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?

I’m often involved in conversations with small business owners regarding their marketing materials, and lately I’ve notice a disturbing trend. There’s  an ever increasing gap between companies who hold integrity dear, and the companies that they compete with. Reputable companies competing with their unscrupulous adversaries leave the consumer/client with little to go on but what’s provided in promotional material. Now your potential customer has to dig pretty deep to know who’s good for what, and you’re left with two large responsibilities–business ethics and conveying them.

When you provide a service or product that exceeds client expectation, you increase your competitive edge by a wide margin. When they can see it coming because of the way you present yourself, it’s an even wider gap.

Conversely, if you haven’t taken the time to update your service or product offerings and then market them to the best of your ability, you cheat both your client and your company.

The conundrum in the world of writing copy appears to be the same as in the IT staffing business. Getting your audience to understand your message is the key. Not just ‘putting it out there’ by using the right words and phrases, (of course, that is what we do here at ZTSM!), but taking that extra step to ensure your potential client ‘gets it.’ That actually involves quite a bit of internal communication to accomplish.

I was talking to Mike Hanes, President of ProVisionTech Group , about this just the other day. He stands strong against unethical business practices in the IT professional staffing circuit.

In an effort to boost quota, many recruiting/staffing agencies will pass along unqualified candidates for IT positions. Looking the other way is fairly common within the IT staffing community because:

1. There are fewer and fewer qualified professionals to choose from, and
2. Filling positions accurately depends on every member of the recruiting team understanding the same evolving language.

Mike and I bonded over that element. We both feel our companies operate with integrity and fill a lacking need–effective communication both internally (between co-workers), and externally (from our services to our client base). We agree that one of the largest barriers to serving our respective communities exists when the people we know we can help, have been burned by previous experiences.

How do your potential customers/clients know they can trust you?

Make sure your clients know exactly what you stand for through your presentation. If as a nation we’re ever going to re-establish trust in the marketplace, we’d better make sure we’re holding fast to ethical business practices, and we’d better make sure our clients know it!

Photo Credit: eeekay’s photography on flickr

When sales decline, budgets tighten and typically, the first area to be scrutinized for cutback is promotion and marketing. Part of the magic of marketing is the ability to create perception. Businesses must create and maintain a perception that they are critical, viable and resilient.

An example of this is your local auto dealership. Even when sales are in a slump, they continue to run weekly ads in local newspapers. Why? To maintain their customers’ perception that things are just fine. Of course the automobile is an intricate part of the American psyche. Give the perception that the local automobile dealership isn’t viable and the ripple effect can reach far and wide.

If your business wasn’t perceived as resilient, what would your customers likely do? Keeping customers aware of your products, services and existence is crucial especially during tough times. When the situation improves, you’ll be clearly visible as the “go to” resource that is ready to meet the customer’s needs.

We’re not advocating a continuation of a full speed ahead, spare the expense approach. You will have to adjust and tweak to work within a leaner budget. With the right strategic mix, the perception can be maintained that you are viable and ready to serve. Do not let your customers lose sight of your business. What’s the saying…”Out of sight out of mind.”

Remember that your customers’ perception of you IS your brand. Your brand image is far more than your logo, store front, and marketing collateral. It’s how your customers and potential customers perceive everything about your business.

So when the budget belt tightens, a sound marketing strategy is key to both short and long term business goals. Perception can work for or against your company. Make sure to keep it working for you.

Can you afford not to?