In Content Inc. Joe Polizzi introduces a six-step process by which to use content marketing to build massive audiences and create a radically successful business.
Briefly, “By concentrating on building an audience first and defining products and services second, an entrepreneur can change the rules of the game and significantly increase the odds of financial and personal success…Once a loyal audience is built, one that loves you and the information you send, you can, most likely, sell your audience anything you want. This model is called Content Inc.”
Here are the six steps:
1. The Sweet Spot: “Simply put, the entrepreneur needs to uncover a content area that the business model will be based around. To make this happen, we need to identify a ’sweet spot’ that will attract an audience over time.”
2. Content Tilt: ”Once the sweet spot is identified, the entrepreneur needs to determine the ’tilt,’ or differentiation factor, to find an area of little to no competition.”
3. Building the Base: “Once the sweet spot is found and the tilt occurs, a platform is chosen and a content base is constructed. This is exactly like building a house. Before we get into all the paint and pictures and flooring options, we have to plan and install the foundation.”
4. Harvesting Audience: “After the platform is chosen and the content base is built, the opportunity presents itself tom increase the audience and convert ‘one-time readers’ into ongoing subscribers. This is where we leverage social media as key distribution tools and take search engine optimization seriously.”
5. Diversification: “Once the model has built a strong, loyal, and growing audience, it’s time to diversify from the main content stream. Think of the model like an octopus, with each content channel being one of the arms.”
6. Monetization: It’s time. You’ve identified your sweet spot. You’ve ’tilted’ to find an area of content noncompetition. You’ve selected the platform and built the base. You’ve started to build subscribers, and you’ve even begun to launch content on additional platforms. Now is when the model monetizes against the platform.”
All of these six distinct steps are fully explained in Content Inc. published by McGraw Hill Education (September 2015).
Joe Pulizzi is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcaster, father and lover of all things orange. He’s the founder of multiple startups, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), the leading content marketing educational resource for enterprise brands, recognized as the fastest growing business media company by Inc. magazine in 2014. CMI is responsible for producing Content Marketing World, the largest content marketing event in the world (held every September in Cleveland, Ohio), as well as the leading content marketing magazine, Chief Content Officer.