Industry events tend to pass by in a flash, creating a whirlwind of information – it can be hard to wrap your head around it all afterwards. In the midst of showbags, meetings, presentations, workshops and networking events, it’s understandable why you may come out suffering from information overload!

1. CONTENT MARKETING
WORLD SYDNey
HOW TO APPLY THE TOP TAKE
OUTS TO YOUR BUSINESS

2. Having worked with the Content Marketing
In March 2013, the largest annual gathering of
Where did Content content marketing professionals in the world
came to Sydney!
Institute founder Joe Pulizzi over many
years to bring the event to Australia, King
Content was proud to be appointed the
Marketing World The first of its kind ever held outside of North
America (a testament to the voracious appetite
exclusive media partner for the event.
come from? of Australian marketers and their interest in
the power of content), Content Marketing
CMW Sydney had a world-class agenda.
Alongside international content marketing
World (CMW) brought together recognised gurus Joe Pulizzi, Jay Baer and Robert Rose,
content marketing experts and local marketing the event boasted speakers from large
practitioners for three days of workshops, multinational brands like Kraft, Amex and
keynotes and networking. Spotify as well as local heavyweights from
the AFL, NRMA, McCann and Woolworths.
With critical insights into the strategic
application of content marketing and
‘behind the scenes’ project analysis from
the brand speakers, we believe the advice
presented by the speakers throughout
the event will be essential to marketing
practitioners engaging in content marketing
in the next 12 months.
How can I apply Content Marketing to my brand?
Industry events tend to pass by in a flash, creating a whirlwind of information – it can
be hard to wrap your head around it all afterwards. In the midst of showbags, meetings,
presentations, workshops and networking events, it’s understandable why you may
come out suffering from information overload!
Over the following pages, we’ll present the highlights of CMW with advice for you
to take away.

3. So what did Joe have to say?
The critical difference between producing Likening content marketing to building
content and engaging in content marketing an online home for your brand, Joe asked:
is that content marketing has clear strategic “If you’re building a house do you just start
and measurable outcomes. throwing bricks around? No, you call an
Introducing Joe Pulizzi…
architect and create a plan.’’
To be effective, brands need to stop creating
They call him the godfather of content marketing and it wasn’t hard to see why. content for the sake of it, and start focusing Content marketing requires strategy.
Joe Pulizzi – founder of both the Content Marketing Institute and Content Marketing on the types of content that are going to
World event – strode onto the stage in his signature bright orange suit on the first day work, for both customers and business goals.
of CMW Sydney.
Joe was there to open the inaugural
Australian event and to discuss the recent
research the Content Marketing Institute
and ADMA had conducted into Australian
content marketing benchmarks, budgets
The full research report is available online,
but like us, Joe appeared most interested in
the following three findings:
• 96% of Australian marketers claim to
use content marketing. And the B2B
“ The time for filling
buckets with content
just for the sake
”
sector (98%) uses content marketing
and trends.
more often than both its North of it is long past.
American (91%) and UK (95%) peers.
• Only 29% of these marketers believe
their content marketing efforts are
‘effective’ or ‘very effective’, which means
we rank ourselves lowest in effectiveness
when compared to both UK (39%) and
North American (37%) marketers.
• Yet a whopping 61% of Australian
marketers plan to increase their content
marketing budget over the next ‘12
months.
These numbers are both exciting and daunting
Yes, the adoption rate is fantastic and demonstrates a major shift in the media landscape
since 2010, when King Content was established and content marketing was still an
unfamiliar concept.
However, the disparity between marketers’ belief in the effectiveness of their content
marketing and the increasing budget being allocated to content in the next 12 months
indicates that something’s not matching up.
@juntajoe

