Marketing has changed throughout the years as people’s needs and wants slowly get redefined. It is mainly fueled by the growing available resources, like the internet. So, instead of being fed with unwanted ads, people now have a growing inclination towards searching for the content that they want.
So, that’s where content marketing gets in the picture. The numbers say it all. 78% of consumers believe that organizations who invest in content marketing are interested in building good relationships. 61% of buying decisions are influenced by custom content.
Content Marketing Step-by-Step Guide: What to Do First and Last?
The question that remains is, how do you perform content marketing? It’s just two words, but don’t be deceived, there are a lot of steps to it. If you are a beginner, it can get overwhelming where to begin, but here is a chronological step-by-step guide.
- Set Your Goals
Just like any marketing strategy, content marketing must be performed with certain goals in mind. This will keep you in line with your strategies and implementations throughout the duration of your marketing.
Among the possible goals you can have are the following:
- Growing brand awareness and business visibility.
- Boosting revenue.
- Creating and improving existing brand loyalty.
- Increasing customer and audience engagement.
- Build a positive reputation among partners or customers.
Unless you have any specific goals in mind, it is easy to get lost in the middle of your content marketing. You tend to forget what to concentrate on and the type of content you should be targeting. So, a goal is always crucial in making sure that you are going to find results at the end of all your efforts.
- Determine KPIs
How do you know that you have achieved your goals or that you are on the path to reaching them? The answers are KPIs (key performance indicators).
KPIs are where you should be looking at to see if your content marketing strategies are making an impact. It is the tool that tells you whether you are doing positively or it is necessary to make certain changes to your approach.
With the goal of brand awareness, you are looking at site traffic, social media followers, and online engagement such as mentions. When it is about revenue, keep an eye on sales. If it is about brand loyalty, the rate of returning customers, promoters, and product reviews can give an insight about your success.
- Content Decisions
This is content marketing, so you need to come up with the content you intend to create. It is no easy task, because free-styling what you compose is not going to be the best approach. Instead, content marketing is about consistency and addressing specific topics.
Your content should be in line with your business and it should be helpful to your audience. Otherwise, you are looking at an ineffective strategy. To make sure you are creating quality web content, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is your business and your expertise?
- How can you help your customers?
- What are the challenges they are overcoming by purchasing your product or service?
Content marketing is not just about creating content, but helping your customers using content. Straying away from this core concept can ultimately defeat the purpose of your campaigns and strategies.
- Setting a Budget
Depending on how you implement your strategy, one way or the other, it is going to need some budget. Among the things that you are going to spend on are:
- Content creators such as writers, editors, and video production services.
- Paid promotions for your content.
Knowing how much you are willing to allot will give a clear idea of how to run your campaigns. It sets your limitations and makes sure that every penny you spend matters. If you don’t have enough budget to hire an in-house person or team, outsource marketing can be an option.
- Creating Your Content
When you have laid out all the details, it is time to create your content. Again, it is not an easy task. Not all types of content are helpful. Too long and it gets complicated. Too short and it can be lacking. In short, how you present your message and ideas is what ultimately matters.
To create an effective type of content, it should be:
- Straight to the point
- Comprehensive
- Easy to understand as possible
- Uses language relatable to your audience
- Engaging and sparks interest
- Distributing Content
Where do you put your content? The right placement and distribution mediums can make all the difference in getting you seen. It can be your website, social media pages, or guest posting on more prominent websites.
- Analyze and Measure Results
When everything is in place, you need to keep an eye on the results. Knowing how your content performs will fuel the next steps will take in your content marketing.
Your content may not be performing well, so you make necessary changes. If it is succeeding, you determine what you are doing right and consistently stick to that.
While it may be the last step, it is also the most important. In the beginning of your strategy, you are approaching your market blindly. This step is what puts everything into perspective and allows you to make crucial and informed decisions.
If you have come this far, then you already know that content marketing is no walk in the park. It is composed of a series of steps and each is more crucial than the previous one. Apparently, content marketing is not just about creating content, but curating effective ones that will captivate your audience.
