Download - Content Marketing Strategy Workshop

PowerPoint Presentation

Content MarketingStrategy WorkshopAugust 24, 2015 // New York CityMichael BrennerHead of Strategy, NewsCred@BrennerMichael

Content marketing company that helps brands develop and execute their strategies onlineWe were founded in 2008 and currently have about 200 employees across the US, London and Dhaka

Goals for Strategy WorkshopUnderstand what an effective content marketing strategy looks like Determine where your content will live. Understand important site elementsUnderstand Editorial Strategy and gain clarity on editorial mission and topicsBrainstorm content ideas Understand distribution best practicesDetermine the measures of success@BrennerMichael

2

Content Marketing Strategy@BrennerMichael

3

Just 3 Things . . .The world has changed. Most content stinks.Attract people through stories they love.@BrennerMichael

Content today must compete with pictures of babies and kittens.@BrennerMichael

Ant that can be your brand5

@BrennerMichael

Content marketing trends

12

@BrennerMichael

We need to stop interrupting whatpeople are interested in, and start delivering what people are interested in.@BrennerMichael

Core components the way we need to think. We need to think different. 13

@BrennerMichael

Weve all asked the question, why content marketing?

To set the stage, theres been a fundamental shift in the way we as consumers consume and share content. Momentous amount of content being created, consumed and shared. An amazing amount of content, the real question is how does a brand stand apart?14

We tune out

the noise.@BrennerMichael

Ant that can be your brand15

16

@BrennerMichael

The secret to content marketing is that its not that hard. There are obstacles, but what were going to do is give you our secrets and let you know whats worked for other brands to drive a content marketing strategy.16

The buyer journey is nothing more than a series of questions that must be answered.- IDC -

@BrennerMichael

The secret, content marketing is relatively simple. The buyer journey is just a series of question to be answered and we as brands have a role to play. Its simply to answer the customer questions.17

AwarenessConsiderationPreferenceOnline CommunitiesSearch EngineseBooksEmail NewslettersEditorial ArticlesWhite PapersPodcastsCase StudiesOnline VideosWebcastsVirtual Trade ShowsProduct LiteratureTrial SoftwareOnline Vendor Demos

Begindecision processMakedecisionIdentify business problem

Establish requirements/ build RFPAlign IT with business objectivesExplore technology optionsResearch solutionsDetermine solution strategyAssess ROIResearch products/ vendorsBuild short list

@BrennerMichael

A more complex view, content marketing explained on a page. What types of different content we consume at different parts of the buyer journey.

Awareness, were wanting to learn, get our questions answered and read thought leadership.

Consideration, we want more types of content.

By Preference, theres less thought leadership and learning, and more about what makes your brand different.

18

@BrennerMichael

Ann Handley: Take your brand out of the story. . . . . .Make your customers the hero.

Our Natural InstinctContentMarketingWhatBrandsPublishWhatCustomersWantCharity@BrennerMichael

As a brand, our natural instinct is to talk about ourselves. Customers are asking questions, they want to be informed and entertained, but we cant just do that because thats just charity.

So the way we balance is make your customers the hero of the story.

Take your brand out. How do you do that? You solve their problems at every stage of the journey.20

ContentMarketingYourBrandPurposeWhatCustomersWantExercise: Why does your brand exist? What purpose does it serve?@BrennerMichael

As a brand, our natural instinct is to talk about ourselves. Customers are asking questions, they want to be informed and entertained, but we cant just do that because thats just charity.

So the way we balance is make your customers the hero of the story.

Take your brand out. How do you do that? You solve their problems at every stage of the journey.21

Content marketing is the marketing and business process for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action.-Content Marketing Institute

Not advertising or PR

It is continuous not campaign-based

Customer-focused, not brand-focused

Seeks to answer customer questions across the buyer journey

Owned media = An asset for your business with LTV and ROIContent Marketing Defined

@BrennerMichael

The formal definition of content marketing.

NOT advertising or PR important

About helping your customers answer those questions in the journey theyre taking

Owned media its specifically content that lives on a brand owned media.22

The Promise of Content Marketing:

To earn your audience . . .

