Content marketing has become quite popular as most companies are using it for business growth. A typical example is publishing a weekly blog or newsletter but, that isn’t all, of course. There are Dos and Don’ts of content marketing. Applying these rules will help you not only achieve your business goals but take your business to the next level.
In this article, we will be sharing the Dos and Don’ts of Content Marketing for great results.
Content Marketing Dos
Have a set goal
While creating content can be fun, you should create content for fun. Having a set goal makes your content marketing a lot easier.
A typical example of a set goal could be aiming to rank higher in search engine results than your competitors.
You can use the CRI – Content Ranking Index – to monitor your performance for a specific keyword compared to your competitors and how much traffic it could drive.
Create an Editorial Content Calendar
Though this might sound like a regular tip in content marketing, however, it is a powerful tip. What an editorial calendar does is help you break down the big picture of your content marketing strategy into workable pieces.
In your editorial content calendar, you can include your schedule, content format, caption, objectives, etc.
Develop a Buyer Personas
Who are your target audiences? How do you intend to reach them? Creating Content to reach out to a particular group of people produces more results than trying to cast the big net.
What makes your ideal customer?
Are they employed, unemployed, or self-employed?
What is their aspiration or Interest?
What problems can you help them solve?
What social media channel are they more active on? etc.
Conduct Thorough Research
Your identity and credibility will be at stake if you don’t research your content thoroughly before putting it out for public consumption.
It is important to conduct your research, cite your sources, validate it and verify it so as not to dent your brand’s name.
Ensure you’re using the right media in your content setup. For example, use a video where you know the video would help your audience understand the concept behind your content. Also, make your content user-friendly and easily understood.
Develop a Content Style
One thing that makes your content marketing strategy stand out from your competitors, is your content style or voice.
It would help you and your team stay on the same track. Don’t sound like a professional today and sound like an amateur tomorrow. Have a consistent content style.
Measure Your Progress
One of the good things about today’s digital media is the ease at which we can measure our progress through analytics and page insights.
You can use tools like Google Analytics or Instagram page insights, and so on for all other social media channels.
This would help you know how well your content marketing strategy is doing and what you should improve on.
Content Marketing Don’ts
Don’t write for everyone
It’s always advisable to tailor your content to a buyer persona.
Don’t try to create your content marketing strategy to suit everyone because you might end up with no result.
Also, try not to publish widely because a best-selling author – Stephen King – said,
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, while the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
The quote works in connection with content publishing. It is not advisable to keep waiting for inspiration instead of figuring out which content to share. That’s where the importance of an editorial content calendar comes into play.
Don’t Expect Quick Results From Your Content Marketing Strategy.
Content marketing isn’t something you just ‘try for a few months before deciding whether or not to continue. That time frame is much too short to determine whether your efforts are paying off. Even if you make a shift in intensity (from one weekly blog post to multiple posts, white papers, and newsletters), you need more time to measure your success. The road to quick results is to advertise on Google, but that will cost you much more in the long run.
Don’t release content without proofreading.
It is very important to proofread content for grammatical errors and plagiarism before posting it. Also, we sometimes forget to check whether a link is working or not after creating it. These and more are part of what you should look out for before posting your content to avoid confusing or frustrating your audiences.
Don’t forget to build a relationship with your clients
We might create content to generate leads, nurture leads and convert them to paying clients, but that shouldn’t be the only reason we create content.
Your content marketing strategy should the best resource for building relationships with your audiences and give them to come back for more. Stay in front of them with relevant, useful content, so they don’t stray to your competitors’ sites.
Conclusion
Applying these Dos and Don’ts in your content marketing strategy will help you achieve excellent results. With Philians, your brand’s content marketing strategy is fully covered. Let’s get started!
