Veteran Content Strategist Ahava Leibtag's (http://www.ahamedia.com) presentation really summed up Content Marketing by pointing out that it involves all types of content surrounding a topic - She reminds us to ask the following to create an effective content marketing strategy:
What does my audience need to know?
What are the best content types to get those messages across?
What technology platforms make the most sense? Which social media tools do we us?
How did we do? Can we do better?
How are we caring for our brand across the Web and within the ecosystem of content in our organizations?
"C" Doesn't Stand for Chocolate (Ahava Leibtag, AhaMedia.com)
1. C Doesn’t Stand for Chocolate:
Making the Business Case for
Content Strategy
Ahava Leibtag
President
Aha Media Group, LLC
3/13/13
2. Today
1. What is content and why is it important?
2. Learning about:
– Content strategy
– Sales cycle
– Media
3. Understanding the C-suite
4. How to start
4. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it
was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of
incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the
season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was
the winter of despair, we had everything before us,
we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to
Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
21. Different Types of Content
• Course Descriptions • Technology Necessary
• Student Records • Locations Information
• Legal Information • Health Clinics Information
• Consent Forms • Grading Policies
• Professor Bios • Mission & Values
• Education Regulations • Contact Information
• Institutional Information • Financial Information
• Student Blogs • Graduation Policies
• Researchers Blogs • Student Insurance Information
• Campus Descriptions • Dorm Policies
• Student Health Information • Campus Security
• Academic Policies • Family and Visitor Information
• Student Handbook
21
25. Content Strategy Basics
Content strategy is concerned with 2 issues:
1. Aligning your content with your business
goals
2. Helping your users accomplish their goals
26.
27. Content Strategy=
Digital Publishing Strategy
1. Plan 1. What does my audience
need to know?
2. Create 2. What are the best content
types to get those messages
3. Publish & across?
Distribute 3. What technology platforms
make the most sense? Which
4. Analyze social media tools do we us?
4. How did we do? Can we do
5. Govern better?
5. How are we caring for our
brand across the Web and
within the ecosystem of
content in our organizations?
27
30. Classic Sales Funnel
• Emails/Contacts: Not yet leads, Email Addresses/Contacts
just have entered the funnel
Marketing
• Engaged: Show real engagement
by downloading content, opening Engaged
an email, commenting on a blog
Nurturing
post Prospect & Database
• Prospect: Qualified but are not Recycled
ready to buy (decision makers?)
• Lead: Prospects that show enough
Lead
behavioral engagement that we
want to call them
• Sales lead: Qualified by sales
Sales
Sales Lead
• Opportunity: Part of the active
pipeline
Opport
• Customer: They have bought an unity
product or solution
• Upsell and retain: Keep them Custo
buying mer
33. Paid Media
• Search engine marketing
• Advertising
• Paid search (pay-per-click campaigns)
Attracts attention and traffic to nurture new
leads.
34. Owned Media
• Media you develop and use for your
organization
• Digital content that lives on your:
– Website
– Social media channels
Establish and own your voice.
35. Earned Media
• Media generated by someone other than your
own company:
– Journalists
– Media outlets
– Bloggers
– Public relations vendors working to create buzz
about your products or services
Can gain you credibility. Can also damage you.
39. What do they care about?
• Increasing productivity
• Increasing revenue
• Reducing communication, travel, other costs
• Improving employee job satisfaction
• Outdoing the competition
40.
41. Strategies that Work
• Set expectations
• Include them
• Keep them informed
• Publicly celebrate the wins
42. Overcoming Objections
• It won’t work.
• We don’t the time or resources.
• Again, describe how it will affect the bottom
line?
• How can you be sure we will say the right
thing?
• What will legal say?