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by Laura Busche
Powering Content
Preface
Attribution
O’Reilly Safari
How to Contact Us
1. Introduction
Welcome to the World of Content Marketing
10 Essential Steps to Content Success
Step 1: State What You Want to Achieve in Creating Content
Step 2: Understand Whom You Are Creating Content For
Step 3: Decide Where This Content Will Live
Step 4: Set Themes, Tones, and a Voice for Your Pieces
Step 5: Define a Visual Aesthetic for Your Brand’s Content
Step 6: Adopt Best Practices Around Content Formats and Structure
Step 7: Design Your Main Content Hub So That It Is Audience-Friendly
Step 8: Scale Your Content Production Process
Step 9: Shape and Consolidate Your Content Team
Step 10: Secure Earned, Owned, and Paid Distribution for Your Pieces
Part I: Wearing the Content Strategist Hat
Part II: Wearing the Content Creator Hat
Part III: Wearing the Production Manager Hat
I. Wearing the Content Strategist Hat
2. Setting Content Goals
Metrics Versus Goals
Common Types of Content Goals
Goals Related to SEO
Goals Related to Increasing Signups
Goals Related to Engaging Existing and New Leads
Goals Related to Revenue
Exercise: Figuring Out Your Content’s ROI
Goals Related to Traffic
Optimizing for Conversion
Making Your Content Remarkably Persuasive
Tactics to Optimize Content for Conversion
Product Links
Gated Content
Content as Product
Test, Test, Test
Reporting and Learning
Step 1: Align Metrics with Goals and Prioritize
Step 2: Ensure That Tracking Is in Place
Step 3: Build Out Dynamic Reports
Step 4: Collect Data Periodically (Revise It Daily)
Step 5: Analyze and Report on Data Periodically
Step 6: Evaluate the Most Effective Course of Action
Step 7: Share Lessons Learned
3. Designing Content Personas
Defining Your Content Personas
How to Get Started with Content Persona Research
B2B Versus B2C Content
Four Steps to Discover and Design Personas
Step 1: Start with Existing Data
Step 2: Conduct Nethnography
Step 3: Try Ethnography
Step 4: Ask
Synthesizing Personas
Refine All This Fuzziness
Nailing Down Personas: Affinity Diagramming
Get Creative: Name and Design Reader Personas
Buyer Personas Versus Reader Personas
Convertible Reader Personas
Low-Involvement and High-Involvement Readers
4. Defining Your Channels
How to Keep Up with New Channels
How to Prioritize Your Channels
Five Reasons to Choose a Blog As Your Main Content Hub
Choosing Your Social Channels
Setting Up Your Social Channels
Exercise: Mapping Your Channels
The Content Desire Chart
5. Themes, Voice, and Tone
Real-Life Examples of Core Themes
The Four-Question Technique to Find Your Own Themes
Brand Voice
Exercise: Finding Your Brand’s Unique Voice
Voice Versus Tone
Sample Experimental Tones
Conversational
Funny
Informed
Switching Between Tones
Watch Your Mood!
Documenting Your Voice and Tone Guidelines
6. Finding Your Brand’s Aesthetic
How Color Affects Brand Perception
Creating Compelling Color Combinations
Choosing a Color Palette for Your Brand
Typography and Brand Personality
Fonts Are Associated with Different Personality Traits
Choosing Your Brand’s Typography Scheme
Exercise: Unveiling Your Brand’s Visual Style
Over to You
Analyzing Results
Eight Brand Visual Styles: Find Yours
Visual Styles in Action
II. Wearing the Content Creator Hat
7. Understanding Content Formats
Articles
Presentations
Infographics
Podcasts
Videos
Images
Landing Pages and Microsites
Quizzes, Questions, and Polls
Webinars
Ebooks and Other Long-Form Pieces
Email Newsletters
User-Generated Content
Other Emerging Formats
When to Use Each Format
Basics of Repurposing Content
8. The One About Formulas and Headlines
Content Success Formulas
Successful Headlines
Creating Successful Headlines
Effective Powerwords
Copy Templates
Exercise: Create Your Own Template Bank
Becoming a More Efficient Writer
Exercise: Agile Article Writing
9. Optimizing the Content Experience with Design
How to Design Scannable Content
Creating Compelling Graphics
How Typography Affects the Content Experience
How to Design Mobile-Friendly Content
The CLEAR Design Framework
Common Mistakes in Content Design
10. Brainstorming Techniques
SOS: I Can’t Think of New Ideas
Content Idea Fragments Versus Concepts
How Exactly Do You Develop Lots of Useful Idea Fragments?
