3 Things Leonard Cohen Taught Me About Content Marketing

November 22nd, 2016 by Search Influence Alumni

Leonard-Cohen image

On Thursday, November 7, the legendary singer/songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen passed away. Being a fan of his music, I reflected on the impact of his art and remarkable career.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that there’s a wealth of writing wisdom in his life that can be applied to content marketing. Here are three things that stood out to me:

1: Persistence Is Important

Cohen famously said, “If I knew where the good songs came from, I’d go there more often.”

The best content is perfected over time. Remember, if you’re just starting out, commit to a long-term strategy. Many content campaigns are abandoned too soon. Others are neglected. Make sure to test reactions, and stay the course. The payout is worth it.

2:  Focus on the Process

In sales, the best way to solve an activity problem is by generating more activity. Content marketing is very similar. You have to feed the monster. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. The goal is to create a catalog of valuable content that over time will give your site authority and boost your search.

3: Quality Over Quantity

Leonard Cohen was a famously slow writer. He once said, “I wish I were one of those people who wrote songs quickly. But I’m not.”

According to an Orbitz Media Studios study, the average blog in 2016 took three hours and 16 minutes to write, and twice as many bloggers spent six hours per post than in 2015.

With the proliferation of bad content, it’s important that your small business stands out. Quality content that is timeless and can be recycled will be more effective than the generic vanilla stuff everyone forgets.