There’s something about startup culture that translates beautifully into digital content.
Maybe it’s because content reads more like frontline reporting than corporate advertising, and great pieces are infused with a sense of entrepreneurial energy. Or maybe it’s because bootstrapping entrepreneurs treat content like a message in a bottle and know that survival depends on people reading, enjoying, and engaging with whatever they’re publishing.
Regardless, this situation looks much different for Fortune 500 companies. I’m frequently shocked by the way some of the most successful companies in the world approach content. Some devote tremendous resources to creating in-depth whitepapers, only to host them on internal microsites their target audience will never find. Others publish articles in prestigious publications but fail to draw readers back to their company website.
If you’re the CMO of a large company, don’t assume that a huge marketing budget will guarantee effective content. Here are key pieces of content advice big companies should consider:
Create strategic alignment. Thought leadership pieces published on third-party platforms generate visibility and trust, and whitepapers on your company website create hyper-targeted engagement. Every medium serves a specialized purpose, but if your content isn’t strategically aligned, your intent is irrelevant.
Different content platforms are like mechanical gears. For the machine to function, they all have to be connected. That means writing about the same concepts in your thought leadership pieces as you do in your whitepapers. It also means that everything you publish needs to feed back into your overarching goal. To maximize the value of your content, you and your entire team must have a clear understanding of what that goal is.
Bring creative, committed people on board. According to many of the executives at the CMO Club Summit this year, one of the biggest hurdles in content creation is the lack of would-be creators within big companies. Apparently, unless “sharing expertise through the written word” is right there in the job description, few are willing to contribute insights.
That’s where a leader has to rally company-wide excitement around content creation. This mentality is crucial for creating great material. Sharing your thoughts through content is an opportunity, not a chore. Educate your employees about the personal and company-level benefits, and inspire them to be part of something meaningful.
Understand resource requirements and availability. Many companies dive into content marketing without realizing how resource-intensive the process is. From creating and editing pieces to leveraging them via social media and sales, content requires time, energy, and patience.
There are several options to handle the strain on resources. The first (and, unfortunately, most common) is to push out bad content. Don’t do this.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, about 50 percent of brands engaged in content marketing will leverage a combination of both in-house and outsourced resources. Where you fit on the spectrum is up to you.
Stop trying to sell. What’s worse than a hard sell masquerading as content? A soft sell.
Content is not advertising. A great piece will not cause an overnight spike in sales. If you bait people into reading subliminal ad copy, you will only alienate them.
Yes, content marketing has an agenda. Stick to it. Your goal is to earn trust, and you can’t do that by tricking people. This is especially true if you’re venturing into sponsored content, which people inherently distrust. To achieve an ROI, you must truly enrich the lives of your readers.
All of the moving pieces of a content marketing strategy — editorial calendars, lead captures, email signature links, etc. — are important. Once you create these processes, the gears will work together to drive the machine forward. But on a more fundamental level, content only works when it creates a human connection between the writer and the audience. So approach your readers with humility, an open mind, and a sense of imagination. Have faith in them, and everything else will fall into place.