Ben Stroup

For decades, brands have used content to attract and retain customers. For example, in 1904,Jell-O tasked salesmen with going door-to-door, handing out their free cookbook. As a result, Jell-O saw a $1 million increase in sales by 1906.

However, marketing has changed a lot since then. While the principles of effective content marketing and adding value to the life of your consumer may still hold true, the way in which brands are investing in the format in today’s new connection economy have drastically changed. What started out as a tactic that a few brands added to their social media efforts has become a mainstream marketing approach that 90% of brands implemented in 2012.

With “content marketing” as the hottest buzzword in marketing, we decided it might be helpful to take a step back and create a comprehensive definition of the topic.

As with any new trend, creating a helpful definition for content marketing can be done by answering three important questions:

What is it?

In short, content marketing is about using content to move people to an action that can be measured and translated into achieving a goal or objective.

Content Marketing is a conversation with an identified audience. It’s a commitment to consistent, relevant copy that doesn’t ask me to buy something. While content marketing can take various formats (blog, eBook, webinar, podcast, Google+ Hangout, whitepaper, infograph), for something to be defined as “content marketing” it must be grounded in the idea that people would rather discover you first.

Where did it come from?

What most people define as “content marketing” today was formed from a shift in buying cycles and developed through a rise in search engine optimization. Consumers changed from being primarily influenced by outbound, interruptive marketing to inbound, search-driven marketing in which they find brands before brands find them.

Content marketing is essentially the next wave of search engine optimization.

Why should I care?

The primary reason content marketing matters for brands is because consumers are no longer obligated to listen to you. In a world where we create as much content in two days as we did from the beginning of time through 2003, it’s time to rethink your content strategy to focus on building trust, getting permission, and earning the right to influence others.

By understanding that content marketing is the new normal when it comes to connecting with your audience and realizing that it has single-handedly changed the way consumers find brands, it’s evident that this marketing tactic is worth exploring.

If you had to define content marketing by answering one of these questions, what would you say?

Jeremy Chandler serves as the social media director at Ben Stroup Enterprises and jumps at any opportunity to connect with others. You can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn,Facebook, or Google+.

Brands and individuals in a whole host of industries are seeing how they can use content to reach more people. What most people don’t realize is that content can also create new opportunities that would otherwise have been impossible.

A few weeks ago, Ben sat down with blogger, pastor, and church consultant Tony Morgan to talk about how he has used content to not only build an audience, but make some significant shifts in his life and ministry. What started as a content experiment exceeded all expectations and ultimately created a new opportunity for impact.

In 2012, Tony pulled together some of his best latent content from over the years to create a series of eBooks around the idea of church health. More than 100,000 downloads later, Tony was able to transition from full-time church ministry to full-time consulting with churches and ultimately impact thousands of churches across the country.

Most people don’t realize that content is a tool that can help them create opportunities they never thought possible before. They either give up before they reach that tipping point in content creation, or they never stop to think strategically about their efforts. Tony speaks to both of those ideas in this interview.

In this Google+ Hangout on Air, +Tony Morgan shares his experience through the “Leisure Suit” Series and how he has used content to build brand equity, reach a broader audience, and expand his influence:

As Ben mentioned in the post, Tony has recently pulled together all of his eBooks from “The Leisure Suit” Series into one comprehensive resource, “Stuck in a Funk? How to Get Your Church Moving Forward.” If your church needs help getting out of a ministry rut, I highly encourage you to check out the book along with everything Tony has written on the topic.

This Hangout On Air is part of our ongoing series to capture wisdom and insights from leaders who have used content to expand their influence and accomplish greater things. You can also view our first session with blogger, pastor, and leader Ron Edmondson on building your blog audience.

What opportunities are you hoping to find? How could content help you make those opportunities become realities?

Jeremy Chandler serves as the social media director at Ben Stroup Enterprises and  jumps at any opportunity to connect with others. You can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn,Facebook, or Google+.

