What is good content and what is successful content marketing? It certainly isn’t about quantity.
That’s what B2B marketing consultant and writer Michele Linn says in an interview with contributor Ambal Balakrishnan from Click Documents.
While many companies may be focusing on quantity, the ones that will succeed will be those who focus on quality, Michele says.
She predicts that content will continue to be a driving force in B2B marketing in 2010, especially as companies try to take advantage of social media.
Ambal asked Michele Linn “What are key marketing trends and predictions for 2010? What actions should marketers take in 2010?”.
Besides being a B2B marketing consultant and writer who specializes in producing buyer focused content and providing insights on how to market it, Michele Linn also blogs on ‘Savvy B2B Marketing’.
Not all content is king!
According to her, content will continue to be a driving force in B2B marketing in 2010, especially as companies try to take advantage of social media.
However, in a rush to create content, she also predicts there will be a glut of mediocre content: blah content that doesn’t inspire.
“Not all content is king! While many companies may be focusing on quantity, I think the ones that will succeed will be those who focus on quality”, Michele says. She continues: “only exceptional, reader-focused content will stand out”.
Michele: “Before developing content, it’s critical to know your ideal reader. Build and religiously use buyer personas”.
According to Michele, you should always ask, “Would my readers enjoy and forward this?”
If not, re-work your content until they would.
Here’s Michele’s checklist for great content:
- Relevant: Answer, “What’s in it for me?” from the reader’s perspective.
- Educational: Share information your reader needs to know; it’s often not about your product.
- Entertaining: Make content fun, and it’s more likely to be passed along.
- Clear: Use words your reader understands.
- Conversational: Talk directly to your reader instead of using a formal tone.
You can follow Michele on Twitter here.
Ambal Balakrishnan is the co-founder of US-based ClickDocuments. Ambal’s book “Content Marketing Tweet: 140 Bite-sized Ideas to Create and Market Compelling Content” will be published in Spring 2010. Ambal is specialized in content marketing, social media marketing, B2B marketing and much more. You can connect with Ambal on Twitter here.
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