Have you been writing blog content targeted at The Dude when your real customer is Mr. Lebowski? Great content starts with understanding your audience, their pain points and finding a way to connect with them on another level. A successful approach to creative content starts with nailing your strategy and carries through to execution and even promotion. It’s time to recognize that a scattergun approach won’t help you grow subscribers, engage your readers and create loyal customers. In this presentation you’ll learn ways to: 1 – Properly identify your target blog audience 2 – Help your readers solve a problem 3 – Incorporate storytelling into your content strategy 4 – Mesmerize your audience with visual blog content 5 – Amplify your message properly with social promotion This is not ‘Nam. This is blogging. There are rules.

1. 5 Lessons in Creative Content Marketing
From The Big Lebowski
The Marketer Abides
#MNBlogCon
Image: Keith Olsen

2. @azeckman
Who the heck am i?
Fun Fact:
Our agency blog (TopRankBlog.com) has almost 4k
posts. YOWZAH!
TopRank Online Marketing
Full service digital marketing agency
• Content Marketing
• SEO
• Social Media Marketing
• Influencer Marketing
Ashley Zeckman
Director of Agency Marketing

3. @azeckman
Who has seen The
Big Lebowski?
SHOW OF HANDS

4. @azeckman
44%
are clear on what
content success
looks like
The marketing Challenge
Source: MarketingProfs &
Content Marketing Institute
30%
believe they’re
effective at
content
marketing 55%
don’t know
what success
looks like

5. @azeckman
More isn’t always better
24k
GIGABYTES
Data Uploaded Every
Second
- Source: Internet in Real Time
Solution?
Create BETTER
content that will
help you be the
best answer,
wherever your
customers are
searching.

6. @azeckman
AGENDA
PROPERLY IDENTIFY YOUR BLOG AUDIENCE
HELP YOUR READERS SOLVE A PROBLEM
INCORPORATE STORYTELLING
MESMERIZE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH VISUALS
AMPLIFY WITH SOCIAL PROMOTION
1
2
3
4
5
TAKEAWAYS6
Image: Jeff in Venice

7. @azeckman
“NOBODY CALLS ME LEBOWSKI,
YOU GOT THE WRONG GUY, I'M
THE DUDE, MAN.”
Image: The Big Lebowski
#1
PROPERLY IDENTIFY YOUR BLOG
AUDIENCE

8. @azeckman
A Case of Mistaken Identity
The Dude Mr. Lebowski

9. @azeckman
Unlike The Dude,
your visitors
won’t spend
time
straightening
out your
mistake. They’ll
just leave.
Image: The Big Lebowski

10. @azeckman
Know Who You’re Writing For
The Dude
Mr. Lebowski
Bunny
Interests: Bowling and drinking White Russians
Influencers: Credence
Pain Points: His rug was urinated on and then stolen.
He’s also been threatened by a group of henchmen.
Interests: Spending time with the President
Influencers: Money
Pain Points: His wife has been kidnapped and is being
held for ransom.
Goals: Shopping and spending her husband’s money
Influencers: Jackie Treehorn
Pain Points: Her husband is really old and boring and
she just wants to have fun.
Images: The Big Lebowski

11. @azeckman
Optimize across the sales cycle
Bunny
CHANNEL
CONTENT
DEVICE
KEYWORD
ATTRACT
Social Media,
Style Blogs &
Publications
Company Blog,
Facebook,
Pinterest, Email
Company
Product Pages
Fall trends,
fashion
accessories
Scarves, boots,
sweaters
Brand Name +
Sweaters
Tablet,
Smartphone
Tablet,
Smartphone
Desktop
Fall Trends 2015
Fall Buying
Guide
Coupons, New
Releases
ENGAGE CONVERT

12. @azeckman
“YOU CAN’T BE WORRIED ABOUT
THAT ****. LIFE GOES ON, MAN.”
Image: The Big Lebowski
#2
HELP YOUR READERS SOLVE
A PROBLEM

13. @azeckman
CREATE A BRIEF
1. Who is this for?
2. What problem does it help solve for the reader?
3. What do they do next?
4. How will you measure success?
Image: The Big Lebowski

