We’ve been lucky enough to work with many talented content marketing leaders over the years, and one thing we’ve learned is that it’s a two-way street. We often find ourselves learning just as much from our clients as they do from us.
But we don’t want to keep all of this insight to ourselves, so we’re kicking off a new blog series called “Shareables” so you can learn some of the secrets to their success.
In our inaugural post, we sat down with Sarah Perry, Manager, Content Marketing, at Crisis24, and asked her to share her thoughts about some of the things she does best – strategy and planning, forging strong partnerships, and leveraging data to craft compelling stories.
Q: A clear, well-defined thought-leadership strategy is very effective at driving results, but it’s not an easy task to balance all the elements. You seem to have nailed it. We’re always impressed by how you’re able to bring together all the stakeholder needs. Can you tell us a bit about how you approach the content strategy and planning process?
A: Planning can’t be done in a vacuum. Everyone – from Content to Demand Generation, Digital, Product Marketing and Marketing Operations – has to be aligned or you’re not going to get effective results. The first step is to agree on goals and objectives, and the best way to do this is to start at the top. It’s not always easy, but start by asking your organizational leaders questions like:
- Can you help us prioritize our goals for this quarter?
- What products or services should be the main focus?
- Are there target audience segments we want to prioritize over others?
Once everyone is aligned under common priorities, individual teams can come to the table with their ideas about how to reach those goals.
The second step is to check your ego at the door. Planning can’t be done in a silo by one individual or one team. Sometimes there’s a perception that involving fewer people will make the process go faster – and it might – but it won’t yield the best results.
Your organization likely has experts in content, messaging, product, digital, email, and social. When planning, there are things that I share from my area of expertise, which is content. But it’s also just as critical to know when to defer to the knowledge of others. When you’re all aligned and working toward the same goals, this type of collaboration and respect for everyone’s ideas comes about more naturally. It also results in a more well-rounded and cohesive strategy.
Lastly, planning and content strategy isn’t one-and-done. Check in regularly with other teams and do a gut check. Are plans and tactics still on track?
Most likely, you’ll need to make some adjustments. From my experience, there are a host of reasons why you might need to pivot. Sometimes your tactical plans don’t perform as expected, or the company’s goals and priorities might have shifted. There might be a delay in a product launch, or the larger business environment might have changed. You can’t just put your blinders on and march forward – and still expect to get the desired result.
Q: You engage thought leaders both internally and externally, with great success. How important do you think it is to collaborate with other industry leaders in building thought leadership? Can you share your thoughts about why the partnerships you’ve forged worked so well, and do you have any tips for connecting with external thought leaders?
A: I firmly believe that a lot of people want to hear from experts and not companies. Our audience doesn’t want to hear what a Content Strategist, a Senior Writer, or a company that is clearly trying to sell them something thinks about their challenges or ways to make their lives easier. They want to hear from people who have expertise and experience, and who can provide trusted guidance. In turn, your content will provide more value. In fact, I’ve learned a lot myself over the years by working with both internal and external SMEs. It’s incredibly valuable for personal growth in my role and for meaningful content.
I think the success our content team has seen working with subject matter experts (SMEs) is because we simply support them in telling their story, getting their message out, and sharing their authentic story. Then we figure out how to best tie it back to the company without detracting from the value of the expert’s message or what they’re trying to communicate.
We also take a flexible approach, offering to work in whatever way is best for that SME. We prioritize their time and understand that informing our content is not their primary job. They decide how often we will meet and how involved they will be in the writing and editing process. We produce drafts of copy quickly, so they have more time to review, and we adjust our schedule to accommodate theirs.
When it comes to creating these types of partnerships, it often boils down to knowing someone who knows someone. And that’s not a bad thing because it can be a very symbiotic relationship. They are providing expertise for us, and we are open to supporting them in their mission as well. This may look like helping to amplify their message on our channels, or even promoting their services. My suggestion for other teams looking to explore these types of partnerships would be to think about who you know and who your colleagues know.
Another avenue where we’ve had success is speakers at industry events. This is a great opportunity to connect with thought leaders in person. LinkedIn is also a valuable networking tool when it comes to connecting and communicating with industry experts outside your organization.
Q: Data-driven storytelling has earned its spot in the content marketing arsenal, but not everyone does it well. You’ve found the right way to tell stories using a balanced mix of graphics and words. What advice do you have for others on how best to leverage storytelling and data visualization to enhance thought-leadership content?
A: I’ve always believed that having strong proof points behind your messaging builds trust with your audience. Data, preferably original research data, is my go-to. Over the years my team and I have drooled (sorry for the visual) over having original data to fuel our content strategy.
You can also tell a compelling story visually by leveraging data. We know not everyone is going to sit down and read a report or an ebook, so it’s important to give people snackable pieces of content that use design just as much as messaging and words to tell a portion of the story.
Sometimes when you’re putting a more visual piece together you have the exact vision of how it will work. But other times (as someone with more of a writing background than design background) you have a vague idea of how you want the message to come across, but not the picture in your mind. This is when you rely on a partnership with the designer.
My biggest piece of advice is to workshop it with your designer early in the process. Discuss the story you’re trying to tell, including the flow, the most important elements of the copy, and the key takeaways. Be open to creative direction from the designer. This is their area of expertise, so keep an open mind about how it can be presented visually.
Once again, it all comes back to knowing your strengths and leaning on the expertise of others. And remember, content strategy and planning is a team effort. When everyone feels respected and heard, you can develop the kind of rapport needed to strategize, adapt, and execute successfully.
Sarah Perry is a content marketing leader and strategist with more than 15 years of experience marketing B2B enterprise software solutions and technology across a variety of industries. You can contact Sarah by connecting with her on LinkedIn.