Content Marketing Playbook

HOW TO CREATE

Rock-Star content marketing Stadium-filling content

to make your brand or business number 1.

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Contents

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1

Create Your Goals

2

Build Your Business Case

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Think Like A Publisher To Create A Winning Editorial Strategy

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How To Have Great Ideas The Creative Ideation Process

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Create Content To Get Them Talking

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Putting It Out There

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Measure Your Impact And Success

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Inspiration - Our Top Reads

The Lowdown

As Robert Rose from the Content Marketing Institute nicely puts it,

“Marketing is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content Marketing is showing the world you are one.”

What you’ll get:

The Content Marketing Institute B2B Marketing Survey 2015 highlighted that out of the 83% of businesses actively engaged in content marketing, only 35% had a documented strategy. The 2014 survey showed that 60% of companies who had a strategy believed they were effective, as opposed to only 11% of those that didn’t.

The case for content marketing is compelling, for almost all businesses and brands. But this shift towards content is a new area, for many experienced marketers. A new skillset is required, as we move away from ‘about us’ marketing towards ‘about you’ marketing.

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A framework for planning your content marketing strategy

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Tools and techniques to inspire creativity

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Lists, resources and content marketers to check out

Advice on how to mix up content types Content marketing secrets to getting your content shared and found

We salute your future success!

Love from the editorial team at White Horse x

If you are just starting, or refreshing, your content marketing strategy for 2015, then we hope this guide will help. We share our experience in planning and delivering content strategies for brands and B2B businesses around the world.

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1.Create

your

Goals Starting a big content project can be daunting.

You might have to get management on board, work across multiple teams (content marketing very often bridges marketing, sales and technology) and create relationships with new agencies.

So it’s important to be well-prepared with a plan you can present to your stakeholders. But writing it down isn’t just a box-ticking exercise to schmooze people into signing off on your ideas.

Your content must achieve a purpose. It is important to think about what it will do and set achievable goals. It might be to:

* * * * *

Raise brand awareness Build email subscribers Nurture prospects into leads Convert leads into sales Boost your SEO

My goal is................................. ...............................................

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...............................................

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2.BUILD YOUR BUSINESS CASE It’s never easy to express an exact ROI on activities like content marketing but of course, the point is that it drums up traffic and leads - and that ultimately means sales.

But it does so in a longer term way, by building an invaluable relationship of trust with your customer.

Brands and businesses expend lots of time and energy trying to stand out from the baying crowd, endeavouring to show customers their USP. Ultimately, it’s not so much what you sell as how you sell it that will build that trust. Through content marketing you can position yourself however you choose - as the expert, the friendliest on the block, the most up-to-date, the most daring or the safest pair of hands, depending what’s right for your service or brand.

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Not only that, but you’re doing yourself a double favour. By investing in content marketing, you’re moving away from buying media from someone else and towards actually building yourself a valuable asset in the shape of your website - one that becomes enriched every time you add to the goodies you’ve posted there.

66%

Research shows that of B2B businesses use this approach to generate leads and analysis of its success suggests that it’s even better value than paid search marketing, widely believed to be the most costeffective type of marketing.

If you’re still struggling to get buy-in from the money men, the Content Marketing Institute has some useful tips and links that might help.

3.think like a publisher to

create a winning editorial strategy Building your content framework + funnel

This is the structure that will bring the content concept to life across the various stages of your audience buying cycle. You should include content for:

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*

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Attraction: What articles and content will attract new readers? This might be SEO-structured articles with intelligent and questioning headlines to draw people in. It might be ‘hero’ pieces of content such as interviews with influencers that will get shared and found.

Convincing: Assuming (of course!) your attraction content entices people and introduces your brand or business to them, how will you move them down the funnel? Perhaps by including an in-depth guide that solves a problem or teaches them how to do something.

Conversion: This is the content that persuades people to do business with you. Case studies, webinars, real-life meet-ups, online courses.

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Editorial strategy

Michael Brenner from SAP and Forbes says,

“Yourcontent has to be awesome. It has to be helpful.

It cannot be about you. It has to be about your customers’ wants and needs.”

This takes the content framework to the next level and maps out your plan. The key parts of an editorial strategy are:

* Identifying

Of course it is useful to consider various audiences when planning your content marketing project, but the best content marketing strategies are the most targeted. Spend time deciding who your number 1 fan is, and then make sure every piece of content is directed at or written for them.

your reader and finding your voice

“Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.” - Kurt Vonnegut

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* Creating your

Tip: Don’t forget to

own style bible

Your style bible is about the tone you adopt, the spellings you use and the audience you’re aiming it at. Think of it as an evolving beast - add to it as time goes on and a ‘house style’ develops. You should be able to pass this to any writer or journalist and they will be able to deliver work that is on-message.

