prudential contentand social-marketing-strategy

Prudential Retirement

Content Marketing Strategy

Jennifer Pricci Web and Social Content Development, Community Manager

Confidential - For internal use only

What is Content Marketing?

Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them.

- Doug Kessler, Velocity

Content marketing is the art of creating, curating and distributing valuable content,

combined with the science of measuring its impact on awareness, lead generation and

client acquisition.

It’s the antidote to “interruption marketing.” Instead of pitching products or services, a

content marketer equips clients and prospects with the knowledge to make better-informed

decisions. Simultaneously, Pru will place itself firmly in the minds of clients/prospects by

being the resource for this valuable information.

Consistent delivery of this valuable content and helpful

information at the right time, will eventually, lead clients/

prospects to convert, take that next action step that

we’ve predefined.

Table of Contents

Conversation Starters

Strategy

Integrating Social

Measurement

Overview About this Presentation

Easily navigate through this presentation with an Interactive Table of Contents, Flow Charts and Tables.

Wherever we see a , shapes are clickable and will navigate we throughout the document. we will always be able to get back to the starting page from the page we landed on, just click on the .

Thank we


Overview Table of Contents

Rising Above the Clutter with Content

The Challenge: Rising Above the Clutter

A famous study by research firm Yankelovich found the average person is exposed to

about 5,000 ads or offers per day. Buyers have tuned out marketing, and businesses

must respond by reaching prospects in new ways.

The public’s attention to ads has calcified. Buyers have steeled themselves against

marketing messages – and they’ve had to.

The Response: Content Marketing

The average organization spends 26% of its marketing budget on content marketing.

An organizations’ commitment to content comes in the form of capital, personnel and

executive sponsorship.

All of this is required if a company is going to stand out in the crowded, noisy marketplace.

Top Content Marketing Trends in 2013

In a recent study by The Content Marketing Institute, over 1400 businesses where

surveyed to understand their key challenges and successes surround content

marketing.

6 Key Trends and How Prudential Can Put Them to Use

1. Creating useful and engaging content . . . .

2. Maximizing Marketing Channels . . . . .

3. Social Media is the most popular content marketing channel .

4. LinkedIn is the most popular B2B social channel . .

5. Twitter As a Customer Service Platform . . .

6. Maximizing Budget with Content Marketing . . .

GO

GO

GO

GO

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Creating Useful and Engaging Content

Examples of some of the most effective and engaging content:

• FAQ documents along with some Q&A potential buyers should be asking when

considering our Prudential products/solutions.

• Case Studies that already exist or should be produced provide potential buyers with a

valuable insight into what they can expect from Prudential.

• Tips lists are useful and easy to produce. These can be general tips on how to make the

most of the products/services available across the market to help the potential buyer with

their research.

• One of the best solutions that might be fit for Prudential to get off the ground is to

repurpose already approved content.

For example, curating an eBook featuring most popular consumed content within a given

subject matter.

Back to Trends

Maximizing Marketing Channels

Businesses use an average of 12 marketing tactics

It is important to choose a strategic and comprehensive spread of marketing channels to connect with our target.

Where do we start?

• Who is our audience?

• Where do they engage?

• Where is the opportunity to leverate existing channels?

• Evaluate demo’s

• Is this the Retirement Audience… Yes? Then an additional opportunity for Engagement exists.

Back to Trends

Social Media Most Popular

• Social media is now the most popular content marketing tactic, knocking articles out of the number one spot.

• The use of tactics has risen across the board, with one exception: Print magazines

A comprehensive Social Marketing Strategy will be created for each social channel in which Pru Retirement chooses to engage. We will begin with Twitter.

Where does Social Stand?

Back to Trends

LinkedIn Most Popular B:B Channel

• B:B Marketers use an average of 5 social media sites to distribute content.

Top 5 B:B channels ranked:

1. LinkedIn 83%

2. Twitter 80%

3. Facebook 80%

4. YouTube 61%

5. Google+ 39%

• LinkedIn has bumped Twitter out of the top spot as the site B:B Marketers use to

distribute content.

• Driving Social Business

• Prudential began driving social business on LinkedIn with the Retirement Pilot and

AD Pilot Programs

• Prudential Corporate Inaugural Post: first status updates May 21, 2013

• 9400 Impression

• 34 Clicks

• 2.08% Engagement

• 62 Likes

Back to Trends

Twitter As a Customer Service Platform

Social media channels establishing two-way communication between brands and

consumers have created a new set of expectations on resolving issues.

Recent statistics show the trend:

• 67% of 23,000 consumers in a J.D. Power and Associates study had used a company's

social media site for servicing

• 87% of consumers in the J.D. Power and Associates study said their online social

interaction with the company positively impacted the likelihood that they'll purchase from

the brand, and that the responsiveness of the service representatives were a key of that

satisfaction

Why Twitter?

• Immediate gratification

Twitter allows customers to feel more in control of the timeliness of the solution.

• Airing dissatisfaction publicly is part of a solution

Some people just want to be heard, and sharing on a public channel gives some

gratification.

Twitter, Customer Service & Pru = Pru’s “Social Care Program”

Back to Trends

Maximizing Budget with Content Marketing

54% of those businesses surveyed said that they are planning to increase their

spending on Content Marketing.

