Creating Demand Through Effective Marketing

How do you know what your customers want?  Many times, a business owner and executive team make the mistake of thinking what THEY want is what the consumers want.  But, we’ve all heard the phrase, “consumers drive market”.  So, why do so many ignore that?

Before investing any money in marketing, ask yourself: Do you know what your customers want? Do you think your customers trust your products? Do you have reviews confirming what they think?

The answers are directly related to marketing.  

How you market your business determines if the enterprise will be successful or not. In turn, what people truly think of your product or service determines how you should market. Marketing is a tool used to create and maintain demand, relevance, reputation, competition and more.

1. Marketing Is an Effective Way (if done correctly) of Engaging Customers

It’s important for your business to engage its customers. The right marketing helps to keep the conversation going.

Engaging customers is different from pushing your offers. Engaging involves furnishing your customers with relevant information about your products and your business as well. Tell your customers what they don’t know. Let it be interesting and worth their time.

Social media is one of the best platforms where you can engage your customers. Some organizations use short videos and other humor-laden tricks to engage their customer base. Do NOT use social media to just announce deals, events, new products, etc.  Use it to engage and get a feel for what the audience wants.

Marketing gives your customers a sense of belonging when you engage them.

2. Marketing Helps to Build and Maintain your Company’s Reputation

The growth and life span of your business is positively correlated to your business’s reputation. Your reputation determines your brand equity.

A majority of marketing activities should be geared towards building your brand equity.

A business’ positive reputation is gained when it effectively meets the expectations of its customers. The customers become proud to be associated with your products.  And expert marketers use effective communication, branding, PR and CSR strategies to ensure that a business’s reputation is maintained.

3. Marketing Helps to Build Relationships

Businesses need to build a relationship of trust and understanding with their customers. Marketing research segments should be based on demographics and consumer behavior.

Segmentation helps the business meet or exceed the needs of its customers. This makes the customers brand loyal. Loyal customers will have the confidence to purchase more products and services from you.

4. Marketing Is a Communication Channel Used to Inform Customers

Marketing informs your customers about the products or services you’re offering them. Through marketing, the customers get to know about the value of the products as it pertains to them. It helps create brand awareness and makes the business stand out.

There’s stiff competition in any industry and you need to be a constant voice to convince the customers that you are the one to choose. Through communication, marketing helps your business become a market leader.

5. Marketing Helps to Boosts Sales

Marketing utilizes different ways to promote your products or services and arms the sales team with a consistent, cohesive message and collateral material.

Customer are more apt to become brand ambassadors when they are happy with your sales agents, products and services. They will spread the word and your sales will increase.

Ensure you offer high-quality products and services and a great customer experience to complement your marketing efforts.

6. Marketing Helps Your Business to Maintain Relevance

Every marketer understands the need for disrupting a potential consumer’s opinion about other products. Most businesses assume that they will always remain the client’s favorite brand because they’ve never expressed a complaint. Wrong. You need to find ways to remain at the top of the client’s mind.

Every relationship needs to be maintained. Marketing helps your business to maintain a good relationship with customers by helping you remain relevant.

It’s a lot harder to gain new customers than keeping current ones.  Shift the focus to making current customers happy and they can become your brand ambassadors.

7. Marketing Creates Revenue Options

During the startup phase, your options are sparse since you’re mostly cash-strapped. This means marketers need to be creative and frugal in getting you and keeping you in the forefront of customers’ minds.

As your marketing strategies generate more customers and revenue opportunities, you’ll begin having options.  New options will lead to the ability to penetrate new markets.  What’s more?  You can start weeding out the clients who are too demanding or just ‘don’t get it’.

8. Marketing Helps Management Make Informed Decisions

Every business is confronted with problems such as to what, when, for whom and how much to produce. Businesses should rely on marketing mechanisms to make these decisions.

Why? Because they serve as a reliable link between your business and society. They cultivate people’s mind, educate the public and convince them to buy.

