Are you putting content marketing in the corner?
“Content marketing’s the one thing, I can’t get enough of, so I’ll tell you something, this could be love…” The lyrics billowed over the radio as I was on my morning drive to the office. I was immediately transported back to the summer of 1963 in the backseat of the car with Frances “Baby” Houseman on our way to the Catskills for summer vacation, or in my case the early-nineties in Los Angeles, when I first saw Dirty Dancing. I added my own little twist to the lyrics, in case you missed it. Content marketing is always on my mind. Growing up, Dirty Dancing was my go-to summer movie. The dancing, the music, the vacationing lifestyle, and love story…I ate it all up, every last bit of it. My siblings even made me attempt the infamous water jumping scene. You’ve tried it too, haven’t you?
In the midst of my daydreaming of days long gone, I started thinking about content marketing in regard to the movie and realized that Johnny and Baby had a few things to teach us.
1. Don’t be like the Schumachers.
In the movie, the Schumachers are the couple in their golden years who were caught stealing wallets. Unfortunately, this happens in content marketing as well. There is a difference between getting an idea from others and stealing content. Simply put, don’t steal content from others. Content marketing is about creativity and originality. Sure, you may get an idea from someone else, but make it your own and add your own opinions, voice, and advice.
2. Content marketing is a dance between you and Patrick Swayze (Am I right, ladies? Am I right?).
We wish. But in reality, content marketing is like a perfectly orchestrated dance, much like the one that Baby learns for the performance at the Sheldrake. Even though she made a few mistakes, she kept on with the routine and this is what you have to do in content marketing. You’re bound to make a mistake at some point in your content marketing career – we are human after all. Not every single blog will sit well with your audience, but you must strive to do your best and continue that dance with the same passion and focus. Just like Baby does, in the end you will master that dance and get all the steps down!
3. Seek out new ideas with “Hungry Eyes.”
Take a cue from the song and seek out new ideas for content with hungry eyes. Always be on the lookout for ideas as you go about your life – I always keep my notebook or my phone to record thoughts and ideas nearby. You just never know when inspiration will strike. Learning to look past the obvious does take time, but once you become skilled in hunting, the world of content ideas will be at your fingertips. If you find yourself struggling to find new content, start by asking yourself some basic questions. Such as, “are there any unanswered questions in my industry?”, and “where is my industry headed?”. Flip through magazines, read other blogs, and try to think outside of the box, and you will find that you will have more than enough creative ideas to go around.
Finally, don’t forget to have the time of your life – because content marketing is fun! Okay, that was pretty cheesy, but it still stands. There is no doubt in my mind that content marketing is one of the best career choices out there, especially if you like learning about new things. Because you will. You will learn about new things all the time.
And just remember, no one puts content marketing in the corner!
Originally posted on colesandcolomy.com
Originally posted on colesandcolomy.com
Posts
