Weekly Alert: There Is No Spoon in Content Marketing

Seven weeks until CMWorld! Coupon code inside! [View Message](2e5a5/ct0_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) in Browser / [Add Us](2e5a5/ct1_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) to Safe Sender List [] 2e5a5/ct2_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ [] [Forward to a Friend](2e5a5/ct3_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) This Week in Content Marketing 7.20.18 Connect with CMI 2e5a5/ct4_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ 2e5a5/ct5_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ 2e5a5/ct6_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ 2e5a5/ct7_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ 2e5a5/ct8_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ [] Should You Worry About Your SEO and Google’s Mobile-First Index? [] 2e5a5/ct9_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ Given your vigilance with the all-powerful search engine rankings, you’re likely concerned or at least curious about the effect of Google’s new mobile-first index. Get answers to your questions on how it could impact your site and SEO. [Read more](2e5a5/ct9_1/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ)by Mike Murray [Conversion and Optimization] Some more of this week's best stuff: - [How Tech Debt Is Bankrupting Content Marketing](2e5a5/ct10_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) by Robert Rose [Editorial Process and Teams] - [Your Must-Have Checklist for Successful Blog Promotion (Infographic)](2e5a5/ct11_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) by Brody Dorland [Distribution and Promotion] - [5 Research-Based Actions to Improve Your Content Marketing](2e5a5/ct12_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) by Lisa Murton Beets [Research] - [Your Editorial Calendar Is Not Your Content Marketing Strategy](2e5a5/ct13_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) by Michele Linn [Editorial Process and Teams] [] [] A Note From Robert Rose There Is No Spoon In Content Marketing In the movie The Matrix, there’s a famous scene where Neo meets The Oracle. As he walks into her apartment, he sees a young boy bending a spoon with his mind. He’s fascinated. As he bends down and takes the spoon, the boy offers some advice: “Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth.” Neo looks confused. “What truth?” he asks. The boy responds: “There is no spoon.” Neo is even more confused. “There is no spoon?” he asks. The boy assures him, “Then you’ll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.” The lesson for Neo is that manipulating objects in The Matrix isn’t about forcing, pushing, or bending objects to his will. As the boy notes, there’s no way he can change something that doesn’t even exist. He has to change himself. Metaphorically, it’s all in is head. So, what can we take away from this as marketers? In many of the businesses I consult with, I see content marketers struggling to scale their efforts and generate new and interesting ideas. The content marketing team tries to push, force, bend, and manipulate the “features,” “benefits,” and “brand promises” to fit into some new shape called “thought leadership” or “inspiring story.” It’s ultimately a frustrating experience, because trying to pull the story from the product or brand feels false. And it limits the universe of stories we can tell. Is it any wonder that so many simply fall back on “customer stories” or “case studies” as the only source of new material? And even those feel like the same old story with new characters. Here’s the truth: There is no spoon in content marketing. We shouldn’t force ourselves to only push content ideas from our products’ or brand’s world view. We must simply allow for the fact that our brand, our products, and our company should all stand for something greater and deeper than what we sell. One of my favorite examples of this is how Lincoln Electric, a purveyor of welding equipment, has found success by telling the story of how welding is a chosen life and can truly be an art form. They’ve allowed themselves to change and, in doing so, opened up the possibility that Lincoln Electric isn’t just about selling the best welding equipment. [They are (as they say):](2e5a5/ct14_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) “for anyone who shapes metal in some form or another to push their envelope of choice – be it in manufacturing, art, entertainment, community service or some other passion – to new limits and new heights…” Now I certainly didn’t mean for that whole story to be as punny as it turned out to be. But if you’ll forgive me that, I think it’s a fantastic lesson. We can focus on changing ourselves and how we see the world. That gives us the super powers to change the world, rather than trying to continually push and force our way through it. It’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute This article from Robert is available only in this newsletter for you, the newsletter subscriber. If you have friends that would see value in Robert's weekly updates, please have them [subscribe](2e5a5/ct15_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ). [] [] Content Marketing Job Listings Currently on a job search? Thinking about switching gears with your career? Please check out our job listings below. Available Positions: - Assistant Vice President, Content Strategy and Chief Content Officer, Kent State University, Kent, OH - [Learn More](2e5a5/ct16_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) Interested in posting a job here? Please see our [CMI Careers page](2e5a5/ct17_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) for more info. [] Sponsored Content Brands Must Optimize DAM for Better Customer Experiences Having better control of content can help you improve speed to market and deliver better customer experiences. Aprimo Digital Asset Management, available on Azure, was named a leader in enterprise DAM in a recent report by Forrester Research for its “outstanding marketing support with robust native and integrated functionality in the areas of content performance analytics, content marketing, and marketing resource management.” [Download free eBook!](2e5a5/ct18_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) [] [] More From CMI 2e5a5/ct19_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ Have you registered yet? Content Marketing World is happening less than 7 (Yes! Seven!) weeks from now. 250+ speakers, 200+ breakouts, workshops and labs, hands-on, tactical sessions giving you an instant ROI on your pass, 3,500+ of your industry peers all learning from some of the greatest content marketing practitioners on the planet. Plus...Tina Fey will wrap up our main conference. Don't miss out! Code EMAIL saves $100 at checkout! [Register today!](2e5a5/ct19_1/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ) [] CMI Video 2e5a5/ct20_0/1?sid=TV2%3AnwYW6EndZ Webinars are the most effective marketing tool to deliver content and generate leads. But the modern webinar needs to be a multi-touch, engaging content experience that puts your audience at the center of the action. In this clip from CMWorld 2017, Mark Bornstein, VP of Content Marketing at ON24, shares some best practices for making your webinars rock. 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