Insight

By Tiffany Parnell A Blurred Line: Ethics + Online Content Marketing "The story is not an autobiography of your brand. It is the consumer's story with your brand as a plotline." IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, THREE TRUE NORTH CUSTOM TEAM MEMBERS JOINED MORE THAN 3,000 FELLOW MARKETERS IN CLEVEL AND, OHIO, FOR CONTENT MARKETING WORLD, THE NATION'S L ARGEST CONTENT- MARKETING CONFERENCE. HERE'S WHAT WE LEARNED. C O N T E N T M A R K E T I N G W O R L D 2 0 1 5 featured more than 225 presenters and an astounding 123-plus hours of networking and educational opportunities. Over the course of the four-day event, Crystal Kaiser, AVP of Business Development at True North, attended myriad breakout sessions and keynote presentations. At each session, one resounding message rang clear: Put your readers first. ARE YOU A READER ADVOCATE? Only 30 percent of content marketers consider themselves effective, according to the "B2B Content Marketing 2016: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends–North America" report published by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. Based on the information presented at Content Marketing World, Kaiser believes one simple acronym may hold the key to crafting more effective content. "When it comes to creating content, think U.H.R.—an acronym that was stressed and repeated often at the conference," Kaiser says. "Is the content Useful to the reader? Is it Helpful? Is it Relevant? If not, don't create it." Stick to the basics of quality versus quantity. By focusing on the reader and crafting compelling, reader-centric content every time, you'll grow your audience and help foster brand loyalty, which can also mean better return on investment. Digital platforms, such as social media, offer content marketers an unparalleled opportunity to share content and connect with potential consumers. But this freedom can present several ethical gray areas. In his 2015 Content Marketing World presentation, "UnEthical: The Biggest Threat to Content Marketing," Scott Stratten, president of UnMarketing, used real-world examples to provide a crash course in online ethics. While Stratten covered several topics, a large portion of his presentation was devoted to content repurposing—a practice that is gaining widespread acceptance but can quickly cross the line into unintended plagiarism. Stratten noted that many social media users, including marketers, focus on building large subscriber bases by posting content on the "right" social media sites, which leaves little time for actual content creation. To fill gaps, many repurpose photos, quotes, and other pieces of content from outside sources they feel are relevant to their audience. Without proper attribution, however, repurposing equates to digital theft, according to Stratten. Before repurposing a piece of content, set aside time to fact-check the post and track down and credit the post's original creator. Your organization's credibility may depend on it. and Other Key Takeaways From Content Marketing World 2015 READER-CENTRIC CONTENT IS ) ) BEST —Buddy Scalera, senior director of content strategy at The Medicines Company and presenter at Content Marketing World 2015 For more takeaways and advice from Content Marketing World, visit truenorthcustom.com/blog. TRUENORTHCUSTOM.COM INSIGHT V11N4 5 spotlight on CONTENT MARKETING WORLD

• Cover