Brian Clark says, “We all want a positive response to the content we work so hard to create. Not all positive responses, however, are created equal. I’m reminded of this David Ogilvy quote from Ogilvy on Advertising: “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product. When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.’” In other words, if you’re looking for something more than “Great post!”... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “Welcome to the week before Valentine’s Day! As it happens, it’s connection and engagement week at Copyblogger — and the content this week is all about how you can create a more profound bond with your audience. On Monday we had a fun day, because we got to finally let you know about something cool we’ve been working on behind the scenes — StudioPress Sites. This new product was conceived and shaped based on our in-depth conversations with customers, and we’re super proud of it. If you’re looking to launch a new site with all the flexibility of WordPress... [...]

Brian Clark says, “Art Silverman had a vendetta against popcorn. Silverman wanted to educate the public about the fact that a typical bag of movie popcorn has 37 grams of saturated fat, while the USDA recommends you have no more than 20 grams in an entire day. That’s important information. But instead of simply citing that surprising statistic, Silverman made the message a little more striking: “A medium-sized ‘butter’ popcorn contains more artery-clogging fat than a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, a Big Mac and fries for lunch, and a steak dinner with all the trimmings — combined!” Yes,... [...]

Brian Clark says, “From 2010 through 2015, we at Rainmaker Digital built at a furious pace. Most of that effort was directed at development of the Rainmaker Platform. During that entire time, StudioPress.com worked tirelessly in the background to bankroll our bootstrapped effort to create a full marketing automation platform without outside investors. And it worked. That said, we were always aware of the debt we owed to the StudioPress line of business, and more importantly, the community that had grown around the Genesis Framework. Which is to say, we always planned to come back to it and... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “Earlier this year, I wrote that I believe art plays a critical role in content marketing. But what does that actually mean? When you think about it, what does that word “art” really mean? “I’ll know it when I see it.” – Random critic For the purposes of this conversation, I’ll define art as an expression that can’t be made by an algorithm. It’s the creative spark, the unusual choice, the flare of personality, the moment of real human empathy and connection. I believe it’s a serious mistake to think that marketing and art are somehow separate. As Brian... [...]

Brian Clark says, “Back in the 1940s, psychologists Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel conducted an experiment. They showed study participants an animated film consisting of a rectangle with an opening, plus a circle and two triangles in motion. The participants were then asked to simply describe what they saw in the film. Before you keep reading, take a look at it yourself. I’ll be here when you come back. So, what did you see? Out of all the study participants, only one responded with “a rectangle with an opening, plus a circle and two triangles in motion.” The rest developed elaborate... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “Last week, we talked about how to really understand who is in your audience. This week, we’re shifting into what kind of message they want and need from you. Brian kicked off on Monday with a piece of classic marketing advice (exemplified by a classic American comic film): It’s not enough to just know your audience. You also need to put their interests and desires ahead of your own. That might sound impossibly idealistic — but in fact, it’s pure pragmatism. On Tuesday, Beth Hayden gave some specific thoughts on how to do it, by creating extraordinarily generous... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “Last week, we talked about how to really understand who is in your audience. This week, we’re shifting into what kind of message they want and need from you. Brian kicked off on Monday with a piece of classic marketing advice (exemplified by a classic American comic film): It’s not enough to just know your audience. You also need to put their interests and desires ahead of your own. That might sound impossibly idealistic — but in fact, it’s pure pragmatism. On Tuesday, Beth Hayden gave some specific thoughts on how to do it, by creating extraordinarily generous... [...]

Sonia Simone says, “When we talk about content marketing strategy, it’s amazing how often people think that means: Can I Haz Moar Peoples!!! (English translation: How can I get more traffic to my site?) That’s not new — the quest for eyeballs is as old as online business. And it does matter. It’s important to have a critical mass of folks who know you exist. Ask anyone trying to get a business off the ground with an email list of 34 people, 8 of whom they’re related to. You need a big enough audience to allow for a meaningful response when you try out a new content idea, or craft... [...]

Beth Hayden says, “Giving to your audience is one of the foundations of any smart content marketing strategy. To grow your audience and get better results for your business, it might be time to expand your content beyond blog posts, podcast episodes, or newsletters and find more ways to be truly generous. The idea is: Don’t hold back, don’t be stingy, and don’t cut corners. Just give, and give freely. Looking to become a “giver,” rather than a “taker?” Let’s talk about why generosity works and how you can give your audience more value”. 3 Ways to Become More Generous... [...]