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STOP PLAYING CATCH-UP:
INVEST IN RICH MEDIA
CONTENT NOW
Grant Tilus, Associate Inbound Marketing Manager, Collegis Education
CollegisEducation.com
Social Media Strategies Summit Higher Ed 2015 – #SMSsummit
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Who Is Grant Tilus?
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• Associate Inbound
Marketing Manager,
Collegis Education
• Content Marketing Director
of MnSearch.org
• @GrantTilus
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Let’s Talk About
Content Marketing
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• Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach
focused on creating and distributing valuable,
relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a
clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive
profitable customer action.
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Who’s Doing It?
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90% of B2C marketers are using content marketing
45% of B2C marketers have a dedicated content
marketing group in their organization
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We Have Common Goals
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• Organizational Goals
– 88% Customer Retention
– 88% Engagement
– 87% Brand Awareness
– 69% Lead Generation
– 61% Lead Nurturing
• Website Metrics
– 62% Traffic
– 39% Higher Conversion
Rates
– 39% SEO Ranking
– 23% Inbound Links
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Type of Content We’re Creating
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• 93% Social Content
• 80% Newsletters
• 78% Articles on Website
• 74% Videos
• 67% Blogs
• 45% Infographics
• 25% eBooks
• 22% Podcasts
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That’s a Ton of Content
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• 48% of organizations publish content daily or
multiple times per week
• Over 2.7 million blog posts are published daily
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It’s Not as Easy Anymore
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66% Newsletters
59%
58%
54%
Illustrations/Photos
Social Content
Blogs
54% Videos
53% Website Articles
46% Webinars
45% Online
Presentations
Marketers rated all of these as less effective than they did last year
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The Challenges are Real
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• 51% Measuring Content Effectiveness
• 50% Producing Engaging Content
• 46% Lack of Budget
• 44% Producing Content Consistently
• 28% Lack of Buy-In/Vision from Higher-Ups
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More Is Not the Answer
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Not All Content Is Created
Equal
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• The average attention span has dropped from 12
seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds today
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It’s Time to Evolve
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variety of content
What B2C marketers are working on right now
Content Marketing Is Changing
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62%
creating more
engaging/higher-quality content
60% creating more
visual content
53% creating a greater
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Time to Step Up Our Game
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It’s Time to Get Rich
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• Rich Media: A form of higher-quality content that has
more dynamic elements and engages the audience in a
richer user experience.
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1) Stand Out from the Crowd
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content
content
content
Your
content
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Why Would You Do That?
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• 72% of B2C marketers are producing more content
than they did one year ago
• Up to 15,000 pieces of content could potentially
show in your Facebook feed everyday
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We’re Built for Visual Content
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• Visual content is snackable & pulls people in
– 94% more total views on average are attracted by content
containing compelling images
• Visual content is social media friendly
– 37% increase in engagement when FB posts include images
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Text Is Good to Have But…
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Good Isn’t Good Enough
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https://moz.com/blog/why-good-unique-content-needs-to-die-whiteboard-friday
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Go The Extra Mile
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Do Something Different
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• Custom imagery
• Infographics
• Interactive content
• Data visualizations
• eBooks/Whitepapers
• Video
• Podcasts
• And more
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Be Remembered
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• Picture superiority effect
• Visual cues improve our
memory
• Brand association
benefits
– Personality
– Style
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Make Something Epic
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"If someone removed your
content from the web, would
anybody miss it?"
- Ann Handley
@MarketingProfs
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Something News/Link Worthy
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• Provides value
• Visually appealing
• Simple to use
• Hot topic
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Rich Media Is Primed for Social
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• Gen Z’ers
– Favor visuals
– Communicate with images
– Want to be engaged
– Value being unique
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Standing Out with Rich Media
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• Beat the Competition
• Create Something Different
• 10x Better
• Attract Attention Online
• Bring Your Brand Along for the Ride
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2) Build Trust and
Understanding
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Are You Trustworthy?
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• 84% of millennials don't like traditional advertising
nor do they trust it
• 52% of U.S. millennials said that finding brands they
can trust is important to them
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How to Create Trust
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• Don’t omit the details
– Facts
• Take an objective
point of view
• Deliver as promised
• Be creditable
– SME’s
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In People We Trust
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• Real people with real experience
• Emotional connections
• Showcase expertise
• Insider access
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Data Speaks for Itself
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• Data removes biases
• Readers trust facts
• Tells the whole story
• Clarifies complexity
• But…
Raw data is BORING
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Give Them Some Control
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Give Them Some Control
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Better Communicate Your Ideas
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• Use graphics to make abstract concepts concreate
• Graphics help viewers process information quicker
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Build Trust with Rich Media
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• Try to never use stock images
• Showcase the people behind
your brand
• Visualize important data
• Create a content experience
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3) Create Impactful Content
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“Action is the foundational key to all success.”
