You don't need a mega list of content marketing tips to be successful with content marketing. The content basics are more than enough to do well.
In this guide, you'll get the low-down on digital content marketing.
Those of you ready to commit should prepare to put in hard work. Following this guide will create real results. Excited? Let's get right to it.
Your first content marketing task is brainstorming content ideas. Approach this process without being critical. Entertain every idea because you never know what may spawn from the previous.
Start with some of the easy content ideas:
Then, start expanding on the content ideas by doing the following:
These six techniques will offer hundreds of content ideas. Compile them in a spreadsheet, then go back through them noting which stand out. The refined list will become your core content ideas -- but first, you'll have them validated.
What sounds interesting or beneficial to you may not be so with the community. Not validating topics can waste time and resources, so vet every idea. You'll want to target specific topics with proven interest.
A super simple way of doing so is like this:
The results of this tell us two important things:
It's tedious but go through and do this for your main content list. Finish this task and you'll have what's needed to roll out a great content campaign.
Great content requires great execution. A plan and schedule create consistent marketing results. This section shares how to set yourself up for success.
What is the underlying purpose and drive for content efforts? It is:
Defining a goal aligns efforts and resources. Everyone is on the same page with delivering great content. This means the content will resonate with your audience as it aligns with their intent.
Two quick questions to answer:
Define your audience by assessing who buys from the business. Or, looking at who the competition is attracting. Then, create an hold this image while creating content to always touch on points that matter to them.
Likewise, know what you're capable of and your content abilities:
Syncing content to a defined audience attracts the leads you truly want.
Create a content marketing plan:
A spreadsheet is ideal for the plan and schedule. A basic week, month, and year outline will suffice, listing the content topic and who's making it.
The easiest part of content marketing is its creation. That's because you already have what it takes to create content. It's a matter of learning the nuances for creating content for the Web.
Written content is like creating a research paper that's easy to skim:
Look at the structure of this article. Notice how there are many headings, sub-headings, lists, and such? That lets you skim the content.
There are a few things you'll want in written pieces:
These are the terms and phrases people search on Google to find the content. Including them can define the content's direction and give people what they want. This is your basic on-page SEO (more on that in the next section).
As for audio or video content:
Microphone or camera shy? Consider hiring a video pro that does the narration. This lets you get video and audio for a podcast in one swoop.
Plan to support published content as time goes on:
The hard work was done the first time around creating the content. Supporting it lets it continue to gain search and social traction. It also keeps it relevant, so it remains valuable to the community and the industry at large.
An asset holds value. Content isn't disposable when it holds value. Seeing content as an asset encourages proper support and promotion.
Use SEO to improve the content's performance:
It's also important you get content everywhere.
Here are a few ways to leverage social media marketing:
The more people content gets to the better. Each new set of eyeballs could help with its promotion and distribution. Many people may become leads having consumed the content in the process, too!
Remember having seen content and landing pages in Google and ads during brainstorming? Now it's your turn to do this advertising and promotion!
Begin exploring opportunities with:
These two ad platforms have low technical barriers and learning curves.
A simple campaign could look like this:
This is an extremely simplified overview of paid content promotion. But, the core concepts are there for you to explore. Or, pass to ad pros who can set up and run these campaigns on your behalf.
The content marketing tips and strategies in this guide lays a foundation. It offers a way to craft regular, great content the community wants and needs. Follow through this guide and, no doubt, traffic, and sales will increase.
What happens next? Double-up on content efforts!
Continue following the content plan and schedule. But, support and double it by tapping into freelance content services. Discover next-level marketing services in our content writing marketplace.
