ROCK
YOUR CONTENT
SHALL
does your
content
strike a
CHORD?
WE’VE PICKED A HANDFUL OF OUR HITS TO SHOW YOU
HOW TO STRIKE A CHORD WITH CONTENT
3
44
A REAL LIFE LESSON... 5A MIGHTY METAPHOR... 7
NEGATIVE POINT OF VIEW... 9CHALLENGE CONVENTION... 11
HUMAN NATURE... 13DROP A BIG BOMB... 15
DELIVER SERIOUS VALUE... 17SIMPLIFY STUFF... 19
EXPLAIN WHAT WORKS... 21
SERIOUS FUN... 23UNLOCK A SECRET... 25
SMART STRATEGIES... 27EXPRESS APPRECIATION... 29
HOLIDAY WISHES... 31HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE... 33
PLAY A GAME... 35LEAD THE WAY... 37
CONTACT... 39
CONTENTS
Share this eBook
A REAL LIFE
LESSON TEACH SOMETHINGSOMEONE
TAUGHT YOU
lesson one
5
A REAL LIFE LESSON
Take the reader on a journey
with you. Use basic storytelling
elements: a place, a time,
characters, conflict and
resolution. The main character
overcomes an obstacle.
A lesson is learned.
Read “The Most Valuable ‘How to’ Lesson of My Copywriting Career” on Business2Community.
Guest blog post
Tell a good story.
6
A MIGHTY
METAPHORINTRODUCE AN IDEA
TOO STRANGETO BE IGNORED
lesson two
7
A MIGHTY METAPHOR
Metaphors are fascinating.
Especially when they’re a bit
unusual. Metaphors make it easy
to understand a concept. Set it
up and drive it home. Have fun
with it and your readers will too.
Read “Your Website is a Mousetrap and Your Content is the Cheese” on Social Media Today.
Kill it with curiosity.
8
Guest blog post
NEGATIVE POINT OF VIEW
YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG
lesson three
9
You might have been told it’s best
to stay positive. Wrong. It’s
positively boring, actually. Break
free from the predictable “how to”
now and then. Be a contrarian.
Amplify a painful problem. Use
the magnetic pull of the no-no and
the power of the unknown.
NEGATIVE POINT OF VIEW
Read “11 Reasons Why Prospects Don’t Convert into Customers” on Convince and Convert.
Have no fear.
10
Guest blog post
CHALLENGE CONVENTION
YOU’RE ENTITLEDTO YOUR OPINION
lesson four
11
CHALLENGE CONVENTIONSpeak your mind.Your unpopular opinion might
make your content popular.
When I told thought leaders what
I thought of their ridiculous self-
appointed title, I ruffled some
feathers. But I don’t apologize for
having an opinion. I strongly
suggest you have a strong
point of view and put it out there.
Read “Don’t Tell Me You’re a Thought Leader: Just Be One” on Social Media Today.
12
Guest blog post
HUMAN
NATUREWE ARE WHAT
WE ARE
lesson five
13
HUMAN NATUREBasic needs.Take a cue from the covers of Cosmopolitan and the other popular magazines that fly off displays at the checkout counter. Headlines that speak to our basic desires such as sex, love, comfort, and happiness will generate supreme curiosity. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to get a little frisky now and then either.
Read “If You Don’t Treat Social Media Like Sex, You’re Doing It Wrong” on Social Media Explorer.
14
Guest blog post
DROP A BIG
BOMBFORCETHE
ISSUE
lesson six
15
DROP A BIG BOMBYou can’t top this.In this, my most read article to
date, I held nothing back. When
you use superlatives like “the
most” or “the ultimate,” be
careful not to write checks you
can’t cash. But if you can make
a big promise and deliver,
do it.
Read “The Most Effective SEO Strategy of All Time” on Social Media Today.
16
Guest blog post
DELIVER SERIOUS VALUE HERE’S HOW
TO GET THEJOB DONE
lesson seven
17
DELIVER SERIOUS VALUEShow and tell.Social Media Examiner has established a large and loyal audience by delivering a steady stream of detailed “how to” tutorials. Choose a topic you know inside and out and teach a lesson your audience will value. This is your ticket to building authority and establishing trust.
Read “How to Generate Leads with SlideShare” on Social Media Examiner.
18
Guest blog post
SIMPLIFY
STUFFIT’S ALWAYS SMART TO GET BACK TO BASICS
lesson eight
19
SIMPLIFY STUFFBe the lens.New information, ideas and challenges are coming at your prospects and customers relentlessly. They crave clarity.Find an area of confusion. Zoom in on the issues, help readers understand them and focus on what matters most.
