Vertical Marketing with Content

So you’ve decided that a vertical marketing focus (which is more in-depth than an ‘industry’ focus) is the way to go and now you look at your content and wonder what you are going to do about all the horizontal stuff you have and the investment that it’ll require.

Fortunately with the web, social media and marketing automation we are able to realize far greater ROI from our marketing content than ever before.

Vertical Marketing

Inventory

It’s worth knowing what you have to work with. Build a spreadsheet outlining what you have access to. Look at your website, vendor sites, ISV marketing materials, external vertical portals, YouTube, internal resources, presentations, etc. and…

• Ditch the stuff that is not worth reusing (too horizontal, old product, not focused on your vertical)
• Update the stuff that is old (solution is current but product is outdated, additional ISVs are now in the category)
• Create new stuff (new content types)

Who’s the consumer?

You don’t get to choose who reads or shares your information so you need to make sure you have a good selection of content that will appeal to your site visitors. By understanding who your personas are, their pains, how they consume information, and what appeals to them will guide you in to how to fill the gaps in your content. Map this out in your spreadsheet, assign timelines and dedicate a budget to create them. Don’t wait for it all to be done before you launch; it’s a good idea to trickle it onto the website to keep prospects coming back for more. Think about it this way:

• A customer who is just starting the shopping process may want thought-leadership content.
• A buyer close to purchase may want pricing information .

Every buyer is different and will select the content that’s most important to them.  Your job is to make it all available and easy to find on your website.

Variety is the spice of life

Creating content in various forms and for different personas is very liberating. Use your creativity to create attractive and compelling pieces.  You are looking for repeat visitors who want to read and share your great content. You can create one piece and use it in various ways, for example:

Create an eBook using:

• Survey data
• Successful clients
• Use case scenarios
• Press releases

Create an infographic and increase your investment by using your infographic in:

• An email template
• Direct mail
• Web page
• Vinyl banners
• Posters for mailings
• Tradeshow handouts

Our ebook, The Year of Content, will help you with your content ideas and is now available for download.  It truly is a marketer’s world out there – it’s exciting and it’s fun. Show it off.

Need Help With Marketing?

Need help and new ideas for your old and tired content? Contact info@ThePartnerMarketingGroup.com and call 605-574-9432 to take the next step.