60 Day Assessment_White Label

1digital.relevance.com

1 Virginia Avenue, Suite 500, Indianapolis, IN 46204888.603.7337 toll-free 317.575.8852 local 317.575.8904 fax

60-DAYASSESSMENT

REVIEW

DECEMBER 2014



TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary

Audience SegmentsChief Information Officer

Chief Technology Officer

Information Technology Manager

Competitive Analysis Keyword Gap Analysis

Competitive Content Analysis

Recommendations On-Page Recommendations

Thought Leadership Opportunities

Scope & Timeline

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57

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1012

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1618

24

34



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY [Company] has tasked DigitalRelevance with developing a content strategy designed to drive leads through organic and referral traffic. This strategy takes into consideration on-page SEO best practices, content creation and promotional opportunities. DigitalRelevance has developed actionable content recommendations coinciding with [Company] buyer’s journey. The findings and recommendations are tied to specific audience segment pain points, key insights from the competitive analysis and research from audience and content assessments.

These recommendations are based on our research of the client’s brand and target audiences, the media outlets and influencers the audience is following and the content that performs best and addresses audience pain points. Recommendations are split into major categories: On-Page Opportunities and Thought Leadership Opportunities.

GoalThe goal of the 60-Day Assessment Review is for DigitalRelevance to recommend a content-centric course of action that will drive leads through improved organic and referral traffic. These recommendations will drive the upcoming 10-month engagement between DigitalRelevance and [Company].

MethodologyDigitalRelevance performed several research tasks to inform our recommendations. Detailed reports are provided in separate documents.

Keyword Research: We identified the top keywords in the industry space, including search volumes and rankings (for [Company] and its competitors).

Audience & Brand Immersion: Our team gained an understanding of [Company]’s industry, products, website and target audience. The audience immersion included an examination of survey data received from internal [Company] team members and interviews with [Company] customers.

Architecture Audit: We analyzed [Company]’s site architecture for SEO optimization, including site structure and navigation.

Content Gap & Competitive Analysis: This task helped us discover and understand [Company] opportunities through keyword identification as well as content and competitive gap analyses.



Media Analysis: This process identified and analyzed top relevant industry publications and influencers to study industry trends and identify common pain points and earned media opportunities.

Onsite Content Assessment: We identified and analyzed current onsite assets, including resources, multimedia, case studies, infographics and blog posts. We also made recommendations for promotable content and examined the current [Company] media coverage along with primary and secondary media outlets.

Key Insights DigitalRelevance has identified opportunities for [Company] to improve site-wide user experience, convey brand recognition on and off [Company Website] and illustrate the overall [Company] experience. The following are our key insights, which will be further fleshed out in the “On-Page Recommendations & Thought Leadership Opportunities” section.

1. Leverage existing content through paid media, paid search tactics and social media presence: Currently, [Company] has 41 resources, which contribute to the industry; however, they aren’t as accessible as they could be. The existing content can be amplified within the industry through onsite and offsite optimization by utilizing both paid media and search platforms for native advertising, sponsored social media updates and content discovery.

2. Develop engaging content: Among the most relevant media articles, 65% discussed topics related to disaster recovery and 45% addressed cloud infrastructure and cloud data. By utilizing [Company]’s biggest value props – local data centers, disaster recovery for business continuity, cloud infrastructure and personalized support – we can illustrate to customers the advantages of working with [Company].

3. Improve site architecture for onsite optimization: The current title tags, meta descriptions and H1 stats are very inconsistent and often missing from key pages. Through preliminary architecture audits, DigitalRelevance has diagnosed several opportunities to improve overall site health and, therefore, leverage SEO opportunities.



AUDIENCESEGMENTS



OVERVIEWThe purpose of audience segmentation is to identify the motivations and digital habits of [Company]’s target audience. The following personas will help inform [Company]’s messaging and digital content strategy in order to most effectively reach key audience members.

