The pandemic has paralyzed most of the world and our lifestyles have changed dramatically. Many companies implemented work-from-home policies, which also changed our social, buying, and other habits.
The change in the way we shop challenges marketers to create new ways to engage with the consumers. Online shopping has skyrocketed over the past year and it will not slow down. We are now used to buying more and more online.
That is why content marketing is a very important part of building and fostering relationships with customers online.
Even though you may have a content marketing strategy in place, it is is a great time to relook at it and strengthen your position. Is your content marketing plan relevant now?
For many marketers, content marketing is often a time-consuming activity. Thus maybe it stands as a lower priority, compared to active lead generation, such as Google Ads and social media advertising.
Remember that content marketing takes time to bring results. It won’t be instant. However, it will have a much bigger impact on your marketing strategy than ads.
Here are some ideas about what you can do.
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Reassess your content marketing goals
Your efforts to strengthen your content marketing game will be more valuable if you set clear goals that can be easily measured. Here are some examples that you can prioritize:
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What do you want to achieve through content marketing? Is it to generate more leads? Is it to improve brand awareness? Is it to position your brand as a thought-leader in your industry? Having a clear goal will help you shape your overall strategy better.
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Produce X number of posts to boost your website’s SEO is a great goal to set. It’s direct and easily measurable. However, remember that quality comes first, don’t set a high number of posts that are average.
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Decide which keywords you want to rank in The top 5 on Google search is another great goal that will tie closely with your content strategy overall. Be realistic and choose the most relevant keywords to your NOB.
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What percentage of total web traffic should come from your content on social media, blog, and organic search? By having a clear percent in mind, you will concentrate to optimize your channels better and achieve the desired result.
Specific goals will help you plan ahead and execute better what you have come up with. The more detailed your goals are, the clearer the execution will be.
Update your ideal customer profiles
It may have happened that the pandemic drove a lot of new customers to you. This is great! But have you assessed their needs? You should definitely want to deliver a relevant message to them and make sure they become loyal to your brand.
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The preferences and choices of your consumers may have changed. Are you still communicating to your customers as in the past? It may not be the best approach, given that their preferences and buying habits may have changed over time. The pandemic has affected how your customers consume the information, how they purchase and socialize. Keep that in mind when reassessing the existing customer profiles.
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Did you notice a surge of new customers or visitors to your website? Build their customer profiles and figure out the problems or needs that they have. You’ll need to adapt your communication accordingly to entice them to buy from you and stick with your brand in the future.
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Did you notice a change in your customers’ habits? Maybe they started buying more frequently than before, or contrary – less. Take a look at these behavioral patterns and try to find out the reasons for such changes. By knowing them, you’ll be able to cater your communication and content more effectively.
Review your social media presence
I’m sure you are already on social media. Sometimes, when the pace is fast, our social media loses direction. It’s the best time to redefine the purpose of your social media as it will serve as a stepping stone for your content marketing strategy.
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What is the purpose of your social media accounts? I always say: Facebook is for leads generation; Twitter is for quick shoutouts and interaction with consumers; Instagram is to show the company’s behind-the-scenes and human side; LinkedIn is to show how professional the company is and engage with other businesses and decision-makers. LinkedIn is also a way to show your brand as a thought-leader in the industry.
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Update your profiles as they may not be up-to-date. We often forget to provide the latest and most relevant information on all channels and social media may be one of them. Review if the “About” section is relevant and if the cover visuals and content information are up-to-date.
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Review the social media performance to understand better what was working and what has to be changed. Review the past 3–6 months and see what drove the best results. Was it video content? Was it blog posts? Was it infographics? When you have this information in your hands, you’ll know what kind of content will be your priority.
Analysis and review will set you on the right track for further planning. By knowing that your social media accounts are up-to-date and relevant, you’ll have peace of mind that your consumers won’t be misinformed.
Produce impactful content that works
Once you have your goals and you know what worked in the past, you’re set for content creation. Content is an extremely powerful tool to raise brand awareness and also generate sales leads.
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Plan the format that you’ll be using for your content creation. The beauty of content marketing is that it’s an extremely broad field, including posters, infographics, blog posts, videos, podcasts, etc. Based on what has worked in the past, you should now know what kind of content you’ll be working on. However, don’t be afraid to experiment, if you haven’t explored podcasts, maybe you could spend some time doing one (remember, you have time now!).
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Execute and review as you go because you’re not time-pressured now, allocate enough time to review your content, and even get opinions from others. If you have a team, share it with them and get some feedback. Don’t rush into publishing it instantly. I love leaving my content overnight and revisiting it the next day — most of the best changes happen after a later review.
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Spend time researching different topics that are relevant to your field. In this way, you will be able to create more diverse content that will attract more diverse crowds. Stay within your major field though. If you’re working within digital marketing, exploring topics such as personal branding or alternatives to digital marketing (such as in-game advertising) can be very beneficial.
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Think about your consumer profiles who you want to communicate with and be specific with your messaging. The generic messages may not be working out anymore, because consumers are spoilt with choice and may want to find information that is relevant to them. So, if you’re targeting specific groups – talk to them directly.
Having more time can be very beneficial to your content creation game. Often, we are much more productive when there is no time pressure. Freedom gives an extra boost to our creativity and we, therefore, can do magic.
