In this episode, Brian and Rob talk some old print Ads and discuss how they demonstrate that the same trends occurring now were happening decades ago.  They discuss the tendency for competing brands to mimic each other and how certain industries continuously evolve ahead of others.

Content marketing works for smaller businesses as much as it does larger businesses.  There are obstacles to conquer that are somewhat unique to small companies and start-ups.  Rob & Brian discuss the unique challenges, trade-offs and commitment smaller companies face.

In another game of "Fact or Fiction", Brian and Rob discuss a Harvard Business Review article on common business mistakes. They discuss the definition of "thought leadership", the reality of using personas for content personalization and all the considerations in serving content supportive of the buyer's journey.

Technology enablement has led us to an evolutionary stage of brands having TOO much content. Customers are struggling to decipher the brand story and ultimately get to the information they need to buy.  Brian and Rob discuss this problem and how to solve for it quickly.

After attending the Content to Conversion conference in Arizona, Brian and Rob discuss the general state of B2B marketing.  They discuss the gap between wants and needs of B2B marketers and the almost pervasive need to be heard within their organization.

A discussion of quotes from content marketing leaders across the industry. Among other topics, Brian & Rob discuss the efficacy of machines assessing content effectiveness.  Authenticity, differentiation and content making up a world offered by a brand are also topics of discussion.

You risk brand damage if you blindly drive engagement through inauthentic piece titles and re-distributing content that is not a fit with your brand purpose. Listen to hear a couple of examples and a discussion of the associated risk.

The last persuasion marketing technique is scarcity.  Scarcity can be really effective in crating allure around your offer, but scarcity also has its limits.  It only works in certain cases and will be a failure if you don't have some necessary elements that we cover in this episode.

Your brand's corporate responsibility to give back to society can have a place in your content marketing? There has to be authenticity and a respectful balance in how you link responsibility in your content. This is one example of a persuasion marketing technique called reciprocity. Other examples are provided.

Appealing to the mindset and beliefs of your target audience earns you an instant connection with your target audience. There needs to be a balance between focus on emotional versus rational communication as buyers use both through their journey in purchase.