Strategic Execution for Restaurant Rewards App Implementation of content strategy spanning search, blog, and social
Company Overview Our sample company is a restaurant rewards startup with e-card app membership Founded by European entrepreneurs, the Philippine-based company bolsters the traditional restaurant rewards card model with a mobile app that acts as an e-card with additional features such as restaurant searches, reviews, and promotions. The company needed an inbound marketing execution plan that met certain goals specifically geared towards new user signups for the limited offer free trial. The strategy included an internal blog, social channels, and search engine optimization. 1
Business Objectives SERP Page 1 for target keywords Increase social media footprint Generate max. 5,000 trial users Targeted keywords include restaurant partners, food types, recipes, and niche keywords and keyword phrases to be determined via BD intelligence and keyword research. Long term goal with full effect only becoming apparent in scope in about 6 to 9 months and beyond The 3-month effort is projected to place Company s pages in page 1 of SERPs for some keywords Social media pages need to be created and bolstered through organic content and community building, fostering a genuine gourmet society Campaigns for social media will have immediate effect, but without paid ads, organic growth will be limited Social media will be the brand communities and primary open platform of discussion for company s content and promotions Maximum target trial users is ambitious, and may mot be feasible in just 3 months, will be one of the more pressing priorities. Giving away free trials will be one of the main cross-channel campaigns of focus The free trial campaign will span SEO link building, social media, and content strategy for both internal assets and external sources 2
Brand presence & free trial conversion SEO SEO is a long-term game, but in 3 months estimates put the company s webpages in page 1 of SERPs depending on the keyword, due to search optimization better than existing competitors, which, according to previous research, are poorly managed and executed. Increased visibility in search engines means more traffic and improved conversions (free trials). Social media The company s brand communities will focus less on the actual product and more on being an actual society of exclusive card and app holders who share and discuss the same relevant content. The aim is to bring in 1,000 more FB likes and Twitter followers minimum, and increase the brand s share of voice via genuine engagement. Upon the first month of implementation more data will be available to increase the target to a realistic goal for the next two months. Content Content underlies the entire effort from the content of the static pages to the content sent for link building and outreach to the content of the blog and social media posts. In 3 months, the startup s content will be the beginnings of an authoritative niche in everything gourmet and foodie, syndicating valuable content and promotions, encouraging relevant discussions and sharing, and creating a Filipino foodie society united by exclusivity and belongingness. In 3 months, the website will have an authoritative brand blog, a section for restaurant partners, and perhaps a section for user-generated content such as reviews and comments on partners. The company will reap the genuine value it provides its members through increased online visibility and authority. 3
Goal: 1st page of SERPs SEO General Setup Onsite Optimization Offpage Optimization Technical backend SEO 1. Analytics setup 2. Webmaster Tools setup 3. Robots.txt 4. Sitemap.xml 1. Meta data and tags 2. URL structure 3. Page siloing 4. Non-textual optimization 1. Link building 2. Outreach for free trial campaign 1. Monitoring and tracking 2. Data analysis and conversion optimization 1. Google Analytics for campaign data 2. Google Webmaster Tools for indexing data 3. Text file tells crawlers which pages to crawl 4. XML file containing all webpages to help search engines properly crawl site 1. Unique meta data and proper heading tags 2. Proper structure to help with ranking 3. Webpage should just be 3 clicks away from home 4. Optimization of textual elements of images and video 1. Acquire external backlinks focusing on only white hat, quality acquisition techniques with a premium on relationship-building 2. Perform promotion to external platforms for free trial campaign 1. Monitoring of site health, link portfolio, site speed, and implementation of structured data 2. Analysis of traffic data and page depth, direction, time spent on page and presenting tracking recommendations 4
Start with the Basics Full audit 1. Analysis of site health 2. Keyword audit 3. Onsite elements SEO Keyword Research Based on search volume and BD intelligence General Setup 1. Analytics setup 2. Webmaster Tools setup 3. Robots.txt 4. Sitemap.xml 5
