Content Marketing Crash Course

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MarketingProfs University's Content Marketing Crash Course will show you how to create a winning content strategy that wows your prospects, connects with customers, and bowls over the competition with one goal in mind: to drive business.

Throughout these 14 classes, you'll develop a content strategy using proven tactics and real-world experience. Then, you'll get expert guidance on creating that content (whether you're writing it yourself or leading the charge), from mobile content to SEO to lead generation, and more.

Content Marketing Crash Course isn't just an exercise in high-falutin' theory. Each class is taught by instructors who'll show you how to turn your marketing organization into a content creation machine. Instructors are available to answer your specific questions in our exclusive Content Marketing Crash Course Facebook group. Check out the class descriptions below and register now.

Content Rules: MarketingProfs' own Chief Content Officer, Ann Handley, is no stranger to content marketing. In fact, she's written the (dare we say) definitive how-to-guide to creating great content, Content Rules. With your enrollment in Content Marketing Crash Course, you'll receive an electronic copy of her book (you can read it on a Kindle, your computer, or a variety of mobile devices). Alternately, you can opt to receive Optimize by Lee Odden, instead.

You can watch anytime, anywhere—and with MarketingProfs' new mobile course access, we mean ANYWHERE—your desktop, laptop, even mobile phone. Plus you can watch (and re-watch) at your convenience.

For each class, you'll have access to the class lecture and Q&A (streaming media), as well as several support materials: the slide deck (PDF), the audio track (MP3, so you can listen to the lectures on other devices), a transcript (PDF), and a "cheat sheet" (PDF). Once you view all of the classes, you can download a Certificate of Completion (PDF).

As part of the course, you can also take part in our course-exclusive Facebook group to network and share your questions and insights with fellow MPU students, staff, and instructors.

Content Marketing Crash Course includes these 14 classes (most are 60 minutes), plus the live Q&A closing session:

1. INSPIRATION: The Daring Brand's Guide to Creating Content Worth Sharing
2. STRATEGY: Content Strategy 101: Building the Framework
3. CURATION: The What, Why, and How of Content Curation
4. SEARCH: Optimizing Your Content for Search
5. SOCIAL: Creating Share-Worthy Content
6. EXPERIENCE: 10 Things Content Marketers Must Do to Create a Unique Buyer Experience
7. MOBILE: Adapting Ourselves to Adaptive Content
8. C-SUITE: Selling Content Marketing to the C-Suite
9. THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: B2B Thought Leadership: How Much Do You Know?
10. VISUAL: The Power of Infographics
11. WRITING: Content Writing Best Practices from a Brand Journalist
12. PODCASTING: Podcasting and the Power of Audio
13. RESOURCES: Creating a Content Idea Dashboard
14. OVERVIEW: The State of Content Marketing Address (and a Look Ahead)
15. LIVE Q&A: Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Plus, you'll get these 3 bonus classes from previous courses. You can access the recordings as soon as you register.

1. ONLINE: The Changing World of Online Marketing Writing
2. REIMAGINE: How to Build & Maintain a Thriving Content Ecosystem
3. SOCIAL: How to Make Your Content More Shareable

The Daring Brand's Guide to Creating Content Worth Sharing

Speaker:
Ann Handley—Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs

So you understand this idea about every brand being a publisher now. You understand that you need to be creating content as a cornerstone of your marketing. But how do you create the kind of content that's really going to break through the clutter? The stuff that's really going to make a difference for your brand? And how to you create content that's going to drive actual business?

In this kickoff class, MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer and Content Rules co-author Ann Handley will share her philosophy about what brands like yours need to do to fully embrace content marketing to create not just content, but content worth sharing. She'll set the stage for what's to come in the course by sharing a few key findings of the MarketingProfs and Content Marketing Institute annual content marketing study, as well as looking at what the most inspired brands are already doing to create content that's truly epic. She'll share specific ideas you can steal from them to create your own amazing content for your own (newly?) daring brand.

You will learn:

• What the research shows about brands that are breaking through the clutter
• What your great content must have to inspire your own audience
• Tips and tricks to teasing content out of your own organizations

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Content Strategy 101: Building the Framework

Speaker:
Margot Bloomstein—Principal, Appropriate, Inc.

When kicking off your content strategy, it may not be obvious where to begin. In this class, we will show you how, why, and where to start. We'll discuss the value of communication goals and how they'll help you choose content types, prioritize blog topics, and support content creation collaboration among your colleagues.

