Third in series
Links to previous posts in this series:
Content marketing for small business
Content marketing defined
Let’s assume that you have a marketing plan for your business, and you’d like to add content marketing to your existing programs so you can reap the rewards of inbound marketing.
Before you begin to create content, be sure you have your target market in mind.
What do they need? What have they asked for in the past? Can you identify their future requirements? If you have crafted a buyer’s persona, now’s the time to use it.
Remember that you are not creating marketing materials per se. You are producing freely available content that is all about THEM, the customer, not about YOU.
Start by looking at content that you’ve already produced that can be repurposed and repackaged, as long as it’s fresh.
Do you have a recent case study? An interview that you did with a customer? Have you ever put together tip sheets or informational (how-to) materials for your clients? Have you given a speech to an industry association? You may have a treasure trove of content just waiting to be shared. Do edit it to make sure it’s up to date and outwardly focused.
And please, don’t be afraid of free. You want as many people as possible to consume and then share your content, and the fewer layers of friction between the content and them, the better. (This means no filling out forms with their mother’s maiden name, etc., just to access your content.)
So what kinds of content are we talking about?
The simplest way to start is a blog, particularly one that’s integrated into your website and highlighted on your home page.
You can also create audio or video podcasts, case studies, white papers or eBooks. Think about running a webinar, and then recording it to be shared. Do you have some excellent presentations? Post them on Slideshare and embed them in your blog. A whole new audience might discover you via Slideshare. (When I posted a presentation on content curation last fall, I was astonished to see the number of views skyrocket past 7,000 within weeks.)
To be sure to reach your prospects who aren’t as web-savvy as others, you can also publish your content in a newsletter. Just be sure that you let subscribers opt in, lest you be labeled a spammer.
In the next post, we’ll delve deeper into how-to tips for creating content that people love to share.
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Visit the Trafalgar Communications website for information about how we can help your organization to tell its story through traditional and new media.
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