"Content Rules," by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman (2012), is a must-read for every marketer. This book breaks down what marketers really need to make of their content, because content is king!
28. What Now?
Wise men store up knowledge, But with the
mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
-Proverbs 10:14
29. Recap
• Definition of “Content”
• 10 Rules of Content
• Real-world examples
• What now?
Notes de l'éditeur
Tick-tock, tick-tock…. Can you hear it? It’s the sound of a clock ticking… it’s reminding us that this semester is about to end…. For some of us, the sound is a bit louder than for others. .. In just 22 day and 530 hours will be graduation time…some of you will be walking across the platform to get your diplomas… and for me, I’ll finally be able to get my MBA… wow. But what will you…, what will I ….take away from the many years and hours of studying?.... It’s this: Content Rules. Everything starts & ends with content.
Hello everyone, my name is Marta Adamiec and today I will be sharing with you about a great book, called “Content Rules” by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman.
Content matters because without it, there is no message. How can you make a difference without content?
Learn to love to write
2 years ago I was diagnosed with being gluten & corn intolerant so I’ve had to learn to eat differently. I stumbled upon this blog by a lady named Shauna and quickly realized she has amazing content. Shauna, the founder of “gluten free girl” tells her story, which sells. She started her blog in 2005 after being diagnosed with Celiacs. She tells her story of survival and in 2010, her cookbook, written with her chef husband, was named one of the top cookbooks by the NY Times.
One day I was sitting in the kitchen and noticed a container of iced tea that one of my roommates left sitting on the table. Since I was eating something, I checked out the bottle …and was instantly impressed. It was different. It was original. I’m not an iced tea drinker, but that container made me think about it…
As you can see on their website, it’s so catchy and fun. They 1). share their story in a really down-to-earth way and 2). Know their customers– organic ingredients
Rule #3– build momentum. That means, create a call to action. Google as we all know, is a pretty impressive company and one of the top companies out there. They also have fantastic content, as see in their blog… and create intent…
Their blog page features a variety of call-to-action topics, whether it is sharing how they’re bringing new technology features to other countries, or this… fighting human trafficking. The readers want to get involved and are compelled to think deeper.
Don’t be like this…. Yes you do want personality, but it needs to be clear and know who your customers are. Some people just want a piece of cake.
Apple is a genius in new products: from the ipod to the iphone to the ipad… but they also think differently in how they get their content out there as well.
Their ads are always simple and succinct, but also always different.
If you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be. It’s free, yet has so many benefits. This content doesn’t focus on “selling” but helping you become reliable and marketable in the business world.
The company, which went public less than two years ago, said net income rose 66% on an 81% increase in revenue. Its results handily beat Wall Street estimates, sending its shares up nearly 10% to $136.30 in after-hours trading Thursday.Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn's chief executive, characterized 2012 as a "transformational year" for the company, with new products driving record results in the fourth period."We have exceeded our own expectations by a wide margin" for revenue growth since the firm's IPO in 2011, added Steve Sordello, LinkedIn's chief financial officer, during a conference call.LinkedIn said it now has 202 million users, a 39% gain from the prior year, and is adding two members every second. While most of those members use the service free, LinkedIn sells premium subscription accounts and ads and recruitment services to businesses. Its "talent solutions" segment, the largest part of LinkedIn's business, saw sales rise about 90%, the company said.
That means, not just telling a story, but telling a true story well. Southwest is a Fortune 500 company known for their excellent customer service– people are literally “nuts” about them.
The have their own blog, which has received multiple awards, and they have a section where customers can send “luv notes” about their experiences with Southwest. One man shared of how Southwest helped his family celebrate his son’s 7th birthday.
Southwest flight attendants brought the boy a cake and had a party on the plane. This type of content allows others to see a great true story played out and it makes the company all the more credible.
Rule #8– do something unexpected. More companies are going “viral” to create more hype and publicity. Nike is one of them. As you can see, this viral ad was released March 30th of last year, yet has almost 11 million hits.
Stoke the campfire– just like a campfire needs kindling and to be continually “fed” to keep going, so this concept focuses on getting customer interaction and igniting conversation. Starbucks is known for their superb culture they create in their shops. They also seek to do that online with MyStarbucksIdea.force.com
With their online community site, Starbucks is allowing their customers to share their voice, connect, and give feedback.
Customers can add their ideas at any time– and are guaranteed that they will be heard, even for the really specific requests or ideas. Customers feel valued and want to come back to the site again to join the network.
This means, have a solid platform (the roots) but make is relevant enough to reach many avenues (wings). There’s no one better I can think of that showcases this than our very own Dr. Greene. His marketing thought is solid and focused, but in high demand by many around the US and globe. He’s not only our dean of the college of business, but has had a tremendous experience working in the corporate world and is a ghost writer for various people.
His twitter account will tell you that quickly--- almost 20k followers!!
I finally figured it out….
What now? Never stop learning!!!! Keep feeding yourself content and giving out content.
Michelangelo, a famous sculpture, poet, engineer– renaissance man from the 15th century– said at age 87 that he was still learning…. No wonder he was able to accomplish so much!!!!!
You can never know too much, attain too much… give too much…. For the glory of God. Don’t be foolish and let your brain rot.
We’ve shared the 10 rules of content
The clock is ticking. If we continue to store up content and focus on having strong content as we’ve learned so well in this class, we won’t have to fret as the clock continues to keep ticking . Thank you.