The ABC’s of Content Marketing
By Barbara Pfeiffer, The Partner Marketing Group
The ABC’s of Content Marketing, what are they? I’ve been doing a lot of writing and presenting about content marketing (or more appropriately – the use of content in your marketing.) My laptop screen is littered with a plethora of sticky notes with inklings, thoughts, and musings around everything from building a content plan to where to get great ideas to write about. As a blogger myself (and always on the look out for new content) I’ve decided to compile these many ideas to fill my weekly blog with a series of the best tips – from A to Z.
And without further ado – the A, B and C of content marketing.
Answer Questions
To answer the dreaded question – what should I write about? – answer questions that others ask. What are your prospects asking you at various stages in the sales funnel? What do your customers ask about? Put a bounty on good questions in your company and then keep a list of FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) that you can answer throughout the year.
Blog
Companies with blogs have 67% more leads than companies that don’t. Enough said. Well, maybe one more thing. Don’t have time to write your own blogs? Outsource them. You don’t have to turn all your blogging over to a third party by the way – but it’s a great way to supplement your own resources and keep an inventory of filler blogs that can be pushed out when you don’t have time. Why? Because a blog site with old postings can hurt your SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Curation
Every piece of content doesn’t have to be original. Become a “content curator” – finding and sharing the best content with your prospects. Develop a list of experts and influencers to follow, then share their thoughts (and don’t be afraid to add your perspective, drawing on your own expertise – whether you agree or not.) By the way – tools like Butterfly Publisher can help you manage all your sources of content easily.
Compilations
A beacon to all idea (and time starved) content providers. Compile the best blogs by evangelists in your industry, the best resources, or best tools. Pick a topic and do a search. Need an idea for a topic? Type “best of” into a search engine.
Next Time on The ABC’s of Content Marketing Blog Series
Join us next week as we dive into D through G in our ‘ABC’s of Content Marketing’.
