Chances are if it hasn’t happened already, some marketing type is going to ask you to develop a whitepaper, a blog, an article – something that will reveal your professional perspective. And if you’re like most folks you’re not going to be jumping for joy. In fact, you’ll likely ponder questions like these:
“Why are they asking me? I’m a lousy writer.”
“What have I got to share that anyone else is going to care about anyway?”
“How do I get it down on paper? Writing is really hard work!”
Take heart, everyone thinks that – even professional writers. Ernest Hemingway said it best:
“There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
But your voice needs to be heard. You can blame that on content marketing.
Essentially, content marketing focuses on sharing information prospects and customers care about
without trying to sell anything. The premise is that if you give people ideas and insights they can use, without asking anything in return, you’ll be top of mind when they are ready to buy.
As Brian Carroll has said again and again, it’s all about building relationships, and that’s why
content marketing is transforming how we engage our marketplace. One of the foremost challenges for any marketer is identifying what audiences want to know at each stage of the buying cycle and then giving them that. And that’s where you can help fill the gap. You have a perspective no one else possesses and sharing it will add value to your prospects, your customers, your peers and your profession.
To further clarify why it’s important you share your perspective, substitute the words “add value” with “bless.” Your ideas put into words can bless multitudes by helping them make better decisions, drive more opportunities, achieve more success and avoid disasters.
My next posts will reveal tips to make sharing your ideas easier and take the charge out of the writing process. They will look at what you must clarify before you even begin, how to get creative juices flowing, ways to break through writer’s block, why the first draft is never the final and more.
Image by: ChepeNicoli
Related posts:
Stuck on words: how can marketing connect with customers better?
How giving useful ideas and secrets builds trust
@Rebecca Caroe
Rebecca,
Thank you so much for your comment. I completely agree with your assessment of the value of content strategy. Content isn’t just for websites; it drives lead-nurturing campaigns that engage people who have already raised their hands. Oftentimes, companies find there are gaps in content – between what they have and what they need – and turn to professionals within their organizations to share their knowledge.
My intent for this post was to give marketers words of wisdom to share with coworkers who think, “What have I got to share that’s important?” or who have a fear of writing because they think they’re just not good enough.
After more than two decades in marketing communications – mostly writing – I’ve yet to meet someone who isn’t excited about sharing their ideas. It’s the writing part that scares them. So they’ve shared their ideas with me and I’ve done the writing for them. Not everyone has that luxury, so hopefully this blog will provide the encouragement they need to put ideas into words.
Thank you again for your response.
Andrea
the main reason I think content strategies are important is because visitors to your website are ANONYMOUS. Unless you can persuade (bless?) them to put up their hand and be identified you may not capture the opportunity to speak to a new lead.
Content marketing at present is the best tool for B2B but it’s very hard to persuade professionals to show off (bless?) their expertise for free online.