In this digital age, content development and marketing go hand in hand for all types of business verticals. That’s why we’ve created 7 easy content development tips to help you to supercharge your new project.
Amazing content rarely sells itself; you need a good content marketing plan if you don’t want your efforts to go to waste. Together, however, you’ll be able to build a strong brand, spread awareness, generate leads, and potentially monetize your product or service.
Most of all, an efficient plan will help you create a good relationship with your customers or audience. If you’re looking for fresh ideas to improve your current content and marketing plan or if you’re planning to launch a new idea, here are seven content development tips to help you on your journey.
Define your “Why”
As with any planning agenda, the first of our content development tips is to set your goals and it’s not just about saying you want to earn a certain amount of money or that you want to be famous.
Review the reasons why you are doing this; what is your advocacy? Here are other guide questions to help you:
- What is the experience you want to give your customers?
- Why should your audience listen to you or give you the time of day?
As for the branding aspect of your goals, here are a few more questions worth pondering:
- How do you want your brand to be perceived?
- What kind of message do you want to convey?
Write all your ideas and if possible, keep your answers somewhere visible (even just for you). Should there come a time when you or your team lose motivation, these are the same words and phrases that will inspire you to stay on track.
Define your numbers
Now that you’ve established the essence and heart of your project, the next step would be to determine the marketing side of your plan.
As a famous speaker once said, “Success is a numbers game.” You can’t say you’ve made it just because you’ve created or published content; your efforts must translate into measurable data – whether that’s in views or digits in your bank account.
First of all, do your industry research. Here are guide questions to help you out, depending on your business needs:
- What is the status of your current industry?
- What are the popular trends that are being done in your field?
- Who is the competition? Pick at least three according to the level of success.
- Who is your ideal audience? Note the applicable age group, gender, geography, etc.
- What are your Key Performance Indicators or KPIs? In other words, what are the areas you should be measuring from your content? For instance, social media content is all about engagement, followers, and reach. For websites, you should be considering clicks, bounce rates, and page views.
Your monthly KPI will reflect the effectiveness of your plan or if it requires any tweaks or improvements. Be sure to set realistic targets at the beginning of your campaigns.
Utilize your strengths consistently and practically
Here’s a not-so-secret content development tip to remember for a content creator such as yourself: your content is only as good as your last one.
In a fast-paced world such as this, having good content isn’t going to cut it. It’s got to be interesting, relevant, and most of all, consistent. While being an overnight sensation has its perks, it’s no match for a reliable content source that is always there for its audience.
The surge of smartphone users (3.5 billion as of 2019 according to Statista) strongly suggests that people want and have access to data and content as fast as they can. Everyone is online all the time. This means that internet users spend so much time online, and each moment you don’t push out content to them is an opportunity lost.
Early on, it’s best to identify the best channel to publish or post your content that works well within your resources. For example, if you’re great with writing and taking photos, don’t hesitate and set-up your social media accounts. Take advantage of free online tools or resources to help you manage and level-up your content.
Allocating your resources the right way
Let’s say that you’re very much aware of your strengths and you know how to use them, but how long will you be able to keep running before you run out of steam?
It’s easy to get carried away when you’re getting the results you want and unfortunately, many content creators have suddenly gone off the grid because of the pressure. If that happens to you, what’s next?
You’ve got to accept that when it comes to business, two heads are better than one. Although it helps to be awesome at prioritizing what’s urgent and important, there’s a time when you have to realize that you’ve got to outsource. You’ve got to get help or assistance to make sure you stay on top of things.
In the long run, you’ll realize that your most valuable asset and resource is time. You’ve still got to make sure that you have time for yourself, your well-being, and even those around you. Outsourcing for the other parts of your project may free your mind to make room for more content ideas.
Create a content calendar
A content calendar is a content creator’s best friend. This will help you plot your plans with a purpose. It will help you visualize your plans in one consolidated file. You can modify the calendar to suit your content needs. A content calendar can include the following information:
- Sample photo or link to the content
- Accompanying copy or description for social media purposes
- Time of posting
- Preferred social media platform for content
Once completed, you can easily share your content calendar with your team for reference. This makes for easier data tracking as well.
Get the results
After rolling out your content plan, be sure to keep tabs on the analytics side of your content to fill out your KPI requirements. Track it on a weekly or monthly basis to build your historical data. This is best kept in an Excel sheet.
The longer you do this, the more data you have. The more data you have, the more knowledge and insights you can get from your efforts. After at least a month of running a campaign, then can you determine the changes you can make for your next content calendar.
Stay connected, stay alive!
Finally, after you’ve established a concrete content development and marketing plan, you’ve got to be an active participant in your growing community. You can look across different media channels, and you’ll find that brands with the most positive branding images are the ones that directly engage with their audience. Authenticity is what will make you stand out.
At the same time, don’t forget to stay in the loop with the latest changes in your industry. The world is rapidly changing; one groundbreaking strategy today might not be as great tomorrow. When you roll with the punches, it’ll be easier for you to switch up and improve your plan for the better. Keep things exciting for everyone -- including you!
Apply these practical tips for real, lasting results!
You might feel overwhelmed at first, but that’s what makes content creation and marketing all the more rewarding when it pays off. Like a sport, you’ve got to keep practicing to master the trade. With these solid content development tips to guide you, you’re well on your way to success.
