The Dark Art of Digital Influence DemystifiedThe Story of an Accidental Content Strategist

Pencils down, please

http://www.slideshare.net/palumbook

josephpalumbo.com/darkart

Who am I?

Joseph Palumbo

@Palumbo p@lumbo.me josephpalumbo.com linkedin.com/palumbook

Joseph Palumbo

Blogger/Podcaster Minimalist Startup Mentor Corporate Entrepreneur Technology Evangelist

Joseph Palumbo

Learner Strategic Ideation Context Individualization

Let me tell you a story…

Success is lethal

Why aren’t customers using our content?

Copy

SEO

Context

Format

Information Architecture

Content Audits

UX

Conversions

Style Guide

CMSUser

Personas

Rhetoric

Copy

SEO

Context

Format

Information Architecture

Content Audits

UX

Conversions

Content Strategy

Style Guide

CMSUser

Personas

Rhetoric

Tactical & Practical

Creation Organization Evaluation

Content is hard!

Screens that elicit emotion…

Content = Catalyst

Content = Clout

Content = Currency

What is Content Strategy?

• Defines how you’re going to use content to meet your business goals and satisfy your users’ needs!

• Guides decisions about content from creation to deletion!

• Sets benchmarks against which to measure the success of your content!

• Aligns multiple teams of content creators!

• Extends beyond the website

• Target Audiences: Who do you want to engage in conversation and why? !

• Messaging: What do you want those target users to know, learn or get from your content? !

• Channels: What channels are used to deliver content?

• Workflow/Governance: How is content created, maintained and managed?

Building a!Core Strategy

Messaging• Messages vs Messaging

• Message are not meant to be content

• Define a message hierarchy

1. Technology + Design = Better Life!!

2. SA is a tech city!!

3. Minimalism is cool

Commander’s Intent

Tactics change, but a good core strategy stays consistent

How do I create influential content?

clout (noun) 1. influence or power, esp. in politics or business !

2. a heavy blow with hand or a hard object

Phases of CloutRAISE AWARENESS You can’t influence people who don’t know about you. Show who you are, what you stand for and what you can offer. Focus on the “About Me” (Like I did at the beginning of this presentation) !BECOME LIKED AND TRUSTED Web content needs to demonstrate personality, values, expertise credibility Start focusing on your customers and help them identify with you !MOTIVATE, INSPIRE AND HELP ACTION Content needs to clearly define the action and associated benefits. Content should guide people through the action itself.

Context Rhetoric

Psychology

Principles of Clout

context (noun)!The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed

Elements of ContextResults What do you need to do?

!Users Who are you trying to reach?

!Brand How people see you?

!Timing What’s going on

!Forum Where is it happening?

Result

ActionAttitude

BJ Fogg’s !Behavior Model

Result

ActionAttitude

Likeability Trust Awareness Motivation Ability Trigger

BJ Fogg’s !Behavior Model

Result

ActionAttitude

Likeability Trust Awareness Motivation Ability Trigger

Do users like or identify with you and what you stand for?

Result

ActionAttitude

Likeability Trust Awareness Motivation Ability Trigger

Do users find you credible or and trustworthy, especially regarding what you

stand for?

Result

ActionAttitude

Likeability Trust Awareness Motivation Ability Trigger

Do users know who you are and what you stand for?

Result

ActionAttitude

Likeability Trust Awareness Motivation Ability Trigger

Do users want to take the action you want them to take?

Result

ActionAttitude

Likeability Trust Awareness Motivation Ability Trigger

Can users take the action easily?

Result

ActionAttitude

Likeability Trust Awareness Motivation Ability Trigger

What will inspire users to take action now?

Audience• Be super specific

• Develop personas

• Identify multiple customer types

• Existing vs Potential

Characteristics Description

Demographics Age, income, race, education, sex, occupation, location

Behaviors What are they already doing? Where are they already going?

Expectations User’s notions of how things should work? What they think is good.

