This Process Street Online Manual is a Work-in-Process. At any point if you discover something that requires additional clarification or if you have any other suggestions on how to make this documentation more effective at helping new Content Marketing analysts learn how to accomplish their tasks on a Net Presence Team project, please use the comments at the bottom of each content section on the right side, to raise your questions or make your suggestions.
The Curation process is the heart of any Inbound Marketing initiative. Whether used as is, Shared Content, or as inspiration for more "original" content, the process of discovering quality content that meets the needs and interests of our client's target audiences is a critical first step in the process of attraxcting, recruitring and converting them.
The Researcher, using tools like BuzSumo and others, systematically searches for appropriate content that:
The content identified by the Researcher is then saved in any one of a variety of temporary storage places such as GetPocket, Kifi etc. Each story is saved with the researcher's evaluation:
Periodically the Team Leader for each client and/or the Client Representative will review the articles stored in the temporary storage, and add #hastags either approving or rejecting the suggested content. These individuals can add or change existing comments and #hashtags before the content is forwarded to the writers.
The ultimate use of the content will be indicated by the following #hashtags:
Once Identified, reviewed, approved and its eventual usage determined, the Team Leader or Content Marketing Coordinator for each campaign or project will create Content Creation Trello Task Card. These cards will be posted either on the Client's Editorial Calendar Trello Board or in some instances on a similar Social Media Activity Calendar Trello Board.
Until the decision to publish each item is finalized, each Task Card will remain on the "Under Consideration" list. Anyone with access to that Trello Board can add their comments, insights, ideas and constructive criticism to the contents of each card.
The following is a brief description of each type of content we create for the purpose of publishing content to attract, recruit and convert members of our client's target audience(s).
#2BeRewritten is basically rehash of all or part of one or more articles all dealing with a particular issue. The writer is given the following:
#2BePublished are articles, written by others, from whom we solicit their approval, which we republish and promote as a 'public service' to the client's target audience(s) The writer is given the following:
The writer will deliver in return:
#2BeShared is content created by others and published elsewhere that we share with our client's Social Media audience in the interests of building a community of shred interests and attracting the readers back to the client's online presence for more quality content, including information on their products or services.
#2BePromoted is a package of short optimized marketing copy intended to be used to promote articles we are publishing on the client's blog,and afterward will be sharing with the client's target audience(s) as posts on the various Social Media.
To help the writer create as effective a collection of titles and posts as possible, they will be provided with:
The are expected to deliver:
Each writing assignment task has a 'template' attached. Promotion Packages like this assignment indicate the Social Media
The Question was asked: The promotion template lists titles and excerpts - I'm assuming that I am to follow 'the optimal length for every social media update' for guidance on title length, but how long should the excerpts be? Do I just find a relevant bit or bits in the article and copy paste? Does the excerpt need to be different for each different post?
@Yoel's response : In truth this is a very difficult question with no clear "formula" response. I suggest instead of looking at tables or formula we first try to identify what the function or role of each part of a Facebook, Google+ or LinkedIN Company Page update really is!
The title is what people see in the subject line. It is the most basic "Call to Action", it cries out: "Please read me, I'm interesting!"
This is the body of text that precedes the shared post. It is "the pitch". It's purpose is to convince the reader to click on the shared post to read the original full post at its source! Whatever works is "kosher". Is it a quote followed by a phrase or sentence putting the quotation into some provocative context, challenging or questioning the reader - urging them on to click through? Is it a specially written two or three sentence summary delivering to the reader the salient points of the original post in an attempt to demonstrate "this is worth reading in its entirety".
There is NO one answer except this: Whatever works! Whatever is most likely to help put this shared post in context and motivate the reader to click through to the original - that is what the "excerpt" (often called "introduction" or "context") should be. Does this work for you people?
On Google+, Facebook and LinkedIN this is often the graphic and "pitch" written by the original author. You don't need to do anything. Occasionally it is simply a text and a snip.ly URL. In such cases a powerful, relevant graphic with a corresponding message or "call to action" super imposed upon it, can make the difference between a post clicked on and shared and a post ignored (people are so shallow!)
Additional questions? Yoel
#2BeTranslated - In the event that an article, or the section of an article, is to be published in a language other than English, the Task Type will be #2BeTranslated.
The word budget of the translation will be clearly indicated and a link to the original English language of the task made available so that the translator will understand the objectives of the article, the target audience(s) etc.
