content to convert :: part deux / putting strategy into your content marketing

Content to Convert

#DigitalTrends RECOMMENDEDUNTIL AUG 201

AWARD WINNER

// Introducing Strategy into your Content creation

It’s not the size that matters. It’s what you do with it that counts.

PartDEUX

// Seth Godin

content marketing is the only marketing left“

last time,we talked about . . .

The Content Marketing

Scattergun

STOPCollaborate & Listen

Be aCurator

You don’t make a great museum by putting all the art in the world into a single room...

That’s a Warehouse

What do we want? ... Good Content.When do we want it? ... Now.

You need an Audience, not Traffic

Audience 1stSearch engines 2nd

Good Contentwill build an audience faster than anything else

Build yourBuyer Persona(s)Do your researchFictional representations of your ideal customer. Based on data about:

// Demographics // Online behavior

// Educated speculation about their histories, motivations & concerns.

Using these you can focus in on exactly where your buyers

will spend their time, what publications they will read, which

websites they will use and who is likely to influence them.

I’ll even help you out! Grab me later & pinch a copy of my ‘Persona Survey Questions’!

Certain types of content play particularly important roles at specific stages of the decision-making process.

MapYourContent

AWARENESS

RESEARCH

COMPARISON

PURCHASE

BUYING

BLOG POSTS,

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES

EBOOKS, WEBINARS,

INDUSTRY REPORTS

CASE STUDIES, DEMOS,

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

ANALYST REPORTS,

DETAILED PRODUCT INFO

the ContentMachine

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Persona B(eg: Woman in her 40’s)

Persona C(eg: Woman with 2 Kids)

Other Marketing

Strangely enough...The internet has 101 amazinginfographics on the subject...

Print one off...use it as funky wallpaper

Set Up Your Editorial CalendarGOOGLE CALENDAR A great tool for collaboration Share this with co-workers & content creators.

• Work back from goals to define the content• Include alll specific dates, events & opportunities • Mix of content types, topics & personas • A great platform to repurpose content

#OwnTheMoment Planner from Twitter

BUT

Storytelling is not intended to be a ‘Selling’ tool

What is content.Content is...

• the staff within your business. Think of Hooters... not literally. Be Unique.

• the design of your shop/office. Google for example - Free WiFi lets them share

• your products and services. Think of Coffee shops and ‘Latte Art’

• things like the menus on your tables. You could deliver your Menus on iPads?

• the Branding of your Business. Sofa King & “prices that are Sofa King low!”

• your company values. Associations with charities and causes are great.

• your customers. User generated content on experiences via social.

• EVERYTHING. Just understand your goal & what you are trying to achieve.

CONTENT FROM YOUR BRAND

CONTENT FROM YOUR OFFICES

Nothing more needs to be said.

Be Short - Go Direct

Take out theGuess Work

• biggest issues • objections to buying• the goals• the biggest challenges• what does success look like • the metrics they measure by

They hear first-hand, the challenges & issues that your prospects are facing.

They hear the common objections as to why people don’t buy.

Your sales team provide a wealth of insight to the kind of Content to create

Go to yourCustomers// Direct Answers // Case Studies

// Testimonials // Individual Journeys

// Content ideas

& now...

THEMAGIC

CONTENT

Before you write... Ask yourself this.

• Is this actually useful?

• Are you adding value - or just fluff?

• Why are you writing this?

• What problems are you solving?

• What could you be doing instead?

• Is it really worth it?

“No fun for the writer - No fun for the reader.”

Although, this guy likes fluff a little too much!

Create your content, tell your brand story, be emotional, be real.

Your Story

#1: Your story needs a Hero• Make your customer the hero of your story.

• Tell stories they imagine themselves in.

• Understanding who you’re telling the story to.

#2: Your story needs a helperSo, what’s your role? Be Yoda

• Make yourself the “wise helper”

• Give the hero important information

• Allow them to reach the goal.

#3: it’s the “gap” that makes a story work

The Pageturning FactorIt’s all about the gap... the space between what their wants & where they are in relation to this.

1. As the gap gets smaller, we think we’ve almost reached the goal.

2. Boom... Cliffhanger!

3. The gap widens again, so we’re driven to find out what comes next.

Gaps command our attention & energy, That gives stories power.Understand the gap, and how you bridge it.

1 Killer Headline + Incredibly Useful Info that Benefits Readers + Lively, Interesting Writing = Genuinely great content

How to Write Great Contentthe formula...

The Content 80/20 Rule8/10 Headlines get read 2/10 people read the copy

The Headline. • The most important part of your Content.• Make it Magnetic• Write your headline first.• This focuses the content, stops drift & avoids waffle.

Write a Killer Headline like a Boss...

“Can You Afford to Miss these 5 Easy Ways to be the Best Blogger in the World & Make Millions in just 5 minutes - all without having to lift a finger or learn anything, Fact.”

How to• How to [benefit 1] and [benefit 2] • How to ‘Win Friends’ and ‘Influence People’The more you focus on the benefit to you reader in your headline - the happier your readers will be.

