Have you started on the path of content marketing without any sense of where you’re going?
The online marketing bandwagon is always growing with new businesses that want to be a part of whatever seems to have the most hype behind it. While not wrong, or misguided, most of these businesses soon realize that their efforts aren’t working quite like they expected.
Maybe you’ve felt this way about your efforts?
Content marketing is a journey, and like any journey, it’s important to have an idea of where you’re heading. Without a clear direction, and the step-by-step directions to get there, it becomes difficult to quantify how far you’ve come.
Know Where You’re Going
What goals are you trying to achieve in your marketing strategy? Is it thought leadership? Is it brand awareness?
That’s not enough. Neither of those goals are concrete enough to measure effectively. They’re also both byproducts of content marketing, regardless of your goals.
As you build your library of relevant and valuable content, you’ll begin to attract an audience of people who are looking for the information you’re providing. In many industries, you’ll be seen as a leader just by showing up where others are not.
An effective goal, however, is more about the business objectives you want to achieve. I’m not talking about S.M.A.R.T. goals. Your goals can be anything that will actually help grow your business, and not just your reputation.
This, in effect, is your compass. No matter how far you stray off your intended path, it will always be guiding you in the right direction.