- Pablo Picasso
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Is Your Content Effective?
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• 60%-70% of marketing content goes unused
• 62% of students and 51% of parents prefer web-
based resources for learning about prospective
universities
• Multimedia-based content has been shown to be
shared up to 12X more
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Right Action at the Right Time
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Connect in New Ways
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Support the Research Phase
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Use a New Enrollment Funnel
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Why You Need Rich Media
Content
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1. Stand Out From the Crowd
– It’s Only Going to Get Harder
2. Build Trust & Understanding
– Use People, Data and the Control
3. Create Content with an Impact
– Rethink the Traditional CTA
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Get Leadership On Board
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• What do you mean rich media?
– Provide examples
• What does this do for our brand?
– Brand awareness, reach new audiences, etc
– Set expectations for results
• How is this different?
– Status quo vs. the future
• What does success look like?
– Tie everything back to business objectives
– Timelines
• What resources do you need?
– Create a low-, medium- and high-budget proposal
– Who’s on the team?
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Put the Right Team Together
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• Content Creators
• Editors
• Creative Designers
• Developers
• Leadership
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Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
• Determine KPIs
– Traffic
– Social Shares
– Links/PR
– Direct & Assistance
Conversions
– Registrations
– Downloads
– Etc.
• Set Benchmarks
• Track Everything
Only 23% of B2C
marketers say they are
successfully tracking
ROI on content
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Play Baseball with Your Content
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76%
15%
1%
8%
Singles Doubles
Triples Home Runs
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Develop a Process for Singles
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Scale for Doubles and Triples
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Scale for Doubles and Triples
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Home Runs Are Special
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Discover Your Opportunities
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• Brainstorm Ideas
– Usecandor.com
• Conduct Research
– Audience
– Competition
– Keyword(s)
– Topical Importance
• Brand Messaging
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Plan with a Sense of Purpose
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• Persona
• Primary concern
• Online conversation
• Phase of funnel
• Appropriate CTA
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Career Aptitude Test
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• Idea
– Assist prospective students in discovery of potential career options
• Strategy
– Create an evergreen top-of-funnel resource
– Something useful
– Better than anything else online
• Goal
– Increase brand awareness
– Own the conversation online
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Produce the Content
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• Data set from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Develop the Visual Elements
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• Improve upon the competitors
• Don’t hijack the creative process
• Deadlines are more like guidelines
• Balance creative with usability
• Get outside opinions
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Rich Media Is an Evolution
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We Love Creating Them
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bit.ly/EnrollmentTrends
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You Can Do It Too
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Grant Tilus
Grant.Tilus@CollegisEducation.com
www.CollegisEducation.com
@GrantTilus
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Sources
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• Wikia, “Generation Z: A Look at the Technology and Media Habits of Today’s Teens”
• Millennial Branding, “The High School Careers Study”
• Unruly, “Social Ad Effectiveness”
• Moz, “What Makes a Link Worthy Post - Part 1”
• Content Marketing Institute, “2015 B2C Content Marketing Trends–North America”
• Social Media Examiner, “2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report”
Editor's Notes
Slide: “Hey everyone, come and see how good I look.”
Slide: Used for polling the audience for their work roles.
Types of attendees? Marketing Managers or Executives, Marketing Specialist(ninja), Other Departments?
From where? A school, An agency, Etc.
Slide: Highlight of the definition of content marketing
Slide: Highlight facts regarding who is practicing content marketing.
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present these statistics
Slide: Highlight statistics regarding the what goals and metrics marketers are focused on for their content marketing efforts Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present these statistics
Notes:
Organizational Goals - How important is each of the following content marketing goals to your organization?
Website Metrics - Which metrics does your organization use to assess content marketing success?
Slide: Highlight facts regarding the most popular types of content marketing.
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present these statistics
Notes: Usage of almost all of the tactics on this chart has risen this year over last year.
Slide: Highlight statistics regarding the amount of content that is being produced.
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present these statistics
Notes: We are producing a ton of content these days. Everyone is doing content marketing, but it's not about creating more.
Slide: Highlight statistics regarding the how effective our content marketing effort are right now.
Notes: Our audience are being flooded with content from every direction (competition included) and it’s making our content less effective.
Slide:
Notes:
The Problem (It’s harder to stand out and drive toward our goals)
Imagery: It’d like to see something that get’s people thinking about throwing junk at a wall and seeing what sticks.
Content marketing isn't about "more," it's about creating great stuff that builds the brand. Brands dont need more content, they need more relevant content
We Need to Create Better Content. Both our views on creating content and the content itself needs to evolve.
