Just read this article by Steve Tobak on bnet entitled "What You Need to Know about Branding." Very cool article and worth checking out. In the article, Steve contends that there are five key points that every manager needs to know about branding, and IMO he is dead on.
As I was reading the final three points, I wanted to take out the word "branding" and replace it with "content marketing." And so I did. See below.
Content marketing strategy is not a one-off; it’s a component of your overall corporate strategy. Hopefully that begins with some sort of strategic planning process that defines your company’s vision, goals, and key strategies. Content marketing strategy is integrated and aligned with those.
Content marketing...is about using certain tools to achieve strategic and operating goals. For example, content marketing can be used to position similar or the same products in different market segments, typically at different pricing levels. That means changing perception without changing the product -a neat trick.
There are a myriad of decisions and tradeoffs involved in developing the right content marketing strategy for a company and its products and services. There is method to the madness. For example, a product line’s goals, market requirements, and value proposition will lead to a unique content marketing strategy. At least it should.
Key points:
Creating relevant, compelling and consisting content that works takes planning and investment. It's much more challenging to develop content that creates a connection and fosters engagement than placing a TV spot or an ad (which is one of the reasons why more companies aren't doing it more). It also can create an asset that has a much longer shelf life.
More companies are starting to realize this. As they do, it will even be more difficult to cut through the clutter. I have the feeling that we'll look back on content marketing now with nostalgia as the good old days...when it was pretty easy to get content delivered and noticed by customers. Tomorrow we'll have to be better...our customers deserve it.
Helpful Resources
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann Handley EMAIL: ann@marketingprofs.com IP: 24.147.28.154 URL: http://www.annhandley.com DATE: 10/13/2008 09:08:21 AM Joe -- Love this money quote: "Creating relevant, compelling and consisting content that works takes planning and investment. It's much more challenging to develop content that creates a connection and fosters engagement than placing a TV spot or an ad (which is one of the reasons why more companies aren't doing it more). It also can create an asset that has a much longer shelf life." Highlight that as a pull quote in 36-point type! Nice. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/13/2008 11:27:17 AM Thanks Ann. Right on... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Talking to a CEO about Social Media Is Like Talking to My Mom STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: talking-to-a-ce CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/09/2008 09:39:52 PM ----- BODY:First off, no offense Mom. I love you.
To my mom, social media is a place or places. It's Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Social Media is Not a Place STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: social-media-is CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/09/2008 09:35:58 PM ----- BODY:Here is a interesting article from Mediapost regarding a report about how consumers expect companies to interact with them through social media. The report states that 93% of Americans believe that a company should have a presence in social media.
First off, most of the people I talk to outside of the marketing realm don't even know what social media is. Just ask your parents and you'll know what I mean (no offense Mom). Yes, granted I'm from Cleveland-area, but we do get Internet here. We also have running water.
Whether or not the statistics in the report resemble the truth or not (which I don't believe they do) is not the point.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Trickle Out of Traditional Media into Content Marketing Turns to Flood Starting Now STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-trickle-out CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 10/08/2008 10:39:37 AM ----- BODY:
I have been hesitant to push this concept too much, but the evidence is just too vast to ignore anymore. Those of you who are readers of this blog know that I've been talking about the push into content marketing from traditional media for years.
It's not like that's any big revelation. We've been seeing traditional print and now even online display revenues take a beating at media companies. Layoffs and restructuring abound (even at Gawker and MySpace). Technology and consumer behavior has changed the landscape entirely and a new business model has emerged.
But, until this point, it has been happening slowly. The 20% of traditional media spending that was chopped off after the 2001-2003 recession never came back, but it did stabilize, where we were seeing flat spending across the board in most industries. Over the past five years, marketers have been slowly socking away more money into their own content efforts, and pulling pennies from traditional media space to do it.
The economic "crisis" (or whatever you want to call it) will fundamentally change where marketing dollars go. Frankly, I've been surprised that more companies haven't taken this on sooner. Yes, companies spend between 27 and 30% of their budgets on their own content, but that number should be more like 50%. The case for content - engagement, search engine optimization, lead generation - it's there, no doubt about it.
Here's the news though. Yes, advertising spending will drop substantially over the next year+. And yes, money will be moving around quite a bit, with more (even though a much smaller dollar number), going into online marketing. But the shift from traditional to content marketing activities will happen swiftly because of one big reason now - marketers now have the excuse they needed.
Seems almost silly, but marketing departments in larger companies are often times slow to move (you know who you are). They have well-worn paths with agencies and marketing partners that go back years and decades. Over the past five years, marketers have been testing and "playing around with" creating their own content on a significant basis (much like P&G does with HomeMadeSimple.com and BeingGirl.com), but we haven't seen the significant "shift" as of yet.
This recession/crisis/slowdown is the excuse that marketers will use for moving traditional money out and getting creative. That means significant moves into content - blogs, articles, white papers, video series, variable enewsletters, eBooks - heck, even custom magazines are still hanging in there. If they are not already doing so, most companies will evolve themselves into true publishers of media, targeted to their specific segments of customers and prospects.
In the previous recession five years ago, most of this "content" stuff was still unproven (even though content marketing spending is in excess of $30 billion dollars per year). Today, we know it works, and marketers, although still a bit unsure and tentative, are licking their chops to move money into this area.
Inform or entertain. Inform or entertain. Say it again...inform or entertain. That's how engagement is created. That's how you become a part of the conversation. That's how you create a dialogue and stop shouting. Both are tough to do today without creating relevant, compelling and consistent content.
How do I know all this? I have the opportunity to talk with custom publishers on a regular basis. These are the guys that traditionally have provided content services for companies (although that is changing fast - but that's for another blog post). You know what? Business is up almost across the board. Sure, there are a few big programs that have been cut, but those are being replaced by other new content projects.
Hmmm....end of times are here, and business is up. Odd, to say the least.
Marketers are starting to get creative. With this, we are seeing the biggest marketing supplier shakeup in history. Publishers, custom publishers, pr firms, advertising agencies, interactive firms, SEO/SEM firms are all going after this thing called "content" (call it what you will...content marketing, custom publishing, custom content, branded content, corporate content, etc.). The next five years will be the wild wild west of mergers, buyouts and closings we have ever seen in the marketing industry. Those that understand the value of content (from a journalistic standpoint) will win.
If this prediction was available in a stock, I'd bet the farm.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann Handley EMAIL: ann@marketingprofs.com IP: 24.147.28.154 URL: http://www.annhandley.com DATE: 10/08/2008 11:48:40 AM I agree, Joe, that content is increasingly playing a bigger role in marketing, and that organizations are starting to see the value of it. The challenge, of course, is to keep the standards high, to create "relevant, compelling and consistent content," as you say. To focus on the content as content first, in other words, and content as marketing second. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/08/2008 01:49:26 PM Agree 100% Ann. I guess the question I keep running into is this...In the future, will information be marketing? And if so, how will organizations set up their marketing departments to churn out consistently good editorial-type content? I talked to a CEO from one of the leading content agencies the other day who said that in 20 years, companies won't have a need for outside publishers or content agencies because they will have to develop those competencies internally. Interesting. Thanks for the post. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom Peric EMAIL: tom@thegalileo.com IP: 68.45.91.202 URL: http://www.thegalileo.com DATE: 10/09/2008 11:09:32 AM Joe, the comment by the CEO is intriguing. But the real relevant observation is this one: Will people READ the content? And act upon it? Companies, with the rarest of exceptions, are almost psychically incapable of NOT beating their own drum, thus sounding like a sales pitch and not balanced content. They are seldom objective, never daring and completely lack humor. If companies believe that the public is essentially dumb and if that presumption is accurate, they will do fine, churning out pseudo-content. If, however, the public proves they are not as dumb or naïve as many companies believe they are, businesses are in trouble. And that means they're going to need content-journalists. Amen. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/09/2008 11:41:02 AM Tom...you are correct. That's why corporations are starting to understand that they need to stop pitching and start creating valuable, relevant and compelling content (content marketing). Smart ones are hiring custom publishers and journalists (like yourself) to help them succeed in this area. The companies that don't realize the importance of content...well...that's another blog post. Cheers my friend. Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mary Mangold EMAIL: mary@wildwebwest.com IP: 206.63.79.254 URL: http://www.wildwebwest.com DATE: 10/09/2008 04:12:14 PM Hi Joe. You know of course that your book Get Content - Get Customers is my bible and helps me to beat the drum for small and mid sized web customers to open their eyes to the remarkable shift from budget busting traditional advertising toward online self publishing and content marketing. As a web services provider and content journalist, I have been thinking about the economic crisis alot and devouring information online to make sense of it all. This morning, I found your excellent article in my inbox. Wow! Your words reinforce my own sense of focus - good capitalist minded thinkers will come round to perceiving CMS and digital media tools as a mode of survival through tough times ahead. I'm convinced that "thinkers" will unite online to carry forward the traditions of the American Spirit in a paradigm shift that will change the way we operate forever. No matter how tough things get, our online world is not going away. Its going to be here through thick and thin, new world economy or not. As always Joe, I thank you for your knowledge and your inspiration. Thus far, I have experience a surge in my own business model to consult, setup, launch and empower my web customers to utilize the powerful tools available through online Content Management Systems. Let the flooding begin! Your fan, Mary ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/09/2008 04:19:50 PM Mary...you are an inspiration yourself. Thanks for the kind words, and, it's only a matter of time...keep the faith. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 67.133.155.34 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 10/09/2008 05:39:48 PM Hey Joe, We are in the midst of this selling season and are A) pitching "content marketing" on a consistent basis and B) having *both* agencies and direct customers asking great questions about it. Our sales professionals are understanding the concept much better and know there is money to be made selling it. The ad agencies and marketers intuitively know they better keep an open mind about it and move the budgets accordingly. As we see the financial world fall apart and media companies struggling - content marketing is a beacon of opportunity in otherwise tough market conditions. Keep up the evangelizing - I know I will. JM ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/09/2008 08:58:34 PM Jeff...love it, love it, love it. These are the types of comments that makes it all worth doing. Thanks for spreading the gospel. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Carmen Vj EMAIL: newwebkinz@yahoo.com IP: 24.186.117.115 URL: http://buy-your-webkinz.blogspot.com/2008/10/newest-webkinz-to-buy.html DATE: 10/11/2008 02:57:41 PM Content is still king. I am glad to hear that. I have been doing this content thing for years and my game has definitely got to get better. This side of the business will become more competitive indeed. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: inquire@paulconley.com IP: 98.113.150.150 URL: http://paulconley.blogspot.com/ DATE: 10/12/2008 11:46:36 AM Hi Joe, I agree that the trickle is turning into a flood. But that concerns me. Very few marketers understand the difference between content marketing and traditional public-relations or marketing-communications efforts. Heck, most custom publishers don't understand the difference either. I'm worried that as the amount of crap in the market skyrockets, it will dwarf the amount of engaging content. As a result, marketers who produce useless stuff on their own (or buy useless stuff from custom publishers) will complain endlessly about the money they wasted on content marketing. And within months we'll find that the conventional wisdom is that content marketing doesn't work. Here's an example of what I mean. So far this year I've had three different companies approach me about ghost writing a blog for a senior executive. In each instance I told them I could not think of a worse idea than a ghost-written blog. I offered instead to help the senior executive learn to blog on his own. In every case the company thanked me for my time and said they would find someone else. And I'm quite sure they did. I know I'm not the only person to run into such problems. David Meerman Scott did a piece the other day on worst practices in corporate blogging. All of us have seen the sorts of things he's talking about: http://tinyurl.com/3lkxcd I wish we could slow the process down a bit. I'd like to see more people spending more time studying best practices before they get into the game. But I don't think that will happen. And I worry what that will mean for this movement. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/12/2008 08:01:31 PM Hi Paul...really interesting take on this topic. I agree with everything you've said, to a point. I wish I had a crystal ball, and can only guess at what will happen...but here it is. Yes, there will be more worthless content spread out there than ever before. We are entering a period of massive content experimentation, which I believe is mostly good. During this phase, a lot of companies will get this wrong (as you note with your blog example). Some companies will learn, adapt, and start to build on significant content assets and online conversations. Others will flounder. If it's anything content marketing shows us, it's that it is NOT easy. We all continually need to beat the drum on how best to tell the story and how best to involve your company in customer conversations. Long story short, you are right, but consumers are too smart to get caught up in the crap, and corporations will need to learn quickly. If businesses decide to abandon content marketing because they feel it doesn't work, then they will really be in trouble, because some company that learns how to do it will kick the crap out of them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Arjun Basu EMAIL: abasu@spafax.com IP: 207.139.42.35 URL: DATE: 10/14/2008 10:46:39 AM Consumers are too smart, you're right. But marketers aren't generally. They still aren't quite sure of the difference between marketing and PR. I've been running into this problem more and more. What I've also seen, recently, is that our meetings are getting bigger. The client side is getting larger. I suppose this is a result of more people ensuring their investments are being well spent. It also means we, as custom content providers, have more "educating" to do...again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 10/14/2008 11:00:32 AM Arjun...great point. I think the larger meetings mean that more people in the company have a vested interest in the content itself (of course). And yes, so much educating to do (and so little time)... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Sean Callahan on AddsYou: the Impact of Information and Social Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: sean-callahan-o CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 10/06/2008 11:02:17 AM ----- BODY:I recently had the opportunity to interview Sean Callahan who is overseeing a project called AddsYou.com. AddsYou has an interesting business model, and is definitely relevant to what is going on in the content marketing industry. Take a read below, and thanks to Sean for taking the time.
Who are you, and who do you work for? Share a bit of your background.
I'm President and Co-Founder of AddsYou.com, Inc., and I’m a passionate social media enthusiast from the sunny state of California. I’m also an alumnus of California State University of San Marcos and currently a student of London Metropolitan Business School with over 10 years of business experience as an entrepreneur, small business owner and consultant. I was the President and CEO of One Lead Source, providing real estate and lending professionals comprehensive marketing and consulting services educating clients on how to build referral-based businesses. I have held the title of Director of Marketing for Blueprint Financial Group, an innovative mortgage services firm, and directed the establishment of the company’s Customer Relationship Management program, as well as numerous strategic initiatives.
A few questions about your current project…
Tell us a little about the AddsYou project and how you got started in it?
I’ve always been into technology, bringing and connecting people together. I met my girlfriend on Match.com which brought me to the UK and joined Alex Buelau, the Co-Founder and CTO of AddsYou.com, Inc., several years ago on another project. He’s from Sao Paulo, Brazil, but moved to Oxford in September of 2008. I met up with him in March of 2008 at Waterloo Station in London. We began talking about developing a network that could bring writers (authors, bloggers, journalist, and ordinary people) together to publish and share knowledge to the masses and help them increase their exposure and visibility on an offline in addition to rewarding them for their contribution. It so happens we sketched out a plan and AddsYou.com was conceived.
There have been a number of online models that haven't succeeded with the "pay for content" model. Why will this one succeed?
That is a great question. The basis of the AddsYou business model is more than just paying people for content. That is simply one of many reward mechanisms. What makes our social publishing network exciting is that we will help increase the visibility and exposure of our members. The element of helping someone become the next “American Idol” of writing is quite a unique value proposition. By marketing and making our members’ content available on and offline through a variety of distribution channels we’ve solidified, gives them the opportunity to be discovered and fully monetize their content. Our research has indicated that our segment is motivated by two things, money and exposure. In a recent survey of 100 writers, 94% of respondents said that if they had an opportunity to increase their exposure and get paid to have their online content published in print media they would take advantage of it. But that’s not all; there are various social media tools in the AddsYou community to make writing exciting, interesting and more importantly fun.
There is a ton of content out there, do we need more? What say you?
Of course, there is always a need for more information, better information, not just content. It’s our mission to be the most visited user-generated content website on the internet contributing to the creation of a world-wide database of knowledge. Think about all of the highly skilled knowledge workers out there not sharing their knowledge or what about the text files sitting on people’s computers. I’m talking well-written information, like novels, short stories, poems, news articles, research papers, etc. just sitting there collecting dust. It’s our goal to get this information and share it with the world.
What’s up with the name AddsYou?
Yeah, most marketers would say you need a catchy name or it should tell users what you do. We kind of did both, the logic behind what we do is the site adds “you”, the writer, not only to the internet, but to a variety of distribution channels to increase the both the exposure and visibility of the user.
How do you intend to market this? Is there a viral effect to this?
Absolutely! Although, we’re using many traditional methods to promote AddsYou, our marketing strategy encompasses lots of viral related components such as social media applications (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to encouraging and rewarding members to invite their friends, family members and colleagues to the community. I’ve also setup several presentations at universities throughout San Diego all the way to London to educate people on various entrepreneurial subjects through my eyes leading this start-up. Furthermore, we hope to reach the hearts of the blogging community and both local and national media to help us spread the word about this exciting concept.
A few questions about social media…
How can social media boost your marketing and pr?
Social media helps companies become more transparent to their customer and spread messages virally into social networks they would never have reached. Social media can help a company rapidly spread their message much like Malcolm Gladwell’s identified in the Tipping Point. Word-of-mouth is extremely powerful.
What mistakes should people avoid in social media? What are some issues to consider when someone embarks on a social media marketing initiative?
Only share what is within your comfort level and nothing more. Information spreads fast so make sure you get it right before you release it.
Define 'Social Media' in 500 words or less.
Simply put, social media is communicating and sharing information on the internet between users across one or more networks.
We know each other from Twitter, so obviously you use social media, but does your company also use social media?
Yes, AddsYou has successfully used Twitter to market its alpha release in November 2008 to obtain a wide-array of testers for the pre-launch. Various social bookmarking tools have also been used to spread the word about AddsYou.
How are you using it to connect to your customers and leverage social networks to expand your brand’s recognition and build a positive reputation?
Social media tools such as Twitter have allowed us to be very customer-focused to listen and get feedback to build our network with as much input as possible. It has also helped us target niche demographics to build test groups for our alpha release of AddsYou.
Do you track your name and your company’s name? What are some of your favorite reputation management tools and why? If you do not track social media, why? (this includes search twitter-formerly Summize, radian6, etc.)
Yes, our company uses Search Twitter and Google Alerts to get a pulse and hear what people are saying about AddsYou. It also gives us the ability to take action by either mitigating problems or to simply let users know we are listening and they’re being heard.
What do you consider "must-have" sites/profiles to establish and why? (this includes micro-blogs, e-vite, schedule organizers, API’s, build your own network)
The biggest one for us right now is Twitter, although we do have a Facebook account setup. Their micro-blog helps us quickly and efficiently provide timely updates and useful information to our supporters.
What companies do you think are doing a great job with social media, or horrible? Tell us one story or a very successful client or your own story that you feel makes online networking worth while. (case study)
Our company has used Twitter for one week to promote the Alpha Invitation site for AddsYou and has quickly received 350 requests. Twitter has helped us create a user-base to test out our service offering in a short period of time.
How much time do you think people should spend on social media?
It depends on what one is trying to accomplish from using social media. If a user is trying to provide customer service through a social media outlet it could be a full-time job.
What game plan would you recommend to someone just starting with social media?
Step 1: Look, listen and learn what a vast majority of the population want or need.
Step 2: Develop something exciting and of value that people will benefit from and a way for them to engage.
Step 3: Join various social media sites and begin providing value to the network to find early adopters.
Step 4: Keep looking, listening and learning from your customers.
A few more personal questions…
What is your favorite part about what you do?
My favorite part of working for a start-up is the people and the high levels of energy constantly buzzing around me. I enjoy having something constantly going on whether it’s promoting our concept or getting into the code and helping the developers build the application. I’m a hands-on kind of person and think it’s important to know a little bit about a lot.
What's the most important thing you do each day that helps your business?
The most important thing I do each day is talk to people and make connections. I have at least one meeting each day where I pick peoples’ brains, setup alliance or partnerships and share the vision for AddsYou. I’m definitely the biggest cheerleader for the start-up minus, the skirt and pompoms of course!
Where or from whom do you pull inspiration?
I really have a strong drive to make everything I touch successful. I get my inspiration from the people closest to me, my friends, family members, colleagues and professors. They hold me, or I like to think they do, to a high standard that I must live up to.
Who is someone in your profession that you've always looked up to or followed their progress? Why?
I’ve looked up to a lot of people as well as the people who have mentored me over the years. I could name a list of people that have told or done something for me that have changed my life for the positive. On a global scale, I’ve always looked up to Disney believe it or not. Walt was such a visionary and way ahead of his time. Bob Iger, the man in charge now, is an extremely accomplished and brilliant executive. He really understands the media industry and how it is evolving. Disney’s ESPN brand is a shining example. Iger’s company is defining how people interact with sports on the web in addition to other brands the company controls.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Wordle Discovers Your Content Niche STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: wordle-discover CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 10/01/2008 11:54:27 AM ----- BODY:
Brian Massey reminded me about Wordle, which generates a "word cloud" from the text of your blog, website or bookmarked links.
It's interesting to see the types of words that become the focus on my writing. My keywords include:
Media
Social
Marketing
Content
Information
Internet
Customers
Business
Custom
Using that in a sentence...
Social media marketing using custom content/information over the Internet to drive business and customers.
Yeah, I can live with that...
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NWGuy EMAIL: brucenowjack@earthlink.net IP: 66.150.166.115 URL: DATE: 10/02/2008 11:29:20 AM Kudos! How many people can validate that their actions are in sync with their objectives. Having wordle validate the theme of your website is amazing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/02/2008 12:50:55 PM Thanks NW...I love incredibly simple tools that work FOR your business. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: SEO Company EMAIL: pdanuva@gmail.com IP: 122.170.28.112 URL: http://www.anuvatech.com DATE: 10/06/2008 02:41:50 AM Nice Post. Thanks for sharing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Heck with the Recession; Companies Are Investing in Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: heck-with-the-r CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 09/30/2008 01:04:21 PM ----- BODY:
Luckily, I was on the golf course yesterday instead of catching the news about the blood bath on Wall Street. Upon coming back to the office, I looked at my stock portfolio. Ouch...a sea of deep red.
It's already been a challenging year for most companies, and it seems that we have yet to turn the corner. Especially until we figure out where the financial industry is headed.
That said, small, medium and large companies continue to pour money into their content marketing. Although I rarely promote our service, Junta42 Match, on this blog, it's worth using as an example of what is going on in the marketing world.
With very little Junta42 marketing to date, business and marketing professionals from all over North America (and globally in some cases) are finding our little site to search for content partners. Yes, some of these projects are small - white papers, enewsletters, and blog help - but extremely important to their marketing activities. They need to find the right vendors, so they seek us out. We've also seen other projects from some of the biggest brands in the world with high six-figure projects like custom magazines and versioned newsetters to customers and prospects.
The biggest eye-opener? Approximately 90% of the content projects coming through the system are NEW. This means that these aren't ongoing projects that they look to outsource or find a new vendor to replace their current one. This means that they are investing in content in order to sustain or grow their business.
As ad spending falls at its steepest rate since 2001, businesses are taking that money and investing it in content activities that help to develop a conversation with customers and prospects.
Here are the types of approved projects that we've seen through the first three months (number in parentheses is the total number):
Advertising/Sales Management (3)
Advertorials & Supplements
Blogs (9)
Books - Electronic (eBooks)
Books - Print
Case Studies (2)
Custom Events & Roadshows
Digital Magazines (6)
E-mail Newsletters (9)
Magalogs
Magazines - External Audience (15)
Magazines - Internal Audience (6)
Mobile Solutions
Newsletters - External Audience (6)
Online/Virtual Trade Shows
Podcasts
SEO/SEM (2)
Syndicated Content Packages
Video
Web Portals/Microsites (3)
Webcasts/Webinars (2)
White Papers (9)
We've seen a lot of research to date about the growth in custom content and custom publishing. Even though we "hear" it, it's hard to visualize unless you can see it first hand. This type of Junta42 data shows that more marketers are taking up the content flag and selling it successful in their own companies to fund content-based projects.
In recessions, marketers turn to the initiatives that have the most impact on their current customers. What does that better than valuable, relevant and compelling content?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dominique Hind EMAIL: dominiquehind@gmail.com IP: 210.10.186.124 URL: http://dominiquehind.wordpress.com DATE: 09/30/2008 03:27:07 PM I think a lot of companies have been thinking about content projects for a while. Yes, the economic downturn may have made them think about it quicker, but so many marketers and articles are talking about engaging with the customer and being involved that companies/clients are starting to listen. In Australia, so many of our clients need proof (a successful case study) before they dip their toe in the water or even consider doing it. To help show success, I use the Dell IdeaStorm example to show clients how you can and need to fail before you can succeed. Then when success comes it is worth it. I have been following Dell's progress over the last three years and whenever any client sees the progress they buy into it: http://dominiquehind.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/dells-journey-to-listening-ideastorm/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Prz EMAIL: prz.p@gmail.com IP: 59.95.14.71 URL: http://www.japan-website.com/ DATE: 10/01/2008 11:23:48 AM I think this position requires someone who frets over comma placement, wonders if website is one word or two words, and believes that the dictionary and thesaurus are essential tools for life. I feel the most important aspect is popular search engines, web directories for increasing link popularity and other related SEO activities. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/01/2008 11:34:34 AM @Prz...not really sure what you mean. Are you saying that creating valuable content on the web is easy or something different? If storytelling was easy, everyone would have a book on the NYTimes best-sellers list. It's an art, and a science, and essential to driving exposure on search engines and SEO activities. Thoughts? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Penny Stocks EMAIL: coolpennystocks5@gmail.com IP: 122.50.216.59 URL: http://www.coolpennystocks.com/ DATE: 01/14/2010 01:50:17 AM Nice post.keep it up good work. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Six Key Considerations for Your Social Media Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: when-social-med CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 09/26/2008 12:16:47 AM ----- BODY:
I just finished a speech at the Online Marketing Summit in San Diego where I discussed the trend of "marketers as publishers" for about an hour. Great group, excellent questions. During the speech, we discussed social media applications like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn (among others).
I spoke at an OMS event six months ago, and the number of people using these three social networking applications have easily doubled (as measured by a raising of hands) over that time. Social media is literally part of a marketer's life today. With that, most of the audience is still confused on a social media direction.
Throughout the event, the biggest questions revolved around issues like "Should we do a blog?" - "How do we create ROI from Facebook?" - "What resources should we allocate to a social media effort?"
All good questions, and the answers are different depending on your target audience and goals. Overall, here are some key considerations to a social media strategy that were discussed throughout the day.
1. As a marketing professional, use social media yourself before you make any decisions. Whether it's a blog or a Facebook account, there is no way you can make an educated decision about their place in a marketing program unless you have some idea of how they are used. So, whether or not you are going to do anything in social media, you must first be a user to properly direct your company's social media strategy in the future.
2. Forget about ROI. Social media (when you get there) will be a cost of doing business. Defining ROI with your social media strategy is much easier for a smaller company. You can track people you've met through the blog or Twitter and began a business relationship. For larger companies, social media activities are mandatory for getting involved in your customer and prospect conversations. Treat it as just part of having a business. Your customers are talking about you. As a company, you just need to make a decision about whether you want to be part of that conversation or not.
3. Assign a Reputation Manager. Since customers are talking about your brand, someone needs to be a champion for listening to that conversation using tools such as Google Alerts, Boardreader and Technorati - or dig even deeper with these reputation management tools.
4. Focus on the audience. Don't let social media scare you. These are just tools to help you communicate with your customers and prospects. Keep the focus on your customers' informational needs and you'll head in the right direction.
5. Don't make up marketing objectives to fit social media. Don't try to force objectives into online tools that just don't fit. As with all marketing tactics, there are marketing objectives behind each one. Keep your fundamentals in place, and then decide if social media can help you get there.
6. Honesty and transparency is required. No brands can hide anymore, so don't try. Just accept it and move on. We have no control over our brands - they are in our customers' hands. All we can do is be a part of the conversation and shape it best we can. Once you throw your hat in the social media ring, be completely honest - or get burned.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steven Roll EMAIL: b2beditor@gmail.com IP: 149.79.35.227 URL: DATE: 09/26/2008 04:24:34 PM Interesting post. There was a great story in the New York Times Magazine about Twitter and Facebook that helped me understand the big picture a little bit better. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/4ccof6 I find most Twitter messages or "Tweets" to be pretty inane. But, as this article explains, the point is to create "ambient awareness" or the feeling of getting to know someone by simply being near them. So in a sense, all of these messages from Twitter or FB have the same effect as passing someone in the hallway at work and saying a few words to them. Even so, I find Tweets letting me know that someone is eating Indian food somewhat intrusive. I prefer the status updates on Facebook. At least, there, I can access the Web site whenever I want to see what all of my "friends" are up to. I've found that updating my status on FB at least once a day has dramatically increased the contacts I've had on FB. I'm having short interactions with friends, neighbors, and other ASBPE members on almost a daily basis. I was thinking how great it would be if my company had its own Facebook application, so I could interact someone in a different department such as marketing even though their office is on the other side of the building. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sekhar Ravinutala EMAIL: sekhar@allurefx.com IP: 66.74.213.185 URL: http://www.allurefx.com DATE: 09/26/2008 06:24:59 PM #1 is a good one - one that's easily missed. I used to work in Oracle and had a very different (and wrong) idea of social media till I actually started using them. Not sure about #2 though. At the end of the day, this stuff does sink a lot of time. Unless you negotiate with your management with some kind of an ROI argument, you/your team could easily be overwhelmed. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/27/2008 12:57:58 PM @Steven...thanks for the article post. I did read this one...gives a good overview of the benefits of Twitter. You never know where business can come from, and social applications are a great example of that. A little bit of time on each one goes a long way. Thanks for sharing. I agree with you on certain Tweets. It's an art to scan for the good content, but worth it. @Sekhar...I see your point, but think of it this way. There is a conversation going on about your brand right now. Whether you are involved in it or not is your decision. What's the ROI of shaping a conversation about your brand and topics that are important to you. Priceless in my opinion. Problem is, this is hard to prove...but it is possible. Personally, I can point directly to new business through the blog and other social media apps...just takes a bit of work. Thanks for sharing... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andy Clibanoff EMAIL: andy@payparade.com IP: 208.39.156.98 URL: http://www.payparade.com DATE: 11/13/2008 01:42:14 PM I like this post entry because it contains good advice - like starting with yourself before promoting social media. If you take this approach, follow your curiosity, ask a lot of questions about how you want to engage with others, and use the wisdom of "message your neighbors as you would have them message you," you will be able to get others to follow along. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Does the Internet Democratize or Commoditize Content? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: does-the-intern CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 09/23/2008 08:30:03 AM ----- BODY:I received a very thoughtful rebuke from Stanford Erickson of my recent article in Folio magazine called "Is the Media Iceberg Melting?" In this article, I discuss why the media landscape has changed and where the opportunities lie for the successful media companies of the future. In it, I discuss how the Internet (and Google) have created new opportunities for corporations to communicate directly with end-users instead of through traditional media outlets.
After our email conversation, I asked Stanford if he wanted to follow up on his comments with a guest blog post. Below is that post. What say you?
Praising Print and Disparaging the Internet
The Latin poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, or Horace (for short), who lived during the transition between B.C. and A.D., wrote that all writing (and all media for that matter) needs to be a combination of “dulce and utile.” Building on that thought, I believe all writing, publications and other media require an appropriate ratio of dulce and utile. For example, B2B publications, columns and writing about business in general require more utile than dulce. General news and interest publications probably need more dulce than utile. The most successful writers and editors have a knack of getting this ratio just right for their audience.
Joe Pulizzi in his article “Is the Media Iceberg Melting?,” which appeared in the August issue of Folio, raised many interesting points of how media companies are failing because Google and other search engines are “democratizing” content. By “democratizing”, he means they are providing useful information without the need of an expensive media platform, such as Forbes, The New York Times or The Economist. He also notes that businesses, by hiring former journalists, are going directly to their customers with useful information via the Internet.
I take issue with this somewhat. First, yes anyone with access to the Internet has access to an audience. But more than “democratizing” information, to a greater degree, this is “commoditizing” information. And if a major purpose of providing the information is to monetize it, the commoditization of information on the Internet undermines that purpose. All of us who believe in “brands” contend that greater value usually is attributable to brands more than commodities. By this I mean, when you read The Washington Post, for example, your mindset already is prepared to accept credibility to a degree. And money usually blooms in credible soil.
This segues into my overall skepticism of Pulizzi’s premise that there is a great deal of monetary effectiveness from media-type information on the Internet. At one point in my career I was a member of Knight-Ridder’s advisory group to its New Media Center. Both Knight-Ridder and the New Media Center are now defunct. Knight-Ridder put tons of time and money into the Media Center to help transition its printed products to be viable via the Web. We found that there are two major problems with the Web, from a print media point of view. The writing style useful to newspapers and magazines is too clunky for the Internet. Also, the Web provides information largely in a vertical format. We humans have been used to obtaining written information horizontally. The changeover from effectively digesting information vertically rather than horizontally, most pundits believe. is generational. I think if is more like several generations.
In addition, we humans have short-term memories. Therefore when we read something on the computer and then scroll down or mouse over, we usually cannot remember what we read. Whereas if we are reading a horizontal newspaper or magazine, we can easily flip back to recall what we read. Printed publications have the advantage of being much more efficient in imparting salient information that needs to be digested, analyzed and reread.
The Internet is a wonderful aggregator of information. It helps create communities of like-thinkers. But its short-attention span and physical and mental restrictive modality does not necessarily lend itself to the pursuit of thoughtful and effective communication for which advertisers are willing to pay.
Stanford Erickson
President
Media Integration Consultants
Annapolis, Md.
Serickson11[at]msn.com
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Nagurski EMAIL: mark@reallypractical.com IP: 86.148.35.107 URL: http://www.reallypractical.com DATE: 09/23/2008 12:43:15 PM Is the point really to create content "for which advertisers are willing to pay"? I accept that one of the "major purposes" of creating content is to monetize it but surely the point here is that the way in which that information is monetized has changed. Previously, information has been sold as inherently useful in itself (subscribers or newsstand sales) or the eyeballs which it attracts have been sold to advertisers. Content as marketing, the type created by business rather than traditional media organisations, is designed to, amongst other things, build trust. The monetization is therefore one step removed - content builds trust, trust improves the likelihood of sales. The idea of "democratisation" extends to the fact that you don't need the expensive platform to publish. However, that is not to say that all sources of content are equal. Branding still matters, perhaps more than ever. With so much information available the brands that build trust in the value of their content create competitive advantage. That trust even makes it way into search results through the relative importance of incoming links - votes of trust. Similarly I'd take some issue with a line in Joe's original article that states; "as long as today's buyers get their answers, they don't care as much where the content comes from". The qualification "as much" is fair enough but I believe the trend could very well end up in the opposite direction. Without the editorial checks inherent in traditional media, people will be increasingly concerned with the "brand" and source of their (online) information. The only difference now being that the brand of trusted information is just as likely to be an insightful business - leveraging that trust into future sales, brand loyalty and word of mouth - as it is a traditional media outlet. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.40.36.104 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/23/2008 10:28:38 PM Hi Mark...I think you are right on with this. My point in the original article (which was geared at traditional media) is that corporate brands can create the same kind of trust through information that has traditionally happened through media companies. So, we are saying the same thing, just a bit differently. Thanks for the post. Great stuff. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 2008 Custom Publishing Award Winners from MIN STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 2008-custom-pub CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 09/21/2008 09:01:32 PM ----- BODY:
Below are MIN's 2008 Integrated Marketing Award winners in the custom publishing categories. Congratulations to the winners. For the complete list of custom publishing nominees, check out this list.
Custom Publishing Project
Meredith Integrated Marketing for DIRECTV ACCESS, December 2007
United Business Media LLC and CA for Smart Enterprise Magazine
Customized Web Site/Microsite
Advanstar Communications for Modern Medicine
PEOPLE for Toyota Celebrity Central Program
Special Advertorial Section
National Geographic Magazine for Intel
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Google's Sam Sebastian on B-to-B Content Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: googles-sam-seb CATEGORY: business-to-business DATE: 09/18/2008 08:33:43 AM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of seeing Sam Sebastian speak at the recent ABM/FIPP conference in New York. Sebastian is director of b-to-b and local markets for Google, and provided some interesting luncheon comments for the international group of publishers.
Here is a link to Sam's PowerPoint presentation, with thanks to ABM.
Sebastian started the presentation by discussing what is important to b-to-b marketers during this current economic downturn. According to Sebastian, 66% of marketers interviewed by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in 2008 indicated that their marketing plans have been impacted and are changing as a result of the current economy. His solution to this was three points:
1. Continue investments in search and online
2. Tap into the marketing value of online communities
3. Experiment with new ways to create and share content
Another interesting statistic - According to Forbes.com and Gartner, 67% of CXO's cite the Internet as the most influential and important source of information. In addition, Enquiro research found that 70% of executives use search as their primary research tool.
If you've been following this blog, these stats are nothing new, but they continue to show the importance of content. Sebastian's biggest point was that success for b-to-b marketers lies in the quality of their online content. His advice to the crowd was to "build mountains of content" and distribute to customers and prospects in a targeted manner.
Sebastian also noted the success of online communities such as Salesforce.com's Successforce and TheITRoom.com sponsored by Dell.
My Takeaway - Google gets it. It's about content for buyers at the right time during the buying cycle. It's about thought leadership content to position your company as an expert business resource. It's about having a conversation with customers, and getting let in that conversation by providing trusted information.
Knowing this, even though Google says they are not in the content business, they will be someday. They themselves see the importance of distributing content (since that's what they do for everyone else). Tools like Orkut and Knol are just the start. Watch for more to come and see how Google will start to move away from it's "content distributor" statement and morph into something different.
Related Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jean EMAIL: jeanf@bnj.com IP: 66.178.161.10 URL: http://www.bnj.com DATE: 10/03/2008 06:05:45 PM Hi Joe, Very interesting about Google and essentially agree, although I don't think "mountains" of content, without a thoughtful, integrated strategy, makes sense for customers or marketers. Content needs to be curated. In an era of information overload, this is the ultimate luxury service. Cheers, Jean @ bnj. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 10/04/2008 03:55:33 PM Jean...incredibly important point. Most businesses I talk with crank out content without really understanding the informational needs of their customers, or what they want to content to do for them and their customers. More content does not necessarily mean better results (without the proper content strategy). Cheers yourself Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Six Strategies for Keeping Content Fresh STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-content-st CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 09/15/2008 08:47:26 AM ----- BODY:
I'm a content guy. I'm not a landscaper or outdoors man. I've tried a few times, but the results haven't been pretty. That said, the cherry blossom tree in our front yard needed some major cleanup. There were many branches that were dead and the tree looked like it was getting choked to death. So, up the tree I went (btw, the picture on the right was taken by my five-year old son, Adam...not bad, huh?).
About five minutes after this picture was taken, I was doing my thing about 15 feet above the ground. Just then a 60-mile-an-hour wind gust came along (really, no kidding). I wouldn't say that my life flashed before my eyes, but it did scare the crap out of me (While I was screaming for help, my wife was on the ground laughing uncontrollably).
Being the anal retentive marketing person I am, I immediately tried to find some business meaning in this event. I thought of most of the websites I visit today. Sadly, a good majority of the sites that are out there today don't evolve with the (high) winds of change. Even though business spending has altered quite a bit in the last year, some sites haven't touched their sites.
Even worse, some of the web content is completely out of date and contains irrelevant copy. What kind of impression does this make to business decision makers?
To combat this, here are six content strategies to employ right now to get your website back into shape.
1. Remove Dead Branches - Assign three different people from your company (one from marketing, one from sales, and one from accounting/finance) to perform a content audit of your website. Give them a few days and make sure they click on EVERY link (bad content show up in the worst places). Give them a scoring sheet that includes a reference irrelevant content, areas that don't make sense, and overall impression of the site and how to make it better. This is an invaluable exercise. You won't regret it. (See Douglass Karr's note below on monitoring bad links).
2. Assign a Conversation Champion - This doesn't mean the person responsible for your website. It means the person responsible for communicating with customers through the web. Kodak calls this their Chief Blogger. Some use Chief Conversation Officer. Whatever you use, find a champion in your organization who is web savvy, enjoys social networks, and lives the brand of your company. Put them in charge of getting involved in relevant forums and commenting on industry blogs. If you have a corporate blog, this person should be heading it up. Your Chief Conversation Officer should also be integral on the relevance of your website. Find the person, give them the keys, and let them run with it.
3. Why Aren't You Blogging? - There are many questions to ask before you start blogging. Some cultures just aren't a good fit for it. That said, there are so many important reasons for blogging that all companies are at least considering it. Creating a blog is the one area where you can get out from under the corporate branding standards and show a little personality. Personally, blogging has been the most important business tool in growing my business. It can be for you as well. For tips on keeping your blog content fresh, check out this post.
Integrating a blog into your website is probably the easiest way to keep relevant and timely content on your website.
4. Set Up Listening Posts - Are you listening to what your customers and prospects are saying? If not, here are a few quick tips.
- Set up Google Alerts on your brand name and key industry words. Assign someone to track these, if not yourself.
- Monitor blog search tool Technorati. There is a conversation going on about your brand. Make sure you get involved in it.
- Wondering who is twittering about you? Use Twitter Search to find out. The best thing about Twitter is how honest people will be about your brand.
Use these tools to understand what's going on with your customers to position the content on your website for what they are really dealing with.
5. Go "No Sell" with Content - You should be developing at least one "non-sales" white paper or research project per quarter specifically targeting your customers/prospects biggest problem (if you have multiple customer segments, than you need one for each segment). We did this with our "Attract and Retain" white paper to marketers, and the Custom Publishing New Rules for publishers. We are currently in the middle of launching our next white paper on Trust. Position yourself as a thought leader and be the trusted business partner that your customers are looking for. Highlight your white papers on your website. Don't you think "Dealing with XYC during a Recession" would be important to your customers?
6. Water Your Roots - Lead generation strategies bore me sometimes. Everyone is always talking about how to get new customers. This is important, but especially in the current economic times, you should be committing the majority of your resources to current customers. Does your eNewsletter speak to their needs? Are your salespeople or executives making calls or visits to them to find out what their pain points are? Do you have enough communication resources dedicated to current customers?
A strong focus on current customers in hard economic times may create the most dividends when the winds settle down.
By plugging in these six strategies into your marketing program, you'll be well on your way to a better conversation with customers and prospects. If anything, choose three and implement them now. Once those are complete, start the next three...rinse and repeat.
Relevant Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas Karr EMAIL: doug@douglaskarr.com IP: 207.250.128.235 URL: http://marketingtechblog.com DATE: 09/15/2008 10:56:21 AM Google Webmasters will supply you with a list of broken links, no need to do this manually! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/15/2008 11:00:33 AM Douglas...thanks for the note. I'll amend the post and cite your note. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Himaya EMAIL: roselle.jimeno@philweboutsourcing.com IP: 121.96.204.69 URL: http://www.virtualweboutsourcing.com/ DATE: 08/24/2009 02:44:01 AM can't help not saying your funny letting your 5yr old son take that photo.lol btw, content to tree makes a lot of sense. i totally agree ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Traditional Media Bad, Custom Content Good STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: traditional-med CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 09/11/2008 09:47:54 AM ----- BODY:
Anyone in marketing must be sick of hearing about how bad it's getting with in the media world. Brands across the board are slashing their media spend, at least according to a recent Reuters' article.
In the article, the prediction is made that 2009 could be as bad, or possibly even worse than in 2008 for traditional media spending. In general, we are most likely looking at flat spending for 2009.
Traditional media is not dead by any means. Leading brands spent good investment on the Olympics, and the political race is always a boon for traditional media in the form of TV, radio, print and online display. At the ABM/FIPP Business Media conference, in-person events are continuing overall growth, and innovative companies like Google are still looking to break into the traditional radio and print space. So, if Google is interested in it, that's where the money is.
That said, the trends are flat to down for traditional media. They have been, and continue to be, and we see stories like the one from Reuters and others talking about the death of media.
The Problem Is Not Media
This is important. Nothing is broken about media itself. Consumers have more media choices than ever before. They can also turn on or off most online advertising by opting in or out of particular messaging.
Just this morning I started the day with the print newspaper, caught a bit of news on CNBC, checked the news highlights and RSS feeds on Yahoo!.com, and caught a few industry articles on the web. Getting information is easier and more effective than ever.
That's it. It's key is information. Wow, we've hit on it.
Information is what people want, not advertising. They want to be educated and entertained by really good stories. Just this week Story Worldwide CEO Kirk Cheyfitz said that there are only two ways that customer communication works - to give customers relevant content or to give them a good time. It's that simple. Those two things create brand engagement.
Now look at traditional advertising. It's very hard to deliver relevant and compelling content or give customers a good time by renting space with a media company. It's hard to create true engagement. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Limited Space - Whether it's a 30 second spot, an online display ad, radio commercial or print advertisement, there is simply just not enough time or space to tell a story that engages. Plus, you have to share it with many others who want to sell, sell, sell.
2. Rent Not Own - With traditional media, you are renting a tiny portion of space from another company to pitch your product or service. You don't own much besides your own creative, and once the ad program is done...poof, all gone. There is no substaining life beyond the program in most cases.
3. Inefficient - Even as traditional media gets better at targeting, it's still lacks the effeciency of targeted customer programs. Whether you admit it or not, much of the message goes unnoticed or ignored by prospects and non-prospects alike.
There are many more reasons, but you get the point. If the goal is engagement, and you get engagement by telling stories, traditional media is a dead end. Brands need have conversations with customers, to help shape conversations in an educational or fun manner. Traditional media makes that difficult, if not impossible in most scenarios.
Custom Content Rolls
Yes, traditional media is not coming back - ever. There are too many choices for both brands and customers today - and too many more effective choices.
At the same time we talk about the "flatness" of traditional media, custom content continues to grow. According to Veronis Suhler Stevenson, the industry is now growing faster than any other category except for word-of-mouth. The money that once went to traditional forms of media, is now being invested in targeted, relevant and compelling information to customers. The money is not going way. It's being reinvested.
So don't be sad. It's just like when someone reallocates their 401k investments. We used to be overweight in traditional, underweight in content. The process is underway to reverse that trend.
So, if you are a financial adviser to the brands, traditional media would be a bad investment right now, while custom content would be good. Where do you think you'll get the best return?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Journalism + Marketing = Content Success for UPS Compass STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: journalism-mark CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 09/10/2008 08:22:59 AM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of being at the ABM/FIPP Global Media Conference for the past few days in New York City. One of the panels was on the growth of custom media solutions, featuring Jane Ottenberg (The Magazine Group), Kirk Cheyfitz (Story Worldwide) and Michael Hofelich (Forum Corporate Publishing/Germany).
There were a lot of takeaways, but the key finding from the panel was that the future of marketing is a combination of journalism and marketing.
Kirk Cheyfitz's presentation hit on key points for marketers...
In the advertising age, 2% conversion on any ad is considered a success. That model is not only deteriorating, it's simply not enough. Our goal must be 100% engagement in the brand.
To do this, marketers must learn the best practices of journalism and execute that through their marketing programs. Journalism is the key word here. This means hiring the best journalists in your industry to "tell the story."
Marketers today have two choices when communicating to customers - either give them relevant, compelling information or give them a good time. Without either one, engagement is impossible.
Kirk used an example from the UPS custom magazine/microsite Compass. Before Story took on the Compass project, they were sending up to four different magazines/newsletters to customers, each of which were disjointed, and were not driven by "true" journalistic principles.
Over the past few years those four communication vehicles transformed into Compass, a quarterly magazine to UPS business customers that include nine different versions specific to each customer segment. Story hired freelance journalists from the leading business publications in North America to help tell the UPS customer story.
The results: Over 90% actively read and benefit from the UPS case studies. But more importantly, 35% have been prompted to try a specific UPS product or service after reading the magazine. Now that's engagement.
They key: invest in your own content. Stop renting media...own the media, be the media.
This is not just a trend, this IS the future of marketing. Most business and consumer brands haven't realized this yet. We are still in the first inning of this transformation. Those that step to the plate now will be ahead of the game.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: shelby94 EMAIL: vlinsalata@neo.rr.com IP: 71.66.98.68 URL: DATE: 09/12/2008 06:06:43 PM Your blog post on this subject is so timely. As a journalist, I received a press release from a trade association that many of my readers belong to, touting how the group is launching a monthly e-newsletter benefit for business owners in the industry I cover. The e-newsletter was promoted as something that would give useful tips and information to business owners. Curious (and perhaps expecting too much), I emailed the association back, requesting to be put on the distribution list, as it could be fodder for story ideas for our publication (which is separate from the industry association). The PR guy for the group called me and told me the e-newsletter would be a waste of my time because it wasn't customized to our industry's business in anyway. It was just a real general information piece put out by an outside company that produces a one-size-fits-all e-newsletter to many industries. The PR guy told me that basically, this acclaimed e-newsletter in the press release is really no more than spam. The association, he said, just doesn't have the resources to produce more customized, relevant content, yada, yada. There are definitely many organizations that don't understand custom content. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/12/2008 09:27:02 PM Shelby...thanks so much for the comment. It's amazing that this stuff just goes on. Anything that doesn't have the customer in mind does more harm than good. You provide a good example of that. If the association doesn't have the resources, they shouldn't do anything at all. Bad content does more harm than no content. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Add Content to Your Website without Adding Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: add-content-to CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 09/04/2008 08:31:12 AM ----- BODY:If you are reading this, you already realize the need for great content on your website. But you also know the challenge to creating relevant, compelling and consistent web content - it's hard.
