Are you sick of people telling you to blog, do content marketing, start your own video series, and participate in social media? Well, I’m not ready to let up on you yet.
I believe that print professionals can benefit by many of these efforts. Sharing what you know about what you do is an excellent way to expand your audience and improve your visibility.
All you need are the following:
- A belief that content marketing (CM) is beneficial for your business
- Faith in yourself that you can do it
- Commitment to doing some form of content marketing regularly
- A simple plan that outlines what you’re going to do
- A natural aptitude for one of these media, or
- An outsourced creative partner to handle what you can’t do on your own.
One of your dilemmas might be this: whether to blog or do videos. I single out videos because the power of video marketing has been exploding.
According to a survey done by the Content Marketing Institute, more than 73 percent of B2B marketers reported using video as a CM tactic. And 70 percent surveyed said their budgets for online videos (social videos, those made to be shared across social media) would increase this year. There’s an excellent post by Hootsuite on social video marketing here.
I have one piece of advice if you’re facing this "blog versus videos" dilemma:
Do what comes naturally.
In fact, whatever type of content marketing you choose to kick off the New Year, start with whatever you’ve a natural aptitude for. It’ll make it easier, and you’ll be more likely to produce content on a regular basis.
Not everyone is comfortable being on camera (or, let’s be honest, can do it really well). Excellent videos used to market your business are a combination of interesting content (that’s #1), good editing, great lighting and audio, and the right length for your particular purpose.
When I go to watch a video from a printer, I expect to learn something new or interesting. The person on camera has to capture my attention and come across as a pro in subject matter and be a natural for the medium. It can’t drag on too long.
Despite the fact we all have smartphones and can shoot our own videos, doing a good video is difficult. A lot can go wrong.
One of my favorites in this industry is a print expert in York, PA, by the name of Marc Laucks. Marc’s a natural on camera. I admire the aptitude he has for speaking effortlessly and articulately. He uses props really well. I can see laypeople learning a lot about printing from his videos. It’s the perfect content marketing medium for Marc. I wish I had his talent.
Another print professional I greatly admire is Andre Palko, the president of Technifold USA right outside of NYC. Now, you might think that writing about—or shooting videos about—bindery equipment has got to be one of the driest, most boring manufacturing topics out there.
I beg to differ. The combination of "how-to" videos on Technifold’s site, plus the company’s regular newsletter, and Andre’s Bindery Success Blog, creates a wealth of educational information presented in several ways—all of them high quality.
There’s so much rich content produced by this company that I find myself going back to the site to learn more. I enjoy Andre Palko’s style of writing very much—he’s a natural and talented writer. He also uses a lot of videos in his marketing. Check out his site.
I singled out these two companies and individuals because they exemplify excellence in particular content marketing channels. They have natural ability in video work and writing blogs and newsletters.
What comes naturally to you or someone on your team? As you think about how to do some content marketing in 2015, start with a channel that’s easy for you and also helps showcase your company and your expertise. Write down a plan for producing content regularly and decide how you’ll get it in front of the right audience.
The philosopher Lao Tzu said, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." There’s no reason to be overwhelmed by the notion that you have to do everything all at once. Start your 2015 content marketing with one small, easy step. It will absolutely move you forward a little at a time.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Long regarded as a print buyer expert and trade writer, Margie Dana launched a new business as a marketing communications strategist with a specialty in printing and print buying. She is as comfortable working in social media as she is in traditional media, and now she’s on a mission to help clients build customer communities through carefully crafted content. Dana was the producer of the annual Print & Media Conference.
Although she has exited the event business, Dana is still publishing her Print Tips newsletter each week. For more details and to sign up for her newsletter and marketing blog, visit www.margiedana.com