This post first appeared in EContent Magazine. Whether you are an experienced digital publishing machine or a novice brand looking for the benefits of content marketing, you most likely need the help of freelance writers to help tell your story. You may find that you need help developing ongoing content — or that you need additional content producers to keep up with the velocity. How do you go about finding good external content contributors (sometimes called stringers)? Should you look for a good writer and teach them your business? Or should you hire someone who knows your industry and teach them to write? Here are a few tips to consider:Continue reading

Editor’s note: We’ve updated our annual B2B research study for 2023. Last year, the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs published a popular study on B2B content marketing and repeated the research survey this year to see how the field is changing. Here is B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Budgets, Benchmarks and Trends. It was no surprise to us that content marketing remains a top priority for marketers in 2012. Many of the statistics and results are consistent with what we saw last year: 9 out of 10 organizations market with content marketing. On average, B2B marketers employ eight different content marketing tactics to achieve their goals. Marketers, on average, spend over a quarter of their marketing budget on content marketing (see the full budget breakdowns in the report). But, we’re seeing a lot of changes as well.Continue reading

Jim Burns from Avitage recently asked me a question. Do most marketing professionals view content marketing as an asset? The answer is no…no almost across the board.  Marketers view spending on content marketing as an expense. This is something we as marketing professionals have to change. First some questions. What Is an Asset? According to Investopedia, an asset is “a resource with economic value that …a corporation… owns or controls with the expectation that it will provide future benefit.”Continue reading

At the end of 2009, I published 30 content marketing truths that I have taped above my desk. I then revised the list and republished it last Thanksgiving, as this list is something that I am grateful for because it is a constant reminder for me to stay focused. In the spirit of Thanksgiving in the U.S., and to give my own thanks for all that I have learned this year, I’ve added some new content marketing commandments and truisms that I’d like to share with you. Continue reading

Idea today from Mary Henige, director of social media and digital communications for General Motors, from the 2011 Midwest Social Media Summit. General Motors uses Google+ to distribute the right news to the right groups of people. Step 1: Set up your Google+ Brand Page (Here is General Motors’ Google Plus Page) Step 2: Set up your circles (journalists, bloggers, staff, etc.) Step 3: Distribute extremely rich and interesting news to those circles affected most. Here is General Motors Google+ post on November 7, 2011: Welcome to GM’s Social Media Newsroom on Google+. We are using Google+ to grant greater access to media and online publishers. From hangouts with leaders to a more tailored and rich way of delivering information in real time, Google+ has the potential to change the way we engage. We welcome your feedback regarding what you’d like to see here as we explore this new channel together. This is the first example I’ve heard of a brand using Google + in a creative way,...

I recently put together a new content marketing presentation focusing on the eight things I would be doing as a marketing executive now and into 2012. I thought I’d share it with you.  Odds are, all of these won’t work for you, but I guarantee that at least one could make a major impact on your business for 2012.Continue reading

This post is in honor of all our US Veterans, especially my dad, who served in the US Army. Thank you for our freedom. While at BlogWorld last week, I had the pleasure of listening to Shel Holtz discuss the importance of social media openness in the workplace. Shel presented a variety of statistics around how those companies who actively train their employees in social media AND give open access to sites like Facebook and Twitter, are most often the highest performing companies and, to some people’s surprise, are the most productive. The best example of this was, strangely enough, the US Military. Jack Holt, Senior Strategist for Emerging Media for the US Department of Defense (DoD), has helped lead an amazing movement within the Military on leveraging social communications (here is their social media hub). In this excellent podcast, Jack chats with Shel about why it was so important for the US Military to embrace social media early on.  Some outtakes include: Back in 2006, Jack...

It’s a sad week in the Pulizzi household.  LEGO recently announced that, effective January 31, 2012, they were closing their multiplayer online game called LEGO Universe. According to Jesper Visltrup, Vice President of Marketing for LEGO, despite having over 2 million registered users and very positive feedback about the game, LEGO could not convert enough paying members to keep the game viable. Focusing on the Wrong Metrics Now, I don’t know if this is a publicity stunt, or if LEGO plans on releasing a new online game, but let’s take the news at face value.Continue reading

The Muppets are back!  The new Muppets Movie starring Jason Segel comes out this Thanksgiving. You might now know this, but the Muppets’ comeback has been a long time brewing…and, of course, content marketing is at the heart of the efforts. As corporate marketers, we can learn a lot from their recent efforts to get back on the map.  As we know, content marketing can be very complex, and we often forget to do those things that are most important.  Let’s take a look. Expanding Your Net Since announcing the new movie back in 2008, various Muppets have been seen on SNL, Nightline, and many others. This has driven awareness, not only about the movie, but that the Muppets are indeed back to forgotten audiences and even new audiences from around the globe. What should you do? Guest blogging, guest webinars, blog commenting and speaking at partner events is necessary for your content marketing efforts to work. Think of this as activating your content.  Showing your thought leadership...

After looking at a number of destinations for Content Marketing World 2012 (including last year’s site Cleveland, Ohio), I’m very excited to announce that Columbus, Ohio will be the host city for Content Marketing World 2012. Save the Dates: September 4-6, 2012. To be honest, I had a two-day mourning period about NOT being able to have this event in Cleveland, Ohio again.  If you are a regular reader of the Junta42 blog or the Content Marketing Institute, you know that I believe that Cleveland is the center of the content marketing industry.  I started using the term content marketing in the year 2001 in and around the offices of Penton Media, then headquartered in Cleveland.  Since then, content marketing services have taken hold in the region, becoming one of Cleveland’s key growth areas. Here’s a bit of history on content marketing – and the video we showed to kick off last year’s conference. So why not Cleveland?  Simply put, we’ve grown out of Cleveland...

Very excited about the launch of Content Marketing World On Demand, which was just released this week. For those of you who were not able to attend, Content Marketing World 2011 gathered over 50 of the leading content marketing experts from around the world. All in all, we had more than 600 attendees from 18 different countries.  Needless, to say, I was overwhelmed. There was so much good content (and so little time). So, we partnered with our friends at King Fish Media to create CMW On Demand. What I love about it is the picture-in-picture with the video synced next to the slides (see image with David Meerman Scott).  I’ve had a chance to see all of them (at least in parts) and I can honestly say that it is one of the best resources available anywhere on content marketing. We are offering CMW On-Demand for a limited time before we start promoting Content Marketing World 2012 (which we will announce details on next week). For total access to all the videos, the investment is $199,...

I had the pleasure of seeing Million Dollar Quartet over the weekend, a musical about the day that Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together on December 4, 1956 at Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Sun Records was the brainchild of Sam Phillips (in many circles thought of as the father of Rock and Roll). Sam was always looking for something different.  Sam knew that the same old song (or story) wouldn’t sell. When Elvis Presley came to see Sam he’d never sung a song outside his own bedroom.  Elvis’s audition song for Sam was a Dean Martin song. Copying Dean Martin’s style just wouldn’t do. Sam Phillips was not impressed.Continue reading