What Is This?

• A unique set of content marketing templates and checklists that you can utilize immediately to begin, enhance, or optimize your current content strategy.

• Each template includes a brief introduction, and key points are explained, but this is mostly about jumping in and just doing it!

• This is an Action Plan; templates to plan, write, promote, and optimize content for lead generation and sales!

What Do I Get?

• Planning Templates: Situation Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Value Proposition, Buyer Personas, Content Mapping

• Lead Generation Templates: Keyword Research, Paid Search Ads, SEO, Website Content, Landing Pages

• Lead Nurturing Templates: Email Marketing, Nurturing Flow Development

• Content Calendars: Blogging, Social Media, Content Promotion

• Content Itself: Blogs, White Papers, Webinars, Case Studies, Videos, Press Releases

• And More!

First; What is Content Marketing?

“Content marketing is the art of understanding exactly what your customers need to know, and delivering it to them in a relevant and compelling way to grow your business” Joe Pulizzi, Founder Junta42,

Content Marketing Firm

“Content marketing is the art of creating, curating, and distributing valuable content, combined with the science of measuring its impact on awareness, lead generation, and customer acquisition” The Grande Guide to B2B Content Marketing from Eloqua

“Content marketing is the creation and sharing of content for the purpose of promoting a product or service” Marketo

“Content marketing is the process of communicating relevant messages to specific target audiences and personas throughout their individual buying cycles with the goal to inform, educate, and persuade prospects to eventually become sales due to the expertise and thought leadership you present in a timely, frequent, and orderly manner” Paul Mosenson, NuSpark Marketing (me!)

• Develops trust

by providing

buyers with

info that helps

them make

decisions and

reducing

organizational

risk

• Drives traffic

to websites

and landing

pages;

persuades

prospects to

convert via

forms

• Educates and

informs as

the lead

develops, the

fuel of a

robust lead

nurturing

program

Quality Content…..

The First TemplateWe get started with our first template; a checklist covering an overview of what good content marketing is. This checklist gives an overview of what makes good content marketing. By following these content marketing principles, you’ll be on your way to turning your business into a lead generating machine.

Of upmost importance:

•Create a topic that is interesting, problem-solving, and represents your brand

•Summarize with a key take-away and call-to-action for conversion

•Content should be shareable; that means appealing, relevant, and contains key benefits

•Have a plan for conversation; engage audiences and provide timely feedback

•Measure via relevant business KPIs and conversational measures

Non-Promotional Relevant to Your Reader Answers a Business Question

Well-Written Organized Has a Purpose

Supports Your Company Brand Credibility; Builds Trust Provides Proof of Expertise

Assists Buyers Through Purchase Cycle Think Like a Publisher Be Committed

Understand Needs of Prospects Have an Editorial Plan Make it Interesting

Keep it Fresh Make it Findable on Search Engines Consider Syndication

Call-to-Action Measureable Shareable

Situation AnalysisThis is where you start. Fill in the blanks on the following template covering your firm’s business challenges, goals, and market conditions. The comment field is for any additional issues and notes that affect your answers to each question on the template. By understanding or re-evaluating the market conditions you gain an overview of the work that needs to be done to update your message and approach for lead generation with content marketing.

Question Answer Comment

What Are Your Key Business Challenges?

What were your most successful products/services over the past year and why?

What were your least successful products/services over the past year and why?

What Are Your Competitive Advantages?

What Are Your Competitve Disadvantages?

Question Answer Comment

Describe Your Company's Mission in One Sentence.. Why Do You Exist?

What Is Your Value Proposition and How Do You Prove It?

Does your firm have any financial constraints when it comes to increasinginbound marketing and demand generation expenditures?

What Market Conditions Exist That Support Your Growth Plans?

What Market Conditions Exist That Hinder Your Growth Plans?

Competitive AnalysisFill out a template for each of your competitors, and compare their place in the market and approaches to yours. This will help determine or reassure your positioning in the marketplace, or find new opportunities we can focus on.

Question Competitor Your Firm

Who Is Your Competitor for this Analysis?

What Is Your Geographic Target?

What Industries Do You Serve or Emphasize?

What Is Your Brand Reputation?

How Are Your Key Products/Services Similar?(Attributes, functionality, pricing)

Question Competitor Your Firm

How Do Your Key Products/Services Differ?(Attributes, functionality, pricing)

What Elements on Their Website Stand Out as Compared to Yours?(visuals, content downloads, calls-to-action, case studies, testimonials, etc)

What keywords does the competitor use on their page titles and meta descriptions compared to yours? (Right-click Mouse, Click “View Source” and scan the code of the home page)

What Marketing tactics have you seen from your competitor? (print, mail, email, paid search, banners, content giveaways, webinars, video)

Does the competitor have a blog that’s frequently updated and a robust social media presence? (Check Twitter, Facebook, Google+ activity)

Why Prospects Buy From YouWhy do prospects buy from you rather than your competitor? What makes you different? We now look at your own product or products, and evaluate what problems they solve, and what makes your solutions unique. By identifying these early on, they become the underlying themes throughout your messaging. In essence, we’re developing or substantiating your value proposition.

