The IMPACT OF NOT HAVING A CONTENT STRATEGy - WHY DOES YOUR BRAND NEED ONE NOW?
In this article, I'm going to show you why your brand needs a successful content strategy and how it impacts the rest of your business.
I'm going to unpack exactly what a content marketing strategy means for brands. What is it? Why does it matter? And why should you care about one if you don't have one already?
My name is Joshua Brecht, and I spent 20+ years with two Fortune 500 companies as an executive. Now I help impact-driven creators and brands produce content that matters, transforms lives, and saves the world, one person, at a time.
In order to do that you need to have a Content Strategy.
Every business needs to have a solid content strategy in place for the company and its customers. Content is the future; it is where people spend most of their online time researching products and services, searching for information about any topic or question they may have. Nowadays, this is one of the most frequently used methods to find out more about a person or business.
The impact that content has on your business objectives is tremendous; it helps increase brand awareness and reputation, improve website search traffic flow to your website, raise conversion rates, optimize keyword rankings, and generate leads.
After first-time visitors make their first visit to your site, the role of content marketing is no less important than SEO; in fact, your content strategy should be the cornerstone of your SEO efforts.
Most people think that content is just media, such as a blog post or article, but it includes so much more.
What is a successful content strategy?
Content strategy is a core principle of your overall marketing plan. The organization's goals primary focus should be developing content that delivers value to your target audience. It's all about how you present, promote, distribute, and provide content through the social media channels it was created for.
A content strategy has a lot to do with customer expectations; it's essential to keep them in mind at all times.
When I say that creating content drives any online marketing campaign, it must be present everywhere you want website traffic flow or leads to go. Here are some places where your business needs content:
-Website (blog or other site features)
-Blogs (your own and guest blogs on reputable sites) or landing pages for specific campaigns like Facebook contests or retargeting ads
-Sales/lead generation pages such as case studies, product comparisons/features, ebooks/reports, etc.
-Presentations/Whitepapers (this can be actual hard copies into the hands of prospects so they can read them offline)
-Ebooks/Report (same as whitepapers but exchanged for pdf or downloadable versions)
-Case studies, success stories to showcase the features of your products and/or services
-Newsletters or ezines (newsletters are usually sent via email whereas ezines are hosted on a website; both will keep prospects aware of new content pertinent to their interests) Both of these methods are attention-grabbing delivered fresh weekly, monthly, etc.
You should take away from this because regardless of what your business sells, every aspect will impact your business goals if promoted correctly with unique, helpful usable content just for target audiences. If someone stumbles across any piece, it leaves behind an impression that results in the consumer remembering you for future sales or referrals.
Why does your brand need one now?
To answer that question, you must look at the big picture. The way we consume online information has changed dramatically over the past few years; thanks to the social media boom, people find it difficult to remember how life used to be without being constantly connected with the world around them.
With so many websites, blogs, video channels, and general content flooding the market more than ever before (especially if you're in a highly competitive niche), standing out from the crowd is becoming increasingly tricky as consumer/online users are overwhelmed by the barrage of content production constantly bombarded at them.
Reliable and consistent content is not a luxury; it has become an absolute necessity to reach out to your target audience. Marketers who fail to incorporate this aspect into their strategy will be left behind as more innovative companies start gaining market share from their competitors who don't understand the importance of consistently promoting high-quality content.
In essence, getting a content strategy in place will help you stand out from the crowd while increasing organization branding and awareness, leading to increased revenue.
The importance of a content strategy
Take a minute and look at all the channels where content flows through your sales funnel. Your website is the most important because it's your hub, but you also have to consider all other places where content is being created for your brand.
Take a look at each platform and identify what content flows through them and is consistent across them. You can't assume that just because you have a sound content strategy in place for one channel, you're automatically getting the same search volume on all other media as well.
Having a social media content strategy is the foundation of your content marketing efforts; without consistent fresh content, how can you expect to reach additional outlets? If you don't have one currently, or worse, aren't aware of what flows through your brand's channels, then chances are it's challenging…
-to keep track of what needs to be updated
-to create new campaigns
-to manage traffic flow through each channel effectively
-to create organic search visibility to increase organic traffic
-to reach the intended audience
-to create search ranking visibility for search rankings in search engines
-to create increased search traffic to the website through multiple channels
Content is king when it comes to online success. Content is what keeps people coming back for more which ultimately leads directly to increased revenue. A content strategy is a solid foundation to build your online business around.
What is in a content strategy?
When you're creating a content strategy, it's important to consider your target audience and their buyer's journey. Your content should be helpful and useful to them, and it should be consistent across all channels. You should also have an editorial calendar to help you keep track of what needs to be updated and when.
A documented content strategy will look something like this:
-identification of business objectives
-the creation of search visibility through keyword research and content creation
-the creation of business goals through social media
-consistency through content planning and tracking
-segmentation of your audience to create targeted content
-the development of a documented strategy for each platform to be sure you're getting the most out of your content ideas
-identification and definition of your content types
-the creation of a documented calendar for regular updates
A documented and effective content strategy will bring you increased search rankings, increased organic traffic, increased awareness, and increased revenue.
