MKT 135 - Content Marketing

1. Explain the importance of content marketing strategies and tools in a business marketing system.
   1. Identify common tools used to execute content marketing strategies.
   2. Recognize the strategic implications of using strategies and tools that make sense for a company, its products and its target market.
2. Examine the buyer’s journey and its significance to content marketing.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of websites and blogs in a content marketing system.
   1. Explain how companies design, develop and maintain quality websites that serve as home base in the content marketing system.
   2. Illustrate proper use of effective blog strategies and techniques.
4. Appraise search engine optimization effectiveness for a new or established business.
   1. Understand the importance of search engine referral traffic in eCommerce and within content marketing.
   2. Identify the most critical on-page and off-page SEO factors that currently contribute to high organic search rankings.
   3. Compare SEO methods employed by individual companies and webmasters against best practices.
5. Design lead generation strategies for use by small businesses, marketing departments, sales organizations or agencies.
   1. Outline various stages in the lead-generation system.
   2. Create lead generation contact forms in line with best practices.
   3. Describe how contact forms fit within the content marketing system and the buyer’s journey.
   4. Delineate between a website visitor and a lead. 
6. Explain the role of email marketing in building a contact list and executing email campaigns.
   1. Clarify the relationship between email marketing and content marketing.
   2. Recognize the use of an email marketing subscription form as a specific type of lead-generation form.
   3. Identify how companies use email campaigns to convert leads into customers.
   4. Describe how email newsletters and follow-up campaigns contribute to customer relationship management programs. 
7. Analyze common Web analytics utilizing Google Analytics and/or other popular tools.
   1. Define analytics and its role within marketing and content marketing.
   2. Interpret analytics reports to make strategic decisions for improving content marketing return on investment.
8. Evaluate common brand influencer roles and outlets, and how companies leverage them for branding.
   1. Assess the pros and cons of brand relationships with professional and consumer influencers.
   2. Review FTC disclosure requirements for paid influencer content on websites, blogs and social media channels. 
9. Evaluate the role of a social media presence within a content marketing system.
   1. Identify current, popular social media channels companies use for marketing in B2B and B2C industries.
   2. Communicate the importance of integrating social media marketing with all content marketing tools and the entire marketing function.
   3. Recognize how companies use social media to establish a brand presence, drive website referral traffic and build an engaged following.