Content Domination: Driving Results Through

Thought Leadership

Byron White, IdeaLaunch

Content Domination: How To Drive Results with Thought Leadership

Byron White Chief Idea Officer @ByronWhite

Conversion Conference 2011 New York

October 20th, 2011

Chaos vs. Clarity

The$Content$Marke-ng$Revolu-on$

Content$Marke-ng$$Team$Sport$

5$Tips$to$Win$the$War$on$the$Web$

Welcome to the content marketing revolution! Forward thinking companies are starting to think like publishers– gathering ideas, developing stories and publishing information readers want and need.

What is Content Marketing?

It’s the art of listening to your customers’ wants and needs

!   Search Box

!   Social Media

!   Web Analytics

!   Keyword Popularity

!   Customer Service

!   Questionnaires

And the science of delivering it to them in a compelling way

!   Articles

!   Blogs

!   Books

!   eBooks

!   RSS Feeds

!   Printed Books

!   Newsletters

!   Videos

!   Web

!   Widgets

It’s catching readers orbiting at high speeds

!   Applet

!   Desktop

!   Events

!   Information Portals

!   Mobile

!   Podcasts

!   RSS Feeds

!   Social Networks

!   News

With information they want and need

!   Help

!   Advice

!   Insight

!   Innovation

!   Rationalization

!   Top Tens

!   Competitive Review

It’s testing campaigns to learn what works best

!   A/B Testing

!   Multivariate Testing

!   Eye Track Testing

!   Segmentation Testing

!   Geo Target Testing

!   Usability Testing

!   Content Testing

And finding the most efficient path to drive sales

!   Solve Problems

!   Earn Trust

!   Score Engagement

!   Qualify Leads

!   Evaluate Intent

!   Induce Trial

!   Motivate Purchase

!   Close the Sale

Content Marketing is a Team Sport

The Six Step Content Marketing Workflow

Step 1 The Content Plan

!   How much content? !   How frequently? !   How good does it need to be? !   What distribution channels?

The Content Plan

Table of Contents

!   Content Analysis

!   Keyword Research

!   Competitive Research

!   Content Audit

!   Content Recommendations

!   Content Samples

!   Content Topic Ideas

Competitive Research

Content Research

5482

2488

1422

1079 883 813

137

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Salesforce HubSpot Google App Engine

Yammer SugarCRM RightNow Amazon EC2

Total Content Assets

Content Analysis

2223

888

429 416

229 211 179 114 107 106 101 54 52 47 47 38 38 30 27 26 25 22 20 12 11 8 6 5 4 3 2 2

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500 Total Content Assets

Social Media Research

2945%2461%

8093%

1166%1751%

1045%

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

Oracle SAP Salesforce Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Netsuite Sugar CRM

Social Media Publishing Volume

Social Media Analysis

257898%

150286%123369%

21582% 14665% 4530%0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

Oracle SAP Salesforce Microsoft Dynamics

CRM

Netsuite Sugar CRM

Social Media Fan Base Customer Relationship Management

Keyword Research

Final Keyword Lists Keyword Count Keyword Universe 3,613 Golden Keywords 312

Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords 467 Top 100 PPC Keywords 100

Top 100 Search Volume Keywords 100

%156,582%%

%11,590%%

%138,272%%

%3,613%%

%1%%

%10%%

%100%%

%1,000%%

%10,000%%

%100,000%%

%1,000,000%%

Pulled%Keywords% Duplicates%Discovered% A@er%Duplicates%Removed%

Universe%

Keyword$Research$

Keyword Silo Development

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Keyword Distribution by Product Silo

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Application Development

Cloud Computing

Contact Management

CRM Enterprise Collaboration

IT Help Desk Social Media Management

Keyword Distribution by Topic Silo

Market Share Analysis of Keyword Silos

Keyword Silo Salesforce Market Share Contact Management 31%

Sales Cloud 28% XXXX 26%

Cloud Computing 25% CCCCc 22%

Service Cloud 22% CRM 21%

IT Help Desk 20% XXXX 13%

Application Development 11% Enterprise Collaboration 10%

YYYYY 8% XXXX 7%

Social Media Management 5%

Customer Research

•  Search Box. Track what prospects are looking for and what they find. •  FAQs. Review what customers ask for and the language used.

•  Customer Service Reps. Learn the FAQs and knowledge requests.

•  Customers. Speak with customers and learn the wants and needs.

•  Analytics. Discover the source of traffic and navigational pathways.

