When creating content, ask yourself these fundamental questions first: Is this content going to provide something that the community will benefit from? Is it unique and something that the user won’t quickly find just anywhere? And, does it resolve a problem and answer a useful question. Then, use these steps to draft a solid strategy:
1. Outline your brand goals and objectives
Your social media and content marketing goals should reflect your brand and company goals. How do your content goals (both from a type of content you create, and where it will reside) should align and support your brand’s marketing goals. Audit your current social media situation and ensure that it is in line with overall marketing objectives.
2. Define your target audience
Read : Customer Insights is your First Step in Digital Marketing
3. Where’s the demand? What content do they want?
4. What kind of format works for your audience?
What format works well for your audience and community? Is it infographics? Videos? Text? Blogs? Live Streams? Webinars? You can test this yourself by analysing what does well for your posts, or you can get insights on this by monitoring what works well for your competition or your vertical.
5. What platforms are they on?
Knowing where your audience really is helps you decide on your distribution strategy. You may be creating great, useful content, but if it is on the wrong platform, it does not serve your purpose. There’s two points here to keep in mind. First, which platforms are they on, and second, what type of platform suits your type of content well.
6. Track your content performance
7. Be consistent
• 6 Must Know tips to Succeed with Content Marketing in 2017
• Content Marketing Strategy: What kind of content should you create?
• Plan your Distribution Strategy to succeed with Content Marketing
• Winning Content Strategy: Always share something valuable and useful
First published on Tom Roy’s blog ‘Digital Marketing Strategies 101‘
Tom Roy is CIO at MCN