Presentation given to Content Strategy Applied USA on building a network of influential content contributors to create unbelievable content on your behalf. A case study of a program launched for the Arizona Office of Tourism.

1. INFLUENCING the
INFLUENCERS
BUILDING A CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK FROM THE GROUND UP

2. KIM HIGDON
SOCIAL & CONTENT MANAGER // OFF MADISON AVE // PHOENIX

3. WE HAVE AN EASY PRODUCT TO SELL
I MEAN, REALLY.

5. WHERE’S THE
CHALLENGE?

6. THE PROBLEM
MISSING OUT ON THIS

7. THE OPPORTUNITY
WE HAD LOTS OF THIS

8. STILL PROBLEMS
BUT NOT THIS…

9. MORE OPPORTUNITY
TONS OF THIS

10. MORE PROBLEMS
AND NONE OF THIS

11. SOLUTIONIZING™

12. WHAT WE
HAD
• A huge community of
Arizona advocates existed.
• Analytics uncovered gaps.
• Knowledge that these
stories were already being
told.

13. Why not create a platform for
advocates to tell the stories
people were seeking, to drive
more people to use our website
as a resource?

14. LET’S DO IT.

15. KEYS TO
LAUNCH
• Establish a vetting criteria
• Application portal
• Exportable database in a
CMS
• Announce via existing
channels
• Plan for the worst, hope
for the best

16. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

17. WITHIN ONE MONTH, WE
RECEIVED 55 APPLICANTS,24 OF
WHICH BECAME VETTED,
APPROVED CONTENT
CONTRIBUTORS READY AND
WILLING TO DELIVER ONGOING,
FRESH, EXCITING CONTENT FROM
THE PERSPECTIVE WE NEEDED.

18. THE ARIZONA INSIDER’S
PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED.

19. OUR AUTHORS INCLUDE

20. NEWS ANCHORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PROFESSIONAL WRITERS
MOMMY BLOGGERS
AUTHORS
ROAD TRIPPERS
TOUR OPERATORS

21. NEWS ANCHORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PROFESSIONAL WRITERS
MOMMY BLOGGERS
AUTHORS
ROAD TRIPPERS
TOUR OPERATORS

22. NEWS ANCHORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PROFESSIONAL WRITERS
MOMMY BLOGGERS
AUTHORS
ROAD TRIPPERS
TOUR OPERATORS

23. NEWS ANCHORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PROFESSIONAL WRITERS
MOMMY BLOGGERS
AUTHORS
ROAD TRIPPERS
TOUR OPERATORS

24. NEWS ANCHORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PROFESSIONAL WRITERS
MOMMY BLOGGERS
AUTHORS
ROAD TRIPPERS
TOUR OPERATORS

25. NEWS ANCHORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PROFESSIONAL WRITERS
MOMMY BLOGGERS
AUTHORS
ROAD TRIPPERS
TOUR OPERATORS

26. NEWS ANCHORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PROFESSIONAL WRITERS
MOMMY BLOGGERS
AUTHORS
ROAD TRIPPERS
TOUR OPERATORS

27. THESE PEOPLE ARE
INFLUENCERS.

28. NONE OF THEM ARE PAID
FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS.

29. OUR BLOGGERS
WRITE ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS

30. AND THIS…

31. AND THIS…

32. AND THIS…

33. AND EVEN THIS…

34. THROUGH THE ARIZONA INSIDER’S
PROGRAM, TIME SPENT ON BLOG
CONTENT INCREASED 212%, W I T H
AN AVERAGE TIME SPENT ON THESE
CONTRIBUTIONS OVER 4 MINUTES.
YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?

35. PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY
READING THIS STUFF.

36. THIS CONTENT DOESN'T JUST LIVE
ON THE WEBSITE, EITHER.
IT’S USED IN THE VISITOR’S GUIDE,
SPONSORED CONTENT, I N PUBLIC
RELATIONS EFFORTS, FOR ONE-OFF
CAMPAIGN SITES AND MORE.

37. YOU CAN DO IT, TOO!

38. HOW CAN I DO IT, TOO?
• LISTEN. Without listening, we would have never seen
the opportunity at our fingertips.
• ANALYZE. Don’t just look at what’s working, look at
what’s not. That’s the greatest area of opportunity.
• MAKE THE ASK. People want to contribute to brands
they care about. Start the conversation and see what
happens.

39. “The most important thing in communication is
hearing what isn’t said.”
- PETER DRUCKER

40. READ THESE STORIES AT
BIT. LY/AZINSIDER

41. Thanks.
@KIM_HIGDON // KIM.HIGDON@OFFMADISONAVE.COM