Content marketing: 3 essential steps to start

Marketing success starts with the right content marketing strategy. Here are 3 main steps that you need to implement before starting to create the content.

 

Step 1: Understanding what content marketing is.

 

Yes, it seems obvious. But there are a few things that you need to remember about it. So, content marketing is a process of creating useful content to provide it to readers, viewers and listeners. Yes, content marketing goes far beyond blog posts.

 

Two main types of content marketing:

 

• Inside - any activities on a personal platform: blog, social media posts, videos, podcasts, etc.
• Outside - the same type of activity, but on the stranger website/blog/YouTube channel. 

 

Both sides of content marketing are tightly connected, have the same value, as well as equally aimed at product promotion. It doesn't matter whether you are an SEO of a software development company or owner of a little eCommerce soap shop, both content marketing pieces may be your business best friend. But to become a best friend of somebody, you should know them well, understand their needs, and be there when they need you.

 

What should you know about content marketing?

 

• Content marketing is a long-way-around. I know you don’t want to hear it, but one post/article/video will not make a difference.
• Content marketing is a routine process. To make one ‘working’ piece of content requires a lot, no, not like that, A LOT of time and effort.
• Content marketing is like a Groundhog Day. New content must appear often. It’s up to you if ‘often’ is every day or once a week, but periodically is important.
• Content marketing is about people. Catching people's attention is 80% of success.

 

Types of content marketing:

 

Content marketing is a huge field for your imagination. Literally everything that is on the Internet may be turned into content. Just a few obvious, simplest samples:

 

• Post/articles on the company’s blog
• Guest posts (on other platforms aside from a personal website)
• Ad articles
• Content created by readers/users
• Video content
• Podcasts
• Case study
• Infographics
• Images and graphics
• Webinars
• News and articles in press, etc.

 

Step 2: Audience understanding

 

5 ways to understand the audience:

1. Imagine the client/reader/watcher’s portrait: it’s gender, marital status, work position, what income it has, and where it lives. It’s needs and problems. Try to add as many details as you can. This way you would adapt your content to the right audience.
2. Survey readers/customers. Make it easy and short as possible. Make ready-made answers. Ask no more with no more than 10-15 questions. It will give you an understanding of what subscribers are interested in, what their wishes are.
3. Analyze the audience through Google Analytics. Google Analytics has detailed info about our target audience. To start, log into your account and find the Audience in the left column. Here are the details of your audience about demographics, interests, location, behavior, etc.
4. Classify TA (target audience) on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Usually, social networks provide every page owner with a powerful set of helpings analytics.
5. Keep track of your best and worst content. Analyze content in Google Analytics to determine the overall popularity of the blog. Comparing content will help to understand what your site/blog/page visitors are interested in.

 

 

Step 3: Choose the topic

 

The topic of your blog or channel should directly meet customer requirements and needs. The main marketers' mistake is that they talk more about themselves and their product, and not about what worries customers. Surely a company activity or product is at the center of content, but the audience is interested in a variety of useful topics.

 

With every new article, you should expand the field of topics to move away from your product praising to cover the topics your potential clients are interested in.

 

To make it easier, try to use a simple formula: 

[Your brand] creates content to help [the audience segment] to [add the action].

 

For example, my blog helps beginner marketers and content creators to improve their understanding of the basics of content marketing. Through this one simple formula I'm already can create such topics:

 

'How content marketing works?'

'Content marketing fails of beginners'

'How to do effective content marketing'

'Why content marketing is important'

 

These are the topics that I know will be interesting to my audience. So, I know what sort of content should I use: informative. The type of content also directly depends on the 'sales channel' or simply, the network where you want to publish it, your abilities, and resources. Are you able to create video content? Welcome to YouTube or TicTock. Able to make quality speaking content? Podcasts are waiting for you.

 

Before choosing ‘the one’, check the market, choose the niche where you may be the most useful, and choose the audience which will be loyal and grateful. And most of all, be sure that you are passionate about what you do.