5 Tips for Small Business Owners To Pick a Content Marketing Expert

Content marketing continues to grow and for good reason. It enables businesses to leverage their expertise in a real and demonstrable manner, at a relatively low cost. So, why aren't more small businesses taking advantage and incorporating content marketing? The answer is simple.  They just don't have the expertise or the time.  There are many excellent marketing practitioners who live and breathe content marketing. At the same time, there are many people who profess to understand content marketing and do not. Here are 5 tips for getting started when seeking your content marketer:

 

Image Courtesy of doublinx.com

1.  Think Strategically

One of the first things that a content marketer should ask about is your strategy.  Good content marketing consultants will interview you about this and ask thought-provoking questions.

2.  Develop Personas

In order to curate content, it is essential that your content marketing professional be able to develop personas, should you not already have them.

3. Act with Integration in Mind

Content should not be created only with social in mind.  An integrated approach must be taken.  Be sure that your marketing consultant has the expertise to leverage and implement an integrated marketing approach.  Don't be dazzled by someone who knows how to set up a Facebook Page or Group.

4.  Execute Based on Best Practices

 Be sure to ask questions to determine if your consultant knows how to make use of the right channels at the right time.  For example, recommending to post updates to Facebook at the wrong times with the wrong content will result in poor results.  This also applies to quality over quantity.   Always look for consultants that focus on quality first.

5.  Focus On Long-term Results

As tempted as we are to want things to happen immediately, marketing is something that takes time.  Your consultant should be prepared to guide you through the process and make adjustments as needed.  Remember we are dealing with consumer behaviour and influencing behaviour takes time. 

These are just 5 starting points to get you thinking.

Looking for more tips for small business?  Check out:  25 Cool Online Resources to Grow Your Business.

6 Tips Social Media Marketers Can Learn from Astronaut Chris Hadfield

What does a former Air Force Fighter Pilot and Canadian Astronaut know about marketing?  Well, as it turns out, a lot!  Chris Hadfield has done an outstanding job at generating interest in the current space program while also showing that astronauts are not just very smart people, but fun, clever and very much connected to community.  Take a look at this list and you will learn very quickly that @cmdr_hadfield is a model of inspiration.

1.    Know Your Community – Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for any one wishing to market themselves or a brand is to actually understand your community.  This of course is slightly complicated when your community is literally the entire planet.  Despite this significant challenge, Commander Hadfield has successfully connected with people around the globe.  He has found the common denominators that connect humans.  In this case, curiosity and the desire to learn.

2.    Use the Channels Your Community Prefers – Commander Hadfield understands the power of the moment and reach.  Twitter has been one of his most powerful communication tools and it shows.  With nearly 800,000 followers, he can share photos, thoughts and memories as he experiences them. 

3.    Show Your Personality – If there is one thing that really stands out about Command Hadfield, it is his personality.  His smile and genuine warmth leave you with one response.  You like him.  You want to listen to him and learn from him.  Of course not everyone has the same personality as this famous astronaut, but being genuine is the real take away.  You can’t fake being genuine – not over the long term.  If you care about people, people will care about you.  Remember, people on both sides of the transaction fuel brands.

Answering Questions from International Space Station on May 6, 2013

4.    Maximize Your Environment – Whether or not you are on the International Space Station in zero gravity, knowing how to leverage your environment is key.  Share photos that are interesting and unique to your audience.  Find something that the average person just doesn’t have access to.  Do pod casts, interviews and more using the tools of trade.  Show how they fit into your world and how you use them. Don’t just keep them in the background.

5.    Realize That You Can’t Do It Alone – Despite being extremely genuine and popular, Commander Hadfield has realized that he can’t connect with his community alone.  He partnered with Bare Naked Ladies front man Ed Robertson to write a song about the International Space Station.  He has reached out to schools, media personalities, science centers and more to do live appearances while in space.  While he is the center of attention, he realizes that it really isn’t all about him.  He is sharing more about others and his environment, than he is about himself.

6.    Be Consistent – Commander Hadfield is consistent in all that he does and this has reinforced all of his messaging.  As a result, people are interested in the man AND the International Space Station.  People now have a vested interested in this mission.

Note:  this is a slight variation on a blog post that I wrote for the Salesforce Marketing Cloud blog last week.