10 Steps to Launch a Content Marketing Strategy from Scratch
11 likes4,678 views
The document outlines 10 steps to launch a content marketing strategy: 1) Gain C-level buy-in, 2) Establish priorities, 3) Assess your database, 4) Build buyer insight, 5) Conduct buyer Q&A, 6) Design your content flow, 7) Audit existing content, 8) Evaluate capabilities and resources, 9) Develop an editorial calendar, and 10) Set appropriate expectations. The document provides examples and explanations for each step, emphasizing the importance of understanding buyers, creating relevant content, and planning sustainable execution through an editorial calendar.
10 Steps to Launch a Content Marketing Strategy from Scratch
- 1. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Starting from Scratch: 10 Steps to Launch A Content Marketing Strategy Ardath Albee, CEO Marketing Interactions, Inc. B B Conference
- 2. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Change
- 3. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Progress Software w/ Pew Research Center Stats
- 4. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Progress Software w/ Pew Research Center Stats
- 5. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 The CMO Reality Marketing departments are finding themselves under increasing pressure to: • justify their spending, • prove the effects of their marketing campaigns • demonstrate program success… or risk losing their budgets.” – Forbes and MarketShare Partners
- 6. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Step 1: GAINING C-LEVEL BUY-IN
- 7. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Meet Bob New CMO at a High Tech Company that used to be the market leader in their category. Bob’s mandate from the CEO: Turn Marketing into a Demand Generation Engine Why? – Company objective is to double revenue within the next 5 years. Why Content Marketing? – The only way Bob can see to get that big of a result. How? – Pilot at a division level. The division’s marketing team had to be convinced. Executive response: Prove it works…FAST!
- 8. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Meet Diane VP Marketing at Global Event Company. She had enough buy-in to conduct a content marketing workshop and develop strategy. Now the CEO wants proof the investment in executing the strategy will payoff. Mandate from Executive Team: Prove a content strategy deserves budget. Diane’s strategy: Prepare a brief and presentation that showcases research, statistics and examples of their competition’s content execution and growth in market share. Overlay competitors’ results to her company’s KPIs to show clear impact they’re losing. She’s also working the politics of getting sales on her side.
- 9. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Meet Simon VP of Strategic Marketing at a Global Services Company. His company had always been the obvious choice. Now competition is making inroads affecting market share. Mandate from Executive Team: Expand market opportunities and build awareness. Simon is process oriented. He needs a plan – a framework for content marketing to make sense. He is not a “take a flyer” kind of guy. How to sell content marketing to Simon? Show him how it works in an organized way. Provide best practices, KPIs and forecast what content marketing will deliver. Precision and simplicity count when convincing Simon.
- 10. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Step 2: PICK A PRIORITY
- 11. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Pick a Project • What do you want to accomplish? • Who will benefit? • How will you execute? • What can you measure? • Over what length of time?
- 12. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Step 3: ASSESS YOUR DATABASE
- 13. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 What do you have/know? • How… – Clean is it? – Old is it? – Warm is it? – Can we segment it? – Many prospects can we reach?
- 14. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Step 4: BUILD BUYER INSIGHT
- 15. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Create Personas Objectives Orientation Obstacles • What are top • Change agents? • What could priorities? • Risk averse? derail the deal? • In their words • Use social • Lack of related to what media? consensus? your product • Longtime career • Lack of budget enables. or stepping or business stone? case? • Level of • Shifting authority? priorities? Such as…
- 16. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Step 5: REVISIT YOUR CHILDHOOD
- 18. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Buyer Q&A • I need to do X in order to get Y. – What are the different ways I can do X? – How much of Y do I need? – How are our competitors solving X? – What competitive advantages could we gain if we solve X? – Who else will be impacted in the company if we solve X? – How will I convince them that Y is worth the effort to change the status quo?
- 19. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 • Question • Question • Question Touch • Answer Touch • Answer Touch • Answer 1 • CTA 2 • CTA n • CTA Step 6: DESIGN YOUR CONTENT FLOW
- 20. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Organize Your Questions
- 21. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Web Blog Video Sales White Webinars Collateral Papers Slideshare Infographics ETC Step 7: CONDUCT A CONTENT AUDIT
- 22. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 What to Learn For Application For Use • Question Answered • As-Is • Buying Stage • Refresh • Persona • Repurpose • Product/Solution • Retire • Marketing Program • Age/Publish Date (Lead Gen, Nurturing) • Location (URL)
- 23. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Step 8: CAPABILITIES & RESOURCES
- 24. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Must Be Sustainable • Content Development Do the Math: – In-house 3 Personas X 12 Touches = 36 Content Assets for an – Outsourced annual nurturing program… • Execution Plus 36 to 72 emails, depending on your program structure – Marketing Team Add in quarterly – IT Queue webinars, conferences, white papers, website updates, blog – External Vendor posts, etc.
- 25. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Step 9: CREATE AN EDITORIAL CALENDAR
- 26. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Editorial Calendar Dates Assigned Persona Topic Buying Type Execution To: Stage 5/1/12 Sally P. LOB 3 Ways to Early Article Email + Landing Manager Get X Page 5/7/12 Tom S. Customer Why your Early Blog Post Email + Blog Service customers Post + SoMe want X 5/20/12 Sally P. LOB State of X in Early Report Email + Landing Manager Financial Page, Form + Services PDF An Editorial Calendar is Your Execution Plan. • Chronological Order • Include every marketing activity to get an overall view of frequency, marketing mix and timelines.
- 27. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 Sales Momentum Engagement Step 10: SET APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS
- 28. #B2BContentEvent @ardath421 10 Steps to Content Marketing Strategy 1. Gain C-Level Buy-in 2. Establish Priorities 3. Assess Your Database 4. Build Buyer Insight 5. Revisit Your Childhood (Buyer Q&A) 6. Design Your Content Flow 7. Audit Existing Content 8. Evaluate Capabilities & Resources 9. Develop an Editorial Calendar 10. Set Expectations
- 29. #B2BContentEvent Thank You! Ardath Albee, CEO Marketing Interactions, Inc. http://www.marketinginteractions.com ardath@marketinginteractions.com @ardath421
Editor's Notes
- #18: The question you must answer.