fishing with a thousand hooks

Fishing with a Thousand Hooks.The Art & Science of Content Marketing

Mark GlennCreative Director & Head of Experience

WorkSHop – MArCH 2015

IMage : MIke ClIne - WIkIMedIa CoMMons

Fishing with a thousand hooks – The Art & Science of Content Marketing 2

ContentsInTroduCTIon 3In praCTICe 15

exaMples 20

WorksHop Tasks 35

Task 1. deFInInG your audIenCe 39

Task 2. searCH paTTerns & needs 42 Task 3. CreaTInG & CuraTInG ConTenT 46 Task 4. publIsHInG & CHannels 50 Task 5. MeasureMenT & suCCess 53

1.0InTroduCTIon

image : come on fishing.com


so, what is Content Marketing?(Aka 'Inbound marketing'.)

1.0 introduction


Content Marketing:"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."as deFIned by THe ConTenT MarkeTInG InsTITuTe, 2014.

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or, Content Marketing: "Have a plan and process to give your audience content that they actually want, and make that content work for your business."THaT's beTTer.

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It's embracing the fact that your audience is in control and thinking about their needs, as much as your communication goals.What's great is that when you nail this, your customers come to you. That's why it's often called 'inbound' marketing.

1.0 introduction


It's about visibly answering your audience's key questions, ideally before they're even voiced.Because chances are that if one customer is asking, other customers are thinking the same thing.

1.0 introduction


Why take this approach?• It reflects and addresses real behaviour.• It's about adding value and building trust. • It's transparent and measurable.• You're probably already doing bits,

just without a joined up plan.• It's marketing on the web, grown up.

1.0 introduction


It's also becoming very popular

1.0 introduction

Content marketing


In some interesting places...

1.0 introduction

Content marketing


It's about value:• Investing in great content is investing

in lasting, permanent assets.• Great content earns people's interest,

rather than buying it.• It costs less and has a better return

on investment than outbound.

1.0 introduction


70%of customers prefer to get to know an organisation via content over ads.sourCe: content+ (2013)

68%of people spend time consuming content from brands they're interested in.sourCe: content marketing association (2013)

5xMore traffic is generated by businesses that blog over 15 times a month than those that don't.sourCe: hubspot (2012)

1.0 introduction

Value for your customers


82%of marketers who blog see positive roI for their content driven marketing.sourCe: hubspot - state of inbound marketing 2014

3xAs many leads are generated by Content Marketing vs. traditional approaches for every dollar spent.sourCe: kapost - content marketing e-book (2013) + demand metric (2013)

27%of marketing budgets is being spent on Content Marketing in Australia. (29% in the U.S.)sourCe: content marketing institute/adma (2015)

1.0 introduction

Value for your business


so, how does it work in practice?Time to stretch the angling metaphor...

1.0 introduction

IMage : wIllIaMdark.coM


step 1. planning & strategy

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Clearly deFIne your audIenCe

undersTand THeIr InTeresTs, needs &

CHallenGes

Map a Clear paTH aCross CHannels & ConTenT To

your Goals

IMages : 1 www.raMpapIsh.coM 2. MacrocrItters.wordpress.coM 3. www.MyItchytravelfeet.coM


step 2. Create & publish

1.0 introduction

seT a susTaInable produCTIon sCHedule and InVolVe subjeCT

MaTTer experTs

CreaTe and CuraTe GreaT ConTenT

publIsH and re-purpose on approprIaTe CHannels

IMages : 1. www.123RF.coM 2. coMeonFIshIng.coM 3. www.savageRIveRlodge.woRdpRess.coM


step 3. learn & refine

1.0 introduction

CHeCk & Measure learn, experIMenT and reFIne

repeaT, edIT & IMproVe!

IMages : 1. www.drIftlesstroutanglers.coM 2. MIke clIne - wIkIMedIa coMMons 3. www.fIshIngIceland.coM


once more without the fish.

