Content As Experience - Social Media Strategies Summit · Step 1. Strategy, Step 2. Platforms. Don’t screw up the order! Brainzooming™ ©2016, The Brainzooming Group @Brainzooming

Brainzooming™

©2016, The Brainzooming Group @Brainzooming #SMSSummit

Content As ExperienceWeaving Valuable Content Supporting a

Customer’s Brand Journey

Mike BrownFounder | The Brainzooming Group

Emma Alvarez GibsonAssistant Dir. Of Marketing | Pepperdine University

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We help make smart organizations more successful by rapidly:

• Expanding their strategic options and

• Creating innovative plans they can efficiently implement.

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Our Clients Range Across Industries

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We’ll Cover• Taking an Audience‐First Perspective

• Creating Content that’s Both Outside‐In & Branded

• Engaging Audiences & Integrating Branded Messages

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Download a free copy at:

http://brainzooming.com/diagnostics‐download/

Insights into your:• Social Strategy• Metrics• Staffing• Content• Activation• Engagement

9 Diagnostics to Check Your Social Strategy

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Brief Introductions and

What are your expectations for today’s workshop?

Download a free copy of

info.brainzooming.com/SMSS2016

Get More Tools and Ideason Creating Blog Content

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A StrategicSocial Media Perspective

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Step 1. Strategy,Step 2. Platforms.

Don’t screw up the order!

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Linking Business and Social StrategyBusiness Objective

Social Strategy

Strategy Overview Typical Tactics

IncreasingSales

Sales Focused Extend offers or reward purchase continuity through retail – whether online or offline.

• Exclusive online offers• Driving traffic to online purchase sites• Relationship building supporting direct selling

GeneratingLeads

Content Marketing

Original content online used to build leads. Can extend to audience generated content or content aggregation.

• Creating new (and curating) content• Offering downloadable assets• Inbound marketing + email and other follow ups

Building an Audience

Community Building

Attracting followers through common ties and interests, integrated into a content marketing and/or advertising approach.

• Targeting an audience via their high interest areas• Featuring content of general interest (not brand‐specific)

• Promoting branded content and sign‐up opportunities

Growing Awareness

“Lifestyle"Focused

Targeted outreach to a specific important audience group to attract them with regularity and frequency.

• Selecting a high‐interest topic• Creating engaging content on the lifestyle topic• Promoting engagement and incentives

Improving Customer Service

Consumer Engagement

Integrating social media into customer service and direct contact channels to build retention and strengthen relationships.

• Using aggressive social listening• Interacting with the audience using clear response standards

• Developing a social media command center

StrengtheningPerceptions

Cause Marketing

Linking social media and networking toward a common cause and future opportunities to share your message.

• Developing broad partnerships with experts related to a cause

• Integrating social and other public affairs activities• Offering its brand voice to amplify cause‐related messages

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Integrating Social Media

Website

Blog -Content Creation



Landing PagesInfo Exchange &

Conversion





SearchOrganic, Local,

Social Graph, PaidSocial Platforms

LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest,

Others

Other Marketing Communications &

Business Development

Typical StepsBusiness Objectives Topics Keywords

Metrics Social Media Strategy Blog, Social Platforms, Landing Pages Audience Persona Interests Topics

Content Creation & Curation Sharing & Audience Building

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Page 2

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Taking an Audience-First Perspective

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What So Many Brands MissThe Too Frequent

Content Mix for a BrandReality

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“Outside‐In” Content

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“Outside‐In” Timing

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Defining Your Target Audience

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Behavioron your website

Behavior in work &

personal life

Web Social

Personas Aren’t Created Equal

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MaryMarketing VP

• 48, married, and has two high school children.

• Traditional professional; Works long hours for a Fortune 500 agri‐business company

• MBA from the University of Illinois.

• Realizes the importance of social media, but hasn’t actively participated beyond a LinkedIn profile and a Facebook page.

• The company’s brands are her “babies.” She puts extra time and effort into her responsibilities for driving growth for her company.

• With her Blackberry in hand, she stays continuously connected with family, work, and friends.

• As a successful business woman, she expects and demands peak performance out of her children, employees and her market research vendors.

