WRONG!!!
Engaging content can be found in EVERY company and is waiting to be shared with your target group. You need to search for it and make an effort to write beautiful stories. I’m happy to share a few of the key success elements that I’ve learned, implementing a content marketing approach in complex industrial environments such as Air Liquide.
1) PREPARATION IS KEY
To get started in a good way, you need to talk to the right people in your organization. From high-level management to the experts in their field and last but not least, make sure you collaborate very closely with sales. It would help if you had everyone’s buy-in. It would help if you also had their input and collaboration to develop a solid content strategy and to ensure a rich pipeline of valuable content in the long term.
2) GET YOUR BASICS RIGHT
Develop a marketing communication strategy and -plan. You need to have a solid content strategy in place and set clear KPIs aligned with your business objectives, brand identity, and, most importantly, your customer journey. You will need to have a well-functioning planning and writing process, from blog post topics to your distribution planning.
3) KNOW YOUR TARGET GROUP INSIDE OUT
You need to know your target group and be aware of their needs and challenges. You need to have clarity on how exactly your solutions will help them, in which stage of the customer journey they are in, and how your content will tie into that. It would be best if you did some research on your target group’s preferred communication channels to ensure a strong impact when communicating with them. It should be part of your distribution plan.
4) AIM FOR QUALITY
Collaborate with the right partners who have the necessary skills for building your website, designing your blog, or even for the copywriting. Research who might be the best partner for your company, look at your own experiences in the past, referrals from people you trust, but also look at their past experiences. Use the right online tools to support you; they can make your life so much easier. Don’t forget to include all these costs in your annual marketing budget.
5) ONE TEAM
Collaboration is critical; in B2B you can think of cross-department, cross country collaborations, and with different levels within your organization. There are many things to do, from strategy to thinking of the right topics, writing, planning, and distribution of the content. Therefore, content marketing is a team effort, a multi-person job, not a one-person responsibility.
6) ANALYZE YOUR DATA
Get familiar with the analytics, and don’t hesitate to invest in training if needed. It is important that you properly analyze and understand the data available to you. Drill down on your analytics, evaluate what works and what doesn’t, and translate the learnings into concrete steps to keep improving.
7) BE CONSISTENT AND PERSISTENT
Content Marketing brings success in the long term. Being consistent in producing the right content (with the right keywords for SEO purposes) for your audience and sharing your content through the proper channels at the right time is critical. But hanging in there and not giving up when you don’t immediately see results is equally important.
So, don’t be afraid to try something new, and never, ever give up. Content marketing is not a short term project. It will bring value in the long term.
Do you want to develop a content marketing strategy for your company, but don’t know where to start? Download our checklist for beginners, to get a first insight: “How to boost your brand with content in 5 easy steps”.
Don’t hesitate to contact me. I would love to help you get started!
Katja