Slide: Highlight statistics regarding the what marketers are focused on
It’s time to take that leap. Our Audiences Deserve It. Spend less time focused on just turning out just another piece of content, content marketing shouldn’t be about hitting a quota.
and spend more time strategically think about how we can make the best piece of content out their.
Imagery: Image of definition as if in a textbook
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: News publications know it.
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: Online publications know it.
Imagery: A showcase of examples of our Rich Media Content.
Slide: Other schools aka the competition knows it.
Imagery: Something related to losing the race or being behind.
Slide: If you’re not here yet, your falling behind.
Slide: We’re going to go through what it can do for your content and your organization by enriching your strategy.
Imagery: An image that signals a transition/set up for the next part of the presentation.
Imagery: I love this metaphor. I’d like to use something like this image about being lose in the crowd.
How you can stand out by creating rich media content
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present these statistics
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present these statistics
Notes: Rich content is great for creating a positive connection for that first interaction with you brand. Visual Content Helps Audience Loyalty
Imagery: Wall of text
Slide: Overtake the Competition
Imagery: Screenshot
This post now ranks #1 for a solid keyword phrase and multiple variations beating out other top publications while receiving over 7,000 visits per month.
Imagery: Screenshot
10,000 views, 70 likes. 400 views per month with the google keyword tool only estimated 110 in monthly volume. Hangout on Air format is very different and video led to this content being discovered more.
Imagery: Screenshot
Find an Edge Over the Competition by doing something different
Imagery: Screenshot
Visuals Help Them Remember You
Has anyone ever heard of the Picture Superiority effect? According to the picture superiority effect, concepts are much more likely to be remembered experientially if they are presented as pictures rather than as words. Understanding promotes trust. 90% of the information sent to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text.
Imagery: Screenshot
Imagery: Highlighting this quote.
Notes: Build Content That Lasts. Our content needs Longevity. Rich media can help you create something 10x better than the competition.
Slide: Is your content news worthy?
Imagery: Screenshot
Imagery: Screenshot
Imagery: Something related to standing out from the crowd
Slide:
Image: Something related to Trust
Slide: Trust is essential for our lives. It is trust, more than money. You can’t expect to have a good relationship with your audience without trust. How you can build trust by creating rich media content. Content that is developed by a brand to provide added consumer value is designed to build brand consideration or affinity, not sell a product or service. Our audiences need to know that they can trust us because the world around us has forced us to questions whether or not we are being fooled.
Imagery: I’d like to see a classicly bad stock photo that a lazy school/marketing team might use.
Slide: Audiences Want to Trust You but Stock images don’t cut it. Trust must be earned and is a fundamental part of our lives.
Building and nurturing your brand is critical. Especially for helping prospective students become more familiar and trusting in your brand. Millennials are eager to find brands they can trust and the same goes for the professional crowd. Trust is essential for our lives. It is trust, more than money. You can’t expect to have a good relationship with your audience without trust. How you can build trust by creating rich media content. Content that is developed by a brand to provide added consumer value is designed to build brand consideration or affinity, not sell a product or service. Our audiences need to know that they can trust us because the world around us has forced us to questions whether or not we are being fooled.
Give It Away for Free, Don’t omit important details. There is something to be said about information being presented in a well polished way.
Imagery: Screenshot
Showcase Your People as Experts - Audiences Trust Experts – The People
To build trust, the person must “feel” your intentions are in their best interest throughout the conversation and beyond. Build emotion & relationships. Connect. It’s easier to trust people when you can verify that they are real. Find ways to show the people behind your brand and content.
Imagery: Screenshot
People Trust Data, Not Opinions. Data Removes Bias. Use data to tell the story. The only problem is that data in text form is boring. Rich media gives it life. Always provide your resources for where you got your data.
Imagery: Screenshot
People Trust Data, Not Opinions. Data Removes Bias. Use data to tell the story. The only problem is that data in text form is boring. Rich media gives it life. Always provide your resources for where you got your data.
Imagery: Screenshot
Something to do. A choice. A chance to reflect. Next step
Slide: Give Your Audience some Control. Giving users something to do, especially when they have a choice gives them a sense of control. Picking a college & career path is new and can be very abstract. Help them trust you and they will get a since of control which will help give them more confidence to make the decision to choose their own journey. A journey that you have already been apart of. Trust Provides a Sense of Control. It can be a long process of give and take, it takes time.
Give your audience…
A choice
The control
Something to do
A chance to reflect
Slide: Giving users something to do, especially when they have a choice gives them a sense of control. Picking a college & career path is new and can be very abstract. Help them trust you and they will get a since of control which will help give them more confidence to make the decision to choose their own journey. A journey that you have already been apart of. Trust Provides a Sense of Control. It can be a long process of give and take, it takes time.
Give your audience…
A choice
The control
Something to do
A chance to reflect
Imagery: Screenshot
Notes: Using rich media you can use graphics to visually explain relationships and ideas more quickly and intuitively.