You will learn:

• How to create a content strategy using message architecture
• Why content audits, editorial calendars, and style guidelines need to be an integral part of your content marketing mix
• How to be a successful content marketer using an effective strategy

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The What, Why, and How of Content Curation

Speakers:
Pawan Deshpande—CEO, Curata

Content curation is more than just a buzzword. On the contrary, it's now become a marketing staple for companies with a successful online presence. So how much do you really know about content curation? This class will dig deeper into what it is, why it is important, and how to get started curating today!

You will learn:

• What content curation is and what it can do for your organization
• Why content curation is an emerging marketing strategy that's here to stay
• How to get started curating, how to curate continually, and how to make it work for your business

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Optimizing Your Content for Search

Speaker:
Larry Becker—Founder, Larry Becker Web

You've put first things first and created compelling content for your website—but will anyone ever find it? Just like human readers, search engines seek relevant, helpful content that's properly formatted. An effective search engine strategy requires an understanding of which elements of content, design, and structure matter most and a plan for fine tuning them.

You will learn:

• Which online content elements deserve your attention as you optimize for search
• How to methodically tune these elements on your own pages
• How to integrate these techniques into a robust SEO and content strategy

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Creating Share-Worthy Content

Speaker:
Michael Brenner—Senior Director of Global Integrated Marketing and Content Strategy, SAP

Good content educates, entertains, or even amazes your audience because it starts with a focus on them, not you. If done correctly, it can bring you more business. In this class, we will explain how to create a dynamic and engaging content nucleus that will attract prospects.

You will learn:

• Why content strategy is no longer an option for businesses
• How to sell your content ideas to the senior executives
• How to create a content destination that will help you win new business you would have never seen before

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10 Things Content Marketers Must Do to Create a Unique Buyer Experience

Speaker:
Ardath Albee, CEO and B2B Strategist, Marketing Interactions

B2B purchasing is not a linear activity. B2B buyers wait longer to engage with sales, include more team members in the purchase decision, and engage with more content while conducting deeper levels of research. In this class you will learn to put yourself in the buyers' shoes and to create a buying experience that provokes more responsiveness and quicker decisions during their path to purchase.

You will learn:

• Ten things content marketers must do to evolve buyer experiences
• Why connecting the dots for buyers is critical—and how to make it count
• What impact context has on buyer experiences and how to use it to your advantage
• How to effectively use personas to build inclusive buyer experiences

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Meeting the Mobile Content Challenges

Speaker:
Bryson Meunier—Director of SEO Strategy, Resolution Media

When it comes to mobile content, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, only a lot of opinions on what works best. We'll go through your list of options, as well as give strategies for providing the best mobile content for your mobile user, regardless of who that person is or how she accesses your site.

You will learn:

• What kinds of content work best on mobile devices
• What kinds of content people tend to consume on mobile devices
• What one has to do to make existing content mobile-friendly

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Selling Content Marketing to the C-Suite

Speaker:
Robert Rose—Chief Troublemaker, Big Blue Moose

One of the biggest challenges when introducing a new, innovative process to our marketing mix is making the business case for it. How do we make the business case for integrating content marketing into our organization? We'll also discuss some alternative ways of looking at metrics so that you're ensuring these new processes are being judged fairly.

You will learn:

• How to construct a plan to present your content marketing case to the C-Suite
• Practical examples to back-up your content marketing plan
• How to develop an ongoing process to keep your marketing plan & the C-Suite on the same page

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B2B Thought Leadership: How Much Do You Know?

Speaker:
Craig Badings—Director, Cannings Corporate Communications

In today's ever-changing business environment we need to re-energize our relationships with a customer base that is more discerning, demanding, and skeptical than ever. The key is differentiating your organization with compelling points that are new, insightful, and wholly relevant to your audience. This class will show you how many B2B organizations are squandering time, money, and effort on content initiatives that don't set them apart from competitors and how to avoid those same pitfalls.

You will learn:

• How to create thought leadership campaigns that add value
• How to empower and inspire your customers and clients
• How to create trust and a loyal following using thought-leading content

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The Power of Infographics

Speaker:
Mark Smiciklas—President, Intersection Consulting

In an era of information overload, we've become "grazers" of content, skimming digital channels for nuggets of information. As such, it's important for your organization to be able to present ideas in a manner that can be quickly consumed, understood, and remembered by your customers and prospects. This class will address important best practices, using several examples to highlight the key concepts you need to know.