Marketing Can Give You Competitive Advantage

Your competitor is actively marketing their product. So should you. The only way to gain a competitive advantage over your competition is aggressive and strategic marketing.

Don’t be sleazy or negative against your competitor. Simply conduct research on what your target market is expecting, and then find ways to deliver better products, services and customer experience.

Get Your Head IN The Clouds – Tips to Marketing Your Cloud Communications Business

Basic marketing principles can and should be implemented by all businesses in every industry.  However, some fields require extra thought – about industry growth, competition, end users and analytics – and your marketing team should be in the know if they want to effectively and efficiently market your business.  Let’s take cloud computing and software – not a sexy topic, but a booming realm nonetheless. As new cloud applications emerge and the landscape evolves, vendor collaboration will continue to emerge as hybrid solutions unite public and private infrastructures under one management framework.

For marketers, these shifting buying habits means untapped opportunity. Ready or not, there are insights and tactics marketers should take advantage of — and win over — the changing cloud marketplace.

Before diving into strategies for cloud providers to succeed in their marketing efforts, here are a few unique challenges to consider when it comes to your customer’s shifting approaches to Cloud Service Providers.

1. Strengthening decision-maker relationships

It’s extremely difficult to win over the entire buying committee. If your organization does not have existing relationships with primary decision-makers and influencers, breaking outside of the IT room can be difficult.  So, start small…start now.

2. Meeting new security risks and demands

Cloud services have a bad reputation when it comes to security risk. It’s your responsibility to proactively address concerns early and often with prospective clients. Start by sharing exactly what measures your organization is taking to create high-quality, secure cloud network.

3. Storytelling

The cloud technology market is flooded, and it’s tough to cut through those leading the pack to tell your unique story. Hone your pitch into a few pieces of engaging and concise content that is easily consumable. This takes time, money, and bandwidth that many marketers do not always have. The best content is educational — cloud buyers span multiple verticals and levels of expertise and it’s your job to bring them up to speed.

4. Falling behind the curve

Products, services and initiatives are constantly changing in the market, and these shifts are not slowing down. For cloud-based companies that get caught behind the times, the results could be disastrous. Keep educated on the direction the industry is headed in order to stay ahead of the curve.

Stand Out and Stand Above Competition

In order to overcome the aforementioned challenges, you must find ways to stand out in a robust and ever-changing market.

1. Position your company as more than a cloud vendor; position it as a differentiated IT partner

 Consumer CSPs have essentially made cloud computing a household name, but more can be done with cross-model expertise when it comes to public, private, and hybrid solutions. As CSPs become an integral part of IT strategy, companies must make known that they are more than just another vendor. Show how your product will lead to stronger, more successful organizations — and showcase your differentiating factors. Is it data encryption that is compliant with industry regulation? Is it speed and business availability when data recovery must be done quickly? Is it location and storage power? How important is your customer experience and transparency? Offering remote management and accessible support teams will put executives at ease and put you above the rest.

2. Leverage Account Based Marketing (ABM) to target both prospects and customers to upsell and grow your business

Adopting an Account Based Marketing (ABM) strategy is a powerful way to increase your brand’s relevance and drive ROI from your marketing efforts. Find ways to get you in front of the contacts and decision-makers that matter most, enabling you to become a stronger, more visible force within cloud’s competitive landscape.

3. Help customers understand the level of security your cloud service can provide

Many consumers still believe that cloud services do not have the same level of security that the data center does. Your company needs to help customers understand that this is no longer the case. Educate them on the ways that your solution can provide enterprise-grade security that extends beyond the capabilities of the data center.

4. Fill in your customer's storage gaps

Again, position your organization as a strategic IT partner. Your customers may have holes in their offerings around storage, and you can provide the platform for marketing and selling their data management and hosting services. By understanding their unique needs, you can fill the gaps and provide a more holistic service.

