Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing for Agencies

If we claimed that our content marketing campaigns always went smoothly for our clients, we would be lying. There have been some wrong turns, but over time we have accumulated a great deal of experience making it work for our clients. We believe we’ve learned enough to piece together an actionable content marketing guide to help other agencies get their act in gear.

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Content Marketing is not Rocket Science –

Here is the Ultimate Guide to Content

Marketing for Agencies!!!

In the era of Panda and Peng uin, content marketing has become one of the most

promising roads forward A successful internet marketing strateg y rests on the quality

of your content We have arrived at the point where content marketing is the best way of

reaching your consumers

Of course, content marketing was important even before Panda and Peng uin made their

appearance on the scene Astute ag encies were already harnessing the power of this strateg y to expand their client’s reach Still, most ag encies saw content marketing as a top-tier marketing technique It wasn’t something that they considered a prerequisite, and many of them just ig nored it completely

Why adopt a content driven promotional strateg y, after all, when there were easier, cut and dried, and replicable methodolog ies already in place? The problem with this sort of thinking was that when ‘content marketing ’ actually took its rig htful place in the world

of internet marketing , many ag encies had no clue how to make it work successfully The “how” and “why” of content marketing still escapes many of these companies, and

we have encountered several that are still murky about the whole process

If we claimed that our content marketing campaig ns always went smoothly for our

clients, we would be lying There have been some wrong turns, but over time we have accumulated a g reat deal of experience making it work for our clients We believe we’ve learned enoug h to piece tog ether an actionable content marketing g uide to help other

ag encies g et their act in g ear

So, from one ag ency to another, here’s a detailed look at the content marketing process

What is Content Marketing?

To put it simply, content marketing is all about creating ‘g reat’ content, and promoting

it throug h the appropriate channels

Obviously, the difficulty ag encies face is determining what ‘g reat’ content is Yes, it

should be well-written Yes it should have no g rammatical errors Yes it should targ et a specific audience Yes it should be orig inal, and yes, it should be factual and well

researched

That’s a lot of “yeses,” but it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ‘g reat’ content

What it really needs to be able to do is add value It must not only attract prospects, but also convert them into customers; and not just sing le time customers, but repeat buyers.

It must also be shareable content: the kind of content that can g o viral.

Here’s our process for building valuable content First we understand what the client wants, as any g ood ag ency does But then we g o deep into the needs and wants of the

client’s target audience, which is often ignored We create content that is related to the

product or messag e in question, but our core focus is on creating the kind of content

that the audience wants.

If there is a solution that they want, we g ive it to them If they are looking for facts, that’s what we offer If they are looking for stats, then stats it is Great content is always audience defined; this is what helps build trust between our clients and their targ et audience

The rule of thumb that we follow is: “Give the audience what they want, not what

you think they want.”

This is what g reat content is all about, and what allows it g o viral…which bring s us to our next topic

How to develop great content that goes viral

Now that we’re clear on what g reat content actually is, let’s take thing s to the next level

and make it g o viral There is no doubt that creating viral content is the sing le most important step of content marketing Let’s take a look at how to make it happen

What are the types of content that can g o viral?

Speaking from experience, it’s real time content that has the most potential to g o viral.

Our focus is always on news stories, case studies, experiences (both g ood and bad), controversies, strateg ies, solutions to common problems, actionable industry insig hts, facts and fig ures, contests, free tools and widg ets, g iveaways, open products reviews (which are in hig h demand), and anything and everything that your client’s customers are currently most interested in reading about

Nobody likes feeling out of the loop, especially when it comes to subjects that they care about The big g est influencers in your industry are g oing to care far more about brand new information than old news, even if it is trusted and established information

Let’s take SEO as an example In this niche, the most viral content will be about recent updates to the alg orithm, fresh strateg ies that people haven’t seen before, and so on This is what SEO enthusiasts want to read and share Remember, if something is new, interesting , and surprising , it g ets shared

This bring s us to our next question:

How do you develop such content?

