The era of excellent content: How to turn your content strategy into an asset A CONTENT OVERVIEW 1
ABOUT BURNS MARKETING Content isn’t an accidental specialty for us – we’ve provided companies with compelling content and strategy for 45 years. These clients return to us because we beat their expectations – and they regularly exceed their ROI goals. In 1972, Mike Burns started this company in Fort Collins, Colorado, with just one client. (They’re still a client.) We’ve served Fortune 500 companies, grassroots do-gooders, and dozens of technology innovators. We understand how to combine today’s digital best practices with time-tested marketing principles – that’s why we’ve come out ahead through dizzying industry change. Today, we organize our services around four pillars: ++Brand ++Digital ++Content ++Campaigns In the last few years, we’ve spread our roots. We have offices in Denver and Northern Colorado.
This is the era of excellent content. (NO PRESSURE.) Today, few things differentiate your brand like great content. Content is how you prove your value and desirability to would-be and current customers. It’s how you show what you think, what you believe, and what you contribute. It’s nothing less than your brand’s voice. But with content marketing firmly entrenched as a leading marketing practice, the airwaves are getting crowded. Leading companies are now, almost uniformly, increasing the resources they allocate to content development. Because of this, it can be hard to keep up – let alone stand out. But don’t despair. You have one crucial fact working in your favor: Most content out there is pretty bad. That’s because companies fail to do two things: 1) anchor their content in strategy, and 2) devote the time and thought necessary to create excellent work. In this eBook, we’ll show you what great content looks like, and how to use it as your best differentiator.
FIVE STEPS TO SHODDY CONTENT WHAT’S AHEAD 4..... The strategic backbone 5..... Elements of a great content strategy 6..... Content types explained 15... Why use an agency
1. Produce it as fast as you can. 2. Plan it on a whim. 3. Don’t proofread or show anyone else before you publish. 4. Regurgitate someone else’s stale ideas. 5. Don’t take any chances.
The strategic backbone When we work with companies on their content, we always have the same two goals: Make their content strategic. Make their content distinctive for its quality. In that order. Strategy undergirds your content development. Nobody needs a bunch of aimless, frilly nonsense filling their blog (unless they feel like they have too many visitors). But strategy is frequently overlooked because people either don’t know what a strong content strategy should look like, or don’t have the time and resources to create one.
SIMMER DOWN NOW The hard reality of content marketing is that it takes time. You’re not going to sway your audience overnight. But be patient. Get your C-suite to be patient. And understand that content is the engagement method that your customers seek – so you’d better give them the goods.
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CONTENT OVERVIEW
Elements of a great content strategy Your content strategy needs to be simple enough to actually use, sharable enough to transfer among your content creators, and flexible enough to let you be creative. It also should consider: Personas Content is best directed toward specific audience members – assuming you know who the hell those people are in the first place. Stop trying to publish things that appeal to everyone in the world – if that’s your approach, you’re probably not interesting anyone. If you already have a persona strategy, use it. Do a content audit and map out who you want to reach – and whether you have any content that targets them. If you don’t, make some.
Funnels (the buyer journey) In B2B, you also need to consider audience members’ place along your conversion funnel. Are they best served by some tasty introductory content about your services and problem-solving style? Or do they need that final nudge to move from awareness to commitment? Are they longstanding customers who need to be tickled to ensure retention?
Analytics Content marketing is notoriously difficult to measure – everyone frets over the ROI of the practice. But today, we know that ROI shouldn’t be evaluated using pretend metrics like Facebook likes; it should be judged by customer action and conversion.
At the outset, pick metrics that are meaningful and trackable over time, like these: ++Content downloads ++Email campaign performance increases ++New leads …but remember that those are only steps along the way to what really matters: ++ Conversions You’ll need to work backward to directly correlate conversion to your content. Ask your customers what helped them become customers, and specifically mention your content types. They’ll tell you more than you think.
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Content types explained Infographics Commonly used for: Conveying visual/numerical information, articulating processes, using visuals to teach concepts What makes them great: Visually rich and hard to ignore, suitable for visual learners, widely sharable across media
Brochures Commonly used for: Product descriptions, company briefs, campaign information, corporate overviews What makes them great: Accommodates a lot of information, provides an entire story, are usually tangible and memorable
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CONTENT OVERVIEW
Social media and blog posts Commonly used for: Up-to-date news and thought leadership, informal conversation, audience engagement What makes them great: Infinitely sharable ways to humanize a company, encourage informal and churning conversation, and drive impactful engagement campaigns
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USE YOUR WORDS, DEAR New technologies can make some of these traditional content types stand out. Interactive white papers, for example, make your verbiage interactive – think “Choose Your Own Adventure” for that new data security report. Sounds better, right? Try these on for size. There are plenty more just a Google search away. ++SnapApp.com (Interactive white papers, polls, calculators, etc.) ++Vidyard.com (Variable data embedded in video)
Email Commonly used for: Calls to action, dissemination of updates and newsletters, periodic audience touches, lead follow-ups What makes them great: Still the primary mode of communicating in business, extremely flexible, reaches massive amounts of people
You’re invited to a Printing and Personal Systems executive briefing Welcome to a new HP! New vision. New leadership. New products. HP now has the heart and energy of a startup and the brains and muscle of a Fortune 100 corporation, giving us the focus, investment, and acceleration in the personal systems and print categories to help you win. Join HP for an executive briefing followed by Topgolf on Wednesday, September 14 in Tampa. Hear our vision, talk with product experts, and see how our updated products can help transform your business. Spots are limited. Register now. Note: Invitations are not transferrable.
