Marketing has changed significantly in the last few years. As the number and ways we can connect with customers continues to expand, so does our ability to listen, get feedback and respond. But there’s a difference between just pumping out content because technology now makes it easier and having something relevant to say. Today’s B2B marketer needs to how content marketing feeds the new buyer’s journey has changed and why you need a thoughtful strategy in place to drive the sales and marketing engine. Smart marketers know they can’t do everything and be everywhere. But how do you determine your priorities? Developing a content strategy that tells a consistent story to a specific audience serves as the first step. But that strategy requires a relevant, contextual approach and sustainable storyline that reflects the social nature of business today. During this introductory level presentation, Carla will cover: Why a content strategy matters How it affects the success of a content marketing program How to develop a business case to gain executive support Specific steps to create a content strategy

1. Building the Beast:
5 Steps to Creating an Actionable
Content Marketing Strategy
Carla Johnson
President, Type A Communications
@CarlaJohnson

2. AGENDA
• Why a content strategy matters
• The difference between content
strategy and content marketing
• How to build a business case
• Steps to creating a strategy
• What to do next after you’ve set
your strategy
@CarlaJohnson

3. CARLA
JOHNSON
President
@CarlaJohnson
@CarlaJohnson

4. 1
WHY CONTENT
STRATEGY MATTERS
@CarlaJohnson

5. WHY
CONTENT
STRATEGY
MATTERS
Goldfish attention span = 9 seconds
Human attention span = 8 seconds
@CarlaJohnson

6. WHY
CONTENT
STRATEGY
MATTERS
100%
93%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
44%
42%
% Who Have a
Documented
Strategy
% Who Say They
Are Effective at
Content Marketing
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
% B2B Marketers
Who Say They Use
Content Marketing
2014 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends,
North America, Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
@CarlaJohnson

7. CONTENT
STRATEGY
VS.
CONTENT
MARKETING
Content
Strategy
• Why, Who and How
• Knowing what your
audience wants
• Directs content with the goal of
generating a financial return
Content
Marketing
• What and When
• Creating and distributing what
your audience wants
• Guided by and overall strategy
that delivers specific content at
the right time and place
@CarlaJohnson

8. PURPOSE
OF A
CONTENT
STRATEGY
• Call out the goals of your
content marketing program and
how you’ll accomplish them
• Persuade your internal audience
(i.e. those who approve
budgets) that content is a true
resource and game changer for
your customers and prospects
• Create a ‘profile’ of successful
content types that others can
see for future reference and use
@CarlaJohnson

9. 2
BUILDING A
BUSINESS CASE
@CarlaJohnson

10. BUILDING
A
BUSINESS
CASE
22%
of B2B marketers
say that it’s a
challenge to get
executive buy-in
for a content
marketing
program.
2014 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends,
North America, Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
@CarlaJohnson

11. BUILDING
A
BUSINESS
CASE
1. Tell them your purpose
2. Describe the current
situation
3. Define content marketing
and its value
4. Use data
5. Create an action plan
6. Ask for what you want
@CarlaJohnson

12. 3
DEVELOPING A
CONTENT STRATEGY

13. CREATING
YOUR
STRATEGY
1.Define your objectives
− What business objectives do you
want to accomplish?
─ What do you want your content
to do?
─ Prioritize what’s most important,
i.e….
•
•
•
•
•
Build brand awareness
Establish your expertise
Educate buyers
Move leads through the sales
process
Improve retention
@CarlaJohnson

14. EXAMPLE
DEFINE
OBJECTIVES
A software consulting company wanted to
shift the perception that consumers and
prospects had of them from a vendor to one
of a trusted advisor so they seek their advice
earlier in the sales process.
• They wanted their content to educate
people about changing technologies in our
industry and how it impacts the business
performance of companies
• Priorities: Establish expertise, educate
buyers, build relationships with influencers
@CarlaJohnson

15. CREATING
YOUR
STRATEGY
2. Develop Your Story
− Understand and articulate
what business you’re really in
─ It’s not about features and
benefits; it’s about the
difference you’re trying to
make in your customers’ lives
─ Answer WHY
@CarlaJohnson

16. TOO MANY
COMPANIES
SOUND
LIKE THIS
ACME is one of the leading providers Florida.
Since its inception in 1976, ACME’s signature has
been its responsiveness to clients and its delivery
of a superior product. Our commitment to
excellence, combined with our responsiveness,
has gained us an outstanding reputation in the
transportation industry and more importantly,
the trust and confidence of our clients. Today, we
are one of the largest minority owned civil
engineering firms in Florida and among the top in
consulting engineering firms specializing in civil
and transportation related projects. Our
corporate headquarters are located in Miami
with regional offices located in Pensacola, Tampa
and Jacksonville.
@CarlaJohnson

17. Your
Competition
Isn’t
Your
Competition
What Does the Fox Say?
234,606,896 Views
1,673 Years of Human Time
@CarlaJohnson

18. Your
Competition
Isn’t
Your
Competition
Gangnam Style
1,824,814,573 Views
14,545 Years of Human Time
@CarlaJohnson

19. EXAMPLE
DEVELOP
YOUR
STORY
Old Story:
We’re the leading organization
in North America focused on
marketing analytics,
optimization and automation.
New Story:
We empower marketers to do
their jobs better and with less
effort.
@CarlaJohnson

20. DEVELOP
YOUR
STORY
Answer these questions:

Why was your company started?

What have you always done well?

