The document discusses how brands are using content marketing to engage platforms and audiences. It finds that over 90% of marketers are doing content marketing and over 70% are increasing their budgets for it. Content takes many forms including blogs, videos, infographics and more. However, most marketers cannot tie their content tactics to business results. It also discusses challenges like declining exposure on Facebook and the need for a content marketing strategy rather than just tactics. Examples are given of how companies like Salesforce, GE, P&G and others are successfully using content marketing.

1. How Brands are Harnessing
Content Development to
Optimize Platform Engagement
David L Smith
CEO/Founder
Mediasmith, Inc.
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

2. Content marketing in 2014
Everybody’s doing it (over 90%)
Over 70% of marketers are increasing CM budgets
Already allocations range from 10-20% of marketing
It’s as big as social now as a priority
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

3. Top digital priorities
for 2014
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

4. “Content is King” &
For B2B, Content
Marketing is the
biggest trend
More B2B than
Consumer
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

5. Many channels in use
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

6. Taking Many Forms
Lists
Long form
Photo/Graphic (Instagram, Pinterest, Infographics)
Video (YouTube, Vimeo)
White papers
Events
Webinars
Case studies
Slideshare
Surveys
Blogs
Sharing others content
Apps
Microsites
Contests
Custom Magazines
Crowdsourcing product
Crowdsourcing blog
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

7. And Native Advertising Too
(After all, isn’t native advertising just branded
content with a paid element?)
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

8. Brands on Native
Over 80%of brands say that brand awareness is the goal
of content marketing
But, IAB discovers that Native ads work best if the consumer is
already aware of the brand and it is in the right context
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

9. © 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

10. Most Are Clueless About Success
The New Forrester B2B study shows a WHOPPING 83% of
marketers can't tie business value back to their content marketing
tactics
Most are basing success on early stage buyer acquisition (clicks, etc.)
rather effect throughout the funnel
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

11. And The Target is Elusive
Digiday and others have reported on the Facebook de-prioritization
of brands
Since Facebook changed its algorithm, business page exposure has
tanked: dropping from a 25% natural exposure rate per a post, to a
1-2% exposure
Publisher activity still counts as content (reconsider publisher
partnerships)
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

12. It’s About Strategy Not Tactics
Content marketing needs to be embedded in
everything you do
“Most of the focus is on producing content simply to
fill channels”
- Forrester
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

13. Source: Nic Newman – Journalism Media and Technology Predictions 2014
The Power of the List
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

14. Three Keys to Great Content Marketing
1. Discoverable & Shareable
2. Created for the audience’s audience
3. Methodically tested and optimized
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

15. NY Times Learnings
Experiment
Repackage your content
Re-use old content
Create content templates
Continue to innovate your platform
Content marketing is not just about publishing
Your content creators need to be socially savvy
It’s not just about the headline but social
Don’t forget search engines
Build best practice into search and social
Email is a very important marketing tool
Use your social channels for experimentation
The brand content creators need to be a part of
the marketing
Tap into the power of user generated content
Use an email marketing platform
To do content marketing at scale, you need a
“marketing platform”
Fail fast and learn
It’s a team effort
Need to know what success looks like
Leaders need to “unlearn”
Think digital as a priority
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

16. Process
Learn
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.
Plan Create Test & Opt. Deploy Analyze
Understand
your business
& buyers
Prioritize &
chart the
roadmap
Test & confirm
the best
performance
Exploit most
effective
content
Hone in on
KPI’s & report
Edit &
Develop
content for
plan

17. A Few More Data Points
Trend towards taking content creation in house (90%+) but half also
use some outside resources…
Agency participates in strategy
Agency handles distribution, syndication, sharing strategy
Only 1/3 of advertisers measure beyond the click
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

18. What Are Clients Doing?
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

19. Salesforce.com
Content Used
Infographics
E-Books with sales tips
ROI calculators &
demos
Objective: Amplify messaging & drive leads
Methods
Organic posting to
Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn
Paid promotion across all
platforms
Challenges
Matching content to
platforms
Optimizing content by
audience
Deciding what to gate
and give away
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

20. Salesforce.com Executions
Twitter
5-6 tweets in campaign
Optimize to 3
Target suitability is key
High funnel offers
Twitter Cards
Facebook
5-6 pieces of content
(monthly)
Upper and lower funnel
Mobile key
Rich audience data
LinkedIn
4 pieces at a time (monthly
refresh)
Richest B2B user data
Lower funnel works well
Social platforms deliver 20% of Salesforce lead volume

21. World Cup: Adidas versus Nike
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

22. GE
Target is partners (BDM’s), recruitment, investors, techies
How do we show people in the world who love science, tech, and invention who we really are?
Want people to associate GE with Health, Energy, Transportation Lighting and Appliances
Add 10% of earned to paid budget (amplifies
by 25%)
GE Garages (Event oriented)
Reach “maker” community of engineers,
technologists, tinkerers
Instagram to connect with Techies and
recruitment Up close and personal
Facebook: 1MM fans & working on metrics
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

23. P&G: Home Made Simple
Superstar of
Microsites
6MM+ opt-in
members
Home/Garden
recipes, tips
Facebook You Tube
TV Show Pinterest Magazine
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

24. Guitar Center
Music emphasis is at the heart of
Guitar Center need
Significant You Tube effort:
Extensive content
Seamless integration with website
Open forum for discussion
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

25. JetBlue & Southwest
Both make strong use of Twitter:
Communicate to mobile customer
Distribute messaging
Get insights on customer concerns
Quick response (Especially Southwest)
Set themselves apart from bigger, more
“corporate” airlines
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

26. What About Resources?
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

27. Tools: Content Research
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

28. Content Organization
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29. Content Creation
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30. Content Promotion
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

31. Content Analytics
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

32. In closing…
Content marketing today is where web development was in 1997-98:
Very early stage
Companies doing it “because”
Tactics and metrics immature
Good content marketing requires enormous budgets -- not the tiny budgets that
most marketers spend.
Increasingly, it is going to be a marketing requirement, and companies are going to
have to find the money to develop, distribute and measure content.
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.

33. Contact me:
smith@mediasmith.com
Follow me:
@mediadls on Twitter
mediadls on most social networks
Thank You!
© 2014 Mediasmith Inc.