Content is what separates the noise and the information. By that very same token, what could be described as content and the quality of that particular content is subjective. This particular tidbit might seem awfully basic, too banal to be stated outright, but as contents form the core of what a marketer do, it is imperative for this fact to be second nature to you. But what exactly is content? Well, to begin with, everything. That incredible video of FKA twigs dancing for Apple HomePod? Content. That Diply listicle on things you can do with a beer that doesn’t involve drinking? Content. That Wikipedia entry about a rollercoaster designed to kill its passengers? Content. Everything you see, read or listen to that conveys a message or tries to make you feel something is content. Content marketing, by definition, is the use of a particular content to further establish the standing of a particular individual and/or organization. It usually involves content specifically created for marketing purposes but thanks to the volatile and unpredictable minds of the internet, even unintentional ones could garner a life of its own, like what happened to Chewbacca Mom or Salt Bae.

The ABCs of Content Marketing

Now, if the seemingly random nature of viral contents leaves you baffling on how to best approach the practice of digital marketing, don’t fret as while there are no guaranteed way for you to achieve virality, there are some general pointers you could take note of that could help your organization in measurable and tangible ways, just like in traditional marketing.

• Define your audience.

Like I said near the beginning of this piece, content is subjective. Evaluate your business and determine which segment of the population you would like to target. Try not to overextend yourself by trying to please everyone as authenticity is the buzzword these days and being universal and generic tends to not help.

• Know your audience.

Slightly obvious but content marketing is still marketing, and proper market research and analysis would go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. The needs and wants of those exploring the outback and regular patrons of the theater would probably be different for example. This would inform not just the kinds of content to create but also which channels you use and what kind of tone you should adopt.

• Set goals and expectations.

At its core, marketing generally works in two distinct ways, to raise brand awareness and to translate that awareness into numbers and/or sales. Digital content marketing is fundamentally the same, although with increased complexity thanks to the involvement of SEO. Is your problem with your audience not knowing who you are, or how to convert the notoriety you have into sales? Those two goals need different approaches and figuring out which is your priority is key.

• Content creation.

This is the centerpiece of your strategy. What kind(s) of content would you like to create and how are you going to publish them? Is it text and images for a listicle or an informative blog post or even a web comic? Perhaps pure auditory experiences like podcasts? Pre-recorded videos or live unscripted videos? And if you’re doing videos, do you involve a personality on screen? There are numerous considerations to factor in and channels to use but as long as you do your research right, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

• Content promotion.

Probably what most people think when it comes to marketing but truthfully just another piece of the puzzle when it comes to content marketing. This is how you get that content you just created into the hands, eyes, ears and minds of the general public. You can do it yourself using a social media outreach or you can partner with an internet personality and tap into their channels for an extended reach.

• Content engagement and scheduling.

Other than being fickle and unpredictable, you could add hungry to describe the internet; they always hunger for new content. Digital content marketing is neither a song nor an album; it’s a never-ending playlist which means that you should never, ever put it on repeat. Recycled contents and plagiarism is the bane of society and could very well cost you credibility and that’s why planning on a content rollout is actually quite important. Make sure to keep the public engaged with steady streams of content but make sure not to overexert yourself and depleting all of your ideas.

As can be seen clearly above, research and analysis, the homework of content marketing, makes up for the majority of your strategy and rightly so. Everything you do should always be based on facts and/or data. The vast, fickle and unpredictable nature of internet severely handicaps an autodidact approach and while these steps aren’t going to automatically generate viral contents for you, it would at least keep you from making a major blunder with your content marketing strategy.