Learn How to Create an Effective Content Marketing Strategy. The current deck includes tools to help expedite the content marketing process and a step-by-step plan for creating, curating and monitoring content marketing practices in an emergent market. Content marketing will be the crux of many plans for success in the future of small businesses

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John D. Saunders
Monday, February 24, 14

2. Well, what is Content Marketing?
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

3. Content Marketing is...
Providing valuable information to potential
and current customers.
Why do I need it?
The idea is to inspire business and
loyalty by creating and sharing
consistent, high-quality information
on a regular basis.
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

4. Focus on building
the relationship, not
the hard sell.
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

5. Become a Content Marketing Jedi...
Start by asking
yourself:
“WHAT compels
my customers to
ACT?”
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

6. Do Your Research
Delve into your metrics
Find out WHO your customers are by looking at your website analytics
and Facebook Insights
How many visits have you had?
Where are the visits from?
How many visits were new?
Which pages are the most popular?
How much time is spent on your site?
Based on the information, you can make informed decisions about
what content works and capitalize on the content that drives your
traffic.
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

7. Do Your Research
Speak candidly to your customers
Talk to your existing customers. Ask
them what they LIKE about your
product. Start with a general
questionnaire, then delve deeper by
targeting specific products, alternate
services and more.
Incentivize the experience
Offer a special or a rebate to entice
customers
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

8. Do Your Research
Market Research Template
https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/market-research-survey-templates/
Create your own questionnaire for
FREE using Google Drive
https://support.google.com/drive/answer/87809?hl=en
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

9. Do Your Research
Talk to your sales team
If you have a sales team at your business, utilize them!
Ask them about popular non-product questions they’re
getting
When you know what your audience cares about, creating
stories and content that resonates with them will be much
easier.
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

10. Do Your Research
Identify Brand Identity
Brand Identity is a set of human characteristics associated with the
name of a product, service or company
Decide who you want to be.
Use the car analogy to help uncover your identity.
If your company was a car, which one would it be?
Define the year, make, model and color. Is it domestic or an import? Is it
safe, cutting-edge, young or conservative?
Brand Identity helps PERSONIFY your company by giving it a
distinguishable voice consumers can identify
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

11. Do Your Research
Brand Identity Examples:
Cutting-edge, clean, friendly, elegant, high-quality,
positive daily experiences
Crisp, clean and sharp. Fun, emphasis on
passion, RED, simplest form of brand association
Monday, February 24, 14

12. Image Courtesy of http://www.blurbpoint.com
Create Your Content Marketing Strategy
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

13. Content Marketing Strategy
Create a Director of Content
Delegate one individual to help
shape and define your content
marketing strategy. If your
company is not large enough to
warrant it, guess what? YOU
ARE the Director of Content
Monday, February 24, 14

14. Content Marketing Strategy
Director of Content
It is crucial this individual possess:
Strong writing and communication skills
Great marketing eye for visual content
Analytical mind (for making use of data)
Understanding of conversions
Ability to curate the best content from multiple sources
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

15. Content Marketing Strategy
You have the data. You know who to
target, what your consumer wants and
the means to create it.
Now what?
Map out the types of content that will
best reach each customer audience
you have identified in your research.
Understand what they want and
provide it. Then...
Create a STYLE GUIDE
Monday, February 24, 14

16. Content Marketing Strategy
The Style Guide
Create a ONE PAGE document that includes:
Brand message
Strategy
Promise
Voice
Tone
Audience
Layout + Format of Content
Make sure this is positioned in front of the entire marketing team so that ALL of
your content is consistent with the primary brand identity.
Monday, February 24, 14

17. Content Marketing Strategy
The Style Guide
The Style Guide will help your marketing team, or
marketing individual, plan the right writing persona,
with the same voice and tone across all platforms.
Monday, February 24, 14

18. Content Marketing Strategy
Now, create an Editorial Calendar
This calendar can include internal and external
promotional platforms and items. Build the calendar
out in quarterly increments to help expedite the
planning process.
DOCUMENT your content marketing strategy. Use
spreadsheets to record your posts and content.
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

19. Content Marketing Strategy
Market Research. Check
Style Guide. Check
Calendar. Check
Now, it is time to create ENGAGING content for
current customers and potential consumers
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

20. Content Marketing Strategy
Types of Content to Promote:
Blog Posts
Micro-Vids
Guest Blog Posts
Social Media Posts
E-book
Webinars
Email Newsletters/Signup
White Papers
Powerpoint Presentations How-To Guides
Podcasts
Inforgraphics
Video Content
Landing Pages
Monday, February 24, 14

