Finally:

Content Marketing
Explained
An eBook by oktopost
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 2

2. BLOGS ........................................................................................................................ 3
2.1 Ideas ....................................................................................................................... 3
2.2 Titles ........................................................................................................................ 5
2.3 Writers Block ........................................................................................................ 6

3. SOCIAL CONTENT .................................................................................................... 7

4. B2B E-MAIL CAMPAIGNS ...................................................................................... 10

4.1 Examples of B2B E-mail Campaigns .............................................................. 10
4.2 Best Practices for E-mail Composition ........................................................... 12

5. WHITE PAPERS ........................................................................................................ 14

5.1 Structural Elements of a White Paper ............................................................ 15
5.2 Guidelines and Tips for White Paper Content ............................................. 16

6. CASE STUDIES ........................................................................................................ 17

6.1 4 Steps to Laying the Groundwork for Case Studies .................................. 17
6.2 How to Write a Case Study ............................................................................... 19

7. MARKETING DECKS .............................................................................................. 20

7.1 Promotional Decks ............................................................................................ 20
7.2 Non-Promotional Decks .................................................................................... 21
7.3 10 Quick Tips for Marketing Decks ................................................................ 22

8. REPURPOSING CONTENT .................................................................................... 23

8.1 How to Repurpose Content ............................................................................ 24

9. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................... 25

10. ENDNOTES .............................................................................................................. 26

Content Marketing Explained by 2

Introduction
With the advent of the Internet and digital media, as well as the fading influence of traditional
media channels, marketers have blazed an entirely new path towards their target markets.
The shift in paradigm witnessed by content marketing has also impacted the way in which
people consume content and interact with brands. Digital channels such as e-mail and social
media have become key areas for consumer research, consumption, and interaction.

In the mid-1960s, Gordon Moore, Co-Founder of Intel Corporation, predicted that the computing
power of micro-chips would double every year - known as Moores Law. This prediction not
only proved to be true for computing, but was equally applicable to technology's impact on
other disciplines including marketing, and specifically content marketing.

In this new world of content marketing, blog posts, white papers, webinars, case studies, and
testimonials have replaced the old world traditional marketing tactics that used to dominate
the field. With the changing winds of marketing tactics also comes a set of different resources,
tools, and assets utilized by marketers to practice their trade.

Moores Law continues, and marketing is seeing an exponential growth in light of the
technological power of the tools available. Without having a solid strategy to follow and
adhere to, a modern day marketer can often find himself or herself lost in the bevy of new
marketing platforms, content creation, and social media channels

White papers, social content, e-mail, marketing collateral, and other forms of digital content
will all be expounded upon in this eBook. Readers will gain real, actionable advice on how to
fully leverage these types of content to maximize marketing efforts.

The following pages will act as a valuable resource for each and every content marketer, and
serve as a guide for navigating the intricate world of modern content marketing.

Content Marketing Explained by 2

Blogs
In the digital age of content marketing, a fine-tune ones strategy at every step of the
marketers greatest weapon is blog writing. blog content creation process. A number of
Whether writing for a company blog, obstacles may hinder a marketers ability
personal blog, or guest posting on external to implement a robust blog management
blogs, creating original and engaging strategy. As a result, maintaining an active
content is absolutely necessary. blog requires creativity, resourcefulness,
patience, and time - lots of time.
While personal blogging can be a great
cathartic exercise, marketers have also The blog writing process must be streamlined
been able to leverage this channel to create from the initial idea phase all the way to
unique and valuable content. In fact, over overcoming writers block. In other words, a
60% of businesses in the US alone have a marketer needs to be prepared for anything.
company blog.1 While this statistic may seem
impressive, it also indicates that nearly 40%
of businesses an alarmingly large number, Ideas
do not have blogs. Before actually writing, the first task is to
come up with several original and creative
topics for blog posts. At first, this might seem
like a simple task, yet given the pressure to
generate content on a weekly or even a daily
basis, one has to eventually dig deeper to
get his or her creative juices flowing which
can prove to be a major stumbling block.

Often times, a marketer needs to keep blog

posts focused on a particular niche, market,
segment, or demographic. This creates
a situation where there are a seemingly
limited number of topics to choose from for
blog posts. Marketers are not born with the
trait of being able to pull blog topics out of
thin air this skill is learned through blood,
sweat, and tears.

Creativity is one of the prerequisites for a

successful content marketer. However, even
Even for the most skilled of marketers, the most creative marketers need to employ
creating a constant stream of quality content tactics that will enable them to seek outside
can be a daunting task. Its important to inspiration for blog posts.

Content Marketing Explained by 3

A few sources exist from which a content
marketer can derive inspiration for blog
posts, which are outlined below.

Breaking News
Occasionally, there are news stories that
grab the headlines, and once in a while,
these stories are directly related to a certain
industry. Knowing how and when to capitalize
on a popular story is a crucial skill for content
marketers, as it can provide a wealth of
opportunities for content generation.

