Content Marketing Strategy: What eLearning Marketers Should Know About A Successful
Compelling content doesn't just happen. A content marketing strategy is vital in order to get results from your efforts. Long before you write the first word of your blog post or outline your next online course, it’s worth mapping out a solid content creation plan.
In-house or outsourced? Trello or Basecamp? E-book or video? To determine the answers to these questions, start by exploring the people platforms, and processes that best fit your content marketing strategy.
Who Creates The Content?
From ideas through execution, people are the most important element of content development. At the heart of effective content marketing teams, you’ll find specialists in several fields. Assets might work in strategy, copywriting, editing, graphic design, social media, or analytics.
It is not necessary that you need a separate person for each role. You can combine your team's skills to make it work. Be careful not to make the mistake of thinking one person can handle it all. Content marketing requires specialized expertise. So, a one-person-does-everything approach is rarely practical or successful. Instead, evaluate options for building an in-house team. Maybe consider partnering with an outside agency, or try your trade publishers for pointers. In some cases, the most efficient and cost-effective solution could be a mix of internal and external resources.
Delegation And Content Marketing Strategy
When considering whether to build an in-house team, you have to make choices. You’ll want to make sure your team has at least three critical skill sets. Those are a content marketing strategist, an editor, and a distribution specialist. The salaries vary depending on your location, industry, and strategy. The national average for a content editor is about $50,000 per year. On the other hand, the national average for a content strategist is about $70,000 per year. Beyond these primary roles, you might also need to add a copywriter or a graphic designer. Each with an average annual salary of about $50,000.
Outsourcing can be an appealing option to tap into the skills you need to scale your program. Your objectives and budget are key, of course. External agencies can serve as your complete content development team. Or you can opt to have a handful of full-time team members who work in tandem with an outside agency. Either way, expect to spend more time at the start. As the external partner learns about your industry, business strategies, and messaging style all will settle down. As the partnership matures, you should be able to entrust more of the day-to-day execution to the external team. Delegation is key to creating a solid content marketing strategy.
In addition, there are trade publications which also offer inbound and content marketing services. Choosing to work with an experienced partner that focuses on your niche is a good option. For starters, it will give you a targeted content distribution opportunity. You'll also get the advantage of gaining in-depth knowledge of the most valuable keywords and topics. All this information is based on your business needs and lead generation process.
What Are The Must-Have Tools For Content Development?
Once you have identified a team, it’s time to begin arming them with the tools and technology to facilitate collaboration, distribute content, and track results. The right tools will optimize efficiency and your budget.
The first essential tool is a Project Management software. With costs ranging from free to around $100 per month, there are plenty of options to help you keep your projects on track. Take a look at Basecamp, Brightpod, CoSchedule, and Trello. We at eLearning Industry use Asana extensively to manage both our own projects and the campaigns of our clients.
Another essential tool is marketing automation software, which is essential for distributing content and nurturing leads. Automating customer outreach enhances team productivity and increases ROI. The costs can range from $200 to $12,000 per month, depending on the scope of your plan and distribution list. Consider software solutions like Eloqua, HubSpot (our favorite by far at eLearning Industry), Marketo, and Pardot.
Integrated customer relationship management is vital for cataloging and tracking any leads your content generates. Some marketing automation systems, such as HubSpot, have CRM software included. If you need more extensive capabilities, consider Hatchbuck, Infusionsoft or Salesforce. The estimated cost for CRM software can range from $50 to about $400 per month.
Content Marketing Strategy Optimization Tips
Finally, investing in tools and people only pays off if people see your content. Optimizing your content so that potential customers find it when browsing the web is critical. Investing between $80 and $600 per month in tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or Searchmetrics will enable you to track your keyword rankings and optimize your site.
Get these powerful tools into the hands of your content team and turn them loose. You might designate one team member to explore each tool and report findings to the rest of the team. You can then have those early explorers educate the entire team on best practices. Once you have a talented team and the necessary tools in place, it’s time to start creating content.
How Does Compelling Content Get Created?
Target audiences have plenty of options when it comes to eLearning. As a result, you will need to produce content that stands out and drives the results you want. To ensure your content is as compelling as possible, focus on three areas:
1. Build A Content Marketing Strategy, Not A Calendar
The process starts with mapping out a strategy that goes beyond a calendar of what you will create and when. Your strategy document should serve as a guide for your content team. This will enable them to know that they are always headed in the right direction.
Based on your goal, lead generation, thought leadership, or demand generation — outline key objectives, distribution channels, and tactics. Most importantly, define your audience. Spend time getting to know who you’re creating content for and what information they need. Create personas for your target audiences based on demographics, insights about pain points and what you know about their motivations.
2. Spend Time On Topics
Resist the temptation to jump straight from strategy to creation. When you allow ample time for topic development, you might be surprised by the superior results.
Begin by brainstorming. Create an environment and process that generates and nurtures ideas. For inspiration, tap into your sales team, competitor analysis, web analytics, and social media conversations. You can also stay on top of what’s trending in the industry by leveraging tools like BuzzSumo.
After these ideation sessions, look for themes common among your content ideas. With your strategy as the framework, group topics together to build a cohesive, comprehensive content plan.
3. Create With Intent
When it’s time to create, keep your personas top of mind to ensure you deliver the information they need in a format that works for them. Think beyond blog posts to identify where video-based tutorials or infographics might be more impactful.
Once you’ve determined your format, follow a set editorial workflow process. Not only does this help your team take a project from idea to reality, but it also reduces inefficiencies, defines responsibilities, and keeps timelines on track.
Always set aside additional time to refine your content before publishing. In addition to seeking out opportunities to sharpen your writing and copy or editing skills, share the responsibilities across the team to ensure you include different perspectives while conveying a consistent message.
Like any worthwhile journey, each step of content creation is vital. Aligning the right resources and mapping out a standard, repeatable process puts your team on a path to developing content that delivers results.
Content Marketing serves the purpose of improving conversions using a very strategic approach, connecting and supplying leads and potential customers with real value. Download the free eBook Digital Content Marketing Strategy For eLearning Marketers: An Essential Guide to delve into an excellent method to start building long-lasting relationships by establishing trust, and see conversions skyrocket by giving users the information they need to make an informed purchasing decision.
