Content Which Converts and Generates Leads. How to Create Content Marketing Strategy

This article about a content marketing strategy contains 2 parts: the first part has some useful information about what social media content worth publishing in order to bring more traffic to a site. Also, we’ll review some social media management tools and techniques, with the help of which you can boost your content. The second part is dedicated to the content marketing plan and the social media techniques that convert traffic into leads.

Content Marketing Strategy Tips

How to find ideas for content?

You will most likely agree that the most interesting content in your social media content strategy is the one that is up-to-date. And in order to publish the recent news and articles you can use the next tools:

1. Use such SEO tools as Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush.com in order to track down the search queries for your competitors. Use the keywords in your publications. Write down any cool and creative ideas for your content.
2. Set up Google Alerts: you will be regularly notified about your queries mentions in Google.
3. Ease your media monitoring – set up RSS feed with the help of a very convenient feedly.com. Check your selection of news regularly, keep track of any gaps in information to quickly fill them in.

Use Google Search in order to track the most popular searches in no time.

Which relevant content  people like to read?

Before figuring out how to post to multiple social media, you should understand what to post to engage your audience. Here we’ll talk about the content in your content marketing strategy that attracts lots of users and makes them go to your site. Many people get hooked by this type of content without even reading it but they still form a positive opinion about you.

Evergreen content

Evergreen content is one of the most long playing types of social media content in your content marketing strategy. This type of content keeps on constantly bringing traffic to your site or blog or a social network page.

Here is what it looks like on a chart:

That is the very content that you worked hard to create and it paid off in the long run. If you found a couple of such articles in your stash then publish them again so you can attract even more people by using already made efforts.

Guides/ “How To” articles

Practical social media strategy guides, pocket manuals, 10 steps, tutorial books, instructions – all of this contains information on how to create something big starting up with little. It’s a perfect trigger for the readers in any form.

Content Marketing Strategy Tips: How to?

These guides require some through designer and writer approach. They have to be very logical, well-illustrated and attractive. Apart from that posting a guide in a “user-friendly” format will prolong the life of such content.

Infographics

Infographic is the social media type of content that is liked, shared and viewed more than any other type of content. Good infographic requires thorough work of a designer, that is a drawback.

What you need to know

The infographic is the type of evergreen content in the long term perspective. But in order for the invested resources to pay off you need to promote the infographics.

Content Marketing Strategy Tips: How to promote the infographics ?

1. Send your infographics to the influencers so they share it on their websites and blogs as a unique content. Ask them to write about your infographics to use their comments as a news hook?
2. Insert your infographics in the body of the letter or site with “Share” buttons for social networks.
3. Dived the infographics into several logic parts and publish it regularly together with the link to the full version on your site.
   
4. Use popular libraries for some extra traffic:

– http://dailyinfographic.com/
– http://www.coolinfographics.com/
– http://www.infographicsarchive.com/
– http://infographicjournal.com/
– http://www.infographicsshowcase.com/
– http://visualoop.tumblr.com/
– http://www.flickr.com/
– http://trunk.ly
– http://www.infographicsshowcase.com/submit/

Books reviews on social media

By making reviews for books within your content marketing strategy you should show yourself as an expert and start growing trust for your opinions. Surely, the reviews only come handy for the audience that reads.

You can publish reviews for both good and… not so good books.

Here’s an approximate plan of a book review:

1. What is the book about? Who is it written for and is it worth to read?
2. Who is the author of the book? Pros and cons
3. Key ideas: a few sentences about what the author wanted to deliver to the audience
4. Why did you (didn’t) like the book? Pros and cons.
5. Conclusion: whether the book is worth reading
6. Link to buy or download the book

You can add some author’s quotations or even an interview with him.

Content Marketing Strategy Tips: Reviews are also useful as they allow you to find some additional audience among those who was just looking for a certain book or something to read on the topic of interest.

Interviews

Interview – is a way to attract  attention of the audience who follows certain influencers. You can even make a good and essential interview downloadable or available in the video or audio format.

Opinions media posts and  “holy wars”

Unlike other types of content, these media posts express your opinion which may differ from the others’ and you can be much more expressive. Opinion posts are a perfect trigger for reading and leaving comments. And if your position coincides with the majority then reposts and going viral will be yours.

What should you remember?

• Reviews should not reflect something ordinary
• Your opinion shouldn’t be evil – otherwise, you’ll get criticized
• Be careful when making dare statements

Product reviews

Product reviews give some weight as an expert in the given field, same as book reviews. Each industry has products, services and tools.

All you need to do is share your experience of using a certain product and add your recommendations.

The plan of making a product review is the same as the one for a book review.

“How to” posts

This type of content is well-ranked by the search engines as “How to” articles are very popular.

Apart from that, the good side of this content is the variety of the topics and formats which can be applied to it.

