Have you ever read a blog post that drew you in with its raw talent to draw a picture and tell a story?
Ann Handley’s ANNARCHY blog is one of those. She is a person who can write about the death of child or the phenomenon of Alpha and Beta moms with equal eloquence. She also has been at the helm of the Marketing Profs empire, which cranks out volumes of content every day.
When I heard that Ann was writing a book about how to create content, I was already sold, if only just to get a few crumbs of her insight. When I heard she would be joined by CC Chapman in this effort, I was doubly sold. CC is a long time podcaster and blogger known for his creative bent when it comes to creating content. He is a master of it.
At Zoetica, we pick a book every few months to give away. This month, we are giving away 5 copies of Content Rules. We ask a question, answer it ourselves, then ask you to answer it on the official Zoetica blog (answers here don’t count). We pick what we consider to be the best answers from the contestants and we send you a book – it’s pretty easy stuff.
Answer the Question, Win the Book
The question we have chosen for you to answer on the official Zoetica blog came direct from Ann Handley:
“Can you have a social media strategy without a content strategy?”
At first glance it might seem that the answer to this would have to be, “yes.” What good is a blog or a social media account without content?
But plenty of people have succeeded in social media without any specific strategy of any kind. I would say that having a content strategy is not required, but it sure makes the process of participating in social media platforms less chaotic.
Moreover, there are all kinds of content: original writing, video, graphics and audio; curated content; Riffs of other people’s ideas, and much more.
The key is to have a plan that keeps you organized but which also has the flexibility to move with the online community that are reading and interacting with your content.
And that is the key. Content is not to make you sound great, or even to make you into a thought leader. Content is to inspire interaction of some kind.
CC’s and Ann’s approach to writing “killer” content, and connections are the end result. Here is one highlight from the book by a Kindle reader:
Content drives conversations. Conversation engages your customers. Engaging with people is how your company will survive and thrive in this newly social world. In other words, online content is a powerful envoy for your business, with an ability to stir up interest, further engagement, and invite connection. And that's when things get interesting.
So, what are you waiting for go to the Zoetica Blog, answer the question, read the book, become a killer content creator and master connector. You know you want to.
