newscred #thinkcontent tour sf: liz bedor, content marketing strategist, newscred

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.


We choose what matters.

We follow, like, subscribe and recommend only the things

we actually care about.


We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.

Craig Davis”

“


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


Content Marketing ≠ Advertising• Not advertising or PR

• Not campaign-based

• Not promotional

• Not brand-led


BrandPurpose

What Customers

Want

ContentMarketing


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:


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:

?


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%


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


Discovery


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


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


Find the Budget

Calculate the Costs of Unused Content

Borrow Budget from Underperforming

Digital Assets

Approach Budgeted Teams with a Partnership Opportunity


Destination


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


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


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


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



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


…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


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


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.


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


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



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



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



Measurement

Optimization

Optimization


Measurement

Optimization

Even great content needs a pushThe average Hollywood movie spends 50-60% of production budget on

distribution.


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!
