by Fronetics | Feb 7, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
To be effective, your content marketing strategy should align with your sales goals. Here are three simple questions to ask yourself to make sure your documented strategy is on target.
I recently read an article on the Harvard Business Review that discussed pairing your sales goals with your marketing goals. This strikes at the heart of what we do at Fronetics: build a client’s content marketing strategy that will help advance their short- and long-term business goals. It sounds simple, but you have no idea how many organizations’ marketing goals are misaligned with what the larger organization is trying to accomplish
We need to make sure that — while we’re continuing to increase content production — we have a fundamental understanding of what we’re trying to create.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, 88% of marketers use content marketing. But a mere 30% of B2B marketers say their organization is effective at it. What that says to me is that a lot of companies are dumping their resources into content marketing, but, without a strategy that advances their business goals, they’re throwing away their time and money.
A content marketing strategy outlines the methods by which you will target, reach, and engage your audience. Research and execution of these tasks can be quite complex. Writing out a plan and assigning appropriate resources can offer clarity and guidance to your organization throughout the course of your program.
Here are three questions to ask yourself to make sure that your content marketing strategy is complementing your sales goals.
3 questions to align your sales goals and content marketing strategy
1. Why: Why am I doing this?
This question should be fairly easy to answer. The reason you’re documenting a content marketing strategy is for your business. You’re looking to align your marketing efforts with your business objectives. For a lot of companies, this ultimately means increased revenue from sales growth.
When done correctly, content marketing can support sales goals, making it easier to generate leads and helping the sales team close business. But you need to continually ask yourself, why?
The constant demand for more and more content can have a great impact on quality. More isn’t always better. Make sure you’re checking in with your strategy to make sure the content you’re producing is in alignment with your business goals.
2. Who: Who am I trying to attract?
In order to get the ball rolling in content marketing, you have to understand who you are trying to reach. Your company’s sales goals will help guide this target audience. It’s important to think holistically when considering who you are trying to reach at a potential prospect’s company. Typically, your target audience falls into two categories: Primary (decision-makers) and Secondary (influencers of the decision-maker).
Going one step further, you need to identify your target audience’s needs and pain points so that you can direct your content marketing strategy at creating awareness around those needs.
Once you have a thorough understanding of who your target audience is, you can begin to identify the different social media platforms they use. Using analytics tools within social networks can help you identify trends in social media use.
3. What: What content is going to work the best?
You’ve discovered your why and who, but now you need to finalize what kinds of content you’re going to create. Create the kinds of content your target audience seeks, and distribute it through the platforms on which they seek it. How-to videos on YouTube? Thought leadership on LinkedIn? Optimize the material you distribute for each channel. Use the social channels that best suit your brand message, type of content, and target audience.
Valuable and relevant content is not a sales pitch, but can help the sales process. Create content that communicates valuable information to customers and prospects so that they have the knowledge to make more informed decisions. Moreover, concentrate on content that establishes your business as a reliable source of knowledge — as a thought leader within the industry. Be thoughtful when you create content.
Even though 39% of marketers expect their content marketing budgets to increase this year, that doesn’t mean you should continue throwing money at your content marketing efforts until you have a clear plan that will advance your business. To be effective, marketers should document a content marketing strategy that aligns with their business and sales goals. It doesn’t have to be complicated. But it should reflect the “why, who, and what” of your sales strategy.
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by Fronetics | Dec 13, 2017 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media
Here are our 10 most-read social media posts of 2017.
Today, more than ever, companies are turning to social media to engage with customers and reach new audiences. Brands are using newer technologies to push content marketing to new levels. And it’s working.
Looking at this list, I notice the popularity of posts about how to utilize social media to grow leads and close deals. Knowing when and where to post isn’t enough; with constantly changing platforms, companies need to stay on the pulse of social media to stay ahead of their competitors.
At Fronetics, we hope to serve as an educational resource for companies within the logistics and supply chain industry. Always feel free to reach out and ask us a question or request a blog post if there is a topic about which you need more information. In the meantime, here are the 10 most-read posts about social media from our blog in 2017.
Top 10 social media posts in 2017
1. This is How Often B2B Businesses Should Post on Social Media
Keep these best practices in mind when determining how often to post to social media. It’s not enough to just create interesting and pertinent content; you have to put it out there to reach your target audience. Moreover, the content needs to be delivered consistently over time, at the right time, and in the right place. Read more.
2. 4 Tools to Determine the Best Time to Post on Social Media for Your Business
Find out when your target audience is most active on different social media platforms by using these 4 online tools. It’s not enough to curate content for your social media platforms. Today’s social media users expect fresh, innovative ideas around the clock. And when this content is being shared is just as valuable as what is being shared. Read more.
3. Social Benchmarking: How You Know You’re Killing it on Social Media
Rival IQ’s Danica Benson discusses the importance of social benchmarking and offers three steps for getting started. Benchmarks are key when interpreting data. Organizations of all kinds — large corporations, small privately-owned business, nonprofits, and even sports teams — need to measure their performance to see if they’re efforts are leading to success. Read more.
