Want to kickstart your content marketing campaign? This introductory course leads you through how to get started using simple and effective ideas to find out what your customers really want, how to become an expert problem-solver and what you MUST do before you hit the PUBLISH button! For more courses why not visit our school! http://bit.ly/1MZKVW2

1. @49Digital
How to Create an
Awesome Content
Marketing Strategy in
Five Easy Steps

2. Hi, I’m Helena Hill
Teacher and Online Entrepreneur
Welcome to this free course
on how to kickstart your
content marketing strategy!
After you’ve finished the
slides you will find a short
workbook where you can put
some of the things we’ve
covered into action and start
converting more visitors
into paying customers!

3. AGENDA
Intro: Finding time for Content Marketing
1. Getting to know your customers
2. What makes your business different?
3. What do your customers really want to know?
4. Types of content
5. How to create awesome, relevant content
6. Worksheets

4. FINDING TIME FOR
CONTENT
MARKETING
These days we’re all hearing the term
‘Content Marketing‘ almost as often as
other digital marketing terms such as
SEO, social media , inbound etc…
In fact, the difference between each of
these areas of marketing is diminishing as
the digital era firmly establishes itself as
the primary marketing channel for most
businesses worldwide.

5. So, if you’ve heard of Content Marketing you probably know that
you should be doing it.
However, as a busy business owner or marketing professional,
other demands on our time rarely allow for hours (if not days!)
researching what our audience wants, producing relevant, quality
content and developing strategy to get it out there.
In this free course we’ll explore quick fire ways of kickstarting your
Content Marketing strategy without having to spend much time
doing it! In fact, you should be able to most of this work in 60
minutes!

6. Here are five steps to help you get started with content marketing and
well on the way to creating an awesome Content Marketing strategy!
You’ll probably find that you’re doing most of these things already but
didn’t realise it – you might already be a content marketer!
LET’S GET STARTED!

7. Getting to Know Your
Competitors
1

8. If you know your industry/business area well then this really should only
take a few minutes. For example, if you run a Real Estate business, it ‘s
more than likely that there are other Realtors/Agents serving the same
geographical area.
Getting a good idea of who they are and what they’re up to online is super
easy – just pop a search term in to Google! For example, a term such as
‘Realtors in Long Beach WA’ brings up everything from websites to
Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, Google+ and Pinterest pages!

9. Google search term
Social media results
Organic results

10. Taking a little time to visit some of
these pages will be time VERY well
spent. You will find that there are
some businesses who have a website
as well as a Facebook page, some
that don’t have either (oh yes, it’s
true!) and others that are very active
on several social media channels.

11. Use what you find here to
determine which social media
channels are suitable for your
business. For example, visit
competitor Facebook pages
and Twitter accounts and take
a look at how often they post
and, most importantly, which
types of post attract the most
engagement with their ‘likers’
and followers.
Memes?
Video?
Questionnaires?
Photos? Tips?
How to…?
Testimonials?

12. Now Complete Worksheet One

13. What Makes You Different?
2

14. Taking some time to find out what the
competition is up to may have been rather
enlightening!
Not only have you found out what (if anything) your competition is up
to online, you might well have discovered that your business offers
products or services that they’re not or that you can do better.

15. Here’s your opportunity
to create some great
content.

16. If you struggle with content creation here’s how to
get started!
Now, we’re not saying that you should name and shame your competitors for not
offering something; more that you should be sharing what you offer to your
customers!
So, what might these differences be?
Ask yourself, what makes my business
unique?

17. • free delivery?
• exceptional service?
• expertise in your niche?
• an unrivalled customer experience?
• a free trial?
• a product or service your competitors don’t offer?
• a superior product or service?
• something else?!
Is it…

18. Now Complete Worksheet Two

19. 3
Getting to Know Your Customers
(and their pains!)

20. Unless you regularly offer
your audience interesting,
valuable, educational and
relevant content, the
likelihood of repeat custom is
substantially reduced.

21. Run the same search that you used
for competitor research. Take another
look at blog comments, social media
posts, replies and engagement. What
do their customers like or dislike
about your competitors’ services or
products. What could they do better?
What are they doing well? Can you
solve a particular problem or provide
something that is hard to find?
How?

22. The sooner you discover what your customers actually
want and expect the better placed you will be to create an
amazing content marketing strategy!

23. Now Complete Worksheet
Three

24. Content Type
4

25. Go back to it again! Let’s take a Facebook page. A good Facebook page should
be made up of a variety of different types of posts. What do I mean by that?
Traditionally, content has been mainly text but with the rise of content marketing
this has changed considerably. For example, a business can post pictures, polls
and even video on their page. They can ask questions, share a white paper,
recipe or tell their customers about their latest blog.
Remember that research I asked you to do on your
competitors?

26. Content Types
Webinars
Text
Images
White papers
VideoInfographics
Blogs
Forums
Newsletters
Comments
Podcasts

27. BUT…

28. For example, if you’re a natural writer but not so confident on camera then
YouTube might not be for you! If you’re an artist then using social tools such
as Pinterest might be more your thing. If you’re a chef then share recipes with
your customers to try at home over Facebook, blog posts or twitter.
Only use content and content marketing channels
that you feel comfortable with.
Be creative!

29. Now Complete Worksheet
Four

30. Content Quality
5

31. Never publish content without first asking
yourself…
• Is my content valuable to my customers?
• Will my customers learn something from my content?
• Is my content relevant to my industry and my customers’
needs?
• Does my content solve a problem or answer a question?
• Would I buy from me after reading/watching/listening to my
content?

32. If you’ve researched your competitors, decided how you are (or are
going to be!) different and identified areas of your industry where you
can offer something relevant, educational and valuable you’re well on
your way to being a savvy content marketer!
GO FOR IT!

33. Now Complete Worksheet
Five

34. YOUR CONTENT MARKETING
STRATEGY WORKBOOK
Use the following activities to kickstart your awesome content marketing strategy!
WS 1: Your competitors: Check the relevant boxes as you research what your competitors are up to online.
WS 2: How are you different? Note down five ways in which your business is unique.
WS 3: What your customer wants: From your customer research write down five to ten ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.
WS 4: Types of content: What types of content would be best suited to solving these ‘needs’ and ‘wants’?
WS 5: Quality Control: Check each box each time you publish content on your website or social media.

35. WS 1: Your Competitors
Competitor 1 2 3 My Business
Website
Facebook Page
Google+
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
tumblr.
LinkedIn

36. WS 2: What makes your business
unique?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

37. WS 3: My Ideal Customer Wants To Know
1. The pros and cons of a product or service
2. A ‘How to’ guide
3. Where they can buy…
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

38. WS 4: Content Type
Competitor 1 2 3 My Business
Blog
Podcasts
Webinars
Memes
Newsletter
White papers
Forums
Other

39. WS 5: Quality Control - Is My Content…
1. Relevant?
2. Interesting?
3. Useful?
4. Valuable?
5. Sharable
6. Engaging?
7. Passionate?
8. Educational?

40. Thank You!
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