It’s almost September, which means it’s almost time for Content Marketing World, the Lollapalooza of the content marketing industry.
It’s thousands of smart professional content types, converging all at once on downtown Cleveland to figure out how to create and propagate content that wins the hearts and minds of customers and prospective customers.
Organized by my friends at Content Marketing Institute, it’s a first-class event where every little detail has been thought of already. It just……kicks ass. Here’s how much I believe in this event: the entire Convince & Convert team will be there, and I am personally paying for most of our clients to attend, too. And, we’re a media sponsor for the big show September 9-11.
You really should consider attending this event, or sending someone from your team. Get on it, as tickets are almost sold out. Use code CONVINCE to save $100.
Can You Introduce Me to Uhura?
Particularly exciting for me this year is that I am the opening keynote for the whole shebang, talking about Youtility. It’s a message that will resonate with content marketers for certain, but it’s a little intimidating given that the other keynotes (in addition to the great Joe Pulizzi from CMI) are Jon Mildenhall from Coca-Cola (whose Content 2020 video mantra only jump-started the content revolution inside companies), and William FREAKING Shatner. That’s right, I’m sharing a stage with Captain Kirk/T.J. Hooker. I’ll be getting a photo of me with the Priceline Negotiator and posting it to a very specific group of old high school bullies with a “suck on this, haters” text overlay.
My 7 Favorite Rock Star Tips About Content Marketing
In the run-up to Content Marketing World, Lee Odden and his team at TopRank Online Marketing created this terrific SlideShare presentation that includes 36 tips from rock star brands and marketers (tying in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland angle). It is chock full of useful observations and advice. It definitely qualifies as a Youtility – it’s marketing so good, you’d pay for it if Lee asked you to do so. Fortunately, it’s 100% free, and available below.
I’m in there with one of my favorite lines in Youtility:
“Stop being amazing, and start being useful” (tweet this)
From my pal Robert Rose of CMI:
“Marketing is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content marketing is showing the world that you are one.”
From Joe Chernov of Kinvey (and the 2012 Content Marketer of the Year):
“Create content that speaks to your audience, and then hustle like hell to get it discovered.”
From the brilliant Todd Wheatland of Kelly Services (who did a fantastic Social Pros podcast with me):
“To excel and content marketing, you need to dig much deeper than knowing customer profiles. You’ve got to know yourself. And not be afraid to show it.”
From the always thought-providing Chris Baggott of Compendium (a flat-out amazing content marketing platform that we are proud to advise, and that we’ll be switching to on C&C soon):
“Don’t try to make it perfect. Write a LOT. Volume trumps perfect.”
From Tom Webster of Edison Research, the most interesting man online and my friend and collaborator:
“If you figure out what your audience expects you to be, and then be that thing, you’ll be successful.”
From Marcus Sheridan, who consistently teaches me new things about content marketing, and who wrote the foreword to Youtility:
“How do I rock my content marketing? Simple. I never try to sound smart.”
Which of those is your favorite? Or maybe one of the other 29 tips in the Slideshare resonates with you even more?