Content Marketing Your Recipe for Online Success.png

CONTENT MARKETING Youre Recipe For Success Online

Written - By

David ORourke

DAITHIOROURKE. Inc

1

(CH 1) INTRODUCTION

Increasingly Connected ..03

A Strong Marketing Tool ...03

John Deere ..03

Some Facts .04

Definition Of Content Marketing ...04

Create Relationships 04

(CH 2) - THE KEY TO CONTENT MARKETING SUCCESS

Prioritize customers Needs Over Products .05

Content Marketing Channels .05

Master One At A Time .06

Fresh And Relevant New Content ..06

Curation Of Content .06

Benefits Of Curation .06

Content Marketing Is A Long Term Strategy 07

Become The Authority 07

Patience and Belief. ..07

The Good News 07

(CH 3) - SIMPLICITY OF CONTENT MARKETING

Chances Are You Are Doing It Already .08

Newsletters 08

Microsites ...09

Social Media ..09

Websites ..09

Blogging .09

2

(CH 4) - SO YOU WANT TO START BLOGGING: THEN HERES SOME BLOGGING TIPS (CH 4)

Grateful You Asked 10

Choose The Right Platform .10

Choose The Right Theme ..10

Bring It To Professional level ..11

Hosting ..11

Professional Themes 11

Be Personal 11

Imagery Imagery Imagery 12

Branding 12

Communication ..12

Connecting .13

Build Up Your Network ..13

Content Writing ..13

It Can Suck You In ..14

Home Page Visitors Are Dwindling....14

(CH 5) - CONTENT MARKETING TIPS TO KEEP YOU FOCUSED

Successful Content Marketing ..15

Choosing The Right Platforms .....15

Who Uses WordPress Anyway ....15

Most Influential Brand On WordPress ...16

WordPress Alone Will Not Achieve Success.17

(CH 6) - Now You Are Just Itching To Get Started Just Somethings To Consider.

Take Stock .....18

Determine Your Budget .18

Content Marketing Strategy 18

Discover Your Platform ..18

Content Marketing Schedule .19

Review And Perfect Your Plan ..19

Accept The Trial And Error Stage ...19

Conclusion ..20

3

(CH 1) - INTRODUCTION

Increasingly Connected

We now live in a world that is increasingly connected we are the most informed

generation of our time. Customers are now more savvy and informed before they

make their purchase decisions. With this desire for fresh new content that informs

us and engages with us. It is imperative that businesses start to provide a wealth

of content that informs the public of their business and why they should decide

to engage with that business and purchase its products and services.

A strong marketing tool

Although this is true people are very selective at what they read in the hope it will

lead them to make the right purchase decision. Content marketing is emerging as

a strong marketing tool that engages with customers and cuts through more

traditional marketing methods. With the benefits of content marketing evident it

is still a daunting task for many as it demands allot of time, effort and resources.

John Deere

Content marketing is not new although we may automatically think so. Brands

with rich history and insightful stories have shared these stories with customers

in order to convert. John Deer was the first example of a successful content writer

for a specific business. He created a magazine called Furrow that provided

valuable information on farming for his customers and it cant be denied that it

didnt work.

4

Some Facts

1. 73% of B2B content marketers are producing more content than a year ago.

2. 58% of B2B marketers planning to increase their content marketing

budgets within the next 12 months.

3. 80% of decision makers prefer to become informed about a business

through a series of articles

4. 70% say content marketing makes people feel closer to a company or

brand.

5. 60% say that a company that conducts content marketing helps in the

decision making process.

Definition of Content Marketing

Content marketing can be defined as a marketing technique of creating and

distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a

clearly defined audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

Simply put content marketing is clear and effective communication with

customers and prospects without actually selling but with the goal to convert

customers.

Create Relationships

To succeed with content marketing it is imperative to create relationships with customers.

Through there creation of content that answers there questions. Traditional advertising only

achieves a one night stand type effect with no long lasting results. Content

marketing helps to provide a long term relationship with customers and prospects.

