Developing a better content marketing strategy is the theme of 2017. For most brands it’s now about focus, our 3-step guide talks through the basics
You know you ought to be doing more, or more importantly more effective marketing but you’re not really sure where to begin. Viewed from afar, there’s a lot to get on with. A blog, social media updates, an advertising campaign; it can really stack up. But whatever you do, your content marketing strategy should always be your starting point and guiding light. Developing a better content marketing strategy is becoming of paramount importance as the sheer amount of noise online escaltes and shows no sign of slowing down.
Here are three questions to ask before deciding what strategies to pursue.
1. Where’s the revenue coming from? You’re in businesses to earn money. When you’re not raising capital there are two places to get it from, attracting new customers and keeping existing ones. But that doesn’t mean you should split your marketing budget 50/50. Depending on your business, keeping your current customer base happy may prove more profitable than pursuing and acquiring new customers. Once you’ve found out where to focus your efforts you’ll have a better idea of what to do next.
2. What has worked? This is where keeping an eye on analytics and your business’s track record pays off. The best way to find something that grows your revenue is to see what’s worked before. Find out where your customers come from. How did they find you? Why did they pick you? Who is the competition? Focusing on the strengths that earned you the customers you already have will likely gain you more in the future.
3. What do you need to do? Once you know where your current income comes from and what brought it there, you can start to think about what to do next. For example, if your revenue comes from a loyal consumer base who have discovered you through word of mouth, it makes sense to engage them with blogs that reflect how your brand engages them. You might also want to use social media to manage your customer service. But, if you need leads and what customers you do have found you through sales, discounts or coupons, it makes more sense to put deals and special offers in your blog posts, driving traffic to your site. Similarly, use social media to drive business by offering deals running competitions.
It’s true. You won’t know where you’re going to unless you know what brought you to the point you’re at now. Developing a better content marketing strategy will examine where your revenue comes from, how it got there, and why your customer chose you. With that information you can start to take bold steps forward.
We can grow your audience by creating a better content marketing strategy unique to your business. Find out how by calling DVO at 020 3771 2461, sending an email to [email protected] or tweeting us @DVOagency.
