Content Marketing Checklist

[T J Tutor]

For those of us that are into content marketing, we face the challenges of keeping our audiences engaged. It's all done by being vigilant, keeping on our toes, researching the audience needs daily and weekly. Here is part of my scheduled tasks to keep the content motor running with my sites.

• Take an inventory of what has worked over the previous six months as well as what flopped. Pay attention to what content gets the most attention, what format for the content was used, and what channel(s) were used for delivery. Example: Did your videos outperform your infographics, did lists in the content outperform those without. What time of the day were FB shares peaking. No company provides any type of tracking for this, so it is up to us to create a self designed spreadsheet for monitoring these elements. The results can change from month to month, quarter to quarter, and year to year.
• Pay attention to your competition. We need to pay close attention to our successful competitors. Subscribe to their sites, email lists, social channels, media channels, etc. Look closely and take notes. Look for what is working in their camp. Understand this, when you are a direct competitor to them, they are signing up to all of your efforts as well. Do not be afraid to take something that is working for them and make it better for your own content sites.
• Research what your audiences want from the content channels you provide them as well as on your competitors channels. We must be on the bleeding edge of audiences needs. These audiences leave clues everywhere about the content they want and need. Especially with the social channels they frequent and rely on. Just go to the various channels and search your primary keywords to see what the audiences are saying on those topics.
• Create a calendar, or schedule, for the content delivery dates. You need to track the internal development and deliveries of your content. Know every minute of every day, at a glance, where you are with each stage of that which you are producing and when it needs to be complete an delivered. Make sure it stretches out at least ninety days and leave room for a little flexibility.
• Always track the results and evaluate all content relevant results daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Tracking is the most important tool in your arsenal when it comes to evaluating results. It's all about knowing when and where to optimize your efforts.

 

[azgold]

Awesome list, TJ! Your mind must be a wonderful place to live, so very organized and well-planned. Love it!

When I was a daily blogger, I found the editorial calendar to be an absolute godsend. It saved me so much time and frustration. Look at it and boom! you knew what you were writing about that day. Plus it really organized things, especially serial content.

 

[T J Tutor]

Awesome list, TJ! Your mind must be a wonderful place to live, so very organized and well-planned. Love it!

My mind is a wonderful place (most of the time) to live, it's the outside the mind stuff that's total chaos sometimes. As you pointed out, organization and planning are an important part of my core and often my right brain has great battles when wanting to release the creativity that shares the space. Fortunately I have an abundance of great readers that embrace the resulting chaos when I write. Somehow I come out with well blended thoughts expressed.

When I was a daily blogger, I found the editorial calendar to be an absolute godsend. It saved me so much time and frustration. Look at it and boom! you knew what you were writing about that day. Plus it really organized things, especially serial content.

Exactly Darlin'!

 

[azgold]

Fortunately I have an abundance of great readers that embrace the resulting chaos when I write. Somehow I come out with well blended thoughts expressed.

So, the chaos is actually creative in itself and is perfectly aligned with what your readers are looking for. Think that's one definition of perfect.

 

[Dr. Forum]

Thanks for sharing. I can say that the first thing that has stood out for me in the post is paying attention to my competitors. I just remembered that these are people who are on the run and looking for the tips to outsmart you in the service you are offering. It helps so that you may find the ways that you will forever stay on top of them come rain and shine. Tracking results and evaluating them to will help no whether I am in the right direction or not. Big thanks buddy.