On Words and Business

Do you know where your market is heading?

If not, you might want to start thinking about it. After all, you want to make sure you’re heading in the same direction. Better than following, though, put yourself out in front and you get to pick the direction to head.

In the absence of a true leader, your customers and market will get their information from anyone who seems vaguely credible.

In the presence of a true leader, your customers and market will follow happily.

Vanguard. Wishing you could see past the crowds in your way. Where would you rather be?

Interesting musings on thought leadership. Jim McGee talks about the lack of success organizations have had “transforming thought leadership into something systematic and manageable.”

He makes a compelling argument for moving thought leadership from a marketing program to a core operating principle. That way, it becomes a side effect of work, not just one more thing on the to-do list.

I agree that it shouldn’t be simply a marketing construct. It should be baked right into the way the organization works. How can we encourage this in organizations? Can marketers help lead the internal conversations to make that happen?

Thought leadership and content marketing are related. But they’re not the same thing.

It’s entirely possible to publish content and make it available to your audience without once sharing innovative thoughts or ideas. Thought leadership is about contributing new ideas, stepping out of the comfort zone and putting your stake in the ground.

Sometimes you need to create content that doesn’t fit that description. Sometimes you may need to reinforce or explain an existing concept or idea. That’s okay.  Not every word you write or speak needs to break new ground. It would be exhausting if it did.

Just make sure that whatever content you use to market your business, you’re telling a compelling story, or moving the conversation forward, or contributing to the zetigeist in some way. Otherwise, thought leader or not, why would you audience be interested?

Content marketing is about giving your audience–your customers and potential customers–useful information.

You, your company, and whatever products or services you offer are not the story.

If you make golf tees out of recycled post-consumer waste, write a white paper or e-book explaining why molded recycled paper improves a player’s game by maximizing the launch angle (if it does).

Don’t talk about how revolutionary your process of reusing post-consumer waste is. That’s an important part of your story, no doubt. But it’s all about you. Content marketing is all about them.

Do you know what keeps your audience up at night? And can you and your company help them rest easy?

Sharing your knowledge

Sharing your insight and vision

Your message is more than the words you choose. It’s how you get the message to your audience.

Social media may be hot these days but it’s just one of the tools in the box. Think about how to use all of your tools to your advantage.

Do you understand what works with your audience? Do they wish to interact? If so, how and where? What channel works best to get their attention and at what point in the buying cycle?