. . . versus buying it! @BrennerMichael

24

Key factors to content marketing success:

Documented content strategy and mission statementHave someone accountable for contentConsistently publish quality contentMap content to consumer journeyPaid DistributionFocus on Content SubscribersTrack Content Marketing ROI

@BrennerMichael

Now: Give yourself a grade . . Best PracticeRYGHave a documented content strategy? Have someone managing contentContent hub maps to the consumer journeyPublishing quality, volume and varietySocial activation of contentPaid distributionFocus on Content SubscriptionsMeasurement template / ROI defined

Overall:?@BrennerMichael

Why is it important to have a documentedcontent strategy?

Content Marketing Mission StatementBecome a destination for [target audience] interested in [topics]. To help them [customer value].

This will help us [content marketing goals]Earn your audiences attention vs. just buying it Reach, engage and convert NEW buyers

AmEx Open Forum Example: Help Small Businesses Do More Business. To become the largest source of inbound leads.

@BrennerMichael

Help your customers with something. Do their jobs better, become heroes. You need to fill in the blanks.

28

What Is Your Content Marketing Mission Statement?Become a (premier?) destination

for [target audience]

interested in [topics] to help them [customer value].

@BrennerMichael


29

Steps to crafting a content strategy

DiscoveryDestinationBranding + DesignRoles + ResponsibilityEditorial Strategy Distribution + OptimizationMeasurementCurrent StateTarget AudienceBusiness CaseMission StatementBudget

BrandingUXPlatform

Who does what?Tech PartnerAgency

StructureTopicsTypesSourcesSEO

SEOPlatformsPaidOwned EarnedEmail Newsletter

Business Case KPIsDefine reportHow often

@BrennerMichael

30

Building the content marketing business case1. Reach early stage buyers2. Engage new buyers with your brand3. Conversions you would have never reached

@BrennerMichael

Corporate websites bounce rate are down at 40% because the only people going there are those who want to be there

31

60-70% of marketing contentgoes completely unused.

*Sirius Decisions

@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

Behind every piece of bad content is an executive who asked for it.TWEET THIS!

@BrennerMichael

Conduct A Content AuditContent TypeAudience / TargetBuyer StagePrimary DestinationPerformance@BrennerMichael

No matter where you are in your content marketing strategy, NewsCred's Strategy Services team can help ensure you're successful.

Not only do we provide 24/7 global product support, but we also offer daily editorial curation and can help set your long-term strategy with customized consultations, workshops and brainstorms.

Look at Content by Buyer Stage66%28%Early-Stage ContentLate-Stage ContentMiddle-Stage Content6%@BrennerMichael

94% of all the content we were creating was for late and middle stages. Most of the content we made was promotionalwhy we were better.

However, more people are in the early stage, so we were completely upside down.

Your Business GoalsSelect one or more from the list (or add your own):

Create affinity for your core products and brands

To reach new potential buyers with unbranded search

To retain existing customers

Upsell existing customers / retention

Convert them through digital offers, paths to sale@BrennerMichael

37

Joe Pulizzi: Dont build your house on rented land. - Publish On Your Own Content Hub -@BrennerMichael

Consider Your Destination and Branding

@BrennerMichael

Is it an on brand or off-brand strategy? Depends on your brand and goals.

Timeline totally unbranded. Off-branded domain. Branding thats almost invisible.

Monster you can see its completely in line with their corporate website. Logo, typography, similar structure.

Pepsi pulse completely reinvented their website. Seeking to be a destination about anything about pop culture. 39

Design StructureCategories across the top show visitor what space you are inImages help humanize the site and break textPublished content horizontally shows frequency (add dates and authors)Share buttons encourage social sharingMid-stage offer on rightNewsletter/subscription sign up

@BrennerMichael

Categories across the top show visitor what space you are in

OPEN Forum41

Images are authentic and create context for the content

First Round Capital The Review42

Author bylines show authenticity and the dates show frequency

Makeup.com / LOreal43

Share buttons encourage social sharing

Small Biz Ahead The Hartford44

Recommended or Most Popular

@BrennerMichael

Capgemini Content Loop45

Heavy call-to-action + subscription

Four Seasons Magazine46

Define Content Marketing Roles and FunctionsContentMarketer / Editor

Strategizes, writes,and oversees content projects to ensure brand consistency and alignment with business objectives.

