Annotated version of The Long and Short of Content Strategy presented at the Intelligent Content Conference in San Francisco in March, 2015. Clean, original version available by Michelle Killebrew at: http://www.slideshare.net/MichelleKillebrew

1. The Long and Short of
Content Strategy
Michelle Killebrew
Program Director Strategy
IBM Social Business
MKillebrew@us.ibm.com
Buddy Scalera
SVP, Content Strategy
Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide
Buddy.Scalera@ogilvy.com
The
Annotated
Version!

2. About The Annotated Version
• This presentation was delivered at the Intelligent
Content Conference 2015 by Buddy Scalera and
Michelle Killebrew
• This Annotated Version included modifications to
prepare it for Slideshare and ebooks
• Clean, original version available by Michelle
Killebrew at:
http://www.slideshare.net/MichelleKillebrew
• Video of Buddy and Michelle
presenting this deck is available at:
http://www.intelligentcontentconference.com/
Look for
these
callouts!
Buddy Scalera Michelle Killebrew
The views expressed in this presentation by the authors do not
necessarily reflect the views and position of their employers.

3. Michelle Killebrew
@ShellKillebrew
www.IBM.com
Before We Get Started
Buddy Scalera
@MarketingBuddy
www.ochww.com
#IntelContent
Presented at Intelligent Content Conference 2015 in San Francisco, CA.

4. Why Content Strategy?
Analyst Richard Fouts noted that “Gartner sees a lot of well-intended marketers
dive straight into content marketing’s creative process at the expense of
crafting vision and goals (it’s understandable; the creative side of content
marketing is more fun).”* Yet, research shows that marketers with a content
marketing strategy are 600 percent more likely to be effective.** And Fouts
agrees: “Content marketing provides a powerful fuel for all your initiatives. But it
happens best when based on a vision and a strategy.” *
* Before You Launch Content Marketing, Do This, Gartner Blog, Richard Fouts
** B2B Content Marketing 2014: Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends – North America by Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs
We didn’t present
this slide, but it’s
included in the
Slideshare
version.

5. Why Storytelling?
“As marketing and advertising evolves and gets more digital, people
are getting completely overwhelmed with the noise of it all. The story
line and narrative is something that in the world that we live in people
can resonate with. It’s intrinsic in our human nature for story lines to
resonate. So it’s just of way of engaging with people as individuals in a
way that they can relate to.”
~ Michelle Killebrew, Social Business Strategy Program Director
at IBM
We didn’t present
this slide, but it’s
included in the
Slideshare
version.

6. #Storytelling helps us engage with people
in a way they can relate to.
@MarketingBuddy @ShellKillebrew
#IntelContent
People liked these
tweetable moments
and it helped with
the social
conversations.

8. …lived a woman named Michelle
Normal life.
Normal job.
Life, work, family.

9. Then One Day…
She had some
unexpected hair
and nail growth.
M
Look, we’re telling a
story about telling
stories. How very
meta of us.

10. Her User Journey Began...
Unusual Monthly Hair Growth
Lunar-Lycanthrope.com/monthly/hair_nails-growth.html
Unusual hair growth is often associated with the health condition lunar lycanthropy.
There is no cure, but a healthcare professional may help you control your
symptoms.
M
In this example, we
demonstrated how
healthcare journeys
often start with a
search on symptoms.

11. Let’s Meet Michelle
MICHELLE
Age: 37
HHI: $120K
Relationship Status: Married with 2 dogs
Education: BA
Location: San Francisco
MICHELLE’STORY
I am always on the go. Work and family pressures are constantly pulling me in
different direction. I travel a lot for my job, so I don’t always eat right, but I do try to
hit the gym. I’m pretty good with my medications, but I sometimes I skip doses,
especially when I know I am going to be having a few drinks. I don’t smoke. I have
normal seasonal allergies. There’s a family history of multiple sclerosis, stroke,
and heart attack, so I see my doctor at least once per year for a normal health
checkup.
DIGITAL CHANNEL USAGE
Online Shopping News and sports Watches Online Videos
Medical Information Pays bills IM
Travel Shares photos Posts comments
Investing Looked for recipes Games
Listens to Online Radio Movie listings Looks for Employment
INFORMATION NEEDS
• Information support:
‒ Starts every day with her news aggregators and
social networks, including Facebook
‒ Watches little television
‒ Keeps up with career-related content through blogs
and social media
• Staying current:
‒ Research updates about new and existing products
‒ Information about healthy living
‒ Passionate about technology
‒ Owns one or more mHealth devices and is an
Android user
COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
FOR LYCANTHRIAN
• Lack of awareness among age
demographic
• No family history of lycanthropy
• Generally asymptomatic and easy to
ignore
Personas should be
more than just
archetypes built on
data. Give your
personas names
and rich backstories.