The concept of newsjacking refers to

linking ones own product or service to
recent news in order to increase visibility.
This strategy can be highly effective for
increasing the virality of content. Obviously,
newsjacking needs to be done with a certain
amount of discretion so as not to capitalize Needs of the Target Market
on inappropriate stories. Identifying ideal Writing the right content, at the right time,
stories to piggyback on can be achieved for the right audience, is crucial to any
by monitoring social channels - particularly content marketing strategy. To identify the
Twitters trending feature, and following best topics to cover in a given blog post,
discussion groups, blogs, news sites, and marketers must keep his or her finger on the
popular discussions around the office. pulse of their target market at all times.

Common examples of news that can be This can easily be done by identifying
leveraged for blog posts include: propinquity points places where ones
target market gathers for discussion, and
Sporting events, politics, weather, tragedy*, taking notice of frequently asked questions
recently publised research, changes in and hotly debated topics. With this
economic policy, comments from or actions information, marketers can then formulate a
taken by high profile figures, television series blog post that will provide real value for their
episodes or season finales, large companies specific target markets.
going out of business, earnings reports,
global economic shifts, and holidays.
Personal Experience
*Utilizing a news story about a tragic event must be Each person has a unique personal story to
done with a certain level of tact.

Content Marketing Explained by 4

tell, and a good marketer can harness life greater effect. While one can only speculate
experiences and turn them into valuable, as to why this phenomenon exists, its
engaging content. While, in general, there's a possible that readers consider odd numbers
tendency to keep personal and professional indicative of better-researched and more
lives separate, when it comes to marketing, valuable information.
in many cases there are no better stories to
tell than ones own.
How-Tos
Blog readers are generally looking to learn
Keep a List of Ideas something interesting or solve a problem
A marketers creativity can often ebb and they are experiencing. Putting the phrase
flow with time. As the above principles How To... in the title (the phrase tips also
begin to be applied, marketers can find works) indicates that readers will actually
themselves having a long list of blog post learn how to do something, or improve on
ideas on a given day, but later on that week, their current strategy.
find themselves at a loss for inspiration.

When a marketer feels a wave of creativity

SEO
coming on, its important for him or her to When a search engine crawls a blog post,
grab a pen and start writing. When the it looks for certain terms or keywords that
lean times come, and there is a dearth of can identify what the post is about. The goal
creativity, its extremely useful to go back to of content marketers is to have blog posts
that list and find a relevant topic to cover. appear at the top of the search results when
the correct term is searched for.

Titles After conducting research on a target

Studies have found that a writer only has market, one can utilize Googles Adwords
an 8 second window to capture a readers tool to pinpoint relevant keywords to focus
attention.2 Given the impatience of the on. Adwords not only ranks the popularity
digital content consumer, content marketers of certain keywords, it also suggests similar
must include strong titles in their blog posts. ones that can be used. Its advisable to
go after long-tail keywords that have less
Below is a list of tried and true guidelines for competition - but which are more hyper
creating an effective blog post title. focused on a certain niche.

Numbers and Lists Urgency

According to the Content Marketing Institute, A blog titles goal is to get the reader to
a title with a number in it is more enticing keep reading. To achieve this, urgency
to a reader than one without.3 Interestingly, should be used to capture attention. This is
using odd numbers will have an even especially true when it comes to launching

Content Marketing Explained by 5

a promotion or trying to drive attendance been championed by both Upworthy and
for an upcoming event. In these situations, Viralnova, and have been wildly successful.
the difference between using a subject line Cards for Humanity, a recent side-project
such as Our annual end of summer sale is created by Centup a startup that lets
next week, or Only 5 days left until our end content writers collect donations for their
of summer sale begins! can be huge. The content, found a 450% increase in website
first announces the sale in a dry and boring traffic after employing this tactic.5
manner, while the second motivates people
to get ready and be excited for the sale.

Be Provocative
Research shows that readers are often
attracted to titles along the lines of Youre
Doing it Wrong, or Why You Are Losing
Money.4 For one reason or another, people
respond more to the negative. As with all things in marketing, this must
be done in moderation. The backlash from
Keep in mind that all things must be done clickbait headlines/titles is gaining steam,
in moderation, and so marketers should be but once again - numbers dont lie.
cautious not to cross the line from risqu to
inappropriate. At times, being an objective
judge of this can be difficult, so its best to Writers Block
get a second opinion. Similar to other types of authors, content
writers often find themselves unable to
come up with new ideas for content. For a
Ask Questions content marketer, writers block can be
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but its also a disaster, given that content creation is a
a great motivator for the average content primary responsibility of the job.
consumer. Asking questions in the title of a
blog not only piques the readers interest, it
also implies that the answer to the question
Google
can be found if the time is taken to read the Searching for keywords relating to a specific
post. industry and/or target market is an excellent
strategy. It enables marketers to see what
keywords are most popular, which are
Clickbait less frequently searched for, and can also
You wont believe what happened next... provide inspiration for content.
Though considered cheap and cheesy
by many, utilizing cliff hanger-esque
titles works. These clickbait titles have

