This document outlines steps for developing an effective content marketing strategy, including defining customer personas, mapping content to the customer journey, assembling a content team, creating an editorial calendar, and establishing metrics for measuring success. An effective content strategy focuses on understanding the customer's needs at each stage, developing brand stories to address those needs, and distributing content through the appropriate channels. The key is to publish content consistently, listen to customer feedback, measure performance, and continuously improve the process.

1. I’VE JUST CRAFTED THE
PERFECT TWEET!
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
WITH CONTENT MARKETING

2. ABOUT LAUREN LICATA
CONTENT MARKETING MANAGER,
BASE CRM
@LAURENLICATA
LAUREN.LICATA411@GMAIL.COM
WWW.CONTENTPROWESS.COM
THIS PRESENTATION WAS ORIGINALLY GIVEN AT
THE APPLE STORE, NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE,
CHICAGO, IL

3. PETE
WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?

4. HOW DID YOU USED TO REACH PETE?
PAID MEDIA

5. OWNED MEDIA
EARNED MEDIA
HOW SHOULD YOU REACH PETE TODAY?

6. WHY?

7. HE SKIPS TV ADS WITH DVR
HE UNSUBSCRIBES FROM EMAIL
HE DOESN’T READ DIRECT MAIL
HE ADDED HIMSELF TO THE NO CALL LIST

8. 86% SKIP TV ADS WITH DVR
91% UNSUBSCRIBE FROM EMAIL
44% DON’T READ DIRECT MAIL
200M ON THE NO CALL LIST

9. BUT HE
LOVES GOOGLE!
88% OF US INTERNET USERS AGES 14+
BROWSE OR RESEARCH PRODUCTS ONLINE

10. HOW SHOULD BRANDS ADJUST FROM
PUSH MARKETING (OUTBOUND) TO
PULL MARKETING (INBOUND)?

11. CONTENT MARKETING

12. WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?
Content marketing is the process of developing and
publishing branded content to acquire new
customers and increase business from
existing customers.

13. CONTENT COMES IN MANY FORMS
Blogs
Ebooks
Videos
Images
Email Campaigns
Webinars
Podcasts
Case Studies
HTTP://WWW.PROGRESSIVE.COM/
UNDERSTANDING-INSURANCE/ENTRIES/
2013/4/16/FLYING_FURNITURE__A/
Guides/Customer Support Articles
Social Media
Paid (Sponsored Content, Ads (TV, Radio, Magazine, Social Media, Banner, etc.)

14. GOOGLE TRENDS

15. • CONTENT 2020 PLAN
• 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS - SPONSORSHIP = 9 AD
EXECUTIONS
• 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS - SPONSORSHIP = 120
PIECES OF CONTENT
• WE HAVE A VOLUME CONUNDRUM!

16. Family-owned, pool company in Virginia grew to be one of the
largest of its kind in the world (due to content marketing
efforts and an incredibly popular swimming pool blog)

17. HOW?

18. BUILDING YOUR CONTENT
MARKETING STRATEGY
VISIT CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

19. WHAT WE’RE REALLY TALKING
ABOUT IS MOUSE TRAP.

20. 1. DEFINE YOUR MARKETING PROCESS
How your customer proceeds through your sales and marketing funnel.
Visitor
Engaged
Visitor
LEAD
Trial
Account
Retain/Upsell
Evangelism
CUSTOMER
MEASURE THE DROP-OFF IN BETWEEN EACH STAGE

21. 2. UNDERSTAND YOUR
CUSTOMERS BUYING CYCLE
BACK TO EDUCATION
AWARENESS/
EDUCATION
EVALUATION
INFORMATION
OF
SEARCH
ALTERNATIVES
PURCHASE
DECISION
POST
PURCHASE
EVALUATION

22. 3. DEVELOP CUSTOMER PERSONAS
Personas ≠ Demographics (age/race/gender)
Figure out who you are talking to - makes writing content for them much easier!
Create a persona for each key customer.
Answer these questions: Who are they? / What is their need? / Why do they care about our
company? / What is the EVP we offer them?

