Jason Ball

Specialist B2B copywriter and marketing strategist
Haslemere, Surrey United Kingdom

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Making Sense of Content Marketing

There's a lot of talk about content marketing right now. But where do you start? And what are the pitfalls to avoid?

Written Jun 30, 2009, read 1028 times since then.

Content marketing is one of today's hot marketing topics – particularly in B2B. It's been fuelled by the perception that traditional push marketing doesn't work in a social media driven world – it's too shallow, too manipulative, too inauthentic.

While this view is almost certainly overstated (plenty of push marketing campaigns are still generating healthy responses) it has a point. There is a widespread desire on the part of customers for more human, less spun communications that add value to their decisions rather than muddying the waters.

The answer for many marketers is content. While it is being touted as the bright shiny new thing, there is of course nothing really new about content itself (white papers, for example, have been around for as long as the technologies they talk about). The new news is really in the shifting of content to the core of B2B marketing strategy and the explosion of distribution channels.

Creating compelling content

The key to developing an effective content marketing strategy is, as with all marketing, relevance. More than ever you need to step into your customers' shoes. What are they struggling with? What do they need to know? How can you help them? (Note: help not sell.)

On top of this, why would your customers send your content on to their colleagues and fiends? What value are you adding? This brings me on to...

Content shouldn't be passive or static or a one-off

Going back to the white paper, there is a danger that content is viewed as the Switzerland of marketing – neutral, disengaged, passive. The reality is quite different. While content does not assume the overt sales role of advertising or direct marketing, it should be anything but passive. Good content is a conversation. It engages the audience. It is part of a process (not simply the end of one).

It is critically important to take the long view of your content marketing programme – how does one piece of content lead to another? How and where are you inviting customer participation? What tools are you building in to help customers achieve their aims (and which will give your content a viral aspect)?

Think once, create many

As I mentioned above, there are now a wider variety of ways to deliver content. So when creating your content, don't simply stop at the usual suspects (eg variations on a PDF document). Not everyone wants to read off screen.

So in addition to ebooks, create variations of the content as a podcast, presentation, video, an editable wiki, blog post, dead tree book, a newsletter, a webinar, an application or widget – and that's just for starters. Of course, you don't have to do the lot but by widening out the media you use you will widen the reach and increase the effectiveness of search.

And distribute everywhere

There are so many distribution options for content it's staggering. For PDF-like material (docs and presentations) – check out Slideshare, Scribd, HubPages, Authorstream and Slideboom. For video there is, of course, YouTube (where you can create a branded channel quickly and easily) but also Vimeo, Dailymotion and a bunch of others. For podcasting, there are iTunes, Podcast Alley and many more. And for community there are LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook or, if you want to create your own, Ning.

Then there's promotion which can cover everything from traditional media through to rich online media housing your content and on to Twitter, blogs, RSS, Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon – the list goes on and on.

The trick, once again, is to take a holistic view of your entire programme. Although, importantly, to also relinquish control allowing your audiences to share and distribute your content too.

Isn't all this just thought leadership in new clothes?

Well yes and no. Thought leadership is a legitimate and laudable aim of a content marketing programme. But it is not the only aim. The end result of pretty much any content marketing programme should be the perception that you are the go-to people to talk to. However, pure play thought leadership is not the only game in town.

If we have all learned anything in the last couple of years, it's that community matters. Consumer generated content has already gained adoption in B2C. And B2B itself has a long history of round tables and testimonial case studies. What this means is that it is not always necessary to be the thought leader as long as you know the people who are and can get access to their heads and opinions.

5 approaches to try for starters

There are numerous approaches you can take to begin developing a content marketing programme. Here are 5 to get you going:

Grow your own expert – every business has a few experts (in B2B they tend to have more than a few). Find yours and use their brain(s) mercilessly. If they are articulate and presentable, use the rest of them too. Just make sure you remember this is about helping customers (not showing off).
Rent someone else's expert – short on experts? Need greater impartiality? Speak to an analyst house to help you create high value content without it being tainted by the suspicion of spin.
Make a stand – what do you hate in the market? More importantly, what do your customers hate? Take a stand, rail against it, begin a movement.
Research – traditional or social research can arm you with invaluable content and an excuse to engage customers and prospects. Make it really good and it could get you on Radio 4.
Community of gurus – bring customers and partners together to create a thought leadership community. Run invitation-only summits and round tables. Create a home for them online. Hang a forum off it for everyone else to get involved. Poll for opinion and incorporate it into the discussions.

There are of course many, many other options.

I'll leave you with a final round up:

Content is an important tool for today's B2B marketers
It is fundamentally about helping customers achieve more
You need to take a holistic view
Think once, create many
Distribute everywhere

Learn more about the author, Jason Ball.

Posted by Matthew Klug, Seattle, Washington | Jul 02, 2009

Very interesting perspective. As someone that represents a social network the delivers compelling content, I think you are dead on. Content is very important but it needs to tell a story or create a call to action in order to keep your audience interested.
Posted by Milton Wershow, Seattle, Washington | Jul 02, 2009

I have read your article. When I come across a great article then I find that I must re-read the article more than two to three times. Your article is one where I will dive deeper with the message you have bestowed upon us or me for sure. It takes time to dijest the worthiness of the content and then how to apply.