Imagery: Screenshot
Imagery: Something related to trusting someone or something
Slide:
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present this quote along side a CTA related image.
Calls-to-action. You know that they're a crucial component of marketing. You know you need them if you want to attract more visitors, generate more inquiries/interest, and convert more prospective students into applications.
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present these statistics
Imagery: The sales funnel
Slide: Because rich media comes in so many different forms it has some great opportunities to help you create the right calls to action and the right times based on the audience.
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: Help drive action by leading students through the journey of find the right school of them. Not your traditional way to drive inquiries.
Slide: We all know that students are research and even applying to multiple colleges (28% applied to 7 or more) use rich media content such as this ebook resource to support that research process and give yourself an edge. If you know what your prospective students main concerns are than you can address them. You’ve got to give the people what they want.
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: soft inquiries. Because we know the research to enrollment phase could last 6-9 months for certain demographics rich media can help you get your brand in front of them early and often.
Imagery: Screenshot
Imagery: Bringing back images from the slides on my three main points.
Slide: We’re going to go through what it can do for your content and your organization by enriching your strategy.
Imagery:
Imagery: Something related to planting the seed.
Slide: 59% of B2C marketers said they would increase spending in the next 12 months.
Imagery: Something related to a super team
Slide: Can you measure everything accurately? If not you’ll never be able to prove the ROI. Support Enrollment Growth, Brand Awareness, Applause, Amplification, Conversation
Imagery: I’d like a bold way to present this statistic.
When planning your content production strategy remember to play baseball. Singles through Homeruns.. This chart is from last season in the MLB.
Imagery: Pie chart
Custom imagery, gifs, infographics, slide presentations, hangouts on air are all examples of rich media content that you need to be able to scale internally. Discuss our process for image/article submissions.
Imagery: Screenshotz
Doubles: Most time intensive but very unique.
Imagery: Screenshots
Triples: We built our own tools to scale the creation of this type of content. We can now use the templates to develop as many different types of maps or quizzes that we want.
Imagery: Screenshots
Home runs are special and super fun to work on. Don’t let your big ideas sit ideal anymore.
It starts with the right idea then the right execution.
http://usecandor.com/ - generate ideas anonymously
Imagery: Screenshot
Imagery: Something related to hating your job
The Idea – Find areas to get our brand in front of potential students tionhigher in the funnel
The Audience – Potential Career Changers
The Competition – Lots of competition, less high quality
The Opportunity – 33,000 monthly searches
Our Goal – Have our brand own the conversation
Slide: Every piece of content needs a goal. Page views, social shares, downloads, conversions.
Imagery: Something related to strategic planning
Our Goal – Have our brand own the conversation around career selection and career assistants.
Imagery: Something related to a person thinking.
The Audience – Potential Career Changers
Imagery: Screenshot
Imagery: Screenshot
Saw that it was worth our investment.
Slide: Moz keyword difficulty score.
Imagery: Screenshot
The Competition – Lots of competition, less high quality
Be honest with yourself. Can your content compete with the SERPs?
If you cannot compete, find a fresh new angle
Remember, never fight unless you're sure you can win. – 3 ninjas
Slide: Researching the competitions final product to see how we can improve use of visuals, UX, content quality, information and data elements and what they missed.
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: Researching the competitions final product to see how we can improve use of visuals, UX, content quality, information and data elements and what they missed.
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: We used data from the BLS. Yes, free data! Then worked with some really smart people to put it together. Yes, this is easier said then done.
You may know that content but Let your creative team be creative. Go above and beyond what others are willing to do. Remember the Problem: You have to do what it takes to stay a step ahead. The premise of The 10X Rule is work 10 times harder than anyone else to be successful.
Imagery: Something related to creativity or creative thinking
An Interactive Data Visualization
Discuss how using rich media provided us the ability to go after bigger fish and find bigger success.
Imagery: Screenshot
An Interactive Data Visualization
Discuss how using rich media provided us the ability to go after bigger fish and find bigger success.
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: Make sure to seed the content and have a promotion plan to help just start its sharing. Way to many pieces of rich media content get lost or unseen because it was poorly promoted and shared. But it is key for building brand awareness and owning the competition.
Imagery: Screenshot
An Interactive Data Visualization
Discuss how using rich media provided us the ability to go after bigger fish and find bigger success. Boss=Happy
Imagery: Screenshot
Slide: We’re going to go through what it can do for your content and your organization by enriching your strategy.
Imagery: Transition Slide
Imagery: Screenshot
Notes: Don't be afraid to do less content – remember it takes time and money to create, manage and update it all. Are you ready for rich-media content? Have you mastered the basics?
Go onto our site and check it out to see what it’s all about.
Imagery: Screenshot
