Page 111 - The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business - PDFDrive.com

with this group. Viva diversity!

7. Connect in a human way.
People want to know who you are and what you stand for.

A “publisher as human” role model is author and entrepreneur Gini Dietrich.
“The biggest thing that has worked for me is I let people know they’re heard,”
Dietrich said. “Even if they disagree with me, I always thank them for their input
and try to continue the conversation. I always say that if you stroke the egos of
the people who spend time with you, they’ll always repay you in gold. It may
sound disingenuous—stroke their egos—but I mean it in a very sincere and
caring way. Pay attention to what people care about. Let them know you are
present and attentive.

“People are choosing to spend their precious time with your content. Spend
time in return getting to know them and remember the little things that make a
difference.”

Although “being human” might seem like common sense, it’s not. Too often
organizations get tied up in regulations, legal overview, advertising protocol, or
simply a conservative corporate culture and have been removed from the
customer relationship.

“When I follow someone back or I say hello or thanks for retweeting,” said
Ann Handley, “or I respond and retweet them … the action is often met with
surprise. As in, ‘Wow! You’re a real person!’ That’s kind of sad, isn’t it?
Expectations are so low for many of us that when a ‘brand’ engages with real
conversation and real emotion, it’s a kind of shock.”

What would you think of a company who unexpectedly delighted you with
this message: “We know you’re a Manchester United fan. We saw this awesome
photo from the match yesterday and wanted to share the link with you.” That’s
the kind of message you would get from a friend. That’s the kind of message that
makes you a hero.

When most people think of moving content, they think of promotion and
advertising. That’s the next step in The Content Code …