How to Master the Art of Content Marketing

How to Master the Art
of Content Marketing
In this report you will learn best practices, tips, and solutions for making content marketing a powerful part of your marketing programs, including: . An overview of content marketing strategies and solutions. Keys to content development success. Must-haves for content publishing and distribution
November 2011
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Harness the Power of Content
to Drive Marketing ResultsAs technology, business, and consumer behaviors change, marketing must evolve to meet new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. This report addresses the latest trends in content marketing, while specifically focusing on which principles and tactics have proven most successful among online innovators. Taking a page from the publishing industry, this guide provides insight as well as tips and tricks for both content development and distribution. Learn how to create a sustainable content marketing program with the flexibility to adjust to changing market dynamics, and the passion and power to excite audiences and drive business results.
ContentsContent Marketing: Common Themes, Proven Tactics, and Helpful TipsContent Development: Five Keys to SuccessContent Publishing & Distribution: Five Must-Haves
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Content Marketing: Common Themes,
Proven Tactics, and Helpful TipsContent marketing has been on the rise for several years, but as the trend encounters "We're in the story more web-savvy consumers and new tools that make online publishing easier, it is rapidly business." becoming a de facto part of nearly every strategic marketing plan. In a recent survey of Coca-Cola's Chief Marketing 24 major consumer brands by marketing automation firm idio, 83 percent of respondents and Commercial Officer said they already use some form of content marketing. A related 2010 study by Junta42 Joseph V. Tripodi, and MarketingProfs found the same was true of 90 percent of business-to-business CES 2011 marketers surveyed, with 51 percent saying they planned a year-over-year increase in content marketing budgets.
Common ThemesImplementations of content marketing vary widely, but there are common themes worth noting. 1. Storytelling: Content can be used to inform, entertain, and build relationships with customers. While consumer marketing may edge toward the entertainment side, with B2B marketing moving toward thought leadership and education, both types of outreach are geared at engaging audiences and encouraging interaction. Major brands like Coca Cola and Cisco realize they are now in the storytelling business. That may mean sharing and amplifying personal brand experiences online, or providing industry insight through expert commentary. In either case, the goal is to create narratives that help audiences relate to a product or service, persuading them to stay engaged and invest time in learning more. 2. Aggregation: Whatever type of content marketers provide, aggregation is a common tool across multiple platforms. Aggregation can do multiple things: reinforce a message, fill the content pipeline, and introduce third-party insights. By aggregating their own original content, marketers are able to repurpose their own material and feed it through multiple delivery channels. For example, a compilation of blog posts and case study summaries makes a good e-newsletter. Or, a combination of Twitter feeds, an embedded video channel, and recent news announcements can round out a company microsite. On the other side of the coin, by aggregating third-party content, marketers can support their own material with useful information and relevant context. Examples include offering a news feed on a particular topic, providing a selection of curated third-party articles and posts, or leveraging user-generated content. 3. Video: Increasingly, video is another common element in content marketing programs. Part of the reason for this is that the marketing industry has started to reevaluate how it measures success online. A video may get fewer hits than another type of content, but those hits may generate more engagement from users. And because of distribution platforms like iTunes and YouTube, a video can also reach audiences outside a company's regular marketing channels. Finally, there is the search optimization aspect of video publi... [download for more]