content strategy basics

The Digital WorldContent is Kingby Sandra Riches

October 2012

What I did and what I do

TV producer19%

SEO/SEM Senior Account Manager

13%

Digital Account Director

19%

GM/CEO digital agency

38%

Digital Strategist13%

What we’ll cover todayIntroduction

Where is digital at

Content Strategy & Marketing principles

Some examples

Exercise

+Introduction

IntroductionAt the core of digital is content

Content is ultimately what you are offering your customer online

Content should be your main consideration in any digital comms

Channels and technology are merely there to facilitate

Top DownCampaign message

Website or

microsite

SEO

SEMSocial

Banner ads

Email

Usually driven by business objectives

Bottom Up – our focus for today

Website or

microsite

SEO

SEMSocial

Banner ads

Email

Useful content

Usually driven by customer needs

+Where is digital at?

Marketing and comms are becoming more technology driven

and analytical

Marketers are Multi Taskers

And as a consequence, they are becoming more

operationally focused

Devices diverge

Services converge

Our customers expect us to keep up with the their ways of communicating

Social, Local, Mobile

Facebook vs Email vs Twitter

Source: ExactTarget, May 2012

Device usage by age

Source: Yellow Social Media Report, AIMIA, June 2012

Don’t talk at customers

Talk with them

So how is the role of content changing in

all of this?

Content is NOT a feature

Think content first

Create Once, Publish Everywhere

+Content Strategy Principles

What is a content strategy?

“A content strategy embraces words, images and multimedia to systematically enhance consumer engagement and conversion rates.”Rebecca Lieb

Where are we now?- Customer insight

1 PLAN

Customer insightUse Customer Insights to determine customers needs.

Develop Personas to determine your customer needs and pain points.

Create User Journeys for each Persona to determine pathways from initial interest to conversion. This is likely to cross multiple channels.

Customer insight – Persona

Customer insight – User Journey

Customer Insight – User Journey

Where are we now?- Customer insight- Market trends- Competitor analysis- Content audit

1 PLAN

But where?

Content Audit

Where are we now?- Customer insight- Market trends- Competitor analysis- Content audit

Where do we want to be?- Setting objectives

1 PLAN

Source: Content Marketing Institute 2012

Find the Sweet Spot

Business Goals Customer GoalsSweet Spot

Where are we now?- Customer insight- Market trends- Competitor analysis- Content audit

Where do we want to be?- Setting objectives

How do we get there?- Set out Online Value

Proposition (OVP)- Develop strategies- Develop a Content Grid

1 PLAN

Content Grid

Who is going to do it?- Who will be

ultimately responsible for the content

- Who will create the content(internal vs external)

- Who will publish the content

- Who will monitor the content

- Set out a content workflow with the appropriate tools

2 TEAM

How exactly do we get there?- Think tactically- Use your Content

Grid- Keep your customer

front of mind- Fill in the details

3 IDEAS

Source: Content Marketing Institute 2012

Ideas are the biggest challenge

Source: Content Marketing Institute 2012

- Create an editorial Calendar

4 PRODUCTION

Editorial calendar

- Create an editorial Calendar

- Develop the content

4 PRODUCTION

- The job is not done when the content is live

- Distribute the content using the most optimal channels

5 AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Preferred method of online comms

Distribution OptionsOwned

Own website

Own mobile site

Own micro sites

Own Social channels

Email House list

Own blogs

Bought

Banners CPM

Banners CPA

SEM

Sponsorship

Earned

Social Media

Editorial articles

SEO

Blogs

Forums

CONTROLHIGH LOW

Distribution Options – AwarenessOwned

Own website

Own mobile site

Own micro sites

Own Social channels

Email House list

Own blogs

Bought

Banners CPM

Banners CPA

SEM

Sponsorship

Earned

Social Media

Editorial articles

SEO

Blogs

Forums

CONTROLHIGH LOW

✔ ✔

✔✔

✔

✔

✔✔

✔✔

✔✔

Distribution Options – ConversionOwned

Own website

Own mobile site

Own micro sites

Own Social channels

Email House list

Own blogs

Bought

Banners CPM

Banners CPA

SEM

Sponsorship

Earned

Social Media

Editorial articles

SEO

Blogs

Forums

CONTROLHIGH LOW

✔✔✔✔

✔

✔

✔✔

✔✔

✔

✔

✔

- The job is not done when the content is live

- Distribute the content using the most optimal channels

- Repurpose content where possible

5 AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Repurpose content

How do we monitor performance?- Measure your

objective’s KPIs- Use your web

analytics to find stumbling blocks

- Improve the User Experience and content continuously

6CONVERSION, MEASURE AND OPTIMISE

7

+Some Examples

+Conclusion

What should you DO with this?Think about this process whenever you want to “put something on the web”

Think about this process when you are setting out your annual marketing strategies

Start considering alternatives

Feel empowered to understand what questions to ask and what potential is there

Most common mistakes (please avoid!)

Inconsistent content, which could be the result of treating the content as a campaign

Talking too much about the brand and not focusing on high-quality content

Not atomising the content into multiple channels in the right context

Failing to segment content

Ineffective resourcing

No promotion plan around the content marketing strategySource: Joe Pulizzi, executive director of the Content Marketing Institute

+

Any questions?

www.slideshare.com/sandrariches

@sandrariches

au.linkedin.com/in/sandrariches

www.collaboraid.com.au

+Exercise

Exercise 1 – Business ObjectivesOpen Day is coming up in 9 months time.

You have decided that the Digital Channel is at the core of your communications with your students.

_________________________________________________________

Q: What is the main Business Objective you are hoping to achieve through Open Day?

Discuss – Business ObjectivesSo what is the one thing we need to achieve?

Is this different now that Digital is at the core of your strategy?

Exercise 2 – Consumer NeedsYou have a clear idea of what you want to get out of Open Day this year. Now it is time to consider your audience.

_______________________________________________________

Q: Who is your target audience (please segment)

Q: What questions will they have?

Discuss – Consumer NeedsSo who is our target audience?

Do we currently segment our audience this way?

What questions do they need answered?

Do the questions differ before, during and after Open Day?

Exercise 3 – Content Grid Now you know your Business Objectives and your Consumer Needs, you can work out what content is needed.

______________________________________________________

Q: Please complete the Content Grid

Q: So what is your Online Value Proposition?

Exercise 3 – Content Grid Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3

Before Open Day

During Open Day

After Open Day

OVP:

Discuss – Content Grid What messages should be communicated

What content features or tools do we need

Do we need to create new content?

Where will the content live?