Content Marketing - Quality Matters

According to a recent study from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs,
86% of consumer marketers are now employing content marketing, with 28% of their
budgets dedicated to the practice. In the business-to-business world, the numbers
are actually higher. Additionally, analysis from Econsultancy and Adobe indicates that
content marketing as a unique discipline has emerged as the top digital priority for in-
house marketers in 2013.
Which three digital-related areas are the
top priorities for your organization in 2013?
The Content Consensus
2© Pace 2013 | Paceco.com | Greensboro, NC | New York, NY | Dallas, TX | Rogers, AR
Content marketing
Conversion rate optimization
Social media engagement
Content optimization
Mobile optimization
Brand building / viral marketing
Joining up online and offline data
Marketing automation
Video marketing
Social media analytics
Connected TV
Targeting and personalization
0%
29%
39%
34%
39%
39%
38%
37%
39%
31%
29%
30%
32%
26%
24%
24%
15%
11%
21%
9%
19%
9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Adobe / Econsultancy Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing

So why are marketers suddenly realizing the importance – and dedicating more budget
and resources – to their content approach? There are three primary reasons:
1. Search, social and mobile behaviors have pushed the need for more content to
fill an ever-increasing number of versatile channels and platforms.
2. Marketing and IT functions are aligning more closely than ever, creating a much
tighter integration that allows for dynamic content targeting and personalization.
3. The data has become clearer about consumers’ ability to block out strictly com-
mercial messages but their willingness to engage a brand based on informative,
educational and entertaining content.
As the industry continues to mobilize and operationalize content marketing compo-
nents, a lot of attention is being paid to content strategy mechanics: platform layers,
asset management, workflow and governance. However, as more and more brands
churn out more and more content (through more and more channels), in order for
your efforts to be effective the content you create must be well crafted.
In this deluge of content, it’s not just connecting to the right person, at the right time,
with the right offer. The message needs to be carefully and thoughtfully constructed so
that it has meaning and value—and also entertains, informs and inspires someone to do
what you now have permission to ask them to do.
Today, content quality matters more than ever.
© Pace 2013 | Paceco.com | Greensboro, NC | New York, NY | Dallas, TX | Rogers, AR 3
In this deluge of content, it’s not just connecting to the right person,
at the right time, with the right offer. The message needs to be
carefully and thoughtfully constructed so that it has meaning and
value—and also entertains, informs and inspires someone to do
what you now have permission to ask them to do.

If you need proof that quality is the driving feature of effective content, look no further
than the core underpinnings of the web itself. Google’s latest releases – and in fact a
bet on its entire business – emphasize the quality of content and the positive experi-
ence it can build into each search. The Panda and Penguin updates significantly adjust-
ed the criteria for who would rank high, aiming to replace the content farms that added
little value and instead focusing on creating the best possible experiences through
quality content. Their challenge is to mathematically simulate (and index) what a great
user experience is, what it means for content to be compelling and valuable.
To that end, here are the top two questions that provide guidance from Google’s
own blog*:
1. Would you trust the content in this article?
2. Is this article written by a thought leader who is passionate about the topic?
They go on: “Our site quality algorithms are aimed at helping people find ‘high-quality’
sites by reducing the rankings of low-quality content.”
Trust, knowledge and passion are core to defining quality in Google’s eyes. Instead of
rewarding good experiences, the algorithms penalize bad content – good content is
the standard.
One of the other pillars of our digital (and increasingly of our non-digital) world is, of
course, Facebook. Last year the social media giant made a series of changes to its
platform for both users and brands that emphasized compelling content in the form
of stories. Through Timeline, brands were compelled to talk about themselves within
a wider context – their history. Also, it implemented the Edgerank algorithm, which,
like Google’s, is predicated on positive experiences and reactions to posts. The better-
quality posts are those that are more meaningful to the individual and will receive more
attention. Thus, the marketer is rewarded with more reach.
In both cases, the quality of the content – its impact as indicated by its usefulness – has
become the critical factor in defining effectiveness. So how do you ensure that what
you’re creating meets the quality threshold, and how do you build a content framework
that prioritizes quality as much as speed?
Forces for Good
*Source: Google Webmaster Central Blog, More guidance on building high-quality sites, by Amit Singhal, Google
Fellow, http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/more-guidance-on-building-high-quality.html

