Cup-winning content marketing

It’s official.

I have hockey fever.

I know! I couldn’t believe it either! I’m not even a sports fan and my hometown team was, um, less than great this year.

But still, I’m obsessed. I’ve joined the water cooler huddle each morning to agonize over missed calls and big hits. This week, I was tasked with writing a blog on well-oiled content marketing teams, but it keeps coming back to hockey! In the last sentence, I accidentally wrote well-Oilers first time around, and they’re not even in the playoffs!

Seeing as some people around here have drawn marketing parallels to Netflix shows, I’m rolling with it. This is Cup-Winning Content Marketing![/intro]

GM duties: build a winning team

Over the years, we’ve been scouting different ways to shape a content team, both internally and with our clients. We’ve experimented with different lineups, plugging in new pieces and benching others. At this point in the season, we’ve developed a solid game plan and defined clear player roles. Consider this our championship lineup for content marketing:

The Center (Content Production). This player is responsible for leading the charge and getting the offense going. They’re tasked with setting up the content plan and identifying cool topics. After the draw, the center works alongside writers, videographers, and illustrators to get your content down the ice before passing off to the wingers.

The Wingers (Amplification). These players are responsible for getting the the puck content in front of the net right audience. If you’re using multiple promotion tactics like PPC and emails, split the job between multiple wingers, the lefty and righty. Taking the assist from the center, the wingers carry out the play and put your content in a position to score.

The D (Publishing). The key focus of your defense is keeping the zone clear. When drafts comes in, they clean them up and put them live. Publishers handle formatting and styling, ensuring all content is organized and on brand. SEO is another job for the defense, but should be trusted to someone with a specialized skill-set. Think of them as the enforcer.

The Netminder (Analysis & Insights). Nothing gets by the goalie. She’s watching the game unfold, keeping her eyes glued to the puck and acting as the fail-safe. The goalkeeper stays on top of campaign stats, identifying issues and making adjustments where needed. Whether it be bounced emails or issues with tracking, the goalie protects you from mistakes.

Coaching duties: follow a playbook with proven success

We’ve talked about it before, teams are at their best when practicing an agile methodology. Consider it your style of play. As for the X’s and O’s, we’ve talked about the value of an “always on” campaign. Consider running one in your next sprint. Each game, your team will roll out a new strategy based off their last performance iterating and optimizing where necessary. Was targeting a bit sloppy? That’s up to the D to clean up. Have your wingers been watching game tape? How else will they straighten things out?

Game Time

The puck drops. The center gets going on content development, looping in designers and other creatives. Drafts are fired to the defense for review and returned up the ice. Posts are scheduled and your wings take position to receive the pass.

From there, it’s a full-blown flying V. Ads are firing and emails are deployed. The puck is moving and everyone plays their role. Your netminder stays on top of the play, keeping the goal protected, and your enforcer gets in on the offense. You break down the defense, and your content is served up for a one-timer…

Do you score? That depends on your content. One thing’s for sure, with this game plan you’ll have plenty of shots on net. Content marketing is a team sport dominated by well-coached players with established roles. Try doing it yourself and you’ll be watching the finals from home. Game on!