The team at Ben Stroup Enterprises is a diverse crew hailing from all over the country with a set of highly complementary skills and passions. Many of us are behind the scenes so we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on each member.

ERIN STRAZA partners with Ben Stroup Enterprises as a content editor. As a freelance writer, editor, and marketing communications consultant, Erin has the joy of helping organizations tell their stories in authentic and compelling ways. When she isn’t writing on her blog or for various online magazines, Erin is working on a writing project that one day will grow up into a book.

1. According to Meyers-Briggs what is your personality type? Do you find it accurate?

I’m an INFP, which is fairly accurate. I’m a dreamer, thinker, feeler who is in no hurry to make decisions and sees deadlines as reminders to start working.

2. What is one item on your bucket list?

Sadly, I do not have a bucket list! But one thing I’d really love to do in the next few years is return to India to see all the girls and staff in the As Our Own family.

3. Where/when do you work best?

I work best in the morning and even better at my favorite coffee shop.

4. What are your daily reads?

I read news every day but I spread the love and pick from Fast Co Design, NPR, USA Today, The Atlantic. I read my Bible most days, as well as Facebook/Twitter.

5. What is your favorite place in the world?

It’s a toss up between the ocean and the mountains. I love to see big landscape spanning out before me.

6. What event in the past, present or future would you most like to witness in person?

The day that running doesn’t feel awful.

7. Have you seen any good films in the last six months? Recommendation?

Moonrise Kingdom was quirky fun.

8. When you “unplug” how do you most like to spend your time?

Give me a stack of books and a mug of coffee!

9. What are you most passionate about in your work?

I love to use my words and writing to initiate change and spark passion in others—specifically to end human trafficking in India.

10. What is your tech device dujour? 

I love my iPhone. It gave me a reason to charge and carry a cell phone.

Connect with Erin on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Hilary Sutton is a content writer at Ben Stroup Enterprises and is passionate about giving a voice to stories that are begging to be told. You can connect with her via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or email.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working with Ben over the past few years, it’s that he keeps his finger on the pulse of new trends and tools better than anyone else I know. In fact, there’s rarely a conversation I have with him where I’m not learning about a new idea or resource to improve the way we work.

That’s why I wasn’t surprised when Ben shared his idea for getting the latest content marketing trends into your hands. As we continue to research and test the trends that will help you move people to action through content, we wanted to introduce two new resources that will help you stay informed with everything you need to know about content marketing.

+Ben Stroup Enterprises

Over the past few months, Ben has found great success in using our Ben Stroup Enterprises Google+ page for sharing the relevant, noteworthy content marketing trends that inspire people to take action in a measurable way. After a tremendous amount of research and testing, it’s evident that this new tool offers a level of interaction that we’re very excited about.

One of the things Ben is most excited about is how Google+ allows him to increase the amount of relevant, application-oriented information and updates he can deliver to you.

There isn’t enough time in the day to write enough traditional blog posts to keep up with all that’s developing at the intersection of communications, marketing, and technology. And even if we could, you wouldn’t have all the time to read them.

The world is simply spinning too fast. Yet what’s being discussed is too important not to share on a regular basis.

Through +Ben Stroup Enterprises, you’ll receive the latest ideas and concepts around how to use content to move people to action. Every weekday, Ben shares at least one or two ideas you can implement to help you use content to move people to action. Think of Google+ as a microblog that gets right to the point.

A Weekly Summary eNewsletter

We also realize that one delivery method doesn’t work for everyone. For those who prefer a recap, Ben has worked to create a weekly summary eNewsletter of the most relevant content from the official Google+ stream into a summary email every Saturday morning that you can read on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or whatever your device of choice may be.

This weekly eNewsletter will be a totally different resource than our regular monthly eNewsletter, which will continue to provide a more in-depth look into the content marketing trends that will help you move the needle. If you already subscribe to Ben’s monthly newsletter, you’ll need to sign up for the weekly emails as well.

