people focused content - cma building content strategy seminar

Making the case for content How to build a strategy & make your content work

Blind faith in technology.

SVP @bstat Baron Manett SVP, Strategy @bstat

Mark Michaud SVP, Strategy @michaudmark

Howdy, nice to see you

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

What’s the point of marketing?

Somehow we thought he had all the answers…

We started to listen these folks

And then this happened…

…and this…

… and then this.

Now this.

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

What’s the point of marketing?

So…

What’s the one constant?

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

People & the relationships they have with one another

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

Empathy & Communication

Makings of a good relationship

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

Conversation

EMPATHETIC LISTENING

MUTUAL BENEFIT THOUGHTFUL

RECIPROCAL

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

Where does content fit in?

It’s the stuff you talk about.

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

Content ≠ copy

2000 – 2012

Content ≠ format

2000 – 2012

Content ≠ messaging

2000 – 2012

Content: The essence and substance of your brand.

2000 – 2012

Blind faith in technology.

Think of it like this…

2000 – 2012

This is Brad…

…he wants a new car.

Here 2000 – 2012

Here

?

Brad’s Journey

RESEARCH

VALIDATES

TESTSCONFIRMS

BUYS

RESEARCH

VALIDATES

TESTSCONFIRMS

BUYS

2000 – 2012

Brad has questions…

?

?

?

? ? ? ?

?

…we have answers.

CONTENT This is

2000 – 2012

Q+A If = CONTENT

2000 – 2012

What is content strategy?

2000 – 2012

Wells Fargo

2000 – 2012

IKEA

2000 – 2012

KNORR

content strategy > What should we say? > How do we organize it? > How should we sound? > How do we create it? > How will we maintain it?

> Why are we doing this? > What are the right channels? > Who are we talking to? > How will we measure it? > Why are we saying it?

2000 – 2012

Content Strategy: Content strategy plans for the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content.

– Kristina Halvorson

THE PROCESS?

THE PROCESS?

But there are tools & approaches…

2000 – 2012 Blind faith in technology.

People-focused content strategy

Here’s ours…

Let’s roll up our sleeves:

1. Challenge our thinking about content.

2. Prove that content is an asset worth investing in.

3. Explain how to think about content strategically.

4. Enable an approach to content strategy.

Define 1

Strategize

2

Plan 3

•  Business objectives •  Audience insights •  Content review

•  Overlap in goals •  Strategy statement •  Identify formats •  Align existing content •  Identify gaps

•  Matrix •  Requirements •  Tone and voice •  Editorial calendar

Define Gathering everything we need for the strategy.

Why? What are the objectives underpinning your strategy?

You probably have to deal with this

Tools that can help

Market analysis reports

Competitive Reviews

Is this a good objective?

Get more visitors to our website.

Get more visitors to our website.

Increase the number of sale- qualified leads.

Identifying True Objectives

•  Be the “go-to” place that first-time homebuyers use to learn about mortgages. •  Demonstrate our ability to help first-time homebuyers make confident home buying decisions earning the right to get their mortgage business.  

•  Increase our share of mortgages among first-time homebuyers. •  Increase the number of qualified leads originating from the web sites by 20%

BUSINESS MARKETING •  We are your best source of mortgage information, tools, advice and products.

•  Show first-time homebuyers how to make good real estate and financing decisions for their own situation.  

COMMUNICATION

ü

The makings of a good objective:

Measurable: Can be measured with a certain degree of accuracy.

ü Focused: Places emphasis on a single goal.

ü Business impact: The objective is moving the business forward in a meaningful way.

Your turn:

Let’s complete exercises one, two and three.

Here’s how: 1.  Craft your business story 2.  Map out your stakeholders 3.  Identify your business objectives

Who? What audiences are we trying to connect with?

Everyone!

Audience research

Personas

Customer journeys

Tools that can help

The Brief

Unpacking the brief

The Insights

?  

Gender: Men and Women (note that single women are more likely to be first-time homebuyers than single men) Age: 25-32 and 35-42 (Gen Z and Millennials/Gen Y) Education: Skews “some post-secondary education” Influencers: 98% use a real estate agent; 65% get pre-approval in a bank branch; 35% get parental help with a down payment  

The Brief

Unpacking the brief

Gender: Men and Women (note that single women are more likely to be first-time homebuyers than single men) Age: 25-32 and 35-42 (Gen Z and Millennials/Gen Y) Education: Skews “some post-secondary education” Influencers: 98% use a real estate agent; 65% get pre-approval in a bank branch; 35% get parental help with a down payment. Process: On average, first-time homebuyers view 25+ houses before purchase.  

The Insights Doing their homework online, but interacting in many channels. Gen Y and Gen Z are technology savvy and high education makes them technology optimists but home buying in not an online process.

