A few years back, I made a minor ripple on the internet okay, make that a very minor ripple when I dashed off a plaintive lament about the use of the word “content” in content marketing. As I noted at the time, the industry couldn’t have picked a more lifeless word to describe using interesting, informative, persuasive information to educate prospects and turn them into buyers.
Three years later, I feel exactly the same as I did in my original rant, reprinted below:
If there is one profession that should understand above all others that messaging matters, it’s the field of marketing. So why on earth have we all collectively agreed to label our messaging as “content” which brings to mind nothing more than inert filler, largely there just to take up space?
If you don’t think buying into this phrase won’t have an actual effect on your messaging, just look at some of the advice out there from the “content marketing” experts.
Over and over I see the suggestion that marketers repurpose older web copy and blog posts to use for other “content marketing” pieces like brochures and white papers. Never does this recommendation remind marketers to heed the target audience’s current stage in the buying process, the audience’s level of technical understanding, or for that matter, any other qualifiers.
No, this is standalone advice, often among the first offered, which is giving marketers the impression that as long as they put something out there for prospects to read on a regular basis, the qualified leads will follow.
That’s a perception that just cheapens the value of your marketing message. And if you don’t value your own message, do you honestly think prospects will?
Incidentally, it also makes the deadly mistake of over-estimating the ease of capturing your prospects interest.
Here’s another irony: one of the key jobs of a marketing communications professional is to bring clarity to a subject, yet confusion reigns in the field as to what “content” marketing actually means. Really, ask a number of marketers to define the phrase. I assure you, you’re going to get a number of different answers.
The term is just a vague and vapid generality; nothing more. And as a writer, that especially makes me shudder.
My complaint was hardly an original one; as Ryan Skinner from Forrester noted at the time, I wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last to have a gripe with a term. Still, it caught some attention, and even some hearty applause from people like Jeff Molander, who emphatically agreed the term doesn’t do us marketers any favors.
So imagine my dismay when four years later, we’re still using it! Well, like I said, my ripple was just that, a ripple.
But I still hold that “content” marketing is a completely inadequate term. It implies quantity over quality, which is a serious misrepresentation of how this form of marketing works. Yes, the typical B2b prospect intensively researches before buying, and yes, having a widely-distributed library of information to satisfy that research is important.
But it’s not going to get widely read if it’s not actually readable. Quality matters. I don’t just say that as a writer, but as a buyer. I do plenty of research online before I make certain purchases, too .we all do now, for small and big ticket items alike. I’m not too likely to buy from a company that puts out badly explained “content.”
What does content marketing even mean?
It’s also worth noting that confusion still reigns on the right definition of “content” marketing. My colleague Tim Boivin does a nice job explaining it and clearing up some common misconceptions.
However, for a relatively mainstream method, it’s amazing to me that there is still a level of confusion surrounding it all these years later. I lay a good part of the blame on the meaningless name. Think about it. Is there the same widespread confusion about what public relations is? Or branding? Or even social media marketing? No because their names are insightfully specific.
It’s a shame because content marketing really is an effective means for nurturing interest and trust in a company’s offerings – and generating good leads. It’s also one of our specialties here at Amendola. I love the strategy; it gives me a chance to write meaningful information that helps guide people to making an informed buying decision. But I think that it deserves a better name.
Some proposed replacements for the term “content marketing”
So what should we call this method of marketing instead? After making such a fuss about changing the name, I admit I understand why the word “content” was settled on it’s a catch-all expression for the articles, infographics, guides, videos and more that are used to catch a prospect’s interest and hold this interest throughout the buying cycle.
“Demand generation” and “inbound marketing” are sometimes used interchangeably for content marketing. But they shouldn’t be – they’re not the same thing. With that, here are some substitute terms I like but am not in love with:
Brand journalism
Editorial marketing
Company journalism
Informational marketing
Guided buying/Guide marketing
Knowledge marketing
If you have a great idea for a replacement, let me know I will personally make it my mission to make it stick!
