Joe Pulizzi is a leading author, speaker and strategist for content marketing. Joe is first and foremost a content marketing evangelist, and founded the Content Marketing Institute, which includes client-vendor matching site Junta42 as well as the premier international content marketing event Content Marketing World. Joe is also co-author of the highly praised book Get Content Get Customers (McGraw-Hill), recognized as THE handbook for content marketing.
Awarded “Custom Media Innovator of the Year” by American Business Media, Voted Who’s Who in Media Business by BtoB Magazine, and recognized as the Most Influential Content Strategist via Lavacon, Joe travels around North America and Europe talking to marketers and business owners about how they are indeed publishers, and what they need to do about it.
Joe writes one of the most popular content marketing blogs in the world and is overly passionate about the color orange.
What are you working on right now?
Our big push right now is an international content marketing event called Content Marketing World, which will be held in Cleveland in early September of 2011. That, and about five other projects…all good.
3 trends that excite you?
1. That the Internet is still a blank canvas. Anyone that understands the rules of the game can build a profitable platform.
2. Corporations are sinking more money into become mini-media companies. That means lots of opportunities in our field of content marketing.
3. Execution always wins. Has been this way and will continue to be so.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Everyone has great ideas. The difference is that some people actually do something about it. If it’s a good idea, I talk with my team about whether it’s a risk worth taking. If it’s something that, if we tried it, won’t bring the rest of the company down with it, we usually give it a try, assign an owner, and some small funding.
What inspires you?
Honestly, my kids. I learn more from them than anything else.
In business, I love hearing from people that have changed their lives because of something one of our businesses have helped them with. Pretty cool when that happens.
What is one mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
I make mistakes every day, so that’s a tough one. My take is that mistakes usually lead to many successes, so I like making lots of mistakes…that’s means I’m learning a lot.
What keeps me up at night is NOT doing something that I think we should be doing. That’s the mistake you can’t afford to make.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Whatever business you are in, start thinking like a publisher. Create valuable, relevant and compelling content for your customers on a consistent basis to position yourself as a true and trusted expert. By doing that, you can leverage multiple channels, including social media, to start to build relationships with your customers. Everyone is a publisher today, even you. Competing for attention is awfully tough, so make sure your marketing is worth your customers paying attention to.
What is one book and one tool that helps you bring ideas to life?
Just read “Screw it, Let’s Do It” by Sir Richard Branson. He inspires me. I love his decision making process, which I completely stole.
Regarding a software tool, not sure what I would do without WordPress…most of our businesses run on WordPress. Amazing open source platform.
Who would you love to see interviewed on IdeaMensch?
Sir Richard Branson for inspiration. Also Seth Godin. Love his simplicity.
Tiger Woods. I’m wondering if he lost his edge. I don’t think so, but would like to hear about the struggle.
What would you change about our educational system?
I believe that, before a student graduates from high school, they should, as part of their graduation requirements, have to create a business from A to Z. Ideas, execution and maybe most importantly, finances. Not a fake business, a REAL-LIFE business. I’m sure American Express would sponsor something like that.
Why orange?
I wear orange everywhere. It’s part of my brand now. When I go to events people expect to see it (kind of like Seth Godin’s bald head). I believe anything like that helps people remember you. Everyone should get something like that that sets their personal brand apart.
Connect:
Content Marketing Institute
Junta24
Joe Pulizzi on Twitter
Joe Pulizzi on LinkedIn
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.