John Miller

Articles by John All articles by John

• Are Buyer Personas A Waste Of Time? in Content Marketing Insider on 05/15/2015
  

  In this era of preference marketing, buyers are in control. When online information became ubiquitous, the customer suddenly didn't have to simply accept what marketing delivered; she now had choices. To win her business, we need to create a connection that goes well beyond a transactional relationship. To me, that's the rationale behind content marketing: instead of an organization broadcasting inward-focused messages, it must deliver value to the marketplace in order to create the customer connection.

• When Your Content Marketing Fails in Content Marketing Insider on 05/08/2015
  

  Just about everyone has embraced content marketing. And some people are even succeeding with it. However, a shockingly high percentage of B2B content marketers report that it really isn't going all that well. According to a recent Content Marketing Institute study, just 38% of content marketers say their efforts are effective. Which means that almost two-thirds of content marketers are coming up short. Why is that?

• Corporate Storytelling: Coming To Your Emotional Rescue in Content Marketing Insider on 04/09/2015
  

  Truth: Logic rarely spurs action. And yet, more and more, we (marketers) are focused on metrics. We rack our brains trying to figure out how to move prospective customers logically through the sales funnel. We create content based on algorithms and probabilities. And while doing this, we wish and pray that we can have a monstrous breakthrough success, the kind of overnight sensation that Malcolm Gladwell or Jonah Berger might write about some day. Well, it ain't gonna happen if your nose is down in a spreadsheet. Because emotion, not numbers, is the gasoline that fuels marketing awesomeness.

• When Your Content Marketing Fails in Content Marketing Insider on 11/07/2014
  

  Just about everyone has embraced content marketing. And some people are even succeeding with it. However, a shockingly high percentage of B2B content marketers report that it really isn't going all that well. According to a recent Content Marketing Institute study, just 38% of content marketers say their efforts are effective. Which means that almost two-thirds of content marketers are coming up short. Why is that?

• Corporate Storytelling: Coming To Your Emotional Rescue in Content Marketing Insider on 10/03/2014
  

  Truth: Logic rarely spurs action. And yet, more and more, we (marketers) are focused on metrics. We rack our brains trying to figure out how to move prospective customers logically through the sales funnel. We create content based on algorithms and probabilities. And while doing this, we wish and pray that we can have a monstrous breakthrough success, the kind of overnight sensation that Malcolm Gladwell or Jonah Berger might write about some day. Well, it ain't gonna happen if your nose is down in a spreadsheet. Because emotion, not numbers, is the gasoline that fuels marketing awesomeness.

• Is Your Content Trustworthy? in Content Marketing Insider on 09/05/2014
  

  You've certainly heard that content marketing is the coolest thing ever and that you have to jump on this bandwagon. But, wait. Stop. Why should you expend all this time and effort to create content? Is it because everyone else is doing it? Is it because you like to write? Is it because your tween daughter loves to watch videos on Youtube, so you think that you can appeal to the kids by creating a series of videos? If those are the reasons you're considering launching a content marketing effort, stop. Because the only reason to embrace content marketing is that you are looking to build trust with your audience.

• Does Your Audience Hate Your Content?  in Content Marketing Insider on 08/08/2014
  

  According to the Content Marketing Institute, 93% of B2B marketers are engaged in content marketing, while 90% of B2C marketers say they have embraced content marketing. I'm not seeing it. Just because the marketing department is producing content -- I mean, memos could be considered content, right? -- does not mean that they're engaged in content marketing.

• Is Your Content Thrilling? in Content Marketing Insider on 07/11/2014
  

  Every day, at least 1.5 million blog posts are published. So what makes you think anyone is going to read yours? The consumers of content have plenty of options to choose from when they go searching for their information. While that reality is enough to discourage some brands from getting into the content game, I'd argue that now is precisely the time to dive in with both feet. But you'll need to be bold.