Backlinks & Optimization Link Building Acquire external backlinks for referral traffic and higher SERP ranking Focus on quality link acquisition techniques Include relationship-building with advocates of the brand SEO Outreach Free trial promotion goes hand in hand with link building Approach relevant external backlink sources with free trial asset to promote free trial to their audiences Onsite SEO 1. Unique meta data and proper heading tags 2. Proper structure to help with ranking 3. Webpage should just be 3 clicks away from home 4. Optimization of textual elements of images and video 6
Analytics for Actionable Data Site health Keep track of overall site health that affect SEO, including 404 redirects, broken links, site speed Recommend steps to maintain and improve overall site health SEO Traffic tracking Analysis of traffic as shown by analytics to ascertain useful information for SEO and marketing Analysis of keyword performance to refine and improve keyword targets and develop performing long tail variations Marketing messaging 1. Tracking keyword performance, visits, bounce rates, page depth, etc can show efficacy of SEO efforts 2. Acquire audience search behavior via search type or interest by search volume to inform future decisions 7
Maximum Search-ability SEO Each webpage requires a minimum of 300 words of copy Search visibility requires Content to crawl & index Content Copy fewer than 300 words does not give search engine spiders much to crawl and index. Many SEOs would recommend 700 words average. Website requires a brand blog for a constant stream of fresh content Content produced for the blog will be optimized with target keywords which would get the site to appear on SERPs for different search queries 8
Goal: Grow Social Presence Social Media General Setup Community bbilding Community Engagement Influencers & affiliates 1. Facebook page 2. Twitter account 3. Instagram 4. Google+ 1. Compelling, localized content 2. Curate and push content 3. Create special campaigns 1. Active CTAs across all posts & updates 2. Audience interaction 1. Identify and activate infuencers 2. Maximize affiliate partnerships The above accounts are recommended for specific reasons Other accounts (e.g. LinkedIn, Pinterest) may be considered Create pages that don t exist & build up communities of already present 1. Leverage localized content for maximum platform spread 2. Curate content from external sources & push owned content 3. Share images, videos, & popular quizzes, polls, etc 1. Actively push community building by encouraging liking, retweeting, etc. 2. Respond & interact to promote further user-generated content & engagement 1. Create relationships with influencers to widen social reach & increase following 2. Reach out to partners for mentions, cross-promotions, & branded content & other assets 9
Targeted Social Platforms Social Media Facebook Instagram Twitter Google + Each social platform has its strengths: Facebook has the widest reach and most number of options for community building. Twitter is excellent for follower growth and campaigns using hashtags. Instagram s highly visual nature will be valuable to campaigns featuring food. Google+ is required for better SEO. Organic reach is limited, so we ll have to focus on the local aspects of each platform and make up for limited content generation capacity. 10
Curated & Pushed (Owned) Content Social Media Curated Pushed (Owned) Content from relevant external sources, as well as affiliate restaurant partners. Curating content requires lower production time for inventory. Challenges include avoiding copyright issues, brand focus, and localization Ideally, create own content and then push them to social channels. Owned content generation will be limited, and is not a major priority. Any owned content pushed to social platforms still require localization. 11
Localization & Cross-Channel Promotion Create localized templates along with general schedules for social media. Localization Local Facebook content works differently from Twitter, Instagram, or Google+ content. Maximize localization of social content to suit the needs of the target audience within local platforms. Social Media Cross- Platform Promotion Cross-platform promotion encourages followers of one platform to follow the brand on its other platform. Works as a regular draw for Instagram-Facebook and vice versa campaigns. Ongoing free trial promotion is a similar ongoing effort and will be incorporated. 12
Platform-Specific Tactics Facebook 1 to 2 posts daily, to counter time-decay factor & maximize affinity Facebook-exclusive polls, quizzes, mini-articles, etc to drive in-page engagement Instagram Post highly shareable images Use catchy, relevant hashtags Minimum of one post per day Cross-platform push Twitter 1 tweet daily (minimum) Hashtag campaigns Piggyback on trending hashtags Real-time campaigns where applicable Google+ Create account 1 post daily (minimum) G+ is especially relevant for SEO efforts 13
