Content marketing is a comparatively new phenomenon that came into existence and gained popularity over the past few years.
Content management and content upgrade have now become an integral part of the online marketing strategy of most companies that are using it to drive traffic towards their websites and generating leads.
Content marketing means competing with every other entity present on the internet. This calls for more considerable attention while creating the content. The content should contain information that is relevant to your target market. Sometimes, it may seem very difficult. However, the six steps discussed below will give you a clear idea of how you should go about making the most of your online content.
1. Great Ideas create Great Content
An idea is the basis of everything. The proper execution of the idea comes later.
Content marketing requires getting hold of topics that will be interesting to your target market, and also provide value to them.
The more you know about your market, the better content you can generate for them.
When you are deciding on a topic, you should know what your customers are seeking. What problems they are facing and how your product can help them resolve those problems.
When you have answers to these questions, you can create an idea around them. This will serve as your topic.
2.Researching the topic
When you think you have a great topic that will resonate with your target audience, you should start researching it.
There is a chance that you will be able to find a plethora of information regarding your chosen topic over the internet. You have to get the most amount of information and filter it to find things that you can use.
However, while researching, you should make sure to find and read related articles that have been seen and shared by a lot of people.
The key to creating great content is to carry out in-depth research.
3.Refining and Editing
You come up with a great idea, research it, and create an article based on your research. This means that you have already completed the initial steps.
However, once you have finished writing the content, give yourself a short break. Reread the content, and see whether you can add or delete what is not relevant to your content. There is a possibility that you could come across an aspect that you failed to cover during the initial writing.
Also, look out for something that hasn’t been covered in the article that you have already read. This process is called refining your content.
After you have edited the initial draft and refined it to a great extent, you have in your hands the content that you were striving to create.
4.Presentation
Content does not mean written content only.
It could be an image, a video, an infographic, or a combination of two or more. Every kind of content, be it in any form, carries some level of effectiveness.
Decide which type of content will best compliment your idea. If an article can do justice to it, you should go for it. If you think that a video will be more appropriate, shoot one.
5. Platform
There are several platforms that you can use to distribute your content. The most suitable in any case is a blog of your own.
This does not mean that you should limit yourself to the blog; you can also use SlideShare for presentations, or any other platform that you deem fit.
However, the content should be available on several platforms simultaneously to increase its visibility.
6. Distribution and Measurement
Content is undoubtedly the king, but if it is not distributed properly, it will not be as effective as it should be.
Distribution should be planned carefully. If you are seeking to utilize many platforms simultaneously, you should make sure that each platform is awarded its fair share of time.
The next – and the most important – aspect is the measurement. The best thing about content marketing is that its effects can be measured.
Take, for example, your blog. If its revenue is based on the traffic coming towards it, your KPI should be the number of page views.
Moreover, content should be measured on every platform that you are using.
The Final Word
Content marketing is a phenomenon that one learns with time and effort. You create content, distribute it, and then measure its effectiveness. Every step enables you to learn something new which you can use in your future endeavors.