Ad overload, the not-so-great ROI data on social marketing and ever-increasing consumer power. This is the current—and daunting—landscape facing any marketer who’s interested in filling the top of a sales funnel. For many organizations, shifting their marketing efforts (and talent) from promotion to publishing has proved to be an effective way to spread a brand’s story, engage potential customers and create brand loyalty and ambassadors.
Content Marketing can be thought of as value-adding marketing: Creating informative or entertaining content in and around the domain of the product or service in order to attract prospects and encourage engagement. Instead of buying space on existing channels, content marketing focuses on building channels that an organization can own. It’s an approach that is returning more for many organizations who are willing to invest in it.
Pricing
| Early Bird (Before 02/26/19) | Full Price | |
| AMA Member | $1,395 | $1,495 |
| Non-Member | $1,745 | $1,869 |
For early-bird pricing, use the code “VALUEEARLYBIRD” at checkout.
What to Expect
Throughout the two days, you’ll learn the fundamentals of content marketing. We’ll focus on the strategy, necessary operational investments and creative skills needed for successful content marketing.
Objectives
- Gain clarity on the upside and trade-offs of investing in content marketing and what will be necessary to use content marketing in your organization.
- Arm yourself with skills and data to influence others to move toward content marketing in your business.
- Get a handle on the logistics (plans, talent, output, budget, measurements and publishing channels) necessary to launch and maintain a successful content marketing program.
- Grow your creative acumen: Understanding the audience from a publishing and social perspective, brand essentials for creating consistent and differentiated content and telling better stories.
Who Should Attend?
- In-house marketing professionals seeking a content marketing foundation for their organizations and their skills.
- Traditional agency marketing professionals seeking a content marketing foundation to increase their offerings to clients.
- Other working professionals making career-shifts into content marketing.
AMA Event Policies
Thursday, March 28
Registration and Hot Breakfast
We’ll kick off the day with a nice breakfast so you’ll have energy for the day. You’ll also be provided with lunch and breaks throughout the day.
Background and Context
- Thinking like a publisher, not like a marketer
- Required shifts in mindset and approach to audiences and messages
- Digital marketing in 2019 (otherwise known as marketing)
- It’s all digital today, and digital proficiency is your ticket to play in content marketing
- Leading change in organizations, selling content marketing in traditional settings
- Key stats, ROI, and other benefits of content marketing
- When content marketing isn’t right
- Key points to approaching content marketing
- Buying channels vs. creating them
- Not a punctual investment. It takes time.
- Quality vs. quantity traffic
- Buying channels vs. creating them
- B2B vs. B2C
Exercise: Complete Content Marketing Scorecard: Is it right for my organization? How close are we?
Operations
- Running content marketing like a business
- Planning, production, and distribution
- Content Planning and Content Plans
- Campaigns, themes, schedules, and integration
Exercise: Workshop Content Calendar outlines and story ideas
- Staffing and talent
- Effective content marketing requires different talent from traditional marketing departments. You’ll need:
- Content officers, editors, community managers, contributors
- Outsourcing vs. internal execution
- Effective content marketing requires different talent from traditional marketing departments. You’ll need:
Publish and Syndicate
- SEO and keyword alignment
- Technical overview of key platforms
- Understanding social constructs: Social Media is not Marketing Media
- Marketing automation 101
Friday, March 29
Hot Breakfast
Breakfast will be waiting for you when you arrive for day two. Lunch and breaks will be provided throughout the day.
Audience
- Understanding an audience from a publishing perspective
- It’s not how they buy, it’s what they value
- Understanding an audience in their social setting
- Social media is not marketing media
Exercise: Create a publishing-centric Customer Persona
- What moves people
- What we all want and how we’re entertained. Spoiler alert: It’s different from why we buy
Brand
- Brand platform fundamentals
- Manifestos, stakeholders, personality, and position
- Creating brand positions
- What do we do well, how do we do it differently, why does it matter?
Exercise: Create a brand position answering the previous questions
Exercise: Workshop “From Us to Them: Adjusting your messaging from selling to value-added engagement”
Story
- Types of stories
- Showing, not telling
- Storytelling models
- Using anecdotes
- Listening to audiences for ideas and inspiration
Exercise: Use the Hero’s Journey Story Model to Describe Your Next Steps
Aaron Templer
Founding Principal, Three Over FourAaron Templer is a 22-year integrated marketing communications leader, experienced in creating and managing brands across many industries. He is the Founding Principal of Three Over Four, the agency he always wanted to hire. Three Over Four works with clients on branding and marketing, including content marketing services. Templer is deeply involved with the American Marketing Association as an award-winning past chapter president, professional instructor and volunteer for the Professional Chapters Council.
Training Series Location
AMA Support Center
130 E. Randolph St., 22nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.542.9000
The AMA Support Center is right in the heart of Chicago. We’re nestled between Millenium Park and the Chicago River meaning you are just steps away from premiere hotels, shopping and world-class dining. While you’re at our office, you’ll have access to work cubbies in case you need to step out and take care of something back at your office.
Recommended Hotels
Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk
151 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.1234
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Swissôtel Chicago
323 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.0565
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (8 minutes)
Fairmont Chicago
200 North Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.8000
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Club Quarters
75 East Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.601.3400
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (8 Minutes)
theWit Chicago – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
201 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.467.0200
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (7 minutes)
Homewood Suites Downtown Chicago
40 E. Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Hotel Direct: 312-644-2222
Reserve a room now and receive a 10% discount
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (15 minutes)
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
540 North Michigan Avenue, (Driveway Entrance on 541 North Rush Street)
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312.836.0100
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (14 minutes)
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago
221 North Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.5BLU (5258)
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Virgin Hotels
203 N. Wabash
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.940.4400
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago
225 N. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.960.8500
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (6 minutes)
LondonHouse Chicago
85 East Wacker Drive at North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.357.1200
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (9 minutes)
Area Attractions and Events
Please visit Choose Chicago for additional city information.
ADA
The AMA is committed to providing equal access to our meetings for all attendees. If you are an attendee with a disability and require program accommodations, please contact the AMA Support Center, and a member of our staff will ensure that appropriate access arrangements are made. If you have specific disability-related needs for your hotel sleeping room, please be sure to communicate those directly to the hotel when you make your reservation. In an effort to provide the highest quality of service to all attendees, we require that details of all access requests be communicated to our office at least 14 days in advance of the beginning of the meeting.