List Posts• Ways to [do something] • Ways to Lose Your Job Whilst PresentingA Promise of ‘what’s in store’ Demonstrates Authority and Mastery of your expertise.

Insight• The Secret of [blank] • “The Secrets of Making Millions”Used quite a bit - because it works! Share insider knowledge and translate that into a benefit.

Numbers• [No’ of Ways] Ways to [do something] • 10 Ways to Find a FriendUse digits rather than words & always place the number at the start of the sentence.

Education• The Beginners Guide to [blank] • “The Beginners Guide to Javelin Catching”Everyone wants to be taught.

Headline Optimisation ExampleInstead of: “How to get better at planning your day.”

Try: “The 5 minute guide to planning your day for more focus & productivity.”

Headline Tips• Make an intriguing almost irresistible promise.

• Understanding the audience is key.

• A really great Headline generally won’t appeal to everyone.

• Understand ‘why’ the headline works and how to tweak it.

Not sure which headline to use?

Test your Headlines on Twitter first.Use ‘retweets’ as a guide to engagement

140 Characters puts anyone who understands the fundamentals of a good headline at an advantage

Grab a copy of my How to Win at Headlines - Swipe File.With all the formulas & quick wins you will ever need...

To request it, show me some love on:

You have the Headline, Now on to the content.

@estrategyltd/in/deanbreyley

It’s not all about length.Although generally, longer is better - don’t get hung up on that. Shorter is also sometimes better.Length is only one factor to consider.

Should we move on?

Content

And surprise! People DO actually read it...

Readers like:• 300 - 500 Words Short, sharp creative stories that say something new.

• 800 + Words Long, in-depth articles. Strong detailed narrative or insightful analysis

• Forget the Middle - 500 to 800 Not short, fast & focused or long enough to be a real pay-off for readers.

Build the inverted pyramid

• Go in Conclusion 1st,

• Address the 5 W’s.

• Then support it below

Keep it Short, Sweet & Neat

• Embrace the line break (Shift+Return).• 1 Idea per paragraph - 3 or 4 sentences at most.• Break content with subheads - use ‘mini headlines’.• Use bulleted lists - this provides a visual break.• Use a strong image & deep captions (2-3 sentences).

• Add highly relevant links to other relevant content• Use strategic formatting - Bold important concepts• Harness the power of numbers (1,2,3,4,5,6,7 etc,)• Check your dual readership path & look after Scanners. (bullets, bold, lists, heads & subheads)

Include an Image Preferably a photograph.If in doubt - use a Puppy.

Add a Call to Action Tell them you want them to do something. Seriously. Do this… Every time.Always. PLEASE CLICK ME

Optimise the ContentSEO aint dead, it’s just different

Text : Consider title tags, Meta descriptions,

H1 tags, and URL structure.

Image : Relevant alt tags, image tags, and filenames,

while keeping file size in mind, too.

Please use “Click here”What the? Usability experts say:

“Never, ever use Click here for a hyper-link.”

Read more: copyblogger.com/click-here

95% of the time - Good Advice. Show what’s on the other side of the click instead.

Click Here - On Your CTA Please

How to #WinOut-teach Your CompetitionYour competitors are also busy people. Selling sexy things, sponsoring cool events, delivering great work, yadda yadda.

So how do you stand out?Don’t outspend them... Out-teach them!

They probably won’t be thinking of this

(erm… until they read this, so get there first!)

Teaching forms a bond that no other form of marketing provides.Earn loyalty, respect & gain trust.

Even if they don’t buy from you, they will still be a fan.

What do you mean “if they DON’T buy?”

Don’t neglect Your 2nd Customer.

Just Great Marketing?#CONTROVERSIAL

Repurposing Content.Serving the same content to multiple audiences.

• Infographics• Meme• Videos• Guides • Reviews

• Opinion post• How-to• Lists• Link Page• Ebook

• Case Study• Podcast• Interview• Research• Original Data

Next you will learn the 7 things you absolutely, under no circumstance, must not do with your Content Marketing...

7 Deadly Sins of Content Marketing

When you come back next time for my presentation on:

I’ll just remind you...You need these in your life...

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Social media is not something that should be solely utilized by any one team within a company. Ideally, the entire

RecruitingSocial channels are the perfect placeto reach new applicants. Peoplesearch for job openings online, andchances are that some of them havealready "liked" you, so why not reachthem where they're already spendingtheir time? Given its interest, yourcommunity will also be more apt toshare these openings with itsnetworks.

Internal social networkingThere are some social networks that are designed to be usedentirely inside an organization. Some people like Yammer.Some prefer Chatter. Heck, some even use Basecamp or Jive.Whatever flavor you pick, social networking tools usedinternally can be incredible for knowledge sharing, building asense of camaraderie, and increasing cross-functionalcollaboration. Internal social networks can also be valuable forgovernance and policy awareness efforts.

Career advancementBeing active and fully aware of the "hows and whats" of socialmedia is quickly becoming a mandatory skill in today'sworkforce. This skill cannot be overlooked, especially for HRprofessionals. Social media can also be used to networkonline and learn about trending topics in a specific field,discovering new areas of opportunity for the business thatmight include niche communities for related professions.