4. Jay Baer on… ‘Youtility’ How to apply Youtility to your business
Perhaps the most talked about subject at CMW Sydney was the concept of YOUtility. Sell something and you make a customer today, help someone with the information
“What’s that?,” we hear you ask. It’s the term coined by president of Convince and they need and you’ll make a customer for life.
Convert and all-round content marketing guru Jay Baer. He describes it as the First, ask yourself: “How can I help my customers more?”
difference between helping and selling.
What are your customers motivated by and what are their needs and their desires?
It’s “help over hype” marketing – marketing so useful, someone would pay for it. Can you offer something simply for the sake of offering?
YOUtility is epitomised in Social technologies like Siri, Facebook and Five steps to YOUtility:
examples such as the ‘Hilton Twitter are taking over from traditional
Suggests’ Twitter handle. It involves search engines as our primary source of 1. Discover customer needs 3. Market your marketing
Hilton Hotels’ staff monitoring information. Which means that your business What are your customers searching for on Many marketers fail because they think
Twitter and answering people’s is now competing for attention with your your site? What are they talking about on the fact that they produced content is the
questions about anything they can help with customers’ family and friends – personal and social media? Go over your analytics with a end of the process. It’s only the beginning.
(best local restaurants, what train to catch, professional relationships are merging. fine-tooth comb and if you still want more And this is where social media is so useful
even activities close to a person’s non-Hilton information, ASK them in customer surveys in getting your message to your audience.
hotel). They’re using staff time and resources Hence the need for YOUtility. If your brand or feedback forms. But remember, social media should be used
to help people who aren’t even customers in is inherently useful, your customers will keep to promote your YOUtility first, and your
the hope that by helping them, rather than you close. 2. Map customer needs business second.
selling, they’ll gain customers for life. Map your customer needs to programs. That
This is what Baer calls “friend of mine” is, what medium is the most useful way to 4. Make YOUtility a skill, not a job
Wave goodbye to classic marketing. awareness. deliver the information – a blog, a video, a Your entire staff should be trained in
YOUtility has always worked – for brands mobile app, a printed guide? It’s helpful to YOUtility, in helping your customers. It’s a
of all sizes – but in the current marketing think about WHEN customers will most need skill to be insourced, not a job to be given to
environment it’s not just an added extra, but the information when making this decision, one person.
a NECESSITY. The classic marketing strategies e.g. will they have access to a desktop
of ‘top of mind’ awareness and ‘frame of computer or only their smartphone? 5. Make YOUtility a process, not a project
mind’ awareness are not nearly as effective YOUtility should be a component of all your
as they once were because audiences are marketing strategies, not a concept to be
splintering. And, fundamentally, they no employed on a project-by-project basis.
longer trust big business.
@jaybaer

5. Matt Pinkney on… How to become a publisher Six lessons in owned media:
1. Tell it, warts and all 5. Hire great storytellers
There has been a fundamental shift in journalism in the last five years. It’s important to Pinkney that AFL Media No matter the company or the
Traditionally, there’s always been animosity between the media and marketing. But produces genuine news content that communication goals, every brand has a
conveys “the real story” – even if it’s story. And telling that story in a compelling
content marketing is starting to bridge that gap. Because storytelling – such an important
considered negative coverage. Unless and engaging way should form the crux of all
aspect of journalism – is at the heart of content marketing. And traditional media models the content you’re producing.
your customers can trust you to give them
are struggling. credible information, they’ll go elsewhere.
Transparency with audiences builds trust and 6. Try, test, discard if necessary
engagement. One of the many benefits of digital media
is how easy it is to change and adapt.
2. Don’t forget about design Some tactics will work for some brands
Design is a high priority for AFL Media. and audiences, and others won’t. Perhaps
Content ‘sells’ the story, and design helps to Pinkney’s best piece of advice was to be
‘sell’ the content. brave – to at least try an idea, watch your
analytics to see if it works and if it doesn’t,
3. Package and link aggressively simply try something else.
The curating of related content helps keep
people on your site. For every piece of In 18 months, the site has attracted 3.2
content published on www.afl.com.au, there million unique visitors, driven 1.9 million
is a package of related articles, videos and unique visitors to the clubs’ pages, had 35
stats for the reader to consume as well. million video streams and enjoyed 194%
As one of the largest sporting organisations The goal was to become an independent growth on mobile. It just goes to show the
in Australia, the AFL recently took the radical news source, a custom publisher for AFL enormous opportunity for brands that take
step of creating AFL Media – a separate clubs and a provider of new technologies.
4. Be brave
Don’t protect your brand so closely it’s PR, a brave approach to attracting fans and
business unit that operates on a 100 per cent The “ultimate aim is to service the AFL fan customers.
warns Pinkney. Consumers are too savvy
owned media model. And it’s managed by a and their desire for complete coverage of
these days, and can spot a hard sell a mile
former Walkley Award-winning journalist football,” said Pinkney.
away.
who has worked in newspapers for more
than 20 years. So what lessons can your brand learn from
AFL Media? Is it really possible to ‘own’ your
industry online?
@MattPinkey

6. Think your company is too dull to be extraordinary?
If a lone taxi driver can do it, so can your marcom team…
Taxi Mike’s Dining Guide, Planning guides and videos,
by Mike the taxi driver by Holiday World
A Canadian cabby had the ingenious This budget website allows
idea of creating a fluoro yellow flyer parents to plan their theme-park
telling tourists the popular coffee thrill to a tee, offering detailed info on
spots, the hottest bars and even
Julie Fleischer on… the best cheap eats in town. Sure
everything from weather forecasts and
height restrictions to parking schedules
the design is primitive, but it offers
Ordinary businesses creating extraordinary content and safety rules, even what to do with
invaluable information – including
a street map – which means every your pet. They’ve also got multiple
other tourist carries Mike’s number videos of each ride, slow motion or fast.
Think your brand has nothing to say? Or that you don’t have the budget or resources in their pocket.
to create good content? At CMW, Julie Fleischer shared the strategy behind Kraft
(an everyday household food producer) becoming a go-to brand for “delicious food
solutions”. Their content mission statement is to:
Car Seat Helper App, Awesome blog, by River Pools
by Phoenix Children’s Hospital When the global economy flopped,
“
so too did the pool business. One
Create delicious meal solutions This app helps parents buy the best
car seat to suit their child’s age, Virginian company decided to start
that inspire amazing food stories height, weight and special needs,
as well as state laws. Why would a
an awesome blog (their words, and
ours) and even created an extensive
which spread to drive sales and hospital develop this? Because using free e-book, The Only Fibreglass
Pool Guide You’ll Ever Need!. They
”
a safety seat drastically reduces a
create value for Kraft Foods. child’s risk of injury or death, which became the number one source of
makes their job easier. pool information in the country, and
business has never been better.
Interactive YouTube series, What Knot to Do (in the
by Life Technologies Greater Outdoors), by Columbia
Applied biosystems, cell Sportswear Company
reprogramming, e. coli… They’re not This app is a pocket guide to 70
exactly exciting topics, unless they specifically common knots in six categories –
apply to you. Life Technologies’ YouTube surely more knots than anyone could
channel used the tactic of creating an ever need. It offers clear step-by-
interactive video series that takes patients step instructions with illustrations to
through Q&A scenarios tailored to match, offering
their individual medical needs. real time relevance and, of
The 43 videos have more than course, YOUtility.
75,000 views to date.
@jfly