And therein lies the distinction between traditional advertising and content

marketing. With a consistent supply of relevant and quality content can establish

an individual, business or brand as a trusted resource. This form of advertising

becomes a powerful competitive advantage.

5

(CH 2) - THE KEY TO CONTENT

MARKETING SUCCESS

Prioritize customers Needs Over Products

The main purpose of content marketing is to prioritize customers needs over

products by providing solutions and answers to your customers problems. These

solutions and problems can be communicated and distributed on the below

formats.

Content Marketing Channels

1. White Papers: (an authoritative report or guide helping readers understand

an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision)

2. Thought Leadership articles: (Thought Leadership is simply about

becoming an authority on relevant topics by delivering the answers to the

biggest questions on the minds of your target audience)

3. Infographics: (graphic visual representations of information, data or

knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly)

4. How to guides: A collection of evergreen content and tutorials detailing

how to complete tasks

5. Videos: the recording, reproducing, or broadcasting of moving visual

images.

6. eBooks: (An eBook is a text presented in a format which allows it to be

read on a computer or handheld device).

7. Presentations: (A process of presenting a topic to an audience. It is typically a

demonstration, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, or build good

will)

8. Webcasts and podcasts: (A series of digital media files, usually digital

audio or video, that is made available for download via Web syndication)

6

Master One At A Time

With so many channels to communicate your message it is important to master

one at a time and evaluate which one best suits your audience.

Fresh And Relevant New Content

The creation of relevant, new and fresh content is a constant concern for

marketers today. Especially for company and organisations without the resources

to have their own in-house content creation powerhouse.

Curation Of Content

This lack of resources for marketers has pushed marketers to practice in the

curation of content. Although the curation of content in my opinion would not be

a long term strategy. But for those starting out it would be a good option. The

benefits of the curation of content from trusted resources are as follows.

Benefits Of Curation

1. Learn New topics: For marketers wanting to learn new topics the curation

from respected experts will allow you to achieve what you want.

2. Writing skills: While curating content you will over time learn how best

to wright and will soon find your own unique style.

3. Your own voice: As you curate content you will become more aware of

your own opinions and will soon be expressing them as you writing making

your piece unique.

4. Become the expert: After curating for some time you will soon develop

your own expertise opinions and advice and will soon not need to curate.

7

Content Marketing Is A Long Term Strategy

There are many that insist that content creation brings immediate benefit.

Unfortunately this is not true especially for those starting out. Until you become

the trusted authority in your industry your content may take three to six months

before you see real results.

Become The Authority

Although this is true content created consistently over a three to six month period

will generate more leads in the long term. Even content created a year ago can

still achieve a surprising number of hits. Once its optimised properly and is easily

searchable. You then as the content creator are well on your way to become the

authority and your fresh new content will become more in demand.

Patience and Belief.

The main goal of content marketing is to achieve long lasting hits and continuous

engagement, thus requiring a long term commitment. But if the commitment of

continuously learning and the development of skill exists. The costs of

conversions will be significantly be reduced.

The Good News

The curation or content as discussed before will greatly reduce costs, resources,

and time. This is not the only option but it is an option. For marketers looking to

speed up there return on investment content curation is an answer but not the only

solution. Research and planning are essential and most preferred and will achieve

long term authority and trust. Content marketing taken seriously will achieve the

best return on investment. In fact if you do it right and create a piece of ever green

content you have hit the jackpot of content marketing

8

(CH 3) - SIMPLICITY OF CONTENT

MARKETING

Content Marketing may be your only option

Although content marketing can be made out to be complicated in truth it is not.

Even for brands with small budgets can be highly successful with the right content

marketing strategy. The distribution of relevant and valuable content on a

consistent bases can attract a defined audience. Below are a few things you should

consider.

Chances Are You Are Doing It Already

Perhaps youre already doing it. Its hard to deny that content marketing is the

new buzz word in marketing today. Chances are that you may even already be

doing it without realising. Below are a few listed channels in which your content

marketing may already be active.

