Will the topic of "content marketing" remain one of the buzzwords of 2021? Probably! And: an end is not really in sight. The reason for this is as simple as it is inspiring. If implemented correctly, your own content marketing can become an effective tool when it comes to continuously acquiring new customers online - namely organically!
This should be reason enough for start-ups to at least take a brief look at this marketing discipline. In the medium to long term, content marketing may even mean that the telephone receiver no longer needs to be picked up for the unloved "cold calling".
How content marketing can be defined, what the structure of a strategy looks like in practice and, above all, how this marketing discipline can be effectively integrated into your own organisation. Marketing mix is integrated, we would like to take a closer look in this article.
Definition and tips on content marketing
Content marketing now has countless definitions. However, knowing all of them in detail is much less important than understanding the common denominators of all definitions at their core and applying them to your own marketing.
Content marketing is essentially about producing content that creates added value for your own target group. Naturally, the content should be related to your own product or service. The relevant content thus becomes an effective part of your own communication strategy, as it increases interest in your own products and skilfully takes the potential customer from one stage of the "Sales funnels" in the next one.
Depending on the form of content, profitable actions can usually be generated for your own start-up. For example, making contact via a lead form, arranging an initial meeting or even a direct purchase! Whether B2B or B2C is irrelevant in this case. Only the content needs to be customised to the respective product or target group and placed in the right places. After all, only then can the target group really consume the content.
Key questions that need to be answered before implementing a content marketing strategy
Who do we actually want to reach with our content? This question needs to be answered in detail before implementation! Because only those who know their target group in detail can effectively reach them with the right content. As a team, you should always take time for this first, important step. After all, data points such as the age and position of the target group only scratch the surface.
Which social media channels does the target group use? At what times are they online? How do they prefer to consume content? What open issues regularly hinder the sales process? What does someone need to know in order to make an informed initial contact? And, and, and!
These are just a few questions that can help you define the right content marketing strategy. The deeper and more precisely your own target group can be analysed, the more precisely appropriate content can be developed for them. Of course, the original strategy will evolve accordingly over the months. After all, your own target group and its corresponding needs also change.
The path to developing a customised strategy
Keyword "strategy": when it comes to content marketing, it is particularly important not to look for a "one fits all" solution! Because what's right for one startup doesn't necessarily have to be right for your own team - even if your own company wants to sell a similar product for a comparable target group!
This is because successful content marketing incorporates many factors that are crucial for subsequent success. One of these factors is to continuously create content that appeals to your own target group on the one hand and can be continuously produced by your own team - or by appropriate service providers - on the other. In order to produce content yourself on an ongoing basis, the content must be enjoyable and play to your own strengths. Content production by external service providers requires a corresponding monthly budget.
Content can take many forms and always be effective. Some prefer to use blog posts to reach their own target group. Others feel more comfortable producing video content. The important thing is to quickly find your own strengths and consistently follow them through. Because if you copy the strategy of others without having fun, you will not only not implement this strategy for long, but will probably not achieve any success with it either.
Skilfully involve the whole team in your own content marketing
Not only marketers can produce efficient content for their own content marketing strategy. The beauty of this discipline is that the entire team can usually be integrated into the process. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved, right?
Don't worry! Of course, this doesn't mean that everyone has to stand in front of the camera or write blog posts! However, you are well advised to find ways to extract the knowledge of the entire team and package it into valuable content for your own target group. The form this takes varies from team to team.
Once a rough path has been found, both the idea generation and creation process can be systematised. This allows you to maximise the efficiency of your team over the months. In addition, the topic does not take up more hours per week than originally estimated.
It makes sense to carry out a large-scale brainstorming session, especially at the start of your own ambitions. Not only should fresh ideas be collected here, but also the most important topics relating to your own start-up and its offering. These ideas can then be effectively moulded into suitable content forms and set out in an editorial plan. In this way, the biggest enemy of content marketing - namely your own "lack of ideas" - is successfully cancelled out right from the start!
A good content marketing strategy is as unique as the startup itself!
A successful content marketing strategy depends on many factors. It is essential to focus on your own target group, the strengths of your own team and, above all, continuity. After all, first-class rankings on Google will not happen overnight. Here in particular, it is important to keep at it and continuously fill your own blog with high-quality content.
Even if it may not seem like it to many at first glance, successful content marketing does not depend on regularly solving and working through extremely difficult issues. As a rule, it is much more about implementing the simple and obvious things particularly well on a long-term basis. Then the desired successes in connection with content marketing will also materialise - and life as a startup will be much more pleasant!
Richard Dihen
Founder and managing director of the social media agency Di.Ri Social Media
In his workshops, he helps start-ups and SMEs to find the right strategies
for your own social media marketing.