Content is everywhere. With today’s fast-moving digital world, you can access any information you need 24/7 and on-the-go. It’s simple; just search the topic you’re interested in and a plethora of websites, blogs, and social sites pop up with the content you need.

That’s why today’s marketers are becoming more invested in content marketing strategies. Content marketing helps you effectively target your audiences for higher returns and engagements than traditional marketing strategies. It’s important to develop long-term relationships with your customers and prospective customers through your company’s content.

Let’s begin by brainstorming where your content is located:

• Corporate website
• Blog
• Social media sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc.)
• Newsletters
• Videos
• Microsites
• Mobile Apps

Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing your content platforms. Different companies will use a different mix of platforms based on where they are most likely to engage with their customers. However, at least a handful of platforms are crucial to your content marketing success: website, blog, newsletter, and at least one social media outlet. If you are having a hard time choosing which social media site to employ, survey and use the platform where your customers spend the most time first.

Next, research and consider the data points of where you should house the content so that it stays relevant. Here’s an example: if you’re a finance company running a special on auto loans, write an article with tips on what customers should do before going to the dealer or getting pre-approved so they will not go above a set budget. Highlight the article on the website page you’re running the special and link to it from social media sites. Another option is to write the article on your blog, where you can then link to your website. Linking your platforms not only helps build your Google search rankings, but also deepens your relationship with customers. And, if their experience is successful, customers will continue to come back to you for more information, which builds credibility.

Content Marketing is a long-term strategy and it isn’t always easy. You can write many articles, but if they aren’t relevant to your brand or you haven’t researched which platform to house them on, you may end up spinning your wheels. Below are a few starting points that could help you during the content planning process:

• Build a Strategy. Determine your objectives and set Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) of how to measure the success of these objectives; then measure with analytics.
• Develop a Plan. How many times are you distributing the content? Who can write the content? Where and when can the content be shared? Generate an editorial calendar to help you organize topics, publication dates, and writing responsibilities. 
• Create Messages. Who is your target audience? What information would be the most relevant or useful? Think about where the content will be used and write according to that platform. Include a call to action for higher engagement. 
• Disseminate to Your Audience. Where are you distributing the content? Will this be used for organic or paid media campaigns? How do they differ for your company?

Once you’ve mastered these four tips, you’ll eventually see your hard work pay off. Whether it’s through increased website traffic, influencing conversations, or generating revenue, you’ll help build your content marketing strategy piece by piece.

And make sure you continue writing.