Solution/Product/Service What Needs It Solves Why Should Prospects Buy It Why Buy It From You

Target Audience, Buyer Persona, and Content Mapping

Next, we need to identify who your target audiences are, what needs they have, what challenges they face, and how you can help solve their business problems with content.

• Target audience; who your solutions are intended for

• Buyer persona; what their needs are; and what their buyer behaviors are

• Content mapping; the method of matching relevant content to each of your personas throughout their buying cycles

Target Audience; Buyer PersonaWe need to understand not just who the profiles of your prospects are, but what they face in their jobs, what challenges they have, and then how they research solutions. Each question on the template leaves room for a primary answer and a secondary answer.

Some of the information will take some digging; speak to your current customers- talk to sales- listen to social media activity-read articles and posts that pertain to your audience, read what your competitors are saying, network with key audiences.

Question Primary Answer Secondary Answer

Industry & Job Title

Role :Key Decision-Maker, Influencer, Buyer

Key Job Responsibilities

Who Does He Sell To? Titles, Industries, Size

How Is His Job Measured?(sales, efficiency, productivity, results, ROI)

Question Primary Answer Secondary Answer

Business Needs( improve efficiency, better management, increase department ROI, more sales, upgrade technology)

Job Frustrations & How They Currently Manage it(Older technology, lack of efficiency, too much effort; not enough time, lack of resources, lack of support)

Drivers to Purchase(Budget, departmental improvement, benefits, cost-savings, productivity opportunity)

Media Habits and Usage(What do they read, what content they consume, how do they research, social media usage, what keywords they use)

Typical Buying Cycle (Months between interest to purchase)

Persona Q&AEach persona will have a number of questions as it pertains to their buying stage and expectations when reading content. By answering the questions prospects may be asking, you get ideas and topics for content development.

Stage 1: Early stage questions are more informational and educational focused. Stage 2: Mid-stage questions focus more on evaluation and risks; audiences are looking to solve specific problems now. Stage 3: Later stage questions focus on validation and specific solution needs. They’re getting ready to buy.

Examples:

Title: COOStage 1: How will this contribute to revenue growth? Will this make me more competitive versus competition? Is this issue impacting my industry?

Stage 2: What specific needs does this solve? Which solution provides the most value? What are my solution options?

Stage 3: How long will it take to implement the solution? Have you done this for similar firms?

Title: CIOStage 1: How will this affect our current infrastructure? How does this make what we do more efficient? What If I stay status-quo?

Stage 2: Which firms provide the most expertise that pertain to my needs? What do my peers say? Are there any risks if I change?

Stage 3: How good is the customer support? How do I manage the transition?

Give it a shot. By knowing the questions your prospects may ask; it gives us huge hints on how to develop content that serves their needs.

Buying Stage Questions/Challenges Answers/Solutions

How does this information affect my business?

Early Stage Questions

What are the benefits of buying/updating/changing? How do I know the vendor can solve my business challenges?

Mid-Stage Questions

Which vendors/solutions satisfy my needs and why? How do I know the vendor can solve my business challenges?

Later Stage Questions

Content MappingNow we take all of this knowledge of your solutions and targets, and map the messaging toward each persona’s buying stage. First, we’ll review what you already have, then identify new topics. This part will take some time and effort in order to prepare content topics for every buying phase.

Each topic must have a purpose, whether it be educational, showcasing expertise, or supporting evidence that builds additional credibility. The content mapping templates include a column on Content Purpose if you wish to utilize it to identify the focus of the content:• Education • Expertise• Evidence

Potential formats can include white papers, webinars, case studies, articles, blog posts, videos, eBooks and more.

By the way, if a content asset targets multiple personas; that’s fine, as long as the research supports it, and each persona uses the same language.

Matching Content with Buying Stage

To help guide you on which buying phase to map your content, follow this guide:

Awareness: The prospect has begun the research phase but is not actively pursing change yet. Present industry views, address business problems in your industry, introduce innovations, educate on processes. Inform and educate your prospects. Your messaging with influence prospects that they indeed have a need.

Need Identification: Prospects are now educating themselves further on their needs and how change will affect his firm. Focus more on problem-solution content. Begin introducing your solution but make sure your content continues to educate and use industry stats and trends to support your position. Clearly explain the benefits of change.

Research: The audience is now firmly aware of the need and is now researching potential solutions. You content needs to demonstrate your expertise. Showcase your solutions; show how you solution solves problems and reduces risk. Combine education with your solution.

Reassurance: The business case for change has been established in the prospects’ mind. Continue to show your expertise. Showcase demos. Introduce case studies. Compare yourself with competitors. Prove to your audience that you have the expertise and experience.

Validation: Your firm is now being considered. Continue to showcase your knowledge and thought leadership, and make sure your website content supports your value. More Case studies, testimonials, and promotional offers reside here.

Use your best judgment when mapping content. Think about your prospect and provide a logical order of presenting your content that makes sense. You’re telling a story that begins with education and ends in persuasion.

