By Joe Pulizzi
When I first started in the publishing industry, it was expensive to build an audience. Developing a digital content management system cost tens of thousands of dollars. Finding magazine subscribers involved hardcore telemarketing. Distributing the content through the postal service often times ate into leftover profits.
Today, all those barriers are gone. The technology costs of producing content are slim to none. Finding an audience is less about recruiting subscribers and more about being found through inherently helpful and interesting content. Simply put, anyone, anywhere can build a publishing powerhouse.
Becoming the go-to resource for a defined group of buyers is definitely not easy, but the good news is that advertising need not apply. In our first six years as a company, we've been able to build a multi-million dollar operation while spending less than $50,000 in advertising over that time.
The key: first and foremost...build an audience.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, involves eight critical steps. If you have the patience (it took us a little over three years) anyone can build a sustainable, profitable company regardless of your traditional marketing budget (and it doesn't matter if you are selling consulting, a product or even access to your audience).
Here's how to make it happen.
Go Super Niche
Dharmesh Shah points out why many small businesses fail.
In almost all cases, self-funded entrepreneurs should pursue smaller, addressable markets. The probability of early success is inversely proportional to the size of the initial market.And the same is true for your content marketing strategy. To go big, you must go small. Focus on a content niche where you can truly be the leading informational provider for THAT particular niche.
For example, let's say you chose "pet supplies" as your niche. Well, considering there are powerhouses with huge budgets like Petco and Petsmart trying dominate that category, you will be fighting a losing battle. But what about "pet supplies and solutions for elderly Americans living in Florida who like to travel with their pets"? Now that is a content niche where you have a standing chance.
Takeaway: Go small to go big.
Clearly Define the Audience
Who is the person you are trying to influence? What are their pain points? What keeps them up at night? How can you help them live better lives or get better jobs?
Here is where you have to take your marketing and sales hat off and put on your publishing hat. If you are trying to target multiple buyers or readers with different needs, you will fail. The content you create has to speak directly to your core audience.
Before anyone in your organization creates any more content to be found in search engines or to distribute via social media, make sure they have a crystal clear understanding of who "the who" really is.
Takeaway: Find out the buyer persona profile.
Own a Channel
The greatest media brands in the world, like Forbes or Mashable or NBC, all started by owning one channel. At the early stages, it does no good to be jack of all trades master of none. Right now, find one channel that you can make your own.
Some options include a:
- Regular blog series
- Video series
- Webinar series
- eNewsletter
- Podcast
- In-person event series
- Print newsletter or magazine
Takeaway: Choose a channel that aligns with your passion and makes sense for your target audience.
Consistency Rules
The primary hallmark of successful content marketing is consistency, both in terms of quality and delivery. Whether you are asking your audience to subscribe to a monthly webinar or daily email newsletter, you must ensure that they receive what they signed up for and that it always arrives on time and as expected. This is where so many companies fall down.
Whatever you think about author/entrepreneur Seth Godin, the biggest reason he is successful is consistency. Seth has been blogging for 12 years now and, as far as I can tell, has rarely, if ever, missed a day of publishing. To thousands of readers, Seth has become "Must See TV".
Takeaway: Whatever your frequency...daily, weekly, monthly...deliver on the promise of your content.
Don't Be Vanilla
My friend Doug Kessler from Velocity Partners in the UK believes that most content is boring and utterly useless. To him, the greatest content marketers in the world are confident, brash and edgy. The content created from brands that follow Doug's call are interesting, unusual and anything but vanilla.
Takeaway: Take a stand. Have a point of view. But most of all, be confident with your content.
Subscription Is Key
Owned subscription sources (such as email subscribers) are the most important because we can actually own the data from those channels. Secondary subscription sources, such as Twitter followers or YouTube subscribers are important as well, but since that data is owned by those companies (and not ours), we can’t place as high an emphasis on those.
From the start, as you build your publishing empire, building a loyal subscriber base is critical to your success.
Takeaway: Instead of selling your products and services around your content, focus on gaining a subscriber with your calls-to-action.
Help the Influencers
No great publishing operation created their millions on their own. They do it with the help of hundreds of others who bring with them qualities that drive attention back to the operation.
In today's social media world, these are called influencers. Your job is two-fold:
- Identify the influencers (where your audience is hanging out), and
- Help those influencers solve their pain points.
Do so without asking anything in return. After a while, you'll see the process occur wherein their audiences start to become your audience.
Takeaway: This concept is critical, but it takes time and patience. Learn more about the social influencer strategy here.
Partner to Expand
And this is where it all comes together.
Can you identify non-competitive partners that could use your content? Could the expertise you offer help a larger organization with their own marketing needs?
While you could build your million-dollar empire without this step, the idea of Brandscaping will take your program to the next level.
Drew Davis, author of Brandscaping, identifies these important steps:
- Identify a key partner.
- Find out what content inspires their audience.
- Ask them if you created the content, would they promote it to their audience?
- Focus on one key channel.
- Whatever you do, plan for consistent delivery, not a one-time campaign.
One of the greatest examples of this is Dr. Phil. Oprah needed the kind of content that Dr. Phil had, but Dr. Phil needed the exposure. The result - Oprah filled a content gap and Dr. Phil has a hit television show and a number of best-selling books. Dr. Phil...the brandscaper.
Takeaway: Very few companies leverage content partnerships. In content marketing, this may be the greatest, most effective strategy going. Take advantage of it.
I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME YOUR CONSULTANT!
BASIL VENITIS
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND FINANCIAL STRATEGIST
Basil Venitis identifies the highest-value opportunities, addresses the most critical challenges, and transforms management and financial strategies.
The customized approach of Basil Venitis combines deep insight into the dynamics of industries with close collaboration of the client, in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.
Venitis seeks to be the agent of change for his clients. He grounds each solution in how his client actually works and positions in the marketplace.
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