This demonstrates that businesses have been seeing a significant return from their

content marketing efforts and are looking to increase their brand exposure from this

channel.

• PPC ROI has decreased

• Content Marketing efforts has proven to generate traffic through organic links

The HUGE case of organic links:

• 5% of Google searchers click on the first sponsored link

• 80% of Google searchers click on the first organic link

• 5% of Google searchers click on the last organic link on the first page of results

This is about trust and credibility, as is the Financial Service Industry…

We must rely on organic links to generate traffic over sponsored ads.

Back to Trends

Thank we


Strategy Table of Contents

Strategic Framework

Creating a content marketing strategy begins with a strong framework.

The SOSTAC® Planning System gives a great framework for business or marketing

plans since it is logical and comprehensive.

What is SOSTAC®?

SOSTAC® is a planning process framework to help structure and manage

implementation of plans. It stands for Situation, Objectives and Strategy, Tactics, Action

and Control. Originally developed by PR Smith for marketing communications planning.

Our Content Marketing Framework

Situation Analysis

Objectives

Strategy

Tactics

Actions

Control S

O C

S A

T

Situation Analysis

Where are we now?

Performance

Customer insights

Market trends

Competitor analysis

Objectives

Where do we want to be?

Increase Awareness

Drive Thought Leadership

Engage with Target

Build Trust

Create Buzz

Expand Reach

Generate Traffic

More…

Strategy

How do we get there?

STOP

Segments

Target markets

Objectives

Positioning Tactics

How EXACTLY do we get there?

A Channel Plan

Control

How do we monitor performance?

Measurement

Actions

The DETAILS of Tactics

Who does what when:

Responsibilities and roles

Processes and systems

Internal resources

Approval processes

Calendars

Content Marketing Objectives

Prioritize objectives by starting big and working down.

• What does Prudential Retirement want to achieve in the next 6-12 months?

Reach and Engage a wider audience to benefits brand awareness, help establish thought

leadership and create new business relationships.

• What does Retirement need to achieve in the next 6-12 months? Prioritize.

• Increase Awareness

• Expand Reach

• Drive Thought Leadership

• Establish Expertise

• Engage with Target

• Build Trust

• Generate Traffic

• Assign metrics to measure the effectiveness of each:

• Educate

• Create Buzz

• Create Relationships / Drive Leads

• Move Leads along purchase path

• Cross-promote

• Engage with Influencers

• Customer Service

Objectives

Framework

Targeting

To define Pru’s Target Market when it comes to Content Marketing is to create

buyer persona’s – a definition of the “perfect” client who share common needs or

characteristics.

• What’s this person’s role in the buying process? Decision maker, champion, or

influencer?

• What motivates this person to take action?

• How familiar is s/he with Pru’s Products/Solutions?

• What sources does this person turn to for information?

• How does the prospect go about making business decisions?

• Does this person seek advice from colleagues, industry peers, and/or unbiased third

parties? If so, where?

• In terms of need/solution alignment; how is s/he dealing with the problem today?

• Does this person prefer high-level details or a deep dive into a topic?

• What prevents this type of buyer from choosing Pru?

Strategy

Framework

Segment Strategy for a 360o Experience

Proposed content starters:

• Life Stages – Money in Motion Opportunities:

• Just starting out: “Not sure how to set financial goals for yourself? Our planning

tools and guides can help we get started.” http://pru.us/9MO7

• Changing Family: “How are we saving for college education? Here’s a great

overview of the options http://pru.us/VMO7”

• Other opportunities include: marriage, birth, or suddenly single

• Day 1 Stories

• Advertising Campaigns “Stickers”

• Are Americans living longer than previous generations? Join our experiment by

adding a sticker and dedicating it to the oldest person you've known.

http://stickers.prudential.com/

• Taking on our Challenges http://www.bringourchallenges.com/taking-on-our-

challenges

• The Challenge Lab: “I might live how long?”, “I’ll do it later.”, etc.

Strategy

http://pru.us/9MO7

http://pru.us/VMO7

http://stickers.prudential.com/

http://www.bringyourchallenges.com/taking-on-your-challenges







Aligning Brand Messaging

How will we effectively communicate and engage with our personas?

While content is a crucial focus of how Pru will appeal to clients/prospects, the smallest

inconsistencies in voice will have audience tuning out before they even get to the meat of

the piece.

• What’s important to our audience?

• Keyword Analysis will inform content themes

• Based on experience, in what area can we become credible thought leaders?

• Where do our industry contacts lie?

• Do we know people that can contribute to our content marketing?

• What do we value as a company?

• Company values are an important part of our brand and should be reflected in

our message.

• Who represents Pru Retirement?

• Define thought leaders who should have a voice?

• Plan a ghost copywriting strategy

Strategy

Content Marketing Channel Plan

Once we create content and understand personas, we need to decide on the

mediums most effective for our content marketing plan. To figure this out, we need

to consider the context in which our audience will view the content and then use

that to alter the content accordingly.

Five Factors:

1. Where we can have the most impact with our story.

I. What do we already have that helps us tell this story (e.g., an existing website,

LinkedIn account, corporate materials, article marketing effort, etc.)?