Many think that putting together a great team means being clear about roles, setting expectations and providing appropriate incentives. While all that MBA mumbo jumbo is true, it’s not how you get teams to purr like a Lotus and move like Greased Lightning.
No, the real secret lies in the people. In the soft skills. Everything you didn’t learn in school. Never fear, your song-fueled cliff notes is here.
Recognize that each team member is different different strengths, weaknesses and motivations. Sure, you could make them play the game and perform exactly as you would in any given situation or project. If you want to see high turnover. Or just breathe and do the following
Have each team member take a talent assessment test like Myers Briggs or StrengthsFinder, and then share the results within the next group meeting. Emphasize how each talent category has its preferred style of interaction with the external and internal world. Act out scenarios. Make it real.
Don’t just rely on the test results. Listen to what each person says and how they react on a daily basis. What is their personality style? Their work style? Are they an email, phone or text person? Is it best to reach out to them in the morning or in the afternoon?
Note: Never underestimate the statement “I’m not a morning person.” Let them have their coffee IV and then pose your question or request.
Examine how each team member is motivated. Do they prefer a thank you delivered one-on-one? Or do they glow when appreciation is expressed more publicly, such as during a team or company-wide meeting? Maybe a “Well-done!” email to the appropriate email distribution list supplies the balance of recognition without the in-person spotlight.Some team members may respond best to small tokens of gratitude such as a handwritten card, a lunch with the boss or even a comp day when their performance goes above and beyond all expectations. Get to know your people and the above should come naturally.
In summary, R-e-s-p-e-c-t each team member’s distinct gifts. Encourage them to come as you are and even stir it up when needed and they’ll perform their best for you.
At our agency we think of HIMSS as our “Christmas.” We face similar time pressures and high expectations as those in retail leading up to the holiday, but as one team member says, “HIMSS is the “Happiest Time of Year.”
Like the annual family gatherings, we see clients, media, analysts and industry leaders all in one place. We network with old and new colleagues, learn about new offerings and trends and much more. However, it’s not all Christmas carols and eggnog. There’s quite a bit of hard work that occurs months before HIMSS: arranging meetings, creating themes, developing strategies and plans, and then poof it’s over. Just like Christmas, the rush of opening presents is over in a blink and before you know it, it’s time to take the tree down and do your gift returns.
It’s true, HIMSS is now over, but there is still fun to be had! As you leverage the opportunities you uncovered and follow-up on all of the activities leading up to and at the show, you’ll experience the “gifts” of secured bylined articles, analyst coverage and strengthened relationships.
And even if you still have a HIMSS hangover and that extra Tylenol and sleep hasn’t yet kicked in we’ve made it easy for you with the best practices listed below. Follow each step and you’ll magic those leads into tangible results!
Do your follow-ups from media interviews, networking events, speakers you enjoyed, potential partners, existing partners with whom you met, etc. In fact, often the best conversations come from those random instances where you bumped into someone on the exhibit hall floor or in the elevator. Never underestimate the impact of unexpected conversations and meetings at HIMSS those are my favorites. After 20+ years of attending the conference, I love the reunion aspect of it. It’s the perfect way to re-connect with industry colleagues, clients and members of the media. Be sure to follow-up with a note on LinkedIn or an email you never know what will happen!
Great information doesn’t mean actionable information. Translate what you’ve heard/learned into goals and actionable next steps. But don’t get distracted by the shiny new objects that you learned about at HIMSS. Instead, focus on what applies to your organization, your product line and the larger business/industry problems that your company’s solutions address. Don’t try to be all things to all people it just doesn’t work. Be clear about who you are, your value proposition and unique differentiators, and most importantly, how you solve your client’s real-world problems.
Biggest challenge: Prioritization of all those great ideas! HIMSS is over now don’t waste the investment. Develop a calendar of follow-up marketing initiatives to continue driving interest and momentum, along with an execution strategy. Below are some of my personal secrets to success:
Did you launch a new product at HIMSS? Do you have a client user or a pilot running? Did you conduct a Focus Group or survey at the show? Now is a good time to share the results. Leverage post-HIMSS press releases to continue the excitement. Be strategic and space the news out appropriately. Generally, I recommend a cadence of every other week, if news permits.