Buying Stage Current Topics/Assets Content Purpose Current Format

Awareness

Need Identification

Research

Reassurance

Validation

Buying Stage Topics Content Purpose Potential Formats

Awareness

Need Identification

Research

Reassurance

Validation

Final Content MapOnce we know what content we have, what content needs to be refreshed, and what new content is needed, we need to summarize all this. So this template is a combination of the existing content with new content and will act as a master list of the assets. Using this template is a must when planning lead nurturing and drip email campaigns which will be addressed again later.

Remember to match up each topic with a planned format or formats (they can be repurposed), such as white paper and webinar.

Also, this IS a template. Your final map will be longer and more extensive by the time you’re all finished. Again, organize each map by persona.

Buying Stage Topics Formats

Awareness

Needs Identification

Research

Reassurance

Validation

Downloadable Content ChecklistWhen you are performing a content audit, it’s one thing to have some content that can be continued to be used to drive engagement, but it’s also good practice to audit that specific piece of content and make sure it’s useful, it’s quality, and it’s findable. That’s what the next template will do. Review your current content, and make notes as action items if changes need to be made.

Item Yes /No Next Step/ Action Needed

Is the Content Useful to the TargetPersonas?

Is the Content Accurate and Up-to-Date?

Is the Content Written or ProducedProfessionally?

Is the Content Easy-to-Read/View and Organized?

Is the Content Being Used?(Check analytics and sharing metrics)

Does the Content Have Relevant Keywords for SEO?

Is the Content Interesting and Engaging?

Can the Content be Repurposed in Other Formats?

Does the Content Include Sharing Elements for Social Media?

Does the Content Include Meta-Data forOnline Publishing?

Keywords and SEO

Now that you know what you do, what makes you unique, who

you’re marketing to, and what content your prospects need to make purchase decisions, those audiences need to find you. The goal is to get them to your website so they can see how you solve their business problems. The next section will showcase templates for:

– Keyword research; determining what words/phrases your prospects use to find you on search engines

– SEO. Integrating the keywords into the website front end and back end

Keyword ResearchKeyword research is both an art and a science. Every SEO company has their own methods in determining the best keywords for your content. Most use the same tools; but it’s how you interpret those tools is where the art comes in.

That being said, the right keywords provide the seeds to all of the content you produce. With the correct keywords, the following occurs:

•Your website content relates to the needs of your target audience which drives engagement and turns them into leads.

•Your prospects are attracted to your firm; your leads are persuaded to consider your firm; your sales opportunities are convinced to purchase.

•Your content is found on Google and other search engines when prospects research symptoms of their problems and solutions to their needs.

•A foundation is determined as a basis for social media, blogs, and other articles and messages that contribute to your brand and the problems you solve.

Keyword TemplatesThe following four templates begin the keyword research process. Utilizing online tools and platforms streamline the process; but at the end of the day, you have to feel right as those keywords relate to your solutions and how buyers look for you.

1. Keyword DiscoveryBegins the process of determining what is, and should be the keywords that support your solutions. For search and SEO, keep in mind “it’s not what you do- it’s what your prospects search for.”

2. Keyword RefinementKeywords and phrases change throughout purchase cycles. Refining terms take your basic “seed” terms and extend them into “long-tail” terms that are more relevant. Example: “lead generation” is a seed word for me, and “b2b lead generation” or “paid search for leads” are refined or complementary.

Early funnel long-tail terms are more informational: “lead generation ideas” “improving lead generation”

Mid funnel long-tail terms are more into the consideration phase: “lead generation firms” “lead generation tools”

Later funnel long-tail terms are terms that denote ready to purchase: “lead generation prices” “best lead generation tools.” The term may even be the name of your firm.

You’ll want to use your best judgment. Google’s keyword tool can help with suggestions.

Keyword Templates3. Keyword Determination

From the list of complementary terms into this template, you can now rate your keywords as a step toward determining the best words for SEO. Rank each category from 1 to 3.

Relevancy: How relevant are the terms to your business. Example: “B2B lead generation” is a 3 on the relevancy scale for me, but a term “B2B marketing” may be a 2, since it’s so broad. Because I am in Philadelphia, the term “b2B marketing Philadelphia” becomes a 3 for relevancy.

Specific: This category measures how specific a keyword term is to your business. “B2B lead generation” is relevant but not specific. A high rank specific term would be “B2B lead generation firms” or “Content marketing lead generation.”

Competitive: Using Google’s Keyword Tool, a measure of keyword competitiveness is shown. Keywords with low competition get the highest 1-3 rank. This is the easiest method to measure keyword competition.

By adding up the 3 levels, you can determine those keywords that are not just relevant to your solution via the purchase funnel, but also most likely to appear highly on search engines.

4. Keyword for SEOFinally, you want to make sure that your selected words are indeed searched for a decent amount of times each month. The final template, in conjunction with Google’s keyword tool or a paid tool, will compare monthly searches for your terms with the total pages that Google indexes with those terms. By dividing the monthly searches with the Google index, the outcome is an SEO competition ratio. The higher the ratio, the more likely your search term can be optimized.

