3 Salient Points
• It’s likely less “How do I get started?” and more “How do I operationalize it?”
• These days, a customer-focused content marketing program is the sandwich, and SEO is the mayo
• Tell sincere stories + Create an effective, efficient framework + Continuous observation and improvement + ??? (or Time) = Profit
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1. Curation (+ Thought Leadership)
Add something original!
Make sense out
of it
Know what everyone
else is saying
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1.1. Know what everyone else is saying
Large-scale (Region/Country/Worldwide)
• Keyword Research
• Trend Analysis
• Competitor Analysis
Small-scale (Your Own Website)
• Polls and Surveys
• Comment and Sharing Rate
• Top Pages, Internal Search, Referral Traffic
• Signup Types
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1.2. Make sense out of it (What does it mean for you?)
What brings them in?Who are they, and what do they
want?
What do they feel about __? Why do they do what they do?
Information, to Intelligence, to
Action
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1.3. Add something original
EveryoneYour
Audience
You and Your Own
Experience
Your Original Story!
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2. Creation (Tell a Relatable Story and Show Why It's Important)
Brand Story and Persona
Development
Funnel Stages / User
Journey
Recharging Existing Content
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2.1. Brand Story/Persona Development(Story = Idea + Action + Emotion)
Get Employees “Into” Your Company
• Make engaging your employees a priority
• Develop employee personas
• Understand where you’re starting from
• Make a plan
• Communicate strategically
• Be interesting
Make Passionate Followers
• Social proof: Visible interaction with your brand (not just social metrics)
• Develop customer personas
• Let fans guide product development
• Admit and apologize for missteps
• Stories before tactics!
Storytelling Styles
• Visual content: data visualizations, captivating illustrations
• Types of stories
• The quest (progression)
• Overcoming the monster
• Rags to riches
• Rebirth/Redemption
• Voyage and Return
• Tragedy
• Comedy
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2.2. Funnel Stages / User Journey
Awareness:
Influence
Consideration: Persuade
Close:
Move to Action
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2.2.1. Awareness: Influence
News Source
• Explain Trends
• Explain News
Practical Reference
• Help Accomplish Goals (How-To)
• Help Achieve Success (Case Study)
Instigator
• Start a Conversation
• Spark a Controversy
• Express an Opinion
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2.2.2. Consideration: Persuade
Tips
• Stay brand-consistent
• Keep it timely
• Know your community
• Participate in passionate conversations
• Make them want to learn more
• Appeal to emotions and rationality
• Remember your website’s visual experience
Avoid
• Buzzwords
• Obscure terms and industry jargon
• Inaccurate use of words and phrases
• Metaphors
• Illogical, insufficient, or incomplete arguments
• Style and design weaknesses (complex sentences, small fonts, etc.)
Targeting B2B
• Help them see the light
• Tell in 90 words or less why you should be considered
• Provide more in-depth info
• Provide detailed case studies for companies like theirs
• Help them sell your solution to stakeholders
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2.2.3. Close: Move to Action
Tiers
• Soliciting the Sale
• Capturing the Lead
• Nurturing the Relationship
Tips
• Choose a goal
• Consider the context
• Make it short and actionable
• Place it strategically
• Test your CTAs
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3. Coordination
Internal Collaboration
Content Channels
Process Checks and
Improvement
Buy-In from Higher-Ups
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3.1. Internal Collaboration: How Do You Want It to Work?
Internal and External Experts
Central Strategist +
Moving Parts
Internal Contributors
Channel Managers
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3.2. Content Channels: What to Use?(Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin!)
• Articles and/or Blog Posts
• Product and/or Static Pages
• Newsletter / Email Updates
• Social Media
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Build a following for your basics until you are known for them; -then-expand to other channels.
3.3. Process Checks and Improvements
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• Keyword Usage
• Schema
• Social Media Optimization
• Up-to-Date Information
Technical Optimization
• Ask Better Questions
• Check and Improve Status Quo
• Create Stronger Customer Experience Opportunities
Continuous Improvement
3.4. Buy-In from Higher-Ups: How Do You Get/Keep It?
Content Business Plan / Strategy
•Content Calendar
•Social Media Plan
•Personalized Emails – needs, pain points, behavior triggers
•Automation Tools – w/ sales & CRM systems
•Mobile Considerations
•Subscription Model
Key Performance Indicators
•Leading indicators: search, social, links, brand mentions
•Marketing Indicators -content (visits, sources, interaction), traffic, conversions, usage, revenue
•Business Analytics - cost of acquisition, retention, lifetime value, gross margin
Inter-Departmental Connections
•Your whole company should want to read your blog
•Sales: What content closes sales?
•Human Resources: Satisfaction, retention, loyalty, kept promises, evangelism
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