How curiosity has given Mark Masters a platform
What are the attributes you’d typically pin to the best marketers? We’ll bet that ‘curiosity’ isn’t the first one that springs to mind, but it is totally compelling when you see it in action.
Talking content with Mark Masters
Mark Masters of The ID Group puts his natural curiosity about the world to great advantage in his marketing. He asks great questions and listens hard. His ‘Talking Content‘ series comprises of interviews with 45 of the most well known voices in the content marketing field (ahem – including us). The result – a fascinating series of articles that have propelled him into the content conversation and reaped other benefits too.
“On a business level, the series has created a useful resource for others to learn from and to come back to every week for new opinion.
On a personal level, it has helped shape my thinking, fed my curiosity and understand how other people work and what inspires them to create.
Most importantly, the series has also allowed me to build direct relationships with those who are currently making their mark.”
The monthly Talking Content interviews demonstrate a genuine interest in the thoughts and experiences of his peers. The interviews are a perfect ‘show not tell’ format – always interesting and shining new lights on the way the industry is moving. The content he creates is valuable to anyone exploring this way of marketing, and the process of creating it is useful to Mark as it builds relationships with industry experts who help to spread the word. Win-win!
So the fourth of our festive 12 Valuable Content Awards is winging its way down to Dorset – congratulations Mark! Hope you wear your badge with pride – your content has been great this year. Send us a picture!
Takeaways from Mark Masters
- Know the conversations you want to host. Talking Content could just as easily be Talking Pensions or Talking Widgets – what do you want to talk about? What do your clients want to hear about? Claim that space.
- Spotlight other people. Mark puts himself on stage by shining a light on other experts. It’s a nice way to win attention and demonstrate authority.
- Be curious. Mark is always learning more, asking questions, and refining his thinking. It keeps his content fresh and readable.
- Aim high. Who are the key movers and shakers in your industry? Who are your audience most interested in hearing from? Take a leaf from Mark’s book and go straight to the top.
- Find your format. Constantly coming up with new ideas for content is hard work. If you find a format that works well for you, keep mining it. Consistency is compelling. Something simple like Mark’s six questions works best, as it gives both structure and flexibility.
Mark’s content highlights
- Most visited interview: Joe Chernov
- Most interesting: Jonathan Crossfield
- Most personal: Mitch Joel
- Most packed full: Trevor Young
- Most referred to: C.C.Chapman
- Mark has wrapped up a lot of the interviews into this inspiring ebook – 24 content marketers who have walked the talk
Mark Masters’ book The Content Revolution is now out, with a foreword from Robert Rose (Chief Strategist of The Content Marketing Institute).
