Some dos and don’ts of effective content strategy
A well-thought out strategy and tangible, measurable metrics are the most important aspects of inbound marketing. The pitfalls most commonly encountered by novice inbound marketers stem from having a poor strategy and no idea of what metrics are important for return on investment.
It may sound like an annoying extra step, but it is vital to write down your content strategy, post it somewhere prominently, and continuously refer back to it. Include the end goal as well as specific steps that will be taken to get there, and which metrics will be used to define the end goal.
Also Read: Definitive steps to a content marketing strategy your customers will love
For example, too many people wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to direct more people to my site.” They think this is a marketing strategy in and of itself, but in fact it is the end goal. They have a vague idea in mind that they need to write some articles, share some stuff on social media and maybe put out a few paid advertisements, but apart from that, their strategy involves a lot of wishful thinking.
Your inbound marketing strategy needs to meet two core parameters to have a chance at success:
- It must be scarily specific,
- It also needs to be aggressive.
One major thing to avoid with aggressive inbound marketing
Some folks might define this differently, but when I refer to aggressive inbound marketing, I mean an all-encompassing approach that reaches consumers from virtually all angles and that is sustainable for the long haul.
Here’s something that I hear a lot: “I’ve tried everything. I guess no one likes my product.” But “tried everything” means guest posting articles and sharing to a social media audience of 300 for about a week. Is this going to result in much lead generation? No. But it might help with link building, SEO or with growing a social media following. In this case, the expected end goal and the applied methods don’t match up very well.
So what’s the one major con of using an aggressive inbound marketing approach? You must be careful to not get so caught up in churning out advertisements and links and blogs that you forget to look at analytics and refer back to your strategy. Any marketing effort that is not backed up by a plan and analytics is a gamble. You can put out as many guest posts as you want or pay for as many Pay Per Click ads as you want, but simply going through the motions won’t guarantee success.
Aggressive inbound marketing campaigns also require a certain amount of manpower to be successful. Don’t expect to be able to do it all on your own. Be ready to pay for a quality team.
Pros of a well-planned, aggressively executed inbound marketing campaign
Now that the “what not to do” has been drilled into your head, here are some benefits you can expect from an aggressive inbound marketing campaign that is firmly sandwiched between strategy and analytics.
Also Read: The key to developing an SEO strategy based on Google’s rules
Reach your audience wherever they are. Your audience might be on Facebook or Twitter. They might be reading certain blogs online or they might subscribe to sites like Forbes. But you need to understand your audience and know where to find them and what they need from you. Once you have those insights go to them and provide them with free eBooks, guides, deals, coupons or whatever else you’ve determined will get their attention. In turn, make sure you are also easily accessible with a responsive website, a sophisticated phone service and a top-notch customer support team.
Aggressive marketing turns into passive marketing over time. In other words, you will keep benefitting from inbound marketing for years to come. Links can still hold value, inherently useful content will still receive plenty of traffic, your Google ranking should steadily grow, as will awareness for your brand, etc. You’ll be able to focus on new, relevant campaigns for specific products or services once you’ve established a good foundation for your business’s overall online presence.
It can have immediate effects. Of course, it’s good to be wary of anyone who claims to be able to get your site to the front page of Google in just a few days; they might be using an obscure keyword or unsavoury tactics that could hurt you in the long run. However, it’s true that a good strategy can begin to drum up interest in your site and improve your search ranking fairly quickly. Be ready for a slow but steady climb, though. Your competitors likely have years of marketing strategy already working for them.
When the metrics point out a failing strategy, it can be caught quickly. Actively creating content, engaging with followers on social media, etc., should be paired with an equally vigorous checking of analytics and metrics. While you should give all of your strategies some time to gain a foothold and to prove their worth, these metrics will point out when a strategy or campaign needs an overhaul. And to pinpoint exactly what works and what doesn’t for your company, be sure to conduct careful A/B testing to refine your approach.
Have you faced challenges in implementing an aggressive-inbound marketing strategy? Do you try to serve your clients from all sides, or do you attempt a more narrow campaign? Let us know what has worked for you and what’s given you trouble in the comments below.
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