Chadrack
Let me once again say, welcome to 2013! I'm sure you are refreshed to launch out and win big this year after the holidays!
This post is actually my first official post on this blog this year. Yes, I did a post last week but that simply was a post to announce the winners of our Christmas giveaway contest. And so, in reality it was an extension of last year’s series!
Anyway, welcome to the Web Income Journal in year 2013. My desire for you this year is: fruitfulness, increase, good success, unprecedented results and you living your dream!
Now, have you noticed the excitement and great expectations around the blogosphere as we stepped into 2013?
You should because it is very glaring. Every where you turn, on nearly every blog and internet marketing website, the effect is electrifying! The trend was noticeable as 2012 was ebbing out and 2013 easing in. In fact, many bloggers used the opportunity to write about their visions and plans for 2013.
Change or Be Left Behind!
I'm sure you are also excited about great things happening this year, right? Ok, so let me ask you, what and what are you ready to change this year? Or, what on-going changes in the blogosphere are you prepared to take on to make that happen?
You know, you cannot continue to do the same thing and expect some change – someone defined that as insanity, right? Now, if that is so, how do you expect new results if you do not know what changes are happening in the market and take advantage of them?
Business professionals agree that one of the secrets to business success is understanding the trends and then moving on to positioning your business to take advantage of the changing trends! That is why you need to know the direction that the blogosphere and online business marketing is headed in 2013.
In this post I want to talk about one of the biggest changes which will impact the online marketing turf in 2013.
Content Marketing and the Concept of Helpers!
In 2012, one of the marketing strategies that gained traction is content marketing. With the many changes from Google aimed at sanitizing the search engines, and by extension the content publishing environment, online marketers now place more importance in providing quality content as a way of getting the attention of online shoppers.
Following this, the idea of content is king became more pronounced. But unfortunately to many, this simply means churning out content upon content. Their schedule became something like this:
- Publish more content on their sites/blogs.
- Publish more content on social media sites.
- Submit more content to article directories.
- Do more of guest blogging
- Etc.
The reasoning? Put your content everywhere because content is king and the more the better!
Now, hear this: In 2013 content marketing (or content publishing which ever side you are in), will not just be about QUALITY or QUANTITY but about VALUE!
I touched briefly on this some time ago in another post, when I said: “Content is not the king but VALUE is!“
The truth is: to win in the new internet, your marketing content must be valuable to the user. And you know, that value is not determined by you but the user. Your content could be unique and well written, grammatically and otherwise, but if it is not helpful to the reader it is useless.
What is the message here?
If you are going to make any head way either as a blogger (content publisher) or as a content marketer (no matter what product or service you are marketing), you will need to picture yourself as a helper because 2013 is the year of the helpers and USEFUL and VALUABLE content will be the secret to winning online.
The days of article spinning and recycling content just because you want your content everywhere, is gone. 2013 is the year of originality and usefulness. If your content cannot help solve a problem or heal a pain for the reader, then your content have no place in the new scheme of things.
Without the fear of sounding like a broken record, let me repeat it: “Content Is Not King, Value Is The Real King!”
Today, the online consumer is more curious and suspicious. Considering the volume of content that is being published every day, and knowing that we are time-strapped, we must aim to provide the right information in the most helpful way to enable the consumer make the right decisions and at the right time.
So, in 2013 whether you are a blogger or a product seller, think helpful content rather than just quantity.
Wondering how you can become a successful helper as a content marketer?
In Day Nine of the 12 Days of Christmas Inspiration series I gave some very useful tips that will help in the post: “Are You Willing to Play Second Fiddle?” Go and read it it now.
Understand this, 2012 saw content marketing move from it kindergarten stages to its adolescent stages. 2013 will witness its movement to its adult stages. And so, you cannot afford to ignore this concept of creating helpful content in 2013!
That is it for now from my end. I'll love to hear your views on this and how you are aiming to provide helpful content in 2013. Share your thought with us in your comments below.
Happy New Year, Chadrack!
Anyone who’s NOT providing value is just spinning his or her wheels. The truth is that people have real needs that they need solutions for. If your content isn’t meeting those needs then it’s NOT valuable. Unless your blog is on fictional prose, you are there to provide solutions to real life challenges. The degree to which you provide such solutions (value) will determine how well your blog or online property thrives.
