This morning Rex, one of the founders of CPC (oops, make that, CCC), moderated a panel of custom media CEOs and industry veterans. Chris McMurry, CEO of McMurry, Diana Pohly, President/CEO of The Pohly Company, Valerie P. Valente, SVP/Publishing Director of Rodale Custom Publishing and Cameron Brown, President of King Fish Media shared strategies for evolving their content services to better meet the needs of their clients. The panelists acknowledged that 20 years ago their businesses were focused on magazines and newsletters while today those offerings have expanded to video, social media, event media and more.
Even though platform choices and vehicles have expanded, their focus remains the same: Meeting their clients’ goals with custom content.
When asked by someone in the audience what to tell a potential client to explain the benefits of working with an out-sourced provider of content service, rather than creating an in-house editorial or video team, the panelists came up with at least four compelling ways to sell your services:
- Identify where a client may need support, perhaps video or new media, and focus on ways you can help fill the gaps in that area.
- Market your expertise in research or unique resources you may be able to provide.
- Promote your strategic point-of-view and process.
- Demonstrate the benefits of tapping into the resources and creativity of a company filled with talented specialists whose experience and focus are exclusively related to one thing: creating great content. In the same way that advertising and other marketing services have become unique specialties that are hard to carry out within the context of a corporate or association structure, content marketing and custom media services have become the same.
Thanks to the Custom Content Council for bringing the event to Nashville and hosting another great conference. We’re already looking forward to next year!
