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

Date post: 22-Nov-2014
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We only ever hear about successful content strategies, but sometimes it takes a lot of bumps and heartache to reach the top. Adria will share real content strategy projects that failed and provide tips for not following in the same steps.
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Finding Success After Defeat: Lessons from the Front Line Adria Saracino Head of Content Strategy, Distilled @adriasaracino | #LavaCon
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Page 1: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Finding Success After Defeat: Lessons from the Front Line

Adria SaracinoHead of Content Strategy, Distilled

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 2: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

DOWNLOAD THIS DECK:BIT.LY/ADRIALAVACON

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 3: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

I work at Distilled.

I wanted to be a journalist.

I did a brief stint in graphic design.

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 4: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

total visits: 322K

social shares: 3,300

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 5: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

total visits: 1.8M

social shares: 110K

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 6: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

coverage: 8

social shares: 34

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 7: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

coverage: 11

social shares: 90

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 8: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

Page 9: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

Page 10: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

35 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR CONTENT MARKETING EFFORTS SUCCESSFUL

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 11: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

AKA ALL THE WAYS I’VE F*CKED UP

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 12: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 13: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 14: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

coverage: 8

social shares: 34

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 15: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Badges improve customer trustsource

Page 16: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Badges may improve customer trustsource

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Page 17: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Long landing pages are hot right nowsource

Page 18: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Long landing pages are an optionsource

Page 19: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

We know our customers!

Page 20: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

We may know our customers,

but likely not fully

Page 21: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Smart questions now = future successsource

Page 22: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

We all know “personas” are importantimage credit

Page 23: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

But we’re missing some piecesimage credit

Where does Timo hang?

What content does he share?

Who influences him?

Page 26: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

resource

2. Find influential customers

Page 28: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

resource | resource

3. Discover what they read and share

FREAKONOMICS, MARKETINGLAND, HBR, FIVETHIRTYEIGHT

Page 29: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

0

20

40

60

80 TOP 10 MOST SHARED DOMAINS

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

resource | resource

3. Discover what they read and share

Page 30: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

resource

3. Discover what they read and share

Page 31: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

resource | image credit

4. Discover their broader interests

Page 32: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

What our customers need

What our competitors offer

What we offer

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

5. Don’t forget the other two pillars

Page 33: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

Not convinced?

Page 34: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

Not convinced?

Can get you out of a “boring industry”

Page 35: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Not convinced?

Can get you out of a “boring industry”

Page 36: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

total visits: 2.8M

total social shares: 720Korganic traffic: +45%

retention: +30%

Page 37: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 38: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

coverage: 29

social shares: 177

Page 39: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

6. Align content with appropriate goals

Page 40: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

6. Align content with appropriate goals

Page 41: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

7. Track the right goals

source | resource | resource

(not necessarily pages/visit & bounce)

Page 43: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

9. Stimulate brainstormingimage credit

Page 45: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

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?

Page 46: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

10. Keep brainstorms structuredresource

Page 47: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

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

Page 48: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

12. Do feasibility checks upfront

SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME

image credit

Page 49: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 50: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

DOWNLOAD THIS DECK TOO:BIT.LY/MARKSEARCHLOVE

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 51: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

coverage: 11

social shares: 168

Page 52: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

13. Make sure content is a SUCCES

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

Page 53: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

13. Make sure content is a SUCCESimage credit

Page 54: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

13. Make sure content is a SUCCESimage credit

Page 55: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

13. Make sure content is a SUCCESimage credit

Page 56: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

13. Make sure content is a SUCCESimage credit

Page 57: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

13. Make sure content is a SUCCESimage credit

Page 58: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

13. Make sure content is a SUCCESimage credit

Page 59: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

14. Do user testing early

SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory

image credit

Page 60: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

15. Ask the people in charge of promo

Page 61: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

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

Page 62: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 63: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

coverage: 11

social shares: 90

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 64: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

emails sent: 99

distribution methods: 1

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 65: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Content is king…“@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 66: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

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

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 68: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

PPC

review sites

publishers

website

emails

social media

word of mouth

billboards

TV

books

theaters

blogs

in-store displays

Page 69: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

PPC

review sites

publishers

website

emails

social media

word of mouth

billboards

TV

books

theaters

blogs

in-store displays

Page 70: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

PPC

review sites

publishers

website

emails

social media

word of mouth

billboards

TV

books

theaters

blogs

in-store displays

Page 71: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

DOWNLOAD THIS DECK TOO:BIT.LY/ADRIASEARCHLOVESD

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 72: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

group 1: owned media

Page 74: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

17. Use tools to split test headlinesresource

Page 75: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

resource

17. Use tools to split test headlines

Page 78: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

group 2: paid media

Page 79: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Remember retargeting cookies?image credit

Page 80: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

20. Use custom lists to target

image credit | resource

users who completed a certain action

Page 81: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

21. Use custom combo lists to

image credit | resource

target users who visited specific pages

Page 82: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

22. Embrace Facebook’s creepiness

Page 84: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

24. Target users with related content

Page 85: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

25. Find similar lists via MailChimpresource

Page 86: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

26. Setup retargeting pixel on blogsimage credit

Page 87: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

27. Use content distribution platforms

* all logos link to company site

Page 89: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

group 3: earned media

Page 90: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

29. Find writers who can amplifysource

1

2

3

Page 91: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

30. Find bloggers that follow yousource

Page 92: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

BY ALL MEANS

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT YOUR COMPANY CREATED

image credit

Page 99: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

Page 100: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

SPENDS WEEKS TRACKING YOU DOWN

THEN CALLS IT SERENDIPITY.

image credit

Page 101: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

image credit

Page 102: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

Outreach on steroids

Page 103: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

31. Target editors via LinkedIn paid adsresource

Page 104: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

31. Target editors via LinkedIn paid adsresource

Page 105: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

OWNED MEDIA

EARNEDMEDIA

PAIDMEDIA

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 106: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

Research Plan

Analyze Create

Distribute

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 107: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

total visits: 145K

social shares: 28K

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 108: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

32. Attribute the right success factors

Page 109: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

33. Think idea, not format

Page 110: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

34. Have realistic expectationssource

Page 111: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

source

34. Have realistic expectations

Page 112: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

34. Have realistic expectationssource

Page 113: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

35. Measure and compare regularly

Page 114: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

SO WHAT MAKES CONTENT SUCCESSFUL?

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 115: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

total visits: 322K

social shares: 3,300

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 116: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

total visits: 1.8M

social shares: 110K

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Page 117: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

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

Page 118: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

Sometimes you’ll feel like thisimage credit

Page 119: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon

But sometimes you’ll feel like thisimage credit

Page 120: Finding Success After Defeat: Content Marketing Lessons from the Frontline | Adria Saracino

THANK YOU!Adria Saracino

Head of Content Strategy, Distilled

@adriasaracino | #LavaCon


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