14. @azeckman
HELP THE DUDE SOLVE HIS PROBLEM
EARLY
LATE
MIDDLE
10 Tips for
Cleaning Your
Rug
This will help him
get the stains out
of his rug.
Review cleaning
tips and attempt to
salvage the rug
[eBook]5 Rugs
That Really Tie the
Room Together
He’s in need of a
new rug.
Download the
eBook
The Most Cost
Effective Rugs for
White Russian
Drinking Dudes
Purchase rug
The Dude
Pain Point: His rug was urinated on and then stolen.
STAGE
TOPIC
PROBLEM
SOLVED
Views, shares
Downloads
Purchases
NEXT STEPS
MEASURING
SUCCESS
Help him identify
the new rug
specifically for him.

15. @azeckman
Examples: solving problems
Show Empathy
Build Credibility
Next Step

16. @azeckman
“WERE YOU LISTENING TO THE
DUDE’S STORY? SO YOU HAVE NO
FRAME OF REFERENCE HERE.”
Image: The Big Lebowski
#3
ADD STORYTELLING TO
THE MIX

17. @azeckman
Use storytelling
to create a
meaningful
connection with
your audience.
Image: The Big Lebowski

18. @azeckman
Benefits of storytelling
Stories create a shared
EXPERIENCE
Stories help readers to
form an EMOTIONAL
CONNECTION with your
message
A great story is very
SHARABLE
Readers are more OPEN
to a good story
Storytelling helps
DIFFERENTIATE you
from competitors
Stories assign MEANING

19. @azeckman
Examples: Storytelling & content

20. @azeckman
Examples: Storytelling & content

21. @azeckman
Examples: Storytelling & content

22. @azeckman
“THE RUG, IT REALLY TIED THE
ROOM TOGETHER.”
#4
MESMERIZE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH
VISUALS

23. @azeckman
The importance of visual content
40%
of people will respond
better to visual content.
(Source: Zabisco)
90%
of information transmitted to
the brain is visual.
(Source: 3M & Zabisco)

24. @azeckman
The importance of visual content
Tweets with images receive
89%
more favorites.
(Source: Buffer)

25. @azeckman
Examples: visual content

26. @azeckman
Examples: visual content

27. @azeckman
Examples: visual content

28. @azeckman
“LIFE DOES NOT START AND
STOP AT YOUR CONVENIENCE.”
Image: The Big Lebowski
#5
AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE WITH
SOCIAL PROMOTION

29. @azeckman
If you wait until after content is ready
to publish to start thinking about
promotion...it’s too late
Image: The Big Lebowski

30. @azeckman
Content
promotion
Develop compelling
VISUALS for social
sharing
Create UNIQUE
messaging for each
social platform
If you worked with
INFLUENCER’S develop
messages for them to
share
Encourage EMPLOYEES
to amplify your content
Image: The Big Lebowski

31. @azeckman
Example: promotion plan
EMAIL BLAST
INFLUENCER
EMAILS
NEWSROOM
POST
SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES
SOCIAL ADS
BLOG POSTS

32. @azeckman
“YEAH WELL. THE DUDE
ABIDES.”
Image: The Big Lebowski
FINAL THOUGHTS

33. @azeckman
Despite all of the
trials and
tribulations that
our characters
faced,
everything
worked out.
Well, except for
Donny, he died.
Image: The Big Lebowski

34. @azeckman
Final takeaways
1. Know Who You’re Creating Content For
2. Help Your Readers Solve A Problem
3. Create Connections With Storytelling
4. Mesmerize With Killer Visuals
5. Create An Awesome Promotion Plan
Image: The Big Lebowski

35. @azeckman
THANK YOU
Image: The Big Lebowski
We’re Hiring!
TopRank Marketing is hiring
freelance and full-time writers.
Let me know if you’re interested!
Best Ways to Get Ahold of Me:
azeckman@toprankmarketing.com
Twitter: @azeckman
Ashley Zeckman
Director of Agency Marketing