Newsletters

This is one of the most common and oldest form of content marketing. Normally

used as a communication tool between corporations and customers. With the

objective to engage and educate readers about the brand and of upcoming

developments and events. These are incredibly useful in document a companys

developments and progress.

9

Microsites.

These are a widely used form of marketing that can require allot of work. Because

what you are essentially doing is creating sites with related topics to your specific

industry. These sites then direct people back to the website or business thats your

main concern. For example your main business is a Casino Consultant which has

its own domain and site. Then you create a site only about slot machines or cards

then direct popular back to your main site. This is not my personal favourite but

it is another method.

Social Media

Dont allow so called social media gurus to hoodwink you into thinking social

media is either complicated or difficult. Simply a constant sales pitch on social

media will not work. But with a healthy mix of content that engages, informs and

entertain which then directs people back to your website. This strategy can be

very effective.

Websites

This is like your shop front window on the web and this needs to be clean and

instantly easy to navigate. With clear imagery simple calls to action and a very

informative about page. Furthermore with a blog included in the website will

make a really powerful tool and will become the hub of your content marketing

empire.

Blogging

Blogs are one of the most cost effective channel for your content marketing. And

I must admit my favourite blogs in my experience provide the best return in

investment of time and effort. Writing a post on your blog is like real estate on

the web that you own. If the content in that post is well written, informative and

up-to-date will attract visitors for a long time after its written.

10

(CH 4) - SO YOU WANT TO START

BLOGGING: THEN HERES SOME

BLOGGING TIPS

Grateful you Asked

First of all I am grateful that you came to me for advice I am genuinely passionate

about helping others and welcome the opportunity to help you. Like I said before

I dont fill peoples heads with jargon and BS that very evident online today.

Lucky for me I was mentored and coached by one of the best and that made a big

difference for me. I must have had about 5 blogs online that where just horrible

but they did help me learn and develop my craft and so will you. So sit back grab

your favourite drink and read what I know and would advise you to do.

Choose The Right Platform

This is very important and I will tell you the best one to use WordPress its free

and a great way to get started. And if you are still not convinced look who uses it

already. Sony, The Wall Street Journal Stream, Washington post, Wall Street

Journal Blog, Coca Cola, Harvard Business Review Blog, CBS New York, CNN

International. Unfortunately so many start off with the wrong platform and this

can be a real nightmare to change when you realise.

Choose The Right Theme

If you want to use a free theme use Twenty Fifteen its clean made by WordPress

themselves. I personally use it when changing themes for clients. The trouble whit

free themes than can be filled with backlinks to the developers websites. This is

great for them but not so good for you so choose a recommended one. When

Google sees irrelevant backlinks in your theme which is your site they will not

like it and your site will suffer because of it.

11

Bring It To Professional level

If you want to take this on in the best way I would recommend buying your

domain. Unfortunately when your domain is yourname.wordpress.com you dont

own the domain and someone else can buy, it then ransom you for it later. I

personally know a client that was being charged 5000.00 for a domain he wanted,

so realistically we just had to get something different.

Hosting

Then get the domain hosted I am personally with Go Daddy but there is allot of

up sell there so I Page is starting to look good to me these days as it is easy to

navigate and is well priced. There are various others to choose from in then they

are all near the same.

Professional Themes

Then buy yourself a professional theme these are great as they are full of

functionality and easily read by Google Theme Forest or Studio Press are good

places to go for these. These will set you apart from others online and that is what

you want.

Be Personal

As a believer in the impact and influence of personal branding I would

recommend incorporating it into your blog. What this means is be personal dont

be generic like everyone else online. Be your own unique voice use imagery that

tells us more about you. Place a selfie into your about page and set up your

gravatar people love to know who they are dealing with. A sprinkle of personal

branding on your blog will allow you to connect with people.

