How to Plan and Build a Content Marketing Strategy

1. How to Plan + Build a Content Marketing Strategy Liz Bedor Brand Strategist, NewsCred @lizbedor

2. There’s been a fundamental shift in the way we create, consume and share content. 4.5 BILLION pieces of content are shared every day 1.8 BILLION photos are uploaded and shared 700 MILLION snapchats are sent 500 MILLION tweets are posted

3. People tune out the noise.

4. We choose what matters. We follow, like, subscribe and recommend only the things we really care about.

5. We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in. Craig Davis ” “

6. •  Delivering content your audience wants •  Content published consistently •  Customer experience drives engagement •  Managing content as a strategic asset with ROI Content Marketing = Brand Publishing

7. Brand Purpose What Customers Want Content Marketing

8. Ad campaigns Demographics Brand-led Always-on content The individual Marketers are taking a new approach. Value-driven

9. Organizations are dependent on content to fuel all of its marketing channels.

10. Introducing NewsCred. THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE CONTENT MARKETING SOLUTION. SOFTWARE SERVICESCONTENT Social Content Production Workﬂows & Social Governance Global Asset Management Social Publishing & Distribution Performance Measurement Global Implementation 24/7 Support & Training Strategy Workshops Editorial Consulting 5,000 Licensed Publishers Original Content Network Rights-cleared UGC

11. 1  Documented content strategy 2  Have someone accountable for content 3  Consistently publish quality content 4  Map content to consumer journey 5  Balance Paid, Owned, and Earned Media 6  Focus on Content Subscribers 7  Track Content Marketing ROI Key Factors to Content Marketing Success:

12. Why is it Important to Have a Documented Content Strategy? * Content Marketing World EFFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETERS INEFFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETERS DOCUMENTED CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY HAS A CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY NO STRATEGY 54% 11% 41% 44% 3% 44%

13. •  Thinking and acting like a publisher •  Delivering content your audience wants •  Managing content as an asset (with an ROI) What is a Content Marketing Strategy?

14. Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization •  Audience analysis •  Business case •  Current state •  Budget •  Branding •  Design •  Platform •  Integrations •  Agency •  NewsCred •  Internal teams •  Structure •  Topics •  Types •  Tone •  SEO •  Content by stage •  Conversions •  Subscriptions •  Retention •  Deﬁne report •  Tools/software •  What / when •  Content •  Platform •  Distribution The Content Marketing Roadmap

15. Discovery Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization

16. Understand Your Audience •  Who are they? •  What do they care about? •  What are their challenges? •  Where do they get their information? •  How big is this demographic •  Where do they live? •  How much expertise does your audience already possess? •  Does your audience know who you are? •  How does your audience feel about you? •  What questions do they expect you to answer?

17. Build the Content Marketing Business Case Do Your Research Internally Set Appropriate Goals Align Program Goals with Company Objectives Ask for a Realistic Budget Find the costs and ROI of other marketing departments Understand what metrics your organization’s leadership cares about most Set goals that are realistic and expected in order for your program to be considered a success Ask for the moon and the stars, with the hope of just getting the moon

18. Identify the Content Marketing Business Case Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic Brand Awareness Organic Search Share of Voice Unbranded Organic Search Traffic Cost per Lead Conversions Total Conversions % of Leads Sourced by Content Marketing Time on Site Brand Health Social Likes Subscriptions Repeat Visitors Bounce Rate Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic Social Shares / Followers Share of Voice / Offsite SEO

19. Conduct a Content Audit to Understand Current State 1. COST 2. UTILIZATION 3. PERFORMANCE

20. Find the Budget Calculate the Costs of Unused Content Borrow Budget from Underperforming Digital Assets Approach Budgeted Teams with a Partnership Opportunity

21. Destination Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization

22. •  Create a space for the content to live to get the most out of your marketing •  Consolidate fragmented digital content and present a one-stop- shop environment Determine Where Your Content Will Live

23. BRANDED NON-BRANDED Pros Pros Strong domain authority delivers search traﬃc Repairing trust issues with audience from history of too much promotional content Associate with positive brand perception Changing brand perception / disassociate from current brand perception Cons Cons Audience may discredit content for being promotional Forfeit existing domain authority search traﬃc Associate with negative brand perception Comparing Branded vs. Non-branded

