PR Marketing & Strategy Blog

Create Content in Just 30 Minutes a Day

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This week, I had the pleasure of attending HUG2010 - HubSpot’s User Group Conference in Boston. The biggest message from the event was one we at Metis Communications have been preaching for a while: content is key, king and everything else almighty.  

HubSpot’s customers grumble about time constraints when creating content like blogs, byline articles, whitepapers, podcasts, videos and more. We can relate.  Metis is consistently educating clients on the importance of creating meaningful content that speaks directly to customers. However, companies have to find the time for these activities, just as they do for every other business-critical task. In fact, on a HubSpot user panel, Marcus Sheridan of River Pools and Spas could not have put it any better when he said, “Blogging must be a culture. Creating it and other content is like a paycheck for my employees. If the blogs don’t get written, the paychecks do not come.”  

Listen to Marcus. Creating content is essential, and it doesn’t have to be burdensome. Here are the top things to consider when creating and distributing content, both of which can be done in just 30 minutes per day:

1. Produce quality content – When we say quality, we mean quality. This isn’t an advertisement of your product, business or service. This is an expert testimonial to show your prospective customers and the industry that you know your stuff, and that they should come to you and trust you. Worry less about the format and think about the topic and what you’re really trying to get across to the reader.  If you don’t have time to write, buy a Flip for $150 and create a video instead. The search engines love video.
2. Include keywords – Do you know what people are searching for when they’re looking for products or services like yours?  If not, you better find out FAST. These words enable Internet searchers to find you.   HubSpot has a great keyword grader that can help.
3. Give your content wings and roots – Like Ann Handley of MarketingProfs (@MarketingProfs) said at HUG2010, “Produce content, but give it wings and roots – distribute it and let it soar!”  It’s just not enough to create this material.  You need to summarize and share your key points on forums, communities, and other blogs in your space, as well as share it through key distribution sites like delicious, digg and StumbleUpon to name a few.  Get out there and get social!  You never know where your customers are searching or looking for your solutions or services.  Make thoughtful comments (again, not advertisements) on industry blogs and forums that have a high readership and link back to a quality, insightful blog on your site.  
4. Use social media – The very first comment you post makes you anxious. We know.  But when you get over that phobia, using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can help you summarize the content you’ve already produced and use snippets of it to engage with others.  This will help you establish relationships and create a persona to which a user can relate, rather than spouting the marketing jargon people see every day.  

Wow!  That sounded like a lot of work, right?  Wrong!  Once you create two to three pieces of thoughtful content, you can repurpose that in different ways throughout various outlets.  So, grab that morning cup of coffee (or tea, in my case), check your e-mail and then distribute some content for 30 minutes a day. 

If you stick with it, you’ll see the benefits.