Content Marketing Explained by 6

Social Listening
The social web is a great resource for
determining what people are interested in
reading about. Read a few articles on popular
industry blogs, find the right LinkedIn Groups
to join, or follow relevant lists on Twitter
to learn what people are saying. Social
listening should be part of every marketer's
morning routine, and can be used not only to
come up with new ideas, but also to curate
valuable content for prospects and clients.

Take a Break
Everyone needs to take a break once in
a while. Sometimes, the best way to cure
writers block is to stand up, walk away from
the desk, and just do something else. Its
easier to come up with an idea after clearing
ones mind and disconnecting for a short
while.

Keep a Running List

Humans tend to go through creative
spurts in which they are overcome with
ideas and motivation. It is in these times that
a marketer must seize the moment and
write out potential blog post ideas.

Just Write
Social Content
In nearly every college-level writing course, What we now call traditional marketing
students must complete an exercise in which consists of print advertising, branded
they just write without thinking or planning. magazines, catalogs, and direct selling.
This exercise not only helps improve overall The modern-day marketer has adopted a
writing skills, but when its difficult to come completely digital strategy that deviates
up with new ideas, bloggers can sift through from these methods and focuses almost
what they have written and cull a coherent exclusively on digital content.
theme from it.
The new marketing content comprises

Content Marketing Explained by 7

eBooks, white papers, blog posts, and prospects and existing customers on social
webinars, and the Internet is considered the media, marketers must still define a target
primary conduit for distribution. Moreover, audience, analyze its interests, needs and
the digital age has caused social media unifying traits, and distribute content on a
to be a fundamental channel for content large-scale. In addition, the development
distribution. In fact, 87% of B2B marketers of cloud-based social media management
consider social to be the most effective platforms gives businesses the opportunity
distribution channel for content marketing.6 to track, monitor, and measure social
content activities in the same way as other
marketing collateral.

Source: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs

When it comes to B2B, LinkedIn is by far the
most widely utilized social media channel
With the paradigm shift that content for both networking and lead generation.
marketing has witnessed over the last Beyond having the ability to connect with a
decade, a new concept has now come into variety of business professionals in different
existence: social content marketing. tent, a fields, LinkedIn Groups provide a valuable
Facebook post is content, and a discussion outlet for marketers to establish thought
on LinkedIn is content. Whether its a 140 leadership. Content marketers have found
character Tweet or a 25-page white paper, LinkedIn Groups to be a particularly useful
social content is now a concrete part of the channel for content distribution. However,
marketing mix. due to a lack of knowledge regarding social
content marketing, they have encountered
Following this logic, social message creation major stumbling blocks.
entails the same steps as traditional content
creation. To successfully engage potential As of January 2013, LinkedIn introduced a

Content Marketing Explained by 8

policy that was later dubbed SWAM (Site focused on engagement, and totally void
Wide Automatic Moderation). This policy of external links. This type of posting
states that if a LinkedIn users post is blocked strategy requires a keen ability to leverage
and deleted (or depending on who you ask, social content marketing; a marketer has to
flagged by other Group members), all of that make more out of less and convey a strong
users posts will automatically be marked as message with just a few words.
requires moderation for each of his or her
Groups . While this policy, in theory, was well
intentioned, it resulted in major backlash.
2. Dont Sell (Directly)
As previously mentioned, 87% of B2B
Many legitimate marketers were finding marketers use social media as a distribution
themselves SWAMd even though the channel for content.7 While SWAM might scare
content they were posting was valuable and marketers away from leveraging Groups as
not spammy. There were also marketers a conduit for their content distribution, this
who, due to sheer lack of knowledge, fear is not entirely warranted.
were practicing a spray and pray strategy
when distributing content across Groups. In order to fully leverage Groups, a marketer
These marketers were blasting out overtly should share messaging that is relevant,
promotional posts that provided no value while also coupling it with valuable social
to Group members. What these marketers content. The message within a post will be
could have benefited from is a better the deciding factor for whether members
understanding of social content marketing. will click through to the content, and most
importantly, determine if it will be flagged for
When it comes to LinkedIn Groups, there SWAM.
are several tips that a marketer can follow
to lessen his or her likelihood of being When it comes to content marketing on
SWAMd. LinkedIn, the most important rule is: avoid
self-promotion. If a marketer is able to share
valuable content and compound it with
1. Add Value great social content, the chances of getting
LinkedIn Groups are a place where like- "SWAMd" are low.
minded professionals can discuss relevant
topics and can be a highly effective source
of lead generation. It is crucial for Group
3. Read the Rules
members to establish themselves as valued Most LinkedIn Groups provide a list of
contributors. This can be achieved by asking rules, either in the Group Rules section or
and responding to conversations that are within the overall description of the Group.
taking place in the Group. Read these rules carefully. If, for example,
the Group Rules state that posts should
One strategy for gaining respect is to not include links, then focusing on posting
introduce discussions that are completely purely engaging social content is advisable.

