Post on 11-Aug-2014
description
Content Marketing
As explained by
Mark Twain
Content marketing is nothing new
It’s something humans have been doing for decades
hundreds of years
So why do we act like Inbound Marketing is some
new, innovative idea?
Back in the day they didn’t call it
Inbound Marketing.
They called it
Self-Publishing
The only things that have truly changed are the tools we use to generate content
So, please allow me to share some content
marketing tips
From one of the world’s best known self-publishers
…and one of the best content marketers in
American history
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Hello.
1. Produce something every day
“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.”
1. Produce something every day
o Practice really does makes perfect
o You don’t have to publish every day (although that’s ideal), but you must get in the habit of creating one piece of content every… single… day.
o Start by writing about what is happening in the news, then find a way to tie it to your product.
2. Timeliness is next to Godliness
“Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.”
2. Timeliness is next to Godliness
o Timely content is relative content
o Creating content around newsworthy events is a great way to drive organic traffic
o You can plan timely content weeks in advance simply by looking at upcoming holidays and events
3. Take (calculated) risks
“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”
3. Take (calculated) risks
o If you’re afraid to fail, you already have.
o Taking calculated risks helps you test new ground and reach new audiences.
o Document your risks, learn from your failures, and replicate your successes.
4. Talk about what you know
“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.”
4. Talk about what you know
o Remember that there is a difference between calculated risks and unnecessary risks.
o You can’t be all things to all people, and you shouldn’t try to write about everything.
o Don’t try to trick your audience. They can tell when your content isn’t genuine.
5. Embrace your errors
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”
5. Embrace your errors
o You will make errors.
o Yes, you will.
o Don’t hide from them. Acknowledge them, fix them, and learn from them. Doing so will make your audience more likely to forgive you for them.
6. Your brand is everything
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.”
6. Your brand is everything
o Make your content easy to consume.
o Take the time to build your brand by producing and publishing high quality content.
o Make content that people will share and link back to. This will not only improve your SEO, it will keep them coming back for more.
7. Creativity, Creatividy, Creativitee
“I don’t give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.”
7. Creativity, Creatividy, Creativitee
o Let your voice and personality shine through.
o Find your style and run with it across all mediums.
o Humans crave new experiences. If you give them something they’ve never seen, they will remember you.
8. You must be original
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
8. You must be original
o Original content is memorable content.
o Don’t worry about what your competitors are doing. Set the precedent for your industry.
o Step away from your computer for 30 minutes each week to brainstorm new content ideas, then take the craziest idea and make it happen.
9. Don’t take yourself too seriously
“Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place.”
9. Don’t take yourself too seriously
o If you can make someone laugh, they will love you forever (no seriously, it’s science).
o If you don’t have a good time creating it, they won’t have a good time consuming it.
o The internet is a hostile environment. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re going to get fried.
10. Finish strong.
“I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him.”
Takeaways
o Create (timely) content every day.
o Take calculated risks and learn from mistakes
o Creative, funny content will never fail
o Never challenge Mark Twain to a duel
PS: