This microsite presents information and examples about the practice of "thinking like a publisher". If you are implementing a content marketing strategy, this is an essential mindset and approach.

Marketing automation for lead nurturing raises the stakes on the content creation process. Buyers want to view relevant content based upon their: role, specific needs or issues, stage of the buying process, industry, alternatives, and information purpose (attention, general education, customer stories, vendor point-of-view, vendor capabilities, proof points, technical explanation and more).

To create physical documents to respond to this requirement would require hundreds, perhaps a thousand documents (4 variables for 5 or 6 factors).

Daunting, if even possible.

Publishers use databases and templates to produce quality output, quickly and affordably. Business publishers need content to be available immediately when buyers, or their sales staff, require it. But budgets are tight and quality standards must be preserved. Volume and the ability to tailor content – perhaps even personalize it – really ups the ante. Business publishers need to shift their thinking from re-active, event or project driven initiatives, to a planned and continuous process to create, manage, deploy and deliver content for the new digital era.

Sales messaging is dynamic so content must accommodate constant iteration and updating. And content can be delivered in many more formats than before: text, audio, Flash and video. To personal devices, through web conference technology, streaming, downloaded and more. So content must be created in anticipation of, and to enable delivery using ALL practical media. This microsite, articles and related links delve into the solution to these issues.

1. Shift thinking from a traditional production process that is event or project driven to a continuous "publishing" process
2. Develop and document a process to create, manage, update, deploy, assemble and deliver content for multiple purposes and delivery modes, and to collect and iterate feedback
3. Define standards, policies and procedures, templates
4. Have a methodology: map your customer's buying process, customer needs, issues and interests, by stage of buying process, industry, their alternatives (your competition) and primary communication scenarios
5. Develop "value maps" and "message maps," the business equivalent of an editorial plan
6. Think of content as assets – continuously acquire, edit into modules, convert into multiple formats, store in a database base for sharing and re-use
7. Pre-produce content based upon your message map so it is ready for instant use and delivery
8. Produce content for multiple purposes: train, remediate, share knowledge, market/promote, educate, support the buying/sales process
9. Organize deliverables as modules that can be easily and instantly converted into final work products
10. Collect feedback, track, report, analyze, learn, iterate

Marketo Blog – Create Content like a Publisher: Thought Leadership with Avitage

Podcast – Think Like a Publisher – with Jim Burns and Jeff Ogden   

Ezine Article – The Power of Multimedia Vignettes

Avitage Collaborate Articles –The Power of Multimedia Vignettes – articles created from the source materials of the podcast

Avitage Collections – Think Like a Publisher – source audio and materials

SalesVPI blog – How to Think Like a Publisher

The Fearless Competitor Blog – Marketing automation starves without great content    

BtoB Magazine Webcast – Content Marketing – with Joe Pulizzi (requires login)

Net Vibes – Create Content Like a Publisher