Bradley H. Smith >

My marketing booklist (go grab your readers)

I met with the leaders of a large marketing team yesterday, and the topic of favorite marketing blogs and marketing books came up. Sure, we all dropped names, like they were peanut shells at a ball park, but on the drive back home -  it did make me consider my favorites in a sincere manner. Here are the books currently on my shelf. 

Here they are in no specific order other than subconsciously. 

While technology might change, the rules of smart marketing never do. These books are classics and are must reads. Ogilvy had great respect for the customer and the content. He believed in the power of creative. 

Our online marketing DNA is based on the principles in this book – if you haven’t read it, you should. It marked a turning point in marketing... stopping the incessant hard push of information to your audience.

Both these books are 100% relevant today. As a marketer, you must break through and get your audience’s attention.

Another classic. It's about out-thinking competitors. 

If you know me, you know I go guerrilla on occasion. You have to when you're building your brand up from underdog to top dog. 

Clean. Concise. Polite. 

You damn well know my view on THIS leading book. 

These three were generally good train reads. I tag them as "good reminders" on what we need to do. 

Not a marketing book. Just the first "mature" book I ever read that was not assigned in school. Read it this summer. 

“How the heck did you become the first blogger at Nasdaq?”

I stammered at this question during a recent job interview. I had never really considered it “an accomplishment.”

It was just “the job to do.”

However, my blogging quickly became a differentiation strategy that evolved into a couple thousands blog posts.

1. I had to sign a social media policy. This was especially essential as we were a public company. Of course, I knew Reg FD better than the average blogger, so even though I was not subject to RegFD, I would follow its guidelines to the letter.
2. Selecting the platform was a no brainer. We just introduced our own integrated blogging platform. Transparently, this was my driver and sneaky leverage to get permission to blog. “Promoting our own product.” 
3. Setting a content calendar. This was a simple task, as I was the sole blogger. I worked a rotation based on products-topic drivers: IR, PR, governance, board communications.
4. Create a voice. I went for humble, fact full and a little humor. It worked well for me – especially as the niche is a little dry.
5. Begin writing with authenticity to goal. Mine was educate and sell.
6. Write with absolute relevancy to your company’s products and services… and connect the dots for your audience. It’s how you become an authority. I blog about marketing and corporate communications – not baking or home improvement.
7. Send the blog links to the sales group email.

That last point turned out to be an indispensable action.

Our dramatic growth meant we kept adding sales people at a fast rate. Filling the void from  not having a corporate L&D strategy or direction, my blog became the continuous education portal for sales. Many would pass he blog articles on to their clients and active prospects as a simple touch point. This was all before I dove headfirst into automated demand generation. 

Of course, there are a zillion blogs on how to blog – and you will get hundreds of tips.  If nothing else, retain this: once you start, you cannot stop. Set a pace you can keep.

Content marketing tips 26 - 30. phew.

Content marketing tips 21 - 25

Content marketing tips 16 - 20 (Meme-o-rama!)

 

And yet some more #contentmarketing tips

 

 

 

 

 

Another bunch of #contentmarketing tips

Well, now I just keep them in a shoebox under my bed. 

A bunch of #contentmarketing tips

Damn, these things tend to clog up within my arteries.  Need to clear them out. Here's a first batch. I am dropping them in real-time over social.