Starting out though, it’s best to pick a media source you like and emulate its style.

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give advice/house style on headlines. You want your content to get shared, so headlines and openers are everything. Do you want to go all Buzzfeed (great if you are a consumer brand wanting to attract young consumers), or take inspiration from the quality press for long-form, questioning headlines? We greatly admire the Independent’s headlines - read our article about why content marketers should look to quality publishers for headline inspiration.

* Imagery guidelines Bold, interesting and relevant imagery helps to engage readers with written content such as articles and how-to guides. Imagery is a lot more than just decoration - it is core to the content, helping communicate your message.

Your imagery guidelines should set out what is suitable for your audience - are you going to use vectors, cartoons, graphics or live photography? Or a mixture?

Where you are going to source imagery from is key to your guidelines; think about whether you will create your own images or purchase them from a stock account. It is vital to make sure you are using images that are not are violating any copyright laws.

“Your imagery guidelines should set out what type of imagery is suitable for your audience�

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* publishing

free

calendar

Your editorial calendar is a living, breathing being that plans the future but also tracks success, meaning you get a snapshot of the past, present and future.

Mark each month out on a different worksheet.

Here’s what you should include: * Content reference number * Headline * Direction * Links/research notes * Writer * Type of content (article, video etc) * Keywords * Stage of buying cycle * Call to action * Link url * Social snippet * Promotion channel * Social shares generated whitehorse.digital @whdigital hello@whitehorse.digital

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For a downloadable content calendar go to whitehorse.digital/ contentcalendar

4. how to have great ideas the creative ideation process Once you have figured out your strategy and audience, you can start to get creative with ideas! At White Horse, we always come up with

an overarching content concept that encompasses campaigns and editorial scheduling. Content should be spread out over various types - it’s all too easy to get stuck in an article rut, when content can be repurposed for different channels fairly efficiently. whitehorse.digital @whdigital hello@whitehorse.digital

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“Ideas are like rabbits.

You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”

- John Steinbeck

The science of ideation

Consider the strategy

Firstly, let’s look at the science of ideation. The brain needs to be stimulated, to move away from areas that are associated with everyday tasks. It really depends how often you need to create ideas, but a non office situation can be inspirational. A local coffee shop or office hub housing creative businesses often have space you can rent by the hour. Maybe getting outside and walking frees your brain? Or perhaps you do your best thinking in a creative space like a gallery?

After you have whittled down your ideas, consider them against the strategy. How will they work with the concept? is it shareable, or controversial? What will make this piece of content stand out and be unique?

Remember, each piece you create must be awesome and on brand.

So which part of our brains do we actually need? *

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The executive attention network this is the part of your brain you use when you are thinking really hard. It also links to our memory, blocking distractions and allowing for great focus.

The imagination network This lets us process information and break it down, mixing it with past present and future memories The salience network this is your switch. It monitors what is happening around you and passes the information to the appropriate area of the brain.

Keep an ideas journal Many people find the content ideation the fun bit (and it is) but everyone works differently. It may be better to hold monthly ideation sessions with your team, and/or agency. Ideas flow fast in a group. But you will also find that keeping an Ideas Journal allows everyone to share their ideas as they go. This can be simply done using Evernote, or a shared Google Doc where people can post their ideas outside of the formal ideation sessions. whitehorse.digital @whdigital hello@whitehorse.digital

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Don’t forget simple tricks, like searching Google News and creating an angle that’s related to a newsworthy topic. Once you and your team are switched on to ideas, you’ll find they pop up all over the place.

Forget keywords (for a second) Yes, SEO is important, but here are three reasons you should loosen up on keywords: 1.

This content is primarily to build relationships with people. If you do that, the SEO good juices will flow accordingly.

2.

Google’s Matt Cutt recently hinted that inbound links via keywords will become less important over time.

3.

Ideas generally come out of freeflow thinking rather than from a spreadsheet of keywords.

5.Create content to get them

talking

If you have done all the above, and really focused on who you are writing for, with the help of great writers and content creators, you will be able to ignite a fire within your audience (or, at the very least, bag a share).

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HI! Headlines are everything Contently states that headlines are 90% of content marketing.

