Internet Marketing Best Practices with Laurie Dunlop

Once you determine goals for your Web site and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to drive and measure that goal’s success, the next step is to create goals and KPIs for your supporting Internet marketing efforts including content.

Content includes everything from the text on your Web site pages, to your blog, video, Tweets, white papers, case studies, calls to action, forms, AdWords campaigns, e-mail campaigns, PowerPoint presentations, news releases… Whew! It’s no wonder content is so vital to online success and precisely why you need a strategy!

A sample content goal: Company ABC is a leading online resource center for energy-saving ideas in your home.

Who are you writing for?
Company ABC must first clearly understand its target customer. What words would this customer use online to search out this kind of information? How basic or advanced is the customer’s understanding of in-home projects? What are the key demographics for your target group? Any details you include help you choose the right kinds of content and speak in the language of that customer.

What do you want them to do?
Once you understand the target customer, decide what types of content work best. You also need to decide what outcomes you desire. Do you want a visitor to simply read, listen, or watch your content? Or do you want the prospect to take additional action and pay for a service? Watch this Internet Marketing TV video for an in depth look at cross promotion ideas.

Key points to remember…
Set a goal.
Know your target audience.
Plan your strategy.
Map it out on the calendar.
Cross promote.

For an in depth look at content strategy, follow Joe Pulizzi’s blog.

If you want to read some fantastic writing advice, watch Copyblogger.

The Google Business Solution Center lists several options for getting your content out through Google.

DoshDosh wrote an article about content strategy with some great suggestions.