Choose your platforms
Choosing your platforms is probably the easiest part of putting together a content marketing strategy. First, just think about what kind of content you may be producing, and then think about the most popular platforms for that content. For example, if you plan to publish PowerPoint presentations, you can use SlideShare. If you plan to post short bursts of content along with an image, you can use Facebook or Google+ and if you plan to create how-to articles, you can use ezine websites and article directories.
The platforms that I use most frequently are Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Twitter, SlideShare and blogs in general, whether they are mine or guest blogs related to my niche or with which I have a relationship and blogs where I have a small following each post that public.
Choose your content
As stated above, you need to write specific types of content for specific types of platforms. If you’ve designated Google+, YouTube, and SlideShare as your preferred platforms, you should go ahead and create content that matches each platform. On Google+ you need to get a few of your top articles that you can share via links or write short bursts of content to go along with an image, on YouTube you need a video that will engage your audience, on EzineArticles you need to create a resource or piece of information that people are interested in, and finally, on SlideShare, you can put together a PowerPoint presentation that people will find useful and share.
Choose your times
Have an editorial calendar to organize what content will be published, where and at what time. It’s a good idea to organize your content so that it flows and, at the end of the month, has a particular theme or direction, rather than just spitting out content haphazardly. It’s also a good idea not to post too often on any particular platform or else your readers may get tired of you and stop following you. You must leave them wanting more, without wishing they never heard from you again.
Schedule and publish
If you use tools to help you with your SEO, social media, and content marketing efforts, you’ll be able to schedule when your posts go live, which saves you logging into each platform, every time, and posting your content manually. Personally, I’d suggest using Sendible, but if you already have software to help you distribute your content, you’re already one step ahead. Enter your content inside your tool, choose a date you’d like to publish that content, and save it. On that date, at that time, your content will go out to the masses automatically, without you going back in and doing anything.
monitor progress
When you know what content you are going to publish on which platform and at what time it will be sent, you need to go to that platform at that exact moment and monitor what your audience is saying, manage your community, and engage. with your audience. Let them have their say, and then thank them, respond to their comments, and keep the conversation going. The more discussion you can create around the content you publish or distribute, the more popular it will be, the more reach it will have, the more exposure your business will achieve, and ultimately, the more sales.
It goes without saying that this type of content outreach and discussion about your brand will also help you in other areas of your overall inbound marketing approach, like SEO. Google has openly stated that it takes social elements into account in its algorithm, so if you can get people talking and sharing your content, the better you will rank on Google.
In conclusion
Gone are the days when you could post any old content, include a few links, dominate the search engines, and drive traffic. Google, in particular, is tightening the reins on such practices, and guess what, so is your target audience. Make sure you post high-quality content across multiple platforms, keep your audience engaged, and be a constant presence. This will not only ensure that you never get caught out by Google updates or algorithm changes, since you will have multiple traffic streams and Google loves content reach, but it will also ensure that your business gets the exposure it needs and deserves. and it will. as a result a constant growth and success of your business.
