The lifeblood of all businesses on the internet is content. It's what your visitors come to look at and browse, and without fresh, innovative compelling content, your business really has nothing to say.
It doesn't matter if you sell the greatest widget ever to come down the pike; if you can't or won't articulate that in various forms of web content in a regular fashion, nobody will care.
So how does one set about crafting all this wonderful content? The first thing to know is that you can do this very simply when you create a content marketing plan and determine to stick to it. Let's have a look at several steps toward generating your own content marketing plan.
Developing a terrific content marketing plan
Determine who your audience is and what they want – Every business is unique in that it has a demographic singular unto itself. You've got a set of customers and people interested in what you do that is yours and yours alone. Identifying this audience and getting an idea of what it is they would like to know, and dovetailing that with your business goals is the task here.
Decide on types of content – There are plenty of types of content you can utilize, from simple blog posts to whitepapers, videos, infographics and much more. Determine what you are best able to produce and get on with it!
Create an editorial calendar and stick to it – This part is key: make sure you commit to a publishing schedule and follow it. Schedule your content in advance, to ensure that not only does it get done, but so that it can coordinate with promotions, product launches and other activities you have happening in your business.
Market your content – Simply creating it isn't enough, you'll want to promote your content. With millions of new web pages hitting the internet daily, it's a challenge to have your voice heard. Promote your content via your social media channels, cross promotions, and even paid ads if appropriate.