Creating Content That Sells

From Pete Cashmore, to Joan Rivers to Randi Zuckerberg, Internet Week New York was a townhall of who's who in the tech, marketing and startup world. Packed with enlightening and thoughtful discussions featuring big wigs from the fashion, food and marketing industries, we present you with the trends that you need to know and the tips you need to take your marketing to the next level in this multi-part blog series on IWNY 2013.

Creating Content That Sells

If you're a digital marketer, you're probably no stranger to this saying by now: Content is King. With the rise of social networks and the ability to relay information in real-time and interact with consumers in a way never before possible, content marketing has now become the linchpin in determining the long-term growth and relevancy of your brand in a highly congested space.

So how do you separate the signal from the noise? And how do you create relevant, unique content that sells and converts users into loyal brand evangelists? The panels at Internet Week New York presented a whole slew of opinions from different industries - sports marketing, publishing, music, fashion, entertainment and food - and the one thing that stood true across them? Relevant Content IS king.

We are now at the burgeoning of a new era of content marketing - it is no longer just about creating content but more about creating relevant content that is unique and tailored for each media platform. Cookie cutter content is no longer seen as substantial enough to break through the engagement barrier - to really succeed as a brand / content publisher, content has to be authentic and relevant to the day to day lives of its readers and consumers.

To help you navigate through this arena of noise and signal, here are our top 10 tips, gleamed from the impressive panels and keynotes at IWNY 2013:

(you can watch the videos of the panels from livestream's dedicated IWNY page: https://new.livestream.com/iwny

1. It pays to listen: you can't publish good content unless you listen. It's not about the quick wins here. The most successful brands take the time to listen to what users are talking about, what they're liking and what platforms they're using before implementing their own specific content strategy.
2. Get to know your platforms: Again, we're not looking to keep up with the Jones' here. Just because your competitors are using social platform A, doesn't mean that it might work for you. Be Selective - Evaluate your brand identity and content goals before really analyzing and hand selecting the social platforms that are relevant to YOU and your brand.
3. Know who you are: By far the most important tip we can offer - know and understand what your point of view is. Own your brand voice and never waver from that. You will find that it gets easier to find topics to write about once you have established a clarified and elaborated brand voice and content marketing purpose.
4. Get there Fast, BUT Get there Smart: There are no 'off-hours' in the social age of internet marketing - conversations are always going on and traditional media planning schedules are no longer relevant. So as digital marketers, you need to get to the market fast, but SMART. Don't churn out content for the sake of keeping up with the times and if you feel under the gun to produce content, leverage your resources to help you create new content. That might be reaching out to influencers in your industry, guest blogging for certain media publications or encouraging user generated content. Whichever your route, remember that you're not alone in this and there resources out there that can help!
5. Forget the hype: Often enough, brands feel the need to publish content that talks about themselves, but turn the tables around and ask yourself - how often do you read content that talks about the brand and just the brand alone? Content marketing is not just about the hype of your company, it's about sharing your company's point of view through content that pulls like minded readers in. Bergdorf Goodman does a great job of this - their blog doesn't just talk about their products but has adopted a lifestyle centric focus that embodies the Bergdorf brand image. From restaurants to styling tips and how-to guides, their blog is larger than the store itself and that is what sells.
6. Adapt and Re-appropriate: Not all content should be consumed the same way. What may work as a blog post may not translate well on Pinterest. This requires you to have a good understanding of the audience types and media consumption patterns of your social networks. Translate your blog into an infographic, create soundbite tweets that you can schedule out in advance - these are some easy ways to extend the lifecycle of your content and to create content that appeals to different audience groups and reading habits.
7. Maximize your assets: A picture paints a thousand words. Now imagine what a video can do? In today's media saturated age, the reliance on the visual has never been more important. YouTube and Instagram are rising up the ranks as brand marketers go to choices for content marketing and brand engagement. So don't forget to evaluate what assets you have and how you can make use of images and videos to best promote your brand message.
8. Use your audience: Consumers today are no longer passive recipients, they are producers and produsers in their own right, so don't forget them in your content marketing mix! A great case study is GoPro's brand channel on YouTube - what started as a few videos generated by the brand themselves to showcase the utility of the GoProCamera, is now a User Generated Content machine with hundreds of videos submitted by users of the product. With over 250 million views to date, GoProCamera has increased its product awareness, engagement and sales by leveraging user generated content.
9. Measure and Repeat: Once you've started creating content, don't forget to track your successes. Create (or search for - here are some great tools to get you started) an editorial calendar that helps you track your content's success online and on social. Using these statistics, you will be able to identify content that works for your audience and that would lead to future content topics that are highly relevant and pertinent to your users.
10. Get Social! While it's definitely important to create and publish content, a large part of content marketing is also being able to get involved in the conversations. Don't be afraid to comment on blog posts and reply to your readers' questions. Content Marketing can be considered a form of customer service outreach - getting involved in the conversation lends you authenticity and relevance that can boost your brand value and equity.

The list above is definitely not final, though I hope it sheds some light on an area of marketing that is growing and expanding exponentially every day. It's a challenge that requires a fine mix of strategic planning and a dash of intuition about what your audience needs. Are there any other tips that you would like to share with us on how you run your content marketing plans? We'd love to hear from you!