Content marketing continues to take the industry by storm: 70% of companies surveyed by the Content Marketing Institute expected to produce more content in 2017 than they did in 2016. By extension, it is vital for marketers to refine their strategies to beat the growing competition.
Whether you’re just getting started with content marketing or giving your campaign a facelift, developing a comprehensive and effective strategy can be difficult. We’ve put together a brief guide for outlining your road map to success.
- Ask yourself why you’re creating content. For content marketing to be successful, you have to have a clearly defined goal beyond “bringing in more business” or “boosting your marketing.” The more specific, the better. Instead, think in terms of goals like boosting search traffic, building brand visibility, or generating leads. Once you’ve established your goal, document it so that you can easily reference it and everyone is on the same page.
- Conduct research on your audience. This step is essential for new marketers but important for anyone nonetheless. You may think you know your audience well, but research can only help you learn more, as well as correct false assumptions. Identify a specific target audience (document this as well) and develop an idea of what they may be looking for in content. For example, determine whether you’re focusing on businesses or consumers. Then think about age ranges, gender, professions, and more.
- Figure out what type of content to offer. Depending on your company and your goals, your content can take a wide variety of forms. If you’re an auto shop are offering technical advice for simple care maintenance, how-to videos could be a great idea. If you’re a bank offering advice for saving money, then a blog post may be your best bet. Lastly, if you’re trying to develop humorous or amusing content, Twitter or Tumblr are good choices. Look to competitors for inspiration, but be very careful not to copy anyone!
- Brainstorm ideas and develop a content schedule. Quality and consistency are two keys to content marketing success. Figure out how frequently you’re going to post and stick to it. Monthly should be a bare minimum, but weekly is ideal. Next, ask all employees to brainstorm ideas and keep their minds open to inspiration. Look to Quora and Google search suggestions to see what people are searching for, and develop content that answers questions. As you go, you’ll get a better idea of what content your audience wants to see.
PGN Agency has an extensive track record of bringing our clients returns on their marketing and advertising campaigns. If you would like to learn how PGN Agency can come up with creative marketing solutions to drive YOUR business’s growth, feel free to contact us directly at 248-414-6860. One of our friendly team members will help assess your needs and put together a game plan for success!