As I’ve said many times (in blog posts, in client meetings, pretty much anywhere people will listen), content marketing success doesn’t come from simply executing certain tactics or following specific strategies. To be successful at content marketing, you have to rethink the way you interact with your prospects. You must create a new relationship focused on what you can provide them with rather than what you can get from them. In short, you have to establish a new kind of marketing culture.
That is, of course, no easy feat. But here are some steps you can take to smooth the transition from increasingly ineffective outbound marketing to highly effective inbound marketing:
- Refresh your verbal and visual identity. No, moving to content marketing doesn’t mean you need to do a full rebrand. However, in a content marketing culture, everyone in the company is a potential content creator. So although you’ll review every piece of content produced, it’s helpful to get everybody on the same page about your messaging and branding standards by reviewing and disseminating that information.
- Put out the Marketing welcome mat. Back in the day, the Marketing Department created its ads, brochures, and email copy with very little help from others in the company. Today, you want and need input from anyone who’s willing to provide information and insights. Make sure that people know you welcome their ideas.
- Define and post your goals and results. Letting people know what you are trying to achieve with your content marketing efforts and how well you’re doing gives them a rooting interest and an eagerness to do their best work when you call on them to be a content contributor.
- Develop clear, concise content creation processes. In order for content creation to become second nature, you need to make it easy—for your marketing team and subject matter experts around the company. Anyone involved (or considering getting involved) in producing new material should understand how the process works, from brainstorming through final approval.
- Celebrate successes. When Sara closes a large deal it gets written up in the company newsletter or mentioned at the all-hands meeting. When Mike gets an article published in a leading trade magazine, that should be saluted as well.
- Arrange for regular executive encouragement. There’s nothing like periodic nudges from your CEO or other execs to drive home to your coworkers the importance of your content marketing culture. It only takes a few words in a meeting or a quick email to ensure you get the cooperation and participation you need.
Helping You Make Content Marketing a Way of Life
Need some assistance in establishing your content marketing culture? You’ve come to the right place! Not only do we help clients with that process, but we adopted an inbound approach a few years back for ourselves and are thrilled with the results. Give us a shout.
