A Product-Led Content Rubric To Try
This LinkedIn post by Gaetano Nino DiNardi continues our conversation from last week about product-led content. He explains how to replace outdated marketing concepts with a product-led content framework and shares the rubric he uses as well as an excellent example in the comments.
The Case For Product-led Content
Agree or disagree? You should include product content in blogs (aka product-led content).
I’m going on record with a hard “agree.” It’s not—and shouldn’t be—faux pas to mention your product / service in your content, or even to devote entire pieces of content to it. If you don’t, you risk getting stuck in the content “friend zone:” a place where your ICP consumes your content but has no clue they could benefit from your product.
I’m not saying blast all product promos all the time and make people regret they clicked through or consumed your content wherever you distribute it. But I am saying that quality, helpful content should do 2 things: 1) actually help your ICP and earn their trust, and 2) help them understand what you sell and the problem you solve.
That can’t always be achieved with a brand mention buried in the last paragraph of your blog. Sometimes you’re going to need to weave the product organically into the content, and sometimes you should create content specifically for someone who needs to understand a use case for your product (how to achieve X with Y).
Need more convincing? Here are 3 instances of the ongoing conversation about whether it’s ok / not ok from marketers I respect:
One
Erin Balsa’s recent LinkedIn post acknowledged blogging about your product can be intimidating, and shared a few ways you can repurpose and redistribute product reports, including product blog examples in the comments.
Two
When it comes to aligning product and content, Derek Flint knows it’s crucial to be strategic. In a recent issue of Ten Speed (sorry, I can’t find a way to link you to the archives), he offered 2 parts to consider:
He also condensed the information in this LinkedIn post, which included 5 excellent examples:
Three
Lastly, this episode of Camille Trent’s Content Logistics Podcast featured Fio Dossetto, who defined what product-led content is and how it can actually be the best way to market your product without sounding like a sales pitch.
How Helpful Will Google’s Helpful Content Update Be?
Have you heard about Google’s Helpful Content Update yet? If not, basically it will reward sites providing “people-first” content as opposed to “search engine-first” content. It will also have a weighted site-wide ranking signal that will run continuously.
This issue of The Weekly SEO provides a more detailed breakdown and links to articles about the update, including what creators should know, predictions and hypotheses, and more.
Dr. Fio Dossetto (see her product-led content mention above) shared her excitement in this LinkedIn post: “Google's ‘helpful content update’ comes out next week and it’s music to the ears of all of us customer-first, product-led content creators.”
Will this change your approach to content creation?
Content Strategy Round Up
Some goodies I came across this week:
How to target keywords
Derek Flint suggests identifying target keywords you can use to generate content by following these 4 steps:
Step 1: Use Google. Step 2: Evaluate the Results. Step 3: Copy/Paste urls of articles on page 1 into Ahrefs. Step 4: Repeat.
He goes into more detail in the post.
Content Roadmapping
This issue of MKT1 Newsletter discusses content roadmaps. Learn how content roadmapping will not only help organize your existing content, but also help you generate ideas for new content. Look for the sections on where to source content ideas: audience analysis, perceptions, SEO, funnel stages, and existing content.
The Pieces of a Content Team
Mary Ellen Slayter’s LinkedIn post defines content jobs to be done and offers advice on how to divide the roles up based on hiring budget (so good!). She explains what to keep in house and outsource at different growth stages.
Beyond Blogging
Ross Simmonds squashes the misconception that “content=blog posts” and lists other content types and where they fit in your strategy in this Twitter thread.
In this Social Media Examiner article, Anna Sonnenberg shares why social proof makes a difference and offers detailed steps on how to get started. Most importantly, she offers examples of several types of social proof and answers some tough questions with sections like How to Legally Use UGC as Social Proof.
Discovered via Smart Brief on Social Business.
Where Does Your B2B Marketing Mix Fall On This List?
Gaetano Nino DiNardi created a quick guide to B2B marketing plays, including what he categorizes as outdated, changing, and modern in his LinkedIn post.
Here are a few he put in the outdated list:
Check out the full list.
Marketing Insights From Amanda Natividad
In this 35-minute episode of “Flip the Script,” Josh Spector interviews Amanda Natividad, (VP of Marketing for Sparktoro). Among other things, she shares tips for explaining complicated topics through content marketing and offers key journalism skills for non-journalists.
LinkedIn Content Marketing Round Up
The content marketers of LinkedIn delivered some solid strategies, tips, and opportunities this week. Here’s what dominated my feed:
Establish a brand/founder POV
Your content strategy needs an editorial angle. John Bonini suggests finding that angle by asking founders these 2 questions. Note: you’ll want to dig into the emotional side of why your company exists.
Conduct customer research
Do you do this? Melissa Harstine’s post mentions a Coschedule survey that revealed that teams that do are 303% more likely to hit their goals.
Equip your content writer to write
“Good stories are simple. Telling good stories shouldn’t be harder than it has to be.”— Lauren Lang advocates for doing the groundwork (provide a really solid brief) to help your writer avoid on-the-fly strategic decisions.
Find content cannibalization and fix it
Derek Flint delivered this guide on finding content consolidation opportunities/fixing content cannibalization. It goes into great detail for a LI post, plus it uses the term Frankenstein post, which I'm now in love with.
Shift to true demand gen and get buy-in
Sam Kuehnle shared 3 things you need to do if you want to shift to a true demand generation strategy:
The post includes details on executing all 3.
Funnel Stage Strategies
How do you strategize for funnel stage? Turns out there are contradictory opinions out there:
Everything Should Fit: In this SEJ article, Kristi Hines offers 5 tips to improve your content strategy and number 2 is this: “Make Sure Everything Fits Into Your Sales Funnel.”
VS.
Don’t Create for the Funnel: On the other hand, Ashley Lewin argues that creating content for funnel stage at all is a huge miss. Instead, she simplifies it to this: “Create content for your audience, not your funnel.”
My take: Ashley Lewin’s urge is more about mindset shift than demonizing the funnel. If we strategize for the funnel alone, content gets... forced. Like we’re trying to build a linear journey that isn’t linear at all. Ever.
So what she’s getting at is that we shouldn’t prioritize based on what we need someone to do but instead focus on what they would actually benefit from consuming.
I’m on board with that, but, as mentioned above, I do think your product messaging and story should be prioritized, even if they begin to iterate as you create more and more for your audience.
LinkedIn Content Marketing Goodness
My LI feed is sizzling lately with solid posts about content marketing (and also a bunch of people plagiarizing, so watch out). Here’s what resonated:
Types of Content
Lyndsay Cambridge writes “you often have to go bigger and better with your content to stand out”. Her LinkedIn post offers 4 content types that actually stand out.
SEO
How do you feel about SEO? Nicole Bump acknowledges our (sometimes frustrated) feelings and explains why a strong SEO strategy is actually an asset.
To top that off, “SEO should be the seasoning, not the steak.”—John Bonini reminded us that, ultimately, people determine content’s success…not Google.
Distribution
Are you simply “checking the box” when it comes to distribution? In another post, John Bonini challenges this approach and suggests strategizing distribution before creation, not tacking it on afterwards.
Great Content Rules Them All
Sara Stella Lattanzio’s post explains why “just creating” is no longer enough. “Have you noticed? 😮 By now, most questions related to marketing success can be answered with ‘𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁’.”