• How To Make Sure Your Content Has An Authentic External Voice in Content Marketing Insider on 06/13/2014
  

  I had a meeting last week with an organization I'm just getting to know. The conversation was peppered with acronyms as they described their organizational structure. It was a sea of letters, and at one point I just started to chuckle because it was all so confusing. Confusing to me, not to them. To them, the whole thing made perfect sense; they were all speaking the same language. At some point, I'll have a complete and full understanding of all that jargon. I'll be in the club. Which will be great, because it's cool to be with the in-crowd. However, as a content marketer who believes that the best content must be audience-focused, being in the club is dangerous, too. It can create a barrier to doing the job of content marketing.

• The Trouble With Freelancers in Content Marketing Insider on 05/16/2014
  

  The act of content creation is still one that plagues marketers. According to the 2013 Content Marketing Institute/Marketing Profs survey, 69% of marketers say they don't have enough time to create content; 55% say they can't produce enough content; and 47%say they can't produce content that the audience actually cares about. So, hiring professional writers to do the work and deliver high quality seems like a perfect solution to the content creation conundrum. You need high quality writing, and freelancers are available, often at a good price. But here's the rub: Freelance writers complete assignments, but that's all they do.

Comments by John All comments by John

• Corporate Storytelling: Coming To Your Emotional Rescue by John Miller (Content Marketing Insider on 04/09/2015)
  

  Thanks for the comment Doug. Agree to disagree. I would argue that most buying decisions are emotional... even B2B purchases. If you're saying that stories don't *immediately* create action, you may be right... but the buyer's journey has changed dramatically over the last 15 years, and now the buyer is in control. So they need to be nurtured, romanced and eventually they'll make the decision they make. Stories are a huge component of this journey.

• The Trouble With Freelancers by John Miller (Content Marketing Insider on 05/16/2014)
  

  Dori - I'm not blaming freelancers... I'm blaming the concept of relying on them exclusively. Doing so (usually) eliminates the type of ongoing strategic discussion that is needed to maximize impact and stay on track.

• The Trouble With Freelancers by John Miller (Content Marketing Insider on 05/16/2014)
  

  Dori - thanks for your comment. I disagree, in that strategy must be an ongoing discussion, and must be tweaked/adjusted for every specific task... not big-S Strategy, which should remain constant, but little-S strategy, which should be about getting the most out of every effort. I think it is far preferable to have a content creator that engages in a strategic discussion at the outset of a discreet project in order to maximize impact.

• The Trouble With Freelancers by John Miller (Content Marketing Insider on 05/16/2014)
  

  Thanks for the comment Mayra. To be clear, I am not saying that freelancers are "lazy" or "no good." In fact, freelancers have to hustle and often work much harder than the staff employee; you obviously know this. If you're having those strategic conversations, I think that's awesome. This is not necessarily borne of a negative experience I had, but rather a conversation I had recently with a freelancer that could not get past "go" because she was thinking inside the box and had no interest in peering over the edges. It made me realize that freelancers are (rightfully, as Michael points out) not typically interested in pushing back on the client, and my belief is that sometimes you need to say "no, do this instead." Also, maybe we should talk :)

• The Trouble With Freelancers by John Miller (Content Marketing Insider on 05/16/2014)
  

  Thanks for these comments! Michael - I think you make a good point, and perhaps I should've headlined this The Trouble With HIRING Freelancers. I believe most organizations can benefit from having a higher level discussion at the outset of a significant project, even when they believe the strategy is good and set. Obviously, some times that is not necessary... you just need execution. Ruth Ann - Actually, I run a small agency as well (and not some SEO chop shop writing articles for $15). Fixing the disconnect you speak of should precisely be part of that strategic discussion that is often missing when hiring a freelancer.

• 2013 - Beginning Of The End For PR Boomers by David Bray (Marketing Daily on 02/08/2013)
  

  David- In addition to this ill thought out opinion, you're also bad at math and/or research - the first Boomers turn 67 this year. Otherwise, nice work.

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