Two words: “Your Client.” Get your client involved in the content development process Nobody knows more about the niche than they do True, there will be circumstances where you understand the online market better than your client, but they are still the ultimate authority on the subject matter and what people in that industry care about

Sit with your client, have long strateg izing sessions, and make your client a part of the process Remember: they have the most stake in the campaig n Help them understand that novel information, which is often proprietary, is by far the most likely to g o viral It’s often difficult for SEOs to g ain access to this information, so make sure they

understand why it’s so important

Here are some of the questions that you can ask your clients, which will help them open

up about their business:

What are the problems their customers face while using their products/services?

What’s their USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? This is crucial.

What is their customer feedback while using their products/services?

What are the latest updates in their industry?

Where are the top blogs in their industry?

Content that provides solutions almost always works best To solve problems for the targ et audience and influencers in the niche, you’ll need to understand your client’s business strateg ies How to accomplish this will be different from client to client, and it

is a skill that can only come from experience

We recently used this kind of strateg y when we put tog ether our Post-Panda/Peng uin Era Link Acquisition Strateg ies for SearchEng ineJournal We recog nized that there are many SEOs looking for strateg ies with sustainable results in this new era of

optimization We offered the post as a solution to that problem In the process, we shared some of our own personal strateg ies openly with SEJ readers It’s the kind of content that is perfectly suited to g oing viral, and, according to our standards, it did

Identifying the Right Content Distribution Channel

Creating the rig ht content is a must, but you also need to zero in on a distribution channel for the content You want to reach your audience throug h a channel that they already access habitually

Here, ag ain, the client enters the picture Where does the client g o to find solutions to their problems? Where do their customers g o? Where do people who would care about their products and services g o to solve their problems?

Once you have a list of viable content distribution channels, share it with your clients and talk to them about it Then consider a format for the content, such as:

Whitepapers

Presentations

Ebooks

Blog posts

Videos

Email newsletters

Pdf

Doc

Webinars

Tutorials

Guides

Mobile/tablet apps

micro sites

landing pag es

Offline – mag azines, newspapers etc.

Choosing the Rig ht Distribution Channel, and Developing Content for It

Once you identify the most promising channels, you need to choose which one to

actually use Consider the following :

Is the choice of channel sustainable, can you keep at it for the long term?

Will a majority of your targ et audience be able to access the channel?

Is it an “all-purpose” distribution channel, that you can keep using despite

chang ing audience expectations, aspirations, and the emerg ence of new

distribution channels?

Are you thinking long term or short term?

Are you looking at a sing le channel or multi-channel distribution?

What we usually like to do is diversify our distribution channels, rather than stick to just one or two The choice of the channel depends on the market, the competition, and the client’s personal preferences Think according ly

Suppose that you have chosen video as your medium of choice In that case, you need to understand what kinds of videos are most successful, and what will be most helpful to the targ et audience Successful videos g enerally showcase something remarkable,

amazing , or funny For it to be helpful to your client, it also needs to be related to their products and services

As an example, if your client was an idea-g eneration firm, a video of a real-life

brainstorming session would be a g ood choice Such a video would be helpful for

viewers, since it would enlig hten them about the creative process It would also build trust and reputation for your client by demonstrating how they do their work and their willing ness to share it openly

The video should endorse the company’s commitment to offering clients the best

services, and this should be showcased in a manner that is really interesting , not

“salesy.” In the case of videos, it’s about establishing an immediate personal connection with the audience

Every distribution channel has its own specific content development requirements Your content must live up to them in order to succeed

Developing a Big Audience Outreach Plan

Once you have g reat content and the perfect distribution channel, it’s time to reach out

to your audience with it Audience outreach is an integ ral part of content marketing Here’s how you can develop a plan to accomplish this:

Know your customers

Know where they g o to find solutions to problems like those solved by your client Try to reach out to the targ et customer throug h their preferred channel Only then will they be able to find your content and consider it valuable

Plan for the present, but future proof your plan as well

Track your results; this is important since it allows you to fine tune your outreach plan

Use of Content Marketing Tools

Thing s g et a whole lot easier if you use the plethora of content marketing tools

available There is something for everybody The choice of tools depends on the kind of content you have chosen and the distribution channel, among other thing s

