A guide to creating engaging content across all

online marketing channels

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This guide is designed to help small business owners and professionals who are working on content marketing on their own or as part of a small team.

While the information here is helpful to companies of all sizes, the recommendations are tailored towards those who have constraints on both time and budget.

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Additionally, this guide assumes minimal prior knowledge of content marketing and is suitable for beginners or those with intermediate experience.

Content Marketing may the new buzzword in online marketing, but the practice is nothing new for many business owners.

Simply put, content marketing is the practice of creating and curating content that has value for your target audience.

It allows you to establish thought leadership, increase the time visitors spend on your site, improve organic SEO, and it helps to build your brand.

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Think of content marketing holistically, as a

part of your overall online marketing strategy.

Content Marketing Commandment 1: Create Only Valuable Content

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Because of the many benefits content marketing offers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking “more is better”.

In reality, more content is only better when it provides value to your audience.

Content marketing is pointless if the content is spammy, unoriginal, or just plain boring.

The more valuable your content, the more likely your

audience is to share it and improve your reach.

This applies in particular to news-based posts, but is applicable to any fact-based posts or content you create.

Make sure your sources are reputable, and that the information you are providing your audience is factual.

Taking the extra step to verify information outside your area of expertise will ensure that your content is considered trustworthy.

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Content Marketing Commandment 2: Always Verify Your Sources

If you quote statistics in your content marketing, be sure

to list the study, publication, or other source for the data.

This lends credibility and builds trust.

Content Marketing Commandment 3: Commit to Content Production

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One of the biggest mistakes* small business owners make when it comes to content marketing is lack of commitment.

Before you ever start writing, plan an editorial calendar that will let you create content regularly.

Keeping to a schedule sets expectations and encourages visitors to return to your site to see what’s new.

Even if it’s only a few times a month, a regular

schedule is preferable to sporadic updates.

*Most often it isn’t a mistake, but a lack of time.

This comes back to avoiding spam. Don’t simultaneously tweet, post to Facebook, and update Google+ about the same blog post unless you want your audience to tune you out.

Choose which content you will share across which social media platforms and make it relevant to your followers on each.

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Content Marketing Commandment 4: Refine Your Distribution Channels

Sharing across social media is great, but don’t let

automation turn you into a spammer. Focus on 2 or 3

social media sites and use automation carefully.

Or in simpler terms: you

should be active on the sites

that are popular with your

target market.

Smaller social media

platforms like Quora or

Pinterest can lead to better

engagement if they are

popular with your audience.

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Content Marketing Commandment 5: Find Your (Social) Niche

There are a lot of social media sites out there. Too

many for a small business owner or professional to

be active on them all. Pick the ones that matter most

to your target demographic.

Content marketing is almost never a one-way street. Even if you’re only publishing blog posts and whitepapers, you can expect feedback in the form of comments and questions.

Be ready to engage positively and proactively in order to build a good reputation in the online community.

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Content Marketing Commandment 6: Be Ready for Feedback

For every one person who asks a question, you can

be sure that there are many more who will be

watching to see how you respond. Always keep the

tone positive and productive.

Don’t be afraid to link out to other blogs, infographics, and articles on the web. If you found a great idea on a different website that inspired your blog post, say so.

Your audience will recognize the fact that you link to quality resources and information, which in turn helps establish your own expertise.

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Content Marketing Commandment 7: Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Try to cultivate online relationships with sites that

serve the same target audience but with

complementary services – this allows for growth and

partnerships.

The only way to refine your content marketing is to track the metrics that matter the most to your bottom line.

If you use content as part of the conversion funnel –whitepapers for qualified leads, for example – keep track of how many of your leads actually interact with your content.

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Content Marketing Commandment 8: Track What Matters Most

Keep in mind that this can include social metrics as

well. Different types of content are needed for every

step of the conversion funnel.

You’ll get better results if your writing reflects your brand and comes across as genuine.

This is easiest when you write about those parts of your business that truly excite you and that you enjoy.

However, even if the topic isn’t your favorite, treat every piece of content you write as a chance to connect with your audience.

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Content Marketing Commandment 9: Be Genuine

Sometimes, being genuine can feel at odds with being

“official” or “professional”. The best way to keep the

balance is to use the same tone in your writing that

you use when talking to a client or prospect.

Content marketing is an art as well as a science, and there’s no one way to do it “right”. Finding what works for you may take a few days, a few weeks, or even a few months.

Take your cues from the engagement level of your audience and adjust your efforts accordingly for the best returns.

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Content Marketing Commandment 10: Be Flexible

In the end, what you are looking for is balance

between the content you create, the engagement your

content produces, and the benefits to both you and

your target audience.

My name is Ereika Stimley and I help small businesses and

independent professionals establish online expertise, grow their online

audiences, and improve conversions through planning and executing

content and conversion optimization strategies.

(All of which is a very long way of saying I show you how to use content

to grow your business and make more sales.)

If you have any questions, please get in touch and let’s talk about how I

can help you.

Need More Help? Let’s Talk.