An Introduction to Content Marketing
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This document provides an introduction to content marketing, including definitions, examples, and principles for creating effective content. It defines content marketing as "the technique of creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to attract, acquire and engage a clearly defined target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action." Content marketing strategies should go beyond conventional segmentation by communicating directly with individuals. Content should be planned to achieve specific customer-focused objectives and be integrated into the overall communications strategy. The content should be relevant, useful, engaging and shareable.
An Introduction to Content Marketing
- 1. Digital Communications: Introduction to Content Marketing
- 2. Agenda for this session: • Definition of ‘Content Marketing’ • Some examples • How ‘Content Marketing’ works • Principles of creating ‘Content’ • Activity
- 3. Content Marketing: What do you know about ‘content marketing’?
- 4. Content Marketing: a definition “The technique of creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to attract, acquire and engage a clearly defined target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.” Joe Pulizzi the Content Marketing Institute
- 5. Content Marketing is not new… • Michelin tyres started to publish the famous Michelin guides for motorists in 1900 • 35,000 copies of the first edition were given away
- 6. Contemporary Content Marketing includes: • Newsletters and news feeds (RSS) • Videos • White Papers and Reports • E-books • Infographics • Case studies • How-to guides • Question and answer articles • Photographs • Blogs • Games & Apps
- 7. A contemporary example: Blendtec • A struggling manufacturer in a competitive marketplace • In 2006 emailed a video ‘What should we blend?’, to its customers, featuring the CEO Tom Dickson. • 2013: 180 videos, 700,000 YouTube subscribers: 700% increase in sales. http://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec
- 8. Turning strangers into customers and promoters of your business Content Strategy: Source: HubSpot
- 11. Principles of Creating Content: 1. Develop the customer ‘Persona’ 2. Create the Engagement Cycle 3. Develop the Brand Story 4. Develop the content marketing channel plan
- 12. 1: Develop the Customer Persona • Know the person you are selling to – more than their demographic • Behaviours, individual needs, buying cycle • Customer Motivations, Goals and Frustrations • Why should this person care about your company? • What Unique Value Proposition do you offer this person?
- 13. 13 For start-up digital services provider FakeCrow: http://fakecrow.com/#ab out-page
- 14. 2: Create the Engagement Cycle • Map the Customer’s Buying Process and Customer Journey: Awareness Information Search Price Purchase Decision Alternatives Short List Purchase Post-Purchase Experience Re-Purchase Advocate
- 15. 3: What is the Brand Story? • How does the customer perceive / experience your brand? • What does your brand promise the customer? • Why is your brand new, different, challenging? • What is your brand’s history? • What does your brand help the customer to achieve?
- 17. 4: Develop the Content Marketing Channel Plan • Where will the customer view your content? • What device will the consumer be using? • Why would people want this content through this channel? • What do we hope the consumer will do with the content? • What are the objectives of each channel as they relate to the engagement cycle? Source: Smart Insights
- 18. And finally… Six examples of successful content marketing campaigns in 2014 http://www.outbrain.com/blog/2014/07/6-epic-content-marketing- examples-from-2014.html
- 19. Summary: Content Marketing should: • Go beyond conventional segmentation to communicate directly and in a relevant way with individuals. • Be planned and designed to achieve specific customer-focused objectives. • Be integrated with the entire communications / promotional mix. • Be relevant, useful, findable, sharable, creative and fun.
- 20. Recommended Reading: Chaffey, D. (2015) Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. 6th ed. Fill, C. (2013) Marketing Communications: Brands, Experiences and Participation. 6th ed. (Chapters 21 and 22) Pullizzi, J. (2013) Epic Content Marketing (Chapters 10 and 11) Recommended websites: www.contentmarketinginstitute.com www.hubspot.com www.smartinsights.com www.quicksprout.com/the-beginners-guide-to-online-marketing-chapter-1/
- 21. Activity 1: Create your Customer Persona Using the Persona Template, create a Customer Persona for a prospective undergraduate student considering doing a first degree in Business and Management.
- 22. 22 For start-up digital services provider FakeCrow: http://fakecrow.com/#ab out-page
- 23. Activity 2: Create your Content Once you have created your Customer Persona, brainstorm your table to make two lists of possible Content which would help: 1. Attract the prospect to the Birmingham City Business School (generate website visitors) 2. Covert prospects to prioritising BCBS on their list of options (generate leads and subscribers). Check the BCBS website: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/business-school