Continue your social media outreach using #HIMSS17 – and even add #HIMSS18 as you look toward the coming year’s trends!
Wondering what to do with all the contact information you collected from prospects, potential partners and investors who stopped by your booth? Implement a timely email campaign to continue the conversations and reach them at various stages of the buying funnel. I suggest disseminating a series of targeted e-blasts with a strong call-to-action such as downloading a gated white paper, infographic, ROI calculator or other value-added content.
Did you capture client testimonial videos at the show? Embed them into your corporate presentations, highlight them on your website and promote them via social media.
Did you or your clients present at HIMSS? Take that content and turn it into one or more thought leader articles, blog posts, ebooks, webinars (which can then be uploaded to SlideShare), podcasts and possibly the inspiration for a thought leadership video series. Content can usually be sliced and diced in multiple ways; leverage what you have rather than creating new materials.
Biggest misstep: Not tying your new/updated goals, strategies, and tactics derived from HIMSS’ insights to your organizational KPIs. Remember, if your results don’t track to the CEO’s expectations, they don’t count!
P.S. Don’t forget to tune in for my next post on healthcare IT analysts and key influencers top takeaways from HIMSS. They’ll set you on the right path for the rest of 2017! Finally, I hope you all had a Merry HIMSS I know our A-Team did!
“The light which has been shed on mankind by the art of printing has eminently changed the condition of the world.”Thomas Jefferson, writing to John Adams, 1823
Thomas Jefferson, champion of a free and independent press
There has been a lot of attention paid lately to the rise of “fake” news, alternative facts, and the role a free and open press should play in a democracy. You can read about that ad nauseam on Facebook, Twitter, news portals and even GASP in your daily print newspaper! (Yes, they do still exist.)
I am not here to debate the merits of the respective positions on these political and cultural issues. What I am here to do is to say thank you to the healthcare IT press who cover our clients here at Amendola Communications (AKA, the A-Team).
We just finished #HIMSS17, by far the biggest conference of the year for our clients. We had more than 20 clients there and scheduled more than 130 meetings with the media and analyst firms at the conference. It was an unbelievably extensive and intensive effort by the A-Team over the past two months, and as the managing director for the agency I applaud their hard work over the past two months.
But I am also a former member of the press, a business writer, bureau chief, editor and yes, the worst of the worst, a sports columnist by training and trade. So I also want to applaud all my friends in the healthcare IT press the folks who took countless calls, tweets and emails all day long for weeks on end from me and the rest of the A-Team, not to mention dozens of other PR agencies and departments around the country, prior to the show.
All I can say to my friends in the media is thank you, again.
What gets lost in the rush to stake out our positions and perspectives on whatever is published through the media either in print, through the airwaves, or through digital channels is the value that a free and open press does bring to our society.
Just in our little corner of the world Healthcare IT that value comes in the form of informing, educating and influencing technology buyers. It comes in the form of honoring industry innovators and staging thought leadership events around the country and world. It comes in the form of educating readers on best practices in healthcare. It comes in the form of driving interest in topics such as CRISPR gene-editing, persona-based behavioral analytics, and value-based care and reimbursement.
So again, thank you to all of the A-Team’s friends in the media.There are so many, many of you who met with us at HIMSS 17 and work with the A-Team every day throughout the year to inform and educate the healthcare IT industry.
You are making significant, worthwhile contributions to our industry that often go overlooked or underappreciated but shouldn’t not in an industry as important as healthcare IT, not for an audience that has as significant an impact on the well-being of the entire American public every minute and hour of every day.
As Jefferson said to Adams, your work continues to shed light on mankind and eminently changes the condition of the world in which we live. And for that we here at the A-Team thank you all so very much.
One of the most important questions a content marketing team can ask when charged with developing a new press release/blog post/case study/white paper/video/etc. doesn’t come from a marketing textbook or TED talk. It actually comes from the lowbrow movie “Dude, Where’s My Car?”