Content Marketing Explained by 9

4. Make it Relevant Before delving into best practices, its crucial
Similar to reading the Group Rules, a to highlight that the quality of ones contact
marketer should conduct further due list is a huge contributor to e-mail marketing
diligence by reading the Groups description success. E-mail databases that grow
before posting to it. Additionally, taking time organically will always trump purchased
to thoroughly read through previous posts lists. These run the risk of damaging a brand,
in each Group - as well as the reactions to sending unsolicited e-mails to prospects,
them, can offer a better understanding of or worse violating a providers terms of
the type of content that is most appreciated. service. Opt-in lists take more time to show
results, but in the long run, will pay off with
higher conversion rates.
B2B E-Mail Campaigns
E-mail campaigns remain an effective way Examples of B2B
to acquire customers, given that most of E-mail Campaigns
the modern workday still revolves around
the inbox. In 2014, ExactTarget found that Depending on a business objectives, e-mail
95% of online consumers use e-mail, while campaigns can be used to increase brand
91% of consumers check their e-mail at least awareness, encourage product usage, and
once a day.8 With all of the hours devoted boost conversions. Below are just a few
to our inbox, (13 per week, according to the examples of ideas, each of which should
Mckinsey Global Institute),9 its no surprise be customized based on marketing goals.
that e-mail marketing is vital to the B2B One point to keep in mind is that a growing
funnel, especially when it comes to nurturing number of people read e-mails on mobile
prospects over long periods. devices, so its best to create responsive
messages that can be easily viewed on any
The problem is that subscribers are receiving smart phone.
an increasing number of e-mails over time.
Based on the calculations of Return Path, E-mail campaigns should always be targeted
416 commercial messages a month to be towards specific groups of users, based
exact!10 This means that marketers must on segmentation analysis, to ensure that
optimize every detail of their message to messages are reaching the right people.
engage target audiences. Regardless of For example, an existing customer should
whether a brand is a B2B or B2C, marketers not be receiving a welcome e-mail, just like
must remember that e-mails reach actual a new prospects - who is unfamiliar with a
people. People will always prefer to connect brand or its product, shouldn't be receiving
to a brand whose story is engaging and an e-mail about advanced features.
relatable. E-mails should be written in a
personalized, clear, and concise manner; Additionally, each e-mail should be A/B
after all, they only hold the readers attention tested based on variations in sending times,
for a few seconds! the senders e-mail, subject lines, text,

Content Marketing Explained by 10

visuals, and calls-to-action. This enables valuable content that will motivate them to
marketers to determine exactly what move down to the bottom of the funnel.
resonates best with their target audience
and optimize wording and visuals going
forward. Certain users may find designed
Weekly Product Tips/Best
e-mail templates with colorful visuals and
Practices Campaign
call-to-action buttons most appealing. This type of campaign is targeted at
However, others prefer plain-text e-mails existing users, and is meant to familiarize
with a short message and hyperlinked call- them with tips and tricks for getting the
to-actions more relatable. most out of a service. Send out a weekly
e-mail with a short explanation and include
Continuous testing is the backbone of any screenshots or visuals of how to carry out the
successful e-mail marketing program, as recommendation. Alternatively, offer advice
it measures not only the impact, but more that is outside the scope of the service, but
importantly, the behavioral preferences of relates to the industry at hand and can help
ones customers. improve work strategies.

Below are several examples of e-mail For this kind of campaign, if possible, create
marketing campaigns. unique e-mails containing personalized tips
based on each users behavior. According to
ExactTarget, personalized recommendations
Getting Started Campaign in e-mails can increase sales conversion
This kind of campaign aims to introduce rates by 15-25% and click-through rates by
prospects to a service or product, educate 25-35%.11 Likewise, break down the customer
them about the brand, and teach them how lifecycle into key events, determine which
to leverage the offering. steps have the highest drop-off rates, and
implement e-mail marketing that motivates
First, decide on the length of time during customers to take a specific action.
which the user should be nurtured and how
many e-mails should be sent out. Regardless
of the product or service thats being sold,
Upcoming Event Campaign
every subscriber deserves a welcome Create e-mail campaigns that announce
e-mail. Following the initial welcome, create an upcoming event, and send them
a series of e-mails where each one focuses approximately 2-3 weeks in advance to give
on a single idea or strategy. a heads-up. Test out a designed template
versus a plain-text e-mail, and follow it
For instance, when promoting software, up with a personal reminder. In addition,
encourage users to register for a demo or remember to send an e-mail the day before
show them the best way to use a feature. the event as well as on the day itself
Later on in the drip campaign, offer best
practices, send case studies, or share