Upworthy editors test 25 headlines for every piece of content they create and MailOnline constantly evaluates which headlines attract the most clicks. For brand publishers seeking long-term engagement, long-form headlines work best.

On the whole, headlines that evoke an emotion and demand action are the most popular. Don‘t write ‘How to clear your clutter’. Do write ‘Yes! You can live clutterfree forever’ or ‘What to do right now to create a simpler life.’

Make sure you include video

Don’t forget email Content marketing most definitely includes email, and remember that email marketing is still very effective. Consider adding video into your newsletter (using Directr, above), or animated GIFs and watch click-to-open rates soar.

69%

By 2017, video will account for of all consumer internet traffic. It really is the future of content marketing.

64%

Nielsen claims that of marketers expect video to dominate their marketing strategies in the future.

Happiness sells Content that’s funny, or interesting in a positive way is more likely to be shared than negative or downbeat stuff. People don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, so make your copy inspiring, informative or even, dare we say it, cute.

It’s not just for brands. B2B and small businesses alike can adopt video strategies and it doesn’t have to blow budgets. Directr, an app that has just been bought by YouTube, helps businesses create marketing videos from their iPhone and embed them online or in newsletters.

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Take your content to the

Rock Star level

How to create killer content the way...

Rock Star You are a

in the making and want to play stadiums, not dive bars. Here’s how to take your content to rock-star level:

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*

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Invest in quality over quantity.

You want your customers to think you are awesome? Better to create a smaller amount of content, but make sure it is supercharged.

Killer content should attract search engines as well as people. Create an amount of evergreen content that keeps people coming over time.

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Make your content all about your reader, not all about you

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Be inspired by the best. Look at quality publications for inspiration on tone, headlines and how to draw a reader in. See Tatler, GQ, The Independent, Into The Gloss, IBM, GE for beautiful content.

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Make content as visual as possible.

Invest in great imagery (think Getty over Shutterstock) and video - if you want to include product mentions in a few pieces of content, do it in a visual way rather than a stifled paragraph.

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Invest in a skilled editor to make sure everything is on tone and on brand.

Whether you get your content from in-house or agency services, an editor running the control centre is essential to the success of your content marketing.

30%

Start with the headline. of time associated with each piece of content should be spent on making your headlines awesome.

Study media publishers. Review author profiles and regular publishing, as well as looking at ways you can create ‘sponsored’ content opportunities with relevant parties.

6.PUTTING

IT OUT THERE! Promotion and outreach is a crucial factor in your overall content strategy it enables the discovery of your content in a vast sea of options and bumps up its reach and shares. With more than

2 million blog posts published online every single day, the heat is on to make sure yours gets noticed.

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Here are some insider tips on getting your content shared and found: *

Ask an influencer for a killer quote (BuzzStream is a good source of influencer info)

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Create snippets from every piece of content (stats, a sentence, headlines etc) to power your social media

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Repurpose your content into different media - article to video etc.

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Turn a research piece into a Slideshare - one of the world’s top 150 websites

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Don’t forget paid discovery channels like Stumbleupon and Outbrain, as well as Boosting your best posts on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn

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While on the topic of LinkedIn, try posting long-form thought pieces if you have been given publishing access, and LinkedIn Groups are a great place to weave in your content (just don’t forget to make friends on there, and offer advice too) Show your sources the love - @mention any sources in your tweets, let them know you have referenced them. Chances are you’ll get a reply or retweet Become active in industry forums - this is a hugely engaged audience, so perfect for niche areas with people looking to discover content like yours

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Outreach is a vital part of content marketing.

Outreach

What to put in your outreach plan

You probably know that having strong content on-site is essential, but have you thought about how you can build credibility fast? If not, then do. Outreach is a vital part of content marketing.

What is outreach? Many people think of outreach as guest blogging, and yes, that’s definitely an important part, but it also uses PR techniques to get your content placed on high-authority and influential sites.

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List of influencers in your field that you want to reach out to

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List of websites and blogs to pitch story ideas to

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Plan to build a community of writers on your own content plan

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Story headlines for external placement

9 things you really need to know about outreach #1 The number 1 rule of outreach is that it’s about building relationships with people who are generally in demand. You’ve got to work hard and see it as a long-term project. #2 Because it’s like climbing a mountain, you’ll need a little help along the way. Use free tools like BuzzStream and MuckRack to do the groundwork for you. #3 Guest blogging is the ultimate way to build links, credibility and raise awareness. DO NOT send blanket emails, or even worse, generic articles on spec. Study the blog and what it offers, comment, share and only then, pen a short emailing outlining what you can offer their readers, and an outline of an article or two.

