The creation of ongoing and organic content is vital to your business strategy. A solid content strategy lays the foundation to grow your business, build a loyal audience, and impressive Google rankings.

To successfully create a content marketing strategy, follow these 3 golden rules.

Rule One: Deliver content through the correct medium

Trends in technology have changed the way marketers use media to reach their target audience. We have traditional uses—such as radio commercials, television commercials, and printed news but we also now have podcasts, streaming music, instant videos and the competitive 24-hour news cycle.

Less conventional forms of media are making a breakthrough in our trendy tech world. Media can be accessed through various devices including a desktop, tablet, and smartphone. Creating a text-heavy article, or having a text-heavy social media timeline, may not catch the attention of your audience.

Using infographics and text is a creative way to enhance social presence and blog posts. In fact, 74% of social media marketers utilize visual assets in their social platforms, ahead of blogs and videos, due to their lasting effect. Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets than tweets without and infographics are liked and shared on social media three times more than other any other type of content! Adding a photo is both easy and beneficial to your marketing strategy.

“Video is also a fun and advantageous way to reach a broader audience. Last year alone, video consumption increased by 43%! By including a video on a landing page you can increase conversion rates (real profits or results!)  by 80%. Talk about a step in the right direction!

With the ability to grasp a multitude of information in the palm of our hands, it is pertinent for your organization to utilize a range of media to reach as many potential clients as possible. But most importantly, it is vital for you to know your audience. Everyone takes in information differently, and content must be available in many forms to reach as many people as possible. Through using these various media channels, you can reach a wider audience while still maintaining your message.

Rule Two: Target the right audience through the right platform

If you are new to all of the social platforms out there, it can be a lot to wrap your head around. What can be even more confusing is which is best suited for your organization. Currently, for small business and nonprofits, social websites such as Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter provide a user-friendly interface and a large audience base.

With that being said, do not be afraid to target emerging platforms as well. Why? Because new and emerging platforms that are not congested with companies means more potential growth for yours! Podcasts, Facebook Live, Snapchat, Periscope, and Yikyak are just a few new and exciting platforms. Using Snapchat, Facebook live, and Periscope allow you to post video as it happens in real-time. If your organization hosts events throughout the year Snapchat or Periscope could be a great way to reach a younger, millennial audience. With Facebook’s largest demographic being 25-54 year olds, Facebook Live opens the door to connect with management or senior-level users. Applications such as YikYak focus more on local businesses. If you are a company who has a physical location, you may find this tool useful to reach new clients in your area.

Before choosing to utilize these apps, figure out the audience you are looking to reach. You must know your audience and goals before utilizing the correct platform(s). Above all else, do not attempt to start using all at once! Do your research and utilize the ones best suited for your short and long-term goals.

Rule Three: Publish quality content frequently to gain notice 

The only way to connect with your audience is to publish frequently. By posting meaningful content for your target market often, you allow your audience to identify your brand and services. And that’s the goal, right?!

By staying up-to-date on emerging trends, marketing tools, and the understanding of algorithms, you can stay at the front of their mind by staying on their feed. Each platform requires a different level of post frequency. For Facebook, 1 to 2 times per day is efficient while Twitter requires 5 or more tweet per day for visibility. Each company or market’s sweet spot for reaching success may be different. Testing various schedules for posting content is a great way to establish a winning strategy.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to revamp old content. Trends in marketing and business change frequently, which could result in a drop in Google ranking. By updating your existing website article or blog post with fresh information and correlating SEO keywords, your post can receive a bounce in ratings! Bonus advice: Remember to update your post’s date and share the post on social media for an extra boost in traffic.

Now that you have an understanding of the three golden rules, you can implement a successful strategy for your nonprofit marketing and grow your business!

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