Taking a strategic approach to content marketing
We’ve all heard the expression content is king – but what does that really mean?
When people say content is king, they’re referring to content marketing – the strategic creation and distribution of valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
Of course the ultimate goal of content marketing is to assist in moving this audience through the buying journey towards a closed sale.
To actually achieve this, marketers need to take a strategic approach to their creation of content – and in this blog post, we’re going to explore exactly how to do this.
The power of a strategic narrative
Any content marketing plan should begin by taking a strategic content narrative approach.
This approach weaves together different content types to tell a compelling story that evolves over time.
It’s about identifying the core themes and messages you want to convey, and then strategically deploying different content formats to reinforce those messages.
Think of it as building a multi-chapter book. Each piece of content contributes to the overall storyline, building anticipation, driving engagement, and ultimately guiding your audience towards a desired outcome.
Orchestrating different content styles
To create a truly engaging narrative, you need to leverage the unique strengths of different content styles. Here’s a breakdown:
Thought leadership
Purpose: establish your brand as an authority in your industry
Format: whitepapers, in-depth articles, webinars, research reports
Achieves: builds credibility, demonstrates expertise and drives long-term brand recognition
Opinion pieces
Purpose: spark conversations and generate debate
Format: opinion columns, social media posts
Achieves: encourages engagement, fosters community and positions your brand as a thought leader with a clear perspective
News
Purpose: Keep your audience informed about industry trends and company updates
Format: Press releases, news articles, social media updates
Achieves: maintains relevance, demonstrates responsiveness, and positions your brand as a reliable source of information
Case studies
Purpose: demonstrate the value of your products or services through real-world examples
Format: written case studies, video testimonials, customer success stories in trade journals
Achieves: builds trust, provides social proof, and drives conversions
Features
Purpose: provide in-depth exploration of a topic, to entertain, and to educate
Format: Long form articles, multimedia pieces and interviews
Achieves: Increases reader engagement, provides value and builds brand loyalty
Deploying at scale
Once you’ve developed a suite of content that ticks all of these boxes, the next step is to position it in channels where your target market will connect with it.
Owned media, including a brand’s website, social media channels and enewsletter are the obvious place to start.
But to tap into a broader audience, B2B trade media provides a highly targeted and credible platform for content distribution at scale.
Unlike broader channels, trade publications and online platforms cater to specific industries and professional audiences, ensuring that content reaches the key decision-makers who influence purchasing decisions.
Importantly, trade media carries a level of authority and trust above and beyond that experienced by owned channels, enhancing the credibility of the content and the brand associated with it.
A regular publishing schedule, over an extended period (ideally at least 12 months) allows B2B marketers to effectively establish thought leadership, generate qualified leads and build valuable relationships within their target industries.
Putting the pieces together
Applying content marketing as a discipline isn’t a one-off effort – it’s an ongoing process that you need to constantly plan for, tend to and nurture.
The effort put in will be well rewarded though, giving your brand a cohesive and engaging insight into your brand.
In B2B marketing, we know we have to play the long game – your marketing needs to be always on, and building a strong brand position is an important part of the process.
Leveraging different content styles across the right media channels, and maintaining a consistent, steady flow of high value content, are the keys to creating a lasting impact and driving meaningful results.