehospitalsawupto60percentorganicreachonFacebook.Itreallydoesn’tmatterthough.YoushouldleverageFacebookhoweveryoucan,butyouneedtoknowthatFacebookcontrolstheultimatereach,notyou.
Asyouanalyzeyourdigitalfootprintandbegintobuildyouraudience,yourfocusneedstobeatthetopofthishierarchy(Figure14.3).Simplyput,itcomesdowntotheamountofcontrolyouhaveovertheconnections.
Figure14.3Allsubscribersarenotcreatedequal.Ifyouhaveachoice,e-mailsubscribersarethemostvaluableultimatelybecauseofcontrol.
E-mail.Mostcontrolandeasiestaccess.Extremelyhelpfulandrelevante-mailswillbreakthroughtheclutter.
Printsubscribers.Incredibleamountofcontrol.Communicationneverinstantaneousandfeedbackdifficult.Costchallengesduetoprintandpostalcharges.
LinkedInconnections.Fullcontroloverwhatyousendtofollowersandconnections,butchannelisverycongested,soitmaybechallengingtobreakthroughwithaconsistentmessage.
Twitterfollowers.Fullcontroloverwhatyousendtofollowersbutmessageshaveaneight-secondlifespan,soitmaybechallengingtoreachaudienceregularly.
iTunessubscribers.Fullcontroloverthedeliveryofaudiocontent,butiTunesdoesn’tgiveyouaccesstowhosubscribestoyourcontent.
Medium/Tumblr/Instagram/Pinterestsubscribers.Fullcontroloverdeliveryofcontent.Userswillseeyourcontentiftheychooseto.Noultimateownershipoverplatform.
YouTubesubscribers.Somecontrolovercontent,butYouTubecandecidetoholdsomeofyourcontentbackifsubscribersaren’tengagingwithyourcontent(called“subscriberburn”).
Facebookfans.Facebookcontinuallymodifiesitsalgorithm,whichisoutofyourcontrol.Fansmayormaynotseeyourcontentdependingonthisalgorithm,althoughquality,helpful,andinterestingcontenthasthebestchanceofbreakingthrough.PromotionalcontentalmostalwaysisshutdownbyFacebook.
Whileyouhavemorecontrolwithcertainsubscriptionoptions,JeffRohrs,chiefmarketingofficeratYextandauthorofAudience,isadamantthatnocompany“owns”itsaudience:“Thereasonthattheaudienceisindifferentplacesisthatnoaudienceisowned.Regardlessofwhetheryou’reamajortelevisionnetwork,popstar,orprofessionalsportsteamwithrabidfans,yousimplydonotownyouraudience.Theycangetupandleave—mentallyorphysically—atanytime.”
Thisisexactlythereasonthatamazinglyhelpfulandrelevantcontentistheonlywaytokeepouraudienceconnectedtous,regardlessofwhichsubscriptionoptionsyouchoosetoleverage.
YOUNEEDANE-MAILOFFERINGRegardlessofwhetheryouareaYouTubestarorapoolguy,youneedane-mailofferingtoattractsubscribers.BuzzFeed,thenewmediaentertainmentandnewssite,gaineditspopularityduetosocialsharingonFacebookandTwitter.Whilethisistrue,andFacebookandTwittersubscribersareimportanttoBuzzFeed,everypageonitssitehasapromotiontogaine-mailsubscriberstoitsdailye-newsletter(Figure14.4).
Figure14.4EvensocialmediapowerhouseBuzzFeed.comfocusesonbuildinge-mailsubscribers.
Aswell,businesspublicationFastCompanyincludesanicelittlee-mailcalltoactionatthebottomofeveryarticle(Figure14.5).
Figure14.5AttheendofeveryFastCompany.comarticle,thereisacall-to-actionforthecompany’sdailye-mailoffering.
Let’slookattheContentInc.exampleofEntrepreneurOnFire.comfromJohnLeeDumas.HismainsubscriptionchannelisiTunes.ThismakessensesinceJohn’skeyplatformcomprisesaudiopodcasts.ButgotoJohn’swebsite,andthefirstthingyou’llseeisacalltoactionforane-mailsubscription(Figure14.6).
Figure14.6EntrepreneurOnFire.comshowsfirst-timevisitorsafull-displaypromotiontocollecte-mailsubscribers.
MarketingAutomationAswe’vediscussed,e-mailmarketingtechnologyisofcriticalimportanceasyoubuildoutyouraudiencedatabase.Asyoubegintogetmoreadvancedandconsidernurturingcontentandloyaltycontent,youmayneedamorerobustsystem.Entermarketingautomationtechnology.
Beforeyouselectanykindofautomationtechnology,besureyouactuallyneedit.Morecompaniesthannotinvestinmarketingautomationtechnologybutquicklyrealizetheydon’thavethestaffingresourcesandinvestmentdollarstokeepupwiththeplatform.
Whenyouareready,considerplayerssuchasAct-OnSoftware,Marketo,OracleEloqua,Percolate,Pardot(ownedbySalesforce.com),HubSpot,andInfusionsoft.
AsyouemployyourContentInc.strategy,youneedsomekindofe-mailoffering.Thiscouldbea:
Dailye-mailnewsletterbasedonyouroriginalblog
Dailye-mailnewslettercuratingthebestinformationfromtheweb
Weeklye-mailnewsletterorweeklyreportofferingindustryinsight
Reportofferingafreshideatoyouraudienceeverymonth
TIPSFORGAININGSUBSCRIBERSThinkaboutthelasttimeyouclickedonanarticleonsocialmediaanditdirectedyoubacktothewebsite.Ifit’slikemostsites,thecallstoactionwereallabouttheproducts.Perhapsaproductdemo?Maybeanewproductoffering?
WithaContentInc.model,everypieceofcontentwesendoutdrivestoanotherpieceofcontentthatcanbesubscribedto(ane-mailoffering).AtCMI,ourbestsubscriptiongeneratorisapop-over(sometimescalleda“pop-up”)usingatoolcalledPippity(Figure14.7).
Figure14.7ContentMarketingInstituteusesasoftwarepackagecalledPippitytoshowapop-overtocollecte-mailsubscriptions.
Inthepastweservedupthepop-overafter15secondsoronthesecondpageofafirst-timeuser’svisittothesite.Recently,wechangedthisduetothefollowingtestingresults;wenowservethepop-overwhensomeoneleavesthesite.Herearetheresultsofourtest:
StandardPop-Over
Datesserved:2/1–2/15
Impressions:11,486
Conversions:356
Conversionrate:3.10%
Exit-OnlyPop-Over
Datesserved:2/16–3/3
Impressions:41,683
Conversions:914
Conversionrate:2.19%
Althoughtheconversionpercentagewasloweronexit-only,wedecidedtokeepitinplacebecauseoftheadditionalconversions(over100percentgrowthinconversions).Thisissomethingyoushouldtestoutyourself.
Otherwaystoenhanceyoursubscriptionopportunitiesinclude:
Askforonlyane-mailaddress,orjustanameande-mailaddress,forstarters.Askingfortoomuchinformationatfirstwilldamageyourabilitytogainsubscribers.
Promotesubscriptionsonyourwebsiteandsocialplatforms.
Placesubscriptionoptionsinthefooterofyoure-mailsignatureline.Dothesameforallyouremployees.
LeverageSlideSharePro,whereyoucanuploadPowerPoint-typepresentationsandcollecte-mailnames(subscriptions)whenpeopledownloadthem.(Note:SlideShareisownedbyLinkedIn.)
Youneedallyouremployeesandcontractorstounderstandyourkeymetric.Tellthemoften.Belowisasamplenotetoallouremployeesaboutourgoalsandwhatwewantthemtodothisweek(thisnotecomesfromourVPofcontent,MicheleLinn).
Hieveryone,
AsImentionedbrieflyinFriday’scall,theeditorialteamistryingtobeveryfocused.Ourtwobiggoalsare:
Goal#1:Buildingouremaillist.
Goal#2:GettingsubscribersengagedinadditionalCMIproducts.(Themoresomeoneisengaged,themorelikelytheyaretoattendoureventsandbuyfromus.)
Afewthingstonote:
1.Weliketoencouragesign-upsforthesethreethings,astheyallrequiremorethanemailaddress.Thishelpsthemarketingteambuildoutthedataforoursubscriberbase:
•ChiefContentOfficerMagazine
•Webinars
•SlideShare(Note:SomeoneissubscribedtoourweeklynewsletterwhentheydownloadaPDFoftheSlideShare)
2.Wehavetwoprimarygatedpiecesofcontentonthesitetoattractsubscribers:
•DocumentedcontentmarketingstrategyeBook:http://cmi.media/CI-documented=
•InfluencermarketingeBookandtoolkit:http://cmi.media/CI-distribution
3.Welookalotatpoststhatgetthemostconversions—aswellaspoststhathavelowertraffic,buthigherconversions—andpushpeopletothatcontent.Wewillcontinuetosendthatlisttoyouonaweeklybasissothatyoucansharethoseout
toyourownsocialnetworks.
Asalways,ifyouhaveanyquestionsonthis—orideasonhowtospreadthe4kindsofcontentmorewidely—pleaseletmeknowanytime.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Withoutanaudience,yourContentInc.strategywillnotwork.
Whileactivitymetricsarecriticaltomeasurethesuccessofyourcontent,yourultimategoalshouldalwaysbetogetorkeepanaudience.Laser-focusingonthatmakesallthedifference.
Thereareanumberofwaystobuildanaudience,butnotallsubscribersarecreatedequal.Ifyouhaveachoice,gofore-mailfirst.
Webtrafficandsocialmediasharesaregreat,butifyouarenotbuildinganaudience,thosemaybemeaninglessmetrics.Focusonthemetricsthathelpyoubuildanopt-inaudience.
ResourcesAustinCarr,“Facebook’sPlantoOwnYourPhone,”FastCompany.com,accessedApril
28,2015,http://www.fastcompany.com/3031237/facebook-everywhere.
FacebookforBusiness,“AnUpdatetoNewsFeed:WhatItMeansforBusiness,”Facebook.com,accessedApril28,2015,https://www.facebook.com/business/news/update-to-facebook-news-feed.
MariSmith,Facebookstatusupdate,Facebook.com,January3,2015,https://www.facebook.com/marismith/posts/10152509018550009.
JeffreyK.Rohrs,“TheProprietaryAudience,”October25,2013,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.exacttarget.com/blog/the-proprietary-audience-aka-no-audience-is-owned/.
Chapter15
BuildingforFindabilityThetruedelightisinthefindingoutratherthanintheknowing.
ISAACASIMOV
MattCutts,Google’sleadingsearchevangelist,recentlydeclared:“Ifirmlysupporttheideathatpeopleshouldhaveadiversifiedwayofreachingtheiraudience.SoifyourelyonlyonGooglethatmightnotbeasstrongofanapproachcomparedtohavingawidevarietyofdifferentavenuesbywhichyoucanreachpeopleanddrivethemtoyourwebsiteorwhateveryourobjectiveis.”
Accordingtothe2015ContentMarketingBenchmarkresearchfromContentMarketingInstituteandMarketingProfs,moremarketersarefocusingoncontentpromotionthaneverbefore.Why?Companiesofallsizesarespendingvastamountsofmoneyoncontentcreation,onlytofindoutthatnooneisengaginginthatcontent.Developingongoingcontentwithoutaclearstrategyforcontentfindabilityisnoplanatall.
SEARCHENGINEOPTIMIZATIONGettingyourcontentfoundthroughsearchenginesisthekingofcontentfindability.AccordingtowebpresencemanagementcompanyConductor,approximatelyhalfofallwebtrafficcomesfromorganicsearch(nonpaidresults).
FortheContentInc.modeltobesuccessful,youneedtofocusonsearchengineoptimization(SEO)atalltimes.Foralongtime,themembersofCMI’sstaffbelievedthatiftheyunderstoodthebasicsofSEOandcreatedvaluable,shareablecontent,thecontentwouldbefoundintheorganicsearchrankings.Althoughrespectabletrafficwascomingtooursitefromsearchengines,gettingalotmoreseriousaboutSEOinthelastfewyearsmorethandoubledsearchresults—anddoubledourbusinessintheprocess.Betteryet,themajorityofnewsubscriberscomeinthroughsearchenginesratherthananyothersource.Needlesstosay,SEOiscriticalforoursurvival.
Your“HitList”ofKeywordsEverymonthCMIreviewsa“rollinglist”ofourtop50keywordphrases(like“contentmarketing”or“howtocuratecontent”).Foreachphrase,wemonitorourplacementinGoogle,checkhowwearedoingagainstcompetitors,anddeterminehowwearetrendingfromthepreviousmonth(arewedoingbetterorworse?).(SeeFigure15.1.)
Figure15.1CMIanalyzesarollingsetof50keywordspermonthtotracksearchengineoptimizationperformance.
Wealsolookattheresultsonahistoricalbasistotrackhowtheteamisdoingonourmostimportantkeywords(Figure15.2).
Figure15.2Everykeywordphrase’sperformanceistrackedmonthlyinGoogleandBing,alongwiththelinktothepieceofcontentthatisranked.
Ourgoalistodrivesubscriptionsfromeverypageofcontent.TheCMIstafftreatseverypagelikealandingpageandmonitorstoppagesforwaystoincreasetraffictoaspecificpage,aswellasincreasetheconversionofreaderstosubscribers(Figure15.3).
Figure15.3Everycontentpageistreatedlikealandingpage,andeachoneismeasuredonhowmanysubscriberscomeinthrougheachpage.
Howdowebuildastrategyforthisconcept?Below,CMI’sSEOspecialistMikeMurrayexplainshowtointegratesearchintheContentInc.model.
Ifhalfofyourtrafficcomesfromorganicsearch,wheredoestheotherhalfcomefrom?Hereareanumberoftacticsyoushouldconsideraspartofyourmodel.
12KeywordSelectionTipsforSEOandSmallBusinessContentMarketingByMikeMurray,CMI’sSEOSpecialist
Smallbusinessownersandentrepreneurscanill-affordtooperateinthedarkwhenitcomestokeywordselectioniftheywanttobuildanaudiencefromsearchenginetraffic.
Toooften,ownerstakewildstabswiththeirkeywordchoices.Sure,theycanoccasionallyguesswell.Buthowoftenaretheireffortsawasteoftime?
ThegoodnewsisthatyoucanattractsomesearchenginevisitorsbyconstantlycreatingcontentevenwithoutanSEOstrategy.Withkeywords,youwillrankforsomethingbecausesearchenginealgorithmsvaluecontent.
Youneedtoberealistic.Everypageorblogpostwon’ttakeyoutothefirstpositiononGoogle(orothersearchenginesforthatmatter).Maybeakeywordphrasewith10,000searchesamonthwillbeoutofreach.YoucanstillgetmoreoutofSEOwithjustabitmoreeffort.
Youcanreferencethefollowingchecklistasyouconsiderwhatkeywordstoplayupinyournewcontent(don’toverlookopportunitiestoalsoupdateolderarticles).
1.HaveIexploredkeywordresearchresources?CheckoutSerpStatandSEOChat’sfreeGoogleKeywordSuggestTool.Evenifyoudon’tadvertiseonGoogle,getaGoogleAdWordsaccounttoaccesstheKeywordPlanner.PaidtoolsincludeKeywordDiscoveryandWordTracker.IoftenuseSEMrush,whichsuggestspossiblekeywordsthatyoumaynothaveconsidered(itanalyzesmorethan100millionkeywords,includingdataaboutcompetitors).WithinafewminutesofusingSEMrush,IhadanExcelspreadsheetfilledwith6,000keywordideasfromanInc.5000company.YoushouldalsolookatthekeywordsthatpeopleuseatSocialMention.
Youcanmakealistofkeywordphrases,butsearchcountsmatter.Sometimesyoucangoafterakeywordphrasewith1,000monthlysearches.Quiteoften,youmaywantsomethinglesscompetitive.Idon’truleoutkeywordphraseswith50searchesamonth.
2.Isthekeywordphraserelevant?Doesthekeywordphrasereallymatchyourproductsandservicesandyourtargetaudiences?Keywordspecificityisparamount.
Keepinmindthatthekeywordsearchesyoudiscovermayincludeunusualkeywordcombinationslike“socceruniformsyouth.”Youcanseehowtheyrank,butpropersentencestructurewillforceyoutoswitchtheorderofthewords.Youcanprobablyusetwodifferentspellingsinsomecases(butavoiddoingthatonthesamepage).“Swingset”and“swingset”wouldbeoneexample.
3.Arewebuyingthiskeywordphrasethroughpaidsearch?Ifyou’respendingmoneyonpaidsearch(payperclick),theperformancedatacanbehelpful.Butpayingforthoseclickswon’tguaranteeorganicsuccessforyoursmallbusiness.Onlysomeofthekeywordsmaydowell.Dependingontheconversions,youmayseevalueinkeepingakeywordphraseforbothpaidandnaturalsearch.
4.AmIalreadyrankingforthekeywordphrase?Areyouamongthetop10,top20,top30,orfaroutat99?UsetoolslikeSheerSEO,WebCEO,andMoztogetrankingdata.EnterpriseSEOTools:TheMarketer’sGuideexploresdifferentplatformsthatcanhelpyoumanage,track,andoptimizethousandsofkeywords(someareexpensive,butsomepackagesareaffordable).Thisfreereportisavailableathttp://cmi.media/CI-seotools.
5.Willmynewpageadequatelymentionthekeywordphrase?Althoughsearchenginesdetectthemesorconcepts,theoutstandingcontentshouldstillincludeyourmoststrategickeywordphrases.Rankingswillalsobeheavilyinfluencedbythepagetitle,pageheader,websiteage,inboundlinks,andmanyotherfactors.
6.Howmuchtrafficismywebsitereceivingforthekeywordphrase?Inyourwebsiteanalytics,startwiththewordsthatpeopleusetoreachyourwebsiteandthekeywordphrasescapturedinyourinternalsitesearchaftertheyarrive.Maybesomeonesearchesfor“Clevelandaccountingfirms,”butthatmaypromptyoutolookatsomeoptionslike“accountingfirmsinCleveland”or“ClevelandOhioCPAfirms.”Youcanworkthosephrasesintoexistingcontentornewpages.
Ialwayslookatmultiplekeywordphrasesonawebpagethatrankhighon
searchengines.Youmayfindthatasinglepagecouldsupport“heatingandcoolingDallas”and“Dallasheatingcooling.”However,bothphrasesmaynotappearamongthetoppositions.Youmayneedtocreateanewpagedevotedtooneofthephrases,whichwon’tneedtoappearontheoriginalpage(givingmoreweighttoaremainingkeywordphrase).
7.AmIrefiningmysetofkeywords?Evenafteryoucreateyourkeywordset,youshouldevaluateitbasedonyournewkeywordideas,industrytrends,thecompetition,youranalytics,keywordsyouseeonsocialmedia,andothersources.Don’tjustmakeanoteofwordsyoucomeacross.Thinkofvariationsaswell.
8.Isthiskeywordphrase(orsimilarphrases)alreadyconverting?Youcantrackkeywordsthroughyourwebsiteanalyticsandconversionfunnels,includinge-commerce(connectingkeywordsandlandingpageswithproductsales).SomebusinessesgainadditionalinsightswithcalltrackingservicessuchasthoseofferedbyMongooseMetrics,Marchex,andothers.
9.Aretherecallstoactiononthepage?IfyouwantakeywordphrasetopayoffforyourContentInc.strategy,makesurethepagehasacompellingcalltoaction.Canavisitorcallatoll-freenumber,requestademo,downloadaguide,orrequestmoreinformation?
10.Arethererelatedpagesthatcouldsupportaninternallinkstrategy?Asinglepagecanrankwell,butsometimesithelpstocreateseveralrelatedpagessosearchenginescandeterminethatyou’reemphasizingasimilarsetofkeywordphrases.Cross-linkthestrategickeywordsonseveralofyoursimilarpagesorposts.
11.Howwillthiskeywordphrasechoicefitintofuturecontent?Yourkeywordselectionoptionsshouldbebasedonplannedcontentfortheweeksormonthsahead,notjustthecontentyoualreadyhaveorarewritingtoday.Withacontentcalendar,consideranynumberofkeywordpossibilitieswellbeforewritinganarticleorcreatingablogpost.
12.Isthekeywordphraseinourdomainname?In2012,Googledecidedtogoafterlow-qualityexact-matchdomainsforwebsites(meaningtheirrankingscouldbeaffected).I’msureGooglewantedtodealwithobnoxiousdomainslikethispretenddomain:seocontentmarketingtipsforsmallbusinessmarketers.com.However,forrespectablewebsites,thedomainnamestillseemstohaveapositiveimpactonsearchenginerankings.
GUESTAPPEARANCESINOPCAsnotedearlierinthebook,OPCisshortfor“otherpeople’scontent.”ThemoreourthinkinggetsspreadaroundinOPC,thebetterchanceswewillhavetoattractnewpeopletooursiteandbuildsubscribers.Asyoudevelopbetterrelationshipswithinfluencers(seeChapter16),oneofyourgoalsistofindopportunitytohelpthoseinfluencerswiththeircontent.Thatcouldmeandevelopingaguestblogpostforthemorguest-starringinawebinarfortheiraudience.
Since2007,I’vewrittenoriginalorrepurposedarticlesforover200differentwebsites.Atthesametime,I’veparticipatedinover30outsidewebinarsayear.Thesetwoactivitieshavebeencriticaltooursuccess.HowdoIknow?InFebruary2015,userscametotheCMIsitefromover2,500differentplaces.Muchofthatdiversityisbecausewesharecontentonotherpeople’ssites.
InApril2015,Googleannouncedthatitsalgorithmwouldfavorthosesitesthatare“mobileready.”Thatmeans,ifyourwebsitedoesn’trenderwellonmobiledevices,yourcontentmaybepenalizedbyGoogle.
CREATEMORELISTSWITHYOURCONTENTAsmuchasI’mnotafanofthis,listsgetfoundandshared.Asaresult,morepeopleblogandlinktothatcontent,makingiteasiertobefoundinsearchengines.CMI’sbest-performingcontentisalmostalwaysanumberedlist.
Evenmoreimpactfuliscompilinganindustrylistofinfluencers.Forbesmagazineisperhapsthekingofthis—themagazinedevelopsmultiple“bestof”reportseachmonth(Figure15.4).
Figure15.4Forbesexecutesanumberof“bestof”programs,includingthisone.
CONSIDERSTUMBLEUPONAccordingtoanalyticsblogKISSmetrics,manybusinessesoverlookthevalueofStumbleuponaspartoftheircontentpromotionactivities.ReadersuseStumbleupontofindor“stumble”ontorelevantarticlesandsitesbasedontheircurrentinterests.
Statcounterfoundthatofthetopsevenmost-traffickedsites,Stumbleuponisoneoftheleadersindrivingtraffictothosesites.AddingStumbleupontoyoursitetoolbarwouldbeasolidfirststep.
GETINVOLVEDWITHREDDIT
InFebruary2015,communitysiteReddithadover150millionuniquevisitors.OnReddit,consumersofeveryinterestsharestories,vote,andcomment.Dependingonyournichearea,theremaybeafewsubgroups,calledsubreddits,whereconversationsarehappening.Bybeingactiveinthesecommunities,youmayreceiveopportunitiestoshareyourexpertise—andyourarticles.
CREATEUNIQUERESEARCHIt’snotevenclose.Moresitesshareouroriginalresearchthananythingelsewedo.Ifthiscouldbeanopportunityforyou,besureyouplanyourresearchasanongoingseries,likequarterlyorannually.Thatmeanseverytimetheresearchisreleased,youhavesomethingnewandamazingtotalkabout.
ANSWERQUESTIONSATQUORAQuoraisaquestion-and-answerplatform.Mostlikely,possiblesubscribersareaskingquestionsthatyoumaybeabletoanswer,againshowingyourexpertiseanddrivingpeopletoyourwebsite.
CONTENTSYNDICATIONSyndicatingyourcontentmeansyouactivelyplaceyourarticlesonotherpeople’ssites.Inthepast,manyhavethoughtthatsearchengineslikeGooglepenalizeyoursiteforduplicatecontent.Googlesaysthisisn’ttrue:“Let’sputthistobedonceandforall,folks:There’snosuchthingasa‘duplicatecontentpenalty.’”
MichaelBrenner,headofstrategyforNewsCred,believesthatcontentsyndicationisanuntappedopportunity.Asheshares:
AtSAP,Ibuiltanaward-winningcontentmarketinghubcalledSAPBusinessInnovationandstarteditwithlittlebudget.Howdoyoubuildacontenthubonasmallbudget?Youneedanarmyofvolunteercontentcontributors.
Ididthisbysyndicatingcontentfromotherexperts(mostlyemployees,tostart)withtheirpermission.WhenIstartedshowingbusinessresultsandmybudgetsincreased,Iaddedlicensedcontentaswellasadditionalpaidoriginalcontent.
Licensingyourcontenttoothersites(syndication)maymakesensetogiveyoutheaddeddistributionyouneed.AndeventhoughIbelieveoriginalcontentcreationisthenumberoneoptionforContentInc.modelstogrow,syndicatingotherpeople’scontentmaybesomethingtoconsideruntilyourcontentfactoryisinfullgear.
OrganizationslikeNewscredandPRNewswireshouldbeconsideredifthisinterestsyou.
LEVERAGEHAROHelpaReporterOut,orHARO,isasiteforjournalistsandreporterslookingforexpertcontentsources.CMIhasusedHAROforthepastfewyearsandreceivedplacementin
theNewYorkTimesbecauseofit.
ADDIMAGESTOYOURTEXTCONTENTSkywordresearchhasfoundthatbusiness-orientedwebpageswithimageshaveperformed91percentbetterthanthosepageswithoutimages.Whenindoubt,alwaysaddanimagetoyourtextualcontent(Figure15.5).
Figure15.5FormypodcastThisOldMarketingwithRobertRose,CMIdevelopsacustomimagethatisleveragedaspartofoursocialmediapromotion.
SiteslikeHuffingtonPostandBuzzFeedpracticethisreligiously.Addingimagesdoesnothavetobeanarduousprocess.Considerthefollowing:
Asyoudevelopyourcontentcalendar,hireagraphicdesignertodevelopcustomizedposts.
SubscribetoanonlineimageservicelikeBigStockorShutterstock.Whilethisisfine,westillrecommendhavingadesignergointotheimageandcustomizeitenoughtomakeityourown.
Doityourself,usingaprogramsuchasCanva.
MAKESUREMOSTOFYOURCONTENTISUNGATEDInthesummerof2014,Iconductedaworkshopforsomeleadingtradeassociations.Themajorityofthemwerestrugglingwithgettingtheircontentfoundontheweb.Why?Because90percentoftheircontentwasonlyaccessibletomembers,whohadtologintoaccessthecontent.Thismeansthat90percentoftheircontentgoesunnoticedbysearchengines,anduserswholikethecontentcan’tshareitonsocialmedia.
AccordingtonotedauthorandspeakerDavidMeermanScott’spersonalstatistics,awhitepaperore-bookofhiswillbedownloadedatleast20timesmoreandupto50timesmorewithoutagateinfrontofit.Yougetbetterresultswithoutaleadforminfrontofdownloadablecontent.
Yes,youwantcertaincontentassetswithaforminfrontofthemtogrowyoursubscriberlists,butthevastmajorityofyourcontentneedstobeeasilyaccessibletoyouraudience,enhancingbothsearchandsocialmediasharingopportunities.
BRANDSCAPINGBrandscaping,accordingtoauthorAndrewDavis,isdefinedas“acollectionofbrandsworkingtogethertoproducegreatcontent”(seeFigure15.6).Thinkofanexamplewhereyouhavegreatcontent,butyouneedadditionalmarketingexposure.Orpossiblysomeoneinyourindustryhassomeamazingresearchthatyoureallywanttosharewithyouraudience.Inthesecases,perhapsapartnershipcanbecreated.
Figure15.6Twodifferentcompanies,TraackrandSkyword,partneredtogether(brandscaping)onaneducationale-book.
TestYourTitleslikeUpworthyUpworthy,oneofthefastest-growingsitesontheweb,focusesonsharingandcuratingcontentthat(itbelieves)upliftstherestofhumanity.InDecember2013,over87millionpeoplevisitedUpworthy.
Whataccountsfortheextraordinarynumberofvisits?AccordingtoUpworthy,“ItwasbecausemillionsofmembersoftheUpworthycommunitywatchedthevideoswecuratedandfoundthemimportant,compelling,andworthsharingwiththeirfriends.”
HowdoesUpworthygetpeopletoopenitse-mailstowatchthevideosandthensharethemwithfriends?TheUpworthystaffismeticulousaboutitsheadlines.Foreacharticle,Upworthywritesaminimumof25differentheadlines.ThenthecompanydoesvariousA/Btestswithitssubscriptionliststoseewhichheadlineledtothemoste-mailopensandthemostshares.OnceUpworthyfindsthebestperformer,thecompanydistributesthatwinningheadlinetotheentiree-maildatabase.
PAIDCONTENTDISTRIBUTIONOPTIONSBeforeyougainorganicsearchtractionandbuildamassiveaudienceofsubscribers,yourcontentmayneedaboosttogainreadership.Itiscompletelyacceptabletoengageinpaidcontentdistributiontechniquestoacquirenewsubscribers.Hereareacoupletoconsider:
Payperclick.Untilyoucanbefoundinyourtargetkeywordsonsearchengines,itmaymakesensetopayforpromotion.Payperclick(PPC)istheideathatyoupromoteyourcontentonsearchenginesandarechargedeverytimesomeoneclicksonyourlink.PPCchargescanrangefrom5centsforlesspopularkeywordphrasesuptomultipledollarsperclickforpopularsearches(like“mesothelioma”).
Contentdiscovery/recommendationtools.ServiceslikeOutbrain,Taboola,andnRelateformpartnershipswithmediaandbloggingsitesandwillpromoteyourcontent,forafee,onthesitesofyourchoosing.TheinvestmentworksexactlythesameasforPPC(youarechargedeverytimesomeoneclicksonyourstory).Thebiggestdifferencewithcontentrecommendationtoolsisthatthecontenthastobeintheformofaninterestingstory(ortheserviceswon’tshowit).Figure15.7showswhatacontentrecommendationsectionlookslikeonCNN.com.
Figure15.7Manypublishers,includingCNN,usecontentdiscoveryenginesatthebottomoftheirarticlestopromoterelevant(andsponsored)content.
SOCIALMEDIAADVERTISINGAlmosteverysocialwebsite,includingFacebook,LinkedIn,Twitter,andInstagram,acceptsadvertising.Eachoftheseservicesletsyoutargetveryspecificaudienceswithyourcontent.Figure15.8presentsanexamplefromFacebookpromotingawebinar(promotingvaluablecontentisthebestwaytoleveragesocialadvertising).
