7 Expert Tips for the Content Newbie

Are you a newbie to the world of content marketing? If so, you might be totally overwhelmed with the scope of the industry. Content marketing is more than just words—we’re talking about videos, graphics, e-books, blog posts, white papers and so much more. So where do you begin if you’re just starting out? Check out these seven tips for grasping the world of content.

1) Have a Content Marketing Plan and Stay Organized One of the most important things you’ll ever do for your content strategy happens before you even begin, and that’s creating a solid marketing plan. You might feel like you just want to dive in and start pushing content out the door, but doing so will only result in disorganization, lack of consistency and lackluster results. A content marketing editorial calendar is a valuable tool for content organization. Use an editorial calendar to schedule posts and topics in advance, so you don’t find yourself trying to come up with content ideas at the last minute. An editorial calendar also helps you stay accountable for producing content regularly.

2) Look Beyond the Written Word As you’re creating a plan, think about the different forms of content marketing that exist. Content is more than just words on a page, and content marketing includes a variety of formats, such as:

• Blog posts
• SEO landing pages
• White papers
• E-books
• Videos
• Webinars
• Infographics
• Image galleries
• Case studies
• Informative guides

All of these formats can be used somewhat interchangeably for a well-rounded content strategy that connects with various segments of your audience. What works for another company might not work for you, so you’ll need to test (and test some more) to find out what resonates most with your audience. An IT security firm, for example, may have a lot of success with longer forms of content such as downloadable white papers and reports, whereas a publisher of family safety information might get traction with their audience by publishing an informative buyer's guide to security cameras, and still yet a nutritional supplement company can publish a landing page on tips for keeping your immune system healthy as part of a content strategy designed to target an audience seeking health solutions. Those are a just a few examples of a range of real-world content marketing tactics in action to give you a better sense of what I'm talking about. But above all, when you’re formulating content ideas, think about your audience and the type of content you’re creating to help determine which asset type and content format best suits your goals.

3) Align Content with Your Other Marketing Initiatives Content marketing should never be used as a stand-alone strategy. Aligning content with your other marketing initiatives, and including it as one component of your overall marketing strategy, will net you more exposure and more results. Why spend time on a strategy that isn’t integrated with your other efforts? The lines between social media, SEO, email marketing and content marketing are pretty blurry. You’ll find yourself piggy-backing your content efforts with other initiatives, such as creating articles for guest blogging campaigns to build brand awareness, leveraging curated roundup posts to develop relationships within your niche, using your social media channels as distribution channels for your content, and so forth. So it makes sense to think about all these elements as a cohesive unit and plan how you’ll use one to capitalize on the other.

4) Use a Variety of Post Formats This tip goes along with the idea of piggy-backing your content strategy with other marketing initiatives, such as link building. There are tons of options within blog posts alone that add some versatility to your content efforts. Here are a few blog post formats to consider:

• Weekly roundups
• Question-and-answer
• How-to posts
• Industry event coverage
• Resource lists
• Tips lists
• Interviews

Using a variety of post formats for your blog is the best way to keep things interesting. If you regularly incorporate weekly roundups, lists and group interviews, you’re giving readers valuable takeaways—and that’s exactly the type of thing that keeps your audience thirsty for more. Certain types of posts are highly useful as part of a link-building strategy, as well. Roundups and resource lists, for instance, generate links and social mentions. If you compile a list of the best social media bloggers, for example, reach out and let them know you’ve given them a shout-out. They’re pretty likely to share the news with their own audience when they've been recognized for their work.

5) Be Consistent When it comes to content marketing, the key is to be consistent without being stuck in a rut. Throwing out a blog post every six months or so isn't going to build a dedicated reader base—they have little reason to return. You can be consistent and still keep it interesting. The best way to accomplish this is to create a strong foundation of consistent posts and stick to it. Then, offer a little something unexpected every so often. Your audience feels like they’re getting something special—and valuable—for free. This blog is an excellent example of consistency. Readers here have clear expectations; they know that every Friday, they’ll be presented with 25 of the best articles on inbound marketing for the week. They’re providing a valuable resource that readers can come to expect.

6) Think about Distribution and Syndication When you’re formulating your plan, you need to think beyond the content. How will you share it with your audience? Do you need to set up a blog? Do you have a ready-built, targeted social audience? Again, this is where the many facets of online marketing come together as one. Use a downloadable content resource (an e-book or white paper) to capture email addresses for your email marketing campaign, for example. You’ll be using social media and other tools to syndicate your content and generate readership. There are tons of distribution channels you can use for each piece of content you produce, including:

• Your blog (RSS and built-in audience)
• Email newsletters or announcements
• Your website (via a landing page or static content page)
• Social media networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, etc.)
• Bookmarking and syndication sites (Reddit, Scoop.it, Storify, Trap.it, etc.)
• Document and slide-sharing sites (SlideShare, DocStoc, Scribd, etc.)

You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. You can use much of your content in more ways than one and use a variety of distribution tactics. Re-purpose a series of blog posts into a longer e-book, for instance, or create a video to accompany a tutorial post. Think about the various ways you can re-work similar content into different formats and incorporate these plans into your editorial calendar, along with the distribution channels you plan to use for each.

7) Strike a Balance Between Quality and Quantity Finally, it’s critical to find the right balance between quality and quantity. It’s tempting to get as much content out the door as possible, especially if you’re new to the world of content marketing. Is it better to have 10 lackluster blog posts or three top-quality, informative articles? There’s no real rule of thumb—quality doesn't necessarily trump quantity, but quantity with no quality is worthless. Use your resources wisely. If you’re short on time, consider outsourcing some of your content production. You’ll be able to maximize the pieces of content created while still meeting the all-important quality bar. If you’re a content newbie, don’t let overwhelm get the best of you. Follow these simple, proven tips and you’ll be well on your way to an organized, cohesive and effective content marketing strategy.