DigitalRelevance examined survey data, conducted an audience interview, performed keyword research and reviewed published studies, social media, industry forums and publications to determine the pain points, questions and purchase considerations for the following primary target user personas: CIO, CTO and IT Manager.

Resources“How to Hire a CTO” http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/04/hiring-chief-technology-officer-cto.html

“Today’s CIO Infographic” http://www.idgenterprise.com/report/todays-cio-infographic

“What are the Different IT Manager Responsibilities” http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-it-manager-responsibilities.htm



CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER The CIO plays a cross-functional role between business leadership and IT leadership. CIOs are expected to deliver a dependable IT infrastructure , provide constant connectivity and meet the growing demand for business intelligence, all while keeping costs under control. CIOs are focused primarily on three strategic activities:

Analyzing company needs for new upgrades to software and hardware

Making decisions on how to maintain a secure, dependable and efficient system

Communicate with company leaders on IT performance, needs and future concerns

CIO’s Buyer’s JourneyCIOs are the decision makers in the business: 78% of CIOs determine what a business needs and 71% of CIOs lead the approval stage.

On average, CIOs download EIGHT INFORMATIONAL ASSETS during the purchase process. FOUR OF THOSE assets are produced by the vendor they ultimately select.

78%of CIOs determine business needs



CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICERThe CTO aligns technology-related decisions with business goals. The main responsibilities of the CTO include:

Identifying opportunities and risks for the business

Managing research and development

Maintaining current information about technology standards and compliance regulations

CTO’s Buyer JourneyAlthough a CTO and CIO have similar business goals in mind, a CTO may approach a purchasing decision much differently than the CIO. While the CIO considers the operational side of a buying decision, the CTO considers the following factors in a purchase decision:

The relationship with potential vendors and how their solutions enhance the company’s product

Aligning the company’s architecture and infrastructure with business priorities

How technology enhances the company’s product offerings



INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGERAn IT manager’s roles can include both operational responsibilities as well as business planning. Ultimately, IT managers harness their skillset to identify and implement new technologies to enhance the long-term operational and strategic goals of the company.

IT Manager Buyer’s JourneyIT managers are crucial to business continuity and success, yet their role is significantly different than the CIO or CTO. The IT department consults with executive-level officers to decide upon a company’s IT policy and standards. The IT manager is often first touch for outside tech suppliers and third-party vendors when it comes to the following issues:

Software

Quality of network performance and company assets

Security

Training of IT staff or outside departments



COMPETITIVEANALYSIS



OVERVIEWCompetitive analysis determines any content gaps and opportunities for keyword optimization and on-page content through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of [Company] and its competitor domains.

GoalDigitalRelevance analyzed [Company], [Competitor], [Competitor], [Competitor], [Competitor], [Competitor], [Competitor] and [Competitor] to determine where competitors were performing well and what content gaps [Company] needs to fill to adequately answer user questions and speak to audience pain points.

35%of keywords fall into ‘cloud computing’

Key FindingsThrough research composed during the competitive analysis, DigitalRelevance uncovered the following findings:

Of [Company]’s 1,500 organic search terms, 27% are location-based queries such as “data center Baltimore.”

[Company] can better optimize for search queries related to “cloud computing” – 35% of [Company]’s organic keywords fall into the “cloud computing” category.

[Company]’s “managed data center” product page ranks [number] in in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) for FOUR iterations of “managed data center services.”

Of the 320 keywords examined and their respective ranking URLs for [Company] and competitors, [Company] has ZERO RESOURCE PAGES RANKING, whereas [Competitor] has 19 PAGES RANKING that live in their Knowledge Center.

[Company] has zero resource pages ranking whereas [Competitor]has 19 pages ranking that live in their Knowledge Center



KEYWORD GAP ANALYSISDigitalRelevance compiled extensive keyword research, focusing on [Company]’s local data centers and services and products.

