Content Marketing 101:

Strategy, Design, Delivery

NewsCred
27 West 24th Street #202
New York, NY 10010
@newscred. 212-989-4100
sales@newscred.com

01 Content Strategy
02 Content Design
03 Content Delivery

Introduction
Capturing audiences today requires far more than strong copy and appealing
creative. At NewsCred were keenly aware that brands and agencies are striving to
keep up with the rapidly growing need for high-quality content thats both relevant
and personalized. So its with great excitement that we share this content marketing
white paper, packed with detailed case studies and how-to tips for your content
marketing education needs.
Content marketing has evolved into a $44B industry, and is widely viewed as a top
priority by 39% of client-side marketers, up 10% since last year.1 As champions of
high-quality content, and the institutions that compose it, we have a vested interest
in seeing successful examples of its distribution, monetization and consumption.
Tracking the changes taking place in publishing, advertising and technology, our
aim is to deliver actionable intel to digital marketers, innovators, publishers and
syndication teams, giving you the tools to implement, manage and measure your
investment in content.
Well address the three key aspects of content marketing: strategy, design and
delivery. Upon completion, youll be able to identify the distinct stages of a powerful
content marketing campaign, from initial engagement to revenue generation,
pinpointing metrics along the way.

This white paper equips you with the skills to:

Craft a content strategy that marries your
content marketing goals and business
objectives.
Develop a structured editorial process, citing
examples from top brands and publishers.
Track the ROI of content marketing.
Learn design, UX and storytelling techniques
to create powerful visual campaigns.
Curate high-quality content to drive traffic and
increase engagement.
Determine an optimal distribution strategy to
get more eyes to your content.

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Chapter 1
Content Strategy
Content marketing requires
strategy and structure. A critical
first step to getting your message
right and keeping consumers
actively engaged is understanding
your brands top-line goals and
marketing objectives. A strong
content marketing strategy will not
only hold you accountable, but will
enable you to deliver real results:
increased traffic, engagement,
leads and sales.

Traditional
marketing talks
at people. Content
marketing talks
with them.
Doug Kessler, CoFounder & Creative Director, Velocity Partners

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Content
Strategy
Pepsi

In 2012 Pepsi launched Pulse, a socially fueled content hub populated by pop
culture and entertainment news from across the web. In doing so, they took a
radically different approach: no longer focused on product alone, Pepsi chose to
put content first.

1.1
Connect the dots:
link business
objectives with
consumer interests

Pepsi staff spent nine months developing their content and social strategy,
diligently researching their audience and talking to thousands of fans. With Pulse,
the company hoped to recreate, as chief creative officer Brad Jakeman says, the
place that Pepsi already owns in peoples hearts and minds. 2

From new music and video releases to in-depth concert coverage, they chose to
mix an array of content they knew would foster participation and social sharing.
Within the first month of launch, the newly minted homepage attracted 87% more
unique visitors and saw a 2,700% increase in social referrals.

Pepsis long-standing relationship with pop culture and music helped to mold
their visionearning them the right to participate in the conversation. Their focus
was threefold: first, create an authentic experience around the brands core
propositionentertainment and pop culture. Second, mirror consumer behavior
patterns by delivering content in real time, curated to hyperlocal audience
interests. And third, spark social sharing across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
through highly visual content, catchy headlines and consumer incentives.

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What you need

to know
Put the end-goal first
Build a content strategy around the key performance metrics
youre accountable forwhether its sales, social sharing,
brand awareness or lead generation.
Map audience interests
Develop a keen understanding of your consumers needs.
What are they passionate about? What challenges do they face?
How can you help them live a better, more inspired life?
Keep it real
No matter what you do, be authentic. Your strategy should lead
with content, not product. Tell relevant, useful and entertaining
stories. If you dont, your audience will see right through you.

Content
Strategy
GE

The responsive newsroom approach to content production has become a staple

in the world of branded content. In order for this concept to work, however, editors
must continuously churn out content that users find worthy of reading and sharing.
This not only requires a clearly defined processeditorial resources, meetings,
briefs and calendarsbut a smart mix of original and licensed (third-party) content

1.2
Build a production
powerhouse: act
like a newsroom

to scale.
GEs Tumblr-powered magazine Txchnologist successfully publishes brandadjacent content thats both valuable to their target audience and reflective of the
brands inherent mission and services.
Like a traditional newsroom, topics covered by the Txchnologist editorial team,
like renewable energy, computing, science and transportation, are strategically
produced and promoted according to real-time trends and the way in which users
consume content across screens. With clear editorial calendars and meetings,
writers regularly create thought-provoking original contenton average, over 42
posts a month! Content is extremely niche and targeted to a specific audience
drawn to the future of industry and technology, covering such granular topics as
advancements in space exploration, climate change, pollution, mining technology
and molecular science.
Ensuring that Txchnologist captivates readers, adds value and speaks to the
brands ambitions is top of mind, according to GEs head of digital marketing,
Katrina Craigwell.
With Txchnologist, we think a lot about what it takes to capture mindshare. Were
competing with any publisher thats producing compelling content for audiences
that are passionate about science and technology. Its pushed us to be really
creative with our storytelling, with the goal of adding value alongside some of our
favorite publishers.