Content Marketing Explained by 11

Promotional Campaign aligned with this. If using an e-mail template,
this strategy wont be nearly as believable.
A promotion or discount can serve two
purposes remind existing users that a If an e-mail is in plain text, theres a much
company has their best interests in mind, or better chance the recipient will feel that it
give prospects who are still deliberating the came from a person and not a marketing
extra push they need to convert. In either automation platform.
case, e-mails should be sent to both groups
to ensure they are aware of the offer. Include Also, the name of the sender should be
clear information and calls-to-action on how consistent with the signature and contact
to claim the offer as well as contact details in details at the bottom of the e-mail text.
case questions arise.

2. The Subject Line Secret Sauce

Best Practices for E-mail The subject line must be relevant to the
Composition content inside the e-mail being delivered.
For example, when promoting a webinar,
First and foremost, e-mail recipients care the reader should clearly understand this
about receiving actionable tips that can from the subject line. Avoid uncommon
help them improve their work, overcome words, make it concise, and keep special
pain points, and take full advantage of characters to a minimum in order to avoid
the product or service. Whatever ones having the e-mail flagged as spam.
strategy is for e-mail marketing, the most
effective way to reach out to audiences is by Quick tips for the subject ine:
segmenting them - based on buyer personas
and consistent measurement of results. t
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Content Marketing Explained by 12

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contact information (phone, e-mail, website).
E-mail Body Text
Quick tips for the e-mail text:
Visuals
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and dont switch from I to we.

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Content Marketing Explained by 13

Calls-To-Action of 50% of those surveyed responded that
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white papers are a valuable or extremely
minimum) instead of plain-text hyperlinks. valuable source of leads.13

t
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action: one at the top and one at the bottom. promotional analysis of a trend or concept
to a targeted audience in which a problem is
presented and solutions are provided.

As a rule, white papers tend to be significantly

longer than most other content, such as
blog posts or case studies, and provide
more in-depth information and educational
value. Publishing a white paper that adopts
a persuasive approach can generate sales,
build credibility, and encourage readers to
look into a companys offering.

This type of content requires substantially

more research, time, and resources than
other types - making it crucial to consider
a number of best practices and guidelines
prior to beginning the writing process.

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Dont have one to download a webinar and
another to sign up for a demo. Users are
less likely to convert if they have to choose.

White Papers
Although content marketing comes in diverse
formats, a Business.com report from August
2014 found that white papers are ranked
as one of the top two types of content for
B2B lead generation.12 Moreover, upwards
Source: Business.com

Content Marketing Explained by 14

Structural Elements of a Introduction
White Paper This introduction should not exceed 1-2
pages, and must highlight the problem and
Before writing a white paper, create an provide a general description of how it will
outline of its structure. This will make it easier be solved. In addition, it's best to include a
to allocate different chapters to members of brief executive summary of the topics that
the team, assess the estimated length of the will be covered, so the audience knows
document, and provide a better idea of how what to expect going forward.
to tackle the project on a high-level.
To recap the elements of the introduction:
The first question to ask is: What problem is t
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being addressed? Writing a white paper that t
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matter is pointless. The document needs to t
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bring attention to a problem or pain point that
target audiences can relate to, propose at
least one actionable solution, and indirectly
Chapters
promote the benefits of a product or service The number of chapters really depends on
without openly advertising it. the subject of the white paper, but ideally it
should be at least three. Each chapter can
Once the problem is identified, start be labeled with a prominent header and
planning out the white paper. First, decide contain several sub-headers within it. These
on the approximate length. It shouldnt be can be distinguished by a different font size,
too short (for example, 3 pages isnt long color or italics.
enough to provide sufficient value) or too
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Cover Page t
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Content Marketing Explained by 15

and solutions, such as: images, graphs, Guidelines and Tips for
charts, diagrams, tables, or other illustrations. White Paper Content
Aside from structure, there are several other
Conclusion helpful recommendations to keep in mind
The conclusion should reiterate the problem when publishing a white paper.
that was initially introduced and provide a
summary of the key solutions discussed. It
should not simply repeat what was said in
Headers and Footers
the introduction in different words; this page To make it more visually attractive, have a
can introduce a strong statistic, a powerful designed header and footer on each page.
quote, or a few final thoughts that tie up the This can be as simple as the name of the
white paper. white paper up top, and the page number
and or company name/logo on the bottom.
Each page must have consistent styling.
Endnotes
When writing the white paper, keep a
running list of all the different sources
Gated Content
referred to in the text. This can save valuable White papers can be published as gated
time by making it much faster to compile the content to generate leads. This can be
endnotes pages. acheived by creating a customized landing
page for the document where users provide
Also, links to any online sources that were contact details in exchange for access.
cited should be included so readers can
quickly refer to them for more information.
Before publishing the document, click on
File Format
each link to check that it actually redirects to The recommended format for white papers is
the correct destination. PDF. Publishing the document in this format
makes it easily accessible to the majority of
readers - both online and via e-mail.
End Page
This page is relatively similar to the cover
page, and should contain:
Language
Since white papers are more formal than
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and phone number) Avoid pronouns such as I or we to
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maintain a professional, business-style
feel avoid using large visuals here tone throughout. Using widely recognized
keywords is encouraged, but not industry

