Increase Engagement with Customers Through a Content Marketing Strategy

By Sophia Melas

In content marketing, consistency is everything. In an interview with Marketing Sherpa, George Stenitzer, VP of Communications at Tellabs claims that his content marketing strategy, which he refers to as “message maps,” tripled his company’s yearly revenue. These message maps are nothing more than a one-page document, outlining the most important points on a given topic and are designed to keep all departments on the same page with content publishing. After using message maps for one year, Tellabs was able to triple their engagement with company-produced content, which Stenitzer says ultimately contributed to the boost in revenue.

This engagement, Stenitzer says, must come within the first ten seconds (about twenty words) of the process. From here, if the reader is engaged, he will make his way down the “content funnel.” Identifying the various levels of the content funnel is the first step in creating a message map. Stenitzer divides these levels of the funnel into four different categories depending on their level of engagement.

The first ranges from seven to nine seconds and consists primarily of Tweets, headlines, and elevator pitches. The second is about two minutes and encompasses videos, infographics and blog posts, while the third is made up of longer content like magazine articles, long webpages and panel commentary that last about five minutes. The fourth category, involving the most amount of engagement, lasts about twenty minutes and is primarily made up of webinars and white papers. Because the message map’s purpose is to produce a general idea that is consistent throughout the funnel, the prospect should be consuming more amounts of information as they follow the path to purchase.

The second step in creating a message map is to outline the most important points of the given topic. The key points should be arranged in an order of main message, supporting statements and, finally, supporting detail. By clearly outlining the main ideas and those that support them, a clear and consistent message can be conveyed to the buyer, whether it’s through a Tweet or a blog post.

While your small business may not be creating the same amount of content that a large B2B company is, the value of a content roadmap is clear. Designing a message map for your business can help create thoughtful, engaging content with a consistent message to be used in everything from website copy to blog posts to social media updates, thereby increasing engagement points with customers and, in turn, positively affect your bottom line.