• A self‐described “wine aficionado”, Mary enjoys having a cocktail or glass of wine with co‐workers or friends to celebrate a job well done.

• 35, single and lives in a condo; doesn’t have time to deal with yard work.

• BS degree in business; obtained an MS degree in marketing while working full time.

• Very social outside work and enjoys traveling, exercise and activities where he can relax. Quiet at work. Passionate about research, statistical analysis, and integrity of research efforts.

• Tech savvy and uses iPhone. Engaged in social media to build new contacts, connect with previous colleagues and friends. Spends time reading online market research articles and blogs to find relevant info and solutions to his job.

• Involved in a number of business associations for networking to him advance his market research career.

• Given the state of the economy and shifts in consumer spending, he is worried about cutbacks and looking for a trusted advisor; someone that understands his pain points and can step in to help his group provide more value for his company’s growth efforts.

JasonMarket Research Manager

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Goals

Interests

Focus

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

How old is this person?

What is his/her demographic profile?

What are the person’s job title, role, goals, challenges?

What are the range of responsibilities they have?

What’s on their professional frontier?

What lifestage is this person in?

What is this person passionate about?

What personal aspirations and issues are top of mind?

What topics are of greatest interest to them?

What activities do they enjoy?

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Audience Member: __________ Name: __________

What are the steps in the purchase

journey?

What do they need at this step to connect with the brand?

Age? Demographics?

Career Situation?

Job Title & Responsibilities?

Professional Challenges?

Lifestage?

Interests / Desired Outcomes relative to our brand?

Personal Challenges?

Personal Interests?

Activities?

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Q. How manypersona profilesdo you need

for your content?

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A. Ideally, one for each distinctly different type of audience member

with a different journey.

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What Questions Do They Ask Along the Journey?

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What does the journey look like?

Attention

Action

Conversion

What Are Audience Questions at Each Stage? Persona: ___________________

Awareness(Explore Problem / Oppty)

Consideration(Put Name to Problem / Oppty)

Decision(Solution Strategy, Compile

Provider List)

Questions about theactivity?

Questions about themselves?

Questions about ourorganization?

Questions on options beyond our organization?

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Awareness

• What should I know about this activity, but might easily overlook?

• Why are some things more important than others to get desired benefits?

• Is there one place where I can get all the information on trends, how‐tos, and other important facts for this activity?

• When will this be the most important, beneficial, or valuable for me?

• What case studies show how this is being done in new and successful ways?

• Is there anything important I should know about the various providers in this category?

Prospect Journey‐Based Questions

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Consideration

• What are important decision criteria to explore?

• Are there short cuts I can take in looking at all the options?

• Does anyone have a graphic that shows all the important features, outcomes, and benefits of all the choices?

Decision

• If I expend more for a promise of greater benefits, how will I justify the investment?

• Are there tools to evaluate the benefits of making the right selection?

Prospect Journey‐Based Questions

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When is your audiencethinking about your brand?

• Will the audience be thinking about a topic as it’s happening?

• Will the audience also be thinking about a topic sooner and / or later than it’s happening?

• If they will be thinking about the topic at other times, when will that be?

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Audience‐Focused Paths

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Being Both Outside-In & Branded with Content

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Content Funnel – Questions and Topics

Awareness(Explore Problem /

Oppty)

Consideration(Put Name to Problem /

Oppty)

Decision(Solution Strategy,

Compile Provider List)

TOPIC AREAS for PERSONAS

Persona 1

Persona 2

Persona 3

Persona 4

Persona 5

Types of Content PROBLEM• eBooks / eGuides• White Papers• Expert Content• Educational Content

SOLUTION• Expert Guides• Comparison White Papers• Podcast / Video /

Presentations

SERVICE• Case Studies• Product Literature• Production Comparisons• Vendor Comparisons

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Audience Needs & Interests

Compelling Communication

& Interaction

BrandLoyalty

Social

TraditionalMedia

NetworkBuilding

The Right Mix Is Critical

Your Brand

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Finding a credible way to address audience interests

What makes a topic great?

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What shouldbranded contentdeliver for your

audience?