One application you might want to consider that takes no additional content-creation time is the Google Custom Search Engine. We've been using Google Custom for over a year now on Junta42.com, and although it won't answer any major content issues you have, it's a valuable tool to add to your content arsenal (some call this tool "vertical search").
Here's How Google Custom Search Engine Works
You first need to program Google Custom into your current website or microsite. From talking with the developers that programmed mine, it's relatively easy. You pick the format and the brand elements. Most of it you can do without programming knowledge.
Second, you add websites that you want Google to search that will define your targeted search results. For example, if you are a welding distributor, you might want to include content from Welding Magazine or Miller Electric. You can include as many websites as you want. The goal here is to only include those sites that have the type of content you want to show your customers and web visitors.
Now, when someone types in a keyword, it will search the content from all the sites you have in your Custom Search database.
The image on the right is about 20 of the 153 websites we have as part of Junta42 Custom Search. You can see how easy it is...just type in or paste the URLs and you are done.
"No Results" Are for Losers
We initially used Google Custom because we didn't have much content when we launched the site last summer. We launched with around 100 articles in the system, and we were afraid to have too many "no results" responses if someone typed in a long-tail keyword into our search bar.
Google Custom to the rescue. By integrating Google Custom into our search, we were assured that we would have results for any type of search, and could point our customers in the right direction, even if the content wasn't on our site (which is always okay with us).
Now that we have more than 2,000 articles, we only use Google Custom for results that return a low amount of articles or no results. In the example to the right, I typed in "welding" as the keyword. Since our site wouldn't return much on welding (only one article), Google Custom results show up underneath, consistent with the look and feel of the rest of the site. We call them "Google Targeted Results."
If you are looking for a quick and easy tool that can give your online users a better overall experience in finding the content they are looking for, you may want to give Google Custom a look.
For those of you who need a more robust solution, check out the folks at Convera, who do an outstanding job launching vertical search portals in a variety of industries. They include some excellent examples as well.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian Massey EMAIL: junta42@masseytexas.com IP: 99.179.102.239 URL: http://www.conversionscientist.com DATE: 09/11/2008 09:16:42 PM The folks at OneSpot.com offer a solution that looks at the sites you specify PLUS the sites that tend to link to them. They've sourced content for the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal sites. One more solution to consider. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.127.173 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 09/11/2008 09:30:06 PM Thanks for the update Brian. I'll check it out. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Евгений EMAIL: sio-net@yandex.ru IP: 212.152.35.194 URL: http://www.sionet.ru DATE: 01/27/2009 08:48:14 AM Наш информационный портал призван обеспечить важной информацией аудиторию Рунета о логистике, перевозках, техническом персонале, тонкостях в выборе компаний предоставляющих данные услуги. На нашем сайте представлен каталог предприятий, а также опубликованы советы и мнения экспертов, всегда свежие новости. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Video Is Not About You - It's About Your Customers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: video-is-not-ab CATEGORY: video DATE: 09/02/2008 08:32:36 PM ----- BODY:
The article below was featured in the latest issue of ContentWise. ContentWise is a monthly eZine that I would recommend for anyone interested in content marketing. Standard subscription is free.
More and
more corporations are using video as part of their overall marketing
strategies. Once a high barrier to entry due to the sheer expense of video
creation, production and marketing, businesses can now launch effective video
tactics with just a few thousand dollars.
This also
creates a problem. Because it is now so easy to create a video, and the
proliferation of video sharing sites such as YouTube (among others) is ever
increasing, there are more bad videos available than ever before.
What’s
happened is that businesses are continuing to focus on the “technology” and not
the core reason why videos are successful – great content and storytelling
targeted to a specific customer segment.
If you are
considering video as part of your integrated marketing strategy, here are the
success factors.
Tell the
Story, Not Your Story
Like any
valuable, relevant and compelling content you create, a video is not about you,
it’s about your customers. This is the biggest challenge for a corporation to
overcome. So many times businesses want to talk about their products and
services, or position one of their executives as an expert. That’s all fine and
good, but if the video does not meet the informational needs of the individual
watching it, it won’t be watched.
The
solution is simple. Develop a keen understanding of the customer or prospect
group you are targeting. What are their key challenges? What do they need to
know to be more productive at work, or live better lives? Why is your message
important in the first place?
Once that
is established, you can then weave in your marketing objectives into the video
content without selling to them. Remember, your goal is not to sell them, but
to help develop a conversation with them. Without valuable content, there is no
possibility of a conversation.
Forget the
One-Timers and Think “Series”
Like any
other successful communications program, consistency is the key. Many
businesses create video in hopes of that viral one-hit wonder. Really
successful corporate videos build upon each other. Sites like willitblend.com
or askaninja.com didn’t just produce one video and sit back. They planned for ongoing and consistent
videos with a content plan focused on their target customers.
Share It,
Don’t Own It
Just like
your brand doesn’t belong to you anymore (it belongs to your customers), treat
your videos the same way. Don’t just expect your customers and prospects to
only go to your website to view the video. Populate it wherever your customers
may be, whether YouTube, Facebook or probably most fitting, the industry media
sites and portals in your particular niche. Your goal is for your video to be watched, so that you can change or
maintain a behavior. Knowing where your customers are prone to “engage” in your
content is key.
Focus on
Content over Production Value
The days of
six-figure videos are over. Today’s consumers are very accepting of “YouTube
quality” video, which are sometimes viewed as more credible and “real” to
certain consumer groups. What are your current customers viewing habits? That
question will save you a ton in production expenses.
Get Outside
Help
When the
sales and marketing department produces video without outside help, there is an
uncontrollable urge to actively sell in it. Hire a journalist or video content
specialist to give you a third-party view that will help remove the
rose-colored glasses.
Video lets customers view, see and hear things not possible with other formats. The technology is great, but it’s the targeted storytelling that will define your success and bring out the “human” side of your company.
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My wife and I were just talking today about how we can't believe our oldest "baby" is in first grade and turning seven. Where did the time go?
And now, Junta42's first born, Junta42 Match, turns two months old. Since launching on June 24th we've had our share of starts and stops, but it's clear that Junta42 Match has been a tremendous success.
Here are some stats:
- 35 matches completed
- Over 100 leads distributed to publishers
- 11 different types of content projects
Total Value of Business = approx. $3 million dollars
Needless to say, we here at Junta42 are pretty excited about the early returns on the service. It's clear that this was a needed service in the marketplace - bringing brands, agencies and associations together with custom publishers who can develop and execute their content projects.
Big thanks to our publishers and content providers for signing up early in the system and believing in the model. It's challenging selling a product that doesn't exist yet, but everyone believed in the promise, and now we have more than 90% of the top custom publishers in the country supporting our cause and getting high-quality custom publishing leads.
On the other side, we've had wonderful conversations with marketing executives, marketing managers, agency reps and even small-business owners about how we've saved them time, energy and resources, bringing them the most qualified publishers to help them with their custom magazine, newsletter, website and blogging projects.
More good news to come.
For more information on Junta42 Match, click here to go to the site or click here for the demo.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama Hyder EMAIL: shama@afterthelaunch.com IP: 71.170.57.49 URL: http://www.AfterTheLaunch.com/blog DATE: 08/28/2008 03:34:16 PM Congratulations! What a fantastic service. May you have MANY MANY more years for super success! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.194 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/28/2008 03:38:50 PM Thanks Shama...truly appreciate the support! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Links You Shouldn't Miss STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-links-y CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 08/27/2008 10:10:50 PM ----- BODY:It's been busy this past few weeks, but I have made time to read some really interesting articles relevant to content marketing. Here are a few that you should check out...
Why Smart Content Is Smart Marketing
Great article from Chief Marketer (Joe Stanhope) about how the analytics age is here to stay, but content is still the glue that gets results. Worth the read.
Creating Honest Content Marketing
Nice post from Chris Brogan on how honest and genuine content bests "shiny content" any day.
Anna from IKEA...
I rarely laugh at blog posts, but this one really got to me. Humorous story from David Meerman Scott about how one great company takes technology a bit too far.
The Top 5 Ways to Keep Your Content Fresh
If you blog, take a read at this Copyblogger post from Liz Fulghum. Great advice.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Can Your Marketing Be Trusted? - Creating Trust with Information STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: can-your-market CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 08/26/2008 02:53:43 PM ----- BODY:It seems like every event I've attended or article I've read over the past few weeks revolves around one key concept - Trust in business. Here's the facts:
Trust is the key component for business growth.
Notice that I'm not saying "a" component. It's the component.
Trust is more important than ever as the traditional walls that separated businesses from their customers continue to get torn down.
KEY FINDING
In 2008, the Edelman Trust Barometer found that only 20% of the people surveyed trust corporate or product advertising. Instead, for a vast majority of respondents, “a person like me” was considered “the most credible source of information about a company.” In other words, commitment to and trust in a brand is less about slick promotional campaigns and more about trusted relationships.
The web is taking this concept and putting it on steroids, faster and with more impact than anyone ever anticipated.
Companies in the future will either thrive on a customer's trust or get killed by a lack there of.
How do companies now and into the future create customer trust?
First, you need to realize that trust cannot be created by a great product alone. That's where most companies start and fail. Makes sense that if the product works, the customer inherently trusts the company, right? That's just a start. Great products are almost mandatory today with the number of choices we have.
Customer trust involves much more.
Ask yourself this question: "How can I help my customers help their customers?"
Answer that question by providing yards and yards of informative content to help them. Yes, your product should do some of the lifting, but can your product solve all their pain points? If your product can't, what can?
Information?
Yes. That is the essence of content marketing.
I'll be focusing more in the upcoming months on the idea of "Trust through Information." In the meantime, check out this white paper we created on using content as part of your overall marketing strategy to attract and retain customers.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Creating Content that Boosts Traffic and Conversion: Complimentary Webinar STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: creating-conten CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 08/20/2008 03:36:45 PM ----- BODY:I have the honor of co-presenting on an upcoming webinar entitled: "Right Content. Right Response. How to create content that brings traffic, fosters engagement and boosts conversion." My esteemed co-panelists are Brian Massey, author of the Customer Chaos Blog, and Joel Granoff, founder of BeGreeted and resident webcast expert.
Just for attending the event on August 26th at 12pm EDT you'll receive two pretty cool freebies. Register now ... and you will receive the top line report, "B2B Sales Lead Generation: Integration of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 Media" a Research Insights publication by the very smart folks at MarketingProfs, as well as my new book, Get Content. Get Customers.
This is a do not miss event. Find out more about the webinar here. Hope to find you there.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content News Flash from Forrester: Marketing Must Be Compelling and Make the Buyer Smarter STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-news-fl CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: journalists CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 08/20/2008 02:50:09 PM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Peter Burris, principal analyst from Forrester Research, speak today at the ISBM (Institute for the Study of Business Markets) conference at Penn State University.
Outside of some interesting statistics regarding business-to-business marketing, Peter's take on what marketers must do to survive really hit home with the audience of mostly btob CMO's and product managers.
Core research findings from Forrester state that new product adoption success, now managed by the buyer and not the seller (not new news here), is solely dependent on the quality of the need-matching effort. More specifically, Burris states that "marketing has to be compelling and must be a source of intrinsic value unto itself."
Burris continued with the idea that "the buyer or prospective buyer must feel that they are smarter or more certain of their buying decision after they engage in the marketing."
We've been talking about this for a while, and go indepth about it in our book, but this is one of the first times I've heard the analyst community discuss this concept in detail.
Although he never came out and directly said it, Burris implies that btob marketers must generate significant amounts of high-quality information throughout all stages of the buying process.
So much so that Burris used an example from one of his CMO clients, where they are now looking for employees that have journalistic backgrounds who understand how to create high-quality editorial content, which is now the essence of today's community marketing programs.
For most btob companies, products cannot provide all customer value. Marketing must be a source of value to the customer to ultimately get the most revenue out of the product and service offerings.
In talking with a few senior marketing executives after his speech, this is still a relatively new concept to most large business-to-business companies. Although, one large components manufacturer I chatted with said that while traditional programs usually find no internal support, customer content programs are almost always approved as part of their overall marketing budget. We are making progress!
We are in the middle of a content revolution. Most companies are still battling with the technologies and the implications of social media, but haven't yet realized that the key to their marketing programs will ultimately hinge on how valuable the information is that they send to buyers, and the types of conversations that content creates.
One step at a time.
To see a similar PowerPoint presentation from Forrester on this topic, click here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing Top Blogs Announced; Copyblogger Keeps Top Spot STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 08/17/2008 10:21:32 AM ----- BODY:
We're excited to announce the third installment of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Congratulations again goes to Brian Clark's copyblogger.com, who keeps the top spot for the second straight month.
This quarter's update included a record 172 blogs, with more than 50 being newcomers to the list. Just within the past six months we've seen more and more bloggers (and media companies for that matter) focus on the importance of content marketing as integral to successful business marketing practices.
Here is the complete Top 42:
1 Copyblogger
2 Buzz Marketing
for Technology
3 Post Advertising
4 web ink now
5 No man is
an iland
6 PR 2.0
7 Online Marketing Blog
8 ContentMarketingToday
9 Hard Knox Life
10 The Daily Flip
11 Conversation Agent
12 Marketing Interactions
13 Find and Convert
14 Conversational
Media Marketing
15 Bernaise Source
16 Techno//Marketer
17 Pandemic Blog
18 What's Next
19 Writing on the Web
20 The Toadstool
21 Conversation
Marketing
22 Emerson Direct
Marketing Observations
23 Todd And Marketing & Media
24 The Retail Email Blog
25 Marketing 2.0
26 The Content Wrangler
27 The Viral Garden
28 Emergence Marketing
29 Writing White
Papers
30 SG Stephen Gates Blog
31 Greg Verdino's Marketing
Blog
32 Nigel Hollis
33 Web Strategy by
Jeremiah
34 Campaign Monitor
35 FASTforward Blog
36 Drew's Marketing
Minute
37 SEO Copywriting
38 Eat Media Blog
39 Marketing with
Meaning
40 Servant of Chaos
41 THINKing
42 Chaos Scenario
Click here to see the news release, which will be distributed on Monday.
Click here to see the entire Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. To view the selection criteria, click here.
Again, congratulations to the Top 42, and keep up the great work!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 98.213.250.135 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 08/17/2008 10:11:25 PM Thanks Joe...this is super information for myself and our team. Especially the Copyblogger blog. I'm making sure our editors are aware of Brian Clark's excellent information. So much to read - so little time. Best regards, JM ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mathew Patterson EMAIL: mathewp@freshview.com IP: 124.170.183.62 URL: http://www.campaignmonitor.com/ DATE: 08/18/2008 05:21:31 AM Thanks for listing Campaign Monitor! We put a lot of time and effort into researching and writing our blog, so we really appreciate it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Recruiting Services EMAIL: cbrugnolotti@accolo.com IP: 64.59.36.122 URL: http://www.accolo.com DATE: 08/21/2008 04:42:54 PM Great post, I work in online advertising, so this website is really helpful to me. Thank you! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: van sales EMAIL: swiss.mumair@gmail.com IP: 115.186.69.219 URL: http://www.van-sales.org DATE: 06/15/2009 05:21:52 AM These type of post are very useful for professional online advertiser. thanks for choosing this beautiful article. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 2008 Junta42 Golf for Autism Event Nets 32% More in Proceeds STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 2008-junta42-go CATEGORY: Junta42 Events DATE: 08/16/2008 10:01:17 PM ----- BODY:
On Friday, August 15th 100 golfers came out to Fowler's Mill Golf Course in Chesterland, Ohio to support a great cause (and have a great time doing it). We had a perfect day for golf, and the best part is that all the event proceeds went to benefit the Easter Seals Northern Ohio speech therapy and autism program for children and adults.
This was our second annual event. In 2007, we raised $7,500. This year, we will near $11,000 in net proceeds to this important Easter Seals program. This is a 32% increase in proceeds over last year. We couldn't have done this without great support both locally and nationally.
Most people
do not know this, but the Easter Seals is the largest provider of Autism
Services in the country. The net proceeds of the event go directly to those
children who need specialized speech therapy treatment, but are challenged
financially to get the proper support.
While there
is no known cause or cure, nor one single effective treatment, autism is
treatable. People with autism, at any age, are capable of making significant
progress through personalized interventions and therapy; and can and do lead
meaningful lives. That’s where Easter Seals comes in. Getting the right support
at the earliest stage in life can help a child gain the skills he or she needs
to be successful.
Those of you
who know me know that autism is very personal to me, as it is to many of the
people who participated in the Junta42 Golf for Autism event. I continue to be
overwhelmed by the support we have received for this great cause, and am
thankful to those that believe in this fight.
We Couldn't Have Done it without Our Sponsors
Along with the 100 participants, we had nearly 70 corporations and individuals donate to the cause. All of them have made a significant impact into helping those dealing with autism become more successful. Here is a list of our supporters:
ABC Lettering & Embroidery Co.
Advit, LLC
AMS Specialty Steel
Applebee's
Baker Hostetler
Baricelli Inn Restaurant in Little Italy
Bev Beckert
Big Boy
Blue Canyon
Buffalo Wild Wings (Bainbridge)
CED Leader Electric Supply
Chris McMurry
Colleen Zelina
Cooking Thyme
Crowne
Plaza Cleveland City Centre Hotel
CVS
Cygnus Business Media, Inc.
D Magazine Partners
Dick's Sporting
Goods
Dorothy & Kevin McCarthy
Duke Printing
Ed & Sandy Kozelka
Edward Marecki
Foster Printing Service, Inc.
Fry Communications
Galileo Communications
GFS
GIE Media, Inc.
Great Lakes Watersports
Groff Funeral Homes/Leon J.
Groff
HVACR Business
Infocommerce Group Inc.
Integrated
Publishing Sales
Intramedia/Jim Clifford
Jeanne Foley
Jim and Laurel Clarke
Jim and Peg Connell
Jim Bowman – F2S Enterprises
ka architecture
Kaiser Permanente
Kentucky
Fried Chicken
Lisa Murton Beets
Lynn and Jim Cole
Medical Mutual of
Mike and Michelle Pistillo
Mitch & Andrea Rouda
MNI
Moen
National City Bank
Paul & Mary Ann Kunkel
Petco
Playaway/Findaway Digital LLC
Putman Media/Mike Balzano
Red Robin
Rodale Custom Publishing
Ron Kornowski
Saremo
TGI Fridays
The Boneyard in Mayfield
The Kapitan Family
The Rosen Group
Wendy's/Western
Reserve Restaurant Management
WhiteSpace Creative
Yours Truly Restaurant
Special thanks to our Premier Sponsors. Without their support, the event would have been very difficult to pull off:
Cleveland Steel Container
GIE Media
MNI
Petco
WhiteSpace Creative
And finally, a special thanks to everyone on the Junta42 GFA Committee
that really made this possible. First and foremost to my wife, Pam
Pulizzi, who ran a flawless show during the event. To Mike and
Lynne Pistillo, and the entire Pistillo family, for their fundraising
efforts throughout the campaign. To the volunteers: Missy Pistillo,
Angela Vannucci, Lisa Francisco, Laurel and Jim Clarke, Jeanne Foley and Ben and Don from Ka, Inc. Also a big thanks to Laura and Sandy Kozelka for watching the kids during the event. And
finally, to Melissa Kocher and Sheila Dunn from Easter Seals Northern Ohio, and to Alex and the entire Richardson family for being our special guests at our event.
To view the images from the event, click here.
Everyone on the committee is looking forward to next August's event where we will try to triple our efforts!
If you have any questions or comments on the event, please don't hesitate to contact me at joe[at]junta42[dot]com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please send any checks or donations to the Junta42 Golf for Autism, 3317 W 155th St., Cleveland, OH 44111.
Again, my sincere thanks!
For information on last year's event, click here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hersh Bhardwaj EMAIL: hersh.bhardwaj@gmail.com IP: 81.156.98.14 URL: DATE: 08/17/2008 06:02:36 AM Hey Joe, Fantastic work!! Who says mixing pleasure and work is not possible. I can see from the pics you guys had a great day, all for a great cause. ----- PING: TITLE: 2009 Junta42 Golf for Autism Another Success - $30k in Proceeds in 3 Years URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2009/08/2009-junta42-golf-for-autism-another-success-30k-in-proceeds-in-3-years.html IP: 10.17.151.31 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 08/17/2009 12:57:53 PM It was another perfect day for an amazing cause. On August 14th, nearly 100 golfers and over 80 sponsors and contributors came together to raise more than $10,000 to help get children with autism get speech therapy services. All proceeds... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 12 Tips to Writing Your First Book STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 12-tips-to-writ CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 08/12/2008 10:59:18 AM ----- BODY:Here is a link to my interview Q&A with MarketingSherpa on writing and launching your first book project. It was a fun interview, and I remember saying everything except that I am "consistently tired." I must have been too tired to remember. :)
If you like this one, try this post on "10 Keys to Writing a Book when You Have Absolutely No Time to Write a Book."
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Six Social Media Keys for Businesses STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: six-social-medi CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 08/11/2008 01:14:59 PM ----- BODY:I came across Jason Falls' blog, the Social Media Explorer, during our review of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Really enjoyed his takeaways from last week's ad:tech Chicago. Jason's top six points are below. Make sure to check out the full post here.
1. Engaging the social web is no longer optional, because so far, the companies that have been most badly burned have been the ones who tried to pretend they can ignore it.
2. You have to keep up with the speed of the social web, and stop bull****ting that you don’t have the resources to do it.
3. The emphasis in marketing on the web has shifted from trying to force everyone to come to your content, to deploying your content where the audience is.
4. Although we’ve reached the point where the cost of ignoring social is greater than the cost of engaging it, social isn’t going to replace other forms of marketing, any more than digital media replaced traditional.
5. Marketing and PR cannot cover over quality issues, and listening is half of participating in the social web.
6. If you really want to know what’s
going on in social media marketing, truthfully, you can find it...
in your RSS reader.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: GM Ad Agencies...Is the Money Coming Back? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: gm-ad-agenciesi CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 08/08/2008 12:34:38 AM ----- BODY:General Motors has asked its team of advertising agencies to take a 20% cut in fees this year and next. This article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday is just the start of more to come.
And guess what? Even though GM may cite economic and business model reasons for the marketing cutbacks, the money may not come back to the agencies...ever again. At least not like it was.
But now it's front and center and things will never be the same. My article in Folio: this week talked about what's happening with media companies adjusting to this change. Ad agencies are also seeing their business models begin to crumble. Of course, this is nothing new.
Scary part is, ad agencies and media companies, for the most part, are looking for the next great tool or next great piece of measurement that will make everything okay again.
Blinders On
One quick stroll down the exhibit row at Digital Hollywood in San Jose yesterday is all the proof one needs. Apps providers talking to Agencies about the next big thing. Tools companies talking to other tools companies about creating amazing new technology that will continually interrupt consumers, whether they like it or not.
The world wide web is all about the democratization of content that hands the power to the consumer. At the same time, literally hundreds of companies are creating "helpful" tools that brands can use to "control" their message and brand, and try to regain the power.
News to all of us: the power is gone and will never come back. Why do we keep trying to take the mass media model from years ago (that worked very well by the way) and try to place the same methodology to the web? Can't be done.
What To Do
Nobody likes being the bearer of bad news. The point of all this is that, all evidence aside, this may be the greatest opportunity that agencies and media companies have ever seen. For those that choose to accept it.
In order to be relevant with consumers, brands need to be part of the conversation. The only way to be part of this conversation is to bring something valuable to the table. Think about your one-on-one conversations. Why would you talk to someone that has nothing valuable to say?
Information is the key. Brands must provide valuable information to their customer segments in order to create and sustain long-term, loyal relationships. Advertising of the past will be replaced by information in the future.
They need help doing it.
Media companies are best positioned for this because they understand the value of targeted, editorial content (regardless of channel). Ad agencies can fill this role as well, but the culture shock may be too much for them to handle.
Some media companies and agencies are starting to get this. They will be the new marketing leadership. Many won't. It will be fun and sad to watch all at the same time. Hang on!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jeff Miller EMAIL: jmiller@wattnet.net IP: 67.133.155.34 URL: http://www.wattpoultry.com DATE: 08/13/2008 08:51:23 AM Joe, "Information is the key. Brands must provide valuable information to their customer segments in order to create and sustain long-term, loyal relationships. Advertising of the past will be replaced by information in the future." Couldn't agree with you more...I just had a long conversation with an ad agency that provides "creative" for a mutual client. I had to be ever so patient explaining to her that it is her agency's best interest to create *custom content* and use traditional media (print ads, banner ads, video, etc.) to drive awareness of and traffic to a micro site that contains solutions to industry issues. I don't want to alienate an agency and go direct to the client - but, if she doesn't pitch the concept to them soon, I will. Best regards, Jeff PS great presentation last week! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.8.6.128 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/13/2008 06:53:47 PM All right Jeff. Keep spreading that gospel. It's tough when the agency doesn't understand where the marketplace is going, especially in B2B, where consistent content to targeted customers is mandatory for survival. We're working against decades of the same mindset. Change isn't possible without a new mindset. Sometimes we have to force the hand. Keep the Faith Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is the Media Iceberg Melting? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-the-media-ic CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 08/07/2008 03:49:14 AM ----- BODY:
Media companies are going through a major transformation, with the majority looking at the viability of their core business models. I touched on this in the most recent issue of Folio: magazine (check out the entire article here).
This excerpt puts the situation in perspective:
Corporations need content in order to survive, and all the trends
show that this direction is only going to accelerate. If the iceberg
hasn’t melted, it’s on the verge of cracking.
Media companies that can make the transition to offering their services up to corporations are the ones that will lead the new media business model. A few are dealing with these changes and are making major adjustments. Many are not. Which one will you be?
Corporations need content, but most either don't want to produce it themselves or don't have the expertise to produce content effectively as part of their total marketing strategies. This opens a great opportunity for media companies to, effectively, teach businesses how to do what they do - which is create consistent compelling content initiatives.
Most media companies do not want to move in this direction. Who can blame them? It's much easier to sell advertising display programs. It's too bad those days are over...
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Outsourced Custom Publishing Second-Fastest Industry Segment STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: outsourced-cust CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 08/05/2008 02:07:11 PM ----- BODY:According to the latest research from private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), outsourced custom publishing is the second-fastest growing area of marketing spend, behind only word-of-mouth marketing. The full research states that outsourced custom publishing grew an average of 16.5% from 2002-2007 to an estimated $5.46 billion.
The combination of outsourced custom publishing and branded entertainment is valued at $27.76 billion according to VSS, which is substantially less than recent studies from the Custom Publishing Council and ContentWise, which estimates the total spending of custom content in the range of $48 to $55 billion.
Frankly, determining an accurate number for the custom content/content marketing industry is almost impossible, since organizational budgets usually do not break out custom as a separate line item. Nonetheless, VSS takes an apples-to-apples comparison each year, and the growth rate number should be trusted.
What does this mean? This means one of two things - either companies are spending more on custom publishing as a whole (which they are) or they are outsourcing more and doing less internally. My take is that both are happening simultaneously.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 72.91.239.183 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 08/05/2008 05:15:43 PM My projects verify both are happening and the project management/client management is proving to be as or more important than the execution. Ian Alexander ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hersh Bhardwaj EMAIL: hersh.bhardwaj@gmail.com IP: 81.144.181.18 URL: http://www.safetymedia.co.uk DATE: 08/07/2008 04:21:58 AM I strongly believe that outsourcing has increased. Smarter companies are doing a lot of resource-check and fast turning into decidion making entities and outsourcing anything thats a chore. Thats my tuppence on the topic! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.46.219.221 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/08/2008 12:37:29 AM @Ian - your model is a case study of the research. @Hersh - Outsourcing, especially with corporate content development is here to stay. With less than 20% of these kinds of projects fully outsourced, there is lots of room to run. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: KPO India EMAIL: julia.sadie@yahoo.com IP: 112.201.102.36 URL: http://www.kpo.com DATE: 06/03/2010 12:35:30 PM I agree; as long as US and European companies are looking for ways to run their businesses more cost effectively but with the same high quality, the outsourcing industry will remain strong. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: MIN Announces 2008 Integrated Marketing Awards STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: min-announces-2 DATE: 08/05/2008 11:25:18 AM ----- BODY:Here are the finalists of the custom categories for the 2008 MIN Integrated Marketing Awards. See the full list here.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: 2008 Custom Publishing Award Winners from MIN URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/09/2008-custom-pub.html IP: 204.9.178.199 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 09/21/2008 09:01:45 PM Below are MIN's 2008 Integrated Marketing Award winners in the custom publishing categories. Congratulations to the winners. For the complete list of custom publishing nominees, check out this list. Custom Publishing Project Meredith Integrated Marketi... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW - A Complimentary White Paper STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: attract-and-ret CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: business blogging CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom content CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: definition CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 08/03/2008 10:12:32 PM ----- BODY:Today’s Internet-savvy buyers are hungry for content. And not just any content...valuable, relevant content that offers solutions to their problems and helps them lead successful, productive, enjoyable jobs and lives. However, they are also inundated by thousands of marketing messages every day, most of which they ignore. To get through, you need to communicate differently—you need to do more than just sell products and services. You need to provide information. Smart marketers know this and are creating strong brand relationships by providing good, authoritative, even leadership-type content.
For that very reason, Junta42 is offering this complimentary white paper entitled, "How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW."
The majority of companies are set up to sell products and services, not to create valuable, relevant and compelling content on a consistent basis. To deliver content that has a chance to create long-term relationships with customers and prospects, businesses need to develop a new content mindset. This free white paper will help you get there.
Here are just a few of the content marketing issues that are covered in this white paper:
We also include a few case studies from leading brands that are making it work today.
If you are signed in as a Junta42 member, you'll go straight to the white paper. If not, your name and email address will direct you to the white paper download.
Download your complimentary white paper now! For all you media types and publishers out there, make sure you check out the sister-white paper to this document - "The New Rules of Custom Publishing: Nine Strategies to Create a World-Class Content Marketing Organization." Enjoy.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mlm leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 06:02:16 PM Here's my thoughts regarding on how to attract and retain customers with content using websites. One way to ensure that your site is fulfilling customer requirement, is by monitoring activity on it in terms of what features and content attract users attention. These features would be your strengths and you can plan your strategy such as to capitalize on them by giving people more of what they want. A note of caution here though --- "if you focus too much on features preferred by existing clients, you may drive away potential clients for whom those particular features are not relevant." So a judicious judgment is required to maintain a balance to retain the existing customers and not to drive away the potential ones. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Owen EMAIL: chris@chrisowenacademy.com IP: 67.142.167.20 URL: http://www.chrisowenacademy.com/mlm-leads/ DATE: 07/24/2010 12:23:52 AM Thanks for the link to the white paper. I'll definitely read up. I like the info I'm seeing here. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Randy Lewey EMAIL: mlmguidetoleads@gmail.com IP: 98.148.183.234 URL: http://mlmguidetoleads.com DATE: 07/29/2010 08:01:00 PM Hey Joe, I do understand that organic content is king. We need to understand this if you your business is going to stay on top...Google has changed the way you are indexed as of June 2010 to paying more attention on content more so then PPC.Everyone should learn how to do article marketing as a business strategy. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ed hardy EMAIL: enjoyjiayi@yahoo.com IP: 59.58.175.182 URL: http://www.ed-hardy.cc DATE: 08/05/2010 02:53:00 AM Thanks for the link to the white paper. I'll definitely read up. I like the info I'm seeing here. http://www.ed-hardy.cc ----- PING: TITLE: Buy ambien online no rx. URL: http://www.youtube.com/user/garry98722 IP: 74.86.238.186 BLOG NAME: Ambien cr buy online no rx. DATE: 09/16/2009 09:38:19 PM Buy ambien online no rx. Ambien cr buy online no rx. ----- PING: TITLE: Seven Content Strategies to Build Trust with Today's Savvy Consumers - A Complimentary eBook URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/11/seven-content-strategies-to-build-trust-with-todays-savvy-consumers-a-complimentary-ebook.html IP: 204.9.178.6 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 11/20/2008 09:43:35 AM At the heart of all sales transactions is trust. The greater the trust, the more likely the sale. Without trust, there is no sale. In today’s business world, where more and more relationships are being developed and maintained over the... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Branded Content Boosts Bottom Line STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: branded-content CATEGORY: branded content DATE: 07/30/2008 10:25:19 PM ----- BODY:The Online Publishers Association (OPA) released a study today about the effectiveness of branded content. As a whole, the findings suggest that "the higher the quality of content from the advertiser, the higher the brand favorability and purchase intent."
Here is a link to a PowerPoint of the OPA findings.
These findings give more credence to our own Junta42 research findings about how businesses are spending more money on branded content and content marketing.
We've been banging the drum about this trend for the past year, and about how successful brands are realizing that creating valuable, compelling and relevant content is one of the keys (if not the key) to successful marketing programs (see the book).
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Will Cuil's Search Engine Dent Google's Armor? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: will-cuils-sear CATEGORY: search marketing DATE: 07/28/2008 11:24:16 AM ----- BODY:Interesting article from CNN Money about Anna Patterson's group of ex-Google employees and their launch of a competing search engine called Cuil (pronounced "cool").
Here are the key points:
It's clear that Cuil is still working out the bugs, but I see the promise. Google allows only two results from one particular domain. In doing the check on "Junta42", seven of the 10 search results came from the Junta42.com domain. I'm not sure at this point whether this is better or worse for the user. It will all depend on what is being searched.
The additional copy and pictures is helpful, but some of the images didn't correspond with the right abstract (which is curious at best).
If Cuil gains a following, it may prove the need for even more robust content on one or multiple websites, since Cuil focuses on the "deep content dive" more than ranking and link building. Do I smell opportunity?
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractions.com IP: 66.74.10.243 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 07/28/2008 02:48:15 PM Hi Joe, I have to say that I theoretically like the display of Cuil search results, but I have to question the graphics they associate with the posts. For example, if I search for myself, my blog listing has the cover of a book on my booklist next to an unrelated description of a post. And, when I move on to next pages, they are repeating listings I've already seen. 2 searches I entered on the internal page search box gave me a no results page, but when I went back to the homepage and searched, I got pages of results. I'm thinking they have a few bugs to work out yet... But it is a cuil way to view search results. I'll keep trying. Thanks for the post. Ardath ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.108.186 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/28/2008 03:26:03 PM Hi Ardath...my take was the same as yours. I see the potential, but was alarmed by some of the images. One of my domains had American Express Custom Solutions next to it. Strange indeed! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: hersh bhardwaj EMAIL: hersh.bhardwaj@gmail.com IP: 81.144.181.18 URL: http://www.safetylearning.co.uk/blog DATE: 08/01/2008 09:32:34 AM Hi Joe, Its an interesting one. I have rattled a lot of cages in UK about Cuil's ability to oust Google. Most web marketers are very comfortable with Google so anything new is not welcome. Besides, we are trying to find similar search results in CUIL as we do in G or Yahoo or MSN. Thats not the case! So lets hope CUIL fullfills the promise! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.108.186 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 08/01/2008 10:09:58 AM Hi Hersh...that's a big promise to fill. Not sure going head to head with Google was wise, but who am I to say. If it's a useful service (regardless of Google), it should find a home. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Blog STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-questions-to CATEGORY: business blogging DATE: 07/27/2008 09:28:45 PM ----- BODY:One of the most frequent questions I receive while traveling is about blogging. The questions revolve around how to get started, what to talk about, and what software to use.
My questions back to them usually startle the person, because so many start thinking about what they want to say, other than what their target audience needs to hear. Here are a few...
1. Who are your primary and secondary targets for your blog?
2. What do you want to tell them?
3. Do you understand what the key informational needs of the audience are?
4. Are you reading other blogs on that topic, and ones targeting your customers and prospects?
5. If you are reading, are you leaving comments that add to the online conversation on the blogs you cover?
6. Do you have a firm grasp on the types of keywords to focus on that would be relevant to your blog?
7. Do you follow those keywords on Technorati and Google Blog Search? Do you have alerts set up around those keywords at Google Alerts?
8. Can you commit to blogging at least two-to-three times per week? (consistency is key)
9. What is your ultimate goal in starting a blog? In one year from when you start blogging, how will your life be different?
10. Are you looking at blogging as a challenge or something that could be fun?
Of course, I don't ask all of these in order in fear I would scare them off, but these are the general starter questions. These questions should be the same for individuals as well as businesses.
The majority of blogs out there don't make it. The worst thing you can do as a business is start a consistent dialogue with your customers and then stop. Better not to do one at all.
Remember, blogging is just a tool. Some businesses aren't ready to commit resources or change their culture (full transparency) to adapt to a blog. That's okay. But all businesses must understand the power of blogging. Your brand is what people read about and talk about online. You have to decide if you want to be a part of shaping that conversation around your brand.
More Helpful Resources:
- Problogger's Blogging Tips for Beginners
- 10 Enterprise Blogging Trends for 2008
- Business Blogging: 5 Lessons Learned and Strategies Discovered
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: EH EMAIL: eh@iangilyeat.com IP: 72.201.89.252 URL: http://www.iangilyeat.com DATE: 07/31/2008 04:46:19 PM Those are good questions to ask yourself before you start blogging. Because blogging is a good way to connect with your customers and to expand your social network, you need to be careful and consistent with your blogging. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Go-Gulf EMAIL: kaleem@go-gulf.com IP: 116.71.172.166 URL: http://www.go-gulf.com DATE: 01/26/2009 11:21:16 AM Great post Joe. Could not agree with you more. If one does this right, then it is easy to measure and make adjustments along the way, rather than saying it does not work and having to abandon it. These metrics alos become great talking points to getting buy in from the management and also to update them regularly on the success of the effort. Plus, it keeps you it is a constant gauge on how well you are serving the needs of your audience. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: kiran EMAIL: info@toputop.com IP: 122.169.182.146 URL: http://www.toputop.com DATE: 02/13/2009 10:58:01 AM Good post about blog questions.I agree with your questions. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul EMAIL: poker.player558@gmail.com IP: 75.52.253.120 URL: DATE: 02/24/2009 08:08:28 PM Is it illegal to post a customers email on a blog?? Thank you ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bill Ruesch EMAIL: bill@billrueschprintbrokers.com IP: 67.166.109.172 URL: http://www.billprintbroker.com DATE: 03/06/2009 02:42:07 PM I found your website and see that you are using blog material from the Printing universe. I'm a printing broker that has spent a lifetime explaining the process to others. Now I find that I need to branch out. I saw on LinkedIn that you are acquainted with some of the same people that I know, especially Marilyn McDonald. Maybe we can talk. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.107.230 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/06/2009 02:47:09 PM @Bill...my start was in the print custom world. Be happy to talk at your convenience. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: home business leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 06:19:01 PM Writing for your blog can be difficult in many ways, mind numbing at times too. Your readers want the information quickly, clear as they want it, by at large, in bite-sized morsels rather than long, buffet type spreads. This can make the art of being clear even more difficult than it might be in other mediums. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karl EMAIL: contact@foxleymarketingsolutions.com IP: 86.0.225.75 URL: http://www.foxleymarketingsolutions.com DATE: 10/28/2009 08:34:33 AM I was just reading through this post and what you say here really resonates with me, 'The worst thing you can do as a business is start a consistent dialogue with your customers and then stop'. I used to follow a lot of people in the internet marketing crowd because they shared great content. I noticed that in the last 6 to 12 months that a lot of marketers switched from sharing regular content to only sending out a post if it was promoting something that would earn them a commission. You can guess that I no longer read these blogs. I think in these cases it very much is as you say, 'Better not to do one at all.' ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: chris EMAIL: christopher4560@gmail.com IP: 99.235.58.188 URL: http://probioticsreport.com DATE: 06/28/2010 06:17:52 PM Good questions to ask - I think Understanding the market is important - you can even go into psychographics and demographics to get an accurate picture of your audience. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Nate, The Home Business Leads Guy EMAIL: support@1homebusinessleads.com IP: 125.60.241.251 URL: http://www.1homebusinessleads.com/ DATE: 07/30/2010 10:34:35 AM Certainly those are the questions you need to throw to your self and answer it before starting any blog. This post is a great help to blog starters and can have the bloggers re-think over there reason to blog. Thanks a lot. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob EMAIL: buildyourownwealt1@gmail.com IP: 98.77.181.120 URL: http://marketingbusinessopportunity.net/ DATE: 08/25/2010 02:39:02 PM I completely agree! Most bloggers start off "hot", then simmer down, then get cold. The key is CONSISTENCY. You start off hot, stay hot. Keep your readers interested and engaged. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Downfall of Catholic Church: Lack of Content? STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: downfall-of-cat CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/27/2008 09:05:27 PM ----- BODY:I've attended many different churches in my day, most of them Roman Catholic churches. For anyone who does not have their head in the ground, the Catholic Church has been going through a major corporate downsizing over the past decade - fewer members, fewer priests, and less money to work with.
In the Cleveland, Ohio area, the churches in our diocese are going through what's called a clustering process. In short, clustering is the word they are using for "downsizing." It basically means that groups of churches need to get together to figure out which churches will be merged or closed due to the factors above.
The problem with this structured downsizing program is that the core problem is not being addressed. Even though there will be less churches, less financial overhead, and, at least for a short-time, more available priests, the core problem is not being addressed.
I believe the core problem is that the church lacks a formal content marketing strategy.
Stick with me for a second.
Most churches have one major communication vehicle, which is the weekly bulletin. The weekly bulletin is a mass-marketing effort at best. While it communicates church happenings, it does not provide specific information for customer segments.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: DIY Microsites to the Rescue - a Q&A with Genoo's Kim Albee STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: i-had-the-pleas CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 07/22/2008 10:16:34 PM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of chatting with Kim Albee recently about the launch of her new web-based microsite and lead nurturing system called Genoo. Genoo is an interesting concept, and really speaks to marketers about the need to not only communicate effectively and consistently with customers and prospects, but to nurture and track the conversation as well.
Joe with Junta42 - What does Genoo do?
Kim with Genoo - Genoo's online marketing tools enable marketers to affordably reach target audiences fast—with fresh, relevant information. They can create niche product and expertise microsites and landing pages in record time and launch campaigns without IT involvement.
All of Genoo’s tools are integrated so once an email communication is sent, all responses are tracked, and marketers can gain insight to lead interest levels. Then, they can use that lead intelligence to tune messaging to build better connections with the leads they’re nurturing. Genoo is an online campaign execution toolbox for interactive content marketing.
Joe - Why did you decide to launch it?
Kim - I worked with a lot of marketers who had difficulty implementing lead nurturing strategies. They had lengthy wait times for IT to load content, create landing pages and provide email templates. Whenever they learned anything about their leads that necessitated tuning their messaging, they went back to the IT queue. That dependence on IT hampers marketing’s efforts to be responsive in real-time and provide the interactive marketing dialog their prospective customers expect.
I knew if we could help marketers eliminate those technical challenges, plus give them a more integrated suite of tools that helps them remove silos and get a more comprehensive view of how their communications are being received and acted upon, Genoo would deliver a high-value solution. Increasingly, marketers need to optimize campaign outcomes and quantify their contribution to revenues. Ultimately, I want Genoo to revolutionize the way online marketing gets done by eliminating the technology barriers and cost structures that hinder optimizing ongoing dialog with customers and buyers.
Joe - What changes in marketing are you seeing where the microsite will continue to be important?
Kim - That’s a tough question. Much has changed in customer expectations and in who controls the sales cycle. Marketing Sherpa has done some definitive research in this area. Two notable findings are that 80% of our customers say they found us, where companies believe the opposite is true. The other is that persistent statistic that reports 79% of marketing leads never become opportunities.
Both of those changes have big ramifications for how companies market. In the first one, because prospects identify themselves later in the buying process, they may very well think they found you. The reality is that marketing needs to provide deep content for relevant focus areas to deliver high-value information designed to meet an urgent need. Microsites enable marketers to do that with ease.
The wasted leads issue results from a lack of insight about leads and the historical tendency for marketing to rely on sales to nurture them. Marketers are being tasked to nurture leads farther through the pipeline and need to take the effort to prove to salespeople that they can be trusted to deliver sales-ready leads. This pervasive lack of trust between marketing and sales is costing companies time, money and customers. Microsites with integrated lead nurturing tools can help bridge that gap between sales and marketing by generating better leads, validating interest levels and setting sales up to close more deals.
Joe - In your opinion, why are content microsites so important?
Kim - Important question Joe, and one many marketers are asking. Microsites are becoming a critical resource for customers and buyers to focus on specific expertise needs. The time constraints of today’s business don’t allow a lot of time for browsing vast websites and trolling through lots of unneeded or general one-size-fits-all information in search of insight about urgent priorities.
The more customer-focused companies become, the bigger the need for niche areas of interest that engage and sustain the interest of leads. And that’s exactly what a microsite provides. By delivering targeted high-value information, marketing can entice leads to identify themselves earlier in the process, as well as ensure that their company stays top of mind until the lead decides to move forward.
Additionally, the ability to easily insert keywords, page titles and meta descriptions to optimize the search results for each page of a microsite is critical to being found in the first place. Microsites allow you to claim an area of expertise and go after that search result territory. The more you learn about your leads’ behavior, the better able you’ll be to tune your keyword choices to accurately reflect how your target audience is searching for their information. And, marketing can take charge of being found on the Web without need of IT support.
Joe - How hard is it to use drip marketing…and why would you?
Kim - Without integrated tools that automate nurturing programs, drip marketing can become a tedious manual task that gets pushed aside for other projects. But, with Genoo, a marketer can go out and create their email messages, load and link their content and schedule the sends based on rules they set about lead activity.
The reason drip marketing is important goes back to both staying top of mind and building credibility that inspires the trust necessary for a lead to initiate a conversation with your company. By consistently delivering high-value, relevant content the lead receives information of value and establishes that comfort level with your company. Every time you send them something relevant to their priorities, you earn another good impression that bolsters your credibility as the ideal partner to help them solve their problems. One-way, one-off scatter-shot marketing communications won’t deliver those results for marketers.
Joe - Personalization is a big topic for marketing today. How does Genoo help marketers get closer that ideal?
Kim - The simple answer is intelligence. Because Genoo tracks every activity your leads undertake from opening, clicking through and visiting additional resources on your microsite, you know what they’re interested in. By segmenting and communicating with leads who share interests, marketers can maximize their ability to connect with their leads because their responsiveness is noticeable and appreciated.
When marketing communications are on target, marketers are saving their leads valuable time they’d otherwise spend searching for expertise they need to make competent decisions about how to solve problems. Genoo provides lead profiles and list management to help them easily accomplish higher levels of personalization.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rich Pearson EMAIL: rich@attributor.com IP: 71.198.177.26 URL: http://www.attributor.com DATE: 07/24/2008 02:26:19 AM This sounds like the killer online marketing app, especially if their email service has anywhere near the functionality of something like Constant Contact. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kim Albee EMAIL: kim@genoo.com IP: 206.135.173.200 URL: http://www.genoo.com DATE: 07/27/2008 03:09:00 PM Rich, Genoo's email capability is fairly extensive, including the ability to set up drip marketing campaigns based on user activity -- for example, what a lead downloaded, how many times they've visited your microsite, etc. It's also possible to create and associated a form with a download, so you can capture additional information about the lead at that time -- adding to your understanding and knowledge about them. It's all about enabling you to build valuable information by providing relevant information to your leads based on their interests. thanks, Kim ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Biotonico EMAIL: insidesalesdotcom@hotmail.com IP: 67.214.225.82 URL: http://www.insidesales.com/lead_response_management.php DATE: 07/28/2008 11:44:30 AM Interesting Interview. Automation of lead nurturing and using drip marketing to qualify more leads really does help the overall ROI. It is also important to be ready and able to contact contact leads quickly when they are actually ready to buy. A complete Lead Response Management software can do this for you. Checkout insidesales.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Art of the Free Sample - Content Survival Tips STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-art-of-the CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 07/21/2008 12:54:49 PM ----- BODY:Every month our investment club meets to review our portfolio, make stock purchase decisions and, hopefully, learn a little. This month our meeting was held at Whole Foods on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. Previously, this was a Wild Oats, and it was the first time I'd visited the store since it was renamed and re-branded as a Whole Foods.
The difference was notable as soon as we walked in. I have two words for you - Free Samples. There was a worker at the door giving out samples of organic peaches and mango. There was another stand set up next to our meeting room area that was giving away complimentary organic coffee. It made quite an impression. I plan on stopping back and picking up some more of those mango.
Giving away free samples to consumers has been an age-old marketing practice. The idea is to let prospects try it. If they like it, they'll come back for more. From Crest toothpaste to the new Frosted Flakes Gold, consumer marketers with smaller-ticket items use free samples to drive their businesses.
Business-to-business marketers and high-ticket consumer marketers have a bit more difficulty giving away free samples. "Yes sir, please try out our new forklift, no questions asked." "Yes maam, we'll send over your new Pontiac Vibe today. Keep it as long as you like." Just doesn't work.
So what to do?