Figure15.8PromotingyourcontentinsocialmediaoutletslikeFacebookcanbeagreatwaytotargetaveryspecificaudiencewithcontent.
NEWSRELEASESERVICESServicessuchasPRNewswireandPRWebwilltakeyourpressreleaseanddistributeittothemediasitesofyourchoosingforadditionalpromotion.Remember,thereisnosetformat.Youcanbeascreativeasyoucantogetattentionamongthethousandsofotherreleasessentoutthatday.PRprofessionalMitchDelaplanehadabitoffunwithhispressreleasein2011andendedupbeingpromotedonsites,suchasTechCrunch,asthe“bestpressreleaseever”(Figure15.9).
Figure15.9MitchDelaplane’s“bestpressreleaseever”waspickedupbymultiplemediaoutlets.
Formoreinformationonpromotionoptionsforyourcontent,checkoutChadPollitt’sguidetocontentpromotion(http://cmi.media/CI-promotion)andRobertRose’sfullreportoncontentdiscoverytools(http://cmi.media/CI-native).
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Whiletherearemanywaysforyourcontenttobefound,thecenterofthefindabilityuniverseissearch.
Whilesettingyourcontenttobefoundinsearchenginesisnotrocketscience,mostcompaniesdon’tdothesmallthingsneededtobefoundbysearchengines.Besuretocreateaprocessforthis.
Advertisingyourcontenttobuildsubscribersisaviableoption.Lookatallavailablechannelstoseehowyoucangetyourcontentinfrontoftherightpeople.
Resources
EricEnge,“LinkBuildingIsNotIllegal(orInherentlyBad)withMattCutts,”stonetemple.com,accessedApril28,2015,https://www.stonetemple.com/link-building-is-not-illegal-or-bad/.
NathanSafran,“310MillionVisits:NearlyHalfofAllWebSiteTrafficComesfromNaturalSearch[Data],”conductor.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.conductor.com/blog/2013/06/data-310-million-visits-nearly-half-of-all-web-site-traffic-comes-from-natural-search/.
KristiHines,“4WaystoIncreaseTrafficwithStumbleUpon,”KISSmetrics.com,accessedApril28,2015,https://blog.kissmetrics.com/increase-traffic-with-stumbleupon/.
GoogleSupport,“DuplicateContent,”Google.com,accessedApril28,2015,https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66359?hl=en.
MichaelBrenner,“GettheBiggestSEOBangforYourContentMarketingBuck,”ContentMarketingInstitute.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/03/brenner-seo-content-marketing/.
UpworthyInsider,“WhatActuallyMakesThingsGoViralWillBlowYourMind,”Upworthy.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://blog.upworthy.com/post/69093440334/what-actually-makes-things-go-viral-will-blow-your.
AlexiaTsotsis,“TheMostAmazingPressReleaseEverWritten,”techcrunch.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/12/news-about-news/.
Chapter16
StealingAudienceInfluencermarketingisgettingotherstoshareyourstory,generateinterest,andmakeyourcase.
ARDATHALBEE
Themajorityofmarketingprofessionalsmightcallthischapter“influencermarketing,”butI’dratherjusttellitlikeitis.Thegoalofbuildingarelationshipwithaninfluencer(definedas“theplacewherethepeopleinyouraudiencearehangingoutonthewebiftheyarenotonyoursite”)istostealtheinfluencer’saudienceandmakeityours(Isaythisinthenicestwaypossible).
Rightnow,thepeoplewhomakeupyouraudiencearenotjuststandingaroundwaitingforyourcontent.Theyareactivelyinvolvedandengagedinmobile,video,audio,andtextualcontentforinformationalorentertainmentpurposes.Ifyouaregoingtobreakthrough,youneedtotakethatattentionanddirectittowardyourcontent(notaneasytask).
Thischapterisallabouthelpingyoudojustthat:stealaudience!
MAKINGTHECASEThismethodoftappingintoinfluencerstohelpamplifyyourcontentisotherwiseknownas“influencermarketing.”It’saprettystraightforwardconceptwhenyouthinkaboutit:
Influencershaveapreestablishedaudiencethatisalreadyreceptivetotheirideasandrecommendations;theyarevaluedbyyourtargetaudience.
Influencershaveabuilt-inleveloftrustwiththeirreaders.Thehopeis,theseinfluencerswillforgethesestrongconnectionsonyourbehalfandhelpyoubuildcredibility.
Theycanhelpyoucreatetherightcontentthatreallymeetsyourconsumers’needs,becausetheyhave“on-the-ground”experienceandperspective.
Bypartneringwiththem,you’reabletogetyourcontentandmessagingoutintherightway,attherighttime,totherightpeople.
Theultimategoalistobuildandexpandyourownaudience.
WHAT’SYOURGOAL?JustasyouneedastrategyforyourContentInc.program,youalsoneedastrategyforyourinfluencermarketingprogram.Beforelaunchingyourinfluencerprogram,youneedtoclearlyunderstandanddocumentwhatyouspecificallywanttoaccomplish.Saidanotherway:Howwillyourinfluencerprogramhelpyouachieveyourbusinessgoals,andhowwillitleadtoaudiencebuilding?
Somepotentialobjectivestoconsideroruseasastartingpointtobuildyourownlistof
goals:
Brandawareness.Howmanypeopleviewed,downloaded,orlistenedtothispieceofcontentbecauseoftheinfluencer?
Engagement.Howresonantisthiscontent,andhowoftenisitsharedwithothers?Howistheinfluencerhelpingtoincreasesharing?
Leadgeneration.Howistheinfluencerhelpingtoconvertpeopleintovaluablesubscribers?
Sales.Didyoumakemoneybecauseofthiscontentsharedbytheinfluencer?WhatrevenueorROIcanyouapplytothisprogram?(SeeChapter22.)
Customerretentionandloyalty.Howcananinfluencerhelpretainacustomer?
Up-sellorcross-sell.Isthereawaytouseaninfluencertohelpsomeonebecomemoreinvestedinyourbusiness?
IDENTIFYINFLUENCERTYPESThetypeofinfluenceryouneeddependsonyourspecificobjective.Forexample,ifyouraimisawarenessandabroadreach,youmaychooseabiggernumberofinfluencerstoworkwithwhocanallproduce“bite-sized”piecesofcontenttoincreaseyourshareofvoice.Butifyouarelookingtoretaincustomersorup-sell,youmaywanttouseotherclientsasinfluencers.
HowCanYouIdentifytheRightInfluencers?Influencerscancomeinmanydifferentforms.Frominsideyourorganizationoutward,theycantaketheformof:
Bloggers
Customers
Membersofapurchasinggroup
Industryexpertsandanalysts
Businesspartners
Internalteammembersorexperts
Mediasites
Fromthesegroupsyouwillformyourinfluencer“hitlist”(see“BuildYourHitListofInfluencers”below).
HOWTOMANAGETHEPROGRAMNowthatyou’veestablishedwhatyou’retryingtoachievewithyourinfluencermarketingprogramandwhomyou’dideallyliketoreach,youwillhaveabetterunderstandingofwhetherornotyouhavetherightresourcesin-housetodotheworkneeded.Somethingstoconsider:
Howmuchcapacitydoesyourinternalteamhavefortakingonapilotgroupofinfluencers?
Doyouhaveanytoolsavailablein-house(onesyouuseforsociallistening,contentmanagement,etc.)thatyoucanleverageforaninfluencermarketingprogram?Seethesidebar“InfluencerListeningTools”forsuggestions.
InfluencerListeningTools•Klout(tofindandscoreinfluencers)
•LittleBird(tofindinfluencers)
•GoogleAlerts(toidentifyincomingcontentbasedonkeywords)
•Traackr(tofindandforminfluencerrelationships)
•TapInfluence(tofindregisteredinfluencersopentopartnershippossibilities)
Whenyoufullyunderstandyourinternalcapabilities,you’llbeabletodeterminewhatsizeprogramyoucanmanageandidentifywhatotherresourcesyou’llneedtoengagetodeploytheprogramthatwillmeetyourobjectives.
CREATECONTENTWORTHSHARINGInordertogetinfluencerstoworkwithyou,totrulypartnerwithyou,inamplifyingyourcontent,you’regoingtoneedsomethingcrucial:compellingandrelevantcontent.Timeandtimeagain,influencerswillpushbackonbrandsforforcingoverlypromotionalmessagesintotheirhard-earnedsites,becauseauthenticityisthepiecethatkeepstrustbetweenthemandtheirreaders,andnoone—notevenyourbrand—isworthjeopardizingthat.So,inshort,asperfectlystatedbyAndyNewbom,“Createsomethingforinfluencerstoinfluenceon.”
BUILDYOURHITLISTOFINFLUENCERSDoesyourinfluencermarketingprogrameverfeellikeaspiralingrabbithole?It’sbecausetherearesomanypotentialpathsyoucantake,andthepotentialpoolsizeofinfluencerstotapintocanfeelsomewhatoverwhelming.Here’swhattypicallyrunsthroughanentrepreneur’smindwhenbeginningtolaunchsuchaprogram:
Whomdoweevenreachoutto?
HowdoIknow“who’sgood”andwhohaspowerfulinfluence?
HowdoIevenmanageinfluencersonceIstartworkingwiththem?
Theseunknownscanfeeldauntingforanyteam,ofanysizeandanylevelofexperience.Tohelpgetyoustarted,thesearethenextthreesteps:
1.Buildasmallpoolofpotentialpartnersandlearnmoreaboutthem.
2.Beginyourinfluenceroutreach.
3.Test,assess,andoptimize.
Thefirstthingtodoinbuildingyourpoolofinfluencers,aftersettingyourobjectivesandidentifyingtheinfluencer“types”withwhomyouwanttowork,istositbackandlisten.Soundsprettypassive,buttakingthetimetotrulyunderstandwhatyourpotentialinfluencer’sfocalpointsarewillbecrucialinunderstandinghowyoucanworktogether.
Tostart,considerbuildingatemplatethatwillhelpyoukeeptrackofthetoppeoplewithwhomyou’dliketowork.It’slikelyyoualreadyhavesomekindoflist,buthavingaconsistentwaytokeeptrackofthemandassessthemisanimportantplacetostart.
IfyouuseatoollikeKloutorothersocialrankingtool,youcanincludethatscore.Othertimes,yourscoringcanbealittlebitmore“gutbased”asyoureadthroughtheinfluencers’work.Whichbringsupaveryimportantpartofthisprocess:readyourpotentialinfluencers’work!Readtheirarticles,seehowtheyrespondtocomments,reviewtheirtweets,andreallygetasenseofwhatmattersmosttothem.Togaugethelevelandextentoftheirinfluence,youcanalsoseewhoisrespondingtotheirworkandfollowingthem—allgoodthingstoincorporateinyourspreadsheetaswell(thesepeoplecouldbepotentialinfluencers,too).
WAYSTOIDENTIFYPOTENTIALINFLUENCERSAmandaMaksymiwfromLatticeEnginessuggeststhesestepstobuildyourlistofinfluencers:
Useyourlisteningtoolstoidentifypeopletalkingaboutcertaintopicsbasedonkeywords.
Askyourcustomersorothersinyourindustry(neverunderestimatethepowerofwordofmouth).
Searchonsocialmediaplatforms,especiallyLinkedIn.
Networklikecrazy.Attendeventsindifferentareas—getoutofyourbubble.Talktocustomers,partnersandsales.
Askpeersinyourmarketing,productdevelopmentorsalesteams.
Askotherinfluencers.You’dbesurprisedastohowmanyofyourtoptierinfluencersworktogetherandrecommendeachother.
Getinvolvedintheforumsanddiscussionboards/groupsdiscussingyourcontent.JoiningTwitterparties,webinarsandevenreadingthroughthelatestindustryreportsorblogpostscanquicklymakeyouawareofwhothekeyplayersareinyourspace.
HOWMANYINFLUENCERSSHOULDIADDTOMYPOOL?Theanswertothisquestionwilldependheavilyonhowyourespondtothe“HowtoManagetheProgram”sectionabove.Buttostart,andforefficiencypurposes,mostpeopletendtoleantoward5to10influencersasareasonableandmanageablestartingpoint.
BEGINOUTREACH
Onceyou’veidentifiedapotentialpoolofinfluencersandyou’vespentenoughtimereadingthroughtheirworktowanttotakethenextsteptowardoutreach,takeafewminutestoconsiderthefollowing:
Howwillyoureachouttothisperson?
Whatcanyouofferthatisvaluable?
Whatexactlyareyoulookingforfromthisrelationship?
Thisiswhereallthattimespentreviewingtheperson’sworkwillpayoff;sendingageneric,impersonalrequesttoatop-tierinfluencermayendupsoundingprettyinsulting.Andremember,thisisatwo-wayrelationship;gonearethedayswherecompaniescouldthrowmoneyorsamplesatbloggersandexpectthemtofawnoverthebrand.Influencershavetheabilitytobemuchmoreselective,andtheyexpecttoberespectedforthetalent(andaudience)theybringtoyourprojects.
SOCIALMEDIA4-1-1SocialMedia4-1-1isasharingsystemfirstpresentedbyAndrewDavisthatenablesacompanytogetgreatervisibilitywithsocialinfluencers.Irecommendusingthisasafirst-approachmethodbeforedirectlye-mailinganinfluencer.Here’showitworks.
Foreverysixpiecesofcontentsharedviasocialmedia(suchasTwitter):
Fourarepiecesofcontentfromyourinfluencertargetthatarealsorelevanttoyouraudience.Thismeansthat67percentofthetimeyouaresharingcontentthatisnotyours—andcallingattentiontocontentfromyourinfluencergroup.
Onepiececanbeyouroriginal,educationalpieceofcontent.
Onepiececanbeyoursalespiece,suchasacoupon,productnotice,orpressrelease.
Whilethenumbersdon’thavetobeexact,it’sthephilosophythatmakesthiswork.Whenyousharethecontentofinfluencers,theynotice.Andyoushouldsharewithoutaskingforanythinginreturn(foramonthorso),sothatwhenyoudoneedsomethingsomeday,theinfluencersaremorelikelytosayyes.
Thekeytomakingthisworkisconsistency.Takeyourpilotlistof5to10influencersandshareeachinfluencer’scontentatleastonceadayforamonth.
MAKINGTHEFIRSTCONNECTIONThereareafewwaysyoucanstarttomakeconnectionswithyourtargetinfluencers:
Givethemsomesocialmedialove,eitherthroughareply,retweet,ormention(usetheSocialMedia4-1-1plan).
Providethoughtfulcommentsontheirblogposts.
ConnectwiththemonLinkedIn,introducingyourselfandexplainingwhyyou’dliketoconnect.
Shootoverane-mail.Ifyouwanttogothee-mailroute,Figure16.1offersanexample.
Figure16.1Sampleofapossiblee-mailsenttoaninfluencer.
Thekeyforyouroutreachisnottoseemlikeyou’reaskingforafavor,butrathertosuggestacollaborationinsomeformthattakesintoaccounttheperson’sskillsfirst,withyourneedssecondary.
NURTUREINFLUENCERRELATIONSHIPSAfteryou’vestartedmakingconnectionswithyourtargetedinfluencers,youmayfeelmorecomfortableaskingtoworktogetherindifferentways,suchas:
Requestingthattheycocreatecontentwithyou
Requestingcustomcontentcreatedexclusivelyforyourplatforms
Askinginfluencerstoshareyourcontentontheirplatforms
Herearesomepotentialprojectstoengageyournewinfluencerstoworkonwithyou:
1.Askforaquoteforanarticle.
2.Requesttospeakataconference.
3.AsktojoinorbeaguestonaTwitterchatorwebinar.
4.Provideaquoteforane-book.
5.Gatherresponsesonaspecifictopicforacrowdsourcedblogpost.
6.Requestpermissiontoshareorlinktotheircontent.(Youdon’thavetorequestit,butit’spoliteandwillcertainlyshowthatyou’reinterested.)
7.Requestinformationordataforacasestudy.
8.Asktowriteaguestblogpostorfeatureinone.
9.Includetheminanexpertpanelatanindustryevent.
10.AsktobeaguestonapodcastorGoogleHangout.
HOWFARCANYOURCONTENTGO?Onethingtoconsideristhescalabilityofthecontentthatyouarecreatingtogether.JustasyouexecutewithyourContentInc.strategy,yourinfluencerprogramneedslegsthatextendbeyondasinglepoint-in-timecampaign(seeChapter13onrepurposing).Forexample:
Considerroundingupmonthlyguestblogpostsintoquarterlye-books.
Ifyou’vehadaseriesofinfluencershostwebinarsorpodcasts,gatherthoseintorobustresourceguides.
Puttogetheracollectionofquotesorinsightsfromyourinfluencersandconsolidatethemintobestpracticesarticlesorroundtableposts.
ASSESSANDOPTIMIZETHEPROGRAMAlthoughitwilltaketimeandeffortonyourpart,eventuallyyougettoaplacewithyourinfluencerswhereatruerelationshipexists.Askingforcontentsharingwillnolongerfeellikeafavorbecauseyouputintheefforttoshowthatyoutrulyrespectandvaluetheircontributionsbeyondjusttheiraudiencereach.Nowisthetimetothrowinsomegoodwill“relationship-building”effortstofurthersolidifyyourloyalty.Forexample,youcaninviteyourinfluencerstoanexclusiveevent,askforinputonanewproductorservicebeforeanyoneelse,crowdsourceideaswiththemasa“pilot”group,orsendthemsmalltokensofappreciation(likeagiftcardforcoffee)orhandwrittenthankyounotes.
Theseactionswillmakethemfeelasvaluedanduniqueasyoualreadyknowtheyare(anditneverhurtstoremembertheirbirthdays,too).
MEASURINGTHEPROGRAMHere’sanideaofhowtosetupyourKPIs(keyperformanceindicators)dependingontheobjectivesyouestablishedattheonsetofyourprogram:
Regardlessofwhatyouchoosetomeasure,beonthelookoutforareasofpotentialimprovement,especiallyinthebeginning.Noprogramisperfect,andtheabilitytogrowatrulyrobustinfluencermarketingprogramtakesalotoftimeandeffort.Byshowingmorethanjustyoursuperficialsuccesses,you’lldemonstratethethoughtfulnessyouputbehindgrowingtheseworkingrelationshipsintosomethingmeaningfulforyourcompany.It’snotalwaysprettyand,likeanyrelationship,canmeansome“give-and-take”foreveryoneinvolved.Butintheend,thesestrongvoices,projectingyourcompanymessagesforyou,withoutsolicitation,willhaveanROIthatfarexceedsmanyoftheotherprogramsinyourmarketingmix.
CASESTUDY:CONTENTMARKETINGINSTITUTECMIdefinesaninfluencerasablogger,competitor,ormediaorganizationthatiscreatingcontentofinterestforourtargetaudience.
Togivetheseinfluencersvisibility,werateourinfluencerlistquarterlyinour“Top42ContentMarketingBlogs.”Initially,thislistwasmadeupofinfluencerswefoundby
trackingkeywords(like“contentmarketing”)inGoogleAlerts,authorsinindustrytradepublications,thosethatweretalkingaboutthetopiconTwitter,andotherbloggersthatwejustfoundinteresting.Theinitiallistincluded42influencers.
GettingtheAttentionofInfluencersInfluencersareimportantpeople.Theygenerallyhaverealjobsandareextremelyactiveonsocialnetworks,spendingtheirtimesharingcontentandblogging.Gettingontheirradarisnoteasy.Sotogettheirattention,wegaveawaycontentgifts.Wedidthisinafewdifferentways.
First,weusedtheSocialMedia4-1-1methodasdescribedabove.Weexecutedthisprogramformonths.TheCMIteamtrackedour“topcontentmarketingblogger”list.Wethendecidedwecouldgetbettervisibilitywithinfluencersbyactuallyrankingthempubliclyandsharingtherankingswiththemasses.Thiswasanincrediblesuccess.
Wehiredanoutsideresearchexperttoputtogetheramethodologyofhowtorankthetopbloggers,lookingatareassuchasconsistency,style,helpfulness,originality,andafewotherdetails.Theneachquarter,CMIwouldpublicizethelist,showcasethetop10,sendoutapressrelease,andmakeabigdealoutofit.Needlesstosay,thetop10andthehonoredtop42lovedthelist.Notonlydidmostofthisinfluencergroupsharethelistwiththeiraudiences;approximatelyhalfofthetop42influencersplacedourwidget(withpersonalrankofthatparticularinfluencer)ontheirhomepage,linkingbacktooursite.Sonotonlywerewebuildinglong-termrelationshipswiththeseinfluencers,butweweregettingcrediblelinksandtrafficaswell.
Inadditiontothetopbloggerslist,CMIstartedtoputtogetherlargeeducationale-booksshowcasingtheinfluencers’work.Forexample,in2009andagainin2011,welaunchedtheContentMarketingPlaybook.Theplaybookincludedover40casestudiesaboutcontentmarketing,withmanycomingdirectlyfromourinfluencers.Wemadesuretonoteintheplaybookwhichexamplescamefromwhichinfluencers.
Whenwereleasedtheplaybookandlettheinfluencersknowaboutthepublication,themajorityofinfluencerswehighlightedintheplaybookeagerlysharedthecontentwiththeiraudiences.It’simportanttonotethatalltheinformationwesharedinthepublicationwaseither“fairuse”materialandproperlycitedorusedwiththeinfluencer’spermission.
Sincethen,mostofthepeopleonouroriginalinfluencerlisthavebecomeactivecontributorsintheCMIcommunity.Somestartedwritingblogposts,othersparticipatedinourweeklyTwitterchats,othersbecamespeakersatourevents,andstillotherswentontowritebooksande-booksforus.Andmaybethebestpart,halfofouroriginaltop10influencersarenowgoodfriendsofmine.Needlesstosay,it’sbeenanincrediblesuccess.
Whosaysstealingdoesn’tpay?
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Youneedsubscribers,andinfluencersthatshareyourcontentcanhelpyougetthose.
Mostbusinessesthatleverageaninfluencerstrategydon’thaveadefinedprocessbehindit.Whenyouexecuteyourinfluencerstrategy,doitwithadefinedgroupandcadenceofcontentsharing.
Whenstartinganinfluencerstrategy,youneedtosharemoreinfluencercontentthanyourowncontenttomakemaximumimpact.
Chapter17
SocialMediaIntegrationSocialmediaisnotabouttheexploitationoftechnologybutservicetocommunity.
SIMONMAINWARING
Foratime,socialmediaandcontentcreationmayhaveseemedinterchangeable,buttheyareactuallyquitedifferent.Thoughtherecanbequiteabitofoverlap,theeasiestwaytothinkabouttheirrelationshipisthatcontentisneededtodrivesocialmedia,whilesocialmediaismostessentialduringtwokeycontentmarketingprocesses:
Listeningtothepeopleinyouraudiencetounderstandwhattheycareabout,soyoucancreatecontentthattheywillfindengagingandrelevant
Distributingcontent(fromyourbusiness,aswellasfromothers—i.e.,theSocialMedia4-1-1approach)
Inshort,youreallycan’thaveonewithouttheother.
Ifyouarejustgettingseriousaboutyoursocialmediadistributionefforts,it’sbesttostartsmall.Considerthetopsocialplatforms(Twitter,LinkedIn,Facebook,andYouTube),andseewherethelargestconcentrationofyourtargetaudiencemembersarecongregating.
FOCUSB2Bcompaniesaretraditionallyhesitantabout,say,Pinterest;yetifyoureallydoubledownandfocusonPinterestasakeystrategy,I’mabsolutelysureyoucanmakethatwork.It’sjust[aquestionof]whereareyougoingtodirectyour
resourcesbest[for]havingarealpotentialtoengagewiththecommunitybetter.
TODDWHEATLAND,HEADOFSTRATEGY,KINGCONTENT
Choosethechannelswhereyoucanbuildandengagewithagenuinecommunity,andfocusyourattentiononthose.Studywhatothersaredoinginthisspacesoyoucanlearnwhatpeoplerespondtothemostfavorably.Andby“others,”Idon’tmeanyourcompetitionbut,rather,anyonewhomaybetakingyouraudience’sattentionawayfromyoursocialmediacontent(suchasyourinfluencergroup).Askyourselfhowyoucanbemoreusefulorentertainingthanothercontentproviders.
TESTWhileitmakessensetochoosetheprimarychannelsyouwillfocuson,thelandscapeischangingquickly,andit’simportanttoexperimenttokeepyoursocialmediacontenteffortsfreshandcurrent.AsAirbnb’schiefmarketingofficerJonathanMildenhalltoldusduringContentMarketingWorld2013,“Ifyoudon’thaveroomtofail,youdon’thaveawaytogrow.”
Itdoesn’tmakesensetostartusingaplatformsimplybecauseit’sbecometrendyorbecauseyourcompetitorshaveapresencethere.Butdon’tletfearoffailurestopyoufrom
tryingsomethingnew.Followtheserecommendationstoguideyouinyourdecisions:
Don’tsignupforanaccountwithouthavingaplanforwhatyouwilldothere.
Doprioritizethechannelsyouwanttoexperimentwith,andspendadedicatedamountoftimetotestoutwhatworks—andlearnfromwhatdoesn’t.Youmaydiscoversomethingnewaboutyouraudience,oryoumaylearnthatit’snotaprioritychannelforyourbusiness.
CUSTOMIZESo,aFacebookpostshouldbeverydifferentthan[oneon]Pinterest,orTwitter,orLinkedIn,butalotoftimesit’sjust“Ugh,justputitallout,becauseyou’vegotthetoolsoyoudoitandyouhitsendsoitgoestoallyourchannels.”
MICHAELWEISS,SPEAKERANDCONTENTMARKETINGSTRATEGIST
Theeasiestwaytoturnoffyourcommunitymembersistobroadcastthesamemessageacrossmultiplechannels.Instead,determinethekindofcontentthatintereststhemembersofyourcommunityinawaythatisusefultothem.Planaheadtomakesureyouareleveragingyourcontentassetsinmultiplewaysbutarestillcommunicatingitdifferentlyonyourpreferreddistributionchannels.
SOCIALCHANNELSTOCONSIDERHere’saquickoverviewandmyrecommendationonresourcestocheckoutforeachmajorsocialmediachannel.Remember,youshouldleveragesocialmediatodevelopaudiences,butyoudonotgetdirectaccesstothem.That’sthedomainoftheplatform,suchasFacebookorYouTube.Youshouldbeusingsocialmediatoultimatelydrivepeoplebacktocontentofferssoyoucangrowyoure-mailsubscriptionlists.
FacebookAccordingtoPewResearchCenter,71percentofadultInternetusersand58percentoftheentirepopulationareonFacebook.ThatmeansFacebookmatters.Mostlikely,atleastaportionofyouraudienceisleveragingFacebook.
AswediscussedinChapter14,Facebookcontinuallychangesitsalgorithmstoshowthemostinterestingandengagingcontenttousers.ThismeansthatpromotingyourselfonFacebookwon’twork.
BrittKlontz,digitalcontentstrategistatDistilled,recommendsthesetwoFacebookinitiatives:
Provideexclusiveaccess:Oneofthebestwaystocontinuallyengagefansandcreatenew“likes”isbyprovidingexclusiveaccess,aslongaswhateveryou’reprovidingaccesstoisrichandmeaningful.#PepsiExclusivedoesthiswithevents,butyoucanalsoprovideexclusiveaccesstodealsoreventofunorparticularlyhelpfulpiecesofcontent.Youmight,forexample,writeanextensiveguideforaprocessorprocedureyouknowyouraudiencewillbeinterestedin,hostitonamicrosite,andprovideanaccesscodetoyourfans.Thisway,they’llfeelrewardedwithexcellent—andfree!—contentjustforreturningtoyourpage.
Makegooduseofhashtags:Whilehashtagscanbeeffectiveacrosstheboardwhenitcomestosocialmedia,they’reespeciallyeffectiveforbrandsthatalreadyhavecultfollowingsonFacebook.Nutella,forexample,incorporatesa#spreadthehappyhashtagthroughoutallofitsFacebookcontent.Thistagappearsoftenin“vs”competitions(i.e.,“NewYorkbagelorNewOrleansbaguette?”),andisusedtoinvitefanstosharetheirownphotos,videos,andrecipes.Again,thehashtagmakessearchingeasy,anditengagesfansinawaythatencouragestheirowncreativity.
Bestresources:Mozoffersanexcellentbeginner’sguidetoFacebook(http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-social-media/facebook),whileJonLoomer.comistheabsolutebestplaceformoreadvancedFacebookstrategies.
TwitterTwitterhasbecometheofficialbroadcastingtooloftheweb.HowdoyoumakeyourstorystandoutonTwitter?Herearesometipstofollow:
Tellastorythroughyourtweets.Presentaconsistentvoicetotellthestoryofyourindustryandyourbrand.Eachpostshouldbecompellinginitsownright,butbesuretotakeaconsistentvoiceintoconsideration.
Makeuseofhashtags.Includingonetothreerelevanthashtagswithyourtweetmakesitsimpleforpeopletofindyourcontent.(Forexample,weatCMIuse#cmworldforourannualevent.)Creatinganoriginalhashtagandlinkingittoaspecificcampaignisanevenbetteruseofthetactic.
Useitasatestingground.Tweetyouroriginalcontent,andkeeptabsonwhichpiecesofcontentgetmoreshares.Usethisinformationtodirectyourfuturecontentefforts.
Coverindustryevents.Tweetlivecoverageofeventsthataresignificantforyouraudiencetoofferinsightsinrealtime.Thatway,yourbrandcanactastheeyesandearsforindividualswhocan’tmakeittotheevent.
Bestresource:TwitterPower3.0fromJoelComm.
AnewappcalledPeriscopehasbeengrowingrapidlyinpopularitysincethebeginningof2015.Periscope,ownedbyTwitter,isaneasywaytolive-streamaneventorinterview,andthenitworkswellwithTwittertoletyourfollowersknowtheeventistakingplace.
LinkedInLinkedInhasbecomesomuchmorethanacompanyRolodex.Itisperhapsthemostpowerfulbusinesspublishingplatformontheweb.Sincelaunchingits“influencer”programwherenichecelebritieswereabletopublishcontentexclusivelyonLinkedIn,thecompanyhasnowopeneduppublishingtoeveryuser—forfree(Figure17.1).
Figure17.1AnyonewithaLinkedInaccountcannowpublishoriginalarticlesontheplatform.
Herearesometipsifyouintendtopublish:
Understandwhataudienceyou’dliketotargetonLinkedInandpublishcontenttheretoattractthataudiencetoyoursubscriptionofferings.
TakefulladvantageofyourprofilebyembeddingyourSlideSharepresentationsandYouTubevideosandlinktoallyourcontentresources.
Doanauditofyourteam’sprofiletomakesureeachemployeeisrepresentingthecompanyproperly.
Bestresource:MaximizingLinkedInforSalesandSocialMediabyNealSchaffer.
