There are a number of critical questions you need to ask yourself before you start a new content marketing project. And that's true whether you're a content marketing veteran or an absolute newbie. As someone new to content-driven marketing strategy, there is much you need to learn. At the same time, if you have been putting out compelling content for years, it's easy to become somewhat robotic in your approach to content creation, so it's good to be reminded about the key points for producing impactful materials.
Before you dive into your next project, be sure to ask yourself:
- What are the best and worst case scenarios? What kind of results are we shooting for if we absolutely nail it? How much time and how many resources will have been consumed if it's not as successful as we hope? (Yes, we all want to believe that every project we deem worthy of our time will deliver outstanding results, but we know that's not always the case.)
- Who is our target? And "prospects" is too broad an answer. Who specifically are we targeting? Who are the buyer personas that will find our content irresistible?
- What kind(s) of content do they like? From past projects, what do we know about the types of content that interest them? Do they like short pieces? Long-form content? Highly-visual materials? You don't have to limit yourself to content that has worked before (if you do, you'll never find pieces that work better), but it's important to consider your target personas' preferences.
- What's already out there? Are there similar pieces already out there in the content-verse? How will our piece be better than what's currently available?
- How will this content affect our target audience? Will it educate them? Entice them? Amuse them? What will their reaction be?
- Who is going to tackle this project? The answer should include both the people on your team and any "subject matter experts" you'll need help from. And, how much effort will be required from them? If you can quantify this into a number of hours, that’s ideal.
- How will results be measured? This question can be hard to answer, as sometimes the effect of a piece of content is to gain trust as a thought leader, and that impact—though VERY important—is hard to quantify. But do give it some thought.
- Will our piece earn follow-up rights? Will the project produce high-quality work that is valuable to the recipient and consequently opens the door to follow-up?
- Is the piece evergreen? The longer the shelf life of a piece of marketing content, the more time and effort you can justify in creating it.
- Do we have a solid plan for promoting it? It's not enough to create stellar content; you have to get it in front of people.
As you prepare to kick off your next content marketing project, be sure to take a step back and consider why you are committing the resources to it and how you will knock it out of the park. As a leading inbound marketing agency, we help clients in Colorado Springs, the Denver metro area, and beyond ask the right questions, come up with the right answers, and achieve the right results. We can do the same for you. Let’s talk.
