‘It’s hard coming up with content ideas.’
That’s a common refrain from businesses who get all fired up about content marketing and then falter.
Sound familiar? It’s a bigger problem than just marketing communications. It probably means there are some fundamental issues in your business you need to deal with urgently.
‘We could do something about…’ is a typical grasping at straws reflex in content planning. It’s as unthinking as any other reflex or muscle spasm. And is usually the path to content any business in your sector could create (and probably has).
Content planning seems hard but shouldn’t be. Your content plan should almost write itself if you understand the following:
- The customers you want
- What they want
- What makes them become active buyers
Sounds simple? It is, and it isn’t.
The customers you want
Plans follow a strategy. If you have a strategy for growing your business profitably you’ll have an insight into the market segment you need to target. You’ll be clear about the product or service lines where you need to build awareness and interest.
That’s not a bad start for your content plan: at least you know who it is you’re talking to. It’s a hurdle that many B2B businesses never clear.
Your strategy doesn’t have to be complex. In many ways, the simpler the better. But it has to be grounded in market realities. Assuming that your business will somehow continue growing as it always has is the route to stagnation and declining margins.
Finance, marketing and sales need to be on the same page.
What they want
If you have target customers, how well do you know them? I mean, really know them. Have you ever hired anyone to do proper market research to understand their needs or what they think of your business?
Their definition of value is the only one that counts. You can try to impose your definition of value on them – but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Once you can detail the knowledge they’re seeking and the problems you can solve for them, your plan starts to assume some shape. You’re putting the jelly in a mould rather than letting it sprawl all over the table.
As an aside, you’ll also have a clearer direction for product and service innovation that will earn you a competitive advantage.
What makes them active
We’ve all seen the statistics about 5% or less of your potential market being active at any given time. These opportunities are fleeting moments. Even if there’s a long sales process, any business not in the frame when buyers start actively looking is out of the game.
What triggers active interest in your chosen market? This the space your content needs to own. If you don’t know this or have never really thought about it, it’s not surprising that content ideas are hard to come by.
Your content plan
Once you know the factors that trigger purchase intent for specific target customers, and what criteria they’ll use to filter out who they want to speak to… Content planning is a doddle.
Then it’s all about quality and creativity to help your business stand out. But that’s another story.