How to create an effective content strategy
You've probably heard people say that content is the new currency, but what does it really mean? Beyond the cliche, you have to look at the big picture; content isn't just something on your website or a blog post anymore because social media has grown and influenced how consumers find, interact with and share information.
To remain relevant in today's market, you have to be prepared to go beyond your standard website and start using additional avenues such as social media channels like Facebook, Twitter LinkedIn just for starters then, of course, blogging platforms, video marketing podcasts, etc.… that provide a unique source of communication.
In short, content must be a part of your overall digital marketing campaign to reach out to consumers in all areas of your business.
Creating content that informs, educates, and entertains.
Research, listen, and interact: too many times, companies overlook the importance of interacting with their target market to better understand what they are trying to achieve with each content piece created.
By setting up a simple poll on Facebook or Twitter, you can get instant feedback, enabling you to make changes as necessary before it is published to ensure maximum productivity from your campaign.
The most talked-about brands dominate online conversations. Doing research is extremely important when planning out your content strategies because it provides vital information that can be used to improve current campaigns.
Based on consumer engagement feedback, identify areas where more work needs to be done; this will help guide you through the content creation process and ensure that you don't overlook any significant opportunities.
Use multiple social channels: now is the time to start using different social media platforms to reach your target audience. YouTube, Google+, Pinterest are great examples of places where brands can increase their online footprint.
Social media isn't something that should be ignored because it's one of the easiest ways to connect with your target market and expand your brand voice.
Most people turn to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn as a source for news, so there has never been a better time to get involved in these conversations.
Rely on employees for information: if you're looking for ways to expand your knowledge about current events and trends, then count on co-workers who interact with customers every day, such as sales reps, customer service personnel, and marketing staff.
They will provide valuable input that can help you determine what content is best suited for your audience.
The benefits of having an effective content strategy in place for your business
- Content strategy provides authenticity: Consumers, mainly social media users, are eager to share their experience with a brand they regularly interact with. When you engage your audience with informative content, the chances of a positive outcome and increased interest are almost guaranteed to happen: it shows that you care about what they have to say.
- Content strategy attracts new customers: Creating relevant content helps keep consumers informed, which helps drive traffic to your website which makes them more likely to become customers in the future; this happens when you put yourself out there and reach out directly to potential customers through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.…
Content Strategy is not just for companies anymore! Everyone's doing it, so why shouldn't you?
- Use a content strategy for personal branding: With social media being one of the most popular forms of interaction between brands and consumers today, you must set up your online presence to reap the benefits of increased exposure.
Having a consistent content strategy will help you reach your end goal by providing information on relevant topics to your industry, which is one step closer to building awareness and developing a rapport with potential customers.
-Use a content strategy for personal use: People need to be seen as experts when it comes out in public, whether they're bloggers or not, so here is an opportunity for marketers to become more active in their respective fields. The easiest way to accomplish this task is by creating content related to specific areas of interest.
Content strategy helps small businesses grow: As long as consumers enjoy what you have put into the world, they will continue to use your products and services. There is a lot of pressure on small businesses to create engaging content, but it's worth the effort; the results will be well worth it regardless of whether you're just starting out or have been in business for years.
-A content strategy improves the content lifecycle: When content is put into the world, it needs to be regularly monitored to determine what works best for your audience. This can only be done by taking a close look at google analytics, and the only way to do this is by putting a content strategy in place.
-A content strategy focuses on the customer journey: Understanding your customer's individual needs is an important part of running a business. A content strategy will help you focus on the customer journey by providing insight into what your customers want and expect from a brand.
Tips for developing and executing a successful content marketing plan
Be prepared to consistently share information: "Content is king," so being persistent about creating and pushing content for your brand is critical. There's no way you'll develop an effective content strategy if you're not ready to invest time and energy in the process.
- Hire a professional: As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, which means that businesses without proper guidance should seek help from experts who can offer suggestions to get them on track with their content strategy.
- Plan all social media activity: Social media shouldn't be regarded as supplemental channels for communication or promotion; instead, it should be considered essential components of your marketing plan. Before developing any type of campaign, determine when and how often you will post information on popular social media sites.
- Useless content and more analysis: Investing time in research will help improve your content strategy, either by supporting what you have previously written or by leading you to create new ideas.
- Aim for quality over quantity: The purpose of content creation should be to inform, educate and entertain without being too promotional, so businesses must be aware that actions speak louder than words all the time.
-Diversify between written content, video content, and other content formats: Captivating content takes time to create, so businesses need to be prepared to invest that time if they expect their audiences to take notice.
By diversifying content formats you will stand out from the competition, which will improve your chances of being noticed.
Tips for an effective content marketing plan fail-proof!
- Don't set out to conquer every social media site: It can quickly become a full-time job if you try to establish an active presence on too many networks; therefore, only focus on one or two social media platforms. In the future, if you're confident in your content strategy, then you can expand your reach to other networks later on.
