INTRODUCTION

This guide will walk you step by step through the process
for creating your first Big Rock piece of content, an asset that
will serve as a cornerstone of your content marketing strategy.
The guidance you’ll find is based on award-winning strategies
from leading marketers at such companies as Marketo, HubSpot,
and even here at LinkedIn. This is the secret sauce for doing
more with less while driving real revenue using content.

8 Foolproof Steps to Creating

Your First Big Rock: 1

Invite Influencers: 14

Find the Right Conversation

to “Own”: 5

Launch your Big Rock: 16

Create the Framework: 7

Carve up the Turkey: 18

Measure Success: 9

Keep the Thunder Rolling: 20

Write the Big Rock: 11

FROM THE AUTHOR
One of the biggest challenges for marketers is to produce
enough high quality content to fuel both their social media
and demand generation channels. But volume is not the
answer. The solution lies in not producing more content,
but instead producing more relevant content.

That’s where the concept of the Big Rock comes into play.
The Big Rock is a substantial piece of content based on
the idea of becoming the definitive guide to a conversation
that you want to own. If done right, one Big Rock
piece of content can fuel an always on content strategy
for up to a quarter and many times far beyond.

Inside this guide is the exact formula being used by

leading content marketers around the globe to create
content that drives awareness, leads, engagement and
ultimately revenue. Whether you are just getting started
with content or you have solid strategy in place, the
Big Rock is an essential piece of the puzzle. It can be the
first feather in your content marketing cap or the smash
hit of your ongoing marketing plan; either way it’s going
to make a big impact.

So let’s dive in and get started on your first Big Rock.

—Jason Miller, Author, Keynote Speaker, Leading Global

Content Marketing for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

4
8 FOOLPROOF STEPS TO CREATING YOUR FIRST BIG ROCK
Seems everyone’s doing it, but few are doing it well.
We’re talking about Content Marketing. And according of marketers feel their
to the 2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends report from organizations are effective when
the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, it comes to content marketing
only 33% of marketers feel their organizations are —2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends
effective when it comes to content marketing. So how report from the Content Marketing
can you break free from the pack and truly succeed? Institute and MarketingProfs
As a first step, you need to develop Big Rock Content.

1
THE WHAT
Big Rock Content is a substantial piece of content around a topic or conversation that
you want to “own” and that will be repurposed into smaller pieces. Using a rolling thunder
approach combined with the one-two punch of social media and content, this piece of content
can fuel social and demand generation channels for up to a quarter, and sometimes longer
depending on the breadth of the topic. In other words, done right, a Big Rock can drive leads
into the funnel for months on end.

“The first step any company wanting to

start with content marketing or improve
it is… aim for one home-run piece. One
great piece. One thing that is the definitive
take on an issue.”

—Doug Kessler, Co-founder and Creative

Director, Velocity Partners

2
THE WHY
So why is a Big Rock the way to go? Because it’s your opportunity to
focus on a single, key issue or theme that truly resonates with your target
audience. And that’s the type of content that matters these days. Content
marketers need to focus their efforts not on creating more content, but
on creating more relevant content. Don’t believe us? Hear what the surveys
have to say…

“During 2013 and 2014, the volume of content

per 8,800 brands studied increased by 78%.*

Over the same time frame, the engagement

produced by that content decreased
by 60%.”*

SiriusDecisions estimates that 60-70%

of B2B content goes unused.**

of B2B marketers produced more content

in 2014 than in the previous year.***

* The Content Marketing Paradox: Is More Content Really Better?,

trackmaven.com/resources/the-content-marketing-paradox-report/

** heinzmarketing.com/2014/02/siriusdecisions-turning-b2b-readers-revenue/

*** North America, Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs 3

Find the Right Conversation to “Own”
FIND THE RIGHT CONVERSATION TO “OWN”
First you want to choose a topic that you know a lot about, can offer a unique or
interesting perspective on, and is of great interest to your prospects and customers.
Oh yeah – your product or service should also somehow relate to this topic.
Do a bit of keyword research and social listening to find the
topics and questions on the minds of your customers and
prospects. Once you find these keyword phrases or topics,
then analyze these. You want to figure out if you can make
a dent in the conversation around this topic or if the topic
is too broad and is already being covered by the competition.
Remember—the goal is to stand out, not add to the noise.

HERE ARE THE TOOLS YOU NEED FOR THIS STEP:

• For keyword research, you can hire a

pro like Moz.com or the very smart folks
at Toprankonlinemarketing.com.

• Or you can go it alone using my favorite quick

and dirty tool: Ubersuggest.

• For LinkedIn-specific content, try Trending Content.

• Want more suggestions? Check out Internet Marketing

Ninjas’ post on free keyword research tools.

5
Create the Framework 6
CREATE THE FRAMEWORK Outline
Once you’ve got a solid storyline in mind, write the
outline for your Big Rock. Don’t skimp on the details
because you want everyone involved to be clear on
what you’ll be covering. Plus, this is your chance to see
how well your story holds together from start to finish.

