We’re all looking to meet our “special someone(s)”— that audience segment who believes in our advocacy goals and is willing to take action on our behalf. Yet, with the rise of social media and technology, there are more ways than ever to connect with your audiences online. Here is how to build a content strategy and meet people where they are: -- Own Who You Are -- Dress For Success -- Make Every Interaction Count

1. | ONLINE DATING FOR DIGITAL ADVOCACY
Tina Johnson-Marcel

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| U.S. Chamber Blog’s Dating Profile
• Education: Post-Graduate Degree
• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Interests: Business Policy, Free Enterprise,
Job Creation
• Seeking: Influencers, Members… Everybody
About Me
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Born and raised in the United States, I live in Washington, D.C., but work and travel extensively across the country and
internationally. I’m dedicated to delivering the voice of business and I look great doing it. Many will say I’m easily
accessible and a great communicator. I stand my ground on certain issues, but am very approachable. Want to know what
I’m thinking? Just visit me. I’m an open book, you’ll instantly know what’s important to me. My priorities are clear to
everyone I meet. Getting straight to the point is my specialty. I’m also a great conversationalist. If you ask the right
questions, I can provide loads of context around policy issues that affect the business community.

3. | U.S. Chamber Blog

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I’m dedicated to delivering the voice of
business and I look great doing it. Many will
say I’m easily accessible and a great
communicator. I stand my ground on certain
issues, but am very approachable. Want to
know what I’m thinking? Just visit me. I’m an
open book, you’ll instantly know what’s
important to me. My priorities are clear to
everyone I meet. Getting straight to the point
is my specialty. I’m also a great
conversationalist. If you ask the right
questions, I can provide loads of context
around policy issues that affect the business
community.
I’m dedicated to delivering the voice of
business and I look great doing it. Many will
say I’m easily accessible and a great
communicator. I stand my ground on certain
issues, but am very approachable. Want to
know what I’m thinking? Just visit me. I’m an
open book, you’ll instantly know what’s
important to me. My priorities are clear to
everyone I meet. Getting straight to the point
is my specialty. I’m also a great
conversationalist. If you ask the right
questions, I can provide loads of context
around policy issues that affect the business
community.
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We had great content, but
we weren’t putting our
best foot forward. Our
appearance didn’t match
our profile.

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Seeking: Influencers,
Members… Everybody
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We didn’t know
what we wanted.
Our audience was not defined, so we
weren’t attracting the right people.

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We weren’t that exciting. Once the conversation
started, we weren’t good at keeping it going.
Users didn’t know
where to start, what
was important, or
what we wanted
them to do next.

7. As a result, we encountered several first dates, but
not many lasting relationships with our audience.

8. So what can you do?

9. Step One: Own Who You Are

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| Be Deliberate, Thoughtful
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What are our goals?
Who is our audience?
What’s the
best way to
reach them?
What do we
want our
audience to
do?
Who are our
competitors?
Do we have
the right
tools to
accomplish
our goals?
How do we
appear to the
public?
What
makes us
special?

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| Set Clear Objectives
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• Help policymakers and business owners alike
unlock what factors are most critical for
economic growth and job creation.
• Provide an accessible, on-the-news translation of
Chamber policy positions that represents
business leaders and constituents.
• Lead the conversation around smart, practical
policies that support businesses and promote
economic growth.

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| Seek the Right Match
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| Meet Mark, the Grasstop SME Leader
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Persona
 Age: 54
 Education: Bachelor’s degree
 CFO of a regional distributor
 Location: Ohio
Mark is the CFO of a small,
regional business in the Midwest.
He’s a player and contributor in
the local political scene, deeply
concerned with economic issues
and the impact of policy on his
business. He’s regularly tuned
into his inbox and is apt to share
community-focused articles on
Facebook.
About Mark

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| Meet Susie, Ambitious Capitol Hill Staffer
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Persona
Age: 29
Education: Considering a JD
 Newly House staffer
Location: Washington, D.C.
As a young, on-the-rise staffer in
the House, Susan wants
anything that makes her boss
look good. She wants fresh
messages and data to support
her boss’ message. Stories that
highlight small businesses are
very important to her. She
regularly checks her mobile
device and receives most of her
news via email.
About Susie

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| Finally, Who Are We?
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The Chamber’s editorial content platform that
helps make sense of policy issues through
analysis and stories about those directly affected.

16. Step Two: Dress For Success

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| Above the Fold
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| Above the Fold
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| Above the Fold: Topic Pages
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| Above the Fold: Topic Pages
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| Above the Fold: Topic Pages
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| Above the Fold: Article Design
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23. Step Three: Make Every Interaction Count

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| Above the Fold: Keep the Conversation Going
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| Above the Fold: Ease of Amplification
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26. Content Workshop

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| Workshop: Meeting the One
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 WHO are you trying to reach? (Persona)
 HOW do they behave? (Journey Maps)
 WHAT content fulfills their (and your) needs?
(Messaging)
 Why are you targeting them? (Call to Action)
 WHERE is that content best delivered? (Strategy)

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| Workshop: What Are Personas?
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User personas are fictional representatives of a target audience
segment. They are effective in illustrating and documenting how
various people consume content.
Personas expose key insights on the motivations of readers
because they are partially based on data collected about real
users.
They are often inspired by an individual that may best represent
those audience types – Chamber member, reporter, Hill staffer,
influencer.
Personas are key to understanding users needs, and then
planning and creating content that would appeal to those users.

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| Meet Mark, the Grasstop SME Leader
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Persona
 Age: 54
 Education: Bachelor’s degree
 CFO of a regional distributor
 Location: Ohio
Mark is the CFO of a small,
regional business in the Midwest.
He’s a player and contributor in
the local political scene, deeply
concerned with economic issues
and the impact of policy on his
business. He’s regularly tuned
into his inbox and is apt to share
community-focused articles on
Facebook.
About Mark

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| Workshop: How Do You Meet Them?
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Social
Media
Conferences
Blogs
Direct
Contact
E-mail
Print
Webinars
Mobile
Apps
Mobile
Web
Websites
Your
Stories

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| Workshop: The Journey
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Exposure: “The Meet Cute” The persona encounters you for the first time
Discovery: “Curiosity Factor” The moment they decide if they want to take the next step
Evaluate: “The Coffee Date” Is this worth my time?
Validate: “Do I Like Them?” Is my evaluation correct? Can I trust this information?
Implement: “The Second Date” Using the website, signing up for newsletters, attending events
Advocate: “Meet My Friends” Sharing your stories via email, social media
Re-evaluate: “The Third and Fourth Date” Has this product proven to be valuable?

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Thank you!
Tina Johnson-Marcel @tjmarcel
Senior Director, Digital Content, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
USChamber.com/AbovetheFold
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