developing your content strategy - tunnel 7tunnel7.com/images/uploads/developing_your_content... ·...

tunnel 7 Design Marketing Optimization

Developing your Content Strategy for Social Media

(and Beyond!)MSBDC

November 19, 2015


OverviewIntroductions

What Is Content Strategy?

Developing Your Content Strategy

What It Looks Like In The Wild

How Do I Know It’s Working?

Q&A


Who Am I?derek allard, Tunnel 7

Website design / internet marketing / optimization

Maximize return on investment

I help organizations succeed online


Who Are You?Your name, business, what you do

Do you currently have a content strategy in place for your business?


Workshop MaterialsHandout and presentation slides: tunnel7.com/msbdc-nov2015

Ground Rules

What Is Content Strategy?

The planning, development, and management of content

—written or in other media


Having A PlanTakes the guess work out of content creation

Informs where this created content should live

Based on your business goals and your audience

Plan will adapt over time


Developing ContentFocuses you on what is needed (stop wasting time)

Articles, tweets, posts, videos, infographics …

Helps you look at the big picture

Identifies who will be developing content as well


Analyze and AdaptNobody gets it right the first time

Analyze what works and what doesn't

Success = engaging audience to achieve your goals

Fail faster


Built On Goals / AudienceKnowing who you are talking to will make your messaging much clearer

Tone, language, design, colors, layouts … all will differ depending on your audience

Always, always, always let your goals be the foundation

Write down your top 3 goals and your target audience

Developing Your Content Strategy?


What Is Your Message?What benefits do you offer compared to your competition?

What makes you unique in the space that you are in?

Questions like this often lead not only to great content but the start of a solid strategy

Are you targeting particular keywords for search engines?


Decide On Social ChannelsTwitter

Facebook

Pinterest

LinkedIn

YouTube

Others?


Don’t ForgetYour Website

Email Marketing

Paid Advertising

Print / Media Advertising


Define WhoWho will be responsible for creating the content?

Who will be responsible for publishing?

Who will be responsible for interacting with audience?

Who is reviewing/managing the website content?

Be realistic about your strategy based on your resources


Define WhenHow often will we post on social media?

When will we write a new blog post for the website?

When will we send email marketing out?

When will we rely on paid advertising for promotion?

Again, takes the guesswork away


It Unifies Across AllHaving a content strategy will help you have one unified message / tone / style across all channels

In so doing it reinforces your benefits and your messaging for your business

Leads to more sales / leads / conversions / increased audience


RepurosingPerfectly fine to have content across multiple channels

Perfectly fine to reuse successful older content (posting successful call to action on social channels, etc.)

Don’t worry about overwhelming with the same message if that message is effective


The Hub and SpokesYour website is the hub of all marketing efforts

Driving traffic to your website for specific actions

Are those actions in place? Is your website converting well?

Focus on successful conversions to see if your content strategy is working

What It Looks Like In The Wild


Some BackgroundGoals = enter contest, sign up for access to their database of curated writing contests

Audience = established and aspiring writers looking for recognition for their work

Strategy = Become the go to source for finding out about legitimate writing contests


HCRTC exampleShow how one piece of content can be repurposed in many ways


The ApproachThey’re not chasing every channel and every option

They’re focused on really 2 specific goals and have developed a content strategy specific to writers

Provide information of value to the audience and become the go to resource for contests

Translates into more signups and contest entries

Editorial Calendar Hands-On Exercise

How Do I Know This Is Working?


Leverage AnalyticsWill show what sources of traffic are the best both in terms of volume and conversions

Will make decisions about channels to leverage and campaigns to undertake much smarter

Takes a lot of the guesswork out of your content strategy

Data Will Help You Make Better Decisions About All

Your Content Efforts


Look At NumbersAre there more sales / leads / conversions from your efforts?

Are you closer to your business goals for these efforts?

Should have a positive effect on the bottom line for your business


Success Looks LikeDropping channels and efforts that are not effective

More engaged audience / more sales for the business

Doing less with more

Turning your content strategy into a well oiled machine where everyone knows their role and responsibility


TakeawaysA content strategy will take the guesswork out of content

Build your strategy around your goals and audience

What is unique about you? What are your benefits?

Focus only on channels that are working for you

Analyze and adapt as you evolve your strategy - fail faster!

Use your editorial calendar to simplify the process


Thank YouAll websites have room for improvement - Google Analytics will show the way

Set up goals to more accurately (and easily) track successes and failures

Focus only on those reports that are relevant to your website

Ask Me Questions [email protected] | Tunnel 7 | 413.282.9957

twitter.com/derekallard facebook.com/tunnel7 linkedin.com/in/derekallard

developing your content strategy - tunnel 7tunnel7.com/images/uploads/developing_your_content... ·...

Documents