•  Surveys. Ask for feedback on your content, navigation and methodology.

Customer Personas

Customer Personas

Style Guide

How Much? Content Recommendations

0%

500%

1,000%

1,500%

2,000%

2,500%

3,000%

3,500%

Blogs%% ArGcles% Whitepapers% eBooks% Case%Study%

Asset$Recommenda-ons$

Recommended%Assets%

ExisGng%Assets%

Step 2 Content Creation

“Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank piece of paper (screen) until the drops of blood form on your forehead.” —Gene Fowler

Great Writers

!   Curiosity

!   Passionate Voice

!   Well Traversed

!   Make Meaning

!   Keep it Simple

!   Less is More

!   Short and Sweet

!   Fresh Insight

!   Results Driven

!   Inquisitive

!   Storytellers

!   Journalists

!   Researchers

!   Socratic

!   Optimizers

!   Knowledge Seekers

!   Wordsmiths !   Deep Diggers

!   Big Picture Thinkers

Understand Customer 2.0 Wants and Needs

Customers Needs •  Credibility, Belief and Logic

•  Exposure to New Information

•  Information Needs

•  Mystery and Bravery

•  Surprise and Delight

Content Critical by Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton

2.0 Customers Needs •  Info in a Hurry

•  Access to Specific Things

•  Enlighten and Entertained

•  Authority Advice

•  Relevant Content

Enlighten and Entertain

Skydive Pepperell swoops landlubbers up 10,500–13,000 feet for an adrenaline-pumping day of aeronautical capriciousness. Dressed in comfortable clothes, sneakers, and their autographed Batman capes, future fliers learn the intricacies of skydiving equipment from a certified expert and watch instructional videos to prep for the big leap. From there, jumpers climb into a sprightly Twin Otter plane, where they are safely anchored to an experienced partner before the plane door slides open to release the pair into the blue yonder. Since the airspace caters only to skydiving excursions and novelists skywriting their latest books, patrons can free-fall comfortably through the vacant horizon at 120 mph for up to one full minute. Once the parachute deploys, tandem divers glide through the air, relishing the mountainous New England countryside for five–seven minutes. Skydive Pepperell’s manicured fields encourage a soft landing, whether it’s a slow standup, seated glide across the grass, or impromptu moonwalk.

Learn the Power of Stories

Great Stories --> Solve problems

--> Teach us to be smart

--> Offer surprise and delight

--> Focus on “what happens next”

--> Introduce great characters

--> Are contagious --> Engage readers

Sisomo by Kevin Roberts

Learn Why Stories Get Passed On

Information A StoryFills You Up Moves You OnFacts ActsCiting ExcitingReams DreamsPromotional EmotionalStatic DramaticCheck lists Casts of CharactersCompiling CompellingAnnotated AnimatedFeeding the Brain Touching the HeartExpires Inspires

Monthly Editorial Calendars

Video

Tips for Success !   Lead Generation

!   Solve Problems

!   Video Contests

!   Case Studies

!   Celebrity Endorsement

!   Entertainment/Humor

Blog Tips for Success !   Contributors

!   Optimization

!   Link Building

!   Lead Generation

!   Keyword Silos

!   White Papers

!   Cross Pollination

!   Entertainment/Humor

!   Comments/Staff

!   Images

Resource Center: Information Customers Need

Tips for Success !   Spice up the Tone

!   Call to Action (Lead Gen)

!   Information Graphics

!   Link Strategy

!   Distribution

!   Purple Papers

!   Re-Write and Re-Launch

!   Lead Generation

!   Optimize– BE FOUND

Step 3 Content Optimization

The SEO Plan

!   Competitive Intelligence

!   Keyword Research

!   Keyword Silos

!   Market Share Timestamp

!   Content Asset Allocation

Keyword Universe

List Name Keyword Count Keyword Universe 3,613 Golden Keywords 312

Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords 467 Top 100 PPC Keywords 100

