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How to get results from content marketing

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It is possible to grow your business and get results from content marketing. You just need to put the right plan, people and support in place. Problem is most companies do not know where to start. In this blog post I want to outline the common issues and how to fix them.

B2B-benefits-blogging-Jonnie-JensenIs your content marketing in a mess or is it making you money? It should be the later. Despite the fact that 88% of B2B companies are blogging many business owners are frustrated, disillusioned and quite frankly confused about the whole subject. Lets face it though it is not every companies area of expertise. Creating and publishing content was hard enough when it was monthly email marketing. The idea of creating at least one blog post a week seems insane.

Until you appreciate every piece should become an asset. Every piece of content should attract people to you, generate you leads, educate prospects and add value to existing customers. So long as you have put a process in place to make that happen your blog and content should be making your business money.

Image and stat source: Content Marketing Institute

“How to get results from content marketing” was the topic of this Digital Business Power TV episode. Share and comment if you watch.

Evidence your content marketing is a mess

Don’t let your content marketing be a stress. The reasons are obvious. If you can relate to any of these then perhaps you need some help and direction with your planning and resource. Of course you should talk to me about getting help with that. Whether in 1-on-1 Digital Coaching or signing up to Digital Business Power I can help you develop a full content planning and creation process.

  • Don’t read blogs – if no-one in your business regularly reads other peoples content than you have no idea what you are creating.
  • No plan – that is what you will write and who will write it by when.
  • No one cares – you need support across the business otherwise it is pressure on one person.
  • No experience – if you do not know about SEO, keywords, image editing, blog post structure and other specialist skills then your content will not be performing well.
  • No promotion – if you are not consistently and effectively promoting your content then of course you won’t be getting any results.
  • No reporting – so few companies carry out effective reporting of their website traffic. Get interested in results and you will be able to improve them.

With a list like that it is no wonder many companies need help. On a positive note though you have all the knowledge and experience in your business to create great content. You just need to go about it the right way.

Get results from content marketing

Like any path to success, you need a plan and you need to stick to it consistently. The biggest breakthrough you can have in your business is when everyone realises that content will help them succeed in their role and that it helps the company be more successful. Know your limits though. Get the right content marketing expertise and support to help you make the right decisions.

Just this week I reviewed a blog post that a ‘copywriter’ had produced for a client of mine. It was utter garbage. It jumped from one topic to another, it had no clear target audience, it offered no depth or added value. It was not structured like a blog post either. It had no sensible keyword rich title and lacked clear subtitles or calls to action. Basically it read like a confusing press release – which given the writers background, was probably what she was more used to writing.

You have to have the right plan and the right support. What I am saying is “know your limits”. You can get lots of other blogging and content marketing guidance from other posts on the Live And Social blog.

A plan for content marketing success

It is not really feasible to define an entire blog strategy and give your blog creation tips in one blog post but in terms of how to get results from content marketing, the following points are the steps you should take to ensure you are producing quality blog posts consistently.

  • Align with business objectives – be clear on what type of information is going to attract your desired audience and build trust with them.
  • Define client needs – you have to be clear on who you are talking to and what their needs are. Only then can you consistently create content of value.
  • Plan for success – from the outset be sure you have the systems and processes in place to capture your blog readers data. Then have a plan for turning those leads into sales.
  • Set your frequency – by deciding your frequency you at least have a chance of sticking to it. Realistically you need to produce at least one blog post per week.
  • Roles and responsibilities – you have the expertise in your business to produce content. They are only talking about what they know – it should be easy. Reassure them they do not need to create the final content. Just get the rough info from them. A great way is to just talk and record it into their mobile phone.
  • Get help from experts – use blog writers to turn your rough content into great content. Make sure they have the experience to do it and optimise it for success on Google. This should be much cheaper than outsourcing your content creation to a ghost writer. You should also get a better final blog post with your peoples own knowledge.
  • Promote it effectively – have a plan that ensures all your latest content gets promoted effectively in emails and social media. Ensure your whole team reads and promotes it personally. Also remember to promote your old content. Don’t just leave it to rot on its own. Keep sharing.
  • Consistency and momentum – if you want to get results from content marketing then you need to stick to your plan. As you produce regular content your audience will come to expect it from you. As they share it, more people will find you. This only happens when you consistently produce great content regularly, and follow your plan
  • Reporting and monitoring – if you are not measuring the success of your content then how do you hope to improve and evolve it? You want to see who is sharing it and where it is being mentioned. Most importantly you want to see if it is bringing any traffic to your website. Learning how to understand Google Analytics is relatively easy with their free training. You have to monitor the success of your content marketing if you want to get results from it.

It is not ok to say that content marketing is not relevant to your business. If you have a website and customer database then you need to be talking to people in an effective way. Your blog and content is that way. I trust this helps you get results from content marketing. You can get my “How to Get Results From Content Marketing” action checklist from here.

This plan is for people who are leading and managing the overall process.  I can help you with both sides of this in my Digital Business Coaching with clients and through the Digital Business Power programme. If you want help producing and publishing your blog and content marketing then the Live And Social content team are here and ready to help you.

 

I’ve worked in digital marketing since 1999. Spending time in the web, mobile, e-learning and social. In 2007 I ran my first Twitter training course and Live And Social has evolved out of that. I cycle to work, adore my children and try to find reasons to laugh as often as possible. My goal is to open an office in Chicago and do a triathlon in under 150 minutes.

The post How to get results from content marketing appeared first on Live And Social.


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