II. What must change in order for us to tell this story (e.g., establish a social

voice, develop a separate blog)?

III. What must change (if anything) for us to tell this story

2. Channel objectives

After overall objectives defined, create a logical flow of which channel will have

greatest impact.

Example: “Social Care Program”

Twitter, the obvious choice as it lends itself most readily to

Customer Service.

Tactics

Framework

Content Marketing Channel Plan continued

3. Metrics

Measure on a content piece, channel specific scale that aligns to a specific goal for

given piece of content.

4. Personas addressed

For each channel, identify which personas will be addressed.

i. Have we missed a critical persona?

ii. Does 1 account on a channel not address all personas?

6. Editorial plan

The purpose of the editorial plan is to define velocity, tone, desired action, and

structure for the content for this channel.

i. Velocity: X posts per day

ii. Tone: Educational with an inspirational tone

iii. Desired action: click-through to the website, download whitepaper, etc.?

iv. Structure: 10 to 20-word post, plus pictures and a conversion link

Tactics continued

1. Get buy-in on goals and objectives

2. Summarize each Buyer Persona and prioritize

i. List questions that each persona has in each stage of the buying process

ii. ALIGN PERSONA WITH BUYING STAGE USING AIDA:

Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action

3. Define Pru Retirement’s zone – a very specific, clearly delineated sphere of

expertise where we have the most authority. Nobody else can claim better expertise

than us. Write it in a sentence.

4. Content Audit

i. Align with Persona / Align with buying stage using AIDA

ii. ID: “in our sweet spot”, “likely to be shared”, “hot topics”, “timely”,

“edutainment”, “inspirational”, “educational”, “convincing”, “God forbid”

5. Content Gap Analysis

i. Refer to Persona / Buying Stage Map for opportunity

6. Begin creating and repurposing content (refer to SEO keyword analysis)

7. Calendar of events / Seasonal Perspectives (annual events, tax season, recognition

months, weeks, days, holidays)

8. Create an Editorial calendar (Production and Delivery Schedule on one sheet)

i. Submit for review, approval, control numbers, etc.

Execution Plan Actions C

RIT

ICA

L C

RIT

ICA

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Framework

Execution Plan Continued

8. For each stage in Buying Process create topic ideas

i. Create list of themes based on keywords

ii. Create content piece titles based on the theme

9. Choose the best Marketing Channel for distribution

i. Size and scope of piece

ii. Landing Page / Gate behind download form

iii. Shareability?

10. Keep a database of authoritative resources

i. In-house experts, specifically…

ii. Sites & Resources

iii. Existing internal (e.g. IMFP)

iv. Existing external

11. Define copy style and design style with appropriate brand guardian

12. Promote the content

i. Pru channels (eNewsletter, website real estate, article library, etc.)

ii. Social (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook)

iii. Influencers, bloggers, partners, PR

iv. Paid Media

v. More…

Actions

Measuring and Tracking Goals in Tiers

For many companies, the best way to measure content marketing is to track and combine

results of individual projects rather than trying to tackle the entire program.

Tier 1. Creator-level metrics

Pru’s Content Creator’s need to know what works best. It's the only way to efficiently

improve results. This feedback comes in the form of granular metrics

• Traffic - page views, unique visitors, bounce rate, time spent

• Source - referring sites, visitor demographics, inbound search keywords

Tier 2. Channel-level Metrics

Social Media Managers to take stock of content effectiveness by monitoring insights on the

given channel chosen for content promotion.

Example:

Prudential Corporate Inaugural Post: first status update May 21, 2013

Measured: Impressions, Clicks, Engagement, Likes

Control

Framework Measurement

MORE INFO…

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Conversation Starters Table of Contents

Content Marketing in the Digital Age

Given Prudential’s late adoption of Digital Marketing and current commitment to

innovation to create a better, more meaningful and intelligent experience for the client,

prospect and end user; Prudential now has the opportunity to “Leapfrog” over yesterday’s

best practices to put to use tomorrow’s most inventive digital concepts and theory.

Digital branded content is now standard. In the early days of communication,

branded content fit into four buckets: Print, TV, Radio and Out of Home. Digital is

different. Digital content has the power to break out of advertising chains, driving

conversations, and engaging and connecting with consumers in a new way.

1. Content that Resonates

Unlike earlier forms of advertising, digital content allows brands to parallel the behaviors

of its consumers, who are creating and sharing content – with or without brands – every

single day.

2. Direct Channels

Marketers are tasked not only with determining what type of content resonates with their

audience(s), but where to place the content and how to ensure it’s seen by the right

people. This is a unique challenge that requires complete understanding of where your

audience is going to absorb information about your industry.

Thank we


Em

oti

on

al

Ra

tio

nal

Awareness Purchase

Videos

VLOG

Games

Micro-

blog

Print

Mag

FB

Stories

FB

Apps

Articles Blog eBook eNews

Info-graphic

Press

Release

Guides

Ranking

List

Virtual

Event

White Papers

Survey

Case Studies

Podcast

Webinar Check

Lists

Calc-

ulators

Test-

imonial

Apps

Digi

Mag

eLearn

Why Social Media for Financial Services

1 in 6

US adults with a Facebook account have

interacted with a financial services provider or

advisor on Facebook in the past twelve

months

1 in 5.5 US adults with a Twitter account have


advisor on Twitter in the past twelve months.