SlideShareSlideShareisbestknownastheYouTubeforPowerPointpresentations.ButsinceLinkedInpurchasedthecompany,SlideSharehasaddedfullvideocontenttoitsarsenal.Over60millionprofessionalsvisitthesiteeachmonthlookingforhigh-qualitypresentations.
SlideShare’sPROfeature(nowfree)isabletocollecte-mailsubscriptionswhilesomeoneisviewingthepresentation.ThishasnowbecomeCMI’sthird-bestsubscriptiongenerator.
Bestresource:TheMarketer’sGuidetoSlideSharebyToddWheatland.
InstagramPurchasedbyFacebookinearly2014for$1billion,Instagramisstillthemostdominantimage-sharingsocialmediasite.HerearetwoideastoleverageInstagram:
Shareunique,behind-the-scenes,andpersonalcontent.Getpersonalwithyouraudience;givefollowersaninsiderviewoftheinnerworkingsofyourorganization.Abehind-the-scenesfeelcomeswithanexclusivityfactor.
Turnfollowersintosourcesofcontent.Askyourfollowersforpicturesthatrepresentyourbrand,andrewardthebestcontributorswithrecognition.Offerthemasenseofownershiptostrengthentherelationship.
Bestresource:ThePowerofVisualStorytellingbyEkaterinaWalter.
PinterestPinterestisanextremelypopularphoto-sharingsite,whereyoucanactivelymanageyourownphotosandshareimagesandvideosfromothers.It’sbeenextremelypopularintheretailspacetodate.InterestedinseeingifPinterestcanworkforyou?Here’ssomeideasthatwillhelp:
Decideiftheplatformfitsyouraudiencebeforejumpingin.Asaninterest-drivencommunity,Pinterestisgearedtoward18-to34-year-oldwomen,butit’sbeginningtoexpand.Ifagoodportionofyouraudiencelandsinthiscategory,it’sagoodfit.
It’smorethanjustimages.Videosarepowerful(andpinnable).Ifyouhaveastrongrepertoireofvideocontent,usePinteresttodrivetrafficbacktoyourwebsiteorYouTubechannel.
Showyourcustomerssomelove.Strengthenrelationships,highlightsuccessstories,anddrivemoretrafficbycreatingaboardshowingofftheachievementsofyourcustomers.It’sagreatwaytoillustrateyourworkwithoutmuchbraggadocio.
Shareyourreadinglist.Sharebookrecommendationsthatarerelevanttoyouraudiencetoestablishastrongerbond.Leveragingbooksthatyou’veactuallyreadhelpsdemonstrateyourbrand’scommitmenttoconstantimprovement.
Showyourcompanypersonality.Insteadofaloneproductimageoraposedstaffpicture,showyourproductorteaminactionforanimagewithmorepersonality.Actionshotshelpthepeopleinyouraudienceimaginethemselvesasacustomerorclient.
Bestresource:PinterestPowerbyJasonMilesandKarenLacey.
Google+
InMarch2015GoogleannouncedthatitwassplittingGoogle+intophotosandstreams.SomebelievethatthismarksGoogle’smoveawayfromGoogle+intosomethingcompletelydifferent.Regardless,manybusinesseshavefoundthatGoogle+canbeoneofthemostpowerfulsocialmedianetworksforactiveengagement.
Forexample,CopybloggerMediarecentlydecidedtokillitsFacebookpageentirelyandfocusoncommunicatingwithitsaudienceviaGoogle+.
Regardless,youneedtobeawareoftheconstantchangesinGoogle+(it’sbeenthiswayfromthebeginning,asGooglehasn’tquitefoundtherightfityet).
Bestresource:PayattentiontoMashable.comforthelatestchangesinGoogle+.
YouTubeI’velistedYouTubeherebecauseitisindeedasocialmedianetwork,butIbelievethebestopportunitiesinYouTubeareasaplatform,aswe’veseenwithMatthewPatrickandClausPilgaard.IfyouchoosetosharecontentonYouTubeoutsidetheplatformmodel,considerthefollowing:
YouTubeisthenumbertwosearchengineintheworld,sodevelopingcontentspecificallyforsearchfindabilityissomethingyouneedtofocuson.
WhatevercontentyoudecidetopublishonYouTube,doitconsistently,justasyouwouldonanyotherplatform.Themajorityofcompaniespublishwithoutanyparticularschedule,whichneverworksinbuildinganaudience.
Bestresource:YouTubeMarketingPowerbyJasonMiles.
VineVineisavideo-sharingservicewhereyoucanrecordsnippetsuptosixsecondslong.AsofAugust2014,over100millionpeoplewatchVinevideoseachmonth.
LikeYouTube,VineisbigbusinessforContentInc.models.HusbandandwifeMichaelAlvaradoandCarissaAlvaradoarethefolk-popbandUstheDuo.Theyhaveamassedmorethan4.5millionfollowersandover600millionloopplaysoftheirvines,whichtheyconvertedintoarecorddealwithRepublicRecords,aninternationaltour,andarecentlyreleasedsecondalbum(Figure17.2).
Figure17.2LikeYouTube,VineisbigbusinessforContentInc.models.ThehusbandandwifeteamofMichaelandCarissaAlvarado,arethepopbandUsTheDuo.Theyhaveamassedmorethan4.7millionfollowersandover700millionloopplaysoftheirvines,whichtheyconvertedintoarecorddealwithRepublicRecords,wentontoaninternationaltour,andrecentlyreleasedtheirsecondalbum.
Bestresource:TheBeginner’sGuidetoVineonMashable(http://mashable.com/2013/12/11/vine-beginners-guide/).
TumblrAsofthisprinting,Tumblrnowhostsapproximately500millionblogs,makingitanindustrypowerhouse.HerearesometipstomakingTumblrworkforyou:
Useyourtags.Tagcontenttohelpwithsearchability.Includedescriptivetagsoneachpieceofcontenttogiveyourpagemuchstrongervisibility.
Postsnippetsofcontent.Snaganeye-catchingquotefromapopularpostonyourblog,includethelinkandtags,andsharethepreview.Othersnippets(likepictures)workwelltoofferapreviewofyourcontentbeforetheviewermakesthejump.
Reblog,comment,and“like”often.UsethesefeaturestosharecontentfromotherTumblrusers.Thatway,youreducesomeoftheburdenofcontentcreationwhilestillgettingtheattentionofinfluencers.Youcanalsocreaterelationshipsthatmayresultinmorepeoplesharingyouroriginalcontent.
Linkbacktoyourpage.AttachalinktoyourTumblroneverypieceofcontentyou
post.Ifcontentgoesviral,userscantraceiteasilybacktoyourpage.Withoutthatlink,yourcontentmayspiraloff,givingyouverylittleabilitytotracksharing.
Focusyourcontent.Makesureyourcontentfitsatightnichetohelpyoudominatesearchresultsandfocusinonthetopwaysyouraudiencefindsyou.
Bestresource:“QuickGuide”(Tumblrhttp://quickguide.tumblr.com/).
MediumIn2012,TwittercofounderEvanWilliamslaunchedapublishingsitecalledMedium.Medium’sobjectiveisforindividualsanywheretobeabletosharetheirperspectivewithothersinameaningfulway.Itis,perhaps,thebestplacetocreatecontentandgetongoingcommunityfeedbackwithinthecontentitself.
Personally,IloveeverythingaboutMedium,fromtheuserexperiencetothecommunityinteraction…except…youhavelittlecontroloveryouraudience.Thatsaid,ifyouarelookingforanaudiencetoshareaparticularpointofview,andgainrapidfeedbackfromthataudience,Mediumisasolidsolution(Figure17.3).
Figure17.3Mediummakesitpossibletoviewcommentsinlinewiththecontent,insteadofatthebottomlikemostblogsdo.
Bestresource:TheMarketer’sGuidetoMediumfromKISSMetrics(https://blog.kissmetrics.com/marketers-guide-to-medium/).
YikYakandSnapchatI’veneverusedYikYakorSnapchat,butI’vereadenougharticlestoknowthatbothservicesaregoingtobearoundforawhile.Bothsocialmediasitesgivetheusersanonymity(iftheywish).AsmoreandmoremillennialsmoveawayfromFacebook(thisishappening),kidsandyoungadultsarefindingahomeonthesetwosites.Ifyoutargetyoungeraudienceswithyourcontentniche,you’llneedtocheckforopportunities.IfIhadtoputmymoneyonthenextbigapp,itwouldbeSnapchat.
THEKEYELEMENTSOFASOCIALMEDIACONTENTPLANAsmentionedabove,forbestresults,youneedadedicatedplanforeverychannelonwhichyouintendtodistributesocialmediacontent.Justbecauseyoucansharesomethingoneverychannelthereis,doesn’tmeanthatyoushould.
Tostart,itmaybehelpfultolookathowmostmarketersaredistributingtheircontentinsocialmediachannels.ThebigthreeofLinkedIn,Twitter,andFacebookcontinuetodominateworldwide,withcontenderssuchasPinterest,SlideShare,andInstagramontherise(Figure17.4).
Figure17.4Mostbusinessesleverageanaverageoffivetosixsocialmediachannelstodistributetheircontent.Source:2014ContentMarketingInstituteannualresearch:http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/research.
Tocreateabasicsocialmediaplan,answerthesequestionsforeverychannelyouareconsidering.
WhatIstheGoalofThisChannel?Youneedareasontobeoneverychannelonwhichyoudecidetopublishcontent.“Togainfollowers”isnotaviablereason,inandofitself,but“togainfollowersonFacebooktodrivetrafficbacktoourwebsitetoenlistsubscribers”is.TheimportantparthereisthatyourcontentonthechannelservesasamethodtoconvertviewersintotakingthenextstepinyourContentInc.process—i.e.,movethemfromFacebookfollowertowebsiteviewer,e-mailsubscriber,eventattendee,orhoweveryoumonetizetheplatform.
WhatIstheDesiredAction?Similartothepointabove,figureoutwhatyouwantsomeonetodoineachchannel.Share?Comment?Visityourwebsite?Registerforsomething?
WhatIstheSpecificTypeofContenttheAudienceWantstoGetinThisChannel?
Customizethecontentyoudistributeoneachchannel.Considerwhatmessagesareappropriateforeachchannelandcreateamessageyouthinkwillresonatewiththatspecificaudience.Thinkaboutthekindofinformationalneedspeopleinthischannelhaveandhowyoucanhelp.Willyouprimarilypublishtext,images,orvideo?
WhatIstheRightToneforThisChannel?Asyouconsiderthetopicsandcontentformatsineachchannel,it’scriticaltodeterminewhattheoveralltoneforthechannelshouldbe.Friendly?Fun?Conversational?Professional?
WhatIstheIdealVelocity?It’sasmartideatounderstandhowoftenyouwanttopublishcontentineachchannel.Howmanypostsdoyouwanttopublishperdayorweek?Whattimeofdayisbest?You’llhavedifferentcadencesdependingonifyouaresendingorrespondingtotweets,updatingyourFacebookstatus,orpublishinganewSlideShare,forexample.OurteamfoundthatpostingonFacebookonceortwiceaday,monitoringTwitterallday,andspendingtimeeachdayonLinkedInworksbestforCMI.Buteverycompanyisdifferent,soyouwanttospendsometimedeterminingtheschedulethat’slikelytoworkbestforyouandyourcustomers.
Keytip:Letyourgoalsdictatethedecisionsyoumakeinregardtosocialmediacontent.Forexample,sincethegoalofyourContentInc.planshouldbetoincreasee-mailsubscribers,woulditreallymakesensetobroadcastallyourblogpostsonFacebookandTwitter?Whatreasonwouldreadershavetosubscribetoyoure-mailprogramiftheycangetthesameinformationonthesocialchannelstheyalreadyvisitregularly?Thinkabouthowyoucantweakandrepurposethecontentyoushareonyoursocialnetworks,asitappliesbothtoyourgoalsforthechannelandtoyouroverarchingbusinessobjectives.
ANEXAMPLEFROMCMIAsCMIhasgrownoverthepasteightyears,so,too,hasoursocialmediapresence.Atthebeginning,weadmittobeingabithaphazardwithourapproach;butovertheyearswehavedevelopedamorestrategicplanandtailoredourcontentmarketingprocessesaccordingly.
Hereishowourmarketingdirector,CathyMcPhillips,andcommunitymanager,MoninaWagner,approachsomeofourkeychannelsintermsofbothcontentanddistribution:
TwitterWe’reactiveonTwittereveryday,sharingthoughtsfromourcommunity,aswellaspromotingourowncontent.However,ourfavoritethingwedoonTwitterisourweekly
#CMWorldchats(everyTuesdayatnoonET).It’ssomethingwestartedinthesummerof2013asawaytopromotethetopicsandspeakersfromourannualContentMarketingWorldevent,butitwassousefulthatourcommunityaskedustocontinuethechatsthroughouttheyear.Twitter,bothduringthechatsandatothertimes,hashelpedusdevelopacommunityofinfluencersandatrustednetwork.ThiscommunityhasguidedmanyofoureffortsinregardtoourdailyblogpostsandevensomesessionsandtracksforContentMarketingWorld.
LinkedInOurLinkedInstrategyfocusesondiscussingindustrytrendswiththemembersofourCMILinkedIngroup.Wehavenoticedthatthisgrouptendstolikecontentspecifictocareersandtocontentmarketingstrategies(seeFigure17.5).We’vealsousedittobouncearoundideasweareconsideringforeitherourmagazineorourliveevents.Ithashelpedusgaugeinterestandneedsandfine-tunesomeofourefforts,asaresult.Also,byactivelymoderatingpostswithinthiscommunity,ourgroupmemberstrustthatthecontentappearinginourgroupfeedhasbeenvettedbytheContentMarketingInstitute,whichhelpsmaintainourpositionasatrustedcontentmarketingresource.
Figure17.5LinkedIn’srecentcontentpromotionchangeshaveenabledbusinessestogetmoreattentionfortheiroriginalcontent.
FacebookThisisthechannelwhereweliketosharethefunsideofCMI(afterall,isn’tthatwhatFacebookisallabout?).Weuseittodiscussnews,events,andanewcontentmarketingexampleeachweek,aswellastoshareexcitingnewsandannouncementsonthingsthat
arehappeningwithinCMI.Wehaveafunteam,andthisgivesusallanopportunitytoshowcaseourpersonalities.Ourweeklycoverageofcontentmarketingexampleshasallowedustosharesomegreatworkbybrands,whichhasgivenouraudienceachancetoseetheworkofothersandthink,“Wecoulddothattoo.”Wealsotrytoinspireouraudiencewithweeklymotivationalgraphicposts(anothergreatwaytorepurposeolderblogpostsandarticles)(seeFigure17.6).
Figure17.6CMItakesquotesfromseniorstaff,presentsthemvisually,andsharesthemonFacebookweekly.
SlideShareWeaimtopublishthreeorfournewSlideSharepresentationspermonth.Ithasbeeninterestingtotrackwhichkindsofpresentationsgetthemostviewsandleads,andwemakesuretomixupourpresentationstoalignwithourcontentmarketingstrategyandstillgenerateinterestandbuzz.SincemostofCMI’scontentisungated,publishingpresentationsonSlideSharegiveourcommunityaccesstoviewandreferencenearlyeverythingweproduce—allweaskinreturnisane-mailaddressifourcustomerwantstodownloadthecontent(thisisanimportante-mailsubscriptiongeneratorforCMI).The
longer-formcontentweshareherehasincreasedoursubscribers,sincethesepresentationsarebettersuitedfordownloadingandreferencingorprinting,whileourshort-formandlivelierpresentationshaveahighertendencytogetsocialsharesandtodrawinnewfollowers.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Youdon’thavetobeactiveineverysocialchannel.Atthestart,choosethebesttwoorthree(whereyouraudienceishangingout)andputresourcesbehindthem.
Yes,wewanttobuildoutourdigitalfootprintandaudienceonsocialchannels,butrememberthegoalistobuildoure-mailsubscriptionaudienceasmuchaspossible.
Mostbusinessesdon’tplantheircontentdistributiononsocialmedia.Itjusthappenswhenevertheygettoit.Treatyoursocialchannelsasimportantlyasanyothercommunicationchannel.
ResourcesBrittKlontz,“HowtoKeepFacebookViableasaContentMarketingPlatform,”
ContentMarketingInstitute.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2014/05/keep-facebook-viable-content-marketing-platform/.
MaeveDuggan,NicoleEllison,CliffLampe,AmandaLenhart,andMaryMadden,“DemographicsofKeySocialNetworkingPlatforms.”PewInternet.org,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms-2/.
SethFiegerman,“WhyGoogle+IsSplittingintoPhotosandStreams,”Mashable.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://mashable.com/2015/03/02/google-plus-changes/.
CraigSmith,“25AmazingVineStatistics,”expandedramblings.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/vine-statistics/.
JonSwartz,“Twitterco-founderEvanWilliamshasplansforMedium,”usatoday.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/19/evan-williams-medium-co-founder-twitter-instagram/20320963/.
JimBabb,“9WaystheMostInnovativeMediaOrganizationsAreGrowing,”medium.com,accessedApril28,2015,https://medium.com/@jimbabb/9-ways-the-most-innovative-media-organizations-are-growing-5ac50d7457d5.
BusinessInsider,“The30MostPopularVineStarsintheWorld,”businessinsider.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.businessinsider.com/most-popular-vine-stars-2014-12#22-us-the-duo-9.
Part6
DiversificationCareerdiversificationain’tabadthing.
VINDIESEL
Youbuiltthemodelandarereapingtherewardswithnewsubscribersandaudienceloyalty.Nowisthetimetodiversifyyourportfolioandstakeyourclaimastheleadingvoiceintheindustry.
Chapter18
TheThreeandThreeModelWelearnwisdom:First,byreflection,whichisnoblest;second,byimitation,whichiseasiest;andthirdbyexperience,
whichisthebitterest.
CONFUCIUS
Nowthatyouraudienceisgrowing,it’stimetotakeyourContentInc.strategytothenextlevel.InContentInc.interviewswefindtrends,consistencies,andsurprisingrepetitioninthepatternsthatdefinesuccess.Icallthisthe“threeandthree”model.Thefirstthreearepersonal.
IT’SPERSONAL:PLANNINGTHEFIRSTTHREEInJeopardystyle:
Theanswer:Ablog,abook,andspeaking.
Thequestion:Whatarethethreemostcriticalstrategiesanentrepreneurcandotobuildathrivingpersonalbrand?
Frompersonalexperience,buildingablog,writingbooks,andspreadingmymessagethroughpublicspeakinghavebeenthethreemostimpactfulstrategiesforgrowingmypersonalbrand.Allthreehaveledtothemostamazingbusinessopportunities.
Butit’snotjustme.JayBaer,AnnHandley,MarcusSheridan,MichellePhan,AnnReardon,andothersuccessfulthoughtleadersfromaroundtheworldsuchasMichaelHyattandTonyRobbinshaveusedthisstrategy.Eachofthesesuccessfulentrepreneursleveragesthesameformula.Let’sbreakitdown.
Theblog.Aplaceonthewebwhereyoudistributeyourdifferentiatedstoryonaconsistentbasisandwhichissharedbyyouraudiencetogainwiderreach.MostContentInc.strategiesusethisasthemainplatform.
Thebook.Thegreatestbusinesscardontheplanet.Thebookisyourstoryinphysicalform.Ifsomeoneasksyouwhatyouareallabout,youhandthepersonthebook.
Speaking.Theblogandthebookleadtopublicspeakingopportunities.Conferenceprovidersfromaroundtheworldwillreachouttoyoutogainyourinsightandexpertiseintheareayounowown.Thinkofitthisway—youwillgetpaidtogetyourmessageinfrontofanentirelynewaudience(talkaboutstealingaudience!).
Nowthatwehavecoveredbuildingyourblogplatform,here’showtoexecutethenexttwo:thebookandpublicspeaking.
8TIPSFOREXECUTINGABOOKIn2010,over2millionbookswerepublishedaroundtheworld(over300,000inthe
UnitedStates).Justahandfulofpeoplemademoneyfromthebookitself.Sohere’sthedeal:donecorrectly,youmakemoneyfromotherthingsyousellinyourContentInc.program,notfromthebookdirectly.Thegoalforabookistohelpexpandyourbusinessopportunities.
Creatingabookthatmakesanimpactonyourindustryandbusinessisanythingbuteasy.Nevertheless,therearesometipsI’vepickedupalongtheway(inpublishingfourbooks)thatwillmakeadifferenceinhelpinggetyourbookofftheground:
1.Doa“Deep-Dive”ContentAuditYoumayalreadyhaveatreasuretroveofmaterialthatcanberepurposed,oratminimumyouhavecontentthatcanbecollectedtoformtheinitialworkingsofsomekeychapters.Besureyoudotheworkupfronttoseewhatyouhavetostartwith.
Keypoint:Don’toverlookthisstep.Mostindividualsstartfromgroundzerowithwritingabook.Ifproperlydone,acontentinventorywillgiveyouaheadstart.
2.MinetheBlogForallfourofmybooks,includingthisone,alotofthematerial,ideas,andcontentoriginatedfromexistingblogposts.Ifyouhavesixmonthsofblogs,youmightalreadyhavehalfabook.Nowwritingabookisnotaneasyendeavor,butyoumayhavealotoftherawcontentalreadyatyourdisposaltodevelopabook.
Keypoint:The“blog-to-book”strategycanbeamazinglyeffective.Asyoucreatecontentforyourblog,keepyourbookinmindandstarttobuildthechaptersasyougo,usingtheblogastheconduit.
3.CocreateDoyouhavekey,noncompetitivepartnersthattargetthesameprospectsandcustomersasyou?Ifso,considerreachingouttothemaboutpartneringonthebookconcept.Also,onceyoustartpromoting,youhavetwodifferentnetworkstoreachoutto.
InaphoneconversationwithNewtBarrettin2007,IlearnedthatNewtwaswritingabookoncontentmarketing,sameasIwas.Afterafewadditionalcalls,wedecidedthatpartneringmademoresense,andin2008,GetContentGetCustomerswasbornasajointproject.
Keypoint:Youdon’thavetodothisalone.Mostlikely,youhavemanypartnerswhowillbenefitbygettingyourmessageouttothepublic(andtheymayhavethecontentassetstohelp).
4.GetItFundedMyfirstbookGetContentGetCustomerswasself-publishedbeforeMcGraw-Hillpurchasedtherights.Muchoftheup-frontinvestmentforthebookwascoveredthroughsellingbulkshipmentstopartnercompanies.Thisenabledustocovermuchoftheup-frontcostsofthebook.
JeffRohrs,formerVPofmarketingatSalesforce.comandnowchiefmarketingofficerforYext,wasworkingonabook,entitledAudience.Herecognizedquicklythatthetopicsinthebookwereonesthathisemployerdeeplycaredabout.Becauseofthis,SalesforceassistedJeffinbringingthebooktolife.
Keypoint:Mostlikely,thereareplayersinyourindustrythatcareaboutthebookyouareproducing.Ifitmakessense,approachingthemearlycouldhelpyoufundyourproject.
Ifyoudecidetopublishthebookyourself,tryserviceslikeAmazon’sCreateSpaceorLightningSource.Bothservicesdoon-demandprinting.Ifyouarewillingtopayapublisher,checkoutaservicelikeAdvantageMedia.It’spricierthandoingityourself,butthecompanyhandleseverythingintheprocessforyou,includingtheongoingmarketingifneeded.
5.IdentifyYourMission—WhatYouWantReaderstoGetfromYourBook
Beveryclearaboutwhatyouwantyourreaderstogetoutofthebook.Writeitdownandkeepitpostedonyourwallasyouworkonthebook.Manywritersfocusonwhattheyaretryingtosay,insteadofpinpointingthemainfocusofinterestforthereader.
Keypoint:Gosmalltogobig.Focusonacontentnichewithyourbookwhereyoupositionyourselfastheleadingexpertinyourniche.
6.IncludetheInfluencersIfpossible,includekeyexamplesfromindustryinfluencers,aswellaspartners,aslongasit’sgoodcontent.Themorepeopleyouincludeinyourstories,themoreopportunitiesforoutsidesharing.
Keypoint:Repeatafterme…Ishouldnotwritetheentirebookbymyself.You’dbesurprisedaboutthenumberofpeopleouttherethatwouldlovetobeincludedinyourbookandgiveyoutherightstousetheircontent(noticethenumberofguestarticlesinthisbook).Also,ifyouincludeothersinthebook,theyaremorelikelytoshareitwiththeirfriendsandcolleagues.
7.ConsideraGhostwriterBelieveitornot,manyofthebooksfromtheauthorsyoulovehavebeenwrittenbysomeoneelse.Iknow,hardtobelieve,right?Butit’strue.Thebestghostwritersouttherestartatabout$50,000andthengoupfromthere.Ifyousimplycan’tmaketheinternaltimeordon’thavetheresourcestogetitdone,considerit.
Keypoint:Youmaynothavetheskillsorthetimetomakeabookhappen.Therearesomeamazingpeopleouttherewhocanhelp.
8.GetEditorialHelp
Authorsshouldnotedittheirownwriting.Ifyouwanttocreateaprofessionalpieceyouareproudof,youneedtoidentifyreviewersandeditorsthatwillgiveyouhonestfeedbackaboutthecontentandthestyleofthebook.
Keypoint:Oneeditortoreviewthebookasyoudevelopitandoneeditortoreviewthefinalmanuscriptarethebareminimum.
ElementsofaBookProposal•Titlepage.Includeanimageandcontactinformation.
•Conceptbrief.Highlighttheproblemandwhythebook’scontentwillbevaluable.
•Conceptsummary.Giveacompellingoverviewofthebook.Includethekeytakeawaysthatreaderswilllearn.
•Chapteroutlinesample.Makethisascompleteaspossible.
•Abouttheauthor.Provideadetailedlookatyourlifeandtellwhyyouarequalifiedtowritethisbook.
•Author’sbackstory.Explainhowyougottothispointinlife.
•Bookmarketingsection.Includeallyourmarketingassets.Howmanyconnectionsdoyouhaveonwhichchannels?E-mailaddresses?Upcomingspeakingengagements?Anypartnershipswithtradeassociations?Thisisthemostcriticalsection.Thepublisherwillwanttoknowhowmanycopiesyoucansell.
•Audiencesection.Showwhotheaudienceforthebookisandwhythisbookwillfillacontentgap.
•Thecompetition.Listthebooksthatmostcloselycomparewithyourcompetitiveset.
•Introductiontothebook.Includethisifpossible.
Overall,theproposalshouldbebetween10and15pages.
Abookisnotjusta“nicetohave,”it’sagamechanger.Apublishedbookopensupmoreopportunitiesthanyoucouldeverimagine.Nowisthetimetoputyourbigideainmotion.
TOPWAYSTOGETSPEAKINGGIGSItwasthemiddleof2008.Atthetime,Iwasstillworkingontheblogplatformandbuildingaloyalaudience.NewtBarrettandIhadjustreleasedourself-publishedbook(throughLightningSource),GetContentGetCustomers.ItwasthenthatIreceivedanintriguinge-mailfromBelgium.
Inthee-mailalargeBelgianpublishingcompanytoldmeitwashostingalargecustomereventinBrusselsandwantedtoknowifIwasavailabletospeakattheevent.Thecompanyofferedtoflymeover,allexpensespaidplusasmallstipend.Howdidthishappen?Theblogandthebook.
WhatInowknowisthatit’snexttoimpossibletotrulybeathoughtleaderinyourindustrywithoutakillerblog,athoughtfulbook,andaspeechthatrocks.Yes,thefirsttwoarecritical,butit’sasaregularspeakerwhereyouhitthelottery.Whenyougetregularspeakingengagements,peopletalkaboutyou,spreadyourmessage,andwanttoactivelydobusinesswithyou.It’swherethemagichappens.
Manyconferenceproducerswon’tevenconsideryouasaspeakerunlessyouhaveapublishedbook.
IfyouthinkpublicspeakingcanmakeadifferenceinyourContentInc.model,herearethetopwaystogetspeakingengagements.
BacktotheBlog:YourProofofExpertiseIfpeopleaskedyouforproofofyourexpertise,whatwouldyoushowthem?Awards,perhaps?Maybetestimonials?
Whilethosearefineanddandy,theyaresecondaryintoday’sworldofabsolutelyeverythingbeingavailableontheweb.Asaconferenceproducerlookingtochoosethebestspeakersforourevent,thefirstplaceIgoistotheprospectivespeaker’sblog.Aconsistentlydeliveredblogisproofofbothdedicationtoandpassionfortheindustry.Also,ifdoneproperly,theblogveryquicklyshowsyourareaofexpertise.Thatmeansifyoublogaboutallsortsoftopics,itwillhurtyou.Getfocusedonwhatmakesyoualeadingexpertinyourfield.
AVideoExampleFortheContentMarketingWorldevent,wereceivedover500speakingsubmissionsin2015.Idiscountedalmost200immediatelybecausetheydidn’thavealinktoapriorspeakingeventoracompilationofspeakingengagements.
Mostconferenceplannerswon’tsignonspeakerswithoutatleastseeingthemspeakinsomecapacity.Thatmeansifthespeakerselectioncommitteehasn’tseenyouspeak,andyoudon’thaveaproperexampleofyourspeakingskillsinaction,youwon’tgetthespeakingengagement.
Ifyou’veneverdoneanyspeaking,makeavideo.Evenaneditedvideowillsufficesopeoplecanseeyouinfrontofacamera.
AndrewDavishasawebsite(athttp://www.akadrewdavis.com/)dedicatedjusttohisspeaking.Itincludesmultiplevideos;thereisevenonethatspecifieswhathebelievesmakesagreatspeechandanotherthattellsyouhowhecanhelpyoupromoteyourevent.
GetaHookYouneedsomethingtostandoutandseparateyourselffromthepack.Whyshouldanyonechooseyou?Whyareyouspecial?Herearesomeideas:
Getacolor.Orangeismycolor.Iwearsomeformoforangetoeveryevent…shirt,
suit,shoes,pocketsquare,etc.Ihaveanentirewardrobededicatedtothecolor,andIhavesetthatexpectationwithmyaudience.
SocialmediaexpertMariSmithusesturquoiseashercolor(Figure18.1).Sheevendecoratesthestagebeforeshebeginshertalk.Ifcolorisnotyourthing,tryacertainthemeorcostume.
Figure18.1FacebookexpertMariSmithleveragedherpassionforonecolortoassistinhernotoriety.
Theelevatorpitch.Canyouveryquicklystatewhatyouspeakabout?Isiton“networkingforshypeople”or“howfinancialcompaniescangrowwithoutadvertising”?Don’teversayyoucanspeakonanything…thatmeansyouwillspeakonnothing.Refinethepitchthatencompassesyourniche.
FocusontheHitListSomanypublicspeakingwannabestalkaboutwantingtospeakmoreoften.WhenIask,“Whatarethetopeventsyou’dliketospeakat?”you’dthinkI’daskedthemtorecitetheApostle’sCreed.
