“We don’t have the time or the skills to write copy for digital content” is the most common reaction I get from clients when discussing their industrial marketing programs. can sense the confusion in the room or over the phone when I tell them that creating engaging digital content is much more than copywriting. Creating digital content is neither easy nor quick. Myths and truths about digital content. Myth: Content for digital marketing is the text on your Website or blog. Myth: Nobody reads all that content. Easy, right? Not exactly. MORE >>

However, they are struggling with the challenge of creating engaging content for their industrial blogs. It is difficult for these companies to shift their mindset to think like “publishers” when their entire library of content is strictly product-focused. Industrial distributors find it even more challenging to come up with their own content when traditionally they have depended on the manufacturers they represent to supply them with all the marketing content. The problem of creating content and blogging is not limited to industrial companies. MORE >>

This is my first post in 2012 and I want to start the New Year by answering a perennial question about content marketing for manufacturers and industrial companies. The question – what do we write about? The answer – create a content series. There are many advantages to this content marketing strategy. The most important ones are: Bite sized content is easier to consume online and on mobile devices. Fresh Content = Better SEO. Repurpose your content. Look through your existing library and you are likely to discover some timeless content gems. MORE >>

Content BOM is not a typo in my headline. am amazed how often I find that creating content is an afterthought for people who are considering an industrial web design (more commonly a site redesign). Somehow, they assume the web designer will take care of content creation and the cost is included in their proposal for designing the site. It is not surprising then that many of these industrial web redesigns are nothing more than a cosmetic facelift with copy-pasted content from their old site and/or outdated marketing collateral. What is a content BOM? Read on…. MORE >>

I am seeing more manufacturers and industrial companies willing to try inbound marketing with content. Some companies need help setting up their business blogs but for most, the biggest obstacle is creating content. One way to get over this hurdle is to repurpose some of your existing content into blog posts. Here are some suggestions for repurposing existing content and quickly turning them into blog posts that are more reader-centric: Convert your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) into individual “how-to” blog posts. Another option is content curation. MORE >>