Day 7 of the 12-Day Content Creation Challenge

5 Top Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Content Marketing By WBR

How would you feel if you planned a party, chose the menu, cooked up a feast, made your house look fancy, and then none of the people you wanted to come showed up?

Without the right strategy content marketing can feel exactly like this; you spend hours creating brilliant, high-value content but you get little or nothing back. Most of the time it’s likely because you don’t have the right strategy (just like the party you need to invite people, and often more than once).

It’s time to set goals that you can measure, and follow a process that works.

Here are five top tips to help you maximise your content marketing efforts (and minimise the time it takes).

Set SMART objectives

For your business to progress you need measurable goals; they keep you motivated and show you the tactics that get results. Set your objectives using the SMART acronym (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and anchored within a time frame) to help you monitor success. For example, decide how many copies of your new book you want to sell (by the end of January 2022) or how many people you want to add to your “pre-order when available” email list.

By setting SMART goals you can monitor the campaign’s performance against your objectives and replicate or improve it in the future. Successful campaigns target specific types or groups of people who have a known or likely interest in what you offer, which leads us to top tip number two.

Get clear on your target audience

To get the best results your marketing needs to speak directly to the right people; use the appropriate vocabulary, and address the problems they face. Are you talking to new or experienced service-based business entrepreneurs? Are you targeting local businesses or casting your net further afield? Your content marketing message and vocabulary will change accordingly.

When you set SMART objectives and know your target audience you can market bespoke content and measure campaign success. By following this strategy it’s also easier for you to maximise your efforts without wasting energy, which leads us to step number three.

List the resources / team you already have in place

When you recognise the resources and support you already have in place it helps build your confidence and stops you feeling overwhelmed by the to-do list. Most people have far more resources at their disposal than they realise. For example, do you already have a database of clients interested in what you have to offer? Do you have a business Facebook page? Do you have a team you can delegate tasks to?

List the resources available to you for your specific SMART goal; it’s possible that you have all the resources you need if you use them wisely. For example, an existing social media presence is a valuable resource, how you use it will help you meet (or defeat!) your objective.

Have a social media presence (post consistently)

Social media can help you build awareness and excitement when it comes to the launch of your new product or service but for it to fulfil this purpose you must post consistently. Aim to post at the same time every day or at the same time on the same days of the week (if you don’t post daily).

There are three benefits to posting consistently. Firstly, it supports the social media algorithms; secondly, it helps your audience get to know, like and trust you because they become familiar with your tone of voice and how you are; and thirdly it keeps you and your product or service in the minds of your ideal clients (who you clearly identified on step one when you set your objectives).

If posting consistently on social media seems like a tall order, tip number five is for you!

Repurpose your content; keep the process simple

If you have already written a book there is a lot of content in there that you can repurpose. You can use excerpts from a book to compile a blog or a podcast, or use sections from a blog to craft a social media post (or any other combination).

Once you know how to do it, this is a great way to make your previous content work for you and create a buzz around the launch of your book or podcast (rather than having to start from scratch). If you need support email Rebecca to find out more about WBR’s personal branding virtual assistant (PBVA) support services.

As with most goals, the best time to take action is now so here’s a mini challenge for you…

10 second takeaway

Go into the Facebook group for our 12 day content marketing challenge and share one new idea that you are going to implement. Will you be defining your objectives and your audience using SMART goals, getting clear on your target audience, listing the resources you already have, using social media consistently and repurposing your amazing content? Hop into the group and share.

And, if you would love to find out how Write Business Results can support you to achieve your business goals through leveraging the power of a book, blog or podcast why not schedule a brand and content strategy session?