Step by step guide on how to plan and build an effective content marketing strategy. This will be covered in the following sections: Discovery Destination Team Editorial Customer Journey KPIs/Reporting Optimization

1. How to Plan + Build a
Content Marketing Strategy
Liz Bedor
Brand Strategist, NewsCred
@lizbedor

2. There’s been a fundamental
shift in the way we create,
consume and share content.
4.5 BILLION
pieces of content
are shared
every day
1.8 BILLION
photos are uploaded
and shared
700 MILLION
snapchats
are sent
500 MILLION
tweets are
posted

3. People tune
out the noise.

4. We choose
what matters.
We follow, like, subscribe and
recommend only the things we
really care about.

5. We need to stop interrupting
what people are interested in and be
what people are interested in.
Craig Davis
”
“

6. • Delivering content your audience wants
• Content published consistently
• Customer experience drives engagement
• Managing content as a strategic asset with ROI
Content Marketing = Brand Publishing

7. Brand
Purpose
What
Customers
Want
Content
Marketing

8. Ad campaigns
Demographics
Brand-led
Always-on content
The individual
Marketers are taking a new approach.
Value-driven

9. Organizations are
dependent on
content to fuel
all of its marketing
channels.

10. Introducing NewsCred.
THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE CONTENT MARKETING SOLUTION.
SOFTWARE SERVICESCONTENT
Social Content Production
Workflows & Social Governance
Global Asset Management
Social Publishing & Distribution
Performance Measurement
Global Implementation
24/7 Support & Training
Strategy Workshops
Editorial Consulting
5,000 Licensed Publishers
Original Content Network
Rights-cleared UGC

13. 1 Documented content strategy
2 Have someone accountable for content
3 Consistently publish quality content
4 Map content to consumer journey
5 Balance Paid, Owned, and Earned Media
6 Focus on Content Subscribers
7 Track Content Marketing ROI
Key Factors to Content Marketing Success:

14. Why is it Important to Have a
Documented Content Strategy?
* Content Marketing World
EFFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETERS INEFFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETERS
DOCUMENTED CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY
HAS A CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY
NO STRATEGY
54% 11%
41% 44%
3% 44%

15. • Thinking and acting like a publisher
• Delivering content your audience wants
• Managing content as an asset (with an ROI)
What is a Content Marketing Strategy?

16. Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization
• Audience analysis
• Business case
• Current state
• Budget
• Branding
• Design
• Platform
• Integrations
• Agency
• NewsCred
• Internal teams
• Structure
• Topics
• Types
• Tone
• SEO
• Content by stage
• Conversions
• Subscriptions
• Retention
• Define report
• Tools/software
• What / when
• Content
• Platform
• Distribution
The Content Marketing Roadmap

17. Discovery
Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization

18. Understand Your Audience
• Who are they?
• What do they care about?
• What are their challenges?
• Where do they get their information?
• How big is this demographic
• Where do they live?
• How much expertise does your audience already possess?
• Does your audience know who you are?
• How does your audience feel about you?
• What questions do they expect you to answer?

19. Build the Content Marketing Business Case
Do Your Research
Internally
Set Appropriate
Goals
Align Program Goals
with Company
Objectives
Ask for a
Realistic Budget
Find the costs and ROI
of other marketing
departments
Understand what
metrics your
organization’s
leadership cares
about most
Set goals that are
realistic and expected
in order for your
program to be
considered a success
Ask for the moon and
the stars, with the hope
of just getting the
moon

20. Identify the Content Marketing Business Case
Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic
Brand Awareness
Organic Search Share of Voice
Unbranded Organic Search Traffic
Cost per Lead
Conversions
Total Conversions
% of Leads Sourced by Content Marketing
Time on Site
Brand Health
Social Likes
Subscriptions
Repeat Visitors
Bounce Rate
Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic
Social Shares / Followers
Share of Voice / Offsite SEO

21. Conduct a Content Audit to Understand Current State
1. COST 2. UTILIZATION 3. PERFORMANCE

22. Find the Budget
Calculate the Costs of
Unused Content
Borrow Budget from
Underperforming
Digital Assets
Approach Budgeted
Teams with a
Partnership Opportunity

23. Destination
Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization

24. • Create a space for the content
to live to get the most out of
your marketing
• Consolidate fragmented digital
content and present a one-stop-
shop environment
Determine Where Your Content Will Live

25. BRANDED NON-BRANDED
Pros Pros
Strong domain authority delivers search traffic
Repairing trust issues with audience from
history of too much promotional content
Associate with positive brand perception
Changing brand perception / disassociate from
current brand perception
Cons Cons
Audience may discredit content for being
promotional
Forfeit existing domain authority search traffic
Associate with negative brand perception
Comparing Branded vs. Non-branded

