Content Marketing Explained: Theory and Real Life Examples

Content Marketing Explained

Fishman PRRachael Wachstein

630.269.3725

Overview• Content Marketing: The Golden Rule• What is Content Marketing?• The Content Marketing Process• Our Content Marketing Reality• Content Marketing Examples• Stay Tuned- Content Menu

THIS IS CONTENT MARKETING

Our client had a recurring problem. Prospective customers consistently had the same questions about their services…

Do we need to hire a biohazard remediation company? Can’t we do the clean up ourselves?

Fishman PR created three short animations to address those issues with the intention of getting customers over their objections to hiring the client. The animations are used by the client in a variety of ways from email blasts, as resources on their website and in direct communications with potential clients.

http://youtu.be/aljXqIgf0Lkhttp://youtu.be/EZKyLBRnJ4ghttp://youtu.be/CGUTRWNQNDM

Content marketing for franchise systems comes down to creating content that prepares the franchise prospect or customer to close a deal or make a purchase.

http://youtu.be/EZKyLBRnJ4g




http://youtu.be/CGUTRWNQNDM

http://youtu.be/CGUTRWNQNDM

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is the practice of communicating with your target audience without hard selling. Instead, you are delivering high quality information that makes the consumer or franchise prospect more intelligent.

The idea of this strategy is that if a company delivers consistent, ongoing valuable information to target audiences, they will reward you with their business.

WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

Top Benefits of Content Marketing

• Search Engine Optimization: Search engines reward businesses that publish quality, consistent content. Search engines are a major source of website traffic.

• Lead Generation: Content is key to driving inbound traffic and converting leads.

• Establish Expertise & Trust: Providing valuable information w/o direct selling establishes a brand as the trusted expert Who better to buy from, or do business with than the trusted expert?

• Brand Awareness: Providing content of interest to the target audience will keep the brand top of mind.


Content Marketing

Content marketing can be utilized for many different purposes… – Franchise Development/B2B Sales– Consumer Sales– Customer Retention– Reputation Management


Content Marketing for Franchise Development

Buying Has Changed Forever The franchise buying process has fundamentally changed. It is no longer about the needs of the brand. Prospects are spending more time on the Web doing independent research, obtaining information from their peers and other third parties. Franchise brands that recognize this revolution in the franchise sales process and focus on the needs of prospects will experience system growth.


A banner ad is an example of the old way of marketing a franchise opportunity. It is all about the brand and the franchise opportunity but does nothing to engage and educate prospects.

The Entrepreneur’s Source also wants to sell franchises but they use a value added content marketing approach.


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The Content Marketing Process:Content Marketing in a Perfect World

INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN

• Map out the sales process or cycle• Define your target audiences and develop buyer personas• Create content based on the sales cycle and buyer personas• Set conversion goals• Deploy the content strategy• Analyze results and modify accordingly

The Content Marketing Process

Strangers Visitors Leads Franchise SaleEvaluationAwareness

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1. Map out the sales process or cycle


What are the paths to take a franchise lead from awareness, to evaluation, to purchase? Start by determining the path a lead would take when navigating through the sales funnel.

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2. Define your target audiences and develop buyer personas


A buyer persona is a composite sketch, representative of a segment of your target market. A persona is focused on the roles and responsibilities of particular franchise prospects or customers that you are going to try to establish dialogue and conversation with.

In franchise sales, the focus is on the desires, needs and problems of the franchise prospect. • What issues or problems do they have that the franchise opportunity can solve? • How will the franchise opportunity fulfill the needs of the franchise prospect? • What common questions and objections come up regarding the franchise opportunity?

How will you answer these questions? • How will you get them over their objections?

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3. Create content based on the sales cycle and buyer personas


Problem/Solution: What are the three to five problems that your prospect is faced with that your franchise opportunity can solve for them?

Success factors: What are the tangible or intangible metrics or rewards that the prospect associates with success, such as leaving the corporate world or income potential?

Perceived barriers/Objections: What factors could prompt the prospect to question whether your franchise opportunity is right for them?

Buying process: What process does this prospect follow in exploring and selecting a franchise opportunity?

Decision criteria: What aspects does the prospect look at in evaluating and comparing your brand vs. alternative franchise opportunities? The decision criteria should include insights both from prospects who chose a competitor and those who decide not to invest in a franchise at all.

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4. Define your conversion goals


Conversions can take many forms. You have to know what action you want a prospect to take in order to get them there.

• Filling out a franchise application• Requesting more information• Downloading an ebook or franchise report• Signing up for a newsletter• Scheduling an appointment• Making a purchase

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Evaluation

Visitors Leads


What content assets can be deployed to help advance franchise leads to the next stage in the buying cycle? Now that you know the paths a lead might take to convert into a franchisee, what type of content assets should they receive to nurture them along the way? Take an inventory of existing assets and identify assets that need to be developed. Deploy the content strategy.

AwarenessWhitepapers, Ebook, Kit, Checklist, How-To Video,

Educational Webinar

EvaluationCase Study, Franchisee

Testimonials, FAQ, Franchise Report

Franchise SaleLive Webinar w/Sales Team,

Discovery Day, In Person Meeting

5. Deploy the content strategy

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Email Marketing can be used at various stages of the buying cycle.


