In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi shares how creating something unique and connected to only your band can provide a differentiating factor for business success. He shares how the color orange has become so connected with Content Marketing Institute and for others it may be a type of clothing or phrase. Is there something you are really passionate about or really into that you can lean into with your brand? How can you make quirky work for you?

Gartner's Hype Cycle is an adoption curve model that shows how a disruptive technology's adoption is implemented. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi breaks down where content marketing as a practice and industry falls today within the Hype Cycle and why this can be an opportunity for those that build a strategy and keep to a plan. 

If it's not written down, it doesn't happen. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi discusses the importance of doing two simple things that can steer you onto a successful path. Write down your goals. Review your goals on a regular basis. It sounds so simple and we know it's a pretty simple thing to do. But yet, so many of us just don't do it. Put your life on the path to success for you by doing these two simple things and get started today. 

It seems almost every week there is a platform launched that can help us gain an audience or share our content. As small business owners, you are already challenged with keeping the shiny objects at bay. Now, with all the digital distractions, this challenge has increased exponentially. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi reminds us to not only stay focused, but to leave the new shiny objects to others to test and try out. Getting really great at one or two platforms can not only help your business succeed, it may also provide additonal business opportunities by becoming an expert, too. 

Too often in content marketing we feel we need to be all things to all people. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi challenges you to think differently when it comes to your content marketing strategy. Every Content Inc. example of success has done the same thing: they focused on one content type and one content platform to grow their business. It's time to focus and make the hard choice. What will you choose NOT to do with your content marketing?

Content envy is the idea that your content is so good, that others want to be a part of it. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi shares the three things your content needs to truly create content envy. Grow a content platform so valuable that others ask to contribute to the output. This is what has happened at Content Marketing Institute and it can happen for you, too. Listen and learn how to create content envy!

Even the best content creators find themselves with writer's block. This can be a frustrating process and can often lead to bad content, or no content at all. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi shares how freewriting has helped him get past some of the content ruts he falls into as a content creator. Learn the rules applied to this process and next time you have writer's block, give them a try. You'll be glad you did! 

Joe Pulizzi has been teaching the importance of the content marketing mission statement for a few years now. So obviously, when he finds one that is not only written out, but well implemented, he wants to share it with his audience. In this episode of Content Inc. he discusses how Darren Rowse grew his Digital Photography School by focusing on a content tilt and implementing on a content marketing mission. 

It's the beginning of fall and thoughts of the football season ahead is on the minds of many. In this episode of Content Inc. Joe Pulizzi draws the similarity of building out your fantasy football team to building out your fantasy content marketing team. Think of your key content platform as your running back and the one that is the foundation for driving your subscriber model through the goal posts. All other content, your ebooks, events, email, etc... support the main platform. Focus on building out that foundation of content from which to build from and you will start to hit content marketig touchdowns along the way!

Having a strong point of view is important and necessary when it comes to being a leading expert with your content. Of course, this point of view may not resonate with everyone and negative reactions, comments, and reviews will more than likely come your way. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi shares how the haters are actually a good thing and if you are not ruffling feathers, you probably are not doing something right with your content efforts. 

If you, like so many small business owners, have been creating content over the past few months or perhaps even years and have not seen results, you are probably doing it wrong. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi reminds you that to grow big with your Content Inc. model, you really need to get very, very small. Find that tight niche in your industry that you can become the leading expert in and make big things happen. 

To better understand where we are today with content marketing, it is helpful to look at the past and see where we have come from. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi discusses how content marketing has evolved from a past that included great content marketing efforts in the first have of the 1900's. Mass media changed advertising options for companies in the 1950's, but today, with the consumer in control, ads are declining and content is back on the rise. 

Does everyone in your company know what the other departments do and why they do it? In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi shares why you should consider creating a Company Policies and Procedures Manual for your business, regardless of the size. He shares how Content Marketing Institute implemented this process this past year and how it has changed how team members view the company and increased their understanding of thr mission and goals for each department. 