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What you need

to know
Build an editorial calendar and production plan. Set up a disciplined process
by clearly mapping out your content schedule and cadence, and youll be
able to churn out content with the speed of a real publisher.
Invest in talent
Hire a managing editor to oversee your editorial calendar and freelancers,
edit posts and ensure content embodies your brand and voice. Your editor
should be as much a marketer as a writer, and should be held accountable
for hitting KPIs, including: engagement metrics, social shares, leads or
closed deals.
Create content at scale
Scale your coverage by employing a mix of original and licensed
content. For example, the Huffington Post uses a rule of thirds: 30% of
content should be curated, 30% should be original, and 30% should
be experimental, comprised of multimedia, social feeds and innovative
platforms. Finding the right combination of original content, thought
leadership and licensed content is key to executing a well-rounded content
strategy.

Content
Strategy
Marketo

For marketing automation platform Marketo, content is the fuel that generates
revenue. By organizing content into three stagesearly, middle and lateMarketo
is able to grasp customers at every step of the sales funnel:
The early stage: When a prospect has indicated no interest in Marketo
Is comprised of top-of-funnel educational content such as eye-catching videos,

1.3
Prove ROI: create
content that sells

data, infographics and curated, actionable lists.

The middle stage: When a prospect has indicated some interest
Is comprised of industry-oriented content, such as analyst reports, buyers guides
and webinars, to help buyers solve problems.
The last content stage: When a prospect has strong interest in Marketo
Consists of solution-oriented content such as customer case studies, demos, thirdparty reviews and company-specific information to help close deals.
Marketo uses a 4-1-1 principle to calibrate the content it delivers to leads and
move them down the purchase funnel. For every 6 communications, one should
be hard sell content (e.g. sign up for a Marketo demo), one should be a soft
sell (e.g. attend this Marketo event), and 4 should remain informative and
educational, focusing on the leads interests.
Marketos strategy has paid off, literally. The company drives more than 9,500
inbound leads per month, more than 40% of which ultimately become prospects.3
From content on their website alone, more than 58% of prospects become real
leads (with a clear intent to purchase). Even more impressive, more than 60% of
Marketos revenue can be attributed to marketing.
The bottom line? Take a cue from Marketo: create content that sells.

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What you need

to know
Identify what you want to prove. Set concrete performance metrics to guide you in
measuring your campaigns success.
Target with content
Map out content against each distinct stage of the sales process. Breaking up the sales
funnel into stages allows for a targeted approach to how you publish your thought
leadership, using content to draw in potential clients every step of the way.
Work backwards
In order to accurately determine ROI, its important to think inversely, backtracking to
assess how each piece of content contributed to individual milestones, whether its a
spike in traffic, engagement or newsletter sign-ups or the inbound of a highly qualified
lead.
Think in quantifiable terms
Be sure to tie content directly to your companys profits by thinking of each piece of
content as a percentage of your marketing efforts, rather than an abstract component.
Utilize extensive A/B testing
Improve conversion performance at all junctures. Test click-through rates at all points,
from blog post to landing page, and form completion rates on the landing page itself.

Chapter 2
Content Design
Images and video are quickly
becoming main drivers of how we
consume content on the web. Tumblr
is now the worlds most popular
blogging platform, and both Tumblr
and Pinterest see significantly higher
engagement levels than that of
Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+.5
A strong visual narrative is integral
to content curation; a sites design
should be informed by the content
it houses. On-brand content design
allows consumers to identify your
brand from a visual standpoint, and
compels brands to create a clearly
defined style.

Its not that my

vision is better.
Its having one
singular vision.
Jenna Lyons, President, J.Crew

Content
Design
J.Crew

J. Crew, renowned for its strong visual philosophy and carefully curated
lookbooks, has used their revamped catalogue, or style guide, as a catalyst for the
brand to develop a uniquely identifiable personality. The universally recognized
brand, once a catalogue-driven business with little marketing cache, has emerged
as a force in the social media and content space.

