See Amy Nicholson's presentation slides from Marketing Week Live 2016. She will walk you through the 7 things you need to get straight before you get started on the path to content success. Whatever your content challenge, find out how to solve it with these 7 steps to content marketing heaven.

1. Make your content marketing meaningful
Amy Nicholson, managing editor
@stickyamy

2. Make your content
marketing meaningful
7 steps to heaven
Amy Nicholson
@stickyamy #MWL16

3. This month we’re working with…

5. We love content because…
“Getting something out on our blog or
email is faster than traditional
advertising. It’s cheaper too”
“There are lots of ways to see what’s
working, rather than just 1
or 2 ways to measure”
“We can build our brand, raise product
awareness or broadcast – we can drive
specific actions”

6. The problem with content
> 89% of UK organisations are
using content marketing
> Only 37% have a documented
strategy
> Only 33% say they are effective
Content Marketing Institute, 2016 Benchmarking report

7. The Ecommerce Bros’ blog
“Welcome to The Ecommerce Bros’ blog.
Below you will find our latest news and views
on all things ecommerce .”
> An announcement about someone you’ll
never meet
> A promotion that bears no relation to your
service
> Some pile of jargon that only Keith at
Ecommerce Bros cares about
> Something the CEO wrote on holiday

10. Commissioner/
owner
Information
influencer
Creator Approver

11. Plan Brief Create Review
AmendApprovePublishGovern
Do you know how
much work it is?

12. Map out your copy process
Walk through your production process a step
at a time – and put in the roles required
What’s your TRAP plan?
• Task
• Requested time
• Actual time
• Person

14. Before you start writing…
> WHY is this copy going on the site? How will
this copy help advance your business goals?
What will users do after reading this copy? How
will you measure the success of this copy?
> WHO is the copy for? What can you say about
how busy they are, their motivation for reading
the copy, their knowledge about the topic?
When, where, how will they be coming to this
copy?
> WHAT is the key message of the copy? What
questions will readers want the copy to answer?Letting Go of the Words
Ginny Redish

15. An example…
“We serve marketers in big
businesses useful information,
expert advice, practical tips and
editorial inspiration for solving their
organisation’s content problems –
and making their content better.”

17. Writing for your users
> Most online content is task-based.
People want to look up delivery
details, order a product, find contact
information etc…
> Our job is to identify likely user actions
and objectives and answer them
directly with useful,
relevant content

19. Multi-tasking
mobile users
Source: Our mobile planet

21. Create content personas
in an hour
> Make a long list of your audience groups
> Compare their content needs and take out
the overlaps
> Take a group at a time – and create a
character for each
> Who are they? What are their problems?
What do you want to tell them?
> How can you make their day better?

23. The 3 elements of a tone of
voice:
1. What you choose to say –
messaging/content strategy
2. How you present those messages –
information design
3. The actual words you use to do this
– language/style

24. How should we sound?

25. Crack your tone of voice – fast
1. Nail your values – start with your brand if
you have nothing else to work with
2. List your channels – rank values by
purpose and message
3. List your personas and do the same
4. List your 5 trickiest types of comms, and
write a before and after for each
5. Capture, format and share!

26. Your domain of
expertise
Your users’
information
needs

27. ISA
investing
tips
ISA
investment
ideas for a
falling market
ISAs
ISA
investment
ideas for a
rising market
Saving for
your child
Cash v Stocks
and shares
10 of the
best ISAs

28. Work your niche
1. Working with your content team, create a
topic map
2. Start with the big-block subject areas
3. Map through to more and more granular
detail
4. Mark through which are right for you, and
which are outside your niche
5. Use your mission statement to
sense-check – what’s right for you?

29. ©PA.

30. ©PA.

31. When to use your brief…
• Planning
• Commissioning
• Writing
• Checking
• Approving
• Publishing
• Governing

33. What to include…
Project name
Channels
Timelines
Audience (persona)
Outcome
KPIs
Source links or material
Priority information
Calls to action
Format
Structure/technical limits
Keywords/SEO requirements
Tone of voice
Approval
Governance date/lifespan

34. ©PA.

35. 5 reasons to have a format
1. Make production easier
2. Cut down amends and approvals
3. Wipe out the tyranny of the blank
page
4. Improve user experience
5. Encourage repeat reading

36. Tried-and-trusted digital formats
> FAQ
> Step-by-step
> Q&A
> Document summary
> Timeline/chronology
> Product page
> Case study
> What is… ?
> How to… ?
> User guides
> Facts at a glance
> Menu
> News story
> Testimonial
> Top 10 tips
> Factfile
> Buyer’s guide
> Destination guide
> Checklist
> Biography

37. Get your basic format first
> Word or CMS template
> If you have a CMS structure, replicate it
> Add in all copy elements
> Include supporting copy, like email
modules, subject lines or social posts
> Be efficient – where else might this copy
appear?

39. ©PA.

40. Build your calendar
> Maintain an editorial calendar
> This will confirm frequency, timelines,
volumes, content owners, formats, channels
etc
> Work with subject matter experts and other
content sources
> Capture ideas regularly – Put in place an
editorial board to review content effectiveness
> Practice the 80:20 principle with your ideas –
try new things

42. What to do with your editorial
calendar
> Plan big themes and specific pieces
> Map channels against each other
> Include bigger-picture influences
> Update and govern it
> Use it to look back as well as forward
> Share it far and wide – but keep editing
rights close to your chest!

43. In summary: 7 steps
1. Assemble your team
2. Mission statement
3. Content personas
4. Find your voice
5. Briefing forms
6. Formats and templates
7. Content calendar

45. Outcome Content metric
Brand awareness  Page views / site visits
 Search traffic
 Keyword ranking
Audience engagement  User comments / posts
 Social shares
 Page visit duration
 Downloads / sign-ups
 Opens / click-throughs
Sales  Product page buys
 Code redirects in-store
Customer satisfaction  Customer ratings
 User survey results
 Bounce rate
Customer loyalty  Direct traffic
 Returning visitors
Customer advocacy  Referred traffic / inbound links

46. The golden rule
“Everything you publish is
a chance to learn something –
whether about your audience,
about your brand, or about your
writers. Make the most of the
opportunity – and have fun!”

48. Any Questions?