Marketing is perceived as an art by many. Yet it is a strategy; one that can be designed through powerful techniques, practiced, and mastered. And among such techniques lies content marketing: the most modern and effective online storytelling and inbound marketing approach for all types of organizations. Check out our latest blogpost: http://www.metavallon.org/how-to-win-over-customers-and-grow-your-startup-through-content/

1. How to “blow the lid off” your
startup with Content and Inbound
Marketing

2. According to Content Marketing
Institute
Content Marketing is “a marketing
technique of creating and
distributing relevant and valuable
content to attract, acquire, and
engage a clearly defined and
understood target audience – with
the objective of driving profitable
customer action”.
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3. In fact, it is all about
storytelling.
Unknowingly, the average person receives an
average of 360 commercial messages on a
daily basis. We don’t appreciate advertising
any more. We appreciate organizations that
tell nice stories.
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4. Why content marketing is useful for
startups
Startups produce a wealth of useful and
valuable information on a day-to-day basis.
Publishing this material allows them to:
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Build an active online
community and
generate ORGANIC
LEADS
Establish brand +
product/service
awareness
Create a trustworthy
profile
Become opinion
leaders
Engage with
prospects
“Listen” to their market
through their social media
and make a product or
service more competitive

5. In general, the major benefits of
content marketing are:
Original and informative content with careful keyword
selection and “white hat” approach to SEO. This makes
the webpages (+ blog) of a startup extremely friendly
towards Google search engine. Also content marketing:
Is a lot cheaper
than native
advertising
Is the basis for
inbound marketing
and leads
generation
Allows modern
customer service
operations
Helps companies
increase customer
loyalty
Is the perfect tool
for advanced and
dispersed sales
teams
Is the most
efficient way to
build a proper
community
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6. Example: How they get Customers at MOZ?
Paid Channels
Inbound
~18% of signups come via paid channels (in blue); the rest are via inbound channels

7. Visitors you can buy.
Customers and partners you can never
buy.
YOU EARN
THEM
The “secret” is to educate, inform, entertain
people. Oh yes, and make people feel good.

8. Only quality and informative content
will take prospects from top to the
bottom of the funnel
Why? Because it is the
most effective way of
1. Creating prospects
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and leads
2. Maintaining their
interest in your
business
3. Making them trust
and appreciate you
4. Making them “buy”
again or
recommend you
further.

9. What “mediums” can be used?
The core platforms for organizations to implement a content
marketing strategy are the blog (+website) and of course the
social media channels.
Startups can publish: Blogposts, social media specific posts
(comments, images etc), eBooks, Newsletters, infographics,
White Papers, interviews, Press Releases, Videos, Surveys,
Webinars, Podcasts.
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10. What should startups publish?
-“How To’s” for their product or service
-Talk about the way they work
-Talk about their team
- Express opinion on industry trends
- Hijack the news by adding extra value and info.
- Answer customer questions
- Raise new industry issues
- Explain future plans
- Provide useful product or industry insights
- Give their partners a voice (i.e through guest
blogging)
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11. Tools for content & inbound
marketing
It all starts with having a company blog, well organized social media profiles and
a search engine optimized website. A CRM and/or a marketing automation
system is important when leads start to multiply quickly. Not compulsory at the
beginning.
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For easy email
marketing practices we
suggest Moosend
Hootsuite is ideal for
enhancing social
media efforts
Visual.ly and
Infogram allow
users to browse
infographics and
create data
visualizations
Storify Collects social
media mentions on a
chosen topic, trend,
or event
SEOmoz – Enables
users to monitor
social media,
manage SEO
campaigns, and more
There are thousands of
tools like these on the
market. These are
proven, very useful and
enough to start with.

12. Every One of These Marketing Tactics
R
Blogs + Blogging
Comment Marketing
News/Media/PR
SEO
Research/White Papers
Infographics
Social Networks
Word of Mouth
Q+A Sites
Online Video
Forums
Podcasting
Webinars
Social Bookmarking
INBOUND MARKETING!
(AKA all the “free” traffic sources)
Direct/Referring Links
Type-In Traffic
Email
Local Portals
Helps Every Other One

13. Lead generation tricks (on websites
and social media)
1. Create offers limited in time and/or quantity
(element of Scarcity) or use the Bandwagon effect.
2. Use CTA’s that rock. Eye-catching and persuasive. Avoid
usual wording. Use senses.
3. Create landing pages that convert.
4. Use majestic headlines everywhere.
5. Remember that less is more.
6. Always encourage social sharing.
7. Leverage traditional media.
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14. Enhance inbound with traffic coming
from the mainstream media
•The media are starving for startup stories.
•You have to give them news and staff that interests their
audience.
•They are very busy. Anything you send them should be ready
to be published. Make things easy for them.
•Once you set up a few useful contacts, keep them engaged
with valuable material.
•Give them info, stories. Make them feel that you chose them
and you give hot insights only to them. Don’t bomb them.
•A simple but engaging media outreach strategy may include
(1 PR/month, 2 personal emails with plain gossiping, a media
event, introducing them to selected partners).
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15. How small and big companies use
content & inbound marketing
•Startups to look at:
Prezi
Infogram
•Giants to look at:
:
CISCO
Coca Cola
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IBM

16. www.metavallon.org

17. THANK YOU!
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18. www.metavallon.org
connect@metavallon.org
f: /metavallon
t: @metavallon
in: Metavallon – Ideas to ventures