Content marketing is a powerful tool used by businesses of all sizes to create and promote content that highlights the values and products associated with their brand. Content marketing involves developing content that is educational, entertaining, or inspiring in some way, and using it to build relationships with readers in order to grow their customer base. This type of marketing strategy can be used to increase website traffic, lead generation, build trust in the company’s brand, and even improve search engine optimization. There are numerous benefits that companies can get from this effective marketing technique however, it takes time and dedication to develop quality content. Content marketers must have an understanding of their target audience, as well as how varying platforms can help promote the brand’s message effectively.
Are you looking to get started in content marketing? Or perhaps you’re already doing some content marketing, but want to make sure you’re covering all your bases? Either way, this blog post is for you! Here, we’ll take a look at the various steps involved in content marketing.
By the end of this post, you’ll have a good understanding of what’s required so, let’s get started!
- Goal and Objective
Developing a content marketing plan can be one of the most important things you do for your business. It is important to understand why you are creating content before jumping into the details of creating content and setting targets. What outcome do you hope to see? Whether it’s generating more sales leads, increasing website traffic, or establishing the authority of your brand, having agreed objectives allows you to determine what type of content you need to create and set quantifiable targets that will allow you to assess the success of your campaign. A well-thought-out plan can help ensure your content has maximum impact and helps your business reach its goals.
- Define your target audience
Content marketing can be a highly effective way to reach the right audience. However, it is impossible to do this without understanding your target audience who they are, what interests them and what motivates them without an engaged readership, developing content is ultimately pointless. To make sure you are successful in reaching the segment you want to attract, get to know them inside out by defining a customer persona. You should consider basic demographics such as age, gender, location and income level, but also other attributes like hobbies and activities, challenges they face and what makes them tick. Taking the time to create an accurate picture of who your target audience is will result in content that resonates with them more effectively ensuring your content marketing efforts pay off.
- Topic And Keyword Research
Now that you have an idea of what objectives you want to accomplish and are aware of your target audience, the next logical step is to delve into what this audience is typing into search engines. Your keyword research will give you a better understanding of the words commonly used when looking for information related to your industry or services. By researching the search volume for certain keywords, you can gain insights and discover trends in user searches that you can use in order to create targeted content for your customers. This way, you provide users with the most relevant and valuable information quickly and efficiently, improving your digital presence even further.
- Research what kind of content they consume and engage with
A successful content strategy must begin with a clear purpose. Content should be created that reflects and promotes the company’s unique brand identity. From there, investigating which platforms can best help you accomplish your goals is key. An effective content strategy will leverage the right mix of media, including both on-site blog posts and off-site social media posts and advertisements. Developing a consistent posting schedule is essential to ensuring your message is received by the right people. Ultimately, creating a strategic plan to consistently publish quality content will keep customers engaged while positioning the company as a thought leader in its industry.
- Competitors research
It is essential to conduct research into what your competitors are doing in the world of content marketing. Doing this helps you understand how they market their products and services, the kinds of content they are producing, and the strategy behind their overall approach. Through competitor research, you will also be able to identify any shortcomings in their offerings that could be opportunities for your own business. By researching those more successful than yourself in content marketing, you can spot areas for improvement and unique strategies you could take to move ahead in the field. Also check out on the keywords that they are targeting. Taking time to understand competing businesses is a worthwhile activity that should not be overlooked.
- Existing content review
Reviewing your existing content can give you valuable insights regarding what topics most appeal to your audience. By researching the types of posts that have generated the most attention, you can confidently post more content related to them, as well as navigate towards what topics should be avoided in the future. Analyzing which pages on your website receive the most traffic can give your insight into what sections of your website excite visitors and make them curious for more. Focusing on these metrics will be beneficial in optimizing your content for the highest level of engagement possible.
- Resource planning
When researching and deciding which content to include in your marketing campaign, you need to think practically about how the project can be managed. Depending on your resources, you may decide to produce the content in-house or outsource it. This could have implications for who is going to lead the project, whether that is a member of staff, or a third-party group. The management of such a campaign will require a lot of time and with limited budget available, careful planning over what is achievable must be considered. Whether it’s responding to comments or publishing regular pieces of content, someone will have to devote some attention to the task ensuring that objectives are achieved within the desired timeframe. Content marketing can be exciting with plenty of opportunities but you must remain realistic with what can be achieved so look at what is attainable with what you have available.
- Create compelling content
Make sure your content is interesting, engaging, and informative. Creating content that stands out starts with having a clear goal. Know your specific audience and aim to give them something interesting, engaging, and informative. Doing this will help you develop content that piques their interest, encourages conversation, and drives the results you want. For interesting content, try including something unexpected or ask thought provoking questions and then include your expert answers. Make sure to use visuals wherever possible to keep your content engaging – photos and videos are especially compelling. Finally, ensure your readers can take away useful information by verifying facts and including additional resources so they can research further if needed. Content that follows these best practices is sure to be successful!
- Promote your content
Promote your content by sharing it on social media, email it to subscribers, etc. When it comes to promoting your content, getting the most out of your marketing campaigns means taking advantage of every available outlet. Whether you decide to share it on social media channels or email it out to existing subscribers, by putting your content out there to reach as many people as possible, you can ensure that more eyes and minds are exposed to what you have created. For best results, diversify your efforts across multiple approaches, such as sharing on links on Twitter and also providing excerpts from blog posts in an email newsletter. This way, you give potential customers a chance to interact with you in different formats and build relationships over time.
- Measure your results
Track how many people are reading/watching/sharing your content. When creating content, it can be difficult to know what reaches your audience. That’s why measuring your results is so important; by tracking how many people are reading, watching, or sharing your content you can get a better understanding of how successful your pieces really are. Not only that, but if you keep track of activity over time you will also have insight into what kind of content resonates most with your readership or audience. In the end, you will benefit from being able to hone in on which elements work best and tailor future content to maximize its potential.
- Monitoring and Redefining
Monitoring the efficiency of existing content is critical for any business wanting to remain competitive, as it allows them to analyse what does and does not work. Redefining content should be done accordingly if needed. This could range from focusing more on visual elements such as infographics or videos, or making sure there is a consistent message across different platforms. Content remains one of the most vital strategies in staying ahead in today’s ever-changing digital age so it cannot be neglected.
Having a solid content marketing plan is essential for success in today’s digital landscape. All that brainstorming and research can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out, but having an actionable 11-step plan is a great starting point. Doing so will not just help get your creative juices flowing, you’ll also gain valuable insights as to who your target audience is and the kind of content they come to expect from you.
If you find yourself stuck or in need of extra advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to connect us for help. We will always be happy to assist you!