Competitive Analysis ChartsThe competitive analysis charts below depict the organic keywords within each category ranking between 5 and 30 in order to illustrate striking distance opportunity. The charts show how [Company] stacks up in comparison to its keywords in the following groups:

Disaster Recovery

Data Centers

Cloud Computing

Disaster Recovery Services[Company]’s “Disaster Recovery” page is not within close striking distance for keywords around disaster recovery planning and services. DigitalRelevance has identified key reasons why this gap exists:

Product and services pages are opportunities to answer common user questions and utilize related search terms. [Company]’s competitors have both more resource content and context around their products and services. For instance, [Company]’s “Disaster Recovery” page only contains [number] words, whereas [Competitor]’s “Disaster Recovery” services pages have [number] words.

The “[Company Resource]” is a downloadable PDF that cannot be scraped by search engines. While it provides useful information to the end user, its PDF format makes it unreadable to search engines, thus lessening its ability to reach the end user.

[Competitor] (34)

[Company] (17)

[Competitor] (71)

[Competitor] (94)

“DisasterRecovery”



Data Centers[Company]’s biggest search opportunity revolves around “data center”-related search queries. The “Data Center” ([Company Website]/[Name-of-Page]) product page receives the majority of the traffic for these keywords with multiple data center keywords ranking first in the SERPs.

Co-location is a valuable way to connect with customers; however, we have found that including co-location services along with other managed hosting services proves to be a more beneficial way to offer solutions to customer pain points.

None of [Company]’s ranking pages related to data centers are resource pages (case studies, articles, etc.). DigitalRelevance has identified two major keyword optimization opportunities:

Location-based data center searches

Bottom-of-funnel resource content and educational material to inform consumers

Cloud ComputingCloud computing is a very competitive space. Vendors such as [Competitor] and [Competitor] heavily dominate this area because they have hundreds of product and service pages devoted to their types of cloud, cloud services and cloud computing; however, there is an opportunity to create advanced content around cloud computing to drive long-tail traffic. This type of content establishes thought leadership within the space, optimizes for specific keywords and allows customers to see the [Company] site as a source of educational and resource material.

[Company] (121)

[Competitor] (31)

[Competitor] (47)

[Competitor] (144)

“DataCenter”

[Company] (178)

[Competitor] (623)

[Competitor] (44)

[Competitor] (1,166)“Cloud

Computing”



COMPETITIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS The competitive content analysis revealed a large gap in terms of advanced content and educational resources. Materials such as case studies, blogs and whitepapers can be used to push customers through the sales funnel and to attract new leads. Additionally, this type of content can also address key topics and answer long-tail queries that have strong organic search benefits. Here’s a snapshot of how [Company] stacks up against [Competitor], [Competitor], [Competitor] and [Competitor].

Case Studies[Company] features only two case studies, whereas [Competitor], [Competitor] and [Competitor] feature 472, 332 and 11 respectively.

Whitepapers [Company] features only one whitepaper. [Competitor] and [Competitor] currently host 55 and 78 whitepapers on their sites, respectively.

0

100

200

300

400

500

Expedient AWS Rackspace Bluelock

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20

40

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Expedient AWS Rackspace

[Competitor] [Competitor] [Competitor][Company]

[Competitor] [Competitor][Company]



Blog[Company]’s News & Articles section lacks robust and relevant content. For instance, [Company] articles have an average word count of 215, whereas the average [Competitor] article’s word count is 475. Blog articles are the perfect opportunity to address long-tail queries that may not deserve an entire product or service page, but do cover common customer questions and concerns.

Blog topic ideation takes into account not only keyword opportunities, but also the competitive analysis and it keeps a constant finger on the pulse of customer queries.



RECOMMENDATIONS



OVERVIEWBased on the keyword research, competitive analysis and audience and media assessments, DigitalRelevance recommends implementing a series of changes to the [Company] website, current content and promotion opportunities. These observations, opportunities and next steps will be actionable during the 10-month engagement between DigitalRelevance and [Company]. The two sections are broken up into two categories: On-Page Recommendations and Thought Leadership Opportunities.

