As a small business owner, you’ve likely thought a lot about how to market your company to increase sales. Maybe you’ve discovered social media marketing. You’ve probably created a pretty kick-ass website (if you haven’t, give Beyond Blue Media a call!). But, have you really thought of everything? Today, we’ll discuss content marketing (and what should be on your checklist to succeed in the digital space).
What Is Content Marketing?
According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is “a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience—with the objective of driving profitable customer action.” In layman's terms, content marketing is creating blogs, social media posts, infographics, videos, and more that are funny, interesting, and engaging with the goal of driving customers to your website to purchase, call, or fill out a contact form.
The Content Marketing Checklist: 7 Steps to Success
In order to be successful in content marketing, you need two things: quality content and a killer strategy. Here’s our comprehensive content marketing checklist of 7 steps to a successful campaign. Trust us—if you have these things, you’re more likely to succeed.
1. A list of content goals
Before you begin content marketing, decide on your goals. Why do you need content marketing? What do you want to achieve? If you don’t have a solid idea of why you are using content marketing or you don’t know what results you want to see, you’ll waste time and money. Make a list of content goals and stick to it.
2. Unique and quality content
Think about the kind of content that will be relevant and helpful for your target audience. Got it? Now, do that. When it comes to content marketing, the content you create needs to add value to your customer’s experience. Not sure what to create? There are so many types of content that can be used to reach different audiences. Here are a few to consider:
- Blog posts
- Videos
- Case studies
- Infographics
- And more!
While you don’t need to create all of these items, it’s fun to experiment and see what works for your audience. When you find something that clicks, stick to it!
3. An SEO plan
Do you want to show up on Google when someone searches for a Fort Collins Italian restaurant or a Denver HVAC company? Of course, you do—and to make that happen, you’ll need an SEO plan. Each piece of content you create should target a specific keyword and be well-optimized for search engines to read.
4. A social media strategy
How will people see your content if it’s hidden away on your website? Share your stuff on social media—this is how to engage customers you already have! Choose a social media platform that fits your business needs and makes the most sense for your content.
5. An email marketing platform
Email marketing is another way to share your blog content and infographics to repeat customers—but it’s also a content creation tool in and of itself. Email marketing is an easy way to inquire about reviews and encourage customers to visit your site again or remind them to schedule a new appointment.
6. The right content marketing tools
As a small business owner, you’ve got a lot on your plate. You don’t always have the time to learn how to market on top of running your business. Thankfully there are marketing tools that can help. There are tools for planning content, researching content, measuring your content, and sharing content—you just need to decide what would be best in your arsenal.
7. A way to measure success
Content marketing isn’t worth anything if you don’t know how well it is performing. You’ll need to collect metrics and data from Google Analytics and the like so you can begin to understand how many people viewed your content, shared your content, engaged with your content, and converted into a paying customers. Measuring also lets you know what type of content is working and what type of content should be kicked to the curb.
Need a Content Marketing Strategy for Your Small Business? Contact Beyond Blue Media Near Fort Collins
Want to up your content marketing game and secure actual leads? Do you need a quality SEO copywriter in Northern Colorado? Call Beyond Blue Media today—970-691-6149—or fill out an online contact form. We want your company near Fort Collins, Colorado to be successful, and if you’re not engaging in content marketing and blogging with SEO in mind, you’re missing out!
Located in Fort Collins, Beyond Blue Media expands beyond our doorstep to offer content marketing, SEO blogging, and full-service digital marketing to businesses across Northern Colorado. Our service areas include Fort Collins, Loveland, Ault, Greeley, Denver, Windsor, Boulder, Longmont, and beyond.
