032 Joe Pulizzi | Creating Content to Grow Your Business
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You've heard the phrase "content is king" but that's not true for all content. How do you know if you are creating valuable, quality content that is actually reaching your audience and growing your business? You're about to find out on this episode of Grow My Revenue.

Today we are joined by none other than the godfather of content himself, Mr. Joe Pulizzi. Joe is the founder and creator of the Content Marketing Institute, he won the John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement award in 2014 and has authored several best-sellers including his latest, Content Inc. We'll talk about all of that and more on this episode.

Listen to this episode and discover:

• What is Joe's definition of content?
• Why you must tell a different story with your content.
• What can the El Gaucho restaurant chain teach you about content marketing?
• Why you should give away your secret sauce.
• How do you create content that isn't biased? And so much more…

Episode Overview

If there's one thing Joe Pulizzi knows about it's content. In addition to starting the Content Marketing Institute and hosting the annual Content Marketing World event, Joe has published several books on the topic and also released the first documentary on content. But he will be the first to tell you he doesn't know everything there is to know about content, and in fact he continues to learn every day.

And he shares what he has learned on this episode. He lets us in on the biggest mistakes companies make with the content they produce, along with a valuable and insightful lesson from John Deere on how to educate, engage and create an intensely loyal following.

Joe says there are three missteps companies most commonly make and they are talking about your products and services, not telling a unique story and providing inconsistent content.

Most organizations provide content that is primarily about what they offer: their latest bells and whistles, why their features are so great and what benefits they offer to their customers. But the truth is most people don't care! They care about their problems and finding solutions. So stop focusing on your needs and start addressing what your audience needs and wants in your content.

The second common mistake is telling the same old story everyone else is. If you aren't unique you aren't going to stand out. If you don't stand out how will anyone find you? If they can't find you they can't become part of your audience, and they'll never become a loyal customer. Find a unique way to tell your story.

Third is providing content but doing so inconsistently. Think about it like this: you know when your paper is going to be delivered right? You know exactly when to turn on the TV for the news or for SportsCenter. Your content has to be the same way: exact same day of the week at the exact same time, every single week. Do that and you're on the right track.

Another mistake Joe sees is to make a pitch in the content. Don't do it! If you are providing valuable content to someone they are already know you are a resource so you don't have to say it. If you tell them to contact you at the end of your content they're not going to trust you anymore.

John Deere is a great example of how to provide content, no strings attached. Since 1885 they've been sending out The Furrow, a magazine for farmers. The magazine addresses farmers' biggest pain points and helps them solve those pain points.

Today that magazine is the largest media property in the farming industry: it has 1.5 million subscribers in over 40 different countries and is produced in 14 different languages. In their 120 year history they've pitched their own products or services 12-15 times total. And that's why they are John Deere, the top company in their industry with a fervent following.

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