Many companies do it, but not all are successful. Everyone is talking about content marketing, but in real life, there are often stumbling blocks that mean that set goals and KPIs are not really achieved. Most important point: content marketing has a lot to do with content strategy.
In short: planning is everything. And if you can’t do it with your own resources, get help from outside. This can actually be a real booster, since an external view of the company, target group, and channels as an outsider – especially in B2B – can certainly lead to new insights for marketing and sales.
A good content strategy is about fine-tuning the content as part of an overall marketing strategy. It also includes a whole range of measures such as analyzing the target group, an editorial plan tailored to it, and the subsequent focused creation of the content. None of this is trivial and can even be shaken out of the blue. The content can only achieve the desired success if all steps within a content strategy are carefully thought through, planned, and adhered to.
Define the right goal
To achieve success in content marketing, it is essential to define the right goal and align it with digital marketing automation. By setting clear objectives, businesses can create focused and impactful content strategies. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating leads, a well-defined goal provides direction and guides the content creation process. With the power of automation, businesses can streamline their content marketing efforts and optimize their campaigns to reach the right audience at the right time.
Develop a real target message
A specific goal is important. Clear and unmistakable. For example, a brand that is only a few months old needs one thing above all: visibility. High turnover is a fine thing – but it can only happen when as many people as possible even know that the brand exists and what makes it special. It is therefore essential to formulate a core message that takes up the company’s mission and presents the greatest benefits of the service or product for the customer. This core message is fundamental for the subsequent development of the content.
Creating content – but for whom?
The age-old marketing adage “The fish should like the worm, not the angler” is actually as fresh as ever. Or even more clearly: A good content strategy is useless if it is not adapted to the target group. Developing a (virtual) persona helps a lot – this way you can always be sure that you are creating content for the right person, both during planning and implementation. A highly successful method, especially when the target group is very heterogeneous – segmentation is therefore correct and sensible. And it doesn’t have to be just one persona – especially in B2B marketing, several should be developed, which are then used in a targeted manner (keyword “buying center”).
Find the right content channel
Goals defined, the right message found, and the target group clearly structured? Then you have to decide how the content fits into certain channels. Always with an eye on the fact that the persona and message are not wrong, otherwise the budget will quickly burn out and this should be avoided in any case. In the past, there were not many opportunities to place digital content, but the powerful social web with its various platforms is an ideal channel for a good content strategy. However, the decisive factor is and remains your own website, which should serve as a content hub for all activities.
Realize the correct content format
Content in terms of content marketing and content strategy can actually be anything: your own material, your own photos, texts, and videos – but also user-generated content or third-party material that is distributed and linked. In all cases, quality is the decisive feature.
Above all, B2B content should be one thing: further – and bring real, comprehensible added value to (potential) customers. Complex content or products that require explanation can be conveyed with the help of studies and surveys or a white paper. Blog posts and newsletters with strong content are just as effective, which then generate the desired follow-up and inquiries. This is how high-quality, qualified leads are ultimately created – which not only strengthen the brand in this way but also specifically support sales.
Integrated systems such as Hubspot are particularly effective here. This means that customer needs can be identified quickly and additional, highly focused content can be produced.
Short and good
A content strategy is clearly not trivial. Marketing and sales should – especially in B2B marketing – be on board together in order to benefit from each other and celebrate mutual success. Complex content must be prepared for the target group and always focus on customer benefit.
We are happy to offer you support in developing your content strategy. Inform yourself about our offer.