Top 100 Search Volume Keywords 100

643%

296%

531%

317% 289% 286%

448%

341%

573% 540%

390%325%

408%

571%

0%

100%

200%

300%

400%

500%

600%

700%

Keyword$Count$per$Silo$$

Keyword Silos

39%55% 49%

25% 31%44%

32%

75% 84%

123%

8%29%

61%49%

1%

32% 24%

0% 1%

30%

5%3% 11% 10% 5% 4%19% 17%

0%20%40%60%80%100%120%140%

Hot$Topic$Keyword$Silos$

Golden%

Low%Fruit%

Top%PPC%

Top%SV%

Golden Keywords

$10.02%

$10.42%

$10.71%

$11.33%

$11.90%

$11.98%

$12.54%

$13.63%

$14.72%

$14.73%

$14.97%

$15.50%

$17.87%

$23.80%

$24.20%

$26.11%

$26.82%

$0.00% $5.00% $10.00% $15.00% $20.00% $25.00% $30.00%

business%so@ware%applicaGons%

business%contact%

lead%tracking%

enterprise%applicaGon%integraGon%

communicaGon%and%collaboraGon%

help%desk%GckeGng%so@ware%

applicaGon%development%tools%

enterprise%collaboraGon%so@ware%

tech%support%

collaboraGon%so@ware%

help%desk%support%so@ware%

applicaGon%integraGon%

enterprise%applicaGon%development%

support%desk%so@ware%

lead%tracking%so@ware%

online%help%desk%so@ware%

small%business%crm%so@ware%

PPC$

HighCPriority$Golden$Keywords$

Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords

$25.11%

$25.55%

$26.30%

$26.82%

$26.89%

$27.04%

$27.46%

$27.91%

$29.58%

$29.86%

$33.38%

$33.59%

$34.02%

$34.03%

$34.68%

$36.10%

$37.32%

$40.99%

$0.00% $5.00%$10.00%$15.00%$20.00%$25.00%$30.00%$35.00%$40.00%$45.00%

help%desk%so@ware%soluGons%

free%crm%so@ware%

contact%manager%email%

small%business%crm%so@ware%

contact%relaGonship%management%

enterprise%crm%soluGons%

it%help%desk%so@ware%

so@ware%sales%leads%

help%desk%so@ware%

help%desk%so@ware%soluGon%

online%customer%support%so@ware%

web%customer%service%so@ware%

customer%contact%management%

enterprise%crm%so@ware%

crm%management%so@ware%

contact%data%management%

contact%center%applicaGons%

email%customer%service%so@ware%

PPC$

HighCPriority$LowCHanging$Fruit$

Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords (by Silo and PPC)

Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords (by Silo and Search Volume)

Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords

X21%X7%

X6%X5%

X4%X4%

X3%X3%X3%X3%X3%X3%X3%X3%

X2%X2%X2%X2%X2%X2%X2%X2%

X1%X1%X1%X1%

X25%X20%X15%X10%X5%0%

cloud%plaYorms%

customer%relaGonship%crm%

customer%services%management%

business%contacts%

crm%management%so@ware%

remedy%help%desk%

services%of%cloud%compuGng%

applicaGon%development%

enterprise%collaboraGon%so@ware%

lead%management%

sales%systems%

advantages%of%cloud%compuGng%

business%contact%so@ware%

Posi-ons$

Posi-ons$Lost$in$Last$Month$

Inbound Link Popularity

53%%

65,048%%

111,575%%

114,643%%

128,046%%

430,345%%

443,521%%

726,165%%

777,954%%

795,935%%

1,249,959%%

2,588,883%%

2,785,574%%

4,989,204%%

30,982,286%%

1% 100% 10000% 1000000% 100000000%

Microso@%Azure%

Microso@%Sharepoint%

SugarCRM%

Microso@%Dynamics%

Google%App%Engine%

Yammer%

RightNow%

SAP%

Salesforce%

HubSpot%

Jive%So@ware%

Amazon%Web%Services%

Netsuite%

Oracle%

Zendesk%

Inbound$Links$

Keyword Maps

SEO Scoring

SEO Scoring

Stay Away from Internal Link Building Spam

Step 4 Content Leadership

“ “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a keyboard and open a vein.” —Red Smith

Mantra

Hubspot Inbound Marketing Winning is Everything Green Bay Packers

Think IBM

Fun Family Entertainment Disney

Save Babies March of Dimes

Healthy Fast Food Wendy’s Kick Butt in Air and Space Air Force

The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki

Develop Thought Leadership Positions for each Silo

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Application Development

Cloud Computing

Contact Management

CRM Enterprise Collaboration

IT Help Desk Social Media Management

Keyword Distribution by Topic Silo

Style Haiku

Haiku: Japanese 3 line poem, 17 syllables !   Define the style and tone that delights readers

!   Identify what type of content performs best

!   Modify content assets for different channels

!   Develop consistency within content assets

Understand the sales funnel

•  Preliminary: Headlines, visuals, architecture and familial content.

