As you develop your content marketing strategy – this is how do decide where this content should be published and how it is to be shared.
So you decided to incorporate content marketing into the plan for the year and put thought into the valuable, relevant, engaging and consistent content to inform and educate your audiences.
Now, how do you decide where this content should be published and how it should be shared? Is the blog everything? How does social media fit in the equation? What others to consider?
Above all, you want your solutions and explanations to be readily available to the audiences seeking these informations and answers. This article will dive into which are the top types of media for your content to inform your planning process.
Blog
I never really liked the way this word sounds. Kind of gross, like the name of a childhood monster hiding in your closet or the name of a slimy exotic fruit you don’t want to eat!
I tell my clients up front — this is not a place to journal, whine or keep a diary. This is your news section, your library. This is a dynamic and powerful space on your website – with opportunity to tell the story of your consumer’s needs, use your knowledge, skills and experience to provide solutions to the issues and concerns. Solve the client’s problems. Answer the client’s questions. By doing so, you gain trust and establish credibility.
Further, the content you put in your news section is accessed by search engines, which increases the visibility of your website.
E-books, whitepapers, case studies and even books!
These types of content offer more in depth formats than blog posts. The longer the content the more the time investment. However, these are great opportunities to establish credibility. These can be featured on your website, available for download or online.
Email marketing
Taking a step away from the website, and bringing content into the email inboxes of your audience. Email marketing allows you to send informational, customized emails to your email list. The better segmented your lists are, the more impact your messages will have. Further, make it your objective to educate and entertain and you will increase followership.
Photographs, images and infographics
A law firm client said, “We are attorneys, we can write a lot. Give us precise guidelines, what is the appropriate ratio of words to images?” It took me a moment, but I shared with them on websites, there should be a corresponding image or visual break for every 75 – 150 words. Hard to incorporate into a world of 100 page contracts or estates. For blogs, I’d say it’s a little longer, perhaps 150-300. For e-books, whitepapers, case studies and books even higher. Social media with images are overwhelmingly shared more than text only.
Infographics are a way to visually explain concepts, processes or stories. Humans are visual creatures, harness the power of engaging imagery to your advantage in creating content.
Social media
Content marketing can be broadcasted through social media to attract new consumers, amplify published content, build relationships with prospects, influencers, and clients, as well as repurpose content in time.
Videos, Webinars, podcasts and Audio formats
Videos are skyrocketing in marketing – with projections video will take larger and larger portions of marketing resources in the next year. It’s a dynamic and visual way to tell story. Webinars, podcasts and other audio are incredible ways to share your valuable content, a time to engage with a topic, and increase your credibility in a topic.
Speaking engagements and in-person events
I would be remiss if I didn’t explore the classical avenue for conveying valuable content. You have done the work already of researching important topics and providing the answers — presenting this information in person establishes the same credibility as other ways, just with a personal touch!
With this list of ways to make readily available your valuable, relevant, engaging and consistent content, you are equipped to create a plan for content marketing that will succeed.
Irene Karedis Borys