24. www.pepsi.com •  Associates Pepsi with pop culture + music •  Looks and feels like Pepsi •  Pepsi contests and products promoted in some content •  Leverages Pepsi domain authority Branded: Pepsi’s Pepsi Pulse

25. www.makeup.com •  Only disclaimer that it is powered by L’Oreal is at very bottom of site •  Reads like beauty magazine •  “Shop the Story” links to L’Oreal products •  Links to L’Oreal social sites Non-branded: L ’Oréal’s Makeup.com

26. www.content-loop.com •  “Powered by Capgemini” tag at top of page •  Content does not mention or promote Capgemini services •  Only Capgemini CTAs and banner advertisements Somewhere Between: Capgemini’s Content Loop

27. Important Site Elements 1  Categories across the top show visitor what space you are in 2  Images are authentic and create context for the content 3  Published content with dates shows frequency 4  Share buttons encourage social sharing 5  Related articles/top stories increase engagement and time on site 6  Heavy call-to-action 7  Subscription

28. Categories Across the Top Show Visitor What Space You Are In

29. Images are Authentic and Create Context for the Content

30. Published Content with Dates Shows Frequency

31. Share Buttons Encourage Social Sharing

32. Recommended Reading

33. Heavy Call-to-Action + Subscription

34. Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization Team

35. Managing Editor Strategizes, writes, and oversees content projects to ensure brand consistency and alignment with business objectives. Community Manager Distributes content across social channels, engages online communities, and contributes to content projects. Designer Brings content to life through the user experience and rich visuals. Contributors Any content creator- blogger, photographer, designer — who contributes to your project. SEO / Paid Specialist Manages the paid distribution of content online. Analyst Deﬁnes best/ worst performers, conversion optimization and measurement communications. Curator Finds and re- purposes the best content from your business and from around the web. A Successful Content Marketing Program Requires a Dedicated Team of Experts

36. The Importance of a Managing Editor Create + Manage Editorial Calendar Top-level view of everything you’re pushing out to the web Align strategy with overall business goals Maintain Website Updates SEO meta data Formatting, tagging images and videos Categorizing + tagging posts Author data Update static pages Supervise Writer Network Suggest ideal topics Enforce tone of voice Ask for revisions Communicate with writers Edit, Format, Schedule, Publish Enforce consistency Be the voice of the company Know content well enough to inject internal links Reference upcoming events or webinars Test + Optimize Test plugins Demo new products

37. Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization Editorial

38. Brand Purpose What Customers Want Content Marketing What Should You Write About? This is where you live

39. How American Express OPEN Forum Does It Brand Purpose What Customers Want Content Marketing Insights, Inspiration, and Connections to Grow Your Business Acquire new card members Increase of card member spending Grow their small business Make smart small business decisions

40. Buyer Journey Should Fuel Your SEO Keyword Strategy…

41. …Because Ranking High for SEO Keywords Should be a Core Objective for Your Content Marketing Program Organic search is responsible for 64% of all web traﬃc Only 2% of users travel to the 2nd page of Google 18% of users click on the ﬁrst organic listing Source: Eyetools Inc

42. Additional Things to Consider in Your SEO Strategy Source: Eyetools Inc BRANDED KEYWORDS Keywords that include your product or brand ONSITE SEO What you publish on your site and what topics on which you think you have authority UNBRANDED KEYWORDS Keywords that exclude your product or brand OFFSITE SEO What other sources say about your site and what topics on which they think you have authority Most heavily weighted variable in organic search.

43. Tone of Voice A simple request can be articulated several diﬀerent ways. “You wouldn’t happen to have a pen I could borrow, would you?” “Do you have a pen I can borrow?” “Pass me that pen.”

44. Exercises to Help Identify Your Tone of Voice 1.  Look at your internal communications 1.  How formal are they? 2.  Any commonly used words or phrases? 2.  How is the way you work different? 3.  How you might tell a customer about your business over the phone or face-to-face? 4.  Describe your company is three different ways, using different degrees of colloquial language? If one way sticks out, try to identify what you like about it. 1.  An economically priced hotel located in the city center 2.  Easy on the wallet, this hotel enjoys having the city on its doorstep 3.  This cheap as chips hotel gives you a night’s shut eye, slap bang in the city

45. 1.  Write the guide in the tone of voice itself 2.  Make it memorable 3.  Be comprehensive 1.  Examples of copy used in different contexts 2.  Lists of words and phrases that you like versus those you don’t like 3.  Specific grammar rules and examples in action 4.  Screen grabs of how copy might look on a page (length, headings, images, etc.) 4.  Account for different contexts 1.  Examples of copy at either ends of the scale (ie: formal letter of apology vs. Tweet) Create a Tone of Voice Guide

46. What are diﬀerent ways you could organize the content? Draw out common themes What topics and perspectives diﬀerentiate from other destinations? Consider recurring series Content Categories: How Do You Give Order to a Pile of Bricks?

