Fundamentals of Digital Marketing: Where Do I Start with Content Marketing
Most people spend an average of two and a half hours online each day. Everything they consume, from blog posts and news articles to Instagram posts and TikTok videos is considered content. In 2021, the businesses that will have the greatest success in capturing the attention of their audience are the ones that understand the importance of content marketing and have a strategy in place.
What Is Content Marketing?
Content Marketing is the process of planning, creating, publishing and sharing content through various channels, including social media, podcasts, blogs, and print publications. Essentially, content is any information that you put together to present to your audience, and Content Marketing is the way in which you choose to do that.
Why Is It Important?
In today’s digital world, content marketing is the best way for businesses to not only educate people about their products and services, but also to build relationships with current and potential customers. Consumers are more likely to do business with organizations that they feel have an identity and that they can trust. Content marketing is a way to engage your audience and create a community around your brand.
Getting Started With Content Marketing
As with all new things, getting started with content marketing can feel overwhelming. There are many options and it’s hard to know where and how to get started. Here we share a few things to help you get your marketing strategy off the ground.
Choose Your Platform
It can be tempting to want to be everywhere all the time - Social Media, Podcasts, Blogs - but it’s best to choose two platforms to start with. For example, you can start a blog and create a social media profile. The bonus with social media is that you can cross-post your content (use the same piece of content on more than one platform) so it’s a way to show up in more than one place.
Research Your Competitors
Before you get started, you should know how businesses like yours are showing up online. See what kind of content they’re publishing, how often they’re posting, and what audience they’re targeting. There is only so much information you can glean from your research, but the point is to see what’s working for your competitors so that you have a starting point.
Establish Your Goals
Decide what your purpose is with your content marketing - educate your audience, engage with potential customers, convert followers into fans - and use that as a base to determine what kind of content you’ll publish and how often.
Create And Follow A Content Calendar
In order to achieve the goals you’ve set, you have to hold yourself accountable. The best way to do that is to create and follow a content calendar. Not only will this eliminate the last-minute rush to get things created and published, but it will ensure that you are being consistent with your content, which is key to gaining momentum and seeing the results you want. You can decide the cadence that works best for you, whether that means creating a monthly calendar or a quarterly one. The key here is to design a calendar that you will be able to realistically follow.
Follow Up & Adjust
As you get your content marketing strategy underway, you’ll need to monitor what works and what doesn’t so that you can make adjustments. Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint, so it’s important to give your strategy ample time (4-6 months) to get a real picture of what is giving you the best results. Once you know what’s garnering the most engagement and driving the most traffic, you can create more of that kind of content.
Hackett Brand Consulting And Digital Marketing
Content Marketing is a multi-faceted process and, as we mentioned, it can be overwhelming, especially as you’re getting started. As a business owner, your priority is keeping things running, and adding a new thing can seem like a daunting task. However, content marketing is not something you can afford to ignore.
At Hackett Brand Co., we are passionate about helping businesses bring their mission and vision to life. We can take one thing off your plate and create a content marketing strategy that will drive business results while staying centered on the mission that drives you to wake up and work hard every day.
Connect with us today to learn more about our services.