Writing instructors will tell you the same thing.
Don’t use ten words when five will do.
Is it time to simplify your content marketing strategy? If your marketing strategy is making you feel like you’re trying to tread water wearing concrete sneakers, it’s time to reevaluate.
Creating a marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the most effective plan you can craft is the one that’s simple enough to work smoothly for you and your team. This is one of the topics the keynote speakers at the 2016 Content Marketing Conference will address in detail, but for now, these tips should help you get a running start.
1. Develop (or revise) Your Editorial Calendar
Content crunches. You know the feeling. Maybe there’s a holiday coming up and you have nothing up your sleeve, or you need to publish a blog post, but you’re hitting a brick wall. If you never want to deal with that feeling again, create a feasible editorial calendar for your digital strategy. It doesn’t have to include the title for every post for the rest of the year, but it should at least outline your plan, including a sprinkling of seasonal posts and plenty of evergreen material. As brilliant ideas hit, you can add them to your ever-improving calendar.
2. Collect Brilliant Ideas
Some of the most successful writers of our time claim that their best ideas come to them in the shower. Content marketing experts suggest taking a slightly different approach while content planning, though–like asking your peers for content suggestions, listening to your customers’ concerns and frequently asked questions, and talking to those on your sales or marketing team to find out more about what customers are looking for. Outsourcing idea generation is sure to yield results you wouldn’t have thought up on your own.
3. Analyze, Revise, and Move On
Whether you’re a Google Analytics expert or just trying to figure out how many click-throughs your last blog post scored, use the data you already have to target your audience and fuel more effective marketing in the future. Did you notice that a particular type of post does better on Facebook than other networking sites? Steer your content accordingly.
Or, if you notice that how-to blog posts resonate with your audience more than newsy ones, take that information and run with it–straight to your editorial calendar, where you can make a few edits to add more of the content your audience wants to see.
If you’re really serious about taking your content planning to the next level, make plans to attend the Content Marketing Conference at the Rio Suites Hotel in Las Vegas this coming May. You’ll find all the information and inspiration you need to give your digital strategy a huge upgrade.