content is king: make your brand queen

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Content is King

Make Your Business Queen

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Let’s Make the Most of Our Time

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@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Hypocrite Oath

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

What Content Marketing Isn’t• A hard sell• A push of

your product / service / offering

• Icky

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

What’s Content Marketing Is:

Content marketing is any marketing format that involves the creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire customers.

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Content MarketingFormat• Written• Audio• Visual• Video

Channels to Share• White papers• ebooks• Infographics• Case studies• how-to guides• Q&A’s• Photos• Email newsletter• Social media• Testimonials

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Why Content Marketing Matters

Content Marketing means creating and sharing valuable free content to attract and convert prospects into customers,

and customers into repeat buyers

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Why Content Marketing Works• Demonstrates your

expertise• Provide a sense of who you

are and how you work – before they buy

• Create trust and loyalty when you’re giving something away for free– People buy from someone

they trust• Attract targeted prospects

aligned with your content

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

THE GOOD NEWSWhy Marketers Love Content Marketing

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Marketers Are Using Content

• 87% of US B2B marketers used content marketing in 2012

• An increase of 5%

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Importance of Content Increasing• 91% of now use content

marketing• 54% of plan to increase or

significantly increase content marketing spend over next 12 months

• On average, 33% of the marketing budget will be spent on B2B content marketing

• And the amount being spent is growing!– Hello career change!

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Content Vaults to No. 1 Marketing Priority for 2013

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Content is the Most Effective

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

THE BAD NEWSWhy Marketers Hate Content Marketing

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Creating Original Content Is Hard

• 69% of marketers say it’s their biggest challenge

These Are the Professionals!

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

DON’T CRY – OR LEAVEWE’LL WORK THROUGH THIS

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Expectations of Content Marketing

1) Brand awareness -- 79%2) Customer acquisition -- 74%3) Lead generation -- 71%

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

The Smaller the Company (budget)…

• The more important content marketing is

• Most cost-effective with the highest ROI

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Small Businesses Say Content is Key

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

TELL ME HOW TO CREATE CONTENT ALREADY…

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

The Process: Content Strategy | Execution

1. Identify audience2. Determine frequency 3. Create an editorial

calendar4. Identify | create

content5. Share6. Measure7. Adjust8. Repeat!

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Think About Your Target Audience• Current | Potential

Customers • What keeps them up at

night?• Can you provide insight?

• To-Do:– Identify content areas of

interest

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Frequency

• To-Do:– Identify how frequently

you can share content– Be realistic

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Drive Content Marketing Strategy from Your Blog

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Create an Editorial Calendar• It doesn’t have to be fancy• Make it something you will use• To Do– Pick calendar format

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Content Calendar• Plan ahead to reinforce

your key messages• Block out rolling 13

months of what you know

• Holidays • Seasons• Industry events /

conferences• Your vacation

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Identify | Create Content

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt @RaniMonson

Curate Content for Calendar• It Doesn’t All Have to be Original• Content you curate is created by someone

else– And you give them credit for their work

• Don’t plagiarize, steal, etc. – It’s bad content karma

• Sources:– Industry websites / trade publications / analysts– Your business partners– Guest bloggers– Competitors

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Evergreen ContentWhat is it?• It’s always relevant /

green• Plan: Ready ahead of

time• Have a list handy – plug

in as needed

Examples• FAQs• Case studies• Lessons learned• Recycle popular content• Guest writers• How-to guides• Q&A• Historical industry info• Calendar of events

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Augment With Timely Content

Typically safe:• Industry news • Emerging trends• Data / facts • Research reports

Be careful with:• Current events• Politics• Religion

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

Did you know today is

“ Big Wind Day” & “Russian Cosmonaut Day”

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt @RaniMonson

HOW YA FEELIN’?

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Share Content• Post to blog• Repost / repurpose

your own content– Share on LinkedIn /

social• Start a dialogue

– Email newsletter• To Do:– Identify where to

share

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Measure Your Content• What works

• To do:– Plan what day each week / month you will look at

metrics

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Review the Editorial Calendar• Review the Editorial Calendar• What’s changed?• New things to add?• What’s working / not working

• To do:– Determine what day each week / month you will review the

calendar

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Recap of To-Dos• Identify content areas of interest to target

audience• Determine how frequently you can share

content• Pick calendar format • Create editorial calendar• Share content• Measure • Review / Refine• Repeat

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Q & A

Rani Monsonrani@RainMakingMarketing.com

http://www.slideshare.net/ranimonson