"Four Keys to Great Content" from SMX NY 2012 goes into audience, branding, goal-setting and keyword determination to create content marketing success.

1. Four Keys To Great Content
Phillip Thune
CEO-Americas
Textbroker International
@textbroker

2. What Is Great Content?

3. Four Keys to Great Content
• Audience
• Attitude
• Goals
• Keywords

4. Audience
It’s not about you.

5. Audience
Who is your audience?
-Check demographics, locations (Google Analytics)
-Understand motivation for visiting and buying
-Look for social signals (Likes, Re-tweets)
-What are their needs?

6. Attitude
Now it’s about you.

7. Attitude: Outdoor Outfitters
REI
Moosejaw

8. Details for Establishing Attitude
 What attitude do you want? Serious, funny, happy, salesy?
 What’s your company history?
 What are your competitors doing?
 What makes you different from your competitors?
 How do you want to be seen?
 Company perspective (“we”) or third-person (“the company”)
communications?
 Can communications address the reader directly?

9. Goals
What should the piece do?
• Establish as a leading
source?
• Review an item?
• Raise awareness?
• Prompt purchases or
subscriptions?
Are there sub-goals, like
increasing brand
awareness?

10. Keywords
Base keywords off of your audience’s preferences
and your piece’s goals.
Items that are written starting from the keyword
can lack focus and easily become stilted.
Keywords inspire snappy, pertinent headlines.
Headlines can be re-worked after the content is
finished for a stronger correlation between article
and title.

11. Where To Outsource Your Content
Freelancers Bidding Sites Writing Sites
+ High quality + Low prices + Set quality for set prices
+ Personal attention - Long negotiations + Options to work directly
- High price - Manage multiple offers + Quick turnaround
- Long negotiations - Unclear timelines + Simple approval
- No backups - Can’t talk to writer
beforehand

12. Using a Writing Service
Set length and the general quality
Give your titles and your expectations
The more information you give in your
instructions, the better the author can
complete the assignment. With a strong
title and clear instructions, any author
should be able to write the post.
Instead of choosing from a pile of
submissions, you simply say yes or no.

13. Conclusion
● Understand as much as possible about your
audience
● Keep your attitude consistent
● Set goals for each piece of content
● Use your audience and your goals to generate
keywords and titles
● Writing sites keep the process efficient and
affordable
Let’s make great content!