Your Brand Story
5 Top Tips for Effective Content
By John Chambers, Interactive Marketing Manager at Forest City Stapleton, Expert in Interactive and Digital Media
Your colleagues, brand partners and everyone else will tell you about the importance of content. You will hear that your site and marketing efforts depend on it … so much so, that if you don’t have the good stuff, your customers will look away in disgust.
And websites such as Pinterest and YouTube make that message even more relevant – their platforms are packed full of content that’s changing how we market and promote our brands. Pinterest’s images are on track to drive more traffic than major search engines, and people have uploaded more videos to YouTube in 60 days than television networks have produced in 60 years.
So all content matters. Now how do you generate it?
I’ve been writing for newspapers, websites and other companies since I was a teenager. Geeez, remember those years? And these are the five most important tips I’ve learned for effective content …
- Start With A Content Calendar.
Even if it’s just five lines and few dates, it’s something. It’s a plan. The best calendars I’ve seen just have a few months of realistic dates or deadlines, a list of short-term topics and a group of longer-term items. Here’s a link to a calendar template and a little more detail.
- Be Flexible.
Change is good … no … great. Especially if you’re pushing off something to do something else that’s truly more relevant. Plan for flexible content that allows you to easily move around calendar topics and promote a timely news item, seasonal story or something more pressing. Check out these tips for success from Inc.com: They’re all helpful, but pay attention to number seven – strategy is important, but execution is everything!
- Remember Short & Sweet.
Do you read most of your emails top to bottom? Me neither. The same is true for most marketing and promotions … so draft your content with an enticing headline, write short paragraphs and include a link for people to learn more. When it comes to email marketing, Emma, is one of my favorite platforms … here are the company’s tips for visually appealing emails, and the last one is the most relevant!
- It’s Not Always About You.
I help market Stapleton, a growing neighborhood in northeast Denver. Every year, our Dogs of Stapleton Calendar gets the most attention. We ask residents to submit photos of their dogs and we post the entries on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and our website – the canine contestants always garner double or triple the number of impressions, shares and responses when compared to other posts.
So you don’t have to always talk about yourself or your marketing message to get a brand response. Sometimes, you have to talk about Fido.
- Slowly Step Away … From Your Desk.
Get out. Connect. Read stuff outside of your industry. Those are the types of things that will inspire creative content, and there’s more than one way to continue growing your marketing skills. Take it from Forbes …
So go forth, Content Kings and Queens, and tell your brand’s story … we can’t wait to see it!