STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR THE CONTENT
MARKETER
Day 1: Strategic Planning
Enterprise Marketing, State Farm
Insurance
Huonks.com
Linkedin/in/bkhuonker
Twitter.com/bkhuonker
@Midwest Social Media Conference
atMidwest.com
BRIAN HUONKER, MS, CHFC, CLU
STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR THE CONTENT
MARKETER
Why Are You Here?
STRATEGIC PLANNING
◻ Tuesday, September 12, 2017
◻ Discussion of why attendees are here
◻ Presentation: Strategic Planning for the
Content Marketer
◻ Break
◻ Group work
◻ Presentation of group work
◻ Closing questions, comments, homework
assignment
◻ Tuesday, September 19, 2017
◻ Review of homework assignment
◻ Presentation: Developing Engaging
Content on a Shoestring
◻ Break
◻ Group work
◻ Presentation of group work
◻ Closing questions, comments, homework
assignment
◻ Tuesday, September 26, 2017
◻ Review of homework assignment
◻ Presentation: Metrics and Tracking,
Simplified
◻ Break
◻ Group work
◻ Presentation of group work
◻ Closing questions and comments.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR THE CONTENT
MARKETER
Traditional marketing channels are becoming less effective in capturing and engaging the attention of today’s perpetually connected consumers.
The challenge of today’s brands is to adapt their marketing strategies in an effort to build brand advantage in the face of consumers’ rapidly changing media consumption landscape.
In addition, today’s millennial generation does not trust traditional advertisements, only 6% of millennials consider on-line advertising to be credible.
Branded content will allow brands to meet this challenge, building a trusted, remarkable, unmistakable, and essential brand in the eye of the consumer.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ We know people
share stories that:
Are native, not
deceptive
Are individual, and
ready to evolve
Deliver on emotion
Reserve judgment
Act like the locals
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ They share stories
that help them
Solve a problem
Escape for the moment
Fuel their creativity and
play
Spotlight pop culture
Discover new things
Succeed
◻ So, as a business we present content that:
◻ Captures the brand’s persona through branded
storytelling.
◻ Enables social sharing through brand
advocates.
◻ Enables brand discovery through consumer
exploration.
◻ Connects the brand to consumers in context
through cultural, relevant and valuable content.
◻ Changes and enhances the consumer
experience.
◻ Creates visible brand value through the
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
But How Do You Do This?
STRATEGIC PLANNING
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Start With Profiling Your Audience
◻ Brainstorm them.
◻ Create profiles of them (and have fun)
◻ Discover where they are at
◻ Do they use Twitter (Does anyone?), LinkedIn, Instagram,
Email (not if they under 20), etc…
◻ They might have different personalities on them, uses them
differently
◻ Allows for the “like” to happen. Not the button, but the
relationship.
◻ Once you create a connection, you begin a relationship
◻ Once a relationship, conversations can happen
◻ Once, conversations begin, trust is established
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Then Set Your Social Media Goals/Objectives
What do you want to achieve with social media?
Do your social media objectives align with your overall company vision, mission and marketing strategy
Should they align it to other campaign goals
Are your objectives S.M.A.R.T: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound?
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Audit your current social media status.
What social profiles do you currently manage?
Which social media platforms do you want to participate in.
Is control over the passwords centralized? Should any accounts be deleted?
Do they currently align to your goals and objectives?
What is the mission statement of each of your social profiles?
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Create or improve your social media profiles.
Are your profiles filled out properly and thoroughly?
Are all of the accounts and profiles on brand?
Would a new visitor follow me after seeing this profile?
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Develop your content strategy.What types of content do you want to post to each social network? Who
is the target audience?
How often will you post content and how will you promote it
Do you have an editorial calendar and a social media content calendar?
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Define What Success Means, Short and Long-Term.
Are people sharing the content with their networks? Metrics: Number of shares, number of Tweets, number of Pins, etc.
