WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

Content marketing is a way you can connect to the multitude of customers and prospects across the digital space. It allows you to generate long term business opportunities through the creation of high value, highly engaging and highly involving content. So what is that?

Firstly – content marketing is made up of two words; Content And Marketing The reason so much of it is poorly done is that people have forgotten the marketing element.

It is easy to say what it is not: It is not the production of page after page of material It is not the creation of self promoting podcasts and video material It is not blogging day in day out It is not tweeting your every movement It is not sharing your activity on facebook It is not a fad! Nor is it really new

It’s been around for some time It’s been around for some time. We just have not really called it content marketing

It is producing material that talks to groups as disparate as these.

And as organised as these.

It should be the basis of your social and seo strategy It should be the basis of your social and seo strategy. The thing that links your activity together and the reason for people to sit up and take notice of you.

Defn/ Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action. Content marketing is permission based marketing – it is fly fishing for customers, teasing, drawing them in. Allowing them to come to us when and how they want to. It is long term, non confrontational and can deliver long term results for your business. It talks to people when and where they want to be talked to.

Content marketing is not a part of social media, it is the reason to do social media. It is the foundation of social media It is the answer to the questions; “What on earth am I going to say on facebook?” “Why would anyone follow me?” “How can I get high on search engines?” “What is the point in pinterest?”

Strategy Implement Measure Review Adapt The process for developing a content marketing strategy is no different from creating any other marketing strategy. Work it out, implement it, measure, review and adapt.

Needs Needs Business Audience Wants Wants Listening project Strategy Implement Measure Review Adapt Listening project Business Audience Needs Needs Analyse Competition Content Strategy Review Channels Wants Wants Business objectives K.P.I’s Listen to what people are saying Review what your competition are doing Review how we could reach our audience. Look at our objectives and set up a series of Kpi’s Your strategy sits in the region of overlap of your business needs and wants and those of your audience

Listening project Analyse Competition Channels Review Channels Strategy Implement Measure Review Adapt Listening project Analyse Competition Channels Review Channels Schedule Business objectives Themes K.P.I’s Then you will be able to create a series of underlying themes, develop a schedule and then determine your initial channels, bearing in mind that all this can and will change

Blogs Micro Blogs Social Channels Printed Material Video There are a wide range of available channels. The trick is to match the channel to the business to the audience. Audio Presentation Articles Papers E’books Newsletters Images Reviews Websites Cultural memes

Strategy Implement Measure Review Adapt Create The real trick is to get going, to actually start developing content. Most people look back at their first attempts and cringe, but still it is only by doing it that they can start to develop their tactics Check Distribute Test

Formal Performance Reviews Strategy Implement Measure Review Adapt Versus K.P.i’s Alter Strategy Attributable Sales Channel development Social Metrics Tactical Themes Return on Investment Formal Performance Reviews Marketing without review or measurement is hard to justify.. There needs to be a constant process of measurement and improvement if the long term investment is going to be positive Customer journey Analysis Feedback

Everyone is connected to Everyone And It is important to remember two key things to come up with a content strategy – Everyone is connected to Everyone And 2) There are two words in Content Marketing Don’t trust people who don’t understand that.

If you want to find out more about how we believe content marketing can help, and how it should be done, visit our blog on www.mcm2.co.uk/blog. We would really like to know what you think, so email us on martin@mcm2.co.uk We also have a quick test to see how good your content strategy is at - http://www.mcm2.co.uk/test

The world of marketing has changed and we need to change with it. If you always do what you've always done you will always get what you've always got. Unless things change. The world of marketing has changed and we need to change with it.