Content Marketing Blueprint
There are two different types of Internet
professionals — those who focus on
the technical and those who focus on
the creative. There is, of course, quite a
bit of overlap for those within small and
mid-size businesses — particularly at
enterprises with employees who find they
must increasingly wear multiple virtual hats
in the pursuit of Web success for their
individual organizations.
That was perfectly illustrated in 2013 with the
rise in popularity of content marketing – the
technique of creating, designing and distributing content to engage an audience with the aim of driving
profit for an enterprise. Content marketing has quickly
become part of the digital lexicon (and the long list of
responsibilities for your average digital marketer), but
in reality, it is something that most businesses have
been doing every day for many, many years, whether
they know it or not.
The Secret of Content Marketing Success
Most are likely familiar with the importance of being
an “authority” and a “thought leader” in the niche or
vertical they are operating within, but may be unclear
on what it really means and further, what it means
to the bottom line of a business (as well as the steps
required to get there).
An authority, a thought leader (some even use the
term “influencer”) is an entity (a group or individual)
that is recognized as one of the foremost experts in
a select area of specialization, resulting in that entity
being the “go-to” resource. The way to become
a thought leader today (as it always has been) is to
publish unique and authoritative content. The trick is
not to be so linear in the execution.
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There are hundreds — if not thousands — of success stories when it comes to content marketing but one of the earliest examples might just be one of the best as a means of illustrating the power behind the approach. Around 1900, Michelin developed the “Michelin Guide,” which offered drivers information on auto maintenance, accommodations and other travel tips (like where to dine). It has long set the precedent for enterprises looking to benefit from the production of informative and useful content as a means of marketing a brand and it’s served that company exceedingly well for more than a century.
Content Marketing in Action:
Discover some modern content
marketing success stories from
brands both big and small.
What was, and is still, so special about the Michelin
example is that “hotels” and “dining” are not directly
related to the company. Would Michelin have had as
much success with its early content marketing initiative if it had been “Tire Maintenance 101” or “The Secrets
of Fixing a Flat”? Probably not. Michelin didn’t cater to
their clients immediate needs but rather their desired
lifestyles. That’s the secret of content marketing, make
it aspirational.
While most small businesses certainly won’t fall into
the Michelin category, you have to start somewhere.
The following will provide a useful introduction, a
blueprint and some useful tools, to help you navigate
the road to content marketing success.
Address the OBSTACLES
Anything that is worth doing is worth doing right,
but there isn’t really an actual blueprint for content
marketing success, as each company, product and
service that needs promotion is different. The obstacles
that enterprises interested in content marketing face
are many and quite substantial. Reduce and remove
them and you’re well on your way.
Most of the challenges that are routinely
encountered have to do with the deficiencies of
the brand responsible for creating, marketing and
distributing the content. For example, there may be
a significant problem when it comes to producing
original content (or a shortage in general), a lack of
an existing social following to consume the content
that is created or perhaps a budget shortfall preventing
content from being distributed in a greater number of
“premium” channels.
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The first obstacle enterprises are likely to face
is the overlap between the work being performed
internally and the work being developed externally at
an agency or consultancy. An SEO adviser might be
currently leveraging content marketing to support its
link building initiatives, while an advertising agency
might be engaged in developing some native ad assets
to support its efforts to raise awareness for a business.
Understanding who is doing what and when will prove beneficial to the efficiency of your overall marketing
strategy.
Another obstacle is in not knowing the sales cycle
of prospects. For example, long and complex sales
cycles, which involve multiple decision makers, are far
different from shorter, more direct sales cycles where
only one or two decision makers may ultimately be
involved. The reason this is important to the success
blueprint of your content marketing initiatives is that
it impacts the formats you select, the distribution
channels available and methods used to analyze
performance.
Keep in mind that these obstacles are faced by every
enterprise interested in content marketing. In short,
know that you’re not alone and that you can learn
quite a lot from the experience of others.
Content FORMAT Diversification
Finally, a significant obstacle faced by many brands
interested in leveraging content as a marketing tool,
is selecting a format that aligns with the consumption
preferences of its audience and their needs based on
their location in the sales cycle.
Infographics and videos, for example, could be
appropriate for an audience that is just exploring
their brand options in a specific vertical, whereas case
studies, research reports, webinars and white papers
are better suited to those consumers who are further
down the sales funnel and closer to a purchase. Content
marketing doesn’t end once a prospect becomes a
client however. This is where product demos and
illustrative graphics could come into play.
The objective when selecting a format is to
understand what will prove most effective and balance
that with the difficulty in executing (creating and
distributing) that content asset.
DISTRIBUTION & Location are Everything
The beauty of the Web is that there is a near endless
supply of destinations where your message can be
seen, your content consumed and channels from
which new clients can be acquired.
The website itself is obviously the optimal place to
position content, as well as within its own weblog
and email initiatives, but many other distribution
techniques are important to consider — social media networks perhaps being the most common
option. “Social” is not necessarily the end-all, be-all
of distribution though. Keep in mind that the aim
of content marketing is to drive engagement while
driving profit for your brand — not the brands of
Facebook or Twitter. That means the first place your
own content should be placed and the place all traffic
should be directed to should be that of your own
website. Having a central location for your content
enables you to filter users through a sales funnel.
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ANALYTICS: Measure to Manage
In order for content marketing initiatives to
be considered successful, it’s essential those efforts
are measured — because what can be measured can
be managed. But what specifically should you be
measuring or monitoring?
The list is endless, from a greater number of website
visitors or the number of leads generated, to upticks
in social media engagement or direct sales; in short,
increases in the ROI of marketing in general. Other
improvements, including the sales-readiness of leads,
client retention or higher search engine rankings, are
also cited as reasons why brands are quickly becoming
involved in content marketing.
The Blueprint is Yours
Content marketing doesn’t need to be as complicated or mysterious as some of its more vocal proponents make it seem. It’s about providing an authoritative voice, producing content in a way that it can be consumed most easily by its intended audience and measuring its impact so that future efforts can be managed and optimized.


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