Some of the methods we have found to be most effective in creating content marketing strategies are content mapping and topic clustering.
The content you're creating should always be in line with the goals and challenges of specific audience segments. You need to create the right content, for the right people, at the right time. And the best way to do that is through mapping out your content according to buyer persona and lifecycle stage.
Plan your content marketing around your offers.
Topic clustering is gaining momentum as one of the most effective tools to create search engine optimized content. Google, Bing, and Yahoo search engines have already implemented topic clustering as a means to provide more relevant and useful results for their users. It's the next big step in the SEO evolution. No longer are businesses targeting keywords and SERP (Search Engine Results Pages) parameters without any logic for the audience at hand. Instead, topic clusters enable you to develop connections between all your related content, showing the search engines that you are an expert on that topic.
Ready to hunker down and decide what content to create? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Who wants to read content that is full of information but lacks the human touch? Information is important, but it's how you present that information that determines its success. As you write your content, make sure you have a balance of facts, jargon (don't overdo it!), and a human touch.
Write and design minimal content for maximum return.
Keep in mind, there are also differences in how to write for print marketing materials, website content, blogs, social media posts, etc. You never want to just copy and paste the same material to every one of the different types of content. Get creative and pay attention to the rules for all the types! For example, you (plus all other content consumers) and Google have something in common: you both love fresh, quality content that is full of substance, easily digestible, and relevant. Content that is relatable, thought-provoking and maybe elicits a bit of emotion. Content that speaks to the reader, not at the reader. You don't want to lose sight of these key element to creating content for people and for the search engine king, Google.
If you are looking to create highly targeted content, you need to pay attention to your buyer personas and where they are in the buyer's journey. Keeping these two factors in mind helps you create content that tells customers, "We understand you, we value you and we have what you need."
Maybe you don't need to write anything, and instead, you need to create an infographic or interactive content that better suits their needs and answers their questions better than any written content could. Different types of content affect people in different ways. The goal of all content is to get people to engage, so if you can create different methods by which they can consume information, then you open the door to varied individuals.
Robert Rose of the Content Marketing Institute had an excellent quote regarding content:
"Our job, as marketers, is not to create more content. It has never been about that. It’s about creating the minimum amount of content with the maximum amount of behavior change in our customers.”
Ask yourself how your company can do just that!
As an Inbound Marketing Agency, Tribute Media fully embraces the Inbound Methodology. That includes the various methods for distribution as laid out as part of an Inbound gameplan.
Distribute for maximum reach, impact and engagement
After you create additional forms of content that are relevant to your offers, you'll want to find ways to promote your offer and the content that leads to it. You can do this through:
Strategize the best ways to distribute your unique content and offers that make the most sense for your buyer persona's and where they are in the buyer's journey.
