Budget is one of the biggest hurdles when discussing whether content should be part of the marketing strategy — and for good reason! Creating relevant content that is valuable to your target audience is not cheap. It requires a commitment, both in the time to create consistent content and the money to develop quality content. To get the most out of your investment, and maximize the ROI of your content marketing, consider these six ways to increase your content’s effectiveness, while reducing costs.
- Document Your Strategy
Develop a content strategy that outlines your content marketing goals and identifies who you are talking to, and when and where you are reaching them. If you do this, according to the Content Marketing Institute, your content marketing efforts will be more effective. - Start Small
The goals and objectives you identified in your content strategy will help determine the appropriate amount of content to create. In most cases, one or two original, high-quality blog posts targeted at one persona are all you need to get started. - Use A Call To Action
Don’t leave it up to the reader to decide what the next action should be — tell them! By directing them to the next action, you are politely (and subtly) nudging them through your sales funnel. - One Platform, Multiple Uses
A single piece of content, in its native form, can be used many times over, increasing your return on investment. An article published on your blog can be shared organically on appropriate social media channels, advertised as a promoted post on Facebook or Twitter, and re-posted on PULSE, LinkedIn’s publishing platform. - Repurpose and Reuse
Recycling old content allows you to reach new audiences, reuse relevant content and maximize your return on investment. While not totally free, the expense of repurposing content is a lot lower than creating new content. Evergreen blog posts can be repurposed into a guide, a webinar, a video tutorial, a case study, SlideShare, infographic, or simply pull out interesting statistics or thought-provoking and create visual content for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Instagram. - Shift Resources from Production to Promotion
Many companies assume “If I build it, they will come.” Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case. You have to put resources behind sharing and promoting your content so it actually gets in front of the eyes of your target audience. While your number one thought should be on producing targeted and relevant content your target audience will find valuable, your second priority must be promoting it. Because after all, what good is this fabulous content you’ve produced if no one ever gets the chance to see it?
We have helped our clients produce cost-efficient content that can be used across a variety of platforms to add value to their businesses. Call Brilliant Metrics today to learn how you can use content marketing to help grow your business and enhance your brand.