Post on 22-Nov-2014
description
8pxlwww.pxl8create.com
How to get the results you want from your
content marketing.
CREATING A CONTENT MARKETING
ROADMAP
WHY CREATE A CONTENT MARKETING ROADMAP?
8pxl
Create a repeatable process for success
allowing you to rinse and repeat your digital
marketing
Get the most out of your budget
focus your spend on the tasks that will have
the most impact
Get a competitive advantage
few businesses will take such a
comprehensive approach to content marketing
Organise and educate your team
everyone from executives to writers will know
what needs to be done and why
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A lot of success in marketing can be attributed to planning. Content marketing isn’t complicated
but there are many approaches, techniques and tools that need to be used effectively for success
to happen. That’s why we created this roadmap for success using our own experiences and
industry best practices.
Our roadmap will help you:
8pxl
HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DOCUMENT?The outline of this document is for a 4 month content marketing plan. The first month will be spent setting
up the workflow in this document with the next 3 months used to produce and distribute content.
We’ll look at:
How to lay out your roadmap
What structure it should have and what the key stages are
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What you need at each stage
Why do we have each stage and what content you need to
produce for them
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A checklist for each stage
Standardise your process by understanding what the key
steps are at each stage
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How to measure performance
How do you know you’re on the right tracks?
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8pxl
HOW SHOULD YOUR ROADMAP BE STRUCTURED?
Stages
Each of these stages
is a section of the
content marketing
roadmap used in this
document.
Actions
These are the
three actions you
must take to get
visitors, leads and
customers.
Sales Funnel Design
We model your marketing roadmap
on your sales funnel. As prospects
move further down your funnel they
become more sales ready.
TARGET AUDIENCE RESEARCH
8pxl
The first thing you need to do is identify who your target
audiences are, what
characteristics they have
and where they can be
found online.
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1.1 WHY RESEARCH YOUR AUDIENCE?
8pxl
What your most valuable customers look like
We want to create a clear picture of who your products and
services appeal to most.
It’s definitely not the most exciting part of marketing, but taking the time to research and understand
your audience is extremely important. By researching your audience you can find out:
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What their characteristics are
What types of behaviour and habits do these audiences
have? What are they passionate about?
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Where they spend their time online
What do they read? Whose opinions do they care about?
What do they share?
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How best to reach and engage them
Where should we be talking to these people and what should
we be saying?
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1.2 CREATE BUYER PERSONAS
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Aim for 2 or 3 personas
You want enough to effectively segment your audiences but
not too many.
Buyer personas are holistic representations of who your target audiences are and how they behave.
Every piece of content we create should be written with one or more of these people in mind.
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Background
What’s their job title? How long have they been at the
business? What’s their marital status?
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Demographics
Are they primarily male or female? What’s their age range,
income and where do they live?
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Identifiers
What are they like at work? Calm? Busy? Do they have an
assistant to screen calls? How do they communicate?
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1.3 IDENTIFY INFLUENCERS
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Start by listing relevant topics to your industry
What does your business do? What services does your
business offer?
Who are the movers and shakers within your industry? We want to build relationships with these
people online so they can help us distribute our content and raise our profile.
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Find the key voices for those topics
Using tools like followerwonk or socialears use your topics to
find the people with the biggest social influence.
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Look for individuals rather than businesses
It’s easier to build a relationship with a single person rather
than a business account.
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Identify specifically what they talk about
Socialears can show you the keyphrases your influencers
discuss the most. You want to be using those keyphrases in
the conversations you have online.
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1.4 CREATE SIMPLE SCHEMA’S
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Search by your persona’s job title
Use a tool like followerwonk to find examples of people that
have the same job as your persona’s.
It’s not enough to have a holistic view of your audience, we also want to find real world examples of
who these people are so we can see where they spend their time online and what they share.
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See who they are influenced by
Use followerwonk to see where there is an intersect of people
that our personas follow.
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Find out what they are sharing
Enter the twitter handles of your personas and influencers into
Tweetarchive to see the URL’s they share.
