Create An Awesome Content Marketing Strategy in Five Easy Steps!

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@49Digital

How to Create an Awesome Content

Marketing Strategy in Five Easy Steps

Hi, I’m Helena HillTeacher and Online Entrepreneur

Welcome to this free course on how to kickstart your

content marketing strategy! After you’ve finished the

slides you will find a short workbook where you can put

some of the things we’ve covered into action and start

converting more visitors into paying customers!

AGENDAIntro: Finding time for Content Marketing

1. Getting to know your customers

2. What makes your business different?

3. What do your customers really want to know?

4. Types of content

5. How to create awesome, relevant content

6. Worksheets

FINDING TIME FOR CONTENT

MARKETING These days we’re all hearing the term ‘Content Marketing‘ almost as often as other digital marketing terms such as

SEO, social media , inbound etc…

In fact, the difference between each of these areas of marketing is diminishing as the digital era firmly establishes itself as the primary marketing channel for most

businesses worldwide.

So, if you’ve heard of Content Marketing you probably know that you should be doing it.

However, as a busy business owner or marketing professional, other demands on our time rarely allow for hours (if not days!)

researching what our audience wants, producing relevant, quality content and developing strategy to get it out there.

In this free course we’ll explore quick fire ways of kickstarting your Content Marketing strategy without having to spend much time doing it! In fact, you should be able to most of this work in 60

minutes!

Here are five steps to help you get started with content marketing and well on the way to creating an awesome Content Marketing strategy! You’ll probably find that you’re doing most of these things already but

didn’t realise it – you might already be a content marketer!

LET’S GET STARTED!

Getting to Know Your Competitors

1

If you know your industry/business area well then this really should only take a few minutes. For example, if you run a Real Estate business, it ‘s more than likely that there are other Realtors/Agents serving the same

geographical area.

Getting a good idea of who they are and what they’re up to online is super easy – just pop a search term in to Google! For example, a term such as

‘Realtors in Long Beach WA’ brings up everything from websites to Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, Google+ and Pinterest pages!

Google search term

Social media results

Organic results

Taking a little time to visit some of these pages will be time VERY well

spent. You will find that there are some businesses who have a website

as well as a Facebook page, some that don’t have either (oh yes, it’s

true!) and others that are very active on several social media channels.

Use what you find here to determine which social media channels are suitable for your business. For example, visit competitor Facebook pages

and Twitter accounts and take a look at how often they post and, most importantly, which types of post attract the most engagement with their ‘likers’

and followers.

Memes?

Video?

Questionnaires?

Photos? Tips?

How to…?

Testimonials?

Now Complete Worksheet One

What Makes You Different? 2

Taking some time to find out what the competition is up to may have been rather

enlightening!

Not only have you found out what (if anything) your competition is up to online, you might well have discovered that your business offers

products or services that they’re not or that you can do better.

Here’s your opportunity to create some great

content.

If you struggle with content creation here’s how to get started!

Now, we’re not saying that you should name and shame your competitors for not offering something; more that you should be sharing what you offer to your

customers!

So, what might these differences be?

Ask yourself, what makes my business unique?

• free delivery?

• exceptional service?

• expertise in your niche?

• an unrivalled customer experience?

• a free trial?

• a product or service your competitors don’t offer?

• a superior product or service?

• something else?!

Is it…

Now Complete Worksheet Two

3

Getting to Know Your Customers (and their pains!)

Unless you regularly offer your audience interesting, valuable, educational and

relevant content, the likelihood of repeat custom is

substantially reduced.

Run the same search that you used for competitor research. Take another look at blog comments, social media posts, replies and engagement. What

do their customers like or dislike about your competitors’ services or

products. What could they do better? What are they doing well? Can you

solve a particular problem or provide something that is hard to find?

How?

The sooner you discover what your customers actually want and expect the better placed you will be to create an

amazing content marketing strategy!

Now Complete Worksheet Three

Content Type

4

Go back to it again! Let’s take a Facebook page. A good Facebook page should be made up of a variety of different types of posts. What do I mean by that?

Traditionally, content has been mainly text but with the rise of content marketing this has changed considerably. For example, a business can post pictures, polls

and even video on their page. They can ask questions, share a white paper, recipe or tell their customers about their latest blog.

Remember that research I asked you to do on your competitors?

Content Types

Webinars TextImages

White papers

VideoInfographicsBlogs

Forums

Newsletters

Comments

Podcasts

BUT…

For example, if you’re a natural writer but not so confident on camera then YouTube might not be for you! If you’re an artist then using social tools such

as Pinterest might be more your thing. If you’re a chef then share recipes with your customers to try at home over Facebook, blog posts or twitter.

Only use content and content marketing channels that you feel comfortable with.

Be creative!

Now Complete Worksheet Four

Content Quality

5

Never publish content without first asking yourself…

• Is my content valuable to my customers? • Will my customers learn something from my content? • Is my content relevant to my industry and my customers’

needs? • Does my content solve a problem or answer a question? • Would I buy from me after reading/watching/listening to my

content?

If you’ve researched your competitors, decided how you are (or are going to be!) different and identified areas of your industry where you can offer something relevant, educational and valuable you’re well on

your way to being a savvy content marketer!

GO FOR IT!

Now Complete Worksheet Five

YOUR CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY WORKBOOK

Use the following activities to kickstart your awesome content marketing strategy!

WS 1: Your competitors: Check the relevant boxes as you research what your competitors are up to online.

WS 2: How are you different? Note down five ways in which your business is unique.

WS 3: What your customer wants: From your customer research write down five to ten ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.

WS 4: Types of content: What types of content would be best suited to solving these ‘needs’ and ‘wants’?

WS 5: Quality Control: Check each box each time you publish content on your website or social media.

WS 1: Your Competitors Competitor 1 2 3 My Business

Website

Facebook Page

Google+

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

tumblr.

LinkedIn

WS 2: What makes your business unique?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

WS 3: My Ideal Customer Wants To Know 1. The pros and cons of a product or service 2. A ‘How to’ guide 3. Where they can buy… 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

WS 4: Content Type Competitor 1 2 3 My Business

Blog

Podcasts

Webinars

Memes

Newsletter

White papers

Forums

Other

WS 5: Quality Control - Is My Content… 1. Relevant? 2. Interesting? 3. Useful? 4. Valuable? 5. Sharable 6. Engaging? 7. Passionate? 8. Educational?