Consistent branding and voice

There are many elements that go into a brand—both visual and otherwise—but ultimately what it becomes is your promise

to your customers. You define their experience of what your product offering tries to fulfill. A "brand" can feel like a very

amorphous concept; but consider the fact that your company's brand helps add tangible value to the organization, and

when managed appropriately, it can help to protect the investments made to the business over time. How one actually

determines the value of a brand is a fairly complicated endeavor.

Most of us aren't trying to compete with the most valuable global brands. That being

said, there sure is a lot you can learn from them:

Your social presence is just an extension of your brand, allowing that brand to reach many more people through networked

experiences. This can be both a risk and an opportunity, so it’s important to spend the time it takes to decide and define

what your brand will be in the social environment, as inconsistency in this area can lead to a disjointed customer experience

(or even a negative impact). Key questions to answer include:

Sample Guidelines

1. How your logo is to be represented

2. What fonts and colors can be used

and in what manner

3. A full brand description and what it

stands for

4. Situations in which the brand can and

cannot be used

5. Tone, voice, and manner guidelines

6. Other topographical and structural

elements (primarily for advertisers)

If you do not already have brand

guidelines developed, you'll

want to start there with your

marketing team. Once you have

those finished, you'll want to

address how they translate to social

media. Most of the visual

components (logos, colors, etc.) will

remain the same, though you'll want

to make sure the users setting up

your social profiles have access to

any relevant creative assets. For

more inspiration, take a look at the and

. For most small and medium businesses, these will likely feel

overzealous (they probably are), but you can glean inspiration for the parts that make

sense for you. If you have a graphic design team, they should be able to help you with

a lot of this as well.

Know your audience. Be on-brand, but also be relevant to the environment in

which you're working. Your audience, or the social platform you are engaging on, may

slightly change your tone and voice from your brand guidelines. This is where it's

important to have a really solid understanding so you can adapt as necessary. It's not

vital to be absolutely consistent between platforms, but it is vital to demonstrate

cohesiveness.

Be human. It probably sounds obvious, but this is the goal of social media. Human

engagement is where the magic is, and keeping that in mind as you're developing your

brand will help you craft a voice that's not only solid and cohesive, but also one that

users can relate to and build relationships with. You know, like people. :)

Integrate your campaigns. Integrating your campaigns across all of your social

profiles can help solidify your brand and amplify your efforts. Using similar visual

elements across all of your profiles will help ingrain your messaging and drive home the

point in ways that are relevant and customized to the platform.

Cambridge Identity Guidelines

MailChimp's guidelines

Is social media just a fad?

Over the last several years, there has been an explosion of growth in popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter,Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and many others. It's safe to say that the era of social media is just getting started,and the need for social media in business will only become stronger over time. The whole world has seen the impact of theexpansion and adoption of social media tactics, and the rising stats speak for themselves.

When Facebook started in 2004, it was a bare-bones social network focused on connecting college students. Nine years

and more than 1 billion active users later, Facebook has become the most widely-used social network to date and has

shaped online interaction as we know it. From connecting distant friends and family members, to bridging the gap between

brands and their communities, Facebook has taken the way we interact online to a whole new level.Key stats and demographics

Looking for sources? Click on any of the stats above!

How are people using Facebook?

Since its inception, Facebook has become an integral component of people's online social presence. For many, Facebook is

the only online social network in which they participate, though the level of engagement varies across the user spectrum.

From those that check the network periodically throughout the week to those who are almost compulsively active, the core

driving force to participation is connection: connecting with colleagues, friends old and new, alumni networks, and for an

increasing percentage of users, even professional connections.

The network itself has transformed into one with highly customizable privacy and visibility settings. Users can dial down their

Chapter 6Facebook

Welcome to The Beginner's Guide to Social Media!

Welcome to The Beginner's Guide to Social Media! Whether you're new to social media or just looking to close a fewknowledge gaps, we're glad you stopped by. By now, we've all heard how valuable—even essential—social media can be.Whether your current sentiment leans more toward enthusiasm or trepidation, there's no way around the fact that socialmedia is a far more complex field than it first seems. Diving in without a sense for what it's like can be overwhelming, andbuilding a network that provides real value takes both savvy and hard work, but fear not—we're here to help! We hope you'llfind this to be one of the most comprehensive social media resources available, and that no matter what your skill level is,there's plenty in here to help you improve your social presence. What are we waiting for? Let's dive in!

Chapters

Introduction

1

The Value ofSocial Media

2

Social MediaBest Practices

3

Social MediaMetrics and ROI

4

Find the RightNetwork for You

5

Facebook

6

Twitter

7

Google+

8

LinkedIn

9

YouTube andPinterest

10

Blogging

11

Social Doesn'tStop There

12

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Content.

Content.Keep it real

DEVELOPING & ENHANCING THE DIGITAL CUSTOMER JOURNEY & EXPERIENCE

email dean@e-strategy.net

linkedin /in/deanbreyley

twitter @deanbreyley

@estrategyltd

dog&bone 07709 576 499

01803 203311 info@e-strategy.netThe Byre. Berry Pomeroy. Devon. TQ9 6LH

#DigitalTrends