Content Marketing Explained by 16

jargon or acronyms that will make it difficult They offer solid data on customer success,
for readers to understand the text. provide real-life examples that resonte with
prospects, and cite credible social proof.
Above all, promotional or sales-y language
or wording should be kept to a minimum.
Although white papers aim to build credibility
for ones brand which can ultimately
generate sales, their primary goal should be
to educate readers - not directly sell to them.

Layout
Use short sentences. Run-on sentences or
excessively long paragraphs make it hard to
keep a reader focused and interested. Keep
the paragraphs short and mix it up with bullet
Source: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
points, numbers, and visuals so the content
is engaging and easy to scan. A 2013 survey published by B2B Technology
Marketing Community, a LinkedIn Group
Partner, cited that case studies (88%) are
Case Studies considered the second most effective
content marketing tactic, with lead
Case studies serve a range of purposes generation being the primary objective.15
from academic research, to corporate proof,
and thought leadership. The focus here will
be on case studies which show how a brand 4 Steps to Laying the
helps clients reach goals or results via usage Groundwork for Case
of certain products or services.
Studies
Case studies are an excellent way to
demonstrate the unique value proposition Step 1: Choose the Right Client
of ones offering, and show concrete data to The first step is to choose a client who
back up these claims. The Content Marketing best represents the advantages and
Institute and MarketingProfs found that 73% benefits offered by the product or service.
of marketers use case studies, while 65% The company should already have an
feel they are an effective tactic.14 established relationship with the brand and
at least a few months to familiarize itself with
As buyers increasingly conduct research the offering.
independently through social media and
vast online resources, case studies have Most importantly, the company needs to
become crucial to content marketing efforts. provide powerful data to support all of the

Content Marketing Explained by 17

case study's claims. The best clients to Here are a few examples of basic questions
approach are ones considered to be power to ask: ([X] = name of company/product):
users or ambassadors of a brand, who
know the ins and outs of the product, and Provide a 1-2 paragraph description of
love using it. your company. Include details such as the
year of establishment, field of expertise,
flagship products, target audience, and
Step 2: Select the Most Relevant geographic areas of operation.
Participant to Interview
A successful case study is largely dependent What are your [enter relevant sector]
on selecting a relevant and knowledgeable goals?
expert to interview. Writing a case study
without sufficient quotes, data, or detailed What [enter relevant sector] pain points
information is extremely difficult, and will fail does your company face?
to provide readers with tangible value.
When did you start using [X]? Were you
Pinpoint an expert who has hands-on using a similar product previously to meet
experience using the product or service, your needs, and if so, why did you switch?
has been at the company for a substantial
period of time, and is an expert in his or her How does [X] help you overcome the
particular field. challenges your company faces?

What specific features/functionality/

Step 3: Write a List of Detailed services do you find most helpful?
Questions
The questions will be based entirely on the Cite and describe several best practices
type of client, the service offering, and the or helpful strategies youve implemented
length of the case study. when using the product or service.

The list should be written in advance, and Provide a description and clear data that
can either be sent via e-mail, asked in person show how [X] contributed to your goals.
or by phone. Keep in mind, the questions
should not limit the interviewee to yes or Provide two quotes on how [X] has
no answers - they should be open-ended helped your company achieve its business
to extract as much information as possible. goals, increase profits, and save time.

Additionally, ask the interviewee to provide

any data or resources that can add credibility
Step 4: Analyze the Information
to the case study, such as statistics about After the questions are answered, add the
usage of the product and how it improved content to the research that's been compiled
work strategy, output, or profits. and narrow it down to what matters most.

Content Marketing Explained by 18

When analyzing the data, extract the
numbers that best represent how the
product has helped the client. Also, make
sure to identify the clients goals, pain
points, challenges, needs, and the solutions
implemented.

