There is a lot of buzz around the term content marketing these days. Going in to this new year, marketing pundits are making predictions in all shapes and sizes. Everyone has an opinion. Depending on what you read, we are either entering an age where there is a content glut or content marketing is still the next best thing to sliced bread.
The truth is, both statements have merit.
- There is too much “content” out there
- Glut or no glut, for those who do it right, content marketing really can be the next best thing to sliced bread.
To explain the “too much content” statement a bit further, the problem is that since “content marketing” became the buzzword du jour, many marketers hopped on the bandwagon without really knowing what they were doing or taking the time to properly strategize. Content was written for the sake of content – without the necessary steps of identifying with the intended audience, getting to know the world they live in, and creating an editorial calendar filled with useful content designed to delight, educate, and inform. Therein lies the biggest mistake.
The second biggest mistake, of course, is the tendency to adopt an “if you build it they will come” mentality. If you build it, and build it really well, they might come… just might. If you build (and build it well) as part of a plan that focuses on distribution as well as on content, and is executed using integrated marketing automation/CRM integration tools to facilitate lead scoring, nurturing and follow up, that sliced bread thing starts to come into play again.
Here are a few key things you can do to make sure that your content is able to cut through the noise, position your company as a trusted resource, and shorten your sales cycle.
- STRATEGIZE – Know your audience. Know your data. Know what resonates.
- COLLABORATE – Talk to your sales team about what they are hearing in the marketplace
- PLAN – Write (and stick to) an editorial calendar
- EDUCATE – Choose topics designed to educate, not sell
- DESIGN – Design your content to be easily consumable on the web. Make sure it is graphically compelling. Take a cue from the foodies… presentation is half the battle.
- INTEGRATE – Set up your Marketing Automation and CRM so you can effectively Track, Analyze and Improve your campaigns
- DISTRIBUTE – Employ both outbound and inbound techniques to get eyes on your content
- MEASURE – Set lead scoring rules and make sure everything you do is measurable
- ACTIVATE – …your sales team. Set automatic triggers so when a lead score hits a certain level, your sales team is on the phone immediately, getting in touch and bringing that lead to fruition
- SIMPLIFY – Content must make a point. It must communicate. To do so, simplify.
Content will not shrink. As more marketers and companies adopt the practice of content marketing, prospects will be inundated with more content than they can handle.
But, you can make an impact. Good content will rise to the top!
If you are looking to initiate or improve a consistent content marketing program, NuGrowth Digital can help. To find out how, contact the NuGrowth team at 800-966-3051 or fill out a contact form and we will be in touch.
