I have a brother who is a physicist. To me, his profession is fascinating… like a punch to the face is fascinating. But when he talks about the difference between muons and taus – his enthusiasm is catching. For one golden moment, I’m enthralled at the universal importance of subatomic particles. (Later, when I’m trying to recap the conversation, everyone is confused. Stupid worthless particles.)
Most companies have the same potential – to either be terrifyingly boring or super interesting. (Think: Lawyers. Doctors. Construction companies. Manufacturers.) The question for their marketing team is this: How do you create exciting content to use in your company’s digital marketing? Here are five steps for “exciting” online content creation.
1. Focus
You have to write for someone. If you wrote a book, it would be filed under a genre (children’s pop-up, teenage romance, sci-fi, etc.).
As a marketer, you decide the genre of your marketing strategy. What kind of customer would you like to attract through your efforts? Figure out your target client, and your content will become much easier to formulate.
2. Teamwork
Big Idea People tend to fall into one of two extremes:
- THE PLANNER: You are great at strategies! If someone asks for a plan, you pull one out of your pocket, along with twelve alternatives, in case any of the points are not accepted.
- THE DOER: Your mind is brimming with ideas – and good ones, too! You can whip brilliant things out last minute, with no planning at all. People are envious of you….except your marketing team, who shake their heads. Plans are necessary for survival.
Regardless of which category you fall into (and maybe you are a nicely balanced combination), a good marketing strategy has to be the marriage of these two extremes.
Pull together a team to look at every different angle and marketing venue. How many ways can you spread out your information, to appeal to as many people as possible?
3. Write Away!
Here are three possible scenarios for a “good writer”:
- A person with a smart head who has a way with words
- A witty person with a cup of coffee and a good editor
- A professional with oodles of knowledge and a good editor
In other words – get words on a page, and then edit, edit, edit! Write landing pages, surveys, free resources, blogs, picture alt text – brainstorm it up! You need information from your clients to get to know what they like a little better. Offer them as much information as you can – the more valuable information they receive, the more they will trust your company and the brand it offers.
When you’re writing, ask yourself:
- Is it NEW? Will this bit of content bring something new to the discussion in my industry?
- Is it relevant? Is it something people can relate to my company and what it offers?
- Is it doable? Is this a reasonable task to put my efforts towards? Or is the ROI not worth the investment?
4. Share
At this point, you have some great content sitting on your site. If you’ve done your programming, planning, and SEO right, you could have a killer website on your hands. Get out your social media guru and start sharing. Put your social media icons, post statuses and images, and advertise your material. Because if you are not willing to start the conversation, no one will. Start talking about your company and what it offers – and be consistent!
5. Analyze and Revise
Chances are, you won’t get it “right” the first time. Fortunately for marketers, there is no such thing as “right.” Our efforts are labeled “good,” “better,” and “the best we can do right now.” Check your stats, traffic, and continue to converse with your customers. The more you learn, the more you can tweak and re-write your content. With patience, persistence, and a strong company vision, your online marketing efforts will pay off.
In all of your efforts, remember: you are not alone. Art Unlimited cares about your marketing success and we are passionate about collaborating with you to conquer your marketing goals. Connect with us to jumpstart your marketing strategy!