How to Avoid Content Fire Drills: 8 Steps

  • 1 min read

I received a couple questions on client content bibles, so I wanted to expand on the information a bit.

Do you start every lead generation campaign from scratch? Do you find yourself in “fire drill” mode when you need to get a new marketing campaign out the door? Do several different people have a hand in each of your clients’ campaigns?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s a good idea to build client content “bibles” for the upcoming year. By investing a little time up front, you’ll create significant content efficiencies in 2012.

8 steps to a Client Content Bible:

Step 1: Gather client information. Include client products/services and vertical markets, prioritized by profitability. Also include an inventory of all current content collateral, and a clear understanding of client budget.

Step 2: Identify buyer personas. You should have a baseline of 3 buyer personas per vertical market, including the buyer/user, financial decision maker, and CEO. Include their responsibilities, pain points and key motivators.

Step 3: Identify the stages of lead nurturing process. Typically, there are 5: awareness, information, evaluation, purchase, and post-purchase/upsell.

Step 4: Build a content mapping matrix outline, with buyer personas on one axis and lead nurturing stages on the other.

Step 5: Fill in content mapping matrix outline. In each section of the matrix, add objectives, possible headlines, and key points specific to that buyer and stage.

Step 6: Note overlapping efficiencies. There may be a few areas in which content can be repurposed.

Step 7: Highlight the most profitable areas. Prioritize campaigns from the top down according to profitability and client budget.

Step 8: Build client content bible. Include campaign purpose, delivery method and a delivery timeline.

Your client content bibles will act as 2012 editorial calendars, while still allowing flexibility for timely messages or important announcements. You’ll cut out fire drills (except the real ones) and increase content creation efficiencies.

Most importantly, a client content bible helps you tell a bigger story–one that includes consistent, cohesive value proposition messaging across all mediums.

Picture of Wendy Brache

Wendy Brache

Wendy Brache builds and executes personal branding and online marketing strategy for executives and corporations in the high-tech sector. She is the author of Sales Force Branding: Differentiate from the Competition, and co-creator of the Sales Force Branding program. Wendy is a senior consultant specializing in B2B Corporate Social Media, Demand Generation and Marketing Automation, and is also a featured marketing technology speaker and columnist on renowned websites, such as Maria Shriver’s Women’s Conference, Chopra’s Intent.com and Denver’s GreatIdeasForKids.com.

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