Content marketing engages your customers through digital channels such as social media, blogging, and email marketing. You are probably already familiar with what content marketing is, but how effective is your current strategy?
Your competitors are investing in content marketing, as marketing budgets keep moving to digital strategies. Your competitors are investing in content marketing, as marketing budgets keep moving to digital strategies. According to Forbes, the most effective content marketers allocate a greater portion of their budget to content marketing: for B2B it's 42% of the total marketing budget, compared to 28% for less effective marketers.
The first step in content marketing and getting ahead of the competition is developing a solid and smart content marketing plan.
- 88% of B2B marketers currently use content marketing as part of their marketing strategy, but only 32% have a documented content marketing strategy.
- 76% of B2C marketers advertise using content marketing, but only 37% say their strategy is effective.
There is a difference between scattered effort and effort required in a content marketing plan. Where is your business currently located? In this quick guide to content marketing, you'll learn how to create a quality content strategy in seven straightforward steps. Let's get started.
1. Write down your goals and objectives
The first step is to set your content marketing goals. You have to know what you want to achieve so you need to know if you are succeeding or failing to reach your goals. You need to have something to measure on a weekly or monthly basis.
It is pertinent to decide what you hope to achieve. If you don't, then you will be creating content solely for the sake of creating content, which may not be the most efficient use of your time or budget.
2. Research and define your audience
It's all about sending the right message to the right person at the right time. Before you can always send a message, you have to know who the "right person" is.
The reason why content marketing often fails is due to a lack of research. You never have to create your personas based on your assumptions or intuition alone. Of course, you should never just try to get everyone and anyone on your email list or as your customer.
Keep in mind that quality is more than quantity, and if you are looking to improve the quantity you are actually adding another unprofitable person. You want your content marketing to be well-targeted. If you do, you need to be more effective.
3. Improve your website SEO
Smart marketers will know that someone like you needs information on a topic in the industry, so they can optimize their content so you can easily find it on the first page of Google.
The links that appear on the first page of Google are the content with advanced SEO for that particular search query. SEO is the practice of improving and promoting a website in order to increase the number of organic visitors the website receives from search engines.
In order for researchers to find your website you need to improve the website SEO, which means you need to do keyword research.
4. Plan your content map
Content mapping outlines how each piece of your content strategically relates to and supports the customer journey. It helps you connect every piece of content to a stage of the customer journey and visualize opportunities to better meet the needs of your audience.
5. Create your own content calendar
Now, you need to organize your thoughts by creating an editorial calendar. The best thing is that you dedicate a generous piece of time to strategizing and planning before you create any of the content you like. If you want long-term success, then it's a good idea to have an editorial calendar (aka a plan) in place.
6. Design your distribution strategy
A distribution strategy is a document that defines where you will share and promote content after you click publish.
Depending on your business, you will use different tactics and networks to share your content: Social media networks, forums, groups, private communities, etc..
7. Measure your results
What is your KPI?
Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is the goal and method for evaluating success. It is a measurable value that you set and track periodically. It shows you how effective your work is in achieving what you set as your primary goals.
Good organic content marketing takes a long time. It takes at least three months to start seeing results and get some initial draw. But keep in mind, success comes with investing in the long term, so plan to reassess and improve your content marketing plan as you go along with it.
If you want to create your website, dooklik team can help you start your journey.