Good inbound marketing can be really beneficial for your company and it reduces the amount of cold calling you need to do, which serves as a means with which to save time and money. Creating the content needed to get your inbound marketing going can be a daunting task but there are steps you can take to get a plan in place.
Follow industry news
This can be overwhelming just because of the sheer volume of information out there. To simplify this, subscribe to RSS feeds from journalists and bloggers that are prolific in writing for your industry. Subscribe to industry newsletters that cover both general topics about your industry as well as niche areas. Set up Google alerts so that you get the latest news in your inbox at intervals that you prefer. All of these methods make news come to you instead of you having to go look for the news.
Monitor social conversations
If you are doing business now, you most probably have social media pages set up. Utilise these to help you create new content. Look out for comments that are posted on Facebook or retweets from Twitter. If something is frequently being mentioned and you know you have knowledge about it, write an article explaining it. Then post it to Facebook, Twitter or other social media channels. This way you become a part of the trending topics on social networks.
Build a team of content creators
Many owners and managers feel that it is solely their responsibility to create content but it needn’t be that way. Encourage other people to contribute to your content. Ask graphic designers to share design ideas and tips, ask salespeople for selling tips and so forth. Everyone has their own unique knowledge that they can share with your audience. It also creates a sense of diversity in your content.
Think of video as well
Most devices nowadays have good cameras so simply taking your smartphone or tablet everywhere with you can provide you with content creation opportunities. If you are at a trade show, for example, conduct mini-interviews with people that come by your booth. Even if you are not going to use the videos you create, they might provide ideas for other content.
Make lists
At the end of a year or every six months bring out an ebook with a list of your best blog posts with additional features to keep it interesting for those who have seen them all. This will keep customers up-to-date should they have missed something and provide them with content that is displayed in one format that they can simply click through once. You can also bring out a list of the biggest features or products that you have released within a particular time period. Even if you do not create original content, you can also provide your customers with a reading list of books that will improve their businesses or videos that they would find informative. This will remind customers that you have their best interests at heart.
Research
There are plenty of online survey creators that can help you create polls and surveys for free. These surveys can help pinpoint the areas that interest your customers the most and in turn help you create content that aim to highlight these areas.
Use old content
Rehashing old content may not seem like a good idea to some people but it can be helpful in keeping up with the demand for content. Take videos and turn them into blog posts or turn a PowerPoint presentation into a SlideShare to permanently place on your website or blog.
