Sometimes, even the most tried-and-tested content marketing strategy will benefit from a bit of a shake-up. If your scheme is starting to feel stale or too conventional, then consider freshening things up by increasing the intention of your content marketing.
- Identify the problem
You can’t fix a problem you don’t understand, so take some time to identify where your strategy is falling flat. Are you missing out on a key segment of your audience? Is a certain type of content no longer resonating? Are your distribution channels and automation systems functioning properly?
- Conduct an experiment
Based on what you find out, come up with two or three ways to test your theory and improve your reach with that audience. Maybe you want to send fewer emails, or perhaps striking a different tone in your content is the key. Stick with one experiment at a time and try it out for at least 30 days to gather enough data.
- Study responses
In this step, you’ll want to look at things from your audience’s perspective. Study how and when your targets engage with your content, as well as the kinds of things they respond to most. Do they prefer long-form content or videos? Do they ignore emails but consistently register for webinars? Answering these questions can help set your strategy back on track.
- Be honest
Get real about your results. Not everything you try is going to work, and what seems to work initially might not last in the long term. Content marketing is about taking a big-picture look at how your audience engages, and that picture is constantly changing. Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board and try again.
- Ask questions
Going forward, evaluate your marketing strategy with intention. Are you doing things because they work or because convention says you must? Sometimes, venturing away from the norm and thinking outside the box can work wonders for a content marketing campaign.
Conclusion
Approaching your content marketing initiatives with greater intention should give you some valuable insight into what works for your audience and what doesn’t. Sometimes, it can really pay to shift away from industry convention and embrace a more curious, intuitive strategy.