What do you have to do? Just subscribe to the weekly email updates or click over to +Ben Stroup Enterprises and follow the feed.

Have you followed the +Ben Stroup Enterprises page or signed up for the weekly emails? What do you like about this new delivery system?

Jeremy Chandler serves as the social media director at Ben Stroup Enterprises and jumps at any opportunity to connect with others. You can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn,Facebook, or Google+.

The team at Ben Stroup Enterprises is a diverse crew hailing from all over the country with a set of highly complementary skills and passions. Many of us are behind the scenes so we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on each member.

HILARY SUTTON is a writer and actor who partners with Ben Stroup Enterprises as a content writer. Whether it is through a play, a blog post, a tweet, or a press release, she is committed to giving a voice to stories that are begging to be told.

1. What is one item on your bucket list?

One thing on my bucket list is to play a set at a coffee shop. I sing and play guitar, but have never performed my own music for a real live audience.

2. What is your favorite quote?

There are so many! How about one Bible verse and one regular quote?

Bible verse: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” -Galatians 6:9

For the other quote .it’s so hard to choose, but today I choose this:

“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” — Henry David Thoreau

3. When you “unplug” what is your favorite way to spend your time?

On the rare occasion that I have complete solitude I love to have a good book, a journal, and a cup of coffee at my disposal. I’ll write, read, and sip.

4. What is your tech device du jour?

I have to say it’s my MacBook Pro. It is my office, my calendar, and my pen. I’m so grateful for this tool.

5. What historical time period would you most like to visit?

That is a tough question. I think I would like to be a contemporary of Jane Austen in the British countryside in the early 19th century.

6. What are 3 books that you highly recommend?

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott, and Walking on Water by Madeleine L’engle

7. What are you most passionate about in your work?

I’m passionate about telling stories well.

8. What event in the past, present or future would you most like to witness in person?

I would love to have witnessed my great-grandparents arriving in New York at Ellis Island.

9. Who do you recommend following on Twitter?

My favorite Twitter account to follow is Maria Popova, @brainpicker. She has more interesting content than I have time to read.

10. As a newlywed, what surprises you most about married life?

I’m probably surprised most by how easy and natural the transition has been. I’m blessed to have found such a wonderful person to share my life with. It’s been a reminder of how we are all meant to live in community. Life is better with witnesses.

Hilary Sutton is a content writer at Ben Stroup Enterprises and is passionate about giving a voice to stories that are begging to be told. You can connect with her via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or email.

My grandfather passed away when I was a senior in college. As an accomplished professor and prominent leader for an international nonprofit, I learned a lot of lessons about leadership and serving others through watching him as I was growing up. We spent some great times together and I’ll always have memories of traveling around the country with my grandparents as a kid. But, like most kids and teenagers as I grew older, I became more interested in “hang out with friends” and missed opportunities to sit with him and just glean from his wisdom.

Since his passing, I’ve often wished I had been more intentional about capturing the life lessons he learned during his life.

A newly accessible way to pass on wisdom

We all know what it’s like to lose someone too early. One person who has experienced this tragedy recently is Tim Stevens, executive pastor at Granger Community Church. Late last year, Tim’s brother-in-law left this world far too early after being diagnosed with ALS.  You can read about Patrick’s story here.

During his final days, Tim and his family did everything they could to enjoy their final moments together, like any family would to. However, Tim decided to do something more. He initiated a project that would serve as a way to commemorate Patrick’s life for those that new him as well as impact others who never knew Patrick. Over several month’s Tim worked to gather a compilation of sermons that Patrick has preached, including his final sermon, and publish them in a book.

Through a book, Patrick’s life wisdom and legacy will live on for generations and people who never knew Patrick can be impacted by his faith.

How will you pass on wisdom?

When we think about people of influence who publish books, we often think about important political figures or celebrities, but what about people in our lives and the information they have to share?

