{"id":6482,"date":"2018-07-20T09:40:32","date_gmt":"2018-07-20T16:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/alumni\/2018\/07\/20\/10-steps-to-learn-and-implement-content-marketing-in-2018\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T21:19:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T21:19:45","slug":"10-steps-to-learn-and-implement-content-marketing-in-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/alumni\/2018\/07\/20\/10-steps-to-learn-and-implement-content-marketing-in-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Steps to Learn (and Implement) Content Marketing in 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the<\/span> Content Marketing Institute<\/span><\/a>, 70% of B2B marketers surveyed say they are creating more content this year than they did in 2016, with the trend showing no signs of slowing down as we head into 2018. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is creating a huge opportunity for college students to enter the workforce with a lucrative new skill; <\/span>content marketing<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

While pretty much every small business and startup is developing an understanding of the value of content marketing, it can be a scary thought to dive right in. Your competitors or the people you look up to are regularly posting long-form, in-depth blog posts, launching podcasts, or dipping their toes into the world of video, and <\/span>it can seem overwhelming<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019re hoping to get rid of some of that pressure you\u2019re feeling and simplify the process of creating a foolproof <\/span>content marketing strategy<\/span><\/a>\u2014something I\u2019ve been perfecting over the past six years as a <\/span>content marketing consultant<\/span><\/a> to companies like LinkedIn, Zendesk, Adobe, Quickbooks and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each part of your content marketing has its own unique nuances and details that you won\u2019t want to miss. So, let\u2019s look at each part of the process and for an even deeper dive on how I personally do content marketing, check out my in-depth <\/span>guide to creating a content marketing strategy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Define Your Content Marketing Goal<\/b><\/h3>\n

Before you look at <\/span>what<\/span><\/i> you\u2019re going to create, you need to answer <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> you\u2019re making it.<\/span><\/p>\n

All content marketing starts with a goal. How are you going to measure the success of your campaign? Is it with traffic? New subscribers? App downloads? Conversions? Social shares and engagement? Video views? Podcast downloads? Sales?<\/span><\/p>\n

Best-selling author, prolific marketer and entrepreneur<\/span> Seth Godin<\/span><\/a> explains the importance of understanding your <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> early on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have the freedom to make these choices at the beginning when they\u2019re free, fast and easy. Not later on when you\u2019ve made commitments to other people and yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to get caught up in all the tactics of content marketing, but without a unifying strategy\u2014a strong <\/span>why<\/span><\/i>, no matter what you create, it will fall flat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding your goal early on will guide other important decisions as you develop your content marketing strategy. Such as, what are we making? And where are we going to distribute our content? As Godin explains, your strategy is like building a ship. You need to know where it\u2019s going to sail before you can start nailing planks of wood together.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Godin emphasizes, <\/span>\u201cMatching what you build to where you put it is more important than what you build in the first place. That\u2019s why we need to start by understanding what is this for?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

When I’m brought on to build out a content marketing strategy for one of my clients, whether it’s through my <\/span>freelance business<\/span><\/a> or through my larger agency,<\/span> Pro Content Marketer<\/span><\/a>, we always start in the exact same place\u2014with first getting a <\/span>freelance contract<\/span><\/a> in place, then defining an ultimate goal and backing into smaller mini-wins that ladder up to the bigger picture achievement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most often with content marketing, that ultimate goal is email signups or free trial signups.<\/b><\/p>\n

Essentially, attracting new readers to your blog (content), then converting them into email subscribers who can later be warmed into paying customers as the rest of the marketing team works to build relationships with subscribers. Just be sure you\u2019re following the upcoming <\/span>GDPR requirements<\/span><\/a> that are going into effect and will alter the way you can market to email subscribers in 2018 and onward. <\/span><\/p>\n

Once you have this larger goal in place, it’s easier to determine\u2014based on your average conversion rates\u2014how many readers or listeners, viewers, users, you need to attract to the content you’re publishing, in order to hit your signup goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Research and Understand Your Audience<\/b><\/h3>\n

Once you have a clear connection to <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> you\u2019re making content, the next step in building out your content marketing is to understand exactly <\/span>who<\/span><\/i> is going to see, hear, or watch the content you create.<\/span><\/p>\n

Effective content is not produced in a vacuum from a list of topics you personally want to write or talk about, it’s made out in the open with the involvement, feedback, and direction of your audience. You could write all day about your own favorite tips for <\/span>saving money<\/span><\/a>, but at the end of the day, you should only be focused on answering <\/span>the most pressing <\/span><\/i>questions that are relevant to your target audience\u2014with the goal of educating and transforming them.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the only way that your content will connect enough with people to have them share it and help you reach your goals is for you to speak directly to them. You need to have empathy and understanding for their situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Andrea Goulet, founder of<\/span> BrandVox<\/span><\/a>, breaks down the process of defining your audience better than anyone I\u2019ve ever seen\u2014in her Skillshare class<\/span> Become a Better Blogger<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first step is to understand the demographics and psychographics of your ideal audience.<\/b><\/p>\n

Demographics<\/b> are the quantitative traits, or things you can really dig into and measure. Think age, gender, location, job title, etc. For example, you might say you want your content marketing to speak to executives aged 30\u201345, or 20-something job seekers just out of college.<\/span><\/p>\n

Psychographics <\/b>are the things we can\u2019t measure. Attributes like attitude, belief systems, values, and interests. So in our executive example, we could go a step further and say that our content speaks to executives who want to take their <\/span>business idea<\/span><\/a> to the next level but can\u2019t find a way. Or maybe that they believe in hard work and doing the right thing and value family and strong morals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating Your Audience Personas<\/b><\/h3>\n

Now, let’s talk about <\/span>customer profiles<\/span><\/a>\u2014the fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers. These personas are constructed with the goal of internalizing who your ideal customer is, and gives you an idea of how to relate to these people as real humans. For each of the audience personas you\u2019re creating, write out their (demographic and psychographic) attributes on a bulleted list.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, you want to visualize exactly who this person is. Goulet suggests using a stock photography site like<\/span> Unsplash<\/span><\/a> or<\/span> Pexels<\/span><\/a> to find a photo of the person you\u2019ve just described. It might seem a bit silly, but this will seriously help solidify your vision and create more of a connection between you and your ideal audience (keeping in mind that you may need to go through a <\/span>website redesign<\/span><\/a> in order to better appeal to your audience in the long run).<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, you want to take that photo, the bulleted list and write a story about them in paragraph form, that really describes the environment and the feelings that your persona lives in. Give them a name and describe their day-to-day activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does your content not only fit in, but get found and recognized by this person?<\/span><\/p>\n