CommunityManager

Distributes contentacross social channels, engages online communities, and contributes to content projects.

Designer

Brings content to lifethrough the user experience and rich visuals.

Contributors

Any content creator-blogger, photographer, designer who contributes to your project.SEO / PaidSpecialist

Manages the paiddistribution of content online.

Analytics

Defines best/ worst performers, conversion optimization and measurement communications.

Curation

Fines and re-purposes the best content from your business and from around the web.

@BrennerMichael

These are not all necessarily people, but instead responsibilities. One of my first hires was a curator. Someone who finds and repurposes the best content from around the web. Look at what your audience is interested in.

SEO on the other hand, understand what kind of content you need to create.47

April 27, 2015

Editorial Strategy

48

Thinking and acting like a publisherMapping keywords to the buyer journeyThe persona filterThe importance of imageryThe impact of volume on reach and conversionWhat well cover in this section:@BrennerMichael

49

What Are We Going to Write About?@BrennerMichael

A lot of people jump to topics. Google trends, competitors, online properties serving needs. Thinking about topics and architecture is an important step.50

How brands can become consumed with their story, not their customers.Unique Point of View Trap@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

The Biggest Mistake Brands Make With Content Marketing Is Making The Content All About Them

Think and Act like a Publisher!

53

Thinking and acting like a publisher

Create the content your audience (actually) wants

Build an audience, then monetize it

Manage content as an asset with an ROI

Effective Editorial Strategy@BrennerMichael

How do you give a pile of bricks order?

What are different ways you could organize content?

Consider recurring themes / series / trigger events

Look at publishers in your space @BrennerMichael

Brainstorm55

Reach, Engage and Convert the Right People.

Early-stage SearchesMiddle-stageBrand SearchesSearch / Social Volume

What is Content Marketing?(10-3000 X)Who is the best Content Marketing provider?(2-10 X)NewsCred Content Marketing software is how awesome?@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

SecondaryEarlyXyzLateXyzXyzPersonaQuestions/ConcernsXyzMiddleXyzXyzKeywordsMainEarlyWhat is [your solution]LateHow much is [your solution][your solution]PersonaQuestions/Concerns[your solution]MiddleHow to succeed with [Your solution][your solution]KeywordsStageStageResearch Keywords, Then Filter By Personas@BrennerMichael

Key words appropriate61

Licensed ContentCustom ContentSocial ContentUtilize the Right Mix of ContentLicensed ContentBoost credibility, publishing cadence and direct traffic with a high-volume of fully-licensed, compliant content.Custom ContentShare on-brand stories and recipes which are created specifically for your brand.Social ContentLeverage snackable content through UGC that engages your target audience.

Custom ContentShare on-brand stories and recipes which are created specifically for your brand.Community ContentLeverage content from customers, employees, influencers that grows and engages your community.Licensed ContentBoost credibility, publishing cadence, and direct traffic with a high-volume of fully-licensed, compliant content.

Finding the right combination of licensed content, original content and social content is key to executing a well-rounded content strategy.

Licensed content gives you an easy way to access a high-volume of content from credible sources, allowing you to boost publishing cadence.

Original content gives you the ability to share hyper-targeted stories which resonate with your audience and are optimized for SEO.

Social content allows you to always stay topical and publish content that is buzzworthy and trending. Co-created content.

We call this combination The Rule Of Thirds a starting point. AS youre publishgin you can optimize.. Diversifying your content strategy allows you to scale in a way 62

Content Mix (Monthly Average)Custom Content20%User / Employee50%Licensed Content30%

@BrennerMichael

How To Rank For SEO? The 3 Vs (Content Mix)VolumeNumber of posts on the topic

ValueThe best answer on the internet

VarietyText, images, video, slides

@BrennerMichael

64

Imagery matters60,000 X the brain processes images faster than text.

78% of consumers say that the quality of a product image is very important in selecting and purchasing a product

94% more total views on content featuring compelling images than content without images.

