Content marketing, when done correctly, has the power to radically grow your business and build your brand.
Done poorly, well, it’s just words and videos on your website.
Like so many aspects of marketing, the strength of content marketing lies in the planning.
A well-planned, well-thought-out, content marketing plan will attract new business, increase sales, and establish your business as a leader in its field.
Here’s how to create a great content marketing plan for your website:
Step 1. Define your marketing goals
Before you even think about writing a plan to achieve your marketing goals, you need to be clear about what those goals are.
That means referring back to the company’s overall marketing plan. What do you want your content marketing to achieve in the next year?
It might be increased customer retention, lead generation, thought leadership or higher conversion rates.
Also consider the types of messages that you want to convey to your customers.
Once your objective is clear, all the content created should work to achieve it.
Step 2. Planning
The next step involves compiling an inventory of marketing content you already have and determining what you need going forward.
Your website should be looked at as whole as well as in individual sections and pieces of content.
Overall, does the current content reflect the marketing needs of the business? Where are the holes? Is the weight given to the different sections representative of the marketing priorities?
Step 3. Know your audience
Once you have your list of content marketing requirements, the next step is to determine what form that content takes. And to decide this you need to understand your market and who you are producing content for.
Are they industry professionals, comfortable with technical terms and high-level thinking? Or are they new customers who might require some instruction?
The tone and delivery of content will vary depending on the target demographic. Millennials might react well to short videos, for example, whereas older consumers may be more comfortable with text.
Step 4. Create a content schedule
When it comes to content marketing, when is as important as what – and a successful content marketing plan always involves creating a calendar.
What messages do you want to push out and when should those messages be distributed?
Blogs and video content should be produced in synergy with other marketing activities, as well as delivered to a consistent and regular schedule.
Allowing some flexibility is important, though.
Responding in a timely manner to topics on the news or discussions circulating on social media can make your business appear to be relevant and a thought leader.
Step 5. Get producing
Now that your marketing plan is fleshed out, it’s time to start producing content.
But you’re not finished quite yet.
Use analytics to discover which pieces of content are achieving results and which pieces aren’t, and adjust your content marketing plan accordingly.
Creating a content marketing plan can be a lot of work upfront, but keep in mind that once it’s done you can rest easy knowing that every piece of content on your site will be relevant and aligned with your business objectives.
Need help with your content marketing?
At Assemblo, we live and breathe all things content. In fact, we get pretty excited about developing a content strategy and creating high-quality content that performs well on websites.
As a full-service marketing agency based in Melbourne, we also know a thing or two about creating content to complement your other marketing activities.
Keen to know more? To find out how we can elevate your content marketing, give us a call on (03) 9079 2555 or drop us a note via the contact form below.