The document discusses how to optimize and measure success in content marketing. It begins by defining content marketing and discussing its key components. It then covers how to develop an effective content marketing strategy, including conducting strategic planning through audience analysis, goal-setting, and channel selection. Tactical planning involves creating an editorial calendar, measurement plans, and dashboards. The document also discusses common content marketing mistakes like poor audience analysis, lack of integration or clear goals. It emphasizes the importance of measurement, optimization, and avoiding these pitfalls to maximize the chances of a successful content strategy.

1. Beware of Blunders: How to Optimize &
Measure for Content Marketing Success
Na’im McKee

2. Audience
Pre-Read

3. Content marketing is the use of media to
accomplish strategic marketing goals.˝
A definition?
3
what is Content Marketing
Content must be on earned or owned channels.˝
Must utilize a pull strategy ˝
What the experts say
Limits

4. An effective content
marketing strategy is
grounded in fundamental
marketing knowledge.
4
what is Content Marketing

5. How many people are familiar
with the Michelin stars awarded
to top notch restaurants?
5

6. How many people are familiar
with Michelin Tires?
6

7. Key Business Insight˝
Key Outcome Determination˝
Marketing Solution, The Michelin Guide˝
Outcome˝
Impact˝
Andre and Edouard Michelin
7
The Michelin Guide

8. The Bottom Line

9. OrientationMeasures of SuccessAudience
Building an effective
business case.
Understanding of how
successful outcomes could
be measured
Knowledge of Audience˝
Proper Analysis
9
Why was the Michellin Guide so successful?

10. “How” is more important
than “what”

11. Integrated MarketingContent Strategy
Using a consistent message
over multiple Channels
Creating and maintaining
content that is effective in
its intended purpose.˝
11
Modern Content Marketing
…seeks to consistently create and maintain content that is effective in
meeting strategic marketing goals and business objectives.˝

12. Planning
Measurement
12
In order to know if a content strategy is
successful, we must be able to know if it is
meeting strategic marketing goals and
business objectives

13. 13
The goal of effective content marketing
; The goal of effective content marketing is to produce both˝
successful outcomes and effective outputs
Key Questions˝
How do I know if my content is effective or How
can I make my content more effective?˝
How do I know if my content marketing strategy is
producing successful outcomes?˝

14. How many people have asked themselves this question?˝
How many people have googled subjects like ROI of social media?˝
How many people would like to answer these questions consistently
when asked?˝
The key to answering these questions˝
The ability to measure the effectiveness of my content˝
The ability to optimize my content once it has been created˝
The ability to determine business outcomes for which content marketing
is an effective solution˝
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15. Strategic Considerations
15
Two Primary Components of Content
Marketing Strategy
Tactical Considerations

16. Strategic Considerations
• Assessment of key business/marketing problems˝
• Review of marketing plans (SWOT, Competitive Set etc)˝
• Audience Analysis (Segmentation, User Personas, Buyer Cycles)˝
• Channel Selection/Multi-Channel Funnel Analysis˝
• Business Objectives˝
• Key Marketing Goals˝
• Customer Journey˝

17. Tactical Considerations
• Editorial Calendaring˝
• Design & Production Process˝
• Measurement Plan˝
• KPI Definition˝
• Specific Channel Measurement˝
• Marketing Inputs˝
• Analytics/Dashboarding˝
• Channel Auditing˝

18. Examples

19. Examples

20. Examples

21. Examples

22. Examples

23. Examples

24. Questions to ask during
strategic planning
Have I built an effective business case for a content
marketing strategy?˝
Based on the results of analysis will content marketing
produce the best outcome for our business objectives?˝
Transitioning to Tactical Planning˝
Buyer Cycle Chart˝
User Persona to Channel Review˝
Customer journey mapped to channel review and multi-
funnel analysis˝

25. Example˝
Consumer
behavior to
channel
alignment

26. Tactical Planning
Channel Selection˝
Channel Selection should be fairly obvious based on channel review documentation˝
Create a measurement plan using AK’s Web Analytics 2.0 Process˝
Identify Business Objectives˝
Identify goals that support each objective˝
Identify KPI’s based on each goal˝
Draft an editorial calendar based on dates and objectives from measurement
planning˝
Tracking Plans (URL Builder, correct parameters)˝
Draft base requirements from calendar descriptions˝
Create content planning document for proposed channels˝
SEO Documentation (Keyword Optimization, this can be mapped in content planning
document)˝
Build wireframes/drafts and verify versus goals and requirements˝
Draft Dashboards˝
Test and observe˝

