30 Essential Savory & Sweet Content Ingredients

Content Marketing Recipe

Mastering the

Perfect

You tear apart the kitchen searching for the most mouth-watering recipe to make for your customers, only to run into challenges. Sometimes, you’ll find that you don’t have the right utensils, or can’t find some of the necessary ingredients.

Your prospect’s and customer’s taste buds are constantly craving more and more delicious content, which means the pressure to rise above all other content dishes offered is very real. But how do you go about creating a delicious dish that whets the appetite of your customers?

The answer - use an integrated mix of the right ingredients to create the perfect content marketing recipe. A report conducted by Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs found that only 22% of B2B marketers believe that their content marketing efforts are very successful.

A major contributing factor to content success is understanding the content needs and wants of your current and prospective customers.

To help you craft the perfect content recipe, we’ve gathered 30 of the best content marketing tactics as well as instructions for using them to beef up your content marketing strategy. As an added bonus, we’ve also included bonus recipes that will delight and engage your audience.

So put on your apron, and let’s get cooking.

The content marketing kitchen can be a daunting place for many digital marketers.

Blogging is a staple ingredient for many brands. This tried and true content tactic can be used to attract and engage audiences by publishing useful and relevant information for the audience on a consistent basis. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Satisfy cravings with a catchy

headline. Pull in readers right away with a headline that’s interesting and tells them exactly what they’re going to get.

▷ Consistently publish content that is relevant, valuable, and educational. Your readers will keep coming back for seconds and even thirds.

▷ Optimize for SEO. Include keywords or phrases that are relevant to your reader. This will move your content to the front of the display case and increase visibility to the blog.

▷ Pick one main idea and stick to it. Overwhelming readers with too much information and too many topics in one piece of content will leave them feeling unsatisfied.

▷ Measure and track the blog’s performance.Your overall content marketing strategy willprosper when you have data to show what is top performing, and what readers reallycare about.

#1: Blogging

Chef’s Secret:Add high-quality backlinks to your blog with links to your main website, eBooks, and other relevant blog posts to increase your search rankings and drive more people to your website.What the Experts Say…

“A blog is only as interesting as the interest shown in others.”

— Lee Odden, CEO, TopRank Marketing

▷ Serve case study content in a variety offormats. Text, image, video and otherdocument types are great examples.Case studies also pair nicely with eBooks,white papers, guides and best practices,webinars and conference presentations.

▷ Highlight top performing results. Showreaders the impact that your solutions havefor real customers. These results might bejust what the reader is craving.

▷ Stir in storytelling. Serve your readers a fullcourse meal by starting with the challenge.Then move to the goals of the campaign,the solution(s) and finish the meal withdelicious results that show how your brandovercame the challenge.

▷ Stay up to date. Keep the stories fresh.Update case studies regularly to show your

audience you are current and produce constant results.

▷ Include keywords. Keyword optimizedcase studies can shorten the sales cycleconsiderably by offering specific solutionsthe customer is looking for. Hone in onspecific keywords to increase the chancethat users will find their solution.`

#2: Case StudiesCase studies are a savory ingredient that provide an analysis of a project, campaign or company that identifies a situation, recommended solutions, implemented tactics and identification of those factors that contributed to failure or success. Case studies showcase the work of your team in a way that inspires confidence for prospective customers.Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Case studies should tell a story in a way that connects your audience with the content. Include all the factually relevant information in a way that is fun and engaging to consume and share.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Case studies need a beginning, middle and end focused on the customer’s perspective – just

like all other content.”

— Ardath Albee, CEO, Marketing Interactions, Author

▷ Blend this ingredient with content creation for best results. The right balance of original content and curated content helps build brand credibility and authority.

▷ Your audience is Top Chef.Curate content that is relevant to your readers. Empathize and provide expert industry information for increased engagement with the brand. Start simple. Statistics, news, white papers, infographics and slideshare presentations are popular types of content to curate.

▷ Familiarize yourself with your customers’ interests and goals. Use curated content to inspire engagement and be the best answer for their needs.

▷ Publish curated content on channelsthat are relevant to your customers.Email newsletters, social media channels,company blogs and eBooks are someexamples.

#3: Content CurationContent curation is a go-to ingredient for many master chefs, as it can be used to augment original brand content. Curating and sharing relevant content from other credible, non-competitive companies adds value for your audience.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

What the Experts Say…

“Remember that content curation is all about finding and sharing the best of the best

content that’s out there.”

— Caitlin Burgess, Content Marketing Manager,

TopRank Marketing

Take the curated content that aligns with your brand’s goals and audience’s needs, and then some. Sprinkle in some of your own thoughts to expand on this message and serve it in a slightly different way for your audience. But remember, do it in an ethical way. Nobody likes a poacher.

Chef’s Secret:

▷ Diversify to amplify. A variety of content formats gives readers a buffet-style spread for them to enjoy.

▷ Focus on a relevant topic. Choose a specific topic that is valuable to the intended audience.

▷ Put one piece of content at the center. This should be a top-performing and useful piece of content that has a clear call-to-action.

▷ Pick subtopics for supporting content. Each supporting content asset that’s published in the hub should revolve around the centerpiece content. These help build authority and trust and further solve the audience’s problem with supporting information.

▷ Pepper in social content. Make the content easy to share and very visual to engage audiences. The content should all link back to the content hub.

#4: Content HubsA content hub is a useful ingredient for consolidating content into one place.The hub can consist of branded, curated, social, video, documents and other types of content.

