how to build your own content marketing plan

Michael Brenner

Head of StrategyNewsCred@BrennerMichael

How To Build Your Content Marketing Strategy

Slides: slideshare.net/michaelbrenner

Agenda• The key factors for content marketing success

• The core components of a content marketing strategy

• How to utilize content across the buyer journey

• Companies doing it right

@BrennerMichael

Just 3 Things . . .The world has changed.

Most content stinks.

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Attract people through stories they love.

Content marketing trends

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@BrennerMichael

9#ThinkContent

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Content today must compete with pictures of

babies and kittens.

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@BrennerMichael

We tuneout the noise.

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WHAT IS GOING ON?@BrennerMichael

“We need to stop interrupting whatpeople are interested in and give

people what they are interested in.

”@BrennerMichael

The Promise of Content Marketing:

To earn your audience . . .

. . . versus buying it!

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@BrennerMichael

Content Marketing is all the marketing that’s left!

Seth Godin, 2008”“

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Content MarketingSuccess

Building a SuccessfulContent Strategy

Companies Doing It RightUtilizing Content Acrossthe Buyer Journey

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23

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“The buyer journey is nothing more than a series of questions that

must be answered.

- IDC -”@BrennerMichael

Awareness Consideration Preference

Online CommunitiesSearch EngineseBooksEmail NewslettersEditorial ArticlesWhite PapersPodcastsCase StudiesOnline VideosWebcastsVirtual Trade ShowsProduct LiteratureTrial SoftwareOnline Vendor Demos

Begindecision process

MakedecisionIdentify

business problem Establish

requirements/ build

RFP

Align IT with

business objectives

Explore technology

options

Research solutions

Determine solution strategy Assess ROI

Research products/ vendors

Build short list

Ann Handley: “Take your brand out of the story. . . . . .Make your customers the hero.”

Our Natural Instinct

ContentMarketing

What Brands Wants To Talk

About

WhatCustomers

Actually Want

Charity

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How brands can become consumed with their story, not their customers.

Unique Point of View Trap

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Key Factors To Content Marketing Success:

1. Documented content strategy and mission statement2. Have someone accountable for content3. Consistently publish quality content4. Map content to consumer journey5. Balance Paid, Owned, and Earned Media 6. Focus on Content Subscribers7. Track Content Marketing ROI

@BrennerMichael

Give Yourself a Grade . . Best Practice R Y GHave a documented content strategy? Have someone managing contentContent hub maps to the consumer journeyPublishing quality, volume and varietySocial activation of contentPaid distributionFocus on Content SubscriptionsMeasurement template / ROI defined

Overall:

D

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SAP Case Study

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How Many People Are Searching For Us vs. Asking Early-Stage Questions

Cluster Brand? Total Monthly Searches (est.)

Analytics Brand 458 3000xAnalytics Non-Brand 1,520,761Cloud Brand 398 1000xCloud Non-Brand 578,460Data Brand 28,884 17xData Non-Brand 470,967Mobility Brand 12,488 28xMobility Non-Brand 345,598BI Brand 532,486 -2xBI Non-Brand 277,156CRM/Sales Brand 156,028 40xCRM/Sales Non-Brand 6,313,329ERP Brand 777,092 -2xERP Non-Brand 324,595HCM Brand 55,536 7xHCM Non-Brand 379,954Accounting. Finance Brand 30,497 24xAccounting. Finance Non-Brand 720,493TOTAL Brand 1,688,883 13xTOTAL Non-Brand 13,616,715

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Were Any of These “Early-stage” Prospects Finding Us?

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Late-Stage Con-tent66%

Early-Stage Con-tent6%

Middle-Stage Content28%

Why Weren’t They Finding Us?

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Business Innovation (launched March 27, 2012)A “Content Hub” to attract engaged visitors instead of buying them

To help businesses leaders grow through technology and innovation.

To reach and convert leads we would have never seen!

http://blogs.sap.com/innovation

http://blogs.sap.com/innovation

Organic and Social: Up and to the Right

4/8/124/18/12

4/28/125/8/12

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0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

Traffic from Organic, Social & Referrals

Uni

que

Visi

tors

@BrennerMichael



@BrennerMichael

Why is it Important to Have a DocumentedContent Marketing Strategy?

Source: CMI

Content Marketing Mission StatementAmEx Open Forum Mission: “Help Small Businesses

Do More Business.” Outcome:The largest source of

inbound leads.@BrennerMichael

What Is Your Content Marketing Mission Statement?

Become a (premier?) destination for [target audience]

interested in [topics] to help them [customer value].

@BrennerMichael

Steps To Crafting a Content Strategy

DiscoveryDestination +Branding

Roles + Resp.

Editorial Strategy Distribution Measure +

Optimize

• Current State• Audience• Objective• Mission• Budget

• Branding• Destination• Structure

• Partners• Agency• You

• Topics• Types• Sources• SEO

• Organic• Paid• Owned • Earned• Email

• KPIs• Template• Cadence• Optimize

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Show me the money!@BrennerMichael

3 Components of Content Marketing ROI

1. Cost 2. Utilization 3. Performance

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Content Marketing Hubs are a digital asset (with an LTV and ROI)

60-70% of Marketing ContentGoes Completely Unused.