•  Investigating: Knowledge-seeking and trust-building opportunity

•  Capability: Show how you solve problems and deliver on needs

•  Action: Motivate sign up, download or buy

Thought Leadership Needs Style

Round 1

Round 2

Step 5 Content Distribution

Distribution Channels

!   On-Site Distribution

!   Off-Site Distribution

!   Articles

!   Books

!   Courseware

!   eBooks

!   Podcasts

!   Printed Books

!   Tip Centers

!   Webinars

!   Whitepapers

!   Widgets

!   Workbooks

!   Video

Diversify the Content Asset Portfolio

On-Site Information Distribution

Off-Site Information Distribution

Step 6 Measure Performance All-the-Time

Listing Positions

Organic Traffic

Content Asset Downloads

Sales Influenced by Content Assets

Time On Site

Return Visitors

Conversion Rates

5 Tips to Win the War on the Web

Tip # 1 Conversion Formula

!   Content: Are you earning trust with information customers want and need?

!   Usability: Is your content optimized for conversion?

!   Motivation: Do you have compelling reasons to buy and not try the competition?

!   Incentive: Do you need any incentives, trial or reward?

!   Friction: Have you identified potential resistance and reduced the pain points?

!   Anxiety: Have you pinpointed the concerns and resolved the issues?

Conversion = (Content + Usability + Motivation + Incentive) - (Friction + Anxiety)

Test “Feel” Words to Improve Conversion Rates

Employment Industry

!   Entry Level Position

!   Excellent Growth Opportunity

!   Immediate Openings

!   Leading Company Seeks

!   Growing Company Seeks

!   Team Player

!   Strong Interpersonal Skill

!   Financially Motivated

!   Annual Performance Bonus

!   Team Environment

Financial Industry

!   You’re Already Pre-Approved

!   Cash Back Offer

!   Be Debt-Free in Weeks

!   Instant Financial Freedom

!   No Annual Fee

!   Pocket Extra Money

!   Low Introductory Rate

!   Fast Cash

!   Start Saving Now

!   Peace of Mind

Test “Sell” Words to Improve Conversion Rates

Offers

!   Special Offer

!   Exclusive Offer

!   Limited Time Offer

!   Click Here

!   Right Now

!   Instant Access

!   Instant Download

!   Free Shipping

!   No-Fuss Signup

!   Easy Signup

Trials

!   Free Trial

!   First Time Trial

!   No-Risk Trial

!   Risk Free Trial

!   Buy After Review

!   Test Drive

!   Free Membership

!   Free Subscription

!   Join Beta Group

!   Free Trial with Feedback

Motivators

!   Free Gift

!   Pays for Itself

!   Limited Availability

!   As Seen on TV

!   Solve X

!   Stop Y

!   All Inclusive

!   Best Rated

!   Tested and Proven

!   Money-Back Guarantee

Test Positive and Negative Sell Words

Negative Sell Words

!   Baffling

!   Blurred

!   Unclear

!   Bewildering

!   Mind-Boggling

!   Complicated

!   Convoluted

!   Perplexing

!   Puzzling

!   Mixed Up

Positive Sell Words

!   Persevering

!   Efficient

!   Hard-Driving

!   Proactive

!   Adaptable

!   Responsive

!   First-rate

!   Top-notch

!   Highly Competent

!   Powerful

Tip # 2 Likes are the New Links

Link Building: The Secret Sauce

I had a big beef with my boss the other day. The steak was cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth.

Tip # 3 Sell WITHOUT selling

Info Content !   Speaking Events

!   White Papers

!   Webinars

!   Podcasts

!   Books

!   Online Courses

!   Workbooks

!   Press Releases

Great Information Sells, Not the Products or Services

Tip # 4 Develop YOUR Personal Style Guide

Tip # 5 Free SEO Tools Help Your Content Get Found

Free Research Tools ! WordVision.com

! SpyFu.com

! Compete.com

! Quantcast.com

! SEOMajestic.com

!   Raven-SEO-Tools.com

! Tools.SEOBook.com

! SEOToolSet.com

! LinkVendor.com

! MarketLeap.com

“The only marketing left is content marketing.” Seth Godin

Byron White, ideaLaunch Chief Idea Officer Twitter: @ByronWhite

Byron[at]ideaLaunch.com

Phone: 617-227-8800 x 201

Free 101 Content Marketing Tips Book PDF Version Visit ideaLaunch.com