1 in 9

US adults with a LinkedIn account have


advisor on LinkedIn in the past twelve

months.

Source: Forrester North American Technographics Financial Services Online Benchmark Recontact Survey, Q3 2012 (US)

Social Media Engagement and Financial

Source: Forrester July 2012 “Collaborative Advice”

Blogs

Companies with Blogs generate 600X more leads per year.

Blog offers an easy way to present brief chunks of frequently refreshed Web content.

Backed with easy-to-use technologies for syndication (e.g. RSS), comments and

trackbacks, blogs are often the blazing centers of social media solar systems that can

incorporate sophisticated SEO strategies and community-building campaigns.

3 Key Considerations:

1. Encourage conversations: even “bad” comments can be an opportunity for developing

good customer relations.

2. Participate on other blogs as well as. Develop a Top 15 hit list where Pru should be

“hanging out.”

3. Loosen up. Authenticity trumps perfection when connecting with readers.

Back

eNewsletters

Permission-based regular communication with current and future customers, usually

distributed monthly or weekly. Available electronically, via text-based or HTML pages,

they can include complete articles or brief descriptions with links to articles on Pru web

properties.


1. Don’t spam– get permission and offer opt-out links.

2. Good vehicle for promoting content: Webinars, eBooks, white papers, articles, etc.

3. A round-up of blog content into an eNewsletter is a solid one-two punch.

Leapfrog

Those who have been calling for the death of email are flat out wrong. Email’s

importance in marketing can’t be overstated. Opportunity Lost! If we don’t

have an educational email newsletter to keep in contact with prospects or

to nurture customers. Often email is the starting point for social sharing.

Back

White Papers

The “granddaddy” of content, white papers are topical reports, and perfect for education

and demonstrating thought leadership on issues vital to the Pru audience.


1. Can generate leads when used strategically with Landing Page.

2. Positions Pru as a thought-leader.

3. Applicable to print, electronic PDF or digital magazine formats.

Resist the temptation to overtly push products/services. One whiff of aggressive self-

promotion – and done. Instead, trust that expertise is in itself the best advocate on Pru’s

behalf.

Leapfrog

Bring White Papers to life with ON24’s Video White Paper solution.

Back

Infographic

The power of an infographic goes beyond its immediate visual appeal; unlike a mere list,

an infographic can expose relationships among disparate pieces of information,

delivering insight, not just raw data.


1. Everyone’s confusion can be an opportunity – where can Pru deliver value by providing

clarity?

2. Think metaphorically to find a guiding image or idea that frames information.

3. Make Pru’s resulting infographic easy to share online for maximum reach and distribution

Leapfrog

There is always an opportunity to turn words and data into visually appealing

infographics. Analyze web data for that which is just below most popular…

is there an opportunity to enhance how this information is presented?

Back

Articles

At 78% usage, article posting ranked second in popularity, just one percentage

point beneath the leader, social media.*

A flexible medium, both in length and format, the article opens opportunities for address

issues, trends, concerns and topics of immediate interest to the Pru audience. An

ongoing article publishing campaign has been a traditional tool for establishing thought

leadership in numerous industries.


1. Once isn’t enough; plan on a series of articles to create impact.

2. Look for opportunities to place articles in print media AND on Pru web properties. Share

with relevant site owners to extend reach.

3. Always think from the editor’s point of view – articles must conform to the publication’s

requirements (length and tone for example) and be of immediate interest to its readers.

Blogs vs. Articles

• Blogs have a clear point of view…a personality.

• Articles have no POV; think “FAQs”

*Source Content Marketing Institute

Back

eBooks

eBooks are attractive tools at the front end of the sales funnel, as a way to build

brands and attract leads.

Think of it as a white paper on steroids: a report, generally 12 – 40 or more pages in

length, that presents complex information in a visually attractive, reader-friendly format.

The content is both informative and entertaining; the tone, collegial; the format, “chunky”

rather than linear, to facilitate skimming and scanning.


1. Develop distribution strategy early: how Pru will get eBook into readers’ hands?

2. Think visually: make liberal use of bullets, callouts, sidebars, graphs, etc.

3. Conclude with a solid call to action: what should readers do next? Include some call to

action or link on every page.

Only 9% of the B2B Marketers report using eBooks in their marketing mix. What’s holding

them back? When asked to identify their biggest content marketing challenge,

participants gave “producing engaging content” the top spot at 36%. eBooks can be killer-

effective, but they take expertise in planning and execution.*


Back

Case Study

Case studies ranked among the top five most effective content tactics.* Focus on

the similar situation sell.

The case study is a document that combines the first-person authority of the testimonial

with the narrative structure of a story. Based on real-life events, it leverages reader

empathy with the featured client to build credibility and trust.


1. Most case studies follow a simple, three-stage format: challenge, solution, results.

2. Use direct client quotes to reinforce the story, especially when addressing the results.

3. Share case studies online, in direct mail, in press kits, as sales handouts, etc.


Leapfrog

Leverage video as part of our case study series. Focus on problem/solution

and get 60 seconds of the client chatting about it.