- Be consistent: You have to put in a lot of effort for content marketing plans to be successful, but once they start paying off, it will all be worth it.
- Offer something valuable: Businesses need to provide interesting and insightful information rather than just making statements; this is why services such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are used more often than not today when businesses try to promote themselves online. This point is especially true for small business owners who don't have large sums of money at their disposal to hire professionals who can optimize keyword searches and develop relevant strategies that encourage conversions.
- Use some personality: Rather than strictly focus on business aspects, try to be flexible and add some fun to your content plan if possible; consumers like brands that are available for contact when they require assistance, so don't forget that people do business with those who they feel comfortable around.
Tips for creating a content strategy framework
1. Make a list of your existing content assets: This means that businesses have to sit down and think about all the materials they have available, whether that's written content, video footage, or pictures.
2. Map out your customers' journey: This point is closely related to the first, so businesses should think about how customers are likely to interact with the content they have created, purchase items from their catalog, and overall demand assistance.
3. Review your competitors' content assets: Going forward, it's important for businesses to stay competitive with their content production levels, so reviewing the work that competitors have already published will give them a better idea of how to improve their own content in the future.
4. Set goals and objectives: As a rule of thumb, small businesses should focus on one goal and work towards achieving it, while larger corporations can set out a few different objectives that will complement each other.
5. Determine your content platform strategy: This means that businesses have to figure out where they want their content to appear online, whether that's a social media site, a video sharing platform, or even on company websites.
6. Assess your resources: This point is more of a follow-on from the previous point, so businesses need to understand how much time and money they can dedicate towards content creation and promotion.
Create an effective content management system
Once you have a content strategy and have developed your content strategy framework, you need to then maximize your efforts through a strong content management system. This will ensure the content development process integrates with your content distribution efforts.
The goal of a content management system is to serve as the foundation for your entire content marketing strategy and make it easier for individuals and teams to be able to manage their publishing content. A good content management system will have the ability for clients to efficiently plan, create, publish and measure all of your company's content in one place.
- The ability to create an editorial calendar: This point is especially important for businesses because they need to understand how much, when, and where they will be publishing content moving forward.
- The ability to easily manage multiple authors: Producing valuable content is a team effort for a business, so a good content management system should have options designed with this fact in mind.
- The ability to collaborate: Content creators need to know what is being said about their work, whether that's through social media or written reviews. Content management tools should have easy-to-follow analytics so businesses can see the effectiveness of their content.
- The ability to discover and curate relevant content: A key part of any content management system is that it allows businesses to find great content that is related to what they are publishing.
- The ability to publish and distribute across multiple platforms: This point is related to the previous point, so businesses need to understand how they will be distributing their work on different platforms before jumping into producing content.
- The ability to measure success: Finally, any content management system should have a way for businesses to see how successful their efforts have been. This means understanding how many people are visiting their websites, videos or other content, how much time they are spending there, and whether that is leading to sales.
Content marketing strategy tips
- Don't lose sight of the goal: The success of content marketing plans depends on how well businesses can educate their target audiences about their products or services while encouraging them to take specific actions such as purchasing a product or service.
- Stay relevant: While it's crucial to consistently share information, what is equally important is keeping up with current trends, which is why it's imperative to pay attention to what is going on online as they can impact your content strategy.
- Incorporate SEO: Paying for effective search engine optimization services is almost always a good investment; this allows businesses and agencies to create essential keyword searches that will really drive targeted traffic to their website.
- Keep an eye out for consumer feedback: Listen carefully when consumers leave comments about their experiences with your products or services; doing so can help improve your content plan by eliminating errors in the system.
- Don't be afraid to take risks: In the end, you'll never know whether something will work until you give it a try; frequently taking chances to end up paying off in the long run, which is why more businesses are taking chances with content marketing plans these days.
- Don't overthink it: It's easy to become overwhelmed with all of the information that is being shared online, but if companies stay focused on their goals and objectives, they can more easily adjust to changes that take place online.
- Get creative: There are several ways that businesses can get creative with content marketing plans, mainly if they have limited budgets; just remember that your competitors are likely utilizing some of the same tactics as you, so it's crucial to constantly keep an eye out for changes and adjust accordingly.
- Be careful with social media: In the end, social media is better suited for promoting products rather than educating audiences; businesses should use social media to push more traffic back to their websites rather than using blogs and other forms of content, but it's challenging to get information across through social media.
- Don't forget the basics: Content marketing plans can be more effective when they're directly targeted towards a specific audience; this is true for both big and small businesses, which should not try to reach out to everyone at once if they want their content plans to be successful.
- Set goals: While content marketing plans can be effective if they aren't limited by specific parameters, businesses should set goals to ensure that their content strategies will produce the desired results.
Whether you're a big or small business, it's vital to have an effective content marketing plan in place that is targeted towards your specific audience. It can be difficult for some firms to take the time and resources needed to develop such a strategy because they don't know where to start; fortunately, I am happy to help in any way.
If you have any questions about anything that I mentioned, please feel free to reach out to me, and I will use my many years of experience to help you.
Until next time, continue to IMPACT.
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