Sonja Jefferson - Valuable Content Marketing: How to Make Quality Content Your Key to Success

S onja and Sharon are on a mission to help good businesses flourish by creating and sharing valuable content. Together they run Valuable Content, a specialist content marketing consultancy and training business with a determined focus on helping independent businesses make the changes they need to win with this powerful and rewarding approach.

Sonja and Sharon have worked on hundreds of content marketing projects. Their experience of working with small ambitious businesses on the coalface of content marketing shapes their unique perspective of what works and what doesnt today. Its taken them to Lanzarote, training holiday companies to collaborate on content so the whole island benefits; theyve worked with the University of Bristols web team, helping create the institutions first content strategy; and its led them to government-backed Tech City UK, where they are designing the social media course for the Digital Business Academy. They run the popular Bristol Content Group and are curators of the Valuable Content Awards, recognizing content excellence around the world.

Sonja is a content marketing consultant and trainer.

With a degree in Sociology from Bristol University, Sonja began her career in sales for professional services firms. It didnt take long for her to work out that cold calling and traditional sales tactics often led to dead ends, so looked for more natural ways to start conversations. She realized that the marketing material she was given to help her sell didnt do much to open doors either: prospective clients just chucked it in the bin. So Sonja started to send them copies of articles her MD had written for the trade press to open conversations. It worked! They appreciated the helpful, thought-provoking information. This realization coincided with the arrival of blogs, which cut out the middle man and allowed companies to tell their own stories. It ignited Sonjas interest in an approach that has become known as content marketing engaging prospects and motivating sales with valuable content.

Sonja now enjoys helping unsung heroes in business create amazing content that helps their businesses fly. With a knack for going beyond the nitty-gritty to envision the big picture, shes the founder and strategic brain behind Valuable Content. One of lifes enthusiasts, she gets a buzz from speaking about content marketing, and shed love to make Bristol the content capital of the UK.

Youll find Sonja active on Twitter, where she enjoys exchanges with fellow content enthusiasts across the world.

She lives with her family in Bristol, UK, and dreams about a house in a cove on the rugged west coast. Shes learning the intricacies of rowing a traditional Cornish Pilot Gig and occasionally braves the British weather and jellyfish for long outdoor swims (which is useful in the unlikely event that her boat capsizes!).

Say hi to Sonja on Twitter and Instagram: @sonjajefferson

Sharon is a content writer and creative director.

In her early career, Sharon worked for the BBC and interviewed people for documentaries. This kindled her passion for telling stories in real human voices whether its a veteran talking about the Second World War, a mother sharing stories about her life in poverty, or an entrepreneur blogging about his lifework.

Sharon learned how to capture attention by teaching teens about grammar and literature. Shes a wordsmith and ruthless editor, and understands how to tickle, touch and dazzle readers with words. Her most-read blog 5 ways to kill your book club inspired features in the Telegraph , and on the Today programme and The World at One . With a special skill for turning drab information into engaging stories, she helps clients create compelling content to spread their ideas, engage readers and win business.

A self-confessed Instagram addict, Sharon sees the beauty in ordinary things. Shes the wordsmith and creative spirit at Valuable Content. On a mission to stamp out factory-farmed marketing, Sharon would like more companies to be human and lovable.

Sharon lives in Bristol with her partner Bill and three of their eight children. She has written a novel, enjoys walking her dog, loves growing tomatoes and makes a mean chilli jam.

Connect with Sharon on Instagram and Twitter: @SJTanton

T his book wouldnt be here without the support of some very special people. Heres a list of those we want to thank.

• JJ and Bill and our gorgeous kids Jacob, Ben, Evie, Joe and Rosa for putting up with us again through the writing process and for keeping the home fires burning!
• Anna Wilson for her unswerving support, detailed referencing and general positivity.
• Doug Kessler for writing our foreword, and making it so positive. We couldnt be more delighted.
• Lizzie Everard for her lovely illustrations, friendship and many cups of tea.
• Chris Thurling our chairman and business coach. For helping us carve out time, and backing us all the way. We couldnt do this without you, Chris.
• Bill Maryon for his clear-sighted edits at the 11th hour.
• Jon Gaunt, our accountant we know, weird right! For keeping our business on track, and your enthusiasm and belief in us.
• Kogan Page for your professional and insightful support.
• Matthew Smith for instigating this 2nd edition.
• Jon Payne of Noisy Little Monkey for help with the SEO chapter, and for making us laugh.
• Henneke Duistermaat for helping us to write our profiles. Hope to work with you more in the future.
• The swimming pools and cafes of Bristol Clifton Lido, David Lloyd Ashton and our home cafe at Spike Island for making the writing experience fun this time round.
• Bella the dog for staying calm in the midst of the chaos!

Wed like to say a big thank you to some of our special clients past and present, particularly Geoff Mason, Glynis Ward, Ian Hellens and the fabulous team at Project One; Kevin Freedman and Carmen Camacho at Freedman International; Amy Grenham and Matt Morris at Desynit; Dave James and the team at Ascentor; the Web and International teams at Bristol University exciting working with you at the start of your content strategy journey; Terri Lucas at Hymans Robertson; Paul Hajek; Jane Northcote; Andrea P Howe; Chris Williams and Sarah Jezard at Wealth Horizon; Heather Townsend, the 7 Secrets team; Mike Rapps at Gregg Latchams; Paul Hajek at Clutton Cox and Andrea P Howe of the Get Real Project.

Those who have inspired our thinking Simon Sinek (how many times have we watched that TED talk!); Bryony Thomas for her Watertight Marketing framework and strategic guidance when working together for Desynit and Ascentor; Doug Kessler for reminding us to be brave; David Meerman Scott for introducing us to the world of blogging and content all those years ago; Mark OBrien and Chris Butler at Newfangled no one gets web better; Henneke Duistermaat; Lee Frederiksen and the team at Hinge Marketing; Robin Sloan, Alan Cahoon, Ian Sanders; John Beckley at Sands Beach Resort; James Perrott, Jane Northcole, Ian Brodie, Joe Pulizzi and the Content Marketing Institute; Blair Enns, David Hieatt, Mark Masters and his Talking Content series, Tim LeRoy, Charles H. Green and of course Chris Brogan.

Those who kindly provided stories for the book and reviewed our work Neil J Fletcher, Brian Inkster, Peldi Guilizzoni at Balsamiq, Matthew Curry, Vaughan Merlyn, Mel Lester, Newfangled, Richard Fray at HSBC Expat, Mark Durnford, Rachel Goodchild, Rick Short at Indium, Jason Miliki at Rattleback, Mel Lester, David Gilroy, Jim OConnor, Bob Mytton, Novatech, Mick Dickinson, Lee Duncan, Tim Tucker, Amanda Thomas, Ann-Marie McCormack, Chris Budd, David Nutley, Andy Maslen, Jay Bigford at Yoke, Trevor Lever, Sian Tucker at Fforest, Iain Claridge, Teresa Harris at Woolley and Co, Dan Waller at Wriggle and Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh and the Sugru team.