Weekly Alert: Most Brands Diversify Poorly

How Purchase Funnels Are Limiting Your Potential for Content Marketing Success [View Message](2e5a5/ct0_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) in Browser / [Add Us](2e5a5/ct1_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) to Safe Sender List [] 2e5a5/ct2_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS [] [Forward to a Friend](2e5a5/ct3_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) This Week in Content Marketing 4.14.17 Connect with CMI 2e5a5/ct4_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS 2e5a5/ct5_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS 2e5a5/ct6_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS 2e5a5/ct7_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS 2e5a5/ct8_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS [] 2 Funnels Are Necessary for Content Marketing [] 2e5a5/ct9_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS Following a purchase funnel to shape your content marketing goals sets you up for limited success. Not all content subscribers will become customers. That’s why you need to create and add a content marketing funnel to your program. [Read more](2e5a5/ct9_1/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS)by Daniel Hochuli Some more of this week's best stuff: - [Screwed Up Priorities? 5 Reasons You Aren’t Working on the Right Content Projects](2e5a5/ct10_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) by Marcus Varner - [5 Questions to Ask Your Customer Support Team to Help Build Buyer Personas](2e5a5/ct11_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) by Kane Jamison - [Cognitive Content Marketing: The Path to a More (Artificially) Intelligent Future](2e5a5/ct12_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) by Paul Roetzer - [Time for B2B Enterprise Marketers to Get Focused on Their Audience vs. Their Brands [New Research]](2e5a5/ct13_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) by Lisa Murton Beets - [Simplify Your Content Marketing Strategy with a One-Page Plan](2e5a5/ct14_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) by George Stenitzer [] [] A Note From Joe Pulizzi Most Brands Diversify Poorly Diversification is always a smart financial strategy. You diversify your stock portfolio to protect and grow it over time. You diversify your asset classes, as well (stocks, bonds, real estate) to make sure you are not overweight in any one area that can damage your overall value. When I first started in corporate America, I had a friend who held his entire 401k in company stock. In a matter of a year, he lost 90% of the value and had to put off his retirement for an additional five years. It was devastating to watch. Diversification is critical to your content marketing, as well; but the timing is much (much) different. For your financials, you want to diversify as soon as you possibly can, regardless of how much you have. In content marketing, it’s actually best to wait. Let me give you an example: I was watching 60 Minutes recently, which aired an interview with Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya (his story is fascinating, by the way). When Ulukaya first began manufacturing his Greek yogurt, he started with one flavor. Only after he had built a loyal customer base did he begin to diversify into other flavors. Today, Chobani produces all manner of different flavors and sizes, becoming a billion-dollar company in the process. But starting with one flavor and one size was critical to Chobani's ability to build a loyal audience, and then scale it after reaching initial success. If you look at successful media operations, they typically progress in the same way. The Huffington Post started with one blog, focused on one audience, and then diversified to cover other areas only after it reached a certain level of success. ESPN focused on SportsCenter. After many years, they diversified by creating the Espy Awards, podcasts, and ESPN the Magazine. We at Content Marketing Institute followed this model, too: We built a loyal audience over the course of three years through our blog, and then expanded with a print magazine ([CCO](2e5a5/ct15_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS)) and a live event ([Content Marketing World](2e5a5/ct16_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS)). So many companies do this the wrong way... they believe they have a great story to tell, and so they launch the video, the podcast, the blog, and the event all at the same time – before proof of concept has been built and before a loyal audience has been properly nurtured. The better way is actually fairly simple: Deliver relevant and valuable content to one audience, in one content format, on one platform. Then, after achieving initial success, you can diversify. Take a deep breath and be patient. Create something truly amazing on one platform for starters. Then you can conquer the world with your content, piece by piece. Good luck! Yours in content, Joe Pulizzi Founder Content Marketing Institute This article from Joe is available only in this newsletter for you, the newsletter subscriber. If you have friends that would see value in Joe's weekly updates, please have them [subscribe](2e5a5/ct17_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS). [] [] More from CMI 2e5a5/ct18_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS Register for Content Marketing World 2017 before June 2 to take advantage of Early Bird pricing! Our agenda is now sortable by track (check out our new additions this year!) or by skill level: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Register now for early bird rates, plus code CMI100 saves an additional $100! [Register today!](2e5a5/ct18_1/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) [] A Word from One of Our Benefactors Devour Work Chaos with Workfront Effective content marketing starts with an effective workflow. Escape the woes of chaotic workflows with Workfront Marketing Work Management, the most capable work and project management solution available to content marketers. Learn how Workfront can empower your content marketing team and simplify your workflow processes. [Request a free trial.](2e5a5/ct19_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) [] [] Sponsored Content Getting There: How Brands, Publishers, and Agencies Use Content Analytics Publishers, brands, and agencies are currently operating in a content-rich media ecosystem. All of this content (and the audiences that consume it) leaves behind a footprint that can be tracked in data. This report is a comprehensive look at the state of accessing, understanding, and applying data to content strategy. Read it now to understand the maturity level of the marketplace when it comes to using analytics, and see if your team is ahead or behind the curve. [View here.](2e5a5/ct20_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS) [] CMI Video of the Week 2e5a5/ct21_0/1?sid=TV2%3A0JlvR8QVS Outdoor retailer REI has found a different way to win by investing in immersive, long-form content. In this clip from CMWorld 2016, Eric Hess shares examples of long-form content that works. 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