And Then Someting Totally PointlessThat’s a headline I’ve always wanted to write, but the right opportunity seemingly never comes along, so I thought I’d make my own opportunity. Why not, right? If you’re a lover of irreverence such as I, then you probably know the headline is a take from a famous line in the movie “Caddieshack” where Rodney Dangerfield yells out a famous line to end the movie after Noonan sinks a putt to win a tournament.
I bring this up because, yes, I’m watching “Caddyshack” as I write stuff, and I’ve been really getting into LinkedIn lately. Wait…what?! Seriously, in my mind, it all makes sense so hold on there, Judge. First of all, I’d like you to know that according to this numbers puzzle that’s been floating around my LinkedIn news feed, I am a genius (says so right there) … so I got that going for me. There’s also an article mentioning a prediction that 2015 is the year our salaries will start to rise like the good times we once enjoyed as if they would never end. Merry Christmas! There’s also another blog that gives great insight into content and the bottom line (you can read it here: http://linkd.in/1C6e3pp). The line that really struck me was how consumers make a purchase decision more than half time before engaging the vendor. Sometimes that percentage, according to Forrester Research numbers quoted in this blog, can be nearly 90% of consumers trust content such as blogs, product pages, user manuals and other documentation. Product reviews, of course, are huge. What does it all mean? Well, to me it means the one with the best content wins. Sure pricing and reputation do come into play, but you can have the lowest price in the solar system, but with no content to support the product or service, then people won’t trust it – if they find your product at all. Fine, then, if everyone’s content is All-Universe how do you stand out? Great question and thank you for asking it! This is where (hopefully) this blog comes together and you get a sense at what I’m saying. No. 1 thing beyond good content is to have that content support your personality and brand. So many times I’ve had a client or vendor approach me and say “so-and-so is doing this, why aren’t we?” Well, because you are you and they are them and I am me, we’re all different and need to be unique. Besides, those other people could be failing miserably and you don’t even know it. For me, my brand is my personality or else I’d just as soon work at Sears or something, but putting your personality out there can be daunting, scary and dangerous – if you do it wrong. You can go too far, of course, and I’m here to tell you I’ve sailed that boat more than a few times. You can also (to keep with the sailing theme outta nowhere) run aground – fail – miserably and come across as a know-nothing-egotistical-arrogant-hack that thinks he’s clever … or funny. Soooo not the case. Be yourself. Make content that drives your, or client’s, brand’s personality, and guess what, you’re gonna get paid. Guarantee it. I declare 2015 to be the year content is no longer destined for the stiff bin. It’s time to take chances and make this shtuff swirl. And now for something totally pointless: http://bit.ly/1C3uR3e Merry Christmas you crazy kids! Larry
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AuthorLarry is a content marketing professional, an experienced copywriter, avid fisherman, amateur sailor, teller of kinda funny jokes, pancake connoisseur and an overall OK guy who founded Sawfish Online. Archives
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