Welcome to our October issue! As I continue to present what I consider to be the essential guiding principles for those who want to market their businesses/organizations effectively, based upon The 16 Monumental Secrets of Guerilla Marketing presented by Jay Conrad Levinson in his national bestseller Guerilla Marketing, we are now circling back to the 15th secret: CONTENT. This principle, in our eyes, is the pinnacle of everything we’ve covered so far in terms of its value, effectiveness, enrichment, and successful execution of a marketing campaign.

At Strictly Business we’ve long stood behind the motto, “Your content is KING.” Content, in our case, would be editorial in the publication such as press releases, columns, spotlights, and feature stories which then extend out to social media posts, website material, email blasts and link sharing, YouTube videos, etc. – basically it must be tangible and something that someone would want to seek out or entertain (as opposed to avoiding or being put-off by it) because it has potential value to them. As experts in the content marketing arena for over 20 years, our stance has always been to emphasize the importance of producing substantial content focused around your brand, expertise, and concise message on a frequent basis and then finding the best ways to deliver it to your target audience. So we plan to focus on just that in our upcoming issues.

On the overarching topic of content, Levinson poses: “The fifteenth secret – content – reminds you that consumers are savvier than ever and less prone to be won over by special effects and razzle-dazzle. They know the difference between style and substance. Although they may be attracted by style, they pull out their credit cards and write their checks for substance. The content of your offer – the real meat and potatoes that you offer – will win their hearts and their business. Like Clara Peller, the elderly woman in the old Wendy’s TV spots, the real money comes into your life when you can answer her famous question, ‘Where’s the beef?’ You can pile on the lettuce and tomatoes and special sauce, but people are looking for the beef, the content you offer. If it’s not there, people will look elsewhere, just as you would.”

In laying the foundation of what we will be discussing in our upcoming issues, it also helps to understand what the term content marketing actually means. By definition according to the Content Marketing Institute, 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.

Ideally the content of your campaign should be precisely crafted to appeal to readers while also provoking them to seek you out based upon the complete package of your offerings AND expertise. In your recipe for success, you can’t have one without the other. We live in a time where there are many ways to attract an audience, many of which lean towards gimmicky or aren’t utilized in harmony with other aspects of a campaign as they were intended. However, if you’re lacking worthwhile CONTENT to put out there (and that has staying power), you’re missing out on taking advantage of a major part of what you have to offer to your current and potential clients – your expertise.

So why show your hand before the sale; why share your worth for no immediate compensation? In practical application, content marketing strategies have been proven to be highly effective in driving sales and brand recognition. Essentially you are working to establish yourself, your business, and your staff as the experts in your industry while providing value to potential customers instead of just baiting them to buy in. This value is in the form of free consumer education, and since you’d theoretically be investing in your marketing anyway, it’s indeed mutually beneficial.

In conclusion to make a strong impression and to set yourself apart in a competitive marketplace, CONTENT is by far the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Furthermore, generating and disseminating it isn’t as difficult (or expensive) as you might think. Stay tuned because now we’ll be following in Levinson’s footsteps and sharing a few of our secrets!

 

 Paige Zutavern

Omaha/Lincoln – President
402-730-0096 | Paige@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com