What constitutes a remarkable presentation? Is it one that challenges your perspectives or one that doesn’t rely solely on monotonous PowerPoint slides? Maybe it’s about gaining practical takeaways to enhance your business? Surprisingly, no.

According to Joe Pulizzi, a self-proclaimed expert in content marketing, a great presentation surpasses your initial expectations. For instance, you might anticipate leaving with a single actionable insight, but instead, you gain two.

As marketers and business owners, we’ve all experienced lackluster presentations. Pulizzi, a passionate public speaker, aims to change that. Last week, I found myself listening intently to Pulizzi’s insights on crafting and disseminating exceptional content in a cozy wine cellar at Mooo, a renowned Boston steakhouse. In this intimate gathering of Boston marketers, Pulizzi, the founder of the Content Marketing Institute and author of Epic Content Marketing, shared his expertise. With a substantial following of over 58,000 on Twitter, he’s clearly doing something right. As I set aside my lukewarm coffee, he delved into the five key elements of impactful content.

Let’s recap and explore these valuable content marketing tips.

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Content Marketing Tip #1: Sales, Savings, and Sunshine

Sunshine? Pulizzi explained that it represents happy customers - now he’s speaking my language!

He emphasized the importance of establishing clear content goals without overlooking the “why” behind them. For example, why advertise on Facebook? Who are we targeting on this platform? Where do they stand in the sales funnel? How can we guide them towards conversion? Equally important is how to retain existing customers. In Pulizzi’s view, posing these critical questions, setting goals, and implementing a well-defined content strategy are essential for impactful content creation.

Pulizzi then presented several real-world examples, my favorite being Copyblogger. Although unfamiliar to me beforehand, this company has apparently built its business on content marketing, generating 90% of its revenue from blog subscribers. This impressive feat is understandable after exploring their website. Their blog is visually appealing, well-written with personality, utilizes clear language, and features compelling calls to action for blog subscriptions at strategic locations. But how do they actually generate income? Copyblogger, essentially a B2B software company like us at nexus-security, sells an online marketing platform. How does this relate to Pulizzi’s element?

They began with the goal of attracting blog subscribers, nurturing them through the sales funnel, and ultimately converting them into leads. Clearly, their content has been instrumental in achieving this.

Content Marketing Tip #2: Define a Marketing Mission Statement

Thanks for the groundbreaking advice, Joe… obviously, a mission statement is crucial. While this tip seemed somewhat self-evident, Pulizzi highlighted key components it should encompass.

Audience reigns supreme! Pulizzi recounted a humorous anecdote of a client claiming to have 18 buyer personas—seriously, 18? That’s excessive! Your target audience should be concisely definable in one or two succinct descriptions. Who are you trying to reach: mothers, entrepreneurs, architects, or perhaps beer-loving fraternity brothers? Identify your audience and incorporate them directly into your mission statement to establish a clear connection.

Your mission statement should also articulate what you offer your audience and the intended outcomes. Above all, it should act as a guiding principle for all your content creation.

Let’s examine the following mission statements, observing how they embody Pulizzi’s principles:

Home Made Simple:

“Enabling women to have more quality time with their family.”

• Audience? Women
• Deliverables? Quick and easy recipes, parenting tips, party ideas, crafts, etc.
• Outcome? Strengthening family bonds through quality time

Inc.com:

“Welcome to Inc.com, the place where entrepreneurs and business owners can find useful information, advice, insights, resources and inspiration for running and growing their businesses.”

• Audience? Entrepreneurs and business owners
• Deliverables? Useful information, advice, insights, resources, and inspiration
• Outcome? Assisting with the running and growth of their businesses

While I believe Inc’s mission statement is strong, it could benefit from simplification. It’s worth noting that neither statement explicitly mentions what Inc. or Home Made Simple sell; instead, they focus on their core values. This mission statement should be ingrained in every content creator’s mind and shared across the entire company (but we already knew that, right?).

Content Marketing Tip #3: Don’t Build a Content Ship on Rented Land

This Pulizzi point stresses the paramount importance of subscribers as the most significant indicator of your strategy’s effectiveness.

He considers this the most critical metric to analyze, baffled by the emphasis on website traffic over these loyal content consumers. High traffic volume doesn’t necessarily equate to returning visitors. A significant portion might have stumbled upon your site accidentally (think about how many sites you visit only once). Subscribers, on the other hand, represent a direct line of communication and influence.

