There's no denying the power of content marketing. Not only does it cost 62 percent less than outbound marketing efforts, it also generates more than three times the number of leads, according to Demand Metric.
However, while a well-developed content marketing strategy can keep your audience engaged and your sales pipeline full, not every organization is successful in their efforts. So, what can you do to make sure your strategy delivers the results you want?
Here are three common questions that marketers must ask themselves when creating and optimizing content.
How Much Is Too Much?
Unfortunately, there's no magic number of blog posts, ebooks, infographics or videos that will suddenly drive legions of eager buyers to your site.
If you're focusing solely on producing as much content as possible, as quickly as possible, you're probably not going to enjoy a healthy marketing ROI. Even cheap, low-quality content takes time to build, and eventually, you'll reach a point of diminishing returns. On top of that, poor quality content can hurt your search engine ranking and repel potential buyers.
If you have the resources to publish five well-crafted, relevant blog posts each week, go for it. But quality should always take precedence — even if that means publishing fewer pieces.
What Should I Write About?
Deciding what topics to address is arguably the most challenging part of creating a content marketing strategy. How do you predict what will captivate your audience and drive them to take action?
Start with your buyer. Think about what their purchase process looks like. What challenges or pain points drive them to seek a solution? Every piece of content you create should help your buyer solve a problem. This will instill confidence and help build your brand's credibility.
HubSpot created a framework that can help illuminate your audience's path to purchase.
How Do I Drive Traffic to My Content?
Even if your content adheres to SEO best practices, you can't expect a windfall of traffic overnight. The best way to get more eyeballs on your content is to promote it where your buyers spend their time online. There are a few methods to consider:
- Publish organic social media posts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter — whichever platforms are most relevant for your audience.
- Boost engagement on social platforms through paid ads.
- Consider investing in retargeting ads that work to re-capture potential buyers even after they've left your site.
- Send out targeted emails linking to key pieces of content, or a regular round-up of the most popular pieces.
Whatever promotional methods you choose, be sure to track and monitor your success. Pay close attention to which pieces of content earn the most traffic, as this will help you identify what your audience cares about.
By regularly delivering high-quality, relevant content to buyers — and promoting it across the web — you can quickly engage your audience and even exceed your sales goals.