Back

Testimonials

A quote from the horse’s – that is, the client’s – mouth. Boasting is unseemly when we do

it ourselves. But when praise comes from a trustworthy source – a client or customer – it

acquires a credibility that helps overcome skepticism and purchasing hesitation.


1. Create a process for consistently requesting testimonials from customers.

i. Leverage LinkedIn page for testimonials on products and services

2. Good testimonials offer specifics – the what, why and how of our work with or for the

customer.

3. Don’t bury them on a “Testimonials” Webpage – spread them throughout the site.

Leapfrog

Leverage video as part of our testimonial series, repurpose video content

from video case studies. Aspirational tone as with Day 1 stories that have

resonated so well.

Back

Microblogging… Twitter

At 140 characters, the limitations on content are severe. But the speed and reach of the

microblog create an almost real-time context for conversing with followers. Better yet,

handy search tools make Twitter an excellent thermometer for checking hot issues and

emerging concerns.


1. Remember, our customers are already talking about us on Twitter. The question is, are

we able to hear what they have to say? Use Twitter as a listening post.

2. Give up the illusion of being in control.

3. Invest in Social Listening to leverage Twitter as a Customer Service tool and manage

reputation. Use Pru’s Radian6 tool to listen and measure.

Twitter is an online cocktail party…nobody likes the guy or gal that talks about

themselves. Use the 4-1-1 rule: Share four posts from thought leaders in the community,

share one educational post from Pru and add one promotional post…every day.

Back

Webinar/Webcast

A live or on-demand presentation delivered slide by slide is the online equivalent of a live

presentation. The audio component can be delivered via telephone or computer.

Online events can be lead generation focused or customer retention focused.


1. Webinars make an excellent call-to-action or follow up offer to other forms of content,

such as eBooks, White Papers, eNewsletters, etc.

2. Benefit twice: first, from the live event, then from the people who download the archived

event.

3. A successful Webinar requires an assertive promotions strategy, typically via Website,

blog, eNewsletter and other media or social media channels.

Leapfrog

1 hour is the sweet spot with 45-50 minute presentation and 10-15 minutes

dedicated to Q&A.

Explore providers such as ON24 for innovative execution strategy.

Back

Video

Sites like YouTube and Vimeo have greatly simplified a once difficult Web challenge:

uploading and sharing videos. With these tools at our disposal, we can embed or link

video code easily. And the video sites provide social media options for conversing and

sharing that can help our content go viral.


1. Think beyond the “talking head” approach.

2. Instead of taking a one-shot approach, consider a video series that builds interest, and an

audience, over time.

3. Don’t sweat “perfection”: many of the most successful online videos have production

values that would scandalize traditional media broadcasters.

Expectations regarding production values have plummeted and, in fact, many of the most

popular videos (think: Wine Library TV) have a distinctly low-budget look and feel – some

believe a lo-fi look delivers high street-cred.

Back

Podcast

A podcast is simply an audio file we can listen to on a computer or MP3 player, often

distributed via RSS or iTunes. Podcasts are generally 5 – 30 minutes long, with longer

podcast downloads becoming popular.

3 Key Considerations

1. Define a podcast theme and stick to it.

2. Establish a release schedule listeners can expect: weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc. Be

consistent.

3. Integrate podcast content with other channels to gain listener insights.

What’s great about podcasts is the possibility to reimagine our content. Consider taking

the original podcast to develop an article, white paper, case study, presentation and

more. Even though the podcast itself can be powerful, it’s what we can do with it that will

have the most impact.

Leapfrog

Show the Millennials some love with an eLearning series downloadable to their media

players / phones. Promote the series where they will find it… don’t lose

out on their ability to influence.

Back

Video Blog (vlog)

A regularly-scheduled series of brief videos built around a hot topic of interest. Available

by subscription and for download, and often via video sharing services such as YouTube

or Vimeo They can be watched at the viewer’s convenience.


1. Think in terms of a sustained series, not merely one or two quick shoots.

2. The combination of words, sound and visuals give an extraordinary opportunity for

building a brand personality.

3. “Perfect” production quality is NOT necessary.

Back

Facebook Stories Page

This is NOT: a fan page or brand profile. Instead, we are talking about a Facebook page

sponsored by a brand yet centered on an area of interest, such as contemporary fashion,

green development or financial wellness.


1. Be prepared to let go and let the participants lead the conversation. People may not

come right away, so we may have to go to them first.

2. Feed the movement with rich media, including video, surveys, quizzes, games and more.

3. Start simple at first. Define a customer pain point and create a conversation platform,

then see what happens.

Facebook Stories is almost custom made for Day 1 Stories and the rich media we have in

place surrounding this campaign.

Leapfrog

Think the two Cs – Conversational and Commitment. First, focus on always adding

Pru’s POV to the conversation but BE HUMAN. Second, have a committed

moderator to post content every day and get people commenting.

Consistency is key.

Back

Facebook Apps

On Facebook, participants not only share text and pictures, but games, quizzes and other

interactive applications they can exchange with their friends. Many of these are created

by users, but brand-based applications – if well-designed – can achieve traction as well.