You will learn:

• A basic understanding of infographics and their importance to your brand
• How organizations can learn to present their ideas visually
• How infographics can help you communicate more effectively with your audiences

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Content Writing Best Practices from a Brand Journalist

Speaker:
Jesse Noyes—Brand Journalist, Eloqua

Nowadays everyone is a publisher. Brands are in a unique position to actually be able to tell their own story; the challenge is being able to tell it well. This is where a brand journalist comes in. In this class, you will hear straight from the source some best practices for content writing that every brand should know and use!

You will learn:

• How to create content that connects with your audience in ways you never thought possible
• A new point of view for telling your brand's story
• The benefits of having a brand journalist on staff

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Podcasting and the Power of Audio

Speaker:
Matthew Grant—Managing Editor, MarketingProfs

Everyone is a publisher nowadays, but so few are broadcasters. Why? Maybe it's because they don't know how fun and easy it can be to produce a podcast! In this class, we'll explore the wonderful world of podcasting, from show concept to production and beyond. Along the way, we'll take a look at the myriad ways you can put your podcast to work for your business and how to integrate the podcast into your content marketing mix.

You will learn:

• How to plan and produce your podcast
• How to promote your podcast
• How your podcast can serve as a content engine

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Creating a Content Idea Dashboard

Speaker:
Roger C. Parker—Author, Published & Profitable

Good content ideas tend to get lost in the daily tsunami of other media. Instead of continuing to let good ideas get away, you need to learn how to create a content dashboard to harvest the best ideas, track them, and put them to work in your content marketing plan. This class will cover the pros and cons of various content dashboard solutions and how to create your own personalized solution.

You will learn:

• Seven keys to content dashboard success—and where to find the right solution
• How to organize content in a dashboard
• How to keep your content dashboard fresh and relevant

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The State of Content Marketing Address (and a Look Ahead)

Speaker:
Joe Pulizzi—Founder, Content Marketing Institute

In this class, we will review the full results of the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs annual content marketing benchmark study. This study will include trends and best practices for the current year and beyond.

You will learn:

• The current state of content marketing
• Important results that content marketers need to leverage
• How to use the study results to drive future success

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Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Panelists:
Ardath Albee, Margot Bloomstein, Pawan Deshpande, and Michael Brenner

Got a question that wasn't answered in class? Something that you found confusing? Just want to chat with our instructors? Now's your chance to pick the brains of some of the smartest marketers out there. They'll spend an hour answering your questions, clarifying anything that might be causing you stress, and giving you even more of the great information you've come to expect from MarketingProfs University. No agenda—it's all up to you!

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The Changing World of Online Marketing Writing

Speaker:
Ginny Redish—President, Redish & Associates

As marketers today, you are creating content at an unprecedented rate. The vast majority of this—from copy to blogs, ebooks, and white papers—is being consumed on your website, in your mobile app, and in social media. So how do you write effectively for the online consumer? We'll look at how your customers approach your online content, discuss examples, and provide practical guidelines for writing great content.

You will learn:

• How people consume content online
• When and where content marketing is most effective
• Key guidelines and best practices for writing and presenting online content

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How to Build and Maintain a Thriving Content Ecosystem

Speakers:
Ann Handley—Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs
Matthew Grant—Managing Editor, MarketingProfs

Creating content is hard work, which is why you need to squeeze every last drop of goodness out of the content assets you develop. The key to making content creation easier is "reimagining"—not merely recycling—your content. What does that mean? It means treating every piece of content you create not as a one-off, but as a critical piece of a larger whole and an important link in a sustainable content ecosystem—a Content Circle of Life. We're talking about cultivating a garden of content in which continual cross-pollination produces new and surprising varieties of flowers and where, to further mix metaphors, each little blog post can actually drive a great big content engine ("I think I can! I think I can!")!

You will learn:

• How reimagining content begins with a thoughtful strategy and sustainable content plan
• How to move beyond recycling your content to truly reimagining it
• About organizations that have successfully reimagined their content
• Ideas on using the assets and resources you already have to tell your story

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How to Make Your Content More Shareable

Speaker:
Brian Solis—Principal, Founder, FutureWorks

Brian Solis is an expert in articulating why brands are increasingly media companies and how to earn influence through content in the social sphere. Here, he'll share the concepts why, as well as talk about how you can make your content more "social" and shareable. You'll take away:

• The results of a study by Brian and Vocus, which demonstrated that creating compelling content is the number one reason people and brands earn influence and community in social media
• How content can be both useful and social
• How to create and distribute social objects as the catalysts for meaningful conversations

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