But first I thought it would be fun to look at some reasons why some companies don’t think content matters. From the hallway and lunch table conversations I noted, these issues are fairly commonplace.

1. Your boss, or your boss’s boss, is unfamiliar with the term Objectives and his friend, Goals. Look, squirrel!
2. Internal politics is so wound up that content everybody’s concern. And nobody’s end-to-end responsibility.
3. Code and programming are specialized skills. It’s not necessary to hire someone to come in and write. Janis could probably handle it. Did you check with her?
4. We spent a lot of money on the corporate brochure and web site a few years ago. Still waiting for that to pay off.
5. Sure, a new website is on our list of priorities. It’s just that everybody really needs to focus on sales right now.
6. We have just the one website, and it only has a few pages. Anything more is overkill, really. Plus we’re in the book and go to the major conferences.
7. The company’s been around a long time. Everybody knows us already.
8. We’re a manufacturing company (distributor/niche services provider/soup kitchen, whatever). We really don’t have that much to say.
9. There’s no way to measure that.
10. We spent the last of the marketing budget for this fiscal on these great thumb drives for Sales to hand out in the field.
11. Pretty sure our competitors aren’t worried about content.
12. Our information changes so fast because of the industry and product development cycles. There’s no practical way we could keep up.

Tongue-in-cheek, of course. Well-planned content that’s clear, useful, and relevant is indeed important to business because of the myriad ways it (and the supporting values system) matters to customers.

What reasons would you add? What other excuses or fallacies have you heard that gave you a <headdesk> moment?

Asked another way, do those bytes count and help move your needle somewhere?

I picked up on a tweet stream from Scott Abel around midday today (oops! that’d be ‘yesterday’ now).  He’s someone I watch, and I’m anxious to learn from him as well as the other fine speakers lined up for Confab in May.  But let’s get back on track.

Near as I can tell, Scott was participating in a chat (or seminar) that discussed the complexities of content and translation.  One of his tweets in the #SDLInnovate thread stood out:

For sure, this tweet is out of context.  I didn’t hang around for the entire conversation, and I’m not suggesting something untoward about Scott (he’s good people). In the bigger scheme of the chat, who knows the significance this single tweet held.  But I want you to think about it (specifically the 2nd sentence) in this isolated, stand-alone form for a minute.  Go on, read it.

Persuasive content gets [them] to do something.

I don’t disagree with Scott’s statement. I just wonder if it can (should) go deeper.  Persuasive content isn’t necessarily an end game. The traditional conversion funnel has evolved. Content maintains roles at different points in a non-linear path to closure and relationship sustainability.

If the ‘do something’ Scott refers to is a cut-and-dried sale, then I’d say the notion might be too general and overlooks a more informed conversion path, one I think more consumers are taking (thank you, economy).

There are indeed times – depending on a consumer’s personal need, the aggregate effect of their exposure to the brand, the degree/amount of external influences like recommendations from trusted sources, etc. – when the persuasive nature of content may serve as a tipping point.  Purchase is made, period.

But for the most part, I really believe the function of content is primarily incremental.

Good content starts a notion buzzing in the back of your brain and keeps nudging you along toward the desired end (nudge, not shove). Along the way it informs and educates (even when the site entry is a side or back door).  It even encourages the user to ask questions of themselves and arrive at a decision that’s likely to be more deeply seated than had they read traditional sales copy.  There’s some neuroscience wrapped up in this thing, too.

What purpose do you think content serves?  To move or to sell?

Can it contribute to overall brand experience? Or is it simply a tactical component?  I wanna know what you think.

SXSW2011 is scheduled for March 11 to March 20.  Preliminary evidence suggests interest from interwebs geeks, mobile delivery,gaming and social media community is on the rise.  There are over 2,345 panel submissions for the Interactive track alone.

I attended the 2009 festival and had a great time. I attended some great sessions and had some stimulating hallway conversations with leaders I’d previously only talked with in 140 characters.  I came away inspired to do more with my fledgling business because I wanted to be part of this massive overturn of traditional thinking.  I wanted to be part of the wave exploring new territory in communications and marketing.

When the time came to submit panel ideas for consideration for the 2011 festival, I was both excited and overwhelmed.  I really want to participate at a higher level and help shape some of the areas being openly discussed.  So I submitted a proposal centered around an idea germ that’s been growing in my head about content, the channels we consume and distribute content through, and the role that brand plays in the equation.  Luckily, my proposal was accepted and advanced to the voting round.

I invite you to check out my proposal on the SXSW Panel Picker, titled “Content for multi-channel consumers:  earn affinity, reap rewards.”  Your vote weighs 30%, so network support is crucial to my potential success.  I hope you’re intrigued by my idea and support the panel (of which I’d be one of several participants) and help shed more light on the growing need to evaluate content in context with channel.

