Ringing in the New Year with Content Marketing Strategy

As we enter 2018, new digital marketing trends are making their way onto the scene. On December 13, 2017, Digital Megaphone was there to help highlight and identify the trends everyone should be on the lookout for.

At the “Advanced Digital Marketing — Content Hubs, Advanced SEO, FB Ads and Instagram” mini conference, many popular digital marketing topics were discussed, including creating a hub-based content strategy, advanced content and SEO strategies, and expert tips for Instagram posts and Facebook paid ads. Each session consisted of an approximately 45-minute discussion and small-group exercises to get the audience engaged in the topic.

The afternoon started off with Sue Koch, social media strategist at Social Media Success Catalyst, discussing how to create a hub-based content strategy. She explained the power of content strategy, which includes the four C’s: consistency, cohesiveness, community and cost. Following a detailed explanation of why content strategy is important, Sue introduced the Hub & Spoke Model. The model has one primary hub, which is the meat of your theme. The spokes branching off the hub incorporate different ideas or lessons. To demonstrate the concept, Sue showed the audience how to create their own personal Hub & Spoke Models to share and discuss in a small group. Sue’s explanation of a hub-based content strategy could help any marketer easily map out an idea or a campaign.

Next, Andy Crestodina, strategic director at Orbit Media, continued the main discussion on content strategy by discussing a more advanced approach to content strategy and SEO. Andy explained how to get your traffic moving by turning day-to-day email communication into high-ranking articles, adjusting article headlines to capture the reader’s attention, collaborating on content and much more. Andy explained that even adjusting small features in a particular article you’ve written can yield better rankings in search results. For example, when writing the headline, he suggests using a keyword first, followed by a colon and a number. The number tends to turn up higher in search results because it’s simple and explains exactly what the article will entail. From starting points to advanced techniques, Andy’s discussion had many people asking questions and wanting to learn more.

Adam Bianco, CMO at Tide Spin, ended the afternoon with his discussion, “Instagram Expert Hacking Tips and Facebook Paid Ad Intensive.” Adam shared many Instagram best practices that went beyond conventional wisdom. For instance, Adam explained how to tell a story visually on Instagram, which can include “day in the life” features (e.g., what it’s like to be a Chicago Blackhawks hockey player on a Wednesday), a central theme (so that when people follow your brand, they know what they’re getting), fun examples and tie-ins, looking at your competition for insight, and using the right lingo for the right social platform (e.g., saying “double-tap” is correct on Instagram but not on Facebook). Adam went on to explain the best times to post, how to find valuable followers, and how to know what kind of posts to make (including collages, quotes and video posts). Adam’s discussion ended with his explanation of how to increase Facebook paid advertising. Fewer and fewer people are seeing your content, which means ads have to be more powerful and effective. Adam discussed how to write your ads, how to choose the right content, when to post the ads, and much more.

The day was filled with facts, tips, tricks and actionable insights on all things digital marketing. Sue Koch’s discussion on hub-based content strategy offered a simple way to look at a central theme and map out every possible solution. Andy Crestodina’s discussion on advanced content and SEO opened up a unique take on how to improve traffic to your article, website, etc. Adam Bianco shared simple yet compelling tricks on how to get people to engage more with your Instagram posts and Facebook ads. The audience can now head into 2018 a bit more knowledgeable on the digital marketing trends to come.