Your content is your free sample. Give your customers and prospects a taste of your brand by delivering great information to them on a consistent basis. Instead of giving them that forklift, how about a video series on green shipping practices? Instead of delivering the Pontiac, how about a custom magazine showing Pontiac owners how they can get the most out of their car and their lifestyle?
This is not rocket science, it's survival. Interruption marketing is near-death. Consumers are tuning out more and more marketing messages. To survive, you have to be relevant. You have to provide constant value in order for your customers to pay attention...even just a bit.
There is no social media strategy without content
I was talking with a marketing consultant today, and we chatted about simplifying the idea of social media. Look at it this way. You are having a one-on-one conversation with your customer. If you are only talking about how wonderful your products and services are, how long do you think they will pay attention to you?
Social media works the same way. You won't be allowed into the conversation without coming to the party with something of value. This is the golden rule on social media sites, as well as your own website. How long do you think your customers will stay on your site that includes only information about your products? What would you do if you were in their shoes? Would you stay more than five seconds?
Get to know your customers informational needs. Then, provide content that solves those needs. It's that simple. This strategy is not just something nice to do, it's communication survival 101. Go out and create great content.
What's your free sample?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Natanya Anderson EMAIL: natanya_anderson@powered.com IP: 66.179.216.253 URL: http://www.powered.com DATE: 07/24/2008 10:21:18 AM The concept of the content in a marketing program as a "free sample" is superb. I think it's an easy way to help marketers who don't necessarily understand (yet) the value of user-focused content wrap their brains around it. The Sony Backstage Digital Photography collection is a smorgasbord of free samples around all kinds of digital photography topics: http://backstage101.learningcenter.sony.us/campus/p/campusId/2103/Digital+Photography+101.html Instead of including lots of conventional marketing around why buy a Sony camera, the content instead focuses on how to select the right camera and then on how to use it to take great pictures. The Radio Shack Learning Center helps people do more with the stuff they might purchase at Radio Shack (fitting in with the Do Stuff campaign). http://learningcenter.radioshack.com/ Yesterday I heard a really interesting take on a litmus test for content that is of value to users: does it provide a "service", where a service is answering a question or providing useful information the customer wants. Those marketers who can create service-oriented content will offer tasty free samples that their customers will come back for time and again -- all the while interacting with the brand and building loyalty. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 97.7.42.155 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/24/2008 10:46:09 AM Hi Natanya...excellent take on this. You are correct, most marketers I talk to don't inherently see the value. Love your take on content as a service. Whatever helps marketers "get" it, I'm all for. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gordy Oshoko EMAIL: goshgordy@hotmail.com IP: 41.222.70.197 URL: DATE: 08/04/2008 01:04:13 PM I think marketers are beginning to appreciate the value of content marketing, what with the growth of the custom publishing industry. More marketing budgets are directed at creating a free taste of the pudding, its paying them off, otherwise more of them won't be joining. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dentist Daytona Beach EMAIL: darkslatebluemoon@ymail.com IP: 112.201.72.196 URL: http://www.dentistsdaytonabeach.com/ DATE: 10/02/2009 03:43:12 AM This is a very informative post. Indeed, there are many people who uses social media to gain customers and it is targeted to people who might like it. A creative marketing strategy takes effort, but it is worth it, big time. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Using Content as the Center of Your Marketing Strategy - Don't Miss this Event! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: using-content-a CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 07/20/2008 03:10:54 PM ----- BODY:Interruption marketing is dying. Consumers have control over what they engage in and when. So how do you get your relevant, valuable, and compelling content out to your customer base on a consistent basis?
You turn to the Web, right?
But hold on. Are you confident about which of the myriad Web-based options are right for your content? Do you know what to plan for now so that your content is found on the Internet in the future? And what’s with this whole social media thing, anyway?
Join me for an exclusive online presentation with McMurry's ContentWise (formerly Publications Management) discussing why content is the future of marketing and how to choose the best ways to make your content accessible for your customers, prospects, members—even the ones you don’t know about yet. You’ll learn what will generate demand and position your organization as a thought leader now, and what will ensure that you’re still a visible force on the Web five or ten years from now. Register now!
When
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
11:30 A.M. — 12:30 P.M. Eastern
10:30 A.M. — 11:30 P.M. Central
9:30 A.M. — 10:30 A.M. Mountain
8:30 A.M. — 9:30 A.M. Pacific
Pricing
Webinar (per dial-in site):
$199 (subscribers)
$229 (non-subscribers)
Here's What You'll Learn
Looking forward to seeing you there.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Custom Events Have Become the New Forum for Targeted Engagement STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-custom-even DATE: 07/17/2008 11:21:22 AM ----- BODY:I had the opportunity to catch up with Kirk Laughlin yesterday in New York. Kirk is Vice President and Managing Director of Events for Ziff Davis Enterprise. With all the talk about online marketing concepts, sometimes we forget how robust the custom events arena is. Kirk was kind enough to sit down and share his thoughts to talk about content quality, audience delivery and why custom events are here to stay.
Joe at Junta42 - What do you do for Ziff Davis Enterprise (ZDE)?
Kirk at ZDE - I run the live events unit at ZDE which includes over 200 custom events and about a dozen editorial conferences annually. I manage a team of over a dozen event professionals, including editors, logistics leaders, audience delivery experts and project managers.
Joe - What’s your background?
Kirk - Most of my professional life has been as a B2B editor, largely in telecom and IT, both in the US and Asia. As a result, a big part of my focus here is to engage an audience with rich, quality content that they simply can’t obtain through any other media channel. I believe I am fortunate to have grown up in editorial at a time when “reader pain points” were explored through longer-form analysis. I truly believe live events have become the new forum for this deeper level of thought and investigation.
Joe - What is a custom event?
Kirk - That’s an interesting question, since so many of us in marketing and media know all about custom white papers or magazines, but what qualifies as a premium custom event may not be widely understood. Custom events, at least at Ziff Davis Enterprise, make the client-editorial partner relationship visible through targeted audience delivery, tightly managed content development and an emphasis on highly interactive presentations. We were first in this space among the big B2B tech media companies and have established a unique formula that has generated strong affinity among our senior IT level audience. We bring to these select, qualified audiences the best thought leadership from the client and match it with our own independent editorial and deliver it to a number of different forums– whether a custom roundtable, wine tasting, half-day summit or specialty program at a museum, a golf outing, or even a microbrewery!
Joe - Talk about the importance of engagement for a bit...
Kirk - Let’s be candid – our audience of IT professionals can smell a sales pitch a mile away – whether on a website, a printed piece or on stage. They are simply not willing to be subjected to two hours of “death by Powerpoint.” These people take time away from the office and fight traffic to be part of a two-way conversation, where they interact with peers and challenge the opinions of thought leaders. Debate and exchanging ideas are key requirements for all of our live events.
Joe - Who do you work with and what do these clients want from ZDE?
Kirk - We’re very proud of our client roster, having worked with virtually every large global technology hardware and software vendor and dozens of emerging and mid-tier players seeking to up-level their message to senior IT decision makers. Our client marketers turn to us for complete confidence in managing the entire lifecycle of the event process – from establishing the topic and framework – to acquiring registrants to delivering on the day of the show. We take a lot of pride in the quality of our leads, who are part of our database of four million web visitors, print subscribers and event attendees.
Joe - What are you doing to grow your business?
Kirk - Execution is everything in our business. We work in a time sensitive, client-focused environment where we must be fundamentally nimble and proactively find solutions to all kinds of little things that pop up. We’re in a public facing environment also and everything we do – from our logistical performance to quality of audience to strength of our content – all contribute back to our growth. Finally, our core mission is to find and deliver the precise type of attendee sought by our clients, running in a vertical category, like financial services, or horizontally, such as directors of IT.
Joe - What makes you different than other custom event providers?
Kirk - Earlier on in our evolution, we tried to borrow editors from the print titles to work on events and that didn’t work. Our competitors are still stuck in that model, and clients tell us that the lack of dedicated talent always shows up at some point in the process. Our entire team is customer service oriented, which to be honest, is more similar to the way an ad agency might operate than a longstanding media brand.
Joe - What’s next?
Kirk - We’re continuing to advance our integration of live event and virtual platforms and also partnering with selected large trade show organizers to better leverage our content expertise. I am especially excited to see that many sponsors are returning year after year to work with us on custom campaigns – in fact one just finished up a roadshow that started in the US and finished up in Paris and Bangalore!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Age of Conversation Sequel - More Authors, More Must Have Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: age-of-conversa CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/12/2008 08:52:15 PM ----- BODY:The Age of Conversation (available here at Amazon) is a collaborative work of some of the best minds in social media and new marketing. The second installment of Age of Conversation is due to come out soon - with more authors and more must have mind-altering marketing information.
Age of Conversation Part II includes 237 of the finest marketing thought leaders in the business (a huge increase over the 102 authors from the first Age of Conversation). The sequel will focus on why some companies just don't "get it", and what you can do now to get closer to your customers. More to come as the book is launched. For a peek at this expert group of authors...here's the list:
Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
For more, here is the initial post on Age Part 2.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas Karr EMAIL: doug@douglaskarr.com IP: 99.130.165.252 URL: http://www.douglaskarr.com DATE: 07/13/2008 01:27:08 AM Don't forget to subscribe to these folks, I've put together an OPML: http://www.marketingtechblog.com/2008/07/03/238-reasons-to-buy-age-of-conversations-2/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.144 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/13/2008 07:35:51 AM Thanks for the reminder Douglas. Great stuff. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: C.B. Whittemore EMAIL: cbwhittemore@gmail.com IP: 67.85.29.202 URL: http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com DATE: 07/14/2008 02:00:18 PM Joe, thanks for getting the word out about this fantastic project! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 71.50.185.197 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/17/2008 11:07:57 AM Thanks CB...glad to be working with you on it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Simple Reason Why Yahoo! is Killing Itself STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-simple-reason CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/09/2008 03:26:04 PM ----- BODY:I was signing up Junta42 Match for inclusion in the Yahoo! Directory today. It's $299 for a non-adult content site. At the end of the submission process, here is the notice they post (read the last sentence):
IMPORTANT: Please click on the "Submit" button
below ONLY ONCE (double-clicking is not necessary), then wait
patiently for your confirmation page. The approval process for your credit
card payment may take a few minutes. Your card will automatically be billed
every time you click on the "Submit" button. Once you have clicked
the "Submit" button, no refund will be
given for any reason.
Also included in the agreement is this line:
I understand that there is no guarantee my site will be added to the Yahoo! Directory. [Section 2.5]
This means that you pay $299 and they don't have to give you any services. They don't have to list your company. They don't have to do anything but take your money (even if you accidentally click the "submit" button twice).
Now that's customer service!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Don Lipper EMAIL: Don.Lipper@LipperCustomPublishing.com IP: 71.197.85.164 URL: http://www.CustomPublishingNews.com DATE: 07/10/2008 03:53:33 PM I can't believe that you pay $300 for the promise of nothing and with no possibility of refund or even customer service. This is one of the MANY reasons Google is kicking Yahoo's assets. This week the Wall Street Journal had an article about how Google completely overhauled their ad network to streamline things for their ads sales people and their customers. (The story, "Google's Push To Sell Ads on YouTube Hits Snags" can be found here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121557163349038289.html?mod=e-commerce_primary_hs [subscription required]). Yahoo needs to be taught that the customer comes first. Did you ever believe that one day you'd find yourself rooting for Microsoft to take over a company to teach it some manners? Don Lipper www.CustomPublishingNews.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.144 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/10/2008 10:14:14 PM Thanks Don, and thanks for the article posting. I'll check it out. It's unbelievable how fast this has really turned for Yahoo! This is just one of many little reasons. Best Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How BuyerZone Creates Content that Gets Results - Q&A with Jeremy Sacco STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-buyerzone-c CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 07/09/2008 12:51:59 PM ----- BODY:I recently
had the opportunity to chat with Jeremy Sacco, editorial manager for BuyerZone,
about their content marketing practices. Some gold nuggets here about how they
are continually refining (and challenged by) the ongoing creation of content. Check
out our Q&A below.
Joe at Junta42 - Tell me a little about what BuyerZone does?
Jeremy at BuyerZone - BuyerZone helps people who need to make
purchasing decisions for their business. We provide the information buyers need
before they start comparing different sources of equipment and services, then
connect them to multiple suppliers chosen to match their exact purchasing
requirements. It's a free service for buyers -- the business model is a lead
generation service, so suppliers pay a per-lead fee to be part of the
program.
Joe - What is your role/purpose as part of the BuyerZone plan?
Jeremy - I'm the editorial manager here --
my job focuses primarily on the written content we present as part of the
purchasing process. That includes Buyer's Guides, standalone articles,
newsletters, and more. I'm also involved in some marketing and user interface
work, but my main focus is on giving our users more of the information they
need to be better buyers.
Joe - With so many areas that BuyerZone offers services for, how do you
coordinate your time regarding the creation of content?
Jeremy - We only have a two-person content
team at BuyerZone, and we cover over 150 different types of products -- from
copiers to forklifts to payroll services to steel buildings -- so we have to be
pretty comfortable shifting gears from one topic to the next. We try to
allocate our time in a couple of ways: naturally, we tend to spend more time on
the areas where the BuyerZone RFQ process is particularly strong -- traditional
office equipment, telecom, and construction equipment. But we also make sure we
"check in" on areas where technology is changing quickly, so we can
put up new articles or update existing ones to make sure they're still accurate
and relevant. We have a stable of freelancers from different sources that we
use in different ways -- some specialize in research, and some on basic
writing. Finally we try to write our key pieces of content in such a way that
they're "evergreen:" the Postage
Meters Buyer's Guide doesn't need to change much from month to month, so we
can write it, post it, and leave it alone.
Joe - What types of content (channels and topics) do you tend to focus on?
Jeremy - The most prominent type of
content on our site is the Buyer's Guides: comprehensive, multi-page articles
that provide a complete overview of how to purchase the specific product. When
a new product is introduced on the site, we first write a "quick hit"
version -- about 800 to 1000 words on one page. If that proves successful,
we'll write the more comprehensive version, which can be 2,500 to 3,500 words
on 6 to 10 pages. The idea is to make sure we have the most appropriate version
for the amount of traffic the product is seeing. Then we'll go through phases
where we focus on different types of content: articles on pricing, or buying in
tough economic times, for example.
We also
work with our SEO team -- they send us sets of keywords that we don't have good
SEO coverage on and we'll write articles specifically targeted to those
phrases. That partnership has been central to our success: we strike a balance
between editorial and SEO in decision making, and we've been able to build
quite a strong presence in the search engines. (For example, Google the phrase
"copier leasing" - #1 result is an article
we wrote after the SEO team indicated that phrase was high-volume.)
Joe - How do you measure what works, and what doesn't?
We track revenue
per piece of content: if a visitor first reaches BuyerZone through a Buyer's
Guide, their eventual quote request is considered "content
revenue." That's the most direct measure of success, but it's pretty
limited, as well: many visitors touch a Buyer's Guide at some point during
their interaction, regardless of where they entered the site. We also look
at relative traffic -- which types of articles get the most clicks from
overview pages -- to see what's popular. And we try to listen to our users. We
collect both direct feedback and survey responses to see what people are
reading, what they think of it, and what we could do more of.
Joe - What's the future of content marketing for BuyerZone? How is it
currently evolving or what would you like to do different?
Jeremy - We are slowly starting to add
more modern web tools to our site. (I hate to say "Web 2.0" because
it sounds so trendy -- and not all the Web 2.0 features are applicable. No one
is going to Digg our Skid Steer Loaders
Buyer's Guide.) We've introduced user ratings and comments in a couple of areas
and had some success, so we hope to be rolling those out to more areas soon.
And we're working on a blogging strategy as well. (The challenge there is
picking a topic -- just general buying advice is too broad, but no one would
read a 'buying copiers' blog.)
Right now
BuyerZone is a one-time tool for many users: they come to the site through
search, get some information and their matched suppliers, and are gone. Our big
challenge is to turn those users into repeat visitors by exposing them to more
valuable and timely information.
Joe - Has content marketing always been a practice at BuyerZone, or did it
naturally evolve as the company has grown and succeeded?
Actually
BuyerZone's history is as a content company. Before launching the BuyerZone
request for quotes service, the company wrote and sold business purchasing
advice. (Actual books!) So there is an ingrained sense of the value of content
here -- even though it's no longer the sole focus, it's still a core part of
the business.
Joe – Any other content challenges?
Jeremy - One thing that's been on my mind
lately is the people who steal our content. I use Google Alerts to find them,
which isn't perfect, but still finds more content thieves than I can keep up
with cease-and-desisting. When I'm feeling positive, I think about it as a sign
of success: we must be doing something right for people to hijack our work.
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Here are some interesting findings from a UK Royal Mail research study on custom magazine effectiveness (study produced with the APA and Millward Brown). Here is a link to the entire article (subscription needed).
Print is not dead, and probably never will be, as long as companies continue to deliver valuable, relevant and compelling content to customers that need that information. From the research above, it looks like the more good content you deliver, the more customers will engage in that content. Seems obvious, but it's good to see some numbers that back this up.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Unexpected Customer Service STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: unexpected-cust CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 07/08/2008 12:04:07 PM ----- BODY:Here is a quick story about how to keep business.
Last week, I upgraded my iContact account (iContact is an email delivery service). One day after I upgraded, iContact sent me an email for 15% off any upgrades. Darn my luck.
I promptly sent an email reply to the 15% offer in which I told them I just upgraded yesterday and would like to take advantage of the discount.
Two days later, I received an email from iContact accounting that I had received the 15% discount and that my card was credited the difference.
Many companies could have ignored this request, since I missed their window. iContact delivered on their promise regardless.
Needless to say, iContact will be keeping my business. You could say that iContact should have known I just upgraded, and a more targeted email to me would have been a better communications tactic. But that said, this is an example of great customer service.
We are all service businesses today. How we deal with the "service" part of the business is what does or does not create successful organizations.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 5 Important, Yet Often Overlooked, Content and Conversation Marketing Questions STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 5-important-yet CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 07/03/2008 10:59:31 AM ----- BODY:In working with our clients, as well as dealing with our own content and custom publishing practices, here are some key questions that businesses need to continually remind themselves of in order to grow. Often, these are overlooked, but are extremely important.
By answering and continually monitoring these questions, you WILL grow and be successful. Simple, yet complicated, at the same time. The information you create and distribute as a corporation is what fosters the customer conversation. If you don't consistently create valuable, relevant and compelling content, why would anyone want to have a conversation with you?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Natanya Anderson EMAIL: natanya_anderson@powered.com IP: 70.112.91.119 URL: http://www.powered.com DATE: 07/05/2008 09:39:53 AM I like this approach to these critical factors - it helps crystallize these elements for those just starting to understand the power of content. My experiences has taught me that an extension to number 4 is the question "Are you willing to create content that your customers are interested in?" I've found over the last 8 or so years that one of the most important (yet difficult) gaps I've had to bridge for my customers is the one between what they want to say and what their customers are interested in. Sometimes they can't understand why content about scrapbooking helps sell printers or why purchasing advice not just focused on their products can increase preference for their brand. Data is a truly persuasive tool. When I can show the efficacy of content that customers really care about and draw a correlation between that content and my client's business objective the conversations become much easier. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trixie EMAIL: trixie@web-fresh-content.com IP: 121.97.214.123 URL: http://fresh-web-content.com DATE: 07/07/2008 01:40:23 AM That is a nice article. You give some direction on the web content producer, Yeah you are right there some of what you mention are being neglected sometimes. http://fresh-web-content.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trixie EMAIL: trixie@web-fresh-content.com IP: 121.97.214.123 URL: http://fresh-web-content.com DATE: 07/07/2008 01:41:23 AM That is a nice article. You give some direction on the web content producer, Yeah you are right there some of what you mention are being neglected sometimes. http://fresh-web-content.com ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Trixie EMAIL: trixie@web-fresh-content.com IP: 121.97.214.123 URL: http://fresh-web-content.com DATE: 07/07/2008 01:41:32 AM That is a nice article. You give some direction on the web content producer, Yeah you are right there some of what you mention are being neglected sometimes. http://fresh-web-content.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: THE Handbook on Growing Your Business with Content - Just Released STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-handbook-on CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 07/01/2008 12:18:01 PM ----- BODY:Today is the official release date for Get Content. Get Customers., the book that will help businesses of any size grow revenues with simple and straightforward content marketing and custom publishing tactics.
To be honest, when Newt and I sat down to write this book, our prospective reader was a marketing professional in any size organization. Surprisingly, the majority of positive feedback we have received has been from owners, operators and from other functions throughout businesses that are really looking into how they are running their businesses and their business models.
In my discussions with these decision-makers, many were aware that significant changes needed to happen in their business communications and marketing approach, but they weren't quite sure how to deal with them. We are humbled to be able to help these individuals take a new content marketing mindset into their organizations that will pay dividends.
Here is one worthwhile quote from a small-business owner in California: "We've been talking about these issues in our organization for quite a while, but have never found the necessary direction to make actionable change. Your book is helping us do that."
Here's a comment from Bob Leonard on the Amazon.com site: "Barrett and Pulizzi went well beyond an academic treatise of what
"content marketing" is. They took the Harvard Business School approach
and told the stories of 15 different companies and how they leveraged
content marketing for business success. You get all the hows and whys.
The stories are fun to read and, like every well told story, they're
memorable.
This book should be required reading in every business school in
the country. It explains a fundamental shift in the way products and
services are sold, and every person in business needs to understand it."
Also, check out this review from Greg Verdino (Greg was an early reviewer of the book).
Blatant Sales Pitch: Get this book! If you don't get something out of it, I'll buy it back from you.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Will Waugh EMAIL: will.waugh@sas.com IP: 149.173.6.25 URL: DATE: 07/10/2008 01:39:02 PM Hey Joe Haven't gotten the book yet but will. Congrats on all the great work...you are spot on with everything you are saying. Many brands have huge needs for this sort of thinking - so profound it is costing them millions of dollars in lost opportunity. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.145.144 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 07/10/2008 10:07:11 PM Thanks Will. You are right...but some are starting to figure it out. Thanks for the support. Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 113 Expert and Best Business Quotes of All-Time STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 113-expert-and CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 06/29/2008 12:11:15 PM ----- BODY:Find a content provider free and easy at Junta42 Match!
I found this listing of expert quotes in a presentation from Razorleaf's Paul Gimbel at SolidWorks World 2008. (Razorleaf is one of the leaders in engineering and manufacturing process management.)
There are some gems in here for this must print out page! Thanks to Paul for sharing his favorite quotes of all-time.
_____________
“Luck is what happens
when preparation meets opportunity.”
Seneca, Roman Philosopher
“The things we fear most in organizations – fluctuations, disturbances,
imbalances – are the primary sources of creativity.”
Margaret J. Wheatley, Management
Consultant
“Out there in some garage is an entrepreneur who's forging a bullet with your
company's name on it.”
Gary Hamel, Business Writer
“Confidence is contagious; so is lack of confidence.”
Vince Lombardi
“Technological change is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal .”
Albert Einstein
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”
Sven Goran Eriksson
“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible,
he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he
is very probably wrong.”
Arthur C. Clarke, Profiles of the
Future
“Greatness is won, not awarded.”
Guy Kawasaki, How To Drive Your Competition Crazy
“When you compete with a person, you only have to be as good or better than the
person to win. If you compete with yourself, there is no limitation to how good
you can be.”
Chu Chin-Ning
“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Fight fair, but avoid fair fights.”
John Czepiel
“Incrementalism is innovation’s worst enemy.”
Nicholas Negroponte, MIT Media Lab
“If it ain’t broke, break it (or someone else will break it for you).”
Tom Peters
“The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but
how to get old ones out.”
Dee Hock, Founder of Visa
“It doesn’t work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps.”
American Proverb
“If things seem under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
Mario Andretti
“The first problem for us all, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.”
Gloria Steinem
“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do
it.”
Pablo Picasso
“If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying.”
Coleman Hawkins, Jazz Musician
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most
intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin
“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for
success.”
Napoleon Hill, Author
“The word ‘Genius’ isn’t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman
Einstein.”
Joe Theisman
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up.”
Thomas Edison
“You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not
leadership.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
“With ISO 9000 you can still have terrible processes and products. You can
certify a manufacturer that makes life jackets out of concrete…”
Richard Buetow, Motorola
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.”
Mark Twain
“They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them
yourself.”
Andy Warhol
“Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it.”
Stan Smith
“Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.”
Unknown
“Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work.”
Vince Lombardi
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done
at all.”
Peter Drucker
“Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
Albert Einstein
“Not doing more than the average is what keeps the average down.”
William Lyon Phelps, American Author
“There’s something inherently funny about self-reference.”
Dr. Steven Gimbel, Philosopher,
Author
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as
impossible situations.”
Charles R. Swindoll, American Writer
“If you concede the obvious you’re conceding nothing, but you gain back
credibility. That’s a trade you should make every time.”
Mark Katz, former Clinton Humor Speech Writer
“Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well
informed just to be undecided about them.”
Laurence J. Peter
“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be
flexible at all times.”
Everett Dirksen
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure
about the universe.”
Albert Einstein
“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for
failure, which is: Try to please everybody.”
Herbert B. Swope, American
Journalist
“Reengineering cannot be entrusted to the semi-competent, the hangers-on with
nothing better to do. “
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong.”
Charles Kettering, Engineer
“Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.”
Elbert Hubbard, American Philosopher
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
Epictetus
“Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared
aspirations.”
Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
Alan Kay, father of the personal
computer
“A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn’t go by yourself.”
Joel Barker, Future Edge
“If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention.”
Tom Peters
“That which is measured improves.”
Old Business Adage
“The customer is a rear-view mirror, not a guide to the future.”
George Colony, Forrester Research
“When cost is number one in importance, you’ve already lost.”
Jim Rembach, Six Sigma Consultant
“Failures are divided into two classes – those who thought and never did, and
those who did and never thought.”
John Charles Salak
“All work is creative work if done by a thinking mind”
Ayn Rand, From Atlas Shrugged
“’Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all
doubt.”
Attributed to Abraham Lincoln
“In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves
beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
Eric Hoffer, American Social
Philosopher
“Without customers, you don't have a business. You have a hobby.”
Don Peppers & Martha Rogers, Return on Customer
“Realism is just another name for yesterday's thinking.”
Robert Kriegel, Sacred Cows Make The Best Burgers
“Judge a man by his questions, not by his answers.”
Voltaire
“The higher you go in a company, the less oxygen there is, so supporting
intelligent life becomes difficult.” Guy Kawasaki, Rules for Revolutionaries
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston Churchill
“That wasn’t flying. That was falling with style.”
Woody, A Toy Story
“People get into a rhythm that makes them resistant to change. To understand
the mind-set, try switching hands when you brush your teeth in the morning.”
Gary Gesme, Deere & Co.
“Whom the gods wish to destroy they send 40 years of success.”
Ancient Proverb
“The minute you’re satisfied with where you are, you aren’t there anymore.”
Tony Gwynn, Hall of Fame Baseball
player
“Without caring there can be no quality.”
Joel Barker, Future Edge
“It isn’t uncommon for managers at senior levels of large organizations to be
so out of touch with customer or production reality that they don’t know just
how broken some of their business processes are.”
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“Hanging a sign on a cow that says ‘I am a horse’ does not make it a horse.”
Unknown
“Customers, I realized, don’t care about functions or specific activities that
occur within our organization. The end game is whether they are getting the
right product at the right time at a competitive price.”
Max Guinn, Deere & Co.
“Some people make things happen, some watch things happen, while others wonder
what has happened.”
Proverb
“You can celebrate accomplishments, but after a while, you need to start
celebrating the speed at which you’re traveling instead of the destination
you’ve reached.”
Max Guinn, Deere & Co.
“If all you have is a hammer in the toolbox, everything looks like a nail.”
Bernard Baruch, Financial Genius
“There are two types of people in the world, those who say ‘there are two types
of people in the world’ and those who don’t.”
Gloria Steinham
“New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other
reason but because they are not already common.”
John Locke
“The best presenters have conversations with their audiences.”
Robert Bly
Become a Recognized Authority in Your
Field in 60 Days or Less!
“Speed is useful only if you are running in the right direction.”
Joel Barker
Future Edge
“Those who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of those who are
doing it.”
Anonymous
“Successful organizations make habits of things others don’t like to do, or
don’t find time to do.”
Don House
“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will
appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all,
accurately so they will be guided by its light.”
Joseph Pulitzer, Editor
“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”
Paul Valery, Poet
“Individuals and organizations that are good react quickly to change. Individuals and organizations that are great
create change.”
Robert Kriegel, Sacred Cows Make The Best Burgers
“The only muscle that you’ve got is in between your ears.”
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin
“The only thing certain about any negotiation is that it will lead to another
negotiation .”
Leigh Steinberg, Sports Agent
“How fast you are moving is more important than where you are.”
Guy Kawasaki, Rules for Revolutionaries
“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be
done.”
Marie Curie
Nobel Prize Winning Physicist
“The quickest way to kill the human spirit is to ask someone to do mediocre
work.”
Ayn Rand
“If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my
ax.”
Abraham Lincoln
“No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease
to be an artist.”
Oscar Wilde, Poet
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the
universe.”
Dr. Carl Sagan, Astronomer
“You can’t blame the pen or the paper if you write a lousy essay, right?”
Laura Bergells, Presentation Consultant
“No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you'll see
why.”
Mignon McLaughlin, US Journalist (1913-1983)
“You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”
Mark Twain
“If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.”
Albert Einstein
“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”
Zig Ziglar
“A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.”
Sir Winston Churchill
“The only certain thing about a forecast is that it will be wrong.”
From Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones)
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
Norman Vincent Peale
“Without [taking a process perspective of business], business improvement
efforts amount to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them
yourself.”
Andy Warhol
“A process cannot be understood by stopping it. Understanding must move with
the flow of the process, must join it and flow with it.”
Frank Herbert in Dune
“Uncertainty will always be part of the taking charge process.”
Harold Geneen
“You can’t improve anything if you can’t define it.”
Max Guinn, Deere & Co.
“If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what
you're doing.”
W. Edwards Deming
“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”
Mark Twain
“People are the gatekeepers of change.”
Robert Kriegel, Sacred Cows Make The Best Burgers
“The true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing.”
Isaac Asimov
“There is a theory that paradigms break through on the fringe of your business
before they reach the center.”
Gary Gesme, Deere & Co.
“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be
flexible at all times.”
Senator Everett Dirksen
“An organization becomes bewildered rather than energized when it’s asked to do
too much at once.”
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation
“A good design is not a democratic consensus.”
Edward de Bono, Six Action Shoes
“To succeed, or even just to survive, businesses need to be able to change in
ways, and at times, determined by business drivers, not by their IT systems.”
Tony Morgan, Business Rules and Information Systems: Aligning IT with Business Goals
"Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."
Anonymous
#113 – my personal favorite: “If you try to do something and fail, you
are vastly better off than if you had tried nothing and succeeded.”
The Back of a Sugar Packet
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Amy EMAIL: amy@smlwwc.com IP: 64.60.69.213 URL: DATE: 06/30/2008 01:38:58 AM Sorry to say you only have 112. “If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” by Dr. Carl Sagan, Astronomer, is quoted twice. Good quotes, though! Thanks for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/30/2008 08:04:33 AM Thanks for the catch Amy. I'll make sure to add one more and remove the duplicate. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Laura Bergells EMAIL: Laura@maniactive.com IP: 71.205.113.231 URL: http://battractive.com/blog DATE: 06/30/2008 08:32:17 AM Thanks for including my quote from among the likes of Carl Sagan and Oscar Wilde! I'm flattered! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: PM Hut EMAIL: pmhut@itoctopus.com IP: 70.55.82.98 URL: http://www.pmhut.com DATE: 02/03/2009 05:12:33 PM Here's one on Project Management: Failing to plan is planning to fail. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: George Winthrop EMAIL: willametteman@live.com IP: 168.103.226.41 URL: DATE: 02/12/2009 03:21:56 AM “An organization becomes bewildered rather than energized when it’s asked to do too much at once. “ Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering The Corporation This is listed twice as well. Good list ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Holcombe EMAIL: john@network-marketing-secrets.net IP: 68.53.193.125 URL: http://www.network-marketing-secrets.net DATE: 07/25/2009 06:25:54 AM You have some great quotes. Thanks for the information. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shortcuts to Internet Millions EMAIL: fpjprns@ecwmm.com IP: 202.70.158.102 URL: http://www.jeffpaulreview.com DATE: 10/20/2009 03:01:55 AM You have some great quotes. Thanks for the information. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mukesh Anand EMAIL: mukesh.monitor@gmail.com IP: 59.164.73.245 URL: http://books.monitorinfo.com DATE: 11/07/2009 08:57:32 AM "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers Good collection. See if you can include the above one too. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Air Jordan EMAIL: xingwomeng3210@gmail.com IP: 205.209.167.246 URL: http://www.airjordan.cc DATE: 03/24/2010 02:45:05 AM The content of your blog is exactly what I needed, I like your blog, I sincerely hope that your blog a rapid increase in traffic density, which help promote your blog and we hope that your blog is being updated and placed can always be richer and more colorful. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing-Branded Content Matchmaking Site Junta42 Match Opens for Business STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publishi CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 06/24/2008 01:11:39 PM ----- BODY:
I'm excited to announce the formal launch of Junta42 Match for marketing and association professionals everywhere.
Junta42 Match is a free online service for businesses who are looking for custom publishing, post-advertising agencies and other content providers that match their specific content marketing project needs. After spending the last few months recruiting publishers, the site is now open to marketers looking for vendors to produce their custom magazines, newsletters, video projects, white papers, webcasts and in-person content events.
We've been working on the concept of Junta42 Match for well over a year now. We believe this fills a very important void in helping businesses find expert content providers.
Personally, I've been on both sides of the equation...a content provider offering custom publishing and branded content services with Penton Media, Inc., as well as on the marketing side (with various companies) continually seeking out the best vendors for targeted content projects.
Why Isn't it Easy to Find Qualified Publishers/Content Providers?
Over the past decade, the process of finding a qualified publisher/content provider has hardly evolved, even with the onset of Google and other search engines. And, as more businesses begin to understand that they NEED valuable and compelling content to grow, the demand for these services is higher than ever (now a $56 billion dollar industry).
Yet, marketing professionals still struggle finding the best possible content providers. Marketers rely on search engines (30%), referrals (28%) and industry web sites (13%) to find qualified custom publishers and content agencies to produce their content projects (see research here). And still, in talking with marketing executives around the country, the process takes weeks and even months (or more) to create a short-list of qualified providers (and even then, they aren't confident they have the right list of vendors). Shotgun RFPs have cluttered up the system as well, so much so that many publishers and agencies don't even respond to RFPs anymore.
What's the Difference with Junta42 Match?
Junta42 Match takes this "short-list" process from weeks/months to just a few minutes. All a marketer has to do is complete a brief online survey (free), define their content, project and audience needs, and we'll match them up with the best providers. Once the survey is complete, the marketing executive gets three options: Perfect Match (they want to talk to the best match only), Best Matches (they want to talk to three-to-five providers that meet their needs), or You Match (they want to see the publisher profiles and choose for themselves).
I know we haven't perfected the system by any means, so we are relying on our community to help shape this service to truly help businesses create the best content possible to drive their businesses (and have a little fun along the way).
We Are Taking All Feedback
If you have any feedback on how we can make this a better service, please don't hesitate to shoot me a note, either on this blog or personally at joe[at]junta42.com.
Thanks...and long live the content marketing revolution.
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Martin Calle EMAIL: future@CalleCompany.com IP: 75.4.237.167 URL: http://advertising-age.blogspot.com DATE: 06/25/2008 10:55:22 AM Well Done! Happy to be a Junta 42 content provider! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/25/2008 11:18:51 AM Thanks Martin. Appreciate the support! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: You Want Content Best Practices? Then Don't Miss This Event STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: you-want-conten DATE: 06/20/2008 10:04:43 PM ----- BODY:Business marketers understand that creating relevant, valuable and compelling content is essential for their marketing efforts. That said, most still struggle with exactly how to do it, and how to walk the fine line between what is perceived as educational and what is pure marketing spin.
Well, that's exactly why we've put together the "B2B Leaders in Content" breakfast in association with American Business Media. The breakfast panel in NYC on July 16th will include four cutting-edge marketers that will cover executing content programs from traditional print, to online content to social media. Here's the panel (I'm moderating):
Here's the key...most marketers know that to succeed in marketing today, you must be part of the conversation. Unfortunately, you won't be part of that conversation unless you have something valuable to contribute. That's why content is the core for tomorrow's marketing programs.
This is a can't miss event for any marketing, publishing and agency professional that understands the importance of corporate content and how to properly execute and market it. You will come away from this presentation with ideas that work.
This is a limited attendance event, so be sure to sign up today.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Marketing Around Products or Customers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: marketing-aroun DATE: 06/19/2008 08:55:53 AM ----- BODY:
I just finished speaking at the sold-out Web Content 2008 conference in Chicago where quite a few questions revolved around organizing content (and thus businesses) around product groups vs. customer groups/segments.
Here are some key takeaways.
What do you mean? Product groups versus customer groups?
Motorola is a good example of an organization that is in the process of switching to a focus on customer segments versus product groups. A few years back, everything on Motorola's b2b side was set up with the product being the center of the strategy. Customers were targeted by what product they purchased, or what Motorola "thought" they would purchase. The sales force was set up by the products they sold.
What happened? By focusing on products, Motorola didn't have a good grasp on customer needs. The sales force was pushing product, and not listening to the informational needs and challenges of its customers. It happens in every industry, and is natural for salespeople to do when organized in such a way.
Take the Razr - I sat in on a presentation by Motorola's consumer-side CMO at the Association of National Advertisers meeting a few years back. At that time, the Razr was the hottest thing going. He talked about innovation and design and the "big idea" of the Razr.
Motorola focused on the product and not the needs of the customer. Over the next few years, the "idea" of the Razr became old and customer needs went in a different direction. Motorola is still trying to catch up on the consumer side.
By focusing on customer groupings or segments, everything the company does must follow the needs of the customer. Constant research and "talking" with customers must happen in order for processes to work. "Listening posts" are set up and the Internet is used first and foremost as a research and learning tool (via social networks, blogs, forums, etc.). The sales force is set up by different "types" of customers or buyer persona. It's a solutions mindset vs. a product mindset. Listen to the customer, listen again, and look at what you can offer or create out of your portfolio of products and assets to solve the problem. Then listen some more. This is the service mindset - and where most of the leading brands are going.
What happens in the content marketing process if our strategy revolves around our products and not our customers?
It's challenging for a company centered around their products to create relevant and valuable content. Why? Since the product is the center of their universe, the information coming from the business always revolves around the product. It becomes difficult to keep product and sales messaging out of educational information. Spin is everywhere. Even customer research, that may have the best intentions, is manipulated in the marketing process in order to "position" the product - instead of using that information to solve customer needs and challenges.
It's a fine line, and not an easy process, but the mindset of a product-run organization limits how much you can truly get involved in the customers' lives.
****
Hats off to Michael Silverman of Duo Consulting and Scott Abel from The Content Wrangler for holding an outstanding conference. Truly enjoyed it. First-class audience.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: omer rosen EMAIL: omerosen@gmail.com IP: 89.1.238.252 URL: http://www.onethatknows.com DATE: 06/24/2008 03:02:49 AM Hi Joe I just discovered your blog after registering to Junta42. Great content blog and even greater professional resource, atleast for me. Omer. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/24/2008 06:54:12 AM Thanks Omer...glad you enjoy it. Thanks for sending the note. Best Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Media Innovator of the Year STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-media-in DATE: 06/18/2008 07:31:34 AM ----- BODY:
I was surprised and honored yesterday to receive the Custom Media Innovator of the Year award presented by American Business Media at the Union Club in New York City. Awards are always nice, but the best part was receiving the award from my friend and colleague Anne O'Brien (pictured) from SourceMedia. In addition, my good friend and mentor Michael Hurley from HanleyWood was in the audience as well.
The other finalists are all trailblazers in the industry, including my friend Laura Chavoen from Imagination, Charles Lee from IDG and Pete Sobic from Northbrook / Randall-Reilly.
In her speech, Anne said, "Joe has been the true evangelist for the custom media industry. Whether through his speaking, the book, the Junta42 educational site, or Junta42’s new content matching product, Joe is taking the industry where it needs to go.”
Thanks Anne! Lots more to be done. The majority of businesses out there still do not realize the impact they can make on their customers and prospects by communicating valuable, relevant and compelling content. Doing this on a consistent basis and becoming "part" of the conversation (and not just "talking at" customers) is marketing for the present and future.
The more companies that learn this and begin to practice it will help to shape not only a better business for those companies, but a better marketing world overall. Like some people fighting against global warming, I believe that poor communications is a detriment to society. By helping companies communicate more effectively, we are improving the world. Yes, a bit hokey, but honest.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bob Leonard EMAIL: bob@bolencomm.com IP: 71.228.87.14 URL: http://b2bcontentconversations.com DATE: 06/18/2008 03:24:59 PM Congratulations, Joe. I've been around awhile, in a different industry. I've never seen an individual... (I know you've had help from Newt Barrett, so I'll include him.) I've never seen just two individuals have such a profound effect on a major industry in such a short time. Do you ever sleep? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: inquire@paulconley.com IP: 71.241.152.37 URL: http://www.paulconley.com DATE: 06/18/2008 09:50:34 PM Congratulations Joe! That's a tremendous honor. And it's well-deserved! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gretel Going EMAIL: gretel@channelvmedia.com IP: 74.66.16.126 URL: http://www.channelvmedia.com DATE: 06/18/2008 09:55:17 PM I can attest that Joe does NOT sleep. He does, however, leave his computer every night from 5 to 7 (don't think we haven't noticed), presumably to have dinner with his wife and kids. Congrats again, Joe. You really deserve it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/19/2008 09:08:50 AM @Bob - Too kind my friend. Sleep is overrated when launching a business. I must say though, I drink much more coffee than a used to. @Paul - Many thanks...I get great perspective from many of your blog posts. They have truly helped. @Gretel - You found my secret...but it's more like 5:30 to 8:00. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Traditional Advertiser/Customer Relationship STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-traditional CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: video DATE: 06/15/2008 01:28:03 PM ----- BODY:Here is an interesting video from Microsoft about everything that's wrong with traditional advertising (Thanks to Marketing Amnesia for bringing this to my attention). This provides a good explanation of what's wrong with traditional advertising and why methods such as content marketing are more important than ever.
Also note that the video itself is a content marketing/branded content piece from Microsoft. You can find more of this at bringtheloveback.com.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Geert EMAIL: geertd@mirosoft.com IP: 83.144.18.6 URL: http://bringtheloveback.com DATE: 06/16/2008 02:23:37 AM Thanks for the comments. Would love your opinion on the second movie we just released as well? You can find it here: http://bringtheloveback.com/2008/06/08/inspiration-anyone-the-movie/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/16/2008 10:01:17 AM Thanks Geert. I did...very nice. I like the first one better, but the second one does provide more interesting insight into why the traditional process is broken. Keep up the great work. Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Frangos EMAIL: scott@webfadds.com IP: 71.222.90.68 URL: http://www.webfadds.com/overview/plugins DATE: 06/19/2008 01:14:21 PM Hi Joe - Thanks for posting this video. Very interesting. "Conversation" is one of the five "C's" of Social Marketing, where Content is definitely first. Then you need Community so you can have a Conversation which builds a Connection, and finally you get Convergence... or Conversion of Contacts into Customers (hey... there's more than 5 C's there). And, I don't think most traditional advertisers and even publishers understand this process. But how long and expensive is the "conversation" process, and precisely what is the best formula to capitalize on it? - Scott ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.196.214 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/19/2008 10:34:39 PM Hi Scott...all those "c's" make me dizzy. You are exactly right. Most of the people I talk to are still very fixed on older marketing models. Your question is a valid one, and I'm not sure anyone has an answer. I think it depends on the community, your services, what you have to add to the conversation, and what you want people to ultimately do. No matter what formula you end up using, the best place to start is lots and lots of listening. I think that's the ultimate key. Broken marketing is all about telling. The future of marketing is 99% listening. Thanks again ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Driving Business with Content Tools: A Motorola Case Study STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: driving-busines CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: microsites CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 06/12/2008 01:29:47 AM ----- BODY:
Had the pleasure of sitting through a presentation by Eduardo Conrado, Corporate VP of Global Business & Technology for Motorola at the Business Marketing Association annual meeting today. Most in attendance were amazed that 50% of Motorola's revenues come from B2B ($36.6 billion in total revenues, $18 billion in B2B). They are #1 or #2 in market share in 80% of their B2B customer segments.
There were some really interesting stats and takeaways from this presentation on Motorola B2B Marketing. The key takeaway is that Motorola is investing in the creation and execution of valuable and relevant content (mostly online) to become a trusted partner and resource to customers.
Here are the highlights:
Key Statistics that Motorola has Found in Their Marketing
Online is the Key for Motorola
Content Tools Drive Conversion
With every type of demand generation activity (PR, Events, SEO/SEM, Advertising, Direct Marketing) there is a specific tool and landing page to tell the story. These include microsites, video showcases, video libraries, ezines (digital magazines), online communities, and widgets. From these, they look to convert information seekers into prospects to get through to the sales cycle.
Content Examples (specific to the Government Market)
Video Case Studies: Motorola has a huge library of video case studies. For each one, customers can also download a pdf version of the written study, as well as share with colleagues. Users spend an average of 8 minutes on the site.
This linked example is a YouTube type system that will bring up relevant videos based on vertical segment.
Motorola eZine: 17% open rate, 48% click-through rate. Users spend an average of 17 minutes on the eZine site.
Motorola Second Nature: This is a virtual city specific to government decision-makers (fire fighters, police, FBI, government IT and more). This is a digital experience that provides real-world examples of how these decision-makers can best leverage technology to get their jobs done. Worth the trip to see this.
With the computer-generated examples comes links to real-life videos, case studies and white papers of how actual companies are dealing with the same kinds of issues.
How They Do It?
Motorola has aligned with "best-in-class" agencies to help them create and execute these content programs. They also have 300 business-side marketers which doesn't hurt either.
Three Corporate Objectives
Motorola's three key business marketing goals are:
Summary
Relevant Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Rupert Murdoch: Deliver Compelling Content Regardless of Channel STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: rupert-murdoch CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 06/11/2008 12:54:14 PM ----- BODY:
In the June 9th issue of the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch was asked the following question:
"...is there going to be a moment in the next 5 or 10 years when it just won’t be economical to print them (newspapers)?"
His response: “Maybe. It will be up to them. I just love communicating with people, and newspapers are a means of doing so. I am totally technically neutral about it. I don’t care what platform our news appears on – if it is on printed paper or if it is on the web or mobile or whatever.”
For whatever you think about Mr. Murdoch, the above is a lesson for all marketers and publishers who are all dealing with how to communicate with customers in the new, creative and compelling ways.
Here are some key questions that come to mind that all marketing professionals must answer?
Let's face it...we are all publishers now. Companies cannot just produce products anymore...communication is the key differentiator. Mr. Murdoch knows that better than anyone...getting out the information and creating the relationship is what's important...the format is inconsequential.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NW Guy EMAIL: brucenowjack@earthlink.net IP: 66.150.166.115 URL: DATE: 06/11/2008 04:04:48 PM The comments would be better received if RMurdoch truly invested in creating compelling content. Since his takeover of WSJ he has opened up avenues to obtain content but the downside is the content is starting to mimic other papers; almost like "AP News" more than the in-depth content that used to be in the WSJ on a daily basis. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 66.116.104.243 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/12/2008 01:19:57 AM NW...you may be right. Actions speak louder than words. Hopefully marketers can take what he says to heart though. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Motto You Can Build a Business On STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-motto-you-can CATEGORY: vision statements DATE: 06/06/2008 12:04:29 AM ----- BODY:
Here is the LEGO motto. Picture taken on their Factory Tour at LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, CA.
Interesting Note: LEGO has one packaging error in every 1 million LEGO packages produced.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Drickhamer EMAIL: david@drickhamer.com IP: 75.33.83.37 URL: DATE: 06/10/2008 02:02:21 PM That's a third less than Six Sigma quality @ 3.4 defective parts per million opportunities. Lego's quality obsession is why parts from 30 years ago interlock with brand-new pieces today. Pretty cool. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Drickhamer EMAIL: david@drickhamer.com IP: 75.33.83.37 URL: DATE: 06/10/2008 02:02:45 PM That's a third less than Six Sigma quality @ 3.4 defective parts per million opportunities. Lego's quality obsession is why parts from 30 years ago interlock with brand-new pieces today. Pretty cool. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 66.116.104.243 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/10/2008 10:29:26 PM Thanks David...it's one amazing place. It's easy to see why customers are fanatics about the brand. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Get Content. Get Customers. Book Site Goes Live STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: get-content-get CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 06/03/2008 10:52:39 PM ----- BODY:
While the official publishing date isn't until July 1st, we (Newt Barrett and myself) just completed the book website for Get Content. Get Customers. If you get a chance, check it out.
A couple areas of note. First, we are offering a free excerpt of the book, which includes the TOC, Foreword, Introduction and Chapter 1. If you are interested in buying the book, this will provide a great overview of what content marketing is, why we all need it, and how you can learn from successful content-centered businesses around the globe. Click here to get the free excerpt.
