Digital marketing – book summarised

CH 15 – Content strategy – a key pillar of success

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a broad strategy with many interpretations, but effective content marketing is
generally considered to involve creating content that resonates with the audience. Here are the pillars
of great content:

● Credible: Content must be believable and trustworthy. This can be achieved by citing credible
sources, presenting facts, and ensuring that the content aligns with the brand’s expertise.

● Shareable: Great content should be easy for the audience to share. If the content is engaging
and provides value, people will want to share it. Adding share buttons on social platforms can
also help.

● Useful or Fun: Content must serve a purpose, either by being helpful (e.g., tutorials, guides) or
entertaining (e.g., games, fun tools). What’s fun or useful will depend on the target audience.

● Interesting: Content should be captivating enough to be worth discussing. The content should
provoke thoughts, comments, or even curiosity.

● Relevant: Content must be aligned with the interests and needs of the target audience.
Irrelevant content, even if well-written, will not engage the intended audience.

● Timely: Content should be presented when it matters most. Context and timing play a crucial
role in its effectiveness.

● Different: Content must stand out from what already exists. It doesn't have to be unique but
should offer a fresh perspective or a better experience than what’s available.

● On Brand and Authentic: Content should align with the company’s brand identity and values. It
must feel authentic to the audience to avoid seeming out of place or inauthentic.

Strong Content Examples

To leverage the principles of great content, there are several formats and strategies you can
incorporate into your content marketing plan:

● Live Content: Live streaming and real-time experiences can engage audiences effectively, but
they must be planned and executed well. For example, ensure that the purpose of the stream is
clear and that there is engagement, such as moderating comments or answering questions. This
helps keep the content on-brand and relevant.
 ● Immersive Experiences (VR and AR): Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) offer
innovative ways to bring customers into interactive experiences. However, these should be
created with authenticity in mind. If the technology isn’t right for your brand or audience, it
may be poorly received.

● Spoken Words: With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) (refers to a network of everyday
devices like cars, appliances, and wearables that are connected to the internet and can collect,
share and exchange data), podcasts, and audiobooks, there’s an increasing opportunity to turn
written content into spoken words. As 5G technology advances, the potential for seamless
content consumption across devices will grow, so consider integrating audio strategies into
your content mix.

● Tools: Interactive tools, like mortgage calculators or investment planners (online features that
help users make decisions by providing personalized calculations or advice based on their
inputs), are a great way to attract users by offering them value. Think about what relevant tools
you can create to engage and educate your target audience.

● Imagery: Visual content, such as infographics and images, continues to perform well, especially
on social media. To succeed, you’ll need a strategy for producing high-quality branded imagery
quickly and consistently. refers to the use of visual elements (such as pictures, illustrations, or
symbols) to convey ideas, emotions, or messages. It can also describe descriptive language that
creates vivid mental images in the reader’s mind.

● Written Copy: While richer media formats are growing in popularity, written content remains
vital. It is easy to engage with, doesn’t require special devices, and can be more accessible.
Avoid neglecting (descuidar) written content, as it still plays a significant role in any successful
content strategy.

Each of these content types offers unique opportunities for engaging with your audience in different
ways. The key is to ensure that your content is credible, shareable, useful, relevant, and aligned with
your brand identity.

What is Content?

Content refers to anything that can help engage the end users of your product or service, and it goes
beyond just written text. It can take various forms, including:

● Videos, Infographics (combine graphics, text, and data to present information, statistics, or
concepts in a visually engaging way. they are designed to explain or simplify complex topics),
Imagery (refers to any kind of visual representation - photos, illustrations- used to create a
mood, tell a story, or enhance content, it doesn’t necessarily include data or explanations),
Tools (e.g., calculators), E-books, Blogs, Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences, Live Streaming,
Podcasts
Content can be consumed both on and off your website, and through any medium capable of
delivering a message. As digital opportunities expand, so do the methods for creating and distributing
content.

What Content Types Should You Use?

While there are no strict rules, some key considerations for selecting the right content type include:

● Target Audience: Understand who will consume your content. For example, if you’re targeting
older consumers for a specific product, testimonials and white papers may be more effective as
this audience tends to seek trust and proof.

- white papers are detailed, authoritative reports or guides that explain a complex issue,
product or solution in depth. They are often used to educate and persuade an audience
by providing valuable insights, research, or data. In marketing, white papers are
commonly used to build trust with potential customers by showcasing expertise.
● Buying Cycle: Consider where your audience is in their buying journey.

o Decision Stage: Detailed product information, white papers, or analyst reports may be
appropriate.

o Consideration Stage: Case studies and testimonials might work better here.

