Summary
Thousands of books, blogs, journal articles, and news stories about marketing are disseminated through media, but they hardly provide the audience with the practical “How” of marketing. It is no wonder that a person spends time scrolling through search tabs to find the “How,” but the available information does not satiate the desire of the reader. Milanie Deziel’s book The content fuel framework: how to generate unlimited story ideas, written by an award-winning and practicing journalist writer changes everything that people have been reading about content marketing. It is a complicated topic, as one can only guess if the content being created will attract a significant audience to the venture or not. Additionally, when watching content about a product on TV, one should not flip to the next page just because the content is boring. The book by Deziel, a life-long storyteller and public speaker who has appeared on television shows, should be the next book on the reading list before this year ends.
Thesis (Central Lesson)
The target audience of Deziel’s The content fuel framework is for any person, whether a novice or established content creator who is struggling with coming up with new ideas or coming up with designing engaging content for the audience. The central lesson of Deziel’s book is on content marketing, which has been growing and is becoming the norm of communicating with potential clients in the market. In today’s digitized world, customers expect high-quality engaging content from their favorite brands. This is a right and when withheld, the business risks losing the client to its rivals. Proper content marketing improves relationships with clients, builds trust, and generates leads that can be converted into sales.
The main focus of the book is a how to capitalize on a framework designed by Deziel (2020). The author sums the framework as content framework = focus + format. The two components of the framework can attract new clients and cause the existing clients to stick around longer. One of the things that set this book from hundreds of books and articles on content marketing is the intent of the writer and commitment to show the “How” side of creating content. In less than 190 pages, Deziel (2020) uses the content fuel framework to educate the reader on how to come up with ideas before putting them into action. The book is all about two lenses: the focus lens and the format lens. The focus lens is the means through which the content creator tells the story, while the format lens is means in which the content creator brings the content to life to engage with the audience. The author uses a simple 10X10 matrix, with each section covering ten chapters fitting in 190 pages. The theme of “How” is present in every chapter, if not in every page of the book, with footnotes that any determined content creator can brainstorm within a few minutes, say five for every chapter.
In most instances, solving a problem requires a person who has faced the same problem before. Melanie Deziel’s The Content Fuel framework speaks life and hope to the reader who may have struggled or is currently struggling to generate content that will attract potential clients to the business. The 10X10 matrix is a quick fix to the problem, considering that the framework is already at work and others are already using it. It is something that has worked before, is working, and will work with any content creator. The focus section is on the audience that one intends to interact with. It could be coworkers, consumers, children, sellers, or any other category of people that will consume the content. The format is the way of getting to the attention of the client. It can be through visual engagement, writing, videos, or photographs. Deziel (2020) leads the reader and the content creator to develop personal questions about whether one has been using the right way to create and disseminate content to the audience. For instance, while most people would opt to begin with the format, Deziel (2020) emphasizes the need for designing advertisements that start with the lens of focus. This allows the person to know the type of readers or audience that will interact with the content.
Central Pillars (Learning outcomes)
Deziel’s book direct the reader to several learning outcomes, but I believe that three ideas stood when was reading the text. Deziel believes that systemizing the process of creating new and fresh content takes away the struggle that content creators encounter when trying to meet the varying needs of clients and potential consumers. The systemizing approach is summed in the author’s framework, where one is expected to brainstorm and make the unique content to come out effortlessly. For instance, the focus section allows one to identify the target audience, attributes, and what may be considered right to the specific audience before one starts thinking of the means of reaching the specified segment. The format part of the framework deals with the means of delivering the message to the identified audience, depending on how one has defined them in the focus section. Creating engaging contents that resonate with the reader’s tastes and preferences can influence the person’s purchase decisions; including making an unplanned purchase or clicking on a link that directs them to the landing page of the company’s website.
Apart from systemizing, brainstorming the strategy is also a requirement. It takes into consideration the aspect of working in teams and collaboration. Brainstorming is no longer about sitting down and wondering what will work and what will not work. This is waste of time and can cause one to create horrific content that does not command attention from the audience. When working in teams, the manager or the leader can consider breaking down the team into smaller groups and assign topics to brainstorm before coming up with the ideas. The advantage of this approach is that it can generate thousands of new ideas that could serve the company both today and in future. Additionally, team work helps subordinates to grow as they learn to appreciate their work environments while also developing a sense of belonging to the organization. This is a book that could help any aspiring leader. A junior in any organization would find this text helpful, as it helps to learn the ways to transform one’s content.