Item Results

Internal Brainstorming. What does your product do and what business needs does it solve?

External Sources. Industry trades, articles, social media channels. blogs

Current Content and Website

Competitive Website Content and Meta Data (keywords, meta descriptions)

Analytics data – keyword referrers

Research from customer surveys and conversation; confirm the Buyer Language aligns with your messages and content

Funnel Stage Base Terms Complementary Terms

Early Buying Phases

Middle Buying Phases

Later Buying Phases

Keyword/Phrase Relevance (1-3) Specific(1-3) Competitive (1-3)

Keyword/Phrase Monthly Searches Google Indexed Pages Ratio

Keywords and Websites: SEONow that the keyword research has been done; it’s time to implement the keywords into your website or landing pages. The templates that follow basically represent a content audit of your website. With regard to content marketing, there’s two phases of SEO:

•On-page optimization. These are the elements visibly seen by a prospect.

•Off-page optimization. This is the site structure and meta tag information needed to remind the Google bots that your website is about your keywords.

It’s the meta page description that shows when a user searches for your firm or solution. Called a snippet, it should easily communicate your benefits with the primary SEO keywords within the text.

The templates that follow begin with entering each major content URL of your website. A column for action items exist to summarize what changes need to be made, otherwise you can make notes on tweaks that need to be done within the fields of the templates. In essence, it can also act as a checklist as well.

Current Page URLCompelling Headlines, sub-

headlines with keywords Easy to Scan; Bullet-points

Body Copy: Content length-between 400-800 words

ideally

Current Page URL Keywords in Images (Alt tags) Keywords in Page URL On-Page Action Items

Page URLTitle Tag includes primary

keywords

Page Description with primary keywords and under 75

characters Off-Page Action Items

Overall Website Experience

Creating a compelling message structure drives engagement and contributes to increased conversions. Even though this eBook is focused on content, navigational and usability factors all are equal contributors to the user experience. Thus, the next template is a checklist that covers the most important factors that determine a successful website experience.

Content-Message Content-Attributes Major Usability Points

Headings Clear and Descriptive Consistent Font Styles & Colors Logo Placed Prominently and Clickable

Most Important Content Above Fold Emphasis Used Sparingly (Bold, Underline, Italics)

Good Text-to-Background Contrast

User Benefits Stressed Organized Logically Tag Line Communicates Purpose

Timely and Relevant No Typos or Grammatical errors Clear Path to Company Info

Too Much or Too Little Information on a Topic

Font Size and Spacing Easy to Read Navigation Labels Clear & Concise

Reflect Your Brand Voice Credibility Sections: Testimonials/ Case Studies

Easy-To-Find Calls-To-Actions

Written In a Consistent Style Easily Scan-able Links are Consistent & Easy to Identify

Paid Search; Clicks and Conversions

Now we shift to content marketing and paid search. Generating quality leads through paid search requires the following to occur:

• The keywords prospects query on search engines must be related to the content of your ads, or prospects won’t click.

• The keywords prospects query on search engines, and the message in your ad text, must be related to the content of your landing pages, or prospects won’t convert.

The templates that follow cover writing compelling ads for paid search, then how to write or audit landing pages that convert visitors into leads.

Ad GroupsGoogle Ad groups are tightly knit groupings of keywords that fall under the same theme. Clicks occur when ads include the keywords within them. Ad groups fall into campaigns. Campaigns are the products/solutions you are selling.

To develop the ad groups; it’s best to align those groups with the content offers and the buying phases. Here’s an example of how to develop this.

Campaign: Lead GenerationEarly Buying Phase: Informational

Ad Group Content Sample KeywordPaid search Early Free eBook Paid Search Strategy

Mid Buying Phase: EvaluationAd Group Content/Offer Sample KeywordPaid search Mid Free Demo Paid search tools

Later Buying Phase: ValidationAd Group Content/Offer Sample keywordPaid search Late Free Trial Paid search reviews

Buying Phase Ad Group Content Offers or Promotions

Informational Content: Funnel EntranceEarly Buying Phase

Evaluation Content: Mid-Funnel LevelMid-Buying Phases

Validation Content: Later-Funnel LevelLater-Buying Phase

Writing Search Text AdsOnce the ad groups are structured, it’s time to write the ads. I suggest writing ads before you add keywords do the group. Why? It’s the ads that will determine what keywords to use, because the keywords you select must be within the ad for better relevancy. So if there are synonyms or related words that describe your solutions, it’s best to create unique ad groups for each related keyword term or keyword category.

For example, Terms such as Pay-per-click, paid search, and Adwords do not belong in the same ad groups even though they are similar. I call them keyword themes. By using themes, it will help you know how many specific ad groups you will actually need, and how many ads to write. Ads should always be tested, so I suggest two ads per ad group, focusing on a different benefit. All ads should focus on a key unique benefit or feature, and a strong call-to-action for lead generation.

