Future-proof your Content

The Content Pledge : why to think like a publisher to become future-proof

Content Frustrations

Over the past 20 years, I notice some shared frustrations between my clients. They all know the importance of content, they know they need to change, yet they don’t know how to change. Next, they realize their huge dependence on Facebook and Google is not sustainable for the future.

C-suite often lacks detailed knowledge and insights on content, social, and fast-paced technological innovations. Nor should they. They have their team to rely on. And there comes the catch22. By the lack of insights on the long term business attribution, there is a limit on the resources. No investment in seniority. The junior team has a focus on short term conversion and performance marketing. In combination with channel thinking, ‘I want a Facebook campaign’. And based on silo thinking without integration with PR, Corporate Communications, HR and Customer Care.

And let’s not forget about the shorter time periods people work in a specific role. A new CMO often means a new direction. A new content marketer or producer means an approach to content. For so far the long term consistency. Check out these resume keywords that will help attract HR’s attention.

How to fix it

Sometimes you have to look to the past to find the answer for the future. Why not think like a traditional publisher for your brands’ content? Let’s be honest, to be part of this digital game, you kind of publish your own daily newspaper. Distributed via ‘paid’ and ‘owned’ in social, search, newsletters and www.

The non-negotiable first step is a ‘belief’. A belief in showing and telling your passion for your brand and products. In a healthy balance between brand building and sales. With ‘adding value for your customer’ in the core of all communication.

Next is to fix the basics and set up the fundamentals. If you have your content strategy, structure and digital eco-system in place, you become future-proof . Whatever comes next after Facebook and how to decrease your dependency on Google, will become a piece of cake.

Last not least, set up a way of reporting that you gain insights on the long term business attribution. There is no proven content attribution model and that does not exist. Customers and audiences do not think in channels and campaigns, they like and buy your brand and products, or not. Calculate your total expenses by considering processing credit card fees.

Structure of my book

Some of the ideas in this book will be new, some will be familiar. Each chapter and paragraph is different in length and depth. All strategic and some of them a bit more into detail to further explain the concept.

I love to bounce from chapter to chapter, dip into what appeals to me and cherry-pick those gems along the way. This setup is similar because reading from cover to cover feels a bit too traditional and pretty old school. Not every page is interesting to everyone.

This book applies to all industries, brands, and organizations. From international corporates to smaller brands, start-ups or even independent consultants and artists. With a focus on digital channels as that is my area of expertise and experience.

The outline in a nutshell. Tune and tweak in the details and pick what is relevant for you.

It’s a belief: First things first. Why the belief and the support from the C-suite is non-negotiable

• Part 1: Basics and Fundamentals. What do you need as a basic before you can even think about creating and publishing content

• Part 2: Structure. How to bring structure to your content and use data and research to make decisions.

• Part 3: Organization and Content Team. What you need to realize the central content production and media buying. From the employees to an organizational structure. Including that important stakeholder management. And to make a decision to in-house or not.

• Part 4: Tools and processes. What you need in workflows, processes, and tech. Plus: how to improve your brief to your agencies. ‘Sh*t in is sh*t out’ and having great content starts with yourself.

My experience plus 20+ books

I bring together my experience and vision for the future and the best books on content. I create an overview with my vision for the future, you do the deep-dive in the sources to learn more about all the details. Sometimes I do a shameless copy-paste, not reinventing what is already written with excellence. Other times I adjusted and combined for the readability and tone of voice.

Crafted and written with a little help of AI :)

Always giving the credits and linking to the original sources. See the overview of all references and credits at the end of the book. With my shout out for their excellent work, amazing knowledge, insights and how to’s. Crediting their leadership within their industry.

Pain-points to be solved

  • How to prepare for a future without Facebook
  • Decrease your dependency on social and Google
  • Avoid silo and channel thinking
  • Combine creative production with media buying
  • Set up a central content department including stakeholder management and editorial board
  • Balance between brand building, thought leadership and marketing campaigns
  • Report on business objectives instead of vanity metrics

List of books and sources:
‘Epic content marketing’ by Joe Pulizzi
‘How not to Plan: 66 ways to screw it up’ by Les Binet and Sarah Carter
‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek
‘Get Your Sh*t Together’ by Sarah Knight
‘Copywriting Secrets’ by Alan Sharpe
‘Eat your Greens’ by Wiemer Snijders
‘Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day’ by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky
“The ONE Thing” by Gary Kelly and Jay Papasan
‘Let my people go surfing’ by Yvon Chouinard
‘Chasing Excellence: A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes’ by Ben Bergeron
‘Life Scale’ by Brian Solis
‘Thrive’ by Arianna Huffington
‘Good Strategy, bad strategy’ by Richard P. Rumelt
‘Everybody writes’ by Ann Handley
‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie
Schrijven met Effect – Marriet Hermans

See also http://www.fleurwillemijn.com/books/

Release date: Fall 2019