@Chimezirim Odimba,
I agree with you Chimezirim. I’ve always looked at content as a vehicle to convey your value or solutions. But what I see online every day are content publishers and marketers who thinks content is the all in all. You could write a good content devoid of any grammatical error but if that content is not doing anything for the reader, it is nothing. So, all in all, it is the reader or your audience that truly determines if you are providing that value. It doesn’t matter what you think.
Thanks for joining the conversation and Happy New Year! Wishing you every success you deserve.
Hey Chadrack,
The way I learned when I came online is that your content has to be able to solve a problem or heal a pain for the reader. If you’re doing anything else then you’re wasting time.
Honestly, I think it’s like anything else. Take for instance mobile marketing. I was introducing to that about two years ago and they kept saying it’s going to be big, it’s going to be big. Not many people were doing it and to me it’s the same as being taught to product content that will solve a solution.
If you ignore it then you’re only hurting yourself.
I hope that more people will start learning the right way when they start writing or at least switch gears.
Appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
~Adrienne
@Adrienne,
I think a whole lot of content publishers truly know this. They must have heard it one way or the other. But the problem is that with the all the information flying around the net many simply lose track of what they should be doing. There is a competition to keep pumping out content without really caring to gauge what impact that content is having on the target audience.
Just as you said, even before I started blogging I knew valuable content is the route to making an impact with your target audience because that was the training I had. When I was doing article marketing, all my articles were “loaded” with benefits and I have always enjoyed big success with that. Most of my articles published in article directories then were picked up by ezine publishers.
I think bloggers as content publishers should really be the ones who should champion this call for valuable content. But if one does not know what it is all about, then championing that cause is out of the game. But like I mentioned in this post, the content publishing and content marketing game is changing and only those who will be prepared to go with the change will see good returns. I don’t know what Google will come with this year, but from all indication, the users experience will continue to be on the top rack!
Never a truer word, Chadrack, never a truer word – and I also agree with all that Chimezirim and Adrienne have had to say on this issue.
Nothing thrills me more than when a reader leaves a comment indicating that they’ve actually found my post ‘helpful’ – especially when they’re specific and explain what it is they’ve gained from reading the article.
I must admit, I find the whole concept of article ‘spinning’ profoundly depressing – I always aim to produce original articles that will give my readers real value, such as practical tips they can take away and implement.
Thanks for reminding us how important this is,
Sue
@Sue Neal,
Hi Sue, first apologies for this late reply. Have my hands full of to do list that I’m finding it hard to keep up with things 🙂
I must say you got it right there. Hearing from a readers how your content have been helpful is something that surely gives you the satisfaction that you have not wasted your time. Lately, have been seeing a lot of bloggers simply pushing out content without caring to know what their readers truly want.
I must say may be I’m too fastidious but the truth is that having visited and read different blogs and sites the first paragraph of many articles gives me the idea of what anyone is writing about and if it is something I have read before, that is enough for me to know.
Of course, I know there is nothing we write about that has not been written on but if you must write on that topic, make it unique to your situations and how it will be useful to the reader. Simply changing a few lines and phrases and thinking that you are creating content for people to read is simply a put away!
Happy new year and welcome to 2013 Chadrack,
I think you’ve just said it all here, i can’t agree more that Value is the real king and not content.
The thing is, it doen’t matter if you are pushing out 5 posts/day to your blog, if your readers don’t see any value in it, it make absolutely no sence.
It is better to be publishing one top notch post/week rather than crafting 20 rubish’s in the name of post/week.
Lets just try and find out the best way to achieve that for our blogs because what worked for me may not work for you.
Thanks for sharing man, I’m very happy we’re back again to continue from where we stoped.
Mor greeze to your elbows and more ink to your pen in 2013.
@Theodore Nwangene,
Oh yes my dear friend. I just wonder what those who advocate posting everyday have to say in their posts if not some of those ramblings you see on most blogs. When I did the 23 days of Christmas inspiration series, I know how much it took me to write those inspiring posts every day. Coming up with something worthwhile in every post is not easy and if you must be a helper then pushing out just your ramblings in the name of blog post is nothing. All the same it all bears down to your readers if they love those ramblings and feel good about them, while not. But if you must add value to the blogosphere, set a good time for your blog and give us something we can work with!
Wishing you all the best in 2013!
Rule #3 under this comment box: Be valuable! Looks like this is the new rallying cry across the SEO blogosphere. We shall see how many will be able to pick up the gauntlet or simply fall by the wayside.