Example Ads:Ad Group: Paid Search Tools Ad Group: Pay-Per-Click SoftwareAd: Ad:Paid Search Tools Pay-Per-Click SoftwareDo paid search more effectively, Save Time & EffortLearn How; Free Guide Improve ROI; View Demo

Keyword Theme: “Paid search” Keyword Theme: “Pay-Per-Click”

Ad Group Name & Keyword Theme

Compelling Headline25 Characters

Key Benefit/Feature35 Characters

Call-to-Action/Offer35 Characters

Conversion Landing PagesWhether it’s paid search, social media, online advertising, or email marketing, your landing pages must be optimized to persuade your prospect to share their email address in exchange for content or offers. Whether your landing page is within a website, a microsite, or a single page, all conversion optimization efforts apply. Every landing page must be aligned to your message that attracted audiences to it in the first place.

In addition to your landing page; you should have a simple “Thank You” page in order to measure conversions . This page can also promote additional content assets and offer audiences the option to join your social media networks.

Landing Page Message PlanThe first thing to do is assess your landing page needs. Use the next template to align your campaigns and ad groups (for paid search) with your target audiences and message themes.

If you’re thinking about A/B split tests, this is the perfect template to get you thinking about what content and messages are worth testing.

Campaign Name / Ad Group Targets/Personas Topic/Theme Key Messages/Benefits

Landing Page CTANext, you want to determine your CTAs or call-to-actions. For lead generation, it’s not just what your offer is, but how to promote that offer and convince audiences. Testing is key here as well. You may list either one or multiple CTA statements. CTA statements should be clear, consistent, persuasive, create urgency and offer value.

Test statements such as:

Download Free Paper NowLimited Time Free TrialGet 10% Off NowLearn More ImmediatelyWatch Demo Try for Free

Landing Page Name/Version Content Download, Event, or Offer Call-To-Action Statements

Landing Page ChecklistThe next template allows us to review the key elements of a properly programmed landing page and make updates if need be.

Landing Page Element Yes/No Action Items

Headline Message Matches Ad or Campaign intent

Emotionally Persuasive Content

Easy to Click CTA with Minimal Effort-Above the Fold Too

Trust Content- Endorsement and Testimonial

Content Focus on Value & Benefits- Not too Long (4-5 benefits max)

If Exists, Embedded Video Short (15 sec) and Works on all Browsers

Content Easily Laid Out and Includes Bullet-Point Benefits

Look/Feel Attractive, Simple, and Focused

Web Form Short (5 fields at most) with Minimal Required Fields.

Analytics Code Installed on Page and Thank You Page as well as any Conversion Code on Thank You Pages

BloggingNow we move on to blogging. A blog is an ideal complement to your website. Blogs provide a number of benefits for lead generation:

•Provides fresh content; a true SEO benefit•Establishes you and your firm as industry and thought leaders•Builds new traffic to your website•Allows a platform for dialog with your readers•Ability to cross-sell or generate leads with sidebar offers•Useful as a lead nurturing tactic via email marketing

The first thing is to build an editorial calendar, and that means developing a topic list. The first template includes some ideas and strategies to help the idea process.

Industry Research Reformat Press Release Showcase How-To” Videos

Discuss Industry Problem Repurpose Case Study Review a Book or Article

Interview Industry Leader Find Guest Posts Discuss a Specific “How-To”

Cover Industry Events and Shows Discuss Future Trends Tips & Tricks

Promote Your Content (Tactfully) Ask Questions to Readers Review Unique Tools

Give an Opinion on an Industry News Event Make a List (Top 7 Reasons) Provide an Informative Industry Guide

Monitor Social Media for Ideas Repurpose Existing Content Comment on Someone Else’s Blog

Blog TemplatesThe following briefly describes 3 more templates for your blog strategy

Blog Development ChecklistOnce you have drafted a list of ideas, follow the checklist template as a guide t o make sure your post is on target strategically, is searchable, includes keywords, and engages audiences.

Blog CalendarThen, plan your posts on a quarterly editorial calendar. The template assumes there are multiple writers, so posts can be assigned to each writer with a deadline for submission.

Blog Promotional ChecklistThe final blog template is a checklist to make sure your blogs are promoted properly through various channels

Blog Element Yes/No Action Items

Persona Target or Targets

Purpose of the Post

SEO Keywords to Include in Title, Content and Meta Tags

Post Title that Denotes Usefulness

First Sentence- Hook Readers to Read More

Key Points To Get Across (List up to 3)

Relevant Photo or Graphic

Do the Links in the Blog Work?

Does the Blog Link to About Us and Contact Info?

RSS and Subscription Feeds Visible?

Social Media Sharing Widgets

Finish Blog with a Question or a Request for Comments

Post Categories

Post Date Topic Assignment Deadline

Tactic Yes/No Action Items

Publish on Facebook. (Social RSS, Networked Blogs Most Popular)

Promote on Twitter (Using URL shorteners). Post at Different Times and Days

Promote on LinkedIn and Google+ as status updates. Share with Public, Circles, Groups

Promote in E-newsletters and Email Communication

Comment on other Blogs and Direct Audiences to Your Blog Link

Create Relationships with Content Syndication Sites for Increased Reach

Make Sure Social Bookmarking Sites are Easily Found for Each Post

Blog Links Should be Presented on any Lead Generation Thank You page

New Blog Posts can be Promoted on Your Home Page

Use URL Shortener analytics and Google Analytics to Measure Blog Reach, Shares, and Performance

Email Marketing .Email Marketing is another key part of content strategy. There

are many factors that determine a successful campaign. Only by testing the multitude of elements can campaigns be optimized.