@BrennerMichael

Research was backing up what I witnessed first hand.

Consumers were learning to turn out the noise of conventional advertising. They preferred to speak with brands through content.

Other marketers were seeing this shift too. 65

66Case Study: Bloomberg uses stunning imagery to bring dry topics to life

Big Data

@BrennerMichael

Technology

@BrennerMichael

Intraday Settlement Compresses Trading Cycle@BrennerMichael

Transform Data Into A Strategic Access

@BrennerMichael

Intraday Settlement Compresses Trading Cycle

The Impact Of Volume On Reach and ConversionPublishers publish every day on each topic, category or themeOrganic Traffic goes up with each new article publishedDiminishing return? (see below)Optimize content budget vs. paid distribution budgetIncreasing frequency will increase Organic + Social % of Total PVs

A few times a year1-2X permonth< monthly1-2X perweek1 per dayMore than 1 per day


73

Blog Post Brainstorm

75

Content Amplification and Distribution

76

The Converged Media approachBest Practices for Distribution:EmailSocial Media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram)Paid

What well cover in this section:@BrennerMichael

77

Maximizing the Reach of Your ContentA converged media approach utilizes paid, owned, and earned media to deliver content the audience wants and maximizing the reach of that content. Paid Social Influencer

Leverage your ownedcontent and channelsMaximize organic buzz,social engagement, and PROrganic traffic & SEOQuickly grow youraudience & jumpstart engagementConvergedPaid Content Distribution (Outbrain, Sharethrough)@BrennerMichael

Social networks dominate content discovery

Social media can have a real impact on your bottom line.78% of consumers said that companies social media posts impact their purchasing decision

30% of buyers say that social media is very important in making their purchasing decisions

@BrennerMichael

Research was backing up what I witnessed first hand.

Consumers were learning to turn out the noise of conventional advertising. They preferred to speak with brands through content.

Other marketers were seeing this shift too. 80

Other peoples contentYour helpful postsPromotionalBest Practices: OverallEstablish a unique voice and stick with it

Be transparent and authentic

Give due credit to authors and sources

Play to the strengths of each platform: post the content that makes the most sense

Maintain a consistent cadence

Respond to fans (and haters) in a timely manner

Truly know your audience

Have variety of content: original, licensed, UGC (see below)

@BrennerMichael

4-1-1 Rule: 4 of your content (original, licensed, UGC, whitepaper/guide, etc.), 1 influencer post, 1 publisher postFollow and mention influencers, publishers as often as possible

Make sure your social accounts demonstrate interaction. You want to interact with who youre trying to reach. How many of your own posts youre going to share? Or sharing other peoples content and influencers.81

Tactics for distributionAd networks (example: Google AdWords)Organic Social (example: LinkedIn)Paid Social (example: LinkedIn Sponsored Update)Native advertising (example: Sharethrough)SEOLead nurturing (both paid & earned) (example: newsletter)

@BrennerMichael

For example, LinkedIn is used primarily for business networking, job searches and highly-focused B2B advertising. Facebook and Instagram are more personal and consumer focused. And Twitter is an interesting hybrid with active usage by everyone from teenagers to famous athletes and actors to professionals, and companies using it to reach both consumers and businesses.

82

Tactics for distributionAd networks (example: Google AdWords)Organic Social (example: LinkedIn)Paid Social (example: LinkedIn Sponsored Update)Native advertising (example: Sharethrough)SEOLead nurturing (both paid & earned) (example: newsletter)

@BrennerMichael


83

Email

Benefits of email newsletter distributionKeep your audience engagedFree distribution channel Provides instantaneous trackable resultsNurture and convert leads45%

of NewsCreds traffic came from email@BrennerMichael

85

Digestible content: Top 2 posts are infographics. The BuzzFeed effect: 4 of top 10 articles had headlines with words like: "top," "best," "most. Know your audience: 35% of top 20 articles have the mention of "content marketing" or "content marketers.Stats matter: 70% of top 10 articles have numbers in the headline.Stay familiar: 25% of top 20 articles have a brand name mentioned in the headline - Ello, Vice, BuzzFeed, Nike, and Red Bull.Newsletters are Vital for Identifying Trends and Takeaways

