A solid marketing plan includes content creation elements like being active on social media platforms, blogging and e-newsletter creation.
When you created your marketing plan, did you think about content marketing? It’s no secret that we recommend various content marketing services for our clients. In addition to the results we’ve seen for Three Girls Media itself and dozens of clients, studies show that being active on social media platforms, blog writing, creating e-newsletters, etc. make a world of difference when it comes to sales leads. How much, you wonder?
What the Numbers Reflect
A few years ago, Hubspot conducted a survey asking 1,400 business owners how content marketing affects their company’s sales leads. The results back up what we’ve seen at Three Girls:
- 88% of B2C organizations garnered more leads than when they began content marketing; 67% of B2B organizations generated more leads.
- There was a direct correlation between the amount of content created and the number sales leads. They received:
- 10% more sales leads if they created 1-2 new pieces of content on their website each month
- 30% more sales leads if they created 2-4 new pieces of content on their website each month
- 77% more sales leads if they created 4+ new pieces of content on their website each month
- Organizations with blogs generated 68% more leads than those without blogs.
- B2C organizations that used Twitter generated twice as many leads than those without a Twitter account, and those with followers in the triple digits garnered twice as many sales leads as those with followers in the double digits.
What’s Your Marketing Plan?
So the question is, what’s your marketing plan? Does it include elements like utilizing social media platforms, blog writing and e-newsletters? Here are a few pointers to get started:
- Actually make a marketing plan. Take the time to sit down and create your strategy for the next 6-12 months. Having it on paper will give you a guide to follow when you can’t remember what you planned on doing when.
- Take one step at a time. Start with one element, like focusing on a couple of social media platforms or blog writing. Then, as you start to get used to that task, slowly fold additional components into your plan.
- Recycle! No need to reinvent the wheel every time. Reuse the content you create in several different places. After you write a blog post, share it on your social media platforms and then feature it in your next e-newsletter.
- Plan ahead. Schedule some time to work on writing updates for your social media platforms or blog and then schedule them out in advance. Although the best content marketing strategies include posting a little bit every day, third-party platforms like HootSuite or Sprout Social make it so you can direct your attention elsewhere when you want that update to go live.
For those of you that are already using content marketing to generate sales leads, what’s worked for you? Have you noticed a correlation between how much you post on a regular basis and potential customers that contact your business?
Special Offer:
Sign up for a complimentary consultation during December and receive an Annual Marketing Planning Guide valued at $475! We offer a 30-minute phone consultation with our CEO, and can answer your questions and discuss your specific marketing needs - no strings attached. Call 408-218-2391 or contact us today to arrange your consultation!