29. May 2023

Epic Content Marketing

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These are my notes from reading Joe Pulizzi's book on Epic Content Marketing.

Content Marketing Overview

If we, as businesses, deliver consistent, valuable information to buyers, they’ll ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.

Other types of copy that content marketing is different to:

  • Sales collateral
  • Feature and benefit marketing
  • Customer testimonials

This stuff is when the customer is ready to buy.

Content marketing preps customers when they’re not yet ready.

Content is just . . . content, unless it’s driving behavior change in your customers and prospects. Then it’s called “content marketing.”

Shifting away from Paid Media

Why is there a shift away from from paid media and towards brand created/owned content

  1. No tech barriers
  2. Journalists are now working with non-media companies
  3. Consumers are now expecting content to be made for them
  4. Social media only works with consistent and compelling information
  5. Google’s search prioritises content sharing

The Business of Content Marketing

Money Flow

Media companies get paid for their content.

E.g. Exclusive courses etc…

Non-media companies profit by using content to get more leads and retention.

E.g. Dental blog for dentist

Example of Media Business Model

Revenue for providing content:

  • Daily web content
  • Monthly webinars
  • In person events
  • Advertising

Example of Content Supported Business Model

Lego’s Challenge: Easy to copycat

Lego’s Strategy: Build up the Brand

How they did it:

  • Microsites for each line of product
  • Video content, movies etc
  • Fan sharing of toys in use
  • Social network for kids
  • Magazine

Advantages over The Bigger Guy

  • Limited resources
    • Companies don’t have unlimited resources
  • Equal footing
    • Presenting your own spin through your own content is as powerful as the big publishers
  • Media companies have to satisfy two stakeholders
    • The reader
    • The advertiser who gives them money
    • Sometimes having the advertiser makes the content suffer

How to take over

  • Focus on Mobile consumption
    • Make your website optimised for mobile (responsive etc)
  • Hire journalists and writers
  • Repurpose your content
    • Create many smaller pieces of content from the one event
  • Rent-To-Own
    • Partnering with media companies through webinars etc
  • Add formal editing to your pipeline
  • Buy a media company
  • Make your audience the first priority

Content Marketing Maturity

Tier Description Details
1 Content Aware Making content to get SEO and SERP rankings
2 Thought Leader Deliver content beyond your core customers
3 Story Teller Upgrade your customers, creates excitement and engagement for non-customers

Potential hurdles

If you're not seeing results with your current content, it could because of these reasons:

  1. You-focused content
  2. Fear of failure
  3. Bar is too low
  4. Source of your content can be better
  5. Incongruent storyline across different channels
  6. You don’t push yourself to discomfort
  7. No CTA
  8. Too focused on one channel
  9. Backup plan gives you an easy way out
  10. No content owner
  11. No C-Level buy in
  12. You need to follow your customers
  13. Your niche is not well defined
  14. You create content too slowly
  15. Distribution is inconsistent
  16. Your content is not search optimised

Content Principles

Things to keep in mind when writing content:

  • Fill a need
  • Be consistent
  • Be human
  • Have a point of view
  • Avoid sales speak
  • Be the best of breed

Attributes of good content

What makes a good content product:

  • Real-time
  • Fact-Driven
  • Visual
  • Efficient in resource use
  • Curated

Content Marketing Process

How to create a marketing process:

  • Define the goal or objective
  • Define the audience
  • Understand how the audience buys
  • Choose your content niche
  • Develop your content marketing mission statement

Goals of Content Marketing

  • Brand awareness and reinforcement
  • Lead conversion or nurturing
  • Customer conversion
  • Customer service
  • Customer loyalty and retention
  • Upsell
  • Passionate subscribers

Content is an asset

Blogs and podcasts can provide value way past its initial launch

Content can be repurposed