26. www.pepsi.com
• Associates Pepsi with pop culture +
music
• Looks and feels like Pepsi
• Pepsi contests and products
promoted in some content
• Leverages Pepsi domain authority
Branded: Pepsi’s Pepsi Pulse

27. www.makeup.com
• Only disclaimer that it is powered
by L’Oreal is at very bottom of site
• Reads like beauty magazine
• “Shop the Story” links to L’Oreal
products
• Links to L’Oreal social sites
Non-branded: L ’Oréal’s Makeup.com

28. www.content-loop.com
• “Powered by Capgemini” tag at
top of page
• Content does not mention or
promote Capgemini services
• Only Capgemini CTAs and
banner advertisements
Somewhere Between: Capgemini’s Content Loop

29. Important Site Elements
1 Categories across the top show visitor what space you are in
2 Images are authentic and create context for the content
3 Published content with dates shows frequency
4 Share buttons encourage social sharing
5 Related articles/top stories increase engagement and time on site
6 Heavy call-to-action
7 Subscription

30. Categories Across the Top Show
Visitor What Space You Are In

31. Images are Authentic and
Create Context for the Content

32. Published Content with
Dates Shows Frequency

33. Share Buttons Encourage Social Sharing

34. Recommended Reading

35. Heavy Call-to-Action + Subscription

36. Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization
Team

37. Managing
Editor
Strategizes, writes,
and oversees
content projects to
ensure brand
consistency and
alignment with
business
objectives.
Community
Manager
Distributes content
across social
channels, engages
online communities,
and contributes to
content projects.
Designer
Brings content to life
through the user
experience and rich
visuals.
Contributors
Any content creator-
blogger,
photographer,
designer — who
contributes to your
project.
SEO / Paid
Specialist
Manages the paid
distribution of
content online.
Analyst
Defines best/ worst
performers,
conversion
optimization and
measurement
communications.
Curator
Finds and re-
purposes the best
content from your
business and from
around the web.
A Successful Content Marketing Program Requires a
Dedicated Team of Experts

38. The Importance of a Managing Editor
Create +
Manage Editorial
Calendar
Top-level view of
everything you’re
pushing out to the
web
Align strategy with
overall business goals
Maintain
Website
Updates
SEO meta data
Formatting, tagging
images and videos
Categorizing +
tagging posts
Author data
Update static pages
Supervise Writer
Network
Suggest ideal topics
Enforce tone of voice
Ask for revisions
Communicate with
writers
Edit, Format,
Schedule,
Publish
Enforce consistency
Be the voice of the
company
Know content well
enough to inject
internal links
Reference upcoming
events or webinars
Test + Optimize
Test plugins
Demo new products

39. Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization
Editorial

40. Brand
Purpose
What
Customers
Want
Content
Marketing
What Should You Write About?
This is where you live

41. How American Express OPEN Forum Does It
Brand
Purpose
What
Customers
Want
Content
Marketing
Insights, Inspiration, and Connections to Grow Your Business
Acquire new card
members
Increase of card
member spending
Grow their small
business
Make smart small
business decisions

42. Buyer Journey Should Fuel Your SEO Keyword Strategy…

43. …Because Ranking High for SEO Keywords Should be a
Core Objective for Your Content Marketing Program
Organic search is responsible
for 64% of all web traffic
Only 2% of users travel to the
2nd page of Google
18% of users click on the first
organic listing
Source: Eyetools Inc

44. Additional Things to Consider in Your SEO Strategy
Source: Eyetools Inc
BRANDED KEYWORDS
Keywords that include your product or brand
ONSITE SEO
What you publish on your site and what topics on
which you think you have authority
UNBRANDED KEYWORDS
Keywords that exclude your product or brand
OFFSITE SEO
What other sources say about your site and what
topics on which they think you have authority
Most heavily weighted variable in organic search.

45. Tone of Voice
A simple request can be articulated several different ways.
“You wouldn’t happen
to have a pen I could
borrow, would you?”
“Do you have a pen I
can borrow?”
“Pass me that pen.”