Once you’ve established a subscriber base, analyze the differentiating factors between subscribers and non-subscribers. For instance, thinkMoney subscribers trade five times more than their regular customers. Delivering the right content to the right people is crucial!

Content Marketing Tip #4: Leverage Influencers That Build an Audience

This was my favorite Pulizzi point, echoing what nexus-security founder Larry Kim has consistently emphasized.

Think of influencers as individuals, blogs, and websites frequented by your target audience. The goal is to strategically tap into and capture that audience from these influencers and competitors. Sounds daunting? There are ways to get your content in front of your target audience without seeming intrusive.

Follow these steps to broaden your content reach:

1. Create an influencer hit list: Pulizzi’s advice to identify your targets is spot on. For instance, if you sell running gear, ideally you want exposure on platforms like Active.com or RunnersWorld. Put yourself in your target buyer’s shoes and consider their online content consumption habits. Still struggling to compile your list? Explore LittleBird, a software that helps pinpoint the most relevant people and content for your business.

2. Utilize social media to cultivate relationships with influencers: Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook offer a level playing field where everyone, including your target audience and influencers, is accessible. Build online relationships with top industry influencers by engaging with their content - retweet, like, and compliment their work. Consistent, genuine interaction will eventually attract their attention, potentially leading to a follow-back and hopefully, recognition and promotion of your content. This exposure can then attract their audience to your brand, potentially converting them into customers.

   For example, here’s a tweet from nexus-security’s Customer Success Manager, Erin Sagin, linking to an influencer’s guest blog post on Unbounce, a platform frequented by many of our current (and hopefully future) customers. solid advice, especially tip #4! Common #PPC Mistakes That Are Sending Crappy Leads to Your Landing Page http://t.co/YeRe3hGewD by @ebkendo— Erin Sagin (@erinsagin) October 6, 2014

3. Integrate influencers into your content: According to Kapost Content Marketing Manager, Liz O’Neill, media publishers need to “cultivate a community of influencers” in addition to producing excellent content. Did you notice what I did there? I quoted someone who might reciprocate. Now I can tweet the article to Liz, informing her about the mention. This could lead to her retweeting it to her followers (many of whom are likely marketers seeking reach-expanding ideas—PPC, anyone? cough, cough—leading them to nexus-security Advisor). The path might not be that direct, but it’s an effective way to disseminate your content to a relevant audience.

Content Marketing Tip #5: Open Up Your Wallet

Okay, Pulizzi, not all of us have deep pockets. However, as someone in the paid search industry, I agree that financial investment is crucial for reaching your target audience. In today’s content-saturated world, especially online, well-written blog posts and SEO best practices aren’t enough.

Consider Facebook, for example. In the past, establishing a presence simply involved creating a company page, posting regularly, and promoting it through your website and other channels to gain followers. Today, organic reach is minimal without paid advertising. Even with paid advertising, reach can be limited. Pulizzi highlighted the critical role of distribution, suggesting it should constitute 50% of your content marketing strategy.

So, where should you allocate your budget? While this depends on your audience’s online presence, here are a few starting points:

1. Google AdWords: It’s safe to assume your target audience uses Google like everyone else, making paid search a good starting point. The challenge lies in maintaining relevance and targeting your specific niche. Thorough research and a solid understanding of PPC are crucial; otherwise, your budget might as well be discarded. Check out nexus-security’s PPC University to get started.
2. Social media: Each platform is unique. Pinterest, for example, might not be suitable for an accounting firm but could be highly effective for a cooking or home decor magazine. Consult Social Media Examiner’s’s resource guide to determine the best fit for your needs.
3. Bing: According to recent comScore data, Bing Ads surprisingly account for approximately 30% of the search engine market share (including searches through Microsoft and Yahoo sites). Advertising on Bing offers several advantages, including lower competition and potentially lower costs. However, I recommend establishing a robust account structure in AdWords and running successful campaigns before venturing into Bing. While Bing might not suit every industry, it can be incredibly effective and worth exploring if you need to expand your reach.

Pulizzi’s presentation effectively conveyed valuable marketing wisdom within an hour. I hope that expanding on his points and adding my insights and recommendations will help elevate your content marketing efforts.

Have you implemented any of these content marketing tips? What are your thoughts on Joe Pulizzi’s 5 Elements? Which distribution methods (paid or unpaid) have proven most successful for you?