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Compile the data
Download a copy of all the URL’s your personas and
influencers have shared and put them into a graph so you
can see where you need to be to get seen by them.
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1.5 IDENTIFY TRIGGERS & GOALS
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Aim for around 3 triggers and 3 goals
We want simple, broad goals so that we can start
thinking about the questions your personas will have when
confronted with these goals.
What would trigger someone from your target audience to search for the services you offer? If
one of your buyer personas experienced one of these triggers, what goal would they be looking to
accomplish?
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Create a detailed list of questions for each goal
We want to make sure that our content answers the basic
questions that your personas will have. It will help to talk to
your sales team to understand what the
common questions and barriers prospects have.
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DEMAND GENERATION
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Once we know who your audience is and where they are
online, we are then ready to raise awareness of your company
and drive information
seeking traffic to your
website.
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2.1 WHAT IS DEMAND GENERATION?
8pxl
People are searching for information to help them solve their problems. Demand generation is the
process of creating demand for your products and services by introducing your solution as a way of
solving their problems.
Demand generation serves two main purposes:
To connect with people looking right now for a solution
to their problem
Right now there are people looking for a product or service
like yours. These people have a problem that you can help
solve for them.
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To educate a wider audience about what your
business does
Some people may not have a problem you can solve right
now but they may do in the future. We want these people to
be aware of what we do.
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2.2 WHAT STYLES OF CONTENT DO WE WANT?
8pxl
You want content that is going to engage and inform your readers but also helps to make your
business more visible.
To do that we’re going to use two different styles of content...
Evergreen content
Evergreen content is content that will remain relevant for
a long amount of time so that it’s shelf life is as long as
possible. Tutorials, lists and product reviews are a good
example of Evergreen content.
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Topical content
Whilst Evergreen content allows you to cover topics which
will stay relevant for a long time, you also want to take
advantage of current news and trends. If you’re quick and
have an opinion, you can capitalise on topical news and
boost your traffic.
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2.3 WHAT TYPES OF CONTENT DO WE NEED?
8pxl
Blog posts
The cornerstone of content marketing, blog posts can be
published both on your site and to others for backlinks.
Content comes in many shapes and sizes. For B2B’s we recommend focusing on 4 different types of
content:
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Infographics
A great source of backlinks, infographics explain a topic by
using graphical representations of statistics.
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Ebook’s
Ebook’s provide more in-depth information than blog posts and
are used to gather email addresses from prospects.
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Slideshows
Slideshows are a great way for B2B’s to create shareable
content that doubles up as thought leadership.
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*videos are also a great type of content but due to their relative cost we’ve left them out of this roadmap
2.4 CREATE A PLAN FOR DEVELOPING CONTENT
8pxl
What will you do each month?
For each content type (and depending on your budget) draw
out all the blog posts, infographics, ebooks and slideshows
you’ll be creating over the coming months.
A key part of the roadmap is having clear direction on what content needs to be created and by when.
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Focus on one topic at a time
Try focussing all your content production on one topic each
month, so for month 1 all our content would be around the
first goal/trigger your audience has. This will help you to
‘own’ a topic at a time.
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Come up with example titles
Using a mixture of evergreen and topical style content,
create example titles for your content. Your content should
be focussed on the goals and triggers we discussed in the
last chapter and should answer the common questions you
drew up.
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2.5 PLAN HOW TO DISTRIBUTE YOUR CONTENT
8pxl
Guest blogging
Guest blogs provide a way to raise awareness of your
business, share ideas with an audience which is different to
your blog and to generate backlinks. Use the information
you gathered about what your personas read and share to
find the ideal platforms to publish on.
Creating content is important but you also need to plan how to distribute it to your audience. Our
roadmap is going to focus on two distribution methods:
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Social media
Social media is like a cocktail party, it’s a great place to
meet lots of people but you can’t just talk about yourself.