Let’s take a look at some of these tools We have divided these tools into three

categ ories, namely content strateg y, content production, and content promotion:

Content Strateg y T ools:

Tools like the Content Strateg y Generator from SEOGadg et can help you do thing s like:

Pull data from Goog le Insig hts for information about trends in your industry Use data from FollowerWonk and Topsy to locate promising content placement opportunities

Find outreach opportunities

Content Production T ools:

Content production tools help you put tog ether content more quickly so that you can expand your reach more effectively This slide show does a g ood job of introducing some

of these tools They can help you:

Set up easy to follow workflows

Do outreach, content production, and social sharing in one place

Get in touch with journalists

Gain insig ht into what your targ et audience is reading

Simplify blog g ing if you work with several writers, and more

Here are few of these tools Feel free to mention more in the comments:

Contently: This tool allows you to choose your team of writers from the Contently

network with respect to their specialization, what they have worked on and who they have worked for; you can manag e your team and your content work flow in the cloud

Go!Animate: Some ideas translate well into animated videos, and this is where this tool

can help you out You can create interesting animated videos, without sweating it

YouT ube Video Editor: Polish your raw footag e; trim clips, add music, insert transitions, rotate clips and do a whole lot more

Skyword: This is a complete content product platform which allows you to recruit

writers, create content, promote your content socially, and lastly, measure its performance All of this can be accomplished with minimal effort

Follower Wonk: More than a content production platform, this allows you to do some

solid keyword research, search for topics that are making waves in your niche, and find influencers Produce top notch strateg ic content that you know will cater to your niche

Content Promotion T ools:

These tools help you g et the word out so you can reach as broad an audience as possible Check out this Mashable post to learn more about them if you like:

Smashwords: A g ood pick if you have chosen to distribute content using eBooks It can

help you launch your eBook for free

One Load: This is a g reat platform if you are choosing video distribution This platform

doesn’t just allow you deploy your videos across different video sharing sites and social networking sites etc, but it also help you keep an eye on them

StumbleUpon: If you are looking for an inexpensive, pay-per impression form of

content distribution, this will be a g ood choice

Blog dash: If g uest blog g ing is a part of your content marketing strateg y, then this is a

g reat platform to find blog g ers, eng ag e with them, or pitch your campaig n to them

Zemanta: This one is a link distribution platform and what it does is very simple While

you are writing your blog posts, it will analyze them and make sug g estions for the

addition of links and relevant photos It also acts as a content promotion platform for relevant link building

There are many others out there A bit of research into the tools, their use, benefits, and efficiency will g ive you a g ood idea of what to use, when to use them, and how to make the most of the various content marketing tools

And Finally……Go Viral!

Now that you have a content marketing strateg y in place, all that remains to be done is

g etting it to g o viral Take advantag e of social media, email marketing , outreach and so

If your content hits the mark, it should start propag ating on its own

Let’s take a look at what you can do to take your content to the viral stag e:

Use Social Media: but don’t just use social media, use it strateg ically First, search

for the social influencers in your niche: those authority fig ures that are looked upon with respect, and whose sug g estions and opinions count in your targ et niche Make the rounds in your web space and social networks, and find those fig ures that are

g oing to influence your targ et audience on Facebook, Twitter, Goog le+, and Pinterest You need to eng ag e with them and encourag e them to share your content on their blog s What you are essentially doing is trying to leverag e their respectability in their niche to promote your content; something that will help it g o viral

Let your targ et audience know that you are publishing new content Your social network is the perfect place to connect with your audience on a one-on-one level,

so tell them about your newly published content here

Press Releases can work very well A press release is, in itself, a content

distribution channel However, you can also use a press release to promote a piece

of content For example, you can really take your video to the next level if you

supplement it with a press release Think about it

Cite your previous content Be smart and think ahead Develop content that

relates to your previous work, and then cite those posts in the new work

Email marketing is one of the more traditional ways of reaching out to customers and letting people know about the content that you have published Start an

outreach plan to g et in touch with your targ et audience throug h emails