My own thoughts to get subject matters experts to think like content marketers. Vince Giorgi of Hanley Wood Marketing offers additional recommendations to train Subject Matter Experts to think like Content Marketers. Thank you, Vince!

1. 6 Ways to Start
Subject Matter Experts
Thinking Like
Content Marketers
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2. THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Vince Giorgi (of Hanley Wood Marketing)
commented on a blog post* I wrote
regarding managers’ roles in leading SMEs...
*My post: “Your company is ready to launch a social media effort. Now what?”
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3. THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
“The most valuable role of the
social media manager is to
influence SMEs to think like
content marketers.”
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4. THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
GREA T
IDEA!
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5. THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Also, Vince asked me...
Do you have any best practices to share?
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6. THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
I’ve tried multiple ways to motivate SMEs:
‣ Obtaining mandates from senior managers
‣ Providing social media training to SMEs
‣ Recognizing content marketing behavior with
monthly gift cards or other incentives
‣ Publicizing peer group efforts to leverage content
marketing and having it included in their
performance evaluations
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7. THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
But, I’ve yet to find
The
HOLY GRAIL
So I reached out to Vince to discuss our
approaches, and this is what he shared...
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8. #1
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Paint the
BIG PICTURE
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9. #1
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Make sure SMEs understand the strategic objective.
Are we...
‣ Building awareness for growth?
‣ Differentiating value proposition
from the competitors?
People give more commitment once they
understand the cause they're being asked to support
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10. #2
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Focus on the
small picture
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11. #2
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
It’s easy for SMEs to get overwhelmed
with BIG PICTURE concepts.
Suggest they
‣ Think about customer pain points or product performance issues
‣ Identify one key component of the broad topic that might be usefu
Have them try to explain this single piece causally,
as if talking to a neighbor across the back fence.
Point out to SMEs great content already exhists at
their desks, on their workbenches, and in their labs
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12. #3
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Provide a Template
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13. #3
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Make life easier for SMEs with a template
In their book, “Content Rules”,
Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman
describe how content managers
at Kodak have developed what
is essentially a fill-in-the-blanks
template for SMEs.
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14. #4
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Show - don’t just tell
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15. #4
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Share samples you find effective
(and analyze what works).
Take content SMEs have already
developed and show them how it
can go further.
webinars blog posts
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16. #5
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Appeal to their
COMPETITIVE
INSTINCTS
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17. #5
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Identify competing organizations
with SMEs that are building thier
personal brands in the process
Foster friendly competition by
noting who is gaining downloads
and social sharing from their:
‣ Tweets ‣ Videos
‣ Posts ‣ White papers
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18. #6
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Settle for
HALF A LOAF
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19. #6
THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Don’t expect every SME to
develop pieces start-to-finish
Pair those who need it most with a writer
who can turn their ideas into stories.
What you really need from SMEs are relevant
topics, meaty insights, and useful takeaways.
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20. THINKING LIKE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
6 WAYS TO START CONTENT MARKETERS
Are you tr ying something new
to fur ther engage your SMEs?
THE
END
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