Foreword
by Doug Kessler

In a few, head-spinning years, content marketing has gone from buzzword to bandwagon to full-scale juggernaut.

In that time, an awful lot has been written about the art and science of content marketing – mostly by people whose business cards (ink still wet) say things like ‘Content Strategist’ or ‘Content Architect’ or even ‘Content Guru’.

Unfortunately but not unexpectedly, a lot of this advice has been… well, nonsense. Nonsense peddled by people who have a vested interest in making content marketing seem like a black art.

It’s not.

Content marketing is very simple: Use your expertise to help your prospects do their jobs. Work hard to add value in every piece you produce. Be generous. And earn attention by injecting passion, attitude and energy.

What I love about this book is that it doesn’t try to dress up content marketing as if it were akin to landing a probe on a comet and sending back data.

Instead, it’s a clear, honest and practical book that shows how powerful – and how simple – content marketing can be. It also puts content marketing in its proper context: as a means to revenue.

As a result, this is more than a super-useful workbook — it’s also a demonstration of content marketing at its very best. In writing it, Sharon and Sonja have practiced what they preach: working hard to serve their readers (us); delivering real, practical value without pushing a promotional agenda; and making the ride fun.

In a market packed with overnight experts and insta-ninjas, that’s no small thing.

The kind of content marketing that Sharon and Sonja evangelise is what I call ‘home run content’: the ambitious, confident, smart and entertaining stuff that people actually want to consume. At a time when everyone is cranking out a steady stream of colourless commentary, it’s never been more important to aim high, take a stand and create pieces that resonate.

To do that, it helps to have a guide. Or, better yet, two.

I first met Sonja and Sharon when they invited me to speak at a meeting of the Bristol Content Group – a group they started and continue to run.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. What kind of marketing community could there be in a place like Bristol? Turns out, a lively, intelligent, fun group of like-minded marketers high on content. My kind of people. I’ve not seen a community like it in cities ten times its size.

Swinging by the Valuable Content offices, I was impressed by the breadth, depth and spirit of their work for a wide range of clients. These are the front-line experiences that power this book: real-world strategies and tactics that actually work.

The group, the agency and this book are all testament to the intelligence, generosity, passion and professionalism of the VC duo.

If you care about marketing and want to do it properly, you’re in the right place and in the best of hands.

Enjoy.

Doug Kessler
Creative Director at Velocity Partners
www.velocitypartners.co.uk