Also, as I reviewed a few posts back, we've received some great feedback from some of the leading marketing minds around including Brian Clark (copyblogger), David Meerman Scott, Greg Verdino and Don Schultz. Check out what they have to say here.
Thanks to all those who asked for unsolicited copies of the book. It is truly appreciated.
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We have decided to take a family vacation this year to LEGOLAND in San Diego (Carlsbad, CA actually) and it has everything to do with LEGO's custom magazine. I've discussed LEGO magazine before, and it never ceases to amaze me how they are a clear leader in content marketing and custom publishing.
I'd just like to spend a bit of time on some of the behaviors that we, as a family, have initiated directly because of receiving LEGO magazine every two months.
Custom print magazines can be an extremely powerful tool - maybe more so than ever before because of the integration of the web. It's amazing to watch my son read the print magazine and then jump up and head to the Internet to go to LEGO.com. Their blend of user-generated content, comic story lines (with branded characters), and magalog-type promotion is genius. It's also why the magazine has been around since I was a kid - because it works.
Two other important points: 1) At least four of our friends/family have requested a free LEGO magazine subscription from our recommendation, and 2) print will not die anytime soon because when kids can't bring their Playstation Portables, iPods or Nintendo DS systems into a quiet place, they can still bring their LEGO magazines. The same rule goes for many other business areas where technology isn't as portable as we would like (airplanes for one).
It's not often a company can show direct proof that sales happen from a custom magazine. In this case, our family is living proof that LEGO magazine is a profit generator and has helped LEGO become and stay the leading building-toy brand around.
Related Articles:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: indoor antenna EMAIL: hdantenna@gmail.com IP: 67.180.159.207 URL: http://www.indoorhdantenna.com DATE: 03/20/2009 08:02:21 PM Never knew LEGO had its own magazine. What a way to advertise, eh? Big LEGO fan here, and the kiddo and I are building up our LEGO collection. Will be visiting their Carlsbad spot next month also, so that should be fun. Are you looking forward to or have heard of the LEGO Universe? ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 27 Days and 100 Publishers - 5 Startup Tips and Lessons STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 27-days-and-100 CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 05/28/2008 10:00:41 PM ----- BODY:
Today we passed the 100 publisher mark for sign ups for Junta42 Match, our free web service for marketers that matches businesses with the best possible content and custom publishing providers for projects such as custom magazines, newsletters, web content and other custom publishing initiatives. We are pretty excited about hitting this mark so early, especially with 27 days still left until we launch formally to businesses (Junta42 Match is only open for publishers to sign up at this time - launch date is June 24th).
It's a weird feeling now that we are getting close to our formal launch date. Everything that we've accomplished over the past 12 months has been geared toward this launch, now less than a month away.
Although we are very confident that we have created a valuable service for marketers, we won't know for months truly how effective or valuable it will be. That said, here are few thoughts, lessons and tips that any longstanding business or startup may find valuable. I know I have.
One thing is for sure...even if the business goes up in flames, I haven't regretted one minute of the ride. From sheer joy to the feeling of utter failure, there are not many things in life that conjure up such emotions. I love it.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Building a Web Community Is Easier Said than Done STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: building-a-web CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 05/27/2008 09:25:21 AM ----- BODY:
Anyone who tells you that building an online community is easy is smoking something. There are so many aspects involved in creating a living web community that many times it seems overwhelming.
That said, being a part of or creating an online community is at the forefront of many marketing plans today. I was asked by Website magazine to write an article on this subject, from the standpoint of simple takeaways that anyone can deliver on.
Here is a link to the entire article.
I like these six steps the best, which I believe are mandatory to really create an online community that at least has the opportunity to flourish.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 10 Keys to Writing a Book when You Have Absolutely No Time to Write a Book STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 10-keys-to-writ CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 05/22/2008 10:23:22 PM ----- BODY:
Well, after nine months of hard labor, I received the pre-press version of my book (with co-author Newt Barrett) delivered UPS yesterday. The book is entitled Get Content. Get Customers. - How to use content marketing to deliver relevant, valuable, and compelling information that turns prospects into buyers (and is pictured here to the right). Since we have just completed the book and while it was fresh in my mind, I thought I would offer some of the key steps we took to turn this little idea into a publishing reality. The book is now available for sale from the website at www.getcontentgetcustomers.com.
So here goes...my ten key steps to writing and publishing a book when you have absolutely no time to write or publish a book.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Meerman Scott EMAIL: david@freshspot.com IP: 67.111.222.206 URL: http://www.webinknow.com/ DATE: 05/23/2008 09:58:41 AM Hey Joe Congratulations to you (and Newt) on this milestone. I am looking forward to receiving the finished book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 10:00:09 AM Thanks for the support David. Your book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, was an inspiration! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Greg Verdino EMAIL: greg@crayonville.com IP: 24.46.184.118 URL: http://gregverdino.typepad.com DATE: 05/23/2008 10:52:13 AM Just like the book (for readers - I read an advance copy), this post is full of good, practical tips. Good stuff Joe. Can't wait to receive the finished product. G ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 10:58:19 AM Thanks Greg. Really appreciate the support! jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anita Campbell EMAIL: anita@anitacampbell.com IP: 24.239.207.112 URL: http://www.smallbiztrends.com DATE: 05/23/2008 01:35:39 PM I like point #9. Authors today have to be their own best marketers and salespeople. Unless you are a household name and can guarantee mega-bestseller status just because of your name, you will have primary responsibility for marketing your book (your publisher will only go so far). Would like to know how many hours it took, too. 150? 250? 500? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 01:51:55 PM Excellent point Anita. I agree completely. As for hours, that's a really good question. I didn't track them individually, but I would have to say 200 hours total would be a solid guess. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Orr EMAIL: morr@cmgemail.net IP: 70.1.233.254 URL: http://www.ContentMarketingGroup.com DATE: 05/23/2008 02:46:57 PM Joe, I am very excited about this book. As a Newer Kid on the Block for Content Marketing--I have gained invaluable insight into the custom content industry from Junta42 and Content Marketing Today. Thank you for your dedication and for completing the book. While there is no doubt that you will greatly benefit by co-authoring "Get Content--Get Customers," I am confident that the benefit I receive from having access to the lessons presented will be just as rewarding and profitable. I can't wait to read it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 06:58:35 PM Michael...thanks so much for the kind words. Too kind my friend. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bernie Borges EMAIL: bernie@findandconvert.com IP: 68.200.92.176 URL: http://www.findandconvert.com/blog DATE: 05/23/2008 08:09:39 PM Joe, Congrats to you and Newt on the new book. Your tips are invaluable. My book new book is still in my head. Your tips will help me get it from my head to the bookshelves. Regards, Bernie ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/23/2008 08:12:55 PM Thanks a bunch Bernie...I bet you've got a mixture SEO/SEM/Content book out there waiting to be written. - jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rohit EMAIL: rohitaustralia@gmail.com IP: 98.169.18.193 URL: http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com DATE: 05/26/2008 11:26:41 PM Joe, This is a great list and sure to be helpful for aspiring authors. The only thing I would add is that I personally realized the real benefit of being a blogger before writing a book is that my writing was "in shape" when I started my book. As a result, I feel like I was able to write much faster and make my points much more quickly. For anyone considering writing a book, I would highly suggest starting to blog at the very least so that you can start to flex your writing muscles in a consistent way. And you get the side benefit of starting to build your platform online too. Glad to be a part of this and looking forward to seeing the final copy too! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/27/2008 08:04:20 AM Excellent addition Rohit. You are correct, the process was that much better because I had started with a blog. Great stuff! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Heather Lloyd-Martin EMAIL: heather@seocopywriting.com IP: 67.189.120.97 URL: http://www.seocopywriting.com DATE: 05/28/2008 11:44:57 AM Hi, Joe, Great tips- especially the one about adhering to a production schedule. It's so easy to think that there's "plenty of time" to write the book - and then get caught two months before deadline with five more chapters to write! Oh, and I'd for tip #11: Know that writing a book is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. You'll hate the book by the end of the process and swear that you'll never, ever write another one... ...Until a few months later when you'll think, "Well, writing a book wasn't THAT bad. Maybe I'll write another!" Cheers! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/28/2008 01:00:24 PM Heather...thanks for the comments. I agree with you on your last point. Even though the process was gruesome at times, I'm already trying to figure out what the next book will be. Once the first book is published, you seem to forget all about what went wrong and focus on all the good things. Books are funny that way. ----- PING: TITLE: Get Content. Get Customers. Book Site Goes Live URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/06/get-content-get.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 06/03/2008 10:52:53 PM While the official publishing date isn't until July 1st, we (Newt Barrett and myself) just completed the book website for Get Content. Get Customers. If you get a chance, check it out. A couple areas of note. First, we are ----- PING: TITLE: What We Learned Along the Way - 10 Tips to Writing Your Own Book URL: http://getcontentgetcustomers.com/2008/06/02/what-we-learned-along-the-way-10-tips-to-writing-your-own-book/ IP: 69.89.31.102 BLOG NAME: GetContentGetCustomers.com DATE: 06/02/2008 01:37:54 PM Newt and I learned quite a bit on this book-writing journey. So much, that we wanted to share a few of our key points with you as we started and completed Get Content. Get Customers. So here goesmy eleven key steps to writing and publishing a bo... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: BtoB Leaders In Branded Content Coming to NYC STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: btob-leaders-in CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 05/20/2008 10:01:22 PM ----- BODY:
American Business Media and Junta42 are proud to announce a "breakfast in July" about how the leading brands in business-to-business are creating and executing their own content initiatives. I'll be moderating the July 16th breakfast event "BtoB Leaders in Content" at the Scandinavia House in New York City.
We are currently in the process of securing our expert marketing panel, but have already signed up Paul Dunay, global director of integrated marketing at BearingPoint, and author of one of my favorite blogs, Buzz Marketing for Technology. We'll be signing up an additional three marketing heavyweights from brands that are creating their own content and making an impact on behavior.
Each marketer will give a brief presentation about how they are using content to drive their businesses. Then we will have a lengthly Q&A discussion with plenty of time for questions from the audience.
Here is the event overview:
More and more of the leading business-to-business brands are driving sales and customer growth through the use of valuable and compelling content. This means web content, magazines, blogs, social communities, eNewsletters, web events and more that are changing or maintaining behavior as part of the integrated marketing strategy.
In this limited attendance breakfast event, hear how some of the best-known brands in b2b are creating, executing and measuring their own content strategies that you can use in your own markets.
For more information or to sign up, click here. Note that this is a limited attendance event, so if it looks interesting to you, sign up soon!
Why are we doing this?
Even though the creation and execution of custom content is a full 30% of btob marketing budgets, marketing professionals still struggle with the best ways to create valuable, relevant and compelling content that gets them involved in the right types of customer conversations.
There has also been quite a bit of talk from btob marketers and publishers I work with about an event like this, focused on business-to-business content marketing best practices. If this goes well, we'll be doing more of these types of events.
If you have any questions at all about the event, feel free to contact me at joe[at]junta42.com.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 68.175.106.185 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 05/22/2008 03:44:10 PM Looks great. Inspiring to see more attention focused on content marketing. Ian ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/22/2008 09:40:01 PM Thanks Ian...we need all the support that we can get! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Future of B2B Marketing - From Ed Abrams at IBM STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-future-of-b CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 05/19/2008 11:15:41 AM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of sitting through a presentation by Ed Abrams, VP of Marketing for IBM, at American Business Media's Spring Meeting a few weeks back. Here are some of the high points.
The Customers Are In Control
Abrams was adamant about the notion that corporations have lost message control as part of the marketing process. Consumers choose what conversations they want to be involved in. The role of marketing is to work to get involved in those conversations that matter.
Research Shows that Non-Traditional Communications Have Impact (and are growing)
Abrams pointed to a number of research findings that state consumers get more and more of their information through such tools as blogs, wikis and more. In the pictured chart to the right, 31% of IT professionals engage in IT blogs and wikis when searching for new product information. Critical Point: Abrams suggested that IBM looks for this number to double in the next year, theoretically making blogs/wikis the most powerful informational source for IT professionals behind only search engines.
IBM Making Impact in Social Networking
According to Abrams, IBM has the single largest community in LinkedIn at 175,000 members. They also have approximately 5,000 different communities on Facebook. IBM believes that, to be successful, they need to be a part of these conversations on an ongoing basis.
Online Influences Most!
According to Enquiro Research as presented by Abrams, the three leading influencers for IT decision-makers are Vendor websites, search engines, and industry informational websites (in that order), followed closely by Word-of-mouth peer and Word-of-mouth friend.
Content-based websites are key for IBM. Abrams believes that IBM must provide ongoing, consistent information about what is happening in the industry to be successful.
Abrams' Top IBM Takeaways for Online
Abrams shared a number of key points that are essential to IBM's long-term strategy for growing their business. Here are the ones that made the most impact.
In Summary
From my perspective, IBM has transformed themselves from a "command and control" company to one that may have one of the best understandings of the "new marketing environment". Over this time, they have also adjusted their product mix to be more service-centric than product-centric.
Related Articles
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: refurbished computers EMAIL: alisakastori@yahoo.com IP: 58.181.101.54 URL: http://www.pcs4cheap.ca/ DATE: 08/25/2009 06:05:36 AM It is extremely interesting to read about this CEO focus on business model innovation. In fact, I have been thinking for quite a while how my own research on business model concepts would allow to build a software tool to foster business model design and innovation... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing, Musicians and Growing Your Business with Free Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 05/15/2008 10:37:03 AM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of working at my brother's (Tony Pulizzi) gig last night at the Winchester in Lakewood, Ohio. Tony opened last night for Alan Holdsworth, one of the most prominent guitarists of the last 50 years (Musician Magazine voted Holdsworth one of the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time).
The Tony Pulizzi Trio (Tony on guitar and vocals, Walter Barnes Jr. on bass and Elijah Gilmore on Drums) has been growing in exposure by opening for bands like Holdsworth and Spyro Gyra (Elijah and Tony pictured to the right). One reason is their use of content marketing.
A band makes money on a show through what they receive as a percentage of the gate or flat fee, in addition to what product they can sell at the event. In addition (and more importantly), it's essential to try to build relationships with those prospective fans that want to hear more from the band, including upcoming schedules, to grow future sales and spread word-of-mouth and referrals.
So, in addition to my job in selling Tony's product, we had an email sign-up list. The Results: by the end of the night, Tony had tripled any previous CD sales from prior events, and we managed to collect almost three times the number of email newsletter sign-ups. Not bad ROI.
Here's how he did it.
95% of the audience had never heard of the Tony Pulizzi Trio before. The majority of fans were there to see Holdsworth. The place was packed (standing room only). We were assigned one small table in the back to sell CDs.
After their opening song, Tony introduced the band and announced that he wanted everyone to go home with "a little taste" of the band. So Tony made over 100 demo, three-song CDs of their latest work (which they played that night). The demos were free to anyone that wanted them. Before the end of the 45-minute set, Tony again announced that the free demos would be available in the back. The band also made themselves available for signing.
Here was how we made this work:
As soon as the band started to play and Tony announced the free demo, people started coming back to the table. Lots of questions like, "are these guys local?" and "where are they playing next?". Every person received their free CD. As I handed them out, I asked this simple question:
"If you like what you heard tonight, please sign the email sheet so we can keep you updated on their upcoming schedule."
Conversion rate was about 50%. Not bad considering most people are wary about giving out their email address, especially at a club.
As I handed out the free demo, I had the opportunity to give them an overview of the products available. There were three CDs, one rock oriented, one acoustic jazz, and one of the Trio's most recent Jazz/Rock/Funk music.
All in all, a hugely successful night in the Trio growing their fan base.
What can you, as a marketing leader, take from this message?
The basic content marketing process is alarmingly simple, yet extremely effective. All businesses of any size can take these simple steps and use them to grow their business. Don't get complicated. Just create valuable, relevant and compelling content for your target audience, give it away for free, and give ample opportunities for them to get involved with you on a more personal, consistent level.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: sterling | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.38.255.90 URL: http://bizlift.com/blog DATE: 05/15/2008 06:23:27 PM Brilliant Joe! I need to do the same for my brother's band. They have opened for several big Reggae legends. Thanks for the great advice! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.110.232 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/16/2008 12:15:59 PM Thanks Sterling. Man, I guess everyone has a musical brother. :) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Print Newsletters Still Pay Dividends in a New Marketing World STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: print-newslette DATE: 05/14/2008 08:38:53 AM ----- BODY:
The following article of mine was published in the May, 2008 issue of ContentWise (formerly Publications Management). For more information on ContentWise, click here.
How Print Stacks Up
Printed newsletters are getting a raw deal. With social media marketing getting the lion’s share of media attention, printed corporate publications seem to be considered an “also ran.” But don’t tell that to corporate marketers.
According to Publications Management’s most recent Publishing Characteristics Study, printed newsletters are now the preferred custom publishing medium at 40%, outdistancing both custom magazines (35%) and electronic publications (18%). That means that almost half of corporate marketers are delivering consistent editorial information to their customers in the form of printed newsletters.
Even more, a recent Junta42/BtoB Magazine study found that 28% business-to-business marketers still rely on the printed newsletter to communicate with their customers and prospects.
Considering all the marketing options out there, these are pretty powerful numbers.
At first glance, the findings don’t make sense. More consumers are using the Internet than ever before, especially when making buying decisions. Forrester recently found that 92% of buyers go online first to research a possible purchase. In addition, ITA Toolbox states that consumers spend almost 10 hours per week consuming online content in the form of social media, editorial media and vendor content/websites.
Consider the Buying Cycle
The research clearly shows that the power of the Internet is growing and strong in the beginning stages of the buying cycle. Search engine optimization (organic listings) and search engine marketing (paid listings) are continuing to grow within the key corporate objectives of reach and acquisition.
But printed newsletters play a key role toward the retention and loyalty portions of the buying cycle. Especially during the current economic recession, corporate marketers need to be concerned most with retention and loyalty, as budgets continue to get cut and customers look to lower expenses by switching vendors. Newsletters deliver relevant and compelling information to customers on a consistent basis, which is valued by customers and positions your company as a thought leader.
Let’s consider some key reasons why corporate marketers are continuing to rely on printed newsletters:
If you currently produce a printed newsletter, odds are you’ll be sticking with it, especially during the current economic cycle. If you are considering starting a print newsletter, you may opt to begin the process by focusing on your very best customers (the 20% of the 80/20 rule). As long as you understand your business objectives and define the measurement of your print newsletter, success should be within your grasp.
5 Tips for Integrating Your Print Newsletter
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Catch Me at Business Marketing Association in Vegas STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: catch-me-at-bus CATEGORY: business-to-business DATE: 05/09/2008 03:57:14 PM ----- BODY:
As
a speaker at the Business Marketing Association’s upcoming Annual Conference
(taking place June 11-13 at the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort in Las Vegas,
Nevada), I’m excited to say that I’ll be sharing the spotlight with some of the
industry’s top business-to-business marketing experts and
gurus.
I had the pleasure of guest blogging at the King Fish Media ThinkTank blog the other day. You can check out the complete post here.
This was written after I had a brief conversation with a marketer that was taking the angle of content marketing being nice "fluff" to give your clients, but not necessary to the overall marketing strategy for most companies. Of course, I (as nice as I could) disagreed with the gentleman and cited a number of reasons why he was completely off his rocker.
The web has turned most business models completely upside down, and created huge opportunities for others to launch businesses from nothing at all. The delivery of consistent and valuable content may be the most important indicator of financial success for future businesses.
If I'm launching a business today, or looking into the overall vision of the company, I'm looking at these three aspects of the business.
Note that I put the product itself as #3 on the list. Products can be duplicated in almost every industry today, especially with the rise of cheaper labor overseas. What separates one business from another is #1 and #2, which involves honest, transparent and consistent communication with customers and prospects. Cool products come and go - a relevant and consistent message is timeless. IMPORTANT NOTE: new products launch all the time and can become successful very fast just by the nature of the product. We've seen this happen with many web-based applications. But without a consistent content marketing strategy, competition can come in and duplicate the product quickly if the company has not clearly differentiated itself through their communications.
Medium-sized and Larger organizations with better-known brands should begin positioning their content as a product in their company (mostly so organizational management starts to take the concept seriously). This means creating R&D budgets, long-term content strategies, ongoing measurements against the content, and content growth strategies.
By doing this, an organization will make the investment necessary to truly differentiate themselves from the competition, and fend off any new competitors who simply try to copy their base products.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Power of Custom Video – How the Easter Seals Raised Money without Trying STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-power-of-cu CATEGORY: video DATE: 05/07/2008 12:15:12 PM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of attending the annual Easter Seals Northern Ohio “Spirit of Independence” Gala over the weekend. This year’s Gala honored Mal Mixon, CEO of Invacare for his tireless commitment to helping children and adults with disabilities (btw, Mal is an outstanding dancer. First on the dance floor. I loved it). Full disclosure: Easter Seals Northern Ohio is one my clients.
After dinner, CEO Sheila Dunn introduced a video presentation that discussed three specific areas where Easter Seals Northern Ohio provides services: speech therapy services for children, camping/activities for children with disabilities, and home care for elderly adults.
The videos worked because they simply told the story of the children, parents and seniors affected by Easter Seals’ services. After the video about Joey, a young boy who works with Easter Seals Northern Ohio on the ability to communicate for effectively through speech, I saw a number of people at the Gala tear up (my wife and I included).
Then we enjoyed the story of multiple children with disabilities laugh and play at an Easter Seals camp and retreat. The final story, about home care services for adults, showed how, for one woman, Easter Seals services keeps her from going into a nursing home. It was clear that still being able to live at home was one of the most important aspects of her life, which Easter Seals makes possible.
Return on Investment
After the creation of any kind of content marketing, even with video, seeing a return does not usually happen immediately. Often it takes ongoing analysis, integration with a CRM system, and continuous tracking and feedback from sales staff and customers.
Well, for this particular situation, the return was immediate. After the video concluded, Sheila came to the stage and talked about how they wanted to fund 10 kids to get to go to camp (at $250 a child). You could tell by watching Sheila that she wasn’t sure how this would go. I’ve been at events and auctions where a question like this was put out and failed miserably. Nonetheless, Sheila asked – and the audience answered!
Within seconds, hand after hand raised to support the children. Within 30 seconds, Easter Seals’ staff was overflowing with charitable contributions to help get kids to camp…the same camp that they just saw children with disabilities laughing, playing and being normal. I’m not sure how many camp donations Easter Seals ended up with, but it was clearly beyond Sheila’s expectations.
The Power of Video
We are visual beings. We build our reality through our eyes and create our perception of the world. Telling your story through video, a story that resonates with your customers and supporters, is the present and future of content marketing.
Could the Easter Seals have had the same amount of success at the Gala without the video? Possibly, but doubtful. Could your business improve by developing an ongoing video series about how your product or services truly helps people? Absolutely.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Announces New Top 42 Blogs List STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-announc CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 05/05/2008 06:39:00 PM ----- BODY:
After the successful January launch of the premier Junta42 Top Content Marketing Blogs list, we've released the next update...and oh how things have changed. The latest release of the Top 42 includes 16 new blogs, and features a top 10 list that displays the best content-based bloggers the Internet can offer.
Congratulations to Brian Clark's Copyblogger for taking first place on the Top Blogs version 2.0. Included in the top five is Lee Odden's Online Marketing Blog, Brian Solis and PR 2.0, ContentMarketingToday from Newt Barrett and Marketing Interactions from Ardath Albee.
For the complete Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs, click here.
Since January, the list has grown from 81 blogs to 118 total blogs. The Top 42 list is a bit different than other blog lists like the AdAge Power 150 in that we research each blog individually according to five specific criteria:
To see the complete selection criteria, click here. We update the blog every quarter, so the next release will be August/September.
Although the selection criteria isn't perfect, we're getting closer to where we need to be. We especially believe in rewarding content over popularity. There are some great blogs out there, some that are just starting to break into the marketing realm. Hopefully the Top 42 list will be a great resource for you in finding those gems.
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve the list, please let me know. Also, if you'd like to add your blog to the list, send us an email at add[at]junta42.com.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Scott Abel EMAIL: scottabel@mac.com IP: 207.236.117.226 URL: http://www.thecontentwrangler.com DATE: 05/06/2008 08:42:33 AM We made the list? Excellent! Thanks, Junta42. Scott Abel http://www.thecontentwrangler.com P.S. If you're not a member already, consider joining our global network of content professionals, The Content Wrangler Community: http://thecontentwrangler.ning.com ----- PING: TITLE: Content Marketing Top Blogs Announced; Copyblogger Keeps Top Spot URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/08/content-marketi.html IP: 10.0.23.101 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 08/17/2008 10:21:45 AM We're excited to announce the third installment of the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing blogs. Congratulations again goes to Brian Clark's copyblogger.com, who keeps the top spot for the second straight month. This quarter's update included a record 17... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Sticky Marketing Secrets from John Jantsch STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: sticky-marketin CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 05/05/2008 02:55:50 PM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of attending a social media presentation from John Jantsch at the Key Entrepreneur Center eMarketing Techniques workshop in Cleveland, Ohio last week.
John, the author of Duct Tape Marketing, gave an impactful and practical presentation geared toward small businesses and entrepreneurs. John’s take was the same as mine: there has never been a better time to grow a small business – especially with the various amounts of tools available online.
Before I get to some of John’s marketing secrets – here were a couple of key points made by John:
John’s presentation was packed full of practical advice, but I want to share with you those tips and techniques that I personally will implement as a result of John’s presentation. I consider myself a better than average user on the social media scale, but John offered some truly unique suggestions that were incredible helpful.
Of course, there were many more expert ideas from John, but the ones above are the secrets that I have on my “to-do” list to begin immediately. If you are looking for a book to kick-start your marketing, get John’s book, Duct Tape Marketing today.
Thanks John, for all the helpful advice.
PS – Those of you who know me have heard me talk about “being the brand” or living your brand experience in public. I do this by almost always wearing orange. John does this by having duct tape everywhere he goes. You should have seen how some of the tables were fighting over taking John’s duct tape samples home. Talk about effective branding.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Lease When You Can Buy? - A Case for Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-lease-when CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 04/29/2008 04:23:01 PM ----- BODY:
We are in the middle of working on a video about content marketing and one of the key phrases we are using is "Why lease when you can buy?"
If you are looking at a car or at a house, their are pros and cons to buying versus leasing (or renting). To make a decision, first you have to understand the differences between buying and leasing:
"When you buy, you pay for the entire cost of the [asset] regardless of how [much you use it or what you get out of it.] When you lease, you pay for only a portion of [the real asset's cost], which is the part that you 'use up' [while you are occupying it]."
Buying is Creating Your Own Content
Think about that for a second in relation to the creation of content. By creating your own content, publishing it, then distributing it through print and online mechanisms, you've bought yourself an asset. Once you buy it, you could do nothing with it, or distribute the heck out of it. Regardless, you still pay the same for that asset. Getting ROI out of it is ultimately up to you.
If executed correctly, you can leverage and re-leverage that asset to continually communicate with customers and prospects. The majority of top tier content does not depreciate either (what publishing folks call "evergreen" content), unlike a car. Great content works more like buying a house or property. If it's good and can be found (location), it goes up in value.
Traditional Advertising is Leasing
Although more and more companies are "buying" content, a good portion of marketing budgets are still spent on leasing or renting activities such as print advertising or online banners and buttons. Like in the definition above, you, the marketer, pay a small portion of the true asset cost or value (owned by the publisher or content distributor) for the area that you are "using up" during that particular time.
Since the publisher owns the asset, which is essential the community they bring to the table for your benefit, they have the right to charge you for the space you are taking up.
Now, advertising has its place. We at Junta42 use traditional advertising all the time. But understand that once it's gone, it's gone. You have paid for renting the space and there is no asset created, in and of itself. The activity generated from the advertising may ultimately create an asset, but the space you occupied with your brief message is essentially worthless after the period of "occupation" is over. Poof...gone.
Why Are More Marketers Buying/Creating Content Today?
It's quite simple if you think about it. As we see more technological advances, the consumer of content has more and more control over what they engage in. In the past, there were limited options (television, radio, newspapers, consumer and trade magazines). Today, a buyer can go to a search engine and find exactly what they are looking for in a second. And, since Google has democratized content, ANY company with good content and a little search engine savvy can distribute it to that targeted buyer. (Here's a good white paper that spells it out from A to Z.)
Content is also worth more today since it is constantly "alive" on the web and available for consumption, even years after it was first distributed.
Some "To-Do's" for the Traditional Marketer
Don't worry if you still spend a boat-load on traditional marketing. If you are, you also realize that the tide is moving away from traditional media and you may not be sure what to do next. Here are a couple easy steps to take:
Buy and Build Your House
A great content strategy does not happen overnight, but it's very similar to buying and building your house. The more investment in skilled builders (journalists, content experts, custom publishers), the better your house will look (customer relationships, loyalty and increased sales).
There are always situations where leasing works, but if you can buy the asset of content, and you know that, if done correctly, the asset will grow in value, why would you ever miss out on that opportunity?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob EMAIL: info@monthlycarlease.com IP: 71.237.79.164 URL: http://monthlycarlease.com DATE: 01/16/2010 11:44:56 AM It is certainly true that leasing and buying is not limited just to cars. The comparisons apply to every aspect of life. The take on website marketing is a new one for me, but you make a very good case. This is an issue that website marketers will have to face. Good info. Thanks, Rob ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Blogging Lessons Learned and Best Practices - One Year Anniversary STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: one-year-bloggi CATEGORY: business blogging DATE: 04/25/2008 01:34:27 PM ----- BODY:
It's been exactly one year since I first started blogging. My first post entitled "Why Content Marketing?" still contains the same concept we've been evangelizing from the start - that businesses have a huge opportunity to grow business by creating their own valuable, relevant and compelling content.
Since I left the real world of business and launched Junta42 last year, the concept of blogging on a consistent, continual basis may be the most rewarding part of what I do.
As 365 days pass, I thought it may be useful to those considering blogging about what has personally happened to my professional and online life, and to what is actually possible. I'm showing this information not to gloat in any way (the statistics aren't nearly Copyblogger worthy) - only to show that you can start from absolute zero and still do amazing things through a consistent and compelling message.
A Few Statistics
Beginning bloggers PLEASE NOTE: Even after two to three months of consistent blogging, I would regularly get only five to 10 visitors per day (probably none outside of my family). Today, on an average day, we'll get more than 200. We've had a couple days of over 1,000. It could definitely be better, but the blog has come along way.
Many Surprises
Content marketing, which as a phrase was pretty much nonexistent when I started the blog, is now gaining and growing in popularity. The first proof of this is that content marketing now has its place as a definition in Wikipedia. Even more proof is that many bloggers have made content marketing their focus, including Newt Barrett, Patsi Krakoff, w00tonomy, and Relevant and Valued.Lessons Learned
Below are five lessons that I originally posted about on my 100 post anniversary. The copy in red below is my commentary on each one, now six months+ later.
All in all, blogging is just a tool, but it can be a very effective one for distributing consistent and valuable content to your target audience. When done correctly, there may not be a better way to grow your business or professional career. But it takes time, energy and commitment.
It's hard to think about where we'd be now without the blog. It will be interesting to see how things progress one, two or three years down the road.
If you are considering blogging, I can't stress how important blogging could be for you if you can make the time, and if you have something important to say. Good luck!
Here's to many more years of blogging to come.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rohit Bhargava EMAIL: rohitaustralia@gmail.com IP: 98.169.18.193 URL: http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com DATE: 04/29/2008 09:25:15 PM Thanks for the link and congrats on hitting one year! Love your idea about the pillar post ... and I struggle (but aim) for the same target of 3 quality posts per week as well. Looking forward to reading more on the blog and also to the book! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/29/2008 10:02:12 PM Thanks Rohit...and congrats on the successful book launch! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ardath Albee EMAIL: ardath@marketinginteractons.com IP: 66.74.10.243 URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com DATE: 05/01/2008 03:22:52 PM Hi Joe, Congrats on the anniversary! You've accomplished a whole lot in a quick amount of time, and I enjoy participating in what you're building with Junta 42! Ardath ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 05/01/2008 10:37:05 PM Hi Ardath: Thanks...and a big thanks for all the support this past year. It has been more than a pleasure watching the content marketing industry along side experts like yourself. Best Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Holding a Custom Event vs. Exhibiting at a Trade Show STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: holding-a-custo DATE: 04/24/2008 10:17:45 AM ----- BODY:
In-person events are extremely important, especially in an economic downturn. There is nothing like talking on-on-one with your customers and prospects. They require significant investment, but can also show a solid ROI depending on the overall strategy. More and more, companies are spreading their wings and producing their own events. Our recent BtoB/Junta42 study revealed that almost 40% of marketers plan and produce their own custom events or roadshows.
Still, custom events are costly from a financial and human resources perspective. Also, if the content is not stellar, a custom event could actually hurt your brand. But the payoff, if done correctly, can be huge.
I asked trade show expert Joyce McKee from Let's Talk Trade Shows to give a little insight into what a business needs to consider when launching a custom event - versus just being an exhibitor at an industry trade show. A big thanks to Joyce for putting this together. - JP
Holding a private event vs. being an exhibitor at a trade show
Of course there are many trade offs which needs to be taken into consideration when considering a custom event versus exhibiting at a trade show.
Normally, the reason to host a private event – a company wants to control the content and keep competitors out. But at what cost?
Here are some serious considerations to consider before leaping to the conclusion that the private event is your best opportunity.
Audience Acquisition
How difficult will it be to draw the correct audience to the event? What compelling information will you be delivering at this event? It needs to be so rich and relevant that they are willing to interrupt their schedules and travel to be at your event.
A show organizer will spend money on audience acquisition. And this is where I advise my clients to assess the marketing efforts of the show to draw an audience. What marketing tactics are they deploying to get the audience to the show? As an exhibitor you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their marketing plan.
If you are an exhibitor, you still need to use this show function to bring your current customers and prospects in so that they can be “educated” in your booth. There are other opportunities for entertainment which should be considered for your target audience.
Being an exhibitor at a show means you can draw from the show organizers and other exhibitors’ marketing efforts to have a crowd walking up and down the aisles. Now to get a stream of that crowd into your booth – that’s another topic!
Another key audience consideration for a private event – what does your list REALLY look like – how clean is the database of names?
Personal invitations and custom direct mail will be the best way to inform your audience – you must reveal the compelling reasons to come. You may also be able to leverage your sales team, who should have close relationships with key prospective attendees.
Set Expectations
The tangible dynamic of a crowd at a show vs. a group of people at an event needs to be taken into consideration. It will be very important to set expectations among your attendee as to the look and feel you would have at a private event. The language of exclusive gathering, etc. can be used to draw them to the event.
Education and networking are key components of any gathering. You need to make sure to facilitate both aspects to have a delighted attendee.
What's the Strategy?
What are your objectives for hosting the private event? What type of ROI would be acceptable for your firm to host this type of event?
The cost of a private event can be considerable and that should be scrutinized carefully against the objectives desired.
Event Expertise
Do you have the talented, well informed event personnel on staff (or can contract them) to produce your private event?
If you holding an event at a conference facility or large hotel, someone with the knowledge to navigate all the contracts, food and beverage and on and on needs to be in place or costs can spiral out of control.
Make Them Feel Special
Now there are ways to use a trade show to host special groups and create a “private” feel for the show experience. One is to have a special room off the show floor for demos, private conversations, etc.
Then there are the hotel rooms which can be used to educated and entertain selected customers and prospects.
As you can see, Joyce knows her stuff. Another important component that I would add is the creation of content - which is as difficult as any of the above points. You may want to consider partnering with an organization that can assist you in creating the most compelling and relevant content for your organization.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Do What Google Does with Your Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: do-what-google CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 04/23/2008 10:50:50 AM ----- BODY:
Here is a portion of a letter to the editor for the most recent Fast Company. The submission comes from Eric Schultz in response to Fast Company's March, 2008 cover story featuring Google as the most innovative company in the world.
"Maybe it's time to get off the Google bandwagon. It's all expansion of one good idea, some smart acquisitions, and lots and lots of cool, free, unprofitable stuff that allows the old idea to make more money."
Google, by creating such free services as Google Co-op, Google Apps, Gmail and others, has created a number of opportunities for customers to get more involved in the Google brand. It's not news that this is pure genius.
What Can Marketers Learn from Google?
Smart marketers can learn a lot from what Google has done. Now, very few of us have the resources to create a bunch of free online services, but we can take their example with our content marketing.
By generating consistent, valuable and compelling content, delivered to our customers and prospects, we can drive the same type of results as Google.
Not Apps and Gmail, but White Papers, Blogs and Articles
Let's go back to our letter to the editor. Google creates "lots of cool, free, unprofitable stuff" that generates revenues through other products. That's the essence of content marketing.
When you deliver ultra-valuable information to your customers, and not just product pitches, it drives customers to your "paid" products.
Free doesn't mean it's not valuable. Actually, your free content that you deliver must be the best stuff around, or why would they consider buying what you actually have to offer? I've heard renown copywriter and entrepreneur Bob Bly state this many times in his audio recordings. Bob is adamant that the very best information you have to offer should be what you give away for free, which will ultimately create demand for your real products.
What You Must Do Now
Recognize the fact that, regardless of what you sell, you are a publisher. Start looking at your customers and prospects from the perspective of the information they need to have to do their job faster, better, cheaper.
Once you do that, start creating the content and pick a consistent schedule. If you stay the course, the results will be impressive indeed. Unfortunately, most companies start and stall when in comes to their content marketing. In today's marketing environment, and the way consumers engage in information online, you can't afford to stall. Be like Google. Be relentless. Good Luck!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: DJ EMAIL: onlinemarketerblog@gmail.com IP: 65.114.233.194 URL: http://OnlineMarketerBlog.com DATE: 04/24/2008 12:10:40 PM Don't have much to say accept that you're totally correct! Nice work, Joe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: DJ EMAIL: onlinemarketerblog@gmail.com IP: 65.114.233.194 URL: http://OnlineMarketerBlog.com DATE: 04/24/2008 12:13:57 PM I mean "except" - how embarrassing... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/24/2008 12:46:46 PM Thanks DJ...no worries. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ayo Ijidakinro EMAIL: ayo@ayoswebdesign.com IP: 68.11.200.47 URL: http://www.ayoswebdesign.com DATE: 04/25/2008 02:06:20 AM Hey Joe, This is absolutely true. People buy from a company if they believe its product or service will really help them solve their problems. However, ads and traditional marketing do little to instill belief. If your website can help the customer before he gives you a penny, he will be far more likely to believe other claims you make. Free services, like educational articles, allow potential customers to build a relationship with you with zero financial risk. It's funny, today I just wrote a post about this same topic: http://www.ayoswebdesign.com/2008/04/how-can-freely-sharing-articles-you.html Best, Ayo Ijidakinro Owner & Operator Ayo's Website Design ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/25/2008 07:51:22 AM Absolutely right Ayo. There still is a place for traditional advertising, no question, but content marketing must be a core component of all marketing plans - and should be integrated with your overall strategy. Just checked out your blog. Nice work. Best Joe ----- PING: TITLE: Branded utilty URL: http://martinharrison.typepad.com/whatnow/2008/04/branded-utilty.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: whatnow DATE: 04/25/2008 07:12:12 AM Branded Utility is a great concept. Junta 42 points out that this is what Google do, but calls it content marketing. (It seems to me that there are quite a few people creating different terms to describe the same concept ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New Rules of Custom Publishing - New Complimentary White Paper: Nine Strategies to Create a World-Class Content Marketing Company STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-rules-of-cu CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 04/21/2008 03:36:28 PM ----- BODY:
Find Expert Custom Publishers at Junta42 Match
The web and a continuing modification of buyer behavior (among other things) have changed the rules of what most people call the "custom publishing" industry. Traditional custom publishers, who profit from the creation and execution of customized content solutions for clients, must understand the new rules of custom publishing in order to survive. To help, I put together this complimentary white paper titled: The New Rules of Custom Publishing: Nine Key Strategies for Creating a World-Class Content Marketing Company.
Although this white paper is clearly targeted for publishers, or the providers of content services for marketing professionals, there is tremendous value for both marketers and publishers. This is especially true, since it doesn't matter if you make your money off of publishing or not. We are all publishers...so we all need to understand what is going on in the marketing/publishing world in order to compete in it (with content).
Unfortunately, most custom publishers are still hanging on to older business models and, as such, are getting plowed down by those abiding by the new rules of custom publishing. That said, there is a huge opportunity for those organizations that do choose to adopt the new rules as part of their overall business strategy.
The nine strategies highlighted in "The New Rules of Custom Publishing" are:
Download this complimentary white paper The New Rules of Custom Publishing: Nine Key Strategies for Creating a World-Class Content Marketing Company and take your content company into the new world of publishing. I hope you enjoy it!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim Duffy EMAIL: jduffy@northbrookpub.com IP: 66.72.230.99 URL: DATE: 04/29/2008 03:30:41 PM Hi Joe, Read your White Paper with great interest. Outstanding stuff, a true blueprint for best business practices going forward. One thing I would add about publishers. They are the glue in client/custom pub relations. Thanks for your terrific contribution to the industry. Best regards, Jim Duffy, Editor, Northbrook Publications ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/29/2008 04:05:52 PM Jim...thanks for the comment. I agree. As you know, I'm a big fan of content outsourcing to qualified publishers. I'm just not sure all the publishers out there see the tremendous opportunity in front of them. Glad you enjoyed the paper. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: james wood EMAIL: web2.0@hd-productions.biz IP: 80.0.26.86 URL: http://www.hd-productions.biz DATE: 07/07/2009 04:51:27 PM Great whitepaper tips ----- PING: TITLE: Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW - A Complimentary White Paper URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/08/attract-and-ret.html IP: 10.0.23.103 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 08/03/2008 10:12:45 PM Today’s Internet-savvy buyers are hungry for content. And not just any content...valuable, relevant content that offers solutions to their problems and helps them lead successful, productive, enjoyable jobs and lives. However, they are also inundated b... ----- PING: TITLE: The New Rules of Custom Publishing URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com/marketing_interactions/2008/04/the-new-rules-o.html IP: 10.0.23.101 BLOG NAME: Marketing Interactions DATE: 04/22/2008 05:40:59 PM Joe Pulizzi, over at Junta 42's Content Marketing Revolution blog has written and released a new paper, The New Rules of Custom Publishing. He's written it for custom publishers as a guide on how to survive the changing content landscape, but it's got ... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Relationship between Editors and Freelance Writers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-relationshi CATEGORY: journalists DATE: 04/17/2008 09:08:06 AM ----- BODY:
I received an email from a freelance writer last week who wanted a little more detail on how custom publishers/custom publishing editors work with freelance writers (and any specific advice). Although it's a little off our focus here, it's still a great topic. So, I asked my friend and colleague Tom Peric', who has been chief editor of a number of custom publications, to respond. Tom's information is below.
I decided NOT to split this article up, even though it is rather long. As you'll see from Tom's article, freelance writers with traditional assignments vs. custom assignments seem pretty much the same. Personally, the major difference with custom over traditional is that sometimes writers need to follow Tom's advice with multiple contacts - the editorial director or chief editor, the account director and the account manager. Each deserves their own treatment. There is no question that there is tons of opportunity for freelancers in custom publishing/media...but you definitely have to WANT it.
Thanks Tom for the submission...I hope you all enjoy! - JP
The Writing Life: Editors and Writers
Writing
types often ask me about the relationship between editors and freelance
writers. Having been on both sides of the fence, I can sympathize with both
groups when they gripe about the other party. In particular, freelance writers
want to know how to get the attention of editors for an article and to keep
that interest for future assignments. Editors don’t share the same mold. Editors’ approaches to how they deal with
freelancers are as varied as the choices of apples at the supermarket. Here are
some tips that might help you close the gap with your less successful editors.
Remain The Same. If an editor is accepting your
work and seems keen to keep giving you assignments, then you probably have the
"right" kind of approach. After all, they keep feeding you work. Here,
the cliché is apt: "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." You have
apparently developed a system that works for you, so keep doing what you have
been doing with this batch.
Background and Relationships. Cracking into the pack of writers
used by a reliable editor can be very difficult even when you've shown, via
clips or references, that you’re a pro. Editors don’t like taking chances,
probably because they have been disappointed in the past. Hence a reluctance.
Yes, ironically, they must always be on the lookout for new talent. Yes, your
clips are good, but how do they know that a superb editor didn’t slave over
your effort to make it good? Suggest to
the editor that you might want to take an article, not for the next issue but
several issues down the road. This way, you're offering the editor a way to
deal with your work (kill the story) if he or she doesn’t feel your work doesn’t
pass the test.
Know The Game. There’s nothing more compelling to
an editor than when you clearly demonstrate you are familiar with the
publication. Unfortunately, this is a time-consuming process, and it’s why most
PR people fail miserably when they pitch editors. I would hope that you check
out the edit calendar BEFORE you pitch the editor. I am stunned at the number
of PR people and writers who never bother to look at this. Knowing what an
editor is looking for and when he or she needs it is winning half of the assignment
game.
What’s The Value? Unfortunately, the law of supply
and demand dictates the market for freelancers. There are tons of freelancers
out there. (I didn’t say they were good, just that they’re out there.) Everyone
wants to write and thinks they can write. So, how valuable are freelancers? Valuable
if they deliver. That means they meet deadlines, the copy is tight and bright,
they follow the assignment sheet, they keep you abreast of developments,
especially problems, and they contact you early – not the day before – when a
sticky point develops. One of my freelancers should probably get more money
from me. I don’t want to lose him, but there’s something called a budget. So I
pay him within one week (or less) when he turns in the assignment. And I have
only sent one assignment back for a minor touch-up in about five years. Any
follow-up, I do. What I’m doing is keeping his workload to a minimum and paying
faster than anyone in the freelance universe. He loves working with me, and I
enjoy working with him. I’m also appalled that the freelance market doesn’t pay
any better today (per word) than it did 25 years ago. Supply and demand. There
will always be more supply than demand – and the wages reflect that reality.
Problem Editors. What should you do with problem
editors who don't you use you or, if they do, make it hard getting new
assignments? Use the direct, polite approach. Ask them what is the best way to
get more assignments. Try this: "Janice, I enjoyed the article I did
for you and would like to a few more on a regular basis. Is there anything
I can do that would increase this likelihood? Do I need to pitch you differently
or approach my stories from a special perspective?” Again, I'm always amazed
when people don't ask the person to whom they’re selling (and you ARE selling
them your writing and reporting skills) how to do it. I would be sure to ask
the editor how they want to be pitched and even WHEN they want pitches. While I own my own PR firm in Cherry Hill, N.J., I also serve as the editor of two national trade publications.
Make It Personal. Whenever possible, try to meet the editor
for lunch and a face-to-face. I understand you can't fly across the country for
a $500 assignment. But if the editor is within striking distance, up to three
hours, I say go for it. How do you decide? Simple. How important is the editor
and publication to you? If it's only $1,000 per year, it might not be
worth it. But if it's worth $5,000 and you think it's possible to boost that
figure to $15,000, make that luncheon appointment today. Meet with EVERY editor
at least once a year, and twice is better. In this Internet age, becoming a
real person as opposed to a disembodied spirit via e-mail can make all the
difference in the world. When you see a particularly relevant idea for an
editor, even if it is not something you want to write about, pass it on to the
editor with a brief note. Stay in front
of the editor in a low-key, but regular way.
Beyond E-Mail. E-mail is great. But most of us forget about e-mails almost immediately,
NO MATTER how valuable. Unless we tag it or pull it into an appropriate folder,
WE FORGET ABOUT IT. Follow up EVERY e-mail intro to an editor with a hard copy
by snail mail. The snail mail will
presumably include your background, plus an article or two. Be sure to use a
good color printer for what you send. Mention in the e-mail that you'll
send hard copy. Why? Try this: “Janice, because e-mail getting through is always
suspect, I'm also sending along a copy of this e-mail in a snail mail packet."
Now it might sit on the desk for months, but the editor will almost surely have
to "touch” it again. And they just might say, "Oh, yeah, I meant to .
. ." Old e-mails? Don't we almost always forget about them? Snail mail is
still real mail.
What Am I Doing Wrong? What are you doing wrong with the editors who
don’t use or call upon you with regularity? Again, just ask. The problem is
most editors will never level with you. Whether it’s political correctness, politeness
or avoiding a decidedly uncomfortable conversation, I’ve never known an editor
to say, “I just don’t like your writing style.” However, I once had an editor
compare me to another top gun freelancer and, frankly, he favored the other
guy. He was also honest about why. That conversation had a profound effect on
me. I had another editor who had issues about one aspect of how I handled the
language. The results of the conversation also had a dramatic effect on how I wrote
subsequently. In short, when you obtain
the information that warrants change, do so. But there will always be some
things (editors) that you can’t control, change or receive information from
that permits you to take a different direction. “Forget about it,” as Al Pacino
said. You’ll sleep better at night. Just go on to the next editor.