Cloud marketers have a huge responsibility, which is only going to increase in complexity as new solutions are introduced to the market and competition continues to roar. Companies need to stay ahead of the curve and continually seek to understand the changing cloud market and find new and innovate ways to reach and educate target audiences.

Effectively Marketing Your Global Software Company

There is a lot of content out in the cyber sphere to help small business owners and entrepreneurs develop and implement their marketing strategy.  We’ve written a lot about that too.  But, it is important to note that global companies benefit from a strategic and concise marketing plan as well. 

More often than not, national and international companies have large teams dedicated to the entire marketing spectrum.  But, it’s tough to manage such a large team, hold them accountable and obtain the KPIs needed to determine if the ROI is positive or not.

It’s also tough to determine the starting point.

Let’s take a global software company as an example.  A strong marketing strategy for this industry isn’t as easy as it may sound.  Tech marketers have to clearly convey the complexities of their products and services, while fighting for a spot among a market flooded with new technologies. To stand out, you need to take your brand’s marketing strategy to the next level.

Developing a Quality Marketing Strategy for Software Companies

It isn’t enough to get a few placements in a trade publication or invest in a few Google Ad Words to achieve maximum brand exposure. A good marketing strategy for software companies requires a multi-platform approach backed by an experienced, talented team that can turn the spotlight toward your company and products.

• Tell your brand’s unique, personal story. Many tech companies make the mistake of giving in to overly technical jargon in their communications. While you need to explain exactly what your software offers, don’t forget to personalize your marketing efforts. Tell the story of how your software has changed businesses for the better. Also, weigh in on broader conversations in your industry to establish yourself as a thought leader.  What is the problem you are solving and what do customers have to say about it?
• Understand who is buying your product. When it comes to software, the buyer journey isn’t always obvious (especially for B2B companies) because the user isn’t necessarily the one making purchasing decisions. A marketing strategy for software companies might target buyers, users, purchase influencers and even the C-suite. You need to develop thorough, accurate buyer personas that guide your web design and digital marketing process to ensure you’re reaching the people who actually make buying decisions. Decision makers receive a lot of proposals and pitches – make sure yours speaks to their needs and include the differentiator.
• Invest in social media for the long run. It’s easy to build a Facebook page, but it’s harder to master the platform. You need to commit to investing time and money in your social strategy. While many companies quickly dole out social media responsibilities to part-time interns, use an experienced, talented communicator that can effectively represent your brand. More often than not, you get what you pay for.  Understand where your target audience is getting their information and invest in those platforms accordingly.
• Employ a steady, consistent SEO strategy. Like social media, SEO is not necessarily a quick and easy endeavor. A robust online presence comes gradually. Don’t abandon your SEO efforts if you don’t see immediate effects. To get real results, you need consistent keyword research and shareable content that will cement your website as an information hub and boost rankings on search engines. Again, what is the problem your product or service addresses?  What are your prospective clients searching for?  Do you have the right terms embedded in the content throughout your website, marketing collateral and other platforms?

If you work for a software company or other technical company, make sure you employ the right team to translate and properly promote your services.  The landscape for your industry is quite competitive, so you have to be smart in how you define, promote and sell your products.  

If you don’t have the budget of a Fortune 500 company, but do compete with them, contact the team at SK Consulting.  Our dedicated team helps maximize your exposure while minimizing your cost.  From concept to creation to implementation – we’re there for you every step of the way!

Marketing: An Essential Investment. Not a Replaceable Cost.

Marketing can mean many things to different people.  Some use the term interchangeably with branding or advertising.  But, really, marketing is the umbrella of all services to from messaging to branding to positioning to selling.  In essence, marketing is the act of persuading people to buy a product or service.

However, it’s not just ANY product or service – you need to convince customers to buy YOUR product or service, not your competitor’s.

