How to Set Content Marketing Goals that Work (via: NUVI.com/Blog)
Earl Nightingale said it best when he stated, “People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.” Considering setting goals should be the first step in any large endeavor, our jaws dropped when we learned seventy percent of marketers lack a consistent or integrated content strategy. That means millions of people in your field haven’t pinpointed what their end goal is.
It’s a lot easier to get where you want to go when you determine a clear way to get there. Think of yourself as a hiker trying to climb a mountain, but you have no idea what the best route is or how to prepare for what you might find. Setting a goal allows you to not only reach the mountain, but to do so in the most strategic way possible. Here are three ways to stay on track as you hike your way to the top of the content marketing mountain.
- Identify your “why”
Before you begin this climb, think about why you want to do content marketing. Content marketing is a large and competitive field, and it’s necessary to have a clear, concrete reason to put your message out there. It could be to grow your audience, to help more people understand your product, to build trust in your customers, or to attract people to whatever you’re selling. This why will drive what goals you make and how you carry them out.
Neil Patel, co-founder of KISSmetrics says, “Content marketing is a way for a business owner to educate your customers and potential customers about your products and services. The goal is to offer tips, help, and education about anything that can be helpful to a customer.”
- Strive to be a thought leader
Next, you need to identify what you’re going to contribute. Like we mentioned, the world of online content is competitive; many people are trying to do the exact same thing you’re trying to do. It’s important to have a niche so that you are the go-to for whatever category of content you create. Patel continues, “…information can be shared in the form of blog, white paper, webinar, video or social post. The opportunities are endless.”
To really make this content strong, you’ll want to pull in quotes from employees, clients, or other published thought leaders. Incorporate success stories and relatable experiences. Think outside of the box to present ideas that challenge the way people currently think about something. When you put out quality content that looks good, sounds good, and is researched well, then your audience will recognize you as a credible and reliable brand.
- Audit current content
It’s time to get critical. Now that you know why you’re writing content, you need to audit what you already have. This can be done in a variety of ways with many different tools (Nathan Ellering wrote an excellent article on how to do this with Google Analytics), but the bottom line is you need to know what content is doing well and why. How do you decide? It could be checking out the number of page views, the number of shares, the quantity and or quality of the comments, or the number of new consumers or followers you have after each time you post. Congratulations, you just became best friends with statistics.
After you’ve identified those indicators, you need to see why the content is getting the desired results in order to make a standard for the rest of your work to follow. Garret Moon from CoSchedule suggests these different indicators to evaluate: “Who was the writer? What type of content is it? What’s the tone? Where was it posted?” You’ll see a pattern form from all of the different elements involved, which you can then apply to the rest of your work. Add this process to your strategic compass as you make your way up the content marketing mountain.
- Set SMART goals
Hallelujah, it’s time to start making your goals! If you’re not already familiar with the SMART goals acronym, then it’s time to get acquainted. This formula will help you pinpoint exactly what you need to do in order to complete your goals.
S stands for “specific.” For example, saying “We want to create good content,” is very different than “We want to create a blog to connect with our customers.” The second option is direct and avoids ambiguity. M stands for “measurable.” Instead of deciding “We want to have more social media followers,” you can say “We want to increase our following by 25 percent next quarter.” Next we have A for “achievable.” While we all dream of having George Clooney or Jennifer Aniston promoting our product, it might not be realistic. Creating achievable goals means you’re setting expectations that are ambitious, but realistic. R stands for “relevant.” Why make a goal of sending out a regular newsletter when you know your customers are more likely to keep up with you on Facebook? Stay relevant to your audience and your product. And, last but not least, we have T for “time bound.” Don’t underestimate the importance of having deadlines and mini milestones to achieve along the way as you pursue your goal. It may take some trial and error, but creating SMART goals is a process that will benefit you big time.
Many hope success will fall at their feet with a lot of hard work and a little faith. But, hard work doesn’t go a long way unless it’s put toward something useful. Being motivated with a clear objective is crucial as you race to the peak amongst other businesses. Use these goal-setting principles to create a clear path to successful content.
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