When writing out a blog post, many content marketers do not think about how that one piece plays into their whole content marketing strategy. Content marketing is not just composing one piece of content, publishing it for an audience, and waiting to see what happens. Rather, it is about developing an entire strategy that creates personal and engaging relationships with customers. Your content marketing strategy must be consistent, well thought-out, and constantly developing in order to create these relationships. How can your strategy obtain these characteristics? By embracing these 3 must-haves for a better content marketing strategy.
1. Consistent tone
With everything you do – from the about page on your website to your 100th blog post – you must maintain a consistent tone. Having a different tone among your content will only serve to confuse your readers and turn away potential customers. While this may be a big challenge to face, it is important to make sure each piece of content produced has the same tone and voice. To understand the importance of maintaining a consistent tone, think about it this way: every piece of content your company produces lends to the customer experience. Your customers interact with the content you generate, so it’s important to make sure they all convey the same message to your audience.
2. Clear design
There is nothing more frustrating to a user than not being able to navigate the website of a new company he or she is interested in. With Google and other popular search engines, it is now easier than ever for consumers to find your competitors in a few seconds or less. If a consumer cannot find what they need on your website, they will instantly look for your competitors. Make sure you have a clear design on your website to avoid this situation. Ensure that your website is user-friendly and easy to navigate so your customers can find exactly what they need without hesitation or frustration.
3. Future-oriented
So you’ve published your content, people are engaging with it, and you think that is the end of the story. However, this is only the beginning. Just because your content is online does not mean it should stay there forever. You may want to consider the shelf life of each piece of content you produce. Or you may want to consider the ways in which you can repurpose this content in the future. While producing content to engage with readers is important, you also want to make sure each piece of content you produce is relevant and engaging. If a blog post you published several years ago is outdated and no longer relevant, delete it! Having more content should not come at a cost to the quality of your content.
Constantly generating and producing content for your company is essential to its achievements. To ensure that your content marketing is as successful as it can be, remember to maintain focus on the holistic strategy you have developed. Keep your website up-to-date, stay consistent with your voice, and revisit content that has been published in the past. These 3 must-haves will help grow your content marketing strategy and ensure its success in the future.