1.
October 2018
HUG Adelaide

2.
What is a HUG?

3.
3

4.
Hug
verb
ˈhəg
The best thing you can do
for yourself, and anyone else.

5.
5
...So what is a HUG?
Quarterly opportunity to:
Network
Learn
Gather ideas
Solve problems
...with free food!

6.
This is a quarterly event, changing topics
Feedback forms: contribute to your event
Some theory, some practical examples
Your event, so we’re here to help you
succeed in inbound and on HubSpot.
Created for you

7.
Christabelle Tani
Strategist
Brand chemistry
Topic:
Why having a content strategy is not
enough: the fundamental building
blocks you need for success
Casey McGaw
Customer Success Manager
HubSpot
Topic:
The essentials of content strategy,
and using the content strategy tool
Today’s Speakers

8.
#1 Conversational marketing
Not optional - expected
1 to 1 conversations across multiple channels
Instant responses to frequent customer and
prospect enquiries
What to do:
Start with chat function on high-purchase intent pages, then you can use a
combo of automation and timely human interactions to move a buyer towards a
sales conversation.

9.
#2 Video for all
● Mobile first production
● HubSpot Video
○ Upload and record videos right from HubSpot
○ Add CTAs directly to the video, track how people engage
○ Send recorded video messages to prospects via Sales Hub!
○ Or screencast an answer to a technical question - from the
contact record!

10.
#3 Optimise for search intent :
the keyword is dead?!
Not really. Just how we think about it.
Keyword research vs search intent?
Remember: This is not all about written content.

11.
Converse.
Create visual content.
Optimise for buyer intent.

12.
Whats next?

13.
HUG Adelaide
October 2018

14.
State of Inbound 2018
Top marketing challenges in ANZ:
- Generating traffic and leads (63%)
- Proving ROI (40%)
- Securing enough budget (25%)

15.
17
The methodology

16.
The two most
important elements
to get right

17.
What content do they need at each stage of their buying journey?
HINT: Requires qualitative research. Don’t guess.
#1 Personas
Awareness
Do you have
content that relates
to a problem
I have right now?
Decision
Tell me why I should
choose YOUR offering?
Lower my risk, make it
irresistible and easy
for me.
Consideration
Do you have content
that helps me figure
out what my options
are?

18.
Awareness
Applying personas to
content creation

19.
Early consideration
Applying personas to
content creation

20.
Consideration
Applying personas to
content creation

21.
Applying personas to
content distribution

22.
#2 User Journeys
What will the conversion path look like?

23.
What we often see...

24.
What we often see...

25.
What we often see...

26.
Blog Post
SALES
Social Posts Social AdsDatabase Emails
Contact Us Self-Assessment

27.
What you want to see...

28.
What you want to see...

29.
What you want to see...

30.
What you want to see...

31.
Blog Post
Social Posts Social AdsDatabase Emails
Ebook
Self-Assessment
SALES

32.
Signs your content
strategy isn’t
doing the trick...

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When the problem is personas...
Landing page
1,000 Views
10 downloads
Database
1,000 Leads
10 marketable leads

34.
When the problem is user journeys...
HubSpot Benchmarks:
● Session to Lead 1-3%
● Lead to MQL benchmark: 3.9%
5,000 Sessions
10 Leads
3 MQLs
Funnel
5,000 Sessions
1,000 Leads
10 MQLs
Funnel

35.
The remedy
Research + Content creation + Distribution

36.
A lot of targeted personas in your database ...that convert into qualified leads

37.
Content Strategy
Adelaide HUG 2018

38.
Casey McGaw | Senior Customer Success Manager

39.
Launching a
content strategy

40.
Agenda
1. The purpose of content strategy
2. The base of your content strategy?
3. Remember what Google was like?
4. The future of content strategy
5. Introducing the Content Strategy Tool
6. Measuring success
7. Execution

41.
What is the purpose of Content Strategy?
To generate more qualified traffic through
planning and executing a content strategy built
for the way the modern search engine works.
INCREASED
AUTHORITY
INCREASED
VISIBILITY
INCREASED
WEBSITE TRAFFIC
INCREASED
LEADS

42.
The Base of Your Content
Strategy

43.
P1
P2
P3
Blog Posts Content Offers Emails/Nurturing

44.
Think about what Google
was like 10 years ago….

45.
2012
Penguin Update -
Penalizes spam factors
including stuffing
keywords
2013
Hummingbird Update
- Google begins to
understand content
and context
2014
HTTP/SSL ranking
boost rolled-out. Also,
Pigeon update
affecting local SEO
2015
Mobilegeddon Update
- mobile ranking
update for
mobile-friendly sites
Late 2015
RankBrain introduced -
machine learning
algorithm
2011
Google begins
encrypting search
queries resulting in
“Not provided”

46.
Google has gotten pretty smart.

47.
So what is HubSpot doing about this?

48.
Topic Clusters

49.
Workout
Routines

50.
Key Terms
Topic clusters are comprised of a pillar page and
subtopic content that you've compiled for each of your
core topics.
A pillar page is a comprehensive resource that covers a
core topic in depth. Ideally a pillar page sits on the top
level of your website in a space that already gets a lot of
organic traffic.
Subtopics are shorter pieces of content that answer a
specific question about the core topic covered in your
pillar page.
TOPIC CLUSTER
PILLAR PAGE
CLUSTER CONTENT

51.
Let’s dive into some example pillar pages!
https://www.hubspot.com/digital-marketing
https://capitalpitch.com/angel-investors/
https://www.elvanto.com/church-management-softwar
e
https://www.compliancecouncil.com.au/standards/iso-
9001-quality-management-system
HUBSPOT
CAPITALPITCH
ELVANTO
COMPLIANCE
COUNCIL

52.
The key is to start thinking in terms of Topics
you want to own, not just Keywords
This allows you to own a “Sphere of influence” on the internet

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So how do we build this?