@BrennerMichael

How do we know whats working? By constantly examining and measuring our content:This is what we learned ( and here are the takeaways):

MARCUS WILL SET UP HOW WE BUILT OUR DATABASE OF CONTENT KNOWLEDGE/AMBER WILL EXPLAIN HOW WE TURNED THOSE TAKEWAYS INTO STRATEGY KNOWLEDGE. Make a plan, but that doesn't mean your work is done. Start with your customer pain points, then build your editorial calendar off of these needs. Your content strategy should be constantly evolving.Got a great piece of content? Update it and do it again! Chances are your audience will still love it - if not more.10 Reasons You Should Use Numbers In Your Headlines could have been the title of this slide.Familiarize yourself with analytics and what benchmarks are important, and track constantly! If something isn't growing fast enough you can act in real time to tweak your strategy. Keep at it: maintain a consistent cadence. Content marketing is an all-in game.

86

Steps to creating an email marketing planWho will manage?

What content will you include? Determine sending frequency and goalsMake a schedule@BrennerMichael

Define your audienceIf you already have subscribers on your list, their signup method can be used to help identify them. For example, if they subscribed during the checkout process through your online store, they're customers. A collection of subscribers that found you through your website or at a public event (like fairs, trade shows, etc.), would be classified as more of a general audience.

If you don't have subscribers yet, think about who is your target audience. How will you find these people, and what do you envision they'll want to read in your emails?

Determine your contentThink about why this audience signed up for your emails in the first place, then focus on delivering that to them. It can be helpful to outline general content types that you might include in each email campaign. Later, as you're putting together your newsletter, you can refer to this outline to make sure you're staying on track. For instance, The Atlanta Rollergirls keep a content list:Upcoming eventsRecaps/photos from past eventsPopular posts on Facebook, Twitter, blogNews coverage

Determine sending frequency and goalsNot all sending frequencies are created equal. Decide what works best for you and your subscribers. Remember to look ahead and plan accordingly for hoildays or special events.

From there, decide what youd like to get out of your email marketing. Are you looking to direct readers to your website? Help promote sales? Increase traffic at events?

Make a scheduleYour email marketing schedule will depend on your industry, type of content, sending frequency, and so on. With that in mind, here is an example of how you might plan out your campaigns:Day 1: Jot down content topics, art ideas, and other basics for your upcoming newsletter.Day 2: Write out what you'd like to say about each topic, pull photos or art into a folder.Day 3: Log in to MailChimp and create your campaign. Proofread for errors and grammar. Send a few test campaigns to make sure everything is just right.Day 4: Send your campaign

87

Creating a Social Media Content Plan

Just because you can publish to every social channel, doesnt mean you should.

Find out which channels are most important for your audience and focus on 2 3 to start.

@BrennerMichael

There are dominant channels for every industry and type of product or service. What you need to know is which channels are dominant for your market and focus your organizations time and money on winning against the competition in those targeted channels.

In social media, its about quality, not just quantity. Doing two or three channels really well with consistent, highly engaging content that is reaching and interacting with your target audience is what will lead to conversion and customers.

89

Where is your target buyer?

*Buffer, Pew research 2013Cheat Sheet:@BrennerMichael


90

Pros and Cons

ProsConsFacebookEveryone is on it!High competitionTwitterYounger, tech-savvy crowd who loves informationNeed to be able to keep up with cadenceLinkedInHighly-targeted. Very educated audience of business professionals (great for B2B)B2C companies need to figure outInstagramYounger audience. Hard if click-through is end-goal or text-heavy contentPinterestTKTK

@BrennerMichael

I.e. Do I have a lot of video content? Do I have a lot of visual content?

Facebook almost everyone there, but lots of competition. Twitter yes if interested in a younger, tech-savvy crowd. Also need to be able to keep up (highest cadence here)

91

Best practices across social channels

There are dominant channels for every industry and type of product or service. What you need to know is which channels are dominant for your market and focus your organizations time and money on winning against the competition in those targeted channels.

