You may notice that the more recent posts on this blog are not wholly related to
This personal disruption isn't abandonment;
it is a means of growth. And,
boy-oh-boy, have I learned a lot! Not only have I learned a new industry, I
have also learned new ways of doing things, I have learned to see common things
in a different light, I have learned new applications for the same old, and so
much more. I think these things can benefit both you and me. So, while I will still post about healthcare frequently, don’t be surprised to see a more broad range of
topics.
Today, I want to share what I have been
working on recently: Content Marketing Strategy
With the Internet being such a powerful
learning tool, content is a great way to develop brand recognition
as a thought leader and fountain of information. The goal of a content marketing strategy
is:
Efficiently produce and organizing relevant / up-to-date content that engages by immersing the audience in a meaningful / helpful / enjoyable / interesting /and sharable experience in order to attract new and existing followers / customers / readers and motivate your audiences to practice the same behaviors as your best customers. In time, you will develop a following of people that will return to you habitually in time of need.
I know that is a giant run-on sentence, but
with good cause. Content marketing strategy has a huge job that requires a huge sentence. The words in the
goal stated above were not chosen at random, each word has a specific purpose.
For example, look at the first word, efficiently. If your goal is to produce
mass content, you must do it efficiently or your marketing spend will go
through the roof and your business won’t benefit. If you are new to content marketing strategy, I
encourage you to read and reread that phrase. Interpret each word for
yourself. Then, work to improve upon that phrase.
In addition to the word choices,
the statement is intended to imply actions that help to execute on the goal. For
example, the phrase attract new and existing constituents, is intended to imply
the need to develop a plan to attract people to your content. This may be
through advertising, SEO, etc.
Another implication relates to the part of the
phrase that says motivates your audience to practice the same behaviors as
your best customers. Clearly, you have
to know your best customers before you can do this. In knowing your customers,
I don’t just mean knowing their names – I mean knowing their behaviors and
speaking to that persona. If you aren't familiar, you should do a little
research on user persona. While it generally is used referring to user experience and interface design, it actually has a much wider implication in getting to know your customers.
Now, spend a little time picking apart the goal phrase above and see if you can find the other implications that drive planning and execution.
Here is a great video I found on YouTube that sums it up well.
Anyway… I find I learn best with visual
examples. So, if you want to get a good grasp content marketing strategy, take a minute to
look at what others have done. Here are some examples of really impressive
content marketing strategies:
- http://www.webmd.com/
- http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/
- http://virginmobilefeed.com/
- http://www.msptv.net/
- http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-us/pages/home.aspx
- https://presentations.inxpo.com/Shows/Cisco/IP_NGN/05-10/Website/home.htm?AffiliateKey=11431&AffiliateData=188986_6
- http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/cityone/index.html
- http://www.shrm.org/Pages/default.aspx
You will notice on those example sites that
content types and the organization/display of that content vary from site to
site. So, what is content? Here is a short list of possibilities:
Social media
|
Webinars
|
Video
|
Case studies
|
White papers
|
Articles
|
E-newsletters
|
Blog
|
In-person events
|
Articles on other sites
|
Research reports
|
Infographics
|
Microsites
|
Branded content tools
|
Ebooks
|
Syndicated data
|
Virtual conferences
|
Podcasts
|
Books
|
Mobile content
|
Digital magazines
|
Games
|
Comics
|
Competitions
|
Apps
|
Gifs
|
Guides
|
Hangouts
|
Framework
|
Images
|
Link bait
|
Press releases
|
Quizzes
|
Social feed
|
Slideshows
|
Live presentations / QA session
|
Now
that I have defined content marketing strategy and given some examples, I think
I will close this post as it is getting rather long. In the next post, I will
share more about planning and executing a content marketing strategy.
Before I go, I do want to point you in a
direction to learn more while you wait on my next post. In my venture into
content, I learned the most valuable information from the Content Marketing Institute.
You should pay them a visit to learn more: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com