*Sirius Decisions

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Behind every piece of bad content is an executive who asked for it.

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TWEET THIS!

http://ctt.ec/dfg87

http://ctt.ec/dfg87

http://twitter.com/?status=RT:%20%22Content%20Marketing%20is%20all%20the%20Marketing%20that%E2%80%99s%20left.%22%20Seth%20Godin.%20See%20more%20great%20quotes:%20http://ow.ly/I5Vzm

Conduct A Content Audit

• Content Type• Audience / Target• Buyer Stage• Primary Destination• Performance

@BrennerMichael

Building the Content Marketing Business Case

1. Reach early stage buyers

2. Engage new buyers with your

brand

3. Conversions you would have never

reached

Building The Business Case1. Reach early stage buyers

• Fair “Share of Conversation” • % Unbranded Search traffic on your website• Banner effectiveness at driving brand visits• Cost of advertising / search landing pages with low organic and social traffic• Cost of organic and social website traffic vs. paid

2. Engage new buyers with your brand• Time spent, Bounce rate on content vs. advertising landing pages• Cost / Repeat visits, Time engaged with your brand• Subscribers, value per subscriber

3. Conversions you would have never reached• Cost per lead, Pipeline touched, Cost per registration (content or events), Cost per

sale• Content % source of leads• ROI vs. Avg. Marketing ROI@BrennerMicha

el

Destination and Branding 1. On Domain vs. Off? 2. Heavily Branded vs. Lightly Branded?

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Even Great Content Needs a PushThe average Hollywood movie spends 50-60% of production budget on

distribution.

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Define Key Measures and TargetsDownload this template now!

@BrennerMichael

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a0fpfsa6o7z00kw/Measurement%20Template.xlsx?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a0fpfsa6o7z00kw/Measurement%20Template.xlsx?dl=0

Casper’s Van Winkles• Effortlessly combines

national housing news with articles on inspirational interior design, celebrity homes and company updates.

• Up to 6 new posts per day

• Distribution and large audiences across Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Google+

Casper’s Van Winkles

@BrennerMichael




@BrennerMichael

What Are We Going to Write About?

@BrennerMichael

Reach, Engage and Convert the Right People.

Early-stage Searches

What? And Why?

Middle-stage

How?

Brand Searches

Who?How Much?

Search / Social Volume

What is Content Marketing?Why is it important?

(10-3000 X)

How Do I Create Great Content

(2-10 X)

Who’s the best Content

Marketing Platform?

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Publishers Publish Everyday on Each Topic• Traffic AND Conversion goes up with volume• Diminishing return? (see below)

A few times a year

1-2X permonth

< monthly 1-2X perweek

1 per day More than 1 per day

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Xyz Early Xyz

Late Xyz Xyz

Persona Questions/Concerns

Xyz

Middle Xyz Xyz

Keywords

Xyz Early Xyz

Late Xyz Xyz

Persona Questions/Concerns

Xyz

Middle Xyz Xyz

Keywords

Stage

Stage

Research Keywords, Then Filter By Personas

@BrennerMichael

Utilize the Right Mix of Content

Custom ContentShare on-brand stories and recipes which are created specifically for your brand.

Community ContentLeverage content from customers, employees, influencers that grows and engages your community.

Licensed ContentBoost credibility, publishing cadence, and direct traffic with a high-volume of fully-licensed, compliant content.

@BrennerMichael

Content Mix (Monthly Average)

Licensed CustomSocial

Custom

Content

20%

User /

Employee

50%

Licensed

Content

30%

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Atomize Your Best Content

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@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

Brands need to take the phrase ‘acting like a publisher’

literally.”“

Dietrich MateschitzFounder + CEO, Red

Bull

BufferApp Blog

Lesson for Brands: Think bigger than yourself and what you sell. Help people with their biggest problems and you will earn their attention.

@BrennerMichael

CapGemini Content-Loop.com• Licensed content on Linked

Sponsored updates

• Drives to branded Content Loop

• Offers to deeper content

• Recommendations to connect with experts

Results:~1M visitors / year+ 3K new LinkedIn followers per week+ High Quality Leads+ Sales / ROI

Maersk

• Amazing photos that appeal to their audience

• Thousands of likes per post

• Massive Brand Engagement, Loyalty

@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

GE:Science Vines

Focused on Brand Mission:

Delivering Innovation to the world

Wistia Videos• Engaging How To Videos

• Strong Call To Action

• Content = New Subscribers

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@BrennerMichael

Steps To Crafting a Content Strategy

DiscoveryDestination +Branding

Roles + Resp.

Editorial Strategy Distribution Measure +

Optimize

• Current State• Audience• Objective• Mission• Budget

• Branding• Destination• Structure

• Partners• Agency• You

• Topics• Types• Sources• SEO

• Organic• Paid• Owned • Earned• Email

• KPIs• Template• Cadence• Optimize

@BrennerMichael

@BrennerMichael

3 Tips For Content That Converts:

1. Less promotion.2. Answer your customer questions.3. Focus on subscriptions and CTA.

Your audience wants stories.Created just for them.

Will you give it to them?

[email protected]@BrennerMichaelSlideshare.net/michaelbrenner