Best Ways to Use This IngredientInvite influencers to co-create content that will be published in the content hub. Use quotes, interview them for research and surveys, publish a guest blog post and ask them to share with their networks.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Focus on the core problem that your business solves and put out lots of content and

enthusiasm, and ideas about how to solve that problem.”

— Laura Fitton, Inbound Marketing Evangelist,

HubSpot

Content repurposing is an incredibly powerful but often overlooked secretingredient. Brands can increase content efficiencies by repurposing and repackaging existing content in a way that provides new insights and information for readers. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Always add something. The point of

repurposing is to modify the content tomake it more relevant and valuable.

▷ Update the title. Craft a new headline toreflect the updated content. Search engineswill thank you for it.

▷ Stay away from the URL. Don’t make anychanges to the URL. This is where all of theauthority of the original content lives, sokeep it consistent.

▷ Freshen up your visuals. A great way torepurpose an existing piece of content isto enhance the look with new visuals. Thiscould be interactive content, an infographicor as simple as a different colored image.

▷ Be proud of the new face. Promote yourrepurposed content as such. Let audiencesknow the content has been updated withbenefits to the reader.

#5: Content Repurposing

Chef’s Secret:Content repurposing can breathe new life into older, high-performing content. Don’t be afraid to freshen it up from time to time.What the Experts Say…

“Repurposing your old content isn’t a lazy or cheap move. Odds are your audience has

grown since you first posted it.”

— Joshua Nite, Content Marketing Manager,

TopRank Marketing

Crowdsourcing is an additive that taps into the insights of your audience and shines light on the content topics that are most important to them.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Identify your goal. Why are you

crowdsourcing? What kind of information are you looking for? Getting a lot of feedback provides helpful insight for your business, product, or service, and referring back to your original goal will save you time sifting through all of the responses.

▷ Set clear expectations for your contributors. Let them know what your goals of the project are so they can provide focused responses.

▷ Be selective. Put relevant cooks in the kitchen. Rather than relying on one person or agency to work on a project, you can select the best ideas from a number of sources.

▷ Make it easy for people tocontribute. Don’t scare yourcorrespondents away with a longregistration form.

▷ Reward your contributors with a sweettreat. Send a thank-you email, or givethem an incentive for their participation towarrant more responses.

#6: Crowdsourcing

For an unforgettable crowdsourcing campaign, implement a contest. Adding a bit of friendly competition can increase engagement and attract participants who may not have joined otherwise.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“The end-to-end process is important, and crowdsourcing is a great way to engage your

customer.”

— Gavin Heaton, Vice President and Principal Analyst,

Constellation Research

Digital newsletters are scheduled, recurring messages from companies to a list of subscribers that usually has a web page counterpart, or archive which represents a specific type of content. Digital newsletters are like the Mrs. Dash of content marketing ingredients. It combines many other ingredients together and is a great addition to any recipe. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Sprinkle in cross links. Linking to other

relevant company pages, as well as related informational sites or articles of interest, enrich the reader’s experience, and credibility for your company and its communications.

▷ Set expectations for your readers. Tell them why they are receiving the digital newsletter, how often they can expect it and what content will be included.

▷ Make it mobile-friendly. When creating the digital newsletter, make sure to test the mobile version so your readers can enjoy it across many devices.

▷ Segment your lists. This will help target the most relevant information for specific audiences. Personalizing your messages will keep your readers interested and engaged.

▷ Start each newsletter with a personalizedopening paragraph. Make it specific foreach issue. This could be from an internalthought leader, an industry expert or aninfluencer.

#7: Digital Newsletter

Focus the efforts of your newsletter to be mostly educational with just a dash of promotional content (where it makes sense). If you overly promote your brand in the digital newsletter, you’ll likely see more SPAM clicks than open clicks.

Chef’s Secret:What the Experts Say…

““Email is the glue that bindseverything together.”

— Michael Stelzner, Founder, Social Media Examiner

Earned media, also referred to as media relations, word-of-mouth, PR or publicity, is a sugary content marketing ingredient that is an unpaid brand mention or recognition such as a news article, published interview or online review by a third party. In addition, earned media can also refer to a byline or article written by someone associated with the brand that is published by a third party. It’s like the icing on top of the cake for any brand. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Inspire action by partnering with the right

third party. Since the credibility and trust isalready established, using this ingredientin the right way can get your customers toact and enhances any content marketingrecipe.

▷ Focus your content on the customer’spoint of view. How is this beneficial? Whatwill they gain? Tell a real story for yourcustomers.

▷ Use this ingredient to save money.Integrate earned media into your contentmarketing recipe to spread awareness ofyour brand and cut costs.

▷ Promotions are effective ways to “earn”media. Post a promotion on your website toencourage others to talk about your brand

and share the content with their networks.

▷ Utilize product reviews. Send out freetrials, invest a little, and get honest productreviews that you can share from credibleand relevant sources for earned media.

#8: Earned Media (PR)

Garnish this ingredient with influencers. Focus on nurturing influencer relationships, and your brand will get earned media opportunities.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

““Publicity is absolutely critical.A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front

page ad.” — Richard Branson, Founder,

Virgin Group, Entrepreneur

A robust content marketing ingredient, an eBook takes a compelling and in-depth look at a specific topic as a means to educate and inspire readers.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ The eBook must be visually be potent and

engaging. Accomplish this by choosing compelling and relevant images.

▷ Use brand consistency. Brand voice and clear business goals should be combined to further establish authority and trust among your audience.

