connecting the content marketing dots…content, channels and culture with laurie paleczny

Laurie Paleczny, President, Dash Digital Group November 18, 2014

CONTENT, CHANNELS AND CULTURE

Connecting the Content Marketing Dots…

The challenge•  Content marketing is forcing marketing

professionals to rethink how they engage audiences

•  Hundreds of digital channels offer potential •  How do you decide? •  How do you measure what works and what

doesn’t?

© Dash Digital Group Inc. 2014

It’s all about youWhat is right for your

•  Business

•  Customer

•  Resources



Source: The Guardian

The Content Marathon•  It’s not a race

•  It’s not a campaign

•  Content marketing is a practice


Run, Laurie, Run! Let the parallels begin…

Running is a journey, full of lessons and insights


What does it take to win?•  Goals •  Focus •  Tenacity •  Thrill of accomplishment •  Willingness to learn (and share)


DECIDING TO RUNThe First Step


Now it’s all about me J•  First half marathon at 47

•  friend put me up to it

•  Once committed, I took ownership


DEFINE YOUR GOAL(S)Step Two


What does success look like?•  Content marketing can have many purposes

that benefit your company — what is most important? •  Drive sales • Generate leads •  Foster loyalty •  Support customers (displace calls) •  Brand affinity / awareness •  Reduce costs

Start with smaller goals•  Confirm progress: weekly, monthly, quarterly,

annually

•  Put meaningful metrics in place — know that you can measure progress and understand

•  Build on success


ESTABLISH MEANINGFUL METRICS

Step Three

Meaningful metrics

•  Don’t take on someone else’s goal

•  What really matters?


Measurement Framework Purpose

Drive specific insights about the quality and performance of content, amplification, and conversions


Measurement Framework Goal

Create comprehensive framework that marketers can use to benchmark and test new tactics (content, amplification and conversions)


Measurement FrameworkBuild effective reports for key stakeholders:

1.  Executives

2.  Managers

3.  Blog owners / authors


Sample Framework


Content Activity

Amplification Performance

Amplification Activity

Engagement/Conversions

Content Performance

CHOOSE YOUR TOOLSStep Four

Right tools that work together•  The wrong tools will only distract

•  Understand your capability and limitations

•  Still have to put in the training, the hard work to make content successful -- crafting good stories, producing quality ideas and creative


CHOOSE YOUR RUNNING PARTNER(S)

The Fifth Step

Partner•  Work with experts who understand your goals

and will run alongside to help you achieve them

•  Partners can introduce you to new •  Tools •  Approaches •  Processes •  Partners


PICK THE RIGHT RACEStep Six

Know which channels matter•  Where is your target audience?

•  How does engagement differ from channel to channel?

•  Which online venues perform?

•  Know how to tailor content and engagement strategies for each


Example – financial services•  Researched how personal finance topics were

discussed in various channels •  Industry marketed in Twitter and Facebook •  Consumers read blogs and posted in anonymous

forums

•  Cultural norms were different in each channel


Research volume of content


The culture of the race Different races have different cultural norms; they may not be a good fit for you, or to run them, you may need to embrace a different culture


Know the channel culture•  Learn

•  what values and attitudes exist online about your brand/industry

•  the political, cultural or sociological reference points

•  Understand the cultural nuances of audiences in order to more effectively influence or inform their behavior


Who is my target client?


MAP YOUR RACEStep Seven

Content Journey - healthcare

Awareness

Program Info

Partner Information

About

Benefits

The Team

Interest

Information

White papers

Tools/Lists

Contests

Portfolio/Case Studies

Intent

Testimonials

Studies

Awards/Certifications

Memberships

Partners/Endorsements

Action

Find a provider

Request Info

Share/Follow

Click/Call

Submit form

Enterprise example – phase 1•  Global B2B software company •  Goal: Lower support costs and drive interest in new products •  Approach: Build IT practitioner community for product

support, sharing and collaboration •  Action: Selected Lithium as its platform for forums and blogs

•  Initial launch was a success, but then stagnated — weren’t ready to run the long marathon •  Community needed content

Learn through practice runs - assess what works and what doesn’t.


Enterprise example– phase 2•  Product blog teams to create practitioner-focused content

•  Useful, step-by-step, including code samples •  Empathetic to changing job demands •  Best practices for images, headlines, build blogger profile

•  Created front-page to community •  Better UX / navigation •  Surface evergreen content - How-to articles, videos •  Drive conversion to lead gen (webinars, white papers) and

featured software downloads (“conversion”) •  ROI conversation •  Newsletter - sign-up campaign


Awareness Interest Intent Action

Editorial Calendar


PLAN TIME TO RECOVERStep Eight

Evaluate Performance•  Marathons take their toll •  Take time to recover and think about what

worked, what didn’t •  Engage stakeholders and partners

You should have some failures

Learn to success


Measurement•  Have defined goals •  Have a defined set of tools •  Understand gaps •  Structured taxonomy is essential

•  SqueezeCMM •  measure the constellation of social clicks,

content consumption and CTA conversions


Content chain results

Free Software Registration Page

240

46

58

55

364

9 88 23

8

1

9

267

Guide to Analytics

901

63

Content chain results

Free Software Registration Page

240

46

58

55

364

9 88 65

143

1

9

Guide to Analytics

901

267

63

11

3

KEEP RUNNINGStep Nine


Laurie Paleczny [email protected]

connecting the content marketing dots…content, channels and culture with laurie paleczny

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