At one point the two not-so-bright main characters (played to perfection by Ashton Kutcher and Sean William Scott) pull up to the drive-through speaker at a Chinese restaurant to place an order. Each time Ashton Kutcher says what they want, the voice on the other end asks a simple question: “And then?” Even after he tells her they’re done ordering, which leads to a very funny scene.
When you think about it, though, there’s a lot of beauty and wisdom in that simple question for marketers. Often when there’s a new development or new idea to convey we get caught up in thinking about what’s needed immediately.
We say “we need a press release on such-and-such a topic” and we spring into action. A message is developed, subject matter experts interviewed, the release is written and revised, the pitching plan is developed and so forth until finally the release sees the light of day and maybe generates some interviews.
Yet considerably less time is spent answering the question “and then?” As in “what happens after the target audience reads the press release?”
Is there a landing page to refer them to? If so, what’s on it? If they’re really interested in the new product or service is there a way for them to gather more information about it, such as a data sheet, video, blog post, white paper or other piece of additional content to keep them interested and moving toward the narrower end of the sale funnel?
The thing to consider is that the period of active promotion around a press release, or any new piece of content for that matter, tends to last for just a few days. Then you’re on to something else. But the period after the initial release is infinite. If there isn’t somewhere else for your target audience to go, or something else for them to do after consuming the content, you’re losing opportunities.
Here are some of the content marketing best practices for ensuring you’re maximizing the value of everything you’ve worked so hard to produce.
Provide a destination
Think from the prospect’s point of view. I’ve consumed whatever content was produced. I’m intrigued by what you’re saying, although I still have questions. But I’m not quite ready to speak to a salesperson. How do I get my answers? This concept is particularly important given studies that show that 60 percent of the purchasing decision is already made before any conversations with a supplier take place.
For general topics you may just want to point prospects to the appropriate page on your website. You can do that through links embedded in the text, or with a more obvious call to action such as “For more details on”
For more significant topics such as a new product/service, you may want to create a specific landing page that offers more detailed information.
And then?
Create content in different forms
Often landing pages offer up content in one form usually more text, either on the page or offered as a download. If that’s what you’re doing you’re again limiting your own effectiveness.
Keep in mind that some people prefer to read more formal presentations of information while others like the easy accessibility of a blog post. Then there are those who like FAQs, or prefer video over any sort of reading. Having options that present the same information in different ways helps you avoid losing any part of your audience.
And then?
Use gated content
Most healthcare and health IT products/services aren’t purchased directly from a website like a retail transaction. They require interaction between the prospect and someone on your team. A good way to move that along a little faster is to use high-value, gated content such as a white paper or executive summary to entice the prospect to let you know they’re interested by giving you their contact information.
When you get to this point, of course, determining whether to provide the information is a big decision. The best thing you can do is keep the amount of information you’re asking for to a minimum. If you can limit it to the person’s name, job title, company and email address you’ll find you capture far more prospects than you will with a lengthy qualifying questionnaire.
As long as prospects believe what they’ll be getting from you is of greater value than what they’ll be giving to you, they’ll be willing to make the trade.
And then?
Incorporate lead nurturing
If you’re lucky, once they go through the gated content they’ll have a high level of interest and are ready to buy. More often than not in the real world, however, there’s still work to be done.
That’s where an email-based lead nurturing campaign comes in. (Also the reason you want to capture that email address in the first place.) Think through the sales process what messages people need to see at which points in the sales cycle in order to nudge them forward. Then develop a series of emails to provide that nudge.
One thing to keep in mind is don’t automatically start the program at communication #1. Determine as best you can, either by their messages to you or their interactions with your content, where they are and pick up from there.
It’s kind of like calling plays in football. You don’t want to try to score the touchdown on the first play every time. Work the ball down the field in increments and you’ll find it’s easier to score more consistently.
And then?
Look for holes
You may think you’ve thought of everything. But if the program is consistently breaking down at some point (meaning you’re losing prospects or sales) it’s time to determine why and fill in any gaps that lead to disengagement. There’s always something to tweak.
