Is your brand ready to unlock the power of content marketing?

Content marketing is becoming an increasingly powerful tool in the modern marketer’s belt. With more and more brands crafting compelling, engaging customer-facing content, it’s time to learn how to make content marketing work for you.

Join me at the Summit Executive Centre in Chicago on April 6 & 7 for my exciting new workshop for the American Marketing Association (AMA): “Content Marketing: A 7-Step Blueprint to Content Marketing Success.” In this two-day event, you will learn what content marketing is, why it has become a cornerstone of social branding, and how you can get started with this cost-effective marketing strategy.

Seats are going fast! Register for “Content Marketing: A 7-Step Blueprint to Content Marketing Success” by March 9 for the early-bird discount.

I’m thrilled to team up once again with the AMA to bring you this new course. Read ahead to learn more about content marketing and how it can benefit your brand.

It’s time for a new marketing strategy for a new era

In the broadest sense, the goal of marketing is simple: Let a group of people know what you do and earn their business through effective messaging.

Marketers have used a variety of strategies to find their target audience over the years. Some have been more effective than others, but all have attempted to generate ever greater leads and sales at ever-shrinking costs.

Like champion dart players, the best marketers hit their targets with remarkable accuracy. For others, their efforts can feel a little more like a game of pin the tail on the donkey.

Content marketing helps brands hit their targets more effectively and more efficiently.

In 2017, 70 percent of brands plan to expand their content production efforts. Is your brand one of them?

In an age characterized by social media, ad blockers, and shifting brand loyalties, few strategies are as effective as a robust, diverse content marketing campaign.

With good content, your brand will be better positioned to:

Influence decision makers

Eighty percent of decision makers prefer to learn about a company through a series of articles than a series of ads. Even more promising, 9 out of 10 B2B buyers say online content has a “moderate to major” influence on their purchase decisions.

Focus social media advocacy efforts

We’re big fans of the social employee at Blue Focus Marketing. But to really unlock the potential of your employee advocates, they need something to share. That’s where a good content marketing team comes in. Armed with good content, 81 percent of social employee advocates reported increased traffic with as little as six hours of weekly engagement.

Humanize your brand

What do brands like Microsoft and Red Hat have in common? They both have created content marketing hubs designed to tell stories and humanize their brands. These days, people do a lot of research before making a purchase decision or applying for a job. More than a great deal or an enticing salary, these people want to know who represents your brand. That’s why the voices of everyday employees are far more trusted than anyone else within the company.

Great content begins with a great story

A central focus of my AMA workshop, “Content Marketing: A 7-Step Blueprint to Content Marketing Success,” is the value of storytelling. With so many brands to choose from, people want to know that your brand’s mission, vision, and values align with their own. Check out the video below to find out how.