Content 2012 for small businesses

Richard Masters

Content 2012 for Small Businesses

08/04/20231Richard Masters [email protected]

ContentsContent marketing: the theoryThe major content types

1. Blogs2. Product Information3. News Releases4. Articles, White Papers, EBooks5. Slideshows6. References/Case Studies /Reviews7. Other Content Types

How to develop content


Content Marketing: The Theory

Before dropping down into the detail of content types and uses, it is useful to reflect on the growing importance of “Content” in digital marketing.


Where does Content fit?Digital Media is a subset of all content and separate from traditional mediaIt includes Web Pages, Social Networks and other Digital ContentDigital Content is separate from web pages and social networks but overlaps with them. 08/04/2023Richard Masters [email protected]

Four reasons why content is important1. Vital factor in search2. Key to customer engagement3. Drives customer commitment4. Part of overall digital marketing

ecosystem.

Look at each of these in turn below:


1. Importance in Search•Excerpts from the 2011 Google “Quality Guidelines”

•Clearly shows that high quality, fresh and original content is vital to ranking well in search.

“Would you trust the information presented in this article?

Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?

Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis?

Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?

Does this article provide a complete or comprehensive description of the topic?

Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious”


2. Customer EngagementUltimately it is content drives customer engagement.It delivers value to customers so they stay and return to websites.As it is valuable it is also shareable, and people share it with their contacts on social media, increasing its reach.


3. Customer CommitmentIt drives customer commitment.

Different content types can be used to increase commitment and move customers through the buying cycle

Types of content are covered in more detail later


4.Key Part of the wider Digital Marketing EcosystemContent is one of the key components in the digital marketing ecosystemIt works with, and supports, the other elements of the ecosystem:

Social media posts signpost valuable content wherever it is most easily accessed

Search Engines refer searchers to sites they perceive as having value to them i.e. appropriate content


Importance of Content is increasing.Content marketing is in the ascendancy

and is regarded as the pre-eminent driving force in Digital Marketing.

Google’s recent algorithm updates (Panda & Penguin) and recent Quality Guidelines make it clear that content is also now the key to ranking well in searches.

There is an increasingly recognition that people are seeking information of value online and this is most easily provided by a variety of original and fresh content types.


Content Types for Small Businesses

There are a lot of content type it is possible to include in a Digital Marketing Strategy. In reality a large number of them are really only appropriate for larger businesses or brands. Some of the more feasible content types for small businesses are outlined below,


Content TypesThere are potentially a large number of

different content types available. A recent article has identified 42 types.

They represent different combinations media types, delivery methods, subject matter, ownership and purposes.

This section looks at a subset of the most popular content types on the grounds that these are ones most likely to applicable to small businesses.


Classification of Content TypesThere are a number of different ways of

classifying content. Some of the main one are:

1. Ownership: Owned, Paid for or Curated2. Media type: Text, Video, audio, Images3. Longevity: Short term news to long term

studies4. Content type: Ideas, Opinions,

Advertising, Academic5. Point in sales cycle: Interest generation

through to generating long term relationships


Most Popular content types for small businesses

The most popular content types for small businesses are described subsequently:

1. Blogs2. Product Information3. News Releases4. Articles, White Papers, EBooks5. Slideshows6. References/Case Studies /Reviews7. Other Content TypesWeb pages and Social media are covered

elsewhere.The relative popularity of the types are shown next


Leading Content Types


: The State of SEO & Internet Marketing in 2012

: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33503/Sneak-Peek-The-State-of-SEO-Internet-Marketing-in-2012-New-Data.aspx#ixzz2DLFzzFFM

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33503/Sneak-Peek-The-State-of-SEO-Internet-Marketing-in-2012-New-Data.aspx#ixzz2DLFzzFFM



1. Blogs

Blogs are the most popular content types at present, but their popularity may now have peeked due the sheer numbers and the effort involved in creating them.


Blogs (1): What?WeBLOGs are a very common form of business content.Independent journals containing opinions and comment.Not regarded as promotion, but as authentic contentRegular and consistent and build up a readership.Sign post other content for further engagement..


Blogs(2) Why?Very easy way to add fresh content to a websiteThey are indexed by search engines and appear in listingsThey are very good for website rankings and drive search traffic. They also attract significant extra numbers of visitors to websites!


Blogs (3): Basic Set-up1. Select your blogging

Platform ( ideally linked to your website domain). Main ones shown across:->>

2. These come with tools to create your own customised Blog.

3. Select a distribution channel: Email and RSS feeds are the most common methods. Tools exist to do this (e.g. Feedburner or Feedblitz).

