Focus Your Content Marketing with Steve Pockross

On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“First, amplify what you’re doing really well and consider new channels. Second, if things aren’t going well you’ll need new channels!” This was Steve Pockross’s answer to my question about how marketers can know when new channels make sense to add. As CEO at Verblio, helping marketers focus their content marketing is the focus of his work. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Steve Pockross

Steve Pockross brings more than 20 years of startup, Fortune 500, and nonprofit experience to his role at Verblio. As CEO, he applies leading marketplace and SaaS principles to provide a high-quality, fast and flexible content creation platform. Steve was part of the early management team at gig economy pioneer LiveOps, growing the company into the largest crowdsourced contact center in the world. At LiveOps, Pockross served as vice president of business development and strategy, and also spearheaded the creation of the award-winning LiveOps Foundation. He also served in marketing, strategy, and operational leadership roles at Tendril, Western Union, Marketing Technologies Group, and HSBC.

Episode Highlights

How are content marketers juggling everything today? “I don’t know how.” But Steve knows how to help. “Be good at one thing and expand from there.” He credits Rand Fishkin’s T-shaped model in helping him do this.

Where can you focus your content marketing? “First, look at your audience and where they are. Then ask what they like. Finally, consider what you like talking about.”

On rebranding. Over the past few years, Steve worked through an extensive rebranding of Verblio. In working through the yearlong process, the branding consultant they worked with noted, “What I’m giving you—Verblio—is an empty vessel. You will infuse it with meaning.” Steve shared how they work to do this with a story bridging the gap (?) between Hubspot and Burning Man!

What brand has made Steve smile recently? “I’m going to go with Wistia again,” Steve came back to a favorite brand he’d discussed earlier in the show (we’ve had Chris Savage and Kristen Craft as guests on On Brand). Why the smiles? “Their clever customer service emails.”

To learn more, go to Verblio.com and check out their podcast.

As We Wrap …

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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