It's time for a new plan of action.
That's right--it's time to get your content creation strategy in order. You've been thinking about it for months, maybe even years, but now it's time to put your plan into action.
But where do you start? How do you make sure that your content is going to be successful? And how much time do you have to invest in this project?
We've got the answers for you! Here's our step-by-step guide on creating a content marketing plan to help grow your business. Read on and enjoy!
What is Content Marketing?
You're probably familiar with seeing ads everywhere you go - billboards, TV commercials, social media ads, etc. All of those are ways that companies try to sell their products or services. But content marketing is a bit different. It's all about creating and sharing interesting and valuable content with your target audience.
Instead of just trying to sell them something, the goal is to build a relationship with them by providing them with helpful or entertaining information.
For example, your company might create a blog with recipes, a video series on DIY projects, or a podcast that discusses industry news. By providing this kind of content, your company aims that your audience will see you as a trusted source of information and will be more likely to buy your products in the future.
It's a bit like the old saying, "give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Content marketing is a way for companies to "teach" their audience something rather than just trying to sell them something. It's a subtle way to build a relationship, and it can be very effective if it's done well.
Content marketing can be divided into three main categories:
- Inbound marketing refers to attracting customers by creating useful and informative content that addresses their needs. This content includes blogs, ebooks, case studies, and white papers.
- Outbound marketing involves promoting your business through social media or other channels to attract new customers.
- Native advertising is a form of paid media that blends into the surrounding content to create engagement with readers without being intrusive or interruptive.
Content marketing is becoming an increasingly popular form of advertising, and some experts believe that it could potentially become the future of advertising.
With social media and other digital platforms, it's become simpler for businesses to make, share and distribute their content. That's why more companies are turning to content marketing as their go-to way of advertising. But don't get it twisted, content marketing is not here to replace traditional advertising methods. It's here to complement it. Businesses should keep traditional advertising in mind, but also think about how they can use content marketing to reach their target audience better.
What are the Different Types of Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a great way to reach your target audience and get them engaged. The key to content marketing is creating the right kind of content for your audience.
There are many different types of content marketing. The most common types include:
- Blog posts are articles you write about a specific topic or issue, usually on your website or blog. These articles can cover a wide range of topics, from industry news and trends to product reviews and tutorials.
Image taken from a Strikingly user’s website
- Videos show people how to do something or answer questions they may have about a product or service. You can post these on YouTube or other video-sharing sites, but it's also possible (and recommended!) to make them available through your own website or social media accounts.
- Infographics are visual representations of data that help readers understand complex concepts more easily than plain text alone could do so (such as statistics).
- Social Media Content is creating and sharing content on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This type of content can include text posts, images, videos, and live streaming. As one of the most popular forms of social media, Facebook is a great place to market your business. You can create an official page and post updates about your products, share links to other websites or videos you find interesting, and even set up advertising campaigns targeting specific groups.
- Email Marketing is another effective way to reach out to customers because it lets you send promotional messages directly through their email inboxes, ensuring they don't get lost in the shuffle.
- Ebooks provide in-depth information on a specific topic and can be used to generate leads by offering gated content in exchange for contact information or payment.
- Webinars can be hosted live or recorded online presentations that provide educational or informative content to a specific audience. Webinars can also be used to generate leads and increase engagement.
- Podcasts are audio content in a series format. Podcasts discuss industry news, share insights, or tell stories. Some podcasters also invite industry leaders to join them during their podcasts to generate more interest within their audience.
- Interactive Content encourages audience participation in quizzes, polls, and surveys. Interactive content is mainly used to gather valuable information about your audience and can be used to increase engagement.
- Newsletters are regular email updates to subscribers. It aims to inform audience members about new products, events, or content.
These are just a few examples, but there are many different types of content marketing, and you can get creative with it. The key is to create valuable, engaging content for your target audience that aligns with your business goals.
What are Some Content Marketing Examples?
Content marketing is an effective way to reach your target audience. It's also a great way to keep them engaged with your brand.
Here are ten examples of content marketing that you can use as inspiration for your campaigns:
Content Creation Sample 1: Write a blog post about how awesome your product or service is and why people should use it. Then, use it as a chance to ask your readers if they have any questions or concerns about it. It's a great way to show off your expertise and give them an opportunity to ask you anything they want to know.
Content Creation Sample 2: Make a cool infographic that shows how many people your product has helped out, then post it on social media with your product posts. That way, you'll get more people interested in the infographic and your product.
Content Creation Sample 3: Write a short story that features one of your products or services as part of its plotline--and make sure there's a call to action at the end! Consider turning this into an ebook or short video series so that people can learn more about what you do without having to read through all of these words on their own time (which may not be very much).
Content Creation Sample 4: Create a short video series that teaches people how to use your product or service—and make sure there's a call-to-action at the end, just like the last example.