1.0 introduction


InTeresTs, needs &

CHallenGes

paTH aCross CHannels &

ConTenT

CHeCk & Measure

learn, experIMenT and reFIne


publIsH and re-purpose on

CHannels

CreaTe & CuraTe GreaT ConTenT

seT sCHedule & InVolVe experTs

plannInG & sTraTeGy CreaTe & publIsH learn & IMproVe

2.0exaMples

image : vintageprintable.com


MaCdonalds – our Food, your quesTIons.http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/

• 16,000 questions have been asked (350 to 450 per day), and nearly 10,000 have been answered.

• So much chatter about their food (especially on social). They can’t respond to each one, so they built an information destination.

• The bravery and openness defuses many of the tougher questions.

• It's completely aware of the wider spectating audience, not just the contributors, and tries to entertain them too.


If it works in one market, chances are it could work well in others too.https://yourquestions.mcdonalds.co.nz/

• All that's needed is to apply local context and tone.

• Almost a thousand questions have been answered on the New Zealand version.


2.0 examples

• If you're going to get dumb questions, you can at least use them to make your answers amusing.

• It helps that these feel like they're coming from a real person who's having fun with it.

• Even when you're being 'on brand' there's love being put into the assets that are supporting the answer. • producing content at various levels of

fidelity allows you to spend more time and effort on important responses.


2.0 examples

• This is an interesting trend – businesses promoting information instead of the company itself.

• Being great at transparency and information isn’t (and cannot be) one person’s job.

• Everyone in your business has information and knowledge that your customers will value.

Marketing your marketing


adaFruIT & sparkFunwww.adafruit.com/ & www.sparkfun.com/

• Selling a culture as much as products by embracing the 'maker' values of their audience and leading with desirable and achievable projects backed with practical learning.

• Creating an open, inclusive community through great content that teaches and inspires, then naturally sells.

• Aspirational personalities lead the way but everyone in the business shares projects and helps build the content pool.

• Disrupting and challenging the existing models and incumbents, e.g. radioshack.


2.0 examples

• More content at a lesser quality, is better than less at a higher quality. It's about finding a balance and investing more in popular themes or topics once they're proven.

• Meet LadyAda - certified baddass. Interesting personalities can take you a long way and build popular momentum and notoriety in their own right.


2.0 examples

• Builds buzz and focusses attention on a point in time to create urgency and social proof for those involved.

• physically meeting and supporting your audience is a great path to a lasting relationship too.

Creating 'own-able' events


sTanFord GraduaTe sCHool oF busInesswww.gsb.stanford.edu/

• Aiming for authority within a sphere of influence.

• Multiple channels that focus on where their audience is and playing to the strengths of each channel in its own right.

• A good mix of owned, guest and curated content that all benefits from the level of authority.

• Sells a brand of thought and level of success as much as the actual product itself.


2.0 examples

• The main web homepage does a good job at surfacing and balancing the latest content sources and brand layer to pull the viewer in through topical items and subjects.

• Be clear about where your audience is and go to them if you can. Content can be re-purposed to play to the strengths of each individual platform and audience conventions.


2.0 examples

• Being recognised as an expert in a subject, both by people and algorithms, greatly enhances your reach and influence. It's a critical currency in Content Marketing.

• You can 'borrow' credibility and authority from identifiable figures too.

The impact of authority


aIrbnb – neIGHbourHoodshttps://www.airbnb.co.nz/locations

• keeping content focused at a real, granular level, to suit their audience.

• Focusing on the most popular destinations that align with their product and building out from there.

• Mobilising an audience to produce user generated locally focused content that benefits them and the brand.

• keeping it visual and aspirational but providing a real flavour - with travel, a picture is truly worth a thousand words.

Fishing with a thousand hooks – The Art & Science of Content Marketing

• presenting both sides of the story gives much more credibility to your content. Even when sharing negative elements, the context can be shaped to soften the blow.

• Meta-data (such as tags) becomes critical once you start to produce a large amount of content. This allows you to make related connections and suggest alternative paths easily.

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2.0 examples


2.0 examples

• Images and quotes from your audience help your content's credibility. Just be clear about your moderation policy and be sure there's something in it for them too.

• It's not all about copy, great images can be easier for an audience to contribute.

Inviting your audience in


2.0 examples

pretty sweet, right?Let's get busy and make this work for us.