21. Content Marketing Strategy
Promote Your Content
Post Your Blog on your website, but do not stop there!
Submit content to like-minded communities
Tweet it, Post it and Share it on major social media
Thank “Sharers”publicly
Use a “pop-up email subscription form on your site on the
blog page offering free content as incentive
Monday, February 24, 14

22. Content Marketing Strategy
Tips
Headline and images are two of the most important factors that catch the
attention of the audience when it comes to content.
Headlines with “How to” and “List” are enjoyed by people. Make a list post;
they are easier for users to skim the article.
When someone visits your blog, make sure a pop-up email subscription form is
presented to them, offering some free content as an incentive.
Through the introduction of Twitter’s Custom Timelines, LinkedIn’s Showcase
Pages, and other tools that help you organize and target content, marketers will
be able to create content for highly targeted segments of their audience.
Monday, February 24, 14

23. Content Marketing Strategy
Monitor Your Content
Once you create that blog post, post that social
media content or create a stellar powerpoint
presentation. You MUST monitor the content.
Monday, February 24, 14

24. Content Marketing Strategy
Monitor + Analyze Your Content
Blogs - visit your analytics.
How long are users staying on the page?
What is the bounce rate?
Social Media Posts - look at Facebook Insights
Are users seeing your message?
Are they engaging?
Monday, February 24, 14

25. Content Marketing Strategy
Content Marketing Examples
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

26. Content Marketing Strategy
Redbull - Stratos Campaign
Felix Baumgartner made a freefall jump from 24 miles above the earth
last October. The jump broke five records. As a result, Redbull sold 5.2
billion cans worldwide last year, a 13% increase over the year prior
Content: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Livestream
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

27. Content Marketing Strategy
Hubspot - All-in-One Marketing Platform
Hubspot is a premier all-in-one marketing
platform that aids marketers in optimizing
their websites with SEO, social media and
blogging tools. They release a plethora of
content on a daily basis. Almost all of it
requires an opt-in form. Funny videos,
interviews and more create an
AWESOME dynamic
Image courtesy of Kapost.com
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14
Content: Opt-in Forms | White Papers
Blogs | Video Tutorials

28. Content Marketing Strategy
American Express
American Express, leading credit card
company, created OPEN Forum. This
platform offers advice to small businesses
and entrepreneurs. They leverage the
voice of experts to drive MAJOR
engagement.
Content: Social Media Posts | Forums
Blog Content
Image courtesy of Kapost.com
Monday, February 24, 14

29. Content Marketing Strategy
Moz - SEO Software and Marketing Tools
Moz helps marketers and business
owners by providing marketing
strategies, education and videos hosted
by the CEO, Rand Fishkin. His “White
board Friday” is the highlight of their
content marketing garnering tons of
unique views.
Content: Tutorial Videos | Blogs
Image courtesy of Kapost.com
Monday, February 24, 14

30. Content Marketing RECAP
1 - Do Your Market Research
2 - Choose Your Director of Content
3 - Write Your Style Guide
4 - Create Your Content Calendar
5 - Publish Your Content
6 - Monitor Your Content
7 - Analyze Your Content
Pat yourself on the back ‘cause you’re a
badass content marketing manager
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

31. Content Marketing Tools
Monitoring and Analytics Tools
BuzzSumo - identify the most shared links and key influencers in any topic - buzzsumo.com
Google Alerts – keep tabs on pertinent keywords - google.com/alerts
Google Analytics - monitor website traffic - google.com/analytics
Topsy Analytics (Twitter) – check out top trending Twitter posts - Analytics.topsy.com
Yoast Wordpress Plugin - easy-to-use SEO tool for website optimization - yoast.com
Additional Tools
Google Forms - Create FREE forms - google.com/drive
Free Stock Pics - bit.ly/1h1OA7I
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

32. Content Marketing Tools
Content Distribution and Curation Tools
Bit.ly – URL shortener - bit.ly
Buffer - schedule your content across Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter - bufferapp.com
Google Databoard - Research Insights and keyword - google.com/think/databoard
Hootsuite - post to multiple social media profiles - hootsuite.com
List.ly - curate and engage readers via live embedded list content inside blog posts - list.ly
Mailchimp - email marketing client. Also creates newsletter plugin for website - mailchimp.com
Paper.li - browse curated online newspapers and submit your content - Paper.li
PRWeb - press release distribution service Statigram – Instagram Analytics - statigr.am/
Slideshare - create a deck to draw attention to your site - slideshare.com
Storify - Collect media from across the web Publish on Storify - https://storify.com/
Visual.ly - create infographics - visual.ly
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14

33. John D. Saunders
Digital Marketer | Tech Geek
www.JohnSocial.com
@JDSaunders_
Monday, February 24, 14