In a digital-first world, content allows you to talk to your audience. We’ve written before that content is queen, and that’s never been more true. In a time when in-person interactions are limited, content can rev up audience engagement by building connections with your target market — for a much lower cost than other marketing efforts.
Successful content marketing can slash your marketing bill by up to 62%, according to the Marketing Insider Group. Plus, you can expect conversions to balloon about six times.
Think about it like this: You get six times the deliciousness from a decadent chocolate cake that contains nearly two-thirds fewer calories than similar desserts. That’s value!
Of course, not all content marketing makes people sit up and notice. That’s where developing a clever content marketing strategy comes into play. Consumers are getting increasingly savvy when it comes to digital marketing and content, and they expect to be served the very best. It’s time to blow some dust off your content marketing plan and make sure you deliver the best value to your audience. Here are six tips to get started:
1. Tie specific, measurable goals to your content.
If you don’t know what you want from your content, you won’t know how to track results, and that means you won’t know whether your efforts are successful. Each content campaign (or standalone content piece) should tie back to a measurable goal. For instance, you might want to increase followers by “X” number on your Facebook page or generate 15% more qualified leads. Not all goals have to lead into your sales funnel, either. Maybe you want to encourage backlinks to bolster your website’s domain authority. Still, make sure your goals are measurable.
In your content calendar, note the purpose of each content piece, such as “nurturing leads to download a gated white paper.” Then, add information on how you’ll track success. Be sure to share your intentions with content producers so that everyone works toward the same goal.
2. Play up your value proposition.
If content is a bridge between you and your audience, then use that bridge to constantly reinforce your brand’s unique value proposition, which is the promise your company makes to customers about how it will meet their needs. This idea should be present in nearly all of the content you produce — even if it’s unspoken. Let it determine the way you serve and interact with customers through content, and don’t be afraid to write or design your specific value proposition into content often.
3. Create and document buyer personas.
Trying to market to a large group makes it tough to provide valuable personalized content. Your best bet? Segment your ideal customers into buyer personas.
Talk to your sales team to map out your typical customers, such as the millennial entrepreneur with some disposable income but little time to investigate options. Drill down into what motivates each persona to understand their pain points. Then segment your database by persona and develop key content that resonates with their needs.
4. Find and maintain a brand voice.
You can’t use content to build a connection with your audience if that content doesn’t accurately represent your brand. Your audience should feel familiar with your brand across all communications, whether you’re vlogging or tweeting.
How do you make sure your content writing, graphic design pieces, and other creative outputs remain consistent? Create a streamlined brand guide you can share with all content producers. The document will outline the overall brand — including the brand voice and assets — that you show your target audience.
5. Generate content at a regular pace.
Just like consistency in tone, your publishing consistency also makes a difference for your ROI. HubSpot found that 82% of daily bloggers snagged customers because of their content, whereas only 57% of monthly bloggers could say the same.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule to how often you should be publishing content, but regularity is key. Brainstorm with your marketing team members and develop a content calendar that includes all the collateral that engages the audience. From there, you can assign project leads to each piece of content so you can maintain your posting schedule.
6. Wrap up content with a clear CTA.
When someone in your target audience comes across your engaging infographic and wants to learn more, it should be easy for them to figure out how to reach you. Use call to action marketing (CTA) techniques to guide her next moves.
A successful CTA is a narrowly focused action step designed to nurture leads. Because you’ve already outlined your goals for the content, you might already have an idea of what you would like a reader to do next. For example, download a related white paper, call a sales representative, or sign up for a demo (shameless plug alert!).
Want some support creating compelling content? Our team of creatives can help you create content marketing materials that elevate your brand to enhance the success of your marketing campaigns — so you can reach your goals. Start a no-commitment subscription by booking a demo today.