As well as planning how and when to publish links to your
own content, you also want to plan how you will help and
engage with other people, and who the reliable sources are
within your industry that you can share content from.
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2.6 EXECUTION CHECKLIST
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How will you develop content?
We want simple, broad goals so that we can start
thinking about the questions your personas will have when
confronted with these goals.
Each time we create a piece of content we want to make sure it meets a set of requirements and
standards of quality. To do that we want to create an execution checklist. The checklist should cover:
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How will you prepare content?
We want to make sure that our content answers the
basic questions that your persoans will have. It will help to
talk to your sales team to understand what the common
questions and barriers prospects have.
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How will you distribute content?
Which platforms will you use? What will you say, how
often will you say it?
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2.7 HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE
8pxl
What is the scope of work you’ll need to complete for this stage? What tools will you need? and what
metrics should you use to track performance?
CONVERSION STAGE 1
8pxl
Conversion stage 1 is the start of the lead nurturing process.
We want the email addresses of people who might be
interested in our product or service so that we can continue
a dialogue which will help
solve their problems with
our solutions. We do that
using ‘premium content’.
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3.1 WHAT IS CONVERSION STAGE 1?
8pxl
Each blog article you write will promote one piece of aligned premium content. When a prospective lead
fills out the form to get access to your premium content, they become a registered lead in your contact
database.
These leads are “information qualified” because they have
identified themselves to you because of the value of the
information provided in your premium content. As the lead
consumes your content, you begin to establish trust and thought
leadership.
» Plan for a new conversion stage 1 ebook every month
These top of the funnel ebooks are critical for turning
website visitors into prospects. With every ebook that
you create you can target a narrower segment of your
audience
3.2 WHAT TYPE OF CONTENT DO WE NEED?
8pxl
We suggest that a series of premium content ebooks are produced, each aimed at converting new traffic
by providing more information about the 3 goals your buyer personas have.
We use ebooks because of their less formal approach to a subject, their cheap relative cost to produce,
and the ease in which we can atomise content from them.
Make sure it focuses on benefits to the reader
Not just the topic you want to write about.
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It needs enough quality information
The promise of the value of the information within your
premium content must be high enough to persuade a
visitor to give you their contact information.
Your content then needs to deliver on that promise.
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Plan and research your topic
You want to present information on your topic in an
original and structured way.
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3.3 EXECUTION CHECKLIST
8pxl
Establish trust by demonstrating you understand the
reader
Who will be reading this ebook? What problems do the
readers have? What are they currently doing to solve the
problem?
Rather than a checklist, think of this as a starting point for thinking about the structure of your 2,000-
3,000 word ebook. The three step approach below will ensure that the need for helpful information is
met, establishing trust and thought leadership, before your positioning is introduced to the lead.
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What are the alternatives in your industry to solve the
reader’s problem?
What free solutions are available? Are there any
drawbacks to this approach? What professional
solutions are there?
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Introduce your recommended approach for the
problem and why
Ebook’s provide more in-depth information than blog
posts and are used to gather email addresses from
prospects.
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3.4 HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE
8pxl
What is the scope of work you’ll need to complete for this stage? What tools will you need? and what
metrics should you use to track performance?
EMAIL STAGE 1
8pxl
Once we have a prospect’s email address we then want to
encourage them to move further down your sales funnel. We
do this with a series of
initial emails sent over a 15
day period.
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4.1 WHY DO WE USE EMAILS?
8pxl
Emails allow you to suggest other relevant content to your prospects which can educate them
further about their problems and the solutions available to them.
Answers common questions/pushbacks
Often your leads will have questions that they want
answered before feeling comfortable enough to
proceed.
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Keeps you at the forefront of their minds
They won’t just forget about you. Emails give your leads
further interactions and opportunities to proceed with
your business.
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Suggest relevant content
They continue to provide a helpful resource to your
lead after they’ve left your website.
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4.2 WHAT EMAILS SHOULD YOU SEND?
