A core element of any digital marketing strategy that is going to be successful is the creation of content. The medium, the subject matter, and the amount of content created will vary significantly depending on the niche it is for and the goals of the digital marketing campaign it is a part of.
However, what should not differ, regardless of which business the content is created for, are key principles that must be applied and adhered to if the content marketing strategy is to achieve its aims. We trust that the basics, such as quality and not plagiarizing content, are a given, but other important principles exist that may not be as well known to those creating content. Slinky Digital (slinkydigital.com.au) has outlined five of the most important foundational principles for you below.
Define Your Goals
One of the biggest digital marketing mistakes businesses make concerning content creation is that they set out with no clear objectives for that content. In other words, no matter how well written it is, unless the content has a purpose and has been written to that end, then all it is, is a great piece of writing, nothing more.
When planning content, decide what each piece is to achieve. Examples include social media posts, lead generation, blog content, external content to generate backlinks, or SEO purposes to improve rankings.
Determine What Audience You Are Targeting
If your content is created without the audience being predetermined, it is akin to throwing darts at a dartboard whilst wearing a blindfold. You might randomly hit what targets you desire, but not very often.
Before any content is written, you must research what audiences you wish to target. This can be done via demographic research of your current clients, by creating personas for the type of customer you want to attract, and also by discovering the types of content they will most likely respond positively to.
Post Externally To Generate Backlinks
We have already mentioned some purposes that content can be put to, however, if you wish to improve your rankings on Google to attract increasing levels of organic traffic, then creating content to generate backlinks is essential.
Guesting posting is an excellent way to achieve this as, not only do you help increase the authority of your website in the eyes of Google, but you can also generate traffic directly from the other website, especially if the content you post there is of outstanding quality.
Create Content Which Will Generate Leads
Lead generation should also be one of the purposes which you set your content to achieve. Depending on your niche you can create content that can turn casual visitors into genuine leads.
One way this is achieved is by offering ‘gated’ free products related to your business which the prospect can obtain by providing their email address. Examples include eBooks, videos, and even a free online course.
Ensure Your Content Is SEO-Friendly
We have already highlighted how your external content can help your rankings, but now we focus on the content which you post on your website. This also needs to be created to satisfy Google so that they regard your website as one which offers quality content.
Apart from the quality, key SEO aspects of the content such as relevant keywords and an optimised title need to be in place as do elements such as alt text in images and tags, for example.