What are the Benefits of Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a great way to build your brand and get the word out about your business. It's also a great way to get some good press and help you reach new customers. Content marketing can be used in many different ways, so it's important that you know what works best for your company.
There are many benefits to content marketing. Here are some:
- Increased brand awareness
By creating and sharing valuable content, you can help people learn more about your brand and what you have to offer.
- Increased website traffic
When you create content that is interesting and valuable, it can attract visitors to your website.
- Improved search engine rankings
Consistently creating and sharing high-quality content will help improve your search engine rankings.
- Greater customer engagement
Customers will only engage with your brand if you offer interesting and valuable content.
- Increased lead generation
Creating content that is specifically tailored to specific stages of the buying process can help you generate more leads for your business.
- Better customer retention
Engaging content keeps your customers, also, engaged. By providing customers with valuable content, you can keep them interacting with your brand and reduce customer churn.
- Increased sales
Valuable content increases brand trust which can lead to more sales.
- Greater brand loyalty
Consistently providing customers with valuable content will let you build a stronger relationship with them and increase brand loyalty.
- Cost-effective
Compared to traditional forms of advertising, content marketing can be more cost-effective, especially if you create and distribute content in-house.
- Better customer understanding
By creating content that appeals to your target audience, you can gain insights into their interests, pain points, and buying behavior, which can help your overall content marketing strategy.
How Do I Create an Effective Content Marketing Campaign?
Creating an effective content marketing campaign can be a bit of a process, but it's well worth it in the end. There are a lot of ways to go about content marketing. You can write blog posts, create videos, and even publish podcasts. But how do you know if your campaign is effective?
Here are some steps you can take to create a content marketing campaign that will help you achieve your business goals:
1. Define your target audience
Before creating content, you need to know who you are creating it for. Take the time to research your target audience so you can create content that appeals to them and addresses their specific needs.
2. Determine your goals
What do you want to happen as a result of this campaign? Are you trying to drive traffic to your website? Increase sales? Get more followers on social media? Once you know what you're trying to achieve with your content, it will be easier for you to make sure that everything is aligned with those goals throughout the entire process.
3. Set a budget
It's crucial to figure out how much money you're willing to spend on your content marketing campaign before you start creating it. That way, you won't be surprised by unexpected costs down the road.
4. Create a marketing content plan
Once you know what you want to do and how much money you can spend on your content marketing, it's time to make a plan. You should figure out exactly what content will go into your campaign, who will create it and when they'll do so.
You should also decide how you'll promote the content, what metrics you'll use to measure your success, and more.
4. Create a timeline
Once you've created a plan, it's time to get started on your content marketing campaign! You should figure out exactly when each piece of content will be ready so that you can ensure everything comes together at the right time.
5. Promote your content
Once you've created all of your content, it's time to promote it. You should use a variety of different channels to get the word out about what you're doing, including social media and email marketing.
6. Measure success & learn from mistakes
Once your campaign is over, it's time to measure its success and figure out what went wrong, if anything did.
You can do this by looking at the metrics you've set up or by simply getting feedback from other people. If your campaign is successful, you'll want to think about how you can improve next time.
7. Repeat!
Once you've finished your campaign, it's time to start planning the next one. You'll want to ensure that you have all the necessary tools in place so you can get started as quickly as possible.
By following these steps, you can create an effective content marketing campaign that helps you achieve your business goals. Remember, the key to success is creating high-quality content that is interesting and valuable to your target audience and promoting it in the right places.
With a solid content marketing strategy in place, you'll be well on your way to building a strong, loyal customer base and growing your business.
Leveraging Strikingly for Your Content Marketing Campaign
You can use Strikingly website builder to create a website that supports your content marketing campaign in several ways:
- Create a blog.
Strikingly allows you to easily create a blog section on your website. You can use this to post regular content that is interesting and valuable to your target audience.
- Optimize for search engines.
Image taken from Strikingly
We have built-in features that make it easy to optimize your website for search engines, such as customizable meta tags and a sitemap. These can help your website rank higher in search results, making it easier for people to find your content.
- Use landing pages
Call-to-action buttons help increase conversions and drive sales. With Strikingly, you can add call-to-action buttons to your website, such as "subscribe" or "buy now" buttons quickly and easily.
- Use Strikingly’s email marketing tools
You can use Strikingly’s email marketing tools to create promotions, discounts, and new product announcments. You can grow your email list and keep in touch with your audience.
- Create a portfolio
Image taken from Strikingly
Strikingly has a portfolio feature that you can use to showcase your work, whether it's a collection of blog posts, videos, or other types of content.
If you've made it this far, you're probably thinking: "Wow. What a great read! I have so much more knowledge about content marketing than I did before."
And it's true. You do. But the real question is: "Now what?"
You have all this information, and now it's time to put it into action. The best way to start is by taking some time to think about what kind of campaign you want to run.
Once you've decided what kind of campaign will work best for your business or organization, it's time to start creating some content--and signing up for Strikingly.
Have fun!