4. Generate content!

5. Promote your blog to develop a readership

6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 on a regular basis!


http://blogging.org/blog/blogging-stats-2012-infographic

http://blogging.org/blog/blogging-stats-2012-infographic

Blogs (4): Right for your business?Blogging is a big commitment of time and

effort but can bring lots of website traffic and establish authority and trust

Works best if your target customer personas follow blogs!

If you, your business, generates ideas and views and this can be re-purposed then this is a good basis to build upon.

If competitors produce Blogs, start by following these before committing.

Not a decision to be entered into lightly. See resources paper for more details. 08/04/2023

Richard Masters [email protected]

2. Product Information

A good starting point for content creation is to use the information on your own products generated by your business.


Product Information(1): WhyMain Web Pages should contain product/service

customer benefits information only!Most businesses have lots of additional

information on their offerings. In content terms this is Low hanging fruit!This information is potentially very beneficial

because it allows customers to fully evaluate your offerings

It also presents valuable content that helps for search purposes

Key is: how best to present it to greatest effect!


Product Information (2): WhatProduct/service

descriptionsOnline cataloguesProduct guidesBrochures Manuals‘How to’

guides/videosProduct exploitation

guides, tutorials, hints and tips.

Customer discussion Forums

FAQ’sHelp/Advice

Desks and Online advisors

Useful industry information


Product Information:(3)How?The key is to select the most effective media and

presentation type. This depends on the nature of the content and the preferences of the target audience.

Approach should generally be multi media if at all possible.

Text is fine for basic informationImages are essential if products are intrinsically

visual.Video can be tremendously effective where things

are best explained using words and picturesPreferably stored on your own domain, but can be

embedded where external services are being used.08/04/2023


3. News Releases

News releases, formerly known as Press Releases, are an easy, and good way, of generating content.


News Releases (1): WhyBuyers now read press releases directly so they

are now called news releases. Search engines index them and rank them

highly. They will therefore drive traffic to your website.

Your audience is everyone who has an internet connection and uses a search engine!

Promote you as an authority in a subject areaThey add fresh, regular and topical content to

your websiteIf journalists use them - that is an added bonus!


News Releases (2): Importance Often appear ahead of home pages in search as they are often topicalBy linking to web pages they promote other content on the siteJournalists may regard you as authoritative and publish or link to your site.


News Releases (3): What?Find good reasons to send news Releases on a regular basis. See Meerman-Scott’s advice->>Write for your potential customers not just journalistsStructure and index your releases for search engines!(see resources paper).Link copiously your other website content.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-New-Rules-Marketing-Applications/dp/1118026985/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354021259&sr=8-2




News releases (4): How?

Consider establishing a press section(newsroom) on your site. Include background company and industry information.

Provide an index of News Releases and make them downloadable.

Send them directly to relevant Journalists and consider using a press release distribution service (see resources paper)

Post links to Social Networking and Sharing sites and include sharing links on the releases themselves.

Send them to your customers and prospects. They tell your customers you are busy, active, expert and a trusted resource.


4.Articles/White Papers and EBooks

Collectively these content types can be loosely defined as containing “independent” or “academic” content as opposed to content clearly related to your products and services.


Benefits of Academic Content


ArticlesDesigned to be published elsewhere:

Journals/specialist websitesHigh quality content of value ( Academic

standard)Primary aim to develop your

authority/reputationCan have links back to your website, other

content and your products and servicesShould not feature overt CTA’s/links to

landing pagesTakes effort/dedication to market them

yourselfMarketing software and distribution

agencies exist


White PapersHighly focussed on single customer problemsAimed at providing solutions and demonstrating

expertiseTypically longer than a blog 3-12 pagesMultimedia best approachCan address a small number of inter-related issuesCan be used to obtain newsletter sign-ups,

Facebook page “likes”, or build an email listPromote them through all available channels:

Website, Direct and SocialRepurpose them into blogs and webinars to extend

longevity.


EBooksMain purpose tends to be to establish reputation

but can be revenue earningTend to be longer and can range from 20 pages to

several hundred.Concept rather than customer problem focussedHighly structured and designed for skimmersContain book artefacts: Covers, content lists,

references etc.Usually PDF’s for download but can be publishedTools exist to create and publish books (

see resources guide)Promotion: Direct, social media or via publishers.


5. Slideshows

Slideshows are a very powerful way of presenting content and can be used across a variety of platforms. They can also rank highly in searches in their own right.


Slideshows-What?Slideshows have been traditionally associated with

PowerPoint presentations.They are much more than this and can include visual

content of all forms (graphs, images, screenshots, video, audio etc).

They are very easy to put together and take less effort than articles and white papers

They can be freestanding or embedded in Blogs, Websites (for example this presentation) and Social sites.

Can be made available in the cloud and are downloadable and shared easily

Regarded as authoritative content and not promotion.


