Mid-Summer Review: Content Marketing Check List for 2009

We're smack dab in the middle of 2009...and I'm wondering how you're doing with your content marketing efforts? I know I'm reviewing mine and what I see is a glaring lack of posted video clips to augment all the written content on my blogs, Twitter and Facebook updates.

Here's what I predicted at the end of 2008, along with some words of wisdom from Joe Pulizzi, Junta42:

"If 2008 was the year social media went mainstream, 2009 should be the year of content marketing, the corporation as media company, the brand as publisher and broadcaster," says Junta 42 publisher Joe Pulizzi.

It's true that much of what you read these days about online marketing is about using Twitter, Facebook and social sites effectively. And most of what experts are saying about using these sites has to do with the quality of your content marketing and how to tie into building your brand and relationships.

If you haven't been keeping up with all this, don't worry. Some of us just aren't early adopters. What is becoming crucial is that we can no longer afford to NOT pay attention to content marketing, be it on a blog, email newsletters, or on Twitter.

It doesn't matter if you're part of a big corporation trying to brand and market your products and services, or a solo professional or small business owner.

Creating content that engages readers is the challenge. You can forget going out and buying an ad. You've got to write - or hire someone to write for you.

Here's a checklist for your mid-year content marketing review. I'm writing this primarily with the independent professional in mind (doctor, lawyer, coach, consultant, speaker, etc.), but the same principles apply to small and even large businesses.

6 Main Content Marketing Points:

1. An interactive blog presence, encouraging comments and linking to others, with emphasis on educating and solving reader's challenges.
2. A Twitter account & tools set up that notifies you when your keywords are being talked about so you can find out what's being said in your field and connect with others.
3. Facebook account, with automatic updates fed from your blog (also true for Twitter).
4. A key content piece available for free off your website/blogsite (can be a special report offering solutions to a problem your audience experiences).
5. (This informational product is key to building a list your can send email to.) Stay-in-touch e-newsletter or autoresponder system to nurture your list with special offers and valuable content.
6. Multi-media choices: A variety of ways people can learn about your products and services: reading, listening to an audio clip, watching a video clip.

I know there are more points to cover for a good content marketing strategy, what am I missing? Perhaps it depends on what's most appropriate for your business. I know white papers are important, and I included them as part of step #4, a key content piece.

Notice I haven't included any printed pieces, but that depends on where the best sources of leads is for your business. A printed white paper is a good leave-behind for some people, others like printing out and mailing a newsletter.

What matters most is the message, and it's relevance to readers.

Joe Pulizzi writes from a corporate perspective and gives 10 Content Marketing Tips to Start Now for 2009.

How can we, as brands, be relevant to our customers? How can we create and develop real relationships with them? How do we engage?

... brands can do only two things to create the goal of 100% engagement - we can inform our customers - or give them a good time.

(This is similar to my post about educating and entertaining readers.) Joe goes on to write this about ezines:

eNewsletters are the most popular content vehicle, and unfortunately most are pretty bad.  You have an opportunity to really position yourself as an expert if you deliver consistently valuable content instead of news release/press release type information.

Joe's post is relevant to the solo professional as well. I suggest you read his 10 Tips and then make a list of content marketing steps you can prepare to execute in 2009.

You may not be able to provide enough content to your readers as a solo professional yourself. There are services and other ways to gather content so that you stay relevant to your readers that you might not think of.

Related post: BuildaBetterBlog.com
Other People's Content: Let Your Fingers Do the Walking

Outsource your Content for Coaches

If you're an executive coach or consultant, check out the ContentforCoachesandConsultants.com site for options.

Comments

[Barb Sawyers]

Great suggestions. I must get on Twitter, even though I'm afraid it's going to eat too much time. I would, however, advise people to think twice before jumping into video. It has to be well done. It has to be the right fit for the audience and message and the individual. And it has to be quick. It's another tool, but it's not for everyone.

[Patsi aka The Blog Squad]

Oh, I don't know that I agree with you, Barb. Using a Flip video camera is easy-peasy. I spend more time on my hair and makeup than I do in filming, editing and posting... I don't think my videos are "well done." But they are short, get my message out in 1 1/2 minutes, and allow my website visitors a glance at me as the person behind the business. Check out www.contentforcoachesandconsultants.com. And...coming soon to this blog. A short, real, natural and authentic video clip is better than none at all.

[john685400]

I agree with Patsi; it's really easy to make videos these days, and it can help you easily appeal to potential viewers. And if you're good enough to make an even better video, you could get a lot of exposure for your small business just from one. If you could make a video half as good as this Orbitz onee, then you could probably use it to draw potential customers pretty easily. http://adwido.com/view_content?vkey=c41cbea9a8f770f23c8048d68c4eedfb