When it comes to driving results, Content marketing is a process that can’t be ignored. By creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content, businesses can change or enhance consumer behavior in a way that positively impacts their bottom line.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how to use Content-marketing to drive results. We’ll define what Content-marketing is and outline the objectives of a successful strategy. We’ll also show you how to develop a content calendar and offer tips for creating various types of content. Finally, we’ll share ideas for promoting and distributing your content to get the most bang for your buck.
Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
Content-marketing’s purpose is to attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating relevant and valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior.
Content-marketing has been practiced for centuries in one form or another. In fact, some argue that it’s the oldest form of marketing. A formalized definition of Content-marketing didn’t exist until 2011 when Content-marketing Institute (CMI) and Copyblogger defined it as:
A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
The ultimate goal of Content marketing is to generate a positive return on investment (ROI). This means that businesses need to create content that not only attracts an audience but also helps them achieve their desired outcome – whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or something else entirely.
Developing a successful Content-marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution. But when done right, it can be an incredibly effective way to grow your business.
Outline objectives for a Content-marketing strategy
When outlining objectives for a Content-marketing strategy, it’s important to keep in mind what the ultimate goal is: to drive results. With that in mind, here are some objectives that should be included in your strategy:
1. Increasing brand awareness. In order to increase brand awareness, your content must be seen by as many people as possible. That means creating high-quality content that is shareable and promoting it through social media, email marketing, and other channels.
2. Generating leads. Quality content can also be used to generate leads. By including calls-to-action (CTAs) and contact information in your content, you can encourage prospects to reach out and learn more about your product or service.
3. Building relationships with customers and prospects. In addition to generating leads, your content should also be used to build relationships with customers and prospects. By providing valuable information that helps them solve their problems, you can establish trust and credibility with your audience.
4. Driving website traffic. Quality content can help drive traffic to your website by ranking high in search engine results pages (SERPs) and being shared on social media and other websites.
Creating a content calendar may seem like a daunting task, but with a little bit of planning, it can be relatively easy. Here are the steps to creating an effective content calendar:
1. Determine what topics to cover
The first step is to determine what topics you want to cover in your content calendar. This will largely be determined by your target audience and what they are interested in. You can use market research, surveys, and social media listening tools to help you determine what topics would be most relevant and interesting to your audience.
2. Decide how often to publish new content
Once you have an idea of the topics you want to cover, the next step is to decide how often you want to publish new content. This will depend on a number of factors, such as how much time and resources you have available, as well as how frequently your audience is likely to engage with new content. If you’re just starting out, it’s probably best to start with once or twice a month and increase frequency as needed.
3. Gather all of the necessary information for each piece of content
Before you can start writing any content, you need to gather all of the necessary information. This includes things like target keywords, the tone, and the voice you want to use, as well as any data or statistics that could be used to support your arguments. Once you have all of this information gathered, it will be much easier to start writing quality content that your audience will appreciate.
4. Create the calendar itself
Now that you know what topics you want to cover and how often you want to publish new content, it’s time to create the calendar itself. There are a number of different ways you can do this, but one of the easiest is simply using a spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Simply create a list of all the topics you want to cover and then add in the date when each piece of content should be published. If you want, you can also add in additional information like who will be responsible for creating each piece of content or what format it should take (e.g., blog post, video, infographic).
Here are some tips for creating various types of content:
1. Make your content more engaging by using storytelling, humor, and strong visuals.
2. Shareable content is generally more positive, relatable, and actionable. Keep this in mind when crafting headlines and social media posts.
3. Optimize your content for search engines by using keyword-rich titles and descriptions, and by tagging your images with relevant keywords.
4. Get creative with your content formats! In addition to traditional blog posts and articles, try creating infographics, videos, podcasts, or even just a list of tips.
Share ideas for promoting and distributing content
When it comes to promoting and distributing your content, there are a number of different options available to you. One of the most effective ways to get your content seen by more people is to use social media. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn offer a great way to share your content with a wider audience.
Another option is to develop partnerships with other businesses or influencers in your industry.
This can be a great way to reach new people who might be interested in what you have to say. You can also collaborate on content, which can help both parties involved.
If you have a blog, you can also use it as a platform to promote your content. Write blog posts that are related to the topics you cover in your other pieces of content. This will help drive traffic back to your website and give people another way to discover your work.
Finally, consider speaking at events or conferences related to your industry. This is a great way to build authority and credibility, while also getting your name and work out there in front of potential new fans.
In conclusion, content marketing is a strategic approach to marketing that can be used to drive results by creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content. When creating your Content-marketing strategy, it is important to keep your audience and business goals in mind. An effective strategy takes time and effort to develop, but it is worth it for the benefits it can bring. If you have any questions about Content-marketing, be sure to ask an expert.