47. Content Categories Allow Readers to Quickly Find the Content That Interests Them Most

48. Different Types of Content Serve Different Purposes Boost credibility and publishing cadence Share on-brand stories created specifically for your brand LICENSED CONTENT ORIGNAL CONTENT USER-GENERATED CONTENT Connect your fans and community, share their stories and experiences

49. Why Licensed Content? Boost Publishing Cadence Leverage CredibilityCost Eﬃcient With access to over 160k topics and millions of articles a day, licensed content allows you to boost your publishing cadence. Licensed content costs 3X less than original content while driving equal value in pageviews and shares (NewsCred). Licensed content allows you to borrow credibility from sources your audience knows and trusts.

50. Get the Most Out of Your Original Content by Recycling It Into Diﬀerent Formats Start by creating an eBook Read the eBook aloud and make it an audio book Interview a customer for a quote in the eBook and put that up as a video Take the audio from the video and make a podcast Create a presentation from the eBook with highlights

51. A few times a year 1-2X per month < monthly 1-2X per week 1 per day More than 1 per day Increasing Publishing Frequency Increases Organic Traﬃc

52. 1.  Will it interest your audience? 2.  Can it be distributed eﬀectively to reach them? 3.  Does it align with your engagement goals? 4.  How is this an original idea? 5.  Does it ﬁt your brand? 5 Question Editorial Final Gut Check

53. Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization Customer Journey

54. Middle-Stage Content A combination of licensed and custom content that hits on niche topics speciﬁc to your oﬀering and solutions: white papers, case studies, video and infographics. Late-Stage Content Custom content promoting your products and services: tactical guides and case studies Customer Stage Content Consistent cadence and mix of content as well as personalized recommendations: white papers, case studies, tactical guides Retain Evaluation Purchase Early-Stage Content Quality, licensed and custom content around broader, shareable topics that drives visibility and engagement: blog posts Awareness Content Through the Buyer Journey

55. Purchase Case studies promoting product oﬀering Evaluation High-value, gated content on niche topics Awareness Content around broad, shareable topics Retain Mix of all content from all stages How American Express OPEN Fuels the Buyer Journey

56. The Value of Email Subscriptions Subscribers are 9x more likely to convert than non-subscribers

57. Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization Measurement

58. BRAND HEALTH How your digital audience feels about you. BRAND AWARENESS/PERCEPTION How many of your early-stage prospects are ﬁnding their way to your company website? CONVERSIONS Prospects who became customers because of either helpful, useful and/or entertaining content you provided them. Content Marketing Business Cases

59. Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic Brand Awareness Organic Search Share of Voice Unbranded Organic Search Traffic Cost per Lead Conversions Total Conversions % of Leads Sourced by Content Marketing Time on Site Brand Health Social Likes Subscriptions Repeat Visitors Bounce Rate Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic Social Shares / Followers Share of Voice / Offsite SEO * Benchmark metrics should be recorded prior to program launch to show growth Key Performance Indicators by Business Case

60. There are Many Content Marketing Tools + Software

61. NewsCred’s Content Marketing Cloud Gives You All the Insights You Need to Be Successful, All in One Place •  Content + Social Analytics •  Audience Insights + Targeting •  Inﬂuencer + Competitor Tracking •  Custom Reporting

62. Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization Optimization Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey Measurement Optimization

63. Even great content needs a push The average Hollywood movie spends 50-60% of production budget on distribution.

64. After 6 Months, See What’s Working and What Isn’t •  What characteristics do your best performing pieces of content have in common? •  What categories are performing well / poorly? •  What channels are people ﬁnding your content through? •  Consider beginning paid distribution for your best content •  Is your bounce rate high? People may not be identifying with your content. •  Are you seeing an increase in conversions? •  What is your most / least shared content? •  How are people interacting with your brand on social? •  What day of the week / time of day performs well / poorly?

65. Thank you!