They Ask, You Answer, 2nd Edition

61 “How Long Will It Take They Ask, You Answer to Work?”

“If we embrace content marketing as a company, and truly follow They Ask, You Answer as you’re telling us, what does success look like? And how long would you expect this to take?”

This, quite possibly, is the top question companies have when they want to embrace this business philosophy. The question makes sense. Creating a culture of listening, teaching, and then acting on what you find isn’t easy. It takes time, tools, resources, and major dedication.

It’s also really worth it when done right.

Content Marketing the “Right” Way

As you might imagine, the following guideline can vary dramatically from company to company and industry to industry. Also, what you’re reading here is contingent on doing content marketing the “right” way — as explained in this book.

Specifically, the following assumes that your company is:

• Producing at an absolute minimum two to three new pieces of content each week (videos, articles, and so on).
• Following the philosophies of They Ask, You Answer — a willingness to truly address the most common buying questions a prospect or customer is going to ask, about costs, problems, comparisons, reviews, and so on.
• The company is fully participating. From management to sales to marketing, everyone is involved, and a mission statement — stating the vision of They Ask, You Answer for your company — has been created.

5 Stages of Content Marketing Success

Assuming you’re willing to do these three things, ...