Base One blog

May 11 2015 11:52 AM

B2B content marketers have a problem – which is that everyone is doing it. But this saturation was always going to happen - and equaly inevitable was that would be people who worked out a solution. Mark Schaefer is one of those people, and his answer is The Content Code.  

Been there, seen it, done it

The Code is, to an extent, autobiographical. Schaefer has built his reputation on being a smart commentator on the application of social technology in business – but perhaps more remarkable is the community that has grown up around his {grow} blog. It is the author's position of influence that equips him to understand better than most how to make content really ignite in a world where good content is simply a starting point. He explains in The Content Code how it is the actions of others, inspired by a myriad of motivations, that makes the difference between content that really makes waves on the social web and the (often equally good) content that sits forgotten in a digital backwater. 

Practical advice you can learn from

Schaefer is also by trade an educator, and this makes The Content Code a highly instructive piece. There are a few anecdotes along the way, but the core advice he offers in the book is neatly categorised in a way that informs and inspires at the same time. He uses the unforgettable mnemonic 'B-A-D-A-S-S' to summarise the headings that reveal the code for successful (aka badass, I suppose) content marketing, described as follows: 

1. Brand development
2. Audience
3. Distribution
4. Authority
5. Shareability
6. Social proof

Each is described as a tool by which content ignition can be achieved, and Schaefer offers a ton of great examples how these factors have helped others to achieve great results in content marketing. 

But does it apply to the little guys like us?

It is possible, however, to read this book and be left with the impression that content marketing must be easy for someone with Schaefer's reputation and readership (or to use his phrase 'Alpha Audience'). This is undoubtedly true, and Mark admiits that he has a headstart – indeed, this book would have little credibility unless the author could speak with both experience and authority (see point 4 in the list above). But he also makes reference to his early days of blogging and the resentment he felt when prominent bloggers of the time were able to command thousands of clicks with unremarkable content. The point is that he has worked hs way up to a position of authority by doing all the things mentioned in the book. 

So if there's any code the rest of us should be following, surely this is it?