Are you considering a SEO strategy for your Content Inc. model? In this episode, Joe Pulizzi shares seven key questions to ask of your SEO process to ensure you are integrating smart SEO practices into your content. Too often, especially for small business owners, SEO gets pushed to the side of the content creation process. Take these seven questions and use them to help you improve your SEO strategy as you create your Content Inc. model. 

For the past few years, it seems the mantra of content marketing has been to create more content. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi reminds you that more content is not necessarily the right strategy. It's really about creating content that allows your audience to make some sort of movement, a change in how they behave toward you, your business, your industry. Getting the maximum impact with minimum effort is key to your Content Inc. strategy. 

Where will you be in 2025? It may sound far off, but in reality, it's only a short ten years from now. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi challenges you to take a good look at where you really want to be in ten years: financially, physically, spiritually, mentally, your family goals and philanthropic goals. Write down your goals and review them daily. To understand what actions you need to take to achieve your goals, you must start first with the end in mind. 

It's been said before that a content marketing program takes time to bear real results. Time, that too often, the C-Suite is not willing to give the process. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi shares three ways you can possibly buy time while implementing a content marketing program for your company. If you are not ready to give up the good content fight, then perhaps one of these ideas is perfect for you! 

As a small business owner, often you wear a lot of hats that require you to do more than you should in your business. There comes a point where it's time to delegate those activities that are not bested suited for you and find talented employees or contractors to do them for you. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi challenges you to take an activity inventory of your daily tasks and start making decisions on how to better use your time to grow your business. 

Here's the thing...if you are just starting out with a Content Inc. model and you feel pressured to get strong ROI results in just a few months, then this model is not for you. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi reminds you that developing, implementing and tracking marketing around content is a process. One that can take up to a year or longer to bear results. It's about building an audience and providing value to them consistently. Prepare for your content to be a marathon, not a sprint. 

Creating new content is great, but it does take a lot of effort. But pehaps, new content is not always the way to go. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi discusses a new content role that you may want to consider for your content marketing team: Chief Content Curator. This role is responsibile for organizing the current content assets of the company so that they can possibly be used again by the existing resources of the organization. Working with what you already have vs. creating new content may be just what your Content Inc. model needs. 

The return on investment can be measured in more than just increased revenue. Along with more sales, content marketing can also decrease costs and increase customer retention. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi teaches "The Why Exercise", an easy, yet very effective exercise that will help you deduct if the channels you are currently using for content, are actually working. Listen and learn...then do the exercise with your team. 

Though Joe Pulizzi is an author, speaker and educator when it comes to content marketing, he is also a small business owner growing his business (Content Marketing Institute) with a Content Inc. model. In this episode, he shares the seven issues that keep him up at night when it comes to content, marketing and business growth. 

In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi discusses the Latin term 'Tabula Rasa' and how you can embrace this philosophy with your marketing today. Tabula rasa means "clean slate" and though orginally defined in terms of the human brain to be capable of learning, changing and adapting while not faded to any particular belief structure, Joe encourages you to consider this same philosophy when it comes to marketing your business. If marketing was a clean slate, how would you set up what you do and invest in differently? 

As you develop content across multiple platforms and channels, are you ensuring that what you create is providing true value to your audience? In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi shares how one change within the Content Marketing Institute newsletter now provides content that can only be received in that channel. By reviewing each content channel, you can deduct if you are offering true value or simply repurposing content your audience could find somewhere else. 

Content marketing initiatives do not usually fail due to a lack of quality content. The majority of the time, content failure is due to a lack of consistency or, even worse, the content simply stops. In this episode of Content Inc., Joe Pulizzi discusses the importance of patience when launching a content marketing program. The most successful business models that have taken a Content Inc. approach need at least one year if not longer to create revenue or success. Are you being patient with your content marketing strategy?