@Robert Koenig,
Oh you can say that again. Fact is, many are falling by the wayside even when they clearly see this note there! What do we do man? For me such comments simply get trashed!
But frankly, value is really the king. It has always been no matter what people have thought. People don’t just want content but value and so if anyone says content is king it is simply misunderstanding of the way things work.
Thanks for the comment and pardon me for this late reply!
@Chadrack, better late than never! Nice to know my comment is making the value cut and not headed for the trash bin.
Hi Chadrack
I truly believe that value has to be the key for blogging success. One has to be really the healer of the pains or the problem as Adrienne rightly pointed out.
I am also trying my best to learn the tricks of the trade.
Your point is worth noting.
Thanks for sharing this great info.
Sapna
@sapna,
It’s really great to know that the post resonate with you. I look forward to seeing you put these tips to work. Thanks for the comment.
I always believe that Content is the first and foremost thing to put in action when it comes to internet marketing. It has definitely come out from the KinderGarden and now move to adolescent stage.. so, it really works if it is written powerfully with richness and uniqueness.
@bjohn,
I truly see more and more useful content on the net. I think the time when you could just put up some lifeless site and post some piece of content hoping for the traffic to flow in is gone. Thanks for the comment.
Hey Chadrack, great job on your first post of 2013. I agree with most people in the comment thread when they say providing value is paramount. I try to add value in every post I write to help my subscribers achieve something to move their business forward. To do this like a lot of bloggers I put myself in the firing line and use myself as a test subject.
Obviously, there is a need for continuous content to allow us to stay in the blogosphere eye, but as Theodore said, if your readers don’t see any value in it, it makes absolutely no sense.
Thanks for reminding me to add value Chadrack.
Dan
@Dan Sumner,
It’s truly about your target audience. If your blog readers or clients/customers find your content useful then you have truly won with that content. But in a situation where you simply post what you want and not care about what the audience wants, you’ll simply be putting yourself up for failure.
I love that idea of putting yourself in the firing line. I think that makes it much easier for your audience to connect with you as they are able to relate with what you write.
Thanks for commenting.
Hi Chadrack,
I love your style, man! You are very eloquent in your writing style.
Your comments on my blog have been tremendously insightful. It actually made my blog that much more worthy of being read.
We’re in a new year, my friend. Your blog will be a regular destination for myself to visit.
All the best to you in 2013! I’m sure you’re going to have a great year!
George
@George Nieves,
It’s really great to hear those good words 🙂 Yea, they are music to my ears but most importantly it is good to know that the little effort is making good impact. Thanks for connecting.
I must say also that you have a good way of expression and what you aim to do on your blog is something worth emulating. To be a guide for those who are lost in this internet jungle is worth a hug! Looking forward to seeing more of your.
Hi Chadrack,
I hope you had some quality time with your loved ones during this holiday season.
I like your interpretation of “Content is King”. From my own experience I know that being helpful is not that easy as it seems. Giving readers what they need most exactly when they need it can be hard as hell. Yet, as we see from your blog posts – it’s still possible, as you are doing great in it)
@Diane Clark,
Oh it’s good to know that I’m being able to do this very well.
It’s hard as hell to give readers what they want? Yes, it’s really difficult but I think it’s simply about knowing your target audience first of all. When you know what they want and give it to them from your own experience it becomes much easier to achieve your aim.
For example, in your niche you simply need a knowledge of what those who wants to write essay truly want to achieve. Begin with some basic questions and then take it gradually to a higher level. As you focus on writing content that provides answers to those questions, you will be able to provide value to your readers and connecting with you will be a pleasure for them.
Thanks for the comment.
I also believe that Content is the first and foremost thing to put in action when it comes to internet marketing.This is a Great site.
@patrick,
Of content is what the internet is all about. Without content the internet ceases to be what it is!
Thanks for the comment.
Blogging is game all about the content… so i feel the content must be well written and clearly understood…
@Khushal Rao,
That is just so and we must make our content useful to the readers. Thanks for commenting.
Hello chadrack,
Generally, Content Marketing is the skill of conversing with your clients and views without selling. That is also expanded and performed by little businesses and one-person shops about the globe.
Thanks!
@David Croft,
Do you mean that we shouldn’t sell with our content? I will appreciate your answer.
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing such interesting and informative post. This is very well written