My Lesson from #CMWorld: Offend Everyone. Get a Standing Ovation!

Angela Hedlund, Rocket Man Digital Project Manager

As a newbie to Content Marketing World (#CMWorld) this year, the epicenter of content marketing intelligence, I was excited and nervous. Sure I have learned a ton as project manager for Rocket Man Digital over the last 3 years. And yes, newly armed with an MBA specific to the arts and culture, I was ready to continue my career education. I heard so many things from Rocket Man @jeffnowak about #CMWorld that, for sure, there is no way I couldn’t be blown away. Right?

Hmmm…At the end of day one, let’s just say I was disheartened. Sure hunger, brain exhaustion, sleep deprivation and desperately missing snuggle-time with my chunky pet had a lot to do with that. But when I checked in with Jeff, it’s no surprised he was concerned. He was counting on ME to blog and tweet for Rocket Man Digital about my #CMWorld experiences. He wanted a fresh approach. A fresh voice and view from me. And plenty of content-marketing golden nuggets. 

I was beginning to worry. Was I going to come up empty?

DAY 1: CAN YOU SAY MBA 101

Many of the sessions I attended on the first day mirrored countless lectures I’d heard in grad school about the benefits of strategic planning, governance, metrics, ROI, blah, blah, blah. Did I really want to write up a summary on that? Everyone has heard about those topics. They are necessary and important. But, honestly, not really newsworthy.

Looking around at the crowd, I knew a good number might have been thinking the same. We know we need to do these things. Many of us probably have them at the top of our to-do lists. So, while there may be a need to reiterate and give renewed meaning to thought leadership and strategy, haven’t marketers moved beyond that? Is this what we paid thousands of dollars and traveled across the globe for?

DAY 2: CONFERENCE STRATEGY REBOOT

Going into day two, I decided to regroup. Time for a new battle plan! Follow my gut.

Drawing from one inspiring talk with the key message of “Bigger, Bolder, Braver” by Ann Handley @MarketingProfs, I looked for the most out-of-the box topics, and finally, found what I needed!

There was a theme emerging for me:

• Be authentic.
• Find your niche.
• Be opinionated.
• Take a stance on hard, controversial topics.
• Put up guardrails and never veer off course. 

Let’ the choir sing!

Sure, there’s a lot of Branding 101 in there. But, also so much more:

• Andrew Davis, @TPLDrew: Davis pointed out that, somehow, in this time when every brand is getting on the content-marketing bandwagon, using a “vomit content distribution strategy,” there has to be someone calling time out. Raising their voice and knowledge above the noise of the crowd.

•  Scott Stratten, @unmarketing:  Yelling and cursing (and rightly so!), Stratten said content sharing is now happening without discernment—to the point of gross and negligent wholesale theft of and repurposing of other people’s content, illegally and unethically.

• Mitch Joel, @mitchjoel: He flat out said content is failing!  We are now on a battlefield of content on the web. A battlefield where we need to prove our value and ask ourselves this: How are we better? What sets us apart?

I was feeling it. Connecting. Understanding that now, more than ever, it’s important for us to be bold and brave. Speak in authentic voices. Stop vomiting content, stealing content and settling for good vs. great content. We need to stand up to producing quantity over quality. We can do better.

AND NOW, FOR THE STANDING “O”

It was only befitting that #CMWorld would wrap up with someone who epitomized the bolder, braver theme. Actor and self-proclaimed woodworker, Nick Offerman @Nick_Offerman. He stood on stage and didn’t lecture. He didn’t make a cheesy graduation speech, sending content marketers on their merry way pumped up to change the world with every SEO headline.

Instead, he stood on stage and simply told a story. His story.

It was rambling and convoluted. And, he may be tone deaf, but he played a guitar and his homemade ukulele and sung a colorful song about, well, sex. He drank beer, ate bacon and peppered his story with very riveting curse words. He probably offended every single person in attendance at least once. I even had a few cringe moments. (That’s saying a lot!)

Then, he got on a tiny soapbox and spoke about learning how to be humans again. Not just robots addicted to screens.

When it was over, Nick Offerman revealed in his post-presentation discussion with Joe Pulizzi @joepulizzi that he didn’t even know why he’d been invited to #CMWorld.

And yet, he got a standing ovation. A long standing ovation.

He was unmistakably and unapologetically Nick Offerman. And he was perfect. He did not veer from his “brand” (which he admits thinking of himself as a brand sends chills down his spine). He was bigger (no pun intended), he was bolder and he was braver than anyone at #CMWorld.

And, I know I’m probably not the only one who instantly searched for and followed him on Twitter right after. The first tweet from Offerman thanked #CMWorld. It also included a quote form Mark Twain:  “Always tell the truth; then you don’t have to remember anything.”

That’s content marketing. That’s ROI. BRAVO!