The recommendations include an observation gleaned from our research phase on an opportunity unique to [Company Website], detailed recommendations to implement the opportunity and, lastly, proposed action items to be completely in the upcoming 10-month engagement between DigitalRelevance and [Company].



ON-PAGE RECOMMENDATIONSThe following on-page recommendations tackle site-wide user experience, SEO optimization opportunities and overall site health. Each recommendation includes observations gleaned from our research, an [Company]-specific opportunity, further information explaining the recommendation and, lastly, the next steps to be completed.



ARCHITECTURE AUDIT

ObservationTitle tags, meta descriptions and H1 stats are very inconsistent and often missing from key pages.

Opportunity Standardize onsite technical SEO, based on opportunities identified via the site audit.

Detailed RecommendationsTITLE TAGSTitle tags have two main purposes and both align with the purposes of a website: They improve the user’s experience and your website’s visibility on SERPs. When utilized correctly, title tags can attract users to your site even if you haven’t yet achieved the top position. Title tags also tell users and search engines clearly and concisely, “this is what my page is about.”

Apart from the site’s content, title tags are the second most important on-page SEO element. The more relevant they are to a user’s search, the more likely [Company] is to receive a boost in position (i.e. potential for more leads). Additionally, title tags play a large role in attracting clicks in the SERPs.

META DESCRIPTIONSThe meta description of a page goes hand-in-hand with the title tag. It’s an opportunity to provide more information to the visitor and the search engine.

When prospects conduct a search, they can learn what the page is about just by looking at the title. A brief scan of the description helps most visitors decide if this is actually the page they are looking for.

H1While not a major ranking factor, the significance of the H1 is that it is often the first page element a user sees upon landing on a page. Therefore, it is imperative that this headline assures the user she is in the right place and has found what she is looking for. If a user is confident that she has found her answer, she will likely spend some time on the page, resulting in the “long click” and over a period of time, this will lower a site’s bounce rate, which is a significant factor in terms of relevance. The H1 is not only a direct ranking factor (considering keyword usage), but also an indirect ranking factor via user experience.

Next Steps An architecture audit outlining technical SEO violations and instructions for correcting each violation

through optimization best practices.



CONTENT VISIBILITY

ObservationMany of the smaller resources and info sheets on [Company Website] are downloadable PDFs. Offering content through PDFs leads to a number of drawbacks when it comes to navigation, including a lack of control regarding document length, page content, document organization, code editing, structured markup and tracking.

Opportunity To realize the greatest benefits from SEO, where applicable, we recommend reformatting the info sheets from PDFs to HTML site pages. This will provide greater control, flexibility and the best opportunity at SEO visibility and tracking advantages.

Detailed Recommendation

EARNS MORE VIEWS AND POTENTIALLY MORE LEADSSince there aren’t any barriers to obtaining your content, more prospects will be willing to view it, which can help facilitate the buying process. For example, local data center pages lack resource content, and info sheets live under resources where they have to be downloaded as PDFs. Most people are more comfortable with HTML and experience less freezing and slow loading with HTML versus PDF. It’s also easier to incorporate interactivity and social functionality into HTML pages. People also link to HTML pages and share them more frequently than PDFs. That being said, having both HTML and PDF versions of the same content can sometimes be a wise choice, but only if you take measures to prevent the duplicate content issue.

Next Steps Strategically remove barriers to content and implement conversion tracking goals on said content.

DigitalRelevance will provide implementation steps on which pages to create and how to best adhere to SEO best practices.



FEATURES & BENEFITS

Observation[Company] lays out all the features of the data centers, but doesn’t explicitly state the benefits.

Opportunity Emphasize [Company]’s point of difference and why your solution is better than the competition in some notable way. Redundancy, transparency and personalized support are key differentiators for [Company], so talk about it in clear terms and explicitly state [Company]’s value props.