As always, thanks for your readership and your support!  Heather

Content is media agnostic and the ultimate brand-building resource.  Good content assumes 2-way communication in that it encompasses the needs of the customer and the benefits (value) of the provider.  Great content even folds in the curiosity and info-gathering behavior of the pre-customer known as the prospect.

Good content educates and informs while it entertains and engages.  It gets heads nodding and encourages return visits, both of the online and sales varieties.

But what about poor content?  That which is ill-conceived, improperly aligned, poorly planned or mass-produced?  I spent a lot of extra time with my 13-year old this holiday weekend and began to realize that like my Angel-slash-Poltergeist, good content has its flip side, too.

The List:  Poor content is…

1. Unpredictable.   You never know what you’re gonna get.  A resource or a reject?
2. Incessant.   When it’s bad, it’s bad.  And it’ll probably drone on forever about something you could care less about.
3. Selectively Listening.   Might address questions or issues that are easily remedied.  The other, stickier ones, however…
4. Self-Absorbed.   Focuses only on its own achievements/big wins and promotes them with abandon.
5. Half-Hearted.   Some effort may have come in fits & starts, resulting in task trails petering out before being fully resolved.

Bonus:   Easily Distracted.   It’s all over the map, trying to cover every possible angle and talked-about idea, but only scratching the surface and leaving you wanting more.  Or simply more focus.

Make Sure Your Content Ages Beyond 13

Now, my kid is great, bar none.  But 13 is, well it’s an age we’ve all come to associate with loud, confusing, and self-centered outbursts followed by periods of absolute sanity and rationalization.   It’s a tumultuous time that as a parent, you weather or seek to relieve with:  A) chocolate B) adult beverages C) both.

Customers are traditionally less tolerant and indulgent than parents, though.  Fail to listen to their needs or deliver on their expectations and you risk not only tarnishing the opportunity, but your brand as well.

Can you add to the list of things about poor content?

Unimpressed?  Well, it’s not rocket science for sure. But I’ve researched enough direct competitors to know that the task doesn’t have to call upon quantum physics to trip you up.  Shooting, editing, and producing video is time-consuming, and you don’t want to have the latest segment all but uploaded when you notice that your narrator’s  youth-inspired tatoo is showing itself every time he points at the screen.  What’s fine for the office may not be desireable on film.

Disclosure:  I’m no pro, nor do I play one on TV.  I’m just a gal with a Canon Vixia and a mono wired mic.  Plus I know a guy who knows his technical lighting, bonus for me. But I’m good at research, building scenarios and empathizing with customers to anticipate their needs.  And I have a knack for details and organization.  This post is about video on the (relative) cheap.

Plan

• In olden days, strategic planning documents called Creative Briefs informed copywriters and art directors on the parameters surrounding a new assignment.  You should approach planning your video series (surely yours isn’t going to be a one-off?!) as you might any other facet of marketing communications.  All stakeholders internal and external need to agree on a plan before you get started.  Later is not the time to find out the video should include a teaser about a new product planned for introduction.
  • Define your goal. Is your product/service well known?  Is it a considered purchase?  Is part of your challenge to educate your audience about a subject in general, before they can intelligently weigh the merits of your specific product?
  • Evaluate layers of your competition.  Scope corporate Web sites, Google, YouTube and more to uncover sanctioned (and unsanctioned) video about your competitors products.  In some cases you may want to see if the original manufacturer has their own sales or promotional video.  Stay open for ideas about what to do (and do better), what not to do, and tangential avenues to explore.
  • Determine desired outcomes.  While a goal may be what you want to achieve in a broad-stroke kind of way, I see outcomes as the secondary and tertiary benefits of  your work, opportunities for cross-merchandising the work product, strategic partnerships that might arise or become possible as a result of the video series, etc.  Essentially, what you want to net.
  • Create specifications.  Do you plan for the series to be exclusive to YouTube and embedded in your Web site?  Or on a CD that’s part of a sell-in kit?  Be sure to consider length, file format and medium.  Four minutes is an eternity for a YouTube video but might be just dandy for an annual report video.