Goal: Establish Content Foundation Content General Setup Quality Assurance Templates & Guides Consistency 1. Explore Restaurants 2. Brand blog home page 3. Additional UGC pages 1. Create buyer personas 2. Develop brand voice 3. Ensure communications concepts quality 1. Templates for blog posts, infographics, or other assets 2. Guides for streamlined implementation 1. Editorial calendar for blog 2. Press kit & other assets 1. Explore Restaurants page can be valuable 2. The brand blog is required anchor for the entire effort 3. Suggest review pages, if possible Content assets require direction from centralized strategic roadmap Buyer personas, brand voice, & communications concept define roadmap Long-term QC solutions Templates & guides streamline generation & also ensures QC (if using different writers, graphic artists) Brand consistency of frequency & voice Blog posts & content types are scheduled Press kits for media, partners, etc need to be standardized 14
Content is the Anchor for Strategy Restaurant Page SEO Optimize for keywords & leverage for links Content (Main Owned Repositories) Brand Blog Social Media Push owned content to social channel 15
Leverage Existing Following to Promote Cross- Channel Promotion Social sharing & following buttons Campaigns for social drive specifically Leverage crosschannel for free trial Updates & new promos Encourage engagement with the occasional branded content Leverage platform-specific social content (e.g. Real time hashtag campaigns for Twitter and Quiz plugins for Facebook) Free trial promotion is a constant effort Both internal & affiliate programs 16
Content Infrastructure Brand Voice Templates & Guides Marketing Messaging Templates for Owned & Curated Content Content Types & Schedules 17
Inventory & Performance Monitoring Creating content inventory Inventory & Performance Tracking Planning branded content Analytics tracking Conversion Optimization 18
User-Generated Content Verified card / app users only Suggestion: UGC-driven «Explore Restaurants» Page Comments & reviews Real-time feedback Content for Company & partners 19
Activities per Channel SEO Social media All important static web pages must have 300+ words of content for max. visibility Brand blog must be launched to publish fresh, search engine optimized content consistently Curated content from partners and other external sources Pushed (owned) content anchored on internal assets Cross-channel promotion [blog to social media & vice versa] Content Full SEO audit of existing assets Keyword research based on BD intelligence and local niche search volume Onsite optimization Offpage optimization [link building and outreach] Analytics tracking of SEO performance Conversion [free trial as bottom line] optimization Sourcing and creation of curated content Localization of curated and pushed content based on platform Creation of templates for streamlined localization Cross-platform content promotion Local performance tracking Optimization of conversion elements based on analytics data Alignment of content delivery to sales funnel Generation of templates and guides for streamlined publishing Publishing decision of content types and scope [schedule] 20
Implementation Measures Weekly Reorientations End of week reports Immediate consultations Declare weekly goals at start of work week Recap progress from previous efforts Highlight obstacles Acquisition BD intelligence if necessary Weekly performance reports at end of work week Progress reports Progress to goal reports Projected progress-to-end goal estimate Emergency consultations for immediate needs Immediate consults go both ways: Company or Consultant 21
That s It, Folks! Thanks! Presentation by Gino R. Diño Gino likes to think about online content: publishing it, the strategy needed to make it work, and the varied ways to use it for marketing. Gino has expansive experience as a content strategist who helped small businesses and startups develop their online content marketing strategies, providing expert advice and implementing plans across search optimization, social media, and content channels such as email newsletters and blogs. He assisted in building outsourced teams for clients, handling everything from recruitment to training to performance assessment and management. He has helped businesses and founders from North America, Europe, Israel, Dubai, and the Philippines as an independent project consultant. Gino also has over six years of experience as a freelance writer and editor working for brands like VentureBeat and Slator.com writing about topics in the areas of technology, startups, digital marketing, language technology and services, gaming, and geek culture. gprdino@gmail.com 18 gprdino ph.linkedin.com/in/gprdino twitter.com/gprdino
Thanks for your interest! Skype gprdino Mail gino@digital-luminary.com Web www.digital-luminary.com