2.1
Use strong visuals:
build a lifestyle
through design

The style guide layers designer profiles and style insights on top of eye-catching
photography and spreads of bold, colorful products. The publication bears a
closer resemblance to a monthly fashion magazine, rather than a sales-focused
platform promoting seasonal items and sales.

J.Crew has developed an acutely discernible style, taking the notion of traditional
New England prep from conservative to cosmopolitan. Clean lines, geometric
shapes and tailored edges are key aspects of the line, elements of which are
reflected in both the lines clothing and content. J. Crews Tumblr is simple,
sophisticated and proportionalsimilar to the crisp Oxfords and simple slacks they
produce.

The J.Crew lifestyle rests upon the foundation that visually appealing images are
more likely to catch customer attention than deep discounts. From the moment a
prospective shopper encounters the retailers e-commerce site, a physical retail
location, or even its monthly catalogue, Instagram account or company blog,
theyre flooded with a visual narrative that screams J.Crew.

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What you need

to know
Lead with purpose
Design is much more than shapes, colors, and fonts alone. Its about
storytelling, conversation and developing a meaningful consumer experience.
Leverage good design in order to bring emotion, creativity and purpose to your
brand.
Tie it all together
A choir sounds a lot better when everyone in it is singing the same tune.
Ensure that the look and feel of your contentfrom typography and color to
your site and collateralis consistent across all of your brand touchpoints and
social platforms.
Fuel your social channels with visual content
Strong, arresting visuals are key to producing high-quality, viral content. Photos
are 200% more likely to be shared and liked than text alone, and videos are
shared 1,200% more than text and links combined.6

Content
Design
Whole Foods

Whole Foods Markets digital magazine Dark Rye is proof of the fact that visual
storytelling is most immersive when told using multiple mediums. Dark Ryes
content is created with the companys target customer in mind: individuals
who identify with an organic, sustainable lifestyle and have an appreciation for

2.2
Use multimedia
to craft immersive
experiences:
storytelling across
platforms

beautiful design and the culinary arts.

While exploring the Whole Foods Market story, we came across really inspiring
and interesting people, said Vadan Less, senior director of content at Whole
Foods. We found we had a lot of content and that there was a need for it in the
community. Out of that, Dark Rye manifested. We tell stories about vendors, but
we also delve into peoples lives with the hopes of inspiring others to make a
change themselves, and to change the world around them.

Dark Rye, published monthly, is ripe with various mediums and means of narration.
The stories within the publication are organized as a series of multimedia pieces
that revolve around a single topic. For example, a recent issue showcased the
story of actor Kumar Pallana through a short video and written feature. These
stories were accompanied by more content related to his life: simple recipes, a
written feature on Ayurvedic healing, and an illustrated, step-by-step guide to
meditation. Content is then broadcast using a variety of channels, including a
beautiful Tumblr, Twitter, Vimeo, and a recurring post on the Huffington Post food
blog. -Since its launch, the digital magazine has won numerous awards including a
recent James Beard Award for Group Food Blog.

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What you need

to know
Capture the people, stories and context behind a piece
Context and background are crucial to telling a captivating story. Go
behind the scenes with 1:1 interviews, capture emotion through video and
paint a picture through rich visuals.
Repurpose content across multiple platforms
Get the most out of your thought leadership by repurposing content for
videos, blog posts, webinars, slideshows and so on.
Think of storytelling as multilayered and multiplatform
Get readers hooked by creating a narrative across social channels and
your owned properties. Draw readers in through social, then connect the
story across your blog, video platforms and website.

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Content
Design
USA Today

Poor structure and web design prohibit users from fully immersing themselves
in your site, compelling them to exit at a higher rate and absorb and share less.
Before you determine the look and feel of your site, craft a content plan that is
complemented by intelligible and straightforward navigation.

2.3
Craft a complete
content experience:
consider all
elements of UX

The online version of USA Today is a great example of development with multiple
screens in mind. The site, designed once for cross-platform usage on mobile,
tablet and desktops, allows for easier publishing on the back end and a seamless
user experience that is both device agnostic and consistent.

A simple navigation bar makes for easy discovery, and the use of dynamic
headlines that appear when you hover over an articles photo icon provides a
glimpse into an article without any commitment. In the absence of continuous
scrolling, users are able to choose when they want to populate new content, and
personalized functionality allows readers to decide how headlines are displayed,
using either a grid or list structure.

The site employs horizontal flip navigation, reminiscent of an iPad app,

encouraging continuous reading to guide users section by section. Calls to action
like read story and get home delivery are suggestive, not forceful, and inspire
discovery, allowing the reader to consume more without fully leaving the page.

