Part 2 of 2
How do I do it?
Welcome to part two of my thoughts on content marketing. (If you missed part 1 to find out what it is and why it matters, you can find it here.)
If I’ve convinced you it’s a good thing but are not sure where to start, let’s dive straight in with some practical advice.
Some general tips for building marketing content
- Written longer content shouldn’t usually be less than about 250 words and rarely more than 600. If it’s getting much longer than that, could you split the content into two posts?
- Written content should be well-structured: aim for relatively short sentences and sub-headings if you can (it not only makes it easier for humans to scan but web crawlers too!).
- Don’t shy away from technical language or jargon if your audience will understand it. You need to strike the balance between being understandable, being an expert and not patronising them.
- Video content length will vary enormously depending on your topic and your channel: a 30-45 second taster video on LinkedIn is probably enough, TikTok will limit you to 90 seconds, but a 20 minute ‘explainer’ video or podcast on your website might be what it takes to educate your audience on a specific topic.
Content cycling and recycling:
It might help to think of your content as part of a giant ‘cycle’ of work.
Cycling – One blog on your website could become a LinkedIn article, a Facebook short vlog and a series of tweets. Think about how some of your longer content can ‘cascade’ to other channels too (‘amplifying’ your content).
Recycling – You can re-use content; after a period of time, most articles will require updating anyway so take that as an opportunity to edit, review and reuse it if you want.
Tips and ideas to get you started
If you are not a natural writer, the good news is that you don’t have to be to create great content. Here are a few ‘headline’ ideas to get your thoughts flowing:
- Our 5 Top Tips on…. These will translate well to social media as individual tips too
- Guest bloggers/writers: get a related expert to comment on your field (you can gain authority by association)
- ‘Digests’ or curated content: bring together other sources to share (external links to other bona fide sites are helpful to SEO)
- Topical opinions: speculate on what changes might mean for your industry; works well as blogs or vlogs; take opportunities that crop up.
- Product/service review relevant to your industry
- FAQs – frequently asked questions about an aspect of your industry (again, often translates well to social and are loved by search engines)
A final thought
It’s much better to have a manageable content plan and stick to it than something over-ambitious you fail to achieve.
Good luck!
(Of course, if you are stuck for ideas, maybe you know a creative marketer who enjoys writing that could help?!)