▷ Take a walk in your audience’s shoes. Don’t write the eBook from your company’s perspective. Use this ingredient to solve your customer’s problem and educate them with the best solution to fit their needs.

▷ Prepare a distribution plan before you craft the eBook. Make sure that all of your time and effort gets noticed in the right places by the right audience.

▷ Add a dash of influencer content.Co-created content and quotesfrom influencers are beneficial for brands.It lightens the load and is a great way tonurture relationships by collaborating withindustry experts and thought leaders.

#9: eBooks

Include takeaways for your audience like checklists, tips, infographics, how-to’s and other tools to encourage shares and increase the value of your eBook.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.”

— Andrew Davis, Bestselling Author & Speaker

▷ Segment your list. All of your subscribersdon’t have the same interests, challengesand goals. Segmenting your list based onspecific criteria will help you craft the bestemails that are specific and valuable foreach group.

▷ Coat your emails with personalization. Youhave their first names, use them. Also, tailorcontent that is customized for their specificneeds and interests.

▷ Toss an emoji in the headline (whenapplicable). This adds a bit of fun andis definitely eye-catching. When usedappropriately, it could be the determiningfactor that earns the open or click instead ofthe “move to trash”.

▷ Craft the perfect subject. Subject linesshould be clear, concise, relevant, valuable,and entertaining. Spend at least fiveminutes brainstorming ideas.

▷ Reward your subscribers. Special offersor bonus content that isn’t available toeveryone reinforces relationships andencourages more clicks.

#10: Email MarketingEmail marketing is a tried and true method of creating and distributing content to your audience. Email is a cornerstone ingredient of a strategic content program. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Timing is everything. HubSpot announced that 78% of consumers have unsubscribed from their emails because a brand was sending too many emails. On the other hand, if you aren’t sending often enough, your brand won’t remain top-of-mind. Find that perfect balance to delight your audience and craft emails that they actually want to read.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Email is possibly the greatest owned media channel for brands.”

— Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute

▷ Allow customers to progress onwards. Agreat way to keep them coming back to thekitchen is by letting them progress theirlevel of status, which will ultimately increaseengagement.

▷ Make it fun. No one will care if they level-up if they’re not having fun.

▷ Provide long-term value. It’s not enough tosay that the user can get to level 800. Ifthere is no value, the user will not return.

▷ Align business goals with game scores.Providing immediate feedback usersinteracts will better engage them. Aligningbusiness goals with this progression helpsguide the user.

▷ Begin with easy-as-pie gamification. Youhave to start somewhere. Having a complexgame may not be in the best interest of thecompany. Start simple, track engagementand build from there.

#11: GamificationGamification provides a means of motivating people through data and encourages high-value interactions that drive more sales, creates loyalty and improves the customer experience. When implemented correctly, this content marketing ingredient is highly interactive and fun for users. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Include a leaderboard to increase engagement. It’ll let your users feel good and have something to strive for. Everyone wants to be number one, so call out the top performers to encourage healthy competition.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Basically game mechanics are a way to get consumers addicted to things.”

— Tim Chang, Managing Director,

Mayfield Fund

▷ Focus on the value for the influencer. Howcan you help the influencer? What doyou have to offer them? This is the bestapproach.

▷ Do your research. Find relevant influencerswho align with your business goals andhave networks that are relevant to you.

▷ Go the distance. Don’t just stopcommunication after the campaign is over.Think of how you can incorporate theinfluencer into your brand for the long-term.

▷ Approach it lightly. Start by helping themin some way. Don’t charge in by askingfor contributions. Having this mindset willallow you to nurture the relationship andmove away from transactional campaigns.

▷ Co-create content with influencers andpromote across many channels. Use theirnetworks, and your brand’s network topush out the message.

#12: Influencer ContentIn luencer content is cooked up in collaboration with subject matter experts. As a content marketing ingredient, influencer content aims to feed new or larger audiences by leveraging the credibility and reach of those experts.

Best Ways to Use This IngredientStart with a mention. Once you’ve done your homework and identified influencers you’d like to work with, mention them in other content marketing ingredients. Pull quotes, share their thoughts and show high regard in a public setting. Reaching out to co-create content in the future will be that much easier.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Trusted relationships with the right industry influencers are key to ensuring brand content

is relevant to customers.”

— Shelley Ryan, Global Content Strategist,

Dell

Simply put, infographics as a content marketing ingredient provide a tool to educate and inform your primary target audience, combined with data-rich visualization through storytelling. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Use satisfying visuals. According to

HubSpot, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text, so use visuals that are relevant and enticing.

▷ Go with the flow. The infographic must seamlessly lead the reader from one aspect to the next. This can be achieved through consistent design, visuals, and one main idea.

▷ Collect your own data. Don’t borrow the neighbor’s sugar. Use your own information to build credibility as a subject matter expert and an industry thought leader.

▷ Use infographics to enhance other marketing ingredients. Creating infographics for case studies, data reports and surveys prove to be a more engaging and interactive way for your consumers to get important information.

▷ Start with a template. Infographics can be costly and time consuming. Using a template will cut costs and allow you to just fill in the meat and potatoes.

#13: Infographics

Canva is a great tool for free infographic templates. Customize colors and content, add icons, shapes and images to dress up the infographic just how you want it.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“The very best [infographics] engender and facilitate an insight by visual means...”

— David Byrne,Musician,

Talking Heads

Interactive content is a distinctive content marketing ingredient that encourages active engagement from the reader. Instead of merely reading or watching the content, they decide when and how to move forward. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Team up with subject matter experts.

Partnering with influencers increases credibility and trust with your audience.

▷ Stay connected. Focus on the goal of creating a meaningful touch-point with your brand by actively engaging with your users.

▷ You don’t have to recreate the wheel. One of the most appetizing features of interactive content is that you can take existing content (infographics, quizzes, white papers, video) and top the already created content with interactive elements.

▷ Create unique experiences for each user. Achieve this by peppering in online utensils like games, quizzes and other related tools.

▷ Tell the user what you want them to do.When creating the interactive experience,give clear instructions so they don’t missthe mark.

#14: Interactive Content

Take it up a notch. Spice up your product demos by adding increasing levels of interaction.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Fast development of new campaigns enables marketers to stay ahead of the competition in

reaching and influencing customers and prospects with interactive content that resonates with them.”

— Seth Lieberman, CEO,

SnapApp

▷ Create a plan. Combine an outline oftopics or products you’d like to showcasein your video, a timeline for executionand promotion, and repurposing orrepublishing tactics for a delicious videothat will wow your audience.

▷ Start with existing content.Repurposing content works very wellfor real-time video. Try a productdemonstration, or a customer servicerepresentative answering frequently askedquestions.

▷ Tell your story. Real-time video is highlyinteractive, which allows brands to engagewith customers almost immediately.Be sure to tell a story using conflictand resolution to empathize with youraudience and provide relevant, helpful andeducational content.

▷ Be a good host. If your video includes others, make sure they know the expectations and are comfortable with the live aspect of the platform.

▷ Practice makes perfect. Since these videos are “live-streaming,” an error will be caught on camera. Using an outline with talking points will help the presenter stay focused. If there is more than one person in the video, do a quick run-through so everyone is comfortable when the record button is on.

#15: Live VideoReal-time video is a content marketing ingredient that satisfies a wide variety of hungers bringing live content to your audience as it happens.

Best Ways to Use This IngredientChef’s Secret:Since this is live and your audience is interacting in real-time, use this opportunity to connect and collaborate with your audience by encouraging comments and questions. Respond to any feedback in a timely manner.

What the Experts Say…

“Always start with strategic intent. Think about how you can repurpose your Facebook

Live videos to make great YouTube videos.”

— Mari Smith, Author and Speaker

▷ Know your audience. Align your mobileapplication goal with that of your business and what the audience needs to help structure your mobile application for peak performance.

▷ Pay attention to the application security level. If the user offers up information(sensitive or not), it’s important to build security into the app from the beginning, to ensure your user has the best experience possible from start to finish.

▷ Provide exclusive deals and bonus offers. This will delight your audience and encourage frequent participation.

▷ Listen to your data. If you receive feedback, don't take it with a grain of salt.

listen to the responses and make updates to satisfy your customers.

▷ Test, test, and repeat. Test everything including performance, functionality, security and any other imperative items before releasing it to th public.

#16: Mobile ApplicationsA mobile application is a content marketing ingredient that pairs well with other ingredients, and is a type of software that’s designed for mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Chef’s Secret:Skip the “beta” phase. While it’s good for testing and gaining insight, beta versions can leave a bad taste in users mouths when they find glitches. Make sure the mobile app is pristine and perfect before serving to your audiences.

What the Experts Say…

“Mobile is the future, and there’s no such thing as communication overload.”

— Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman,

Google

▷ Contact in a pinch. Make your phone number clickable so the option to call immediately pops up and is one less step for the user.

▷ Design for small screens. Make sure that your design is optimized for mobile and tablet screens. Content designs should be mobile friendly and easy to skim.

▷ Give your reader room to breath. Spacing is very important in mobile content. Due to the nature of the smaller screen, don’t overwhelm the user by cluttering up that tiny space with a bunch of words.

▷ Important content is the main course. Mobile content should provide immediate and precise answers to possible questions, and content hierarchy is crucial. The most important messaging always comes first.

▷ Up your social media game. According to MarketingLand, almost 80% of time spent on social media platforms happens on mobile devices. Crafting brand-based messages on social networks pairs really nicely with mobile content.

#17: Mobile Content An integral content marketing ingredient, mobile content is any type of content that's viewed on a mobile device. More and more content is being viewed on mobile devices, so this content marketing ingredient is vital to any content marketing strategy. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

To create amazing mobile content, make sure it’s easy for your reader to digest, find, consume and share. This includes heavy visuals, clear messages and simple language.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Mobile is becoming not only the new digital hub but also the bridge to the physical world.

That’s why mobile will affect more than just your digital operations – it will transform your entire business.”

— Thomas Husson, Vice President & Principal Analyst,

Forrester Research

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Use the right mix of information,

education and entertainment. Native advertising that’s too self-promotional will be less effective for your audience.

▷ Be transparent. Don’t trick your readers into believing they’re reading unbiased, journalistic content.

▷ Be true to your brand. Depict an accurate reflection of your brand voice, company culture and capabilities.

▷ Stay within the lines. Use no-follow links to avoid passing PageRank, and falling outside of Google’s guidelines.

▷ Read carefully the “editorial” part of the de inition. Sponsored content should always be high quality, and free of spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors.

#18: Native AdvertisingNative advertising, also known as sponsored content, is a snack-sized piece of content that's intended as advertising, but structured like an editorial or news article.

Clearly label your native advertising. Avoid complaints by adding a “promoted” or “sponsored” tag to your content so readers can establish an honest connection with your brand from the start.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Content is content, and transparency makes it possible for many different

credible sources to provide useful information.”

-- Lewis Dvorkin, Chief Product Officer,

Forbes Media

▷ Start with an optimized headline. Incorporating keywords into the headline will help readers find the value and relevancy right away.

▷ Get familiar with the format. Press releases help tell your story. Start by answering the who, what, where, when, why and how up front. In addition, make sure you're following traditional formatting rules, and pay close attention to style and grammar.

▷ Keep paragraphs below 30 words and keep total length below 650 words. This will make it easy for your readers to consume.

▷ Use simple language. Cut out superlatives, jargon and excessive brand mentions.

▷ Gently pour in some relevant links. These make it easy for consumers and journalists to find additional details or research.

#19: News ReleaseA crucial content marketing ingredient, a news release, also called a press release, is a piece of content that’s written and published by a third party. This is an important ingredient that builds credibility and improves SEO for your brand.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Incorporate video and other visual ingredients into your press release to help the reader digest the important information.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Never start a press release with a quote unless it’s the Queen of England rapping 50 Cent.”

— Lorie Briggs, Communications & Marketing Officer,

University of South Florida

An online magazine (webzine) is published in an electronic form on the web, which is a very useful content marketing ingredient to keep readers engaged in one place by providing relevant and useful information, all pertaining to a specific topic or idea. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Add rich media such as video. This

enhances the flavor profile of the content and gives users a superior experience over print. It’s “showing” instead of “telling”, which is much more engaging for customers.

▷ Choose your content wisely. Ensure that the content aligns with what the consumer needs and how they want to receive it.

▷ Simple menus take the cake.Make the table of contents easy to navigate so the reader can find information quickly.

▷ Layer in mobile-friendly design. Visuals, videos, formatting and menus should all be responsive to smaller screens.

▷ Promote it. An online magazine might be arare ingredient isolated from other sharingmechanisms of the web, so make it easy forpeople to find and share.

#20: Online Magazines & Apps

Mix in interactive content (games or quizzes) and video to turn your online magazine into a truly engaging experience for the reader.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“I’m always trying to think more like a publisher than a marketer… Our strategy is not

to create a destination, but to feed the social graph.”

— Bryan Rhoads, Director of Strategy,

Opal

▷ Choose the right format. Examples include discussions of current industry news and advice, an interview with an industry thought leader or an educational series. It can be pre-recorded or live, just stay consistent with your brand tone.

▷ Pick the best topic. Review discussions on social media and blogs to discover what your audience is interested in. Create a profile of typical listeners to inform podcast content.

▷ Valuable content means repeatlisteners. Provide worthwhile content to keep their ears engaged.

▷ Add metadata. This opens up avenues to attract new customers who may be listening to podcasts in your niche.

▷ Dress up your podcasts. Combinepodcasts with other content ingredients,like blog posts, to extend your reach.

#21: PodcastsAs a content marketing ingredient, podcasts are a form of radio broadcasting, involving one or more audio or video files that are released episodically. Oftentimes, they're downloaded in an MP3 format through internet syndication.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Chef’s Secret:Make it conversational. Podcasts should be educational and provide entertainment. Use conversational language and tone to better attract and engage your listeners.

What the Experts Say…

“A podcast is a great way to develop relationships with hard to reach people.”

— Tim Paige, Sr. Conversion Educator,

LeadPages

A traditional content marketing ingredient, print magazines are periodical publications containing articles and illustrations, typically covering a particular subject or area of interest. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Work smarter, not harder. Implement a

system that allows all content for the print magazine to be submitted electronically and reviewed by the brand team as they're created.

▷ Create a content calendar. Identify themes, issues, topics and focus areas that are relevant to your readers and work them into a plan.

▷ Follow your brand guidelines. Define your brand tone and voice. Give sample copy nuggets using the preferred guidelines to the writer or editor with clear expectations.

▷ Promote on digital channels. Tantalize the palates of your audience members by promoting your publication across social media, your website or other digital mediums.

▷ Consistency holds it all together. Makeconsistency your binding agent throughoutthe entire print magazine. Visuals, fonts,colors and brand voice must be consistent.

#22: Print Magazines

Chef’s Secret:Include a call-to-action on every print page. This could be as simple as a phone number. For added value, include a shortlink to bring the offline experience online, which will further enhance the reader’s experience.

What the Experts Say…

“Who would have thought the magazine business was such a springboard to all these other

media forms? We’re seeing that.” — David Carey,

President, Hearst Magazines

▷ Create a schedule. Often times, there are a number of sessions on any given day of the event. Plan ahead to get the most out of your attendance.

▷ Sit in the hot seat. It’s tempting towant to sit in the back row for speaker engagements, presentations, Q&A sessions, or educational sessions, but you’ll miss out. Sit front and center. Many times, presenters will engage with audience members before presentations, and you want to be in that mix.

▷ A little multitasking never hurt anyone. Create content while you’re at the event. Pull together tips, interesting facts, or quotes and craft blogs or social posts from the sessions you attend. This will help you provide useful information to non-attendees and get on the radar of new connections.

▷ Share your knowledge. Take good notes during the presentations. Just because the event is over doesn’t mean you’re done. Take what you’ve learned and share any lessons, insights or data with your team. Make sure it’s relevant, valuable and relates to your brand’s goals.

#23: Real-World EventsA real-world event is a gathering of individuals or members of one or several organizations, for discussing matters of common interest. It gets you out of your own kitchen to interact with other like-minded content marketers. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Chef’s Secret:Do a little pre-networking. Often, the agenda will be posted weeks or months in advance of the event. Find the hashtag associated with the event and comb through your social media networks. Connect with specific people you’d like to meet, and let people know you'll be attending.

What the Experts Say…

“Great marketing starts with great stories. Be unique, inspire, and connect.”

— Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer,

MarketingProfs

This main content marketing ingredient offers insight and guides the direction for other ingredients in your marketing mix. Research and surveys produce statistics and data-based insights that combine with other marketing ingredients to engage audiences even further.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Cook up a goal. Understand the "why"

behind the research or survey. This will help guide the questions, respondents and results.

▷ Conduct preliminary research. Think back to your goal. Use questions that will give you actionable information. In this phase, also think about your audience. What do they care about? What information would help them the most?

▷ Keep it simple. Use straightforward language and short questions. Youwant answers that you can use. Over complicated questions can skew responses.

▷ Set expectations. When conducting a survey, let the respondent know how long it

will take. Also, let them know why they are taking the survey. What will this information be used for?

▷ Try before sending. Send a test to asample of your target audience. Evaluatefeedback and modify. This valuable insightcan make or break your survey.

#24: Research & Surveys

Chef’s Secret:Use research and surveys to gain valuable information that will help you empathize with the audience. Then perform an in-depth analysis of the results to create content that allows your readers to gain actionable insights.

What the Experts Say…

“The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight.”

— Carly Fiorina, Speaker, Former CEO,

Hewlett-Packard

▷ Show your human side. Social media ismeant to be social. Let your audiencesee your human side through the tone,language usage and employee successes.

▷ Give your content a boost. Look at topperforming organic campaigns and throw alittle money behind it. This gets yourcontent past your existing audience.

▷ Do your homework. Social content is agreat way to take advantage of currentevents. Staying on top of major events thatfit your brand image can help buildauthority and credibility with your audience.

▷ Promptly respond to comments. Thebeauty of social media is that engagementhappens in real-time. Respond to questionsand comments as quickly as possible tokeep the conversation going, and stay top-of-mind with your audience.

▷ Keep it consistent. Social media allows youto give your audience a more personal lookinside your business. But make sure thetone and style is consistent with your otherdigital and print channels to reinforce yourbrand. You don't need to make it apples-to-apples, perhaps just Granny Smith toHoneycrisp.

#25: Social Media ContentSocial media content is a marketing ingredient that packs a punch. Great social content is a combination of concise text and eye-catching imagery that inspires engagement or action. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

Expand your horizons. Social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram may have a huge impact for your brand by reaching specific audiences that aren’t as prevalent on other platforms. Experiment by incorporating these platforms into your content marketing strategy to increase reach and engagement.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Social Media - A term to describe the current state of the Internet and the place where

the consumers’ attention is.” — Gary Vaynerchuk,

CEO, VaynerMedia

▷ In with the old, in with the new. Integrate traditional media tactics with new media. For example, TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden wrote the book, Optimize, which has been promoted on social channels, the company website and is even available for audio download.

▷ Know your audience. Traditional media segments your lists for you. Publish relevant content in traditional channels whereyour audience lives. For example, if your business targets tech-savvy audiences, publish an article in “Wired” magazine.

▷ Take advantage of the digital age. Printis still exciting for people. It allows people to unplug and even offers feelings of“nostalgia”. Publishing content in traditional media outlets offers a “new” (old) way for people to consume your content.

▷ Offer exclusive content. You know the feeling when you get a piece of mail with your name on it? The sender personally took the time to craft the piece of mail for you. Offering exclusive content shows the audience that you care.

▷ Ask for demographics. For most publications, demographic information is available, so make sure to ask for the recipe to know if it is the right audience for your business.

#26: Traditional MediaTraditional media is a classic marketing ingredient that has been around for ages. Often referred to as "old media", traditional media includes content types from before the dawn of the internet, including newspapers, magazines, books and television. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient

If you’re going to implement traditional media into your content marketing strategy, make sure the flavor profile fits with all of the other content marketing ingredients. Integrate traditional media formats with your overall marketing strategy for best results.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“Concurrent media exposure is probably not new. The fact that so much of it involves traditional

media shows that this was always a possibility.”

— Michael Holmes, Australian Anchor & Correspondent,

CNN International

As a visually stimulating content marketing ingredient, video content includes moving images, with or without audio, that’s recorded and saved digitally. Video content is highly interactive and helps the audience retain the information being presented.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Use video to convert your prospects. The

accessibility of real-time video apps meansbrands can produce quality content withoutspending a lot of money. Use video to sealthe deal for your prospects.

▷ Choose the best format. Depending onwhat platform you publish your video on, asquare video might fit the mold better thana rectangular video.

▷ Pay attention to your description. Craft aclear and concise description. This contentis read by search engines, so tell searchengines and readers alike what your videocontent is about. Include the call-to-action,so your audience can see what to do even without watching the video.

▷ Measure length on watching time. Noteveryone is going to watch your video allthe way until the end. Use your video playermetrics tracker to see where most people

are watching and plan for future campaigns.

▷ Be smart about your topics. Since videois harder to repurpose and republish,make sure your video content topics arerelevant and up-to-date. Also take intoconsideration the appearance of the actorsand the setting.

#27: Video Content

Chef’s Secret:Get your audience to savor the flavor of your video within the first 10-15 seconds. Get the important message out right away. Also note, on social media platforms like Get your audience to savor the flavor of your video within the first 10 seconds. If you don't grab their attention right away, they'll lose interest and move on.