And then?
There really isn’t much of an “and then?” after that. You will have done all you can do.
Clearly, not every announcement or piece of content will require all these steps. But use this as a guide to determine which steps it needs.
The most important thing is to cover all the bases that need it. Otherwise you may find yourself wandering around in daze, wondering “Dude, where’s my sales?”
Health IT insiders, journalists share what topics they’ll be tracking at HIMSS17.
HIMSS17, the juggernaut of all healthcare technology conferences (a.k.a. #HIMSSanity) is just weeks away, and soon we’ll all be high on interoperability, blockchain, burnout and whatever other trending buzzwords permeate the convention center air this year.
In fact, I can’t wait. Next to reuniting with colleagues, my favorite thing about attending the annual HIMSS conference is gauging the mood of industry and tracking the key narratives of the show.
What will be top of mind for this year’s 45,000-plus attendees? What major themes will unfold among the parade of 1,200 show floor exhibitors? I asked four respected health IT insiders and journalists what plotlines and trends they’ll be following at HIMSS17.
“Flying in from the swamps of D.C., I look forward to the humid Florida air welcoming me to HIMSS17. This year, I’m looking at the integration of technology into the clinical continuum and how it’s impacted care. Some of the main questions I will pose are, “Is this cost effective? and “Does this technology help push the needle toward value-based care, population health? I’m sure every vendor will respond with a resounding “Yes! to each, so I’m much more interested in hearing about the day-to-day struggles over technology in the industry and how such integration has changed care delivery for better AND worse.
Being from D.C., most of my casual acquaintances assume I love talking about politics. While that couldn’t be farther from the truth, the new administration and potential changes to health policy and their impacts across the industry will be important to watch. In addition, I’m looking for “cool stuff to help me think about the changing landscape, however you define “cool.”
Kate Gamble, Managing Editor of HealthSystemCIO.com, sports aficionado, die-hard NY Giants and Red Sox fan Follow her @khgamble and @hsCIO
“At HIMSS17, my focus is on education and women who rock! I want to learn which organizations and vendors are leading the way with population health and interoperability. I want to hear from some of the top women in the industry who will be presenting sessions, including Judy Kirby, Deanna Wise, Carla Smith, and I definitely want to hear from Ginni Rometty, President & CEO of IBM. Inspiration is everywhere, and I can’t wait to soak it in!”
“At HIMSS17, I’m most interested in technologies that work the magic of lowering costs while improving care. That’s a challenge, but it’s time we start expecting this from our technology solutions. I’m also still particularly intrigued by the challenge of changing health behaviors.
I love exploring the exhibit floor and I may even leave one day with no meetings so I can just casually explore the exhibit floor. Wish me luck on that ambitious goal!
Finally, I’m taking a bit of a different approach to HIMSS this time and I’m doing a bunch of meet-ups where anyone can attend and share their ideas. This kind of unplanned interaction and engagement has always been my favorite part of HIMSS, so I hope everyone will join me at these meet-ups so we can all learn from each other and hear the unexpected first-hand experiences and perspectives that make HIMSS special.”
Shaun Sutner, News and Features Writer for SearchHealthIT.com, avid skier, adventurer, and snow sports correspondent for Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Follow him @ssutner and @SearchHealthIT
“I’m definitely looking for vendors and users that are working closely around value-based care. That’s a big plotline because it’s where healthcare reimbursement is headed. You need advanced analytics, business intelligence, machine learning, cloud and just about all the technologies in health IT to make value-based care work.
I’m also really interested in care coordination and patient engagement, the personal side of population health.”
While often the most exhilarating moments of the conference are the unexpected, I’ll be on the look out for coverage related to the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase (#EmpowerHIT) and the promise of precision medicine. I’ll also be pursuing those “best in show” exhibitors that are experimenting with new marketing tactics and companies that are aggressively humanizing their tech story.
What trends and themes will you be following at HIMSS this year? Weigh in below and be sure follow the buzz at #HIMSS17 and via our contributors Twitter handles above. See you in Orlando!