12. Understand your user. Creating personas
is fundamental to your content strategy.
@MarketingBuddy @ShellKillebrew
#IntelContent

13. Archetypical User Journey
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDERER EVANGELIST
Seeking new
information
Seeking
informating in
greater depth.
Think “C” for
Comparison
Made a decision.
This is your
customer.
Ready to share a
personal success
story.
We’ve seen many
variations on the user
journey. Name the
stages something you
like, but be consistent
across your brands and
projects.

14. Searching Dr. Google
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
Unusual hair and nail growth
Fangs, fur, and nails
Odd hair growth
Teeth and nails growing fast
Monthly nail growth
Nails and hair in strange places
Hair on my chin each month
Monthly growth hair & nails
How much hair is too much
Nails tear through blanket
Nails like claws normal
Unusual Monthly Hair Growth
Lunar-Lycanthrope.com/monthly/hair_nails-growth.html
Unusual hair growth is often associated with the health condition lunar lycanthropy.
There is no cure, but a healthcare professional may help you control your
symptoms.
M
A search engine
marketing (SEM)
campaign serves ads
for the unbranded
patient education
website.

15. Lunar Lycanthropy (aka werewolfism) M
Lunar
lycanthropy is
a made up
condition. You
don’t have it.
This is an unbranded
disease-education
website. It helps
patient seekers to
understand the health
condition and
determine if they
need to talk to a
doctor. It also helps
the patients to
become familiar with
lexicon of the
condition.

16. Lycanthrian Branded MIf they want to learn more
about treatments, patients
are given the option to visit
a branded site. The site
offers deeper, more
actionable content
resources that will help the
patient to prepare for an
informed conversation with
a healthcare professional.

17. Lycanthrian Persona: Full User Journey
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word Key word
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
We can help users get to
the right content based on
the keywords they enter in
Google. If a user enters
keywords that reflects a
particular stage in their
user journey, drive them to
the right content on your
site.

18. Lycanthrian Persona: Full User Journey
Hair nail
growth
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Covered
in chicken
blood
Key word
Key word
Key word
Key word
Silver
jewlery
burns
Key word
Eastern
Europe
Key word
Howling
at moon
monthly
Key word
Key word
Lycan-
thropy
Key word
werewolf
Key word
Doctors
treat
werewolf
Key word
Key word
Key word
Lycan-
thropy
treatment
Key word
Lycan-
thrian
Key word
Lycan-
thrian
support
Lycanthrian
support group
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
M
The keywords in yellow show
how Michelle is learning about
the condition, which results in
more specific keywords.
Eventually she will see a
doctor, be diagnosed, and
receive a treatment. Notice
how the keywords support her
personal-learning journey.

19. Key words
User Journey:
Content Length, Keywords, & Opportunity
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
Content
Content: Short form. 150-200 words.
Focus on symptoms.
Link Strategy: More detailed information.
Primarily Seeker content, but modest Considerer.
KPIs: Symptoms page, regional map
Exposure: Symptoms checklist
Engagement: Watch short video,
link to next content
The “right” length of
content depends on
where your user is in her
journey. At some point,
after Michelle learns that
she may have a health
condition and then gets
diagnosed, her
informational needs will
evolve.
When Michelle learns
that she has lunar
lycanthropy, she wants
to know as much as
possible about her
condition. She is
seeking longer content.

20. Key words
User Journey:
Content Length, Keywords, & Opportunity
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
Content
Content: Long form.
500-5,000 words.
Deep, insightful information. Updated list of
support programs. Condition news. Newsletter.
Link Strategy: Active content & evangelism
KPIs: Content involvement. Download
medication storage guide.
Exposure: View latest data.
Engagement: Watch long video series.
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
M
Users who access Active
Solution content are
probably your actual
customers. Serve your
customers more effectively
with longer content.
Weight your analytics to
reflect the fact that fewer
people will ever make it to
this content.
Users are filtering out here. They want
short content as they determine what
they actually need. Many who visit
this page will continue their journey in
other directions. Non-weighted
analytics will make these pages seem
popular compared to later-journey
pages.
Clean, original version
available
by Michelle Killebrew at:
http://www.slideshare.net/
MichelleKillebrew

