Is #ContentMarketing really that significant? Why does everyone keep saying content is the king? Is it just another fancy little add-on in the world of digital marketing? How can one be a pro at #ContentMarketing?

These are some of the questions we ask ourselves when we are working on our marketing strategy. Creating content that is rightly marketed is crucial if you want to be the king of the marketing world. However, the question still remains, how? Creating content that can win our customers over is only the first half of the battle, delivery is the next step. So, how should one market it? Confused? Don't be, we have got your back!

4 Steps to Style Up Your

Content Marketing Methodology

Let's Understand the Basics of #ContentMarketing.

Content marketing is strong content targeted towards your audience in the right way. In this article, we will go through some simple steps that will help you transform your existing marketing strategy. If you want content marketing to work for you then all you need to do is keep this simple equation in mind: great content + great outreach = great content marketing. You also need to know that content on its own is not enough. You will have to work hard on great outreach so that your content is reaching your target market.

There is a predictable, step-by-step method for creating and promoting your content, and there are several types of content that are sure to work to help you get more backlinks to your website and social shares. Once you know how to do it, you'll become the authority figure in your industry.Increasingly, content marketing is the platform where Search Engine Optimization, blogging, and social media meet. It's like the glue that binds everything together. The businesses that recognize this and leverage this opportunity will earn the rewards.

Here are 4 Simple Steps to Transform Your marketing strategy:

Find Great Influencers and Identify Great Content:

Influencers are the non-competing individual, blogger or businesses that have an audience similar to your target market and can help you promote your content. There are a number of tools that can help you identify influencers and websites which list the most popular blogs. Your preliminary research is dedicated to two areas -- classifying influencers and categorizing popular content.

Research is key to finding influencers that can help promote your business. Find people who have an impact on their readers and can target your market. Market your product through their blogs and other social platforms. This will help you gather your potential customers in no time.

Next thing is to create content that is going to resonate with your audience. Investigate on what works for your audience, something that they would like to hear, a piece of advice or any helpful idea or tip. The idea here is to let them listen to what they want to and then make them listen to what you want them to.

Step 2 -- Use Proven Content Structures.

Now that you have an idea what works for your audience and you've found influencers who can help you push your content forward, it's time to create your own impactful piece that will boost your business. You should use one of the several types of established content to get results.

Ultimate Guides are lengthy, somewhere around 2000 to 3000 words but are worth the effort. Expert's opinion is another great way to go about it. Let your influencers write a piece for you and ask them to promote it.

Guest Posts can be a great way to reach your audience once you have a proper relationship with your influencer. With proper backlinks, this can be a sweet deal to get hits on your website and social channels.

Buyers' guides can be very helpful for your audience. A well-written guide with accurate and important facts to assist making a purchasing decision easier will surely be appreciated.

Step 3 – Creating visuals:

Once your content is created, it's time to get it visually appealing. Graphics and videos get more social shares and likes as compared to plain old text. Your content should be eye catching and visually attractive.

If you want your effort to pay off, then you need to cater to the needs of an audience of all kinds. Some people like to read, some like to watch videos and some are into sharing images. Your content should be a mix of all with variety from time to time.

Here are Some Recognized Types of Visual Content You Can Use:

Slides – Compile various graphics with text overlay or mix up content with graphics to give a little variety to your audience. Numerous mobile apps have editing features to let you add text to your images. How cool is that?

Infographics – If done correctly, an infographic can make a convincing piece of content. Try to stick to one important topic, supported by 10-12 facts or statistics. Avoid clutter in order for it to be presentable.

Video – Creating videos with proper backgrounds, light soothing background sound and effects can make an impact on your audience. Choose informative topics to encourage more shares.

Step 4 – Marketing Your Content:

Now that you have created content, that is visually appealing and has popular features from potential influencers, it's time to start marketing it.If you have researched who the influencers are that cater to your market, it's time to discuss your marketing needs with them. You can follow them on their social media, interact with their audience and like, follow, and share some of their content which you think is related to your business. This is known as cross marketing.

There is no right or wrong way to go about it. You need to promote them while they promote your content. It's as simple as that! Influencers know what their audience will like, and whether your content can relate to them. Discuss both of your ideas, make a plan, and get started.

Outreach is not a one-time thing, you should have a plan in mind to work with them long term. Keep investigating best opportunities to feature your content, and keep your social media up to date. Don't forget to follow popular people with great networking that can help boost your content.

Keep in touch with influencers who are willing to publish your content on their website and social media. Send them an email every time you have a promotion or even on a regular basis to establish a mutual understanding. That way they can keep sharing your content with proper backlinks, the more they share and like, the more it will reach to your targeted audience.

Conclusion.

#ContentMarketing works better if you have a proper procedure, which means recognizing your potential influencers who have active accounts, an engaged audience, and verified position in the market. They have a proven track record of using powerful content such as guest posts, ultimate guides, and round-ups.

When creating content, keep in mind that outreach is important because your influencers will play a vital role in marketing your content. Your content should be visually appealing and should use important keywords related to your business.

To Your Best Online!

Ingrid Gee, Internet Marketing Consultant. Blue Dress® Marketing, an Internet Marketing Company headquartered in Knoxville, TN. Internet Marketing Developed, Implemented and Managed to Full Circle! Organic Internet Search Engine Guru. Turn Key Internet Optimization Programs Placing You Everywhere and Anywhere You Need to Be Online®ingrid@bluedressinc.com865-951-5887