content is king: make your brand queen

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt

Content is King

Make Your Business Queen


Let’s Make the Most of Our Time

slideshare.net/ranimonson/


Hypocrite Oath


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

your product / service / offering

• Icky


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.


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


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


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


THE GOOD NEWSWhy Marketers Love Content Marketing


Marketers Are Using Content

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

• An increase of 5%


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!


Content Vaults to No. 1 Marketing Priority for 2013


Content is the Most Effective


THE BAD NEWSWhy Marketers Hate Content Marketing


Creating Original Content Is Hard

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

These Are the Professionals!


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


Expectations of Content Marketing

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


The Smaller the Company (budget)…

• The more important content marketing is

• Most cost-effective with the highest ROI


Small Businesses Say Content is Key


TELL ME HOW TO CREATE CONTENT ALREADY…


The Process: Content Strategy | Execution

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

calendar4. Identify | create

content5. Share6. Measure7. Adjust8. Repeat!


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


Frequency

• To-Do:– Identify how frequently

you can share content– Be realistic


Drive Content Marketing Strategy from Your Blog


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


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


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


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


Augment With Timely Content

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

Be careful with:• Current events• Politics• Religion


Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

Did you know today is

“ Big Wind Day” & “Russian Cosmonaut Day”

@RaniMonson@RainMakingMkt @RaniMonson

HOW YA FEELIN’?


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


Measure Your Content• What works

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

metrics


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


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


Q & A

Rani [email protected]

http://www.slideshare.net/ranimonson

mailto:[email protected]