12

Imagery Imagery Imagery

Place feature images within your Blog posts this will give them more pop. Make

them as wide as possible on the page. Make sure they are clear and not fuzzy and

dont be afraid to be unique. There are so many articles out online today with the

same generic images let yours stand out.

Branding

Take a step back and think of this for a while after doing a few interviews with

some branding experts. The one thing I learned is to first define and think what

your purpose is. What do you want to achieve with this blog who do you want to

help? For me I want to help ordinary people communicate their value to the world

by providing the tools to do so. You may want to communicate your passion to

help others to be happier and more content with their lives. You possibly want to

change lives with the words you write and speak. You will build your brand

around all this.

Communication

Once you are happy with your brand then start communicating it across all

platforms that are relevant to you. For me I use LinkedIn Facebook Google+ TSU

and Twitter each serves there purpose and each will allow you to test out your

brand. Seeing your brand on a social platform really allows you to critique it

properly. My brand is still in development but hope to have it finalised by

Christmas. You will soon learn that your brand will develop and grow just as you

and your blog continues to develop. This will be in your early stages but you will

eventually stick with the one that speaks out best to you.

13

Connecting

Then once you are happy with your blog and your brand start marketing it

amongst your connections and existing community. Place the link to your blog at

the bottom of every email and message dont spam anyone just do it in an

informative way.

Build Up Your Network

You will be surprised who is willing to connect with you so reach out to others

to connect with you on LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter, G+ and Pinterest. Get

involved in groups on LinkedIn, communities on G+ and Facebook Groups.

Become engaging on these platforms thank people who respond to you with likes

+ and Follows. Share the content of others especially if its related to your subject

of interest. Send messages to these people and build your community.

Content Writing

While you are doing all of what I mentioned already you will be writing content.

Google loves fresh content and you will provide that and over time you will get

ranked. Stop worrying about the quality and just write it, you will only get better

through practice. Just look at this piece here it is by far not the best but it is what

I have to offer and you are reading it so its working for me. If you genuinely love

your subject matter that will show in your content and the more often you do it

the easier you will find your voice. And forget about SEO just right for people

and provide answers to their questions.

14

It Can Suck You In

Well let me tell you if you are thinking of Blogging be careful as it can easily

suck you in. I personally was only testing out blogging a few years ago and over

time eventually found my voice and loved the development of my craft and so

will you. Take it from someone who knows nobody expects you to be Earnest

Hemming way on your first go so dont let inexperience hold you back. There are

allot of people who need to hear your voice and some will be very supportive

even if youre not perfect. Blogging will help to establish yourself as an authority,

a Beginner or just a kind and caring voice that willing to help others.

Home Page Visitors Are Dwindling.

There is evidence to suggest that home page visitors are dwindling. Over half of

the New York Times home pages visitors on nytimes.com reduce by 80 million

in two years. This was a reduction by half so generic homepages with no value is

a risky strategy no matter how big you are. So it is imperative now more than ever

to create quality content that engages delights and converts.

15

(CH 5) - CONTENT MARKETING TIPS TO

KEEP YOU FOCUSED

Successful content marketing a result of great people,

great organisations, and genuinely great stories

Successful Content Marketing

Successful content marketing can be the result of great people, good organisation

of resources, and genuinely great stories. Although this is true there are many

successful content marketing methods that even a company with no great stories

and very little amount of people can use to be successful. And by the way all

companies big or small have great stories and great people. Companies just need

to be brave enough to share these stories. But in the meantime there are methods

that you can use to get you started in the right direction. Here are some of these

methods in which you can use.

Choosing The Right Platforms

Content Management Platforms are various and there are many to choose from

but in my opinion it is WordPress that stands alone and is the best there is. With

brands and organisations such as Nike using it really says allot and it is very scale-

able and easily managed and developed even by novices. Although you can get

started with WordPress for free it is advisable if you are looking to take on content

writing in a big way. Then a professional theme and a well-established hosting

company with good support is worth considering.