Agenda 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Arrival & Registration
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Personal systems portfolio–mobility & desktops
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Break
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Print portfolio–managed print services (MPS), print security, supplies
When and where
3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Business workstations–desktop, mobile, Sprout
Wednesday, September 14 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Topgolf
Parking Mention that you are attending the HP meeting for complimentary valet service.
Customer Briefing Topgolf meeting room: Signature Room 10690 Palm River Rd. Tampa, FL 33619
Directions From the north: • Take I-75 South to exit 257 toward Brandon. • Merge onto E. Adamo Dr./FL-60 toward Tampa/HCC Campus. • Turn left on S. Falkenburg Rd., then right on Palm River Rd. Topgolf will be on the left.
From the south: • Take I-75 North. • Merge onto US-301 N/US Highway 301 S via exit 254. • Turn right on S. Falkenburg Rd., then right on Palm River Rd. Topgolf will be on the left.
Don’t spend Monday night in a stuffy hotel room. Get out and experience the best of Denver.
© Copyright 2016 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. If you are a public sector employee, it is critical that you verify the ethics code, laws and/or regulations that govern your ability to accept items of value from companies with which you conduct business. Please obtain the necessary approval from your organization before accepting any item of value from HP.
Join THIS TECHNOLOGY and your fellow SCTE 2014 attendees for a night you won’t soon forget.
Make plans to see Denver like you’ve never seen it before. Register now to attend
Artisan beers and whisky.
Monday, September 22
Culinary indulgences.
8 – 11 p.m.
Vibrant entertainment.
Denver Union Station 1701 Wynkoop Street Denver, CO 80202
And an incredible energy you can’t find in a lame hotel bar.
Register now Declare an end to boredom – and second-rate advertising solutions. Let us show you how you can definitively control content and advertising availability with our flexible solutions. Schedule a live demo and watch where we can take TV. Everywhere. Contact Jennifer at Jennifer.rosemann@thistech.com
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CONTENT OVERVIEW
Video Commonly used for: Education and explanation, product-specific marketing, announcements, event coverage What makes them great: Consumed hungrily, can be very impactful, excellent way to teach
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eBooks Commonly used for: Deep-dive product storytelling, thought leadership, extensive coverage of issues or trends, sharing research What makes them great: Excellent thought-leadership vehicle, couples great messaging with compelling design, deep and still sharable
Case studies Commonly used for: Client education, demonstrating your problem-solving approach, asserting your relevance and success What makes them great: Excellent mid-funnel resources, can increase trust and conversion, allow audiences to relate to your solutions and approach 10 CONTENT OVERVIEW
White papers, solution briefs, and data sheets Commonly used for: Sharing research and industry insights, giving audiences quick takeaways, delivering key marketing messages and valuable content What makes them great: Brief but satisfyingly deep, excellent brand and messaging vehicles, relatively easy to produce
Webinars and presentations Commonly used for: SME-led engagements, sales conversations, product demonstrations What makes them great: Widely used and expected, potentially rich visuals, creating purposeful and guided discussions
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Calculators and other tools Commonly used for: Financial or other resource-based estimating, novel engagement opportunities What makes them great: Distinctive engagement methods, delivering crucial information to potential clients, provides some level of control to audience
Content walls and other interactive displays Commonly used for: Out-of-home, large-scale public or targeted engagement What makes them great: Attention-grabbing and (often) interactive, can illustrate complete processes and complex storylines, can capture casual viewers
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NEW(ISH) MEDIA ON THE RISE Novelty is a message in itself. While many modes of communication have proven useful over time, there are always emerging tactics that can grab attention and share a message in unique ways. Don’t lunge after every bandwagon – but keep your eye out for an approach that can serve you well. Here are a few to consider. ++Aurasma/augmented reality: Great attractions at tradeshows and other events with crowds. Makes everyday objects (posters, etc.) interactive by overlaying imagery/content via a phone app. ++Live streaming video: No longer just for your teenagers. Invites casual interactions over extended time periods. ++Print and direct mail: You’re reading this right. Print has “died” just enough to become rare and special. Use it like it’s the hot thing – because it is.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
What better way to show you how we do content than to give you more content. These eBooks are a great start. They’ll show you how we solve problems with a practical, no-B.S. philosophy.
Be a Digital Standout
Building Online Audiences
The Problem with Content
Why use an agency Let’s circle back to where we started. At the outset, we observed that companies fail on their content strategy because they either don’t know what a content strategy should look like, or don’t have the time and resources to do it right. True fact: Companies seldom have the time or resources to produce excellent content. We do. Hurried, fluffy content might as well not exist. It either gets lost in the online deluge, or – even worse – its low quality makes it a net negative in terms of audience engagement. That’s right. If your content program needs work (and you know in your heart if this is true), it’s likely doing more harm than good. Lucky for you, Burns handles all aspects of content planning and deployment: ++Strategy: personas, funnel plotting, calendaring, resource allocation ++Composition: New content of all forms and formats ++Repurposing old content: Breathing new life into languishing publications for more value ++Editing: Lending your own content the refinement and clarity it needs to stand out
When you’re ready, call us. We’re content experts who can guide your conversation to whatever degree you need. We’re ready to help. Call 970.203.9656 | Visit BurnsMarketing.com
BurnsMarketing.com © 2016 Burns Marketing
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