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What you need

to know
Design for multiple screens
Responsive design guarantees that users have the same experience on
every screen and ensures publishers dont miss out on a visit or view.
Put content before technology
Dont overwhelm users with too many dynamic modules or special effects.
Make your site easy to use and intuitive. In turn, your users will stay longer
and consume more.
Encourage discovery
Thoughtful calls to action should suggestively lead users towards more
content, related information or applicable services. Layers of additional
content or product offerings allow for increased engagement and lead to a
more fluid experience overall.

Chapter 3
Content Delivery
Even the most compelling content
can get lost in the shuffle without a
proper distribution strategy to support
it. In order to hook consumers and
keep them coming back, you must
be armed with a tactical approach
for delivery and promotion.

Content is king,
but distribution
is queen and she
wears the pants.
Jon Steinberg, President, Buzzfeed

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Content
Delivery
Oreo

Generating buzz in real time requires knowledge of social media and consumer
behavior. When Oreo jumped on the back of the Super Bowl blackout earlier this
year, they had more than just quick Twitter fingers ready at the gate.

Oreo chose to lean on the iconic brands 100th birthday as a way to promote their

3.1
Deliver content
that matters:
achieve real-time
marketing success

rich history via modern-day media, using Super Bowl 2013 as their stage. So,
when an electrical delay caused the stadiums lights to go dark, Oreos marketing
team took advantage of the blackouts shock factor with their Dunk in the Dark
campaign.

As viewers and Oreo fans sat in the dark, waiting for the game to resume, Oreo
cleverly tweeted Power out? No problem. with a picture displaying a new slogan
You can still dunk in the darka timely and amusing play on a moment that
resonated with millions of viewers at the time. By tapping into the moment, Oreo
became hyperrelevant in the midst of an event with critical mass and eyeballs. The
tweet was retweeted nearly 15K times and the brands Twitter following increased
by about 8K that day.

The key to Oreos strategy and execution was its keen understanding of social
measurement. Relying on dashboards to monitor tweets, posts and comments,
the team quickly identified when the conversation altered. This newsroom-style
approach to content production proved to be far more sophisticated than the
traditional means of social media stunt programming: not only is it proactive, its
reactive as well.

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What you need

to know
Align real-time content with a long-term brand narrative
Responding to events in real-time is not just about capturing attention in
the moment; it should be one piece of the marketing puzzle that keeps
your audience loyal for the long run.
Remember, real time is about more than being timely
Your content should be timely, but it doesnt always need to be created
on the spot. When building your editorial calendar, plan for the events
you can anticipate and react quickly when you cannot.
Evaluate before you react
According to PR agency Edelman, brands must ask themselves three
questions before rushing to push content out. Is it relevant (does it align
with your brands values)? Does it resonate (map to audience interests
beyond your brand)? Is it timely (are these stories that drive interest and
conversation now)? 8

Content
Delivery
Citi

Citibanks Women & Co. is a financial and educational resource geared towards
the brands target audience: women with rising financial influence. The platform,
which provides educational content and commentary on personal financial
management, showed early success. But, after running the site for 12 years, Citi
was looking for a boost.

3.2
Start a dialogue:
pair utility
with conversation

Enter LinkedIn. In an effort to increase audience reach and ignite conversation,

Citibank partnered with the B2B network on the Connect Professional
Womens Network, an interactive discussion board. LinkedIn is responsible for
curating content and guiding relevant discussions through polls, a way to drive
engagement and gain insights.

We evaluate the subjects trending on LinkedIn today and which topics are
popular at what time of day. We also get pitches from various outlets with story
ideas so we keep a pulse on what content is interesting and we look at the RSS
feeds of members to also decide what people are thinking about at the moment,
said Alison Engle, senior director of global marketing at LinkedIn, during an
interview with Digiday.

The network has proved to be a brand awareness and lead generation vehicle
for Citi, evidence that creating a targeted distribution strategy via LinkedIn works.
Within one year, the group has grown to over 130,000 members, including over
30,000 senior level executives9. Members leave over 1,000 comments10 each
week and 3050% of users returning on a weekly basis.11

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What you need

to know
Chose the right social channel for your brand
Citi generated incremental buzz by turning to a community they knew
contained their target audience. As the top social platform for work-related
discussions12, LinkedIn was the ideal channel to spark awareness through
business-minded dialogue.
Nurture individual relationships through community
Allow the power of community to cultivate your brands relationship with
consumers. Citi successfully leveraged LinkedIns inherent notion of
community and professional conversation to organically grow their follower
base and influence, addressing timely financial issues important to women.
Get creative with distribution
When it comes to engagement, having strong content isnt enough; how
you distribute that content matters just as much. By leveraging both
original and licensed content, Citi maximized the amount of content being
pushed out to users thereby increasing the likelihood of readership and
engagement.

