10 Steps from Strategy to Execution critical in building out a Content Strategy that drives the inbound marketing efforts to help your business succeed.

1. Get Your Business Noticed
Content Planning To Posting
- and all the bits in between.
www.katrinacarrollfoster.com
@katrinacf
Linkedin.com/katrinacarrollfoster
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3. “Content helps achieve business objectives,
not content objectives.”
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4. 1. BUILD FROM YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN
WHAT’S YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION?
Who are you?
How are you different from your competition?
What do you do better than anyone else?
Who do you serve?
If you disappeared tomorrow, who could fill the gap?
Plan the Work, Work the Plan
[Author unknown]
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5. Example
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6. 2. REVIEW YOUR BUSINESS GOALS
How will a content strategy best impact your business goals?
• Create brand awareness for a new business
• Drive Sales
• Increase Leads
• Build an Engaged Community
• Establish thought/industry leadership
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7. 3. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Who do you need to reach to build and grow your business?
What’s their profile and persona?
Where will you reach them?
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8. 4. BRAND FOUNDATION
PERSONALITY
ESSENCE
VOICE
LOOK + FEEL
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9. 5. IDENTIFY YOUR KEY MESSAGES
• What’s your Audience Profile(s)?
• What are your Key Communication Considerations?
• What are your Audiences’ Motivators?
• Provide Proof Points + Testimonials
What A Key Message is NOT:
- A Tagline
- A Mission Statement
- A Product Description
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10. Example
Airbnb lets you live like the locals. (Focus: the experience)
Airbnb opens the doors to homes around the world. (Focus: access)
Airbnb inspires a richer travel experience. (Focus: optimizing travel)
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11. CONTENT MARKETING
‘Storytelling for Sales’
‘Content Marketing is a Pull, Rather than a Push, Strategy.
Content doesn’t interrupt, it attracts.’
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12. CONTENT MARKETING
WHAT … stories should we tell?
HOW … do we share them?
WHERE … should they live?
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13. 6. BUILD YOUR STORY(IES)
Great brands (big + small);
Telling compelling stories;
Running good businesses.
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14. STORY THEMES
Conveys the essence of your brand, and supports all key messages.
Example: Gastown, the ‘Original’ Vancouver
STORY BUCKETS
Categories of stories that match up to the storytelling theme. They support
this theme(s) by demonstrating the various ways it can come to life.
Example 1: Gastown: Meet the Trailblazers
Example 2: Gastown: A Piece of History
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15. Gastown Trailblazer: First Ever recipient for National Aboriginal Entrepreneur of the Year.
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16. ALIGN YOUR CONTENT WITH A KEY MESSAGE OR GOAL
- Content should support a business goal or key message.
LESS (COPY) IS MORE. (ps. Not less frequency.)
- Image- heavy
- Bite-size copy
- Relevant
TYPES OF POSTS
- Lists
- How To’s
- SEO- optimized
- Interviews
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17. WHAT STORIES DO PEOPLE SHARE?
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18. WHAT STORIES DO PEOPLE SHARE?
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19. 7. CHOOSE YOUR CHANNELS: WHERE
Content Strategy defines Channel Strategy. Not Vice Versa.
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20. 7. CHOOSE YOUR CHANNELS: HOW + WHERE
DISTRIBUTION ‘DO’S
• Reuse your content. A lot.
• Make it Shareable
• Engage Influencers
• Selective Paid Ads = Greater Reach
• Social Search Optimization (SSO)
• Test, Test, Test
Content Strategy defines Channel Strategy. Not Vice Versa.
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21. 8. BRING IT TO LIFE: EXECUTION
ROLES
• Who posts? Do you have in-house capacity?
• Can you outsource? If yes, who is the right fit for your business + budget?
APPROVAL PROCESS
• Who needs to sign off? Is it timely?
BRAND GUIDELINES (tone, voice, style)
• Refer back to brand foundation. Share with anyone that’s posting.
CONTENT CALENDAR
• When is posting most effective? Across which channels?
• What is the Call to Action or Key Word Focus?
ROI
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22. 9. TOP TIPS FOR 2014
Finally …
• Recycle your content
• Slideshare is Hot
• Make it Mobile
• Keep a Consistent Schedule
• Shareable, Bite Size
• SproutSocial, Hootsuite (social media scheduler)
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23. 10. SUMMARY
• Build from your strategic plan
• Review your business goals
• Know your audience
• Build your brand foundation
• Identify your key messages
• Build your stories
• Choose your channels
• Bring it to Life
Start with the WHY, WHO + WHAT.
(The HOW and WHERE will follow).
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24. THANK YOU!
www.katrinacarrollfoster.com
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