Introduction

So you want to create a content marketing strategy that drives traffic and conversions? Well, you're in the right place! I've created this guide to help you through all the steps needed to create an effective content marketing plan. By following these steps, your business will be able to:

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a strategy that helps you attract and acquire new customers by creating valuable, relevant, and consistent content. This type of marketing allows businesses to create a long-term relationship with their audience through blog posts and social media updates. It's an excellent way to build trust with potential customers because it provides them with actionable information about your brand in an organic way that feels like you're talking directly to them - not at them!

What are the benefits of content marketing?

Content marketing is a long-term strategy that can help you build your brand, attract new customers, generate leads and drive traffic to your site.

• Builds trust: Content marketing builds trust with customers by showing them that you care about their needs. They'll feel more comfortable working with you if they know what to expect from you in terms of quality and service.
• Attracts new customers: Having great content on your website attracts people who may not have found out about your business otherwise--whether it's through search engines or social media channels such as LinkedIn or Twitter (these platforms are often used for sharing content). By providing valuable information to these potential clients through blog posts or ebooks, they'll see how much value they could get from working with you instead of someone else who doesn't provide this kind of information at all!

Determine your target audience.

This may seem obvious, but it's easy to overlook this step when you're so focused on the content itself. The more specific and granular you can be about who will benefit from reading or listening to what you have to say, the better off your business will be in terms of generating traffic and conversions. To get started with identifying a target audience, think about:

• Who are they? What do they look like? Where do they live? How old are they? What gender are they (if applicable)? Are there any other demographics that might help us better understand how people interact with our product or service--for example, whether they're married or single; whether or not their income falls within certain parameters; etc.?
• What do these people want out of life at this point in time? What do their daily routines look like--what tasks do they perform regularly throughout each day; what activities occupy most of their free time outside work hours; etc.?
• How does our company fit into those lives by providing value for them through its products/services...and why should these people care about that fact enough so as not only take action today but also continue doing so in future days/weeks/months ahead!

Create a content marketing plan.

The next step is to create a content marketing strategy. This is where you'll decide how you're going to use your blog, and what kinds of posts you're going to write. You need to plan for the long term, not just this month or week. Your goal should be creating useful and valuable content that helps people solve problems they have right now--and then sharing it with them consistently over time (not just once). In order for your content marketing strategy to work, you need to know who you're writing for, what their problems are and how you can solve them with your product.

Create an editorial calendar for your content marketing strategy.

An editorial calendar is a tool that helps you plan and publish content on a regular basis. An editorial calendar can be as simple as a spreadsheet or Google Doc, or it could be an advanced tool like Hootsuite Pro. An editorial calendar should include:

• What types of blog posts will you publish? (i.e., product reviews, How-To guides)
• When will these blog posts be published? (i.e., once per week)
• Who's responsible for each post?

When creating your content strategy, start by selecting which topics you want to cover in detail and how often this information should be released online (the answer to both questions depends on the purpose of your website). Then choose how much time it takes for each piece of content--that way, when someone visits their site next week or month there won't be any gaps between updates because everything has already been prepped for them!

Develop relationships with influencers in your industry.

Influencers are people who have a large following on social media and can help you reach new audiences. They can also help you get more traffic, conversions, and sales. To find influencers in your industry:

• Search Twitter for the keywords that describe your business or niche (e.g., "content marketing strategy"). Then look at the profiles of people who have tweeted about those topics recently. Check out their follower counts and engagement rates (how often they respond to tweets). If they seem like good fits for what you're trying to accomplish, reach out!

Plan out your promotion strategy.

Once you've got a solid idea of what your content is going to be, it's time to think about how you're going to promote it. Your promotion strategy should include:

• A list of all the places where you can promote your content (including social media, paid advertising, etc.)
• A budget for each type of promotion
• A plan for what happens if your content doesn't get traction

Include multiple forms of storytelling (video, infographics, podcasts, etc.) in your content marketing strategy.

• Video: The use of video is an excellent way to engage your audience. If you have a product or service that can be demonstrated in a short time span, then consider creating an explainer video that highlights the benefits of what you are offering.
• Infographics: Infographics are another great way to visually display data in an engaging way, which can help with conversions by providing valuable information on topics such as new products or services or tips for using current offerings more effectively.
• Podcasts: Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular because they're easy to consume on mobile devices while driving or commuting, which means they're perfect for driving traffic!

Make sure you have social proof in place (testimonials, reviews, and testimonials).

Social proof is one of the most powerful ways to build trust with potential customers. It can be used to demonstrate that your brand is credible and reliable, which will help you drive more traffic and conversions. One way to establish social proof is by using testimonials from customers who have already purchased your product or service. You should also include reviews on your website, especially if they're recent--this shows potential buyers that other people have been happy with what they've received from you in the past. Testimonials should be authentic and not overly salesy; ideally, they should come from someone who has an established identity (such as an employee or even a CEO).

Keep your copy concise, but compelling and informative.

Conciseness is a critical aspect of any effective content marketing strategy. If you're not concise, your readers won't be able to take in all the information you're trying to convey. They'll get bored and leave before finishing the page--or worse yet, they could get distracted by something else on the web while reading it! To keep your copy concise but compelling, use short sentences and paragraphs without losing meaning or impact. Break up long blocks of text with headers (e.g., "How-To Guides") or subheaders ("How-To Guides"). Use bulleted lists when appropriate; these are especially helpful when listing steps towards accomplishing something (like our guide above). And don't forget pictures! Pictures help break up text and make it easier for people who don't like reading much content online--they want something visual that engages them visually rather than just intellectually (and this includes videos!)

You can create a stellar content marketing strategy that drives results if you follow these steps

We've already covered the basics of content marketing, but let's go over them again. Content marketing is a strategy that helps you drive traffic and conversions by creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content on your website or blog. The benefits of effective content marketing include:

• Increased brand awareness
• Increased trust in your brand
• Higher conversion rates (if done well)

Conclusion

If you follow these steps, you can create a stellar content marketing strategy<7 that drives results. You'll be able to connect with your target audience and build relationships with them through the power of storytelling--which is something they will value highly.