VALUE PROPOSITIONSA client call with [Client Name] showed that clients were pleased with the relationship with [Company], but this didn’t come until a face-to-face conversation. [Company]’s strongest value propositions come once a potential customer has visited the physical data center and gained a better understanding of the wide range of managed data services available.

Catchy, yet intangible buzzwords don’t make decisions easier for customers when they are making “apples to apples” comparisons between services. In other words, telling your customers “we’re the best” doesn’t make choosing a service provider any easier, especially for a midsize company.

Give your offering relevancy to potential customers by explicitly stating what problem it solves or how it will improve their current situation. If you can, quantify the value for your customers by listing specific benefits.

Next Steps Add information regarding the one-on-one support clients receive from local support in data centers

and mention co-location offerings on product/services pages. Speak to their [Company Branded Term] and their customer transparency.

Add key messaging recommendations on products and services pages to link to case studies.



PAID SEARCH & MEDIA CAMPAIGNS

Observation[Company] has many keywords within striking distance that revolve around location and geographical targeting.

Opportunity Utilize paid content distribution to amplify the impact of all recommended blog posts and advanced content. Focus PPC campaigns and onsite optimization around location.


LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATIONWith so many companies in this space, getting noticed is paramount. Thankfully, local SEO allows search engines to provide the most pertinent information and results to users, based on geographic location. This can be tremendously helpful, as appearing in relevant searches means you can quickly build a location-specific customer base. Based on our discussion with [Client Name] and [Company], location is a key factor in the decision-making process, so it only makes sense to try to appeal to potential prospects near your data centers.

REDUCED COMPETITION AT A LOCAL LEVELThere are hundreds, if not thousands, of service providers out there, but not all are convenient or relevant to potential clients. When looking for services that need close inspection, such as a data center, [Company]’s target customers value having something nearby. By optimizing local to appear in relevant listings, we are able to target those customers that may be in search of your services within a geographic radius. For companies such as [Company], this means the competition for finding clients is significantly reduced, as targeting a niche local market will always prove more effective than a scattergun approach.

PAID CONTENT DISTRIBUTIONAnalysis of competitors’ content marketing efforts revealed that they often do not utilize paid media to directly reach their target audiences after publishing content resources. Topically relevant content resources published by competitors like [Competitor] and [Competitor] often underperformed on social media, due to a lack of promotion.

Paid content distribution engages new readers by amplifying your content and it drives traffic by being recommended from other articles on top publisher sites. This increased exposure will assist in building a community of readers for [Company] content that supports recurring site traffic. We recommend that [Company] focus a paid budget on content distribution platforms such as StumbleUpon, Zemanta, Taboola, Outbrain, etc.



The benefits of using a paid content distribution tool include:

Improved SEO through increased traffic volume and increased social sharing.

Expanded content reach to highly defined target audiences with a defined interest in the content topic.

Improved brand positioning by pairing your content with that of major publishers and industry thought leaders.

Most content distribution networks utilize a cost per click (CPC) pricing model that, when optimized and managed effectively, can reach a highly defined audience actively seeking new content in under $0.25 CPC.

SPONSORED ARTICLESSponsored articles provide brands with a guarantee to reach many members of a target audience at a trusted media outlet where they regularly consume content. By reaching a critical mass of the target audience when they are seeking new information and solutions, sponsored articles will provide increased audience exposure, targeted referral traffic and more qualified leads.

Next Steps Begin localized PPC campaigns and a greater presence on Google My Business.

Utilize paid content distribution as a tactic for each suggested Integrated Promotion Strategy.

Utilize small monthly paid content distribution campaigns to promote the strategic blog articles.

Consider sponsored articles as a tactic for each suggested Integrated Promotion Strategy.

Prepare a target list of potential media outlets for sponsorship, and collaborate with advertising account executives to evaluate each opportunity based on rates, schedules and content frequency.

Partner with the media outlets and [Company] to guide the creation of any content necessary for the partnership.



