This presentation is the the first official digital presentation of Brutal Pixie's revolutionary Golden Spiral Strategy. The strategy applies to all ongoing publishing efforts.

1. Work Strategically
Presented by Leticia Mooney
of Brutal Pixie
(we <3 content strategy)
www.brutalpixie.com
Hashtag: #PixieSessions

2. Welcome to the land of the
Golden Spiral
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Learn why ongoing publishing (like
blogs) is painful and difficult – and then
understand that it doesn't need to be
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Discover your unique selling points
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Discover your Essential Topics
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Create a plan for ongoing publishing
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Break your brain
Hashtag: #PixieSessions

3. What tonight is about
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Be the first to hear about Brutal Pixie's
Golden Spiral Strategy
Learning why being unique and specific
is hard to copy
Building a basis for growing your
audience's knowledge and expertise
with every thing you publish.
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4. Introductions
Introduce yourself and explain what the
phrase “golden spiral” means to you.
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5. Background & Context
Circles don't grow.
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6. Existing Strategy is Flawed
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Measurement is not specific enough and
nobody has a real model
Metrics are retrospective, not forwardthinking
Structure is fudgy
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7. Why Golden Spiral is a Real Model
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It's immediate
It's applicable to a state of existing
content, and a state absent of content
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It provides a tree of natural growth
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It is predictable
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It formalises an existing universal law.
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8. What is a Golden Spiral?
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9. Tell me the Mathematics
Number 1 (a) + Number 2 (b) = Number 3 (c)
A+B=C
B+C=D
C+D=E
IT IS SELF-REFERENTIAL.
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10. Tell me the Mathematics
Let's take about 12 numbers in a sequence:
0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89...
55/89 = 0.62 (0.61797)
34/55 = 0.62 (0.61818)
21/34 = 0.62 (0.61764)
13/21 = 0.62 (0.61904)
8/13 = 0.62 (0.61538)
To test this back the other way, we would multiply each number
by 1.62:
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8 x 1.62 = 13 (12.96) | 13 x 1.62 = 21 (21.06) | 21 x 1.62 = 34

11. Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio is:
1.62 (going up)
0.62 (going down)
Step two is factoring in a scale for growth.
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12. Golden Ratio to Golden Spiral
Add rotation and growth
Rotation hits 90 degrees before it changes.
The direction of growth moves by 17.032%
The shift in growth direction is called
THE PITCH
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13. The Golden Spiral - Overview
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Growth requires perfect environs
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The Sequence refers to itself
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Each part looks different, but it's only
slightly different
Each part looks different because of The
Pitch, which changes the placement.
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14. From Numbers to Words
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Define your essential topics. These must:
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Be able to travel on their own
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Be linked to your content
Be able to create any mood or tone
Three is the magic number
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15. From Numbers to Words
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Three categories:
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PS (post sometimes or post script) is B
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MO (most often or modus operandi) is A
PL (post least) is C
Looks similar to usual strategies
Golden Spiral gives us exact Fibonacci
ratios
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More than 3 = Fibonacci Percentages
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More than 6#PixieSessions
Hashtag: is dysfunctional

16. Let's recap again
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Golden Spirals turn at tangential points
because of The Pitch
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The Pitch is constant
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Growth ratio is 1.62
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Growth occurs at 90% of the rotation
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Golden Spirals are self-referentially
transformative
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17. Caveats
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Your Pitch needs to be constant
Your Pitch will never be exactly precise
(it's words man, you need flexibility)
Depending on your envisioned schedule
you might need to rely on Fibonacci
Percentages rather than Fibonacci Ratios
– and this is ok.
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18. Fail fast, iterate often
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Refine, refine, refine
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Revisiting things is ok
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Sometimes you have to wrestle
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19. Work out your content split
Joe has 3 categories.
Joe will post every 1.62 days over 3 months
Joe therefore has 42 posts to schedule.
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20. Work out your content split
We have a Starting Number (SN), a
Descending Golden Ratio (DGR), and a
Resulting Number (RN).
Joe's SN is 42 = (100% of the posts)
SN x DGR = RN
42 x 0.6183 = 25.95726
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21. Work out your content split
THEN
We have a Next Resulting Number
(NRN). To get that, we subtract RN from
SN.
RN = SN x DGR
(is 42 x 0.6183 = 25.95726)
NRN = SN – RN
(42 – 25.9 = 16.1)
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22. Work out your content split
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23. Work out your content split
In descending order, we have:
42
25.9
16.1
16.1
9.8
9.9
6.2
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6.1

