How to Integrate Content
Marketing Into Your
Communications Strategy
Steve Halsey Principal
•
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to
victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before
defeat.”
–
Sun Tzu,
The Art of War
• Defining the fundamentals of a business strategy starts with
answering three key questions: 1. Who is the target customer?
2. What is the value proposition to that customer?
3. What are the essential capabilities needed to deliver
that value proposition?
• A strategy is essentially a road map for achieving one or
more organizational goals, so make it actionable and measurable
• Focus the strategy on the longer term, not the routine
• No one gives you market share for free, so anticipate and
plan for likely customer and competitor behaviors
• Be prepared to deal with unforeseen events, because they
will happen – for the good and bad
Key considerations when
developing strategy
So what are the implications of the
business strategy on the content
B2C executives want to drive
business value
•
Linear
– those things that tie nicely into the sales
funnel
–
Visits, page views, time on site, time on page, link
love, goal completion, etc.
•
Nonlinear
– those things that are not so easy to
quantify
–
Employee engagement, customer loyalty, brand
preference, etc.
It all depends what your senior leadership values and can make decisions on
What is more important, linear or
non-linear metrics?
Beware the folly of “make-me-look-smart” and “overreach” metrics.
Remember that the most meaningful metrics are the ones that foster better decision making.
If you don’t know your business’ goals,
how can you create meaningful content
management metrics that measure
toward them?
Thinking about ROI
But, there are many different definitions and calculations of ROI
What is your situation?
How to structure, manage and
assign content marketing
•
Lean, mean and stressed
•
Don’t fall prey to the “ping pong syndrome”
•
Identify key players and assign content deadlines to
them. Hold them accountable and teach them how to
flag and curate for you.
•
Focus on the highest value, highest impact activities
The Lone Wolf:
• Ideal structure includes:
– Team lead who is:
• Responsible for managing the overall content strategy
and adjusting the strategy based on company, marketplace and competitive factors.
• Able to keep an “eye on the prize.” It’s too easy in the
day-to-day to lose focus on the purpose/direction
• Effectively advocate for the content marketing team
– A kickin’ copywriter skilled at ferreting out stories and
delivering content that is creative, measurable, on target, and in the proper tone of voice
– A master of channel and distribution management and
The Three Musketeers:
• A well-equipped “commando team” for content management
– Should comprise the skillset, expertise, resources, and
support to make a big impact on the business • Similar structure and roles to the three musketeers
scenario, with the added options of: – Topical/functional expert(s)
– Specialist in promotions and third-party engagement
– Dedicated channel specialist, if appropriate
• Need to decide whether to deploy an
account-team-centered approach or “insource” to other experts in your firm – Depends on:
• Size and capabilities of your account team
• Available expertise within the firm
• Structural, cultural and political factors
• It is important to avoid “profit center” wars
• Do not treat content management as an afterthought to
traditional public relations, marketing or advertising
•
Need to clearly establish your expertise, value
proposition and game plan
–
Are you the “visionary” or a “doer”?
–
Do you want consulting assignments, overflow
work, or to be a seconded consultant?
–
What are the characteristics of your target client(s)
and what do you need to do to protect your turf?
A good
planning
guide
Resource planning using the “1/3 Rule”
Direct costs Indirect costs Profit/Return
•
In-house hires
bring:
–
Extra arms and legs
–
Ability to gain the exact expertise and skillset you
need
–
Credibility of being company employees
•
Agencies
bring:
–
Subject matter experts who can guide you onto new
platforms and bring you fresh thinking
–
Broader perspective and experience
–
Scalable horsepower
•
Strategy first… and always
•
Build and align your metrics to the business’
metrics
•
Optimize your team based on its size
•
Remember the 1/3 rule
22
GIBBS & SOELL, INC.
60 E. 42nd Street, 44th Floor
New York, NY 10165 www.gibbs-soell.com
Steve Halsey Principal
Managing Director, Business Consulting Practice [email protected]
@stephenhalsey
© Gibbs & Soell Inc. 2013