1. Most applications prompt users to direct results/scores to their Facebook friends.

2. Think frivolous, fun and light-hearted – this is not the SAT.

3. For B2B customers, think about creating helpful productivity tools.

Leapfrog

Think of it this way, what if Farmville came from John Deere?

Back

Mobile Apps

Mobile applications come in two broad flavors: as native apps developed for specific

devices (such as the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, iPad, etc.) or as Web apps (WAPS)

that can be distributed without depending on specific marketplaces (but we need an

internet connection at all times). These downloadable tools allow users to customize their

devices to meet their very specific, idiosyncratic needs.


1. Effective applications must have a regular (daily or weekly) reason for use.

2. They should have easy interfaces with social networks, such as Facebook or Twitter.

3. Include a survey function to gauge satisfaction and collect intelligence for the next

release (iPhone Apps solicit feedback that affects the volume of downloads).

Leapfrog

Model against BoA’s “Keep the Change” program and Saver Nation’s

Discounts that go directly to 401K to create a similar app

Back

Online Press Release

Press releases are no longer just for the press. By using the release services such as

such PR Newswire, our press releases will travel the web wider and faster. Now Pru can

bring news directly to prospects and clients.


1. Don’t wait for big news; find reasons to send releases all the time.

2. Include specific calls to action that compel customers to respond to our release in some

way.

3. What does it mean for the audience? Where is the value for the prospect/client?

Leapfrog

As an Editorial Calendar is formed, Pru can explore which pieces of content

(like an eBook, research report or white paper) are significant enough to

merit a release.

Back

Custom Print Magazine

Some marketing gurus say that all brands are now publishers. The custom print

magazine takes this approach quite literally, offering the familiar magazine format with a

new twist: it’s sponsored, produced and issued by one company or brand.


1. Be prepared to spend at least $40,000 for even a small initial distribution.

2. The most effective frequency is quarterly or more often.

3. Can be an excellent way to bypass gatekeepers.

Remember, a print magazine isn’t just print. Consider the “one page mantra.” Every page

of our print magazine should drive someone to an online call to action. Also, the digital

version of our print should be different…

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Digital Magazine

A hybrid between the traditional magazine and a souped-up PDF, digital magazines offer

self-contained, visually compelling periodical content that doesn’t require special software

to open and read. These are generally distributed by email via brand Websites.


1. If we don’t like the confinement of a digital replica, consider repurposing magazine

content on a microsite.

2. Digital magazines are great for integrating print content with a Web presence.

3. Consider adding multimedia

Leapfrog

Adding video and podcasts to a Digital Magazine does more than

distinguish it from print, but it is highly memorable and can be designed

to complement the forward-thinking mobile / cross-device user.

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eLearning Series

A carefully planned curriculum of educational content that may be delivered through a

variety of mediums, including audio podcasts, video, slide presentations, Webinars and

more.


1. Tailor the content to the different learning needs of different audiences: buyers doing

research, prospects close to making a purchasing decision, current customers.

2. Use the mediums most popular with personas.

3. Be generous with real-life examples and illustrations.

Leapfrog

The web… the favorite… uhem… only consumption method of the

millennial persona? Aligns perfectly with a Youth Wellness Education

Program.

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Industry Ranking System

People love lists. An industry ranking system gives readers a pre-assembled “best of” list

that ranks available options in a given topic area – and subsequently ranks high with

search engines. A list, whatever its contents, positions its assemblers as industry experts

and gives their prospects a helpful reference tool.


1. Rankings can be determined by some objective, measurable means or by subjective

criteria.

2. Make liberal use of links to the listed resources.

3. Announce updates to the ranking system via blogs, Twitter, press releases, etc.

Leapfrog

A list, done credibly, can bring in a community like almost nothing else. It gets those

that have been ignoring to notice and those that have barely been paying

attention to invest time. If we want to position ourselves as the industry

thought leader, consider an industry list of some sort.

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Virtual Trade Show

Current technology and high-speed Internet connections enable the creation of lifelike

happenings (complete with “lounges” and “exhibit areas”). Compliment Event Marketing

efforts or create custom Internet-based virtual trade shows to generate leads, increase

event participation, drive revenue and improve communications with current and future

customers.


1. Most virtual shows use the “trade show” metaphor as the navigation model for the virtual

show site.

2. Just as live shows sell booths, we can sell sponsored presences at our virtual site.

3. For content, consider a mix of live, scheduled events and pre-recorded seminars that can

be launched at the visitor’s convenience.

Leapfrog

The ON24 Virtual Environment can be an excellent Virtual Trade Show

vendor.

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Online Game

An electronic game like any other – except it’s branded… Pru. Brainstorm the business

value to make it a fun and engaging experience.


1. Games should work without burdensome software downloads.

2. Must run across multiple browser types and OS platforms.

3. Game experience should reinforce favorable experience of the brand.

Leapfrog

Appropriate for Financial Wellness programs to get parents engaged

in teaching children about financial wellness. Elementary age.

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Online Survey Research Project

Poll customers, visitors or colleagues with paid or free online survey tools from providers

such as Zoomerang or Survey Monkey.