In over 40 years of building effective content programs for some of the world’s leading
brands, Pace has learned that there are four important aspects to building a quality-first
approach to your content program:
The first step is to identify and define what your audience is going to find compelling,
and then align that with what differentiates your viewpoint. The unique perspective or
point of view you bring to the table is your value. Your products have (hopefully) unique
selling propositions. Your content should, too. And this isn’t just limited to what you
have to say: Input from your suppliers, partners, industry analysts and, of course, your
customers will not only elevate the experience by diversifying the vantage point, but
can also further validate your position. If you have editorial partners, ensure that they
understand your business and your company, so that what you have to say can be bal-
anced with why your audience should pay attention.
Passion might be the most difficult to quantify but the easiest to identify. Where are the
internal wells of enthusiasm? How can the organization tap into the deep appetite your
employees and partners have for the business? This intensity may not directly translate
into specific content types (the most ardent aren’t always the clearest communica-
tors), but a talented editor is uniquely trained to identify and guide enthusiasm into a
thoughtful content approach.
The key to practice – both the noun and the verb – is creating an environment where
continued and applied learning is paramount to the process. However, having the
tools and people in place to pull performance insights from the data is only half of the
equation. Those insights need to inform the continuous content creation cycle itself:
Writers, editors, producers and platform developers need to understand what worked,
A Quality Framework
Per
spective
P
assionPra
cticePr
ecision

where and why. The more intimate the content specialists are with the data, the faster,
better and more effective the content is going to be. Here at Pace, our editors are
analysts, too.
And finally, organizational commitment to content marketing as a practice, and con-
tent quality as a result, is only ensured (like most worthwhile efforts) internally: with the
dedication of budget and resources. Reflexively, the organization is only going to com-
mit with the proof of value. That’s why, before you begin, it is critical to have in place
both the measurement criteria and the analytic tools that can validate your content
approach. Your partners, agencies and internal stakeholders should be clear about their
roles in the reporting standards and outputs. Only with evidence that is tied to strategic
objectives will the business reward the program with continued investment.
Applying these principles, your content will be uniquely actionable, considered trust-
worthy (by humans and non-humans alike), and informed by the data, and the impact
will be evident to the organization.
The more intimate the content specialists are with
the data, the faster, better and more effective the
content is going to be. Here at Pace,
our editors are analysts, too.
6

A key differentiator regarding the way Pace ensures content quality is in its approach
to topic development instead of focusing on asset production. In an omni-channel
universe, this means that our editorial calendars aren’t merely scheduling tools, but
are accountability outlines. They focus not only on assignments, but also context:
1. Who are we speaking with?
2. What are they looking to solve?
3. Where are we speaking with them (platforms and channels)?
4. What do we want them to do?
5. How will we measure that?
And from here, the editorial team designs a content approach at the subject matter
level, considering multiple content types (article, video, infographic, tweet, interactive
post, visual pin), long and short form treatments, and real-time as well as evergreen
pieces. So, in about the same time it could take to create a single article, we produce
a rich ecosystem of content that can be flexibly leveraged across the enterprise,
extending the content’s value and creating an intelligent hedge on its success.
A topical concentration also allows for discrete versioning at the user level – we can
develop content for particular audiences based on contextual insights or unique behav-
iors. This is built into the editorial workflow as
an active output. In what seems like a
very short time, content marketing is
hitting its stride: most marketers
not only understand its value,
they are quickly moving from
tactical execution to strate-
gic and operational enterprise
implementation.
Creating Quality, Multi-Touch Experiences

Dan Dooley Senior VP, Digital Solutions
About the Author
Dan has more than 20 years of experience as both a client and agency leader,
guiding brands through the labyrinth of emerging digital platforms and their
impact on brand vitality, consumer behavior and marketing investment
considerations. He has helped some of the world’s leading brands weave
digital and interactive practices into their core marketing efforts, including:
Walmart, Verizon, AT&T, Disney, Anheuser Busch, Dell, UPS, Disney, McDonald’s,
Four Seasons, Best Buy, Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, Target, The Home Depot and
Porsche. His digital programs have garnered awards around the world, including
multiple Cannes Cyber Lions, Webby’s and Effies.
8
Conclusion
However, according to the 2013 B2C Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs
survey, only 32% believe they are (somewhat or very) effective content marketers. As
more brands refine their approach, the content universe is only going to expand –
more content meeting evolving platform demands. Many brands will lose sight of the
fact that effective content answers consumers’ questions, engages with them and
ultimately builds trust.
In this crowded and noisy universe, the quality of your content will become a critical
business asset. Start building a quality-first content approach now to ensure that the
ongoing effectiveness of your program won’t drown in the inundation.

About Pace
Pace is North America’s leading independent content agency, specializing in
multi-channel branded content solutions that fuel loyalty, CRM, marketing, digital
and social programs for many of the world’s largest brands. We have a staff of more
than 300 professionals that are located in four offices across the U.S. – Greensboro,
NC, New York, NY, Dallas, TX and Rogers, AR. We help our clients navigate through
the complex marketing landscape to develop programs that suit their needs, to
deliver targeted outcomes.
Contact:
Emily Wright
emily.wright@paceco.com
336.383.5783
*Econsultancy, October 2012
**Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs/Pace B2C Report, November 2012
***Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs B2B Report, October 2012

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