Since social networks were made known and the use that companies can give to their marketing strategies, content has been discussed. A lot has been written in blogs about it and a lot of books have come out on the market, but despite being a very talked about and obvious subject, it’s still on everyone’s lips.
The main problem that arises in this regard is the fact that social networks are free since it seems that makes us forget the importance of content, vital for the success of any strategy in social networks.
One of the things that we must remember when creating this content is that it is not only information that will be posted on social networks such as Twitter or Facebook, it will also support the marketing that is practiced in search engines, branding and positioning. the brand.
Now more than ever brands need to provide quality content to consumers to capture their attention, providing users with the content they want in a simple way to digest is the key to content marketing. To carry out this strategy it is important to have a plan to follow.
With this idea in mind Krista Neher, CEO of Boot Camp Digital, offers us some keys and questions to clear in order to build an effective and adequate content marketing strategy.
First of all no doubt, we must establish a clear idea about what we want to achieve? For this it is essential to define the goals and objectives. The main goal is probably to get more sales and increase business, but a more specific goal will allow you to create more meaningful content. Try to define the purpose of the content as much as possible.
To whom to direct the strategy?
Defining the audience as specifically as possible is key to a solid strategy. Knowing or establishing specific details related to the demography, psychology or behavior of the audience can be very useful and be decisive in the results of the strategy itself.
What type and format of content to generate?
The next step is to decide what kind of content we should develop based on our audience and objectives. The content creation plan should include the topics to be addressed and messages that are intended to be launched. To create this content, it is useful to investigate the current situation and also look for discussion forums, Twitter or blogs to understand what your audience is interested in.
A recent study by Outbrain reveals what kind of content they are interested in creating companies and among them, video is positioned as the most interesting or preferred option, followed by the contents of text or articles through blogs and specialized media, and finally photo-galleries that can be used to graphically tell a story or to generate a more visual impact on a product, service, etc …
It is essential for this to try that the objectives of the brand, as well as the content that may be generated, are related to the wishes and preferences of the audience.
Once you know what type of content to create, the next step is to determine its format. Based on your objectives, an analysis of the current reality and the knowledge of your audience you must determine the most appropriate way for your content.
How to make it better and more creative?
Once we have the basic idea of the content and its format, we must consider how to present it in a creative way to turn it into an even better idea. For example, in the case of online content, the development of infographics that provide relevant data or can display information in a more visual, graphic and creative way can generate greater interest and impact.
How will the content be created?
It is a seemingly obvious step. In it we will decide who, what and when to develop it. In this sense we can consider delegating this work to the qualified staff of our company, however, we can also outsource it to other companies and / or expert professionals depending on the type of content.
Bad writing, a design lacking creativity or unprofessional, a badly recorded or edited video are enough reasons to throw all our efforts and the objectives of our strategy to the ground.
How will the content be distributed?
This last step is often also obvious. Good content needs good relationships and a good promotion plan. To do this, we must consider all possible options without of course ruling out social networks to spread the message.
Keys to success and its impact
Taking time to build a strategic plan is vital in a digital world bombarded continuously with a large flow of information and content. With so many things to fight against to get the attention of the public, it is difficult even for big brands to stay and make a difference. However, we must be aware that any strategy needs to be digested by the audience to which it is directed so that its viral effect reaches its highest level. Even so, many strategies fail to achieve their objectives, and therefore are not considered an absolute failure. All experience will serve to learn and improve multiple aspects or establish in which we have failed or can improve.
What is fundamental is that the success of a content marketing strategy will be much more likely to be effective and reach our objectives with them, if it is developed in a coordinated and planned manner.