What type of content marketer are YOU?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  Do you have a clear idea what information your clients are craving?

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  • A.
    No, I just write about what we sell.
  • B.
    I have some idea but it’s a bit fuzzy.
  • C.
    Yes, I know exactly what content will keep their attention.
• 2.
  Does every piece of content you produce have a clear goal? e.g. Is it super clear what you want your reader to think, feel and do after reading your content?

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  • A.
    No, that would take too long to explain.
  • B.
    Yes, but it’s always the same goal. Buy something.
  • C.
    Yes. We even have different calls to action for different content assets.
• 3.
  Have you completed a content audit for all of your online and print assets?

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  • A.
    Um...What exactly is that?
  • B.
    No. I haven’t had time and I am not sure where to start.
  • C.
    Yes. I can now repurpose some of my existing content and create new content based on the gaps.
• 4.
  How would you describe your content planning process?

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  • A.
    Process? It's a bit more free form at the moment.
  • B.
    I just write something when I have time.
  • C.
    I have an editorial calendar for each channel and content for each buyer persona.
• 5.
  How would you describe your content marketing and editorial guidelines?  

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  • A.
    There are guidelines?
  • B.
    I only have design guidelines...but no one reads them.
  • C.
    I have guidelines that really help me to maintain consistency across all my communication. They save me a lot of time.
• 6.
  Do you regularly ask your clients what type of content they need and want?

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  • A.
    Why do I need to do that?
  • B.
    Yes, but so far there have been no changes in the level of engagement with our content.
  • C.
    Yes. It helps me to keep my clients' attention by delivering content that is always valuable and relevant.
• 7.
  How do you measure the success of your content?

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  • A.
    If my mother likes it, then everything is ok.
  • B.
    I don’t measure it, I just like to see if people are talking about it online.
  • C.
    Well, Google Analytics of course. I have goals set up to track how many times a lead magnet gets downloaded.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Content Free-styler

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  You’re a Content Freestyler!Congratulations on completing the "What type of content marketer are you?” quiz. According to your results, you like to fly by the seat of your pants and take a relaxed view of content marketing.You like to have fun with your marketing, which is great. However, without more structure in your content strategy, your path to generating more loyal clients might be riddled with roadblocks - but not a problem, I'm here to help."Content marketing is about creating interesting information your customers are passionate about so they can actually pay attention to you." - Content Marketing Author, Joe PulizziWhen you are more serious about content marketing, you can start to build a relationship with your clients so they can begin to know, like and trust you. This means that when they are ready to buy, you are more likely to be top of mind. By “serving first” and “selling second”, you are positioning yourself as an expert and authority in your area of expertise. Here are three easy tips to help you keep your relaxed approach AND still generate results from your content.1. Get super clear about your ideal clientYou have to earn the attention of your audience. This means finding out what your clients’ pain points are and how you can add value to their lives. What information can you give them to help them survive and thrive? Once you have created buyer personas and you know what channels to focus on, you can create high-value content. You can give them want they want along each part of their buying journey. Remember, it must be relevant.You can create enormous amounts of material, but it is wasted if it is not meaningful to your target audience. This means that before you do anything, you have to be absolutely clear about who your ideal client is and with which issues they are struggling.Your clients don’t care about you and how brilliant your products and services are (Sorry!). They care about their own wants and needs. When you are generous and give away information that helps them solve their problems, they will naturally start to pay attention to you. Be generous.2. Develop rock star content, consistentlyRemember that clients don’t want your newsletter, they just want value. As well as completing your detailed buyer personas, it is also useful to do some “social listening” to find out what is keeping your client awake at night. Survey some of them to uncover what information will really help to improve their lives. You are now in a position to develop a content strategy with three to four “content pillars” or core problem areas that you want to focus all your communication around. Make sure that they are also areas that you can solve as part of your service offering. For example, if you sell personal accounting software, you could write about personal finance issues such as how to budget, how to reduce your debt and how to plan for your retirement. Content is a great way to demonstrate empathy to your clients. You can show that you are human and you care about your clients’ core issues. Importantly, it can draw potential clients closer to you. They can start to experience your brand and how you can help them. Consistent, high-value content can drive powerful long-term results for your business.3. Distribute the contentAfter you have optimized your content for SEO and long-tail keywords, you can now distribute your content wherever your clients hang out. Are many of your B2B customers on LinkedIn? Then you can try and reach them by posting an article or infographic. Monitor how many comments are generated to measure if you are on the right track. Who’s the smartie pants behind all these content marketing tips? I’m glad you asked… My name is Melissa Birchler and I’m one of those strange word people who won’t rest until every word in a sentence is working hard, the way it should be. I am obsessed with the fight against corporate-speak and boring self-promotional text. Life is too short not to read something interesting.No matter what stage you’re in during your content marketing journey, I can help. My job is to not only plan powerful SEO-optimized content strategies so Google loves you, but it's also to help you become a better writer.I can help you get cut through and show you how to make something more entertaining, newsworthy or relevant. In a noisy digital world with shrinking attention spans, the companies with the best content will win. www.wordpeople.coShare this quiz and join the fight to give more people the content they want.Or...you could just shoot me an email at melissa@wordpeople.co with "newsletter!" in the subject line and I'll send you monthly tips on how to be a better writer and content marketer.
• 2.
  Content Rising Star