Pre-Production

• This part’s a bit like planning a big date back when you were a coltish girl of 17 (I don’t really sound like that, I just wanted to use the word “coltish” in a sentence).
  • Surroundings.  A light colored (choose cream over white if possible) background and good ceiling height is ideal.  On film you can work boundaries that you really can’t in photos, so a hint or partial potted plant in good shape can soften a solid background or hide some unfortunate cables.  Don’t crowd your subject and remember that if they’re referring to a monitor or screen (say, they’re running a PowerPoint), remember that the camera may pick up the monitor as a separate light source and make screen elements bright but turn your subject a dark cast.  The room should be free of foot traffic and background noise.  Consider incorporating branded signage or placards into the video so that it shows on every frame – you’ll be amazed at the lengths others will go to copy or manipulate your video for their own purposes.
  • Subject. You don’t need a former calendar girl in order to make a good video.  As much as anything, you need a well-groomed, believeable subject who’s fairly articulate, knows the subject, and has a pleasant speaking voice.  Consider pairing your subject’s basic persona with the image and voice of your brand.  Matching the product with the gender of the target audience can make sense, too, in terms of how well the target might relate and connect with the subject.  Remember to remove any distracting jewelery, cover any tatoos that might not resonate with viewers, and dress casually (it’s more inviting and personable) but not messy. Do a couple of dry runs before you shoot film, and if possible make one of the run-throughs the day prior to the real thing.  That way the subject has some time to reflect on their tone and delivery, potentially smoothing things out a little.

There’s more, of course.  There always is.  I’m leaving out the editing and production parts of course.  I’m definitely still learning the technical aspects of video capture and editing, but I feel good about the purpose and preparation aspects.  When capturing video content to support brand awareness activities or aid in advancing the buying cycle, I feel that as long as minimum aesthetic points are met (like those above) that maximum reward comes from solid planning and forethought.

Your suggestions are welcome for adding or altering my Planning and Pre-Pro lists above.

Good content flows seamlessly from first introduction (say, a Home page) to closing thought (maybe a Contact Us page). It feels like it stems from a single source. It wraps you in a comfortable, pleasing cloak. It’s more than maintaining brand messages or established tone and voice.

I made a Facebook status update one day with these words: “Good writing isn’t easy. It’s just easy to read.” While content encapsulates more communication cues and elements than copy alone, I think the essence applies.

Go hug your content builder today.

Nick believes that multimedia tells a story, appealing to a consumer’s multiple facets through sound, visuals, intonation, and context simply not available in traditional, static print media.

Watch our interview here (admittedly, it’s longer than the advertised 10 minutes by double.  But he’s worth it.) or watch it on my Motionbox channel here.

As always, your comments and observations are appreciated.  Next month I’ll interview entrepreneur and Web-based software developer Eric Engelmann of Geonetric.

Nick Bergus – Adjunct Instructor, Multimedia at U of I and Production Coordinator, NLTV

1. You hold a BA in Religious Studies and an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication. How do those two tracks work to further your career objectives?
2. How well do you feel academic institutions are preparing communication students for today’s work force?
3. What skills and experiences do you think are must-haves for college graduates and entry-level workers of tomorrow?
4. What’s it going to take to turn the publishing industry and journalism craft around?  From a financial standpoint?  From a consumer consumption standpoint?
5. Do you think the adoption of social media on a business level can help or hurt tomorrow’s media industry?
6. Tell me about multimedia content and journalism.  Can they truly combine in a meaningful way that drives value through experience? Beyond simple execution?
7. You’ve won several scholarships and awards.  Would you describe yourself as a competitive person?  And you believe those types of pursuits are critical for an aspiring communicator in today’s market?
8. Define ‘convergence journalism’ and ‘nonlinear multimedia stories.’
9. From my perspective, you seem to have a strong creative/expressive side to your personality as well as a strong intellectual side.  Has this always been true?  And how might your two careers advance those needs?
10. Tell me about your affection for food.  Certainly the blog title “Death of a Pig” is intriguing. An Iowa transplant myself, I’m still trying to understand this ag-focused culture even after years of living here.

Ovation Interactive stands squarely in the Content Marketing crowd, believing that content is more about being a customer’s helping hand than about selling them the next big thing. An element of the content marketing philosophy is that by sharing information that will add value to consumer lives, inform their decision-making, offer a ‘take-away’ that increases convenience or comfort, provides topical insight, and is otherwise generous, consultative, and outward-focused, a brand will experience blooming and beautiful by-products:

1. Customers receive more signal, less noise. More of what the brand continues to say may break through.
2. Positive feelings start to emerge thanks to the perception the brand is paying attention to customer needs/wants.
3. Customers begin to share their newfound groovy experiences with others. Folks they trust, people they want to convert (hey, we all want to be the guy that helped our neighbor out of a jam).
4. Magically, organically, your brand gains momentum among its existing audiences/targets, and others they know that are in the market. No endorsement is more powerful than peer-to-peer word of mouth.

So we’re challenging marketers not to push overt ‘me’ messages, and instead tap into what gives ‘you’ a warm & fuzzy. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. Give ‘em what they need, and they’ll stick around. It may mean operational changes, re-jiggering some plans, or convincing the old guard it’s time for a new trick. But you gotta do it, or suffer the consequences: irrelevance and erosion.

In this video (which is, admittedly in part a self-promotion video for our company) we’re taking a fresh approach with our challenge for B2C marketers to reconsider their traditional approaches and methods.

