Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

transcript

Finding Success After Defeat: Lessons from the Front Line

Adria SaracinoHead of Content Strategy, Distilled

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

DOWNLOAD THIS DECK:BIT.LY/ADRIALAVACON

http://www.bit.ly/ADRIALAVACON

I work at Distilled.

I wanted to be a journalist.

I did a brief stint in graphic design.

total visits: 322K

social shares: 3,300

total visits: 1.8M

social shares: 110K

coverage: 8

social shares: 34

coverage: 11

social shares: 90

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/72005369@N05/6782942604/

image credit

http://funny-pics-fun.com/funny-compilations/very-funny-animal-faces

35 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR CONTENT MARKETING EFFORTS SUCCESSFUL

AKA ALL THE WAYS I’VE F*CKED UP

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

coverage: 8

social shares: 34

Badges improve customer trustsource

https://vwo.com/blog/surprise-surprise-having-no-secure-icon-on-a-page-increased-conversions-by-400/

Badges may improve customer trustsource

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

https://vwo.com/blog/surprise-surprise-having-no-secure-icon-on-a-page-increased-conversions-by-400/

Long landing pages are hot right nowsource

http://www.conversion-rate-experts.com/seomoz-case-study/

Long landing pages are an optionsource

http://www.slideshare.net/randfish/why-great-marketers-must-be-great-skeptics

We know our customers!

We may know our customers,

but likely not fully

Smart questions now = future successsource

http://www.slideshare.net/randfish/why-great-marketers-must-be-great-skeptics

We all know “personas” are importantimage credit

http://promorock.com/ux-projects/buy-here-pay-here-personas/

But we’re missing some piecesimage credit

Where does Timo hang?

What content does he share?

Who influences him?

http://promorock.com/ux-projects/buy-here-pay-here-personas/

* all logos click to company site

1. Use tools to analyze your audience

http://intelligence.towerdata.com/

http://www.demographicspro.com/

http://tribalytics.com/

http://www.visualdna.com/

http://mypersonality.org/wiki/doku.php?id=about_mypersonality

* all logos click to company site

1. Use tools to analyze your audience

http://intelligence.towerdata.com/

http://www.demographicspro.com/

http://tribalytics.com/

http://www.visualdna.com/

http://mypersonality.org/wiki/doku.php?id=about_mypersonality

https://www.kaggle.com/

resource

2. Find influential customers

http://builtvisible.com/fullcontact-api-excel/

resource | resource

3. Discover what they read and share

http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/10/26/turning-seo-link-building-into-seo-audience-targeting-with-twitter-profiling/

http://moz.com/blog/how-to-use-twitter-data-for-really-targeted-outreach

resource | resource

FREAKONOMICS, MARKETINGLAND, HBR, FIVETHIRTYEIGHT

0

20

40

60

80 TOP 10 MOST SHARED DOMAINS

resource | resource

resource

http://tagcrowd.com/

resource | image credit

4. Discover their broader interests

https://blog.kissmetrics.com/deep-dive-facebook-advertising/

What our customers need

What our competitors offer

What we offer

5. Don’t forget the other two pillars

image credit

Not convinced?

https://bythepathlesstraveled.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/cute-animal-wallpapers.jpg

image credit

Not convinced?

Can get you out of a “boring industry”

https://bythepathlesstraveled.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/cute-animal-wallpapers.jpg

Not convinced?

Can get you out of a “boring industry”

total visits: 2.8M

total social shares: 720Korganic traffic: +45%

retention: +30%

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

coverage: 29

social shares: 177

6. Align content with appropriate goals

7. Track the right goals

source | resource | resource

(not necessarily pages/visit & bounce)

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1009409?hl=en

http://scrolldepth.parsnip.io/

https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gajs/gaTrackingSocial

8. Mine for conflictsource | image credit

http://www.slideshare.net/rajopadhye/5dys

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-16847635/stock-photo-portraits-of-a-baby-boy-on-white-background.html

9. Stimulate brainstormingimage credit

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-194607908/stock-photo-sad-businessman.html

9. Stimulate brainstormingsource | image credit

http://www.fastcompany.com/3033567/agendas/brainstorming-doesnt-work-try-this-technique-instead

9. Stimulate brainstormingsource | image credit

30-second rounds writing as many answers as possible to a single question

• What do [X] care about?• What do homeowners

struggle with?

http://www.fastcompany.com/3033567/agendas/brainstorming-doesnt-work-try-this-technique-instead

10. Keep brainstorms structuredresource

https://trello.com/c/tlMuDwgX/1-headline-goes-here

11. Don’t get hung up on “different”image credit

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkJohnstone2/how-to-produce-content-that-people-will-share

12. Do feasibility checks upfront

SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME

image credit

http://images.boomsbeat.com/data/images/full/25/awkward-family-photos.jpg

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

DOWNLOAD THIS DECK TOO:BIT.LY/MARKSEARCHLOVE

http://www.bit.ly/MARKSEARCHLOVE

coverage: 11

social shares: 168

image credit

13. Make sure content is a SUCCES

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

13. Make sure content is a SUCCESimage credit

14. Do user testing early

image credit

15. Ask the people in charge of promo

WEEKLY BRAINSTORM(best on Fridays; vet on the spot)

ASSIGN / WRITE, BRIEF, & SCHEDULE

(1 week turnaround; shoot for 5 a week)

BRIEF & BEGIN DESIGN(create or curate creative assets while

content is being written)

EDITING ROUNDS(ideally limit to 2 max, 2-3 day turnaround)

CONFIRM LAUNCH DATE(if possible, schedule it for auto publish)