The marketing realm is getting harder and harder to navigate.  Not only is competition in your specific industry fierce, but so is the marketing landscape.  There are a variety of mediums, channels and resources to ‘help’ push out your product or service.  But, which one is the best for your business?  The more avenues that open, the lower your reach in any specific medium.

Today’s world is changing.  Attention spans are smaller.  The market space is larger.  And the introduction of GDPR last year has given marketers a whole new challenge. Nailing down a marketing strategy today is like trying to hit a moving target.

If it’s hard for marketing professionals, imagine trying to conquer the field on your own.  You see, there are two types of capital – time and money.  Would you rather spend your time learning every nuance of marketing and hope your strategy works or would you rather spend your money on a marketing professional(s) who gets it?  The latter frees up your time to do what you do best – YOUR BUSINESS.

As a full-service marketing business, we get it.  Talking about money with entrepreneurs or small businesses is difficult because they are on a shoe-string budget.  And, as mentioned before, many organizations are wary of where to apply the bulk of their budget since there are many different channels and strategies in which to invest.

Admit it – every company needs marketing – even marketing companies. Whether you have a product, service or an idea, it requires support and encouragement to make its way into the world.

When SK Consulting started, we focused on local businesses and non-profits.  As time passed, our portfolio grew, as did our services.  We have built upon our brand and offer a unique business model to local, regional and global organizations.  We work for businesses with varying budgets because we know, like snowflakes, no two businesses are alike.   Templates are not the answer. Customization is.

This is how we sell our service.  Yes, marketing is an investment. At SK Consulting, we provide you options.  Hourly.  Project-by-project.  Retainer.  We provide options so that you can see for yourself that an investment in the right marketing is a positive investment in your company.

The Marketing Sell

So why isn’t marketing an easy sell? It’s about positioning and perception. Some marketing agencies promise way too much ‘return on investment.’ But all benefits can’t be measured.  There is qualitative return AND quantitative return.  The fact of the matter is – if a marketing company doesn’t deliver, the relationship sours as does their reputation.

That being said, your marketing company should promise SOMETHING!  Deliverables.  Dedication.  Availability.  Strategy.  Research. Budget Recommendations.  The list goes on. Agencies that don’t promise anything, in fear of falling short, are doing themselves a disservice. This makes selling marketing solutions harder because there’s no visible benefit for the buyer.

When and Where to Invest

Again, marketing isn’t an expense, it’s an investment in the company. From product and package design to how many words are on the front page of your website, everything that communicates with the customer is a marketing decision, and therefore an investment in your business’ future. If you engage with the right kind of agency, marketing won’t cost you money in the long run – it’ll make you money. Just like with any investment, you have to part with your cash in the initial stages and put your trust in sensible and well-practiced predictions to see a return.

Marketing is not an expense the way a box of pens or internet service is an expense. Every social media profile, radio ad, or tweet directly impacts your business’ bottom line. If these things (or any marketing initiative) have the power to sell a product or service, and we know for a fact they do, then failing to utilize them properly, or at all, is business suicide.

Essentially, if expense is what you’re focused on, marketing will always be scary or frustrating.

It doesn’t have to be. Allow yourself to see marketing as a direct investment from which strong bottom lines flow. Conversely, bad marketing chokes off the flow of strong sales, allowing competitors and substitute products to cut off a chunk of pie originally meant for you. Marketing is the science of investing in your business and your products for the long-term (not focusing obsessively on early ROI – ESPECIALLY if you are a new business). The money might not flow right away, but the investment will pay off.

Keep building the plan, much the way you’d build a house. If done correctly, the sum will end up greater than the parts. Like anything in life, you simply must invest wisely.  When looking at marketing partners, don’t look at the cost of their services.  Look at the value they bring to your overall brand.  Shop around.  Find the best fit for you and your organization.  In the end, you won’t see a return if you don’t invest.

