In this week’s roundup of the best content marketing posts over the last 7 days, there is a theme. That theme is simplicity. It is straightforward, buzzword-free, content marketing brilliance from voices across the interwebs. The other theme is sharing, so don’t forget to share your favorite articles in the comment section below!
Recently, I overheard a conversation about how, when it comes to content marketing, everything is overwhelming. There’s so much information out there…where do you start? And each how-to article or post on best practices assumes you understand certain buzzwords, such as “digital body language,” which actually confuses a lot of people and makes them want to give up right then and there. Sometimes, you just have to tell it straight. This article, Effective content marketing: writing for the success of your business, does just that. Sure, the author uses the phrase “digital footprint” once, but the meaning is at least clear in context. Bonus: A solid definition of content marketing. Via Memeburn
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: the buyer’s journey has changed. But when it comes from Forrester Research versus little ol’ me the impact is, well, stronger. Guess what? In a blog post this week, Forrester’s Peter O’Neill examines the fact that 70% of the content that B2B buyers consume while making a purchase decision is researched and discovered independently of sales and marketing. That means marketers have to get better at “selling” without selling by creating informative content–and more of it. And if that doesn’t sound like big news to you (although I think it’s pretty exciting), O’Neill also announces why Forrester is “breaking down our own siloes between marketing and sales-related research.” Why is this so important? Because this is the direction marketing and sales departments are inevitably heading, and it’s not like Forrester sees this in a crystal ball. They see it through research, data, and analysis. Read more on their blog. Via Forrester Research
Sometimes, you just need to go back to the basics. Turns out, pretty ven diagrams with alliterative and overlapping circles make the basics even more enjoyable. One of my favorite quotes from all blog posts this week is so simple (theme), yet so true: “What are the keys to effective content marketing? It turns out there are three – the ‘who,’ ‘what,’ and ‘where.'” What’s missing? Well, of course, the how. But to actually succeed with the “how” in content marketing, it’s important to remember that you need to figure out those three w’s first. Via Search Engine Watch
BONUS: First, read our post on SlideShare from this week. Then, check out this incredible and new presentation by Velocity Partners. You’ll see a brilliant example of exactly how SlideShare is done right (and with considerable style).
And in case you missed anything this week on the Content Marketeer:
- Content Re-Use: Two Strategies to Free Up Time & Save You Money
- B2B Marketers: 3 Reasons SlideShare Matters More Than You Think
- The 7 Pillars of Content Marketing
What did I miss? Share your favorite posts, articles, and presentations in the comments below, so I can share them, too! I mean, I have almost 400 followers…I’m a pretty big deal. Have a wonderful weekend!