Inbound Marketing University

Overview

Content creation is marketer's first step toward getting found on the Web. Companies can present their content in the form of web pages, blog posts, photos, videos, webinars, and other tools. Regardless of its form, however, the content has to be useful, thought provoking and entertaining to draw online traffic.

On the Web, where content is king, marketers are challenged to compete with millions of messages daily. In order to perform this task successfully they need to develop a working strategy. A central part of this strategy is the knowledhe that the future of marketing is about creating content, not buying media.
 

First you need to identify your content’s target audience and the most effective ways to reach it. Some customers prefer receiving information on corporate webpages or blog posts while others respond better to video tutorials and slideshows. Determine the appropriate platform for your specific goals and focus on it. As David Scott wrote, targeting the right buyer personas can be a determining factor in your web marketing initiatives.

Before jumping into the actual content creation, make sure to review your competitor's approach. Skim through their practices and make a note of what you like or dislike. This will help you find your voice and learn what distinguishes it from that of your competitor.

Determine the authors of your company’s website news, blog articles, photo streams and other content. You can bring in diverse perspectives through the contributions of several company leaders. The About Our Bloggers page on the Axeda blog, for example, well demonstrates the involvement of various folks in content creation.

 

Then, establish a regular publishing schedule and follow it strictly. Knowing the frequency of your content production will help you plan ahead and facilitate customers with keeping track of your activities.

Successful businesses produce valuable content covering intriguing, practical, entertaining and controversial topics. As TJ McCue recently wrote, if someone trades their attention for your content, they will expect to get rewarded. You can find interesting ideas for content creation from various sources including your everyday encounters, daily forum posts and speaking events.

Maximize content quantity

By creating lots of keyword-rich content you optimize your company’s search engine results. The more you publish, the greater your chances are to generate traffic and leads. In this sense, content quantity becomes a valuable factor in SEO efforts.
 

Quantity of content can also turn your company into an insightful, niche-y resource for potential leads. Lots of relevant information guarantees not only new traffic but also more returns.