Content marketing is all the rage these days. No matter who you are and where you like to shop, you can likely find a blog or social page sharing content connected to your favourite business. In fact, you might even be enjoying it right this minute! I’m a big believer in the benefits that content marketing – and great web design – can bring to your Calgary business. Your content is a constant conversation starter, and it’s always waiting to catch the interest of the next curious customer.
As with many things in life, the trick to getting content marketing right is consistency. Blogging is easy to start, but more challenging to stick with. I manage blogs every day, and I’m here to tell you why a content marketing plan is the key to long-term success.
Content Marketing Success Starts with a Clear Plan
Content takes many forms, and is shared in many places. Shorter content is ideal for blogs, social media, and email marketing. If you’re looking to do a deeper dive, you might consider long-form content like whitepapers, or even eBooks. Creating relevant content requires an understanding of your audience, and your content marketing plan is an extension of that understanding. By publishing the right content at the right time, you can make the maximum impression on your audience.
- Building an audience means keeping a steady schedule, and you don’t want to wait until the last minute to come up with content ideas. Whether you publish once a week or once a month, consistency keeps your audience coming back for more.
- In most industries, interest peaks a certain times of year. It might be a change in seasons, a major holiday, or a popular time for travel. Your content calendar allows you to anticipate those peak times, so your content is always ready to shine at the most opportune moments.
- Each piece of content is not an island unto itself. The best content builds on and links to content that you’ve already created, to add context. Your content marketing plan will make it easier to identify opportunities to integrate, revisit, and add to existing content.
- Ideally, your content marketing plan will cover as many areas of your business as possible. Be sure to schedule a meeting of the marketing minds, to take feedback, ideas, and suggestions from as many sources within your business as possible.
- Planning ahead also allows you to maintain some flexibility in your content development. If a big news story or unexpectedly pleasant stretch of weather creates added interest in your business, you can respond with content that’s tailored to the mood of the moment, without going off schedule.
A Content Marketing Plan is About More than Content
Content marketing is a key tool for reaching your online audience, but it’s far from the only important element of your marketing plan. So your content marketing plan also provides an easy place to keep track of your other marketing campaigns, and ensure that every element of your marketing plan is working toward the same goal.
- Social media is an excellent way to connect with consumers, but like blogging it requires persistence. The best social media posts may seem spur of the moment, but they’re usually the result of anticipation and smart scheduling.
- Your content marketing plan also allows you to keep track of ever-important search engine marketing efforts, including SEO and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. It’s a natural fit, as SEO and PPC are two of the biggest tools for helping your audience find your content.
- Of course, it all comes back to content. Developing effective content means considering your whole marketing plan, and how it all fits together. Your content marketing plan provides a centralized location that your team can consult any time a new marketing question or idea pops up.
As someone who is constantly coming up with content topics, I can say without a doubt that a content calendar is a lifesaver. The effort you put into creating your plan is minimal, compared to the effort required to put content together on the fly. More than that, though, having a plan is the best way to produce engaging, high-quality content. In the end, that’s what content marketing is all about.
Emphasize Design has you covered for content, web design, and all of the marketing tools you need to grow your Calgary business. Get started by learning more about our marketing services, and feel free to drop us a line with any questions!