So many of us are new to this World of Networking and jumping back into the race so to speak.

With my first read it is easy to state that you address integrity. In this day and age it is never more important to find solutions with those of integrity.

I am an old school video producer/ director. Today's world of video especially over the Internet is a new country.

With what I call the upside down cake of our economy I am trying to be a human sponge and soak up what others are facing in trying to grow and prosper.

I am learning that in my trade that we as video producers must step up to the plate and get real with costs for video presentation to customers.

With video communication marketing the price for quality representation in video must become realistic which means finding ways to give the product at price that is truly affordable.

Sure you have the production costs involved but there are methods that can work where these costs can drasticaly be reduced.

Your article states exposure, communication, and truly much more. I still do not understand the twitter, facebook but I do feel that video communication is vital but in such a way where one can collect a variety in presentations where the price allows a campaign to be realized.

As you state a community were we all can roundtable the alternatives would be quite refreshing. customers and partners.

Great Article Sir!
Posted by Mari Geasair, Denver, Colorado | Jul 02, 2009

A very good bit of content! :-)

I particularly liked:

It is critically important to take the long view of your content marketing programme – how does one piece of content lead to another? How and where are you inviting customer participation? What tools are you building in to help customers achieve their aims …

I think many business owners fall into the trap of creating one bit of content and then stopping- instead of thinking of the content as a string of steps that we follow one after another in order to create a solid TWO way relationship over time.

Good content can create good relationships with the people (customers, referral partners, other experts) who can help you grow your business for you so you do not have to do it alone.

And that is exactly what I will do with YOUR content; point people to it so that they can learn from you and at the same time think highly of me because I am helping them out by knowing they should read what you have to say.

Thanks, Mari
Posted by Akira Morita, Durham, North Carolina | Jul 02, 2009

"Content Marketing"... ah-huh, so that's what they call it these days. I try to tell people that branding is more than the "looks" and it's all about the story & relationships. Maybe I'll try this buzz word next time:)
Posted by Jason Hulott, Westgate on Sea, Kent United Kingdom | Jul 03, 2009

Jason, great article. Thanks for the syndication resources a few new ones on me. It always amazes me that people think content and web sites are a one time event.

The sooner people wise up to the fact they have to keep their site up to date and continue to add relevant useful content the better.

Also that content is not just words on screen but images, documents, presentations, video, audio...
Posted by Dike Drummond MD, Mt Vernon, Washington | Jul 03, 2009

Hey Jason,

I agree with everything you have said AND I have a couple suggestions for amping up anyone's content marketing program.

HEADLINES: Since much of content marketing uses print such as blog posts, articles, etc. HEADLINES are as important as ever.

You get about 6 seconds to grab the attention of the average internet surfer so your Headline/ Subject Line or Title of your piece had better rock.

I suggest you take as long to craft the title as you took to write the article. Nuf said.

SYSTEMIZE IT If you plan to market with articles/blog posts/videos on the internet ... turn it into a system and schedule it regularly. It does you no good to post an article to ezinearticles.com randomly every once in a while.

Make the committment to do it twice a month for 6 months with a "sticky" website to back it up and garner new sign ups and only then measure how many leads have come in in this fashion.

AND I guarantee you that good content with attention getting headlines will get you LOTS of new website signups ... it is "old school" and it really works!

My two cents,

Dike

Dike Drummond MD http://www.superteams.com http://www.investortours.com http://www.leadershipstylesblog.com http://the-commercial-investor.com
Posted by Diana Hathaway Timmons, Gig Harbor, Washington | Jul 03, 2009

Excellent article! Thank you for a clear way to look at content marketing. I know that I'll be referring back to this one many times, as you've provided such an in-depth view of this.
Posted by Jesse McFarlane, Sheboygan, Wisconsin | Jul 03, 2009

Dike makes a great point about putting systems into place--often when I'm brought in by clients to help them into the social environment they are daunted by the seemingly high ROI of pushing content to so many different audiences. A strong systematic approach using available multi-network tools and aggregation techniques is essential to not only cut down on your time investment but to multiply your reach and returns.
Posted by Milton Wershow, Seattle, Washington | Jul 04, 2009

I would like to learn from all that posted what would be your idea of a campaign with different types of business. Services? goods? media? I would love to learn by example if possible. Do you believe that a company needs more than one pr video? More than one logo? Wrting Articles? These Blogs? What would you state in these blogs?

I sure do like all these posts and wish again to learn by example. Hope you will share these examples. Have a great day.
Posted by Doug Kessler, London United Kingdom | Jul 06, 2009

Good one. We just published a B2B Content Marketing Workbook that y'all might find useful. You can download it from:

http://www.velocitypartners.co.uk/2009/06/09/the-b2b-content-marketing-workbook/
Posted by Milton Wershow, Seattle, Washington | Jul 06, 2009

What does your book state about the need for a pr video campaign? Do you need just one or a series of videos that addresses your business.

I am curious to learn your answers.