Image Source: Copyblogger
This week (and last week, for that matter), some brilliant posts and articles graced our content marketing feeds. You can find a few of our favorites below, including posts featuring puns, personas, and proper personnel. Enjoy!
As we say hello to a new Pope, we must say goodbye to our dear friend, the Google Reader. A sad day indeed, but with awesome puns (The beloved RSS reader will be laid to rest officially on July 1, making the next 3+ months a requiem…for a stream.), on-target points (Move your Google Reader audience to email), and an overview of Google Reader alternatives (Feedly Google Takeout, and others), Jerod Morris makes this grave affair feel a bit more lively. Via Copyblogger
Mapping your content to specific personas and their unique buyers’ journeys separates the men from the boys, the notes from the noise, the rose from the poison ivy (How Now, Dow Jones, anyone?). It’s the key to producing effective content that actually engages your target audience and moves them down the funnel. Ignoring the mapping process and basing your content on unfounded assumptions will guide those leads, well, nowhere–or to a competitor. Need more convincing? Laura Patterson makes some great points. Via MarketingProfs
Marketing automation and content marketing are a perfect match. Great content targeted to specific personas and buying stages (see above) moves leads closer to purchase. But to actually make your marketing automation software run, you need to hire the right people to manage it. Enter this week’s post from Heidi Bullock. Find out the three roles you that will make your marketing automation rock. Via Marketo
As always, Lee Odden provides great insights into online marketing. This time they’re about the importance of content that is visual, easy to share, tells a story, and generates results. If your content isn’t achieving those goals, you may be falling below the creative content marketing bar. Check out his tips for avoiding falling behind. Via TopRank
Did I miss any of your favorite articles from the week? Share them in the comments below, and I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend!