The year is winding down. As you look back, how would you rate 2014? An ‘A+’? This would mean marketing actively contributed to revenue. Your sales counterpart is thrilled. His team got the quantity and quality of leads needed to make the number. Or maybe it was a ‘B’ year. You tried a bunch of new tactics; some worked, some didn’t. Sales was satisfied with marketing’s contribution, but you could’ve done better. There’s room for improvement. If your year rates any worse, you might be updating your resume at this very moment.
The next step is making sure you have what you need to succeed. Chances are content will play a huge part in next year’s plan. It will be needed to create brand awareness and demand. It also is needed for sales enablement. You need to make sure you have the right content at the right time. How do you guarantee you have the content to support all of your initiatives?
First, start with a content plan. Ask yourself these questions:
- What are the content goals for the marketing and the sales team?
- When, where, and how do our buyers consume content?
- What content do you already have? What do you still need?
- What does your editorial calendar look like?
By answering these questions, you will better understand your content needs. Here are a couple of other tips to keep in mind as you get started.
#1 – Involve more than just your marketing team in content creation.
You have many resources to help create great content that are often overlooked. One example of this is your customer themselves. They are frequently one of the best sources of content. They can provide a user experience to be used in case studies, guest blog posts, etc.
Also, consider employees outside of the marketing department. Some of your sales counterparts may have great stories to share. Their unique perspective can freshen up your content.
#2 – Incorporate multiple types of content.
You probably already have a blog, some white papers, etc. The New Year is a great time to try other channels. Think about how your audience likes to consume content. Are they on the go? Then maybe audio content is a possibility. Also think about which channels may be the most uncluttered. Print is a media often ignored because of the effort and cost associated with it. But in some cases, it might be worth the investment.
#3 – Include a promotion plan for your content.
You want to make sure the content you create is seen. Whether it’s by prospects, or internal folks, you need to promote the content. Otherwise, all the work was for nothing.
As you get ready for the New Year, be sure to consider the role content plays. It is a vital piece to your success next year. It will make or break whether you are giving yourself a passing grade this time next year.