Next socialize the outline with your product team and

executive stakeholders for feedback. If you are planning
to take this piece global, now’s the time to share it with
your global marketing teams as well.

Remember to clearly explain the theme and goal of this

content asset so reviewers can weigh in accordingly. The Socialize
last thing you want is a free-for-all with everyone giving you
their 0.02 on the theme they think will work best. With that
in mind, underscore that you’ve chosen the topic based on
your research and are confident that this is the one that will
gain the most traction for your organization.

Once you’ve given clear guidelines for providing feedback,

set a firm deadline and stick to your guns. You can’t afford
to miss dates if you want to get a hefty piece of content
like this out the door on time. Share

Feedback Set Deadline

7
Write the Big Rock 8
WRITE THE BIG ROCK
Since you want to own this topic, you can’t just skim
the surface – you need to take a deep dive and write
the end-all, be-all guide to the subject. In other words,
you are literally writing the book on this topic. You’re
going to be covering lots of ground and this Big Rock
will be the jumping off point for lots of additional
Remember to write strategically
content. So plan on writing 2-3 drafts. And think like instead of instructionally. Because
a publisher, not a brand. That means your guide what happens when you get an
to whatever-topic-you-want-to-own needs to answer instruction manual? You throw it
questions, solve problems, provide inspiration into the trash and go to YouTube.
and ultimately be helping instead of selling.

If it makes sense, reference a few case studies, but

we suggest just teasing with the highlights and linking
to the full case studies.

9
Invite Influencers
INVITE INFLUENCERS
The number one rule of top-of-funnel content is
to not be over sales-y. If you stick to your topic with
your audience’s concerns in minds, you can stay
on the path of helping, not selling. That said, adding
in quotes from thought leaders and third-party stats
doesn’t hurt in validating your message. Plus, let’s
be honest: you’ll likely get a positive response when
you ask the folks who contribute thought leadership
to your Big Rock to then share the content with
their audiences.

Finding relevant quotes and stats online is one way

to add thought leadership goodness to your guide,
but it’s also a great idea to interview a few thought
leaders. Sprinkling their responses throughout
the guide really adds value while also breaking
up the chapters with some sound expert advice.

While there’s no hard-and-fast rule when it comes

to interviewing, we like to stick with five questions.
This makes the interview manageable for both
you and the thought leaders.

11
INTERVIEW ETIQUETTE
Make three questions the same for each interview and then
write two that are specific to the person you’re interviewing.
For example, if your topic was content marketing, you
might reach out to influencers who are expert at writing,
project management, and promotion. You could ask all
of the interviewees three general questions about content
marketing. Then you could ask the writing expert two
questions about crafting copy, the project management
expert two questions about keeping projects on track,
and the third expert advice on how to best promote
content. In addition to getting multiple perspectives
for your Big Rock, this exercise supplies terrific source
content for a great blog post you can use to promote
your Big Rock.

After identifying the most fitting thought leaders, reach

out and solicit their participation. Once they agree, email
the questions with a due date. Make sure you give them
ample time to respond and explain when they can expect
to see their responses be published.

12
Launch Your Big Rock
LAUNCH YOUR BIG ROCK
With so much riding on your Big Rock, you want to come √√ LinkedIn Groups: Throw out relevant points from the Big Rock
out with a bang. So how do you go about doing that? Make in discussions going on in the LinkedIn Groups where your target
audience spends time. When you’re adding something worthy to
your Big Rock visible in every possible venue where your
a LinkedIn discussion, it’s perfectly acceptable to also point people
target audience can stumble upon it. Here’s a checklist to to your Big Rock for even more.
make sure you don’t miss any opportunities:
√√ SlideShare: Be sure to post your Big Rock to SlideShare. This will
√√ Blog: Use your blog to announce your launch, but follow up over boost your SEO results and get you found by the 60 million who
the weeks with blog posts that explore different areas of the Big frequent this platform every month.
Rock to keep awareness high.
√√ Influencer Outreach: Remember those thought leaders you
√√ Email: Once your initial launch blog post and lead form are live, reference in your guide? Reach out with an advance copy of
follow up with an email launch announcement. your Big Rock and suggested copy they can include about it
in their blog posts and on social media. Don’t forget influencers
√√ Sponsored Updates: If you’re going to promote your Big Rock
who aren’t in your guide but are connected to the audience
on LinkedIn (and you are going to, right?), then take advantage
you’re trying to reach – make them aware of your Big Rock
of Sponsored Updates to get the message in front of the
so they can share it.
right audience.
√√ Paid Programs: To complement all the organic ways you’re
√√ Twitter: You should be able to pull all kinds of 140-character
going to promote your Big Rock, plan to pay for promotion
golden nuggets from your Big Rock. Line these up and then keep
where it makes sense (e.g., Sponsored Updates).
the Tweets flowing so no one misses out on downloading the
guide. Just remember—you’ll likely get better response if you keep √√ Printed Version: Don’t forget that your next interaction with your
the Tweets focused on interesting tidbits from the asset rather than target audience may be in person at an event. Print some copies
just pushing people to download it. of your Big Rock to hand out in those venues.