Curating Content Topics: Your Daily Routine
The No-Waste Content Ideation Matrix
Recycling
Extending
Adapting
Dissecting
Your Daily Brainstorming Routine
Lots of Ideas, No Motivation
Finding the Motivation to Produce Content
Avoiding Motivation Sinkholes
Impossibly High Expectations
Drawing Comparisons
Topic Burnout
Unnecessary Drama
Avoidable Repetition
Team Mistrust
Small-Picture Thinking
Lack of Personal Engagement
Professional Dissatisfaction
III. Wearing the Content Manager Hat
11. Scaling Content Like a Production Manager
How to Become a Content Production Manager
Creating an Editorial Calendar
Step 1: Define Your Constraints
Step 2: Identify Personas
Step 3: Collect Content Ideas
Exercise: How to Develop Hundreds of Content Ideas Fast
Step 4: Design Extended Content Products
Step 5: Fill Out Your Calendar
Establishing Systems and Routines for Content Production
Assuring Content Quality
Defining What “Great Content” Looks Like
Reverse-Engineering What Is Required to Achieve “Great” CONTENT
Content Quality Assurance
Creating Your Own Content QA Checklist
The Content Style Guide
12. Managing a Content Team
The Common Habits of Successful Project Managers
Habit 1: They Build Out Templates of Routine Tasks
Habit 2: They Ask, “Is This Scalable?” and Act Accordingly
Habit 3: They Are Clear-Cut on Feedback
Habit 4: They Use Tools and Systems Effectively
Habit 5: They Split Processes Effectively
Habit 6: They Document Everything
Habit 7: They Establish Clear Terms and Conditions
A Content Manager’s Duties
Smart Automation
Finding Tools to Optimize Processes
Exercise: Don’t Repeat Yourself
Structured Outsourcing
Effective Contracts
Intellectual Property and Licensing
About Creative Commons
Efficient Alignment
How to Get Buy-In for Your Content Initiatives with Data
Making Sure Your Meetings Stay Productive
Regular Content Audits
Exercise: Your First Content Audit
13. Content Search Engine Optimization
How Do You Get Bots to “Like” Your Content?
Exercise: Wearing Your Bot Glasses
Common Content SEO Mistakes
What Does a Perfectly Optimized Content Piece Look Like?
Optimizing for Reputation
Inbound Links (Backlinks)
Outbound Links (External Links)
Internal Linking
Domain Reputation
Visitor Engagement and Traffic
Social Metrics
Optimizing for Relevance
On-Page Keyword and Semantic Keyword Usage
Getting Started with Keyword Research
Exercise: Your First Keyword Analysis
Heading Usage
Title and Meta Description Optimization
URL Structure
Content Freshness
Image and Media Optimization
Optimizing for Readability
Page speed
Content Quality and Length
Responsive Design and User Experience
How to Know Whether You Are on the Right Track with Content SEO
14. Securing Distribution
Understanding Online Distribution
How Can I Improve My Chances of Achieving Massive Distribution?
I Just Published New Content—What Now?
Owned Channels: Building a Powerful Platform
Growing and Using Your Email List
Optimizing Your Blog for Distribution
Seeing Website Spaces as Content Real Estate
Owned Social Media
Step 1: Open Social Profiles Where It Makes Sense
Step 2: Define a Cadence, Voice, and Tone
Step 3: Shape a Visual Aesthetic for the Channel
Step 4: Select and Set Up a Tool to Manage Your Social Presence
Step 5: Refine a List of Themes
Step 6: Schedule (Trackable) New Posts Around Those Themes
Step 7: Schedule a Queue of (Trackable) Old Posts Worth Resharing
Step 8: Engage with Your Audience
Step 9: Track Performance
Step 10: Improve
Earned Channels: Borrowing a Powerful Platform
How to Reach Out to Other Brands and Influencers
Collaborations
Influencer Roundups
Exercise: The Content Partnership Challenge
How to Stimulate Organic Social Sharing
How to Encourage Reviews and Referrals
Public Relations
Paid Channels: Buying into a Powerful Platform
Content Ads
Content Syndication Networks
Paid Search
Influencer Marketing Platforms
15. Conclusion
Your Turn Now
A. The Content Manager’s 360° To-Do List
B. The Content Marketer’s Essential Dictionary
Index
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