21. Appetite for long-form content increases
as user journey progresses.
@MarketingBuddy @ShellKillebrew
#IntelContent

22. You Want to Disrupt
I’m where I want to
be reading the
content that is of
interest to me.
Here. Now.
Lunar Lycanthropy
M

23. Banners Disrupt in a Bad Way
In this case, I’m
reading about
something important
to my health. I’m
reading about Lunar
Lycanthropy.
And you want to
“disrupt” me by
retargeting me with
ads for shoes?
Um, that’s not how
to use disruption.
That’s just bad
marketing and lazy
advertising.
Go home.
Lunar Lycanthropy
M

24. When Banners Work
Are you promoting
something that’s
relevant to the
content I’m reading?
Your banner may be
disrupting in a good
way.
A shoe ad on a fashion
website? Sure!
A website that shares data
about Lunar Lycanthropy?
If done gently and with
some respect for the
patient, it could work.
Lunar Lycanthropy
M

25. Infographics
We didn’t include these in the
actual presentation. We talked
about how users may be
interested in informative
infographics. These could be
served as ads that reflect the
place in their user journey.
Infographics can also be useful as
viral images for Evangelists.
We’re getting there. Be patient.

26. Your Funnel is Broken
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
99%
ANNOYED
1%
SERVICED
Banner Ad Budget = 100%
The funnel is a relic of
old media. We don’t
funnel people anymore.
In fact, we’d appreciate
it if you just stopped
saying funnel, unless
you’re ordering a funnel
cake at the State Fair.

27. This is OLD and no Longer Works
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
99%
ANNOYED
1%
SERVICED
This Is Why
We Are Blind to Banners
Banners don’t have to
be bad. More on this
later.

28. User Journeys Work
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER
99%
ANNOYED
1%
SERVICED
User journeys work when
you serve the right content
to the right user at the
right time. They consume
your content because they
want it. Be that content
marketer.

29. THINK about user experience. #UX
@MarketingBuddy @ShellKillebrew
#IntelContent

30. Social Disruption
SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER EVANGELIST
Okay, so you need to disrupt
behavior of users. Got it.
Consider the power of social
disruption caused by an
empowered Evangelist.

31. Social is: Context + Proximity
Context Proximity
Social influence happens
at the intersection of
Context and Proximity.
Contextually, how
credible is the person’s
recommendation?
How close in proximity is
that person to you in
terms of the
recommendation?

32. Social Discovery
Context Proximity
Lycanthrian’s Page
Lycanthrian.com
Lycanthropos Anti-Anthropomorphium
Lycanthrian.com
Lycanthropos Anti-Anthropomorphium
M
Brand content designed
specifically to be shared
by Evangelists in social
channels.

33. Seeding Disruption:
How It’s Done Right
Lycanthrian’s Page
Lycanthrian.com
Lycanthropos Anti-Anthropomorphium
Lycanthrian.com
Lycanthropos Anti-Anthropomorphium
For free!
They’re still ignoring your
ads, but they see what’s in
the timeline.
Halo effect. Personal brand
endorsing your product
It’s authentic and
trusted because of
Context + Proximity.
You can’t pay for it, but
you can enable it.

34. Make it easy for your advocates to share
their stories on #social.
@MarketingBuddy @ShellKillebrew
#IntelContent

35. SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER EVANGELIST
Context Proximity
PRE
SEEKER
We call this the “pass under”
because the Evangelist is passing
your message under the standard
user journey to influence a Pre-
Seeker.
The Pre-Seeker is someone who
would be receptive to your
message, but may not be actively
looking yet. You need to disrupt
and propel her to begin a journey.

36. SEEKER
ACTIVE
SOLUTION
CONSIDER EVANGELIST
Context Proximity
PRE
SEEKER
The Context +
Proximity of the
Evangelist moved the
Pre-Seeker to begin a
journey.
A recommendation from an
Evangelist can cause a Pre-
Seeker to leapfrog over certain
stages of the journey. Not all of
the stages and not all the time,
but it can happen.

37. Lycanthrian.com
TLC
Print Banners
SEM
Sponsorships
Conferences
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Google +
MoondancePharma.com
Medscape
Patient
Unbranded
Print
Banners
SEM
Sponsorships
Conferences
Lycanthrian © 2013 Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide Graphic by Buddy Scalera & Ivan Ruiz
Complete Brand Footprint
and Ecosystem for Content
This all works best when
you have a brand
ecosystem designed and
channel-agnostic content
to serve the user journey
across multiple platforms
and channels.

