Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of NOCvoiz. In today’s interview, we are featuring a renowned author, speaker, podcaster, and an entrepreneur. The founder of “The Tilt” & the bestselling author of seven books, including “Content Inc”, Mr. Joe Pulizzi is best known for his work in content marketing. His book “Epic Content Marketing” is labeled a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. We would appreciate his perspective on how he is facilitating people around the world.

1. Welcome to the HostNOC Interview series “NOCvoiz”. Please tell us how you started your journey as a serial entrepreneur?

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to start a business. I carried around a notebook with some good and mostly horrible business ideas. That said, I didn’t start my entrepreneurial journey until I was 34-years-old in 2007. A few years before, I had an idea for a matching business in the content marketing industry. I fiddled with it for a few years and finally (with the urging of my wife) made a decision to leave my executive media position and strike out on my own.

In 2008, I launched a content marketing matching service and in 2009, I launched a ghost-blogging services for heating and air conditioning contractors. I sold the blogging service and those proceeds went to help build what became Content Marketing Institute (CMI) in 2010.

By 2016, CMI became the leading online destination for content marketing, developed the #1 print publication (Chief Content Officer magazine) and claimed the world’s largest in-person event for the industry, Content Marketing World, at 4,000 attendees per year. And we had well over 200,000 avid subscribers to our content.

That same year, my wife and I sold the business for over $20 million dollars.

2. How are you seeing the growing impact of social media on B2C and B2B marketing tactics, and in what ways do you feel this will evolve in the future?

Social media is just part of marketing today. Social media that works, B2B or B2C, is consistent and differentiated. Social media platforms continue to change but will not go away. At present, you’re seeing a movement where businesses are leveraging social to build their own platforms – through email newsletters, membership sites and Web3 projects. In other words, a move toward decentralization over centralization of about six huge tech companies.

3. What are the key mistakes marketers make while communicating with their potential customers? What are some relationship-building tactics they need to focus on?

Plenty of mistakes. First, the information needs to be focused on one particular audience. Second, the content needs to be centered on the needs of that audience, and not the company. Third, the information needs to be delivered consistently on one platform (and not all over the place). Fourth, the goal should be to move the social audience to a first-party data audience, such as email or a membership site.

4. We’d love to hear your opinion about the increasing use of video in marketing and sales today. what has triggered this trend and how do you feel this will shape up in the future?

Humans are visual people and most learn visually the best. But, most marketers throw out video on products, services and some educational whenever they have it, and not through an editorial calendar that solves customer pain points.

For example, YouTube shorts is really taking off right now, but you can’t just do a video or two and expect it to work. You have to pick a cadence and a specific audience to get any kind of traction. Marketers have to remember that for video to work you have to think and behave like a media company.
That said, there are opportunities in video, text and audio…the goal is to pick one.

5. What are some of the biggest lags in typical B2B marketing processes that you feel CMOs and marketers have the right tools and processes to fix, but not the right implementation/ execution tactics?

Loyalty programs. Once B2B companies get a customer, there should be a regular communication program in place to keep those customers happy. Not just through the product/service but through ongoing content experiences. So many B2B customers acquire the customer and then move on. So sad.

6. How do you select the right strategy for a particular business?

There is no “right” strategy. You just have to pick one and then learn from it. Most B2B and B2C companies fail because they don’t pick one and stick with it; they move from campaign to campaign and flounder. Action and direction are actually more important than being 100% right with what direction that is.
7. What are some best practices that you feel marketing teams need to follow to create a better balance between their physical-digital marketing campaigns?
I would do a content audit and identify ALL the content the organization is creating. Then rate each one. What’s working? What isn’t? Why isn’t it?
After that process, make some tough decisions on what you are going to STOP doing, and then put those extra resources into the stuff that’s working or could work with more attention.