Thanks Bob- this is a great article. I am publishing it to the group- and will take a copy to our event tonight to pass around and remind people to get on-line and read!

Cheers, Mari

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

Good stuff we often don't think about!

It was a very genuine group of people and very interesting conversation and ideas. Thanks Allen for hosting a great event!

Great poits Dina- especially about uping the commitment and satisfaction!

Those are great tips! Thanks.

One thing I "accidentally" started doing this spring is this: when I am doing an informational presentation I record an audio podcast of the talk (or a similar one) before the event. And then, after the event , I e-mail the link to the audio file to both those who attended and those who wrote me saying they were interested but for whatever reason could not attend.

This came about when I was hosting a group coaching call that evolved into a discussion about a topic I knew I was going to present on later in the month. So I thought I would record it and just offer it up in case anyone cared.

It turned out to be a HUGE success. It allowed me to share what I was thinking about presenting with folks who became co-creators of the content. And even better it allowed people who attended the call a chance to share what they learned with colleagues who could not attend the talk and to simply refresh their learning. People who had to cancel at the last minute also were pleasantly surprised to get the added bonus.

Best of all it lets me off the hook on making sure I say everything I want to say. I know that participants have access to a handout and a podcast so the information is there. That way I can focus on what is really important which is being present, building relationships and learning new things from the people who attend.

It seemed like extra work at first- but in the long run it seems to be making things easier.

That is my tip for now....

SO- tag you are it. Whoever reads these needs to post the next tip!

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend this week after all. Looking forward to meeting you all next time!

Cheers, Mari