Joyce McKee led a conversation with Joe Pulizzi, the founder of Content Marketing Institute and Content Marketing World. The online presentation, titled If Content Marketing is the New Black, How Can You Turn It into Green (Revenue for Your Show) had over 60 slides and was packed full of rich content to help event professionals monetize content. Here is a review of this captivating session including tips on how to capture content to increase the value for your key event.
Century of Storytelling
Joe talked about non-media companies who have been story tellers for hundreds of years. The example he shared was an old printed publication written and distributed on pulp paper by John Deere. There is a reason companies have sent marketing material like this out for the past century.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. What has remained the same is the need to tell stories to the market. What has changed is the cost to produce and reach the market.
Today's barriers-to-entry to get and give stories that are relevant to the market are gone. Writers are available, and the talent is easy to find. Consumers are seeking information and stories through a variety of technology with no printing, publishing, postage fees.
Companies VS. Publishers
Examples of content marketers could include any business, like Google, P&G versus a publisher like Wall Street Journal, Mashable, etc. Publishers get paid from advertising and sponsors. Marketers get paid by attracting customers.
Both companies and publishers need to provide content that attracts a readership or market. Story telling has become the new journalist or copywriter and both companies and publishers must be sharing relevant information in a compelling way.
An improved approach to story telling needs to be attractive. Too much marketing at events talk too much about key features and benefits instead of story telling. Joe advises marketers to not write about the product or service. Instead, he recommends them to tell stories that attract and inform customers.
Today's Content Marketing
As companies seek to grow their audience, market and customer reach through content marketing, just how much is being spent and what type of companies are realizing the value of this service? When asked how much is being spent on content marketing, companies with fewer than 10 employees spend 34% of their budget on content marketing. 79% of content marketers write their own articles. 65% have their own blogs. 63% have their own email newsletters.
What is the biggest challenge today? Producing content that is engaging, with a rise to 41% in 2011, from 36% in 2010 from the persons surveyed from Joe's research on Content Marketing.
Tips and Takeaways to Content Marketing and Events
Get Contributors
Once a company is ready to tell the right stories, how are companies getting content out there? Joe shares an example of Amanda Makswmiw, a contributor to his web site. He sees value in building relationships with strong writers who want to share guest posts for added readership. "It's a win-win."
Partner Up
Search results improve from optimizing content marketing using some of Joe's strategies. Content that is shared more by credible people will get more results. There is a big benefit to building partnerships and sharing content online. Provide cross support opportunities as much as you can to your partners by exchanging links and promoting them on your own site. Joe provides badges and publishes top blogger lists to help promote his partners like Jay Baer, TopRank Blog, Brian Solis and more.
Use a Hashtag
Must have a hashtag. Use one hashtag for the entire event. It creates a community that socialize around the hashtag.
Provide Event Content On-Demand
Like many other leading events in social media, Content Marketing World provides an on-demand offer, or virtual ticket. This raises the question many event producers ask. If I sell content from the event online, will the value for my event be compromised? Joe says, "No, overwhelmingly, people come to the event to network."
Repurpose Content
Joe also shared details on how Content Marketing repurposes content from his event into growing viewership online with a variety of articles published online with a several partners, videos, webinars, and more. He is offering an affiliate program to boost sales.
Capture AND Publish Content
Joe shared about a trend happening at many of today's events. Many capture content while at events. Think about it, how many events have you been to where you see photographers and video crews and podcasts swarming the conference floor? But, the content does no one any good if it remains in someone's flash drive. Publish the content. Publish it as much as you can.
Build an Event Content Strategy
Content creation has to grow 24/7 and the event producer and staff cannot stop immediately after the event ends. Event producers must think like a publisher. To leverage event content, event promoters and producers must include content capturing as part of their annual plan and overall strategy.
Century of Storytelling
Joe talked about non-media companies who have been story tellers for hundreds of years. The example he shared was an old printed publication written and distributed on pulp paper by John Deere. There is a reason companies have sent marketing material like this out for the past century.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. What has remained the same is the need to tell stories to the market. What has changed is the cost to produce and reach the market.
Today's barriers-to-entry to get and give stories that are relevant to the market are gone. Writers are available, and the talent is easy to find. Consumers are seeking information and stories through a variety of technology with no printing, publishing, postage fees.
Companies VS. Publishers
Examples of content marketers could include any business, like Google, P&G versus a publisher like Wall Street Journal, Mashable, etc. Publishers get paid from advertising and sponsors. Marketers get paid by attracting customers.
Both companies and publishers need to provide content that attracts a readership or market. Story telling has become the new journalist or copywriter and both companies and publishers must be sharing relevant information in a compelling way.
An improved approach to story telling needs to be attractive. Too much marketing at events talk too much about key features and benefits instead of story telling. Joe advises marketers to not write about the product or service. Instead, he recommends them to tell stories that attract and inform customers.
Today's Content Marketing
As companies seek to grow their audience, market and customer reach through content marketing, just how much is being spent and what type of companies are realizing the value of this service? When asked how much is being spent on content marketing, companies with fewer than 10 employees spend 34% of their budget on content marketing. 79% of content marketers write their own articles. 65% have their own blogs. 63% have their own email newsletters.
What is the biggest challenge today? Producing content that is engaging, with a rise to 41% in 2011, from 36% in 2010 from the persons surveyed from Joe's research on Content Marketing.
Tips and Takeaways to Content Marketing and Events
Get Contributors
Once a company is ready to tell the right stories, how are companies getting content out there? Joe shares an example of Amanda Makswmiw, a contributor to his web site. He sees value in building relationships with strong writers who want to share guest posts for added readership. "It's a win-win."
Partner Up
Search results improve from optimizing content marketing using some of Joe's strategies. Content that is shared more by credible people will get more results. There is a big benefit to building partnerships and sharing content online. Provide cross support opportunities as much as you can to your partners by exchanging links and promoting them on your own site. Joe provides badges and publishes top blogger lists to help promote his partners like Jay Baer, TopRank Blog, Brian Solis and more.
Use a Hashtag
Must have a hashtag. Use one hashtag for the entire event. It creates a community that socialize around the hashtag.
Provide Event Content On-Demand
Like many other leading events in social media, Content Marketing World provides an on-demand offer, or virtual ticket. This raises the question many event producers ask. If I sell content from the event online, will the value for my event be compromised? Joe says, "No, overwhelmingly, people come to the event to network."
Repurpose Content
Joe also shared details on how Content Marketing repurposes content from his event into growing viewership online with a variety of articles published online with a several partners, videos, webinars, and more. He is offering an affiliate program to boost sales.
Capture AND Publish Content
Joe shared about a trend happening at many of today's events. Many capture content while at events. Think about it, how many events have you been to where you see photographers and video crews and podcasts swarming the conference floor? But, the content does no one any good if it remains in someone's flash drive. Publish the content. Publish it as much as you can.
Build an Event Content Strategy
Content creation has to grow 24/7 and the event producer and staff cannot stop immediately after the event ends. Event producers must think like a publisher. To leverage event content, event promoters and producers must include content capturing as part of their annual plan and overall strategy.
This Just In... Content provided by Andrea Cook. Since 1999, her Chicago-born consultancy, The Midas Center has provided award-winning marketing and media solutions to law firms, education facilities, non-profits, artists and hyper-local communities. She is a digital pioneer, media coach, editor, art director, cowork owner and consultant for hire. Services vary, Event Correspondent services preferred.
Want to hire an event correspondent to amplify your event and optimize your brand? Contact Andrea Cook today email >
Want to hire an event correspondent to amplify your event and optimize your brand? Contact Andrea Cook today email >
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