Twitter is a great tool to expand the reach of your message beyond your website, enewsletter or blog. But you can’t measure your reach solely by the number of followers you have—you have to look beyond and consider the user who follows your followers.

Content marketing can be a cost-effective way to get the word out about a company, putting the small guys on a more even playing field with the big boys. One reason it’s an economical strategy is because you can repurpose your content in dozens of different ways, turning a blog entry into a white paper or an article into the script of a video. The idea is to recycle content so that it “takes advantage of the different ways that your readers absorb information,” says blogger Beth Hrusch.

So it’s probably no surprise that Joe Pulizzi’s blog on Junta42 is one of my go-tos for great content marketing insight, and Joe’s latest post illustrates just why that is.
The post is a tough-love tirade about content marketing and how a company’s content marketing strategy will fail if the content is all about the company and not about the customers’ needs. He gives an example of content marketing that doesn’t work (sorry, Ford Motors) and challenges companies to take this content marketing test.

Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign gained immortality for using the simple slogan “It’s the economy, stupid” to beat incumbent President George H. W. Bush. Today’s content marketers should remind themselves that “It’s the content, stupid,” that ultimately attracts, retains and persuades readers.
We’ve always said that, and it’s nice to see another content marketing company, Pace Communications, agreeing with us in this blog post by account director Kerry Andrews – plus she quotes one of our favorite marketing bloggers, Seth Godin.
To expand on what she says about relevance, your messages have to work well with whatever formats or media you choose to convey them. Apple’s new iPad has re-agitated the debate over online vs. print design, as well as how best to craft content for a new means of delivery.
Integrating medium, message and design should be part of your overall marketing strategy, and it brings into play designers, writers and marketing specialists. Ideally, the result will be, as Alexander Pope put it, “What oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed.”

Did you know that the average visitor to your website spends less than two minutes on each page? So you better get to your point—and fast. Writing for the web is different from writing for print, and so it’s important you adapt your content for those who skim, because the reality is that most of your visitors will only scan your content, rather than read it word for word. Ginny Redish’s book “Letting Go of the Words,” focuses on how to create content that will “answer people’s questions and let them get on with their lives.”

Blogging for your business is crucial, but working the right amount of marketing into your posts is also important, according to this recent article. It’s one thing to blog, but if you want it to help boost your business, you’ve got to have a goal in mind and tailor the content of your blog to meet that goal, whether it be offering information, asking visitors to watch a video, or showcasing an example of your company’s recent work.
Blogs are a great way to discuss business in a more laid-back manner than you might in a white paper or memo to a client, and you can’t underestimate their value in connecting with customers — current and potential.
Just remember: Content is king, but only if it’s targeted, quality content.

Like Mark Twain, reports of the death of print continue to be exaggerated, though, like the Black Knight in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” print has suffered considerably more than a flesh wound.
But the recently launched “Magazines, The Power of Print” campaign underwritten by leaders of five major magazine companies—Charles H. Townsend, Condé Nast; Cathie Black, Hearst Magazines; Jack Griffin, Meredith Corporation; Ann Moore, Time Inc.; and Jann Wenner, Wenner Media—is betting $90 million worth of ad space on assuring advertisers (and readers) that magazines remain a vital — a necessary — medium.
To those who scoff, we can point to Dr. Samir Husni, aka “Mr. Magazine,” who recently reported there were 170 magazine launches in 1Q 2010 — the same number as 1Q 2009 and more than in either 2007 or 2008.
“Call it what you want,” writes Dr. Husni, “but yet again the innovative media companies and entrepreneurs have shown a resiliency against all odds, and for that matter against the prophets of doom and gloom.

If your content marketing plan incorporates online reviews of your product or service, don’t fake them.

Jay Baer of Convince and Convert makes some compelling arguments about why a company’s social media programs should be about helping, not about selling, and lists several companies that approaching their social media programs in this correct way. From a content marketing standpoint, Geek Squad really stood out among the companies Baer name-checked. He said:
“Geek Squad makes its living providing technology configuration and repair services, via BestBuy stores everywhere. But yet Geek Squad has a YouTube channel that includes hundreds of videos showing people how to do it themselves. They aren’t trying to sell you services –- at least not at that point –- they are being helpful.”
Sounds a lot like a good content marketing strategy, too.

“I want a magazine.” “I want a blog.” “I want a newsletter.” Those are some of the most common needs expressed to us by new clients. More often than not, clients come to us with the media they want already in mind.
Rather than immediately moving forward, we prefer to start the process with a conversation about a client’s content marketing goals, then let those goals guide a custom media platform selection. We’re looking for the platforms that will work most efficiently, rather than the trendiest or flashiest. We won’t recommend a client invest in a custom magazine, for example, until we are clear about what he or she wants the magazine to do. With such an array of media choices to choose from, we realize the decision can be difficult. That’s why we draw on our years of experience—and tons of research—to craft the most appropriate media for each client.