4. The Best Time to Post on Social Media: A Comprehensive Study
When you are posting on social media could be as important as what you’re posting, and this CoSchedule study attempts to determine the best time to post. Timing is everything. And that statement especially holds true when it comes to posting content to social media. There’s no point in putting in the time and effort to create informative blog posts, inspirational tweets, or captivating Facebook posts if you’re not getting the most exposure you can out of your social media outlets. Read more.
5. Instagram Stories: How the Supply Chain Can Use Them to Engage Prospects and Customers
Instagram Stories offer an on-trend platform for delivering targeted content to B2B buyers and building brand awareness with potential customers. If you haven’t considered using Instagram as part of your social media marketing program, it might be time to change your mind. Read more.
6. 7 Must Follow Twitter Accounts for the Supply Chain Professional in 2017
Turn to these 7 Twitter accounts for news, insights, and thought leadership in the supply chain space. Twitter is a platform for socializing, entertainment, breaking news, lead prospecting, and much more. But Twitter is only as useful as the people you follow. So how do you choose between the 317 million monthly active users? Read more.
7. Leveraging Social Media in the Consumer Electronics Industry
Here are two examples of consumer electronics companies leveraging social media to reach their target audiences, build brand awareness, and drive sales. Supply chain businesses understand that social media is an important marketing tool in today’s marketplace. The consumer electronics industry is no different: Participating in social media has never been more necessary. Read more.
8. #LeggingsGate: The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Social Media Management
United Airlines failed to apply emotional intelligence to its social media management and will continue to suffer the consequences. The recent #LeggingsGate controversy — in which a United Airlines gate agent refused to allow two young girls flying on friends-and-family tickets to board a flight because they were wearing leggings, which violated company dress code — really got our office talking. The incident is a great example for all businesses on the importance of emotional intelligence in social media management. Read more.
9. Where on Social Media Will Competitors Be Next? Trends in Content Distribution Channels
Recent surveys show video platforms are the next big focus for marketers in terms of content distribution channels. We’re big advocates of social benchmarking against your competitors. But, just as much, we are always thinking ahead, trying to figure out where the industry is going next. It’s important to get ahead of the trends so that you can be right there leading the pack. Read more.
10. Facebook Breaks 2 Billion Users, Instagram Crushes Snapchat, and more Social Media News
In July’s social media news, platforms saw a rise in daily active users and broke records in more than one category. Once thought to be a passing trend, social media is nowhere near slowing down in terms of growth. Next Web reported that India has taken over as the largest audience of Facebook, beating out the U.S. with over 241 million active users. Active users in India are up 27% in the past six months, twice the rate of U.S. users. Read more.
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by Fronetics | Sep 25, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
Use the first months to lay a solid foundation for your content marketing program so it can begin generating leads and sales.
So you decided it was time to jump into the content marketing game. You’ve been crafting the perfect content. You’re posting on a regular basis. You’ve identified your target audience and have been researching keywords. You’ve even learned a thing or two about SEO.
But you have no leads or sales to speak of. And your boss is breathing down your neck for results, FAST. Is it time to throw in the towel? Absolutely not!
Content marketing is a long-term solution that helps businesses build brand awareness, grow their audience, and generate new leads and sales. But, like any good relationship, it takes time and effort to achieve results. You shouldn’t give up before the seeds you sow have time to bear fruit.
To understand the time table for content marketing, let’s look at some markers for the first six months.
Month one
Learn about your target audience and understand their needs.
In order to get the ball rolling in content marketing, you have to understand who you are trying to reach. It’s important to think holistically when considering who you are trying to reach at a potential prospects’ company. Typically, your target audience falls into two categories: Primary (decision makers) and Secondary (influencers of the decision maker). Going one step further, you need to identify your target audience’s needs and pain points so that you can direct your content marketing strategy at creating awareness around those needs.
Document a content marketing strategy.
You would never operate your business without 1) creating a strategy, 2) documenting it, and 3) following the strategy. A content marketing strategy outlines the methods by which you will target, reach, and engage your audience. Research and execution of these tasks can be quite complex. Writing out a plan and assigning appropriate resources can offer clarity and guidance to your organization throughout the course of your program.
Month three
Create and publish content.
93% of B2B marketers use content marketing. However, less than half (42%) of B2B marketers say that they are effective at content marketing. One of the reasons these marketers are ineffective: bad content.
When you are creating and curating content for your business, focus on original content that stands out to current and prospective customers. Valuable and relevant content is not a sales pitch. Rather, it is content that communicates valuable information to customers and prospects so that they have the knowledge to make more informed decisions. Moreover, it is content that establishes your business as a reliable source of knowledge — as the thought leader within the industry.
Promote content on multiple channels.
Understanding your target audience and which social media platforms they’re using is invaluable information. If you want to reach potential and current customers, you need to be where they are. You need to make it easy for them to find you and to engage with your business. And if your competitors are already active on social media, start by finding out where. If these platforms align with your ideal customer, don’t be afraid to kick start your social media presence alongside them.
