Content Marketers and Business Execs Should Switch Their Bad Habits
Each group of pros should turn the negative habits of the other into a good habit for themselves. More speed and action for content marketers; a bit more thought before implementation for the suits.
I’m not suggesting a “Freaky Friday” type swap!*
However, each group of professionals would would benefit from leaning in to the other’s respective bad habit.
Content Marketers: Often believe "just a little bit more" research will reveal all the answers for the perfect content marketing strategy.
It won't.
Business Executives: Often believe that the [current hot software eye candy - GenAI/AI right now] will solve their business challenge.
It won't.
Kinda funny, but if each group took on the habits of the other, both would be better off.
For your content marketing plan, once you research the basics (and the basics are THE SAME regardless of which book you happen to pick up), it's time to act.
Action is the answer.
Why? You never 100% know what content is going to smack your audience in the face and get their attention until you start sharing.
So research. Absolutely.
Identify your peoples':
Hangouts
Pains
Goals
Desires
Then write the thing (or video the thing or speak the thing).
Evaluate how it did.
Apply what you learned and: lather, rinse, repeat.
OTOH, business leaders should slow their roll with technology. Pump those brakes. HARD! I've heard of less time spent researching major implementations than people take to research a new car purchase.
This is not the way.
Given about 70% of software implementations fail, it's so startling obviously not the way that I am continually astounded that 70% failure number has been fairly stable in the 30 years I've been in and around the IT industry.
I don't understand why companies keep not doing this, but identify your business goals, THEN find the supporting technology that enables you to reach those goals.
It could be the basics of document management or document capture. It could be on the cutting edge of IT and you need to roll out Agentic AI (fancy chatbots).
Regardless of where you are on the boring to cutting edge scale, research first. Then act.
Unlike content marketing and acting and either failing/succeeding quickly and ongoing improvement; once you tie yourself to a major software investment, you're in it whether you chose wisely or not.
Vendor marketing in software focuses on FOMO. Especially in AI, you see a lot of "Invest now!", "Your competitors will leave you behind!", and "You'll never catch up."
BS.
What's gonna set you back further:
A. Spending 6 months or so identifying your business goals and needs and then targeting a product that works within your IT stack to meet those goals
OR
B. Signing a contract because "you just need to get started."
You need research.
You need action.
You, content marketing or business exec, need the wisdom to understand when to lean into one or the other.
Final thought for any business leaders reading this: just because Gartner says it, doesn't mean it's true. Keep in mind that Gartner is a $5-plus billion dollar company and larger than many of the technology vendors it advises. Use caution.
Grow your business with a newsletter. Work with me, and we’ll do it together. Let’s talk. Even if we don’t end up working together, you’ll walk away with an idea or three you can use. Click here to schedule a 30-minute conversation.
*Freaky Friday is the body swap movie (well, original and then multiple remakes) where the kids swap places with the parents.