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What Will Your Content Deliver? EIEIUEntertainment

• Provides amusement or enjoyment

Inspiration

• Stimulates the audience to do or feel something

Education

• Delivers systematic instructions or provides an enlightening experience

Information

• Delivers facts or knowledge about something or someone

Utility

• Provides a useful or beneficial function or capability

Via Kodi Foster, Vice President – Data Strategy at Viacom

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Consistent Brand Strategy Drives Social

• Brand Promise

• Brand Experience

• BIG Brand Statements

• Audience Targets

• Social Personality

• Integrated Content

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Brand Promise

Trustworthiness

Consistency

Distinction

Emotional “Signature”

Shorthand Communication

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Delivering the Brand Experience

Communications

Team

Services

Reinforcers

Advertising Word of Mouth

Invoices

Facilities

Website

ExpertiseService Quality

Service Experience

Customer Service

Culture & Values

Performance

Hiring & Recruiting

Logos

Collateral

Forms

Uniforms

PR

Sponsorships

BrandPromise

Frontline Employees

Staff

Behind the Scenes Employees

Social Media

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Brand Language and Images

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Are you actively unpacking your brand foundation to

guide content?

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GeneratingAudience‐Oriented

Topic Ideas

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Multiple Approaches

• Answering Questions

• Mining Audience Conversations

• Think‐Know‐Do

• Audience Decision Factors

• Exploiting Events

• Turning Inside‐Out to Outside In

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Answering Questions

What Are Audience Questions at Each Stage? Persona: ___________________

Awareness(Explore Problem / Oppty)

Consideration(Put Name to Problem / Oppty)

Decision(Solution Strategy, Compile

Provider List)

Questions about theactivity?

Questions about themselves?

Questions about ourorganization?

Questions on options beyond our organization?

What Are Related Topics to Questions at Each Stage? Persona: ________________

Awareness Consideration Decision

Topics about the activity?

Topics about themselves?

Topics about ourorganization?

Topics on options beyond our organization?

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Topics and Working Titles

Topic

Picking a paint color

Working Title

3 Keys to Picking the

Right Color for Your Kitchen

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How are you using audience questions to develop content?

Where can you capture questions from multiple

listening post?

?

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Mining Audience Conversations

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Mining Customer Conversations

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What do they need to know about taking a step?

What will create a positive experience?

Education Opportunities (Positive questions)

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What concerns are they sharing with others?

What watch outs should they understand?

Address Pain Points (Negative questions)

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What positive surprisesare in store for them?

What frustrates them about other options?

Anticipate Objections (Negative statements)

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Why do they select us?

Why do they not select us (or others)?

Highlight Brand Value (Positive statements)

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How are you engaging with individuals having prospect and

customer conversations?

Can you use this as an opportunity for “tag along” research?

?

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Think – Know ‐ Do

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Interests

Seeking

Focus

Think

Know

Do

“Think Know Do” Framework

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Mind Mapping

Persona: ________________

Unfamiliar topics they need to

know about?

What do we THINK about... ?

Changes in the external

environment applicable to

them?

What our employees

are learning in their work?

Our experience‐

based opinions?

Recent developments impacting them?

Insider knowledge others don’t know/share?

What do we KNOW about... ?

Things they aren’t expecting

to be important?

Special assistance available to

them?

Exclusive activities in which we

participate?

Surprising behind‐the‐

scenes information?

To make experiences special for them?

What do we DO... ?

To stay at the forefront of serving / benefiting them?

To improve the

community they are part of?

To help them be more

successful?

To answer questions they typically have?

6 per15 min

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• What do you think about unfamiliar topics your audience should know about?

• What recent developments do you think will have the greatest impact?

• What opinions have you developed from

the years of experience?

• What are our employees learning through our work?

Think

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Know• What is insider knowledge others don’t know or won’t share?

• What are behind‐the‐scenes looks and information the audience would appreciate?

• What are exclusive opportunities in which your organization engages (or makes available to clients)?

• What special assistance does the organization know is important for clients?

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• What do you do to make experiences special?

• What persona questions do you answer?

• How does your team do to help the persona?

• How do you improve the community?

• What does your team do outside work?