In social media, its about quality, not just quantity. Doing two or three channels really well with consistent, highly engaging content that is reaching and interacting with your target audience is what will lead to conversion and customers.

92

The positive feedback loop of social:

Build an audience, share great content, engage on each platform.

Different for each channelLet your goals dictate the decisions you make in regard to social media content

93

Tag brands/people where appropriate

Good social media etiquette

Great way to show influencers some love

Can be a great way to get more followers@BrennerMichael


94

Know the art of the hashtag

@BrennerMichael

1 hashtag is fine. 10 hashtags are not.

Good way to join a conversation that MAKES SENSE95

What Is the ideal cadence for each channel?FacebookTwitterLinkedInInstagramPinterestSuggested Cadence2 times per day, 5-7 days per week1 tweet per hour 2x per dayVaries (best to test). 1-2 times per day 2/3 times per weekOn the low end, try for 5 pins/day. If you have more content you can go up to 30/day (Best results from 15-30 pins/day)

@BrennerMichael


96

Overwhelmed by that last slide?

Dont be afraid to post the same piece of content multiple times. Use the headline onceUse a quote from the article once (or many different quotes different times!)Grab a stat from the article and share that

Pre-schedule tweets but have an action plan in place for real-time.

Evergreen content is your friend!

Ask your writer/team to come up with multiple tweets per each article

@BrennerMichael


97

Paid Distribution

Thousands of carrier pigeons flying over the Olympic stadium in Helsinki. They were released during the opening ceremony to convey the news of the Games to other countries. (1952)98

Even great content needs a pushThe average Hollywood movie spends 50-60% of production budget on distribution.@BrennerMichael

99

Twitter: promoted tweets, lead generation cards, web cards, etc.

Facebook: boosted posts, ad sets

LinkedIn: sponsored updates, ad campaigns

Unsure about what platform and what ad to use?

A/B test until you get it right - companies who test are 75% more likely to show ROI for content marketing than those who fail to test their strategies.

Paid Social

Help new audiences discover your content with Outbrain or TaboolaRecommended For You!

Get in front of audiences who are

Already reading content

about your topic on other sites

but who you arent already reaching.

Best choice for budget distribution @BrennerMichael

Thousands of carrier pigeons flying over the Olympic stadium in Helsinki. They were released during the opening ceremony to convey the news of the Games to other countries. (1952)101

Measurement

Three key metrics to measure for Brand AwarenessWebsite TrafficVisitsTime Spent on SitePages consumed per visit

Social EngagementFollowersSharesReach

Content ConsumptionSubscriptionsContent Downloads

@BrennerMichael

Define Key Measures and Targets@BrennerMichael

Tracking over the course of a year.

104

Organic and Social Traffic: The Health Of Your Program@BrennerMichael

Are we gaining traffic from organic and social. Up and to the right. 105

@BrennerMichael

What to track and whenTrack top content / shares / topics on related sites monthly

Top 50 Influencers 10 Blog Sites Terms You Need To Know 10 Predictions For What Is [Keyword]? Infographics SlideShares Videos@BrennerMichael

Social KPI Overview: Audience size + Engagement

FacebookTwitterLinkedInBrand AwarenessPage likes, page visits, impressions, reachFollowers, impressions, reach, follower/following ratioCompany page likes, page views, visitorsEngagementPost likes, comments, shares, clicks, stories createdRTs, favorites, replies, @mentions, clicks, engagement rateLikes, comments, shares, clicks, engagementLead GenerationLink clicks to form or gated page, blog subscribeLead generation card clicks, link clicks to gated page, blog subscribeLink clicks to form or gated page

@BrennerMichael

Screenshot, go through on your own 108

In Conclusion

Key factors to content marketing success:

Documented content strategy and mission statementHave someone accountable for contentConsistently publish quality contentMap content to consumer journeyBalance Paid, Owned, and Earned Media Focus on Content SubscribersTrack Content Marketing ROI

@BrennerMichael

Hope youre excited to create amazing content!

Thank you!

@BrennerMichael

Download - Content Marketing Strategy Workshop

Top Related