Going the Distance

Committing to A Long-Term Content Marketing Plan

If you asked the average person about digital content marketing 10 years ago, they might have shrugged and written it off. Content marketing used to be reserved for big companies trying to appeal to a new generation online. Today the online landscape is very different: companies big and small have websites, blogs and social media channels. Having a presence isn’t enough: to be successful online, you need a sound content marketing plan with measurable return on investment.

Give Me the Facts—Will Content Marketing Pay Off?

It’s common for decision makers to be cynical or hesitant about content marketing for their business. What’s the ratio of gain to cost? Shouldn’t I invest my time in doing my work, rather than writing about it? Is it just a “fad?” To help ease these concerns, let’s look at some of the facts.

According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), over 70% of B2B Marketers have a content marketing strategy, while 19% plan to develop one within 12 months. The same study showed that 72% of marketers believe that content marketing increases engagement.  In other words, content marketing is not going away any time soon. Not only is it wise to have a strategy, it’s imperative for the success of your business.

Infographic courtesy of the CMI

Taking the Plunge: Committing to Content Marketing

Developing a content marketing strategy is the first step. The second step is actually committing to it. According to consultant Neel Sinha, well-crafted and strategic content has numerous benefits for businesses and their target customers.²

Here are key factors to consider about the impact of effective online content for your organization:

• Traffic: Good content draws traffic to a site and it’s corresponding social media accounts.
• Performance Boost: Having a marketing strategy helps elevate your site’s ranking on search engines and boost your content’s engagement rate.
• Share Value: A good strategy will allow audiences to share your content with others through social channels.

As Neel points out, the most important benefit of a well-planned, effective content strategy is building your customer’s trust. Content marketing allows you to showcase your skills and expertise without reverting to a “hard sell” approach. Your customers are more likely to trust you if your content is helpful to them. Having a strategy will help them see what’s most relevant to them when they need it.

Creating Content Consistently

A common challenge for marketers is creating new content on a consistent basis without sounding redundant or repetitive. Whether it’s blog posts, images or just FAQs, there are numerous ways to keep your content fresh and interesting.

Here are a few different mediums of content that you may not have considered:

• Podcasts or sound bytes
• Email newsletters
• Infographics and graphs
• Polls and quizzes
• Ask Me Anything forums
• Facebook or Instagram live sessions

Struggling to come up with new content ideas? We can help you and your business thrive online. At MintCopy, our content agency has a team of talented SEO writers that can keep your content relevant and interesting. We use the best digital practices to optimize your content and keep your site, blog and other online platforms relevant.

Use our online form to get in touch today. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter to stay updated on the latest content marketing trends