The "C" in Content Represents Commitment to Customers
What do you think the "C" in Content represents?
I am inspired by Mitch Joel's blog post, My Commitment to You. In this post, he describes his personal commitment to publish the following content for his blog readers:
* 6 blog posts per week (e.g., 312 posts per year)
* 1 audio podcast per week (e.g., 52 podcasts per year)
* That's 364 pieces of content published per year — Wow!
Here's more inspiring statistics regarding Mitch's company Twist Image and the content volume they've published as of November 15, 2010:
* 2,300 blog posts
* 228 podcasts
* 60 to 80 speaking events
* One (1) book, Six Pixels of Separation
* That's 2,608 additional pieces of content either already published online or delivered to a live audience. According to Mitch's post, the team created the blog in 2003. Therefore, the 2,300 blog posts represent the seven (7) year commitment and publication strategy of approximately 330 blog posts per year. On a weekly basis, that production equates to around 6.4 blog posts per week.
Thus, Mitch Joel honors his commitment to his customers (remember his personal commitment of 6 blog posts per year mentioned a little earlier). Here's another link to a Mitch Joel post titled, The Hardest Part of Social Media. He sums up in two (2) words the most difficult part of social media: The Commitment.
Honoring Your Commitment to Customers Drives Customer Acquisition and Loyalty
I published a blog post titled, Successful Social Media Marketing is Neither Free Nor Easy, that struck a chord in 2010. I described how HubSpot's dogged customer commitment to high quality content development drives their online visibility and lead generation process. When I published that post in April 2010, HubSpot produced approximately 1,000 blog posts. Well, they continue to publish valuable content and their library of insightful blog posts on inbound marketing grows daily.
20 to 50 Blog Posts is a Magic Number. Check out this data point HubSpot conducted with a sample size of 762 customers. On slide 15 of State of Inbound Lead Generation, the data demonstrates that a company must publish at least 20 to 50 blog posts to generate a significant number of customer leads. It's safe to say that both Mitch Joel and HubSpot significantly exceed this benchmark.
58 Marketing Webinars and Counting. Furthermore, HubSpot's commitment to customers extends to conducting marketing webinars on the topics of inbound marketing strategy, search engine optimization (SEO) & Search Marketing (PPC), Blogging for Business, Social Media Marketing, Lead Generation & Conversion, Marketing Analytics, and Special Topics. According to their archives, they have 58 webinars on-demand and another four (4) are scheduled for delivery for the remainder of 2010.
Weekly HubSpot TV Podcast. Let's also not forget about HubSpot's Live TV Podcast broadcasted every Friday at 4 PM Eastern Time. So there's another, 52 pieces of customer-targeted content delivered annually. Here a link to the HubSpot TV Archives.
Integration Across Multiple Channels. And to top it off, this variety and volume of content development is carefully deployed via an integrated marketing strategy across multiple social media channels and traditional media relations (i.e., speaking engagements, news outlet interviews, television interviews, etc.).
But, that integration analysis will have to wait for another blog post …
Commitment to Customers Produces Successful and Measurable Financial Results
Here's evidence of HubSpot's commitment to customers yielding successful financial results. These recent press releases highlight its customer acquisition success and company growth in the Boston area:
* 3,500th Customer Chooses HubSpot and Inbound Marketing
* HubSpot Wins Sales 2.0 Award for Best Alignment of Sales & Marketing
* Boston Globe Names HubSpot a Top 4 Place to Work in Massachusetts
Conclusion: So What Do You Think the "C" in Content Represents?
Creative content isn't enough to succeed in today's competitive marketing environment. Almost everyone has access to a computer, browser, and Internet connectivity. And many of those folks are creative content creators. But, there's hope in genuinely earning online attention and loyalty when competing with these Internet Creatives (even if they have bigger budgets and more FTEs).
Why? Because the Modern Internet permanently reinvents how to leverage personal commitment to customers as a competitive advantage. Honor your commitment to customers, and you can level the playing field.
That's why I believe the "C" in Content Represents Commitment to Customers. This is a hallmark attribute of successful businesses and individuals. You don't need to be a rocket scientist, you don't have to be a website design guru, an SEO wizard, or even The Huffington Post.
But, You Have to Have Commitment to Customers (just ask Mitch Joel or HubSpot).
So, what do you think the "C" in content stands for? Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Thank you for reading, and may you and your families have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.