You know when you say a word too many times, or stare at a word too long it starts to dissolve and become meaningless?
That’s happening with us and the phrase ‘content marketing.’ Obviously that’s tricky because it’s our business (and we wrote a book on it!), so there’s no way of avoiding it altogether, but there are a few things we’re going to do to try and restore our sanity.
For the next month we’re going to stop reading blogs about content marketing. We’re especially not going to read any blogs that start ‘content marketing is the next big thing because a, b and c’ or ‘businesses are waking up to content marketing, look at statistics x,y and z.’ And, maybe counter intuitively, we’re not going to read any articles predicting the end of content marketing either. Content marketing is neither new nor on its last legs.
We’re going to read different blogs that remind us of why we want to be doing the work that we’re doing. Stories that help us become better at helping clients tell their own stories. Creative blogs that make us smile and give us that http://trueviagraonline.com/ brilliant ‘light bulb’ feeling. We’re going to seek out writers who have the confidence and skill to stretch language and take you to unexpected places – partly because that makes us happy, (and we believe you should do as much of that as you can) – but also because that’s what we like to do in the work we do for clients.
Writing should never be boring.
And the thing is, content marketing presented purely as a technique for pulling in leads really isn’t that interesting. Where content marketing does get interesting is as a way of telling stories and transforming a business’s culture – turning it around to be of value to your customers.
Businesses that truly take the valuable ‘help don’t sell, show don’t tell, talk, don’t yell’ mantra to their hearts feel results that run far deeper than just more leads.
That’s why we do what we do. And that’s why we shall be reading things that help us make that happen for more brave and brilliant clients.
Any recommendations to blogs we might like, send them our way!
I always enjoy the blogs written by Bruce Hall. They are poignant, pithy and purposeful.
They are inspired by everyday events and challenges.
There are plenty more in the pipeline, so don’t worry if you have missed the earlier blogs.
Casey is my case study mentor and the real deal imho.
Check out her blog:
http://www.storiesthatsellguide.com/blog/
I have her book! Bought it years ago and it’s great. Thanks Mark – reminded me to check her blog too though.
I’d like to help, but the sad truth is I’m getting bored of writing my own content! I think I just need to take a few days or a week of from doing anything with my site for now.
I tend to focus mainly on sites dealing with self-publishing. Here are two that I find amusing, helpful, or just plain interesting:
http://noorosha.com/
http://annerallen.blogspot.com/
Hello Greg.
Thanks for the blog links. Fascinated by self-publishing so will certainly check them out.
I was talking to Lizzie our lovely designer about the demands of being creative, continuously on tap. Almost impossible we reckoned. Take a well-earned content break – hope you come back fully refreshed.
Sonja
…and thank you Simon! We did ask!
James Altucher.
He’s like a male Penelope Trunk but pithier.
Almost incredibly, he claims that writing about his business failures in depth has led to him being offered more and better business opportunities than ever before.
Thanks very much Guy. James Altucher’s blog is fantastic! I have never leapt to the sign up function so quickly.
Unbelievable honesty + genius writing skill is a heady combo. I was drawn in from the first sentence of the first blog I read: “Ugh. I hate my brain…” Who wouldn’t want to read on!
Hello,
I always enjoy http://katedaviesdesigns.com/ as a well written and honest.
Liz