Thinking big-picture is an absolute must with marketing. Without an overarching framework that keeps everything connected and cohesive, you can’t grow your business. Instead, you’re bound to chase your tail because you’ll have separate moving parts, not a well-oiled machine.

Yet, success with your marketing is all about balance. While big-picture is non-negotiable, the specific nuts and bolts that go into it can’t be neglected. You have to execute on all fronts–especially the smaller things–for your overarching vision to come together.

Content is one of those specific nuts and bolts we’re talking about. 

On average, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing, but it generates about 3 times more leads.

That all sounds magnificent. But content doesn’t create itself. Someone has to think it up and publish it, and–for many businesses–therein lies the kicker.

Finding the Time for Content Creation

You likely need to achieve many goals and benchmarks in your role that don’t coincide with having the time to brainstorm content ideas. 

While this is a totally understandable hurdle, you need to develop a solution. Outsourcing is often a great idea. 

You don’t need to outsource the entirety of your content creation efforts–it could just be enough to fill the gaps. Even having someone there augment and assist with your content creation will ensure this vital task is completed successfully despite your extensively busy schedule. 

And whether you’re outsourcing or DIYing your content creation, you need to stay dialed in. 

The Stages of Content Creation

Here are the common layers or stages involved in creating content:

Stage 1: 

  • This typically involves an awareness campaign, writing a blog and conveying your brand’s authority on a topic.

Stage 2: 

  • People are engaging more, looking into the benefits of your products/services, and assessing the potential gaps in your offerings.
  • Typically, these involve webinars and white papers for lead generation (especially for B2B).

Stage 3:

  • For B2B businesses, this stage typically entails more whitepapers to prove a product/service’s ROI. The person in the previous two steps is your brand champion and needs ammunition to push what they’re selling to their company’s key decision-makers (e.g., CEO, CIO, President)

You need to build these layers into your overall content creation strategy. These are your content’s “stages of life,” and each element must have its own specific strategy. 

Trends in Content Creation You Need to Know

B2B Trends

Twitter and LinkedIn are your best bet for cost-effectiveness and ROI when reaching a B2B audience. Specifically, instead of paying thousands upon thousands for Google keywords, boost various campaigns on Twitter and LinkedIn for hundreds of dollars, whether promoting a download or a whitepaper. 

While not mandatory, it is almost 100% necessary to pay for your content marketing on these platforms. 

You’re not going to see much in the way of results with only a few hundred followers. And boosting increases your reach exponentially for minimal cost. It also increases the chances of forming a relationship with a B2B influencer. 

Unsure about influencers? Well, such a relationship can be as simple as partnering with another company and co-writing a whitepaper. 

B2C Trends

Influencers are still making a huge impact with B2C content creation. But this strategy is all about quality over quantity.

For instance, one of our clients once told us about a Collingwood-based pasta company venturing into Seattle. 

They hired three health and wellness-based influencers (e.g., doctor and yoga instructor) who wrote recipes and blogs for three months in the Seattle area. When the product hit the shelf, people in the area knew the brand, and the product moved off the shelf. 

The lesson here is the relevance of the influencers. They were local and wielded enough authority to release relevant content to an interested audience. 

Are you having challenges with your own marketing content? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.