breaking through the social clutter

The Role of Content Marketing

Breaking Through the Social ClutterSocial media whats your strategy?, 2016

Enterprise Marketing, State Farm InsuranceHuonks.com [email protected]/in/bkhuonker Twitter.com/bkhuonkerwww.slideshare.net/bkhuonker

@Midwest Social Media ConferenceatMidwest.comBRIAN HUONKER, MS, CHFC, CLU

Breaking Through the Social Clutter

Breaking Through the Social ClutterMillennials spend an average of 5.4 hours/day consuming user generated content80% of all online content is user generated25% of the search results for the top brands goes to user generated content


Breaking Through the Social Clutter59% of users are happy to share branded content following a positive experienceReferrals deliver higher-quality leadsReferences help sales close dealsBuyers prefer to engage with peersExtends your reach to customers you are not engaging withOver 70% of consumers trust the opinions of their peers


Thanks to the proliferation of social media, brands are no longer competing against each other. They are competing against every form of messaging. Consumers (particularly Millennials) know when they are being marketed to, and anything that sounds like a pitch will be ignored. Peer opinions, in fact, are considered two to three times more reliable than brand messaging.Breaking Through the Social Clutter

Breaking Through the Social ClutterIts sharing branded content through stories to:Capture the brands persona through branded storytelling.Enable social sharing through brand advocates.Enable brand discovery through consumer exploration.Connect the brand to consumers in context through cultural, relevant and valuable content.Change and enhance the consumer experience.Create visible brand value through the content.Continuously measure, examine, and optimize the consumer experience.

Breaking Through the Social ClutterStep 1: Paint a story. Create content that is valuable in customers eyes using data gained from audiences.Discover what makes your business unique.Begin work on your content brand at the point of transaction.Write for the Millennial and post-Millennial generation.Create culturally relevant content.

Breaking Through the Social ClutterStep 1: Paint a story. Be searchableBe built from keywordsUse images to help visualize informationRepurposed from other effortsSubmitted to news aggregators and bloggersBe optimize content for local searches in key market areasBe sharableBy employeesby friendsby advocatesEveryone you meet

Breaking Through the Social ClutterStep 2: Match it with specific goalsOptimize value to achieve a clear and measurable return on investment.Step 3: Pair the vision + goals with the benefitsAmplify with relationship content marketing to activate customers as creators.Step 4: Demonstrate potential results with examplesgood and bad examples to represent the hero and the villain

Breaking Through the Social ClutterStep 5: Outline a "bird's eye view" planHero Content. Developed twice a year, content is focused on the high awareness of brand, contentChipotles ScarecrowExploration ContentRegular scheduled content designed to gain attention. Airbdns New York MapCultivating Content. Simplest in nature but most effective, content is designed to continuously engage.State Farms Microwave SafetyGamification ContentThe power of game elements to tell stories

Small businesses should be even more focused on content marketing than larger brands, says Brenner. Small businesses dont have the luxury of massive budgets that are over-weighted in ineffective advertising. But they also need to drive brand awareness and leads with limited resources. Content marketing is a great way for small businesses to do both. Neil Patel, co-founder of KISSmetrics and Crazy Egg


Breaking Through the Social ClutterTake-A-Way #1: People like to share stories Native, not deceptiveIndividual, ready to evolveDeliver on emotionReserve judgmentAct like the locals

Breaking Through the Social ClutterTake-A-Way #2: Help the customersSolve a problemEscape for the momentFuel their creativity and playSpotlight pop cultureDiscover new thingsSucceed

The Role of Content MarketingExercise