The Best Time. Keep abreast of changes in the marketplace. There is NEVER a better time to approach an editor than when he or she starts on the job. They often start with a partially clean slate. What better time than now to approach them before they create their own stable of writers and become reluctant to add more? One source I use, among many, is Partyline. It is a weekly report on staff and editorial changes at many media outlets. Tell Betty I sent you. A bit expensive for some freelancers (about $167 for an online version) but worth it. Visit http://www.partylinepublishing.com.
Tom Peric' is a
leading speaker on getting publicity and president of Galileo
Communications Inc. He is the
author of Wacky Days: How to Get Millions
of $$$ in Free Publicity. Contact him at
856-874-0049, tom[at]thegalileo.com or visit
www.thegalileo.com. © 2008 Galileo Communications Inc.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim McDermott EMAIL: jmcdermott@embarqmail.com IP: 71.49.180.47 URL: DATE: 04/17/2008 08:22:16 PM Great article, Tom. As always, you're an insightful and thoughtful guy with terrific advice for writers. Jim McDermott ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Leigh Ann EMAIL: managingeditor@familydoctormag.com IP: 75.71.33.96 URL: http://www.MyFamilyDoctorMag.com DATE: 04/18/2008 12:48:19 PM Hi there. As an editor of a traditional magazine, I thought I'd chime in on this interesting article. I agree wholeheartedly with this key advice and am so glad Mr. Peric included it: "You MUST answer the two most basic questions on EVERY pitch. Why should I (and the reader) care? Why should I care now?" (Of course, magazines work months in advance, so, please, no, "This month is So-and-So month" articles!) That said, every editor is different, so here are a couple of areas in which I differ from Mr. Peric. 1. I personally do not like to meet writers face-to-face. (I'm too busy and love e-mail.) You can ask, but don't be offended when I decline. 2. I do NOT want submissions snail mailed. I keep very organized e-mail folders and don't open snail mail for months. It's useless to me. But I must admit, Mr. Peric makes a good point about e-mails not getting through. I would suggest waiting at least three weeks to see if you get a reply. Then, follow up with an e-mail (maybe mentioning that you're mailing a pitch in the subject; don't just label it "follow up") politely saying that you haven't heard and are concerned that the e-mail didn't get through, so you'll be snail mailing a pitch. If the editor still doesn't get back to you within a couple of days, then you could mail it and maybe even put a note on the envelope about what's going on, to entice the editor to open it. I also couldn't care less if the mailed submission is in color. I tend to think of that as a waste of money. But I can't say it wouldn't have a subconscious impact on me. Who knows? Interesting and well-thought-out post, all around. (I came across it because of a link from BoSacks, FYI.) Thank you for it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tom Peric EMAIL: tom@thegalileo.com IP: 69.248.105.188 URL: http://www.thegalileo.com DATE: 04/20/2008 05:12:00 PM Thanks for your comments. Allow me to address your disagreements. First, I would only suggest a face-to-face if the media outlet is important to the writer. They might see it as a new or increased revenue opportunity, or it could be the prestige of writing for the media outlet. I didn't mean to imply that every editor is waiting with baited breath for a free meal. Indeed, my sense is that many editors DON'T want to have lunch with writers. However, any writer who doesn't ASK for the luncheon date is just plain foolish because they're forgoing a possible opportunity. The fact that an editor might say no to me is like shower water in the morning. I don't even think about. But doesn't just asking already give you three advantages? 1) You know this editor doesn't like luncheons (meetings); 2) It's an opening for an e-mail (Kathy, since you don't do luncheons, I sent along a pitch that I wanted to give you.) 3) It's an opening, if an actual meeting occurs (at a trade show or function that you both might be covering). "Hi Marlene, I now know you don't like to do luncheons judging from your e-mail, but I'm really glad I had a chance to meet you. . . . If an editor says they don't do lunch, fine. I'm not suggesting you badger, I suggesting you ask. And, frankly, I have a certain approach that I use to ask for luncheons (when I'm pitching) which I believe increases my yes responses. I don't share it for the obvious reason that I don't need have others use it and water down my own success. In the end, it is the most basic form of salesmanship that exists. You must ask. Sometimes you get a yes. Sometimes a no. If your ego is so fragile that an e-mail rejection gives you the shivers, then don't ask. But I can assure you of this: Ask enough editors (whom YOU'VE deemed important enough to meet), and some will say yes, AND some of those luncheons will turn into assignments. Second, the question of snail mail. I respect the fact that you don't like snail mail. You are correct. It might sit around for months (as it does in your case). But again, how does a writer KNOW unless they try or ask? I've knows a few high-end editors who still PREFER snail mail because it does hang around. Both methods have lapses in delivery. Using a confirm receipt in e-mail is an option, but this will also irritate some editors because it's an extra click. You are clearly very organized with your folders. Many editors are not. But I still maintain that most editors are lot less likely to have an "ah ha" moment with an old e-mail tucked into a electronic folder than that envelope that they keep putting aside but WON'T throw away. You keep thinking: I'm going to get to that one day. And, one day, you do. And that's why I LIKE the idea of an envelope sitting on that desk for months. Indeed, your suggestion about sending the e-mail via snail mail is EXACTLY what I do. I mention in the e-mail that I'm sending a copy by snail mail. Then I wait one or two days, in case I get a reply or a kickback on the e-mail before I actually mail it. (If I get a kickback, I make sure the e-mail address is correct AND the editor is still on the job.) But I don't wait three weeks. It gets to cumbersome to handle lots of queries over months of time. I know this about editors. When they're really thinking about a story, it only takes a few minutes for them to decide upon assigning, ignoring or taking it up at an edit meeting, unless there's a definite time twist to it so that it gets dropped into the calendar category. (This just happened a few hours ago. In a column, I gave suggestions on how to pitch me. Guess what? A writer sent me a pitch based on the column, followed my advice, and she will probably get the assignment if she meets one of my concerns. Total decision time. About one minute.) I don't want to think about the same idea and the same editor more than once, unless they respond in the affirmative. Two pitches, one idea, deliver twice in the same week. If they don't respond, I don't want to think about it any longer. Next editor, next idea. The MOST important point of all: Whether you're a writer pitching a story or a PR person pitching a client, the goal is still difficult. You want a way to pitch that works each time for every editor. But an editor, as Leigh Ann is an excellent example, is an individual who might disagree with my approach or yours. In my humble opinion, the BEST solution is to use a general approach when you can't, don't or won't customize the pitch. I still maintain that when YOU don't know, my two- step approach is best. I use it BOTH for my editorial pitches and my PR pitches. Actually, for my PR pitches, I often fax, which makes it a three-step approach. (I own a PR agency and also serve as the editor of two trade magazines.) Proof? Now that delicious moment. I've gotten responses and acceptance from e-mail, snail mail and faxes (yes, faxes). Now, if I had said: Well, no one uses faxes, and only old people would use snail mail, I'd have lost out on some very nice opportunities. I've seen my system work as the editor of a city magazine, a news syndicate, business editor of a daily newspaper and various other monthly and weekly publications. Allow me to close on this note: Develop as much information about the editor and the publication that you can. Customize the pitch as much as possible. (This IS custom publishing, isn't it)? ASK the editor how to pitch. And, finally, if you don't have the time or inclination to customize your pitch, a one-time shot (effort) is a long shot. A repetitive effort WITH a good idea is worth it. Leigh Ann, you write like a very sound, solid editor even if we never have lunch. Thanks for you contribution. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rob EMAIL: rob@freelancejobsonline.info IP: 71.229.161.107 URL: http://freelancejobsonline.info DATE: 11/20/2010 02:45:43 PM I agree with one part of your article... Editors do not like to take a chance. I had this same problem when looking for a publisher of my first book. Recently, with the amount of paying freelance writing jobs I am finding online, I have been focusing on that exclusively... So I don't have to deal with editors any longer; just picky website owners instead that won't even buy lunch. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 4 Easy Steps to Getting Found on the Internet STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 4-easy-steps-to CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 04/16/2008 08:02:32 AM ----- BODY:
After speaking at the min day summit yesterday, I was able to connect with a few publisher friends of mine I haven't seen in quite a while. For one person in particular (who will remain nameless), I didn't pick up their business card - and wanted to send a follow up email.
While searching online, I couldn't find the person's email address. Now, this is a very successful publishing executive. When I typed his name into Google, it was like he didn't even exist. On the company site there was no direct contact information. After about 5 minutes of searching through documents in Google, I finally found his email in a pdf document.
I wonder - does he know how hard it is for people to find him on the web? Being a marketing and publishing executive today is all about being accessible. That aside, what does it say about his web knowledge, or how his company positions executives, that they make it a chore for people to get in touch with him and the company?
Seth Godin, in his book Meatball Sundae, has an excellent example about this very topic. In his example, he was discussing how getting the direct contact information for Bank of America's CEO was almost impossible - guarded by layers of hoops, contact forms and gatekeepers. Not only does this present a customer service no-no, but it is exactly the opposite online perception of what the web was built for - transparency, easy access, openness, etc.
Because of this one small situation, my perception of the person and the company has changed - and I'm not even a customer. I wonder what customers must feel like when trying to get in touch with company executives.
Make sure as a marketing professional you are taking care of your own online persona, as well as your company's. Here are some simple things that will help:
How accessible you are on web is incredibly important to your online brand strategy. Make sure you know how you are being perceived, and how easy or difficult you are making it for your customers to contact you. These are very simple strategies that are more and more a requirement in today's connected world. I'll be sending this link to my friend.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Conley EMAIL: correspond@paulconley.com IP: 71.241.152.37 URL: http://paulconley.blogspot.com/ DATE: 04/21/2008 04:30:30 PM Hi Joe, I had a similar experience with a publishing company a few weeks ago. I ran into someone who wanted to do business with them. I figured I'd made an introduction. But after 15 minutes of searching for a way to contact the CEO or the top editor (on their Web site, on Facebook and on LinkedIn), I gave up. I tried calling. But I ran into a "gatekeeper" secretary who suggested I send a letter. As you'd guess, I decided not to do the company any favors. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.192.18 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/21/2008 04:35:07 PM Thanks Paul...yep, it's amazing how many are unaware of their own practices. Sad part is, I wonder if the CEO you were trying to connect with has any idea? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bruce Inouye EMAIL: bruce@blogmarketingexperts.com IP: 70.176.66.101 URL: http://www.blogmarketingexperts.com DATE: 06/15/2010 11:27:58 PM I totally agree that anyone in business has to be accessible when starting an online presence. Having three blogs, 5 contact pages, 2 opt in pages, certainly helps as I do but I know the importance of using the internet to "get found." It only makes sense and will serve my business for many years to come. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: New Research: Business Marketers Spending Big on Custom Publishing/Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: new-research-bu CATEGORY: business-to-business CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: measurement DATE: 04/14/2008 10:18:11 AM ----- BODY:
We are proud to release research regarding how business-to-business marketers are spending and thinking about customized content (custom publishing, custom media, content marketing - you pick the term).
Junta42, in association with BtoB Magazine, surveyed 150 marketing professionals focused in btob markets. The findings were pretty clear: content marketing is alive and growing within the business-to-business sales cycle.
Here are some key findings:
Here is the formal release - but you can check out the results overview here on the Junta42 site. More to come.
Enjoy!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Allen EMAIL: info@rnbresearch.com IP: 121.245.205.102 URL: http://www.rnbresearch.com/ DATE: 06/30/2009 08:30:32 AM I came to your blog just when I was surfing on this topic. I am happy that I found your blog and information I wanted. You have given very good information about this topic & i totally agree with your facts. Great...... keep it up!!!!!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: business opportunity leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 203.177.74.138 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/05/2009 06:43:59 PM According to my research the U.S. Postal Service became its own publisher in 2005 with the creation of Delivermagazine. Its purpose is to promote direct mail campaigns by using such custom content as case studies, third-party columns and commentary. An online version introduced in 2007 added podcast and video case studies of successful direct-mail campaigns. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A Content Marketing Lesson from the Transformers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-content-marke CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 04/09/2008 09:22:15 AM ----- BODY:It's interesting that my two sons are playing with some of the same toys that I did when I was their age. This is especially true for the Transformers. I will admit that today's Transformers are a bit more advanced, but the premise is the same. I brought my old Transformers down from the attic, which proved to be mildly thrilling to my sons.
The hot toy my son Joshua just received is called Ultimate Bumblebee. Ultimate Bumblebee is a Transformer that turns into a 2008 Camaro. Bumblebee talks on command, and will play certain songs depending on what you do with it.
One of the songs it plays is Devo's "Whip it," a very popular song in the early 80s (that I know by heart). Bumblebee plays two different, five-second versions of the song (you can hear both in the above video clip).
Here's the content marketing/branded content lesson in all of this...
By giving away those two relevant (through Bumblebee's radio), short audio clips as part of Ultimate Bumblebee, my kids starting singing the song, as well as asking me more about it. From that discussion, Joshua started to search the Internet for Devo's "Whip It" (the song copyright is on the outside of the box), and we watched the video on YouTube (possibly a bad parenting example there).
They liked it so much, we decided to buy the song from iTunes. Who knows what's next...Devo fan club perhaps?
After the experience, I realized that this was the perfect example of how content marketing and branded content works.
Above is the perfect scenario from initiation to engagement to purchase. Now, I have no idea if that's why Devo gave the rights to Hasbro for the piece, but I can only imagine the number of Dads around the world who are singing "Whip It" to their kids. God help us all.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Madej (Digital Marketing Rucksack) EMAIL: mmadej@industryweek.com IP: 63.87.75.67 URL: http://www.michaelmadej.com DATE: 04/11/2008 05:12:33 PM Joe, this is another great example of the Guitar Hero phenomenon that's driving a lot of old music sales right now. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd are seeing huge sales jumps when their songs are included in video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Here's a PC World article that describes more and gives some data: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141713/article.html A 31-48% jump in Metallica sales? That's what I'd call effective content marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: jeremy morris EMAIL: jmorris@campbell-ewald.com IP: 68.41.73.166 URL: http://www.thenextengine.com DATE: 04/13/2008 05:29:38 PM Worth pointing out the whole Transformers/Chevy tie-in which in and of itself a major branded entertainment/branded content play. I won't brag about which Detroit-based ad agency brokered the deal! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: jeremy morris EMAIL: jmorris@campbell-ewald.com IP: 68.41.73.166 URL: http://www.thenextengine.com DATE: 04/13/2008 05:30:56 PM Worth pointing out the whole Transformers/Chevy tie-in which in and of itself a major branded entertainment/branded content play. I won't brag about which Detroit-based ad agency brokered the deal! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Magazines Can Save a Dying Print Industry STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-magazine CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 04/07/2008 10:38:11 AM ----- BODY:
In reading Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni's most notable magazine launch of 2007 (Condé Nast Portfolio), I couldn't help to think that there is a huge opportunity for marketers in, yes, print.
Work with me here for a second...
Mr. Magazine states that "Condé Nast felt so sure of the current desire for good content that they fed over $125 million into the launch of CN Portfolio, our Most Notable Launch of the Year. So far I haven’t heard one whisper of disappointment concerning that investment, except of course from the prophets of doom and gloom."
He's right (and so is Portfolio), relevant and valuable content can live anywhere, even in print. And though Mr. Magazine states that 2007 had 200 fewer traditional print launches than in 2006, the 2007 number is still substantially higher than that of 1991.
Couple thoughts...first, I believe that the number of traditional magazine launches will continue to go down (yes I know, big leap). More investment is going into online and print will continue to be challenging for marketers to measure results. So, publishers will continue to go online.
Second, less print means more opportunities for those still in the game - publishers as well as marketers.
Third, almost everyone I talk to or work with still LOVES print. As much as I believe in the growth of online and mobile (and I do), people interact and engage with print in ways that are difficult to replicate online. I still take about 10 magazines with me on every trip.
If you, as a marketer, buy into this, than you should consider some form of print custom communications as part of your content marketing plan.
Here's some equations -
Less Traditional Print = Greater Share of Customer Attention (easier to cut through the print clutter)
More Attention + Continued Customer Print Behavior = Key Channel to Build Your Customer Relationships
Print, by itself, is ignorant and wasteful. Print, integrated with online media, can be extremely powerful.
The Focus on Web May Have Blinded Your Competition
Traditional marketers are moving money in barrels over to the online space. At a recent BtoB conference, it was stated that Microsoft and Intel are putting 50% of their marketing money into the online space. I'm sure your competitors are starting to move in this fashion as well. And they are all right to do so.
But an integrated online strategy works best with a marketing mix that includes print. Our sponsorship drive for the 2007 Junta42 Golf for Autism showed us this last year. Even though we sent multiple emails to sponsors regarding donation opportunities, most sponsors took action when they received the print piece in the mail (over 60% used the print mail form). All of the marketing we did had impact individually, but used together we saw results.
Also, look at the USPS launch of Deliver magazine. They've been investing more and more into this magazine for marketing professionals - and have been pouring on the online marketing in conjunction. I found this banner ad promoting subscriptions on BtoB magazine today. (btw, they've also been investing many more resources into their website, which was pretty much non-existent just a few years ago.)
Look at your content marketing. How can you integrate print into your plan? Is there an opportunity in your industry to cut through the clutter?
There will most likely be less traditional magazine launches in 2008. Could custom magazines like Deliver save the print industry? Possibly...
But, before you do anything, test it out. The worst thing you could do is just spam your customers and mail out to your full list. Get their permission first. Focus on the 80/20 customers that mean the most to you. If successful, expand from there.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ricardo EMAIL: ricardo.azambuja@gmail.com IP: 201.11.212.207 URL: DATE: 06/24/2008 04:20:40 PM I used to drop by theprintcostcalculator.com to know how much the print will cost... :D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John EMAIL: marcenal@thewebshowroom.com.au IP: 121.96.68.241 URL: http://www.penfoldresearch.com.au/ DATE: 03/03/2010 09:19:25 PM Yeah, it would be a challenging year onwards for the printing industry but I guess prints are still important part of the advertising and marketing world. So it would be better if both online and print ads should be consider than make a drastic move on moving solely on online advertising and marketing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: buy viagra EMAIL: karen_gott@gmail.com IP: 190.10.68.227 URL: http://www.xlpharmacy.com/ DATE: 05/27/2010 05:49:04 PM I love the jeans are garments that never goes out of fashion, I love reading and I always keep a reading room for another magazine, I like the tabloid publications of shows and my husband in particular those of adults which does not displease me I see and read well, are very well made and are also putting aside hot, very artistic. Karen J. Gott 1561 Hamilton Drive Hitchcock, TX 77 563 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: breaking news EMAIL: graceace89@gmail.com IP: 110.37.10.38 URL: http://www.islamtribune.com/ DATE: 07/25/2010 02:05:59 PM Yeah, it would be a challenging year onwards for the printing industry but I guess prints are still important part of the advertising and marketing world. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jon Kidder EMAIL: jonathan-kidder@bethel.edu IP: 75.146.33.113 URL: http://priorityresults.com/blog/marketing-trends-5-reasons-print-marketing-will-always-be-in/ DATE: 11/24/2010 01:43:28 PM I think custom print will continue to be popular. This stat taken from your site says it all - 18-24 year-old men and women who receive custom magazines from a corporation are the most engaged of any age group (yes, really!). ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Freelance Writing Retirement Plan STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-freelance-w CATEGORY: journalists DATE: 04/04/2008 09:48:49 AM ----- BODY:
Freelance writers are one of the cornerstones of the content marketing industry. Frankly, much of the great content that is created by corporations comes from freelance writers and journalists.
That said, many freelancers are looking for something more. Many don't want to work more hours, or raise their rates. Many are looking for something more secure.
My take is that freelancers should concentrate on building an asset. That is the core of the Freelance Writing Retirement plan.
In this American Society of Business Publication Editors guest blog post I cover three ways writers and journalists can begin to develop their work into an asset that can bear fruit in the future. These include:
Check out the post for more.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 04/04/2008 06:21:37 PM Joe, do you have some examples of freelancers doing as you suggest? It seems almost like a no win situation if you are a freelancer. Freelancers almost seem trapped by the need to write more to make more. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.244.25.151 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 04/04/2008 06:51:40 PM Hi Jay...I agree with you that it won't be easy, but it's very possible. A great example of this is Brian Clark at copyblogger.com. Brian used to produce content like other writers/journalists, but then started to create businesses. Copyblogger is one of the most successful blogs in the world, and led him to create the membership website, teachingsells.com, which has been extremely successful since the launch this last October. Many successful online businesses are being launched by writers/journalists (publishing2.com comes to mind as well - which just got a couple million in funding). It just takes a lot of hard work and a different kind of concentration. Hope that helps. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 04/06/2008 02:23:22 PM Thanks, Joe. Copyblogger is a great example and clarifies things for me. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Content Marketing Book - Get Content. Get Customers. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-content-mar CATEGORY: get content. get customers. DATE: 04/03/2008 04:43:08 PM ----- BODY:
One of my colleagues (thanks Ian) reminded me that I haven't been doing a good job promoting our upcoming content marketing book, Get Content. Get Customers. For those of you who don't know, the book reunites two Penton Media, Inc. alum, myself and Newt Barrett, my co-author, and is a follow up to our successful eBook of the same title.
As Newt points out, we started this journey approximately nine months ago. On my way down to Cincinnati to see a client, I called Newt from the car to catch up. Little did we know that we were both working on books around the same topic - how businesses can use the tenets of publishing to attract new customers - what we affectionately call "content marketing."
We finished the book about a month ago, and are in the process of finalizing the design and preparing to publish. Although it was truly a labor of love, I love how it turned out, and the initial reaction from our reviewers was simply fantastic.
I think the reason this book resonates is that there is so much talk about the importance of content and why to use it in your business, but so little on the "how." Our goal was to create a book that marketers could pick up and instantly take away best practices to impact their businesses - considering both web and print initiatives.
We are currently working on updating the book site, getcontentgetcustomers.com, where we will offer free chapters, success stories and resources. The book will be available sometime in the next 60 days. Look for the exact date soon. The book will be available for sale on the website, as well as Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. (btw, this image is the actual book cover)
Stay tuned for more...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: Information Is Your Product STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 04/02/2008 12:03:18 PM ----- BODY:
I was recently approached by Patsi Krakoff over at the Writing on the Web blog about writing a guest post on content marketing. I applaud Patsi for her focus and guidance on the content marketing movement. I noticed right away that Patsi's tag line is "How to Use Content Marketing to Attract, Sell and Profit Online." Great Stuff!
Here is Part 1 of the series. Click here for Part 2.
Here are a couple key points from the article series:
Check out the entire series for the rest. Thanks to Patsi for the opportunity, and please check out her blog. Patsi has an excellent hand on today's ever-changing content marketing environment.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Age of Conversation 2: Why Don't People Get It? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: age-of-conversa CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 04/01/2008 10:16:36 AM ----- BODY:
I'm honored to be one of the authors for the second edition of Age of Conversation. The initial book was a collaborative effort written by 100 of the leading online marketing thinkers discussing the power of ideas in this online and social media world.
A recent Amazon bum rush resulted in the Age of Conversation reaching #36 in Amazon's business best sellers and #262 on the overall charts. Congratulations to Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton for bringing it all together. Impressive indeed, for any book.
If you haven't already, get your copy here. Well worth it.
So, Drew and Gavin have decided to do it again with an even more impressive array of authors for Age of Conversation: Why Don't People Get it?
Each expert author will have their own take on what people don't get in today's world of consumer control (mine included). I have a strong feeling that this version of AofC will be even more important, because there is more at risk for those organizations that fail to grasp the opportunity of content marketing, especially online content marketing.
Here is the complete list of authors for Age of Conversation: Why Don't People Get it? Please take some time to check out some of these amazing experts below in advance of the book. I'll have more to come on this in the future.
Adam Crowe, Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob Carlton, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Bradley Spitzer, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Clay Parker Jones, Chris Brown, Colin McKay, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Cord Silverstein, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Goldstein, Dan Schawbel, Dana VanDen Heuvel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Darryl Patterson, Dave Davison, Dave Origano, David Armano, David Bausola, David Berkowitz, David Brazeal, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Emily Reed, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Graham Hill, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, J.C. Hutchins, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeremy Middleton, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, Joe Talbott, John Herrington, John Jantsch, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Flowers, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kris Hoet, Krishna De, Kristin Gorski, Laura Fitton, Laurence Helene Borei, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Barnes-Johnston, Louise Mangan, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Marcus Brown, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Mark McSpadden, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Hawkins, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Monica Wright, Nathan Gilliatt, Nathan Snell, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul Marobella, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Beeker Northam, Rob Mortimer, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Cribbett, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tiffany Kenyon, Tim Brunelle, Tim Buesing, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Longhurst, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Dan Schawbel EMAIL: dan.schawbel@gmail.com IP: 128.221.197.20 URL: http://www.personalbrandingblog.com DATE: 04/01/2008 10:48:17 AM Looking forward to working on this project with you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Gavin Heaton EMAIL: servant@servantofchaos.com IP: 66.236.187.50 URL: http://www.servantofchaos.com DATE: 04/02/2008 04:44:09 AM It is certainly going to be an interesting project! Glad to have you on board, Joe! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 71.122.100.35 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 04/02/2008 09:36:17 AM Joe, Congrats. Your writing style and experience will surely be an asset to the project. Ian Alexander Eat Media ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Tales Equals Sales: The Power of Marketing Storytelling STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: tales-equals-sa CATEGORY: story telling DATE: 03/27/2008 08:02:00 AM ----- BODY:
Here is my latest article from Chief Marketer magazine on the power of storytelling. Some excellent examples here from Unilever's Degree (Degree Rookie campaign) and Blendtec's Will it Blend?
Aside from the examples, here's the real core of the article:
Storytelling, sometimes referred to as content marketing or custom media, consists of delivering the brand product message as relevant and compelling information. Instead of marketers following a playbook, storytelling requires much the same mixture of rational and emotional messaging that you’d find in a New York Times feature, or even on primetime television drama.
Smart marketers are realizing that they don’t have a choice anymore when it comes to reaching consumers. In today’s business environment, the 4 Ps of marketing can be copied verbatim by an outside competitor. The only separation is communication - how a marketer tells its story.
Although I prefer the term content marketing, many leading content experts such as Story Worldwide and Storybrand Consulting have picked up on the "storytelling" concept.
Whatever it's called, the "story" is the same - deliver relevant, valuable and compelling information to your customer, and reap the rewards of engagement, loyalty and, ultimately, purchase.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Madej (Digital Marketing Rucksack) EMAIL: mmadej@industryweek.com IP: 63.87.75.67 URL: http://www.michaelmadej.com DATE: 03/28/2008 04:43:34 PM I'm sure there are a lot of marketers who might say, "But I don't have a compelling story to tell! My company just makes [fill in the blank: industrial bearings, corn syrup, etc.] What do I talk about? What would you tell this type of person, Joe? Are there situations where storytelling isn't possible/practical, or do you think storytelling is a strategy that can be adapted for any market? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 70.221.13.153 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/29/2008 09:24:26 PM Michael...excellent question. As you know (coming from the b2b market), some markets and products are anything but sexy. But the important point is that all businesses have customers, and to those customers, you obviously have something very important or they wouldn't be your customers. Those customers in your market all need ongoing information in order to work better or be more satisfied with their work or personal lives. Why can't you, as the business person, provide that content. I believe all businesses can, and successful ones do. Every business has to find their own story that will truly help their customers. It's sometimes not easy, but it's possible for any company in every industry...and actually much easier to do in very defined business markets. So, long story short, if someone asks you that question, I would answer with, "If you feel you have a compelling product or service, than you can have a compelling story to tell. It's just a matter of how important your customer is to you." Thanks Mike...keep them coming. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Douglas Karr EMAIL: doug@douglaskarr.com IP: 207.250.128.235 URL: http://www.douglaskarr.com DATE: 04/03/2008 12:29:17 PM Great article. In addition to the 4 P's I would say that you touched on one thing and that's permission. IMHO, the real transformation that's occurring is with respect to permission. Word of Mouth (WOM) is really driving marketing right now because it's permission-based and not shoved in our faces. As well, it comes from trusted sources. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.244.25.151 URL: http://www.junta42.com DATE: 04/03/2008 12:45:54 PM Doug...great point, and you are right, permission is the key. The delivery of information without permission could and is considered, whether relevant or not, spam! Sales today is more and more the art of not selling. Interesting how things have changed so. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing at 4 Companies - IBM, Siemens, CIT and Information Builders STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: in-yesterdays-p CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 03/26/2008 10:23:43 AM ----- BODY:In yesterday's post I gave an overview of the BtoB NetMarketing breakfast where leading marketers discussed, in detail, the use of content in their overall marketing plans. What we are starting to see is an evolution of the marketing profession into a marketing/publishing mixture.
Here are some of the highlights that pertain to online content marketing.
Bill Stabile, Siemens Corp.
Chris Boylan, Information Builders
John Carnero, CIT
Eric Andrews, IBM
As you can see from the notes, these four companies get it. They get the fact that the marketer is in control, and to be part of the conversation, they have to create relevant and compelling content consistently, and in multiple formats.
Toward the end of the presentation, there was a lot of talk about how marketers need to be storytellers - creating useful content...specifically targeted micro-niche audiences with very precise bits of information.
The future has arrived!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is the Main Job of Marketing Today Publishing? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-the-main-job CATEGORY: business blogging CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers DATE: 03/25/2008 09:43:50 AM ----- BODY:
I had the pleasure of attending the BtoB NetMarketing breakfast about a week ago while I was in New York. I was really looking forward to this, especially when I saw the panel:
Here is a link to the videos from the event.
My key takeaway was this: Leading marketing organizations such as IBM and Siemens are focusing the majority of their time, attention and resources on the creation and distribution of their own content to customers and prospects.
Don't get me wrong, companies like IBM buy plenty of TV and online "space", but those buys are part of an integrated communications plan that direct the buyer to their own content.
This is especially important in the business-to-business buying cycle where it may take six to 24 months for someone to make a purchase decision, and involve from six to possibly 20 people who have a say in the final choice (ouch!).
Marketing today is all about publishing.
Considering the vast changes in buyer behavior, these marketers understand that their marketing function is not about getting prospects to buy now (which is impossible in a b2b environment). It's about getting the prospect engaged in the information provided...making it relevant to their lives and jobs, and motivating them to come back for more (by creating more relevant content).
By providing this type of content marketing and setting up the building blocks for a long-term relationship, the opportunity is now available to actually sell your solutions, because they trust you, have a stake in your brand, and believe in your solutions-oriented message.
The whole idea of this, even ten years ago, would seem like the hard way to increase sales. Today, it's the only way.
I'll have more on some specific takeaways from each presenter tomorrow.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: To Publishers: Your Customers Don't Need You Any Longer STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: to-publishers-y CATEGORY: publishers DATE: 03/21/2008 09:01:09 AM ----- BODY:I had the pleasure of speaking to about 40 magazine and book publishers in New York last week for the Publishing Business conference. The presentation was called "Businesses Are Becoming Publishers: What Your Customers Are Doing with Content and How to Handle it."
I've given this type of presentation to publishers before. I especially like the slide that I put up, in all black, that states "Your customers don't need you any longer..." I was happy to see that only a few people left the room after this slide.
The point I was trying to make is a simple one: in any market today, no matter how niche, sellers can reach buyers without going through distributors like magazine and book publishers.
This is not a new concept to many who read this blog, but it was definitely a wake up call to many in the audience who haven't thought about their business models in that way before.
The choice I gave them was not an easy one, but one that I truly believe has much opportunity for publishers. It is the choice between trying to grow top line revenue within a business model that used to work well, but will be challenging to grow in the future - or - giving in to the new buyer behavior and help teach traditional businesses how to become their own publishers.
Both directions have risk, but by publishers morphing into marketing services companies, they can begin to take advantage of the large shift of dollars from traditional advertising to customized content production and execution. According to Publications Management, 27% of marketing budgets now go toward the creation and execution of content. I would anticipate this number getting to 50% within the next decade.
The big reason I see this as an opportunity?: Marketers don't want to be publishers. Frankly, in my discussions with marketing professionals, the last thing they want to do is be responsible for the creation of relevant content. Almost all of them now know they have to create valuable and compelling content to stay competitive, but they really don't want to do it themselves.
This premise is one of the major reasons we launched Junta42 Match. Businesses must start creating their own media, but they lack the will and the expertise to do it right. Publishers can help them get there.
Here is the link to the entire presentation from Publishing Business. We also took video, which will be up as soon as I get around to it.
Exciting times for sure...lots of opportunity, as well as lots of business models that either don't or won't work in the very near future.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Ad Age Crystal Ball 2.0 Mention STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: ad-age-crystal CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 03/19/2008 02:03:51 PM ----- BODY:
Ad Age did a survey of their Power 150 bloggers list about what technology marketers should be paying the most attention to in 2008. They were nice enough to include me.
Here's my statement:
The single biggest issue/technology that deserves the most attention is not a site or an application, but more an organizational philosophy. It's the content marketing movement -- which is the philosophy of marketing services not by traditional methods, but by delivering valuable, relevant and compelling content to customers and prospects on a consistent basis. This is being done through all media platforms, and we are seeing companies like P&G and Nike put a large amount of money and resources into these efforts.
Here are some of the other ones that really caught my eye.
With the cost of production and distribution of digital content rapidly approaching zero, including distribution to the television platform, the opportunity to create branded micro-content that consumers will invite into their lives becomes a financial reality with a huge ROI upside; it's advertising that people want to watch. This should be the single biggest trend to catch fire in 2008.
Online video/TV is the technology to watch in '08. There seems to be a seismic shift toward digital distribution of video content, more and more video sites are being created, and there is a small camera revolution going on (which includes webcams) that portends a continued rise in user-generated video content. YouTube was just the beginning. Now, there's ooVoo, seesmic, Revver, Jumpcut ... the list goes on and on. Oh, and FastCompany.TV that Scoble just inaugurated. Add to that the fact that people are scurrying to their computers in droves to watch television programs which, themselves. More than any other technology, including social networks, online video is it.
Micro-communication: Marketers need to focus their attention on messaging within internal workforce, as well as the external world. Messages have transitioned from full-blown blog posts and email blasts to short and concise messages. Examples of this trend are Twitter and Seesmic, both of which provides users a way of conveying their messages in short text messages or videos that can be easily consumed by others. As people have less and less time to read full-blown news articles and blogs, they will resort to communicating in as few words as possible. Messages that contain simple headlines and links to other resources will skyrocket in 2008 and beyond. Marketers have to be aware of this in order to sync their corporate messaging down to a level where people can understand, react and make decisions faster than long essays.
What makes a site worth reading has very little to do with digital technologies or web applications, it has everything to do with content. This is what encourages consistent readership and keeps visitors coming back for more. You ask what is most deserving of marketers' attention in 2008 and why? The best illustration of this was at the AdAge IDEA conference, when the BBDO/GE presentation of their $350 million campaign was followed by the BlendTec guy who does $50 videos on YouTube. As he demonstrated, this increased sales by over 30%. There were no similar metrics given by the BBDO/GE team ... But then again, that's "Branding!"
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sterling Okura | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.213.71.193 URL: http://www.bizlift.com/blog DATE: 03/19/2008 03:53:59 PM Joe, congratulations on your mention in AdAge. Great advice on marketing through consistent quality content. Tom Martin's comment is very exciting. My Mixed Martial Arts (cagefighting) gym has free video tutorials avaiable on-demand through Comcast cable. They've picked up a lot of new students through it. Small gyms delivering micro-content through TV really demonstrates Tom's point. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.244.25.151 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/19/2008 03:59:20 PM Thanks Sterling. I simply love that the barriers to creating media have come down so low that anyone can do it. Congrats on your success story. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sterling Okura | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.213.71.193 URL: http://www.bizlift.com/blog DATE: 03/19/2008 05:08:31 PM Hi Joe. It's not actually my success story, but the instructors at the gym I go to. But true, the barriers for creating & distributing media are low enough for anyone to utilize. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: tom martin EMAIL: tmartin@z-comm.com IP: 67.128.53.58 URL: http://www.tommartin.typepad.com DATE: 03/27/2008 03:22:03 PM Joe, Thanks for the nod to my Ad Age quote. Small world -- I was born in Fremont, OH -- just down the road from you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.201.221.253 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/27/2008 10:32:40 PM Tom...my dad used to teach at Fremont St. Joe's. Small world. Thanks for posting. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Custom Essays EMAIL: calvert.connel@gmail.com IP: 221.132.118.27 URL: http://www.custom-essays-lab.co.uk/ DATE: 01/21/2009 06:40:05 AM Thanks for your information. Most of the posts in the blog is really valuable. Regards ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: danial EMAIL: Abs_inc1@yahoo.com IP: 110.37.10.109 URL: http://www.bestessaywriting.com DATE: 07/08/2009 07:25:00 AM good blog ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: custom essays EMAIL: danacummings07@googlemail.com IP: 119.73.68.149 URL: http://www.custom-essays-lab.com/ DATE: 08/06/2009 05:54:06 AM WOW, this'll keep me busy for years. I've been subscribing to your RSS feed for months, but somehow I missed this great list. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: College application essay EMAIL: ABS_INC1@YAHOO.COM IP: 110.37.9.57 URL: http://COLLEGE-APPLICATION-ESSAY.US DATE: 02/02/2010 02:36:02 AM nice blog ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: edit relief EMAIL: abs_inc1@yahoo.com IP: 110.37.4.166 URL: http://www.editrelief.com DATE: 03/05/2010 01:30:06 AM good one ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: If you mail it, will they read it? Great Health Magazine from CVS STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: if-you-mail-it CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 03/19/2008 09:15:39 AM ----- BODY:
- by guest blogger Michael Buller
This is Michael's second guest blog post. We received such a great response from the first one, we asked him to post again. Thanks Michael. - Joe Pulizzi
CVS made news recently with the announcement of a new custom
publication Great Health Magazine,
which they aim to launch this spring. The publication, which will also have a
“sister web site” and eventually an enewsletter, will be centered around health
issues. On the surface, there’s no doubting the numbers that make a compelling
case for the relevance:
Michael Buller is Vice President/General Manager of Custom Publishing for The Pohly Company, a diversified marketing and publishing services company specializing in engagement marketing and customer communications.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: grayarea EMAIL: bob@therosenbaums.net IP: 63.87.75.67 URL: DATE: 03/19/2008 01:54:19 PM I agree with Buller. In fact, I already recieve custom health pubs from 2 local hospitals AND my company's group health insurance provider. To my knowledge, none has ever been opened in my household. Health in particular is a touchy subject and the custom pubs get it wrong. Just because someone may care about their health doesn't mean they want a magazine to land in their mailbox shoving menopause or diabetes or prostate cancer in their face. It's one of those "if I want to know, I'll google it" topics. Of course, I don't have to worry. I won't receive it because NO amount of discount that CVS was willing to offer me is going to be enough to justify letting them track my purchases of such private products. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Leah Ingram EMAIL: leah.ingram@comcast.net IP: 71.225.250.176 URL: http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com DATE: 03/24/2008 07:22:04 PM Maybe because I write for custom publishers for a living (along with writing for other clients) that I'm more skeptical--and more excited--than most when a new custom pub shows up in my mailbox. Like the poster above, I, too, get a free magazine from my local hospital, which could be a really valuable source of health information, if it weren't written to be like one big advertisement for its doctors. Just adding writer's bylines and keeping the advertisements from the experts quoted in the pieces away from the actual article would go a long way towards making these kinds of magazine more valid. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: DATE: 03/25/2008 12:25:40 PM I think Leah, you hit on an important point -- credibility. And it's a point that all custom pubs should take to heart. The reason why custom pubs succeed is because they are NOT a hard sell advertisment for the brand. Even if a new custom magazine succeeds in cutting through the clutter and engaging the reader in the magazine, nothing will lose the audience faster than a lack of credibility. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Successful Content Marketing is a lot like Investing STATUS: Draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: successful-cont CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/17/2008 01:43:32 PM ----- BODY:Talk to even an average stock investor today, and the markets are in turmoil. You can feel the fear everywhere. Worry and uncertainty abounds.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing vs. Custom Publishing: What's the Difference? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 03/17/2008 10:53:36 AM ----- BODY:
Had a very interesting conversation with Vince Giorgi, Vice President at Hanley Wood Marketing, during the Custom Content Conference about the custom publishing industry. As readers of this blog know, I've been constantly struggling with the differentiation between "content marketing" and "custom publishing." Well, thanks to Vince, we have it all figured out.
Content marketing is the business "practice" of delivering relevant and compelling content to a person or target audience.
Custom publishing or custom media is the "service" that produces the content marketing effort. Publishers or agencies that provide project management, design, web and content services for an organization, are providing custom publishing services on behalf of the business.
This seems to make too much sense. Thanks to Vince, I think we have a clear separation of the two.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this. Are we off base? Is this dead on?
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I've had the opportunity to talk to a variety of marketers recently about how they create and distribute content through their marketing programs. Although each organization executes the content process differently, there seems to be one key differentiator between those organizations who are successfully changing behavior through content and those that aren't: Information as a product.
Whether you sell products or services, the new rules of marketing require that, along with everything else you sell, the process of delivering consistently valuable information must be considered throughout the organization as, yes, a product.
What do I mean by that? When an organization looks at their content marketing as a product, they inherently create a number of initiatives and processes around that product, including:
Successful companies such as Procter & Gamble, IBM and Microsoft have all approached their content in a similar fashion.
Why approach information as a product?
Simple...organizations today have no choice but to place that kind of importance and processes behind their content initiatives. Customers today are in complete control, and filter out any message that does not benefit them in some way. Since that is the case, organizations must first build a solid relationship with customers through the use of valuable, relevant information - then, and only then, will organizations be able to sell the other products and services that grow the top line.
This is happening now
We are seeing this trend happen now, as more businesses morph themselves into media companies. You are seeing appointments of titles such as "chief content officers" and businesses that are starting to hire full-time journalists. It won't be long before "traditional" businesses even start to purchase media companies themselves (we are already seeing some of this).
What you need to do
Any company serious about growing top line revenues, and at the same time concerned about how to market in the future, needs to make the "information as a product" concept a priority.
Small organizations with limited budgets should start searching out expert journalists to begin overseeing their content program. Mid-to-large organizations may want to look into hiring a custom publisher or post-advertising agency (props to Story Worldwide on the terminology), to begin helping them construct their information/content marketing business plan.
The reason I recommend help is that it is very challenging for someone from a traditional marketing background to create a content plan. In order to be successful, you need a strong marketing and publishing background, and a keen understanding of how consistent editorial content can maintain or change customer behavior.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Content Conference 2008 a Huge Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 2008-custom-con CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 03/13/2008 10:56:02 AM ----- BODY:
It's hard to imagine that the premier Custom Content Conference could have gone any better. We were shooting for at least 100 and had closer to 140 attend. We were hoping for a few sponsors and sold out our exhibits and sponsorships. We wanted great speakers and interactive sessions...and got those too.
I always seemed to be running around at the conference and didn't have as much time as I would have liked to enjoy the presentations. The second day I completely missed (in NYC for the Publishing Business conference), so please see Newt Barrett's takeaways from the conference. Also, Jeremy Greenfield provides some insight into the first day as well. I didn't take many pics, but here are the ones I did manage to get. [added, Barbara Logan's post from Hammock].
Here are my takeaways:
That's just for starters. I have a few more concepts I've been working on related to the conference that I'll be sharing soon. Last but not least, the launch of Junta42 Match was very successful. Receiving great feedback from publishers about the concept. As you'll see in this picture, I'm a bit partial to orange.
Final thoughts...big thanks and appreciation goes out to Lori Rosen and Mike Winkleman (and the board) for putting on a great show. And last but not least, I have to throw some props to my good friends at the following organizations, who gladly supported this first year event. Premier sponsor Nxtbook Media, gold sponsor Fry Communications, and the rest of our supporters including BPA Worldwide, Convera, Creel, D Custom, Lane Press, Publishers Press, Readex Research and Texterity.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Love Your Customers, Even if They Don't Buy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: love-your-custo CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/12/2008 10:25:28 PM ----- BODY:
My last post was five days ago. That has been the longest stretch without blogging since I started this blog almost a year ago. Doesn't feel good, but I guess I had good reason. New Orleans for the Custom Content Conference (launch of Junta42 Match as well as organizing the sponsors for the event), and then speaking in NYC for the Publishing Business Conference (thanks to Marcus Grimm from Nxtbook for proving it). Not to mention digging out of 26 inches of snow to get to the Big Easy.
I have about five blog posts loaded up and ready to go, but I just saw this article I wrote in DMNews about the importance of consistent content as it relates to direct marketing.
This is probably my favorite line:
The future of marketing is not about tempting [customers] or conning [customers] into buying more; it's about communicating a message that says, "Regardless of whether you buy from me or not, you need this information. Enjoy!"
To direct marketers, that line might be sacrilegious, but I still love it.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Match Launches to Publishers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-match-l CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 03/07/2008 10:25:27 PM ----- BODY:
Very excited about the beta launch of Junta42 Match, which will be the first resource of its kind to help marketing professionals find expert content providers and suppliers to distribute their own expert branded content.
Regular readers of this blog know all about this, but to those that don't, we'll be formally announcing the launch of Junta42 Match in New Orleans this Monday, March 10th at the Custom Content Conference, the first conference for custom publishing and content marketing (put on by the Custom Publishing Council, a Junta42 Match partner).
We've already received a tremendous amount of support from custom publishers and content agencies about this concept. For the next three months, any publisher or firm that specializes in custom content solutions for corporations, associations, non-profits and other organizations can sign up for a free trial. We'll be launching the full-blown Match site, open to marketing professionals, by mid-June of this year.
Here's the quick pitch: the marketer can come to the Junta42 Match site and, upon sign in, will fill out a short project brief. Based on their answers, we'll search the database to find the best matches to their project needs. Their preferences may be based on content expertise, product expertise, location, size, and a number of other criteria. The initial search will bring up, say anywhere from five to 20 companies. Marketers will then be able to go through each of those project profiles (where the providers will be anonymous). Then, the client can choose anywhere from three to five "finalists" to match up with, or choose their "perfect" match to get started right away (something we are calling "Direct Match").
Once the marketer makes the full Match or Direct Match selection, we will review the project to make sure that the company is: a) legitimate, b) has a real project, and c) has a budget or business model. Upon approval, the publishers/content providers will receive the client's information and the Match is made. Junta42 Match will stay in the process to guide the client with resources, receive ongoing feedback about the result of the project and find out who they chose and why.
We believe that this could take weeks, even months out of the marketer's traditional searching process for a custom content provider. We also believe that marketers could and should use this system as a replacement to the sometimes random and drawn-out process of a formal RFP. As for the publishers, just one project will more than pay for their inclusion in the database.
If you are a publisher or know of anyone involved in the execution of content marketing or custom publishing solutions, I urge you (or them) to sign up for a free trial today. As you can probably guess, we're pretty pumped up about this concept.
Here's the formal press release that will go out on Monday.
A big thanks to all the Junta42 members who have supported us along the way.
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Interesting post here from Bill Mickey at Folio magazine about the custom publishing industry. The article is targeted to publishers and media professionals, so much of this isn't relevant to marketers. That said, there are a couple key points here that should be highlighted that pertains to all businesses using targeted content as a marketing strategy.
"...custom publishing, as a term, has lost its relevance," states Mickey, who argues that the preferred term publishers use is marketing services.
I've always said that I'm not a huge fan of the term custom publishing, and opt for content marketing instead. But marketing services? The term "marketing services" is so broad and, frankly, pretty meaningless. But mostly, it discounts the true value that publishers bring to the table - the keen ability to deliver valuable, relevant and compelling content to a defined audience. Does "marketing services" say that?
I talk to publishers on a daily basis, and I've never talked to one that refers to their core competency or description as "marketing services." According to the article, CMP recently reorganized and renamed their custom division as Marketing Services. I love Bill's writing, but I'm not sure that's enough to make it the preferred term. Are more publishers going this direction? For marketers sake, I hope not.
Most media professionals are beginning to position their organizations as marketing services companies, which I completely agree with. Marketing, consulting and content services should and may be the majority of revenue streams at traditional media companies within five years. But does defining it as marketing services discount the value that these publishers bring to the table for content marketers?
"'We’re in the business of providing marketing solutions, so there is no off-the-shelf program anymore,' says Chris Schraft, president, Time Inc. Content Solutions. 'The answer to every question, if you’re a custom publisher, is no longer custom publishing. It’s now about understanding the client’s business objectives, their target consumer and then looking at how customized content expressed in a variety of formats and across a variety of platforms can really deliver on those objectives.'"
I need help with this one. The last sentence from the quote is a decent definition of content marketing/custom publishing...but it's used in this context as something different or new. Custom publishing has always been about understanding client needs, creating buyer personas, targeting those buyers with great and consistent content, and using all the platforms available. This has been the same for as long as I've been in the business. The difference is the availability of new and affordable technology solutions to target customers and the huge change in buyer behavior due to the Internet and the democratization of content (thanks Google). The problem with the term "custom publishing" is the perception that it is print-focused. The concept, though, is still the same.
In all honesty, I like the article, but it really comes from the perspective of a traditional publisher with a custom division more than a "pure bred custom publisher." Traditional publishers, although improving, tend to use custom as leverage to the other programs they sell. For example, they may really want to sell you a print and online display program, so they'll lead with a custom content plan that leverages the print and online assets they have. It's been done for years and is pretty common place.