Ifyoudon’thaveaclearvisionofwhereyouwanttospeak,thenyoudon’twantitbadenough.Followthesesteps:
Createyoureventbucketlist.Havealistofatleast10eventsthatyourtargetcustomerattends.Thenfindoutwhenspeakingsubmissionsaredueforeachevent.Developacalendarforit.
Contacteachone,usingtheproperchannels.(Donotsendane-mailoutsidetheform…eventorganizershatethat.)Conveyaclearvisionforyourspeech(whereitcouldbe
placed,whyit’sagoodfit,howlongitwillbe).Includealinktoyourvideo.Eventplannersdislikeuncertaintythemost,somakesureyouarespecificandtakeoutalltheguesswork.
Shareyourtermsupfront.Ifyourequiretravelexpensespaid,saythatnowtoavoidconflictlater.You’llbecuttingyourselfoutofsomeevents,butifthat’syourdeal,that’syourdeal.
THENEXTTHREE:ALLBUSINESSNowweturnourattentiontothesecond“three”ofourmodel.Incontrasttothefirstthree,whicharepersonal,thenextthree—digital,print,andinperson—arebusiness(seeFigure18.2).
Figure18.2Thethreeandthreemodel,visuallyrepresented.
Takealookatsomemediabrandsthatyoumayhaveheardof:
ESPN.Multiplepropertiesindigital,aprintmagazine,andmultiplein-personevents.
Forbes.Multiplepropertiesindigital,aprintmagazine,andmultiplein-personevents.
Inc.Multiplepropertiesindigital,aprintmagazine,andmultiplein-personevents.
Asapublisher,Ihavealwaysbelievedinthethreelegsofthepublishingstool—print,digital,andinperson.Thosearethethreekeychannels,andtobethetrueinformationalexpertforyourniche(likethoselistedabove),youneedallthree.That’swhywelaunchedaprintmagazineandanin-personeventinconjunctionwithourkeyplatform(theblog).
Asyoubegintolearnmoreaboutthebehaviorofyouraudience,you’llseepatternsshowingthatthemoreyoucangetthepeopleinyouraudiencetoengageinyourcontentindifferentways,themorelikelytheywillbetobuyfromyou.
CMI’smainrevenuedriverisanevent,ContentMarketingWorld.It’simperativethatwecommunicateinawaythatmaximizesthechancesforouraudiencetoattendtheeventinperson.
AfterContentMarketingWorld2014,weaskedattendeeswhatchannelstheyaccessfromCMI.Whatwefoundwasastounding:80percentofourpaidattendeesconsistentlyengageinatleastthreechannels(Figure18.3).
Figure18.3CMIfindsthatthosethatspendmoneytogotooureventsengageinmultipleothercontentinitiativesthroughouttheyear.
Thisisexactlywhyit’simperativeatthediversificationstageoftheContentInc.modeltobeginbuildingoutpropertiesineachchannel.Sincethemajorityofthisbookcoversdigitalchannelsindetail,let’squicklylookatprintandin-personevents.
THEPRINTOPPORTUNITYAccordingto2015ContentMarketingInstituteandMarketingProfsresearch,onlyaboutoneinthreemarketersusestheprintedchannelaspartofacontentmarketingstrategy.Marketerstodayaresofocusedondigitalchannelsthatthey’veallbutforgottenthepowerofprint.
NowamIsayingthatyoushouldbelookingatprintasanopportunityrightnowtogetandkeepaudienceattention?Yes,that’sexactlywhatI’msaying.Ibelievetherehasneverbeenabiggeropportunityforbrandsintheprintedchannelthanrightnow.
WhileIwouldnotwanttobeinthebroad-based,horizontalprintgame(àlaUSAToday),highlyniche,highlytargetedpublicationsareflourishingasamarketingtool.Forexample,ThinkMoneymagazinefromTDAmeritradeseesabout90percentofitscustomerstakedirectactiononaproductitsellsthroughitsprintmagazine.Themagazine
isatruecollisionofamazingdesignandprovocativeinformation.It’sthetypeofcontentthatisanticipatedbyitstraderaudience.Andbetteryet,sincetradersareinfrontofcomputersalldaylong,theylookforwardtotheopportunitytodisconnectanddiscover.
Andthebestfinding:subscriberswhoregularlyreadthemagazinetradefivetimesmorethanthosewhodonot.Nowthat’samagazinethatwillalwaysgetbudgetapproval.
IsPrintDead?Digitalprognosticatorssaythatmostprintmediawillbegoneinthenextdecade.Ithinkanyonewhomakesthosetypesofcommentsdoesnotunderstandhistory.JusttypeintoGoogle“thedeathofTV,”andyou’llseehundredsofarticlespredictingtheendoftelevision.Onecouldmaketheargumentthatrightnowisthegoldenageoftelevision,withamazingshowslikeHouseofCards,TheWalkingDead,andGameofThronesleadingtheway.
TheevolutionoftheInternetdoesn’tkilloffthesechannels…itmakesuslookatthemdifferentlybecausetheyareuseddifferentlybyconsumers.
Andjustrecently,onlinehousingrentalserviceAirbnblaunchedacustomermagazinecalledPineapple(theuniversalsymbolfor“welcome”).Aswell,digitalcarserviceUberlaunchedamagazineforitsdriverscalledMomentum.Whenthemostinnovativecompaniesontheplanetarenowlookingatprint,it’stimetotakenotice.
Hereareafewreasonstostartingthinkingprint.
ItGrabsAttentionHaveyounoticedhowmanyfewermagazinesandprintnewslettersyougetinthemailthesedays?Idon’tknowaboutyou,butIdefinitelypaymoreattentiontomyprintmail.There’sjustlessmail,somoreattentionispaidtoeachpiece(IactuallygetexcitedwhenInc.magazinearrivesattheoffice).Opportunity?WithtraditionalmagazineslikeNewsweek,SmartMoney,andothersceasingpublication,thereisaclearopportunityforbrandstofillthegap.
CustomersStillNeedtoKnowWhatQuestionstoAskWelovetheInternetbecauseconsumerscanfindanswerstoalmostanything.Butwheredowegotothinkaboutwhatquestionsweshouldbeasking?Italkedtoapublisherrecentlywhosaid:“Thewebiswherewegotogetanswersbutprintiswherewegotoaskquestions.”
Theprintvehicleisstillthebestmediumontheplanetforthinkingoutsidetheboxandaskingyourselftoughquestionsbasedonwhatyouread—it’s“leanback”versus“leanforward.”Ifyouwanttochallengeyourcustomers,printisaviableoption.
PrintStillExcitesPeopleItalkedtoajournalistwhosaidit’sharderandhardertogetpeopletoagreetoaninterviewforanonlinestory.Butmentionthatitwillbeaprintedfeatureandexecutives
rearrangetheirschedules.Theprintedwordisstillperceivedasmorecredibletomanypeoplethananythingontheweb.Itgoestotheoldadage,“Ifsomeoneinvestedenoughtoprintandmailit,itmustbeimportant.”
We’veseenthisfirsthandwithourmagazine,ChiefContentOfficer.Contributorslovebeingfeaturedonthewebsite,buttheycravehavingtheirarticleintheprintedmagazine.It’samazinghowdifferenttheperceptionisoftheprintversusonlinechannelwhenitcomestoeditorialcontribution.Thisgoesaswellforconsumers.
PrintLetsPeopleUnplugMoreandmore,peopleareactivelychoosingtounplug,ordisconnectthemselvesfromdigitalmedia.I’mfindingmyselfturningoffmyphoneande-mailmoretoengagewithprintedmaterial.TodayIrelishtheopportunitieswhenIcan’tbereachedforcomment.
IfI’mright,manyofyourcustomers(especiallybusyexecutives)arefeelingthesameway.Yourprintcommunicationmaybejustwhattheyneed.
SOCIALCONNECTIONSNEEDIN-PERSONEVENTSIattendedanexecutivemeetingatPentoninthemid-2000s,wherethesubjectofthemeetingwaswhattodowithoureventsportfolio.Therewasconcernthatbecausemoreofouraudiencewascommunicatingonlineand,increasingly,throughsocialmedia,therewouldbelessofaneedforconferencesandevents.
Boy,werewewrong!
In-personeventsandconferencescontinuetogrow.Asmorepeopleconnectsocially,weareseeinganincreasedneedforthosepeopletomeetface-to-face.
Somequestionstoconsider:
Doesyourcontentnichehaveadedicatedevent?
Iftheanswerisyes,couldtherebeanopportunitytodevelopasmalleventforjustoneparticularportionofyouraudience.
Let’slookatCMI’seventportfolio:
ContentMarketingWorldisthelargestindustryevent.Wehavemultipletracksformarketersandbusinessownersofalltypes.Itattracts4,000delegates.
IntelligentContentConferenceisourWestCoasteventthatonlytargetsmoretechnicallysavvymarketersandcontentstrategists.Itattracts400delegates.
CMIExecutiveForumisaninvitation-onlyeventforseniorexecutiveswhoareconcernedaboutcontentmarketing.Itattracts40delegates.
MichaelStelzneraddedaneventtohisContentInc.portfolioin2012.BrianClarkaddedonein2014.RandFishkinhasbeenrunninghisevent,entitledMozcon,foryears.
Theconferenceyoudesigncanbesmall,midsize,orlarge,butthereismostlikelyadeepneedforyouraudiencetomeetandnetwork,strengtheningyourindustryleadershipatthesametime.
DigitalEventsAsmuchasIbelieveinthepowerofin-personevents,youmaywanttoconsiderlaunchingadigitaleventtotestthewaters.WebinarsandvirtualtradeshowtechnologyfromcompanieslikeON24andGoToWebinararerelativelyinexpensiveandlogisticallymucheasiertoproduce.
Thegreatestnewandoldmediacompaniesaroundtheworldstartedoutleveragingonechannel.Astheyhavegrown,eachonehasbuiltoutthedigital,in-person,andprintchannelstowrapitsreadersin“contentlove.”YouropportunityistodothisfromanindividualandbusinessperspectivetoultimatelydriveyourContentInc.model.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Asyoubegintodiversifyyourplatform,besuretolookbeyonddigitalforhiddenopportunities.Thegreatestmediabrandsintheworldleveragenotonlydigital,butin-personandprintcomponentsaswell.
ThemostsuccessfulContentInc.entrepreneursfocusonablog,abook,andpublicspeaking.AllthreeoftheseincombinationwillhelptakeyourContentInc.strategytothenextlevel.
ResourcesNehaJewalikar,“AreSocialMediaandContentMarketingtheSame?,”radius.com,
accessedApril28,2015,http://radius.com/2014/10/27/content-marketing-social-media-interview-joe-pulizzi-cmi/.
Statistica,“FactsonTradeShowMarketingintheUnitedStates,”statistica.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.statista.com/topics/1498/trade-show-marketing/.
Chapter19
BuildingOutExtensionsWithoutcontinualgrowthandprogress,suchwordsasimprovement,achievement,andsuccesshavenomeaning.
BENJAMINFRANKLIN
AndySchneider(theChickenWhisperer)initiallybuilthisplatformbydoingin-personmeetups(monthlygatheringswithhisaudienceinAtlanta)andhomeshows.Thattransformedintohisverypopularradioshow,BackyardPoultrywiththeChickenWhisperer,nowoverfiveyearsold.AndythenpublishedthebookTheChickenWhisperer’sGuidetoKeepingChickens,followedbytheprintmagazine,titledTheChickenWhispererMagazine,sentto60,000subscribers.
ScottMcCaffertyandMikeEmichlaunchedWTWHMediawithoneplatform,DesignWorldOnline,asthego-toonlineproductresourceformechanicalengineers.Shortlyafter,DesignWorldmagazine(print)waslaunched.WTWHthenlaunchedbothacustomereventandanindustryeventformechanicalengineers.
Andthiswasjustthebeginning.ScottandMikehavenowlaunchedadditionalplatformsintoseveralassociatedindustriessuchasrenewableenergy,fluidpower,andmedicaldesign(Figure19.1).Today,withmorethan1millionregisteredusers,WTWHhasgonefromnothingtoan$11millionbusinessinlessthan10years.
Figure19.1WTWHMediareachesover1milliondesignengineers.Itdidthisthroughthehelpofmultipleacquisitions.
CHOOSINGTHERIGHTEXTENSIONSTherearetwodifferentwaystolaunchadditionalplatformextensions:
Addingchannelswithinthesameplatform.Forexample,MatthewPatrickandhisGameTheorybrandareinthemidstoflaunchingadditionalshowstotargetdifferentaudiences,allontheYouTubeplatform.DarrenRowsefromDigitalPhotographySchoollaunchedasubsitecalledSnappinDeals,aspartofthecurrentwebsiteplatform.
Extendingwithcurrentbrandintonewplatforms.ThisistheAndySchneiderexampleoftakingthein-personplatformandlaunchingaradioshow,abook,andamagazine.
ThestandardContentInc.modelisgoingtoalreadyhaveanonlineplatform(awebsiteorblog)andane-newsletterofferingtobuildthesubscriptionlist.Fromthat,themostcommonbrandextensionswithinthemodelare:
Books
Podcasts
Events
Magazines
ContentMarketingInstitutehaslaunchedbrandextensionsintoallfourplatformtypes.Let’stakeaquicklookateachone.
BooksChapter18toldyouwhydevelopingabookiscriticaltobuildingyourpersonalbrandandoptimizingallpossiblebusinessopportunities.AtCMI,weassistthemembersofourstaffincreatingbooksintheircoreexpertisearea(Figure19.2).Forexample,inadditiontomyownbooks(suchasEpicContentMarketing),RobertRose,ourchiefstrategyofficer,recentlyreleasedhisnewbook,Experiences:The7thEraofMarketing.Andwealsopartnerwithindustryinfluencers.Asexamples,wehelpedunderwriteandpromoteinfluencerbookssuchasBrandscapingbyAndrewDavisandTheMarketer’sGuidetoSlideSharebyToddWheatland.
Figure19.2JustasamplingofsomeoftherecentprintedbookslaunchedthroughCMI.
PodcastsCMIlauncheditsfirstpodcastinNovember2013calledPNR’sThisOldMarketing,whereRobertRoseandIcoverthecontentmarketingnewsoftheweek.ThiswasanaturalextensionsinceCMIdidn’thaveanewsoffering,andwebelievedouraudienceneededthiskindofinformation.Eachepisodeisrepurposedintoablogpostwithshownoteslaterintheweek,aswellase-bookcompilationsassubscribergiveaways.
OnthebasisofthesuccessofThisOldMarketing,CMIlaunchedapodcastnetworkthatincludesadditionalpodcastssuchasAndrewDavis’sClaimYourFameandPamelaMuldoon’sContentMarketing360.
Podcasts:GettingStartedIt’seasierthanevertogetstartedwithpodcasting.Here’swhatyouneed:
•Aprofessionalmicrophonetorecordyourpodcasts.IrecommendtheAudio-TechnicaAT2020USB(costapproximately$100).
•Awaytorecord.PCuserscanleverageAudacityforfree.MacuserscanuseGarageBand.Bothsoftwareprogramswilledityourpodcasts.
•Awaytopublishandsyndicateyourpodcasts.WeuseLiberatedSyndicate(https://www.libsyn.com/),whichhostsallourpodcastsandautomaticallyfeedsthemtoiTunesandStitcher.
EventsInSeptember2010,CMIannouncedthatitwasplanningContentMarketingWorld,ourflagshipevent,inSeptember2011.ThekeythatmadethisworkwasaluncheonmeetingthattookplaceinNovember2010.WeorganizedthelunchwithmarketingandgovernmentalleadersinCleveland,Ohio,toannouncetheeventand,wehoped,gaintheirsupport.Atthatevent,wesecuredourplatinumsponsor.
Initiallywereservedhotelmeetingspacetoaccommodate150people.Bytheeventdate,wehad660peopleattendingtheevent,takingovermuchofthehotelspace.
Theeventconceptworkedforthefollowingreasons:
Weincludedinfluencersearlyintheprocess.
Wegaveplentyoftimeforouraudiencetobudgettimeandexpensesfortheevent.
Weofferedthepeopleinouraudiencetoolstoattendtheevent,suchasacompletedocumentonhowtheycouldjustifytheeventtotheirboss.
Webudgetedforasmalleventbutsecuredalocationthatwecouldgrowintoiftheneedarose.
Weplannedfarinadvance.Asitwasourfirstevent,wehadtolearnalltheinsandoutsofeventplanning,andsothetimewasnecessary.
Wehiredareputableandexperiencedeventplanner.
Infiveyears,thatlittleeventideahasgrowninto4,000delegatesfrom50differentcountriesandisnowthelargestrecurringbusinesseventindowntownCleveland.
MagazinesChiefContentOfficer(CCO)magazine(Figure19.3)waslaunchedinJanuary2011.AsofSeptember2015,CCOhasdelivered23issuesto20,000marketersforeachissue.CCOisnowcriticaltoouroverallstrategysincethecontentofthemagazineandthecontentoftheoriginalplatform(theblog)arenowfullyintegrated.
Figure19.3ChiefContentOfficermagazine.
TheoriginalideaforCCOwastoreachchiefmarketingofficersandotherseniormarketersthathadbudgetaryresponsibilityforcontentmarketing.Ourstrategywassimple.Getthemagazineintotheirhands,andtheywouldbegintoseecontentmarketingasavaluablego-to-marketstrategyandstartfundingcontentresourceswithintheenterprise.
Understandingthebudgetingbehindwhatmakesamagazineworkiscritical.Areastoconsiderinclude:
Projectmanagement.Thefeeforsomeonetooverseetheproductionofthemagazine.
Editorial.Rawcontentcosts(includingoutsidecontributors),managingeditorialcosts,andproofreadingfees.
Design.Someonetolayoutthegraphicsforthepublication.
Photosandillustrations.Investmentinanyphotoshootsorcustomgraphiccreation.
Databasefees.Chargestomakesureyouraudiencelistispostalready.
Printing.Costtoprintthepublication.
Postage.Postofficefeestodelivereachissue.
Shipping.Anybulkshippingfeesfromtheprinterortoyourofficelocation.
Commissions.Ifyourmagazineissupportedthoughadvertisingrevenue,you’llneedtopayacommissiontothesalesperson.Commissionratesaregenerally8–10percentforoneofyourstaffandupto20–25percenttohireafreelancesalespersonwhocoversallhisorherowncosts.
Ourgeneralfolio(pagecount)isbetween40and64pages.Yourcostwilldependonthenumberoftotalpages,numberofeditorialpages,andtotalprintcount,butyoushouldpreparetospendatleast$40,000anissue.Tosubsidizethis,weincludesponsoradvertisersinthepublicationtodefraythosecostsentirely.
Althoughthereareotherextensionoptionssuchaswebinarprograms,videoseries,andmobileapps,considerlookingatthesetopfourfirst:books,podcasts,events,andmagazines.
ContentVelocity
WhenJonLoomerstartedhisContentInc.model,heproduced350postsinthefirstyear.Inthesecondyear,hedecreasedhisoutputto250posts.Bythethirdyear,hewasat100originalpiecesofcontent.
Thepoint?AsJonbuilthisaudienceandbegantodiversifyintoothercontentofferings,herealizedhedidn’thavetocreateasmuchcontenttogetthemaximumamountofimpact.Althoughthisisdifferentdependingontheplatformyouarebuilding,morecontentisn’talwaysthebestuseofyourresources.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Onceyou’vebuiltthebase,starttocontemplatethebestopportunitiesfordiversification.
OneofthehottestContentInc.extensionstodayisaroundpodcasting.Withthetechnologybarrierscomingdownrapidlyforpodcastingaccessibility,wehaveonlyseenthestartofthepodcastingrevolution.
Chapter20
AcquiringContentAssetsBuyland,they’renotmakingitanymore.
MARKTWAIN
Irecentlysatinamarketingmeetingwithoneofthelargestproducersofconsumergoodsintheworld.Thediscussioncenteredonbuildingaudiencesthroughcontentinvariousmarkets.Insomeofthemarkets,thecompanyalreadyhadasolidcontentplatformbuilt.Inothers,therewasnothingonthehorizon.
Theplanbeingdiscussedwasanacquisitionstrategyofmultiplepropertieswheretheorganizationwouldapproachand,iftermswereworkedout,buybloggingsitesandmediapropertiesthatalreadyhadabuilt-inaudienceandcontentplatform.
Sometimesitmakessensetobuild.Sometimesitmakessensetobuy.
TWOTHINGSBloggingsitesandmediacompanieshavetwothingsthatwewantandneed.
Thefirstisthecapabilitytotellstories.Theyhavethepeopleandprocessestochurnoutamazingcontentonaconsistentbasis.
Thesecond,andmaybemoreimportant,isthatblogsandmediasitescomewithbuilt-inaudiences.
Althoughmergerandacquisitionstrategieshavebeenhappeningeversincethefirstmediacompanywaslaunched,nonmediacompaniesarestartingtogetintothisgamerecently.PhotographysuppliesstoreAdoramaputabuyinggrouptogetherwhenJPGmagazinewasgoingoutofbusiness.ThegroupgotaccessnotonlytoJPG’sContentInc.platformandcontent,butalsotoJPG’s300,000subscribers(whichjusthappentobeAdorama’sprospectsandcustomers).
L’Oreal,theglobalmakeupconglomerate,purchasedMakeup.comfromLiveCurrentMediaforover$1millionbackin2010.MarketingautomationcompanyHubSpotwantedtoaddanagencyblogtomatchitsmarketingandsalesblogs,soitapproachedAgencyPostandacquiredthebloginsteadofstartingfresh(Figure20.1).Inmid-2015,theSurfStitchGroup,aleadingonlineretailerinAustralia,purchasedtwosmallmediacompaniesinthesurfingindustry,furtherpositioningSurfStitchastheclearcontentleaderinthecategory.
Figure20.1MarketingautomationcompanyHubSpotdecidedtoacquireanoutsideblog,AgencyPost,tofillitsagencyblogchannel.
ScottMcCaffertyandMikeEmichfoundedWTWHMedia,LLC,in2006afterrunningaboutiquemediarepfirm.Ninemonthsprevious,Scottattendedsalesmeetingswithsixdifferentpublishingoperations.Atthosemeetings,Scottnoticedaconsistenttrend:whenhebroughtuponlineadvertisingsolutions,everypublishertoldhimtostayfocusedonsellingprintpages.Scottknewheneededtomakeachange.
ScottandMikewentaheadanddevelopedacomprehensivebusinessplanwithcloseto50pagesdetailingprojectionsandassumptions.Withinthatnearly10-year-oldplan,thereweretwocriticalfactorsthatremaintruetoday.Theybelievedreaderswouldtakecontroloftheirinformationchannelsandmarketerswouldrequiremeasurableresultsfromtheirinvestments.
Asthebusinessgrew,ScottoftenreferredtobusinessadvicehereceivedfromDavidMurdock,chairmanandCEOofDoleFoodCompany.InasocialmeetingwithMr.Murdock,Scottaskedhimhowheboughtandsoldcompanies.Murdockstatedthathesimplymadealistoftheindustriesinwhichhewantedtoacquireabusinessandalistofcompanieshewantedtopurchase.Hethenwouldcalleachownerandaskifheorshewantedtosell.Somewouldsayyes;somewouldsayno.
ApplyingMr.Murdock’sadvice,ScottmadelistsofwebsitesintechnologiesthatWTWHcovered.Hethene-mailedtheownersaskingiftheywouldconsiderselling.
Overaneight-yearperiod,WTWHhasidentifiedandnegotiatedfivetransactionsapplyingthisprinciple.Alongtheway,herecognizedacertainmixofcommoningredientswithineachtransaction.
•Typically,thesiteswerecommunitybasedwithanactiveusergroup.
•Theywereownedandoperatedbyasingleoperatorwhoviewedthebusinessasahobby.
Today,WTWHMedia,LLC,isafour-timeInc.5000honoreewithcloseto50teammembersheadquarteredinCleveland,Ohio.Thecompanymanagescloseto40-plustechnology-basedwebsites,fiveprintpublications,andaseriesofverticaleventsandprovidesmarketingservicesinthedesignengineering,renewableenergy,fluidpower,andmedicalmarkets.In2015,thecompanyforecastscloseto$11millioninsales.
AsyoubuildoutyourContentInc.strategytogrowyourindustrydominance,acquisitionstrategiesareanaturalpathtofollow.
THEPROCESSOFACQUIRINGACONTENTPLATFORMCMIpurchasedmultiplepropertiestoaddtoitsplatform,includingaWestCoastconferencecalledIntelligentContentConferenceandanawardsprogramdubbed(fittingly)theContentMarketingAwards.Wemadethedecisionthatpurchasingtheseplatformsmademoresensethancreatingthemfromscratchandthencompetingwiththeseproperties.
Toacquirenewplatforms,followthesesevensteps.
Step1.DetermineYourGoalLikeanygoodbusinessdecision,startbydeterminingthereasonsitmightpossiblymakesensetopurchaseanexistingcontentplatform.Yourbusinessobjectivesforapurchasemightinclude:
Tocoverageographicareathatyourbusinessiscurrentlyabsentfromwithanin-personcomponent.Theultimategoalwouldbetoreachmorecustomersforcross-selling,up-selling,anddecreasingyourcustomerturnoverrateinthatregion.
Toinsertyourbrandintotheconversationaroundatopicyouarenotwellknownfor.Let’ssayyoumanufactureacertaintypeofsteel,andyou’veidentifiedsomeuseintheoilandgasindustry.Itmaythenmakesensetolookatsmalleroilandgasblogsitesoreventsandimmediatelybecomeacrediblepartoftheindustrylexicon.
Toaccomplishsubscriptionobjectives.Mostlikely,theplatformwillcomewithabuilt-inaudienceforyoutonurture,grow,orleverageforcross-selling.
Topurchasethecontentassetsthemselvesandtheassociatedsearchengineoptimizationandsharingbenefitswiththem.
Step2.ClearlyIdentifytheAudience
Forthistowork,youneedaclearunderstandingoftheaudiencegapyouaretryingtofill.Forexample,CMItargetssenior-levelmarketersatlargeorganizationsforourmagazine,ChiefContentOfficer.Wetargetmarketing,PR,socialmedia,andSEOmanagersanddirectors(the“doers”)atmid-marketandlargerenterprisesforContentMarketingWorld(ourevent).
Step3.MakeYourShortListofPlatformsAfteryouidentifyyourobjectiveandyouraudience,startmakingalistofrelevantplatformsthatwillhelpyoumeetyourgoals.Thekeyistoavoidsettinganylimitationsatthispoint.Youcanlistevents,blogsites,mediasites,associationsites,andmaybeevensomesitesdirectlyfromyourinfluencerlist.
Whenyouaremakingthelist,it’shandytoputitallintoaspreadsheetcontainingrelevantsubscriberinformationsuchas:
Originationdate.
Currentnumberofsubscribers.
Knownrevenuesources(listeachofthem).
Ownershipstructure(forexample,independentbloggerormediacompany).
Foraconferenceortradeshow,hereisalistofassetswelookforwhenpurchasinganevent:
Numberofattendees(pasttwoyears)withpercentageofgrowth(orloss).
Numberofexhibitors(pasttwoyears)withpercentageofgrowth(orloss).
Numberofmediapartners(pasttwoyears).
Generalregionallocation.
Registrationcost(ratecard).
Marqueevalue(thisisasubjectiveratedeterminingthecachefortheevent—afive-pointscaleshouldworkjustfine).
Possibilityforsettingupamediaplatformaroundtheevent(again,somethingonafive-pointscaleissufficient).Theideahereisthattheremaybepotentialtobuildtheeventintoafullyfunctionalmediaplatformwithonlinecontent,webevents,andmore.
Step4.ApproachtheBestOpportunityTherearetwoapproachesIrecommend,andI’veseenbothofthemwork.Youcanreachouttoyourtoppickandseewheretheconversationgoes.Theissueisthatyouareputtingallyoureggsinonebasket.Abetteroptionmaybetoapproachyourtopthreepicksallatonceandconveyyourintentions(i.e.,thatyouareinterestedinpurchasingtheirwebsite,event,etc.).
You’lllikelybeamazedatthereactionsyoureceive.Someoftheoperatorswillneverhaveimaginedthatthey’dbeapproachedonapurchase.Others(probablythosewitha
mediabackground)willalreadyhaveanexactideaoftheirexitstrategyandwhattheyarelookingfor.
Thekeyatthispointistogetdiscussionsstartedsoyoucangaugewherepotentialinterestmaylie.Worst-casescenariowhenapproachingapossiblesellerthatisn’tinterestedinsellingisthatyounowhavethepotentialtogrowarelationshipfromthisfirstcontact.Simplyput,youneverknowwhenintentionsmightchange,andnowyouhaveaninsidetrackiftheydo.
AndrewDavisbelievesthatthebestopportunitiesforacquisitionareamazingcontentcreatorsthatlackanykindofbusinessmodel.Thegoodnews?Todayeveryindustryhasmanyofthese.
Step5.DeterminethePurchaseValueThereisastandardmeasuretosmallerwebpropertiesandevents(wewillgettothatinasecond),butthisfirstpartiscritical:figureoutwhattheownerwants.Justlikeyoudowithyourinfluencers,it’syourjobtofindoutwhattheplatformowner’sgoalsandaspirationsare.Maybeit’sjustmonetary(thoughthisisunlikely).Perhapstheownerislookingforanewopportunity,orheorshedesperatelywantsoutofthebusiness(manyblogsiteownersoreventownersneverimaginethattheirprojectmightgetlargerthanwhattheycanmanageormightgrowinadifferentdirectionthanwhattheyintended).
AsIsaid,thereisapropervaluationprocessforsmallerwebpropertiesandevents.Todothis,youbothneedtosignamutualnondisclosureagreementforprotection—onbothsides.Thenyouwanttorequestthebusiness’sprofitandlossstatementfortheprevioustwoyears,atleast.YoumayalsoneedtoseedocumentationoncurrentsponsorshipagreementsandothercontractsthecompanyholdstoconfirmthatitsP&Lstatementcanbeverified.(Importantnote:Legalspecificscanvarywidely,sopleaseconsultyourlegalrepresentationbeforeyouapproachanyopportunity.)
Forwebsitepurchases,somedealsaredoneona“per-subscriber”basis,someonanetprofitbasis.InoneexampleIpersonallyworkedon,amediadealwasbasedonpaying$1persubscriber.Inanother,itwasfivetimesearnings,paidoutoveratwo-yearperiod.Smallerconferencesgenerallygoforaroundfivetimesnetprofit(forexample,iftheannualprofitoftheconferenceis$100,000,youwouldpay$500,000fortheproperty).
Let’slookatasmallconferenceexample:
Attendees:250
Exhibitors:20
Revenue:$340,000
Expenses:$270,000
Netprofit:$70,000
Generalvalueofthebusiness:$70,000×5=$350,000
Thereisabitmorethatgoesintoit,buttheestimatedgeneralvalueofthiseventwould
bearound$350,000.
