Think like a journo, act like a spy...
Or: how to get great content ideas out of people without them noticing
Dan Brotzel @danfielder
@catherinetoole
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specialises in things...3
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What makes a good idea?
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What makes a good idea?
It serves both your users AND your business goals
Not just a theme or topic – it’s got an angle or hook
It can be a new spin on something you’ve already done
It’s something that fits your content niche…
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“Hello. We do nappies. Can we help you choose the right school for your child?”
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Your domain
of expertise
Your users’ information
needs
So what?
© Sticky Content Limited”You are not the idea
Redefin[ing] customer relationships based on serving, educating,
and entertaining customers with content necessitates a shift away
from the “I” of a brand or product toward the “you” of the customer.
Content that is too product- or brand-focused does not travel well
digitally, whereas content that stands on its own merits as
entertainment, storytelling, education will be shared and passed along.
From Content: The New Marketing Equation
Rebecca Lieb, Altimeter
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Cultivate your subject matter experts
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• 73 blogs,73 keywords• customer contact up 600% in one Q
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Blog and video• 211,000 page views • 2,500 inbound links from top 8 articles • $2m sales
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© Sticky Content Limited”Answer a question, grow your content One of our clients that develops an enterprise software
solution has been developing “technology tips” based on
customer service queries for the past two years.
When reviewing analytics last quarter, we realized these
content marketing assets contributed to 5% of the overall
content viewed and 20% of the search queries received.
Derek Edmond, KoMarketing Associates
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The fence post blog • 850% increase in sales leads since launch.
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Think topical
● What’s in the news? In your industry? In the world?
● What’s the seasonal cycle of your business?
● Key dates in your business calendar
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Top 5 places people have ideas
1.Shower, bath, bathroom
2.Bed
3.Driving
4.Walking
5.Exercise
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Section Content Format
Title Job title Title
Standfirst Engaging description of what the person will be doing
1 sentence
We’re looking for… Top-level description of the ideal candidate.
1-2 paragraphs
What’s the role? What the person will be doing day-to-day. The responsibilities and opportunities of the job.
2-6 short paragraphs
You are someone who… Personal qualities, attitudes and skills of the successful candidate.
Bullet list (up to 10 bullets)
Boxes to tick Necessary experience/qualifications in order to apply for this job.
Bullet list (up to 10 bullets)
What’s in it for you? Practical benefits of the role. 1 paragraph
Why now? Why Fortune Cookie?
Compelling reasons to choose the company and explanation of current need to recruit.
1 paragraph
Format guidelines: Fortune Cookie job ads
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Reuse, recycle. Slice, dice, curate
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Talk
Blog post
Article
Comments
3rd party site republish
User generated content
Retweets
Bookmarks
Further thought pieces
Bookmarks
Trending on twitter
New ideas for talks, blog posts
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• Email subject line
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• Homepage teaser
• Tweet
• Related products link
• Meta description
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• Landing page snippet / A-Z entry
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• Mobile site
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• Tablet site
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© Sticky Content Limited15 February 2011
| Course Title| 62
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Get everyone involved
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Always be thinking and listening
● Overheard in the lift / at the watercooler
● The bath: cradle of great ideas
● Trust that ideas will come
● Who could you interview?
● Often the best ideas are staring you right in the face…
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Top 5 places people have ideas
1.Shower, bath, bathroom
2.Bed
3.Driving
4.Walking
5.Exercise
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follow us:@catherinetoole@danfielder@stickycontent
www.stickycontent.com