This trend is definitely changing, but I doubt that any pure content marketing providers would use anything like "marketing services" as a name for what they do, or the industry they are in. If you know of any, let me know.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bill Mickey EMAIL: bmickey@red7media.com IP: 66.159.134.94 URL: http://www.foliomag.com DATE: 03/04/2008 04:36:29 PM Hey, Joe- Thanks for the coverage. You make some excellent points. And yes, while the article is written from the trad publisher's perspective, which is Folio:'s target audience, I was intrigued with the idea that 'custom pubishing' services, in the cases highlighted in the story, have been moving away from prefab packages to programs that seem more reactionary to client needs. Hence the new phrasing for what they do... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.105.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 03/04/2008 08:28:17 PM Thanks Bill...I agree with the terminology, but am surprised by the positioning of some publishers about that term. I believe they are discrediting their services. Publishers are some of the best in the world at creating and delivering great content...to call it marketing services just doesn't fit. Thanks again for the article. We need more on custom. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marketing Services EMAIL: mrktngservices@gmail.com IP: 121.246.163.236 URL: http://www.indianic.com/marketing-services.html DATE: 03/19/2008 02:35:02 AM Awesome! you have covered the information on custom publishing and marketing services and their differences. In my custom publishing is to concentrate on customer needs and marketing services is to promote the business ----- PING: TITLE: Adverse effects codeine. URL: http://buy-codeine.blog.friendster.com IP: 65.60.37.195 BLOG NAME: Codeine. DATE: 09/14/2009 12:28:07 PM Codeine and liver cirrhosis. Codeine facts. Extracting codeine from promethazine. Sell codeine. Alternative to codeine sponsored. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Where Should You Stick Your Marketing?: Educate Customers Everywhere STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: where-should-yo CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 03/03/2008 11:39:08 AM ----- BODY:
I was in the doctor's office last week for a routine checkup. As I entered, the nurse escorted me to the patient room where I waited for the doctor. On the desk in the office sat a computer monitor that was streaming what looked to be a PowerPoint show.
There were about 10 rotating messages targeted to me, the patient. One talked about checkups for colon cancer, another about weight issues, and another one was about moles (fun!). I learned a lot and paid attention. The one slide on adult shots motivated me to ask the doctor a question, which resulted in me actually buying an additional shot...one that I would not have bought without the computer show.
The health care industry always been a trend setter when it comes to educating customers and prospects. They are in the business of healing and education. Most hospitals either have their own newsletter/magazine, or carry the WebMD magazine. Now they are doing it again by using a computer (which has to be there for the doctors/nurses) and leveraging it to educate customers (and upsell).
Here's the point: You are also in the business of education. It is your responsibility to educate your customers and prospects about not only your products, but about the industry and key issues that surround your product. By doing so on a consistent basis, with relevant and valuable content, you will sell more to these people.
And here's your task: Find the places where your customers and prospects are, and take advantage of these locations by delivering timely and relevant information. This could be:
These are just a few. The point is to think of all ways in which customers come in contact with you and leverage those opportunities to help educate and engage them. Most companies lose educational opportunities through many different touch points. Make sure that you aren't one of those companies by making a list of those touch points and deliver content marketing to them along the way.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Engagement Sells: How Online Content Can Move Product STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: engagement-sell CATEGORY: microsites CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 02/27/2008 09:02:31 PM ----- BODY:
This is a link to an article I wrote for Chief Marketer about creating engagement through the use of content, specifically microsites.
Here's a few paragraphs that form the key takeaway of the article.
"First, relevant and valuable online information significantly
affects a purchase. Second, a prospect who isn't necessarily ready to
make a purchase can be positively influenced and moved closer to a
purchase by engaging in online content.
It's also important to note that online engagement in content isn't usually a one-time event. Success with microsites and other online products such as eZines and online magazines are predicated on the delivery of consistent and ongoing streams of content."
I think we've all seen blogs, microsites, and even corporate websites launch with grandeur, and then die miserably due to the lack of a consistent content strategy. Success in content marketing and custom publishing does not happen over night. Stick with it. If you've created the proper buyer personas, performed the right research, and created the right content that meets the informational needs of your audience, you will be successful.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: The Power of Microsites To Your Lead Nurturing Program URL: http://www.salesxmarketing.com/2008/03/the-power-of-mi.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: (sales x marketing) to the power of technology = extraordinary results DATE: 03/06/2008 11:00:22 AM I attended the beginning of the Marketing Profs B2B Online Tradeshow this morning, and listened to the keynote presented by David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR (well worth the read!). As I listened to ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why It's Bad to Be a Large Brand: Opportunity Abounds for Small Business STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-its-bad-to CATEGORY: marketing musings CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 02/26/2008 05:05:47 PM ----- BODY:
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The March, 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review has a very interesting article entitled "When Growth Stalls," by Matthew S. Olson, Derek van Bever, and Seth Verry.
The article’s research focuses on top organizations, which they refer to as “premium position” companies. Premium position companies hold leadership positions in their markets, records of past success, etc. But the fact that they have held these premium positions is what attributed to their downfall, or plain old revenue drop. Examples included are Levi Strauss, Kodak and Caterpillar.
While the concepts do not specifically refer to marketing and communications, the reasons for decline that they discuss could easily be applied to marketing concepts.
Below are some interesting quotes with commentary:
"Premium position captivity is the inability of a firm to respond effectively to new, low-cost competitive challenges or to a significant shift in customer valuation of product feature."
This should sound eerily familiar to CMOs in large organizations. It is the successful, large businesses that are having difficulty grasping new media formats. As it relates to this article, premium position companies have a long track record of success, so it is inherently more challenging to divert from what previously worked. Advantage: small and mid-sized companies.
"We use the term 'captivity' because it suggests how management teams can be hemmed in by a long history of success. A company that solidly occupies a premium market position remains insulated longer than its competitors against evolution in the external environment. It has less reason to doubt its business model, which has historically provided a competitive advantage…..when the towering strengths of a firm are transformed into towering weaknesses, it’s a cruel reversal."
Translation: "We're really smart so don't try to tell us how to do it." Arrogance, with a dash of bureaucracy, will hamper, or even destroy, the longest running, most dependable brands over the next five years.
"We saw a cycle of disdain, denial, and rationalization that kept many management teams from responding meaningfully to market changes."
Have you ever had a conversation with a marketing executive from a large company about the new rules of media and marketing? For the most part, those people are relying on a set of believes and practices that may not apply in the future (In doubt? Read IBM's "The End of Advertising as We Know It.").
"Organizations simply don’t recognize the importance of an emerging behavior or customer preference in their core markets. They continue to place their bets on product or service attributes that are in decline, while disruptive entrants emphasizing different, under recognized features gain ground."
Companies need to be particularly attuned to the new forms of communications demanded by the customer, and recognize the many options consumers now have to seek out information on their terms. A great example of this is in traditional media. The great media companies in the world grew to powerhouses as the distributors of content throughout the world. Why? Because they (and only they) had the ability to connect customers with valuable information. Today, anyone can do that. The business model that was once so profitable, is today obsolete.
"Levi Strauss…illustrates how difficult it is to respond to a threat in the absence of a burning platform. If your sales are continuing to rise, how do you focus concern?"
Think about this one. Many firms don’t realize the bridge they are standing on is burning down, and by the time they find out, it may be too late.
One of the things that strikes me about these concepts is how they apply to communications. If companies have been very successful in the past with dominating their markets, they probably assume that the forms of communications they use will continue to serve them well in the future.
Communications get blind sided along with rest of firm’s strategies.
As we have discussed many times, disruptive technology in communications is the ability of smaller, less well-funded firms to develop great communications at a fraction of past costs. They can now compete toe-to-toe in the communications arena, making decisions faster and being inherently more flexible due to the lack of management layers. That is why companies who are only a decade old like Google can become the most dominant brand in the world.
I wonder what will happen in the next 10 years?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Andrew Bruce Smith EMAIL: andrew@escherman.com IP: 77.101.60.146 URL: http://www.escherman.com DATE: 02/27/2008 08:56:45 AM I guess in some ways this has always been the case - namely, getting to the top is one thing - and staying there is another. The marketing challenges for contenders and market leaders have always been different. However, in the past, market leaders tended to stay entrenched for years if not decades - today you can rise to the top quickly - and just as swiftly fall. Not only has Google become the dominant brand in 10 years - the brand category itself didn't exist until 12 - 13 years ago. So yes, there is great opportunity for small/medium size firms to outsmart the big guys - then again, those successful small firms will presumably grow into bigger organisations - and then they'll face the same challenges as the big boys now - will be interesting to see whether they can maintain that flexibility and nimbleness in the face of rapid growth. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rachel Phillips EMAIL: rachel@searchengineguide.com IP: 75.185.111.241 URL: http://www.searchengineguide.com/ DATE: 02/27/2008 09:47:46 AM I really enjoyed the combination of Harvard-based research and industry knowledge in this article. It's always intriguing to me to see how our strengths can sometimes be our weaknesses. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.233 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/27/2008 09:56:06 AM @Andrew...Nice take on Google being in a new industry. It's clear we are going to see more of this in the future (shorter industry cycles to dominance, faster growing companies in those sectors)...and then they get big. Even though I believe in this article, being big is a good problem to have. @Rachel...Thanks for taking the time. A key for large brands is to not give in to the arrogance that can happen when you are that successful. Google seems to do a good job with this...never underestimates the competition, always looks to what's new, and enables employees to constantly think outside of the box. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Trends in Online Marketing - A Report from the Online Marketing Summit STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: trends-in-onlin CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 02/25/2008 11:55:53 AM ----- BODY:
Just returned back from San Diego, where I spoke at the 2008 Online Marketing Summit. Great event. Congrats to Aaron Kahlow and team for doing a tremendous job with a record crowd. I didn't have time to attend all the events, but I managed to scratch some notes about what struck me as interesting and important.
"Time is the most precious asset right now. If we can be worth their engagement, that's the highest benchmark for advertising." - Jim Stengel, CMO, Procter & Gamble
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: You Are What the Web Says You Are: Reality and Social Media Reality STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: you-are-what-th CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 02/22/2008 11:53:00 AM ----- BODY:
This guest blog I wrote for the ASBPE (The American Society of Business Publication Editors) National blog may be of interest to freelance writers and journalists, but also relevant to marketers and publishers as well. The point is that, regardless of if you think social media and social networking is too much hype and not enough substance, there is a perception that goes with social media involvement.
Those that are actively involved in social media immediately have an impression of those people that aren't. Right or wrong, the reality is there. My position is that NOT being involved in social media, as a writer, a business, or a marketer, could significantly hurt a customer's or prospect's perception of that individual or organization.
Here is my take below from how I evaluate freelance writers. Whatever your position, you may want to look at your own social media persona and envision how you may be perceived.
"1. First I check their website. If they have no website, that's a problem.
2. Then I check to see if they have a blog.
A freelance writer without a blog makes no sense to me. It is the
ultimate promotional tool for a qualified writer, yet I find that most
writers don't have one. (For those without a lot of money to spend on a
website, use the blog as your website. It costs nothing.) And yes, even
those of you with steady gigs should have blogs.
3. Then I check their LinkedIn profile.
How many contacts to they have? (Fifty should be a minimum.) This shows
me that they really know how to network, which can help with sources
for any story. In reality, 100 contacts is probably the minimum.
4. If they pass the first three tests, that's a great sign. For other references, I Google their name to see if anything interesting comes up. Facebook, StumbleUpon, Digg
profiles all help. Those tell me that this person has a clear
understanding of the benefits of social media, and knows how to use it.
This
whole process takes all of five minutes ... five minutes well spent. It
helps me figure out who I should really talk to, whose work I should
evaluate. Fewer than 5% of all the writers I come in contact with pass
these four tests. Those are the ones I'm interested in working with.
They understand networking, social media, the value of writing as a
form of marketing, and that the way you get new business in the writing
world has forever changed. You are what the web says you are -- and you
have almost 100% control over that message. Very powerful."
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We are proud to announce that Junta42 has partnered with three elite organizations around the launch of our new content marketing matching product Junta42 Match. The Custom Publishing Council, American Business Media, and BtoB Magazine have all formed strategic alliances with Junta42 Match, announced formally Wednesday.
Please read the entire release here for all the details. For a brief 2 minute video on why Junta42 was created and how it will work, check out this video.
The core issue is that content marketing is becoming more important to businesses around the world, yet it's challenging, and sometimes even cost- or culture-prohibitive, to create strategic content programs internally. If a marketer decides to search for a content or publishing partner, it's very difficult to find the right one. Most of the time, marketers rely on referrals, search engines, or an RFP blast to locate the perfect provider. Any of these strategies might take days, weeks, even months to find the right match. Worse yet, they might call on their agency to provide a content solution, who may or may not have the relevant content or product qualifications to do the job.
On the flip side, new business opportunities are still the driver of long-term custom publisher profitability. Yet, the process for finding qualified leads for custom publishers hasn't changed in years, and is far behind many industries that have leveraged the internet to create a buyer/seller marketplace.
Thus, Junta42 Match was born. The service will be an audited directory of custom publishing providers, and will give marketing and association professionals the ability to match their project (a custom magazine, newsletter, content Web site, video series, enewsletter, custom event, etc.) to the exact qualifications of a custom publisher or content agency. Matching services will be conducted online, allowing for ease and anonymity.
Junta42 Match will be free for buyers (those looking for expert content help). Sellers—including custom publishers, traditional publishers with custom divisions, advertising and digital agencies, direct marketers, pr firms, etc.—will be charged an annual or monthly listing fee. All content providers will be offered a free trial.
The service will be open to publishers on March 9, 2008 (launching in time for the Custom Content Conference), and will be available to marketing professionals for matches by mid-May.
We've already received a flurry of positive feedback, but I'm more interested in getting actual feedback once the service is launched. We believe we are addressing a real need here. Hopefully you agree.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kim Albee EMAIL: kalbee@einsof.com IP: 66.27.64.94 URL: http://www.genoo.com DATE: 02/24/2008 09:23:14 AM Joe! I loved meeting you at the conference, and I look forward to your content provider matching directory. Segmenting is more important than ever, and having easy access to getting relevant content for your targeted efforts is a necessity. Along with tools that enable the easy publishing of that content, marketers will be enabled to nurture the leads they do capture -- which in turn allows marketing to pass intelligence on to Sales and not just the demographics. Kim ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.241.99.233 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/24/2008 09:42:44 AM Same here Kim...and thanks for the comments. More and more people are realizing the importance of providing relevant content, and the fact that it's more difficult to produce great content than most people anticipate. Looking forward to hearing more about your new product. Will definitely keep in touch. Joe ----- PING: TITLE: Junta42 Match Launches to Publishers URL: http://blog.junta42.com/content_marketing_blog/2008/03/junta42-match-l.html IP: 10.0.23.101 BLOG NAME: Junta42 blog DATE: 03/07/2008 10:25:51 PM Very excited about the beta launch of Junta42 Match, which will be the first resource of its kind to help marketing professionals find expert content providers and suppliers to distribute their own expert branded content. Regular readers of this blog ----- PING: TITLE: Online Marketing Summit - It's All About Being Relevant URL: http://www.salesxmarketing.com/2008/02/online-market-2.html IP: 10.0.23.102 BLOG NAME: (sales x marketing) to the power of technology = extraordinary results DATE: 02/27/2008 08:30:22 AM Yes, content is still king! I attended many sessions on Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search, Microsite development, even Social Media sessions, and one theme rang through-out the entire set of sessions: It's all about relevancy! If you write target... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Marketers Are Reluctant to Move Away from Traditional Marketing Strategies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-marketers-a CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 02/19/2008 10:53:23 AM ----- BODY:
“The future of advertising is radically different from its past. The struggle for control of attention, creativity measurements and platforms will reshape the advertising value chain and shift the balance of power. And, as in previous disruptive cycles, the future cannot be extrapolated from the past.”
- from The End of Advertising as We Know It, IBM Global Services, 2007
Today, most companies are still using traditional marketing approaches that they may have been using since the middle of the 20th century. There are several reasons for this:
In order for a company to alter their mindset toward one of new media or content marketing, they need one of a few things to happen:
The point is that there is great opportunity. There is opportunity for small businesses who can make these changes and adaptations faster than their larger competitive set. There is also opportunity for medium and large organizations who can make decisions based on how their customers want to engage with them, not on what they've done in the past.
The IBM white paper that led off this post has an interesting set of questions to ask marketing professionals that speaks directly to the drastic changes that have taken place just in the last few years.
Most everyone has an answer to the above questions - but noone knows for sure if they will be right. All we can do is see what is happening and talk to our customers. That said, the more I interact with marketing and publishing professionals, the more I realize that the old rules don't apply anymore. What is going on right now is a revolution like nothing we've ever seen. The opportunity is great for those companies that buy into this.
Some companies think that the Internet is just another way to market. It's those companies that are in trouble.
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I recently had the opportunity to interview Ian Alexander from Eat Media, a content marketing company with offices in New York and Florida. Ian, a co-founder, serves as Vice President, Content Management, and launched the company with Britta Alexander who services as President, Editorial Management. Here are the highlights.
Joe Pulizzi, Junta42: Ian, can you briefly describe how you got started in this business and what Eat Media does?
Ian Alexander, Eat Media: We got into content marketing because we recognized a need. I came from the dot-com world where teams would spend months cutting co-branding deals and business partnerships that involved collateral or websites full of words, yet the content was always being done at the last minute. I finally asked one of the marketing directors why they didn’t bring in freelancer writers early on. He said, ”It’s too much work to manage writers and I thought I’d have the time to write it before the launch, but I didn’t.” The light bulb went off right then—marketing departments don’t have time to manage writers, especially when the writing goes beyond your typical marketing collateral and into the less familiar zone of editorial. My partner comes from an advertising and publishing background so the editorial aspect was second nature to her. We both had a number of consistent freelance clients and when a company approached us to manage their corporate magazine, the business was launched.
Eat Media is a content management house that acts as a Managing Editor for companies with editorial-style online and print needs. We create editorial calendars, hire the writers, edit the stories and work with print and web design teams to translate words to photo-filled pages. In some cases, we work with our clients’ writers, and in other cases, we bring in our own. In short, we make content happen and align it with our client’s other marketing initiatives.
Junta42: What have you seen as the most significant changes going on in the industry that has enabled more organizations to use your services?
Eat Media: Three things. First, I think the pressure placed on marketing teams to deliver results across so many mediums has stretched organizations thin, and in some cases, taken them away from their core competencies. Direct mail, social networking, corporate websites, corporate blogs, straight advertising, co-branding deals, trade show tchockies and the transition from internal printed newsletters to corporate magazines—that’s a lot to manage. And there are two sides to it, the Biz-Dev side and the Marketing side, so you have the rush to deliver the product or service and you have the opportunity to position your brand, but if any piece of your content is poorly written, it chips away at your company’s credibility.
We enter into the mix and say, “You guys work on the deal—we’ll make sure the message gets delivered.” That message might be in a corporate magazine or online interviews with industry experts. In our experience, the ideas are there, they just need execution and polish.
Second, the concept of outsourcing went from an over-hyped/under-performing fad to a viable source of savings in both time and money. We can step into a meeting today and say to a business, “I can create more quality content for your business in a greater quantity than you can because that’s all we focus on.” I think businesses understand outsourcing and react more favorably to it than, say, five years ago.
Third, it’s about the reality of being Googled forever. As a company, you are going to be Googled from here on out. So very simply, whatever content your produce for your company is what gets returned during a search. It can be informative, smart and trust-building or unclear, self-promoting and transparent.
Junta42: Content marketing isn't easy to understand. Many marketers are just getting the hang of it. How do you communicate the benefit of your services so that marketers understand why they should hire you?
Eat Media: First off, I always tell prospective clients, “You could do what we do, the question is do you want to do it, and what else could you be doing with that time?” When we are communicating the benefits of our content marketing services to a client, we want them to look at Eat Media as an extension of their marketing team, and as a way for their company to execute more quickly and thoroughly on content. Once you add up the time it takes to find the writers, write the assignment briefs, line up interviews, respond to questions, maintain style guides, not to mention a round or two of substantive editing, getting sign-off from stakeholders and working with the design team on art direction and execution, it becomes very apparent that it would be more efficient to have us manage their corporate content.
Junta42: How do you think your business model will change in the future?
Eat Media: Internally, we talk about this a lot. I think you have to because the landscape changes so quickly. I believe that we will become more of a “content agency” as we move forward. More and more clients are looking to us to find writers who specialize in very specific areas, from foreign exchange markets to single parenting or large enterprise software solutions for organic farmers. I think content will become more specialized and less lifestyle/business/entertainment focused because clients are trying to brand themselves into smaller and more defined segments than ever before. In the future, we’ll probably have to focus on SEO more than we do now because content has to be held accountable for meeting goals. I also think the demand for us to manage design as well as content will increase—we are already seeing that with some clients.
Junta42: Do you think that marketers are starting to "get" that they need to distribute valuable and ongoing information to their customers and prospects?
Eat Media: I think the early adopters hear the call loud and clear that content equals trust and trust equal sales. The Sisyphus factor is how much content does it take to get the top of the hill, how much is it going to cost and what is the ROI.
Junta42: What are the biggest obstacles to selling your services?
Eat Media: I’d say the biggest obstacle we come up against is whether or not a company should hire us or bring in a full-time editor. The benefit to working with us is we’re a company, not just one person, and we come with backgrounds in advertising, marketing, high-tech and publishing. We’ve been professional writers and editors, and to hire us means capitalizing on all that experience, not to mention our network of writers and their experience. Also, when you look at employee turnover, bringing someone in-house isn’t necessarily going to have the long-term benefits you’re hoping for. Once we’re brought into a project, our clients begin to regard us as part of their team. There’s a high level of trust, and a couple of them really just want to be “cc’d” at this point. Plus, we’re not going to take up office space playing Snood while we search for the perfect adjective. But still, sometimes clients opt for the full-time employee. We’re hoping to get a call from them in a year or so…
Junta42: Do you consider yourself a custom publisher?
Eat Media: No, I don’t really care for the terminology. I’m not sure what it means—are you a publisher? Are you a printer? And what’s the “custom” part? Isn’t all quality publishing “custom?”
We call what we provide “managed corporate content,” although “managing editors for hire” is quicker and seems to resonate best. Our first focus is on the quality of the content: How relevant are these stories to your readers? What quality sources can we line up for the writer to interview? What’s the best way to tell this story—what format? Of course, if we think your magazine or website needs to be redesigned, we’ll let you know, and we’ll work with a design team to make that happen. But for us, the content always comes first. Anybody can make words look pretty on a page, but if there’s no substance, if your readers aren’t going to resonate with the material and be inspired to act in some way, then it’s a waste of dollars, time and trees.
Junta42: If you could change anything in your customers, what would it be?
Eat Media: Obliterating all forms of gobbledygook marketing speak. Readers don’t like to read it, and we don’t like writing it.
Junta42: How do you see your services evolving over the next five years? Where will Eat Media be?
Eat Media: I see us offering more services in-house or through close partnerships in the areas of print and web design, video, audio and SEO to more fully support a client’s content marketing plan.
Junta42: Is there anything else - What's the bottom line?
Eat Media: Every marketing team should be allotted two exclamation points a year total. Use ‘em or lose ‘em.
Joe's commentary - What's interesting about Ian's story is that the idea of managed corporate content, which used to be so foreign, is now a necessity in organizations. Smart companies are understanding that they need focus and expertise for all their content initiatives. It's too important for content to be an afterthought to a marketing program.
I'm not sure I agree with Ian that marketers could do what Eat Media does, but it's an excellent way to approach the sale. Thanks to Ian for taking the time.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: simon kelly EMAIL: simon.kelly@storyworldwide.com IP: 65.47.28.22 URL: http://storyworldwide.com DATE: 02/26/2008 07:45:48 PM Interesting article - in part because of the way that people from all parts of the marketing, advertising and publishing spheres are coming to the same conclusion that content is at the heart of any good marketing strategy. Interesting that marketers are realizing the need for editorial, and that they can't do it. What was missing here I believe is another compelling reason to create original content (as opposed to adopting the portal model of serving up previously published content) which is that original content needs to support the story platform created for the brand - which only original content can do. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ian Alexander EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 72.77.220.91 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 02/27/2008 09:03:38 AM Simon, Thanks for the comment. I'm not sure that marketers "can't" do it but rather that they "can't find the time to do it". And I agree 100% that linking to previously published content doesn't generate trust or help build a brand. I think the missing piece is not only the creation of the content but pushing for an inter-company commitment to creating a voice that can be supported by content. Creating original content solely to align with SEO is shortsighted, tiresome and bland. Here's hoping we can assist companies to realize that fact. Ian ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Gone Awry STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-gone-aw CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing DATE: 02/14/2008 08:44:38 AM ----- BODY:
- by guest blogger Michael Buller.
Michael is one of the leading thinkers in the content marketing industry, and I asked him to submit a post for the Junta42 blog. He was gracious enough to accept. I'm sure you'll agree, Michael knows his stuff. - Joe Pulizzi
I like Honda cars. That’s why I bought one last year. An Odyssey to be specific. It was brand new, slate grey, and ready to go. My wife, two sons and I had entered the minivan phase of our lives.
None of this should mean anything to you, unless you know me personally, or were the dealer who sold me the minivan. If you were the latter, it’d give you a good bit of inference data upon which you could draw, which you think would be helpful if you were, say, sending me an e-newsletter called Under Our Hood.
For the first three months that I received the newsletter, I did what I suspect the majority of readers did: I hit delete as soon as it popped up in my inbox. Finally, when the January issue hit, I opened it. And I was excited… but only in that I had finally found the perfect example of content gone awry. Forget the very unfriendly design—the first thing you see is the masthead, complete with more than 25 car logos. Ugh! My first reaction is: ah, I know what’s most important to this dealer – not ticking off any of the brands he sells.
Then as I scrolled through this newsletter from my car dealer, I found, interspersed with some stories about new cars articles on “Festive Football Eats!” and “Clementines in Ginger Syrup” and a review of “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Huh? What does this have to do with my Odyssey? Or Honda's? Or any car, truck or minivan for that matter?
It doesn’t, of course and that’s my point. This is the most common mistake among content marketers. Take good content, just because it’s good content, and find someone you can send it to – whether they want it or not. I’m all for recipes about clementines in ginger syrup, but just not from my car dealer. Sure, it’s picked up from a reliable and credible source in epicurious.com, but still, this is a newsletter from my car dealer.
It all comes back to one of the pillars of content, if you’re going to engage in content marketing, make sure it’s targeted and relevant. If not, you’re just adding noise to an already loud room.
Think of everything he could have done. If he’s going to syndicate copy from other sites, how about articles on safe driving? Or keeping kids entertained on long rides? I bought a minivan, after all! Or sales on roof racks, portable DVD players, HD radios? The opportunities are endless: content on getting good gas mileage, little tips buried in the owner’s manual, specials from the service department. How about a link to the service department to set up an appointment? Sure the stories on the other cool cars in the dealership are fun, but I dismissed them. It’s the credibility rule: If you bury credible content in a sea of useless and irrelevant copy, your credible copy is guilty by association and readers will ignore not just the fluff, but the important stuff, too.
If you’re going to engage in a meaningful dialogue with your customers, treat them with care. Feed them content that’s targeted, fresh and relevant. It’s what separates content marketing from spam.
Michael Buller is Vice President/General Manager of Custom Publishing for The Pohly Company, a diversified marketing and publishing services company specializing in engagement marketing and customer communications.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jack Shipley EMAIL: jackshipley@comcast.net IP: 71.194.208.78 URL: http://www.jdshipley.com DATE: 02/20/2008 11:28:17 PM Michael, You hit the mark here. Why so many recipes? Guess everyone thinks that if Realtors do it, it must work! Not being pertinent is a missed opportunity to establish credibility. Credibility for car dealers, Realtors, gee, anyone, is what puts them at the top of the consumers mind. Jack write Results ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: http://www.pohlyco.com DATE: 02/21/2008 08:33:31 AM Jack: Thanks for the comment. I agree - a completely missed opportunity. On the flip side, I get a print newsletter from my insurance provider (auto, home insurance) and lo and behold, not a recipe to be found. There is the information you'd expect (safe driving, safekeeping of your valuables and important documents, etc.) but that's what I want to hear from my insurance company. Now they could make the newsletter more visually interesting and better written, but that's a tactical execution. Strategically, at least they're talking from an area of expertise about content that's relevant. Now, why so many recipes? That's an interesting question. I think there's such a glut of food content out there - online, in print, on television, that on the surface, it must seem to marketers as an easy way to find content that seems relevant. "Hey, everyone eats!" Of course, nearly everyone drives too, but I'm not going to get driving advice from Whole Foods. --michael ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Business Down, Internal Communications Up: 4 Survival Steps STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: business-down-i CATEGORY: internal marketing DATE: 02/13/2008 09:47:55 AM ----- BODY:
Ram Charan's Fortune article entitled Managing Your Business in a Downturn does something that most business articles overlook - the art of internal marketing. "Communicate intensively" is Ram's second point of five for how to manage your way through a recession.
Think about your own situations. In tough times, does management ratchet up its communications...more town halls, more emails? I've worked for a number of CEOs, and there was only one that ever altered his (and the company's) communication habits to keep employees at a fully informed level. Employee perceptions run wild in down times and should be proactively managed.
Ram states, "Get information from where the customer action is, and get it to the operating people - fast. Companies should do so routinely, of course. But they don't. It's counterintuitive but true that when the economy slows down, the pace of decision-making has to speed up, because you can't put off the tough choices anymore."
Here are some ideas that any company should consider when managing in a downturn.
Although the above activities should be a mainstay in a company, they are ever so important during a business downturn. An investment in any one of these on a consistent basis is an investment in your employees and your company. Good Luck!
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I've been inspired by a number of posts recently. Initially, Sterling at the BizLift blog pointed me to this Zenhabits post on Open Source Blogging. Please read the entire post from Leo...it's worth it.
This is Creative Commons taken one step further. With Creative Commons, you are giving someone to right to use and reuse your content, provided they give you credit. I first found out about Creative Commons when I downloaded David Meerman Scott's eBook, The New Rules of PR. David promoted to those interested to do whatever they wanted with the book - to save it on their site, to print multiple copies, etc. This resulted in over 250,000 downloads. Smart move.
Leo's movement is to give up rights to his blog and book content completely (CCzero), with the mere suggestion that credit would be nice. It could be a risky move. After the initial buzz, people may not buy Leo's book or support his site. But one thing is for sure, this move is all about the customer.
I'm not sure how many businesses or individuals can actually do this, but it's worth the experimentation. It's also completely in line with what we have been preaching at Junta42 - for businesses to let go of their content and focus on getting great content in the hands of the people who need it (a frightening thought for most businesses).
Please Steal My Blog Content - The Uncopyright
With support of thought leaders such as Marketing Interactions, ContentMarketingToday and the Web Business Marketing Blog, content marketing is starting to catch on. Businesses are beginning to realize that, as Ardath from Marketing Interactions puts it, "...that content marketing is not an occasional shot in the dark at producing an article, but an ongoing and consistent activity" of delivering valuable content to customers.
More businesses are doing this, but from the amount of clutter and interruption marketing that we still continue to see on a daily basis, it's not happening fast enough. When an organization takes a content marketing approach to their customers, it's very similar to the Green movement and the environment. Just as a green supporter is very aware of what they contribute to the environment, the same goes for how a business contributes (or lack of contribution) to the betterment of the customer.
Our goal here at Junta42 is to get information on how businesses can become an organization with a content marketing mindset. An organization that is all about producing valuable content for the benefit of the customer. We believe that if a business truly practices this, the payback will be a profitable customer relationship. If there is a post that I produced on the site that is helpful to an organization to get to that point, I don't really care if they know it came from me, or read it on my site (nice, but not required).
So with that, this post is an official notification that my writing and posts here at the Junta42 blog are now in the public domain. I hereby waive all claim of copyright in this work; it may be used or altered in any manner without attribution or notice to me. Attribution, of course, is appreciated.
Join the Revolution - Give Up Your Content
Hans at the Web Business Marketing Blog started a Change.org movement for bloggers to release their work under Creative Commons (with attribution). This is not what Leo did or what I'm doing, but this is what I believe that all bloggers and businesses should be doing, at a minimum. So please, join this revolution and join the movement that Hans started at Change.org.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Hans De Keulenaer EMAIL: hdk@eurocopper.org IP: 81.242.182.73 URL: http://www.20four.net/b2b DATE: 02/12/2008 01:48:45 PM Welcome to the open source blogging movement. Zenhabits did indeed take it a step further than Creative Commons (CC), as you did, by waiving attribution. In effect, you're releasing your work in the public domain. I would expect the difference of attribution to be minor - most polite people would probably attribute anyway. CC is developing a licence CCzero which comes close to what you need. Moreover, for residents in the US, there is already a public domain licence available through CC. Creative Commons gives you another benefit: CC licences are a search option in Google's advanced search. Thanks for the reference to the change.org group. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: sterling | bizlift EMAIL: sterling@bizlift.com IP: 71.37.111.239 URL: http://www.bizlift.com/blog DATE: 02/19/2008 02:53:27 AM Bold move Joe. I'm gonna go digging through your archives...and of course acknowledge you on anything I use. Thank you for the mention & link. Much appreciated. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 42 Ways to Custom Publish; Includes Examples STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 42-ways-to-cust CATEGORY: case studies CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: junta 42 CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 02/11/2008 03:23:53 PM ----- BODY:
Well, we've been working on a follow up to my blog posting from a few months ago, 42 Content Building Ways to Attract and Retain Customers. Part II of this is 42 Ways to Distribute Your Content, which pretty much covers all the big ones, from custom magazines to social media. The difference this time is that we've included at least one real example for each (with apologies to article marketing and variable enewsletters).
Check it out and let me know what you think.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: P&G Does it Again with Beinggirl.com - 4x More Effective Than Traditional Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: pg-does-it-agai CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 02/07/2008 11:08:37 AM ----- BODY:
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Procter & Gamble (P&G), once the ruler of all things traditional marketing, has done it again. They are now making an incredible impact into the land of content marketing - and finding that it works.
Beinggirl.com, sponsored and produced by Tampax (a P&G brand), is a content microsite dedicated to all things girls. Beinggirl states that:
"Being a girl is like being part of a club where everyone knows what you're going through…at least on some level. Girls have fun. Girls have opinions. Girls have a lot of questions about stuff like PMS, dating, their bodies and even serious subjects like addiction and abuse – just about anything you can think of that has to do with being a girl."
P&G is very transparent on the site. Any person can tell that the site sponsor is Tampax. They also have a few product sections, one of which is free samples. But the majority of the site focuses on content for girls - music, discussion, video...it's all here. And frankly, some of the discussion makes me thankful that I have two boys and no girls.
The best part, at least from a marketing perspective - Forrester Research found that Beinggirl.com is four times as effective as a similarly priced program using traditional media. This should be no surprise to P&G, whose Home Made Simple site, dedicated to solutions for the home had between 600,000 and 1 million opt-in registrations to the site (at last count).
You don't have to be a major media brand to create great content. And you don't have to hide the fact that a business is sponsoring a web portal. Good, information and useful content works no matter who or where it's from. P&G's examples are a testament to that.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt Ambrose EMAIL: matt@thewritewords.me.uk IP: 79.65.224.190 URL: http://thewritewords.me.uk/blog DATE: 02/07/2008 12:44:32 PM Quite appropriate really that the brains behind the soap opera should start doing the same thing with websites: engaging attention and then using subtlety rather than noise. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Marty EMAIL: marty@aimclear.com IP: 208.45.120.18 URL: http://www.aimClearBlog.com DATE: 02/07/2008 01:34:08 PM Sphunn Here: http://sphinn.com/story/27362 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/07/2008 02:10:57 PM @Matt - you're dead right @Marty - Thanks Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Herbert EMAIL: b2bspecialist@gmail.com IP: 24.150.91.222 URL: http://marketingthatmatters.blogspot.com DATE: 02/11/2009 05:19:13 PM Hi Joe, I'm doing a book report on Groundswell. Chapter 6 talks about the Beinggirl site.I've added your blog post to a FriendFeed room dedicated to this project. http://friendfeed.com/e/71729394-8b5b-444c-acd0-37842ddfacbf/Chapter-06-Junta42-blog-P-G-Does-it-Again-with/ ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.157.123 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/11/2009 07:30:17 PM Thanks Chris...love that book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Lizzie EMAIL: lizzie@pmdddisorder.com IP: 78.146.114.186 URL: http://pmdddisorder.com DATE: 08/01/2010 09:22:53 AM I do like the Beinggirl site, I think it's great for teenagers. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Putting the "Marketing" in Content Marketing: Six Key Principles to Content Promotion STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: putting-the-mar CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 02/06/2008 04:45:34 PM ----- BODY:
mar·ket·ing
[mahr-ki-ting]
1. The act of buying or selling in a market (Dictionary.com)
Content
marketing, taken at face value, is simple terminology for a complex process.
Content, as in creating information that meets your customers’ needs, and
marketing, as in distributing and promoting it to a targeted group of people,
inherently makes sense.
Go back to
the definition of marketing at the top of this page. Marketing is all
about behavior. It’s an action. It’s not about generating buzz, or web site
traffic, or press mentions – unless those things lead to a profitable customer
behavior.
As you prepare to drive your customers to do one of the four outcomes above, remember these six basic principles of content promotion. Some are simple and often overlooked. Keep these handy as you launch your content marketing initiatives.
Six Key Principles to Content
Promotion
Almost all
businesses have different kinds and levels of customers. To be most effective,
the ultimate distribution of your content should NOT be one size fits all.
Group your customers into different buying groups (also called buyer
personas), and treat both the content and marketing to them as separate.
Anything
that you deliver to your customers or prospects that is not specifically
requested could be considered spam. That is why it is imperative, for both your
print and email content programs, that you have your customers opt-in to your
programs. Opt-in means that they have specifically requested your print
magazine, enewsletter, eBook, etc.
Lee Odden,
one of the leading marketing bloggers in the country, posted this about the
content vs. promotion debate:
Your choice in media depends on your customers. You wouldn’t
necessarily roll out an iPhone Digital Magazine version if none of your
customers had iPhones. That said, you need to help your customers take the next
step. Yes, give them content in media they already use, but also, you need to
be cutting edge.
The old
rule of thumb when it came to print advertising impressions was seven
impressions. It took seven impressions
of an ad per year to make an awareness impact on a decision-maker. This is much
the same with content marketing.
If you love your content, you must learn to let it go. In the past, brands had complete control over their content message and the medium. This is still basically true with custom magazines and newsletters. But the rise of the internet and social media has changed the rules forever. Once our content goes online, it could end up anywhere. Let it. Regardless of where it ends up, the goal is to get that message out to the right kinds of people. If that happens and you see action, you’ve accomplished your goal…whether they engaged in the content on your site or someone else's.
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Not that we all have marketing budgets to support a 30 second ad spot during Super Bowl 42 at an average of $2.7 million, but I started to think of how much great content could be bought with that kind of money. Here are just some interesting facts about how much you can buy in content initiatives for that kind of investment.
Just something to think about the next time you are deciding to go with traditional ad placement versus a content initiative. Remember, the content you create can be leveraged to have a much longer shelf life than just traditional ad space. When you are looking to make a decision between a number of marketing initiatives, be sure to take that into account.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: DATE: 02/04/2008 09:50:17 AM Joe: Great point. And if you crunch numbers a different way, you get the same result. Take those 10 hours of engagement for a custom print magazine and multiply it by the 50,000 readers and you get 30 million minutes of exposure (just to make up some stats). By comparison, take the 1/2 minute exposure of a Super Bowl Ad and multiply it by the 45.85 million homes watching it (assuming they didn't TiVo the ad) and you get 22.925 million minutes of exposure. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Michael Buller EMAIL: mbuller@pohlyco.com IP: 64.80.224.146 URL: DATE: 02/04/2008 10:04:39 AM Of course, if you use a 90+ million viewership, then the numbers start coming out a bit differently. Anyway, it's just a fun exercise for what is kind of an apples-to-oranges comparison. But I still agree with your point that there are a lot of alternative ways to spend the $2.7 million. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 02/04/2008 01:42:39 PM Interesting thoughts Michael. It's also fun to think about what the value of exposure is - Custom content someone is engaging in vs. an ad. jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eamon EMAIL: eamon1972@hotmail.co.uk IP: 86.161.32.129 URL: http://www.spotlightideas.co.uk DATE: 02/04/2008 06:02:05 PM I congratulate you on a great blog. I believe that content is going to be one of the big winners of 2008 (and, although SEO, will continue to be important, its importance is certainly in decline). ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Microsite Scorecard: BT's Bigger Thinking, Toyota's Why Not? and Siemens' Answers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: microsite-score CATEGORY: microsites DATE: 02/01/2008 12:25:24 PM ----- BODY:I had some time to review the latest print magazine issue of Fortune and managed to find a few new microsites to take a look at. Here are the ones that peaked my interest.
BT Global Services. www.biggerthinking.com. This video rich microsite focuses everything on thinking outside of the box and innovation. This has a strong focus on global issues, with their video series featuring a number of outside experts from the states and internationally. Excellent production value. I'm impressed by the lack of sales material on the site (other than the logo, which I believe works in this situation). It seems that they are really trying to get leaders thinking about these key global and political issues. 
Toyota's Why Not? toyota.com/whynot. Focuses on their commercial "Harmony" and its making. In both the making and the actual video, Toyota is clearly promoting responsible environmental manufacturing. Both the commercial and the "making of" presents the case well. The site also includes brief case studies focusing on responsible manufacturing, hybrid technology and green operations (with links to other Toyota sites). These are a bit hard to navigate as you have to use the scroll bar they provide. 
Siemens Answers for Life. www.seimens.com/answers. There is a lot of really good information here, but there are some organizational issues. First, the site loaded way to slow on my hi-speed connection. Then, the questions shot up too fast to see what the answers pertained to. Okay, it may be just me...so I'll move along. Once I got passed all that, I realized that this site is separated into three parts: life, the environment and industry. When I went to the industry site, the article highlighted key words with robust information for each one - links to articles and videos. Unfortunately, much of this content just links to pdf articles, probably from their custom magazine. They lose a lot of interaction here. I also signed up to something called "Siemens Answers", but I'm still not sure exactly what it will be. Can't wait for the surprise.One big conclusion here...notice how these companies are still organizing these sites more like commercials and big, in-your-face graphics. If they would take a minute and come at this from the perspective of a publisher, would the results be different?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Accessible CEO - Myth or Today's Marketing Reality STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: typepad-wins-by CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 01/30/2008 12:56:12 PM ----- BODY:
"Perhaps the biggest change the new marketing brings is the easiest to overlook, mostly because it's so obvious. Every
organization now has the ability (and probably the responsibility) to
deal directly with the world. With customers, with prospects and with
those impacted by their actions. No middlemen."
- Seth Godin from Meatball Sundae
Are You Accessible?
Some of the most important things about marketing today are the small, minute details. You know, those ones you don't think about all that often. One of those "little" issues is accessibility and openness with customers.
I received an email today from TypePad's new CEO about some changes he wanted to bring to my attention (I use TypePad for this blog). It was a nice letter, but it was the end that received my full attention:
"Tell Us What You Need
We’d love to hear what you think is most important for TypePad’s future...
Keep an eye on the TypePad team’s efforts this year — we’ll have a lot of big news to share with you!
Best regards,
Chris
Christopher J. Alden
Chairman & CEO
Six Apart, Ltd."
(Note that I didn't include the whole ending.) The takeaway...here is the most powerful person at this business insisting that he be emailed directly with feedback about the company. I don't know about you, but this makes a profound impact on me. How many times have you tried to get in touch with ANYBODY at an organization you do business with, especially the CEO.
The Key for Your Business
Customer expectations have shot through the roof with increases in technology. Can your business live up to the expectations? If you can, you have a significant competitive advantage. Why? Because as we all know, most of the companies we deal with are shielded in layers, hierarchy, processes and the "that's the way it's always been done" vision statement. I here opportunity knocking.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Patrick Badstibner EMAIL: pbadstibner@yahoo.com IP: 24.241.121.49 URL: DATE: 01/30/2008 07:47:50 PM This is very true but there must be a balance because if you are to tied to your customers as the C.E.O. your business will have little worth without you. If your business cannot operate without you as the C.E.O. you do not have a business you have a job. Pat ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/30/2008 08:30:03 PM Pat...great point. The CEO is not the business and vice versa. The CEO also cannot handle 1,000 messages a day...but, those companies that can adapt to the changing customer expectations and can deal with this new fact of customer service, I believe, will flourish. Some organizations, though, are not set up to behave in this way. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How a Small Business Can Market Like the Big Boys: 5 Steps to Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-a-small-bus CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 01/28/2008 10:34:34 PM ----- BODY:
I've just started doing some guest blogging over at my friends from Small Business Edge. In this first blog post I talk about what small businesses can do to even the playing field against companies with larger budgets. Here is an excerpt:
"1 - Start a Blog - There is no better way to consistently get valuable content out to customers as easily than through a blog. Look to wordpress or Typepad for starter accounts. Both can be integrated within your current websites.
2 - If you’ve started a blog (or once you do)…get active in the community. Find the top 20 blog sites in your industry or local area and start commenting. Every time you comment, a link is created back to your site. This generates traffic to your site, builds on your Google Page Rank, and increases your reputation in the community.
3 - Create a regular opt-in communication piece. For many, this will be an eNewsletter, where you can highlight content from around the web and your own original content that is relevant to your customers.
4 - Develop your keyword list. I always recommend spending about 5 hours with a search engine optimization (SEO) expert to help you define your keywords.
5 - Utilize NEWS releases - Send them not to get coverage, but to expand your link building and web presence. Make sure the releases focus on the customer, not how great you are. Services like PRWeb are great."
Check out the Small Business Edge site when you get a chance. Although not content marketing, here's a good article on creating a print ad that works.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 01/28/2008 11:53:39 PM Joe, I'm on board with blogging for a lot of small businesses. But I find myself wondering if this is a good strategy for most small businesses. Let's say that you own a local fast-food chicken place. I can see that maybe blogging would be useful. But just how much? Blogging can take a lot of time and I wonder about the ROI. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Matt Ambrose EMAIL: matt@thewritewords.me.uk IP: 79.65.240.161 URL: http://thewritewords.me.uk/blog DATE: 01/29/2008 04:40:02 AM A strategy I'm trying to develop for my clients is getting useful articles posted on industry websites featuring their contact info. Normally I'd approach bloggers to write a guest post, but for some of my clients a blog community covering their industry doesn't really exist. However, many industry news websites are crying out for content and so long as the article is providing useful insight rather than just a blatant ad then there's every chance of it being accepted. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/29/2008 08:13:33 AM Thanks for the comment Jay. I definitely agree...blogging is NOT for every small business. The business may not have someone to champion the cause and dedicate time. The organization may not be set up for a blogging culture (complete openness). And to your point, they may own a local chicken place where the online benefits aren't as great as other businesses. That said, I still think you can make a case for any small business and the core benefits of blogging (if done right). For the local-chicken example, I'd figure out what is really important to my customers and form a content strategy around it. Is it roam-free chickens, fresh ingredients, service...whatever. Find what's important to them and discuss. It will not only increase the odds of getting that business found on the Internet, but improve their reputation across the board over time. It will also position the person and company as experts. If someone needs to do a local story, who are they going to call on? Probably you, the online chicken expert. :) Blogging is not a fool-proof solution. It's just one tactic of many. If you only did blogging, you would most likely fail. But, the opportunity is clearly that we are in such an early stage in the Internet...no one knows the true impact the web will have on our businesses over the next few years. You gotta be in it to win it. Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/29/2008 08:16:29 AM Matt...love the strategy. This is especially timely since some traditional publications are cutting back staff and are in desperate need of content. Question...if a blogging industry doesn't exist for their industry, can your clients help to create it? Sounds like an opportunity. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Fisher Investments: Writing the Book on How to Drive a Business with Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: fisher-investme DATE: 01/27/2008 10:25:42 PM ----- BODY:I've been familiar with Fisher Investments for about three years...ever since one of my close friends decided to transfer all his investments over to their management. Since that time, I've been watching very closely, and have been able to watch how they market their services, which I can sum up in one word, content.
Fisher manages over $45 billion in assets for high net worth individuals and institutional investors. If you are not familiar with them, they are similar to a JP Morgan Asset Management. Over the past few years, they have been able to create a significant brand in the affluent asset management arena by investing in content-driven marketing strategies.
Here are some key points behind Fisher's content marketing plan:
Leverage Traditional Media to Drive Free Content Giveaways
In reading the Money section of Friday's USA Today, Fisher took out a full-page ad promoting their free "must-read" report called "The 15-Minute Retirement Plan: How to Avoid Running Out of Money When You Need It Most" (see picture for ad). The ad is very specific about what is in the report, how a customer might benefit from the report, and is also specific about the audience. At the bottom of the ad, Fisher states that they cater to those with portfolios greater than $500k.
Have you ever looked at a full-page ad for Ameritrade, Goldman Sachs or Charles Schwab? I don't think I've ever seen one promote a content initiative. Fisher gets it right...if you are going to use traditional media, use it to drive interest and communication (and ultimately a conversation) through valuable and relevant content.
