Developing a Content Marketing Strategy

How to Develop and Promote Content that Generates New

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My Goal Today: Give You Good Content About Good Content

• Developing a content strategy• Developing content that is valued• Promoting your valued content• Guiding Principle: “If you cannot explain something

simply, you don’t understand it.”• Good content should be elegantly simple• Elegantly simple Q&A time at the end

Why Content Is King

• 80 percent of business decision-makers trust articles more than advertisements

• 70 percent say content marketing makes them feel more affinity for the content sponsor

• 20 percent of Internet time is spent surfing for content

• Fresh and popular content increases SEO• Source: Stephen Fairley “23 Reasons Why

Content Marketing Matters”

Content Marketing: Overall Strategy

• Focus on what you love and do well• Better to do a little well than a lot badly• Define target audience & how to reach them• Learn what your audience values in content• Develop content for audience wants/industry• Use delivery channels the audience tunes into• Share and coordinate content and messaging

internally to boost yield and reduce conflict

Content Clients Value

• Blogs• Newsletters• White Papers• Website Content• “Value Added” Content• Advertorials

• Content about Clients• Content about Alums• Biographical Profiles• Video Content• Partnered Content• Case Studies

1. Blogs• Over 50% say blogs can influence hiring• Blogs increase SEO and press opportunities• Substance: Be Timely and Practical• Ideas: Look at other blogs, sites and trade pubs• Provide links to other authorities• Length: 300 to 600 word average• Frequency: ideally twice a week or more• Try: list articles; how to; anniversary stories;

opinion pieces; demystifying posts; news analysis

2. Newsletters

• Be timely• Be topical• Be practical• Be brief for executives• Be regular in publication

3. White Papers• Authoritative “thought leadership” reports • Originated as government/academic public

policy proposals• Churchill White Paper of 1922• True white paper is meaty, footnoted and

aimed at a particular issue or problem• Can be about a new product or service or new

approach to solving an issue or problem• You can Google “white paper” on any topic

4. Website Content

• Value Propositions• Mission and Values Statements• Service Pledges• Story Content• Case Studies• Additional resource links to helpful info

5. Value-added Content

• “How to” booklets• Books that act as “on the shelf” guides• Reference lists for self-help• Management checklists• Operational checklists• Other short and practical summaries

6. Advertorials

• Advertising content that looks editorial• Often like short white papers• Sometimes in story form about a deal or event• Sometimes co-branded• Written professionally, not by staff writers• Can sometimes be placed regionally in

national publications

7. Content About Clients

• Stories about clients in firm newsletters• Stories about clients on Websites• Stories or profiles of client executives• Often look at why clients are successful• Often give readers both fun and practical info• Can be a chance for smaller clients to connect

with lots of potential customers or contacts

8. Content About Alumni

• Can be profiles or success stories• Chance to feature alumni & build connections• Look to feature alums who are CFOs, CEOs, etc• Alumni of a firm can be great referral sources• Chance to connect your brand with a highly

successful person in business

9. Video Content

• Webinars, podcasts, and Website videos• “How to” videos• “Forward looking” videos• Panel discussion videos with audience Q&A• Ego-driven talking head videos not popular• But short videos that go with bios OK

10. Biographical Profiles

• In some professional service fields, biographical profiles get the most site hits

• Clients like to know who is serving them• Content might include: Professional experience;

career highlights; publications and press; lectures and teaching; awards and recognitions; community involvement

• Bold ones show some personal content about hobbies and passions to connect with clients

11. “Partnered” Content

• Insurance company and law firm desk guide to risk management and liability prevention

• Patent brokers and IP law firm co-authoring an advertorial on how to find valuable IP licenses

• Business management consulting firm and business publisher sponsoring white papers

12. Case Studies

• Based on actual examples of superior service and results delivered to real clients

• Used to illustrate creative solutions, efficiency, collaboration and ability to work under pressure

• Usually not more than a page• Broken into “bits:” client problem; objective;

complicating challenge; solution; results.

How to Promote Your Content

• Traditional media via PRnewswire.com; NewsCertified.com; HelpaReporter.com

• Trade pubs, such as Accounting Today

• In collateral materials• Linked-In / groups• Twitter / hash tags• Via your blog

• Other SM, such as FB, Google Plus, Wikipedia

• Send to “connectors” w/good Klout scores

• Content sites dedicated to your profession

• At seminars/meetings• On your Website• Via direct mail• IN YOUR OWN FIRM