Content Marketing5 Key Considerations for Selecting a Content Marketing Solution That Works

Content marketing has emerged as a key enabler in driving customer engagement in today’s digital world. However, given the diverse multiple requirements for an effective content marketing strategy, selecting a content marketing software that works can prove to be a daunting task. The vast number of solutions available in the market, with some vendors focusing on a small section of the marketing function, while the others concentrate on a whole range of processes and functions, further complicates the selection process.

Therefore, to zero-in on the right solution that delivers results, we need to revamp our understanding of the importance of content in marketing and realign our understanding around what it can do for us.

1. Marketing automation is a crucial component of content marketing

The rapid evolution of email marketing has led to the growing importance of marketing automation platforms. These platforms can be seen as a mature point solution which addresses the distribution aspect of content marketing.

Effective content marketing can help you build up your email distribution lists, which would in turn help you expand the reach of your engagements.

2. Social media management is a key content marketing activity

The viral spread of social media platforms like YouTube and Twitter, and solutions like Sprinklr, Buffer or Hootsuite, that help us manage these channels, have led to their emergence as an effective way of marketing content. Any attempts at engaging with customers, be it the marketing of a new whitepaper or just attempts at growing the following online on these channels, therefore involves effective content marketing, built around management of the content being shared. Management of social media is therefore a key content marketing activity and should be given the due importance that it deserves.

3. Search Engine optimization is integral to content marketing

While keyword stuffing may be a thing of the past, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is still an integral content marketing activity. SEO is your key to landing on the first page of a Google search, something that is sure to increase the footfall on your site.

A word of caution, however. While SEO may be a crucial tool for driving organic search, it would be well to remember that it just serves one of the multiple distribution channels, where as an effective content marketing solution streamlines the complete distribution process as a whole.

4. Content marketing also includes content marketing platforms

The content marketing platforms available today concentrate mostly on the ‘creation’ aspect of content. They are there to help you with ideation, curation, and streamlined workflows or are just a place where you can buy content.

While these do provide ‘creative’ solutions, they do not cover marketing automation, SEO, social media management and other key functions like experience management and deep insights. Therefore, while you need a content marketing platform, you should be well aware of its limitations.

5. Content marketing does not have a flat structure

In the end, it is crucial that you realize that content marketing is not a flat linear activity. It delivers a whole host of functions and therefore requires an optimum mix of different solutions to deliver the desired results that can transform your business in this rapidly evolving digital era.