Rise of the Content Engineer

Using Content to Drive Online Business Results

Erik is a content strategist and new media marketing executive with two decades of technology communications experience for B2B and B2C markets. He has helped both pioneering start-ups and leading technology brands such as Microsoft navigate the emerging digital and social landscape. Erik started his career in journalism before joining WebSideStory (now Adobe) as Director of Corporate Communications. He helped lead the company’s transformation from a web master tools provider to an enterprise leader. Erik later joined Microsoft in Redmond before accepting a role as VP of Marketing at Telcentris.

As a new media consultant, Erik has helped generate high-impact brand awareness, build customer communities, and become more findable on the social web. Erik is a speaker and author, writing best-selling reports for MarketingProfs.com, including Twitter Success Stories and Social Media ROI Success Stories.

Follow on Twitter: @erikbratt

Erik Bratt, PartnerSchulman+Thorogood Group

What Will You Get From This Presentation?

How Online Marketing & Social Media have changed everything… and not!

Understanding Customer 2.0

Engaging Customer 2.0

Evolution of Marketing and Marketers

7 Steps to Being a Content Engineer

The Customer is Driving the Conversation

“…social media has become massively more important because customers have stopped listening to vendors and analyst/reviewers. Think about that.

Most of your marketing and press/analyst relations are being trumped by customers talking to customers. ”

Geoffrey James BNET

6 Keys to Marketing to Customer 2.0

1. Listen before you talk2. Engage in the conversation3. Invest in the Content Engineer4. Create a Virtuous Marketing Cycle5. Build a culture of measurement6. … and Repeat!

Listen Before You Talk

Social Intelligence

Engage in the Conversation

Create relevant contentGo where your customers areEmpower your community managersLeverage different social channels for different purposesPower the community!

Emergence of Inbound Marketing

Outbound v Inbound Interrupt-driven

TalkingProgram $$

PushBusiness-Generated

Press releases, seminars, videos, collateral

Business Connections Building Websites

Sales Cycle

Organic / Findability-basedListeningPeople $$ PullUser-GeneratedBlog posts, podcasts, LinkedIn & Facebook groups, YouTubeSocial ConnectionsBuilding CommunitiesBuying Cycle

10

2011 Marketing Trends

Era of the Content Engineer™ The cost per lead for inbound marketing is 60%

less than outbound marketing1

Investment in People-dollars Investment in Program-dollars

Content Engineer = One Part Creative Director + One Part Data Analyst

• Both LEFT and RIGHT Brain Required!

1 IDC 2010 and Hubspot 2010

Relevance is Key

Relevant content is key to findability SEO & link-building

Relevant content is key to customer engagement, stickiness and community building

Relevance Engagement ConversionCreativity w/out Conversion = ZERO

Relevance!

Creating a Virtuous Marketing Cycle™

Who’s Doing What Today?

Reach – Whole Foods, InsideView (client)Content Marketing – Roberts & Durkee, InboundWriter, WebSideStory (Adobe Systems)Engagement - Nordstrom'sRe-branding – Domino’s PizzaCrisis Management –Wright County Farms, Domino’s Pizza

Content Case Study

Content Case Study

Content Case Study

Content Case Study

White Paper Example

Goal: Generate leads

Strategy: Demystify webanalytics w/free download

Result: 8K leads

Establishing A Culture of

Measurement

COMPANYSCORECARD

ACCOUNTMANAGEMENT

PRODUCTMANAGEMENT

MARKETING

SALES

ADOPTIONRATE

PENETRATIONRATE

ACCOUNTHEALTH

WEBSITEPERFORMANCE

CAMPAIGNPERFORMANCE

LEADS

PIPELINE/OPS

BOOKINGS

AGGREGATEUTLIZATION

CONVERSION

By UsersBy Company

Total Seats# of products

By CustomerBy Company Size

Visits to SiteVisits from CampaignsPages Visited

Leads from CampaignROI for CampaignLeads by Product Type

By Product TypeBy Channel

Product TractionUpsell

Conversion by RepLead SourceLead Status

Number of Deals Created by RepRep Activity Against Pipeline

Value of Deals WonMonthly vs. Quota

6. Keeping Marketing Honest

7 Steps to Being a Content Engineer

1. Understand Business Goals2. Create a Content Strategy3. Unleash Your Inner Data Analyst4. Know the Right Tools5. Create Relevant Content6. Get it Read7. Measure & Optimize

1. Understand Goals

What is your company trying to accomplish?Are you in alignment with marketing?Who are you trying to reach? Audience segments

2. Content Strategy

What is your content strategy based on your objectives?What type of content do you need to achieve your objectives?How will you measure success?What can you recycle? Create an editorial calendar to keep you on track

Relevant

Who are they? Demos.

Why are they valuable?(connect to your goals)

How can you help?

Personas

‘Lifecycle’ ContentAcquisition Conversion Retention

Blogging White papers Email newslettersOnline press releases Explanatory videos Social media contentInfographics Customer video

testimonialsCustomer support content

Surveys and trend data Case studies Product toursVideo content Data sheets WebinarsSocial media content Product reviews BlogPodcasts Webinars ContestsBlog and forum comments Advertising and search

copy

Content by Site TypeAdvertising E-Commerce Lead Gen Support

Blogs Landing page copy White papers FAQs

Videos Blogs Strategy guides Product videos

Newsletters Product reviews (UGC)

Blogs Video tutorials

Social media Videos Webinars Help guides

Original content Social media Newsletters Social media

Comments (UGC) Recommendations Infographics Newsletters

Social media

3. Inner Data AnalystFamiliarize yourself with web and social measurementUnderstand how content drives results based on your objectivesKnow how to establish benchmarksUse data to optimize and create better content

Leveraging DataMeasurement can be used to help in the

following areas:Planning: Which content drove past results – traffic, conversions, ‘shares’Reporting: Is the content meeting your objectives? Which type of content is best?Optimizing: How can we move the needle above benchmark?

4. Know the Right Toolsmeasurement distribution production

5. Create Relevant ContentUse data to understand what your audience is interested in; what types of content work bestBe creativeTell a storyCall to actionMake it consumable

Cool Content Examples

6. Get it ReadDistribute through: social channels, customer advocates, influencers, paid advertising, etc.Work w/marketing and public relationsLeverage employees!Embed measurement

7. Measure & Adjust

Measure impact of content based on objectiveMeasure most effective type of contentUse measurement to drive content – and marketing -- decisionsRemember: creativity w/out conversions = zero

www.schulmanthorogoood.com@pelint @erikbratt@randschulman