What is content.
Content is...
• the staff within your business. Think of Hooters... not literally. Be Unique.
• the design of your shop/office. Google for example - Free WiFi lets them share
• your products and services. Think of Coffee shops and ‘Latte Art’
• things like the menus on your tables. You could deliver your Menus on iPads?
• the Branding of your Business. Sofa King & “prices that are Sofa King low!”
• your company values. Associations with charities and causes are great.
• your customers. User generated content on experiences via social.
• EVERYTHING. Just understand your goal & what you are trying to achieve.
13. Build your
Buyer Persona(s)
Do your research
Fictional representations of your ideal customer.
Based on data about:
// Demographics // Online behavior
// Educated speculation about their histories,
motivations & concerns.
Using these you can focus in on exactly where your buyers
will spend their time, what publications they will read, which
websites they will use and who is likely to influence them.
I’ll even help you out!
Grab me later & pinch a copy of
my ‘Persona Survey Questions’!
14. Certain types of content play particularly important
roles at specific stages of the decision-making process.
Map
Your
Content
AWARENESS
RESEARCH
COMPARISON
PURCHASE
BUYING
BLOG POSTS,
SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
EBOOKS, WEBINARS,
INDUSTRY REPORTS
CASE STUDIES, DEMOS,
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
ANALYST REPORTS,
DETAILED PRODUCT INFO
17. Set Up Your
Editorial Calendar
GOOGLE CALENDAR
A great tool for collaboration
Share this with co-workers & content creators.
• Work back from goals to define the content
• Include alll specific dates, events & opportunities
• Mix of content types, topics & personas
• A great platform to repurpose content
#OwnTheMoment Planner from Twitter
20. What is content.
Content is...
• the staff within your business. Think of Hooters... not literally. Be Unique.
• the design of your shop/office. Google for example - Free WiFi lets them share
• your products and services. Think of Coffee shops and ‘Latte Art’
• things like the menus on your tables. You could deliver your Menus on iPads?
• the Branding of your Business. Sofa King & “prices that are Sofa King low!”
• your company values. Associations with charities and causes are great.
• your customers. User generated content on experiences via social.
• EVERYTHING. Just understand your goal & what you are trying to achieve.
25. • biggest issues
• objections to buying
• the goals
• the biggest challenges
• what does success look like
• the metrics they measure by
They hear first-hand,
the challenges & issues that
your prospects are facing.
They hear the common objections
as to why people don’t buy.
Your sales team provide a
wealth of insight to the kind
of Content to create
26. Go to your
Customers
// Direct Answers // Case Studies
// Testimonials // Individual Journeys
// Content ideas
29. Before you write...
Ask yourself this.
• Is this actually useful?
• Are you adding value - or just fluff?
• Why are you writing this?
• What problems are you solving?
• What could you be doing instead?
• Is it really worth it?
“No fun for the writer - No fun for the reader.”
Although, this guy likes
fluff a little too much!
31. #1: Your story needs a Hero
• Make your customer the hero of your story.
• Tell stories they imagine themselves in.
• Understanding who you’re telling the story to.
#2: Your story needs a helper
So, what’s your role? Be Yoda
• Make yourself the “wise helper”
• Give the hero important information
• Allow them to reach the goal.
32. #3: it’s the “gap”
that makes a story work
The Pageturning Factor
It’s all about the gap... the space between what
their wants & where they are in relation to this.
1. As the gap gets smaller,
we think we’ve almost reached the goal.
2. Boom... Cliffhanger!
3. The gap widens again,
so we’re driven to find out what comes next.
Gaps command our attention &
energy, That gives stories power.
Understand the gap, and how you bridge it.
33. 1 Killer Headline +
Incredibly Useful Info that Benefits Readers +
Lively, Interesting Writing
= Genuinely great content
How to Write
Great Content
the formula...
34. The Content 80/20 Rule
8/10 Headlines get read 2/10 people read the copy
The Headline.
• The most important part of your Content.
• Make it Magnetic
• Write your headline first.
• This focuses the content, stops drift & avoids waffle.
35. Write a Killer Headline like a Boss...
“Can You Afford to Miss these 5
Easy Ways to be the Best Blogger in
the World & Make Millions in just
5 minutes - all without having to lift
a finger or learn anything, Fact.”
36. How to
• How to [benefit 1] and [benefit 2]
• How to ‘Win Friends’ and ‘Influence People’
The more you focus on the benefit to you reader in your headline -
the happier your readers will be.
List Posts
• Ways to [do something]
• Ways to Lose Your Job Whilst Presenting
A Promise of ‘what’s in store’
Demonstrates Authority and Mastery of your expertise.
37. Insight
• The Secret of [blank]
• “The Secrets of Making Millions”
Used quite a bit - because it works!
Share insider knowledge and translate that into a benefit.