Two templates cover email marketing:

Content Strategy: Subject lines, calls-to-action, and the content itself

Execution Strategy: List purchase and segmentation, landing pages, metrics and measurement, deployment strategy.

Item Yes/No Action Items

Subject Line: Concise; Urgency, Test Messages and Track Opens

Content Focus: Relevant, Interesting, and Timely

Test Personalization if Appropriate

Content Clear, Concise, and To-the-Point: Scan-able Content Blocks

Test Offers, Measure, Optimize for Future

Simple, Clear Persuasive Call-to-ActionStatement- Above Fold

Spam Terms Eliminated- Follow Can-Spam Compliance

Social Media Sharing Buttons Included

Simple Unsubscribe Process Included

Inclusion of Appropriate Graphics, WhiteSpace and Look/Feel that Attracts Readers

Item Yes/No Action Items

Have Your Goals Defined: Purchase, Lead Generation, Web Traffic. Subscribers. Have KPI Goals Prepared

List Management: Which Segments to Send to; Does Your Message Pertain to Those Segments?

Is Your Landing Page Focused on the Specific Email Campaign?

Plan and Test Various Days/Week, Time of Day for Deployment; Track Metrics

Purchased Lists; Buy From Reputable Source; Ask About Frequency of Updates; Allow Opt-In mechanisms

Measure KPIs; Open Rate, Click Through Rate, Conversion Rates by each Variable; Measure ROI

Test Email on Mobile Devices and Browsers

Make Sure Links in Email Work and are Tagged Properly for Analytics

Remove Bounce and Bad EmailsImmediately

Lead Nurturing ImplementationLead Nurturing is the practice of maintaining contact with leads not ready to buy immediately by offering relevant content through a variety of channels (mostly email), and guiding those leads into becoming opportunities.

Lead Nurturing increases sales-ready leads, shortens sales cycles, and reduces opportunity leakage (leads that leave your funnel). Through the distribution of ongoing quality content, eventually your leads will be sales-ready (they will be identified as qualified via lead scoring).

Lead Nurturing involves two types of email marketing campaigns:

•Drip: These are planned email campaigns scheduled on an ongoing basis. Timing of drip campaigns depends on your business goals. If a prospect engages in content, I like to send a drip campaign 15 days later. For an inactive prospect, I like to send a drip campaign monthly. In reality, the timing of a drip nurture all depends on the nature of your business, feedback from sales, and your own feel on how often your prospects want to see your emails.

•Trigger: These are emails that are sent when certain events occur, like content downloads, page visits, or registrations. Trigger emails allow almost real-time communication, and thus are automated based on prospect behavior.

Lead Nurturing is best executed via Marketing Automation (Which I addressed via an older eBook and available on the NuSpark Marketing website). Since this a content marketing action eBook and not a theory eBook, we’ll get right to implementing all that content we have developed based on the content maps I presented earlier.

Lead Nurturing DesignThe next series of templates will begin the process of developing your lead nurturing plan via Marketing Automation. Many Marketing Automation platforms vary in functionality, but all share the basics of building lead flows; or the distribution of content in a strategic order by buying phase, from awareness to validation. These are basic but will give you an idea of how to develop a simple nurturing flow. It’s not easy, and does take some logical thinking to develop an ideal nurture flow. Always be testing.

As a prelude to building lead flows, it is assumed (if not call us!) that the following has occurred:

•Marketing and Sales have agreed on how a sales-ready lead is defined.•There is a lead scoring system in place so that content can be distributed to leads. that continue to be qualified throughout the purchase funnel.•There is a qualification process to separate “names” from “qualified prospects.”•You have a marketing database cleaned and segmented.•The buyer personas have been identified and there’s a wealth of content assets, posts, and articles ready to be housed within the Marketing Automation platform.•Lead Activity is tied into the CRM so that Sales are alerted when leads engage with content so that follow-up calls can be made.

Lead Nurturing Flow SetupFirst thing to do is to recap your personas and the list of content assets that target those personas, in order of buying phase. We suggest you start with stage 2 content, Needs identification, since initial Awareness content is what brought prospects to convert into leads in the first place. Your awareness content should be housed in Marketing Automation anyway as a strategy to re-activate initial leads who do not respond to next phase emails.

Then, you will identify the name of the email campaigns that will distribute that content. Email campaigns can be named by the landing page/content campaigns or however you wish to identify the purpose of the content email. Email campaigns need to be written, be short, be focused, and include an easy-to-spot link to your content.

The first template also has a field for email subject lines. Subject lines need to be clear, direct, and communicate what the email is about. Subject lines are ideal for testing because the Open Rate is the most important metric to analyze as well as links clicked within emails.

