What is Content Marketing and What Companies Need to Be Doing Right NOW! w/ Joe Pulizzi [Episode 142]

In today’s episode, Joe Pulizzi (author of the best-selling book, Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses) and I discuss how patiently using content marketing correctly can excel your business.

Bullet Points

• What is content marketing?
• How does a small to mid-size business use content marketing?
• What does consistency mean when it comes to content marketing?
• Why it is detrimental to your business to have an email subscriber database.
• What is your area of differentiation?
• How do companies build their base?
• What is your company’s “sweet spot?”

Content marketing has been a hot topic for years. Businesses think it is all about posting content on blogs every month or so. Companies need to understand the real value of using content marketing to increase the sales of their products and services. An effective content marketing strategy can be transformative to a small to mid-sized enterprise.

Content marketing is an approach to creating valuable, relevant, and compelling information on a consistent basis to a targeted audience to see a behavior change. Companies shouldn’t be all about promoting their products and services; they should center on building their audiences, knowing their customer’s pain points, and needs.

Getting your client to know, like, and trust you are barriers. The caveat in content marketing is that it isn’t a get rich quick scheme. The process of getting a reliable email subscriber database working for your business takes at least 12 months.

This is a long term investment in that you are building an asset with a payoff bigger than anything else you can do. Patience is the key to success. Content marketing isn’t going to be your only channel to market. Small businesses need to start off with cold calling and prospecting while at the same time starting their content marketing efforts. Companies need to make sure they are getting email subscribers, not just leads.

A subscriber is engaged but not yet a customer. Companies need to get more people assuming the new role as subscribers and not just followers, which is an integral part of relationship building. The subscribers are going to be your go to people; they are going to be your audience that knows, likes, and trusts you.

Businesses need to know the specific audience they are trying to attain. What is your differentiation? How is your content different? Companies need to focus on four essential areas: one content type, one platform, consistently delivering (same time and day), and being very patient.

There are 6 pieces to the puzzle for making your business more profitable and scalable:

• The “Sweet Spot”: Identify intersection of your unique knowledge and your passion.
• Content Tilting: Determining how you can tilt your “sweet spot” to have a leg up on the competition.
• Building the Base: Establish your number one channel.
• Harvesting Audience: Utilizing social media and SEO to convert your followers into subscribers.
• Diversification: Expanding your business using multi-delivery channels.
• Monetization: You have already established your expertise; TIME TO MAKE MONEY!

Tune into the podcast for more in-depth knowledge on how to utilize content marketing for your business growth.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JOE PULIZZI

What’s your most powerful sales asset?

Email subscription database

Who’s your sales role model?

Seth Godin & Richard Branson

What’s the one book that every salesperson should read?

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

What’s the most frequently asked question you get asked by entrepreneurs about content marketing?

How do I show the ROI for content marketing?

What’s your favorite music to get you pumped up?

The entire album of the Hamilton, the musical.