My mission in this blog is to simplify social marketing techniques and strategies for you so you can make sales happen! Need more help with social marketing and content creation? Contact me.
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07 April 2011
Ignite Your Business (but read the book first) | Review of "Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, EBooks, & Webinars"
I just read Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman's new book Content Rules. Get it? Content. Rules. It’s a great double entendre.
And yes, the book describes in detail 11 "rules of content marketing" (see below), but more importantly, it proves just why you now need to be a content creator and curator, or else you won't survive the shift in how consumers gather information, make buying decisions, and drive brand loyalty. Yes, you heard me: you won't survive.
Your prospects aren't looking at your slick TV or print ads anymore; they've learned not to trust traditional advertising, and instead to rely on word-of-mouth recommendations, which they get by interacting with their communities online.
They're reading and viewing your blog posts and comments, white papers, e-books, twitter posts, Facebook fan pages, videos, podcasts, and Flickr photos. They want information before they buy -- more than an advertising tagline. They're checking to see how much of an authority you and your company are in the industry. They want to see that you understand and know their online tribe or community. They're looking to see how many other customers are reading and passing along your thought leadership. All this helps them decide whether your company/product gets their dollars or not.
In a nutshell, it's our responsibility as entrepreneurs to tell our own stories and create content that helps people find us, find value in us, and ultimately buy us.
Ok, so now that I've convinced you to start Content Marketing immediately, what should you do? Well, start with this book. Content Rules is well-written, concise, funny, irreverent, and filled with lots of practical knowledge and how-tos. Of all the Content Marketing handbooks out there (and I'm a prolific reader), in my opinion, this one is the bible.
Handley and Chapman's "11 Rules" of Content Marketing include wisdom such as:
• Share and solve; don't shill (this is a BIG one!),
• Embrace being a publisher,
• Show, don't just tell, and
• Stoke the campfire.
There are 6 more rules, all carefully (and humorously) explained, with practical examples.
In marketing for my own clients, I’ve found that telling stories about how customers use their products, as well as participating often and credibly in relevant online communities where potential audiences hang out, has lead to more leads and more sales for them. I can definitely say that here at 3to5 Marketing, content rules!
(BTW, for the second best review of Content Rules, take a look at this video from Unmarketing's Scott Stratten - another of my favorite (and irreverent) marketing gurus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kni5kTtPg58)
Need help developing or implementing your business's content marketing strategy? This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and lets make your content rule!