Your Personal Brand Determines Your Success

Personal branding is more than just a 30-second elevator pitch used to introduce yourself. While it is important to quickly and concisely explain who you are and what you can bring to the table, personal branding goes much deeper than that; it is a vital key to small businesses and entrepreneur success.

What Is Branding?

The definition of brand has evolved over time. Today, when most businesses talk about their brand, they are referring to the thoughts, ideas and feelings people associate with it and the image they are trying to convey to their target audience. Brand marketing is a way companies promote their products and services in order to attain the desired perception, distancing themselves from the competition and creating a bond with their customers.

What Is Personal Branding?

Just as a business’ brand is a representation of the company’s image as others see it, personal branding is the way others see you. It is what sets you apart from the world – what makes you uniquely you.

Why Personal Branding Is Important

As small business owners and entrepreneurs, your personal brand can be the strongest marketing tool you have. It can get your foot in the door with potential clients and help you establish a reputable standing in your industry.

1. Your business is tied to your name.

When it comes to new businesses, your name can be more valuable than the business itself. Who would you rather do business with: the company whose owner is constantly missing deadlines or the owner who goes above and beyond to deliver what is promised and then some? By having a strong, positive personal brand, you set your business up for success.

2. It answers why someone wants to work with you.

Being transparent with your views and opinions helps potential clients easily decide if they can envision working with you. If clients establish that their values are aligned with what your name represents, they will feel confident in their decision to work with your company. Your brand is also a way to show what you know and what you are passionate about.

3. It sets you apart from competitors.

By taking the time to define your personal brand, you’ll stand out from competitors. Even if you offer similar products or services, your personal branding can highlight what makes you different (or better) than anyone else. Ask yourself what makes you unique and build on that.

How To Build Your Brand

Everyone has a name. While your name is how your brand is identified, building the reputation to go with it requires time and hard work.

1. Define who you are.

What are the top three things you want people to know about you?  What are the top three things you want people to know about your business?  Take a look at where the two meet and start building your brand there.  Essentially, what do you believe in, stand for and excel in?  By being true to who you are and owning your strengths and weaknesses you build trust.

2. Speak up and share your knowledge.

Once you know who you are, the next step is sharing what you know. Don’t be afraid to speak up and offer your experiences and insights to your audience. By being open to answering questions, you will start to build yourself and your brand as an authority figure people will look to for answers.

Do not be closed off to people who have different opinions and views than your own. Remaining open to feedback can help you increase your knowledge of the topics being discussed.

3. Get your words out there.

Another way to share your knowledge and build your authority is by writing articles and participating in interviews. As you build your coverage and are quoted in more articles, your brand’s credibility will also increase. Blogs are a great tool to share your knowledge with the world in written form. What makes them even better is that writing with keywords in mind has the added benefit of making it easier for potential clients to find you through SEO.

4. Get connected online.

As you build your personal brand, make sure your message is consistent across all platforms. By keeping your message and information uniform it will be easier for people to find and follow you. When was the last time you searched for your name online? Do you remember what came up in the results? You need to be aware of how you look online so you can make sure what you want people to see is what is out there. It is a continual process of monitoring and improving.

5. Never stop learning

The world is constantly and swiftly changing and evolving. Stay on top of the latest trends and new technologies for your industry to increase your personal brand authority. If you are not striving to move forward, you’re sinking in place.

6. Share the conversation.

Follow the 80/20 rule.

While you want everyone to know who you are and what you are about, it shouldn’t always be about you. In social settings, do you only talk about yourself? If you do, people probably don’t stick around!

The same principle should be applied to your personal branding efforts.

• 80 percent of your content should engage with your followers through material that is not related to yourself or your business. Ask questions, show interest in others and be genuine in your contact.
• 20 percent should be self-promotional, informing individuals about your brand and any promotions or updates you may have.

By sharing the conversation with others, you open up the floor to engaging and interesting topics, meeting new people and creating a positive environment for people to follow.