Use Article Marketing to Drive Your Brand
My first interaction with Fisher was through their CEO Ken Fisher and his regular column in Forbes magazine. I'm certain Mr. Fisher gets paid for this, but he doesn't have to. The column in Forbes positions Mr. Fisher as an authority and expert in the industry. After reading his columns, who wouldn't want to have him or his staff working for you?
Key point: Writing great content, whether on a blog or in an article on another site, magazine or newspaper, works if it's valuable and relevant to the reader. This tactic has certainly been a key to their success.
Write a Book
Mr. Fisher has written many books, with the last one, "The Only Three Questions That Count" being a best seller. There is simply no better business card in the world than a book for you and your company.
Many companies that launch book efforts get lost in the fantasy of having their own book, talking too much about how great they and their products are. Mr. Fisher uses real-world examples and a common-sense philosophy that truly positions him as an investing guru (yes, I read it).
Keep Customers Informed at all Times
Fisher sends out quarterly pdf reports to clients on the state of the market and their current investment outlook. They also send customers a very professional "State of the Market" DVD of Ken Fisher and his experts discussing the market and their investment strategies.
Just recently, as the market went into a downturn, they sent a special report out to customers, telling them to stay calm, and to believe in their overall philosophy. Consistent communication with customers is key to their marketing retention strategy.
Promote Your Services, and Your Content on the Web Site
Although I'm not a big fan of their web site design, it's easy to see that Fisher is a huge believer in content. Four of the six major spots on their home page is dedicated to content, including information on Fisher Investments Press, a free downloadable eBook, Fisher's Forbes column information, and the book.
Key point: If you want to teach people about what you do, teach them what they need to know to succeed first.
Create Your Own Media Portal and Be the Content Expert in Your Industry
Probably most impressive is Fisher's creation of Marketminder.com, a wealth of online information dedicated to financial analysis and research. If anything positions the 50+ member research team at Fisher experts, it's Market Minder.
Market Minder doesn't push Fisher services at all. They talk real business with real advice and some of the best research and opinion around. This is a strategy that ALL companies, big or small, can take from Fisher as a best practice.
It's pretty easy to see how Fisher has created one of the best brands in the affluent investing market. The great news is that (outside the full-page ad from USA Today), any company, even a one-person shop, can take these initiatives and make them their own. Technology has enabled the barriers to entry for content creation and marketing so low that any company can afford these practical and ultra-effective marketing strategies. Good Luck!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: bill carlson EMAIL: bcarlson@erols.com IP: 70.134.66.32 URL: DATE: 07/21/2008 10:46:46 PM Great marketing - - but piss poor performance. I gave them $500k in Dec 08 - - now worth $440k. They don't perform well in a flat or down market. I would not do it again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jason EMAIL: jason.wenk@att.net IP: 71.239.58.162 URL: http://www.westmichiganwealth.com DATE: 10/31/2008 06:35:33 PM Fisher Investments does offer some great marketing; but the primary thing other businesses should learn from them is the overall structure of their operations. They are not only the largest independent money manager in the US but also completely unique in their model. The idea of direct marketing nationwide with very low overhead servicing costs while serving a high net worth client base is unreal. The margins they maintain from the business model allow them to mass market in a way traditional wealth managers never could. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Busted N Kansas EMAIL: sadsack999@yahoo.com IP: 98.186.178.16 URL: DATE: 04/18/2009 10:35:22 PM I am impressed by their marketing model...it sucked me in. Their "money management" seems to be simply a mutual fund run by three people who do not seem particularly competent. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ben J EMAIL: bnjns11@gmail.com IP: 207.214.127.6 URL: http://www.marketminder.com DATE: 05/12/2009 01:10:46 PM Interesting post. I'm from Fisher Investments, and for more information on MarketMinder.com, visit a sample article here: http://www.marketminder.com/a/fisher-investments-us-economy/9dd12733-1b88-49d3-97e8-60aa5b398e25.aspx ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Owie EMAIL: orottschafer@aol.com IP: 24.247.178.231 URL: DATE: 05/13/2009 09:04:01 PM Fisher Rep met with us and was professional, informative, candid and did not use pressure. Had one follow up phone call and no brochures in the mail. Received explained material at meeting with rep. Overall this was a pleasant experience. Chose to continue to do own investing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mark Hopkins EMAIL: Etienne1@aol.com IP: 64.12.116.6 URL: DATE: 07/11/2009 08:01:49 AM Has anyone noticed the investment philosopphy of this Guru over the past year? They may market their company well but when it comes to protecting their clients, well that's another story. Most clients are looking at losses that currently exceed 40+%. Consider that when they talk about their hype in protecting clients when a downturn occurs. Do your homework with this company. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Fisher Outreach EMAIL: fisher.investments.outreach@gmail.com IP: 72.177.48.139 URL: http://Education.Fisherinvestments.com/investment-publications/financial-articles/forbes-magazine DATE: 07/23/2009 02:15:16 AM As a Fisher Investments employee, I know the importance of content to a business. Ken Fisher has focused on sharing his knowledge as a columnist for Forbes for 25 years. You can find the most recent Portfolio Strategy columns on the Fisher Investments website. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: allison Frey EMAIL: a.frey@fi.com IP: 24.19.245.170 URL: http://www.ken-fisher-debunkery.com DATE: 10/18/2010 05:48:36 PM There’s a new book out from Fisher Investments CEO, Ken Fisher: “Debunkery: Learn It, Do It, and Profit From It”. In the book, Ken Fisher debunks common investing fallacies. I’m a Fisher Investments employee and for more on Debunkery use the following links: Ken Fisher’s Debunkery official website: http://www.ken-fisher-debunkery.com Ken Fisher’s Debunkery Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ken-Fishers-Debunkery/159215550768209 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Online Interruption Marketing and Why I Hate Toaster Strudel STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: online-interrup CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 01/24/2008 02:40:23 AM ----- BODY:I just finished up the audio version of Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin. Excellent listen. For some reason, this is the statement from Seth that resonated with me the most.
"The web is the single worst medium ever devised for interrupting people who don't want to be interrupted."
Amen brother!
Why do the best brands in the world continue to distract us? Do they not see what is going on...especially in an online environment?
Here is a quick example of why interruption marketing in an online environment is so detrimental to a brand. Over the weekend I was doing some stock research for our investment club. As usual, I was looking through the headlines of the stocks I am responsible for (Ameritrade and JAKKS Pacific, the toy company).
So, on my way to a news story on Forbes I get hit with this full-screen roadblock (a roadblock is an online ad that covers the entire screen, and usually disappears after 10 seconds or you can try skip past). Now, the roadblock has to be the ultimate in online interruption marketing. Why don't you just chain me to a post and make me read this over and over until I cry? I'm already going to Forbes...do I have to read that Forbes has the best political news?
As Dr. Phil would say, "Joe, how did this make you feel?" Can anyone say Huffington Post?
Okay, I finally get to the article and I'm on to more research. Now I'm at Yahoo! Finance reading up on Ameritrade. All of a sudden, I get karate-chopped by a Pillsbury Toaster Strudel ad. Worst part...I can't read the headlines now because the Doughboy is in the way. As I move the mouse I can't get rid of him. Down doughboy, down!
This is like a bad dream. And tell me, why the heck is there a toaster strudel ad on my Ameritrade headlines page? Do brokers like strudel? Do investor's of online brokerage companies treat themselves to the soft, chewy heaven that is the Toaster Strudel?
Shame on you Pillsbury, and shame on you Yahoo! for sucking Pillsbury into this.
Dr. Phil..."Joe, what does this make you want to do?" Good question, Phil. It makes me want to go to Google News and then on a diet.
This is old marketing at its best. This is a mass marketing strategy placed into a setting that has no more room for mass marketing. Let's face it, Forbes and Yahoo! will continue to offer these ad placements as long as someone is willing to pay for them. It is up to marketers to stand up and decide that their customers deserve better.
Pillsbury can make the decision to stop distracting to get business. They can decide to be a part of the conversation, a part of the content.
It's only a matter of time before brands like Pillsbury "get" content marketing. Until then, I'm banning Toaster Strudel from the house.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Kantor EMAIL: jkantor@appum.com IP: 24.9.7.116 URL: http://www.whitepapercompany.com/blog DATE: 01/31/2008 08:25:41 AM Maybe this is why Yahoo is about to layoff about a 1000 people? Jonathan Kantor The White Paper Pundit ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Diamond EMAIL: diamondsf@aol.com IP: 205.188.117.143 URL: http://www.marketingmessageblog.com DATE: 01/31/2008 10:17:46 AM Joe, you've captured the essence of what's wrong with interruption marketing— it makes you less productive and doesn't care about your interests—a double whammy! Imagine standing at your favorite section in a bookstore eagerly perusing the shelves, while a staff person hands you books in which you have no interest. Not sure why corporations don't GET this! Keep up the good work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Diamond EMAIL: diamondsf@aol.com IP: 205.188.117.143 URL: http://www.marketingmessageblog.com DATE: 01/31/2008 10:17:48 AM Joe, you've captured the essence of what's wrong with interruption marketing— it makes you less productive and doesn't care about your interests—a double whammy! Imagine standing at your favorite section in a bookstore eagerly perusing the shelves, while a staff person hands you books in which you have no interest. Not sure why corporations don't GET this! Keep up the good work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/31/2008 10:27:08 AM Thanks Stephanie...slowly but surely, smart companies are getting it. That's why they're smart, I guess. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike EMAIL: signmeup.mike@gmail.com IP: 92.2.5.112 URL: DATE: 06/02/2008 09:06:55 AM It's incredibly ironic that you're complaining about unclosable ads when on this very page I had 2 mouseover ads for Snapshot popup that I couldn't close. Thankfully I could move them out of the way but mouseover ads piss me off something chronic. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 75.10.146.178 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 06/02/2008 09:44:52 AM Hi Mike...I added the Snapshot function because some people like to see a mini-picture of the website without having to be directed to one. You are actually the first person that has said anything negative about it. Most people enjoy that feature from Snapshot. I'll have to consider taking that feature off if they do come across as ads and not a helpful service. Thanks for the feedback. Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Junta42 Announces Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: junta42-announc CATEGORY: junta 42 DATE: 01/21/2008 02:28:01 PM ----- BODY:
Well, after almost six months in "beta" we've decided to launch the full version of Junta42. And what better way to do that than with a cool list.
This week we are premiering the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs that features the best blogs from the net focusing on some aspect of content marketing. Some, you'll find, are very well known, while others are definitely "up-and-comers". Congrats to Millward Brown's "Straight Talk with Nigel Hollis" on taking first spot on our premiere listing.
I think what I like most is that Junta42 members can vote on the ones they like the best, which generates a user rank. Members can "Hitch!" (or vote - just like Digg) for the blogs they believe are the best. The most popular blogs rise to the top. I believe at the end of the day, that's the list that will have the most value.
Now, we've by no means perfected the selection criteria, but we've made a good start. Here's a full description of how we selected and ranked the blogs. I'm quite certain we've left off many, so if you know of any you'd like to nominate, send us a note at add[at]junta42.com. We'll be adding blogs and refining the process over the next few months.
Other additions to the new Junta42 include:
We are also excited about the launch of Junta42 Match, which will take place over the next few months. Junta42 Match will be the "eHarmony of business content", matching businesses who need content expertise with custom publishers or content providers that match specific needs and criteria.
We'll have plenty more to come on Match over the next few months.
Thanks to all of you who have supported us along the way. Let's enjoy the ride and have some fun.
The formal press release goes out this Wednesday. Here's a sneak peak...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- PING: TITLE: Junta42 Announces Top Marketing Blogs URL: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com/marketing_interactions/2008/01/junta42-announc.html IP: 10.0.23.103 BLOG NAME: Marketing Interactions DATE: 01/23/2008 03:16:50 PM Some of you may have noticed the new badge the blog is wearing. I'm very honored to tell you that Marketing Interactions is ranked at #4 in the new Top 42 Marketing Blogs list out from Junta42 this week. Here's the announcement from Joe Pulizzi, who ma... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Using Social Media to Deliver Premium Search Engine Rankings STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: leveraging-soci CATEGORY: search marketing CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 01/17/2008 12:23:01 PM ----- BODY:Search engine and social media experts know this little fact, but surprisingly most people I talk to, including the majority of web developers and marketers, do not. That is:
Basically, I would argue that placing your content on social media sites may have more value for search engine optimization than direct traffic from a social media site.
Let's prove the point with an example.
I recently posted this article about Seth Godin's book tour and his take on content marketing. I then placed it on the following social media/social bookmarking sites, using the same format and language for each:
I also used one article marketing strategy, placing the post at Newt Barrett's ContentMarketingToday site.
The Goal
My interest was to evaluate certain keywords in Google and measure their impact, looking at the blog post itself or the placement strategies.
Success #1
I wanted to start out with an obvious keyword selection, so I used "Seth Godin Content Marketing," which was in the title of the post. Here are the results after exactly three days:
It should be noted that in the Shoutwire example, it received no positive votes, so placement has nothing to do with popularity. Also note that Digg came up on the first page after 1 hour, but within a day was already gone. That said, this strategy may work in Digg's case for very timely news, but not for more evergreen pieces like I tend to write. (NOTE ADDED: After submitted this post to Digg, it was #1 overall for "premium search engine rankings" after less than 30 minutes. Most likely will be gone tomorrow.)
Success #2
Okay, the first example is hardly ever typed in to Google. So let's use one that is. How about "Seth Godin Marketing Lessons"? Here are the results:
Results: Not as dominating as the first example, but four within the top 20 results, two of which were social media sites.
Takeaways
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: eMarketer CEO: Turning Ads to Content Most Important Transformation for 2008 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: emarketer-ceo-t CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 01/15/2008 09:35:09 AM ----- BODY:
Okay...there is really something going on here. If you are a marketing professional, it's time to pay serious attention to content marketing (custom publishing new). From new marketing thought leader Seth Godin, to now eMarketer founder and CEO Geoff Ramsey, marketing has changed for good and there is no turning back to the old model.
Mr. Ramsey includes three hidden trends in his latest post, concluding with the third trend as having the most important transformation on marketing.
What Mr. Ramsey states is a perfect representation of what is going on in today's marketing. It also shows that there is a significant opportunity for businesses to take advantage of this trend. He states:
"...For decades, the ad industry was built on the
interruption-disruption model. Consumers understood that if they wanted to
experience free content—in the form of television shows, music on the radio and
magazine articles—they would have to put up with ads, most of which were
perceived as irrelevant, boring, annoying or all three. In this standard
construct, ads were seen as a “necessary evil” to support the content
consumers really wanted to see.
But the
interruption-disruption model is dying out, thanks to shifting consumer
trends. Consumers are increasingly in control of their media content
and can
easily eradicate ads they don’t want to see. They also have less trust
in
advertisers and their messages."
Ramsey goes on to state: "As a result, advertisers and
their agencies who want to engage with today’s consumers will have to start
turning their ads into content. Ultimately, they will need to be able to
produce content that is so compelling, relevant and entertaining that consumers
will seek it out and want to share it with others. The new ad model is about
creating great content and finding clever ways to embed it in the fabric of
communities and content platforms where consumers are hanging out and actively
participating." Amen brother! Ramsey's last paragraph is essentially what we call content marketing. Today's buying environment, and into the future, creates a number of opportunities for businesses, as well as threats to those who aren't willing to alter their marketing.
Technology has evened the playing field. It may actually be easier for smaller businesses without historical marketing baggage to take advantage of this opportunity. For example, a small business can launch a blog, a white paper series, an eBook, an eNewsletter and a content-based microsite for literally pennies. The majority of technology used to distribute this content is free. As Seth Godin discussed in his latest book tour call, this revolution may be the biggest revolution the business environment has ever seen. Larger marketing organizations have a more difficult time letting go to old programs, especially since egos are involved, and those egos usually don't like to admit that they are or were wrong.
I actually thought that the content marketing revolution was still a few years off. After the last few weeks, I'm beginning to think that we are right in the middle of it. What an opportunity!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Seth Godin: "Content Marketing is the Only Marketing Left" and 10 New Marketing Lessons STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: seth-godin-cont CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 01/14/2008 01:32:26 PM ----- BODY:
Just sat through an hour teleseminar (Seth's Meatball Sundae Book Tour) produced by Author Teleseminars and Elizabeth Marshall, that included Seth Godin, Michael Port and David Meerman Scott. I'm a regular reader of Seth's and David's blogs. If you are at all in the marketing game, get their RSS feeds.
The second last question on the call was from me, where I asked about the role of content marketing and its effect on traditional media. Seth was not familiar with the term content marketing, and fortunately David was there to define it as "the creation of valuable and relevant content yourself (instead of using traditional means)."
Okay, here's the big answer by Seth...
"[Content Marketing] is all the marketing that's left."
Seth went on to say (I'm paraphrasing) that teaching your customers and giving your customers the resources to believe you is new marketing. They become a fan of yours because you teach them something that makes them feel better about the world.
For someone like me that lives and breathes content marketing, needless to say I was pretty excited about his response. If you are not creating your own content that gets people talking about you, what are you doing?
Here are a series of 10 other key points from the audio seminar:
Content marketing is not easy because you actually have to listen to your customers and know what their challenges are. You cannot solve your marketing woes through buying advertising space. You must make a connection to your customers, and get new customers, by focusing on their true pain points and healing them with information (okay, a bit over the top, but true none the less).
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jay Ehret EMAIL: jay@themarketingspot.com IP: 24.155.12.4 URL: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com DATE: 01/15/2008 12:03:19 AM Good recap, Joe. I was listening too and here are a few more takeaways from this terrific listen: 11. Requiring proof of ROI on new marketing is bogus. Companies aren't tracking ROI on everything else they are doing. 12. The customer's default frame of mind: "I don't trust you." 13. The purpose of a business book today is not to try to sell books, but to have a souvenier of ideas you want to spread. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/15/2008 07:45:54 AM Jay...thanks for the additional three points. I especially like your #11. Seth went into some detail on this, saying that most companies actually don't want to measure their return on historical purchases (like the ROI of the reception area or specific TV sponsorship). Yet, new marketing they want to measure like crazy. Once measured, what do they actually measure it against when the majority of initiatives actually aren't measured. Interesting. Thanks again for the post Jay! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Stephanie Diamond EMAIL: sdiamond@digmediaworks.com IP: 64.12.117.143 URL: http://www.marketingmessageblog.com DATE: 01/15/2008 02:44:01 PM Wonderful post Joe! As always Seth makes us think. Another takeaway for me was that he said very simply, "you need to write things people want to read." Wouldn't blogs be much more valuable if people thought about what others want to read, instead of what's on their mind that day? Content marketing is it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/15/2008 03:09:17 PM Thanks Stephanie! You are right, whether written down or not, all authors (bloggers or businesses) need to ask themselves a set of questions about whether their target customers will care. Like Seth said, "Will someone find value in this?" is as good as any. Most bloggers get this...most businesses don't. Thanks again Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Meerman Scott EMAIL: david@freshspot.com IP: 70.9.33.87 URL: http://www.webinknow.com/ DATE: 01/15/2008 05:50:35 PM Hey Joe, It was a fun event. I appreciate Seth and Michael inviting me. Your question was a good one and I'm glad that I immediately knew what you were asking (and was able to put "Joe" and "Content Marketing" together to make the assumption it was you! Thanks for writing it up. I was too busy to remember what was said. Best, David ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/15/2008 07:08:08 PM Thanks David...although I always love listening to Seth, next time I'd like to hear more of you. Well done! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Kevin Dykes EMAIL: kdykes@forestfortrees.com IP: 24.174.0.198 URL: http://www.forestfortrees.com DATE: 01/16/2008 08:23:40 AM Another great post from you Joe - thanks for summarizing this event & providing the take-aways. We are working with a number of "expert" owned small businesses to help them begin to utilize the power of educational content & true convserational "company cross-section" content, rather than the usual marketing copy blather. While this approach is so obvious to those of us who have been involved in the online marketing world, this is a whole new perspective for so many small companies. I'll be emailing a link for this post to our customer list this morning. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 64.132.169.250 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/16/2008 12:40:14 PM Kevin...thanks. Love your site. You are right, these initiatives are especially substantial for small businesses since their organizational structures are better suited for the direct communication, flexible structure model that new media and content marketing bring to the table. Definitely an opportunity that many companies still don't get. Keep doing what you are doing!!! jp ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: home business leads EMAIL: admin@bizsourceplus.com IP: 222.127.173.121 URL: http://www.bizsourceplus.com DATE: 10/06/2009 10:55:42 AM By creating and distributing your own content, you can control every aspect of communications with your target audience. You are no longer hidden among hundreds of ads in a magazine. Instead, you are the magazine. You engage your audience in a thoughtful conversation rather than positioning yourself as one of many companies trying to make a sale. You allow your target audience to look at you and say: This company is valuable. It’s compelling. It’s relevant. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pawan EMAIL: pawan@hivefire.com IP: 64.32.227.114 URL: http://www.thoughtleadershiptimes.com/ DATE: 10/15/2009 11:52:42 AM I just posted an article on how content marketing can contribute to thought leadership, but only if correctly executed. Many times organizations put out content for the sake of it, and not really to provide a valuable perspective or insights. Here's the full article: http://www.thoughtleadershiptimes.com/articles/1579/content-marketing-is-not-equal-to-thought-leadersh/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How I Screwed Up My Search Engine Optimization - SEO Content Mistakes Made by the "Expert" STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-i-screwed-u CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: search marketing DATE: 01/11/2008 01:10:10 PM ----- BODY:Although my expertise is in content, online content marketing today is so intertwined with search engine strategies (how content on the web is often found), I also study, practice and teach about search engine marketing best practices. It is with that introduction that I want to tell you how I didn't listen to my own advice, and lost customers and traffic in the process.
As we launched Junta42, we determined that there would be no space between Junta and 42. Through the first three months and into the launch of the beta site, we had so much tunnel vision that I never thought about considering a space when someone searched for Junta42.
In determining our final meta tags for the website, we did all the right things. I surveyed a group of publishers and marketers to get their keyword terminology that related to Junta42, such as custom publishing, content marketing, custom magazines, customized content, branded content, etc. Those
keywords became a core part of our content strategy, and continues to be.
Yet, one day, about two months after the launch of the site in late July, I received a call from a close colleague of mine. He couldn't find the site in the search engines. I actually laughed, thinking he was some kind of an idiot. Yet, I found out the finger was pointing right back at me.
At that time, if you typed in Junta42 into Google, about 3,000 related results returned to our company. Only about seven returns had to do with someone else (one user on a discussion form, we believe out of Japan, uses the profile name junta42...go figure). If you typed in Junta <space> 42, you got zippo. (NOTE: One of the reasons we chose Junta42 was a search engine strategy. We knew that we could dominate that term due to its rareness in the search engines.)
The worst part, the majority of references under Junta <space> 42 were for Thomas Junta, a 42-year-old man who was recently charged with manslaughter. There was no sign of our company anywhere.
We ignored our own advice that you must have a clear understanding of your customers and prospects online behaviors when it comes to a content marketing strategy. How do they get to your site? What relevant keywords do they type in? If we would have done just a bit of chatting with our users during our beta test, we could have easily found out that many of them might type in Junta <space> 42 into a search engine. (Which, by the way, is a good reason to "watch" customers use your website, not just use an online survey.)
Now this was not the end of the world, but is a good example of the barriers you can put in front of your customers if your content doesn't have the proper meta tags, title tags, and, in our case, company name variations. Is it easy for customers to misspell your company name? Do they search for your company information by product (product misspellings), company executives (executive misspellings), locations, etc.?
Try this exercise for yourself. You may be surprised at what you find. I actually just added a number of my last name misspellings into my meta tags. Why put a barrier between you and your prospects or customers when a five minute fix can take care of that?
Since the initial launch, we've to fix the problem. If you type in Junta <space> 42 today, the first four results and six out of 10 are for Junta42 (Mr. Thomas Junta receive the rest of the attention). Within the last 3 months, over 100 people have landed at Junta42 through a search engine by typing in Junta <space> 42. Over the next few months, we should have all 10 on the first page of Google.
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Wanted to call you attention to this excellent white paper from IBM Global Business Services entitled "The End of Advertising as We Know it."
Couple of points here:
First, this is an amazing example of world-class content marketing. This white paper clearly shows how a brand can create valuable and relevant content that is as good, or possibly better, than many traditional media pieces in the field.
Second, here is a quote from the conclusion of the white paper:
"There is no question that the future of advertising will look radically different from its past. The struggle for control of attention, creativity, measurements and platforms will reshape the advertising value chain and shift the balance of power. As we have witnessed in previous disruptive cycles, the future cannot be extrapolated from the past."
If we needed another one, this is yet an additional example that there is more confusion than certainty in marketing, and that, ultimately, everything in the future of marketing MUST be measured in some way. Technology will enable that. This white paper depicts some case studies that share a glimpse into how.
Third, content development, both on a corporate and customer basis, will play a huge role in how marketing and advertising decisions are made in the future. Yes, the revolution is at hand!
Enjoy Reading!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Used Refurbished Laptops EMAIL: ssunderani01@gmail.com IP: 116.71.42.100 URL: http://www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com/ DATE: 04/05/2009 09:04:37 AM This ThinkPad T40 has been awesome. Had for a decent price. There was a problem with the main board about 4 months down the road and customer service couldn't have been better. I spoke with someone in America, and they overnighted everything. The entire process only took 3 days from placing the service call to getting back and running. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: I've Been Tagged - 8 Things You Didn't Know about Me for 2008 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: ive-been-tagged CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 01/09/2008 02:58:12 PM ----- BODY:Ardath Albee at Marketing Interactions tagged me to share 8 things that most people do not know about me. I was hesitant to do this, since as you know, I don't often share personal stuff on this business-based blog. That said, some of these are business related.
Passing this on and tagging my industry/blogging friends Newt Barrett at ContentMarketingToday, Eric Shanfelt on the eMedia Strategist Blog, Ian Alexander at Eat Media, and Pete Shemilt at Relevant and Valued.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shama Hyder EMAIL: shama@afterthelaunch.com IP: 96.226.74.149 URL: http://www.afterthelaunch.com DATE: 01/11/2008 12:02:50 AM Number 3 is a great example of wonderful marketing and creating brand evangelists. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Why Small Businesses Have a Marketing Advantage Over Large Businesses STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: why-small-busin CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 01/09/2008 11:59:27 AM ----- BODY:
Many of our consulting clients are small businesses. For some reason, even though budgets aren't what they are in the larger companies we work with, I love the potential that exists with small businesses. When we make recommendations to larger companies, it takes sometimes many months to get them going, working through multiple chains of command and different budget buckets.
With small companies, sometimes we execute projects the same day. Also, there is a smaller decision-making base, which helps make decisions faster and more focused. Ultimately, that's why small companies rule.
This is the first page of Seth Godin's book Small is the New Big:
"Small is the new big. Recent changes in the way that things are made and talked about mean that big is no longer an advantage. In fact, it's the opposite. If you want to be big, act small.
Consumers have more power than ever before.
Treating them like they don't matter doesn't work.
Multiple channels of information mean that it's almost impossible to live a lie.
Authentic stories spread and last.
That ability to change fast is the single best asset in a world that's changing.
Blogs matter. If you want to grow, you'll need to touch the information-hungry, idea-sharing people who read (and write) them."
Your Website Is Your Greatest Marketing Asset
The changes in technology have enabled small businesses to market their products and services as well as, or better, than a large, well-funded business. The only caveat? Small businesses must understand the power of the internet, and give their foremost attention to their website and online initiatives.
Technological changes are increasing at an ever faster rate than before. Small businesses can adapt to these changes to communicate more effectively with their target customers. Larger businesses, through multi-leveled bureaucracy and committed budgets, have a much more difficult time changing communication initiatives if the signs are there for change.
Small Wins on Local Level
This is especially true on a local level. Companies such as Lowes or Wal-Mart are tied to corporate branding and initiatives, and are challenged by personalizing marketing efforts to local markets. Even a Best Buy, which does an outstanding job of personalizing stores to their clientèle, still must segment stores into groups (busy suburban mom's or technology enthusiasts), but not truly on a local basis. Big brands are executed at the national level.
Small businesses do not have that concern, and can adapt to the needs of their local customer base. With a focus on quality web content, it is altogether possible that a small business can score a much higher search engine ranking on local key words, especially with a help of locally-focused blogs, white papers and other online content efforts.
I'm a Small Business: What Should I Do?
To compete with the big boys, here is what you need to focus on:
It's never been better to be a small business. Perhaps small is the new big.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul Burani EMAIL: paul@clicksharpmarketing.com IP: 66.108.26.116 URL: http://smallbusinessblog.clicksharpmarketing.com DATE: 01/22/2008 11:45:17 AM To piggyback the notion of consumers and they massive power they wield nowadays--one has to really appreciate Chris Anderson's Long Tail movement! As the once-insignificant small fish discover the business assets that larger competitors simply cannot take from them, they'll steal something of their own: precious market share. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@junta42.com IP: 76.243.179.244 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 01/22/2008 11:47:06 AM Paul...great point. There is definitely an opportunity for smaller businesses here. Thanks Joe ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Where Are all the Content Champions? - Random thoughts on Content in an Online World STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: where-are-all-t CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: custom publishing council CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 01/07/2008 01:48:44 PM ----- BODY:
In writing this blog post for the Custom Publishing Council on the content marketing/custom publishing sales process, I started to think of how challenging it is to sell the idea of content to marketing professionals. The whole idea behind selling a large custom media package from a sales standpoint is to create a series of yes answers that lead to a close.
Content marketing is perhaps the fastest growing marketing element (Yes, you heard me). Everyone talks of the internet and its growth (which is true), but we must realize that a large portion of the growth in online spending has to do with website content, webcasts, branded video, blogs, wikis, podcasts, article marketing, white papers, etc. All of these are delivered online, but they are successful based on two things - content + online marketing efforts.
The frenzy of online, continued in 2007 and into 2008 around Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Digg, StumbleUpon and more, is almost always based on getting better, more accessible content into the hands of targeted users. Yet, most marketers think of social media or the internet, and not necessarily the creation of content, which is a must for a content marketing program to be successful.
Here are some basic thoughts that come to mind:
Possibly if we were less prone to think of anything besides content, we would be more apt to find an expert content partner and get us to communicate faster and better with our customers. After all, perhaps more than any other media, content marketing is all about your customers. Could focusing on your customers be so wrong???
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ian EMAIL: ian@eatmedia.net IP: 71.101.115.118 URL: http://www.eatmedia.net DATE: 01/07/2008 08:38:48 PM Great post as always Joe. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Like Spike Lee and Madonna, Businesses Are Creating Their Own Media Channels STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: like-spike-lee CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: online content marketing CATEGORY: predictions DATE: 01/04/2008 09:25:48 AM ----- BODY:
Did the title get your attention? Frankly, I could have named a number of stars including Larry the Cable Guy, the band Radiohead...even Morgan Freeman. What is currently happening in the entertainment industry is exactly what is going on in the business world...just most people don't realize it yet.
The January issue of Portfolio highlights how celebrities are cutting out the middleman, creating multiple online channels to communicate directly with customers and fans.
"Losing faith in the old guard, these celebs are using the internet to distribute their work directly to consumers and experimenting with business models that don't have anything to do with [the major studios]."
While reading this article I couldn't get over the "too scary" similarity between this and what is happening in traditional media. Businesses of all sizes are dissatisfied with the performance of advertising in magazines, at trade shows, and even purchasing online banners. More money is flowing into measurable media such as pay-per-click (PPC) and into their own web properties. This we have known...but what continues to be treated like a spouse cheating is business's new love affair with creating their own media channels.
And let's get beyond social media for a moment. Any organization not contemplating a serious social media strategy is slowing becoming history. This movement is about how corporations are creating their own content, communicating the essence of their brands without having to rely on traditional media (of which social media has to be a part of).
The Portfolio story references this trend as a "more efficient means of reaching potential customers." More efficient is one way to put it...absolutely necessary is another.
Not convinced? It's not that there are fewer traditional channels...there are more than ever. Even though magazines keep dying, new ones keep popping up to replace them. There are more cable channels and in-person venues than ever before, in almost every market. What has changed is this:
But maybe the biggest rush into content marketing (businesses creating their own content channels) is said best by this quote from the above article:
"It will quickly get to a point where if you don't do it, everybody else will be doing it. If you're not there, where are you? Then you'll see the stars participate."
This is what we are seeing now. The Microsoft's, Cisco's, John Deere's of the world were first to jump on this bandwagon. Now you are seeing the rest of the business world catch up...because they have to. Why?
Everything...product, price, place, promotion...all of it can be copied. The lone competitive advantage businesses have today is what they communicate...their brand.
Traditional media will continue to go on, but as Portfolio states, "...they will continue to be diminished...certainly traditional media companies will no longer be the content gatekeepers..."
Whether you believe this is good or bad doesn't matter at this point. It is happening. It's your choice as a business as to what you want to do about it.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Webkinz - When Content Marketing Goes Good (and Bad) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: webkinz---when CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 01/02/2008 09:53:33 AM ----- BODY:For those of you not familiar with Webkinz, they are very similar to what Cabbage Patch dolls were in the 80's except for the integration of the Internet. Webkinz, owned by Toronto-based Ganz, are small stuffed animals that come in dogs, pandas, cats, ducks and more. Once the owner "adopts" their pet, they can go to the Webkinz website to register their pet, create a name, and bring their pet to life online.
The Webkinz concept is so simple, it boggles your mind it wasn't thought of earlier. Simple, and truly powerful. To experience just a bit of this power, just watch a four-year-old navigate their way through the site. You have to see it to believe it.
Here are a couple of points specific to the website and content marketing...
The Webkinz Business Model
According to this BusinessWeek article, Webkinz annual sales are north of $100 million. The revenues come strictly from the sale of their stuffed toys and accessories such as charms and clothes. Frankly, the stuffed animals are no different than what you'd find at any toy shop in the world. The difference is its "Webkinz World" online community.
The image to the right is my six-year-old son Joshua's Webkinz, a polar bear named (fittingly) Polar. Joshua (as well as his younger brother Adam) have spent a good chuck of time on the Webkinz site fitting their animals with clothes, toys, carpet and wallpaper for the bedroom, and more. Joshua takes Polar to the doctor, to the exercise room, and to other "social" rooms where Polar can play with other Webkinz pets. Joshua needs to go to the store to buy food for Polar that will keep him healthy, and also has to play Webkinz games as a "job" in order to make money to buy more food, clothes and toys for Polar.
It truly is a wonderfully educational and "sticky" site, and, perhaps the best example I can think of for online content marketing. Webkinz World is NOT the product, it's the retention and growth mechanism. But it ultimately is the reason the brand is what it is today. The online component includes FREE content that educates its customer base and incentivizes their buyers to buy more Webkinz products. Having more pets means your pets can play with each other, and also opens up exclusive items for multiple pet owners.
Webkinz has done what every business in the world seeks to do with their online content, yet they have so integrated the product and the content that it seems indistinguishable. What actually is the product? The toys or the online experience? That is where Webkinz has perfected the art of content marketing. When the content you produce for your customers is perceived as so crucial to the success of the product itself, you have perfect content marketing integration.
A Tragic Mistake
Webkinz recently received a slew of hate mail from parents around the world when they decided to open up a small amount of advertising on their site. This created a virtual PR nightmare for Ganz. Although they have taken the advertising down (such as ads for the recent Seinfeld release "Bee Movie"), they are still considering advertising on the site for "kid-friendly" products.
I can see the storm coming now.
Even in this BusinessWeek quote, it seems that Ganz as well as financial experts just don't get the true nature of the Webkinz World site.
"Ganz, which doesn't disclose its financials, must now strike a delicate balance: maximizing profit from the fad without alienating parents and kids. Visitors to Webkinz.com spent more than a million hours there in November, but the site is free. As a result, "they haven't made anywhere near as much money as you'd think," says Sean McGowan, an analyst at Needham, who guesses Webkinz sales are north of $100 million. He adds that none of the nascent competitors has figured out how to capitalize on kids' Web time, either."
The sales are north of $100 million because Ganz created a safe and educational website that parents can leave their kids on without having to worry. Webkinz has grown because they are delivering high-quality FREE content, with the expectation that the website will drive more Webkinz sales, not that the website will produce revenue itself. Opening up web advertising, no matter how kid-friendly, will kill the brand and the site. Playhouse Disney opened up their website to advertising a few years ago. That was the same time we stopped allowing our kids to go to that site. My kids clicked on those ads like crazy and ended up God knows where. Disney forgot that the website was not there to make money, but to deepen the brand relationship they have with their customers (getting them to watch more playhouse Disney and buy more Disney toys). And from a quick look back at the Disney site, they have removed the advertising. They figured it out!!! Webkinz better as well - or they will destroy the safe environment they've created for children.
Key Takeaways
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2007 was a great year for content marketing. At the start of the year, most marketing professionals had never heard of the term. 12 months later, content marketing, the practice and the industry, are gaining speed. More and more marketing professionals are understanding the concept of selling - without really selling - through valuable and relevant content creation and marketing.
To cap off the year, I've included the top 5 articles from the Junta42 blog, as well as the top viewed and rated articles from Junta42. Enjoy! (NOTE: Analytics courtesy of Google Analytics.)
Top Content Marketing Articles from the Junta42 blog
Highest Rated Articles on Junta42 (combination Promote's, Page Views, and Time)
Most Viewed Articles on Junta42
Thanks to each of you for your support during 2007. Looking forward to a great 2008!
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Here is an interesting case study from Apple on the integration of audio learning via Apple's iTunes at Duke University. If you look at this from an organizational standpoint (not just an educational one), Duke realized that its customers (the students) craved new and engaging ways to access university content. The article goes on to say:
"[Duke] recognized that iPod would allow access to rich content anytime, anywhere, and do it extremely easily...[They] helped gain support at the highest levels of [the] administration for this notion of infusing a new and emerging technology throughout [the] campus. [Duke] also realized the value of partnering with Apple as they developed an entirely new way to distribute content."
There is always a concern over adoption status when businesses launch audio or podcasts initiatives. Probably the biggest concern is whether or not the customer group has the technology and the knowledge to use a product, such as an iPod, to access the content. Duke and Apple took this out of the equation by handing all 1400 incoming freshman a brand new iPod.
If you are planning on launching this kind of initiative in your organization, here are some key takeaways:
Here are some helpful links if you are planning on podcasting for your customer base:
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: A 2008 Marketing Prediction to Bank On: Why Simon Kelly and Content Marketing Rule! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: a-2008-marketin CATEGORY: branded content CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/21/2007 12:36:37 PM ----- BODY:
Just finished reading through an excellent article from Folio (a magazine/web site about the magazine industry) about their predictions for 2008.
Most of the predictions were on budgets (some good ones), recession, the economy, print vs. online, integrated media...blah, blah, blah. And then I come to my friend Simon Kelly's (Story Worldwide) predictions, which after reading, am now considering starting the Simon Kelly fan club (wait, he already won an award for that). Here are a few of Simon's gems:
"1. Brands will stop dipping their toes in the water and jump in with
both feet, realizing they can turn themselves into fully-fledged media
channels, supported by an ‘Authority to Publish’ that is rock-solid.
6.
The penny will drop that technology-based digital solutions are
not the answer. We’ve been to this dance before—CRM was supposed to be
the new nirvana but only resulted in enabling marketers to slice and
dice to the Nth degree but delivering nothing of value to the customer.
Web whatever is in danger of repeating the same mistake. Brands need to
step up and own this transition otherwise Microsoft/Yahoo/Google et al
will convince everyone there’s no alternative to the latest technology
solutions, forgetting the customer’s information needs in the process.
Publishers can help. Brands need to publish."
Simon makes some excellent points - and here is the key: If your brand is your relationship with your customer, how else can the brand/relationship survive without constant communication? Think about your own relationships. How can you get a friend, loved one, spouse to get more involved in a relationship? Easy. Talk about them, what interests them, what's important to them...their lives and jobs.
Call it whatever you want, content marketing, custom publishing, custom media, corporate media, branded content...whatever. The key is to tell the story not that you want to tell, but the story that your customers need to hear. That's how brands are created and built today. Ads can no longer to this by themselves. Our customers and prospects are too smart for that now.
Want to make a New Year's Resolution for 2008?
Take your brand back. Tell your customers not your story, but their story. If they are truly your customers, that story will be one in the same. Carpe Diem!
I caught this Burger King Whopper Freakout Video on the What's Next? blog and couldn't help but comment. The video, pitched and created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky, creates perhaps the ultimate case study for Burger King.
In the video, the following happens:
What's so wonderful about this is the brutal honesty (customers do not know that the whole thing is a practical joke). Most companies wouldn't take a risk to get THIS kind of content. It could realistically be the one of the greatest case studies for a product I have ever seen. Hat's off to BK.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Daniel Sitter, Idea Seller EMAIL: dan@superiorsellingskills.com IP: 71.76.59.80 URL: http://www.idea-sellers.com DATE: 12/21/2007 12:18:47 PM I just discovered your Blog Joe. You have some great material here and I have subscribed. Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.101.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/21/2007 12:49:13 PM Daniel...thanks for the note and comment. Excellent blog...especially your recent post on being an entrepreneur. How true you are!!! Happy Holidays! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Can Buzzfuse Help You Market Your Content? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: can-buzzfuse-he CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 12/20/2007 11:38:03 AM ----- BODY:
I stumbled across a service today called Buzzfuse. It immediately caught my attention (as a content marketer) with this statement:
"Buzzfuse is a content marketing system: we help content creators better market their content, and help consumers find the stuff they want."
Content creation is not a problem for most - marketing is usually the hurdle...so there is definitely a need for a service that helps businesses and individuals promote their content efficiently.
Here is how a business can use Buzzfuse:
Once that is done, you can select key content to promote to your customers. For example, I tested
this blog post called How Poor Marketing Kills Great Content and uploaded a few lines of simple code to the HTML (here is what it looks like on the right).
After uploading the code and activating the link, you can now send your article to your key customer distribution list. See the email below that I sent to myself. This is what it will look like if you distribute to your list.
Potential
As a new service, Buzzfuse has to get the word out like all startup online services. Bloggers get some of these benefits through a service like Feedburner (sends RSS subscribers emails of your posts). That said, I almost see Buzzfuse as a combination between Feedburner, LinkedIn and an online forum. This service may be especially useful for small businesses trying to create an ongoing conversation with their customers and prospects by sending them quality content.
Overall, I like what they are trying to do. The fundamental philosophy of Buzzfuse is dead on - businesses need help in marketing their relevant and valuable content.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Five Tips to Improve Sales with Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: five-tips-to-im DATE: 12/18/2007 02:51:52 PM ----- BODY:
Most small off-line businesses do not think seriously about driving sales through their website. Little do these organizations realize that your website may be your most important asset now and into the future.
I recently wrote this article for Contracting Business magazine (a magazine for heating and air-conditioning owners and contractors) about five tips to improve sales with content. Here are the five tips below, but please check out the entire story at Contracting Business.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Microsoft Uses Content to Attract Small Businesses STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: microsoft-uses CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 12/18/2007 01:32:28 PM ----- BODY:Say what you want about Microsoft, you've got to love their strategy to create relationships and sell products to small businesses. They are doing many things right, and a few things wrong that need to be corrected...let's review.
I received an email with this link promoting Microsoft Office Live Basics for Small Businesses. Live Basics enables businesses to reserve a domain name, create and update a web site, and create a centralized email hub for up to 25 email accounts (this part competes directly with Google Apps for small businesses, which I use).
It's not the product that necessarily caught my attention - it was the content on the site. There are two key areas to focus on: Articles and Tips and Community and Blogs. The site has over 250 articles and blog posts dedicated to small business solutions, many focused on small business online tools, tricks and techniques. Most articles are written by professional freelancers, which Microsoft is probably paying for (good move).
On the home page of the Microsoft Live Small Business site they promote an eBook from Startup Nation on the 11 ways to Create a Successful Web Site. Kudos to Microsoft for partnering with a recognized small business name such as Startup Nation. The eBook is free, but sign up is required. By giving up some information, you'll also receive a subscription to their Microsoft Advisor eNewsletter. Microsoft is employing the basic "free on free" technique of giving you something large for free (eBook), then getting something regular for free (the eNewsletter), in exchange for your email address.
Microsoft has the process down and is doing most things right when it comes to delivering content to target customers. That said, here are a few things Microsoft should look at to improve the site:
Overall takeaway - Microsoft is doing some great things with online content marketing, but even the biggest and best companies in the world don't have the content process entirely figured out.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Blog Carnival - The Best of Content Marketing #3 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: blog-carnival- DATE: 12/16/2007 07:56:01 PM ----- BODY:
Here is edition #3 on the best content from the web about content marketing and custom
publishing. Anything that will help you create better content for your
business, in whatever form, will be included here on a regular basis.
Not sure what content marketing is? Click here for the Ultimate Definition of Content Marketing.
40 Online Marketing Methods by Hans De Keulenaer from the Web Business Marketing Blog. He took our 42 Ways to Attract and Retain Customers to the next level.
Kenton Newby presents a five-minute video on Automatically Finding Ideas for New Website Content. Interesting take and service he discusses.
Kathleen Gage writes a nice piece called "Is Blogging Necessary?" on her Street Smarts Marketing blog. Most companies don't understand the opportunities that present themselves with a blog. Kathleen reviews the basics.
Mark Riffey presents Reach out. Regularly. Or theyâll forget about you. posted at Business is Personal.
Nice post by Bud Caddell from Imagination Publishing called Web Metrics, Are You Missing the Engagement Mark?
My Creative Team presents 11 Ways to Promote Your Website.
Newt Barrett from ContentMarketingToday covers 3 More Reasons Marketers Must Become Publishers.
Content Marketers: Don't Overlook the Basics from Pete at Relevant and Valued.
And here are some recent videos to check out that relate to branded content and content marketing:
Tiger Trap from Buick
Dr. Pepper's Cherry Chocolate Rain (I can't get this song out of my head).
...and a few microsites...
Dell Star Power
BMW XPLOR
Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty
For more, check out more Microsite examples at Junta42.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Sadler EMAIL: john@bitesize-marketing-nlp.com IP: 81.130.195.98 URL: http://bitesize-marketing-nlp.com DATE: 01/17/2008 04:16:09 AM I just joined up to your blog carnival and look forward to sharing and finding useful materials. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: John Sadler EMAIL: john@bitesize-marketing-nlp.com IP: 81.130.195.98 URL: http://bitesize-marketing-nlp.com DATE: 01/17/2008 04:16:36 AM I just joined up to your blog carnival and look forward to sharing and finding useful materials. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Content Conference: Finally, A Conference for Content Marketing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-content CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 12/14/2007 11:08:13 PM ----- BODY:
It's been a long wait, but there is finally a conference dedicated to excellence in corporate content. The Custom Publishing Council is putting on the premier conference dedicated to custom publishing and content marketing. The conference takes place from March 9-11, 2008 at the Marriott in New Orleans.
We all know it, but most marketers can't see it yet. They have the power to create conversations and relationships directly with their customers. No middle-men or distributors required. Organizations have the power to create great content through multiple formats that truly make a difference in their customers' lives. That's what this conference is all about. If you are at all interested in learning how to create more valuable content for your customers, and learn how to market it through the most effective formats - attend this conference.
Executives from Six Apart, Brand Keys, GlaxoSmithKline and the Advertising Research Foundation (among others) will be presenting their content expertise at the event. Junta42 is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for the event.
I truly believe that this will not only be a valuable event, but is important to the future of our industry. Content marketing has come a long way, but let's face it, there is still a lot of horrible marketing going on out there. Those marketers need help...but we can all do our part. Register by January 1, 2008 and receive $100 off the fee ($595 total)!
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chuck Francisco EMAIL: drivenail1@yahoo.com IP: 75.36.80.222 URL: DATE: 12/17/2007 11:38:04 AM Can't wait !! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Is Data-Driven Content the Next Killer Marketing App? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: is-data-driven CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 12/10/2007 11:39:39 PM ----- BODY:More and more, I've been running into businesses that are using Internet data to drive their content marketing efforts. What this means is that instead of an organization creating content for their websites in the form of text, audio or video, they are generating content by extracting information (data) accessible on the web.
Two excellent examples of this are Webbed Marketing and Hubspot. Webbed Marketing, an internet marketing company, created a very interesting tool on their website called the Webbed-O-Meter. The Webbed-O-Meter measures the amount of buzz your website is getting in the blogosphere by pulling in content from Yahoo! SiteExplorer,
Wikipedia,
Technorati,
NewsPad (PRWeb),
Feedster,
IceRocket,
Del.icio.us,
Digg,
Google,
and Google Groups.
Junta42 scored a not-too-pleasant 17.8 out of 100. According to the Webbed-O-Meter:
"A small hive, but a start. There are a handful of folks online that are Buzzing about this site. Interested in creating more Buzz? Contact Webbed Marketing and let us help you get people talking."
Regardless of the score, I love the concept, and the idea of attracting customers by offering a unique data formula set that creates unique content.
Internet Marketing Software company, Hubspot, has created a similar type of data-driven tool called the Website Grader. Website Grader pulls information from around the web to generate a report that measures your website against all others graded with the service. Here are Junta42's results for Website Grader:
"A website grade of 91 for www.junta42.com means that of the thousands of websites that have previously been submitted to the tool, our algorithm has calculated that this site scores higher than 91% of them in terms of its marketing effectiveness. The algorithm uses a proprietary blend of over a dozen different variables, including search engine data, website structure, approximate traffic, site performance, and others."
