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# The Impressive History of Content Marketing
March 16, 2021
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Greetings Rainmakers!
It’s been an eventful month here in Texas. Less than 30 days ago, I was reminded why I left the Midwest and how much fun I enjoy camping. The weather even knocked the pandemic out of the headlines for a few days. (Luckily, the governor of Texas was able to get us to focus on COVID-19 again, but that’s another story…) Wherever you are around the globe, I hope your 2021 is getting off on the right foot and your loved ones are healthy and safe.
The team found some great content to help get you motivated in this March’s *The Rainmaker Dispatch*. It starts with a great article on the history of content, and several recommendations for your content strategy and ideas that you can share with clients to get them moving ahead.
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The team at BKA Content weighs in The hotly debated topic of the history of content marketing. Do cavemen get the credit, the Gutenberg press or is it strictly a mass communications phenomenon?
They’re back! CMI shares a great article on the real reason they pay us to write – to sell something – a product, service, or message. It starts with a killer headline.
Here’s a great article with examples on how brands transcend great content and do Brand Publishing. Not sure what that is? Check out this article from Phlywheel.
HAL 9000 may not be Science Fiction much longer. Voice search isn’t just a party trick. 50% of Americans use it weekly. Voice search is coming of age. Now’s the time to embrace it and stay ahead of the curve.
Semrush shares a great guide, full of useful statistics, to get your strategy up to speed for 2021. They outline how to build an effective content marketing strategy that centers on four core elements: brand positioning, owned media value proposition, business case, and strategic plan. It’s worth a read.
Need some ideas on how to sell-in a new blog program this year? Check out this “defense” of the blog. Interest may have waned over the past five years and there is a lot more noise in the market but blogs play a vital role in a brand’s overall marketing success.
## Looking for some help in 2021?
Have you ever wondered what a full-blown marketing strategy might do for your business? Remember that you don’t have to go it alone, we’re always here for you. .
All right, see you next month with the next edition of *The Rainmaker Dispatch*!
Best Regards,
Ed Bardwell
President
Rainmaker Digital Services
***P.S.** When you have a moment, bookmark . We’re updating it weekly, with the goal that it will become your premier aggregator of digital marketing education and news in the coming year. Let us know what you think, and if you have an article, video, or podcast you’d like to see featured there, !*
## Get in Touch
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Since May 1, 2019, Rainmaker Digital Services, LLC (RMDS) has been wholly owned by Nimble Worldwide. Neither Brian Clark, nor any other Copyblogger member, manager, or employee is affiliated with or maintains ownership in RMDS.
# Content Marketing vs. Copywriting: What Are the Major Differences?
February 18, 2021
I hope your February has been a profitable and healthy one so far. We’ve got another excellent issue of *The Rainmaker Dispatch* for you this month.
And we’re also hopeful that you have been finding value in the weekly version of *The Rainmaker Dispatch* that we recently began sending out.
Alright, on with the regularly scheduled show…
You may wonder if writers are just that, writers. The folks over at The Content Strategist have a great article that outlines the four major differences between copywriters and content marketers.
You’ll find some great value from one of our latest articles in our ongoing Digital Marketing for Everyone Else series, where I took a deep dive into Facebook Marketplace with some tips on how you can utilize this space to benefit your business.
If you have a writing staff, this article from Moz is for you. Learn how to create an SEO-focused content brief to guide your writers to create work that hits the mark including the 10 things you must include and a few things you should avoid.
With each passing year, video becomes more and more a part of our daily lives, and in marketing, video is becoming only more prevalent. So how do you stand out from all the noise? The folks over at Databox conducted a survey of dozens of video marketers and drew some interesting conclusions on how to increase YouTube views.
Nothing is more frustrating than creating a killer landing page that does not convert at the rate you expected, but don’t make the mistake of simply ignoring those visitors who don’t immediately convert. Here’s a powerful read full of great tips on how to use your data and gain incremental conversions.
What do you know about “coined concepts?” Not only do these help your audience understand complicated ideas, but by creating unique and authentic catchphrases that take off in your industry, perhaps even your competitors will begin to adopt your terminology, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Let’s wrap up this month’s issue with a great read from Seth Godin on how to improve your graphic design skills. Start with understanding the difference between graphic design that is considered “good” and just putting ideas on paper.
## What are you on working on in 2021?
# 6 Lessons Learned From One Year of Content Strategy
January 20, 2021
Well, we made it through 2020! Though I’ve already said it, allow me to again express my Happy New Year wishes to you and yours … may 2021 be a year of health, growth, and profit.