Slideshows: Why?Good at presenting information that lends

itself to the narrative from.Easy and quick to produce- lots of tools and

templatesCan be used with a presenter or without.

Works 24/7!Can be easily accessed anywhere and

sharedCan be easily repurposed into webinars etc

or embedded into websitesCan be indexed and found by search

engines- often appear high in SERPs 08/04/2023Richard Masters [email protected]

Slideshows: how?Slideshows have two elements.

A creation systemA sharing platform

Creation system. The most common one is PowerPoint. Lots of templates exist to support this. It is equally possible to use other systems such as Google Docs.

Sharing Platforms. These are cloud based systems that allow presentations to be accessed and shared. By far the most common is Slideshare but Scribd, Docstac, boxnet and Dropbox etc also allow this.


SlideshareThis is the overwhelming market leader in sharing

platforms and is now owned by LinkedIn.More than just slides, but most visual content, can

included e.g. PDF’s and Video etcIt indexes and submits all presentations to the major

search engines for inclusion in searches.Because it is the global top 150 of all websites it

imparts significant search authority to items it indexes. These often outrank the same content presented in Blogs or on Websites.

It is a social system in its own right and allows content libraries to be built which establish and enhance reputation.


Slideshare section for this site.


PreziPresentations are traditionally composed of

slides structured in a linear manner, irrespective of which tool is used.

Prezi is a futuristic and radical alternative which presents information in a map (or spatial) format. Bit like a mind map.

In is navigated by panning and zooming rather than by the sequential progression of slides.

Can include images and video etc.Not currently searchable therefore does not

have these benefits of Slideshare. 08/04/2023Richard Masters [email protected]

6.References/Case Studies/Reviews

These are important for a different reason: they are there to provide external proof that you do what you say you do!


Why are they important?This type of content is vital because it

provides “proof” that you do what you say you do.

People believe what other people say about you do many times more than what you say about yourself.

Regarded as authenticJust about the most important and powerful

content you can have on your website


Case StudiesCase studies are single “problem” or “pain

point” based and not product/service orientated.

They describe how a particular customer/client has overcome a particular problem using your product/services.

They are regarded as authentic proof, and not, spin by clients

Constructed using a standard STAR type methodology (Situation, Task, Actions, Results)

Be written by the customer (or for the customer) in his own words


Customer ReferencesCustomer references generally relate either individual

products/services or to the overall company itself.They represent reviews and evaluations by customers

who have actually used/adopted your products /services or dealt with your company

They are typically produced by B2B companies and are a particular feature of the high technology industries.

Can be in a variety of formats from text through to videos.

Some companies have proactive programmes to generate them and use them as a key element of marketing collateral.

Their power lies in their peer-to-peer authentication.


Customer Reviews: What are they?Reviews, provided directly by customers/clients, on your products/servicesOften hosted on third party sites but can be included on your own site Examples: Trip Advisor, Amazon, Google Places (now G+ local), Yelp, Yell


Customer Reviews: Why important?70% of online purchasers say they consult

online reviews before purchasing.They are consulted at a key point in the

buying cycle before buyers finally commit to buying (often called the Zero Moment of Truth or ZMOT- see Resources Paper).

They are an integral part of establishing and maintaining your online reputation

They are important for Search. Reviews often appear in their own right in SERPs listings and give your products online credibility. 08/04/2023


Customer reviews: Where?Own Website.

Host on your own site and collect reviews as part of the sales process.

Or create an online customer forumLocal Directories

These are most likely to be important for small businesses.

The prime one is Google Places (now G+ Local). Also Yelp, Yell, Yahoo Local and Bing Local and

Foursquare.Specialist Review Sites.

Travel: Trip Advisor. Hugely important in this areaEating out : Top Table, Squaremeal, Time out etc


Customer Reviews: Where(2)?Retailers:

General Retail: Amazon the leader, Argos, John Lewis etc.Specialist retailers: tend to be product area specific e.g.

Electrical, IT or Financial services etc.Others

Specialist review/Comparison sites: Reevoo, Reviewcentre, Which

Price Comparison Sites: Tend to be financial orientated but can include other factors.

Wherever third party reviews exist these represent valuable content and authentic “proof” and should be incorporated within your digital marketing ecosystem in as many places as possible.


Customer Reviews: How?1. The first thing is to ensue you capture and

record everything. Even excerpts from customer letters or verbal comments can be repurposed!

2. If “local” is important, create a G+ Local (Google places) account and similar. Treat them as another mini websites or another other social media account.

3. Decide if you want to own your own customer review data or rely on third party sites. If you want your own then set one up to capture feedback and comments.


Customer Reviews: How(2)?4. Identify which review sites are important for your

business and encourage your customers to post reviews on them.