If you are struggling to develop a personal brand that is clear, concise and consistent, contact the experts at SK Consulting.  From concept to creation to implementation – we’re there with you every step of the way!

More than a Plan. You Need a Marketing STRATEGY!

No matter what kind of organization you own or work for, developing a marketing strategy affects every aspect of your business. A successful strategy is well thought out and presents measurable goals. The end result of your marketing strategy should be something that improves sales for your business.

Designing a marketing strategy can be daunting. Especially, if you are not a marketing guru. At SK Consulting, we help walk you through the process of developing an effective marketing strategy without getting overwhelmed. Having a functioning and fluid marketing strategy will set you apart from your competition and set you up for success.

Researching and understanding your market is a big part of the process. This is not a process where you want to skip to the end. That will not guarantee you the best results.

What are the key parts of developing your marketing strategy? The first is to clarify your business goals.

Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Your Business

The best way to set your business goals is by using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. Smart goals are identified as specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-sensitive goals. Don’t be vague. Instead of making your goal, “get more customers.” A more effective goal would be, “reach x customers by y date.”

This goal clearly states a tangible achievement in a certain period of time. S.M.A.R.T. goals allow you to track your progress and celebrate small wins or re-evaluate your marketing strategy down the road.

Identify Your Marketing Goals Based on Your Business Goals
Next, you should identify your marketing goals. Your marketing goals should also be S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Your marketing goals function as an action item for your overall business goals. Whatever goal you set for your marketing strategy, it should lead to the outcome that you want for your business (i.e. reach x customer segment by y date).

Your marketing goals should not change constantly. They should be a steady goal that can be increased or revised once your previous goal is achieved.

Learn Your Market
It’s hard to surpass your competition if you don’t know what they or your potential customers are doing. Getting to know your market is key for you to develop your marketing strategy. Know and understand demographics, size, social trends and growth so that you can create a strategy that is relevant.

Continuous research will allow you to tweak your marketing strategy over time to keep it targeted and applicable to your market.

Create Potential Customer Profiles
After you’ve researched your market, it’s time to dig deeper.

You will want to create profiles of your potential customers so that you understand who you are trying reach. Your marketing plan should be highlighting your potential customers’ needs and providing a solution.

For this, you will have to understand the needs of your potential customers and their buying trends.

Understanding your potential customer will allow you to develop a marketing strategy that specifically targets them.  Remember, just because you like something doesn’t mean consumers will.  People want to feel like you understand what they want and that you are providing them a much-needed product or service.

Potential customer profiles can help you maintain a long-lasting relationship with your customer base. After all, the best kind of customer is a returning customer!

Get to Know the Competition

In order to develop a marketing strategy that yields results, identifying and understanding your competition is crucial. You cannot stay ahead of the competition if you do not know what they are doing.

You will want to identify your competitors’ products, supply chain, prices and marketing tactics.  What are they successful at?  What can you do better?  What opportunities are they missing? Learn what your competitors’ weaknesses are, and humbly acknowledge their strengths.

While scrutinizing your competition, it’s important to take a good, hard look at your own practices.  Analyzing your internal strengths and weaknesses will help you create and maintain your competitive edge. Where is your business falling short? How can you do it better?

Learn as much as you can about your competitors and stay in the know of any new developments in your industry.

Developing a Supporting Marketing Strategy Plan
Once you have completed all of the previous steps, you’ll have all the information you need to develop a marketing strategy!

If one of your goals is to reach a younger market segment, your strategy could be to increase your social media presence and offer discounts specifically for students or certain schools.

While you develop your marketing strategy, be sure to consider the 7 P’s of marketing: product, price, promotion, people, place, process and physical evidence.

SUMMARY

Once you develop a marketing strategy, give it a test run. Researching and testing your ideas will allow you to maintain a marketing strategy that is effective and successful.

Measure your results.  Establish your benchmarks.  Set a schedule to re-evaluate your results.

