How resilient is your content marketing?

As we enter the new year, there are several scenarios likely to disrupt not only your content creation capabilities but also the ongoing management and execution of your content marketing strategy.
 
For example, your CEO may assign a special high-priority initiative forcing you to creatively allocate your team’s time and expertise to satisfy this new demand. Or your team may already be serving multiple stakeholders, pulling them in multiple directions. Unfortunately, budget cuts are another realistic and trying situation.

These disruptions come at a cost. Typically, your content efforts pay the price because it’s difficult and time-consuming to create high-quality pieces. Many companies turn to outsourced freelancers, but that shallow tie often results in spending more money and time. 
 
There’s a better way to ensure your content initiatives remain resilient: Adopt an integrated content marketing program. With this managed service, you can alleviate pressure on your team and get high-quality content.

 
Know you need content marketing help but unsure of where to start?
A free content needs assessment can reveal your content marketing gaps and provide a clear path toward better results. 

What is an integrated content marketing program?

An integrated content marketing program is a partnership between your internal team and senior-level content marketers to consistently produce and market high-quality content.
 
This program is designed to solve practical challenges and reduce the burden of ongoing project management across several content-related activities such as:

• Content creation

• Marketing campaigns

• SEO optimization

• Brand messaging

Unlike outsourcing to disconnected freelancers, an integrated content marketing partner acts as a trusted extension of your team. They entrench themselves in your success through a deep understanding of your business needs, goals, and customers.

This approach makes it possible to produce high-quality content that’s more likely to resonate and drive momentum through the buyer’s journey. Plus, you’ll save time and money through:

• Minimal revisions

• Content that aligns with brand and campaign messaging

• Senior writers and strategists with industry expertise

Why do I need an ongoing content program?

Consistent content creation is critical to generating leads and increasing sales. Despite its widely recognized importance, many B2B organizations still have insufficient resources to produce content.
 
A striking 57% of B2B companies either have one or zero full-time staffers dedicated to content marketing, according to a July 2021 study by the Content Marketing Institute.

Factor in common distractions that spring up throughout the year and you can see how content marketing quickly can transform into an overwhelming burden.
 
However, by choosing a partner to manage an ongoing content program you’re equipping your team with extra resources to complete content projects, even if distractions arise.
 
See how we extended content capabilities for Protech, a leading association management software provider, that needed to distinguish their brand from competitors through high-quality content.
 
Better results
Beyond supplemental bandwidth, the skill of senior writers and content marketers can improve your results, especially when it comes to search engine rankings. Only high-quality content paired with intelligent SEO keyword research can improve your online visibility and bring more organic traffic to your website.
 
New content formats
More resources mean more opportunity to try new content formats. This is important because different types of content such as video or podcasts often boost engagement and increase content marketing ROI.

How does an integrated content marketing program work?

Typically, an integrated content marketing program involves a five-step framework:

1. Discovery

2. Building process and relationships

3. Developing a content strategy

4. Consistent content creation

5. Responsive refinement and expansion

While this framework looks great on paper, today’s business environment is more complex. Success requires customization and intelligent application of the framework. Depending on what’s happening with your business, you may need different things from a managed relationship.
 
That certainly proved true for InteliSecure, a data security provider, that needed content for both foundational brand messaging and demand generation efforts. We customized an integrated content marketing program for them, designing it to satisfy both those needs faster with a dual-track workflow.

This approach enabled InteliSecure to quickly launch campaigns to reach their new target market and start generating results. With the program’s solid base set, content efforts scaled and together we built lasting momentum for their marketing.

Interested in a managed program? Here’s what to look for.

The ultimate goal with any managed program is to create high-quality content that produces results. Selecting the right partner is how you achieve that goal.
 
What should your top considerations be? A quality partner should:

• Customize a program to your needs

• Develop a deep understanding of your business

• Have senior content strategists and writers

• Build relationships with your subject matter experts

Qualities like these are instrumental to success. They separate a managed program from troublesome freelance-forward models, which are ill-equipped to navigate disruptive periods.

If this blog resonated with you, we encourage you to contact us for a free needs assessment.

Over a quick conversation, you can gain valuable insights about your current content marketing efforts and see which areas need improvement.