We love this article by Social Media Today ‘The ultimate guide to guest blogging’ for an in-depth guide to guest blogging. The most successful bloggers will get hundreds of requests per day so you must build a relationship with them first. Seek them out on social, connect with them – help them get to know you before you pitch that article. #4 While you are working on the guest blogging opps, build your own blogger-focused community.

Depending on your industry, you might choose young graduates, eager to get their work published, or other partners you know from your community. #5 While doing 3 and 4, be very aware that the highest-profile bloggers can charge a few thousand pounds (up to $10k) per piece, and you will often whitehorse.digital @whdigital hello@whitehorse.digital

have to negotiate with their ‘talent’ agent. Respect them – these bloggers have spent years building up extremely influential networks – this is what you are buying into, after all. In the B2B world, hiring a high profile blogger is a bit like paying for a top dollar speaker at your customer event. #6 Be goal-oriented. Don’t waste your – or the blogger’s – precious time. Only approach them when you are sure this is going to achieve yours, and their, goals. #7 Think of it like a date. You have to work at it – follow them, friend them, engage with them on their preferred social network, send them something funny, inspiring or thought provoking. #8 Offer them as much as you can, and more than they expect. Make it easy for them – created a great video? Send them the embed code; supply a fact list/contacts/incentives for their audiences.

Think beyond the traditional article – got a whitepaper/report/visual campaign ready to go?

Give them an exclusive preview or access to share with their community and they will thank you for it. Firstness counts for a lot. #9 Create great content. It sounds obvious, but don’t just push out cr*p! Be innovative, different, opinionated, visual and ALWAYS high quality. If you create great content, the piece will get shared and you will attract the attention of other great influencers in your industry.

The most effective blogger outreach programmes are developed over time and are living, breathing projects rather than a one-off. Whether you are doing this in-house or engaging an agency that offers blogger outreach services like White Horse, take your time to really research and define a ‘gold’ list of bloggers. Be prepared to work.

Hard. Create something unique, interesting or entertaining that will delight their audiences.

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7.measure your impact and success

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure” Reporting and measurement should always start with a question and never a pile of data. And that question shouldn’t just satisfy curiosity - it should stimulate action. The most common mistakes in measurement stem come from staring intently at a screenful of metrics focussed purely on volume and velocity - and that can mean you make weak or even flawed decisions.

Everyone knows that content marketing is not a quick win. Value generated with content is created over time and great content marketing should last far longer than any advertising campaign. Ultimately it can be measured through leads and conversions, but that sometimes takes a little time (although the better your strategy the quicker the results will come). Here are some of the key questions all content marketers should be asking when defining their KPIs.

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How can I REACH more of my audience? Where are my audiences? We’re not talking about just their geographical location but also the times they are most active, the places they hang out and events they attend (physical and virtual).

Track and reach your audience in their own habitat.

How much of my audience is AWARE of me? For major brands looking for overall reach from content versus advertising, this includes brand mentions, sentiment and overall traffic to their branded content platform or social channels.

Who can INFLUENCE my community? Who does my audience listen to when they are searching for ideas and inspiration? The key metric to concentrate on is not total size, but total influence. Big is not always best.

What content ENGAGES my audience the most?

What is my most popular content? Remember, don’t just measure the content type but also analyse headline impact, article length, images style, tone of post etc.

What ACTIONS are my audience taking? Links clicked, items downloaded, forms completed, videos watched. This is a great way to attribute your content marketing and promotion activity directly to whatever transaction goals you have defined, including leads and sales generated.

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REACH

Aware INFLUENCE Engage Action

8. Inspiration Our Top Reads

WWW. Mark Schaefer, Grow We love his easy style, spot on headlines and smart opinions.

Contently Strategist Beautiful, articulate content aimed at enterprising brand publishers.

Copyblogger Heaps of useful ebooks, and home to the new Rainmaker platform for content marketers.

Here are a bunch of White Horse’s best reads in the world of content marketing - blogs and content marketing sources that we find superuseful, well-informed and pretty addictive.

Econsultancy Econsultancy’s blog just gets bigger and better, click on the category for content marketing opinion from its community of guest bloggers.

Moz SEO plays an important part in the discovery of great content. Moz is a large community sharing the latest tips, skills and advice.

Content Marketing Institute The grandaddy of content marketing. The number #1 source for surveys, stats and insight from Joe Pulizzi and team.

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