We’d love to know your take – on the creative execution, message, and philosophy.  Looks best first-generation HD on a 42″ display (I can totally hook you up…), so consider this my disclaimer on Web-quality, small-format video (or try it here on Ovation’s Viddyou page).

Note: In case it doesn’t come through clearly enough, with my links here I’m saying: 1) I’m down w/ Hubspot’s lyrics that TV, Direct Mail aren’t cutting it the way we used to think they did 2) Todd Defren simply rocks, 3) Chris Brogan in pursuit of a “well-balanced marketing meal” is spot on and 4) with my comment (and Dave Fleet’s reply) I maintain that there is no single magic marketing bullet (every channel has its place and purpose), perhaps we have to reconsider the weight and message within each (yes, Dave’s post was a slightly different media beast, but I took the liberty with a side road that I think applies).

Right now I’m writing a lot of content for a new Web site, and along with trying to be mindful of keywords and writing for the reader, I’m thinking about ways the site can add value to the visitor’s experience. Maybe that’s not entirely a separate goal itself (some aspects support/enable content writing), but it’s important enough that it can’t be tertiary.  Frankly I think trying to ensure a quality experience is a tall task -  one I’ll have to improve with iterations and tweaks.  I am, however, trying to make these 5 points below my editing filter for a ‘first pass.’

C'mon in!

1. Good Content Is Like A Standing Invitation to Visit.  You know you’re wanted. You know they’ve considered you (and others like you) and have arranged their space, their resources, their approach to make your visit seamless.
2. Good Content Is Naturally Comfortable.  The conversation isn’t forced, the exchanges feel genuine, and they’re interested in what you’ve been doing and what your needs are.
3. Good Content Leaves You Feeling Good. It’s reassuring, even informative or instructional. They give you a metaphorical hug by helping you find your way and what you need, even become unburdened.
4. Good Content Has You Looking Forward to the Next Visit.  Like a respite from a storm, good content reassures  your choice to visit and experience and makes you ask yourself ‘Why did I wait so long? They were just what I needed.’
5. Good Content Is Something You Inherently Share.  Strong positive feelings aren’t ever bottled, can’t be contained.  When you’ve had a good visit, learned something new and made some decisions (or reaffirmed old ones), you share it with others that matter to you.  You share something authentic because you wish the same (experience) for them. Chances are, your words will factor into their actions and decision-making.

And that is what content marketing is all about, in my opinion.  What do you say?

Customer Engagement is an area of brand affinity that I’m passionate about.  I’ve always been a strong believer that only by tapping into the emotional needs of consumers will brands ever be able to design and deliver valuable products that serve their rational needs as well. This mindset goes way beyond performing in ways to achieve satisfied customers and much more to the heart of what my employer Ovation is doing now – encouraging brands to solve the problems of their consumers first and talk about how their products are superior second. If at all – wouldn’t that be a net effect of solving their problems?  Relieve some of your customers pain, and they will be appreciative and start to see your brand as a resource and trusted authority.  Trust will build a relationship up, provide a bridge to new relationships, and serve as a solid foundation should your brand stumble.

I mentioned Something About Birds, Didn’t I?

I’m really not a fan of birds, but earlier this spring a family took up roost in the Boston fern hanging on my front porch.  I had to be careful how I watered the plant so that the babies didn’t get the equivalent of a pint-sized monsoon.  Those times when I was looking close, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the construction of the nest.  It was the perfect size for the number of babies; it was uniform and tightly constructed. It’s amazing how it was constructed by a creature without the benefit of opposable thumbs and Crazy Glue.

Be Your Inner Bird

We orchestrate meeting times, meeting places. We plan agendas, prepare documents, and even strategize presentation delivery and tactics.  All of this so that we can come up with the next sweeping campaign, big project, or plan a significant roll-out. But what if instead of cooking up big time/resource-suckers that we hope will be the saving grace of the product line or the quarter, what if we took a micro-level look at our customers.  What if we tried to build a nest one customer at a time? The initial result might be smaller in sales or conversions than the ‘ol sweeping campaigns at first – but I challenge that if consistent, in the longer-term, the retention will be higher and the pass-along, organic growth will flourish.

Give some thought to taping down your thumbs and reaching customers on an individual level. Build your nest of engaged customers one by one if you have to. Yes, customers with certain like habits or profiles can be lumped into buckets for some generalized purposes.  But never forget that they’re individuals first; designing for the mass makes you run the risk of diluting the value of the solution.  Don’t presume what you have to offer is important to them. Ask what they need, and really listen.  Can’t you just envision the possibilities?

If you just talk with those who buy (or bought, then deserted) from you, you’re likely to discover a whole host of needs and wish-fors that you never would have anticipated.  And how cool would it be if your company was the first to offer them relief and provide solutions to ease their pain?