Content Marketing Strategy the How and Why
How do you know if your content marketing have what it takes? How do you know you are doing it the right way?
There is plenty of winning strategies out there. This happens when people work together, using thoughtful controlled content actions while using or mixing clever technology.
The end result is: epic brand experience for audiences to discover, engage, and share.
What’s Content Marketing all about?
A proper content marketing is when all (content)the moving parts are being used, updated, and delivered non-stop when users search for it. Those using content must follow the organisation’s primary goals but also their marketing strategy plan.
Feel free to read CMI content marketing version.
In our own way, this is how we all should go about it. Piece together the company or organisation’s goals, messages and create a unique value proposition.
I couldn’t see or find content marketing strategies that are equal. Mine and yours will be very different from the one your competitor picked. If you scan out their site they may have formulated simpler and/or more complex content marketing tactics.
Example: Blog post + slideshare + podcast etc. See my point!?
The content marketing strategy is simply the translation of your findings.
Here is an example: Your business creates ways to help prospects or clients find a solution to their problem via your best content tutorials.
I would add this: search, create, show and maintain content that will answer inquisitive minds, needs, problems, wants etc.
How to plan your Content Marketing?
These are the very specifics steps on how to run your strategy going forward. As I said (above) you also know who is in charge on your team, so you can delegate along with the why and when they will be handling each pre-agreed tasks.
One of the very first checkpoints is: checking your market research and targeted audience profiling. There is several tools out there to help plan and prepare content.
Why content matters and what is the best way to go about it?
I suggest to give your content marketing a good visual representation by creating a mind map, so you’ll get to see the whole process.
Use mind maps to get your material ideas break down by topics, elements, processes based upon your overall strategy. It works very well for any type of project you are working on. Whether you are planning a series of posts, ebooks, case-studies/white papers, videos, infographics its all worth it.
Content marketing process along with steps
Note: Image created with Free mindmap tool: https://app.mindmup.com/
Perfect to work with colleagues, rearrange content topics all in one (visual) page, instead of jotting ideas on paper.
From start to finish, check your content strategy document to align marketing goals along with customer’s.
You would have something along these lines:
- Identify your content goals and objectives
- Understand your buyer’s needs, wants, emotional feelings…
- Identify existent client’s and market GAPs
- List your storyline (s) and create content
- Plan and organise its PR/distribution
- Measure and control ( or improve) results – put in place KPI’s
As Joe Pulizzi explained it – find your sweet spot.
Find what your prospects/clients care about and show them the way to your content.
Also go beyond and try to answer all their needs and/or solve their problems via relevant content.
How to make content marketing more successful?
There are serious questions that need answers before we continue – such as:
- What are my business’s goals and objectives?
- What do we want our content to help us achieve (based on business goals)?
- What type of content for the target audience?
- See more in detail further down
Once you got these insights you can optimise/create your personas. You can then create a SMART content marketing strategy scorecard.
Hint: revisit audience primary goals + Content topics research + Online tactics and strategies.
The content marketing scorecard should contain the following items:
Step 1. The goal is: to Get New Customers,
Step 2. The goal 2 and 3 include content plan, other related goals, customers/users, priorities, timeframe etc.
Use this information to inform your marketing content strategy plan.
The idea is to boost and get your content a tactical sound proof pr approach that talks to customers or client’s in an natural engaging way. Start by educating, satisfying and delighting prospects and/or clients alike. Build relationships while enriching them at every stage of the buying journey.
My recommendations: Get an expert onboard asap. He or she will help identify all key stages to increase conversions, very quick. They will also create a content roadmap to see and handle any required changes. Trust us, this is the main tool to deliver and achieve content marketing success.
Content marketing is actually one of the best ways to deliver and engage your audience. Also helpful to maintain customers happy and/or further increase lead generation.
Yet, be willing to study your buyer’s needs. List out the steps during the various funnel engagement phases; topics read, resources, etc.
Hint: Use analytics, study emails, users own experiences, surveys etc.
Segment your customers further
A great step before deciding which content to offer. You will need to add this one to yout content plan.
Hint: Check the content plan to see how, where and when to attract non visitors or followers. To engage or help them find responses to their initial queries or problems before other do.
Also go that extra mile and deliver free marketing advice that will transform them into clients/fans.
To achieve this you need epic, natural rich content. That’s the beginning. When creating content you’ll need to think ahead. Your research will give clues about what your audiences are looking to have or solve in their own lives.
