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Startup Content
How to Do It Right
JOHN DOHERTY
DISTILLED NYC

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@dohertyjf
Today we are talking about startups and
marketing, but to win long term in
marketing it helps to have content.

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@dohertyjf
A lot of startups, though, think of
marketing after the fact, and then it’s
“marketing content”, not useful content.

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@dohertyjf
Most of you are SEOs. This is the startup
version of “SEO content”.

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@dohertyjf
#facepalm

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@dohertyjf
Why Create
Great Content

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@dohertyjf
Search Volume
“Dollar Shave Club” far outstrips “men’s razors” in search volume.

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@dohertyjf
Increased Coverage

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@dohertyjf
Links (aka Traffic)
Image via MajesticSEO

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@dohertyjf
Traffic = money/users
243% Organic Improvement Users go the same way
13,967
14,000 14,000
12,129
11,206
10,500 10,500
7,000 7,000
6,012
5,087
4,072
3,500 3,500
0 0
Dec-11 Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Dec-11 Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12
Organic visitors

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@dohertyjf
Startups Who
Fail at Content
Marketing

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@dohertyjf
Instagram ($1bn of nothing)

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@dohertyjf
Instagram’s Site

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@dohertyjf
Their Web Interface Sucks

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@dohertyjf
They should have done Pinstagram

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@dohertyjf
Mint.com

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@dohertyjf
Mint.com’s Blog is Meh

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@dohertyjf
But their product is sexy

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@dohertyjf
They should have done what WePay did

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@dohertyjf
HouseBites.com

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@dohertyjf
HouseBites.com is boring

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@dohertyjf
So is their blog 

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@dohertyjf
Their Flickr is AMAZING

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@dohertyjf
They should be all over Pinterest. But they only have 14 images there. Missed
opportunity.

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@dohertyjf
Startups Who
Do It Right

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@dohertyjf
Oyster.com – Doing It Right(ish)

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@dohertyjf
Oyster’s Photo Fakeouts (293 Linking Root Domains)

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@dohertyjf
WePay.com

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@dohertyjf
WePay Does It Right

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@dohertyjf
WePay’s Publicity Stunt

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@dohertyjf
Don’t just think about content on your
own site either. Here are two examples of
startups whose founders have big
followings.

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@dohertyjf
Hubspot
http://onstartups.com/

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@dohertyjf
BufferApp
http://leostartsup.com/

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@dohertyjf
“But I’m Not
Creative”

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@dohertyjf

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@dohertyjf
Industry-Shaking Content is Difficult
Folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never
get paid for any more than they do.
- Elbert Hubbard

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@dohertyjf
Difficult, Focused Work Pays Off

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@dohertyjf
Step 1: Don’t Talk About Yourself
http://www.johnfdoherty.com/
brand-voice-marketing/

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@dohertyjf
Step 2: Audience
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/keyword-level-demographics

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@dohertyjf
Step 3: Competitor Research
[keyword phrase] + guide
How to [keyword phrase]
https://seogadget.co.uk/content-
strategy-generator-tool-v2-update/

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@dohertyjf
Step 4: Prioritize, Resourcize,
Calendarize
Start small. Get a dedicated resource (pro tip next slide) to produce one piece of
difficult-to-replicate content.
Create a calendar of consistent material. Your first won’t get many links. Your
second will get more. Your third will do better.

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@dohertyjf
Step 4: Prioritize and Resourcize
Ahem: https://www.google.com/search?q=find+an+intern&pws=0

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@dohertyjf
Our Intern Did This

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@dohertyjf
Our Intern Did This
It’s our 6th most linked-to page.
It got a link from Seth Godin
Done by a 17 year-old

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@dohertyjf
Step 5: Do The Hard Work
Do The Big Work (Seth Godin)

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@dohertyjf
Step 6: Outreach
Remember these guys?
Now it’s time for
outreach.
Email
Social media
PR
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/outreach-for-linkbuilding-whiteboard-
friday

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@dohertyjf
John Doherty
SEO Consultant – Distilled
john.doherty@distilled.net
http://twitter.com/#!/dohertyjf
SEO Consultant at Distilled NYC.
Traveler.
Rock climber.
Company Blog: http://www.distilled.net/blog/
Personal Blog: http://www.johnfdoherty.com/
Facebook – Public Profile

48.
Thank You
Questions?
JOHN DOHERTY Distilled NYC