Although many companies have been deploying content marketing in one form or another for several years, objectives, approaches and measurement of ROI continue to be tested and reconfigured. Kanoe Namahoe, content-marketing editor for the Education and Workforce divisions of SmartBrief, shared these takeaways from the recent Content Marketing World conference.
- Know thyself. Organizations that know who they are — and who they are not — have achieved the most success in this arena by demonstrating masterful and authentic storytelling. They experiment and expand their horizons, of course, but they always retain a core unapologetic sense of who they are and what their purpose is.
- Know your audience. Invest time crafting buyer personas. Who are the decision makers? What do they care about?
What are their priorities? What are the barriers that keep them from solving problems? These personas will help keep your messaging relevant and on track. - Address the issues. Speaking to buyers’ pain points is key to content marketing. Work with your sales team to narrow your audience and mine that audience for true insights. Those insights will define your goals and measures of success. As you rally around your audience — and really get to know their needs — you will foster trust and build lasting relationships.
- Commit yourself to the long run. Content marketing is a marathon, not a sprint, said Frank Thomas of Adidas. Don’t rush the process. Take time to plan your strategy, develop your team and do the leg work. Sit down with leadership and make sure they understand the vision, process and timeline. A patient, diligent approach will help you channel efforts properly and build a strong foundation for the long term.
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