It All Starts With A BLOG
Are you struggling to keep up with content creation and coming up with a plan of action? Not sure where to start, what to write, what to post and how to keep it all cohesive and engaging? Creating an effective and well thought out content marketing strategy is a source of stress for most small businesses. Without a full marketing team behind them, something as simple as posting to Facebook and Instagram becomes a daunting task. More often than not, social posts and blog content end up being an afterthought that yields little engagement and even less traffic. Creating fresh original content, blogging and posting consistently is an integral part of your brand’s success. Not only does it have SEO value and boost your google quality rankings, it gives your brand a voice and builds brand awareness. Think of your content marketing strategy as storytelling. What do you want to talk about? What value can you add to your product or services? What do you want the consumer to know about you? How can you build loyalty with your followers? So many questions, so little time! So how do you accomplish all of this and where do you start? Here is my breakdown for creating a simple to follow, successful content strategy!
It all starts with a blog. The content from the blog provides a basis for social posts and email campaigns. Your blog should feature timely topics relevant to your brand, written for your audience, to engage and inspire the consumer with informative content that adds value to your product or services. Adding fresh content to your website and social channels is also key for SEO, brand awareness and credibility.
Blog Strategy:
Choose your topic
Source/Create images that tell a story
Write content that is informative and inspiring, not sales pitchy
Create a call to action
Be sure to tag all involved vendors for increased sharing and engagement
Have 3 - 5 inbound lnbound and outbound links in ever blog.
Social Media. Social Posts are created to drive engagement, likes and shares as well as drive traffic back to your website. Social posts can be created to mirror the content on the blog to keep your weekly theme cohesive which will breed a loyal following and keep people coming back for more.
Social Strategy:
Create 3 – 5 Posts that tie into the blog ( or website ) content
Create A Call To Action
Inspire engagement with the post by asking a question or creating a commentary with audience.
Boost any well performing posts
Consider a lead gen ad or giveaway strategy to entice audience to fill out a form for lead capture
Add a link to content whenever possible.
Newsletter. Email marketing continues to be one of the strongest forms of lead generation and is a great way to inspire your customers to purchase. Monthly newsletters let your audience know what is going on with your company and in your area, while also introducing them to the valuable content you have been posting on your blog and social channels. It’s the perfect call to action to inspire consumer to click through to and spend some time on your website.
Email Strategy:
Create an engaging headline
Feature excerpts from your blogs to entice readers to click through to the website.
Let readers know what is new and exciting with your company.
Create a call to action
Content Strategy Outline
So now you've got a plan of action, time to start creating the outline for your weekly strategy. We are going to use a faux flower shop as an example. This strategy is based on 1 blog per week, 5 weekly social posts and 1 weekly newsletter.
Weekly Topic - Summer Trends
Blog - Images featuring summer wedding trends.
Social Posts – Weekly posts to support blog
Feature Blog - 7 Fun & Flirty Summer Wedding Trends We Love
Feature Product - Sunshine Bouquet
Tips / Advice - How to infuse a summer theme into every detail.
Behind the scenes - Video of a bouquet being made.
Engagement Post ( get them talking ) - Detail all the faux blooms in a bouquet from the shoot.
Newsletter
Feature Blog Excerpt ( with link )
Feature Products - Sunshine Bouquet
Press - Check out our feature in New Jersey Magazine!
News/Features - Why faux is the way to go? Find out!
Call To Action - Upcoming Events
Content Execution
Now you've got a solid plan of action and outline in place, time to fill in the blanks with all of your great content. Having original images as well as brand and lifestyle videos is the key to success.
Blog - 7 Fun and Flirty Summer Wedding Trends We Love
Summer time and weddings go together like sunshine and lollipops! If you’re thinking bright and cheery for your big day, we’ve got some sweet ideas you’ll love. Check out our favorite fun and flirty summer time wedding trends featuring our Sunshine Bouquet!
Bold Colored Bridesmaids Gowns
Add a splash of color to your walk down the aisle with short and sassy mismatched bridesmaids gowns. Lemon and lime paired with a coordinating floral print style for the maid of honor makes for one pretty picture.
Gowns:Alfred Sung by Dessy Group, Bridal Suite Boutique
Grey Wedding Gown
Forget the white wedding gown and opt for an alternative shade! Dove grey is oh so sophisticated and unexpectedly elegant.
Grey Gown: Justin Alexander, Bridal Suite Boutique
Fruit Infused Florals
Fruit infused florals add the perfect touch of summertime whimsy! Go faux to keep your fruit accents light weight and forever fresh! These lemon branches from Afloral.com are the perfect solution.
Floral Hoops
While we never get tired of lush bouquets, a floral hoop is a lightweight and airy option for summertime brides. It will also save you a few bucks which is always a win!
Floral Painted Wedding Cakes
Painted wedding cakes are dreamy for sure! This creation from Fancy Cakes NJ features hand painted florals, fondant roses and a honeycomb patterned tier. It’s the perfect mix of color, texture, design and summertime flare.
Bold Patterned Linens
Wow your guests with a pop of color as they enter the ballroom! Bold patterned and colorful linens are a great way to make a statement with some serious summertime vibes. This Bali Goldenrod Linen from Party Rental LTD is a show stopper!
Garden Inspired Stationery
Nothing say summertime wedding like romantic script and beautiful blooms! We love these custom designed invitations by April Lynn Designs!
Coordinating Social Posts ( use images from blog post )
Post 1 - Planning a summer fete? We’ve got the hottest summer trends for you! (link to article)
Post 2 – Sunshine is a bright and cheery bouquet filled with garden roses, lush greens accented with mini lemon branches! It's the perfect bouquet for a fun loving bride getting married in the spring or summer! ( link to product )
Post 3 – Infuse summer into every detail of your big day! ( carousel of images from blog with a link to products )
Post 4: See how we created this gorgeous fruit infused bouquet. ( link to tutorial video )
Post 5: Name that bloom! Can you guess all the beautiful varieties in this bouquet? ( image )
Newsletter ( use images from blog post and add and test all links )
Headline - SUMMER Trends and Beautiful Blooms!
Create a header graphic with your logo / tagline that appears on every newsletter. This promotes brand recognition and trust.
Main image
Intro Paragraph - Did you catch the summer trends blog? Summer time and weddings go together like sunshine and lollipops! If you’re thinking bright and cheery for your big day, we’ve got some sweet ideas you’ll love. Check out our favorite fun and flirty summer time wedding trends featuring our Sunshine Bouquet! Click Here to read more!
See our designers in action! Watch our sunshine bouquet come to life!
Video Link
New Jersey Bride Feature Snapshot Image
Did you catch our feature in New Jersey Magazine! Our beautiful blooms were showcased on the pages of the areas most trusted publication!
Why faux is the way to go? Find out!
CTA: Come See Us At The Nassau Inn Bridal Show next Week! Event Link
Footer: Add a footer that will be consistent on every email. It can contain social links, website info and contact info.
Content Marketing is a great tool for businesses to build brand awareness, credibility, trust and lead generation. I work with companies to not only create amazing content, but also to put together a plan of attack to promote that content. Let’s chat!