● Think Plural: Don't limit yourself to one content type. If you create an infographic, it could also
serve as a presentation, a slide for a white paper, or a blog post. Repurposing content across
different formats increases its value and reach.

- Think plural: it means using one piece of content in multiple ways. for example, an
infographic can be turned into a presentation, part of a white paper, or a blog post.
repurposing content like this helps reach a wider audience and adds more value. is an
in-depth, informative document that addresses a specific problem or topic and offers
solutions or insights. In the case of white paper, this could involve explaining a complex
problem and offering evidence-backed solutions.
● Broader Distribution: Publishing content on your website is important, but it shouldn't be the
only place you focus on. Since only a fraction of your audience will visit your site, leverage
(aprovechar) SEO, social media, and email marketing to distribute your content widely and
drive traffic back to your website.

Why Content Marketing?

Content marketing has grown significantly in popularity, and there are two main factors driving this
trend: changing consumer behavior and Google's evolving algorithm.

1) Changing Consumer Behavior (consumers are now more likely to seek information online and
make decisions based on content (like blogs, videos or reviews) rather than traditional advertising.

While the overall process for selecting goods or services has remained the same—starting with
awareness and ending with evaluation and decision—the way consumers go about this has drastically
changed.
 ● The internet has significantly altered how we research and purchase products/services. While
the internet has been around for decades, its commercial potential became apparent only in the
late 20th century.

● Millennials and Generation Z are particularly influenced by social media platforms. For
example, Instagram is the primary influencer for millennials (74% of them report being
influenced by it), while Snapchat is more influential for Generation Z (21% of them say it
influences their purchasing decisions).

Consumers increasingly turn to digital platforms for research and decision-making, and this shift has
made content marketing an essential tool for businesses.

2) Google’s evolving algorithm (google has updated its search algorithm to prioritize high-quality,
relevant content. this means businesses need to create useful content to rank well on search
engines and attract more visitors).

The role of content in search engine optimization (SEO) has evolved dramatically.

● Initially, Google didn't focus much on content quality—keyword-stuffing was enough to rank
higher.

● Over time, Google began to prioritize factors like content quality, context, relevance, social
shares, bounce rates, and time on page. Content that engages users for longer and reduces
bounce rates signals to Google that the site is valuable and relevant.

● Stickyeyes (specialized in SEO), a UK digital agency, monitors around 150 ranking factors. Their
research shows a 97% correlation between increased time on site and improved rankings. Sites
that engage users for longer and have lower bounce rates tend to rank higher on Google.

As Google increasingly rewards high-quality, engaging content, businesses that focus on creating
valuable content benefit from better search rankings. This shift has brought content experts, like
journalists and copywriters, to the forefront of digital marketing, especially in SEO-focused agencies.

People and Process for Creating Content

People

Creating effective content requires collaboration across multiple departments, not just creatives or
copywriters. It's essential for different teams to work together to achieve content marketing success.

● Organizational Silos: Many companies struggle because their teams work in silos (strutture o
sistemi separati in cui le informazioni o le attività sono isolati) (e.g., PR - public relations, SEO,
IT, branding) with different objectives, which hinders content marketing effectiveness.
 ● Cross-departmental Collaboration: Content marketing requires input from strategists,
analysts, branding teams, marketers, copywriters, SEO experts, PR teams, and IT. It touches
every department, and breaking down silos is crucial for success.

● Leadership Role: The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) or even the CEO must drive this
collaborative culture, ensuring all teams work toward a single customer-focused goal. Without
strong leadership and a culture of collaboration, content marketing becomes difficult to
execute effectively.

Processes

Once the right people are in place, a structured plan and defined processes are key to producing
valuable content. Most companies lack this structure, with only 37% of content marketers having a
documented strategy.

The key stages in creating content are:

1. Objectives and Strategy:

● Start with a clear understanding of business objectives. Content should align with what the
business aims to achieve, whether it’s raising awareness, engaging customers, driving
transactions, or increasing retention.
● Content objectives typically fall under brand engagement (e.g., thought leadership, improving
brand perception, increasing loyalty) or demand generation (e.g., increasing traffic, generating
leads).
● It's important to decide whether the content will be functional (e.g., product descriptions)
or engaging(e.g., articles, infographics) to balance both purposes.

2. Data Analysis and Target Groups:

● This step involves analyzing your audience and identifying target groups. Understanding your
audience ensures the content meets their needs and resonates with them.

3. Ideation:

● Brainstorm content ideas that align with your strategy and audience insights.