Month six
Analyze your performance.
Track and analyze your metrics on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis. Take a look at what is working and what is not. By tracking and analyzing your metrics you can see, for example, what type of content is most effective and which distribution channels are helping you achieve your goals. You’ll also be able to find opportunities for improvement. Look at the feedback you are getting through your engagement with customers and prospects, and make adjustments to your strategy as needed.
Expand your content creation.
If you’re focused on growing your business or creating awareness through the creation of engaging content, then you need to be ready to try new things. Have you been successful with blogging and Facebook posts? Then it’s time to try making videos and joining Twitter. And don’t be afraid to pull from other worthy sources. Content curation will serve to establish your business as a trusted resource and increase your brand visibility, all without over-promoting yourself.
Remember that when it comes to content marketing, it is important to think: marathon not sprint. An effective content strategy requires patience and determination. Many companies make the mistake of giving up on a content strategy too early. Give your relationship with content marketing time to play out, and don’t be afraid to adjust your strategy along the way if you find some things are working better than others.
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by Fronetics | Jul 24, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Sharing content from third-party sources establishes your company as a go-to resource for all things related to your industry, sector, products, or services.
When I hear the word “curate,” I think of an art gallery. I think of someone systematically picking pieces of art to display together. I think of the time and effort it takes to put these pieces together in a cohesive manor.
Curating content is no different. It is the process of finding, strategically piecing together, and sharing content that is relevant to your audience through your various distribution channels. Using third-party social media posts, blogs, videos, and more, supply chain companies can enhance their content marketing efforts by distributing information that is readily available.
Research shows content curation is a widely practice content marketing method.
- 82% of marketers curate content. (IMN Inc.)
- 83.3% of marketers curate/share content with their customers and/or prospects. (Curata)
Obviously if so many marketers are curating content, there’s a reason. Here are five benefits of content curation for your company.
5 benefits of curating content
1. Establish your expertise
By digging around industry websites or social channels to find interesting and relevant information, you are proving to your readers that you are an expert in your field. You know what’s important and where to find it. You’ll become the go-to company for the most cutting-edge content — all in one easy-to-find place (meaning your audience doesn’t have to scour the web themselves). This will increase your visibility and encourage visitors to trust you as an authority in your industry.
2. Offer a variety of content
Marketers work hard to create different types of content. From blogs to videos to white papers, everyone is trying to stand out and keep things fresh. But you may not be successful at every medium. By curating content from other sources, you can get around that. If you struggle with creating videos, for example, find a reliable source that is already successful in that arena and share with your audience. Your followers will appreciate the change in scenery and will want to come back to see what else is in store.
3. Engage with influencers
TopRank’s Caitlin Burgess writes, “By curating your influencers’ content, it can take less time to achieve your goals, such as developing a working relationship with them and borrowing their audience.” By sharing content from someone who is important and/or influential to your target audience, you can begin a relationship that can have benefits to both parties: Your audience enjoys the content, and the influencer gets free publicity (from you!).
4. Stay in the know
One of the major complaints about content curation is the time it takes to research and find reliable pieces to share. And though there are tools out there to help automate this process, there are major benefits to going through the motions yourself. You’ll not only discover content you can share with your audience, you’ll also keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on. Consider curation part for your audience and part for you to stay educated on the news and trends in your industry.
5. Keep up the demand for constant content
The foundation of content marketing is to generate leads through the consistent creation and sharing of relevant material. Unfortunately, marketers often struggle to keep up with the demand for new content around the clock. With content curation, you don’t have to be the only one producing content. By sharing quality content from various sources, you are able to supplement your own content and publish more consistently.
Being able to identify, make sense of, and distribute relevant and helpful information makes you valuable to your customers. Over time, readers will come to know you as a trusted, reliable source of knowledge — someone who is not always trying to sell them something. You are an expert in your area of business, and you save your customers and prospects lots of time and effort distributing relevant information so they don’t have to go searching for it from independent sources.
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![The Role of Content in the Logistics & Supply Chain Industries [Infographic]](https://www.fronetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/role-of-content.jpg)
by Fronetics | Feb 28, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Supply Chain
Nearly 80% of logistics and supply chain companies consider content an effective tool for their businesses.
We often use this space to talk to the logistics and supply chain industries about content marketing. Some companies are surprised to learn that this modern marketing method can be so effective for their business. The truth is, content is one of the most useful tools for not only building brand awareness, but also generating leads and earning new customers.
I can tell you this until I’m blue in the face. But, really, what’s most convincing is seeing how other businesses in the industry approach content and how it’s paying off for them.
So we at Fronetics polled supply chain and logistics marketers to determine how their companies are using content. We wanted to find out whether it’s working, as well as their challenges; how they approach outsourcing, distribution, and curation; and more. The below infographic illustrates a few of the key findings from our survey.
(Made with Canva)
To get a complete picture of the role of content in the logistics and supply chain industries, download our report:
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