Step6.MakeYourOfferBeforeyoumakeaformaloffer,youwanttomakesurethatyourpriceisintherightballparkandthattheowneragreestothebasicsofyourterms.Ifyouhavethatagreement,you’llneedtheeventownertosignaformalletterofintent(LOI).TheLOIbasicallymeansthatbothsidesagreetocontinuetheconversationandtaketherelationshiptothenextleveloftheprocess;it’sthebusinessacquisitionequivalentofgettingengaged—whileit’snotameaningfulorlegallybindingactinandofitself,itservesasanofficialstatementofyourintentions.(Note:PleaseconsultlegalrepresentationoncreatinganLOI.)
Step7.EnterFinalNegotiationsNow,beforeyousignanything,considerthesefinalquestions:
Whate-mailandprintlistsareavailable?Whatpermissionsdoyouhavetosendtothecompany?
Whatassetsareavailable?Videos?Blogposts?SlideShares?Conductingafullauditofthecompany’sassetsmightbenecessary.
Whatarethesocialchannelsinuse?
Whoaretheprimeinfluencersinthisspacethatweshouldconnectwith?Requestcontactdetailsandareasofexpertise(ifneeded).
Whatvendorsdoesthecompanyworkwith?Whomwoulditrecommend?
Overthefollowing30to60days,youwouldbeworkingonaformalassetpurchaseagreementandreviewingallthedocumentationtomakesureallfacts,figures,anddiscussionsareaccurateandverifiable.Fromthere,contractsaresigned,followedbycorksbeingpoppedonyourcelebratorybottlesofchampagne(optional,butanicetouch).
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Youhavearealdecisiontomakeasyoudevelopyourplanforextensions…shouldyoubuildorbuy?
Buyingbecomesexpensivewithoutaplan.Ifyoucandeterminethepropertiesyouwantandbuildrelationshipswiththoseownersovertime,thebetterthechanceforanacquisitionandalowerprice.
ResourcesJamesDillon,“ShouldYouBuyorGrowaPineappleforYourAudience?,”
ContentMarketingInstitute.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/02/buy-or-grow-pineapple-audience/.
AndrewAlleman,“L’OrealBuysMakeup.comfor7Figures,”domainnamewire.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://domainnamewire.com/2010/03/04/loreal-buys-makeup-com-for-7-figures/.
Part7
MonetizationIwilltellyouthesecrettogettingrichonWallStreet.Youtrytobegreedywhenothersarefearful.Andyoutryto
befearfulwhenothersaregreedy.
WARRENBUFFETT
You’vecreatedarelationshipwithaloyalaudience.You’vebuiltthebaseandhavediversifiedintomultiplechannelextensions.Nowisthetimetoreaptherewards.
Chapter21
WaitingforRevenueMa’am,Idon’tdoubtthesteakwasovercooked,butdidyouhavetoeatitallbeforeyoucomplainedaboutit?
DANFROMTHEMOVIEWAITING…
AsBrianClarkdiscussesintheForewordofthisbook,ContentInc.modelscanbettermonetizetheprogramwhentheygettotheirMVA,orminimumviableaudience.Asheexplains:“AnMVAisthepointwhenyouraudiencestartsgrowingitselfthroughsocialsharingandword-of-mouth.Evenbetter,it’salsowhenyoustartgettingthefeedbackthattellsyouwhatproductorserviceyouraudienceactuallywantstobuy.”
SuccessfulContentInc.companiesdon’tjustgettoanMVApointorlevel-of-subscriberspointandthenmakeadecisiontosellaproduct.Allalongtheway,thesesavvyentrepreneursareleveragingcreativethinkingtosustainthebusinessmodelwhileitisbeingdevelopedandisgrowing.
ThischapterrevealshowIdidituponlaunchingourContentInc.model.
INSEARCHOF…MONEYInMarch2007whenIleftanexecutivepositionwithexcellentbenefitstostartanewcompany,Ilaunchedwithoutasustainableincomesource.SowhileIbegantobuildtheContentInc.approachformyself,Istartedconsultingformediacompaniesandassociations.
Oneassociationinparticular,asmallnonprofitfocusedonmechanicalengineers,neededtodevelopstrategiesforgeneratingnewrevenuestreamsfromitspublishingportfolio.Theadvertisingrevenuefromitsmagazineswasslowlydeteriorating.Atthesametime,theassociationhadmajorchallengestryingtoincreasedigitalrevenuefromsalesofonlinebannersandbuttons.Addingtothechallengewasthefearattheassociationthatwithoutincreasedsales,majorlayoffswereintheworks.
Afterafewhoursanalyzingtheassociation’smediainformationandconductingstaffinterviewswithitssalesandmarketingteams,Ifoundfourkeyissues:
Thesalesteamwasaccustomedtoandfocusedonsellingprintadvertising.Sellingonlineproductswascompletelyforeigntothesesalesandmarketingprofessionals.
Theassociation’scoreadvertiserswerejustdippingtheirtoesintobuyingonlineadvertisingtopromotetheirproductsandservices.
Therewasnodigitalsalesstrategyfortheassociation.Simplyput,thesalespeoplewerewingingit.
Trafficonthewebsitewasstillnascent.Itwasamajorchallengetoselldigitalproductsbecausetheassociation’swebsitedidn’thaveenougheyeballsonthecontent(yet).
Itlookedlikealongroadahead.Normallythiswouldbefine,butmycontactsaidwesimplydidn’thavethetimetowaitforthetraffictoincrease.Weneedednewrevenuenowtosurvive.
Fromthisdesperation,wedevelopedthelimited-inventorymodel.
Ifyouunderstandthelifeofaprintadvertisingsalesperson,thereisalwaysinventory.Youcanalwaysaddanotherform(morepages)toamagazinetoaccommodateanad.Themagazinepublisherwillgladlyaddmorepagesifnewrevenueisontheway.Sure,wehavesalestargetsandanticipatedfolios(thepagecountofthemagazine),butwecanalwayssellmoreads.
Thisisexactlyhowthesalespeopleweresellingdigital.Theyweresellingunlimitedspaceavailabilitytoafinitegroupofonlinereaders…andnoonewasbuying.
Wedevelopedanewlimited-inventorymodelthatlookedsomethinglikethis:
Wedidn’tcallitadvertising.Wecalleditsponsorship.
Welimitedthenumberofavailablesponsorspermonth—fromunlimited(intheory)tosixsponsors.
Thesponsorsreceivedalogoatthebottomofeverypageandwerelistedas“AssociationPartners.”
Eachsponsorsplittheinventorysixways,meaningthateachsponsorreceivedadigitaladvertisementthatwaspromotedtoone-sixthofallthesitevisitors.
Wesignificantlyincreasedthecostofthesponsorships,versuswhattheformerdisplayadvertisingcost.
Weofferedcategoryexclusivityfora50percentincreaseininvestment.
Atfirst,themembersofthesalesteamdetestedtheidea.Theybelievedthatlimitingtheproductstheycouldsellwouldhurttheirlivelihoods.Inaddition,theydidn’tlikethe“six-sponsor”conceptbecauseitcouldshutoutsomeadvertisers,andifthathappened,theassociationcouldtakeacredibilityhitfornotbeingopentoallsupporters.
Fortunately(ornot),wedidn’thaveachoice.Wehadlessthanthreemonthstoturnitaround,orpeopleweregoingtolosetheirjobs.
Thenextweek,wesentoutane-mailsimultaneouslytothepromolist(allpossibleadvertisers)abouttheopportunity.Oncethee-mailwassent,thesalespeoplecalledtheirbestcustomersandtalkedthroughtheopportunities,basicallysaying“Whenthey’regone,they’regone…butIwanttogiveyoufirstcrackattheopportunity.”
Insideaweek’stimewehadconfirmationsforthenextsixmonths.Yes,wesoldoutofinventory.Fromarevenueperspective,itwasalreadya500percentincreaseindigitalrevenuefromthepreviousyear.
Fromthatmomenton,alldigitalproductsweresoldonalimited-inventorybasis,includingwebinars,e-bookandwhitepapersponsorships,andspecializeddirectorylistings.
THEBENEFACTORMODELWhyisthisstoryrelevant?Aswe’vediscussed,theContentInc.model,theinformationalannuitythatitis,takestimeandpatiencetowork.Ifyouareinasituationsimilartomine,youprobablyneedasourceofincomeuntilyoubuildyouraudienceandfindyourultimateproduct.
AndthisisthepositionIwasinjustafewmonthsafterthatassociationconsultingengagement.
Mywife,anaccomplishedsocialworker,leftherjobafewyearsbeforeIstartedthebusinesstostayhomewithourtwoboys,thenagesthreeandfive.Weneededanincometosurvive.Sure,wecutourexpensesdowntothelimit,butwestillhadamortgage,acarpayment,andtwokidstofeed.Theconsultingwouldhaveworkedfineonitsown,butsincewewereinvestingsomuchintoourfutureproduct(acontentmarketingmatchingservice),therewasn’tenoughtosupportthefamily.By2009,wewerebleedingcashasanorganization.
Thecorematchingservicewasn’tgrowingatmyanticipatedprojections.Inotherwords,thefinancialmodelwasflawed.ThemoreIscrutinizedthemodel,themorenegativemythoughtsgrew.Aftermultipleconversationswithmywife,Iwasveryclosetoclosingdownthebusinessandgoingbacktofindajob.
AnditwasthenthatIrememberedthelimited-inventorymodel.
MAKINGTHEPIVOTAfterweeksofthinkingaboutwhethertodoubledownorjumpship,Iwentbackandanalyzedtheaudiencewehaddeveloped(seethesectioninChapter7onlisteningposts).
Whatwerethebiggestpainpoints?
Whatwerepeopleaskingtobuy?
Wastheresomelow-hangingfruitinrevenueopportunitiesthatweweremissing?
Onlyaverysmallpercentageofouraudiencememberswereinterestedinfindingcontentvendors.Themajoritywereinneedofeducation,training,andtoolstohelpthemsucceedatcontentmarketing.Itwasnowonderwewereseeingmassiverequestsforconsultingandspeaking…theirneedwasn’tvendorselection;itwaseducationandtraining.Thisinsightwasagamechanger!
Wedecidedtochangetherevenuemodelaroundsponsorshipandevents(moreonthatinthenextchapter).Theproblem:westillneededrevenuenow.
Enterourlimited-inventorymodel—thebenefactorpackage.Iimmediatelybegancallingande-mailingourbestsupporters,offeringthemanopportunitytofundournewdirection.Thisincludedopportunitiesforjust10companies,whereeach“benefactor”received10percentofoursitepromotionandtheopportunitytoincludecontentonoursite(sponsoredcontent).
Withinafewweeksweweresoldout.Thisstrategyenabledustofundourpivotandkeepgoing.Thefollowingyear,wemadetheInc.500asoneofthefastest-growingsmall
companiesinNorthAmerica.
Westillsellthebenefactorpackagetoday,andnosponsorshipslothaseverbeenopenformorethanafewhours.I’velistedthefulldetailsbelowwiththeideathatyoucoulddevelopsomethingsimilarforyourkeysupporters.
CMI’sBenefactorPackage(asoutlinedinthe2015CMIMediaKit)
BecomeabenefactorofCMI:$35,000USDLIMITEDavailability—OnlyofferedtoTENcompaniesannually
AccesstoauthoreducationalblogpostsonCMIonline
SubmittedpostsMUSTadheretoCMI’seditorialguidelines:http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/blog/blog-guidelines/
CMIhastherighttodeclineanyblogpostthatdoesnotmeetitseditorialguidelines/standards
Ifdesired,sponsorcanworkwithaCMIcontent/accountmanager(exclusivebenefactorbenefit)tohelpshapecontenttopics,directionandadherencetoCMI’sguidelines/standards
Sponsorhastheoption(atanadditionalcost)toapproachCMI’scustomcontentteamtoauthorablogpost,withcollaborationfromthesponsor
12monthsofonlinebannerdisplayadvertising(10%ofalladvertiserimpressionsvia250×250creativeunit)
AdinclusioninweeklyCMIenewslettersanddailyblogalerts(minimum40peryear)
BrandingonfooterofeveryCMIwebsitepage
Firstchanceatspecialpartnershipsandopportunities
GENERATINGREVENUEUNTILTHEPRODUCTISIDENTIFIEDIfyouarelikemostContentInc.entrepreneurs,youneedtoidentifyrevenueopportunitiesthroughouttheprocesstokeeppayingthebills.CMIdiditthroughthebenefactormodel.DigitalPhotographySchooldiditthroughaffiliatesales.GameTheorydiditthroughYouTubeadvertising.Mozdiditthroughconsulting.CopybloggerMediadiditthroughroyaltiesfrompartnerproductsales.
Todayallthesecompaniesaremultimillion-dollarenterprisesgrowingatsomeofthefastestratesaround.
Inthenextchapter,we’llgothroughalltheopportunitiesforyoutobuildandsellproductsontopoftheplatform.Untilyougettothatpoint,thinkcreativelyabouthowtokeeppayingthebillslikeothersuccessfulContentInc.entrepreneurs.
SOWHENSHOULDISTARTMONETIZINGTHEPLATFORM?
Ihavetheopportunitytomeetwithentrepreneursonanongoingbasis.Inmanyoftheseconversations,thequestionoftenarisesaboutwhentheyshouldstartmonetizingtheirproductsorservices.Myanswerisalwaysthis:“Today!”
ForContentInc.towork,youdon’thavetogothrougheachofthefivestagesandthenthinkaboutrevenue.Youneedtobethinkingaboutmakingmoneyfromyourplatformfromdayone.ForCMItowork,Isoldthedreamofwhatitwasgoingtobetoourbenefactorsponsors.Itwasthatrevenuethatenabledustobuildouttheplatform.
ArdathAlbee,authorofmultiplebooksincludingDigitalRelevance,believesthatthebestplacetostartacontentapproachiswithyourmostimportantrelationships.ThesameholdstrueforyourContentInc.monetizationmodel.Ifyou’vebeenworkingyourinfluencerchannelsproperly,thosesamepeopleshouldbeyourfirstoptionsforlocatingrevenueopportunities.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Itwilltaketimetofindtherightmonetizationmodelforyourbusiness.Inthemeantime,begintoexperimentwithdifferentwaystomakemoneyfromyourcontentasset.
Youdon’tneedalotofsupporttogetstarted,justtherightsupport.Focusonafewcompaniesthatarepassionateaboutyourcontenttohelpoffsetexpenses.
ResourceArdathAlbee,DigitalRelevance,PalgraveMacmillan,2015.
Chapter22
BuildingtheRevenueModelAsuccessfulmanisonewhocanlayafirmfoundationwiththebricksothershavethrownathim.
DAVIDBRINKLEY
AccordingtoEntrepreneurmagazine,themajorityofpeoplemakemoneyinveryfewways.Individualswhocollectasalaryfromabusinessgenerallyhaveoneormaybetwosourcesofincome(theirpaycheckandpossiblyaninvestmentaccount).Perhapsyouknowmanypeopleinthissituation.Theygotothesamejobeveryday,worktopayofftheirbills,anddon’thavemuchleftoverforsavingsorinvestmentaftereachmonth.
Millionaires,ontheotherhand,havemultiplesourcesofrevenuecomingin,whetherthat’sthroughmultiplebusinesses(andmultipleproductsandserviceswithinthosebusinesses),realestatetransactions,countlessinvestments,ormore.
That’sexactlythetypeofthinkingthatsurroundsentrepreneurswhoengageinaContentInc.strategy.
YouTuberRobScallondescribesitthisway:
I’malwaystryingtothinkupnewwaystodiversifyandhavemorestreamsofrevenue.MybandrecentlyhadasonglicensedforanationalTVad,whichwasreallyexciting.Iwouldlovetodo[more]licensing.Iwouldlovetodomerchandisetoo…thereareawholelotofdifferentrevenuestreamsaroundmyYouTubechannelthatIdotakeadvantageofandIdogetexcitementoutof.
Whetheryouareanentrepreneurinastart-upenvironmentorrunningaContentInc.programinalargeorganization,youshouldalwaysbethinkingofhowmanywaysyoucanmonetizetheassetofcontentyouareconsistentlycreating.
REVENUERIPPLESDougKessler,cofounderofVelocityPartners,introducedaconceptonToddWheatland’sThePivotpodcastthathereferstoas“ripples”withinacontentmarketingprogram.Forthemostpart,marketersmeasurecontentprogramsbyincreasingsales,savingcosts,orcreatingmoreloyalcustomers.Thesearetheobviousobjectives,withtheirassociatedmetrics.ButKesslerbelievesthattheremaybeamoreimportantmetric,theonethathecalled“ripples.”
RipplesaretheunexpectedbenefitsthatcomefromaContentInc.approach…likeaninvitationtospeakatanevent,someonespreadingthewordaboutyourexpertise,orotherunanticipatedbenefitsofbecomingaleadingexpertinyourfield.
WhenitcomestorevenueforyourContentInc.program,it’sallripples.WhenwebeginaContentInc.approach,wearemostlikelyunsurewhattherevenuepossibilitiescouldbe.Forexample,RiverPools&SpashadnoideathatitsContentInc.revenueline
wouldbethroughmanufacturing.MatthewPatrickdidn’tthinkforonedaythatYouTubewouldcallhimupforhisexpertise.
Weneedtogothroughtheprocesstogetthere…butwhenwedo,thebenefitsarepowerful.
CASESTUDY:CHEFMICHAELSYMONMichaelSymonisperhapsthebest-knowncelebritycheffromCleveland,Ohio.Michael’sentrepreneurialjourneystartedinafairlytypicalway(forarestaurantowner)witharestaurantinClevelandandoneinNewYork.Hewasslowlygrowing,addingmorerestaurants,butitwasn’tuntilMichaelappearedonIronChefAmericain2007thateverythingchanged.Fromthere,hecontinuallystarredonFoodNetworkshows,culminatinginaleadspotonTheChew,adaily,syndicatedtalkshowonABC.
Michaelisseenbymillionsadaynowonvariousnetworkshows,butthekeyisthathe’sconvertedthatintoanaudienceofoveramillionsocialmediafansinjustafewshortyears.
Michael’srestaurantbusinessisthriving,includinglaunchinggatheringspotslikeBarSymonandamazingburgerjointslikeBSpot.Asoftoday,Michaelisinvolvedindozensofprofitablerestaurantventures,butit’shisancillaryactivitiesthataremostworthnoting.Michaelhasbuiltaplatformfromwhichhenowderivesadditionalrevenuesincluding:
Books—MichaelSymonLivetoCookandTheChew:What’sforDinner?
LicensingofspecialtyfooditemstoAramark(whichrunsQuickenLoansArena,homeoftheClevelandCavaliers)
PaidspokespersonforVitamixandCalphalonandofficialpartnershipswithcompaniessuchasLay’sPotatoChips
OfficialMichaelSymoncookwarefromWeston
Hisownbrandofsignatureknives
Thelistgoeson.WhatworksforChefSymonandothercelebritiesthatbuildaContentInc.platformisderivingmultiplerevenuestreamsfromthecontent.Ashortsightedbusinessmodelmayonlylookattheaddedattentiontogeneratemorerestaurantsales.MichaelSymonhastakenhisaudienceandgenerateddozensofdifferentwaystomakemoney.
CONTENTINC.REVENUEEXAMPLESHerearesomeContentInc.examplesandhowtheymonetizetheiraudience.
TheContentMarketingInstitute,thecontentmarketingeducationalwebsite,makesmoneyfromitsplatforminthefollowingways:
Attendeespayingtoattendliveevents
Sponsorspayingtoexhibitatliveevents
Readersinvestinginonlinetraining
Sponsorshipofliveonlinewebinars
In-personcorporateworkshops
Ongoingconsultingretainers
Bookpurchases
Podcastsponsorships
E-mailnewslettersponsorships
Sponsorshipofdirecte-mailpromotions
PaidspeakingopportunitiesforCMIstaff
Onlinewebsitesponsorships
MichelePhan,theYouTubemakeupstar,generatesrevenuefrom:
YouTubeadvertisingroyalties
Bookroyalties
Paidappearances
Musiclabelshelaunched,calledShiftMusicGroup
PartnershipwithL’Orealonamakeuplinecalled“em”
“MyGlam”—abeautyproductssubscriptionsiteshecofounded
YouTubetalentnetworkshelaunched
AndySchneider,theChickenWhisperer,monetizeshisplatformthrough:
EventsponsorssuchasKalmbachFeeds
Paidmagazinesubscriptions
Magazineadvertisers
Podcastsponsors
Paidappearances
Bookroyalties
Websitesponsors
DarrenRowseatDigitalPhotographySchoolgrowshisplatformwith:
Affiliateprograms(paidroyaltiesfrompromotionon-site)
Purchasede-booksandtutorials
Paidonlinetrainingprograms
Onlineadvertising
BrandextensionsitessuchasSnappinDeals
BrianClarkatCopybloggerMediamonetizeshisplatformthrough:
SoftwaresubscriptionproductssuchasRainmakerPlatform
HostingservicessuchasSynthesis
PaidsponsorsforCopybloggerMediaevents
Registrationfeesforeventattendees
Overtheyears,Brianhasleverageddozensofadditionalproductsandaffiliateprogramsthathavepavedthewayforhiscurrentfast-growingproductslines.
WAYSTOMONETIZEYOURCONTENTMarcAndreessen,multibillionaireandcofounderofNetscape,isoneofthelargesttechnologyinvestorsontheplanet.AsofMarch2015,hehasmade33investmentsthroughhisventurecapitalcompany,AndreessenHorowitz.IfAndreessenletshismoneydothetalkingforhim,he’smakingabigbetoncontentplatforms.WithinvestmentsincompaniessuchasReddit(theonlinecommunitysite),PandoDaily(newsandinformationsite),andBusinessInsider(newsandinformationsite),Andreessenbelievesthefutureofmediahasneverbeenstronger.
Exceptforonething.Andreessenbelievesthebusinessmodelformediacompaniesneedstobeexpandedbeyondjustadvertising:“Thenewsbusinessshouldberunlikeabusiness.”
ThoseleveragingaContentInc.modelcanmakemoneyinavarietyofwaysfromtheircontent.InAndreessen’swords:“Thisisn’tapickonemodelandstickwithitprospect;news[orContentInc.]businessesshouldmixandmatchasrelevant.”
Let’sreviewthedifferentwaystomonetizeyourContentInc.platform.
AdvertisingandSponsorshipAdvertisingrevenuesarestillthego-tobusinessmodelformostmediacompanies.Simplyput,acompanywantsaccesstoyouraudienceandpaysyoutogiveitthataccess,whichmaycomeintheformofabanneradvertisement,aprintadinyourmagazine,oraboothsponsorshipatyourevent.
BakingqueenAnnReardonmakesthemajorityofherrevenuesfromcollectingYouTubeadvertisingroyaltieswhileshediversifiesherrevenuestreams.SomeYouTubers,likeDanielMiddleton,whorunsTheDiamondMinecart,aMinecraftvideoserieswith4.3millionsubscribers,hasdeployedhisownoutsidemobileappforviewinginthehopeofsomedaycuttingYouTubeoutoftheroyaltyequationandsellingtosponsorsdirectly.
Ifyouaregettingintotheadvertising-sponsorshipgame,thebestmodelistosellpackagesdirectlytoprospectiveadvertisers.Forexample,CMI’sweeklypodcast,ThisOldMarketing,sellstoonesponsorforeachepisode,whichcoversthecostofproducingtheshowandthrowsoffanicebitofprofit.
Whilethereisnothingwrongwithcollectingadvertisingrevenue,it’simportantasaContentInc.businesstonotgetseducedintothisoneformofrevenuecreation.Justlikea
diversifiedstockportfolio,wewouldneverputallourassetsintoonestock.
AnOpportunitywithNativeAdvertisingSharethroughdefinesnativeadvertisingasaformofpaidmediawheretheadexperiencefollowsthenaturalformandfunctionoftheuserexperienceinwhichitisplaced.Insimpleterms,theadvertisementlookslikethecontent.Thiscouldbepaidcontentthatlookslikeanarticleonamediasite,oritmightbeapostonLinkedInthatlooksexactlylikealltheotherupdatesfromthepeopleyoufollow.
Thereisprobablynotermthatisgettinggreaterplayinthemarketingspacerightnowthannativeadvertising.Eventhelargestmediabrandsintheworld,liketheNewYorkTimesandWallStreetJournal,aretryingtofigureouthowtogeneraterevenuesfromsponsoredcontent.
Therecouldbeagreatopportunityforyouto“dipyourtoe”intothesponsoredcontentgame,butit’simperativetounderstandallthemovingparts.
Nativeadvertisingisgrowingasapartofthelargeradvertisingsectorforafewreasons:
1.Mediabrands(includingContentInc.modelslikeyours)andsocialplatforms(likeLinkedInandFacebook)areaggressivelyofferingnativeadvertisingproducts.
2.Brandsnowspendapproximately25to30percentoftheirbudgetoncontentmarketinginitiatives.Brandshavestartedtomakethisapriority,sonativeadvertisingisseenasaviableopportunity.
3.Whendoneright,itcanwork.Forexample,themajorityofBuzzFeed’srevenuesarethroughnativeadvertising,andthisstrategyhasbeensosuccessfulthatthecompanyhasbeenabletogeneraterevenuesatasubstantialpremiumovertraditionalonlineadvertising.
4.Thereisarenewedpassionintheadvertisingcommunityaroundnative.This“newadvertising”(eventhoughit’snotnewatall)hasgivenhopetomediabuyersaroundtheworldthatsomethingcanperformbetterthanabannerad.
ExamplesofNativeAdvertisingIfwetakeaverybroadapproachtonativeadvertising,itmaylooklike:
•Paidsearchunitslikeyou’dfindonGoogleorBing(seeFigure22.1)
•PromotedlistingsyoufindonTwitter(Figure22.2)
•SponsoredcontentupdatesyoufindonLinkedIn(Figure22.3)
•ContentrecommendationenginesyoufindonFastCompany(Figure22.4)
•AnSAP-sponsoredpostontheForbeswebsite(Figure22.5)
•A6-secondvineforHPhonoringValentine’sDay,createdbyFolk-popgroupUstheDuo(Figure22.6).
Figure22.1SponsoredlistingsinsearchengineslikeGooglearetheoriginaldigitalnativeadvertising.
Figure22.2SponsoredtweetexampleonTwitter.
Figure22.3SponsoredcontentexampleonLinkedIn.
Figure22.4ContentrecommendationexamplethatyoufindonsiteslikeFastCompanyandCNN.
Figure22.5SAPpaysfortheopportunitytopublishcontentthatlookslikeeditorialcontentaspartoftheForbesBrandVoiceprogram.
Figure22.6VinestarsUstheDuorunapaidnativeadvertisingprogramonbehalfofHP.
WhatAretheBenefitsofNativeAdvertising?Ifyouapproachacompanythathasdirectaccesstoitsentireaudiencethroughe-mailoranotherconnection,itprobablywillhavenoneedfornativeadvertising(oranyadvertisingforthatmatter).Mostorganizationsarenotinthatposition,whichiswhy
nativeadvertisingcanbevaluable(theyaretryingtostealaudience,asweshowedyouinChapter16).
Otherconsiderations:
•Onthesmallermobilescreen,thestreamitselfistheentireuserexperience.Moreandmore,displayadvertisingisnotavailable.Inthefuture,advertisingoptionsonmobilemayonlybenativeadvertising.Ifapotentialsponsorwantstoreachyouraudienceviamobile,nativeadvertisingisapossiblerevenuestream.
•Traditionalbanneradsgenerallydonotperformwell.AccordingtoAdweek,theaverageclick-throughfortraditionalbannersis0.12percent.Thatmeansyouaremorelikelytogethitbyaboltoflightningthanclickonabannerad.
•Rent-to-ownstrategy.Nativeadvertisingcanbeacorestrategyforsponsorstoborrowyourcredibilityandthentransferthatgoodfaithovertotheirownbrand.Atthesametime,theyaretryingtomakeyouraudiencetheirown.Youneedtobecarefulhereaswell.
TheBestWaytoUseNativeAdvertisingIfyoupursuenativeadvertisingaspartofyourContentInc.strategy,considerthefollowing:
•Itcannotsell.Thecontentneedstobeeducational,informative,helpful,orinteresting.Ifit’sjustaboutyoursponsor’sproductsandservices,itprobablywon’tcutthemustard.Inaddition,mostmediabrandshavequalityteamstoensurethatthecontentisgoodenough.Theycanalsoassistyouinproducingthecontent(forafee).Remember,badcontentonyoursitecandestroythecredibilityofyourbrand.That’sexactlywhytheNewYorkTimeshasadivisionthatonlycreatessponsoredcontentforbrands.TheTimeswillnotallowbrandstocreatethecontentthemselvesforfearthattheywon’tgetitright.
•Clearlabels.Asofthisprinting,theFTCisnotgoingtogetinvolvedwithanyguidelines,inthehopethattheindustrywillpoliceitself.Ibelievethatwillhappen—andisevenhappeningnow.Usingtermslikesponsored,promoted,orevenadvertorialisappropriate.Justmakesureit’scleartovisitorsthatthecontentisapaidplacement.Useyourcommonsense.
WhyNativeAdvertisingMightBeNeitherContentMarketingInstitutechiefstrategistRobertRosebelievesthatnativeadvertising,inthepuristsenseoftheterm,isneithernativenoradvertising.
Roseonwhyit’snotnative:
Withfewexceptions,myaimistocreatecontentthatstandsoutsowellthatyoucan’thelpbutnoticetheironic,inherentpitchinthere.I’mleveragingthefactthatit’sincontextwiththebrandtodrawacertainreactionfromtheaudience.So…theless“native”contentis—andthemoreIcancreativelyleveragebothbrandsincontextwitheachother—themorepowerfulitcanbe.
Roseonwhyit’snotadvertising:
Thepointisthatifwearegoingtosuccessfullyutilizecontextuallyplacedcontenttoachieveamarketingresult,wehavetothinkaboutitdifferentlythanwewouldanadvertisement….We,asmarketers,mustrethinkwhatkindsofgoalswewanttoachievewithcontextuallyplacedcontent.Itis,quitesimply,differentthanourgoalswithadvertising.
Overall,someareconcernedaboutthewaythatthelinesbetweeneditorialandadvertisingareblurredwithnativeadvertising.Inalllikelihood,thoseconcernswillcontinuetolingerasnativeadvertisingcontinuestogrow.
Regardless,asyougrowoutyourcontentplatform,nativeadvertisingisapossibletactictodiversifyyourrevenuesandsupporttheplatform.
SubscriptionsThesecondoldestwaytogeneratemoneyfromcontentisthroughsubscriptions,suchasamagazineornewspapersubscription.Overtheyears,thesehavemorphedintodigitalsubscriptions,likepayingforaccesstotheNewYorkTimesonline.
