The Ultimate Guide to Content Creation

Content creation is one of the powerful ways to build an online business. It refers to creating and sharing valuable free content to inspire, entertain, and educate your audience about your business and industry. 

Moreover, it can improve brand awareness, increase engagement, and build brand loyalty. According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), 91% of B2B marketers and 86% of B2C marketers consider content creation as a core marketing strategy.

Content is everywhere. It makes up the internet. On this day of age, you should be a strategic content creator to maintain and grow your life and your business.

However, the statistics show that it is one of the areas marketers struggle with the most.

• 63% of businesses state that they do not have a documented content creation strategy.
• 64% of marketers state that they need help to better content creation strategy.
• 60% of marketers state that it is difficult to produce content consistently. 

Psst, for superb examples of content creation, check out Imperium’s Instagram or Facebook!

Step 1: Define your content creation goals

• What is your niche?

Focus on your business niche to improve your chances of establishing yourself as an authority in your field online. Read news about your industry daily to be up-to-date.

• Who is your target audience? 

Research your target audience to understand their interests and demographics info. A good method is through keyword research. 

• What kind of content do you want to create?

Create content that your customer might search for information or entertainment to inspire them to take actions that boost your business. 

• What do you want to do with your content?

Think of your marketing goals. When defining your goals, remember to set SMART goals, that is, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Examples here. 

Step 2: Plan your content

• What persona do you want to convey?

Pour your own brand personality to stand out from other content creators. Whatever it is, keep it compelling and consistent!

• How much time and money will you invest?

Determine your marketing efforts. Further questions: In-house or outsource? What resources are needed? Hey, don’t miss out on a free content creation resource, Canva!

• How should you deliver content?

Identify what online platforms your target audience is on, which can be different for each business or industry.

Here are the types of content and some cool statistics:

Blogs

60% of consumers cite purchasing a product after reading a blog post.

(Demand Gen)

• Show that you are an authority in your industry.
• Share knowledge with their customers about the industry.
• Add value to the overall customer experience.
• Attract potential customers to your website.
• Rank higher in search engine results with SEO.

Infographics

Infographics can help boost site traffic by up to 12%.

(Venngage)

• Share knowledge with their customers about the industry.
• Present stats or processes in visuals. 
• Are quick and low-cost.
• Are easy to digest.
• 65% of people are visual learners. (Pearson)

Videos

81% of businesses are now using video for marketing.

(Hubspot)

• Engage an audience quickly.
• Encourage social shares.
• Format versatile and engaging.
• ⅓ of online activity is spent watching videos.

Case Studies

 97% of B2B customers said that case studies are the most reliable type of content when evaluating services.

(boast.io)

• Build consumer trust and confidence in your brand.
• Illustrate how your business has helped a specific client.
• Highlight special applications for their services and products.
• Maintain a portfolio of company work. 
• Differentiate your company from the competition.

Step 3: Analyse your content creation results

• How will you analyze and measure your results?

You can check out free software, google analytics! Here is a table on some content metrics below. Select some metrics that connect with your goals.

Now that you have learned about content creation, it is time for you to create some content. Follow the content creation tips outlined above and you will be well on to achieve your goals.  For more information, check out Imperium’s Content Creation web page! Best of success!