The easiest way to create this type of content:

1. Mark a problem
2. Give a solution to it
3. Give a step by step instructions

Kits

It’s content that is grouped in one word. This can be a guide in the form of interactive (online) presentation or a report that includes the explanation of certain terms.

It is a perfect way to refresh and group your already existing content into something new.

Research and data

If you have the opportunity to carry out a research be it based on your system of analytics or just using the results of your own experience then you should definitely use it! This type of content within your content marketing strategy may greatly contribute to building your good reputation and trust in you and what you do. One of the easiest ways to make this social media content is to carry out a poll of your users, followers, leads, and prospects. This helps to get new insights.

Video

About 65% of people are visual learners. Why not use this to your advantage?

Product video

Before you start working on the scenario for your video you should define which problem this video should solve. Use a classic scheme:

• define user’s problem
• tell about the alternative options ( and why they are not so great)
• offer a solution ( with the help of your product or service)
• show how it works
• add time limitations and call to action

What should you know about product video?

1. Product video shouldn’t be difficult.
2. It can be costly: it is better that your video is made by professionals who know how to work the camera, light and editing.
3. People’s images work really well in video same as in any other type of advertising.
4. You should promote your videos just as any other social media content. Here are some ways to do it:
   • as an ad in social networks ( FB has shown the best results for viewing costs and click rate)
   • as content for mailing
   • as a landing page element
   • as service illustration in posts and comments

Locked videos

There’s nothing new in it, it’s a good old locked content. But in this case viewing content in return for an email address works best. In order to do this just place a registration field together with the video.

If you are sure that your video will be interesting for the users you can create a landing page with a registration field, preview video, speakers and main points which will be discussed in it.

Content Marketing Strategy Tips: Ready-made video can be uploaded on Youtube and Vimeo. These 2 websites are influencing SEO positively and allow to improve your position in Search results.

How to go about long-reads?

You are writing a long-read and see that it is quite a good one judging by the amount of shares, mentions and comments. This is a great reason to make it downloadable in PDF in exchange for an email address.

P.S. If you offer your content in exchange for an email you should also mention how you are going to use it and that the information provided is strictly confidential and will not be disclosed anywhere. Google is indexing unscripted PDF-files (it’s content, file’s metadata and links to PDF document).

Additional CTA and grouping of social media content

The true work on you content marketing strategy only starts after you have actually brought the traffic to your blog. The next step is to add calls to action. If your reader finds your article interesting then he or she may be interested in your proposal to read a book or a guide on the same topic. This is a very popular way of generating leads amongst bloggers.

Quote yourself

Put the best thoughts that reflect the essence of your publications into interactive blocks with “Share” buttons. Example:

Here is what the Tweet looks like:

Webinars

Webinars are one of the most “selling” types of content in your social media content strategy. But there 2 important things you should keep in mind about them: a webinar should be as educating as possible, and it shouldn’t sell. Pay attention to:

1. Webinars attract attention of both your regular audience and new people. And for the latter ones you should introduce yourself and the topic you are going to cover.
2. The webinars that present honest and open information from your company’s experience are the most effective
3. One of the proven ways to make a successful webinar is to invite experts in the related field who can share some good advice.

.ZIP files

This is a document that contains files and folders created precisely for the target group. This content distribution strategy works in the same way as any other type of limited content requiring a user to exchange some of his data.

What can be placed in this kind of archive?

• Chrome tabs for marketers
• content-plan templates
• PSD-templates
• ready scripts

.zip-files make reader’s life easier and they won’t need to manually search and download all the recommended information.

Case Studies

Traditional case studies are showing the most effective ways how your product works in reality. You show in which way you deal with certain situations and which steps you take to do it. If the case studies are done thoroughly they will become a precious tool for converting readers into clients.

White papers

Case studies can be included not only into webinars but into a special report (white papers) together with the research, kits and infographics. This is 6-14 pages document illustrating (same as a case study) how you solve certain clients’ tasks. Before most it’s an educating and advertising document.

Indeed, white papers were used since the 90s, but for complex software solutions, this may be the final convincing point (and extensive answer) whether to buy the service or not.

What you need to know:

1. White papers may illustrate how your product works in each particular case with the examples.
2. Place your readers’ interviews and reviews in order to back up the information provided.
3. One of the drawbacks of the white papers is a high amount of the resources involved: your clients, designers, specialists who worked on the tasks, cost of the research that proves the effectiveness of your solutions.

The conclusion: Looking for real content marketing strategies

If your content marketing strategy doesn’t make your readers act this is not marketing. It is just content.

All these content distribution techniques and social media content management strategies are used either by us or by our trustworthy clients such as Josh Haynam from Unbounce, Lindsay Kolowichfrom Hubpost, Neil Patel from Kissmetrics, we’ve also used Content Marketing Institute and Mashable experience.

In our new growth hacks, you will find out how to generate leads on Pinterest, Twitter and make video content that helps you to gain clients.

Also, read our previous growth hacks: Use Facebook for Business

Read more: Business / Content Strategy / Tips