Becausesomuchcontenttodayisavailableforfreetoconsumers,contentsubscriptionprogramsmaybethehardesttomonetizeofallyouroptions.Thatsaid,JohnLeeDumascreatedaverysuccessfulcommunitysubscriptioncalledFireNationElite,whichincludesregularcoachingconferencecallsandexclusivecontent(Figure22.7).
Figure22.7JohnLeeDumasatEntrepreneurOnFire.comlaunchedapaidsubscriptionprogramforVIPmembers
PremiumContent
ThemajorityofContentInc.modelsserveuppremiumcontent,likee-booksandexclusivereports,forfreetogainmoresubscribersormoreinformationaboutsubscribers(called“progressiveprofiling”).Some,likeDigitalPhotographySchool,develope-booksandspecialtyreportsfordirectsale(Figure22.8).DPS’spremiumcontentsaleshavebecomethecoreofthecompany’smonetizationstrategy.
Figure22.8DigitalPhotographySchoolsellspremiume-booksaspartofitsmonetizationstrategy.
ConferencesandEventsAsmoreandmorepeoplebegintoformrelationshipsonline,ithascreatedanunexpectedneedforthesepeopletoactuallymeetinperson.Theeventandconferencebusinesshasneverbeenmorerobust.BothContentMarketingInstituteandSocialMediaExaminerdrivetheirrevenuemodelsthroughevents.Forexample,ContentMarketingWorldaloneisa$6millionevent,withabout30percentofthatcomingfromsponsorshipsalesandtherestfrompaidattendees(Figure22.9).
Figure22.9CMImonetizesitsContentInc.modelprimarilythrougheventslikeContentMarketingWorld.
Cross-Media(Books,Magazines,Webinars,Podcasts,Etc.)Onceyoudevelopacontentplatform,youcanmonetizethatcontentthroughafullsuiteofcontentproducts(bothpaidandsponsored)suchasbookofferings,videoprograms,printordigitalmagazines,webinarprograms,andpodcasts.
ComedianandpodcastcelebrityMarcMaronhasbuiltoneofthelargestpodcastaudiencesintheworldwithhisflagship,WTFwithMarcMaron.Atthesametime,he’slaunchedabestsellingbook,AttemptingNormal,andaCDseriescalledThisHastoBeFunny,aswellasasuccessfulvideoseriesonNetflixcalledMaron.Maronalsoperformsatcomedyclubsaroundthecountry.(Note:Maronhasanimpressivesubscriptionmodelwheresuperfanscangetearlyaccesstoallthepodcastsaswellascompleteaccesstohiscontentarchives;formoreaboutthis,checkouthttp://cmi.media/CI-WTF.)
CrowdfundingWithserviceslikeKickstarterontherise,it’seasierthanevertoaskyourcommunitytohelpfundyourContentInc.model.SethPricedecidedtolaunchhisownContentInc.platformwithapodcast.Intheabsenceoffunding,hewenttoKickstartertotrytoraise$5,000.Sevendaysand69backerslater,Sethhadhisfundsandwasofftotheraces(Figure22.10).
Figure22.10SethPricefundedhispodcastinsevendaysbyleveragingKickstarter.
MicropaymentsAlthoughIpersonallyhavenotseenthiswork,MarcAndreessenbelievesthatcollectingmicropaymentsthroughBitcoinisaviableoptionforContentInc.models.Coinbase,anonlinewalletsystemforBitcoin,isoneeasywaytosetupyoursitetocollectmicropaymentsusingtheonlinecurrencymodel.
PhilanthropyProPublica(http://www.propublica.org/)isanonprofitorganizationthatusesitsfundingtodevelopinvestigativejournalismthatitdeemsisimportantforthepublictohear.FoundedbyPaulSteiger,formermanagingeditoroftheWallStreetJournal,ProPublicaemploys45journalistsandreceiveditsmajorfundingfromtheSandlerCorporation,whichcommittedfundingformultipleyearsuponProPublica’slaunchinJune2008.ProPublicaalsoacceptsongoingdonationsfromanyonethatbelievesintheorganization’scause.
ProductsAccordingtoAnneJanzer,authorofSubscriptionMarketing,sellingproductsfromacontentsite,whilebeingthemostintensiveinresearchanddevelopment,hasthebiggestrevenueupside.
Asanexample,lookatCopybloggerMedia.Itsellscontentandsearchsoftwareasitscoresalesdriver.Moz,whichlaunchedasanSEOblog,hasgrownintoa$30million–plus
businessoffthebackofitssearchanalyticsproduct(Figure22.11).
Figure22.11Mozhasbuilta$30million-plusbusinessbysellingananalyticsandSEOmeasurementproduct.
WHATIFYOUALREADYSELLSOMETHING?Ifyou’reamaturecompanywithmultipleproductsorservices,youmonetizeyourcontentbyansweringthisquestion:“Whatisthedifferencebetweenthosethatsubscribetomycontentandthosethatdonot?”
Let’slookagainatRiverPools&Spas.BeforelaunchingitsContentInc.approach,thecompanyinstalledfiberglasspools.Bymonitoringtheengagementofitsblogcontent,RiverPoolsfoundthatthoseaudiencemembersthatengageinatleast30pagesofcontentandrequestasalesappointmentwillbuy80percentofthetime.Theindustryaverageforsalesappointmentsis10percent.Sointhisparticularcase,thereisan800percentincreaseinthelikelihoodofasale.
RiverPoolsalsolooksatparticulararticlesandtheirperformance.Inusingamarketingautomationsystem(thecompanyusesHubSpot),RiverPoolshasfoundthatitsblogpostentitled“HowMuchDoesaFiberglassPoolCost?”hasresultedinover$2millioninsales.How’sthatforareturnoninvestment?
AnotherexampleisAmericanExpress.Ithasfoundthatitscontentplatform,OpenForum,deliversasmanynewcreditcardsign-upsasanythingelseitdoesdigitally.How?Oncesomeonejoinsthesite(subscribestothecontent),thecompanymonitorsthatpersonand,attherightmoment,deliverscreditcardoffers.
Ifyouaretryingtofindtheimpactofyourcontent,hereareanumberofquestionstoconsider:
Aresubscribersmorelikelytobuy?
Aresubscribersmorelikelytobuynewproducts?
Dosubscribersstaylongerascustomers?
Dosubscriberstalkmoreaboutusonsocial(wordofmouth)?
Dosubscribersclosefasterthannonsubscribers?
Dosubscribersbuymoreonaveragethannonsubscribers?
AnyoneofthesecanjustifytheinvestmentbehindaContentInc.approach.
ThemostrecentContentMarketingBenchmarksreportfromContentMarketingInstituteandMarketingProfsoffersalookatthetoporganizationalgoalsforbusiness-to-businessmarketersinNorthAmerica(Figure22.12).Ongoing,engagingcontentleadstoanumberofbenefitsthatwillhelpgrowyourbusiness.Yourchallengeistofindthebenefitthatjustifiestheprogram.
Figure22.12Businesseshavemanyobjectivesforemployingcontentmarketingstrategies.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
Therearemanywaystomakemoneyfromyourcontentandsubscribers.
Sometimesthebestrevenueopportunitiesareunexpected.It’simportanttonotgetsotiedupwithyourmainrevenuegenerationsourcethatyoumightmissabetteropportunity.
SomeofthebestContentInc.modelsemploymultiplewaystomakemoneyfromtheiraudiences.
ResourcesPamelaMuldoon,“HowDougKesslerWentfromLimostoCraptoContentMarketing
Success,”ContentMarketingInstitute.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/03/kessler-b2b-content-marketing-podcast/.
GrantCardone,“TheSevenSecretsofSelf-MadeMillionaires,”Entrepreneur.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222718.
RobScallon,interviewbyClareMcDermott,February2015.
JoeCrea,“MichaelSymonSignatureKnivesCanBePartofYourKitchenToolsLaterThisYear,”Cleveland.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.cleveland.com/dining/index.ssf/2015/02/michael_symon_signature_knives.html
“MichaelSymon,”Wikipedia,accessedApril28,2015,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Symon.
IvanWalsh,“CaseStudy:HowCopybloggerShiftedfromBlogPublishingtoProductDevelopment,”ivanwalsh.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.ivanwalsh.com/case-study/copyblogger/.
MarcAndreessen,“WhyI’mBullishontheNews,”Politico.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/marc-andreesen-why-im-bullish-on-the-news-105921.html.
CrunchBase,“MarkAndreessen,”Crunchbase.com,accessedApril28,2015,https://www.crunchbase.com/person/marc-andreessen.
MarcAndreessen,“TheFutureoftheNewsBusiness,”a16z.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://a16z.com/2014/02/25/future-of-news-business/.
StuartDredge,“YouTubeStarTheDiamondMinecartLaunchesAppforHisMinecraftVideos,”theguardian.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/28/youtube-minecraft-the-diamond-minecart-app.
IAB,“NativeAdvertisingReport,”iab.net,http://www.iab.net/nativeadvertising.
Hexagram,“StateofNativeAdvertisingReport,”hexagram.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://stateofnativeadvertising.hexagram.com/.
TerriThornton,“NativeAdvertisingShowsGreatPotential,butBlursEditorialLines,”pbs.org,accessedApril28,http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/04/native-advertising-shows-great-potential-but-blurs-editorial-lines092/.
BenjyBoxer,“WhatBuzzfeed’sDataTellsUsAboutthePriceofNativeAdvertisements,”Forbes.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminboxer/2013/09/10/what-buzzfeeds-data-tells-about-the-pricing-of-native-advertisements/.
DavidAmerland,“HowNativeAdvertisingIsGoingtoChangeMarketingin2014,”socialmediatoday.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-native-advertising-going-change-marketing-2014-video.
MitchJoel,“WeNeedaBetterDefinitionof‘NativeAdvertising,’”hbr.org,accessedApril28,2015,https://hbr.org/2013/02/we-need-a-better-definition-of/.
Adweek,“The4MajorDigitalAdFormatsFaceOff,”adweek.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/4-major-digital-ad-formats-face-161667.
MichaelWinkleman,“BrandedContentTrendsin2014,”commpro.biz,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.commpro.biz/marketing/branding/branded-content-trends-2014/.
SethPrice,“TheCraftofMarketingPodcast,”Kickstarter.com,accessedApril28,2015,https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sethprice/the-craft-of-marketing-podcast.
Part8
Next-LevelContentInc.Knowledgehastobeimproved,challenged,andincreasedconstantly,oritvanishes.
PETERDRUCKER
Youfoundthesweetspot,identifiedthecontenttilt,builtthebase,attractedanaudience,andidentifiedyourmonetizationstrategy.Whatcanyoudotokeepthemomentumgoing?
Chapter23
PuttingItAllTogetherNeverlookbackunlessyouareplanningtogothatway.
HENRYDAVIDTHOREAU
Theyearwas2001.JoyCho,arecentSyracusegraduatewithabacheloroffineartsincommunicationsdesign,movedtoNewYorktofindajobandstarthercareerindesign.JoywasabletolandanopportunityataboutiqueadvertisingagencyinNewYork,whereshewasagraphicdesignerandworkedwithanumberofclients.
SETTINGTHEGOALAfterworkingacoupleofdesignjobsinNewYork,JoymovedtoPhiladelphiatobeclosertoherthenboyfriend(nowhusband).Whilelookingforhernextjob,shestartedfreelancingandbeganherblog,OhJoy!Althoughahobbyatthetime,herblogattractedreadersandthusresultedinafreelanceclientwhocametoherthroughtheaestheticshedevelopedandsharedonherblog.Soonherplanstogetanewfull-timejobturnedintothedecisiontostartherowndesignstudioasafull-timefreelancer.AlthoughJoylovedherdesignwork(forthemostpart),itwashardforhertoseethatshecouldmakeadecentlivingfromit.Therewastheconstant“hustle”ofhavingtofindandmaintainclientstopaythebills.Onhavingthisdiscussionwithherbrother-in-law(alsoafreelancegraphicdesign)abouttheabilitytosupportherself,hesaid,“Whosaysyoucan’t?Youcanabsolutelymakeagoodlivingdoingwhatyoulove;youjusthavetobelieveit.”
Itwasthenthatshebegantowritedownher(lofty)financialgoals(whichshecontinuestodotothisday).Thesimpleactofwritingthemdownhelpedtoprovideherwiththemotivationtokeepdoinggreatworkandgaveherthegoaltomakeadecentlivingatdoingwhatsheloved.
THESWEETSPOTJoyhadskillsingraphicdesign.Shewastrainedincommunicationsdesignandhadakeensenseforwhatworkedandwhatdidn’tarounddesignandfashion(theknowledgearea).Atthesametime,Joywaspassionateaboutdesignvariety.Shedreadedworkingonthesameoldbanneradsorclientbriefs.EverydayJoywantedtoworkonsomethingdifferent(thepassion),andthisvarietyledhertoanewopportunity.Hersweetspotwasameldingofdesignandfashionandvariety(Figure23.1).
Figure23.1JoyCho’slifepassionofvarietyandherknowledgeareaarounddesignandfashionmadeuphersweetspot.
THECONTENTTILTJoyhadthegiftofextremeauthenticity.Shelovedsharingherthoughtsandideasandknewshecouldfindjusttherightbalanceofhowmuchsharingwouldfeelrighttoher.InaninterviewwithGlamourmagazine,sherevealedthatshesecretlyadmirespeoplewho“walktothebeatoftheirowndrumanddon’tcarewhatpeoplethink.”Shewasn’talwaysthatway,butovertime,shesawhowimportantitistodowhatyouloveandnotworrysomuchaboutwhatothersthink.
WhatJoyfoundwasthatthissharingmethodwasextremelyattractivetoacertainaudiencethatwaspassionateaboutdesignandfashion.AsMichaelGrothausofFastCompanywrites,“Inspiteofthepublicappetiteforexpertise,there’savalueinbeingapproachable.”ThepeoplewhomadeupJoy’saudiencedidn’twanttohearfrom“theexpert”;theywantedtohearfromsomeonewhodidn’tsoundlikesheknewitallandwasinterestedinhowwecanall,together,findthetruth.Itwasthisauthenticitycombinedwithhersweetspotthatcreatedhercontenttilt(seeFigure23.2).
Figure23.2Joy’scontenttiltwasherextremeauthenticity.Mixedwithhersweetspot,thatbecameapowerfulcombination.
BUILDINGTHEBASEIntransitioningbetweenjobs,Joydecidedtolaunchablog(September7,2005),OhJoy!Inherinitialpost,sheannouncedthethingsyoumightreadaboutonherblog:
1.Beingafreelancedesigner&allthingsrelatedtoshopping,homestuff,andvisuallycoolthings.
2.Beingnewlyengaged,inlove,&intheprocessofplanningawedding.
3.Beingtheownerofthreecats.Mindyou,Ididnotgetthreecatsonmyown…theyaretheresultofthemergingofassetsbetweenMeandmyNewFiancé…one+two=three.
4.BeingfriendswithBethwithoutwhomthisblogwouldnotbepossible.Shealsodeservescreditforthenameofmyblog.
5.Beingafanoffoodandeating…allthetime.You’llwonderhowasmallAsiangirlcouldthinkaboutfoodsomuch.Butreally,it’spossible.
6.Lastly,beingahugenerd.ThisissomethingIhavecometoacceptinmyrecentyearsofadulthood.Iamadork/nerdandthereisnothinganyonecandoaboutit.Onceyoupassyourmid-twenties,thelevelofdorkinesswithinyouispretty
muchset.
Inthatfirstmonth,Joyposted35timesandstayedtruetohermission.Herpostsweredeeplypersonal,focusingonavarietyoffashionanddesigntips(andincludedcats),andintegratedfirst-ratephotographyanddesignskills.
FromOctoberon,Joycontinuedwithherpublishingvelocity,postingsometimesuptothreetimesaday.Shewasreceivingsomanyclientinquiriesthroughherwebsitethatsheneverwentbacktoworkforanothercompany.Withinayear,Joywasconfidentthatshecouldlaunchherowndesignstudiooffthebackoftheblogasherprimaryplatform.
AsJoy’splatformgrew,sheadoptedacollaborativepublishingmodelwhereshehiredadditionalbloggerstoaddtothedepthandbreadthofthesite’scontent.Shekeptthatmodelforafewyearsandthen,afterhavingherfirstbaby,decidedtogobacktopostingonherownfromthedesiretoblogabitmorepersonallyagain.
HARVESTINGAUDIENCEJoywasactivelybuildingaloyalaudienceasmoreandmorepeoplesigneduptoJoy’sdailye-mailnewsletter.AsshecontinuedtomeettheneedsofheraudienceJoysetanofficialeditorialcalendarandworkflowtopublishthreetimesdaily.Associalmediabegantogrowinimportance,shebroadenedherdigitalfootprinttobuildadditionalaudiencesonInstagram,Pinterest,andTwitter.In2008,TimemagazinenamedOhJoy!oneofthetop100designblogsontheplanet.Figure23.3presentsasnapshotofherblog.
Figure23.3Earlyon,Joyrecognizedtheneedtobuildanaudiencethroughe-mail.
DIVERSIFICATIONThethreelegsofthepersonalbrandingstoolarenowinfullforceforJoy,whohaspublishedthreebooks(BlogInc.,CreativeInc.,andhernewesttitle,OhJoy!60WaystoCreate&GiveJoy)andhaskeynotedatavarietyofdesignandmarketingevents,evensharingthestagewithMarthaStewart.Joyhasarobustfollowing,toputitmildly:
Instagram.Over200,000followers.
Twitter.Over70,000followers.
YouTube.Evenlower-performingvideosonJoy’sYouTubepageseethousandsofviews,andshe’snowamassed20,000subscribersontheplatform.
Pinterest.Oneofthemostpinneddesignersontheplatform,Joyhasover13millionfollowers.
MONETIZATIONJoy’sstudiobusinessisthriving;she’sconsultedondesignprojectsforsomeofthelargestbrandsintheworld.
Inaddition,JoyhasdesignedandcoproducedproductsforsuchbrandsasTargetandMicrosoft,andshehasdevelopedstationerylines,wallpaper,bedding,diaperbags,andevencomputeraccessories.ShealsorecentlydebutedalineofBand-AidsfromJohnson&Johnson,whicharealmostcertaintoselloutinasimilarfashiontoherTargetline.
Joyalsoacceptsadvertisingonhersitethroughsponsoredcontent(ornativeadvertising).Joyonlyworkswithbrandsshebelievesinandworkswitheachofthebrandstomakesurethecontentworksforheraudience’sneeds.
Joy’srevenuesarediverse,fromdirectclientengagementrevenuestoproductsalestosponsorshiptolicensingdeals.EventhoughJoy’splatformhasbeenaroundsince2005,itlooksasthoughthesky’sthelimit,andthebestisyettocomeforJoyCho.
THECOMPLETEPACKAGELikealltheContentInc.examplesdescribedinthisbook,Joy’sContentInc.successcanbebrokendownintosixdistinctsteps.ThesamewastrueforMatthewPatrick,DarrenRowse,AnnReardon,andyourstruly.Joyfoundhersweetspot,becameatrulydifferentiatedvoicethroughherextremeauthenticity,builtthebasethroughtheblog,beganacquiringaloyalaudience,diversifiedthroughbooksandsocialmedia,andnowmonetizesherplatformwithdozensofproductlines,licensingdeals,andconsultingopportunities.
AndasforJoy’sfinancialgoals…Joycontinuestowritedownloftyand,inherwords,“insane”annualfinancialgoalsatthestartofeachyear.Eachandeveryyear,shehassurpassedwhatshe’swrittendown.
MORECONTENTINC.CASESTOINSPIRE
LucasCruikshankCruikshankcreatedthefirstYouTubechanneltoreach1millionsubscribersthroughhis“Fred”character(afictionalsix-year-oldwithangermanagementissues).HeparlayedthatsuccessintoaseriesofNickelodeonhits.He’scurrentlyonhissecondContentInc.model,nowgoingbyjustthename“Lucas,”whichhasquicklygarneredwelloveramillionsubscribers(seehttps://www.youtube.com/user/lucas).
DavidSeahAfterdevelopingaloyalfollowingforhisbloggingplatformarounddesign,DavidbegantomonetizehisContentInc.strategythroughproductivitytools.Whilethemajorityofhisbusinessisstillconsulting,toolssuchastheEmergentTaskPlannerandtheConcreteGoalTrackerhavegonefromjustafewsalesaweektothousandsamonthviaAmazon.com.Davidbelievesthatprettysoonhe’llbeabletoretireonthisveryunexpectedbusiness(seehttp://davidseah.com/).
RazorSocialIanClearyhassingle-handedlybuiltthego-toresourceforsocialmediatoolsatRazorSocial.com.Whilethereweremanysitesthattalkedaboutsocialmediatoolsfromtimetotime,Ianrecognizedtheneedtomakesenseofallthesocialtoolsthatwereavailable.Hisdirectoryhasbecomeatreasuretroveofresourcesformarketers,andthesitenowgarnershundredsofthousandsofvisitorspermonth(seehttp://razorsocial.com/).
GaryVaynerchuckGary’sWineLibraryTVwasoneoftheearlyContentInc.modelstogainnationalappeal.Withhisdailyvideoscoveringwineforthe“everyday”person,Garyturnedhissmallfamilyliquorstoreintoamultimillion-dollarfranchise.Soonafter,GarylaunchedVaynerMedia,oneofthetopsocialmediaconsultancies,whichnowemploysover400peopleandworkswithsomeofthelargestbrandsontheplanet(seehttp://vaynermedia.com/).
GregNgGreglaunchedafrozen-foodreviewsite,Freezerburns,backin2008.Sincethen,withover1,000frozen-foodreviewsand700-plusvideoslater,Gregeasilyreaches75,000viewsperepisode.“Freezerburnswastheresultofcarefulplanningandidentifyingofaprofitable,untappedniche,”saysNg(seehttp://www.freezerburns.com/).
LEGOEveryoneknowsthestoryofLEGO’sstorytellingempire,cappedoffbytheunexpectedsuccessofTheLEGOMovie.ButveryfewrealizethatLEGOstartedBrickKicksmagazine(nowLEGOClubmagazine;seehttp://www.lego.com/en-us/club/)in1987.(Ireceivedthefirstissue.)
RedBullMediaHouse
AseparateentityfromRedBull,RedBullMediaHouseproducesRedBulletinmagazine(inprintanddigital),distributingittoover6millionsubscribers.Inaddition,RedBulllicensesvideoandphotographytotraditionalmediacompanies,whichturnedRedBullMediaHouseintoastand-aloneprofitcenter.AccordingtosourcesatRedBull,thecontentassetsownedunderRedBullMediaHousewillactuallyproducemorerevenuethanRedBullearnsfromsellingbeverages(seehttp://www.redbullmediahouse.com/).
RockandRollCocktail.comJasonMillermightbebestknownforhiscontentmarketingroleatsocialmediapowerhouseLinkedIn,butit’shisphotographymodelthatisworkingforContentInc.lovers.Jasonhasphotographedsomeofthegreatestactsofalltime,includingPattiSmithandtheSmashingPumpkins.Aftereveryshow,JasonshareskeyphotosouttohisFacebookaudienceandhasbuiltacultfollowing.Jason’scontenttiltofmarketinginfusedwithrock’n’rollhassetJasonapartfromthepack(seehttp://rocknrollcocktail.com/blog/).
TheGoodLifeProjectLaunchedbyserialentrepreneurJonathanFields,theGoodLifeProjecthasbecomeamovementarounddoinggoodandnotjustdoingthings.Jonathanproducesaweeklywebshowandhighlightspeopleworkingonamazingprojectsaroundtheworld.Thethree-legged-stoolmodelisaliveandwellwithJonathan,who’sdevelopedabestsellingbookandpowerfulspeakingplatform,inadditiontothedigitalplatform(seehttp://www.goodlifeproject.com/about/).
FoldFactoryTrishWitkowski,CEOofFoldFactory,hasbecomeacelebrityinthedirectmailingindustrythroughherregularvideoshow,The60-SecondSuperCoolFoldoftheWeek,whereshedetailsamazingexamplesofprintdirectmail.AccordingtoAndrewDavis,“Her250-plusvideoshaveyieldedover800,000viewsandmorethan3,100subscribers.Inaddition,Trishhasbecomeaspokespersonforanumberofbrands,tourstheworldasaspeaker,andconductsworkshops.”Trish’sContentInc.initiativehasbeendirectlyresponsibleforover$500,000innewrevenue(seeherwebsiteathttps://www.youtube.com/user/foldfactory).
MarriottInlate2014,MarriottannouncedthedevelopmentofMarriottContentStudio,whichaimstobecometheleadingmediainformationcompanyinthetravelindustry.LikeLEGOandRedBullbeforeit,whohavebuiltsubstantialcontentplatformsintheirrespectivefields,Marriottbelievesthatbecomingaleadingvoiceintravelisnotrelegatedtojustsellinghotelrooms.
STACKMediaAshighschoolteammates,NickPalazzoandChadZimmermanrealizedthattheyhad
majorchallengesfindingworkoutinformationspecifictohighschoolplayers.Buildingonthatrealization,theylaunchedSTACKMediaandcoveredregularworkoutsfromproslikePeytonManningandLeBronJamesthathighschoolathletescouldemulate.NickandChadhaveturnedSTACKintoatop10sportsvideodistributionsite,garnering15millionmonthlyuniquevisitorsandpartnershipswithover13,000schools(seehttp://www.stack.com/).
PewDiePieSweden’sFelixArvidUlfKjellberg,akaPewDiePie,isthemostsubscribedYouTubepersonalityontheplanet.Sinceinception,PewDiePie’svideosonindiegameshavegarneredmorethan8billionviews(seehttps://www.youtube.com/user/PewDiePie).
EvanTubeHDWhatifItoldyouoneofthemostsuccessfulentrepreneursonYouTubeisjustnineyearsold?EvanfromEvanTubeHD.comconsistentlyreviewstoysonhisYouTubechannel,amassingoveronemillionsubscribersandastaggeringonebillionviewsinjustafewyears.AccordingtoESPN,Evangenerated$1.3millioninrevenuelastyear.Wow(seehttps://www.youtube.com/user/evantubehd).
GlossierEmilyWeiss,founderandCEOofGlossier,beganthecompanyasasimpleblog.200,000followersonInstagramand60,000Facebookfanslater,Glossierhasbecomeoneoftheleadingonlineretailersforskincareproducts.Thebusinessisthriving,withEmilyrecentlyraising$8.4millionfromThriveCapitalandotherinvestors(seehttps://www.glossier.com/).
ONEWORD:PATIENCEIfyou’vemadeitthisfar,I’mgoingtoaskyoutogoonestepfurther:
Bepatient.
ThereareonlyninemonthsbetweenwhenIbelievedIwasacompletefailureandwhenIstartedsomethingthatlookedtohavethepromiseofsuccess.AsIthinkback,itwouldhavebeensoeasytogiveupandgofinda“real”job.
Ican’tevenimaginethat.Ilovemycareer,thetimeIhavewithmyfamily,theflexibilityofmyschedule,andhowIwakeupeverymorninginspiredtoworkonaproject.IfIhadn’tbeenpatient,noneofthiswouldbepossiblerightnow.
IlaunchedthebusinessinApril2007.Itwasn’tuntiltheendof2010thatIfeltwewereontosomething.ThenextthreeyearswemadetheInc.500listofthefastest-growingprivatecompaniesintheUnitedStates.Todaywehavea$10millionbusiness,andI’mstillabletopickmykidsupfromschool.Itwasn’teasy,buthavingpatiencemadeallthispossible.Ittakestimetobuildaloyalaudience.IttakestimetofindtherightrevenuemodelforyourContentInc.business.
Butthereisnodoubtinmymindthatthisistheabsolutebestwaytolaunchabusiness.Yes,it’sdifferent…somemaysayit’sstrange…butit’sabetterstrategythanjusthopingthatanewproductideawilltakehold.BelikeDavid,whofoughttheurgetofightjustlikeeveryoneelsehadagainstGoliath(andlost).Takeadifferentrouteandputtheoddsinyourfavor.
GETTINGSTUCKAsyouprogressthroughthismodel,therewillbemomentswhereyoufeelthemodelisn’tworkingquitetoyourexpectations.Thatmakessense.ContentInc.,asawayoflaunchingabusiness,isanewmuscleformostpeople.We’vebeenusedtocommunicatingthroughmassmediaforsomanyyears,andnowwearetryingtofigureouthowtodelivervaluetoourcustomersoutsideofourproductsandservices.
Ifyouarestrugglingwithyourprogram,comebackandreviewthischapter.Youmaybestrugglingbecauseofoneofthesereasons:
Selfishcontentmarketing.Createcontentthatsolvescustomers’painpoints.Stoptalkingaboutyourproductsandservicessomuch.Ifyoudo,makeitaboutyourcustomers.
Youstop.Thebiggestreasonwhycontentmarketingfailsisbecauseiteitherstopsorisn’tconsistent.Remember,thecontentyoudeliverislikeapromisetoyourcustomers.Thebiggestreasonwhytheexamplesinthisbooksucceededwasbecausethepeopleneverstoppedproducingamazingandcompellingcontent.
Activityinsteadofaudience.Havingpeopleshareandengagewithyourcontenthereandtheredoesn’tmeanmuchunlessyouarebuildinganaudience.Oneofthebiggestmistakescompaniesmakeisnotplanning,inadvance,toacquireanaudiencethroughcontentcreationanddistribution.
Nopointofview.Inordertopositionyourselfasanexpertinyourindustry,youneedapointofview.Takeastance.Walkingthefenceisboringand,moreimportantly,usuallydoesn’twork.
Noprocess.Iseeiteveryday.Scenario:Marketingcampaign…adstobeplaced…thensomeoneasksabouttheblogorwhitepaper…peoplescurryabout…someonerunsouttogetthecontent.Planupfronttocreate,repurpose,anddistributecontent.
Where’sthecalltoaction?Eachpieceofcontentshouldhaveacalltoactionorbehavioryou’dliketosee.Whatwouldhappenifyouasked“why”toeachpieceofcontentyoucreate?Bydoingthis,you’llbecompelledtoeitherknowthecalltoactionorkillthecontent(forlackofpurpose).
Channelsilo.Areyoupayingattentiontoonechannelattheexpenseofalltheothers?Wewanttohaveonemainplatform,likeablog,butyou’llmissthetruepowerofcontentmarketingbynotleveragingallavailablechannelsasyouexpandyourmodel.Thinklikeamediacompany.Thegreatestmediacompaniesofalltimefocusonallthreelegsofthestool—digitalcontent,printcontent,andin-personcontent.
Forgettingemployees.Employeeexpertiseisthemostunderutilizedcontentmarketing
asset.Youremployeesgiveyourbrandlife.Leveragetheminthecreationanddistributionprocess.Startwiththe5percentthatgetit.Showsuccessstoriesandmoveontotherestofyouremployeebase.