REVIEW DESIGN (ideally limit to 2 max)

FINALIZE DESIGN(if possible, complete in 2 weeks)

PUBLISH & PROMOTE(social, PR, email, & paid advertising)

START OF WEEK 1

START OF WEEK 2

END OF WEEK 2

16. Create a clear process

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

coverage: 11

social shares: 90

emails sent: 99

distribution methods: 1

Content is king…“@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Content is king…but distribution is queenand she wears the pants.“ ”– Jonathan Perelman, Buzzfeed

image credit

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-114626422/stock-photo-lucky-in-love-concept-finger-people-hugging-on-crossed-fingers.html?src=7U8LOGRg_SGNWWG9_YI8Pg-1-14

PPC

review sites

publishers

website

emails

social media

word of mouth

billboards

TV

books

theaters

blogs

in-store displays

PPC

review sites

publishers

website

emails

social media

word of mouth

billboards

TV

books

theaters

blogs

in-store displays

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

PPC

review sites

publishers

website

emails

social media

word of mouth

billboards

TV

books

theaters

blogs

in-store displays

DOWNLOAD THIS DECK TOO:BIT.LY/ADRIASEARCHLOVESD

http://bit.ly/AdriaSearchLoveSD

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

group 1: owned media

source

http://time.com/12933/what-you-think-you-know-about-the-web-is-wrong/

17. Use tools to split test headlinesresource

http://blog.bufferapp.com/how-buffer-ab-tests

resource

17. Use tools to split test headlines

http://fivesecondtest.com/

18. Setup retargeting cookiesimage credit | resource

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-165544715/stock-photo-owl-cookies.html?src=JW3nCrczq4qRGM_DCAJ8tw-2-2

https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2476688?hl=en

19. Apply dynamic retargeting to emailresource | resource

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2199676/6-Types-of-Retargeting-Every-Marketer-Should-Know

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

group 2: paid media

Remember retargeting cookies?image credit

20. Use custom lists to target

image credit | resource

users who completed a certain action

http://www.ninahale.com/google-analytics-retargeting-with-smart-pixel/

21. Use custom combo lists to

image credit | resource

target users who visited specific pages

http://www.ninahale.com/google-analytics-retargeting-with-smart-pixel/

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22. Embrace Facebook’s creepiness

http://www.socialadstool.com/features/facebook-ads-targeting-limits/

resource | resource | resource

23. Create custom & lookalike audiences

http://www.jonloomer.com/2013/10/29/facebook-custom-audiences-target-email-list/

http://blog.stamplay.com/synchronize-your-mailchimp-lists-with-facebook-custom-audiences-automatically/

http://adespresso.com/academy/blog/facebook-ads-custom-audiences-guide/

24. Target users with related content

25. Find similar lists via MailChimpresource

http://blog.mailchimp.com/introducing-wavelength/

26. Setup retargeting pixel on blogsimage credit

27. Use content distribution platforms

* all logos link to company site

http://www.nativo.net/

http://www.outbrain.com/

http://taboola.com/

http://www.sharethrough.com/

http://www.vocus.com/

28. Keep an eye on Googlesource

?

http://www.besttechie.com/2014/08/01/google-is-secretly-testing-a-content-recommendation-service-to-compete-with-taboola-and-outbrain/

http://www.nativo.net/

http://www.outbrain.com/

http://taboola.com/

http://www.sharethrough.com/

http://www.vocus.com/

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

group 3: earned media

29. Find writers who can amplifysource

1

2

3

http://www.rocketmill.co.uk/content-marketing-influencer-research-steroids

30. Find bloggers that follow yousource

https://www.distilled.net/resources/5-techniques-for-promoting-your-client-without-content/

BY ALL MEANS

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT YOUR COMPANY CREATED

image credit

http://www.blastr.com/sites/blastr/files/GeneWilderWillyWonka1.jpg

source

http://buzzsumo.com/blog/pitch-journalist-tips-techcrunch-ny-times/

source

http://buzzsumo.com/blog/pitch-journalist-tips-techcrunch-ny-times/

image credit

http://groupthink.jezebel.com/just-came-across-this-on-pinterest-1505109680

image credit

?image credit

image credit

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wat

SPENDS WEEKS TRACKING YOU DOWN

THEN CALLS IT SERENDIPITY.

image credit

http://www.quickmeme.com/p/3vty4z

image credit

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

Outreach on steroids

31. Target editors via LinkedIn paid adsresource

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2065332/B2-Believe-Targeting-Decision-Makers-Using-LinkedIn

31. Target editors via LinkedIn paid adsresource

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2065332/B2-Believe-Targeting-Decision-Makers-Using-LinkedIn

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

total visits: 145K

social shares: 28K

32. Attribute the right success factors

33. Think idea, not format

34. Have realistic expectationssource

http://www.slideshare.net/randfish/why-content-marketing-fails

source

34. Have realistic expectations

34. Have realistic expectationssource

35. Measure and compare regularly

SO WHAT MAKES CONTENT SUCCESSFUL?

total visits: 322K

social shares: 3,300

total visits: 1.8M

social shares: 110K

It’s a process.

Stalking ResearchingClever positioningUnderstanding goal alignment & trackingConflicting & communicatingEffective brainstormingDouble checking Creating for S.U.C.C.E.S.Multi-channel promotingConstant analyzingWaiting

Sometimes you’ll feel like thisimage credit

http://funny.videoswallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/millionaire-funny-pics-205.jpg

But sometimes you’ll feel like thisimage credit

http://www.laduwalls.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/funny-animals-photos-pictures-3.jpg

THANK YOU!Adria Saracino

Head of Content Strategy, Distilled