Lazy Content Marketing Does Not Inspire the Masses

Phrases like content marketing, digital marketing, social media marketing, and the like can float past a person and result in a yawn.

This yawn is probably because the reader needs some sleep, but lost passion can also contribute to that yawn.

When the marketer, whether it is you or another agency, loses the passion for what they are doing, the audience knows it! It is as evident as if you wrote it in a social media post, tweet, or the blog. It is almost as if you wrote it as a sentence in your blog article

So, how do we light a fire under us to keep that passion going? How do we ensure that our readers are not clicking off the page to go to another site?

Defining Content Marketing

The definition of content marketing, from 15 years ago, to the definition of content marketing now, is different.

Without going into the past (and professionally confusing ourselves), let’s focus more on what content marketing is today.

Content marketing has more to do with eliciting engagement from your target audience. This is basically a matter of creating a relationship with your audience. By doing so, you are hopefully obtaining that engagement on the first piece of content that they see, but also encouraging them to return to engage some more, on additional pieces.

Doesn’t that sound like the makings of a good business-customer relationship to you?

Content marketing is also more of a strategy than it is an item on a task list. It becomes the framework on which the building of your task list happens. There is the case of it becoming a strategic framework for the marketing of your business. It is also the dissemination of information related to your niche (helping to build your subject matter expert standing; niche authority; and branding).

The content marketing of today involves strategic components. OnPoint Marketing mentions one of them in a way that is easier for us to picture and helps to define content marketing using one of the methods, which is that of aiming for the low-hanging fruit. You see, content marketing, while it does involve writing, is not only about writing.

Let’s find out what that entails.

Understand the ROI of Content Marketing

The basic premise that is the foundational point of “The Content Formula” (by Michael Brenner and Liz Bedor) is the calculation of the return on investment (ROI) that content marketing provides.

Granted, it is much more than that, but it is definitely helpful in the area of ROI calculation.

This is one way to look at it, but it is a helpful way to look at it. It is like having a formula. Oh, granted, those who love math probably really love it. But, even for those who do not love math (Yes, you can handle it!), it is something a bit more tangible to handle, once you get the idea of how to process it.

And, let’s face it if we can understand IF we are getting some sort of content marketing result (the ROI), that helps, doesn’t it? And, even more so, if we can figure out just what that result is (the actual ROI calculation), then we have that tangible something as if it is in our hand.

If we are motivated to move forward in success in this business, you are in the right spot. This is true even if the goal is to be able to pay a utility bill! Having something tangible moves us toward seeing that come to fruition. And, for most of us, being able to see something come to fruition gives us some sort of spark. Am I right?

What comes after the spark? Hopefully, it is the fire of your passion!

Find Your Passion!

Ok, is that spark starting to warm your creative juices? Are you feeling that urge to move forward and write some incredible articles?

Sometimes passion has to do with the material that you are writing about and sometimes it is the writing itself that is the passion for you. Just like, for some people, writing is a scientific process, and for others, it is an artistic process.

For a minority, it is actually both (combining the scientific and artistic approach to the world).

Whatever it is that creates that passion in you, go with it. Your audience will sense it, and if you are good at parlaying your message, they will feel it with you, and that gives a better chance of engagement.

Remember, this isn’t only about a formula (even if it may involve a formula), but the passion is about the awareness of the excitement that already exists in you. It is about sparking it and then moving on from there, even in this beautiful world of content engagement.

Why? Well, that is the next topic… engagement.

The 1000 True Fans

To help understand the concept of building engagement, let’s step back and consider another way to look at it.

It is the “1000 True Fans” as discussed by Kevin Kelly.

The idea is that the goal is 1000 true fans rather than millions of contacts on the list. With millions of contacts on a list, it is possible that that is 999,999 people who are not engaging with your content. Does that really benefit you in any way?

By aiming for a smaller number than one million, and seeking to engage each and every one of them, you will actually do better. You will be building a relationship that creates loyal followers (who engage and buy your stuff!).

Summing It Up in a Plan

If you have heard the quote, “You fail to plan because you plan to fail,” then it makes sense that planning needs to be a key component in any content marketing strategy.

The reason that passion is important is that you will lose your audience if it is as dry as dust.

If content marketing is your goal, then you need to ensure that there is an aspect of engagement built into your process (which includes writing).

When was the last time you felt like engaging with a piece of content that is as dry as dust? See the point?

Now, go share that passion of yours (writing) and start engaging on a regular basis. You will soon realize that you are doing what is called “content marketing” and you are current with what it is supposed to be, in this day and age.