Content, Content, Content – Why Is Everyone Talking About Content!?
By Susie Smith
Any marketer in today’s world is always searching for content whether they realize it or not. “Can you just whip something up?” in response to an RFQ or RFP, or the “Shouldn’t we post more about this on social media?” – you know what I’m talking about. How do we maximize these pieces and create a more actionable framework for consistency and intentionality?
You need a Content Calendar.
Does it sound daunting? Don’t fear—there is a lot of help out there. What’s most important is that you carve the time out to populate it properly AND get the buy-in to commit to the implementation.
You’ve probably heard of The Marketing Rule of 7. It states that a message needs to be seen/read at least 7 times before it sinks in. So, cadence is very important in getting the best results. Hot tip—look into using a consultant. If you know this is always going to come in second (or third or fourth) find someone who can make it their number one! Focused efforts are not as expensive as you think.
Plan for what you can REALISTICALLY do. Do you just want to tackle social media? What about making the most of your content and folding in blog posts, white papers, webinars? Add a quarterly direct email or a mailer? Start with what you know best and has the least barriers to entry. Then you can add layers and stretch goals as you establish a rhythm. Remember that great content you’ve created for proposals?
Re-use and build off it!
Don’t forget to MEASURE. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram have built in analytics you can use. If you are linking to your website, Google Analytics can show you what kind of traffic your content is creating. Not only is it a lot of fun to share (given how much of what we do is subjective), but it can help drive future planning. This can also help get more leadership on board—they love numbers! Sharing your results with a larger audience at your firm (internal marketing!) also increases your own visibility and can encourage others to come to you with content.
Here’s a few free templates I have found very helpful (there are hundreds out there):
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/business-blog-editorial-calendar-templates
https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-create-a-social-media-content-calendar/
https://backlinko.com/templates/marketing/content-calendar
Don’t forget to search for this topic on mysmps.org – it’s included in your membership!
It doesn’t all have to be on you. Maybe that means you have other participants to help post, write, or find/create imagery. Get creative—there might be secret content writers in your midst just waiting to be tapped into. Another idea is to set up interviews with technical staff to farm content. The bonus is that you’ll be building a relationship, so it’s hopefully easier to get content in the future.
Let’s help one another and share our knowledge, experimentation, and successes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We are a community built out of necessity, to provide the kind of professional development and camaraderie we all need and is tough for most firms to provide.
Finally, make sure you are getting the most out of SMPS SFBAC: volunteer! There are lots of opportunities that require a minimal time investment so you can build your writing and content development skill sets (plus tons of other things!) at the same time. You can apply these learned skills to your job and then transform business through marketing leadership!
Susie Smith, CPSM is a highly accomplished professional services and consumer products Marketer and Business Developer who’s worked with a variety of successful firms including Blitz, KPFF, MIG, and Sasaki. She’s a Past President of the SMPS SF Bay Area Chapter who lives and actively promotes our vision “Business Transformed Through Marketing Leadership.” Connect with her via @AECMarketer or [email protected]