Do

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How can you approach

your organization as a

beat?http://b‐i.forbesimg.com/lewisdvorkin/files/2013/05/Reporter‐1.png

?

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Audience Decision Factors

73

Why Persona SELECTS Us & How We Demonstrate It

Reason 1 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Reason 2 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Reason 3 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Reason 4 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

74

Why Persona DOESN’T Select Us & How We Respond

Reason 1 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Reason 2 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Reason 3 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Reason 4 __________________________

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

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Tapping Events for Content Ideas

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Customers addressing

industry trends and their service

expectations = WHITE PAPER

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Enlivening 120 early childhood educators to write an eBook

in 45 minutes.

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Joe 3:16 “For where two or threeare gathered together in a brand’sname, there content will be in themidst of them.”

(Customer Event x Capturing Content) / Editing

> Weeks of Topic Ideas

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PUMLQPlus – What worked?

Unexpected – What was surprising?

More – What would you like to see more of?

Less – What would you like to see less of?

Questions – What questions remain?

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How do events – whether in‐person, virtual, or in some other form, play into your content mix?

How are you seeking content ideas from event attendees that you couldn’t get anywhere else?

?

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TurningInside‐Out to Outside‐In

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Page 9

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Finding What’s Engaging about Your Brand

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“Lincoln Electric joins metal with fire. That’s cool!”

‐ Craig Coffey, U.S. Marketing Communications Manager

What’s the cool factor in your brand?

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Apply the“Oohs and Ahs”

Test

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Topics?

Think George Costanza

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Other Potential Content Topics

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Involve the Audience1. Answer questions your customers

or readers have asked you.

2. Ask a question of your readers to see what they think.

3. Ask readers what they’d like to read.

4. Ask 5 customers in a row the same question and write their responses in a blog.

5. Interview a customer on concerns, challenges, and views on industry issues.

6. Look for blog titles from your industry and write your version of the topic.

7. Publish potential upcoming topics and let readers decide what they want to read.

8. Run an online survey for readers and report the results.

9. Share a question on Facebook or Google+ and use responses for a blog post.

10. Feature guest posts from clients.

11. Solicit guest blog posts from business partners.

12. Talk to customers at events and find out what their current challenges are.

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Sharing What Your Brand Knows13. Interview yourself on a topic.

14. Recap a past event.

15. Recap the results of a research report someone else published.

16. Report on a conference people from your company attended.

17. Reveal background info on things that make your organization successful.

18. Share really cool work your organization is doing.

19. Share the results of research your organization has completed.

20. Summarize what your organizations knows about a news topic.

21. Write about things your audience might not realize.

22. Write about what your organization does to serve customers.

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Teach Others23. Expand your thinking on a published

post so it is more teaching‐oriented.

24. Take a new angle on a topic you’ve written about already.

25. Teach a new technique or tips you’ve been using.

26. Write about something you learned in the last week to share with readers.

27. Demonstrate a process your company uses that is valuable for your audience.

28. Answer frequently asked questions that require video demonstrations.

29. Feature experts in your business sharing their knowledge.

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30. Make a long list of ideas your customers and readers can use.

31. Make a short list of steps readers can take to accomplish something.

32. Write anything allowing you to put a number in the title (it attracts readers).

33. Add additional items to a list you’ve already published.

34. List the types of customer problems you routinely solve.

35. List questions you’re getting in customer service.

36. Ask readers a question and report the answers in a list.

37. List the steps in a process readers could handle for themselves.

Make a List

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Share Opinions38. Write what your organization thinks

about a topic or a news story.

39. Disagree with a well‐known business perspective.

40. Write a response to an idea in a book relevant for your audience/industry.

41. Predict what your organization thinks will happen in the future.

42. React to opinions a competitor or an industry figure is discussing.

43. Review a book or magazine article you’ve read recently.

44. Review a fantastic product or service your organization uses.

45. Review a topic people are thinking about in your marketplace.

46. Share a half‐baked idea to see if readers can finish baking it.

47. Write a blog post that’s 80% done and allow readers to finish it.

48. Write about something completely obvious as if you’re the first to think of it.

49. Write about something completely obvious in a new way.

50. Write about anything to interest readers more than recent topics.

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Have Your People Personalize It51. Complain about a personal recent

customer experience relevant to your audience.

