Follow these steps and create rock solid content marketing

Time and again we come across the articles on reaping benefits of content marketing. There is a plethora of blog posts claim content is still a king. The rise of content marketing led markers hire more content writers in the organization.

Further, new age marketing tools like marketing automation, lead nurturing, and content syndication are infused to increase the revenue stream.

According to Content Marketing Institute, B2B marketers allocate 28 per cent of their total marketing budget, on average, to content marketing —the same percentage as last year. Further, More than half of B2B marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget. Companies are in no mood stopping in investing content marketing any time soon.

In fact, no marketer wants to leave behind in this new revolution. But everything is not rosy because the end result is not encouraging.

The analytic report paints a gloomy picture of the impact of content marketing activity on the revenue. The macrogoals: leads and sales chart is not climbing as expected.

Sure CMOs are shaking their heads in disbelief after seeing the results. So, is content marketing just hype? Will it slowly die? No. Content marketing isn’t going anywhere; it’s here for the long haul.

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions. The questions we should be asking:

• Where the content creators went wrong?
• What content engages the visitor?
• How to create the sticky content?
• How to promote the content effectively?
• Yes. Let’s do it right.

Stay Away From Ego-centric Content

Despite the fact, website is overfilled with content; still it fails to draw the attention of visitor. The lion share of content in the website is filled with what we offer to our clients.

In addition, the type of tone is used in the content. Companies put the pride of product ownership in the marketing collaterals. Often we celebrate the achievements of company in every nook and the corner of the website.

Not to forget, we are comfortable being noisy while positioning the product in our creative.

But, most of the times, readers get confidence when they read the approach document to the solution.( pain points ) How engaging the documentation should be? Which format it should be?  What creative elements should be put? It is left to the creative director, graphic designer and content writer.

When story revolves around the customer, even if it is not directly related to services or the products, it creates a fond full memory. (people will recall the brand  that leads sales when customer is ready to buy.)

Customers are looking into latest trends and news to update themselves to stay in the rate race. Publishing the research findings of your industry is a sure way to educate the customers. Or partner with research consulting firms to create the reports. Customer want expert to handle his requirements. These insight reports boost the confidence level for customers to share the challenges.

Customer-obsessed Content

The common marketers’ syndrome is constantly thinking on creating the content that drives more sales. The thought process of driving sales leads creating segmented content marketing plan by industry, decision makers and demography.

In an age of customer, delivering the content on an audience level is expected. Customer obsessed content is above all.

Make one-to-one experience. Eg: Deliver series of customized emails; create videos and if needed design an infographic that is just relevant one customer.

Deliver the same content in all the formats. Let visitor choose as per his convenience. For example:  Convert the white paper to podcast, infographic and video. Give the choice to choose the format. Let commuter listen the podcast while playing his favourite game. Delivering the preferred form of content based on the visitor’s behaviour brings better engagement rate.

Even a small change in offering the experience can make a big difference to the visitors. For example testimonials increase the trust level of companies. Come out of showing the old testimonial format: a passport sizephotoof client and his heap of praise about the company.

Instead, go to client place and shoot a documentary on how the day to day life in business has changed. How the client is making profits with thetechnology. How the client is creating thehappinessto their customers with your technology.

However time, resource, budget and real hardships go into making content different formats. Being customer obsessed means in order to make customer happy do whatever it needs and stretch whatever level it takes.

In an age of the customer, some companies change the entire line of products as per the behaviour. Netflix understood the needs of user and release binge series that traditional media hasn’t even thought for years.

Data Driven Content Marketing

The success of content marketing lies in delivering right content to the right audience at right time. Rather creating content by intuitive, build the story and promote the content based on the recent studies published by research firms.

Data driven content marketing can be implemented right from the start: the content creation, ideation to the very last in choosing the mediums to distribute the content.

For example: Googlesearch data says half of people begin their formal home search 6–12 months in advance, with about three-quarters starting within a year of the purchase.

People searching for ” small house” show a spirit of DIY independence. They are 3x more likely to search for gardening, 8x more likely to search for woodworking and 4x more likely to search for knitting.

Based on the research findings, create content on gardening, woodworking, and knitting in the blogs.  Roll out periodic email newsletters, prospective customers looking for small houses, about latest small properties and blog posts for next six months.

Below are the low-hanging fruits of data-driven content marketing:

• Use buzzsumo and google trends for blog ideas.
• Build content around specific queries generated from PPC campaign.
• Reach the targeted audience by Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin ads.

Creating more content is no more the number one priority. The real driver behind the successful content marketing is offering relevant content and customer-centric information. Lastly content should be found at the right time.