As we’ve seen with Tim and Patrick’s story, you don’t have to be a celebrity or sell millions of dollars of books in order to write a book. Now, because of technology, everyone has the capability to capture the wisdom that’s transferable from one generation to then next. Whether it’s a family, community, church, or company, you have the opportunity to pass along wisdom in a way that wasn’t possible 20 years ago.

For centuries, patriarchs and matriarchs have spent countless time, energy, and resources planning for what will be done with their assets. But, what will be done with your wisdom?

Maybe there’s something you want to leave as a legacy, something more than money or artifacts. With today’s technology, a book is now an accessible way for you to do that.  You don’t have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a composition of the thoughts, wisdom, and legacy you want to leave.

When we first heard about Tim’s idea, we were honored to participate in the process. Whether you knew Patrick or not, check out the book. You’ll enjoy reading it, and you’ll be challenged just as much as we were.

How are you going to pass on your wisdom?

Jeremy Chandler serves as the social media director at Ben Stroup Enterprises and jumps at any opportunity to connect with others. You can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn,Facebook, or Google+.

The team at Ben Stroup Enterprises is a diverse crew hailing from all over the country with a set of highly complementary skills and passions. Many of us are behind the scenes so we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on each member.

M DAVID WRIGHT is data analytics and decision support director at Ben Stroup Enterprises. His passion is to turn “numbers into knowledge” and “data into decisions.”

1. What are you reading right now?

Chef by Marcus Samuelsson and Data Visualization – A Design Process by Andy Kirk.

2. What is your tech device du jour?

My iPad is used most frequently, but having my HP 12-core, 24 GB desktop is also crucial for work. Then again, I do love my Macbook Pro and my HP laptop for remote jobs… It’s too many choices!

3. What is your favorite family activity?

Traveling – either Northeastern United States (Maine, NH, VT) or the Pacific Northwest.

4. What is one item on your bucket list?

Learn to play the piano… well.

5. Do you prefer the mountains, the sea or the city?

Mountains by a long shot!

6. What are your daily reads?

A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baille

7. If you could be brilliant in one subject what would you choose?

Music

8. What is your favorite quote?

I have lots of favorites, but the one that comes to mind that I have quoted recently is “The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see.” From John Tukey, Mathematician.

9. What historical time period would you most like to visit?

I’m happy where I’m at in time.

10. What is most rewarding about your work? 

I love learning something new every day and I really enjoy seeing folks reach that “Aha!” moment when they see some new insight that they totally weren’t expecting!

Connect with David on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Hilary Sutton is a content writer at Ben Stroup Enterprises and is passionate about giving a voice to stories that are begging to be told. You can connect with her via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or email.

What happens when ordinary people show unconditional love to the people around them?

That’s the question Ben answers in his newest book, Unconditional Love, which releases May 1.

Inspired by the film Unconditional and Papa Joe Bradford’s outreach to at-risk children, Unconditional Love celebrates the best in ordinary people who have found extraordinary ways to act as the hands and feet of Jesus in their time and place.

These stories highlight what’s possible when people say “yes” to the opportunity to help someone else in need.

In conjunction with the book, LifeWay Films has produced a documentary, which chronicles the stories of these world changers. It also releases tomorrow.

Here is the official trailer:

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TRAILER from LifeWay Films on Vimeo.

This book will inspire you to live differently and challenge you to see that you can make a difference when you show unconditional love to others. You don’t have to wait until you have millions of dollars, the attention of the national press, or hold a political office to create change. It all starts with where you are today and what you choose to do with the opportunity you have been given to love the people around you—unconditionally.

If you’d like, you can purchase the Kindle copy of the book today, here.

How can you show unconditional love to someone today?

Jeremy Chandler serves as the social media director at Ben Stroup Enterprises and  jumps at any opportunity to connect with others. You can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn,Facebook, or Google+.

The team at Ben Stroup Enterprises is a diverse crew hailing from all over the country with a set of highly complementary skills and passions. Many of us are behind the scenes so we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on each member.

