newscred #thinkcontent tour sf: liz bedor, content marketing strategist, newscred
TRANSCRIPT
How to Plan + Build aContent Marketing Strategy
Liz BedorBrand Strategist, NewsCred
@lizbedor#ThinkContent
There’s been a fundamentalshift in the way we create,
consume and share content.
4.5 BILLIONpieces of content
are sharedevery day
1.8 BILLIONphotos are uploaded
and shared
700 MILLIONsnapchatsare sent
500 MILLIONtweets are
posted
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
People tune out the noise.
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
We choose what matters.
We follow, like, subscribe and recommend only the things
we actually care about.
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.
Craig Davis”
“
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Content Marketing = Brand Publishing• Delivering content your audience wants
• Content published continuously and consistently
• Seeks to answer customer questions across the buyer journey
• Managing content as a strategic asset with ROI
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Content Marketing ≠ Advertising• Not advertising or PR
• Not campaign-based
• Not promotional
• Not brand-led
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
BrandPurpose
What Customers
Want
ContentMarketing
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
1 Documented content strategy 2 Have managing editor3 Consistently publish quality content4 Map content to consumer journey5 Balance paid, owned, and earned Media 6 Focus on content subscribers7 Track content marketing ROI
Key Factors to Content Marketing Success:
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Give Yourself a GradeBEST PRACTICE R Y GHave a Documented Content StrategyHave Managing EditorConsistently Publish Quality, Variety of ContentMap Content to Consumer JourneyBalance Paid, Earned, Owned MediaFocus on Content SubscriptionsTrack Content Marketing ROI
Overall:
?
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Why is it Important to Have a Documented Content Strategy?
* Content Marketing World
EFFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETERS INEFFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETERS
DOCUMENTED CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY
HAS A CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY
NO STRATEGY
54% 11%
41% 44%
3% 44%
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement Optimization
•Audience analysis•Business case•Current state•Budget
•Branding•Design•Platform•Integrations
•Agency•NewsCred•Internal teams
•Structure•Topics•Types•Tone•SEO
•Content by stage•Conversions•Subscriptions•Retention
•Define report•Tools/software•What / when
•Content•Platform•Distribution
The Content Marketing Roadmap
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Discovery
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
Understand Your Audience• Who are they?• What do they care about?• What are their challenges?• Where do they get their information?• When do they consume this information?• What devices do they use?• How much expertise does your audience already possess?• Does your audience know who you are? • How does your audience feel about you?• What questions do they expect you to answer?
@lizbedor
Build the Content Marketing Business Case
Do Your Research Internally
Set Appropriate Goals
Align Program Goals with Company Objectives
Ask for a Realistic Budget
Find the costs and ROI of other marketing
departments
Understand what metrics your
organization’s leadership cares
about most
Set goals that are realistic and
expected in order for your program to
be considered a success
Ask for the moon and the stars, with
the hope of just getting the moon
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
BRAND HEALTHHow your digital audience feels about you.
BRAND AWARENESS/PERCEPTIONHow many of your early-stage prospects are finding their way to your company website?
CONVERSIONS Prospects who became customers because of content you provided them.
RETENTIONClients who continue to use your products and services.
Identify the Content Marketing Business Case
@lizbedor
Conduct a Content Audit to Understand Current State
1. COST 2. UTILIZATION 3. PERFORMANCE
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Find the Budget
Calculate the Costs of Unused Content
Borrow Budget from Underperforming
Digital Assets
Approach Budgeted Teams with a Partnership Opportunity
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Destination
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
• Create a space for the content to live to get the most out of your marketing
• Consolidate fragmented digital content and present a one-stop-shop environment
Determine Where Your Content Will Live
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
BRANDED NON-BRANDEDPros Pros
Strong domain authority delivers search traffic
Repairing trust issues with audience from history of too much promotional
content
Associate with positive brand perception
Changing brand perception / disassociate from current brand
perceptionCons Cons
Audience may discredit content for being promotional
Forfeit existing domain authority search traffic
Associate with negative brand perception
Comparing Branded vs. Non-branded
www.pepsi.com
• Associates Pepsi with pop culture + music
• Looks and feels like Pepsi
• Pepsi contests and products promoted in some content
• Leverages Pepsi domain authority
Branded: Pepsi’s Pepsi Pulse
#ThinkContent
www.makeup.com
• Only disclaimer that it is powered by L’Oreal is at very bottom of site
• Reads like beauty magazine
• “Shop the Story” links to L’Oreal products
• Links to L’Oreal social sites
Non-branded: L ’Oréal’s Makeup.com
#ThinkContent
www.content-loop.com
• “Powered by Capgemini” tag at top of page
• Content does not mention or promote Capgemini services
• Only Capgemini CTAs and banner advertisements
Somewhere Between: Capgemini’s Content Loop
#ThinkContent
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
Team
Managing Editor
Strategizes, writes,
and oversees content
projects to ensure brand
consistency and alignment with
business objectives.
Community
ManagerDistributes
contentacross social
channels, engages online
communities, and contributes to
content projects.
