Massachusetts residents C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley, co-authors of “Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, E-books and Webinars ,” discussed the fundamentals of content creation at Mansfield’s HarborOne U last month.
Providence Business News recently spoke with Chapman about the event.
PBN: Your activities range from being the founder of the blog Digital Dads, host of the “Managing the Gray” podcast, and marketing consultant for heavyweights such as the Coca-Cola Co., Discovery Channel and American Eagle Outfitters, Is that what being a content creator is about? Having your finger in every pie, so to speak?
CHAPMAN: I firmly believe that if you are going to consult others or write a book about content then you must be creating it as well. Far too often I’m seeing people giving advice based on what they’ve read or believe and yet have never actually done it themselves.
I’ve worked on a lot of different marketing campaigns and each of them is very different. I learn from each of them so that the next campaign I work on can be as great as possible.
As for the pie, as Guy Kawasaki says in his new book, “Enchantment”: “There are bakers and eaters” and I certainly fall into the category of a baker; just sticking your finger in it is no good if you don’t know how to actually make it in the first place.
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PBN: The seminar was part of a series presented by the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center focused on web-based marketing strategies to attract customers. Is there is rule of thumb that attendees walked away with?
CHAPMAN:We outline eleven different rules in Content Rules that we feel any business can use as guidelines to be successful online. I wish there was a single thing that someone could do to be successful and if I had to say one thing it would be to work really hard because that is the only silver bullet I know.
“Content Rules” encourages everyone that it doesn’t matter what your budget is; you can be successful online. Ann and I made sure to include examples from organizations of every size in our case studies to that everyone can get something from it.
PBN: What makes someone a social media expert and how does a small business know where to find a “qualified” one to run their marketing campaign? Can’t they just hire a college student?
CHAPMAN: I have to admit that the question made me cringe a little bit.
The best advice I can give a business is when someone comes calling as an “expert” be wary right away. Ask them to show you what they’ve done for other clients. If they can’t actually show it to you, then be suspicious because since we are talking about the online world there should be something out there from anything they’ve done.
Also, check them out online. See how long they’ve been on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. See what they share and talk about on a daily basis. This will give you a good idea of them both as a person and as someone to work with.
Finally, ask for references. Some of the best consultants are not the loudest online because the really good ones are busy doing work for clients. Talk to people who have worked with them and if they are even remotely hesitant about giving references walk away and find someone else immediately.
PBN: Blogs, podcasts, videos, e-books and webinars seem too time-consuming for a small business, how do small-business owners know where and which mediums to invest in?
CHAPMAN: While most online tools are free or inexpensive, the most expensive part of your marketing budget for a small business is going to be your time.
One of our “Content Rules” is “play to your strengths” and that is a perfect place to start. Because your time is limited, pick one thing that you enjoy creating and start there. You don’t have to do everything at once so determine which you believe will be great to attract customers and that you can enjoy doing and begin there.
As you find success you can begin using some of the other tools as well, but don’t be afraid to take baby steps in the beginning. It is much harder to burn out that way.
PBN: Finally, which blogs/podcasts/webinars are on your favorites list?
CHAPMAN: If I could only choose one it would be Mitch Joel’s blog and podcast, “Six Pixels of Separation,” because Mitch is a friend, but also one of the smartest people in the space. He has a book of the same title to check out.
I’m also a big fan of Julien Smith (inoveryourhead.net) who is the co-author of “Trust Agents” which should be on your bookshelf. Finally check out what Amber Naslund and Tamsen McMahon are doing at BrassTackThinking.com. It cuts through the fluff and is always top notch content.
