It’s surprising just how many brands, big
and small, do not have a content strategy. Or, think they do – but one blog
every so often does not a content strategy make.
Anyone involved in digital marketing today, whether agency or client-side, knows that the old adage ‘content is king’ is not one which should be taken lightly.
Right now, real- time or ‘always-on’ content
is a smart strategic approach to consider.
But why have a content strategy? What are we trying to achieve? In short, you want to get found by prospects
and you want your existing customers to continue to choose you over
competitors. At the end of the day, you
are doing this to build your brand and build your sales conversions.
Content should always be relevant, timely
and captivating but also planned appropriately to take into account regular
information that you know you want to impart.
Interspersed with industry and thought-leadership comment via a blog to
create hits on your content and drive organic links to your site, as well as
spontaneous social engagement and you have the framework for ensuring that your
audience is kept happy in the long and short-term. And the knowledge that your
potential to be found is in turn increased.
Link this to well-executed search marketing and the circle is
complete.
To this end, your content is ‘always on’. Content
is no longer just based around a campaign, but should be continuous, seamless
but still anticipated and welcomed.
A methodology which we like to use:
1.
Strategize
2.
Write your content
3.
Promote it
4.
Measure
5.
Refine
And within this methodology are just a few
of the many pointers to consider:
- Establish rules and
guidelines internally about how you and your team engage with your
audience: what topics are you happy to discuss? How quickly will you
respond to comment? How will you handle negative reaction?
- Know your audience
and know where and how you should best connect with them. Which social
platforms do they visit? How do they like to engage?
When do they best like to receive their content?
- Cut through the
noise by making sure your content is relevant and appealing. Whether
informative, fun and inspiring on a social networking platform or topical
comment and thought leadership on a blog. Maybe your audience has to
be driven to your brand via vouchers and promotions.
- Good content should
always be written by a copywriter or someone in your team with great
writing skills. Too often companies think that this is an area that anyone
can tackle with disastrous results. There is nothing worse or more
unprofessional than poorly written copy which does not flow, has spelling
errors and poor grammar. And no better way to damage your brand.
- Create content on
your site that is optimized for organic search traffic.
- Use a guest blogger
- this helps create authority and assists with driving referral traffic to
your site.
- Good content drives
traffic to your site, which can turn in to leads which can turn into sales
- Measure, review and
refine
- Provide an ROI
Make content as real-time as possible. There’s so much of it out there and such a
small window within which to spark interest.
Make sure your content drives your audience to your brand and encourages
them to interact and then follow up with lighter content for fun and
entertainment which keeps them coming back for more on a daily basis.
Lastly, there are many strategic approaches
to creating great content but ensuring that your approach is relevant to your
brand and your audience and the way in which they, not you, wish to interact,
is key. Adding in your measurement criteria
to review and refine your approach will streamline your methodology and keep
your audience happy as well as deliver a repeatable and efficient ROI to you.
Treina Smyth
Treina is the Purple Agency digital strategist. She is a driven, enthusiastic marketing professional with over 20 years in the business, specialising in Digital and Strategic marketing, identifying client marketing needs and managing client relationships.
She has a Diploma in both Direct Marketing (IDM) and Marketing (CIM) and has acted as a judge for the Direct Marketing Awards in London.
Treina is the Purple Agency digital strategist. She is a driven, enthusiastic marketing professional with over 20 years in the business, specialising in Digital and Strategic marketing, identifying client marketing needs and managing client relationships.
She has a Diploma in both Direct Marketing (IDM) and Marketing (CIM) and has acted as a judge for the Direct Marketing Awards in London.