9 Steps to Winning Your Content Marketing Marathon
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Transcript of 9 Steps to Winning Your Content Marketing Marathon
Laurie Paleczny, President, Dash Digital Group November 18, 2014
CONTENT, CHANNELS AND CULTURE
Connecting the Content Marketing Dots…
The challenge• Content marketing is forcing marketing
professionals to rethink how they engage audiences
• Hundreds of digital channels offer potential • How do you decide? • How do you measure what works and what
doesn’t?
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
It’s all about youWhat is right for your
• Business
• Customer
• Resources
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Source: The Guardian
The Content Marathon• It’s not a race
• It’s not a campaign
• Content marketing is a practice
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Run, Laurie, Run! Let the parallels begin…
Running is a journey, full of lessons and insights
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
What does it take to win?• Goals • Focus • Tenacity • Thrill of accomplishment • Willingness to learn (and share)
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
DECIDING TO RUNThe First Step
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Now it’s all about me J• First half marathon at 47
• friend put me up to it
• Once committed, I took ownership
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
DEFINE YOUR GOAL(S)Step Two
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
What does success look like?• Content marketing can have many purposes
that benefit your company — what is most important? • Drive sales • Generate leads • Foster loyalty • Support customers (displace calls) • Brand affinity / awareness • Reduce costs
Start with smaller goals• Confirm progress: weekly, monthly, quarterly,
annually
• Put meaningful metrics in place — know that you can measure progress and understand
• Build on success
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
ESTABLISH MEANINGFUL METRICS
Step Three
Meaningful metrics
• Don’t take on someone else’s goal
• What really matters?
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Measurement Framework Purpose
Drive specific insights about the quality and performance of content, amplification, and conversions
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Measurement Framework Goal
Create comprehensive framework that marketers can use to benchmark and test new tactics (content, amplification and conversions)
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Measurement FrameworkBuild effective reports for key stakeholders:
1. Executives
2. Managers
3. Blog owners / authors
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Sample Framework
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Content Activity
Amplification Performance
Amplification Activity
Engagement/Conversions
Content Performance
CHOOSE YOUR TOOLSStep Four
Right tools that work together• The wrong tools will only distract
• Understand your capability and limitations
• Still have to put in the training, the hard work to make content successful -- crafting good stories, producing quality ideas and creative
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
CHOOSE YOUR RUNNING PARTNER(S)
The Fifth Step
Partner• Work with experts who understand your goals
and will run alongside to help you achieve them
• Partners can introduce you to new • Tools • Approaches • Processes • Partners
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
PICK THE RIGHT RACEStep Six
Know which channels matter• Where is your target audience?
• How does engagement differ from channel to channel?
• Which online venues perform?
• Know how to tailor content and engagement strategies for each
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Example – financial services• Researched how personal finance topics were
discussed in various channels • Industry marketed in Twitter and Facebook • Consumers read blogs and posted in anonymous
forums
• Cultural norms were different in each channel
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Research volume of content
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
The culture of the race Different races have different cultural norms; they may not be a good fit for you, or to run them, you may need to embrace a different culture
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Know the channel culture• Learn
• what values and attitudes exist online about your brand/industry
• the political, cultural or sociological reference points
• Understand the cultural nuances of audiences in order to more effectively influence or inform their behavior
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Who is my target client?
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
MAP YOUR RACEStep Seven
Content Journey - healthcare
Awareness
Program Info
Partner Information
About
Benefits
The Team
Interest
Information
White papers
Tools/Lists
Contests
Portfolio/Case Studies
Intent
Testimonials
Studies
Awards/Certifications
Memberships
Partners/Endorsements
Action
Find a provider
Request Info
Share/Follow
Click/Call
Submit form
Enterprise example – phase 1• Global B2B software company • Goal: Lower support costs and drive interest in new products • Approach: Build IT practitioner community for product
support, sharing and collaboration • Action: Selected Lithium as its platform for forums and blogs
• Initial launch was a success, but then stagnated — weren’t ready to run the long marathon • Community needed content
Learn through practice runs - assess what works and what doesn’t.
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Enterprise example– phase 2• Product blog teams to create practitioner-focused content
• Useful, step-by-step, including code samples • Empathetic to changing job demands • Best practices for images, headlines, build blogger profile
• Created front-page to community • Better UX / navigation • Surface evergreen content - How-to articles, videos • Drive conversion to lead gen (webinars, white papers) and
featured software downloads (“conversion”) • ROI conversation • Newsletter - sign-up campaign
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Awareness Interest Intent Action
Editorial Calendar
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
PLAN TIME TO RECOVERStep Eight
Evaluate Performance• Marathons take their toll • Take time to recover and think about what
worked, what didn’t • Engage stakeholders and partners
You should have some failures
Learn your way to success © Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Measurement• Have defined goals • Have a defined set of tools • Understand gaps • Structured taxonomy is essential
• SqueezeCMM • measure the constellation of social clicks,
content consumption and CTA conversions
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Content chain results
Free Software Registration Page
240
46
58
55
364
9 88 23
8
1
9
267
Guide to Analytics
901
63
Content chain results
Free Software Registration Page
240
46
58
55
364
9 88 65
143
1
9
Guide to Analytics
901
267
63
11
3
KEEP RUNNINGStep Nine
© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014
Laurie Paleczny [email protected]