5 Rock n Roll Quotes to Inspire Content Marketing Greatness

Marketing Profs Chief Content Officer Ann Handley has a brilliant formula for creating epic content; useful x enjoyable x inspired = innovative. I love this equation because it serves as a checklist of sorts for me when I am creating content. Having a background in the entertainment industry before making the move to the world of B2B tech marketing is where I pull a lot of my inspiration from. That inspiration multiplied by an element of usefulness and personality brings me to what I hope is a unique perspective on B2B marketing.

Since that perspective is fueled by my passion for rock n roll music, I thought it would be fun to share five of my favorite quotes from some very clever musicians that can be applied to a content marketing strategy. There’s a lesson to be learned from each of these rock n roll icons listed below, so let’s dive right in, shall we?

1. “Don’t hate the media, become the media” – Jello Biafra (DK)

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. Punk rock pioneers such as Biafra and The Clash decided to take matters into his own hands when it came to competing for media space during a time when disco ruled. Tabloid newspapers and other media seized on sensational stories regarding the antics of both the bands and their fans. The same approach can be applied to content marketing. Just as punk rockers forced the mainstream press to pay attention to them by being so outlandish, as a content marketer it’s your duty to break through the white noise and make an impact. So go ahead, try something new and adventurous, do something unexpected and give your industry something talk about.

2. “The only art I’ll ever study, is stuff I can steal from.” – David Bowie

One time a writer asked the musician David Bowie if he was original he said, “No no no… I am more like a tasteful thief.” The idea for content marketers here is something I learned while reading Austin Kleon’s book “Steal Like an Artist”. Kleon encourages the reader to start branching out, searching, reading widely and often, studying your idols for inspiration. He states, “All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.” So instead of racking your brain trying to come up with something completely original, just take inspiration and reimagine these ideas into your own good content. It’s how you put your own spin on these ideas that really matter.

3. “We believed that anything that was worth doing was worth overdoing” – Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)

Aerosmith are a prime example of taking things to the next level. From their fast moving bad boy lifestyle in the 70s, all the way to their radio and MTV dominance of the 90s, they went big with everything they did. The lesson for content marketers here is to go big with your content. More specifically, create a “stake in the ground” piece of definitive content that can easily be repurposed into many “snackable” pieces. For example, at LinkedIn we created a one-stop-shop definitive guide for marketing on LinkedIn. The ebook clocked in at over 50 pages, but the real magic is how we repurpose this “big rock” piece of content into multiple blogs, infographics, videos, webinars, SlideShare decks and more which will fuel our social media and demand gen efforts for up to an entire quarter.

4. “There’s such a fine line between stupid and clever” – David St. Hubbins (Spinal Tap)

This is some of the best advice anyone could ever give a marketer. We have all seen examples of this from Kenneth Cole comparing their Spring Line to the uprising in a foreign country, to companies offering up their ebooks for “reading material during Hurricane Sandy”. How can you as a marketer avoid these types of blunders? The answer lies within the sound advice mentioned above from the self-proclaimed “patron saint of quality footwear.”

5. “You hear about bands who say, “We did one show where only 20 people showed up”, well that was our average gig for five years.” - Dexter Holland (The Offspring)

Ok, so maybe the Offspring isn’t the best band in the world to quote, but lead singer Dexter Holland makes a great point here. Just as many bands start off by touring and playing to small crowds, the same can be said about your content marketing efforts. It’s going to take time to build an audience, so do not get frustrated early on and give up if you don’t immediately start seeing results. Just as the Offspring had a plan in place that would eventually lead to success, content marketers also need to set goals early on and stick to their guns.

So there you have it. Five of my favorite rock n roll quotes to inspire content marketing greatness. Have any to add? Please join the conversation in the comment section below.