Content marketing is a pivotal part of any online marketing strategy, regardless of your industry. While every business should have a blog with fresh, relevant and high-quality content, most employees are not professional writers or SEO strategists, who can who can optimize their posts for search engines and make posts interesting for audiences. This is where writers and content managers come into play.
Collaboration between experts and professional content writers can create the most powerful long-form content. These tips will help you empower your employees to provide writers with the outline that they need in order to generate quality content marketing materials.
Announcing your new blog initiative may be met with groans and moans — because let’s face it, most employees won’t openly embrace change. The key to successfully launching this program is to change the culture within your organization from the top down. Not only should you be enthused about the content that is going to be created for your company, but you also should actively contribute to it. Remind your employees that they don’t have to write the blogs themselves, rather, they are being asked to contribute ideas, outlines and useful data that can be highlighted.
The reason that bribery exists is because it’s effective. Don’t be afraid to offer incentives to employees who participate in the content marketing program. Rewards might include gift cards for the employee who provides more than three ideas each month, or for the employee whose blog ideas receive the most activity and engagement once posted.
One way to motivate employees to participate in your new content marketing campaign is to explain that it is mutually beneficial. Not only are they helping the company create valuable content that is interesting and relevant, but they also are working on a project that will enhance their personal brand. The blogs that are generated from their ideas can be shared on their social media accounts, including the powerful professional network LinkedIn. This allows them to provide their professional contacts with insight into their career accomplishments and personal ideas. Remember to recognize employees when they create successful content, as this will encourage them to continue with the program.
Templates give your employees the outline that they need in order to get started. Even if they are not writing the blogs themselves, they should have an idea of how it is going to be structured. The template should include a total word count, keyword suggestions, desired audience and a format for the actual post. Subheadings and examples can be provided in order to inspire your employees and show them what type of information is needed to create a valuable blog.
In order to measure the success of your content marketing strategy and your new blog initiative, you are going to use metrics and analytics. Regular reports provide you with the information you need in order to tweak your posts or focus on specific topics. You will know the blogs that work and the ones that don’t, and you need to share those results with your employees! This gives them concrete proof that their efforts are worthwhile, and shows them what can be accomplished through a content marketing initiative. The data gives them encouragement, and also allows them to set goals to work toward as they continue developing ideas and outlines for future content.
To find out more ways to implement a content marketing program at your organization and to learn more about the benefits of online marketing with high-quality content, contact us at Zero Gravity Marketing today.