growing your business with content marketing

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS WITH CONTENT MARKETING

I’VE JUST CRAFTED THE PERFECT TWEET!

ABOUT LAUREN LICATA

CONTENT MARKETING MANAGER, BASE CRM

@LAURENLICATA

LAUREN.LICATA411@GMAIL.COM

WWW.CONTENTPROWESS.COM

THIS PRESENTATION WAS ORIGINALLY GIVEN AT THE APPLE STORE, NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL

WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?

PETE

HOW DID YOU USED TO REACH PETE?

PAID MEDIA

HOW SHOULD YOU REACH PETE TODAY?

OWNED MEDIA

EARNED MEDIA

WHY?

HE SKIPS TV ADS WITH DVRHE UNSUBSCRIBES FROM EMAILHE DOESN’T READ DIRECT MAILHE ADDED HIMSELF TO THE NO CALL LIST

86% SKIP TV ADS WITH DVR91% UNSUBSCRIBE FROM EMAIL44% DON’T READ DIRECT MAIL200M ON THE NO CALL LIST

88% OF US INTERNET USERS AGES 14+ BROWSE OR RESEARCH PRODUCTS ONLINE

BUT HE LOVES GOOGLE!

HOW SHOULD BRANDS ADJUST FROM PUSH MARKETING (OUTBOUND) TO PULL MARKETING (INBOUND)?

CONTENT MARKETING

WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

Content marketing is the process of developing and publishing branded content to acquire new customers and increase business from existing customers.

CONTENT COMES IN MANY FORMSBlogs

Ebooks

Videos

Images

Email Campaigns

Webinars

Podcasts

Case Studies

Guides/Customer Support Articles

Social Media

Paid (Sponsored Content, Ads (TV, Radio, Magazine, Social Media, Banner, etc.)

HTTP://WWW.PROGRESSIVE.COM/UNDERSTANDING-INSURANCE/ENTRIES/

2013/4/16/FLYING_FURNITURE__A/

GOOGLE TRENDS

•CONTENT 2020 PLAN

•2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS - SPONSORSHIP = 9 AD EXECUTIONS

•2012 LONDON OLYMPICS - SPONSORSHIP = 120 PIECES OF CONTENT

•WE HAVE A VOLUME CONUNDRUM!

Family-owned, pool company in Virginia grew to be one of the largest of its kind in the world (due to content marketing efforts and an incredibly popular swimming pool blog)

HOW?

BUILDING YOUR CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY

VISIT CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

WHAT WE’RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS MOUSE TRAP.

1. DEFINE YOUR MARKETING PROCESS

How your customer proceeds through your sales and marketing funnel.

VisitorEngaged Visitor

Trial Account Retain/Upsell Evangelism

LEAD CUSTOMER

MEASURE THE DROP-OFF IN BETWEEN EACH STAGE

2. UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS BUYING CYCLE

INFORMATION SEARCH

EVALUATION OF

ALTERNATIVES

POST PURCHASE

EVALUATION

PURCHASE DECISION

AWARENESS/EDUCATION

BACK TO EDUCATION

3. DEVELOP CUSTOMER PERSONAS

Personas ≠ Demographics (age/race/gender)

Figure out who you are talking to - makes writing content for them much easier!

Create a persona for each key customer.

Answer these questions: Who are they? / What is their need? / Why do they care about our company? / What is the EVP we offer them?

4. CREATE YOUR BRAND STORIES

What do you want people to know about your company/product?

What business are you really in?

Develop your brand “pillars” that all of your content will ladder up to.

EDITORIAL FOCUS ON “CUSTOMER PAIN” - THE STATUS QUO.

BUT...A NEW WAY IS COMING

EDITORIAL FOCUS ON QUESTIONING THE WAY THINGS ARE.

CHALLENGE STATUS QUO

EDITORIAL FOCUS ON HOW YOUR BRAND SOLVES YOUR CUSTOMER’S PROBLEMS.

A NEW WAY IS HERE!

5. MAP EXISTING CONTENT AGAINST ENGAGEMENT CYCLE

Helps identify gaps in your content & helps to prioritize

Take inventory for all personas

Buying Cycle Education Info Search Alternatives Decision Post-Purchase Evaluation

Marketing Cycle • Visitors • Visitors

• Leads•Leads•Visitors • Customers • Customers

Persona #1

Blog

Ebook

Video

Blog

Free template

Newsletter

Blog

Case Studies

Webinar

Customer Service/Support Articles

Blog

Customer Newsletter

Persona #2 X X X X X

6. ASSEMBLE YOUR TEAM

CCO• Owns content initiative - executes content goals• Integration of marketing and content including social media• Audience development• Budgeting & measurement

Editor(s)• Grammar/style corrections• Search engine optimization (SEO) of posts• Tagging and images• Keyword selection

Creators• Write the content (subject matter experts or freelancers)• Videographer

Designer • Interface designer (if web initiative like landing pages, mobile app)• PDFs/ Keynote presentations/ ebooks, etc.

7. DEVELOP EDITORIAL STYLE GUIDE

Content Mission/Brand Story Themes

Personas

Tone - playful, witty, professorial

Topic examples

Length & style of blog posts/ebooks etc.

Spelling/Grammar guidelines - Chicago vs. AP Manual of Style

8. DEFINE YOUR METRICS

VISITORS

UNIQUE BLOG VISITSWEBSITE VISITORS

QUALITY OF VISITORSPAGES/VISIT

BOUNCE RATE

CONVERSIONS

FREE TRIALSPAID ACCOUNTS

SUBSCRIBERSCUSTOMERS/CLIENTS

LEADSCOST/CUSTOMER

ENGAGEMENT

SOCIAL REACHBLOG COMMENTS

SM TRAFFIC

9. CREATE YOUR EDITORIAL CALENDAR

Map your brand stories to channels, dates, and specific topics.

At least 2 weeks in advance

1. Topic

2. Author (Creator)

3. Format (Keynote, Word, Video, PDF, etc.)

4. Draft Due Date

5. Publication Date

6. Publishing Location (Your Blog, SlideShare, Guest Post, etc.)

10. DEVELOP YOUR DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

SOURCES:

CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTEMANAGING CONTENT MARKETINGEXACT TARGETA QUICK INTRODUCTION TO CONTENT MARKETINGHUBSPOTCOPYBLOGGER

PUBLISH, LISTEN, MEASURE, REPEAT

Once everything is in motion, you can see the momentum that your content marketing machine has. It all leads to getting the cheese to where the customer can find it.

TAKEAWAYS

1. CONTENT MARKETING IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT - DITCH CAMPAIGN MENTALITY

2. MARKETING TECHNIQUES CHANGE, GOOD STORIES DON’T3. CONTENT MARKETING IS JUST MARKETING - BUT WE NEED A

NAME FOR IT (FOR NOW)