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 diligenceHere’s content ideas:
Presentations
Email marketing/newsletters
Product whitepapers
Pricing page
ROI calculatorBUILD 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
More ways to optimize your content for the conversion.
A6. I recently reworked some content that leads a percentage of people to click and fill out a form (in healthcare no less). I looked at scroll depth, subtitles matching search queries, links, and mobile view #ContentChat https://t.co/oQPJtSp5OF
— Jen Brass Jenkins (@chrliechaz) June 18, 2018
A6: Optimize bottom of the funnel conversions by a) knowing which is your bottom of the funnel content b) making it clear what the CTA is and c) help them understand that you understand. This is the pain point that drives home the fact that you’re the perfect match #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) 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: “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
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