I've personally used Website Grader for about six months, both for myself and for clients. It's an incredibly helpful tool. Hubspot collects an email address every time you do the report (so they can send you a link to the final report). Since Hubspot has had my email they've notified me of their periodic educational webcasts. I've attended a few (which were both excellent), and have recently looked into purchasing their software package.
Now that's what I call content marketing.
I don't know if data-driven content will ultimately be the killer app, but it is definitely something that organizations need to consider as part of their total online content marketing and custom publishing program.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jonathan Burger EMAIL: jburger@industryweek.com IP: 199.0.65.2 URL: DATE: 12/19/2007 10:58:10 AM I certainly agree that the data-driven sites are cool, and I'd go further as to emphatically say they are what is coming next. "Rich data", as I call it, has the ability to transform the way people make decisions and even think. With the rise of large, interconnected datasets, an efficient program/algorithm can yield amazing results and can substantially supplant human decision-making from an accuracy standpoint. Removing the biases and inherent limitations of the mind will raise the number of successful decisions made in just about any industry you can think of. At least that's my opinion. :) It certainly won't be an overnight change, as it's a sea change that will result in lost jobs, reduced power for some omnipotents, and lots of hand-wringing on privacy issues. But eventually, human nature will lead us there. Right now it seems that the real value in all of this is in determining how best to use it -- and coming up with new ways to look at things. The gears that operate the number crunching and spit out the results are behind the scenes, and rightfully so -- it's the development and interpretation of the "mashups" is what drives the value of it all. That's where Webbed Marketing and Hubspot are doing new things. IMHO. Jon ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.101.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/20/2007 02:12:17 PM Jon...excellent insight...and better yet, you are right. Marketing professionals have an opportunity to either create or borrow data from their specific markets to "mashup" a better overall customer experience. What's even more interesting...this "mashup" data may be more powerful than any written content we could send to our customers. To your point, we aren't there yet, but we are getting much closer. Best Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: peter caputa EMAIL: pc4media@gmail.com IP: 68.118.247.212 URL: http://www.pc4media.net/blog DATE: 09/24/2008 05:37:15 PM I'm a chemical engineer/software developer turned internet marketer, so my opinion may not be representative of your average marketer. However, I think the future of all marketing is data driven. Online, pretty much everything is measurable. I've written a post about this: http://www.pc4media.net/Blog/bid/4011/Measurable-Marketing ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Doug Kessler EMAIL: Doug@velocitypartners.co.uk IP: 86.135.115.182 URL: http://Www.velocitypartners.co.uk DATE: 09/23/2010 03:46:15 PM Love this post. We did the website grader on velocitypartners.co.uk and I never actually thought of it as a form of content marketing. Of course it is. You got me thinking. Again. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: myFord Magazine Special Issue Spells Disaster STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: myford-magazine CATEGORY: case studies DATE: 12/07/2007 08:55:33 AM ----- BODY:
Last week I received a special issue of myFORD (myFordmag.com), Ford Motor's owner magazine, entitled "New Directions". First off, I've owned a variety of Fords over the past few decades, and they've all treated me well. But frankly, I'm not really sure what they are trying to do with the latest issue of their custom magazine. If the goal is "sell, sell, sell...feature, feature, feature" then they are doing a good job. myFORD has never been an elite lifestyle magazine (actually, it's always been pretty poor), but this one may take the cake.
There is no need to go into great detail on what's wrong with myFord magazine. It takes just one analysis.
There are 17 separate content sections in the magazine (mini-features, sidebars, etc.). Of the 17 areas, Ford is mentioned in the title or first sentence of 14 of them. What this means is that the magazine has nothing to do with customers...it's all about Ford. Just take a look:
"...Ford Focus is a sporty car with serious smarts..."
"...at Ford, hydrogen fuels are starting to hit full speed..."
"...Ford has received more 5-star crash ratings than any other..."
"...the Ford Personal Safety System responds in milliseconds..."
"...Ford is continually improving its vehicles..."
I'll stop there. I'm sure you are wondering what they did in the other three sections that did not mention Ford in the title or first line? One mentions the Focus (a Ford Brand), one mentions the Escape (another Ford Brand), and the last one is a short sidebar on "What Five Star Means". Wow, no mention of Ford...until the 4th sentence (and the big Ford Taurus Trophy next to it).
This is not content marketing...it may not even be marketing. I can't even start at recommendations or changes because there is no place to start. If I were Ford, I'd start over. Does anyone read this thing? (besides me, that is.)
It doesn't get better with the myFord website
While I was looking for the myFord website a couple things happened. First, I typed in myford.com into the browser. I was directed to a UK machine shop in Nottingham (which by the way is celebrating 74 years of service). I wonder how many Ford owners end up on that site. If Ford was smart, they'd do whatever it takes to get that URL (or should have picked a different magazine name).
Second, I came across an article on the Motley Fool called "myFord Makes Me Cringe" by Seth Jayson (I didn't realize there was a hate club against the magazine). You can read this for yourself, but here is a taste of what Seth writes:
"Yes, myFord is just a tiny bit of a vast company, but I also believe that sometimes we can diagnose the body's disease by examining a single digit. If this plug-per-paragraph magazine is any indication of the sophistication of Ford's marketing people, they need to take a break from laying off assembly-line workers and start hunting bigger game."
Ouch!
Finally, when coming to the myFordmag.com website, I found a collection of covers that direct you to digital magazines for each issue. Not a lot of thought went into this one. No user experience, no searching for articles, no finding answers to questions through magazine archives, no interactivity (I'll stop there). It could be so much more...
To Ford Marketing: As a Ford owner and someone who has and had many family members work at Ford, please, I beg you, do something...quickly.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Bud Caddell EMAIL: bcaddell@imaginepub.com IP: 65.161.179.98 URL: http://passion2publish.com DATE: 12/10/2007 02:12:21 PM Joe, dead on about the myFord website. Why is it acceptable to still only offer digi-mags? As I tell clients, when you move from one medium to another, you MUST adapt for an optimal experience. No one would ever consider merely printing a website and packaging it as a magazine -- why then, the reverse? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.241.101.196 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 12/10/2007 03:14:31 PM Good point Bud. There are many ways to leverage digital magazines, but Ford's is an example of how not to do it. It's funny how some companies use the digital magazine and pdf in this way...especially the likes of a company like Ford. Digital mags have very refined purposes, which unfortunately most are unaware of. I'll be blogging about this shortly. Too important of an issue. Keep the Faith! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: patrick kearney EMAIL: kearney26@msn.com IP: 76.116.148.18 URL: DATE: 02/08/2008 05:46:04 PM i just saw an advertisement for the new dodge challenger ,ford should bring back the ford capri2.8i i owned one in 1984 in ireland excellent car would be a good rival against the challenger ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: How Poor Marketing Kills Great Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: how-poor-market CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 12/05/2007 10:03:22 AM ----- BODY:
I was reading some excellent articles on the web that brought me back to a key issue faced by most marketers today - the marketing of content.
Look at it this way...the majority of companies (yes, including media companies) that have been creating quality content for years never had to worry about marketing their content. They had targeted databases and targeted direct mail lists and knew exactly where their prospects and customers are at all times. Marketing time and resources had always been used for brand advertising, sales initiatives, event marketing, direct marketing, etc., not to market the content. But today, since the average company spends almost a quarter of their marketing spend on content (according to the Custom Publishing Council), how can a company put so many resources behind something and not market it effective? Well, it's happening a lot. If that's your situation, this is a must read.
MediaWeek's recent feature on "Is Social Media Killing the Campaign Microsite?" brought attention to the fact that the microsite (or content web portal...content microsite) might be going the way of the 30-second spot. The author, Brian Morrissey, states that "the growth of social media is causing marketers to realize they cannot expect consumers to always seek them out."
Social media is just one aspect to this issue. Ever-changing buyer behavior and expectations are another. Regardless of the reasons, custom publishing content cannot be marketed the way it was in the past.
Let's take a look at the traditional custom publishing or content marketing campaign:
I may be simplifying this just a bit, but this is how 99% of the custom projects are produced. This is so five years ago.
It's Not All About You
I've been keeping up with the postings from the folks at PandemicBlog recently and picked up on this review of an article by Kevin Nalts on best practices for using viral videos. Kevin, one of THE experts in viral marketing with video, posted in the comments and they struck me as something so simple, but something most content marketers haven't realized yet. Kevin says...
"Would you go to Hersheys.com to watch funny videos? Probably not. Would you watch Hershey-sponsored videos via YouTube? Much better chance. It’s based on when pharmaceutical marketers wanted their brand site to be the “ultimate destination for people who have condition x.” Puleez- just go syndicate or advertise on WebMD."
This is true for not just video, but all your content that can be "webified". Heck, I'm a huge fan of the microsite. The microsite is not dead, it's simply just one way out of many that you need to connect and communicate with your customers.
There are no glass ceilings or content gates or, God forbid, concerns over where your content ends up. Don't be blind that, no matter how you promote your content, that people will just come and engage with your content.
Less Content, More Marketing
This is essentially the key, and there is no better example to this than in blogging. Successful blogging, to most people, is about frequency. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Said best by Eric Kintz at the mpdailyfix, blogging is not about "how often" but about how the blogger participates in the community. The same can be said for all of your web-based content. However you or your company are involved in physical communities in your industry, you need to double those efforts on the web.
I've had actual conversations with three industry experts this week about their web content (two marketers, one media professional). Each of them couldn't figure out why they weren't getting more traffic. Outside of the basic SEO fixes, the majority of it came down to poor marketing, not poor content. When I asked, "How are you marketing your content?" it was like I asked them if they were the missing gunman on the grassy knoll. And please, there is more to marketing your website than a little SEO and pay-per-click.
Here's the Point: Before you create any more "great content", figure out how you are going to market it FIRST.
A More Fitting Example
Let's end where we started, with the traditional custom magazine example. For the basic quarterly magazine project, here is one way to look at how to actually get the most "bang for your buck" out of your content, and truly create multiple avenues for qualified prospects and customers to reach you.
There are more, but this gives you an idea of the marketing that should be happening around your relevant and valuable content. Think of it this way...how much content have you or your organization created that you felt was so valuable but was only seen by one group of people, or possibly not engaged in at all. Marketing problem, not content problem.
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Pete Shemilt from the new UK blog Relevant and Valued created an interesting content marketing checklist that is worth a look. According to Pete, who created the checklist from a combination of our eBook and information from Client Path Marketing, "The framework can be used to explore which content marketing opportunities are most relevant for your organization and business."
What I like about this new checklist is the ability to choose the most appropriate content marketing device depending on the goal, taking a more broad term like "lead generation" and using more concrete terms such as acquire, convert, retain, grow, recruit and amplify.
Ultimately, in this new age of uncertainty for marketers, testing and experimentation is key (as Pete suggests). Possibly more helpful in the future is to take a chart like this and offer degrees of tactical importance. For example, if your goal is retention, is a print magazine more powerful than website content, or even is the combination of both more powerful than any individual tactic? Does it depend on the type of customer, or specific market? These are the questions that have no concrete answers...and until we get some hard and fast research, testing may be are only answer.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Pete Shemilt EMAIL: pete_shemilt@yahoo.co.uk IP: 82.25.242.75 URL: http://www.relevantandvalued.com DATE: 12/08/2007 06:05:17 AM Thanks for the article Joe. I think your point about the context of the market is an important one. Determining the relative power of each tactic will indeed depend not only on the objective but on the type of customer. I think the most effective research will be through implementing an iterative process of testing and refinement. If we make our marketing accountable, we can learn a lot more from the actual actions taken than we can from focus groups. ----- PING: TITLE: Buy ambien online order cheap ambien now. URL: http://www.youtube.com/user/1goodhealth IP: 208.109.181.83 BLOG NAME: Ambien online. DATE: 09/15/2009 12:16:38 AM Too much ambien online. Ambien online viagra. Ambien online. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: The Big Idea Won't Fix Your Marketing...think Small and Frequent STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: the-big-idea-wo CATEGORY: content marketing CATEGORY: marketers CATEGORY: predictions CATEGORY: small business marketing DATE: 11/29/2007 04:41:02 PM ----- BODY:The December 3rd issue of BusinessWeek featured an article about Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts, and the company's struggles to significantly grow revenue. More than anything, this article discusses the transformation that Saatchi and other large agencies are undergoing to stay relevant.
Times have clearly changed, and agencies, as well as traditional media companies, are struggling to find their way. The article states:
"For most of the 20th century the so-called creatives ruled the industry. They didn't worry about where or how an ad ran. They didn't analyze market niches. They were about Big Ideas that would connect a brand, emotionally, with millions of consumers. Today, you might say, the Small Idea is ascendant. Ads are targeted at individuals or communities of consumers. That's because the media universe is so fragmented--into blogs, social networks, television, magazines, and so on--that finding the right medium is fast becoming more important than the message itself. "
Couple of takeaways here. First, most agencies and creatives I know still search and believe in the big idea. I believe all humans do, to some extent. We believe and have faith that all our problems (and in this case, communication challenges) have one great and almighty solution. Sometimes, they do. But in media and marketing, this very rarely happens. Today, it's never just one big idea.
Look at it this way. If a heart attack victim survives and is on the road to recovery, it's not one thing that brings her back to health. It's many little things, accomplished and executed over many days, weeks and months. It's eating better, exercising regularly, maintaining a more positive outlook on life, smiling more...and so on and so forth. If you did just one of these, it would be ineffective. If you did all of them, just once, that's no good either. No "big idea" fix.
Now look at today's marketing. If you have a customer communication challenge, is one big idea going to fix that? Not in the least. It won't be fixed by a glam-packed 30-second spot, or print campaign or even the integrated strategy itself.
Here's the solution for 99% of the businesses out there: It's not one big idea but a series of small, ongoing conversations with your customers, distributed through the media your customers use. This requires intimate knowledge of your customer, and a determination to leave your customer, on each occasion, in better shape than you originally found them. Instead of one big bang, it's one brick per day that over the course of weeks, months and years builds a house, a true brand relationship with your customer.
This is done by communicating great content to your customer that helps them become, not necessarily emotionally tied to you, but intellectually tied to your brand. Educating your customers is probably the single greatest gift you could give them.
Second point, specific to this quote: "...finding the right
medium is fast becoming more important than the message itself." I'm not sure anyone really has the answer for this, but I'd position that it's neither. The most important is finding the right customer. The customer dictates both the medium and the message. Without the perfect concoction of both, the communication effort will fail.
To some extent we are all suckers for the big fix. Who really wants to create ongoing, educational content for customers anyhow? It's too much work. Yes, it may be too much work, but it sure does work.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Facebook: Ads Still Interrupt, Even if they Come with a Photo of My Sister STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: facebook-ads-st CATEGORY: social content marketing DATE: 11/27/2007 11:05:39 PM ----- BODY:
I was reading Danny Sullivan's article "Forget Facebook. Search ads are the real revolution" and couldn't get over the point that advertising, even in it's most targeted form, is an interruption.
Just in case you haven't heard, Facebook has been receiving some criticism over their new advertising platform. The digital content blog has a good 3 step description of the new program. In looking this over, there are a lot of opportunities for brands to get involved, but the one that is intriguing is the integration of your friend's referrals. Saul Hansell from the NYTimes puts it this way:
"...Facebook may be able to append the implicit endorsement of friends to ads on this network. Imagine checking out the forecast on Weather.com, and you see a banner with a picture of your buddy Joe, saying Joe just bought a Canon digital camera from Amazon.com next to an ad for the latest Canon model. If someone else went to the same site, they might see an ad featuring a product recently endorsed by one of his or her friends."
Please don't get me started on condoms or tampons.
There are all kinds of implications for marketers here, but the core issue here is that, as ultra-targeted as this is, it's still advertising. It still interrupts. It's still packaged around the content that you are trying to consume.
Should marketers be salivating over this opportunity? Possibly. Danny Sullivan puts it well in that "The trusted referral is indeed a holy grail, and Facebook will offer a new way to build word-of-mouth." Facebook has said that Coca-Cola, the New York Times, CondeNet and STA Travel are already on board, along with 40 other brands. For those marketers that have million dollar budgets, this is almost a no-brainer. I'd at least test it (almost).
For the rest of us with normal marketing budgets that need to make a significant impact on targeted buyers, try creating your own content...then take that content and leverage the heck out of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg and so on. Want proof that it works? Check out this WSJ article on five companies that created their own video offerings with incredible results.
So, would seeing a photo of my sister next to Purina dog chow be cool on Facebook? Sure! Better yet, Purina created PetCentric, where I can get great content about my dog and interact with other dog lovers.
You can always do both...but if I had the choice, I choose to BE the content.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Association of Publishing Agencies' Customer Publishing Awards 2007 Announced STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: association-of DATE: 11/26/2007 08:27:03 PM ----- BODY:
The Association of Publishing Agencies (APA), the UK organization focused on custom publishing and content marketing, announced their annual winners of their customer publishing awards. The grand award (customer publishing solution of the year) went to Boots' (Britain's leading pharmacy) parenting club magazine, published by Redwood.
The APA Customer Publishing Awards are focused on effectiveness, while their Olive Awards are more focused on creativity.
Below is a listing of all the winners. Congrats to all.
Customer Publishing Solution of the Year - Parenting Club Magazine, Boots produced by Redwood.
Most Effective Automotive Title - Today, Tomorrow, Toyota produced by Sunday.
Most Effective Finance Title - Roar, Liontrust produced by Cedar Communications.
Most Effective Travel and Leisure Title - About the House, Royal Opera House produced by BBC Customer Publishing.
Most Effective Membership Title - Parenting Club Magazine, Boots produced by Redwood.
Most Effective Public Sector Title - Camouflage, British Army produced by Haymarket
Network.
Most Effective Internal Communication - The Job, The Metropolitan Police produced by Seven Squared.
Most Effective Business-To-Business Title - Contact, Royal Mail produced by Redwood.
Most Effective Consumer Publication (Retail) - ASOS.com Magazine, ASOS.com produced by Seven Squared.
Most Effective Consumer Publication (Non Retail) - Sky Movies, BSkyB produced by Future Plus.
International Publication of the Year - Land Rover Onelife, Land Rover produced by Redwood.
Specialist Communication of the Year - Food 4 Thought, British Heart Foundation produced by John Brown.
Online Publishing Solution of the Year - HondaracingF1.com, Honda Racing produced by John Brown.
Launch of the Year - A Journal of Interest, Coutts produced by Seven Squared.
Integrated Marketing Solution of the Year - One Army, British Army Recruiting Group produced by Haymarket Network.
Designer of the Year - Tan Parmar, LIV, Volvo produced by Redwood.
Journalist of the Year - Claire Wrathall, High Life, British Airways produced by Cedar Communications.
Editor of the Year - Zac Assemakis, Land Rover Onelife, Land Rover produced by Redwood.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: Driving Customer Growth through Content STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marke-1 CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 11/26/2007 08:25:00 AM ----- BODY:Just wrote a "basics" article on Content Marketing for the About.com: Online Advertising site by Cory Treffiletti.
The article reviews a bit about what content marketing is, what companies are doing it and in what form (with specific links to examples), how to integrate content marketing into your overall marketing plan, and how to start your own content marketing plan.
Check it out when you get a chance. Also, tool around the site a bit. Cory provides some excellent information on online media buying.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 3 Steps to Initiating a Successful Online Content Marketing Program STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: building-your-o CATEGORY: online content marketing DATE: 11/25/2007 09:37:59 PM ----- BODY:I talk a lot on this blog about the importance of integrating content into your overall marketing program, and the various media outlets available for your corporate content. In this post, I'd like to focus not on why a content marketing focus is important, but how to implement one step-by-step.
Many businesses, especially small businesses, may not have the financial resources to create a glossy custom magazine program, but all companies can initiate a low-cost, effective online content marketing program today.
Here are initial 3 steps to creating an effective online content marketing program. This will cover the start-up phase. We'll cover execution in another post.
1. Determine which organizational goals will be affected by the content program.
An effective online content marketing program must directly tie to the overall objectives of your organization in order to be successful. Don't get into creating content because it's in style. Do it because it truly helps your customer and, in turn, your business. Here are some answers that I have actually heard before from marketing professionals that want to launch custom publishing programs:
Some of the above may sound reasonable to you. The problem with each of them is that they are not measurable and don't consider the customer for a second. How does driving more traffic to your Web site accomplish your organizational goals? Just because your company has lots of "great" information, does that mean that telling the story will bring you more revenue? Not in and of itself.
Most of the key problems with a content program result in a clear misunderstanding of organizational goals. So, let's start there. Organizational goals must be two things, specific and customer-focused. Here are a few examples of organizational goals:
The above may seem simple, but it's amazing how many marketing organizations don't bring these types of goals to the table when creating a content program. So, before you launch any content program, be sure to list out your key organizational goals. Once that is complete, understand which ones your are trying to affect with the online content program.
2. Determine the informational needs of the buyer.
Most people want to move directly into creating the goals for the content program. Makes sense for it to be that way, right? Now that you understand the organizational goals, and have chosen which one or ones will be affected by the content program, we can come up with some clear and measurable content marketing tactics. Right? Wrong.
Let me give you an example that is more personal. Let's say that you have a daughter who you want to shape into the next Tiger Woods. So, a reasonable goal for you (Earl Woods) would be for your daughter to win the junior nationals. Since that is your goal, you create a plan-of-action that includes finding a personal golf coach for your daughter, signing her up for the junior league program, as well as buying her the latest in golf equipment. Sound reasonable?
Unfortunately, when you created the plan, you didn't consult the customer on what you want them to be, or what THEY need for THEIR success model. What if your daughter doesn't like golf? What if she likes golf, but doesn't want to be in competitive sports? What if she's built for basketball, or engineering? Worse yet, you were so busy planning the strategy, you didn't realize she was left-handed.
This may seem like a terrible example, but this exact issue comes up in organizations all the time. Businesses create specific content so that customers react in very specific ways. Without a clear understanding of the customer's information needs, any reaction that is close to the end goal is pure dumb luck.
Successful businesses already have a pretty good understanding of their core buyer. In order to create an effective content program, you need to take it a step further. Businesses with content marketing programs create content that is supposed to do very specific things. Just think how pointless this would be if you didn't know what information the customer needs to make a better buying decision...a buying decision that ultimately leads back to the organization's overall goals.
Understand your customer by doing comprehensive research. Comprehensive research does not necessarily mean expensive. Think of your research as including the following:
By doing the above, you'll be able to create a buyer persona for your target customer, and a true understanding of what information they NEED that will effectively get you to your goals.
3. Determine what you want your customer to do and why this helps the business.
Have you ever asked someone who owns a company what their Web site is for? Most answers are scary and revolve around the ultimate response that is "because everyone needs a Web site". Even those companies that believe their Web site drives revenues for their business can rarely define exactly how.
Content marketing programs are no different. Organizations create custom magazines, newsletters, microsites, podcast series, etc. for all kinds of reasons. Many know exactly what they do and are supposed to do. Unfortunately, many others do not.
Before you initiate and create the content for your online content plan, make sure of the following:
If you have each of these components, then you can create very specific goals for your content program. Some of these goals will be easy to link to your overall goals, such as a business transaction. Others will be just a piece of the overall pie (that keep you going in the right direction). Examples of these may be:
Today, most organizations call these instances a conversion. Whatever you call them, make them specific and measurable in some way. Even print programs can measure conversions through group A/B benchmarking studies, or specific calls to action that drive customers to web landing pages.
In Summary...
Before launching a content program for your organization (business, association, non-profit, foundation, etc.), follow these three steps first:
By doing this, you'll be ready for the next phase of the plan, the step-by-step guide to executing an online content marketing plan. I'll be reviewing this over the next week or so.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Content Marketing: Direct Marketing with a Higher Purpose STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: content-marketi CATEGORY: content marketing DATE: 11/20/2007 02:37:55 PM ----- BODY:
I've always explained the definition of content marketing in chunks. I usually lead in with a quick definition like "editorial-style content delivered from organizations to customers through all types of media channels", or something like that. Sounds too textbook, doesn't it? Then I'd give a few examples. Then, if they still don't get it, I say "have you seen the airline magazines?" That usually does it.
Well, over the last few weeks, I've started using a new definition, "Content marketing is direct marketing with a higher purpose". People seem get that right away. I just got off the phone with someone who works in the direct marketing industry and they immediately got it. "Oh yeah, more than the offer, you are trying to build a relationship". Yes!!!
Let's take this a step further. Here is the definition of direct marketing on Wikipedia:
"Direct marketing is a sub-discipline and type of marketing. There are two main definitional characteristics which distinguish it from other types of marketing or advertising. The first is that it attempts to send its messages directly to consumers, without the use of intervening media. This involves unsolicited commercial communication with consumers or businesses. The second characteristic is that it is focused on driving purchases that can be attributed to a specific "call-to-action." This aspect of direct marketing involves an emphasis on trackable, measurable results (known as "response" in the industry) regardless of medium."
What's Similar?
Major Differences?
I think the biggest challenge to understanding content marketing is that it's easy to get outside the boundaries of what exactly a content marketing product is. A custom magazine is a very easy indicator of content marketing. It's valuable content, it's precisely targeted, and it usually has multiple calls-to-action (unlike direct which usually has one). A content web-portal is a little harder to peg. You create the content portal for a very specific group of people, and probably sent them direct mail and email to drive them to the site, but there are aspects that fall outside of the direct marketing equation. Examples may be a news release program that increases SEO (search engine optimization) to drive more relevant searchers to your site. Or a linking strategy that does the same. Does the fact that you don't "know" EXACTLY who you are targeting hurt the definition?
Get to the Point
Although you could argue many differences, although some inconsequential, the basic premise of content marketing being direct marketing with a higher purpose is sound. As a content marketer, I want to employ all the same tactics of direct mail except the call-to-action should reinforce a long-term customer relationship. That is done, not through an offer, but through great content that meets or exceeds their informational needs.
What say you?
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Glenn Nicholas EMAIL: glenn@om4.com.au IP: 124.169.139.242 URL: http://om4.com.au DATE: 11/23/2007 09:27:45 AM Nice insight Joe. I agree there are significant similarities, and also differences. Content marketing and direct marketing are joined at the hip when it comes to things like the importance of copywriting. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: 30 Thankful Truths of Great Corporate Media STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: 30-thankful-tru CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 11/19/2007 11:39:47 PM ----- BODY:
As Thanksgiving is upon us, I'd like to take time to thank all those companies who strive to make their customers and prospects more intelligent through the use of great content. Thanks to all those organizations around the world that believe in, and practice, the following content marketing truths:
Thank you to those companies that get the value of content marketing. For everyone else...there's no time like the present.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing Council Launches Content Magazine STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publis-1 CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 11/15/2007 10:04:59 PM ----- BODY:Congratulations to the Custom Publishing Council for their premiere launch of Content magazine. Content is a 32 page over-sized magazine that targets 35,000 marketing professionals, CMOs and media executives. The initial magazine was mailed out the 2nd week of November, with upcoming issues in January, June and October of 2008.
We (the Custom Publishing Council) have been discussing "putting our money where our mouth is" ever since I joined five years ago. Well, we've finally done it...and, with high standards to live up to, the team did some excellent work. After all, the association that promotes custom magazines better have a darn good magazine.
Take a look at the digital edition of the magazine. Of particular note, please check out Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni's piece on Connecting Customers with Brands. Samir and I had a nice conversation at the Pearl awards about the need to constantly refer to our readers not as readers, but as customers (and explains it very well in this editorial). The key is that using the term "readers" is short-sighted, and doesn't reference the true level of engagement the customer has (or can have) with a custom magazine or content marketing initiative.
If the brand has done its job of determining the informational needs of the customer, and provides relevant content to meet those informational needs and wants, a brand connection is not only possible, but probable.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: An Airport Study on Human Behavior - People Still Read! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: an-airport-stud CATEGORY: marketing musings DATE: 11/14/2007 09:40:51 AM ----- BODY:
My flight from New York to Cleveland was again delayed this past Friday, which gave me the opportunity to observe some human behavior. NOTE: The flight was delayed about four hours, and yes, people did look at me funny while I was doing this. The good news is that I didn't get assaulted.
Place: Laguardia Airport, Gates B5 - B8
Rules: Over a matter of 10 minutes (trying to get a snapshot of behavior), determine what activity was each person engaged in. Those people who were eating were not included, as well as children under 15 (best guess).
Audience: A broad dissection of ages, nationalities/ethnicities, and even split of sex. Generally, people seemed to be from New York, Ohio and Georgia.
Goal: To get a snapshot about what activities people were engaging in. Mostly, since I come from a publishing and marketing background, I wanted to see if people still read.
Findings:
Total Number of Participants: 123
Note: 2 people were involved in multiple activities (music/texting, music/computer)
Summary:
What can we take from these findings, other than the fact that I need to get a life? Here are some summary points of the above findings:
What this Means for Corporate Media Opportunities:
I think that was my biggest takeaway from this experiment...inspiration. People want to be inspired. I believe that it is your opportunity as a marketing professional to find ways to inspire your customers. Find ways to make your customer more intelligent. Help them make better decisions and live a better life in some way.
If marketing is the process of selling in a particular marketplace, the core of that process is to leave the customer in a better position than you found them in. Is that too much to ask? How great could your company be if that was your marketing mentality.
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: NW Guy EMAIL: brucenowjack@earthlink.net IP: 69.3.70.247 URL: DATE: 11/14/2007 11:00:53 AM Was it Ben Franklin that loved the fact you could say anything you wanted and support it with statistics? Remember that you took images of a captive audience; limited PC connectivity, no TV choices, and lots of time on their hands. I see the same instance every day on my half hour ferry ride into work. People crave to read when other options aren't so easily avaialable. That said, I think that there is a recent increase in reading; it's a matter of targeting the right audience with the right content. All said, thanks for the experiment. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi, Junta42 EMAIL: joe@zsquaredmedia.com IP: 76.243.199.207 URL: http://blog.junta42.com DATE: 11/14/2007 03:37:09 PM Hi Bruce...you are dead on with your comment. If you would have added a TV in that concourse area, you would have had a ton watching it. But since there was none, they were doing other things. Maybe better said is that people crave content of some kind, personal, television, through iPod, and the written word. It's up to organizations whether they want to be that content or surround the content people are engaging in. Thanks for the post! Joe ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mike EMAIL: mhorgan@penton.com IP: 207.190.41.8 URL: DATE: 11/16/2007 03:10:33 PM Joe, you really do need to get a life. I didn't see a stat for "People watching", which is what you were doing. Or maybe you were the one talking to yourself. If so, that's OK, we all do it (really). Or maybe you were the one knitting (for your sake, I hope note). Anyway, as always your posts are thought-provoking and entertaining. I'll leave you with this final thought...people crave interuption. Humans do not crave content, they crave distractions, and certain forms of content are just that -- distractions from life. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Blog Carnival - The Best of Content Marketing #2 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: blog-carnival-- DATE: 11/12/2007 03:38:25 PM ----- BODY:
The best content on the web about content marketing and custom
publishing. Anything that will help you create better content for your
business, in whatever form, will be included here on a regular basis.
Not sure what content marketing is? Click here for the Ultimate Definition of Content Marketing.
Terry Dean presents 18 Possibilities to Build Your Unique Selling Position posted at Internet Business Coaching by Terry Dean. Some good ones in here on the use of content.
Excellent overview of podcasting from Brian Carroll at MarketingProfs - Lessons Learned from Podcasting. If you are interested in launching a podcast, this is a must read.
Excellent starter checklist by Jeremiah Owyang on what you need to consider when launching your content marketing effort...So Your a Media Company Now? A Checklist for a Corporate Media Strategy.
Online Content Speaks Volumes - a white paper from Aberdeen. Some excellent research on the use of online content.
The New Advertising Outlet: Your Life - A Nike Case Study from the NY Times. Must read for anyone interested in branded content.
Greg Nicholas from OM4 discusses the difference between Content Marketing and Search Marketing. Learn the difference.
Newt Barrett from ContentMarketingToday on the Seven Deadly Content Marketing Sins.
...and a few popular content marketing microsites
Epsonality from Epson
Nike Plus from Nike
The Caveman's Crib from Geico
FedEx Stories from FedEx
MasterCard's Priceless
For more, check out more Microsite examples at Junta42.
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The only event that
focuses on
Custom Publishing
Custom Media
Content Marketing!
Conference Title: Re-Thinking Branded Content in the Age of Engagement
Sponsors
will have access to
senior management, business owners, and
decision makers at the nation’s largest
custom publishing companies and
most elite marketing-oriented businesses and associations.
Audience Reach
Event Attendees: Approximately 175-200+; primarily senior level executives and
principals.
Attendance at Custom Publishing Council events regularly include buyers from the following sample organizations:
| AAP |
| Ad Age |
| American Baby |
| BIV |
| Campbell-Ewald Publishing |
| Clifford Printing |
| Custom Publishing Council |
| Custom Solutions from SmartMoney |
| D Custom |
| DCP |
| Edelman |
| Folio: and CM Magazines |
| Hammock |
| Hanley Wood |
| Hope Health |
| Howard Sloan Koller |
| InCasu |
| Journal Communications |
| King Fish Media |
| Lane Press |
| Leverage Media |
| MacDuff |
| Marc Myers LLC |
| McMurry |
| Media Two |
| Media Ventures |
| Meredith |
| M-real |
| Nickelodeon |
| NXTbook Media |
| Pace Communications |
| Penton Media |
| Pinnacle Publications |
| Pohly Company |
| Publishing Executive |
| Redwood Custom Publishing |
| Rodale |
| Spafax |
| Story Worldwide |
| The Magazine Group |
| Time Inc. Content Solutions |
| Transcontinental |
| Underline Communications |
| Wax & Company |
| Wiesner |
Click here to view a complete list of Custom Publishing Council members.
Sponsorship
Opportunities
Pearl Sponsorship
(limited to 1 sponsor) ($15,000 net)
Pearl Sponsorship has been reserved and is not available. Please see below for other sponsorships available.
Gold Sponsorship ($6,500 net)
A Gold
sponsor receives:
Full-page advertisement in conference programSilver Sponsorship
($2,500 net)
A Silver sponsor receives:
Supporting Sponsorship
($1,000 net)
A Supporting sponsor receives:
We're Limiting Sponsorships for the Event. If this fits in your marketing plans for 2008, contact us today!
For more information about CCC sponsorship packages,
please contact
Joe Pulizzi, CCC Sponsorship Director, at joe[at]junta42.com (replace [at] with @),
216-941-5842.
Just returned back from the Custom Publishing Council Pearl Awards and dinner at the Rainbow room in New York. All involved did a fantastic job. Here are a few highlights.
>>Here is a link to the full list of Award Winners by category.
"Mr. Magazine" Samir Husni and Laurel Touby, founder of Mediabistro, co-presented the event and did a fantastic job. Mr. Magazine had a few very important comments throughout the night that included:
"We must appreciate the customer's time and constantly show them benefits through our content."
"Connectivity is most important. If we don't connect with our customers, we are out of this business."
"We don't want readers - we want customers."
"Good editorial is the only way to create customers. We can always fool them once. Consistent content is the key."
The Pearl Award for "Best in Custom" honoring overall excellence in editorial, design, strategy, distribution and fulfillment was shared by Lexus magazine (produced by Story Worldwide) and STIR magazine from Sherwin-Williams (produced by Hanley Wood Marketing. Congrats to both. I was lucky enough to share the table with the fine folks from Sherwin-Williams (Cleveland, Ohio natives).
Kelly Wins Caldwell
Story also took home another award in the form of Simon Kelly. Simon won the John Caldwell Award, which is the lifetime achievement award for the custom publishing industry (named after the late, great John Caldwell). Simon, a good friend and mentor, is truly one of the classiest and most respected people in all of publishing. Congratulations Simon...well deserved!
Pictures: Simon Kelly accepting his John Caldwell Award. Simon with Lori Rosen and Gretel Going from the Custom Publishing Council. Simon with Craig Waller, Pace Communications.
Here are a couple quotes from Simon's speech:
"There is $300 billion spent on advertising worldwide, trying to figure out that traditional marketing isn't working."
Simon's 4 Tenants:
"1. Make Money
2. Have Fun
3. Don't Do Business with Those You Don't Like
4. Do Great Things"
It's such an odd thing...almost like a pair of twins who have never met before.
No, not the Olsen twins! Online Content Marketing and Custom Publishing. By definition, these two industries are identical. The idea behind both is that businesses are publishers, delivering valuable information to targeted buyers. That said, when you talk to people involved in both sides, it's like they've never met before.
Today I was chatting with a couple of custom publishing professionals about David Meerman Scott (webinknow) and Brian Clark (Copyblogger). They've never heard of either. How could that be (I thought)?
On the flip side, when I talk to bloggers or influentials in the online content marketing space, most have never even heard of the Custom Publishing Council. Unbelievable.
Online Content Marketing...meet Custom Publishing Council. CPC, meet Online Content Marketing.
So what does this mean?
I'm not a fortune teller (other than what my son believes), but I foresee a great convergence coming (for all you Dark Crystal fans). As these two groups become acquainted, new competitive sets will be opened up acrossed the board in this industry. Custom publishers no longer will be competing with other custom publishers for your business. They will be competing with digital agencies, traditional advertising agencies, direct marketing firms, PR firms, and traditional publishers for your business (this has already started).
I believe that this means the impact on the capabilities in the field will grow exponentially (faster than they already are). Why? Because those firms that want to grow and succeed will have to evolve their online, overall content, social media, mobile, integration and measurement capabilities to satisfy you, the marketing professional.
Hard times ahead for those that are stuck in the printed past, and for those online marketing firms that don't understand the importance of integrating print into the equation (not sure what you've heard, but print is far from dead in the content marketing/custom media space).
Good times ahead for you!
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----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Joe Pulizzi TITLE: Custom Publishing Council Announces 2007 Pearl Award Winners STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 BASENAME: custom-publishi CATEGORY: custom publishing council DATE: 11/07/2007 08:47:42 PM ----- BODY:
The Custom Publishing Council just announced the finalists for their annual Pearl Awards. For those of you who don't know, the Pearl Awards recognizes marketers and publishers for excellence in custom publishing and content marketing (and is the elite award for custom publishers). Categories range from editorial and design categories, to integrated custom media and online content marketing for both business-to-consumer and business-to-business segments. The award ceremony is tomorrow evening (November 8th) at the Rainbow Room in New York. I'll be there and will post on the festivities.
See below for the finalists. Congratulations to all!
>>Added 11/7: Link to Pearl Awards Recap and John Caldwell Award Winner.
Winners are listed by category, title, custom publisher and client name,
included in parentheses.
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Magazine
Bronze: —Tie—
One, McMurry (Aon)
SIGnature, Pace Communications (Bluetooth)
Silver: Cellier, Transcontinental
Media (Societe des Alcools due
Gold: Gear
Head, Marketing Matters (AVAD)
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Newsletter
Bronze: Connect, DCP (WebEx)
Silver: For the Cure,
D Custom (Susan G. Komen for the Cure)
Gold: The x
Potential, The Magazine Group (K12)
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Other
Bronze: Bank of America 2006 Annual Report, Story Worldwide
(Bank of
Silver: Chevy Onserts,
Campbell-Ewald (Chevrolet Motor Division)
Gold: Patton Boggs 2006 Annual Review, Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
DESIGN | Best New
Publication/Web
Bronze: DeliverMagazine.com,
Campbell
Ewald (USPS)
Silver: —Tie—
US AirwaysMagazine.com, Pace Communications (US Airways)
SpiritMag.com, Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Gold: EndlessVacation.com, Story Worldwide (RCI Timeshare)
DESIGN | Best Cover | Less
than 250,000
Bronze:
Cleveland
Clinic
Magazine, The Magazine Group (The
Silver: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (
Gold: —Tie—
The Ritz-Carlton, McMurry (The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company)
in, Spafax (LAN Airlines)
DESIGN | Best Cover | More
than 250,000
Bronze: Deliver, Campbell-Ewald (USPS)
Silver: Amp'd-the
Magazine, Magner Sanborn (Amp’d
Gold: Sky, Pace Communications (Delta Airlines)
DESIGN | Best Overall |
Less than 50,000
Bronze: The Advertiser, The Pohly Company (ANA)
Silver: —Tie—
JetStyle, Ink Publishing Corporation (MAXJet Airways)
Renaissance, Pace Communications (Wachovia Wealth
Management)
Gold: —Tie—
Logistics, Kircher Burkhardt (Deutsche Bahn AG)
SIGnature, Pace Communications (Bluetooth)
DESIGN | Best Overall | 50,000 – 250,000
Bronze: in, Spafax (LAN Airlines)
Silver: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (
Gold: —Tie—
STIR, Hanley Wood Marketing (Sherwin-Williams)
Momentum, Journal International Verlags (Glashütte Original Watches)
DESIGN | Best Overall |
More than 250,000
Bronze: Spirit, Pace Communications (Southwest
Airlines)
Silver: Lexus, Story
Worldwide (Lexus)
Gold: Pure Canada, Spafax (Canadian Tourism Commission)
DESIGN | Best Use of
Illustration | Less than 250,000
Bronze: Capital Acumen, Custom Solutions from SmartMoney (US
Trust)
Silver: Little Brown Book,
Rodale Custom Publishing (Bloomingdale’s)
Gold: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (
DESIGN | Best Use of
Illustration | More than 250,000
Bronze: US Airways Magazine, Pace Communications (US Airways)
Silver: American Way, American Airlines Publishing (American Airlines)
Gold: Deliver, Campbell-Ewald (USPS)
DESIGN | Best Use of
Photography | Less than 250,000
Bronze: enRoute, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: Real Estate
Portfolio, The Magazine Group (National
Association of REITS)
Gold: Living
Outdoors, Edelman (Laneventure
Furniture)
DESIGN | Best Use of
Photography | More than 250,000
Bronze: Rouge, Javelin Custom Publishing (Procter & Gamble)
Silver: Sky,
Pace Communications (Delta Airlines)
Gold: Lexus, Story Worldwide (Lexus)
DESIGN | Best Tie-In with
Other Corporate Marketing Objectives
Bronze: The x Potential, The Magazine Group (K12)
Silver: Voyageur,
Pace Communications (Carlson Hotels Worldwide)
Gold: WebMD the
Magazine, The Magazine Group (WebMD)
DESIGN | Most Improved |
Less than 250,000
Bronze: Crain's Life, Leverage
Media (Crain’s New York Business)
Silver: Lowe's Moneyworks,
Campbell-Ewald (Lowe’s Home Improvement)
Gold: MCOm, McMurry (MCOm)
DESIGN | Most Improved |
More than 250,000
Bronze: Dodge, Meredith (Daimler Chrysler)
Silver: New Outlook, Redwood
Custom Communications (Sears Canada)
Gold: Investor, Custom Solutions from SmartMoney (T. Rowe Price)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Magazine
Bronze: —Tie—
Cellier, Transcontinental Media (Societe des Alcools due Quebec)
You 24, Rodale Custom Publishing (24-Hour Fitness)
Silver: Your Business, Meredith (DEX/Data Exchange Corp)
Gold: Return on
Equities, Doubledown Media (Merrill
Lynch)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Newsletter
Silver: The x Potential, The
Magazine Group (K12)
Gold: Connect, DCP (WebEX)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Other
Silver: Bank of America 2006 Annual Report, Story Worldwide (Bank of America)
Gold: Patton
Boggs 2006 Annual Review, Leverage
Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
EDITORIAL | Best New
Publication/Web
Bronze: Product Source, PRISM Media Group (Dallas Market Center)
Silver: USAirwaysMagazine.com, Pace Communications (US Airways)
Gold: SpiritMag.com, Pace
Communications (Southwest Airlines)
EDITORIAL | Best Cover
Lines
Bronze: Sky, Pace Communications (Delta
Airlines)
Silver: On Investing,
Custom Solutions from SmartMoney (Charles Schwab)
Gold: WebMD the
Magazine, The Magazine Group (WebMD)
EDITORIAL | Most Improved
Bronze: Secured, McMurry (IBM)
Silver: Ed Tech, Focus on K12, The Magazine Group (CDW)
Gold: Destination, Journal International Verlags (Marriott
Hotel)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |
Less than 50,000
Bronze: Smart Decisions, Leverage Media (CoulterCranston Thomson
West)
Silver: Centurion, Journal
International Verlags (American Express)
Gold: synnovation, D Custom (EDS)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |
50,000 – 250,000
Bronze: enRoute, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: Proto, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Gold: The
Ritz-Carlton, McMurry (The
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company)
EDITORIAL | Best Overall |
More than 250,000
Bronze: You 24, Rodale Custom Publishing (24-Hour Fitness)
Silver: Spirit,
Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Gold: Lexus, Story Worldwide (Lexus)
EDITORIAL | Best Special
Feature | Less than 50,000
Bronze: Fed Tech, “Tag
and Release,” The Magazine Group (CDW)
Silver: Renaissance, “Pure Power,” Pace
Communications (Wachovia Wealth Management)
Gold: Renaissance, “A Girl Named Maria,” Pace Communications (Wachovia
Wealth Management)
EDITORIAL | Best Special
Feature | 50,000 - 250,000
Bronze: in, “Latin American Art,” Spafax (LAN Airlines)
Silver: nyse magazine, “Developing the Future,” Time Inc.
Content Solutions (NYSE)
Gold: Big Ideas in Technology, “Spy v. Spy,” Leverage Media (Goodwin Procter LLP)
EDITORIAL | Best Special
Feature | More than 250,000
Bronze: Callaway Golf, “Inside Arnie’s Workshop,” MacDUFF
(Callaway Golf)
Silver: diane, “If I
Could Close My Eyes,” Rodale Custom Publishing (Curves)
Gold: all
animals, “American Tragedy,” Time
Inc. Content Solutions (Humane Society)
STRATEGY | Best Achievement
of Corporate Objectives
Bronze: Cleveland Clinic Magazine, The Magazine Group (The Cleveland Clinic)
Silver: —Tie—
Merrill Lynch Advisor, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Merrill
Lynch)
URmagazine, Rogers Publishing, Ltd. (Rogers Wireless)
Gold: Patton
Boggs 2006 Annual Review, Leverage
Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
STRATEGY | Best Distribution
Strategy
Bronze: CollegeReady,
Pace Communications (Wachovia)
Silver: Capital Thinking, Leverage Media (Patton Boggs LLP)
Gold: Washington Flyer, The Magazine Group (Metropolitan Washington Airports)
STRATEGY | Best New Launch
or Re-launch
Bronze: Connect, DCP (WebEX)
Silver: Endless Vacation,
Story Worldwide (RCI Timeshare)
Gold: usaa.com magazine, McMurry, Inc. (United
Services Automobile Association)
STRATEGY | Best Proof of
Return on Investment
Bronze: onAir, Spafax (Air Canada)
Silver: My Ford, Time Inc. Content Solutions (Ford Motor
Company)
Gold: Chevy
Onserts, Campbell-Ewald (Chevrolet
Motor Division)
STRATEGY | Best Tie-In with
Marketing/Multimedia Campaign
Bronze: Spirit, Pace Communications
(Southwest Airlines)
Silver: Amp'd—the
Magazine, Magner Sanborn (Amp’d Mobile)
Gold: Little Brown Book, Rodale Custom Publishing (Bloomingdale’s)
BEST IN CUSTOM : HONORING
OVERALL EXCELLENCE
The Best in Custom Award recognizes products that achieve overall
excellence in the following categories: editorial, design, strategy,
distribution, and fulfillment of the client’s marketing objectives.
Bronze: Amp’d—the Magazine, Magner Sanborn (Amp’d Mobile)
Silver: Spirit, Pace Communications (Southwest Airlines)
Gold: —Tie—
Lexus, Story Worldwide (Lexus)
STIR, Hanley Wood Marketing (Sherwin-Williams)
Just follow me on this story...I'll get to the point, I promise.
So I was on my way back from American Business Media's Top Management Meeting in Chicago yesterday. Flight out of Midway to Cleveland via Continental Airlines on a small 40 person Commuter plane. Outside of the very windy conditions, we made it up in the air with no issues. That's when it started to get interesting. On our descent into Cleveland, we were told by the Pilot that visibility was so poor that Cleveland closed down the runways for 20 minutes. About 10 minutes later, we were notified that we would be flying to Detroit because we were running low on fuel and the Pilot didn't want to put us all in a "bad situation". 25 minutes later we were in Detroit for hopefully a "gas and go".
Great news! Cleveland was all clear, we had our gas, and now we were third in line for takeoff. Wait a minute. Just before taking off, we were directed to another runway because wind conditions had changed. Another 10 minutes to get to the new runway. While looking out the window, I could see about 20 planes waiting in line and another 10 with lights in the sky circling above. Then, the Pilot, in discussing this "dynamic situation", advised us that there were now 80 planes waiting to take off from the same runway, and it's going to take about 15 more minutes to figure this out (Time is now 7:45pm EST...arrival time was supposed to be 6:00pm EST).
Great news! We are somewhere between 8 and 16 for takeoff. 10 minutes later we were off and arrived in Cleveland at approximately 8:4