We’re moving on toward bigger and better plans ourselves at RMDS, with things like the release of the latest version of  (welcome LearnDash!), a continuing and renewed commitment to helping our clients and customers achieve their goals, and a doubling down on our own content publishing efforts.
Which brings me to one update specifically relevant to *The Rainmaker Dispatch* … beginning the week of February 1st, we’ll begin publishing a new, original blog post covering the topics most important to your success, every week.
Don’t worry, your monthly edition of the *Dispatch* isn’t going anywhere, we’re merely supplementing it with our own content on a weekly basis. There’s nothing you need to do, except to keep an eye on your inbox weekly!
Sound good? Alright, on with the regularly scheduled show …
The good folks at Animalz never fail to impress, and this article certainly does not. They are masters of content strategy and they lay out some of the most important lessons they learned about this practice last year. Do not miss this one!
In one of the latest articles in our ongoing Digital Marketing for Everyone Else  series, I wanted to focus on the basics of that perennial social network: Twitter. Many wrongly dismiss Twitter as a prominent marketing channel, please don’t find yourself in that number!
There is a lot of content out there about growing your YouTube account … but not many are as smart as this piece from Ahrefs. They are a group that focuses almost entirely on SEO, and that’s the lens through which they approach YouTube.
Many of you either are building or have built a SaaS (Software as a Service) component to your business. Even if you haven’t, this onboarding tutorial is a high-level look at what it takes to bring new people into your universe, making them fans and customers.
It’s a fool’s game to bet against the marketing wisdom of Mr. Patel. He’s proven himself a masterful teacher of strategy that works over the last decade, so when he looks into the future, it’s probably a good idea to listen.
Big, big changes are on the horizon for paid advertisers in the near future. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, our industry is nearly defined by change. Are Google and Facebook still the best choice for your marketing spend in 2021?
Nothing like ending a great issue of The Rainmaker Dispatch with a little philosophy from our industry’s favorite philosopher … Mr. Godin. How are you approaching the next decade. This is maybe the most important question you can answer.
# 27 Words that Sum Up the Psychology of Copywriting
November 6, 2020
Sometimes, less is much, much more.
And that’s definitely the case for this month’s title article in *The Rainmaker Dispatch*.
From 27 words that form the foundation of copywriting, to an interesting way of generating new leads, and ideas for finding well-paying copywriting clients, you’re not going to want to miss this *Dispatch*.
On with the show …
As I said above, sometimes less is much, much more. In this case, twenty-seven words ought to do it. If you’ve been struggling with — or worse, overthinking — copywriting for your business … stop. Take a breath, read this article, and restart from the foundation.
To say the least, “Podcast statistics can be confusing and complex.” Most people have no understanding how unscientific the world of stats truly is. But we continue along, as if the numbers we’re seeing are real. This is an excellent and eye-opening article on the truth about podcast stats, and how to determine how you’re *really* doing.
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today. With that timeless wisdom in mind, one of the most important things you can plan and do TODAY is build a personal highlight reel. What’s a personal highlight reel? Read on …
Are you spending a lot money advertising on Facebook, LinkedIn, or other properties? If so, this is a must-read article. You may be missing one of the most powerful advertising opportunities in the world … and it’s FREE!
What is a style guide? Why do you need a style guide for your business? What elements does a style guide include? These questions and many others are answered in this excellent article by Ms. Barnes. DO. NOT. MISS.
OK, I’ve said it several times already in this edition of the Dispatch, but if you’re in a service-based business and looking for clients, this article is also must-read. Ms. Moore offers straightforward and practical advice, whether you’re just starting, or you’re a seasoned veteran.
A timely and interesting look at what people are actually engaging with on both Presidential candidate’s Twitter accounts. Two very different styles, approaches, and contexts from the two men. But before you get any high-minded hopes about deep policy discussions … this case study shows — more than anything — that we’re all just human after all.
## Make the Roaring 20’s Your Best Decade Yet
That might seem an interesting concept — the Roaring 20s — in the context of how incredibly challenging this year has been so far, for so many of us. Still, we are more than optimistic about what’s to come!
And like our brand new decade, the landscape of digital marketing is constantly shifting, growing, and FULL of opportunity.
Our commitment to you is that we’ll be here, ready to help you achieve the success you’re looking for, whether you need , , or .
We’ll not only be here, we’ll be constantly upgrading our technology and skills to better serve you.
If you have any questions about Rainmaker Platform (or anything else we might be able to help you with), we’re always here to listen and help get you the answers you need. .