Nicola Ray, managing director at Modern Media, offers advice on the necessity of a good content marketing strategy
There’s a perception that content marketing is easy, that generating ideas for content and then forming those ideas into written content that can be distributed, is easy. The truth is that not many marketers are thinking it through and making sure that what is produced is really fit for purpose.
According to recent research undertaken by the CMI, 70 per cent of marketing teams are going to up their content marketing budgets in the next 12 months; however, only 23 per cent are able to measure content’s effectiveness. The question worth asking is: ‘Why is there no clear plan or goal for a lot of the content that’s being produced?’
One explanation for this lack of strategy could be the sheer size and complexity of certain organisations, especially in terms of their product range and the number of markets they operate in. Getting approval from, and collaboration with, the right management personalities in these big global companies can be tough so a plan that works across the board is very difficult to form.
If you’re still struggling to implement clear content marketing goals, here are a few steps that can help to get a more strategic approach off the ground:
1. Consider business objectives and how to measure success
The question of why you are creating content in the first place is an important one and if you can answer this, it will help you form a strategy and then measure its success. Are you creating content for lead generation, prospect engagement, customer retention, increased customer satisfaction or increasing customer spend. What kind of content will best achieve whichever of these objectives you decide are yours. And then how often should you be creating that content. What are your KPIs?
2. Consider the customer journey
Map out the different stages of your buyer’s journey, starting with the first time they engage with your product/brand through to the time they actually purchase. Follow this up with further analysis of what they need, content-wise, in order to become loyal and recommend you on to other potential buyers.
3. Spot the gaps
Look at the content you have and identify where the gaps are. Consider the information that your content should offer your potential buyers and how that content can help them address challenges within their organisations. What’s missing?
4. Market analysis including trends and insights are invaluable
Consider your market and what is happening in product development as this will be a big part of your content strategy. Use market analysis to help shape your content topics.
5. Consider your current and future audience
Conversations with your existing customers and using content to nurture those relationships, is often overlooked in favour or content creation for lead-generation. The best outcome is a combination of both of these things. B2C marketers focus far more on customer retention and ensuring a good ongoing relationship than B2B marketers. B2B marketers have a habit of achieving conversion from prospect to buyer and then moving onto the next prospect. A long-term goal should always be to get customers to recommend you on to others.
6. Location
Creating content and posting it up on your website is not really making the most of it. You can use that content in a number of different ways – to generate new sales leads, to raise your profile as part of ongoing PR activity or to engage customers. Work out how to use each piece of content to best effect.
7. Measurement
Tracking each piece of content and measuring its impact will help to inform your future content plan. Content and outlets that aren’t particularly effective can be adjusted and omitted going forward. Keeping track will help to justify content marketing budget at the time of the next review.
8. Allocate responsibility for content creation
Without this specific allocation of responsibility it is unlikely that content will be forthcoming. Most content can be created in house but it is worth considering copywriting or design help in forming your content. This could ensure that your content makes a greater impact and enhance what technical writers or product specialists put together.
Quite simply, don’t try and do everything at once. Do fewer things and do them well. Put together a content strategy, production and distribution plan in place, and follow them one step at time. After all, it should always be quality over quantity.
