The New Rules of Custom Publishing

Junta42 | The New Rules of Custom Publishing Of course, not every media company or every publication has to make these compromises. There are still many quality media companies that are growing, but the trend is apparent. In a parallel trend, some of the best editorial talent has been forced out as media organizations look for new ways to save money. In addition, hundreds of great editors are leaving voluntarily, because they cannot do good work within the content constraints of the struggling media companies. Many of the very best are moving to corporations and agencies where they are given the resources to create great content without severe budget limitations. Because smart companies understand that quality content is a key marketing driver, they are paradoxically less inclined to compromise in the way that formerly pure media organizations are now doing. Writing for Microsoft, Cisco or Parker Hannifin actually looks good on a résumé these days. Not only can corporations afford to create high-quality content, but they are attracting highquality journalists as well. These six facts have set the stage for the extreme growth in corporate content that we have been seeing for the last decade. As technology continues to exponentially increase, content marketing initiatives will form the center of not only the marketing plan, but the center of the organizations as well. Social media have opened up a world of opportunity for content providers. Why? Social media programs cannot be successful without consistent, relevant and valuable content. Sound familiar? It should… that’s custom publishing. Many of you are in industries that are a little behind the Internet curve. Even if that’s the case, this is your opportunity to become a true thought leader. All industries are going to get into social media at some point. Social media are not just another marketing gimmick; social media are a revolutionary new way of interacting with life. If that’s not enough of a reason, you need social media expertise to understand the new marketing and distribution mechanisms available for your content programs. The content that you are creating for your customers, whether in custom magazines, newsletters, video, etc., can be leveraged and repurposed through social media. That’s where the magic can happen. Some companies are now using social media sites as the distribution mechanism for their content marketing efforts. For example, both Tide and Pepsi leveraged their integrated content Super Bowl programs using Facebook, YouTube and MySpace, among others. Although these examples are more the exception at this point, it is clear that the majority of content programs created in the future will have some type of social media marketing component. Not a believer? Companies like Blendtec, the brand that provides blenders to Starbucks, created an online video series called willitblend.com. With less than $1,000 in startup costs (for a microsite and a video camera), Blendtec created an online phenomenon that drew over75 million views of the online videos (mostly via YouTube), resulting in a 500% revenue increase directly attributable to the viral videos. These two-minute videos simply blended up different objects from iPhones to Chuck Norris action figures. Talk about telling the story. This is just one example of the power of social media. #2 Be Active in Social Media: It’s Mandatory for the Future of Custom Publishing The number of custom publishers who don’t read blogs, aren’t on LinkedIn and have never heard of Digg or StumbleUpon is amazingly high. If that’s you, you need to get moving. Your prospects and customers are trying to understand them and possibly integrate them into their marketing plans. Be prepared to discuss social media with authority and expertise. There is one key truth as it pertains to social media: If you’re not in it, you can’t possibly understand the applications or benefits. www.junta42.com/match 6 http://www.willitblend.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/ http://www.digg.com/ http://www.stumbleupon.com/ http://www.junta42.com/match

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The New Rules of Custom Publishing

The New Rules of Custom Publishing World-Class Custom Publishing... Is Possible #1 Understand the Changes... #2 Be Active in Social Media... #3 Acquire Expertise in All Forms of Content #4 Walk the Talk #5 Position Yourself... #6 Have a Clear Value Proposition #7 Price Your Services... #8 Value the Role of the Project Manager #9 Use Questions, Not Answers... About the Author

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