In 2011, Burberry and Twitter developed Tweetwalk, taking consumers backstage at

Content
Delivery
Burberry

London Fashion Week via live tweets and images of Burberrys spring/summer 2012
collection. The show was also live streamed on Facebook in HD, and select items were
made available for purchase immediately after. By partnering with two of the most
powerful social networks, Burberry successfully bridged the gap between engagement
and commerce. And it proved valuable; in the first half of 2011 Burberry reported total

3.3
Drive sales:
distribute digital
content with
revenue in mind

revenue of 367 million and a 49% jump in retail revenue.13

Participation is a large part of the brands online marketing efforts, and consumer
behavior and interests are factored into every digital execution. Burberrys social blog,
The Art of the Trench, encourages users to upload photos of Burberrys iconic garment,
on Instagram, with select photos published to the blog. In 2012, the site saw a 60%+
growth in total visits.14

Burberrys most recent digital execution integrates chips with custom content into
select handbags and coats, scannable via any mobile device. Inside every chip is a
video showcasing how that exact item was made. The result? A highly personalized
and exclusive consumer experience.

Burberrys goal is to make their content as memorable as their products. By building a

strategic distribution strategy that touches consumers at every step of the purchasing
process, theyve shifted from being one of the worlds most recognizable fashion
retailers to one of the most recognizable names in digital marketing as well.

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What you need

to know
Merge online and offline content
Leverage multiple platforms and social networks to engage consumers in
unique ways. Take advantage of technology and real-time marketing tactics
to distribute content, via livestream or social channels, on a global scale.
Encourage consumer participation
Embed consumers within your campaign via calls to action that inspire
both competition and engagement. Augment your original media library by
calling upon users to help with the creation and delivery of content.
Use exclusive content as added value
Gating, or protecting premium content can be done in a variety of ways.
One way to do so is by making it an added benefit to conversion, whether
that comes in the form of downloading a white paper or purchasing a luxury
item. Withholding content allows for engagement to occur post-conversion,
or purchase, and encourages the consumer to interact with your brand for a
longer period of time.

In a world where
every brand is
a media brand,
quality content
sets people apart.

Quality, as John Ruskin once wrote, is never an accident.

Blending powerful technology, creative design, and a world-class editorial team,
NewsCred powers content marketing for the worlds leading brands.
At our core, NewsCred is about relationships. Over the past four years, weve built
steadfast partnerships with thousands of publishers, including the New York Times,
The Economist, The Guardian, Getty Images, and more. Our content library gives
business unprecedented, real-time access to millions of articles, images and videos
from every corner of the globe.
Our product suite includes end-to end content marketing solutions: the technology to
filter and curate relevant content; the publishing tools to design and build campaigns
with speed and scale; and the editorial teams that bring authenticity to every content
experience.

Footnotes

Get in touch!

1 http://econsultancy.com/us/reports/quarterly-digitalintelligence-briefing-digital-trends-for-2013
2 http://www.fastcocreate.com/1680713/pepsilaunches-first-global-campaign-live-for-now-withnew-social-platform-pulse
3 http://docs.cdn.marketo.com/definitive-guide-tomarketing-metrics-marketing-analytics.pdf

@NewsCred
sales@newscred.com
212.989.4100

4 http://www.emarketer.com/Article/TumblrBoasts-Rapid-Growth-New-AdvertisingOpportunities/1009024
5 http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/08/27/thefacts-and-figures-about-the-power-of-visualcontent-infographic/
6 http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/afocus-digital-makes-burberry-relevant-ageneration/238671/
7 http://www.edelmandigital.com/2013/04/30/creativenewsroom-brand-storytelling-at-the-speed-of-social
8 http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130515/
FINANCE/130519939
9 http://emea.marketing.linkedin.com/blog/connectpasses-80000-milestone-for-citi/
10 http://emea.marketing.linkedin.com/wp-content/
uploads/2012/11/LinkedIn-Case-Study-Citi.pdf
11 http://www.forbes.com/siteslydiadishman/
2011/09/19/burberrys-tweetwalk-delivers-to-themasses-and-challenges-fashions-old-guard/
12 http://www.burberryplc.com/documents/fullannual_
report/burberry_ar_final_web_with-urls_indexed.pdf
Photo Credits (in order of appearance):
1.
2.
3.
4.

Photographer: Brian Buckland | Source: AP

Photographer: Doug Pesinger | Source: Getty Images
Photographer: Chung Sung-Jun | Source: Getty Images
Photographer: Brendon Thorne | Source: Getty Images

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