Content comes in all forms and sizes. For some, finding the right fit for your audience is like Prince Charming walking around with a glass slipper looking for Cinderella. 

This is likely why only 42% of B2B marketers are effective at content marketing. 

Not very promising. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

With the right data, strategies (and implementation), you can improve your content marketing success. 

So in this post, we’re going to explore how you can succeed in content marketing in 2019. 

Let’s get started!

First Step — Build a Plan

Walking into content marketing without a solid strategy is the quickest way to flop before you fly. 

Your goal is to create a plan that will not only launch your campaign but will help it to soar for many years. Long-term strategies are the best for obvious reasons. 

If you’re not thinking ahead and planning for the future, then you’re going to get half-baked results. So for 2019, you need to sit down, brainstorm, and go over all of your data. 

This is the time to look at your past campaigns to see what worked and what didn’t. If you haven’t already, now’s a good time to create your buyer personas. 

And let’s not forget about SEO! You need to look at the keywords you’re ranking for (or trying to rank for) to see how you can improve optimization. 

No — Click Bait Isn’t a Strategy (But Relevancy is)

If you’re serious about your content marketing, then you need to produce content that resonates with your audience. 

What we mean by this is crafting pieces that your target customers care about. Sure, using click-baity headlines will get their attention. 

But guess what happens when they see the content inside is unfulfilling? They’re going to bounce away — never to return. 

And worse — it’s going to hurt your ranking in search engines. 

So to counter this, you need to focus on delivering content that’s high-quality and relevant. The titles should be enticing and true to what the content will offer. 

Consider Working with Micro-Influencers

You don’t have to spend loads of money on sponsored content with celebrities like Serena Williams or Katie Perry. 

Instead, you can go after the real influencers of today’s consumers — micro-influencers. These are bloggers, Instagrammers, YouTubers, and a host of other content creators that have a moderate-to-large following. 

They typically have followings in the thousands to hundreds of thousands. But what makes them useful is that they have a dedicated and engaged fan base. 

Today’s consumers connect more with influencers than they do with celebrities. So if you want to get more views on your content and website then you need to partner with micro-influencers. 

For instance, you can guest post on their blog, pay for a mention, or sponsor a post. Larger brands are already catching on and are teaming up with social media influencers to connect with millennials and Generation Z. 

Add Social Media to Your Strategy

If all you’re doing is publishing content on your company blog and expecting to get visitors, then you’ll be sadly disappointed. 

No one’s going to find your content unless it’s on the first page of Google (or other search engines). So if it’s not there, then you need to use other methods to get it in front of your target audience. 

Social media continues to be one of the most effective tools for promoting content. You’ll need a social media strategy that consists of about 60% curated content, 30% your content, and 10% promotional content. 

In other words, don’t make everything you post promotional or your own content. 

It’s good to be social – so be sure to like and share other users’ posts. This shows you’re genuine, caring, and interested in others — not just yourself. 

Engaging with users on these platforms can help build your brand’s visibility and earn you more followers. Just focus on being helpful and show your value — the rest will follow. 

Develop a Content Calendar

Your content should have a predictable schedule for two reasons — it ensures your publishing is consistent and it helps to plan out how you’ll engage your audience. 

It’s good to plan your topics strategically vs. randomly. For example, the topics you cover week-to-week should relate in some way. 

This way, your audience will be interested in the posts you publish weekly. Jumping from topic to topic will only throw them off. 

One way to help them follow along is to create a series of posts. This can be a step-by-step guide covering each step in-depth. 

Or you can tie together a string of FAQs relating to a particular topic, each post providing an in-depth answer. 

Once you set up your publishing cycle, be sure to stick to it. Take time each month to plan out the content for the next month. Create all of your content in advance, so all you have to do is schedule each post using a CMS. 

Cover Topics Your Audience Wants to Consume

In the beginning, you’ll find it difficult to know what your audience wants. After all, you’re not a mind reader. 

But you don’t have to be. 

There are plenty of tools you can use to find topics your audience will find interest in. One place to start is Quora. 

Look up your industry and see what users are asking about the most. You can then take these questions and insert them into Answer the Public to see how popular the searches are on Google. 

Take these ideas and spin them into exciting content posts that are in-depth and engaging. 

Ready to Achieve Content Marketing Success?

Sure you are! If you’re committed to making content marketing work in 2019, then this is the best place to start. Reach out to us for a free content planning discussion session and we can help you build your content strategy that delivers results.

Begin planning your strategy, doing the research, and sharing your content on social media. And don’t forget to build rapport with micro-influencers so they can help promote your content and your brand!