23. 4. CREATE YOUR BRAND STORIES
What do you want people to know about your company/product?
What business are you really in?
Develop your brand “pillars” that all of your content will ladder up to.
EDITORIAL FOCUS ON
“CUSTOMER PAIN” - THE
STATUS QUO.
EDITORIAL FOCUS ON
QUESTIONING THE WAY
THINGS ARE.
BUT...A NEW WAY IS
COMING
CHALLENGE STATUS QUO
EDITORIAL FOCUS ON
HOW YOUR BRAND SOLVES
YOUR CUSTOMER’S
PROBLEMS.
A NEW WAY IS HERE!

24. 5. MAP EXISTING CONTENT AGAINST
ENGAGEMENT CYCLE
Helps identify gaps in your content & helps to prioritize
Take inventory for all personas
Buying Cycle
Marketing
Cycle
Education
• Visitors
Blog
Persona #1
• Visitors
• Leads
Alternatives
•Leads
•Visitors
Decision
• Customers
Ebook
Free template
Newsletter
X
X
Webinar
Blog
Post-Purchase Evaluation
• Customers
Customer Service/
Support Articles
Blog
Video
Persona #2
Info Search
Blog
Case Studies
Customer Newsletter
X
X
X

25. 6. ASSEMBLE YOUR TEAM
CCO
• Owns content initiative - executes content goals
• Integration of marketing and content including social media
• Audience development
• Budgeting & measurement
Editor(s)
• Grammar/style corrections
• Search engine optimization (SEO) of posts
• Tagging and images
• Keyword selection
Creators
• Write the content (subject matter experts or freelancers)
• Videographer
Designer
• Interface designer (if web initiative like landing pages, mobile app)
• PDFs/ Keynote presentations/ ebooks, etc.

26. 7. DEVELOP EDITORIAL STYLE GUIDE
Content Mission/Brand Story Themes
Personas
Tone - playful, witty, professorial
Topic examples
Length & style of blog posts/ebooks etc.
Spelling/Grammar guidelines - Chicago
vs. AP Manual of Style

27. 8. DEFINE YOUR METRICS
VISITORS
CONVERSIONS
ENGAGEMENT
UNIQUE BLOG VISITS
WEBSITE VISITORS
QUALITY OF VISITORS
PAGES/VISIT
BOUNCE RATE
FREE TRIALS
PAID ACCOUNTS
SUBSCRIBERS
CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS
LEADS
COST/CUSTOMER
SOCIAL REACH
BLOG COMMENTS
SM TRAFFIC

28. 9. CREATE YOUR EDITORIAL
CALENDAR
Map your brand stories to channels, dates, and specific topics.
At least 2 weeks in advance
1.
Topic
2.
Author (Creator)
3.
Format (Keynote, Word, Video, PDF, etc.)
4.
Draft Due Date
5.
Publication Date
6.
Publishing Location (Your Blog, SlideShare, Guest Post, etc.)

29. 10. DEVELOP YOUR DISTRIBUTION
STRATEGY

30. PUBLISH, LISTEN, MEASURE, REPEAT
SOURCES:
CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE
MANAGING CONTENT MARKETING
EXACT TARGET
A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO CONTENT MARKETING
HUBSPOT
COPYBLOGGER
Once everything is in motion, you can see the momentum
that your content marketing machine has. It all leads to
getting the cheese to where the customer can find it.

31. TAKEAWAYS
1. CONTENT MARKETING IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT DITCH CAMPAIGN MENTALITY
2. MARKETING TECHNIQUES CHANGE, GOOD STORIES DON’T
3. CONTENT MARKETING IS JUST MARKETING - BUT WE NEED A
NAME FOR IT (FOR NOW)