27. Creating Compound Metrics˝
In order to properly track successful
management of strategic and tactical phases
of content marketing, compound metrics are
necessary˝
Engagements per close˝
Aggregate new followers to revenue lift˝
subscribers per unit sold˝

28. Channel Review Example˝

29. Dashboard Example˝

30. Optimization˝
Optimization can be targeted at both a
tactical and strategic level.˝
When business outcomes continually fail to
be met then optimizations must occur at the
strategic level.˝
When channel specific KPI’s underperform
optimization must occur at the tactical level.˝

31. Strategic Level Optimizations˝
Business Outcome Revision˝
Buyer Process˝
Persona Revision˝
Marketing Goal Revision˝

32. Tactical Level Optimizations˝
Production Optimization˝
SEO auditing and revision˝
Channel goal revision˝
Split or A/B testing˝
User Testing˝

33. 33
Content Marketing Blunders
It is virtually impossible to deliver a perfectly constructed content marketing
strategy without making mistakes˝
Identifying where mistakes are likely to occur is key to making the necessary
redirects and changes to mitigate negative impacts˝

34. 34
Why do Blunders Occur?
B2B˝
Cannot produce enough content 64%˝
Cannot produce content that engages 52%˝
Not enough variety in content produced 45%˝
Lack of Budget 39%˝
Cannot measure content effectiveness 33%˝
Lack of knowledge/training/resources 26%˝
Lack of integration 25%˝
Lack of buy-in/vision 22%˝
Finding trained content marketing professionals 14%˝
B2C˝
Lack of Budget 52%˝
Cannot produce enough content 51%˝
Content does not engage 49%˝
Not enough variety in content 42%˝
Cannot measure effectiveness 41%˝
Lack of knowledge/training/resources 35%˝
Lack of integration 31%˝
Lack of buy-in 21%˝
Finding trained content marketing professionals 13%˝
Nearly half of all content marketing programs will fail to achieve their objectives

35. 35
Common Content Marketing Blunders
Poor Audience Analysis˝
Lack if integration˝
Lack of Business Objectives˝
Lack of Content Strategy Resource˝
Expectations : Budget˝

36. Poor Audience Analysis
Targeting˝
Buying Process˝
Voice/Language/Tone˝
Problem Recognition˝
Address this issue:˝
Using some model of the buying process and
constantly improving your personas. ˝
Use market research to provide consumer insights˝
Leverage 3rd party research on channel to cycle fit˝
Constantly assess MCF reporting to see how content
relates to conversion˝

37. Lack of clear business objectives˝
Address this issue:˝
Good governance is key to crafting a good content
marketing strategy˝
Identifying the key business problem to be solved is
extremely helpful in identifying business objectives˝
Brainstorm with executive management˝
Identify case studies that directly relate to specific
business problems˝
Contact company’s running successful programs
and if willing discuss process for crafting business
objectives˝
Start with the easiest problem to solve˝

38. Lack of Content Strategy Resource˝
Address this issue:˝
Identify a content strategy resources and discuss
your processes with them˝
A good strategist can assist with creating better
engaging content, and can help make processes
more efficient˝
A good content strategist can assist with tuning up
an editorial calendar and can work directly with
content creators˝

39. Lack of KPI’s/Analytics/Compound
Metrics˝
Address this issue:˝
Measurement planning is key to determining what can and
cannot be measured˝
Creating both a tracking and measurement plan will help
insure that your strategy has both KPI’s and Analytics˝
Creating compound metrics may not be possible on your first
campaign and they will take time to conceptualize and test. ˝
However once compound metrics are identified they can go a
long way in improving buy in and measuring strategic
effectiveness˝

40. Poor production/execution˝
The best writers do not always produce the most
effective outputs. The key to being effective in
multiple channels is finding people who understand
how design centered production can yield quality
results.˝
It is also important to produce content in multiple
formats.˝
For this reason always ask for pitched content in
multiple formats˝
If content marketing is a key part of your strategic
orientation then the adaptability of marketing
concepts should be key determinant in whether or
not a message or executional framework is utilized.˝

41. Putting it all together˝
Content marketing is difficult due to the proliferation of channels in
a very short period of time.˝
Different channels will require different mixes of specific tactics
and targeted outcomes.˝
Companies who experiment within the guidelines of sound process
should limit the potential for mistakes when leveraging these
channels.˝
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42. Conclusion˝
Sound marketing practices are the best insurance against content
marketing blunders. By focusing on the two primary components
of content marketing strategy and moving through planning
phases with specific goals in mind, one can maximize the chance
for success.˝
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43. Questions?