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TINA HOWELL, from page 9

4) Channel master 5) Return-on-objective chief

❚ ❚ Chief content officer. This is your content ambassador, re- sponsible for making sure stories remain consistent and make sense to the audience(s) across all channels (PR, email, social, search, etc.). ❚ ❚ Managing editor. This person’s job is about execution, working to make the stories come alive (including tone, style guides, and content scheduling). ❚ ❚ Chief listening officer. This “air-traffic controller” for social media and your other content channels listens to the groups, maintains the conversation, and keeps tabs on how the con- tent is performing. ❚ ❚ Director of audience. This person is responsible for monitor- ing your audience, making sure all content creators are inti- mately familiar with the audience members’ characteristics, their passion triggers, and what actions you want them to take. ❚ ❚ HR for marketing. This individual will work closely with hu- man resources to make sure that employees understand their integral role in the marketing process. ❚ ❚ Channel master. Wherever your content is headed (social media, email, print, in-person, etc.), this individual is respon- sible for getting the most out of each channel in addition to curating the current content assets for distribution. ❚ ❚ Chief technologist. This person is responsible for leveraging the proper use of technologies in the content marketing pro- cess, such as marketing automation, freelancer integration, and emerging technologies. ❚ ❚ Influencer relations. Formerly known as media relations, this individual’s responsibilities include developing your hit list of influencers, maintaining direct relationships with them, and integrating them into your marketing process in the most impactful ways. ❚ ❚ Freelancer and agency relations. As content demands con- tinue to evolve, organizations need to cultivate their own ex- pert content teams and networks. This person’s job is to man- age responsibilities so that all members of your team (internal and external) are united in their work. ❚ ❚ Return-on-objective chief. This person is responsible for ensuring an ongoing return on marketing objectives and com- municating why your business is developing content assets in the first place. “We consider our thought leadership, client stories, compelling designs, measureable results, and perhaps most importantly, our people to be among the strongest subject matter for content marketing.” While having all of these roles on the team would be sheer utopia, if asked to select the top five I feel would be most valuable for our firm in the foreseeable future I would pick: 1) Chief content officer/managing editor (I’m not trying to cheat by squeezing two roles into one; our need would be well served by a hybrid of the two) 2) Chief listening officer 3) HR for marketing

SHOW ME THE CONTENT. In a similar vein, several recent Mar- ketingProfs articles highlight the premium placed on a well-defined content marketing strategy. One such article points to a 2016 study conducted by Curata, which found that 75 percent of companies are increasing their invest- ment in content marketing and 43 percent are increasing staff levels. Perhaps an even more compelling statistic, which clearly proves the business case for content mar- keting, is that 74 percent of marketers indicate that their company’s content marketing investment results in an in- crease in lead quality and quantity. “If there are parts of your structure that are working well then integrate those into a more deliberate structure that focuses on the future. Regardless of what else the future holds for B2B marketing, one thing is certain: Content marketing is here to stay.” So how does this relate specifically to marketing/BD in the AEC industry? The fundamentals are the same – the variable is based on what is defined as “content.” Not unlike other firms, we consider our thought leadership, client stories, compelling designs, measureable results, and perhaps most importantly, our people to be among the strongest subject matter for content marketing. How we fully exploit this information is based on our marketing strategy and each item’s relevance to the various channels of communication. It’s also how we help move a prospective client from having little (or no) awareness of the firm to winning a project and ultimately developing a deep client relationship that spans decades. Unbeknownst to me when I joined the firm 15-plus years ago, having compelling content to mine for marketing purposes would never be an issue. Back then I thought everything was fascinating because I was new to the design industry, but it remains so to this day. Rarely a week goes by that I don’t hear at least one interesting client story, learn something intriguing about a fellow employee or see a photograph of a recently completed project that doesn’t make its way into some facet of our marketing efforts. The question is, should we structure our marketing teams in a way that more closely aligns with Pulizzi’s article to better capitalize on these content opportunities? My suggestion is keep the baby, toss the bath water. If there are parts of your structure that are working well then integrate those into a more deliberate structure that focuses on the future. Regardless of what else the future holds for B2B marketing, one thing is certain: Content marketing is here to stay. TINA HOWELL is Little’s national director of marketing and business development. She can be reached at thowell@littleonline.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 19, 2017, ISSUE 1205

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