Content marketing is a powerful tool that is necessary to any company’s success and positive ROI. Yet, like anything, it takes time to learn how to best generate and implement powerful digital marketing strategies. Good content marketing is about reaching your audience in a way that is driven through the most impactful means. Those means are determined by what, when, and where content is shared.

It sounds simple enough, but gaining traction and “buzz” in the saturated world of content is not as easy as in the early days of social media. Companies used to be able to posts photos or short articles on Twitter, and that was all that was necessary. In a way, a company’s simple presence was enough. Content marketing now requires more attention to detail and new approaches to delivery. It’s about engaging your audience in a seamless and impactful way.

Here are some indispensable tips to show how to get the most out of your content marketing and ensure that it connects with and influences your audience.

What

In an ideal world, you should create as much quality content as often as possible. The content creation aspect of content marketing does not have to be limited to a sole copywriter. The basic arsenal of any company with a strong content marketing presence is SEO-optimized webpages, infographics, regular blogs, and videos. These are the foundation of a content marketing campaign, but the there are many other creative possibilities.

Convince and Convert has a list of 105 types of content you can develop. In a mix of different content types, they include infographics and webpage examples in a blog format, which is a concise, influential, and proven successful format.

In addition to creating large amounts of quality content, effective implementation of the content can become complex. After investing the time to generate quality content, you must also utilize it. According to Forbes, 60% of B2B content goes unused. That’s far too much content to go unused, essentially wasting a businesses resources. The solution: Use your content wherever possible!

When

After you have your content creation engine up and running, you want to use it. But how do you know when to utilize it? Understanding when to post comes down to several items including but not limited to: SEO, your knowledge of your audience, and dynamic response.

First, you must have quality SEO and proper keywords. Without it, finding your company and content is like looking for a needle in a haystack. After investing the time and money to generate the best content, you want people to find it. Optimize your web presence through an extensive SEO overhaul. Knowing when to post is irrelevant, if no one be able to find your company online.

Determining when to post and where depends strongly on your audience. Business audiences primarily read and view digital content during work hours. Consumers tend to have peak media consumption in the evenings and weekends, though they also consistently read and share throughout the workday as well. The most important thing here is to experiment. Try posting blogs at different times on different days. Measure when your content has the most views, engagement, etc. so that you can best take advantage of audience’s attention.

Once you know when your content has the most pick up, the next step is to be consistent. Post your blogs on a regular schedule at those days and times you found most effective. Share content on your social media platforms daily at optimum times with post scheduling software. Lapses in expected content can upset your readership and send them seeking insight and entertainment elsewhere.

Finally, responding to your audience and interpreting their experiences and comments is just as important as creating attractive content. It is also one of the key factors in determining the best timing. With a plethora of available content, you can not only determine the best time for sharing content, but also actively engage with your audience through interactive content as well.

Where

Where to display and share your content marketing is a continually moving target. Your company’s main website and blog serve as a great base platform. In addition, you have many social platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat.

With proper knowledge of your target audience, you will also have information about where best to reach them. For example, Pinterest offers a great platform for sharing photos, infographics, and other visual content. It is used widely by companies from Whole Foods to West Elm for consumer audiences, especially women. Everyone from food lovers, to quilters, and designers can find and connect with meaningful content.

Similarly, business use of Snapchat is on the rise. Convince and Convert share a great example of how even GrubHub used Snapchat to find a summer intern, which is a great example of interactive and audience-oriented content.

Again experimentation can help determine what the best platform is for each of your different types of content. Blogs should go on your website but can also be shared through LinkedIn on Tumblr. Images work great on Twitter and Instagram. Video should go on your website as well as YouTube and Facebook, not to mention some other platforms depending on length. Infographics work great on almost every platform. Test out various content on the different options. You may be surprised what goes viral where.

By understanding what to post, when to post, and where to post, you can empower your company’s content marketing and endear your brand to your audience. Stay consistent, stay on brand and have fun with it!

Should you have any questions or would like more information about content marketing, please just contact us.