4. Creation and Planning:

● Once the strategy is clear and ideas are generated, the content creation process begins. This
stage includes content development, scheduling, and distribution planning.

Data/Analysis and Target Groups

Data Analysis Considerations

Before diving into content creation, it's crucial to analyze key data to inform your content approach.
Here are important factors to consider:

1. Brand Guidelines:

● Familiarize yourself with your company's brand guidelines. These will provide clarity on tone,
style, and boundaries for your content.

2. Competitor Analysis:

● Understand what your competitors are doing in the content space. This helps you identify what
content is working, where it's being consumed, and avoid replicating existing content.

3. Customer Research:

● Conduct customer interviews, focus groups, and surveys to understand what content your
audience consumes and where. However, be cautious when interpreting customer feedback, as
stated preferences may differ from actual behavior. Use real data to validate insights.

4. Analytics:

● Review your own website and content analytics to identify the content that already performs
well, guiding your future strategy.

5. Keyword Analysis:

● Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Moz to identify popular search terms relevant to your
audience. This helps inform content creation and SEO strategy.

Target Groups

Understanding your audience is critical to creating relevant and engaging content. Here’s how to
approach target groups:

1. Identify Audience Pain Points:

Your audience doesn’t care about your brand’s story or products unless they address a need or solve
a problem. Determine what challenges your target audience faces and how your content can help
resolve those issues.

2. Understand Where Your Audience Is Digitally Active:

Different groups are active on different platforms. Younger audiences may prefer social media, while
older audiences may lean toward blogs or mainstream media. Tools
like Hitwise and GlobalWebIndex can help you identify where your target audience spends their time
online, guiding where and how to distribute your content.

3. Understand How to Communicate with Your Audience:

Content format preferences vary by audience. Some may prefer written articles, others might engage
more with videos or infographics. Understanding these preferences helps you create content that
resonates and is more likely to be consumed and shared.

By thoroughly analyzing your audience and incorporating insights from competitor research, customer
feedback, and analytics, you can tailor your content to meet the needs of your target groups,
increasing engagement and relevance.

Pulling It All Together

Ideation

After defining your strategy, objectives, and target groups, it’s time to move to ideation. While one
person can lead this process, using a group for brainstorming can yield more diverse ideas. The key is
to ensure that everyone involved has access to the research conducted so far. Start by reviewing
objectives and audience insights before beginning the ideation session. A structured approach,
like brainwriting, is often more effective than unstructured brainstorming. Brainwriting allows
everyone to contribute ideas in writing, promoting creativity and minimizing bias.

- brainstorming: a group activity where participants verbally share their ideas in an open
discussion, often building on each other’s thoughts. spoken and collaborative.
- brainwriting: a variation of brainstorming where participants write down their ideas individually
on paper or digitally, without speaking, and then share or build on others ideas later. wirtten
and more structured.

Creation and Planning

Once you have content themes, planning the creation process is next. Whether in-house or
outsourced, creating a detailed brief is essential. The Content Bubble model is helpful here. This model
encourages a balance between highly relevant, industry-related, and
broader content opportunities:

● Smallest bubble: Directly relevant content, such as company news,

product releases, or events.

● Middle bubble: Content about industry-related topics like trends,

regulations, or events.

● Largest bubble: Broader content, such as global events or popular

topics, which can still be tied to your company’s perspective.

This approach ensures you consider a variety of angles while staying authentic. For example, a bank
might cover a major sports event but should find a financial angle to keep the content relevant to its
audience.

Reactive Content
Even with perfect planning, there will always be the need to react to unexpected events or news:

● Pre-write frameworks: When you expect an event (e.g., a soccer match), prepare basic content
frameworks for both possible outcomes to save time and effort.

● Team readiness (they are ready): Ensure your team can work flexibly, with remote access to
systems and coverage during holidays or out-of-hours work.

● Fast approval processes: Streamline (agilizar) approval workflows (flujos de trabajo), possibly
through a self-sign-off system (responsible for approving or finalizing their own work, rather
than having someone else review and approve it) for content that meets specific criteria (e.g.,
no pricing or product mentions).

Having these processes in place allows for quick and effective reactive content creation, which can
help position your brand as a thought leader.

Proactive Planning

For proactive content planning, use The Content Bubble and create a content calendar. This should
cover long-term strategies and more immediate content needs. Additionally, a calendar of relevant
world events (company, industry, and global) will help you stay ahead of trends and ensure your
content is timely and relevant.

Your content calendar should be detailed, ideally in an Excel sheet, and include:

● Publish date

● Location/media/channel

● Author

● Designer

● Audience/target persona

● Title, synopsis, and assets required

● Dependencies

The calendar should cover all content types, including digital channels, printed brochures, and events.
This holistic approach ensures a unified brand experience across all touchpoints.

