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3 Key Elements to a Successful Content Marketing Strategy

July 25, 2017 By Shelley Hitz Leave a Comment Click here for a FREE book marketing training

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successful content marketing strategy

Do you have a strategy for your content marketing plan? How is it working for you?

In this training, I’m going to share with you three key elements to make your content marketing a success.

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The Three Key Elements

There are three key elements towards a successful content marketing strategy. And many times, if you don’t have all of these things going for you, you’re going to not have the success you want to have.

First, what do I mean by content marketing?

Content marketing is one of the best ways you can get the word out, and be able to reach new customers. This is also a way to build your tribe of people who know, like, and trust you, who will eventually purchase your books or products from you.

Content marketing is anything from blogging, podcasting or social media posting. Content marketing is what I’m doing right now. I’m recording this live video on Facebook, and then this video will be edited and posted on my YouTube channel, my podcast, and my blog. Also social media.

But you don’t have to do all of that. Content marketing can be any of those things. It could be just social media.

I really believe every author needs to have some content marketing plan and it doesn’t mean you have to do everything.

I have a team that helps me that’s why I can do all of those things.

So you have to ask yourself this question.

“What is one thing that you can do that is going to reach your target audience, help you to build a relationship with them and be able to eventually have them purchase from you?”

We can say then that content marketing is really powerful. However, there are three key elements to content marketing.

Key #1: Strategy

The first key element is a strategy. It needs to be a strategy.

What I see a lot of authors doing is going into content marketing haphazardly. You think, “Oh, somebody is on Pinterest, I should be on Pinterest, too. Oh, I think I need to be on Twitter. Oh, I think I should start a blog. Oh, Facebook Live, maybe I’ll try that. Oh, a podcast!”

There are just all these things.

The main thing I want you to do is I want you to have a strategy. I want you to have a plan. Do the research and know who your target audience is.

I have training on that for you inside AuthorAudienceAcademy.com so you can know who your target audience is. You have to know where they hang out online and all other information, so you’re not just going into your marketing plan blind.

I think a lot of times the reason you don’t get the results you want is that it’s all over the place. Bright Shiny Object Syndrome is an obstacle to this. Instead of having a strategy and sticking to it, you easily get attracted to try new things.

I always say FOCUS; Follow One Course Until Successful. If we don’t have that FOCUS, and we’re doing all these different things, jumping around from here to there, it’s really going to be hard to see momentum happen with any content marketing strategy.

It’s really important to have a strategy and know what works for you.

I’m a speaker, and I’m an extrovert, so it works well for me. I literally have a very small outline of what I wanted to cover in this video, because I know what I want to say, and I just hop on here, say it, record it, and send it to my team.

Then they edit it, transcribe it, and do everything they need to do. And then it appears on my blog, YouTube channel, and podcast. That works for me because I’m a speaker.

For you, it may work better to write, so a blog or social media might be better. Your target audience might be more graphic or image related, so Instagram or Pinterest might be better.

Only you can know what’s going to be best for your target audience. You really have to do the work in order to discover that.

You need a strategy.

If you are an Author Audience Academy member and want to brainstorm your content marketing strategy, we can do that in our private Facebook group. So just start a new post and I’d be happy to brainstorm that with you.

Key #2: Consistency

The second thing that you need is consistency.

This is where I think a lot of you lack. Part of the obstacle to consistency, I believe, is many of you set goals that are way up here. They are not attainable with the time and resources you have available.

You set these high goals of, “I’m going to blog twice a week,” or, “every week. I’m going to start a podcast, and I’m going to podcast all the time.” Then, when you don’t achieve that goal you get discouraged and give up.

What is a realistic content marketing schedule that you can stay consistent with?successful content marketing strategy

Consistency is truly the secret sauce of content marketing.

Since I started my podcast, I’ve released a new podcast almost every week. If I haven’t, it’s just because my team has been behind. That has made me push us back sometimes from releasing things as quickly as I want. But I’m learning to give up control and not have to do everything myself.

So I’m learning to work with a team. Typically I’ll try to have a new training every week.

What is a schedule that works for you? Maybe, it’s once a month. Maybe that is what’s really going to be consistent for you on blogging, or going live on Facebook and embedding that into your blog. Or you may want to try YouTube live.

What is it that’s going to be something you can stay consistent to? Consistency is so important! Whether it’s social media, or something else.

In social media, you can schedule a lot of your posts. So you don’t need to sit down in front of your computer all the time. I share a lot about that in my 7 Day Social training. You can get a free social media template at SevenDaySocial.com/Free, and get access to a discounted rate on my training there.

Whatever it is, are you being consistent?

How many times have you posted on social media in the last month?

How many times have you released a new blog, podcast, or video in the last month?

What has your consistency been?

What is realistic?

Don’t put yourself into a pressure cooker of unrealistic expectations. That’s only going to stress you out. It’s only going to cause anxiety and that’s just not worth it.

Do something with the time and the finances you have available so that the team you have works for you.

Key #3: Commitment

The third thing is commitment. It takes commitment when you’re doing content marketing.

You’re not going to see results right away. It’s going to be more like the snowball effect. It’s going to be something that, as you go, as you build, as you’re consistent, then people know they can rely on you.

For example, I’m going to release a new podcast every week. And as they continue to listen to me, get information from me, and learn from me, eventually, you may want to join AuthorAudienceAcademy.com.

You’ve gotten to know that you can trust me, you know that my tribe is your tribe, and you want that community. You will want that coaching and you need the training that I have in there. Sometimes, it takes time.

So someone may listen to my podcast for years or months. They may get all my free stuff. Some of you will never buy one thing from me, and that is fine. I offer these free training for you.

Or some of you may consume my free training, my free content marketing training, for months or years, and then you decide to sign up for Author Audience Academy.

So, it takes a commitment to say, “I am going to continue doing this.”

Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t change it. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a change in how you deliver your content marketing.

Sometimes we learn things, we make things better, and we grow over time. If you go into it without a commitment, you go like, “Oh, I think I’m going to try blogging. I think I’m going to try doing podcasts. Maybe I’ll try getting on Instagram. Maybe I’ll try this.”

If it’s a “maybe I’ll try” or “I’ll give this a try”, it’s not enough. You have to have the commitment of, “I’m committed to creating new content for my target audience on a monthly basis on my blog,” and you put it on your calendar.

You let people know that’s when they can expect information and content from you, and you’re committed to it. There is a completely different mindset.

It’s just like when some people say, “I want to write a book, someday.” When I have people in my Author Audience Academy write out, they write out their commitment to publish a book. We do this on my virtual writing retreats.

If you are interested in learning more you can go to ShelleyHitz.com/VirtualRetreat. I have them write it down in pen on paper their commitment to finish their book.

There is a power that comes from making a commitment.

End Note

So those are the three keys to a successful content marketing strategy.

The first is just having a plan and a strategy.

The second is being consistent. It really doesn’t take a rocket scientist, it just takes consistency. Continuing to deliver that valuable content to your audience on a consistent basis.

Then, finally, a commitment.

I hope this training helped you. if it did please let me know. I love to hear from you. Until next time!

Until next time!

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Filed Under: Book Marketing

About Shelley Hitz

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Together, CJ and Shelley Hitz are passionate about equipping and empowering Christian writers of all genres to share their unique gifts with the world. This website is filled with spiritual encouragement as well as prayers to help you overcome the resistance you face as a writer. Your story matters! Our online community, Christian Book Academy, is where we help you write, self-publish and market your books. We invite you to join our community of Kingdom Writers! 

  
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