1. What do C-suite execs, CFO’s, Intermediaries, etc. want to know most? What are they

thinking? Anything we learn will be eagerly devoured by other execs.

2. Potential survey audiences include: blog readers, Twitter followers, LinkedIn and

Facebook colleagues, conference attendees, eNewsletter subscribers and more.

3. Keep ‘em short! Any more than 10 questions (and that’s pushing it) and we’ll lose ‘em.

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Customer-Focused Community

A Community where our customers do most of the talking. The content is largely user-

generated, created by participants themselves. Pru creates the context for the

Community, establishing a forum in which enthusiasts can share stories, pictures and

videos.


1. Set up the rules of engagement and make them transparent – no secrets, no hidden

agendas.

2. Consider reward systems that acknowledge the best and/or most frequent contributors.

3. Establish a host or contact person who serves as the question/answer-person for the site.

Leapfrog

Before we develop our own community site, leverage Facebook or LinkedIn first.

If our customers are already hanging out in one place, it makes

no sense to move them to another. That said, if the issue and

commitment is strong enough (see NavyForMoms.com), it can be done.

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Thank we


Integrating Social Table of Contents

Jordan and Pippen

Content marketing and social media make a great team. No content marketing strategy is

complete without a strong social media strategy.

According to 2013 research from the Content Marketing Institute:

• B:B Marketers use an average of five social media channels to distribute content

• B:C Marketers use an average of four social media channels to distribute content

Social Media is about Relationships, and in an industry where trust is such an important

decision-making factor, forging solid, reliable relationships should be a priority for

Prudential.

Relationships are:

• Developed over time

• Demonstrate value to the network

• Position Retirement and the company as a thought leader

• Become top of mind

Pru Social Media Activity As of January 2013

Prudential Retirement Immediate Focus

1 2 3

Twitter

Tell a story through our tweets.

Present a consistent voice to tell the story of our industry and our brand. Each post should

be compelling in its own right, but an inconsistent tone confuses the audience.

Make use of hashtags.

Including 1-3 relevant hashtags with our tweet makes it simple for people to find our content.

Creating an original hashtag and linking it to a specific campaign is an even better use of the

tactic.

Use it as a testing ground.

Tweet our original content, and keep tabs on which

pieces of content get more shares. Use this

information to direct our future content efforts.

Cover industry events.

To offer insights in real time, live tweet coverage of

events that are significant for our audience. That way,

our brand can act as the eyes and ears for

individuals who can’t make it to the event.

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Great Twitter Example

With 270,000+ followers, food chain Taco Bell has found a great social media niche

for its nationwide brand.

• Even followers with small influence get retweets and responses. The brand’s voice is

down-to-earth and (at times) hilarious.

• Events and promotions get great visibility.

• Hashtags, especially trending topics, ensure even non-followers can find the brand’s

tweets.

Buddy Media

Using Buddy Media will allow Prudential Retirement to run integrated social media

campaigns across multiple channels, including Pru web properties.

Retirement will begin our social campaign on Twitter using Buddy Media Capabilities:

• Optimizes publishing strategy with analytics that help us understand what's working and

what's not.

• Ad social sharing button option; social sharing widget*

* Compliance to evaluate

• Utilizes templates and repurposes content to reduce creative costs and maintain

consistency.

• Publishes content to fans by language, country, or by targeted distribution.

• Schedule publishing in the future.

• Set benchmarks and track from one central dashboard.

• Helps identify which social networks generate the highest ROI.

• Cross business-unit collaboration by giving them brand-approved content to share.

LinkedIn

Spruce up our company page.

Rope our page in, update the cover photo, add boilerplate information, and start sharing.

Encourage staff members to stay plugged in.

People who work at Pru (especially execs) can connect their personal profiles to our brand,

creating a new source of content that our audience can follow.

Think quality, not quantity.

LinkedIn users tend to be overwhelmed when brands and individuals over-share. Make sure

we’re only sharing the highest quality content.

Participate in groups.

Participating in LinkedIn group discussions is a great

way to demonstrate thought leadership. Share our

content and interact with other group members to

establish strong rapport.

Leverage user-generated content with

recommendations.

Bringing in a steady stream of recommendations from

clients or customers for a renewable source of

user-generated content.

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Great LinkedIn Examples

Social enterprise software developer Salesforce maintains a clean LinkedIn

company page, to which nearly

• 10,000 employees have connected.

• Page administrators typically post only 2-3 times a day.

• The company’s 12 products include 914 recommendations.

Facebook

We need more than just an interesting subject.

Even if our product category is naturally interesting, which it’s…

execution is very important. Spend time posting well-edited photos and well-written copy.

Volume certainly isn’t everything on Facebook; consistent quality is much more significant.

It’s good to be brief, but it’s better to be good.

Short messages stand out on Facebook — but long messages work if they’re compelling.

Communicate our message succinctly unless we absolutely need the extra words.

Use smarter targeting.

Page Post Targeting (PPT) is a new service from

Facebook that let’s us handpick our audience,

allowing us to deliver a clear message to a smaller

group. For instance, we can direct our message to

reach men and women between the ages of 60-67 who

have “Liked” our page.

Measure fan engagement.

