WORDPRESS MEETUP CONTENT PLAN

CONTENT PLANNING FOR YOUR WORDPRESS SITE/BLOG

Cynthia TrevinoWordPress San Diego Community Meetup

August 23, 2011

AGENDA

• Why Website Content Counts

• Content Definitions

• 10 Steps to Content Planning

• Questions

WHY GREAT CONTENT COUNTS

• Posting unique content is one of most cost-effective ways to “get found” online

• Sharing your knowledge starts customer relationships

• Supplying help/answers “with no strings attached” makes your site memorable to your ideal customers

The quality + freshness of your website content matters because you want to make money.

Endless customer choices when searching for help:

Google, YouTube, Facebook, Bing, big media sites, Forbes.com, Alltop, blogs,

forums...

AOL, NIELSEN STUDY, 2010: CONTENT IS THE FUEL OF THE SOCIAL WEB

AOL, NIELSEN STUDY, 2010: CONTENT IS THE FUEL OF THE SOCIAL WEB

WEBSITE CONTENT DEFINITIONS

• Great content

• Captures visitors’ attention

• Provides accurate answers

• Adds value to visitor’s search for help

• Is relevant to the “job they need done”

• Informs + is accurate

• Can be fun

• Engages

WEBSITE CONTENT DEFINITIONS

• Content marketing: using different types of valuable, frequently-updated information to find customers

• Getting your site found by your ideal customers

• Building awareness for your products, services, brand

• Earning credibility + trust by sharing your expertise

• Winning customers by starting relationships

• Inspiring online sharing of your content

WEBSITE CONTENT DEFINITIONS

• Content types

• Blog posts, website articles, newsletters

• Frequently Asked Questions/Q&A

• White papers, eBooks

• Newsworthy press releases, customer experience stories

• Customer success stories, case studies

• How-to guides, cheat sheets, tips, tutorials

WEBSITE CONTENT DEFINITIONS

• Content formats: ways visitors can “consume” content on your site or blog

• Text, pictures, graphs, charts

• Online video, YouTube videos, audio podcasts

• Archived “on demand” webinars

• PowerPoint

WEBSITE CONTENT DEFINITIONS

• Outbound marketing: Traditional, old school tactics for stimulating awareness and finding customers. Interruption marketing.

• Cold calling, telemarketing

• Print advertising

• Trade shows

• Junk mail, direct mail

• Buying or renting email lists

WEBSITE CONTENT DEFINITIONS

• Inbound marketing: Using valuable, original content to attract your ideal customers to your website and/or blog

• Making your site/blog your online “hub”

• Developing fresh, high-quality content to win customers

• Linking to your content-rich “hub” website or blog from social media sites

10 STEPS TO CONTENT PLANNING

FOR YOUR BLOG OR WEBSITE

STEP 1: WHO IS YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER?

• Creating great content starts with a rock-solid profile of your ideal customer

• Develop a much deeper understanding than... male, 40-60 years old

• Who do they follow?

• Children, favorite sites/publications, education, vacation spots...

STEP 2: REFRESH YOUR KEYWORDS

• Research up-to-date industry terms your ideal customers use

• Ask customers, prospects terms they use to search online

• Track top competitors’ keywords

• Stay on top of current big problems your customers face

STEP 3: DEVELOP YOUR “CALLS TO ACTION”

• Exactly what do you want visitors to do on your site/blog in order for you to win the business?

• Sign-up for e-newsletter

• Fill out a lead form

• Call you

• Take a survey

• Download a piece of content in exchange for joining your distribution list

STEP 4: REINFORCE YOUR CREDIBILITY

• Post customer success stories using your products, services

• One-up your competition’s level of knowledge sharing

• Link to 3rd party sites where your content is published

ESTABLISHING CREDIBILITY USING CASE STUDY http://www.sunrunhome.com/ca/el-cajon-california-solar/sandras-story

CASE STUDY EXAMPLE: TRIMARK INTERNET MARKETING CO. http://www.trimarksolutions.com/case-studies/social-media-strategy.php

STEP 5: FIND CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY TOPICS

• Call, talk to at least 2 customers every day

• Scan customer emails

• Identify themes being discussed at customers’ favorite social media sites

• Think about recent customer conversations

STEP 6: REPURPOSE EXISTING CONTENT

• Inventory all information, documents

• Refine content with new introduction

• Break up longer documents into blog posts, cheat sheets

• Repurpose how-to info, guides, customer tip sheets

STEP 7: OUTLINE YOUR CONTENT PLAN

• Use any outline method that works for you

• Develop a spreadsheet or word processing document

• Track keywords, topics, types of content

• Determine frequency of posting

SAMPLE MAGAZINE EDITORIAL CALENDAR

Source: Chemical Processing Magazine

WEBSITE EDITORIAL CONTENT CALENDAR

Source: Content Marketing Institute

SAMPLE BLOG CONTENT CALENDAR

Source: Resonnect

SAMPLE CONTENT CALENDAR (WORD)

Source: Resonnect

STEP 8: ADD SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING

• Don’t forget email is the primary sharing channel for most people

• Use the sharing buttons for your customers’ preferred social networks

• People want to share information that will help others

STEP 9: EXECUTE YOUR CONTENT PLAN

• Recruit guest bloggers, authors

• Plan your content out at least 8 weeks

• Write in “chunks”

• Request testimonials, case studies

• Decide how to do video

STEP 10: NEVER STOP TESTING, IMPROVING YOUR CONTENT

• Obtain customer feedback on your content

• Track metrics--which content resonates with your ideal customers?

• Update your content

• Keep creating content that works

QUESTIONS

ABOUT ME

• Cynthia Trevino, Small Business Marketing Mentor

• Reducing the learning curve for businesses open to using social media to find customers.

• Blogging since 2006 at: www.smallcompanybigimage.com

• [email protected]