captivating content marketing
DESCRIPTION
We’ve all heard the battle cries – Traditional marketing is dead! Content is king! But, how do you get started with content marketing? What types of content should you create and how can you ensure that it will ultimately help your brand achieve measurable business goals? In this 451 Marketing webinar, our EVP of Digital Marketing Francis Skipper will teach you how to craft a content marketing strategy that: - Provides value to your target audience - Improves search rankings and social signals - Drives traffic to your website - Nurtures leads and drives salesTRANSCRIPT
Captivating Content Marketing
Francis Skipper Executive Vice President
617-259-1605
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip
“Content marketing is the only marketing left”
-Seth Godin
What is Content Marketing?
Creating and delivering valuable content to your target audience
Why Content Marketing?
• Generates 3x more leads than traditional marketing
• Build trust, create value among suspects – people who want to know what you know, not what you sell (not yet)
• Decrease costs, increase customers, scalable/repeatable
Why Content Marketing?
• Position as an expert
• Attract new customers
• Maintain a dialogue with existing and past clients
• Increase social signals
What is Content?
Whitepapers, eBooks, Case Studies
Audio or Video Content
Events and Content from Events (Webinars, Workshops)
Blog and Social Posts Images and Infographics
Email Newsletters
Google Hummingbird
“Semantic relevance is the new king”
- Eric Enge Stone Temple Consulting
Google Hummingbird
Google Hummingbird
SEO Social Media Brand Voice &
Personality
Cornerstone of Marketing
Content Marketing
Content Directly Affects Search
Doesn’t directly convert or sell
Content Marketing Does NOT
Does help push leads down the funnel
Content Marketing Does
1 PLAN
2 CREATE
3 PUBLISH
4 MEASURE
Content Marketing Strategy
Who is Your Audience?
Who are your ideal customers?
Who is Your Audience?
Moms Millennials CIOs
Think about your current customers…
Who is Your Audience?
What are their biggest pain points/needs?
Content you create should address your customers’ pain points:
• a need • a problem • a desire • a challenge
Identifying Pain Points
• Check out common search inquiries around your product or industry using Google Search Trends and Google Keyword Tool
• Address FAQs – ask your sales people what customers are asking them
Do your research – what do your customers need?
Where is Your Audience?
Where do they find information online? Source: Pew Research Center
Do your research, know your platforms! For instance: • City dwellers are significantly more likely than rural residents to be on Twitter • Women are five times as likely as men to use Pinterest • Baby boomers are the fastest growing segment of Facebook
Audit Current Content
Identify holes or missing content
Repurpose content that is outdated but still valuable
Catalog any existing content and categorize by:
Type Topic Persona Date
Incorporate Social & Search Goals
What things do you need to rank for in social and search?
Define Major Topics
• What do you know? • Fill in content gaps from your
audit… • Think about achieving search
and social goals
What do you want to be known for?
Define Team/Roles
Content/Marketing Coordinator
Team Content Coordinator Team Content Coordinator Team Content Coordinator
Senior Management
• Designate an overall content coordinator
• Have coordinator from each functional area
• Designate members of senior management team to oversee/contribute – adds to validity
Set clear roles, expectations, and standards
Create a Content Calendar
Use a shared calendar such as Google Calendar to share content plan internally
• Color code by content type • Clearly define ownership • Create a checklist for social media
promotion • Share as far in advance as possible to
allow time for creation
As You Are Creating, Ask…
Unique?
Inspirational?
Credible?
Fun?
Beneficial to Share?
…Does this Inspire Sharing?
Is this content...
Portable Content
Answers Popular Questions –
“How To”
Real-Time Marketing
Portable Content
Real-Time Marketing
Portable Content
Top 10s, Best ofs,
and Countdowns
Portable Content
Tools for Content Creation
• Set up Google alerts
• Set up streams in Hootsuite (social listings)
Publish
Links to social properties on website
Share buttons with content
Make Sharing Simple!
Measure and Adjust
What’s getting shared the most, by who, and when?
Build Trust
• Be consistent • Be generous • Become the authority
Follow through with your strategy – make sure your audience can count on regular content
Content marketing is a great way to build trust, enhance social media and search marketing, and increase lead flow.
1. Plan Define audience and needs Audit current content Incorporate social and search goals Define major topics Define team/roles Create a calendar
2. Create Create relevant, portable content
3. Publish Publish content across platforms – make it shareable!
4. Measure Measure effectiveness and adjust
Takeaways:
Questions?
Francis Skipper Director of Search Marketing
415.542.6250
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip
Captivating Content Marketing