Content, in my mind, is best defined as stuff. Before you stop reading, think about it. Stuff is everywhere and today stuff has a way of finding us even if we are not looking for it. This creates a huge challenge for today's marketers. How do you blast through the clutter of stuff that continually bombards us in this increasingly connected world? If you think you know, guess what, you don't know. What may work today is not going to work next year or maybe even next month. The quest for connecting with any market is becoming increasingly more difficult.
I blame this over saturation of unwanted stuff on email marketing. It was not long ago that marketers ditched print in favor of email. How is that working for you now? I personally end up on more email lists than most people because I'm a social media junkie. Hi, my name is John and yes I have a social media problem. I admit it but I also have a best friend, his name is safe unsubscribe. Damn I love that guy. Marketers have very little chance of sending me an email and getting any positive result. It is a brutal fact. Delete is also a daily part of my morning workout. Thanks iOS8 for making that swipe more powerful. Statistics back me on this one. A whopping 72% of people reach for their smartphone right after waking. Some turn off the alarm they had set but all then proceed to check social media and or email. This email check is to delete the junk, period. Not surprising since more than 70% of email is considered spam. (see Mashable) Important emails are left to be dealt with once your feet are on the floor. In addition, if an email does not display correctly, 71.2% will delete it immediately. BlueHornet “Consumer Views of Email Marketing” (2014). OK enough about email. I'm really not trying to bash it in any way but as a tool to mass market I suspect that it is not the most desirable method anymore.
So what is? I bet you want to know and I wish I could tell you but I'm really not sure. I'm also not certain that "mass marketing" is effective and personally would focus on more targeted tactics. What I am certain about is that in order to be successful in any marketing channel you must understand that CONTENT is first. Without it, no marketing message has a chance. Content development and the organization of the content is what every business must do in order to embark on any form of message delivery. Once this is done, content can be pushed into any channel and even some that don't exist yet. Content development is a continual process because in the real world relevant content needs to be available at any time, in any format and in any place. Being able to quickly, accurately, creatively, intelligently and consistently serve up marketing content is the ingredients for success. So, let’s all agree on this, developing and managing content is critical. Funny thing is even though we all know and acknowledge this fact, very few of us are even close to doing A+ work. We may have bits and pieces in place. We probably already have a great deal of content strewn about like a hoarder’s hallway. The only difference is that a hoarder knows where all their stuff is. It is in the hallway. Does your sales team have access to your stuff? Do your clients gain access to your stuff whenever and where ever they are looking for your product or service? I bet there are few who can respond yes to either one of these questions. So if content is so important and we don't have it access to it when we need it, what do we need to do? We not only need to continually create and evaluate content but we need a system to manage the content. We need a Content Management System (CMS).
A CMS provides a central repository for content deployed across print, web, social media, mobile and the next big thing. With a user-friendly interface and automated workflow, the CMS provides a collaborative environment for creation, editing, approval, publishing and storage of all of your company's digital assets. Most importantly, your content/assets/stuff is in a secure place and you know where each piece is, how to get it and that it can be deployed in a relevant and meaningful way essentially on-demand.
It may be simple but if your Content Stuff is Managed and you interact relevantly with an over saturated Customer Stuff, GOOD STUFF HAPPENS.
We are in a digital world and with that comes a great deal of clutter and noise. At the same time, technology provides us with the tools and ability to effectively manage our content so that when and where it is needed it is available. We have better and faster ways to deliver more relevance to a customer than ever before. We are not limited by anything other than our own lack of preparedness. So that is the task, we need to take control and organize our content and always be ready to deliver it in a format that our customers ask for and when they ask for it. Just as a sales rep will never succeed if they utilize the "Show up and throw up" approach, we cannot expect our marketing to succeed with un-targeted, unwanted and an over saturated spray and pray approach. We must create intrigue and the ability for perspective clients to interact with us. We must nurture with care and planning our prospects and turn them into qualified leads and eventually customers. We must communicate in a way that is relevant. All of this requires our commitment to organized and relevant content. Hey you could get lucky and have a viral sensation like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge but is that really a marketing plan? I suggest that the more relevant and organized stuff you have ready to be deployed is a much better plan than waiting around to win the lottery.
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