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Written by: Emma MacAnally
Putting pen to paper and solidifying a content strategy may seem like a daunting task. It can be easy to get inundated with the demands of content marketing and feel as though you’re drowning, but it doesn’t have to be that way. To get yourself started, consider narrowing your focus to these five content strategies:
1) SIDE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
The demands of content marketing are many, but ultimately you need to show that you know and care about your customers. Your content should cover topics that matter to your customers and provide thoughtful solutions to the challenges they face. The end users of that content are your potential customers, so cater your content to them. This is how you build a strong brand. Utilize SEO strategies and audience research to ensure you’re creating content that your prospective customers are a) searching for and b) able find easily. Here are a few tactics to try:
2) OFFER STRONG GUEST CONTENT
Allowing for subject matter experts to contribute guest content that supports your company’s message lends authority to your content. Showcasing industry thought leaders and influencers makes your content more helpful and builds trust with your audience.
Take this tip one step further and offer your expertise to relevant publications and brands. Not only do guest posts allow you the opportunity to get your content in front of a new audience, sharing your expert advice showcases your thought leadership. Guest posting is also a great SEO tool – just be sure that the sites you are contributing to are high quality. See tip #3 of this guest post on how to execute SEO on a limited budget for more information.
3) THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Speaking of which, one of the best strategic moves you can make when it comes to your content is to set yourself up as a thought leader. Because brand trust is paramount, positioning yourself as a thought leader (and proving it with quality content) will help you earn and build trust with your customers and prospects.
Thought leadership doesn’t happen overnight. But if you’re prepared to put in the work, it’ll pay off. Here are five simple steps to establishing your thought leadership to get you started.
4) SET HIGH STANDARDS FOR YOUR CONTENT
Regardless of whether you are posting video, text, or images, you need to aim high and adhere to those high standards. Employ expert writers and editors to ensure that your content is accurate and error-free. Why? Your content is a written representation of your brand. Consistent spelling errors or mistakes look sloppy and don’t do much to instill confidence. Value quality content over quantity and your audience will take notice.
Even if you can’t bring on a full-time content staff, you can utilize freelancers to extend your team and fill in any content creation gaps you may have. At Torchlite, we frequently tap into our Torchliter marketplace to help us write e-books and design content visuals. In fact, our Get Sh*t Done Guide to Content Marketing was created entirely by Torchliters.
5). SUPPLY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESOURCES TO YOUR CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY
We know. You have to be smart about your resources and how you allocate them. The struggle is real and ongoing for most businesses. Having said that, content marketing needs to be high on your list of priorities. B2B marketers today are spending, on average, 29% of their total marketing budget on content, according to Content Marketing Institute . And 39% plan to increase their content marketing spend over the next year. Achieving content marketing success means that you will achieve business success. It’s that simple.