Content marketing strategy needs to be well thought out. Brands can’t just rush into it and expect to succeed. Here’s the 3 essential elements of a successful content marketing strategy.
1. Setting The Right Goals
There are smart goals and non-smart goals. Non-smart goals are basically those don’t fit the S.M.A.R.T. criteria. For S.M.A.R.T. criteria, it should meet the following:
- Be Specific / Significant
- Be Measurable / Meaningful
- Be Achievable / Acceptable
- Be Realistic / Rewarding
- Be Time-based / Tangible
Having a SMART goal in place will help brands achieve success much faster, where eliminating the fluff and focusing on what can help brands accomplish goals. Marketers probably need to do some trial and error to find out what works best for brands, but you’d still be closer to brands goals than if decided to just ‘wing it.’
2. Building An Audience Persona
Not knowing who to create content for has caused many content marketing strategies to fail. Quality will always trump quantity anytime. One of the best ways to guarantee quality is knowing who your audience is. Armed with this information, you can create the kind of content that will appeal the most to them.
It will be easier to present yourself as an authority because you identify so well with your audience’s needs and their pain points. Fail to create an audience persona though, and you could be wasting all your hard work for nothing.
3. Creating Valuable And Shareable Content
Of course, the last ingredient to a successful content marketing strategy is the content itself. When you create content that strikes a chord with your audience, then it will be so easy to persuade them to follow your call to action.
Your audience will see you as an authority, hence, it will be easier to convince them to join your mailing list. They’ll be more likely to listen to your recommendations, and you can easily monetize your content by inserting your own products or other brands’ products you’re affiliated with!
Conclusion
What makes content “good”? What’s the difference between content marketing and just writing an entertaining blog? Can content really be the backbone of a serious marketing plan?
Let’s get it clear, not all content serves a marketing purpose. If you want to build a strong business around content, you need to make it entertaining, strategic and shareable.
Is content marketing an important part of your business? What elements do you consider essential to a successful program?
Let us know in the comments …