These lessons learned from moving can be applied to content marketing campaigns.
I recently had a pleasure of helping someone move into my apartment and the move went well, though it wasn’t surprising.
We had spent some time prior to moving day planning and strategizing what we were going to pack, get rid of and how we were going to move big items like couches and beds.
Now that I’m living among boxes, the entire process had me think about how important planning, setting goals, as well as a little help led to the success of the move. These same principles can be applied to a content marketing campaign. How? Keep reading to find out.
Planning a Move and Content Marketing Campaigns
Like I mentioned above, we made a plan for Saturday and Sunday for what we wanted accomplished and what we absolutely needed to have done. If we didn’t have a solid plan, who knows how the process would have gone.
If your business is ready to embark on a content marketing campaign, it’s vital to have a plan. Starting a campaign without a plan can lead to costly mistakes.
Here are six planning mistakes to avoid that will hinder content marketing success:
- Not Thinking About the Big Picture
As you create your marketing plan and digital strategy, did you think about what else was going on in the world? I think this article on PR Daily sums it up well:
Planning and setting reasonable goals are vital to content marketing success.
Sometimes the planning process is too internally focused…its chances of success are greater when it’s informed by external insights—key trends, disruptors and specific industry changes that will affect the company over the long term. The best plans also start with a thorough brand communications audit that includes insights into customer, channel partner and employee perceptions of the business or its products.
One way to plan and think about the big picture is to create a content calendar. This is a calendar that will let you see the next 5 weeks, 4 months or however long your campaign is. You can plan out important dates ahead and make sure you publish content for those special days.
- Not Setting Realistic, Measurable Goals
When thinking about what you ultimately want out of a content marketing campaign, it’s easy to get carried away with lofty goals. Who doesn’t want to be on Oprah’s Favorite Things list or take down the celebrity who has the most Instagram followers. As you sit down and create your marketing plan, think about what you want to achieve and what you think you can actually achieve. While you may not have more Instagram followers than Selena Gomez in a six-month campaign, make a goal to have 10-20 more engaged followers a month. This will help you stay driven through your campaign.
- Not Writing Goals Down
I’m sure you have a lot of great ideas floating around in your head, but it’s important to actually write down your plan. In addition to keeping it from changing partway through the year, you’ll be able to share it with your staff, so everyone can get and stay on the same page from month to month.
- Not Giving It Time
Content marketing campaigns take time; on average it’s 12-18 months before you’ll see significant results and begin to build momentum. Yes, there are examples of businesses that experience overnight success, but the reality is that isn’t the norm. Plan on your digital strategy taking a year or more and, no matter how great the temptation is, don’t change it up for at least 6 months. You need to make sure you give your efforts time to work before you evaluate how effective they are.
- Not Using Marketing Resources Regularly
There are a wealth of marketing resources available to business owners and entrepreneurs thanks to the internet. Carve out some time on a regular basis to read blogs, talk to other professionals and do everything you can to get the word out about your business. Feel free to outsource some (if not all) of your work to a content marketing and public relations firm like Three Girls Media; a partnership with content marketing experts can be one of the most valuable resources out there.
- Not Referencing the Plan Every Day
Print out your marketing plan, email it to your team, put it on a poster; do whatever it is that will help you and your team see it every day. This will serve as a valuable reminder to what your overall goals are, in addition to the steps you plan on taking to get there; it’s a great way to refocus yourself on a daily basis, too!
Get Help with Content Marketing Campaigns
While it was just the two of us cleaning and hauling boxes up and down and up and down stairs, we weren’t without help. I asked my best-friend in town if I could borrow her truck, which she happily agreed to. Without her truck, we wouldn’t have been able to get rid of a too-heavy couch and old bed.
Use a guest blogger for new and interesting content.
Sometimes, to consistently produce quality and interesting content your business needs turn to outside help through guest blogging.
What is guest blogging? A guest blog post is created by someone who doesn’t work for your business, but still writes about your industry or expertise. It’s important to carefully review each submission to your website to make sure it is accurate and reflects your brand.
Here are two benefits of guest blogging if you’re interested in having guest writers publish content on your website:
- Increased Website Traffic
If you run an e-commerce website that sells fitness products and videos, for example, you should be accepting guest blog posts that are relevant to health and fitness websites. This will increase the number of visitors to your own site who are likely to make a purchase. - Increased Google Ranking
Your site’s ranking in Google is partly based on an analysis of the sites that link to you. The quantity, quality and relevance of links all matter. The more quality links you can create on external websites back to your website, the better your search engine ranking position is likely to be. This will, of course, drive a significant amount of traffic to your website.
You can learn even more about featured writers in this blog post: Guest Blogging: What You Need to Know.
Social Media Lessons from Apartment Hunting
While I didn’t move into a new apartment this time, this moving experience reminded me of social media lessons I learned the last time I moved myself. I’m here to bring back the three social media lessons I learned from apartment hunting all the way back in 2015.
3 Social Media Lessons from Apartment Hunting
- Do Your ResearchWhen thinking of a new place to live it is important to know where you want to go and what style of home you want. Planting roots is serious business; I wanted to make sure I had a clear idea of my future. Just like using social media for your business, research which social media platforms your patrons use and cater to them there.Just as every home, apartment or neighborhood isn’t the right place for you to live, there may be some social media platforms that aren’t right for your business.
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are three of the most influential platforms in social media marketing. If you’re looking to target users of all ages, or specifically ages 30 and over, Facebook is your best bet. This is the best option for sharing longer content, such as blog posts, infographics, or adding longer text to go with your updates.
If you’re looking to target millennials and young adults, Instagram and Twitter would be ideal for you. While you don’t have to choose just one, (it’s good to be on multiple channels), if you had to choose between Instagram and Twitter, it would come down to if you want to focus your efforts on males or females between 18 and 29. Both platforms are ideal for sharing photos and videos, although Instagram has higher engagement and view rates with videos. You can learn more about the different social media platforms here.
- Evaluate ContentAfter looking at a few apartments I found one that was love at first sight. But before I signed on the dotted line I wanted to make sure it was the place for me. I explored every room, corner and inch before I made my decision. When finding content to post on your social media accounts be sure to read the material thoroughly. Sometimes a headline or excerpt may sound appropriate for your audience, but the entirety of the piece may go off message. It doesn’t hurt to take a few extra seconds to make sure everything looks right.
- Be ImaginativeAfter choosing a place to live comes decorating! There are endless possibilities to add charm, color and personality to the walls of a new apartment. If you are looking to include a new element to your social media profiles, consider including infographics, videos and images which all have high engagement.
Applying Moving Lessons to Content Marketing Campaigns
While moving isn’t always fun, it can go off without a hitch through diligent planning, goal setting and a little help. You can also create a successful content marketing campaign with these same steps.
If you find this process daunting, Three Girls Media is here to help! Contact us today to learn how our marketing experts can create a customized campaign and unique approach to address your business’ needs.
Are you interested in learning more about content marketing? Read these articles for more helpful information:
How to Use Acronyms Effectively in Your Content Marketing
4 Competitive Content Marketing Tactics You Need to Invest In
Hot Trend in Content Marketing You Need to Know About
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!