14
Carve up the Turkey
CARVE UP THE TURKEY
We know this eBook starts out by saying we need more SO HOW CAN YOU SLICE UP YOUR BIG ROCK?
relevant content, not a higher volume of content. However LET US COUNT ALL THE WAYS:
you do still need to supply your prospects and customers • Webinars • SlideShare decks
with all the information they want and need. No matter if • Infographics • Memes
you’re producing 10 assets or 100 assets in a year, it can be • Quotes
• Blogs
tough to keep up the pace. The good news is that your Big
Rock is going to help you in a big way. You’re going to carve The only limit is your creativity when it comes to all the
up that Big Rock into “turkey slices” that you will share in ways you can break your Big Rock into smaller, bite-sized
a variety of ways for the months ahead. By lifting these slices snacks. There’s no reason you can’t slice and dice one
directly from the Big Rock, you can quickly churn out content Big Rock into numerous blog posts, multiple infographics,
with minimal effort. And just as important, all those ungated webinars, videos, SlideShare presentations, and much more.
slices are going to lead back to your Big Rock, where you
can collect lead information in exchange for the download.

Slide Presentations Infographics

Videos Blogs

Webinars
16
Keep the Thunder Rolling
KEEP THE THUNDER ROLLING
One of the biggest fails for many marketers is giving their to go beyond your organic reach and proactively target
content a big send-off and then forgetting all about it. your prospects and customers. All of this combined forms
That’s a huge mistake—especially when it comes to your the basis for a rolling thunder approach that is a key part
Big Rock. Look, you spent all that effort to pull together of an always-on strategy, where you deliver continuous
a guide on the conversation you want to own. Now you content to your target audiences.
need to give it legs so it’ll keep giving back for months
and months.

So first launch your Big Rock via the blog and email.
Next share Turkey Slices every week or so to drive traffic
back to the Big Rock. Then turn on Sponsored Updates

18
Measure Success
MEASURE SUCCESS
As marketers, we now live in a world where we need
Going viral is not an outcome; it’s a happening.
to back up our programs and initiatives with numbers.
Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Just
In other words, we need to prove the value of our efforts. remember, fans are vanity and sales are sanity.”
The problem is that many marketers get distracted by
—Lori R. Taylor, Owner of Social Caffeine & CEO
vanity metrics that look impressive but do little to convince & Founder of Rev Marketing LLC
executive leadership that you’re helping your organization
reach its strategic goals.

20
MEASURE SUCCESS
WE RECOMMEND THREE SIMPLE METRICS TO MEASURE Don’t forget to always be testing and optimizing your
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR CONTENT MARKETING content and campaigns. Have an A/B test strategy in place
so that you can refine your campaign for optimal results.
ENGAGEMENT.
For example, which images/messaging are getting the most
Are the right people liking and sharing your Big Rock? In other
engagement on which channels? Once you know this then
words, have you engaged your target audience? If so, you’ve
it’s time to scale.
have a potential hit on your hands. But don’t let your ego hijack
your content strategy. Instead of focusing only sharing metrics,
take a deeper dive into who is sharing your content. Practitioners,
decision makers, C-Suites, that’s what really matters.

REFERRAL TRAFFIC.
Measure how much traffic is visiting your site and pinpoint the
keywords that are driving them there. If you chose the right topic
for your Big Rock content, related terms should show up here.

LEAD QUALITY.
Using marketing automation software, you can track engagement
with your Big Rock and the leads it is driving into the funnel.
Ideally you want to track this all the way to a purchase,
for the true measure of success.

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CONCLUSION
Now that you have created, launched, measured, and (most Examples of Big Rocks created here at LinkedIn and for further
importantly) celebrated the success of your first Big Rock, reading on rocking and rolling your content strategy using
it’s time to scale. Start planning out your next Big Rock(s) LinkedIn Marketing Solutions:
and work them into your editorial calendar for the next few
months. Once you decide on the topics and conversations The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to LinkedIn
you want to go after, take this same formula and start
work on your next Big Rock. This entire process is scalable
The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to Thought Leadership
and great for a long term and focusing on creating more
relevant content will help keep your content strategy lean,
while doing more with less. The Sophisticated Guide to Lead Nurturing Crash Course

Inspiration from this piece was taken from the #1 Best

The Sophisticated Marketer’s Crash Course
Selling book Welcome to the Funnel: Proven Tactics
in Full Funnel Marketing
to Turn Your Social and Content Marketing up to 11.

22
Today, LinkedIn members number more than 347+ million
professionals. That’s over one-half of the 600 million
professionals on the planet, representing the largest group
anywhere of influential, affluent and educated people.

For more information, visit marketing.linkedin.com