Content Marketing: Think Like a Publisher--How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media [Brossura]

I agree with the central point--that all who blog, Facebook, twitter, etc. are content publishers and should think of themselves (ourselves) as such and use marketing advice that is suitable for publishers in 2012. In other words, the very definition of publishing has changed and everyone in it should think about marketing as it relates to this changed world.

That said, as one of these "micro publishers" I was hoping this would be a "How to". It is well written by an obviously knowledgable author, but really isn't a How To, at least not for the vast majority of "publishers" who are not corporations. For that, because I think there is a broader expectation in the marketing of this book, it didn't get a 4 or 5 star review. The middle range reflects a balance between "author expertise and a worthwhile point of view" v. "lack of specifics for individual publishers who want to better market content".

I -do- think this might be a help to people applying for a corporate job as a content marketer--a growing field. Read it and incorporate some of the points into a job interview. I think it could be very helpful--in that context.

Too many small businesses are totally unaware of the potential offered by the Internet. They may have a website, but it's really nothing more than a business card. For many years I have been telling my customers that they need to generate content if they want to stand out in the ocean of websites. I don't think any of them ever listened to me, but they certainly should and this book is what they should read now.

I can find fault with this, but it's minor. For example, if I had written the section on Social Bookmarking, I would have been sure to mention the dangers of only bookmarking your own content. However a later section goes into detail about curating other people's content.

I also found the books message on advertising to be a bit muddied. Page 7 tells us "on the internet, practically no one is searching for an ad." When I read that and the bit that followed about how content is better than advertising. I was wondering if she was about to denounce advertising entirely. No, not at all, as later sections make clear.

But I'm carping. In 200 pages or so, this really is a great fly-by of what you need to know. I'd recommend it for the owners or top managers of small to medium companies so that they can understand what their web and media people are up to. The examples of real companies are inspiring. Imagine a company with 73 separate blogs that share the common theme of selling the companies soldering products! Why 73? It's one for every keyword they identified.

This is current enough to include Google+, by the way, though not quite current enough to mention that G+ has opened business pages. I don't see that as any great problem, of course. This is the orientation book, the book you'd use to understand the landscape. Details are always changing and anybody who reads this surely understands that.

Content Marketing is good book for people who want or need an initial understanding of Content Marketing.

I read it in a couple of hours on a plane ride. This makes it a good book to share with senior executives and others to help explain "why we're taking this approach to marketing". We all need that. We're all working with a few who "get it," surrounded by far too many who don't.

Given the significant mind, strategy and budget shifts required for organizations to pursue this course, making the case for content marketing is the first challenge proponents usually face.

Given the "dabbling" approaches and under performance organizations experience, having the plan and discipline to execute effectively is the next challenge.

Given the collaborative nature of content marketing, if the people we work with and require to provide key inputs (subject exerts) don't understand, the velocity, effectiveness and outcomes of this approach are significantly reduced. This book can help.