THOUGHT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIESThe following thought leadership opportunities address specific content marketing prospects, content promotion strategies and industry-specific tactics to boost organic and referral traffic and establish lead-generation opportunities.



CONTENT MARKETING & PROMOTION

ObservationStudies and influencers deliver the largest content promotion results.

Opportunity Create and promote two new advanced content pieces that align with the existing audience and media interests.

Detailed Recommendations

STUDIES & SURVEYSDuring the media analysis, 75% of the most relevant media articles cited studies and surveys. Additionally, 70% of the media articles cited or included influencer insights. Media contacts are eager to share content that focuses on new industry insights from studies and influencers.

DISASTER RECOVERY The most prevalent data center topics covered by the media focus on disaster recovery and cloud infrastructure. Among the most relevant media articles, 65% discussed topics related to disaster recovery and security. [Company] has a significant opportunity to capitalize on the audience’s and media’s interest in survey results and disaster recovery topics. An infographic can provide the media with a fresh way to share survey insights with their readers. This data visualization should focus on compelling insights from already-existing industry studies related to disaster recovery.

70% of the media articles cited or included influencer insights

75% of the most relevant media articles cited studies and surveys



CLOUD INFRASTRUCTUREAmong the most relevant media articles, 45% addressed cloud infrastructure and cloud data topics. [Company] has an opportunity to capitalize on the audience and media interest in influencer insights and cloud infrastructure. An advanced content resource may take the form of an ebook, a “how-to” guide or another advanced content format. This advanced content piece would focus on the most relevant cloud infrastructure topics and also showcase expertise from third-party data center influencers. Partnering with influencers who are respected contributors in the cloud infrastructure industry provides the content with unbiased credibility and increased potential reach to the target audience.

INTEGRATED PROMOTION STRATEGYCompetitive analysis of advanced content, including ebooks, whitepapers and infographics, revealed that [Company]’s content competitors do not utilize any strategic integrated promotion after publishing content resources. Our analysis revealed that topically relevant content resources from competitors like [Competitor] and [Competitor] often earned zero backlinks from the media and underperformed on social media, due to a lack of promotion.

Content resources from competitors like [Competitor] and [Competitor] often earned zero backlinks and underperformed on social media due to a lack of promotion.

Next Steps Conduct targeted research to pinpoint precise disaster recovery topics, studies and data points to be

included in the infographic.

Conduct targeted research to further narrow the cloud infrastructure topic. Pinpoint the most pertinent details to include and also the best format for the content: ebook, blog post series, white paper, infographic, etc.

Identify non-client experts, including CIOs, CTOs, IT managers and systems administrators, to provide influencer insights within the content piece.

With [Company], create two advanced content pieces and any additional resources needed to support the content on [Company Website] related to disaster recovery and cloud infrastructure.

Develop an Integrated Promotion Strategy for each advanced content piece to maximize impact.



[COMPANY]’S EXISTING CONTENT

ObservationExisting [Company] content is underutilized by media outlets.

Opportunity Optimize and promote existing [Company] resources to increase the content’s impact.


2014 [REPORT] The landing page for the 2013 [Report] received nearly no coverage on trusted, third-party media sites. Also, the [Report] landing page was only shared on Twitter four times.

[Company] has the opportunity to capitalize on the audience’s and media’s interest in industry studies by promoting the results of the official 2014 [Report]. The study provides the kind of credible, third-party endorsed insights that media contacts desire to share, and an Integrated Promotion Strategy will drive quality backlinks, referral traffic and search authority from media outlets, social media channels and paid media.

[COMPANY] [RESOURCES][Company]’s [Resources] are valuable resources for IT professionals, and they have not yet been fully utilized to drive brand awareness, referral traffic and leads. Eight different [Resources] are available through [Resource Website] and [Company Website]. Currently, they have been shared on social media 169 times, with many of the [Resources] never having received a single social share. Analysis also revealed that the [Resources] have only received three total backlinks from media sites and blogs. The [Proprietary Resource] and [Proprietary Resource] received two backlinks and the [Proprietary Resource] received one backlink. The other six [Resources] have earned zero backlinks from media outlets.