Numbers
• [No’ of Ways] Ways to [do something]
• 10 Ways to Find a Friend
Use digits rather than words & always place the number at the start of the sentence.
38. Education
• The Beginners Guide to [blank]
• “The Beginners Guide to Javelin Catching”
Everyone wants to be taught.
Headline Optimisation Example
Instead of: “How to get better at planning your day.”
Try: “The 5 minute guide to planning your day
for more focus & productivity.”
39. Headline Tips
• Make an intriguing almost
irresistible promise.
• Understanding the audience is key.
• A really great Headline generally
won’t appeal to everyone.
• Understand ‘why’ the headline
works and how to tweak it.
40. Not sure which
headline to use?
Test your Headlines
on Twitter first.
Use ‘retweets’ as
a guide to
engagement
140 Characters puts anyone
who understands the
fundamentals of a good
headline at an advantage
41. Grab a copy of my
How to Win at Headlines - Swipe File.
With all the formulas & quick wins you will ever need...
To request it, show me some love on:
You have the Headline, Now on to the content.
@estrategyltd
/in/deanbreyley
42. It’s not all about length.
Although generally, longer is better
- don’t get hung up on that.
Shorter is also sometimes better.
Length is only one factor to consider.
Should we move on?
Content
And surprise!
People DO actually read it...
43. Readers like:
• 300 - 500 Words
Short, sharp creative stories that
say something new.
• 800 + Words
Long, in-depth articles. Strong
detailed narrative or insightful analysis
• Forget the Middle - 500 to 800
Not short, fast & focused or long enough
to be a real pay-off for readers.
45. Keep it Short, Sweet & Neat
• Embrace the line break (Shift+Return).
• 1 Idea per paragraph - 3 or 4 sentences at most.
• Break content with subheads - use ‘mini headlines’.
• Use bulleted lists - this provides a visual break.
• Use a strong image & deep captions (2-3 sentences).
46. • Add highly relevant links to other relevant content
• Use strategic formatting - Bold important concepts
• Harness the power of numbers (1,2,3,4,5,6,7 etc,)
• Check your dual readership path & look after Scanners.
(bullets, bold, lists, heads & subheads)
47. Include an Image
Preferably a photograph.
If in doubt - use a Puppy.
Add a Call to Action
Tell them you want them
to do something.
Seriously. Do this…
Every time.
Always. PLEASE CLICK ME
48. Optimise the Content
SEO aint dead, it’s just different
Text : Consider title tags, Meta descriptions,
H1 tags, and URL structure.
Image : Relevant alt tags, image tags, and filenames,
while keeping file size in mind, too.
49. Please use “Click here”
What the? Usability experts say:
“Never, ever use Click here for a hyper-link.”
Read more: copyblogger.com/click-here
95% of the time - Good Advice.
Show what’s on the other side of the click instead.
Click Here - On Your CTA Please
50. How to #Win
Out-teach Your Competition
Your competitors are also busy people.
Selling sexy things, sponsoring cool events,
delivering great work, yadda yadda.
So how do you stand out?
Don’t outspend them... Out-teach them!
They probably won’t be thinking of this
(erm… until they read this, so get there first!)
51. Teaching forms a bond
that no other form of
marketing provides.
Earn loyalty, respect & gain trust.
Even if they don’t buy from you,
they will still be a fan.
What do you mean “if they DON’T buy?”
Don’t neglect
Your 2nd Customer.
Just Great Marketing?
#CONTROVERSIAL
52. Repurposing Content.
Serving the same content to multiple audiences.
• Infographics
• Meme
• Videos
• Guides
• Reviews
• Opinion post
• How-to
• Lists
• Link Page
• Ebook
• Case Study
• Podcast
• Interview
• Research
• Original Data
53. Next you will learn the
7 things you absolutely,
under no circumstance,
must not do with your
Content Marketing...
54. 7 Deadly Sins
of Content
Marketing
When you come back
next time for my
presentation on:
57. Social media is not something that should be solely utilized by any one team within a company. Ideally, the entire
community will also be more apt to
share these openings with its
networks.
Internal social networking
There are some social networks that are designed to be used
entirely inside an organization. Some people like Yammer.
Some prefer Chatter. Heck, some even use Basecamp or Jive.
Whatever flavor you pick, social networking tools used
internally can be incredible for knowledge sharing, building a
sense of camaraderie, and increasing cross-functional
collaboration. Internal social networks can also be valuable for
governance and policy awareness efforts.
Career advancement
Being active and fully aware of the "hows and whats" of social
media is quickly becoming a mandatory skill in today's
workforce. This skill cannot be overlooked, especially for HR
professionals. Social media can also be used to network
online and learn about trending topics in a specific field,
discovering new areas of opportunity for the business that
might include niche communities for related professions.