Tip:Don’tforceyouremployeesintoaprocesstheywon’tdo.Gathertherawcontentfromemployeeshoweveryoucan.
Oneword:editing.Editingmaybethemostunderratedpieceofthecontentmarketingprocess.Sometimesweasentrepreneursdon’tunderstandthatthefirstdraftofapieceofcontentiscalledagoodstart.Entertheeditor.Getoneorhireone.
What’sholdingyoubackfromyourContentInc.model?
MOVINGFORWARDYes,therewillbechallenges.Therewillbetimesthatyou’renotsureyouareontherightpath.Thatisnaturalforanyentrepreneurorsmallbusinessowner.Buthere’sthetruth:Untilnow,itwascostprohibitiveforentrepreneurstobuildaloyalaudience.Untilnow,thecommunicationchannelswerenotavailable.Untilnow,theaudiencewasn’twillingtoconnect.
Untilnow.
ByreadingandfollowingtheContentInc.methodinthisbook,youhaveanopportunitytomakeadifferenceinyourlife,withyourfamily,withyourcareerpath,andintheworld.Myhopeisthatyouseizethatopportunitytodayandneverlookback.
CONTENTINC.INSIGHTS
TheContentInc.modelissuccessfulbecauseofsixdistinctandimportantsteps.Whatstepsareyoumissinginyourmodel?
What’sholdingyouback?Whateveritis,pinpointtheproblemandmoveforward.ContentInc.isanamazingopportunityforanyentrepreneurstrivingtomakeadifferenceintheworld.
ResourcesEmilyRyles,“JoyChoofOhJoy!,”theeverygirl.com,accessedApril28,2015,
http://theeverygirl.com/joy-cho-of-oh-joy.
JaneBuckingham,“5CareerQuestionswithOhJoy!,”Glamour.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.glamour.com/inspired/2014/03/job-advice-from-oh-joy-blogger-joy-cho.
StephanieatDesignSponge,“BizLadiesProfiles:JoyChoofOhJoy!,”designsponge.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.designsponge.com/2013/02/biz-ladies-profile-joy-cho-of-oh-joy.html.
JoyCho,OhJoy!Blog,accessedApril28,2015,http://ohjoy.blogs.com/.
MichaelGrothaus,“TheSecretsofWritingSmart,Long-FormArticlesThatGoAbsolutelyViral,”FastCompany.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.fastcompany.com/3042312/most-creative-people/the-secrets-of-writing-smart-longform-articles-that-go-absolutely-viral.
TimeStaff,“30MostInfluentialPeopleontheInternet,”Time.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://time.com/3732203/the-30-most-influential-people-on-the-internet/.
“LucasCruikshank,”Wikipedia,accessedApril28,2015,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Cruikshank.
DavidSeah,interviewbyClareMcDermott,February2015.
DavidGriner,“After1,000Meals,Here’sWhatMadetheFrozenFoodReviewKingCallItQuits,”adweek.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/after-1000-meals-heres-what-made-frozen-food-review-king-call-it-quits-159850.
MarriottNewsCenter,“MarriottInternational’sContentStudioRapidlyExpandsPresence,”Marriott.com,accessedApril28,2015,http://news.marriott.com/2014/12/marriott-internationals-content-studio-rapidly-expands-presence-with-additional-content-development-.html.
“PewDiePie,”Wikipedia,accessedApril28,2015,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PewDiePie.
KimMai-Cutler,“GlossierCEOonBuildingaSkincare,CosmeticsEmpireOnlineatDisruptNY,”Techcrunch.com,accessedonJune11,2015,http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/16/glossier-2/.
TraceyHarringtonMcCoy,“TheMostPopularKidYou’veNeverHeardOf,”Newsweek.com,accessedonJune11,2015,http://www.newsweek.com/2013/11/01/most-popular-kid-youve-never-heard-243854.html.
Chapter24
JointheMovementTherevolutionisnotanapplethatfallswhenitisripe.Youhavetomakeitfall.
CHEGUEVARA
WhenIstartedwritingthisbook,IquicklyrealizedhowmuchneedtherereallyisaroundthesubjectofContentInc.Inaddition,asaContentInc.believermyself,howcouldI“just”writeabookandnotincludeanumberofadditionalresources.Simplyput,Ineededtoeatmyowndogfood.
Sohere’smylistofimportantandusefulresourcestohelpsupportyourContentInc.initiative:
TheContentInc.website.ContentInc.hasanofficialwebsiteaspartoftheContentMarketingInstituteecosystem.Youcanaccessallthesitecontentathttp://www.content-inc.com.Besuretosignuptoreceivethee-newsletterupdates,whereyou’llseeourfreewebinarsandupcomingevents,aswellassomeepiccontent.
TheContentInc.podcast.EveryMondayandTuesdayIreleaseshortpodcastepisodes,whicharealwayslessthan15minuteslong.Itrytokeepthemveryactionable…anddependingonhowfastyourun,threeepisodesequalsabouta5-kilometerrun.TosignupviaiTunesorStitcher,gotohttp://cmi.media/CI-podcast.
TheContentInc.Summit.AspartofContentMarketingWorld,everySeptemberinCleveland,Ohio,weholdaone-dayeventdedicatedtotheContentInc.model.Theeventtakesplacetowardthefronthalfofthemonth(andalwaysdependsonwhenLaborDayfallsintheUnitedStates).Formoreinformationonthatevent,gotohttp://cmi.media/CI-summit.
NEXT-GENERATIONCONTENTINC.AsyouprogressinyourContentInc.journey,you’llgettothepointwhereyou’llneedevenmoreresourcesandinsightstokeepgrowing.Herearesomeresourcesthatwillhelp:
EpicContentMarketing.Mythirdbookwillhelpyoubuildinasegmentationandengagementcycleasyoudevelopyourproductandserviceofferings.
Experiences:The7thEraofMarketingbyRobertRoseandCarlaJohnson.Asyourbusinessgrows,creatingevenmoreamazingexperiencesthroughcontentisimperative.RobertandCarlawillshowyouhow.
DigitalRelevancebyArdathAlbee.Ardathisaleadingexpertonnurturingleadsandintegratingcontentintoyourbusiness.Beforeyoupurchaseanytechnologyplatformsforyourmarketingautomation,readthisbook(http://cmi.media/CI-ardath).
SmartcutsbyShaneSnow.ShanecoversanumberofContentInc.examplesinhis
bookthatlooksat,notshortcutstodevelopingaudiences,butsmarterstrategies(hence,Smartcuts).
EverybodyWritesbyAnnHandley.ContentInc.(thebook)isnotdesignedtohelpyoulearnhowtoeffectivelywrite,butAnn’sbookis.Ifyouneedwritinghelp,getthisbook.
ArtoftheStart2.0byGuyKawasaki.WhenIlaunchedmybusiness,ArtoftheStartwasthefirstbookIread,anditmadeanimmediateimpact.Guyhasupdatedthebook,andit’ssimplyfantastic(http://cmi.media/CI-ArtStart).
UnSellingandUnMarketingbyScottStratten.Scottusestheworstsocialmediacasestudiesintheworldtoteachbusinesseshowtocreateanauthenticpresenceonthewebwithoutusinghardsellingormarketingtactics(http://cmi.media/CI-stratten).
Inadditiontothehundredsofresourcesfoundinthisbook,therearesomeadditionalsitesyou’llwanttocheckouttohelpyouinyourefforts:
SorryforMarketingblog.JayAcunzo’sfantasticblog,heavyoncontentcreationandanalysis(http://cmi.media/CI-sorry).
OrbitMediablog.WhenIhaveawebsitequestion,IusuallygotoAndyCrestodina’sblogforhelp(http://cmi.media/CI-orbit).
Convince&Convert.Yes,ithasgreathelpfulcontent,butifyouwanttoseehowagreatContentInc.modelworks,justseewhatJayBaerdoes(http://cmi.media/CI-convince).
TopRankOnlineMarketingblog.LeeOddenhasdevelopedhisownContentInc.platformatTopRank,whereheandhisteamdiscussthemostpressingmarketingchallengesontheplanet(http://cmi.media/CI-toprank).
FINALTHOUGHTSEventhoughit’snotaseasyasitusedtobe(becausetherearemorepeoplecontactingme—agoodproblem),Istilltrytorespondtoasmanytweetsande-mailsasIcan.YoucanfindmeonTwitter@[email protected]’vecutmyspeakingbackabit,Istilldoanumberofkeynotesthroughouttheyear.Ifyouareinterestedinfindingoutmoreabouthavingmespeakatyourevent,youcangetallthedetailsatJoePulizzi.com.
Thankyoufortakingthetimetoreadthisbook.Itrulyhopeitwasavaluableexperienceforyou.
Nowgooutandmakelifehappen.Beepic!
Acknowledgments
TotheCMIstaff,themostamazingpeopleontheplanet.Youareaspecialandtalentedgroupofpeople.Shenanigans!
AveryspecialthankstoClareMcDermott,whoconductedmostoftheinterviewsforthebook,toMicheleLinn,whoassistedinthedevelopmentofthecontent,andtoJosephKalinowskiforthecreativedirection(toyou,IwillalwaysbeChuke).
ToJimMcDermott,mymentorandinitialeditorofthisbook.I’mherebecauseofyou.
Tomyparents,TerryandTony,foralwaysbeingthereforme,nomatterwhatIwasdoing.
TomyCooliofriendsinWestPark.Thebestfriendsanyonecouldeveraskfor.
Tomyboys,AdamandJoshua.Neversettle.Don’tbenormal.Followyourpassion.I’msoproudofbothofyou.
ToPam.Mybestfriend.Withyou,everydayisbetterthanthelast.Iloveyou.
Phil4:13
AppendixA
CMI’sContributor/BloggingGuidelines
ThanksforyourinterestincontributingtotheContentMarketingInstitute.Belowyouwillfinddetailsonthetypesofpostswelookforandspecificsaboutoureditorialprocess.
Oureditorialmissionistoadvancethepracticeofcontentmarketing.Whilethecoreofourbloghasbeenhow-toposts,wehavebroadenedoureditorialfocusandwillnowconsiderusefulpoststhattrulyaimtomovethisindustryforward.
OURAUDIENCEWhileweeducateanyonewhousescontentmarketing,ouridealreaderismarketersatlarge-andmidsizeB2BandB2Corganizations.
SUBMISSIONCRITERIAWehavealimitednumberofpublishingslotsavailabletoguestcontributors,andwewillonlyacceptpoststhatsatisfythefollowingcriteria:
Postsneedtoadvancethepracticeofcontentmarketing.Wewillonlyacceptpoststhatprovidenewinsightsforcontentmarketers(i.e.,wearenotlookingforpostswithrehashedideas).
Postsneedtobeuseful.Whilepostsdonotneedtobeastep-by-stephow-to,theyneedtoincludeaspecifictakeawayorkeythought.
Postsneedtobelogicalandinterestingtoread.
Postsneedtobespecifictocontentmarketers.
Thesearethespecifictypesofpostwelookfor.
How-toPostsWelookfordetailedpoststhatveryclearlyoutlinehowtodosomething;templates,checklists,andstep-by-stepapproachesworkwell.Examplesinclude:
“HowtoPutTogetheranEditorialCalendarforContentMarketing”(http://cmi.media/CI-editcal)
“7NEWThingstoDoAfterYou’veWrittenaNewBlogPost”(http://cmi.media/CI-blogpost)
“AnEasyPlanningWorksheetThatWillJump-StartYourContentMarketingProductivity”(http://cmi.media/CI-worksheet)
“ThoughtLeadership”PostsContentmarketingisanindustrythathasbeenevolvingquickly,andwewanttobeevaluatingtrendsandfiguringoutwhatiscomingnext.Arethereconversationsyouthinkweneedtohavetomovetheindustryforward?Istheresomethinggoingonthatyouwanttocalloutthatisnottrueornotworking?Whatarethecurrenttrends?Examplesinclude:
“ContentMarketing:TheFallacyThatMoreContentIsBetter”(http://cmi.media/CI-morecontent)
“OracleAcquiresEloqua:WillContentMarketingBeImpacted?”(http://cmi.media/CI-eloqua)
“6WaystheContentMarketingBacklashIsGettingItWrong”(http://cmi.media/CI-backlash)
ContentMarketingCareerPostsWhilecontentmarketinghasbeenevolvingasadiscipline,sotoohavethecareersofmanyofourreaders.Wearelookingforpoststhatsharepersonalexperiencesorconcreteideasonwhatmarketersneedtobeconsideringastheyplantheircareers.Examplesinclude:
“ContentMarketingBestPractices:5TipsfortheModernCMO”(http://cmi.media/CI-modernCMO)
“ContentMarketingforCareerDevelopment”(http://cmi.media/CI-careerdev)
ContentMarketingToolsandTechnologiesPostsWewillconsiderpoststhatprofilespecificcontentmarketingtoolsandtechnologieswhen:
Thetoolisfree(e.g.,Twitter,LinkedIn,Facebook).
Theauthorisnotsomeonedirectlyassociatedwithorcompensatedbythetechnologyvendor.
Thepostdoesnotdiscusscompetitivebenefits.
CMIoccasionallycoverspaidtoolsinourTechnologyLandscapeseriesorinpoststhatincludearoundupoftools.
Toincreasethelikelihoodthatyourpostwillbeaccepted,considerthesesuggestions:
Wheneverpossible,includereal-lifeexamplesand/orcasestudiestodemonstratetheconceptsdescribed.
Example:“4WaystoUsePRinYourContentMarketingEfforts[CaseStudy]”(http://cmi.media/CI-PR)
Useofvideos,photos,charts,screenshots,andothervisualcontentisstronglyencouraged.Feelfreetoembednewtypesofcontentplatformsaswell.
Example:“EpicContentMarketers:20MoreWomenWhoRock”
(http://cmi.media/CI-womenrock)
Articlesshouldincludedetailedinstructionorspecificrecommendationsthatwillhelpmarketersincorporateyouradviceintotheircontentmarketingprocesses.
Example:“TheEssentialGuidetoMetaDescriptionsThatWillGetYouFoundOnline”(http://cmi.media/CI-meta)
Inaddition,wedonotacceptsubmissionsthatfallintothefollowingcategories:
Postswithunclearfocalpointsorthosethatarenotclearlyorganizedorformattedtograbreaderattention.Weencouragewriterstousesubheadings,bulletedlists,andboldfontstohighlightkeyconceptsandactionitems.
Articlescreatedasblatantlink-bait,withlittleoriginalinsightorpracticaldiscussionprovidedwithinthepostcopy.
Op-ed–stylepoststhatdiscusswhyanissueisimportantwithoutdiscussinghow,specifically,itcanbeleveragedbycontentmarketers.
Poststhathavealreadybeenpublishedelsewhere.
Whitepapersandotherpromotionalcontentthatismeanttotoutthebenefitsofonespecificproductorserviceoverothers.
Poststhatfocusoncontentmarketingbasics(suchaswritingtoaspecificaudience,findingtimeorideasforcontent,etc.)orthosethatgiveonlyageneraloverviewofcomplextopics(suchascontentcreation,SEO,ormakingyourcontent“social”).
Duetothevolumeofsubmissions,wedonotrespondtoguestpostinquiriesthatincludearequestforalinkexchange.Thesepostsarenotaccepted.
WHYWRITEFORCMI?Asyoulikelyknow,sharingyourexpertisewithanengagedaudienceofcontentmarketingprofessionalsisagreatwaytoimproveyourindustryprofile.
ManyofourbloggershavetoldustheycandirectlytracenewbusinesstotheirpostsonCMI(andsometimespoststheyhavewrittenmorethanayearago!).
Additionally,wehavepeoplecontactuslookingforworkoraskingtogetinvolvedinContentMarketingWorld.Thebestwaytoworkwithusistobecomeanactivebloggerwhocontributessolid,detailedposts.Thisisthepoolofpeoplewelooktowhenwehaveopportunities.
OUREDITORIALPROCESSEachpostwereceiveisfirstreviewedforacceptancecriteria.Itmaytakeafewdaysbeforeourteamcanrespondtonewsubmissions.Wereceivemanysubmissions,soweappreciateyourpatiencethroughoutourreviewandproductionprocess.
IfyoursubmissionfitsourcriteriaandislikelytobeagoodfitfortheCMIaudience,wewillcontactyouwithinsevenbusinessdaysofreceipttoconfirmourintenttoreviewyourpostforpublication.
Pleasenote:Becauseofthevolumeofsubmissions,ifyourpostisnotafit,weareunabletoprovidedetailedfeedback.
Forpostsbeingconsidered,averageturnaroundtimeforreviewis10businessdays,thoughthetimelinemaybeshorterorlonger,dependingonthecurrentvolumeofsubmissionsunderreview.
Onceaposthasbeenacceptedforpublication,itisgenerallyscheduledtorunwithinatwo-weektimespan.Whilewecannotalwayshonorspecificpublicationdaterequests,oureditorialteamwilldoitsbesttoaccommodatetheneedsofourcontributors.
PROMOTIONANDSOCIALMEDIADISTRIBUTIONCMIwillpromoteallpostsviaTwitter,LinkedIn,Facebook,andotherrelevantsocialplatforms.Allauthorsareencouragedtopromotetheirpoststhroughtheirownnetworks,aswell.
REPUBLISHINGANDREPURPOSINGYOURCMIPOSTSWhilewecanonlyconsideroriginal,unpublishedmaterialsforpublication,wearehappytoallowourpublishedauthorstorepurposetheirpostselsewhere,withthefollowingstipulations:
Thereshouldbeatwo-weekwindowbetweenthetimeyourarticlegoesliveonCMIandthetimeitispublishedonanothersite.
AllsubsequentpublicationofyourarticlemustcitetheContentMarketingInstituteastheoriginalsourceandprovidealinktothearticleonCMI.
AllCMIpoststhataretobeusedincontentcurationeffortsmustadheretostandardsoffairuseofonlinecontentforcontentcuration(http://cmi.media/CI-fairuse).
WHATTOSENDWITHYOURARTICLESUBMISSIONYourbio.Bioshouldbeapproximately60wordsandshouldincludeyourTwitterhandle,aswellasanyotherrelevantlinksyouwishtodisplay(e.g.,yourblog,Facebookpage,websiteURL,etc.).
Yourheadshot.WeuseasitecalledGravatar(http://cmi.media/CI-gravatar)tomanageourauthors’headshots.Newcontributorsshouldcreateanaccountthereanduploadaheadshot.Oncethisisdone,we’llneedthee-mailaddressthatwasusedtoregistertheaccount,sowecanassociateyourheadshotwiththeauthorprofilewewilluseinyourposts.
Athematicallyrelatedcoverimage.Wealsoaskauthorstoincludeahigh-resolutionimagethatwecanrunasa“cover”imageforeachpost.Thiscanbeaphoto,achart,ascreenshot,orapieceofthemeartthatrepresentsthearticletopicinacompellingvisualway.Imagescanbetakenfromtheweborastockphotoservice,aslongastheyareroyalty-free(orinthepublicdomainoravailableaspartofCreativeCommons),oryouholdthecopyright.Iftheimagerequirescreatorcredit,pleaseprovidethenecessarysourcinginformation,sothatwecanbesuretoattributeitproperly.
Ifyouwouldliketosubmitapostorarticleidea,orhaveanyquestions,pleasecontactusatblog@contentinstitute.com.Newcontributorsmayalsowishtosubmitlinkstoadditionalwritingsamplesthatmayaidinourdecision-makingprocess.
AppendixB
AnInsideLookintoCMI’sPublishingProcess
ByMicheleLinn,ContentMarketingInstitute’sVicePresidentofContent
In2010,IwasluckyenoughtojoinJoeonhisjourneywhenhelaunchedContentMarketingInstitute.Lookingbackatthat(crazy)time,wegotalotdonewithasuper-smallteam,butmuchoftheprocesswasadhocandtrialanderror.
Fast-forwardto2015whenwehavelaunchedanotherblog(andwillsoonbeaddinganother).Thesedays,theprocessisnolongeranice-to-have,butit’sanecessity.It’snotamatterofnothavingenoughpeopleontheteam(aswedo),butbecausetherearemorepeople,it’sevenmorecriticaltohaveprocessesdocumentedsothingsaregettingdoneconsistentlyandwedon’tdrownine-mailsinwhichwe’refiguringoutwhoneedstodowhat.
Theinformationbelow,repletewithchecklists,isCMI’sgeneralprocessforourblogposts.NodoubtthisprocesswillevolvebetweenthetimeIamwritingthisandthetimeContentInc.ispublished,butthisoffersageneralframeworksoyoucanlearnfromourmistakes(although,truly,thereissometimesnobetterway).
SETTINGUPTHETEAMBeforewedigintoourblogprocesses,it’susefultowalkthroughthekindsofpeopleyouneedonyoureditorialteam.ForCMI,thisincludes:
LisaDougherty,whomanagestheeditorialcalendarandallcommunicationswithourblogcontributors
AnnGynn,whoeditsallthepostsforlogic,flow,andstructure
YatriRoleston,whouploadsandproofreadsallourpostsintoWordPress
Ann,Yatri,andLisaHiggshelpacrossalltheblogs,whileLisaDoughertyisfocusedonCMI.
Tip:Whenyouhaveahigh-volumeblogthatacceptscontributors,lookforablogmanagerwhohasgoodcommunication,diplomacy,andbusinessetiquette—andmostimportantly,someoneyoucantrustimplicitlytogetthejobdone.Thispersonneedstheskillstobeabletofosterpositiverelationshipswithoutsideandinternalmembersaswellasstrongprojectmanagementskills,athirstforknowledge,andaprocess-orientedmindset.
Inpreviousevolutionsoftheblog,wehadoneperson,firstIwastheoneandthenJodiHarris,whomanagedthecalendar,contributorrelationships,andalltheediting.However,asweincreasedthenumberofposts—andwantedtoofferthebestpossibleexperienceto
ourcontributorsastheyarecoreofourcommunity—webrokethisintotworoles:onewhomanagesthecalendarandcontributorsandonewhohandlestheediting.
Forahigh-frequencybloglikeCMI,Ifarfavorthestructurewehavenow:
It’sveryhelpfultobounceideasoffeachother,includingwhatweshouldrun,whattitlesworkbest,etc.
It’samuchmoresustainablemodelthatallowsforpeopletotaketimeoffasneeded—andit’ssomethingthatwecanmoreeasilymanageifstaffingweretochange.
Tip:It’swortheverypennytohaveastrongcopyeditorrevieweverythingbeforeitispublished.Evenifyouhaveothereditorsontheteam,ithelpstohaveafreshperspectiveontheliveversionofthepieceandsomeonewhosesolefocusistoproofread.
Thatsaid,ifyouarestartingoutanddon’thavearigorouspostingschedule,youmaybeabletogetawaywithhavingtwopeopleontheteam:amanagingeditorwhoreviewsandschedulesallposts(andwritesasneeded)andacopyeditorwhocheckseverythingbeforepublication.
ThisissimilartothemodelweuseforIntelligentContent(oneofourbrandextensions).MarciaRieferJohnstonisthemanagingeditoroftheIntelligentContentblog.Sheisawriter,editor,andmemberofthecommunitywhoengagesinconversationsandasksgreatquestionsthatserveasfodderfortheblog.WepublishtwopostsperweekontheIntelligentContentblog,whichisamuchlowerfrequencythanfortheCMIblog,soMarcia’sroleisacombinationofLisaDougherty’sandAnnGynn’s.LisaHiggsproofreadsallposts,andIreviewallthecontentatahighleveltomakesureitisinlinewithCMI’soveralleditorialstrategy(asIalsodoforCMI).
Tip:Whilemanagingeditorshavecriticalskills,ifyouneedaneditorwhocanalsowrite(asisthecasefortheblogswehavelaunched),it’sveryusefultohiresomeonewithskills—andrelationships—inyourindustry.Notonlycanthispersonsniffoutgoodstories,butshecanalsofindthebestwritersinthespace(andcallinfavorsifneeded).
GENERALBLOGPROCESSTheCMIblogreceivesfarmoresubmissionsthanwecanaccept.Inmanyways,thisisagreatproblemtohave,butinotherways,it’salotofcommunicationtomanageforcontentwedon’tendupusing.Assuch,ourprocessforworkingwithallcontributorshasevolvedaswehavetriedtoreallyfocusourtimeonpublishingthebestpossiblecontentwhilealsorespectingallthepeoplewhoaregenerouswiththeirtimeandcontributions.
Herearethegeneralstepswefollow:
WereviewallpoststoseeiftheyareafitwiththemissionoftheCMIblog.LisaDoughertyisourpointofcontactforallwhosubmitposts,andsherespondstoallinquiries.
Tip:Ifyouhaveablogtowhichcontributorscansubmitcontent,it’susefultohaveblogguidelinesthatyoucaneasilyshare.Additionally,makeitclear,asCMIdoes,ifyouonlyacceptpoststhatarecomplete;wedon’tconsiderpitchesbecausethefulltextanauthorcreatesisoftenwhatdifferentiatesagoversusano-gopost.
Ifwequicklyknowthepostisnotafit,theauthorisnotified.
Iftheposthaspotential,itisenteredintooureditorialtracker/calendar(moreonthisbelow).WehavealsocreatedacentralrepositoryforallsubmissionsusingDropboxsoallpostscanbeeasilyaccessedbyalleditorialteammembers.I,asCMI’svicepresidentofcontent,amthefirstlineofdefenseandreviewallfeasiblesubmissionstoensureaglobalandpracticalfit.Fromthere,oneofthreethingshappens:
TheauthorofapostthatisnotafitisnotifiedbyLisa.
An“on-the-fence”postisreviewedbyAnn.Lisafollowsupwiththeauthortolethimorherknowmoretimemaybeneeded.
Adefinite-fitpostiseditedbyAnn.WeoftenexpediteeditingonsubmissionsthatarewellwrittenandfollowCMIblogguidelines,aswellthosefromregularcontributors.
Tip:Createtemplateresponsesforcommonsubmissionscenariosthatcanbecustomizedande-mailedbytheeditorialteam.Thesecansaveatremendousamountoftime(andtheyareespeciallyusefulwhenyourprimaryoutreachcontactisoutoftheoffice).
Afterablogpostsubmissionisconsideredviable,Lisawillthenscheduleitontheeditorialcalendar.Onthelineofitsrundate,sheincludesauthorname,headline,imagetype(customorCMIstockimage),generalstatus,anduploadstatus.
Managingourbloggershasbecomeanincreasingpriorityforus,andsomethingwewanttoinvestthetimeinto.CMIreliesheavilyoninfluencers,astheywriteforourblog,speakatourevents,participateinourTwitterchats,speakatourwebinars—andmore.It’salsocommonthattheyspreadthewordaboutCMI.Becauseofthis,ourbloggersarethekeyinfluencersforCMI—andtheindustryasawhole—sowewantthemtohavethebestpossibleexperience.
BLOGPUBLICATIONCHECKLISTSWhilechecklistshavetheirlimitations,theyareexceptionallyusefulinthepublicationprocess.Hereareafewofthechecklistsforeveryblogpostwepublish.
Tip:Itcanbehelpfultosetuptemplatesforpoststhathaverecurringelements.Forinstance,ourpodcastshownoteshavestandardsectionsandlinks.Theauthorusesthistemplatetocreatetheshownoteseachweek,whichsavestimeforboththeauthorandtheeditorialteam(andtheoutputismoreconsistent).
TheEditorialTeam’sChecklistThesequestionsarecheckedoffbeforetheblogposthasbeenfinalized:
EditorialChecklistArethereanyerrorsorinconsistencies?Doesthepostfollowalogicalconclusion?
Doesthepostincludeactionablenextsteps?Willareaderknowwhattodoafterreadingthis?
Doesthepostincludethingsthatmakeiteasytoskim?
–Areheadersdescriptive?
–Arekeypointsinbold?
–Arethereplaceswherebulletedlistsmakesense?
–Canweaddscreenshotstohelpillustrateorwalkthroughkeypoints?
Istheheadlineeffective?
Hasthepostbeenfact-checked?
Doesthepostincluderelevantinternal(CMI)linkstogivereadersmoreinfo(andhelpwithSEO)?
Aretheretoomanyexternallinks?Dothelinksprovideanexample,addrelevantdetail,orprovidesourceinfoforstats—notusedpurelyforlink-backorotherpromotionalpurposes?
Istherea“coverimage”thatservesasthemainimageforthepost—ordoesoneneedtobecreated?
Doesthepostincludearelevantcalltoaction?(WehavearunninglistofCTAsthattheeditorialteamcanuseforreference.It’samixofevents,offers,andmostpopularandusefulcontent.)
Isthereapreviouspostwhereweshouldaddalinktothenewpost?
Isthereanexcerptforthatpostthatis255charactersmaxthatcanbeusedfore-mailandsocialsharing?
Isthereametadescriptionthatis156charactersatmost?Thiswillbedisplayedinthesearchengineresults.
Tip:Keepalistoftop-performingpoststowhichyouwanttocontinuallylinkinotherthingsyoupublish.Wekeepthislistinoureditorialtracker.
Add“ClicktoTweet”ifappropriate.Thisisaneasywaytoprepopulatetweetsthatcoverkeypointsinapost.
Tip:Createabasicstyleguideforyourteam(evenifitisateamofone).Decideonwhichprofessionalstyleguideyouwanttogenerallyrely(CMIusesAPstyle)andthendevelopacustomaddendum(document)thatstipulatesyourbrand’svariationsorspecialcasesthatdeviatefromtheprimaryguide.CMI’sstyleguideisinGoogleDocs,towhichtheeditorialteam—andwholecompany—hasaccess.
Oncepostsgothroughtheeditingprocess,theysometimesneedtobereturnedtotheauthorforclarificationonsomequestionsoradditionalinformation.Inthesecases,thepostmaybereviewedmultipletimes.
PublicationChecklistsOncetheblogposthasbeenfinalized,Yatriloadsitintoourcontentmanagementsystem,WordPress.Hereareourpublicationchecklists:
GeneralSetuptheauthorprofileifheorsheisafirst-timeCMIauthor.
Setthepublicationdateandtime.
Selecttheappropriatecategories,whicharethemaintopicsofyourblog.(Forinstance,CMIcategoriesincludethingssuchascontentmarketingstrategy,visualdesign,andmeasurement.)
Selecttheauthor
Addthecover/mainimage.(Note:WealsouseYoast’sSEOplug-insowecanuploadimagesattherightsizeforsocial.)
AddallimagesandlabelaccordinglyforSEOoptimization.
Tip:AlltheassetsareuploadedtoDropboxfortheeditorialteamtoaccess.Eachauthorhashisorherownfolder,andallassetsarelabeledconsistentlywithauthorname_title_namereviewed_dateofversion.
ChecklistforTextElementsSubheadsshouldbeH2.
CMIlinksshouldopeninsametab.
Outsidelinksshouldopenintoanewtab.
CTAsshouldbeitalics,notbold.
UnderCTA,add“Coverimagevia…”andalinktothesource,ifavailable.