Drip email marketing programsDrip email marketing campaigns engage your franchise prospects with a series of email messages delivered at scheduled intervals. Over time, as people respond, you'll learn more about their needs and interests.

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Nurture email marketing programsNurture email marketing campaigns are a type of drip marketing program that takes undecided franchise prospects along an educational path, keeping your franchise opportunity top of mind until the prospect becomes sales-ready.

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Evaluation

Visitors Leads


Example Content: Content can be offered as an incentive to fill out a lead generation form. The type of content downloaded and the information collected in the form will help segment prospects.

Here’s what a conversion path may look like:Visit company blog >> Convert on ebook call-to-action >> Click through to site on ebook nurturing campaign >> Navigate to Get More Franchise Information Page >> Click through to site on franchisee testimonial nurture email and download franchise report>> Receive link to franchise application email >> submit franchise application>> Receive call from franchise development team >> Become a franchisee

Awareness Convert Close

Strangers

First you need to get prospects to your website or blog.

PR - Raising awareness of the brand and franchise opportunity.

Blogging - Creating high-quality content optimized for SEO. Content should not be overtly promotional or feature sales language at this stage.

Social Media - Networking through channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Paid Ads - Targeted social ads, PPC campaigns, etc.

Word of Mouth - If your franchisees are happy, they will tell others about the opportunity.


Content Marketing for Consumer Sales- The content marketing process for consumer sales is the same as the franchise sales process. Begin by mapping out the buying cycle, develop buyer personas, create content to move prospects further down the sales funnel, set KPIs, deploy your content strategy, measure, analyze and modify.


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Content Marketing Reality

In a perfect world you would follow the content marketing process laid out in the previous slides but the reality is that you have to start somewhere.

The following are some of the projects we’ve worked on…

EXAMPLES OF CONTENT MARKETING

Franchise Development Campaign - Blog, email Marketing, Online Outreach

Target: Franchise Brokers

Objective: Keep the franchise opportunity top of mind with brokers through engaging, informational and “ego baiting” content. Increase the number of franchise deals done through broker networks.

Tactics: Created a blog specifically for franchise brokers, offer content that they care about, post content to the broker portals, create email drip campaigns targeted to brokers with useful information to help them sell the franchise opportunity to prospects. The comprehensive strategy focuses on audience engagement for greater lead potential.

Brand Hub - Blog

Brand Hub (blogging platform)

Target: Property Owners

Objective: Customer Retention

Tactics: Write unique, in depth articles on topics of interest to property owners.

Success: The blog is the 4th most trafficked page on the website. We promote the blog with bi-monthly e-newsletters to their customer base.


Brand Hub - Blog

Brand HubTarget: Utility Company Executives and Program ManagersObjective: Brand Awareness, Establishment of the brand as an expert in conservation products.Tactics: Write unique, in depth articles on topics of interest to utility company executives and program managers.

Brand HubTarget: Law Enforcement, Funeral Directors, Crime Victims, Property OwnersObjective: Brand Awareness, Lead Generation, Search Engine OptimizationTactics: Write unique, in depth articles on topics of interest to Law Enforcement and other target audiences, distribute content via eNewsletters and online outreach..


Brand Hub - Blog

Social Media Engagement Target: Consumers and prospects Objective: Brand Awareness, Lead Generation, Search Engine OptimizationTactics: Write unique, thoughtful and engaging social media posts that focus on creating a community. We opened the page with 0 fans. Today we are at 18,000+ with no paid ad support.


Social Media Marketing

Email MarketingTarget: Tradeshow attendees and franchise prospectsObjective: Brand awareness, get attendees to visit the boothTactics: Create email blasts and distribute at various intervals leading up to the show, institute a call to action by setting up an appointment scheduler


Email Marketing

InfographicTarget: Law EnforcementObjective: Brand Awareness & Referrals, Inbound Links for KeywordsTactics: Pitch infographic to online influencers, authoritative websites & blogs.

Newsletter/email CampaignTarget: Property OwnersObjective: Customer RetentionTactics: Send property owners a monthly newsletter with links to the brand hub where they can share content with their networks.

EXAMPLES OF CONTENT MARKETINGInfographics & eNewsletters

Animated Demonstration VideosTarget: Customers with questions about the crime scene cleaning processObjective: Provide answers to common concerns, sales, SEOTactics: Created a series of animated videos to explain the client’s process, online distribution of optimized video content for search engine ranking benefits


Documentary ShortTarget: Prospective clients and their families, mediaObjective: Provide insight into the benefits of having professional in home care for dementia patients vs. trying to do it yourselfTactics: Created a moving short documentary about a patient, her family and their caregiver to educate the public and generate media interest on the topic.

*Animation and complex video production projects can be added for an additional fee

Multimedia Content


Online Media OutreachTarget: Links to client brand hub from authoritative websitesObjective: SEO, LEAD GENERATIONTactics: Created an infographic and pitch around Halloween and blood cleanup and conducted outreach to influential online sites. UMV: 45+ Million

The placement resulted in a huge spike in website traffic.

PR & Content Marketing Integration

CONTENT MARKETING MENU

http://www.slideshare.net/rachaelpr/need-content-services-menu

Do you need content? Purchase content as you need it.

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