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Custom publishing is a type of marketing
that takes the form of advertorials, blogs, case studies, enewsletters,
magazines, print newsletters, podcasts, webcasts, website content or
whitepapers.
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The
Content Marketing Revolution
Forrester Research and Junta 42 blog.
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The Gentle Rain process automates
demand generation and lead nurturing. It builds effective,
systematic campaigns that deliver prospects who are ready to buy. To
learn more about the Gentle Rain process, download our free
report. | |
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"Custom publications that
deliver relevant and valuable information build trust. And
trust sells."
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Hello Bob,
Imagine your customers
and prospects looking forward to receiving your marketing messages.
What if they spent 10, 15 or even 20 minutes reading, considering
and discussing them with their colleagues? Yes, it can
happen.
Custom publishing is also known as content marketing
or custom media. In the right hands, it can deliver compelling
content that communicates the publisher's desired messages while
simultaneously imparting information that is relevant and valuable
to the reader. Until recently, custom publications were the
exclusive realm of major corporations and large professional
associations. Due to advances in technology, custom publishing is
now within everyone's reach.
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Leveraging Technology
You're reading
an example of custom publishing. It was produced and delivered for a
few pennies per recipient. You're familiar with the economies of
email distribution so we won't go into it here.
Digital print
technology has changed the rules when it comes to producing short
runs of hard copy publications. In the offset printing world,
economies of scale kicked in when you printed a thousand pieces or
more at a time. Now that's moot. Because there's no labor intensive
process of setting up for each print run, newsletters and magazines
can be printed in batches of 100 or even less. There's no financial
penalty for printing short runs of highly targeted and customized
publications.
As an example, imagine a software company that
has three product lines. The first is software that enables easy
collaboration between far flung members of design teams. The second
is an application that provides data security for telecommuters and
road warriors. And the third optimizes the performance of wide area
networks.
These applications are different, but related. This
software company can cost effectively design online and offline
versions of a monthly newsletter. That newsletter can contain
generic information about the company and its solution set. Then
additional information can be added that's specific to each of the
three products. Thus creating three versions of the newsletter.
Designers get one version, road warriors get another, network
administrators get another, and perhaps there's a fourth designed
for salespeople to use as a door opener or a leave behind. Each
single copy is printed on the fly with the appropriate addressing
information and postal indicia.
The possibilities for
customization and personalization, making the publication much more
interesting to each individual, are endless.
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On
Fire
Custom
publishing is on fire. According to Publications Management,
spending on content marketing and custom publishing hit $37.3
billion in the US in 2006. And that number excludes personnel costs.
Roper Research estimates that B2B companies in the Fortune 1000
spend 60% of their marketing communications budgets (which includes
their advertising spends) on custom publishing. Why? Because it
works.
Unlike traditional methods of advertising that are
created for broad audiences, custom pubs are targeted to specific
niches. Readers receive personalized news, information, opinion,
research and advice. B2B purchasers crave content that has value;
content that helps them make informed buying decisions.
Well researched and written custom publications
linger. They get read. They're handled and perused and passed
around. They build connections by delivering entertainment,
information and a targeted message - yours.
Custom
publications can communicate news about your organization, the
latest goings-on in your industry, how to get the best use out of
your products and services, and stories that target the interest of
your audience.
Bolen ensures that your publications are
relevant and valuable to your target audiences. We team with you to
determine the editorial content and to gather the raw information.
Then we let you get back to work as we write and design materials
that build and maintain your position as a leader in your industry.
If you need help creating custom content that'll be read and
appreciated, please contact us. We're
specialists in developing valuable content that gently
persuades.
Thanks for your time and
attention,
Bob
Leonard
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