creating a content strategy 2016 05-10

Content StrategyCreating a

Master Builders Association of Western PA - 2016

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing/

IF you have a

documented strategy

Content Marketing

works if it is Useful,

Inspirational and

Motivational

Jay Baer

Convince & Convert

Brand Purpose

What Customers

Want

Content Marketing happens…

Content

Marketing

http://www.slideshare.net/NewsCred/how-to-build-a-content-marketing-strategy-43549981/11-Put_Your_CustomersNeeds_FirstMake_them

4 Steps to a Content Strategy

1. Setting Objectives

2. Defining Buyers & Audience Needs

3. Execution & Amplification Plan

4. Measurement & Metrics

Setting Content Strategy Objectives 1

What is your Content Marketing Mission?

•Become a destination for [target audience] interested in [topics]. To help them [customer value]

•This will help us [content marketing goals]

http://www.slideshare.net/NewsCred/how-to-build-a-content-marketing-strategy-43549981/20-

Content_marketing_mission_statementBecome_a

Objectives

Why are you doing this at all?

Unique Selling Proposition

Competitive Differentiator

“What is Your ONE thing?”

Unique Selling Proposition

A strong unique selling proposition lets you to stand apart from your competitors and actively focus your energy on creating things that cater to your ideal customers.

Define Buyer Personas 2

What are “Buyer Personas”

A Buyer Persona is fictional, generalized character that encompasses the various needs, goals, and observed behavior patters among real and potential customers.

Can be defined by

• Role

• Challenges/Motivations

• Industry

• Goals

Inbound Methodology via Hubspot

What does Audience Personas Development Determine?

• What kind of content to create

• What tone, style, and delivery strategies you need to develop

• What topics and targets should you focus on to help continually grow your business

• How your Content Strategy will evolve

So, what might your Buyer Look Like?

Repeat Client

Challenges are easily identifiable

Know how they like to communicate

Can help them communite internally

Potential Client

Need to better understand mission & brand

May have in-town and out-of-town decision makers

Multiple Entities Involved

Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers make up decision makers/influencers

Owner does not know your brand; ongoing relationship with architect; focusing on

proposed team members

Research Audience Needs

What do your Audiences Need [Want] to Know?

• All Content should seek to Educate, Inform, or Entertain

• Consider where your audience will consume this content

• Detailed Case Studies for Projects like mine

• How to sell your solutions to internal stakeholders

Strangers

Visitors

Leads

Customers

Promoters

Quality Content around broader, shareable topics that

drive visibility and engagement. Blog Articles,

Infographics, Videos.

Content that is useful and timely. Niche topics, market

specific to your offering and solution. More detailed

features/benefits; assessment tools, process

documents.

Combination of content to a more defined audience

specific to audience needs. White papers, detailed

project sheets, testimonials, Calls to Action.

Custom Content that answers buyer key concerns.

FAQs, Research Studies, Ebooks, Webinars, Exclusive

Events/Workshops.

Custom Content that reinforces buying decision.

Customer-Only Events/Workshops, Loyalty Programs,

Exclusive Client-Only Content (email), Case Studies.

Stages in the Buying Cycle

Execution & Amplification 3

Planning Templates

Excel Spreadsheet/Google Docs

Example - Content Planning

Amplification

How to Spread the Word?

• Email Blasts

• E-Newsletters

• Website Homepage/Blog/News

• Webinars

• (Organic) Social Media Posts

• Programmatic Marketing

• Digital Advertising

• On-Page/Off-Page SEO

• Employees’ Social

• Customers’ social

• Display ads

• Paid Social

• Guest Posts

• Paid Media

• Earned Media

• Offline Ads (Print)

Across all Social Media

Email Marketing

Through Your Website Blog

Compiled Digital Media Kit

Measurement & Metrics 4

The Early Years

Google Social Acquisitions (organic)

Facebook

LinkedIn

Integrated Social Media Management and Analytics Tool

Integrated Social Media Management and Analytics Tool

Google Adwords – PCP. Don’t see what you like? Pay for it!

• What do you want to get out of a social content strategy?

• Analytics can help you improve upon what works and what doesn't.

• Social media is still just a billboard, unless you measure and react.

• Direct conversions are the holy grail of social media, but rarely

happen in our industry

• Social media channels are not all the same and should be treated

differently to maximize engagement

Summary

4 Steps to a Content Strategy

1. Setting Objectives

2. Defining Buyers & Audience Needs

3. Execution & Amplification Plan

4. Measurement & Metrics

SOURCES:

• http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing/

• Jay Baer, Convince & Convert

• http://www.slideshare.net/NewsCred/how-to-build-a-content-marketing-strategy-43549981/11-Put_Your_CustomersNeeds_FirstMake_them

• http://www.slideshare.net/NewsCred/how-to-build-a-content-marketing-strategy-43549981/20-Content_marketing_mission_statementBecome_a

• Inbound Methodology via Hubspot

• Examples via Desmone Architect, Green Building Alliance

Questions?