How To Be More Intentional With Your Content Marketing Strategy
By Wendy Jacobson, Owner of Incredible Content
Creating content is a critical component of your business’ overall marketing plan. Through content, you create an audience made up of your ideal customers and then inform, engage, and even entertain them.
The goal is to develop a relationship and be top of mind when your audience is ready to make a buying decision. Yes, it can be a slog and the return on investment (ROI) might be a bit more difficult to track than traditional methods of advertising. But according to the Content Marketing Institute, it generates three-times as many leads and costs 62% less than traditional approaches.
One reason it’s so effective is because content marketing is not about selling. It’s about meeting the audience where they are and providing information they need to help them move along in the buying process. But one of the biggest obstacles many businesses face is what exactly to write about.
Content is all around
One common misconception many businesses have is that their content needs to only be about them and their products or services. And while it makes sense that some content can be about your business and the solutions you provide, it shouldn’t all be about that. And therein lies the challenge.
If you’re not writing specifically about a certain product or service, what else should you write about? Although it may be difficult to see at times, content topics are all around you. Here are some examples of topics and how to use them:
- Questions your customers ask – create a blog post out of some of the most or least frequently asked questions
- Why you got into business – were you trying to save the world or simply needed something to do? Whatever the reason, turn it into a blog post
- The reason a customer chose you over your competition – ask a customer this question and use it as fodder for your email newsletter
- A day in your life – people are always interested in how others spend their day; it’s a humanizing factor and easy to turn into an article
- A customer’s success story – create a case study about how you helped a customer and the results they are enjoying because you did
- New product or service announcements – a new product or service makes for great social media content
- Industry news – what’s going on in your industry that is affecting your business or, more important, your customers and prospects?
And of course, you can repurpose each, too, so a blog post can also become fodder for a social media post and part of your email newsletter.
How to know what to publish
Along with determining the topic, being disorganized with content is another obstacle that businesses have so the best way to counter that is to create some kind of content calendar. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and it’s not written in stone, but it will give you some guardrails around what you publish and when.
To create it, first think about any seasonality with your business. Are there times of year that stand out for one reason or another? For example, if your business picks up during the winter months, create an article about how you ramp up to meet the upcoming demand.
Next, think about conversations you’ve had with your team, partners, customers and more. What nuggets can you draw from those to create content around? And, what stories can you draw from your experiences working with your team or customers or prospects. There’s a groundswell of content around that, too.
Write down your topic ideas and determine what type of content you will create for each, and how your audience will see it. Will it be a blog and part of your email newsletter? Will it be a press release and social media post? There are not right and wrong answers; the only wrong answer is not to do it.
I encourage you to give it a shot and see how it goes. And if you need any help, please feel free to reach out to me.
Wendy’s email is wendy@incrediblecontent.net.
About the Author
Her company name, Incredible Content speaks specifically to how she views content: as a vehicle for businesses to build and maintain their credibility. Over the years, Wendy has helped businesses in the healthcare, wellness, food, and technology industries foster their credibility via content such as articles, emails, web content and case studies.
Wendy has always loved to write and has a BA in History and English from The George Washington University. She lives in Minneapolis and when not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two teenage kids and dog. She also likes to jump rope, bike, hike or do just about anything outside.
Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn, visit her website, incrediblecontent.net and subscribe to her newsletter that shares 3 quick and easy tips to level-up your content each Tuesday.