Marketing gurus like to scare people with big and confusing marketing words. That can seem frightening if you are new to the world of content writing and marketing in general. Did you start your blog without a clue what to do next? Do you think that you need to be present on all social media channels otherwise you are doomed?
The thing that those same gurus forget to tell you is that only time and hard work will get you to your goal. There are no magic tricks and shortcuts, no specific hashtags and emojis.
But, there are a few tips to get you started on the right track in building your content marketing strategy.
1. Who Are You Writing For?
This is the most important question before you start typing your first blog post. Who is your audience? How old are they, what do they do? When you decide who that is, your job is halfway done.
All you have to do is write for those people. Think like those people. Think about what they would like to read. You are writing for them after all. Also, be ready to adapt to your audience’s tastes and needs. You are creating the content for them, so what you personally may like might not be up to your audience’s likes.
You also need to know your audience so you can speak their language. Every business has its own expressions and acronyms. If you can speak the language of your audience, you will capture their attention.
At the end of the day, you are selling your products or services through your blog posts, social media, or an email newsletter. But, that absolutely does not mean that your content has to be dull. People need to feel a connection to you or your brand in order to trust you and eventually buy from you. Your writing is a tool in building those lasting relationships.
Last but not least, people today are media literate. They will recognize bad quality ads and sloppily written posts. Your audience expects from you to entertain and inform them in equal measures. So do try your best to put out quality content which you can be proud of. Remember, quality over quantity at all times.
2. Choose Your Social Media Networks
Once you know your audience, choosing the right social media channels is a piece of cake. According to the U. S. research from the Pew Research Center, social media use varies among demographics. For example, teenagers and young adults are using Instagram and Snapchat the most. Meanwhile, older generations are more active on Facebook. This research is also showing that women are Pinterest’s main users. And you may already guessed – LinkedIn is the favorite among the business professionals. With this knowledge, it is easy to decide where to start building your social media presence.
Still, take this information with a grain of salt. No research can predict how your audience will behave. Your experience may show you different results. For example, your audience may consist mostly of teenagers who are often responding to your content on Facebook. Do experiment with different social media channels. Once you find out what works best for you, stick with it.
3. Brainstorming and Planning
Cool kids do not write things down and forget them, while smart kids write things down and remember them. Be the smart kid in this scenario. Get a nice little (or not so little) notebook and start writing down every single idea that pops into your head. You can later connect two ideas and create a third one. You may dislike an idea today but fall in love with it tomorrow.
No matter what you will do with your ideas, have them all in one place. This way you can always return to them and see something new that you might have missed the first time around. Also, keep in mind that there are no bad ideas; there are only ideas that may not work for you.
4. Content Calendar
Do not underestimate good planning. Plan and schedule ahead of your content publishing. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. You can decide whether you wish to plan for one, two, or three months ahead.
Make sure you have the content written in advance to save yourself from missing deadlines. You can also move your scheduled posts when you have already finished articles to choose from. You do not have to fully follow your content calendar, but it is easier to plan around each of your future posts with this handy overview.
5. Recycle Your Content
Recycling is not only great for our planet, but it is also great for your content marketing strategy. Everybody working with content will have to admit it; it is tough to come up with fresh new ideas every single day. Brainstorming sessions do have their limits. That is when this little tip can come in handy – recycle your content. Think about how you can use the same information and present it in a different way. Make an infographic or a video out of an old blog post. Take out a stand-out quote from a post and pair it up with a picture for your social media. Create a downloadable e-book out of a series of posts for your blog visitors. Let your imagination run wild and re-purpose your content however you deem appropriate.
You can also share your older posts again for the new audience who did not have the chance to read them the first time around.
Another good way of keeping your blog’s content fresh is to update your old posts with new information. In case you wrote about some specific topic and there are new developments, revisit your old post. Update it and do not forget to add “(updated)” in the current title.
Conclusion
There are no foolproof ways to success, but do not let this discourage you. Think through every step of your content marketing strategy.
Do not be afraid to take risks and try something new in this ever-changing business. Take your time, have a clear goal on your mind and work towards it every day.
Now go and start writing.
We would like to hear your opinion on this subject matter. Do you struggle with your content strategy? Do you prefer creating it yourself or choosing to collaborate with content marketing specialists? Which part of the process do you find the hardest to execute? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