With the [Resources], [Company] has the opportunity to directly engage the target audience while they are progressing through the marketing funnel and actively gathering information to make business decisions. An Integrated Promotion Strategy will consider which specific [Resources] have the most potential to earn media coverage and ways to build more search authority through social media channels, media outlets and paid media.

Next Steps Provide landing page recommendations to [Company] to optimize the content for promotion.

Guide development of any additional charts or visuals needed to support the promotion of the study to the media.

Review all existing [Resources] and select the most relevant [Resources] for media promotion.

Guide development of any additional charts or visuals needed to support the promotion.

Determine which domain to promote, [Company Website] or [Resource Website].

Develop an Integrated Promotion Strategy for each content piece to maximize impact.



BLOG STRATEGY

ObservationMore than 85% of all media articles discussed the modern data center and strategies for managing a data center of the future.

Opportunity Create and share blog content that enables [Company] to become a data center thought leader.


BLOG CONTENTDuring analysis, more than 85% of the media articles discussed future-focused concepts related to data centers. Trends for data centers of the future were an underlying theme through nearly all of the most relevant media articles. The most prevalent modern data center topics included cloud infrastructure, colocation, security, virtualization and disaster recovery.

There is a significant opportunity for [Company] to regularly publish blog content that positions the brand as a thought leader in the data center industry. By writing about topics like cloud infrastructure, colocation, security, virtualization and disaster recovery, [Company] can capitalize on the audience and media interest in those topics to build a loyal readership and also drive overall site authority.

Next Steps Develop a comprehensive blog strategy including architecture, navigation and category

recommendations.

Deliver monthly strategic blog topic outlines based on competitive intelligence, keyword research and media analysis.

85%More than 85% of all media articles discussed the data center of the future



INTEGRATED PROMOTION STRATEGY[Company] can maximize the reach of each content marketing initiative by implementing an Integrated Promotion Strategy after publishing each new content resource. Effective content promotion can yield impressive campaign results, including increased target audience awareness, referral traffic, social engagement and off-page SEO signals.

Each Integrated Promotion Strategy is unique to that particular piece of content, and every strategy will consider the specific audiences, media contacts, influencers, social media and paid channels that are the best mix for each advanced content initiative. Two vital aspects of an Integrated Promotion Strategy are editorial outreach and social influencer outreach.

EDITORIAL OUTREACH ENCOURAGES NICHE JOURNALISTS TO SHARE CONTENT AS A RESOURCE IN ARTICLESEditorial outreach for content differs slightly from traditional media relations. Rather than sharing news about a company or their products, we pitch the helpful content to the media because it is a valuable resource to their existing stories and their readers. Media outlets can provide a trusted and credible third-party endorsement of your content and brand.

SOCIAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS ENCOURAGE SOCIAL INFLUENCERS TO SHARE CONTENT WITH THEIR FOLLOWERSIn addition to working with influencers and experts in the development of advanced content, we also recommend partnering with influencers to promote each advanced content marketing initiative through social media. Social outreach serves the overall campaign goals in several ways. Social signals have both a direct and indirect impact on organic search rankings. Additionally, influencers are a trusted, third-party resource for highly engaged members of the target audience and can assist in delivering qualified referral traffic.

Next Steps Research and plan a comprehensive Integrated Promotion Strategy for each content promotion

initiative.

Ensure that each Integrated Promotion Strategy considers the specific audiences, media contacts, influencers, social networks and paid channels that are the best mix for each piece of content.

EFFECTIVE CONTENT

PROMOTION

AUDIENCE AWARENESS

REFERRALTRAFFIC

SOCIALENGAGEMENT

OFF-PAGESEO SIGNALS

INCREASED



BYLINED ARTICLES

Observation95% of the most relevant media articles wrote about data centers from an advanced or intermediate point of view.