How to Write a Case

Study
Below are a few best practices to review
before writing the case study:

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Content Marketing Explained by 19

Analysis and Solution
Marketing Decks
Now that the reader understands the
problem, the subsequent section should While blog posts and white papers are
analyze the challenges and offer a distinct effective forms of content marketing, being
solution for each one. This can be achieved able to not only write ones story, but also
by highlighting unique value propositions present it visually, is an excellent way to
and focusing on how certain features, engage a target market. Presentations dont
capabilities, or services enabled the client necessarily need to be given in person -
to overcome the problem. more often than not they can be e-mailed or
done live online and accessed at any time.
Most importantly, back up all of the claims
with hard data. Present it in easy-to-read and As with other types of content, decks need
visually appealing graphs, charts or even to be educational and also entertaining.
screenshots, and emphasize how incredible As a marketer, the focus when creating a
the results turned out. All of the numbers deck should be on answering two questions:
provided should be visibly connected to a What is the one key message I want to
particular benefit the customer reaped. convey to my audience? What action do I
want my audience to take after reading the
Depending on the data, marketers may slide deck?
be able to show what the numbers looked
like before and after the service was After deciding on the topic and objective,
implemented. This section is also ideal for the next step is to map out the number of
including client quotes, which will make the slides the presentation will contain. Then,
information presented much more personal. develop an outline with the chapter headers,
and write a few words on each slide that can
be elaborated on later. This skeleton will
Benefits and Takeaways provide a general understanding of what
In the final section, provide insights the the presentation will eventually look like.
reader can take away and summarize the
recommendations. The takeaways should
directly relate to the solutions that were Promotional Decks
cited, while stressing the benefits of the Sales decks are used to provide a brief
particular offering. This is also a great place introduction to a brand, products and
to include a customer quote or testimonial. services, or even to highlight a specific
feature. In most cases, the deck should be
no longer than 10-15 slides and include a
Contact Details cover slide with the title, logo, and company
At the end of the case study, include the name. Additionally, a final slide with a brand
company name, logo, and other details (e.g. logo, website, contact information, and
website address, phone number, e-mail, and social buttons can be added.
social media pages).

Content Marketing Explained by 20

Introductory Deck a product with a flagship feature, an entire
Before drilling down to features and services, slide deck can be created to highlight it.
prospects often want to learn about the
company and the team itself. An introductory The deck must include at least several
deck should be short and provide high-level screen shots, images depicting the feature,
background information. or even an embedded video. This will
provide a genuine understanding of how
Basically, it should state when the company the feature looks, feels and operates.
was established, a brief history of its growth,
geographic locations, divisions, and a short
description of its offering. In addition, it Non-Promotional Decks
can include short bios of top executives, As opposed to the category above,
a description of the business model, and these decks are aimed at establishing
highlights of the road-map. thought leadership and sharing actionable
recommendations with the audience -rather
than directly selling to it. Non- promotional
Capabilities Deck decks can also be used to boost brand
After making initial contact with a potential awareness but should not be overtly
customer, whether via phone or through salesy in any way.
e-mail, he or she will often ask to be provided
with a packaged description of the services Apart from using a logo on the cover, closing
benefits and features. The solution is to slide and possibly in the footers, as well as-
have a solid and well-designed capabilities citing the companys contact information
deck on hand. and website at the end, this deck should
only contain engaging and valuable content.
Keep the deck short and use it to highlight
the value proposition and key features
or services offered. Provide a clear, easy-
Best Practices or Tips Deck
to-understand description of what the If one's brand is considered an expert in a
company does and include impressive data particular field, or is aspiring to become one,
from case studies or other social proof in a best practices deck can be a great way
the form of client logos and testimonials. A to educate the target audience. Avoid long
sales deck should serve as a "take-away" for blocks of text, and create slides that contain
clients, which can also be shared with team large and engaging visuals with one or two
members and management. sentences each that drive the point home.

Its better to have a large number of slides

Feature Spotlight that can be easily scanned than a shorter
Creating a feature deck is a helpful way to slide deck packed with text that people wont
emphasize how one's offering stands out want to read through. If possible, reference
from the competition. If a company offers examples that illustrate best practices from

Content Marketing Explained by 21

actual work experience and results attained. studies and touch on pain points that will
resonate with people in the audience.
Marketers can also indirectly promote a
brand by using examples from their own
work strategy that can help prospects. 10 Quick Tips for
Marketing Decks
Industry Research Each company must tailor its decks to be
Identify an industry trend that supports the consistent with overall branding, graphics
business and create a slide deck based and messaging. However, there are still a few
on internal or 3rd party research. It's best to guidelines that can be followed to improve
use internal company data as a means to decks and ensure they are as engaging.
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include links to full versions of references.
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Relate what is being said to personal given that PDFs are much more accessible.
examples from work strategies or case

Content Marketing Explained by 22

Repurposing Consideration (Mid-Funnel)
Audiences at this stage seek content more
Content frequently. They can often be prospects
who require more details on the product or
Regardless of whether a company is small or service and seek to understand the unique
large, its marketing team is responsible for value proposition and what distinguishes
generating substantial amounts of content the service from competitors.
on a daily or weekly basis.

