Content creation is one of the biggest struggles for business owners in their marketing.
For many, the question of “what is content” can be a little confusing. At a recent event I spoke at, I had the audience share their thoughts.
Some of their responses ranged from Video, Written, Audio & Graphics. They mentioned content should be useful, engaging, informative, clear and the list kept going.
I then asked the audience, what % of the content on their website fit these criteria? Only one attendee said over 50%. For most of the audience, they did not even raise their hands when I went down to 10%.
As we continued down this path as to why the content did not fit the criteria, their comments ranged from “Who should do this” to “I thought my agency did this”
Let’s discuss 5 things needing to be addressed, by either the business or any agency they employ to create content for their marketing.
- What is the Intent of the Content?
Before any content creation can begin, you need to understand WHY you are creating content. For what purpose? What do you want to achieve? This matters greatly. You must understand what metrics or actions you are looking for. Not every piece of advertising is the same. Some you may be looking for video views, others for clicks to the website. This allows you to measure results clearly.
- How do I choose the Topic for the Content?
There are so many areas of your business where customer have questions. IF you asked your sales or front-line teams what some of the consistent questions people are ask, then you can create content answering these questions. Information is always a great way to create content and help your customers do business with you
- Who Creates the Content?
This could be from an internal team you have, or from your agency. Just remember someone in a leadership position needs to drive the process for content creation. You cannot just offload the content to an agency without being involved. You need to ask these questions I am discussing to make sure content aligns with your business.
- Polish, Post, Share
Sharing content across multiple platforms, making sure it connects and unifies is one of the most important aspects of content marketing. Understanding how Facebook works versus You Tube or even where to put the content on your website. This is why training for your internal team is important or finding the right agency. Here is an example of how to leverage one piece of content across platforms.
You have created a customer testimonial video for your product or service.
- Put it on your You Tube Channel with proper titles and tags
- Create a Customer Testimonial page on the website. Create written post talking about the review with a link to the video.
- Edit the video down to a short 15-30 second version for a Facebook post or Ad
- Create a graphic for this on Instagram and link to video or your website.
- Crate a graphic for your home page on the website letting people know they can read what your customers are saying about you.
See how we created 5 pieces of content from one initial master piece of content?
- Monitoring the Metrics and Adjust
As I mentioned in point #1. You need to understand what metrics are important for each campaign or content. How long should the campaign run till we have enough metrics? Keep testing new ideas, formats, colors, wording, images etc. to maximize your efforts. I recommend at least a monthly review with your team or your agency.
Content creation and distribution is going to be even more important for companies moving forward. Getting a grip on the Why, What, How and Who for your content is going to be key.
If I can ever help or be of service, please reach out. If you like this, please share. It would mean a great deal.