A powerful content marketing strategy only works if done:
- with onpage and off-page optimisation (PR link building)
- and social media
- skillful people.
Download our free Content planning guide. It will help you create a bespoke Content marketing strategy. Useful to produce a relevant piece of content to gain, attract and grab audience’s attention.
If you care about your audience, then it’s crucial that you research it well before the writing stage. This is ultra vital to serve and keep them happy across your channels.
Here we can use blogging channel to show your expertise. It can be very powerful and also effective in link building development.The key to successful content creation is:
“remember at all times what they want, and why they need it in the first place”.
You will find these answers in your business’vision and primary goals. Pointing you to the next part, the personas. All important parts in strategic content marketing tactics.
If you know your audience inside out, then you’re half way there.
You can draw or map customer experience to help you see, but also understand the process and how to address your audience’s issues.
Suddenly, it will become much easier to figure out what type of content they want, like or enjoy less, when and where to deliver it.
What is the ultimate goal in content marketing?
In a short sentence – create and deliver very high quality content. It must be super relevant, and ultra informative for online visitors to take action.
Powerful content is effective to help convert, in other words it must be fully part of your marketing goal.
Many asked: “How can one deliver or solve customer’s problems through content?”
or
Why do we need to create content to solve their problems? etc.
The content marketing plan will answer those. If not, then you have missing elements/factors.
It may be that your content needs some SEO attention and/or to be overhauled (optimised) to be found in the search engines. Often the case.
If you tried but it is not happening for you then you might want to try Content OnDemand. This package offer could be the answer to your under-performing content.
Why do you need a content strategy plan?
Well, let’s put it this way – even if you are a one man band, you’ll be needing one.
Good reason: nowadays there are other meaningful ways to interact with others and inform them that you have great content they might be interested in.
Start your content marketing earlier rather than later. Do your best and do not look to strike perfect.. yet.
Just add some essentials, then at later stage, try to perfect it and document a more comprehensive plan.
Here’s the thing, unless you work for a big ecommerce business as a content marketer or strategist, you don’t need all the bells and whistles.
Plan your content marketing strategy to help you focus on the most important priorities, this will saves you time, money, and trouble.
Hint: An audit of your site’s content is recommended before you continue. Revisit your (audience) personas and content goals document.
Free from CMI : Here’s a content strategy to see detailed actions, processes needed!
You can also continue reading to grasp the essentials.
As mentioned above, the content marketing strategy will help you record and translate the relevant business vision.
Add the market findings, audiences, shake it all up with tactical copy and a zest of savoir-faire – you’re ready to go.
How to put a content marketing strategy up?
There is several ways to get this done.
If you haven’t followed the 15 steps below, then you should stop producing, publishing content online. You’ll need to rethink this through.
First option: We can work with you as a team to build your content marketing strategy. We’ll discover and meet the ultimate business marketing needs.
With a team of English and international copywriters. (French, English American, Spanish, Portuguese speaking)
Second option: Hire qualified content marketers ( upwork) or do it yourself. This is your decision, of course.
If you decide to tackle it by yourself, then here’s a solid framework (example) you can apply.
Your document needs to answer the following 15 questions:
1. What are your business message’s priorities?
2. Who are/will you talking to?
3. Who are your main competitors?
4. How can you do better than them?
5. What channels are you listening to?
6. What type of content do you have/do you share?
7. What is your best content? (if you’re in business)
8. What’s the main purpose of your content?
9. How can you innovate and multiply your content for other channels?
10. Who will be choosing and producing content topics?
11. Who will be in charge of your content?
12. How often should one publish content? (weekly/Monthly)
13. How will you plan your content efforts?
14. How, when from where to monitor results?
15. When and who will revise content strategy?
The questions above will force you to think about the how, what, and when to create that kind of content marketing.
You’ll also need to study how to approach your niche market.
This can only be achievable if you have a smart content strategy planning in place from the very beginning.
As I mentioned above, if you are out there (somewhere on the web) doing online marketing but cannot be found on the first page of search engine’s, then for sure you need to improve your content marketing efforts.
Why?
Because nowadays, you’ll only create, engage and/or convert more leads if you were to be found online.
In other words think about the brand communication across all your channel platforms.
Get in touch today via our form page if you want to increase growth and lonf-term visibility. You can also call 01252 679885. We will promise to help your business grow faster or your money back.