Mark Masters helps people to own their media.
Mark has been running the UK-based marketing and design agency The ID Group for eight years.
In more recent times he has concluded, like many other forward-thinking marketers and business people, that old school marketing tactics don’t work as effectively as they used to.
“Marketing has changed more in the past 20 years than any other business discipline,” he says.
“So why are we relying on the same old textbooks? Why do business owners still think that shouting louder than the competition is the answer to longevity?
“Disrupting people through advertising; manipulating them with sales driven hyperbole; interruption via phone calls; relentless emails that provide no value, has been the norm,” he says, and then counters: “Isn’t it time to make a deeper connection with your audience to drive profitable action?”
Mark believes that as businesses, we need to embrace a content marketing mindset.
The only differentiation we have, as businesses are the stories we tell, he says.
Mark has developed and adjusted his views over time, clarifying his thoughts and philosophies through reading, blogging, publishing a weekly podcast, and by discussing issues and ideas with a broad range of thought leaders and experts in the content marketing space globally for his popular Talking Content Marketing interview series.
The result is a new book (The Content Revolution), a re-energised ID Group business and a growing international profile thanks in considerable part to his relentless content publishing efforts.
In The Content Revolution, Mark takes readers on a journey through the new realities of marketing: honouring and respecting your audience; solving people’s problems by creating content solutions; and building relationships by connecting on a personal level.
The book is as much about mindset than anything, and provides food for thought designed to challenge marketers and business owners to think differently about the way they market their brand to the public.
While there are lots of stories, tips and useful applications of tools and technologies, the book isn’t what I’d call a nuts-and-bolts how-to guide but more so an expansive look at what’s required for businesses to become their own media company. In other words, it’s an emotional call to arms infused with practical advice from the frontline trenches of the content marketing revolution.
The Rise of the Human
I particularly like chapter three, which Mark (pictured) has titled: ‘The Rise of the Human’. It really resonates!
He writes: “People do business with those they trust. This has not changed in hundreds of years; the only thing that is different today is that we are not limited geographically. It’s time to be present, stand for something, and champion being normal again.”
“Authenticity will always beat timing an automated tweet,” he says.
And this: “People want humanity and openness, not a special offer that runs out at the end of the month.”
And this: “In a world in which we now have different personas and platforms trying to make you into something else, the greatest achievement is to be yourself.”
So, if you’re after a more holistic and philosophical view of why how and why use content marketing to market your business, then The Content Marketing Revolution book is a must-read!
- CONNECT with Mark on Twitter – @heyidgroup
- LISTEN to Mark and fellow marketer Ian Rhodes via Marketing Homebrew, their weekly podcast conversation focused on encouraging businesses to adopt an owned media mindset.
- READ Mark’s ‘owned media mindset’ articles.
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