If you are overwhelmed with the thought of developing a marketing strategy, contact the experts at SK Consulting.  From Concept to Creation to Implementation – we’re there for you every step of the way!

Content Strategy, Content Marketing. What’s the Difference?

Content strategy and content marketing are often confused and treated as interchangeable words. But, they’re actually two very different things. 

To give you a visual – think of content marketing as a pie and content strategy as the plate on which it is set.  Tasty, but the difference goes deeper.

What is Content Marketing?

Think of content marketing as one aspect of your complete content strategy. It is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Typically, the content used for content marketing guides individuals through the sales funnel.  It serves to attract customers and build meaningful relationships with them. 

That includes content in the form of:

• Blog posts
• Case studies
• Social media posts
• eBooks
• Whitepapers
• Landing page copy
• Email marketing copy

All of these content types help to form the foundation of a content strategy. 

What is Content Strategy?

Content strategy refers to the overarching plan you have for every piece of content related to your business. Content strategy concerns itself with the vision—the ins and outs of how and why your content will be created, managed, and eventually archived or updated.

Think of content strategy as a building blueprint.

Blueprints are mapped out and confirmed before any building work begins. Your content strategy should work in the same way, outlining the objectives of your content, as well as the delivery of it.

However, content strategies shouldn’t be set in stone, either. New channels, devices and trends are constantly emerging.  Your strategy needs to be fluid enough to accommodate changes. Ask yourself the following before moving forward with content distribution:

• Why are we creating this content?
• What audiences do we want to address?
• What kind of actions and reactions do we want to achieve?
• How will we promote the content once it’s published?
• How will our audience find our content?
• Where and when will you be publishing your content?
• Who is in charge of creating your content?
• How will you maintain your brand style across various platforms?

Fully executing your content strategy will take a lot more than just answering the questions above, but they should help provide a workable foundation.

1. Set Measurable and Achievable Goals

In order to measure the success of your content marketing campaign, have clearly defined goals and objectives. Each piece of content should be created in order to achieve a desired end result. That might include more leads for your business, increased email sign-ups or more social media followers.

On the flip side, if you publish content based on a whim, you’ll fall short of adding to the message your brand was set up to convey, and end up diluting it instead. 

2. Build Journeys

In addition to aligning your content with your organization’s goals, you need to include the journey you want your audience to take. The content you publish on social media and on your website shapes that journey.

The goal of your content should be to speak to prospects at multiple points throughout their journey to inform them further and thus guide them down your sales funnel. From the time they first come in contact with your company, to when they finally make the decision to buy from you — you should have content for every step of the way.

3. Choose Content Types

Producing content is great, but what kind of content best conveys the message of your organization? You may want to consider things like infographics, YouTube videos, testimonials, and other content types to complement your standard blog posts.

4. Define Distribution and Promotion Channels

Once your content is created, where will you send it? Identifying the most relevant channels for your organization is the key to gaining more traffic and converting more customers. 

You need to think about the most suitable social networks to focus on.  Where does your audience live?  Are they on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn?  Find the online communities that allow for engagement with your current and prospect base.

5. Create an Editorial Calendar

Your content strategy and marketing efforts need to come together like clockwork, and this is where your editorial calendar comes into play. Your calendar should outline when and where content should be published, right down to the most active times of the day for each channel. 

Serving Separate Purposes

There is a significant overlap between content strategy and content marketing efforts — and yet they serve separate purposes.

Content strategy explains the whys and hows that overarch every piece of content created. Content marketing is made up of the processes that work to create and promote that content. 

Many organizations jump right into dishing out content before ever stopping to think about the underlying strategy. The solution is to implement both short-term and long-term content strategies that will help you build a focal point based upon your content marketing goals. 

Need help creating a content strategy?  SK Consulting can help!  From concept.  To creation.  To Implementation.  We’re there for you every step of the way!