The world is full of content. Some is boring. Some is awesome. But the most successful is memorable and keeps people emotionally engaged. Rather than making things just to make them, create content that focuses on building business value and that uses the buyer journey as a central framework. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even make some money out of it. In this presentation, Matt Magee, VP Digital Strategy at PJA Advertising + Marketing, introduces you to the dos and don’ts of content marketing strategy and how to avoid Content Marketer’s Remorse. It’s quick, informative, but most of all, it’s content you won’t forget.

1. TOUGH LOVE FOR YOUR
CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY
YEAH,IT’SCONTENT.
BUTISITMARKETING?
10 MARKETING STRATEGIES TO ACTIVATE THE ENGAGED BUYER

2. THIS PRESENTATION
IS FOR YOU IF:
Your agency’s estimate for producing that awesome
content series just ruined your day
Your infographic was a huge hit on Facebook—and Sales
doesn’t seem to care
You suspect there’s more to content marketing than
making great content
Somebody important just told you “we need a viral video”

3. CONTENTS:
The epidemic of Content Marketer’s Remorse
Tough love for your content marketing strategy
6 things to do (and 6 don’ts)
We’d like to help
PROBLEM
DIAGNOSIS
HOW TO FIX IT
WHERE TO TURN

4. THE PROBLEM:
SOMEBODYSAIDCONTENTISKING.
NOWIT’SACTINGLIKEAROYAL.

5. THERE ARE SOME
GREAT REASONS TO LIKE
CONTENT MARKETING...
Offers us a way to be interesting to an ad-weary world
Responds to the information needs of today’s engaged buyer
Can deliver reach at low cost—especially when targets
share it for us

6. BUT ARE YOU
EXPERIENCING CMR?
(CONTENT MARKETER’S REMORSE)
It’s not just money, but time & attention—and not
just for creating content, but promoting it too.
THE INVESTMENT IS MORE
THAN YOU BARGAINED FOR
WARNING SIGN #1

7. You always need more, but you have few
resources available to feed the content beast.
THE DEMANDS
ARE UNRELENTING
WARNING SIGN #2
BUT ARE YOU
EXPERIENCING CMR?
(CONTENT MARKETER’S REMORSE)

8. Unless you see content as its own reward,
measurable marketing results don’t just happen.
IT FEELS LIKE
SUCCESS IS ELUSIVE
WARNING SIGN #3
BUT ARE YOU
EXPERIENCING CMR?
(CONTENT MARKETER’S REMORSE)

9. THE DIAGNOSIS:
TOOMUCHCONTENT.
NOTENOUGHMARKETING.

10. ASK YOURSELF
THIS QUESTION:
At the end of the day, are you trying
to be a publisher or a marketer?

11. ASK YOURSELF
THIS QUESTION:
At the end of the day, are you trying
to be a publisher or a marketer?
(Hint: What do you ultimately get paid for?)

12. MAYBE YOUR CONTENT
MARKETING STRATEGY
NEEDS A MENTALITY SHIFT.
CONTENT-FIRST
MENTALITY
“What are we going to make?”
MARKETING-FIRST
MENTALITY
“What are we trying to achieve?”

13. HOW TO FIX IT:
6WAYSTOMAKESURE
YOURCONTENTPUTS
MARKETINGFIRST

14. DO
1
ALWAYS TIE BRANDED CONTENT
TO BUSINESS VALUE
The desire to create topical branded content is a sensible one;
today’s engaged buyers tend to gather most of their information
before they seek out your product content. But in the rush to
transform themselves into “publishers,” many marketers have
invested in branded content without enough impact on the
business. The best branded content comes from understanding a
conversation your buyer is interested in—and defining a valuable
role for your brand to play in it. Only then can you produce
interesting topical content that also delivers real marketing value.
DON’T
CREATE TOPICAL CONTENT THAT’S MORE INTERESTING
THAN PRODUCT PROMOTION
DO IT WITHOUT CLEARLY DEFINING ITS BRAND AND BUSINESS IMPACT

15. DO
2 MAKE THE BUYER
JOURNEY YOUR ROADMAP
You probably use a funnel or buying journey as a powerful
framework for your other marketing strategies and tactics.
Make sure any content idea you have is also designed to play a
measurable role at a specific point in that journey. Like building
awareness of your brand with a key audience at the very top of
the funnel. Or moving your targets past a stubborn obstacle to
product consideration.
DON’T
CLEARLY DEFINE EACH CONTENT EXPERIENCE’S ROLE IN THE BUYER JOURNEY.
DEFEND A CONTENT IDEA BECAUSE “WE CAN USE IT EVERYWHERE!”
(THEN WHAT IS IT FOR?)

