Content marketing isn’t just some random strategy you can wine and dine and then stop calling after a week end after publishing a few blog posts. It’s something that requires a little more TLC, love, and time—which is why content marketing is like committing to a long-term relationship.
Now before you think I’ve totally lost it, here’s what I mean. Unlike one-time ad campaigns that have goals such as a specific increase in sales, content marketing is a lifelong commitment with a goal to educate or entertain customers and develop trust among them. However, since customers will always be at various stages in the buyer cycle, the goal is never-ending; they will never be fully educated and the task of building trust will never cease. You’re in it for the long haul.
And like any long-term relationship, you need to nurture it. To do so, you must:
Commit. When you devote yourself to something for a long period of time, you’re more willing to invest in creating the best, most valuable content for your audience. But you need to recognize that once you launch a content marketing strategy, you need to stick with it in order for it to ever be successful. However, that’s not the only key to success.
Devote time and energy. Consistent content creation is essential, and you should commit to producing a certain amount of content a week and not stray from it. Your audience likes consistency, and they want to know when to expect new content from you. However, be realistic with your goals. Start out small and slow (maybe two or three blog posts a week) until you get into a nice rhythm and can take on more tasks. You should also come up with a content strategy to guide you. (You’ll want to revisit this strategy regularly to ensure it’s working for your brand as well).
Find solutions to your problems. As with any relationship, you will experience frustrations and setbacks with your content strategy. Maybe your content isn’t as successful as you had expected or your blog post wasn’t well received by your audience. That’s OKAY. It happens. But learn from it and move on. Remember, you’re in this ‘til the end, so you have time to fix the things that aren’t working well.
Spice things up. Everyone gets caught in the wash-rinse-repeat cycle when doing something for a long period of time. The cool thing about content, however, is that it can take so many different forms; a blog post, infographic, video, etc. If you usually only do one or two of those, consider trying a new channel of communication. Or, see if you can come up with a completely novel way of doing things (but remember to stay within the tone of your brand).
While everyone is certainly capable of maintaining a long-term content marketing strategy, not everyone wants or knows how to do it. If you find you’re not ready for content yet, that’s okay, but don’t wait to long. You don’t want to miss out on something that can be supremely rewarding and fruitful.
Image courtesy of adpushup.