“Why look at you when you could look at somebody else?” That’s the question every piece of content has to answer. 🎯
At ClickZ Live Bangkok 2015, I spoke with content marketing expert Ron Vining of Singapore-based Brand Influx about how content builds brand value. 🎙️
📊 In this episode, we unpacked:
- 🎯 Why compelling content matters
- ✂️ Short and sweet beats long
- 📺 Two-minute videos and Marketing Kitchen TV
- 🐦 His favorite social channels
- 📈 Social media overload
🎥 Watch the full episode:
🎯 Why Compelling Content Matters
Ron’s company is called Brand Influx because brands need an influx of compelling content to stand out and engage customers across all media. 🎯
Good content captures attention, keeps it and retains it. If a brand shows a boring piece of content on the subway, people jump to something more exciting. It has to be different and valuable. 💡
✂️ Short and Sweet Beats Long
Video is exciting but takes time; images are easier. Ron is a writer, but at the conference people told him their 500–3,000-word blogs weren’t being read. His answer: make them shorter, even one paragraph, with a compelling image or video. ✂️
I pushed back with SEO advice that longer content ranks better. Ron, who hires out his SEO, agreed length can work as long as there’s value and the right keywords, but says today’s audience wants short and sweet. For the SEO side, read Bill Slawski on ranking factors. 🔗
📺 Two-Minute Videos and Marketing Kitchen TV
Ron was launching a YouTube channel in 2016 called Marketing Kitchen TV, mixing marketing with cooking recipes, filmed in his kitchen. 🍳
A big Star Wars fan, he still asks who wants to watch two-hour vlogs. His advice: make videos about two minutes long and release them more often, or cut a long video into two-minute segments. 📺
His favorite is Twitter: short, sweet and easy to engage. For clients, Instagram is the main place for images, with Twitter used like a news feed to push people there. 🐦
His second favorite is LinkedIn, because much of his work is B2B. LinkedIn Pulse and groups are where thought leadership happens, and more followers mean more readers. For more on social branding, read Jeff Bullas’s interview. 🔗
Ron thinks social media has reached overload. Facebook is a great channel, but too many people and too much is happening there. 📈
He’d advise LinkedIn to stick to what it does best, letting professionals network, rather than becoming another Facebook: “I don’t want to see pictures of somebody’s cat.” He had spoken at ClickZ Live events from New York to Bangkok. For another story about content, read Christoph Trappe on storytelling. 🔗
📝 Key Takeaways From the Ron Vining Interview
- 🎯 Content must capture, keep and retain attention
- ✂️ Keep copy short and pair it with strong visuals
- 📺 Aim for two-minute videos released often
- 💼 Use LinkedIn for B2B thought leadership
- 📈 Platforms should specialize, not do everything
❓ FAQs About Ron Vining
Who is Ron Vining?
A content marketing expert who worked for Brand Influx, a Singapore-based company helping brands create compelling content.
Does Ron Vining recommend long blog posts?
He says audiences prefer short content, but agrees long content can work if it delivers value and uses the right keywords.
Twitter, followed by LinkedIn for B2B thought leadership.
🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love
- Video Interview With Kimberly De Vries From IMMarketNews
- Expert Chat with Ann Smarty Discussing How To Build Authority in Your Niche
- Alexandra Tachalova On How To Be Productive Digital Marketing Ninja
- Interview with Christina Szekeres FB Queen: How Facebook Changed her Life
Short or long content: what works for you? Share this with a content marketer. 💬
🔔 Subscribe & Follow Jitendra Vaswani Everywhere
🎧 Subscribe to Inside A Hustler’s Brain on YouTube and Follow Jitendra Vaswani on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, everywhere. 🙌
Jitendra Vaswani is a well-known expert in SEO and AI-driven digital marketing. He has spoken at international events and founded Digiexe, a digital marketing agency, and AffiliateBooster, WordPress plugin designed specifically for affiliate marketers. With over 10 years of experience, Jitendra has helped many businesses succeed online. His bestselling book, Inside A Hustler’s Brain: In Pursuit of Financial Freedom, with over 20,000 copies sold globally, underscores his influence and commitment to empowering digital marketers.