45 mins

3.0WorksHop Tasks

image : nairone


3.0 workshop

deFInInG your audIenCe

1

MeasureMenT & suCCess

searCH paTTerns &

needs

publIsHInG & CHannels

CreaTInG & CuraTInG

ConTenT

2 3 4 5

our challengeExplore the Content Marketing mindset by completing a series of tasks that can help you go on to create a strategy for your business.


3.0 workshop

splIT InTo sMall Groups

repeaT WITH THe nexT Task

deMonsTraTe ConTexT & Task

sHare & CapTure

jaM In your Group

our tasksWe'll break into groups to explore each task then share back with everyone once time's up.


Meet our demo business To show what we're after with these tasks we'll use a fictional business to demonstrate.

• Angling Aces are an adventure tourism business offering specialist fishing trips in NZ.

• They're internationally focussed and offer a range of travel packages and local expertise to attract keen anglers here for a specialist holiday.

3.0 workshop

55 mins


1. our audienceThe aim of this task is to get us thinking about our audience so we can better understand their needs and produce content they're more likely to want.

• Who are they? Where are they looking?

• What are their key values & attitudes?

• What are their primary goals or motivators?

• Think about key commonalities and differences you could use to start to define personas.


WHo• Mostly male• 30 - 60 yrs• International

- U.S. & U.K.• Financially

comfortable

Values• Independence• Tradition / nature• Adventure• Challenge

aTTITude• Looking for an

escape/holiday.• Capable• Hunter/gatherer• Rational/

knowledgeable• Methodical

lookInG on• Specialist websites• Forums• Magazines• Word of Mouth• Facebook

prIMary• Catch amazing fish• In amazing places• Get better at it

seCondary• Be prepared -

have all the right gear and tackle

• Share and compete with peers

- Audience - - GoAls -

PersonA thouGhts:

* YounG Gun

comPetitive, focused on the chAllenGe And GettinG better.

* old hAnd

more trAditionAl And focussed on the exPerience.


1. our audience• Look for key commonalities and differences that

we could use to define personas or archetypes.

15 mins

WHo Values

aTTITudelookInG on

prIMary

seCondary

- Audience - - GoAls -

PersonA thouGhts:

* YounG Gun


* old hAnd

more trAditionAl. focussed on the exPerience.


2. search patterns & needsThere are some common search patterns and motivators that people use online.– Cost/price – problems/issues – Versus/comparisons – reviews – 'Best of ' summaries – How to guides

Let's look at how these could be mapped to your business.

75 mins


CosT/prICe• Package discount• Detail inclusions• The value in

traveling to the best spots

• Once in a lifetime (get away from cost)

Vs./CoMparIsons• Vs. other popular

destinations• Comparing the

top spots in NZ• Tackle/bait

showdowns• Technique

showdowns

besT oF• Reel and bait

combinations• 5 Best angling

holiday destinations (inc NZ)

• Best beginner setup

HoW To• How to choose

the best location• Technique tips• Gear tips

probleMs• Dedicated Q+A

section - hero notable answers

• Tackle no guarantee issue

• Tackle weather

reVIeWs• Customer reviews• Guest reviewers

from visible/credible sources

- content ideAs Across keY themes -

PersonA thouGhts:

* YounG Gun


* old hAnd

more trAditionAl. focussed on the exPerience.


2. search patterns & needs• How could your audience apply these patterns to

your business? – Map out what might they be looking for, and some content ideas, themes or topics that you could you produce to address these patterns.

15 mins

CosT/prICe Vs./CoMparIsons besT oF

HoW ToprobleMs reVIeWs

95 mins


phew. Time for a chill.Let's take a quick break.

3.0 workshop

IMage : IpIck.ca

15 mins

105 mins


3. Creating & curating contentMarketing can't create all your content. Engage subject matter experts and build a content creation culture within your business.

• our role is that of the editor and co-ordinator.• There's also the challenge of prioritisation. • How do you decide what to do first,

and at what level of fidelity?