Add“more”tagtobeginningofpost(usually4lines/2paragraphsdowninthearticle.ThiskeepstheentirepostfromappearingontheCMIhomepage—onlyasnippetofthepostwillshowunlessvisitorsclick“ReadMore”).
Maintain1lineofspacebetweenanH2subheadandthecopybelowit.Alsoadd1lineofspacebetweenthecopyandabulletedlist.(IfyoudothisinWord,itshouldtransferautomaticallywhenflowedintoWordPress.)
SEOConsiderationsIncludethepermalink:4–5wordswithdashes;wordssomeonemayuseinalong-tailsearchquery.
Includetheexcerpt:235charactersmaxforsocial.
Writethemetadescription:156charactersmaxfortheSERP.
Uploadimages:limitto3–5wordswithdashes.Wordsinimagescanbesimilartotheheadlinebutnotidentical;changeuptheorderandaugmentwithanewwordthatreflectstheimage.
PreviewChecklist
Checkalllinks.
Makesureeverythingisdisplayingproperlyandallimagesarerenderingclearly.
Makesureformattingisconsistentandcorrect(e.g.,subheadsareH2;bulletpointsarealignedproperly;imagesaren’trunningintotextanywhere,etc.).
Readandverifylinksinauthor’sbio.
Makesureauthor’sbiopictureisshowingup.
Makesurethereis“Coverimageillustrationby…”credit.
OncepostsareloadedintoWordPress,YatriconnectswithCMI’se-mailteamsoitcanloadthedailye-mail.
ALOOKATOUREDITORIALTRACKER/CALENDARWehavebeenusingGooglespreadsheetsasthebasisforoureditorialcalendar/trackerforyears(althoughwearelookingintoanumberofnewtoolspresently).Likeeverythingelse,thisspreadsheethasevolved,andwekeepourcriticalcalendarsandlistinthisoneplace.Thisisthe“bible”foroureditorialteam.Thesearethetabsincluded:
Scheduleofupcomingposts.Thisisalsowherewetracknotessuchaspermalinksweneedtouse.
Postsinprocess.Thistabisarunninglistofeverypostweareworkingon,segregatedbywhichteammemberisworkingonthepost.(Forinstance,IhavethesectionforpostsIneedtoreview.IknowtolookhereinsteadofhavingtohaveLisae-mailmeeachtimeapostarrives.)
Prioritykeywords.Thesearethekeywordswewanttorankforaswellasdetailsoneach.
Editorialagenda.Theteamupdatesthistabwithanythingwewanttodiscussduringourweeklycheck-incalls.
Toppostsandpages.Thesearethepoststhatperformthebestthatwewanttopromotemoreheavilyviasocialorwithinoureditorial.
SEObestpractices.Thesearereminderstotheteamonthingssuchasimages,metadescriptions,andanythingrelatedtoSEO.
Brickcontent.Thistabtracksanybigcontentwehavecomingout.
Archivedblogposts.Alistofalltheblogpoststhathaverunforreference(wesimplymovethepublishedpostsfromthe“Scheduleofupcomingposts”tabhere).
Importantlinks.Thesearethingswerefertoregularlythatarehandytohaveinonespot.
Callstoaction.Thisisarunninglistofcallstoactionwecanuseinourblogposts.
Keytopics.Thesearetheprimarycategoriesweuseforourblogposts.
COMMUNICATIONSWITHAUTHORS
Oncepostsarescheduled,Lisareachesouttoauthorswithapreviewoftheirposts.Thisincludes:
Finaldraftofthepost
Publicationdate
Easyideasonhowtosharethepostviasocialchannels
Thisstepisuseful,notonlybecauseithelpsincreasethesharingofthepost,butbecauseitalsoensurestherearenosurpriseswiththefinalpost.
Tip:Lisadoesnotseekfinalapprovalfromtheauthors;however,bysendingtheauthorsthefinaldraftandincludingthepublicationdate,theauthorsknowtheyshouldreviewthepostandaddressanyconcernsbeforethatdate.
Authorsarealsonotifiedwhentheyreceivethefirstcommenttotheirlivepost.Lisaisnotifiedofallcomments,andourassistant,KimBorden,moderatesallcommentssowecanquicklyremoveanyspam.
Tip:Whileoursocialteamhasitsownsystemforcontentpromotion,theeditorialteamsociallysharesallpostsaswell.Authorshavenoticedthis—andhavebeenveryappreciative.
COMINGFULLCIRCLEOfcourse,wemeasurewhatwearedoingsowecanprovidemorecontentthatworks—andlessofwhatdoesnot.
WhileIoftendigintoGoogleAnalytics,welookatthepostsmoresystematicallyonamonthlybasis.Thedatawetrackinclude:
Publicationdate
Title
Author
Tweets
LinkedInshares
Facebooklikes
Othersocialshares
Totalsocialshares
E-mailconversionsfromthatpage
Pageviews
Manytop-performingpostshavehighsocialsharesaswellase-mailconversions,butthisisnotalwaysthecase.
Oncewehavealistoftopposts,wesharethosewiththeCMIteammembersviaourprivateLinkedIngroupandencouragethemtosharetheseintheirsocialnetworks(withprewrittentweetsfromourcommunitymanager,MoWagner),andLisaindividually
reachesouttoauthorswhohavetop-performingposts—andthosewewanttoworkwithagain.
WhileIthinkaboutprocessmorethanIeverimaginedIwould,it’scoretocreatingconsistent,high-qualitycontent.It’salsotheguardrailsandstructureweneedsowehavetimetothinkcreatively.
Index
Pleasenotethatindexlinkspointtopagebeginningsfromtheprintedition.Locationsareapproximateine-readers,andyoumayneedtopagedownoneormoretimesafterclickingalinktogettotheindexedmaterial.
Pagenumbersinitalicsrefertofigures.
The10XRule(Cardone),5
The7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople(Covey),4
AccidentalGenius(Levy),99
acquiringcontentassets,227–228
approachingthebestopportunity,232
determiningthepurchasevalue,232–233
determiningyourgoal,230
enteringfinalnegotiations,234
identifyingtheaudience,230–231
makingashortlistofplatforms,231
makingtheoffer(letterofintent),233
processofacquiringacontentplatform,230–234
activityvs.audience,279–280
Acunzo,Jay,58–60,78,285
Adorama,228
AdvantageMedia,206
advertising,250
nativeadvertising,250–256
AgencyPost,228
Airbnb,214
Albee,Ardath,242,284
Alvarado,Carissa,191
Alvarado,Michael,191
Amazon.com
CreateSpace,206
pressreleasemethod,73–74
AmericanExpress,262
analytics,78,100
Andreessen,Marc,249,259
Anniston,Jennifer,81
Anthony,David,117
ArtoftheStart2.0(Kawasaki),284
articles,86,88
aspirations,vs.needs,68–71
atomization,132
Audacity,222
audience,43
definingwhoyouraudienceis,44
minimumviableaudience(MVA),237
stealinganinfluencer’saudience,171–182
Seealsoharvestingaudience
Audience(Rohrs),148,205–206
audiencepersonas,52
Aweber,94
BackyardPoultrywiththeChickenWhisperer,219
Baer,Jay,38,56,75,81–82,100,285
JayToday,132–133
Baker,Sean,18
Barrett,Newt,102,205,208
TheBeginner’sGuidetoVine,191
beinghuman,87
“bestofbreed”goal,60–61,87
Bezos,Jeff,73
BigStock,165
Bitcoin,259–260
blogs,88,136,204,209
miningforbookcontent,205
blog-to-bookstrategy,205
bookproposals,207–208
BookBub,122
books,204
asplatformextensions,221
tipsforexecutingabook,204–208
brandscaping,166–167
Brandscaping(Davis),57,74,221
Brenner,Michael,164
Brogan,Chris,21
buildingthebase,19
Bullas,Jeff,81
businessnames,69
BuzzFeed,90–91,148,149,164–165
calendaringtools,106–107
calltoaction,280
Cardone,Grant,5
casestudies
AnnReardon,57–58
chefMichaelSymon,247
ContentMarketingInstitute,181–182
DigitalPhotographySchool,67–68
DwellMedia,115–116
JayToday,132–133
ChannelMaster,113
channelsilo,280
Chernov,Joe,102
TheChew,247
ChickenWhisperer.SeeSchneider,Andy(TheChickenWhisperer)
ChickenWhispererMagazine,219
TheChickenWhisperer’sGuidetoKeepingChickens(Schneider),219
ChiefContentCurator,115–116
ChiefContentOfficer,112
ChiefContentOfficermagazine,215,223–224
ChiefListeningOfficer,112
ChiefTechnologist,113
ChiliKlaus.SeePilgaard,Claus(ChiliKlaus)
Cho,Joy,269–275
ClaimYourFame,222
Clark,Brian,89,111,216,237
revenueexamples,249
Cleary,Ian,275
ClevelandClinic,146
CMIExecutiveForum,216
Coinbase,259–260
collaborativepublishingmodel,125–126
HuffingtonPost,126
process,126–128
reasonsforusing,126
remindersystemforcontributors,128–129
Collins,Jim,60,61
color,209–210
Comm,Joel,187
Conductor,155
conferences,258
consistency,86,177
contentacceptance,15–18
contentaudit,98,204–205
contentcalendar
calendaringtools,106–107
downloadabletemplate,108
elementstotrack,107–108
keepingthecalendarfilledandfocused,108–109
overview,105–106
settingup,106–108
workingahead,110
contentchannels,88–90
contentcuration,115–116,122
ContentCurationDirector,114
contentdiscovery/recommendationtools,167
contentideation
50questions,98–99
analyzinganalytics,100
employeediscussions,100–101
freewriting,99
GoogleAlerts,100
readingirrelevantbooks,102
socialnetworks,101–102
trackingcontentideas,101
Twitterhashtags,100
ContentInc.model,19–20
podcasts,283
risk,9–11,23–24
website,283
ContentInc.Summit,284
contentmarketing,79–81
principlesof,86–87
twoactionsforsuccess,5–7
ContentMarketing360,222
ContentMarketingAwards,230
ContentMarketingInstitute,5,21,69,242
howrolestranslateintorealproduction,117–118
missionandaudienceforms,48–51
revenueexamples,248
socialmediaplan,196–199
ContentMarketingPlaybook,88,181–182
ContentMarketingWorld,216,222–223
contentmissionstatements.Seemissionstatements
contentrepurposing.Seerepurposingcontent
contentsyndication,163–164
contenttilt,19
AnnReardon,57–58
askingpotentialreaders,76–78
changingterminology,79–81
defined,56–57
doingthework,81–82
findingyourcontentmarketinghedgehog,61–62
identifyingyourcontenttilt,73–82
leveragingGoogleTrends,74–76
missionstatements,65–71
pressreleasemethod,73–82
settingthe“bestofbreed”goal,60–61
andstart-ups,58–60
tellingadifferentstory,55–56
testing,78
contenttypes,136–137
mostpopular,87–88
contentvelocity,225
content-basedwebsites,88
control,89
Convince&Convert,285
Copyblogger,reachvs.control,89
CopybloggerMedia,242,261
Covey,Stephen,4
CreativeDirector,113–114
Crestodina,Andy,285
cross-mediamonetization,258–259
crowdfunding,259
Cruikshank,Lucas,275
custompublishing,79–81
customerpainpoints,39–40
wantsvs.needs,68–71
customersurveys.Seesurveys
Cutts,Matt,155
CVS,missionstatement,66
Davis,Andrew,57,74,142,166,176,209,221,232
decision,23
Delaplane,Mitch,169
DesignWorldmagazine,219
DesignWorldOnline,219
desire,21
TheDiamondMinecart,250
digitalevents,216
DigitalPhotographySchool,67–68,69,86,242
DigitalRelevance(Albee),284
DirectorofAudience,113
diversification,20
Doan,Al,144–146
Doan,Jenny,144–146
Doan,Ron,144–146
Doan,Sarah,144–146
Dougherty,Lisa,117
downloads
audiencepersonas,52
beginner’sguidetoFacebook,186
contentaudit,98
ContentMarketingPlaybook,88,181–182
contentmarketplaceoptions,121
editorialcalendartemplate,108
guidetocontentpromotion,169
reportoncontentdiscoverytools,169
Ducker,Chris,11
DuctTapeMarketing,142
Dumas,JohnLee,86,148,257
duplicatecontentpenalty,163
DwellMedia,115–116
e-books,136–137
editing,280
editorialcalendar.Seecontentcalendar
editorialmissionstatements.Seemissionstatements
editors,207
elevatorpitch,210
emcosmeticline,32
e-mailofferings,148–151
e-mailplatforms,94
e-mailsubscribers,147
Emich,Mike,219,229
Emma,94
employeediscussions,100–101
e-newsletters,88
EnterpriseSEOTools:TheMarketer’sGuide,160
Entrepreneurmagazine,245
EntrepreneurOnFire(EOF),86,148,150
reachvs.control,89–90
entrepreneurship,andrisk,9–11
EpicContentMarketing(Pulizzi),131–132,284
ESPN,211
EvanTubeHD,278
events,222–223,258
Evernote,102
trackinggoalswith,7
EverybodyWrites(Handley),97,284
Experiences:The7thEraofMarketing(RoseandJohnson),20,221,284
expertise,120
extensions.Seeplatformextensions
Facebook,90,141,185–186
ContentMarketingInstitute,196–197
controllingreachbyhidingposts,146
fans,148
hashtags,100
marketing,13–14
faith,21–22
Fallon,Jimmy,142–144
FastCompany,148,149
feedback,76–78
Fields,Jonathan,277
fillinganeed,86
findability,155
addingimagestotextcontent,164–165
answeringquestionsatQuora,163
brandscaping,166–167
contentsyndication,163–164
creatinguniqueresearch,163
“hitlist”ofkeywords,156–157
keywordselectiontips,158–161
lists,162
makingmostcontentungated,165–166
newsreleaseservices,169
paidcontentdistributionoptions,167
Reddit,162–163
searchengineoptimization,155–161
socialmediaadvertising,168
Stumbleupon,162
usingHelpaReporterOut(HARO),164
Seealsokeywordsearches
FireNationElite,257
Fishburne,Lawrence,55
Fishkin,Rand,216
Fleischer,Julie,92
FoldFactory,277
Forbes,212
founder,112
freeguides,136–137
freelancerandagencyrelations,114
freelancers
budgeting,122
developingtherightbusinessrelationship,121
expertisevs.personality,120
hiringtherightkindofwriter,120–121
outsourcingcontentto,118–121
testing,122–123
Seealsostaffing
freewriting,99
Freezerburns,276
Frey,Chuck,118
GameTheoryvideos,30–31,69,86,242
operationalizingcontent,119–120
reachvs.control,89–90
GarageBand,222
GetContentGetCustomers(PulizziandBarrett),208
gettingstuck,279–280
ghostwriters,207
Glass,Ira,81
Glossier,278
goals,4–5
“bestofbreed”goal,60–61
categories,5
tracking,7
worksheet,8
goingagainstthegrain,24
goingsmalltogobig,24
Goldberg,Natalie,99
TheGoodLifeProject,277
GoodtoGreat(Collins),61
Google,18,162
GoogleAdwords,KeywordPlanner,159
GoogleAlerts,100,174,181
GoogleAnalytics,100
GoogleHangout,178
GoogleKeywordSuggestTool,159
GoogleTrends,74–76,79,100
Google+,190
GoToWebinar,216
TheGrandBudapestHotel,52
Grothaus,Michael,271
guestposts,161–162
Hamilton,Missouri,144
Handley,Ann,97,138,284
HARO,164
Harris,Jodi,118
harvestingaudience,19
hashtags,100
Facebook,186
Twitter,186–187
hedgehogs,61–62
HelpaReporterOut,164
Hill,Napoleon,4,21–23
“hitlist”ofkeywords,156–157
hook,57,209–210
HowtoCookThat,57–58
Hoyt,Peter,69
HoytPublishing,69
HubSpot,79–81,102,228
Huffington,Ariana,126
HuffingtonPost,91,126,164–165
Hyatt,Michael,85,102
images,164–165
imagination,22
inboundmarketing,79–81
Inc.,212
missionstatement,66–67
IndiumCorporation,36,37
influencerlisteningtools,174
influencermarketing,171–172
assessingandoptimizingtheprogram,179
buildinghitlistofinfluencers,174–175
ContentMarketingInstitutecasestudy,181–182
creatingcontentworthsharing,174
determininghowmanyinfluencerstoadd,176
identifyingtherightinfluencers,173
makingthefirstconnection,177–178
managingtheprogram,173–174
measuringtheprogram,179–180
nurturinginfluencerrelationships,178
outreach,176
scalabilityofthecontent,179
settinggoals,172
SocialMedia4-1-1,176–177
waystoidentifyingpotentialinfluencers,175–176
influencerrelations,114,161–162,206
nurturinginfluencerrelationships,178
infographics,137
informationchannels,increaseinnumberof,14–18
in-personevents,215–216
Instagram,90,189
subscribers,147
In-StoreMarketingInstitute,69
IntegratedMarketingCommunications(Schultz),20
IntelligentContentConference,216,230
IronChefAmerica,247
Issacson,Walter,37
iTunes,86,89,222
subscribers,147
Jantsch,John,142
Janzer,Anne,260
JayToday,132–133
Jobs,Steve,37
JohnDeere,92,93
Johnson,Carla,20,284
JPGmagazine,228
Junta42,21
Kalinowski,Joseph,34,117
KalmbachFeeds,34
Kawasaki,Guy,284
Kessler,Doug,39–40,44,246
keyperformanceindicators(KPIs),179–180
KeywordDiscovery,159
keywordsearches,74–76,77
“hitlist”ofkeywords,156–157
keywordresearchsources,159
keywordselectiontips,158–161
Seealsofindability
Kickstarter,259
KISSmetrics,163,193
Kiyosaki,Robert,9
KlausWunderhits,32
Klontz,Britt,185–186
Klout,174,175
knowledge,defined,34
knowledgeareas,34–36
worksheet,35
Kozak,Laura,117
KraftFoods,92
Lacey,Karen,190
lackoffunds,23–24
legalentities,11
LEGO,276
letterofintent(LOI),233
Levy,Mark,99
LiberatedSyndicate,222
LightningSource,206,208
limitedliabilitycorporations.SeeLLCs
Linabarger,Scott,146
LinkedIn,90,187–188
connections,148
ContentMarketingInstitute,196,197
hashtags,100
Linn,Michele,109,117,153
listening,98–99
listeningposts,77–78
lists,162
LittleBird,174
LiveCurrentMedia,228
LLCs,11
Loomer,Jon,13–14,186,225
L’Oreal,228
Luke,Lauren,18–19
MacArthur,Amanda,74
magazines,223–224
MailChimp,94
Makeup.com,228
Maksymiw,Amanda,175–176
Mallon,Shanna,107
ManagingEditor,112
TheMarketer’sGuidetoMedium,193
TheMarketer’sGuidetoSlideShare(Wheatland),188,221
marketingautomationtechnology,150
Maron,Marc,258–259
Marriott,277
Mashable.com,190,191
mastheads,123
TheMatrix,55
Matthews,Gail,5
MaximizingLinkedInforSalesandSocialMedia(Schaffer),187
McAllister,Ian,73
McCafferty,Scott,219,229
McDermott,Clare,118
McDermott,Jim,77
McPhillips,Cathy,117,196
Medium,90,192–193
subscribers,147
MeermanScott,David,165
metrics
Facebook,141
focusingonsubscribers,142–144
makingallemployeesandcontractorsawareofthekeymetric,153
measuringaninfluencermarketingprogram,179–180
subscriberimportancehierarchy,146–148
Middleton,Daniel,250
Mildenhall,Jonathan,184
Miles,Jason,190
Miller,Jason,276–277
Mindjet,102
minimumviableaudience(MVA),237
missionstatements,46,65
CVS,66
DigitalPhotographySchool,67–68
Inc.,66–67
thePulizziMission,70
SouthwestAirlines,66
threepartsof,66
MissouriStarQuiltCo.,144–146
mobile-readysites,162
Momentummagazine,214
monetization,20
advertisingandsponsorship,250–256
benefactormodel,239–240
chefMichaelSymoncasestudy,247
conferencesandevents,258
ContentInc.example,237–239
cross-media,258–259
crowdfunding,259
generatingrevenueuntiltheproductisidentified,242
ifyoualreadysellsomething,261–263
limited-inventorymodel,240–241
micropayments,259–260
multiplerevenuesources,245–246
philanthropy,260
premiumcontent,257–258
products,260–261
revenueexamples,248–249
revenueripples,246
subscriptions,257
waitingforrevenue,237–243
waystomonetizeyourcontent,249–261
whentostartmonetizing,242
Moz,160,186,242,261
Mozcon,216
Muldoon,Pamela,118
Murdock,David,229
Murray,Mike,158–161
MurtonBeets,Lisa,118
MVA.Seeminimumviableaudience(MVA)
namingyourbusiness,69
nativeadvertising,250–251
benefitsof,255
bestwaytouse,255–256
examples,251–254
whyit’sneither,256
needs
fillinganeed,86
vs.wants,68–71
NewYorkTimes,91
Newport,Cal,37
NewsCred,164
NextViewVentures,58
Ng,Greg,276
nRelate,167
Nutella,186
O’ConnorAbrams,Michela,115–116
Odden,Lee,285
OhJoy!,269,272
ON24,216
one-on-oneconversations,77
OPC,guestappearancesin,161–162
OpenviewVenturePartners,91
OrbitMediablog,285
Ostroff,Jess,11
otherpeople’scontent.SeeOPC
Outbrain,167
outsourcingcontent,118–121
paidcontentdistributionoptions,167
Palazzo,Nick,277
Paltrow,Gwyneth,94,94
passion
replacingwithcustomerpainpoints,39–40
unleashing,37
workingwithout,38
patience,23,278–279
Patrick,Matthew(MatPat),29–31,37,78,86,246
operationalizingcontentforGameTheory,119–120
payperclick,167
PentonMedia,4
Periscope,187
persistence,23
personality,120
PewDiePie,278
Phan,Michelle,32–33,37,111
revenueexamples,248
philanthropy,260
Pilgaard,Claus(ChiliKlaus),31–32,37
tellingadifferentstory,56
Pineapplemagazine,214
Pinterest,90,184,189–190
subscribers,147
PinterestPower(MilesandLacey),190
Pippity,151
ThePivot,246
Plank,Kevin,60
Platform(Hyatt),85
platformextensions,219
addingchannelswithinthesameplatform,220
events,222–223
extendingwithcurrentbrandintonewplatforms,220
magazines,223–224
mostcommonextensions,221
podcasts,222
platforms,85–86
books,221
choosingachannel,86,88–90
choosinghowtotellstories,86
convertingsubscribers,90
e-mailplatforms,94
TheFurrowmagazine,92,93
Goop,94,94
KraftFood&Family,92
OpenviewLabs,91
principlesofcontentmarketing,86–87
reachvs.control,89–91
websitepublishingplatforms,93–94
podcasts,86,88
gettingstarted,222
asplatformextensions,222
pointofview,87,280
Point-of-PurchaseInstitute,69
pop-overs/pop-ups,151–152
ThePowerofVisualStorytelling(Walter),189
PPC.Seepayperclick
PRNewswire,164,169
PRWeb,169
pressreleasemethod,73–74
Price,Seth,259,260
print,212–215
printsubscribers,147
ProPublica,260
Problogger,67
process,280
productofferings,20–21
Pulizzi,Joe,38,117,208
Pulizzimissionstatement,70
Quora,163
RazorSocial,275
reach,89,146
Reardon,Ann,57–58,250
RedBullMediaHouse,276
Reddit,163
Reeves,Keanu,55
reimaginingcontent,138
Seealsorepurposingcontent
repurposingcontent,131–132
benefitsof,134–135
blog-to-bookstrategy,131–132
JayToday,132–133
keycontenttypes,136–137
process,135–136
resources,283–285
revenueripples,246
reviewinggoals,5–7
RieferJohnston,Marcia,118
risk,9–11,23–24
RiverPools&Spas,44–46,98–99,246,261–262
RockandRollCocktail.com,276–277
Rohrs,Jeff,148,205–206
Rose,Robert,20,118,121,131,221,222,256,284
Rowse,Darren,67–68,86
revenueexamples,249
Scorporations,11
salesspeak,avoiding,87
Salesforce.com,205–206
Schaffer,Neal,187
Schneider,Andy(TheChickenWhisperer),33–34,37,69,111,219
missionstatement,46
revenueexamples,248
Schultz,Don,20
Schwab,Charles,37
Scrivener,102
Seah,David,275
searchengineoptimization,155–156
selfishcontentmarketing,279
SEMrush,159
SEOChat,GoogleKeywordSuggestTool,159
SerpStat,159
SheerSEO,159
Sheridan,Marcus,38,44–46,98–99
Short,Rick,36,37
Shutterstock,165
skill,defined,34
slideshows,137
SlideShare,188
ContentMarketingInstitute,197–198
Pro,152
Smartcuts(Snow),284
Smith,Mari,146,210
SMOSH,90
Snapchat,193
Snow,Shane,284
socialchannels,90
socialmedia,18
advertising,168
listeningto,78
SocialMedia4-1-1,176–177,181
socialmediacontentplan
ContentMarketingInstitute’sexampleplan,196–199
keyelementsof,193–195
SocialMediaExaminer,88,125
socialmediaintegration,183
channelstoconsider,185–193
customizing,185
focus,184
testing,184
SocialMention,159
socialnetworks,101–102
SorryforMarketingblog,285
SoundCloud,86
SouthwestAirlines,missionstatement,66
speaking,204
waystogetspeakinggigs,208–211
specializedknowledge,22
Speechpad,132
sponsoredcontent.Seenativeadvertising
sponsorship,250
STACKMedia,277–278
staffing,111
fleecingthemasthead,123
flexibilitywithcontractors,123–124
forgettingemployees,280
howrolestranslateintorealproduction,117–118
operationalizingcontentforGameTheory,119–120
roles,111–114
Seealsofreelancers
start-ups,andcontent,58–60
Statcounter,163
Steiger,Paul,260
Stelzner,Michael,14,125,216
Stitcher,86,222
stoppingproducingcontent,279
Stratten,Scott,284–285
stream-of-consciousnesswriting,99
stringers.Seefreelancers
Stumbleupon,163
Subler,Amanda,118
subscribers
attractingwithane-mailoffering,148–151
focusingon,142–144
hierarchy,146–148
makingallemployeesandcontractorsawareofthekeymetric,153
tipsforgainingsubscribers,151–152
SubscriptionMarketing(Janzer),260
subscriptions,257
SurfStitchGroup,228
SurveyMonkey,77
surveys,76–78
sweetspot,19
addingaudienceto,43–52
alternativeview,39–40
defined,31
Symon,Michael,247
syndicatingcontent,163–164
Taboola,167
talentavailability,15
Tangerine,18
TapInfluence,174
technologybarriers,15
terminology,changing,79–81
Thiel,Peter,55–56,69
ThinkandGrowRich(Hill),4,21–23
ThinkMoneymagazine,213
ThisAmericanLife,81
ThisOldMarketing,222,250
threeandthreemodel
blogs,204
books,204–208
digitalevents,216
in-personevents,215–216
print,212–215
speaking,204
thethreebusinessstrategies,211–216
thethreepersonalstrategies,203–211
Timemagazine,91
TheTonightShow,142–144
TopRankOnlineMarketingblog,285
Traackr,174
troubleshooting,279–280
TheTrueSecretofWriting(Goldberg),99
Tumblr,90,192
subscribers,147
Tweetdeck,100
Twitter,181,186–187
ContentMarketingInstitute,196
followers,148
hashtags,100
TwitterPower3.0(Comm),187
UnderArmour,60
UnSellingandUnMarketing(Stratten),284–285
Upworthy,166–167
UstheDuo,191
Vannucci,Angela,118
Vaynerchuck,Gary,275–276
velocity,225
ViceMedia,90–91
videos,86,88,137,209
Vine,191
virtualassistants,11
Wagner,Monina,117,196
Walter,Ekaterina,189
wants,vs.needs,68–71
webanalytics,78,100
WebCEO,160
webinars,216
websitepublishingplatforms,93–94
Weiss,Emily,278
Weiss,Michael,185
Wheatland,Todd,184,188,221,246
Williams,Evan,192
Witkowski,Trish,277
WordPress,86,89,93–94
WordTracker,159
worksheets
missionandaudience,48
MySixGoalAreas,8
WheretoStart?,35
writingdowngoals,4–7
WTWHMedia,219,220,229
Yext,148
YikYak,193
YouTube,86,89–90,190
cookingvideos,57–58
GameTheoryvideos,30–31
MissouriStarQuiltCo.,145
subscribers,147
YouTubeMarketingPower(Miles),190
ZerotoOne(Thiel),55–56
Zimmerman,Chad,277
AbouttheAuthor
JoePulizziisanentrepreneur,speaker,author,podcaster,father,andloverofallthingsorange.He’sthefounderofmultiplestart-ups,includingtheContentMarketingInstitute(CMI),theleadingcontentmarketingeducationalresourceforenterprisebrands,recognizedasthefastest-growingbusinessmediacompanybyInc.magazinein2014.CMIisresponsibleforproducingContentMarketingWorld,thelargestcontentmarketingeventintheworld(heldeverySeptemberinCleveland,Ohio),aswellastheleadingcontentmarketingmagazine,ChiefContentOfficer.Hebeganusingthetermcontentmarketingbackin2001.CMIalsooffersadvisoryservicesforinnovativeorganizationssuchasHP,AT&T,Petco,LinkedIn,SAP,theGatesFoundation,andmanyothers.
Joeisthewinnerofthe2014JohnCaldwellLifetimeAchievementAwardfromtheContentCouncil.Joe’sthirdbook,EpicContentMarketing:HowtoTellaDifferentStory,BreakThroughtheClutter,andWinMoreCustomersbyMarketingLess,wasnamedoneoftheFiveMust-ReadBusinessBooksoftheYearbyFortuneMagazine.Joehasalsocoauthoredtwootherbooks,GetContentGetCustomersandManagingContentMarketing.Joehasspokenatmorethan400locationsin15countriesadvancingthepracticeofcontentmarketing.He’sdeliveredkeynotespeechesforeventsandorganizationsincludingSXSW,NAMM,FortuneMagazine’sLeadershipSummit,Disney,CiscoSystems,OracleEloqua,DuPont,SAP,HP,andDell.
Joenotonlywritesoneofthemostinfluentialcontentmarketingblogsintheworld;hewritesacolumnforEntrepreneur.comandLinkedIn.YoucanalsohearJoeonhispodcasts,ThisOldMarketingandContentInc,thecompanionpodcasttothisbook.Ifyouevermeethiminperson,he’llbewearingorange.JoelivesinCleveland,Ohiowithhiswifeandtwoboys.YoucanfindJoeonTwitter@JoePulizzi.