38. Michelle gets help from Lycanthrian.
Shares her My Moon Story on Facebook.
Friend discovers she also has
lunar lycanthropy.
Now they go to treatment together.
Michelle no longer howls alone. Awwww.
M

39. Or
(How to Use Intelligent Content to Tell Your Story)

40. Getting Started
• Start with the Individual/Person:
Develop personas
• Find Out What They Need:
Analyze the user journey, not just your brand ambitions
• Provide Content that Reflects User Journey:
Offer variable-length content depending on the stage
• Build Your Content With Intelligence:
Develop channel-agnostic content
• Make it Easy to Evangelize:
Provide easy tools for your customers to share personal experiences

41. Toolbox
Resources for Storytellers
• “Story” by Robert McKee
(yeah, it’s a book)
• IBM White Paper: The content
marketing challenge
ibm.biz/contentmarketing
Toolbox for Storytellers
Technology can help address content marketing challenges.
The most effective approach is to use a combination that
includes:
1. A marketing operations system to manage the physical
workflow within the organization
ibm.biz/ExperienceOneSolutions
2. An enterprise asset content management system for the
physical management, distribution and use of marketing
assets ibm.biz/EnterpriseContentManagement
3. A third party content marketing platform that adds
automation, allowing marketers to create, reuse, modify and
localize content on their own, and provide the ability to
deliver dynamic content ibm.biz/25ContentPlatforms

42. Michelle Killebrew
Program Director Strategy
IBM Social Business
MKillebrew@us.ibm.com
@ShellKillebrew
Buddy Scalera
SVP, Content Strategy
Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide
Buddy.Scalera@ogilvy.com
@MarketingBuddy

43. APPENDIX
Useful stuff…
We didn’t present
this slide, but it’s
included in the
Slideshare
version.

44. Special Thanks
Thank you to Content Marketing Institute and the Intelligent Content Conference for the
opportunity to share this story at ICC 2015. And for all you do to nurture conversation.
• Joe Kalinowski
• Pam Kozelka
• Trey DeGrassi
Joe Pulizzi | Robert Rose | Ann Rockley | Scott Abel
• Andrea Larick
• Marcia Riefer
Johnston
• Charles Cooper
• Michelle Linn
• Laura Riley Kozak
• Paul Perrotta

45. Contributors
• Concepts, story, and deck created by
Buddy Scalera & Michelle Killebrew
• Deck graphics designed by Ivan Ruiz
• Infographics designed by Lori Lagitch
• “Lycanthrian” and “once monthly lunar lycanthropy”
created by Buddy Scalera
• “Lycanthrian” story development by Buddy
Scalera & Carrie Baczewski
This wasn’t included in the
live presentation, but we
wanted to acknowledge the
people who made this
possible. Real people who
deserve credit for good
work.

46. About Michelle Killebrew
@ShellKillebrew | www.MichelleKillebrew.com
Program Director, Strategy & Solutions for the Social Business division
at IBM. She’s a featured columnist for ClickZ digital marketing magazine.
Michelle was recently named in the “DMNews 40 Under 40”, ranked among
the “Top 25 Women Who Rock Social Media of 2014,” included in the list of
“26 Content Marketing Experts to Follow in 2015” and spoke at TEDx
University of Nevada, Reno in January 2015.
Michelle is passionate about marketing, especially innovative online marketing
strategies that deliver a superior brand experience. She currently leads the
go-to-market strategy for IBM Social Business, where her team focuses on
messaging and solutions that define social business. Previously, she headed
up the worldwide go-to-market and revenue-bearing demand generation
campaign strategy for IBM's new Smarter Commerce initiative. Michelle has
over 15 years of high-tech marketing and holds a B.S. in Economics from
Santa Clara University.

47. About Buddy Scalera
@MarketingBuddy | www.buddyscalera.com | www.wordspicturesweb.com
SVP of Content Strategy at the Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide office in
Parsippany, NJ. Buddy is an innovative content creator with 26 years of
developing engaging copy, graphics, and more. As a copywriter and editor,
Buddy has developed pharmaceutical content for both healthcare
professionals and consumers. He has deep experience with website health
content, mobile devices, ebooks, and social communities. As a content
strategist and technologist, Buddy has worked on all aspects of website
development, including video editing, photography, graphic design, and
even programming.
Buddy has written and edited content for newspapers, websites,
promotional videos, CD-ROMs, books, textbooks, journals, comic books,
magazines, ebooks, and more. He is the author of 5 published books about
creating content and photography. In his free time, he writes comic books

48. Top Tweets