This document provides a summary of key content marketing strategies from A to M. Some of the main points covered include amplifying content across multiple channels, creating useful content that provides value to the audience, committing to a long-term documented content strategy, optimizing content for mobile, employing images to increase engagement, focusing on niche topics, gaining support from executives, using blogging to increase traffic, leveraging infographics, planning content distribution through a calendar, keeping goals and content realistic and relevant to the audience, and measuring results to optimize campaigns over time.

1. The ABCs
Of Content
Marketing (A–M)
Dana Larson @danamlarson

2. A
B
C
D
E
AMPLIFY
YOUR
CONTENT
BE
USEFUL
COMMIT
TO
SUCCESS
DON’T
FORGET
MOBILE
EMPLOY
IMAGES

3. A
AMPLIFY
YOUR
CONTENT
Don’t rely on a single
channel
Repackage, repurpose,
redistribute

4. B
BE
USEFUL
Determine what your
audience wants and give it
to them.

5. B
“Just stop trying to be amazing
and start being useful. Create
marketing that has intrinsic value,
so much so that people would
pay for it if you asked them.”
Jay Baer
Author, Youtility
BE
USEFUL

6. B
DataSite, a Merrill Corp.
company, created a
Best Practices of the
Best Dealmakers
book series
• Offered as e-book chapters
and printed book
• Promoted via email, social
media, PPC, website
BE
USEFUL

7. B
The Key To Success:
It’s more than just
Merrill’s POV
Merrill offers peers’ views through surveys,
the science behind the methodologies (by
including various academics’ viewpoints
and instruction), and expert analysis
(including a cross-section of opinions) from
legal firms across the nation
BE
USEFUL

8. B
Success Metrics
• Reached over 500,000 people (email and social
media distribution)
• More than 20,000 downloads (20,672 to date)
• Generated an estimated $7M - $9M in new
opportunities
• Estimated $15,000 - $20,000+ in book sales
through collaborator M&A advisors
• Used as teaching material in three university
MBA programs
BE
USEFUL

9. C
Commit to a long-term
strategy and document it
B2B CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY 2015 RESEARCH
48%
SAY THEY HAVE A
CONTENT MARKETING
STRATEGY, BUT IT IS
NOT DOCUMENTED
35%
SAY THEY HAVE A
DOCUMENT CONTENT
MARKETING STRATEGY
28%
MORE EFFECTIVE
FOR THOSE WITH A
DOCUMENTED STRATEGY
VS. THOSE WITHOUT
Source: Content Marketing Institute
COMMIT
TO
SUCCESS

10. D
Mobile is taking over the
world. Be ready!
DON’T
FORGET
MOBILE
Source: ATU a16z
Billion people online
5
1995
2000
2004
2020
4
3
2
1
0
People online
Smartphones

11. 2005
A new pope is chosen

12. 2013
A new pope is chosen

13. Mobile is driving B2B
purchase decisions
B2B EXECUTIVES USING MOBILE TO MAKE
PURCHASE DECISIONS
D
52%
SAY THEY’RE
COMFORTABLE
MAKING PURCHASES
ON A MOBILE DEVICE
70%
OF EXECUTIVES
USE SMARTPHONES/
TABLETS TO LOOK UP
PRODUCT/SERVICE INFO
51%
SAY THAT A MOBILE
DEVICE WILL BE THEIR
PRIMARY BUSINESS
PLATFORM IN 3 YEARS
Source: Forbes
DON’T
FORGET
MOBILE

14. Show and tell to give your
audience options
STUDIES SHOW THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER
20%
OF WHAT THEY READ
10%
OF WHAT THEY HEAR
80%
OF WHAT THEY SEE
AND DO
E
EMPLOY
IMAGES

15. Show and tell to drive views
and engagement
IMAGES DRIVE VIEWS AND ENGAGEMENT
Sources: MDG Advertising and PR Newswire
E
77%
INCREASE IN
RESPONSE RATE FOR
PRESS RELEASES WITH
PHOTOS/VIDEO
94%
MORE VIEWS FOR
ARTICLES WITH IMAGES
THAN THOSE WITHOUT
EMPLOY
IMAGES

16. F
G
H
I
FOCUS ON
TOPICS
THAT FILL
A NICHE
GET BUY-IN
FROM
THE TOP
DOWN
HARNESS
THE
POWER OF
BLOGGING
INFO-GRAPHICS
COMMAND
EYEBALLS

17. Find your niche to capture
attention and SEO traffic
F
FOCUS ON
TOPICS
THAT FILL
A NICHE

18. Gain everyone’s under-standing
22%
OF B2B MARKETERS
FOUND IT CHALLENGING
and support to win
GETTING EXECUTIVE BUY-IN CAN BE CHALLENGING
G
GET BUY-IN
FROM
THE TOP
DOWN
21%
OF B2C MARKETERS
FOUND IT CHALLENGING
Source: Content Marketing Institute

19. Keep your site fresh and
boost links with blog posts
BLOGGING DRIVES TRAFFIC AND LEADS
67%
MORE LEADS GENERATED
BY B2B COMPANIES WITH A
BLOG THAN THOSE WITHOUT
H
HARNESS
THE
POWER OF
BLOGGING
5X
MORE SEARCH TRAFFIC FOR
COMPANIES THAT BLOG AT
LEAST 15X/MONTH
Source: Social B2B+ AND SEOmoz

20. Infographics benefit from higher
engagement and sharing
GET MORE LIKES, TWEETS, SHARES, ETC.
I
48%
INCREASE IN VIEWERSHIP BY
INCLUDING INFOGRAPHICS
INFO-GRAPHICS
COMMAND
EYEBALLS
Source: MDG Advertising

21. J
K
L
M
JAM THAT
CALENDAR
KEEP IT
REAL
LIKES
DON’T
EQUAL
FANS
MEASURE
RESULTS
AND
OPTIMIZED

22. Plan and fill a calendar to ensure
good content distribution
1. EFFECTIVELY UTILIZE (LIMITED) RESOURCES
2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY SEASONALITIES
3. CONSIDER YOUR PRODUCT ROADMAP
4. COORDINATE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS (E.G. PR)
5. ENSURE CONSISTENT COVERAGE
J
JAM THAT
CALENDAR

23. Keep your goals realistic and
Krooted in your audience
KEEP IT
REAL

24. You can’t bribe people to
Lbecome fans of your brand
LIKES
DON’T
EQUAL
FANS

25. No campaign is “one and done”
M
MEASURE
RESULTS
AND
OPTIMIZE
SET KPIs EARLY TO MEASURE & OPTIMIZE EFFECTIVELY
90%
ARE UNSURE THAT THEIR
KEY CONTENT METRICS ARE
EFFECTIVE IN MEASURING
BUSINESS RESULTS
Source: Contently

26. Thank you
STAY TUNED FOR “ABCs OF CONTENT MARKETING (N–Z)”
COMING SOON