Good content is a shame to waste.
Especially when it's right in front of you, ready to be adapted for a document, video, or presentation.
So often when I'm working on a content marketing project, I see good stories and information go by the wayside simply because they don't fit the immediate need.
For example, when interviewing customers for their perspectives on a white paper topic, I often gather a substantial amount of information that would be useful for a case study. All it would take is a few more questions and a few more minutes of interview time to get information for two high-value marketing documents.
But because of the narrow focus on just the one project, the typically small amount of work to plan the extra project and gain the customer's agreement to participate simply isn't done. And so, a potentially very valuable marketing opportunity is wasted.
How can you make sure you're not missing an easy content win? Start with these ideas:
- Identify all of the potential content elements you may want to develop from a single interview with a subject expert or customer. Then work with the writer to make sure the interview questions will gather the needed input.
- During the call, be on the lookout for content ideas that come up by surprise. For example, the customer's creative use of your product may be good source material for an application note.
- When the primary project is in draft form, look for interesting anecdotes, project or configuration descriptions, and user stories that could be expanded into stand-alone content.
Of course, not all interviews will yield more than one piece of useful content. And in some cases, the customer story or input may not yet be ready or substantial enough for publication. A good writer can help you recognize the right opportunities when they come up, and alert you in those cases when a story won't be helpful for your marketing goals.
How do you handle unexpected content opportunities?
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