According to Paul, “the more personal you can make it, the more people will buy into it. LinkedIn can create a great network effect – the content is not broad brush but rather very laser-targeted. We are all publishers and this is powerful.”
The panel also noted the importance of sharing data. Dominic advised attendees to “keep your content concise, but make sure you share your data to transform relationships.” Geraldine added that you should “give people something. Don’t be afraid to give away your intellectual property. People want to see real examples, and will likely then approach you for more.”
However take care! Kate warned, “Be very clear on the difference between personalisation and tailoring.”
Pick the correct partner
Geraldine emphasised the power of getting a partner to share your content with their own network. “Your message, delivered by the right partner, becomes a validation for your product within their own context.”
“Renting someone’s reputation is useful,” added Dominic. “Picking the right partner to work with to create content is important. Think about it carefully. Working with academics is often a good strategy, and often an untapped resource. Other industries make better use of academics – financial services is behind the curve.”
Kate talked about the importance of feedback from chosen partners, as well as from your audience. “Feedback is key. You will really benefit from being open to the response to a piece of content, and this feedback will inform the next step and allow you to get more insight into your audience.”
Technology is great – but don’t neglect the old ways!
According to Dominic, “content and technology gets you in front of people. To then further build relationships, older tools – like events and surveys – may work better. Events allow you to capture the interest of people who are demonstrably interested in the services you have got. People still prefer face-to-face.”
Paul agreed. “Content marketing can get you 70% of the way there, but then get your best sales people on the case.”
Geraldine described herself as ‘technologically agnostic’. “Use content as a calling card to someone, but you should then still build up to a meeting.”
Video killed the journalist star?
Paul highlighted the importance of video as a channel. “Video is massively powerful now. The top 10 online news sites feature between 20 and 30 user-generated pieces of content a day.”
Geraldine countered: “Written content isn’t dead. You can take messages from a video and turn them into a blog or an article – and this highlights a real blurring between paid, owned and earned media. The question is, is it useful? Then it doesn’t matter if it is any of the three.”
And a final word from Dominic: “Independent journalism is dead. Most of what you see now is paid for. Content marketing has ultimately destroyed this channel – and so we need a new model for what is owned, paid for and earned.”
Thanks to our panellists and guests for joining us for a fascinating event. Get involved in the discussion at #CogSpeaks, or through the comments section below.