Content Asset Email Campaign Subject Line

Lead Nurturing Flow Activity The next two templates show the start of what happens when certain conditions occur. With Marketing Automation, conditions like website visits and pages views can affect lead score and content distribution activity, but for now, we look at engagement due to the drip email campaigns.

The previous template showed you your list of email campaigns/content assets. When you build your lead flows, you need to assign the content in the order you wish but by order of buyer phase. As stated earlier, once a prospect downloads or registers for awareness content, you will also need to assign a pause of a certain amount of days. You might want to send those prospects the next drip email campaign within a week to sense any further engagement (and warmer leads!).

So the next two templates showcase this kind of activity:•Positive activity (meaning an open email AND a download/register), days to pause, then the next activity, which should be a an email campaign/content asset that strategically comes next in the flow. Remember, we’re telling a compelling, persuasive story via email!•Negative Activity (meaning the content was not clicked or read by the prospect), days to pause, then the next activity you assign, either the same content with a new subject line, or a new same-stage content asset.

(If we’re getting technical, contact me!- (610) 604-0639)

Email Campaign Days to Pause Next Action

Email Campaign Days to Pause Next Action

Content Promotion PlanLike the blog promotion checklist presented earlier, your content can be promoted via a number of channels. Prospects are always in various stages of their buying cycles, so it’s fine to promote content that targets all buying phases. The template is categorized by social media, paid marketing, and other channels.

Social Media Paid Media Other Channels

LinkedIn Status-Personal and Company Page

Paid Search Email via Newsletters

Google+- Personal and Company Page Online Display Banners PR Outlets (i.e. PRWeb)

Facebook Business Page Newsletter Sponsorships Bloggers

Twitter Posts Email List Purchase and Deployment Trade Shows

YouTube or Vimeo if Video Direct Mail Content Syndication

Other Targeted Social Media Channels Traditional Media Your Own Blog

Social Media Content CalendarBecause of all of the myriad of channels and formats, it is helpful to utilize a social media calendar to organize posts and the promotion of your content. Our own monthly template that follows includes the following fields:

•Category: This is a top-line way to organize content themes. Examples of categories are industry news, problems-solutions, trade show/events, entertaining posts, product posts.

•Topic: This is the specific detail that describes your own content you are promoting, or content that needs to be found via other channels worth sharing.

•Post Format: Simple- is it simple posts, images, videos, slides, or longer-form articles/blogs

•Keyword/Hashtag: For SEO, this represents the primary keyword that should be included in the post headline or description. For Twitter, what is the main hashtag to use.

•Channels: Which social media channels will feature the post. For Twitter, can include how many Tweets planned.

•Landing Page URL: The URL of the blog or landing page that houses your content.

•Tracking Link: A list of unique links, via URL shorteners like Bit.ly and or Google’s custom URL builder for Google Analytics so that content can be tracked by topic and by channel.

•Post Date: The planned date for posting.

Category Topic Post Format Keyword/Hashtag ChannelsLanding

Page URLTracking

Link Post Date

Content Development PlanWhen we develop content, we need to make sure the content fits into our clients’ overall content marketing strategy. The content development template that follows makes sure content managers stay on course. The fields are:

•Topic: What the content will be about.

•Purpose: What is the goal of the content. What is the Call-to-Action? Download? Register? Thought Leadership?

•Buying Stage: Where the content fits within the funnel. Explained earlier.

•Format: Will this be a white paper, case study, webinar, eBook, or another format? How many pages estimated?

•Planned Channels: It’s good to know if the content was to be on your website, or promoted through social media, email,, and paid search.

•Related Needs: Reminds us if new landing pages, emails, or registration forms need to be developed along with the content. Also a note if custom artwork, graphics, or photography may be needed.

•Keywords: A reminder on the primary keywords to be incorporated within the content.

•Due Date: When it’s needed.

Topic Purpose Buying Stage Format Planned Channels Related Needs Keywords Due Date

Demand Generation ContentAnd now, the content itself. Content that attracts prospects; Content that converts them into leads; Content that transforms them into sales via nurturing.

The following three templates cover:

Webinars: A before-during-after checklist

Downloadable, sharable content: A combination template with a checklist for white papers, eBooks, and case studies.

Video Marketing: Another before-during-after checklist

Before During After

Choose Your Audience & Persona Rehearse Prepare Exit Poll or Survey; Gauge Opinions

Choose a Compelling Topic that Addresses a Business Challenge

Multiple Speakers; audience remains attentive

Upload to Slideshare.net; shows on LinkedIn too

Promote Value on Webinar Landing Page Dynamic Content; Speak “Human” Follow-up with Email or Calls, Email includes link to Recorded Webinar.