Is your audience interested in learning more? Metrics: Requests for additional information, completion of content forms, traffic to your site.
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Define What Success Means, Short and Long-Term.
Is the audience engaging with the content? Metrics: number of comments, shares, downloads, likes along side time on page, pages per visits, repeat visits
What sources are driving your on-site traffic? Metrics: Keyword performance, referrals, organic search results, campaign traffic
Or other consumption/brand metrics like:■ Increase in conversions
■ Increase in organic traffic to targeted digital
■ Increase in audience engagement
■ increase in brand awareness
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Prepare to Monitoring your social media channels.
See complaints and address them immediately
Share the compliments (with a simple “Thank You”)
Help solve customer problems (and let others see)
Answer questions
Know what’s next
Manage crisis (before they escalate)
Monitor the competition
Spot the trends
Discover your influencers (brand advocates)
Reach potential prospects
STRATEGIC PLANNING for the Content
Marketer
◻ Use analytics to track progress and adjust
your strategy as need.
Have you established the metrics by which
you'll measure social media success?
Do you have an analytics or measurement tool
prepared to track these metrics?
How often will you analyze your results?
Are you prepared to quickly change your
strategy in response to these results?
STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR THE CONTENT
MARKETER
Exercise: Getting Prepared
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 1: Set Your Content Marketing
Goals/Objectives
◻ What do you want to achieve with social
media?
◻ Do your social media objectives align with
your overall company vision, mission and
marketing strategy
◻ Are your objectives S.M.A.R.T: specific,
measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-
bound?
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 2: Audit Your Current Social
Media Footprint
◻ What social profiles do you currently
manage?
◻ Is control over the passwords centralized?
Should any accounts be deleted?
◻ What is the mission statement of each of
your social profiles?
◻ How does this align with your goals and
objectives?
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 3: Create And/Or Improve Your
Social Media Profiles
◻ Are your profiles filled out properly and
thoroughly?
◻ Are all of the accounts and profiles on
brand?
◻ Would a new visitor follow me after seeing
this profile?
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 4: Research The Competition
◻ Search up any other social media profiles that
is representing your company that you don’t
own (imposters). Report them.
◻ Search up any competitors.
◻ Follow them, note what they are posting and
what they are successful with.
◻ Search up any suppliers.
◻ Follow them, note what they are posting and
what they are successful with.
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 5: Set Up the Guide Rails
◻ Rules for when to create/participate in new
social media channels.
◻ Rules for when to respond to comments.
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 6: Identify The Platforms You
That Are In Alignment With Your Goals
◻ Evaluate the needs for all your social media
profiles and create a mission statement for
each. For example: Instagram Profile—To
share company culture and company
achievements.
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 7: Develop Your Content Strategy For
Each Platform.
◻ What types of content do you want to post to each
social network? Who is the target audience?
◻ Photos?
◻ Blog or Microblog Post?
◻ Video?
◻ How often will you post content and how will you
promote it
◻ Record it in a content calendar
(http://www.huonks.com/downloads/sample-
content-calendar.xlsx)
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 8: Plan it out. Plan it out. Plan it
out
◻ Create a spreadsheet and write down all the
social networks you own and the owner for
each.
◻ Ensure your images are sized correctly
◻ Facebook Image Sizes
◻ Others (Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn,
Pinterest, YouTube, etc…)
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 9: Review it
◻ With your leadership.
◻ With your co-workers.
◻ With your brand advocates.
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Getting Prepared
◻ EXERCISE 10: Determine How You Measure
Success
◻ Have you established the metrics by which
you'll measure social media success?
◻ Do you have an analytics or measurement
tool prepared to track these metrics?
◻ How often will you analyze your results?
◻ Are you prepared to quickly change your
strategy in response to these results?