DesignerBrings content to
lifethrough the user experience and
rich visuals.
Contributors
Any content creator-blogger,
photographer, designer — who contributes to your project.
SEO / PaidSpecialist
Manages the paiddistribution of content online.
AnalystDefines best/
worst performers, conversion
optimization and measurement
communications.
CuratorFinds and re-
purposes the best content from your
business and from around the
web.
A Successful Content Marketing Program Requires a Dedicated Team of Experts
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
The Importance of a Managing Editor
Create + Manage Editorial Calendar
Top-level view of everything you’re pushing out to the
web
Align strategy with overall business
goals
Maintain Website
Updates
SEO meta data
Formatting, tagging images
and videos
Categorizing + tagging posts
Author data
Update static pages
Supervise Writer
NetworkSuggest ideal
topics
Enforce tone of voice
Ask for revisions
Communicate with writers
Edit, Format, Schedule,
PublishEnforce
consistency
Be the voice of the company
Know content well enough to inject
internal links
Reference upcoming events
or webinars
Test + Optimize
Test plugins
Demo new products
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
Editorial
BrandPurpose
What Customers
WantContent
Marketing
What Should You Write About?
This is where you live#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Buyer Journey Should Fuel Your SEO Keyword Strategy…
Middle
Early
Late
Stage
Persona
Questions/Concerns Keywords
BusinessBuyer
Retain
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
…Because Ranking High for SEO Keywords Should be a Core Objective for Your Content Marketing Program
Organic search is responsible for 64% of all
web traffic
Only 2% of users travel to the 2nd page of Google
18% of users click on the first organic listing
Source: Eyetools Inc
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Different Types of Content Serve Different Purposes
Boost credibility and publishing cadence
Share on-brand stories created specifically for
your brand
LICENSED CONTENT ORIGNAL CONTENT USER-GENERATEDCONTENT
Connect your fans and
community, share their
stories and experi-ences
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Why Licensed Content?
Boost Publishing Cadence Leverage Credibility Cost Efficient
With access to over 160k topics and millions of articles a day, licensed content allows you to
boost your publishing cadence.
Licensed content costs 3X less than original content while driving
equal value in pageviews and shares (NewsCred).
Licensed content allows you to borrow credibility from sources
your audience knows and trusts.
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Get the Most Out of Your Original Content by Recycling It Into Different Formats
Start by creating an eBook
Read the eBook aloud and make it an audio book
Interview a customer for a quote in the
eBook and put that up as a video
Take the audio from
the video and make a podcast
Create a presentation from
the eBook with highlights
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A few times a year
1-2X permonth
< monthly 1-2X perweek
1 per day More than 1 per day
Increasing Publishing Frequency Increases Organic Traffic
Source: Hubspot, 2015
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
Customer Journey
Middle-Stage ContentA combination of licensed and custom content that hits on niche topics specific to your offering and solutions: white papers, case studies, video and infographics.
Late-Stage Content Custom content promoting your products and services: tactical guides and case studies
Customer Stage ContentConsistent cadence and mix of content as well as personalized recommendations: white papers, case studies, tactical guides
Retain
Evaluation
Purchase
Early-Stage ContentQuality, licensed and custom content around broader, shareable topics that drives visibility and engagement: blog posts
Awareness
Content Through the Buyer Journey
Purchase
Case studies promoting product offering
Evaluation
High-value, gated content on niche topics
Awareness
Content around broad, shareable topics
Retain
Mix of all content from
all stages
How American Express OPEN Fuels the Buyer Journey
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
Measurement
BRAND HEALTHHow your digital audience feels about you.
BRAND AWARENESS/PERCEPTIONHow many of your early-stage prospects are finding their way to your company website?
CONVERSIONS Prospects who became customers because of content you provided them.
RETENTIONClients who continue to use your products and services.
Identify the Content Marketing Business Case
@lizbedor
Measure the Content Marketing Business Case
Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic
Brand Awareness
Organic Search Share of Voice
Unbranded Organic Search Traf -fic
Cost per Lead
Conversions
Total Conversions
% of Leads Sourced by Content Marketing
Time on Site
Brand Health
Social Likes
Subscriptions
Repeat Visitors
Bounce Rate
Social Shares / Followers
Share of Voice / Offsite SEO
Value of customer lifecycle
Customer growth
Retention
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
Optimization
Discovery Destination Team Editorial CustomerJourney
Measurement
Optimization
Even great content needs a pushThe average Hollywood movie spends 50-60% of production budget on
distribution.
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
After 6 Months, See What’s Working and What Isn’t• What characteristics do your best performing pieces of content have in common?
• What categories are performing well / poorly?
• What channels are people finding your content through?
• Consider beginning paid distribution for your best content
• Is your bounce rate high? People may not be identifying with your content.
• Are you seeing an increase in conversions?
• What is your most / least shared content?
• How are people interacting with your brand on social?
• What day of the week / time of day performs well / poorly?#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Thank you!
#ThinkContent @lizbedor