What have you failed at miserably?

If your company went away
tomorrow, what would be missed?
@CarlaJohnson

21. CREATING
YOUR
STRATEGY
3.Develop Buyer Personas
─ Composite of characteristics of a
group of people
─ Help you to understand their
perspective, fears, drivers and
content needs
─ Types of content:
• How they access it
• What messages resonate with
them
• What matters when in the buyer’s
cycle
@CarlaJohnson

22. Senior Director, Director (head of e-commerce)
@CarlaJohnson

23. Profile
Technology background - online/digital marketing, programming, web
development. Oversees a team comprised of online strategists within the
marketing organization that may also include social media, marketing automation,
demand generation, campaigns, database administration, mobile and marketing
infrastructure. Oversees a small team usually ranging from three to 15 employees.
Consumption of content depends on time of day – smart phones and tablets in
the morning, addition of laptops during the day. Uses laptop in the evening for
heavy reading. Primarily use laptop when looking for content for research and
decision-making.
@CarlaJohnson

24. Frustrations/Pressures/Concerns:
• Battling a preconceived notion of IT’s need to control technology spend
• Challenged to keep up with changes in technology
Priorities/Drivers:
• Raising the profile of marketing’s knowledge of technology so they are
involved as part of the business strategy and don’t operate from a tactical level
• Establishing and communicating the need to improve IT applications and
infrastructure and overall efficiency
Messaging:
• Demystifying the technology by telling a story that relates it to people
and the business
• Set the context by starting with the business perspective and get down
to technical details
• Ability to “test drive” software before making a decision
@CarlaJohnson

25. Content Needs:
Content Sources/Types:
Type of content depends on
where he is in the buying cycle.
Conducts initial research
through analyst reports and
white papers. The closer he
gets to the desired vendor of
choice, the more he wants to
interact with them directly.
Requires one-to-one interaction
before making a decision.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Webinars
Research reports
Analyst reports
White papers
Case studies
Vendor demo sites
Google search
Conferences –programming and technical
Peers/Word of Mouth
Blog posts
@CarlaJohnson

26. CREATING
YOUR
STRATEGY
4. Content Audit / Mapping
─ What content do you already
have that you want to continue
to use?
─ What type is it? What topic?
─ What persona does it address?
─ What condition is it in?
─ Once you’ve created the list, are
there obvious holes that you
need to address?
@CarlaJohnson

27. EXAMPLE
CONTENT
AUDIT
Content
Type
Content
Topic
Target
Persona
Location
Comment
Web page
Product
Karen Olson
URL
Content is solid
but needs
updating to
reflect brand
story
White Paper
(PDF)
Trends in
marketing
automation
platforms
Jeff Smith
Online (URL)
Marketing
portal
Highly technical
product
information for
last stage
decision making
Video
3 Things to
Look for in
a Marketing
Automation
Partner
Maria
Jensen
YouTube
(URL)
90 seconds,
geared toward
YouTube to help
ignite the
conversation of
what to look for
in a partner
@CarlaJohnson

28. CREATING
YOUR
STRATEGY
Source: CatapultWorks
@CarlaJohnson

29. BUYER’S
JOURNEY
Possible
Solutions
Vendor
Search
Selection
Retention
Upsell
Evangelism
What’s my
problem?
What do I
need to do?
Who can
help me?
I want to
feel good
about my
decision
Reinforce my
choice
Thought
leadership
ID problems
How you’ve
helped
others
Detailed,
technical
information
Prove ROI
How to use,
Success
stories
Problem
Awareness
Education
Something
isn’t right
What’s the
difference
you want to
make?
Bigger Story
Detailed Story
+ Proof Points
@CarlaJohnson

30. CONTENT
MAPPING
Possible
Solutions
Vendor
Search
Selection
Retention
Upsell
Evangelism
Persona
#1
Persona
#1
Persona
#2
Persona
#2
Persona
#2
Persona
#3
Persona
#1
Persona
#2
Persona
#2
Persona
#3
White
paper
Tradeshow
Case
Studies
Cust Event
Articles
Solution
Briefs
Case
Studies
Videos
Blogs
Prove ROI
Testimonials
Cust Events
User
Stories
Blogs
Problem
Awareness
Education
Bigger Story
Product
specs
User Stories
Testimonials
Detailed Story
+ Proof Points
@CarlaJohnson

31. CREATING
YOUR
STRATEGY
5. Determine Measurement
Metrics
─ Tie to your business objectives
─ Know what you’re willing to
change
─ Measure what drives the
behavior you want
─ Use metrics to make
refinement
@CarlaJohnson

32. CREATING
YOUR
STRATEGY
Consumption
Metrics
Sharing
Metrics
Lead
Generation
Metrics
Sales
Metrics
Source: Convince & Convert
@CarlaJohnson

33. EXAMPLE
MEASUREMENT
METRICS
FOR CONTENT
CONSUMPTION
Content
Consumption
Page Views
1,796
Video Views
323
Document Views
293
Download
197
@CarlaJohnson

34. MEASUREMENT
AND
METRICS
What metrics support your
business objectives?







Build awareness
Educate buyers
Engage influencers
Generate leads
Lead nurturing
Better engage existing customers
Cross sell / up sell
@CarlaJohnson

35. Carla Johnson, President
Type A Communications
(720) 344-0987
carla@goTypeA.com
www.goTypeA.com
Type A Communications
@carlajohnson
Carla Johnson
Carla Johnson