INTRODUCTION: When it comes to marketing, advertisement, and client relationships, the technology may change, but for entrepreneurs around the world one basic question remains: How can I get my message to stand out from the rest and reach the customer? Marketing and communications specialist Joe Pulizzi knows the answer to that question and many more, and he shares his expertise through his books, podcasts, and training events.
7SR: At the beginning of the 21st century, you coined the phrase “content marketing.” Some of our readers may not be familiar with this concept, so would you please explain what that means?
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
Content marketing’s purpose is to attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating relevant and valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior. It is an ongoing process that is best integrated into your overall marketing strategy, and it focuses on owning media, not renting it.
7SR: New and established business owners can learn a lot from your online blog and regular podcasts, but you also offer self-paced training through online courses that cover seven topics: planning, audience, story, channels, process, conversation, and measurement. What makes each of these areas an important topic for businesses to focus on?
The majority of businesses that get involved in content marketing do not document their content marketing strategy. We know, through our research, that the most effective marketers document their strategy before launching an initiative. While there is no one right way to do content marketing, we believe the planning through measurement framework we’ve built is the best place to start. Also important is this – creating amazing content is not enough. We need to think about how we are going to distribute it and measurement before we start to develop any ongoing content.
7SR: Some of your clients include major international corporations that have huge marketing budgets and hundreds of communications staff. How can a solo entrepreneur use the same techniques effectively?
Actually, I just launched a book and a podcast for entrepreneurs on how to do this. We’ve identified six steps to making this happen – finding your sweet spot, identifying your content tilt, building the base, harvesting audience, diversifying the portfolio and then monetization. For more information on this model, go to this link: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/content-inc/
7SR: While much of advertising relies on the impact of powerful images, marketing also depends on communicating with the right words. How can people improve both their verbal skills and their reading skills to become better communicators?
Read. A lot. The best content creators read books and information sources of all kinds.
Also, the key to becoming a leading expert in your niche means focusing on the three-legged stool – the blog, the book and speaking. For an individual to be an expert means focusing on all three parts. Start with the area that feels most comfortable for you. The key is to focus on a content area where you can actually become the leading informational resource. To go big, go small with your content niche.
7SR: What do you see as the next trend in content marketing and online business communication in the coming year?
Our competitors can copy anything we do, except for how we communicate (referring to Don Schultz’s great words). Innovative businesses will focus on creating amazing content experiences for customers that truly position that company as an indispensable resource. I believe the best way to launch a company or launch a new product category is with content first. Many businesses, looking to cut their time to market, will actually start to buy niche media companies to buy that position instead of building it.
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