An exploration of the fundamentals of content marketing. Includes the evolution of content marketing over time, how to start thinking about core evergreen and micro-content, comparing content vs. advertising, and measuring the ROI of content marketing.

1. The Only
Marketing Left
The Essential Strategy
of Content Marketing

2. A fundamental that
hasn’t changed is
media is for
delivering
stories

3. Content
marketing is
the only
marketing left

4. Topics we’ll explore
• The evolution of content marketing
• How to start doing content marketing
• Comparing content vs. advertising
• Measuring the ROI of content marketing
• Summary of things to remember

5. The evolution of
content marketing

6. Content marketing
is not new

7. Be helpful for the
American farmer

8. Accelerated and
elevated by online
media

9. Brands can
deliver content
online and offline

10. The marketing and business process for creating and distributing relevant
and valuable stories to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined
and understood target audience–with the objective of driving
profitable customer action
A content marketing strategy can leverage all media channels (print,
online, in-person, mobile, social, etc.) and be employed at any and all
stages of the buying process–from attention-oriented strategies to retention
and loyalty strategies–and include multiple buying groups
Content marketing is…

11. Marketing benefits of a content strategy

12. How to start doing
content marketing

13. Gives deep value to audience
Core content that’s relevant for
a long time
Generates leads when done
right
Builds authority…and brand
Build a core of evergreen content

14. Bite-sized teasers used on
social media with link to
evergreen content
Perishable moment in time
content that lives on social
media
Attention-grabbing | Short |
Visual | Mobile-friendly
Gives a foundation for micro-content

15. Evergreen and micro-content work
together

16. 1. Connect content to the needs-wants for a specific audience
persona
2. Approach content unselfishly–what can we do for you?
3. Consider content in context of decision making for your
product/service category
4. Use content to be interesting 24/7/365 to keep the audience
engaged
Tips for a content marketing strategy

17. Comparing
content vs.
advertising

18. Content enables
more effective
advertising

19. CONTENT
MARKETING
STORYTELLING
ADVERTISING
FUNCTIONAL
BENEFIT-FOCUSED
ADVERTISING
• Primary objective to sell
product or service
• No value to audience
without buying
• Boring–interrupts you
• Higher quality–emotional, entertaining
product or service message
• Might go viral–little enduring value
• Breakthrough the clutter–get attention
• Build trust by providing educational-helpful-
useful information
• Content is valuable itself–more timeless
• Get permission from audience to keep
hearing from you
Scaling the marketing communication
mountain

20. Measuring the
ROI of content
marketing

21. Key metrics for content marketing
• A simple (mindless?) action
• i.e. Like, RetweetSuperficial
• A more direct interaction
• i.e. Comment, ShareSocial
• Invisible engagement by investing time
with content
• i.e. Link Click, Time Spent, Average
View Time, Completed Video Views
Silent

22. Summary of things
to remember

23. Key points for content marketing
• Media is for delivering stories 1st and for advertising 2nd
• Content marketing isn’t new–but it’s accelerated with online
media
• It’s a marketing communication strategy any brand can use
to tell stories to attract and retain customers
• Evergreen content is relevant for a long time
• Micro-content is the bite-sized sawdust to fuels social media
• While the end goal is the same–the objectives and tactics of
content and advertising are different
• Consider measuring engagement from superficial to silent