7. Emma Cornwell on… The celebrity effect
The star strategy
Our society is obsessed with celebrities.
The idea of brands “piggybacking” off this so-called star power is certainly nothing
new – celebrity endorsement is a go-to advertising approach. And yet few Australian
brands think to use the same tactic in their content marketing strategies. Builds Positions Attracts new Raises brand Pulls PR
credibility your brand audiences awareness
In the NRMA’s experience, celebrities are The key to effective celebrity blogging is to
grateful for the opportunity to get involved. choose the celebrities that best suit your
TV heartthrob Tom Williams says he’d rather brand. Do this well, and their fans will soon
be part of a conversation than not be talked become yours.
about at all, and ex-Home & Away star Holly
Brisley loves the idea of working from her
living room (no hair and makeup required).
The NRMA has embraced celebrity bloggers, Rather than positioning celebrities on a
something which has seen their entertaining pedestal (as you often see in magazines), the
content portal Live4 (a King Content project) stars themselves write the content and share
get impressive hit rates. In her presentation personal thoughts on everyday life with
at CMW, head of publishing at the NRMA Live4’s audience – Zoe Foster has blogged
Emma Cornwell discussed their approach. about why we should all eat more cake, and
Rosso fumed over the state of Sydney’s
public transport system. Their profile pulls
people in, and the remarkable engagement
metrics speak for themselves. So why does it
work so well?

8. Business owners and marketing managers fewer people coming to your page but are
Robert Rose on… Integrating content marketing
who are currently just using SEO strategies feeding these potential consumers with
or PR must start using an all-encompassing engaging content, you will actually start to
approach to their digital marketing. see increased sales (with less spend going
Even experienced marketers were astonished with the stats that Robert Rose Integrating content into current tactics will into the conversion!).
presented. Could a drop in online traffic actually result in more sales? And how could have an outstandingly positive effect.
you possibly get that over the line? While many marketers feel confident with the
work they produce, what is often missing is an integrated content approach… However, it’s important to be aware that Ownership benefits
content is a slow burn and is a strategy Once you’ve built your audience, your ROI
for those with time who want long-lasting goes up since you no longer have to pay rent
Robert Rose is a strategist in residence for Robert somehow managed to grab every results. Taking budget from SEO or PPC and for media.
CMI and his presentation was left until late form of digital marketing by the shoulders using this for quality content production
in the CMW event – for good reason. His and shake them into seeing that they alone may initially result in a drop in traffic. This is
high level of strategic thinking is not for the are not the answer to success – and that enough to freak any business owner out. But
faint hearted and his talk on integrating the key for all of them is integrating content bear with the strategy, and the traffic you do
content marketing was one of the most marketing. How he did this without insulting capture is far more likely to convert to a sale.
challenging from both a technical and some of the PR and SEO agencies in the Remember: less web traffic does not
strategic perspective. room was a miracle but somehow, he did. necessarily mean fewer sales. If you have
While those new to content marketing could What he proved was although integrating
be seen breaking out into cold sweats, those content into PPC, SEO, social media etc.
familiar with the industry were left excited may be a long burn in terms of consumer
about the fact that they could now prove acquisition, it leads to a far greater spend
that PPC advertising, SEO, PR and social across a longer period of time.
media are not the most cost-effective way content marketing
to generate and convert leads when used In other words, integrating content
independently. marketing results in a greater ROI.
paid search
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
month
@Robert_Rose

9. Content marketing isn’t about filling buckets. It’s a long-term strategy to achieve
your objectives and become truly useful to your customers. It’s not about simply
increasing web traffic but increasing sales. Remember, if you have fewer people
coming to your page but are feeding these potential consumers with the engaging
content they require to make a purchase, you’ll actually start to see increased sales
and a much better conversion rate.
Want to learn more about applying
these insights to your business?
Give King Content a call on 02 8204 0600
www.kingcontent.com.au
info@kingcontent.com.au