Business Advice

Content Marketing Strategy

5 Foundations Of A Successful Content Marketing Strategy

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.

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How much is your business worth?

The definition of fair market value is a business is worth what a willing buyer is willing to pay. Too many people believe that their business is worth more than it is. Unlike a house, you cannot compare your business to the one down the street. No two businesses are identical. Even franchises are different, one location has more sales, more profits therefore the valuation will be different for each separate business. All you can go by is ask a reasonable amount based on the valuation methods traditionally used in the marketplace.

A business is not worth more because you have a client who an exceptional client however if the sales are only $10,000 per annum, it is not a big account. Your company is not worth a premium because you have a premium client but does not generate a lot of sales. Yes, they may buy more in the future but you are selling the business based on what it did in the past and not what the new investor can do in the future.

Some businesses have huge cash flow however their financial statements may show little profit. Why – the company has significant assets which are being depreciated annually The assets were purchased in prior years but the amortization reduces the profits of the company. Banks look at the cash flow the business and can see that it is positive however they still look at retained earnings and if depreciation reduces retained earnings, the banks factor that into the borrowing ability of the business. The banker may say that they look at cash flow only but if you find out about their lending model, it is based on the balance sheet and the income statement, not just the income statement.

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What is a start up business?

A start up business is any business which has been created from an idea and has no history of sales, failure or success. This could be a clone of someone else’s business however this is the first business of this type created by this entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur is a person who is a risk taker. He/she is willing to place a large bet on the success of their idea. They could put a lot of money into the business or just time. They are willing to try a new idea even though others think that it may not succeed.

Advantages of a start up:

  • you are your own boss
  • freedom for creativity
  • no constraints by bosses, you are the boss
  • ability to take risks and enjoy rewards of success
  • no rules to follow
  • can change direction or strategy of business on a moments notice
  • owner controls all aspects of business

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What is an angel investor?

An angel investor is a high risk investor looking to put some play money into multiple different ventures.
Typically these are non bankable ventures, very risky, often start ups.
Angel investors are there when no bank will finance you, when your credit cards are at the max.
Angel investors typically do not put money into your company for you to pay off your debts or creditors.

They only put money in when they know that it will be used for going forward in the business, for expanding the business but never for paying past debts and definitely not for the owner to get some money out of the company.

Because they participate in risky ventures, angel investors look for a high rate of return.

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