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Marketing Success: How Content Drives the New Conversation

Rich Donley, Tonja Deegan

June 3, 2010

What we’ll cover• About us• Pulse check• Why content?• Getting started• Examples• Content lifecycle• 5 tips – what you can do right now• Measuring success• Q&A (but encouraged throughout)

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about us

Tonja Deegan

• Social, Digital Media Director– 15 years experience in content creation– Parrot, Carbonite, Speakeasy, General Motors– WWJ, Crain’s Detroit Business, The Detroit News– iRace.com – 1997 Dot-com startup– Adjunct Lecturer, Eastern Michigan University– Bylines, press releases, blog posts, social networking

content

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Rich Donley, APR

• Vice President, Cleantech / Industrial Practices– 21 years experience – 15 in PR; former journalist,

advertising, broadcasting – all about content creation– PR agency partner: 12+ years; and 3+ years with Airfoil– Altair Engineering, Faurecia, Paragon Green, Michigan First

Credit Union, Royal Oak Industries, Metafile, EEI Global– PRSA involvement – committees, board; earned

Accreditation in 2004; 2010 PRSA-Detroit Chapter President

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About Airfoil Public Relations

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• Progressive, fast-growing, independent, tech firm known for providing emerging businesses with competitive communications– Strong track record of bringing start-up and mid-stage, regional companies to national

prominence in the media – Over 10+ year retained relationship with Microsoft

• National footprint; local presence– 60 professionals between our Michigan and Silicon Valley offices– “Feet on ground” exposure throughout top 25 DMA markets– Top agency for consumer technology PR initiatives (vis-à-vis campaigns for Microsoft, eBay,

Best Buy)• Recognized as one of the nation’s top independent public relations firms

– Holmes Report Tech Agency of the Year 2007– Holmes Report Top PR Firm To Work For– PR Week Boutique Agency of the Year – PR Week Top 50 PR Firm– 2010 PRSA Silver Anvil Finalist– O’Dwyer’s Top 10 Technology PR Firm

Airfoil – to raise above, to propel beyond…

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All the means brought to bear in raising our clients above, and propelling them beyond their competitors.

PEOPLEThe best people,the best thinking

PROCESSThe most thorough

resources and processes

PERFORMANCEBrought together to define and expedite our client’s advantage

+ =

HIGHER THINKING®

Service Offerings

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Brands that Turn to Us

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Advance top tier, Fortune 500 brands to SMB targets

Deep wireless, communications and mobility industry experience

Powerfully build awareness and differentiation in highly competitive technology industries and markets

Airfoil creates research-based industry thought leadership that supports

business objectives

Brand positioning and competitive differentiation

• What do you consider content? • How do you use your content?• How do you communicate with

your customers and prospects now?

• Rating – how successful are you now?

• What are your roadblocks?10

Pulse Check

why content?

Content Means …

• Talking and writing about what you know

• Providing information and education

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Convergence

Media

Public Relations

MarketingAdvertising

Customer Service

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Content is King

• Print• Email• Internet• Mobile• e-Readers

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SMB Plans: Content, Social

• Online presence• Communication• Social networking• Increase loyalty

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B2B, B2C Depend on Content

• Social networks• Blogging• Listening/monitoring• Competitive analysis• Online communities

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Search Engine Optimization

• Keywords• Searchable terms

– No jargon or industry acronyms

• Links• Authority/Page

Rank

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getting started

Questions to ask

How much time and money can be invested?

What are your goals?

Which content channels should you use?

Who in the company will take the primary role?

How will you measure success?

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Where to start

• Set aside time (1/2 hour to 1 hour per week)• Write about what you know• Experiment with 1-2 outlets (email, website)• Test• Review results• Revise and try again

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examples

Faurecia

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Michigan First

RatePoint

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Airfoil

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content lifecycle

Content LifecycleIdea/Concept/News

Press Release

Distribution

Blogs, e-newsletters

Presentation/document

Document-sharing sites

Social networks27

Concept

• What story do you want to tell?

• What problem do you want to solve?

• What do your customers need?

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Press Release

• Media are not the audience• Search engine optimization• Search results• Hubspot press release grader

http://www.pressreleasegrader.com• Distribution

– Free press release sites http://bit.ly/HAAh

– Newsroom • RSS (Really Simple Syndication) 29

Blogs, e-newsletters

• Search-friendly• Fresh content• Easy to update• Connect with customers• B2B and B2C

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Presentation/Document• Repurpose information into

presentation or “point of view” (whitepaper light)

• Add visuals, talking points• Share

– “Give it away” – give and get– Social media = sharing

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Circulate the content• Facebook, Twitter, Industry Forums

– Link to release, blog post– Cadence of updates with content– Ask for feedback– Update and refine

• Bylined Articles– Common in industry publications– Must be “vendor-neutral”

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5 tips – what you can do right now

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Inventory your content– Newsletters, research, presentations

2. Listen/search– What’s being said about you/competitors?

3. Review website stats and email marketing results– What’s bringing people to you?

4. Ask your customers where they read– Where do they go for research and information?

5. Make yourself findable– LinkedIn, website updates, social profile 34

measuring success

Measurement

Traffic

Pageviews

Inquiries

Search results

Response

Click-throughsDownloads

Conversion

Engagement

ReputationInfluenceWOM 36

Wrap-up

• Consumers want information• Businesses becoming

publishers• Ask questions before getting

started• Extend content through

cycles• Take small steps to get

started• Set goals and measure

success 37

q&a

866.Airfoil / www.airfoilpr.com866.Airfoil / www.airfoilpr.com