how to evangelize a content marketing program

Evangelizing content marketing starts with a

story.

Marriott’s first foray into content is the stuff of marketing

legend.

“Why the heck would anyone want to read a blog from me?” —James Willard Marriott

“Content marketing is the atomic particle of

all the rest of a brand’s marketing campaigns.”—REBECCA LIEB, ALTIMETER GROUP

Content Marketing on the Rise

Name of section 8

• Why evangelizing content matters

• Telling your story:• Why should you do it?• When should you do it? • How should you do it?

Agenda

Why evangelizing matters

Name of section 10

Great content marketing requires commitment. It’s tempting to jump straight into creating content—that’s the fun part. But by taking the time to tell a story about why content marketing isright for your company, you’ll set yourself up for true success.(and hopefully get a bigger budget).

The three questions you need to answer to evangelize your program:

How, When, and Why?

Content Marketing: Why

Traditional Advertising Faces Monumental Struggles

z

16%Year-over-year

increase in cutting cable

1/3Millennials claim they watch no

broadcast TV

.1%Average CTR

for banner ads

.35%Average CTA

for mobile ads

B2B marketers now using content marketing in a strategic fashion

86%

B2B marketers creating more content than they were a year ago

76%z

Leading marketers are moving away from traditional advertising

B2C marketers now using content marketing in a strategic fashion

76%

B2C marketers creating more content than they were a year ago

69%z

Leading marketers are moving away from traditional advertising

Close rate for SEO leads14.6%

Close rate for outbound leads1.7%

z

Good content = Good SEO

Content Marketing: When

This is a huge problem.

Only 53% of marketers have a documented content strategy.

It’s impossible to evangelize a content program without being able to show that you’re doing it with purpose and delivering towards business goals.

Let’s look at a few.

Define your goals z

Brand awareness: A combination of widely used content metrics such as readers, return readers, shares, and engaged time spent reading can be combined to create a detailed brand awareness score.

Lead generation: Through the use of marketing automation software such as Marketo and Salesforce, one can track and attribute how content marketing helps generate leads.

Lead nurturing: Smart content tracking will let you see how many pieces of content a lead consumed during their purchase journey and will attribute a monetary value to the impact a piece of content had in moving them through the funnel.

Sales enablement: Companies that excel at lead nurturing—largely thanks to their content marketing efforts—generate 50 percent more sales-ready leads at a 33 percent lower cost.

Customer retention: Tracking the effect that post-purchase content consumption has on future consumption makes the case for content marketing even stronger. Just consider the lifetime value of your average customer.

Content marketing: How

Content Measurement and Optimization Methodology

CREATE

ENG

AG

E

OP

TIM

I Z E

a

Create• Premium content produced on Contently platform

by exclusive talent network.• Content posted on top media titles such as CNN,

New York magazine, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, and more.

• A/B tested headlines and images.

a

Measured Engagement• Content performance

reviewed on Contently.• Insights to ensure clicks

and drive engagementperformance metrics.

a

Real-Time Optimization• Contently editors adjust

headlines, images CPCs, and publications to adjust engagement.

• Editors pitch stories primed for network performance.

• Insights from process fuel continuous improvement.

Create: Audit your assets and identify your audience

What is your brand voice?What types of stories will you tell?

Will you build an in-house team, rely primarily on freelance talent, or some combination of the two?

How will you structure your approval workflow so that you can publish fast and effectively?

Create: Craft an execution plan

1. How will you build a loyal readership? (Hint: Email!)

2. How will you leverage organic and paid social channels to reach new readers?

3. How will you measure the success of the content you’re creating and get better every day, month, year and quarter?

Engage, Measure, and Optimize

1. Present the case for why content marketing is an effective channel. Use our stats and quotes! :)

2. Identify your business goals and explain how content will help you deliver on those goals.

3. Build a plan of attack: Leverage the create => engage => optimize methodology.

THE CHECKLIST