8pxl
Initially we’ll use a series of 3 emails sent 5 days apart suggesting relevant targeted blog articles or other
content assets. This process of “lead nurturing” ensures that Marketing Qualified Leads will identify
themselves to your business without feeling pressured. The goals of your initial emails are to:
Promote your conversion stage 2 content
We want to encourage your prospects to become
‘marketing qualified’ by moving further down your sales
funnel. We can also gather some more information
from your prospects at this stage.
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Answer common questions
You want to be answering common questions which
also validate the credibility and viability of your
business.
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Help leads become unstuck
A combination of answering common questions and
suggesting relevant content will help prevent leads from
becoming stuck at the stage they’re at.
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4.3 SO WHAT DOES STAGE 1 LOOK LIKE?
8pxl
So to recap, this is what the first conversion offer and email stage looks like:
4.4 HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE
8pxl
What is the scope of work you’ll need to complete for this stage? What tools will you need? and what
metrics should you use to track performance?
CONVERSION STAGE 2
8pxl
This is a critical point in your sales funnel. If a prospect
continues past this point then they have verified themselves
as a marketing qualified
lead and are ready for
information specifically
relating to your businesses
products and services.
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5.1 WHAT IS CONVERSION STAGE 2?
8pxl
All of your leads should be directed towards your Conversion stage 2 offer. This creates a “filter” in
your sales process and leads that move through the filter can be considered Marketing Qualified.
Leads at this stage should be communicated to and nurtured differently, as they are clearly interested
in your offering, rather than the information you provide.
Sill provide helpful, actionable information
Your offer at this stage still needs to be helpful to your
audience only you can control the conversation a little
more and start telling the reader what you want to say.
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Create more offers over time
When starting out a business only really needs one
‘Conversion Stage 2’ offer. As you create more
‘Conversion Stage 1 offer’s’ you may want to consider
creating and matching them up to other targeted
‘Conversions Stage 2’ offers.
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5.2 WHAT TYPE OF CONTENT DO WE NEED?
8pxl
This offer should be centered around your product or service, rather than only providing valuable
industry information. When a lead takes action on an offer that is “mainly about you”, we know that
they are ready to consume product specific information that would be considered “salesy” if presented
earlier in the sales process.
Create a targeted ebook
We use ebook’s again at this stage to create insightful
documents at a relatively cheap cost.
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Make the guide more in depth
Remember, people at this stage have indicated that
they are looking for more in depth information on your
topic. You can afford to make your document feel more
substantial.
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Sell them your way of thinking, not your products
It’s tempting to introduce your products and services
as the saviors to your audiences problems. Instead
focus on the reasons why your approach is better, if a
reader understands and agree they’ll come to their own
conclusion that your product uses that appoach and is a
good match.
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5.3 EXECUTION CHECKLIST
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Establish trust by demonstrating you understand
the reader
Which types of businesses or individuals do you typically
work with? What problems or challenges do you solve?
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The role of the Conversion Stage 2 offer is to educate readers about how, specifically, your company/
brand will solve their problems. It should give them a taste of what the experience of working with you will
be like, preparing them for a more direct interaction with sales at the bottom of the funnel.
What services do you offer
How can they help your clients solve their problems?
How are your services different from your competitors?
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Describe the relationship
What’s it like working with you? What does the process
look like, how does a relationship with you proceed?
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Introduce the next step
If a reader wants to start working with your business or
learn more, how can they take the next step?
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5.4 HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE
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What is the scope of work you’ll need to complete for this stage? What tools will you need? and what
metrics should you use to track performance?
EMAIL STAGE 2
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Our marketing qualified leads are close to being sales ready,
but there may still be issues and questions that we’ll need to
address.6
6.1 WHAT EMAILS SHOULD YOU SEND?
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This set of emails should be designed to address the common pushbacks or objections to working with
you or purchasing your products. Once you address these objections, your leads will be more likely to
take action on an offer to engage with sales and become a “Sales Qualified Lead”.
These objections often surface later in the sales
process
Talk with your sales team to understand the common
objections leads have before committing to a sale.