On Signup Form; Profile Audience- May Need to Tweak Content Based on

Audience

Engage Audience; Polls, Q & A, Chat House your Webinar on your Website

Enable Social Sharing on Thank You Page

Short Slides; Bullet Points; One Idea Per Slide

Do a Summary Blog Post

Promote via Email and Social Media Present Case Study or Industry Data Record Webinar; Send to Prospects

Send Reminder Emails to Registrants Call-to-Action on Last Slide; Offer, Contact Info

Lead Score Prospects in Marketing Automation

White Paper eBook Case Study

Authoritative Style Casual Style Get Customer Permission

Topic: What Problem Are Your Solving? Topic: What Problem Are You Solving? Keep Customer Involved

Conduct Accurate ResearchWrite in a Personable, but Compelling

StyleFollow an Outline-

Problem/Solution/Results

Specific “To-the-Point” Title Have fun; Images- Animation, but focused Hook Audience with Compelling Title

Write an Organized “Story” Follow an Outline; Stay Organized Tie in Benefit With Your Solutions

Include SEO keywords for Search Engines

Keep the Target Audience in Mind Ensure Customer is Typical of Your Target Market

Use Bullet Points for Clarity Consider Narration/Audio option Include Lessons Learned

Source Subject Matter Experts Include Call-to-Action and Offer Reward Customer with Framed or Printed Copy

Professionally Designed Professionally Designed Professionally Designed; Graphs.,Charts

Promote via Social Media, Ads, PR, Email

Promote via Social Media, Ads, PR, Email Promote via Social Media, Ads, PR, Email

Utilize on Landing Page for Leads Utilize on Landing Page for Leads Utilize on Landing Page for Leads

Place on Website Resource Section Place on Website Resource Section Place on Website Resource Section

Before During After

Describe the Purpose/Goal Look Professional Use Quality Editing Software like Camtasia, Windows Movie Maker

Review the Target Audience Consider Teleprompter; But Use Bullet Points;Don’t Read

Connect YouTube Channel with Facebook, Twitter, Google+ for Sharing

Video Length (less than 2 minutes ideal) Use Quality HD Video Camera and Tripod; Camera should have External Mic feature

Upload Video Carefully and Optimize Title and Description with Those Keywords

Plan a Call-to-Action to Track Conversions Use Lavaliere Mic for Best Sound Quality, and 3-Point Lighting (Consult a Pro)

Embed Links to Your Website or Newsletter. Wordpress has Plug-ins That Can Help

Review the Keyword research to Tag and Describe the Video

Be Conversational but Compelling Besides YouTube Distribute on other Video sites like TubeMogul, Viddler, and Vimeo

Use a Short URL/Title with Keyword Consider Outside Talent for Voiceover and Added Professionalism

Test Promoting Your Video using Promoted Videos Advertising on YouTube

Create a YouTube Channel with Your Brand Have Good Screen Recording Software like Camtasia

For Editing, Use iStockPhoto Images and Music, and look at Animoto for Graphic Ideas

Determine Style and Tone; Informational, Entertaining

Focus on Valuable Content Relevant to Your Target Measure Views with YouTube Insights and Google Analytics

And Last, The Press Release Template

Finally, our last one, but certainly not least, our press release template that covers planning, writing, and promoting the release. PR can generate leads too!

Planning Writing Promoting

List Target Publications & Websites Utilize Keywords from SEO Research Online Distribution Services

Get to Know Editors; Build Relationships Main Keyword in Headline; To the Point. On News Section of Your Website

Make a List of Targeted Bloggers Primary or Secondary Keyword in Sub Headline Email to Prospects & Clients

Comment on Their Blogs; Follow Bloggers Main Keyword in First Paragraph or First Sentence of Body Copy

Throughout Social Media Channels

Determine Which Online Distribution Services to Use

Explain Newsworthiness Simply; Write for the Reader

Direct a Link on a Targeted Blog Comment

What Business Problem Are You Addressing? Avoid Marketing Jargon Send to Specific Bloggers in Your Market

How Does Your Solution Solve It? Utilize Quotes from Within Company Repurpose Release Into a Blog

Why Should a Reader Care? Optimize release Title Tags, URL, Meta Description Include Release Link Within Newsletters

What Are the Key Features? Clearly Showcase Contact Info and Social Media Links

Track External Links with Google URL Builder and Measure Clicks and Traffic To Your Site

Questions? Need Help?• Contact Paul Mosenson of NuSpark

Marketing

• pmosenson@nusparkmarketing.com

• 610-604-0639

• www.nusparkmarketing.com

• @nusparkmktg

Happy to Help! That’s my Job!

About NuSpark Marketing

• Digital eMarketing Firm focusing on lead generation, lead management, content marketing

• Founded in 2010; Team members average 20 years of experience

• Philadelphia based; virtual team of experts

• Provides the process, content, and consultation for firms that implement marketing automation and demand generation

Acknowledgements

• The following folks provided inspiration in the completion of this eBook:

– Ardath Albee, Marketing Interactions

– Joe Pullizzi, Junta 42, Content Marketing Institute

– Barbara Gago, Left Brain

– Jessica Meher, Hubspot

– Eloqua, Marketo, Silverpop, Pardot

– Ion Interactive

– Jeremy Victor, Make Good Media

– Ann Handley, Marketing Profs

– Peter J. Meyers, User Effect

– Mitch Lapides, FulcrumTech, LLC

– The NuSpark Marketing Team