Getting Real About Content

Great content (and great marketing) comes down to three questions:

1. What's the problem that I need to solve?
2. How do I solve it?
3. How do you help me solve it?

All content you create should know #1, answer #2, and lead the reader to #3.

This deck talks about the strategy and tactics of handling those three questions with smart tactics that form a manageable strategy.

Transcript

1. Getting Real About Content Marketing Strategy Ian Lurie
2. Hi.
4. “We don’t have enough resources!!!!” Every content creator, ever
5. 20 hours 15 visuals
6. 20 hours 15 visuals 1,200 pageviews Zero conversions 16 linking domains
7. 2 hours 3 visuals 75,000 pageviews 50 conversions 1 client 45 linking domains
10. 20 hours 15 of visuals 1,200 pageviews 0 conversions 16 linking domains 2 hours 3 visuals 75,000 pageviews 50 conversions 45 linking domains
11. That had to be a fluke, right? Let’s take a “scientific” look at 2,000 pieces
12. 0.0 2.0 4.0 3-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade Not a fluke
13. 0.0 2.0 4.0 3-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade Unicorns
14. Unicorns are great!!!
15. But they frolic…
16. …and they’re elusive.
17. 0.0 2.0 4.0 3-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade Badgers
18. Badgers are a$$holes who get $h!t done $!!! ##*$$%!
19. 0.0 2.0 4.0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade MORE BADGERS
20. 0.0 2.0 4.0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade That means faster/more = better, right?
21. Our products are bicycle tires booorrrinnngggg
22. How To Choose A Narrow Bicycle Tire How To Choose A Wide Bicycle Tire How To Choose A Medium Bicycle Tire Are Bicycle Tires Woke? Will Bicycle Tires Cause Fatal Nose Warts? How To Choose A Green Bicycle Tire How to Install A Narrow Bicycle Tire How Bicycle Tires Are Made in Florida How Bicycle Tires Are Made in New Jersey How Bicycle Tires Are Made in France
23. How To Choose A Flat-Proof Bicycle Tire Back in days of yore, tires didn’t work so well. Napoleon’s armies were stopped by flat tires. Flat bicycle tires made me cry as a small child. Did you know the first flat-proof bicycle tires were made by a 900- year-old guru who lived on top of a mountain in Wisconsin? Unfortunately, they didn’t have a bicycle, so it wasn’t until 50 years later that we got the first flat-proof bicycle tires. Flat-proof bicycle tires are often made of rubber with a Kevlar belt. They used to be steel belts, but the belts squirmed around and caused accidents. Kevlar flat-proofing is achieved by whispering gently in the ears of the Kevlar, coaxing it into the tire. This creates a better join. Now, here’s how you choose a flat-proof bicycle tire…
26. It’s not that simple
27. 0.0 2.0 4.0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade It is a numbers game, but it’s a balancing act.
28. Great badgers are sophisticated. They’re tactical and strategic.
29. How can you help me fix it? How do I fix it? What’s the problem?
30. Our products are bicycle tires booorrrinnngggg
31. What’s the problem? Why does the reader need help?
32. Here’s a problem
33. Not keywords. Relevant problems people who use your product need to solve. Flat tires Riding with a flat Repeat flats
34. Find closely-related problems on Reddit
35. Related Problems Flat tires Riding with a flat Repeat flats
36. It’s not just about one blog post. Finding the right problems affects your entire strategy
37. Good content-market fit My windows are leaking I need a sealant
40. It’s not just about you. Finding the right problems makes it easy for everyone to create content.
41. Good content-market fit I want music I want easy access to it I want it portable
42. 10,000 songs in your pocket Obligatory Apple mention
43. Right problems = more useful content
44. Finding the wrong problems makes it harder for everyone to create content.
45. Bad content-market fit I want music 3” LCD screen Sharing w/ other devices like mine I want a music player
46. Clones ignore the customer. Clones get the problem wrong. Badgers aren’t clones. Obligatory Microsoft mention
47. Wrong problems = less useful content
49. Oops.
50. Widen the circle
51. Back to Reddit
52. Here’s another problem
53. Still a good fit. People who love riding and want to ride more. Flat tires Riding with a flat Repeat flats Getting hit by a @#$! door Joining groups
57. B2B? How about Amazon?
58. Sparktoro
60. subredditstats.com Look for random affinities
62. Stack Exchange
63. And yeah, Google
65. Know. Your. Audience.
66. “We just need big keywords. For the rankings!!!!” Every client, ever
67. 0.0 2.0 4.0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade Long tail Head
68. “We just want blog posts. For the SEOs!!!!” Every client, ever
69. Hours Spent Posts w/ less than 3 hours total time scored < .5 Fewer links Fewer views Zero conversions
70. Actually took 3 hours.
71. you’ve got problems. Congratulations!
73. How do I fix it? Regardless of the product I use, how do I fix the problem?
76. Badgers generate high Return On Time Invested (ROTI) for readers Copyright 2023
77. Information quality Production value High ROTI +
80. Gets right to the point
81. Meaningful subheads
82. Clear
83. Step-by-step
