We’re not members of our local Chamber of Commerce (though I just got an application, and Lani and I may do it for 2008), but I got invited to co-present at a recent brown-bag lunch seminar for local business owners by our good friend and business ally Kevin Skarritt.
The topic was integrated marketing, and over cookies and soda (and yes, the occasional lunch), Kevin talked about David Meerman Scott’s The New Rules of Marketing and PR, and how all marketing efforts should tie back into other marketing channels, especially to your website – the hub of your integrated marketing strategy.
I was there because you need content for marketing, and because these days, you can use content in so many ways to get your message out there. Speaking for my fellow Content Lover Lani, we like to use our content in as many ways as possible. For example, one article can be:
- sent out through an article submission service
- submitted to a press release service
- used in our ezine
- posted on our blog
- compiled for an eBook
- used as part of an autoresponder email series or ecourse
- recorded for an audio or video podcast
- given away at networking events
And so on. Very few people will see an article from us in more than one place, but those who do are likely to say, “Hey, that must be a good article if it’s in more than one place.” Which makes us the experts – and if you do the same with YOUR articles, you’ll get the same reaction from your audience. That’s the gist of the content insights I shared at the lunch.
With all the content vehicles out there – only a handful of which are in those bullets – I could see a bit of overwhelm creeping in on the faces and body language of some of the folks at the lunch. Here’s how to defeat that overwhelm: start with just one content vehicle, that’s fun and useful for both you and your audience. Get good at that one, keep track of how well it’s working (or not), and don’t add any more until you can handle it.
And if you’re starting to plan for your 2008 marketing, the “start with just one” mantra might be good to keep in mind. 
If you want to learn more about the easiest, biggest-bang-for-the-smallest-buck content vehicles out there, please check out our “A-Ha Yourself!” Action Guide, and start putting your boldest insights into joy-filled action.