Process is complex. With multiple viewings, many influencers and professionals involved and a dynamic markets, the process can be overwhelming, stressful and complicated.

Unpacking the brief

The Insights The Goals > Learn about home buying. > Learn about mortgages. > Assess options to have confidence in final decision.

Getting to know our audiences:

Data Demographics Hypotheses Assumptions

Insights Behaviours Motivations Goals  

Empathy Maps

Your turn:

Let’s complete exercise four.

Here’s how: 1.  Identify your audience and their needs.

What? What content do we currently have?

“I want a blog!”

Content Inventory

Scorecard

Tools that can help

Audits Done Right

Establish criteria

q  Name q  Location q  Format q  Creation date q  Brand q  Focus q  Notes

What you’ll inventory Look for sources Where you’ll look

> Websites > Collateral > Call Centre Scripts > Archives > Social Media > Design files > Warehouses

Define 1

Strategize

2

Plan 3

•  Business objectives •  Audience insights •  Content review

•  Overlap in goals •  Strategy statement •  Identify formats •  Align existing content •  Identify gaps

•  Matrix •  Requirements •  Tone and voice •  Editorial calendar

STRATEGIZE Pulling it all together

The tools:

Content Strategy Deliverables

2000 – 2012

They want to…

Mapping objectives

We want to…

> Learn about home buying. > Learn about mortgages. > Assess options to have confidence in final decision.

•  Increase the number of qualified leads originating from the web sites by 20% •  Show first-time homebuyers how to make good real estate and financing decisions for their own situation. •  Demonstrate our ability to help first-time homebuyers make confident home buying decisions earning the right to get their mortgage business.  

2000 – 2012

Finding Overlap

Where the strategy lies

Audience Goals

Business Objectives

Our brand will engage with first time homebuyers by providing them with a comprehensive source of information

and advice on all aspects of home buying – integrating real estate information with financing education.

To ensure they can access this resource when they need it, we will provide it on the web and through a mobile/tablet app.

They will be able to customize it and store info on their specific situation so it acts as an essential tool to facilitate the purchase process.

Spell it out

Our brand will engage with first time homebuyers by providing them with a comprehensive source of information

and advice on all aspects of home buying – integrating real estate information with financing education.

To ensure they can access this resource when they need it, we will provide it on the web and through a mobile/tablet app.

They will be able to customize it and store info on their specific situation so it acts as an essential tool to facilitate the purchase process.

Strategy Statement

Finding Brand Themes

OUR BRAND

Truly helpful advice Enabling client success

On our clients’ terms Holistic view of needs

Your turn:

Let’s complete exercises five, six and seven.

Here’s how: 1.  Find overlap between your goals and those of your

audience. 2.  Identify your brand themes. 3.  Craft your strategy statement.

Define 1

Strategize

2

Plan 3

•  Business objectives •  Audience insights •  Content review

•  Overlap in goals •  Strategy statement •  Identify formats •  Align existing content •  Identify gaps

•  Matrix •  Requirements •  Tone and voice •  Editorial calendar

PLAN Mapping out how to get it done

Identifying content types

Audience Goal Topics Format

Learn about home buying.

Learn about mortgage options.

•  What to look for when buying. •  Which neighbourhoods are good.. •  How much house is too much. •  What are closing costs?

> Video > Reports > Tips

> Step-by-step instructions > Articles > Calculators

•  Types of mortgages. •  Available options like

prepayments. •  How to decide what’s right for

me? •  Process: How do I get one?

Find Gaps

Reuse

?  

?  

What does our content audit say?

Audience Goal Topics Format

Learn about home buying.

Learn about mortgage options.

•  What to look for when buying. •  Which neighbourhoods are good.. •  How much house is too much. •  What are closing costs?

> Video > Reports > Tips

> Step-by-step instructions > Articles > Calculators

•  Types of mortgages. •  Available options like

prepayments. •  How to decide what’s right for

me? •  Process: How do I get one?

Your turn:

Let’s complete exercise eight.

Here’s how: 1.  Identify the content you’ll need and list out if you

know where it exists.

The tools:

Tone and voice guidelines

Content requirements

Editorial calendar

Setting up a matrix

All the content we need to produce, edit or migrate.

Content Requirements

Where is the source content? What are the copy points? Where are the wireframes? Who creates it? When is it due?

The Purpose:

Governance

How do we do to maintain content?

Your turn:

Let’s complete exercise nine.

Here’s how: 1.  Try your hand at completing content requirements.

And… breathe ;)

ü  Content is powerful: It’s the substance of the conversations you have with customers. ü  Content is for people: Put your audience at the heart of your strategy and it will excel.

ü  Content is hard work: But it’s worth it.

Here’s what we learned: