July 23, 2018 Content Chat Recap—Community Conversation: Where Ephemeral Content Fits in to Your Content Marketing Strategy

July 29, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

Ephemeral content—some sort of rich media (usually images or videos) that are only available for a short amount of time before disappearing—came up as a topic our #ContentChat community wanted to learn more about. So this week, we led a community conversation to find out more about how people are—or aren’t—using it as part of their content marketing strategy.

#ContentChat POLL: Which of the following ephemeral content types are you most regularly consuming:
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

Facebook and Instagram Stories were by far the most popular channels for ephemeral content, with Snapchat coming in last by a significant margin.

Let’s start with a shared definition of ephemeral content: ephemeral content is some sort of rich media (usually images or videos) that are only available for a short amount of time before disappearing. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

Q1: With this definition in mind, what types of ephemeral content are you currently producing as part of your brand content marketing strategy?

Livestreams are making their way into B2B content marketing plans.

A1: I’ve been part of a few livestreams as part of my brand marketing activities. I’ve done a littl3 bit of dabbling in IG and FB stories, but haven’t quite figured out how I can make best use of them for my content marketing. #ContentChat https://t.co/IxwloEF3nb
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A1: I did some livestreams (Periscope) at events, too. I’m curious how the IG and FB stories work for brands? #ContentChat
— Andrea VassalloMeyer (@andreamv) July 23, 2018

Polls are gaining in popularity across all the ephemeral channels. And as ephemeral content on Twitter too.

A1 Polls and questions have been effective on IG stories. Polling on Facebook works but I would say use an image o gif so it pops up in the feed. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/s3mSKCRoqh
— Annoyin’ Observer (@SirKingofGifs) July 23, 2018

Ephemeral content can act as a promo or trailer for your content marketing efforts.

A1: I agree with you Erika as content marketing is not about content that disappears after a while. Maybe these stories can be used as a teaser. #ContentChat
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) July 23, 2018

I like the idea of having promotional content have a short shelf-life so that when someone new comes to your feed the static content is evergreen. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

Conferences provide multiple opportunities for ephemeral content.

A1. We produce @instagram stories as part of our #brand #content #marketing strategy, especially for conference coverage. #ContentChat
— SourceMedia (@SourceMediaCo) July 23, 2018

While Twitter chats engagement window makes them ephemeral, our community is split on whether they count, thanks to recaps like the one you are reading right now.

A1: Lately we’ve spending a lot of time engaging with amazing #TwitterChat groups like this one! #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

A1 So does a twitter chat count as ephemeral content? #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 23, 2018

@martinlieberman I’d agree with you – plus most of that chats I am in live on in blog post recaps that become permanent content. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 23, 2018

IG Stories can be an integral part of your Instagram engagement strtaegy.

A1: Our agency typically incorporates Instagram Story into any content strategy that includes Instagram for our clients as well as ourselves. It is a great way to keep audiences engaged and the client top of mind. #ContentChat https://t.co/xVb5Gex6oY
— Power Digital (@PwrDigMarketing) July 23, 2018

A1: Instagram stories. Our brand’s target audience is too old for Snapchat, but we have a key audience demographic that is very active on Instagram. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 23, 2018

Many of us are still trying to determine if ephemeral content has a place in our content mix.

A1: I’m occasionally using stories on Instagram but I have a hard time seeing the value of the short term content and I don’t have the resources (yet) to come up with the engaging content that might be more effective from a relationship-development standpoint. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 23, 2018

Q2: For those of you who have been producing ephemeral content, what are you seeing as the benefits to your business?

IG Stories aren’t just for awareness—they can drive leads, too.

A2: As an agency, we’ve used Instagram Story ads as a very successful tool for our internal lead gen efforts for new business. We’ve seen great response to this short form content versus long form video efforts. #ContentChat https://t.co/Pp3Y0lz7Uj
— Power Digital (@PwrDigMarketing) July 23, 2018

Ephemeral content allows brands to try out new ideas and less formal content without detracting from the brand.

A2. It doesn’t have to be as uniform as the rest of your #content. You’re not messing up your @instagram aesthetic if you post a story, especially since it disappears, so a #brand can use it to experiment. #ContentChat
— SourceMedia (@SourceMediaCo) July 23, 2018

A2: Some of our clients have had success using IG stories to test out new post styles/formats, increase discoverability through trending hashtags, stay top-of-mind without clogging up user feeds #contentchat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

Ephemeral content can make your social channels a must-visit stop more frequently.

Agreed. But I also like the idea of ephemeral content being used to create urgency, relevancy, and timeliness. Makes the idea of social much more real-time because if you miss it … it’s gone! #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) July 23, 2018

A2: Big benefit: promoting timely content (meeting and event registrations, submission deadlines, etc.) without that then living in your feed after the dates have passed. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 23, 2018

Q3: For those of you who aren’t creating ephemeral content, what has been your barrier or point of resistance in doing so?

B2B marketing has a long sales cycle, which makes having a storehouse of evergreen content take priority over ephemeral content.

A3 We know our audience/community isn’t a real-time social audience, and our sales process is very long-tail. So our content needs to have a shelf life and be evergreen. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) July 23, 2018

Too many things to do and not enough time.

A3: For me, it’s really just come down to time. As a solopreneur, I have to spread my business development time pretty far so ephemeral content has seemed less important than evergreen content. #ContentChat https://t.co/K0cbyTe6IR
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A3. There’s a lot of #content ideas I have that haven’t got to the top of my priority list yet. Evergreen content seems to rise higher, ephemeral content is way down the list. #contentchat
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) July 23, 2018

A3: So far the right context hasn’t popped up for me yet. I have to train myself to ask the question: Does ephemeral content make sense in this context? How does it add value? I don’t want to do it for the sake of doing it. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 23, 2018

Industries with significant compliance burdens may not be able to move quickly enough to make ephemeral content happen.

A3 I think the spontaneity of it all keeps it an enigma for some larger more traditional companies..#IMHO #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) July 23, 2018

A3: Maintaining a proper editorial calendar for stories can be overwhelming. The immediate-posting nature of story content can be an issue for larger orgs that require sign-off at specific stages of content creation and distribution #contentchat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

Q4: What are some examples of brands turning ephemeral content into a real brand benefit? Share links if possible, including some of your own content.

A4a: @Nasa has a number of interesting IG stories: https://t.co/bSL1QppcUc #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4b: The folks @Sephora do a lot of fun IG stories highlighting their new products. https://t.co/3si0og19He #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4c: @lushcosmetics goes live on Instagram for fun Q&A sessions, and regularly posts IG stories. https://t.co/Bw1u3vqno9 #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4: The recent addition of the ‘Ask a Question’ feature to IG stories is HUGE for user research and test marketing. Any brands not using this are missing out. #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

A4 I haven’t taken any screenshots but I do love Converse and not going to lie some of their stories/ads have intrigued me to purchase #ContentChat
— Annoyin’ Observer (@SirKingofGifs) July 23, 2018

A4) I don’t have any links, but I remember watching some IG stories for Fashion Tech Week in Silicon Valley, and it was pretty cool so catch glimpses of panel discussions and behind-the-scenes fashion show set-up. #contentchat
— Roxanne (@rescuemom_nyc) July 23, 2018

A4: I’ve seen numerous beauty brands use Insta Stories to display how to use new products followed by a swipe up to shop. Here you’re getting instant sales–particularly when a sense of urgency is included like stating that it’s a “limited edition” product. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 23, 2018

I saw @lushcosmetics using that functionality on IG in a livestream today I think. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4: For clients, we’ve seen huge success with our interactive Instagram stories that encourage a reshare and have seen increased follower growth as a result. It also helps us generate UGC for our content calendars. Here’s an example for one of our clients #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/DDkftCXpJz
— Power Digital (@PwrDigMarketing) July 23, 2018

July 16 Content Chat Recap: The Role of SEO in Content in 2018

July 21, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

During our mid-year check-in, #ContentChat participants asked for additional conversations on SEO. This week we held the first of those conversations, with special guest, Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie). Here’s what we covered.

Q1: Why is it important for me, as a content marketer/creator to pay attention to SEO?

Most content is consumed thanks to a search engine query. SEO is what ensures your content will be served up.

A1: If you write anything for the web, SEO should play a role in it. I saw a stat recently that over 90% of online sessions begin with a search engine. If you don’t show up in these search results, users won’t know you exist. #ContentChat 1/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A1: Another statistic worth noting from @HubSpot is that 75% of users never look past page 1 of SERPS. If you don’t pay attention to SEO, you have little chance of showing up there. And with the growth of mobile search, this trend is likely to increase. #ContentChat 2/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

SEO is the key to content distribution.

A1 #SEO isn’t really that important for content creators….unless you want your content found and read by your target audience. #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 16, 2018

A1 To get found!!! If you need people to read your content you need to be where they are looking and #SEO will get you there…#ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) July 16, 2018

A1 Do you want the content you create to be found? Then you should pay attention to SEO. Just that simple. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) July 16, 2018

SEO allows you to measure content performance and success.

A1: It’s how we measure the success of our content. But a topic I continue to find challenging. #contentchat
— Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) July 16, 2018

A1: SEO is important for discovery of your answers to the questions of your intended audience. #ContentChat https://t.co/WRyNw7jexV
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) July 16, 2018

A1: As a content creator you should know the impact your content can have on inbound traffic via search. Write with that in mind, keep keywords in mind, and keep up the volume and quality. #contentchat
— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) July 16, 2018

SEO is how you own your content traffic.

A1: You can “rent” traffic by purchasing advertising that drives attention to what you write, but you can “own” traffic” when you pay attention to SEO because that will dictate how people find your content long-term. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

SEO helps you attract your ideal audience to your content.

A1: You want as many eyes on your content as possible…as many of the RIGHT eyes, that is! The better your SEO, the higher the chance of your target audience finding your content and entering your funnel. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

Q2: Are SEO & content competitors? Doesn’t a focus on SEO conflict with my ability to create great content?

What’s good for content marketing is also good for SEO.

A2: In 2018, I don’t think they are. Google is no longer solely scanning for keywords and links, but looking at the whole topic, UX, UI, supplementary content, quality of the content (and writing itself). Therefore, what is good for content is also good for SEO. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A2: It can feel like #contentmarketing and #SEO are frenemies but only when you are dealing with outmoded, keyword-stuffing notions of how to do SEO. #ContentChat https://t.co/c82Jkuzqfx
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 16, 2018

SEO helps your ideal audience self-select for the right content at the right time.

A2a. Nope! Great content is relevant to what people are looking for. SEO helps them determine whether your content is relevant by answering their questions in language that makes sense to them. #ContentChat https://t.co/sBaxQT3wkn
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) July 16, 2018

A2: I think the divide between “SEO” & “Content” is not as wide as many perceive it. Search engines want to serve up content that is relevant to their searchers. Writers will create content that talks about what the subject is. SEO Makes the connection between them. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

A2b. SEO & creativity are not mutually exclusive. I believe good writing is about understanding your reader and serving them with clarity, style and grace. #contentchat
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) July 16, 2018

SEO and content marketing can be BFFs, but it takes some work.

A2: No, but they can take careful collaboration. Ex.: If you want video content, you’re going to have to make allowances for text in order to have good SEO. Both content & SEO should focus on user intent, but the technical nature of SEO MUST be addressed. #ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) July 16, 2018

A2b I do think that writers who have more of an analytical mindset find SEO concepts less challenging than writers with a more creative mindset because there is this perception that SEO restricts the creativity of the content creator. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q3: Fine. There’s no getting around the importance of #SEO for #contentmarketing. If I’m an experienced writer but new to SEO. What do I need to know?

Start by involving your internal content creators.

A3. Know there are plenty of experts (your internal marketing team, or people who will consult) and tools (free!) that can help you. Check blogs, play with Google’s adwords tool, etc #contentchat https://t.co/L9mAV2IQDO
— allison ryder (@allisonryder) July 16, 2018

Aim for the long-tail search.

A3: That 50% of search queries are four words or longer. #ContentChat
— Leah Hunt (@Leah_Hunt_PR) July 16, 2018

The better you know your content audience, the better performing your SEO.

A3 A deep understanding of your target audience’s needs, search terms and your own brand’s existing content is a good place to start. #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 16, 2018

Get friendly with the relevant metadata.

A3: There is a lot to learn so take one piece at a time. Start with the basics and learn how to optimize the metadata and content on a page. Prioritize 10 pages, then measure the impact. Once you positively impact these pages, make a plan to optimize more broadly. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

Where you use your keywords is just as important as how often you use them.

A3: Where you use keywords in your content is as important as how many times you use the keywords. For a keyword to make an impact, you’ll want it in the URL, headline, and a subhead in addition to the body copy. And don’t forget the image alt text! #ContentChat https://t.co/yuQx9i06fZ
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 16, 2018

SEO connects your content.

I like the “SEO as a connection” concept.
Th/ere are many more uses for content past the Awareness stage that search engines help with. #Content uses:
– Awareness
– Nurturing propects
– Sales Enablement
– Onboarding
– Ongoing relationship building #contentchat https://t.co/djLGT9usKA
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) July 16, 2018

Invest in keyword research.

A3: Make sure that your keywords are the “right” keywords. Pull your website analytics and google adwords results to understand what search terms people are associating with your brand and then look for areas for growth. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

A3. I think the hardest thing, whether you’re new to SEO or not, is determining what the keywords/phrases should be. You have to express things as the audience would, not the way your product positioning is worded. Connecting those dots comes later, in your content. #ContentChat https://t.co/hu8x4I5g91
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) July 16, 2018

A3: you need to know what people are searching for & what content you have that meets their needs. Export your Queries from Google Search Console. Export your top 10 Landing Pages in Google Analytics. Evaluate your content and what’s ranking to improve your top pages #Contentchat
— Holly Miller | Marketing & Content Strategy (@millertime_baby) July 16, 2018

Treat Google like a reader—not your robot overlord.

A3: I vote to go for the long view- where is Google at on the spectrum of understanding language… and where it’s going. As a word person, I can adapt my language to my reader. Even if one of my readers is Google. I just have to understand it. #contentchat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) July 16, 2018

I love the idea of thinking of Google as another reader your content needs to address, versus seeing them as the master gatekeeper you are trying to convince to let your content pass. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 16, 2018

Be prepared to test and learn what works for you from an SEO standpoint.

A3 I like the idea of targeting one page/section/strategic objective at a time and building around that and evaluating your progress. Just remember that SEO magic doesn’t usually happen overnight! Patience and discipline are critical. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q4: How many keywords is too many keywords to try to optimize a page of content for?

Keyword stuffing is bad—don’t do it!

A4: Bottom line: Keyword stuffing is bad. There is no hard and fast rule about how many keywords a page can be optimized for, but it needs to read naturally. Your keywords should blend into your words, not stick out saying, “KEYWORD HERE! KEYWORD HERE!” #ContentChat 1/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

Target your keywords.

A4: Keywords in online articles are like hashtags in tweets–keep them focused and targeted. Focus in on one keyword/phrase that you want to optimize and then support with a few others that are other ways people might search for that main topic. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

A4: Any more than is necessary to adequately discuss the topic at hand. Google knows how to recognize synonyms and related keywords, so using a specific keyword a bunch is no longer important #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

Optimize your content by topic not keyword.

A4: Pages should actually be optimized for a topic now, as opposed to a keyword. Keywords are still important, but the point is to take user intent and context into account as well. Don’t just blindly use a keyword because it has a high search volume. #ContentChat 2/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

Q5: How do I keep my SEO optimized content to still sound like it was written for people and not robots?

Hire an experienced, creative professional writer who understands SEO.

A5: This is where creativity has to step in. It’s worth it for brands to hire a quality, talented writer (or multiple writers) to make this content as engaging as possible. It’s simply the truth that not everyone can write great content that it also optimized. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

Treat those keywords as a guideline, not an iron-clad rule.

A5: I suggest you begin by letting your keywords guide your topic, not dictate the words you will use. Then go back and see if it makes sense to add specific words in that weren’t included on the first pass. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A5 This is why they pay us. I usually write for tone and effectiveness first, then try to make sure H1 and a few other places support the topic, but it’s kind of an art IMHO #ContentChat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) July 16, 2018

Make sure to write for your personas—not the robots—first and foremost.

A5 I think it’s important that you don’t treat GoogleBot or BingBot as a persona. I agree with @writtenbyemilie that you should edit your document with an eye for SEO keyword opportunities after its been written with your customer personas in mind. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q6: Should I just hire someone to manage SEO? Or do I need to have all my content creators understand and optimize for it?

It’s important to have in-house SEO expertise.

A6: If you have the budget for it, someone with SEO expertise in the company is ideal because there are on-page and off-page factors to consider. Either way, it is best that all writers have at least a basic understanding of how their content should be optimized. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A6. Probably depends on the size of your company/team. If you’re putting out content that needs to be found through organic search, a dedicated resource might help. Either way, everyone should know basic best practices IMO. #contentchat
— allison ryder (@allisonryder) July 16, 2018

A6 Totally a question of company type/size, budget and staff. As @RebekahLMeyer said earlier, just don’t expect someone to apply magic dust on your garbage pile and turn it into #SEO gold. #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 16, 2018

It can be helpful to have an external SEO strategy specialist.

A6: Both. Or at least, there should be someone thinking about SEO at the strategy level, along with content creators knowing at least the basics #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

A6: Some balance of both if possible. Anyone creating content should have an understanding of how SEO works, so that an SEo specialist doesn’t need to re-create every piece of content for your site. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

A6 If you have a writing team it might be good to have an SEO strategist involved with the editing process. Writers should know about SEO but my if you force a change on a writer’s style they tend to rebel. Find a path that makes sense and produces the best result. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q7: Today’s #SEO must-do is tomorrow’s Google penalty. How do I keep up with the latest and greatest SEO tactics?

Keep a focus on content relevance. Relevant content will never be penalized.

A7: Create content for your audience and focus on relevance. Those have always been the most important things for SEO. But also keep an eye on SEO trends over time so you know when and how to tweak your strategy. #Contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

A7 Relevant content is absolutely key to #SEO and so make the connection with the audience via your content..This will never be penalised #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) July 16, 2018

Don’t chase SEO gimmicks—stay the course.

A7: Don’t go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that Google tells you to.
Real talk: any legit tactic won’t be penalty bait tomorrow. Just don’t be fooled by the get-rich-quick SEO schemes out there. That’s then you set yourself up for danger. #ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) July 16, 2018

Keep an eye on SEO industry publishers like these:

A7: SEO does change rapidly and there is so much info out there that it can be overwhelming. I find that following a couple of knowledgeable blogs is a good way to keep up.
A couple of my favorites: @Moz @Searchmetrics #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

This post can also help 😉 (at least for now) https://t.co/HeDIB5SyD9 #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

A7: Read, read, read! Follow the business blogs of sites like Google, Facebook and Twitter; Sign up for email newsletters; Be active in LinkedIn groups. It’s your own responsibility to take your continuing education seriously. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

July 9 Content Chat Recap: How to Create a More Compelling Content Experience (And Why You Should)

July 15, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

As a content marketing consultant, I’m frequently asked what the next big thing in content marketing is going to be. Right now, it’s “content experience”. With that in mind, we asked Uberflip CMO Randy Frisch to be our guest on #ContentChat and share why it’s the next big thing to focus on. Here’s a recap of the conversation.

Q1: recently, there’s been increasing conversation around the top of “content experience”, with the Content Pros podcast, which you co-host, even changing its name to “Conex: The Content Experience Show.” So, what is content experience?

A1: Content experience is:
✔️ The environment in which your content lives
✔️ Its structure
✔️ How it compels your audience to engage
You can have the best content in the world, but it’s the overall experience that’s really going to pull your audience in. #ContentChat 1/2 pic.twitter.com/4FhHJ8K9W0
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A1: The content experience seems like something that @annhandley likes to talk about… its’ about considering your customer in every nook and cranny of your writing. Ensure that if there are words, it works towards building a positive experience. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

As for the podcast name change, we’ve all figured out how to create content. We wanted to start talking about using it in a meaningful way that drives results. 2/2 #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A1: The full Content Experience takes into consideration not only the piece of content itself, but also the context and environment in which it will be consumed. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the audience’s reaction beyond just the piece itself. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

A1) from a digital product studio perspective, building a good content experience is developing an information architecture and content strategy that is in sync with the intended user’s ultimate goal 🎯 #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 9, 2018

Q2: How does content experience differ from or relate to content marketing, and why should marketers shift their focus? What are its benefits?

A2: Content experience takes #contentmarketing to the next level. It goes beyond simply creating content and focuses on how we can use it to engage prospects at all stages of the buyer journey, including for #ABM and lead gen. #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A2: Content marketing is the “what”, content experience is the “how”. When marketers think through the whole process, the customer sees the right message, in the right format, on the right platform. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A2: Content experience puts the user’s interests at the forefront and often includes their input as part of the package. Marketing is more from the seller’s perspective. #ContentChat
— [{ Danielle in Code }] (@quantbarbie) July 9, 2018

A2: Experience is a huge part of marketing. Content or straight-forward. A marketer and content-creator must always consider the experience/context when developing a piece. Delivery methods are integral to content planning. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

Q3: Is content experience the new customer experience?

A3: According to @Gartner_inc, orgs are now 57% of the way through the purchase decision process before they engage with a sales rep. Your content experience is an opportunity to ensure prospects feel taken care of in the research stage of the buying cycle. #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A3: This one is definition dependent, in my opinion. Customer dip into a brand’s stream to grab content, but is that the whole of the experience? I don’t think so… #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A3: They’re not the same, but content experience is a big part of customer experience. I don’t think one can entirely replace the other. #contentchat https://t.co/w7ppBSmXOZ
— Kobie D. Christian (@Ko_bc) July 9, 2018

A3: It depends on the product/service that you are offering, but for the most part I say no. The Content Experience should shepherd the customer into a purchasing/customer experience. The Customer experience can include content, but should also include service. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

A3: Not necessarily because there are more ways for customers to engage with brands than just content alone. But I do think that customer experience is universal in that customers expect an experience in every aspect of interaction. #ContentChat https://t.co/DxpNpQJwvC
— [{ Danielle in Code }] (@quantbarbie) July 9, 2018

A3 From what I am reading it would seem content experience is s big part of customer experience, but just a part – everyone has a role in CX, not just content creators. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 9, 2018

A3: Since content really touches all aspects of a customer’s experience (marketing, customer service, website, etc), it does make sense to think of customer experience as content experience (especially when you are the content creator). #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 9, 2018

Q4: What are some ways to modify your content experience that can improve the buyer’s journey?

A4: Remember that their single piece of content is a piece of a larger effort. Know where you fit in the journey/funnel/experience. Media buyers need to consider that as well. No more single-transaction perspectives. Thing bigger. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A4:
1. Start with great content
2. Make it look great everywhere (optimized for all browsers & devices)
3. Be strategic when organizing your content
4. Personalize (we use AI recommendations)
5. Use targeted and contextual calls-to-action #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A4: Make sure the content experience is consistent. Emails, blogs, social media, customer service, sales should all offer the same content experience to customers. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 9, 2018

A4: Placement & messenger. A well-placed, relevant message from a trusted third party goes a long way. much more likely to get a blender I hear about on a food podcast than a news podcast. I don’t like consuming content and then thinking “that was random” #contentchat
— Kobie D. Christian (@Ko_bc) July 9, 2018

Q5; What are some examples of great content experiences in action?

A5. Some examples of awesome content experiences are:
🔥 @AlightSolutions: https://t.co/RtmWb3iuV5
🔥 @blackbaud: https://t.co/jaB6ZrpFCw
🔥 @TrimbleCorpNews: https://t.co/JL8KyGf3BR
🔥 @SigstrApp: https://t.co/Noc7HrR6Tg #ContentChat (1/2)
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

As a specific example, we received an email from an Account Rep and it included a customized screengrab video of the rep on our website showing exactly how @drift would improve a particular process. Genius! #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 9, 2018

A5: I would vote for The Venetian casino resort in Vegas… every time I get an email from them I want to fly off to Vegas. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 9, 2018

Q6: What are the biggest content experience issues you are seeing?

A6: Dead end experiences are a big one. We use overlay CTAs for gated assets instead of sending people to landing pages—it allows the user to continue to browse uninterrupted. (1/2) #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/NKJMwGBiyM
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

(2/2) There are other things as simple as the way content is organized. People don’t tend to browse by publication date or resource type, but that’s how a lot of online experiences are.
Wouldn’t you rather engage with Experience A below? #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/m9qsMGWz67
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A6: Death to all faulty chatbots! 🤖
Seriously though, they even made a website for ‘Chatbot Fails’ lol: https://t.co/g6CsKkiT1V #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 9, 2018

Q7: What are some tools and resources we can use to evaluate and improve our content experience?

A7: Never underestimate the power of analytics. A huge one is what % of people who saw your content reacted in some capacity? Then compare well-performing content pieces to each other and find common themes. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

A7: Attribution paths are a huge source of information when making choices about how we serve our content. Know where you customers are throughout the journey! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A7: We’ve got a lot of resources on our blog to help you optimize content experience: https://t.co/1MmBf8TFbI
I’d also recommend tuning into the #Conex Show podcast—it features actionable insights of all-star marketers who are killing it content experience wise. #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A7: @googleanalytics of course. We also use @hotjar to monitor how customers are maneuvering on each page. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 9, 2018

July 2 Content Chat Recap: Marketing to Marketers

July 15, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

As a marketer, I know I can be pretty skeptical when it comes to the marketing pitches I receive in my inbox. And the same holds true for most of the other marketing professionals I know. That’s why we held a #ContentChat community conversation on how to engage with a marketer’s toughest audience—other marketers. Here’s what we learned from each other.

Q1: Who here markets to marketers as part of their work?

We have some marketers who market to other marketers.

A1: Oh, sometimes I do, for sure! It’s pretty entertaining conversation. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/343OftnfQI
— Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) July 2, 2018

A1: Oh, so much me. I have several clients who specifically market to marketers and it is an interesting and challenging world. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 2, 2018

A1: A big part of my old job was marketing to marketing agencies and marketers. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

A1: I have some clients that have marketers included in the target audience, but they’re outliers #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 2, 2018

A1. In the #B2B industry over here! #ContentChat
— SourceMedia (@SourceMediaCo) July 2, 2018

..and we have some marketers who get marketed to.

A1: I end up doing so every now and again, but I’m dealing with a physical product, not marketing services. Everyone needs soap, after all. #contentchat
— A. B. England (@A_B_England) July 2, 2018

A1 I don’t, but they market to me – usually content syndication or better audience targeting, and (sorry but) I usually ignore or unsubscribe #contentchat pic.twitter.com/HVsQzzV0da
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) July 2, 2018

Q2: What are some current trends in the marketing you are receiving that cause you to roll your eyes and write the senders off as not understanding your challenges as a marketer?

Just say no to negging.

A2a: I’m seeing a rising trend of “negging”. If your email subject line tells me I don’t know what I’m doing as a marketer, I’m not opening it. Who are you again? #ContentChat https://t.co/O2b673DILP
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 2, 2018

The faux urgent message doesn’t drive other marketers to action.

A2 The email / voice mail creating a sense of urgency from someone I’ve had no prior relationship with and almost no understanding of what they are selling. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

Auto DMs aren’t going to close a sale to other marketers.

A2: Auto DMs or messaging you just to spam you with sales pitches is an automatic turn off if not an out and out automatic block for me. #contentchat
— A. B. England (@A_B_England) July 2, 2018

Marketers don’t believe that their CEO referred them to you.

A2: Not sure if it’s a trend…but one sales guy starts of his emails “I’ve tried calling you CEO…” dude wrong person to outreach with a marketing product #eyeroll #contentchat https://t.co/dmkWV397zj
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) July 2, 2018

Content-obscuring and negative pop-ups send marketers back to their search results.

A2: Pop ups that block text (literally was just complaining about this an hour or so ago), remarketing ads for products I tried to buy that are out of stock or not sold in my area (or even for something I already bought) #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 2, 2018

A2: I decline an offier, then pop up windows asking me to confirm that “No, I don’t want to increase my traffic” by whatever in however long. Its just so condescending. #contentchat
— Steve Bitter (@stevebitter) July 2, 2018

Marketers don’t like it when your SEO is showing.

A2 Increasing the amount of content with a cynical algorithm-centric approach that ignores quality and value #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) July 2, 2018

Bad personalization is bad.

Q2: Marketers that misspell my name or don’t take the time to read my bio. Get personal and details matter #itsthesmallthings #contentchat
— Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) July 2, 2018

A2: These days working in-house for a #SaaS #fintech company, I can’t handle marketers outreaching with #B2C content and solutions when I’m clearly #B2B. your solution does not apply here= #unsubscribe #contentchat pic.twitter.com/W0PGNlkqM9
— Mike Bryant (@MichaelRo22ss) July 2, 2018

A2: My favorite fail ever?
Dear *|FNAME|*
Uhm… you might want to make sure your tags are set up before sending on a message.#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/c0y4hsKM8c
— Jenn Victoria 🤘🏳️‍🌈🎙🏳️‍🌈🤘 (@Renoe) July 2, 2018

Marketers don’t want to connect with random salespeople on LinkedIn. It’s not a great cold call move.

A2 Another fun crappy marketing outreach is the random LinkedIn connection request with no context as to why they want to connect with you or reason why you should connect with them. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

In that same vein, I wish that the act of people who try to “connect” with you on LinkedIn and then try to sell you things was grounds for banning. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 2, 2018

“I’d like to join your network”. I’m sure you would. Why should I add you to MY network when I know you are going to cold market to my contacts? #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 2, 2018

Form emails need to try harder not to sound formulaic.

A2 I also get emails that say I’ve read the content on your website, and I’m really impressed… Really? It’s pretty niche IT. #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) July 2, 2018

No one owes you a reply to your cold email sales pitch, including other marketers. Sending 13 follow-up emails isn’t going to get a reply if I am not interested.

A2b: I’m also not a fan of the endless follow-up emails. Especially when they start to get a little rude. No one OWES anyone else a reply to their unsolicited marketing email. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 2, 2018

Q3: What do you wish you saw more frequently in the marketing messages and content that’s delivered to you as a marketer?

Marketers want more empathy.

A3a: I’d like to see more empathy in the marketing I receive. You know I am getting hundreds of marketing pitches each week. Make good use of my time, and only send me content that relates to me as a marketer. #ContentChat https://t.co/T9B0oOIb26
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 2, 2018

Marketers want authentic, relevant, no BS content.

A3 When marketing to marketers its all about: No BS, standing out and showing value! We do this all the time so I need more than a canned messages/sales pitch. #contentchat
— Carol (@YoursTrulyCaro) July 2, 2018

A3: Relevance! So many messages just don’t mesh with what I want to see or what I’m looking for. #contentchat
— Ryleigh Hazen (@HazenRyleigh) July 2, 2018

A3 cont. And also just a lack of laziness. Spend 30 seconds on my website before you send a message so you know if I’m in your audience or what you’re suggesting is relevant to me #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 2, 2018

Marketers understand the power of data-driven personalization and expect you to use it to market to them.

A3: I wish personalization was used more effectively, I know marketers have enough data about me to deliver more relevant, useful messages my way. It rarely works out that way though #Contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 2, 2018

A3b: I’d also like to get content that reflects the data you have/can easily access about me. I have 20+ years #B2B marketing experience. If you have, literally, a few years of marketing experience, please do not try to sell me your content marketing masterclass. #ContentChat https://t.co/9bteFs52Su
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 2, 2018

Marketers expect case studies that reflect their use case, and preferably, their industry.

A3: When I ask for a case study, don’t send me something that has no relevance to what I do. That does me no good at all and just makes me feel like you’re out of touch with my business. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/SzazwNH6H1
— Jenn Victoria 🤘🏳️‍🌈🎙🏳️‍🌈🤘 (@Renoe) July 2, 2018

Marketers want you to get to know them before you make your sales pitch.

A3 My wish list for marketing efforts to marketers:
1) An effort to connect with me – just any form of introductory exchange
2) Pitches that demonstrate you took 1-2 minutes to make what you say relevant to me
3) Understanding and respecting time to make a decision#ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

Marketers want to spend some time with your free trial before you start trying to close the deal.

A3 Another thing that would be nice would be if after signing up for a demo version of a software tool that I’m not immediately bombarded with “training opportunities” or “account managers” checking in on me. I just wanted to take a peek at what it is you do! #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

Q4: As a marketer, whose marketing with YOU as the target audience are you the biggest fan of and why?

A4: In addition to @MarketingProfs and @CMIContent I regularly engage with the marketing messages I receive from @MeetEdgar @SMExaminer. #ContentChat https://t.co/RDb1gbgNfz
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 2, 2018

A4 The best EVER isn’t around anymore (thanks Research in Motion) – but @GRMeyer at what was once Gist is my all time favorite. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

A4: Honestly, the only ones I pay attention to any more are those from the writers I actually connect with here or on Facebook or YouTube. That connection and sense of familiarity make a big difference. #contentchat
— A. B. England (@A_B_England) July 2, 2018

A4 Besides Gist being an awesome product it was a respectful conversation, they were open to interact on multiple channels and they moved at your pace, not an arbitrary pace they set themselves. It was nice! #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

A4 I like being in the nurture streams for Hootsuite, Marketo and Hubspot because I get some useful content now and again with fairly low touch – if I see enough value, I’ll check it out #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) July 2, 2018

A4: Hubspot literally kills you with content. You can’t shake a stick or search for a marketing related term without finding a convenient list of stats to help support your point. Well done. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 2, 2018

A4b: I also have to call out @intercom and @buffer as producing excellent marketing content for marketers. #ContentChat https://t.co/wFnaFkSocT
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 2, 2018

A4 @AirTable suckered me in effectively to do a demo of their product and I’m in love with it. I’d describe their approach as persistently unobtrusive. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 2, 2018

June 25 Content Chat Recap: How to Write a Killer Bio

June 26, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

Marketers may be great at talking about their brands, but many of us falter when it comes to selling ourselves. With that in mind, this week’s #ContentChat was a working session designed to walk participants through crafting an effective bio, following the procedures I use with my marketing career coaching clients. The questions will walk you through the process, and the community Tweets will give you the inspiration you need.

Q1: Give us your best elevator pitch, i.e. your one-sentence reply to the perennial question “Who are you and what do you do?”

A1: I’m Erika Heald and I consult with food & tech startups define and execute their content marketing strategies. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 25, 2018

A1: I am a mental health advocate with social media savvy to get the word out! #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) June 25, 2018

A1: I blend perfumes based around the idea of geeky characters or themes and then pair them with a matching design. #contentchat
— A. B. England (@A_B_England) June 25, 2018

A1: Hi! I’m Caitlin and I focus on using social media and other digital platforms to share information, create connections and build communities. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 25, 2018

A1: Maureen Jann is the Founder of SuperDeluxe Marketing, an agency focused on helping businesses finding and reaching their most profitable customers. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 25, 2018

A1 I’m a problem solver – I dig in, figure out what people in an organization are trying to accomplish then research and map out strategies that show them how to achieve those goals and ways to measure their progress toward them. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) June 25, 2018

A1 I’m a marketing strategist. I teach SMBs and NPOs how to strategically plan, deliver and measure their marketing communciations. #marketing #communications #SmallBiz #nonprofit #strategy #contentmarketing #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) June 25, 2018

I need to clearly revise mine hahah!
A1 I am Shruti, copywriter and content lady. I help plan and deliver marketing campaigns that drive value. #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) June 25, 2018

A1: I’m a travel writer hoping to inspire more Americans to get off the couch and on the road by showing them how to travel on a small budget. #ContentChat
— Stephanie Withers (@humblelifeblog) June 25, 2018

Moving from elevator pitch to bio.

We can all consider our A1 to be our baseline/starting point. For the rest of the Qs, we’ll work through further definition then put it all otgether. And if you get stuck along the way, you’ve got all your #ContentChat friends here to help. Crowd-sourced bios FTW. pic.twitter.com/QgyWBepgJr
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 25, 2018

June 18, 2018 Content Chat Recap: Editorial Idea Prompt Exchange

June 24, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

Ah, Summer. That time of year when all you can think about is getting out of the office and enjoying the nice weather (unless you live in San Francisco, which has its nice warm weather in February. But I digress.) Because we know this is the time of year it can feel overwhelming to try to come up with content ideas, we held our first ever #ContentChat editorial idea prompt exchange. If you are looking for ideas for your Summer editorial plan, we’ve got you covered.

Q1: I’m just starting out with content marketing. What are some ideas for great editorial ideas when you’re just building awareness with your audience?

Get your editorial ideas flowing by consuming a ton of great content.

A1: Start by doing a LOT of reading in your space. Not because you want to repeat what others are saying, but so that you can see what types of topics people are reading about and responding to #Contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) June 18, 2018

A1: Get inspired by seeing what other people are doing. Look at others in your industry, but those outside your industry as well. Start to plan out how you can put your own original twist on that kind of content. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

Share your origin story.

A1: Write your “Why” story, why you are a writer, get personal. Write a list of your fav books that have helped you, Interview someone you admire #contentchat
— Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) June 18, 2018

Use Google Search’s autocomplete to get familiar with your audience’s questions.

A1: Use the auto complete in your favorite search to see what people are searching for in your area of expertise. Those are good prompts to connect you w/audience. #ContentChat
— Alan Fleming (@alan_fleming) June 18, 2018

Take your persona inputs and create content maps.

A1: Take a look at your buyer personas and the needs you identified as being top of mind for your ideal customers. Enter each one into Answer the Public and start writing down ideas. https://t.co/vURbKzBNlJ https://t.co/Pp8tRWae8R
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

A1: Take the big business challenges your customer faces and then run through all of the elements of those challenges. Each one of those is a great starter topic for a blog. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

A1b. Also develop your personas and map out their #customerjourney. If you’re just starting out with #content you should get lots of ideas. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) June 18, 2018

Even more content idea generation prompts.

A1 Sources for #content #marketing ideas:
Customer problems
Sales reps
Customer support
LinkedIn groups
Quora
Competitor content#ContentChat
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) June 18, 2018

Plug the key terms of your business into the NYT’s search bar. You’ll get some interesting context, learn a whole lot of case studies, and even get the names of experts you can interview. The Times doesn’t realize this, but it’s doing a bunch of your work for you! #contentchat
— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) June 18, 2018

Q2: How can I use my data (and what data can I use) to give me great top-of-the-funnel content ideas?

Monitor your website’s search logs.

A2: If people are searching for something on your website that you haven’t covered, that’s a topic you should address! Or if your data shows people really respond well to a certain type of content or subject area, then do more of that #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) June 18, 2018

A2: In your blog, look at what people searched for—and didn’t find—on your site. #ContentChat https://t.co/qxewqTFbN5
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

A2: Use the search terms from your website. People are telling you what they want to know from you! You can also use topics that are popular questions in the customer service area. Talk to you co-workers and get their insights. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

Get familiar with your website’s analytics tool.

A2: You can look at GA to find things people are searching for on your sites. That’s a great way to start. If you map your attribution path for your most profitable customers you can also figure out what they’ve consumed along the way and make more related content #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

A2: What links in posts have the most clicks? Data from that, searches on page, comments can help direct what content is resonating on your site/blog. #ContentChat
— Alan Fleming (@alan_fleming) June 18, 2018

A2b: Look at your analytics. What was your most popular article of the last 12 months? What would be a “next step” piece that could use it as a launching board to go deeper on a related topic? #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

A2: Look at your most popular articles/pages to see what content visitors are most interested in. Then tailor topic to fit top of funnel. #ContentChat
— Jeff Midgley (@hey_midge) June 18, 2018

Use content measurement tools to look at your—and your competitors’—top performing content.

A2. To get #TOF #content ideas use a tool like @semrush or @BuzzSumo to analyze your competitors’ content. Also do backlink analysis to see what is driving traffic. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) June 18, 2018

Identify and lean into all your internal data sources.

A2 GA/Search data….. What keywords are leading ppl to ur site?
Social data…. What hashtags do ppl use most often within ur industry?
First party data…. What customer services frictions do u see the most? #ContentChat
— Carolina (@YoursTrulyCaro) June 18, 2018

Q3: We’ve got a ton of great discovery-phase content. But what are some editorial ideas for helping potential customers decide between purchasing from us and our competitors?

Build useful decision-making resources.

A3: Create a readiness assessment and buyer’s guide package…and don’t make all roads lead to you. Be transparent about the differences between you and the competition. #ContentChat https://t.co/0ySewK4RDY
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

A3b: Answer questions customers are asking at the buying stages. Is it about pricing? Scalability? Partnership? Think ahead and make sure you have content ready to go for these things to show you’re on top of it. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

A3. When customers get to the “Why buy from you?” stage they are:
Narrow down vendors
Comparing
Demos, Trials
Conduct due diligence
Here’s content ideas:
Presentations
Email marketing/newsletters
Product whitepapers
Pricing page
ROI calculator
BUILD TRUST. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) June 18, 2018

Be transparent about who your product/service is the best fit for, and lead with content that celebrates that difference.

A3 Sometimes you gotta own that your product/service isn’t for everyone. Highlight what sets you apart and give your segment the tools to differentiate, arm them with knowledge and drive community. #ContentChat
— Carolina (@YoursTrulyCaro) June 18, 2018

A3: Do an analysis of what makes your product different (hopefully you’ve already done this) and create content around the unique benefits you offer. Not necessarily all product focused (although product comparisons can be good), but focused on the unique problems #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) June 18, 2018

A3. That means that you should find ways to help customers find correspondences between your brand and competing brands along those dimensions that favor your product. #ContentChat
— Dr. Dorrie Cooper (@sittingpretty61) June 18, 2018

A3: What differentiates you? Develop content to highlight that. If it’s your local team that understands the local customer, do employee profiles. If it’s the tech behind your product, give a peek into how it’s made. Take your audience behind the sciences to connect #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

Let your customers tell your story.

A3: case studies, feature/benefit comparisons set in a case study context and video testimonials could be weaved into content #ContentChat
— Cat Paterson🛵 (@S_TalkGinger) June 18, 2018

A3: You can focus some content on testimonials. How has your product made your consumers’ lives easier or better? Tell a success story. #contentchat
— Jason Webb (@JasonLWebb) June 18, 2018

Help them make the strategic case for your product/service.

A3: Show your brilliance, don’t talk about it. Talk about a strategy or tactic and how you approach it, then use case studies as punctuation to drive them to the next stage in the funnel. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

A3b If your budget allows, invest in sharing a 3rd party analyst report that helps show your differentiated value. #contentchat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

Help them see themselves in your brand stories.

A3 Figure out what’s at the heart of your prospects’ challenges and then DRAMATIZE how you understand and can solve for this. They should look at your stuff and say: Yes! That’s me! These people understand what I’m dealing with! #contentchat
— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) June 18, 2018

Q4: What are some ways to understand the specific questions/concerns/evaluation points our potential customers have, and how do we turn that into editorial ideas?

Monitor your internal feedback systems.

A4: There are a few sure-fire ways: listen in on customers/client calls, evaluate client/customer research, talk to the customers themselves. If you do these things you’ll have a birds eye view into the real challenges they face. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

A4: Surveys, looking at what people search on the site, talking to sales/customer service about the questions they get the most often. Create content around the answers you get #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) June 18, 2018

Get social!

A4 We’ve got this great big free open database of social media. If you’re not using that to listen and learn… what ARE you doing online? #ContentChat
— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) June 18, 2018

A4: Don’t be afraid to ask! Get social on your social media accounts (novel idea, right?) and talk to them about their questions and pain points. Find out why they might be hesitating to purchase or why they were happy/unhappy with a purchase. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

A4: what are your competitors being asked? What are their reviews like? What questions and concerns are popping up and how are you solving those problems? #ContentChat
— Cat Paterson🛵 (@S_TalkGinger) June 18, 2018

Invest in focus groups or surveys/research.

A4: You can go with focus groups, if you have time and budget. You can also do surveys using things like SurveyMonkey to find out what questions or concerns some my have. #contentchat
— Jason Webb (@JasonLWebb) June 18, 2018

Find ways to learn from your content interactions.

A4: I use quizzes as a fun stealth way to carry out customer insight as I’ve found that straight surveys don’t give me accurate results #ContentChat
— Cat Paterson🛵 (@S_TalkGinger) June 18, 2018

Q5: Once a customer has decided we’re their best fit, what are some content ideas that will help validate their purchase decision and/or help them make the business case for purchase?

Become your customer source for industry trends and changes.

A5: Keep clients engaged with updates that keep them up to date on changes in the industry. Or tips that help them stay on top of their job. Let them know you are keeping an eye out for them. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

Build ROI calculators.

A5: Create ROI calculators and share ROI-focused case studies to help customers validate their purchase—and get the CFO to sign off! #ContentChat https://t.co/V6HkHvHPEb
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

Amplify your customer reviews and results.

A5: Reviews and ratings from other customers are always reassuring. If a customer needs help building a business case for their employer, let them know you’re willing to help them do that! #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

A5b Host webinars with customers as speakers and focus on their success story. #contentchat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

Q6: What are your tips for optimizing bottom-of-the-funnel content for conversion?

Truly understand your customer journey.

A6: You’ve got to understand your buyer journey. Where are the places your deals stall? What are the questions that can derail the purchase decision? #ContentChat https://t.co/ttVuBWjcbP
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018

Provide bespoke content tailored to the customer’s individual situation.

A6: This is the step where it needs to become personal. Engage directly via social media or email with those who are in this stage and ask what additional information they need to “seal the deal.” Offer excellent customer service. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

A6: Timeliness and personalization – the quicker you can respond to lead opportunities and the more relevant/personalized that outreach is the quicker a prospect moves from the bottom to the top. Solutions that can produce personalized content should jump to the top. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) June 18, 2018

Today’s educated customer demands a personalized approach! #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

Conduct lost deal analysis.

A6. Probably the best source for #BOF content is doing Lost Deal Analyses. So much to be learned from this. But don’t have sales do it. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) June 18, 2018

Q7: Brainstorming time! Share your favorite evergreen editorial idea prompts. Go!

A7: “the biggest pain point for my customer is…” “what is something that’s happening in the industry that impacts my customer?” “What are 3 things my customer can check for to ensure they’re doing X right?” #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

A7:
💡 Customer success stories are ALWAYS golden. Let them tell your story for you!
💡 Ways to use your product/service
💡 Highlight things (outcomes, emotions, etc.) that can be gained from your product/service
💡 Creative lists (Especially for social!)#ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) June 18, 2018

A7b: “My customer’s c-suite cares about X, here how my customer can help make their life easier” #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) June 18, 2018

A7. At @UofUHealth we literally get the most content traffic on the simplest topics: “I swallowed a toothpick, ER or not”. It’s really about being in the user’s mindset. We have a great front end strategist who comes up with these #ContentChat cc @TheyCallMeScot https://t.co/RYtsS20RO8
— Jen Brass Jenkins (@chrliechaz) June 18, 2018

A7b I also like X Things I learned about [Topic] from [Hobby] which is not to be confused with X Things You Can Learn about [Topic] from [newsjacked topic] #contentchat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 18, 2018