OpportunityContribute bylined articles from [Company] experts to hyper-targeted niche media outlets.


BYLINED ARTICLESDuring the media analysis, 95% of the most relevant media articles were written from an advanced or intermediate level of technical difficulty. With only 5% of the media articles discussing data center topics with a beginner level of technical difficulty, it is apparent that media outlets are seeking contributors and experts with significant industry expertise. Additionally, 70% of the media articles cited or included influencer insights.

NICHE MEDIA OUTLETSMany mainstream and niche media outlets accept and publish articles from writers not on their editorial staff to add perspective and expert insights to their publications. A bylined article is an effective way to establish credibility with a target audience, showcase [Company] as a thought leader and differentiate the company from its competitors. Bylined articles in hyper-targeted niche media outlets can drive referral traffic, expand overall brand authority and ultimately increase search visibility. They also enable a brand to focus on issues and topics important to the company and its potential customers.

Next Steps Consider bylined articles as a tactic for each suggested Integrated Promotion Strategy.

Identify the most qualified and reputable [Company] experts to author bylined articles.

Work with [Company] experts to ghostwrite or co-write articles that address customer pain points and share [Company] content resources.

95%of the most relevant media articles were written from an advanced or intermediate level of technical difficulty



SOCIAL MEDIA

Observation79% of the time, the most commonly shared social network for the articles was LinkedIn.

OpportunityBuild social audience and share relevant content with followers and influencers.

Detailed Recommendations

LINKEDIN & TWITTERMedia and influencer analysis revealed two overriding social networks for the target audience — LinkedIn and Twitter. For 79% of the media articles analyzed, LinkedIn was the most common social network the articles were shared on. This revealed that the target audience is most reliant on LinkedIn as a social channel to share content that bolsters their own professional credibility.

SPONSORED SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATESAdvertising options on social media networks like LinkedIn and Twitter allow you to target the right people so your ads appear in front of those most likely to respond to them. Promoted content is labeled “promoted” or “sponsored” so users can easily distinguish between ads and organic content.

Audience-targeting features through LinkedIn and Twitter allow you to reach people based on interests, employers, job titles and geographic location. By targeting narrowly defined target audiences with sponsored posts, you can promote content directly to the intended audience. Increasing social following and engagement increases content visibility and brand authority — ultimately leading to increases in domain authority, rankings and traffic.

UTILIZING INFLUENCERS & BUILDING SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCEAdditionally, 70% of the media articles cited or included influencer insights. Industry influencers often have a strong presence on Twitter and regularly engage with their followers to discuss hot topics in the industry. Through the suggested content promotion efforts, [Company] has the opportunity to build a larger following on social media by sharing helpful content more regularly and engaging with the community.

Social signals provide both a direct and indirect impact on organic search rankings.



An improved social presence serves the overall campaign through social signals that provide both a direct and indirect impact on organic search rankings. Additionally, influencers are a trusted, third-party resource for the target audience and can assist in delivering qualified referral traffic.

Next Steps Consider social media channels for each suggested Integrated Promotion Strategy.

Provide ongoing social strategy consultation and social content recommendations.



SCOPEAND TIMELINE



1/15 2/15 3/15 4/15 5/15 6/15 7/15 8/15 9/15

Blog Strategy

Blog Ideation

Consulting - Convert PDFs to Webpages

Conversion Tracking for PDF to Webpages

Disaster Recovery Thought Leadership

Cloud Benchmark Report Promotion

Cloud Calculators Promotion

Bylined Articles

Architecture Audit and Recommendations

Messaging Content Strategy

Local PPC Plan

Implement PPC Plan*

Project Management and Reporting

SCOPE & TIMELINE

*actionable from [Company]’s side

60 Day Assessment_White Label

Documents

Transcript of 60 Day Assessment_White Label