For most companies, the resources and

time available to create this content are
limited, and marketers feel pressured to
constantly write new blog posts, eBooks, and
presentations to keep audiences interested.
This challenge can be tackled by repurposing
content; basically, deconstructing it and then
changing its format.

For example, a webinar recording can be

transcribed and divided into several blog
posts. These can be used to easily put
together an eBook. Not only will this result
in more content, but the various formats
can also reach different target audiences
based on three marketing funnel stages:
awareness, consideration and decision. In
each stage, people have distinct information
needs and search for certain types of content
Decision (Bottom of the Funnel)
to fulfill them. At this point, any content provided needs
to offer drilled-down, detailed information
on the company, products and services. By
Awareness (Top of the Funnel) now, the audience is knowledgeable about
For this stage, content can be repurposed the brand and needs content that will give it
into lighter formats that are easier to the final push to make a decision.
consume. This can offer readers who are not
yet familiar with a brand or industry a high-
level introduction of what the brand does, its
messaging, products, and services.

Content Marketing Explained by 23

How to Repurpose to consume, so the audiene can quickly
Content scan and read through it.

Step 1: Start With One Item Step 4: Publish and Distribute

As mentioned above, start with a substantial Cross-promotion is the key to effectively
piece of content that contains lots of text, maximizing the visibility of the newly
such as a webinar or a white paper. The more generated content. Whether promoting the
material there is to work with, the easier it content across multiple social networks, a
will be to repurpose it into multiple formats. company website or blog, in guest articles
or on any other online source it needs to
reach audiences to make an impact.
Step 2: Break it Down
Hold a brainstorming session and compile a The distribution channels should be suitable
list of content formats which can be created for that specific content, meaning that
based on the original item. Heres a list of formal, technical content most likely wont
several ideas to start with: be promoted using Facebook posts.

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Step 3: Revise and Reformat

Once a marketer has decided exactly which
types of content to break the original item
into, its time to modify and adapt the text.
The content should be revised to match the
audience segment and the specific format.

For example, a webinar recording should

not be transcribed word for word if its being
turned into a blog post. The language should
be revised to make it less formal and easier

Content Marketing Explained by 24

Conclusion
The shift from traditional marketing to digital marketing and most recently, social media
marketing, has completely revolutionized the way the modern content marketer functions.
With new tools comes the requirement of learning new skills. The daunting challenges that
face todays marketer have caused many to dig their heels in and insist that doing things the
old way still works, and that new tactics are just a fad.

Like all paradigm shifts, the one being seen in marketing today has left many marketers ill
prepared. While fully embracing new marketing strategies may seem an overwhelming task
for some, the reality is that these new tactics are, in many ways, quite similar to the old ones.
Content marketing is, and always will be, about providing valuable content to prospects.

A marketer establishes thought leadership via content. When the time comes for a prospect
to make a purchasing decision, that person will intuitively know which company to go with as
a result of the content's impact.

It is clear to anyone who does a thorough evaluation of the marketing landscape that traditional
marketing precepts are no longer the be all and end all. Neither, too, can a marketer totally
discard the tried and true practices of yesteryear. What is needed is a holistic marketing
approach that draws from the entire range of the marketing spectrum.

Content Marketing Explained by 25

Endnotes
1. Rampton, Jonathan, Blogging Stats 2012, Blogging.org. July 13, 2012.
2. SilverPOP, 8 Seconds to Capture Attention, 2007.
3. Gold, Tracy, 9 Secrets for Awesome Blog Post Titles, Content Marketing Institute,
January 23, 2013.
4. Shoor, Iris, How to Convince Others of Our Thoughts, October 23, 2012, Buffer Blog.
5. Kendall, Len, These Guys Poked Fun at Viral Headlines. You Wont BELIEVE What
Happened Next, January 15, 2014. TheNextWeb.
6. Schulze, Holger B2B Content Marketing Trends 2013, June 27, 2013, B2B Technology
Marketing Group.
7. Ibid.
8. Lacy, Kyle 50 Email Marketing Tips and Stats for 2014, August 14, 2013, ExactTarget.
9. McKinsey Global Institute, Unlocking Value and Productivity Through Social
Technologies, July 2012.
10. SilverPOP, ibid, 2007.
11. Lacy, ibid, July 2012.
12. Swanton, Casey, How to Lose Customers and Alienate Subscribers, October 10, 2013.
13. Business.com, 2013 Lead Generation Insights Report, August 27, 2013.
14. Bahagat, Vinny, B2B Marketing: Why (and How) to Focus on Reviews, Not Case Studies,
February 9, 2014, Content Marketing Institute.
15. Schulze, ibid, 2013.

Content Marketing Explained by 26

Finally:
Content Marketing Explained

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[email protected]
+1 (646) 559-6157

Content Marketing Explained by 28