Gauging our Facebook impact means measuring how

fans interact with our content. That way, we can figure

out which messages inspire action — and create more

like them. Back

Great Facebook Examples

Pet brand PurinaOne represents Facebook marketing that uses phenomenal

storytelling to stand out.

• Posts, supplemented with a visually engaging content, tell compelling stories.

• Posts are well written and inspire hundreds of comments from fans.

• Each piece of content is highly relevant to the brand’s audience.

Facebook Fan Engagement

5 Ways to Measure Facebook Fan Engagement

1. Week-over-week percentage of change

2. Percentage of fan base growth or decline

3. Percentage of active fans against percentage of hidden fans

4. Likes, Comments, Shares and Wall Posts scorecards

5. Time to Action scorecards

i. Amount of time it takes a fan to produce one of the various forms of activity on our

Facebook fan page.

ii. By assigning a numeric value where the lowest number is applied to the activity that

takes the least time, we can develop a scorecard total that will give we an apples-

to-apples comparison.

Example:

- Likes on wall posts (least amount of time committed by a fan) = 1 point

- Comments on wall posts (moderate amount of time committed by a fan) = 3 points

- Fan posts on our wall (greatest amount of time committed by a fan) = 5 points

Every week, count the total number of occurrences of each content type and tabulate

total score. Track the increases or decreases of the scores over time.

Measurement Table of Contents

Measuring Content Marketing

There are many “counting stats” that content marketers need to track (views,

tweets, Fan growth, “Likes”, mentions, favorites, etc.).

There are additional metrics, however, that must be explored in order to not only align

measurement with success of a content marketing campaign, but also success as it

relates to overall growth for the Prudential Retirement business unit.

1. Leads*

2. Sales*

3. Cost Savings

4. Customer Satisfaction / Retention

* Systems in place?

These strategic metrics will reveal themselves over time.

• It is necessary for Prudential Retirement to build performance indicators into content campaigns in order to measure the above.

• In addition, Prudential Retirement must work to align sales tools used to track leads as they move through the sales funnel to lead origin.

Secondary Content Indicators

Secondary indicators are the types of measurements that help us make the case for

primary indicators.

These can be:

• Shorter sales cycles

• Increased customer awareness

• Lift in forms completed

• Improved sentiment

• Additional cross-selling opportunities

• Qualitative customer feedback on the content

• Increased customer satisfaction

Measurement Criteria

These are the types of measurements that need to be looked at to help drive the

secondary indicators.

These include metrics like increases in:

• Web traffic

• Page views

• Bounce rates (decrease)

• Tweets, LinkedIn or Facebook shares/virility

• Search engine rankings

• PR opportunities

• Share of voice for key terms

A combination of tools such as web analytics tools; Google Analytics, Quantcast and Tagman, along with social listening tools; Radian6, can help assess these measures.

Connecting Traffic Drivers to Content Success

The introduction of Project Grohl will inform the measurement Traffic Drivers. Deeper

Analysis will reveal connections to content marketing efforts.

Metrics such as:

• Traffic - page views, unique visitors, bounce rate, time spent

• Source - referring sites, visitor demographics, inbound search keywords are monitored

through web tracking tools.

Project Grohl, will allow Pru to:

• measure marketing performance and customer experience consistently

• equip us with the ability to optimize marketing assets and leverage behavioral testing and content targeting programs

• Create the ability to see what marketing and content efforts are generating positive ROI

• Implement measurement planning, reporting, and analysis standards

• Implement integrated reporting across site, mobile/tablet, campaign, social, customer and competitor data sets

Measuring Awareness, Engagement & Reach

Engagement can be measured through Social Listening and Community Managed

effectively through Radian6.

Using Radian6 as a measurement tool, identification of conversations surrounding Pru and

our content marketing efforts and analysis of this information help measure the

effectiveness of content marketing?

• Which content is working well? Where can we expand on this theme?

• Which content isn’t performing as expected? Where can we improve/revise?

• Which channel is performing well for us? Which should we spend less time with?

• Have we correctly identified our personas? Are they responding to the content in the manner we’ve predicted? Is it aligning to what they really want?

• Are our personas aligned correctly with our sales stages? Can we identify purchase signals?

• Who are our influencers? What are their personas? What marketing channel to they utilize?

• Where to we stand in the face of our competition? How can we intercept discussion?

• Define point-of-need conversations. Are there more personas out there?

• Where is the opportunity to use social channels as customer service channels?

Landing Pages

When the goal of content marketing is generating qualified leads for the sales

funnel than there is no more necessary tool than the Landing Page.

Landing Pages focus on one thing and that’s converting visitors into leads. And that is why

they are also a key performance indicator.

Use Landing Pages to Measure Conversion, Return on Interest and more.

Follow the Results

Follow the results.

Measurement reveals what is working in our strategy. If our goal is to generate leads, then our analysis can be as simple as:

1. Gather the content that attracts the most high-quality traffic to our site

2. Identify consistent topics, formats and styles

3. Test using those attributes in new content

Leapfrog LinkedIn has been growing like crazy from a social media sharing standpoint for all content.

Thank you

Jennifer Pricci Web and Social Content Development, Community Manager


prudential contentand social-marketing-strategy

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