84. Practice basic typography & layout (even when you don’t control the template)
85. Behold. Wall of text.
86. 3-8 lines/paragraph
87. 1-5 paragraphs/subhead
88. 45-85 characters/line
89. OK, fine, here’s some ChatGPT https://tinyurl.com/3szrktn3
90. The plague is introduced through the water supply. That means the first cases will appear in the palace and Sword’s Cross. It was introduced by goblin agents who obtained the vials from, they say, a ‘scarred half-elf.’ The half-elf is Vivek Narn, who works in the employ of the Sicarrii but is a member of the Society of the Nine. It was introduced right in the water supply by the palace. That’s why it’s working its way down the city. Also, the characters can look at their own house, the Green Slaad, The Wink And Kiss, or The Flagrant Farce Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur? If the players figure it out, the city can order citizens not to bathe while clerics clean the water supply. If they don’t, the plague will spread 10-20% each day until 75% of the city is infected. If it reaches 75%, then the goblins will attack and the assassination attempts will take place. The characters are summoned by Arius. Timogen is there along with Farin Blackhammer. They’re asking the players to look into this. If pressed as to why, they’ll hint that they’re not sure who to trust, and that Arius vouched for you. Plus, they’re expendable. And, Arius is ill. Farin swears them to secrecy on pain of death. He then tells them to check on Lumpkin’s Meats first. It’s a logical place to look.
91. <h1>The Plague and Its Origins</h1> <h2>Introduction of the Plague</h2> <p>The plague is introduced through the water supply. That means the first cases will appear in the palace and Sword&rsquo;s Cross. It was introduced by goblin agents who obtained the vials from, they say, a &ldquo;scarred half-elf.&rdquo; The half-elf is Vivek Narn, who works in the employ of the Sicarrii but is a member of the Society of the Nine.</p> <h2>Spread and Consequences</h2> <p>It was introduced right in the water supply by the palace. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s working its way down the city. If the players figure it out, the city can order citizens not to bathe while clerics clean the water supply. If they don&rsquo;t, the plague will spread 10- 20% each day until 75% of the city is infected. If it reaches 75%, then the goblins will attack and the assassination attempts will take place.</p> <h2>Summoned by Arius</h2> <p>The characters are summoned by Arius. Timogen is there along with Farin Blackhammer&hellip; They&rsquo;re asking the players to look into this. If pressed as to why, they&rsquo;ll hint that they&rsquo;re not sure who to trust, and that Arius vouched for you. Plus, they&rsquo;re expendable. And, Arius is ill. Farin swears them to secrecy on pain of death. He then tells them to check on Lumpkin&rsquo;s Meats first. It&rsquo;s a logical place to look.</p>
93. practicaltypography.com
94. Beware stock images
95. Brand safety: Do an image search
96. NO. Do an image search
97. NO. Do an image search
98. NO. Do an image search
99. NO. Do an image search
100. Google images filter by usage rights
101. Wikimedia
102. nos.twnsnd.co
103. Compressed images
104. Don’t trust automated compression
105. Squoosh.app
106. originality.ai Use it as a bullshit detector
107. Proofread!!! Grammarly
109. Deep breath…
110. IT’S NOT AI
111. You’ve told me how to fix the problem. Thanks!
112. How can you help me fix it? How can your product help me fix the problem? Why should I use it?
113. An exceptional badger connects over and over again
115. Problem: How do I play D&D? How do I fix it? Here’s how.
116. How can you help me fix it?
117. On to the next problems
118. 3. Here are some cool books 2. Here’s how 1. How do I play D&D?
119. 6. May I interest you in another book? 5. Check out this survey 4. How long should my game be?
120. Fancy? No. Effective? Yes.
121. Instagram? Connected.
122. And back again.
123. 3. Improve every day! Buy an ETL shirt! 2. Here’s Emmanuel Todd Lopez! 1. Please improve my day
125. 3. Want to buy a patch kit? 2. Here’s how to fix it 1. I got a flat tire
126. Don’t be afraid to link back This would sell more stuff & help rankings
127. Creating badgers means cutting (some) corners and (sometimes) being selfish.
128. Slides to post Badger rule of content #6A OK, this worked
129. Slides to post Badger rule of content #6A Try it again
130. And again
131. Webinar to ebook Badger rule of content #6C 350 leads??!!! And again
132. Polished video/audio transcripts MOZ Whiteboard Friday for examples
133. Find turds with nuggets (and roll them up)
134. Nuggets!!!
135. site:bicycling.com “commuting” Find related content using Google
136. More nuggets!!!
137. Combine and redirect accordingly
138. You might just get a
139. Create enough And you get a
140. 0.0 2.0 4.0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-40 41+ Hours Spent Efficiency Grade Strike a balance
141. Get strategic Get tactical
142. How can you help me fix it? How do I fix it? What’s the problem?
143. This is a change
144. Take small bites
145. I’ve never been fired for creating badgers. Ever.
146. They’re Friends Questions? @ianlurie ianlurie.com