Presented for Ads NextJune 15, 2013

by Jamie Tiralla

What Is Confab?It is the industry’s leading Content Strategy conference.

How long has it been around?Since 2011

How many people attended?611 attendees from 42 different states.

What kind of people were they?Professionals from all types of background who care about

making the Internet a better place: Marketing, User Experience, Writers, SEOs, Designers, Developers...

What qualifications did the presenters have?There were 33 speakers who are leading authorities in

Content Strategy, SEO and User Experience.

Why did I go?

★ I am passionate about Content Strategy and User Experience

★ I wanted to learn from industry experts and improve my craft

★ To bring back ideas for Ads Next so that we can be better at what we do

★ Learn ways to communicate with our clients about Content Strategy and why it’s important.

My Agenda: Day 1

Opening Keynote - Kristina HalvorsonCEO Brain Traffic, Host of Confab, Author of Content Strategy for the Web

Content Strategy Case Studies - Catherine TooleCEO Sticky Content

Responsive Web Projects - Steve Fisher & Alaine MackenzieFounder of The Republic of Quality / Lead Content Strategist at Yellow Pencil

Write Like a Human, Think Like a Robot - Sara Wachter-BoettcherContent Strategy Consultant, Author of Content Everywhere

Plan, Create, Amplify & Measure Content - Pam DidnerGlobal Integrated Marketing Manager, Intel

Content in a Zombie Apocalypse - Karen McGranePartner Bond Art + Science, Author of Content Strategy for Mobile

My Agenda: Day 2

Experiencing Delightful Content - Jared SpoolCEO User Interface Engineering

Making the Case for Content Strategy - Ahava LeibtagPresident Aha Media Group

Content Strategy for Social Media - CC HollandPrincipal C Squared Media

Getting the User Generated Content You Want - Vanessa GennarrelliLearning Lead, Peer 2 Peer University

Poetry of SEO - Mike KingDIrector of Inbound Marketing, iAcquire

Closing Keynote - Paul FordDirector, Activate

What did I learn?

There is a lot that we’re doing right

There are many ways we can improve

There are things we can start doing now

There are things we can do down the road

What is Content Strategy?

Content is anything that is on the website (social media, blog, etc). Not just page copy, it’s also headlines, titles, microcopy, metadata, video, photos,

animations, PDFs...

Content Strategy is about giving users the best possible experience and getting them to do what you want them to do.

Content Strategy is not a one-size-fits-all solutionIt’s tailored to the clients needs and goals

In order to have a good Content Strategy, you must:1. Define the business objectives2. Identify the audience

You want to deliver the right content to: • the right audience• in the right place • at the right time

There is only one Content Strategybut there are multiple channels:

• website• blog• social media• newsletters• print• radio• tv• etc...

Content Strategy never ends

It just evolves and adapts to new business objectivesand new audiences.

How does Content Strategy apply to Ads Next?

Dental ClientsBusiness Objectives: Deliver 10 new patients per month

Audience: Determined on the kick off call

What happens next:Keyword research and analysis

Geographical research and analysisCreate an audience profile, tone of voice, copy guidelines

Review client’s existing content, identify missing piecesEdit existing copy and write new copy with SEO goals in mindCreate standard copy for services, treatments and concernsGuide client to add-on services like photography, video, etc

Measure results, analyze and adjust as needed

How does design / development fit in?

Great design is invisible. - Jared Spool

Content Strategy and Design combine for User ExperienceDesign conveys tone, promotes brand recognition, connects with the audience.

A great design makes it easy for the user to find the content they want and move logically through the buying process.

What happens after the website goes live?

Content Strategy never ends.

We want to create a Content Strategy that lives on after the website launches so that we have consistency in our messaging as we move on to

blogs, social media, newsletters, etc.

As the business objectives change or the audience changes, we should re-evaluate our Content Strategy, make adjustments

and apply it across the board.

What is our Content Strategy for mobile?

There is only one Content Strategy but there are multiple channels.

Ads Next is moving towards responsive design so we are delivering the user with the same content

regardless of the device they are using.

We cannot continue to assume that mobile users are “on the go.”

We cannot continue assume that mobile users want less content.

We can only assume that mobile users have a smaller screen.

31% of Americans who access the internet

from a mobile device say that’s the only way they go online.

88% of American adults own a smartphone.

By 2015, more Americans will access the internet

through mobile devices than through desktop computers

Our mobile Content Strategy should behaving a great Content Strategy for websites

prioritizing the information for usersand making sure that the content is easy to

read, access and interact with regardlessof the screen size.

Ads Next Content Strategy Action Plan

• create standard copy for services, treatments and concerns to streamline the process, optimize for search and user experience, and save time on setups.

• spend more time creating unique content for About Us, New Patients, Meet the Doctor, etc.

• continue to work on responsive design, consider mobile users when developing content and start to prioritize content for mobile.

• create an editorial calendar to streamline the process for blogs, social media, etc. and ensure that these efforts tie into and support our Content Strategy.

• use data to create better Content Strategies, better designs and improve User Experience.