Here’s a New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Mon, Jan 18, 2010
And no, it's not too late to make one. I've got a great idea for you. Let's make this the year you start really getting more bang for your marketing b
uck.
It begins with defining your goals. Would you like to have a better website? Do you want to become the preferred brand name in your industry? How about doubling your revenue within the next five years? Maintaining customer loyalty would be nice, too.
These are the kinds of goals that all companies strive for. A content marketing strategy can help you achieve them. How? Content marketing is about more than great content-it's about listening to your customers' needs and coming up with a content creation and distribution plan that addresses those needs. It means that you are engaged with your customer base and committed to maintaining communication through a variety of content products.
Examples include e-newsletters, white papers, ebooks, blogs, social media, article marketing, press releases and home page content that draws people in. Content marketing is all about staying in touch, keeping your finger on the pulse of the customer and giving them a quick and easy way to get the information they need. Your content, and the way you distribute it, can give you the competitive edge and establish your authority with buyers.
And, it gives you the means to achieve your marketing goals. By taking the necessary steps to implement a content marketing campaign, you can get striking and measurable results.
Here are the 5 basic steps to a successful content marketing strategy:
1. Define your company's goals.
2. Determine the information needs of your customers.
3. Determine what action you want the customer to take.
4. Determine the content products that will suit.
5. Measure the results.
Of course, this only skims the surface of what content marketing can do for you. For the definitive word on CM, check out "Get Content Get Customers", by Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett. And while you're at it, make it a daily habit to read their blogs.
The content marketing revolution is on, and it's about to make traditional marketing and its proponents look like the crusty old dinosaurs that they are. Do you want to be in on it?