54.
Introducing…
CONTENT STRATEGY

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What is Content Strategy?
The Content Strategy
is a tool that aims to
help you plan,
validate, and execute
an efficient content
strategy.
It revolves around
the Topic Cluster
Methodology

56.
Plan your
topic

57.
Plan
your
subtopics

58.
Validate

59.
Execute

60.
SEARCH ENGINES AREN’T SEARCHING
FOR YOUR CONTENT… HUMANS ARE.

61.
HubSpot increased organic traffic by
50% once we started clustering content
by topic and optimizing old posts.

62.
Stop. Start. Continue.
So what’s the difference between my
current content strategy and this new one?

63.
● Focusing purely on keywords.
Stop. Start. Continue.

64.
● Becoming an authority on topics.
● Building pillar content.
● Repurposing existing content
Stop. Start. Continue.

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● Considering personas when planning content
● Using keyword research within the tool.
● Awareness > Consideration > Decision
Stop. Start. Continue.

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So how do you know if it’s actually working?
Measure your results

67.
Questions?

68.
Let’s build a Topic Cluster together!

69.
DIGITAL
MARKETING
Step 1. Start
with a broad
topic of
interest that
you’d like to
“own”

70.
DIGITAL
MARKETING
Step 2.
Identify
subtopics
that support
or discuss
your core
topic in more
detail
What is digital
marketing
Benefits of
digital
marketing
Digital marketing
metrics
Evolution of digital
marketing
Benefits of
digital
marketing
Pros and Cons of
digital marketing

71.
DIGITAL
MARKETING
What is digital
marketing
Benefits of
digital
marketing
Digital marketing
metrics
Evolution of digital
marketing
Benefits of
digital
marketing
Pros and Cons of
digital marketing
Step 3.
Create
hyperlinks
between your
core and
subtopics

72.
Create a
Topic Cluster
1. Identify 3-4 key topics you want to be known for
2. Choose one of those core topics and build it out with subtopics
using keyword research. Ensure each subtopic aligns closely with
your personas/buyer journeys
a. http://answerthepublic.com/
b. Keywords Everywhere plugin
3. Map out content ideas that align with each of the core topics
and corresponding subtopics.
4. Validate each idea with industry and competitive research.

73.
A quick note on the tool in HubSpot
(if you’ve never done it before)

74.
Select
domains

75.
Confirm
your core
topics

76.
Review
suggested
clusters

77.
Some great tools to use

78.
Answer The Public

79.
Keywords Everywhere

80.
Create a
Topic Cluster
1. Identify 3-4 key topics you want to be known for
2. Choose one of those core topics and build it out with subtopics
using keyword research. Ensure each subtopic aligns closely with
your personas/buyer journeys
a. http://answerthepublic.com/
b. Keywords Everywhere plugin
3. Map out content ideas that align with each of the core topics
and corresponding subtopics.
4. Validate each idea with industry and competitive research.

81.
Optimising your
current content
Formatting existing content into clusters

82.
How to manage with existing content
For those of us who have a lot of content already,
we don’t want to scrap it all and start from
scratch because …

83.
How to manage with existing content
For those of us who have a lot of content already,
we don’t want to scrap it all and start from
scratch because … authority

84.
How to manage with existing content
Instead, we need to do an evaluation of where
we are right now.

85.
How to manage with existing content
Instead, we need to do an evaluation of where
we are right now.
CONTENT AUDIT!

86.
Content Audit Best Practices
● Map each asset to your buyer personas and
their respective buyer journeys
● Use a spreadsheet
● Add a column for which core topic they’re a
part of

87.
Content Audit Best Practices
Asset title URL link Content type Persona Journey Stage Topic
What is digital
marketing
https://blog.h
ubspot.com...
Blog Marketing
Mary
Awareness Digital
Marketing
Inbound sales
best practices
https://offers.
hubspot...
Ebook Sales Sam Awareness Inbound
Sales
Getting started
with marketing
automation
https://offers.
hubspot...
Webinar Marketing
Mary
Consideration Marketing
Automation

88.
After Your Content Audit
Analyse what you have:
● Which stages/personas are really strong?
● Where are the gaps?
● Are there duplicates?
● What about the gaps in your topics/clusters?
All of this will tell you where you’re strong and
what you’re missing.

89.
Pro tip: your primary persona should
be very strong

90.
Next steps
1. Prioritise the gaps you need to fill and get
cracking
2. Start creating and linking your pillar pages out
to existing content

91.
A word on duplicate content
1. Choose the oldest piece and update it with
content from the other (s)
2. Create a 301 redirect from the now
not-required content to the new updated
piece

92.
Pieces that don’t fit anymore
Sometimes you will have content that doesn’t fit
to a topic - you can use it for a short-term social
boost

93.
Questions?

94.
Thank you!