Is your content marketer really a mechanic?
April 15, 2013 • Glenn Murray
This morning, I read a great article by Joe Pulizzi: 4 Truths About Content Marketing Agencies. It’s definitely worth a read, but I’ll give you the synopsis: A lot of people are calling themselves content marketers when they really shouldn’t be.
New profession, age-old problem
While I agree, this sux, we shouldn’t be surprised. It’s something good copywriters and SEOs (and mechanics!) have faced forever. With content marketing we have, once again, a situation where two conditions are true:
- Customers believe they need something (desperately); and
- They have no way of judging the capability of would-be providers;
In this situation, there’ll always be providers who are unscrupulous enough to claim they have what it takes.
Articles like this help. Nice one +Joe Pulizzi.
Copywriters aren’t content marketers either!
While we’re at it, I have a bone to pick with copywriters who call themselves content marketers.
It’s called ‘content MARKETING’ for a reason. Content creation is just one part. In my experience, most copywriters are NOT content marketers. They write the content; they don’t do any distribution, outreach, analytics or anything else on the MARKETING side of that equation.
That includes me. I’m a copywriter, not a content marketer.
Copywriters, are you content marketers too?
Where do you stand on this issue? Do you do both, or just the content creation stuff?
Joe Pulizzi wrote on April 15th, 2013
Thanks Glenn...great take...and every little bit helps on getting the word out. Cheers Joe
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Glenn (Owner) wrote on April 15th, 2013
Thanks Joe. Eventually clients figure it out, but it's a shame many get burned on the way through.
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Adam Franklin wrote on April 15th, 2013
Hi Glenn and Joe, I agree there is lot more to content marketing than writing copy. Both are important skill sets, but they have different objectives. Getting a good blog up and running is often the cornerstone of content marketing, but good marketers use this as the launch pad and not the final destination. Last week I wrote an article about 'graduating' from blogger to content marketer. The main difference was that content marketers have a plan in place to further educate and nurture their readers beyond the blog and into a commercial relationship (whether that be paid products, courses or consulting). http://www.startupsmart.com.au/technology/websites/have-you-made-the-move-from-blogger-to-content-marketer/201304059387.html PS. Glenn, for a copywriter, you make an excellent content marketer in my humble opinion ;-) PPS. As for companies claiming to be 'content marketing agencies', a quick at their blog, social pages and website usually reveals whether they are legit and practice what they preach. Thank you!
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Glenn (Owner) wrote on April 16th, 2013
Hi Adam. Why thank you! Definitely agree the content itself is the launch pad, not the destination.
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