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  You’re a Content Rising Star!Congratulations on completing the "What type of content marketer are you?” quiz. According to your results, you have what it takes to succeed.You have some marketing expertise and the enthusiasm to back it up, but without more client-focused strategies, your path to generating more loyal clients might be riddled with roadblocks - but not a problem, I'm here to help."Thoughtful marketing that offers advice and value will instead take the place of generic advertising noise; messages that focus on the needs of the consumer, not the virtues of the product, will be the norm.” – Content Marketing Author, Joe PulizziWhen you are more serious about content marketing you can start to build a relationship with your clients so they can begin to know, like and trust you. This means when they are ready to buy, you are more likely to be top of mind. By “serving first” and “selling second”, you are positioning yourself as an expert and authority in your area of expertise. Here are three easy tips to help you generate more results from your content.1. Get super clear about your ideal clientYou have to earn the attention of your audience. This means finding out what your customers’ pain points are and how you can add value to their lives. What information can you give them to help them survive and thrive? Once you have created buyer personas and you know what channels to focus on, you can create high value content. You can give them want they want along each part of their buying journey. Remember, it must be relevant.You can create enormous amounts of material, but if it is not meaningful to your target audience, it is time wasted. This means that before you do anything, you have to be absolutely clear about who your ideal client is and with which issues they are struggling.As harsh as it may sound, your clients don’t care about you and how brilliant your products and services are (sorry!). They care about their own wants and needs. When you are generous and give away information that helps them solve their problems, they will naturally start to pay attention to you. Be generous.2. Develop rock star content, consistentlyRemember that clients don’t want your newsletter, they just want value. As well as completing your detailed buyer personas, it is also useful to do some “social listening” to find out what is keeping your client awake at night. Survey some of them to uncover what information will really help to improve their lives. You are now in a position to develop a content strategy with three to four “content pillars” or core problem areas that you want to focus all your communication around. Make sure that they are also areas that you can solve as part of your service offering. For example, if you sell personal accounting software, you could write about personal finance issues such as how to budget, how to reduce your debt and how to plan for your retirement. Content is a great way to demonstrate empathy to your clients. You can show that you are human and you care about their core issues. Importantly, it can draw potential clients closer to you. They can start to experience your brand and how you can help them. Consistent, high value content can drive powerful long-term results for your business.3. Distribute the contentAfter you have optimized your content for SEO and long-tail keywords, you can now distribute your content wherever your customers hang out. Are many of your B2B customers on LinkedIn? Then you can try and reach them by posting an article or infographic. Monitor how many comments are generated to measure if you are on the right track. Who’s the smartie pants behind all these content marketing tips? I’m glad you asked… My name is Melissa Birchler and I’m one of those strange word people who won’t rest until every word in a sentence is working hard, the way it should be. I am obsessed with the fight against corporate-speak and boring self-promotional text. Life is too short not to read something interesting.No matter what stage you’re in during your content marketing journey, I can help. My job is to not only plan powerful SEO-optimized content strategies so Google loves you, but it's also to help you become a better writer.I can help you get cut through and show you how to make something more entertaining, newsworthy or relevant. In a noisy digital world with shrinking attention spans, the companies with the best content will win. www.wordpeople.coShare this quiz and join the fight to give more people the content they want.Or...you could just shoot me an email at melissa@wordpeople.co with "newsletter!" in the subject line and I'll send you monthly tips on how to be a better writer and content marketer.
• 3.
  You're a Content Superstar!