16

Who Uses WordPress Anyway

You may hear often that WordPress is the best platform to brand and market

yourself your business or opportunity. But why should we believe this well just

take a look at the list below of well-known brands that have chosen WordPress

as the source of their content marketing empire so I cant see why you wouldnt

achieve the same with a little effort, courage and patience.

Most Influential Brand On WordPress

And If You are still not convinced WordPress is worth

considering here are some more big brands. Here are some

more top brands on WordPress.

17

WordPress Alone Will Not Achieve Success

1. Analytics: The WordPress platform will allow you to easily install

analytic plugins to analyse the performance of your content and channels.

It will allow you to identify where you are succeeding and will allow you

to identify where you are not. Giving you the opportunity to fix what may

be broken.

2. Distribution: Your platform should allow you to spread your message

easily across multiple channels. WordPress will easily allow you to spread

your message across various channels. That is where Word Press is strong

with a vast library of quality plugins that will allow you to build and create

your own content publishing powerhouse

3. Curation: of content is a method of creating content that will be

informative and engaging. Curation is a great way for you to get started in

creating content on a regular bases. Curation of content with a mix of your

own opinions and experiences is a great mix. Just always remember to pay

credit to your resources. There is where lies the science or skill of being

able to identify relevant and quality resources that will allow to achieve the

content management success you want.

18

(CH 6) - NOW YOU ARE JUST ITCHING

TO GET STARTED JUST SOMETHINGS

TO CONSIDER.

You are now ready to take on the world with your engaging and compelling

content. You are now going to dominate your industry and spread your message

of why you should be seen as an authority in your industry. But before you do all

this just take a breath sit somewhere comfortable grab a cup of coffee and read

this list below before you get started.

Take Stock

Review what content that you may already have from reports and assignments

that you have already created. You may even have some presentations that you

could publish. If you dont have either just set yourself a content creating schedule

and stick to it as best you can. The hardest part really is just getting started once

you do it will be easier.

Determine Your Budget

When we say budget we mean time how much time are you willing to spend on

content marketing. Because you will need a period of time in which you will be

able to commit to this process.

Content Marketing Strategy

What do you want to achieve with your content marketing. Who is your audience

what do they need to know. How do you expect them to find you through search.

What questions will you answer do you want to provide quick and concise

answers or long drawn out detailed answers. What area of expertise do you want

to be known for and how do you plan to express and display that expertise.

19

Discover Your Platform

What platform do you focus on which platform does your audience hang out?

Once this is established you can go and build an active and engaging community

that promotes your work and buys your products and services.

Content Marketing Schedule

Make a schedule that you can realistically follow to create content also make a

list of topics and specific pieces of content to create for the 3-6 months.

Review And Perfect Your Plan

Make sure you are not over stretching yourself because if you decide to publish

every week on a Friday you will have to stick to is as your community will be

expecting your content. Then if you dont deliver they will lose their confidence

and trust in you as the authority.

Accept The Trial And Error Stage

Unfortunately to achieve great content marketing it is necessary that you will go

through a period of what works for you and your audience. You will write articles

that will receive raving reviews tons of likes and a handful of shares and

comments. Then you will experience the time when your content receives little or no

results but remember this has not been a waste of time. What benefits you get from this is that

you build breadth and depth to your collection of content. You will also be practicing your skill

as a writer and researcher. You will improve every time you complete a new and polished

piece of content ready for your active and engaging community to like share and

comment on.

20

Conclusion

While youre content marketing journey will continually evolve and develop. So

will you and your skill will perfect you will become the authority of choice.

Content marketing will for many become just another form of marketing and

many will not take the time required to do it on efficiently.

But for those who embrace content marketing in a positive way with a hunger to

learn. These new pioneers of the marketing world will leave a legacy of content

that will be read and enjoyed for years to come. Providing an endless return on

investment of time effort and commitment that can last a life time. Generating

leads and revenues at little or no cost.

Documents

Content Marketing Your Recipe for Online Success.png