Exploiting Content Opportunities

Content should be planned from three perspectives:

1. Company: Internal news, research, product launches, and corporate updates.

 2. Industry: Trends, regulatory changes, and events that impact your industry.

3. World: Global events or broad cultural moments that resonate with your audience, like the
World Cup or public holidays. These opportunities require creative angles to be relevant to
your brand.

By using a content calendar and considering all three content perspectives, you can create a
comprehensive, timely, and engaging content strategy that resonates with your audience while
aligning with your brand’s objectives.

Distribution

Effective distribution is key to gaining traction

in a crowded market. Maximizing reach
requires leveraging owned, earned,
and paid channels.

Owned Channels

Owned channels are fully controlled by your

brand and crucial for engagement:

● Website: Direct content distribution to

your audience.

● Social Media: Requires paid placements for visibility.

● Email Database: Tailor content for existing and potential customers.

Earned Channels

Earned media is exposure gained through valuable content, not paid placements. To succeed:

● Ensure content resonates with your audience.

● Engage PR (public relation) specialists who can amplify your content.

Paid Channels

Paid media boosts content reach. Examples include:

● Paid Search Ads (e.g., Google Ads): Promote white papers or reports.

● Content Distribution Platforms (e.g., Outbrain): Distribute content across publisher websites.
 ● Social Media Ads: Promote targeted content via Facebook or LinkedIn.

● Display Ads: Advertise products like a new app.

Social media spans all three categories: owned (profile), earned (organic), and paid (sponsored
content). While organic posts are important, paid boosts are essential for broader reach and
engagement.

Measuring the Value of Content

There is no one-size-fits-all approach for measuring content value, as it depends on the type of
content and the objectives. Below are common metrics to consider:

Volume and Reach Metrics

These measure the extent of content exposure and audience interaction:

● Social reach and followers: Is your social media following growing?

● Impressions: How many times was your content viewed?

● Media coverage: What publications shared your content and their reach?

● Social mentions: How often is your content mentioned on social media?

● Links to your site: How many backlinks have been generated, providing SEO value?

View-through Rate (VTR)

This measures how much of a video was watched. It's crucial for understanding engagement:

● Engagement: Did viewers watch the entire video or stop early? This metric helps gauge the
content’s effectiveness.

Engagement and Consumption Metrics

These assess how users interact with and consume the content:

● Content interaction: Page views, downloads, and bounce rates.

● Social triggers: Retweets, shares, and posts.

 ● Social engagement: Active engagement, such as comments. Amplification measures how
valuable a share is based on the follower count of the sharer (e.g., a celebrity’s share has more
impact).

Acquisition and Value Metrics

These metrics focus on how content leads to conversions and sales:

● Conversions/leads: How many leads or conversions were generated?

● Sales/revenue: Attributable sales and revenue from the content.

● Cost per lead/action/sale: Helps assess the financial effectiveness of content.

Measuring Failure

Not all content will succeed, and it's essential to learn from failures:

● Content analysis: Identify factors such as topic, author, channel, and format (e.g., video vs. text)
to understand why content did or didn’t perform well.

● Refining strategy: Use these insights to improve future content strategies.

Being prepared to analyze failure allows for better refinement and adaptation in future content
marketing efforts.

International Content Considerations

When creating content for international markets, the process remains the same, but there are key
factors to consider:

● Personas: Are your audience segments and personas the same in different cultures, or do they
require adjustments?

● Platforms: Different countries may use different platforms, like Yandex in Russia and Baidu in
China, instead of Google or Twitter.

● Cultural Differences: Humor and other cultural nuances vary; what’s funny in one culture
might be offensive in another.

● Legal Implications: Content must adhere to country-specific laws, such as privacy regulations
or censorship laws, like those in China.

● Seasonal Events: Understand local holidays and celebrations (e.g., Thanksgiving in the US,
Chinese New Year) as they may vary widely across countries.
 ● Localization: Don’t just translate content—ensure it is culturally and linguistically adapted by
native speakers to maintain relevance.

● Mobile Usage: Mobile platform popularity and penetration vary by country, impacting user
behavior and the choice of platforms.

Content Audit Checklist

A content audit is vital for improving content marketing but can be challenging. The key stages
include:

1. Identify Content Assets: Gather all current content across platforms.

2. Evaluate Content: Assess each piece for quality, performance, relevance, and alignment with
strategic goals.

3. Optimize Strategy: Use the insights gained to refine your content strategy for improved results
and better targeting.