6 WAYS TO GET YOUR CONTENT MARKETING RIGHT

Start with focus. Focus on the User.

Your content should really be out there to benefit the user, and thereby endearing the user to your brand

Start with focus. Focus on the User.

make sure your content addresses where your target audiences are, what they are looking or searching online for, what will resolve problems or needs they have, how they behave online – and that your content is after all a rewarding experience for them.

Have clear content goals, research your content and plan ahead.

Content needs to be planned and not written or created on a whim. Have you done your Google keyword planner homework, or are you just hoping and praying your content will resonate? Content needs to focus on user needs, and you need to know those needs first

Have clear content goals, research your content and plan ahead.

Does your content have a clear goal? What do you want to achieve? More sales? More awareness? Better engagement with loyal customers? All these questions have different answers, and need different pieces of content. Align internally with your departments and have a feel for what their goals are. Plan ahead and then brief your content creators properly

The content brief is critical.

Be clear in your brief on what you want to achieve, who the content is aimed at, where (which channel) it will appear, the tone of voice it will adopt, guidelines to follow...

“Coming from an advertising background, I cannot stress the importance of a good brief enough.”

The content brief is critical.

Content for Gen Z audiences cannot be the same as one that young moms will like and share.

The brief is a reflection of what you have planned for, what research you have done, and what you know about the target audience segment you want to address.

Grab attention with great headlines and subject lines.

I've seen great content on YouTube that has pathetic subject lines. I have stumbled upon blog posts that are mega useful, but the headline was all over the map, and had nothing to draw the user in.

Content is a first go-to for the fashion and automotive industries, but sadly these scream of poor headlines.

What does "For the Love of Mike" have to do with, say, a new model car review? Or a fantastic video on how to apply mascara titled "Good morning ladies"?

Your headline or subject line should be standout quality – enough to draw the user in and make sense to search engines as well.

Select the right content channels and be consistent across them.

Do you fit in on Snapchat? Is your message suited for the here and now of twitter? Should you experiment with tumblr?

It is not important to be across every channel, every social medium. Focus on where your true target audience is going to be, and as well, where, as a brand you could or should be.Get your channels to work keeping message, audience and your brand in mind.

Select the right content channels and be consistent across them.

consistency needs to keep the medium in mind – you cannot use the same tone on twitter that you would on a blog post.

And then be consistent. Your message, your content should be suited to both the medium and the audience that's on it. Your story should be the same, it may vary depending on channels, it may vary from a tone of voice perspective, but your content needs to be consistent in what it's saying.

Don't sell. Create great experiences.

Is your YouTube content too long to sit through. Does it stick beyond the five second click out? Is your blog suffering from poor typography and sheer bad design? Is your owned content (website) totally boring while you are trying so hard to be tragically hip on Facebook?

Consistently selling is overselling when it comes to content. You can wrap an entire 600 word post around a single goal – sell your new product – but it won't work if it's all just a disguised buy me now message. Whatever medium you've selected, you need to create a rewarding experience for your audience there.

Don't sell. Create great experiences.

Good content, is one that resonates, that answers to what the user is looking for, that is precise, that is sharable, and one that endears the user to your brand. It does not interrupt, it allows for participation and enjoyment.

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Content is king. Context is God.