52. Share an anecdote from your organization.

53. Talk honestly about an issue where your organization is struggling to improve.

54. Thank a customer who has been loyal to your business.

55. Write about the most interesting thing that happened in your organization today, yesterday, or this week.

56. Share what inspires your organization and its people.

57. Cover community activities your organization supports.

58. Create a post that’s slightly more or less outrageous than the typical content.

59. Write something dramatically more or less outrageous than what you typically write.

60. Write something that allows you to name drop customers who will share it within their networks.

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Use Video and Images61. Video executives sharing brief

commentaries.

62. Video a demonstration relevant for your audience.

63. Video an interview with a work colleague or business partner.

64. Ask 5 customers to answer the same question on video.

65. Use photos from corporate events or customer interactions.

66. Feature images of interesting things your audience or organization DOES, supports, or believes.

67. Video a customer talking about its business.

68. Have two customers interview each other.

69. Video a day in the life of your (customer service) organization.

70. Shoot a short video with reasons why others should Like your Facebook page.

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Repurpose Content71. Combine shorter posts from your

organization’s blog into a longer one.

72. Expand a comment from another blog into a full blog post.

73. Group tweets from your organization into a list or other blog post.

74. Organize and refresh in new ways relevant information that’s already been published.

75. Publish links from your blog to make it easier to find everything on a topic.

76. Publish a presentation from your organization on Slideshare to embed in a blog.

77. Re‐edit and freshen something already written with new content.

78. Re‐run the most popular post(s) your organization has shared.

79. Share an intriguing video with comments to give your thoughts about it.

80. Write up the points covered in a slide from a Powerpointpresentation.

81. Embed a funny or on‐target cartoon.

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Integrating Your Brand and the

Customer’s Social Experience

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Hotel Vandivort – Springfield, Missouri

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Refreshing Content with Engaging Branded Messages

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Download a free copy at:

info.brainzooming.com/SMSS2016

Tools and Ideas onCreating Engaging Blog Content

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Answering Questions

Interacting

Sharing

Linking

Check your brand’s last 20 updates!

Talking? OR

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Page 10

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Just the Facts

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Pop Up Video

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Gossipy

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Crisis Management

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Headlines

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Customer Engagement

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• What characteristics make your brand personality type rewarding to be with?

• How are you creating personality in your content?

?

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Page 7

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Is your brand personality apparent in yoursocial content?

What opportunities do you see?

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Balancing Contentand Commercial Messages

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The Content Marketing

Sales Continuum

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• Non‐exclusive offers (A deal for everybody)

• Giveaways (Something for engaging)

• Sharing content for information (Permission to keep talking)

• Peaking interest (Sneak looks at product)

• Micro‐advertising (Links to ads)

• Exclusive offers (Deals for those acting)

• Direct response (Click the link to buy)

• Proactive outreach (We can meet your need)

• All Deals, All the Time (Dell – nothing but deals)

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Remaining Platform Appropriate on the

Journey

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Timing Appropriate

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Content Appropriatefor each Platform

via Translating“CMO Speak” for

“Social Content Outsiders”

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• That Voice Over

• That Muted, Aspirational Enthusiasm

• That Music

• That Stock Video of People and Technology

• That Five‐Minute Length

• That Complete Lack of Emotion

Can only mean one thing . . .

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Corporate Video

Social Media Video

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Today’s 3 Topics• Taking an Audience‐First Perspective

• Creating Content that’s Both Outside‐In & Branded

• Engaging Audiences & Integrating Branded Messages

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How is customer‐oriented content helping (or not)

to drive your organizational objectives?

The Big Question

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Questions and Discussion

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Blog: www.Brainzooming.comSubscribe: brainzooming.com/subscribe‐brainzooming

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @Brainzooming

Facebook: GoBrainzooming

Phone: 816‐509‐5320

Documents

Content As Experience - Social Media Strategies Summit · Step 1. Strategy, Step 2. Platforms. Don’t screw up the order! Brainzooming™ ©2016, The Brainzooming Group @Brainzooming