Research conducted by the Content Marketing Institute reports that 70% of B2B marketers planned on creating more content in 2017 than the previous year. In that same study, however, it was revealed that only 17% of content marketers reported their marketing efforts as being more successful.
Generally, creating additional content is a good thing; however, as any successful marketer knows, it takes more than just creating content to gain results. It takes great content. Great content requires careful planning to deliver the variety and value your audience craves.
The following tips can help you plan for better content for your audience:
Begin with Goals
Compelling your audience to take action is the goal of content marketing. You miss the “marketing” part of the equation when there is no action. So, do not begin with what you want your audience to know. Begin with what you want your audience to do.
The wanted action may be attending a webinar, signing up for your blog, scheduling a demo, etc. Whatever you decide, each piece must be connected to a desirable result.
Allow Your Audience to Lead the Topic Selection
Listen to your audience through their questions they are asking through emails to your sales department, forums such as Quora, search engine queries, and tools like Bloomberry and BuzzSumo then continue the conversation as your topic selection.
Change Up Your Content
Fill holes in your editorial calendar and ensure your content is fresh by changing up your content type. Sure, save room for sharable listicles, however, balance those with thought-provoking pieces that establish the point of view of your brand. Include how-to articles that are 100 percent utility.
Have a plan, write it out, and make it actionable.
Include Interactive Content
Other content is not your main competitor for your audience’s attention. Your main competitor is everything else in the world. With our content, we are asking that people stop what they were doing, ignore any distraction that may come their way, and engage. Earning that level of attention is far easier with interactive content.
Have Some Fun
It is okay to let loose once in a while when you have plenty of useful and practical content. In general, people enjoy being entertained and enjoy laughing. Provided that you stay consistent with your brand voice, there is nothing wrong with experimenting with a little comedy.
Start a Dialog
Does your calendar still have a few blank spaces? If so, allow your audience to fill them in. User-generated content builds enthusiasm, helps foster community, allows your customers to view real-world examples of what your brand can do, and much more.
The ideal way to promote user-generated content is to ask for it. Ask your customers for product photos, reviews, customer stories. Manage a contest and recognize the top submissions.
Better yet, ask your most valued client if you could feature them. They get extra visibility while you receive a compelling testimony. Make sure you know what content planning to do for your unique situation.