CHRIS TURNER owner of D. Chris Turner Communications, partners with Ben Stroup Enterprises as communications director. Chris has 20-plus years experience as a journalist, part of that as an overseas correspondent living in Panama while covering Central and South America.

1. If possible would you live year round in your favorite season? Which one and why?

I would live year-round in September and October, so mostly the first part of fall. I love the break in temperatures, the long shadows, and the colors. When the sun is low on the horizon and hits the reds, browns, and oranges, the light does something amazing and everything seems alive, even though it is dying!

2. What’s the most beautiful drive you’ve ever taken?

Wow, I’ve been on lots, but I’ll say a 12 hour drive through the remote and rugged mountains of Bolivia. Much of it between 14,000 and 16,500 feet and is landscaped with massive mountains, gorges, valleys and so little of it inhabited by people.

3. What are three books that have been influential on your career?

Serious Times, James Emery White

The Long Tail, Chris Anderson

Mornings on Horseback, David McCullough

4. What podcasts do you listen to?

I’m kind of all over the place on podcasts, but Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast seems to be one that makes the cut frequently and has for a few years now.

5. Where/when do you work best?

I work best anywhere as long as it is between about 5-11 am. I’m not an afternoon person at all.

6. What is your favorite family activity? 

We love exploring historical places. My daughter is totally into history and we enjoy going places that had some significance at some point in the past.

7. Which social media outlet is your favorite?

Right now it is Instagram. I started taking pictures years ago of the places I traveled on assignment but couldn’t upload those to Flickr until I could download them from my camera. Now, I can immediately share a photo that connects with people globally.

8. What is your favorite country to visit? Why?

I’ve had the chance to work in approximately 35 countries, so that’s a hard choice because they’ve all been unique. However, I’m going to pick Peru. The geographic and demographic diversity is off the charts and the history of indigenous culture, the clash with Spanish settlement in the 1500s and it residual impact today is fascinating.

9. Are you an extrovert, introvert or ambivert?

Yes, I am all of those.

10. When you “unplug” what is your favorite way to spend your time? 

I love unplugging by doing pretty much anything outside. It could be reading, fishing, golfing, bicycling, yard mowing, house painting. It doesn’t really matter as long as it is outside.

Connect with Chris on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Hilary Sutton is a content writer at Ben Stroup Enterprises and is passionate about giving a voice to stories that are begging to be told. You can connect with her via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or email.

Last month we shared a quick question-and-answer session with Ron Edmondson on what it takes to get over 50,000 visits a month on your blog. After receiving a lot of great feedback from the post and interest in the topic of building a blog audience in the connection economy, we wanted to dive a little deeper into the lessons Ron has learned along the way.

A few weeks ago, Ben and Ron sat down for our first ever Google+ #HangoutOnAir.

If you want to know what it takes to build an audience of 50,000 readers, Ron shares practical wisdom about what he’s learned along the way and advice for other leaders on how to get started.

If you are having trouble viewing the video, you can watch it here.

Here are some of our favorite takeaways from the Hangout:

• Sometimes finding your niche is as simple as identifying the questions people keeping coming to you with and providing insights into those topics.
• Caring about good content and being helpful should drive you more than getting more traffic to your blog.
• When it comes to figuring out whether you’re efforts are worth it, start small and personal, but ultimately look to see if there’s progress over time.
• Although a thought, idea, or principle may seem simple to you, it could be a game-changing thought for someone else.
• Defining your primary target audience is essential! Although there might be a wide range of people that read your blog, finding your primary target audience and writing specifically to them will help you build a more solid platform.
• Find your own writing pace and establish a consistent frequency. Consistency and quality over time is what builds an audience.
• If you’re just starting out, take some time to write offline first to develop a database to pull from for when life happens and you don’t have capacity to write a post.

What were some of your favorite takeaways from this Hangout?

Jeremy Chandler serves as the social media director at Ben Stroup Enterprises and  jumps at any opportunity to connect with others. You can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn,Facebook, or Google+.