So…you’ve decided to begin using a marketing automation platform to help you gather leads with gated content. Great!

…Now what?

Let’s be real here- The Simon Group is a small agency in a niche market. We don’t have the social media following of some of the world’s largest brands. When we’re talking our average post reach, it’s in the few hundreds range. Our highest reach prior to last week was 646 people. (If you’re reading this, know you’re awesome and we love you for following us!!)

Oftentimes we are asked by clients our feelings on gated content – You know, the information that cannot be accessed until a form is filled out with the user’s personal information, usually their name, email, phone number and some innocuous question. The questions we get usually center on WHEN this type of content should be used, and IF it should be used at all.

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about the shifting of momentum back towards traditional media. It is no secret that 15 years ago, online media stormed the advertising industry and nearly knocked out traditional media, like 90s grunge did to 80s hair bands. People clamored to get on the digital bandwagon to gain more market share, reach a broader audience and cut through what was perceived at the time as ad clutter. Or so they thought…

According to the 2017 report from the Content Marketing Institute, more B2B companies are becoming more successful with content marketing. But it all starts with a plan! So here’s the final push… the homestretch… get ready to tackle publishing and promoting your first piece of content, celebrating your successes and reviewing the results.

By the end of these 3 weeks, you’ll be nearly ready to tackle content marketing like a pro. The last segment reviewed how to audit your current content, document your new content strategy and how to create topic ideas that fuel this new strategy. Up next is creating a content calendar based on priorities and ‘low hanging fruit’, fine tune SEO and successfully review and edit your first piece of content.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about the prospect of starting (and keeping up with!) a blog, here are nine things that can help ease the burden and allow you to create a valuable resource you customers will come to respect:

Last time we discussed getting your content marketing campaign off the ground. We gave you the tools on how to get your strategy in motion. In this round, we will discuss how to get the momentum going and touch on auditing your current content, documenting your new content strategy and how to create topic ideas to fuel your content strategy.

The Internet’s relationship with public relations is complex. While it has helped raise the profile of this long misunderstood marketing tactic, it has also been the cause of many newer frustrations.

Let us start out by saying that content marketing is a long-term strategy that takes commitment and discipline. It is not a strategy that works overnight or even in the first six months, but when it does finally kick in, the benefits are immeasurable.

Remember the days when tradeshows were jam-packed and everyone registered to attend as soon as they could to reserve their spot? People milled around and networked for hours looking at some of the greatest booth presentations and demos the industry had to offer. It was THE BEST, wasn’t it?

Have you ever been charged with having to write something, be it a blog, article or a short piece for your website and have no idea what to write about?

You struggle with topics that you think your audience may be interested in, or feel that you have exhausted all possible topics that can be written about. You want the piece to be engaging and timely, with a “personal” spin to it that only your company can provide.