Content Marketing World 2014 Recap featuring Laura Holloway

September 18, 2014

Did you miss out on Content Marketing World 2014?

Are you eager to learn what content marketers are excited about and focusing on?

This week on the Social Media Social Hour podcast I am joined by Laura Holloway, owner of Simply Content Marketing, a creative content marketing agency based in Florida. Laura and I discuss what went on at Content Marketing World 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio. Laura also shares how she entered the industry, her takeaways, and much more.

About the show:

The Social Media Social Hour is a podcast for marketers and entrepreneurs looking to get on the social media fast track. The podcast is an interview format, where each week I get up close and personal with top brands and influencers to talk social media, tech and online marketing. Each week I also share tools that I personally use to help me with social media management, sales, marketing, accounts management, and productivity. The Social Media Social Hour is presented by Scoreboard Social.

In this episode, here is what you’ll discover:

About Laura:

  • Background includes content marketing, involvement in the film and television industry, and experience as a marketing strategist, editor, and journalist.
  • She is passionate about content marketing.
    • Loves what content marketing does for businesses and how it connects the business and consumer.
  • Started Simply Content Marketing because she saw a need for providing a strategy and a plan to those in her region that knew about content marketing but didn’t know what to do with it.
  • Her definition of content marketing: An ongoing conversation with your audience.
  • First time at conference – “newbie”
    • Went because of her mentor, Arnie Kuenn, founder of Vertical Measures.
    • Also went for the networking and fun.
  • Suggestion to you out there: Be creative. Try something that no one else is doing, because you never know when it’s going to be the next great thing.

About Content Marketing World:

  • 2,500-3,000 congregated in Cleveland, Ohio from all over the world.
  • 4th Annual Event
  • Is a hub for “thought sharing”
  • Focus on networking events, such as the opening night pub crawl.
  • Opening keynote take aways:
    • Continue to find new ways to tell the story and connect.
    • Creativity and story-telling are essential in all content marketing.
  • Workshops were available for a variety of niches and industries.
    • Laura attended “The Content Marketing Agency Edge: How To Get Paid More and Differentiate Your Services In A Crowded Market Place”
      • 10 different mini sessions based on what an agency needs to know
  • Session Highlights:
    • “The Agency Model is Dead”, “The Top Ten Most Common SEO Mistakes You Can Make”, and “How to Market Your Content Off-Site”
    • “How to Make Twitter Your Content Marketing Best Friend”
      • Twitter is like the movie trailer to your movie.
    • “The 15 Content Marketing Tools to Make You a More Effective Content Marketer”
    • Virtual assistants – 28 tasks you should delegate to your virtual assistant
    • “Beyond the E-Book” – Getting more creative with B-to-B content
      • Hub Spot example: Hired photographer to create own stock photography available to businesses for a new form of content.
  • Kevin Spacey Keynote:
    • It’s all about an audience – doesn’t matter if you’re an actor, politician, speaker, etc. – it’s all about connecting with the audience.
    • “We all have the same goal – we are trying to connect with our audiences.”
    • “Good content making isn’t a crap shoot – it’s always about the story.”

Other takeaways from Content Marketing World:

  • In today’s world, everyone is a “writer” and it’s all about how to tell the story so it gets read.
  • CopyBlogger: The most important thing is building an e-mail list – it will encompass your most responsive audience.
  • The speed at which we reply is almost as important as what we say.

Items/people mentioned in the show:

Laura’s Social Media Six Pack:

  1. Are you a good babysitter? Yes.
  2. What’s your favorite holiday? Halloween, because of the candy.
  3. What’s your favorite southern word? Y’all.
  4. Have you ever been in a tug-o-war match? Yes.
  5. Can you yo-yo? I used to!
  6. What’s one wild animal you would love to have as a pet? A meerkat – they’re just so cute.

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