In a Small Business Solutions article published earlier this year (“Small Business New Year’s Resolution: Don’t Stop Emailing”), I argued that email solicitations should remain an integral component of your content marketing activity, which should be a major component of your company’s overall digital marketing strategy.
This Copyblogger article further cements that argument. The piece, which discusses the differences between selling your products and/or services with either a hunter’s mentality or that of a farmer, claims that a farming mentality is best for cultivating increased revenue through content marketing.
It’s no surprise then that the post’s author, who spent a great deal of time as a salesman, argues for the farmer-oriented approach to selling.
From the piece:
“Traditional sales people are analogous to hunters. They stalk their ‘prey’ in hopes of a ‘killing’ that they can return back to the tribe as food (or more to the point, revenue).
“In contrast, content marketers share the traits of farmers. They plant seeds and nurture crops that will eventually grow over time into food.”
I like his analogies, and I think he states a strong case for the importance of content marketing as a critical sales tool. But it’s a discipline that requires patience and a great deal of consistency, as noted by the article’s author.
Here’s another quote I found particularly pertinent:
“Smart content marketers take the time to lay the groundwork for sustained success. They educate themselves on the tactics and techniques of persuading their audience to act by building their own authority in their space.”
What type of marketer are you, hunter or farmer? I’d love to see your feedback below.
As always, thanks for reading.
