mastering your brand story in the digital age with content marketing
TRANSCRIPT
Mastering your brand story in the digital age with content marketing
@AndreaTEdwards
AndreaTEdwards
AndreaTEdwards www.thedigitalconversationalist.com
The Digital Conversationalist
The Digital Conversationalist
#DigimindTalks @AndreaTEdwards
What is content marketing?• It’s a philosophy, not a tactic• It’s not an add-on to existing marketing•Move from selling to serving• Fundamental shift in mindset• It’s a revolution• It’s more than marketing
Because we just don’t care about brands anymore – we really don’t
15% of people trust recommendations from brands
84% trust recommendations from people they know
Source: Gartner
67% of the buyers journey is now digital
Source: Sirius
Digital owns 90% of the buyers journey
Source: Forrester
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Who do we trust?According to an affilinet survey, the order of trust1. Family 2. Friends3. Bloggers4. Social media connections5. Colleagues6. Journalists7. Religious leaders8. Celebrities9. Brands10.Politicians
#DigimindTalks @AndreaTEdwards
We are the change• Global conversations• Sharing knowledge• Speed• Conversations• Human• Communities• Power• Today’s playing field• Business continues to speak marketing
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It’s content shock!
Average attention span dropped 12 secs in 2000 to 8 secs in 2015 - Statistic Brain
Photo: Courtesy of Shutterstock
Content Marketing is fundamentally about
business transformationIt’s not something the marketing team ‘does’
Everyone must be on board and it starts at the top
It’s huge!
No focus?Content shock!
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Our goal todayCreating conversations with customers,
partners, influencers, employees, potential employees
To achieve that, it’s about creating content so good, it earns the right to exist in your
customers world, where they are
We’re building so much loyalty with customers – because we consistently deliver value to them –they reward us and buy from
us
Start with content strategy
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Book a brainstorm• Marketing• Digital• Comms• Sales / biz dev• Partner leads• Customer service• Agencies• Executive leadership
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Your job?What does the customer care about?• Define the customer – who buys, who
influences?• What challenge is your customer
facing?• How do you define your story in
relation to customer need? • Create the big idea
Do the research
You’ve done your research, listened to sales and…
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Come up with your big idea…• The big picture of digital transformation and
steps to transform successfully • Dog training tips & tricks for a more peaceful
home • Healthy eating and living information for a
better life • Strategies and advice to become a
successful marketing professional in the digital world
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Now you need energy• The quality and intent of the content • It requires a hunger• A desire to solve your customer’s problems• A sense of urgency in how you think and plan• A true obsession to help customers• Half hearted? Not going to happen
Success needs a destination
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A content hub – mission critical• A central destination• Make it easy for customers • Feature content audience wants• Very very little sales or promotional content• Branding up to you – but subtle is good• Regular posts / many authors• Full spectrum of topics around big theme• Wrap CTAs around the content• It will be the future digital entry point to business
Amplification strategy?
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What are your channels?• Social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube,
Google+, SlideShare, SnapChat, Twitter, etc…?• Spend money!• Direct marketing?• Advertising?• Native advertising - Outbrain?• PR?• Events?• Influencers, customers, partners?• But the most powerful?
Your employees
500 connections500 x 500 = 250K5k x 500 = 2.5 mil
And remember, they are trusted
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Unleashing the employees
1. Culture2. Guidelines3. Employee brand first 4. A Platform 5. Effective
measurement 6. Champions 7. 1-2-1 Coaching
“If your employees aren’t
your biggest fans, you’ve got problems WAY
bigger than social media”
Jay Baer
But employees must be advocates for themselves first, your brand second
To become a content marketing driven business
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Reach customers in their bubble• Think holistically• Tap into their need• Educate them and enhance their life• Make them laugh• Answer their questions• Engage with them how they want to be
engaged with• Make them want to read/watch/absorb you• And then they buy
Once you’ve done that, measure, measure, measure, refine and keep going!Patience really is a virtue
Your customer has a challenge Identify itAlign your brand to itCreate world-class content customers can’t resist
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It takes guts• Starts at the top• A powerful CCO• Company-wide commitment• Strategy• Processes to simplify• 180 degree shift in thinking• An energetic team determined to succeed• True collaboration
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True success is big picture
1. Siloes down2. Partnership 3. Train & trust4. Leaders
engaged5. Culture change
Image: Courtesy of Shutterstock
Content marketing is the digital shop front for your business
Is your window tantalising enough for customers to walk in or will we walk past?
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