5. Populate your website and social media accounts with the reviews posted on the various sites or link directly to the sites.

6. Monitor all online comments/ mentions, using a tool such as Google Alerts, and respond where appropriate.( this should be a basic part of customer service)

7. Always look for opportunities to develop comments into fully fledged Customer Reviews or Case Studies to build your databank of proof .


7. Other Content Types

Above, I have selected 6 content types which appear, on the basis of popularity, to be most appropriate for small businesses. Ultimately which content type is suitable, depends on the nature of your business, its offerings, its target markets and your own skills and inclinations!For completeness, some of the other more commonly used content types are listed below.


Other Common Content Types(1)Type Characteristics

Social Media updates

•Existing feeds such as Twitter(micro Blog)feeds can be replicated.•Widgets exists to embed on websites

Pod or Audiocasts

•Downloadable or streamed audio files. •Can be listened to independently or on iPod or MP3 players etc.

VideoBlogs or Vlogs

•As above.•Can be played on MP4 players or streamed from You Tube etc.

Webinars/Screencasts/Webcasts/On line presentations

•Online seminars. Can be live or available on-demand or as transcripts.•Can get questions in advance via social media

Online Conferences /Hangouts

•Live, multi participant events

Advertising •Advertising, especially display type advertising, can provide powerful content


Other Common Content Types(2)Type Characteristics

Infographics/Images/Graphs etc

•Visual representations generally work better than text and narrative and should be included wherever practical.

Newsletters •Summaries of other information in brief form indexed on site.•Can be mailed out on a permission basis (so not spam)

Wiki’s/Glossaries •Definitions of useful terms etc.•People tend to link and bookmark as a resource

Events •Landing pages for booking events•Providing additional information and links•Summaries of papers/attendee feedback

Industry/Analyst/ Curated information

•Compilations of useful independent research/views etc on the marketplace or industry

Polls/Surveys •Purpose generated research to demonstrate authority and relevance of product/Services


Developing a Content Strategy

The majority of the literature on developing content strategies is aimed at large brands with dedicated resources on a scale that is simply not available to small businesses. This section outlines a simple pragmatic approach suitable for small businesses.


Content Strategy: Four Key steps

Execute the plan and review success.

Content creation plan

What content should you create?

Content Audit- what have you got?


1. Content Audit•Type

, Topic, Date, Who aimed at (personas),Success in generating business.

Make a list of content you

already have/generate and note the following:

•Press information, Social media activities, Web pages ,Industry presence, Paid presence (advertising)

Identify which of this is available online loosely classified into content areas:

•Type, nature and media, who it might benefit, how might it be used

Identify what information you

currently generate is not being fully exploited online?


2. What content should you create?Delicate balance between Supply and Demand factors.

Evaluate each type and come up with a list which are right for your business

Validate against competition. 08/04/2023Richard Masters [email protected]

3.Content Creation Plan (1): For Who?

Which of your key personas should you be creating content for?Where in the buying cycle do you want to target it at


http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/docs/ebooks/a_practical_guide_to_marketing_content.pdf



Content Creation Plan(2) What to create?

Think about what content types are available to youAssess the degree they fit what you are trying to achieve with each persona type


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Content Creation Plan (3): What form?

Need to check what is the best form for delivering the contentNeed to consider if it is feasible from your own resource perspective and whether it will really work with your target customers





4. Execute the Plan! This is the hardest part.Need to be realistic about the resources and commitment requiredOutsourcing is a choice but expensive!Must be relentless and consistentCreate a schedule and stick to it!


Downloadable ResourcesTitle Download link (Boxnet)

Content: General Resources Document

https://www.box.com/s/g2x10nasleahri02c3sg

Blogs: Resources Document https://www.box.com/s/3ztt4pc1i2mmrgmutako

Product/Services Information: Resources Document

https://www.box.com/s/mtszn7wfevu27fylqf7n

News Releases: Resources Document

https://www.box.com/s/csste2b8wquaxd3kydvq

Articles, White Papers, eBooks: Resources Document

https://www.box.com/s/c9horukqoqva4fjjp212

Slideshows: Resources Document https://www.box.com/s/qyzstlvhs9r5gbpp80jd

Case Studies, Reviews, References: Resource Document

https://www.box.com/s/ufhpmnvb5se8tf8z9hbi

Content Strategy: Resources Document

https://www.box.com/s/du1p5drmz3fajnmy71r5




https://www.box.com/s/3ztt4pc1i2mmrgmutako

https://www.box.com/s/3ztt4pc1i2mmrgmutako







https://www.box.com/s/qyzstlvhs9r5gbpp80jd

https://www.box.com/s/qyzstlvhs9r5gbpp80jd





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Content 2012 for small businesses

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Transcript of Content 2012 for small businesses