What are these pushbacks? What’s the best way of
handling them?
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Again use gaps of around 5 days per email
Spacing out suggestions of relevant content alongside
your sales offer gives your leads time to get the
information they need to move further down your sales
funnel.
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6.2 SO WHAT DOES STAGE 2 LOOK LIKE?
8pxl
So to recap what the second conversion offer and email stage looks like:
6.3 HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE
8pxl
What is the scope of work you’ll need to complete for this stage? What tools will you need? and what
metrics should you use to track performance?
SALES OFFER
8pxl
This is the last part of your digital marketing roadmap. After
this stage your sales team take over, and using the information
we provide, close the
sale. At this stage we’re
aiming to provide value to
leads who are considering
purchasing your products
or services.
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7.1 WHAT IS THE SALES OFFER?
8pxl
Leads at this stage will be ready to interact directly with a member of sales, so it is important that the
offer results in a phone call or email follow up between your sales department and the lead.
This is the end of the digital marketing process. When a lead takes action at the bottom of the funnel
it means that they are “sales qualified” and they should be passed
over to your sales department to be converted into a customer.
A free consultation
Recommended for any B2B’s that sell services, a free initial
consultation gets your lead on the phone and talking about
their business.
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A project assessment/diagnostic
Some leads will require a higher level of value in order to take
action, such as a detailed project assessment or diagnostic.
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A free trial/demo of your services
If you sell products, a free trial or demo can get your leads to
start interacting with your products whilst you nurture them
further to turn them into customers.
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7.3 EXECUTION CHECKLIST
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The handoff of a Sales Qualified Lead from your marketing automation system to your sales team
is the most important piece of your content marketing strategy. Without revenue, your content
marketing engine isn’t delivering the value it’s capable of.
Validate sales readiness
Do they have questions? Do they not understand how
your products/services can help them? Were you not
able to contact them at all? These are symptoms that
the “sales qualified lead” is not actually ready for a sale.
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Upgrade lead to an opportunity
If the lead is educated, and actively considering your
products and services, your sales team must mark them
as an opportunity. Your sales team should be judged by
the conversion rate of opportunities to customers.
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Track revenue back to the source
Successful implementation of the blueprint will result
in an opportunity for your company to benefit from
“closed loop analytics”, meaning that all revenue
generated through this measurable process can be
attributed to a specific marketing activity.
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7.4 HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE
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What is the scope of work you’ll need to complete for this stage, what tools will you need and what
metrics should you use to track performance?
RECAP
8pxl
A look at the whole
content marketing
roadmap
The diagram on the right
maps out the entire journey
from intial contact with your
business online through to
arranging a sales call.
We find it helps clients to see
their workflows mapped out
this way, especially for sales
teams and executives who
want to see the whole picture
at a glance.
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Conversion Stage 1
Conversion Stage 2
Sales Offer
Demand Generation
IMPROVING EFFICIENCY
8pxl
Marketing automationWhilst the roadmap and workflows that we’ve
created in this document can be executed
manually, it’s far more efficient to use marketing
automation software.
Marketing automation software allows you to
set-up and forget your marketing sales funnel,
freeing up more time and resources to spend
creating content.
The solution that we recommend and use
is Hubspot’s marketing system which allows
complete automation for the roadmap we’ve laid
out in this document.
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If you’re thinking about using marketing automation in
your business, speak to one of our specialists who will
be able to advise you on what solution is right for you.
NEED HELP?Pxl8 are a B2B digital marketing agency. We create marketing that draws the right people towards
your business, using content to guide prospects from total strangers through to delighted
customers.
8pxl
We help B2B businesses create their story, learn and
understand their key audiences and create content that
turns website visitors into leads and sales.
Visit us at www.pxl8create.com
or contact hello@pxl8create.com
Like the idea of creating an eBook like this rather than
another dull whitepaper? Or need help creating a
roadmap like the one we laid out? Get In Touch.
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