Tips for developing content

We at S&A Cherokee are big believers in content marketing, the practice of organizations producing content (articles, blog posts, videos, podcasts, etc.) as if they were media outlets. Of course if you are reading this article, you are consuming our branded content.

As we mentioned in a blog post last year, content marketing has become extremely popular. Good content marketing can position you as subject matter experts, increase SEO rankings, engender loyalty among your customers, and expose you to new prospects and business opportunities.

A 2014 study from the Content Marketing Institute and Marketingprofs revealed the following:

• 93 percent of B2B marketers use content marketing (up from 91 percent the previous year).
• 44 percent of B2B marketers have a content strategy.
• B2B small business marketers use an average of 13 content marketing tactics.
• Among the most popular tactics are social media other than blogs (87 percent); articles on their websites (81 percent); eNewsletters (80 percent); blogs (76 percent); in-person events (76 percent); case studies (73 percent); and videos (73 percent).

S&A Cherokee works with clients like MetroGistics, Convergent and Band Together to develop content for their audiences.

Following are some general tips to consider when developing a content marketing plan.

• Survey the subject matter experts on your staff to develop a list of topics to address.
• Develop an editorial calendar so you have a framework of what articles and blog posts to develop throughout the year.
• Tie your editorial calendar into industry events, conferences, seasonal trends, etc.
• However, be flexible enough to quickly develop content related to a breaking news story or topic that has captured the attention of the public.
• Don’t approach the content from the perspective of what you want to sell; approach it from the perspective of what your customers want to know.
• Provide useful tips that solve problems, reduce hassles, and save time and/or money.
• Solicit feedback on the content.
• Don’t employ blatant self-promotional language in your content or you risk turning off the reader.
• Don’t use too much jargon or too many acronyms.

Above all, provide value to the reader. Use your branded content to inform, educate and delight your clients and prospects.