16. DO
3 THINK AS HARD ABOUT REACH
AS YOU DO ABOUT THE CONTENT
You know the quality of your content is absolutely key to making
it succeed. But even great content needs a serious strategy
for getting it in front of your targets. This probably involves
investing in some form of paid or sponsored media—as well
as taking advantage of earned and owned channels you can
leverage. It may even include building reach into the content
idea itself (like an incentive for sharing).
DON’T
ASK HARD QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW YOUR CONTENT WILL REACH
ENOUGH TARGETS TO MATTER.
THINK POSTING ON YOUTUBE IS A NO-COST WAY TO REACH MILLIONS.

17. DO
4 LOOK BEYOND THE VIEW
Maybe you get to make content that only needs to be consumed
to earn its keep. But if you’re like the rest of us, you need your
content to do more. Like interest someone in deeper information.
Or generate a prospect email address. Or drive toward an in-store
purchase. Objectives like these should have a huge effect on what
content you decide to make and how it works.
DON’T
DESIGN EACH CONTENT EXPERIENCE WITH A NEXT ACTION IN MIND.
ADD A CTA AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT—OR WORSE, OMIT IT BECAUSE
IT SEEMS “TOO SALESY.”

18. DO
5 STOP BEING A FORMAT SNOB
Video is a hot content format for lots of good reasons, but that
doesn’t mean it’s the best or most cost-effective way for you to
achieve a marketing objective. Broaden your toolkit beyond the
sexy and expensive. Consider animated GIFs, Q&As, infographs,
polls, slideshows—or longform pieces that can deliver substance
for your most engaged buyers. And remember, it’s more likely
your target will be attracted by your content’s topic and value
than by its format.
DON’T
PUT OBJECTIVE AND IDEA BEFORE FORM.
BRAINSTORM VIDEO CONCEPTS INSTEAD OF CONTENT IDEAS.

19. DO
6 GRAB A PARTNER
It’s easy to think your brand has to make all its own content.
But working with a partner can bring powerful advantages to the
table. For example, many publishers have become more open to
co-creating new forms of content with brands. Magic can happen
when a publisher’s editorial mission, audience, and credibility align
with the point of view and expertise you can bring to a topic. The
result could be a win-win-win—for the publisher, for your brand,
and for the audience you both care about.
DON’T
LOOK TO PARTNERS FOR REACH, RELEVANCE & RESOURCES.
ASSUME YOU SHOULD CREATE EVERYTHING YOURSELF.

20. WHERE TO TURN:
WE’DLIKE
TOHELP

21. SEE WHAT WE’RE ABOUT
As an agency, we like to figure out the hard stuff.
And for marketers, the hard stuff is everywhere
these days. Learn more about PJA at agencypja.com
OUR WORK
Breakthrough creative
and results for clients
including GE Healthcare,
Brother, Iron Mountain,
and Red Hat.
OUR THINKING
On topics from brand
positioning to generating
an earned premium
on your marketing
investment.
Meet the people who do
business the other way
in this PJA radio show
featuring interviews
with leaders from Warby
Parker, MakerBot,
Converse and more.
advertising + marketing for innovative brands

22. TALK TO US
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Matt Magee
VP, Digital Strategy
Matt drives digital strategy and execution at
PJA, where he’s helped clients like Corning,
Yahoo! and TracFone take advantage of
emerging digital opportunities to deliver
marketing results.
PJA Advertising + Marketing
Greg Straface
VP, Business Development
gstraface@agencypja.com
(617) 234-7371
@agencypja
We can help you develop a content marketing strategy that
matches your marketing objectives—and make sure its execution
delivers real value for the business.