Digital media content is changing quite rapidly. It now includes podcasts, videos, infographics, interactive charts, etc. apart from the traditional white papers, articles, images. However, not many marketers are grabbing the opportunity and making the best of digital content. According to a recent study by MarketingProfs, only 64% of B2B marketers are expecting to spend nominal marketing expenditure on content marketing, while the rest 36% is planning to either decrease the budget or keep it the same.
Marketers having inbound marketing as their marketing strategy need content as their primary marketing element. Creating content that is both high-quality and customized for digital media channels is the toughest challenge marketers’ face. Added to this, the consumers’ mounting expectations lead to increase in marketers’ responsibilities, performance issues and costs. Strategic Outsourcing Services, being one of the best known content marketers, has crafted a plan to help you cut create demanding content.
1. Set up a content strategy: Create a content marketing plan for every media channel involved. While creating the plan, remember that there are three major influencers of your content – social media marketing, search marketing and public relations. Your content channels can include websites, blogs, social media networks, newsletters, emails, sales letters, marketing letters, etc. Be it any marketing channel, the content should be in sync with the plan.
2. Slip into readers’ shoes: Keep a tab on your target audience. It should be a practice for writers to step into readers’ shoes while deciding on the content topics without sidestepping from the main content strategy. Answer these questions to understand readers better:
- What would be the type of content your readers would be interested in?
- What information would they look forward to?
- What impact would your content have on them or their business?
- When and through what devices do they read most?
- What are the top media channels they use?
3. Formulate a content marketing schedule or calendar: Well-planned content calendar leads to a consistent flow of content when executed religiously. Have daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly plans to get your word right out in the right way at the right time. Yearly schedule should have details about the writers, editors and publishers, while quarterly should include the deadlines, drilled down to monthly roles and responsibilities. Chalk the calendar based on audience, channel and format.
4. Include various content types: Engaging and interactive content is the best way to attract customers. Interactive content includes animations and other multimedia content that create varied experience. Interactive content is the only foolproof channel which works even when every other channel falls flat.
5. Execute the content plan routinely: Once you have everything in place, like a strategy and calendar, all you need to do is to follow the plan routinely. And, every piece of content published should be tracked to check the results. Based on the results, tweak the strategies to make it work better and achieve results.
If you are still worried about content, we can help you.
