Content Marketers: On Your Marks, Get Set…Go!
Content’s great; content’s going to be the next big thing; we all need to start getting on board with content marketing…blah, blah blah! We know. We know! Oh for last time, we know!!
Well it seems that the message has finally started to get through to people and instead of article spinning and directories; at last we’re starting to see some quality content coming through from a whole host of SEO companies and individual businesses. For many, the cries of relief that the bulk of the industry has finally caught up with the revolution are interspersed with anxiety attacks with the thought of stiffer competition!
Now that content marketing is on everyone’s minds
it’s turned into a full blown race with companies tripping over themselves to get the best possible strategy and get some quality content out there. Whether you’re new to content or you’ve been pioneering the practice for longer than you can remember it’s time to put on your running shoes and get serious; the race has already started but you should expect a marathon, not a sprint.
The Hare and the Tortoise
Everyone knows the story: the hare and tortoise have a race, the hare speeds off but clearly needs stamina training as he keeps having a nap; in the meantime, the tortoise plods along at a steady pace and ends up winning the race and probably all of the tortoise ladies along with it.
Surprisingly enough this is a fairly good analogy for a content strategy; if you want your strategy to stand the test of time then get in line with the tortoise way of thinking.
It’s not a case of ‘slow and steady wins the race’ it’s a case of consistency! Whether you go like a bat of hell to produce quality content on a daily basis or take it slowly and aim for weekly production, either way: stay consistent! To produce a sustainable and successful strategy you need consistency in everything from tone to audience and subject without being too rigid in your approach.
The goal is to be consistent but flexible. Sound tricky? Well who ever said content marketing was easy?!
Take Off the Blinkers: Look beyond SEO
An inconsistent, conflicting content marketing strategy may not be all that terrible from an SEO point of view but you need to think bigger than that. What will it do for your brand image? Is your audience likely to stick around?
Content marketing these days is essentially about conversation; if you’re using a singular platform you need to be targeting a singular audience in order to secure a stable and valuable base.
It may seem like a chaotic dash to the finish line in the world of content marketing at the minute but you can’t start running your race until you know the course. Know your route before you start, be prepared to take a few diversions along the way and never take
a nap!
