How to Create Effective and Optimized Content

Jennifer Silverman

Content Panel

PeepCon 2015

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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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3

3 Parts of a Cycle

Creation

Coordination

Curation

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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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2.3. Recharging Existing Content

Re-imagine

Serialize

Annualize and Update

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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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Thank you!

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