What the Experts Say…

“The play button is the most compelling call to action on the web.”

— Michael Litt, CEO & Co-founder,

Vidyard

▷ Craft bite-sized social messages to beshared before, during and after the event. These messages can be used to promote the conference, share interesting insights or quotes, and thank presenters for their participation.

▷ Get attendance by keeping it top-of-mind. Online conferences require less commitment than real-world events, so market it hard. Use email, press releases, social media, blogging and other content ingredients to promote it.

▷ Encourage participation. Ask peopleto comment and ask questions during the virtual conference. Gather all the information at the end and turn it into a blog post, or use is as a part of a wrap-up post.

▷ Record it for later. Offer on-demand

presentation playbacks for attendees to revisit what they learned, or to bring in a new audience.

▷ Choose the best platform. There are anumber of virtual conference softwareapplications available. Keep in mind thegoal of the online conference and think of itfrom a participant’s view. How can you givethem the best experience?

#28: Virtual ConferencesVirtual conferences are web-based events that bring real-world events to life online. From breakout sessions to networking, virtual conferences are accessible alternatives to real-world events, and marinate a number of content marketing flavors.

Best Ways to Use This IngredientSeek feedback from participants and include them in the planning of the next virtual meeting.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“You’ll be able to achieve the positive benefits of attending a conference while avoiding the

inevitable negative drawbacks.” — Susan Visser,

Social Leader for IBM Analytics, IBM

A webinar is a savory ingredient that is a live meeting, presentation, discussion, educational session, or demonstration that takes place online. Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Reward the audience for

participating. Include a freedownload, worksheet, checklist,or other helpful information fortheir attendance. You can use thisoffer elsewhere, but sprinkle insome exclusive information only forattendees.

▷ Gradually build onto your story. Sinceonline commitment doesn’t requireas much effort, keep building onthe story to entice your listeners tostay tuned through the entire onlinesession.

▷ Partner with industry experts to co-present. Sprinkle in a little co-creation,and poof! You’ve got a great start toblending in the influencer marketingingredient.

▷ Plan your topic around your bestcustomer. Since webinars require

registration, consort with your existing best customers and ask them what topics they would like to learn more about.

▷ Use visuals. These should accompanythe speaker’s main points and helpwith supporting points. Visuals thatsummarize results are highly effective.

#29: Webinars

Chef’s Secret:Practice makes perfect. Schedule a dry run-through with all presenters prior to the go-live date to troubleshoot any issues.

What the Experts Say…

“

A live webinar creates more 1-1 engagement than other types of content and encourages participants to ask questions &

interact on the spot.” — Ashley Zeckman,

Director of Agency Marketing, TopRank Marketing

A whitepaper is a substantial content marketing ingredient that allows customers to solve an informational problem that represents the solutions your company can offer.

Best Ways to Use This Ingredient▷ Find the sweet spot. On average, a

whitepaper should be between 8-10 pages. This provides enough relevant information, but doesn’t drag on for the reader.

▷ Be the best answer. Find out what your audience is searching for and answer specific questions. Combine this ingredient with research and surveys to find out exactly what your customers want, then craft a whitepaper with the answer and the data to prove it.

▷ Stick to the facts. Including opinions and guiding readers to the next steps is out of place. A whitepaper should help the reader make their own decisions, not flat out tell them what decisions to make.

▷ The more the merrier. Include expert and third-party information. This will help the

credibility of the information provided in the whitepaper.

▷ Agency - 1, freelancer - 0. If you're seeking outside help for crafting a whitepaper, go to an agency. While freelancers may be less expensive, an agency will typically have a strategic advantage, more widespread knowledge and faster response times than a freelancer.

#30: Whitepapers

At the end of the whitepaper, sprinkle in added credibility and authority by clearly stating author information. Include contact information, so the reader can follow up.

Chef’s Secret:

What the Experts Say…

“To earn an acceptable ROI, a vendor must actively promote a whitepaper in every known way.

— Gordon Graham, Owner,

ThatWhitePaperGuy

Bonus: 4 Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Content Marketing Chef Now that you have all 30 sweet and savory content ingredients, as well as some best practices and expert insights, it’s time to start cooking up some great content.

As an added bonus, we’ve included four hand-crafted content marketing recipes put together by the chefs at TopRank Marketing to help your brand satisfy your audience’s hunger and calm their cravings for delicious content served in a variety of ways.

When your audience is craving comfort content, consider serving this home-style dish. The content marketing pot pie is the perfect mixture of new and repurposed content that will satisfy your audience.

Ingredients:3 portions of existing blog content

1 digital newsletter

1 eBook

A dash of social media content

Directions:1. Take top performing blog topics and

identify one topic as the focus of the recipe.

2. Next, comb through existing blog posts thatare relevant to the topic chosen in step 1.

3. Choose 3-4 blog posts and fold gently intoa digital newsletter. Fill the newsletter withan introduction explaining what’s included,the blog posts with relevant images andany other tasty bits to help the reader, like acase study.

4. After the digital newsletter has beendistributed (a few weeks), craft an eBookusing the existing content from the blog

posts and the digital newsletter.

5. When crafting the eBook, combine withco-created influencer content, and sprinklein more visuals to drive that message hometo the readers.

6. Once the eBook has been created,garnish with social content. Craft somesocial messages to distribute to yourtop performing social channels. Alwayscustomize each social message to fit theplatform.