At any given time, there should be an "Engagement Initiative" running concurrently with the Content Marketing activity. This "current" Engagement Initiative is an effort to motivate our readers to participate in some online activity where we solicit their participation in return for some information or material advantage.
The Net Presence Team currently uses the Trello kantan Board as our Task Management / Editorial Calendar tool. Each Content Marketing or Social Media task, is a single Trello Card (from here on called a Task Card). Each column or list is a different stage in the process. Moving a card from one list or column to the next, indicates the tasks progress through the workflow.
Ideas and intensioins, but not yet tasks ready to be assigned.
Every Trello Task sitting in this List or Column is waiting either to be assigned, or for someone with the appropriate skills to speak up and ask to have it assigned to them. In the case of two writers, the earlier time stamp on the comment requesting to have this task assigned to them, will receive the task.
Once it has been agreed between the Team Leader and the team member that the team member has received responsibility for completing this task, that Team Member will be added as a "Member" on that Task Card. Any one else interested in following the execution of that Task can click on "Subscribe" in the Action Menu to receive updates via email notifications.
Each team member can only work one task at a time, and must have a completed task reviewed and approved before they can commence on the next task.
When a team member accepts a task assignment, it is their responsibility:
From the moment a team member accepts a task:
While working on a task, the task will remain in the "Work in Progress" list. Only when the task is ready to be reviewed for initial draft feedback or reviewed and approved as complete is it to be moved to the next List "Awaiting Approval". If there are issues the reviewer requires the team member to correct or improve, it will be returned, with clarifying comments, to the "Work in Progress" list.
The Net Presence Team strives to work with our clients to define their target audience(s) and then to distill these definitions into 'persona'. Each Content Creation Assignment will include an explanation of what we feel this item should strive to achieve; to which audience should the writer be 'speaking' to and finally at which stage of the 'buyers journey' do we anticipate the information of this item will be most relevant. To the extent that the writer succeeds in tuning into to the needs of interests of the persona identified, to that same extent will the content item likely succeed in delivering value to our client.
For each client our Internet Analyst creates and continually updates, a list of high-value search terms our client's target audience is likely to use to seek our information that our client provides. The writer and later the publisher of the item on our client's WordPress blog have access to a "Keyword Lexicon for Clients-Name" on the Net Presence Team Google Documents drive. Searchable and sort-able, the writer and/or the publisher can find the search phrase (keyword) with the highest value to associate with each content item.
To the extent that the writer and/or publisher succed in weaving an appropriate high-value search phrase (keyword) into the document URL, title, content, headewrs and image alternative text tags, to that same extent is that item of content likely to display high on the Search Engine Results Pagea when people search for content associated with that term.
Tasks "Awaiting Approval" can take as long as 2 business days, although the desire is to turn every thing submitted around within one business day.
Once the product associated with the task has been reviewed and approved, the writer / editor or translator will receive a message informing them to log their hours or per word expense request and to move the task to the next List, 2BeScheduled.
As most content items created or prepared will require a complementary 2BePromoted package, the article itself might sit in the 2BeScheduled another week until the associated Promotion Package is complete and ready for use.
Once scheduled, copies of the Task Card are moved to the Client's Editorial Calendar so that they will show up both in List form as Scheduled items, and in Calendar format, by date of planned publication. The original card is then moved to "Completed" for thirty days when it will be archived to make more room on the board.
Once scheduled, copies of the Task Card are moved to the Client's Editorial Calendar so that they will show up both in List form as Scheduled items, and in Calendar format, by date of planned publication. The original card is then moved to "Completed" for thirty days when it will be archived to make more room on the board.
Visit the Net Presence Team Wiki to view a Step-by-Step Graphic Tutorial explaining how to log your hours on a Trello Task Card.
Visit the Net Presence Team Wiki to view a Step-by-Step Graphic Tutorial explaining how to submit your expense requests on a Trello Task Card.
Facebook (personal) profiles are rarely if ever used for marketing.
Facebook Organization, Product, Cause or Company page are primarily used when the target audience(s) are consumers.
Google+ is still the bastion of the 'Nerds'. More technology focused individuals and issues can find a receptive audience here. None-the-less we rarely if ever use a personal profile as a marketing platform except to echo or amplify efforts made on an associated Company or Product Google+ Page.
Google+ is still the bastion of the 'Nerds'. More technology focused individuals and issues can find a receptive audience here.
