Even though I’ve been involved with writing on and off for Content Marketing Institute (CMI) since 2011, this was the first year I’ve made it to Content Marketing World (CMW).
The Two Most Important Things You Can Gain from Any Conference You Go To
After attending a few conferences over the years, I’ve realized that there are two important things you can gain from attending any conference:
- The content you are exposed to
- The connections you make
Content Marketing World is no exception. I feel like I gained both of these things from this year’s Content Marketing World.
Let me explain…
Besides getting the honor to emcee/moderate the Content Creation and Development track on Thursday, I had a great time just being there.
I really enjoyed getting to:
- Finally meet some people I’ve interacted with online for years
- Hang out, laugh, and get to know my co-workers better
- Learn great tips, strategies, and ideas in the sessions I attended
My Biggest Takeaway from Content Marketing World 2019
There are many things I learned this year from Content Marketing World and I will share some of my other takeaways in upcoming posts.
But my main takeaway came from something that Joe Pulizzi, the founder of CMI and CMW, said.
The End of Social Media as We Know It?
In Joe’s keynote this year, one of the things that he talked about was the huge change in how content is published on social media.
He said that social media sites like Facebook and YouTube see the content we create on their platforms as their biggest liability.
Why? Because our content usually pulls people away from their platforms to our sites.
Because of this, Joe said that we’re just now just beginning to see what he calls “the end of social media as we know it.”
The Solution to the Loss of Social Engagement
What was the solution that Joe gave to the impending doom that he’s predicted?
He solution was a simple but powerful one.
It was to focus on email and print subscribers.
As Joe said, “It’s 1999 again.”
Why was this my biggest takeaway?
First of all, because it confirms the things that I’ve been noticing over the past few years.
[See my last post, Food Network’s Little-Known Content Marketing Origin (And the Strategy You Need If Social Media Is Failing You), for one example.]
But there’s another reason that it resonated so much to me.
And that’s because the idea of focusing on building a subscriber list is built on one of the fundamental principles of direct response marketing.
And that confirms something that I’ve come to believe more and more…
- Effective content marketing needs direct response marketing.
- Effective direct response marketing needs content marketing.
(See my “Direct Response Content Marketing Manifesto” for more details.)
The Most Important Thing for Direct Marketers
In my marketing class that I taught for UC Berkeley Extension, I taught my students that most top copywriters agree that the three most important things in direct response are:
3. The Copy: These are the actual words you use. The words you use and how you use them are extremely important, but they’re not as important as two other things.
2. The Offer: Your offer is what exactly it is that you are offering to your patrons. When it comes to direct response marketing, what your offer is and how you frame it will make an even greater impact on your sales than just your copy alone.
But guess what the most important thing is?
1. The List: In the traditional sense, this is the mailing list that you send your sales letter to. In the digital world of today, this now also includes the email list that you send your sales letters and offers to.
The list is the most important thing because choosing the right list is what ultimately determines the success of your offer and your copy.
If you choose the wrong list, then a powerful offer, presented with engaging copy, will still fall flat.
But if you choose the right list, with a so-so offer, presented with average copy, it can still bring you decent results.
That’s how important the list is.
(And that’s not just true for direct response marketers. It’s true for content marketers!)
But that’s not all…
When It Comes to Lists, You Have Two Options
Since the list is so important, having access to the right list will be a major determining factor in your and/or your company’s success.
And you have two options when it comes to mailing lists or email lists:
- Rent one – Renting mailing lists is expensive. And renting email lists is ineffective and foolish.
- Own one – Owning a good size mailing list or email list is one of the most powerful assets a business can have.
So, you can obviously see what your best choice is! 🙂
That leads us back to Joe’s statement that was my biggest takeaway…
The Money Is (and Will Always Be) In the List
The reason Joe’s statement resonated with me so much is because it was an important reminder that no matter how much technology changes, the fundamentals never change.
From the indicators I see, I believe Joe’s prediction about social media is 100% true.
But guess what?
Even if Joe’s prediction doesn’t end up playing out exactly like he thinks it will, his advice will STILL BE the determining factor for you and/or your business’ success.
Because what was true in 1999 is still true in 2019 and will still be true in 2049…. “the money is (and will always be) in the list.”
(For those of you who don’t know, this is a statement which most of the early internet marketers continually emphasized back in the ’90’s. And do you know where they got the idea from? The early direct marketers!)
What I Am Going to Do (and What You Should Do Too)
There were many other awesome things I learned at Content Marketing World this year., but Joe’s statement inspired me to again focus the majority of my energy on:
- Growing my email lists of prospects and customers
- Consistently communicating with, caring for, and helping the prospects and customers on my lists
- Continually coming up with more solutions and services to help my prospects and customers to become more and more successful
By doing these things, I’ll not only be insulating myself and my business from the possible social media apocalypse, but I’ll also be building a foundation that will give me, my prospects, and my customers stability no matter what happens.
RFM: A Way to Pick the Most Responsive Lists
In a video on our YouTube channel called, The Attention-Getting Secrets Marketers Can Learn from HGTV, I talk about something that direct response marketers call R.F..M.
Check out this video below to discover the way RFM can help you to pick the most responsive lists.
And if you use RFM creatively, you will figure out how to make your lists more responsive!
Check out the video now and please SUBSCRIBE to my channel now!
(I’m practicing what I preach and focusing on subscribers!!)
Listen to Joe and Robert’s Podcast Episode and Learn More About Joe’s Prediction
If you want to learn more about Joe Pulizzi’s prediction about the end of social media, then check out this episode of the podcast This Old Marketing…
If you’re not a subscriber to Joe and Robert’s podcast, This Old Marketing, then you should subscribe now. You can go to iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Before You Leave, Why Not Become a Free Member? When You Do, You’ll Get a List Building Cheat Sheet
Before you leave, can you do me and yourself a favor?
Become a member of DirectResponseContentMarketing.com.
(Click here to join.)
Why become a member?
When you become a member, you will have unlimited access to Member’s Resource Area which will contain special resources and rewards such as:
- Special limited member discounts on designated products
- Early access to certain products or services
- Content upgrades
- Checklists
- Cheatsheets
- Free reports
- A special members-only newsletter called “Synergy”
- Exclusive content
- A private Facebook group (coming in May)
- And other goodies
For Member’s Only: Cheat Sheet with 10 Ideas for Lead Magnets to Help You Grow Your List
When you join today, you’ll have access to a brand new resource that I just uploaded to the Member’s Resource Area.
It’s a cheat sheet that will give you 10 things that you can offer to people as an incentive to sign-up for your email list.
Become a member right now and you can get access to…