This content recipe melds together a mix of great flavors that enable you to create efficiencies by repurposing content and serve your audience a hearty helping of content in various forms.

#1: Content Marketing Pot Pie

If your audience wants a dish that feeds many and is visually beautiful, the 7-layer content dip hits the spot. The ingredients layer together to create nurtured influencer relationships that are beneficial to brands and audiences alike.

Ingredients:A hearty helping of original researchA pinch of influencer content (depends on preferences)1 blog post per influencer1 drip email campaign (with at least 3 separate emails)A dash of social media content1 eBook1 webinar

Directions:1. Start with original research. The topic must

be relevant to your audience and influencers that align with your business goals and have networks that mirror your ideal audience.

2. Sprinkle in a few social messages, mentioning the influencers you determined would be a good fit. This will enhance the

flavor of the influencer content later on in the recipe.

3. For the second layer, co-create contentwith the influencer; a blog post is a greatstart. This should be a team effort that isbeneficial and relevant for both parties.

4. Repeat step 2. The social messages shouldmention the co-created blog content. Pushthis out to the influencer and companynetworks.

5. The third layer is the email marketingingredient. Use your segmented lists topromote the co-created blog content, andset up a drip campaign, teasing the reader’staste buds with upcoming content to lookforward to.

6. Then, add an eBook. This asset shouldcontain a healthy mix of original contentand repurposed content from your blog orcontent co-created with influencers.

7. Repeat step 2. Use social messages toimplement a connection with all influencersinvolved. Doing this will strengthen yourconnections and brand awareness.

8. Once the eBook has been created,promoted, measured and optimized, crafta webinar featuring one or more of theinfluencers that you created content with.

9. Repeat step 2. Sprinkle in social contentand email marketing ingredients topromote the webinar.

And, there you have it. A beautiful representation of a topic that is relevant to your audience. The most important outcome of this lovely dish is that you have nurtured relationships with influencers, provided them with value and have a great start to building an influencer community.

#2: 7-Layer Content Dip

When your audience is hungry for a hearty content stew, the beefed-up bourguignon is the perfect dish. It sticks to your belly and satisfies the deepest of hungers by connecting with audiences online and offline and engaging many from various networks.

Ingredients:1 real-world event1 piece of video contentA dash of social contentA healthy dose of blog contentDirections:1. First prepare for the real-world event:

research existing events and conferences, and choose the best one based on topic relevancy, target audience and location.

2. Once the event has been determined, go ahead and register. Make sure that each attendee is fully informed and the agenda is available weeks prior to the event.

3. Sprinkle in social messages on relevant platforms to network with other attendees, industry experts or thought leaders and increase brand awareness (use hashtag associated with event).

4. Identify top experts that you would like to interview at the event. Reach out to these influencers a couple weeks ahead of time to schedule an interview for your video content.

5. While at the event, repeat step 3. Add memorable quotes from speakers (make sure to tag them), and make mention of anyone you have met and made connections with.

6. Live blog your favorite sessions and publish them before the event ends to take advantage of the experience and inform non-attendees.

7. After the event, repurpose the video content into blog posts and disperse blog content onto the company blog or website over time.

8. If serving the content a little later, set aside and occasionally publish the video content and blog posts onto the company website

and third-party publications.

9. For each real-world event, repeat steps 1-8.This satisfying content marketing recipewill reach your audience in many ways andincrease brand awareness and thoughtleadership.

The cost for attending a real-world event or conference isn’t always cheap. By following this delicious recipe, you can get more out of the experience and share it with your community.

#3: Beefed-Up Bourguignon

When your audience has a very specific craving and wants to make their own decision about their food choice, the content helper mac & cheese is the dish for you. It gives delicious insight for your audience by providing in-depth analysis of valuable and educational information.

Ingredients:3 - 5 topically relevant blog articlesA series of audience poll questions1 live video1 large piece of interactive content

Directions:1. Prep your audience by developing and

releasing a series of blog posts about a specific topic relevant to your business.

2. Once the blog content has been released,begin asking your audience a series ofquestions or polls about the specific topiccovered in your blog articles.

3. Then, begin developing promotion plan for anupcoming live video that will feature insightsbased on the responses from your audience.

4. Conduct the live video and have another

member of your content or social team moderate the questions and responses during the “event” to respond to audience members in real-time.

5. After the live video has launched, pull contentfrom the blog articles, poll questions and livevideo to develop a tasty interactive contentasset.

6. This interactive content asset should allow youraudience to make decisions that guide themthrough the content in a way that is customizedfor them.

Including your audience in the content creation process will ensure your message is on target and encourage your community to share because they can see themselves in the content (literally).

#4: Content Helper Mac & Cheese

It doesn’t matter if you’re a prep cook or an executive chef in the content marketing kitchen, it’s not always easy to find the best recipes to fulfill your audience’s hunger, all while satisfying their sophisticated content palettes.

Don’t worry. The TopRank Marketing team is here to help.Our content and influencer marketing expertise includes:

▷ Content Marketing Strategy

▷ Influencer Driven Content Programs

▷ Content Marketing Implementation &Performance Optimization

Get out of your kitchen nightmare today and connect with us!

TopRank Marketing was established in 2001 and has earned the reputation as a first-choice digital marketing agency for major brands including SAP, Oracle, Dell, and LinkedIn. We also serve many other companies in the B2B technology, healthcare, and services industries, as well as B2C companies operating online. Our primary objective is to help you build and improve your business.

Toprankmarketing.com results@toprankmarketing.com (+1) 877-872-6628

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