Humans of #CMWorld

What’s Your Content Marketing Secret?

Brooke Lark, Rocket Man Digital Senior Content Editor

We’re in the trenches this week, keeping up to speed with the latest in content marketing with some of the biggest movers and shakers in the industry. Content Marketing World 2015 (#CMWorld)  is a massive undertaking, where thousands (let’s say 3,000+ close personal friends) convene in Cleveland to discuss what’s working, what’s to come and what really matters with online content.

Dozens of noteworthy speakers attend the event. Don’t miss the replays of their presentations on the Content Marketing Institute website. This week we’ll be hearing from CEO’s of global corporations, creative entrepreneurs and even Monty Python’s most brilliant marketer, John Cleese. Though each of the speakers at this conference has been handpicked for noteworthy influence in the industry, we also recognize that there are thousands of these conversations happening across the world. Rather than recap the headline acts, we wanted to get our fingers on the pulse of our ever-changing content world. We wanted to dive in and discover the wisdom of the masses.

So, taking inspiration from Humans of New York we grabbed a camera and microphone, and started asking the #CMWorld attendees about their own stories. We wanted to know, in the real world of content, behind the smoke and mirrors of the slick presentations:

What’s really working in the content world?

What is the future of content?

And what are the secrets we should know about?

Here are what the Humans of #CMWorld told us:

Aaliyah Miller, Aetna 

What’s really working in the content world? “Personalizing your content for your audience works. It’s what you need to do, customer first. And all the good things come from there.”

Kyle Crafton, Casual Astronaut

What’s really working in the content world? We know a lot about the industries we specialize in and we try to spend as much time as we can focusing on their needs, and creating content that’s really going to work, rather than just making content for contents sake. We don’t employ content writers. We essentially serve as managing editors and find subject matter experts in every nook and cranny of the verticals we work in. By doing that, we get stuff that’s extremely relevant, unique and high quality.

Heidi Baumgart & Rachel Van Arsdale, Naturepedic Organic Mattresses

What’s your content marketing secret? We’ve always worked with mommy bloggers. Once people find out about us, they immediately become our brand ambassadors. Bloggers are social media gurus. They love to tell their friends because they really believe in the product.

Right now, bloggers aren’t going away for us. Websites that discuss brands and parenting ideas are a great match for us. Our customers speak for us, so our job is to amplify what they say, and also continue to educate them and help them educate their friends and family. So creating content using our customers has been hugely successful.

We’re not a marketing firm, we’re a mattress firm. And we’re trying to think a little outside of the box. We like to get into the places where our customers are—no mailers for us. We were some of the first ones using video and social, so we’ve become top-of-mind to a lot of consumers. Being there first and being where our audience is has put us ahead of the curve.

Brandon Darnell, Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau 

What’s your content marketing secret? Focus on measuring your results. A lot of us tend to throw things out there and hope that they work, but we’ve found that going with the flow kind of does the best. Whether you’re latching onto a trend, or mirroring what other big media companies are doing—it’s not that ‘creative’, it’s not that ‘fantastic’ but it works.

Taj Forer, Fabl

What is the future of content? Mid-form and long-form storytelling that is visually rich is definitely the way to go. Not only do we as consumers love that sort of thing, but all of the market research that has been pouring in over the last 12-18 months is clearly demonstrating that is the way to go.

Justin Zimmerman, Buyer Goals

What’s really working in the content world? We’ve seen webinars as a huge conversion tool to help convert prospects into customers. For companies looking to create more of an owned-media strategy, your posting frequency is huge. Publish everyday and keep your content top-of-mind to put your brand effectively at the front of the conversation in your industry.

It’s really simple. Ask your consumers and buyer types. Look them up, question them, ask them and let them guide your content. They’ll give you everything you need. You’ll never have to guess.

Matt Pacheco, Pitney Bowes

What is the future of content? The next logical progression for content marketing is: less, but more meaningful content.

One of the most effective content strategies we’ve employed is creating general content on a global level, then we research individual regions and create localized content that appeals to specific markets.

Heather Apodaca, Rio Grande Jewelry

What’s really working in the content world? We’ve seen a lot of success in social media with content we’ve produced, growing a community of jewelers around our company. To do this, we’ve offered profiles of our customers. Our audience also loves technical type information that helps them sort through the details they need to succeed in our industry.

Monica Getz, University of Michigan Health System

What’s your content marketing secret? A few years ago, we started a blog and it was kind of a side note. But we’ve started to realize it’s reaching more of our people, it’s becoming the voice for our company. So, we’re trying to find a way to infuse our voice with our blog content.

There’s a book I read once called “The Power of Small”. In spite of all these grand strategies, I don’t think you can overestimate the power of a small group of people sitting together in a room and making ideas together. Through brainstorm sessions with people who are invested, we have been able to really harness what our audience wants and needs. It’s easy to get too grandiose, so don’t overlook what a few dedicated people can do for your company. In other words, “think small.”

And what about us? Here’s our take on the hottest upcoming trends in content:

Brooke Lark, Rocket Man Digital Senior Content Editor

What’s your content marketing secret? Now that everyone is in the content game, we can’t simply sell content anymore. We have to sell what the content can do for the brand. Like a good salesman, the content must now be justified within the budget. So how can you turn storytelling into sales dollars? As early adopters of the content trend, we’ve been way ahead of the game. And 2015 has shown us emulating ideas from other industries. One example: Turning blog posts into more than just an article. Essentially, we’re turning blog posts into lead magnets for one of our clients. And we’re seeing this approach work so effectively; it quadrupled the company’s subscriber base by 4,000% (we know, many will say impossible!) in just four months. How did we do it? Buzz us a hello and ask. We’d love to share our secret with you.