Content marketing is crucial for companies to attract, engage, and convert online audiences. But without a documented strategy, it’s easy to lose direction.
This step-by-step guide takes you through a proven framework to create, distribute, promote and measure content methodically to beat competitors.
Step 1: Define Goals and Target Audience
Like any marketing, begin by defining who you want to reach and why.
Ask critical questions:
· Who are our buyer personas and target segments?
· What outcomes do we want content to drive? (awareness, consideration, leads etc.)
· What topics resonate best with our audience?
· Where and how does our audience consume information?
Document target reader demographics, challenges, motivations and more in segmented buyer personas that inform your content planning later.
Step 2: Audit Existing Content
Take stock of current content across websites, blogs and social platforms.
· Categorize by type – blogs, ebooks, videos etc.
· Assess performance – pageviews, engagement, conversions etc.
· Evaluate topics, keywords and content quality
· Identify content gaps
This content audit establishes a baseline to build upon by revealing what works, high potential areas and gaps.
Step 3: Define Content Themes
Group related topics, subjects and narratives together under overarching content themes that resonate with target audiences.
For example – a software company may structure themes around capabilities, use cases, thought leadership etc.
Prioritize themes by opportunity and resources required. Assign internal teams to own each theme for continuous ideation and creation.
Step 4: Create an Editorial Calendar
An editorial calendar outlines the content you will publish across channels over a set timeframe.
Plot content types under audience-centric themes:
1. Blogs
2. Ebooks
3. Whitepapers
4. Videos
5. Webinars
6. Podcasts
Factor in new trending topics along with evergreen content. Use tools like Trello to organize and schedule content systematically.
Step 5: Develop Content Framework
With a mountain of information out there, crafting standout content with clear takeaways is vital to engage readers meaningfully.
Define an organizational framework for core content types like blogs, ebooks etc:
ü Introduction
ü Main sections and sub-headings
ü Call-outs for visuals
ü Conclusion and recommendations
ü Metadata
This blueprint guides creators to shape compelling narratives. Customize frameworks to suit snackable social content.
Step 6: Create and Curate Content
With your content strategy crystallized, it’s time to produce high quality pieces worth finding and sharing!
· Leverage subject experts and professional writers adept with strategic storytelling.
· Repurpose existing collateral like presentation decks into visual content
· Interview thought leaders to extract valuable insights
· Curate and promote industry reports, news and events relevant to your audience
Focus on solving audience problems with helpful, practical advice. Weave in keywords for better search visibility.
Step 7: Promote Content Across Channels
Don’t keep that brilliant ebook to yourself – get it discovered! Promoting content is as crucial as creation.
Dedicate 70-80% of promotion time on your best 20% content – the gems demonstrating highest engagement.
· Feature top blogs, videos in website banners, pop-ups
· Highlight downloads and event sign-ups on homepage
· Email subscribers with curated content recommendations
· Run social media campaigns directing fans to fresh content
· Brief sales teams to share relevant content during conversations
Content partnerships, consistent email outreach and paid distribution provide additional mileage. SEO services can unlock doors and elevate online authority with content amplification opportunities.
Step 8: Analyze and Refine
Deploy web analytics, marketing attribution and custom tagging to measure content performance accurately.
Key metrics to track:
· Total content engagement
· Scroll rates
· Time-on-page
· Leads generated
· Sales influenced
Feed insights into creating better-fit content and refining promotion tactics. Pay attention to rising search queries to make content decisions.
Conclusion
An orchestrated content marketing strategy connecting business goals, audience needs and measurable processes is invaluable in deepening customer relationships over time.
Take it step-by-step following this well-rounded framework – define goals, analyze existing content, structure themes, map calendars, craft frameworks, create and distribute effectively and analyze for continual optimization.
By hiring the best SEO company, you will witness content uplifting brand awareness, consideration and revenue contributions significantly within 3-6 months
