Content Explored...Not so much sharing, more of an Entrepreneurial Exchange!

The 3rd in our series of "Content Explored" blogs

At recent presentations and speaking engagements, I've been talking a lot about the power of sharing and how much you get back by simply giving away information and sharing knowledge. As author of "New Rules of Marking and PR", David Meerman Scott said in a video he very kindly did for me, "The more you give, the more you get". This advice is also shared by other luminaries like CC Champan (Content Rules), Mitch Joel, (Six Pixels of Separation) and Chris Brogan (Trust Agents).

I certainly concur with their beliefs. Through the New Media Breakfast and our Social Media Podcast, fatBuzz share information and knowledge that leads to engagement, enquiries, referrals, and ultimately more work. The New Media Breakfast, the Social Media Podcast, our blog, and some other speaking engagements are the only real form of marketing we do at fatBuzz - all of them involve sharing knowledge. It is true, the more you give, the more you get.

However, after speaking at an Entrepreneurial Exchange Supper Club event this week it occurred to me that what we get back is much more than referrals and new business. The format of these events is a short presentation by the speaker (in this case me) followed by a round table discussion over dinner about the speaker's topic (in this case Social Media Defined and Proving ROI). Therefore, I get to engage with 15 entrepreneurs about social media; I learn their views, fears, experiences, concerns, expectations, perceptions and much more.

How valuable is that for me? These Entrepreneurial Exchange members are experienced and successful business owners, their opinions matter to me because they are relevant and probably representative of many other businesses. By listening to them, I have a much clearer understanding about what people want to know and what they want to achieve through social media marketing. So, I reckon I finished the evening learning as much, if not more, than they did, so in this case I got something back immediately. 

One of the first things I tell people about content creation is to look at your FAQs; what do people generally ask you? This is a great starting point; create content that answers the questions people normally ask you. By listening to the 15 Entrepreneurial Exchange members I have a clearer idea about the issues and concerns they have about adopting social media, I can now create content that addresses these points and I'm sure it will be relevant to many more than the 15 business owners in attendance.

So, the next time you're asked to speak to your local business networking group, careers meeting, industry conference or, graduate's boot-camp don't think of it as a chore, think of it as an opportunity. The questions they ask you are relevant to that community, they will help you understand what it is they need to know about you and what type of content is likely to engage them.

To the Entrepreneurial Exchange members who were present at the Supper Club meeting, thank you for open and frank discussion, I learned lots, and I hope you did too.

Our recent fatBuzz Social Media Day for Charities

NOTES:

• If you would like to find out more about social media marketing please think about coming along to our Monthly New Media Breakfasts - Details of the next one are here
• You can learn more about Entrepreneurial Exchange membership here
• CC Chapman has just published his new book entitled "Amazing things will Happen", if it's anything like the first book it will be well worth a read.  More details here 

If you would like to discuss your content strategy please give us a call or drop an email to hello@fatbuzz.com, we will be delighted to have a chat.

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