In considering how one can simplify the process of creating new content, Deziel (2020) introduces a strategy that emphasizes the need for order. The author emphasizes that proper order takes away monotony in content creation and engages the audience directly. Deziel (2020) challenges the assumptions that people hold about digital marketing and on what one knows about content marketing. It is more about the people that will receive the message. The focus + format framework helps one to develop and disseminate information that the masses crave for. What is more interesting in the book is that Deziel (2020) provides example that one can relate to the real world. This fulfills the “How” section in the book’s title. By teaching and providing real-world examples, Deziel’s text stands out compared to theoretical texts that hardly challenge the hands-on skills of the reader.
Discussion (Reflection)
The content fuel framework is a complete package for the reader and future manager. The reader can tell from the first page of the text that the author is an expert in the field, based on how the book engages the real challenges that people face when trying to create marketing content. The author identifies with the pain that the target audience of the book face and provides a solution in a manner that solves the conflict within a language that any person can understand. Modern managers would be quick to adapt this book into their shelves, considering to the manner that the author approaches the topic and the problem that managers face when trying to work out new content for the business.
Deziel’s book is laced with the know-how of what happens in marketing, considering that it is written by an award-winning author, journalist, and public speaker who has practiced in the field of content marketing. The author knows and understands most challenges that companies face, and is here to provide a solution that works. Throughout the text, there is no chaos, but each paragraph addresses the “How” of the topic as it leads the reader to identify and acknowledge the power of forging new strategies to make the business successful.
Even though I did not finish the book in one sitting, I believe that it is the right resource for any person involved in managing people at the organizational level. It is meant for someone already in the management level as well as aspiring managers. The 10X10 matrix strategy is well explained, and one can consider reading a chapter a day before leaving for work or five minutes during the lunch hour break. The book directs the management teach to the wealth of knowledge that can be tapped to make the content marketing strategy effective both in the short-term and long-term life of the business.
Content marketing strategy is the future of the business, and I do not think that any manager should shun the opportunities that this strategy holds for the business. The strategy helps the management team to plan and channel efforts and resources to where they are needed most, while avoiding wasting them where they are less needed. Most companies have websites or generate email messages that are channeled to specific clients. Unless the management team understands the target of the marketing message and the format of communicating with the recipient, the strategy risks having little impact on the recipient, if any. It is at this point that Deziel’s book comes in to advise and guide the management team on the best course of action through the “how” process covered in the framework strategy. Content marketing remains a mission for any business that wants to grow. It is also a hidden requirement for hiring firms as they would want to know how the potential employee could leverage the power of content marketing to propel the company to the next level.
Deziel’s The content fuel framework is a rescue for current and future managers who may be facing stalled content ideas. Future managers may be forced to adopt a content marketing strategy that suits different channels, such as social media, mainstream media, and road shows. When one thinks about meeting the needs of clients on these diverse platforms, it becomes challenging to understand how they may respond to the message. However, with the help of Deziel’s content fuel framework, one can relax knowing that the focus aspect of the strategy will lead to tens of ideas once one has defined the target audience of the message.
I do not consider reading and reviewing Deziel’s book to be in vain. Instead, I can describe it as a learning experience and process that will have lasting impacts on my future career as a manager. The skills and knowledge acquired through the reading and working through the examples and engaging questions that the author asks at the end of every chapter will go a long way to impact my success as a business manager. One may not be in a formal management position at the moment, but this book is a timely resource for any person interested in the management position. Reading Daziel’s book prepares the reader to make an informed decision on behalf of subordinates and the organization at large. The knowledge acquired from the text can have a direct impact on the company’s success. Managers can encourage and avail the text to junior staff to create a team of empowered subordinates. Daziel’s text is a valuable resource that no one should ignore.
Reference
Deziel, M. (2020). The content fuel framework: how to generate unlimited story ideas. StoryFuel Press.