The first thing you have to remember about content is that it is completely centered on the end user: the person who is reading, watching, or otherwise engaged with your content. If it doesn’t hit the right spot for them, they simply aren’t going to take what you’ve got.
For example, you wouldn’t approach a video or article for Cosmopolitan magazine the same way you would one for a major oil or gas company – to do so would be disastrous for your strategy! Old media has known this for a long time, and while content marketers have realized it, a surprising number have a lot of catching up to do.
What media has also done while everyone has been looking away or writing about the demise of traditional media is diversifying. That’s to say, that the media giants who aren’t dying are thriving – because they’re looking at what’s possible, not what is in their core focus.
Perhaps your business does the same. You’re so deep into a world of funnels and leads that you’ve forgotten that there are myriad other possibilities out there to help you build a successful relationship with your buyers – and even to create new markets related to your core market.
Take a look at newspapers, for example: while many have opted for paywalls and other restrictive models which nobody likes, some of the most successful, such as the UK’s Daily Mail and Guardian, have opted to keep things free, instead offering products, services, and even cross-sales to pick up extra $$$ o the side.
If you want your business to thrive, the you also need to be adopting this far-sighted thinking, enabling you to make smart decisions and make even more money – it’s working for the old giants, it will work for you too!