120 mins


3. Creating & curating content- PrioritisAtion - - fidelitY -

desIrabIlITy

VIabIlITyFeasIbIlITy

!

aCCuraCy & releVanCe

ease & ClarITy

joy

perceived value

Sweet spot

Cost vs. return All content

Critical content

Ease to produce


CosT/prICe• Package discount• Detail inclusions• The value in

traveling to the best spots

• Once in a lifetime (get away from cost)

Vs./CoMparIsons• Vs. other popular

destinations• Comparing the

top spots in NZ• Tackle/bait

showdowns• Technique

showdowns

besT oF• Reel and bait

combinations• 5 Best angling

holiday destinations (inc NZ)

• Best beginner setup

HoW To• How to choose

the best location• Technique tips• Gear tips

probleMs• Dedicated Q+A

section - hero notable answers

• Tackle no guarantee issue

• Tackle weather

reVIeWs• Customer reviews• Guest reviewers

from visible/credible sources

- PrioritisinG content ideAs Across keY themes -

333

333 3

33

321

311

311

222

222

233

233

233

222

222

312

221

221

132

subjeCT MaTTer experTs• Our fishing

guides• Shop staff• Guest fishers• Gear

providers• Customers


3. Creating & curating content• Marketing can't create all your content. our

role is that of the editor and co-ordinator.

• Who could you access in your business to bring your content ideas to life? What can they bring?

• What about outside of your business? Who could you approach as a guest contributor?

• Now try and prioritise your content ideas, giving each a score from 1-3 for desirability, feasibility and viability.

15 mins


4. publishing & channelsContent marketing covers many channels, each with their strengths and weaknesses.– Social – Website articles – eNewsletters – In-person events – Case Studies – Videos – Blogs – Infographics – Micro sites – online presentations – research/reports

140 mins


soCIal• Customer support• Customer advocacy

e-neWsleTTers• Lead generation • Lead nurturing

researCH/reporTs• Lead generation• Lead nurturing

Case sTudIes

MICro sITes• Engagement

InFoGrapHICs• Engagement

onlIne pres.

bloGs• Awareness• Lead generation

In person eVenTs• Awareness• Lead generation

Web arTICles• Awareness• Engagement• Sales

VIdeos• Awareness• Engagement• Sales

- chAnnels we use - - chAnnels we don't -


4. publishing & channels

• Which of these channels do you currently use? What do you see their role as? What about those you don't use – do you think they have a role?

15 mins

soCIal

e-neWsleTTers

researCH/reporTs Case sTudIes

MICro sITes

InFoGrapHICs

onlIne pres.

bloGs In person eVenTs

Web arTICles

VIdeos

• Awareness• Engagement

• Lead generation• Lead nurturing

• Sales• Cross/up sell

• Customer support• Customer advocacy


5. Measurement & successClear organisational goals are key to successful Content marketing. It's important that you choose which you're trying to achieve so you can align each piece of content with a clear objective and assess it's performance appropriately.

CoMMon orGanIsaTIonal Goals

• Awareness• Engagement• Lead Generation• Lead Nurturing

• Sales• Up-sell/cross-sell • Customer loyalty

160 mins


5. Measurement & successMeasuring the performance of Content Marketing can take time. To get a clear picture you need to be clear what you're measuring and how that can be attributed to individual content.

CoMMon Measures

• Website Traffic• Sales• Conversion rates• SEo ranking

• Time on site• Customer feedback• Subscriber growth


5. Measurement & successprioritise the goals for your business. Which measures could you track to assess performance?

15 mins

orGanIsaTIonal Goals

• Awareness• Engagement• Lead Generation• Lead Nurturing• Sales• Up-sell/cross-sell • Customer loyalty

CoMMon Measures

• Website Traffic• Sales• Conversion rates• SEo ranking• Time on site• Customer feedback• Subscriber growth


all done! Nice one. High fives all round.

3.0 workshop

IMage : DIctIonary.coM vIa twItter

175 mins


let's recap & discuss

1.0 introduction


InTeresTs, needs &

CHallenGes

paTH aCross CHannels &

ConTenT

CHeCk & Measure

learn, experIMenT and reFIne


publIsH and re-purpose on

CHannels

CreaTe & CuraTe GreaT ConTenT

seT sCHedule & InVolVe experTs

plannInG & sTraTeGy CreaTe & publIsH learn & IMproVe

Mark GlennCreative Director & Head of Experience

Thank you.