If you are like me, there were times you laughed at the phrases that came out of your mother’s mouth; only to realize later that she was right.
In honor of Mother’s Day, here are nine content marketing tips based on common phrases you might have heard growing up.
- Keeping making that face, and it will stay that way. The message here — change things up to avoid getting stuck in a rut. Try new angles. Keep content fresh. Use new media, such as video, images, and polls. Doing the same thing over and over may not create the best “face” for your content.
- Do you think money grows on trees? As a content marketer, you want to think of new and creative ways to keep your customers interested in your content. But like your mother said, money doesn’t grow on trees. Check the budget. Stick to it. Adjust when it’s important.
- Is that what you’re wearing? In essence, what your mother was saying was that how you presented yourself meant something. Apply this logic to your marketing materials, including websites, email, landing pages, links, call-to-action buttons, and more. Be sure that your work looks professional. If you don’t have graphic design skills, work with someone who does, and consider the use of stock photography to spruce up text-heavy content.
- Were you raised in a barn? Before you answer that, what she meant was your actions were not mirroring the standards she taught you. Consider how your marketing efforts are a reflection on your overall brand. Does it align? Does it make sense? Will your content reader scratch his/her head in wonderment when reading your stuff? Be sure your content is clearly written and is a direct reflection of your firm’s brand.
- You have two choices for dinner, take it or leave it. This is the original A/B split test. How do you apply it? Choose one trigger element in your content and test it on a similar audience to see who takes it, and who leaves it, such as a call to action button color. When your sample is great enough, you’ll know what to do and what not to do in the future.
- Are you bored? Let me find something for you to do. In essence, there’s always something that needs to be done. It might not be the most exciting project or garner the highest reward, but when there’s downtime, that’s the time for planning. Add topics to your blog calendar. Write client emails for the next few distributions. Change your social media profile images. There are many things to be done.
- Wait until your father gets home. This wasn’t being said to put fear into you, but rather to teach you that your actions have deeper consequences than you thought. When it comes to content marketing, if you make a mistake, fess up to it. Own the mistake. Apologize. Move forward. Your clients will appreciate the honesty and your willingness to be transparent.
- If “Jimmy” jumped off the bridge, would you too? Just because something is popular, doesn’t mean you should quickly follow suit. Be clear about your firm’s need to leverage the marketing trend. Make sure it aligns with your firm’s goals and marketing strategy. Finally, do your research and be selective before implementing a new marketing trend.
- Nothing in this world is free. When developing content, remember to think about the lead generation opportunity. Don’t give it all away for free. Capture email addresses, names, and phone numbers so you can follow up with potential leads.
What it all boils down to is this. Content marketing is about your customer. Not about you. When developing your content strategy, you want it to align with your firm’s goals and to embody your brand’s personality. But, keep in mind that the goal of a good content marketing strategy is to keep things fresh, engaging, and interesting for our audience so that they engage with you and your brand.
Joe Pulizzi, owner of the Content Marketing Institute, said it well, “Content marketing is the practice of creating relevant and compelling content in a consistent fashion to a targeted buyer, focusing on all stages of the buying process, from brand awareness through to brand evangelism.”