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  You’re a Content Super Star!Congratulations on completing the "What type of content marketer are you?” quiz. According to your results, you’re at the top of your game. When it comes to content marketing, you know how to grab your clients’ attention AND keep it. Go you!You’re already a thought leader and you know how to use content to position your business as an expert in its space.You’re great at what you do, but life can also get overwhelming sometimes. Sometimes a refresher in three core areas can help to refocus your content marketing efforts. Luckily, I’m here to help!“The future of marketing will be content marketing, and the future of business will belong to those companies that can master their message and tell a compelling story to an audience they know well." - Content Marketing Author, Joe PulizziHere are three easy tips to refresh your content marketing expertise:1. Get super clear about your ideal clientYou have to earn the attention of your audience. This means finding out what your clients’ pain points are and how you can add value to their lives. What information can you give them to help them survive and thrive? Once you have created buyer personas and you know what channels to focus on, you can create high-value content. You can give them want they want along each part of their buying journey. Remember, it must be relevant.You can create enormous amounts of material, but if it is not meaningful to your target audience, it is time wasted. This means that before you do anything, you have to be absolutely clear about who your ideal client is and with which issues they are struggling.As harsh as it may sound, your clients don’t care about you and how brilliant your products and services are (sorry!). They care about their own wants and needs. When you are generous and give away information that helps them solve their problems, they will naturally start to pay attention to you. Be generous.2. Develop rock star content, consistentlyRemember that clients don’t want your newsletter, they just want value. As well as completing your detailed buyer personas, it is also useful to do some “social listening” to find out what is keeping your client awake at night. Survey some of them to uncover what information will really help to improve their lives. You are now in a position to develop a content strategy with three to four “content pillars” or core problem areas that you want to focus all your communication around. Make sure that they are also areas that you can solve as part of your service offering. For example, if you sell personal accounting software, you could write about personal finance issues such as how to budget, how to reduce your debt and how to plan for your retirement. Content is a great way to demonstrate empathy to your clients. You can show that you are human and you care about their core issues. Importantly, it can draw potential clients closer to you. They can start to experience your brand and how you can help them. Consistent, high-value content can drive powerful long-term results for your business.3. Distribute the contentAfter you have optimized your content for SEO and long-tail keywords, you can now distribute your content wherever your clients hang out. Are many of your B2B customers on LinkedIn? Then you can try and reach them by posting an article or infographic. Monitor how many comments are generated to measure if you are on the right track. Who’s the smartie pants behind all these content marketing tips? I’m glad you asked… My name is Melissa Birchler and I’m one of those strange word people who won’t rest until every word in a sentence is working hard, the way it should be. I am obsessed with the fight against corporate speak and boring self-promotional text. Life is too short not to read something interesting.No matter what stage you’re in during your content marketing journey, I can help. My job is to not only plan powerful SEO-optimized content strategies so Google loves you, but it's also to help you become a better writer.I can help you get cut through and show you how to make something more entertaining, newsworthy or relevant. In a noisy digital world with shrinking attention spans, the companies with the best content will win. www.wordpeople.coShare this quiz and join the fight to give more people the content they want.Or...you could just shoot me an email at melissa@wordpeople.co with "newsletter!" in the subject line and I'll send you monthly tips on how to be a better writer and content marketer.