Read “Making Your Online Marketing Work: Sharpen Your Focus on This One Thing” on Copyblogger.
20
Guest blog post
EXPLAIN WHAT
WORKS TELL ASUCCESSSTORY
lesson nine
21
EXPLAIN WHAT WORKSSuccess is seductive.Tales of triumph are compelling. You can focus on your customer’s accomplishment, your own (as I did here) or anyone you know readers can relate to. Give it a story treatment. Color it with details about the challenge and dig into exactly what works.
Read “Inbound Marketing Works: A Copywriter’s Success Story” on Social Media Today.
22
Guest blog post
RIDICULOUS FUN
THIS ONE’SA LAUGHER
lesson ten
23
RIDICULOUS FUNGet theatrical.Why not take chances with some
unconventional storytelling styles?
This one’s a comedy sketch. It’s a
parody actually. I had a blast writing
it and the readers got a kick out of
it too. Keep your eyes open for
some day-to-day drama, give it a
twist and surprise your audience
now and then.
Read “Is Social Media as Worthless as the Telephone” on The Point, theFeldman Creative blog.
24
Blog post
UNLOCK A
SECRETTHERE’S SOMETHING
YOU NEED TO KNOW
lesson eleven
25
SLIDE PRESENTATION
Tricks of the trade.You should share your secrets, your shortcuts, and the tricks you know will benefit potential customers. This presentation delivers a lesson on repurposing content to extract more value out of it. The reaction was overwhelming. Try it.
See “The eBook is the Stud in Your Content Marketing Stable” on SlideShare.
SMART STRATEGIES
SHARE ‘EM IFYOU GOT ‘EM
lesson twelve
27
SMART STRATEGIES
Be a teacher.Conducting webinars is a
wonderful way to present a
detailed lesson. Resist the
temptation to pitch products.
Teach, don’t preach. You’ll
come across as an authority.
Watch “Magnetic Content: Strategies to Transform Your Website Into a Customer Attraction Force Field”on YouTube.
28
Webinar
EXPRESS APPRECIATION
SAY THANK YOU
lesson thirteeen
29
EXPRESS APPRECIATION Give thanks.A mentor of mine wrote about how
meaningful it is to recognize others.
He’s one of the many people who
influenced my approach to marketing
and is thanked in this infographic.
Not surprisingly, the people and
organizations recognized here
appreciated my gesture—and
shared the content.
Check out “Feeling the Vibe of the Tribe” a “ThankYouGraphic on Social Media Today
30
Infographic
HOLIDAY
WISHESWHO NEEDS
HALLMARK?
lesson fourteen
31
HOLIDAY WISHES
From the heart.Holidays present special occasions
for doing something thematic.
Strong marketers seldom miss the
opportunity to take advantage of
timely and topical content. In this
infographic, I cited a great report I
came upon and gave it a Valentine’s
Day treatment. Do you love it?
Check out “Engagement: The DNA of Relationships” an infographic on SlideShare.
32
Infographic
HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE
GIVE SOMEONE ELSE
A CHANCE TO TALK
lesson fifteen
33
HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE
Now hear this.With the mass adoption of smart phones, podcasts have only grown in popularity. You’ll strike a chord with those that like to listen by producing podcasts. Hosting a show not only extends your reach, it gives you a great opportunity to invite influential guests to join the program.
Listen to “Content Marketing Minds” and “The Point - In Your Ear” by searching iTunes for “Barry Feldman.”
34
Podcasts
PLAY
A GAMEGET THE AUDIENCE
INVOLVED
lesson sixteen
35
PLAY A GAMEGamification?You might have come across
this funny word. People love
to play games and learn by
doing so. Make what might
have been a mundane
experience fun and unforget-
table. “WTF” was a game
show created to kick off a
marketing conference.
Play the game, “WTF: Words, Things, Faces” (New media’s favorite game show” on SlideShare.
36
Event keynote
LEAD THE WAY
GIVE SOME GUIDANCE
lesson seventeen
37
LEAD THE WAY
The name of the game is
publishing. Consider how
you can collect your best
advice and create a helpful
guide. “The Plan” is an
example, as is this eBook.
I hope you learned a lot.
Read “The Plan to Grow Your Business with Effective Online Marketing” availableon the Feldman Creative website.
eBook
Lay out a plan.
38
Photo by Martin Fisch/Flickr
STRIKE
CHORD
A
Visit www.feldmancreative.comCall 916.984.9988
39
Written and designed by Barry Feldman of
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