Fathom's Phil Van Treuren shows the history of content marketing and why it is a tactic that all manufacturers need to begin using.

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Running a Lean, Mean Content
Marketing Machine

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• Content marketing
started with American
manufacturing, industry
and machines; its
inception was reliant
upon the printing press
• Print is still important to
content marketing, but
it’s playing a
decreasingly important
role
Content Marketing Used To Primarily Involve Printed Assets!
. . . And relied upon American industrial ingenuity

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• Printed Magazines
• Printed Guides
• Printed Books
• Other Printed Assets
What Content Marketing Used To Be
. . . And still is, in some cases

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• Digital Video
• Digital Photos
• Blog Posts
• Podcasts
• Articles, Whitepapers and Case
Studies
• Infographics
• Social Media Posts
• Applications
• Websites
• And much, much more!
What Content Marketing Has Become

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• Technology has made it easier for companies to utilize content marketing
• BUT . . . Not just any content will resonate and be popular with your audience!
• It needs to be well researched, well written and well designed
• Content marketing is an art and a science!
Content Marketing Is Getting Easier To Do!

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• Content marketing is any
marketing that involves the
creation and sharing of media
and publishing content in
order to acquire and retain
customers.
• It can be about your
company (case studies,
product videos, photos)
• . . . But it should more often
NOT be about your company
(guides, news, publications
and media that entertain and
inform your target audience)
What is Content Marketing, Anyway?

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• Social media
updates
• Blog posts
• Photos
Content Marketing Can Be Simple . . .

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• Writing and designing
guides
• Magazines
• Video production
• Infographics
• Webinars
• Websites (NOT your
company website)
Content Marketing Can Be Complex . . .

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It makes people happy to learn about things they’re interested in. Companies
that create great, useful content about stuff their target audience likes will be
rewarded with trust, engagement, brand awareness and new customers.
Content Marketing is Effective for a Very Simple Reason . . .

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• The term was first used in the 1990’s, but the practice is much older
• Content marketing has been used by companies in some form for 150 years!
. . . But Content Marketing is Nothing New!

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In 1867, Hartford Steam
Boiler Inspection and
Insurance Company
debuted The Locomotive.
The publication provides
technical information to
help equipment owners
and operators manage
risk and solve operation
problems. The Locomotive
was originally distributed
in print, but is now
maintained online.
The Locomotive

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In 1895, John Deere
launched the magazine
The Furrow, providing
information to farmers on
how to become more
profitable. The magazine is
still in circulation, reaching
1.5 million readers in 40
countries in 12 different
languages.
The Furrow

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Michelin developed the
Michelin Guide in 1900,
offering drivers
information on auto
maintenance,
accommodations, and
other travel tips. 35,000
copies were distributed
for free in this first edition
The Michelin Guide

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In 1904, Jell-O
salesmen went door-
to-door, distributing
their cookbook for free.
Touting the dessert as a
versatile food, the
company saw its sales
rise to over $1 million
by 1906.
Jell-O Cookbooks

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• Established them as thought
leaders in their industries
• Potential customers looked
at them as sources of
information, not just as
companies trying to sell
something
• Built trust among their target
audience
• Created brand advocates
• Made their brands
synonymous with their
industries, and led to more
long-term sales
. . . What did this strategy do for these companies?

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Yup, they sure are. But
guess what: they weren’t
big when they started
content marketing!
“But these content marketing examples are from BIG companies.”

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• Because SEO is becoming
content marketing, plain
and simple!
• Search engines reward sites
for original, well-crafted,
relevant content that visitors
find valuable
• Websites that answer
questions about a subject
are more likely to rank high
for relevant searches
• Publishing quality content
about your industry also
helps build quality links and
citations
“I do SEO. Why the heck do I need to do content marketing?”

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Content Marketing Might Not Lead to Immediate Revenue!
. . . but then again,
search engine
optimization doesn’t
lead to immediate
revenue, either.
Good content
marketing is focused
on long term,
consistent strategy,
not short term gains.

