As you define and implement your inbound marketing strategy, you will, no doubt, have certain expectations about everything from the quality of your branded content to the timeliness of its publication. However, those expectations should not be set in stone. The happiest and most successful content marketers are those who display a high degree of flexibility even as they stay focused on producing outstanding results.
The Advantage of an Open Mind
There are many moving parts in an inbound marketing program. Trying to maintain complete control of all of them, all of the time, is certain to make you go crazy. Here are some tips for loosening your grip.
Give subject matter experts creative license.
Your vision for a piece of content and the vision of the subject matter expert may not always be in sync. As much as you can, incorporate their input—you may be surprised at how well the finished product resonates with your audience. Plus, you’ll find it easier to get help from other SMEs the next time you need it.
Be ready to revise.
We’ve specialized in content marketing at 30dps for many years, so you’d think we’d know exactly how specific materials are going to be received by the target audience. The truth is, we know how to create and distribute stellar content, but we never know precisely what the response will be—nobody does. Being ready to modify everything, from a specific piece of content to an entire campaign if the situation warrants, will help you continue making progress toward your end goal without costly delays.
Take a pass on perfection.
Back in the day, it was expected that every marketing piece an organization produced would be absolutely flawless. Although audiences today have very high standards for how informative and engaging content is, they no longer quite as hung up on perfection. While I’m certainly not advocating that you do shoddy work (that will always come back to haunt you), I am suggesting that you can relax a little and focus on the value of your content and not the placement of every comma. And if you find yourself tweaking a piece ad nauseam hoping to get it just PERFECT... it's undoubtedly time to move on.
Build in buffers.
While you need to release material on a regular basis to have an effective content marketing program, being too rigid about release dates can be counterproductive. As you develop your content calendar, build in a little buffer time for each piece to account for unexpected circumstances that prevent a deadline from being met. Doing so will lower everyone’s stress level without compromising the campaign.
The Ability to Adapt
As a leading inbound marketing agency based in Colorado Springs, we’ve helped companies all across the country craft marketing strategies that are both successful and flexible. We’d love to do the same for you.
