#Pubcon Liveblog: Creating and Selling Awesome Content in Boring Niches

Do you think your business is “boring”? Do you struggle with creating content that matters? The next presentations are for you.

Creating Content for Boring Industries

Kelly Ament @kellyament, Get Noticed Get Found

First, let’s dispel a common myth. There’s no such thing as a boring industry. Every industry exists to fill a need, to do necessary things, for people who care about getting the best service.

There is, however, boring content. This includes content that is not useful, doesn’t speak to target audience, or isn’t interesting or entertaining. Good content furthers your strategy and goals.

Writing Words of Wisdom

• Answer questions. If you’re the business or brand that’s answering questions honestly and sincerely, that establishes you as a trustworthy brand.
• Get inspiration from others. The best writers are the best readers. See what works for others on a variety of mediums. You can repurpose/curate content.
• Get creative. You don’t have to stick with safe subject matter. Look for new spins to put on old issues. Make your delivery unexpected and interesting.
• Write for people; optimize for search engines. The ultimate goal is converting the prospect into a buyer. Create content people will share, enjoy, persuade them to connect with the brand. Then go back and optimize for search engines.

Selling Guns 2 Gandhi: Getting Content Buy-In

Steve Floyd @nawlready, AXZM

You came up with a fantastic content strategy but then it gets shelved. Here are things he’s done to help him get wins. You can’t expect a content type to fit every business. The future of search is very creative. You have to stand out to your customer in everything you do by way of content.

If you want to get buy-in you have to keep it simple.

The key is balance. Give stakeholders the info they need to know now and hold back the things you don’t need to give them up front, things you can drip as needed and when the time is right. Condense and centralize documents. How do you do that? The super awesome content strategy worksheet: http://axz.mx/super-awesome-csw. It’s got content types, it’s mapped to personas.

• It includes key message architecture which a writer needs to keep voice, tone and messaging consistent.
• It includes a buyer persona worksheet (including Experian and Nielsen big data).
• It includes a content audit worksheet connected to the Moz API.
• It includes an editorial calendar.

Use every tool in your arsenal: axz.mx/best-tools. Let the data guide you. The C-suite speaks in the language of money. You need to learn the language. They want to know conversion, sales and cost of acquisition. Play your presentations to the channels they value most (on an individual level — everyone’s different).

Create an experience in your presentation/pitch: axz.mx/ru-experienced. Look at Tinder Box and Bidsketch. People buy big ideas, not tactics. View his presentation with links to all the tools at axz.mx/gandhi-gun.

Virginia Nussey is the director of content marketing at MobileMonkey. Prior to joining this startup in 2018, Virginia was the operations and content manager at Bruce Clay Inc., having joined the company in 2008 as a writer and blogger.

See Virginia's author page for links to connect on social media.