46. Exercises to Help Identify Your Tone of Voice
1. Look at your internal communications
1. How formal are they?
2. Any commonly used words or phrases?
2. How is the way you work different?
3. How you might tell a customer about your business over the phone or face-to-face?
4. Describe your company is three different ways, using different degrees of colloquial
language? If one way sticks out, try to identify what you like about it.
1. An economically priced hotel located in the city center
2. Easy on the wallet, this hotel enjoys having the city on its doorstep
3. This cheap as chips hotel gives you a night’s shut eye, slap bang in the city

47. 1. Write the guide in the tone of voice itself
2. Make it memorable
3. Be comprehensive
1. Examples of copy used in different contexts
2. Lists of words and phrases that you like versus those you don’t like
3. Specific grammar rules and examples in action
4. Screen grabs of how copy might look on a page (length, headings, images, etc.)
4. Account for different contexts
1. Examples of copy at either ends of the scale (ie: formal letter of apology vs. Tweet)
Create a Tone of Voice Guide

48. What are different ways you could organize the content?
Draw out common themes
What topics and perspectives differentiate from other destinations?
Consider recurring series
Content Categories: How Do You Give Order to a
Pile of Bricks?

49. Content Categories Allow Readers to Quickly Find the
Content That Interests Them Most

50. Different Types of Content Serve Different Purposes
Boost credibility and
publishing cadence
Share on-brand stories
created specifically for
your brand
LICENSED CONTENT ORIGNAL CONTENT
USER-GENERATED
CONTENT
Connect your fans and
community, share their
stories and experiences

51. Why Licensed Content?
Boost Publishing Cadence Leverage CredibilityCost Efficient
With access to over 160k topics and
millions of articles a day, licensed
content allows you to boost your
publishing cadence.
Licensed content costs 3X less than
original content while driving equal value
in pageviews and shares (NewsCred).
Licensed content allows you to borrow
credibility from sources your audience
knows and trusts.

52. Get the Most Out of Your Original Content by Recycling It
Into Different Formats
Start by creating
an eBook
Read the eBook
aloud and make it
an audio book
Interview a customer
for a quote in the
eBook and put that
up as a video
Take the audio
from the video
and make a
podcast
Create a presentation
from the eBook with
highlights

53. A few times
a year
1-2X per
month
< monthly 1-2X per
week
1 per day More than 1
per day
Increasing Publishing Frequency Increases Organic Traffic

54. 1. Will it interest your audience?
2. Can it be distributed effectively to reach them?
3. Does it align with your engagement goals?
4. How is this an original idea?
5. Does it fit your brand?
5 Question Editorial Final Gut Check

55. Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization
Customer Journey

56. Middle-Stage Content
A combination of licensed and custom content that hits on niche topics
specific to your offering and solutions: white papers, case studies, video and
infographics.
Late-Stage Content
Custom content promoting your products and services: tactical guides and
case studies
Customer Stage Content
Consistent cadence and mix of content as well as personalized
recommendations: white papers, case studies, tactical guides
Retain
Evaluation
Purchase
Early-Stage Content
Quality, licensed and custom content around broader, shareable topics that
drives visibility and engagement: blog posts
Awareness
Content Through the Buyer Journey

57. Purchase
Case studies promoting product offering
Evaluation
High-value, gated content on niche topics
Awareness
Content around broad, shareable topics
Retain
Mix of all content
from all stages
How American Express OPEN Fuels the Buyer Journey

58. The Value of Email Subscriptions
Subscribers are 9x more likely to convert than non-subscribers

59. Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization
Measurement

60. BRAND HEALTH
How your digital audience feels about you.
BRAND AWARENESS/PERCEPTION
How many of your early-stage prospects are finding their way to your
company website?
CONVERSIONS
Prospects who became customers because of either helpful, useful
and/or entertaining content you provided them.
Content Marketing Business Cases

61. Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic
Brand Awareness
Organic Search Share of Voice
Unbranded Organic Search Traffic
Cost per Lead
Conversions
Total Conversions
% of Leads Sourced by Content Marketing
Time on Site
Brand Health
Social Likes
Subscriptions
Repeat Visitors
Bounce Rate
Paid vs. Organic Search Traffic
Social Shares / Followers
Share of Voice / Offsite SEO
* Benchmark metrics should be recorded prior to program launch to show growth
Key Performance Indicators by Business Case

62. There are Many Content Marketing Tools + Software

63. NewsCred’s Content Marketing Cloud Gives You All the
Insights You Need to Be Successful, All in One Place
• Content + Social Analytics
• Audience Insights + Targeting
• Influencer + Competitor Tracking
• Custom Reporting

64. Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization
Optimization
Discovery Destination Team Editorial
Customer
Journey
Measurement Optimization

65. Even great content needs a push
The average Hollywood movie spends 50-60% of production budget on distribution.

66. After 6 Months, See What’s Working and What Isn’t
• What characteristics do your best performing pieces of content have in common?
• What categories are performing well / poorly?
• What channels are people finding your content through?
• Consider beginning paid distribution for your best content
• Is your bounce rate high? People may not be identifying with your content.
• Are you seeing an increase in conversions?
• What is your most / least shared content?
• How are people interacting with your brand on social?
• What day of the week / time of day performs well / poorly?

67. Thank you!