The 8 MUST DO’S of Content Marketing

• Blog
• July 8th

The 8 Must Do’s of Content Marketing

1. Don’t Start Before You Have a Fully Developed Content Marketing Strategy

Before you launch any content marketing program, you must have a clear understanding of why you are doing it. What are the long-term goals and objectives? Who are you targeting directly? Who are the key influencers? On what is your messaging going to be based? How are you going to enrich the lives of those who are touched by your efforts? What outcomes would you like to see? In short, don’t run off half-cocked or you will likely do more harm than good.

2. Be 100% Sure Top Management is Onboard

This often begins with education. Make sure everyone who could kill the program understands why it is being done and more importantly how the organization will benefit in the long run. Even if you do a great job your program may be terminated because someone at the top just doesn’t get it. Before you start, share your strategy document with the higher ups to make sure everyone understands what is going to happen and why the content marketing program is so important.

3. Make Sure You Are Ready to be Consistent Over the Long Haul

Content marketing is not an advertising campaign. Think of it as letting the Genie out of the bottle, once you do it can be very detrimental to your brand if you stop. Your Content Marketing program is you, helping people outside the organization, do or understand something better. When done correctly it positions you as a trusted expert. If you stop being the trusted expert to the community you have built they will feel betrayed. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul not just the next quarter.

4. Have A Team Approach

Don’t try to implement a content marketing program alone. What if you get sick or go on an extended vacation? It is critical that your program is responsive to your customers. Have a team in place and have contingencies of who will take control when things change in the organization. Make sure your program lives beyond your personal ability to manage it. If you need back up and can’t get it internally reach out to other organizations to assist.

5. Don’t Simply Follow Everyone Else’s Formula

If your competition is doing Content Marketing make sure you don’t do it their way regardless how much you like it. Why? If your message is just like your competitors, you have a problem. Make sure you are providing a unique way to help out, which will make you stand out from the crowd. Ask yourself what are you offering that is different from what customers can get elsewhere? Your content needs a higher purpose…it needs to take a stand. If you get stumped here don’t fake it. Be authentic. And get help if you need it.

6. Have a Deep Understanding of Your Customers

Know in concrete terms who your customers are and what you need to provide to help them, not everyone else. Make sure your audience is well defined. Also, understand who influences them and others and be prepared to engage with them as well.

7. Make Sure Your Communication is Customer Oriented

Again, content marketing is not advertising. It’s not even public relations. Stop talking about yourself, no one want to hear another corporate belch. Realize that your customers really don’t care about you or your organization. They don’t want another story about how great you are. They want insights into how you can make their interactions with your products or services better, more useful, and life improving.

8. Content is King – Keep Up the Quality – Don’t Let Quantity Drive Your Program

Content Marketing can do wonders to build a brand. The key is the content. It must be extraordinary. And it must cut through and show customers that you are here to help them. If you offer them poor content not only will they go away they will tell others what a bunch of self serving jerks you are. If you have trouble putting together the right content reach out and get some help. If you can do it yourself — that’s great. Just don’t fake it. Don’t hope that it is just going to work out because you may do more damage than brand building.

Want to bounce an idea off of me? Just shoot me an email at m.owens@owensharkey.com and I’ll respond ASAP.