Consistent branding and voice
There are many elements that go into a brand—both visual and otherwise—but ultimately what it becomes is your promise
to your customers. You define their experience of what your product offering tries to fulfill. A "brand" can feel like a very
amorphous concept; but consider the fact that your company's brand helps add tangible value to the organization, and
when managed appropriately, it can help to protect the investments made to the business over time. How one actually
determines the value of a brand is a fairly complicated endeavor.
Most of us aren't trying to compete with the most valuable global brands. That being
said, there sure is a lot you can learn from them:
Your social presence is just an extension of your brand, allowing that brand to reach many more people through networked
experiences. This can be both a risk and an opportunity, so it’s important to spend the time it takes to decide and define
what your brand will be in the social environment, as inconsistency in this area can lead to a disjointed customer experience
(or even a negative impact). Key questions to answer include:
Sample Guidelines
1. How your logo is to be represented
2. What fonts and colors can be used
and in what manner
3. A full brand description and what it
stands for
4. Situations in which the brand can and
cannot be used
5. Tone, voice, and manner guidelines
6. Other topographical and structural
elements (primarily for advertisers)
If you do not already have brand
guidelines developed, you'll
want to start there with your
marketing team. Once you have
those finished, you'll want to
address how they translate to social
media. Most of the visual
components (logos, colors, etc.) will
remain the same, though you'll want
to make sure the users setting up
your social profiles have access to
any relevant creative assets. For
more inspiration, take a look at the
and
. For most small and medium businesses, these will likely feel
overzealous (they probably are), but you can glean inspiration for the parts that make
sense for you. If you have a graphic design team, they should be able to help you with
a lot of this as well.
Know your audience. Be on-brand, but also be relevant to the environment in
which you're working. Your audience, or the social platform you are engaging on, may
slightly change your tone and voice from your brand guidelines. This is where it's
important to have a really solid understanding so you can adapt as necessary. It's not
vital to be absolutely consistent between platforms, but it is vital to demonstrate
cohesiveness.
Be human. It probably sounds obvious, but this is the goal of social media. Human
engagement is where the magic is, and keeping that in mind as you're developing your
brand will help you craft a voice that's not only solid and cohesive, but also one that
users can relate to and build relationships with. You know, like people. :)
Integrate your campaigns. Integrating your campaigns across all of your social
profiles can help solidify your brand and amplify your efforts. Using similar visual
elements across all of your profiles will help ingrain your messaging and drive home the
point in ways that are relevant and customized to the platform.
Cambridge Identity Guidelines
MailChimp's guidelines
Is social media just a fad?
Over the last several years, there has been an explosion of growth in popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter,
Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and many others. It's safe to say that the era of social media is just getting started,
and the need for social media in business will only become stronger over time. The whole world has seen the impact of the
expansion and adoption of social media tactics, and the rising stats speak for themselves.
When Facebook started in 2004, it was a bare-bones social network focused on connecting college students. Nine years
and more than 1 billion active users later, Facebook has become the most widely-used social network to date and has
shaped online interaction as we know it. From connecting distant friends and family members, to bridging the gap between
brands and their communities, Facebook has taken the way we interact online to a whole new level.
Key stats and demographics
Looking for sources? Click on any of the stats above!
How are people using Facebook?
Since its inception, Facebook has become an integral component of people's online social presence. For many, Facebook is
the only online social network in which they participate, though the level of engagement varies across the user spectrum.
From those that check the network periodically throughout the week to those who are almost compulsively active, the core
driving force to participation is connection: connecting with colleagues, friends old and new, alumni networks, and for an
increasing percentage of users, even professional connections.
The network itself has transformed into one with highly customizable privacy and visibility settings. Users can dial down their
Chapter 6
Facebook
Welcome to The Beginner's Guide to Social Media!
Welcome to The Beginner's Guide to Social Media! Whether you're new to social media or just looking to close a few
knowledge gaps, we're glad you stopped by. By now, we've all heard how valuable—even essential—social media can be.
Whether your current sentiment leans more toward enthusiasm or trepidation, there's no way around the fact that social
media is a far more complex field than it first seems. Diving in without a sense for what it's like can be overwhelming, and
building a network that provides real value takes both savvy and hard work, but fear not—we're here to help! We hope you'll
find this to be one of the most comprehensive social media resources available, and that no matter what your skill level is,
there's plenty in here to help you improve your social presence. What are we waiting for? Let's dive in!
Chapters
Introduction
1
The Value of
Social Media
2
Social Media
Best Practices
3
Social Media
Metrics and ROI
4
Find the Right
Network for You
5
Facebook
6
Twitter
7
Google+
8
LinkedIn
9
YouTube and
Pinterest
10
Blogging
11
Social Doesn't
Stop There
12
www.moz.com/beginners-guide-to-social-media/