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“Why should I produce something that’s not about my company
and doesn’t lead to immediate conversions?”
• This is the most common
initial reaction I get from
manufacturers who’ve
never heard of content
marketing
• Manufacturers are slower
to embrace content
marketing . . . But this
means that there are more
opportunities to blaze trails

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Content Marketing Transforms Your Company Into a Thought
Leader, Creates Brand Advocates and is Good for Rankings!

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• There’s no such thing as a boring
industry . . . Only boring
marketers!
• Regardless of what your
company produces, there are
countless opportunities to create
unique, relevant, engaging
content
• Even if you sell nothing but
identical cardboard boxes, there
are infinite ways to use content
marketing to grow your influence
and revenue
“But my industry is too boring for content marketing.”

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If your competitors aren’t
using content marketing yet,
they will be soon. Why not
beat them to the punch?
And most importantly . . .

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Content Marketing for
Manufacturers: Contemporary
Examples

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John Deere YouTube Channel
Dozens of short videos featuring how-to, equipment in action and more

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Lincoln Electric: ARC Magazine
This past April, Lincoln Electric Co.
unveiled a new product.
It's not a new type of machine for
welding, or equipment to use for
training. In fact, it's not a machine at
all: It's a magazine.
The Euclid-based welding equipment
maker launched ARC Magazine to try
to attract more welders to the field at
a time when the industry sees a
worker shortage on the horizon.
Source: Crain’s Cleveland Business

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CAT: Giant Jenga Video
3,000,000 views

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On their social media
properties, Mercury
promotes many of their
events with beautifully
captured photos. There
is also a nice mix of
other visual content
from ads to just cool
pictures of Mercury
products in action.
Mercury Marine: Not Showing Off Their Products . . . But What
Their Products DO!

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Unique Paving Materials: Asphalt Paving History Blog Post

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• Even small companies need to
embrace content marketing
• If you don’t adapt to a rapidly
changing marketing
environment and audience
expectations, your competition
will pass you up
• It doesn’t require a writing
degree or design expertise, just
the willingness to share fun,
unique stuff about your
company and industry
• If done correctly, it doesn’t have
to take up too much of your time
Content Marketing for Your Company
SEO and AdWords are great . . . But if you want your company to excel, they aren’t enough

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There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Cat
Depending on your audience, vastly different content might resonate with them
• Different kinds of content resonate with
different audiences
• Some target audiences respond well to
detailed blog posts or white papers,
but yours might not
• Always keep your target audience in
mind when putting together a content
plan: what will they enjoy?
• Don’t just share it and forget it . . .
Monitor to see what kind of content
gets the most engagement!
• Rely on data to figure out what your
audience likes . . . NOT your gut feeling
or your own personal preferences

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• Don’t show people your
products . . . Show people your
products in action!
• If you have 100 different
products, then you have 100
opportunities for fun,
innovative, useful content
• Short videos of your products in
action or used in unexpected
ways
• Blog posts, case studies,
testimonials
• Photos, photos, photos!
Thinking Outside the Box by Looking INSIDE the Box
Your Company’s Products and Services as Content Marketing Fodder

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• People are now turning to
BRANDS instead of traditional
media for information about
topics that interest them
• You don’t have to start your
own magazine, but there are
plenty of simple ways to
identify yourself as a thought
leader
• Blog posts, simple guides and
whitepapers
• Sharing photos and videos
that will inform or entertain
your target audience
Creating & Sharing Content About Your Industry or Niche
. . . But not about your company

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• Content marketing is
like exercise: if you only
plan on doing it one
time, don’t do it at all
• Results might take
months, but they are
well worth it
• Deliver the best quality
content you can
• Figure out a way to
make it FUN so that you
do it more consistently!
Quality and Consistency: The Two Keys to Success

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• Photos
• Product videos
• Some blog posts
• Industry articles
• Social media posts
• Identify gifted
content producers on
your team
• REWARD THEM for
their extra efforts!
Types of Content That Employees Can Create

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• Magazines
• Professional
video
content
• Infographics
• Guides
• Websites
Types of Content Where Professional Help Might Be Needed

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ANY QUESTIONS?