Content marketing should be a cornerstone of your B2B marketing strategy for 2023. Having a beautiful website and a strong social media strategy is great, but you can’t stop there.
Your content marketing strategy really comes down to two things:
1. Create compelling content
2. Curate your content to get the most out of it
Content marketing involves the creation and sharing of material in the digital realm, including videos, social media, and blogs. These posts do not directly promote your brand; instead, they are created to stimulate interest in your business’ products or services. That being said, it’s important to encourage your readers to also reach out to you for more information on your
services!
Most marketers who have a digital strategy (and in this day and age, who doesn’t) are using content marketing. And why not? It works, and even better, it’s a FREE source of lead generation! We get it, though. You’re busy running your business, balancing budgets and books, and managing staff or clients.
Never fear! We’re here to give you a little boost toward creating your best content marketing strategy.
Build Your Content Base
Determine which marketing tactics you will use. Blogs, for instance, are a great way to showcase your knowledge and create new content on your website, helping SEO.
Regular blogging can increase drive to your website, as well as doubling as a post for your social networks!
However, one thing to keep in mind when creating your content- keep. It. relevant. Always provide some sort of value to your readers, rather than blathering on just for the sake of it. While word counts are important, keeping on topic is even more so.
If you’re short on time, starting with a basic weekly blog coupled with one or two social networks is a great starting point.
Get Visual
Include images and videos on a consistent basis. Social media posts with relevant images see up to 3X as much engagement as posts without. However… do not add a photo that isn’t relevant to your post just to have it.
Search free stock image databases such as Pixabay or Pexels, or subscribe to Shutterstock to find relevant and interesting photos. Any type of relevant
imagery will help keep your readers interested and increase the overall quality of your content.
Infographics are an informative and interesting way to get your point across to your readers.
What does your reader want from you?
What do you offer your readers? Understand your buyer persona (or ideal customer) and consider what their main concerns would be when coming to your site for information.
If you run a tax service, for instance, you may write a blog on the topic,“Top 10 Write-Offs Business Owners Forget About”.
Within your blogs, link back to a service you offer that coincides with the topic. As we mentioned in our previous blog post, follow the 70-20-10 rule when prioritizing your content- be it blogs or social media posts.
Utilize Tools
There are tons of tools (such as the aforementioned Google Trends) that assist in the creation and sharing of content. Buffer, for example, is a centralized hub for all of your social networks, allowing you to easily manage your posts and streamline your posts. Find stock image source sites, and follow blogs and pages relevant to your industry for inspiration for posts.
Double check
We can’t stress this enough- double check your work! While everyone has their own writing style, it’s important to be sure your content is free of glaring mistakes. Check for run-on sentences, spelling errors, missing punctuation, and other errors.
If writing isn’t your strong suit, that’s okay! There are plenty of people who make livings out of writing blogs and creating content for small businesses.
It may take you some time and brain power to get into the habit of creating and structuring your content marketing strategy. You can start slowly, gathering inspiration and information as you go through your days.
For more information on creating your personalized content strategy,
MarketSense is here to help! We can walk you through pretty much any step of your strategy to determine which actions will bring you the best results. Our strategists have a proven track record of working with businesses, from the smallest up to large corporations, to get them the
best ROI.