How to not be this marketerby building a 10-step content marketing engine

But first…

…here’s what we already know.

•Content marketing leverages existing consumer behaviour, provokes conversations and helps brands develop deeper connections

•People don’t want ads when making purchase decisions, they want useful content

•Content, when timely, moves quickly across social networks and generates word-of-mouth

•Only the most engaging content makes it to page one of Google search

•Content, not advertising, is what gets users to know, like and trust a brand

So, let’s get to it.

1. Define your audience archetypes

Who is your prospective consumer? A twenteen looking for adventure or a professional looking for business success?

What kind of people does s/he follow more? Politicians and entertainers or peers and influencers in relevant industries?

What content does s/he actively seek? News that informs and updates or trends and analyses that educate and engage?

How does s/he want to find out about something new? As it happens or on demand, in context, with search/sort buttons?

When is s/he likely to buy more? After seeing an ad or when s/he recalls your brand’s content for enabling and empowering?

Next, how can you help this audience instead of selling to them?

Find a category that is a knowledge gap for all your target audience archetypes

Pick a topic that will connect instantly + be their currency on social networks

Use an author whose name/designation conveys expertise in the subject and your brand’s association with it.

Note how FedEx, instead of selling its courier services, is helping its biggest client segment — ecomm businesses.

Create the content in a way that clearly shows your brand’s thought leadership in this and related spaces.

Next, how can you show up where your audience is Instead of forcing them to come to your party (read brand site)?

2. Produce a useful piece of content

3. Move from ad boxes to content streams

They want content, not ads. Be part of the space in focus.

You are now playing native advertising. Align with the format, context and purpose of the platform’s editorial content.

Note how Kawo’s sponsored post integrates with the site experience, in fact contributes to it.

Next, how else can you ride content?

4. Get links back from publisher content

Sponsored content is part of the site, which means it goes everywhere our content goes.

Your content can now get links back from channels like the related stories section under our articles, and all our social pages, email newsletters and alerts on mobile.

Note how Kawo’s story on Chinese tourism is now a sponsored link on Facebook, after its debut on the site.

Next, how can you use multiple pieces of content?

5. Go supernative, upgrade to the widget

Why should your content be just text? Try multimedia content like infographics, photos, videos, live chats, ebooks, more.

Note how IBM chose power of data as the single theme for content pieces in various formats, then aggregated them in one unit.

Sponsored widgets are a tremendous way for your brand to build a reputation as a source of useful content in your niche, by delivering collections of shareable assets and an engaging user experience.

Next, how can your content evolve into a bigger and stronger narrative on the same platform as our wide-read writers?

6. Build an all-in-one brand channel

You have both niche content and a very interested audience. Now, push to scale.

Become a firehose in your niche. Build brand leader profiles of your best people.

Promote your best performing content. Your audience will search for and demand an archive.

Next, how can you drive more tune ins?

7. Set up a content marketing calendar

Like TV, your brand channel needs programming. Recurring themes or series can build audience habits over time.

Plan in layers. Assign weekly cycles to content formats like charts and videos, then produce them in weeklong themes.

Your marketing calendar may be product-centric, but your content calendar needs to have only buyer-centric campaigns.

Sync the two. Got a product launch coming up? Publish a related whitepaper to generate leads in the month before it.

Next, how can you make sure that your content contributes to other functions across your organisation and vice versa?

8. Integrate with non/marketing functions

Convert everything that your brand and organisation does into shareable content.

From job posts and new hires to financial reports and acquisitions, research and reports to company plans and history, everything has the potential to engage.

So, source content from all marketing and non-marketing departments. Build on the expertise of senior employees across functions. Let younger ones get creative.

Show how everyone behind your brand is focused on your customers’ needs.

Next, how can you assess the impact of building a content culture for your brand?

9. Measure, analyse, optimise, repurpose

Segment your content and audience. Set goals and benchmarks for your brand’s traffic and engagement in each segment.

Establish clear loops for user feedback. Adapt to their needs and numbers. Test new content formats and post schedules.

The ROI is more than just quantitative. A healthy content marketing channel impacts everything — brand reputation, prospect education, client retention, employee training, network growth, customer trust, innovation, much more.

Next, how can you build content that enables better tracking and targeting?

10. Innovate with structured content

Break content pieces into smaller assets with clear relationships between them.

Track changes, identify patterns in how these values change over time.

Note how, by breaking each acquisition story into cost, sector, acquiring company, the content was reused to create this interactive chart.

Structure is what makes content adaptive and future ready. But let’s get from step 1 to 9 first.

Recap

1. Define your audience archetypes2. Produce a useful piece of content3. Move from ad boxes to content

streams4. Get links back from publisher content5. Go supernative, upgrade to the

widget

6. Build an all-in-one brand channel 7. Set up a content marketing calendar8. Integrate with non/marketing

functions9. Measure, analyse, optimise,

repurpose10. Innovate with structured content

Lead with content.

Pawan GuptaChief Executive Officer, Wirefoot

Contact Number – +91 90087 88500

Mail Address – pawan@iamwire.com