5 Basic Steps to Launching a Content Marketing System

by Amie Marse |

Content marketing has transformed the marketplace, and anybody that wants to be online has to get involved. This past year more and more big box companies have hired Chief Content Officers and expanded space in their content marketing budgets. And frankly, those big corporations that didn’t do it this year, filled those positions last year.

Whether you are a 100K or a 100M company, you have to consider content marketing. So how do you step into this marketplace for the first time? And since the economy is still limping, where do you find the time to accomplish all that content marketing has to offer?
Step One: Editorial Calendar

Consider what’s happening in your offline world and how you can promote that online. Then, work with a professional to craft a keyword based overlay of your calendar. Using a combination of offline events and SEO based writing you can fine tune a well oiled editorial calendar 3-6 months out. Thereby driving the conversation and community on your site, and believe me – there is a reason these buzz words are so powerful!
Step Two: Multi-Pronged Approach

Blogs are a great start, but nobody will read/comment/interact with your blog if they don’t find your site. That’s why you need to utilize bookmarking sites, direct social media (think Facebook, Twitter) and email marketing. For maximum impact, build another level to your already established editorial calendar. Remember that some people will only read your blog, whereas others only your Twitter feed. Repeating yourself is important when you want to saturate your message.
Step Three: Expand Your Horizons

There are literally hundreds of ways you can use content marketing. Stop limiting yourself to words and consider graphics. Can you reuse the research in your blogs to produce an infographic? Maybe a white paper can be reused as a slideshare. Reusing content is an efficient way to save time and money. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel every time you need a new marketing product.
Step Four: Stay Consistent

This concept is true across the board. Don’t start a blog you won’t stick with, don’t create a newsletter you will drop and don’t create a Twitter feed until you are ready to put the time in. Most companies outsource these items at one point or another. Others hire someone to do them from beginning to end. The worst thing you can do is stop something after you have grown a following.
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Step Five: Be Intentional

Remember that content marketing is more than just getting your message out. It is cultivating an experience of your brand.

Remember that content marketing is more than just getting your message out. It is cultivating an experience of your brand. The last thing you want to share with your potential clients is that you are flaky. Each piece of marketing has multiple signals or components to it. Even if you don’t craft them intentionally, things like: font size, type of font, supplemental graphics, timing, consistency between formats and consistency of message, all make a difference with how your content is received. There’s a reason that Chief Content Officers are getting paid big bucks. Large corporations know the power of content marketing. Are you leveraging it for all its worth?

If you would like to start your content marketing journey, shoot Amie an email via info@contentequalsmoney.com. She has worked with hundreds of clients as they branch out into this emerging marketplace.

This post was written by Amie Marse, founder of ContentEqualsMoney.com. Feel free to email her directly via amie@contentequalsmoney.com.

From: http://ping.fm/LoTLB