6 min read ⌚ 

How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses

OK – so you’ve built a beautiful business website, but no matter what you publish there, people don’t seem that interested in visiting it? Can you do something different?

Of course you can.

And Joe Pulizzi has all the neat tips and tricks to turn your small business into a giant “Content Inc.”

Who Should Read “Content Inc.”? And Why?

If you are not aware what content marketing is, then this book is certainly not for you.

But, wait a minute! We may have formulated that wrong!

So, let’s try again:

If you want a thriving business in the age of websites and the Internet, then, on the contrary, “Content Inc.” is undoubtedly the book you should buy first!

Because let’s face it: if you don’t know what content marketing is, you don’t stand a chance against those who do. Because, nowadays, it is not only a branch of marketing, it is basically part of marketing’s definition!

So, future entrepreneurs and current CEOs, startup-ers and audience-less Einsteins, wannabe influencers and digital writers of all ages – dive deep into Joe Pulizzi’s radical six-step business strategy and start building your own personal Content Inc today!

About Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi is an entrepreneur, author, podcaster and venue speaker. He is one of the leading figures in the content-marketing movement, and the founder of the foremost company in the field, the Content Marketing Institute (CMI). Some even say that he’s the one who coined the phrase “content marketing” about two decades ago.

A winner of the 2014 John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Content Council, Pulizzi has written four books. “Get Content Get Customers” and “Managing Content Marketing” were well received, but his third book, “Epic Content Marketing,” was a stellar success. In fact, “Fortune” magazine named it among the “Five Must-Read Business Books of the Year” in 2014!

You don’t expect anything less from a man of Joe Pulizzi’s profession but a strong internet presence. So, find out more at http://joepulizzi.com/. But, also, read his blog at http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/author/joepulizzi/; and, while you’re there, listen to some podcasts at http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/podcast-network/.

“Content Inc. Summary”

When David Ogilvy wrote “Confessions of an Advertising Man” back in 1963, he couldn’t have supposed that half a century later, the world of advertising would be radically different. Although, he might have intuitively understood something, because – let’s face it – you can consider that book as one of the precursors to content marketing!

Because content marketing is all about the stories. Or, as Harry Beckwith would say – it’s all about selling the invisible!

Really!

Once upon a time, you needed a great product and millions of dollars for an even better marketing campaign! Nowadays, you need nothing more but a good storyteller and a free online platform of your choice to disseminate your stories.

Oh, and of course – Joe Pulizzi’s 6-step strategy. Which, in video form (see Key Lesson n. 5), looks something like this:

Put down in writing, in a nutshell, it boils down to a simple premise: first build an audience, then create a product, and monetize only in the end.

We know it sounds counter-intuitively. But, according to Pulizzi, the strategy is reverse engineered from those practiced by some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world.

So, without further ado – let’s go!

Step-by-step.

Key Lessons from “Content Inc.”

1.      Find Your Sweet Spot
2.      Create Your Unique Content Tilt
3.      Choose Your Platform and Build Your Base
4.      Harvest Your Audience
5.      Diversify
6.      Monetize

1. Find Your Sweet Spot

Your sweet spot is where your interests, your knowledge, and your passion intersect. It’s basically what you want to do the most – and are able to do with the most confidence.

The best way to find your sweet spot is if you make three lists – of your interests, your skills, and your passions. Now, see where they intersect. That – that is your bliss!

And it can be anything – believe it or not, there’s an audience for anything you can think of!

Take, for example, Andy Schneider. He wanted to teach, and he knew a lot about raising chickens. Today, he’s a chicken whisperer, with books, magazines, and even a radio show!

2. Create Your Unique Content Tilt

This may be the most important of the six steps.

Because, as we said above, there’s an audience for everything. Consequently, at least some of it has already ventured into the world of business. So, your job is to find out how can you be a bit different than them!

You can do this by doing a survey with the help of survey software– or you can simply research things online. The latter is fairly easy – and, let’s face it, you’re doing it on a daily basis.

And, then, there are only three things left to consider: focusing on your niche; highlighting the special skills only you can offer and letting know your audience what they should expect from you from the start.

After all, nobody has time to lose nowadays!

3. Choose Your Platform and Build Your Base

There are so many channels available out there to disseminate your knowledge that choosing the right one may seem like a daunting task. But it’s crucial if you want to build your base!

For example, the stats show that 62% of YouTube’s audience consists of males and that the majority of them watches soccer or game related videos. Consequently, the only channel where Matthew Patrick’s (MatPat) Game Theory – where he comments on the scientific accuracy of various video games – had a chance of succeeding was YouTube!

But, choosing the channel is only part of it! You build your base not merely by attracting the right people, but also by keeping them hooked.

And the best part to do this?

With a publishing schedule, of course. Don’t be haphazard: make them know when you’ll publish something new!

4. Harvest Your Audience

Reaching your target audience is one thing; turning them into loyal listeners, visitors, or subscribers – is a completely different thing!

There are many ways to do this too. Facebook and Twitter were probably the first things that crossed your mind, right?

Well, it seems that email subscribers and search engine optimization are more important! And yield better results!

Here are some tips and tricks as far as the latter is concerned. And once you’re on the first page of Google – the former should inevitably follow.

5. Diversify

Now that you have harvested your audience, it’s time to diversify! And there are few ways to do this!

The first one is the simplest one: add more channels! You have become a YouTube sensation – create a podcast. You are the podcaster of the moment – build a WordPress website and use your harvested audience to get among the top of Google’s results.

If you want to be a bit bolder, you can start writing books and magazine articles, or even begin offering speeches. After all, that’s what Pulizzi did!

Finally, if you have the money, you can even go as far as buying a content asset! It can be an influencer or a magazine with an already built base of subscribers.

6. Monetize

Finally, monetize!

There’s no point in doing anything described above if you don’t end up making some money in the end, right?

Well, wrong!

That’s the beauty of content marketing! Remember: you don’t have a product and you’re telling other people stories about what you really want to do in life! If it works out – add ads to your channel, ask for a small fee from your subscribers!

And if it doesn’t – well, you can’t say it wasn’t a great adventure!

Like this summary? We’d like to invite you to download our free 12 min app, for more amazing summaries and audiobooks.

“Content Inc.” Quotes

Our Critical Review

“Instead of throwing money away and sucking up to A-listers, now there is a better way to promote your business” – wrote the one and only Guy Kawasaki once Pulizzi published “Content Inc.” “It’s called content marketing, and this book is a great way to master this new technique.”

Well-structured and even better written, think of “Content Inc.” as a sort of simple roadmap to success. Because even if you can’t translate this into money –  just as we wrote in our final key lesson from above – using content marketing usually means doing the thing that you like the most!

And having a hell of a good time!

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.