3 Tweetable (And One Non-Tweetable) Takeaways From The Future Of Content Marketing
Although “content” has been around in one form or another since early man painted on cave walls, the study of the strategies and psychology around content marketing is relatively recent. Having just returned from the second annual Content Marketing World conference, my Evernote files are bursting with new ideas based on this emerging discipline.
Though there were over 60 amazing sessions covering a range of topics, I’ve consolidated the themes into three tweetable takeaways:
Content marketing is about answers to the questions customers have at the “Zero Moment of Truth.” ^JD #CMWorld
— BrandwarePR (@BrandwarePR) September 7, 2012
The “Zero Moment of Truth” is the decision point that is created when a customer conducts an online search for information on a product or service. If your content isn’t there to answer the consumer’s question, chances are you may be losing out on a chance to move a customer closer to purchase.
The line between traditional and online channels is becoming non-existent, leaving only “passive” and “active” media. ^JD #CMWorld
— BrandwarePR (@BrandwarePR) September 7, 2012
One generally accepted truth is that whether print, digital or broadcast, media is media. The only distinction that communications professionals should pay attention to is whether the content is “passive,” (for consumption only) or “active,” (the customer is being asked to interact with the content).
The best content comes from the voice of the customer, not the voice of the company. ^JD #CMWorld
— BrandwarePR (@BrandwarePR) September 7, 2012
With content becoming the new battleground for brands, communications professionals are looking for consistent sources of powerful ammunition. Rather than resorting to buzzwords and marketing jargon, companies are finding that the voice of the customer is many times more powerful than that of people inside the company.
There is one other takeaway from the conference that I do want to share. Unfortunately, it’s a little too long to tweet, but the gist is this: content marketing is the new frontier for communications professionals of all types. By looking for new and innovative ways to tell stories, we’re able to form more intimate relationships with customers.
It’s an exciting new world and I’m definitely hungry to learn more.
Five Final Takeaways from SXSW
After last week’s post, here’s a more serious look at some of the takeaways (and ongoing food for thought) following SXSW:
- Lots of “Likes” and “Followers”aren’t the end game.
Pepsico spends a large chunk of change on social media and has 3 million-plus Facebook “Likes” and 50,000-plus Twitter followers for its Pepsi Refresh Project, alone. Yet PepsiCo’s head of digital, Shiv Singh participating in a SXSW panel discussion, also pointed out that racking up pure numbers doesn’t mean you’ve crossed the finish line.
“In Case You Missed It” – January 28, 2011
Every week we scour over 150 blogs keeping up with the rapidly evolving world of social and digital media. Because we realize that not everyone can be that obsessive, we have condensed the best into a weekly digest:
“In Case You Missed It” – January 21, 2011
Every week we scour over 150 blogs keeping up with the rapidly evolving world of social and digital media. Because we realize that not everyone can be that obsessive, we have condensed the best into a weekly digest:
Social Media Trends That Will Define 2011: Consumer Pay-To-Play
Let me first say that if anyone tells you that they can solidly predict what’s going to happen in 2011 in social media, they’re full of it. As for this post and the one that will follow, the point is not to make predictions but to explain two current, major trends that will continue to shape social media in 2011.
