This infographic was created for a workshop on Content Marketing presented by TAG Marketing, the special interest group of the Technology Association of Georgia. Content Marketing Playbook Resource Guide: We’ve researched the internet for ways to make your content marketing successful. Page 7 features links to some of the best articles on Content Marketing. Enjoy, we hope you find them beneficial.

1. the ultimate
CONTENT MARKETING
playbook 2014
Content marketing is the marketing and business process for creating
and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and
engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the
objective of driving profitable customer action.
—Content Marketing Institute
Practical Insights, Tips and Resources
for Content Marketing Success

2. CONTENT
STRATEGY
5 Things you Need to Know for Strategic Success
1. What are your primary business objectives? How can marketing support those objectives?
Set clear goals on what your organization needs from its content marketing efforts.
2. What is your target market? Who is your target buyer within that market?
Creating a Buyer Persona will help you focus on a specific audience – namely
the people who want to buy your products/services. Surveys are a good way to
collect this information.
3. How can you reach your Buyers? Where does your buyer go to stay current on industry
trends, tools and insights? Create a roadmap for placing your content accordingly.
4. What are the gaps in your current content marketing efforts? Now that you’ve
determined your target buyer, relevant channels and overall goals, perform a
content audit to identify what’s working, what’s not.
5. What’s your publishing plan? Create a content/campaign calendar to schedule, track
and monitor content creation.
When playing the Game of Content,
it’s important to have a strategy.
93%
OF B2B ORGANIZATIONS RELY ON
CONTENT MARKETING FOR BRAND
BUILDING AND DEMAND GENERATION.
(CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE)
Content provided by: Cristi Kirisits, VeriFone

3. CREATIVE
CONTENT
How to “Unstuck” (or “Unsuck”) Your Brand’s
Content with Creative Storytelling
1. If your brand was a person, how would he or she communicate?
Have a distinctive, authentic voice. Remember that you’re
communicating with real people.
2. Tell not Sell. Avoid sales pitches - remember that the primary goal
is to build a relationship with prospective buyers.
3. SEO: Include key search phrases in your content to improve organic
search engine page ranking.
4. Nothing wrong with keeping tabs on your competitors. Keep tabs on
what’s working, what’s not.
5. Take a risk. Have fun. People enjoy humor, so experiment with
some entertaining content - but avoid being crass or offense!
BUYERS SAY ONLINE
CONTENT HAS A
MAJOR OR MODERATE
IMPACT ON VENDOR
PREFERENCE AND
SELECTION
87%
SAY “BLATANTLY
SELF-PROMOTIONAL”
CONTENT IS A MAJOR
TURN OFF.
(INBOUNDWRITER.COM)
43%
BUT
Content provided by: Nancy Harr, SunTrust Bank

4. LEAD GENERATION
From Click to Close – How Marketing
Automation Drives the Pipeline
1. Lead gen isn’t about creating a list of names and numbers. It’s about identifying
and engaging people that meet your criteria for qualification and sales-readiness.
2. The lead lifecycle begins with a click and ends with a close. Marketers should be invested
in all stages by sourcing and influencing leads, moving them through the funnel.
3. Content marketing for lead generation isn’t over-hyped, just misapplied. Focus on quality
over quantity with qualifying content in the appropriate channels.
4. Invest the time in properly planning a campaign so that you can objectively evaluate it
upon completion. Goals and reporting methods should be in place before execution.
CONTENT MARKETING COSTS LESS THAN TRADITIONAL MARKETING AND
GENERATES ABOUT 3 TIMES AS MANY LEADS.
(DEMANDMETRIC)
62%
Content provided by Ryan Johnston, Pardot

5. THE RATE OF
YEAR-OVER-YEAR
GROWTH IN UNIQUE
SITE TRAFFIC FOR
CONTENT MARKETING
LEADERS COMPARED
TO FOLLOWERS
(19.7% VS 2.5%).
(ABERDEEN GROUP)
7.8x
Tapping into Unstructured Conversations
with Structured Content
1. Engage, Engage, Engage. Social media is about conversation–an online dinner
party. Have something interesting and relevant to say – and leverage your
content accordingly.
The goals of social media are participation, then changing behavior.
Content can stimulate conversation, or users can generate unique content
to stimulate conversations. Either way, content leads to conversations,
conversations build relationships and relationships drive ROI.
2. So many social channels, so little time.
Determine who your audience is, where they go for information and
which social channels they frequent the most. Focus your time and
energy on those channels.
3. How to lose friends and taint your brand?
Overt sales pitches. Leave that to your sales team.
4. Remember those church signs/marquees? Your social networks aren’t just
a place to post slogans or quotes. Encourage conversation and be sure to
actively participate in others’ conversations.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Content provided by Lizzy Nephew, Porsche North America

6. More Bang for Your Blogging Efforts
1. No one really wants to read about you - but rather what
value you can provide for them. So blog about your customer’s
challenges, not about your company
2. Tell a good story, have a sense of humor, and try newsjacking.
No one wants to read boring product information - so be both
entertaining and informative and don’t forget to include links
back to other pages on your site.
3. What do your buyers really care about? Have conversations with
your sales team or customer service reps - write about what
your customers are talking about.
4. Show not tell. Paint a picture with your words, create an
experience.
67%
B2B
COMPANIES
THAT BLOG
GENERATE
MORE LEADS
THAN THOSE
THAT DON’T.
(WEBDAMSOLUTIONS.COM)
CONTENT CREATION
DEEP DIVE
Content provided by: Tom Ouellette, Cbeyond
This infographic summarizes the TAG Marketing workshop on Content Marketing, May 13, 2014.
Stroud & Associates developed and designed this infographic.
A special thanks to Shannon Rentner, Ashley Sasnett, and Jennifer
Slaughter for developing and editing the content.

7. CONTENT MARKETING
2014 RESOURCES
CLICK LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTENT STRATEGY & CONTENT CREATION
2014 B2B Content Marketing Research: Strategy is Key to Effectiveness
50 Content Marketing Predictions for 2014
SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTENT MARKETING
Social Media Tools: How To Simplify Your Social Media Marketing
Top Social Media Mistakes, According to the Experts
Content Creates Engagement
11 Big Myths About Social Media and Content Marketing
Here’s the Difference Between Content Marketing and Social Media
Content marketing: take your message to the people
BLOGGING YOUR CONTENT MARKETING
How to Strategically Use B2B Content Marketing for Branding
Secret Ingredients Of ‘Delicious’ Blog Posts
5 Steps to Creating an Effective Content Mix
Crap. The Content Marketing Deluge.
The Other C Word: What makes great content marketing great
Ready, Set, Write: The Ultimate Guide to Blogging
What the Best Business Bloggers Do (And You Should Too)
11 Pro Tips for Better Business Blogging
LEAD GENERATION
Rearchitected Demand Waterfall
You’re Doing It Wrong: Demand Generation
How To Do It Right: Demand Generation
25 B2B Marketing Automation Thought Leaders to Follow
on Twitter
The Complete Guide to Automated Scoring & Grading
All You Need to Know About Aligning Sales and Marketing for
Qualified Leads
Top 10 Takeaways from the Lead Gen Summit 2013

8. CONTENT MARKETING
playbook 2014
A publication by:
Shannon Rentner | Digital Marketing Strategies for building
profitable relationships | www.shannonrentner.com
Stroud & Associates | Strategic Marketing by Design
stroudassociates.com
Click for FREE Content Strategy Tools!
Content Audit: For those who have digital content andwant to identify the gaps.
Content Calendar: For those that want to get theircontent marketing program cranking.