is your content letting you down?
TRANSCRIPT
Is your content letting you down?
Emily Shelley, managing director
The 5 signs your content is a turn-off and what to do about it
Here are some of our clients…
1. You’ve forgotten it’s about a relationship
Content marketing
Download the results
Download the results
Before you start…
WHY are we doing it?
WHO are we doing it for?
WHAT is the key message?
Letting Go of
the Words
Ginny Redish
Download the results
What’s your mission?
What should your mission be?
1. Content should add value to the customer… but also to your business
2. Every piece of content should have a clear route back to a named business goal
3. It must be something you can credibly speak about
Your business needs
Your domain of expertise
User content needs
An example…
“Welcome to Inc.com, the
place where entrepreneurs and
business owners can find
useful information, advice,
insights and inspiration for
growing their businesses.”
Another definition of strategy…
‘A reason to say NO
to things.’
Professor Michael Porter
2. You can’t stop talking about yourself
Velocity
Doug Kessler
It’s not about you…
Content marketing starts with what your prospects need to find out about, not what you need to tell them.
“My first vacation epiphany
occurred while taking my two
dogs for a walk on the beach at
6 one evening in early August.
“I’ve always considered walking
the dogs obligatory but not
especially enjoyable…”
Alchemy Worx
Dela Quist
Think about value, not relevance
‘It’s not about relevance, it’s about value. What value are you offering people in your emails as a thank you to them for staying on you list?’
Who are you creating content for?
Half of all b2b researchers are Millennials
Google/Millward Brown Digital, B2B Path to Purchase Study, 2014
Create content personas in an hour
• List your target groups
• Compare their content needs
• Take out overlaps
• Make characters for each
• Who are they? What are their problems?
• How can you make their day better?
3. You have nothing interesting to say
How inspired are your ideas meetings?
“You can’t be a thought leader
if you don’t have any thoughts”
2. Use your content personas
3. Think format1. Stick to the mission
How to have good ideas…
Tried and trusted digital formats
FAQStep-by-step
Q&A
Document summary
Timeline / chronology
Product page
Case study
Wh
at is
… ?
Ho
w to
… ?
User g
uid
e
Facts at a glance
New
s s
tory
Menu
TestimonialBuyer’s guide
Ch
ecklis
t
Destin
atio
n g
uid
e
Biography
Factfile
Top 10 tips
4. You’re forgettable
“It's the size of a paperback book but possesses the computing power of a laptop. The 345g lightweight and compact tablet can be operated with a single hand -ideal when you're on the go.”
“It can do just about everything and be just about anything. And because it’s so easy to use, it’s easy to love.”
“Play music through a Bluetooth speaker. Change channels on your HDTV while you tweet. Share photos on the big screen with one-touch mirroring”
Spot the brand
Spot the brand
What is tone of voice?
Tone of voice is the way your organisation would speak if it were a person.
Baked chicken breasts
This is a great way to get your chicken tasting special. The
cinnamon basil works well in Thai-style cooking.
Give it a bash – you'll love it!
Baked chicken
It’s hard to believe something so simple and easy can, firstly, be
low-fat and secondly, taste so very good. I guarantee that once
you’ve made this once, you’ll go on making it for ever…
Tone can differentiate
Who speaks like this?
‘In event of fire,
avoid use of lift’
Crack your tone of voice – fast
1. Nail your values
2. Rank against channels
3. Rank against personas
4. Make before & afters
5. Capture it and share!
5. You don’t learn from your mistakes
“My first vacation epiphany
occurred while taking my two
dogs for a walk on the beach at 6
one evening in early August.
“I’ve always considered walking
the dogs obligatory but not
especially enjoyable…”
Review your briefs
©PA.
Download the results
Think of your brief as your content’s passport
©PA.
A BSales up
115%
The golden rule
“Everything you publish is a
chance to learn something –
whether about your
audience, about your brand,
or about you. Make the
most of that opportunity”
5 signs your content is a turn-off:
1. You’ve forgotten it’s about a relationship
2. You can’t stop talking about yourself
3. You have nothing interesting to say
4. You’re forgettable
5. You don’t learn from your mistakes
What to do about it:
1. Agree a mission statement
2. Make some content personas
3. Think of formats and use them for ideas
4. Embed tone of voice guidelines
5. Use briefs and review, test, and learn
Get your free templates for the lot!
Thank you!
www.stickycontent.com
@StickyEmily