The Queens of Hearts in Content Marketing and Social Media

Since I wrote my piece on storytelling in this space, I realize I was far from being original when choosing the title. Many have agreed content is king however I now realize that the crowning of the queen is a coveted spot with many claiming the position! In fact it was recently suggested that the term/cliché may be overused. Perhaps. My position is –  who cares! They are all contenders in this category and it is not so much the cliché but  does the associated content have any value? From my research, many of these bloggers make really good points and should be considered when thinking about blogging and content marketing. So may I suggest another term that will hopefully become oversued? Yes, I dare go there- they are the Queens of Hearts in content marketing! LOL! They are  key points and get to the heart of the matter if you are to succeed (yes you may groan- I deserve that …. but work with me here, is it not true ? ). After all it is Valentine’s day and quite fitting don’t you think? So what is my  line up?! Are you with me…here are the Queens of Hearts in content marketing:

1. Context

Many have claimed context as queen and I have listed a number of articles below. Amy Manus writes a post on the importance of understanding the target audience or consumer base which I could not agree more! Early in her post, she states: “The absence of a consumer content-focused strategy can often result in an overload of irrelevant content, choice avoidance, and layers of confusion for consumers.” Absolutely! Without focus and content that the consumer can relate to, you are just pushing out text and adding to the noise. Amy, goes on to highlight the importance of really understanding your audience and what they would consider worth reading. Marketers need to rethink advertising with a push mentality and embrace a targeted valued dialogue with the consumer.

2. Quality 

There are two sides to the quality equation, namely 1) that the content will add value to your audience and in turn 2) will ensure a valuable search result when your targeted audience is looking for that subject matter in question. JMagary writes on the SEO aspects of quality and congers up a good discussion on the topic. I think the takeaway is that you should not compromise on quality – it is key for your audience and search juice.

3. Creative 

Pam  Didner ordains “Creative” as queen and speaks to delivery. A topic near and dear to my heart . Pam shares that “Compelling content is king, and creative development is queen, and the royal couple requires cultivation and time” . Very clever. I would add, when you get the balance right of the two,  you have a powerful marriage! She goes on to make 8 points you should consider in your creative development process. Definitely worth the read.

4. Distribution

Now this category is not as focused as those above. Clearly distribution includes the various social platforms one would share your marvelous creation. Hot on the list these days are video and mobile- they should certainly be considered. The stats here are significant and forever growing. There is also alot of passion about backlinking too. I would always go back to ask the question: “Where are your clients, customers, friends of your customers and audience?”. Then work from there. You may have to do a little experimentation in order to get the mix right.

5. Storytelling

Well you know I have to reference my post on storytelling- not because it is mine but because I do believe thinking through the story, the goal and delivery are valuable to success and furthermore  incorporates a number of the key points above. I think if you consider these key points it will provide a good platform on where to start.

That’s my line up for this Valentine’s day. Have a good one! Let me know what you think!

Cheers

Shirley

Photo by Jeremy Hall

Related articles

• If Content is King, Then Context is Queen (Amy Manus)
• If Content is King, Then Context is Queen (Danielle MacInnis)
• If Content is King, Quality is Queen (JMagary)
• Content is King, Context is Queen (InPublishing)
• Content is King, Creative is Queen (Pam Didner)
• The Content Marketing Explosion [INFOGRAPHIC] (anisesmithmarketing.com)
• The Time For Content Marketing Is Now (distilled.net)