Lauren Pope on the difference between content marketing and content strategy

To kick start her presentation Lauren  Pope from Brilliant Noise compared the Content Marketing Institute’s definition of content marketing and Kristina Halvorson’s definition of content strategy to demonsrate the differences.

CMI: “Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

Halvorson: “Content strategy plans for the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content.”

Pope: “Content strategy plans for the why, content marketing for the what.”

Lauren referred to the Brilliant Noise content strategy model:

1. Purpose: The reason why your content exists. Establish your purpose, make sure everyone is on the same page, particularly from senior management.

2. Principles: the foundations of your content to ensure constancy. Lauren referred to Coca -cola’s liquid content strategy. Consistency helps to bridge the silos. Everyone knows what they need to do and how to do it.

3. Platforms: choose the one that is right for you. Lauren recommended editorially for short form content and scribbler for long form.

4. Process: a formula or recipe for a repeatable process. Process helps with sign off, if there is a strong criteria for submitting content.

5. People: use content organisation models to help address governance – either everyone feels they own the content or no one is bothered.

6. Performance: engagement is more than just likes or PVs. What about share of voice, or reduction of number of call centre calls…

Lauren signed off by saying that content strategy is all about coming up with a great formula with your content. Implementing content strategy is hard so take it step by step and address your client’s biggest pain points first.

#editorial