◻ Adjust your strategy as needed.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR THE CONTENT
MARKETER
Exercise: Selecting the Platforms
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Platform Appendix: Blog
◻ Objectives
◻ Increase brand awareness
◻ Increase thought leadership throughout
your industry
◻ Encourage comments and engagement
◻ Lead generation through blog
subscription
◻ External linking
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose managing editor to own the
blog
◻ Choose a blogging platform
◻ Create an internal blog evangelist
program to get employees to contribute
◻ Decide on a weekly cadence
◻ Recruit guest bloggers
◻ Add social sharing icons
◻ Add a Tweet This button
◻ Promote each blog on social channels
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts
◻ X number of bloggers
◻ X number of social shares
◻ Audience growth—unique and return
visitors
◻ Conversions
◻ Subscriber growth
◻ Inbound links
◻ Directory listings for infographics
◻ SEO improvement
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Platform Appendix: Facebook
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Lead generation or customer
acquisition
◻ Share a mix of relevant links, blog
posts, and engaging content
◻ Promote upcoming events
◻ Engage with influencers
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management
platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ √ Set up sponsored posts and ads
◻ Set up Facebook tabs that sync to your
marketing automation platform
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts per day
◻ Page follows
◻ Likes
◻ Engagement and comments
◻ Referring traffic
◻ Shares
◻ Lead generation/new customers
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Platform Appendix: Twitter
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Lead generation or customer acquisition
◻ Share a mix of relevant links, blog posts,
and engaging content
◻ Segment influencers and create lists
◻ Communicate issues from social media
to support team and ensure follow-up
◻ Listen and respond to relevant
conversations
◻ Build reputation
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management
platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Utilize promoted tweets and pinned
tweets
◻ Set up Twitter Lead Generation cards
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts
◻ Followers
◻ Mentions
◻ Retweets
◻ Number of lists
◻ Hashtag usage
◻ Influence of Twitter followers
◻ Lead generation or customer
acquisition
◻ Referring traffic
◻ Favorited tweets
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Platform Appendix: LinkedIN/Slideshare
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Lead generation or customer
acquisition
◻ Share a mix of relevant links, blog
posts, and engaging content
◻ Promote upcoming events
◻ Engage with influencers
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management
platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Create and join relevant groups
◻ Encourage employee participation
◻ Monitor and participate in Q&A
◻ Set up sponsored posts and ads
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of posts per day
◻ Page follows
◻ Comments, likes, and shares
◻ Group participation
◻ Referring traffic
◻ Lead generation/new customers
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Platform Appendix: Photo
(Instagram/Snapchat/Pinterest)
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness and engagement
◻ Engagement with visual assets
◻ Showcase products
◻ Showcase company culture, marketing
events
◻ Link back to website, blog, and other content
assets
◻ Share a mix of relevant imagery—both
brand-related and fun
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Determine ownership of photo sites
◻ Decide on general branding guidelines for
photos
◻ Encourage employees to participate and
share their own photos
◻ Key Metrics
◻ Referral traffic
◻ Shares and comments
◻ View of photos
◻ Page rankings on key terms from photo
sharing sites
◻ Product purchasing and lead
generation
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Platform Appendix: Video (YouTube/Vimeo)
◻ Objectives
◻ Brand awareness
◻ Engagement with visual content assets
◻ Lead generation and customer acquisition
◻ SEO optimization
◻ Generate additional content views
◻ Action Items
◻ Choose owner for all of social media
◻ Set up social media posting cadence
◻ Choose a social media management platform
◻ Determine social media voice
◻ Determine ownership for visual content on
SlideShare
◻ Work on regular SlideShare presentation
creation
◻ Choose agency for stellar design
◻ Turn on the forms feature in SlideShare so
you can sync leads to your marketing
automation platform
◻ Key Metrics
◻ X number of presentations
◻ Followers
◻ Views
◻ Shares
◻ Lead generation and customer
acquisition
◻ Downloads
◻ Favorites
STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR THE CONTENT
MARKETER
Next Up: Ready To Develop Content