So many new online marketers and small businesses new to the online aspect of their business ask us, “Just what is content marketing?” As my mentor and co-worker, Shari Voigt, pointed out so well in her post to Express Marketing Memo, it’s the many ways you present yourself interactively online. In order for you to be useful, you need to offer a constant stream of information, and quite frankly, it’s hard for most businesses to offer content effectively and still do the day-to-day activities involved in running a business. Many companies choose to outsource that function, and in an effort to meet that need, we offer content marketing packages.
Shari and I were talking about the difficulties beginners face when it comes to content marketing. As we mulled it over, we started talking about what doesn’t work. Basically, there are businesses we would never respond to because of their annoyance factor or the poor presentation. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that to be you. Let’s hit on those issues so you’re better prepared when you hit the online world.
Blogging:
Let’s keep it relevant. Your title should reflect the material being covered in the blog. Links should be helpful and serve to support statements made by you.
Newsletters:
Is your newsletter just a sales page invitation for an expensive program that I have to purchase to know whatever the heck you’re talking about in the first place? An opening bait title question should be answered without having to read an entire, meaningless newsletter that when finished, still has not answered the question. Hint: If your title asks a question, answer it and please do it quickly.
Social Marketing:
This is an important component to your content marketing strategy. Its effective, fun, and time-consuming. When I’m interacting with other businesses and potential clients, getting constant machine-gun style rapid fire updates on your next teleseminar, countdown to it, or repetitive quotes that are obviously automated, I don’t see who on earth would respond to that. Those type of updates don’t make me say to myself, “OOH! OOH! I’m dying to talk to YOU, obviously you have what I’m looking for!”
Also, if you catch yourself talking about food constantly, and you’re not a chef selling food or marketing your restaurant, think about how that looks to everyone in the free world.
ALLRIGHTEE then. Enough about that from me, any of you agree with me? Love to hear it, comment below!
Photo Credit: Chris Friese on Flickr
Related Posts: What Is Content Marketing?
