Content Marketing Stategies: ABC's for Best ROI
Elements of content marketing strategies are being employed by many businesses. If you are blogging and developing content, how do you know if you are effective? Are you getting the best bang for your buck (time!) Is it worth the time and effort?
Here are some A-B-C's and back again, C-B-A, to help you measure your R-O-I.
A is for ASK
What are your prospects asking for? What problem can you help solve for them? What do they want to know? What information do you have to give them? To answer these questions, you can listen in on related issue or industry groups on LinkedIn or industry blogs. You can also ask your own readers, followers and current client base to initiate the conversation. The answers you get will lead you to the keywords most likely used in their searches.
B is for Blogging
Blogging has become a critical piece of internet marketing and business success. In 40% of U.S. businesses us a blog for marketing purposes and 2 out of 3 3 claim their b log is critical or important to their business. Statistics show B2C businesses with regular optimized blog posts earn 88% more leads per month than those that don’t. For B2B companies that statistic is 67% more leads per month.
C is for Content
Target your content to meet the needs of a specific segment of your market or buyer persona. Make it useful, easy to digest and visually interesting with images, video, and infographics.
If you've analyzed and prioritized the performance of your keywords, select topics with those keywords in mind to optimize in your content.
Particularly consider the use of short videos to share your story and expertise. Videos make your pages “sticky” – viewers linger and are more likely to click through for more if the videos are concise and well-done.
C is for Channels
Content can be repackaged and recycled to fit the format or channel. Short messages with links on Twitter are necessary. Brief teasers/information with photo, video or blog links on Facebook as well questions, surveys and contests can be effective. Longer form content with additional links and video can go a long way on LinkedIn, especially in groups. Good content can also feed the old outbound channels of print and broadcast, direct mail and E-mail campaigns.
In addition to posting content on your own blog/website, YouTube channel, social media accounts, seek additional options that are relevant to your industry or niche. Perhaps there is an industry site, or influential blogger, where you can show your own expertise by posting portions of your smart content. You will also want to create longer form content packaged as “offerings” suh as an E-book, whitepaper, special tool or video that your readers might want to download for reference.
B is for Building Trust
And that brings us to building trust. If you’ve followed the rules above and you have truly shared your expertise without being pushy or “spammy”, as they say, then it is likely that the people you care about are beginning to listen to you. When you become a “trusted advisor” and a name they are familiar with, then you have the traction that can lead to real results. By this time you will be offering longer form content and those special offers.
A is for ASK AGAIN
They trust you and have high regard for the expertise you present. All along the way you have included small “Calls to Action” at the end of your posts. If you have captured the resulting leads for prospects that have downloaded your offers you have the opportunity to nurture those leads with relevant content. Studies have shown that it is only in the last third of the sales process that customers want to engage with a sales person. Now is your time to ask again. Call to qualify and schedule an appointment, demo or whatever the final steps are in your unique sales cycle.
ROI
Best practices of content marketing fold the SEO, optimized content, and calls to action in with customized landing pages, lead nurturing campaigns for a fully rounded inbound marketing effort. Marke ting integration tools allow leads captured to be nurtured and integrated with a CRM (customer relationship management) system (SalesForce, Sugar or numerous others) for further action, thus enabling you to measure the conversion rate of leads. Of course you also can measure traffic increase, page views, click-through rates as well as keyword performance. Yet real ROI is measured by the clients who sign on, make a purchase or increase their engagement with you.