Role Functions within an organization

Values User’s individual, community and cultural beliefs

Disposition Perceptions of your brand, topic, idea and more

Personas Predefined categories created just for your organization

Who you want!vs!Who is there

Brand• Organization or Personal or both

• Consistency is vital

• Sometimes better to let your brand pick you

Timing• What’s going on in the world, community, industry

• Gap between now and call to action (Priming)

• How long will it take to influence your users?

Forum• So many to choose from!!

• What’s your flagship?

• Go to where your users are

Factors to consider when identifying what content you need…• Audience

• Messaging

• Topics

• Purpose

• Voice and Tone

• Sources

Rhetoric

“The art, practice and study of human communication”

Credibility (Ethos)!Logic (Logos) !Emotion (Pathos)

Credibility

Experience

Success

Reputation

AssociationCertification

Similarity

Longevity

Credibility

Experience

Success

Reputation

AssociationCertification

Similarity

Longevity

Credibility

Experience

Success

Reputation

AssociationCertification

Similarity

Longevity

Credibility

Experience

Success

Reputation

AssociationCertification

Similarity

Longevity

Credibility

Experience

Success

Reputation

AssociationCertification

Similarity

Longevity

Credibility

Experience

Success

Reputation

AssociationCertification

Similarity

Longevity

Credibility

Experience

Success

Reputation

AssociationCertification

Similarity

Longevity

Credibility through content• Quality over time

• Partners and Endorsements

• Expert Contributions

• Curated Content from Credible Sources

• Site your sources

• Brand History

• Security and Privacy Cues

Credibility Guidelines• Say who you are and where you are located

• Clearly distinguish sponsored content

• Inform people of any fees, return policies, and other information important to making shopping decisions

• Correct false, misleading or outdated content and have a policy if someone makes a purchase using incorrect content

Logic• Don’t generalize and beware of edge cases

• Red Herrings

• Don’t confuse cause with correlation

• Be cautious with hyperbole

• Beware of bandwagons

Emotion• Powerful, so handle with care

• Users decide when it works (and doesn’t)

• Best used through sensory detail

–Kenneth Burke, Rhetorician On Identification

“Any of the wide variety of means by which an author may establish a shared sense of values, attitudes and interests with his readers.”

Identification• Overcoming differences, finding common ground

• Key to attracting the right people

• Superficial vs Deep

• Know your audience

–Somebody who knows something about communication

When you try reaching everyone, you risk reaching know one.

Not everyone is going to identify with you, and that’s OK.

How to identify with users• Persona/Character/Spokesperson (Rackspace)

• User Generated Content (B&H Photo)

• Cause Content (Tom’s)

• Story

• Us - Why we’re here, about our startup

• Customers - How our customers use us

Context Rhetoric

Psychology

Principles of Content Strategy

psychology (noun) The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context.

Loss vs. Gain

Compare the the following two statements

If you improve your SEO you will gain 5,000 new customers each year

If you do not improve your SEO, your company will lose 5,000

new customers each year

Validation & Affirmation

Organization

Content Calendar

• Know what you’ve published and when

• Track SEO keywords

• Everything should adhere to the core strategy

• Start prepping early, recruit interviews

• Allows for effective use of priming

Evaluation

The question is not whether we have enough data, but which data is most useful

Data Driven Content?

A/B Testing

Quantitative Evaluation• Google Analytics + Branded Traffic

Focus Group

• Colleagues/Peers

• Customer Advisory Group

• Family/Friends

• Mentors

• Editorial Staff

• Social Networks/Forums

• Be aware of tense and person

• Use active, authoritative voice when possible,appropriate

• Posts between 300 to 1000 words

• This is not the SATs, leave fancy words at home

• Write first, edit later

Create a style guide

• Writing Style (Person, Tense)

• Format (Headings, Lists, Capitalization)

• Context

• Tone/Voice

• Branding conventions

• Visual/Technical

• Forums/Channels

WHAT IS THE TRANSFORMATION? !WHEN DOES THE USER DO IT? !WHAT PROBLEM ARE YOU SOLVING? !WHAT PROBLEM ARE YOU CREATING?

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS

Thank you.