24. Work out your content split
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Notice odd number categories
Take the lowest number & add to it the
number two above
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Then round the numbers
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Then validate and work out remainders
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25. Work out your content split
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Joe needs 42 posts
MO (Cat A) = 26.1
PS (Cat B) = 10
PL (Cat C) = 3.8
Total = 39.9
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26. Work out your content split
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Joe needs 42 posts – with rounding:
MO (Cat A) = 26
PS (Cat B) = 10
PL (Cat C) = 4
Total = 40
ARGH WE'RE TWO NUMBERS OFF!
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27. Don't Freak Out
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28. Work out your content split
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Don't get this far and relax
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Work out the ratio of your remainders
MO = 2 x 0.62 = 1.24
PS = 1.24 x 0.62 = 0.77
PL = 0.77 x 0.62 = 0.47
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29. Work out your content split
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Round them!
MO = 2 x 0.62 = 1.24 = 1
PS = 1.24 x 0.62 = 0.77 = 1
PL = 0.77 x 0.62 = 0.47 = 0
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30. Work out your content split
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Validate... again!
MO = 2 x 0.62 = 1.24 = 1 + 26 = 27
PS = 1.24 x 0.62 = 0.77 = 1 + 10 = 11
PL = 0.77 x 0.62 = 0.47 = 0 + 4 = 4
TOTAL = 42
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31. Congratulations
You have just:
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Learned about Fibonacci maths
Applied it to Essential Topics + a posting
schedule
Split your content categories.
WHO HAS QUESTIONS?
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32. From Content Ratio to Posting Ratio
You've got your numbers.
So far it's self-referential.
But how many posts do you do, and when,
and how? And what are they?
Posting by Golden Ratio gives you your
base ratio.
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33. From Content Ratio to Posting Ratio
Base Ratios by Week:
Full week
7 days x GR = 4.3 posts
Work week 5 days x GR = 3 posts
Base Ratios by Month:
February
28GR = 17.3 posts
30 days
30GR = 18.5 posts
31 days
31GR = 19.1 posts
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34. From Content Ratio to Posting Ratio
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Mark on a calendar which days are posting
days
Make the spread of posts as even as possible,
but mindful of the GR theory.
E.g. in 30 days you might post like this:
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7 days: a a b
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7 days: a a b
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7 days: a c a
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9 days: a b a a a
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35. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
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In your categories the first two posts are
random
REMEMBER:
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Self-referentially transformative
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This is hard work
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Categories are varied
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The Pitch is constant
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36. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
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Post 1
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Post 2
Post 3 = ( [important point of Post 1] + [important point of Post 2] )
Post 4 = ( [important point of Post 2] + [important point of Post 3] )
Post 5 = ( [important point of Post 3] + [important point of Post 4] )
Post 6 = ( [important point of Post 4] + [important point of Post 5] )
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37. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Add your pitch (which is constant)
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Post 1
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Post 2
Post 3 = ( [RefPost 1 + RefPost 2]*Pitch )
Post4 = ( [RefPost 2 + RefPost 3]*Pitch )
Post 5 = ( [RefPost 3 + RefPost 4]*Pitch )
Post 6 = ( [RefPost 4 + RefPost 5]*Pitch )
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38. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
About tangential posts
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You can post in between – that's ok!
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Keep them on the directional curve
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Schedule where it best fits
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Frame closely between your two points
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39. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Examples:
Joe wants to help the not-for-profit sector engage in
digital marketing without incurring large costs.
This is Joe's Pitch or Big Why.
MO = Help people market effectively in all channels
PS = Raise awareness about the importance of digital
marketing in the not-for-profit sector
PL = Be seen as an authority in the not-for-profit
sector, in the field of digital marketing.
Hashtag: #PixieSessions

40. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Examples:
Joe wants to help the not-for-profit sector
engage in digital marketing without incurring
large costs.
Joe's posts must support, teach to, or learn
from one of his categories.
Joe's posts must also include something from
The Pitch.
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41. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Examples:
Joe's posting schedule goes something like
this:
MO, MO, PS, MO, MO, PS, MO, MO, PL, MO.
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42. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Examples:
1. Marketing channels available for not for
profits.
2. How to use email in your marketing mix.
Now the formula kicks in.
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43. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Examples:
3. Three ways not-for-profits benefit (Pitch)
from using the email channel (1) in marketing
(2).
4. How to build a marketing mix (2) that
maximises (Pitch) benefits (3)
5. Cost benefits (Pitch) of a limited marketing
mix (4) using email as a case study (3).
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44. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
If they get too close, throw in more of
elements from your Pitch, to increase the
growth rate.
th
th
Joe's 4 and 5 posts were starting to feel
claustrophobic.
These were:
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45. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
4. How to build a marketing mix (2) that
maximises (Pitch) benefits (3)
And
5. Cost benefits (Pitch) of a limited marketing
mix (4) using email as a case study (3).
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46. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Remember Joe's Pitch was :
...to help the not-for-profit sector engage in
digital marketing without incurring large
costs.
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47. From Posting Ratio to Editorial Strategy
Therefore, posts 4 and 5 can become:
4. Low-cost (Pitch) email marketing (2) that
maximises (Pitch) benefits (3).
5. How to assess (Pitch) the performance
(3) of your marketing mix (email case
study) (4).
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48. Brain hurting yet?
There are reasons why your brain hurts.
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It takes effort
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It takes time
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Mapping is hard, but travelling is easy
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Key things about putting in the effort
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49. A word about measurement
We don't have time to look at this, but:
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Growth requires perfect environs
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Planning
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Direction
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Relevance
Consistency
Between start & audit you must be consistent.
Before you audit, define which measurement
you're looking at.
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50. A word about measurement
Success looks like a Golden Ratio.
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Target 1.62% growth
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Look weekly if posting daily
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Look monthly if posting weekly
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Look yearly if posting less often
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51. Proof in the Pudding
In October 2013 we looked at Adam
Montoya (aka SeaNanners), a gameplay
commentator.
In his Facebook feed we found:
Narrated gameplay : 54% (13 of 25 posts)
Personal promotion : 32% (8 of 25 posts)
Other entertaining content : 16% (4 of 25)
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52. Proof in the Pudding
Let's split the numbers.
52 / 1.62 = 32
32 / 1.62 = 19
13 / 1.62 = 8
8 / 1.62 = 5.
GR says number of posts =
32, 19, 13, 8, 5.
Actual posts ? : 4, 8, 13
Variance: 1, 0, 0
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53. Proof in the Pudding
Variance and considerations in this one example.
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SeaNanners isn't working to a Golden Spiral
Strategy
We can't see the pitch or growth factor
We could call it natural variation because its use
is instinctive
Even when ratios are planned, you need to expect
natural variation in your results, because that's
life. How much? 2-3% or 2-5% depending on your
posting schedule.
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