Brian Solis and Vocus just released a research report about what marketing executives think of online influence. When asked what the single most important action a brand can take to increase their influence online, 50% of marketers answered – create and share compelling content.
This research is in line with our recent findings that marketers are increasing their spending on content marketing.
Just Create Content?
At first glance, the solution looks simple – create lots of compelling, valuable content and customers and prospects are drawn to you. Two points on this…
- Creating compelling content is THE most challenging issue for marketers today (36% cite it as the biggest challenge). It’s not easy.
- Creating quality content by itself is not enough.
There is still a belief with many marketers that if they create quality content, the customers will come. Yes, content is at center of our marketing today, and definitely at the center of our social media.
Go out and create great content. Be the leader in your industry because you consistently share value. BUT, share it. Find out where your customers are hanging out and be there. That means online, offline and even in print. Get involved in authentic conversations.
You simply cannot be the trusted leader or content partner without actively being a part of the conversation. This is easy to say but hard to do (this is incredibly difficult for large brands).
Quality content is not enough. There is no silver bullet.
